Go Fingerless!

So I love these new fingerless mittens!! So cute and surprisingly super warm! Check them out on my Etsy store . .. .http://www.etsy.com/shop/thinkinbellecruz Great for multi-taskers who text or type all day long!!!

Mittens Mittens Mittens!

Its that time of year again!! I am washing, cutting and sewing up a storm!!! Come check it out over on my Etsy store . . . . http://www.etsy.com/shop/thinkinbellecruz

Quick Apron anyone? AND ITS REVERSIBLE!!!

Missy and I went out to Hanna's Fabric Store again this weekend! I just LOVE how bright and fun all her fabrics are. I really went out there to make something else and found this really cute and simple pattern for a reversible "old school" apron! How fun!!! I had to try it! Look at how cute the fabrics were for this thing . .. . thanks again Janet, as always!

After you cut out your pieces, you just need to start sewing. This is another "first" project for me so if I can do it . . . anyone can!!! Look . . . I even gathered!!!! :)

Sew top and bottom bodice pieces . .. for both sides . . . .

Hey . . . I can "pin tuck" too!!! :) Who knew!!! Look at all the fun stuff I am learning now! I'm turning into a regular domestic goddess!! LOL

Then you just sew on the straps and start sewing the bodice pieces together . ..

Remembering to do this inside out so that you can just invert them for a nice clean edge all the way around. You just need to press it down and it looks awesome!

I should have taken a picture wearing it so you can see just how cute it really is, but I love it! I may have to make some as gifts!!!!

Gone Fishin ....

What a blast we had over Memorial Day weekend!!! We went fishing, rebuilt Carter's playground . . . spent ALL weekend outside pretty much!! Carter caught this "whopper" sunny on Fish Lake on Saturday (you may have to squint your eyes a bit but I assure you . . . it IS there!! ha ha)

I couldn't believe how good he was in the boat! Casting away like a pro and never getting bored. Completely content to just motor around the lake . . . . hmmm, like someone else I know! A regular chip off the old paternal block!!! :)

I can't wait for our next fishing trip . . . hopefully this weekend!!!

Little Sweet Feet!!

Ok . . . I REALLY wasn't sure if I could pull these babies off! My co-worker asked me to make them for her for a baby shower she was going to and gave me a Martha Stewart quality picture to go off of. Intimidating!

But little man was more than excited to help :) and I thought "well if I wreck them, we'd have to eat them all and he would be in heaven!" He cut out most of the feet cookies and even made a few extra little stars for himself! He kept saying "like THIS mamma?" :) so cute! (sorry, I know this picture is sideways . . . . )

I made a simple butter-sugar recipe with a white almond icing ... YUM! You have the let the dough firm up over night so this was more than a one day project!

I waited until the almond icing hardened before decorating. The blue was fun, and the sugar made everything sparkle! Yes, boys toes can sparkle too!!!

I just had to throw a cute little umbrella in there . .. . it was for a shower after all!! Cute little sweet feet! Well worth the work! :)

Did I Ever Tell You How Much I Love KNOCK-OFF WOOD?

I was so inspired by this blog that when I saw this Simple Spa Bench I said to myself . . . "Hey, I can do that!" And voila, this perfect little bench made by ... ME ... and in only a few hours! ALL of the credit must go to Ana @ Knock-Off Wood and her amazing DIY furniture plans inspired by some very trendy vendors! (wink)

I started last night with my little pile of wood. I went to Home Depot and told them what I needed so they cut everything down to size for me, very helpful!!

Ana's instructions are so easy to follow that framing this bench in really took no time at all. Carter was a big help too! :)

I stained it a really cool JACOBEAN color that just made it look super old! awesome! Sprayed on some Matte finish to seal everything up and let everything dry overnight!

Not sure yet if this is its permanent home since it goes in practically EVERY room of my house its so dang cute! Thanks again ANA @ Knock-Off Wood!!! I'll be visiting you VERY soon!!!

Rag Blanket Project!!!

I am not really sure what got into me last weekend but after making some flannel receiving blankets for my sister in law, I was looking at some blogs and websites to get some other ideas and came across some really cute and simple quilting projects, rag blankets!!! OK, I have NEVER quilted or anything even close before but I thought, "hey, if I can make mittens, I should be able to sew this thing together!!!" The patterns I saw also used flannel but I wanted to use a soft cotton so that it wouldn't pill up the way flannel tends to do after several washings.

