Team Tuesday: Hello Teacher! Card Free Printable

School is starting tomorrow so I whipped up a quick and easy printable card for anyone to download, print, & cut! You can just fold it and give it to your child's new teacher as is, or add some other elements & embellishments to fancy it up!

That sweet little globe is from Rhonna Designs Insta Icons Kit- I love it because the files come in black PNG files, an ABR brush file, and a TTF font file so you can use the designs in so many different programs!

Download the file and get to card crafting today! These are easy enough for your kids to make, so let them get in on the fun too- and visit Rosemary Watson Creative for more Back To School Designs!

Hello Teacher Card

A is for Apple Dress Tutorial

Although Olivia has to wear uniforms to school, I wanted to make her a special dress that she could wear for meet the teacher day. I've been planning this dress since May, looking for exactly what I wanted to do and I remembered these dresses I pinned a while ago.

They looked simple enough to construct, and with the right fabric would be adorable. Plus, with 4 girls (soon to be 5) to sew for I could tweak it a bit and make each girl their own unique dress if I find the ambition. I discovered the perfect fabric at Scrapbooks, ETC; which by the way had matching scrapbook paper so I could make a cute matching card for Olivia to give to her new 1st grade teacher.

I started out by measuring Olivia, and I constructed a "pattern" (although it's really mostly strips of fabric sewn together) based on her measurements. I'll walk you through the process so you can make a similar dress for any sized little girl- just tweak the "pattern" using your own measurements.

Olivia is 6 years old and her measurements are as follows:
BUST: 22"
GIRTH: 38.5"
WAIST: 22"
HIPS: 22"
WAIST-KNEE: 17"

From there, I sketched out just how I wanted the dress to look like (DISCLOSURE: I am not an artist nor a fashion designer, as I'm sure you can tell from my sketch) and planned what fabrics I wanted where on the dress.

DIRECTIONS:
1// Snip & rip the tops of each piece of fabric all the way across. That way you start with a nice straight line (woven fabrics will always rip straight).

2// Draw your bodice pattern using the measurements you took. Cut 2 on fold of fabric to make two separate sweetheart front pieces.

3//  Measure all your strip widths, then snip & rip to get strips of your 48" wide fabrics. For the long panels, you'll need to rip two or three strips of the same width.

4// Sew your straps together. Fold your strips in half right sides together hot dog style and press. Pin along open edge, then straight stitch together leaving ends open. Place a Safety Pin on one edge and pull through center of strap "tube" to flip the fabric right side out once sewn together. Once right side out, press flat. Repeat with other strap.

5// Place two Bodice pieces right sides together and pin straps in between in center, making sure the straps are coming down from the bottom of the bodice pieces and the strap seams are hidden.

6// Straight stitch the bodice all the way around sides and top, leaving the bottom open to flip right side out. Clip the curves of seam (don't clip the thread!), flip, then press flat.

7// Take the Back Panel piece of fabric and press a small hem for the top, then pin. Straight stitch the hem. Once hemmed, put in your elastic thread and smock the panel. I use the needle foot as a guide for my smocking lines, no need to be perfect and draw the lines before hand.

8// Once your Back Panel is smocked, pin it to the Sweetheart Bodice piece right sides together and straight stitch the sides. Flip right sides out. Congratulations- you're half done!

9// Take your Center Panel strip and cut in half so you have two pieces to equal your center measurement. Put right sides together and straight stitch both ends, then flip. Change your machine to a larger stitch length (I sew with a 2 normally, then go up to a 4 for a gathering stitch) then stitch across top to gather the panel.

10// Pin the Center Panel to your bodice right sides together and straight stitch to connect.

11// Repeat Step 9 with your Skirt Panel piece. Stitch front & back together, gather at top, then pin to Center Panel and stitch together.

12// Now you can make it fancy with a bottom ruffle, or you can hem the Skirt Panel, or you could just serge the bottom if you're short on time or ambition. I decided on a ruffle for the bottom, so I repeated Step 9 again with my Ruffle Strip. Instead of hemming my ruffle, however, I zig zag stitched the bottom of the ruffle then trimmed the end with pinking shears.

13// I really like the pinked edges look so I did the same with the straps open end seams. You could sew the straps to the back of the dress, tie them like a halter, or do what I did and add grommets to the back to tie the straps through. I'm not great at grommets, so here's a tutorial to help you install grommets if you want to try and brave using them. I ended up having to have Braden jimmy rig them with his tools.

