Paper Bag Skirt

 I love skirts!!  They can be paired with a cute pair of sandals, leggings, or boots.  I want to make some skirts for myself, but I am nervous to venture into the world of sewing adult-sized clothing.  I have seen these paper bag skirt tutorials all over the blogosphere and really want to make one for myself.  But first, I decided to make one for Abby.  I can work out the kinks and have a better understanding of the pattern.  And if I mess up, it is less material to throw away!!  So I found this tutorial at Sew Caroline and adjusted it for Abby.

Since Abby was at school, I used one of her other skirts as a guide.  In general, add four inches to the desired length of a finished skirt.  For the width, measure around the largest part of your bottom, divide by two and add 2 inches.  Abby's little skirt ended up being 16" in width and 19" in length.  Cut out two squares this size. 

I pressed my two squares and then pinned right sides together.  Sew two side seams.

Once side seams are sown, turn down three inches from the top and press.  Run a stitch ALMOST all the way around the skirt.  Leave a small opening to run your elastic through.  Then measure about 1.5" closer to the top of the skirt and run a stitch all the way around the skirt.  This will be the casing for the elastic.  (My elastic was 1 inch wide opening was about 1.5".  Adjust sizes for the size of the elastic.)

 

Place a safety pin on one end of the elastic and feed it through the opening.  Work the elastic all the way through the opening.  Be careful not to twist the elastic.  Sew the two ends of the elastic together using a zigzag stitch (do NOT twist the elastic during this step.)

Complete the skirt by adding a seam at the bottom of the skirt.

I decided to make a sash to go with the skirt.  I cut a strip of  material 3" wide (for a 1 1/2" wide sash) and 50 inches long.  (I multiplied the waist measurement by 3 and added two inches.  However, I wish I had added 5 -7 inches.)  I folded the strip in half (folding right sides in) and pressed a crease.  I also cut the ends at an angle. 

So up until this point, I had been working on the skirt for about 30-35 minutes (that is with a 4 year old and an 11 month old who needed a bottle.)  But when it came time to turn this sash right-side out, it took almost as much time!!  I started with a wooden spoon, but that didn't work too well.  So I had to just had to ever-so-slowly pull the right side out.  I later discovered that attaching a safety pin and feeding it through the tube would have been the way to go!!

Once the entire sash is right-side out, close the other end of the sash with a straight stitch, turning the raw edges under.  I also pressed the sash down flat.  I also thought about attaching the sash to the skirt with a simple stitch, but have neglected to do so.

Abby liked posing for the pictures.  To bad she has Hello Kitty bandaids on her legs and I took pictures in front of a light switch!!

I also had a little helper during this project.  Micah was the official "Pin Putter Upper".  He took his job VERY seriously!!

Rachel

Rite of Passage

Life is marked by various rites of passage.  Births, graduations, marriages, even deaths are momentous when they occur to us or our loved ones.  However, there are other important events that are sprinkled throughout life--first steps, first words, first haircut, first day of school, first school presentation, riding a bike without training wheels, high school, first date, baptism.  These events are big in their own right and as a parent, they mark our children growing up and becoming their own individual.

A couple of weekends ago, Abby went through a rite of passage that many young girls experience.  Although some girls may be too young to remember, other girls wait with anticipation (like I did) until the day she gets her ears pierced!!  Now to some, this is not a big deal at all.  But for our family, it was HUGE!!!

My older sister got her ears pierced when she was 10 years old.  I was only four at the time, but immediately wanted my ears pierced too.  To probably quiet my whining, mom and dad said that I too had to wait until I was ten.  Wow!!  I remember my 10th birthday like it was yesterday.  First, I was turning 10--DOUBLE DIGITS!!  That was major as a child, but I also knew that I would be getting my ears pierced.  On my birthday, mom loaded us kids up in the car and to town we went.  I remember shaking with excitement (and a little fear) as I sat in the chair at Claire's waiting for those two shiny CZs to be in MY ears!!  While squeezing my mom's hand, those two holes were placed in my ears and I had some shiny studs to show off to all my friends and family!!  I was so proud.

Naturally, I assumed that Abby would be 10 when she got her ears pierced.  But she asked earlier, much earlier.  In fact, she first mentioned getting them pierced when she started preschool (probably because her friends had them already done.)  Josh and I pushed it off and said when she turned six, her ears could be pierced.  But I'm a realist and told Abby that it would hurt.  Not forever, but for a few moments, it would hurt.  I compared it to a shot.  Big mistake!!  She immediately decided that piercing her ears was NOT a good idea.  In fact, she decided that she would be ready when she turned 11!!  So her sixth birthday came and went without an ear piercing.

Well, over Christmas break, Abby brought it up again.  We happened to be at the Evansville mall and a teenage girl was getting her ears pierced.  So we watch and it was a great experience.  No tears, no screaming, no gnashing of teeth...at least from the teenager.  But there was a young girl, probably six, that was next in line.  All the preparations were made, the young girl was ready, holding her mom's hand and the gun was placed on the ear lobe.  As soon as that needle pierced that ear, the girl was screaming.  She screamed a LOT!!  She screamed so much that she refused to let them pierce her other ear.  And who was a witness to all of this?  Abby.  Once again, she was deterred and said that 11 sounded good to her.

