It's Bloomin' Tuesday . . .

It's time once again for a quick walk through my garden. This time I'll concentrate on our roses. When we planted these roses they were tucked between small fruit trees on the perimeter of our yard. Since then the fruit trees have flourished, and the roses have suffered from shade imposed upon them by those trees. Each year, however, the roses give it their best and manage a nice showing even though they would love to have more sun. Currently they are in full bloom. Here are a few collages of photos I took a few days ago...

Linked to:
Garden Tuesday @ Sidewalk Shoes
Tuesday Garden Party @ An Oregon Cottage
Bloomin' Tuesday @ Ms. Green Thumb Jean's.

Pocket Bib Pattern . . .

Our newest grandson, who was born Friday night, was four days overdue which put a little time on my hands the beginning of last week. In April when I announced the impending arrival of this little guy and his two cousins, I introduced a bib pattern that I thought you might like. Go here for that post. At that time some asked if I was going to make the bib pattern available to all, so that's what this post is all about.

In the earlier post I made a Scrappy Bib with this pattern. This time I made a Pocket Bib using the same basic pattern with a pocket added. Here are the two examples of Pocket Bibs I made last week. These are for the grandbaby due in August -- a little girl...

These bibs are so quick and easy to make -- just follow the simple instructions below. At the end of the post you will discover how you can receive this pattern...

Materials...

• Cut 2 of bib front and back from cotton or flannel fabric (can be the same fabric or contrasting)
• Cut 2 pockets from contrasting fabric
• Cut one piece of fusible fleece to be attached to the front of the bib
• 1 Snap
• 11" piece of Jumbo Ric-Rac (optional)
• Seam Allowance: 1/4 inch unless otherwise noted

Before You Begin Sewing...

1.) Iron on fusible fleece to wrong side of front bib.

Assembling the Pocket...

2.) Begin by placing a piece of Ric-Rac on the right side of the front pocket along the straight edge. Place the bottom of the Ric-Rac flush with the edge of the fabric and sew 1/4" from the edge.
3.) Put front and back pockets right side together and sew a 1/2" seam along the top straight edge, catching half of the Ric-Rac in the seam. (This will be the only 1/2" seam on the bib -- all others are 1/4".)
4.) Turn pocket right side out and press. (Optional: Top-stitch 1/8" across the top of the pocket.)

5.) Place the pocket on top of the front bib, aligning unfinished bottom edges of the bib front and pocket. Baste.

Assembling the Bib...

6.) Place bib front and back right sides together and sew a 1/4 inch seam around the bib, leaving a 2-3 inch opening on the side of the bib above the pocket.

7.) Trim seams to 1/8" around entire bib -- except at the 2-3 inch opening.
8.) Pull right side of bib through the opening and press seams flat
9.) Slip stitch the opening shut.
10.) Optional: Top-stitch the bib 1/8 inch from seams all the way around the bib.

11.) Attach the snap according to directions on package about 1/2" from the tab ends of the bib.

All done! 

If you'd like to make a bib like this for a little bundle of joy in your life,
you'll need to leave a comment below and email me with your request.
Please put "Bib Pattern" in the subject line of your email!
(My email address is on my sidebar.)

To see the Little Boy version of this Pocket Bib, go here!

Linked to:
Strut Your Stuff Baby Ideas @ Somewhat Simple
Feature Your Sassy Sites @ Sassy Sites
Linky Party @ Just a Girl
Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies & Jellybeans
Hookin' Up w/ HOH
Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
DIY Under $5 @ A Little Tipsy
Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts
It's Sew Fun Tuesday @ It's Sew for You
Anything Related @ All Thingz Related
Show Me What You Got @ Not Just a Housewife
Get Your Craft on Tuesday @ Today's Creative Blog
Tuesday Confessional Link Party @ Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom
Running with Glitter Linky Party
Sisters Sunday Link Party @ Sisters of the Wild West
Craft-O-Manic Monday @ Craft-O-Maniac

Thankful Thoughts . . .

What inspired me this week? 

Last Sunday I was given an assignment by a teacher in Relief Society (the women's organization in my church). She asked me to do a good deed this week -- specifically to help someone in need -- and then report back during her lesson this Sunday. The teacher's inspiration for this assignment came from a familiar hymn entitled "Have I Done Any Good?"

The hymn begins with a question...

Have I done any good in the world today?

It then asks...

