Shower Curtain DIY

A few weeks ago I found this shower curtain from Anthropologie and couldn't stop wishing that it didn't cost $118. And, even if I had $118 to spend on a shower curtain it is only 72" square and I had been wanting a floor to ceiling curtain for my little bathroom. So, I headed for JoAnn's with a 50% off coupon in hand. I knew the only way to get all the fabric I needed, for a reasonable price, was to get 1 cut (the coupon stipulation.) After a lot of figuring and a few drawings I came home with 15 yards of white muslin and 2 packages of RIT dye.




I cut 10 strips 120" long and 12" wide. Then I used every last scrap to piece together a back. I hemed the bottom of each strip, so that when I dyed it, the thread would match.




Then I mixed each of the colors in 2 buckets with a third bucket to use for combining the colors and soaking the fabric. I started at the top by adding some yellow dye and some water to get a really light cream and then continued to add blue down to the bottom teal strip which was dyed in the teal bucket with no yellow added. After rinsing really well, washing, drying, and ironing each strip I started sewing the strips to the back piece. I pleated as I sewed to get the ruffled look and underlapped each piece by about an inch or so (I would do a little more if I did it again because when it is hanging you can see under the pieces a little bit.) I worked my way down to the bottom and the length turned out just like I wanted it.



It turned out a little more yellow than the original and I wish I would have left a couple of the bottom blues in the dye a little longer. However, I finished the project for only $28, 2 trips to the store (I had to go back for more thread since all those ruffles used a lot more than I thought), and a few hours on my sewing machine. So, it was totally worth it. Plus I think this kind of stuff it fun!



Another bonus, I finally hung (scratch that) made Tyler hang, the cute towel hooks that his dad made us for Christmas a few years ago. I have been waiting to hang it until I painted, which I tend to put off. This curtain gave me the nudge I needed to finally get it done.

Last weekend...

it was great to be eight for a boy named Damon.

We had such a great time with so many members of our family who were able to come and celebrate with us.

Damon was feeling a little under the weather that day which made for some less than perfect situations here and there, but it was a great day and I am so proud of Damon for choosing to be baptised.

Since his baptism and birthday happened to be on the same day, we had cake. It's the same cake I made for Damon's last birthday. The difference was, I knew what I was getting myself into this time, and I didn't make it the day of. So, there were no tears this year. Tyler actually seemed concerned when Damon asked for this cake again. It turns out it's not too bad with the help of one simple item, PARCHMENT PAPER. Sometimes you can get by without it, or use something else, but that is not the case with this cake. Don't be scared by the fact that it requires 19 eggs and 2 lbs. of butter, it's worth it. (cake found here)

It was so much fun having family fill our house. Thank you to everyone who came! We love you!

Baptism

We have been a little bit crazy around here for the last few months. Lot of traveling (buisness related, not the fun kind.)


I did get Damon's announcements mailed a couple weeks ago. So, if you haven't gotten one yet let me know. The same day I sent them, I was mailing post cards, and some never reached their destination. So, I wanted to make sure that didn't happen with these. We plan on having lunch at our house after. Also, since it is Damon's birthday he really wants to have a "game party" as he called it. "You just put a bunch of games out and everyone can go to whatever one they want, and play," was about how he described it to me. So, if you have a fun game let me know. I am hoping for good weather and maybe some outside games, too. And, we have plenty of room for anyone who wants to stay over night. Just let me know.

Happy Mother's Day!

Damon had me cover my eyes since he didn't wrap the gifts he made me at school.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that Damon's 8th birthday and baptism are coming up. I haven't mailed invitations yet, but I wanted to give some notice. It will be on Sat. June 4th at 10:00 a.m.

As I'm sure every mom says, "I can't believe he's 8!"

Our Easter!

I realized today that I never posted pictures of our Easter. It was such a fun day. The weather was cooperative (a little chilly, but no snow) and we had visitors.

After digging through his basket, Damon said, "Aren't these the eggs you can use as lipstick? But, I'm not going to use them as lipstick since I'm a boy." And then the next time I looked, he had them smeared all over his face. Oh, and isn't his bedhead sweet? Every morning!

I got Damon a Children's Dictionary. I have been on the hunt for a good one ever since he said he wanted one a few months ago. How could I say no to that? This one has lots of good pictures, but also age appropriate defintions, and a pronunciation key. He reads it with a flashlight almost everynight before bed.

