Top 12 Posts of 2013.

The top 12 most popular posts from this year.

I’m tired. The Littlest Bear hasn’t been sleeping well lately. I know it’ll pass, but I’m feeling a little zombie-like. I wanted to round up the most popular posts from the year.

12.  DIY Couch Pillows (this is my favorite project!)

Packaging Update for Flower Headbands

I love making flower headbands. I’ve come up with a new way to package them. I think they look a lot neater this way.
My headbands are available at this lovely boutique and also by custom order (monkeyseemail@gmail.com). Headbands feature felt flowers, crocheted flowers, and fabric flowers.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading my blog.

The Christmas Card I Should Have Sent…

I had great ideas about Christmas cards this year. We actually purchased a new camera so we could take better pictures. And the pictures are better. But the poses...and the photographer...still the same!

I've gotten so many beautiful cards from friends this year that I couldn't help considering bucking the tradition of sending the prettiest, perfectly styled family and send the funniest card.



Nothing says ‘Merry Christmas’ like a scrunched up newborn face and two less-than-enthusiastic kids.

I actually had a whole list of outtakes from attempted Christmas photo shoots to share, but I decided they might embarrass all my boys someday. (So I'll just share them with relatives instead!)

I still don’t have my [actual] cards. Maybe after Christmas I'll get them sent out.

I guess I should have started earlier. But this is the card I thought I should have sent. Maybe I'll write a Christmas letter that I should have sent and share it here, too.

Pumpkin Pie Filling Muffins

I bought two large cans of pumpkin pie filling around Thanksgiving. I was supposed to buy plain canned pumpkin. Oops. I decided to find a pumpkin muffin recipe to make using the filling.
I couldn’t find one that called for pumpkin pie filling. They all required plain canned pumpkin. So I had to adapt a recipe to use the pumpkin pie filling.

Maybe you bought the wrong canned pumpkin product, too? Try these muffins. They’re really good.

DIY Fold Over Elastic Hair Ties

I wanted to make a simple gift for some friends and both of my sisters-in-law. I have had some fold over elastic in my stash of craft and sewing supplies for awhile and it has not been easy to sew with (I’ve had several project FAILS!) But I just love the stuff and wanted to use it for something…so I decided to use it for simple hair ties.

Etsy Shop Update!

I've finally updated my Etsy shop.
I'll have a few new bags to list in the spring, but this winter will primarily feature crocheted hats.

I'm busy right now but I have started taking custom orders again!
Email me at monkeyseemail@gmail.com if you see a style you'd like to request.

CSA Mystery Vegetable Answer.

Did you see my post on our CSA experience yesterday?

What is this?



Well, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.

The Cons of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

We joined a CSA this year.

Have you heard of a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It means you pay money to a farm at the beginning of a growing season and each week you receive produce (your share) from that farm and/or surrounding farms.

I liked the idea of getting locally grown, in-season food. I thought it would be fun to try new recipes and new vegetables. The quality of vegetables and fruits was great.

However. It was not cheap. So I didn’t want any of it to go to waste.

But some of it did. There are apparently some foods I just don’t like. In fact, no one in our family likes them.
Case in point: Beets.

I tried cooking them numerous ways. The final way was trying to make ‘beet fries’. I won’t even bother linking to a recipe so you can try it. They just are not worth making. I ate some of them. But they did not taste like fries.

Even More Crocheted Hats!

Here’s a peek at what I’ve been making lately…


I’m taking custom orders for hats again. See the gallery of hats in my shop.

How Alarm Clocks are Ruining my Sleep

Something ridiculous that happened at our house last week. At least twice.

Our two-year old, aka "The Middle Bear", has an alarm clock in his room. My husband Greg and I like it there since we often want to know the time.

The Middle Bear likes to play with it. In fact, he often (inadvertently) sets the alarm.

Well, as you probably know, alarm clocks default to midnight (12:00 am) as the alarm setting. And of course, this one was set to the default setting.

Hoo-Hoo…More Owls

Here are two more owl hats I completed last week. Custom orders have kept  me busy the past few weeks.

The *Six* Love Languages

Have you heard of the five love languages? If not, Google it.

Maybe you have even read the book about the love languages?  My husband and I talked about them before we got married. It seems like a standard pre-marriage counseling topic.

You’re supposed to identify one or two of them that speak of your personality…as in how your spouse can love you best.

But you know what? I love all of them. I love to be loved through each and every single one: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. I can’t identify which makes me feel the most loved!

Skinny Jeans: They're Not for Everyone.

I think I’m one of the only women my age not wearing skinny jeans. When they were first popular (five years ago?) only the junior high girls in the youth group at our church wore them. And I was a pharma rep then. Skinny jeans wouldn’t have been appropriate work attire.

