Guest Post - DIY Faux Fur Vest Tutorial

 Today I have an awesome tutorial for you from one of my sponsors:

Simply Fabulous - Evanne.

She has a darling blog full of tons of great ideas and tutorials.

THIS is one of my favorites.

Today she is showing us how to make a DIY faux fur vest.

Enjoy!

..........

Fur is coming into style this winter season.

Via

Via

I am not quite sure how I feel about the vests...they are stylish, look warm, and are a fabulous accessory to add onto any outfit.  However, I just am not sure it's "me".  Instead of buying a vest, I decided to make one to test out the trend and see how it would look on me.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1 yd Faux Fur

Paper

Marker/Highlighter

String

Tape Measure

Fabric Shearers

Step 1:  Using the paper, draw a football shape that measures about 6" long.  This will serve as your arm holes on your vest.

Step 2:  Cut out the football shape and place aside for later use.

Step 3:  Using the tape measure, find the length between your shoulders (measuring from the armpit). 

Step 4:  Cut a piece of string double the length of your shoulders. 

Step 5:  Fold the string in half and loop around the end of your highlighter/marker.

Step 6:  Place the end of the string (not marker end) in the center of the fabric (face down) and using the marker, draw a perfect circle.

Step 7:  Cut out the circle using fabric shearers (this will prevent future fraying).  Make sure to shake fabric out ( I recommend outside) after cutting. You will have quite a bit of loose fur.

Step 8:  Lay the circle back on the ground, right side down.  Using the football shape, mark your armholes.  Place the shape 8" in from the left side and trace.  Using your doubled string, measure the width of your shoulders from one football shape across the fabric and place your other armhole here.  Trace.

Step 9:  Cut out the armholes by bunching the fabric up and cutting a slip.  

Step 10:  Once both armholes are cut, take fabric outside to shake  the access fur off.

Step 11:    Try it on!  You have a cropped faux fur vest.  To make a longer vest, add a shoulder length to either side as well as the bottom of the circle.  

Notice the cute clutch?

She's giving it away on her blog...

I LOVE it!  Thank you so much Evanne!

I hope everyone will go check out her blog and send over some love <3

What I Wore...All on sale :)

 This week I wanted to show off my fun new rosette necklace from Love Stitched!

I got this great oatmeal colored shirt on sale, but it looked a little plain.

The pop of color from the rosettes was just what it needed!

Shirt: Charlotte Russe $9 SALE

Boots: Charlotte Russe $20 SALE

Jeans: Maddux Couture $15 SALE

Necklace: LOVE Stitched GIFT (Thanks Britt!)

Ring: LOVE Stitched (borrowed)

Scarf: LOVE Stitched (borrowed)

Bracelet: Brighton GIFT

I've been wanting a loose shirt to go with my skinny jeans and I love this one.

It's that oatmeal color and it goes with everything!

And just out of curiosity...do I look FREEZING in these pictures?

Because it was FREEZING and WINDY outside.

I was shivering, my eyes were watering, and I had goosebumps.

My future fashion posts might include me in a huge winter coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc. because I do not enjoy being cold.

In fact, I get a little bummed out in the winter.

Does anyone else start to miss the sunshine too?

Capture the Moment

This is my favorite picture from Halloween!

Brittany took this one and I laughed until I cried when she showed me.

I love when a picture captures the exact moment when funny something happens.

It's hard to get a perfect candid shot, and yet they are my favorite.

I love remembering that moment in time that you can't get back because you didn't make it happen in the first place.

Obviously I thought this picture was good enough to warrant it's own post LOL.

However, I could not, for the life of me, think of a caption that was as funny as the picture.

I tried over and over to think of something witty and smart, 

but the longer I stared at Dalton's face in this shot, the harder I laughed.

Any witty ideas? ;)

And just for laughs...
This is what happens when we tell Dalton to
"SAY CHEESE!"

The Truth.

When I offered free sponsor spots on my blog, 

my email was flooded was people requesting a spot, and saying wonderful things like:

"I love your blog, you are such a wonderful mom."

It totally made my day!  Seriously.

Then I started feeling a little guilty...

What if they knew that sometimes...I suck...bad.

What if I ran into someone in the grocery store when my kids are having meltdowns?

Or when I'm on my way to preschool looking entirely disheveled. 

So, to ease my conscience, I thought I'd let you in on the truth...

Some truths about my life as a mom:

1.  I can't figure out bedtime.  It's actually really frustrating.  I think my kids' bedtime is 8:00.  So, Nate gets home at 6 and we have dinner.  Around 7 we start baths.  My kids LOVE the bath and want to stay and play for an hour.  Usually I let them because it keeps them entertained while I pick up the house and clean up dinner.  At 8 we make them get out of the bath.  But we can't put them straight to bed because I just put the baby down and I don't want him to wake up.  So, we do jammies and brush teeth and say prayers, and then put them in their bed.  Then they get up.  Bridger needs a drink.  Saxon has to pee.  Someone is hungry.  Someone needs to be snuggled.  Someone wants a story...etc.  Pretty soon it's 10 (ok...sometimes 11) by the time they fall asleep.

