1 Hour Flower Girl Dress Knock Off

I found this adorable little dress and just about died.

So cute but at $42 ( and that's after taking 50% off!) It just wouldn't work with our budget.

So I did what anyone would do... I knocked it off!

 And the end result makes me positively giddy.

It took me about an hour to make and I just happened to have the fabric sitting on my shelf... a remnant from Hobby Lobby that I bought just because it was so cheap!

So what do you think...

$4.50

$42.00

or

How did I do it?

It's so easy you'll laugh.  

Step 1:  Make a basic skirt.

I made an elastic waist skirt but you can shirr it or even make it a drawstring!

Step 2:  Attach the tie at the front of the skirt.

I made the tie by sewing a tube of the leftover fabric but you could use ribbon too!

Step 3:  Make & attach your fabric rose.

I made my rose by ruffling on side of a tube of fabric and then just twisted it together but there are a ton of ways to make them!  Or use a button or some other embellishment or nothing at all!

Next up... bridesmaid dresses!

She did what?!

Barbie & The Rockers Hair - age 3

Earlier this week, I found myself standing in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors.

Not entirely alarming since I've been trimming my own hair for the past year or so but this was different.

This time I meant business.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail at the base of my neck and cut.

No.  I'm not making this up.  One second my hair reached my elbows and the next it didn't even reach my shoulders.

And then I panicked and ran to the salon like a dog with her tail between her legs!

They had a good laugh at my expense but fixed me up just fine.

Oh why did I wait so long?

I absolutely love it.

 

Can I Ask a Favor?

From all my good friends?

I entered Miss Livi modeling her pretty little Vintage Barbie Tribute Suit in  Gilt's Kids Wear the Darndest Things Contest.

Right now she's in 4th place to win a $1200 gift card!!

So pretty please?  

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

A Vintage Picnic Wedding

Soooo, I still can't walk in my laundry room... not even close really... it's gross.  

But I've been so excited to share my latest project with you that I just can't wait any longer!!

My sweet little sister Carissa is getting married next month and has handed the wedding planner reigns over to me.

I'm sure some of you are reading this and thinking... SUCKER!  Hey, Carissa might be thinking so to!  But I couldn't be more excited!

I mean what creative, crafty, DIY lovin' chick doesn't love a wedding?

And I know that I'm not the only one who sees wedding pictures, blogs, magazines... etc. and doesn't wish for reason to throw another one... wait... that sounds bad.  Well, you know what I mean!

I'm excited!

Excited to plan, exited to help save some money and mostly just so excited to see my sister so happy.

So wanna see some of what we're envisioning for this laid back and virtually budget free wedding?

Imagine a romantic, summer picnic...

simple understated bridesmaids...

carrying simple understated bouquets...

a cake buffet featuring over 10 unique cakes on pretty little platters...

and a vintage touch here and there.

Don't you just want to be there?!

Me too!

Well the wedding is next month and boy do I have a lot to do!

I'm making all the cakes and a couple of bridesmaids dresses.  My other sister Dani is busy learning the cords for the ceremony music and Carissa is out there shopping for all the vintage goodies that will make the wedding spectacular!

Wanna see more?

I'll share the pretty little flower girl dress I made and a super easy tutorial soon.  And before it's all over I'll share the jaw dropping budget and how we pulled it off!  

Until then feel free to drool over my pinterest board where you will find all of the photos above (and a hundred more) with links to their original source.

A Busy Summer

Oh I'm not sure why I was crazy enough to think that I might be able to pull off blogging this summer but clearly I was wrong!


Things have been crazy with my two oldest boys out of school!

The house seriously looks like a disaster zone.

There is no food left in the cabinets.

And if I hadn't cut all my hair off (more on that later...) I would surely have ripped it all out.

Add to this a family reunion, several birthdays and the fact that my little sister is getting married next month after a 2 month long engagement and you've got yourself a train wreck!

But oh I wouldn't change a bit of it... well maybe the 110 degree Texas heat... but other than that, this summer has been a blast!

I have so much to share with you but I have to spend some time with my arch-nemesis... the laundry room.  I'll be back as soon as I can at least walk in there.  Promise.