Because Boys Need Fun Stuff Too

How many times have you been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cute ideas/clothes/patterns/toys/etc for little girls? It just never ends. Little girls are so much fun to dress up and make pretend clothes for and all sorts of fun little accessories. But boys need some lovin' too. That's why MADE and Made by Rae are devoting the entire month of February to projects just for boys. It's only the first week and I've already bookmarked several projects to work on! So head over there to find awesome projects for the little man in your life.

Photo Collage

There was an empty space on my bedroom wall that I faced every time I sat in bed. I kept thinking "I really need to put something there" but I couldn't think of what the "it" would be. Well when we built bookshelves in our study I had dozens of displaced picture frames that needed a new home. That's when I thought of doing a photo collage on that wall. They were all different sizes, different styles, and made of different materials. Which can make for a funky and fun collage, if they are all the same color.

So I took all the backings and glass out, took them outside ...

... and spray painted all of them a dark brown.

Then I put the glass, pictures, and backings back on and had my husband hang them for me. Isn't he sweet? I taped all the pictures up like I wanted them to appear, but I'm not so good with the leveling and hammering of things. Thankfully for me I was blessed with a husband who is talented that way and doesn't mind helping me with my {thousands of} projects.

Didn't it turn out nice? I still need one more picture frame. I ended up having a lot of 5x7 and larger frames and I need a 4x6 for the picture I got from our photographer. All of these pictures were taken at different times by two of our sweet friends who run Poiema Photography. They take amazing pictures! Which makes my wall look even better. :)

An Elegant February Wreath

One of my favorite websites is MADE. I feel like I want to do everything she does. Also - she has fabulous pictures and tutorials. So when I saw her tutorial for an Acorn Wreath I really wanted to try it, but I don't live in heavily acorn-ed area. And I always feel silly buying "nature" at the store. That's why I won't buy pine cones at Target even though I think they are ridiculously fun for the winter (plus they're like $8.50 a piece). But then I saw a tutorial on All Things Thrifty for a Lima Bean Wreath I jumped at it. Once painted you don't really notice the difference between the acorns and lima beans. For February I decided to paint it pink, but I love how this wreath can be repainted for different seasons.


I need to get a wider black ribbon to tie it with, but other than that I love it. This was a really easy project to do. It takes a while, and you have to have LOTS of glue sticks. The hardest part is getting all your lines to stay straight. So go get some lima beans and make a fun wreath!!

A Hole in my Desk

There's a big hole in my desk. A hole where my sewing machine should be. But it's broken! Something is wrong with my feed dog and the fabric isn't being pulled through. I took it in to the repair shop and when we were leaving Charissa said, "No Mama! You have to get your machine! You can't leave it here!" She was very concerned that I was leaving my machine behind.

Hopefully I'll have it back by Saturday. But it actually turns out well because I have a few other things that I need to work on for the girls' party on Saturday. No sewing machine means no distractions of really cute projects.

*Hopefully* I'll remember to take pictures of all the food for the girls' party because they are STINKIN' cute!! I love how my little girls give me so many opportunities to make adorable things for them.

Fluffy White Pillows

Outside it was all fluffy and white, so I decided to bring some of that inside by making some new pillows. I had read Make It & Love It's Re-Purposed Sweater Pillow Tutorial and picked up some sweaters at the Salvation Army. I got a barely off-white knit sweater that I used for this pillow below.
I cut the pillow into two rectangles and then sewed cotton backing on to insure that the fabric keeps its shape. By the way - for this project I used Sulky KK 2000 Temporary Spray Adhesive and I'm totally sold! It made sewing the sweater to the cotton extremely easy because the knit didn't move or stretch. I used an 8 inch strip of red velvet and then used a gathered stitch straight down about 2 inches apart.

I then sewed the velvet directly onto the sweater using a regular seam. After that, I sewed all the sides shut except about a 3 inch space to reverse the pillow and stuff it. Love this pillow!


The next sweater I made into two pillows for my bedroom. I found an XL cashmere sweater with a ribbed, loose turtleneck at the Salvation Army for $3. Cashmere! Because it was an XL with the big loose neck I was able to easily make two pillows. I used the same method for these pillows that I did for the other one.

For these I used the ribbed neck as the center to give it a bit of character.


The cost to make all three of these pillows was about $9. And while they have their imperfections (I'm still learning how to sew with knits), I'm completely satisfied with them. And it was incredible cheap. Besides that, now I can cozy up to my luxurious cashmere pillows and not feel guilty about blowing the budget.

I Love Fun Mail!!

Today I got a package in the mail ...

... with wonderfully bright chiffon ...

... six wonderfully fluffy yards.

And if you're wondering what I'm going to do with it all, I'm going to make 2 of these skirts for my little girls.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

This is the best chicken parmesan you're going to get outside of an Italian restaurant. It's easy to make and then you can freeze it either before baking or after. Bonus - it reheats really well.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs - you can find this right next to the regular breadcrumbs)
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
cooking spray
1/2 marinara sauce
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

- preheat oven to 450*
- combine flour, oregano, and salt in a shallow dish; place eggs in another bowl; place panko in another shallow dish
- dredge one breast half in flour mixture and make sure it is fully coated
- dip the floured chicken in the egg and then dredge in panko; if necessary, dredge several times to get a good thick coating
- repeat procedure with remaining chicken
- heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; turn chicken over and cook another 2 minutes.
- coat chicken with cooking spray; transfer chicken to a baking dish and place in the oven. bake at 450* for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; top each breast half with 2 tablespoons sauce, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and 3 tablespoons mozzarella. Bake 6 minutes or until chicken is done.

Enjoy with a side of pasta, salad and Italian bread. I wish I had pictures to show you, but you'll have to take my word for it - it's delicious!