Sweet Charli

Goodie, Goodie, Gumdrops!!

2012-02-15T07:00:00.007-07:00

Today, my friends, is

National Gumdrop Day!

Who knew?

I, among 4 other contributors, was asked to create a project using gumdrops for a Studio 5 project. (Tune in today Utah, 11am on KSL5).

I came up with a great centerpiece for Spring/Easter:

Here is what you need:

Tree branches

Spray paint

Hot glue

Vases(s)

Gumdrops, of course!

First, spray paint your branches to your desired color. I chose silver. It would be fun to do a crackle paint, don't you think?

Fill your small vase with beans and place your branches inside. Then place your small vase into your large one.

Separate (or don't, it's up to you), your gumdrops into color schemes.

Layer your colors into your large vase surrounding your small vase

Next, hot glue all your cute, little gumdrops on the branches of your tree. A good tip to use is to glue the gumdrops where you see previous growth from leaves before.

It's fun to change up the vases. I put my small vase into this antiqued white vase, then set it on a platter with gumdrops on for serving.

My little Charli got her hand on a few!

Sweet Charli Dress Giveaway!!

2012-02-13T22:46:00.001-07:00

I'm sharing the love with you this

Valentines Day!

You can win a free dress from Sweet Charli!

Here's how:

Leave a comment with your e-mail address in one or up to three of the following:

(one comment for each)

1. Follow Sweet Charli blog

2. 'like' Sweet Charli on Facebook

3. Facebook or blog about this giveaway

The winner will be chosen a week from today. You will get to choose the color and size of what's we have available.

See more Sweet Charli items HERE

Been working on...

2012-02-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday is

National Gumdrop Day!

Tune into Studio 5 that day to see some fun projects made from gumdrops by myself and 4 others!

I will post the tutorial here, too!

Sweet Charli Sale for V-Day!!

2012-02-03T09:27:00.004-07:00

Pink, Red, White, and Ivory = the perfect color(s) to dress your sweet girl in for Valentines Day!

All dresses are $23 until February 20th. Plus, with your purchase of a dress, you get a free set of Sweet Charli Bows!

Also, get a sweet, lacy shirt for her on sale too:

**Plus, beanies and baby legs are still on sale**

See them at www.sweetcharli.com

"Living the Life" to lose weight Q&A...

2012-01-05T14:28:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! I am so excited that so many of you have showed interest in "Living the Life' by KristiApproved. If you're just hearing about this for the first time, check out the post below this.

I have had lots of people asking me questions about some of the things I did so I thought I would answer some of them here for you. Now remember, I don't claim to be an expert on nutrition and or exercise!! I am only giving you some of the advice that helped me lose the weight I had to lose. If I could only give all of you just ONE word of advice though, it would be to FOLLOW what they tell you to a T! No cheating! Remember, the percent you put into this, is the percent you'll get back! Do this 100% and you will see the results that you will be looking for.

Remember also that everyone is different! Some of you may see awesome results in the first 7 days of doing this, others may not see awesome results until week 2 or even week 3. I lost 7 pounds in the first week probably because I had 25 pounds of almost fresh baby weight that I still had to lose!

Here are a few questions I have received:

1. How do I get the 7 day challenge? Where do I access it? Is it free?
You can access the 7 day challenge by pressing the 'download' button HERE. There is one for men and one for women, so just click the one you want as the meal plans are different per gender. It will download a bunch of pages to your desktop explaining how this diet works, a grocery list, the recipes, recommendations, and exercises to do during your first 7 days. It will also e-mail you videos with tips and motivational stories. It is free. You don't have to give them any credit card info or anything like that! There are no strings attached. They do have a 12 week book you can buy if you would like to take it to that level which my mom bought and the recipes are wonderful! I just did my diet a total of three weeks and I never got sick of the food from week 1 so I just repeated it for another two weeks! The food is yummy and filling!

2. What protein powder is good and where do I buy it?
I have really only ever tried one kind of protein powder. I buy it from Costco. It's from Muscle Milk and it's 100% whey protein. It comes in a huge bag and the scooper in it is fairly big. It has 27g of protein per serving so I like to just use a half a scoop when I make my protein shake (strawberry ice cream is what they call it). The protein comes in vanilla or chocolate. I prefer chocolate, of course!
You should immediately notice a difference in your body just from the increased protein. I love this diet so much because you get the majority of your protein from food alone. I feel that this is a very safe diet as long as you follow it as laid out for you. Remember, too much protein is not good for you as it can damage your kidneys.

3. Did you change up the order of any of the meals?
One of the pages that you download specifically says not to change up the order of your meals except if you need to, you can switch up the first two meals ONLY. The first two meals of the day are a protein shake (strawberry ice cream), and your egg wrap. Sometimes it's easier to make my shake for my first meal, other times it's easier for me to have my eggs first. So however works best for you. But all the other meals you make, keep them in the order they say! And make sure you are eating on schedule too, which is every 2-3 hours!

4. Do you recommend buying specific brands for some of the ingredients?
Yes!! Here are some of the ingredients I've found I really love! (I hope there's a Costco near you!)

Whole Wheat Wraps: Costco. "Smart and Delicious Tortillas by La Tortilla Factory". They are low carb, high fiber, taste good and you get 20 in a bag which will last you 20 days!
Salsa: Costco. "Jack's Special" in the refrigerated bottle. At first I was using just a generic salsa but I found I started to stink everyday because of it!! With this salsa, you'd never know I ate so much of it every day, plus it's soooo good! Voted America's #1 salsa!
Oranges: Costco. They come in a big box and believe me, you will use all of them quicker than you think!
Frozen Strawberries: Costco. Definitely best bang for your buck!
Cottage Cheese: Costco. You will go through a lot more of this than you think, so go with the big carton!

5. Did you do the exercises exactly how they say every day?
This is the one place I didn't follow to a T. I am a regular exerciser, thus I knew that as long as I kept exercising I would still be okay. I think it tells you to do 20 min. cardio and it also gives you some cross training exercises to do. I would still run but I only did the cross training every other day or every few days. When I did do them, I loved them! They really targeted the areas that I don't usually work out a whole lot. Just make sure that you are exercising every day, especially if you don't normally exercise! ...I'm guessing! Again, I'm not claiming to be an expert!

6. Did you ever get hungry?
Heck no! In fact, I was a lot fuller than I normally am and it was even harder for me to finish some of my meals! There were days where I didn't even eat the last meal because I was so full!

7. Can I drink anything else besides water?
Here's the good news! I read somewhere while doing this that it's still okay to drink your Diet Coke! No joke! My mom loves DC and she still gets to drink some. As long as you've drank the recommended amount of water that day, you can still drink soda...although try to avoid it as much as possible! But ***Drink lots of water*** it will flush you out and you will feel awesome!

8. Is it hard to eat the same thing everyday?
No. I love the meals. Honestly, soooo good. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I prep all my foods. I put my chicken in the crockpot, drain all my canned veggies, chop raw veggies, cook my rice, etc. Then I separate them into bags so that all I have to do before my meal is grab the stuff and it's already half done! And that's for the week! Here's a GREAT video to demonstrate: Click HERE.

Okay so those are just a few things I've been asked in the last few days. If you have any other questions let me know and I will answer them the best I can!

Good luck to all of you who are doing this!

Here's a video about 'Live the Life'

HERE

Here are some before & after pics to motivate you:

After 12 weeks. Read more HERE


Here's one of the co-founder's before and after pictures. HERE


After 12 weeks. Read her story HERE

Swearing by something that works...

2012-01-03T14:12:00.008-07:00

FYI, to get started this is the link you'll want to click on:

http://kristiapproved.com/sales_page/sneak-preview.html

**But read below first**

I've had this picture pinned on Pinterest for a while now...

Okay, it's a new year. We all have New Year's Resolutions and for almost EVERYONE who is reading this, your goal is to lose weight or improve your health, right? For me, that's definitely a goal! I had a baby nearly 11 months ago and still have those last 5 stinkin' pounds to lose and keep off! I am a regular exerciser, but I LOVE food! That's my problem!

I am here to tell you about something to help you all with your weight loss goals. I am no expert, I am just telling you about something that worked for me in losing my baby weight last year. Take it and try it or don't, but I hope you will because it's changed the way I think about losing weight.

This is not a gimick.

I first heard about KristiApproved (Living the Life) a year or so ago from a fellow blogger, Easy Peasy Grandma. She is just darling and inspired me. Check out her before & after pictures HERE and be inspired too. She started this new way of life and in 12 weeks lost 27 pounds, 6 inches off her waist, and 6 inches off her hips! If that's not motivation, I don't know what is!

Last June of 2011 I took the free 7 day challenge that KristiApproved has to offer and gave it my all! I did it along side my sister and mother, both saw great results as well.

I don't consider it to be a 'diet', but a new, healthy way of eating. I began this 'new way of life' and started simply changing my eating habits, and continuing exercise. In the first week I lost 7 pounds! I'm talking 7 pounds of fat, not just water weight. Easiest weight I ever lost. The 7 pounds were gone for good. I kept it going and I lost 13 pounds in 3 weeks, and 5 total inches! I felt great too, lots of energy, felt more tight and toned rather than flabby...eating the increased protein alone made me feel tighter and leaner. The 13 pounds never came back.

