Recycled T-Shirt Dress!!!

I am sooo excited about this project!!! I don't even know where to begin to tell you about it...Keep reading for the story behind the dress and details of a fabulous giveaway...

A few months ago, I was in a local baby furniture store that my friend owns and I was admiring some framed name art. The detail in the work was so original and creative. Then, a few weeks ago I found Lil Blue Boo, the blog of Ashley Hackshaw, through One Pretty Thing. I was immediately captured by Ashley's profile because she lives in the same area as me! And, she also has a 3 yr old daughter! Within a few minutes of poking around on her incredibly inspiring blog, I realized she's the artist who creates the framed art I was admiring months ago. One more reason why I love the amazing blogosphere. So, what does this have to do with a T-shirt dress? Keep reading, it gets better!

So...last weekend I hosted a baby shower for a dear friend. I sewed a set of burp cloths for her. When she opened them, another guest said "You made those? Do you have a sewing machine?" After a brief chat about my fairly new passion for sewing, she asked:

"Do you know Ashley Hackshaw?". I immediately responded "I wish I knew Ashley Hackshaw. I love her work, I've peeked at her blog a few times and she is so talented. Do you know her?"
"Yes", she responded "and she's looking for a pattern tester. She has a new pattern that she's going to sell and she needs people to sew the dress and give her feedback on the pattern."
Within a few hours after the shower, I had an e-mail from Ashley with the details and the pattern.

And, last night I finished the dress!!! Here it is...





The white T-shirt was ripped at the bottom and has some paint splatters on it. The other 2 T-Shirts were giveaway items we've gotten at Lakers games. I knew these were the perfect tees for this project! I absolutely love how this turned out!

So, now for the details on the giveaway!

Ashley will be releasing this great pattern in the next few days. But, before it goes up for sale, she'll be giving the pattern away to 3 lucky winners! Not only is this a simple, easy to follow pattern with clear instructions, photos and fantastic tips, it's also got options for ruffles, a halter and other details. And, since it uses recycled tees, it's a green and economical project! If I can make this dress, anyone can make this dress! So...what are you waiting for? Head on over to Ashley's Blog and learn how you can get entered in this great giveaway! Oh, and definitely poke around her blog if you've never visited before...she has sooo many great tutorials and inspiring ideas.

In mourning...(and a bunch of other updates)

I am sorry I haven't posted in so long. Unfortunately, my laptop died. Well, it's not even really my laptop, it's hubby's laptop that was somewhat handed down to me once he got his new one after Christmas. It was slightly damaged and kind of on it's last leg...anyway, I made the mistake of leaving a glass of water beside the laptop overnight and my cat (PITA - that's actually her name and she sure is a PITA), spilled the water and, of course, it seeped into my laptop and fried my hard drive. Kaput. Done. :( We called a professional computer geek friend of ours and he pronounced the death. In the meantime, hubby and I are sharing his laptop but he doesn't like that Picasa is copying all of his files (he's a designer and uses AUTO CAD - a drafting software program), and for some reason he is disturbed by this. I know I can upload photos individually without using Picasa, but I've just become so dependent on Picasa...it makes uploading multiple photos sooooo much faster. Ah well...anyway, since we're sharing the computer, I get less time actually on the computer, hence the lack of posts.

So, I have crafted a few items while I've been mourning the loss of the laptop and I will post pics of those soon. In the meantime, I'm dreaming of a laptop that I can call my very own.

I'm also envious of all the beachy pics I've seen on other people's blogs and the outdoor fun people are having with their kids. I live in a desert and it's been between over 115 degrees for the last week. I think the highs have been even over that. The temp is usually around 115 at 5:30 PM. I melt just going from my front door to my car. I'm pretty sure I could fry an egg on my driveway. Maybe that should be an experiment for the family this weekend.

Anyway, needless to say, we have not been spending any time outside. It's just too dang HOT. We need another weekend at the beach...

Are you somewhere hot? Are you melting? Or are you enjoying typical summer temps and cool breezes?

Sensory Activities

I came across this great post on sensory activities at Roots and Wings Co. via The Crafty Crow. I'll definitely be doing these activities with Taylor!

Painted Wine Bottles

I made these as a host/housewarming gift for the friends we stayed with for 4th of July weekend. I was inspired by the book Eco Craft. There are few books that I come across these days, that move me to purchase them. As I flip through the pages of many craft books, I usually think that I've seen similar projects before, or could easily find a free tutorial on-line. When I flipped through the pages of Eco Craft, I was instantly inspired. I must admit, I'm becoming greener with age and I find myself examining every piece of trash (cardboard, plastic container, tin can) and I think "what can I make with this?" before I throw it away. This book answers that question!

Some day soon I'll show you my "trash to treasure" box and I'll show you all the odds and ends I keep and what projects I'll use them for. Hey, I'm doing my part to keep the earth clean!

Sandcasting at the Beach

I wanted to something like this when I saw a similar project in my friend's bathroom that her boys had made. I also thought it was the perfect way to display the shells we collect at the beach. Then, I found this step-by-step explanation, so when we headed to the Beach last weekend, we took along all the supplies and brought home these finished projects.

As always, I'm happy to admit my mistakes so you can learn from them. Next time I would not add the grassy stuff that I added. I'd stick to shells, rocks and feathers. I now have algae growing around the grassy stuff which, of course, is kind of gross!

Shaving Cream Fun

Another sensory activity...basically I just set up the stuff and let Taylor have at it! I'll let the photos speak for themselves...any questions, let me know!

Altered Hat Box

I've been searching thrift stores and craft stores for a box like this. OK, I admit not a box that looks like this, but a box of this size and shape is what I've been looking for. At first I was thinking a large cookie tin or canister would have worked for what I had in mind. But I'm not a big fan of metal storage. I don't know, I'm just irritated by the sound of clanging metal, and if the lid gets bent on a cookie tin it never seems to fit the same way again. So, when I stumbled across this box at a thrift store for only $1 I knew I had found the perfect box! The perfect box to turn into this...

It's going to hold all my cupcake decorating supplies! The paper is part of the adorable "Nana's Kitchen" stack from DCWV and, of course, I got it on sale at Jo Ann's for $9.99 (several months ago when the new line was launched).

Once I had adhered the paper to the box using spray adhesive --- I'm loving spray adhesive, right now! I used it for the first time last week on another project, and...yeah...Looooove IT! ---- anyhoo, once I adhered the paper, I thought the lid needed a little something...Hubby was out at the dollar store grabbing some other things, so I asked him to pick up some wooden spoons. When he brought them home, they were typical wooden spoons so, of course, I had to spice them up! I painted them turquoise, of course! and did a light dry brush of white acrylic paint over top, added the ribbons, and some cupcakes cut out of the patterned paper and hot glued them to the lid.

Then I filled it with my supplies and there's still room for more!

Once I filled it, I realized I hadn't covered the inside where the original green is, but ah well...

Isn't that paper just adorable!?!?!

I'm wondering if there's a product I can use to coat the outside to make it water-resistant and wipe-able so I can wipe off any spills or messes it might endure while I'm baking. I'm definitely a very messy baker! So, anyone have any suggestions? I'm not sure if mod podge would work?