I Need Some Mommy Help

This may be my most vulnerable post ever. I am going to ask you guys for some help. With all of the moms out there, I just know that some of you have the solution I’m looking for.

Some of you may have noticed I haven’t posted in almost a week. A lot of that has been that I have been up to my eyeballs in busy mommy stuff. You know the same stuff that all of you deal with….life.

Another reason is that I have been an emotional wreck.

I can’t get my 5-year old to listen to me worth a lick. I will say something, she will say “ok”, then two seconds later she will do exactly what I told her not to, or she won’t be doing what I asked her to.

She’s one of those care-free souls that just goes around life with a smile on her face.

I have done time-out. That doesn’t seem to phase her. She just is nonchalant about the whole thing. I have taken toys away – even thrown toys away. She cries, but the message isn’t sinking in.

The only thing that seems to work is if I yell.

I DON’T WANT TO YELL!

I hate feeling mean. I hate that I have to do that to get a response.

These past few days have been especially hard.

Jewelry Medicine Cabinet

I don’t know about you guys, but my jewelry drawer was an absolute mess. Things were tangled up and completely unorganized. I’ve seen DIY jewelry organizers all over blogland, but none of them were quite what I was looking for.

Then one day the wheels were turning, and I came up with the Jewelry Medicine Cabinet.

I can hang my earrings on the doors.

And store

Laminate Baby Bib Tutorial & Riley Blake Fabric GIVEAWAY!!! **ENDED**

We are still celebrating today!! (I mean how often does a girl turn 30)?

Next up in some of my FAVORITE stuff is Riley Blake Designs fabric!!!

(You can still enter the Hoop-la Earrings giveaway HERE).

They have been one of my favorite fabric companies for a couple of years now, and I am so excited to be able to share some of that fabulous fabric with one of you.

Have you heard of laminate cotton? It’s awesome stuff. It would be great for rain slickers, fingerpainting aprons, swimming totes, etc.

I decided to use it to make baby bibs.

It’s My Birthday and I’ve Got a Present For ALL of You!!!

It’s my 30th birthday today and I’m ready to celebrate!!!!

Yesterday I shared with you my very favorite earrings. If you haven’t already entered to win 2 pairs of vintage custom earrings from Hoop-La Earrings, go to THIS POST now.

Today I get to give all of you a present!

{Birthday Giveaway}: Hoop-La Earrings **ENDED**

It’s my birthday this week. Since I think it’s more fun for all of us to celebrate, this week I’ll be sharing with you some of my FAVORITE things.

Today it’s Hoop-La Earrings – vintage custom earrings.

I love accessories! To me they are the finishing touches on an outfit that put the entire look together.

Hoop-La just happens to me my favorite place to get earrings. They come in so many different designs and colors, that I’m always sure to find whatever I need for any outfit!

Why “Sew Dang Cute”?

Recently I was at a dinner with some remarkable people and was asked to share my blogging story. Pretty much, how I came to have my blog and why I named it “Sew Dang Cute”.

Since I’ve never shared that story here on my site, I thought maybe I would do that today.

Back in 2009 I was pregnant with my third child. I had a personal blog and so did several of my friends. One of those friends many of you know as Char of Crap I’ve Made. She posted this twirl skirt and this wrap dress that she had made. As the mother of two young girls, I wished so badly that I knew how to make things like that. Char assured me that I could do it and even offered to help.

So I went out and bought some fabric and went to Char’s house to have her help me. I didn’t know anything about seam allowances or anything like that. I pretty much just knew how to thread a sewing machine and sew straight lines.

So Char taught me.

We sat in her sewing room while our kids played/napped and chatted the hours away and eventually cranked out these adorable skirts for my girls.

I had also

Giveaway: {DownEast Basics & Modbe Clothing} **ENDED**

We’ve done giveaways with DownEast Basics before. Since you guys always give such a good response to these, they want to offer another one today! However, this time it also includes their sister company Modbe Clothing.

Yay!!!

One of you is going to get to choose any item of your choice from either of these companies!

Doesn’t that sound awesome?!!!

They sent me the Can Can Skirt in Forever Blue.

A New Look

Next week I’m going to be celebrating a pretty big milestone birthday – 30! I have loved my 20’s. I got married, graduated from college, moved 300 miles away from my parents, worked as an accountant for several years, bought a house, and was blessed with four of the best children I could ever hope for.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reflecting on the last decade or so of my life and realized that as I approach 30 I have grown and changed so much (hopefully for the better). I am happier now than I have been in my entire life.

As I was thinking these things, I turned my thoughts to my blog. When I first started I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing, but I was having fun. Now I feel like I have a much better sense of my style and who I am as a blogger. My blog design was bright, fun, and cute. I liked it, but I needed a change. I don’t feel like I’m “cute” anymore and I wanted my blog to reflect more of who I am now, and how my style has adapted.

