Pillowcase Dresses

Last night I whipped up three

-- that's right, three, that's how easy this tutorial is --

pillowcase dresses. 

It's simple, thrifty, and fun for the beginner seamstress like myself. Just head over to your local thrift store and pick up some cheap, vintage pillowcases. They make for excellent dresses. This yellow checked one was only 99¢, and it even had a lovely hand-painted edge!

Even if you've never sewn an article of clothing before, you can do this project. It's SEW easy. Haha..

It's seriously just a matter of making two cuts, sew an elastic casing at the top, and use seam binding to trim the arm holes and create ties. Anyone could do it. Like I said, I made all three last night - with a vomiting baby and all. Now that I've made a few I think making another might take 10 minutes, tops.

You don't even need a pattern.

Since the pillowcase already has it's own seams & hems, it's especially easy. Try to choose pillowcases with decorative edging, or you can always add some ric rac or other type of trim to make it extra adorable.

As the author of the tutorial says, this sewing project is very forgiving. Sizing is easy. I love how summery and breezy they look, perfect for a romping little one.

Here's another one I made, I just love vintage bedding prints.

So crisp & pretty!

Eisley likes having a comfy, cool, roomy outfit to run around in. And *I* love seeing little girls dressed like little girls. There's so much trashy clothing out there, even for kids as young as 3. I'll definitely have to make more of these. 

They're sweet :)

Again, the tutorial is from the 402 Center Street Designs blog. 

I love it!

Little Red

Turns out two sandy/ash blondes

 can have a red head.

Viv with her red-headed Auntie Bea.

I remember the first thing the nurse said when Violet & I had been separated a mere minute or so, "Look at that red hair!"

I brushed it off. Me? Beget a redhead? Nah! "Yeah right, lady, that's just the blood..." is what I thought as I lay there, still undergoing my operation.

And for the first few months it was just the slightest peach fuzz. Strawberry blonde at best, I thought. It will fall out and start coming in the same straw color that her sister, daddy, and mommy all had as infants.

Well, as of 3 days ago my little Viv is a whopping 6 month old, weighing in at 16 lbs, with the chunkiest thighs that I just want to eat, and by golly...

the child has red hair.

Who knew right?

Turns out pretty much anyone can bear a red head if the genes line up the right way. Like the cherries on the slot machine, my daughter's hair is red, and I'm not sure if we won the jackpot...

Because with the red hair, I'm now convinced, comes the same color temperament. Yep, this is no myth, people.

Proof of it lies in my second daughter's actions. Have I told you she's already broken a piece of glassware in a store? Yep. Eisley is 3 and hasn't even done that yet.

It happened in a Goodwill {surprise, surprise}, when I spotted a lovely vintage Pyrex turquoise {eee!} 401 mixing bowl on the shelf. Of course, I did what any other person suffering from Pyrexia would do and I made a mad dash to snatch it up and take it home to my festering pile of Pyrex that has infested our kitchen. Anyway, so I was heading quite quickly down the aisle, Eisley in the cart seat and Violet hanging over my right arm - and just as quickly as I was sprinting for the Pyrex, Little Red reached out with the precise motor skills of a speed stacker. She grabbed onto an ashtray and flung it toward the hard tile floor.

As if it wasn't bad enough that for the first time I was that mom {the one with the merchandise-breaking child}, the manager and an employee were standing right there in front of me. I hadn't noticed them in my Pyrex-induced hysteria, but I did now as they were staring back at me -- the woman who had just launched herself at a sixty-year-old bowl like a wolf on a rabbit while holding a baby who was destructively passionate about non-smoking. It was embarrassing.

Another incident at Goodwill: Violet shoplifted. It's true, we left the store and headed to the park with the girls, and upon arriving at the playground we pulled Violet out from her car seat, in her grasp was a plush baby toy with a price tag on it. We're not exactly sure how she executed her crime, but all we know is our 6-month-old redhead is now banned from the Goodwill in Parker.

Other offenses include pulling out chunks of Eisley's hair, smacking me in the face with her her pacifier clip, and breaking a jar in the bathroom. She's knocked picture frames off of walls, tried to eat the cat. Then there's the time she stole the steak we were about to have for dinner, right off Justin's plate:

Nom, nom, nom!

Vi jumps and bounds from our arms. Even though she's not even crawling yet {working hard on it, though} she somehow gets into things. Oh yes, I'm going to have to baby-proof big time for this one...

She can't stand to be ignored for more than ten minutes or she gets MAD, she turns red and the tears flow, she screams angrily:

No skin tone shows wrath like that of a Scandinavian. 

On the other hand, I don't want to label her "trouble" lest it become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If she grows up hearing she's "trouble" maybe she'll decide to fill the shoes to her best ability?

We're still not sure what shade of red she'll have exactly,

or if it will stick around forever.

But I have taken to calling her my "Little Red", 

and I don't think I'll stop anytime soon.

 She is my wily little red-haired girl. 

Goodness knows, I love her. Criminal record or not.

Jenny Jump Up

Please enjoy this video {if you want to} of Violet in her new Jenny Jump Up. She loves it, and it's perfect for our rambunctious girl. Eisley's running around in her underwear in the background because we'd just gotten home and peeled off her ballet leotard {more to come on that interesting experience tomorrow}.

Canvas & Cocktails

Last night we found ourselves at Canvas & Cocktails to 

celebrate my mom's birthday. I had to share this experience,

it was such fun. 

