Declutter Challenge - Closet Cleanup

Decluttering is one of my personal New Year's Resolutions and because more than a month of 2013 is behind us, I should be able to report some progress.  Well, it's been slow.  However, I do have some encouraging news to report.  Two recent situations resulted in some significant progress in the kids' rooms.

First, Mackenzie announced she no longer has anything to wear.  While most mothers have heard this cry from their 9 year old, in this case, it's true.  I have a very hard time keeping Mackenzie in clothes.  She is somewhat hard to fit, so clothes shopping is not pleasant.  In addition, when I buy her items, she decides after she has worn it once that "it doesn't fit," "it's too long" "it's too short" "it's itchy" or "I don't like it".  ACK!  It is a huge disincentive to shopping.  You can read more about how we addressed that in my recent post "What Not to Wear".  Despite the fact she had nothing to wear, her drawers were overflowing with clothes.

At the same time, I have a friend who called to see if Christian had some clothes he could "hand down."  Yes!  Christian is exactly the opposite of Mackenzie.  She fluctuates in size about twice a year, while he hasn't grown much in 2 years.  That has been changing for him in the last year or so as he is getting taller.  Now, it seems like the pants/jeans I bought a couple of months ago are ready for the flood.  Shirts, however, stick around a LONG time.  So, it was time for a closet clean out for both of them.

I would like to say I used the opportunity to provide my children with an educational experience in purging, but I'm just not that patient, especially because there was some urgency attached with both rooms.  Also, my kids are natural pack rats (I have no idea where that came from - seriously).  So I pulled out some trash bags and went to work.

It took three full trash bags in each room, but I am happy to say they are decluttered and ready for some new clothes.  I didn't take a picture of the "before" because I needed to get it done, but you can see what it looks like when the only clothes that remain are the ones that fit, you like and are not ruined.

This experiences reminds me once again the same lesson I learn every time I declutter - you can't be sentimental or unrealistic ("I know I will use that sometime.")  If you can't or won't use it now, get rid of it.  Space in your home is valuable and you deserve to live in a clean and orderly space.  I think I'm going to stitch that saying and hang it on the wall.

One baby step at a time . . .

cindy

Spring Etsy Finds

Spring is just about here and it's time for more Etsy finds.  Oh, there are so many lovely things to see, but I can only share a few of my favorites.  If you want to find your own favorites, make sure to visit Etsy.  Better yet, go shopping there or buy an Etsy gift certificate to share with a friend.  Click on the picture to go through Pinterest where you can be more detail about the item and a link to it on Etsy.  Here's what I found:

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Just another place on the web where I can't get enough eye candy.  Enjoy.

cindy

October Project List

As promised in my last post, I'm picking some projects for October.  As usual, I'm being ambitious with 5 projects, plus I would like to finish the projects I've been working on.  Well, at least I can try.  I've picked some I've been meaning to do for a while, but I also found a few new ones that look intriguing.  All are on Pinterest, so if anyone cares to join me, feel free (but let me see yours too!).  So without further ado, here are my five projects for October:

1.  Tutu - Oh man, I have to do this because Mackenzie has been begging for a while and I bought the tulle over a month ago.  There's no way I would hear the end of it if I decided to do a bunch of other projects first.  Like so many of these projects, this one is from Make-It-Love-It.

2.  Redo Sneakers  - This is one I just found, and it's actually two separate DIYs.  The first one is a fabric recover on some Toms (although I'm using my Target knock-offs) and the second is a recover of the soles.  These look fun because it's not anything I need, but if it works, I could use it.  This first one is from Elemental Carbon.  The re-sole is from Dream a Little Bigger

3.  Easy Elastic Band Skirt - This is another thing I've been wanting to do for a long time and I've had the elastic forever.  If this thing is as easy as it says (and they never are), I should be able to knock this out in an afternoon.  Yeah, right.  Again, this one is from Make-It-Love-It

4.  Fleece Hat and Scarf - I've got some fleece I need to use and this looks pretty easy.  I'm not completely sure what I will do with them because I'm in Arizona, but I can always throw them in my Etsy store.  The picture from the DIY is very bizarre because the lady who made these (Nebraska Views) doesn't show her grandchildren's faces.  So, here are some fleece scarves and hats on some smiley faces.

