Thrift Store Gems

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My main goal at the thrift store this week was to find a stuffed animal with black fur to cut up and use on Jax’s Halloween costume. Best I found was black crushed velvet, which is just not furry enough. However, I did find a lime green tee shirt perfect for wearing under his costume coat!

Jax had a full-blown toddler tantrum as we checked out because I wouldn’t let him put toy cars into a box for a karaoke machine toy. Sorry, little dude. We paid and went outside to take some deep breaths in the fresh air. It’s just *so* hard to be a toddler!

Here’s what we got for $7.50:

The green tee shirt I mentioned will save me money I was going to spend at the mall on something for under his costume. If I have time (hah!), I could decorate it. A rock ‘n roll motorcycle raglan tee. It has two small, faint green stains but I decided I didn’t mind. Kids get messy. A plaid button-down with drums and flames screen print. They had some Baby Gap jeans there, but they we skinny jeans. I held them up to Jax and just couldn’t go there!

This coat by Little Rebels was only $2.50 because it was on the Halloween costume rack. I think it’s super cute. Probably too big at this point, but we can try it on later with the baby stops wearing his crankypants.

 

I didn’t have long in the book section before Jax went all nuclear meltdown on me, but I found two good ones. What’s in Space? has tabs you can pull up. And a Melissa & Doug wooden book with wheels called Push and Go Cars and Trucks. Seems like that one isn’t available anymore.

I also bought two tiny metal cars to use in Jax’s quiet book on a future car/city/road page. They had two big bins of all sorts of Matchbox-style cars, but I just loved these smaller, vintage-looking ones. It’s nice that they have no windows so I can tie them to the book with a string. They are so much more timeless then the cars with all the branding and cheesy decals (though I probably wouldn’t turn down flames on the side of my car, hah!)

Find any thrift store gems lately? Please share!

Halloween Costume Progress

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I got most of Jax’s hoodie completed for his Halloween costume. Can you guess who he will be?

Next step: zipper! I’ve never done a separating zipper and I’m going to have to shorten it.

I need to figure out if I should fit a mouth on him somehow. There wasn’t room on the hood. I’m going to the thrift store tomorrow morning to look for a stuffed animal with black fur to cut up and use to make the unibrow furry. Cheaper then the craft store!

Are you making a costume for your little one(s) this year?

Sunday Souvenir – Family Photos

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When my aunt visited in April, she gave me copies of scanned family photos from my mom’s side. There are some really great ones I hadn’t seen.

This is my mom’s parents on their wedding day. How gorgeous is my grandma?? And grandpa looks so handsome. I’d never seen these before!

And they were even stylish in the 60’s and 70’s. Check out this photo. I love every single thing about it. I want that dress!

Here are a few more family photos. Some get-togethers and a holiday card. My mom is in the dark coat in the Christmas card, is the tallest one in the middle picture, and is on the far right in the last photo.

     

Have you discovered any old family photos decades after they were taken? These are such a treasure for me!

Leave a comment if write a Sunday Souvenir and you’d like your link to be added!

Check out Ronalyn’s Sunday Souvenir at The Adventures of Esa & Zed

Ocean Counting Quiet Book Page

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I’ve been so super busy between work and starting Jax’s Halloween costume, plus starting to get ready for our California trip in two weeks. I’ve also sewn a bunch of his quiet book  pages into their final double-sided pages with grommets. So much to do! But today I got another page done at last!

I love the beads-on-a-string style counting pages that are common in quiet books, and when I came across these ocean life beads in the kids’ craft aisle of Joanns, I knew I had my theme.

It’s a pretty simple page in terms of cutting and sewing because the beads are so crazy.

Here’s what I used: aqua felt background, felt (in natural, lime, yellow, hot pink, blue, orange, purple and browns), blue ribbon, ocean beads and embroidery thread to match.

   

I started by sewing down the sand. My page is 9″ wide. If yours is different, you’ll need to adjust the sand pattern accordingly. You can totally just freehand it!

I sewed down all the numbers then went back with pale blue floss and did a stem stitch border around them to make them pop.

On the coral, I made large French knots randomly all over instead of sewing it down normally. For the plant, I stitch down the center of each leaf. I sewed down the starfish, then cut out some pebble shapes in tan and brown and sewed them on.

For the counting beads, I used 3 lengths of ribbon. I would sew down one end, add the beads and sew down the other end. I also sewed the ribbons into separate sections so they didn’t droop. I then cut out some bubble shapes and sewed them down over all the ribbon stitching.

All done! I think Jax is going to love this page because he gets so excited when he sees these beads.

 

What do you think? If you use this pattern, leave me a comment with a link so I can check your version out!

Can a Non-Candy Halloween Be Fun?

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No candy on Halloween?? If I give out an alternative, will our house be the lame one on the street?

