tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47802991409790402562024-03-18T03:32:03.521-04:00Life is {Sew} DailyTutorials, Giveaways, and More!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-19381394912447300242015-01-23T12:40:00.001-05:002015-01-23T12:40:56.249-05:00Valentine's Mantle {& Why We Celebrate}<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Confession: I just took down our Christmas decor yesterday. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UYkKmgeuiS4/VMKHpovNu1I/AAAAAAAAEJ0/MRv6cEBiFTE/s640/blogger-image-2080216790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UYkKmgeuiS4/VMKHpovNu1I/AAAAAAAAEJ0/MRv6cEBiFTE/s640/blogger-image-2080216790.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That's totally out of character for our house. I like it down before New Year's but my husband prefers to keep it up until New Year's Day. It all has to do with the way we were raised and 'how it was done when we were kids.' </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This year, though, is a weird year for us. We are living temporarily in an apartment while our house is being built. This apartment happens to have one overhead light and it's hanging over the fireplace. And it's florescent. {read: horrible lighting choice} Our lamps are mostly still packed in boxes from our move 5 months ago. We really have no idea where they are. I guess we are mostly hoping they made it here to northern KY with the rest of our unpacked stuff. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That said, our Christmas tree provided a lot of nice lighting for this dark, tiny space. That's the main reason I left it so long. The other reason? We were busy with a lot of things like homeschooling, traveling and trying to stay warm next to the space heater. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's down now and all the fake tree needles have been vacuumed up; the few decorations have been packed away.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> I knew before taking down the wreath over the mantle that I was going to decorate it for Valentine's Day. Nobody likes a naked mantle! And seeing how that's really the only place in the apartment to decorate seasonally, I started gathering things from around the house. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y7Z02PbvE80/VMJ0JALTrsI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/IIsgcR0e5Gk/s640/blogger-image-814970773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y7Z02PbvE80/VMJ0JALTrsI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/IIsgcR0e5Gk/s640/blogger-image-814970773.jpg"></font></a></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Last week, I bought the cute red heart garland from Dollar Tree. I love red and I love hearts so it was a no-brainer. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The metal arrow marquis sign was a Christmas gift from my sister. I love it. And I'll be using it often. Because again, I love red. Red goes with everything. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The chalkboard I've had for a long time. I {heart} chalkboards. I know I'm not alone in that. So, I cleaned it off really good and decided to write something simple, but meaningful. Love. That one word sums up a lot of my life - past & present. It has more meaning than I could even describe here {without using up a year's supply of Kleenex and bringing everyone to tears - maybe some other time}. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The pretty flowers are from a bouquet that my sweet husband bought me for our 13th anniversary on the 5th. I just cut the good ones that were still living down to fit into smaller vases. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My friendship sign fits perfectly in this little happy place. It was given to me by a dear friend the day before I moved away. It holds a lot of meaning and makes me miss my people SO much but is a great reminder of the abundant <i>love</i> in my life.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The polka dotted covered books I put there because my sister does it all the time. Just cover books in various sizes in your favorite wrapping paper.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? We celebrate in this house. My husband and I get each other a small gift and we give the girls small gifts with hearts and X's and O's and other symbols of love. Love is a big deal in our house. I hope it always is. But the main love we celebrate and want our girls to know beyond a shadow of a doubt is this:</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.</i></div><div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>We love him, because he first loved us. </i>(1 John 4:10, 19 KJV)</span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I've had this on my mind so much in these last few days. I'm so thankful for love. I've been blessed with so much love in my life, but the greatest love is God's love. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Unconditional. Perfect love. Love that cannot be earned. Freely given. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">God loves me {and YOU!} not because we loved Him first. Because we didn't. Only because He loved us first and proved it by sending His only son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for our sins. A price we could never pay. To give us eternal life in Christ! That's love. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And that's why we celebrate love. We celebrate in tangible ways and express love the best we know how in our silly ways.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How do you celebrate love?</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-29237023830892305802015-01-15T07:30:00.000-05:002015-01-15T07:30:00.830-05:00Valentine's Day Gift Guide {or What She REALLY Wants...} <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ku5iVJfdkFc/VLbqmM2SuXI/AAAAAAAAEHk/hKIZ4HXNgXQ/s1600/valentines%2Bday%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ku5iVJfdkFc/VLbqmM2SuXI/AAAAAAAAEHk/hKIZ4HXNgXQ/s1600/valentines%2Bday%2Bcover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
I know it's only mid-January, but let's face it - Valentine's Day is right around the corner. It's not too early to get a head start on <strike>hinting</strike> thinking about what you want or what you want to give {in case any men are lurking around this blog}. It's no secret that most women wear makeup. And if I had to guess, I'd say most of us won't leave home without it. That said, I've made a great list for you of some of the best, most affordable skin care and makeup products available today. I admit, I'm a little biased, but seriously these are the kind of things practical women would love to try because they might not splurge on themselves very often. Valentine's Day is a great time to pamper yourself or that special someone in your life. Let's get started!<br />
<br />
1. I'm starting with my very FAVORITE PRODUCT I've ever tried. <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-1017-00#.VLbjZtLF8uc">MOODSTRUCK 3D FIBER LASH MASCARA</a></span>.<br />
I know, you may think "All mascara is the same." Let me assure you, it is NOT equal. Do you have what my cousin, LJ, calls "Ho-Hum Lashes"? Not quite as full as they used to be. Even the curler doesn't help those lashes stand up all day. Short lashes? Light lashes?<br />
Well, this is your lucky day! Check out these before & afters of me and my personal friends.... The results speak for themselves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UZVoRpdzW0/VLbeU0gL4HI/AAAAAAAAEGk/pspdnfH6Heg/s1600/amy%2Bmas%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UZVoRpdzW0/VLbeU0gL4HI/AAAAAAAAEGk/pspdnfH6Heg/s1600/amy%2Bmas%2B1.jpg" height="640" width="530" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Yours Truly - 3D Fiber Lash on the LEFT, Maybelline The Falsies mascara on the RIGHT.Notice how it opens the eye and really makes the eye pop!</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_qptZ3UULI/VLbeZXuYROI/AAAAAAAAEGs/3sQzxnkfCM4/s1600/julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_qptZ3UULI/VLbeZXuYROI/AAAAAAAAEGs/3sQzxnkfCM4/s1600/julie.jpg" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;"> 3D Fiber Lash on the LEFT, store bought mascara on the RIGHT</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cYPTLrKyiQ/VLbebK0DbuI/AAAAAAAAEG0/2eqryZEci_0/s1600/laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cYPTLrKyiQ/VLbebK0DbuI/AAAAAAAAEG0/2eqryZEci_0/s1600/laura.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">This speaks for itself! 3D Fiber Lash adds 3X the length and fullness!</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJz8c-WKMno/VLbesBTj1ZI/AAAAAAAAEG8/F1SP7eB2bis/s1600/mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJz8c-WKMno/VLbesBTj1ZI/AAAAAAAAEG8/F1SP7eB2bis/s1600/mom.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Even awesome for women over 50. Believe me, my mom has told all of her friends about this magical mascara.</span></i></div>
<br />
2. <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-21000-00#.VLbjONLF8uc">Moodstruck Minerals Pigment Powders</a></span><br />
At $12.50 per container, these pigment powders really pack a punch when it comes to color. How many times have you bought eye shadow from any store and got home to realize it doesn't show up as bold or bright as it promised? It's a bummer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81L4owio5Oc/VLbg48Zt3MI/AAAAAAAAEHI/71p0Mf9PkAU/s1600/victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81L4owio5Oc/VLbg48Zt3MI/AAAAAAAAEHI/71p0Mf9PkAU/s1600/victoria.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Victoria says, It is "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; white-space: pre-wrap;">highly pigmented with a great formula that is easy to apply. Great sleek packaging! Provoked really does make green eyes pop!" She is also wearing "Ladylike" Lucractive Lip Gloss.</span></span></i><br />
I've never been very daring in the eye shadow department, but this inspires me to try! I'll probably need to watch <a href="http://youtu.be/xNrf8C7bqkE">these tutorials</a> first, though.<br />
<br />
3. Skin care is the cosmetic industry's leading product. It rakes in more money than any of the other cosmetic products available to us women. That tells me that skin care is a very important matter to most women. I mean, all of us want to age well, and skin care is a major component of that.<br />
Let me tell you about <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-11901-01">Illuminate Clean</a></span>.<br />
<span style="background-color: #eaeaea; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.2000007629395px;">Illuminate Clean, made in the USA, is brand new and formulated for normal to dry skin, or for people with very sensitive skin. Containing superleaf extracts, Ginkgo biloba, and horse chestnut, Clean's more mild formula is still powerful enough to gently cleanse your sensitive skin.</span><br />
and <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-11902-01#.VLbiq9LF8uc">Illuminate Clear</a> </span><span style="background-color: #eaeaea; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.2000007629395px;">Illuminate Clear started out as our popular first cleanser, Awake. It contains the same key ingredients, but we've refined the formula and brought the manufacturing to the US so we can produce it on a larger scale, and more easily maintain complete control over our proprietary formula. This is for oily skin.</span><br />
<br />
4. <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-21801-00#.VLblZdLF8uc">Lucrative Lip Gloss</a></span><br />
My favorite color is "Luxe" because it's a great natural color, but there are some great colors available...See for yourself!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KcBBHdenkSw/VLblMw96XrI/AAAAAAAAEHU/Ap8m4CFmtSY/s1600/lip%2Bgloss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KcBBHdenkSw/VLblMw96XrI/AAAAAAAAEHU/Ap8m4CFmtSY/s1600/lip%2Bgloss.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></a></div>
At just $15/each, this is a steal for gaining these lucrative, smooth and colorful lips. I love that the tube has a mirror on the side of each tube to help you apply it neatly on the go! What's your favorite color?<br />
<br />
5. And don't forget to check out the awesome <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-22102-00#.VLbl1dLF8uc">Moodstruck Precision Pencil Eye Liner</a></span> - my must-have every day along with my mascara. Can't leave home without it! Eye liner defines your eye shape and is a great filler for gaps in your lashes. Eyeliner hides a multitude of issues! $15/each and these pencils can be sharpened and are CRY-PROOF, SMUDGE-PROOF AND GOES ON SMOOTH!<br />
<br />
Younique Sassy Lashes by Amy {yours truly} is sponsoring this blog this month - and hopefully the next several months{!!} so please stop by and see what other awesome products we have available!<br />
<br />
Will you please like my Facebook Page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Younique3DSassyLashes"><span style="font-size: large;">Younique Sassy Lashes by Amy</span></a>? Pretty please? I will keep you up to date on the latest and greatest in this awesome line of cosmetics!<br />
<br />
Would you like to earn some of these products for free? You can host a party online. Everything is done online - no house cleaning or food to bake - just online. You can stay in you jammies if you wish! Ask me how.<br />
<br />
You can also earn extra cash by selling this yourself! Ask me how! Sign up is easy and it's only $99 for your kit full of over $200 worth of products you'll use, a personal website with no fees and no automatic shipments or contracts involved!<br />
<br />
Thank you kindly!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-20829910431127384102015-01-13T07:30:00.000-05:002015-01-13T07:30:02.104-05:00Daytrip: Dayton, Ohio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PTOu9gzTjc/VLRIx0hn5aI/AAAAAAAAEGU/8FoTamal6Kg/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PTOu9gzTjc/VLRIx0hn5aI/AAAAAAAAEGU/8FoTamal6Kg/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Our family loves daytrips, weekend trips, and traveling of all sorts. We've always tried to fit in day trips here and there over the years whether it was a drive through the mountains, a hike, a picnic, exploring nearby cities, etc. We love spending our time together finding new places.<br />
<br />
This past weekend was no different. We decided on a whim to drive to Dayton, Ohio to visit the Wright Brothers Museum and The Wright Cycle Company. So, after running some errands and visiting another great place (for a later post), we headed to Dayton.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQxe6oGSEiU/VLRFuxeHlzI/AAAAAAAAEGA/PosPGgpU0j0/s1600/IMG_1462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQxe6oGSEiU/VLRFuxeHlzI/AAAAAAAAEGA/PosPGgpU0j0/s1600/IMG_1462.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0PzG1mAkz0/VLRFy3KrlPI/AAAAAAAAEGI/RaClrnhTuVA/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0PzG1mAkz0/VLRFy3KrlPI/AAAAAAAAEGI/RaClrnhTuVA/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The original cycle company of the Wright Brothers</i></div>
We only had two hours to spend because we got to the Wright Brothers Museum around 3 and they close at 5 right now. However, it was the perfect amount of time to go through the museum and visit the cycle shop next door.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHOGQOdnRU0/VLREGKuer_I/AAAAAAAAEFs/UebKpVzSUOM/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHOGQOdnRU0/VLREGKuer_I/AAAAAAAAEFs/UebKpVzSUOM/s1600/6.jpg" height="638" width="640" /></a></div>
When we arrived, we were greeted by friendly, informative staff members who gave us an overall idea of the museum and where to start. The first thing we did was watch the 30 minute video on how the Wright brothers got started and how they endured failure after failure and then small successes here and there to become the very first people to fly an airplane. It was fascinating and inspiring and I was amazed at how they never gave up. They both lived to see their dream become reality. Little did they know just how far their invention and dreams would go. Orville actually lived to see interstate flights, then WWII planes and the great advantage planes were to the war. He also saw passenger flight become reality in the States and even internationally. Then, he witnessed NASA's aerospace flights before he died. It must have blown his mind!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMQ5Y0bvqz4/VLRBEpKGMKI/AAAAAAAAEFA/ulsRl3NtJkw/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMQ5Y0bvqz4/VLRBEpKGMKI/AAAAAAAAEFA/ulsRl3NtJkw/s1600/1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osgEaYs2tYg/VLRBHVHRNbI/AAAAAAAAEFI/WozsL-6W9aY/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osgEaYs2tYg/VLRBHVHRNbI/AAAAAAAAEFI/WozsL-6W9aY/s1600/2.jpg" height="616" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZwR2oX8uoU/VLRBJSwxbRI/AAAAAAAAEFQ/2gon3sJY1tk/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZwR2oX8uoU/VLRBJSwxbRI/AAAAAAAAEFQ/2gon3sJY1tk/s1600/3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A replica of the grocery they used to shop at.</i></div>
