EASY pillow covers tutorial (no zippers!)

Good morning friends!

Yesterday I sewed a couple super cute "envelope" pillow covers for 2 throw pillows on my couch that needed some love.  They turned out really cute, but unfortunately I didn't take pictures of my step-by-step process to blog about later because I really didn't expect them to be this cute. I was using this as a practice! Now I'm really mad I didn't take more pictures.  So, I'm going to explain the process as clearly as I can, and also give a link to the tutorial I used off of someone else's blog.

Here is what the back looks like:

Here is what you'll need:

1.  Pillow.

2.  Fabric.

3.  Sewing machine.

4.  Iron.

5.  Measuring tape, scissors, thread.

Cut fabric: 

1.  First, you need to measure your pillow.  I used 18" pillows.  This means the width of my fabric needed to be cut 18", and the length needs to be double + 4"... so 40".

For example:

12" pillow - Fabric 12" by 28"

14" pillow - Fabric 14" by 32"

16" pillow - Fabric 16" by 36"

18" pillow - Fabric 18" by 40"

2.  Take your rectangular piece of fabric, lay it pretty side down on an ironing board.  Fold the short edges in 1/4 of an inch, and iron them down.  (Also iron out any wrinkles in the fabric while you're at it.)

3.  Stitch the ironed folds down and sew a pretty hem.

4.  Take the fabric now and lay it pretty side up.  Fold the left hemmed side in to the center of the fabric, and fold the right hemmed side in overlapping the left by 3 1/2 inches.  Take a couple pins and pin the overlap in place.  Your right sides should be in.

5.  Sew the 2 sides with the RAW edges using 1/2" seams.

6.  Turn your pillow inside out and stuff your pillow inside.  You're done!  It's that easy.

If my picture-less tutorial was too difficult to understand (I am a visual learner too so don't feel bad if it was...) then go to this tutorial here that I learned from - it's almost the same tutorial! Only difference is she marked where the folded sides need to go, and I learned on my second pillow that eye-balling it worked better for me.

**Note** Don't leave a seam allowance....you want your fabric these exact dimensions so it has a more "stuffed" look.  Mine were a little too big so on my next ones I'm going to be sure and go smaller rather than bigger so the covers are a little more tight on the pillows.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Burp Cloth Tutorial

Hi everyone!

So... for my birthday last month I got a sewing machine from my lovely friend Jen. :) She knew that sewing has always been something I wanted to learn, and so the second I had a chance to open it up I got to it, and I'm definitely a beginner.  I literally had to read the 5 minute start guide, and watch like 12 different tutorials just to figure out how to thread the thing.  The Suzy Homemaker stuff does NOT come naturally to me... and for those who know me well, the title of my blog "Domestic Diva" is actually being quite sarcastic towards myself, because I am far from it. My theory though is "fake it till you make it"... and if you have the desire and determination to master something, you can do whatever you want.  Being a crafty homemaker is definitely something I aspire to be, and so for the past few years I have dedicated so much time into learning how to do different DIY projects, crafts, improve my cooking skills, organization, and now.... sewing.  And let me just say - I LOVE IT!!!

One of the first projects I did was sew a baby blanket.  It was challenging and turned out far from perfect, but my little man LOVES to cuddle with it! Plus, it gave me some experience and practice that I needed, so mission accomplished.  Here is Cole cuddling with it:

 I made another baby blanket right after that for my son Brody we are expecting in July.  Again, not perfect, but it turned out better than the first one so I know I'm making improvement:

Okay so now for the burp cloth tutorial! 

The third project I tackled was making these super easy and cute burp cloths.  Not only will I be needing plenty of them for my newborn in a few months, but I have a lot of friends who have recently had babies and I wanted to make some as gifts.  There's nothing better than a homemade gift from the heart right? So, I browsed Pinterest for tutorials and read probably a dozen of them before I figured out what I wanted to do. I took bits and pieces from many different tutorials and did my own thing.

WARNING:  This is by NO means a professional sewing project or tutorial.  I am a BEGINNER, and this tutorial is for beginners who want an easy project to do as well.  

Supplies needed:

1.  Sewing machine.

2.  Scissors/measuring tape or rotary cutter/board.

3.  Pins/thread.

4.  Fabric pen (if you're like me and use a tape measure and scissors).

5.  A yard and a half of white Terry Cloth. (I think regularly Terry Cloth is $9.99 a yard, but mine was on sale).

6.  11" of 6 different fabrics of your choice... I used the baby soft fleece fabrics that were on sale for $2.99 a yard.  I did 3 girl prints and 3 boy prints.  This should get you 11-12  burp cloths or so... I planned on 12 but ended up with 11 because I ran out of terry cloth from measuring wrong... so these are approximate amounts.

Directions:

1.  Take your first piece of fabric, and measure length wise 17 1/2".  The width they cut the fabric to was just fine for me so I didn't bother cutting anymore.  You can cut to whatever size you would like your burp rags to be. Make a mark with your fabric pen.

Fold over the fabric (to use the edge as a guide to cut a straight line), and cut.

Lay your fabric piece over a corner of the terry cloth as a template and a piece to match.

