Saturday, December 3, 2011

My Etsy store...

I opened an Etsy store!! I know i have been gone a long time, but im back. Life has been busy, crazy, hectic, and yet somewhere I found some time to create and open a store! I love crafting and hope that I can share my creations with people. For their own joy and to give to others. I have always wanted to share my creations with others and now I can. Their is a link in the side bar, I hope you will check it out... Keep on living Romantically....

Friday, July 8, 2011

A pillow , a doll , and a desk.


Just below are a few things I have been working on. I have been seeing the cutest pillows and me being me I decided to try and make one rather than spend $$$ on one :) I came up with a small rectangle pillow with a floral pattern in the center and a ruffled green around it with lace around all edges and satin peach on the back. The ruffles were a lot of work but totally worth it!! Its new home is now in the office by the window. I hope to make a few more now that I know how.
Another project I finished up was an outfit for my daughters doll Doria. It was a little confusing considering Doria has a huge head!!! She only came with pj's and I thought she needed some day clothes. I hope to make her an outfit that matches one i made for my daughter !


Lastly I would like to share my Beautiful sewing desk it is a 1970 Singer Golden touch and sew Deluxe zig-zag sewing machine. My amazing grandmother passed away this year and I was so lucky to inherit her sewing machine. My grandfather purchased it for her brand new and she has made many things with it; now i have it to make many more things with. I love this sewing machine , I am so honored to have it in my home. I now hope to post lots of things made with it.
The kittens also love the desk it is a wonderful afternoon napping spot :)
Things have been crazy in life and i have not had much time to craft... In another week or so I should be up and crafting again, as well as making my home romantic......
.......... until then live romantically........ MJ

Monday, May 30, 2011

Sleeves and Lamps...

This week has been a busy one!! Made a nook sleeve, set up my old/ new lamp, made a grad cake for my husbands little brother, and a couple other little projects.
First I want to show off the nook cover ! My good friend I made the charlie bag for last post , for graduation, from her family, got a nook !! She asked me if id do her a favor and make her some sort of cover for it. For some reason I was thinking crochet :) I then remembered I had recently made a laptop cover for myself! all I had to to was shrink the dimensions. The picture above is of what i used, and the ones below are of the finished sleeve, some with the nook in it. She loved it and I hope she will get years of enjoyment from it :)
Secondly this week I took some pics of my "new" lamp I brought home from California. When I was younger my grandmother moved back home to Denmark. When she did she left me a few things, a roll top desk, a chair to go with it, and a lamp. I have had the desk and chair for years but had forgotten about the lamp. My other grandmother passed last month and it was given to me then. Since I have moved towards the romantic decor I was lucky it goes along with everything :)
They are two lamps but on one mount. they have hurricane glass and a decorative gold cover. they put off a perfect amount of light for the living room. they are in front of a sliding glass window and I love the way the light hits them in the afternoon. Their just happens to be a chair in front of them that works out (The chair is broken). The above picture has the newest copy of Romantic Homes on it which I love!!
Our mama cat decided this was a good spot to get away from the kittens. She thought it was quite comfy she also enjoys Romantic Homes. I also took a night shot so you could see the lamps on and as you can see they are beautiful.
Next week I hope to have a project on an outfit for my little girls doll Doria, and to have my inherited Piano and sewing desk in the house. Until then live Romantically.........
-MJ

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Floral Fabric







Since i have decided to try to turn my home in to a romantic, I have been paying more attention to floral fabric and vintage patterns. One day I had a Brilliant idea to make vintage looking aprons! I went out bought a few yards of adorable fabric , had tons of ideas of how to make the aprons, and I got distracted with life and my daughters ester outfit! Eventually I got to the fabric.



My moms birthday was lats week and I thought of the best gift for her. A VINTAGE LOOKING APRON!! It was completely my design, and i had a few mess ups , but it turned out adorable. It is in pictures below (Modeled by my lovely friend Jen).







A good friend of mine graduated college this week and I had thought about making her some candies, or hair flowers , but i wanted to make her something she could really use. I recently learned how to make a charlie bag and decided that was the perfect gift! Since i had fabric (that was supposed to be for aprons) all i needed was patients and time. :) Two hours later it was done. I loved it so much I almost kept it!!




