Mama Style feature at Harper's Happenings!

 

One more link for you on this fine day...hop on over to Harper's Happenings to see my "Mama Style post"! Thanks for having me, Mandy!

Featured...

One more link for this lovely Friday- head on over to my sweet friend Emily's blog to check out my "Pretty Pieces" feature, where I share 5 favorite items from my closet!  I love this idea, and I adore Emily, and if you don't already have her blog in your regular reads I highly suggest it. She's a fellow AZ gal with the cutest style and her blog is a daily stop of mine! Thanks for featuring me Emily!

Featured...

Head on over to my sweet friend James' site, to take a peek at my feature in her "Mama Style" series! Love James and love her blog- check it out!

Guest post!

Head on over to the darling Mandi's blog to check out my guest post.  Here's Looking at Me, Kid is one of my daily reads, and I was super excited to share one of my favorite healthy recipes during her week long "Catching Confetti" series.  Let me know what you think!

Guest post from Jess/The Doe or the Deer!

Oh I am just so excited to feature one of my most favorite blogging ladies in the entire world (actually take out blogging- favorite ladies. period.). Many of you may already read Jess' blog, and if so I'm sure you are well-versed on her magical mix of wit, sarcasm, truth, and heart. We've been friends in this grand ole blogosphere for years now, and someday soon we are going to have a lady blogger meet up that is way overdue. When I asked Jess to do a little guest post while I was out with Henry, I knew she would bring something great to the table...something most likely funny, and definitely something that made you smile. So here she is, Jess of the Doe or the Deer!


First off, I just want to thank Danielle for asking me to guest post on Sometimes Sweet. I am beyond elated for the birth of Henry and I am currently waiting for “the text." I have to admit, I felt the pressure trying to come up with a clever little post. Danielle has such a loyal following, so I tried to keep the curse words and grammatical errors at a minimum… I’m sure Danielle was sweating bullets at the thought of “what the hell is Jess going to write about?!?” Well Danielle, look away and squeeze that baby out.

Nothing to see here.

My 5 Reasons to make babies:

-Get out of any awkward situation.

You all have been there. Perhaps at a party, a certain someone shows up, but you don’t want to be rude to the host. Welp, now you have a good reason. “Oh I am so sorry! Little Zoe is not feeling good. I need to go home… Now.” The best part is that you can leave and still not go home. Go to Starbucks, go to Target, hell, go to a movie!

-Having a fat day, at least your kid is cute.

Some days I am just not feeling too cute. But nothing makes you feel prettier than sporting your best "accessory"… Your kid. You may be in your sweats at the grocery store, but do you think anyone notices that when you got a chubby cherub, cheerfully chirping in your cart? (How’s that for alliteration?) Nope. Its like an invisible cloak of cuteness.

-Running late? Blame the kids.

Kids do make you run late. The equation is usually for each child you have, you run 1 hour late. I have 2, so I run 2 hours late. I’m a mathematician’s daughter, obviously. But, what if you are running really, really late? And it’s YOUR fault. You can blame it on a poop explosion, vomit, lost their favorite Sophie Giraffe. The possibilities are endless.

-Now you have an excuse for eating those sugary Lucky Charms.

I know we all say, “oh my child will NEVER eat anything but organic… yaddi-ya-ya..” Well I live on planet Reality and kids like the “good stuff”. Cereals, pop-tarts and cookies just happen. Don’t blame yourself, unless you are that lady on Maury with the 200 pound toddler, then yes, blame yourself. Look on the bright side, now you have sweet treats for yourself at any P.M.S.ing moment. No late night trips to the drugstore to satisfy you desires. You‘re welcome.

-Halloween. Candy is up for grabs.

What’s yours is mine. Why? Cause I’m Mom and I say so. Feels so good rolling off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Guest post from Paige Baker!

