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Grinch Munch Popcorn

December 12, 2016 By Taylor Leave a Comment

I can’t believe we are 13 days away from Christmas! For some reason this year, the Holidays really crept up on me! I felt like this last year but it really had nothing on my current status haha! We are super busy, I think that comes with having kids that are getting older. Each one of them have more and more functions…. super fun and kind of exhausting. Ha! We are currently in the last week of school over here and you know what the means… field trips, parties, book exchanges, jammie day, and teacher/class gifts.

I have the teachers covered. All of the kids have amazing teachers this year who go above and beyond so we are getting them gift cards to their favorite restaurants. But… that leaves me with class party treats. I came across this Grinch Munch Popcorn from Imperial Sugar and I actually gasped at how perfect it was! Imperial is an amazing resource if you are looking for last minutes gifts (like me haha) that your kids can help with or just for fun crafts to do together over Christmas break. This treat is super cute and yes, it is sweet, but I think popcorn is a pretty decent snack that kids actually love. This one is super simple but pretty, so people will think you went to more trouble than you actually did haha!

You Need:

-Popcorn Kernels

-Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar

-Vegetable or Coconut Oil

– Sea Salt

-Green Food Coloring

– Christmas Sprinkles/Non-Pariels

Start by heating up 1/4 c of oil in a skillet or dutch oven with a lid. I like to use coconut oil with popcorn, but vegetable will work fine too. Put 2-3 kernels in the oil and when they all pop you know the oil is ready.

When the oil is ready, add in 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, 1/2 cup of Imperial Granulated Sugar, and green food coloring. Remove from heat, add lid and wait about 30 seconds.

Put back on heat and watch carefully (so you don’t burn the sugar) cook for 4-5 more minutes or until the popcorn pops slow down :) Add your Christmas sprinkles or non-non-pariels and sea salt.

This batch I made was huge so I bagged some up for the class party and my kids all had a really festive after school snack! This would also make a super cute girlfriend or teacher gift in a cute bag with a custom tag, So may options! Be sure to check out Imperial Sugar for more Christmas Recipes, and Holiday Crafts with kids. Imperial is also hosting a Holiday Baking Bonanza Contest with tons of amazing foodie loving prizes. Check that out HERE. Happy Holidays everyone!

Siberian Husky Costume

November 27, 2016 By Taylor 1 Comment

I love creative people and when I got an interesting Halloween Costume request (again) from my son, I couldn’t say no. Remember last year when he asked me to make him a Roach Costume?! Some people were grossed out but I was just excited that he wanted something different… that’s my boy! This year he asked me to sew him a Siberian Husky Costume, Hilarious and random!! Of course I had to deliver.

The biggest thing was he wanted to still be comfortable because they wear this costume to school (and we live in Texas, hello!) so I also didn’t want him melting. I found THIS HAT on amazon and it was perfect. Why make life harder than it needs to be when you can have a Husky hat at your door in 2 days, right? Thank goodness for Amazon.

For the base of the costume, I used a grey t-shirt and grey shorts that he already had, yay! I found some perfect grey and white faux fur from Joann’s. I sewed white fur to the “belly part” of the shirt and the grey fur to the entire back. I didn’t even try to hem it, I just sewed it right on the top. The tail is a simple tail shape, white on bottom, grey on top and sewed to an elastic band.

I found grey gloves at the dollar store and cut the fingers off. Don’t tell but I used hot glue to attach the fur haha! I mean, Halloween is one day after all, I thought about sewing fur gloves and then realized that was crazy.

After I thought I was done, he said what about my husky legs?! So I had to make him some leg warmers. He likes details :)

The whole costume was very “semi-homemade” but I loved how it turned out. Thank goodness for fake fur, a sewing machine and a glue gun!

Mosaic Corn Art with Kids!

November 16, 2016 By Taylor 3 Comments

Today I have a super fun Thanksgiving craft to share with you guys. I can hardy believe that I am typing the word “Thanksgiving”! It’s still back-to-school time in my head. I guess I need to catch up… and this craft will help :) I found this kids craft for Mosaic Corn Art on the Imperial Sugar website and fell in love! I remember doing something similar when I was little… it’s a little old school and a little modern. If you had everything ready ahead of time this could be something fun to have on the kids table on Thanksgiving Day. Imperial Sugar has a ton of kid crafts and recipes on their site and the best part is they are organized by holiday (look at how many Thanksgiving crafts they have!). We made the Salt Dough Leaves a few years ago and I’m thinking about trying the Glitter Leaf Votive Holders next!

For this craft you need:

-gel food coloring
-popcorn kernels
-white vinegar
-sugar
-flour
-water
-cardstock

My kids loved this project because it was almost three different mini projects in one. First, you make the sugar paste (that will be your glue for the final project).

