What's Really In My Purse

I'll admit, I'm always interested when people post photos of what's in their purse. I've noticed though that 90% of the time it seems to be a censored version of the actual contents. Let's be honest, half the time I pull something out of my purse and don't remember why it's in there or how long it's been there. That's probably why my bag usually weighs about 50 pounds. Anyway, I figured I'd do a post today showing the actual contents because I think a lot of you can relate.

DIY: 4th of July Shorts

The 4th of July is fast approaching and I decided I needed something patriotic to wear. I cut up an old pair of jeans and added some stars and stripes fabric, found here. I actually used some kite string to sew the fabric on. My hand stitching skills are subpar so I figured the more rustic the better.

What you'll need...

• an old pair of shorts (or jeans cut into shorts)
• stars and stripes fabric (1/4 yard of each)
• string (or embroidery floss/thick thread)
• needle
• scissors
• scrap paper
• sharpie

Start by cutting your shorts. I left mine a little long so I could roll them up.

Place paper on top of your shorts and trace the front with a sharpie. This pattern doesn't have to be perfect.

Cut the fabric about 1/4 inch larger than the pattern.

Sew the pieces of fabric onto each side. Don't trim the fabric until you're finished sewing. As you can see in the photo below, the stripes side is finished but the side with the stars still needs to be trimmed.

Once you've finished sewing and trimming, you can fold the bottom of each side or run a sharp knife along the bottom to give them a frayed look.

Recently

On Being Thankful...

I was browsing through my blogger friend Lauryn Green's blog today and came across a post about being thankful. She recommended keeping a notebook and making a list each night of three things you're thankful for. 

I wanted to share this with you guys because I think it's a great idea. I'm big on lists but really the only ones I ever make are 'to do' lists.  Although 'to do' lists are technically helpful, they can be a burden at times because I'm also a huge worrier. I'm constantly worrying about things I need to get done, the people around me, etc. I'm pretty sure that 90% of my thoughts begin with "I really need to..." or "Before I forget...". I also tend to focus on the negative. That is why I'm going to give this new list a try.

I started the list of things I'm thankful for tonight. I didn't stop at three because too many things came to mind but I plan on adding three each day. As I read over it, I immediately felt better. Sure there's plenty of things to worry about, but there is plenty to be grateful for too. Taking a second to focus on those things each day is a pretty good idea if you ask me.

Thanks for the tip, Lauryn!

The Lion King

The Lion King is 20 years old this weekend. Here's my tribute.

She's a good sport.

DIY: Stackable Burger Pillow

You might recall the no-sew burger costume I made for Halloween last year. Well, I decided to make something similar this weekend but this time I actually dragged my sewing machine out of the closet. I saw a burger pillow while I was out shopping recently and thought about buying it for a second until I realized I could easily make one. Want to make your own? Here's how!

What you'll need...

• 1 yard light brown fabric
• 1/2 yard yellow fabric
• 1/2 yard green fabric
• 1/2 yard dark brown fabric
• 1/8 yard white (or off-white) felt
• 1 bag of poly-fil

Start by cutting all of the pieces you'll need. You'll need four circles of the light brown fabric, two circles of the dark brown, two wavy circles of the green, and two squares of the yellow fabric. Each circle should be about 16 inches in diameter. I flipped a stool upside down and traced it on the fabric using chalk. 

Make a small teardrop shaped pattern and use it to cut sesame seeds using your small piece of felt. Sew those on to one of the light brown circles.

Start by sewing your top bun. Make sure your sesame seeds are inside. Remember to leave a small opening. Now sew all of your other matching pieces and flip them so they're right side out.

Once all of your pieces are complete, stuff each one with poly-fil and sew the openings. Stack your burger and enjoy!