Party Dress

Baby Lotte's 1st Birthday was on Monday. Today I wanted to share with you the dress I made. I may have went slightly over board and thought it might be best to break the party up into a couple posts.

I took a long sleeved onsie from Wal-Mart.  Cost $2.

 With a freezer paper stencil I painted on the crown.

Every little princess needs a necklace so, I strung together a little necklace and sewed it onto the onsie.

Then I took the big pearls and sewed one to each of the points on the crown.

I promise they were sewn on very well.   Those little babies are NOT coming off! Even so this is not a dress to take a nap in!

I ruffled some tulle and sewed it on for her skirt.

I used a dark pink, light pink, and white for an aumbre affect.  I left a small space between each layer so you could see them better.

Add a bow and your party dress is done.

Total cost came to $5.00.  I used the rest of the tulle to decorate.  When I get the pictures back I will post about the rest of the party,cake, oh and her party hat.  It turned out so cute!

On a side note. I am looking for some bloggers to help me out.  I need some guest post for November 5-15.  I would love for it to be something crafty or a great recipe that you would like to share.  If you are interested please e-mail me.

I would also love to do some button swaps.  I will post your button on my side bar under "Blogs That Make Me Smile"  I will also do a highlight post about your blog sometime during the month that I have your button.  All I ask is that you put my button in your sidebar in return.  The size of your blog doesn't matter to me big or small.  The only requirements are that we have similar content crafty/family type blogs.  Also that your blog is family friendly.

If you are interested in either please e-mail me at sevenalive7 (at) gmail (dot) com.

One more thing.  I know this is getting long thanks for hangin' in there.

Now that I am done with the Retro Pillow voting is going to begin soon.  Like tomorrow.  Any one can vote once a day for one pillow.  I am not above begging votes from y'all.  You will be hearing this a lot this month.  Please head here and vote for your favorite pillow. 
vote for your favorite retro pillow
Here are all the pillows.
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Linking up here.

My Memories Suite Reveiw and Giveaway

This Giveaway is now CLOSED.  THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

 I am really excited to tell you all about this weeks giveaway.  My Memories is digital scrapbooking software.  They are offering one of you their scrapbook software package for free!  I was able to create these pages by using the scrapbook software.

They are fun and colorful. They need more journaling but I like the layout.  You can customize it as much as you want.  You can start with a page layout of theirs or a blank page.  Even if you start out with a page layout from My Memories you can delete and change it.  Every page of your digital scrapbook can be what you want it to be. Of course they can print out your scrapbook for you so you can have a hard copy too.


I also made these giveaway buttons.  You could make them smaller to go in your sidebar. 

You could make a header, your blog button, and so many other things.  You really are only limited by your creativity.
You can also make photo books, cards, and videos. This software can do so much!

Once you get the hang of it it's quite simple.  If you are slow in the tech department, like me, they have great guides to follow and help you out.

So, how do you win it?

Mandatory:
-You must be a GFC follower of Seven Alive to win.

-Head over to My Memories to see what paper packs you like.  Come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one is your favorite.

Extra entries:
-Follow My memories blog.  Leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

-Like My memories on Face Book.  Leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

That is 3 entries!

Because this is a down-loadable item the giveaway is open to anyone anywhere. Yay.
That's it easy peasy lemon squeezy.

This giveaway will be open until October 5th 2011 at 10:00 p.m. (CST).

Good Luck to you all.

*I was given a copy of the scrapbook software to try and and review.  I was not given any monetary compensation.  All opinions are 100% my own.*

Thanks for hangin' out.

Who won the scarf?

I am totally overwhelmed by how many of you entered the giveaway for my scarf!  Thank you Thank you.

So who won this time?  Well lets see there were 66 comments.  1 was just a comment and not an entry.  2 were repeat entry's.  So we ended up with 63 total entries.

The winner was chosen by Random.org.

# 28 Jeni Who said
I left a comment when I first saw this post because I love the scarf but then when I was looking at the comments today i didn't see mine. So, I'm trying again. I would choose the big one because i would want it for myself.. :) jeni

Good thing your first comment didn't take. :) Yay I am so excited!!  I will be e-mailing you.

Don't worry.  The response was so great that we will have another scarf giveaway soon.

Thanks for hanin' out.

*Retro Pillow Challenge* Thank Heaven It's Done!

