Bye Bye Baby's First Year. Hello The New Home Ec.

Thank you everyone for reading my baby related ramblings on Babble's Baby's First Year. As of tomorrow I will be moving over to Babble's The New Home Ec where I will be posting on fun things like... cleaning, crafts, diy, green living, budget, home decorating, money, saving, organization, sewing, storage, finance, moving, gardening, painting, home, renovation, and home repair. Ok maybe not all those things are fun (ha!) but do stop in and say hi. If you have any interesting posts on these subjects, be sure to send me a link. I'd love to hear all about it!

xoxo, Jacinda

And thank you for allowing me one last chance to post a random photo of Gordon doing his Longhorn suck. I want to eat his little face when I look at it.

GIVEAWAY: Appliqué Class

It's time to get schooled in the art of appliqué! No onesie, quilt or coffee coozie will be safe from adorable embellishment once you see this book. Appliqué Class is (of course) filled with a lovely collection of appliqué projects but my FAVORITE part of this book is the thorough, full-color appliqué primer. I can't wait to try out the detailed instructions for a variety of ways to do machine applique (in my ongoing mission to avoid hand-sewing when possible.) They look so good!

See more of Appliqué Class and learn how to enter to win a copy.
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Coral is the Color

We are updating Scarlet's room now that she is a Big Girl, and we've decided CORAL is the way to go. Above are my inspiration rooms I've been collecting over on Prudent Baby's pinterest boards.

Coral straddles that line between girly-pink and grown-up red, with a modern and happy feel. Everything is coming up CORAL. I love this color for modern nurseries, bright accessories, kitchens, living rooms, and even on my feet. From shoes to chairs to itty bitty baby pants, Here are 20 color-colored finds (and where to buy 'em) that make me smile: Coral is the Color.

My New Tattoo

I got a new tattoo! Is this controversial? I don't know, but I love it and wanted to share it with you.

What do you think? My friend Alice, her world-renowned tattoo-artist husband Lewie Hess, and their 3-year-old son (Scarlet's future husband) all came to visit a few months back, and they brought along all his fancy gear to give me my tattoo in our backyard. I took pictures of the process... wanna see? Don't click "read more" if you are faint of heart...
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Chairs Before and After: 20 Inspiring Chair Makeovers

I love a good before and after! I also love chairs. So what could be better than checking out 20 inspiring before and after chair makeovers? There's nothing more satisfying than taking a thrifty find and turning it into a stunning new piece of furniture for your home. See all those before chairs up there? Don't you want to see what they look like now? Take a look at 20 Beautiful Before and After Chair Makeovers and get inspired.

How to Make Painted Cushions

Ever since I saw these pillows from Wary Meyers I've been itching to try some painted accents for the home. As I mentioned in my recent Patio Low-Down, I had to get creative with one corner of my courtyard when I ran out of money. I loved the look of these chairs from Anthro and was inspired to put these old weather-worn folding chairs to work. Here's how I made my own painted chair cushions.


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FABRIC FRIDAY!

Since the elephants were such a hit last week, let's try more! This time it's Parade Day Pink from Violet Craft Peacock Lane. I love the wallpaper-inspired designs in this entire collection. To win a yard of this beauty, tell us about your first wallpaper memory. Here's mine: My mom rescued a wallpaper sample book for me and we decorated and redecorated the walls of my doll house for years in over-sized 70's flocked fanciness. HEAVEN!

Leave your comment anytime between now and next Friday, September 2nd. Tweet, stumble, or share on facebook and leave another comment letting us know. Come back every day for new entries. We'll randomly select a winner and announce right here next Friday.

Find out who won last week's Fabric Friday after the jump...
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Link Love

We've heard The White Album but have you heard The Muppets Green Album? It's full of covers of Muppet Show songs by artists such as Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket, and many more.

School is back in session! Time to get your super duper Spikeasaurus backpack!

Birdhouses, owls, and moons oh my! Check out Tamar Mogendorff's newest creations!

Give your flowers a new home with light bulb vases.

Want more Prudent Baby updates? Follow us on Twitter!

Here are some adorable craft ideas to put to use all the shells and sea glass you have collected this summer!

Cool off with Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie.

This time he hiked Mt. Whitney. Next, Kilimanjaro. And he's only 7!
Simple and inspiring.

Decorate those cupcakes with DIY Animal Candles.

Zootastic fabric!

I made my last zucchini bread of the season. Come and post some of your favorite bread recipes on our Facebook.

Jaime enjoyed reading this article on Cryptophasia on Slate, because her husband is an identical twin and many stories of secret "twin language" have been bandied about at family gatherings. Do you have twins with their own language?

As we Babble on...

Old MacDonald had a...DIY Farm Party!

19th Century maps hand drawn by kids! 

Looking for some new and unique baby gifts? Maybe an adorable beanie for the winter or an owl lunch bag for school?

