crochet crochet crochet all day

Wow! I haven't been on here in a long time!! So, what have I been up to you ask? Well, a lot of crocheting. I made a facebook business page for my crochet items that are for sale. If you want to check it out, search Maggie's Creative Crochet. I wish my phone would let me post pictures. Some of this stuff is just adorable! It really is, I'm not just bragging. I'll try to post more but I'm just not very good at keeping up on things :( sorry for that.

posting from my phone?

I find it absolutely amazing that I can post from my new phone! I am really way excited about this! The modem on our computer died so I haven't been able to post in quite a while but since I can get onto blogger on my phone I guess I don't have much of an excuse anymore. I can't edit very well though so please excuse any bad grammar. So, what have we been up to? Not much actually. Everything is still chugging along. We carved pumpkins this week. And I found pumpkin pie poptarts at walmart. They are awesome! The box of 12 lasted 2 days so I guess they are a hit at my house! I did just now figure out that I can't insert picture :( hopefully we will be getting a new modem soon so things in blogworld will run smoother.

its been a while

My internet was shut off for a while so i havent been on here in what seems like FOREVER. lol. it has been a few weeks. My little princess started preschool last week! she loves it!! awesome. Mikey and Layla both started soccer a couple weeks ago with they love! I think they love everything :) I got the old winter clothes packed up and ready to go. now I have to find some new stuff for this year :( and pack up all the summer clothes now that its starting to get chilier. Ive had my truck worked on 2 times and it still have something else wrong with it. Its one thing after another with that thing. It is almost paid off though so now its time for me to seriously look into finding a crossover or a minivan. Im thinking a minivan though for the space and options.

goals are needed

I am lagging in my life lately. I think the reason is that I have no real goals to work towards. Nothing at all is really going on. Nothing to really work towards and look forward to. I stay home and do nothing and go to work sometimes. So, I am going to set some goals.
1) Not to call in to work or volunteer to be the one sent home. I would like to not miss a day of work for the next 4 months. until after christmas at least.
2) Get everything to gether and done so that I can take the class that I need to get into the DMACC nursing program.
3) organize and decorate my living room so that it looks nice and put together. I really dont like the disorganized chaos that is my living room.
4) Teach my daughter to read. She is doing a great job so far but she just wants to know it without learning it. It frustrates her when she can't just do something without effort, she is very much like me in this way.
5) finish the booster seat sewing thing....urgh...this is a much more annoying sewing project then I had anticipated so I have been putting it off for months...
6) LEARN HTML!!! seriously, I really want to know this. I think a trip to the library is in order.
7) fabric scrap "beanbag" chairs. I don't know if I have enough fabric scraps for this though...

I have some furniture redo's that I want to get done once I find "the perfect piece" a new desk, some kitchen table chairs, some painting of dressers that I already have etc....

i dont feel good :(

I don't feel good. I actually feel really really yucky. And I often feel really really yucky. I wish I had (could afford) health insurance so i could do something about it... maybe in the future sometime.... in the meantime mylanta, pepto and tums are my new best friends(and my bed and toilet).

slowest computer EVER

I think I have THE slowest computer ever. ok, well, maybe not. And it was free so I can't complain too much but... how exactly do I make it faster? and not freeze up so much? I'm pretty sucky when it comes to computers so any good advice is greatly appreciated! and NO, i dont have a bunch of stuff downloaded. I really dont think I have downloaded anything actually...I also really really want to design my own background and buttons for my blog so if someone can steer me in the right direction for this I would totally love you forever! k?k. Thanks! :) oh yeah, my printer won't print. well, actually it prints but not dark enough to actually be able to see what you are printing :( how do I fix that. no, it's not out of ink, just got some actually....HELP!!

Scheduled schedules

I actually just figured out (after like 3 months of on again off again blogging) that you can schedule posts! freaking awesome! that means: 1) when I want to blog I can make several posts at once and schedule them to show up throughout the week, 2) maybe I can keep my blog from being nothing for weeks at a time because I have hit a roadblock or a lack of time 3) Its one more nifty little tidbit that I should have known weeks ago...

keyword

I find the keywords that people search for that lead them to my blog absolutely fascinating... for instance "picture painted not style" I wonder what exactly that person was looking for and how that perticular phrase led them to MY blog and not someone elses? It kinda makes me want to insert random words into each post just to see what people will search for next to wind up on my blog. Chicken nuggets.... Shaved cat.... rubber duckie bathroom rug... lol. ok thats enough for now. but there will be more, you just wait and see :)

what i wore...whenever....

