What I Wore Wednesday.....a day early

Happy Tuesday everybody!  We've been experiencing some lovely weather lately, so it was time to pull out the spring clothing!  I personally love all the bright colors right now, and am glad to wear them on an equally sunny day!  Here are my two favorite outfits right now....favorite as in, I wear them allllllll the time:)

 

scarf // DIY

shirt // Charlotte Russe

skirt // Target

sandals // Land's End

pouch // Sand and Starfish

 

 

shirt // Ann Taylor

shorts // Target

shoes // Land's End

pouch // Sand and Starfish

 

Ok, so let's talk.

• Skirts are the most comfortable things in the world.  I didn't realize how stiff jeans feel until I spent the day in this skirt.
• Mint is awesome.  Just saying.
• Neons and neutrals are pretty awesome too.
• I think peplum is the most feminine feeling style ever......EVER.
• Sand and Starfish is amazing.  I use my pouch every single day.  SOmetimes purses just get too bulky, and it's nice to have a cute little clutch!

Alrighty, that's all.  Happy Tuesday everybody!!!

~Kelsey

It's been a while.............

Way too long in fact.  Honestly, I just can't wait for summer when there will be more time for crafting and creating!  BUT - I have been sewing today, and can't wait to show you what I came up with!!!  (hint - one project involves, you guessed it, a vintage sheet!!!!!)  In the mean time, I thought I'd show you what I've been pinning lately!  I hadn't gotten on Pinterest in a few months until I hopped on the other day and realized that I have 600+ followers!!! Needless to say, I was shocked:)  {Are you following me?}  So, without further ado, here you go!

When I was younger, my dad's entire side of the family would go camping every few summers.  One of my favorite memories was opening a little metal mailbox with my name on it and finding carrot cake that my aunt made especially for me.  Ever since then, I've kind of had a thing for carrot cake.  I'm absolutely loving this idea of carrot cake cookies!  And butterscotch chips??? YUM!!!!

Have you been following Crochet 101 going on over at One Artsy Mama?  Well, if you want to learn to crochet, I highly recommend it!  I've seen a few tutorials on how to crochet coffee cozies, but this one was definitely the most clearly written and easiest to follow.  In fact, I made one on Sunday!  I just have to get a cup to make sure my sizing is right before I sew the button on...

Another fun memory (please bear with me as I reminisce): my grandparents used to make pickles that look just like these.  I don't remember if they were canned or just refrigerator, but let me tell you:::they. were. delish.  (Wow.  My mouth just started watering).  In case you don't know, I kind of have a thing for pickles.  Like, some might say I'm addicted.  I was sad when my grandma stopped making them and then we couldn't find the recipe, but I think I'm going to need to give these ones a trysie.


I'm always on the look-out for simple crochet projects that don't say "look! I'm a beginner!!!!  Wanna see the useless 2x2 square I just finished?"  This *paper chain* would be super simple, but is also totally adorable!  And it would last much longer than a real paper chain.

Anyhoo, I'm always looking for more inspiration, so feel free to leave your Pinterest name in the comments and I will come over and stalk you!;)

Until next time (complete with a vintage sheet)
~Kelsey

Note: all credit for photos, recipes, and patterns goes to these bloggers.  I take no credit for their work.  Just trying to spread their awesomeness!!!

Instagram Photo Display

 Hello there!  Kelsey here.  Do you remember me?;)  I'm back today with a new DIY project!  It's been too long..........
Lara came up with this idea a little while back to put all her lovely Instagram pictures up on her wall.  She already had this frame and the twine.  So all she needed to purchase were the mini clothespins ($1.99 at Joann's I think?) and the prints.  And now this super cute display is hanging up in her room!

 

Do you follow us on Instagram? Lara is @ladylarza and I (Kelsey) am @fancythatnotion.  I'd love to follow you back as well!

Hope you're having a lovely Wednesday!!!

