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DIY Magnet Board Photo Wall

posted in diy, family, home, inspiration by Hanna on
Sara and I are 2 out of 5 kids in our family. In just over five years our family of 7 grew to 15 people. Between weddings, graduations, trips and having babies there have been LOTS of moments captured; all of which my mother tried to put on her kitchen walls. Needless to say, it was starting to get really cluttered. So for her birthday I decided to solve the problem and give our mom a nice, big space to display photos of her cute grand-babies.
For many years now I have looked at this blank wall as I’ve walk up and down the stairs at our parent’s house. After looking for a solution to where all of the pictures could go, that my mom wanted to have around I couldn’t have found a better place! So last year while I was staying there over the holidays I drew up some plans of how I wanted the wall to look and what would allow for the most pictures. The magnet boards makes it easy to hang and interchange a lots of pictures, plus the ledge on top adds additional space for framed pictures.
We started by adhering sheets of metal we got from the local hardware store with liquid nails that we cut down to the size we wanted. We also put a nail in each corner to secure them. My dad and husband were great handymen for this project!
Then we framed the metal sheets with 1x2s. Going along the top we did a 1×4 with a piece of molding over that to give it some detail. On top of all of that we added a photo ledge using another 1×4 and a thin strip of wood to the front of that to keep the frames from slipping.
After caulking all the edges, it only took a couple coats of paint to complete this project.
When I was showing our mom my plans for this before I even started I could tell she was a little hesitant and didn’t really see my vision. Because I never come up with “over the top” projects that are hard to bring to reality. In all honestly thought this was a really easy project once I figured out all the measurements and made all the cuts. Plus it cost less then $100!
I couldn’t be happier with the final results and neither can our mother. She says she loves going up and down those stairs now and looking at all the pictures of her family.
After doing this project, it’s made me want to do one in my own home down in the playroom. Hum…the wheels are turning again!
-HANNA

Linked To:
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2014/02/23/sunday-best-link-party.html
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/106-lets-party/
http://upcycledtreasures.com/2014/02/the-makers-link-party-6/
http://diyshowoff.com/2014/02/23/diy-party-5/
http://cityfarmhouse.com/2014/02/inspiration-exchange-linky-party-38.html
http://placeofmytaste.com/2014/02/work-wednesday-36.html

Our Blogging Goals for 2014

posted in blogging, family, motherhood, organization by Sara on
Hi everyone! I’ve just returned from a week-long vacation with Hanna and am already looking forward to our next one! We always have so much fun together and it is as though we’ve never been apart. With a whole week together we had so much that we wanted to do, but it only took us a day to realize that not all of it was going to get done. With having three little girls under the age of 3 there was just no way that we were going to be able to care for them, complete all the projects we had planned, and go everywhere we wanted to go while still keeping our sanity at the same time. When it came right down to it we decided to set aside our blog and all of our projects for the week and enjoy the time we had together. Instead, we had a blast chatting away the days, eating way too much food, and watching our girls play together—while having to play referee on occasion. We even found the courage to pack the three girls in the back seat and travel out to our parent’s house for a few days. With it being about a four hour drive each way, Hanna and I utilized the time to talk about our future progress and goals for the blog. Since many of our blogging goals are geared around our readers, we thought we’d share them with you.

