Hanging Art Baskets
Here's my take on a fribulous frabulous way to organize art supplies. I've finally got them cutely organized and accessible. (And juuuuust out of the kids reach too.)
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Towel Bibs
You know how babies are perfect eaters and never look like this?

Oh, right. They always
look like that. My little guy went through a phase of
yanking off any and every bib, which didn't do any favors
for his clothes. So I started using dish towel bibs. They
are easy to pop on over his head but he can't yank them
off (for now). And best of all, the towel is a generous
size to cover his entire body from neck to leg. I just
tuck it under him around the edges and his clothes stay
clean.
These are super-easy to make... all that's required is a
dish towel, a little ribbing, and a teeny bit of time.
Unless you decide to embroider fancy schmancy decorations
all over them, then you may need a little more time. (So
basically if you're the Mom, you'll probably be like me
and make the quick, easy one. If you're the Grandma,
you'll probably fancy it up a bit!)
Here's my little guy who's obviously happy because his
clothes are un-gunkified under that bib.
CLICK HERE for the
Dishtowel Bib Tutorial!!!
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Box Crate Book Shelves
This little project came about because we had more books than shelf for a while and I wasn't finding something I liked at the store. I didn't really think bookshelves were in the realm of my DIY capabilities, but it turns out I was mistaken. This fun little boy bookshelf is a combination of my desperation + four box crates + RIT dye (of all things). I love that you can still see the grain of the wood, and they have some spunk to them for a kid's room.
CLICK HERE for
the
Box Crate Bookshelves Tutorial!!!
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Happy Hineys!
Today's project was crafted for my newest nephew, Jeremiah. Isn't he just a doll?

Here's what I
made him, and what every mama needs for the daily job of
keeping that "tiny hiney" a HAPPY hiney... If you don't
have babies, don't throw this project aside! Bookmark it
for the next time you need a cute baby gift for someone
special! (More on that in a minute!) It's a super-simple
project that any mama will graciously thank you for!
I introduce
you to... waterproof changing
pads!
I use
these to sit on top of my son's actual changing pad so
that the cover doesn't have to get washed all the
time. These pads are easier to make than spare covers,
and quicker to change out as needed. (There were some
days while he was a newborn I'd actually go through 2
or 3 in a day.)

And, they're versatile!
You could stash one in the car, or make a few extra to
stick in a changing basket in another room. (A changing
basket is just a basket with diapers, wipes, a changing
pad, and any creams you may use inside it. If you have
multiple rooms you may end up changing the baby in, it's
handy to keep the changing supplies in a second room for
handy use.) If you're looking for a cute, practical baby
gift for someone, it doesn't get much better. How about
putting together a changing basket with all the
essentials? Or if you're feeling insanely crafty you
could make a basket out of diapers, like this:
No? Well, ok then. How about we just stick with the
changing pads. If you're giving them alone as a gift, you
could roll them up and tie a ribbon around them for added
cuteness, then skip the gift wrap. That's pretty
down-right doable!
Well, here are the front
and back of Jeremiah's changing pads:
And here are the first changing pads I made...
Which have been ever-so-handy over the past year with my
little guy, Austin:

Babies
are the BEST! Even if they do have stinky hineys from
time to time.
CLICK HERE for the
WATERPROOF CHANGING PAD TUTORIAL
(Note to my email
subscribers: You still have to visit my actual website
post (HERE) to leave me
comments.)![]()
You've Been Busy!!!
Hi there! If you wondered if I've dropped of the face of the earth since I haven't posted for so long... I haven't. I've just been.. well.. busy. And it turns out... so have you! I've gotten so many emails from readers who are using the tutorials and articles on my site, so thank you to all those who took a minute to write me a note and say thanks! I especially enjoy getting to see pictures of some of the things you've made using my site and a few people have sent me pictures so I'll share those with you now...