The best part of this project . . . . picking out the fabric!!!!!! Missy introduced me to a super cute little store, Hannah Johnson Fabrics, that carries all sorts of shabby chic patterns!! (best to keep the checkbook in the car! And shhhh . ... I do plan to visit there again VERY soon!) You wouldn't believe how incredibly soft and satiny these cotton fabrics are, and so, so cute!!! THANK YOU JANET !!!!


To make this blanket is pretty easy. It does take some time though, so make sure you have set aside a few nights for this one. After checking out a few patterns online, I cut 7" squares out of fabric and 5.5" squares out of thin batting.


Then I sewed an "x" through each square, pretty much just to keep the batting in place.
















Once you figure out how many squares you need, just decide if you want a pattern or would just rather make a "hodge podge" design of random squares. I referenced two different blankets online to make this pattern. It helped me to lay it all out and make a chart of which fabrics went in each space, that way, the next step was super easy.




You have to sew the squares together in strips first.




















Then start sewing the strips together line by line to make your blanket, keeping all the seam allowances on one side of the blanket.



Almost done, but this is the worst part. Once all the squares are sewn together, and you run around the outside of the blanket to make a 1/2" seam, you need to make cuts in all the seams, about 1/4" apart, making sure NOT to cut into the stitching. I wouldn't recommend trying to do this all in a single night if you are making a bigger blanket, or your fingers may fall off!




Last step! When the snipping is done, you get to wash the blanket which frays and softens the edges of the cut seams. Make sure you check the dryer often during this step to remove all the extra material that may clog up the lint trap. One of the online tutorials I read even said to use a industrial machine at a laundromat if necessary.

But now its done!!! WhooHOO!! And I read that the more it gets washed, the softer it will get!! I love it!!! It goes so well in my living room, accompanied in this picture by my favorite pillow . .. a purchase from one of the best little re-purpose shops - Snowman Hill !!!!

Its the Most Wonderful Time . . .

I absolutely love holiday decorating although I never seem to make enough time to do it. I love how these old outdoor things turned out after my putzing with them for a bit this last weekend.

I found a pair of Carter's infant mittens to put on these old skis and think the rusty old pulley on the sled is wicked cute with the little star cut out!!!! I think this was a steal at $2 from some backwoods antique vendor!!! I still need to do something cute with the snowshoes . . . any ideas????

This big star was a junked-and-left-by-the-side-of-the-road find that my SIL Jess came across!!! I still need to antique it a bit more with some stain!!

Carter helped me all day and even started dancing to the Christmas music I was playing!! He very carefully put all the ornaments on the tree, but wouldn't let me help him, the little stubborn stinker!

I LOVE these old blocks too!!! I found them this year at the Cranberry Festival!!

I can't wait to do MORE decorating this next weekend!!!!!

Vintage Checker Magnets!!

I am so in love with these! We found two small bags of vintage, old, and very well used, checkers at a huge antique store this last summer. I knew as soon as I saw them what I would do with them . . . a little hot glue and a round magnet and POOF . . . the cutest little fridge toys around! Perfect for holding up all of Carter's school work!!!!

Recycled * Reused * Repurposed - Holiday Style!

Holiday Gifts Galore is a show my we (me and my SILs) were in this past weekend! It was a total blast! Besides having only 3 hours of sleep the night before due to last minute finishing touches :). We had so many beautifully refurbished items that I can honestly say, we had the most attractive booth there!!!

We put several pair of my BelleCruz Mittens scattered throughout the sale items to give a warm and cozy feel. The rest of them I displayed in old dresser drawers. I can't believe how well these RECYCLED sweater mittens have been selling!!! I was even sewing there at the show to try to keep up!! They are so beautiful and each pair are unique, lined fully in remnant polar fleece. Definitely a vintage but stylish must-have up here in the cold country!

Missy brought so many different things, all of which were hand made! We had Mittens, Old Window Memo Boards, Wreathes, Monogram Blocks, Candles, Gift Tag Holders and Cards, Tote Bags and Pillows made from repurposed coffee bean bags, misc vintage items stuffed with real pine boughs and decorated for the holidays!!! We are definitely doing this again next year!!!!