Did you know the Wright brothers started out in the printing business and then owned a cycling shop? Their original bike shop building is still there and you can go inside it where it has been recreated on the inside to look like what they think it may have looked like back in the day. There is only one picture of the shop from its glory days and in that picture, the building was in the background of a picture of a lady holding kittens. Historians took the photo and used the picture to recreate the facade of the actual building. The family lived just around the corner from the shop.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDcAkc7x0WM/VLREBYNOnQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/BV3lPxxTcUY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDcAkc7x0WM/VLREBYNOnQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/BV3lPxxTcUY/s1600/4.jpg" height="612" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwczen9jtp4/VLREDVkzhhI/AAAAAAAAEFk/4aRrq5XzbAQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwczen9jtp4/VLREDVkzhhI/AAAAAAAAEFk/4aRrq5XzbAQ/s1600/5.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Upstairs is a parachute exhibit. Pretty cool!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
We are fascinated by the Wright brothers mainly because aviation is a big part of our family due to my husband's job. We have visited Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk, NC where they did some test flights of their planes. There is a monument built there, as well as, a museum documenting their time in NC.<br />
<br />
If you have a chance to visit Dayton, Ohio, I'd definitely recommend this inspiring little museum and cycle shop. You can also visit a couple other locations like the air field where they did their many trial runs on a few of their prototypes. There are tours available and we hope to go back very soon to see the sights we missed this time!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-26387064601022157532015-01-08T06:30:00.000-05:002015-01-08T06:30:00.542-05:00My Secret for Staying Healthy During Flu Season.... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YR9xJeGNSJQ/VK34yf-T-2I/AAAAAAAAEEw/aJrWJd-P3kk/s1600/flu%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YR9xJeGNSJQ/VK34yf-T-2I/AAAAAAAAEEw/aJrWJd-P3kk/s1600/flu%2Bcover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
A couple of years ago, I caught the flu. Influenza Type B to be exact. My daughter caught it first and she was pitiful. I had never had the flu in my life, but because I'd heard about it going around and knew what the symptoms were, I had a sneaky suspicion that's what she had. So, off to the doctor we went and sure enough...flu. I knew it was a matter of days before the next one of us was knocked off our feet with the flu and wouldn't ya know it, I was the lucky recipient. A friend found out and within just an hour, she came knocking on my door with a Starbucks coffee in one hand and unbeknownst to me, a real life saver in the other. She gave me a roller bottle with something in it that she called the 'Flu Bomb' and a spray bottle of something, as well. I knew she was really into <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">essential oils</span></a>, but had never tried them myself. However, rolling those oils on my wrists and bottoms of my feet daily (as well as, repeating that on my family members) lessened the impact the flu had on me. It was just a few days until I had gotten over the flu. And no one else in the family caught it after that. Thus began my interest and belief in the effectiveness of <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">essential oils</span></a>. Have you ever tried them?<br />
<br />
I began learning about essential oils and started using different ones that I'd heard about. Luckily, I had a friend that sold them and told me several oils to try that had worked for her. Recently, I became a consultant for <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">doTerra</span></a> so that I could buy my own oils for a discount since I no longer live near my friend. I want to encourage you to try the oils for yourself, and if you'd like more info on how to enroll with <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">doTerra</span></a> to get yourself a discount on products you love and use, contact me through my website <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/AmyMcCombie"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">www.mydoterra.com/AmyMcCombie</span></a> or through this blog and I will respond quickly to you.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2I-j1L9KLP0/VK3yf75em7I/AAAAAAAAEEg/hP3PxWqpnHI/s1600/on%2Bguard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2I-j1L9KLP0/VK3yf75em7I/AAAAAAAAEEg/hP3PxWqpnHI/s1600/on%2Bguard.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
One of my favorite oil blends I use right now is On Guard. It is formulated to support healthy immune function. It's made of wild orange oil, cinnamon, clove and rosemary and blended perfectly to help fight off viruses and bacteria. You can dilute it in a roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil (or any vegetable oil) to apply topically. Another GREAT way to use this is to dilute it in a spray bottle and clean your countertops of germs and bacteria. It's so effective!<br />
<br />
I've gotten my family on board with these oils, too! I made them roller bottles of On Guard (mixed with others) for the Flu Bomb. And some others that I'll post about another time.<br />
<br />
Because oils are absorbed into the skin rather quickly and effectively, only <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">therapeutic-grade essential oils</span></a> should be used. doTerra oils are natural and very effective and pure, but essential oils should allows be used safely and carefully. <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/essentialSafety.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Read about that here</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Getting started using oils is pretty simple and you will be amazed at the results. If you don't know where to start, On Guard is the perfect one to start with this time of year. (Found under Oil Blends)<br />
<br />
Another place to start is to try out the <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Introductory Kit</span></a> (under Product Packages). It includes the three most commonly used oils Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint. You can get that kit for just $26.67 It comes with suggested uses for each oil.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Lavender - I use for sleeping, calming, and for minor burns. I put this on my husband at night and he rubs it around his sinuses and nose. He swears it opens up his sinuses and helps him breath better at night. It also smells wonderful!</li>
<li>Lemon - I put one drop of lemon in my water first thing in the morning. It has many benefits. Read this <a href="http://www.lahealthyliving.com/natural-remedies-remedies/20-unbelievable-reasons-to-start-your-day-with-water-and-lemon/"><span style="color: #38761d;">article</span></a> about that. Lemon can also be used for making homemade cleaners, among many other uses.</li>
<li>Peppermint - GREAT for headaches. Mix all three of these together in a roller bottle with a carrier oil and rub it on the temples/forehead for headache relief. You can also buy peppermint in beadlet form which I highly recommend. Great for the breath, for a burst of energy, for upset stomach. My favorite blend is mixing peppermint with lavender, lemon, rosemary for immediate relief of upset stomach and stomach cramps. Tried and True. Just trust me on this. I carry it in my purse and it has never let me down.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Are you ready to try it yet? <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/AmyMcCombie"><span style="color: #38761d;">www.mydoterra.com/AmyMcCombie</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's to a healthier New Year!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-17051718109471114702015-01-07T16:55:00.000-05:002015-01-07T16:55:45.676-05:00Mayday! Mayday! or What to Do When You Find a Red Crayon in Your Dryer <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeATSBfM1mg/VK2qZfC86MI/AAAAAAAAEEA/cPWfBQk59GM/s1600/red%2Bcrayon%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeATSBfM1mg/VK2qZfC86MI/AAAAAAAAEEA/cPWfBQk59GM/s1600/red%2Bcrayon%2Bcover.jpg" height="570" width="640" /></a></div>
This morning was going so well. Everyone had a good, healthy breakfast. The girls were all busy doing their school work. The bathrooms had been deep cleaned, floors vacuumed and mopped. The third load of laundry had just finished and had piled it all on the couch to fold.<br />
<br />
That's when I noticed it....RED wax on EVERYTHING!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4T1F50FIMzY/VK2qor0MIXI/AAAAAAAAEEI/B_isYPp8JK4/s1600/crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4T1F50FIMzY/VK2qor0MIXI/AAAAAAAAEEI/B_isYPp8JK4/s1600/crayons.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
My husband's favorite new shirt and his favorite pair of jeans were included in this pile and I was about to panic. Immediately, I perused Google and found a post that looked promising. I was skeptical because, I mean, red crayon?? That's a nightmare. But I had no choice but to try it.<br />
<br />
I followed <a href="http://mommidiary.blogspot.com/2010/05/getting-crayon-out-of-washed-and-dried.html">Diary of a Doctor's Wife's</a> suggestion and couldn't believe the outcome! Here's what you do:<br />
<br />
Turn your washer to the hot water setting. (I even added boiling water as the link suggests to make sure it's hot enough.)<br />
Add, your detergent. Mine is Purex at the moment.<br />
Then, add 1/2 cup white vinegar and 4-5 tsp of dish soap. I used Dawn original.<br />
<br />
Put the stained clothes in and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.<br />
<br />
Then, run through the normal wash cycle.<br />
<br />
Once the wash cycle was done, I rushed to the machine to see if it worked. And MUCH to my surprise, it was AWESOME! It came out of EVERYTHING leaving only two light spots on my husband's favorite light plaid shirt and my daughters light gray pants.<br />
<br />
I decided, per the comments on the original post, to run those two items through again using the same method as before. And would you believe it ALL came out!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0UtNFWFXxpQ/VK2q9NZnhAI/AAAAAAAAEEQ/4nd2sGxPDDc/s1600/IMG_1393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0UtNFWFXxpQ/VK2q9NZnhAI/AAAAAAAAEEQ/4nd2sGxPDDc/s1600/IMG_1393.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Now, when my husband gets home, he'll have no idea what even happened. He doesn't read the blog. (Imagine that!!) That'll teach him not to read my blog from now on! ;)<br />
<br />
I just had to share this with you because it is bound to happen to some of y'all. All I know is those pesky little restaurant crayons will never sneak their way into my kids' pockets again. They were the culprit.<br />
<br />
Happy Laundering!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-26402931875080895562015-01-06T14:06:00.000-05:002015-01-06T14:06:09.716-05:00Time Management for 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6it26KVpsD8/Ulr7Jqi53SI/AAAAAAAACkg/n2baoM8z7Qo/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6it26KVpsD8/Ulr7Jqi53SI/AAAAAAAACkg/n2baoM8z7Qo/s640/cover.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Home management involves a lot of things, not the least of which is time management. Now that my precious kids are all in school, I find that my need for organization and time management is at an all-time high. It's true that I do have more free time in the sense that I don't have anyone at home demanding my attention from 8am to 3pm. However, I have a lot of things on my to-do list that still will not get done if I'm not organized about it. Time is so very easily wasted. {And we can't always blame it on the kids.} I am learning that having a list to follow everyday of the things I need to accomplish is the best way for me to get it all done. I love checking things off of a list. There's a big sense of accomplishment from that. The older I get the more I need a list to follow because I cannot do it all from memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do this little exercise in time management to see if you are using your valuable time wisely.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Journal your day starting from when you wake up until you go to bed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Write down what you did that day in 15 minute increments. You may want to stop every hour for a second to write it down otherwise you may forget. We do SO MUCH everyday!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of the day, look over it and analyze how your time was spent.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you find you had several sections of time that were not productive? I know that I do have some that I could be using to do those small things on my list. I'll give you some ideas below.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you have too much on your to do list? It's possible you need to rethink your list and determine what things you need to remove or move to another day/time.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, if you have slots of time that are not productive, here are some things you can do in small amounts of time:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Clean out a drawer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fold a basket of clothes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Distribute clothes to a room.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wash windows in one room.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dust one room.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Vacuum one room.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sweep the porch.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Clean a half bath.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Refill paper products - toilet paper, napkins, paper towels.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Clean mirrors.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hang up clothes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Write a thank you note.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Send a card or email or text to someone you need to connect with.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Write a grocery list</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pick up everything in one room that doesn't belong and put it away.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Throw in a load of laundry.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Switch clothes to dryer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wipe down counters</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wipe down kitchen sink.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Clean out refrigerator.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Empty dishwasher</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Load dishwasher</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">ETC.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">During this time, you can also make a phone call to return a call, make an appt., pay a bill, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The goal is to multitask when you can and use every slot of time in the best possible way. Schedule some down time if you need it, by all means, but make sure you're not just wasting time when there are a million things to be done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If there are things on your list that never get done, ask yourself:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is this item absolutely necessary?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Does it benefit my family or cause me to neglect my family?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is doing this item causing frustration in me or in my family members? {Maybe from lack of planning, feeling rushed, doing too much...}</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sometimes we place unneeded stress on ourselves by taking on too many committments. I mean, school is demanding, family obligations can be demanding, ministry can be very demanding, sports, etc. We don't have to do it all or be involved in everything that is available to us. In fact, it's impossible to do it all and maintain a balanced family life. Sometimes, we just have to say no. Sometimes, we can say 'later' and even fewer times we can readily commit where the whole family benefits and doesn't suffer. You just have to take these things one at a time as they come because some seasons of life are busier than others and one month we may feel like taking on the world, but the next month be completely maxed out. Balance is the key. Life is a balancing act.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Determine your priorities ahead of time. {Family, Church, Work, School, etc.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What are you willing to sacrifice and not sacrifice from time to time?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What kind of demands fall into each of those categories?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Plan ahead and when opportunities/demands present themselves, you will already have a plan in place to determine whether or not you should commit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">How do you manage your time? Do you use a daily to-do list? Do you plan each item for a specific time? Or does it work for you to just fly by the seat of your pants? I'd love to hear your tips!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here are some great day planners for 2015 you can get for a good deal!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fP5dZhHOj90/VKwxYSiZS5I/AAAAAAAAEDI/e_x-n4xPFYo/s1600/inner%2Bguide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fP5dZhHOj90/VKwxYSiZS5I/AAAAAAAAEDI/e_x-n4xPFYo/s1600/inner%2Bguide.jpg" height="320" width="298" /></a></div>