If you haven't been yet, schedule a 

girl's night out or date night pronto. It's such a fun idea. 

Easel, canvas, paint, and brushes supplied. 

Wine is $3 a glass and beers are $2 a glass. 

Makes for a good time, yes sir.

My father is a *real* artist. 

I don't think he'd like to sit there and take instructions 

from someone on how to paint orange tuplips.

Though patrons of all skill levels are welcome here

and there's nothing like handing a girl a drink and 

a paint brush for a couple hours and saying, "Have at it!"

We were instructed not to confuse our water cup for

brush washing with our wine cup. 

Stellar advice, if you ask me. 

{This was silly photo idea that 

actually turned into cute photo. We tend to ham it

up for cameras in my family.}

The walls are covered with fun paintings.

Tonight was "Orange Tulips".

Good art requires contemplation.

This place would only be half as awesome without the bar.

Nothing like wine to get the creative juices flowing.

It helps you get loosened up so you can be laid 

back and create.

What I love about being in an instructional class is that everyone's painting comes out differently, I feel like all three of our paintings reflected our personalities in their own unique way. 

Me & Bea's paintings, respectively:

Mom's painting:

Other patrons got totally creative and went wild with 

their own interesting ideas. We *loved* the white tulips.

Mom went into this experience quite nervous to paint publicly,

but by the end of the class she was quite smug about 

her creative abilities. 

It was perfect for her XXth birthday, to do something she'd

never done before in her life. A new experience. 

And then the class was over and everyone had a new

artwork to take home, just like that. 

Our new paintings,

all similar yet uniquely ours.

After class we may or may not have indulged in

some froyo at Pinkberry...

Happy Birthday, Mom! I had so much fun,

glad we did this together. Love you.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Miss Pie!!!

My Eisley turned 3 years old today!

Yesterday we held a cowgirl themed birthday party 

at our house. It was lots of fun. She really could tell 

that the day was all about her. 

I had fun decorating the party with the 

pink & brown western theme. 

Easy bandana garlands - just cut in half and tie together!

The cake table. 

Of course, I could not resist doing Bakerella's Cowgirl Cookie mix idea as a party favor for each family. It was perfect for our theme!

These were fun to make! I hope the cookies turn out okay, though. We didn't have time for a test batch. You simply layer all the dry ingredients, label, and top with a cute fabric with leather ties. Very cowgirl!

We rented matching brown chairs and tied tulle bows on them, 

topped with silver & gold Sherriff's badges. 

I had fun decorating with all the Halloween hay bales that are out in craft stores now, and Hobby Lobby has a great section of cowgirl/western decor. 

Hay bales, bandanas, western signage, 

and faux barb wire decorated the tables...

"Happy Trails" trail mix, in vintage Pyrex, of course.

Cow Tails and caramel popcorn. 

We served Pioneer Woman's Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork tacos,

I love this recipe.

Unfortunately, flies do too.

Pink Pull Your Panties Down Punch for the adults

(delicious and refreshing: 12 cans Coors + 1 can pink lemonade concentrate + a splash of rum = refreshing summertime cocktail)

and...

"Very Prairie Cream Soda" and "Rootin' Tootin' Root Beer"

for the kids.

Served with pink striped paper straws, in a cowboy boot shaped glass, on a hay bale. Folks, it doesn't get any more YEEHAW than that...

Birthday Girl was shy at first...

... but she looked stinkin' cute in her birthday outfit, if you ask me...

Grandmas!

Another cake shot, thank goodness I got these pictures before Birthday Girl repossessed her figurines and licked the buttercream off their boots...

Cowgirl boot piñata! Yes!

Eisley & her posse.

Let us not forget the "outhouse".

Viv laughing it up with her Aunt Bea.

Papa, Aunt Bea, and Viv.

My mom wears western well, doesn't she? Stinkin' cute.

Here comes daddy...

...to ring the triangle for piñata time!

Love this picture.

Not sure why. Just do.

Grandma Holly gifted Eisley with an adorable bench and a new outfit for her Build-A-Bear teddy that she gave Eisley for her first birthday. It had an Alice in Wonderland outfit on that year, this year Grandma Holly outfitted the bear in a cowgirl outfit. How sweet is that? 

Then it was cake time!

I think she loved being the center of attention as we all sang Happy Birthday.

This year she knew exactly what to do at the end of the song. We didn't even have to coach her on blowing out the candles. 

She's always had such a cheerful spirit, I love her.

Little girl pow-wow. Love it.

Presents! This was the first year she got really into it.

So cute how all the kids crowd around, so excited!

There were many oohs and ahhs over the Toy Story Jessie doll with the yarn hair and everything. (Thanks, Beekah!) She was, after all, pretty much the inspiration for the cowgirl theme.

Our cowgirl...

Aunt Katie, Eisley, cousins Moriah & Noah.

Daddy's family.

I {heart} Colorado summer evenings. 

Aunt Katie & Viv.

Me & Bea's boots.

Bea, mom, and me.

Me & the mister.

Our birthdays are about our moms, too, don't forget it. 

I celebrate because this is the anniversary of my entering 

motherhood. An interesting and beloved journey.

Without a doubt, a divine blessing.

Then it was evening, time for the guests to head home

and the clean up to start!

Eisley decided to crash on the porch - after putting her cowboy

and cowgirl to bed, of course.

~~~

Happy 3rd Birthday to my precious girl!

Eisley, you smiled on the day you were born...

...and you haven't stopped since, 

our bright shining star.