WANT TO RECEIVE FREE SKIRTS?

Do you love surprises? :) Are you looking for a bargain? (...say 25% off the retail value!)
Then, Don't Miss Out! The Twirl Skirt "Grab Bag" offer is back!



Up for grabs - "Eden" style twirl skirts from Daydream Believers.

The Eden combines classic styling with fabulous modern fabrics; for a lovely and truly unique look! :)
This style skirt is the favorite of many queen bees and features an easy to wear, wide elastic waistband.
Your little lady will love twirly around in her fabulous, handcrafted skirt!


** The Eden skirt in full -twirl- action! Thank you Sheri for the photo!

For “Grab Bag” purchase, color, print or custom sizing requests will not be honored.
I'll choose the fabrics for you. If you purchase more than one skirt, each will be unique.
Skirts ship out the week of March 24, 2014.
**

BONUS! Want to earn a FREE skirt?
Refer a friend (or 5!) and you can earn FREE skirts!
Simply refer your friends to Daydream Believers and ask them to leave me a note saying that you sent them in the "notes to seller" at checkout. For every FIVE skirts purchased by referrals, I will send you a FREE skirt! Just like that! Refer TEN skirts, I'll send ya' 2, and so on... there is no limit to the number of free skirts you can earn! Free skirt offer runs from 2/24/14 - 3/24/14.

Grab Bag Deals are limited. Order yours from the Daydream Believers shop at Etsy.

TUTORIAL: MAKE A REUSEABLE COUNTDOWN CHAIN

My kids LOVE counting down to big events, holidays, birthdays, special outings.
Paper chains are *hands down* their favorite way to countdown.
After years of cutting paper strip after paper strip only to toss them in the recycling bin, I decided we needed a reusable option for our counting down needs. My first thought was fabric. I envisioned gorgeous fabric circles, linked together with sweet buttons - and while this is totally possible - it’s also way more work than this busy mumma needed to take on. Plus, part of the appeal of the paper-chain is that the girls could make them with little assistance; so I wanted our reusable version to be a kid friendly craft.

Here’s what I came up with:


Cute, right?
This sweet chain is helping us countdown the days ‘til our beach vacation but the girls have already decided after the trip, we will use it to countdown to Summer vacation, and then to countdown to my birthday!

To make a reusable countdown chain with your kids, all you need is craft foam (I purchased large sheets from Hobby Lobby in “beachy” colors for just .89 cents per sheet) and stick on velcro dots (also from Hob Lob)

We constructed our chain the same way we would make a paper chain.
First we cut a strip of foam 1 1/2 inches x 9 inches
Then we added a velcro dot to each end to form a circle.
Then simply repeat with alternating colors until we had a complete chain.
*You can make approximately 12 strips from one sheet of foam.
 
 
The girls had fun making it and are enjoying removing a link each day.

Ooh, I have a quick tip I want to share with you! When making a long countdown chain (like this one) it’s easy for the kids to forget to remove a link one day or to accidently remove two links on one day and then the whole countdown is off. My solution: on the back of every 10 links, I write a small note that states which date that link should be removed, like this:

That way, with one quick peek, you can make sure your chain is still on track.

Happy Crafting!

RANDOM NOTES

Ask and you shall receive…
I love getting questions/comments from my readers! I am happy to help y’all with your sewing projects and I appreciate your input about what you’d like to see on the website. I’m working on a few blog posts to cover my most FAQ/requested projects, including…

:: Ideas/tutorials for (quick & easy) handmade baby gifts
(and)
:: Better pictures of the sweet “Mermaid Café” play area & the coffee bar that appear in the back of many of my photos. (I never realized I took so many photos in the dining room, lol, but I’ll give ya’ll the details!)

I will also put together more “Make This Look” features. I’m so happy you have enjoyed this concept! I have received a few GREAT outfit suggestions. Please, keep those pictures coming! If you spot a look you’d like to DIY, send me the link and your suggestion may be featured on Daydream Believers.

This week I’m sewing…
:: Summer dresses for my Style Ambassadors::
I’m playing around with a few new patterns this season and have selected a nice variety of full/twirly dresses as well as classic sundress styles. In true db style, I have put together a fabulous selection of fabrics!
Here’s a peek…


:: Addison Tops:: I’m so glad y’all like the first of my team-spirit-wear, Addison!
If you placed your order today (Monday 2.24) I will have your top ready to ship this week!
If you haven’t ordered yet, no problem! I’m happy to customize an Addison Top for your gal!
You can place your order in the Daydream Believers Shop at Etsy.

