Too Cute TuTu

My darling niece turned a big whopping year old on Saturday! I could go crazy with "where has the time gone?" and "she's growing up so fast", but I'll spare you the auntie insanity :) Instead, I'll choose to focus on how absolutely adorable she was at her little party!

My sister-in-law asked me a while back to work on an outfit for her to wear. After she chose a pink and brown theme for the party, I went to work creating a onesie and matching tutu for her big day. I'd been wanting to try my hand at a no-sew tutu for a while, after having tried the sew-able versions before. No-sew has to be easier, right? Well, you better believe it was easier! I wish I could say that I came up with this concept on my own, because it's so darn simple, but I must give the credit to the millions of hits on google.com when doing a search for "no sew tutu tuorial". I used this video as a tutorial, but there are tons more available. No, it's not my original idea, but I CAN offer this piece of advice. In the video, the lady suggests that you buy your tulle off the bolt. Well, Wal-Mart (and a variety of other stores) sell tulle by the spool in the wedding section. All you have to do is unroll a portion of the spool at a time and cut little strips. It's SOOO much easier than having to wrangle bolts of tulle.

This is a perfect craft for the upcoming Christmas season or for your birthday girl. And if you're going for a themed party, they're easy enough to make as favors for all the little guests. Your little sweethearts will love them...but don't take my word for it. Let the birthday girl speak for herself :)

(Shameless plug: These onesies are now available over at the improved Whatta Cute Baby! site. Mention Three Simple Girls when you order (through December 31, 2010) and you'll get free shipping on this item!)

-Sarai

Fall Subway Art

Happy Fall, Y'all! While it's still getting pretty warm during the day here in Western North Carolina, the early mornings and late nights are cool enough to get me good and excited about some fall!

I've seen Subway art popping up all over blogland these days. Most of it seems to be created with some fancy Cricut or Silhouette machines and while I don't own one of those, I do have a computer, a printer and Microsoft Publisher. I love what a big statement some simple words can make.

Want to make your own Subway art? Simply use your favorite publishing program to combine words that remind you of a central theme...like seasons, holidays, or even relationships. Then, print it out, stick it in a frame and you've got some super easy, super cheap Subway art!

Need some other ideas to get you in the mood for Fall? Try these.

Fall Decorating

More Fall Decorating

Fall Tablescape

Pumpkins and Halloween Cookies

Easy As Pie Pumpkin Muffins

Trick or Treat Buckets

-Sarai

Home Office: Details, Details

For all three of you who might still be the least bit interested in reading about my office project, I thought I'd finish up this little series of posts with details on all the, well, details. From containers to organization to personal touches, this post has it all!

Simple glass canisters and printed tags store pre-cut ribbons and keep them easily accessible.

I've had this old bookcase for at least 15 years, but it keeps hanging on...and it provides the perfect amount of storage for my sewing and business products. To the left of the bookcase, I have all my ribbons and fabric stored in a fashion that I am FINALLY happy with. Check out this post for details on the ribbon storage.

I wanted my fabric to be stored so that it was accessible and easy to sort through. Here's how I did it: I painted a couple of old VHS tape organizers black to match the ribbon storage. I folded a bazillion pieces of card stock (well, not really a bazillion, but several hundred!) in half and cut off about half an inch from the long side. I folded the fabric, long ways, over the card stock and secured it with a little pin. It was oh, so easy and now, when need something for a project, I feel like I'm shopping in my own little fabric store! (I got the idea for this project here.)

This little magnet strip actually won't be used for magnets at all. Instead, I'll use it as a place to organize any upcoming orders. The little "keep calm and sew stuff" art was created on my computer, thank you Microsoft Publisher.

This wire basket came from IKEA a long time ago and it's the perfect size for file folders. The problem with it is that the bar it's supposed to hang on requires some crazy anchors and bolts when you hang it on the wall. In order to make it accessible from my sewing table, I opened the table (the top unfolds) laid a piece of ribbon across the crack, closed the table, tied the ribbon to the basket and VOILA!

Magnetic picture frames filled with homemade labels (thank you again, Publisher!) adorn the front of the filing cabinet.

I REALLY wish I had a before picture of this closet. There was an INSANE amount of crap in there. I finally decided that the craft projects I'd been holding on to since college were probably not going to get done and that it was ok to throw them out. I like that everything is neat and tidy and has it's own little space.