Kristi Approved offers you a 7 day challenge for free. No strings attached. You download the instructions, menu, and recipes, and then follow them strictly for 7 days. I just repeated the 7 day challenge week after week because I never got sick of the food, and I didn't want to pay. That's another thing, the recipes are soooo yummy, and you make them yourself, no freezer meals! This menu offers high protein, low carb, and low fat meals. You eat every 2 hours, so you never get hungry. This keeps your metabolism going. If you see great success in the first 7 days, you can go on to buy the 12 week book if you would like.

Examples of meals from the diet are:

Southwestern breakfast wrap

Tropical smoothie

Chicken rice bowl

Chicken pizza
Strawberry ice cream (no, I'm not kidding)

and more..

I don't have any before and after pictures or anything like that, but you can look at the Kristi Approved Blog HERE or simply go to the Kristi Approved 7 day challenge page HERE to get started and watch the testimonials and stuff.

Just thought I'd share with all of you that this really works, and I'm so glad I know that it's a safe way to lose weight. LIVE THE LIFE!

***Leave me a comment if you are interested in taking this challenge. Note: If you are going to do this you must do it 100%, no cheating or your results won't be as great.
I am anxious to know how many people are ready to do it! I love seeing everyone's progress!

Vintage Pillowcase Apron

2012-01-02T08:54:00.005-07:00

My mom found a darling vintage pillowcase apron on Little Birdie Secrets a while ago and mentioned she would like me to make one for her. I kind of forgot for a while and then remembered just in time for Christmas. See theirs HERE, and another tutorial HERE. I will give you a tutorial as well. Here's what you need:

1 vintage embroidered pillowcase

sewing machine and sewing accessories, etc.

tape measure

This is for beginner/intermediate sewers. (meaning if I can do it, pretty much anyone with a sewing machine can!)

I have some very talented grandmothers whom I'm sure have plenty of embroidered pillowcases lying around. If you also know of someone you could get yours from, that's an easy way to get them. Because I was pushed for time a little, I just got mine off of Etsy. There were lots to choose from. I bought mine from HERE.

Start with your pillowcase laid flat and measure and cut the following:

Cut 3 pieces that are 4 ½” tall, the width of the pillowcase. And then one 15" tall (the bottom piece with the embroidered design.)

Like this:

Next, cut up the back of all of your pieces so that when you spread them out it will look like this, with the design in the middle.

Hem the sides of your 15" piece by folding over twice then sewing a straight stitch.

On two of the 4 1/2" pieces, fold in half and sew along the open sides. Finish off one of the ends on both with a diagonal cut. Then you will turn these right side in! These will be your ties for the apron.

Next, you will take your bottom (15") piece and baste the top. The way you do this is to sew a straight stitch along the top with the thread length at the longest it will go...

Usually on machines it is at a 5, pictured here:

Then, change your thread tension to the highest it will go, mine is a 9. After you change both those things, sew a straight stitch along the top of your piece and it will automatically ruffle/gather the fabric.

Once the fabric is gathered, take the 4 1/2" piece you haven't used yet and pin it to your 15" gathered piece. Cut the extra 4 1/2'' fabric off of the sides. You will know how much you want to cut off after you hold it up to your waist and see how you want it to look.

Before you sew the top piece on, put the two tie pieces inside the fold the top over.

Then you will fold over the top piece and sew along the bottom and sides.

Then it will look like this when finished with the stitch.

I hope that all makes sense! If not, check out those other two blogs I listed above!

This is a great gift! If you are going to give it as a gift, I found the most darling way to wrap it on Pinterest: HERE is the link, From Pleasant-Home.

For The Playroom

2011-12-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

I just got done ordering these prints for the playroom wall...

I wanted to mimic vintage flashcards. I hope they turn out!

I may try to pencil in some color so it looks more like this:

Ruffled Fabric Projects

2011-12-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so impressed with Kim at A Girl and a Glue Gun, and Carey at Little Cherry Blossoms for their awesome Ruffled Fabric Projects. They are all sooooo cute and I wouldn't have thought of them myself. I didn't have many people link up to my party so I thought maybe once this ruffled fabric gets a little more out there, I'll have another one! :)

Here is a darling ruffled lamp shade made at

A Girl and a Glue Gun

She also made this adorable dress for her adorable daughter

HERE

...And what about this darling crib skirt! Could you just die at how sweet this would look in your nursery?? You can find this or purchase one at

Little Cherry Blossoms

Coming later this week:

A tutorial for this vintage pillowcase apron

AND

An awesome sale on all accessories in

Sweet Charli Boutique

I am moving in the next few weeks and want to take as few of my Sweet Charli stuff as I can with me!

Ruffled Fabric Projects - Link Up!

2011-12-21T07:02:00.001-07:00

Addiction: That's what it is. This ruffled fabric is everywhere! I had a little fun with it myself making the following:

Ruffled Baby Legs

Ruffled Scarf (my fav)

Ruffled Headband

Ruffled Skirt

Ruffled Leg Warmers...

And the list goes on! Now on my 'To Do List' are things for my house! If you desire to buy any of these items rather than make, shoot me an e-mail and I'd be happy to make some for ya!

This one's gotta be my fav! I want one in every color!

I'm so excited to see all of the fun items you have all whipped up from this fabulous stuff!

Please link up to my

Ruffled Fabric Linky Party!

*please only link up projects that are made from this fabric!*

Party closes on December 26th.

...And if you wouldn't mind, could you take my button on the right-hand side?

Thanks!

Merry Christmas From Us To You!

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, haven't you heard???

Naughty

is the new

Nice!!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

To see more from our photo session, click HERE

Ruffled Fabric Linky Party!!

2011-12-19T07:34:00.002-07:00

AWE! Greatest thing that's happened to sewers since maybe...the sewing machine??!!!

Ruffled Fabric!

I've been wanting to do a post on this for a while now, but I've been too busy making stuff from it! I thought it'd be fun to have
a Linky Party with all things 'Ruffled Fabric'.

Be putting together some of your original projects using this stuff and Wednesday come and share them with us! I will be showing some of the things I've made as well!

Can't wait to see your ideas!

**Pictures from rufflefabric.com, a great selection and place to buy online**

3 Days Only: $20 Dresses!

2011-12-14T07:44:00.001-07:00

Buy a Sweet Charli dress now through Friday and get it for only $20. They won't be this cheap again so hurry fast! Plus, order two dresses, get a free accessory! Go HERE.

PS: Friday is the last day to place an order to have it for Christmas.

Sweaters are too precious to give away!!

2011-12-04T15:21:00.003-07:00

It's the most wonderful time...for sweaters!!

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

Before starting, here are a few tips for finding the right sweater to use for your project:

To find your sweater, look in your closet or take a trip to your local thrift store.

The sweater can be knitted, or if you don't want something that bulky, you can just use any long-sleeved shirt that is made from stretchy material.

Before buying/using, make sure you hold the sleeve up to the place where you will be wearing your new item (calf, wrist, head).

As far as circumference goes around your calf or arm, most sweaters stretch. A good tip for choosing the right fit is to buy the size of sweater that you would if you were going to be wearing it.

Consider the color, material, and size when finding your sweater.

*make sure material is stretchy and wont fray when cut.

BOOT SOCKS:

You will be using the two sleeves of your sweater for this project. If you are not a sewer, this project could be done with no sewing at all, or little sewing for a more detailed look.
1. Cut the sleeves off of your sweater after measuring the length of your calf/boot. Start measuring from right above your ankle bone.
     a. For the non-sewers, this is all. Your boot socks won't be detailed, but if you choose the right sweater, sometimes it will look cute to have knitted sweaters poke out the top of your boot without anything added to the top.
     b. For those of you who do sew, you can add lace to the top of your socks, or any other trim that you find appealing.

WRIST WARMERS:

You will be using the two sleeves of your sweater for this project. If you aren't a sewer and have no-fray material, you can do this project with no sewing. Sewing will give it a more dressed-up and detailed look.
1. Cut the sleeve off of your shirt after measuring how high up on your forearm you want your wrist warmers to go. Measure from the knuckle of your thumb.
2. If you sew, you can add anything to dress up your wrist warmers. Lace, ruffles, buttons, bows, apparel trim, etc.
*These wrist warmers are cute to wear over your long-sleeved shirts, or over top of your gloves!

*WANT TO MAKE BABY LEGS?? Just use this same tutorial!

EAR WARMERS:
This project looks best when using a chunky, knitted sweater. You will not be using the sleeve for this, you will be cutting into the body of the sweater. *make sure that your sweater is long enough vertically to fit the circumference of your head.
1. Measure the circumference of your head and cut along the knitted pattern vertically in your sweater. Round the edges of the ends to give it a more finished look.
     a. For all you non-sewers, the only thing left you need to do is hand sew a button on where the two ends meet. Then cut a small slit in the other end big enough for the button to go through. That's it!
     b. For all you sewers, you can machine sew the two ends together if you fill it would be a stronger hold than just using a button
2. Add anything you desire to your headband: flowers, jewels, buttons, etc. Because most knitted sweaters already have holes in them, you can use alligator clip flowers, etc, on your ear warmers to give them different looks to match the outfit you will be wearing! Genius!

