What I Pinned {Wednesday}

It may have been a couple of weeks since I've posted a "What I Pinned {Wednesday}," but rest assured I have still been pinning like crazy! Right now I'm kind of on a bathroom kick. I think it's because every time I'm in our bathroom I'm dreaming of ways to fix it up and make it more suitable to our my taste.

Our master bath has some seriously hideous wallpaper. Not just wallpaper, but floor-to-ceiling wallpaper AND a floral border. I know. It's all rose and hunter green, circa 1990's. But it has an amazingly huge (and deep!) garden tub, and plenty of room to play, so I'm on the hunt for some awesome inspiration. Here are some incredible bathrooms I've found and pinned recently.

{Click photos for links through Pinterest}

We won't be doing anything drastic like re-tiling or flooring, but I LOVE these colors and those scalloped tiles are absolutely incredible! Look at the detailing in the flooring!

I love the rustic feel of this bathroom. The barn wood covered wall and natural stone tub structure make me feel all earthy and cozy inside, haha! It's perfect with a little greenery, and white accents.

Speaking of earthy, check out this eclectic tiling pattern. It's so natural looking, and I just love the "randomness" of the pattern. P.S. I think the sink would be awesome in any bathroom!

Huge tub AND a fireplace? 'Nuff said...

Another "natural" bathroom... I love the open concept, and the pebble flooring with the stone walls would make me feel like I was showering in my waterfall again!

I love the contrast in this bathroom. The grey is stark but soft and the white allows the natural elements (the basket, wood bench, plants, etc.) in this room to stand out. 

So far, I think this is my most realistic favorite. We wouldn't have to change too much, but it would give the bathroom a much needed facelift. The green is so fresh, and when coupled with the white it just brightens up the whole space. 

If you're not familiar with Pinterest, go here for more info. And if you're already on Pinterest, come find me or leave me your link in the comments so I can come follow along with all of your finds!

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - An Old Fashioned Sleepover

Well... not actually. But that's what it felt like! My very own bestie came to visit me yesterday all the way from Lubbock. Well, actually her and her man were down this way visiting his fam, so she stole away for the day to come and hang out with me and Baby A. We spent the afternoon chatting away, playing with my little Baby A, and doing things that girls do. Like my hair. It almost reminded me of when we were 13 and staying up late watching Princess Bride and talking about boys. :)

Did any of you see Lauren Conrad's funky July 4th hair on her blog the beauty department this month? We did. It was incredible! And as often happens, we were instantly in love and had to try it out. Unfortunately, since Lauri is still growing out her bob from last year, I am the only one with hair long enough to give it a go at the moment. But just wait 6 months and we'll be back with pictures of her hair too! ;)

Ready for this??

What do you think?

I LOVE IT!

We could not have been happier with the way it turned out. Especially since we were both new to the whole self-bleaching thing. Thank goodness, I would have hated to post to you today about how we burned my hair off last night, haha! Hopefully I can get some better pics when the hubbs gets home from work later. It's kind of hard taking pictures of your own hair... especially when it's soooo long.

If you want to try it out, the beauty department has their tutorial HERE. Of course, I am always happy to answer questions if you need me to! Luckily, I got lots of great info from the lady at Sally's Beauty Supply, so if you purchase your goods there don't be afraid to ask for help!

These are the colored dyes that I used. They came highly recommended by Sally's lady, and they're supposed to have great holding power. They're also really vibrant, and that was a huge plus for me. I think Sally's had about 15 different colors in this brand:

We only ended up using a tiny bit, so I probably have enough dye to do this another 50 times, haha!

Enough of my silly antics, let's see what you've been up to! Link up your crafts and projects below! Be sure to use the direct link to the actual post, and be nice and go visit some of the other great links on the list. :) Feel free to grab a button from below and get linking!

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

As always, I hope you all are having a great week!!

XOXO

Friday Features: Sewing Projects

Hi all!! I've been meaning to get in here and show off some of the great things that you all have been sharing on the Tutorial Tuesday linky party. Since I didn't do a post this week, I left last week's party open {it will be open until Monday night, so go ahead and link up your projects!} and there's all kinds of fun stuff going on over there.

There are so many great links, that I thought I would narrow it down into groups. This Feature Friday is focusing on all the great sewing projects linked up this week. Check them out...

Kitty and her awesomely easy T-shirt scarf @ A Law Student's Journey

{isn't she cute? I can totally appreciate a person who like to take silly pictures!}

Adorable white on white Poppy Onesie @ Jessa Jill

{you guys know I'm a sucker for onesies!}

Patriotic Ribbon Flag T-shirt & Headband @ The Trophy Wife

{such a clever idea her daughter had here!!}

Repurposed Apron = Ruffled Sundress @ Lolly Jane Boutique

{Love ruffles, love a repurpose, LOVE this little cutie!}

Cap Sleeve Blouse @ Sweet Verbena

{she made her own pattern... which is like, amazing to me!}

Watermelon Skirt @ Sun Scholars

{what an adorable skirt, and an even more adorable model! Look at her hamming it up!}

And last but definitely not least...