5.  Braided headbands - This is also a new thing I found that also looks so easy.  It should be a quick craft, but that's just not my way.  If these work, I'll also put some in the Etsy store, but I would definitely keep some for myself.  These beautiful items are from Alisa Burke, Redefining Creativity.

So there it is.  Five "simple" projects plus a couple quilts and afghans in progress (and a special project for a friend).  I'm getting a little excited.  Maybe this is a way to get me out of my crafter's block.  Cross your fingers.

cindy

Back in the (School) Day

At the risk of looking really old, I've been thinking back on my high school days in the '80s.  It's September now, and I'm reminded of all those Friday nights when we went to the football games.  I went to a Catholic high school in southern Illinois and we didn't have our own football field, so we used the stadium of the big public school about 5 miles away.  (For those of you still in Belleville, that's my best guess.)  I specifically remember those games as a freshman, because we didn't have cars or rides from anyone but our parents.  God forbid our parents would drop us off at the stadium - NOOOOO.  We would have them drop us off about a mile or two away and then we would walk down West Main Street.  Now that I think about that, we were kind of stupid because that was a long walk and sometimes it was cold.

Back in the day, we wore big hair and clogs.  I was never too much into the big hair thing, but I did have clogs.  You know, backless shoes with wedge heels.  Our heels were never that high, but they were wooden and made a lot of noise when you walked.  I can also remember how much my feet hurt at the end of the day - my heels from walking on a wooden block and my toes from scrunching them to keep the clogs on.  But as my mother would say "Beauty knows no pain."  (Although I definitely don't remember her saying that about those clogs.)

Yeah, we went through some weird clothing trends during my high school years.  I started high school at the very beginning of the 80s and went off to college toward the end.  We started with the "preppy look."  For most of you who were born after my high school years, that consisted of plaid skirts (preferably pleated), long knee socks and loafers.  You could wear a button down blouse with a ribbon tie at the collar, with a muted sweater over the blouse.  You could always wear clogs instead of loafers.  By the end of high school, we were teasing our hair and getting "punked out" with the big shirts/sweaters, bright colors, leg warmers and leggings.  Yep, we wore some crazy stuff.

I remember my freshman year at Homecoming.  We had a parade down West Main Street and every class (freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors) also had their own floats on flatbed.  Everyone used wood forms, chicken wire and tissue paper flowers to make figures for the float.  I made so many of those tissue paper flowers, my fingers were cut up by the floral wire we used to keep them together.  (See, even then I was crafty!)  The freshman float always looked pretty sad.  I remember that year the seniors made a giant Pac Man eating a player from the other team - impressive.  That year at football games, we saw the appearance of a new mascot - the Crusader.  Here was a guy dressed in armor (yep, the real thing), riding a big white horse and carrying a banner.  It was very cool.  We never knew who the Crusader was until the last pep rally of the football season when it was revealed to be one of our school priests.  Oh man, was he awesome!

Yep, the 80s were a very strange decade.  We saw the birth of MTV and music videos, very crude video games (remember Pong?), crazy fashions and awesome music.  I was there and I wouldn't change that for all the world.

Go Althoff Crusaders!

cindy


I'm participating in the SITS Girls "Fall Back into Blogging" this week.  

Folding It Up

Everybody has household chores.  I'm lucky I have a great husband who does a lot of them.

One job that I was forced to do have is to fold the laundry and put it away after Kent washes it.

I hate folding laundry.  The only thing I hate worse than folding laundry is putting it away.  We are constantly doing laundry and it piles up.  We had to buy extra laundry baskets because we had too much laundry.  On the rare occasions when all the laundry is clean, I have nowhere to put all the clean clothes.  (How is it then that I never can find anything to wear?)

Did I mention . . .  I HATE FOLDING LAUNDRY!

Today I bit the bullet because Kent did ALL the laundry (in one day).  As of now I have all of it folded, but it's sitting on the living room floor while I "take a break".  In a minute I have to find a way to get all of our clothes crammed put away in our drawers and closets.  Gee, that's going to be fun.

I'll say it again . . . I HATE FOLDING AND PUTTING AWAY LAUNDRY!

It's keeping me from frantically running retreating to my craft room until I finish, and at the rate I'm going it will be bedtime before I get to go in there.

I REALLY HATE FOLDING AND PUTTING AWAY LAUNDRY!

Oh well, I better get back to it.  It's no big deal, right?  It's not like I hate abhor detest dislike it [wink]

cindy

Watermelon A-Line Dress

This was the first creation in my dress making mania.  As I mentioned there, I bought Wendi Gratz' book Absolutely A-Line which has some easy yet amazing takes on the simple A-line dress.  This was the first "altered" one I tried.

I've had the watermelon fabric for a while, but never got around to making a summer dress.  As you can see, the dress is the basic A-line, but I added a contrast band and ruffle peeking out the bottom.  That ruffle is REALLY ruffled - I don't think I would try to make a ruffle that tight again.  To make it even harder, this was the last sewing project where I made ruffles with the "baste and pull" method.  You use two long stitch baste stitches parallel to each other with long tails on either end.  Then you gently pull to gather the fabric the way you would like it.  This bottom ruffle had so much fabric and had to gather all the way around the hem, that the "old-fashioned way" was the last time for me.  After this project I bought a ruffle foot for my sewing machine.

I love this dress!  I made it in a size 5 to sell in my Etsy store, but now that I see it, I wish I would have made it in my daughter's size.  (If you have a daughter in a size 5, feel free to drop by tomorrow during the grand opening of "Pretty Pretty Cindy.") One of the things I love about these A-line dresses is that you can wear it in the summer sleeveless and then in the fall and winter will a shirt underneath like a jumper.  

Doesn't it just make you want to go to a picnic?
cindy

Upcycled Girl's Gauze Dress

I haven't done much up cycling (taking old clothes and making new ones), but after doing a simple project with a denim skirt, I wanted to do something a little more challenging.  I found this adorable white gauze skirt at Goodwill in a junior size 9-11 without any stains or rips.

I wanted to downsize the skirt so it could be the bottom portion of a girl's size 6 dress.  I also wanted to keep the hem of the skirt because of the pretty tulle on the bottom.  I cut off the top of the skirt so I had the length I needed for the length from the bottom of the bodice to the hem.

For the bodice, I used an A-line pattern, although it might be easier to use a pattern that has separate bodice and skirt pieces.  I cut out the underskirt so I could use it with the new skirt.

I measured the bottom of the bodice and compared it to the circumference on the top of the skirt.  I figured the measurement on the skirt should be double the measurement of the bodice so I could put in gathers at the top of the skirt.

The measurement of the top of the skirt was way too big, so big in fact that I cut the side seam and then cut the excess (vertically).  I did the same thing with the underskirt, although I cut it so the waist measurement was much closer to what I needed.  I sewed up the side seams of the new skirt and underskirt separately (do not sew them together at the side).  

I used a new tool on this project - a ruffle foot for my sewing machine.  It looks like an implement of torture and isn't the easiest to attach or use - but I'm getting used to it.  I will admit it does make the process go faster.  I made the gathers so the skirt fit the bodice.  I sewed the underskirt and the bodice to the gathered skirt at the same time - a little difficult to keep it all even while sewing, but then I only had to have two seams at the top of the skirt.  I made a couple of rolled satin roses and braided (twisted) some rid-rac for the waist.  Here's the (almost) finished picture.  (I really thought I took another picture of the finished product, but evidently I didn't.)  Here it is with the pins still in the rid-rac:

I couldn't be more pleased with it.  It's so airy and comfy.  I would hate working with gauze and tiers from scratch, so this was an easy and inexpensive alternative.  Can't wait to see it on one of my little models before I get it in my Etsy store.

cindy

Fabulous Fourth of July Shirts

O.K., this is a post I recycled from last year, but considering that hardly anyone read my blog then, I don't feel too bad.  Enjoy!