Mix the following ingredients together in a mixing bowl:

1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons Imperial Granulated Sugar, 1 cup cold water and 1 cup boiling water.

Mix until smooth, bring to room temp, then store in an air-tight container.

Second… time to dye the popcorn kernels, which also happens to be our personal favorite. My kids LOVED doing this for some reason. Actually I did too haha. We used clear plastic cups for this step which I think made it even more fun. Add 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp white vinegar to some small cups. My two year old measured all the water and my 5 year old got to do the vinegar :)

Next add a few drops of gel food coloring to each cup. They gel is really fun to watch… we had clapping and shrieking! Then add 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels to the cups. Let them sit for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

The next morning I took the kernels out and placed them on a pan to dry, that also takes a few hours.

After they were completely dry I got some cardstock and the kids started planning. I showed them the original Mosaic design that I saw on the Imperial Sugar website but they went rogue haha. I put some sugar paste in a baggie and trimmed the end to make it easier to handle. You could also use a paintbrush to apply the sugar paste.

We had a sun, dots, stripes and an abstract scene. After we finished we had some colorful kernels left over and now I’m thinking about placards for the Thanksgiving Day Table??

Imperial is having a Holiday Baking kit contest so check that out HERE! And be sure to also visit them for so many more Thanksgiving crafts, recipes and even printables! Check them out HERE.

Vampire’s Blood White Hot Chocolate

October 16, 2016 By Taylor Leave a Comment

It’s mid-October… my favorite time of the year. Apparently I’m not the only one. My son was bouncing off the walls a few days ago and I asked him why he was acting so wild… he said he can’t help it because all of this favorite holidays are coming up and he is just so excited :) I don’t blame him. We are getting very festive around here, we decorated the mantle, visited the pumpkin patch and have started watching Halloween Movies! When I came across this recipe for Vampire’s Blood White Hot Chocolate from Imperial Sugar I knew I had to make some! I love to browse Imperial Sugar’s site around the holidays because they have a ton of crafts, printables and recipes that you can make WITH your kids. This one was super fun and easy!

They have the recipe on their site (with exact amounts HERE) but this is pretty much all you need:

Half and Half
Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
Vanilla
Whipped Cream
Strawberries
White Chocolate
Red Food collating (optional)
Salt

The Strawberry Syrup is made from strawberries, sugar, water and red food coloring. I added a squeeze of lemon juice because I like to add lemons to everything :)

Then you bring that to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes, until the strawberries break down. Strain the strawberries out and pour the syrup into an airtight container. This was the kids favorite part! Then they started listing all of the things they would put this on haha!

The White Hot Chocolate is so simple… white chocolate, sugar, vanilla, half and half and a pinch of salt. This took no time at all to melt together, make sure not to let it boil! Once it’s smooth just pour it into your mug!

Top with whipped cream and drizzle with strawberry sauce! This would be the hit of any party! Be sure to check out Imperial Sugar for more recipes and festive ideas. They are also having a giveaway for KitchenAid Stand Mixer so go check it out! Happy Halloween everyone :)

Swan Wings + Hello Ollie Fabrics

October 11, 2016 By Taylor 1 Comment

Hi Guys! Welcome to day 2 of the Hello Ollie Fabrics Blog Tour! I’m so excited to finally share the Swan Wings that I made earlier this year. Last spring Bonnie Christine asked me if I would make something for her booth at Quilt Market for her newest fabric line, Hello Ollie for Art Gallery Fabrics. I was so honored because I am a huge fan of Bonnie’s work… and how cool is it to have a project at Quilt Market?!

Bonnie’s new line is gorgeous and ethereal. Being named after Bonnie’s daughter, Ollie, sweetness is brought to life with dabbling swans, feathered fellows and garden blooms. Bonnie threw out a few ideas and I LOVED the idea of some pretty, girly Swan Wings and thought they would be perfect in Bonnie’s Booth.

I used White Muslin for the base and made two quarter circles by sewing right sides together then sewing alone the side and bottom and left the top open. That made the wing’s base.

I found this really pretty lace and cut it out in a strip and followed the lines in the lace to make it even more feminine… I kind of want this as the trim on a kimono now haha! I added this to the very bottom of the wings.

Then I used all of the gorgeous Hello Ollie fabric to make the feather shape in rows of 2-3 and sewed it on starting at the bottom.

I used metallic silver thread and left it long so it looked natural and raw. I also trued to use the raw edge of the fabric for the inner part of the wings.

Then I added in real white feathers (strategically placing them in blank spots) and hot glued them to the base fabric.

When I got to the top I used metallic gold bias tape to sandwich everything together.

