How to - DIY Elf on a Shelf Skirt

Well Elle the Elf was not feeling so comfortable in her new home. She was missing a little somethen-somethen. and when she came and her box said "Skirt sold speratly" I said FOR $30 THIS POOR GIRL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME WITH A SKIRT!" Good thing you can make one Momma! Said my daughter...
So as I was watching Dooms day Preppers I whipped up a purrty lil skirt for her! And now Elle feels pretty :-).

Skirt Supplies-
White felt
Scissors
Scrapbook scissors with scallop shape
Thread
Sewing machine (you can do this buy hand if you want)
Sew on Velcro
Elf of a Shelf

So I didn't take pictures through out but it was very simple. Take your felt and wrap it around your elf twice and cut. Then for the length use your scalloped scissors to make a pretty "hem"
Set your sewing machine on it's longest stitch, mine is 5 for a gathering stitch. Sew along the top of the skirt.
Carefully pull one of the strings to gather the top of your skirt.
Put the skirt on your Elf and carefully adjust your gathering to fit around her.
When you have it perfect take your Velcro and cut two small pieces and sew them to the two ends of your skirt. WA-LA! Now your little Elf if all pretty


AWWWW home sweet home Elle!

XOXO,
Jess

Meet our adopted elf Elle

We adopted Elle the elf today. Before I even got to the school to get Alaina she jumped out of the box & up to the front seat with me. Sneaky elf! My daughter plans on having her make an appearance at her dance class tonight, to make sure all tje girls are working hard on their routine ;-)

14 weeks pregnant

YAWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN good evening everyone! I'm actually posting on the day I took the belly shot (pat myself on back). That partly has to do with the fact I wanted to upload tonight's pictures of our towns annual tree lighting and partly because my hubby is playing PS3.
So I officially feel out of my 1st trimester. I have energy, I'm running around all day already getting ready for baby. PROBLEM is my anxiety at night is back which keeps my head spinning at night. Not bad things of course just my normal craft visions and decor visions running rampped through my mind all night not allowing me to sleep. All week seriously. I'm so exhausted right now I could lay my head down on my keyboard zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Weight?- I refuse to look at the scale last time I did I was still under 110 which of course is fine but I'm still eating like it's Turkey day and haven't exercised all week. I wish my mind racing all night counted for burning calories hmmmmm....We are finding out in TWO weeks what we are having YAHOOO! But like I said I'm keeping a lid on it till everyone gets their Christmas cards!!!
How's baby?- I am feeling baby a lot more. Flutters have gotten a little stronger AND everyone once in awhile I feel a tiny KICK/PUNCH. Makes me smile ear to ear! Next appt. is December 10th, same week we go for our 2D sono!
How am I feeling?- Well I mentioned NO sleep. My back pain has also kicked in. I have inflammation in my back from when I gave birth to Alaina, worst back labor EVERRRRRR. So now that I can't take the drink I had been drinking for it inflammation is back now that I'm growing and my back is in pain and feels on fire. I also can't lay/sleep on my back anymore. Starting this week it's very uncomfortable  I don't remember that this early last time. But apparently 14 weeks is a normal time for your back to start getting uncomfortable, lovely... Oh and Per my daughter today my belly is growing, thanks kid!
Here's my pic and I'm sneaking one in of my daughter from tonight sitting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. I asked Santa for a Maternity pillow and unlimited gift certificates for prenatal massages. Go and and take care of that Mr. & Mrs. C! ;-)

14 weeks and 4 days

XOXO,
Jess

Best Sewing and Craft Pinners to Follow!

Hi everyone  I wanted to share a link that I came across today on Pinterest of an AWESOME list of Pinners. a lot of them I already follow their blogs and get tons of great ideas from! I highly suggest going through and adding ALL of these to your Pinterest Follower list ;-)! Happy Pinning!

http://www.thetraintocrazy.com/2012/11/the-best-sewing-craft-pinners-to-follow.html

Taking baby bump pic or week 14 today. I need to catch you guys up on my crafts. I've been carried away with getting the house prepped for baby to be early so it doesn't all sneak up on me. But I am finally getting some cute Christmas gifts done for the little ones in my family ;-). You can say I'm having a little too much fund playing with baby dolls!

Here's a mini doll diaper I made to fit my old doll that I gave my daughter ;-). Still love that lil dolly LOL!

XOXO,
Jess

13 weeks pregnant

OK sooooo I'm late on my 13 week post. Sorry everyone! It was a busy Turkey week!
So at 13 weeks I was very excited to be in my 2nd trimester! WHOO HOO! It was also the mark of 4 yrs that hubby and I have been together AWWWW.
Last week I was feeling pretty good, a little light headed and dizzy a few times. OH and I bought my first pair of maternity pants! This belly band works but is annoying when it starts shifting. So I got an XS pair of Heidi Klum skinny jeans. A little big but soooo comfy! Put those bad girls on for Thanksgiving ;-) hehehehhe. But I have one suggestion Heidi PLEASE make these super comfy over the belly band skinny jeans in more then just ONE color!
Baby is moving I am now feeling tiny little punches a little stronger then the flutters before. So cute! Hmm what else....still have no name for a boy just a girls name. Let's pray for team PINK pretty pretty PLEASE. Only a few more weeks till we find out! But I won't be revealing the sex until after all our friends and fam have received their Christmas card!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!


