T-Shirt Diaries and More

I think the title says it all. Momma pretending to be a photographer in their Easter Outfits. They are cute, but Phoebe was stricken with a tummy bug, and now momma has way to much laundry too do. I promise I will be back soon.

It is here, Spring Stashbust 2012. The rules are so simple. No New Crafting Supplies! Are their exceptions? Sure if you run a business and run out of something you need you can buy it. You can not feed your crafting addiction. This is all about using what you have and enjoying the items you have already purchased. You need to bust out that stash and use what you already have. Try to finish up that project that you have already started (maybe five years ago?). So copy the button code below and sign the linky below. Starting in April start busting your stash! <center><a href="http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com/2012/03/spring-stashbust-2012.html"><img src="http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/rneorr/button/2012springstashbust-1.jpg"/></a></center> We will have guest bloggers (email me at thetshirtdiaires@yahoo.com if you are interested) and a few other surprises, not to mention the start of season two of Pr...

I have been in a creative slump lately. It happens. No worries, and it shall pass. I was so delighted to read my friend Audra's blog, Little Tiger and the Milk Belly Princess , and learn about her children's adventures making Fairy houses and furnishings. My children LOVE to play outside and the concept of Fairies delights me. I just believe that their is something so magical about the belief that these little creatures live amongst us creating magic in our world. Phoebe agrees so we set out to make a fairy house out off all natural findings (with the exception of some rope. A soft bed of flowers for the fairies Proper bedding is very important, fairies love to have something comfortable when they are walking around (they don't always have shoes). We continued to mess around with the flooring. Holden was looking for sticks to make the frame of the house. Sticks make a great foundation We poked sticks into the ground to make a teepee and tied it...

Things are getting busy around here. I am working hard on getting season two of Project Recycled Underway. Info has been sent to all of the prospective contestants (if I missed you please email me @ rneorr@gmail.com). Next we will be running another season of the Spring Stashbust. It will run the month of April, rules will be the same as usual (no craft supplies unless they are necessary for your crafting business). I am looking for some wonderful bloggers to guest post if you are interested, please email me. I am also still surviving the No New Clothes challenge, but another pair of jeans are about to bite the dust. ugh. I can not wait to buy jeans after June 30th :). Running season is starting so look forward to some running updates, posts, and inspiration on running slow and loving every minute of coming in last place.  So busy times. Now to recover from Saint Patrick's Day!

I like to think of myself as a bit of a health nut.  I work out 4-5 times a week between running, attempting to run, and spinning. I eat relatively healthy. I mean I indulge, obviously, or else I wouldn't be a slightly overweight SAHB (Stay at home blogger). I just thought that I was in pretty darn good shape. Slightly overweight but healthy. Here I am going on my merry way when bamm...High Cholesterol. Like 242 high. I am pretty much in shock because it kills my, but I work out theory. I guess the 50 pounds my doctor told me to lose really does have to come off. So here I go, losing weight, taking down the evils of cholesterol (no more Lenten Fish Fries for me), and generally taking charge of my health. My goal, to have cholesterol under 200 by the time I turn 38. Eek. It's going to be a challenge. But I can do this. Interested in joining me? Comment below. ***Update: I survived my doctors appointment. I am going to take 1000mg of fish oil a day for six mo...

A HUGE congratulations goes out to Emily Fish from Domestic Deadline for winning Season One of Project Recycled. Can you tell us a little bit about you and your fabulous blog? Craftiness is genetic in my family, I find it really hard to look at things without figuring out how it’s made and if I can make it myself!  My blog started after following so many blogs and “writing tutorials in my head” as I made my own things.  I’ve also found it great to keep my ever growing to-do list on track and a wonderful tool to share what the kids and I are doing with my family and friends.   What is your favorite item to recycle? Clothes, hands down.  I’m almost 6 feet tall and have always had a problem getting clothes to fit me right.  My kids are having the same problem.  I love taking thrift store finds and making my own that fits us perfectly. You have $5.00 to go into a thrift store, what crafting goodness do you buy and why ....