I LOVE how they turned out… I’m not going to lie it was hard to mail these to Bonnie but I knew they would get love at Quilt Market :) Look how amazing the Hello Ollie Booth was! Everything looked perfect!

I had a little fabric and some gold metallic bias tape leftover and made this adorable Naples Dress (pattern found HERE). How cute is the little Hello Ollie tag I added from the selvage?!

Be sure to check out the other talented women in the tour! Yesterday Lindsey, shared an adorable shoulder tablet bag and I know Amanda has something amazing up here sleeve for tomorrow! You can check out the rest of the Hello Ollie Tour HERE on Bonnie’s Blog, Going Home to Roost and you can find the fabric HERE.

Group Fruit Costume for Kids

October 8, 2016 By Taylor 4 Comments

Guess what time it is… GROUP COSTUME TIME!!! Basically my favorite time of the year. And I lucked out and somehow got these three to do a group costume again! Halloween Magic (or bribery :)

I love to make over the top costumes with lots of sewing involved but this year has been super busy and I just wasn’t sure about cranking out three intricate handmade costumes. I came across Primary and fell in love! Primary is a children’s clothing company that was founded by two moms who were having a hard time finding clothing without all of the logos, slogans, and sequins. They carry almost any style in tons of colors and sizes AND they are super affordable… I’m pretty much hooked! I knew they would make the perfect Easy DIY Halloween Costume base. All of the tees, dresses, pants and leggings are from Primary and are linked in the post!

Last year they were bugs so I hinted about the food theme to the kids… they brought up fruit so I ran with it. I always have better luck if they have a part in the choosing. Almost all of the costumes are No-Sew, yay!! I did reinforce a few things with some quick stitches because my kids are wild but this could easily be done with glue, tape or hand sewing. I made them all in less than 30 minutes too! Perfect for the wishy washy child haha.

The Strawberry:
-Red Dress
-Green Leggings
-Green and Mustard Felt (crafting felt sheets from the craft store)

I love this little red dress. All I did for the strawberry was cut out the mustard colored seeds (tear shape) and attached them to the dress. I did use a little sewing here but glue, tape, wonder under… all good options! For the yoke, I simply took a piece of green felt and measured the neckline on the front and back of the dress then cut out the center neck part. Then I cut out the strawberry leaf shape on the outer edge and sewed it around the neckline (again you could use glue here).

The Kiwi:

-Green Tee

-Green Shorts

-Tan Felt (from the yardage section)

-black, light green and white felt

I actually used glue on the Kiwi Costume because the little black seeds are too small for my sewing patience haha. I cut out an irregular white shape for the center then a slightly larger piece in the light green felt. I used hot glue and glued them both directly on the shirt. Then I started on the teeny black seeds. Each one is hot glued on. I had a million glue strands so I used a lint roller when I was done. This boy of mine LOVES capes so I turned the Kiwi “skin” into a cape. I used 1/2 yd of tan felt and this is basically the only place the I used any real sewing. I gathered the top edge and sandwiched it into a rectangle piece that I measured to go around his neck. I sewed that together. Then I used hot glue for the velcro so he can take it on an off. I sewed a small piece of elastic at the bottom edge so it is rounded like a real Kiwi.

The Grapes

-Purple Long Sleeve Tee

-Purple Shorts

-Purple Balloons

-Green Pipe Cleaners

-Small safety pins

I kind of feel silly even writing how to do this one… so simple. It took me and my son about 5 minutes to blow up the balloons but other than that this costume was done in about 60 seconds haha! The key is blowing the balloons to different sizes (and not too big) to make it look more realistic. I used the safety pins and poked them through the end of the balloon and straight onto the shirt. I also added a little green curled pipe cleaner for the stem/vine part. I tried to pin them into a “V” shape too.

One thing that I loved is that the kids kept saying over and over is how comfortable their costumes are. I actually had to force them take them off so they wouldn’t ruin them before halloween! Thanks so much to Primary for providing the base of our Fruits :) Now if only I could get the tiniest model to cooperate everything would be great haha. Happy Halloween!

Pippa Peplum Piggy Dress

October 3, 2016 By Taylor Leave a Comment

Guess what I made… again. Another Pippa Peplum Dress by See Kate Sew, I love this pattern! And how else could I showcase this adorable PigFabric?! I can’t get over it. I just hope my model isn’t getting sick of it haha.

I have yet to make an actual Peplum top using this pattern but instead I just keep making dresses! They are perfect for our “Texas Fall” because it’s basically in the 70’s for a few months. I have the dress add on pattern and I think it’s definitely a must have!

