Menu Planner

I've seen tons of menu planner's all over the blogs lately and honestly I've sort of looked and them and thought they were cute but unnecessary.  It wasn't until I looked up at my magnet board and saw this that I realized how much I'd like one.

Each week I pull out a piece of paper, a scrap of envelope, an old receipt or any piece of paper I can find and write up 6 or 7 meal ideas, then I make a grocery list based off of those meals.  The grocery list gets thrown away but the meal list stays up on the magnet board until I've made them all.  Sometimes they look fine (this list is a good looking one), sometimes they look less fine.

I think this is a big improvement.

I took a frame I wasn't using and spray painted it black.  It was ridiculously windy but I was impatient so I sprayed anyway.

I then used scrap book paper to fill the frame.  I added the red strip to the bottom thinking it will make a good temporary grocery list.  For example, I used up the last of the vinegar while making sweet and sour sauce for the meatballs so I added it to the list.  Next week when I come up with my new menu I'll add vinegar to the grocery list instead of forgetting until it's absolutely necessary and sending Brad on a quick run.

I simply write on the glass with dry erase and can wipe it off when I'm done the week.  I also cross off items as I make them.

It hangs here in my kitchen.  I would have liked it a little to the right but I rent and there was already a nail there.

I had visions of stenciling the days of the week on the glass because I think that looks really cute but I hate planning my week that way.  I don't like being tied to a specific dish, I like having the flexibility to make what I feel like.

What Catie and I Wore Wednesday #8

Another week of What I Wore Wednesday.  I decided this week that since the weather turned a little cooler I would participate with Catie.  I've also decided that I stink at taking photos of myself.  I tried the mirror photos but since you can't use the flash I can't take a clear photo to save my life, they're all super blurry.  I started using the timer function and the results are a little better.  As with the last round I did I'm not really ever going to show you my shoes because my selection in pathetic.  I wear flip flops as long as possible.

Here goes.

Wednesday
I'll start with Catie since she's so much more fun.

Jeans - Old Navy
Striped Dress/Shirt - Superstore
She probably has a Carter's onesie on under there

She wore these cute shoes from Zellers, I love how the toes turn up at the end and they were only $7.

Jeans - Reitmans
Brown zip up Hoodie - Concert.  I went to this concert once for Hellogoodbye.  I wasn't actually interested in them but a friend had an extra ticket so I went.  Boys Like Girls was playing with them and at the time I loved them (at the concert they couldn't have been more full of themselves and my interest faded after that).  One happy result of this concert was the opening band, The Hush Sound.  They were an awesome find and the highlight of the show.  The sweater says Hush because it's a band sweater, it's soft, comfortable and a favorite in the fall.

Thursday

Headband - $1 store
Striped Ruffle shirt - Superstore
Brown Sweater - Mexx
Skinny Jeans - Children's Place
Shoes - Zellers

It was a little chilly so when we went outside we added the Button Ruffle Scarf - Made by me

White Tank - Shade
Striped Shirt - Old Navy
Long Sweater - Old Navy 
Jeans - Reitmans
 
Friday

Catie
Striped T - Old Navy
Brown Sweater - Mexx
Brown Pants - Old Navy

Me
Turqoise T - Gap
Striped Sweater - Walmart
Brown Pants - Reitmans

One more photo of Catie just because the above one is too far away

Saturday

Hair Clip - $1 Store
White Onesie - Carter's
Yellow Sweater - Old Navy
Embroidered Jeans - Esprit
Brown Mary Jane's - Walmart

White Tank - Shade
White T - Old Navy
Red Sweater - Ross?  I can't remember, I got it on a trip to Great Falls with my Mom.
Jeans - Addition-Elle
Dizzy Daisy Watch

Sunday

Headband - Made by me
Adorable dress and sweater - They're on loan so I'm not sure.  I think they're from a boutique in BC
Shoes - Zellers
Faux Pearl bracelet - Made by me

Oh dear this outfit is a fail and will not be worn again.  I wish I hadn't looked at the picture right before church, no time to change but I felt self concious all day.
The dress has big sleeves that I don't love so I wear a white t underneath and you can see it through the top.  The dress is also a little short (mostly in the back) so I only wear it with tights but the pattern on these tights looks awful with the pattern on the dress, next time I'll wear plain ones.  I'll not wear this exact outfit again.