As if you don't know who the winner was already, here is her final project: April Showers bring Easter Dresses?!?!? I am so excited (and surprised) to have made it to the final round!  For this project I started with a fabric shower curtain that I picked up for $5 at the thrift store.  Aside from it being a large amount of nice fabric, I loved the top panel with embroidered flowers. Every time I laid the curtain out to take a picture, a little boy tried to roll up in it, so this was the best I got... I talked with my girls about what they wanted their dresses to look like, we sketched them out and then I cut... first, I cut out the front of one dress, using a similar style dress as a guide.  The back panel is the same shape, but 4 inches wider and only the solid color. Since I'm too lazy to deal with zippers, I used elastic thread to shir the back panel.  I used white thread to contrast since I didn't have the perfect color on hand, and I didn't ...

I want to thank everyone for sticking with me during my week of non-upcycling (the Potty Project).    I will update everyone on day five soon enough, but I want to congratulate Erica of Recycled Fashion for entering Project Recycled. Erica of Recycled Fashion  She was the first fellow blogger to sign up for the contest and her upcycled curtain dress was one of my favorite upcycling projects ever! It is just so beautiful and I love the print. I want this! So without further ado here is the designer extraordinaire in her own words About Me I live in Melbourne, Australia, a few minutes walk from one of Port Phillip Bay’s most beautiful white sandy beaches with husband, 3yr old son, and black cat from a rescue home. When I'm not overseeing online marketplace Recycled Market , I can be found writing and making things for my ethical fashion blog Recycled Fashion , co-editing on Refashion Co-op , and most importantly, raising my son who started ...

I hate potty training. I HATE TOILET TRAINING I said it and I truly do mean it. In fact, I bet just about every parent out there hates it with a passion. Today, I learned to ask the hubsters what he puts in the pancakes before serving them to the potty training toddler. See he put a huge heaping serving of flax in the cakes and it did not make for a pleasant afternoon in pity world. I wanted to throw in the towel so badly but the little guy will not wear diapers during e day. As super proud of him as I am my over washed hands are screaming at me. Well until next time.  Tired and overwhelmingly looking forward to bed time,  Robin

Socks, lots of fresh socks. Funny Face Intentional Seriously, go out and buy another pack now! What the heck am I talking about, well when potty training a wee one make sure you have plenty of fresh socks on hand because accidents do happen. Your socks will get REALLY wet. I will spare you the moment by moment detail of my day and just say it is going, but darn it I am so bored. It's just me, the little guy, and several more loads of laundry then I anticipated this week. To entertain myself in the brief moments between the timer going off and reading the potty book I did get to vote. That is it for today (not the potty training just the blogging). Hope we have an amazing break-through and actually get to leave the house tomorrow.

I decided that I would chronicle the insane experience of potty training Holden. Holden looks like an member of Insane Clown Posse I am not a potty training expert by any sense of the word (are any of us?) So after getting my internet on I learned that I truly doubt  Carol Cline even exists and I am just going to throw together my own Potty Project Boot Camp. What is the  Potty Project ? Technically it is either the Pull-Up's potty training method, or a an in-depth study on hygiene in India. Honestly, I am not a fan of pull-ups because they are way to absorbent for Mr. Man and he would just pee all day long without a complaint. So here is what I came up with: Morning first thing Bye-Bye Diaper it is Big Boy Pants Time! Lots of drinks (water, fruit smoothies in the Vitamix, and some milk). Sit on the potty every 75 minutes and read books. Reward for potty from the prize box (just one each time he potties). No High-Fructose Corn Syrup - it gives li...

A HUGE congratulations to Emily of Domestic Deadline ! She is the first ever winner of Project Recycled!  Thank you so much Emily for all of your hard work! I am so excite and wish I had some amazing rock star gift that I could send you (hint, hint sponsors for season two needed). Congrats again and expect a wrap up, Erica of Recycled Fashion interview, and Potty Training bootcamp. Lots is going on next week on the blog so stay tuned! Love you guys and congrats to Emily!