New Obsession...Pinterest

So, I am probably a bit late to the game (and everyone who reads my blog is already on there most likely), but Pinterest is about the coolest thing since sliced bread.

No, I take that nerdy statement back.

It is the coolest thing on the internet since Facebook. So who isn't a little tired of Facebook (and not a huge fan of the changes)? This gal is for sure. Well on Pinterest, for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, it's a virtual bulletin board of sorts. You can share pics of all kinds of stuff, and then you "pin" what you like to your boards. Check out some gems I found today...

Best...

Stuff...

On the internet.

(all pics taken from Pinterest - go to my boards here to see original links and all the goodies I like http://pinterest.com/bearles/. Don't want to step on any internet toes).

Hopefully, I'll be inspired to take more pictures and actually add content to the site, but for now I'm content with sharing and using the ideas in the real world.

Happy Pinning!!

B

"Lazy Sunday"

Nope - no apology this time for not blogging for so long....Ok, I'm sorry.  Please keep reading my blog when I do post :)

So - we thought Matt had food poisoning, but he has been sick for almost 48 hours, so probably a stomach bug I pray that I am immune to.  Luckily, I think he is on the mend.  Anywho, I woke up early this morning and decided I would put my sewing machine to use.  I spent over an hour at Hobby Lobby last night, and I came home with a pattern book and a project in mind.

But first things first......

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY CHARLIE!!!!

She looks so sad in this picture!  She is just camera shy...

So, here is my pattern for a little grocery or clothes tote bag and my three different fabrics (same exterior for two bags, different linings for each).

Sewing on the straps....

Finished the outside without incident (except when I cut the straps entirely too short and had to start over) - go me!

Fast forward a couple steps since I forgot to take pictures...The finished product! I had to figure out how to cover the place where the straps meet, so I looked up how to make ribbon flowers and through the magic of youtube found a solution!

2nd bag with a different lining.

Next project - my mom can attest that I am obsessed with this OU t-shirt scarf at Hallmark in Norman.  But it is like $30-$40, so I decided to make my own.... I used a t-shirt with a huge interlocking OU on it as my pattern, and totally infringed to make this myself :)

Sewing the OU on....

The finished product.  This pic is far away as my sewing started off a bit rough!

I had the material out, so I thought I might as well make a handful of them and get some practice in...

And I tried one on....Matt just laughed at me for taking/posting this pic (ps. see my fancy new camera?)...

Ps. I dyed the cream color scarf with tea!  All by myself!  Matt again thought I was crazy!

 Anywhoser - nothing new or interesting around the Earles' house.  Matt is in his last semester of nursing school - WOOOOOOOOOWHHOOOOOOOOO! Can you tell I'm excited?  So he is super busy studying, going to class, going to clinicals, going to work, studying...you get the idea.  My work is crazy as well, but lots of great opportunity and good things coming our way.

I'll try to get out more in the next week or two so I can have something to blog about!!!!

My first (and second sewing project)...

I braved the crowds on Black Friday to get one thing...a sewing machine.  When I say I braved the crowds, I really mean I went to Wal-Mart in Miami, OK at 11:30 PM to get a sewing machine that went on sale at 12:01 - it wasn't anything crazy, and I swiftly went home and went to bed.  But, I do know that I will never shop on Black Friday ever again!  Anywho....

I have been wanting a sewing machine for a long time, so when Matt (yes, Matt) found this one online, I knew I had to go get it.  If I never used it again or broke it, I would only be out $50, so what the hell.  I got it home on Friday, and quickly realized that I had no sewing accessories (or notions as people in the biz call them) AT ALL.  Strike that, I have one spool of black thread.  So, I threaded my machine and put it on the kitchen table and waited until morning to go to Hobby Lobby.  

While I waited, I checked out some sewing blogs and found the CUTEST blog over at rufflesandstuff.com.  She is is so crafty!  And in a hip way (hip is such an un-hip word, btw).  So I tried my hand at this scarf as my first project.   I won't put the instructions here, but here is a bit of a play by play from my attempt at making it.

I started by practicing my straight lines on a piece of paper - yes, I am a giant dork.

Three fabrics for an OU (by route of Alabama) ruffly scarf.

Layer them as shown, and sew with elastic thread...

And then you have a victorian neck-cuff!  

Ok, finished product did not work out so well, seeing as I should have used a jersey fabric or some old t-shirts we had around the house.  I tried to pop out some stitches to make it work, but it just made it fall apart.  But it was fun to make and see how it just automatically ruffles when you use the elastic thread.  I will try this one again some time.

So - I scratched the above scarf, and used 1/2 yard of jersey fabric to make this scarf.  Fold it in half (wrong sides together), iron, and then sew to make a pouch.  Turn it inside out, sew shut the hole, and then cover that with a ribbon (or a bow or flower or button or whatever).  Ta da!  And family members, yes, this is what you are getting for Christmas :)

A special thanks to my mom for going to wal-mart with me to witness the chaos that is Black Friday and my granny for buying me my first sewing machine :)