Bedtime Fun!

Sometimes I think back to before we had Abigail and wonder what I did with all my time at night.  I'm sure Mike and I watched more television and read a few more books, but I would still trade every novel for a little story time and a bath with Abigail. Of course, I love my alone time with Mike after Abigail is fast asleep, but it's funny how we find ourselves laughing and talking about our baby girl and all the funny things she does during the day! 

Abigail loves bath time!  This was a post I did on her very first bath and from that day on, this little smile has gotten bigger and bigger! I am so excited to take her to the pool this summer because I think she will love splashing around and pouring things over her head. Sometimes she even tries to stick her face in the bath water!

After her bath, Mike and I usually fight over who will get to read her a story.  I usually win that one!  But every so often, I try to let him enjoy this sweet time at night with her too.  Here are a few pictures I got recently of Abigail with her daddy.  She loves this book!

I am so very thankful that my husband is so involved with his baby girl.  He is right there for every bath and bedtime routine.  Abigail is one lucky lady!

My latest project! {Abigail's Bow Holder}

I totally used to be one of those people that thought it was a little strange to take pictures of what you are working on as you go, but I now REALLY appreciate all the bloggers that explain to me step by step how to make something cute and not spend a lot of money.  That being said, I thought I would share how I learned to make a Tutu Bow Holder for Abigail!  

I had my eye on the cutest bow holder at Once Upon a Child and I would stare at it each time I went in the store, but it was $35.00 and I couldn't justify spending that much on one, so I decided to search Pinterest for a way to make my own.  It turns out they are really inexpensive and easy to make so I thought I would share what I learned!

This is what you will need:

~cardboard box
~batting material
~scissors
~glue gun
~ribbon 
~fabric
~tulle

First, you want to make your bodice.  The easiest way to do this is fold a piece of paper in half and draw the shape you want and cut it out.  That will give you a symmetrical shape.  

Now you can use this cut out to trace the shape onto your cardboard and cut that out.  I used an old box that Abigail's baby gate came in. 

Then, you will cut out your batting material and glue that to your cardboard like this. 

Next, you cut your fabric to fit your bodice leaving a little extra material around the sides.  Cut small slits in the fabric being careful not to get too close to the cardboard, and then pull the material around to the back and glue it down.  You will want to start with the middle first and then the shoulders.  Leave the top and bottom for last so you can pull out any wrinkles and get a smooth fit.  

To make your skirt, you will need to decide how long you want it to be and then make several bundles of tulle.  I read a blog that mentioned buying a bolt of tulle but I didn't have that so I used what I had and wrapped it around an old chalkboard and then cut it at one end.  The idea is to have several layers of tulle and then tie it off at the end you didn't cut.  I also used twine that I had because it was smaller than my ribbon and easier to get a good knot.  Once you have made all your bundles you can line then up and get an even cut at the bottom. 

Once you have finished making your bundles, glue them to your bodice starting with the outer two, then the middle, then the rest.  

Next, cut the ribbon you will use to hang your bows the length of your skirt and glue each one near the top of the bundles.  I chose three pieces of ribbon for this one.  

To make your waistband, cut 2 pieces of ribbon in a different pattern to place over your bundles and to hide the top of the ribbons and glue that down.  Then cut one more piece of ribbon to lay on top and cover your seam.  

Now, you can add any embellishments, flowers, ribbons, etc.  I wanted a simple one, but there are lots of cute ideas to dress these up!  Last, you will glue a piece of ribbon at the top so you can hang your bow holder and voila!  You are finished!

This was a super fun little project and only took about 2 hours to make.  Mine is definitely not perfect but it was fun to make and I love having somewhere cute to hang all of Abigail's cute hair bows! 

DIY Growth Chart

If you haven't noticed already, I am a tad sentimental and I love to document all the sweet milestones and memories of my little family.  So, when I came across a board on Pinterest explaining how to make your own Pottery Barn inspired growth chart, I had to give it a shot! 

I am so happy that I did a little research on how to make my own because most ETSY shops sell these boards for around $80.00.  Here is a list of what you will need and if you already have a few of the items at home, you can make a growth chart for under $10.00!  That's my kind of project. 

~ 6ft x 9in board 
~ wood stain 
~ Minwax Polyurethane ( or wood wax)
~ Sandpaper
~ Sharpie pen
~ Paint Marker
~ Printable Stencils
~ measuring tape

Directions: 

First, Pick out your wood.  I thought it would be fun to pick out an aged piece of wood somewhere cool, but instead I sent Mike down to the Home Depot for a pre-cut board the size I needed for $8.00. Check! 

Next, I sanded the plank down with a piece of sand paper to make sure it was smooth and applied wood stain.  We had some left over stain, so I used what we had, but I think it would be fun to pick out an even darker stain and distress the wood a bit more! The hardest part of this little project was waiting for the stain to dry so I could go to the next step.  Apparently, it does not dry faster if you stare at it...

I didn't have number stencils so I just printed numbers from my computer in a Century font size 200-300.  Next, I marked along my board using a sharpie at every foot, half foot, and quarter foot.  I made my first foot marking 6 inches from the bottom of the board so that I could hang my board 6 inches from the floor and it would be accurate.  This also allowed me to have symmetry at the top and bottom of the board.  

For the foot mark, I made my line 3" long, the half foot mark 2" long, and the quarter mark 1" long. 

If you don't have stencils, I definitely recommend printing out numbers and using a sharpie pen.  This was really easy and saved me a little money.  I lined my numbers up where I wanted them on my board and then traced over the number with a sharpie pen.  It will leave enough ink on the board for you to fill it in with your paint marker.  

Okay, now for the big secret.  I read a few blogs that mentioned using sharpies to fill in the numbers.  Others recommended painting with stencils...  After running through 3 sharpies, I got a little smarter and went to Hobby Lobby!  This is the most amazing paint marker and made this project a breeze.  

After making all my marks and numbers, I let the board hang out in the garage again over night so it could dry really well and then I applied my Minwax Polyurethane.  

I am really pleased with how my growth chart turned out!  I love that I will be able to document Abigail's growth each year and in the event that we move, I can take it with me.  It's also a pretty fun and unique decoration for our home. Here's my finished project!