~Kelsey

Linking up to:

Mom on Timeout
We Like To Learn As We Go
The Dedicated House
733 Blog
Beyond the Picket Fence
The Taylor House
Chocolate, Chocolate, and More
I Gotta Create
Fireflies and Jellybeans
The Shabby Creek Cottage





Guest Post: Spring Chick

Today we've got another guest post for you!  Even though Easter is over, there is still so much spring to be had!  And this little chick will brighten up any room:)  As always, feel free to send pictures if you crochet this!

 

Cute Little Chick

an amigurumi design by Nerdybirdycrochet

 

 

Supplies:

~G hook

~Worsted weight yarn in any two colors (I used Red heart super saver. Rough on the hands but they

have a nice selection of plain colors...)

~Small scrap of black yarn or embroidery floss

~oh, and some stuffing, but you probably had that figured out already:)

Abbreviations:

~sc..........single crochet

~inc........two single crochets in the same stitch

~st..........stitch/stitches

~ch.........chain

~dec.......either a sc2tog, or an invisible decrease, whichever you prefer.

~dc.........double crochet

Notes:

~This is worked in the round as a spiral.

~It uses the magic circle technique.

~ Stitch count only matters up to the eighth round. From round 9 and on it doesn't really matter:)

Pattern:

Head/body (make one):

R1: In magic circle, do six sc.

R2: Now, close that magic circle! Now, without turning, inc around. Yay, you've got 12 st around.

R3: Now, you've got to remember this sequence: *Inc in next st, sc the next st after that.* Go around

the whole round with that sequence and you should end up with 18 st.

R4:*Inc in next st, sc in each of next two st after that* around. You should end with 24 st! :)

R5-7: Just straight sc'ing. No fancy sequences to remember! Just keep crocheting.

Uh-oh...I see your circle slowly flipping itself inside out...quick! Change it to the right side out! Oh,

confused, are you? ...Never fear, here's a really, really handy linky:

http://www.planetjune.com/blog/which-is-the-right-side/

R8: Some decreasing coming right up...*1 dec, sc in each of next two st after that* All the way around.

You should now have 18 st!

R9: sc in the next eleven stitches, then inc in each of the rest of the st. You should have 25 st around.

R10: sc in the next 12 st, and and inc in the rest. You *should* have 38 st here. If not it doesn't matter:)

Woah- before we move on, take some stuffing and stuff your little piece to death.

R11-13:sc around!

R14: 6 dec, then sc the rest of the way around.

R15: sc around

R16: sc first st, 4 dec, then sc the rest of the way around.

R17: sc about 12 or 13 st to where the little tail will be. Pinch off approx. 6 st and sc them together, like this:

See what I did there? I stuck my hook into TWO stitches! Now what I did was sc each of the next few st, except stick your hook into two layers, as shown, until you get to the end.

Then turn and slip stitch back across what you just did. (approx. 3 slip stitches. No ch 1 needed.)

Now continue going around like you just took a detour and

R18: Just dec until you have a small hole about 5 to 7 st around, cut your yarn, and close the hole with the tail you left.

Good job!!!!! You've just completed the head/body!

Now we move onto the wings....

Wings (make two):

Using main color.

In Magic Loop, do one sc, 2 dc, and one more sc. Close Magic Loop.

R2: ch 2, and turn. Dc into first st, then two dc in all the rest. Cut yarn leaving a tail long enough for sewing.

Yay, that was easy! One more thing- the feet.

Feet(make two):

With contrasting color, ch 6

R1: sk first two ch from hook, sc next ch and all the rest of the ch in this row.

R2: ch1, turn. Sc next 3 st, ch3, and turn.

R3: sk first two ch from hook, sc the third ch and the rest of the row.

R4-5: repeat rows 2+3.

break off, leaving tail long enough for sewing.

Assembly

Sewing the parts:

Refer to photos for wing and feet placement. Weave in unnecessary ends when finished.

 

Ok.. hopefully you figured out that the little pointy tip you made by sc two layers of crochet together, is the tail. The smaller rounded end is the head.

So do you see how it's supposed to be, now?  Good! :D soon comes the facial embroidery.

Embroidering the facial features:

With a scrap of black yarn embroider a simple V-shape for the eyes.

Cut a small diamond with felt and sew it on the bird.

Done!

 

I really hope you enjoyed making this! I know I did!