I can't possibly end without showing off some more homemade artwork. Before, the stuff on the walls of my office was totally random and most of it didn't even reflect who we are or what we wanted from the space. Now, everything is cohesive and unified and it's all stuff I really really like. In addition to a cheap-o clock from Wal-Mart, some framed pictures of some of my favorite people and a Mod Podged "G" (for our last name), there are 3 pictures from my favorite musical of all time, Wicked. I cut up an old Wicked calendar to get pictures from 3 of my favorite scenes in the entire show. Wicked is such an amazing tale of friendship and loving people because of what's on the inside. These pictures remind me of that wonderful message every day.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring my home office project! I'm loving every minute to crafting and working and playing in this new space!

-Sarai

Summer Memories

It's been a great summer.

Sure, it's had its challenges but it's also been full of sweetness and times we don't want to forget. Sometimes I am struck by the notion that my three, three and under likely won't remember all the little things we did in these days. But somehow I just know that one experience builds upon another and another. In the end, they all add up to what I hope they will remember as a rich and loving and warm and even imperfectly beautiful childhood.

To help in their reflection, the last two summers we have memorialized some times in small ways. Last summer we took an unused small scrapbook and glued in pictures, ticket stubs, brochures, and the like. Then we wrote simple captions at the bottom of each page so we could "read" the summer's adventures together.



This summer we bought us some dollar frames from Michaels and the girls sponge painted them. I wrote the words "favorite memory" on the frames and then let my kids peruse a bunch of pics on our computer. They picked one of their favorites, we printed the photos out, and then we glued them on some remnant scrapbook paper to put inside the frames.


The girls love looking at the frames in their rooms. Next summer or even next season we can replace the pictures with what each girl is currently loving.

Another way, I hope, for them to remember how much I love making their childhood special.

Happy memory making!
~Katrina

Prettiest Sewing Table On the Block :)

For starters, we Simple Girls apologize for the insane amount of inactivity happening over here. Summer always seems to be such a busy time for all three of us, but this one seems especially so! Brooke's spending the summer as our world traveler, Katrina's an extremely busy full-time mom to 3 sweet little girls and I'm filling my days with getting ready for summer camp, keeping my oh-so-precious niece and, well, this....

It's official. The office project is well underway. And by well underway, I mean that the walls and furniture are painted and it functions as an office again, instead of a room full of tables pushed to the middle of the room. I'm still working on getting pictures and such on the walls, getting some curtains made/purchased and picking up a few more accessories to finish it off. I'm EXTREMELY pleased with the results so far and FINALLY feel like I'm working in a classy adult space as opposed to a young, full of college leftovers space.

The biggest obstacle to completing the makeover was this one...

This sewing table belonged to my mom's mom. I love thinking about all the amazing things she created while sitting at this very table and how I get to continue that tradition! The honey color wasn't bad, but it really didn't match what I was going for in my new and improved office.

It's got some cool detail on the legs and sides.

And LOTS of damage on the top from wet ups and flower pots.

Check that out! The top folds open to create a bigger work surface. Back in the day, my Nanny was able to store her sewing machine inside the table and raise it up when she was ready to use it. That function doesn't really work now, but that work space is perfect for all kinds of sewing projects!

And after HOURS of sanding (definitely used an electric sander and totally not even kidding about the amount of time it took...I think it took about 45 minutes to get the feeling back in the hands and arms!), 2 coats of paint, several coats of varnish and loads of drying time, I'm pleased to present this beauty...

So polished and so chic in my new office (and yes, that's the new office wall color you see there! More on that in an upcoming post.)

To take care of the brassy hardware, I simply removed it, sprayed it silver and finished it with a clear spray sealer. Hopefully it will all stand up to some wear and tear.

If this pretty little thing doesn't motivate me to whip up some of the cutest little baby items, I don't know what will!! Stay tuned for more on my office makeover!!

-Sarai

Wanna see other cool projects?
Check out the blog parties happenin' over at House of Hepworths and The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Gotta Start Somewhere

Redecorating my office seems to be the project that never happens. I feel like I've been talking about it for months if not years, yet nothing seems to get the ball rolling. Yes, I have my handy little project book (thanks to another simple girl who knows me all too well) filled with paint chips and color palettes and furniture layout ideas. I have my to-do list ready. I have my shopping list ready. And yet...nothing. About the time I started seriously getting my plans together for this project, I took on the task of keeping my niece a couple of days a week. And while, that is one of the most fun jobs to have, it doesn't exactly lend itself to help in the home improvement projects!

A few weeks ago, my husband was out of town, and I was bored. I really wanted to dive right in and slap some paint on the walls. However, because of the stripes that are currently on the walls, I wasn't up for the sanding and priming that would have to precede said paint job. So I decided to start small. I checked out my to-do list and found that project that would require the least amount of time and would require only materials that I had on hand. And so, "Reupholster Desk Chair" had its day in the sun!

Here's the chair before in all its boring blue plain jane office-y glory. The office is blue now, so sure, it matches. But that doesn't mean it looks awesome. We need awesome.

