New Dresses

I am ashamed to say I've been working on these dresses for weeks now...okay, let's be honest here, I think it's actually been months. I am still learning all the wonderful things my sewing machine can do (and let me tell you, it has some really wonderful things it can do!!), so it's taken some trial and error on my part to see which stitches are best for what project. Let's take shirring for example....yeah, big learning curve...but I got it (after I realized that the elastic thread only went on the bobbin...so I had just wasted a month or so fighting with the machine and the elastic thread!)! Let's just say if I had read all the instructions correctly on-line about shirring, these dresses would have been done long ago...oh well:) Anyway, they are now complete and ready to wear:) I made this without a pattern and only looked at some other dresses that were made like this, so I think it turned out pretty well. I already know of some things I'd do differently the next time I make these dresses.

Aren't they perfect for summer! My two "ecstatic" models...;)

Oh Kendall just looks too excited...

poor thing had a rough night last night with her teeth so just excuse her pout

Wait a minute! That was my seat...

Next project...3 smocked dresses. Currently I'm fighting with my pleater (isn't this becoming a theme here with my sewing projects???!!), so I think these dresses might take a little bit longer than expected. Let's just hope I'm done with them before Fall is over;)

Projects and then some...

It's been awhile since I've been able to complete a sewing project. I've had so many ideas in my mind but with life going by at 100 miles an hour for the past 2 months, my projects have just been completed in my head. May was a crazy month at work for me and I think I barely slept during those 4 weeks...so the projects definitely didn't happen. I've also had a hard time getting to Richmond to go to a decent fabric store. Why can't they just open a Jo-ann's fabric store in Farmville?! Anyway, coordinating a trip to a fabric store with two little ones is quite a feat...and ridiculous. Let me tell you about a trip to the fabric store that I took, I mean one of my friends, took recently with her two kids. Everything started out decent, except for the fact that the youngest decided to skip her nap on the way down and just cry the whole 60-some odd minutes to the store. Once in the store, all seemed to be going well. I was, I mean my friend was able to gather stuff for one project she had dreamed up and was beginning to pick out the embroidery floss for 3 new smocked dress for her girls. It only took a second for chaos to erupt...my friends head was turned for just a second when her oldest thought it would be fun to get into the cart by climbing over the side of the cart...needless to say, she was NOT successful. The whole cart fell over on top of her and her little sister, who was sitting noisily in the front, came tumbling over the side. Several employees came running over trying to help, wanting to call 911 and looking at her like she was such a horrible mom. All the while, her two kids were scared to death and just screaming their heads off....I'm sure that if 911 would have been needed, the fire station would have heard all the screams before they got the call from the dispatcher. Yes, it was a disastrous trip...one my friend will not be taking frequently unless her kids are safe and sound being cared for by someone else. Poor friend...that would NEVER, EVER happen to me......no, not at all....

Okay, so back to the only project I've been able to complete in the past month or so...I decided to make my dad, for father's day, two outdoor pillows to go on the bench he made for the cabin. I must say, they turned out extremely well for never having made pillows, appliqued or done any of it without a pattern:) Here is the finished product.

Some other projects I have in the works are:

• 2 shirred, knit sundresses for the girls
• blackout curtains for the girls room - because I was in a hurry to get them up, I just cut them and threw them up on the window for the time-being....but I do want to "jazz" them up a bit:)
• decorative laundry baskets to go under Alley's bed to hold shoes, laundry and cloth diapers
• 3 smocked dresses....and I have to make the dresses as well....

I am truly excited about each of these projects, but it's difficult to finish them all because of the lack of a fabric store when you need one....blah!

