2016 Family Pictures

We took our 2017 pictures a few weeks ago, but we haven't received them yet. Here's a look at last year's pictures!

Every year MOPS puts on a photo fundraiser - you get a 15minutes with a photographer and a CD with 5 edited pictures on it... all for $50. Half of that goes to our MOPS group, while the photographer ears the other half. We are so thankful for the photographers that partner with us! 

I took these pictures after the session last year - they are still smiling! She's wearing a Hey June Hatteras sweatshirt while he's in a Peekaboo Pattern Shop's Happy Feet Pajamas raglan sweatshirt. Other than a thrifted pillowcase for her front fabric, the rest of the fabric is a combo of cotton-lycra jersey and french terry from Raspberry Creek Fabrics.

Then, when we take the annual family picture with Dan's side, we usually take another family picture  of just us as well. (My top is a Love Notions La Bella Donna Top - french terry from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I made it two years ago, and it was the first top I made for myself since Montana.)

We always get a little more creative with these since we already have the family pictures taken that will go on our Christmas cards!

Siblings...

Sweet Girl.

Sweet Boy.

And one more to make you smile - he wanted to hold a flower, too... just like big sister!

Michael Miller's In Bloom

Earlier this summer, I received the ENTIRE line of Sandra Clemons' In Bloom for Michael Miller Fabrics. One yard of each print (24 prints!)... just for winning a giveaway on Facebook - I felt pretty lucky! The giveaway was through Sewing Portfolios which is an amazing resource for anyone wanting to get more involved and connected in the sewing community online. I have come to realize that I have so much on my sewing to-do list, that I don't have time to PDF pattern test any more (but if the right pattern comes along, I may still apply!) Thus, currently, I use Sewing Portfolios to keep track of my makes and for motivation to keep taking "nice" photos of those makes. 

That sewing to-do list is the reason that I couldn't cut into the amazing fabric right away. I knew that I wanted to make E's first day of preschool dress, so I was able to start planning that, even as I finished sewing a pile of knit clothes for the two kiddos. 

Enter: The Juniper Dress by Sew A Little Seam

I used the Sunburst and Garden Patch prints from the teal colorway.

I didn't expect E to love-love it, due to the lack of PINKNESS, but surprisingly, she actually does love it! She asked me to make her Halloween costume just like it (she wanted to be a silver fairy, but after seeing this dress, she wants to be a *colorful* fairy... )

As for the rest of the fabric... I currently have 4 patchwork totes cut out (Christmas presents!!). James will eventually get a reversible vest (Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado) from two of the linger prints and Ev's Thanksgiving Dress will be from the wine colorway (Magrath Dress by Sew Much Ado). 

Even after sewing up the amazing fabric, it is still hard to believe that I won this great giveaway! I'm looking forward to completing more projects with the beautiful prints that I have left.

Of course, since I had Ev all dressed up and fancy, I had to try to get a few nice portrait pictures of her. 

This one may be the winner! 

And now that her dress is done, she can start preschool tomorrow :) 

Peekaboo Patterns Felicity Dress Release

I recently helped test another pattern! This time it is the Felicity Dress by Peekaboo Patterns and it released today (and is discounted for one day only... go check it out here!)

I sewed 3 different dresses throughout the testing process and I have blog posts coming that looks at each one more closely. Until then, here are the specifics of the pattern:

• Felicity is a collared dress with several options.
• It comes with Maxi or Knee length skirt.
• The back can be shirred or full coverage (I only tested the full coverage option).
• The placket in the front can either be half or full (you need to do a full length placket if you do a full back in order for ease of dressing).

I love how this dress conjures up memories of sweet childhood summers. It's the perfect summer dress for Fourth of July picnics, blowing bubbles at family weddings, or just picking flowers with the neighbor kids. 

This was my first collar in a long time - a first that isn't a 4-H project with my mom helping me step-by-step. Amy from PAB does a great job with using clear pictures and great instructions. The collar connects the front and back bodices and is finished with bias tape. The skirt is attached to the bodice with an exposed seam on the inside of the dress, but with the 1/2" seam allowance, a french seam would be a simple modification. 

According to the size chart, my daughter chest measurement is a 2T but her waist is a 3T. These two dresses are straight 3T, and they will fit for the rest of the summer and into the fall. 

**Blue Border Batik: Alison Glass Handcrafted Batik for Andover from a random online fabric store that had a sale last fall :)

**White on White Polka Dots: Stash! (Mini Confetti Dots by Dear Stella from a fat quarter bundle that I won in a giveaway from the Inside Quilters Newsletter Blog)

**Lightweight chambray: Denim Swiss Dot Chambray by Robert Kaufman from Raspberry Creek Fabrics

**Red Gingham: Stash!

(I added the red piping to the blue and red dress - these instructions are not included in the pattern but it is an easy addition!!)

