(For the record, I really don't take myself this seriously... I just had fun thinking of a name and creating that picture!)


 I was browsing inside the BabyGap store not too long ago, and saw this cute dress:

and immediately thought "Hey! I can totally make that!" 

I already had some lace trim in my stash from thrift store trips, and got the rest of the trims from JoAnn. 

I decided I wanted it to be shades of creams and whites, and different textures, too.

I took one of Mo's white shirts, a dress of Ava's, and got to work.

I already started chopping before I realized that maybe I want to take pictures for a tutorial.

Anyway, fold your shirt and dress in half, placing dress on top, and cut around the dress, using it like a pattern.

 next, cut the armholes and shorten length of the straps.

 sew the straps back together, rights sides facing.

Then, starting at the bottom of the dress, pin the trim you think would look prettiest hanging off the dress.

next, decide the order you want your trims to layer the dress. Once you have that figured out, pull them off to the side (keeping their order), and sew each trim, working your way up from the bottom. If you happen to have any trims that lay flat (not already ruffled) right across the upper belly, run them through your machine with a basting stitch, then pin them on the dress. I should have done this, but hindsight is 20/20, I guess! 

(why, yes, those are coconut cream Hershey's Kisses! best. treat. ever.)

 Once I had all the trims sewn on, I took a lace window curtain I picked up from the thrift store, and used that to cover the back. The BabyGap dress is just plain jersey in the back, but I didn't really like that, it just seemed too bipolar to me or something.

I don't have a picture, but when sewing the neck, you have to cut little triangles in the lace about every half-inch to inch or so, so that the lace doesn't get all puckered.

(at this point I think I just forgot to take pictures -it was late.)

Pin and sew around all the edges.

Then, put right sides of dress together and sew down both sides!

Done!

(I have many more pictures of this dress on the next post down)

Spring 2011 Ava and Gabriel

Family Christmas Pictures 2010

Ava's Birthday Party (a picture post)

Cookin it up

I know I've had this on facebook for a while now, but it deserves a spot on this here blog, too.

ENJOY!

A Pony!

The Lord has completely blessed us with a huge garden to grow veggies in! Such an answer to prayer for provision... : )

There is a lady at our church that has quite a few garden beds that are pretty big, and she offered one up to us! And not only that, but she has a beautiful horse, a cute little Shetland pony, and a HUGE backyard that the kids can run around and play in! Since our apartment doesn't even have a back porch, this is an enormous blessing!!!!!

I forgot to take pictures of anything else. Sorry! Next time :)

Easter

I think I have officially given up any hope for the perfect family picture, you know the ones where everyone in the picture is smiling sweetly, the setting is ideal, and every other aspect is what you're envisioning... Oh well.

At least I have cute kids:

Ava doing her latest pose: