look what I did!

Okay, so I'm 21 and I'm JUST learning how to sew... from my Mommy... who has been sewing since before she can remember. She has made everything from aprons to wedding dresses to quilts to my favorite black sparkly dress that I wore all the time when I was little (pictures to come... at some point). Anyway, so I decided it was time for me to learn how to sew. I want to be able to sew for my kids, make christmas presents for my nieces and nephews, etc. I just think it is an overall great thing to know how to do.

The main fabric I used.

Anyway, so a few weeks ago my mom started teaching me how to sew. She has a very nice Singer sewing machine that my step dad bought her a few years ago. I am also using a Singer machine... only mine is the one my mom used when she was my age.

We started with an apron pattern because that's something that's pretty easy to learn how to do. I just finished a few days ago (and brought it to my grandparent's house in PA so that I could show Grandma what I'd done) and I will start new and more challenging things in the next few days.

While I was making an apron for myself, my mom was making a similar apron (same pattern, different fabric) for my little step-niece, Madison (who we all just adore).

My Fabric

The super adorable fabric for Maddie's, with three different colors of cupcakes

The ric rac that went around the pockets and the edges of the apron

My finished apron (and first real sewing project ever)!!

Look how little Maddie's apron is compared to mine...

I've found that sewing is a pretty good bonding experience for my mom and I. We aren't normally able to spend too much time together without wanting to rip each other's heads off, however, for some reason, we got through this first sewing project without a hitch (knock on wood). 

Now, I know it's just a simple little apron and I still have a whole lot to learn... but I'm pretty damn proud of myself!  

wine art

Every time Christine and I try a new type of wine, we pick it out based on the label and it's appeal. Sometimes we pick it based on the name, or reputation, but normally it is aesthetic appeal. Now that we will be moving out of this house in about a month, we are trying to figure out what to do with the wine bottles. We both agree that it is tacky to just have a shelf covered with bottles, but we don't want to just get rid of them because we would like to keep the labels.

I have been looking up different decorating tips/ideas, but none of them are amazing. I have also been looking at ways to remove the labels from the bottle so we can somehow frame them or scrap book or something. We are going to practice with some of the bottles that we know we will purchase again (Tisdale, Gnarly Head, etc.)

Some of them I'm just joking about, but some of them are good ideas! We would also have to figure out how to cut a hole in a bottle and stuff... hmm....

Do you have any ideas? We could use all the help we can get with decorating and/or label removing.

creative

I am so in the mood to do crafts right now! But, of course, instead of doing crafts, I have to start reading Thomas More's "Utopia" for my humanities class. Grr..

I need to start doing stuff with all the things I brought back from Spain and all my travels in Europe. I can't wait to start scrap booking all of it! I have THOUSANDS of photos.

What I REALLY want to do is find a house that me, Christine, and Stephanie will live in next year. I want to clear out all the stuff I have in my room right now that I don't need, and I want to make crafty decorations for my walls, dresser, etc.

A girl, Twila (check out her blog), commented on my blog today and I'm so glad she did! I went and flipped through a few pages on her blog and I got so excited! She has so many cool ideas (one that I posted on Nikol's Facebook wall), and I can't wait to use some of her brilliant decorating ideas. One of her posts had cool quotes that kind of reminded me of those old I Spy books I used to read when I was young. I got really excited because a couple of the pictures combined two things I'm super excited about right now (and in general): quotes and maps!! Here are the pictures (thanks, Twila)!!

I really like the second one! I have been doing some stuff with canvases and decoupage and stuff, I made something for my sister a while ago, and I have a couple flower things that I have on my wall (not too proud of those, they were kinda just the first project I did, trying out a new medium and stuff). I will take a picture of the one I did for my sister the next time I go home.

I need to invest in some stencils, paints, ribbons, etc. Who want's to go on a trip to Beverly's or JoAnn's this weekend with me?

Anyway, I'm super excited to do some things with quotes, maps, pictures and such. Also, because I'm going to be home this summer, my mom said she would teach me how to sew! She gave me her old sewing machine she used when she was my age, but I don't know how to use it! I'm so excited for mother-daughter time and sewing lessons.

Okay, off to read "Utopia." Wish me luck!

P.S. I also developed some cool things for my sisters for when they graduate (Liana is graduating high school in June and Caitlin is graduating college in May... sorry Kelley, you've gotta wait two more years till you graduate college!!) So excited!!

P.P.S. STAGECOACH is in two weeks! So excited!