a peek.

this is what is keeping me away from my dear blog. :)
but I can't show it all just yet...too many MOPS readers.

but soon.

xo

two reasons that i have the best husband.

There are lots of reasons why I think I was blessed enough to get the very best and most awesome husband in the world. Here are two of them.

One.
Last week Doug went and bought me a new (to me) car. We finally traded in the car that I had had since my college days. It was the only car that Doug ever knew me to own. It had a good life but barely made it to the dealership to trade in. Before he took it we cleaned it all out and off he went. Doug got home a few hours later with a nice newer CRV for me. :) I love it.
But anywho...
Doug comes in the house and says "I got you a present".

To which I say "Yeah, thanks for the car...I should be good for presents for a while". :)

He says "No, I rescued something for you from your Mazda".
And hands me the button in the photo. It used to say I (heart) JC (as in Jesus Christ).

"Thanks honey". I say.
I guessed it was kind of nice to have...was hanging out on my dashboard for as long as I could remember...it didn't really have any sentimental meaning to me...probably would have ended up in a drawer somewhere lost forever.

Until.

Then he says "That button was how I knew that you were the girl I wanted to marry. I saw it on our second date and you loving Jesus was a requirement for me to continue in our relationship. I figured that since you loved Him enough to advertise it that you meant it."

He had never told me that until then. :) I will now keep that button forever.
Isn't it great how being who you are can tell your story without you even knowing it?

Second reason (among many) that he is awesome.

I hate sports. He (beyond) loves sports.
Yankees. Hokies. Giants. Other.
Moses identifies many team logos as "Sports Center" (a show on ESPN).
Sports is Doug and Doug is sports.
It's a package deal that I wouldn't want to change.
But we had to work something out so that we could both be happy.
So. Our super awesome deal?
I will let him watch any and every sports game broadcast that makes his little heart happy.
And I will (try) to do it with a smile on my face and not give him a hard time.

In return...each time he watches a game. I get a foot rub. Lotion and all. :)
Makes us both happy.

I have the BEST husband even if he does put butter on his pop tarts.. :)

xo

knee deep.

I have been spending every spare moment I have getting ready for MOPS.
Making funky flower pins for each lady (sixty!), runners for the tables, flags and more.
And loving every minute.
There is something great about just doing for the benefit of others.
It just fills you up.
I want this year to be an amazing one for the ladies in our MOPS.
Moses has been asking about it for weeks now. :)

So while I have nothing earth shattering to share...
I am sure there are some who will enjoy some photos of my favorite boys.

I NEVER wake my babies if they are sleeping...unless it's for the doctor or something...so when Aaron had to be woken up I took the opportunity to take a photo of this sweet sleeping baby. :)

AND there are a new pair of pillows in the shop. :)

AND I found three boys t-shirts to do robot shirts
...many of you asked for one
...these are size xs(5).
Email me if you want to claim one.

AND I better get back to work!

:)

a slight change of plans. :)

So I have promised my husband to make my new found quilting obsession a profitable hobby.
Fair enough.

At first I thought that making quilt after quilt and stocking the store with them would be the way to go...now I have reconsidered.

Making one quilt takes lots of time...and I am too craft A.D.D. for that.
So I thought of something else...to satisfy both me and my husband.

1) Whenever I make a BIG quilt, I will use the extra blocks to make a little one for the shop.
2) I will practice my quilt block making skills by making pairs of pillows for the shop.
I have LOADS of quilt square patterns that I want to try...way more than I will have time to make quilts from.
This way...I can try out all the fun patterns, use my favorites to make quilts from
and still make new things for the shop. :)

And we are all happy.

This first pair is already in the shop.

Hopefully the first of many.

xo

getting there...quilt week five. :)

Ok...so how are you all doing? Hopefully you are gaining steam as you go. :)
Now that all of your strips are cut up into squares...it's time to lay them out and decide how you would like to sew them together. :)
Since I had so many squares and since they are so large...I will be making two quilts out of my squares...one will be six squares by six squares...the other will be three by three (and be going in the shop!)
Just lay them out and play around until you get them how you like them...there is no right or wrong...just however you like. :)

Cute, huh? Are you excited?
Once you have decided on your pattern...stack the squares up and keep the rows separated so you know where each row begins and ends.

Now take your first two squares...put them right sides together...and using a 1/4in hem...you are going to do your best to sew your seams down flat...like...you know how earlier you ironed them down flat? Now you are going to attempt to sew them down the same way you ironed them. You want to keep the quilt top as flat as possible so that when it is quilted it will do so nice and flat with no bumps. HOWEVER, I will admit that with Moses' quilt, I didn't do the best job ever...some seams going every which way...but the quilt still turned out nicely. :)

See how the seams are all pointing the same direction? Sewing this way will help keep it flat. Now sew sew sew...be sure to rotate the direction of the squares.
Do your first two rows...then sew your two rows together...do your next row then add it to your two rows, fourth row, add to the three rows, keep going like this adding your new row to your main quilt piece.
This way you can ensure that each row is how it should be direction wise and you won't have to make friends with your seam ripper...not that I would know anything about that. :)

And here is my finished quilt top!