Black Friday Deals Are UP!

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

**IF YOU LIKE 'SWEET CHARLI' ON FACEBOOK, THERE IS A SPECIAL PROMO CODE THAT YOU CAN USE AT CHECKOUT FOR FREE SHIPPING!**

Oh Christmas Tree...

2011-11-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

My good friend over at Landee See Landee Do is having a Festival of Tree's making. I love everything she's made so far, but this one just might be my favorite! Be sure to check out her tutorial, and all the tutorials for the festival of trees!

Countdown to Christmas #4: Oreo Truffles

2011-11-21T08:04:00.001-07:00


Picture acquired from gimmesomeoven.com

This past week was a busy one, so I didn't have time to do a recipe. However, I've made this recipe many, many times and it's always a winner. In fact, Oreo Truffles are a favorite in my family. You can't go wrong with these, thus making them a great Christmas gift!

Here's the recipe:

1 pkg. Oreo Cookies

1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)

White chocolate melting chips

Chocolate melting chips (if desired for drizzle)

First of all you need to crush up your oreo cookies. You can do that by hand or in a blender. Keep in mind, the finer the crumbs, the better! Mix your cream cheese in with the crumbs until its moist enough to stick together. Roll into 1" balls and place in freezer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt your chocolate according to package directions. Remember, I don't like almond bark. It hardens too much and hardens too thick. I just like to use a good quality chocolate chip.

Once your oreos have hardend in the freezer, you can dip them in your white chocolate. You can either drizzle the tops with chocolate, or you can save some of your oreo crumbs and sprinkle those on top of your oreo balls. Either way, these seriously are heavenly!

Makes about 4 doz.

Time: about 60-90 minutes

Sweet Charli Taste Rating:

Tips and Tricks for this Recipe:

Remember, I think all cake bites/truffles taste better when kept cold!

'Tis the Season for Candy Cane Accessories!

2011-11-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Fa la la la la la la la la! Here are some darling new accessories to add to your little one's Christmas/Winter wardrobe! These are perfect for your Christmas card pictures, and would be great to add to any Sweet Charli Dress! These only come in a few different sizes for the bambino.

Make sure you check out our Vintage Candy Cane set, they are ohhhh so cute!

See all of our new accessories HERE.

Free Sweet Charli Dress!

2011-11-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's time to giveaway a Sweet Charli Dress to one of you! Shay, over at Raising Dieter, is giving one of them away. You get to choose the color and size if you win! Check out how to enter HERE. Her blog is awesome and all moms need to go follow it, especially if your kids have any allergies or you like to use natural remedies, etc. It is very informational!

New Items in Store!

2011-11-14T07:17:00.003-07:00

I'm SOOOOOOOO excited about these, they are so fun & girlie! Wear them over a colored shirt, or under a short-sleeved tee! These are sure to go fast, and quantities are limited.

Get them HERE

Tees $15

Bodysuits $14

...The Elves are watching...

2011-11-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

"The Elves are watching!" That's what I've been telling this little girl! My sister, who is also my photographer, did this fun thing with Charli's picture. There are lots of other fun overlays that you can add to your normal pictures to make them cute for Christmas. If you don't have time to take a special picture for your Christmas cards, you can just use a picture you already have and add the provided overlays. Visit the site to do it HERE. There are so many fun things!
And be sure to check out some fun pictures at

Jena Hendry Photography!

Countdown to Christmas #3: Pumpkin Cake Bites

2011-11-10T16:06:00.001-07:00

This is a great treat for this time of year. As I was looking around for recipes, I learned that there are a lot of ways that you can make these. I just reached into the back of my head and used a cookie recipe that my mom does. It's very easy and requires very little amount of ingredients.

Here's what you need:

1 Spice Cake Mix

1 Can Pumpkin

3/4 Can Cream Cheese Frosting

1 Bag of Chocolate or Vanilla Melts

1 Bag Hershey's Cinnamon Chips (optional)

Mix your cake mix and pumpkin only (no eggs, oil, etc.) in a bowl until really moist. Put in a pan and bake according to the cake mixes directions. Once done, let cool.

Time to crumble the cake! I just crumble mine using a large fork in the pan that it was baked in. Some people like to put it in a processor, but a fork works fine. Once the cake is all crumby, mix in about 3/4 of your frosting until the mixture is moist enough to roll into 1.5" balls.

Roll all of your mixture into balls, and put in freezer for a good 30 minutes or so. Take 1/2 of them out and work with those first. I find that the balls look better once dipped when they are really, really cold. So once you are done with the first half, take the others out so they are still cool.

Dip all of your balls in the melt of your choice, then, what I did was drizzle the Hershey's cinnommin melt over the top! I'm so glad I did because it definitley made them taste better. The cinnamon chips are hard to find though. Most stores don't carry them. They are delicious though! If you can't find any, try sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on top of the balls before the chocolate sets. That would taste yummy too.

Keep these refridgerated!! They taste soooo much better when they are chilled.

And that's all folks!

MAKES 4 DOZEN

Time: (counting baking the cake) about 2 hrs.

Taste Rating from Sweet Charli:

I give it a 9 because out of all the flavors you can make in cake bites, this one wasn't the best! It isn't very full of flavor like I would have hoped, and well, pumpkin isn't my favorite when it comes to treats. **make note though, that if you do not keep these chilled they aren't good at all. I would definitely make these for a gift, but only if they are cold. They are yummy when cold**

Tips and Tricks for this recipe:

KEEP COLD!

DIY Sweater Dress

2011-11-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

...For the 2 year old. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, but finally got around to it the other day. This was on my 'Pinterest' to do list! Turn an old sweater into a little girl's dress! The tutorial can be found HERE, and here's how mine turned out for Charli:

Peppermint, Please!

2011-11-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I was walking through the store today and got the wonderful scent of Peppermint, they were putting some of their Christmas stuff out! Mmmmmm! Got me so excited for Christmas. Here are a few things pepperminty...(that's not a real word, I just made it up!)

I am not an expert on essential oils, although I use them almost every day either for wellness or enjoyment. Peppermint is one I use every day on my face and it is so exhilarating! What I do is mix one drop in my moisturizer in the morning and rub it all over my face (not too close to my eyes!), it begins to tingle and it wakes me right up! Love it! There are also many other benefits of peppermint oil that you can read about HERE.

Speaking of waking your right up in the morning...what about using this in the shower? I have never tried this, but it looks like something that I would love! $8 at burtsbees.com - what a great Christmas gift!

Here's another great gift you can make yourself. This is sure to make your feet feel awesome and tingly! This recipe is found HERE

LOVE this cute Christmas window treatment, found HERE

I thought this would be darling for Christmas parties, I found it HERE. Or, I'm sure all you crafty chicks could find a way to make one yourself! :)

Fill your entire house with the peppermint scent with this scentsy bar! It smells very Christmassy! (yeah, made up that word too!) It's an exhilarating blast of cool perppermint and sweet golden apple blanketed over frosty winter pin. MMMmmmm! Find it HERE

...Now I'm really excited for Christmas!

Woopsie!

2011-11-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

Just to let you all know, I had listed some of the measurements on our Size Guide wrong!! They are all changed now so if you were wondering maybe if some were too short for your little ones, now you know why! You can check out the corrected measurements HERE! Thanks!

Dresses have been going. There are only a few more left in each size/color. If you want them soon jump on it, not sure if another big batch will be done until Thanksgiving or the first of December! ...And a batch of fun, new, winter accessories were made this last week and will hopefully be ready in store later this week some time, so be on the lookout!

Countdown to Christmas #2: Butterfinger Bites

2011-11-03T07:27:00.002-06:00

I tried it! I've had it pinned on Pinterest and finally made them on Halloween. I was lucky enough to snag one of the last few bags of Candy Corn! For those of you who haven't seen these yet, they are home-made butter-fingers made with Candy Corn! And they taste just like them!

Ingredients:

-1 lb bag Candy Corn

-1 bag Chocolate Chips or an candy melt

-1 cup Peanut Butter

Melt your bag of Candy Corn in the microwave in 30 second increments until it's all melted and smooth. Then add your peanut butter and mix well. For me, I had to stir fast because my mixture was hardening pretty fast. Once it's all mixed, spread it in a 9x13" pan and let sit until hard.

But...before it's too hard, cut little square pieces. As you can see in the picture below, my mixture was being really, really temperamental! For some reason there were pieces that would break off and it was really hard to get a good looking square piece!

Once your pieces are all cut out, melt your chocolate and dip each individual piece in the chocolate, and set on waxed paper to set up.

And that's it!

Makes about 2.5 dozen

Time: about 1 hour

A few notes:

Obviously you can't get Candy Corn any time of the year, although they have been making Candy Corn for various different Holidays now other than just Halloween. I believe I have seen Christmas colored ones. Hmmm...wonder if those would melt into a color that would look un-appetizing?? If any of you make these with Christmas Candy Corns, would you please send me a picture? Thanks!