Other projects I’m working on for the blog…
:: Skirt tutorials! Six of ‘em in fact!
During the month of March I will share my how-to-tutorials for making six sweet skirts for Spring.


:: I also have a great bubble shorts and tunic tutorial that I adore and will share with you as soon as I get all the feedback back from my testers. Did you know, I don’t share any clothing tutorials on db without making sure they are fully reviewed for ease of use and accuracy of sizing? Yep, it’s a process, lol.

:: Tomorrow, I’m sharing an EASY craft tutorial that you and your kids will enjoy!

:: I’m also going to *try* to include more personal, editorial style posts. These posts challenge me the most. Writing them comes naturally but I struggle with sharing my heart so publically. I write about my life almost daily; but I keep these posts to myself. On the few occasions that I have hit publish and shared them here, the honest feedback these posts generate is SO wonderful, that I am encouraged to share them more.

What do you think? What do you want to read about on Daydream Believers?
I love chatting with my clients/friends/readers! Please, keep sending me your questions/suggestions/comments; I read and appreciate each one! Well, maybe not the spam asking me about buying milk crates/pearls/stamps…those I just delete ha! But all of YOUR comments are appreciated! Have a great day y’all!

STYLISH AND SWEET TEAM SPIRIT WEAR BY DAYDREAM BELIEVERS

Baseball season is just around the corner and I’ve got the stylish team spirit wear your girl needs!
My family LOVES to root for our home teams, but plain tees aren’t quite my girls style.
So I’ve designed a great collection of SWEET tops, tunics, and even skirts that will keep your girl cheering in style! Each piece has been designed with comfort and versatility in mind.
The first piece •Addison's Tie Back Tank• is now available in sizes newborn - 8.

"Addison" is a sweet top that will keep your girl cheering in style!
Featuring a fully lined bodice, open back, and two sashes that tie to create a sweet bow.

Designed for easy layering - Addison looks great on its own or worn over a tee!

Your top can be made in your choice of two colors and will be embellished with a hand cut heart applique.

Order your Addison Top in the Daydream Believers Etsy Shop

Do you love a great deal? How about a FREEBIE?!
Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite team and I will add a (FREE!) hairbow to your Addison Top order! Yay!

::Update: It seems there is an issue with iPhone users leaving comments on blogger…
if you are using a mobile device and your comment does not appear here, please try again from your computer.  Thanks!

HELLO MONDAY

I’m joining  Lisa Leonard in a weekly segment called Hello Monday.
Hello Monday is a post to greet the new week with an open heart and a fresh perspective.
Today is a new day, a new beginning-and there’s so much to be thankful for!

Whew! It feels like the last week FLEW by! Yesterday, my sister and I took the girls to paint pottery. The event was a fundraiser for our church. We had SO much fun! I managed to snap a few iPhone photos…

Hello Vivian and Monica, ready to paint!

Hello pretty plate (painted by me). Hello Iyla, hard at work.

Hello to finished projects, church supper, and a FUN girls day!

 

 

This week I’m saying,

Hello  to new products ready for the shop!
Hello to taking my kids to the museum to learn more about civil rights!
Hello to six more inches of snow headed our way, at this point, I say bring it!
Hello to shipping out St. Patrick’s Day Dresses!
Hello to shooting Ethan Rex’s NINE Month Photos! Where does the time go?!
Hello to a GREAT collection of handmade tutorials/gift ideas for BABIES, coming to the blog SOON!

What are you grateful for/looking forward to this week? Leave your Hellos in the comments section.
Have a beautiful week!

VALENTINES DAY. SPREAD SOME LOVE

Happy Valentines Day!
I’m up early, feeding the baby and enjoying the quite snuggles that come along with early morning feedings. Hubs is at work,  the girls are still sleeping and for an hour a day, it’s just me and Ethan. I talk to him and pray over him. He loves the attention and in return gives me the best smiles, cuddles, and babbles of the day. It’s a sweet way to start my day and I’m grateful for that.

.
Tell me, how are you spending your Valentines Day?
I treat the girls to a Fancy breakfast each year (tiara’s encouraged, but not required)
In years past we’ve had heart shaped pancakes, waffles with heart shaped strawberries, omelets filled with red peppers and pink kielbasa served with heart shaped biscuits and strawberry jam… it’s a total glitter fest! We use (ahem) “fancy” printed paper plates: you know the ones from Target, with the hearts/glitter/ya-ya on them that the kids think are SOOO beautiful; yep, on Valentines Day we buy ‘em and the matching cups too.

