Spice up an Old Sweater

I have a few sweaters that I just don't wear anymore, they are kinda boring and need a little spice. I took a tan one I got from target years ago and thought it would be fun to use some scrap fabric and make fun elbow patches.

This is the tutorial on how to spice up an old sweater with elbow patches

1. All the supplies you will need

~Sewing Machine or Needle & Thread

~Scissors

~Fabric Glue

~Sharpie or Fabric Pen

~Something Oval to trace on the fabric

~Fabric

~Sweater

2. Mark your elbows

~You will want to put on the sweater and make sure it feels comfortable (no twists in the arms, etc) Then you will bend your elbow to the front and mark the tip of your elbow with your Sharpie or fabric pen

3. Trace & Cut Fabric

~Take the object you are going to use for the oval shape and pick what part of the fabric you want to be your elbow patch. (I used one of my Creative Memories cutting system shapes and traced on the back side of the fabric) Now you are going to trace your oval with your Sharpie or fabric pen.

~After tracing the ovals, take the scissors and cut them out

4. Placing your Patches

~ Take your sweater and lay it out.  Now you will take your cut out ovals and place them on your sweater that is laid out flat on the table. Make sure the marks you made are in the middle of the oval.

5. Tac your Patch

~Take your fabric glue and place small amounts of glue in 4 spots or as many spots as you think your patch needs to be held in place. 

Let dry for 10-15 min. Using the fabric glue helps keep the patch in place when you are sewing the patch to your sweater.

6. Sew 

~Now get your sewing machine plugged in and set up to sew. I put my settings on zig zag and used brown thread. (you can also hand stitch your zig zags...your preference)

Finished Product!

Fun & Easy Way to Cover up Soiled Area on Garment

This is my first tutorial EVER on any blog. I'm going to apologize in advance if it's confusing or if I don't have enough pictures or explanation. 

During the Christmas season I had my daughter help me with some crafts and it involved painting. Well the paints weren't washable and I didn't have an apron for her to wear. Needless to say she got paint on her shirt....surprise surprise for a 2 year old LOL ;)

I really like the shirt that she was wearing, so today I decided to make my own applique out of scrap fabric to cover up the paint spots. 

Here is what I am working with:

Here are the supplies I used and you will need to cover up any craft issues on clothing:

-Scissors

-Fabric glue

-Needle

-Thread

-Sharpie or Fabric Pen

-Fabric

-Cookie Cutters

1. Iron and fabric

My scrap fabric was kind wrinkled so I needed to iron it....you might not need to. 

2. Lay out your ironed fabric, take your cookie cutters, pick the area of the fabric you want to make an applique out of and trace the shape of the cookie cutter onto the fabric with either a sharpie or a fabric pen. 

3. After you finish tracing your shapes (I needed to do two different shapes), take your scissors and cut out you appliques.

4. Now place your appliques on the soiled area on the garment.

5. Take your fabric glue and lift the corners of your fabric and put a small amount on your garment. Then gently press your applique down. Repeat this as many times as you need around the applique. This will help to keep the applique in place when you are trying to stitch it on.

6. After letting the fabric glue dry for 10 to 15 min, take your needle and thread and start hand stitching your applique onto your garment. 

Once you have finished stitching, track down your little angel and have them model your creation!!! You'll feel so much better that that cute piece is now wearable again! 

I've Missed You Ladies!!!

For years after our High School graduation my friends and I would have a girls Christmas gift exchange party. That ended quit a few years ago, since most of us moved away or were off with our new families celebrating the cheer. This year was a very pleasant surprise when Jennifer Harman (White) came into town from SC with her husband and new baby girl Hadley. She coordinated a small get together of the girls that could come on the 23rd of December. 

Seth, Kadance and I went, brought some treats and enjoyed the company of most of our old friends and their new families! 

Those past years of our Christmas parties we would do an annual picture and this we couldn't leave with out one. All the girls gathered around while the husbands took the pictures. It was a very comical time...considering every wife was telling their husbands if the flash was going off or "hello, you are holding the camera to hi", "John what are you taking a picture off" Lol it was good times. 

2012 Christmas picture

Inifinity Scarves

During the month of Christmas, I was blessed to get orders for my infinity scarves! I was very busy making the scarves, filling bow orders, baking cookies and getting our Christmas shopping done. Kadance was a big help with it all!!! 

Below I have shared a few of the scarves that I made! 

(Sorry for that I was the model, Seth wouldn't let me take his picture with a girly scarf on ;) lol)

It's a Sugar Cookie kinda Evening

A couple days ago I asked Kadance if she wanted to make and decorate sugar cookies. FYI, we have never made sugar cookies and decorated them together, so she really didn't know what I was talking about. But still in a very excited voice she screamed YAY with a big smile and giggle. 

I got Kadance a chair so she could stand on it and watch while I got all the ingredients out and told her what each one was. She was more interested in how the standing mixer worked, so once we started adding things I showed her how we turn it on/off. 

Kadance loved cleaning the mixer =) Such a big helper!!

