For the Love of Carrots

It was 10 minutes before dinner and I wanted another veggie for our fancy hot dog and baked beans dinner. So I figured why not roasted carrots? We have one who can't quite chew raw carrots yet or I would have served carrot sticks and called it good.

Slice carrots; thinner is better, but it's not critical. {kind of like my waistline----->}



Drizzle with olive oil, S & P and mix with your hands to coat. And here's a little secret, instead of washing my hands after, I rub all that olive oil in like lotion and then just give them a quick rinse.
In the oven at 400 degrees until edges start to brown, which isn't long.



A half eaten dinner is kind of grody, but I was so busy eating I almost forgot the after pic!

These guys loved the roasted carrots. And true to kiddo form the next time I made them they didn't.

What's your go to side dish 10 minutes before dinner?

When Your Favorite T-Shirt Gets Bacon Neck

Transform a favorite t-shirt into a throw pillow.

You can't see it as well in this photo, but this t-shirt has been pulled on by a toddler one too many times and the neck is all wrinkly.

This was one of the original Mercy House Kenya t-shirts and I love what it says, and what Kristen and Terrell have allowed God to do in their lives through opening a maternity home.

 
So, just grab some sidewalk chalk and a box lid to draw a template (hey, it was within arms reach and it works).  Sew right sides together on three sides. Slide your pillow form in and realize you are a little short. Cut the bottom off the shirt, which is already hemmed (yay!) and add a quick ruffle to extend the length (no pinning, just fold every few inches and shove through your machine).

 

There you go, your favorite t-shirt is now your favorite pillow.

Footstool Slipcover

This is another project that, due to my lack of sewing skills, should have NEVER worked.


A few years ago I "reupholstered" a footstool  I found at Home Goods.  I never warmed up to that scary clown monkey fabric and finally decided to give it a new look.  Click here if you want to see the creepy monkey fabric.

So, here we go with the slipcover.  I cut and pinned a piece of fabric to fit the top.  So far, so good.

Next, I cut a bunch of strips to make the pleats.  My friend Pink (I can call her a friend, right?  After all, I met and sewed with her once) gave a great tutorial on making knife pleats.  She said measure twice around and add about a foot.  Well, you should really do that.  I only added about 6 inches and I came up short and had to add another section.  Grrrr. 

I sewed the strips together and hemmed the edges.  I eyeballed it because I am too lazy to pin.

Then I had a piece of coconut cake and caught up on a sweet mom from our church that is fighting pancreatic cancer.  Please pray for Leigh.

There is no getting around pinning and ironing on this part.  Again, I eyeballed it because I am lazy and I enjoy "good enough" sewing.  A real seamstress would probably measure each pleat for precision.

Chloe woke up from her nap at this point, so I got a little help.

I pinned the pleats (right side, to right side) on the footstool.

Next, I attached the pleats.  I was amazed all this fabric fit through my sewing machine.  I was also shocked I didn't break a needle with all those pins.  I removed the ones I could see as I went but I ran right over a few.

And here she is, my little beauty.

...and the rest of the room.

I am linking this to YOU:Create and Works for Me Wednesday, go check 'em out. And don't forget to go to Pink and Polka Dot's Slipcover party!  She taught me everything I ever needed to know about making slipcovers.

Make Maternity Pants from Pants

I am the world's laziest and most amateur sewer.  I had one of those wild, pregnancy, nesting, I can do anything moments and I made my own maternity pants out of a pair of pants I already had in my closet.  I mostly wear skirts in the summer and when I'm pregnant but a pair of khaki pants are a good stand by.  I took a million photos to try and show you how I did it.  Click on any of the photos for a closer look.

I put on a pair of pants one size larger than my pre-pregnancy size and while I was wearing them I stood in front of the mirror and drew a line under my belly--yes I wrote on my pants with an ink pen, I didn't have a fancy disappearing ink pen like a real seamstress.  You can see the pen marks in the photo above.

Then I measured my favorite pair of maternity jeans from the top inseam point (i.e. the crotch) to the top of the waist band.  You will use this measurement to see how large to make the panel.  What, huh?  Just keep looking at the photos, it will might all make sense.

 Cut out the zipper as close to the zipper as possible.  

Sew the fly closed.

Have lots of help from cute kiddos and a really messy craft table with hardly any room to work.

Have your husband come and rescue the kiddos when you start to really think through how in the world you are going to get this sewing project to work out.

Cut the extra fabric out just above the pen markings and don't panic...these pants are trash now anyway if this thing doesn't work!

Find a stretchy tank top/camisole you don't wear and use it for the panel.

Turn it upside down, right side out.

Pin and sew starting from the front and working all the way around the back and stop at the front.  Huh?  Just look at the pictures and try to understand how a lazy, amateur sewer makes it all happen.

 Admire the back and how nice it looks.

Now, try and figure out how you are going to get the front to look as nice.

Pinch, fold, contort, pin and shove through your Target sewing machine.

 Admire the front with amazement.

Try on and smile with no make-up and a messy table in the background.

I did it--I made maternity pants out of pants. 

I am linking to Works For Me Wednesday, even though I wasn't completely sure when I started this project that it would work!

Before Breakfast

This is what happens when the water company comes by to flush the water mains before breakfast.

Thirty minutes of water fun is a great way to start a hot summer day.

 
What are you doing today?

I am linking to Kristen's Works For Me Wednesday--go check out all the great blogs!

Clip It, Clip It Good

Apparently, I am a big fan of the clothes pin.  I use them on my laundry and in my kitchen.  And I don't even have a clothes line.  The joys of HOA's. 

I am linking this to Works For Me Wednesday, but before you head over there, I'm sure you will want to watch this since the song might be running through your head.  Sorry about that.

Happy Wednesday!

No Ironing Solution

I figured out a way to get the hems on these little sweater dresses to lay down. It works for me and it might work for you too.

When they come out of the dryer the hem is usually curled up.

With a few strategically placed clothes pins the hems lay flat after about an hour.

Voila! No more curled hem. I use this trick on the collars of my husbands shirts too.

Race on over to We Are That Family to find out more Works For Me Wednesday tips!

Wrapping Paper

Now that I am completely dependent on Google Maps, I found a new use for old maps. Move over funny papers, there's a new wrapping paper in town.

Ready to party!

Go on over to We are that Family to check out some other works-for-me solutions!