A couple of weeks ago, we walked into the mall on a Saturday and Abby announced that she wanted to get her ears pierced.  Josh and I were shocked!!  We asked her if she was serious and her immediate reply was yes.  Since she was on the bandwagon, we immediately walked to Claire's.  Fortunately, there were two girls working so both ears could be pierced at the same time.  Well our young lady picked out her earrings, jumped up in the chair, and was ready to go.  The lady piercing her ears was a blessing in disguise.  She was so patient and explained each step so thoroughly and prepared Abby for the entire process.

I was concerned that our dramatic daughter would scream and wail (like when she gets a paper cut!!)  Boy, was I wrong!!  She squeezed her daddy's hands, and her eyes, while those two girls pierced her ears.  Not even a sound came out of her mouth!  When it was over, her eyes watered, but not one tear was shed, by her (I think I cried a little.)  She was so impressive and she has been ever since.  She has to tell me that it is time to clean her ears, not the other way around.

This rite of passage showcases that Abby is no longer a baby (as I perceive her sometimes), but is becoming a young lady.  Time is marching on too quickly for this momma!!  Of course now she is asking how many more weeks until she can have dangle earrings!!

Before...all smiles!!

Just a squeeze of Daddy's hands!!

 Her mixed emotions are all over her face.  There are tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.

 Still smiling!!

 She loves her Hello Kitty earrings!!

Sunday morning, she said she needed to wear a headband to church so everyone could see her ears!!  I frequently see her tucking her hair behind her ear so everyone will notice!!  Such a funny girl.

Rachel

Spicy White Chili

It's January! I get it!  I have complained about not having a real winter in the mountains and then winter arrived...in full force.  The highs all week are in the 20s and the wind chill factors are in the negatives.  As of right now, the temperature is 19, with 20 mile per hour winds, and a windchill of -4!!  BRRR!! Winter equals soup in my house and we have been eating a LOT of soup lately (note my recent posts!!)

Anyway, this soup is a great way to chase away the chill and is super simple.  This recipe uses McCormick white chili seasoning packet.  (Why reinvent the wheel, right?)  I just doctor it up and add a little personality. 

Ingredients:
McCormick White Chili Seasoning Packet
Chicken Broth
Chicken (not pictured), cut into bite sized pieces
Diced tomatoes with green chilies
Onion, diced
Corn
Cannellini Beans

Step 1:  Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Add onions and 3-4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Step 2:  Add seasoning packet.  Stir until chicken is coated with seasoning.

Step 3:  Add beans, corn, and tomatoes.

Step 4:  Add chicken broth.  Add until soup reaches the consistency desired.  Stir well.  Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.  Fresh cilantro would be yummy too!!  This soup is a hit with the whole family.  If your family is large or you want to freeze the soup, simply double or triple the recipe.  Enjoy!!

Rachel

INSTAGRAM!!

I usually catch onto trends about halfway through the rage.  Instagram is one example.  I was noticing last year, some of my high school students were taking some really awesome pictures with their phones.  Of course, I didn't know that it was a simple, free app for smart phones.  Now that I stay at home, I love to snap pictures of the kids doing everyday things.  I actually contacted one of my students to get her picture taking secret!!  I have quickly become addicted.  With the help of Instagram, I can take simple photos and add a little touch of personality and pizazz.   

Here are some pictures that I have captured and edited in Instagram over the last few months.  Generally, I just text them to Josh and my parents, but I just love them so much, I thought I would share with my blog readers.  I am so fortunate that I have the technology to capture my children's childhood whenever I want.  I'm sure my parents and grandparents would have loved the same opportunity.  Enjoy a few pictures of my three little blessings!

 Indoor campout!!

 "Hairhawks" as Micah calls them!!

 Someone forgot to pick up markers and Jude found them

 A day at the park

 Micah and his "Fatman"

 He likes to eat so much, he crawled under his exersaucer to find crumbs.  The evidence is stuck on his face!

 Abby and Nana

 App State Football

 

 Yum!!  I love to eat carrots!!

 Riding bikes

 Micah and Papaw Jeff

Rachel

SNOW!!!

 

I LOVE SNOW!!  Hands down, it is one of the most beautiful sights in all of God's creation.  Winters in Kentucky can be such a hit or miss when it comes to snow.  In fact last winter, Hardin County Schools did not even have ONE snow day, which was a first in my seven years of teaching.  Anyway, when we moved to the mountains, I was assuming we would have a snowy winter.  I was wrong!!!  We had a little snow in October, but Josh's dad was in the hospital in Evansville, IN, so we were out of town.  Since then...nothing, not even much of a flurry.  In fact, we have drove up to Appalachian Ski Mountain to watch the snow machines MAKE snow!!!  Well, we FINALLY had a snow.  In fact, on Thursday afternoon, we received eight inches in four hours!!  It was beautiful!!  Abby had a snow day on Friday and we have enjoyed the snow all weekend.  My camera battery was dead, so I snapped some pictures with my phone.  Enjoy!!

This is the row of condominiums behind our condo.  I thought this was so pretty.

Rachel