Having so much fun cutting out the cookies

ready to go in the oven

This little Gingerbread man got a bite taken out of him by a little girl, even before he was frosted

She had so much fun decorating the cookies

Ashley's Tree

This is in honor of Ashley, who's life was taken WAY to soon!

Every year in December since my sister in law, Ashley Barnett passed away in Oct of 2005, we have went to Forest Lawn and decorated a Christmas tree at her grave site. Some years there's not many of us and other years, like this one, there is a huge huge group! We always have mimosa's, catch up with the ones we haven't seen much of during the year and of course decorate a cute little pink tree.

Merry Christmas!!!

Here are some pictures from this years Christmas tree decorating!

It's Been a Few....

Just a little update!!! It's been a FEEEEEEWWWW =)

Last time I posted I was going to try a detox....The out come of that was not so good. I got through the first day, but that night I got very sick. So, needless to say I did not continue onto day two. I have now just been eating right and started a new phase of P90X (lean). I am finishing up week two and am feeling really good!!!

Halloween:

Kadance was a cute little zebra, I decided last minute to dress up like a witch and Seth said he was either Adam Levine or gangsta LOL (his do rag is in his pocket)
We went to Seth's brother's house and went trick or treating with a huge group of kids and adults...a lot of fun!!!

Thanksgiving:
Through the whole month of November I did the I am Thankful for day challenge on Facebook. Here is my everyday thanks:

I'm grateful for my amazing family!! -day one

I am Thankful for mornings...they are my favorite, that is when I can get up early enough to enjoy them =) - day two

Day 3- I'm thankful for my parents! Everyone has their ups and downs with their parents, but as I get older I appreciate all the ones in my younger years. I realize they were teaching, molding and helping me out of love.

Day 4- I'm thankful for God blessing me with a creative mind

Day 5- while chatting today over text with one of my oldest friends. I decided that what I'm thankful for on day 5 is the true -long friendship that I have with so many of my school days friends! All of us have been through thick and thin together and no matter the distance between us we can pick up right where we left off like it was yesterday!! Most of us met in our pre teens, when AD elementary & Acton elementary combined at High Desert Jr High, others when we were in kindergarten and some I danced with at Dancin' in Acton. I thank God to be blessed with you amazing women in my life! — with Kelly Nielsen Warren.

Day 6- so yesterday I posted about being thankful for all my friends that I have had since grade school. Well today I am thankful for all my friends that I met after school. You ladies have helped me grow and become a strong woman. Many I met when Seth and I started dating, some through beautiful Crystal Dean and others from moving to SD and NYC! I cherish all my girlfriends and am so happy that I have been able to bring the old and new friends together many many times! It's like the Girl Scout song (I was never a Girl Scout lol, but I think the song is appropriate) "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the others gold." I love you all!!!

Day 7- I know it's late in the day, but I am getting what I am thankful for in before mid-night. ;) I am very thankful and blessed to have an absolutely amazing husband!!! I am thankful everyday for Seth!! He's my best friend, wonderful father, loving husband and I am so grateful for how hard he works for our family!!! You mean the world to me, I love you every day my soul mate!! — with Seth Barnett.

Day 8- I am thankful for my health! I know many people out there that are sick and my heart breaks for them and their families. When we are healthy sometimes we take for granted the health we have. I wanted to make sure to thank God for letting me be in good health.

Day9: I'm thankful for reconnecting with family after so many years!!! It's sad we get so busy in our day to day lives that we don't have time to just sit, talk and have dinner. My mom's oldest sister (my aunt) stayed the night at my parent's last night. We had a great time talking before Seth left for work! I'm grateful for those times and hearing the stories! Plus we've recently started seeing my cousin Cathy and her family more!!! it makes me so happy!! Family is everything!!! — with Steve Patterson and 2 others.

Day 10: I am thankful for my in-laws!!! I feel very blessed to have such a loving and caring extended family. I love you all so much! We have so much fun together and for sure have some very memorable adventures =) very lucky to be apart of this family!!! Seth Barnett Adam Barnett Cooper BarnettJamie Barnett Mona Barnett Volk Maddy Barnett Christiane Armendariz Barnett Micky Masters Barnett Michael VolkHadley Million

Day 11: This day is an easy one.... I am thankful for our veteran's!! Thank you for putting your lives on the line for our country! You are so very brave, strong and courageous! Proud to be an American!!! Support our troops!

Day 12: I'm thankful for my little angel! She brightens my day everyday, makes me smile no matter what and teaches me so much! It's funny when I think back to before we had out princess and can't see our lives now without her! I love you Kadance Jane so so much!!!

Day 13: today I'm thankful for disappointment. I know that sounds weird but I feel like with every door closed another opens. On top of that with disappointment you learn from your mistakes and grow from whatever it was that you were disappointed over.