Featured Reader's Results:
I've heard from
quite a few of you using my Fleece Ear Flap Hat Pattern &
Tutorial! Here are the ones who
sent me pictures...
Ann from Toronto Canada used it to make her 10-month-old
daughter's Minnie Mouse costume, which helped keep her
warm while trick-or-treating in the cold. The great thing
about these hats is they can still be used for
every-day-cuteness all through winter, not just for
Halloween...
Caitlin,
from Fredericksburg, TX used my pattern to make her son's
first Halloween costume. She says she's far from a
seamstress but this was so simple that she already has
plans for another one. Here's little three-week-old Eli
as Yoda for his first Halloween...
Sarah B. Of Liverpool, NY used my pattern to make her
son's Halloween costume as well (he's Loki, from the
Avengers). The fabric she used wasn't stretchy so it took
a couple tries to get it to fit right, but she loved the
pattern and said it didn't take her long at all...
Tracy R. used my pattern to make several hats last year
as her first sewing project. She used it again this year
to make her son a mohawk hat to match his coat because
she couldn't find any in stores without skulls allover
them. (I feel your pain... I don't get the attraction to
skulls either and they are on lots of boys' clothes.)
Andrea R. made the ear flap hat with matching scarf to
velcro in place and even some gloves too. She posted
about it on her blog, HERE.
Renee K. made some creative additions to my pattern to
make this polar fleece vikings hat for her
granddaughter...
Angela D. of Maryland made several hats with
embellishments, and is sure she'll make more in the
future. Here's her favorite one...

Don't you love how versatile the pattern is? You can
really do what ever you want with it! I have even heard
from one woman who will be using the basic pattern (w/out
embellishments) to make 100+ hats to send to an orphanage
in Asia!!
Teri B. used
my Rag Quilt Tutorial to make a couple lap
quilts:
and some doll-size rag
quilts for her granddaughters:



She also used my
rag bag tutorial to make a couple rag
bags!
Sandra R. used
my Sassy Shelves Tutorial
to make
some Hello Kitty shelves for her daughter!


If you've used any of my
tutorials to make something of your own, don't forget
to send me
a picture of your results! It's
always fun to see what you've made! Thanks Ann, Caitlin,
Sarah, Tracy, Andrea, Renee, Teri and
Sandra!!!
Green Cleaning
If you haven't heard
all the rave about "green"
cleaning, you
really need to check it out! What's that you say?
You're not a tree hugger and you don't actually LIKE
cleaning? Oh, I see. Neither do I. But what if I told
you that you could get the job done faster, easier,
and healthier? Have I ever steered you wrong...
really? No, I didn't think so. Green cleaning is for
people who like to breathe... surely you fit that
category. It's also for people with asthma or
allergies or sensitive skin. It's also for people who
don't want their child or grandchild accidentally
poisoned (it happens every thirty seconds!). Just
check it out already, will ya?
Once you're on board to try Classy Cleaning, just be ready to spend an arm and
a leg buying fancy schmancy cleaners so you're sure to
have the best-of-the-best. Just kidding. That's not
how I roll. Actually, my Home Brews will save you some
mega mooh-lah, so what's not to love?
First you'll meet a couple of my friends...
Vinegar and Baking Soda... but don't think that just
because they are so stinkin' cheap that they can't
stand the competition.
Then you're in for a real treat, when I
share my tried-and-true Home Brews...

Super Simple Surface Cleaner That
Rocks!
(To
clean almost any surface around the house)

"Scrub-a-Dub, No-More-Grub"
Paste!
(A non-abrasive
wonder-paste)

Volcanic Cleaner
(For extra pizazz,
use this cleaner
and keep the "yuck" from running amuck!)

BETTER-than-Bleach
Disinfectant!!!
(This
cheap, easy solution has been
lab-proven MORE effective than bleach!)

Wood Care
(Dusting &
polishing furniture AND hard-wood floors!)

