Friday Favorite: Frugal Rosette Shirts

I am in love with the current trend of putting cute rosettes on shirts, sweaters, etc. I love everything except the price tag that is usually attached to these beauties. So I found a solution...remember my idea post with an idea on how to make this cute shirt by Hope Studios?

Well while we were in Colorado my Mom and I had a day together and we tried our hand at creating them! It was definitely an quick, easy, and fun project that even someone who doesn't really know much about sewing {like me!} can perform. The best part about the project is that my mom was able to find cute shirts in several colors on the clearance rack of Target for $4! So I made 3 cute shirts for about $8 a piece! {Sure beats the $50 + price tag I've been seeing!}

Here's how we made them based on these instructions: - Unfortunately I didn't take step-by step pictures, but hopefully you'll still get the idea.

*Buy 2 shirts of the same color or mix and match colors {Look on clearance racks - the second size doesn't matter since you will just be cutting it up}

*Take a piece of scrap paper and cut out templates for your circles. {I folded the piece several times and then traced the bottom of a pop can [or soda can for my east coast friends] to get my large circle. Once you cut out that circle(s) you will have several templates the same size. You will need at least three. I then decreased one of the large circles to be a medium circle and another to be a small circle. These don't have to be exact, but I found it nice to have at least a template for cutting}

*Take the second shirt {cut up shirt} and begin to cut out your circles. {I found it best to cut out squares of the fabric and pin the template on the square before cutting. My fabric was rather stretchy and when I cut directly from the shirt the result looked nothing like a circle! Again the circle doesn't have to be exact to look good on the final product, but you probably want something in a general shape of a circle. = ) }

*After cutting out 7 sets of circles,  begin sewing them by hand to first shirt {wearing shirt}. {I found it easiest to create a rosette by bunching it together before beginning the sewing. You'll still need to bunch and try to catch more after that initial stitch, but I found it helped. This was definitely a trial and error for me...i.e. don't look at the undersides of my shirts, but at least the final product looked good!}

*Try different methods with your circle sets - close bunch, single rosettes. My guess is no two will be alike! {With the single rosettes I started with the middle template and just created a smaller template so my rosettes were not quite as big.}

Here's our results:

{All necklace created by Cindy with Feathered Nest Creations [my mom]. We are still working on creating an etsy shop after I attempt to sell some of her beautiful creations at the show in November. I'm having a hard time not keeping them all, but I don't need 60+ necklaces and bracelets! Plus I don't have my ears pierced and can't enjoy all her beautiful earnings that come with the sets} 

Such a fun project and I still have lots of leftover shirt in all three colors to make more! Let me know if you decide to try out the project. I'd love to see your pictures!!!

Hurry up and wait

So some of you may find this boring, but we found it very entertaining.

First off I have to give a little back story.
When we were in Colorado last week we decided since I still wasn't better to go to my old doctor and make sure it was okay for me to go visit Roderick's parents cabin and see if she had any ideas of what was wreaking havoc with my body.

Well here's how the visit went:

1:45 Laura walked slowly into the office
         Roderick starts to fill out paper work and check Laura in.

1:47ish Laura walks slowly past Roderick at the front desk still filling out paper work.

1:48 ish Laura gets vitals taken and goes into the room.

1:49 ish Doctor enters the room WHILE nurse is still taking vitals.

1:51 ish Roderick enters room...while doctor is taking very detailed notes on her laptop.

2:20 Walk out of the doctors office with mouths wide open in amazement.

9:00 pm Still can't stop talking about the visit and the ease of getting blood for testing at the lab down the road. {They almost always have trouble getting blood out of me! More often than not its taken out of my hand!}

Why our mouths were wide open.
The following is nothing against our doctor here, its just comical the difference. "Small town"/ "Big town" difference??? Well you'll see what were talking about.

10: 20ish Walk into office for 10:30 appointment. We were asked to be there 15 minutes early, but we decided that wasn't completely necessary. You'll see why...

10:21ish Laura starts brand new book to keep occupied during wait

11:08ish  Nurse takes us back to do vitals. No rooms available. Back to the waiting room.