Have I helped anyone in need?

Finally the hymn lists different ways we can be of service to those around us...

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

When I was given this assignment I didn't know it would inspire me like it did. As I went throughout the week, replaying this song in my head and heart, I began to look for opportunities to serve. Instead of waiting for service opportunities to fall in my lap like I often do, I made a concerted effort to search for ways to be of service to those I love and to show random acts of kindness to strangers. As a result, my week was more meaningful and worthwhile. There's something to be said about getting outside of yourself and being more attentive to those around you. I realized that by praying for opportunities to be of service at the start of the day and asking the question, "Did I help someone in need?" each night, it helped me to concentrate more on those in need. I have a really long way to get where I'd like to be in this department, but I appreciated the nudge I was given by a caring teacher.

What moved me this week?

I had a most amazing experience this week. Do you remember back in April when I announced how busy our summer would be? I mentioned at that time that we had three grandbabies due this summer -- one due in June, one in July and one in August. Our little June grandbaby arrived Friday night, and I was invited to be there for the little guy's grand entrance into the world. I was so proud as I watched my youngest deliver her first child. The courage and love she displayed was so touching, and it moved me to a place I'd never been. I'm so grateful that my daughter and her husband gave me that experience. I thought you might like to see a picture of our ninth grandchild minutes after he was born. It's easy to be moved when you look into the face of an angel...

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye a...

rainbow of color!

Clockwise, starting top left:

Rainbow Sweater Ball

Decoupaged Mason Jars 

Monsieur IV Print

Rag Mat

Ceramic Owl Figure

Felt Garland

Have a wonderful weekend!

Early Morning Hours . . .

One of my favorite times of the day in the summer are the early morning hours, and one of my favorite places is my garden. I love it best when the sun has just crept over the eastern horizon and the garden is flush with the dappled light of morning. Early this morning I was in my garden taking some photos, and it occurred to me to use the garden as a backdrop for some pictures of a few new creations I made last week.

I love these Bunting Cosmetic Bags. (Go here for the tutorial and list of materials.) They are just the right size, and I love the bunting that criss-crosses the front of the bag. Here are two bags I made last week in my favorite summer color -- turquoise...

Turquoise reminds me of the ocean, summer skies, and the bottom of a swimming pool -- all things that mean "summer" and "fun" to me! I put a spunky little lining in these bags to give it a little pizzazz when it's opened!

These bags are cute on their own, but with this early morning backdrop they're made even better!

I hope you're enjoying a beautiful summer day!

It's Bloomin' Tuesday . . .

Let me start by reminding you to go here for the July Plaque Attack. Now on to Bloomin' Tuesday!

There's little I enjoy more than biting into a just-picked fruit or vegetable in the summer. We have fruit trees in our backyard that produce apples, pears, cherries and peaches. I'm convinced our cherry tree feeds the squirrel and bird population in our town. I submit the following photo as evidence...

We also always plant a variety of tomatoes, herbs and strawberries...

A few weeks ago my husband and I had an extra day and a half before we flew home from our vacation in North Carolina, so we visited Williamsburg in Virginia. I was fascinated with the recreated period flower and vegetable gardens in Colonial Williamsburg. These gardens were originally owned by the colonial merchant or tradesmen. Behind their homes, they planted small orchards and vegetable gardens with herbs and flowers scattered throughout. Their recreation is evident in the naturalistic gardens found in Williamsburg today. Here's an example of what we saw...

While these gardens are recreations, they convey the spirit and character of eighteenth century gardens. I love the way they used natural substances to shore up their gardens -- like these stick-like trusses for the squash and tomatoes plants.

These boxes contained squash plants. The lid could be lowered in case of frost...

English colonists brought with them different seeds, bulbs, and roots of their favorite flowers, so their flower gardens became a combination of those Old World favorites and the native plants (American wildflowers) they found in the New World..

These beautiful gardens inspired me. 

If you'd like to visiting more gardens, 

go to Ms. Green Thumb Jeans for more Bloomin' Tuesday posts.

July Plaque Attack . . .

This month's Plaque Attacks make you want to stand up and salute! They are a tribute to one of my favorite holidays which just happens to be found in July . . .  Independence Day! Instead of providing just one Plaque Attack I'm delivering two this month. You can choose which one you like best or make them both.

Without further ado, let me introduce the 

July Plaque Attacks...