Laundry Room
(All
my tricks for super-clean, spot-free, static-free,
bleach-free clothes)
(I also link to a non-toxic soap concentrate
and my favorite cleaning
products)
Last, just turn on the
happy little working song to put a spring in your step,
and get to work! Happy Cleaning!
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New Home School Teacher Tools
I've been having a hay day on Pinterest and Google Image Search lately and came up with a lot of really neat photos and ideas to help brainstorm when planning a home school room!
I also posted a new page about a homeschool
organizational wonder: the Workbox System...
And updated my Teacher Tools for Home Schoolers
page,
which is full of oodles of teaching ideas I wanted to
remember.
Happy Home Schooling!
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Spring Cleaning Time for GMOs

The AAEM "called on the US government to implement an immediate moratorium on all genetically modified (GM) foods, and urged physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients." Much of Europe and other developed countries already have them banned.
In the mean time, why not do a little Spring Cleaning in your pantry, overhauling the GMOs? If you want to stop being part of this experiment, cast your vote with your wallet! The four simplest tips include:
1- Buy organic foods!
2- Look for "Non-GMO Project" verified seals (shown to the right).
3- Avoid at-risk ingredients including soybeans, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sugar from sugarbeets, especially when not buying organic food.
4- Buy Products listed in the Non-GMO Shopping Guide (This is a great resource with handy tips to make you a more informed shopper... they even have a handy downloadable phone app!)
Here's the official non-GMO Project website, which is a neat project immediately providing customers with an informed choice without dependency on government action! You can search through verified products to make an informed choice, or even make a product verification request for a food product you like. Either it's already verified (great!) or your request will let the company know that non-GMO verification is important to you! Let your voice be heard! Until the FDA requires labeling (join over a million other Americans who've signed the petition HERE), this is a way YOU can directly show companies that their consumers want GMO-free foods.
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No Way Jose!!
Well, I have another doozy for you! Let's say you ARE trying to make reasonable decisions when buying food for your family. What you may not realize is that there are lots of chemicals in foods that WEREN'T THERE when we were kids. You surely wouldn't feed your kids insecticide, would you? Well, did you know that corn is now regulated by the EPA as insecticide? That's because it's been genetically modified produce its own insecticide internally and to withstand increasing doses of weed killers.
Let me introduce you to "genetically engineered foods" and "genetically modified organisms."
Here in the
US, unlike most other developed countries,
we have no laws requiring labeling of genetically
engineered foods. And
they're pretty
common. This
means that we aren't able to make an informed choice.
If you think you have the right to know what you're
feeding your family, tell the FDA to label GMOs
(it's quick
& easy). Visit www.justlabelit.org
to find out
more about it!
I also watched a video that I just had to share! It's
about thirty minutes long, but I'd really highly
recommend taking the time to sit down and view it. Trust
me on this one, K?
You know if I'm putting in a plug for it, it has to be
worth your time. Especially since the last time I did
that was... well... never.
Let me know what you think!
(*update:
See PART TWO of this post HERE: "Spring
Cleaning Time for GMOs!")
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Fake Drawstrings and Adjustable Waists
You know when one day you realize that every pair of your kids' pants are too short? And you get him some new ones, making sure to get the ones with drawstrings so you know they'll adjust small enough to fit his waist, even though he's average size and all the pants SHOULD fit him anyway but you know they won't because they are always made for someone with a much more rotund belly?

I know you know what I'm
talking about. If not, just pretend you do. So then you
get home with your loot, relieved to be done and hoping
he doesn't grow for a good long time, only to realize
that EVERY.... yes I said EVERY single drawstring is
FAKE?!?