In the past, I’ve made all the food and set up all the decorations ahead of time. But this year I’m changing it up just a bit. My girls, especially Vivian, LOVE to be the hostess. They love cooking and enjoy putting together serving displays. So today I’m going to let them help me prepare and serve breakfast. They will think it’s awesome and I will enjoy the hilarity of my kids in the kitchen. Tell me - do your kids act like they’re hosting a cooking show every time they prepare a dish? Or is it just mine?

Iyla (who is 6) told us yesterday that “Valentines Day is the day we show the world the love we have in our hearts for our family, our friends, and for God by being kind and doing nice things for each other”
Yep, totally melted my heart. That kid, she’s a smart one! So after breakfast, we’re going to perform some Random Acts of Kindness to spread a little love on this special day.

How about you? What are your Valentines Plans?
Are your little ones wearing anything special today?

I’d LOVE it if you’d post pictures of your Valentines Day!
You can blog about your day and link it up in the comments, or go ahead and post away on the Daydream Believers Facebook Page. To thank you for sharing, I’ll give away a db gift card (or 2!)
I can’t wait to hear about your day!
Be well!
xx M

ps. It’s against blog-law to publish a long babbling post and not include a photo.
Please enjoy this random iPhone picture of sweet Ethan. xx

MAKE THIS LOOK- A DIY GUIDE

I love this boys-wear-for-girls look from J.Crew; but I don’t love the $268+ price tag.
Here’s my DIY guide to making your girl this sweet look for WAY less!

To make this look at home, you’ll want to start by heading over to Peekaboo Pattern Shop and grabbing these three patterns: The Little Gentleman’s Suit Jacket, Skinny Jeans, and the Liesel Top.
(Use code “save10” and save 10% when you purchase all three)

Then choose your fabrics and you’re ready to sew! To recreate the J.Crew look, try these fabric selections from Fabric.com: Stretch Pacific Denim in White for the jeans. Blue grey oxford cloth for the jacket. 
Premier Prints Amsterdam and Desoto Black and White Stripe for the blouse. 
I think the white denim pants would look great paired with a coral jacket and soft grey blouse, too!

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I’d  love to wear this look myself! How about you?
Tell me: What do you think of this boys-wear-for-girls look? What do you think of $300 outfits for kids?
Share your thoughts in the comments.

(Quick Note)
This post is not endorsed by or affiliated with J.Crew, The Peekaboo Pattern Shop, or Fabric.com.
The original J.Crew look can be purchased, here

HELLO MONDAY

I’m joining the incredible Lisa Leonard in a weekly segment called Hello Monday.
Hello Monday is a post to greet the new week with an open heart and a fresh perspective.
Today is a new day, a new beginning-and there’s so much to be thankful for!

It was another COLD and snowy weekend here in Michigan - so we spent most of our time at home, watching the Olympics (GO TEAM USA!) and working on projects around the house. The girls spent hours creating handmade Valentines (they are SO sweet!) and I was able to spend some quality time with my sewing machine. I don’t know about you, but I tend to let the little projects pile up. So this weekend I set a goal for myself to clear out my basket of repairs/unfinished projects. It feels SO good to start the week with a clean slate and plenty of time for NEW projects!

Hello cozy days spent in our pjs and sweet sisters reading together


Hello completed TO DO List



Hello handmade quilt for Vivian (shh, it’s her Valentine’s Day gift!)

Hello New SPRING Stroller blanket for Ethan

Hello sweet tea-party-tunic (Free DIY Tutorial Coming SOON!)


Hello little man in big-guy pj pants (made from one of Papa’s favorite flannel shirts))

***


Hello to a fun, busy, week ahead that includes dinner with friends and family group at Church.

Hello 30+ yards of fabric just waiting to be made into SPRING dresses!

Hello to reaching the 100TH Day of Homeschool!

Hello Valentine’s Day! Pink, glitter, hearts, LOVE… my girls are counting down the days!

Hello feeling grateful for good health and a close family!

What are you grateful for/looking forward to this week? Leave your Hellos in the comments section.
Have a beautiful week!

