Me Me Me Month Wrap-Up

I’ve had a lot of fun for May is Me Me Me Month, and think I’m going to make it an annual event. Special thanks to the all my wonderful guests. I didn’t get all the crafting and recipe posts done that I wanted (I seem to have a perpetual cold!), but I’ll make sure there is some more Me Me Me through-out the year!

To wrap the month up, it’s time for a public review of my goals for the year. My word for the year was routine, and I’m still struggling with this one. My kids are in pretty regular routines, but I’m still trying to work out how to fit in the things I need to get done. Too much time reading blogs and low energy levels and colds aren’t helping. I’ve got my laundry routine going ok. Meal planning might be the next step! I’d also like to get a weekly routine of toddler fun happening for Little Man. I’ll keep with the plan of slowly building on what is working!

Cooking

52 New Recipes: Well, I’ve cooked 11 so far. I’m a bit behind, but still have plenty of time to catch up!

Make my own bread: I started off really well with this one, but it’s fallen by the wayside. I felt like I was trying to do too much, and this goal got bumped. I’m comfortable with this , but will try again later in the year if I find the time and energy.

Crafting

Use my DSLR camera in manual mode: I’ve been playing with this, and have a much better understanding of setting ISO and f-stop, but I’ve got a long way to go. I’m still in the experimenting stage and don’t know where to start each time, but keep changing settings until I like the photos. I’ve got a couple of books to guide me along the way, but need to spend a bit more time getting into it.

More sewing: I’ve been reasonably steady with the sewing, except for the last few weeks. I’d like to be doing more, but I think that will always be the case! I participated in the Kids Clothes Week Challenge at Elsie Marley and will show-off what I made soon, and have a few other projects to share.

Crochet: I’ve blogged about finishing my Pearl’s Cardigan. I think it’s time for some more toys. Better find a few patterns – anyone have some recommendations?

Felt Food: I haven’t got around to this yet either, but have lots of thoughts in my head. It’s going to happen soon!

Overall, I’m happy with where I’m at. I would like to have done more, but I have to be realistic. Life with a toddler and baby doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything else!

Finally, here’s my favourite photo of me this year:

Where are you at with your 2011 goals?

Guest Me Me Me-er: Andrea (Train to Crazy)

I’ve got another fun guest for you today. Andrea from The Train to Crazy and I became bloggy friends when we had babies at around the same time last year. I love checking out what sewing she’s been doing for her kids, but let’s see what she’s been doing for Me Me Me:

I'm so honored to be asked to join Me Me Me Month! I've enjoyed Narelle's blog since she started it and I'm so excited to see how much it has grown!

You can find me on The Train To Crazy which is my creative journal. I use it to highlight many of my sewing projects as well as host my favorite weekly blog party, Make It Wear It. I love seeing what others are creating! So many talented sewists, knitters and jewelry designers out there!

I have four. Yes, FOUR little kids so you'll most often see me showing off little girl and boy outfits that I've made. I enjoy working with commercial patterns, boutique patterns and designing my own. You can find my free patterns and tutorials on my blog.

Having been pregnant for the fourth, and final time, I have decided to make over some of my old maternity clothes. You know, the ones you never want to see again after you give birth? Yes, those.

Recently I turned this LARGE maternity shirt into a shirt that actually fits me now.

 

Stop on by my blog to see what I did! Perhaps you'll be inspired to spend five minutes to reinvent your own maternity wear!

Drat – I just took a big bag of maternity clothes to the thrift store last week! Stop by The Train to Crazy to see the transformation and have a good look around while you’re there. Thanks again Andrea!

Boy Knits Giveaway Winner

I had so much fun reading through all the comments for the Boy Knits Giveaway. Such a wide range of favourite boy toys, with the classics of cars and trains rating high as well.

So, without further ado, the winner is:

And that is:

Congratulations Laura! I’ve sent you an email. With three boys, I can’t wait to see what you make.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Giveaways are fun – I might have to try it again sometime.