Then I was pregnant. Skinny jeans wouldn’t have fit. And they [probably] didn’t sell any maternity skinny jeans in my price range.

New Owl Hats.

I made my middle and youngest boys owl hats.



The smaller hat is my favorite color. Ever.

They get lots of compliments on them! I’ve been doing quite a few custom owl hats lately.
To request a custom order for your own owl hat, email me at monkeyseemail@gmail.com!

Reasons Why My Husband is the Greatest

Even though I haven't been crafting much (I've been busy with a few custom crocheted hat orders), I still want to share at least some of my life via this blog.

About two weeks ago, my husband called to say he was going to be late coming home from work (I appreciate when he calls with that information, that way I don’t spend the next half hour debating with our two-year old if that was Daddy coming in the garage or a big truck going past…)

….but he also told me he would now be required to work mandatory overtime (50 hours per week plus every other Saturday at the office from 9-3.) And he works 30-35 minutes from our home, so that means he has travel time on Saturdays, too.

(And bear with me, I realize this isn't that much and that lots of people work on Saturdays. And also please understand he already works from home most Saturdays.)

My reaction? As I sat holding my baby during normal evening fussy time, amid a living room strewn with various toys, I cried. 

Keep in mind, post-partum hormones may have contributed to this less-than-stellar reaction…along with lack of sleep.

Household Management Strategies.

What have I been doing lately to better manage our household?
(and when I say "manage our household" I mean get everything done and enjoy life during this adjustment to three boys....)

-To save a few minutes of laundry time, I’ve been washing all the towels and then just hanging them back up. No need to bother with folding and trying to put them away.

Crocheted Minion Hat

I said I wasn’t going to take any custom orders, but an old friend contacted me the week before we had this little guy and asked if I could make a “Minion Hat”. It’s from a movie, I haven’t seen it, probably won’t see it, but this is the hat. She sent me a picture of what she wanted.



I haven’t made anything else lately *sigh* but am working on a few other custom hats I said I’d make for a this store.

What I’m reading lately.

I haven’t cooked more than two nights in the past three weeks. And by cooked, I mean ‘coordinated dinner’.  From the freezer or maybe made a salad.

It’s great. But no recipes to recommend at the moment. I haven’t made any food.

I said I wouldn’t take any custom crochet orders for awhile. Well, I had some requests and took a few. So I’m trying to finish them. But it’s hard to crochet when you’re holding your newborn in one arm and playing football with the other (mommy of three boys now.)

And it’s hard to sew when you’re either outside overseeing some ‘landscaping improvements’ the older boys are making to the driveway or finding their work gloves that they can’t find. Also when it takes two hours to put the newborn to bed every night. And that’s past my new bedtime.

But I wouldn’t really want it any other way. I don’t really have a major desire to sew right now anyway. Post-partum hormones, right?

But here are a few new [to me] blogs I’ve been reading lately (while sitting reading my iPod and breastfeeding Mr. Newborn):

My Life and Kids (hysterical)

Ob/gyn Kenobi (what can I say? I just had a baby, so reading about birth stories and OB horror patients is interesting…)

The Matt Walsh Blog (his post on what stay at home moms DO every day made me interested in following his blog…)

So. What blogs do you recommend?

Crocheted Hats.

So. Here are a few more hats I’m sharing with you. I’d made a variety of hats both to sell at a local shop and for our little guy, Joel to wear. However, he gets a little whole lot grumpy when I stick a hat on his head. (If you can’t tell.)

Cord Keepers

I pinned this idea a few weeks ago and made these cord keepers just the day before I went into labor with this little guy.

My Starboard Skirt

I loved the tutorial for making the Starboard Skirt by Simple Simon and Company the minute I saw it. And back in August, I decided to sew up my own version. I was eight months pregnant, so it wasn’t something I really could wear at the time.  Since it has an elastic waist, I could get it on but it looked ridiculous on a pregnant lady.

Breastfeeding Essentials.

I'm tired. This little guy sleeps great during the day. And he's slowwwwly improving at night! He's 11 days old now.

He started off at 8 pounds 5 ounces and at four days old weighed 8 pounds. Not a big weight loss; all babies lose some weight. They have fluid that is excreted plus if they're breastfed, mom's milk doesn't come in for a few days. They don't consume much fluid, but the colostrum that they do eat is important and more than enough to keep their ping-pong ball-sized stomachs happy. Happy enough, anyway.

It’s a ….

BOY! So this sweet little face is why I won’t be doing much sewing or crafting for awhile. I’ve got nursing, VBACs, and baby schedules on the brain instead of DIY projects. I do have a few in mind for my husband to do around the house (though I totally am not expecting him to do them soon! He needs to rest, too!)

