Halo makes sleepwear! Perfect for babies with sensitive skin.

From high chair to adult chair. Stokke Tripp Trapp looks great, grows with you and is now on sale!

Slow Roasted Tomatoes of Perfection and Deliciousness

Perhaps your garden is full of cherry tomatoes like mine. Or roma tomatoes. Or whatever kind of tomato. And perhaps you LOVE tomatoes but are running low on tomato-prep ideas. Or perhaps you LOVE tomatoes and therefore want to eat them in every imaginable way. Or perhaps you DESPISE tomatoes, but are willing to try them in a new way you have never experienced before. Whatever your feelings on tomatoes, you simply must try turning your tomatoes into these...


There are, let's see, *counting to self* - about ZERO steps to this process. It is the easiest thing in the world. But it is the one summer food that, year after year, my friends and family come to me begging for more of. Let me tell you about these slow roasted tomatoes after the jump...
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Send a Free Card to Your Kid from Santa! {Sponsored Post}

Santa's finishing up his summer vacation. Before he heads back to the North Pole, we heard he’s sending special cards to all the good boys and girls. Can you imagine the look of excitement on your kid's face when he or she opens a personalized letter from Santa in the middle of summer? So cute! Look at this one Jacinda made up for Clare...

Tiny Prints will let you customize a card and send it off to your kiddo for free. I love Tiny Prints – I even used them for Scarlet's birth announcement three and a half years ago. Three friends with big dreams and a passion for beautiful paper started "Tiny Prints" as a line of birth announcements, photo books and baby shower invitations featuring adorable babies. Today, Tiny Prints offers high quality products like chic photo cards and personalized stationery with stylish design supported by exceptional customer service.

So to send a free card to your kid from Santa, head on over to Tiny Prints where you'll be asked to "Like" tiny prints on facebook to get your code and order your card. A few days later, a special delivery from Santa will make it's way to your tot, customized with his or her name!

Jacinda and Jaime's Adventures in Television

Jacinda and I don't get to see each other too often these days, what with her shacked up in Dallas and me homesteading in Los Angeles. But every now and then a fun opportunity comes up for us to get together in another city and enjoy champagne and craftiness and eating cheese until 2 a.m. in hotel rooms in our sweats. So when PBS invited us to head out to Cleveland and do some sewing tutorials for their awesome TV show It's Sew Easy, we jumped at the chance!


But first we had an incident while getting prettied up for TV. As I said on facebook, I need a caption for this picture but I was (and still am) laughing too hard... suggestions welcome. I think that so far "Bless You" is my fave...


We are still unable to take a picture in which one of us is not laughing and staring off into space.


Backstage we got to play with a whole suite of fancy-schmancy Brother Sewing & Embroidery Machines (I'm totally into the new Laura Ashley Limited Edition Isodore that we sneak-peeked)...


Also shooting the same day were some amazing ladies and gentlemen, including Trish Preston from Two Peas in A Pod designs, Eileen Roche from Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazine, George and Virginia Siciliano, AND we got a pro lesson in embroidery (and scrunchie-making tricks) from Brother's very own expert and prudent-mama-in-charge, June.


The magical sewing table was rearranged for each of our projects to accommodate two sewists (or one sewist and one Prudent Mama cracking jokes while the other one tried to sew)...


I so wish I could tell you about the amazing super-adorable tute Jacinda prepared for the show, but alas I am sworn to secrecy! You best check your local listings for when It's Sew Easy is on in your area, and we will keep you posted on when our segments will air!

The Simplest (and Most Tastiest) Strawberry Shortcake

I just had to share this Strawberry Shortcake recipe with you, because it's one of those last-minute desserts that makes a lady look super fancy, yet it can be made in under 30 minutes with stuff most of us have in the pantry (much like our super-popular scones recipe).

We know Prudent Mamas are all about homemade goodness with minimal (read: we have kids) time investment. Read on to find out how to make super-simple strawberry shortcake from scratch after the jump...
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What Should I Make With These?

I've been having fun hand embroidering on top of fabric as of late. I've been working on these two ladies for a while, but I can't decide what to make them into.

Any ideas? Let me tell you about them...
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The Patio Low Down

Last week I shared some pics of my newly made-over patio but now I want to share the nitty-gritty of the process. We refinished a few pieces that were destined for the curbside, made a few pieces with basic carpentry, found some cool stuff to buy with American Express Membership Rewards Points (of course) and DIYed the rest. I'm excited to give you the scoop.

