(almost) Wordless Wednesday

Look at this wily boy.  The look really says it all: "I know more than you think I do, and frankly, I'm not happy about it."

And, whether he knows it or not, there is another little baby coming in just a few weeks.  This fact is really hitting home hard for me and my husband right now.  We really were so laid back about the whole thing, thinking that we had plenty of time until the baby came, so we'd just worry about that whole mess later.  There were lots of people having babies way before us.  One of those people is my sister Maria.  When we realized that her due date is Saturday, this Saturday, both of us got the wind knocked out of us.  Oh no, if she has her baby, then that means we're next...and soon.

There's a lot to do...and there's a little stinker that is in for the shock of his life.

Life really is an adventure!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy

Stenciled Fall Tea Towels

Hello!  I have another simple project to share today that grew out of another project I posted recently.  Do you remember this project where I used sponges to stamp tea towels?

I was happy with this project, but I wanted to try it again and this time hopefully get more definition and detail in the leaves.  So, I decided to use a stencil.  Once again, this project is wonderfully simple and quick.

Here's the how-to
Supplies:

• Tea Towels, washed and dried
• Contract Paper
• Magic Marker
• Leaves
• Tape
• Painter's Tape
• Fabric Paint (I used acrylic paint mixed with Martha Stewart's fabric medium)

First, head out and gather some leaves of various sizes.

Trace the leaves onto contact paper and carefully cut them out.

 Next, take your washed tea towel and lay out the leaves along the bottom center. Tape them in place and apply painter's tape around the leaves in a frame.

Mix acrylic paint with fabric medium.  Then dab paint around the leaves.  I used fall colors and tried the blend the colors slightly.

While paint is still wet, carefully remove the contract paper.

Hang and allow to dry fro 24 hours.

Then, head to the kitchen and whip up something warm and wonderfully fall!

And there you have it!  Another easy project that will get your kitchen all ready for fall!

Thanks for being here,

Nancy

Fall Spong Stamped Tea Towels

Here is a post I shared on My Pinterest Reality last week.  Enjoy!

Like Kimberly from My Pinterest Reality, I draw a lot of inspiration from Pinterest (and spend way too much time on Pinterest!).  I was thrilled to be able to look through all of my pins and pick one out for this post.

Here is the pin I selected:  Back in January Valley and Co. Lifestyle shared this simple project where sponges are used to stamp tea towels.

I really like the concept and thought it might to fun to use this method to create something fall in theme. Also, stamped tea towels will make a great gift for my two terrific neighbors.

The concept is very simple with this project, but here is the quick how to:

Supplies:

• Tea Towels, pre-washed
• Sponge
• Magic Marker
• Leaves
• Fabric Paint (I used acrylic paint mixed with a fabric medium) 

I thought that the heart pattern was nice...but it is a long ways from Valentine's day.  So, I just picked a few leaves from my backyard and made leaf-shaped sponge stamps.

 Just trace and cut.

The ease of this project continues from here.  After your tea towels are washed, simply dip your sponge leaves in paint (again, if you want to use acrylic paint, just mix it with a fabric medium, Martha Steward makes a good one) and stamp the towels.  Allow to dry for 24 hour and either use of gift!

Now that's my kind of project: easy, colorful and useful!

Nancy

Felt Flower: How To

I have made it pretty clear that I enjoy all things felt, so it was only a matter of time before I started making felt flowers.  Today's post is a simple one.  This is just a how-to for making a basic pedal flower from felt.  It is easy and I really like how it turned out.

Supplies:
Felt, about 1/8 a yard
Needle and Thread
Optional: Hot Glue Gun, Button

Step 1: Cut out pedals.  The pedals are a general scallop shape.  For a full flower like this you need 15 pedals of various sizes.  Start with the smallest pedal which is about 1.5 inches tall and 2 inches wide, with rounded corners on top.  Cut three of this size, and then cut three that are slightly bigger, repeating until you have a total of 15 pedals.  Note: for a smaller or bigger flower adjust both the size and number of the pedals.

Step 2: Take the smallest pedal and stitch a gathering stitch 1/2 way across the bottom.  Then, take the next smallest pedal, lay it on top of the first pedal starting at the 1/2 way point and continue the gathering stitch, stitching through both pedals.  Again, once you get 1/2 through the top pedal, place another pedal on top and keep stitching.

Step 3: Repeat until you have stitched all the pedals together in this way.

Step 4: Once all the pedals are connected, gently pull the thread so that each pedal is gathered at the base.  Tie off the thread.

Step 5: Starting again with the smallest pedal, wrap the gathered portion of the pedals around each other, stitching as you go.  When everything is wrapped up and looking like you want, stitch though the bottom or take an extra piece of felt and hot-glue it to the bottom.

Finally--add embellishment!  A button or bead would make a lovely center, and leaves made from fabric would look cool too!

Thanks for being here!
Nancy If it's your first time visiting Small Things, I'd love for you to connect with me in some way!

Guest Post--Kimberly from My Pinterest Reality

Good Morning!  I am excited to be swapping blogs with Kimberly of My Pinterest Reality today.  She has a wonderful post for you, so please make her feel at home with some comments.  Also, I'd love it if you headed over to her blog to check out my project!