For the Fourth of July we had some friends over and I had this fabulous idea of making patriotic t-shirts for the whole family - me, Kentster, CJ and Kenzie.  It was such a fabulous idea I stayed up late to make them with brand new t-shirts I purchased - 2 navy blue, 1 red and 1 white.  Briana at Sweet Peas and Bumblebees was the inspiration for the project and I used the awesome digital graphics she suggested from Summertime Designs.  In fact, it was such a great idea that I also found a graphic online to use for Kentster's shirt.

First, you do need to launder the shirts before putting transfers on them.  For the transfer, I used fabric transfer paper from Avery.  They come in different versions for light colored and dark colored fabrics.  That's where I went wrong.  I didn't realize there was a difference and I had some fabric transfers left over from a previous project and I didn't bother to read that they were for light  colors.  Here's what happens when you use the wrong fabric transfer:

The picture can barely be seen.  In fact, the photograph looks better than the real thing.  So make sure you have the right kind of fabric transfer before you get started and make sure to carefully read the directions.

Another point - you need to make sure you reverse the graphic image on your computer before you print it on the transfer paper, otherwise, your shirt will have a backwards transfer which can be very problematic with words.  You also need to make sure when you place the image on the shirt you have it oriented properly, which can be a little confusing when it's backwards.  Here's what happens when you put the image on the wrong way.  The image is not backwards, it's actually upside down!  Ack!!

By this point I had ruined two new t-shirts and had two more I couldn't use because I had dark shirts and fabric transfers for light colors.  I had to improvise.  I managed to find a white shirt for CJ and a gray one for Kenzie in their drawers.  I used the graphic from Summertime Designs and added my own sayings in fonts I liked and voila! they look great!

I really enjoyed taking individual elements of the designs and putting them together!  It made me feel like a graphic designer!  This opens up all types of ideas for making fabric transfers.  You can transfer designs onto shirts, totes, aprons - pretty much any fabric.  You can find designs on the web, including individual pieces you can put together in Photoshop or other similar programs.  We have a Mac and I just put them together in Preview - SO EASY!!  Another idea is to scan scrapbook items - paper, stickers, tags, etc or use photos!  Be sure to honor copyrights where applicable (no reselling).

I know I will be doing more of these types of fabric transfers in the future.  Maybe the next vacation instead of buying the obligatory souvenir t-shirt, why not take a picture or make a scrapbook page to scan and put on a t-shirt.  It will be more meaningful and representative of your trip.  Let me know if you have any other ideas to use with fabric transfers.

A post script to this post - I have never used this technique since last year, but in rereading this post, I am determined to try it again.  In the meantime, my son is going to wear his shirt again this year.

cindy

DIY Girl's Summer Camp

Last week I posted about getting together with other moms to "share the joy" of having the kids at home all summer.  I suggested taking turns hosting a day camp.  Last week it was the boys and now it's time for the girls.  Even if you don't want to have other girls, here are some ideas of things to do with girls when "I'm bored!" inevitably comes.  A lot of these will look like my suggestions for boys, but they're equally applicable to girls.

1.  Swimming. This is a staple stand-by, but try to spice it up.  Go to a different public pool or a water park or get out the "slip and slide" with bubbles or shaving cream.  Hose them down when you're done.

2.  Biking. Again, take the bikes somewhere new and explore.  Many areas now have designated bike paths so you don't have to worry about traffic.

3.  Visit a Museum. This can be a great way to beat the heat and can occupy the entire day. Every area has their own "best" museums.  Here in the Phoenix area we have the Musical Instrument Museum which is just what it says, and more.  You can listen to a number of instruments you've never heard before, or try some out. You may have a great science, children's or natural history museum close to you.

4.  DIY Spa Day.  Break out the cucumber slices, lotions, nail polish and foot bath.  You can take turns with manicures and pedicures, or, if doing it yourself doesn't appeal to you, head out to the local nail salon.

5.  Crafts.  This is, of course, my favorite.  It's probably a good idea to have a plan for a specific craft ahead of time so you can have everything ready.  As an alternative, you can get out a bunch of random supplies and scraps and let them create a masterpiece!