I have been reading alot of blogs lately and there are some common themes among some of them. One of these themes is the "what I wore (usually wednesday)" posts. I'm gonna have to be honest, I really dont care what you wore wednesday or any other day of the week. I wear pj's or scubs 90% of the time. If I am not at work I wear pj's unless I HAVE to change out of them. Occasionally I actually like to get dressed but not most days. Most days I get out of bed and actually put on more pj's (or sweats). Yes I am that woman. I love it. I am always cumfy, easy to please and I love my clothes and don't feel the need to show off what I wore. So, what I wore wednesday was, PJ's :). and tuesday, and monday, and sunday, no, wait, sunday I may have worn scrubs, and then pj's. At least I wear cute scrubs!

saving money, aka coupons coupons everywhere

I have been a stickler on saving and using coupons for things when they are on sale. I like to believe i have become pretty good at getting good name brand items for super cheap or even free sometimes. The best resources I use to help me save money are: moneysavingmom.com/, wildforwags.com/, passionforsavings.com/ And for help at the local grocery store, fareway I use, themillennialhousewife.blogspot.com/. I have literally saved hundreds the last few months by using coupons and ad matching and using these websites to help me find great deals. I have gotten free shampoo and soaps, 50 cent chex mix, and tons of other super cheap items. check them out and learn how to save a ton!

stupid fleas

My pets have fleas. I have tried frontline, vectra(i think thats the name) some kind of pill, hartz, baths in dawn, and so far, it hasn't worked. I need something to get rid of these fleas! HELP! Someone told me something Earth once but I dont remember the full name or have any idea where to get it. My delima: my dog is a Rott, he has very sensitive skin, alot of things(flea shampoo amongst others) make him itch worse then the fleas themselves. the kitties are ok with anything but with grembles thick fur it's hard to keep them off of him. Anyone have any suggestions?

homemade apple cinnamon granola bars aka apple crisp to go

I love granola bars! they are really way expensive though. 4 bucks for 8 bars?? really?? So what do I do? find out how to make them myself! of course! with some Internet searching I came across a ton(and i mean a ton) of recipes and how tos. I decided that I would mix them and do some testing to find what we liked best. So what I came up with was:

Mix the following on a cookie sheet with sides:
2 1/4 cups oats
3/4 cup cream of wheat
1 cup crushed peanuts

put this in the oven at about 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, stirring a couple times to evenly toast.
While that is toasting mix the following in a sauce pan over medium heat until mixture liquefies completely:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon

in a large bowl mix all of the above ingredients AND 1 1/2 cup chopped dried apples until the dry mixture is COMPLETELY coated with the wet mixture. Line a cake pan with foil or wax paper. Grease the foil. top with another piece of greased foil/wax paper.  Press your mixture into the pan as firmly as you can. I used the sauce pan to press down. put in the freezer for a couple hours, until the granola is completely cooled. flip onto a cutting pan and cut into you desired size bars.

The whole process took about 20 minutes(not counting freezer time) and they turned out absolutely scrumptious!! like apple crisp in bar form.

I based my recipe on the ideas from here: Granola bars, granola bars 2, Granola bars 3. The first link is where most of my inspiration came from. I really didn't want to bake them and that one helped me figure out how I could get away with not baking :)

ThredUp

I found a website for swapping kids clothes that I wanted to share. ThredUp is an interesting concept. They send you prepaid boxes. You fill them with you kids nice clean stylish clothes and then you send them to someone else that picks them. You then get credit for the box that you can use to pick your own. Or you can add money to your account and use that to buy boxes. The boxes are $15.95 each(5$ for the box and 10.95 for shipping) and are supposed to contain 75-100 $ worth of used clothing. Well, I have sent out 4 boxes this week. I picked my first one today. Hopefully the boxes that we recieve are as nice as the ones I sent.

