The two big girls went and had their first kid sleepover with some kids from our church family, so after church one Sunday, we bid them farewell, and it was just Ben, me, and the two littlest. I know it’s hard when you have your first kid, and it’s hard to figure out the juggling when you add your second one, but after being a mom to 4 for a couple of years now, when it’s just two (no matter the combo), it is so much easier! Since our car load was lighter, Ben and I took the girls to a local nursery to pick out more plants (yes, more!). Ben was in search of a peach tree and I was looking for more indoor plants.

Glow and Soul were all about exploring up and down the aisles, and fighting about who gets to push/pull the wagon. It is so interesting when True and Brave aren’t around because you really see the big sister come out of Soul. She’s the one showing Glow the ropes and doing all the bossy-ing around. Soul also desperately misses Brave and True when they aren’t here, and will constantly inquire about their return. I think it’s so ironic because when they’re here, she is always fighting with them, especially with Brave. As much as they were missed, I’m glad my biggest girls were able to go on their first sleepover, and they came home with stories about how much fun they had!

on me: dress, handmade (see here). shoes, lotta from stockholm. bag, humble hilo. on true: dress and shoes, old navy. scarf, made by her friend. on brave: shirt, misha lulu. pants, frankie and sue. shoes, gap kids. scarf, made by her friend. on soul: dress, vintage. shirt, c/o panache box. leggings, aa. shoes, totally hand me downs. on glow: dress, vintage. shoes, c/o old navy.

I pinned this image awhile back, which led me to painting on some linen fabric. Of course, I had to turn that fabric into a dress. I’m way into shift dresses, I think it’s the silhouette that works well for me. Plus, it is really easy to sew!

When I finished up my dress a few weeks ago, I texted the BFF and she hates clusters, so she got goosebumps looking at the picture of the dress. She wasn’t a fan. HA! When I was making it, I was thinking it could possibly turn out really great or really dumb. When all was said and done, I think it came out great. It is a little bit creepy, but also a little funky. I think funky is good, so I’ll take it.

Fabric paint does dry up a little raised, so it doesn’t look like printed fabric, it looks like it was painted on. I like handmade, so it doesn’t bother me one bit. You want to make sure to allow the fabric paint to dry completely, then you want to heat set it by ironing the fabric once it is totally dry. When you iron, make sure to place a scrap fabric on top just in case some of that fabric paint still melts off onto the iron.

As far as sewing goes, I didn’t use a pattern, but a shift dress I had that fit me well, and based this off of that. That’s my favorite way to make clothes. I like to use the pattern off of something I already own, study it, and use that as the base to cut and sew my fabric. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and you can also learn from mistakes! I didn’t include any darts in this dress because I didn’t want to mess up the eye pattern, but darts aren’t that difficult to do either! I tell you, if you can sew a straight line, anything is possible! Seriously. Don’t be intimidated.

This dress gets me in the mood to sing Drake’s “I’ve got my eyes on you, you’re everything that I see, I want your hot love and emotion endlessly…” Sorry, if I got that song stuck in your head now! “Cause you’re a good girl and you know it…”

P.S. The girls over at A Beautiful Mess just released some photoshop actions, which I played around with for these pictures. I used Imogene from the Folk Collection, and I thought it was fun to add a little bit of sun flare and double exposure.

I guess we are sort of on a floral kick this week…

I don’t always get around to brushing their hair and sure, sometimes their clothing combinations aren’t exactly matching, but it’s all good. I’m sane (mostly) and they are happy, so it’s all about survival and going with the flow over here, so that’s just what we’re going to keep doing. It keeps our days interesting and manageable.

I’m not one of those adults who feels comfortable wearing a floral crown out in public (it’s not my thing), but it’s fun to draw it on and pretend!

on me: sweatshirt, old navy. jeans, vintage. shoes, lotta from stockholm. on true: shirt, misha lulu. skirt, fab kids. tights, hello merch. boots, gymboree. on brave:  shirts, target and misha lulu. skirt, lucky kids. leggings, misha lulu. boots, old navy. on soul (she changed 3 times!): shirt and pants, a gift. boots, thrifted. on glow: sweater coat, vintage. shirt, misha lulu. pants, hello merch. shoes, old navy.

I had bought some denim fabric last summer and meant to make myself a denim dress then, but just never got around to it. Last Saturday was kind of a hang out day at home, and I asked Ben if it was alright if I snuck away to do some sewing, so he and the girls hung out outside doing garden stuff, and I holed myself up in my work room until I had cranked out a dress for myself. I really loved this and this pin and wanted something similar to those, and sketched out some pattern ideas and styles.

I kind of played around with patterns (I pretty much make my own), and after some tweaking here and there (and trying it on and off after I sew every seam), I finally had it. I got kind of off on the sleeve seams, but Ben says I’m the only who notices. I think I’ve got this pattern down now as I made another dress similar to it with black linen fabric, and my sleeve seams are spot on. When I get time, I’ll pick up more denim fabric to make another, and slightly change it up, but will make sure the seam sleeves are spot on too. I’m a perfectionist.

It’s just a simple shift dress, so it’s not terribly difficult to figure out. I had wanted a denim dress Madewell had last summer (this one), but it looked so simple that I couldn’t get myself to spend $100 on a dress that I could make myself. Now, shoes, I can’t make those, and I’ve been known to be a little splurgy when it comes to my footwear, but that’s a story for another day. If I sew my own clothes, it kind of balances out right?! I love being able to sew my own clothes, it’s so satisfying.

I tell you, if you can sew a straight line, you can sew anything! I don’t know if this is super fast or not, but it took me about 3 – 4 hours to make this dress. Have you ever sewn a dress for yourself? It really is such a good feeling!

p.s. my shoes are these from lotta from stockholm and i totally love them!

These Nathalie Lete Planners from Mochi Things. These would definitely help with organization!

The custom diaries from Minted. I know my girls would love these (and they might be getting them for Valentine’s)!

Cool wallet for the mister from Bellroy. He found it on The Weather Channel (ha!) and it’s the only wallet that Ben likes (he hates the bulkiness of wallets).

What are some things you (or someone in your family) have been loving on the web lately? I love giving handmade gifts for Valentine’s (or any occasion really), but treats like these, which are kind of practical, are nice too.

The baby is the only one I dress. The rest, take care of their own. I’ll try to interject my say, but really, when I’m trying to get all 4 out of the house, I’m cool with whatever, as long as it’s weather appropriate. I love looking back through the blog and seeing the different phases they go through. Soul’s newest thing is sneakers or the red cowboy boots (anyone remember her tuck the dress into leggings phase?!). Brave typically wears red or blue on (or both), and this comes from her love for Spider-Man. True tries to mimic what I wear (and sometimes Ben), and Glow’s still my doll. I’ll keep playing dress up with her for as long as she lets me.

I love having 4 daughters! When we’re out people will often say something to us about trying for a boy, or assume we kept going for a boy, but really, we are really glad we ended up with a house full or girls. It’s the best!

on me: dress, thrifted. boots, piperlime. bag, humble hilo. on true: jacket, c/o guess kids. skirt, misha lulu. shoes, old navy. on brave: shirt, c/o old navy. skirt and leggings, misha lulu. shoes, gap kids. on soul: dress, misha lulu. boots, thrifted. on glow: dress, misha lulu. sweater, old navy (really old!). shoes, c/o old navy.