Dressing area

The only space I could think of to house a dress up area was in my craft room.

It's nice as it gives him something to do if I am able to work on a project in that room during waking hours (versus my usual burning the midnight oil crafting). An addition to the cowboy clothes is a dino tail. And yes, that led to the mash up costume of Dinosaur Cowboy. Next up: super hero cape.

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Recent favorite: A lot of cool elements here that could be used for any party

Working on: Skirt re-sizing

I wanna be a cowboy

Lots of pretend play going on around these parts as of late! Hank is really into dress up, and creating stories and alternate uses for mundane things (e.g. yarn can either be a spider web or spaghetti depending on his mood).

I am sooo excited to make some elements to assist in his play adventures! To date we just had a box to stow various hats and accessories, but I see we need some type of rack to store bigger items -- will have to think about an option for something like that in our tiny house...

The vest above was made using this pattern and was made in part to attend an event at a local Western museum. The vest was worn willingly for the entire day, but took second fiddle to that device on the floor -- boys!

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Favorite of the day: Enjoying looking up pictures and movies from the early 1900s that explored things that were unknown at the time -- it is like an early version of sci fi.

Working on: Another fun filled day :)

Since we are gushing about creative friends...

...I'd be remiss if I did not mention Cristina.

Cristina, giver of the dinosaur sweater shown here (which hopefully will fit Hank this winter!), is well-versed in knitting, crochet, and sewing - an all-around crafty girl. Her sewing projects are more complicated than anything I would ever attempt, and I am way jealous that she can whip out cute Amigurumi in no time flat (it I recall correctly, a child's size tea set was made during a cross-country flight?)

For Hank's birthday, Cristina gave him a copy of Harry by the Sea and a cute crocheted version of Harry the dog. Cute in its own right, but doesn't the swoon factor zoom off the chart when you see that she also made a piece of seaweed to drape on him (in the story, Harry gets wrapped in a piece of seaweed, and people think he is a sea monster)?

As a "just because" gift for Cristina, I made her a finger pincushion.

The pattern was given to me by Barb as part of a recent package. The bottle cap was not from the container bin, but rather the bin that is used to save actual trash (well, recyclables) -- there is a difference.

Warning: These pincushions are totally addicting to make!

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Favorite of the day: A-dorable grill toy

Working on: A gift for Barb (you'll never guess what it is! Oh wait...)

Too hot to cook!!

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Favorite of the day: I want to move in!

Working on: O to the R to the G - anizing

The Container Project

I am in the process of cleaning out the craft room (again). With time, the neatly organized bins shown here have become disheveled and stuffed so full that I cannot close them.

I can't deny that I am a hoarder, but I am an organized one. In general, if there is a designated bin for something and a new acquisition fits, in it goes.

One bin has become a little unwieldly, I guess in part because it does not have a top. In this bin are many containers I have collected from a variety of sources -- some came in the mail, some were left over food containers, some were bought for projects that weren't completed. I have about 30 containers here -- what was that about hoarding?

I will refer back to this post as I use the containers -- mostly as gifts so I am rid of them forever. Perhaps my trash will become somebody else's treasure :)

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Favorite of the day: N/A

Working on: Still organizing

WWAB?

My pal April is one of the most stylish people I have ever met. Actually, her sister and mom are pretty chic as well, so they are collectively some of the most stylish people I know. They have that natural ability to make eclectic decor items look right at home and find new uses for seemingly mundane objects. Don't like a kitchen floor? Cover it from end to end with small, colorful indoor/outdoor rugs. Inherit a tin of buttons after a grandmother's passing? Make a cute jar to display not the buttons themselves (like Captain Obvious here would do), but all the extra bits and bobs that found their way into the tin over the years, and probably all had a story attached to them.

I love going to all of these women's houses, as there is always something new to see - a new furniture arrangement, the largest crewel piece I have ever seen bought for a steal and employed as a stylish cover for an A/C unit, an alley find dresser painted to look like something that would cost hundreds of dollars on Anthro, a new mural painted on one of the walls, etc. If they start blogging some day (hint hint), I hope they share their walnut tree Advent calendar tradition -- truly inspired.

April taught me a lot about thrifting/ garage sales even before I started reading blogs (which introduced a whole other list of "must have" items). The items shown above were all picked out as a little voiced whispered "What would April buy?" as I browsed the the thrift store shelves. Something I always am on the look out for in my thrifting adventures that make me think of April are etched wine glasses (etched designs like flowers or vines -- not cheesy etched wedding favors) and cordial glasses -- she has an eclectic collection of both. It is fun to shop through her eyes.

As a little "just because" gift, I knit April a potholder using the rest of the "yarn" from this project. I am cleaning my craft room boxes (again), and the rest of the shredded sheet was in the use it or lose it pile. It is always good to treat yourself to a brainless nearly foolproof project after having a craft fail, I have found.

BTW, April's mom keeps her sheets in ribbon tied bundles. Seeing her beautiful linen closet makes you do that type of sigh you unwittingly do when you see something that makes your heart sing.

(They are probably super embarrassed I wrote all this -- love you girls!)