Also :) sign up for swagbucks If you aren't already! who doesn't love to get free points they can use to uy things just for doing internet searches?

kiddie made personalized tee shirt

My kids decided they wanted to have shirts to wear for the 4th of July. I'm not going to run out to the store and buy and expensive tee shirt for just one day. I'm too cheap for that. So what do I do? We have loads of plain tee's and tanks that can be "converted". I took a couple plain white tank tops for the girls and a plain navy blue one for the boy. Take some red, white and blue acylic paint, and textile medium and let the kids have at it. They loved it and their shirts turned out super cute! cheap fun woohoo! sorry no pictures. Camera broke :(

coupons coupons everywhere

The only real work (other then my job) that I have had any motivation to do lately is clip coupons, search for coupons and print coupons, and compare coupons. I think coupons are becoming an addiction. At least it's not an expensive addiction. I'm having some trouble finding good coupons online. So, I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on where to get good coupons? The best ones I have found I get from signing up for a certain brands website and then I get coupons and free samples. But that's very time consuming. And I don't get very many. but $2 off a box of cereal (or something like that) isn't a bad deal. So, what website is the best for multiple online coupons? And I need a good organizational tip for all the coupons that I have. I have them in labeled envelopes right now, which totally works but I want some suggestions on better ways to keep it all straight. THANKS :)

And!! If you aren't signed up for Swagbucks <<---Click there! you earn points just for searching the Internet, taking surveys and redeeming coupons! how awesome is that!

lately

Lately I suck at updating my blog and my fb page. I'm sorry. I'm still alive and kicking. I just don't feel like doing anything. maybe I have depression. IDK. I'm not sad. I just have NO motivation to do anything whatsoever. My house is a mess and I have a ton of stuff to do that is just not getting done. The only thing I have done lately is cut coupons and compare ads. I guess thats better then nothing at all. Now I have to actually do the grocery shopping :( I am not a very big fan of grocery shopping. especially with hubby and kids in tow. they always want to add things to the cart and just don't understand that if they wait a week we can buy it on sale with a coupon and spend a quarter the price. I'm cheap. I have to be, I'm poor. I have to scrimp and save where I can or it just wouldn't stretch where it is needed. By th way, If you don't have SwagBucks, sign up. You get points for doing internet searches. The points can be used to buy giftcards, electronics, toys, all kinds of things. When you refer someone else you get matching points with them. So, sign up! please :)

Plastic bag rug

My mom told me that wheh she was a kid the old lady that lived behind her would use plastic bread bags to crochet rugs. This sounds completly cool to me (and right down my alley) so I looked it up. I found so much on crocheting with plastic bags! So right now I am attempting to make my "yarn" so that I can whip out a rug here pretty soon :)

i dont wanna...

Grow up I wanna be a toys R us kid. Thats it. good bye :)

resurected tomatoes

My tomato plant is coming back to life wooohooo! guess it just needed to be transplanted and watered. And after all the rain we got last night it has definitely been watered! something else sprouted up too. Too bad I didn't think to label them originally. guess I am just gonna have to let it grow and figure out what it is later lol.

soaps and lotions

A friend and I are going to try our hand at homemade soaps and lotions and such. I have found a couple of recipes but nothing that really catches my eye. Does anyone have any good recipes? or maybe websites that will help us to have an idea of what works together, what doesn't work...that kinda thing? Also, looking for some info on flea markets, bazars, farmers markets that sorta thing where we could possibly sell some our homemade stuff.... Thanks :)

not a green thumb around

I have successfully killed my tomato and pepper plants. :( I am a terrible gardener. I wonder if there is a class on gardening? I know how to remedy the situation. "remember to water the plants everyday" simple. So, after planting new seeds today I set a timer in my phone for 5pm everyday to remind me to water the plants. Hopefully they actually grow into something. My tomatoes were doing pretty well, until I got hold of them. Now they are dry shriveled things. I am disappointed in my gardening abilities. I really want to get better at this. I'll try to do an update next week so you can all see how well I am doing. Cross your fingers that I get better :) maybe I can teach my tomatoes to follow me around meowing so I will think to feed them....

terrible :(

I have done a terrible job of keeping my blog up to date the last couple of weeks. I'm sorry. I'll do much better the next few. I promise ;) I'm in the middle of rearranging and cleaning the living room right now so I will post later...

beat the burn

I have a sunburn :( it hurts. really bad. I didn't get out of bed for over an hour after I woke up because it hurt to move my arms. So what do i do about it? scour the Internet for home remedies for sunburn pain. well, the most popular is to make a paste of apple cider vinegar and baking soda, spread it on the burned area and let dry, then wash off with really cold water. Since I use these to wash my hair with I already have an abundance on hand so I will be giving it a try once hubby gets home from fishing(again) so he can help me reach my burned back. Maybe next day in the sun I should use some sun block?? Yeah, definitely! Also, Robbie said he and Mikey have caught enough fish to have them for supper so I am going to try this recipe:

Spicey Fried Fish

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry potato flakes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 (6 ounce) fillets cod
• 2 cups butter flavored shortening, for frying

