Fall has finally arrived!

So after sweating our way through the summer months we are finally being teased by the cooler temps of fall. I for one am ecstatic, it was a miserably HOT summer around here where the kids wouldn't even think of venturing outside during the day unless forced to do so. So with the coolish temps showing up it was my motivation to get the fall decorations out. I started off with my mantel. Remember the hurricane vases I did last year, you can see them here. Well I changed them up just a bit this year by adding just leaves and little pumpkins & squash.  I also put out different pictures, a table runner and a pumpkin candle holder. Which I have to add I scored at Kohl's for only $2.50!! (it was on sale and I had a $10 coupon)

Then I was on to the front porch.  I hit up Michael's to get a hay bale and some other decoration, I finished it off with a Mum I picked up at Lowe's on Sunday for only $5.  I got a new welcome sign at Joann's the other day for just a couple $$'s.  Gotta love sales and coupons :)

 

So bring on the cool temps, bonfires, smores and more we are ready!

If this puts you in the mood to decorate and you need to do it on a budget there are great coupons out there.  Go to Joann's website here and sign up for emails they will send you coupons all the time.  Or if you're in a hurry you can text CRAFT to 56266, they will send you a 20% off total purchase right away and other offers occasionally.  Michael's always has coupons in the Sunday paper, you can also sign up for an account here and they will send you emails about sales and coupons and you can print coupons from their website. You can also go to Hobby Lobby's website here and print a 40% one regular priced item.

Minnie shirt & how to reuse those outgrown jeans

I can't believe that I made this!

It started with me wanting a shirt for Abby for Disney, while browsing thru Etsy I found one I loved. I figured I could make it. So we headed to JoAnn's and we found the perfect fabric. I cut out the Minnie head and sewed it to her shirt then I just pinned a hair bow to the shirt!

aint Minnie cute??

Then I wanted something for her to wear with it. So I did some searching and finally found out how to make one of those ruffle bottom skirts that was SO cute and such a great idea I couldn't resist. Go check out Make It and Love It for lots of other great cute sewing ideas!

You know how kids outgrow those jeans so fast it is sad? Well I have a great way to repurpose them.

First find the too short for her jeans.

Then I marked them where I wanted to cut them, which was a little below the zipper. Then cut across and zigzag stitch around the bottom of the new skirt.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger

now you have a skirt

Then you are gonna need to cut your fabric-a front piece and a back piece. To figure your length measure the width across the skirt then double that and add an inch for seams. I did mine at 27 just to be safe since I am no professional:) You will also need to decide how long you want your skirt to be. Measure your jean piece then figure how much fabric you need to add. Then you add 1 1/2in. for seams. I didn't have a big piece of fabric so I just halved mine and hoped for the best:)I think mine were about 5 3/4in. each.

so we have 2 pieces 27 inches long by 5 3/4 inches wide.

Then I put the two pieces right sides together and sewed up the short ends moved over a bit and sewed it again.


now these next steps I forgot to take a picture so use your imagination.

I folded the long edge over on both the top and bottom about 1/4in. ironed and then another 1/4in. and ironed again. Then I sewed it down, this is your top and bottom seam.

At this point you should have what looks like a big circle with a finished edge on both the top and bottom.

Now to make it ruffled. Turn your dial up to the longest straight stitch; stitch across the top front leave the ends of the thread long, stitch across the top back and again leave the end of the thread long.

Next will help you to line your fabric pieces back up on the jean piece. Place pins at the sides, the center front and the center back of your fabric. Do this to your jean piece also.

Back to the ruffle-Take that thread you left long grab the top thread and pull, ever so gently, you don't want to break the thread.

Do this on both ends, the fabric will gather just slide it along the thread til it is the width you need. Do this on the back side also.

Once it is the right width pin it to the jean piece. Line up your pins, then I pinned the center front and center back, then I lined up the edge seams and pinned there.


At this point you can mess with the ruffle to even it up. Once it is to your liking pin it all around the jean piece.


Sew it on being careful to not mess up the ruffles you just created. Cut all those pesky pieces of thread and now you have a completely SUPER cute skirt that in my case matches that SUPER cute shirt I made earlier in the day. Yep I got both done in one day, if I were a better at sewing it would have taken me no time at all, but I am not and I am a wee bit slow. I figure though working off and on for one day to get this done is well worth it!!



Can't you just picture her looking SO freaking cute at Animal Kingdom?? Oh I can't wait!

Fall Decorating on a Dime

The other day I decided to change things up a bit around here since there for a few days it was feeling a bit fallish around here. But the past couple days and this weekend, not so much. My unit is gonna blow up since it isn't sure weather to blow heat or AC.

Anyways I stumbled across a few blogs that had some gorgeous fall decorations. Here, Here oh and Here :) once I started looking I couldn't stop. Being the deal lover that I am I just couldn't resist, I mean making something for a little of nothing or buying them at William Sonoma for like $60/pc! Monday I headed to Dollar Tree and was so excited to find lots of goodies.

I got started on my project, first I had to take the tags off and I am pretty sure that was the hardest part of the project.

WTH I hate those stupid stickers on glass

then glue the candle stick to the bottom, I used super glue.


Then you get an oh so cute helper to help.

please ignore all that junk in the background

The final product:

what do you think? Total spent about $7 for both of them!! I also bought a candle, some little pumpkins and some leaves (no real fall colors here yet to go get out of the back yard) and Abby picked me up some acorns on our walk the other day! Those 2 pumpkins on the side are from a project from a couple yrs ago, read about it here.

I switched out a couple of picture


Then I was onto a wreath. Dollar Tree helped on this one also, I got a green foam wreath thingy for only $1. Then I dug thru all my scrapbook stuff and found lots of paper. I proceeded to cut and cut.

then I folded, glued and glued. I had lots of help from my cute helper of course!

All ready for fall, now if the weather would just figure itself out.


oh how I love this time of the year!

Look who is getting all crafty again!

Yep it is me, it must be the cooler weather but I am just feeling all crafty lately. I saw this cute idea the other day, so technically I can not take the credit for the pumpkin decorating.

So this is what you will need:

Little Pumpkins (real or fake, I used fake) I picked them up at Hobby Lobby for less than a $1/pc since they were on sale!


Hot Glue


Ribbons (If you scrapbook you should also have a ton of this stuff laying around)


An OH so cute helper! Make sure you have a Tinker Bell blanket to sit on also:)


Now get those creative juices flowing and get some matching ribbons and get to glueing.

Oh also if you have an oh so cute helper as in my case be sure to buy her a sparkly pumpkin to decorate


She loves her sparkly pumpkin with it's pink and green ribbon


Here ya go! A super easy, pretty cheap decoration that will also make a great gift for the teacher. That is if you are into winning the "Best Mom" award from the teacher, and most of you know this is always my goal. I am sooo gonna be her favorite, especially after she gets a look at my Christmas gift baskets!!





If you want to see more you can also go here.