2.  I buy my kids each a donut at the grocery store to keep them entertained in the cart while I shop.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  But since I buy the treat first, I can't use the "if you're not good...no treat!" threat.

3.  Sometimes I get a diet coke for breakfast.  Then my kids all want some.  Then we all drink diet coke for breakfast. 

4.  Sometimes I let my kids sleep in my bed.  I can't resist.  When they sneak in during the middle of the night, I snuggle them.  I can't resist a sleepy, cuddly little kid.  Maybe this is contributing to problem #1 (remember how I suck at bedtime?)

5.  Eating healthy is important to me.  Very important.  I try to make everything from scratch and I experiment and make sure that my kids always get a variety of vegetables.  And yet...I didn't take away any of their Halloween candy.  I was either going to be the mean mom who took it away, or an irresponsible mom who let them have it all.  I couldn't bring myself to be the mean mom after they had worked so hard to collect all of the candy.  So, they kept it all, and have been eating candy non-stop for a week.

6.  I never turn down doing something fun in order to maintain "the schedule."  If we get invited to go to the movies but it will end after bedtime...we go anyway.  If we feel like going to the indoor pool instead of doing naptime...we do it.  Whenever we have the chance to go and do something, we do.  Apparently I suck at strict schedules too.

7.  I take my kids everywhere.  I can't afford to hire a babysitter, and I miss them when I'm not around them.  Last year, the boys came with me to see Twilight.  I'm sure everyone else in the theater really appreciated it LOL.

8.  I get "charmed" easily.  My kids know it too.  If I'm yelling and they're being naughty, all they have to do is pull out the charm and they win me over.  My mom told me once that I let them get away with too much because they're funny.  It's true.  But how mad can you be when you're laughing?

9.  I'm still nursing Dalton.  I know...I know...whatever you are thinking, I'm probably thinking too.  It seems to be generally accepted to nurse a baby until they are 1.  I nursed Saxon and Bridger until they were 6 months and we stopped without any problems.  Dalton, however, won't give it up.  Dalton turned one in September.  I only give in and let him nurse once a day...but still...

10.  The truth is...beyond anything else, I love my kids.  Love them beyond measure.  Beyond description.  I can't fathom life without them.  In fact I a worry a lot about "what if something happened to them..." because I can't bear to imagine life without them.  I love them, and I try to deserve them.  Motherhood takes a lot of work.  Constant effort.  So even though I suck (sometimes a lot) I try hard.  And I hope that makes me the same as you...as most mothers out there.  Constantly trying to do our best.  Always learning, and always trying to be better.

Giveaway - My Junk Drawer

-Giveaway Closed- 

The winner is:

MegJill

Just email me and I'll tell you how to claim your prize! :) 

Today I'm so excited to introduce you to one of my new blogging friends!

Kristen...from My Junk Drawer.

I've had so much fun getting to know Kristen and chatting about blogging and crafts and kids, etc.

Kristen makes these darling headbands and has offered to give one away to one lucky reader!  Aren't headbands perfect for fall?  I always feel like wearing headbands in the fall.

I really love this ruffle one:

 It turns out that Kristen's kids were sick right before Halloween and almost didn't make it trick-or-treating.  I know what that's like...  Not fun.  But it is fun being able to relate to someone else who's been there :)  One year we went all the way to California to go trick-or-treating at my mom's house, and Saxon threw up everywhere right before we walked out the door.  No wonder he looks so miserable in this picture:
 
 (Me, Saxon, Bridger - Halloween 2008)

 So now...I would like to introduce you to Kristen:


 Hi I'm Kristen. I am the creative mind over at My Junk Drawer. My blogging station is here in sunny Southern California where at my young age of 27 I am married and have three cuties ages 8, 3, & 1 1/2.

I started my blog as a way to sort of "bookmark" all of my favorite craft ideas but it soon turned into something that I love to do. I have been creating things all of my life. I was sewing clothes in high school and creating bags and purses to fit my own style. As a child I was a bookworm, in high school I was miss popular -homecoming court and all, my pre-church days were my rocker days being a groupie for my hubby's band, and now I am a mom, a wife and a full time college student trying to figure out this thing called life.

In the midst of my crazy life I like to make hair accessories. I have a small homemade business linked to my blog. I started making hair accessories when my daughter was born three and a half years ago, but it soon turned into something I loved to do and like to share with others. I hope you all will come check out my blog and say hi, I LOVE connecting with other bloggers and crafters!!

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory:

1.  Let me know which headband you will choose if you win :)

Bonus:

2.  Become a follower of cait. create.

3.  Become a follower of My Junk Drawer.

4.  Like cait. create. on facebook.

5.  Like My Junk Drawer on facebook.

6.  Blog/tweet/facebook about this giveaway.

7.  Get my button.

8.  Get Kristen's button.

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry).