<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/InnerGuide-Calendar-Organizer-Appointment-Thoughtful/dp/B00NYE3VDW/ref=sr_1_10?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1420570347&sr=1-10&keywords=planner">The Inner Guide 2015 Planner</a> - 5 Star Reviews! From Amazon...<br />
<ul class="a-vertical a-spacing-none" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">OTHER PLANNERS HELP YOU PLAN YOUR DAY; WE HELP YOU PLAN YOUR LIFE!</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">8"x9" light-weight and convenient carrying size, 204 pages</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">2-page spread per week for appointments including a structure for developing awareness, accountability and reflection</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">2-page spread BEFORE each month to help you plan ahead and a 2-page spread AFTER each month to help you assess the quality of your month. Plus, a BONUS 2-page Mid-Year section</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Unique goal-setting chart featuring nine important areas of life to help you brainstorm your yearly and monthly goals</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYmr1bJ59iA/VKwxcDEg8bI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/IPhkiPJYeKk/s1600/at%2Ba%2Bglance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYmr1bJ59iA/VKwxcDEg8bI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/IPhkiPJYeKk/s1600/at%2Ba%2Bglance.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/AT-A-GLANCE-Monthly-Planner-Collection-YP109-38/dp/B00MAULYKS/ref=sr_1_11?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1420570347&sr=1-11&keywords=planner" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">At a Glance Monthly Planner 2015</a><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> - Perfect for looking at your whole month. I like to use monthly planners for doing bills, keeping track of family appointments, events, etc.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1B-KWtD_2ec/VKwxga6vRNI/AAAAAAAAEDY/VfD6OJg94dc/s1600/mom%2Bcalendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1B-KWtD_2ec/VKwxga6vRNI/AAAAAAAAEDY/VfD6OJg94dc/s1600/mom%2Bcalendar.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Weekly-Planner-Orange-Circle-Corporation/dp/B00N9T4CCG/ref=sr_1_7?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1420570747&sr=1-7&keywords=mom+planner" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">2015 Mom Do-it-All Weekly Planner</a><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> - Great reviews and perfect for all the busy moms running from this place to that with a van full of kids or teens.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is part of my 31 Days of Home Economics series. You can find the full list at the tab above <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/p/31-days-of-home-economics.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">{Home Economics}.</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana;"><em>Like this post? Will you please share it with your friends on your social media? You can also follow me on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter. Click the social media icon of your choice in the right sidebar.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm sharing this with a few of <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/p/linky-parties.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">these friends</span></a>! Thanks for stopping by!</span><br />
<a href="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-37033550221499854102014-12-31T07:30:00.000-05:002014-12-31T07:30:03.486-05:00You Won't Believe Your Eyes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6VBHgGymq7k/VKNa5Lzet3I/AAAAAAAAD9s/HG316mXJIXc/s1600/abby%2Bbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6VBHgGymq7k/VKNa5Lzet3I/AAAAAAAAD9s/HG316mXJIXc/s1600/abby%2Bbook.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
I love a good before and after! Home renovations (that aren't mine),furniture makeovers, beauty makeovers, etc. I am always amazed at the afters. Recently, I was introduced to a product that I absolutely love. My sister first tried the product out after seeing a friend's before and after. She bought it, tried it and before I knew what hit me, I received a text like this...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i-cNr2yM_U/VKNZsd8Ul8I/AAAAAAAAD9M/oyeqYPT9hBU/s1600/julie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i-cNr2yM_U/VKNZsd8Ul8I/AAAAAAAAD9M/oyeqYPT9hBU/s1600/julie.JPG" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #38761d;">Left: 3D Fiber Lash - Right: Regular mascara</span></em></div>
She has been batting her eyelashes ever since! So, like a good sister, I looked into the product. I sort of got side tracked because of all the<a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-experiences.html"> crazy going on in my life</a>, but then I saw a giveaway for the very same product and just had to enter. Low and behold, and much to my surprise - I won! I couldn't wait to get it in the mail and when I did it was nighttime, so I decided to wait until morning to try it out. The next morning, I tried my new <a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-1017-00#.VKNWRWfu3iw">Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara</a> and was SHOCKED at the results. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIS6A7Gefw/VKNabAuo0LI/AAAAAAAAD9k/lfgQVQBxTmE/s1600/amy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIS6A7Gefw/VKNabAuo0LI/AAAAAAAAD9k/lfgQVQBxTmE/s1600/amy.JPG" height="640" width="598" /></a></div>
So, last week when my family was gathered at my sister's house for Christmas, my mom got wind of this amazing mascara and immediately bought it. I cannot believe I didn't get a video of her reaction. It was EPIC. There was a lot of "Oh my word!" and "Goodness Gracious!" and "I cannot believe this!" And looking at this before and after of her that day, you'll see why...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N1TJ-o3Pxf0/VKNaCt-bzEI/AAAAAAAAD9U/mKq6r27G5PM/s1600/mom%2Bside%2Bview%2Bbefore%2Bafter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N1TJ-o3Pxf0/VKNaCt-bzEI/AAAAAAAAD9U/mKq6r27G5PM/s1600/mom%2Bside%2Bview%2Bbefore%2Bafter.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
This<a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/products/view/US-1017-00#.VKNWRWfu3iw"> Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara</a> is totally awesome and once you try it you will never go back! On my sister, my mom and myself, it has made our lashes look 1/4 inch longer, as well as, thicker and fuller. I am loving it so much I decided to sell it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5fZ5CgxBgk/VKNaO5gUkcI/AAAAAAAAD9c/c-xrCRdRQuI/s1600/eyes%2Bmascara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5fZ5CgxBgk/VKNaO5gUkcI/AAAAAAAAD9c/c-xrCRdRQuI/s1600/eyes%2Bmascara.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
The technique is easy and takes 1 minute to apply. The mascara comes in a nice case with two tubes. One is the Transplanting Gel which is basically just awesome black mascara. The second tube is the Natural Fibers. It looks like a fuzzy wand. You put on your regular mascara first. Let it dry. Then, start with one eye, lower lash and apply the transplanting gel. Right after, apply the natural fibers. Then, another coat of transplanting gel to seal the fibers on. Then, move to the top lid and then do the other eye the same way. Don't forget to take a picture after you do one eye because you'll need it to show all of your friends your amazing before and after!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9aXPqR322I/VKNcF4KkffI/AAAAAAAAD90/5DLlMfdpDoI/s1600/amy%2Bhat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9aXPqR322I/VKNcF4KkffI/AAAAAAAAD90/5DLlMfdpDoI/s1600/amy%2Bhat.jpg" height="640" width="498" /></a></div>
This stuff is water resistant, stays on all day long and cleans off easily with facial cleanser and water. Unbelievable. It's what you've been waiting for your whole life!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9Fg_z-cFQQ/VKNdMKTpCYI/AAAAAAAAD98/wc85UkehwCA/s1600/abby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9Fg_z-cFQQ/VKNdMKTpCYI/AAAAAAAAD98/wc85UkehwCA/s1600/abby.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></a></div>
If you want to try this for yourself (which I highly suggest), check out my website <a href="http://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie">www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie</a> or my Facebook Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Younique3DSassyLashes?ref=bookmarks">Younique Sassy Lashes </a><br />
<br />
Right now I have a <a href="https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyMcCombie/party/1139854/view"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><strong>Younique Party</strong></span></a> going on and I'd love for you to check out all the cool products that Younique has to offer. This party will close in 10 days.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-21070862092813123742014-12-15T20:29:00.000-05:002014-12-15T20:29:45.645-05:00Holly Jolly Happenings...(+ free printable!) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfeYbE1O7hA/VI-KFAkwKnI/AAAAAAAAD84/o6l-YrelCig/s1600/holly%2Bjolly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfeYbE1O7hA/VI-KFAkwKnI/AAAAAAAAD84/o6l-YrelCig/s1600/holly%2Bjolly.jpg" height="640" width="428" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Get this free printable <a href="http://www.onsuttonplace.com/2014/11/free-christmas-printables/">here</a>!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The most wonderful time of year is upon us and while I'd love to be back in the blogging saddle more consistently right now, I've been busy with many other things and intentionally spending more time with my family. As you can tell from <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/08/were-moving.html">this</a> and <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/09/coming-out-of-whirlwind.html">this</a>, my world has been turned upside down since August. Blogging is still a passion of mine, and my plan is to get back to it more often starting in January.<br />
<br />
To catch you up, here's what's been going on lately:<br />
<br />
1. We are finishing up our first semester ever of homeschooling. My girls are in 6th, 3rd and 1st grade and these last few months have taught me a few things.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I'm stronger than I thought I was. Doesn't the song say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?" While I hate the song, I think it might have a little truth to it. The jury's still out. I'll keep you posted, but if you don't hear from me again, forget everything I just said.</li>
<li>Never say "NEVER". After 38 years of life, I should know better. I have said for years I would never homeschool. The fact is while I do not <b><i>love</i></b> everything about it, I <i><b>like</b></i> a whole lot about it. However, there are days when I have to remind myself exactly what it is that I like and hope that the next day will be better.</li>
</ul>
<div>
2. Our days in this apartment are numbered and for that I am so thankful! We are building a house and hope to move in next Spring. So, in the meantime, we are learning to share our personal space and looking forward to having a little more of our own space in the near future. It will be worth it! We decorated very simply this year with one of our small trees adorned with the girls' keepsake ornaments, new stockings (because we can't find our old ones - 3/4ths of our belongings are still in boxes), and a lighted wreath above the mantel. On the bright side, it will be easy taking it all down.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. With my husband's new job (hence the reason we moved to Kentucky), we have more time together as a family. It's been such a blessing! We have explored so many fun places in just this short time of living here. Some of our favorites have been the Cincinnati Art Museum, The Cincinnati History Museum, and the Creation Museum. (Do you detect a theme?) Stay tuned for my review of all of our favorite places in case you plan to visit Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati anytime in the future.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. I have begun a new adventure in the world of essential oils! I started using essential oils several months ago and have been amazed at how they help me and my family to stay healthy or heal from different things. I plan to post periodically about the oils I love and use most, but if you'd like more info in the meantime, check out my website! www.mydoterra.com/amymccombie I'm a believer in the power of these natural oils and benefit greatly from using them. Do you use them? If so, what are your favorites and what do you use them for? I'd love to know!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's about all for now! I'll be back soon, but until next time.... Merry Christmas from my family to yours!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/"><b><span style="color: red;">Pinterest boards</span></b></a> for lots of Christmas inspiration!</div>
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-58693692534481362582014-11-12T12:37:00.000-05:002014-11-12T12:37:20.742-05:00New Experiences... <br />
Hey People! Remember me? Yeah, I'm sorry it's been so long since normal blogging has occurred. We are finally starting to feel like normal people again after our big move {read: life-altering experience}. Since <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/08/were-moving.html"><span style="color: blue;">moving to Kentucky</span></a>, we've been experiencing lots of 'new' stuff. Prior to moving here, we had never even been to this area except for a brief, whirlwind weekend when Hubs and I came to find a temporary home to live in. Every weekend is a new adventure as we explore our new home. I have to say, it's full of so many fun things to do! My husband's schedule allows for a 3 day weekend every weekend {after 7 years of being on call for 24/7} so we spend nearly every Friday and Saturday exploring the Cincinnati area. I had no idea how much history there is here!! We are really loving it here. {Keep in mind, winter hasn't come yet.....hopefully, I'll still love it after Winter.}<br />
<br />
Another new for us is living in an apartment. While apartment life is less-than-glamorous, it is kind of nice to have very little cleaning to do. The downside is that we are living among stacks of boxes and cannot find anything. The plus-side is that we will only live here until Spring. Thankfully, our house sold very quickly in South Carolina and we've already begun the building process of our new house. We are so excited to move into our new house! {My <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/"><span style="color: blue;">pinterest boards</span></a> pretty much prove how excited I am!} It's been over 12 years since the Hubs and I lived in an apartment and this is a first for our kids. Needless to say, it is very much different than living in a house and presents unique challenges like keeping the noise-level to a minimum.....with 3 kids....on the 3rd floor.... I never realized how loud we were when walking up the stairs or just casually through the house. Someone should have told us we sounded like a stampede! We are learning to be a little more quiet, so that is a good thing, I guess.<br />
<br />
