Woman in Real Life

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.



Y'all know I love my Cricut Maker. And I love to share with you just how easy it is to use Cricut Maker and Cricut Design Space to make fun and useful projects for your family, friends and loved ones. Of course you can also create Cricut Maker projects to sell if you so choose.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.




With the holidays fast approaching, I know that many of you have added a Cricut cutting machine to your wishlist. And who can blame you? Cricut machines are so much fun to use and you can craft projects from cards to jewelry to doll clothes. (If you get a Cricut Maker or Explore Air 2 before Christmas, you can even make gifts with it!) I own the Cricut Maker and it's a good choice for me, because I love the versatility of it. If you are wondering if Maker is the right machine for you, read on for the 5 things I love about my Cricut Maker. I also have a first project idea for you - a cute, easy DIY  drawstring bag sewing project. This bag is personalized with the initial of the recipient using iron-on material and it makes a lovely, eco-friendly gift bag that can be re-used again and again.

Ever since I saw Molly Ringwald's character, Andie, craft her own prom dress in the eighties film Pretty in Pink, I have imagined what it would be like to sew your own unique threads. Of course I only ever imagined - I didn't actually learn to sew clothing.

My daughter has expressed an interest in taking sewing courses. (She's almost as old as I was when I watched Pretty in Pink!) Maybe she can live out my dream by creating her own unique teen wardrobe? Either way, I thought it would be fun for us to explore some sewing books this Spring Break. Maybe we'll start off with something a little more simple, like a toque or a pillow cover.

I love looking at the beautifully crafted work of "makers" on Instagram - embroidered hoop art, handmade hats, witty t-shirts, pottery mugs, lovingly hand-sewn baby clothes - there are so many talented women crafting gorgeous, unique items for others and often caring for families at the same time.

I don't have any particular talent in this regard. I like to bake, take pictures and write, but when it comes to crafting I am purely a hobbyist. That doesn't mean I won't keep at it though, just for fun. And I'd also like to inspire my children to harness their creativity into satisfying projects - there's nothing like the feeling of finishing something wonderful that you've made by hand. This month, I picked out some books to inspire us from DK's Made By Hands Boutique.

Winter is on the horizon and that means I'll soon be spending quite a bit of time hibernating. While evenings spent in front of the fireplace with a book and a hot cocoa sound pretty good, eventually all that time indoors (especially with kids) leads to boredom. That's where these books from  DK Canada's Craft Boutique come in handy.

One step in my 4-month purge involved opening up boxes of books that had been stowed away in the storage room. (And, by the way, my 4-month purge is about to become a 6-month purge, starting today, because the summer progressed very slowly.)

I was torn about these Creative Hands knitting, dressmaking and needlecraft guides (which took up a whole box). I'm thinking there is a good chance I'm never going to actually make a project from these books, so they really shouldn't be taking up valuable space. But I have a positive reaction to them. They spark joy, which means I get to keep them right? (According to the KonMari method anyway.)

Today I'm sharing a look at an easy, fun sewing project I did recently. How do I know it's easy? I made it. That means it has to be easy.

This was only my second sewing project ever (unless you count Valentine's hearts or felt donuts). I used to think that I hated sewing, but it turns out I just needed the proper motivation - making something fun! Have a look at my first-ever sewing project, a dress for my daughter's Canadian girl doll, here.

Yesterday was a snow day and the kids were home from school...fighting. Well, that's not entirely true. There was some complaining too and a bit of TV watching mixed in. Demands for food. You know, the usual.

It got me thinking about March Break and how we are going to occupy them for an entire week. If you are facing the same scenario or you have little ones at home every day, I have a suggestion for you. That is, unless you are headed off to sunnier climes this March Break. This post is for those who are "staycationing" like my family. 

Yesterday, I showed you my made-by-the-whole-family heart garland. Now, I admit I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but when it comes to crafts I have to put that aside.

For one, I don't have much experience with making crafts. And two, I am working with children. One day I will pick up these sweet felt hearts with their imperfect edges and giant stitches and think about how little the kids were when they made them.

I haven't done much thrift store shopping lately. The house is full up with dishes and stuff and any spare funds the last couple months went toward Christmas shopping.

Last week, my willpower faltered though when I got an email from the Salvation Army saying they were having a one dollar kids clothing sale this past Friday. The fact is, my kids don't need any clothing, but $1 for jeans? Why not?

Of course, I knew I wouldn't pass by the housewares aisle without having a peek. I loaded up on kids' jeans first. I even got each of the kids a coat for $1. Then I headed over to peruse the dishes.

Remember a few weeks ago when I went thrift "shopping" in my mom's basement? I came away with some vintage fabric, featuring a lovely dancing couple. I told you then that I planned to make dresses for my daughter's Maplelea (Canadian Girl) dolls.

I have never sewed more than one crooked line my whole life. I wasn't sure I could do it, to be honest.

Last week, I talked about thrifting with my sister while visiting my parents in their small town. Besides the goodies I got at local thrift shops, I also came away with more vintage stuff from my mom.

But, first I want to show you some of the cool things my parents own that I haven't taken home...yet. 

My mom isn't going to be too happy to see the cobwebs in the photo, above, but the collection is up by the (high) ceiling and I didn't feel like dusting all these objects. My parents live by the lake, which means lots of spiders! This is just a part of my dad's collection of beer steins, etc. My favourite item is that little guy who pours shots. He actually moves. I loved it when I was a kid.