Good luck!  I can't wait to see one of you wearing one of these gorgeous headbands ;) 

ps:  The winner will have 72 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Be sure to check back to see if you won :)  Giveaway will close on at midnight on Thursday and the winner will be announced on Friday.

Let's Meet...

Hey Everyone!

Today and tomorrow I'm going have a booth at the Heritage Schools Annual Sub-for-Santa Boutique.  I'm going to be in and out throughout the next few days checking on my booth.  If you live in Utah, I'd love to have you stop in so we can meet :)

(Don't look too closely at the dates on the flyer, it's last years...)

My table is right next to Brittany from Love Stitched and Nicole from All Things Sweet and Sassy.  I even ran into an old friend from work who has a table there too.  It's going to be so fun!

And the best part...10% of the proceeds go to Sub-for-Santa.

And the second best part...all of my prices are discounted from my etsy shop :)

Hope to see you there!

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup

This is one of my favorite recipes!

First of all, because I can grow almost all of the ingredients in my garden.

Second...because my kids will eat it too!

Here's what you need:

1 medium sized butternut squash (you can use a bigger one, but you may need to add more vegetable/chicken broth)

3 carrots

1 medium sweet onion

5 cloves garlic

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

48+ ounces of vegetable/chicken broth

1 Tbsp. Curry Powder

salt to taste

1 loaf whole grain french/sourdough bread

Start by chopping up your garlic and onions.

Saute them in the olive oil in a pot.

Make sure you are using a big enough pot...there are a lot of vegetables. 

While the onions and garlic are cooking, cut up the carrots.

Add the carrots to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and put the lid one.

I turn the heat down and just let everything start to steam.

While the veggies are cooking, start cutting up your butternut squash.

I've found that the best way is to peel it with a vegetable peeler, then start slicing it and cubing it.  The round part does have seeds, like a pumpkin, so you'll have to scoop those out.

Once you are finished, add the squash to the pot.

Mix everything up and sprinkle with a little more salt.

I also add a tablespoon of curry powder.

McCormick Hot Madras is my favorite because it's really strong so you can use less.

Other brands seem to need more than a Tbsp. in recipes to be able to taste it.

I let everything cook for about another 5 minutes.

Then I add the 48 ounces of chicken/vegetable broth and bring it to a boil.

Cover and simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

After it's done simmering, I put it in the blender and blend everything together.

The squash and the carrot together make the perfect "creamy" soup without any cream.

If I used a particularly big squash, or extra carrots, I often need to add more chicken broth so that it doesn't get too thick.

After blending it (it takes several batches in the blender to do it all), put it back in the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.

There you have it...

The best Butternut Squash Soup Ever!

If you feel like it, add a squirt of cream and sprinkle some toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts.  I only did it for the picture LOL.  We don't use cream, but if you like cream, give it a try!

I always serve it with toasted slices of multigrain french bread.

This is the key to getting the kids to love it...dipping :)

There you have it...

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup straight from the garden :)

And I thought it would be simple...

Do you ever think "I'll just do _________ real quick..."

I need to start remembering that nothing is "real quick" when my kids are involved.

The other night Brittany and I decided that we would take the kids on a quick walk.

We wanted to walk over to the grocery store and return a redbox that we had rented before 9:00 p.m.

(we didn't want to pay for an extra day).

So, it went a little something like this:

7:45 p.m. - "We should go for a walk..." Good idea!  So we start gathering everything that is "necessary" to take with us when we bring the kids on a walk.  Brittany and I changed into sweats because it was freezing outside!

8:00 p.m. - We started getting the kids in sweats and beanies and slippers and layers, etc.  We tried putting Uggs on Saxon and he told me that his toe hurt. I tried putting socks on him first to make him feel better.  It didn't make him feel better.  I suggested a bandaid.  He suggested a bandaid with neosporin.  We tried again.  His toe was still too sore for shoes.  He settled on wearing Brittany's Uggs instead.

8:15 p.m. Bridger has to poop

8:20 p.m. -"WIPE ME!!!!"

8:25 p.m. - We finally make it downstairs with the blankets, the pillow pets, the sweatshirts, the beanies, the portable DVD players, the sippy cups, the snacks, and all 3 kids.

8:30 p.m. - Loading all of the kids in.  Bridger lost a slipper.  Dalton threw off his beanie.  They didn't want the movie that we brought for the DVD player.  Saxon has to arrange his blankets in a certain way (the fuzzy one of the bottom, the quilt on top...) Bridger is thirsty...again...

 

8:45 p.m. - We finally start walking down the road and Saxon says "I'm all wet!"  What do you mean you are all wet!?  He spilled his sippy all over his blankets.  Great.

9:00 p.m. - Back on the road.  The redbox is late. sigh...I should have known better than to think that I can get anything done "quickly".

What adventures have you had lately?