Oh my, it has been a crazy few days!  Do you ever plan a bunch of things in the future and then the future gets here and you realize all your plans were for the same time?!  Last week I realized that this is what I had done.  So if you have e-mailed me or are waiting for a follow back, from the blog hop,  I am slowly digging my way out of my in-box.

 I finally finished my retro pillow. I blogged about it here if you would like to see all the requirements. Nothing like finishing at the last minute!  Better almost late than never I suppose.

I have really enjoyed this challenge.  Mostly because it was a challenge.  I have never tried reverse applique nor have I ever done any machine quilting.  I had never even made a simple envelope opening for a pillow.  I did all of these on this one pillow.

I am not sure if I love reverse applique.  If can get my satin stitch down so I don't have to leave the edges raw I think I would love it.  For now they were left raw.

 The machine quilting adds to the funky vibe of the "retro" pillow.  I quilted in the brown and the red funky circles.

 The back is a simple envelope style close with vine stitching.

I like the way the final pillow turned out. It matches my brown leather couches great.  It is HUGE!  The requirements were for a 20x20 inch pillow.  I wanted this to recover my old couch pillows. I can stuff two of my old pillows in this one.

I have about 6 half finished pillows that didn't turn out.  I will be able to fix them I think.  They just didn't seem right for the challenge.  So some time in the future we may have a pillow week so I can show you all the pillows that didn't make the cut.

Thank you Rikka and Karen for inviting me into your challenge I had a lot of fun!

Voting for the Retro Pillow is now open.  If you like my Pillow I would love it if you took a minute to vote for it. 



Thanks for hangin' out.




I am linking up here.

Fun with Bulbs.

This post brought to you by Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am excited to tell you all about a fun site dig drop done.  It is a educational site all about using bulbs for your planting.  When you visit the site you will pick which woman you relate to the most.  There is Marcy, the super mom, Juliana, the fashionista, and Evelyn, the empty nester. 

Of course, I related quickly to Marcy.  As a busy mother of 3 she doesn't have a lot of time for gardening but would still like her yard and house to look nice.  Sounds familiar right.   Did you know that you can plant bulbs indoors?  I am planning an activity where all the kiddos can plant some bulbs.  So we can have some beautiful flowers blooming first thing in the spring.   I love all the inspirational photos at dig drop done and the surprisingly simple beauty of flower bulbs . Did you know that you can plant bulbs in dishes and pails,  with them all blooming beautifully?

Image from dig drop done.

Dig Drop Done is also giving you the chance to have a yard make over.   All you need to do to enter is submit a photo of your yard at Curbside Chaos. The lucky winner will not only receive a $5,000 yard makeover, but they will also receive a visit from Taniya Nayak (@TaniyaNayak on Twitter) – Taniya will go through and give you tips on the best way to update your yard! She will give you creative ideas for incorporating flower bulbs into your landscape.

They are also raising money for Rebuilding Together. For every share on Twitter, "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done." will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together - the nation’s leading nonprofit, working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.

Also on Curbside Chaos there is a really great tool the, Garden Guru.  This is a really great way to teach you what you can grow and at what time of year. All you have to do is choose the country you are planting in. Then pick where you are in that country. Last you choose the type of bulbs you want to plant. Don't worry they have pictures of the flowers they turn into so you know what you are choosing.  Then it pops up with your planting guide, easy peasy.  It tells you when to plant, also the best place and soil for the bulb you chose. 

This is what my Garden Guru looked like.

The information is great.  I didn't know that you could chill your bulbs if you live in an area that has mild winters.  I am really excited to plant some bulbs inside and out.  They are truly easy enough for the kiddos to get involved. How great is that. A fun and beautiful acclivity that the kiddos can care for long term visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more

Up-cycled Lamp with Yarn

I get so excited when family gives me something that they think I can up-cycle.  It saves me from having to go thrifting, and pushes me to redo things I wouldn't think of like here.

This one was given to me when my sister in law was moving.

Obviously, it is a Winny the Pooh lamp that the shade has broken off.  Easy to fix, just glue the shade back on the  interwire thingy. (yes, we are using technical terms today)
While Winny the Pooh is fine. I don't love it for decor.  And to be honest my husband is not a fan.  So I changed it.
First I painted the base white and put a tiered burlap ruffle around the shade.  No photo because, it was a huge flop!  Oh, my was it bad.  So, it sat on my desk being sad and depressing me. Until enough was enough and I fixed it.

