Are those hand-knit pants?!? Yes, they most definitely are, and I am most definitely excited about wearing them as soon as it gets below 90 degrees.

I went to a rummage sale yesterday and found them for $1, so I figured I really couldn't go wrong. Funkier than sweat pants and way more comfy! I love my sweater pants!

Map Wall Murals

I am getting really really excited about these wall map murals. I think we are going to get one and put it in the kids bedroom someday. Aren't they an awesome idea? We can put different colored dots for where mommy has lived, where daddy has, and where we have visited. Now we just need the bank to accept the offer we made them on that sweet little bungalow in Portland....

There are more wall map photos here from desiretoinspire (I love that blog so much). Also, a link to the map I am thinking about, here.

I love this idea. Plus, it raises awareness about violence against women in the areas that they do these projects. This particular set of pictures are from Brazil. Pretty awesome. More here.

We are finally leaving Southern California and our little town where we have lived for the past 2 1/2 years. I know that doesn't sound like all that long, but we have lived here since we were first married and our baby boy was born here, so a lot happened, and we have so many memories tied up here. However, we have wanted to move back to the northwest ever since before we even left right after we got married, so when a good work opportunity opened up for Darren a couple of weeks ago, we jumped right on it. So Portland, here we come!



Our wonderful landlords are also leaving town, so as a commemorative piece to help them remember their good old home town, I made them this pillow:





Pretty rough, but you get the idea!

Summertime in southern California

From our backyard:

Messenger bag #2

My second junk yard seat belt messenger bag. This one is for a good friend who works at a brewery and saved this malt bag because the logo made the perfect shape for a front flap. He was right, and it turned out awesome. Not pictured are two little recycle signs (#4 and #5) from the bag that got sewed onto the sides under where the seat belt is attached. I thought they would be most appropriate since the strap and the malt bag were recycled.
So here are a couple more bags. I am pretty sure that I want to start making these for sale... I hear that you can get used airplane seat belts on eBay for pretty cheap.

Aprons, aprons.....

I recently was in a wedding and needed to figure out something for the bride for her bachelorette party. So I decided to go with the very sexy apron option. Very practical, cute, and perfect for the new housewife. I figured she could choose what to wear underneath it.... I designed the pattern, but, as you can tell, it was greatly inspired by Heather Bailey's "Daily Spice" apron. I just love the pattern! I really want to make one for myself sometime soon-ish.



The other apron that I am crazy about and really want to duplicate is the adorable one below by sewmamasew: (who has an awesome blog by the way).



I just think it is so feminine and adorable- the colors that she chose really help too.

Back to my apron now. I had just enough fabric left over to make these ridiculous things to go with the apron if she so chooses....