Taste Rating from Sweet Charli:

(1-10, 10 being extremely good!):

(although if there were a category based on how easy/hard they were to make, I would say these were kind of a pain in the butt to make and if I can be honest with you, I probably won't be making these for any Christmas gifts!)

Tips and Tricks for this recipe:

For some reason my Butterfinger Bites turned out to be more chewy and hard rather than crunchy, like the candy bar. (maybe I did something wrong?) I didn't like this. I found that the colder they were kept, the crunchier they became. So I stored mine in the freezer and fridge!!

Online Shopping for YOU!

2011-11-02T17:19:00.001-06:00

Our online shopping website has been up for a few days now. Items are being sold and some are almost sold out so if you've been eyeing something make sure to check it out!!

www.sweetcharli.com

Please visit our Facebook page and 'like' us for occasional discount codes, giveaways, and more!

Countdown to Christmas #1: Peanut Butter Cup Truffles

2011-10-27T20:39:00.002-06:00

WOW!! That's all I have to say! These babies taste just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup! I found the recipe HERE, on
Six Sisters' Stuff. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
-1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
-1 lb powdered sugar (about 3.5 - 4 Cups)
-1 cup peanut butter
-1 sleeve graham crackers (about 10-12?)
-dipping chocolate, melted

Put graham crackers in a food processor or plastic Ziploc bag and crush until fine. Mix butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and graham crackers together in large bowl. Roll into 1" balls. Place rolled balls on large cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper) and stick in the freezer for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, melt dipping chocolate. Once the peanut butter balls have set up, dip in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Let set up before serving/sharing with neighbors (but you can pop a few in your mouth just to test them and make sure they are safe to eat- it's a chance that I am always willing to take).

Makes 6-7 dozen truffles.

Time: about 60-90 minutes.

Taste rating from Sweet Charli

(1-10, 10 being extremely good!):

Tips and tricks for this recipe:

**Don't skimp on which chocolate you choose to dip your peanut butter balls in. I bought two different packages of chocolate chips to see if I could taste a difference. One bag was just normal Nestle Milk Chocolate Chips, the other bag was specialty chocolate chips made from Belgian Chocolate. After tasting the ones made from the latter, the Nestle ones didn't taste near as good! I'm telling you people, find a good, quality chocolate!

Next week I will be showing you an awesome way to dip your truffles so that you don't get that excess chocolate at the bottom of them! I just tried out a new method today that I love!

Hope you all try this recipe! You may experience death by chocolate...{and peanut butter}!

**READ WHAT THE 'COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS' IS ALL ABOUT HERE**

Cake Bites/Truffles Countdown to Christmas!

2011-10-27T13:59:00.001-06:00

We are officially about 9 weeks away from Christmas! One of my favorite neighbor/friend gifts to give for Christmas are Cake Bites or Truffles. If you wrap them up all cute and stuff, they are seriously the best give to receive as well!

Since I love cake bites, and used to make them a lot, I thought it would be fun to start making them again. There are soooo many different flavors and combos that you can do, so I'm going to make a different one each week until Christmas! I will try different recipes from different places, as well as make up a few of my own. Then, I will rate them so that you all know if they are worth making yourselves! Sound good?

Stay tuned for the first batch of truffles...Peanut Butter Cup! They are in the process of being made as we speak! I will let you know all about them soon!

~~Chao!~~ Chow! ...I know I will be!

Charlotte's Web Halloween Costumes

2011-10-26T13:10:00.000-06:00


This year for Halloween I have another little girl to dress up! I've always wanted to coordinate their costumes, so this is what we came up with: Charlotte, the spider; Wilbur the pig! Here is what I did for each of their outfits. I wasn't able to do tutorials for each of them, but a lot of what they are wearing speak for themselves!


This little piggy wouldn't cooperate for pictures. She also didn't want to wear her pig nose, which basically makes the costume! So...I made my spider model the nose!


*THE PIG NOSE:*

Made from cutting the top part off of a toilet paper roll, covering it in pink felt, and tying a stretchy band to each side.

THE PIG EARS:

Made from cutting large triangles from pink felt and folding the bottom, then gluing them on clips {or headband}. My little pig refuses to wear headbands!


THE 'PIGGY TAIL'

Made from cutting a spiral shape into a felt sheet. I just safety pinned it to the petti romper


SHOES: ballet slippers


My Itsy Bitsy Spider

Find the tutorial for her lace ruffle shirt HERE


LACE BABY ARMS

Made by using a stretchy lace material and sewing a tube and adding a ruffle to the bottom

Find the tutorial for her spider headband HERE

Spider Headband Tutorial

2011-10-25T11:27:00.001-06:00

This headband is so much fun! It doesn't have to be worn with a costume, Olivia wore hers with a normal outfit yesterday, when we went to the pumpkin patch. It's really easy to make. Here's what you need:

Black Felt

Black Pipe Cleaners

2" Black Pom Pom

2 Googly Eyes

Hot Glue

Cut eight pieces of pipe cleaner to the desired length of your spider legs and shape them

Next, cut a circle out of your felt and hot glue your spider legs, 4 on each side!

Glue the pop pop in the middle of your spider legs and glue on the eyes.

Then, glue the whole spider onto the headband of your choice. I used a crochet headband to make it look more 'spidery'!

And Voila! Your little sweetie has a cute, little spider on her head!

...Or should I say a big, ugly spider?? :)

Sunday Bag Re-Fashion

2011-10-21T14:13:00.003-06:00

I honestly have been wanting to do this forever. My Sunday tote bag was hideous!! But after this re-fashion, I feel much better about it!

All's you need is:

Two different fabrics

Reusable bag

Sewing machine

I forgot to take a few pictures, but I cut 5 total strips of fabric measuring 8" width on each. 3 strips from one pattern, 2 from the other. I measured my bag all the way around, then doubled it to get the length.

Fold the fabric's width in half, ruffle the edge, then pin to your bag. Sew it around. Once you have one ruffle on, do that with the next 4 pieces.

{note: if you do not know how to ruffle fabric, I will be doing a tutorial on some easy ways to do it}

I added some rosettes to it with hot glue when I was finished.

I understand these directions aren't the best, and I apologize about the pictures. My camera is horrible! Hopefully Santa will get the hint on that one! Anyways, this bag is really easy to make and the measurements really just depend on what size bag you are using.

5 minute lace ruffled onesie!!

2011-10-20T14:34:00.002-06:00

This is for my 8 month old's spider costume I'm making. (stay tuned for pictures coming soon). I bought one of my favorite onesies from Andee Lew, and bought some ruffled lace to match.

I cut my lace at about 17", then situated it how I wanted and pinned.

Just use a simple straight stitch after that and sew along the top of the lace, then you're done!

Easy Peasy!!

Your sweet girl can wear this shirt with anything! It would especially look darling with a cardigan over top for winter!

I just had to throw this picture in there too!

Happy Sewing!

60 years birthday gift.

2011-10-17T15:14:00.001-06:00

My father-in-law just turned sixty and I wanted to share with you a cute idea that my sister-in-law put together for him...

About a month in advance she contacted 60 of his close friends, family, etc. and told them to write a memory/story they've had of him. She then put each one into a separate envelope and numbered them 1-60. He loved it! How fun would this be to receive?

Home-Made Baby Wipes Tutorial!

2011-10-16T10:28:00.001-06:00

Yes, you heard me! A tutorial...finally! These are my favorite baby wipes. My friend gave them to me a few years ago when I was having Charli. I love these because they are super-super soft, and smell great! Oh yeah, and very cost-efficient! Here's what you need:

Durable paper towels

(buy the ones that come in half-sheets)

Air-tight tupperware container

(I found the perfect size at Walmart, it's a Sterilite brand)

2 Cups water

2 Tablespoons baby wash

1 Tablespoon baby oil

Essential oil (optional)

Serrated knife

First, boil your two cups of water and let cool. Add the baby wash, baby oil, and essential oil if you wish. I used a few drops of lavender for added benefits. Stir them together and let cool a little more.

Meanwhile...

Take your paper towels and cut the roll in half with the serrated knife. Cut it to the desired height to fit into your tupperware.

Core the center of your roll and start it by pulling some of the center out.

Then you will place your roll with the cut side down in your tupperware. Take your liquid mixture and drizzle it over top of your roll. Let it sit for a few minutes, then tip it upside-down for a few minutes. Then, you are finished! You will LOVE the smell of your new wipes! And they are so easy to make and very easy to refill!

Website Launch!!

2011-09-13T20:52:00.001-06:00

We're just hanging out...

Website set to launch the second week in October!
Thanks!

And let us know if you have any questions!

info@sweetcharli.com

Announcing Fall/Winter Line!!

2011-09-09T12:12:00.000-06:00

Sweet Charli's Vintage Dress Line Here!

Thanks to all our darling little models: Belle, Maylee, Annisten, Presley, Ellie, Lily, Charli, and Olivia!

And thanks to my wonderful, talented sister:

Jena Hendry Photography.

There are a number of places you can buy these lovely items before the website is up and running:

The Red Barn Boutique

Saturday, September 10th

See details HERE

Little Cherry Blossoms Children's Boutique

25th street

Ogden, UT

(coming soon)

For all of you who live outside of Utah, we will announce the launch of our new website shortly!

BE THE FIRST!!