Today my guest poster is none other than the lovely Paige Baker. What can I possibly say about Paige in this short intro that could even begin sum up the wonderful-ness that is this girl?! First of all, I adore her. We have shared interests in many things, including Charles Bukowski and orange juice with extra pulp, and I am proud to call this firecracker of a girl my friend. One day we shall meet up in Tempe and have a grand old time. I sincerely hope you go and check out her blog- I guarantee you'll enjoy your visit and return again! Thank you darling Paige for being a part of Sometimes Sweet for the day, I really appreciate it!

...and here's Paige!

One of my greatest interests, and consequently, one of the most frequent focuses of my blog, is art. Finding and posting about new art makes me so happy and excited about how much talent and passion humans still have. Especially on the days where I feel like I could lose faith in humanity, seeing the things we create and how much of ourselves we poor into our beautiful creations, is some of the greatest encouragement I could ask for.

In light of this, I've decided to showcase my five favorite pieces of art I've featured on my blog since I've started. It was hard to pick so few, but I think I've really got the best of the best here.

1. Kate MccGwire's work is always so stunning and unique. I could spend hours just staring at a single piece.

2. Megan Galante's "Anti Holiday Signs" are so artistic and brilliantly cynical. Okay, I am all about being positive--but these are for the days when you're just not feeling it.

3. These Tree Branches in Jars by Naoko Ito are so complex and visually striking. I can't tell you how long I've spent just staring at them.

4. At one point I knew who these belonged to and even am pretty sure they're a flickr contact of mine, but I can't seem to find the original author. But these pictures were posted months apart of sort of a "before and after" I thought it beautiful, realistic, poignant, and with a strong and peaceful message. Nothing is perfect. No one is perfect.

5. I love pinhole photography. The fact that people will take a gamble on a piece of film for months—or even years—strikes me as almost romantic, like a time capsule. This longest-ever exposure shows 34months of New York life. (artist unknown)

And there you have it. My five, very difficult to choose, favorite pieces of art I've ever had on my blog!

Guest post from Katie/I Go By Katie!

Today I am just so excited to welcome Katie to Sometimes Sweet! Many of you may know Katie from her amazing creations (Darlingtonia Moccasins) and you may already read her fantastic blog...but if you don't, definitely head over her way! Katie is someone who I really admire- being that I am not exactly queen of the DIY (or let's face it, even on the court), I truly find inspiration in people who are uber-creative like Katie; people who just have that drive to make beautiful things. Besides her obvious talent and creativity, Katie is incredibly sweet (beautiful too), and it's such a pleasure to host her here on my blog. Thank you Katie! xo

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Hello everyone! I'm Katie the lady behind the blog I go by Katie & I'm here today to share a super cute DIY with you in honor of baby Henry!


In this DIY I will show you how to make these endlessly customizable, super easy & absolutely adorable baby bibs using transparent vinyl & bias tape. You can add anything to the center of the bib, I used sequins, stickers & snowflake lace scrapbooking paper on mine but you could certainly spell out baby's name, add a drawing or even photographs.

Supplies:
Bias tape
Clear vinyl - this can usually be found on rolls at your local fabric store, be sure to choose a light weight & flexible version.
Embellishments - sequins, scrapbooking paper, stickers, fabric, whatever you like!
Scissors
Sewing Machine

Step 1
Cut 2 pieces of vinyl for the bib using the bib pattern provided. If you are using scrapbooking paper like my white snowflake example which was a lace paper design cut a bib pattern out of your paper also.

Step 2
Sew bias tape around the neck portion of your bib. Sewing with bias tape can be tricky if you've never tried it before I suggest practicing your technique a bit. You want to make sure your stitches are catching both sides of the fabric while being as close to the edge as you can. If you are using stickers like in my green fern example now is the time to arrange your stickers, just open the 2 pieces of vinyl, place your stickers where you would like them & replace the top layer or vinyl.