White T - Shade
Polka Dot Dress - Motherhood (Yeah, it's a maternity dress)
Tights - Sears
Shoes - Herbergerz.  I should have taken a better picture of my shoes, they're the only ones I like :)
Dizzy Daisy Watch

Monday
There are lots of photos for today

We started the day like this.
White Onesie - Carter's
Heart Shirt - Superstore
Jeans - Old Navy
Jelly Shoes - Anabanana

Then we went to Park Lake.  It wasn't nice enough to swim but we did some wading.

I traded the jeans for Guess Capris.

I'm wearing
BRAND NEW White tank - Shade (so nice!)
White T - The Gap
Capris - Reitmans
Flip Flops - Old Navy

Then she tripped and fell in the water so I put her jeans back on and added her cute Roots Hoodie.  Her shoes were wet so she wore her pink crocks instead.

Tuesday

White T- H&M
Grey Cord Skirt - Children's Place
Patterned Leggings - The Bay
Flower Shoes - Payless

I know this picture is special.

We needed to go grocery shopping quick so Brad could get to school, there was no time to do anything better.  No makeup, terrible pony tail.
Red Shirt - It's Brad's, I'm not sure where it's from
Brown Pants - Retimans.

I'll shower and make myself more presentable later but this is how most of the day was spent, just barely a step up from pajamas.

There was our week, slightly better than the last time I showed what I wore and I actually have a couple things left that I didn't show, perhaps I'll participate next week too.


Linking to

Button Ruffle Scarf

I saw this button ruffle scarf and thought it was awesome so I made one for Catie, here's how it went.

I started with this scrap of knit fabric that I had left over from some pajama pants I made for myself.

I cut out two pieces this shape.  I actually used different measurements, I made them smaller thinking that the scarf was made to fit a bigger girl.  In the end I don't remember what measurements I used but I wish I hadn't made it smaller, I like the look of the longer one.

I then cut a 3'' strip of fabric from what I had left from my ironing board cover.  I cut down then length and it was pretty long so I figured it would be plenty long.

I took my long strip and pressed it in half, then I sewed a large basting stitch making sure not to backstitch and I pulled the ends until I had a long ruffle.

Then I went to pin it to my fabric and realized it wasn't long enough.  So I cut another strip, pressed it in half, sewed it to my first ruffle and then sewed again.  I broke my thread  and ran out of bobbin thread but eventually got the strip to ruffle.  Then I carefully pinned all around one of my brown pieces, raw edges together.  For the ends of the ruffle I just gradually ran them off the fabric and cut them once it was sewn.

Once it was all pinned I sewed the ruffle on making sure to sew just a little further than my ruffle seam so it would show when I was done.  The corners are a pain to do and I ended up having to unpick a couple folds that got caught.

One side note, I love the way ruffles look but apparently I hate working with them.  This is where I quit taking photos because I was annoyed the project was taking so long.

Once my ruffle was sewn I layed my second piece of fabric down and sewed it on top making sure to leave a couple inches open so I could turn it inside out.  I turned it and topstitched all around, really close to the edge and pressed it all flat.

Then I made two button holes.  On the square side of the scarf I measured up 1.5" from the bottom and side and marked with a pin.  I did the same on the other side and had two pins, these are the bottom of the buttons.  At this point I stopped and waited until morning when Catie was awake, I tried the scarf on her and marked where my buttons should be, I hand sewed them on and called it done (the buttons aren't actually sewn on in this photo).

Here's how it wraps up

And another picture of Catie modelling

You should definitely check out Living with Punks, her photos are great, her daughter is adorable and her tutorial is much more detailed.

Featured & SAMM

Yay, my Quilled Monogram was featured!




On a completely unrelated note you should check out Michelle's blog, she's started an awesome Linky, Share a Meal Monday.  Like What I Wore Wednesday it's a chance to get out of the ruts we fall into.  I'm linking up my Kebob Salad but you should definitely come back next week, I'll be linking up Polynesian Satay (meat on a stick).  So good and easy!

Giveaway Winner!

It's been a week, time to see who won the Quilled Monogram.

I used a random number generator and came up with the number 23.

The 23rd comment was left by Kelly Tillotson, I'm so excited for her!  I've already contacted her to get details, once I get them I can start.

