Toddler Dress Designing Made Easy!

"Write about what you know."  That's what my husband said, so that is what I shall do.  I know about sewing.  Not knitting, not painting, not cooking an incredibly fancy meal.  It's been many years since I have made my own design and pattern, so I thought I'd embark on making my nearly 2-year-old daughter a dress from scratch (i.e. without a store-bought pattern).  And the plan is for it to turn out a detailed and somewhat fitted dress that will look nothing like a basic rectangular moo moo (because I know from experience, that takes no pattern at all ha!).

Joe graciously watched Jetta while I went to the fabric store so that I could take my time wallowing in bliss.  I could spend all day looking at fabric and notions.  I know.  I'm a sewing nerd, and many of you are probably with me on that. Anyway, once I was there [distraction free], I had so many ideas running through my head.  It's easy to get ahead of yourself when looking at so many fabrics!!

Instead of carrying around "potentials" and then forgetting where they go if I need to put them back, I discreetly pull them out a few inches and continue to walk around.  And this goes on for a while...

So this is what I ended up with.  Prior to going to the fabric store, I had a sketch of what I wanted to make.  I'd post the sketch, but then you might mistake me for an eight-year-old.  It's very rudimentary, but it gets the job done, so we'll just say the end product will be a surprise to you all!

It's been many years since I made my own pattern, and I am far from an expert in that area.  I'm about as novice as you can get because I've mostly relied on pre-made patterns to make clothing.  They have whole classes devoted to pattern-making, of which I have never taken.  But I've got this....I hope.  

So with sketch in hand, I measured Jetta to ensure a good fit (although I added an inch all over so that she could continue to wear it for the next 6 months...I hope).   Surprisingly, she loved this.  She kept asking for "more," waiting patiently for me to measure another part of her body.  So I measured some non-essentials, too - her head, her little inseam, her foot, etc.  I studied some of her clothes to see how they fit together (i.e. the hardest part for me in making this pattern - sleeves).  So as I drew out and cut the pattern, I held it up to Jetta to make sure I had the shape and size right, and modified as needed.  And this is where I'm at right now.  In my next post, I will show you the final pattern and steps I take to make this sweet little dress.

Please feel free to comment about something you've made or plan to make!

Felted Acorns Craft

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I thought I would squeeze in one last fall themed post before it is no longer seasonally appropriate. Today, I'm going to share a kid-friendly craft of felted wool acorns.

There are many different tutorials on how to make these on the internet. You can follow this full tutorial written by Nicole for Catch My Party.

What you need:
Wool roving (found in most craft stores in the needle crafting section)
Acorn caps
Warm, soapy water
Glue (I used hot glue)

The basic idea is to agitate the wool by rolling it between your hands using the warm, soapy water to speed up the felting process.

Once you have a dense ball of felted wool, just let it dry out, then glue it into your acorn cap.

There are many possibilities when it comes to decorating with your acorns. I have simply scattered them on the dining table, and I've also just kept them out in a small dish. Just be warned: cats think these make great toys to bat around. So, maybe that is another use for them.

And I figure, if you are out of time for making these this fall, you could also turn these into adorable ornaments for your Christmas tree. You could even use them to decorate holiday packages.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I'm looking forward to it!

Succulents in Pumpkins Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

Christmas is just around the corner, but Thanksgiving isn't over yet. I was inspired by an article I saw in Sunset Magazine about planting succulents in a pumpkin for a decorative display. I love succulents, I just can't get enough of them, so this was right up my alley. I think these would look great as a centerpiece for a beautiful Thanksgiving table, but if you don't want to bring them indoors, they would also be lovely on your front porch to welcome your guests for Thanksgiving dinner.

I used two different pumpkins that I grew this year. I didn't carve any of them for Halloween, so I turned them into my succulent planters.

I cut into the tops of them, just like how you would when you are carving a jack-o-lantern. Then clean all of the goop out (my least favorite part). You can save the seeds for roasting or to plant for next year.

