Vintage inspired clutch

So about two weeks ago I found this awesome fabric in the remnants section of Joann's. It was orange, so I obviously couldn't put it back. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I then found this tutorial and knew it was the perfect thing.

I love how it came out, but I won't lie, I got really frustrated quite a few times while I was making it. It was definitely a learning process. It forced me to figure out how to use that elusive one step buttonhole attachment that's been intimidating me since I got my machine. There's some little changes I would make if I do this again, but at least now I know. What do you think?

Sifting sand

My mom decided we needed centerpieces for the engagement party this past Saturday. So she bought some cute little heart shaped glass bowls and we filled them with sand, seashells, and a pillar candle in the middle. They came out really adorable.

The only issue with this is that we needed to get sand. Since we are on an island, this doesn't seem like it would be a big deal. We headed down to the East Islip Marina, and we couldn't get in because I'm not longer a resident of Islip. Then we went to the Connetquot River, which was really more dirt than sand. The only other place we could think of without driving to the ocean beaches was a playground nearby. We got our sand by sifting it through a colander to get all the bigger rocks out, and it definitely took longer than we expected. After getting all we needed we treated ourselves to some time on the playground.


Yup, that's a coffee can. First we tried just letting the sand fall through on its own. That didn't work. Then we tried shaking it. That didn't work either. I ended up having to swish it around with my hands and that went much faster.


Dane found a teeny shovel and used it to pick the best sand for me to sift. We kept the shovel to give it a good home.


Melissa lost interest quickly in sifting. She started working on burying my leg.


And she definitely made a mountain. I almost couldn't get my foot out when it was time to get up.



Melissa jumped up to play on the bridge. We're both small enough to still fit on most of the things on the playground. The only thing that didn't work for me was the monkey bars. Those really hurt your hands! I remember it used to be my favorite thing growing up, but not now.

Dane and I took some time on the swings together too. Aren't we just adorable? All this for some sand :)

Teeny watermelons!

This is the cutest idea ever. I wish I had seen this before this morning so I could have made them for the engagement party! Now I'm going to have to have another get together just so I can make them. Enjoy!

Aunt Kristen's little helper

I made Abby a little skirt that matches mine last night. When I took out my sewing machine, she realized she had a new toy. She immediately took the thread and figured out how to put it on the machine and spent about a half hour putting it on and taking it off. I think I might have a little apprentice.

So fashionable...

Along with the purse I made for Melissa, I made myself a skirt. This was a super easy project, and the skirt came out really cute. It'll be perfect for the summer (if it ever stops raining). I found the tutorial on the Grosgrain blog here. Love her ideas and style.

Buttercup Bag!

Just the name of this bag should tell you how cute it is. I used the pattern from Made By Rae and fabric from Joann's/IKEA. This bag is going to my sister, Melissa. She tends to get some of my trial run pieces. I changed the pattern a little to put a button and on the front and a little hook to close it, the original pattern uses a magnetic closure. Next up is a skirt for me, and a little pouch to keep my bag organized :)

Twenty minute Simple Skirt Tutorial AND GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'm posting like crazy. I LOVE this blog and will definitely be making this skirt for my next project :)

Twenty minute Simple Skirt Tutorial AND GIVEAWAY!!!!