Laptop case

Breaking news, people… I BOUGHT A MACBOOK!

Ok, so I actually bought it a few weeks ago, but so far I love it! I was in desperate need of a new laptop since my 5 year old Dell that I paid like $300 for had a battery that wouldn’t charge, a screen that was breaking off and I’m pretty sure every virus ever created!

I hate making major purchases.  I went back and forth forever on what kind of computer to buy.  Do I spend a lot of money up front and get a laptop that will last me a long time even though I have no idea how to use one (Apple)?  Or do I go with a PC which are familiar, much cheaper, but won’t last as long?  Really I don’t use a computer all that much so a PC would have been fine, but in the end I fell victim to the shiny, sleek MacBook and bit the bullet.  Call me a conformist…my only consolation is that hopefully I won’t have to repeat that buying process for at least 10 years!

Well, I had to make sure this little guy would be nice and protected if I wanted it to last, so I made I cute little case for it.

     

I didn’t really search that hard for instructions on how to make this, so I pretty much just guessed my way through.  I used duck cloth for the outside fabric and then just cotton fabric in a contrasting color for the inside.  In between the layers I used heavy-duty fusible interfacing- 2 layers for extra padding. 

I added a few embellishments and there you have it! A new little laptop case! This is a pretty snug fit, I probably should have added about an inch to my measurements, but I kind of like that it is in there pretty tight. I also sewed in some elastic tabs and snaps to keep it closed.

I took it to work with me and one of my co-workers liked it so much, she asked me to make one for her!  I was happy to and this one was even easier.  I love this chevron fabric!

And I found another use for those giant buttons my grandma gave me!

Some wedding details

 

I was enlisted to help with a really fun project for the reception. The bride and groom both come from a legacy of strong marriages. She wanted to showcase this somehow so we came up with the idea of creating a photo gallery.  She was able to find pictures of parents, grandparents, great grandparents and I think great-great grandparents.  We printed the pictures off on 11X14 paper and used spray adhesive to  wrap them around foam board cut to 8X10.   I inked the edges and then gave them one coat of mod podge. It created a sort of gallery wrapped canvas look without the expense.

We took all the pictures and arranged them around one of their engagement pictures on this backdrop.  They are attached to the ribbon using duck tape. The banner just added some flare.  Simple burlap pennants with stenciled letters sewn on a white ribbon.

This was such a cool way to honor their families and acknowledge the legacy they come from!

It was neat to see people stop by to look at the pictures.  This picture is really sweet.  It’s the brides grandparents looking at the picture of themselves and their family.  I believe they have been married for 66 years!  They pretty much stood by this the entire reception telling everyone who the pictures were of.

 

This was the guest book.  Guest were able to sign their name, write and encouraging thought, etc on monogrammed cards and then hang it on the tree.  She had a sort of Cherry Blossom theme, so this went nicely with that!

The reception was held in the foyer of the church, which is quite large, but she did a great job at making the room feel a lot more intimate!  Isn’t this beautiful!

In all, this wedding was so beautiful and very much representative of the Bride and Groom. Not bad for a 4 month engagement!

“Girl’s Only” shower and a must-have travel accessory

My friends wedding was this weekend! It was beautiful, elegant, fun and very special. I want to show you some of the cool details she added to make the day perfect, but I’ll save that for my next post.

Right now, I want to tell you about the fun “girls only” shower we threw her a couple of days prior to the wedding.

It was on a Thursday night, so we had to make it a little later so people could make it from work/fighting Houston traffic. There were about 15 women total and we enjoyed some of Dean-na’s favorite snack foods including hummus and pita bread, Chili’s chips and salsa, mini fruit pizzas, and of course Chick-Fil-A nuggets! We also had an awesome cake that was brought in all the way from College Station.

I was in charge of decorations so I went with the ever popular tissue paper poms that I just tacked up on the wall along with a yarn/nail art piece I made awhile back.

On the table we used the DIY cake stands (see this post for the how-to) and just some flowers. I also had pink hydrangeas set around the house. Pretty simple, but I think it worked even with our lack of serving pieces!

After everyone got their fill of snack food, we opened gifts. She received a lot of nice things of course!

I was able to make something that I had been wanting to try for a long time. I feel in love with this when I saw it on Pinterest, but never had a reason to make it until now. The lingerie caddy can be folded up to put in a suitcase and then hung up on a skirt hanger when you get to the hotel.

I found the instructions to be very straightforward, and didn’t have any trouble except with the box pleats. For whatever reason, that was difficult to get the hang of, but after the first few, I had it down!

