Vintage fabric cowl

Back in October, I shared about my cardigan addiction.  I'm afraid I have another potential addiction to report.  Cowls.  Or Infinity scarves.  Whatever you want to call them.  I did a quick count and I have at least 8 cowl patterns pinned to my sewing pinterest board. And 25 cowl knitting patterns I have saved in my ravelry favorites.  I've knit 3 (two this year that I'll post pics and notes about soon) and sewed up this one on Saturday.

In a previous life time, I worked in the children's room in a big downtown library.  One Saturday during my lunch break I wandered into a fun vintage store that was getting ready to move and everything that was left was a disaster and on super sale.  I walked out with a big bag of vintage fabric for $5.  This fabric was from a 1970s drapery panel.  With the big gray flowers and purple leaves, I imagine it was in an older girl or teen bedroom.  I don't know, though, it was the 70s, maybe it was in someone's dining room.  I had to cut off the gathered part at the top for the drapery hooks and the lining.  I also had to cut off some damaged pieces.

the before

the after

Anyway, I wouldn't hang these drapes in my house, but I'm happy to wear giant flowers around my neck!

I read through a couple of tutorials from the aforementioned pinterest sewing board but most closely followed this one at H is for Handmade.  Basically you make a big rectangle and then sew the ends together.  

I made it just long enough to go around my neck twice and wore it with a beige top and dark purple (eggplant?) jeans on a very belated Valentine's Day date with my husband.  

Linking up to: A Glimpse Inside and Tatertots and Jello

18 months

Piper is 18 months old today!  

And still. not. walking.

Sigh.  

Her record is 7 independent steps.  And she'll walk quite a long way with no problem if she can hold on to just one of my fingers.  But if I let go - she's usually done and just sits down.  

Still, any day now, right?

She's a happy girl.  I took these pictures at breakfast today, which is probably her happiest time of day.  Food!

I heard Cadence say this to her the other day, "Piper, it's your favorite thing...food!"

True.  I think her favorite food is bananas, but she also likes pretty much everything else.  She's not always sure about meat, but if she can dip it in something, she's good.

Piper has some other faves too.

Favorite Books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle and Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton (she calls that one "la la" when she asks to read it)

Favorite Dance Move (during our pretty much daily dance parties): either crawling very quickly in a circle, or standing up and doing a cross between a plie and a squat

Favorite Shoes: Cadence just picked out some bright blue sequined mary janes for her from the clearance shelf at Target a few weeks ago and Piper loves them.  She always pulls them out from her shoe basket and I have to keep putting different shoes on her instead.

Favorite Accessory: it used to be hats - she'd find them and put them on all the time.  Now it's those long strings of cheap beads.  We acquired quite a few after a Fancy Nancy party we went to at the library and she's been stashing them around the house so she always seems to be wearing one.  Or five.

Favorite Word: It used to be "no", but now I think it's "yeah" with a very deliberate head nod.

Matt says she has my eyes.  I say she has his eyebrows (I'll be introducing her to the tweezer earlier than either of us would like, I'm afraid.)  She has my appetite and his laidback personality and hopefully, my curls.  She adores her big sis.  

And we all adore her.

Accessorizing...

Accessorizing is hard work.

 Or rather, over-accessorizing is hard work.

Super cute in the end though.

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama, {this moment} is a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We're doing some crazy dress-up here today (when are we not?).

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama, {this moment} is a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

White Eyelet Sweater

I think I started this little cotton sweater for P way back in the spring of 2012.  I knit on it off and on all last year, and then a few weeks ago, I finally sewed in the ends. I used this pattern.

 I intended it to be a little cropped, so thankfully it still fits, even though I meant for it to be done months ago.  I've found that though I have pretty advanced knitting skills and I could knit complicated sweaters or socks, I just want to do small, quick projects.  They're so much easier to pick up while I ride in the car, or watch the girls play, or sit on the couch with Matt in the evenings when I'm too tired to think much.

off baby pic - not as cute, but you can see the eyelets better!

Snow! Finally!

It started snowing yesterday at lunchtime kept going off and on until 10 this morning.  We were all pretty excited about it since this winter has been rather disappointing so far.  But this was a great snow!

I made this wreath a few weeks ago and it was looking pretty silly in the 60 degree weather.

Not pictured: snow-covered cows.

Rainey and bunny prints in the snow.

Matt's in the dorm this weekend so we went there to sled.  Cadence was quite the sledder this year.
Piper seemed to like it too.  No pics of the action unfortunately.

The sun came out this afternoon and melted most of it.  The snow princess we made this morning is gone.  Now I feel like winter can be done...

first day - February

*that's not Piper standing there with Cadence - it's our buddy, Ellie

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama, {this moment} is a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.