BLOGGING GOALS

1.   Get more personal in our posts. We want our readers to come to know the real us. While some of our pictures may suggest otherwise, we have bad days too where our hair and makeup doesn’t get done, our house is a disaster, we lose our patience with our children and the laundry is pilled high. We make mistakes and we are always striving to be better than we are. We’re not blogging to imply that we are above anyone else, but rather to share our ideas, experiences, and inspirations to help and inspire others.
2.   Stay true to ourselves. We have both found a lot of joy in blogging and the opportunity it gives us to stay more connected with one another. In continuing to blog, our overall goal is to remain true to what is important to us, what we believe in, and who we are. We will never post anything on the blog for the mere sake of posting something or to get gain.
3.   Comment more on other blogs and connect more with other bloggers. We are constantly overwhelmed by the support of other bloggers and our readers. We are delightfully gitty with each new follower and with every comment. Our goal is to continue to pay-it-forward by supporting other bloggers and to make new friends by reaching out. After making this goal we have rounded up a great group of other bloggers for a surprise blog series we will be starting in March– stay tuned! 
4.   Start an editorial calendar to organize our tasks and improve our time management. I know I am not alone when I say that time management can often be a struggle, but it is something we are constantly trying to master (without success). We started using an editorial calendar (both a hard copy and an online version) so that we can more easily keep track of the tasks that need to get done and hopeful become more organized with our time. If anyone has more ideas or suggestions on the matter please feel free to share!
5.   Post more regularly on our social media sites. This is really something that we have both struggled with since starting our blog. Neither one of us are the type that updates our Facebook status everyday (barely every month) or posts a new picture on Instagram on a daily basis but we are beginning to realized the importance of social media use in growing our blog. And, since we only post three times a week we hope to stay more in touch with you and fill you in on daily happenings through the use of social media. Wish us luck!
6.   Make our blog more easy to navigate and more easy to connect with. It has been less than two months since we started up Stripes and Polka Dots and we are already finding many new ways to make it better. Unfortunately, we feel rather limited at the moment as to where we’d eventually like the design of our blog to be, but it is our goal to save our pennies and do our research so by this summer we can make our blog more user friendly. With some of the changes we hope to incorporated in the coming months we hope it will enable our readers to become more engaged as we wish to get to know you better. 

Kid Approved Valentines Party

posted in crafts, family, holidays, kids, lifestyle by Hanna on

It has been a busy week getting caught up with everything after our trip to Florida! I was pretty much behind on everything; blogging included! So today with it being Valentine’s I wanted share with you a little bit of my week that included this Valentine’s party I did for preschool.

Since moving into our new house I joined an at-home preschool group that some of the mother’s in the neighborhood had already started. We take turns doing preschool at our homes 2 days a week. So far it’s been really great for my toddler for social interaction with some bonus learning and crafts. It’s been great for me in getting to know some of the other mothers around me and finding some friends for Mia.

This week was my week and it being the week of Valentines I wanted to do something to celebrate. We spent the first day doing a craft that would serve as decoration for the party later in the week and then as a Valentine to give to their parents.

I cut up a bunch of scrap paper and had the kids glue them to inside of the heart. They love stick glue so they had a good time with it. This craft was perfect for a quick and easy decoration for the party!

Yesterday was our “party” day. We started by decorating bags with foam heart for all their Valentine’s to go in. Felt stickers was something we hadn’t done before and it was another hit with keeping the kiddos entertained.
Next we played a game of “Pin the Heart”. My daughter, Mia was my model for the girl we “pinned” the heart on and my helper in coloring it.
Our final activity was decorating heart cookies and eating them. Yum!

Now that the kids were all hyped up on sugar and before everyone’s mom came to pick them up I passed out their bags they decorated earlier and we passed around all the cute Valentines everyone brought.
Once the kids were gone I spent a good half-hour on clean up while Mia ate more candy and then we had a lazy afternoon. What a great day!
Hope everyone has a lovely Valentines day!
-HANNA

Guest Bathroom Before & Afters + Giveaway!

posted in diy, giveaway, home by Hanna on
For those of you who missed it, I shared my inspiration board and the before pictures of our guest bathroom in my post “Turning Projects into Reality“.One month later–  after several trips to Home Depot, lots of painting and some help from the Mr.– my first home project is officially complete!

As I’ve mentioned before, with renting I never felt like it was worth my time and money to do something that I would have to walk away from. Now that I’m a home-owner I was itching to do my first home project. I decided to start with our guest bathroom.

While it wasn’t in the budget to do a complete rehaul I was able to find affordable ways to update and refresh the space. First while I was buying all the paint I was able to score a highly discounted gallon can of paint only because it didn’t come with a handle. So instead of paying $30 for it I got it for $10! Next time you’re buying paint make sure to see if they have any discounted cans of paint like this sitting behind the counter.

