Gonna Give This a Try

I have had an account with Etsy for  awhile and I set up my shop recently to see how it goes.  Stop by and check it out and let me know what you think.  I would love any advice or tips from anyone who sells on Etsy. 

If God Leads you to it, He will lead you through it.

This is what I have been telling myself for the past couple days.  This post has nothing to do with crafts, decorating or anything like that.  I have a very heavy heart and I need to get it out so it doesn't weigh me down. 

My husband and I have spent the past 4 months or so getting licensed to become foster parents.  It is a very long and tiresome process to say the least.  We only had a few things left to finish up when I got a call from our PRIDE instructor (those are the classes that you have to take first) who also works for DCFS asking me how close we are to being licensed.  She had a 3 year old little boy on her caseload that the current foster parents had put 2 weeks notice in for.  They have two other foster kids and this little boy was being too rough with the 10 month old.  It all sounded like it was meant to be.  What are the chances that a boy, in our small town needed a home just as we were ready for one?  So, we met him, had him for the whole day so he could get acquainted with his new home, and the fun part, bought and acquired all the necessary gear for a toddler!  Then, yesterday morning, just a week before we would get him placed with us, I found out that his paternal grandmother came forward and wants him.  Yesterday was the first time he has even met his father and now he will be living with him and his mother.  I KNOW that the goal is for kids to be placed with relatives whenever possible BUT, I also KNOW that I could better provide for his needs than she can.  So, tonight I get to break the bad news to my kids and try to explain it all to them.  It will be a good lesson for them as we start this process so they understand that we are just helping these kids out by giving them a safe place to live until they can return home.  So, like I said, I know that God lead us to this and He will lead me through it too! 

What I've Been Doing

Well, I had hoped things would calm down after school started, BUT that has not been the case yet!  Mr. Icky and I started the process to become foster parents.  Tuesday will be our last class.  It has been a lOnG 9 weeks.  Now I know why there is such a need for foster parents..... it is a LOT of work to get licenced.  I know it will be worth it in the end.  Most of what I have been doing around the house is to get the house ready, child proof, and more organized.  I have found time for my addiction, PINTEREST!  Here are a few things I saw and had to re-create:

I have been looking for a better way to store my necklaces to keep them from getting tangled.  This one from Pinterest is a towel bar and shower curtain hooks.



source

I found this towel bar at Hobby Lobby and used "S" hooks. 





I saw this doily table runner

source

and knew I had to make on with all those doilys I had stashed all over the house. 

Now, it's off to bed so we can get up early and go to the Labor Day Parade.

Erica

Motorcycle Diaper Cake Tutorial

OK, I had a couple requests for a tutorial for the motorcycle diaper cake so I had my private photographer (Kailee) help me out!

I used 40 size 2 diapers, 1 bottle, 2 bibs, 2 pairs socks, 2 receiving blankets, rubber bands, tape and ribbon. 

First, I made two stacks of 20 diapers each.  My package of diapers had 42.  Roll up one of the extra diapers and tape the ends.



Start wrapping one stack of diapers around the rolled up diaper and put a rubber band around it. 

Keep adding diapers in this fashion until you have all 20 diapers.  You have just made one wheel!

Now you can take the center diaper out.  (This just holds the spot that the blanket will go in later.)  Next, do the same thing again for the other wheel.

For the first motorcycle, I covered the wheel with a receiving blanket, but this one, I just wrapped each wheel with ribbon and either tape or glue it.  I think I like it best with the ribbon.

Now, take one of the receiving blankets and fold it until it is about 3 inches wide.  Slide the blanket through the center of one of the wheels and then through the center of the other wheel too. 
 

Take the ends of the blanket and using another rubber band, secure the ends of the blanket and tuck them neatly in the center of the wheel. 



Lay your bibs on the top of each wheel and put the bottle on the front wheel, on top of the bib.  Then, take the other blanket folded in the same manner as the first and run it through the middle of the front wheel.

Pull the ends of the blanket up, making sure they are even, and secure with a rubber band on top of the bottle. 

Now for the handlebars.  I used two pairs of socks, but on the first one, I layered several pairs of socks because of the package of socks we bought. 

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(notice my puppy helper in the background?)





Next I made a bow with coordinating ribbons to hide the rubber band on the handle bars.  I think they look best with a stuffed animal or doll riding on it, but that is up to you!

OH, in case you need an idea for that extra diaper...... Kailee recommends this.....

Poor dog doesn't stand a chance!  At least she cut a hole for her tail this time. 

Hope this helps.  If you have any questions, let me know!

Erica





p.s.  I have this one listed in my Etsy Store if anyone is interested.