Place your fabric right sides together (which means the pretty sides of each fabric facing inward), and pin around your edges to hold fabric in place... I am not a crazy pinner, so I just do a pin every 6" or so.  BUT, you do need to leave a 2 1/2" opening so put a pin in there sideways to remind you as shown below.

Start sewing your inside stitch, about 1/4" in from the edge or so.  I like to start at the end of where the little pocket is going to be, go all the way around, and stop where the pocket is going to start.

Once you get all the way around your burp cloth, clip the corners off.  But BE CAREFUL you don't snip a stitch! How frustrating would that be? Once you have clipped your corners, turn your cloth inside out.  Once you do, make sure the edges at the open pocket are folded in.  Then, start sewing your top stitch about 1/4" in from the edge again. (It needs to be close enough to the edge so that you sew that pocket shut!) I start at the top corner of the side that has the pocket and get that stitched up first, and then try to match the distance in of the top stitch the rest of the way around.  If that makes any sense.

Once you go all the way around, you're done! You have a beautiful burp cloth. :) If you're a newbie at this like me, you may have some edges that aren't perfectly straight, and that's okay. It's a burp rag, it's getting covered in puke, slobber, and whatever else. I don't think the mommy or the baby are going to care if it's a tad bit crooked in certain places.

Like I said before, I planned on making 12 of these, but I mis-measured somewhere and ended up running out of terry cloth after I sewed 11 of them.  No biggie, next time I may just get 2 full yards of terry cloth to be on the safe side.

You can wrap them in any cute way you want to give to someone special... you could even make a cute tie to go around them if you have any left over fabric!  Such an easy/fun/quick project to do - oh and the best part, it only cost me $29 for all of the fabric.  That is without a coupon!

I hope you enjoyed, and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or I forgot to cover something. :)

Stay tuned for more sewing projects, recipes, DIY projects, and my boy Brody's nursery that is currently "under construction"! Here is a sneak peak:

Totally different look than Cole's original nursery, and his big boy room!  I love variety.

Thanks for reading,

My favorite affordable beauty products for the busy mama on a budget!

Hi ladies,

I wanted to share some of my favorite beauty products I use that are all around $10 or less.  This is coming from a former diva who would only wear makeup from Sephora at one time... and then I had a baby.  Now, I don't want to spend a ton of money on makeup or beauty products AT all, nor do I have time to go to the mall to buy more every time I run out. I like my makeup to be quality but affordable, and available at Target - my home away from home.  It's hard to find quality products comparable to the expensive stuff sometimes so I love to share what I've found with my friends, and also find out what other busy women/moms have found as well!

The foundation I use and love is by Cover Girl and it's called Aqua Smooth.  I use the Creamy Natural shade.  I used to use Studio Fix by Smashbox which was about $40.  This Cover Girl foundation works JUST as good, if not better (because it's a bit less heavy than the Studio Fix) and it's only $7 or so? It gives amazing coverage to my uneven skin tone and blemishes on my face, and it's still very light and smooth.  I swear if Cover Girl ever discontinues this stuff I will write them a letter and let them know how angry I am.

The bronzer I use is actually a powder and is also by Cover Girl.  I use the True Match in perfect beige.  This shade is dark if used as a powder but I use it as a bronzer and highlight my cheek bones with it, and also dust a little bit over my forehead and nose.  (With a big blush brush.) I would not use this dark of a shade as an all over powder.  I love this because it's not as thick as regular bronzers like the expensive kind I would buy at Sephora or Mac, but it also gives me the glow I want when I'm feeling pasty and white.

Speaking of being pasty and white... I am NOT a huge fan.  In fact, it's kind of my worst enemy.  I am naturally a very fair skinned girl with a lot of Irish in me, so I have tried almost every self tanner possible and have become very familiar with spray tan machines over the year in search of the perfect solutions that are not damaging to my skin.  Jergens Body Glow is great for daily use to keep a subtle glow especially in the warmer months when you're showing more skin.  I only use it on my face regularly though (at night so the light tan can develop before the next day) and for my body I have discovered something else.  Getting spray tans regularly is way too expensive obviously (I love those for special occasions - the new Mystics and Versa Spas are AMAZING), but for a more regular use (once or twice a week) I use these Loreal Sublime Bronze tanning wipes.  My good friend introduced them to me.  Ah-mazing. The wipes make it so easy to apply the tan on evenly and it turns out bronze, not orange.  It takes a couple times to get it down to where you don't miss any spots, but once you're a pro at them you will never want to use anything else!  I use one and get a pretty good tan from it, and I will usually put on a second layer a day or two later, to not only darken it a bit but cover any spots I may have missed in my first application.  These amazing things come with 8 per box for only about $9 per box.  Such a steal.

Another fun beauty secret for when you want an INSTANT bronze for a night out, the Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs is AWESOME.  The only down fall is it CAN wipe off a little, but for the most part it dries so well you most likely won't notice any wipe off, and it's also water resistant.  This is supposed to be used on legs only but I have put it all over and it looks fine.  It is pretty dark but if you're shocked and it's just too dark for you, you can easily just wash it off because it's not a self tanner. It's just a body bronzer.  I always have this stuff on hand especially in the summer time. I LOVE it.  (PS: Medium glow is about as dark as you need unless you have super tan or dark skin naturally.)