And one hour, several hot glue gun burns and some black and white gingham fabric later...TADA!! Much more awesome and it will tie in perfectly with the black and white theme I'll have going on in here.
I didn't remove the old fabric. I didn't use a staple gun. I just folded and tucked and snipped and glued until it looks how I thought it should. No, it's not perfect, but it's prettier than it was. And while motivation for this project hasn't exactly turned into motivation (read: free time) to get the rest of the office started, it's one less thing I'll have to do in the long run. You gotta start somewhere, right?

Welcome Mat ReDo

Most of us are experiencing winter weather like crazy these days. This kind of weather makes me want to do 1 of 2 things:

*Curl up on the couch and do nothing.

OR

*Redecorate and reorganize the whole house.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling a little of the latter coming on and decided that I'd tackle a small project during an afternoon. During this particular afternoon, it was sunny (gasp!) and above 50 degrees (gasp again!), so I felt like doing something kinda spring-ish.

A few years ago, we bought a welcome mat for our main entrance. It was all cute with flowers and bright and colorful and it was made from recycled materials which meant it was eco-friendly and it would last for a long time...oh and it was on sale! Perfect! However, like most things that get a lot of foot traffic, it began to show signs of wear and our once cute and colorful mat all of a sudden looked like this:

So, I decided to give it a little face lift. I used a couple of small paint brushes, some craft paint and turned it into this:

We wondered if it would wear off quickly, but so far, it's showing no signs of wear! And the recycled welcome mat lives on!

-Sarai

Linking this project up here:

ps... Be sure to scroll down for more of this weekend's lovely tips and ideas! :)

Fancy-fied Box

Here's another project for my (hopefully soon) office re-do! I'm getting rid of this HUGE desk and moving to a table. I'll be using a portable drawer system under the table for sroage, but needed to find something for those big bulky items (3 hole punch, tape dispenser, stapler, label maker, etc.) that were taking up too much space. I had organized my mom's office a few years ago and we stored all of those items in a nice basket on her desktop for easy access. I decided I'd try a similar approach. I've seen some really pretty boxes at the Hobby Lobby that would work perfectly, but since I don't live near a Hobby Lobby and didn't want to spend money on this, I had to improvise. Since I like the idea of having all those things tucked away in a box, I went shopping around the house and I found this...


Now, before you think that I've completely lost my mind (I know I'm pretty close most times!) stick with me for a few more minutes! I AM aware that that's a shoe box. I can also promise you that the theme of my new office will not be "Nike"!! I decided that this box could be exactly what I was looking for!

All it took was some glossy black craft paint, some scrap paper, a pretty image downloaded and printed on regular printer paper, Mod Podge and a fun little velvety "S" from my craft closet to turn that boring box into this...

It was simple and cheap (read: FREE!) and will be perfect for my desktop! And it's the perfect size for all those bulky office supplies. I've got my 3 hole punch, tape, stapler, label maker and some address labels ready for easy access!

This project got me thinking (scary, I know!), and this project could easily be modified for Christmas or Birthday gifts! So, don't throw out those shoe boxes! Paint 'em, Mod Podge 'em or decorate 'em for FREE!! That's a price I can live with!

-Sarai

A Little Mod Podge Never Hurt Anyone

For years now, I've know the power of Mod Podge. However, in recent days, I've rediscovered just how magnificent a product this is. In case you're not familiar with this greatness, Mod Podge is a white (that dries clear) glue based liquid. You can use is it to adhere paper and fabric and ribbon and all kinds of other things.

I'll insert a brief pause in my "I Love Mod Podge" rant and give you a little background for this particular post. I'm in the middle of a brainstorm concerning a complete home office overhaul. Currently, the room is so full of mis-matched furniture and accessories and would make any interior decorator vomit. And don't even get me started on the piles of stuff in here. I think I've decided on a black and white theme (if you know me, you know this isn't shocking in the least!) with either soft grey or light coffee colored walls. And I'll probably use lots of lime green accents. So, as I'm slowly shifting my brain from current office to new and much prettier office, I'm constantly thinking of ways to store and organize and paint and sew the things I already have so that they'll coordinate when (hopefully one day soon!) the overhaul takes place.

And back to the Mod Podge...This is one of more simple projects I've done so far. I know that in the grand scheme of the world, or even the room, it doesn't make a big difference. But, it did make for a excitingly creative afternoon that would have been otherwise boring. My mom gave me this little notebook, as she is also cleaning out her office, a few weeks ago. Honestly, my first thought was "I might use that" but then it got put in one of the many office piles and was forgotten about. A few days ago, it caught my eye as I entered the office and I thought "Mod Podge"!!! It started out like this:

Practical: YES Pretty: NO

I covered the whole outside of the book with white card stock. I just folded the corners much like a Christmas present.

