Summertime fun patterns

I am both dreading and looking forward to true summertime weather. I like winter because it means I can wear many layers and be comfortable without melting. I am no tiny waif, and in the summer when I can't wear as much clothes without dying of heat stroke, it can be frustrating. I also miss my boots and it means I have to pay attention to my feet, polish and all that. As a mom to a toddler (well, two kids if you count my husband, and I usually do), I rarely have time for primping. So I've started looking for some fun things to wear this summer that meet all the most important criteria - comfy, versatile and most of all, CHEAP.

Source: voguepatterns.mccall.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: tanitisis.wordpress.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: uberchicforcheap.blogspot.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: themotherhuddle.com via Terri on Pinterest

Source: kojo-designs.com via Devlin on Pinterest

Source: talk2thetrees.blogspot.com via Christina on Pinterest

I don't quite have enough room here to post everything I found and loved for this summer. What are you planning to make this year?

Also, don't forget to stop by and join the weekend blog hop at EpicMom!

Mother's Day

Like always, I was a huge slacker on Mother's Day. Last year I bought my mom this gorgeous flowering tree (not even sure what kind, but it was pretty) because I had no idea what else to do. This year, exactly one day before, I had an idea. I saw this picture that my mind mistook for something else, and my project came into being.

I can't find the picture now - I knew I should have saved it! - but it was a card with a tree drawn on the front, and the leaves were all individually cut teardrops folded in half to make a crease, so they were 3D. In the small view, I thought the leaves were fingerprints and thought, "Wow, that's creative!" When I realized they were paper, I decided that my first thought was even better, so I went with it.

Went to Michael's. Bought a pretty blue 12x12 sheet of paper. A brown felt tip marker. A frame. Some 3D leaves in fun shades of green. And finger paints. I drew the tree on freehand, stuck on the stickers, and then went to every "kid" of my family and had them add prints in different colors so we could tell them apart. I also left enough optional spots for a second child of mine to come in and add prints later, at which point I will have everyone sign it and color code it. But for now, it's still pretty and my mom absolutely loved it. She showed everyone at work, which is pretty much a sure indication that she felt special.





In case you're wondering, Micah's smudgy little prints are the green ones. And he loved the process so much, that I let him go crazy with the finger paint. He needed a shower afterward, that's all I can say.









I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Here's hoping my green thumb holds out

I have learned over the years that I do not have a green thumb. I have killed every plant (and goldfish, but that's another matter) I have come into direct contact with over the years, so despite occasionally yearning for a yard teeming with flowers, I restrained myself. Poor plants. They don't deserve my unintentional wrath.

But a few weeks ago, Micah watched an episode of Peppa Pig on Sprout that struck a chord with him. In the show, Peppa goes to visit her grandfather, and he shows her how to plant strawberry seeds. "Poke a hole, put in a seed, cover it with earth, and water!" Micah actually memorized that line, though I didn't realize it until we ended up at Joann's for some random little things and somehow wandered into the spring aisle. Micah spotted a watering can and freaked the heck out. "I WANT TO HOLD IT, I WANT TO HOLD IT!" So I let him, and he promptly spouted the line from Peppa Pig while pantomiming the steps.

I thought the cuteness was going to kill me. So I promised we would plant some seeds that weekend.

Originally, I wanted to build a tall box garden, one that Micah could reach into easily while standing up, and I could weed without killing my back. Beautiful Pinterest pictures filled my mind.

Source: mnkyimages.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: sunset.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: instructables.com via Aimee on Pinterest

It looked so easy. So beautiful.

And apparently, SO EXPENSIVE. At least when I tried to do it. Sadly, I let go of my little plans and tried to find cheaper alternatives. And when I first walked into the dreaded WalMart, I found those big plastic tubs with lids you use for storing bedding and such. Inspiration struck. And for less than $50, I had my garden.

A few holes cut into the bottom, some rocks for drainage, a bunch of good soil and plant food, and six plants later...and I had this beauty. Well, maybe not beautiful. But functional! And best of all, Micah loved it.


Pre-planting, strawberries on the right, tomatoes on the left, just sitting on top.






All done, and cute.

I also made Micah's watering can out of an old (very well cleaned) laundry detergent bottle. Micah was very excited to water them himself, but he ran out of water about ten times so I finally gave him the hose. It resulted in a very soggy, muddy toddler. But it was a great end to a fun garden afternoon.

Backpack, backpack!

It's been awhile. I have no excuse. But I do have lots to share over the next few days!

This project was one I had been thinking about for awhile, and then one day I just woke up and decided to go for it. Not long ago, I found this little beauty on Pinterest.

Source: indietutes.blogspot.com via Aimee on Pinterest

It was a very cute, very simple backpack for a toddler. Best of all? No zippers! And even better - I already had the materials. On a whim I picked up some very cute, very boyish fabric with a paw print. I just got a yard because I didn't want Joann's to sell out before I could decide what I wanted to do with it. And this project required far less than that. So I dug it out, along with some psuedo-matching ribbon I bought for a pacifier clip last year, and some fusible interfacing, and took off for my mom's. The best place to go to sew, because I have someone to distract my very busy, very nosey toddler while I stitch in peace. It's the small blessings, you know.

