First Haircut

I wanted to postpone Bunny's first haircut till forever but her little ends were getting so split and damaged after her nearly three years on earth without my touching them, that I figured it was time.  That, and she sort of already gave herself a first haircut of sorts when she hacked a chunk right out of her bang area the other day.  Six inches of beautiful, yellow baby-to-toddler hair gone and in its place a little tuft that pokes out when she wears a pony tail.

I guess this isn't a first haircut, then, if we're talking bangs.  I had her bangs cut once, right before her second birthday party, but once she stopped pulling barrettes out of her hair, I decided to grow out the bangs because I REALLY hate bangs on little girls--mostly because the nature of growing out your baby hair tends to give them a helmet head.  I know, I'm the oldest of 7 children and 6 girls. 

In any case, despite the TWO bang cuts, if you count the one she did to herself, the rest of her hair hadn't been touched.  Til two weeks ago, that is.  My aunt and my sister are both hairdressers so I've learned the proper technique for a trim.  It came out marvelously, if I do say so myself.  It rid her of all the straggle and none of the length.  Woo hoo!

An Amazing Cooking Blog

 One of my dear friends has a new cooking blog! I've known her for many long years, and at just the right time we were close enough that she was my maid of honor.  She's always been an amazing, artistic, and wonderful soul to be around.  She's just as fantastic a cook as she is an artist! (Meals are always exciting when she prepares them) 

If you're interested in some cooking advice from someone who's above the cooking skill of most of the rest of us, check her out at www.granolalola.com. 

I promise, you won't be let down. :-)

(PS, this image is pulled from her blog, and is not my own.  But isn't she an amazing photographer?  Inspiring.)

Mango Orange Fruit Leather

Fruit Leather

Three pureed mangoes
 
 1 can of 100%, no added sugar orange (or any flavor) concentrate

 A bit of honey 2-3 hours in the oven at 200 degrees on parchment paper in cookie sheets

 Cut them up into squares, roll, and store in baggies.


Now, that's how I like it, but I'm pretty sure you could change it up any way you like.  Basically, you just need to make a fruit puree and then dehydrate it.

Princess Aurora

Using one of my discarded, pink T shirts, and the fabric left over from banquet gowns I sewed for my sisters a couple of years in a row and the backing of my living room curtains, I whipped up this highly flawed Princess Aurora dress for my daughter, and then for her bathtime Aurora Barbie, I made a skirt so she can be more than a Barbie in a painted bikini.  I didn't really use a pattern for it, which is why it has flaws.  Currently, I'm working on a Cinderella dress and I'm taking lots of time to draft a pattern and test it on scrap fabric (old sheets :-P)  before sewing it into more spare banquet gown satin and another discarded Tee.  I think the Cinderella dress will be as successful as this one or more.  And, I'll have an actual pattern for it so hopefully I can share that here. 

Matching Peasant Tops: Toddler and Do

I've had this cute cartoony animal print fabric hanging around the house for probably a year now, and with summer vacation here, I finally have time to do something with it! After drafting the patterns, I whipped up these matching tops for my daughter and her Target brand 18" doll in no time at all.  They were a hit.  I'm planning on making them again for her best friend's birthday party this Sunday. 

Matching girl and dolly dresses

A while back--at Easter time, specifically--my extra easter egg dye inspired me to dye wool yarn.  It ballooned into a huge pile of one-of-a-kind, hand-dyed, brightly-colored wool that I have yet to finish knitting into garments.

 But here is one of the dresses I made with it.  I looked at a button down, raglan sweater pattern on Ravelry.com to start the sweater with the correct number of stitches, and then ignored everything else and winged it to make the dress.  It has faux buttons down the front, and a drop waist (which is a little more dropped than I had intended) with a frilly, girly skirt at the bottom.  I sort of ran out of yarn when it came to a dress for Julie (her dolly), but honestly, you can barely tell when the dress is on her.  All in all, I'm pleased with the outcome.  Since it's wool, it could be a lovely winter dress, with a turtle neck and tights underneath.  But it also is breatheable and light enough to make a spring/summer dress.  And because it's a drop waist, and somewhat loose, she'll be able to wear it for a while yet.  I'm quite pleased.  :-D

She wore the dress to a nearby sheep and wool festival a couple of months ago, and it was a smash hit!  It was fun to inform her that the yarn from her dress came from all those fleecy sheep!