Tutorial Tuesday - Braided Sweater Scarf, Jr.

I was reading through all my favorite blogs Friday morning during Baby A's nap, and came across one that I was so excited about I had to try it right away! 

So You Think You're Crafty is doing "I'm Crafty" parties in conjunction with the current season of the "So You Think You're Crafty" competition. Each week, readers link up their crafts that go along with the theme of the contest for that week. Last week's theme was "Thrift Store" so you just know there were some really awesome submissions! If you're not a follower already, you should definitely go check it out. It's alot of fun!

One of the featured crafts was from Just Another Day In Paradise, for a Braided Sweater Scarf with Pom Poms. I loved it immediately! For her tutorial, go here. She has lovely pics, and easy-to-follow instructions.

Of course, I didn't exactly follow her instructions per se, but the end result was similar nonetheless. I made a Braided Sweater Scarf Jr. for my little snow bunny! I don't know about you other moms out there, but I struggle with buying the winter clothes because they grow so fast. I never seem to have exactly what I need when the weather strikes. Because of this, we probably spend more time in the house than we would otherwise, LOL!

To make my Jr. version of this project, I used the belt from this belted sweater rather than the sweater itself. (Oh, don't worry! I'll be making Mommy a matching scarf from the actual sweater!)

I cut the belt in half lengthwise, and then folded those two pieces over and cut them like ribbon to make 4 pieces. (3 for the braid, plus one extra) I took those pieces and followed the Paradise Instructions until I had my braid and pom poms ready to go. For the pom poms I used some really soft, white Baby Bee yarn I had lying around from another project.

OH yeah, did I mention this little project cost me $0?? Yup. That's right... all stuff I already had lying around. YAY!

Once I got everything together, this was the final product!

Super cute! Of course, you know I had to get my favorite model to give it a whirl for me to make sure it "fit" or whatever scarves do. Apologies for being in our pj's at noon still! Oh wait, did I say "our"? Yep... ya caught me! LOL

She seemed to like it! It took all of 3 seconds for her to pic up the poms and start chomping away. If you're going to do the Jr. version for a baby, I suggest reinforcing your pom poms so the yarn can't be pulled out and create a choking hazard. We want baby to stay safe! :)

Ok! Now go get 'em! And be sure to share your projects in the linky box below. I would love to see what you've been working on!!

XOXO

LINK UP!! 

Show me your tutorials for this week and be featured in an upcoming Tutorial Tuesday! :)

Merchandise Monday - Getting it Right

Last time I told you all about how I got started. Now, it's time to show you the first "failures" of my idea, haha! It sort of seems like many of the etsy shop owners have been working their magic forever, and just decided to start selling their products. I had an idea but no experience whatsoever in fabric dyeing, so I started with some research and then jumped right in.

Here are some of my first attempts...

 Not so great, right? LOL! My technique needed tweaking and I needed some practice. I also had to learn the art of creative patience, because this is just not one of those projects you can rush. Finally, I had a design I was ready to share with the world...

The purple swirl heart! I cannot tell you how excited I was about this one... and it's certainly been a favorite in my shop. I had three orders for this design within the first week of opening my shop. Pretty cool.

Of course, as part of the process, things were constantly evolving. I started out with the Gerber white onesies because they were cheap and really easy to find. Unfortunately, they are not at all true to size, and they were shrinking on me like crazy so I switched to Carter's brand onesies. They're much better quality, they hold up much better throughout the dyeing process, and they come in a wider array of sizes and styles.

As part of the evolution, I also made some design changes. When I'm not happy with an end result, it just won't do no matter what. Besides, I'm putting my name on these products and not only do I want people to like them, I want them to have the best of what I can offer. These were probably the two most drastic evolutions in design (originals on the left, updates on the right).

Quite a change, yes? LOL

Working with color was also fun, and as you can see from the sun onesies, things don't always go as planned. But, you try something else, and eventually it either works out or you just have to scrap it and go on to the next thing.

I read in an Etsy Sucess newsletter that your shop should be constantly evolving. I try to adhere to that as much as possible, not only to keep things fresh for my shoppers, but also to keep things from getting stale for me. :)

Speaking of fresh, I have our little bloggy here a facelift this weekend, I hope you like it as much as I do!