Motorcycle Baby

My mom has a baby shower to go to this weekend and was telling me that she didn't know what to get. I had seen these motorcycle diaper cakes while surfing on Pinterest. After I showed her and she explained that the father-to-be's family owns a motorcycle dealership, we both knew we had to do it! I think it turned out pretty good for the first one!

And now with a rider.....

Too cute!  I am linking up to Someday Crafts.

Erica

No-Sew Window Treatments for the Bathroom

We have lived in our house for over ten years now and I FINALLY got around to making some window treatments for the bathroom.  Until now, I just had some cheap plastic mini blinds up.  With three girls in the house using hair spray and other hair products, these were gRoSs! 

So, with some fabric, a roller blind and some spray adhesive, I went to work.

Then I just made a simple valance with the extra material.  I do like how they turned out.

Thanks for looking!

Erica



I am linking to:

Masquerade Mask

Our High School is having a Masquerade themed prom this year and my friend volunteered us to make a mask for one of our clients.  Before we even got started on hers, we had three other orders.  We worked on the first one this weekend and I think it turned out pretty good. 

We could not wait to take it to her and it looks so good with this gorgeous dress of hers!

Gettn' Back on Track

I have fallen off the organizing wagon as of late.  I am trying to get back on though!  I took three bags of clothes to the local thrift store today.  I also picked up the pile of t-shirts off my floor that I pulled out months ago and started cutting them into strips.  I will probably make some flowers out of them and I might use some as "yarn" and crochet something with them.  Right now though, I am just glad they are off my floor!

More Burp Rags and My First Heat Transfer Vinyl

I ordered some heat transfer vinyl several weeks ago and I have some projects in mind for it, BUT I wanted to practice before I used it on a new t-shirt.  So, after making a few new burp rags I decided to test out the vinyl on them.  This one is one of my favorites for 2 reasons:

1)  Cute boy ribbon is hard to find in anything other than the basic baby blue.
2)  My son used to LOVE anything cowboy related.

This one I had to use Sure Cuts A Lot so I could cut the letters in mirror image, which my Cricut won't do.  It turned out nice too.

I am linking to Paisley Passions, Blue Cricket Design, and Someday Crafts.

Bathroom Update

When I was cleaning the bathroom this weekend I noticed how much this "thing" on the back of the toilet really irritated me. 

It was just too much white all there together like that! UGH.  So, today I had to go out of town to the dentist and I stopped by Hobby Lobby and picked up some new drawer pulls.  Then, after three coats of brown paint, it was ready to take its rightfull place back on its throne. 

Thanks for looking!

I am linking up to Pollly Want a Crafter and Sew Many Ways

What Would Tabatha Do?

There is nothing crafty about this post, BUT I just had to show off my copy of Tabatha Coffey's new book, It's Not Really About the Hair.

Want to see something even better than that? 

It is signed..... by Tabatha herself! I was showing it off to the girls at the shop but I told them they couldn't touch it, only look!  Did I mention I met her?

This is my mom and I (and Tabatha) at a hair show in St. Louis last April.

I am excited to get started reading and find out.....What Would Tabatha Do?

Cricut Cartridge Giveaway

Go check out The Busy Bug blog and enter for a chance to win this Cricut Cartridge. 

Spit Happens!

Here are a few of the burp rags that I made recently.  I just sold the monkey one (which is probably my favorite, eVeR) the other day.  I use a cloth diaper and cut 4inch strips of coordinating ribbon and sew to both ends and then sew a wider ribbon to cover the ends.  I sew that ribbon on the front and back of the cloth so there is no right or wrong side to the burp rag. 

(Almost) Organized Craft Room

I spent today working on the most neglected area of the house, the Craft Room. I was working so frantically to finish all my Christmas presents that I didn't even realize I was trashing the place. Here is a little peek at what it looked like this morning.

I am not proud of the way this area looked. I can't work in such chaos so I had taken the Cricut upstairs to do my recent projects.

My daughter helped and I would not have gotten as much done without her either.

This is what it looks like after 3 hours.

There is still more to do, but we are wiped out!

Bathroom Rules

I was home today with another sick kid. :( I have wanted to make this sign for awhile and finally found the time between trips to the bathroom with my 11 yo. I like how it turned out and I used my Sure Cuts Alot for the first time. I was a little nervous to hit the cut button, I am not going to lie!

New Year, New Me!

I have set some "Goals" for myself for 2011. One is to loose weight and get in shape, the second is to reduce our debt and the third one is to get organized. I am taking baby steps BUT I did tackle some of my drawers in the kitchen, including the dreaded "junk drawer". I took some pictures to show how out of control it was.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Next to tackle the Tupperware cabinet. I am not tooking forward to that one!