His name is Joel and he was born last Sunday, several days before his due date at 8# 5 ounces.

Baby #3: Nursery

My husband said to me this weekend, “You seem to think the baby is coming any day now.”

And yes, I think it is. I am 39 weeks pregnant. I felt that it is reasonable to assume the baby could show up any day.

With that in mind, here is one corner of the baby’s room.

A Bunny Front Carrier

I never, ever thought that our dear firstborn would be the type to adopt a lovey. Or a favorite animal. And carry it everywhere with him. And talk to it. And ask what kind of ice cream I was ordering for bunny when we were all out for ice cream.

But he has. This bunny was a gift at my baby shower way back when, so it is fitting that he has completely adopted him. Bunny has birthdays…goes fishing, apparently eats ice cream, you name it.

Newborn Hats with Felt Flowers

I love making felt flowers. I shared how to make several varieties awhile back in this post.
I made a few newborn hats and adorned some of them with the flowers.

Felt Flower Baby Headbands

I made a bunch of fun felt flower headbands. I have given a few as gifts to friends who have had little girls this summer.

More Crocheted Hats–For Costumes

I shared a few days ago that I’ve been making and selling custom crocheted hats. They’re all listed on my Facebook page.

Since I’m having a baby in about two weeks, I can’t take custom orders for awhile. But I have plenty to sell that I’ve made as ‘samples’. The sizes and prices are all listed on Facebook (plus shipping, $3 per hat).

These hats would make great costumes.


“Boo” cat hat, size 6-12 months.

Crocheted Hats

I’ve been crocheting hats all summer. Well, all spring and summer. And I’ve been selling them. Over on my Facebook page, I’ve listed them and taken custom orders.

Since I’m having a baby in about two weeks, I am no longer going to be taking custom orders. But I have plenty to sell that I’ve made as ‘samples’. The sizes and prices are all listed on Facebook (plus shipping, $3 per hat).

Here are a few examples:

Pink and gray bow and flower hat, size 3-6 months, $18 + shipping.

Living Room Decor

I made this little bike print for our living room. I used a map for the background (which is part of a whole map/window project my husband and I did last year that never got onto my blog here) and I added a bike transfer.

DIY Couch Pillows & Covers [the frugal way]

I’ve been wanting new couch pillows for awhile now. I’ve scoured Ikea. (I didn’t like the prints. I didn't like the way all the pillows looked deflated.) I’ve priced new pillows at Target. (Too expensive. Too common.)

Knit Baby Bibs

Only about five more weeks until our new baby arrives! I’m excited to meet the baby and find out if it is a boy or a girl. I love not knowing while I’m pregnant, but I’m always excited to find out when the baby arrives!

I made some bibs for this baby because I bought some new clothes for the baby (I have two older boys but most of their clothes will be in the wrong season.) And if it is a girl, she’ll need a lot of new things! So I figure I’d better cover up any cute new outfits with cute bibs.

Summer Panzanella Bread Salad

Do you have lots of tomatoes? I actually don’t, the deer ate them, but the few I do have I used in this delicious salad. I’ve never made a bread salad before, but I recommend it. (Since writing this post, someone generously gave me a LOT of tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce!) 

Citrus Recess Raglan

A few days ago, I posted about how I got to test Kate’s recess raglan pattern. I liked the pattern so much that I decided to make another right away for a friends’ little girl.

{More} Activities for Toddlers & Pre-Schoolers

Here are a few more activities my two busy boys enjoyed. All three utilize items from around the house. These ideas sort of go along with the “Teach Your Child at Home” posts I’ve shared a few times.
1. Toothpicks into spice containers. This was really more for the benefit of the 2 year-old than the 4 year-old, but they both became rather possessive of their spice containers.

More Print Handmade Bias Tape

Making bias tape isn’t really new for me (here’s where I’d shared the last batch) but I think it’s so much fun to see how prints turn out as bias trim.

Baby Project: Burp Cloths

We went through a lot of burp cloths with our boys. I made a few new ones from this dot fabric. If you follow my instructions and use my pattern for making burp cloths, they’ll last through a few babies.

Small Sewing Projects

I’ve been doing some small projects before we have our new arrival next month.

This was a quick bath toy organization project. I added some ribbons to the sides of a large mesh laundry bag and hung it from suction cups. I almost bought a special bath toy organization bag but decided to save some money. (This solution only cost about $4.)

DIY Easy Dill Pickles

I had no idea it was so simple to make pickles. I really like pickles. Not the sweet ones. They have to be dill. And my 4 year-old loves them, too. No canning required. (Even though I would love to learn to do that.) 