If you happened to read my "before" post, you know that one of our biggest challenges was the big gray cement floor in the courtyard. We considered many excellent suggestions from staining cement to area rugs to decking...
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The Season of Cozy: 25 FREE Knit+Crochet Projects for Baby

Cool mornings, hot soup and lazy football weekends are all on the way, it's The Season of Cozy! Sounds like the perfect time to pick up a new crafty skill and learn to knit or crochet with one of these adorable projects for baby. I've been hearing of so many people picking up the basics on YouTube and becoming masters of the needles +/or hook in no time. Check out 25 FREE Knit + Crochet Projects for Baby

How to Grill Pizza (+ The Easiest Pizza Sauce Recipe)

Grilling pizza is of course delicious, it's also crazy easy, a good way to use up random what-nots from your refrigerator, and a super fun activity to do with your kids. We love grilled pizza so much, and there's just one little trick to having a perfect grilled pizza every time.

Also, we always make our own pizza sauce, because the recipe is just about as easy as buying pre-made pizza sauce, but less expensive.

We have been enjoying a lot of potato pizzas lately (with dill, yum), but also usually do one traditional grilled pizza for the little lady.

So, let me share my pizza sauce recipe and show you how to grill pizza...
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FABRIC FRIDAY!

These little Daiwabo Tip Top Elephants are a true favorite of mine. They even made an appearance at Quinn's 2nd Birthday Party! To enter for a chance to win a yard of the Navy (swoon) tell us your favorite thing you did with your peanut this week (yes, boyfriends, doggies, and best friends count!)
Leave your comment anytime between now and next Friday, August 26th. Tweet, stumble, or share on facebook and leave another comment letting us know. Come back every day for new entries. We'll randomly select a winner and announce right here next Friday.

And did we mention that all Japanese imports are 15% off this week at Fabricworm? It. is. true.

Find out who won last week's Fabric Friday after the jump...
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Link Love

Peruse a slew of lovely tutorials including this gorgeous rag rug at Maggie Made.

Turn your kid's drawing into a pillow using this crazy cool technique from inkodye.

Cute Food For Kids rounds up 14 Decorative Straw DIYs.

Every Little Day turns one of Made By Joel's fun coloring sheet into an adorable embroidery pattern.

AND

I would like to find a discarded bench and do this with it.

Jaime's dog has this and it's getting to that point. She is sad. Anyone out there coped with this? Any thoughts on preparing your kid for the passing of a beloved pet?

Netflix tip: Try not to watch every episode of Party Down in one sitting. We dare you.

Over on our facebook page, a reader asked for some ideas and inspiration for her one year old's Top Gun themed birthday party. Umm, YES. So far my favorite (I think, it's a tough call), is a play area labeled "Danger Zone." Give her some more ideas in the comments!

Are you following us on twitter? I'm kinda becoming obsessed with it. Like this week when Martha Stewart asked "am i hip?"

What we're babbling about this week...

Explaining how to pick the right hat for your face shape if you are not Angelina Jolie.
Baby-Led Weaning was a flop, if only there were someone willing to spoon-feed Gordon for me...
Getting incensed by a line of lingerie designed for 4-12 year old girls. What?
In case you missed it - 25 FREE Mobile Tutorials
Liking Jaime's husband's new manly briefcase.
Jacinda likes her baby walker but wonders what you think.
Selecting the world's loveliest string lights for patio evenings.
Haunting portraits of children and where they sleep
Lusting after fancy furniture from DwellStudio.
Sweet Nursery Art from Urban Tickle & Exclusive Discount!

A Healthier Zucchini Bread Recipe (Made with Whole Wheat Flour)

With our zucchini growing in overdrive, I make this recipe AT LEAST once a week (this and our zucchini pickles and gallettes). I usually make two or three batches at a time, then give away mini loafs like zucchini bread is going out of style. I've tried many things to improve upon the recipe, but it really is best just as is. I discovered it in my favorite cookbook of all time, The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. This should be in every family's arsenal, and they don't pay me to say that. It gives a healthier way to make just about every basic recipe, and a ton of inspiration for healthy, yet delicious, family meals and desserts, along with lots of basic cooking advice and instruction.

I'll share my version of the Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread recipe after the jump, I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine.
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GIVEAWAY WINNER: Sewing In A Straight Line by Brett Bara

OOPS! I think we forgot to pick a winner of Brett Bara's lovely new book Sewing in a Straight Line. So let's do that, shall we? This lovely new book features many simple and sophisticated projects, all sewn with straight lines.

And the winner is...

Mel Titus Tsai said...

My first sewing project I remember doing was with Girl Scouts, we put a patchwork quilt together for some type of charity.... I remember the leader moms being frustrated that the corners weren't matching up correctly... but what do you expect of 4th graders sewing?!? :)

The Laziest DIY Cushion Slipcover

After much research, I came to the conclusion that no fabric cushion was going to survive the soul-draining afternoon sun of my Texas Patio. Plan B - Disposable slipcovers. I set out to make the simplest possible covers for my existing cushions from inexpensive {but fun} fabric with the full intention of replacing them next season. Do you have a box cushion that you want to cover in a jiff? Here's how to make the Laziest DIY Cushion Slipcover.

And actually, I'm loving the way the black is fading (yes, it is already fading after a month) so maybe we will keep these around even longer than planned.


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