Damon was really excited when I taught him how to color an egg with rainbow stripes.

I think next year the lesson will be how to color eggs, without coloring your fingers. Don't know if that one will be quite as exciting.

Easter Sunday was also my parents 30th wedding anniversary and I was glad they chose to share it with us. My Mom got these gangsta' teeth especially for the occasion and thought it would be fun if they wore them for a picture. I think Tyler and I will do the same on our 30th.

My Big, Little Brother!

Way back in January Taylor was already excited that his 16 birthday was the day before prom. First of all, I was glad he was so excited to be going, but also, I was suprised that he is already dating age.


Here we are 16 years ago when I was 13 yrs. and he was 24 hrs. old.


And this is a picture I sent Ryan last summer to show how much he has grown. He now refers to him as "Huge Tay."
My mom asked me to help her with the dinner she was making for the prom goers and I was so happy to be there. It was fun helping Taylor put on his cuff links and buttons.


My mom picked a really yummy menu,


and, I enlisted these two cute boys to be servers. They brought a little silly, light humor to the evening, and did such a good job. They took their job seriously, making sure the "chef at the grill" (aka: Dad) knew how everyone wanted their steaks.

Here is Taylor with his date. Everyone looked so great and it was such a fun night.

When is came time for the party people to head to the dance I overheard my mom ask the kid who was driving if he would mind if Taylor rode in the trunk (they were short one seat and the dance was only a couple blocks away.) Still, I thought it was a joke. When I realized it was for real I had to get a picture. It wasn't quite a trunk, but still hilarious. And, even more funny when I heard my dad say, "It's a conversation starter. Not everyone can say they rode to Prom in the trunk of a car." So true!

Just wondering...

I'm just sitting here, at my computer, wondering if I will ever get to shower again. After months without soft water and with white, filmy dishes we finally bought a new water softener. It was a hard purchase for me because it isn't such a necessity like the fridge or something, but everything else runs so much better with a working water softener, so it was time. Installing it should have been a quick and easy job, and something Tyler has succesfully done in the past, but today it has been one problem after another. So, as it is, Tyler is still in the storage room wondering what to do and I am in the office wondering if I will get to shower before bed. We both just wish we where watching Survivor and probably drinking a nice cold glass of water (it's been a while.)

While I'm wondering things, I am wondering why this hour glass only lasted about an hour in my house, and also, why I thought it would last any longer.

April Fools!

Dear Winter,

Please go away! We want to go to the beach!

XOXO,

D

April, a new month, and one day close to warmer weather. Damon is excited about April Fools and I still haven't come up with anything fun.

Last year we had a silly dinner with meatloaf cupcakes, mashed potato "frosting" and dessert pot pies. I think I got the instructions for the pot pies at FamilyFun.com (not sure), but they were pretty simple and here are some pictures if you want to try it.Rolled up tin foil holds the pie crust in shape while it bakes, and then it is easily removed once everything has cooled. I used a fork to make our initials for vent holes.

The filling is shaped chewy candy like starbursts and chewy jolly ranchers (that's where I got the bright green.) You can eaily soften them in the microwave, but it only takes a few seconds. I learned this lesson the hard way on a seprate occasion (it happened on a late March evening in Iowa, anybody remember?) I also used dried apples for the "chicken." Then stir it all in vanilla pudding. It's fun and everything tastes pretty good. Now I have to think of something new for this year. If you have any ideas let me know.

Straws!

I know it has been awhile, and I have so much I could write about, but today is the day for a post about a recent straw purchase I made. I have been in the market for reusable stainless steel drinking straws. First, I searched online. I found what I was looking for, but $3-$5 per straw plus shipping was not within my straw budget. So, I searched all over town with no luck. Finally, after asking at Bed, Bath & Beyond a woman told me they could be found at Maverick. "Ummm, really?" I decided to check it out.

I went in with the image of sleek, classy stainless steel straws in mind and came out with these bright pink, giant milkshake size straws instead. They weren't quite what I had in mind, but for only $1 a piece I couldn't pass them up. I just wish "The Chiller" wasn't etched in the side.

The warning on the wrapper was so funny to me. When I read it to Tyler his reaction was, "Oh ya, that would be bad!" Not the reaction I was expecting, but true after I stopped laughing and thought about it.

Still, I decided to risk the recommend appropriate age of 12yrs. and let Damon sip away.

How fun would it be to come up with warning labels. Am I the only one that usually finds them hilarious?