14// Lastly, with Olivia's dress, I felt like the skirt needed something and added simple square pockets to the front. I ripped 4 squares of fabric, placed two together right sides together, stitched around leaving one side open, then flipped right sides out. After repeating with the other two squares,  I pressed each pocket, then zig zag stitched and pinked the tops of each pocket. I topped each square with an apple I cut from leftover fabric and appliqued them onto the pockets. Then I simply pinned the apple pockets where I wanted them on the dress and stitched the bottom and sides.

** This tutorial is intended for sewers with a knowledge of smocking, and basic sewing skills. Please let me know if you have any questions and I can guide you to some great tutorials I have found online to help me learn more about sewing!

BONUS TUTORIAL: Easy Apple Headwrap

This matching headwrap is a cinch to make. Just rip a 2.5" x the width of your fabric strip (it will probably be 48" long), zag stitch the sides, then pink the frayed edges.

Stitch an apple cut out from your fabric onto a piece of red felt and cut around. Cut a green leaf from felt, arrange on headwrap, then do a skinny straight stitch to attach to wrap. Easy as Apple Pie and twice as sweet.

Tradition Making: The Back To School Soiree

Of course, you know all about Stephanie Nielson and what an Ah-Maze-Ing Lady she is, but have you ever noticed how much someone who has a complete passion for life and motherhood can effect a total stranger hundreds of miles away?

logo via Nie Nie Dialogues

There have been many times her musings about life has brought me to tears, but it's really her relish of the simple grind that we all live day to day that strikes a chord with me. She finds little things to celebrate and always seems to make sure her children know just how special each and every one of them are. I look at her (blog) and think to myself, "I want my children to feel the same way her children must feel. Just utterly loved and that they are something to be excited about". I think it's easy to want to be more like someone, it's another thing to actually put their influence into action and 'walk the walk' ya'know?

One of my favorite traditions she shares with her family is their annual "Back To School Feast"before she sends her little chickadees out to learn and grow in their new grades. I felt that there is no better way to kick off the school year like celebrating your kids and setting goals and mottos to carry them though, so I've decided we will be holding our Watson Back To School Soiree next Tuesday before Olivia heads off to 1st grade. In true Nie Nie spirit, there will be a motto, some paper crowns, a fancy decorated table, and a delicious menu- just the thing to start the year off with a bang! Bask in Stephanie's Feast from last year and click on over to her past Feasts to get some ideas for your own Back to School celebration for you & your family.

designed using Rhonna Designs Instabanners

I created this menu for our own Soiree, complete with a recipe of my all time favorite Chocolate Cake, which just so happened to be created in honor of Stephanie Nielson by Cheeky Kitchen's Miss Brooke. It's utter and complete bliss, I tell you.

Happy Back To School Planning everyone! I'll be sure to post pictures of how ours went next week! 

The Best Back to School Lunch Ideas

T minus 7 days until first grade starts, and I came to the daunting realization of having to prepare a packed school lunch every single day. On to Pinterest! 

1// Flower & Bees lunch 2// Pancake heart & melon lunch 3// Heart bagel sandwich lunch 4// Butterfly pasta lunch 5// Heart sandwich and strawberry lunch 6// Flower salad lunch 7// Rainbow Fruit Skewer lunch 8// Underwater sub lunch

I've found a TON of fabulous ideas to make Olivia's lunch not only delicous, but healthy and less we forget, super duper cute. And really, what first grader WOULDN'T love a cute packed lunch?

I found some Bento Boxes and silicone muffin cups on Amazon that I ordered to stick in her lunchbox to keep everything nice and fresh and separated. Let's hear it for happy lunches!

Team Tuesday: Baby Nook Art

It's a very happy Tuesday because I get to share some new designs using some brand spanking new kits from Rhonna Designs! More Insta Lovin designs to zjooshj up your Instagrams, photos, and digital scrapbooking- I seriously am dying over everything, I had to make up something IMMEDIATELY after downloading the kits. 

Yesterday I shared Clementine's Nursery Nook Inspiration Board, which had some custom wall art I designed for her using the new InstaQuote Kit. They were easy peasy, look clean and simple, and will look fantastic in a baby nursery space. There are dozens more quotes that can be used to make fun inspirational wall art, so grab your kit and start creating today!

kits used: Insta Quotes, Insta Banners, Insta Icons

The Planning of Clementine's Nursery Nook

We sat down and realized that Clementine is going to be here in no time, so we should probably actually figure out where the heck we are going to put her.