2011-08-27T11:51:00.000-06:00

Be the FIRST to see our Fall/Winter line of dresses & accessories! We will be showcasing the Sweet Charli Vintage line at the

This is even before we launch them online! So if you live in the area, drop by! And if not, you will have to wait until we launch them online, which will hopefully be soon!

Can't wait! Hope to see you there!

A Little Sneak Peek:

2011-08-09T13:34:00.003-06:00

Sweet Charli is launching a new website and our Fall line in mid-September. We are a little girl's boutique specializing in our simple, unique dresses and coordinating accessories. This has been in the works for a few months now, and we are hoping you are as excited as we are for Sweet Charli Boutique to open! Keep checking back for updates, and make sure to 'like' our facebook page, because we will have exclusive offers and discounts just for you! :)

Our mix & match accessories will be perfect for dressing for any occasion! pictured here: interchangeable rosette belt. Don't worry moms, these come in your size too!

Our bows/headbands add that little touch of 'sweet'!

Our fall line will consist of different colors that can also be worn for the holidays!

Sweet Charli dresses & accessories: Be Simple. Be Sweet.

Also coming to Sweet Charli. Andee Lew under tees, baby legs, and more in the future!!

Remember these??

2011-08-04T09:16:00.002-06:00

Do you all remember this popular DIY project we made?? It's a great time to go and buy your terra cotta saucers for cheap and make some coasters for fall! Check out the tutorial HERE!

the 'official' logo!!

2011-08-03T15:19:00.004-06:00

We have a logo, my friends! Let me know what you think! It comes from the inspiration of my [of course] Sweet Charli, who is obsessed with balloons! I have to thank Mollie, at Polka Dots & Daisies for helping with it! Check, another step done to making Sweet Charli Boutique about to launch soon!

Cradle Cap?

2011-08-01T11:21:00.002-06:00

I'm still battling it with my 5 month old! My friend just told me about scalpscrubbie.com where you can purchase those awesome scrubbie brushes like the ones that you get from the hospital. These have been hard to find, so I'm super-stoked. Visit their website to learn more, or their facebook page!

scalpscrubbie.com
www.facebook.com/scalpscrubbie

Some More S'mores, Please!

2011-07-27T11:27:00.003-06:00

Okay, so...If any of you know me well enough, you know that for some reason I am obsessed with anything S'more. I am! I don't why chocolate, marshmallow, and graham are sooooo good together, but I have officially declared it to be my favorite treat.

I have had the opportunity to eat a lot of things S'more this summer with all the BBQs and such. Here is a little diddy I made a few weeks ago that myself and everyone else LOVED! I found the recipe through Pinterest on lovintheoven.com and couldn't have been more pleased with the way they tasted!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

And there you have it! I hope that you enjoy them as much as we did! I am sure you will be seeing some more S'more recipes in the future!
{ Chow }, I sure did!

Getting Excited!!

2011-07-10T15:28:00.002-06:00

I am getting super-excited for my new website launch! Thanks to Shianne from Designs by Shi for helping me with it, she is doing great! Sweet Charli now has it's own domain www.sweetcharli.com, in preparation for what's to come!

Be prepared for lots of great things for my Launch party including: giveaways from myself and Minky Couture, new items in my store (yes, store), and more!

Make sure if you are not following this blog already, to do so now. And also, if you are not following Sweet Charli on facebook, I highly suggest you do that now too, so that you can be updated on the upcoming giveaways!

Lots of Love!
Kami

While you're waiting, Check out this nursery!

2011-02-09T14:19:00.006-07:00

Okay, so while you're all waiting for me to finish my nursery and post pictures, (I am 98% finished, just pokey with posting pics!) check out this incredibly darling nursery that my friend Holly did for her sweet baby Layla. I love the colors she used and the details that she paid so much attention to:

Where do people come up with such darling ideas??

Thanks Holly, for letting me share Layla's cute room with the world!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE TUTORIAL ON THE LEFT-SIDE COLUMN! YOU HAVE 2 DAYS LEFT! THANKS!

#1 tutorial of 2010:

2011-02-01T21:07:00.003-07:00

Okay guys, I know I am about a month behind on this. I want to know what YOUR favorite tutorial of 2010 was. The list is below, but go ahead and cast your vote on the top left-side column. I am anxious to know which one was your favorite, because I am going to start crafting here soon (hopefully) after baby comes, and I want to know what you're most interested in! Here are the tutorials of last year:

Click on the title of desired picture to be linked to the full tutorial...

Fingerless Gloves HERE and HERE

Ribbon Flower Earrings

Ribbon Corsage Wristlets

Terra Cotta Cake Stand

Ribbon Flower Rings

Flower Puff Balls

Terra Cotta Serving Tray

Quiet Monster Wipee Toy

Mommy Arms

Tissue Flower Wreath

Jewelry Stand

Free Facial Giveaway!!

2011-01-26T12:49:00.002-07:00

If you live near Ogden, UT - You won't want to miss out on this.

Maddee Shaw Esthetics, the neighborhood spa,

is giving away a free facial to one of her lucky fans!! Be sure to check out her blog HERE, follow it, then like her on facebook HERE for your chance to win!!

She also has some AWESOME Valentine's Day deals if you're looking to drop some hints to your Sig. Other...

Check it out for a relaxing experience!!

Awe...a busy Saturday...

2011-01-15T16:01:00.002-07:00

I'm taking a sigh of relief. Today was a busy but productive Saturday. With the help of my mother, I was able to check a few things off my nursery TO DO list.

Our first stop was Downeast Home. My mom is a Downeast Enthusiast slash Expert. She always finds the best deals and cutest home items. I am glad I was with her when we found this Pottery Barn Kids rug for only $50. Regularly $350.I was able to get a few other things that I've been needing as well...

I need to go to the fabric store for many reasons. My next jobs to tackle will be to paint and fabric starch the wall, make a few pillow shams, some bird accessories, a tree for the wall, and this pennant banner:
...I'll keep you posted!

Forced to start crafting...

2011-01-14T19:57:00.003-07:00

Okay, I don't even deserve to have a blog anymore. And I don't deserve to have 700 followers. (Thanks soooo much by the way to all of you, I am so excited!)

I have officially lost my crafting ability, or so I feel like I have! But with the baby coming only in a few short weeks, I am forced to put my creative cap on! Would you believe that I haven't even began her nursery yet?? Seriously, all it is right now is an empty room with some of Charli's toys in it!! I am starting to freak out a bit! And even worse, we don't even have a name picked out yet! Eek! This so isn't like me! Anyhow, here are a few of my ideas for the room.

One thing I do have is her crib and bedding. Here is her bedding from the wonderful Pottery Barn:
It took me a while to come to a final decision. I was choosing between a few others and the birds sold me on this one! Don't you love it?

I don't have a before of her bedroom yet, but I plan on fabric starching one of the walls. Have you all heard of it? I am so excited to try it. I will for sure let you all see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, there is a little update for ya. I will keep you posted on the progress!! :)

Catching up on my gratitude...

2010-11-14T13:32:00.004-07:00

I am a little behind on my Thankfullness posts. But here are the things I have been thankful for the past few days...

Vetrans, and all those serving our country:
With Vetrans day being this past week, I have really began to reflect on the courage that so many men and women have that are serving, and have served our country. That is something I know I would never be brave enough to do and I thank all those who have been apart of ever fighting for us. Thanks!

I am so grateful for parties:
Ever since I was a little girl, my grandparents would call me "The Party Girl". Every time they had a family gathering I would show up in my party outfit, a big smile on my face, ready for fun and games! Today, I am still the same! I love parties because it allows a chance for everyone you love to get together and celebrate something special. My niece's birthday party was this past week, my sister's birthday was yesterday, and my nephew's party is tonight. I love that we get to celebrate these fun things because it brings us all together!

Fingerprints:
I may be a bit of a clean freak. Okay, maybe I am not so freaky about it now that I have a child, but I still like to keep things pretty clean. The other night, after a typically exhausting day, I was getting ready for bed and wondering how I got through the day. Charli was a more emotional than usual, maybe a little more rowdy than normal, and I was just ready to go to bed! I went to get something off of the nightstand and noticed how dusty I had let it get. Then I browsed to the edge of the nightstand where I saw cute, tiny fingerprints all along the corner. I just smiled. I know exactly what she was reaching up there for, the remote controll!! But it just made me giggle a little because no matter how hard motherhood can be sometimes, and how exhausting, little things like this make me love and appreciate being a mother more than anything! I am grateful for the fingerprints I see everywhere in my house. The nightstand, the kitchen table, the stainless steel fridge and dishwasher!! Her fingerprints remind me of how lucky I am to be a mother!

Today in church I had to speak! Ugh, I know! But actually the topic I spoke on couldn't have been more perfect for this time of year - Gratitude.

Today I am thankful...

2010-11-10T11:51:00.004-07:00

When was the last time you laughed so hard that you couldn't breathe? Where tears were rolling off your face and you were left with no make-up? And you just kept laughing because the fact that you were laughing so hard was so funny and your partner kept making you laugh 'cause they were laughing. Do you remember when the last time was?