13 weeks 4 days

XOXO,
Jess

12 Weeks Pregnant

Whhhoooo Hoooo! Last week of my 1st trimester! So excited! Today I got a call from the doctors office saying that the genetics testing I did last week for down syndrome came back negative which is great. Tomorrow I go to see my doc to go over all the blood lab work I took a few weeks ago and to go over my appt I had last week with the sonographers to do the testing. And tomorrow since I won't be so distracted staring at my perfect baby on the big sono machine I will pay attention and be able to remember what the doctor says about babies length ect. I'm also going to ask the doc why the sonographer thought I was further along then he says I am...hmmmm....
How am I feeling this week? A little of the same. Light headed-ness and very dry nose. Appetite went down for some reason and I LOST the 4 lbs I gained last week :-(. But not going to worry about it. I'm just going to watch myself and make sure I feed myself and baby and keep jogging/walking. Other then that I'm fine. Baby is very active I can feel flutters. This is so much easier to know what flutters are when it's your 2nd go around. Bump is growing and yesssss I'm using the belly band thing. Keep my pants up with a hair tie was just not working for my lil butt HA! OH and I convinced my hubby to take a stroll around the baby aile at Target and Buy Buy Baby which made my day. AND we find out the sex December 12th with a 2D sono!!!! I'm announcing with Christmas cards so sorry blog world you will be last to be told :-D.
OK well here are two 12 weeks pics. The 1st is from Saturday, my 1st day of 12 weeks. Getting ready to go out for my Not So Dirty 30th bday dinner ;-).
And then I couldn't decided which was better close up or further back LOL so you get two 12 weeks belly shots! .

12 Weeks Birfffday Dinner night!

12 Weeks 5 days

XOXO,
Jess


UPDATE: Went to the doc today and I'm back up from my original weight a pound and a half :-). Doc says to just make sure I am eating. As for my horribly dry nose he said SALINE SPRAY! Man my lil nose feels better all ready! And baby is measuring a week ahead but he is not changing my due date. I'm just hoping that this means baby will want to come on it's own by 40 weeks :-).

11 weeks pregnant

WHOOT WHOOT It's my BIRFFFDAY week! So this week I am 11 weeks pregnant AND I turn 30! Oh and guess what.....I literally gained 4 lbs over night. So my first weight gain of the pregnancy....I'm now jogging daily LOL and blaming the Halloween candy ;-).
Feeling good most of the week. However I ate way to much popcorn at the movie theater while watching Wreck-It Ralph. No more movie theater popcorn for me. I have had energy which is good but my insides feel like they are being stretched apart. I keep getting weird stretching pains through out, no fun.
I went in yesterday at 11 weeks 6 days for my 1st screening and ultrasound. They did an ultrasound to measure the fluid on the babies neck and took a bunch of my blood. Baby looks so CUUUUTE! I saw it's hands wailing around, looks like it's trying to suck it's thumb like my daughter Alaina. And we got a super cute picture of it's long leg and foot stretched out. SO IN LOVE! Oh and another YAHOOOO my hubby finally got to come! This was his 1st time coming to the doctors with me.
I can not remember all the stats the sonographer was informing me of the baby but I will get them next week when I see my regular doctor. Check out our sonograms and my 11 week belly shot!
Tomorrow we are having a big dinner with friends and family downtown, then I volunteered myself to go out afterwards...someone remind me to take a nap at some point tomorrow between my daughters last softball game and getting my hair did before dinner, thanks ;-)!

Pictures of 11 week 6 day baby :-D

My belly shot on my bday! 11 weeks 5 days 

XOXO,
Jess

10 Weeks Pregnant

WHOO HOO! I'm actually posting on time HA! Well tomorrow I turn 11 weeks and I can't wait until I get to go to my next appointment next week and then I have another the following.
So this week I have been feeling better. Was even feeling great for my picture LOL. My only issues I had were a horrible dry nose early in the week which was causing a head ache and making me breath through my mouth causing horrible dry mouth YUCK. This week was Halloween! My princess was a Cheetah, I made a tutu for her for the 1st time. Too cute! Ohhh and I bought a belly band thing to keep my pants up since I've been holding them up with a hair tie :-O. No weight gain still but this baby bump is getting bigger.
 I got my belly band at Target for $16. They only had white or black and they come in sizes S/M, M/L and XL I believe. I got a S/M. I put it on and.... I was not a fan. Maybe I'm just a little bloated this morning who knows but I took it off and went back to the hair tie. But I do have to admit that sucker kept my pants up!
So anyways besides that I've been trying to catch up on rest from walking a million miles trick or treating and baking goodies for the school all week. OH and someone at the school informed me that baby will be coming right in time for all the kiddos to be home with me with a newborn! I didn't think about that....it could either be overwhelming or helpful. I might be teaching a 6 & 8 year old how to change poopy diapers their first week out of school. LOL hehehehehe ;-).
OHHHHHHHHH and I do believe I convinced my hubby to do an early 2D sono at 16 weeks so we can find out the sex of the baby and announce at Christmas WHOO HOO! SO EXCITED!
So next week I'll be going for my screening and I'm assuming I get to see baby on a sono? Hope so! I'll update you next week! Let me know if you have any belly band comments.

Pics from Halloween

10 Week Baby Bump! My Photographer/7 yr old informed me that you can barely see the writing so next time we will write in a different color ;-).

XOXO,
Jess

9 weeks pregnant

Well last week I was 9 weeks pregnant. My nauseous symptoms have gone. I've got more energy, feeling better. Belly is growing but still no weight gain. Had to head to Mac to get a lighter color of make up since I'm looking pretty light these days ;-). I subbed for 6 2 years old's one day last week. OMG running after 6 two year old's for the first time in years and being pregnant will make you need a NAP!
I can't wait for our little baby to get here!!!!
As you can tell I was NOT feeling this 9 week picture LOL but here it is. And since I'm a week behind for this week, week 10. I'll be telling you my opinion about the "Belly Band" I've been sporting the un-buttoned pants holding them by a hair tie so their more comfy on the growing bump. But that also cause mommy to be tugging on her pants all day. SOOOO I'm going to head to good ole' Target and pick one up.

XOXO,
Jess