Probably the biggest 'new' thing in our lives is homeschooling. I still cannot believe that homeschooling is a part of my life. I specifically remember saying {more than once} I would <i><b>never</b></i> homeschool. It's not because I had anything against homeschooling in particular, it just wasn't what God had for our family until now. We were very fortunate to live in an area of South Carolina that had good public schools {we had already tried out christian school, too} and we had very good experiences in our schools there. There are obvious advantages to all three types of schooling, but for this year, we are thankful to be homeschooling. There are moments when I want to pull my hair out, but mostly we all enjoy it. I absolutely love the flexibility. It has been such a stress relief to me not to have to run to and from two different schools doing carline and packing lunches, doing homework all evening, etc. With all the change that happened in our lives in late August/early September, homeschooling has been a blessing allowing us to adjust slowly into our new setting here. As always, we'll take it year by year and decide what's best for each child each year. We're moving into a good school district, so who knows what our future holds!<br />
<br />
One thing I keep hearing about is the winter weather. As soon as people hear we are from South Carolina, they seem almost too happy to tell us about last year's horrible record-breaking winter and then they ask us how we are going to survive it. I happened to love SC's mild winters (if one can love a winter) as I'm not a big fan of freezing to death. I don't like to be cold and I don't like to wear winter coats. I'm pretty sure I only wore my wool coat maybe two times last winter. However, I'm pretty sure I will survive my first Kentucky winter. I just won't go anywhere until Spring. ;) Hubs grew up in Massachusetts so he will be fine. I'm praying Kentucky will have an unusually mild winter - who cares what the farmer's almanac says? We did buy our kids their very first pairs of snow pants/coats, though, just in case.<br />
<br />
So, that's what we have been doing around here lately. I'll be back to blogging a little more regularly soon. Sewing in this apartment is not exactly 'fun', so I may not get my sewing machine out until I have a proper place set up in my new house. Have I mentioned how excited I am about that?!?<br />
<br />
Happy Hump Day to all of you! How are you preparing for your winter?? Any winter survival tips for this southern girl are greatly appreciated.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-4092471692945246882014-09-16T19:16:00.002-04:002014-09-16T19:16:48.409-04:00Coming Out of a Whirlwind... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9hFvVvb_Dk/VBi9yCGQeWI/AAAAAAAAD7o/p81d8-WAn9Y/s1600/truck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9hFvVvb_Dk/VBi9yCGQeWI/AAAAAAAAD7o/p81d8-WAn9Y/s1600/truck1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
As you may have seen in my last post, my family and I recently relocated to Kentucky! This is partly why I've been absent from the blogging world for a little more than a month. In some ways it feels much longer than a month, but in other ways, I still can't believe I live in Kentucky already. This post may be more interesting to personal friends and family, but I thought I'd tell you a bit about our life for the last month. If you aren't really interested, feel free to skip this post until I can find my thread and start sewing again!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJsUJpEbipA/VBi9TYEHznI/AAAAAAAAD7g/OWYCab6nmGI/s1600/bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJsUJpEbipA/VBi9TYEHznI/AAAAAAAAD7g/OWYCab6nmGI/s1600/bible.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
My husband and I had been praying for a new job for him for close to two years. His past job was very demanding and downright stressful for quite a few months. There were some extremely challenging and emotionally draining weeks and months there and times when our girls hardly got to see their dad. Family dinners were very rare and even going to church as a family was difficult without being disrupted by work. Needless to say, we really wanted a change in jobs. To make a long story short, we prayed fervently for almost two years about it. During that time, we learned many valuable lessons about Who God is. I have known for a very long time that God is faithful, but I grew to appreciate Him so much more during those challenging times. He loves, He forgives, He is always with me, His grace really is sufficient for every need and His timing is perfect.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-91OcVrDaGgo/VBi-DkNyZEI/AAAAAAAAD7w/EH5z0MfLJng/s1600/moving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-91OcVrDaGgo/VBi-DkNyZEI/AAAAAAAAD7w/EH5z0MfLJng/s1600/moving.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Fast forward to July of this year. My husband had been putting in resumes all over the country and some even international (without my knowing!!) so when he started getting calls back from these places, I was a little nervous. He had a job offer in Maine previous to this that we had turned down. It was just way too far from 'home' and Winter hadn't exactly been nice there last year - who am I kidding?!? They still had snow on the ground in April when he received the offer. No, thank you! Then, he had an opportunity to go to Turkey. ?? Even further from home. So, we kept looking. In July, he had a few interviews all in different states. One was ruled out pretty quickly. It finally came down to the last two. One in NC, one in KY. So, we prayed more specifically and he went back for final interviews. We really didn't know which way to go. Through a series of events, we decided to choose KY. We were thrilled about it! This was an answer to a few very specific requests that we had prayed and hoped for for a long time. He accepted the job July 31st. And that's when the CRAZY began!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aw50oMxMk1Y/VBi-PoLDmqI/AAAAAAAAD74/5ws-TKByxOg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aw50oMxMk1Y/VBi-PoLDmqI/AAAAAAAAD74/5ws-TKByxOg/s1600/1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
As soon as he accepted, he gave his two week notice at work. By August 4th, we had a realtor to help us sell our house, a moving company was lined up to give us a quote on moving our earthly belongings and I was hosting my 2nd sewing camp at my house. On the second day of sewing camp, the mover came to walk through the house during my sewing camp with 9 girls, including my own 3. That night, our realtor came to take pics of our house for the MLS. Meanwhile, I was cleaning and packing up personal belongings. August 8, my husband and I left for Kentucky to search for a temporary place to live. We had essentially one day to figure it out because he had to be back to work that Monday. On our way out of town, we sold my husband's vehicle because it wouldn't have made it to KY from SC. He had listed it on Craigslist and just a few hours later, it sold! So, we drove to this very unfamiliar city to try to find housing that we could move into 2 weeks later. We did find an apartment to lease short-term (which was harder than we anticipated!). By this time, we had also decided on a moving company and had already had a few showings on our house. We got back to SC and had to get our 'stuff' packed that we didn't want the movers to pack. We also had more important things to do like meeting up with all our friends for last-minute play dates and face-to-face chats since it would be awhile before we'd get back together. I'm SO thankful for those times. Leaving friends behind is so hard for the whole family, but being able to spend time with them was a real blessing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFh6cFnKQCE/VBjBCo8j9iI/AAAAAAAAD8U/5Yg8gW9O8x8/s1600/photo%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFh6cFnKQCE/VBjBCo8j9iI/AAAAAAAAD8U/5Yg8gW9O8x8/s1600/photo%2B%283%29.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
On Friday, August 15th, the packers came and packed up everything that wasn't nailed down. There were boxes everywhere!! And we were still having a lot of showings on our house - sometimes even double showings!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p42vDiMH3as/VBi_yUk89WI/AAAAAAAAD8A/EWP1NV3VUdI/s1600/faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p42vDiMH3as/VBi_yUk89WI/AAAAAAAAD8A/EWP1NV3VUdI/s1600/faith.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
August 17th was our last day at our beloved church. It was an emotional day for me personally, but also a very encouraging and hope-filled send off. Our sweet college class friends had a pancake breakfast and sweet time of prayer for us on our last Sunday morning together. That was a highlight of the day even though I had cried off half of my makeup by the end of it. Our pastor met us first thing when we walked into church that morning and gave us some encouraging words and a good perspective on moving and having to leave behind our church body. I knew it would be difficult to leave the church body we have grown to love so much over many years and it is still hard to be away from them. That has been the hardest part of this whole move. On Sunday night, our closest friends had a fellowship for us with homemade ice cream and some other yummy snacks and I took too many selfies with my friends and plastered them all over Instagram like only a true friend would do. It was a wonderful day. Many tears were shed over having to say goodbye, but that's what happens when God gives you the blessing of friendship. My, how blessed we are!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9bDXqhuqes/VBjA6VGxv1I/AAAAAAAAD8I/k68VgOHk1l4/s1600/photo%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9bDXqhuqes/VBjA6VGxv1I/AAAAAAAAD8I/k68VgOHk1l4/s1600/photo%2B(4).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
On Tuesday, August 19th, the movers showed up bright and early and began loading all of our earthly belongings onto a big truck. I had my doubts that it would all fit, but it did. About 7 hours later, they drove off with all of our possessions, minus those we were moving ourselves. It was kind of sad. We spent the rest of the day and night cleaning like crazy.<br />
<br />
Wednesday morning came and we had to drive to TN (our halfway point which happens to be where my family lives), but once we got to TN, my husband had arranged to look at some cars for sale in that area. (Yes, en route to our final destination - as if there wasn't enough crazy going on!!) We did that and then got to stop at my parents' house for lunch which was worth the trip! We spent a short time there and then drove on toward my sister's house, but not before looking at a few more cars.<br />
<br />
Thursday morning, we got up and drove to KY. It was a beautiful trip and we were able to get the keys to our apartment in the afternoon. It was a little nuts, but since our furniture and stuff wasn't getting here until Saturday, we had time to explore our new city for a couple of days.....and, again, look at cars. {Sigh.} That night, we received an offer on our house!! And by Friday morning, we had a contract. {We close this month!!!!}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pB6hELn9k5c/VBjBc1LX0_I/AAAAAAAAD8Y/c4SHkl1E8YI/s1600/photo%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pB6hELn9k5c/VBjBc1LX0_I/AAAAAAAAD8Y/c4SHkl1E8YI/s1600/photo%2B(2).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Finally, Saturday came and so did our furniture. It took awhile to unload, and I felt sorry for the guys having to haul boxes and furniture up three flights of stairs. We were exhausted by day's end, but so excited to meet up with our close friends from home that were on their way home from Michigan that day. We met up with them at our local Steak N Shake for a short time (too short!!), but it was great to be able to see familiar faces again. Especially their's - we've been friends for 15+ years!<br />
<br />
All of that took place in 3 weeks time. My husband has been on the job now for almost 3 weeks. We did finally find him a reliable vehicle and we have managed to settle in to our temporary apartment as much as we are going to. I still haven't found my silverware or my cereal bowls, but I bought some cheap replacements!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YmCaA7XLqWM/VBjEx0kjhtI/AAAAAAAAD8g/1HS69xdq0Gs/s1600/dinner1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YmCaA7XLqWM/VBjEx0kjhtI/AAAAAAAAD8g/1HS69xdq0Gs/s1600/dinner1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Fall has come to Northern Kentucky. Or I guess I should say Fall weather! The leaves haven't changed yet, but the weather sure is cooler. It's time for this South Carolina girl to go buy some warmer clothes!<br />
<br />
.....and that's what we've been up to. And might be the reason I haven't blogged lately.... I'll be back soon!<br />
<br />
Oh, and I forgot to mention one little detail....as if our lives hadn't been turned upside down enough, we decided to start homeschooling our girls for the first time this year. Something I said I'd <i>never</i> do. Never say never?? Yeah, lesson learned. More on that later!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-52401825387585274152014-08-11T13:36:00.000-04:002014-08-11T13:36:09.861-04:00We're MOVING! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9L9ufpbM4Q/U-j934mr4tI/AAAAAAAAD1I/YC_3E89mv_M/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9L9ufpbM4Q/U-j934mr4tI/AAAAAAAAD1I/YC_3E89mv_M/s1600/cover.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
The last 12 days have been a whirlwind of excitement around here! In these past 12 days, my husband accepted a job in Northern Kentucky, we got our house ready and listed our house for sale, sold one of our vehicles, traveled to Kentucky to find temporary housing, and have gone to some doctor appointments to get us ready for school, etc. in Kentucky.<br />
<br />
This is our last full week in our home and our wonderful city so needless to say, this week is very busy with finishing up doctor's appointments and getting everything ready for the movers to come next week. I am ready to get settled in our new place and get into a routine.<br />
<br />
Blogging will be set aside until I can get internet connections, etc. I'm guessing it will be a couple weeks until I can get back to the blog, but I'll be looking forward to it!!<br />
<br />
Prayers appreciated!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-79910033392323070652014-08-08T10:46:00.002-04:002014-08-08T10:46:56.917-04:00Shared Bedroom Makeover Reveal {Finally!} <br />
I wasn't sure if this post was ever going to make it, but I'm finally able to show the AFTER post of this shared girls' bedroom makeover!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NHGggUO0iII/U-TiRdmPJ6I/AAAAAAAAD04/ZImCeUJuzHc/s1600/cover+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NHGggUO0iII/U-TiRdmPJ6I/AAAAAAAAD04/ZImCeUJuzHc/s1600/cover+after.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I finished the whole room back in June, but wasn't ready to show the pics because <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/06/update-on-shared-girls-room-makeover.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">I hadn't decided what to hang above the girls' beds</span></a>. I couldn't quite decide. And then I forgot to post the after pics until now. So, here's what the before looked like - during the painting process:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hXSP0LxmlN8/U-TcdY6NkAI/AAAAAAAAD0I/dhmng-z6D0k/s1600/before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hXSP0LxmlN8/U-TcdY6NkAI/AAAAAAAAD0I/dhmng-z6D0k/s1600/before1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
And here's the AFTER!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bpt9ErVrU6Q/U-TfLZXKOII/AAAAAAAAD0U/hAwHmOcWIkk/s1600/1.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bpt9ErVrU6Q/U-TfLZXKOII/AAAAAAAAD0U/hAwHmOcWIkk/s1600/1.2.jpg" height="640" width="564" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QFSRSbI300/U-TfM0XXHQI/AAAAAAAAD0c/VuZQOCGC1G8/s1600/1.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QFSRSbI300/U-TfM0XXHQI/AAAAAAAAD0c/VuZQOCGC1G8/s1600/1.3.jpg" height="640" width="542" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3GIn45KfN_4/U-TfNknLgQI/AAAAAAAAD0k/6ax8nA1-RzQ/s1600/1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3GIn45KfN_4/U-TfNknLgQI/AAAAAAAAD0k/6ax8nA1-RzQ/s1600/1.1.jpg" height="640" width="596" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9a4WGCB4q4/U-TfOqglzEI/AAAAAAAAD0o/scZPm7y4tqc/s1600/1.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9a4WGCB4q4/U-TfOqglzEI/AAAAAAAAD0o/scZPm7y4tqc/s1600/1.4.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
I'm so happy with how it turned out! The blue was a very welcome change for my girls. And the white bedding, I'm happy to say, is still bright white with no stains, etc. (some of you were worried it might not be a good idea in a kids bedroom - I say Go For It!!) Even after the kids being home all summer long and spending lots of time playing in their room, I know I made the right choice! It brightens up a room perfectly.<br />
<br />
So, what do you think??<br />
<br />
Read more about this makeover in these posts below:<br />
<a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-to-cover-lampshade-with-fabric.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">How to Cover a Lampshade with Fabric</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/05/shared-girls-room-makeover-before.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Shared Girls' Room Makeover {the BEFORE}</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/06/update-on-shared-girls-room-makeover.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Shared Girls' Room Update</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/06/hoop-art-five-ways.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Hoop Art 5 Ways</span></a><br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-76161271575055820162014-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:002014-08-03T06:00:04.525-04:00Grand Opening Announcement! <br />