Day 14- I'm thankful for stress. Well I kinda debated if I really was thankful for it lol and came up with one good reason. Stress for me lights a fire under my boota and for that I'm thankful! I get lazy and don't feel the creative juices flowing sometimes. Then stress kicks in and reality hits... I have a deadline... There's my fire. I try and turn a bad feeling into a positive one. Don't get me wrong it sometimes takes awhile to kick into a positive at times...depending on the situation

Day 15 and still a day behind...I'm thankful for forgiveness! We all have the choose to forgive someone when they do something you don't like or hurts you. Sometimes it takes longer to forgive someone and then other times its instant. I like the ones I love to know I forgive them when they have a bad day, when they say things that they really didn't mean or things they did and regret. I like to think I'm a pretty forgiving person.

Day 16- I'm thankful for hot food! Not everyone gets a hot meal everyday, so I am grateful that I can make myself and my family a hot meal on a not so hot day.

Day 17- I'm thankful to have the privilege to stay home and raise our beautiful daughter! It is a blessing and it wouldn't be reality without the support and love of my amazing husband! You worked so hard to get to where you are now and you bust your butt everyday for your family! I'm so proud of you and love you so much Seth! Thank you for letting me stay home to watch and raise our daughter. — with Seth Barnett.

Day 18- I'm thankful for family dinner out! We don't do it very often but when we do its such a treat! I love my family!!!

Day 19- Yesterday I was Thankful for finishing our shopping for Thanksgiving! Even though it wasn't much, I love to get my shopping done early....I try to beat the crowds =) PS I have kick started Christmas shopping already =)

Day 20- I'm thankful for wholesome family oriented friends, that set a great example on how a family should function! Now days there are so many broken homes. It's refreshing to hang out and have lunch with such a great family!!! Xoxo (once again I'm a day behind) thank youJennie Rodriguez and Dustin Rodriguez for having us over for lunch yesterday...we had a great time!!! Sorry Maddy that Kadance tried snagging your Littlest pet shop fish ;-) and thanks for the kitty...she fell asleep with it on the way home :-)

Day21- I'm Thankful for music! I use to dance and I think my favorite was contemporary. There was always a story behind the song/dance we did, you could incorporate your feelings to the moves and really reel in the audience to make them feel how you feel. Also music makes memories. I know some songs remind us of sad times, but for me I try to make that sad memory into a more positive one. By remembering the good times! "Funny how a melody sounds like a memory"

Day 22- on this thanksgiving morning 2012, as I drink my pumpkin spice latte and watch Today. I remember the thanksgiving Seth and I spent in NYC. We both had to work that day at quiksilver, I was there early in the morning withSheena LW and Seth Barnett came in a little later in the morning. On my break I had gone outside and called my parents and Sabrina Jiuliano to wish them a Happy Thanksgivi

ng. As I was talking I remember watching the Macy's day parade go by a street over! Now that parade is pretty amazing! I'm very thankful I had the opportunity to live in NYC with Seth. It really helped me grow, made me stronger person and brought Seth and I so close! (before we lived together in NYC we had a long distance relationship) I guess you could say our love blossomed in the big apple!

Day 23- today I'm thankful for this beautiful day!!! Not everywhere is this nice in November!

Day 24- I was thankful for the rebel Seth decided yo buy like 5 years ago. I now use it a lot and yesterday I took fun Christmas pictures for Chelsea Eikenberg and Scott Eikenberg !

Day 25- today I'm thankful for date nights!!!! Seth Barnettand I love our husband and wife time!!!

Day 26- I'm thankful for girls day brunch! Had a lot of fun with Vanessa Perry Chelsea Eikenberg and Tani Bess yesterday!!!

Day 27-I'm thankful for my Dad!!!! He's always been there for me, my sister, my mom and those that he holds close to his heart! He is always BSing about something and giving someone a hard time...of course joking all the time and you know he liked you if he's picking on you lol!!! Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Day 28- I'm thankful for my sister!!!! Today I went up with my parents to visit Kayla for her birthday! We had a fun day!!! Just too bad it was such a short visit! Kayla and I have for sure had our differences and totally don't see eye to eye on many things, but she is my sister and I always hope the best for her. I love her dearly and realize that as we get older we understand each other more. Happy Birthday Kayla!!!!

Day 29- I am thankful that I talked myself into starting another phase of P90x. I know it will be totally worth it in the end and I have really been wanting to shade the last few baby pounds.

Day 30- On the last day of November, I saved the best for last.....I am thankful for our savior Jesus Christ! I thank God everyday for all he has blessed me and my family with. I know that he is always there to help when we need it and doesn't put too much on your plate that you can't handle....even though there are those days that you feel like your going to go crazy. The saying, God works in mys

terious ways, I totally believe it. I believe we all have a path we're going down and sometimes there are detours along the way. You might not like some of the detours, but usually in the end it makes sense on why you went down that side street. Thank you dear God for my family, husband, daughter, in-laws, friends and the people I run into along the way in my journey through life.

Thanksgiving Day - Kadance at the table with her plate!

We also had our Christmas card pictures taken by my brother in law last Friday! Very simple, but exactly what I wanted for this years card!!! Plus, my very old friend Amy Beaumont of Beaumont Ink is creating our Christmas cards this year!!! I am so excited to see them! Thank you Amy! www.beaumontink.com

This isn't our Christmas card picture, but it is from the shoot!!!