A Little Update and Random Thoughts

Hey everyone who still checks my blog every now and then! I just wanted to give y'all a little update.

First, I completed my first 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago and did better than I had expected. I impress myself :-) ha ha, jk (a little). Although the weather was AWFUL, raining the entire time and below 40 degrees F, I really enjoyed it! I plan to do another in the fall. I will definitely be a fair weather friend to the races though. Not too hot or cold and I am in.


I really debated whether or not to post this photo.
1. I have no makeup on.
2. I just ran 13.1 miles in the rain and have naturally curly hair (bad combo).
3. It's not such a great photo.


Next on the updates, I got a serger for Mother's Day! I am super-DE-duper excited and cannot wait to learn how to use it. The day it was delivered we went out of town and I went crazy all weekend thinking about all the things I could have been sewing if I had been home. And now that I am home, it is still in the box. I'm funny that way. Hopefully I can learn how to use it this week and do a few posts on what I made :-)




Thirdly, now that the weather is nice again I want to start painting furniture. I have a few pieces around that house (and garage - thank you hubs for giving up your space!) that I would like to do this summer. Maybe some posts on that too.

Fourthly, my little m is turning 1 next month! I can't believe it has been a year already. Time flies. I am busy planning her sweet birthday party, which I plan not to put too much into it but who am I kidding? ha. Here is a pretty party I love (I think it was a shower, not sure on the credit - I'm not so great at that).




More random thoughts. Have you ever wanted to change the entire decor in your house? Surely, I'm not the only one? I want to do many, many changes to my living room, dining room, big M's room, (finish) my bedroom, my bathroom, the main bathroom, the Kitchen...ha ha, all but my little m's room. But my home is comfortable as it is and maybe I should wait until we buy a new home to change my style. I'm sure my hubs would appreciate that!

One more random thought. Big M and I were at the zoo the other day and he scared a giant lizard by growling at him. Still makes me laugh thinking about it. Oh and I got it on video! I will try to edit then post it (I have not attempted editing video yet). The world should see it. I thought the poor lizard was going to have a heart attack!

Oh and I can't believe I almost forgot! Potty training was a success! I am so thankful that I made it out alive. I think that might have been the hardest thing I have done as a mother to date (delivery was easy compared to this! I did have meds though).

Anyways, I miss posting and chatting with my blog land friends. Glad I could give an update though! Hope you all are doing well!

Ashley

Sea to Me

Sea to Me by ashedge featuring rhinestone jewelry

Always love a little bit of nautical, birds, and bows.

Motivationless.

I have been busy at work being a mommy (and potty training, ugh.) and not much time for my passion of sewing or painting. I have learned how to crochet though! I haven't made anything super great yet but I do have plans for hats and flowers for Little M and maybe some baby blankets. I have missed blogland and hope to return on a regular basis once I can find some spare time to sew and some motivation to finish some furniture pieces I have sitting in the garage. Oh motivation, where are you? Until I find you I will be pouring myself into my children and (half) marathon training (gotta lose those last...um, I mean all of that baby weight)!

Roadside find and a preview.

Hello friends!
I have been working hard on some projects and I wanted to share one with you ladies (and men?). I picked up this super dirty, ugly, old children's step stool from an almost definite dumpster death, aka the side of the road :-)





I don't know about everyone else but I am almost embarrassed to admit that my husband and I drive around on big trash pick up to look through others "treasure" as we like to call it. haha. I would have just died when I was younger if I knew I would be doing this now! Heck, I would have just died a year ago...but I have been inspired by others out here in blog land to do it! So it has turned into a bit of a hobby. Thanks a ton ladies ;-)

After sanding, priming and painting here is the stool now:





Sigh. Much better. I like it but most importantly my son ABSOLUTELY ADORES IT! Ha, I'm a fibber...I only wish he adored it, he doesn't even care! I'm sure if he would have seen the stool before all my hard work he would have rathered the cows but not so sad to say they just don't fit into my bathroom decor.

Here is a preview for my next post:



I still have to take the after photos but it is finished :-) and yes, this too was a roadside find. Oh boy if my high school self could see me now! haha.

Miss Fancy Pants Dress

The Miss Fancy Pants Dress









Back


This is my FAVORITE dress that I have made for Maggie. She has only been able to wear it two times, but isn't that how it works with babies? They grow so fast! Plus...a little admission of my own, I don't know how to sew zippers or button holes! YIKES. Maybe I will learn someday. Until then, I will be squeezing her chunky little arms into all the dresses I make her! ha.

I made this dress after being inspired by Disney at Ruffles and Stuff, she made this Fancy Dress for her daughter. However, her dress was made from a skirt and mine was not. It sure would have been much easier to make if I had used a skirt! Oh well, maybe another time.

A few of my favorites.

Hello long lost friends! I want to start out by saying I have accepted the fact that I am not going to be able to post every week until little Miss Maggie is a bit older and I have more time for myself. She has stopped sleeping all the time and needs a bit of entertaining :-) which I don't mind at all. I have had time to sew and paint however, not enough time to take/edit/post the photos. This may have not been the best time in my life to start a blog but hang in there with me and eventually I will be more consistent with my postings! For now it is going to be sporadic but please don't give up on me :-) With that said, here are a few of my favorite things I have made for Maggie.

The Summer Vintage Dress

Back



The Fall Vintage Dress

Back

Button Detail



The Tulle Ruffle Skirt





The two dresses were made with "vintage fabric" (aka thrifted sheets, but vintage sounds so much nicer :-). The Summer Vintage Dress was the very first dress I made so it holds a special place in my heart. The dress turned out better than I had expected especially since I don't use patterns (I have no clue where to begin with them). It was the start of my love for sewing (which began in February of this year when we found out we were having a baby girl!). There was just something about creating beauty out of some old ugly sheet that struck a cord with me. I have since found that I also enjoy turning ugly homeless furniture into pretty pieces too (more on this soon to come!). I have definitely found a few new passions within the past 8 months...

Also, I have saved my absolute FAVORITE dress for her very own post. I think she deserves it!

~Ashley

Daydream.

I know it has been FOREVER since my last post. I would like to post AT LEAST once a week but since I'm taking care of a newborn and trying to get this two kids thing down it has been difficult. Although, I have done quite a few projects lately. However, I underestimated how long it requires to take/upload/edit the pictures! So eventually you will see them. In the meantime here are some pretties I have had stashed away in a folder for you to dwell on (Unless otherwise noted, I am uncertain of the sources). Just take a moment to daydream...I sure did!

I LOVE this bedroom...

BUT with this fluffy bedding.






Chez Fifi


A Girl's Dream.




Seriously? Does this place really exist?


Decorpad


LOVE the ruffles.




Country Living.


Country Living.


Country Living.
Perfect for a boy.


Country Living.
I want to do a version of this in Maggie's big girl room someday BUT in white.


Country Living.
I am on the hunt for this pair.


LOVE this armoire.


Decorpad.


Decorpad.


Decorpad.


Decorpad.


Decorpad.


Decorpad.
I NEED this mirror!


Decorpad.


I really could spend hours doing this. It potentially could develop into an addiction. I can see it now on TLC or BRAVO..."Housewives addicted to decor daydreaming". haha. I could be the star! How about you? What do you spend your daydreaming on?