Me, Muffin, Melanie, Alma

And yes, that would be me wearing the same floral top two days in a row. And my fly at half mast. But that’s how I roll around here. I had a great time with friends this afternoon.

• top: handmade
• jeans: Forever 21, refashioned
• necklace: handmade by my dad

Chris randomly came up with the idea of making a website for Cordell (aka popsicles). It’s like a tribute site, complete with his mug and favorite catch phrases. Of course we had to do it in day-glo, because this is no serious project.

So, as you draw on his face, random catch phrases play (catch phrases don’t work on the ipad, but you can still draw). You can choose different colors for drawing and you can also change the size and opacity of the brush. It was very tricky on Chris’s part. I just drew Cordell’s face.

I’m not sure Cordell thought of it as fun or us poking fun at him. It really is the first. Either way, it was a fun project to work on, and it’s fun to doodle. The above reminds me of the silly Capitol people on the Hunger Games (we just watched that last weekend – not as awesome as the book).

Now that Father’s day is the next big thing, what are you going to do for your dad(s) for Father’s day? I’ve got a few ideas brewing.

I didn’t do the button placket on mine, I’m too lazy for buttons. Instead I made the peter pan collar reach all the way around the neckline.

I also added a high-low hemline and shortened the sleeves.

I really like this fabric, it’s light-weight and it’s a fantastic print. I wanted to make sure that I did this pattern correctly, so I followed all the instructions (to a T – which I never do), and took my time with everything. In the end it was so worth it.

Rushing = the difference between handmade and ‘homemade’. I finished all of my edges with a rolled hem. So easy (now that I’ve got the hang of it) and so professional. 

This new top is now going to be in tight rotation this summer! Here I’m layering it with a dress I made last year. 

Outfit details:

• top: handmade
• dress: handmade
• belt: thrifted
• bracelets: gift
• watch: c/o Soft Watch
• shoes: Forever 21

I got some sweet texts from family and friends. That was great, too.

For my mom, Mother’s Day and her birthday are often times on the same day. Maybe it’s lazy of me, but I usually give her a gift and a letter for both (even when they’re not on the same day). This year I went out on a limb and made her a two-toned dolman top.

I completely guessed at the dimensions for the top. I still don’t know if it fits her right (or if she’ll want to wear it). I used leftover fabric from Penelope’s sportswear outfit. My mom lives in North Carolina where it’s infinitely more humid than Utah. The fabric used here is very light weight and breathable, so hopefully it’ll be just what the doctor ordered when it’s 80 degrees with 100% humidity. The print is a bit bold for my mom’s taste so I made a plain back out of a lightweight chambray. She can pair this top with regular jeans, her olive clam-diggers, her white pants or black slacks. It’d also look great paired with a black cardigan and jeans in the winter.

I’m working on making a few summery tops for me this week in anticipation of hotter weather. I found some gorgeous fabric I can’t wait to share with you.

What did you do for Mother’s day? Any fun projects?

Fabric supplied by Fashion Fabrics Club. Connect with FFC on Facebook and Pinterest

• Write her a heart-felt card
• Write several memories and traits you love about your mom, put them in a pretty box
• Make her a set of stamps
• Make matching friendship bracelets
• Buy or make something awesome, sew the box you wrap it in
• Make a pony tail holder
• Make her a bow cuff
• Make her a braided scarf, headband or bracelets
• Make her a pretty diaper and wipes case (that doubles as a cute clutch)
• Etch a pretty design or the family name into some glass servingware
• Make an accordion frame set out of mis-matched frames
• Make a series of unique art prints
• Make her a little purse

What will you be doing for your mother for Mother’s day? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to!

I don’t know if the weather is similar in your neck of the woods, but around here no one knows if it’s spring or fall. I dressed for both. Bright summery colors paired with subdued fall tones is really fun. And different. I like different.

• scarf: Soel Boutique
• top: Apricot Lane, c/o Apricot Lane
• sweater: Mode Boutique
• belt: thrifted
• bracelets: gifts from Chris
• watch: Soft Watch, c/o Soft Watch
• pants: thrifted + refashioned
• shoes: TJ Maxx

These photos are so grainy, and the white balance is completely off. I took these photos at 7:30 at 4000ISO. But still, my old camera would never get pictures this nice at such a poor time of day.