For the vanity, I knew it needed an update but new vanities can cost well over $300. Instead, I primed then painted the vanity itself and then just replaced the vanity top to a clean white one which only cost $74 at Home Depot. The fun mirror we also got from Home Depot. If you’re looking to update a mirror in your bathroom they have some of the most affordable options.

I think one of my favorite features in this bathroom update is the new faucet. It’s a Pfister faucet and while they have a wide selection of faucets, many that I really liked, I decided on the Ideal faucet because the top of it has the ability to pull out and extend around the sink. Not to mention, the faucet was super easy to install; or so Eric says since he was kind enough to do it for me.

After everything is said and done it’s nice to step back and admire the work we put into this bathroom while making it into something that fit our style. It will be exciting to see how other parts of our house come together over the years. As for now here’s a final look at the before and afters of this guest bathroom.
Sources:
Mirror, Wave Art Print, Barnwood picture frame/ Hobby Lobby, Shower Curtain, Faucet, Rugs/ TJ Max, Vanity Top, Towel Racks and Toilet Paper Holder/ Home Depot, Wall Paint Color/ Clark and Kensington Designer White, Vanity paint color/ Clark and Kensington Smooth Slate.
Now for all of you wanting to give a bathroom or kitchen a little update Pfister is going to give away a faucet to one of you!
One of our lucky readers will win a free Pfister faucet of their choice worth up to $300! That is pretty cool! The giveaway will last for one week and will end Wednesday, February 19th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linked To:
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2014/02/whatever-goes-wednesday-209.html
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/104-link-up-your-projects/
http://sodapopave.com/soda-pop-ave/2014/2/11/what-we-love-wednesdays-26

DIY Slouchy Tee Tutorial

posted in diy, sewing, tutorial, women's fashion by Sara on

If you can believe it, Oregon (at least where I live) received nearly 9″ of snow over the weekend! I grew up around plenty of snow, so it is nothing new to me but it was quite apparent that it is to Oregonians. There was not one snow plow in site, people where shoveling there driveways with flat head shovels, and businesses and schools where closing left and right! My husband’s school was also canceled on Friday so we took advantage of the snow and went sledding…at least we attempted to. After playing in the snow and a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up on food, we hunkered down for the rest of the weekend. For me that meant lots and lots of sewing! With some fabric that I got from Girl Charlee Fabrics, I whipped up another one of my favorite slouchy tees. This shirt is so simple to make and so comfortable to wear! Here is what you’ll need:

Supplies:
–  1 1/2 yard of knit fabric
–  coordinating thread
–  twin sewing needle
–  ball point sewing needle
–  pins
–  fabric scissors
–  measuring tape
–  custom made pattern

I made my shirt using a serger but any basic sewing machine will work great. Whether using a serger or a regular sewing machine it is best to use a ball point needle as it will make sewing with the stretchy knit fabric a breeze. Using a regular/universal needle may cause skipped stitches and create holes in your fabric. Also when looking for fabric to use look for knit fabric that has a four-way stretch (meaning that it will stretch both horizontally and vertically). I’ve used different types of knit fabric in the past and none seem to give as good of result as a four-way stretch fabric. The fabric I used has a nice drape plus great stretch and recovery.

After you have all your supplies, it is time to make your pattern. Don’t let this step scare you! Making a pattern is simple and can be accomplished with a couple measurements and a few simple steps. I drew my pattern on sewable tracing paper, but you can use whatever you have (newspaper, crate paper, muslin, etc.) Below is a little diagram and description of how to get the measurements you’ll need for your shirt and how to create a pattern based off those measurements.

