June 28, 2013

Flashback Friday: Marissa's First Quilt

When Paul and I were dating I decided to make a quilt for one of his birthday gifts. I had never made a quilt before so I decided to make large rectangular blocks, each 12"x18" and add a border to make the quilt fit a full size bed. This pattern was very easy for a beginning quilter.

Squares assembled.

For an extra special addition I asked my mother to embroider Paul's monogram and birthday on the bottom right square.

Sewing the border on.

Me sewing!
Once I had the squares and border sewn together my quilt top was finished. Then I sewed my quilt top and back together with my batting inside. Since I didn't have access to a quilting machine I decided to tie the quilt off.

Tying off the quilt.

Quilt tie.
Paul was very surprised and loved his gift. I also made a matching pillow case.

Happy Birthday Paul!

Finished Quilt.

I really enjoyed making this quilt and anticipate doing another, somewhat more difficult pattern, again in the future.

June 26, 2013

A Few of My Favorites


I recently found this little tea cup and saucer at a tag sale. I was so excited to find another treasure for my collection. I have loved violets since childhood and somewhere along the way I started a collection of tea cups with violets on them. Mark gave this bud vase to me as a gift. I use it every summer, and love it.

The floral arrangement also is full of some of my favorites. We have recently had very heavy rain in our area and many of our plants were beaten down. The Madonna lilies are in full bloom right now so they are especially heavy and susceptible to the weight of the rain. The lavender was laying very close to the ground too, so I added a few to this vase. The lilies are very fragrant and that perfume mixed with the lavender scent is DELICIOUS!

The Madonna lilies are special to me because they are from bulbs that my paternal grandpa had. He was a very masculine man and very "old school". As a young child he would allow me to help him water his flowers. Most adults were not allowed into that part of his world. These Madonna lilies are from those days of my childhood. I treasure those memories.

Each time I pass by this bouquet today I will have a lovely fragrance treat.

June 25, 2013

Side-by-Side Challenge: NEON




Today I am participating in a NEON side-by-side challenge with the lovely ladies above. Don't their ensembles inspire you?

This challenge inspired me to add a trendy neon piece to my wardrobe but I wasn't willing to spend a lot on it. I am currently investing in classic, staple pieces that will help me to build up my professional wardrobe so this re-fashion was the perfect option for an inexpensive summer piece. To see my before and after picture as well as the re-fashion process please visit my neon floral dress re-do post.


June 23, 2013

Pinterest Buster: Shower Head Cleaner

Have you ever gotten in your shower only to have difficulty getting wet? Well that was my problem and I was at my wit's end until I found a great pin from A Real-Life Housewife with just the fix!

Shower stream before.
Supplies needed.
 All I needed was vinegar, a baggy, and a rubberband. I filled the baggy with about 3/4 cup of vinegar and rubberbanded it over the shower head making sure the shower head was completely submerged in vinegar.


I left the shower head submerged in the vinegar for eight hours and was AMAZED at the amount of rust and calcium that had fallen to the bottom of the bag.


Now I have a wonderful stream and my shower head is sparkling clean! One thing I have been learning from Pinterest cleaning pins is that I should always have vinegar on hand when I'm cleaning. I have also used it to clean my microwave and Krista used it in a weed killer.

June 21, 2013

Flashback Friday: Kimono Style Blouse

For one of Paul's birthday celebrations a few years ago I made myself a kimono style blouse with a Mandarin collar, frog closures, and black piping. I like this style but would prefer to have a longer and more fitted blouse and would definitely make adjustments to the pattern if I were to make it again.



June 16, 2013

Neon Floral Dress Re-Do

Yesterday I went thrifting with my mother-in-law and we found the SALE OF ALL SALES! It was the final day of a church rummage sale and everything you could fit into a paper bag was ONLY $5. I picked up this vintage teal floral dress because I loved the print, the vibrant colors, and knew that I could quickly and easily update it. 
Before

YEAH! It has pockets. :)

Later shoulder pads, sleeves, and length!
For this alteration I first took out the shoulder pads, took off the sleeves, and cut the dress length to just below my knee. Then I sewed the arms-eyes closed and hemmed the bottom of the dress. After a quick press I was ready to go to a family party!
After

After
This vibrant, neon dress was a trendy addition to my wardrobe and one that I would not have done without a cost saving re-fashion!

June 10, 2013

Thrifty- Nifty

Marissa recently posted about her amazing thrifted finds, but in true Krista fashion I am just now, two weeks later, posting mine. #standard

When I thrift I don't focus on the quantity of clothing I get, but rather the quality and reality of if I will ever wear the piece. On this particular trip two pieces of clothing made the cut; a dress and a skirt.

The dress is originally from Target. As you can see in the first picture there is a slight "train" on the back, which I typically hate. I always feel I'm wearing a curtain when my skirt has various heights. However, I gave it a try and the Kindergarten/1st-ie  fashonistas in my class APPROVED! The second picture displays the two layers of the dress, one of which is sheer.



The second article of clothing was a navy and nude stripped pencil skirt. It has just enough spandex that it hugs the body. Without buying another piece of clothing I didn't have a ton to go with it. Here is what I was able to put together. I am not totally satisfied, but I wasn't horrified either. #itsadraw


June 1, 2013

Return of the Lost Sewing Machine

I took my sewing machine in to be serviced in April and was feeling quite lost without it. Thankfully I got it back within a few weeks and it was in perfect condition. The serviceman recommended that I use it right away to make sure it was working well and I had just the right project to test my newly oiled machine on.

The blouse I cut out while my machine was being serviced.
I used a vintage pattern and material from one of my mother's previous projects. In a few short afternoons I had a beautiful coral and white polka dotted blouse. So glad to have my sewing machine back!

I love this new, trendy addition to my wardrobe!

My first button stand!