Please comment on ravelry if my instructions were unclear.

All photos and pattern copyright (c) Nerdybirdycrochet. You may sell items made from this pattern if you wish, but not the pattern itself. Thank you.

So I've been MIA for a while

And I feel kind of horrible.  I've been sick on the couch for about a week and a half, and it's been no fun at all!  But now I'm back in the land of the living, as my family says;)  So hopefully there will be some new posts up this week!  A guest post with a crochet pattern, and some happy mail that I received this week!

A Few of my Favorite Things: Baby shoes

Who doesn't love baby toes?  I mean, seriously, they are like the cutest thing ever!  But sometimes, necessity requires them to be covered up.  So how about some cute shoe inspiration???:)

I love the fabric mix that Megan @ Homemade Ginger used on these adorable shoes.  She used a pattern from Homespun Threads.

 

 Ok, so technically the creator behind Grosgrain Fabulous didn't make the shoes, but she did create the adorable flower clips!

Jess @ If Only They Would Nap made these little shoesies out of felted wool.  They look so comfy!

Kimono-inspired shoes: so original!  I never would've thought of this combination, Aimee @ Home Spun Threads sure pulled it off nicely!

The Mila shoes.   Oh the ruffles.  And the stripes!  (Is it just me, or does it look like those ruffles were once a button-up dress shirt?) Laura @ The Fleeting Thing has got it right when it comes to baby shoes;)

 Do you follow Shwin&Shwin?  If you don't, this post can wait.  Head over and follow!

Alright, now that you're back from drooling over her creations, check out these adorable shoes!  One of the many things that she can do well is mix patterns.  I love the boldness of the main fabric against the blank slate of denim.

Ashley @ Make It and Love It said it right: these shoes are irresistible.  Orange and blue (one of my favorite color combinations), ruffles, ahhhhhhhhh.
 



Switch to Bloglovin'

Have you heard the news?  It looks like GFC is ending in July.  I think most people follow this way, so this could be kind of drastic!  But thankfully, we have Bloglovin'.  You can create an account and they will send you an e-mail everyday with the latest posts from the blogs that you follow.  Easy enough right?  And it also looks like they have a way to switch all you GFC blogs over to make this process even easier:)  Also, if you don't already, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.  I'd love to follow you back as well!

Thrift Shopping Tips

Today I broke through a barrier that has lasted long enough: I went shopping at a Goodwill Outlet (I know, I'm one of those weird people that LOVES to see how much stuff I can get for just a few buckaroos;).  Ever since I was young, I have just straight-up avoided Goodwill.  The smells, the feels.....I'm one of those people who washes my hands after touching carts and coins........every time.  But today I made the long-awaited trip to the GW Outlet.  And yes, I mean digging through piles of random clothing for two hours, pulling out some awesome finds along with half of an ancient "Hulk" costume and 21 random socks.  But it was totally worth it.  Wanna see?  Ok, you convinced me;)
[Sorry, just grabbed some Instagram pics for this post]

This pile of lovelies is going to be turned into pacifier clips, a sundress, and whatever else I can come up with!:)  I found all these prints in the form of 3 pillow cases, 1 sheet, 1 shirt, 2 table runners, and 1 random remnant.  There is also a men's t-shirt that I didn't get in this pic.  I'll be using it for baby hats:)

Also found these three lovely sweaters and a pink skirt to welcome spring!!!

 

Although I'm not exactly a seasoned expert at thrift shopping, I thought it might be helpful to share some tips for others who are new too!:)

 

{Some of these are "outlet" specific, but all just general guidelines that are helpful to follow:) }

