Wordless Wednesday - A Bridge I May Want to Jump Off February 27, 2008
Wordless Wednesday hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.
photographer: Benjamin Shepardson
Reversible Girls Pinafore Dress Tutorial February 26, 2008
This is a 3 part tutorial. You will need to click on the link on the bottom of the page to get to Part 2.
Side 1 Front 
Side 1 Back
Side 2 Front 
Side 2 Back
I've noticed lots of hits to my blog from people googling 'reversible pinafore tutorial' and such. I'm sure they were disappointed when all they found was the pics I posted of the dress I made here. I made another dress a couple of days ago and put together a semi-tutorial to go along with it. I say semi because you will still need to make your own pattern. This tutorial should help though because, for me, figuring out how to put it together was the hardest part. I hope someone can use this cause putting together this tut is a lot of work!
First, you will need to make your pattern. I can tell you that this pinafore fits Shay who is 2 1/2 and thin, as a dress. It fits Ayla who is just about 4 and also thin best with pants underneath because the back would be a bit too short. You will probably need to play with it a little like I did. You can see all the extra pieces of muslin I kept pinning on to make it bigger and get the right size. To give you an idea of the dimensions I used for the front piece: diagnol from top left corner of shoulder to bottom right corner of dress is 25"; shoulder strap 3 1/8" wide; distance between shoulder straps 5 1/2"; distance between bottom corners of dress is 22 1/4"
Pattern front. You will want to draw a line down the center of this piece, fold it, and make sure it is completely symmetrical. Trim where necessary, or pin on extra muslin to make larger if necessary.
Pattern side. You only need one of this piece. Make sure it fits perfectly from both shoulders and simply reverse it when cutting the fabric you're using for the dress.
Completed pattern showing how the side pattern piece will fit both ways if your front piece is completely symmetrical.
Click here for the rest!
Best Funny and Memorable Commercials February 25, 2008
As a woman with a degree in advertising, and as a woman who as never used that degree and just loves those pointless student loan bills every month, I appreciate a good commercial. There are so few. Here are two of my favorites.
This Staples commercial is from I-don't-know-how-many-years-ago. I appreciate it because I not only remember how funny it is, but after all these years, I remember the company it's representing. Best commercial ever…Tide just nails it this spot. 'Silence the Stain' will be an award-winner. Best commercial on now… ">
Feng Shui, Two-Year-Old Style February 23, 2008
After just one day of oral antibiotics and eye-drop antibiotics for killer pink eye and a gosh-awful-cold that's had my girls down for the count for a week, Shay must be feeling better. While we were cleaning up from dinner last night, Shay did some redecorating - in our bedroom. She took about half the toys from the girls' playroom, and drug them into our room. She even got their big Crayola banks out of Eric's closet.
Ayla: Oh, Shay, you did a great job here.
Me: Shay, why'd you do this?
Shay: Uh…don't know.
Me: Is this cute or what?
Shay: Yes.
Me: Are you going to clean this up?
Shay: No.
Click to Give - The Animal Rescue Site February 22, 2008
I love my shelter dog. We got Mosey at the Camden County Animal Shelter last June. She's the best dog ever. Yeah, I know, you all think you have the best dog ever. But, you're wrong. I do. Really. I do.
OK, now that I got the last word, please check out The Animal Rescue Site. When you click on the purple box that says "Click to Give," the value of .6 of a bowl of pet food is given to rescued animals. The total clicks by people like us are used to determine costs for the sponsors, or advertisers.
Best of all: "100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners."
I've signed up for a daily email reminder to my inbox. So simple. And, you can click as many times as you like each day.
If rescued animals don't exactly pull at your heart strings, check the tabs at the top of the pages. You can also 'Click to Give' for these causes: Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy and Rain Forest.
I encourage other bloggers to inform their readers about this too!
Look What I Made! A Cute Little Wrap Pinafore February 20, 2008
My girls have been very sick since Friday, and I don't think I've left the house except to go to the Post Office. Since I always need something to do (in order to procrastinate doing housework), I decided to try to make a dress for Ayla from scratch. It took me a couple of hours one night to make my own pattern. The next day, I sewed the dress, made with fabulous Michael Miller prints and it's fully reversible. I love reversible stuff. Two in one, what's better?
I must say, figuring out how to sew it together as reversible with almost no seams showing, and since it's a wrap dress, was like an engineering feat. But now that I know how to do it, I could make another very quickly. I'll just make the bottom wider next time. All in all, though, I'm lovin this. Now, if I could just get my Gram to stop buying the girls crappy clothes from Boscov's and to buy some cool fabrics instead!
side one front 
side one back
side two front 
side two back
I would've like to take the pictures with Ayla wearing it, but she's got conjunctivities, and you don't want to see it. I'm thinking it'd be so cute over jeans with a t-shirt underneath.
Eleven Years and Counting February 16, 2008
Eric and I met and started dating 11 years ago today: February 16, 1997. That may not seem like too long to some people, but we're only 29, so it's really a long time to us. Uh, I should say, in a good way of course! We met at a Delta Chi frat party at Rowan University. Eric's friend wanted to meet me and he sent Eric over to ask if I was single. I admit it, I hit on Eric when he came over. Now we've been married 5 1/2 years and have 2 little girls, a house, 2 cars, a smelly dog and a pain-in-the-butt cat. Life is great. 
Elexis and Eric 1997
Eric and Elexis 1998
Matchbox Twenty Concert at Madison Square Garden February 15, 2008
Last night was the Matchbox Twenty concert at MSG and it was GREAT!
Alanis Morissette opened up and Eric thought she was awesome. Her voice sounded really good, but they changed up the music to some of the songs, and I didn't like that. Jagged Little Pill is one of the best albums ever. The songs are perfect they way they were originally and I didn't want to hear them so different. But, she still rocks, and those songs bring back so many great memories.
That was the fourth time I've seen Matchbox Twenty and I can't wait to see them again. It was Rob Thomas' b-day and 15,000 people sang "Happy Birthday To You", minus Eric and I (sorry, Rob, I love ya but I don't think our relationship is at the level where we sing Happy B-day to eachother). About 80 bazillion pieces of confetti shot out over the audience in the floor seats to celebrate Rob's b-day, and I was really wishing I was sitting down there for that. It looked awesome.
Our seats were all the way near the top and completely on the side of the stage. I think people at the top must be bummed about their bad seats because almost no one up there was standing. They opened with "How Far We've Come," ended with "Push" and played ALL my favorites between those, and I hardly sat down at all. To all the people in Section 407 at MSG last night who were sitting behind me while I danced the whole time: Sorry! Too bad! And get your asses up next time!
Wordless Wednesday - The Makings of a Good Mom February 13, 2008
Wordless Wednesday hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.
I woke Shay up yesterday morning finally at 10:50 AM! Found her like this for the second time this week and had to take a picture. She was sleeping with all four of her babies lined up on her pillow and she was using a cheap little square bean bag pillow.
Who doesn’t love miniature stuff?! February 11, 2008
I FREAKIN LOVE mini stuff! Mini ketchup bottles are probably the third cutest things I've ever seen, after kittens and baby penguins. No, sorry, I don't think most newborns are particularly adorable. They look like aliens.
Cute.
Cute.
Cute.
Not so much.
Well… Look what I found on Etsy: The coolest mini stuff, maybe ever!
I do not know what I would do with these, except LOVE them, but they are just so freakin cute.
Yes! That is a little Axl Rose, approximately 3 inches tall!
A mini, 3" high, Mr. T. I can just see me saying in a mini, squeaky voice with my mini Mr. T in Eric's face, 'I pity the fool!'