XOXO

        

Oh what a beautiful MORNING!!

Actually, it's raining. So it's pretty yucky out...

But it's beautiful inside my heart today, because I just found out from our friends at Life Rearranged that sweet little Cliffy (who we've been raising money for all winter) now has a family!!!

{read details here}

He won't be going home for a few more months, but just the thought of him being on his way out of the orphanage has brightened my whole day!! What a wonderful thing!! Like Jeanett, I am SO hoping that his new family blogs about their journey, because I for one would love to see him at home getting all the loving he deserves from his new family. :)

In the meantime, you can follow his status through the Reece's Rainbow website, here @ "My Family Found Me!". 

What a blessed day!


XOXO

  

Thankful Thursday- 1/13/11

Hello hello! It's that time again, friends! Today I am sharing my thanks for my super-duper awesome and convenient Beaba Babycook! I don't know if any of you have one of these, but it makes feeding baby healthy, homemade food a breeze.

It steams, blends, defrosts, warms, and it's all in one nifty little gadget. I mean, I can make about 6 servings for baby in under 15 minutes. The best part is I can use fresh, organic food; cooked precisely, so it doesn't lose valuable nutrients, with NO PRESERVATIVES. I can control exactly what my baby is eating, and make her things that you just can't get from grocery store baby food.

I. LOVE. IT.

I think she does too. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but there is just not a great selection of baby food in stores anyway. They may have 2 or 3 options for 1st starter foods, and you certainly can't make your own combinations of foods either. Also, like I mentioned before, it only takes 15 minutes or less, and I can then either store it in the fridge for use within 3 days, OR I can freeze it in these cool little BPA free silicone storage containers for up to 3 months, and pop out one serving at a time.

It's not just for infant purees though, it can also cook and serve, has a rice and pasta cooker attachment, as well as any other "food processor" function you can think of. I'm excited for baby A to get past the puree stage so I can really start cooking! Man, it must be nice to have a personal chef! Haha!

I've got these two books as well, which compliment the Beaba cooking method and are both chock full of information, recipes, and even tips for helping to integrate baby's eating into Mommy and Daddy's dinner time. Baby & Toddler can be found at Williams Sonoma, and the Babycook Book can be found at the Beaba website, or on Amazon. Click on the book to be directed for purchase. :)

Needless to say, with all the preservatives, additives, and unknown ingredients in baby food today, it's nice to know I can provide my baby with the best head start possible. I'm just thankful someone came up with a fast, easy way to do it so I can spend more time with my little darling, and not toiling away in the kitchen all day long!

Are there things in your life that make everyday things easier? Share below!



XOXO

            

Blog Spa Announcement!

The tree is down, the decorations are packed away again in the attic, and the dust is finally settling after the holidays. I'm sure if any of you are like me, all this juggling had left you feeling a bit tired and maybe a little frayed around the edges. What better time for a little pick-me-up??

Well Bev at Flamingo Toes, and Elizabeth at Twelve Crafts Till Christmas are teaming up for a Spa Week... well, actually, a BLOG Spa Week!!

Since we can't all get together and "spa" ourselves back into shape for the new year, these wonderfully talented ladies are teaming up to give us a week of blog spa fun. Blog Spa week will be taking place January 23-28 and will be a week chock full of spa tutorials, tips, and GIVEAWAYS!!

Click over to the Flamingo Toes post for more details, a list of giveaway sponsors and more! You can also find a button link over in the sidebar. :)

I for one am excited to see what these two have up their sleeves, and who doesn't like a giveaway??

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday- Roasted Butternut Squash

Welcome to the very first installment of Tutorial Tuesday! I'm going to start things out nice and easy with a tutorial for roasting butternut squash. Butternut squash is one if those super-versatile vegetables that, especially when roasted, can be used for making all kinds of things. But we'll get to that later. ;)

Lets get started!

First, take your fresh squash and cut length-wise into halves. Scoop out all of the seeds and the stringy, uh, stuff. (I'm sure it has a name, but oh well!) I like to use an ice cream scoop since well, it is made for scooping after all, but any metal spoon will do just fine.