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Lately I have been enjoying some frozen strawberry lemonade, courtesy of our very own blender. I like it on the tart side, so if you want it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

10 frozen strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or form a bottle)
1 cup water
2 1/2 T sugar
8 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in the blender and process til smooth. Makes about 3 servings.
This is a far cheaper than going to a coffee shop for a frozen drink!


Places I have linked:
Or So She Says, Train to Crazy, Tater tots & Jello,  Merry Messy Life, Sugar Bee Crafts, Reasons to Skip the Housework,  The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely, 504 Main,Serenity Now,  Fingerprints on the Fridge, I heart NapTime, Classy Clutter, A Glimpse Inside, Somewhat Simple, Gingerly Made, Serenity Now, Today's Creative Blog, The Winthrop Chronicles, Home Stories A to Z, CraftyScrappyHappy

Freezer Paper Stenciled Dyed Onesies

I got out baby clothes a week or so ago in preparation for our new baby, coming in September. And I found that many of the clothes had stains on them. Terrible stains. Some I just made into rags. But some of them, especially the solid white onesies, I decided to try and salvage. That means that the last few days, I’ve been experimenting with fabric dye. Messy? A little bit. But I followed the instructions found here.

Recess Raglan Pattern Review

I tested this pattern for See Kate Sew. I loved it! I’ve made my own raglan pattern for t-shirts before (here, too) and it was extremely time consuming!

Latest Favorite Recipes: Part II (and tips for cooking with ginger root)

A few weeks ago, I shared some of my latest favorite recipes. I’m always trying new ones, so I figured I’d share a few that have been especially great.

First of all, two of these call for grated ginger root. Don’t use the dried stuff from your spice cupboard. Buy some of the whole root at the store (in the produce section) and put it in your freezer. Then remove it, don’t bother thawing it, and finely grate it as you need it (try and remove most of the brown covering first.)

DIY Reusable Labels

So. I’m nesting. A little bit. (It’s still early.)

And I’m on a bit of an organization and labeling craze.

Baking & Organizing

As we get closer to the arrival of child #3 (2 months to go!), we’ve made some changes to our boys’ sleeping arrangements. We put them both in one room. Things have been a little rough. For me. They don’t seem to mind being up til we go to bed or up at 5:45 am when my husband wakes up to run. But I mind it.

Anyway, I’ve had a few grumpy mornings. But what have I been doing? Cooking. Organizing. And today, I baked. I had pinned this recipe a few months ago. Before blueberries were in season. And then I never had time to make it. Until today.

15-Minute Headband

Do you ever want a project you can just make really fast? Or maybe you need to make a quick gift for a friend. Today.

This is a project that is fast. Plus, it uses scraps.

Hoodie Vest with Fire Truck Applique

I finally finished a sewing project! (It's been awhile.) I’ve been working on this Aztec Hoodie vest. I shared a few weeks ago that I’d been asked to test the hoodie pattern in size 2T for Kate over at See Kate Sew. So I'd already made one for our littlest (soon to be middle) child.

“Easy Canvas Prints” Review & Giveaway

I was pretty excited when Easy Canvas Prints contacted me about doing a review and a giveaway on my blog. I think canvas photos are so neat—yet I’ve never bought one. Plus, my brother and his fiancée had just shared their {really beautiful oceanside} engagement pictures with us. I thought a canvas print would make a fun wedding gift.

Grilled Spinach Pizza

One thing that my husband and I like to make in the summer is grilled pizza. Unique? We think so. I posted about making basic pizza on the grill a few years ago here.

Giveaway Winner: Pink Blush Maternity

Just wanted to stop by today and pick a winner for the $25 gift certificate to Pink Blush Maternity for the giveaway.

Pink Blush Maternity Giveaway

This is my third pregnancy and at only 27 weeks along, I am already tired of my maternity clothing. I guess I’ve worn most of it for two other pregnancies already. However, I've recently discovered there’s a great website called Pink Blush Maternity that has a lot of trendy maternity styles! 

They sent me this dress to review. It is extremely comfortable!

Maternity Tank with Banded Bottom

This maternity tank is very similar to this striped tank I made last year. I wore that striped shirt a LOT. And I would wear it a lot this summer, too…but I’m 6.5 months pregnant.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie Recipe

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. That was never something that sounded very tasty to me. However, a few years ago, I tried making a rhubarb-strawberry pie. And it is surprisingly good!

Sewing for Baby: Bibs with Handmade Bias Tape

Making a bib for a baby is nothing new. Nothing exciting. But hand-me-down bibs do get stained. And when they start to look as stained as the ones our new baby would have to wear, it never hurts to have a few new ones.