Little Stephanie on Halloween

I remember getting both paper bags of pennies and full size candy bars while trick-or-treating as a child. Which one did I like? The candy bar of course! I’ve always tried to give out “good” candy that I like to eat, plus I throw in some lollipops for toddlers and maybe some spider rings. but, now that I am a parent and Jax and I will be handing out candy together, I’m on the fence as to if I should do something a little healthier this year.

There are plenty of Halloween-themed favors out there, but since you trick-or-treat on Halloween, they are already out of date the next day. These mini dinosaurs come out to be 18 cents each. I think 10 cents per treat is a good price to aim for. These glow bracelets are 10 cents each and can be used right away during trick-or-treating. While these vampire fangs are for Halloween, they are only 6 cents each and go with the current vampire fad.

Do you remember these fourtune-telling fish? They are only 4 cents each and lots of fun! I love the idea of these mini Play Doh cans, but you’ll be giving out a 50 cent treat to each kid. Crayon packs are another creative idea.

Another thrifty option is to check the party favor aisle in your local dollar store. 12 packs of trinkets come to 8 cents each.

I could always just go with “better for you” candy… I just bought a bag of YummyEarth organic lollipops (not this huge bag though) to try out as a treat for our long plane flight next month. This big bag on Amazon comes to about 8 cents per lollipop. Pretty good deal! Endangered Species Chocolates offers organic, fair trade chocolates that give back to charity. But, at 28 cents each, they aren’t realistic for Halloween.

What do you plan to give out? I may end up with a mix of regular candy and trinket.

Changing to a Toddler Bed

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When did you switch your little one from a crib to a toddler bed?

We cosleep, but I have been thinking long term and want to establish Jax’s room as a safe, calming place for him to sleep in on his own down the road. Since he can no longer be in his crib unsupervised at all (he launches himself out headfirst without anything in there to help him!), I decided to switch his crib to a toddler bed.

My plan is to have regular “quiet, night-night time” with him in the bad, and if he falls asleep – great! I mainly want to show him this is another place to sleep. Eventually, I’d love for naps to happen here, but I’m focusing on after dark for now.

On his first night with a big boy bed, I laid down in it and we did all our stories and nursing there. He had the wiggles for about 40 minutes and was playing with the slats with his feet (I put the mesh bumper back on so his feet wouldn’t get stuck), then crashed hard.

He ended up sleeping there for 2.5 hours! Go Jax!

He really loves being able to get in and out of the bed now. He room adjoins ours so it will be easy for him to come to us if he needs us.

When did you change your little one from a crib to a bed?

Link-o-rama!

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We have a cross-country trip coming up and I am starting to get into planning mode.

What are your thoughts on leashes/safety tethers for toddlers? While I’ll be using a baby carrier in the airport, Jax will be in his car seat for nearly 6 hours on the plane and I doubt he’ll want to be held while we are getting our luggage and waiting for our ride. How do I safely let him stretch his legs in LAX while still watching our bags, etc? I hope you’ll share your experiences with me!

Some links for you…

  • I may have to make Jax the food from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He loves that book and that is his favorite page.
  • Here’s another mom’s take on extended nursing (with a photo by me).
  • Making a rug like this is on my to-do list this winter!
  • There aren’t many cute sewing projects for boys’ clothes out here, but here’s a great one for simple boy pants.
  • Need some new jewelry? Raid your tool box!
  • Got an iPhone or iPad and a toddler? Hurry out to Starbucks this week for their free app card. It’s this great Sesame Street ebook! Jax loves it!
  • His other favorite app right now is Zoo Train. I was pretty shocked at how good he is at it! Check out the video below and another one here (this one is noisy, sorry! We were waiting for diner at a sports restaurant.)

Thrift Store Gems

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We found some good stuff this week at the thrift store for $11.41 total!

I always check the shelf with all the soft books and rattles. You can find factory-made fabric books there and cut them up to use the rattles and mirrors. This time I found two not-so-quiet books that have a lot of flaps and Velcro, and every page has a button to play a sound. One book is about animals and the other is a baby’s day. Jax was cracking up in the car over the sounds but was completely uninterested in holding or playing with the books. Very different from my quiet book pages, which he throws a complete sobfest fit if I take them away from him. So do I leave the books as is, or cut them up and sew all the sound buttons into a fun page with pictures/sounds? (The page would be removable for times when the quiet book needs to be very quiet.

What do you guys think?

We also found a Sandra Boynton (she’s a big deal around our house!) Bath Time! book. I’m thinking of packing this up to take on our trip next month, maybe with a couple new bath squirters.

In the regular book section we did well. Books are sold for 90% off the cover price. We already have a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but it is one of Jax’s all-time favorites. This copy was in mint condition and only $0.99, so I couldn’t pass it up. One copy can now stay down in the playroom. We found another Sandra Boynton: A to Z. Also, Carry-Me – Farm Animals and Feelings : A Baby and Blue Book.

Clothes are always hit or miss. Many times, someone arrives just before we do and grabs everything of the exact size/gender we need! That is thrift shopping for you… But, we did good today. Some Koala Baby jeans, a Carters surfer dude tee and a Gymboree go green tee. All that green will look great with a hoodie and Jax’s green sneakers!