Matching Crocheted Blessing Dress & Blanket @ Sarahndipities

{Congrats to Sarah on her brand new little angel! She is just too sweet!!}

I hope you all are having a fantastic week and have something fun planned for the weekend!

XOXO

Precious "Little Birdies"... New model photos!

Have I ever told you guys how much I love getting photos from etsy buyers? It's seriously one of the biggest perks of the job. It never fails to put a smile on my face every single time.

This week I got some of the most adorable pictures from Brandy in Maryland of her TWIN nieces that she sent Little Birdie onesies to. Brandy actually won our Facebook contest back in March, and she picked matching Monogrammed Angel Wings onesies to send to her nieces. Check out how precious these two Little Birdies are.

Look! They even have matching tutus and headbands!!

And a little shot of their "wings" from the back.

SO precious! Thank you so much Brandy for sending these to me, and also a special thanks to these cuties' Momma for letting me share the pics with you guys. :) I hope you all are having a great week!

If any of you have photos you would like to share, feel free to email them to me at 

littlebirdiebaby {at} gmail {dot} com

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - A Little Taste

I don't know about you guys but I feel extra inspired this summer. I have so many things in the works that I haven't finished even ONE yet! But that's okay, at least I'm having fun. :)

Since I don't have a finished tutorial to post yet, I thought I would post some progress pics of some of the things I've been working on.

A little cookery...

A little painting...

A little weaving...

A little planting...

A little backyard building...

And LOTS of things I don't even have photos for yet. Whew! It makes me dizzy just looking at all these. Methinks there will be some late night blog writing going on in the next few weeks, haha!

In any case, I am still excited to see what you all have been working on, so don't forget to link up below! Grab a button if you'd like, and feel free to link up as many projects as you have. Just please be sure to link to the ACTUAL project post to save us all some browse time. Now... link up! :)

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

XOXO

Looking for a way to make $$ with your blog?

I don't know about you guys, but blogging is one of the highlights of my week. I love sharing my tutorials and projects with you guys, as well as keeping up with all the things you're doing out there too.

So, when SocialSpark contacted me about doing some advertising for them on my blog, how could I resist? A little extra cash here and there for doing something I already love? WIN/WIN situation for me.

This week, SocialSpark has opened their contributor network up to ALL BLOGGERS! That's right, now you can sign up to earn money for your blog content too. Now, obviously I'm not paying our mortgage with these ads, but it's always nice to have a little extra coming in. More trips to the fabric store, I say!

The best part about SocialSpark is that YOU get to choose your advertisers, and you always have the option to decline if you're too busy, not interested, or if the advertiser doesn't meet the specific demographic of your blog. Pretty cool, huh?

If you're interested in signing up for this awesome opportunity, CLICK HERE to get started now!

XOXO

What I Pinned {Wednesday}

Good morning all! I hope you're having a great week so far! It is Wednesday again and I am here to share some of my favorite pins with you!

*new to Pinterest? Go here for more info!*

This week I'm sharing recipes! So here's to some links that will really get your tummy growling!

{Zucchini "Fries"... but not fried!}

{Chicken Enchilada Soup}

{Bloomin' Onion Cheese Bread}

{Capri Sun Fruit Pops}

And for the big girls and boys out there...

{Strawberry Peach Sangria}

YUM!! Of course I have tons more recipes and food ideas pinned HERE, and you are totally welcome to take a look and find your faves! Also, if you haven't sent me your pinterest address, send it on! I would love to see what you're pinning too. :) 

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - Easy Gathered Dress

***Sorry about the linky party issue... it is now resolved, so feel free to link up!!***

Good morning bloggy buds! I am coming to you this morning with a brand spankin' new tutorial! Yay! While I was on hiatus, and in preparation for Baby A's first birthday, I tried my hand at making clothing. Yes... an actual, wearable garment! {Are you getting the sense that I was pretty dang proud of myself? I was. Am. haha!} Check it out...

Baby A's 1st Birthday Dress

This was pretty easy overall, just a little time consuming with all the gathering. Luckily, there's a little something that makes the whole ruched top easier... elastic thread! It looks like this, and can be found with all the notions at your local fabric shop/Hobby Lobby.

Otherwise, all you need are these things:

2, 21" square pieces of fabric (this fits my 1 year old larely)

elastic thread

regular thread

fabric scraps or foldover elastic for straps (optional)

Now, before you get started you'll have to wind your bobbin. Yes, by hand. :) Elastic thread is tricky and won't work with your machine's bobbin winder. So wind your bobbin, not too tight, but not too loose either. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, mine sure wasn't! haha!