...more of the beach:)

As I sit here writing this blog, my suntan is fading, my leg, which I burned, is peeling and I'm hot because it's 90-something degrees today. All that is to say that I wish I was back at the beach! All the signs of the beach are beginning to fade away...so I guess that means it's time to go back;)! Here are some pictures from the second half of our trip:

Alley caught a "fish" and proudly held it for the camera (all the while yelling "it's moving!")

we took an afternoon off from the beach and went to the pool. Alley absolutely loved getting to swim in the "big pool". Kendall was very upset to not be able to go in it because of a silly rule about kids with swim diapers not allowed in the pool...oh well:)

Mimi reading to Kendall before bed. Kendall had a word explosion this week while at the beach! She was constantly bringing books over to people and saying "boook, boook". She also identifies turtles ("a-tur") and is constantly looking for them, she points out birds ("buuuurd"), and asks for her milk by name ("miiik"). She also calls people by their name pretty well and several other words too:)

must be a serious book about animals;)

lounging in her beach chair during morning snack...aahhh, this is the life

Alley playing hop-scotch....or more liking jumping around all over the place in Alley's world

Kendall trying to play

this is pretty much how Kendall spent her time in the sand...rolling around and right in the center of everything!

breeching the wall of the fort...watch out world!

she apparently wanted back in and threw herself over the wall...which she thought was hilarious and kept doing it over and over again.

Kendall's new favorite thing...sitting on Alley. I can't say it's Alley's favorite, but she was a trooper for sure!

lounging and telling everyone to "shhh"....what? are we being too loud out at the beach??!! ;)

hanging out with Uncle John after a long day at the beach

trying to get a picture of the two...which was extremely difficult!

apparently Kendall thought it was a good time to take a quick cat-nap on Alley

my mini-me

An attempt at a family photo...can I tell you how many shots we took and we still don't have everyone smiling or looking at the camera...go figure;)

taking a break from life;)

Mimi and her watermelons...so cute

Andy and his mini-me

story-time again in the beach house...oh Mimi is certainly loving this!

Mary Tanner getting a turn at reading stories to the wild ones

Yes, girls, we all feel like this when we finally get home after a full day of traveling....duuuuhhhh....I wanna go back!!

We are off to re-adjust to living without a pool nearby and without the ocean beckoning us every morning. Oh, believe me, it still beckons, but I think I'm going to have to wait until next year...

Kiawah 2011

We had so much fun last week at the beach. We look forward to this vacation every year and it was so wonderful to be able to go early this year. Usually we all go over July 4th, but due to my pregnancy and not being able to travel that far that late, my whole family graciously changed their schedules to accommodate me. Yes, I do have a fabulous family;) Anyway, June is the time to go! It was beautiful, the water was amazing and there weren't a lot of people there. I'm advocating for a June beach trip again...maybe I'll just have to be pregnant again..Haha! Wow, did I just say that??!!

The girls absolutely looooved the beach. We were able to spend more time out at this beach this year because we cut out Kendall's morning nap (which we have now had to add back in...grumpy thing;) We had loads of fun running and splashing in the waves, belly-flopping and just plain rolling around in the surf. I believe my children are half fish...not that I minded at all:) I took so many pictures this year that I'm going to have to do a couple posts to get a small portion of them up! Here are some from the first couple of days.

Wearing her hat the first day...and looking oh so serious at something...probably staring at Papa or daddy while they do something silly

Kendall just enjoying the view and the waves...she absolutely loved getting hit by the waves...it was hilarious!

waiting for her next wave to come...oh the anticipation is too much;)

begging Uncle John and daddy to take her out deep

oh the joys of splashing

I just got hit by a wave and it was awesome;)!!

laughing at something...this was definitely something we all did lots this week

 her hat kinda looks like a cowboy hat now

 whatcha doin....

watching with daddy

I got my purse, are yall ready to go?!

fine, if no one will take me out in the ocean, I'll take myself!

ooooo, a snail! I can't tell you how many times Kendall would go dig up a snail and bring it to me...oh the joys;)

Oh I looooove getting hit by waves! This is too much fun!!! Check out that face:)

my three favorites having fun in the waves

Kendall had a new obsession. Whenever Alley would sit down or even look like she was about to sit down, Kendall would run over and sit in her lap...it was too funny

bathing beauty...also waiting for a wave to hit her...

a game of tag in the surf

  

she found the joys of mud baths...she just loves to get dirty...whose child is this;)

playing nicely...I hope this becomes a trend...SOON!

my little mermaids

our favorite activity right now...acting like dogs, or "buppies" as Kendall calls everything!

I thought this was hilarious! I have no clue what she is doing but I captured it:)

another crazy/cute face from the week

Stay tuned for more pictures from the week:)