Next, place the halves cut side down in a baking dish. I used one of those little disposable roasting pans from the grocery store because every. single. one. of my baking dishes is currently occupied. (I told you I'd be cooking up a storm!) I don't think the actual dish is all that important anyway as long as it has sides tall enough to hold everything in.

Add enough water to come up the sides of the squash about 1/4 inch.

Preheat the oven to 375°, then cook the squash uncovered for about an hour, or until realllllllllllllly soft and starting to brown. Ooooh Just look at that toasty goodness. See how mine are even starting to fall apart? That's perfect!

By the way, the smell is just fantastic!

When you take the pan out, drain the water off* and let the squash cool. Be patient, believe me, those suckers are going to be hot for awhile!

*If you're going to puree the squash for soup or for making baby food, collect the cooking juices in a container and set aside to use for thinning your mix.

When the squash pieces have cooled enough to handle, whip out your trusty metal spoon again and scoop out all of the flesh. Sometimes, the skin just peels right off, and there's no scooping required. ;)

If you haven't already eaten it all by the time you're finished, you'll have a nice big bowl full of butter-nutty goodness! I used half of mine to make baby food, and the other half to make butternut squash risotto for me and the hubbs. YUM!

So there you go, Roasted Butternut Squash: easy-peasy! Go for it! :)


XOXO

LINK UP!! 

Show me your tutorials for this week and be featured in an upcoming Tutorial Tuesday! :)

Merchandise Monday- Starting Up

Welcome to the first installment of Merchandise Monday! I'm really excited to have the opportunity to share my work with you on a personal level. So many of my designs come from very specific inspiration, and lots of them have a back story. That's probably my favorite thing about my product line; each one is so personal. Some of them have been inspired by customer requests, and others by the most random situations.  You just never can tell when a little inspiration will swoop in and take charge! haha!

But before I do that, I guess I should go back to the beginning...

I've had lots of people as me how I came up with this idea. To be honest, I don't know exactly. It all started about a month after my daughter was born. I was home, and she slept most of the time, so I was kinda bored. While I was pregnant I was so busy with my overly elaborate plans for her nursery, and getting ready for her arrival, I was never bored. Plus, I don't know about you other Mommies, but the time between morning sickness and just plain lazy/tired/hugeness didn't seem to last very long, LOL!

Anyway, after she was born I was sort of looking for something to occupy my time with. Hubby and I had already decided that I wouldn't be going back to work (bless him for taking on that burden!!) but I didn't just want to be at home doing dishes and laundry all the livelong day. I'm just not wired that way.

Really, I think it was a combination of my love for fabric, my love for drawing, and my love of creating. None of this came as any surprise to my parents who have been picking paint, beads, pins, charcoal pencil shavings, and other random craft what-have-you's out of their carpet for years. Also, the overall generic selection of baby clothes was just too boring, and I wanted a way to make things for my baby that no one else's baby was going to be wearing. (I so love Carter's but every third baby picture I see on Facebook is of someone's kid wearing identical Carter's outfits. No thanks! LOL!)

And what about "Little Birdie"?? Well that is all thanks to my precious babykins. As you can see in the nursery, there are little touches of birds here and there, and baby LOVES them! There are two birdies on the wall over her changing table, and from day one she has been in love with them. We would be standing there changing her, and she would just be ogling at the birdies on the wall and giggling up a storm. And so was born the "Little Birdie Baby Shop," I can't wait to tell her that story someday. :)

Everything else has just kind of blossomed from there... I am certainly thankful to my amazingly wonderful husband, without whom none of this would have been possible. His support, love, and willingness to let me follow my whims never ceases to amaze me. I'm pretty sure he's my biggest fan. He even physically goes into the bank every single time because all the women in there are dying to see my newest designs for their babies and grand babies, haha!

So now you know all about my little shop! Next week I'll show you the results of my first few attempts (let me just say, fabric dye is incredibly unpredictable), you'll be sure to get a good laugh! Until then...

XOXO

More NEW stuff!!