Still pretty boring, huh?

Then, I added some coordinating black and white papers and some bright green ribbon and turned it into this:

That's pretty enough to make anyone want to organize their software CDs!!

The moral of the story is this:
Mod Podge is your friend!

Need some more Mod Podge inspiration? Check out this blog which is dedicated entirely to Mod Podge-ing anything and everything!

-Sarai

Chalk it up

One my favorite places to find treasures is my local Dollar Tree store. I am sure you can testify to being able to find all kinds of things to transform into cute accessories for your home or to give as gifts. I often find lots of things there that I can use in my classroom for learning, storage or decoration. Most days, I don't really have a clear vision of what I am looking for...but on a recent trip I knew exactly what I needed.

These trays were exactly what I needed to complete a simple, yet fun project to add a little fun to my kitchen and other areas of my house. One thing I love to keep on hand at my house is chalkboard paint. So with these trays and a little spray paint, the creating began!

To begin with, I taped off the edges of the trays using a little painters tape. This was a little tricky as the trays do not have the straightest edges. This caused a little paint to end up in places I might not have wanted it. One suggestion I have here is that you might want to get the chalkboard paint in the bucket, instead of the spray kind. This might fix the problem right up! If you know where to find that by the way, please leave a comment, I am having a really hard time finding it!

After painting, you must let your paint dry for at least 24 hours in order for it to really work like a chalkboard. This might be a difficult step for you, or well me, because I was so anxious to give it a try and see if it really worked. But trust this simple girl on this one, you really have to let it dry! Once the trays have dried, find your old school chalk and print a special message to be displayed.

Chalk it up to another simple project for all you simple girls!

Enjoy...

Brooke

Happy Fall, Y'All!

Yesterday, in honor of the First Day of Autumn, I spent a little time adding some fall touches here and there around the house. This time of year gets me all excited about what is to come...family celebrations and vacations for Thanksgiving, all things Christmas and, of course, getting to have my house decorated according to the current holiday for nearly 4 whole months! I love it! A few weeks ago, Katrina posted some of the fall touches she added to their humble abode so I thought I do the same!

I dressed up the hallway with some simple things. I tied a ribbon around the lampshade for a pop of color, tied some twine around a votive candle holder and topped it off with a simple gerbera daisy.

I carried the theme from the hallway into the living room with the same twine and flower idea.

This picture's a little blurry, but it's the only way I could show off the spookiness of these adorable little tea light Jack-O-Lanterns!

I planted lots of marigolds a while back and was glad that they came up in abundance! Some clippings arranged in clear, tall skinny vases provide a sweet look on the mantle.

You all might remember this guy from about 25 years ago...think McDonald's Happy Meal! My brother and I had these growing up as our Trick or Treating baskets. I just have to keep them and put them out every year. It brings back lots of great memories!

This wreath just makes me smile. When I bought it for 50 cents in the dollar bin at Target (it was on sale after Christmas) I wasn't sure what I'd do with it, but figured I couldn't pass it up! I decided I needed some sort of fall looking wreath by our back door and bought the orange and yellow berries for $1 at Wal-Mart. I finished it off by tying 2 pieces of ribbon on one side and I love the way it turned out!

As a bit of an aside...you'll notice that I'm on a bit of a bow kick here. It's because of this AMAZING tutorial on how to tie a bow. I've been messing up ribbon for years trying to get the perfect bow. Go check it out and prepare to be amazed at the ease of it all!

Happy Fall, Y'All!!

Clipboard Makeover

CAUTION...completion of this project may actually lend itself to willful list making and note taking!!

This simple little project takes very little time and yields MAJOR results!

Start with a a simple clipboard (most people use the wooden board type, but all I had was a clear one on hand and it seemed to work well). Next, pick out some fun papers, ribbons and embellishments.
Create a layout with your supplies.
Cut the items to size.
Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge or decoupage medium to the clipboard and quickly apply the items.
Allow to dry COMPLETELY before adding additional layers (like ribbons or other embellishments).
Add additional layers with a thin coat of Mod Podge.
Cover the entire board with a thin coat of Mod Podge, being sure to smooth out any wrinkles along the way.
All to dry completely and add another top coat. (You can add more top coats, but just be sure to let the previous layer to dry completely before adding another.)
Tie a few coordinating ribbons around the actual clip.

And in a matter of 30 minutes, you can turn this...


into this...


Who wouldn't want to take notes on this cute little thing?!?!

Check out more cute clipboard makeovers here and here.

Hope your Labor Day is filled with very little labor and lots of simple projects like this!

-Sarai