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine the potato flakes, flour, garlic powder, seasoning salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
2. Soak fish fillets in bowl of cold water.
3. In a deep skillet or deep fryer, melt and heat the shortening to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Dredge fish fillets in dry mixture and fry in the hot oil for 5 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

long week

It has been almost a week since I have been on here! We went camping, and fishing over the weekend. We got home about 2 yesterday and I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and cleaning. We spent the afternoon today fishing. And hubby actually caught something  worth keeping! awesome! I crocheted a hat while he was fishing and the kids were playing. I got a nice little sunburn too :(. I start my new work schedule this week! woohoo! sooooo looking forward to that. only working on thursday and friday and e/o weekend will be very nice. got alot to do this evening and tomorrow so I'll update with something soon :)

Swag Bucks

If you aren't already signed up for swagbucks sign up now! you get points for doing searches, refering friends, playing games etc.. you can use your points to collect gift cards. Click on the banner below to sign up :) please and thank you!

Camping with Kids

I don't like doing anything outside of my own home without a TON of planning. I m not someone that can just pick up ad go on a spontaneous vacation. I have to plan the crap outta it, Know exactly whats there, what to take, all that jazz.
Camping with kids is difficult. So, I plan the crap outta it. That's how I keep myself sane and make sure that we have everything we could possible need all neat and organized and there when we need it. not at home or the store.
Things to think about when picking a campsite with little kids, How close is the bathroom and water faucet? I am not walking 2 miles 5 times a day to take a 4 year old to pee. So within sight is the best for me :)
What all do I do and take?
Food: we are going Saturday morning through Monday evening. So, that's breakfast for 2 days, lunch for 3 and supper for 2, plus snacks. Simple breakfast: poptarts(we eat them cold anyways) and bagels and cream cheese. Lunch: sandwiches(this stuff I take with, premade sandwiches are mushy and gross) and hot dogs with chips and cheese crackers. supper: Here's the difficult part. Stuff that can be easily cooked on a campfire that will taste good and isn't expensive. So, Hamburgers, potatoes and corn and Chicken, pasta salad and carrots. I prepare everything that I can before hand. Marinade the chicken and wrap in foil then freeze. that way it is ready to just throw on the grill. and it stays cold better. Make hamburger patties(and freeze with freezer paper in between). Chop potatoes, onions, and peppers add a little butter and salt and pepper, put in foil packets, then put in baggies so they are ready to throw on the fire. Snacks are the easy part. Cheese crackers and chips. fresh fruits and veggies. I don't know exactly what yet but I'll grab a couple things. And S'mores. Other food items to take: Ketchup, butter, salt and pepper, Ranch, cheese, sliced tomatoes and onions, Drinks, I make a gallon of koolaid and freeze it in a milk jug, and a gallon of water frozen in a milk jug, a case of soda and half a gallon of milk that has been frozen. Oh, and dog food.

ok, that sounds like enough food. Supplies: tent, air mattress, pillows and blankets (we still don't have sleeping bags) flash light and lanterns, paper towels and baby wipes, table cloth, plates and silverware and a knife(we use real ones that I got at the thrift store, not paper ones, they work better) dish soap. I have a big bucket that I put the plates and stuff in to carry it and then I use it to wash the stuff out at the campsite. Some times we take tiki torches. clothes for 4 days since it will be a 2 1/2 day trip. Jackets, long pants and tennis shoes. Its always colder at night and I have whiny and messy kids. bug spray, Yard mosquito spray!! sunblock, soap, shampoo, towels washcloths. toothpaste and brushes.  Any fishing or swimming stuff needed. We aren't swimming this time but we probably will be fishing. I leave all that stuff up to hubby though.  Games, cards and things to play. The kids will pack  a little bag of their favorite toys to play with. Bikes if they fit. Dog kennel and chain and leash. Firewood, already cut, ready to go, in a large tote, kindeling and news paper. Matches. Garbage bags. Firstaid kit!! A car charger for your cell phone. Glow sticks(to keep track of children in the dark more easily) A large old metal pot. A roll of duct tape. Dog bowls. hmmm....I'm sure I forgot something....
Packing is the  important part. All the supplies should fit in one 18 gallon rubbermaid tote(with the exception f tent pillows and blankets. I put them into plastic bags to keep them organized and separate. And If I organize it when we get back home it's all already to go next time. nonperishable food I put in box. one big cooler and one little cooler. big one is for food little one for drinks. the frozen koolaid and water go one in each, to help keep everything cold.
Tips:
*Know how to set up your tent before you go!! Its difficult even when you do know how so take it out in the yard and get an idea of where everything goes. This will save a ton of headache when you get there and have toddlers "helping" especially if you are missing pieces. Even brand new tents occasionally come with pieces missing(I've had this happen)
*Prepare food ahead of time. The more you have done at home in your cumfy kitchen with all the assecories, the less you have to do in the boiling sun on a picnic table.
*If you cook using a pan in a fire- cover the bottom with a film of dishsoap, much much easier to clean afterward!!
*plan, or at least have an idea of activities. You are going to have a boring couple of days if you forgot all the games and toys an there is nowhere to hike or a playground.
*Know how to start a campfire!
*keep your firewood and matches dry. that's why we keep it in a tote. also, shower curtains make great cheap tarps, you can buy them at the dollar tree. and old pill bottles are great water proof match holders.
*Make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave and bring a car charger along. there is not electricity in all campsites.
*bring a backpack. if you decide to go hiking it is helpful to have snacks, first aid kit, phone drinks all within reach and not back at the campsite.
*always take extra batteries.
*clip and file puppy's nails before going, it'll keep him from puncturing the bottom of the tent.
*fill old soda bottles with water and juice and freeze, these are easy to throw in the backpack and carry with.
*go over camping rules multiple times with the kids before you leave and when you get there. Dont want burned little hands because they didn't know the fire was hot.