FIVE TIPS FOR HOSTING A BIG-GAME PARTY

Around here, we’ll throw a party for just about any occasion! When a big game is on, we love to get everyone together with good food, fun games and (of course) a few decorations! Hosting a Game-Day Party doesn’t have to be difficult!or expensive! Here are my FIVE TIPS for hosting a SUPER big-game party:

1. Set up two viewing areas Seriously, this is a game changer! Whenever you’re hosting a party on game day, you have to know, your gang will be split into two groups: the die-hards who want to watch every minute of the game, and the socials who are there for the party. My best tip for keeping the peace and creating a party that everyone will enjoy is to set up two viewing areas! For the Superbowl, we set up the main family room for the die-hards and created a second viewing area in the dining room for everyone else. It was as easy as moving the dining room table to the center of the room, bringing in a small couch, and setting up a second tv. We dubbed it the “commercial” room and it was a hit! In the commercials room we chatted throughout the game without fear of being “Shushed” - it was perfect and everyone had a great time!

2. Plan some conversation starters On game day, the MAIN event is watching the game - but that doesn’t mean your whole party has to be spent lazing in front of the TV. Plan a few easy to play activities for your guests to enjoy during the game. During the Superbowl, we played “Rate-The-Commercial” where guests rate commercials one (change the channel) or five (LOVE it!) It was a fun activity that was SO easy to put together! Simply type up the cards, print them on cardstock, and glue both cards with a craft-stick in-between.

3. Play Games. Always play games!  My crew LOVES  games - so we play a game (or two) at every party. Game-day-games should be easy to play while not taking away from the TV viewing (think BINGO). We LOVE to make “squares” (aka box grid pool). A Box Grid Pool keeps the game interesting for all party guests because even people with no working knowledge of the game have a fair chance of winning. At our house, no money is exchanged; the way we play is that all guests get the same number of squares and the winner of each quarter wins a scratch off lottery ticket. Keep it fun. Keep it simple. Keep your guests interested!

4. Decorate Creating a fun atmosphere doesn’t have to be difficult (or expensive) Simply incorporate your favorite teams’ colors into the serving ware and table linens, hang up a thematic banner, and set up an appealing food/drink table. I always have a roll of brown kraft paper on hand - it makes a perfect backdrop for a photo booth and a great base for dessert table. For football games, use a ruler and a little white paint to draw field lines onto the kraft paper for a thematic (and easy!) diy table cloth.

5. Have plenty of FOOD Game Day and Good Eats go hand in hand. Stick with classic game-day grub or treat your crew to a fresh menu; either way, a successful big-game-party-menu is full of easy-to eat foods and icy cold drinks. This is not the party for a multi-course, sit down meal. Keep it simple and your guests will love it

Do you have a tip for hosting a SUPER big-game-party? I’d love to hear it!
Please share in the comments below! xx

SEWING BASICS: GATHERING AND MAKING RUFFLES

When it comes to sewing for little girls, RUFFLES are a must!


There are quite a few ways to create gorgeous ruffles: using a gathering foot, “Grandma’s Method”, and the Zigzag method. Each way works well. I recommend you try them all and see which method you prefer.
Here’s the scoop on all three.

USING A GATHERING FOOTA gathering foot is a  magical little accessory that will help you create beautiful, evenly spaced gathers in no time! I purchased my gathering foot on Amazon for around $10 and it was worth every penny! The key to using the Gathering Foot is to increase the foot pressure, lengthen your stitch length, and increase your upper thread tension. The higher the upper thread tension, the tighter the gathers will be.



GRANDMA’S METHOD Grandma’s Method for creating ruffles is by far the most popular. It is a stand by that every sewer should be familiar with. To create ruffles using Grandma’s Method - You first set your sewing machine stitch length to the longest stitch. Along the edge of the fabric that you want to ruffle, simply sew 2 parallel rows of stitches about 1/4” apart. DO NOT backstitch at the beginning or end of the rows. You will want to leave a 6” “tail” of thread at the beginning  and end of each row. Pull on the thread tails to gather the fabric. Use your fingers to gently slide the gathers toward the center of the fabric and distribute the gathers evenly.
    



ZIG ZAG Methods, the zigzag method is hands down, my favorite way to gather! It produces consistent results every time! To create ruffles using the Zigzag Method, set your sewing machine to its widest zigzag stitch. Cut a piece of embroidery floss or yarn slightly longer than the ruffle-fabric-strip. Place the floss on the fabric’s wrong side within the ruffle’s seam allowance. Center the presser foot over the floss/yarn and check the width of the zigzag to make sure it won’t catch the floss. Then, simply zigzag over the floss/yard from one side seam to the other, being careful not to catch the floss in the stitches. Gently slide the fabric along the floss to gather the fabric and create beautiful ruffles.