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Favorite of the day: So cute!

Working on: An apron

Fail X 2

There are undeniably two extremes in blogging -- on one end of the spectrum, bloggers who paint a seemingly idyllic portrait of life at home (kids always willing to model clothes mom made for them, mom herself is a stunning bombshell, and nobody in the family ever gets laid off, kicks the bucket, or drops an heirloom earring down the sink). Then there is the OTHER extreme -- bloggers a little too willing to take you on the roller coaster that comprises their daily life. I try to temper the personal stuff and focus on the projects that brought you here in the first place, but real life definitely rears its ugly head here at The Felt Mouse often...

For me, there is no shame in presenting a craft fail. I learned a lot, and still managed to salvage something out of it. I present Exhibit A (or F?)

Let's see -- where should we start? Well, I guess we should start with a positive. This is a Work Basket project - a vest for Hank. It was made from a rad vintage jersey fabric that came as cutting scraps in a bag from the thrift store. I followed this pattern, which was a tutorial for a sweater vest made using a larger sweater for fabric. The pattern is well-written and so sweet, and I thought I could modify it to make a vest from my scraps. I was wrong.

The negatives include being waaay to small. If sewn correctly, this might fit a 12 month old, but not my little boy lovingly called Hank the Tank by his teacher at school. I traced a large vest, but something was lost somewhere -- a few inches in every direction, I'm guessing. Something just ain't right with the armhole on the right. My attempt at creating a waistband out of ribbed jersey was futile. Annnd somebody didn't realize that the print of this fabric is slightly diagonal. In case anybody is wondering, the neck opening was not finished intentionally, as I finally realized this was a fail with a capital F, and saved myself any additional work.

I thought and thought about how I could still use this cute turtle fabric now reduced to scrap bin sized scraps. If it was a cotton print, there would have been a few options to use small scraps, but jersey is kinda limited. So I looked at some of Hank's knit shirts. One had a poncho type pocket on the front -- that could be done with a scrap. One had a hood -- there was, perhaps, just enough to give that a go?

With the promise of a ride in the coin-operated space shuttle at the mall, I grabbed the little one to go shopping here. We bought this shirt in a boy's size 4. Why? We have a lot of 3T and 4T clothes right now, so I thought I would be clever and make something a little bigger. We were supposed to buy these shorts because they have that whole "match, but not really" thing going on, but we did not. Why? We're on a stinking budget.

We get home and I start cutting. Did I learn from exhibit A/F above that I should measure first? No. I just traced that hood from the shirt I found and hoped for the best. Now here's the part that let's you know how brutally honest I am with you guys. I could let you think it worked out just fine like that, but no: the hood was too short to go all the way around the collar. So, being determined and a little bit crazy, I packed the kid up again with another bribe to go on the space shuttle ride at the mall (totally true fact -- we have never had a meltdown at our mall, as bribes of snacks and rides on coin-operated toys and even a little ride on train keep him happily going up one side of the mall and down the other). I bought a shirt three sizes smaller than the first, which was also smaller than Hank normally wears. I got home and hastily sewed up the damn thing. The stitch I used and my execution isn't going to win me any awards at the county fair. And *of course* it is too small, but I kinda knew that would be case. After taking a pic on the floor instead of on the kid, it was thrown into the storage bin to be given to some unsuspecting nephew at a later date.

There you have it, folks. Not just one but two craft fails in one day. I am pretty tuckered out now, so I am taking my sorry butt to veg out on the couch. Tomorrow is another day, and I have some big plans to get reacquainted with things like the measuring tape, stretch stitch, etc.

* For the record, it is a chore I am usually unwilling to take on to get a decent shot of Hank wearing something I made (which assumes I actually made something). I am overweight and have never known what to do with my hair. My husband and I both worry about being laid off, and feel fortunate we have still have our jobs. My co-workers and I have nicknamed 2011 The Year of Death based on how many friends and family members we have collectively lost. The earring just missed the sink, thankfully, but that's where he was aiming. And "heirloom" is probably too strong of word -- more like sentimental.

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Favorite of the day: I *think* this will look good in Hank's room

Working on: It's go time. UFOs on the craft table -- watch out!

New obsession

I'm at a B- level in terms of trying to lose weight and get healthier. I have started exercising more, but still have many food failures on a weekly basis (who keeps bringing the donuts to work??)

Needing some alternative to the unhealthy snack options that litter our office, I was on the look out for a good crunchy snack. Cheese, fruit, and carrot sticks are all fine and good, but sometimes you crave something a little more carby. I admittedly first bought these snacks because of the cuter that cute packaging, but can confirm they are really good. The best part is that they have sunflower seeds as the first ingredient, so are actually quite filling. I wish they might have considered rice flour to wheat in their composition, but must not have achieved the flavor they were looking for. I don't think I could ever be gluten free unless medically required, but I have found recently that cutting out baked goods, at least (those with a leavening agent like baking soda) makes a huuge difference for me -- we're talking 8 pounds a week weight loss IF I can avoid the goodie table at work {ahem}.

