Gigantic Chalkboard!!

Or, "What Do You Do With A Bare Wall That You Can't Hang Anything On Because Your Kids Keep Knocking It All Off."

This huge bare wall in our remodeled kitchen just really needed something. Problem is, this is a really high traffic area going between the breakfast table and the kid's backback station, so everything that got hung there just wound up in a broken heap in the floor.

Bring in the chalkboard paint. I just taped off the area I wanted and started painting. Five coats total, but this stuff dries so quickly that it took no time all! Then we measured off what I had painted and scrounged around our scraps of trim left over from the remodel to find four strips that were long enough. Hubs mitered the corners, I primed and painted them, distressed them, painted some more and we nailed them to the wall! Probably my favorite part of this room!

When it's "Not Quite Right"

We've all gotten them...the monogrammed gift that just isn't right. Names mispelled, monograms not right, or just something that we just wish was different. It's not like you can "regift" it (oh come on, you know you've done it) so what do you do? Sometimes the stitches can be picked out (a very tedious task that sometimes leaves fabric flaws) but quite often the stitches need to stay. (Like in laminated fabrics or insulated items...because of the high stitch count, certain designs will actually act to perforate the fabric, so if you remove them a chunk of your embroidered item literally just falls apart.)

So what do you do?


A Patch! You have heard me sing the praises of a patch on several occasions and I am singing that same song this time. I stitched the patch onto water soluble stabilizer (2 layers) then washed away the remaining stabilizer, pressed the patch and sewed it directly to the cooler. I think I may do a few more like this just because I love how cute it turned out!

Have a great day!

Reverse Appliques

What do you do when you have a brand new T shirt that gets stained the VERY first time the wear it?!? (Or any time they wear it, for that matter!)

A REVERSE APPLIQUE!!

In this particular case, I had the shorts that matched this little shirt and I just wasn't willing to put it into the rag pile just yet, but that stain was not going anywhere. And believe me, I wage warfare on stains, so I had tried it all.
These fun appliques involve placing a coordinating piece of fabric on the backside of the shirt, embroidering the letter or design, and then cutting the "offending" part of the shirt away! Even if it doesn't get rid of 100% of the stain, it really masks the tiny parts well. And the cutest part of this (in my opinion) is the way the jersey knit "curls" back after it gets washed. I snapped this particular picture before this shirt hit the wash so you can't see it here, but I have lots more of these designs just begging for me to stitch them out on my boys shirts...what kid doesn't want a lightning bolt, or a skull, or a guitar...so many to choose from!

This is also a great option for those striped shirts that you find in the Dollar Bin at WalMart and Target...not so much on their own, but so awesome with a reverse applique!

Monogrammed Pony-O's

Sweet little Pony-O's!

These are simply covered buttons that I monogrammed. The 3-letter is in MWP "Arabesque" and the single letter is Digistitches "French Dot". They have a hair elastic looped through the back and are a precious addition to any ponytail! I will also loop some long thin ribbon for a "streamer" effect, but those are easily removed if the little girl doesn't want ribbons each and every time.

I have more fun projects in the works using these covered buttons. Stay tuned...

Thanks for stopping by and please email me if you'd like to place an order!

First Week of Summer!!

This is what we will be doing Every. Single. Day. this week. Yep, a whole bunch of NOTHING. Eating watermelon in our PJs. Swinging on the playset. Taking naps (fingers crossed here).

My four are out of school and that warrants a celebration. So you won't be hearing much from me and that's ok.

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."~Pooh's Little Instruction Book

Enjoy all of life's little sweet moments and have a great summer.

Big Boys

There are so many cute designs out there for little girls and little boys, but there is always that fine line of when things start to look too "babyish". With girls I think there is more of a grace period...not so much with boys. This is definately our last summer for button-ons and john-johns, and even a few of those patterns are starting to make my husband raise his eyebrows when I get them dressed for church.

So when they are too big for bubbles and too small for bowties, what is a momma of boys to do for "church attire"?

Monogrammed polos!

A cute monogrammed polo paired with a little pair of shorts and your little Prince Charming is all set for Sunday School! I have LOTS of different fonts and monogram styles to choose from so send me an email if you'd like to place an order.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

It's My Birthday, Too...


That's right! The twins are turning THREE! So hard for me to believe. Everyone with multiples has told us that after they turn three it gets so much easier...but I'll have to say that they really haven't been all that difficult! I think mostly because they pretty much keep each other entertained but also because we are so much more laid back with them as compared to our older children. With multiples, you simply cannot answer every single little cry as soon as they cry it, so I think we just cut ourselves alot of slack from the get-go.
We plan to celebrate this special day with just our family (there's so many of us, we are our own party.) over some yummy cake and with the boys wearing these cute outfits. This is the Embroidery Boutique "circle patch" merged using Sew What Pro with the Planet Applique "birthday numbers". I made a simple pair of matching shorts in the orange and white gingham.

Happy Birthday Babies!! (I guess I'll have to stop calling them the "babies" now that they are turning three!)

Baby Trio

'Tis the season for baby showers! This is quite possibly the most requested baby gift that I stitch, the Baby Trio. It includes a monogrammed onesie (girl french dot shown here, a burp pad and a bib. These bibs are so thick and plush, and they are BIG so they really will absorb some serious messes!
Thanks for stopping by and please email me if you'd like to place an order.

Cute Customer Order!

Here are a few things I have been working on...

I love doing the Brother/Sister sets!
Lots of things going on in this wild and crazy household this month, we are ready for Summer to get here! I have several fun new designs that will be perfect for the pool and beach...hopefully I will get some time to stitch out a few things for the little people in my house.
Thank you for stopping by. Be sure and send me an email if you'd like to place an order!