Yesterday was the official Grand Opening of my new favorite online jewelry boutique! I cannot tell y'all how long I've been waiting for this day. For a couple of years now, my sister-in-law, has been dreaming and planning for this big day. I've been so excited to watch this dream of hers become a reality and yesterday was that day!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5kP5ZkVuLg/U92mGt5AAcI/AAAAAAAADz4/oTCG-2qSS3w/s1600/amelialawrence_new_logo_thumb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5kP5ZkVuLg/U92mGt5AAcI/AAAAAAAADz4/oTCG-2qSS3w/s1600/amelialawrence_new_logo_thumb.png" height="75" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">AmeliaLawrence</span></a> is an online boutique of elegant, handmade jewelry. I've seen some of these pieces in person and have watched in amazement as she creates these gorgeous unique accessories. It's not really fair to call them accessories, though. I feel that each piece is the main event and the clothing worn with them just helps add to these one-of-a-kind beauties. Amy searches all over the world for just the right elements to put into each piece. She finds inspiration in vintage items that tell a story and makes them new again. You have to check out all of her pieces online - I guarantee you'll have a favorite. Or two. Or ten.<br />
<br />
Here are a few of my very favorite pieces... {in no particular order - I can't narrow it down to just one!!}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U9C6tWCaRGU/U92jKVL2NpI/AAAAAAAADy8/r_PIskU3fP4/s1600/amelialawrence+all+buttoned+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U9C6tWCaRGU/U92jKVL2NpI/AAAAAAAADy8/r_PIskU3fP4/s1600/amelialawrence+all+buttoned+up.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/all-buttoned-up/"><span style="color: #38761d;">All Buttoned Up</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b79kgM7ZL3o/U92jNS_n9xI/AAAAAAAADzE/X-Irb22Bceo/s1600/amelialawrence+cotton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b79kgM7ZL3o/U92jNS_n9xI/AAAAAAAADzE/X-Irb22Bceo/s1600/amelialawrence+cotton.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/elegant-cotton/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Elegant Cotton</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_eLxsHrc8/U92jOElo8gI/AAAAAAAADzI/Cn5Off6aABU/s1600/amelialawrence+down+lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_eLxsHrc8/U92jOElo8gI/AAAAAAAADzI/Cn5Off6aABU/s1600/amelialawrence+down+lane.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/down-the-lane/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Down the Lane</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tW3An0KD-m0/U92jPTDqjcI/AAAAAAAADzU/aGcCUesCRnw/s1600/amelialawrence+pick+daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tW3An0KD-m0/U92jPTDqjcI/AAAAAAAADzU/aGcCUesCRnw/s1600/amelialawrence+pick+daisy.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/not-disappointed/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Pick Me a Daisy</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bqn1wiBbR1U/U92jQD_DMtI/AAAAAAAADzc/uBO0KXZfTSc/s1600/amelialawrence+wedding+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bqn1wiBbR1U/U92jQD_DMtI/AAAAAAAADzc/uBO0KXZfTSc/s1600/amelialawrence+wedding+party.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/wedding-party/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Wedding Party</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1rzG2ujZpiM/U92jRjbVrkI/AAAAAAAADzk/GrzRFBBJdlA/s1600/amelialawrence+wood+you+be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1rzG2ujZpiM/U92jRjbVrkI/AAAAAAAADzk/GrzRFBBJdlA/s1600/amelialawrence+wood+you+be.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/wood-you-be/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Wood You Be</span></a></div>
<br />
Amy's vision behind this dream came from what she describes here: <span style="color: #5a5353; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"having opportunities to travel parts of the world, has opened my eyes to style, color, textures and the truth that all women want something unique; to be fashionably different from the lady walking beside them."<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
Read more about <a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">AmeliaLawrence</span></a> and how it came to be <a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/about/"><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Go check out <a href="http://amelialawrence.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">AmeliaLawrence.com</span></a>! I know you will not be disappointed. Bookmark her page or Pin the items you love to Pinterest so you can go back often to see new inventory! And don't forget to tell your friends about this lovely new online boutique.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lV6roa8Jas4/U92l04xdvdI/AAAAAAAADzw/r49mAdP7f8s/s1600/amelialawrence+simply+gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lV6roa8Jas4/U92l04xdvdI/AAAAAAAADzw/r49mAdP7f8s/s1600/amelialawrence+simply+gold.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/simply-gold/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Simply Gold</span></a></div>
<br />
Oh! I almost forgot - you've got to see her beautifully subtle <a href="http://www.amelialawrence.com/earrings/"><span style="color: #38761d;">earring collection</span></a>, too!! I have two of the first pairs of earrings she began making and am complimented every time I wear them.<br />
<br />
If you love what you see, tell her Amy sent you! {Yes, we have the same name!}<br />
<br />
Happy Shopping!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-20901265979884540402014-07-29T17:24:00.002-04:002014-07-29T17:24:54.924-04:00Home Economics<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is a repost from last October when I blogged for thirty-one days about Home Economics. Thought it would be fun to repost!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eizpp-fb7Fk/UkGce-rSgCI/AAAAAAAACOw/8DALJAyZ8Oo/s1600/31days+gray+backgrnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eizpp-fb7Fk/UkGce-rSgCI/AAAAAAAACOw/8DALJAyZ8Oo/s1600/31days+gray+backgrnd.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome to my first 31 Days series! More may be added in the future, but this year I'm posting every day for the 31 days in October 2013 on Home Economics.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There will be a host of topics covered here which will all be very practical. I have a B.S. degree in Home Economics and spent four years studying it, so posting for 31 days should be pretty fun with a broad range of interesting and helpful ideas and resources! Each day beginning October 1st a new link will be added here to this page. {Scroll down to see links to each day!}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxT7Qxee8YA/UkMUe9swEvI/AAAAAAAACPc/mQZgk9ysnvY/s1600/follow+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxT7Qxee8YA/UkMUe9swEvI/AAAAAAAACPc/mQZgk9ysnvY/s400/follow+me.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Ways to follow me on this journey: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/life-is-sew-daily/"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Pinterest</strong></span></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/LifeIsSewDaily"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/#116038834947151755850/posts"><span style="color: #38761d;"><strong>Google+,</strong></span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thedomesticlife"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Twitter</strong></span></a>, subscribe by email in the sidebar, subscribe to my feed in the sidebar, add me to your home screen of your mobile device <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-new-iphone-icon-make-your-own.html"><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>, </em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you'll join me here every day in October! I'm excited to share this journey with you!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day One: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-family-dinner-free-printable.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Family Dinner {+ free printable}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Two: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-budget-meals-meal-planning.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Budget Meals {+ free printable}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Three: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/never-forget-item-on-your-grocery-list.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Never Forget an Item on Your Grocery List {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Four: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-plan-party-or-other-themed-event.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Plan a Party or Other Themed Event {+ free printable}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Five: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-key-ingredient-to-recipe-of-success.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Key Ingredient to the Recipe for Success</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Six: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/sewing-kit-essentials.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sewing Kit Essentials</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Seven: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-read-sewing-pattern.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Read a Sewing Pattern</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Eight: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-cut-out-pattern.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Cut Out a Pattern</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Nine: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-sew-without-pattern.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Sew Without a Pattern</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Ten: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/sewing-tutorials-for-beginners.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sewing Tutorials for Beginners</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Eleven: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/sew-many-gifts-to-make-sew-little-time.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sew Many Gifts Tutorial Roundup</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twelve: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-delegate-home-management.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Home Management: How to Delegate {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Thirteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-management-binder-roundup-free.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Home Management Binder Roundup {free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Fourteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-well-managed-home-time-management.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Well-Managed Home: Time Management {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Fifteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-well-managed-home-laundry.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Well-Managed Home: The Laundry Room {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Sixteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-well-managed-home-kitchen.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Well-Managed Home: The Kitchen</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Seventeen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-well-managed-home-linen-closet.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Well-Managaed Home: The Linen Closet</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Eighteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-be-hostess-with-mostest.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Be a Hostess with the Mostest {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Nineteen: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-entertain-on-budget-food-edition.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Entertain on a Budget: Food Edition {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/hostessing-how-to-write-invitation-free.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Write an Invitation {+ free printables}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-One: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/5-ways-to-roll-out-red-carpet.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">5 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet {Welcoming Guests}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Two: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-say-thank-you.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Say Thank You</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Three: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/hostess-gift-roundup.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hostess Gift Roundup</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Four: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-clean-top-of-your-cabinets-once.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Clean your Cabinets ONCE & NEVER Do it Again!</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Five: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-easiest-way-to-clean-ceiling-fan.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Easiest Way to Clean a Ceiling Fan</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Six: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-best-window-cleaning-tricks-around.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The BEST Window Cleaning Tricks Around {Or so they say}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Seven: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/5-benefits-of-clean-home.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">5 Benefits of a Clean Home</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Eight: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/no-sew-ruffled-hipster-tutorial.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">No-Sew Ruffled Hipster</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Twenty-Nine: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/ruffled-t-shirt-makeover-sew-easy.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ruffled T-Shirt Makeover {Sew Easy}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Thirty: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/whos-with-me.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Who's With Me? {Fabric Stashers}</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Day Thirth-One: <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/10/31-days-of-home-economics-day-31.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Day 31</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Go back and check out other bloggers from this 31 Day Challenge <a href="http://www.thenester.com/house-home-category"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a>. And stay tuned! This October I plan to do another 31 Day series - topic to be determined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As always, thank you for stopping by!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-59906861727201573532014-07-25T11:45:00.000-04:002014-07-25T11:45:08.368-04:00My First Sewing Camp <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXkcu_CpdsQ/U9J7Gu6CCnI/AAAAAAAADx8/DlI6qwBhEP4/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXkcu_CpdsQ/U9J7Gu6CCnI/AAAAAAAADx8/DlI6qwBhEP4/s1600/cover.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
A couple of weeks ago, I held my very first sewing camp. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I was a little nervous about it because of never having done it before, but it was a great success! I so enjoyed planning for it and then teaching young girls how to start sewing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CItZMFh2XyM/U9J1OfuJieI/AAAAAAAADxA/7PXd7YgQbOo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CItZMFh2XyM/U9J1OfuJieI/AAAAAAAADxA/7PXd7YgQbOo/s1600/1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
We had a fun week with much chatter, giggling and learning. The girls came every morning very excited to get to work on their projects and they really learned quickly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tg3A56YwurA/U9J1nHYuvxI/AAAAAAAADxI/nLV7XHSWlVU/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tg3A56YwurA/U9J1nHYuvxI/AAAAAAAADxI/nLV7XHSWlVU/s1600/2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Our goal was to make two projects while learning the basics of sewing. {I plan to write a post on how to throw your own sewing camp in just a few weeks, so stay tuned for all the details!}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyyT2YrF8U8/U9J2K9AjeEI/AAAAAAAADxQ/J3YpuyJhxKk/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyyT2YrF8U8/U9J2K9AjeEI/AAAAAAAADxQ/J3YpuyJhxKk/s1600/3.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