Step 3
Now to add the ties & bias tape around the perimeter of your bib. Begin by sewing up your bias tape enclosing it & stop when you've gone 15". Now while your needle is in your fabric lift your presser foot & slip your vinyl bib inside your bias tape right where you've stopped stitching. Put your presser foot back down & begin sewing around the perimeter of your bib. Because pins would damage the vinyl I don't recommend using them, just work slowly, especially around corners to make sure you are catching both sides of your bias tape. If you are making a sequin version, once you've about 2/3 of the way through add your sequins by separating your vinyl sheets & pouring in the desired amount of sequins.

Step 4
Once you've sewn your bias tape all the way around your bib continue sewing your bias tape together until the length of what will be your tie is the same as the other side 15". Now you are ready to dress baby up in his or her fun new bib!

All done!

Click the bib pattern below to enlarge it in a new window, save it to your computer & print it at 100%. To make larger versions just raise the percentile.

If you have any questions or trouble with my directions or pattern feel free to shoot me an email at igobykatie@gmail.com & I will do my best to help! Also, this pattern & tutorial is for personal use only.

Guest from Jess/Boho Baby Blog!

Hey there! My name is Jess Gatlyn from the Boho Baby Bump blog. When Danielle asked me to contribute a guest blog post I was so excited. I'll admit, I squealed! And, we are oh so excited that her little man, Henry has arrived!

Since it is so close to Christmas time, I thought I'd share with you guys some fun and simple to make Christmas ornaments. You can use vintage hymnals or any old books that you might have laying around. I first started making these last year. Seeing that it was my first married Christmas, our decor budget was a little tight. So, I sat down with my old, yellowed paper hymnals, which I had used in my wedding for decor. I got out my vintage button collection, some old trim, a glue gun and I played. Sometimes Christmas ornaments can get kinda pricey. The cost to make these is next to nothing, and they will give your "Tis the Season" a more personal touch.

Although these are a very basic version, you can get super creative and layer them, add to them and create all sorts of new goodies. I made these in all different sizes and covered my tree with old tunes. My whole theme was hymnal paper and vintage buttons. I'll probably do something similar this year as well. This is also a fun project to do with the fam and it is super kid friendly. If you're doing this with kiddos, you can easily substite the glue gun for a glue stick.

If you decide to give it a go, please send a pic my way and let me see where your creative juices take you.

Happy creating everyone!

Guest post from Emma!

Today's guest post is a special treat from Emma, who many of you may know as the fabulously talented maker of sweet somethings from Red Velvet Art's shop in Springfield, Missouri. There, Emma and her sister Elsie have created a magical world of beauty, fun, and delicious treats in their boutique and cupcake shop! I'm so excited to have Emma share a post with us here, and I know all of you will enjoy it! Thank you so much Emma.

photo by loatawaystudios.com

Hello hello, Emma here from Food Coma Blog. And have I got a treat for you:) Usually I like to bake or make sweet treats but every now and again, especially for the holidays, I like to make cocktails! This is an easy and fun cocktail I like to call, Spiked Apple Pie.


To make this delicious little drink all you need is: 1 cup apple juice or apple cider (I used juice), 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 3-4 tablespoons spiced rum and a few cinnamon sticks for garnish.


Mix together the apple juice and cinnamon until well combined. In a saucepan or microwave safe container heat up the spiced juice mixture until it is coffee-hot. Pour it into your serving glass and splash in the rum, if it's already room temperature. If you store your rum in the freezer then go ahead and warm it up a bit before you mix it in, but keep in mind that alcohol has less heat tolerance than juice or water, so heating it up a lot can deplete the potency of your beverage. Just FYI.

Serve with a few cinnamon sticks for garnish-and enjoy! The above recipe is for making a single cocktail, so if you are making these for friends or family at a get together be sure to double or triple according to your needs.


Happy Holidays-and always remember to drink responsibly ;)
xo. Emma

Guest post from Mandy/She Breathes Deeply!