And my mini one. :)

After you have finished the top...you can measure for how much backing fabric you will need.
If you are sending it off...you will need about an extra eight inches all around.

My big quilt is 75in by 75in.
SO...to figure out how many yards of fabric to get...

I multiplied 75 by 75 to get 5625 which is how many square inches my big quilt is.

The fabric I am using to back the quilt is 45in wide by 36in long (per yard).

I multiplied 45 by 36 to get 1620, which is how many square inches in a yard.

I divided 5625 by 1620 to get ~3.47.
SO about 3 1/2 yards should do it.

Does that make sense?

Next week we will get our backing ready to ship off!
If you are sending your quilt away you will need to purchase
an additional yard of fabric, in a different pattern, for the binding.

I am trying to decide if I will send off the baby quilt or attempt to do it myself...so the quilt along may or may not end next week...we will see. :)

Leave any questions in the comments...I would also LOVE to see your progress!

xo

etsy love.

First of all...my favorite new pillow of all time is in the shop right now! :)
Secondly...you just may want to become a fan of Little Bit Funky on Facebook...over there on the right...you just never know what surprises await you!

Thirdly, take a look at some of these great Etsy finds...some are trades some are purchases...but I would never tell you which were which. All of them make me so happy!

We got this from HERE for Aaron's room. Very sweet!
We also got this one...hangs above the mantle. Good reminder don't you think?

Then there is this one from HERE. Red and Aqua...LOVE...also a good message, right?

And mommy calling cards from Sara...go HERE to see all her awesome stuff.
She does the BEST work!

And my new camera bag from HERE.
This photo does absolutely NO justice for how awesome it is!
You will not be disappointed. :)

Happy Shopping!
xo

practice makes perfect?

This weekend we did a practice run of Moses' robot party cupcakes. :)

I have never worked with fondant...or done any kind of REAL cake decorating...so I wanted to make sure they weren't going to turn out hideous. :)
AND I wanted to make sure the fondant didn't taste like rubber. Important.

Inspired by a link I found via google...I think these build a robot cupcakes will be perfect for his party...their little legs and bodies are interchangeable. :) I think they turned out cute...for my first time...

This guy is my favorite...I LOVE his little hands!

Here they are all mixed up...we let Moses have a taste test by giving him one of the cupcakes that didn't really look like a robot...he seemed to LOVE the fondant...so I think they are a go!

I think they will be a hit. :)

The things we learn and do for our kids, right?

Happy Sunday!

sharing is caring.

I was knee deep in motherhood before I figured this idea out...
so I thought I would share...just in case you are at all like me.

Grab a bunch of baby/preschooler items that you could need at a moments notice...diapers, wipes, bags, bum cream, spoons, socks, change of clothes, etc.

And put them in a box with a lid...and put them in the trunk of your car! Moses was over 6 months before I thought of this...and since having them, they have saved us many a time...from having to run to the store...or go home...whatever we happened to need was in our little trunk emergency box. :) Made me feel like a smart mom for minute. :)

A fun new banner will be in the shop soon...
a super cute reminder for a playroom or your kids room. :)

And the newest of the new items...monogram posey barrettes. I used some of the scraps from my quilt, felt and some fun stitching to create, what I think, are super cute, personalized barrettes. :) They will be available as pins as well...for the little girls at heart.

Click HERE to see if you are the LUCKY winner of the Starbucks Card!
If that is you...contact me to claim your prize!

:)

if i had never become a mother.

I was thinking lately...of all the things that I would never have wondered about, done, or witnessed if I had never become a mother.
*

A few:

I would never have to wonder "Is that chocolate or poop?"
*
I surely would never had witnessed another human scream "I love screws!" at the top of their lungs for 15 minutes...for no reason other than his genuine love for screws.
*
I would never have to shower with the door open.
*
I would never have someone offer to wipe my bum...thanks Moses, that's very thoughtful of you.
*
I would never had had the honor of putting my nose directly to someones bum to see if they pooped.
*
I would never have had someone puke in my face...and nose and mouth.
*
I would never have thought to buy goldfish by the gallon.
*
I would hopefully never ever had the impulse to throw my cupped hands in front of a someones puking mouth...WHY is that a mothers instinct?
*
I would never have to buy a whole new wardrobe for my kids while my husband and I make do with one pair of good jeans.
*
I would never have gained 55lbs (twice over) in a short time...along with stretch marks.
*
I may not have ever known just how much God loves me.
*
I may have never experienced as fully the mystery of God...like...why were BOTH of my babies born with a cord around their neck...tightly...and survived?
What amazing thing is God going to do with their lives?
*
I would never have eaten so many cold meals in my life.
*
I'm sure there are more that I will think of the moment I hit publish...there may have to be a 2.0. :)

How about you? Add your own in the comments...I look forward to commiserating. :)

Have a beautiful day!
xo

you're doing it! quilt week four.