I’m back from Stepford. I mean, Daybreak. Seriously, what a fun weekend! I learned lots at Breathing Space about hair and makeup, interior design, sewing and, my favorite, cooking.

But before I get to that, I wanted to share with you the simple gift I made for my roommate (roommate gifts are standard at most overnight blogging events).

Since I was strapped on time, I mostly used what I had on-hand, and I was really lucky with what we had. Thursday, my man Branden baked his favorite ginger snaps. The Amish friendship bread starter Melissa gave me was ready to bake, so I made that as well.

I ran over to Target and found this cute box in the $1 section at the front of the store. It was the perfect size for the bread. I also picked up some tissue paper to line the box.

Speaking of homemade: you guys, the Food Nanny might have changed my life. She is so smart! I love her approach to eating whole foods. Basically, plan your dinner schedule and stick to it. She has a cuisine associated with every day, so she always has some structure from which to start when making her plan.Her recipes seem to be simple, too. She shared this fabulous French baguette recipe that only takes an hour to make. Seriously, who can’t do that? I think I’m going to give her cookbook to my mom for Mother’s Day with a loaf of this bread.

French Baguettes

by the Food Nanny

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 T. active dry yeast, (2 packets)
2 tsp sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
melted butter

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the warm water, the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar.  Stir to combine and let mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl blend the flour, salt, the remaining teaspoon of sugar and the yeast mixture.  Gradually add remaining water and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle (if it is too sticky add a little more flour). Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan (or a cookie sheet) and place the loaves in the pan. Score the loaves down the middle, cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes. If desired, brush the tops with melted butter halfway through the baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking.

Click here to download the printable 4×6 recipe card.

For photos of the event, check out this Flickr stream from Jenny K Photography.

Simply print out on standard 8.5×11 paper, cut in half, fold and you’ve got a lovely card to give to your awesome mom.

This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without the express consent of Melissa Esplin. I love getting shout outs from around the web, but please, link with love. Do not copy this post, publish more than 2 photos or outright steal this idea for commercial publications. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

 I’m also over at Rhodes Rolls blog today sharing an easy (and mini-sous chef friendly) recipe for a yummy Mother’s day treat.

Head over for step-by-step instructions on how to make the below lemon strawberry danish.

The floral pattern and the fabric are fantastic. The length, however, is a bit on the matronly side. That or I wasn’t styling it well enough when I brought it home with me.

I’ve been thinking of trying a high-low hemline for a skirt for some time, and thought this would fit the bill for a refashion. I pulled out my rolled hem foot, some starch and made quick work of the whole thing.

In all the refashion took about an hour. I was sure to go slowly as I rolled the hem. The hem is a 2mm rolled hem, so I had to be extra careful that it wouldn’t go nuts on me. I’m getting pretty good at it, too. Since this was a curved hem, I sprayed and ironed the skirt with heavy starch before hemming. I found this video to be most helpful. I was hoping that I would find a larger rolled hem foot for my sewing machine, but alas, the 5 stores I went to didn’t have anything bigger.

I would be thrilled if any of you had suggestions for where I could find a larger rolled hem foot (5mm or 10mm) for a Babylock.

I don’t own any skirts that have a high-low hemline, but now I’m convinced I need more. I love the extra coverage in the back. I don’t have to worry about baring it all if I’m bending over to pick up Felix. The rolled hem (shoulda posted a detail shot) makes the skirt look like it was bought this way. It looks so professional, in my opinion. I love it!

Outfit Details:

• top: Ruche
• belt: thrifted
• pink bracelet: H&M
• brown bracelet: handmade
• skirt: thrifted + refashioned
• shoes: Payless

This weekend, she got me set up with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil and mint. We’ve planted them in felt pots on our balcony, in case we move again soon. Which might be likely, based on our track record.

I also took the time to re-pot a few of the succulents I’ve had around the house. They were looking a bit drab.

My brother and sister-in-law gave us a beautiful ficus tree last Christmas. It was gorgeous, but short-lived. It must have hated where it lived, because it died about 3 months later. I hung onto the pot with the plans to buy some succulents in its place. It sure is a pretty pot.

This morning, I finished potting my old and new succulents. I think they look rather nice all bunched together, no?