And this is what I came up with. Forgive the "stuff" in the photos - I was limited on time to take these and, well, I had made a sewing mess. Not everyone cleans up the second they finish a project, though I am fully envious of other gorgeous blogs with perfectly clean tables to cut/sew/photograph on!







In case you're wondering, yes, Micah is modeling the backpack while washing dishes. One of his favorite activities. Here's hoping he continues to like it even when he's a surly teenager.

The pattern and tutorial were extremely easy to work with and I absolutely loved the end result. Micah sure likes it, too, and the straps are the perfect legs for his long, gangly toddler body. I recommend it and I plan on making more!

Also, go check out The Epic Adventures of a Modern Mom's Blog Hop Til You Drop!

Micah turns two! (And Easter happened.)

Today my Micah turned two. I cannot believe it's been two years with this amount of joy overflowing from my heart. He is the sweetest little guy I have ever had the pleasure of being around and I honestly don't know what I did with my time before he came along. He is the love of my life, no doubt. Sorry, husband!



I made Micah a shirt like I did last year. I wanted to go simple and just use an image for an iron-on, since it was the least important aspect of the party in my mind. So what did I do? Mess it up, of course. I used iron-on material meant for dark fabrics since I wasn't sure what color the shirt I chose later would be, making the wrong assumption that this meant the "empty" space would be clear. Instead, it was white. I have no idea how this could possibly work, unless you used an image with very clean edges you could completely trim off. The font is from dafont.com, downloaded a million years ago so I forget the name. The tiny dinosaur graphic was sent to me in an email a billion years ago so I'm not sure of the original owner - please don't sue me, my kid did not profit from it! And the back image is from Lil Blue Boo.




Of course, this is normal for me. All of the best laid plans, and only half turn out like they should. Thankfully for Micah's birthday, all of the important ones turned out.

I used my cute little cupcake mold...and it epic failed. At least for me. I mixed plain yellow cake mix and plain cream cheese and pressed balls of it into the mold. The candy melts were easy to melt and use, but took A BILLION YEARS to dry. I am clearing missing a trick somewhere. And once I added the melts, the cupcake shape disappeared. They became blobs. And I ran out of time since I did them the morning of the party, and got irritated with how shapeless they went, so I didn't do the 20 I planned for. Everyone that tried one said they were delicious, but Micah took one bite and gave it back in favor of a cheap Walmart cupcake with pink icing. Thanks, baby.



The fruit kabobs, however, turned out perfect and were seriously delicious.



I didn't bother taking photos of the playmat I worked so hard on...for one, I didn't get the last few details finished in time (I wanted to put photos under the houses of who lived there), but it also just lacked the awesomeness in reality that it had in my mind. Oh, well. Micah liked it anyway, and his Uncle Emmet bought him a bunch of cool Hot Wheels to drive around on it.



He also hated the crown I made him and refused to wear it. Sigh.



Despite all of the issues, we had a really wonderful day and Micah played with all of his favorite people for four hours until he crashed at bedtime, full of cake, fruit and happiness. It was a great time for all of us. Husband and I finished the day with a couple rounds of Magic: The Gathering with Emmet. Perfect end to a (mostly) perfect day.





On Easter Sunday we were extremely lazy and just lay around the whole day until around four. Micah parked his butt on the couch with me until then, content to watch cartoons in his jammies. Then we got him dressed and hid some eggs. And he loved it.













Then Monday was his actual birthday, so I scheduled the day off and my mom and dad came to take him to the zoo with me. He absolutely loved it.





We finished the day with a Skype chat with my in-laws in Ecuador. Micah squealed and talked and stuck stickers to grandpa's face on my laptop.



And now that the weekend is over...I am exhausted! It was so busy...but wonderfully satisfying.

It's coming!

Micah's birthday is in about a week. Cue panic as I realize my house is a mess, I haven't finished his birthday gift, and I have a ton of food to make. I've only known this was coming for a year, you know. Not nearly enough time!

Thankfully, his birthday playmat is nearly finished (I'll be creating a post about that hopefully in a day or two) and most of the food I'm planning is super easy. Fruit kabobs and steak/veggie kabobs, and the best part - cake pops in the shape of cupcakes. Micah has been playing with the mold for a week, very excited about his cupcake, so I'm hoping he likes the finished product, too. This is the mold. For the price I just couldn't pass it up! I'm hoping to do red velvet, but since I won't have the funds to do a test run, fingers crossed that they work out like they should.



Today, I took Micah out in a spiffy little suit for his birthday announcement photos. I opted not to do a birthday invite card this year since it will only be family coming to the party, and instead decided to just go take some really fun pictures of him all dressed up. We didn't stay long - it was super hot, the location was in full sunlight so he was squinting a bit, and we had to wake him up from his carseat to get him out. He was still in a really good mood, though, and I got some really hilarious shots.


Kissy face!


Such a sweet little smile.


Acting innocent...we all know better.


I'm two!


My absolute favorite.

E-book winner!

As surprised as I am by the lack of entries, we have a winner! Diana, please check your email shortly!