Unique Growth Chart

Looking for a fun way to track your child's growth?

Line up their outgrown shoes in a shadowbox to create a unique growth chart (plus you get to show off all those cute baby shoes!).

Way better than marks on a wall.

Hello Canada!

Get excited, my Canadian friends...
because Lu Bird Baby just started shipping to The Great White North!

It's taking me forever to switch my shipping information on Etsy so if you see something you like and I haven't added Canada as a shipping option just email me and I'll make the change.
Thanks for being patient with me :)

T Shirt Shrug

I love the idea of turning old clothes into something new.

I stumbled across this awesome tutorial for a T-shirt shrug.

Here's my version of it :)

All you need is a T shirt, some ribbon or string and a sewing machine.

I found this long sleeve shirt floating around the back of my closet just begging to be given new life.

Step 1:
Cut off the neckband and down the center of the shirt.
Be sure to only cut through the front layer when cutting down the center.

Step 2:
Turn shirt inside out. Fold edges over one inch and pin in place to form a casing. Then sew.

Step 3:
Turn shirt right side out. Attach a safety pin to the end of your ribbon and pull through the casing.

Step 4:
Pull ribbon tight and tie closed.

Now try on your new T shirt shrug and enjoy your work!

Shop update!

Lots of new doll diaper changing sets in the shop

(even some gender neutral and boyish ones as requested)!

Get them before they are gone :)

We are desperate...

and very, very sleepy.

So we bought some of these.

Last night was the first night we used them.

I can't say I swear by them yet.
We had to give him 4 doses before they started working.

But Wesley did let us sleep for 3 hours instead of the usual 1 :)
At least we are making progress.
Even if he did sleep in the bouncer with the vibration and music on the whole night.

Hey...desperate times call for desperate measures.

Braided Dress Up Jewelry

Mackenzie needed some dress up jewelry.

So I dug into my scrap pile and whipped her up some braided jewelry of her own.

I used this tutorial but there are other versions all over the web like here and here.

A super quick and easy accessory for you or your little girl. bracelet

I actually made a matching one for me too

necklace number one

I didn't have enough fabric to make it long enough for a necklace so I added a piece of ribbon to each end and then tied it in a knot. Now it is long enough to go over Mackenzie's neck (so she can put it on herself) and it can be adjusted as she grows.

necklace number two

Mackenzie loved them!

Sneak Peak...

The amazingly talented Ally Stepp took some family pictures of us a couple weeks ago.

Here's a little sneak peak of the shoot.
More to come soon!

Clothespin Dolls

Love these!

They would be such a cute accessory to a little doll house you may already have
or
your kids could make their own little "house" out of a shoe box for the clothespin dolls to live in.

Check out the tutorial here at Going Sew Crazy.

Colic

This was the happy baby we brought home from the hospital.

This week he was exchanged with...

this not so happy baby.

After talking with our doctor, we are pretty sure Wesley has colic.

Hearing my baby boy cry {I mean scream} for hours on end hurts my heart.
I want my little man to be happy again.
And I want to sleep at night.

So colic...
if you could go away soon {and I mean very soon}
and never come back again
that would be great.
Thanks :)

Placemats...and guest blogger Jill!

I'm so excited for you guys to meet my friend and very first guest blogger...Jill!

Jill is Super Mom.

She does things that I only dream of.

Her and her hubby have chickens
and a vegetable garden.
They go camping and hiking
with their toddlers.
She makes all her own bread
among other things.

Jill is also the person who convinced me to start sewing.
She sent me a pattern to make Mackenzie a bib because she was always spitting up.
From the first stitch of that bib I was hooked.

Jill encourages me to be a better wife, mommy and homemaker.

I know you guys are going to love her as much as I do.

Jill made these super cute place mats for her daughter Elizah.

I love the idea and thought you might too.

Here's Jill...

We bought Elizah a little kitchen table so she could eat at and do art or paint or whatever. Little did I know that she would want to eat all her meals at the little table and not care to eat with us any longer. Hmmm....I'll have to think of something. I made these place mats so she could set her place herself and at the same time learn where the various items are placed on the table. This has been a huge help. She now has a bottom shelf of the pantry where all of "her" dishes are kept so she can get them and just set it herself. I got the idea after reading an article about Montessori (my sister-in-law is really into it). The idea that kids can do a lot more than we give them credit for and thus should be taught to be independent in what they can do. It's way more complex than that but I guess that's the idea behind the place mat creation. She also has a little pitcher filled with water so she no longer has to ask me twenty times a day for water. She can just get herself a cup from her shelf and open the fridge and pour herself a cup of water. She loves the independence and thrill of doing it herself. The fabric I used is from Moda Fabrics.I love most of their prints.

Feel free to visit Jill's blog The Art of Provision and leave her some comment love. She has taken quite the vacation from her blog but promises to be back soon :)

Easy Shredded Beef

I heart the Crock pot.
And these yummy tostadas.

Try this recipe and you will too :)

All you need is:

-Your trusty Crock pot
-4 1/2 pound roast
-2 packages of taco seasoning
-1 onion sliced

This is why I love Crock pots...

All you have to do is plop your meat into the Crock pot, dump the two packages of taco seasoning in and give it a good rub to coat the meat, then add the sliced onion on top.

Program your Crock pot to cook for 8-10 hours on low and...

Presto!

Yummy shredded beef for tacos or tostadas.

Then when dinner hour rolls around...

Chop up all your taco/tostada fixings...

Fry up some corn tortillas...

Pull meat apart with a fork to shred...

Add a tablespoon of seasoned salt...

Assemble your tostada just the way you like it and

enjoy!

Boo Boo Bag Tutorial

If your kids are anything like mine they are constantly getting hurt.

Whether it's from tripping over a toy or running into a table ouchies are a common occurrence in the Sellars' household.

Thus the boo boo bag.

The perfect sized wheat (or rice) filled bag sure to make your child's ouchie feel instantly better.

Supplies:

Scrap fabric

Wheat or Rice

Scissors or Rotary cutter

Fabric pen

*Whole grain wheat can be found in the bulk food section of your local grocery store.

Cut two 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch pieces of fabric. Pin and sew right sides together, leaving an inch or so opening.

Flip right side out through the opening and iron flat. Fill boo boo bag with rice or wheat until bag is 3/4 full. Top stitch opening closed and viola...your done!

Now pop your boo boo bag in the freezer so it will be ready when an injury occurs.

Boo Boo bags can also be microwaved in 30 second intervals to soothe away an upset tummy or sore muscles.

Love the idea but don't want to make one yourself? Head over to my shop and pick one up :)

Gilmore Girls

A few months ago my friend gave me season one.

Just to watch while Mackenzie was napping and I was crafting.

She warned me that I would be hooked.

She was right.

But it is worth it.

Me, Lorelai, and Rory have a special bond.
They make me laugh.
And cry.
If I lived in Stars Hallow, Connecticut we would be friends.

I just started season six.
One more season and our daily rendezvous will be over.
That will be a sad. sad. day.
But until then you can find me (almost daily) from 10:00-12:00, in our bonus room, with my favorite people :)

Little Girl's Apron

How adorable is this kid's apron!?

And the best part...

it looks super easy to make!

Pop on over to Skip to my Lou for the tutorial.

Seriously craving...

some of these bad boys.

If you have never tried Bakerella's Cake Pops stay away!

Because once you try them you will never be the same.

Yes they are that good.

And yes you will crave them too.