Yes, every single drawstring in the above photo is fake.
There is something wrong with the world. So now your
choices are either:
A- return these fake, pathetic pants to the store, hang
your head in failure and start over, even though
apparently there are no real drawstrings to be found
anyway...
B- let your kid run around with his pants around his
ankles
C- remember that one time you were reading this on
Tracy's Treasury and thank your lucky stars that she gave
you a tutorial about how to add an adjustable
waist to any pair of pants!
Although altering is THE most annoying sewing on the
planet, it was the quickest fix to my problem. If you
aren't familiar with adjustable waist pants, they look
something like this:

until you yank on the
elastic and re-adjust it to make the pants as small as
they need to be. Then you can re-button as your kid
grows, so the pants grow with him:

Ever since I discovered adjustable waist pants, they're
the ONLY thing I buy for my boys' jeans and khakis, but
for the run-around-comfy-cotton pants... they don't sell
adjustable waists... just a bunch of fake drawstrings and
some laughably-too-large elastic waistbands.
Now before you think my kid must just be a beanpole to
have this problem, I will tell you that he's right smack
in the middle of average sized for both height and
weight, meaning that he should be able to shop "off the
rack" and his poor mom shouldn't be racking her brains
over altering his clothes. If you know a clothing
manufacturer personally, please send them my way. I'd
love to do some consulting for them, because I think
they're crazy and need some major help.
But if you would like to know how to add an adjustable
waist to nearly any pair of pants, then
And here's the best pant model I've ever met in my life:
(he really knows how to work it)
FridgeSmart
Want to know what can keep your produce FRESHER... LONGER...

and CLEAR the CLUTTER in your refrigerator at the same
time?


I'm pretty tickled by my
latest fabulous find, and think you will be too.
Click HERE to get the scoop!!!
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Universal Shopping Cart / High Chair Cover
Since babies like to gnaw on icky things like shopping carts and restaurant high chairs, here's a handy cover to keep stashed in the car. It makes a nice baby shower gift too!
We received two different covers as gifts but both were
so elaborate with straps and velcro and extras that they
were a major pain to use. I gotta say that simple is
better!!! Here's what I came up with for a cover that
fits both high chairs and shopping carts, with no ties or
velcro... it just stretches on. No need to buy a store
pattern, just follow my tutorial. I wish I had this with
our first son!!!
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Featured Reader: Bible Cover

Featured Reader's Results:
If you've used any of my
tutorials to make something of your own, don't forget
to send me
a picture of your results!
TP Holder
Is it weird to be excited about a toilet paper holder? Cuz I am...

This is my latest sewing project, and HERE
is the tutorial!
This is excellent if you're new to sewing, or want a
basic project. (You can omit the ruffles and it's still
pretty super. I'm just in love with my ruffler foot
attachment.) It's also fabulous if you just want to be
sure you're never stranded without a spare roll of TP
nearby
And with the scrap of
fabric I had left, I cut out a 5x7 rectangle, ironed it
& put it in a spare picture frame to use as a
message
board. You can write right
on the glass with a wet-erase marker like you would a
dry-erase board. A message board like this is cute on
the counter or wall, and can be used to leave notes
for each other or write a bible verse.
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My Sous Chefs


Here's my very serious
sous chef:

He's ready to whip up
some yummy treats. Or, rather, to watch his spaceship
take off...


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Ode to Organizing
I made a new DIY section of my site for organizational wonders. I'm just an organized kind of gal, so this was really only a matter of time
The first one is in my pantry. Before I had 5 round canisters (I like things airtight), and lots of wasted space. Boo! After I have lots of canisters (I have them two deep) and tons more shelf space!!
The
second one is in my plasticware cabinet. I found a
plasticware line that I truly think is the BEST
available- they've really rethought every aspect and
nailed it! And it's a MUCH more affordable option than
Tupperware brand. Woo hoo! (You can even buy it at
WalMart!)
I've been using mine for
a couple years now, and it still looks as good as the day
I bought it.

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TT PreSchool Curriculum
A while back I linked to various PreSchool Resources. Today I'm excited to share with you something I've been compiling for a good while. If you know anyone with PreSchool aged children or grandchildren, please share this link with them. Basically, it's all of the fabulous at-home PreSchool ideas and activities I've come across from all sorts of sources and places...
It's for Moms (working and stay-at-home) & Grandmas who want some ideas of fun activities they can enjoy together with their Pre-School age child...
It's
for Home Schoolers who may be
interested in a FREE Pre-School curriculum...
Enjoy!! And happy pre-schooling!!
**Click HERE to see Tracy's Treasury
Pre-School!!**
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Hacky Sacks Game!
One of our recent projects was to make a hacky sacks toss game... We gave it to our boys for Christmas and it's a hit!
You get 1, 2, or 3 points, depending which hole your hacky sack lands in...