What do you think of the sound books? Should I cut them up or leave them alone?

Sunday Souvenir – Girl Scouts

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Somber news from dear family tonight, so forgive the lack of text.

I recently took photos of some of my mom’s vintage Girl Scout trinkets she had saved. I would love to see photos of her dressed for girl scouts, but I’m not sure any exist. This photo is one of my favorites of her as a girl.

Also included are a ’50s report card and class photo, and a really sweet letter to the Easter bunny.

     

This post is a part of a month-long series about my mom, who passed away from breast cancer when I was little. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Leave a comment if write a Sunday Souvenir and you’d like your link to be added!

The Happy Bat Necklace

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Here’s a little felt tutorial for you! I made a quick Halloween necklace during a break from sewing quiet book pages.

Make Some Happy Bats:

  1. Grab the pattern here. Cut out two felt bat pieces (front and back) for each bat. The small bats can be tricky to cut out! I did one side at a time, then matched them up and trimmed.
  2. Embroider the faces: Satin stitch fangs, back stitch smiles and French knot eyes. Be creative!
  3. Sew the center bat pieces together with a blanket stitch around the edges.
  4. Cut two 10″ lengths of your ribbon. I used a thin black satin and transparent purple.
  5. Layer a small bat around the edge of the center bat with the ends of one set of ribbons coming out of the other side. Blanket stitch around the edges, making small stitches when you cross the bat and ribbons.
  6. Repeat on the other side.
  7. Try the necklace out for length and trim the ribbons as needed. Using jewelry pliers, attach your ribbon clamp clasp. Mine came with some chain for adjustability.

 

Fall Palette

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I finally did my fall clothes shopping, and here is what I got! We went to Kohls, and everything was 40% off or more. Since I was tying to get less items, I chose a palette of colors I could mix and match. I went with gray, brown, natural and rust.

The sweater coat was on sale for $28. I love it! So soft and simple without being boring. I think it has the vibe of Anthropologie or Free People) two stores I CAN NOT afford! I think this sweater will go with everything. The other sweater I chose was only $13. It is a lightweight stripe in rust and natural. Really pretty and good for layering.

I really needed long sleeve layering shirts. I went with rust, brown and gray. I went up in size from xs to s to get a little more length. I hate when shirts ride up!

My “splurge” ($34) was a new pair of jeans. I’ve love my flap-pocket jeans for years, but after wearing them several times a week under my belly throughout my pregnancy, they now have a hole in the butt. I went with an indigo wash with a flared leg. I’m ready for a break from all the skinny jeans! The belt it came with looks cheap, but I don’t have to wear it.

What colors are you into this fall?

My Handmade Weekender Tote

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We have a cross-country trip coming up in less than a month, so I’ve had packing on the brain. I have to carry my laptop on the plane so I will be able to work nights during the trip (freelancers get no vacation pay!), and I’ll have stuff for baby and I as well. But what bag to use?

The Inspiration

I fell in love with Kokopax’s Samantha Tote diaper bag in their gray and white “flutter” print. So pretty! I love gray and white together. When I first found it, it was on sale for $62 but I didn’t have the money. My heart sank when it went up to $98. All hope was lost when it went up to $158 (!!) What’s a crafty girl to do? Make her own!

Since I wanted something big enough to put my laptop in, hold baby items and be a purse, I decided on a weekender-sized tote. I want a separate, matching laptop sleeve and a zippered pouch that can come out. I’d had troubles sewing my own bags in the past, so I was leaning towards a pattern. When nothing fit the bill, I read 1,004,572 tutorials and decided to just design my own.

The tote is done! I was only able to sew 15 minutes at a time here and there over a week, but it didn’t take long at all. I still need to do the padded laptop sleeve and zippered pouch out of my leftover fabric.

     

The tote is fully lined with fusable fleece. The outside is home decor weight fabric by Dwell Studio. I splurged on 1 yard when it was on sale for 50% off. It was the only fabric I liked and is much stronger than quilter’s cotton. The straps have fusable fleece in them as well, and they are reinforced for strength where they are attached.

 

Inside, one side has a row of open pockets up high for my cell phone, pocket camera, etc.. The other side has diaper bag style elastic pockets down low to hold diapers/wipes, sunglasses case and more. I added two D rings on ribbons because I like to clip my keys and some anti-bac to the top of my bag.

I love it! I made the tote long enough that my laptop will be a few inches below the top of the bag when on its end. There is plenty of room for sweaters (we are flying from VA to CA in November – big climate difference!) or a blanket, but its soft structure will fold up under an airplane seat. I don’t know if I will carry it as a daily bag, yet. It may be too big for that when loaded. I can certainly make a second bag this winter that is shorter for daily use.

I’ve been on the fence about putting a magnetic snap on the bag since a computer will be in there. What do you think? (Please excuse the pj’s and messy hair! It was one of those days…)