We made skirts the first two days.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8ETKGjMbSw/U9J2qAlQ8DI/AAAAAAAADxc/Q8FTmCPxJmg/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8ETKGjMbSw/U9J2qAlQ8DI/AAAAAAAADxc/Q8FTmCPxJmg/s1600/4.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
But their favorite project was making a cross-body bag. They were all about the bag! It's such a practical item and they were thrilled that they actually made it themselves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lT6ZbEhLNA8/U9J4c_ZI_6I/AAAAAAAADxw/Na5IZl1CIZo/s1600/5.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lT6ZbEhLNA8/U9J4c_ZI_6I/AAAAAAAADxw/Na5IZl1CIZo/s1600/5.1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
It was a rewarding week. The excitement these girls had about learning a skill that will benefit them for a lifetime was worth every seam that had to be ripped out and resewn!<br />
<br />
One more sewing camp is in my near future and then I'll post all about my planning process and share how you can host your own sewing camp! It was a blast!!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-80927600701492714302014-07-09T07:48:00.000-04:002014-07-09T07:48:00.454-04:00Creating Clothespin People: Hours of Fun on a Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iyr70hvktTE/U7yzrrC3gqI/AAAAAAAADuc/UgWbHslVCAw/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iyr70hvktTE/U7yzrrC3gqI/AAAAAAAADuc/UgWbHslVCAw/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
At the beginning of every summer I tell myself I'm going to do more 'crafty' things with my girls. I have three of them and they all love crafting. I have to admit, I'm not really into crafting lots of things that I don't have a purpose for. I love sewing - especially when I'm sewing for a purpose or something I can and will use. I like making jewelry and other things, but getting out the glue and paint and glitter and all sorts of other crafty things --- not so much. I decided, though, that this summer would be different. I'd try to overcome my own dislike of making big, sticky messes and let my girls create things, to a certain degree. And you know what? They LOVE it. As it turns out, they are much more creative and imaginative that I thought they were and I love watching them.<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, I found a package of old fashioned clothespins at a local thrift store for $2.00. There were about 24 clothespins in there and I thought, "Hmm...these would be fun to make dolls with!" So, I bought them and a few days later, when I started hearing those all-too-familiar words, "I'm bored", I got them out. I decided to put a few pieces of scrap fabric in a bag with some yarn and my hot glue gun and then brought the bag out to the kitchen table {where all of our messy crafting is done} and then called my girls in. They went nuts! I gave them free reign of it all after a quick lesson in hot glue gun safety and they got right to it. They worked at least 2 hours on it before we had to go somewhere. And guess what they wanted to do the next day? A couple days later, their cousins came to town and they joined in on the fun. We ran out of clothespins quickly.<br />
<br />
So, I went in search of more old fashioned clothespins and found something even better! While the girls had used the round clothespins previously, Hobby Lobby had the same type, only they are flat on the front and back. This gave me another fun idea - paint them! So, I bought one bag of tall flat ones and one bag of round ones.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPjgzH-OQ-c/U7y1fJHSZhI/AAAAAAAADuo/A55Kyb8fHMM/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPjgzH-OQ-c/U7y1fJHSZhI/AAAAAAAADuo/A55Kyb8fHMM/s1600/a.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></div>
As soon as we got home, I brought out my stash of craft paints and paint brushes <strike>and tried not to panic thinking about the mess that could happen</strike> and sat down with my girls to paint some people! I painted a few to help give them ideas of how to paint them and then I let them go crazy! They sat quietly at the table painting people and complementing each other on their work for FOUR hours!!! I could not believe it. No electronic devices, no TV, no fighting. Just happily painting together. Best.Day.Ever!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxa852NsyoA/U7y1qD05JCI/AAAAAAAADuw/LkjOWq10EEU/s1600/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxa852NsyoA/U7y1qD05JCI/AAAAAAAADuw/LkjOWq10EEU/s1600/b.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
They ended up painting close to 40 people in one day. We can't wait to do this fun craft again! And they actually play with their clothespin people. I've found Pin People in all kinds of places in this house. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AlAxmPzJdhw/U7y1z2rSNXI/AAAAAAAADu4/lKOyEjV1PuY/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AlAxmPzJdhw/U7y1z2rSNXI/AAAAAAAADu4/lKOyEjV1PuY/s1600/c.jpg" height="640" width="460" /></a></div>
We ended up having some super heroes, pirates, girls, boys, fashionistas, and even Rapunzel in our little Pin People Family. There's even one that looks like Michael Jackson, although that wasn't the plan. It just sort of happened. I guess you could say it was a Pin People Fail. Makes me laugh every time I see it. My kids have no idea who that even is, but looking at it cracks me up! Can you pick him out?<br />
<br />
They are easy to store and easy to play with at home or on the go. It's a great way to keep your kiddos busy this summer while encouraging their creativity and enhancing those motor skills. They're learning and growing without even knowing it!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-42441622278377009112014-06-30T08:30:00.000-04:002014-06-30T08:30:02.630-04:00Hoop Art Five Ways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5uIvGIA0Qg/U64kvlqMmcI/AAAAAAAADsk/FjWZyhbt-BU/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5uIvGIA0Qg/U64kvlqMmcI/AAAAAAAADsk/FjWZyhbt-BU/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
For several months, I've been collecting embroidery hoops from thrift stores and any other place I can find a cheap deal on them. I wasn't sure exactly how or where I wanted to use them until I finished my girls' shared room and was looking for art for their walls. That's when I got them all out again and put my creative juices to work. It took me a few days of laying them out on my floor in different arrangements and digging through just the right prints of fabric to get a look that I liked and my girls liked.<br />
<br />
After all the rearranging and trial and error, I came up with five ways to make art with hoops. I love how ours turned out so I wanted to share them with you! Maybe these will inspire you to do the same or spark some other creative ideas for your own hoop art.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcuAEkHAhl8/U64k_inECnI/AAAAAAAADss/KvIM_4ythag/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcuAEkHAhl8/U64k_inECnI/AAAAAAAADss/KvIM_4ythag/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
1. Use fun, coordinating fabric prints in your hoops. I used a few different ones (polka dots, dolls, muslin, etc.) here that went along with my girls' room. It's easy and cheap and you can just do that with all of your hoops if you want. But if you want more variety, keep reading.<br />
<br />
2. Add in a couple of hoops with muslin and embroider your favorite saying or quote (or a name, monogram, etc.) with your favorite color of thread. Since this is a shared room, I wanted to include something about sisters.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eDu8TnEETI/U64mE9N59iI/AAAAAAAADs0/y49p6yiV3HU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eDu8TnEETI/U64mE9N59iI/AAAAAAAADs0/y49p6yiV3HU/s1600/photo.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
3. Cover the outer edge of your hoop with washi tape for a little pop of color and pattern. I bought the off brand and it didn't stick too well, so I mod podged it for a little extra hold. I used a red chevron patterned tape and I love it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-om3vsHQl7Fg/U64mWlaxPOI/AAAAAAAADs8/Tn0mziaWjo8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-om3vsHQl7Fg/U64mWlaxPOI/AAAAAAAADs8/Tn0mziaWjo8/s1600/1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
4. Put a fun fabric print in the hoop and then use felt to make people or animals that you love. Either sew them on or hot glue them like I did. I also added the names of my girls above the item to make it personal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYVtk-wR2Wk/U64miBKoHfI/AAAAAAAADtE/UDi-dnMyc4M/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYVtk-wR2Wk/U64miBKoHfI/AAAAAAAADtE/UDi-dnMyc4M/s1600/1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
5. And, last, but not least - my favorite one! Think outside the box and hand stitch a picture on your muslin and use other methods such as different fabrics/threads to make a picture. I love this London double decker bus and the 'street' made from coordinating fabrics. I want to make more of these!<br />
<br />
I hope these inspire you to make some of your own! I love how they turned out and plan on making a couple more to add to this wall. You can use as many or as little as you want and hang them in any way you want. The sky's the limit - or maybe the ceiling - but let's not get technical. :)<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-73764892847492620632014-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:002014-06-17T08:00:03.078-04:00How to Cover a Lampshade with Fabric<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucWGAFfl_9c/U5-DAqxfFEI/AAAAAAAADsU/0q1IRl16MT0/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucWGAFfl_9c/U5-DAqxfFEI/AAAAAAAADsU/0q1IRl16MT0/s1600/cover.jpg" height="546" width="640" /></a></div>
As part of my <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/05/shared-girls-room-makeover-before.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Shared Girls' Room Makeover</span></a>, the one thing I had to keep was the ceiling fan. I am fully aware that ceiling fans are not the most fashionable thing in a room. However, comfort is a definite MUST. So with this room being one of the hottest rooms in the house during the summer, the fan stays.<br />
<br />
You might remember seeing the fan in this picture....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YlOjh7WQ09w/U59TkC41JeI/AAAAAAAADqk/K7y5jaVu428/s1600/beforeFAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YlOjh7WQ09w/U59TkC41JeI/AAAAAAAADqk/K7y5jaVu428/s1600/beforeFAN.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
It had pink floral on the fan blades and two shades of pink on the lampshades. And since I've banned pink from the room (or at least 99% of it), that had to be dealt with. Here's what I did....<br />
<br />
I spray painted the fan blades white. I already liked the fan so much better, but the shades had to be covered. My love for polka dots took over and I ran out and bought red and white polka dot fabric. I bought extra so I can use it somewhere else in the room (more on that later).<br />
<br />
Here's how I covered the lampshades and I just <em>COULD NOT</em> believe how quick it was. Less than 30 minutes and the shades were back on the fan.<br />
<br />
First, take a lampshade and lay it sideways on a legal sized piece of paper or newspaper or paper bag, etc.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5VfCoDiZhQ/U59Ur-dO86I/AAAAAAAADqs/RPlRrRCN0K8/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5VfCoDiZhQ/U59Ur-dO86I/AAAAAAAADqs/RPlRrRCN0K8/s1600/a.jpg" height="640" width="616" /></a></div>
Then, trace each side of the lampshade (top and bottom) as you roll it on the paper. I started by laying the seam side down so that I would know when to stop rolling and tracing. I did go about an inch further for a small overlap.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyUX_sYP8_U/U59Wl9xvHAI/AAAAAAAADq4/YRwhNkDt2aM/s1600/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyUX_sYP8_U/U59Wl9xvHAI/AAAAAAAADq4/YRwhNkDt2aM/s1600/b.jpg" height="640" width="600" /></a></div>
Next, cut along the lines and then wrap the paper pattern around your lampshade to make sure it is big enough and works before you cut out your fabric.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CkZWHssT1nA/U59YQr1OjAI/AAAAAAAADrE/jPpMj-I1urw/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CkZWHssT1nA/U59YQr1OjAI/AAAAAAAADrE/jPpMj-I1urw/s1600/c.jpg" height="626" width="640" /></a></div>
You might want to trim any pieces that are sticking up too far, etc.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbV8T60F4VQ/U59ZWPgOYnI/AAAAAAAADrM/OoePnwGGKPE/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbV8T60F4VQ/U59ZWPgOYnI/AAAAAAAADrM/OoePnwGGKPE/s1600/d.jpg" height="570" width="640" /></a></div>
Pin pattern to the fabric so it doesn't move when you cut it.<br />
<br />
Now, cut it out making sure to cut a little extra about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch to fold over the top and bottom of each shade.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDM9IQKu2Qw/U596GS6vZ0I/AAAAAAAADrg/pVwfTXAj-Ow/s1600/e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDM9IQKu2Qw/U596GS6vZ0I/AAAAAAAADrg/pVwfTXAj-Ow/s1600/e.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
Now, with all of your pieces cut out, you're going to need your <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BT37WXA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BT37WXA&linkCode=as2&tag=liisseda-20">Fast Tack Spray Adhesive</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=liisseda-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BT37WXA" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Elmer's Spray Adhesive</span></a> and some old newspaper or something to lay your pieces on, as well as, a well-ventilated space. I love Elmer's Spray Adhesive because it works on so many projects, but it is absolutely perfect for this one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMR9XJnL68U/U599W-8vOSI/AAAAAAAADrs/dY39_nS8u6c/s1600/f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMR9XJnL68U/U599W-8vOSI/AAAAAAAADrs/dY39_nS8u6c/s1600/f.jpg" height="640" width="618" /></a></div>
Lay your pieces <em>WRONG</em> side up and get ready to spray. I suggest spraying one at a time because you'll need to get it on your lampshade within 15 seconds for a permanent hold. Sounds harder than it really is. Spray your piece of fabric on the wrong side and then immediately lay your lampshade onto the piece starting with the seam down. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKS4FJOj9zU/U59_AblVKyI/AAAAAAAADr4/PfyWhajJZ0o/s1600/g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKS4FJOj9zU/U59_AblVKyI/AAAAAAAADr4/PfyWhajJZ0o/s1600/g.jpg" height="640" width="554" /></a></div>
Then, you'll carefully roll the lampshade like you did when making the pattern for it. The fabric will stick right away. Then, just smooth out any bubbles. (There probably won't be any.) Fold over the top and bottom edges quickly. You might need to spray the top/bottom pieces carefully if you don't get them folded over fast enough.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7R7krdixBM/U59_90my34I/AAAAAAAADsI/BSV29bou2ac/s1600/g1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7R7krdixBM/U59_90my34I/AAAAAAAADsI/BSV29bou2ac/s1600/g1.jpg" height="546" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{pic taken before I painted the blades white}</div>
<br />
You're done! Wasn't that easy?? I can't wait to redo another lampshade!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-32007996096006223362014-06-04T08:30:00.000-04:002014-06-04T08:30:01.545-04:00Update on the Shared Girls' Room Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCJXI0V3oYE/U43znL9_sQI/AAAAAAAADlM/j32MrAPbUww/s1600/cover+update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCJXI0V3oYE/U43znL9_sQI/AAAAAAAADlM/j32MrAPbUww/s1600/cover+update.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Well, I'm almost done with my part of my <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/05/shared-girls-room-makeover-before.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Shared Girls' Room Makeover</span></a>. I say 'my part' because I need my husband's help for the last two projects of the room and I'm not sure when we'll do them yet. I am loving how it is turning out! It's so exciting to see it transform and come together like I had it in my head.<br />
<br />
I'm working on a gallery wall to display their art and trying to find all the things I need to make it cute, but not cluttery. Gallery walls are not my strong point, so this may end up being the trickiest part of the entire room for me! I love this one from <a href="http://projectnursery.com/">projectnursery.com</a>....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HW-7f5qlj8/U43xvyaXkMI/AAAAAAAADlA/6gC4hq5kOs0/s1600/gallery+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HW-7f5qlj8/U43xvyaXkMI/AAAAAAAADlA/6gC4hq5kOs0/s1600/gallery+idea.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