Guest Me Me Me-er: Tiff (Making the World Cuter)

Please make welcome another fabulous guest for Me Me Me month: Tiffany from Making the World Cuter. She shares fun craft projects and encourages everyone to share their own cuteness. So what has Tiff been doing for Me Me Me:

I love this all about "ME" month! How often do we mamas really do much of anything for ourselves? I've been trying to do more actually....

I'm Tiffany and I blog over at Making the World Cuter. I have 4 sweet little ones and one heck of a fine hubby!

I usually am doing a whole lot for everyone but me, but I decided lately that I needed to start caring about me, and so Making Us Cuter Thursdays was born.

I have decided to start dressing cuter and getting inspiration from other bloggers who would also like to get out of the jeans and t-shirt or sweats and just feel a little bit cuter. You should try it out and come link up your cuteness every Thursday...just do it okay?!?

I also decided that I need to revamp my closet rather than going out and spending a fortune on all of the things I would really like to buy.

Here are a couple of things that I have recently made over... I took a boring white linen skirt and made something way cuter with it...

And this sweater that my mom found for me just to make cuter!

I have a few more too, but I'll let you go find them...over here at Making the World Cuter. Thanks Narelle for having me! :)

Thanks for stopping by, Tiff! The original sleeves on that cardigan are priceless. Head on over to see what else Tiff has been making cuter (and link up to her cute link parties while you’re there).

Guest Me Me Me Recipe: CK (Bedtime Tales)

Our next guest for Me Me Me Month is CK from Made by Bedtime Tales. You have to check out the header on their blog (CK blogs with her sister Becka) – it’s the most fanciful header I’ve ever seen (and I don’t know where fanciful came from, it’s just what popped in my head!). They make adorable toys, elegant jewellery, post recipes and much more. Let’s see what CK is going to share today:

Artichoke Pasta Bowl: A meal for ME!

Most of the meals I cook for the family consist of variations of macaroni for the kids, soup for my husband or tried-and-true simple deals on days we have company. But recently I cooked something that was just for ME and I loved it! I saw something similar to this at a restaurant but couldn't find a recipe anywhere online. I decided to experiment in the kitchen and created something new with my own twist.

The artichoke is a process to prepare but the dish is a little fancy, a little romantic and a little healthy, too.  It is vegetable and pasta based and totally worth the effort!

So, without further adieu, I'd like to share the recipe with you!

Boy Knits Giveaway CLOSED

GIVEAWAY CLOSED
It’s Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew, and I thought I’d join in the fun!
Up for grabs is a selection of interlock fabric in boy prints. I picked these up at my local Spotlight store, and have used them for raglan T-shirts for Little Man here and here.

Technically, they’re my scraps, but well, I bought heaps so each piece is half a yard long, with varying widths as described below (and I still have more leftover for me!). All fabric is pre-washed.

	Choo Choo Train - 18” (45cm) long x 32” (81cm) wide (Note: this is not selvedge to selvedge and is not a straight cut on one side)
	Crazy Safari (not sure why there are dinosaurs there) - 18” (45cm) long, 30” (77cm) wide
	Scary Monsters - 18” long (45cm), 38” (97cm) wide

If you’re new here, I’d love for you to take a few moments to look around and subscribe by RSS, tweet, like or follow (if you like what you see)!
Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment telling me what the favourite toy is of the Little Boy who’ll benefit from this fabric.
• Only ONE comment per person
• Be very sure that either: a) email is enabled on your profile OR b) leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. If a winner is chosen and no contact information is provided, a new winner will be chosen.
• Winner will be selected at random.
• Entries are open INTERNATIONALLY and will close at 12PM on 26th May, Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Simple, Stylish A-Line Wrap Skirt

There was a sneak peak of this project with my Ruffled Heart Top.

I’m in a bit of a rut wearing jeans and 3/4 length pants, and want to add a few skirts to my wardrobe, but store-bought skirts don’t fit my narrow waist and large-ish hips. The first skirt I ever made fit my waist but wouldn’t go over my hips, and the next skirt fit my hips but was miles too big at my waist (yep, I can be a slow learner!).