Happy Wednesday!  This is Kimberly from My Pinterest Reality. I'm a stay at home momma of 2 who's trying her best to stay creative through crafting, photography, cooking and DIYing all with the help of Pinterest. I'm so excited to be doing a blog swap today with Nancy.  I know my readers are going to love the Pinterest Inspired project she's been working on.
I've decided to share SUPER Easy and REALLY Tasty Peach Cobbler 'pin'.
  
It's still summer, right? 

Although the original 'pin' was for peaches, I'm sure any fresh berry would taste great.

Thanks for spending some time with me. I'm always up for visitors so feel free to stop by.

Pinterest Inspiration:

 http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2010/05/blog-revival-week-wednesday-miss-jeans-peach-cobbler/

My Results:

4 cups fresh peaches sliced 

1/2 cup sugar for peaches

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour 

(if you don't have self rising flour add: 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt to your)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar for flour mixture

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a 9×13 inch dish pour melted butter. 

3. Mix flour, milk, and sugar to make a smooth batter. Set aside.

4. Slice peaches, add sugar and mix thoroughly.

5. Pour batter over melted butter. 

6. Put fruit mixture on top.

7. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

8. Bake for 40-45 minutes. 

9. Let set 10 minutes before serving.

Tuesday Reflection: My Little Guy's Surgery

Good Morning!  No project today, just some thoughts.  

We had some milestones around my house this last week, the most notable is that my little 15 month old baby had to have surgery.  It was a very basic, routine surgery, but for two new parents, our happy little world got a rocked for a short time.

The surgery was Friday.  All went well, and besides a rough first hour after he woke up from anesthesia, we were all amazed how smoothly everything went.  Little kids are remarkably resilient!  By Saturday afternoon he no longer needed painkillers and was largely back to himself!  I took this picture Saturday morning.  He was already doing really well, but he needed a few extra snuggles and his face was still a little swollen from all the fluids he had received.

Even though this experience is very much behind us, I, for the first time, got a taste of a different side of parenting.  Of course I knew I was attached to my son.  I'm home with him every day and we have a wonderful time together.  I know I don't like being away from him and miss him when I am.  Thankfully, I have never let my mind go to "dark thoughts".  However, on Friday morning, when we took our active, happy boy into the hospital and watched him be put under with anesthetic, I panicked.  All those terrible "what-if's" come to the surface...and suddenly I realized how broken I would be if anything ever happened to that little guy!

As I said, nothing did happen, and we are very thankful that the whole ordeal was so very minor.  But, in a lot of ways, this is just the beginning.  I have seen first hand that a parent always feels this way when their child is sick, especially when they are very sick.  Just a few years ago I watched my parents help my little brother, who was in his early 20's at the time, battle brain cancer (a battle he won!!).  Suddenly all of my mom and dad's mood swings and general craziness during that time makes a lot more sense.  And really, I realized they handled it remarkably well.

I don't know what else to say here expect that I hope all of my children, present and future, lead very healthy lives, and if something comes along, the Lord holds me VERY close, or else I don't know how I will make it through it!

Finally, here is a picture of my dear brother, victorious over cancer!  Go John!

Thanks, as always, for being here!
Nancy

Ad Swap Now Available!

I took another baby step in the blogging world today.  I set up a sponsorship page!  Even though this little blog is still a little too little to be asking for full-blown sponsors, I thought it would be fun to get the ball rolling with a FREE ad swap.

So, if FREE sounds like a good price, I'd love to have you visit the Sponsor page and advertise on my blog for, yup, free!  At the check out just use the code SMALLTHINGS.  Then, all I ask is that you return the favor by taking my button and posting it somewhere on your main blog.  That's it!  So, come on!  Let's swap!

Feel free to email me with any questions!

Nancy

Felt Car Seat Mobile

Here is a guest post I did for Love and Laundry last week.  Enjoy!

If you spend any amount of time on my blog you will quickly find that I love working with felt.  My husband jokes that he is going to come home one day and find us living in a felt house...  Although that might be a bit of an exaggeration, I am pretty keen on the material.  And so, in keeping with that, today I will be sharing a simple project I put together for my little girl who will be arriving in a few months.

I wanted something simple and soft.  We, of course, had car seat mobiles for my son, but they were big and bulky and I felt like they were always in the way.  I was constantly putting it on and taking it off for various reasons.  Also, this is a mobile for an infant so I though the simple shape was best with lots of contrasting colors.

Supplies needed for this project:

• Colorful Felt
• Embroidery Thread and Needle
• Ribbon
• Quilt Batting

Step 1: Cut out circles in three different sizes from different colors of felt.  Be sure to cut two of each largest circle (to be used for the backing).  I like the "imperfect" look, but if you don't, feel free to use a pattern for this step.

Step 2: Set aside the back piece.  Using a whip stitch, applique the smaller two circles onto the top circle.

 Step 3: Once all of the circles are together, cut out a piece of quilt batting that is slightly smaller than the largest circle.  Sandwich this between the top and bottom circle.  Then, pin a ribbon in place.  One long ribbon should run through the entire string of circles.  Another smaller piece of ribbon should also come out the top of the first circle.  These two pieces of ribbon coming out the top of the top circle will allow you to tie it to the car seat handle.  Once all is in place and pinned, do a blanket stitch around the outside of each circle.

Step 4: Attach to car seat, add an infant, and away you go!

Simple, but fun and functional.  That's my kind of project!  Thanks for spending time with me today.

Nancy

If it's your first time visiting Small Things, I'd love for you to connect with me in some way!