11:15ish Laura continues reading her book

11:51ish Brought back to room and Laura continues reading her book

{Laura takes a picture realising this would make a "great" blog}

12:30ish Doctor walks into room

1:00ish Laura goes to the bathroom. {Gotta make sure this isn't the result of pregnancy.}

1:02ish Laura starts reading book again.

1:10ish Rats...no such luck!! Nurse does an EKG.

1:15ish Laura reads a little more of her book.

1:30ish Doctor returns to remove a suspicious mole from Laura's back. (Ya the appointment was scheduled for this months ago. Way before this "thing" ever started, so we did double duty.)

1:40ish Laura goes down the hall to have chest ex-ray.

1:50ish Laura returns to room and starts reading her book again.

2:00ish Roderick answer phone call for car pool quickly, just in case the doctor returns. Warns he may not be able to make it home in time to car pool today.

2:20ish Roderick leaves room to call work and say he'll be late.

2:25ish Doctor returns and says everything's normal. Send her to a lab to take gallons of blood 5 vials of blood.

2:30ish Leave doctors office very hungry and amazed that Laura is 130 pages into her book!

2:31ish Laura rejoices that Roderick's work allows him to take sick days for family illnesses!

3:00 Eat at Chick -Fil- A

4:00 Return home after successfully giving gallons of blood 5 vials of blood. (And only reading 4 more pages of book.

4:01 Laugh at the difference.Took a nap! {And prayed the Lord will miraculously heal Laura so they can avoid the doctor until her next yearly physical!!}

Friday Favorite - Growth

I have really enjoyed watching the plants on my porch grow this year. Here they are freshly planted:

Now a few months later!

 It is truly amazing to watch things grow and produce "fruit." Our creator is amazing! To think we could get 5 bell peppers, a tomato and lots of basil from plants (Plus 4 new tomatoes currently growing)! AMAZING!!

Pepper Plant Progression

Tomato Plant Progression

" Tomato twins" - looked like  single tomato on the plant, turned out to be two!

Well, at least this is how they looked earlier this week. But I do have an "unfavorite".... pressure washers! Here's the results of these nasty devices:

It's a rather ugly site and it just makes me sick to look at! I have to admit we did know that the pressure washer was coming and my husband did attempt to move things out of the way to avoid the plants getting hurt. They've gotten so big its not like we could move them inside or anything! Here for hoping for a complete recovery!!! I've been babying them and talking to them ever since.

Here's the other growth I've been working on and hope to be working on till the day I die!

Hope you had a great week of growth!

Friday Favorite - hobby

PAINTING

Painting has definitely become my favorite hobby. It is so relaxing for me. There is also such a satisfaction in knowing its your creation!

Recently I've been working on some projects to sell. Every year, or at least for the past 2 years, Melody and I  have tried to sell a few items at a huge ladies conference her Mom's church goes to every year.We had thought about not doing the conference at all this year. However, when we found out it would actually be in our town, we decided we had to find SOMETHING to sell!  The first year we sold wreaths and that went okay, but not too great. Last year we tried to sell the wreaths we had left at a drastically reduced rate and we still had a hard time. I was curious to see if I could sell some of my paintings. So I made 5 or 6 small canvas' with Christmas colors and verses on them. To my great surprise they ALL sold! So this year we'll be mainly selling the paintings.

 When I look at other painters like Sara from Sara's Art House, I do wonder if I even have a chance! The good news is that if there are any left I know my husband will "buy" them. He wants to keep everything I create. So glad to have a husband that supports and loves my hobby! Anyway here's a few I've finished - we'll see how they sell!

These last two were created in the hotel on our trip to Charlottesville for our anniversary. I'm struggling with what verse or sayings to put on them...Any advice or suggestions?!?!?Any suggests on colors I should do on future paintings?!?!?

*Please excuse the messy work station picture. The first couple of sick days I had enough energy to do a little painting and I was working on this project. It abruptly got stopped as I became sicker, but I'm hoping as I start to get energy again to finish it. It's proving to be one of my favorites!

Botanical Gardens Date

I think we might get a season pass here next year. We had so much fun walking around, taking photos, and just generally enjoying God's scenery! It was a really hot day, but all the trees really helped it be more comfortable weather. Unfortunately most of the hydrangeas, my personal favorite, were past there season. I want to return when they are in season!