Thankfully, the book Sew What! Skirts arrived under the Christmas tree last year. It was time to draft a pattern that actually fits me! I started with a nice, simple A-line wrap skirt – flattering to most figures, and the wrap style gives a bit of flexibility in the sizing (or my cutting/drafting skills!). I also referred to the Make It Perfect Versatile Wrap Skirt pattern and book Stitch By Stitch along the way too (I like to read up before I start anything new!).

The fabric is a brown satin that I bought at a remnant sale years ago. I’m pretty sure I paid under $10 for the piece.

The pattern was easy to construct and the skirt fits me really well (that’s the reason you draft own patterns, isn’t it?). The only thing I’m not sold on is the ties, which I made way too long (but it doesn’t bother me enough to fix!). It’s a great twirly-but-grown-up party skirt.

I am definitely going to make a few more of these skirts (and have a few fabrics in my stash ready and waiting)! Maybe next time with buttons, rather than ties.

Guest Me Me Me-er: Jess (Craftiness is not Optional)

My next guest for Me Me Me Month is Jess from Craftiness is not Optional, another must-read blog for me. She makes the sweetest clothes (with tutorials!!) for her two adorable girls (I must admit, I’ve tried to set Little Man up with Sadie at the ripe old age of 2). Let’s see what Jess likes to make for herself:

 

Hi there! My name is Jess, and I blog over at Craftiness is not Optional. I also spend most of my free time sewing up a storm for my kids. I have two adorable little girls, Sadie and Charlotte, so of course, they need dozens of tops, dresses, and skirts, right? Well, probably not, but I have a blast clothing them anyways. Confession: I don't sew for myself much. It's so much easier to sew for kids-they have no curves! Honestly I don't know how to sew for an adult shape very well....lol. Plus it takes much less fabric to sew for kids....but I digress. This post is supposed to be about me, right? The things I DO enjoy to sew for myself tend to be skirts, bags, and the occasional shirt.

This lovely yellow number is one of my favorite skirts to wear! So swishy and fun with the tie!

I recently made this 241 tote for myself, though I'm still tied to my diaper bag so I'm not quite sure when it will get used...nevertheless it's nice to know it's there when I'm ready to get rid of ye ol' diaper bag.

And this wrap top is actually one of my favorite shirts! It is comfy and cute. and grey. I think half my wardrobe has grey on it somewhere. I'm obsessed! It's the new black! (or...whatever was the new cool color, I'm not into fashion much)

I selfishly made myself this gathered clutch last year for my birthday and love it. It's one of those lovely things you could just stare at and enjoy the fabrics. It does get used though. Quite a workhorse! So there are some of the things I've made for myself. Kind of a short list. I guess I need to make some more time for some "me" sewing! After all, I'm worth it! You can see more of my sewing for me projects here. (though not a TON more, I think we've established that I don't do a lot of that, lol) Thanks for having me Narelle, and for taking a peek at my selfish sewing projects! I need more of them!

 

 

Aren’t Jess’ fabric selections just gorgeous? Thanks for stopping by Jess, and sharing some inspiration! Now all head over and check the cuteness at Craftiness is Not Optional!

Guest Me Me Me-er: Beckie (Infarrantly Creative)

Our next guest for Me Me Me Month is Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, CSI Project, Knock-Off Decor and Crafterminds (I think that’s all!). She describes herself as a “think-outside-the-box” creator, and as a long-time blogger, there’s a huge amount of inspiration in her archives. Today, she’s sharing a a crafty Me Me Me project. Over to you Beckie:

I love versatile jewelry that can go with any outfit. These simple clear briolette beads can be matched to go with any outfit simply by changing out the ribbon.

