A Cake and a Toe

I know I know it's Thursday, let me tell you a tale about a surgery ambush.  Yesterday we went down to Price for a funeral and lately my little goblin toe has been acting up because of an ingrown toenail, I'm really big into avoiding doctors at all cost but Kyle's family isn't so we went in to the foot doctor assuming that he would just give me some antibiotics, not so! The nice man was all set up and ready to go for surgery. While I sobbed he cracked jokes that at the time were not amusing to me since he was the one sticking me with the needle.  Kyle was there to hold my hand and my mom in law looked on to make sure I didn't hate her haha.  It really was a good thing we went though so now it is taken care of and even though I almost passed out in an appointment today eventually this bad boy will heal.  I even painted my toenails a little jazzy to make the crippled one feel better.

On Tuesday I was reading though the May copy of Real Simple magazine and they had this awesome section on adorable cakes, now I'm not one for cooking (you can ask my husband) but for some reason I really wanted to make one of these cute little cakes.

I made a white cake with lemon frosting and candied lemons on top, it sounds so complicated but it was really so easy and even though it didn't turn out as pretty as the magazine I was proud of myself for trying something different.

The best part about this cake? Well first of all I love lemons and you cut them so thin and boil them in sugar water that you can just eat the whole slice yum :) Secondly the frosting is made from scratch with TONS of butter, I added a little extra lemon juice that it didn't call for because it made me feel pretty cool that I was adding something that the recipe didn't call for!


I'm really excited for this weekend because I have some foot friendly projects lined up including one for my sister-in-law's bridal shower coming up.  Make sure the like Button Button on Facebook and have a good night :)


Steph

Dirt & Bows

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend, Kyle and I were able to go camping this weekend with my parents for a much needed mini vacation.  Sunday was so fun because we even got his parents out there for some great food and a fun fourwheeler ride that ended with a hale storm and a great fire.  While we were out there is alternated between raining and straight sunshine, I am currently going to school to become an aesthetician and I think one of the biggest things we are taught and tell our own clients is to wear sunscreen.  The sun affects a lot of stuff with our skin, one of the biggest things being pigmentation (age spots) on our skin.  The UVA and UVB rays from the sun affect the melanin in our skin which causes pigmentation as a sort of defense to protect us.  


It's really important when looking for a sunscreen to make sure it says that it is a Broad Spectrum sunscreen, meaning that it will block both the harmful UVA and UVB rays that the sun produces.  Let me guess, you use an SPF 97 or some silly number like that because the higher the number the better? Not True! You are actually just fine with using an SPF 30, anything above that and they are pretty much just pulling your leg.  Keep in mind that no matter what SPF you are wearing you still need to apply it every few hours especially if you are out in the sun constantly.  Skin cancer is a huge risk and you wouldn't even imagine the pictures I have seen of stuff that people have just let go, so also keep in mind that if you have any dark moles or any patches you might be concerned about make sure to got to your dermatologist and they can tell you if it could be cancerous.


If you would like to read up more about this I actually found an awesome article in one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple.


http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/index.html


This is one of my favorite magazines because it's really a DIY magazine that has great recipes, skin care tips, and fashion tips that really relate to any age.  Check out the website and check out the magazine for sure :)


I wanted to get a little more done with knitting while I was out but I was having too much fun getting dirty and sitting around a campfire (and I really didn't want my yarn smelling like that as much as I love it)  I do want to show you something else that I am working on for ladybug&babybird though.

