craft-lifter

I think it's safe to say that I have absolutely ZERO creativity. Well, creativity as in "thinking stuff up," not necessarily "the ability to create." I can copy, I just can't think anything up for myself. I'm a craft-lifter.

I started the pinkadink because I ordered a bow from someone else, and decided I could do it myself. I sort of have the idea in my head that I can make anything, which is why one of my next projects will be a shelving unit. we'll see how it actually turns out, but I'm gonna make it I am!

I just love making stuff! and I especially love making gifts. Even though it seems a little backward, I feel like if the person who gets the gift doesn't really like it and throws it away eventually, I prefer that they throw my homemade gift away as opposed to a gift that I went out to the store to buy for them. It seems weird, since a lot of time and work goes into making homemade gifts. But I think it's because usually I can create things for cheaper than if I buy them premade. So then I don't feel like I'm wasting AS MUCH money on a gift if it gets thrown away.

anyway...

Just thought I'd share a few pictures of the stuff I've been making lately....

For Christmas I made these towels for my niece and nephews. and then pulled a bonehead move and wrapped the boys' and put the WRONG names on them! ugh... so anyway, I got the idea because Steve's great aunt made something very similar for my kids when they were babies, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that it's not a "baby towel" that is way too small after like 6 months. so I craftlifted her idea and made some!



And then, since I loved making them so much I also made one for the little guy I do daycare for, and also for the baby shower that I have this weekend. Baby Nate's gift is from me and my neighbor, so I thought we could add a couple more items to make it a more substantial gift.


When my niece Hazel was born, she got a bunch of really great bibs as a gift. I have always wanted to try to make them myself. Well, then my sisters' friends (and my friends too) :) started a business and one of their products is the same type of bib! I had just ordered a couple from 'the dotted duck' and since I have loved them after only a few weeks, I thought that'd be a great addition. I almost made my own bibs for Brielle since she feeds herself now, but decided to support my friends' business because it's awesome and because they always support mine! :) So I got two from them, but wanted to just make a couple on my own to match the towel for the gift. SO, here's the gift for "baby nate." (and if you don't have a sewing machine or the desire to make these wonderful bibs, check out www.thedottedduck.com and order some because they are awesome. except they don't have initials on them. but they might do it if you ask them to!)





Another little project I've had the itch to try is sewing dresses. Lots of people have approached me about adding other items to the pinkadink, but I just haven't really been ready for it. In my head I thought about adding dresses like this down the line, but I was just trying to make sure that I had really good products with what I was already doing, and trying to survive the fall. But who knows, a partnership of sorts may develop some time in the future, but I can't really say too much about that until I talk to a certain someone again. :) But now that I've had way more time trapped in this house by sickness or weather than I EVER imagined, I've been NEEDING something to kind of help me escape the feeling of "stuckness." So tonight I made a couple dresses. Here's one for Lillian.







It's called a pillowcase dress, because they are super easy to make with a pillowcase. But if you don't have a pillowcase you want to use, you can just use fabric. These are all over etsy, and I tried to find a good tutorial online, but never really found a good one. I knew the basic make-up of the dress, and just started going. I made a few major mistakes, but learned my lesson for next time. And as long as you don't look too closely, it looks pretty cute!

Lillian, however, doesn't like it. She thinks it looks like an apron, and kept saying to me, "mom, are you gonna make it cuter? did you mess up? it looks weird." I happen to think it's super cute with a longsleeve shirt underneath it for winter, and just as a sun dress for summer. If she still doesn't like it after a few days, then I guess I already have Hannah's birthday gift ready for April. :)

I also have been wanting to try a "cora dress" since I heard the story about the McLenahans. We heard her sotry and began praying for Cora last year because some of her extended family attended our church. They have an amazing but difficult story of losing their daughter and still giving God glory through it all. They also wanted to honor her life by building a playground at their church in her memory, and created an etsy shop to help raise money for it. Cora's mom (Jess) and her grandma are very talented, and make all sorts of adorable stuff that sells out within hours of putting it up for sale. the cora dresses are my favorite. So I decided to make one tonight for Hazel, who's turning one soon. She'll also be getting a pillowcase dress, but since i wanted to try this anyway, she gets both! :) (don't tell her, okay maria???)

I spent the time making this dress tonight in prayer for Joel and Jess and their brand new baby boy and all the changes and challenges they must be going through right now. And also making sure to thank God for my beautiful healthy children. So Hazel, when you wear this, your mommy can remember to be thankful that you are a perfectly healthy little girl too.





I have discovered a new love in my life with this sewing stuff. I think the reason I love it most is because it makes me feel so connected to my mom, which is hard to do as more and more time passes. I find myself thinking that I have to remember to ask her about 'such and such' and then suddenly realizing I can't. But it's a good feeling. I like it when I feel like it hasn't been forever. Like she hasn't missed out on so much of life. Like she's sitting right beside me. My very first sewing experience was the coolest. But since then I haven't felt THAT connected, but I
HAVE noticed myself holding my mouth the exact same way she did when she sewed. Or swearing (and I'm not a swearer) when I totally mess up like she did (and she wasn't a swearer either). :) It's just little things, but it's part of why I love it. So even if I never get good enough to add it all to the pinkadink, it's at least something that I love doing more and more every day. you all should consider buying yourself a sewing machine. :)