Men's Tank Refashion

Do you like my new shirt?? Cute right?

Well, guess what....I didn't spend a dime on it!  I made it...well sorta! lol  I was digging through some recently rediscovered tshirts of Brian's, and I came across this old tank top.  Oh men's tank tops, lol, classy. 

Determined to never let my husband wear it again, I thought of a tank refashion I had been admiring on Pinterest.  I've never done much sewing, but after studying a few other refashion tutorials online, I set to work!  What's the worst I could do?? Ruin a shirt that Brian hadn't missed in years? lol

My mother-in-law, Carole, had given me one of her old sewing machines and whole basket full of different lace trimmings.  Her mother had been a seamstress, and Carole had a good bit of leftovers! I decided that lace would make for really cute straps and part of the back!

After sewing on the new straps, almost halter style, one long piece, I trimmed up another piece of lace to add to the back.  Since it was a men's XL tank top, the arm holes were a bit larger than I needed, so I made the all together length of the back piece + the straps shorter than original size of the top.  To put the back piece on, I trimmed off the flatter edge of the lace so it would match up with the scalloped edge of the strap piece.

Then I trimmed up the sides to be even with the natural line of the tank.

Sewing it together was a bit challenging being that I didn't have much experience with that machine, and I thought I was done too!  However, once I tried it on, the halter style strap piece stood up kinda funny around the back of my neck, so I trimmed off that flat edge of the lace again to detract from how much stood up, and had to add darts to the back neck.  I know Brian must have thought I was losing it! I kept running from the sewing machine to the mirror, putting on the tank top, adjusting pins, ect.

Finally, I added a sash to the front corner to make a bow!  And there you go!!

So yay me! I'm kinda proud of myself!  

Love Pinterest

So I have to share a bit about my newest online obsession: 

Pinterest!

Pinterest is a great website where you create 'pin boards' about everything you love, and you 'pin' things to each pin board that go along with it! You can find anything you want from outfits, wedding ideas, recipes, diy crafts, home decor, ect. 

Here are a few of the ideas that I've already gotten from this wonderful compilation of genius ideas...

...like an easy, but intricate up-do!  Here's the how-to:

...and here's how mine turned out!

a little messy, but you get the idea!

I've also gotten some great crochet ideas, like making my own kitchen rug from a sheet!

This is the picture from Pinterest...

Cute right?

So I turned this sheet...

$1 from the thrift store! notice the Looney Tunes? lol

...into this rug!

No more Looney Tunes! lol

And today, I curled my hair with not only with ZERO HEAT, but with a SOCK! lol 

This is the original picture from Pinterest...

And mine turned out like this!

excuse the picture...I had Brian take it with my phone!

It worked great, and here's the tutorial!  Now that I've done it once with my hair and layers, I know what will work better so it'll be even cuter next time! :)

If you don't have a Pinterest account, you should consider joining the site because it's just chock full of fabulous ideas!  I'm officially addicted! lol

Much love -

ATTENTION....

I have an announcement to make...

This truly is an answer to my prayers! I will finally be able to get back into the classroom as more that just a volunteer and financially contribute to our little family!  School doesn't start until September, and the school board is on vacation for the next two weeks.  As soon as they reopen, I will be adding my name to the substitute list! As of right now, none of the schools in the area need permanent English teachers, but as teachers go on maternity leave (which is a year long btw!) and what not, I hope to be considered for any short term contracts! A friend of ours also has a tutoring business, so I also hope to be getting involved with tutoring before too long!

I want to thank everyone for all of their support and helping me to remember to be patient...something I needed to be reminded of frequently! My permanent residence isn't finalized yet but is steps closer, and I would sincerely appreciate your continued prayers and support! Thank you all so much!

Much love -

Fitted Sheet Trick!

I hate folding fitted sheets.  I can never get them to look right, and they make the linen closet look like a disaster zone!  So when I spotted this quick trick online one day, I automatically filed it away somewhere in my brain! lol  

Instead of fitted sheets looking like this.....

...your sheets can look like this!

 Ok, so here's how to get a nice, neat linen closet: 

1. Fold your flat sheet until it's about a quarter of the original size, and place your folded(to the best of your ability! lol), fitted sheet in the center.

2. Fold one side over the fitted sheet.

3.Fold the other side of the flat sheet over the fitted.

4. Fold in both ends and viola! 

So not only do you not see the ugly fitted sheet, but you won't be searching for matching sheets either!  Whoever thought of this should get an award! lol

An Epic Ending

I'm taking my sweet brother-in-law to see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2!!  It will most definitely be an epic ending to a series of books and movies that I have grown up with!