we're moving

karl and i have bought a house here in moscow and plan to move in the 30th of this month. i can't wait to get out of this little condo where i can paint and renovate. we've waited to announce it because there are a lot of hurdles to get through the first 5 weeks or so. but at this point we're past anything going wrong so we can safely say it's ours!

we will be getting the first home buyers credit of $8000 and most of it's going to new furniture and updates throughout the house. the pictures below are from a few different places online that i've collected since our offer was accepted. these are where i drew inspiration for some of my plans and hope to recreate a little something like it in our new, to us, home.

the entry way will have one of these shoe cabinets from ikea to provide clutter control and give a little shoe storage.

our kitchen will eventually get new counter tops and cabinet doors similar to these above. the current cabinetry in the kitchen is from the 90's. not terrible but in need of an update.

the house has 3 bedrooms; one being sort of small, leaving not a lot of room for an office. i don't want it out in the open so i'll be looking for something similar to this beautiful desk to hide our computer.

i hope to recreate our master bedroom to look something like this. a little romantic yet still neutral so i can easily change the look with bold color and accessories.

the house is 1200 sq ft so i still have to be creative with storage and space. karl and i both want a library but it will have to be in the living room. there's a small nook in the main room where we can do something like this. it's cozy and inviting with a little light and comfy couch i hope to be reading a lot more than i do now.

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knit kiwi bird

i just knit my favorite project yet. a kiwi bird for my little buddy, masaru, who turned 5 on tuesday. after finishing the baby bootees i went in search of a new project, the best places being ravelry and etsy. i came across this free pattern on etsy and fell in love.

from start to finish was probably 9 hours and i loved every minute. more than likely i will not duplicate it for anyone else because it was a perfect bird for a kiwi kid. masaru's mother, melissa, is a good friend of mine. she's an awesome sunday school teacher and has two of my favorite qualities; strong testimony and a super cool, new zealand accent. she and her family are moving in a few months and i'm happy to have left her kiddo with one of my favorite knitting projects. i'll miss you guys.

baby bootees

this is the first pair of baby bootees i've knit. i made them earlier this week for my friend michelle who's having a baby in a few weeks. they looked so easy in the book, but i'll admit, they were a bit tricky, but only at first. before starting i spent an hour watching videos and tutorials on the internet so feel free to take in a little professional help. ravelry.com can also be very helpful, you do have to create a log in. very worth it, the site is full of awesome free patterns. yes, free patterns.

they take anywhere from 2-4 hours to make which isn't bad. they are a perfect gift for those expecting and very cute on little newborn feet, i imagine. as far as beginning knitters i think this would be a good challenge. you learn to read patterns and also a few new techniques. give it a try, the name of the book is at the bottom of this post.

i hope you like them michelle and congratulations on baby girl number two!

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this is the book i have that has the pattern and many more cute things to knit.

a quick dress alteration

i bought an awesome dress a month ago at a great new shopping place in town, the storm cellar. i bought because it fit me well and the older style interested me. after buying it i showed my friend katelyn and asked what she thought of it. right away she said, you have to take off those long pockets in the front, they make your boobs look saggy. i agreed and that was the first change i made just using a seam ripper.

here is the before shot on my new sewing mannequin. my friend told me about it being on clearance at joann's, originally $200, i got it for $25 because the height adjustment was broken.

close up of the pockets, they're actually seven and a half inches long.

here it is pocketless, a very easy and quick change.

next i shortened the sleeves to a little above my elbows. making the sleeves shorter was the trickiest part. i had to make sure they were even and not too tight.

i took the cut off length, measured my biceps and machine sewed two new sleeves.

here it is all finished. i can't wait to wear it.

girly purse

we went to california to spend christmas with my family this year. before leaving i made a purse for my niece mckinsey. i haven't posted until now because i forgot to take a picture of the finished product before wrapping it and giving it to kinsey. anyway, my sister just emailed me pictures and now you can see how easy it is to make.

for easy step by step instructions and items you'll need, go here. purlbee had the original idea, i made my own variation due to a budget.

isn't she cute?

it needed a little frill so i added a fabric flower, which was just as quick and easy as the purse itself. here is the flower pattern i used.

total cost for everything, under $5.00

toddler necktie

i'm a bit picky when it comes to some things, toddler ties are one of those things. i had been looking for a black tie to go with williams new black church shoes but had no luck. until my friend jenny emailed me this tutorial a few weeks ago i was settled on never finding a cute black tie. after reading it i was anxious to make one. i found my tie at the storm cellar for $4.00.

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i didn't follow the directions exactly because i wanted to made a real tie that actually tied like a big boy tie does.

my first attempt at it didn't work too well. i begged karl to try and tie it to fit william. he managed to get it around his neck but the knot was so thick, the tie stuck out and the shorter tail was really short.

here it is on him. notice the larger than normal size knot? i knew it was a little off but i really wanted him to wear it once before giving the tie a rework.

in-between steps

the second and better attempt at his tie.

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horizontal view in case you were wondering what it might look like ; )

girls dress from women's shirt

i bought this shirt last week from goodwill for $1.99 thinking it would make a perfect girls dress. so tonight i pulled it out and did my first clothing refashion in an hour and a half.

i measured, pinned and cut off about 3 inches on both sides of the shirt. also took of the shoulder straps.

here it is with the sides sewn up.

i took the excess fabric that was cut off the shirt to make thicker straps.

here is the finished product.

i brought it to katelyn's place to see if it would fit lauryn. she thinks it may work for brooklyn. if not her than another cute kiddo may sport it for a little while cause i'm anxious to see it on someone soon.

fun, easy and cheap project. just keep your eye out for shirts, either mens or women's, that can be cut smaller to make a shirt or dress. next i would like to refashion something for william.