I really love these bows and wear the ones I have made for myself at least once a week, the ones pictures are the biggest I make them but I can also make them smaller and the nice beret on the back make for a great bow to take on and off of baby.
Thanks for reading and remember to like Button, Button on Facebook :)


Steph

My Baby Porcupine

I love jumping from one sort of project to the next and to be totally honest sometimes after I finish a project I just don't want to do it again.  This was not the case when I worked on my baby monster quilt.  These quilts are seriously so easy to whip up but I am able to use my creativity by what characters I make and how I construct them out of felt and thread.  They are so easy but they also make for a quality crib blanket or even just a nice little summer blanket for baby, hey you could even use them as a wall hanging to decorate baby's room.  Because I love making these so much I am actually going to continue to make them and just make up different characters for each, the other day we were at Smith's and out of the corner of my eye I saw a picture of a PORCUPINE! who knew something would hit me that hard for an idea! I have never ventured into the world of the porcupine while working with my hats and felt but I felt like it was something that would make for a very original (not to mention adorable) baby quilt.

These two pictures above are starting out the whole project, I really wanted this quilt to be more heavy on the embroidery.  I also got some inspiration from a photo of an actual baby porcupine that I googled

I hand sewed the felt on and then got everything in order to sew the actual quilt together, half way through sewing it on my sewing machine I realized I did it wrong and had to unstitch it haha! After getting my thoughts together (and a few curse words) the quilt was sewn together! I then followed along the outside with a brown thread in a big stitch. Finally I made the actual needles out of the embroidery floss in three different colors off-white, black, and brown...

I really love this blanket and I hope that you do too! if you are interested in this or something similar you can always email me @ asay.stephanie@gmail.com or you can always talk to me on el Facebooko.


BY THE WAY...

you see that green dot?? oh ya I made something grow!!! I think it's a jalepeno...or crab grass, but let's pray for the pepper :)


Steph

Treasure Hunting

Kyle and I absolutely love everything vintage and antique and we usually hit up as many antique stores we possibly can, we even went to a bunch when we were on our honeymoon.  Yesterday after spending the day with my family (it was my nephew's birthday) we headed over to our local 7-eleven to pick up some redbox movies and of course our traditional Mountain Dew Slurpee.  While driving there we started to notice that there was junk laying in the gutter outside of almost every house for a local garbage pickup the city does.  At first I wasn't so into going through other people's garbage but then I saw these...

These are old kitchen cabinet doors that used to have glass in them but that was all broken out, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet but I had some sort of idea in our backyard, Kyle then had this great idea to seize the hinges and make them into outdoor shelves..I guess we will just have to see!

What else did we find? well hubby spotted to top to a trunk that I was willing to look over then he had to great idea for me to do a painting on it and I told him to throw it in the backseat. I also found the odd looking basket thing that I figured could be spruced up and made into something else to hold my yarn or other misc craft materials.

The statement really holds true, one man's junk is another man's treasure...hopefully that doesn't mean I have to dig through people's junk thrown in the gutter just to find what I'm looking for.  I have a couple items like these (like some chairs we found in some random alley) that I really need to start jazzing up and show you how we like to decorate and how old things make the best new things!


As far as ladybug&babybird goes I have been working all weekend on trying to add some things to a great cupcake pattern that I love to use.

I don't know why I love cupcakes so much but I do know that these make the cutest hat and mitten set.  This season I have decided to go with "flavors" the one shown is "Vanilla Vanilla" I just love taking advantage of colors combinations.  If you are interested in maybe purchasing one of these sets all the information you need to know is located at the ladybug&babybird product blog www.ladybugbabybird.blogspot.com 


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What a Yarn

I think one of my most favorite things about crafting is buying the supplies, there is nothing like just having a pile of material or a basket full of yarn.  I love having supplies on hand and when I don't I love having the excuse to go and get more! Monday was my day off from school and I decided to go to the yarn store.  This whole summer for me is really dedicated to getting a lot of my product made for ladybug&babybird for the heavier autumn and winter craft season, I really want to stock up that way I'm not scurrying to have enough product.  

