{ celebrate } ACE is one!

It really has been a year since I had this little monkey.  

Yes, time flies.  It's driving me crazy!  I am not ready to let her grow up yet. 

However, the family kept asking about a party.

And the calendar doesn't lie.

And so.  My baby.  My littlest girl.  Turned one.  And we threw her a party. *sniff*

We had a nice little shindig with immediate family who came to town, balloons, cake, hamburgers, chips and Jones Soda.  Apparently, you can have your own bottle labels made, which is very cool.

We went the old school route and soaked off the labels and replaced them with simple ones that matched our table.

And added some tags to water bottles.  Her classic monogram is aCe, something I could not help but use over.  And over.  And over again.

I am now officially on the paper circle cutter train.  Total believer in their magic.  I have a 2" cutter and a 1" cutter.  And I want to cut everything into circles now. 

We made our own pink table linens over a year ago for Fidget's 3rd birthday, and they get constant use with three girls in the house. 

Craft paper and photo circles (ahem) worked for napkin rings.

And the cake.  Well.  Have I got a funny story for you.  It involves me deciding to go with store bought cake because I had a lot going on last week and a husband out of town and just too.much.to.do.

It could be a rather long post. 

And it's a very funny story.

The good news is, I kept my cool.

And there was cake.

 

Plenty of it.

Anyway...

The little monkey loved her first baby doll.  Fidget likes this baby, too... and is already trying to negotiate some kind of time-share with it.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Fidget wanted to get her baby sister a bubble machine.

I wonder why.

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Summer is fun.  But my kids' schedules are kicking my backside.  You?

xoxo

Chris

the town fair

Every summer our little downtown -- a historic downtown replete with charming shops and eateries and bars and refurbished red brick buildings and a train depot -- is home to "Downtown Days".

The streets are blocked off to make way for vendors and rides and games.

Color takes over.

And a variety of acts perform all day on three stages.  This year, Fidget joined in the action.

They did a tap dance number to Natalie Cole's "L.O.V.E."  Oh. My. Goodness.  The cute factor made up for the heat and humidity. ( She's on the far right, staying out of the shade. )

Fidge showed no fear, was first to walk on the stage, found me in the audience (hard to miss in the very front) and waved.  Hands on hips and chin set with determination, that little monkey gave it her all and made us proud!  She clearly takes after mama.

{ excited } one more thing...

I wasn't going to blog about it.  Not yet, anyway.  I am really very excited but I keep thinking some sort of last minute hiccup or wrench or other malarkey will get in the way of it happening. 

But what the heck. I was never any good at surprises.

You see, in September, I am going to meet up with my dear friend, Jade, in Seattle and spend four days with eight other crafters at a Dottie Angel workshop hosted by Tif Fussell herself.  In a historic mansion.  Sewing.  And visiting.  Ohhing and Aahing over each other's vintage goodies.  Staying up late and making big, big plans.  And crocheting (although we'll see how THAT goes.  I do have a history there.). 

We're packing up our sewing machines, some doilies, ric-rac, scissors and a variety of vintage fabrics and notions, a slip and a stool (the supply list said so), and we are going to schlep all of this stuff through airports and taxis like gypsies until we arrive at the Shuey House and collapse in a heap of eclectic craft supplies.

And I cannot wait.

Doesn't it sound fantastic?  Doesn't it?  Lucky for you, there are still two spots left...

[ Organized by Angela Ritchie's ACE Camps.  Photos from the registration web page.]

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UPDATE!  My dear friend, Beki, has taken one of those last spots!  Yipppeeee!

{ sewing } the pillowcase dresses

It's great to have friends that understand your love of used linens.  Last summer, a friend of mine picked up two matching vintage pillowcases at an estate sale, knowing I could do something with them. 

I was easily nine months along at the time, and the pretties were washed and folded and put away for future creativity. And time. Neither of which were flowing at that moment.

Fast forward 11 months, when Fidget and one of her best friends are playing and I think...Now. Matching pillowcase dresses. For the girliest of girls.

I really wanted to transform these pillowcases. Typically, you use the open end of a pillowcase as the "hemmed bottom" of this very basic sack dress.  (tutorials here and  here and here)

But the beautiful embroidery was begging for some extra consideration.  I wanted the pretty roses at the top.

That decided, I chopped off the sewn end of the case, sliced it up into strips to use for binding and ties and added store-bought eyelet ruffle to the new 'bottom."

I cut and sewed into the dress 'sides' in an a-line, reducing some of the bulk in the bodice area.  This also meant cutting armholes farther into the sides. I didn't want the embroidery to get lost in a front that was too ruffled, so I added gathers under the arms to further reduce the bulk in the front and back.  

This was a bit of quick-and-dirty stitchery with the elastic, but it worked.

It didn't seem to matter to the girls anyway.

Happy weekending!  xo 

Still here!

It's really hard to sit down and blog when I've got this clamoring for my attention. (One year, almost!!!  Crazyness.)

Summer is here. We are out in the yard.

In the sandbox.

Eating freezer pops and blowing bubbles.

Growing sunflowers. And hydrangeas.

It's been slim pickings around these parts, I know. Things slowing around La Fence have an inverse correlation with things ramping up to hyper-speed here around La Casa...

We'll be around. xoxo