Our house is fairly small, and with just three bedrooms- the twins in one, and the other three in another, then the master - we decided the smartest thing to do while she is still waking up in the middle of the night is to make a little space for her in our room so she won't wake up any of the other kids. Once she's big enough, we can shove her in with the twins and it will be all gravy. It's funny how with the 1st baby you think you need so much stuff for this little tiny human that never really uses all that much of everything you have; then by the 6th we were like, "well, really we can pull in the metal horse trough, fill it with soft blankets and stuff and we can stick her next to the bed." Seriously, we considered doing that until I told my mom and she freaked out.

Our room is painted a deep charcoal grey (Behr's Beluga) so we wanted to keep the nursery nook neutral and utilatarian- a style I am in love with but have not been able to incorporate a lot anywhere else. It's a fun new direction to go in, and a long way from the ultra-themed nurseries I've done in the past. The twins room is very girly, so I wanted to make sure this space has girly touches while keeping an industrial edge. The juxtaposition of hard & soft will be evident throughout, mixing soft fluffy fabric on the inside of the crib with  ruffled burlap on the ottoman we are going to put in the space (not a ton of room for a chair). The barn lighting will look awesome against the faux wall out of beadboard we will create and with the custom wall art I've designed to print on metallic paper from Persnickety Prints. I can't wait until the space comes together and it's ready for her to get here! Come back tomorrow for Team Tuesday to learn more about the art I created for the space.

1// Gulliver Crib

2// Shining Cloud Rain Mobile

3// Barn Light Austin Sconces

4// Fabrics for Baby Bedding

5// Black Dresser

6// Galvanized Tray Bins

7// DIY Neutraface Letters

8// Burlap Ruffle Ottoman

9// ruffle pillow

10// Wall Art designed with Rhonna Designs InstaQuotes Kit

11// Wall Art designed with Rhonna Designs InstaQuotes Kit

12// White beadboard from Home Depot


inspired by Lay Baby Lay's AMAZING nursery boards

Foto Friday Week 46: Outdoors

Wohoo! How is it already Friday? The weeks are FLYING by, and before you know it Olivia will be starting school! I've got a TON of exciting things coming up, one of which I did a photo session for yesterday and while I was out, I took some photos outdoors. 

This was at one of my all time favorite spots in downtown Gilbert behind Liberty Market. Under the giant white water tower is a fun little splashpad for kids, and there are a dozen hidden little spots that make for awesome photos. And at 7:00 pm, the lighting is just divine.

Visit the other Foto Friday Ladies to see what they took photos of Outdoors 

Meg

Hilary

Kristyn

Christine

Countdown to Clementine: 30 weeks

Thirty down, only ten to go, people! Of course, I'm hoping she comes earlier than ten weeks, but the longest I'll be pregnant is only TEN MORE WEEKS. And then I'll never be pregnant again! It's funny how when you're not pregnant the thought of never being pregnant again kind of makes you sad, but when you are pregnant it is the most exciting thought in the whole world. I need to really focus on soaking in all the good stuff about being pregnant (I'm sure there's some good stuff I can manage to find, right?) while I still can. 

Here's the progress on the belly at 30 weeks. You're supposed to gain a pound a week until delivery so hopefully I can stick with that now that there is no more birthday cake to consume.

A Quilt For Clementine, Part One

There are so many cute quilt ideas out there, and a TON of gorgeous fabrics that have come out, that I have been itching to get sewing again and make Clementine a quilt. My mom makes gobs and gobs of baby blankets, so mine will be more for display and keepsake instead of everyday use. Here are my most favorite quilts I found on Pinterest: 

Banner Quilt // Large Hexi Quilt // Cathedral Windows Quilt // Chevron Quilt // Small Hexi Quilt // Scallop Quilt // Mod Triangles Quilt

I also bought Camille Roskelley's awesome book "Simplify" at ETC a few months ago, that I've yet to make anything from. There are so many great choices in the book, I don't know where to start. 

I still have a quilt for the twins room that I started, like, a year ago that I never finished so maybe I should get that done BEFORE I start on a new project. It's just so hard for me to finish quilts- I have about 5 tops stashed away in my sewing cabinet that will probably never see completion : / . I better get to work. 

Team Tuesday: Insta Art with Rhonna's Insta-Lovin Kits

Remember when I showed you the wonderful Insta kits that Rhonna released last week? Well I have been playing with those suckas all weekend and BEHOLD the insta-art that can be created from them

You MUST get the Insta Lovin Bundle because these kits are so fun to mix & match together. The best part is that the kits come with the designs in PNG format, in a True Type Font to use as dingbats in Phonto, AND in .abr brush kits to throw into Photoshop and use in all your digital designs, like my Insta Art montage above. Obsessed with these kits, I tell you. See what the rest of the Creative Team has come up with using the Insta Lovin Kits on the Rhonna Designs Blog!

Happy Happy Birthday to Landen Greggory Watson

My Big Buddy Boy's birthday is today! Five years old, I can hardly believe it. To celebrate, we took him & the girls to the Sea Life Aquarium with our best friends Izzy & Diego. The kids had a ton of fun- I on the other hand about died of exhaustion afterwards. The entire Arizona Mills Mall was a circus; it was like Christmas time crazy, so trying to keep track of our 5 plus making sure we had Izzy & Diego, plus it was super stuffy in that place made me want to pull my hair out. The kids, however, thought it was the best time of their lives so it was all worth it in the end.

Foto Friday Week 45: Blur

This Summer heat has finally brought our springtime garden to an end. The majority of foliage is burnt to a crisp, my mom has cleared out all the spring corn that didn't take, as well as all the spent sunflowers that were so beautiful for a time but have now fizzled and wilted. Our pumpkins and tomatoes are still plugging along; but we're eager to clear more ground to start our fall planting in August. It's at this point where we have to get close to the beauty and blur out the dying foliage to appreciate the good parts of the garden this time of year.

See what the other girls of Foto Friday did with their blur assignment:

Meg

Hilary

Kristyn

Christine

New Rhonna Designs Kits Releasing Tonight!

Ya'll KNOW how obsessed with Instagram I've been lately, and the Master of Instagram Art herself- Rhonna Farrer is debuting some AMAZING new collections tonight to use on both your instagrams and your regular digital designing! I'm so excited I could pee. 

DYING. Now I get to have anxiety all day waiting for these to drop it like it's hot in her shop. Which one is your favorite? I think those banners will be life changing. 

How To Wrap An Awesome Present {and a Free Tag printable}

With all these birthdays I have this month, I figured I better brush up on my gift wrapping skills and stock some supplies for making presents extra special. Here are my favorite ideas from Pinterest I gathered for Gift Presentation.

glitter circles // rainbow twine ties // confetti filled tags // cloud wrapping paper & washi tape // confetti & kraft // kraft & bright polka dots // tissue fringe

My most favorite thing to use on presents is kraft paper, and I love mixing bright, even neon colors with the neutral kraft base. I made these fun little printable tags for everyone to use that go perfectly with my new Happy & Bright Birthday Designs in the Digital Shop! 

Just print, cut, & string on with some Divine Twine to get some kraft & neon action on your prezzies. There's more Happy & Bright Birthday designs to go with your gift tags, check it all out over at Rosemary Watson Creative.

Happy Birthday Gift Tags

Team Tuesday: New Rhonna Designs releases coming this week!

Rhonna has posted a couple of gorgeous projects she and Jaime have been working on with the Rhonna Designs kits- I just love these banners Jaime made (I want to copy and stick them on my bookcases in my front room!)

AND, I am so super stoked because Rhonna is going to be releasing some new kits this week! SQUEAL! I love/hate that she does teaser announcements about new stuff coming to the shop because I obsess over getting them the.very.minute. they are released. I can't WAIT to see what she has in store next. If you've not signed up for her newsletter, you must so you know when her new stuff is dropping.

She did a teaser of these gorge invitations she made and I am praying these sweet designs are coming out in her releases this week. Now I need to go Pinterest stalking to see what I should make with the new stuff. I'm so ready for a crafty new project. 

Happy Happy Birthday to Penelope Lily Watson!

It was my lovely little Penelope's birthday today and between my doctor appointment, her lunch date with Auntie buying new ballet shoes, playing with her musical instrument set from Grandma Beej, then hot dogs at Grandma's with her best buddies Izzy & D, I got very few photos of her super fun day- except from these gems when she opened her most favorite present of all time- her new horsey she named "Rainbow Corny" (even though it's a horse not a unicorn).                    

Our Summer Vacation in Pinetop

Here's a little taste of our wonderful week in the pines. I'm planning on ordering these 8 x 10 pages from Persnickety and creating a sweet little album with them, or maybe hanging them up on my metal board in my living room.

Layout Inspiration from Studio Calico's Sunday Sketches

Have you ever been to Pinetop? Its a pretty awesome place to take a bunch of kids. We've been doing all kinds of fun things up here in the coolness of the mountains. From playing in the playgrounds lined with pine trees, to miniature golf at the resort we're staying at, to walking along the nature trails- it's all been slow paced, laid back, and rainy. Today my mom & I went to a bunch of antique shops and walked around a Garden Nursery and I was in heaven. I'm seriously going to try and talk Braden into moving up here for the summer next year, I'm so scared to go home to the heat.