Curb Appeal

We are in our 5th house in 9 years. Yes, we moved a lot. We hope to stay still for a while, this time. Don't quote me on that though! The first three houses we built, so we got exactly what we wanted within our stated price range. #4 was a spec home, so although we didn't choose anything, it was pretty basic and fit our taste quite well. The size however did not, and we moved less than a year later. House #5 is the first one where we bought a "lived in" house. It was only 6 years old when we moved in 6 months ago, so still relatively new. This is the first time that I've really dealt with trying to "fix" other people's taste and turn it into my own, inexpensively. We've slowly been doing interior "easy" projects like paint and shelves. Next up will start the more expensive projects as we move forward.

We are finally nearing spring In the frozen tundra I live in, so I'm daydreaming of giving our exterior a bit more curb appeal.

I'm thinking we'll start with the shutters...easy and inexpensive :) Yet it gives the house a little more "kick". I dream of stone, but after looking at the mock pictures, it isn't doing what I was hoping for...

Next up, landscaping help!

B's Quilt

I finished my latest quilt.  I LOVE sewing quilts...but they take so much time, and cost so much money. I could have bought a Pottery Barn quilt cheaper than this sucker...but I LOVE how it turned out, so I won't dwell on that little fact, or tell the hubby ;)

I'm in love with the colors, and just want to cuddle up with this quilt...oh wait, I did for a few days before transferring it to it's rightful home!

the whole quilt. I went for random spacing of blocks...which in the end made it a little heavy on colors from spot to spot, but I love how random it is.

the back! I have usually gone for one consistent fabric on the back, but I love when the back has a little fun to it too! I used flannel so it's soft and cuddly.

stitch in the ditch...the only quilting method I know. Ignore that some lines are crooked...

B loves her new quilt as much as I do!

Birthday's...

my dear husband and I are not very consistent about getting gifts, we skip a few (birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Valentines, etc), then give a bigger gift, then skip a few, you get the picture! So this year, after begging for several years, I received:

Now to learn how to use it...

Name Change

After taking 2+ years off from selling on Etsy, I've decided to start selling items again. Along with that, I felt it was time to reinvent myself. Names are hard, whether it be for your kid, a store, or whatever else you may be naming. Coming up with "Its Sew For You" took a long time, but I never LOVED it. To jump back in I thought it was necessary to find a name I love.

And so enters

I think it'll be a lot easier to remember, and it has special meaning as it is parts of both of my grandmother's names.

Dollar Store Valentine

I typically don't decorate for Valentine's Day, but at a dollar and a fun project with my preschooler, don't mind if I do!

After I walked away, D added a little touch of her own, as you can see below!

Bacon Ranch Dip

Fabulous, I could eat the whole thing myself...really.

Bacon Ranch Dip
Source: Plain Chicken

Ingredients:

16 oz sour cream
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
3 oz bacon bits (in the bag not jar)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Mix together. Refrigerate 2-4 hours to let flavors mesh together.

Nutrition: 118 calories, in 16 servings

Thrift Store Find

Nothing beats a good find at the Thrift Store! Who can say no to $3? She had been bagging for a dress to play Princess in. This is for a woman and should be knee length, for my sweet D, it's a perfect length! She loves her too small Old Navy cardigan with jewels, so that of course tops it to keep her warm :)