I am super excited today, because I have MORE new stuff to share with you guys! I have been a busy little bee working on some new ides for my blog. So, without further adieu, I would like to introduce:

Merchandise Monday

&

Tutorial Tuesday

Merchandise Monday will be my little place to showcase Little Birdie Baby Shop merchandise, tell you a little bit about each one (because, really, nearly every one has a story), and introduce NEW merchandise and product lines I'll be adding to my store! More on that later! ;)

Tutorial Tuesday will be a place for sharing projects. My projects, projects I've tried, projects I've found elsewhere that I want to try, and guess what? I'll even be taking submissions to showcase YOUR projects/tutorials. Fun, huh?!?

If you are interested in sharing a tutorial, leave it in the comments section of the most recent Tutorial Tuesday post. I'll be working on getting a linky area set up to make things easier for all of us. I can't WAIT to see what you all have been up to! I'll pick my favorites and post them on a future Tutorial Tuesday. YAY!

Of course, I'll be continuing on with Thankful Thursday, as well as other random blog posts about, well, whatever! 

***

I'm also working on a new section for my "things we like." tab. It's a wish list of sorts, I guess. I was finding that many of the things I reference in conversation are not really easy to categorize, nor can I actually make a good recommendation because I just don't have personal experience. If there's something on the wish list that you guys are familiar with, I would love to hear your reviews!!

OKAY! So get ready for the first installments of Merchandise Monday and Tutorial Tuesday coming to your desktop (or reader) next week! And of course, have a SUPER great weekend!!

XOXO

   

Thankful Thursday- 1/6/11

Today is once again Thankful Thursday. I've been sitting here in front of this blank page for over an hour now trying to figure out how to write out all the things that are swirling in my head.

As many of you know, I have been extending a request for support for sweet little Cliffy, an orphan infant in Ukraine with Down's Syndrome. I wanted to let you all know that his big fundraiser is ending tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 7th) so if you haven't popped over to lend a hand, go now! :) As Jeannett at LIFE.rearranged says, even one dollar helps! Don't think that it doesn't because it absolutely DOES!

While checking the status of Cliffy's fundraiser, I found myself reading another blog post from a woman names Adeye at No Greater Joy Mom. In this post, she recounts her experience with the orphanage in the Ukraine that she and her husband adopted their daughter from. It's quite horrifying. Honestly, the more I dig in a read about it, the more my heart breaks. I've been crying most of the morning trying to figure out what I can do personally. God knows if my husband and I thought for one second that we could be approved for an adoption like this, we would definitely be pursuing it.

I urge you all to go take a look, read their stories, and share them with as many people as you can. The best way to get these kids adopted is to spread the word. Most of them, if not adopted by their 5th birthday, will end up in an asylum for adults for the remainder of their lives. Children of any walk of life just do not deserve to live this way.

I think sometimes it's hard for us to really know how fortunate we are, and how much we truly have to be thankful for in our lives. Yes, the economy is bad. Yes, there are many who are jobless. And yes, we all have our problems and hiccups in our day-to-day life. But it could always be worse.

So today, I am asking you to go visit these blogs, and be thankful for the fortunes in your life, no matter how small you might feel that they are.

I know I am. :)

New Year, New Blog Features!

Good morning all!! I've been tinkering with the ol' blog here for the past couple of days, and wanted to share with you all some of the changes you're seeing!

Didja notice the new tabs just above? Yep! There's now more to see here at The Little Birdie! First you'll notice the shop page. This is just a little sampling of my etsy shop, located right here on the blog, so you never even have to leave the page! Nice, huh? From there you'll be able to keep up to date with pricing, specials, and new items, even if you don't visit the etsy website as often. :)

Next there's a little page called "things we like." Basically as I'm perusing the internet, I'm hand-selecting some of my favorite brands and products to share with YOU, my readers. Some of it is just stuff that I like, others are things I've referenced in my blog, kind of like a "where to buy" section. I started with "baby things." because I'm knee deep in them right now, I guess. In the baby category you can find all the things that I love to use for baby, and some of her favorites too. There are only a couple of categories as of now, but keep checking back as it's a constant work in progress.

Next up- I'll be working on integrating my NEW PRODUCT LINE! YAY! :)

XOXO