A Few Family Pictures

My family needed to take some family pictures before my oldest brother and his family moved to Guam for 2 years!

And since schedules were hectic and difficult to predict with 6 kiddos under 6 years of age... we decided to forgo trying to book a real photographer and we just set up my tripod. We were at my parents' farm in the country... Dad and I had scouted for good shady locations the week before... and this is what we came up with! It should work for a good Christmas card and perhaps even a canvas for my parents' walls.

Of course we had to do a goofy picture :)

The 6 grandkids!

E and JT! E refused to take off the necklace...

My nephews and niece who are now living in Guam...

Individual family picture time!

This brother and his family only live an hour from us :) Cooper is right in between E and JT in age.

Our turn... eh, ours may not be Christmas card worthy, but it'll work for a photo collage wall at my parents' house :)

Before A Storm {Photography}

While hanging out at my inlaws' farm one Saturday evening, we were able to watch a major thunderstorm approach.

This produced wonderful photography opportunities!

The greenish sky did stay true to the old-wives'-tale and produce hail. We didn't get much at the home place, but several fields were hit a few miles north of here.

It was an evening that showed speckles of storms popping up in many places. We could see more clouds on the horizon.

A swirling cloud right before it started raining.

Just waiting for the storm to hit! Don't worry, we got E inside before it started raining :)

Look to the Skies

As always, our summer skies have been full of variety...

Morning clouds at my parents' lake cabin.

An evening rainbow from our back patio door.

This one is a fun story. We knew a storm was coming in, but we were already on the road to my parents' cabin. We watched the storm cell more toward our destination and followed the weather reports on our phones. We reached the town closest to the cabin just as the storm did, so we hunkered down behind a church until there was a short break from the hail. Once we reach the cabin, the storm showered us with just a little more hail. Thankfully, we only have a few small marks on our car, and you can only see them if you know what you're looking for! 

4th of July Morning Haziness. 

(We've had off-and-on hazy skies due to the smoke from wildfires all the way up in Canada).

Happy Birthday, America :)

Blow out your candles! 

Welcome Gus-Gus {DIY Wall-Art}

Welcome Gus-Gus! Well, you're not Gus-Gus anymore... so...

Welcome James Thomas :)

He came three weeks early, but things are going well so far. He's a sleepy little thing during the day, but his nights are getting better. His latch is slowly getting better, too, so hopefully nursing continues to improve as well. 

I'll post more about him as the weeks and month go on, but as for now, here is the DIY Wall Art that I made for his nursery.

We have had this covered with a blanket for the last month or so... that way no one could see the name until he arrived!

Just a quick rundown of how we made this wall-hanging...

• Dan joined two reclaimed wood boards with a brace and drilled a hole in the back where we can hang it on a nail (that's been pounded into a stud in the wall). 

• I used my go-to charcoal transfer method to transfer the image of an elk silhouette (found after a quick internet search, enlarged in photoshop, and taped together after printing). 

• This transfer method is a little more challenging on this type of wood. I was painting more by looking for the indentation made by the tracing step rather than the charcoal. I also had to eye-ball quite a few places where I couldn't see any indication of where I should be painting. 

• I also learned that a paint marker doesn't work as well on this wood, so after finding the outline with the paint marker, I used craft paint and a small paintbrush instead. 

And, there it is! It looks a lot better out in the open than covered in a blanket!

PS: I'll post about his quilt soon :)

Family Photo Series {Small Groups}

When doing an entire family photoshoot, it is always a good idea to do a few other specific groups...

Cousins! E was a little heavy for her cousin. We should have had him sitting to help him feel more comfortable. 

Grandparents with their grandchildren. Different heights: good. Background: OK; I think with the smaller groups, we probably could have worked it out to only have one texture, instead of the two you see here. 

Siblings and Spouses

Siblings. This wasn't even a staged picture, but I thought to show it anyways... sunspots and all! Because of the backlighting, I played with the lighting and added some filters. Some really dislike filters, but I'm a fan :) I think there is a time and a place for them. I may overuse them myself, but that's just my style!

Family Photo Series {Couples}

There are so much inspiration on the internet for different poses, especially for couples. However, the main reason that I never want to become a professional photographer is because I just don't feel comfortable choosing just the right poses to get the best pictures and then talking the subjects into those poses. Thankfully, this family photoshoot was pretty low-key, and everyone helped each other with pose ideas :)

Here is a fun and casual pose that was perfect for these two :) Smiles everywhere!

The grandparents! 

Always love a good close-up :) but you may notice that he is wearing black and she is wearing brown. This may not bother some (specifically my husband, ha!), but it is something to be watchful of as the person behind the camera.

So, we switched up the pose and had him take the vest off. 

Not a whole lot of "lessons" in this post, but it does show a few different pose possibilities for couples!