Week 31 Project

One of the many baby gifts I didn't quite finish during this past holiday season for a "baby boom" among my friends, includes this Giraffe. He's complete and has been delivered, so now I can share! I made this little guy for my friend Annemarie's second child, Morgan. The "monogrammed" M looked a little bigger than I expected after I stuffed him, but I like him anyway!

Morgan's Giraffe, Done!

Week 30 Project

Cy got me again.
Well, Cy and Valley Thrift.
Why do I go there with him?!?

We picked up this corduroy,flannel,button up shirt thing the last time we were there. I forgot to take a before picture, but the bottom had curves to it like a traditional tuck-it-in-men's-button-up. Cy wanted to use it more as a jacket. The hem job I didn't isn't the prettiest, but from the outside it looks pretty good.

I worked on the jacket while Cy sat at my dining room table painting. I sent him home later in the day to finish a couple of stitches himself. Later in the week I got a text from him in the middle of that day that read "I have gotten numerous compliments on my jacket today...Thanks for the help with it." He really is a kin- hearted, sweet kid!

 

Jacket Conversion, Done!

Week 29 Project

**** I'm sure you are shocked to learn that I did not quite meet my 2012 new year's resolution. I know, I too was surprised when Christmas 2012 rolled around and I had only posted 28 projects. Soooo, I'm gonna take 2013 and wrap this 52 week project. I will say the end of 2012 was kinda hectic. In transitioning to my new job, I also accepted three other jobs, quit two of them and then worked two jobs for about three months. I was kinda busy. ...Back to the blog posts*****

I had four friends give birth in the span of five weeks during the holidays. I finally wrapped up some of the gifts I had created and got around to going to visit some of the mommas and babies. So I can finally post about this project that I started at my friend Mindy's house... like 5months ago?!

 I got the pattern from Suzanne over at http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/  It's called Maggie the Taggie Owl. I had heard about taggie blankets and seen them in stores and I thought Suzanne's pattern was too cute. Apparently babies love all the different textures and tend to rub the silky tag of regular blankets and some smart mom somewhere decided to make a taggie blanket to sooth her child.

And now I present  my taggie owl. I made one for Tommy and one for Max. I hope they love them!

He has a few different types of ribbon for feathers and his back is made of super soft brown minky.

Taggie owls made and delivered to babies before they can walk, Done!

Week 28 Project

Dining room wall before:

Dining room wall after:

Its really hard to take a pic of a gallery wall without glare...

 

Looks like you get a glimpse of the Christmas decor too!

I've been looking at "gallery walls" for months and months.

My wall needed more.

 

I had the basic idea before but it just wasn't substantial enough for the size of the wall. I also have been in the mood to simplify. I know, kind of opposing ideas, but hear me out.
I have picture frames of friends and family all over the house. I have a hard time once I decided a picture is frame worthy, to ever switch out the picture. And so the frames just kept adding up and spreading throughout the house. There was a picture frame on every surface in the house. It was like a scavenger hunt. Your eye never had anywhere to rest. Soooo, I wrangled them all up and filled out that wall. I used some art too, just to make it more eclectic. (Which is one of my favorite things and words. My high school portfolio was even titled The Eclectic Ladybug) I think it fills the wall nicely. I also like that it "simplifies" the rest of the house; no longer is the rest of the house hoarding picture frames. Now just this one wall gets to hoard!

Gallery Wall Done.

Week 27 Project

I took Cy up to Columbus is visit Robert at OSU this weekend.

I'm actually standing two stairs higher than they are in this pic. How unfair!

I sent Mary a text to let her know we were coming up and see if they could find some time for the Overbeck kids. We booked some Ionno time on Sunday and in her reply message she requested a necklace board like the one I have in my room for Ri!

Before we left to go buy supplies, I noticed that Ri had changed into her shirt  that I made earlier this year! I don't know if she wears it often, but I love that she was rockin' it on Sunday!

This was a super easy project since I had done it before.
Ri picked out the spray paint; pink, of course!
We did make one modification, due to Maria's father. My board used push pins. It works for me, but I'm not in grade school with a five year old brother. The idea of them falling out and being on the floor where the family often walks barefoot, didn't sit well with Jon. I thought about it and while I won't say he was right (if you know Jon, you'd know why), but I will say he wasn't wrong... We used 3M Command hooks. They were a great option now that the come with clear adhesive. We even used them to hang the board and the "GirlsRock" sign. No nail holes! I've used Command products to hang a lot of items in my house, especially now that I have ancient plaster walls. And no, 3M isn't paying for this post, although that would be awesome... 

Maria handed me her necklaces and directed where they should be hung one by one.

So easy, so fun.

Love spending time with the Ionnos!!!

Ri's necklace board, Done!

A Day with the brothers and the Ionnos!

Week 26 Project

Yet another trip to Valley Thrift with Cy lead to the following conversation:

"Laura, I need some shorts"
"What kind of shorts?"
"Khaki, like dressy, but not like uniform shorts"
"Um, yeah, most of those that would fit you, will look like cargo shorts"
"Yeah or they'll be way too short on me"
"Suck. You know we could always buy a pair of pants that fit your waist and then adjust the length"
"Yeah, cool"

Wait, did I say "We"?!?,  what was I thinking?

So "We" bought some pants. I don't have a before shot of Cy wearing them. I soooo wish I did. They would have hit him maybe four inches above his ankle with a super awesome taper. Dang.

(Side Note: Cy is 6'4" and really skinny, I think he has like a 34" waist)

I cut them off.

I hemmed them up, and promptly delivered them two month later...in September...

Pants turned shorts, Done.

Week 25 Project

A simple "inherited" chair
Fabric already in the stash
Left over spray paint (and a trip to the store for an extra can)

Before and After!

Bedroom Chair Makeover, Done!