6.  Shopping Spree.  This isn't what it sounds like.  There is no money involved.  Take the girls to the local mall and give them $1,000 in pretend money.  Keep a tally for each and let them go wild.  This is great fun and teaches them the value of money.  (You won't believe how easy it is to spend $1,000!)

7.  Fashion Show.  Have each girl bring some clothes and shoes (especially ones they would like to swap). Have the girls take turns putting together outfits with all the assorted clothes.  Perhaps they can even swap clothes!

8.  Nature walk.  Time to get outside again!  Go to a local park or nature area and give the girls a list of things to find (like an ecological scavenger hunt).  The first girl to get every item wins a prize.

9.  Cake decorating.  This is fun whether you have a lot of supplies for decorating or just a few.  Each girl gets to make her own cake (preferably from scratch) and then decorate it.  This is a great way to teach girls about following recipes and cooking.

10,  Pop Popcorn and Watch a Good Movie.  This is a no-brainer and makes for a quiet afternoon (as long as you pick out the right movie).  Don't be afraid to pick out a movie the girls have never heard of, especially if it is an older movie.  You'd be shocked to find out that little girls love Shirley Temple movies!

Hope that's enough to get you started.  I'm jealous now because I work full time outside of the home and I would love to do all of these things.  Please live vicariously for me this summer!

cindy

Black Slip Dress

I'm trying to make some dresses for Mackenzie and here was my first for the spring/summer:

It was very easy - just two pieces with a facing.  A-line dresses are very flattering for most figures.

We were working on a little modeling of the dress until her foot was scratched.  The photo shoot abruptly ended.

I did have one problem with this dress, but I'm proud of the save.  I made a mistake on the shoulders and ended up sewing each of the four straps closed.  I decided to sew them closed and put decorative buttons on them.

I originally intended to use this fabric for myself, but I like it better in this little slip dress.

cindy

Thinking Day

Girl Scout Thinking Day.  It's a day when girls around the world focus on an issue of global importance and think about ways they can make a difference.  This year was global sustainability, or environmental stewardship.

The girls in our troop made cards from recycled materials (paper, tin foil, fabrics, felt and yarn).  The purpose of the cards was to inform their parents of ways they could create better sustainability in their families and communities.

With "The Lorax" being such a popular movie for kids (and adults), it's likely your kids will be thinking about how to keep the world unpolluted (sustainable) for future generations.  As Girls Scouts, we thought of some very practical ways to help (reduce/reuse/recycle).  These also make adults very happy because they are money savers!

• Turn off water while you wash hands or brush teeth.
• Take showers, not baths (baths use a lot of water) and make those showers shorter.
• Don't wash your car in the driveway.  Car washes actually recycle the water so they use far less.
• Install low flow toliets, dishwashers, front loading washing machines and instant hot water devices.  Each saves a lot of water.  You may also be surprised to find your community or utility gives you a rebate for installing these items.
• Run washing machines and dishwaters only when they are full.  We also encouraged the girls to think about whether they need to wash every item of clothing they touch :)
• Drive less.  Plan trips so you can go several places at once.  Take the bus (I LOVE doing this for part of my commute).
• Don't use leaf blowers!  These things are horrible for air quality, especially when used on dirt, or hard surfaces (driveways, patios & sidewalks)
• Recycle - paper, glass plastic and anything else your community takes.  Please make sure materials are free from food or other debris or they get trashed.  
• Upcycling has been a trendy option for sustainability.  Reuse clothes by handing them down or donating.  Also, if you sew or craft, consider cutting clothing for fabric scraps and felting on wool items. (I'm dying to try this!)
• Turn off the lights! Unplug appliances (TV, DVR, DVD, computer & printer) when you leave for a day or more.
• Don't use plastic water bottles!  They are expensive and a huge burden on landfills (that much plastic doesn't get recycled)

After our Brownie meeting I heard back from several parents that their girls were full of great information.  They were also genuinely interested in sustaining our environment.  Let's hope they do.

cindy

Is Your Reality Me-Ality?