Well, mine was last night! I wish I could say this happened on a daily basis because I do believe that laughter is the best medicine! My husband and I were studying for one of his tests and something halarious happened! I started laughing and so did he. It only got funnier from there because I was laughing so hard that I wasn't even making noise 'cause I couldn't breathe! Before I knew it, my make-up was completely off of my face and I just kept laughing. Seriously about 5 minutes later I settled down. It felt so good! I love laughing! I am so grateful for the things in life that make me laugh...mostly my hubby and my sweet Charli! :)

Laughing is Contagious...
Pass on your happiness

Today I am thankful...

2010-11-09T20:30:00.002-07:00

Today was another good day. I am thankful for a few things today, but mostly for my sisters. I went to work for a few hours and did my little sister's nails. She has been married for three short weeks and I feel like I don't see her much anymore. It was so nice to be able to sit down with her and catch up and chat about her new life and her cute hubby! I love the relationship I have with my sisters. While at work, once a week, my older sister watches Charli for me. I am so grateful for this because if you have children and work, you know how difficult it can be to find someone to babysit. Charli loves going over to her house and playing with her aunt and her cousin, Lily.

Another thing I have realized today is how much I enjoy working with the girls I do. It is such an uplifting and positive environment and the girls are so sweet. They are all such great examples to me and I probably wouldn't work there if I didn't love going so much once a week! It's nice to get out of the house and have some 'adult conversations' with other moms and wives!

One more thing I want to touch on is how grateful I am for naps! Sometimes I don't think I could make it through the day without one! I am lucky I can still take one while Charli takes her afternoon nap and I realize I should enjoy this while I can! It's great to wake up and feel energized again to get me through the rest of the day!

-Kami

Minky Couture Update:

2010-11-09T20:27:00.002-07:00

I have had many people tell me that it won't let them submit their form for the free Mini Minky. I don't know why this would be happening, although I will tell you people have tried over and over again and finally it worked. So keep trying! When I did it, it worked the first time with no problems. I did have a girl tell me she was using another internet browser and it didn't work, but when she tried it with Firefox, it worked just fine. ???? There are probably many reasons but keep trying because this deal is too awesome to bypass! Good Luck! :)

Today I am thankful...

2010-11-08T19:07:00.002-07:00

Today I am grateful for a few things. First of all, the rain. Normally I dislike rainy days. But today, it forced me to stay inside and get my housework done! Without the rain today, I wouldn't have accomplished the loads of laundry, vacuuming, dusting, etc. And also, the fact that it rained means it didn't snow! I am happy for the rain!

I was going to be quarantined to my home today anyways, due to my sick child. I got to enjoy my time with her and we cuddled again!

I am currently feasting upon some oreos and milk in which I am also grateful for. Okay, not really grateful for them, but you know what I mean! My unborn child must really like this treat because she is doing back flips at this very moment, and I am so grateful for that!! :)

-Kami

The 20 Days of Thanksgiving:

2010-11-07T08:39:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for...

Today I am thankful that my little Charli is sick. Yes, I know, after somewhat of a long night being up with her and her stomach flu, I would normally be complaining of my tired-ness and dreading the day(s) to come. However, she has been letting me snuggle and cuddle with her all morning and I LOVE it! She just wants me to hold her - how could I want anything else? If it means that she will let me do this with her all day, she can be sick, that's okay!

-Kami

I'll admit it. I have been somewhat of a pessimist the past few weeks, maybe even months. I have had a negative attitude and I am sick of it! In the real light, I am so lucky to have all the many things that I do. My husband is an optimist. He sees the good in everything - and I love and always have loved this about him.

With the Thanksgiving holiday drawing near, I thought it would be fun and inspiring if each day we { yes WE } all write or think about something that we are truly thankful for. I am not just talking family, home, friends, etc... I am talking about all the small things. The things that we don't realize how lucky we are to have every day.

I am going to try to see the good in everything. When I feel negative thoughts, I am going to turn them around into positive. I challenge each of you to do the same everyday. Write about it. If you don't have a blog, feel free to share your thoughts by commenting on mine! I am excited to see the change that takes place in my attitude, and hopefully I can change my pessimistic attitude, into an optimistic one! PS: I may post more than once a day!

Try it with me!

*****

I got some of my inspiration for this from another blogger. You can check out her way of seeing the good in everything at thxthxthx.com

More {GLOVE} LOVE!

2010-10-30T08:17:00.004-06:00

Here are some more DIY fingerless glove ideas.

On Tuesday, the 26th I was able to go demo some of these on Studio 5.

I can't get the video because somehow they couldn't get my segment online, which, I have no problem with because I found out that being pregnant plus the 10 lbs. the camera adds don't come out very nicely! So thank you KSL, for not being able to post the video.

So since I didn't take step-by-step pictures of these, I must explain them.

But they are soooo easy!!

All's you need is:

basic pair of gloves (the $store's work out nice)

1/2 yd. any trimming (stretchy works best)

sewing machine or liquid stitch

any other embellishments you want

Go ahead and cut off the fingers of your gloves. You can cut them however short or long that you want.

On this particular pair of gloves I sewed the black lace along the wrist line. The lace is stretchy and therefore still allows it to be stretchy. You can put the trim wherever you want. Up by the fingers is extremely cute!

LIQUID STITCH. Liquid stitch works nicely on these, however, if you know how to sew I would recommend that over glueing. If you do use the liquid stitch, put something in between the glove (i.e. card board or paper) so it doesn't stick together. Also, make sure you put books or something on top until dry.

Pretty much that is all. You can make these gloves however YOU want! Add as much or as little, use whatever colors you want, the possibilities are endless. I have more of these that I made, maybe I will bring up some more pictures soon!

Have fun, if you have any questions, let me know!

Trendy Fingerless Gloves Tutorial:

2010-10-25T07:00:00.006-06:00

FYI: I was 5 months prego during this taping!

I've been seeing them everywhere: Trendy, Fingerless Gloves.

Here is a pair you can make from a pair of socks.

I found these socks at Target for $2.

I tried them on and measured how high I wanted them above my wrist, then cut:

I then sewed the raw edge by folding the edges inward, then sewing a light zig-zag stitch.

Then I cut about an inch to an inch 1/4 hole where my thumb was going to be

After that, you're then going to want to stitch the thumbhole with a heavy (meaning very close) zig-zag stitch. This not only makes the edge ruffly and cute, but also prevents fraying.

After doing that to the thumb hole, I thought it was so cute, I decided to do it to the other edge (the fingers hole).

Then I added a few snowflake buttons on the wrist to add a little bling and wahlaahh!

The fun thing about fingerless gloves is you can dress them up or down. If it's colder outside, simply add a regular pair of gloves underneath. You can add any color to match your outfit!

Here are just a few pictures of celebrities wearing fingerless gloves. Hmm...are the 80's trend making a come-back?

Celebrity images courtesy of www.posh24.com and www.alittlegirltalk.com

Vintage Birdcage Veil - Tutorial Link

2010-10-12T06:41:00.001-06:00

This update is far overdue. If you remember, back in August I made a vintage birdcage veil for a beautiful bride. It turned out great and I have wanted to post pictures and the tutorial, however, I am a little embarrassed because the only pictures I have is of it on me. (I hate posting pictures of myself)
I will get pictures from the bride soon so you can get the full effect.
{ It looks a lot better on her! }

Finding Russian Netting was a little harder than I thought. That was the hardest part - the rest was easy! I went on etsy and went to GSboutique. I ordered my russian netting right away because she had awesome prices and soooo many colors to choose from.
I got the feathers from JoAnn's. They are ostrich, I think??!!

And I pretty much just made up my own tutorial. However, THIS is a good one to follow. Its at Megan Turnidge Designs.
Check it out!

Sorry about the pic.

A darling wonderland...

2010-09-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

This darling room belongs to a girl named Charleigh. What a fun way to spell it! I love all the colors in this room and all of the fun details. Look at her dresser and the fun closet by her crib!!

This giraffe is her mothers favorite part of the room. She found it in a weird store but it's so unique! It watches over Charleigh at night!

Changes & MY LATEST CREATION:

2010-08-30T15:15:00.000-06:00

Awweeee... Deep breaths! A lot of changes going on here. And I am the type who doesn't like changes. I get set in my ways and get comfortable, and just want everything to stay the same. Right now I am sitting on my couch and jumping for joy 'cause I finally got the internet back. We moved this weekend. I have been packing for the past two weeks or so. We didn't move far, just up the road a few miles...into a different city, what? I am going to have to learn a new address, which for some reason is so hard for me to remember! And I will have to adjust turning right off the freeway, instead of left. These are small changes - I know I'll get used to them, I hope it doesn't take long.

And instead of being 3 minutes away from both our families, we are 13 minutes away. Anyone would shout "yahooo" to be further away from their family(s). But not me. I love being so close! I guess it's time to cut the umbilical cord and break loose! Right???

I feel like a stranger to crafting! I haven't even unpacked all of my stuff yet. It may be a while before I see them again (tear). And it may be a while before you see me craft something up.

But, until then - enjoy my latest creation and let me know what you think.
It's one of my best. One of my favorites. But, I cannot take all the credit - my husband helped out a little with this one!