I'm also trying to decide what to put on the walls above their beds. These are a few of the things I love...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNi1TbxBovY/U43vfIR2tOI/AAAAAAAADkk/beXqKTBUI8M/s1600/bed+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNi1TbxBovY/U43vfIR2tOI/AAAAAAAADkk/beXqKTBUI8M/s1600/bed+wall.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3CITuav7ow/U43vgfaZUQI/AAAAAAAADks/auyfpgFaGqQ/s1600/bed+wall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3CITuav7ow/U43vgfaZUQI/AAAAAAAADks/auyfpgFaGqQ/s1600/bed+wall1.jpg" height="640" width="258" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzHTgwcVn7A/U43vhNr9wfI/AAAAAAAADk0/w2Vce2qGfAA/s1600/bed+wall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzHTgwcVn7A/U43vhNr9wfI/AAAAAAAADk0/w2Vce2qGfAA/s1600/bed+wall2.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can find links to all of these on my Pinterest board, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/girls-rooms/"><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></a>.</div>
Now if I can just figure out which ones go with my girls' new bedroom and how I want to incorporate them, I'll be doing great. <br />
<br />
I really love the idea of the black and white photos above the bed so we'll see what happens!<br />
<br />
Thanks for checking in!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-48426889786609474572014-05-30T08:30:00.000-04:002014-05-30T08:30:02.256-04:00How Do You Thank a Teacher?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzN04uh4oQo/U4fy5Kpw_7I/AAAAAAAADkU/TnUGxIjT07k/s1600/cover+teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzN04uh4oQo/U4fy5Kpw_7I/AAAAAAAADkU/TnUGxIjT07k/s1600/cover+teacher.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Our school year is finally winding to a close one week from today. It's been a long year in some ways, but so short in many other ways. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pnmHrFMgUY/U4fws6JeVVI/AAAAAAAADkI/ozWOp9covMY/s1600/school2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pnmHrFMgUY/U4fws6JeVVI/AAAAAAAADkI/ozWOp9covMY/s1600/school2.jpg" height="636" width="640" /></a></div>
This was me and my girls on the first day of school. Don't let the picture fool you. I was a bundle of tears after we dropped our little baby girl {ok, 5 year old} off for her first day of school. I held back the tears until Hubs and I drove out of the parking lot.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6j2Mq7F0o-w/U4fqrqSaFHI/AAAAAAAADjI/OJTzfM47fD4/s1600/mag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6j2Mq7F0o-w/U4fqrqSaFHI/AAAAAAAADjI/OJTzfM47fD4/s1600/mag1.jpg" height="632" width="640" /></a></div>
What a year this has been! Our oldest is finishing up her last year of elementary school. She's really come a long way this year. I cannot believe she's going to middle school in the fall! Every school year she has been excited about learning and really loves history and science. {We won't mention the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the math homework.} Right now, she says she's going to be a mechanical engineer when she grows up...I could totally see that happening, but we'll see. I think she'd make an awesome historian, scientist, journalist or negotiator. She's been really good at the latter her whole life. {wink}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ConlXj_gbcg/U4fq3Ed9CbI/AAAAAAAADjQ/TAnisJlRuGo/s1600/callie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ConlXj_gbcg/U4fq3Ed9CbI/AAAAAAAADjQ/TAnisJlRuGo/s1600/callie1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Our 2nd child is finishing up the 2nd grade. She's the tallest girl in her class and probably will be for awhile. This girl truly has a gift for drawing. It's how she expresses herself and how she relaxes. I have been blown away by many of her drawings. She doodles on any paper she can get her hands on. In fact, the other day, she came home very offended because her teacher told her that she is wasting paper by drawing on everything. I had to reassure her that drawing is NOT wasting paper, but to be sure to use her own paper from home and not the teacher's paper. If she doesn't grow up to be some kind of artist, I will be shocked.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9jkzQuPYqc/U4frGTHdRpI/AAAAAAAADjY/8QX6Sjkrkpw/s1600/annie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9jkzQuPYqc/U4frGTHdRpI/AAAAAAAADjY/8QX6Sjkrkpw/s1600/annie1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
My little K5 graduate learned SO MUCH this year! She had been waiting so long to go to school and this was finally her year. She loved everything about it. Reading, writing, playing, making friends, etc. has been so much fun for her. Every day she is happy to go to school and that makes my heart happy. She does her homework for the whole week on Monday afternoons....and then begs for more. She can't get enough! Wonder how long that will last?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VaY_cTjF-ck/U4fn-3yqYYI/AAAAAAAADi8/GmzIpMxC-0g/s1600/annie+bandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VaY_cTjF-ck/U4fn-3yqYYI/AAAAAAAADi8/GmzIpMxC-0g/s1600/annie+bandy.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
I am so thankful for the teachers we've had this year. Really, every year we've had good teachers, but this year they've been exceptional. You never know what to expect with a new teacher every year and much prayer goes into our school year for my girls' teachers. We've had some change this year with one awesome teacher having to leave early this semester for unexpected heart surgery and one teacher moving to a new city, but overall, it's been great. As our year ends, I am trying to think of ways to say thank you to our teachers and I'm coming up short. Nothing I've found seems adequate. When I think of all the lives they've touched this year and the ups and downs they've gone through with my kids and all the other kids and the drama they put up with every single day, especially in the upper elementary grades....Whew! The parents. I've had to send a few emails this semester for a certain subject, but I can't imagine dealing with parents on a regular basis. The emotional side of teaching must be really tough for some. This year in my daughter's 5th grade class there were some tough things some of the students faced because of their sad home lives. Those kind of things carry over into the school life and it's hard for teachers {and fellow students} to see them go through it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDMzsZgl3GQ/U4ftVPc4OOI/AAAAAAAADjw/jTa70_DZ2Rc/s1600/teacher+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDMzsZgl3GQ/U4ftVPc4OOI/AAAAAAAADjw/jTa70_DZ2Rc/s1600/teacher+quote.jpg" height="640" width="576" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/287104544965199644/">{source}</a></div>
But teachers - good teachers - do what they can to help even though it means riding an emotional roller coaster at times. They do what it takes to teach that crazy math problem {that your child will never need to know in the real world} and help your child understand it because they want to see your child succeed. It's not just about a math problem, it's about learning to overcome obstacles when there seems to be no good reason for it in the first place. It's about learning to face issues head on and finding the solution that works best for everyone involved. Good teachers come back everyday ready to do it all over again for the sake of your child's growth and development even when those they are teaching have no idea the amount of work and dedication that goes into it. Good teachers are the ones that are there because they want to be. It's hard work and I can spot a mile away a teacher who wants to be there and those who don't.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5KmOJ2s_2yQ/U4fuC243EcI/AAAAAAAADj8/cfIQRPMLgVU/s1600/teach+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5KmOJ2s_2yQ/U4fuC243EcI/AAAAAAAADj8/cfIQRPMLgVU/s1600/teach+quote.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/102456960247095828/">{source}</a></div>
I'm thankful today for the teachers who want to be there. Those who touched my kids' lives this year. They have made a lasting impact on all three of them. Mrs. E. has inspired my oldest to do her best and have fun doing it. She doesn't take everything so seriously. The students love her and she loves them. It's so obvious. Mrs. T. had to leave the school year early for heart surgery, but she was an amazing 2nd grade teacher. She was kind and happy. She helped my middle girl look forward to going back to school every day when she would have otherwise been homesick. She impacted my little future artist in a big way. Mrs. B loved on my 'baby' everyday. She has the patience of Job. She runs a tight ship, but does it in a sweet way and the students respond accordingly. A kind heart makes all the difference in the world to a little kid. Mrs. C. was a perfect K5 assistant. She's a grandma-type, so incredibly sweet and gentle with every child. She truly loves those kids. And the fact that she dresses up every.single.day is awesome. Think June Cleaver in her 70s with dyed jet black hair. Love her!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lVUN3Azr8NY/U4fsVRjYhAI/AAAAAAAADjo/xkii_mbmp_4/s1600/highlighter+teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lVUN3Azr8NY/U4fsVRjYhAI/AAAAAAAADjo/xkii_mbmp_4/s1600/highlighter+teacher.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/180777372517444708/">{source}</a></div>
It's hard to just say 'Thank You' to these incredible people who have invested so much into my daughters' lives, but we're going to attempt it. I'm trying to come up with something for each individual teacher that represents our gratitude for all they've done this year. It won't be nearly enough, but at least it's something. I've found some cute ideas and you can find them on my Pinterest board, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/teacher-gifts/"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Teacher's Gifts</span></a>.<br />
<br />
How do you thank a teacher?<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-70523213563449779692014-05-29T08:30:00.000-04:002014-05-29T08:30:01.102-04:00How to Sew with Piping {Tutorial} <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7a_iTh0dAU/U4aK1SY4NkI/AAAAAAAADiw/ppljznnw3dA/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7a_iTh0dAU/U4aK1SY4NkI/AAAAAAAADiw/ppljznnw3dA/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
I am in the middle of a much-needed makeover for my two younger girls' room as I posted about <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/05/shared-girls-room-makeover-before.html"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>. It is starting to come along, but I have hit a couple of bumps in the road. First, is my white quilts. I ordered two that are technically suppose to go inside a duvet cover, but hoped that they would work by themselves. Not so much. They're definitely going to need a duvet cover, but I'm planning to make a permanent cover for each one out of sheets, kind of like <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2013/06/easy-duvet-cover-tutorial.html"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this duvet cover</span></a> I made, only this one will be fitted to the comforter and completely sewn up. It's pretty much necessary in my girls' room. The second bump in the road to completion is that I have come to a painting project involving spray paint. Me & spray paint don't really jive. Think drippy and clumpy. I'm really trying to hold off as long as possible {or until my hubby is here to guide me on it}. I'm just a tad bit nervous about ruining a piece of furniture. No big deal, right? Yikes.<br />
<br />
Today I did make some progress on a couple of sewing projects for the room and I am feeling good about it. So, I thought I'd throw in a tutorial on how to sew with piping. This is one of those things that looks absolutely fabulous on a pillow or what-have-you, but can be a little intimidating when you first start out. However, if you take it slow, you'll be just fine. Enjoy! And if you have any questions, feel free to comment.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GjEIbgfPucA/U4ZaO24p7gI/AAAAAAAADic/o9E2xLuR5Sw/s1600/DSC01776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GjEIbgfPucA/U4ZaO24p7gI/AAAAAAAADic/o9E2xLuR5Sw/s1600/DSC01776.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
This tutorial for piping is shown by sewing piping onto a pillow cover. So, we'll start from the beginning. If you need a <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/search?q=pillow+cover"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">pillow cover tutorial</span></a>, check here. Take your two pieces of fabric for the pillow cover - Front and Back. Place right sides together and lay on a table top.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67tatqkrb6I/U4ZUaRegcrI/AAAAAAAADhQ/BwbUkViRPZg/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67tatqkrb6I/U4ZUaRegcrI/AAAAAAAADhQ/BwbUkViRPZg/s1600/7.jpg" height="638" width="640" /></a></div>
Now, take your piping and start placing it in between the top and bottom pieces, carefully pinning all the way around the fabric. You want the straight edge of the piping to line up with the straight edge of the fabric pieces. The rolled edge will be on the inside.<br />
<br />
Pin carefully, approximately every inch or so to hold it in place. I like to leave the corners unpinned so that I can move it around exactly like I want it. Feel free to pin yours.<br />
<br />
Leave an opening of approximately 7-8 inches, depending on how big your pillow is, so that you can stuff your pillow form inside before sewing it up. We'll deal with the opening in a minute.<br />
<br />
Now, change your presser foot to the zipper foot. This gives you the ability to sew closer to the edge of the piping giving you a more professional look. The regular presser foot will leave a gap.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8xigDDK3n-8/U4ZU2S-p9-I/AAAAAAAADhg/Ks2dqU_Jrhk/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8xigDDK3n-8/U4ZU2S-p9-I/AAAAAAAADhg/Ks2dqU_Jrhk/s1600/8.jpg" height="576" width="640" /></a></div>
Start at one end of the opening and begin sewing all the way around until you have only 7-8 inches left. Backstitch at both the beginning and ending.<br />
<br />
Now, turn your fabric rightside out. Be sure to push the corners out. Put your pillow form inside and fluff it up to fit your pillow cover.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxmTpkObu58/U4ZVZKx26fI/AAAAAAAADh4/Xfkin5MXuVk/s1600/opening4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxmTpkObu58/U4ZVZKx26fI/AAAAAAAADh4/Xfkin5MXuVk/s1600/opening4.jpg" height="522" width="640" /></a></div>
Once you are ready to sew the opening closed, line up the piping to see how much you need to trim off. You are going to line it up so that you have about a one inch overlap.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y_V5v-SqD4/U4ZUt24_hyI/AAAAAAAADhY/rUc72K6TaHs/s1600/opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y_V5v-SqD4/U4ZUt24_hyI/AAAAAAAADhY/rUc72K6TaHs/s1600/opening.jpg" height="640" width="600" /></a></div>
Next, using your seam ripper, open up the fabric on the piping that will overlap about an inch down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6m00Ru1Rhg/U4ZVB2NewXI/AAAAAAAADho/sJKL9ct_g7U/s1600/opening2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6m00Ru1Rhg/U4ZVB2NewXI/AAAAAAAADho/sJKL9ct_g7U/s1600/opening2.jpg" height="548" width="640" /></a></div>
Cut the cording {not the fabric covering the cording} so that you can now line up the two ends and overlap the fabric piece on top of the other end. {See pic.}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2mu_nuXMNRA/U4ZVMbIchJI/AAAAAAAADhw/OYfcR5Ua8Z4/s1600/opening3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2mu_nuXMNRA/U4ZVMbIchJI/AAAAAAAADhw/OYfcR5Ua8Z4/s1600/opening3.jpg" height="640" width="602" /></a></div>
Now, fold each side piece down on both sides of the opening to line up with the already sewn part of the pillow cover. Line your piping up inside the two folded over sides and pin close together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0O-6_AuDI0/U4ZVjWWOG7I/AAAAAAAADiA/wwn07WTXO60/s1600/opening5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0O-6_AuDI0/U4ZVjWWOG7I/AAAAAAAADiA/wwn07WTXO60/s1600/opening5.jpg" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cQDuVUQh6s/U4ZVkZ4BMKI/AAAAAAAADiI/ey4wbmbf_Uo/s1600/opening6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cQDuVUQh6s/U4ZVkZ4BMKI/AAAAAAAADiI/ey4wbmbf_Uo/s1600/opening6.jpg" height="624" width="640" /></a></div>
Still using your zipper foot, start sewing the closure. Go very slowly, removing pins as you go, to keep everything in place. Cut all loose threads.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KenLqPnnCXs/U4ZVufz4PII/AAAAAAAADiQ/R32nZDoLUwY/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KenLqPnnCXs/U4ZVufz4PII/AAAAAAAADiQ/R32nZDoLUwY/s1600/9.jpg" height="632" width="640" /></a></div>
