Toddler Backpack

My older son started preschool about a month ago (he's not even 3 yet... but will be Wednesday!) but he needed some social interaction and his brother and I needed some time without him!  I was not one of those moms that cried about her kid going to school, maybe because it's 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours so he isn't gone much.  I might cry when he goes to kindergarten.  Anyway, he didn't need much to transport the one or two papers he'd be bringing home each time or the occasional show & tell items.  I came across the perfect toddler backpack tutorial (that's free!) at That Crafty Mrs. V.  I let Kellen choose the main fabric and I chose the compliment fabrics.  Here's how it turned out:

I finally figured out the embroidery function on my sewing machine (that I got in January for my birthday!) and put his name on the front. 

Love the inside!  I really wanted to use this where I put the blue but didn't think his name would stand out as much.  I added the orange polka dot here and there for visual interest. 

I think the orange piping adds so much detail!  Overall I am very happy how this turned out!  I really wanted to add a side pocket with elastic so he could put a sippy cup or bottle of water but I got caught up in the excitement when making it and forgot!  I don't think it'd be hard, though.

Ok, so I started compiling a bunch of links to other toddler backpacks for you them I came across this link which has done all the work and had most of the ones I found anyway.   

 

Pottery Barn Owl Costume Knock Off (and boyified)

A few weeks ago a nice gal contacted me about making a costume for her kiddo based on this Pottery Barn Owl Costume:

(Images from Pottery Barn website)

It instantly got my creative juices flowing!  A few trial runs and tweaks later and I finally have it!  And since it's the cutest thing ever I am making it available in my Etsy shop.

As you can see it is now 2 seperate pieces, a cape and hat.  First, of all this is much more boy friendly.  Second, it is practical because the hat can be worn throughout the fall and winter.

The hat has an adorable shabby chic style appliqued face.  It is lined too.  In the picture above I used orange polka dot fabric which matches the lining in the cape.  Below, it's hard to tell, but I lined the hat with another layer of the brown fleece making it extra warm.

Isn't this chubby face adorable!  He's eating fruit snacks... so this is the best shot of the hat I could get on him... he's at the age where he wants to pull off the hat as soon as I put it on.

Here's the duo closer up.

Sorry for the poor quality of this picture... he sat still for approximately 30 seconds thanks to the stick and corn keeping him happy. 

I can also do the hooded cape... this one is a bit small for him... but he's my only baby model.  The cape would fit like it does in the previous picture covering more of the shoulders. 

Lining can be your choice.  I have many fabrics to choose from.  Here is a white with orange, brown, tan, & blue polka dots.

Once Halloween is over you can continue using the warm fall/winter hat!

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PS. TGIF!

 

My Favorite Fall Recipe!

I thought I'd repost my favorite cooler weather recipe.  I don't know about you, but we've had the best weather ever!  Mid 70s during the day with clear blue skies!  I've had windows open and we've been playing outside (more than when we were having 100+ degree weather a week or two ago).    

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It's that time of year when a good bowl of something warm sounds good for dinner.  Last night I made such a dish.  I wanted to share this recipe that I got from a friend of mine in a recipe exchange a few years ago.  She said it was a crowd pleaser and she was right. 

Italian Tortellini Stew

Ingredients:

1 # Italian Sausage (I use the Bob Evans roll)

1 C chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic (I cheat and use a tablespoon of the jarred garlic)

1 can (14-17oz size) tomato sauce

1 C sliced carrots

8-9 C beef broth (I use 2 of the 32 oz boxes)

1 C water

1 tblsp basil

1 tblsp Parsley

1 tblsp oregano

4 fresh tomatoes chopped

2 C sliced zucchini

1 C chopped mushrooms

1 green pepper chopped

2 small 9oz packages fresh tortellini (I cheat and buy frozen)

Saute sausage with onion and garlic.  Add tomato sauce, carrots, beef broth, chopped tomatoes, basil, parsley, and oregano.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Then add zucchini, mushrooms, green pepper, and fresh tortellini and cook for an additional hour.  (Because I cheat and use frozen tortellini I don’t add them until the last 10-15 minutes because I don’t want to over cook them).

Enjoy!  Serve with warm cornbread or just a crusty loaf of bread- yum!