A is the length of the shirt plus 1/4 inch for seam allowance and 1 inch added to the bottom for the hem. (Ex. I wanted my shirt to be 24″ so I made my pattern 25 1/4 inches in length)
B is the circumference of the shirt divided by 2. To find the circumference, measure the widest part of you then add an extra 4 inches. These extra 4 inches includes the seam allowance and gives the shirt a nice flowy drape. (Ex. My hip measurement was 38″ + 4″ = 42″. Since the pattern only portrays one side of the shirt I divided that number by 2 to get 21″)
C + F is the length of your sleeve. To get this measurement, measure from your collar bone to your wrist. Then add 1/4 inch to that for the seam allowance and 1 more inch at the bottom for the hem.
D is the circumference of your bicep. Divide that number by 2 and add 1/4 inch for seam allowance to get your measurement for D.
E is the circumference of your wrist. Again divide that number by 2 and add 1/4 inch for seam allowance. **Note that lines F must be placed on the fold of your fabric. Do not cut where the pattern says “Fold”!

Finally, cut out your neckline to your liking. If you are unsure of where to make your cuts for the neckline, grab a shirt that you like the neckline on and lay it over your pattern as a guide.

When your pattern is completed to your liking cut it out and lay it over your fabric. I folded my fabric in half so I could get the front and back of the shirt in one cut. Then line the sleeve patter up on the fold and cut out each sleeve. If you are not using a four-way stretch fabric, make sure to cut out your fabric so that it stretches horizontally across the shirt and sleeves. 

Now it is time to start sewing and in just 4 simple steps you will have yourself a custom made top! To get ready for constructing the tee, switch your needle on your machine to a ball point needle and adjust your settings to a stretch stitch. Again I used my serger for this part but I’ve highlighted above on my sewing machine which setting is a good stretch stitch to use if you are using a basic sewing machine. Most machines should have this stitch (the zig-zag stitch right next to the stitch highlighted is also a good stretch stitch to use).
1. First, line up your fabric with the right sides together and sew  both shoulder seams.

2. Next you will attach the sleeves to the armhole. To do this, open up the shirt with the right sides facing up. Match the bottom of the armhole with the top of the sleeve. Flip the sleeve over so that the right sides of the fabric are together, pin, and sew.

3. With the sleeves attaches it is time to sew together the side seams starting at the one end and continuing to the other end. Again make sure right sides are facing each other and lines are matched up if you are using striped fabric.
4.  Now we will finish off the neckline by adding a neckband (if you prefer another finishing method feel free). First, roughly measure the opening of your neckline then subtract 3-4 inches off that number depending on how stretchy your fabric is. Making the neckband smaller than the actual neckline with allow the neckband to lay flat. I cut my neckband 1 1/2″ wide and 17″ long. Once you have your neckband cut out, sew the ends together with the right-sides of the fabric facing one another. Then fold the the fabric in half with the right-side facing out and iron. Now you are going to pin the neckband to your shirt opening. Remember that the neckband is smaller than your actual opening so you will have to stretch the neckband as you pin and then sew. To finish it off, simply iron the neckband so it lays flat.

5. Lastly, hem the sleeves and bottom of the shirt– this is where your twin needle will come in handy. Once you’ve measured and pinned your hems, sew using the double needle on the top side of the fabric. If you don’t have a twin needle that stitch I highlighted above on my sewing machine is a great one to use.


Linked To:
http://www.create-with-joy.com/2014/02/inspire-me-monday-week-110.html
http://watchoutforthewoestmans.blogspot.com/2014/02/watch-what-im-wearing_9.html
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2014/02/09/sunday-best-linky-party-3.html
http://www.sewcando.com/2014/02/craftastic-monday-link-party-magazine.html
http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/2014/02/making-monday-27.html
http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/2014/02/craft-o-maniac-link-party-6.html
http://diyshowoff.com/2014/02/09/diy-party-time-2/
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/nifty-thrifty-sunday-142/
http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/02/link-it-or-lump-it-party-no-25.html