You're done! If you want to embellish your pillow, do it before you sew the two pieces together. Unless you're like me and you decide to hot glue your design onto the pillow. I wouldn't recommend it for pillows that will be laid on or jumped on. The pillows I made are just for looks.....now if I can convince my girls of that.....<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for more <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2014/05/shared-girls-room-makeover-before.html"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">shared girls' room</span></a> tips and tricks, and of course, the After pic.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-62037461738287605922014-05-21T11:12:00.001-04:002014-05-21T11:12:21.050-04:00Shared Girls Room Makeover {The Before}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPhYgPvUkRI/U3zCKKsFltI/AAAAAAAADhA/RCRtIXc0zfw/s1600/cover+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPhYgPvUkRI/U3zCKKsFltI/AAAAAAAADhA/RCRtIXc0zfw/s1600/cover+before.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
The time has finally come to tackle my girls' rooms and giving them an updated look. My two younger daughters share a room and it's a challenge keeping it in order and keeping it clean. So, I've been planning {a long time} to make their room more fun and functional - and while I'm at it, a bit easier to keep clean. Is that even possible? Here's a look at the Before: {minus wall art, etc. I've already started the pre-painting process.}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w9BdzpO-srk/U3y4QoakfRI/AAAAAAAADgs/rparPA1M01Q/s1600/before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w9BdzpO-srk/U3y4QoakfRI/AAAAAAAADgs/rparPA1M01Q/s1600/before1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>{Notice all the white spackled spots? Signs that an artist lives in this room - She can't help herself from sticking her art to the walls daily. But don't worry, I have a solution for that coming right up!}</em></div>
<br />
While I was drawing up some final plans for the room, my youngest wanted in on the fun. So, I told her to go draw me a plan of what she thinks the room should look like. Here is what she came up with along with the instructions to make sure to 'do it exactly like this'. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBn3yu33wI0/U3kNKvAHm_I/AAAAAAAADgc/h3_3y8DGLGQ/s1600/annies+plans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBn3yu33wI0/U3kNKvAHm_I/AAAAAAAADgc/h3_3y8DGLGQ/s1600/annies+plans.jpg" height="640" width="466" /></a></div>
I'm thinking my plan may look just a little different than hers, but I'm sure once she sees the final result, she'll be fine with it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSvzKBWn5mw/U3y_PLqCIsI/AAAAAAAADg4/5E8ixf_j6ok/s1600/whispy+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSvzKBWn5mw/U3y_PLqCIsI/AAAAAAAADg4/5E8ixf_j6ok/s1600/whispy+square.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I chose to paint their room Whispy by Valspar which can be bought at ACE or Lowe's. I used the paint + primer and it worked like a charm. Only one coat, covered all of that bright pink and my girls and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. They love the color and my arms loved only doing one coat. {This pic doesn't look exact, but it gives you an idea.}<br />
<br />
I'm using some ideas I've pinned on my Pinterest board, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thedomesticlife/girls-rooms/">Girls' Rooms</a>, and others that I've had in my head for quite awhile. This week the main work will be repainting the room and searching for two solid white twin comforters or quilts for their beds. I'm having the hardest time finding just a plain white comforter. Any ideas where I could find two of them for a good deal? Nothing fancy, just solid white.<br />
<br />
Here's my bucket list for their room:<br />
<ul>
<li>Paint</li>
<li>Find white bedding</li>
<li>Paint side table</li>
<li>Paint bookshelf or do built-ins and get rid of book shelf</li>
<li>Make new curtains</li>
<li>Make new throw pillows</li>
<li>Add storage under beds?</li>
<li>Redo ceiling fan {their room gets pretty warm - fan has to stay!}</li>
<li>Build a custom desk for two</li>
<li>Paint beds</li>
</ul>
That list may change, but so far that's the plan for this room. I'll be painting and spiffing up my oldest daughter's room this week, too, hopefully. So, I may be jumping back and forth between rooms for awhile. I've only got 3 weeks until school is out and I hope to have the majority of the work done by then. Can I do it?? Stay tuned to find out!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-76299368690149568052014-05-12T11:35:00.002-04:002014-05-12T11:35:25.685-04:00Sewing Up Some Creativity this Summer...With all the activities the end of the school year brings, I start finding myself needing a little inspiration to create things. And about this time of year, I like to get started on my summer bucket list.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozVtLjYUFy0/U3DpyKrKT1I/AAAAAAAADfM/BupFUPb_k4k/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozVtLjYUFy0/U3DpyKrKT1I/AAAAAAAADfM/BupFUPb_k4k/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been searching the web for some ideas for sewing up some summer creativity and thought I'd share them with you in case you're needing a little creative pick-me-up, too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtRkSghNYU/U3DV57QhXwI/AAAAAAAADek/_xcucyjSLNU/s1600/Earphone-Case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtRkSghNYU/U3DV57QhXwI/AAAAAAAADek/_xcucyjSLNU/s1600/Earphone-Case.jpg" height="594" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lotsofdiy.com/diy-earphone-case/">{source}</a></div>
What do you do with your earbuds when they are not in use? I sometimes keep mine in a ziplock baggie, but most of the time, I find them bunched up in a wod. And who wants to take time to untangle that mess? This little earbud case would be a great project to make with your kids if they have their own set of earbuds in a wod. And I love that it's attached to a key ring. Click the link for a step by step in pictures. <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This is the only link I could find to this project - it does not state who the true owner of this pic is.*</span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--zSQyuYMsNs/U3DYz9jA7GI/AAAAAAAADew/KBNTYpgG-vc/s1600/feltworks-fun-cat-pillow-kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--zSQyuYMsNs/U3DYz9jA7GI/AAAAAAAADew/KBNTYpgG-vc/s1600/feltworks-fun-cat-pillow-kit.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blog.weekendkits.com/2011/06/felt-craft-kits-easy-fun-felt-projects.html">{Source}</a></div>
I'm getting ready to re-do my girls' rooms {finally!} and although two of my daughters share a room, they have very different likes and personalities. So, I'm trying to make their room look nice and simple and uniform while adding their own flair to each side of the room. A little tricky, but so fun. This pillow would be something my 8 year old would love. She's a cat lover and it would be so easy to make a pillow similar to this for her bed in colors that follow the theme of their room. If you like this pillow, you can buy the kit for it <a href="http://blog.weekendkits.com/2011/06/felt-craft-kits-easy-fun-felt-projects.html">here</a>. Check out the link for lots of neat kits for creativity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfEh6G5QILg/U3DdIL6IEHI/AAAAAAAADe8/KkSKuJviTqE/s1600/first+aid+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfEh6G5QILg/U3DdIL6IEHI/AAAAAAAADe8/KkSKuJviTqE/s1600/first+aid+kit.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.positivelysplendid.com/2012/11/portable-first-aid-kit-sewing-tutorial.html">{Source}</a></div>
With all the fun outdoor summer activities coming up, we always need our first aid kit nearby! We have a big one in our car, but it's a very good idea to have one in your purse or backpack or diaper bag or whatever if you're out and not near your car. We love hiking, canoeing, etc and usually have a first aid kit handy, but I think I could use one for my own bag on other occasions. This one looks like an easy one to make yourself and you can tweak it to carry the items you want. Go check it out! And while you're at it see all the other fun things Positively Splendid has on their website! You'll love it.<br />
<br />
Where do you get your inspiration? What will you be working on this summer?<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-91513398375725121652014-05-02T09:56:00.000-04:002014-05-02T09:56:57.762-04:00Tiered Petal Skirt {Tutorial Link}I'm bringing back one of my favorite skirt tutorials today that I originally posted 2 years ago! I loved making this skirt and plan to make a bigger one for one of my girls soon. This is an intermediate sewing project, but if you're just a beginner don't let that intimidate you! Take it one step at a time and you'll do fine! Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G7gJp1SUh2k/T2jiSsU1cmI/AAAAAAAAAds/IYdhAtR2PNs/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G7gJp1SUh2k/T2jiSsU1cmI/AAAAAAAAAds/IYdhAtR2PNs/s640/1.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
I've been busy making my girls' Easter skirts and today I finished the second of three. You can find the first one <a href="http://lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com/2012/03/elastic-waist-skirt-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>. This one today is {in my humble opinion} absolutely adorable!! It is because of the type of skirt, but more importantly, the fabric pattern that it is so cute. I am a sucker for polka dots. Add navy blue to the mix and I'm sold! I found this skirt on Pinterest, but here is a direct link to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15_V7Tz8-xERexJ48R-wfH93_iC2VrKJupOlj46CdZxM/edit?hl=en&authkey=CLePt4YM&pli=1#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">instructions</span></a>. She did an excellent job on the instructions for this skirt. It's very easy, just a little time consuming. {Totally worth it!}<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iyLBJg6yc1s/T2jiL2Vz6tI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7uea-yE-GxA/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iyLBJg6yc1s/T2jiL2Vz6tI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7uea-yE-GxA/s640/4.jpg" height="640" width="326" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0S9JPplKKNc/T2jiW2xM6oI/AAAAAAAAAd0/gUk36OXy24o/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0S9JPplKKNc/T2jiW2xM6oI/AAAAAAAAAd0/gUk36OXy24o/s640/2.jpg" height="640" width="316" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4AUvdd_3zo/T2jiZuDVkAI/AAAAAAAAAd8/ZL6K8aidZ_Y/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4AUvdd_3zo/T2jiZuDVkAI/AAAAAAAAAd8/ZL6K8aidZ_Y/s640/3.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXy_JZ-GqNk/T2jidfFgXUI/AAAAAAAAAeE/18HYkFgPamw/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXy_JZ-GqNk/T2jidfFgXUI/AAAAAAAAAeE/18HYkFgPamw/s640/5.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks for stopping by!</div>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780299140979040256.post-17474361690703062152014-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:002014-04-25T08:00:13.907-04:00Easy Two Ingredient Ice Cream CakeThis post is brought to you from my other blog <a href="http://livingtheallergiclife.blogspot.com/"><em>Living the Allergic Life</em></a>. We just celebrated our 2nd of 3 birthdays this month and I wanted to share with you a great alternative to your everyday birthday cake. It's a VERY simple ice cream cake and although the below has allergy-friendly suggestions, you could easily make this with your normal ingredients. In 20 minutes or less, you can have your ice cream cake.....and eat it, too!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b9afVRaMJMY/U1lx5hyF5hI/AAAAAAAADc8/moAnjDuF0bo/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b9afVRaMJMY/U1lx5hyF5hI/AAAAAAAADc8/moAnjDuF0bo/s1600/cover.jpg" height="624" width="640" /></a></div>
It's that time of year again! Birthday times three at our house this month. And when you have a family member with food allergies, it's time to bake up {or freeze up} some creativity! We are kind of burnt out on the same ol' cupcakes all the time, so this year we decided for the first birthday of the month {which was mine} to just take the family to <a href="http://www.brusters.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bruster's Ice Cream</span></a>. There we can all get what we want, including my daughter who is allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. She loves their italian ice and sorbet options. There are about 4 or 5 different flavors to choose from at any given time so it was a great non-cupcake option.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jFpR6EpQBWM/U1lwgaKn1KI/AAAAAAAADcc/PAXHZObEz-E/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jFpR6EpQBWM/U1lwgaKn1KI/AAAAAAAADcc/PAXHZObEz-E/s1600/2.jpg" height="548" width="640" /></a></div>
The next birthday was my 6 year old's birthday and she wanted a cake. However, still being kinda sick of the normal cakes we make for birthdays, I decided to make an ice cream cake. We do love an ice cream cake around here, but with my 8 year old not able to eat store bought ice cream cakes because of the obvious milk factor, making one was my best option.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2C1rnV9QQc0/U1lxH1WlrZI/AAAAAAAADck/ZT_o8fxpM1I/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2C1rnV9QQc0/U1lxH1WlrZI/AAAAAAAADck/ZT_o8fxpM1I/s1600/4.jpg" height="640" width="600" /></a></div>
You will not believe how simple this is! It literally took about 20 minutes to make. Less time than baking a cake!!<br />
<br />
To make this you'll need either <a href="http://www.tofutti.com/frozen-desserts/cuties/" target="_blank">Tofutti</a> brand ice cream sandwiches or <a href="http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/?gclid=CK2UwaL7-b0CFTMV7Aod5y0AYw" target="_blank">SO Delicious</a> brand ice cream sandwiches. I bought SO Delicious brand for this cake at <a href="http://www.publix.com/" target="_blank">Publix</a>.<br />
<br />
You also need Pillsbury Classic White frosting (contains soy) OR another allergy-friendly one suited to your specific needs.<br />
<br />
And then whatever toppings you want to use to decorate your cake. I bought Nerds & matching gumballs from the <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp" target="_blank">Dollar Tree</a> to decorate ours.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wggo9LbmcFs/U1lxWiwxF1I/AAAAAAAADcs/zNQ4uDrOzWg/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wggo9LbmcFs/U1lxWiwxF1I/AAAAAAAADcs/zNQ4uDrOzWg/s1600/3.jpg" height="624" width="640" /></a></div>
To put this cake together, just stack your ice cream sandwiches on whatever size plate or dish you want and arrange them in the desired shape. I used a rectangular dish and it worked perfectly! Then, quickly spread the room temperature frosting onto your cake, covering as good as you can. Next, I put mine right in the freezer to firm up because ice cream sandwiches melt pretty quickly and ain't nobody got time for that! Nobody. This is when I ran to the Dollar Tree because I realized I needed sprinkles or something to put on my cake. As soon as I got home, I took it out of the freezer and decided to smooth out the frosting to make it look more professional. I put a butter knife in ice cold water and then, took it out and immediately started spreading out the frosting. It REALLY made a big difference and a much smoother appearance. You'll need to reinsert the knife into the ice water a few times throughout the process to keep it nice and cold. Then, when you get it looking the way you want, decorate it! Finally, refreeze it until it's time to party!<br />
<br />
The cake cuts very nicely and looks like a layered cake on the inside! My kids called me 'The Best Cake Maker in the World' and said things like, "You should start your own business!"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gSASXBaDQE/U1lxo7NAVGI/AAAAAAAADc0/mZR0nSvBpr8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gSASXBaDQE/U1lxo7NAVGI/AAAAAAAADc0/mZR0nSvBpr8/s1600/1.jpg" height="558" width="640" /></a></div>
Mission Accomplished. Amen?<br />
<br />
Happy Ice Cream Cake Making to You and Yours!<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="post signature" border="0" class="left" src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/thedomesticlife1/signaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi858.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab142%2Fthedomesticlife1%2Fsignaturefinal_zps4fcd2f47.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_cD-ijHnqCkzrlQoqld7p3oRMxZCRyTj9IfYUfCBuGJtBCR_VOlfUlBRmljAnyjXt9fL9bl9Tbv15Ne29EUKUjsxAJUynsT_jLx_GJ6-FxNHNxZskOoj6dxYA3J8xAqu-qoBsxvmnj0hwNpG" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">Read more at www.lifeissewdaily.blogspot.com</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16158199219566834200noreply@blogger.com2