In order to receive the July Plaque Attack PDF,

please follow the instructions below...

For those new to the "Plaque Attack Club," last September I introduced a new monthly feature on my blog and christened it "Plaque Attack." The best way to describe "Plaque Attack" is that it is a free plaque-of-the-month club. Each month, a few days before a new month begins, I will make a post featuring a new plaque. The plaque wording will reflect holidays or activities unique to the coming month. If you are new to the "Plaque Attack Club" know that you'll need to check back every month to receive each new document. 

For a list of supplies and a tutorial on how to make these plaques, go here. I am offering July's Plaque Attack in a downloadable PDF document via Google Docs. As always it is free of charge. If possible, before you download the doc would you consider becoming a follower and be so kind as to leave a comment below? 

Important: The PDF Google Doc version is 1/8" smaller than the emailed Word version. After downloading the PDF, print it off on plain paper to determine the size. If you'd like it a little bigger, then request the Word document through email. 

If for any reason you would rather email me to request your Plaque Attack, feel free to do so. My email address is located on my sidebar. Just add "July Plaque Attacks" in the subject line of your email and please remember to leave a comment below.

By downloading this copyrighted document you agree not to sell the document or sell any items that use this document. It is for personal use only. You may make as many copies for yourself or to use as gifts as you would like. If you post about your plaque on your blog, please link back to this blog post for your readers to receive the document. Thank you!

Click here to download

the July Plaque Attack document!

Once you are viewing the document, you can click "File" to the left of the document for download options. Select "Download original" to download the file to your desktop or select "Print PDF" to print the file immediately.

Enjoy!

Linked to:
Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies & Jellybeans
Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
20 Below @ Christina's Adventures
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
DIY Under $5 @ A Little Tipsy
Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Show & Tell Linky Party @ Blue Cricket Design
Show Me What You Got @ Not Just a Housewife
It's Sew Fun Tuesday @ It's Sew for You
Get Your Craft on Tuesday @ Today's Creative Blog
Running with Glitter Linky Party
Sisters Sunday Linky Party @ Sisters of the Wild West
Craft-O-Maniac Monday @ Craft-O-Maniac

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye some...

seagull gray.

Clockwise, starting top left:

Vintage Book Plate

Kindle Felt Case

Little Deer in Wool

Pasta Bowl

Wooden Bicycle Crate

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Bathroom Reveal Continued . . .

In my Bathroom Reveal post yesterday I mentioned the painted items in our "new" guest bathroom -- specifically the cabinets, the mirror, the walls and wall decor. Today I'm going to fill you in on the other new features. As I said before when we began the redo we got rid of everything except the cabinets (which I refinished myself). That left a lot of work to complete. To refresh your memory here's what it looked like before...

Bath and Tile

After removing the cabinetry, the next thing we did was tear out the tile and tub. It was great fun. Seriously. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed taking a chisel and hammer to that tile. It only took about an hour to get all the tile down.

After the tile was removed we hired someone to remove the old tub, install new moisture-resistant greenboard, install a new tub and lay new tile. New bath fixtures and faucets were also installed. Next I painted the room...

I took great pleasure in ripping up the old vinyl flooring and we had a beautiful wood floor installed -- bamboo to be exact. It's one of the things I love most about this room. Because the room is filled with white and shades of gray I knew we needed something to warm it up a bit. The bamboo flooring does the trick. If our kids were young and this bathroom was going to be used daily, I doubt if I would have had a wood floor installed, but since this room will be used infrequently I had no qualms about putting in wood. Originally I wanted to purchase a beautiful shower curtain, but because of the wood floor I decided on a glass tub enclosure so there would be less chance of the floors getting wet as someone showered...

Cabinet, Countertop and Sink

After the floors were installed we were able to re-install the newly refinished cabinets (go here for details) and the new granite countertop. I blogged about this granite counter top a few months ago. It was such a good deal! Go here for that post.

Odds 'n Ends

Next a variety of things were added to the room, like a new lighting fixture...

Towel racks, the glass tub enclosure, the mirror, wall decor and new baseboard came next. Then it was just a matter of adding the new pale pink throw rugs, hanging the towels and adding a new soap dish and tray. Here's what it looks like today...

I love how it turned out and I learned a lot, but it did make me realize that for the master bed and bath redo that we have planned for this fall I am going to turn it over to some capable person(s) so it will be done in a week! ;o)

Linked to:
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous