Alumni Game

Yup, my baby has still got it. Over the Thanksgiving holiday Quincy played with his brother Kevin in the Alumni Game at Moapa Valley High School. The current high school team plays any Alumni that are in town or that still can make it up and down the court without passing out. Kevin and Quincy were some of the oldest players there but you wouldn't have known it.

Jensen really liked watching his old man play ball. He even tried to run out on the court a couple of times to join him.

Lucy telling her cousins that her daddy is number one!

At about half-time I got a little sick of chasing Jensen. So I handed over the i-pod and he was content playing his shape game until the game was over. Every mommy needs an i-touch.

The game was pretty entertaining. The old men led most of the game and it even went into overtime. In overtime the high school kids pulled off a game-winning buzzer beater.

Kev saying they're number one, oh wait they lost by one.

Jensen's cousin, Dantley, teaching him how to dribble. Let's hope he can dribble just like him when he grows up!

Free at last.

Cheap Fall Decor

I finally got around to making my fall banner just this past week. Better one week before Thanksgiving than not at all. Right? I made one for my mother and it turned out pretty cute so I wanted to make myself one. I used my handy dandy Silhouette to cut the three layers for each pumpkin and the steam. I also cut the letters from brown vinyl. Then I curled strips of green paper for the vine. Lastly I punched holes in it and tied it with raffia. Total cost was $3.50 for paper. I already had the raffia from some other project.

I used the leftover scraps of paper to make these that I saw on Martha. I did cut the leaves and stem from my Silhouette since I didn't have crepe paper.

Lastly, I made this simple pumpkin banner out of felt. Way easy!

I cut patterns from my Silhouette.

I cut about 16 pumpkins of 2 different colors and 32 brown circles.

Sewed them down the middle using brown thread.

And then hung it up. This one didn't cost me anything since I had all the supplies on hand.

Jensen likes to play with my decor. Little stinker.

Rag Rosette Headbands

So this is one of the crafts that I wanted to come home and make when I saw them at Swiss Days in Utah. They were everywhere but again I knew I could make it way cheaper. I actually did make them awhile ago but have been lazy and haven't got around to blogging about it. We did this for a Young Women activity so its been on my mind again. Plus anyone that sees it wants to know how to do it. So thank you Missy for showing me how to make the rag flower part. And now I will share with you!

1st Part: How to make the headband:

1. Cut two strips of fabric 2 inches x 3o inches. (These are folded in this picture.)

2. At about 10 inches from the bottom I tapered mine so there isn't so much fabric at the ends. I just angled the ruler and cut with a rotary cutter on both sides.



3. Next, sew them together. Right sides showing and right along the sides. It's okay if it looks raggy because the bow is going to look raggy too. (Now the first one I made I sewed it right sides together, left a hole, and then turned it over and top stitched it. It was really hard getting it turned right side out so I don't recommend it, but if you like a cleaner look go for it.)


That's it for your headband. Super easy!

2nd Part: How to make the rag flower.

1. Take a strip of fabric about 2 inches wide x width of fabric. (Can be shorter. It will just make a smaller flower)
2. Fold the fabric in half and tie it in a knot at one of the ends.


3. Twist and turn the fabric next to the knot. Hot glue as you go about an inch or so at a time.
Keep going around until you run out of fabric or your happy with the size. Just keep the fabric folded so the backside doesn't show through.

4. To end it just take the last little piece and hot glue it to the back.

* I have just made these for gifts without the headband. I just put a clip on the back and called it good. I myself am not a headband kind of girl. I like how these flowers turn out because they are so colorful and it doesn't really matter what the print is. Perfect for scraps of material you have no idea what to do with.

3rd Part: Put the headband and rag flower together.

1. I sewed them on by hand but I am sure you can get away with hot gluing them.



2. Add a button or brad in the middle if you're feeling it!


I added two more flowers on the side. And there you have it, a rag flower headband.

My super cute model. She isn't so easy to snap pictures of anymore.

I made this headband with Lucy in mind but she kind of looks like Karate Kid wearing it. The poor girl needs hair. Anyway, I thought what is she going to wear with it now that I have made it? So I made her this pillowcase dress with the remaining fabric. That was another thing on my list to make. It turned out a little big but that's okay it will {hopefully} fit her next summer and probably the summer after that too. If I was going to make it again I would use one of Lucy's current dresses for a guide with the arm holes. I did them way too big. Just a little tip.

Just the rag flower on a stretchy headband.

This one is my favorite flower since it has lots of different colors in it.

Silhouettes on a Silhouette

If you know me at all you know that my favorite machine behind the washing machine and dishwasher is my Silhouette. This is me actually tearing up when I got it for Christmas two years ago.

If I only really knew how much joy this thing was going to bring into my life, I would have been balling my eyes out and jumping up and down. I LOVE it! If you are not familiar with it, it is similar to a Cricut, but oh so much better. I have used a Cricut only once and thought it was cool but it just doesn’t compare in my book. The Cricut does have some strong points such as it cuts 12 inches wide and can cut thicker material than a Silhouette, but overall it comes nowhere close to what the Silhouette has to offer.

Well one thing I really wanted to learn how to do on it was make silhouettes. I mean it is called a silhouette so it should do it. Then one day my sis-in-law (thanks Di) referred me to a blog that gave not so good instructions on how to do it. Somehow I figured it out and have thought of nothing since. It is so simple to do!

Here is a tutorial. (Sorry I couldn’t get the print screen to work on blogger so I did it old school and took pictures of my computer. What can I say I am Silhouette Savvy not Blogger Savvy.)

This is how to do a silhouette using your Silhouette:

1. I am using the old software, haven’t figured it out on the new software. First go to Insert on the top menu bar. Then go to File. Here you will need to find your picture that you want to use use that has been saved to your computer. It will then bring up your picture on the screen.

2. Next under Draw Tools (mine is on the side) click on Closed Spline. If it is not on the side you can find it up top under Draw. This will bring up a cross. Click once on where you want to start. (The tricky thing about the spline tool is if you double click on the same spot it closes the shape. That means starting over if your almost done, so I recommend practicing!)

3. Then click your mouse every 1/4th or 1/8th of an inch along the outline of the picture until you get back to the start. I zoom in so I can get lots of details. When finished double click to close the spline.

4. Then go to the Draw Tools and click Select. Select the picture and move it to the side or delete it. Now you will be able to see the outline and it is ready to cut if you are happy with it. You can resize it depending on what your heart desires.

Side Note: If you are not happy with a certain spot of the outline. You can go in and edit it by selecting Edit Point under Draw Tools. Then click on the dot that you are not happy with and move it to where it looks better. I recommend zooming in if you are wanting to fix anything.

This is how it turned out after I pulled the excess paper away.

I found these frames and paper at Hobby Lobby and WHA-LA!

These make me smile every time I pass them in the hall! I love you Silhouette!