This fabric is seriously to die for. I can’t get enough of it… I love the entire line!! It’s from Birch by Emily Isabella and the line is called Homestead.. this fabric is “Oink”. It is super soft and as usual Birch fabric is a dream to sew with.

My model really wanted to showcase her jumping skills while wearing the dress… so I guess its safe to say it is comfortable haha! As usual I always size up, I like the kids to get a lot of wear out of momma-made clothing. I hope everyone has a great week… as happy as a jumping, spinning toddler!

First Day of School Dress

September 15, 2016 By Taylor Leave a Comment

The baby of the family started school… kind of. It is just two mornings a week but she loves it, I love it… everyone is happy :) But she definitely needed a First Day of School Dress! My friend owns a Garnett Designs, a monogram and vinyl company (she ships so look her up) and she posted a cute little apple monogram and I just knew that Bee needed it haha! She had it on a white tee which was super cute but for some reason I needed it on stripes.

I looked everywhere for a black and white striped dress that wasn’t a fortune and I couldn’t fine one. I guess that’s the beauty of being able to sew right? I already had this fabric in my stash, even better. I bought it years ago, and even used it for some newborn leggings that I posted about HERE. It’s from Girl Charlee, it’s super comfy but it’s super stretchy almost making it hard to work with, Thankfully I’m not a perfectionist :)

As for the pattern, it’s the Pippa Peplum Top by See Kate Sew with the Dress Add-On. I have made this pattern a ton of times and I LOVE it! Seriously one of my favorite little girl patterns. Sometimes it’s hard to find patterns that are this simple, they all have ruffles or sashes or embellishments… which are great but we aren’t super girly girls over here. The dress add on bundle is so worth it, I have never actually made this as a top, just the dress. This is the “gathered dress” version, I also love the “circle skirt” version… which I made HERE.

I know apples are kind of a “back to school” thing but I’m hoping they can also cross over into fall too right? Let’s say that they so because I just love how this one turned out, crooked stripes and all! I hope everyone has a great year and thank you Mary for the amazing apple monogram!

Ombré Baby Quilt

September 2, 2016 By Taylor 10 Comments

Another quilt is in the books. An Ombre Baby Quilt to be exact :) I tried to count and I think from start to finish, totally handmade this is quilt number 8… I have 4 more quilt tops ready to go but those don’t count haha. Another one of the Coyote girls had a baby… also bringing our number to 8 Cubs. It’s a tradition for all of the Cubs to get a blanket or quilt made by me!

I wanted really big squares for this quilt and thought about doing a rainbow ombre but when I started looking around I just fell in love with the blues and greens. I have never used a precut fabric stack before but let me tell you I might have been converted. It makes it so easy. I bought THIS Kona Solids Layer Cake. The colors and the fabric are amazing.

To be honest, I should have probably quilted it closer together but I just love how big the squares are so I didn’t want to distract from that. I do have a few puckers in a few spots but thats the beauty of a handmade quilt right? “Real” quilters are amazing and talented and I will stay in the quilter wanna be category until I get a little more prefect… until then I will give all the babies my imperfect quilts!

I used a a white cotton fabric on the back that had flocked little polkadots… so cute! I was trying to venture out past my white or black and white striped binding but the white looked too pretty, maybe next time. I also added a little TaylorMade tag :)

Farmer’s Market Dress

August 8, 2016 By Taylor 2 Comments

Last week I shared Bee’s Farmers Market Birthday Party HERE. It turned out super cute and it was so much fun! I wanted to have everything in one post but I was getting to picture happy haha, so I am sharing her birthday outfit today… The Farmer’s Market Dress!

This dress was so simple. I was going to make a structured red and white gingham dress but with the messy food and the water slide I figured I better keep it a little more casual. I found a shirt on Zulily that I liked for myself but all that they had was XXL… it was cheap so I bought it anyway and figured I could make it work for someone. I mean, how perfect is the little saying right?! It came in and it was way too big so I knew I had to repurpose it for Bee. (HERE is the link to the shirt, I think it’s sold out but HERE is a very similar one.)

I wanted to keep the little details on the shirt legible so I had to find a simple pattern that showed it off. I ended up using Dana’s Warhol Dress Pattern. It is so cute and it’s a free pattern, yay! I pretty much stuck to the pattern except I did lengthen it a little so that the design looked centered. Then I used the red and white gingham fabric that I bought for the original dress to do the tie. The pattern calls for another knit fabric for the tie, but the woven worked perfectly too! I already have another Warhol Dress in the works because it took less than an hour, which in my book is an excellent pattern!

I also got my t-shirt at Zulily, I think it has expired but HERE it is, so you can be notified when they are back in stock. It’s super soft and since Im the worlds biggest graphic tee fan, it was perfect! You can check out the full party HERE.