Here are the score cards...

You just add your buttons to the card for each point you
earn. When your card's full, you win!

This is great for the youngin's because it's simple
enough for them to be in charge of keeping their own
score, and they don't have to know how to add yet. Our 3
1/2 year old is a pro at it! Our 10 1/2 month old likes
to eat the hacky sacks.
Would you like to make your own?
HERE's the tutorial! Happy Hacky
Sacking!
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Just in case you need a little nudge...
Are you ready
to be grossed out?
You know how
real food goes bad? Over time it decays... it molds...
and it stinks. Man-made "processed food" doesn't do that.
I once heard of someone forgetting that they had a box of
McDonald's nuggets sitting on top of their refrigerator
for a long time- several months or maybe a year. When
they found it, the nuggets looked totally normal, they
hadn't molded or decayed at all!
One doctor set this "processed food" on her counter since
2010 and 2011 just "to show people what they're putting
in their bodies.....

... This is
man-made "processed-food," not "real food."... it has
kept its original size, shape and texture. Your body has
to work harder to break down and digest this stuff over
real food."38
Um, if that doesn't gross you out to eat fast food, I
don't know what will. Blech! Ugh. Realize that this is
coming from an ex-McDonald's LOVER. Love. Er. I loved it.
Past tense. I mean, it does still taste good, but since
I've come to the realization that it's not actually
food... well... things have changed a little. Actually,
my husband and I "quit" cold turkey after reading
Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of
America
by Morgan Spurlock... the guy who did the movie
"Super-Size Me." It was like ripping off a bandaid.
A really painful one. But I diverse...
If you're interested in healthy eating, then
be sure to check out my Nifty Nutrition
page. I have
helpful resources to show you WHY and HOW to change
the way you eat, along with enemies to your health to
be aware of. I've also got good resources for cooking,
kids nutrition, and even a link to where you can find
nutritional info for most any restaurant you can
imagine. (Just don't order a bloomin' onion. Ever.)
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Featured Reader: Bible Cover

Featured Reader's Results:
She says she'd like to
make another one in the future. Thanks for sharing
Katie!!
If you've used any of my
tutorials to make something of your own, don't forget
to send me
a picture of your results!
HERE's my Bible Cover
Tutorial
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My top choices of cookbooks to ROCK your socks off!!!

Well, I can tell you one thing... if I'm going to the trouble of MAKING food for my family to eat instead of getting take-out, it better TASTE GOOD or else it's not worth my effort! I'm not the kind of gal who eats rice cakes. I like real food with fresh ingredients. I don't want to diet or weigh out serving sizes. I just want a collection of do-able recipes that are yummy and nourishing too.
If you're interested in changing the way you cook and eat, you're ready to wean yourself from excessive processed junk that makes you gain weight and feel sluggish, but you don't really know where to go from here... then perhaps my cookbook recommendations will help. I've kindof bumbled around a bit in this area for a while, trying to find that happy balance between "healthy" food and "yummy" food... finding a recipe here and there that was fabulous, simple, and healthy. Now I finally feel like I have a couple of good GO-TO sources for recipes that fit my nutrition approach AND taste great.
Click HERE to see my Four Top Picks of
Recipe Books of All Time.
They are
pretty much LEGEND. ![]()
(This page is currently being featured at
HERE, at Veronica's
Cornucopia!! Thanks,
V!)
Click HERE to visit my Nifty Nutrition
Page,
which also
includes:

ENEMIES to your health
Meal planning choices
Guide to Kids' Nutrition
Mommy-made baby food
Enjoy!
And have a happy, healthy new year!!!
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Little Chef Apron (& how to do machine embroidery appliques!)
See this cute, but slightly bland tuxedo apron? I found it for $5 at Hobby Lobby with the Valentine's Day goodies. It wouldn't be hard at all to sew one by hand, but I thought $5 was worth letting them do the grunt work and I'd just have fun embellishing it. So that's where today's tutorial comes in... I'll be showing you how to machine embroider appliques. (For those of you who don't have an embroidery machine, there's an alternate method given as well.)
DIY Boutique Hair Bows: Featured Reader

Featured Reader's Results:
After giving up on
the curly bow directions from Hobby Lobby, Denny J.
of Kansas stumbled upon my Curly Hair Bow Tutorial
and said
it was super easy to follow. She made this cute little
bow to match her daughter's Christmas outfit!
Now she plans to make a
few for her nieces too. Thanks for sharing
Denny!!
Do you have any darling
little girls in your life? I'm pretty sure they need some
cute, curly, girly hair bows. I probably should have
mentioned this before Christmas, but oh well! There's
always birthdays!
HERE's my Boutique Hair Bows Tutorials
Page!
PS- I have a few other
bows & a bow holder on that page as well
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Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
These super-simple ornaments are made from a dough with TWO ingredients. And they smell faaaaaaabulous daaaaahhhhling! Make a few for yourself and a few to give as gifts!
They're perfect to add on to Christmas gift
tags...
And they make a great gift for the kids to make and give
themselves too!
Who wouldn't
want a yummy-smelling gingerbread man???
Comment Away!!!
Hey guys! I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for this moment...
Well, it's here!

Soooooo........ I have a job for you! Read the posts on my "What's New" page (CLICK HERE if you're reading this via email!) and leave me some comments after my previous posts so they don't look all sad and lonely, since as of today they all say "zero comments."
It's all I
want for Christmas.
(Will my
husband and Mom please disregard that statement? Thanks!)
** PS- Please
don't include "omg" in your comments! Thanks!!
**
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Super Simple Holiday Card Display
This is
officially the quickest, easiest DIY idea on my site. If
you have Christmas cards running amuck, try
this simple way to display
them! Just clip them to a ribbon running down your
kitchen cabinets. As you get more cards, add another
ribbon.
Easy Sparkley Ornaments!
Something
about Christmas begs everything to be sparkled, doesn't
it? If you love sparkles but not the mess that comes with
them, then these ornaments might just make your Christmas
very merry!
They're super
sparkly, super easy to make, and best of all... all the
glitter is on the INSIDE!
All you need is a clear glass ornament, fine glitter, and
some FLOOR POLISH! Now I know you need a little more
sparkle on your tree! CLICK HERE to go to
the tutorial!
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Read-Aloud, Toddler & PreSchool Resources!
Here are links
to several pages I've recently added or updated... Enjoy!
Reading Aloud
How to get
your child to love reading!
Read-Aloud Family Favorites
My family's
favorite books for babies and toddlers!
Toddler Days (age 1-2)
Here are some fun ideas to enjoy your time together!
Pre-Schooling (age 3-4)
Here are the best pre-school age activities you can do at home!
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Featured Readers!

Featured Reader's Results:

Gotta love the camo!! Thanks Regina!!
These two are "quiet bags" for kiddos from church to bring books in...


...and this one is made to tie on to a walker. It's my favorite

***Remember: If YOU make any of the projects on my site, please send me a photo with your finished results!
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Custom Christmas Stockings!!!

And I ended up with these...
I made them to
match this tree skirt
I made
last year...
Here's a closer look at mine... it has a triple layer of
ruffles! A girl has to have her ruffles you know.

And here's my hub's... no girlie frills here... though I
did sneak in the cute star stitch on the patches

And our boys'
coordinating stockings... Since pom pom thingies were
deemed too "girly," I used a simple piping edging, which
I find rather classy.

.
Would you like to make your own? Here's the tutorial! Merry Christmas!!!
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