I've decided that since there's interest in the Monograms I'll do a tutorial while I'm making Kelly her chosen letter so you can all make one too, I promise they're easy.

Thanks so much for playing along.

Foam Chair - Fixed

Looking for my Quilled Monogram Giveaway?  It's running until Sunday, check it out here.

It's been so long you probably don't remember when I re-covered this foam chair.

I had taken it apart and waited a week to put it back together so by then I didn't really remember what I was doing.  I started sewing it back together in a really random place so by the time I got to the last couple seams there was no room for any extra fabric and not surprisingly my pieces weren't exactly the right size.  This left me with some puckering, it looked really awful.  I left the chair out for Catie to play with even though I hadn't ever added the final elastic to the bottom so the fabric had been flapping around since I stopped work on it in July.  I finally felt up to the task to finishing so I unpicked some seams the other night.  I ended up needing to unpick 4 seams, not too shabby.

I re-sewed them smoothing out the puckers and then added elastic to the bottom.  When my Mom gave me her sewing machine she gave me some accessories and stuffed in one of the boxes was this elastic that was exactly what I needed (I'm not sure she meant to give it too me but I knew it would come in handy so I kept my mouth shut, the cat's out of the bag now though.).  I'm sure it will be old news to some of you but I'd never seen it before.  It's like they've taken a piece of elastic and folded it in half for you, so you open up the fold and insert your fabric and then close the fold and sew, like bias tape.  Does that make sense?  It made finishing this super easy.  I stretched as I went and it ended up nice and tight.  Those marks in the foam were there when I got it and it was free so no complaints.

It looks so much better than before, here are some side by side photos.

Here's one more before and after to remind you what I really started with.

What Catie Wore Wednesday #7

There's still time to enter my Quilled Monogram Giveaway, check it out here!

I feel like I'm starting to run out of items you haven't seen yet, don't be surprised when lots of these are repeats or if I miss a day.

Wednesday

Pink Shirt - Superstore
Brown Skirt - Children's Place
Brown Baby Legs - ??

Thursday

I realize this isn't a great photo of what she's wearing but you've seen it before.
White Onsie - Superstore
Argyle Sweater Vest - H&M
Double Button Jeans - Old Navy

Friday

Purple Hoodie - Walmart (I think it looks super cute with the hood pulled up so I pulled it up for most of the day, she doesn't seem to care.
Bootcut Jeans - Old Navy

I added her raincoat later and some cute sparkly runners we got at Walmart.

Saturday

I spent all day today at a craft fair selling necklaces. When I left Catie was eating breakfast in her PJ's.  After spending all day with Daddy she met me at the door wearing her same PJ's.  Pajama day!  (Daddy was still in his too)
Striped Sleeper - Superstore

She's playing Peek a boo in the picture only what you can't see if that her eyes are only half covered.  She loves to play and just started using her hands instead of other objects, she doesn't quite get the need to cover entirely yet.


Sunday

I think she's getting less and less co-operative as a model... I'll keep trying.

Blue Striped shirt dress - Old Navy
Beaded Necklace - Made by me
Brown Shoes - Walmart
Beaded Socks - Made by Grandma West

Then we went out and I added her rain coat which you've seen a bunch so I didn't photograph it, I also added this ear warmer made by Lots of Knots.  This picture doesn't show how really cute it is but she'll wear it again, I'll get a better picture next time.

Tuesday
Lots of pictures today...

She didn't really wear her pajamas for very long but they're new and I think the elephants are so cute.  We got them at sears.

I know her head is cut off but this was the best picture of what she was wearing.
White Onsie - Children's Place.  I wish it was from Carter's but I can't get them where I am, I'm going to arrange for some long sleeve ones soon though.
Green Dress - Superstore
Cream/Pink striped tights - Sears
Brown Shoes - Walmart
Headband - Made by me

Here's one with her head.

If I'm being honest though 95% of the day was spent like this.

I'm working on re-covering her car seat so we can't drive anywhere until it's done, that meant we didn't go outside today so there was no need for shoes.  There's also no way I'm going to bother with a headband if we're just at home.

The elastic in the dress looks so cute when it's pulled down but it creeps up A LOT, it looked like this more often than it was pulled down.


There you have it, another week of the best dressed girl.


Linking up to