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Favorite of the day: Still looking

Working on: I pick things up, and then move on

This works

Bugs are not uncommon at our house. Nothing gross, mind you, but en masse they can be annoying (ants!)

We have had fruit flies before -- maybe 2 or 3 hovering over a piece of fruit that was past its prime. Throw the fruit away -- flies were gone. Recently, the house was taken over by those little buggers. They were flying in every room, and would set up weird places to rest, like on our guitar. Every day there were more and more of them despite having all the obvious sources of food hidden.

We first discovered their breeding ground (a back door trash can that had not been emptied), and then looked for a solution for the literally hundreds of flies that were inside the house. I recalled seeing something about setting up a trap for them using a glass with apple cider vinegar in the bottom and a paper funnel with a small opening. BT was doubtful, but I set it up, and within minutes we had captured our first victims. Within a couple hours, we had probably caught over 100 flies. Soooo gross! Hope this never occurs again, but if it does, apple cider vinegar has been bought in bulk.

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Favorite of the day: Various Bastille day shots, like this

Working on: Perhaps a vest, perhaps not

Self-proclaimed master dollar store gift giver

We go to at least two birthday parties a month now it seems (*fortunately* Hank's cousins live out of state, or that number would undoubtedly be much higher).

Although a gift category has (thankfully) been added to our budget, it is not much. So, we have to be creative about the gifts we give. I have a few bins full of bits and pieces "curated" over the years -- items bought on clearance, leftovers from swaps, etc. I check these bins out first to get a starting point and see if any themes jump out at me.

The latest party was for a 4-year-old girl you would swear is Tinkerbell in the flesh - she is so cute and spirited! In the stash, I found the natural watercolor set (clearance purchase from Michaels), a Disney reusable bag (swag from a friend), and bubbles topped with a flower (part of the set purchased for another gift). To these items I added a paper pad, a "yarn by number" set, a set of beads in a flower shaped container, an unfinished birdhouse, and foam stickers to decorate the birdhouse. The pad was purchased at Kmart for $2, and the other items were from the dollar store for a grand total of $6 (in current dollars -- BT is first to remind me that money was spent on my gift bin items at some point). Together the items seemed like an arts and craft kit for a woodland sprite :)

Perhaps the key is starting with some "real" items and then filling in with dollar store items. In any case, I don't feel like the cheap ass I indeed am when I give these gifts.

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Favorite of the day: Planning lots of road trip stops near frequently visited places (via Ohdeedoh)

Working on: Nada mucho

Summertime

Trying to maximize our summer fun.

After 2.5 years, we finally felt comfortable enough to take Hank camping. S'more fun indeed ;)

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Favorite of the day: Just browsing

Working on: More summer fun

Another wedding!

We were asked to help out with another wedding last month. The groom is brother to this guy. In similar fashion, we hosted a luncheon for the couple between the ceremony and the reception. The theme -- tiki! I can only imagine why we were asked to participate :)

(A virgin pina colada type drink was served. It was made with vanilla ice cream, and was super yum!)

The luncheon was held inside the church building in a classroom type setting. We had to be creative working in a drab little space. BT drew tikis on the chalkboards, for example, and on this wall

a full size bulletin board was handily removed to allow for a handmade sign to be strung between two swaying palm trees

The food theme was "tiki taco bar." We had a blast putting the food bar together. After finding a piece of mellow tiki fabric in my stash (shown here under the homemade taco salad shells that the bride's aunt made),

we decided to stick with a color palette of orange, green, and yellow. We were able to find many of the serving bowl in my stash and at the dollar store. Wooden serving spoons were purchased at Party City. I convinced BT's aunt to buy the brown vinyl tablecloths shown below from Walmart instead of plain colored ones. They are the Better Homes & Garden brand, which I typically would associate with country decor. In this case, they had a tapa cloth vibe that looked perfect under the chip and dip hats fashioned from dollar store straw hats

(The tip to making the salsa bowl stay in place? Soak the hats in water for half and hour and then let dry with the bowl placed as shown)

For the couple's reception, we were asked to revamp the photo wall and make favors. For the photo wall, the couple wanted to the same paper as we used previously (we had *just* enough - pshew!), and decided to use pictures of them growing up versus the wedding photos. It came out really cute! We used paper props mounted on sticks.

For favors, the bride wanted candy wrapped in little calico fabric squares. I made 200 of these little fabric wrapped bundles!

The bags were tied off with a hand written tag that had a butterfly punch on it. I also made a fabric wrapped word, "Love," to adorn the basket that the favors were presented in.

Finally, some leftover bubbles from this wedding were re-purposed for Sara and Tim.

They left the reception awash in bubbles. So romantic!

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Favorite of the day: Wouldn't a knot tying kit be the perfect gift for a 8ish-year-old boy?

Working on: Prep for a busy weekend

Now showing at a blog near you

Sure to be making the blog rounds this summer -- umbrella shaped popsicle molds from Dollar Tree

Too cute!

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Favorite of the day: The sneaky spot we found to watch fireworks

Working on: Frosting the rest of the red, white and blue cupcakes I made for the work crew