So I turned to the blog design genius, Kim of 733 Blog Design, and she was amazing!

She worked with me and worked with me and worked with me and ….. (yeah it was a lot of work)

…until it was the look I was going for.

Hugs & Kisses Valentine w/FREE Printable

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t love a holiday that is heavy on the chocolate?

Speaking of chocolate, that’s exactly what I used as the inspiration for my Valentine project today.

I made this fun printable, which you can download HERE.

Silhouette Tutorial: {Valentine Tic-Tac-Toe}

Recently I received an email from Erica. She is a school teacher and found this darling FREE Valentine Tic-Tac-Toe printable from Shindig Parties TO GO! that she wanted to use in her class.

The only problem is she didn’t want to cut out 28 of these with scissors.

She saw the tutorials on tracing HERE and HERE and wondered if there was any way to use the Silhouette for this job!

Yup, you can!

Personalizing the Valentine’s Chair Backers

Two years ago I made these fun Valentine’s Chair Backers for my kids.

It’s been fun for my husband and I to fill them up with little goodies and toys for my munchkins to discover Valentine’s Day morning!

Well I had another kid last year, so I figured I better make another one.

I’m in the process of that.

Hopefully, I can crank it out before next Tuesday.

In the meantime, I did

Silhouette Tutorial: {Using pdf Files}

We talked about using images before and importing your own for the Silhouette. Some of you asked if you can use a pdf file to do this.

A pdf file can be used in Adobe software programs. Adobe offers a free program called Adobe Acrobat Reader which allows you to open and view these pdf files. However, you can’t open the pdf files in the Silhouette software.

But guess what?! You can still use pdf files!!!

Here are two different ways I found to make it work.

1. Using the Paint program. Most Microsoft computers come with the free program Paint. It’s been on every computer I’ve ever had and I never installed a thing, so I think it’s a default program. I’m not sure about Mac, but I’m sure there’s an equivalent.

STEP ONE: Open the pdf file you want to use. In my example I am using this darling Easter Yard Signs Sketch.

A Couple of Valentine’s Things

1. The winner of the Quincee’s Boutique giveaway was emailed and has already claimed her prize. I also mentioned on Facebook that Liz. G. was the winner.

If you didn’t win, you are still in luck.

You can get this Valentine’s Basket for only $40!

Basket Includes:

 * $45 Gift Certificate to Quincee’s Boutique

 * Pair of earrings

 * Box of Chocolates

 * Additional candy

Royal Design Studio Stencil GIVEAWAY!!! **ENDED**

Are you guys like me and love stencils?

I’ve worked with several and my very favorite ones are by Royal Design Studio. They are such fabulous quality and make your stenciling project so much easier!

I’ve used two different stencils from them and have loved the results both times!

Some of my favorites include:

Silhouette Tutorial: {Getting Fonts/Images the EXACT size you want}

Next tutorial to answer some of your questions is in regards to EXACT sizing.

A lot of times when you are making something, you want it to be an EXACT measurement.

For example, maybe you are making some vinyl and you want the letters to be EXACTLY 2” tall.

Let’s open up Silhouette and type up something. Refer to this post to see how to type and resize.

See how my vertical measurement says it is 2.000”?

Guess what? It is 2” tall, but that measurement is taken from the highest point of the type to the lowest point.

So for words like “Tamarynn”, where there is a capital “T” that makes a higher point than the rest of the letters, and a “y” that makes a lower point than the rest of the letters, the rest of the letters aren’t 2”.

Silhouette Tutorial: {Tracing Your Own Images to Cut}

You guys are awesome! I’ve been getting lots of emails asking questions about the Silhouette.

It’s been great because it lets me know what you guys want to learn about. I’ve put together three different tutorials in relation to some of your questions and I’m hoping to get them all up in the next couple of days.

The one today is going to address tracing a little bit more.

Refer to this post to get some background about how to import your own images to use in the Silhouette program and trace them.

A problem many of you were having with tracing, was getting the double cut line.

For example, cute Ashlyn emailed me the picture she wanted to cut – this mask.

{Giveaway}: $50 Gift Card to Quincee’s Boutique **ENDED**

Today’s giveaway holds a special place in my heart. It is seriously my very favorite store in the world and if I had unlimited funds, I would buy EVERYTHING!

A couple of months ago, I shared with you THE.CUTEST.BOUTIQUE.EVER. Refer to this post to see what I’m talking about.

I absolutely ADORE this boutique! It is my go-to place for clothes now. Need proof?

Or how about this cute little number I picked up last week. Just in at the store, which means they still have some. The dress also comes in cream.