...Speaking of umbilical cords

I'm nearly 14 weeks and counting! We will be finding out soon if we are having another Sweet girl or a new Sweet boy! ...Can't wait!

A nap in the park...

2010-08-25T07:07:00.004-06:00

That's how you would feel if you were baby Bryce. This serene room has a park-feel to it, and I love it! His mom loves the branch above the changing table! What a talented painter she is!
I love the colors used in this room and all of the cheerful details!!

A "Little Monkey's" Room...

2010-08-24T07:02:00.001-06:00

This is baby Ian's room. He is one. Notice the fun details in this room. Would you believe that those darling stripes are hand-painted? I love the colors his mom chose while painting. This is her favorite part...I don't blame her, especially for all that work!
Also, I love the "No more monkey's jumping on the bed" vinyl above the bed!

Counting Sheep Beanbag Tutorial!!

2010-08-20T08:27:00.002-06:00

I thought this was such a cute idea, and you can make these too!

Megan, over at Fowl Single File will tell you how!

Be sure to check out all of her other fun tutorials and yummy treats!

Fun and Colorful Bedroom!

2010-08-19T06:40:00.000-06:00

This fun bedroom belongs to Charlotte, who is two! Her room is very colorful and fun!
Her mother's favorite part is the sign above the bed (that Charlotte painted) that says, "If it's not messy, it's not fun"! How cute is that???

Cute and Easy Appliqued Tote

2010-08-18T07:07:00.000-06:00

Monogram yourself a cute tote!! Get the instructions over at

Tara being Tara
and you can find many other cute tutorials on her site as well!

Modern Jungle Room!!

2010-08-17T06:41:00.002-06:00

This is cute baby Trae's room. He is TWO and is such a cutie. This room has a modern jungle theme, and I just love all the details and the colors used!!

Making excuses...

2010-08-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Seriously, I have been slacking - I know! But it feels like I have been doing other things that have veered me away from this blog!

1. I started doing nails again after being on a 6 month vacay. It feels good though and I am excited to be in a salon two days a week.

2. My cute little stinker-bug is ALL OVER the place! She has recently learned how to climb on any and everything, so she has my constant eye!

3. I finished the wedding veil I was asked to make and it turned out soooo cute! Pictures to come soon.

4. I'm lazy.

And the good news of the week is there is a wedding in the works and I am soooo excited! My little sis is engaged to her Jr. High crush and High School sweetheart! They are getting married the middle of October and I think I am more excited to intrude on her wedding planning than I was to plan my own wedding!!! I will keep you updated on the things we decide for her!!!

So there you have it - - - are my excuses excused???

PINK & BROWN ROOM

2010-08-10T08:17:00.002-06:00

This cute pink and brown room belongs to Millie. Her mom loves everything about this room, but the vinyl flowers are her favorite! This room is so much fun!

Tissue Paper Wreath Tutorial!!

2010-08-05T21:00:00.001-06:00

Wreath Tutorial

This wreath is so much fun, I love the way it brightens up my door from the road. Here's what you'll need:

Styrofoam Wreath Form
Tissue Paper Flowers
Wire
Hot Glue
Ribbon

FIRST- cover your wreath form with tissue paper (you can glue the tissue paper on, or staple it!)SECOND - start making your tissue paper flowers. If you've never made one before, here's how:

Cut a square of tissue papers (I used about 5 sheets, you can do whatever size you'd like. Remember the smaller, the more time it will take you!) and begin folding back and forth like you did in elementary to make a fan. Once done folding, take your wire and wrap around folded paper, and twist the wire so the paper won't come unfolded.
Then, cut the ends of the tissue to be round or pointed. Rounded ends creates a soft flower look. Pointed ends look more like a leaf.
THIRD - take each flower and begin spreading the tissues apart. Be careful not to rip them. If there are a few rips, however, they aren't very noticeable!
FOURTH - once you are done making all of your flowers (place them around the wreath so you know when you have enough), trim all the wires to about 1/2 in - 1 in stub.
FIFTH - make sure before you glue your flowers to your form, you place them all where they are going to go. *Be sure to glue the ribbon on (to hang your wreath) BEFORE you glue your flowers on!
SIXTH - put glue around the base of the wire stub, then stick the wire into the styrofome.Hang your wreath with that pretty ribbon you glued underneath your flowers and
Waaahlaah!

Hope you enjoy your new wreath!

It's so much fun using one solid color, or multi-colors shown here. You can do this to match any season! :) Here are some fall versions:

And if you don't have a covered porch or storm glass door, use silk flowers from the Dollar Store as shown here:

Just a Little Thank You!!

2010-08-05T07:47:00.004-06:00

Wow! I never imagined my blog to ever have 600 followers! Honestly, I used to look at other people's blogs with this many followers and only dream of it! Thank you so much for following Sweet Charli!
When I started this blog in February (or something like that), I was mostly posting things for myself. Now, I find myself posting specifically for my readers, because that's who keeps me going! My next goal is to reach the 1,000 follower mark!! I think we will have a big party and giveaways when we reach that point - what do you say?

Thanks so much!!

Now I am off to craft. I have another TV segment tomorrow that I have to prepare for. Remember these??
Well I came up with some fall versions and am showing them tomorrow!

See ya then!
LOVE, KAMI

Baby Taden's Room!!

2010-08-04T09:03:00.003-06:00

Baby Taden's room is full of boy stuff. I love the colors his mom used!

This is one of her favorite parts of his room. And she especially loves this hat and tie rack because it has all different kinds of boy things...baseballs, hammers, screws, golf balls, tees...

Her hubby is a Cowboy's fan, and she is a Bear's fan, so they had to compromise and decorate with using both on this magnetic board!

A Neutral Gender Bedroom...

2010-08-02T09:02:00.003-06:00

This bedroom is one of the cuter Neutral Gender bedrooms I have seen. I love the color palette that the mother of this 'soon to be born' baby has chosen. She already has a boy and girl, so this baby's gender will be a surprise!
She wanted to bring the beauty and rustic feel of her backyard into their bedroom.
Very cute!

A Rosette Wreath

2010-07-31T07:58:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I made a wreath for my friend on a trade. I got the idea from Shelley from House of Smiths HERE. Oh, and if you haven't seen her AWESOME pantry makeover yet, check that out HERE.

A cute bedroom...

2010-07-30T09:01:00.003-06:00

For cute little Paige! This room was done on a budget, but you wouldn't be able to tell. Her mother said she worked with a lot of things she found at the DI. Her favorite part is her name wall hanging!
Very Cute!

More Bedroom Inspiration & My Newest Task...

2010-07-29T09:04:00.005-06:00

Here is cute Baby Davis' room

He is about 1 1/2. His mom loves how is number art above his crib turned out. The colors were orange, baby blue, and brown.
Love the fun paper lanterns! What a cute room!

******

Here is my newest project I have yet to tackle:
A beautiful BRIDE-TO-BE asked if I could make her headpiece! I was ecstatic (and a little nervous!). I love trying new things and hope that it turns out perfectly for her wedding day. I am off to get supplies today...wish me luck!

*** PS ***
I will post a step-by-step tutorial when I finish the birdcage veil!

Cute Bedroom & My Dream!!

2010-07-28T09:22:00.007-06:00

Huttson's BOY Room
This is the bedroom of cute little Huttson who is two years old. His mother loves all the boy stuff that can be found around his room.
And notice the big 'H' above his crib? SOOO cute!

NOW
Just a little bit about my Studio 5 experience yesterday.

Every time I go down there I have so much fun!
You see, ever since I was little I wanted to be on TV. Whether a movie star, talk show host, or news anchor (I used to sit in front of the mirror for HOURS with a stack of paper in front of me making up news stories). Anyways, I really do love what I do! But today, I got to take my experience a little further...
Yes! I got to take a tour of the news room! This is a picture of my younger sis and I reporting the news (okay, not really), but pretending!
I have to thank Lesli, at the Harker Herald for giving me this opp! She works for KSL and took this picture of us and gave us a quick tour. Check out her blog HERE, she posts some fun things that she does while at work.

Another fun thing that happened yesterday was I got to meet this guy:
Stephen Jones, BYU's New Spice!! If you don't know who this helarious guy is, check out his viral YouTube video HERE.

Just thought I would share with you my day yesterday!
I am so lucky to be able to do this!

LOVE, KAMI

Shirt Cuff Bracelet - TUTORIAL

2010-07-27T07:00:00.006-06:00

If you clean out your closet soon, preparing for fall clothes, don't give away those old blouses and button-up shirts!! Recycle them into cuff bracelets!

Here's what you'll need:

Blouse/Button-up Shirt

(if you don't have one you want to cut up, the DI or thrift stores have really funky ones!)

Liquid Stitch/Sewing Machine

Embellishments

Cut the cuff off from the sleeve. Be careful NOT to cut open the seam! Sometimes blouses will be gathered where the sleeve is sewn to the cuff, in this case, if you leave about 1/4-1/2 in. between where you cut and the seam you will get a really cute natural ruffle!
(see what I mean on the Studio 5 video)
Next, measure the bracelet on your wrist and make sure it fits you the way you like. If it is too loose, you can always move the button and re-sew it on where its tighter! Also, if you don't like the button, or want to dress it up more, put on a different one!