 Fill them part way up with cactus and succulent soil, then start arranging your succulents. I usually play around with the arrangement while they are in their containers until I find a layout I like, then just start planting them in the soil. After they are in, I fill in any gaps with a little more soil.

And as a finishing touch I like to add a layer of gravel or pebbles over the top of the soil. I was thinking you could even tuck some dried moss in and around the rim of the pumpkin so you don't see any of the exposed flesh. I didn't have any on hand, so I just left it at the gravel layer.

I recommend not leaving these indoors for too long, so you don't end up with a mess on your dining room table. After Thanksgiving is over you can replant the succulents into another pot, or you could plant the whole thing right in the ground, the pumpkin will break down and feed your succulents over the coming months.

I hope that everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving, but I plan to pop in one more time before then with one last fall craft, then we can shift our focus on to the Christmas season.

We're Loading Up in Time for Christmas!!

Hi All!  Make sure to check out our store - click the "Hey Little, Little Shop" icon to the right - because we've been busy adding new items!  It's never too soon to start your Christmas shopping, and our accessories are perfect as gifts and stocking-stuffers! 

Christmas Card Special from Hey Little, Little!

Welcome to November!  The Christmas season is officially off and running.  Red cups at Starbucks, decorations galore at Costco, and advertisements for Black Friday are already underway.  All of which mean it is time to start thinking about those seemingly mandatory but oh-so-fun Christmas cards! 

With so many options to choose from, we've decided to compile a list of Christmas card ideas ranging from incredibly easy to creative do-it-yourself cards.  

1) If you're considering personalized family photo cards, now is the time to schedule that photo-sesh!  Overwhelmed by the thought of getting the family together in coordinating outfits and smile-worthy attitudes?  Don't be!  Here are some tips from my friend Marlene (whom I deemed the photo pro):

"I'm not sure I qualify as a pro at taking family photographs (you should see my family's outtakes!), but we have had A LOT of family photo sessions! Here are a few things that have worked for my family.

1. Start thinking about outfits right away! I choose our colors based on how I plan on using the pictures. When I knew I wanted to order a huge canvas enlargement for our living room, I choose colors that would match in my house. When I wanted a picture of the kids for the bedrooms, we all wore colors that coordinated with their room decor. I'm not even kidding. Once I know what colors I want then I start looking for the one stand out outfit. If I get in a bind, one or two of us can be neutral tones and throw in a color accessory.

Marlene and her Beautiful Family
Photo by Moments Captured Photography

2. Timing is everything! With two little ones, I plan our sessions for times they will be most rested. 4:30 in the afternoon usually works best for us. That way I know they will have taken a nap! We once made the mistake of a session right at 3:00 in the afternoon. We had to wake them from naps and it was not pretty.

3. Pack distractions. A good photographer should pack a rattle or toy to entertain kids, but don't count on it. I always try to pack a favorite loud toy to get the kids to look at the camera. A whistle, squeaky duck….

4. Relax! Some of my favorite pictures came from sessions I thought were flops. The kids were whiny, it was cold, I don't even remember them looking at the camera. But in the midst of it we just kind of threw our hands up and said "oh well", and had fun. We got some of the best "real" shots! On the flip side, we once took extended family pictures that my mom had wanted for 10 years. There was so much pressure for them to be just right. The pictures all look fake and awkward.

Photo by Moments Captured Photography

5. Bribe the kids. I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I always pack a bag of treats. I've done jelly beans, yogurt covered raisins, smarties, any small candy I can say "Just smile for this picture and then you can have one more!"

6. Lastly, choose your photographer wisely. Get recommendations from friends and find someone you feel comfortable with. This is especially important when kids are involved. Make sure the photographer is someone who will engage the kids. It doesn't hurt for them to have lots of patience either."