dandelion paintings

A few months ago I came across a painting that I thought was pretty neat. It cost 189$. wow. I cannot afford that. Not for a painting, not even close. So, I decided that I would attempt my own version of this.

I started with 3 plain stretched canvases. One 24x118 and 2 11x14. I got these from big lots for a total of 13$ One can of flat black spray paint(96 cents). White acrylic paint and a paint brush(less then a dollar). Spray painted them with the black paint. Then arranged them how I wanted on the kitchen table and sketched a rough idea of what the dandelion should look like.

Then I got to painting. Hang and enjoy. Pretty simple. It's not perfect but I like it!

Linked up to:

pinkapotamus

making the world cuter

type A decorating

craftomaniac

all things fee

singing three little birds

sugarbee crafts

reasons to skip the housework

ladybug blessings

funky polkadot giraffe

todays creative blog

running with glitter

my girlish whims

someday crafts

crayon freckles

organization

I need to become a little more organized here so this is what I am going to do: Sunday, or in some cases Monday, I will do a little overall of what I have done the last week and what I will be doing in the following week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday(approximately) I will post new projects, updates on work, plans for whatever I will be working on, or maybe really cool things I have found at 2nd hand places, or maybe more recipes. The rest of the days I will try to occasionally fill in with other things that are going on, family updates, ramblings that sort of thing. sound good? much more organized at least. hopefully it can stay this way. 

so Sunday, week one :) I need to find a snazzy name for this Sunday "whats coming/weekly wrap up"(or is that rap up?) thingy.

This week I:

• Made another adorable tutu.
• Started what will become crochet owl hat attempt one
• was sick for 2 whole days :(
• Made waffles, from scratch, for the first time ever using a waffle maker that I bought from the Animal Lifeline thrift store for $1.29
• bought the fabric for the booster seat covers.

This coming week I hope to finish(or at least start)

• 1 or even 2 booster seat covers
• owl hat attempt 1
• dandelion painting
• a couple more tutus for some ladies that i work with(for their little girls actually
• hopefully put away all winter clothes

We are going camping next weekend and I have to prepare for that too so my to do list may not be completely finished BUT I am going to try really hard to get at least 2 things done. I think that's a pretty fair goal. I might do a post about the 1001 things that I do to prepare for stress free camping with little kids. since we go often I have gotten pretty decent at it. See you all tomorrow :)

total randomness

OK, So, I should tell everyone who reads this more about myself. I guess. At least then everyone could understand a little of what goes on in this head of mine...

• I was born in Iowa and have lived here since just before I turned 11. I moved 30+ times between birth and age 11.
• As a child I hated the colors pink and green. I'm still not completely in love with them but I can deal with them.
• I buy anything and everything that I can from second hand stores. Clothes, dishes, junk....you get the idea. I will NOT buy 2nd hand underclothing or swimsuits though, NASTY!
• I cannot make a bed neatly to save my life. I can picture how it should look but it never turns out that way.
• I cannot make up my mind what I want to do in a day. I start a hundred different things and usually dont finish any of them.
• I love my children more then anything in the world but I could not be a stay at home mom. I would go completly bonkers!