Find some fun embellishments. I love all the fun trim you can find at JoAnn's BY THE YARD. Also, you can use ribbons, bows, buttons, flowers...the list goes on and on!
Sew or glue your embellishments on
As you can see, I switched buttons. I thought the pearl button was lots cuter!
And Wahllaaah! You're done! Wasn't that easy? And cheap?

Now, how fun would it be to find one of your grandmother's/mother's old blouses and make it into a cuff bracelet? And then you can take her old jewelry/broaches and embellish it! It would be such a fun timepiece that you could wear forever!

Here are some other pics.

This is what I meant by the ruffle at the bottom:

If you leave room between the sleeve and the cuff, this naturally happened:

Have fun!!!!!!!

Love, Kami

Linking up...
MONDAY

Tuesdays:

Wednesday:

Charlie's Bedroom

2010-07-26T08:13:00.007-06:00

Here is a bedroom submission. This bedroom is 15 mo. old Charlie's. No, not my Charli, but another really cute girl who also happens to be this age! This room was done on a budget and was pieced together with re-purposed items. I think it turned out great!

Tomorrow I will be sharing with you how to make this fun
{ and really easy }
three-step, no sew, bracelet!

See you all tomorrow!

The WINNER of the BEDROOM CONTEST:

2010-07-24T09:03:00.003-06:00

We have a winner!

There were about 600 votes total for this contest!! It was such a close contest!! Most of our contestants were neck and neck the whole time! In the end, the one on top ended up being....

Dun-Dun-A-Daaaa

#5 Grace's "Vintage" Room!
Congratualtions Jessica, the mother { and decorator } of this fabulous room. You have won the following prizes:

1. Your choice of an infant boy or girl blanket from
Minky Couture
2. This darling camera strap from
Sugar Pop Creations
3. This trendy tie (you choose what size) from
Trendy Tikes
4. A darling hat/earwarmers (you choose the size) from
Cute Baby Boutique
LUCKY YOU!

And thank you soooo much to these sponsors for making this contest possible.

Here are the rest of the numbers from the voting results to show you just how close this contest was:


1st place (Grace)	122 votes
2nd place	118 votes
3rd place	113 votes
4th place	92 votes
5th place	91 votes
6th place	62 votes

And for all those other bedrooms that didn't make the final six, I will be showing them next week so you can all find inspiration for your next bedrooms!

Thanks for all who participated in this, and thanks for all who voted!!

LAST DAY!

2010-07-23T07:41:00.002-06:00

Today is the LAST DAY to vote for your favorite decorated room!! You have until midnight tonight.
Go HERE!

Bouteak Sneak Peak!!

2010-07-22T06:30:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few things from Sweet Charli that you may see if you attend the

Sassy Cupcake Boutique!!

Shabby Headwraps

Rosette Necklace

comes with interchangeable colored flowers!

My new favorite:

Vintage Infinity Scarves!!

Hope to see you there!!

INFO HERE

Perfect Beach Towel Idea!

2010-07-21T08:43:00.003-06:00

Look at these darling hooded beachtowel backpacks that are over at
The Train To Crazy!
She has the tutorial for ya, perfect for the beach/pool!

Tiny Tabs Ribbon Blanket!

2010-07-20T07:50:00.001-06:00

Make this fun taggy blanket yourself over at
Just So Sassy
Isn't it so cute? Your little one will love it!

Where I'll Be This Week...

2010-07-18T07:53:00.005-06:00

Here's the info for the boutique I will be at this week:

Hope to see you all there!!

and the nominees are...VOTE!!!

2010-07-16T09:12:00.004-06:00

Please vote for your (2) favorite decorated bedrooms - 1 boy bedroom, 1 girl bedroom. Your votes will only be counted once. Look at all the choices before you vote - they are all soooo cute! The poll is at the end of this post.

All the other bedrooms that were entered in this contest that aren't shown here will be featured on this blog next week! They were all so cute!!

*****

1. Solveig's "Shabby Chic" Room
Age 7 mo.

2. Porter's "Monkey" Room
Age 8 mo.

3. Hailey's "All Girl" Room
Age 4 mo.

4. Jacob's "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles" Room
Age 2 mo.

5. Grace's "Vintage" Room
Age 3 yrs.

6. Caleb's "Safari Sports" Room
Due date: Oct. 2010

What is your favorite room??online survey

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED JULY 24TH

Introducing...

2010-07-15T08:31:00.005-06:00

The panel of judges for the

"Show off your child's room" contest.

The votes are in and the finalists have been chosen. I will announce them tomorrow. But here's a BIG thanks to my sponsors and judges. The sponsors for this contest also got to be part of the judge panel. Here they are:

Minky Couture

Sugar Pop Creations

Trendy Tikes

Cute Baby Boutique

Here are the other fabulous, talented people that took part on our judging panel:

Caitlin Creer Interiors

Sassy Style Redesign

Tatertots & Jello

Someday Crafts

Get Craftin

Brassy Apple

Thanks again to all the judges! Be sure to check back tomorrow and start voting!

Recycled Men's Shirt

2010-07-14T06:35:00.001-06:00

Would you believe that this shirt was once a guy's? With a little refashioning, you can turn your hubby's shirt into your own! Get the tutorial at Pretty Dubs!

Check out this paper wreath!

2010-07-13T08:30:00.001-06:00

This is over at Creative Juices! Check out the tutorial and get your Creative Juices flowing!

Just a few things...

2010-07-12T06:28:00.000-06:00

First of all, thanks for all the entries for the

"Show off your child's room" contest!

There are soooo many cute entries! Since there are so many, and I am so indecisive, I am totally turning them over to a panel of judges and letting them decide the 5 finalists...I am not even going to attempt it! I will let you all know who they choose later, but for now I have a few FYI's for ya:

You have probably wondered why I haven't been doing the Friday Linky Party the past few weeks. Well, (1) summer has been pretty busy, and (2) I still have an inbox full of awesome tutorials from others that I must share with you. So I decided to resume the Linky Parties at the end of the summer, probably sometime in August. For those of you who would like to share your tutorial on Sweet Charli, you can e-mail the link to sweetcharligirl@hotmail.com

Next item of business, I am participating in a boutique coming up in South Weber, UT. It is July 22nd and 23rd. I am telling you this not only because I want you to come, but also because it is less than two weeks away and I am committing myself just now and if I don't tell you all I am doing it, then I may slack off and drop the ball! So I will be busy the next few weeks trying to get things ready - but I have a lot of fun ideas, so you must come check it out! It's the Sassy Cupcake Boutique!! Check out their blog HERE

Okay thanks for listening! Talk to you all soon!

LAST DAY

2010-07-11T10:44:00.002-06:00

to enter this fun contest!!

There are sooo many cute entries, I cannot wait for everyone to see them all!

DYI Memo Boards

2010-07-09T07:18:00.000-06:00

Frilly Details

has come up with some fun DIY memo boards to make yourself!
Very cute!

DONT FORGET!!!

2010-07-08T09:07:00.001-06:00

to enter the
"Show Off Your Child's Room Contest"
HERE

The deadline is is this Sunday, July 11th!!

Thanks again to these wonderful sponsors:

Minky Couture

Sugar Pop Creations

Trendy Tikes

Cute Baby Boutique

Check them out!

A New Way To Do Chores:

2010-07-07T06:32:00.003-06:00

Need to make an organized way to keep those kids doing their chores this summer? Check out this fun chore chart at
Fowl Single File

Flower Frenzy!!

2010-07-06T08:05:00.003-06:00

Let me introduce you to a girl named Shianne. She is 13 years old (she will be 14 in a few weeks) and has her own online business!!! It is called

Flower Frenzy Creations

you must visit. This girl is soooo talented. Here she is to tell you a little bit about herself!

Well, where should I start? I guess it all started a couple months ago. One day I saw some rosette headbands, I thought they were so cute and instantly wanted one for myself. So I started making them. Once I started wearing them, my friends and family wanted me to make them one. I decided to turn my hobby into a buisness. A thing I really love to do that most people don't know about me is graphic designing. So I decided to put them together, an on-line store! If were to watch my store, you would notice the banners are always changing! I love to sit down and just start making hair acc

essories and just see what I come up with! I made my prices afforable so anyone could buy from my store. I didn't want to limit who could buy! I can't wait to see where my business is in a couple of months!

Be sure to check out Flower Frenzy Creations, and let her know what you think!!

Make your own neck roll pillow

2010-07-05T10:22:00.002-06:00

Make a fun neck pillow at C.R.A.F.T
She makes it look super-easy!

Cute Ric Rac Apron

2010-07-04T10:44:00.002-06:00

What a cute ric rac half apron huh? You can find this tutorial over at
Just Another Day in Paradise!

And Happy 4th of July to all of you!
I feel so thankful to live in a great country!
I am so grateful to all those that fight for our freedom!

Winner's of Brassy Apple Pattern:

2010-07-03T07:54:00.001-06:00

#17 - Lyndee
&
#3 - Calamity Anne

Congrats! Megan from Brassy Apple will be contacting you for your mailing info!
Thanks for all who entered!!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 17
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 3