Watercolor Doodles

Recently I've been OBSESSED with watercolor doodles. My journal is now almost filled with little faces, monsters, creatures, designs, you name it. I first saw the idea for watercolor people here and was immediately intrigued. Basically, you just do a blob of watercolor paint, wait for it to dry, and then doodle on top of it with a sharpie. And it is so enjoyable. It is seriously the best activity to do late at night when your brain is tired, first thing in the morning when you want a brain jump start, in the afternoon...ok, ok, you get it. It is simply the most fun I've had with watercolor and a sharpie for a long time!

Here are some more of my favorites:

12 Dresses in 12 Months: May

I had this floral dress cut out since January but finally got around to sewing it up this month. And with its sunny disposition, I think it is perfect for May! It is a standard shift pattern with a cotton floral print and a stretch fabric for the arms. I sewed it all up in a couple hours so I think I'm getting the hang of this dressmaking (although, I did accidentally sew one sleeve on incorrectly two times...).

And who is this lovely lady in the picture with me? It is my sister-in-law showcasing her own DIY dress that we worked on together. It is the same pattern but she used a two-sided knit (the same I used for my February dress) and also added in pockets! Too cute!

Watercolor Painting: A Beginner's Approach

I'm pretty sure that the last time I really painted with watercolors was in high school. And I absolutely hated it. It was so hard to control my water supply and I ended up with mottled paintings that never came close to resembling what object I was trying to paint. So for years I've avoided it by staying with acrylics and oils. There I found forgiveness for my mistakes for I could always just add another layer to cover any rash decisions I happened to make with my paint brush.

But I found that acrylics and oils often deterred me from painting because of the set up time. I don't have the space in my apartment to keep all of my art supplies out all the time. So when I do want to paint, I generally have to spend quite a bit of time setting everything up. And that is just enough work to deter me from starting.  Then, I met a new friend that was really into watercolors. On a trip we took to California, she actually painted in the car with a little watercolor set that she had! So I decided that maybe I had been too hard with my high school critique of watercolors.

For Christmas, my sister gifted me with an adorable travel size watercolor set and a some watercolor paper postcards. And so I gave it a try...and LOVED IT! Yes, I do occasionally end up with mushy paintings with too much water, but overall I've been so pleased with my little paintings. I also picked up a watercolor sketchbook and also a slightly bigger brush to help me experiment a little bit more. I've even watched some Youtube videos to help me with different techniques. Mostly, though, I've just been enjoying the play and experimentation that it allows me have.

So in case you, too, have been avoiding watercolor painting for whatever reason..I encourage you to give it a try! You may just find that you love it!

Obligatory Feet in Lake Michigan Post

After waiting for about three years, I finally got to put my feet into Lake Michigan again! I was so sad to leave the lake when I moved to Oregon three years ago. Yes, I did have the amazing and awe inspiring Pacific Ocean in my not-quite-backyard..but it just doesn't compare for this Michigander! I love Lake Michigan so much that one year I was actually swimming in it from April through November! It was a bit cold but it was definitely worth it. I'm in Michigan currently for a few more months so I can't wait to spend as much of my summer as I can swimming!

12 Dresses in 12 Months: April

I found this adorable floral print at my favorite local fabric store for only $1.99! It was quite thin so I decided that April would be a good month to try lining a dress for the first time. I picked up some silk-like fabric on sale and decided that I'd give it a try for the lining. I used a basic shift dress pattern so it wouldn't get too complicated while I focused on the lining. 

I spent a great Friday night working on this dress, drinking wine, and listening to episode after episode of a new podcast, Invisibilia, that my brother-in-law told me about! It was a delightful evening!

The neckline got a bit wonky on this dress so I will probably do that a bit differently the next time around. But overall, this dress is comfortable and cute so obviously a success! Oh, and I think it is the cheapest dress I've made to date so that is always nice...

Thanks for traveling on my dress making journey with me!  It has been so fun and I'm learning a ton about sewing. The hardest part is that I'm about 2200 miles away form my sewing machine right now (it is a long story) so I'm at the mercy of other people sharing their sewing machines with me! Although, people have been very generous so I really can't complain too much.

I am stuck on an idea for May so send me any ideas if you have any!

Salted Chocolate Dipped Oranges

A couple weeks ago, I saw a picture of oranges dipped in chocolate and had been craving them ever since. So I gathered my giant list of ingredients and got to it. Here is what I did:

Peel mandarin oranges. Melt chocolate. Dip orange slices in chocolate. Sprinkle with salt. 

And that is it, folks! Try not to eat them all in one sitting...

12 Dresses in 12 Months: March

I have been wanting to make a red buffalo plaid dress for quite some time so I decided March was the time! I also decided to step up my challenge by learning how to insert a zipper and how to attach a collar. I watched quite a few Youtube videos to see the best way to do both of these things. My final product is not perfect by any means, but I am pretty happy with my first time doing both of those things!

12 Dresses in 12 Months: February

So as I said before, I'm challenging myself to make 12 dresses in 12 months. For February, I found a pattern from Joanns that I thought would be fun to try. Similar to January, I found a knit that was two sided which I liked because it was thick enough that I didn't need to mess with a liner. Maybe that will be a March challenge (gulp).

When I got home, I noticed that I had accidentally gotten the 14-22 size instead of the normal range of sizes. Boo! I ended up having to take it in significantly and adjust the length of the hem quite a bit. I'm planning on taking in the sides a bit more in the future so the bodice will be a bit more fitted. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It is super comfy which is always a plus! And it has pockets!

Orange Cranberry Breakfast Bread

This picture isn't great...but the recipe sure is!

I made this delicious bread the other day for a family brunch. It had the perfect density, moistness, and sweetness. Mmm! Head over here to get the recipe!

12 Dresses in 12 Months: January

 I've been wanting to challenge myself this year with learning how to sew clothes. And what better way then to make 12 dresses in 12 months!  Here is my January dress. I used this great two way fabric from Joanns. On one side it was stripes and the other was polka dots. I decided to use the stripes for the body of the dress and then used the polka dots for the sleeves. I also added pockets which was a new skill to learn. There are a few things I would change but overall I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Blue and Red Envelope Pillow

My mom mentioned that she had been wanting some new pillows to match her red couch. I found this fabric at Joanns and thought it was oh so pretty! I made two envelope pillow cases and gave them to her for Christmas. Envelope pillows are so handy--now she can easily wash the fabric or even change the fabric up for different seasons if she wants to.  Head over here to the DIY instructions that I wrote up from a past project.

Here is the other side that shows off the envelope style pillow case:

Stenciled Baby Onesies

I don't know why I don't stencil more often. It so fun especially on baby onesies. I used some stencils from Lotta Jansdotter's book but also made a few of my own...like the dinosaur! How cute is that?

Felt Paper Dolls

I absolutely loved paper dolls when I was little but I always ended up breaking off those little tabs on the clothes.  I saw this idea here and instantly saw its perfection: the felt clothes just stick on the bodies...no tabs necessary! I whipped up my own little set and also made a little envelope that she can keep her dolls and clothes in. Pretty adorable, if I do say so myself!

Whale Stuffed Animal

I have two little nieces that I really wanted to make whale stuffed animals for. I saw a couple of different ideas but ended up using this pattern and shrinking it down a bit so they could fit in my suitcase! I think they turned out super cute and can't wait to see my nieces snuggled up with their new whale friends!

Adjustable Kid's Apron

I have a four year old nephew who loves John Deere and also loves to help his mom in the kitchen. So (obviously) I decided to make him a John Deere apron for Christmas. As you can see in the picture, I made the straps and neck piece connected so it can be adjusted as he grows up. I'm so happy with how this turned out and can't wait to see how cute he is with it on!

Felt Tools and Toolbelt

My brother is really good with woodworking and fixing things so I thought it would be pretty cute to make a felt tool set for his son. I was really happy with how these turned out. So much so that I forced all my coworkers to look at pictures of them...

I pretty much used this set as a guide for the tools and just whipped up the belt with trial and error. If anyone is interested in a how-to I can definitely add in some instructions.

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

This may be my new favorite recipe. I only begrudgingly shared it with my husband. 

Head over here to find out how to make your own!

A Christmas Envelope Pillow

I made this little Christmas envelope pillow for my aunts and am very pleased with how it turned out. I think it is so cute! Head over here to the DIY instructions that I wrote up from a past project.

A Little Pom Pom Bunny

I made this little bunny for my friend Molly. Isn't it so adorable? 

The original idea came from here.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!