When I first started going to yarn stores I was a little overwhelmed from all the different types, colors, sizes, textures and everything else you can imagine.  When it came to yarn and learning what I liked and what I didn't like it was kind of a trial by error. Some were too fuzzy some were too scratchy and on and on.  Finally I was able to find my two favorite types of yarn.  First off is a great yarn by the Berroco company, they make a great worsted weight yarn that is amazingly soft and works perfectly for the baby and toddler gear that I usually go for, Plus look at these colors!!


http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/vintage_sh.html


I would have to say that my most favorite yarn is Cascade 220 made by (of course) Cascade Yarns. This yarn is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool and has a great texture too it while still being soft enough for babies and kids. I would have to say that they majority of my yarn now is turning into the Cascade 220 (named so because there are 220 yards of yarn in one skein...genius!). Pluuus look as these colors!


http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-220.asp


These are just my favorites that I would suggest trying out, there are like a bajillion more types that have all sorts of components such as llama, bunny, and even cat hair (I only hope one day there will be Ewok yarn).  Make sure to stop by a local yarn store (goooogle) and ask an employee what they might suggest, that is after all what they are there for.  If you are no where near a yarn store never fear! here is the link to a website that offers great deals and have a killer stock of different yarns.


http://www.yarnmarket.com/


If you have any questions about, well anything, please make sure to ask, if I don't know I will ask my mom, and if she doesn't know we will google it.  Meanwhile make sure to head over to facebook and "like" Button Button Who's got the Button? (link in the sidebar).  Also make sure to look at the ladybugandbabybird blog for any new product being offered and any specials that might be happening.  Right now I'm working on mass producing hats and getting back into my large quilt that I took a little break from ( I told you that was ok).


Thank you for reading! and please tell your friends...I may just reward you :)


Steph

From Winter to Spring

This weekend was much needed time off with the hubby, the winter weather has really been wearing at us (as I'm sure it has been with everyone else).  Sunday we finally saw a ray of sunshine which made us really want to get out and do something.  We try to make our Sunday's really fun since they are they only day a week that we have off together.  First thing in the morning we went to Ruth's Diner which is this adorable little diner up Emigration canyon where you can almost always expect a 45 minute wait.  I love going to places like this where the people are fun and the food is good and the scenery is gorgeous even if there is still snow on the ground.  There was even a gigantic elk on the ridge just hanging out and striking a majestic pose!


My grow box in the back yard has been super sad covered in snow and yesterday when we caught those rays of sunshine I thought I might take advantage of it.  The seeds I bought a couple weeks ago were Alaskan Peas, Jalapenos (I'm not a fan but Kyle LOVES spicy food), Butternut Squash and Pickling Cucumbers.  The only ones that I could actually plant right now were the peas and the jalapenos because they can handle the colder weather.

This is my first gardening experience solo so I'm kind of just going with what I read, I've gotten a lot of good tips and ideas from different websites and of course my mama bear. I'm just excited to make something grow, maybe this will get me more into cooking knowing that I made the food literally from scratch.

I placed the pees in the back row against the fence and the jalapenos in the row right next to it, I'm planning on planting the cucumbers in a third and maybe even fourth row then pulling the crab grass out from the side of the grow box and just planting my squash there so that they have more room to grow.

After the rows were planted i realized that there was no way that I could tell where they were! so I really want to make some of those garden labels maybe out of felt or maybe i will even paint them! either way you of course will see what I end up doing.  I think gardening makes me really appreciate a lot of things, it's amazing how plants just reproduce themselves and new ones are made by simply sticking them in dirt and giving them water and sunshine, if only raising kids were that easy!!


What else did we do on Sunday you may ask?....

why we put this abnormally large yamaha sticker on the side of Ky's motorcycle truck :) you gotta love team projects.


Today I went to the yarn store and picked up some great colors that you will see on Wednesday! I also got the ides for my next baby quilt that may potentially involve a porcupine, tell your friends to like us on facebook and make sure to look at the ladybug&babybird product blog for any new deals, enjoy the sunshine!


