What I'm Loving Right This Second

Floral Cabochons. I just bought a ton of these for a project I'm doing. In all different colors. I can't even explain my excitement! Aren't they pretty?

So What If I'm Fickle?!!?

I'm having issues with this blog. I have another blog that is private for my family and I've always liked the idea of having a second blog to vent creatively. The problem is just that. I like the idea of this blog but I've never been in love with this blog. I liked my other blog before this little better, but I didn't love the name. With this blog I put some unfair pressures on myself to make it into something it will never be. I know I've neglected this blog over the past several months. I've been busy with some things in my personal life. However now I feel like I need it again, but I need to make it fun and easy. I tried out an Etsy shop and I don't think it's for me (at least not right now). So no more Etsy and no more pressure. Just a place for me to organize my creative impulses. If you still want to read it than fantastic. If not than oh well. I give you Sweetly Nostalgic! I hope you'll stick around!

A Baby Shower

This post is actually a little late. My friend Alecia and I threw a baby shower for our other friend Janice. She has since had the baby sweet Cambria Lily. The shower turned out pretty good. We had a lot of really yummy food which is the most important thing.I made the tissue paper Pom Pom's from this tutorial on Martha Stewart, and all I have to say is it wasn't as easy as it looks. It really wasn't that easy folding the paper even. It wasn't all that easy cutting the end. And it definitely wasn't easy fluffing them out. They turned out a little lopsided and hence they stayed on the table. Oh well I think it still looked cute. My favorite part of the event were the Oreo Cookie Truffles made from this tutorial on Bakerella. They were quite delicious. I had a lot of fun with this baby shower. Maybe someone out here should get pregnant so I can do it again.

Creative Brain Fart

That's what i've been going through for the last month. Or more. I've been feeling a little over whelmed and under inspired. All of the stresses of managing a home and being a mother of an almost two year old with a lot of energy are starting to pull me down a little. I know that my job as a stay at home mom and house wife really isn't that difficult, and a lot of you out there do it easily and well. But we all have our moments and as I have been doing my best I still feel so unorganized. When my life is cluttered it is really hard for me to feel inspired. So this blog, my sewing projects and my poor attempt at an Etsy shop are suffering from it.

I am happy to say that I am back on the rise. I have had a really good week with Miss. S (actually two weeks) and we have started to get organized as a family. Even though we don't have any back to school kids yet I feel like this time of year is perfect for reevaluating and reorganizing. In my opinion it's never too early to teach your children good habits. So our Family Home Evening this week was all about D&C 132:8 Mine house is a house of Order. For our activity we made up chore charts for each family member and for the family (pictured above). I'm cracking down school teacher style and I'm happy to report it's working. My little girl who is not yet two is doing simple chores daily. She is loving it because she wants to earn all her stickers. It is making a huge difference in our lives and I think by the end of the week I'll have my creative mojo back. Maybe my first project should be designing cuter chore charts. Until then I ask you this. What are your best organizational tips? What saves your sanity on a daily basis? What routines can you not live without? Let's discuss!

Love It!

So I love it when I hear that someone has made something using my tutorials! I even love it more when I get to see the finished product. My friend in California Eva made these adorable onesies using this tutorial of mine. I have to say she did a fantastic job! They are pretty stinking adorable!What I'm even more impressed with is the fact that she is learning to sew and one of her first projects was a Maxi dress. How brave is she? I have been wanting a Maxi dress all summer but most of them are sleeveless in one way or another. How cute is this dress?
Amazing Eva!

We're Back!

I know I disappeared for a little while. If you don't keep up with my family blog then you would have never known that Miss. S and I took a little vacation. We went to visit family and Utah. It was absolutely wonderful! Come next week I'll be back into blogging mode. Now it's time for some vacation detox!

This picture was taken at Tony's Grove up Logan Canyon. It was stunning! If you ever get the chance to explore Logan Canyon you should. It is breath taking!

Fourth of July Dress!

This project made me want to gauge my eyes out. I had so much trouble with it. I didn't use a pattern but I did use this cute tutorial. That was my big problem. With a very wiggly 19 month old it's hard to make things without a pattern. She never stops moving. However it turned out pretty cute in the end. I know the more I make cloths for her the easier it will be. But next time I think I'll use a pattern.

The "Other" Project

So here is the other sewing project I made last weekend... finally.I used a vintage pillow case, sturdy striped ribbon, and this tutorial by Betz White. There are so many things I love about this apron. I think I'm going to make some more but tweak them a bit (Like rounding off the corners and using binding tape around the outside). But I love it because...

A) It's that whole upcycling thing again.
B) The pocket is super sturdy.
C) It took me 20 minutes to make. I know I know the tutorial said it's a 10 minute apron but I made a mistake in the beginning and had to rip out a seam. Opps! Next time I'm sure it will be 10.

You should all try this apron out. It is super easy! Even the first time sewer can do this one, and seriously I'm sure even the busiest person can spare 10-20 minutes.

Baby Girls

I know I said I had a lot of posts this week and I promised pictures of the other sewing projects I did. I know I failed you. The trick is trying to get my husband to take those pictures. So until I can pin him down they are on hold. But instead of not posting anything here is one of the most adorable crib sets I have ever seen!No I'm not having another baby but if I were to have another little girl I would love something like this. Found at Plover Organic.

Getting My Stitch On

I did a lot of sewing this weekend. When I say a lot I mean it! Miss. S has been needing some more jammies for a while now. I've been waiting for them to go on sale but this weekend I got tired of waiting. After some serious brainstorming I thought of making some pajama pants for her out of some of her old receiving blankets. Total cost for 3 pairs of pants was $6. I bought a pattern and elastic and that is it. Here are the old blankets that my sister Jessy made for me.And the new jammie pants after.I used Simplicity Pattern #2734 and it really was quite simple. I even have a lot of fabric left over for when she gets a little bigger. Here they are on a sleepy model.I loved that I could go through a closet and find something old and turn it into something new. It was so much fun.

Tomorrow I'll show the other sewing project I worked on!

Lot's of posts coming up

Since I was sick last week I didn't get to posting all that I had hoped to. So there will be a lot of posts this week. So keep checking back because I have a few fun things in store. Including a really fun giveaway! The first post will be later today!

Sick Day(s)

Sorry this week has been post free. I came down with the worst cold of my life last Friday. So everything else has been put on hold. The bed was left unmade, dishes undone. Toys were left out, and of coarse the blog was unattended to. I'm starting to feel better though so maybe I'll have something fun for tomorrow.

I Did It!

I got my first 3 items up in the shop finally! By the end of the weekend there will be two more. In the weeks to come there will be more and more. I'm so happy I got it started. My two very favorite items are listed. The alphabet magnet sets turned out so much better than I imagined! Please take a look! I hope that you all enjoy, and please spread the word!

The Process Begins

So today I dove into the world of Etsy. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I thought I would get everything set up and opened today, but there is kinda a lot of little steps to do and things to think about. So I got everything started. I'm still getting my policies, and descriptions, and other things all written up. I will definitely have everything done this week! I'm getting anxious and excited!

Recuperating...

...From a quick trip out to the shore. Check back next Monday for the word on Etsy.

Orange Cup and Showcasing San Antonio

I took Miss. S to Orange Cup today. It is a frozen yogurt shop kinda like a Pinkberry (but I think it is better). This was her first experience with the tangy sweet goodness that it is. After each bite she looked at me with excitement in her eyes and exclaimed "That's good!" and then she would grab for the spoon again. Ahhh a girl after my own heart. I love how much she talks these days.

P.S. I need to mention that there is a lovely article on San Antonio food in this months Martha Stewart Living. This city has some fantastic restaurants. The photos in the article make my mouth water. However I can't find any of them online so go get the magazine!

Extend the Life of Mascara

A little while back I treated myself to a pricey mascara. I love it! It makes my lashes look ten times thicker, longer, and darker. However I found that it has dried out quicker than I would expect for the money I paid for it. Maybe it has something to do with me accidentally leaving it in the car on very hot San Antonio afternoons. Needless to say I was pretty bummed. I don't splurge very often. So I looked up tricks to extend the life of your mascara. Here is the greatest trick I found. It actually works really well. So if your mascara is running low or drying out DON'T throw it away! Try this first!Fill a mug about half way with water. Microwave on high for about a minute and a half. Make sure your tube of mascara is closed tightly and place in mug. Just make sure that the top is not in the water. Leave in for about one to two minutes. Then open and apply. You may have to repeat the process for both eyes. Don't pump your mascara as it dries it out faster. Make-up artists recommend changing your mascara every 3 months. So maybe this will extend it an extra month.

Showcasing Austin

I always love getting my Anthropologie catalog in the mail. The photography is always so inspiring. I also love the city of Austin Texas. Which I only live about an hour away from. It is such a fun & funky place to spend the day. Imagine my excitement when I opened the pages of this months catalog only to find one of my favorite cities gracing it's beautiful pages.Such a great city! So much to do and see! Lot's of music and festivals! Seriously you should visit Austin ASAP!

Meet Babe

Much like Paul Bunyan's Ox my sewing machine is big, blue, and reliable. It's old. I don't know how old. Probably as old as the story of Paul and Babe. It's super heavy weighing around 75-80 lbs. It's got some problems such as the reverse is broken and I keep having to super glue parts in place. You know what though? I started out hating this machine, but over the last year I have learned to love her. I have figured out how to maneuver around her idiosyncrasies and create things I am really proud of.

So this year for my birthday my husband and his family pitched in to get me a new Brother machine. I am terrified of that machine. It's shiny, white, and really really fast. Sewing on Babe has slowed me down to a more methodical pace. Which I thoroughly enjoy. Babe is now my crutch. I find myself lugging her out of the closet, all 75 lbs. of her, when ever I want to do a project. I know I need to use my new machine. It was such a wonderful gift and exactly what I asked for. It will just take some time I think. At least to get used to the speed.

Anyway sorry to ramble. There is an actual moral to my story. My point is if you have a desire to sew or to be "crafty" then do it! Don't let a 75 lb. Ox get in your way. Learn to sew. It is an important skill. It can save you money, and it will get you creating unique and beautiful things. Find a machine on Craig's List and sign up for classes at your local fabric store. Don't keep thinking about it and just do it. You will be so happy you did. I promise!

Finally

I finally got around to putting the pictures on the applique post. They aren't the best pictures but it will have to do. Miss S was a difficult model due to a bad case of the wiggles, but I think she still looks pretty cute.

I've been working my fingers to the bone on some pretty cute projects for the shop. It's going a little slower than I'd like though so I'm shooting to open it up the first week of June. Hopefully! Here's a sneak peak at an unfinished alphabet project. My most favorite project yet.

Fabric Applique My Way

Here is the newly revised, much more simple tutorial for Fabric Applique. On the old blog it was the onesie tutorial but really you could use it for just about anything!
You Will Need
pencil
pattern
*Fusible Webbing ( one that has a double sided temporary adhesive)
scissors
Fabric Scraps
Iron
Embroidery Floss
Needle
Fusible Fabric Stabilizer

Directions
1. Cut out a square of fusible webbing the size of your pattern. Peel off one side of paper and stick to fabric. Iron onto fabric.2. Trace your pattern onto remaining paper backing and cut out. These first two steps cut out several steps from the last tutorial saving you a lot of time.3. Peel the remaining paper off, stick to the item you are working with. Iron on.4. At this point you can embellish however you wish. I really love hand embroidering, but you can use a machine, or leave it be. What ever you like really.5. After you are finished if it is for an article of clothing like a baby onesie I like to take a square of fabric stabilizer and iron to the back to seal in the knots so that it is smooth against the skin. The one I use has a fabric side and a fusible side. Just ask someone at your local fabric store and they can point you in the right direction as to what would be the best to use (as I don't really know what it's really called. If you know let me know!)

6. ENJOY!
*Note* As for the fusible webbing I love Steam-A-Seam 2. So far it is the best I've used. And don't get the light version. I find it's not as good. Also this lovely fabric is by Sandi Henderson from her Farmer's Market collection. You can view the collection here. Very cute stuff!

Have A Sweet Day

Welcome to A Sweet Day Emporium Blog. As you may already know I will no longer be blogging at Absolutely Cheesy. I decided to switch it over to coincide with my new Etsy Shop. I will slowly be adding the tutorials I have done at Absolutely Cheesy to the side bar of this site. Once they are all listed I will delete the other blog. Until then you can still access the other site. I'm so excited to be starting my new shop and I can't wait to show you some of the things I have been working on. I hope you all enjoy. Posts are probably going to be slow at first but will pick up a little later. Until then I hope you have A Sweet Day!