I also monogrammed the back side of it with her new last name and put some fun things in the pockets! I was able to do this start to finish in about 4 hours.

I think she really liked it and I hope it is something she can actually use for a long time. Not only can you use it for it’s intended purpose, but the pockets are different sizes so you could put jewelry, socks, electronic cords, hair accessories or any other small items you would like to keep together and not lose in the abyss of your suitcase!

Bridal Shower Hostess gifts

 

Remember my friend who just got engaged?

Well, she is getting married in less than a month! This week we completed a big project.  Between the 3 showers she is having, there are 22 hostesses. That is a lot of hostess gifts.  She didn’t want to spend a ton of money, but still wanted them to be personal. We settled on making monogrammed hand towels for each hostess and I think they turned out nice!

 

We had a sort of assembly line going and in all it only took us about 4 hours to finish all 22 of them. The bride-to-be cut out all the letters, our other friend was in charge of ironing them on, and I zig-zag stitched around them with a contrasting thread color and sewed on the rick rack with a simple straight stitch.

What made this project even simpler was that we purchased the hand towels with a linen border already in place. We just added the rick rack and monogram! We bought the towels here.

She will package these with a little bar of soap that goes with the theme of her wedding.  Won’t they make great gifts? It was a little extra work, but in the long run it was worth it and I think the hostesses will appreciate the extra effort. 

 

I can’t take the credit…

These creations are one of a kind and designed by the best “Creator” I know.

I am so thankful I get to spend my days with them!

I got a new lens for Christmas and I am loving the way my pictures are turning out. Of course, It doesn’t hurt to have faces like

this to photograph!

Pinterest

For the longest time I have been holding out on joining this site. I figured I didn't need another site that I felt like I had to keep up with. I probably still don't need it, but after so much talk about how great it is, I finally caved and joined up!

So far I am enjoying it and I can tell it will be an endless source of inspiration. The downside is that I don't have an endless amount of time or money to spend on those inspirations. For now, I'm keeping it simple. One board for my projects, one for projects I want to do, one for recipes and another for home decor. Talk to me in a week to see if that has changed- better yet, follow me at http://pinterest.com/kindallw

If you aren't on Pinterest, you are welcome to message me with your email and I will send you an invite. I hear requesting it from the site can take awhile, but a friend of mine sent me one and I got it immediately!

Happy Pining!

PS: I'm hoping there is a way to not get emails every time someone re-pins something. Within an hour I had 11 emails- not cool

Monogrammed Art

 

This is a different take on my previous fabric art.

   

For this I used Steam-a-Seam to adhere the monogram onto the base fabric. Then I stitched around each letter with a black zig-zag stitch to help it stand out a little.

I just printed out the monogram and then traced it onto the steam a seam backing backwards.  I am sure there is a more exact way to do this, but I have never been one for exactness.

This was actually a gift for a dear friend of mine who got engaged this weekend.  It was waiting for them when they arrived at the “just engaged” party!

Her new last initial and there first initials. The maroon and white colors are a nod to Texas A&M!  A school near and dear to both of them (and me)!

Congratulations Mark and Dean-na! I am so excited for you guys!

Make a frame, make some art!

I know some girls get things like clothes and makeup for Christmas, but for the past few years, my Dad has been stocking me up with awesome tools! It started with a basic tool kit, but as the years have gone on, I guess I have proven myself worthy of the big stuff!

This year I received my very own Compound Miter Saw! Isn't it lovely?

I'll admit, that blade is a little scary, but it sure does make this project I have been working on so much easier!

I have been making a lot of these fabric wall hangings and I need frames for them to wrap around. Theses are so cheap, and take no time at all now that I don't have to manually saw each of the boards!

Just take a 1X2 piece of wood, figure out the size you want your frame to be and make 45 degree cuts. Once you have your 4 edges, just staple them together at the corners. I used 2 staples on each corner, then flip it over and put 2 more staples again at each corner. Pretty simple and very sturdy.

Now, on to the fun stuff!

These fabric wall hangings are so much fun and the possibilities are endless. What I love about this is that you don't have to use a lot of fabric so you can raid the remnant section at Hobby Lobby and find all sorts of fun fabric without paying a ton and having a lot left over.

I just cut out whatever shape I want, lay that over a contrasting fabric, sew around the edges and then add some detail! Once everything is sewn on, just stretch it across your frame and staple it to the back.

Here are some examples. I really love them and they make great gifts!

Here are some up close

And here are some others I did ...