Steph

Mommy's Little Monster

I think the best part about starting a project is finishing it.  I love everything about creating stuff but sometimes if I have a project that is a little too overwhelming I tend to get bored and maybe not even finish it! If you ever get this way with what you are doing don't feel bad to just set the project aside for a couple of weeks, move onto something else totally different, then when you start your first project up again it's like it is brand spanking new, WAHLAH!
Can I even tell you how excited I am about this post? About two posts ago I showed you the little baby monster blanket I was working on, well...it's Done!!!

Kyle and I went down to Price this last weekend, while we were there Kyle worked on his dirtbike carrying truck and my mom helped me with this quilt.  I will be totally honest with you, I'm not the greatest sewer in the world and any help I can get I will take because I want to get better at it.  I started with 1 1/4 yard of an olive green plain cotton fabric and for the back the same amount of an off-white fabric with brown polka dots. The felt I use is super soft and is 100% wool, it comes in great colors and is really thin so cutting and sewing through it is really easy.I cut out the felt freehand and place it first to see where I want everything to go then the sewing begins.

I had all of the front panel done before we went down so when I got there all we needed to do was sew it together, I put a really thin quilt batting in the middle so it's more of a lightweight quilt. Using spray quiliting glue we glued the back fabric piece to the batting then placed the front piece in a way that we would sew it like a pillow case. After being poked by several needles and ma hearing my whine about it I sewed it together leaving a section to pull it through. I flipped it the right way then sewed the hole up and made sure to iron it so everything was in the right place.  Here are some pictures...

I think my favorite part of this project what adding the little details on after everything was sewn together, for the face of the little monster I did something really simple, as well as with the legs...

To make sure everything stayed in place I had to sew through all the layers something that looke good with the monster but was still simple.  I did larger stitches around the edge about an inch for the outer edge, then I went through and added odd little X's that seemed to fit perfect.

I'm so happy with the finished product and I hope you like it too! If you are maybe interested in ordering one that looks like this or something else that I might have building up in my nogging please take a look at the ladybug&babybird blog (link located in the top right corner) for the pricing and anything else you might need to know about it!\

Remember to like Button Button on Facebook for special offers and new info and all that jazz. As always thanks for reading! If you have any questions you can friend me on facebook or you can email me at asay.stephanie@gmail.com

Steph

There's No Place Like Home

As drug induced as Dorothy may have been when she was in Oz she really did get one thing right, "There's no place like home".  This weekend Ky and I went down to Price, (the small town in Utah that we both grew up in).  We've both experienced our adventures and if you ever would have told us when we were younger how much we would want to go back there we would not have believed you.
I've known Kyle Asay since we were both in Kindergarten...

We both had our adventures and this last August our stars finally aligned and to make a long story short we were meant to be...


So why am I talking about this? What does this have to do with crafting? I get a lot of my inspiration from the people that I love, the places that I have been, and the memories made with those people in those places.  I want my children to have those memories through what I can make for them.


My goal for this weekend was to finish up my baby monster quilt, my mama bear was super nice enough to walk me through what I needed to do and I think the best thing she did for me what actually  making me do it.  I notice that when I get frustrated with what I am making I just want someone else to make it, but she sat me down and showed me what to do them watched as I did it.  So I had these photos on a different camera than a usually use, of pretty much every step we did but wouldnt you know it, I have no way to get them to the computer! Anyways I have a few things to finish up on the quilt but I promise you will see it this week :) I really really love the way it turned out and I hope you do too!


I really wanted to also show you what I ended up doing with my hand dyed yarn that I bought awhile ago...

I loved how the colors turned out, this is a 0-6 month hat and you wouldn't even believe how soft it is! I kind of love bows so I added one a little differently then I usually do.


Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear from you, you can comment any of the posts or I even have an awesome facebook button in the top left corner that will go straight to the Button Button facebook page and you can even LIKE it!! check out the page and there you will see updates for the blog, new products for ladybug&babybird, and well as some great deals coming up!


Steph