• I love love love craigslist!
• I have a 130 pound rottweiler "puppy" named bernaldino(dino). he is 16 months old and the sweetest smartest (and dumbest) dog I have ever had. I love him to pieces, I just wish he would walk on a leash without holding it in his mouth.

• I also have 3 cats(gremble, peanut butter and jessie) and 2 turtles (splish and splash)
• We are trying to find another rottie, a female this time.
• I am super cheap and will search out a deal or use a coupon even if I have the money to pay full price. Who doesnt love to save money?
• My husband drives me insane. I think thats normal though.
• I am super forgetful and have to make lists in order to remember even some of what needs done. I am working on this.
• If I had 3 wishes one of them would be for powers like harry and hermoine have.
• I read aolt at times and then won't touch a book for 6 months. Its an issue. I am currently forcing myself to finish Dracula. I am not diggin it at all. to long winded and boring for me.
• It sometimes takes me months to do things that I have all the supplies for. I just procrastinate and get off the subject that bad. I am working on this too.

I think that is enough random facts about myself for today. :)

yucky tummy

After a day off and a day called in I did.... well almost nothing. I spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday sick :(. I made another tutu last night and now have a couple to make for coworkers. because they are just too cute. Its supposed to rain for the next 3 days so I don't know if much of anything will get done. Actually.... I have some sewing to do. It will be awesome. I am convinced of it. I plan to recover the kid's booster seats. I bought some absolutely adorable fabric to do it. yay! I do have something to do even if it is yucky rainy weather all weekend :) I tried to find a tutorial for recovering child seats and it was a no go so maybe, just maybe, you folks will get a tutorial outta me :). I'll update tomorrow on what I have come up with.

to do list

today is my day off and I literally have about 100 things on my to-to list. boy oh boy it will be a busy day. I have about a thousand things to paint, prime and otherwise change color of, on top of a whole butt load of cleaning, laundry, sorting, packing away, etc etc... Hopefully by this afternoon I will have something completed to post (hopefully) although possibly tomorrow instead. We will just have to see how my day pans out. Going to a circus this afternoon though, that should be fun. anyhoo, I will report back later with something of somekind :) k? k.

one of a kind tutu

Tutu's are cute. And expensive. and actually really easy to make for a fraction of the price.

 how did i do it?  First I found a couple of tutorials on line : suburbs mama, feels like home

I kinda mixed how the 2 different blogs said to make it. I started with 4 1 yard sections of tulle in different colors. Black, hot pink, shiny light pink and shiny light purple. and 1 yard of 1/2 inch width of elastic. This is all from Joanns crafts. They didn't have rolls of tulle so I had to have it cut to what i wanted off the bolt. I measure Layla's waist (21") and cut my elastic to 19" (2 inches smaller then her waist) and sewed it into a circle at the ends. Now the problem i had when reading the tutorials was 'how wide do I make the strips?' one of them said 3-6 inches(or something like that). I made my strips approximately 4" wide by 24 inches long. I used 2 different color strips placed on each other at a time. use more or less at once to make it smaller or fuller.

Next, fold in half,

tie in a knot over the elastic,

repeat with the rest of your strips. Mine has a total of 38 knots. I used all 4 yards of tulle on it, rotating black and another color with 2 other colors. I didn't make any specific pattern with the colors.  ribbon and bows and stuff can be added to this but overall I am proud of my homemade tutu :) 

All together this cost about 7$ in supplies ( I probably could have gotten the tulle cheaper) and 3 hours of time,  instead of 30-40$ to buy one.

LINKED TO:

making the world cuter

skip to my lou

craft-o-maniac

pinkapotamus

sunburnt cow handmadeshop

sun scholars

Do the Zoo

Tomorrow is my day off and more junking is planned :). Clive spring clean up for another try. And grimes spring clean up. Cross your fingers that I come back with something good this time. We really really really need some dressers. I have really been hoping to find one or 2 that have some life left in them. I am more then a little annoyed with my clothing in baskets situation and would like to remedy that ASAP! We went to the zoo yesterday afternoon. Yes the first really hot day of the year (98) we decide to head to the zoo. With 3 kids age 4 & 5. It was kinda fun actually, other then half the exhibits being closed or worked on.

3 goofy little kids on the way to the zoo. I have about a dozen more like this. It was photobooth time I guess.

I asked them to show me what the flamingos do. This is what I got. lol. Mikey biffed it. Landed right on his face. He isn't the best flamingo I guess :)

The fishies.

My favorite part of the zoo, the penguins!