My favorite mascara in the entire world (even compared to the super fancy expensive ones at Sephora) is Loreal Double Extend.  I have short and white eyelashes, and I have found that this stuff lengthens and thickens my lashes just the right amount so it's a dramatic difference but still looks natural and not clumpy at all.  On special occasions I put on some fake eyelashes as well, but for every day use and something you can buy at Target or drug stores, this stuff is fabulous. Also just around $10.

There are a lot more products I use and love, but these are a handful of my favorites that I can't live without anymore.  I figured since I have tried so many different kinds I may as well share the ones that are the best to me and that I've continued to use for quite some time now. :)

Thanks for reading :)

Baby bump photo catch up!

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted any belly bump photo updates on my blog since I was at 14 weeks, so here they are up to date!

Getting ready for 23 weeks tomorrow! Happy Easter friends!

Cole's New & Improved Big Boy Room!

Hey everyone....

My poor blog. I have been neglecting it lately... I've been meaning to post these pictures for weeks and haven't taken the time.

We decided to put Cole in a toddler bed because he started escaping his crib, and freaking himself out every time he did it.  We also need the crib for baby Brody when he comes in 4 months so we decided to get this transition over with now.  We are so glad we did, Cole loves his bed and is adjusting much better than we expected to it.

In the process of getting his bed from Ikea, we also picked out a few more things for his room as well.  I absolutely LOVE Ikea if my blog readers haven't already picked up on that yet.

Here is his the new bed & room set up:

We got the shelves on the far right to add to the other ones we had and made that whole wall shelves of toys, diapers, clothes, etc.  Until he's potty trained I'm changing his diaper on top of that middle shelf... let's pray he adjusts to potty training as well as he did with the toddler bed!

We got him that little table and chairs ($20 for all of it!) and he LOVES them! He sits there all the time and yells at people out of his bedroom window... haha.

The mat on the floor for his cars and train is from Ikea, as well as the numbered bins on top of the Ikea shelf. The majority of everything in his room is from either Ikea or Target. :)

He loves the colors and we love the organization! It worked out well for us.  Thanks for reading!

13 & 14 week bump photos

Here are my current bump photos! To make these yourself you can read the tutorial here. :)

These are so easy and fun to do! :)

Gender Reveal Party for Jackson Baby #2

My husband and I found out last Monday at an ultrasound that we are having another BOY. :)

We wanted to share with family and friends in a special way, and these adorable gender reveal parties I keep seeing on Pinterest really inspired me to throw one as well.  Plus, anyone who knows me well knows that I'm obsessed with planning parties and will look for any excuse too. :)

So, I wanted to share the decor and crafts I made for the party for anyone who may want to do one of their own.  I know that usually the parents-to-be find out AT the party with everyone at the same time, but we couldn't wait a week and liked finding out in private with just us and Cole, so we did it this way instead.

Here are a couple pictures of the party set up:

I set up a table with the chalkboard on top saying "Almost time, which will it be? A bouncing little he or a pretty little she?" (I got the saying off Pinterest somewhere and then made it in to my own chalk art.)  The "Wear your vote" sign pointed to a hurricane full of clothes pins that had either a mustache or felt hearts hot glued to them for people to wear to show if they voted for a boy or girl.  I got all of the supplies for those at the Dollar Tree, except for the mustaches - my husband found those at a convenience store! I see them all over the place though.  I got the blue and pink pom poms, balloons, candy sticks, jars to hold them in, and the table cloth at Party City.  The boxes in the center of the table were cake pops that one of my best friends had made for me, they had blue sprinkles inside for the reveal.

Here is the spread with all of the food my awesome chef of a husband made:

I made this pennant banner myself, all with Dollar Tree supplies.  I made it on a whim, I needed to wing it because I didn't have time for perfection.  It was super easy though and came out cute so I'll give you the best tutorial I can on it:

Supplies needed are white poster board (2 sheets in case you mess up), 3 pieces of baby blue construction paper and 3 pieces of pink as well, a glue stick, scissors, a ruler, a pencil, twine, and a hot glue gun/glue. 

All I did was print out my letters on MS Word in Arial font since that has easy letters to cut out.  I sized them as large as I thought looked right - so just eye ball it.  Print the letters out, it fits about 2 letters per sheet. Glue each sheet around the edges to the appropriate color of construction paper you want. Then cut out the letters with scissors. Easy peasy. Then you need to make your triangles on the construction paper, large enough that each letter will fit inside. So take the widest letter you have, and estimate how big you need your triangles. Use the ruler and pencil to draw straight lines. (This took me a few tries to get it perfect.) Then, use your perfect triangle for a stencil and cut out one for each letter. Glue stick the letters to your triangles. Then, use your hot glue to get the triangles onto the twine to hang it with. :) SO easy. If I can eyeball this without a specific tutorial, ANYONE can.

Here are some of the pictures we took at the party:

It was such a fun time and I highly recommend a gender reveal party to anyone who is newly pregnant and interested! :)