This time I started with the shade.  And surprise, surprise I used yarn.  This is the last yarn related post for a little while I promise.  These photos are not the greatest, it was overcast the day I was working on it. We are working with what we have people. I wrapped the yarn around and around using my hot glue gun to keep it in place.  I LOVE my hot glue gun!

Then I braided some yarn and wrapped it over the top and bottom row of yarn.  Please excuse the roll of toilet paper in the background.  I have been sick and we ran out of tissues.

Cut it off and glue it on.   Trying to make it as neat as possible.  Who am I kidding? We are working with yarn and hot glue it is not going to look perfect.

 So we are going to need a finishing touch.  Enter these cute buttons from Pick Your Plum.  They are made from coconut shell.  The front is the lighter and the back darker.  I used the back for this. 

I had a hard time deciding between 4 or 5 buttons.  I used straight pins to hold them in place while I decided.(click on the photo to enlarge)



In the end I went with 4.  Five just seemed like to much.  Hot glue those babies in place and the shade is done.

Now the base, if you are keeping track I said that I painted it white at the beginning of the post.  Obviously it is not white.  White didn't go with the yarn. I spray painted it with a metallic sliver paint.  You know the ones that are supposed to make things look like brushed nickle.  For some reason it didn't go on very well.  When I started sanding off the paint to repaint I really liked the way it looked.  So I kept it.  It was one of those happy crafting accidents.  It still even as some of the shine in places.

Now to put it all together.

 It almost looks like a sweater.  I LOVE it.  This lamp didn't give off a ton of light to begin with.  It gives off about same amount now.

Thanks for hanin' out.



I will be linking up to most of the party's on my party page.  I hope you will check them out they are all so wonderful!

I am also linking up here.

What a Mess! *Photo Challange*

Ok, so this weeks photo challenge unfortunately came very easy for me.  Multiple times a day I can be heard saying "what a mess".  Usually while I am cleaning up one mess, another one happens.  Ahh, the joys of motherhood!!  Good thing they make up for their mess making in other ways.

I grabbed my camera for this mess.

  This is what happens when little Lotte gets behind mommy's crafting and computer desks. 

 How much mess can one baby make?

At least she is cute. (click on the photo to make it bigger and easier to read)

Of course I am linking up to the great photography challenge at A Step in the Journey.

Thanks for hangin' out.

Chunky Winter Scarves, And......?

Giveaway now closed.

Today I am showing more of my yarn love.

 I am in LOVE with scarves lately.   These were very fun to make and didn't take to long.

I love how chunky they are.  The white one is adult size and the purple pink one is child size. They are both made with Hometown USA yarn from Lion Brand.  They are so warm and cozy!!  The crochet hook used to make them is ridiculously huge!!

 I'm not sure you can tell the scale from this photo.  Take my word for it they are huge.  The adult scarf was made with the blue hook a Q size.  The child's scarf, was made with the the gray hook a size P.  It was kind of hard finding these in the store.  They were kind of tucked away.  I don't think they sale many of them.


The adult scarf turned out so long and I only made it half as big as the pattern said.

This is doubled over.  Don't get me wrong is not TO long.  I wouldn't want to make it the length the directions said though.
 
Do ya' all get tired of me being the model?

Look, I even straitened my hair for you today.  Don't worry I am over it and now it's up in a ponytail again.

I do feel like I need some type of a change though.  I don't know what.

I could cut my hair.  But it is so nice to put it up in a ponytail during the day.

I could change my make up.  I don't want the hassle of that!

I could change up the blog.  A new color or button?  No, again with the hassle, and I am happy with the way it looks now.

What to do?  I  know,  a giveaway!  What kind of a giveaway?  Well, I don't have a sponsored one this week.  So, you are all stuck with me and my limited abilities.

How about this, I will giveaway one of the scarves I made a new scarf that looks like the ones I made.  I will even let you choose between the adult or child size.  You can also choose between the purplish pink color or the speckled white.

What do you need to do to enter?

Just be a follower, and leave me a comment telling me which one you would choose.

This giveaway is because I love you all and am so grateful that you choose to read and follow me.  Because of that, this giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!
Giveaway will end next Tuesday the 27 at 10:00 P.M.

Giveaway is now closed.  Thank you so much to all who entered!

Thanks for hangin out,