Finally after all the gift making I wanted something vintage and floral for me too!! I came across a laptop sleeve on http://www.burdastyle.com/ (which is also where the charlie bag came from). It is simple yet useful. I had a Yard left of floral fabric and really needed a sleeve for my laptop. It only took an hour and I love it!




I do hope to make some more aprons, just have to get more fabric! I still have some ideas for half and well as full aprons. I think you should look fancy while your making dinner for family, friends, or even just yourself. sometimes though it is nice to create something totally different with what you have then what was originally thought.














Keep on creating romantically. -Mj





































Sunday, February 13, 2011

My Style.


My style….

I have always had my own style. I was not sure how to explain or classify it though. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Since I was about 19 I have tried to decorate my home around this one picture, Le chat noir by Théophile Steinlen . I love cats and that one suited my style. I have collected things here and there to go with it, but have never had everything match. When you are first starting out you get moms old blankets and Uncle Andy’s old dishes and everything else random people don’t need. So now I’m 27 with 4 different types of dishes, bedding from 3 different people, and no décor that I even want to put up. Not to mention I have lived in apartments and family homes so I have been very limited as to what I can put up or paint.
Along the way I think there have been little hints to where I really want to be. In my second apartment I had a little red chandelier that I adored. Not sure where it is, we have moved a lot since that apartment. I love floral accessories, handmade of course. I also love vintage tea sets and aprons. So not too long ago we were out and about and I found this magazine that I just could not put down or leave at the store. Romantic Homes, February 2011. Straight to the heart. The Valentine’s Day edition. I am in love. It all started to come together; I love feathers, pearls, diamonds, vintage cottage homes, and a sweet cozy pink floral room. I have joked with my husband that I want my own room so I can have a cute bed and cute décor. 7 years together with him and I have yet to receive my own room.
This magazine has inspired me to re think the way I decorate. We have decided to try and buy our own home and I think I want to start collecting our own décor, dishes and blankets. I would like to turn my blog not only in to a place for sweet concoctions, and creations but also a place to show how I will transform our new home in to a Romantic home.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Beannie Beard.







Sometimes you feel like a beard, sometimes you don't........ This idea was inspired by a brother in law. Josh calls him a mountain man.... Or says he will be one some day!
The unique thing about this is that the beard is detachable!
Stitches used: Chain (ch), Single crochet(sc), Slip stitch(sl st), Half Single crochet(hdc), Decrease(dec). http://http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/instruction_directory.php great teaching tool!
WHAT you will need to create one of your own.
Yarn: red heart ( color of your liking)
Needle: I
2 buttons that will blend with your yarn
sewing needle
thread to match
NOTES: sl st to connect. ch 2 at end of rounds counts at 1st st in each row. directions in between ** are to be repeated on that row. To dec insert needle as usual pull up a loop, do the same in next st then continue with sc.
HAT ...
ch 3 connect ch 2 (counts as 1st st in each row)
row 1: sc 9 connect ch 2. (10)
row 2: sc 2 in each previous sc all the way around. connect ch 2. (20)
row 3: *sc 2 in first st and 1 in 2nd st* repeat all the way around. connect ch 2. (30)
row 4: *sc 2 in first st and 1 in next 2 sts* repeat all the way around. connect ch 2. (40)
row 5: *sc 2 in first st and 1 in next 3 sts* repeat all the way around. connect ch 2. (50)
row 6: *sc 2 in first st and 1 in next 4 sts* repeat all the way around. connect ch 2. (60)
row 7-22 : sc in each st all the way around. connect ch2. tie off weave in ends
BEARD.....
ch 37
row 1: sc in 3rd ch from hook and all the way across. ch 2 turn.
row 2: sc in all sts across. ch2 turn.
row 3: sc in first 11 sts. ch 13. sc in last 11 sts. ch 2 turn.
row 4: sc all the way across including 13 chs. ch2 turn.
rows 5-7: sc all the way across. ch 2 turn.
row 8: dec in first 4 sts. sc in next 27 sts. dec in last 4 sts. ch 2 turn.
row 9: dec in first 4 sts. dc in next 19 sts. dec in last 4 sts. ch 2 turn.
row 10: dec in first 4 sts. dc in next 11 sts dec in last 4 sts.
row 11: continuing in the same direction as row 10 hsc all the way around beard to clean up edges. tie off and weave in ends.
Buttons: sew a button on each end of the top 25 sts to the inside of the beard.
Attach or detach.... enjoy!!!