Ok...this week we are going to cut up all of our lovely ironed, strips and make some pretty and neat squares. :)
The first thing we'll do is get a true, straight end to work with...
Do this by starting with your "even/selvage end"...line up the side on the bottom line of your cutting mat...using your cutting guide, cut a nice ninety degree corner...

See?

Now flip that end to the other side of your cutting mat and line it up...
To determine the size of your squares...you have to measure how WIDE your section of strips is...this one is 13 inches...so all of my squares will be 13in by 13in.
The squares for Moses' quilt were 11.25 in by 11.25 in because I had a different hem.
Yours could be 12 by 12 or something else entirely. The important thing is to get nice, neat squares.
You may have to trim up the other sides a bit too...it's ok...just try to be uniform and get the nicest squares you can. :)

You will do this will all of your strips...next week comes the fun part!
Any questions...leave them in the comment section.

And yes, last week I was ironing on the floor. What does it say about me that, not for one second did I think that was odd until you guys pointed it out? hmmmm.

And...yes, I have started yet another quilt. :)
This one is different...not just the pattern...but...to prove to my husband that I am not a crazy, quilt making, quilt hoarding woman...this one will go...in...the...shop!

yikes!

xo

more random.

I am totally off my game right now...having only a couple things I HAVE to do, I am wandering the house like I am lost or something...AND to top it off...Firefox deleted ALL of my crafty/creative bookmarks...I don't even know where to begin to get them back...but despite that I have gotten a few fun things done...like a couple of yummy scarves for the fall...

And I finally got Moses' Plex the robot shirt finished...this was his pose of choice...

I think I may love this one more than the DJ Lance one...and Moses wanted to wear this one right away. :)

And this photo pretty much sums up their personalities...Moses is crazy(in a good healthy way) and loud and fun...Aaron is reserved and concerned. :)

This boy is SO stinking cute...I can hardly stand it...

And because I am your friend...I planned dinner for you.
This is way easy and super tasty.
Ready?

Chicken Crescents

These are delicious and can be frozen if made ahead of time.

2 cups cooked chicken (usually 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 Tbsp. margarine (at room temperature)(I used butter)

3 oz. cream cheese with chives and onion (at room temperature)

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. milk

Pepperidge Farm Blue Label bag of stuffing mix (I used Italian bread crumbs)

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine margarine and cream cheese in medium bowl and mix well. Add salt, pepper, and milk and blend thoroughly. Add chicken and stir until chicken is well coated. Divide the crescent rolls into 4 rectangles, pinching the diagonal lines closed. Place ¼ of the mixture in the middle of the square and then spread outward, leaving enough room around the edges to pinch them closed. Fold over and pinch edges. Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle stuffing mix over each one. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Makes 4 crescents.

Happy Weekend!

xo

random questions.

Some questions I have been asked lately:

My delish fabric is mostly from HERE or HERE. :)
It is also helpful to search under supplies on Etsy for things like "red fabric" or "polka dot fabric" or that sort of thing. :)

Yes, YOU can make this quilt we are making.

Yes, I cut out all the letter that I use for pillows and banners.
I make my own stencils, trace, cut and sew all of the letters. :)

I think the secret to the gravy was using the potato water...I just took the meat out of the pot, added some potato water, stirred it us, scrapping the sides of the pan to get the good bits, added some flour and brought it to a boil. Doug loved it...I hate gravy so I didn't even have any.

Lang bo Norge! means Long Live Norway!
All of Doug's family are from Norway. :)

In regards to potty training---when Moses takes a nap or goes to bed he wears a pull-up. When we go out we make him go potty before we leave...when we were first starting we put a pull-up on him for outings. :)

I have not made Moses any of the t-shirt pants yet...but to get the waist just right...wrap the elastic around their little waist where the band will go...stretch it just a couple of inches making sure it will be comfy for them and secure with a safety pin until you stitch it up. :)

Any more? :)

xo

quilt makin' week three.

Ok...so this post may bore you to tears...but I am a visual person, so hang in there.
Grab your stack of freshly sewn strips...heat up your iron to the cotton setting and get your ironing board ready. :)

The point of this step is to get your strip sets nice and flat so that they will cut nicely and sew together well...do this by ironing all of your seams down in the same direction. This is how I did it...I held the side furthest from me and pulled slightly as I ironed toward that hand...always in the same direction.
You want to make sure your seams are pulled apart and not folded over...See the arrows above...does that make sense?

The good seam above is what you should get...the bad seam is what you get if you just ironed without the slight pulling...you don't want those folds...

See...before and after...doesn't have to be perfect but you want it to be as flat as you can make it.

Do this with all of your strip sets...next week we will cut again!

Now you can start fantasizing about how cute your quilt is going to be...I will be honest and admit that all of my strips are not sewn at this point...but I plan to catch up this week! I really want my quilt...every time I see Moses snuggle in his I am a little jealous! :)

Leave any questions in the comments. :)

xo