My original inspiration came from the Halcyon Halo Necklace ($32) from Anthropologie. I loved the aqua ribbon with the clear crystals. But then I took it a step further wondering if I could change out the ribbon and bring some more versatility to it. Supplies

2 small lobster claps
2 crimp beads
2 ribbons ends for each color ribbon you make
1/4” grosgrain ribbon
jewelry pliers
lighter to seal the ribbon
clear crystal beads (mine were Crystal 6 x 9mm Glass Teardrops from Bliss Beads found at Joann Fabrics)
jewelry wire
scissors

1. 84 beads come on the strand. That will make two necklaces. So divided them and restring 42 of the beads onto the beading wire. Attach a lobster clasp to each end with a crimp bead holding it in place. 2. Cut two lengths of ribbon. Crimp the ribbon end on one end of ribbon. Do the same with the second length of ribbon. 3. Make two small bows from the ribbon. Singe the ribbon ends with a lighter in order to seal them so they will not fray. 4. Now you can either hot glue the bows in place or slide the ribbon end through the back of the bow. This extra step adds some feminine flair but also covers up the unsightly silver findings a little. You can see by the picture below that you can slide the bow up and down the necklace. Slide the bow all the way down so it covers the ribbon ends. 5. Attach the lobster clasp to the ribbon end on both lengths of ribbon. 6. Now tie the ribbon at the height you want it. Cut off any extra ribbon and singe the ends so they do not fray. I like leaving the ribbon long because I think it looks cute hanging in the back. Enjoy your versatile, interchangeable, adjustable, crystal briolette necklace!

Isn’t that a cute and fun project? Thanks Beckie! Head over to Infarrantly Creative to see what else Beckie has created.

Pearl’s Cardigan

The next project for Me Me Me Month is crochet: Pearl’s Cardigan (click here for the free pattern). This was a crochet-along on the Lionbrand blog last year. I bought my yarn mid-way through the crochet-along, but was in pregnancy nesting mode, so it wasn’t a high priority on my to-do list.

I naively included the yarn (Moda Vera Chantilly – 70% Acrylic 30% Milk from Spotlight) and instructions in my hospital bag for when Little Miss arrived, and I did pull it out once while I was there, but then put it straight back – way too much concentration required!

I picked the project back-up when Little Miss was a month or so old, doing a row or two a night before passing out in exhaustion. It was a slow process, with a lot of unravelling. This project was more advanced than anything I’ve crocheted before and after doing a couple of rows, I realised I was doing some of the stitches wrong, I’d never worked stitches in groups or worked over a chain rather than in the actual stitches and it took me a few goes (and a bit of Googling) to work out why it didn’t look the right!

The cardigan is worked from the top down so it was really easy to try it on and adjust the pattern for size as I went along. I also decided to just make capped sleeves, rather than long sleeves.

It was also the first item that needed blocking. I dampened it under the tap and then pinned it to a towel and left it lying on our spare bed for a couple of days to dry (it took a while with the humidity here in summer).

I made a sash for the belt from some cream satin purchased from my local chain fabric store.

I love how the cardigan turned out, except for at the top of the side slits. That pokes out a bit and looks a bit strange. After crocheting such a nice piece of clothing, I’m keen to buy nicer (i.e. more expensive) wool for my next clothing project. I feel like I’ve earned some crocheting stripes!

Welcome to My SITS Party

It’s my SITS Day! How fitting for it to be in Me Me Me Month (sharing selfish crafting and favourite recipes of mine and some great guest bloggers) .

For those that don’t know, SITS (Secret Is in The Sauce) is a fantastic community of more than 8000 bloggers committed to supporting each other, particularly through comment love. I’ve found so many wonderful bloggers through SITS, and today is my day to be featured!

Welcome to my new visitors (and a big thanks for coming back to my returning visitors too)!

So what is Cook Clean Craft all about – well, hopefully the name is fairly self-explanatory. I’m a 30-something Mum to a toddler Little Man and 7 month old Little Miss, living in Brisbane, Australia. I share my favourite recipes, cleaning and organisation tips and crafty adventures. Here are of some of my favourite posts:

Best Roast Potatoes	Triple Decker Chocolate Treat	Apple Puff Squares
Clean as You Go Cooking	Pre-Holiday Cleaning	Kitchen Confessional

Thanks for stopping by, and if you like what you see, please follow along by RSS, Email, Facebook or Twitter!