A friend on facebook had shared a link to this column and I had to share.  This is such a powerful description of what being a mother is really all about.  I hope this brings a tear to your eye but also gives you some encouragement as you read it. 

Here's the link to the column: The Invisible Mother

The Invisible Mother

By ANDRA STEFANONI

The Morning Sun

On a day when I was wondering why no one had nominated me for a major award because I was able to get three beds stripped and cleaned and remade, a colorful and balanced supper on the table, a toddler entertained on my own from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., an entertaining column written and submitted, and a first grader taken to school with everything he needed and brought home with nothing that he didn't, I received this in my inbox.

I am grateful to Mother-in-Law for passing it along. I can give no credit to the author, because I don't know who wrote it, but from the sound of things she seeks none.

Religious or not, an at-home-mom or professional mom, read it and take from it what you need.

Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, “Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The Invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this?
Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.”

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, “I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, no one will ever see it.” And the workman replied, “Because God sees.”

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.”

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, '”My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “You're gonna love it there.”

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

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Enjoy your Labor Day everyone!

I'm Back!

Man, it seems like forever since I've posted!  I kinda wondered if I'd remember how to do it!  My goal was to post today so technically I will accomplish that even if most people won't see it till tomorrow.  I thought I'd start by giving you a glimpse of what I've been up to while I was gone.

My baby turned one!

We had a great party!  Here's a snapshot:

I made this toddler backpack for a little friend of ours.

My big boy started preschool!  Whoo Hoo!  I made him a backpack too but it's hard to see in this picture.

I've also got some awesome products I'll be adding to my Etsy shop soon! 

Summer Break

Hi there!  Some of you may be wondering if I fell off the face of the Earth!  No, I've just taken an unofficial 'summer break' from blogging.  This wasn't planned...it came about when my computer started acting up.  My computer needed a new hard drive, screen, and keyboard... most of us would think 'just get a new computer' but it must be the farmer in my husband who wants to fix things to death.  So here I sit with a computer that has a new hard drive and still needs everything else!  He glued the missing keys back on...by the way it's easier just leaving them off because now I have to hit them just right to work.  I have a large black spot in the bottom left corner which I've been able to work around.  The cherry on top of my computer problems is that our internet doesn't like to keep a connection...depending on the day.  We finally have an appointment and the guy should be 'fixing' it today! 
With all the fun things to do during the summer I have had a hard time wanting to try and fumble through posting to my blog.  I figure I'd just give myself a summer break and get back into the swing of things late Augustish. 
PS- I have really enjoyed keeping a clean craft room which doesn't happen when I'm doing projects 2-3 times a week!  I do have pictures from my little guys first birthday to post...when I get a chance! 
PPS- Soon I may be without a camera too!  It needs to be sent off to get fixed which may take up to 6 weeks! It seems like everything in my life right now is breaking down!  The computer/internet, my camera, and dishwasher...it's really frustrating!

Bucket List Project #3: Dish Mats

My third project was supposed to be molded crayons.  Well, I ordered some super cute candy molds to use but they still haven't arrived so in it's place I decided to make myself some dish mats.  Our dishwasher is as old as our house (which isn't that old in house years but really old in dishwasher years).  We are trying to make it work a little longer before we dish out the money for a new one!  So, in the mean time the counter above the dishwasher looks like this:

Where I put all the dishes I rewashed, or washed instead of waiting all day for the dishwasher to decide to finish washing one load.  Oh, and there's always those pots & pans that need to be hand washed. 

I originally was going to follow this cute tutorial over at Toad's Treasures but I was too lazy  busy and wanted something quicker... you never know how long nap time is going to be with 2 kids!

So, this is what I ended up doing.

Gather up the following supplies

First, spray the back of the terri cloth hand towel.  Wait about 5 minutes (refer to directions on spray can).

 Lay flannel fabric face down on work surface and carefully lay the terri cloth hand towel with sticky side down ontop of flannel.  I started at one end, smoothing out wrinkles as you go.

Cut the edges off the short side...makes the next step easier.

Not pictured, I surged around the edges.  If you do not have a serger I would recommend using bias tape as an easy way to finish the edges. 

Here are my fnished products...which took me no longer than a half hour for 3!

And here's my dish area with my new dish mat! 

These are super absorbant!