Today one of my newer blog pals Mandy is here to share a fun top 8 list with all of us! I mentioned Mandy recently in my list of "new blogs I love," and really, I can't get enough of her little home on the internet. I've loved watching her pregnancy move along, learning about her super sweet love story with her husband, and reading all about her day to day life. She's a wonderful soul and she's one of those bloggers where it just makes you happy to visit her site and read her words. Thank you Mandy for sharing a post with us today...and good luck with your little one, as your time gets closer! So exciting!

Top 8 Ways To Feel All Warm and Fuzzy This Fall/Winter.

By Mandy Reid (www.mandysuzannereid.blogspot.com)

With Fall here, and winter looming around just around the corner, I thought it was about time to get in the mood for the winter season. Here is my top ten "warm and fuzzy inspirations" for this winter.

1. Keep someone warm.

(source: www.examiner.com)

Let's admit it. We all love clothes. If you are anything like me, you have last years styles bursting out of your closet, barely ever worn. It is time to clean out! And what better reason to clean out your closet than for a good cause?

Goodwill, a homeless shelter, or any great charity that accepts donations will gladly and thankfully take all the clothes you really don't need. And just think... you will be helping keep someone stay warm this cold winter season, and/or helping them raise money by selling your clothes to create jobs for people who may be down and out.

2. Go thrifting!

Speaking of Goodwill, winter is a perfect time to go thrifting! Something I love about Fall/Winter is all the great layers of clothing I can wear. I found a really great over sized lumbar jack plaid shirt at Goodwill for $4.00. You can't beat that price. Plus, most thrift stores support a good cause. (And you are also supporting another good cause... the going easy on your back account cause!) I mean, really, how much more hip and green can you get than thrifting your style this fall/winter season?

3. Treat your skin nice.

(source: prepardnesspro.com)

I don't know about you, but I get terrible dry skin in the winter. Thankfully, I have found a wonderful remedy. Four words: Organic. Virgin. Coconut. Oil. This oil is simply a dream. I started researching different all natural remedies for skin, and I came across a ton of information on this great oil. Basically, in a nutshell (no pun intended), it is a natural antibacterial that will make your skin look moisturized and healthy. It is full of the GOOD fatty acids, that make your skin softer than a baby's bottom.

How to use it: After showering, I use a little oil (it goes a long way) everywhere; limbs, hands, feet, and even my face. I let it sit for a couple minutes and then pat myself dry of the excess oil. My skin looks and feels great for the rest of the day.

I use this oil to help with stretch marks (I'm 5 and a half months pregnant), wrinkle and fine line prevention, tattoo moisturizer, and acne. Yes, acne. I am no doctor or dermatologist, so ALWAYS check with your doctor before use. (Google Virgin Coconut Oil for more info.)

4. Drink Organic Hot Chocolate.

(source: bostonherald.com)

With marsh mellows, of course. Some of my favorite memories of the past two Christmas's is bundling up in tons of layers, and walking hand in hand with my husband to a local coffee shop to drink hot chocolate. With cold noses, we would sit close and sip our hot chocolate, while having a great heart to heart talk. You just can't replace memories like those. : )

5. Write a handwritten letter.

(Source: http://www.ohdeedoh.com)

Write someone a letter telling them 10 things you love about them. Then mail it to them. I promise; it will make you and them feel all warm and fuzzy.

6. Bake cookies for someone who is sad.

(source: www.goodnewsisnews.com)

We all know someone going through a hard time. Maybe they are alone during the holidays. Maybe they just need a friend. Bake them some homemade Christmas cookies and deliver them personally to their house. They will feel loved. : )

7. Take a hike.

(source: http://www.tedvillaire.com)

Grab the hand of someone you love, and get a head start on your soon to be New Years Resolution to get in shape. Find a great park, a great friend, and commit to hiking at least twice a week. The fresh air will lift your spirits, as well as your rear end.

8. Make lots of memories.

(source: http://www.pxleyes.com)

Enjoy this fall/winter season. Make lots of memories. Write them down in a journal. Take pictures. Make mix c.d.'s of songs that remind you of this time. Life is short. Love and live to its fullest.

Love,

Mandy from She Breathes Deeply