Our daughter
Photo by Moments Captured Photography

Love the pictures you see?  These were taken by Christina from Moments Captured Photography.  She does AMAZING work.  Fun to work with, creative, and flexible!  Check out her website for more information.  I (and Marlene) highly recommend her for your family photos!

Our Christmas 2012 Card
Made on cardstore.com
(With our own photos) 

Once the photos are done, check out one of these sites:

• Cardstore.com is currently doing 50% off holiday cards, plus free shipping with a purchase of $30 or more.  They have tons of styles to choose from, and they will send the cards directly to your family and friends (which in my opinion is the hardest part!)!

• Already signed up on snapfish.com, shutterfly.com, or costco.com? They all have incredible deals, too! 

2) Feeling creative?  Have a little extra time to spare?  Then why not try your hand at making your own Christmas cards! Babble.com has a really cute compilation of 10 DIY Christmas Cards.  My favorite is the Reindeer Thumbprints because it looks fairly easy and can involve the whole family!

Reindeer Thrumbprints Card from Babble.com

3) Feeling creative but don't want to bust out your craft supplies?  In the past, I've bought a card making kit that came with blank cards, decorative cut-outs, and craft paper.  We found an adorable kit on Kim's Card Kits.  This kit has so many components, it truly turns out handmade.  They've made it easy to get your craft on, without having to spend the time and effort to buy the components separately.  How about a family craft night to assemble them, complete with apple cider and haystacks?

Christmas Cheer Card Kit
Makes 12 Cards, $22.00

4) Just want to get those cards out with as little effort as possible (we won't tell!)?  We love all the boxed cards at World Market!  Here's our favorites:

                  

                        Merry Christmas Boxed Holiday Card
                          Set of 15, $9.99

Owls on Branch Boxed Holiday Card
Set of 15, $12.99

We're so excited about this season and all that it brings!  We hope this list give you some different ideas for getting those Christmas cards out.  If you have any other ideas, we'd love to hear them, so please comment below :)

Fall is in the Air

It's officially fall! I don't know what it is about fall that just makes me want to hunker down and work on some crafts. So, I decided that I would gather together some fun fall crafts that can be done as an adult (like myself) or with your little ones.

As a kid, I always loved gathering leaves. I think it might have been the novelty of it. As a born and raised California girl the leaves only fall off of certain trees, and some of the ones that do just get brown and crunchy. So, depending on where you live, you might not be as excited to gather leaves, but leaves can be great for some seasonal crafts. It also gives you an excuse to explore your yard or neighborhood and enjoy the nice fall weather.

Once you have gathered some leaves, there are many possibilities for them. Pressing them in a book or a flower press first will make them last longer without crumbling to pieces. Then you can make a cute bunting to adorn your house like this one from Simple as That the Blog.

Or you can use a paper punch on the leaves for whatever may strike your fancy, like in this post from Elise on Grow Creative. You could even combine this with the bunting idea for some fun shapes.

I love the creativity this next craft can ignite, and it can also be educational. Martha Stewart shows how to make a leaf alphabet. I think the different animals you can make out of various leaf shapes are so cute.

Maybe you don't have any pretty leaves in your yard (like mine), you can sponge or finger-paint some of your own. Check out this tutorial from Sharilyn at lovelydesign.

You can also make your own leaves out of paper. Check out this tutorial on mmmcrafts. I love the little hole punches in the leaves to mimic the look of real leaves.

Stay tuned for more craft ideas. I'm even going to share some that I've made myself. Now, go out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather while you gather some leaves!

This Little Fishy

Hi All!!  We are excited to announce another boutique that is now carrying Hey Little, Little!  This Little Fishy in Avila Beach is a charming boutique carrying high quality brands such as Tea Collection and Petunia Pickle Bottom.  When you head to the beach, make sure to check them out!  You are sure to fall in love! Don't forget about the Avila Beach Farmer's Market that continues through September on Fridays from 4:00-8:00pm.

This Little Fishy

468 Front Street

Avila Beach, CA 93424

Picture Courtesy This Little Fishy