Hoot!

Owls are all the rage right now, and they are so cute! My best friend from college just had her third baby, so I tormented myself with crocheting for the cutie:

*I say tormented, because it takes a lot of work for me to not have a death grip on my crochet hook. A too-tight grip equals an itchy, itchy hat!

Little did I know that baby girl's nursery is owl themed, so I was on the right track with this! Super awesome and cheap pattern here. What is great about this pattern is that it is a really great earflap beanie pattern, too, if you don't like the owl-ness.

She is also getting these girly booties:


I got this pattern off etsy here. Very cute pattern, but it uses too much fabric glue to be a favorite shoe.

Maybe it wasn't the pattern, though--it could have been my sewing. I have messed up everything I have tried to make lately (owl pillow for nephew's nursery--4 tries--taking a break!) so maybe that's a sign that I need to just buckle down with my hook and yarn and--argh--the hubby's sweater.

That said, I am doing the T-shirt diaries' Stashbusting September (see button) so that I can hopefully clear out some closet space. I have an unusual amount of craft felt in there!

       

Birthday Fabric

My sisters gave me fabric for my birthday! Yay! So I used it. Because it's cute.
I used it on my little Coco, of course! Sewing for little girls is not only easy and cheap but so fun. Just a little fabric goes a long way, and there are a bazillion sewing tutorials online for anything you could want to make. Cash is feeling neglected.

My sister Meg gave me some cute cherry fabric, destined to be a dress for Cosette. After she broke her collarbone, she needed something to wear that wouldn't require her to lift her arms over her head. So, this little tie-on sundress (tutorial here) was perfect:


My sister Larissa gave me some super cute Japanese fabric, which I love. I knew it would be cute as a little lined toddler backpack, and Cosette had been stealing her brother's Diego one. This backpack is little, but it looks even smaller over Cosette's collarbone brace:

Cosette likes to travel light like her mama and only fills it with a few goldfish crackers at a time! Observe the light-packing!


Poor Cash--every time I make something for Cosette, he asks if I can make him something, too. I am making him a pirate doll, but that might be a while!
     

The Prints I Love...

Clearing up some bookmarks! I am a big fan of Etsy and especially love to browse all of the cool prints, like in this, this, this, and especially this shop. Sadly, I can't buy any of those. But it's okay, because I found some very awesome free prints in the blog world. Behold, my favorites!

I found this inspiring print here:


Sunny Fiona Design has a few great printables, like this one:


Make it Perfect featured several different cool prints here:


I have been reading Pride and Prejudice lately, so I especially love this one ala Mr. Darcy:


Kind Over Matter is one of my all-time favorite blogs. There are a ton of cool printables there, but these are my favorites:
From The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights":


This one is really good to keep around if you are chasing kids all day:


Aren't those cool? Now all you need is a printer to have some instant and beautiful inspiration!

     

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Do not be fooled by this recipe! These brownies are not only high in fiber and protein while being low in sugar--they are delicious! My first batch was tested on my Hypnobabies students, who gobbled them up. I wasn't sure if they were consumed because of pregnancy hunger or if they were actually yummy. So, I made another batch for the ultimate taste-testers: my toddlers! They loved them and keep asking for them. They are so super yummy. Try them!

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (can substitue agave nectar)
3 Tbsp. oil
3 or 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. peanut butter (optional, but I always go for this one!)

Blend everything up in a blender or food processor. Pour into a greased 8 by 8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (mine were done in my superhot oven at around 25 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick). Cut in pieces and enjoy!

Here are some Canellini (white bean) variations I'm excited to try:

Lemon Ginger: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. lemon extract, 2 tsp. ground ginger and zest of one lemon to bean mixture. Top with sliced almonds.

Cranberry orange: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. orange extract, 2 tsp. ground ginger and zest of one orange to bean mixture. Top with minced dried cranberries.

Cherry almond: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. almond to bean mixture. Top with minced dried cherries and sliced almonds.

Pumpkin: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp salt to bean mixture. Top with chopped pecans.

Apple spice: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp salt to bean mixture. Top with chopped walnuts.

MADE stuff

There is a craft blog I really like called MADE, mainly because the seamstress of the blog is the sewing equivalent to my sister Molly's cooking. They are both very creative and have crazy camera smiles :)

Anyways, I wanted to try a few of her patterns, so here they are:

The Warhol Dress. This is a free pattern and comes together in about an hour:


I thickened the neckline a bit too much, but I think it's still kind of cute. Sorry for the blurriness, but I just love that chubby toddler belly poking out! And this dress is made from a $1 5XL t-shirt from Wal-Mart, that has a ton more material left to use.

The Rollie Pollie bean bag chair:


*Crazy kid stretched the neckline out trying to get naked! :)

This bean beag is actually stuffed with our stuffed animals, which was an idea from Molly. The pattern was $6 but very detailed. Put in my first zipper on this little baby!

I am so proud of myself, because I have not bought fabric in over 2 months! So I am finally tackling all of the projects and materials I have literally shoved in my closet. (Yes, I am a shover. Don't look under my couch!)




       

Listen

Yes, I have erased the watch and read part of this post, because what I originally suggested was not appropriate. The book, Beatrice and Virgil, was good for about a hundred pages or so and then turned really ugly at the end. And the movie, well, let's just say sometimes I like things that might be grossly offensive to other people. Sorry!

Listen:

I love the Noisettes, and I love how they covered the Killer's "When You Were Young". It is so beautiful (and much better than the orginal, in my opinion). I can listen to this song all day long! Isn't the lead singer so gorgeous, too? Just beautiful!



Enjoy! Anyone seen or heard anything great lately?

Crochet Inspiration

Recently, I mentioned to my hubby that I really wanted a good crochet project. A hook and some yarn are a lot more naptime and movie-watching friendly than a loud sewing machine! So, the other day, Fox came home with a small skein of black wool yarn. So that I could start him a crocheted sweater. For his 6'5" frame. To be done in time for winter. Requiring probably 18 skeins. At 5 dollars each. He is still not getting why I have put off this project for so long! (Yes, for years he has been begging me to make him a sweater that would actually reach down past his wrists for the first time in his life. I have never crocheted any article of clothing.)

And I am still putting it off...for now...because these projects are much more appealing to me than a black sweater project in the middle of summer:

Crochet Hook Roll Tutorial






Bella Dia's Sweet Heart Pattern




Attic 24's Summer Garden Squares




Rose Hip's Flower-Square Pillow Pattern




You Go Girl's Edge-Crocheted Pillowcase Tutorial


Tasty Crochet: Crochet Food Patterns--I recently checked this book out from the library, and it has a ton of fun food patterns!


Aren't those fun? I have had those links bookmarked for so long! I am still going to attempt the sweater, since I love my husband, so we'll see how it goes!