Oh Baby Girl- Felt Flower Tutorial

With 10 weeks until Baby Du-kah's due date, it's definitely time for us to start getting things in gear to prepare for her arrival! If I look at the progress I'd made at this point in my first pregnancy, I'm fairly embarassed to say we haven't done much at all for poor Baby D. I suppose it just means it's time for me to get things in order and start actually doing things rather than just planning.

I've seen the infant flower headbands everywhere but last night I started off with trying some felt flowers. I'll have rolled fabric flowers and curled polyester flowers to try next...

Pompom Mums:

Rosettes:

Here's a photo tutorial {click on the photo for a larger view}:

1. All you need is felt, elastic, glue gun/glue stick, scissors, pinking shears
2. I cut an 11" strip using pinking shears {about 3/4" wide}
3. Then I used my regular scissors to create a fringe along this strip using the "points" from the pinking shears as my guide for the width
4. Begin at one end and roll using a thin strip of hot glue to help adhere your roll
5. This makes an easy peasy Mum!
6. Now take your elastic and measure {I used this handy guide HERE to determine length}, you could hot glue or for mine I sewed it together for that extra measure
7. Cut another felt circle for your flower backing and if you're adding "leaves" then cut and assemble now
8. Turn your flower upside-down, glue your "leaf", then add your elastic headband, finish the headband off now with your last piece of the felt circle.
9. Et Voila!- A cute and easy felt flower headband!

And for the rosette variations {click HERE for the Purl Bee's pattern}

Making the House a Home

I thought I'd share some recent photos taken for this home's MLS listing-we're ready to SELL, SELL, SELL!

I mentioned Kitchen updates {HERE}, but here's the MLS photo...

Living Room...
2nd view of the Living Room... {Spy the Ikea finds: frames, throw, lamp}

Bedroom {Ikea find: rug & wall sconces not yet installed}
I have to remind myself there are layers to decorating a house. Ours isn't where I'd like it to be and I have to keep things neutral to keep it marketable {because this is temporary} but it's much warmer and more like home.

Toddling M's 2nd Birthday Party

We had a blast last weekend with Toddling M's 2nd birthday party...Mickey Mouse style! Click {HERE} to see many more photos.

Thanks so much to Haley for her gorgeous photos above =) I spread party tasks over 2 month's time so the preparations, homemade decor and crafts, and details were fun to make and even more enjoyable come celebration time!

Party Tutorials:

• Mouse Ears {HERE} (I used black headbands that didn't need to be recovered & black foam for the ears)
• Felt Hands & Mickey Pinata {HERE}

Edit: Here's a photo of the party favors each guest brought home. I found little black tote bags at Hobby Lobby and filled them with Mickey stickers, favor sacks with Mickey-shaped Oreo faces inside, bubbles with personalized "Thank You" tags, kaleidescope, Mickey headband, and of course the personalized sugar cookie for Cookie Queen of Alabama.

What's Been Cooking

While our Ikea trip isn't until today, I've tried to make a few additions to kitchen decor in the meantime. Since we don't have a decor budget per se, it's been some small changes here and there. Here's what 2 hooks, 1/2 yard of fabric, and a 50% off chalkboard can do:

A balloon valance & 2 of my hobnail pitchers on display...

The 50% off chalkboard had a very silly print on top that I easily painted over. Then I used a hook to hang it on our refrigerator...

Toddling M Turns TWO!

I can hardly believe he's now 2-years old! My baby is growing up so quickly. We've had a banner day today and I think he's enjoyed every bit of it.

While the day in photos are {HERE}, I did want to point out some of the birthday crafts and things I had fun with in preparation for our little day celebration.

The birthday plate was customized and purchased last year {sorry I can't remember the source but will keep searching in my e-mail archives}, so I went with the pool blue/green theme and made a cupcake stand for his little brownie cake. It's easy peasey too! I found the tutorial {HERE}. Instead of doing cupcakes though, I took a wine glass and cut out 2 brownie circles and stacked them just like a 2-tier cake. I think it turned out great =)I had this fabric pennant on-hand from before M was born. I used Martha Stewart's free printable banner letters {HERE} and then simply taped them to the pennant banner. SUPER EASY!

And then of course I had to leave a message for the Birthday Boy on our new refrigerator chalkboard. More on this craft tomorrow...

Ikea Hunt

I'm on the Hunt! I have a "Most Wanted" list already created {bottom of post}, but have tried to do some Online and catalog pre-shopping research prior to our Ikea trip this weekend. Here are some of my favorite super-inexpensive finds & everything below is under $50!

And I'd love to hear your great Ikea finds/suggestions too!

MOST WANTED

• table lamp
• medium-sized mirror
• picture light
• bedside wall sconces
• oversized frames
• rug for our Master Bedroom
• art easel {toddling M}
• 4 chairs {toddling M}

My Loves

“I concluded…that all those virtuous human emotion need not be freely given. Respect is commanded or demanded. Admiration is won sometimes against the will. It is impossible to admire someone we dislike. Loyalty and trust we entice or win from others. A sense of awe or adoration for God descends upon us from realisation. Certainly all these emotions may be present in love but they are not love itself. Love is freely given. It is a matter of choice. Love is wanting what is best for the other person, even if what is best for them is not going to suit the lover. Love is totally selfless and it is an act, not an emotion. We often mistake it for emotion because it is usually contained in strong emotions. But love is not an emotion…love is creative action. It is the most creative act in the universe”.

from “Ordinary Insanity” by Emma Pierce

Within the next few days my "Love Celebrating" will be overflowing. I suppose it's fitting as Valentine's Day is quickly approaching:

Friday my firstborn turns 2 years old!

Saturday my husband is treating me on an Ikea shopping spree! We'll make a day of it too, so I'm hoping the weather will cooperate for our trip. This is only the 2nd time for me to go to an Ikea...I can hardly wait. The first time I was with Dear Friend and just not in the mood to go shopping. But this time I'm pumped!

Sunday is my sister BeeBee's birthday! I can hardly believe my "little" sister will be 26. Sheesh I'm OLD!

Monday is Valentine's Day and a time to celebrate Love. Even though my husband says it's an overcommercialized "holiday" that he's disliked since he was Toddling M's age, last night I seriously suggested starting the tradition to make it sentimental and not purchase anything---something like a nice love note would do. Ha! Apparently my darling husband must have something else in mind because he nixed that idea and said we could do "a little something." Uh-ohhh...sounds like I need to put on my Creativity Cap and come up with something more than a card! Any ideas?

Year of the Rabbit

Alright, alright, alright...

I'm not going to even pretend I know much at all about the Chinese New Year, but I can kind of claim to by virtue of my ethnicity {right?}. Ha!

Toddling M received 2 special red envelopes in the mail from Aunt BeeBee {who is Korean} and another from her Vietnamese friend.

For those billions who celebrate it...Happy New Year!