My So Called Perfect Life

Yes, I know in the previous post I said that I don’t like Christmas, but you all know it was partially a lie.

The better part of the truth is that I liked it better when Santa came and brought me magical presents and my mom had to deal with him. She forgot to mention that when I got all growed up I’d have to do the Santa bargaining to decipher what each child (and mother-in-law (JULIE!!)) wants, the present hiding, the wrapping (and remembering what I wrapped) and the good neighborly baking.

Although I love to buy gifts for my family, my friends and neighbors, I’m finding that the older (and obviously cooler) I get I gather more and more family, friends and acquaintances that I’d sure like to shower with presents. The problem is it gets expensive awfully fast - just buying for my own kids is pricey! - and I’ve decided I will not go into debt, instead, I have vowed to use my multi-bazillion dollar collection of crafting goodness that is all stuffed to the busting point of my garage to have a Homemade Holiday this year. (Okay, so I HAD to buy a few bits and pieces.)

The kids always get blankets with their Christmas Eve Jammies. The two older girls need new bedspreads, so I found this darling vintage cowgirl fabric in muted pinks and dark browns that is going to look adorable.

I’m making a few of these for the girls Sunday bags:
(If you want a pattern I have tons of them in my garage from last year’s craft show that I’d love to get rid of! Anybody? Anybody? )

Speaking of Sunday bags, Rooster and Tootsie already have cute totes, but now that the babies are 2 they ask for a tote every time we’re leaving the house for church. So I have this great fabric all cut and prepared for Totes for them.
Airplanes for Bubba and hot pink for Darling.

Here’s the Tote Tutorial. Before you comment and say the tute download doesn’t work, try clicking on each page of the instructions, they download to your computer as a word doc.

I’ve been inspired by some great blogs, so here’s a little linky love for you to browse:

These cute crayon rolls are a must for our Sunday Bag Totes too. I’m considering making them into aprons for the kids to tie around them so we can stop loosing our crayons in the pew cracks.

A wee bit of apron love since I’m addicted to aprons, which is dumb right now because my baby bump is too big to tie an apron around. Hmmmm, note to self, need a maternity apron.

Olive Juice & Co The most darling and spectacular aprons ever. I tried to duplicate the idea, started simple and here’s my apron which is in need of more embellies:

And my fabric bundle calling me to make it into an apron:

One More Moore Another fun apron that I know my little girls would love to twirl in, complete with at tutorial!

The Apronista has several great tutorials. Just scroll down and look for the tutes on the right hand sidebar.

Sommer Designs has lots of great projects to check out. I’m loving THIS BUTTON SKIRT for the Rooster. As well as THESE super simple little girl aprons.

And a few great links with lots of homemade gift ideas and links on them:
Sew Mama Sew! has a new project every day for their promo Handmade Holiday.

I Have To Say has a great collection of tutorials to browse.

Have a link or great idea? Feel free to share!

This is only part of my project list. Some can’t be posted because the gift receivers are regular readers (or at least they say they are) and they all know I’m making homemade gifts. Christmas is lame without suprises!

I’ll post my completed projects as I get them done. I need to bust them out in the next 2 weeks because once December hits my calendar is already full. Maybe I’ll just take a little nap while Blues Clues is on and THEN I’ll get out my sewing machine.