If you're sucessfully losing weight or just getting in better shape, you may have the problem of shopping for new clothes.  If you're in the (slow) process of losing a lot of weight, the problem is exacerbated by not knowing when to buy new clothes.  Either way, it is often difficult to know what your new size is.
There is an amazing new service called Me-Ality.  It's a screening device you step into and in 10 seconds it takes over 200 measurements of your body.  Why in the world would I want to do that? you might think.  This machine matches your measurements with actual clothing brands, styles and sizes!  Best of all, the service is free at the mall.
The bad news is that it is only in a few locations (Pennsylvania, Chicago, Atlanta, Fort Worth and the Phoenix area). Lucky for me I live in the Phoenix area!  I can't say I've tried this yet, but I definitely will soon. (I'm holding out for a smaller size, buy when I do it, I will blog about it.)  I can't wait to find the perfect pair of jeans waiting just for me!  I bet I'm not the only one who would like to try this.  If you are not close to one of the locations, you can check it out online at www.me-ality.com.  You probably won't have to wait too long because they are expecting to have 400 more in the next year.
How's that for motivation?

cindy

Fit Friday - Why Am I Doing This Anyway?

Yesterday, I wore a suit I haven't worn in 9 years.  That's exciting and I'm pretty happy about it.  Thing is, no one else noticed.  I remember thinking someone would say something, but no one did.  Did that make it less than exciting for me?  Maybe.

One of the biggest problems of losing weight is the idea that it will make you a different person.  If I get to a certain size or wear different clothes, will people think more of me?  Will it change my personality?  Will my problems go away?  Will I stop battling with my weight?  Nope.

I'm at a place now where I have to keep my focus on why I'm doing this.  It's easy to say the only reason I'm doing this is for my health, but that wouldn't be true.  I'm doing it because I want to wear "normal" sizes and shop in any store for clothes.  I want people to see the real me without my weight getting in the way.

Right there - that's it.  I want people to see me differently because I don't like what they see now.

That thought process is a VERY dangerous path.  There's a great article from Sparkpeople about this issue, "The Secret to Loving Your Body Isn't Losing Weight"  In the article the author says the only way she became happy was by accepting herself, fat or thin.  Instead of weight loss being the point of pride, she takes more satisfaction in exercise.  Hmmm.  Maybe I should give that a try.

I hope you're exercising and I hope you're loving yourself wherever you are.

cindy

DIY - Easy Colonial Costume

This post can now be found (with the Alexander Hamilton update below) at my new blog, Pretty Home Threads.  Check it out!

Fit Friday - The Clothes Connection

This week I finished my first week (second round) of HcG shots and 500 calories a day.  Just like in the first round, I experienced a precipitous drop in weight (which I know won’t be sustainable over the next 2 weeks).  I’m getting closer to a weight I haven’t seen in over 16 years.  Other than the obvious health benefits, the most exciting part of this has been the clothes.

I haven’t purchased any new clothes yet, but I am rediscovering clothes I have been storing (waiting for “some day”), as well as a few items I purchased a while back that never did fit or were too tight to wear in public.  This has been so much fun, especially because there are some items I don’t remember.  It’s like shopping in your own closet.  There are some things that are out of date, like that bright raspberry colored suit with long pleats, so those are going.  I’m also fortunate that my sister has also been doing HcG and has passed on a lot of her clothes, especially the casual clothes I will need on our upcoming trip to Hawaii. 

Now comes the confusing (but happy) problem:  when do you buy new clothes?  I’m pretty much at a point that my work clothes are starting to look silly because they are so big.  However, I still want to lose about 20 pounds more, so I don’t want to spend a lot of money on things that will be too big in a month or two.  For now, I’m going to try to stick it out with what I have as long as I possibly can.

Clothes can be such a great motivator, both to lose weight and to see where you've been.  I don't want to be someone who has clothes in 5 sizes, but I may keep a couple of things just to see where I've been (and hopefully to take that picture where you hold out your "fat jeans" out in front of you :)  I'm keeping in mind that they're not the only reason to lose weight, but it is the immediate gratification.

On the exercise front, there’s not much going on and that needs to change before I’m on stabilization in two weeks.  Maybe I need to visit that gym place . . .

Happy days!

cindy