Friday Finds #5: Valentine’s Gift Ideas

posted in family, Friday Finds, friends, holidays, inspiration, marriage by Sara on
Last year, my husband Eric stayed up late the night before Valentines making me a flower bouquet from Hershey’s Kisses and tissue paper and leaving these flowers around the house with little notes. If you knew my husband you would know he is NOT a crafty person so this gift meant a lot to me. How sweet that he would take the time to make something for me since that’s what I enjoy? I’m hoping to top his gift this year, but with the holidays just getting over and a husband that just had a birthday my brain is strained for thinking of a good gift that is meaningful and affordable.Not to mention finding a great gift to spread the love with all the other special people in my life. So for our sake and yours, Sara and I have rounded up some pretty awesome gift ideas for all those special people in your life.
1. “Because I Love You…” Dry Erase Board | by Drawings Under the Table
2.  Mr & Mrs Coupon Book | by Day Spring
3.  “Open When” Letters | by The Dating Divas
5.  Felt Fortune Cookies | by “The Martha Stewart Show”
7.  Heart Balloon Surprise | by Oh Happy Day
8.  “You Are Golden” Printable Valentine’s | by The Crafted Sparrow
If you have any other ideas please send them our way! Also be sure to check out our Valentine’s Day board on Pinterest for many more cute ideas!
-HANNA

How to Save BIG on Your Children’s Clothes

posted in baby, kids, money saving tips, shop by Sara on

There is always talk about how fast kids grow up. They go from a small newborn baby to an energetic toddler in a mere blink of an eye! The hardest part about them growing up so fast is keeping clothes in their closet that actually fit them. It’s like I buy my daughter a new outfit and after a few wears it is already too small! Not only is my daughter growing out of her clothes faster than I can replenish them, but it also doesn’t take long before there is a giant stain on them either. Let’s face it—kids are tough on clothes! 

While clothing is a necessity of life, it is often hard to bring myself to spend a lot of money on baby clothes when I know in a month or two they will either be too small or too stained. After expressing my frustrations to a friend who has a 2 year old and a baby on the way, she gave me some great tips on how to buy new, name brand kids clothing for little-to-nothing. I’m talking amazing saving here! This woman is the queen of finding a great deal! Just last week she scored an adorable Baby Gab dress, regularly on clearance for $25, for less than $2! The best part of all… she agreed to share her great money saving tips with you too!

  • Think ahead and buy bigger sizes to put away for later—this will save you money in the long run.
  • Shop end of season clearance. Even though it’s end of season for stores, your child can usually wear the clothes for a couple more months and then next year too. For example, right now stores are discounting winter clothes to make room for spring/summer inventory, but it’s still winter clothing weather.
  • Go through your child’s wardrobe and decided what clothes your child needs(ex. 2 pairs of pants, a light-weight jacket, etc). This will help eliminate the compulsive desire to buy just because there is a good deal. 
  • Know the brand of clothes and styles that best fit your child. Every store’s sizes fit differently. For example, H&M pants run really big on my daughter, while Old Navy pants run a bit small. 
  • Look for things that make clothing wearable for longer—like an adjustable waist.
  • Know the stores you shop and when they have sales or additional off clearance items. For example: Dillard’s is an additional off all clearance the last week of every month.
  • Double-up coupons with sales or clearance. While I love extra savings, make sure you read the fine print as there may be some stores that will not allow you to use coupons on sale or clearance items.
  • Always buy the next size up from what your child is currently wearing. 
  • Clearance sale items are usually at the back of the store.
  • Look online for sales and additional discounts—usually stores will price match online prices.
  • Visit discount stores such as Ross, TJ Max, and Marshall’s. They even have clearance and marked-down items.


    I’d like to publicly thank my friend, Rachelle, for the wonderful tips and I hope you found them to be as helpful as I did. We love finding new ways to save money, so if you have any additional tips or know of any good sales, please feel free to share them with all of us in the comment section below! 

    Happy saving!

    Linked To:
    http://sodapopave.com/soda-pop-ave/2014/2/4/what-we-love-wednesdays-25
    http://myfashionforwardblog.com/things-pretty-46/
    http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/02/link-it-or-lump-it-party-no-24.html
    http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/02/share-it-link-party-100.html
    http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2014/02/whatever-goes-wednesday-208.html
    http://learningcreatingliving.blogspot.com/2014/02/linkn-blogs-link-party-11.html
    http://www.roubinek.net/something-fabulous-wednesday-3/
    http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/02/friday-link-party-53.html