First, take your fabric squares and hem 2 opposite sides 1/2" each. This will make your ruffle-y top look better, and of course give you a nice hemline at the bottom of the dress.

Next, we'll be ruffling each square separately. You want to bring your stitch length out as far as it will go  on your running stitch setting to help your fabric ruffle on it's own. Sew 12 lines, 1/2" apart, starting 1/2" from the hem of the fabric. Be sure to sew with the patterned side of the fabric UP, so you will only see the elastic thread from the back side.

You can see here I was about 6 rows in and the fabric is already pretty scrunched up. My lines aren't all that straight, but in the end, it doesn't really matter since it's all scrunched up anyway. So sew 12 rows on each square of hemmed fabric.

Then, put your 2 squares together print side in and pin together leaving a 1/2" allowance for your seams. Sew along each edge in a straight line all the way to the bottom. Trim any loose threads or excess fabric, turn right side out and you're done!! Easy peasy!!

To finish it off, I added some fold over elastic to the inside of the front panel to make it a little halter dress. That part is totally optional, but my kiddo would just pull it down without the straps, haha!

I also whipped up a little matching headband for her to wear using the same brown fold over elastic as I used for the straps. I just made a little white felt flower and hot glued it right on there. Also easy peasy. :)

Now it's time to show off what you've been working on! Add your links below, just please remember to link directly to the post you're showcasing and go visit some of the other links too! If you'd like, grab yourself a button so others know where to find you!

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

XOXO

Merchandise Monday Returns!! {with a giveaway!!}

As you all know I have been frantically working on my etsy shop, trying to get everything in order for the summer and adding lots of new items for sale! Since Merchandise Monday started out as a way to showcase etsy sellers and products, I thought I would just go ahead and show you what I've been working on... at least a little bit of what I've been working on anyway. :)

I've been churning out the "boy" styles like crazy! I've never been inspired to do much boy stuff before, but for some reason the ideas just keep flowing. I'm sure you guys know how scarce the cute boy stuff is anyway, so it's a good thing! Here's a couple of new designs I added this week:

{Navy and Red Sailboat for boys}

This one is inspired by all the summer fun cropping up everywhere, and by my very own water baby. What could be better than a simple sailboat on a navy tye dyed bodysuit for baby's summer wardrobe?

{Fancy Little Man}

...because every baby wants to be comfy while also looking classy, right? ;)

Of course there's never a shortage of girlie styles too... Here's a couple of the more feminine designs I added to the shop since re-opening:

{Retro Flower on Aqua!}

I am ALL OVER the teal/aqua/turquoise trend right now... though I had no idea it was a trend when I was designing this little beauty about 3 months ago. :) Aside from the color itself, I love this design because it reminds me of some really awesome retro-floral wallpaper!!

{Fancy Little Miss}

Much like the "Fancy Little Man," what girl goes out without her bling on? Exactly! Now, this one is kind of a work in progress. I'm loving it on some other colors (purple, teal) and playing with some rhinestone embellishments as well. Stay tuned on this one!

Of course, it's not just bodysuits I've been working on...

{Boutique Burpie Sets}

{Baby Shower Gift Packs}

Some with little birdies, some with elephants, but all pack on the charm for a fun and unique baby shower gift. Included is a matching bib, burp cloth and plush toy in designer fabric rolled together and tied with some jute, ready to gift! I've got about a dozen sets in a dozen different fabrics, so these will be popping up here and there for as long as they last. :)

.......

Ok, so I'm sure you all are ready for me to get right to the good part: The Giveaway!

Well I've been cleaning, reorganizing, taking inventory, and all of that fun stuff and what did I come up with? A BUNCH of STUFF!! Since I don't have room to keep taking on more and more stuff, but I also can't seem to stay away from the fabric store, I decided I would offer you guys the opportunity to win some free stuff from my studio!

Here's my idea, and if you LIKE it, and would be INTERESTED in PARTICIPATING, let me know in the comments and I'll post a giveaway ASAP! :)

I have about 15 onesies that I need to get out of the way in my studio. They're either out of circulation, a different brand than I'm using now, or designs that I've discontinued. However, they're all new, never worn, and in various sizes from newborn to 12 months. There are some girls styles, some girls styles, but mostly gender neutral. I'm sure not everyone will love every single one, but I would like to give them away as a set... a Grab Bag Pack, if you will. Here's a sneak peek...

So what do you think? 15 onesies in a grab bag giveaway, or "get it together Rachael and do a real giveaway!"? Let me know what you think in the comments!! Ready? GO!


XOXO