1. Bring gloves and hand sanitizer.  If you are going to an outlet, you will definitely want gloves.  Some people use regular thin cold-weather gloves.  I grabbed some latex because we had some on hand.  Also, bring hand sanitizer for afterwards:)
2. Have some ideas of refashions or projects that you want to make.  If you are a crafter, I'm sure you've seen plenty of clothing refashion ideas out there.  It is nice to just have these stored in the back of your mind to give you ideas as you are digging.  If you need some inspiration, check out my thrifting board on Pinterest.
3. Notice prints and patterns.  I think every shopper's tendency is to find clothes that are the perfect fit and exactly what you are looking for.  Not so for thrifters.  If you see a shirt that is mens XXXL, but has an awesome pattern, grab it!  Believe me, for $0.25, you can afford the time to find an easy tutorial and turn it into your new favorite staple!  Also, if you are grabbing a big tablecloth so that you can make pacificer clips, a few stains aren't going to hurt anybody.
4. Dress comfortably.  Don't worry.  This isn't like Target, where you have to dress nicely just to shop;)  Nobody cares what you look like, and you probably won't either.  Just dress comfortably!  A t-shirt and jeans, an old sweatshirt, whatever suits you best.  And most importantly, WEAR GOOD SHOES!!!!  You will be standing for however long you want to be digging, so make sure that pain doesn't keep you from grabbing some more awesome deals!
5. Notice care instructions.  It is enough of a pain to buy a brand-new shirt that has to be dry-cleaned.  Even worse when you get it second-hand.  If you find a stain, you can't just scrub it clean, or cut up into some project that has been floating in the back of your mind.  Although you will only lose a gumball's worth of money on an article of clothing, it would be sad to think you've got an awesome shirt only to have to send it back out to Goodwill.

I would love to hear your stories of succes and failure while thrift shopping!:)

~Kelsey

 

A Few of My Favorite Things: Bedroom Inspiration

Ok, so today's round-up isn't directly inspired off of one craft or product, just a general idea: my bedroom.  These are a bunch of projects that I hope to one day have displayed on my walls.  But until then, enjoy them in this post:)



Ok, so I've always wanted a hanging canopy in my room.  Just never happened.  But this idea is brilliant!  Lowe's just used a hanging flower pot for the top!  So simple, I really can't resist doing this:)

 

How about this pinwheel wall?  So cute!  Kelly @ View Along the Way created this as a guest post for the Frugal Girls......how perfect for her little girl's nursery!

As a crafter, I'm always looking for more ways to store.....er I mean display........my projects in a cute way.  These drawer shelves are perfect!

Ok, so this ruffled bean bag isn't exactly a DIY........yet.  Maybe one day I'll figure out how to do this.  Perfect for a little reading in the corner of my room.

 

Anyone who has talked bedrooms with me knows how I'm loving string art.  Seriously, so many new twists that every wall is begging for this.

 

Book shelves......taken to a newer meaning.  Antique stores are calling my name.

 

If this is not enough inspiration for you, I suggest that you take a look at my "Dream Bedroom" board on Pinterest:)

 

~Kelsey

 

Modern Day Snow White Outfit

What girl doesn't dream of dressing up like a princess and twirling around in a beautiful gown? And what grown-up girl doesn't love watching the Disney princess movies, secretly wishing it was socially acceptable at her age to twirl around again in an outfit pulled out of the dress-up box?

When Kelsey learned that Stephanie was planning a trip to Disneyland, she quickly decided to help outfit her appropriately for the occasion!

This modern-day Snow White outfit brings maturity to meet the day-dreaming little girl in all of us in a way that is fresh and fun! Yellow skinny jeans coupled with a royal blue t-shirt that sports red ruffles on the sleeves. Black TOMS on your feet and a necklace that incorporates apple seeds- a nod to the movie. Complete the outfit with our featured Snow White Headband. Put a tiny crocheted gnome in your pocket and spice things up by grabbing a granny smith apple for photo ops!

 We hope you enjoy this design, and are spurred on to think of ways to incorporate other Disney princesses into modern fashions!


Disneyland... the only place you can take a picture in front of a castle and end up with pink-mustached women behind you!

 

I'm linking up to here:

Blackberry Vine

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Home Stories A to Z

The Winthrop Chronicles

The Housewives of Riverton

The 36th Avenue

Somewhat Simple

I Gotta Create

Five Little Chefs

The Train to Crazy

Fireflies and Jelly Beans

A Glimpse Inside

Mom on Timeout

The Shabby Creek Cottage

The Shabby Nest

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Truly Lovely

My Simple Home Life

504 Main

Flamingo Toes

Go check out their blogs!