A Hoodie For Izabella

A couple years ago I made a popsicle hoodie for Izabella.

Being that she was just over 1 at the time, she has since grown out of it. So this holiday season I decided to make her a new one...with owls! It came out super cute and here's how to make one for the little one in your life if you are interested. These can be made for adults too!

Supplies:
+ 1 hoodie (I try to get it at least 1 size too big so it lasts longer)
+ 3/4 yard of fabric (1yd for adults)
+ Thread (matching or contrasting and as many colors as you like)
+ Sharpie or Chalk
+ Iron set on cotton
+ Scissors
+ Cookie Cutters (or something to trace in desired shape)
**Please note that this is shown with a size 4-6 hoodie.
***Click on the pictures for a bigger version

1. Fold your hoodie in half length wise and lay your fabric out flat. Lay hoodie on top of fabric. Trace around just the hoodie with about 1 inch extra fabric for seam. (I used a Sharpie so you can see my lines, but you can use whatever works for you). I also try to place the hoodie at least 2 inches from the cut edge.


2. Cut along the line you have created and follow all the way to end of the fabric. Stitch the top and backside of the hoodie leaving the front open.


3. Open the hood sewn hood and press all edges in approx. 1/2 an inch.


4. If there is a draw string in your hoodie, remove it at this time.

5. Line up center seam of created hood and hoodie's hood. Make sure the backside of your fabric is facing the hoodie so your fabric shows. Pin the created hood in place.

6. When you get to the flat/bottom of the hoodie you can either fold the extra fabric up or trim it so there is just a little folded under. Pin this as well (Sorry! I forgot to take a picture of this part)

7. Sew along the entire edge of the hoodie and the bottom. You will want to sew pretty close to the edge. You can do either a decorative stitch with 2 different thread colors, or a straight stitch with 1 color...the choice is yours!

8. With the remaining fabric you will need to cut out "patches". I'm not very good at free-handing these types of things so I use cookie cutters or simple shapes I find online. You will need to cut out 4 shapes for a kid's hoodie and 6 for an adult's. I try to line my shapes up so the patch is a little different and features the fabric well...I also make the one for the front of the hoodie a little different from the rest.

9. Pin 3 of the patches to the back of the hoodie. I like to stagger them and turn them in different directions.

10. Pin 1 patch on the front of the hoodie. I like to do the left side, right where the heart would be.


11. Last, sew around the edge of each patch. You can do the same color stitch and color combo as before or completely switch it up! For this one I chose the same color combo, but since I'm working with flannel I decided to go with a zigzag stitch to protect the edges from fraying as much.


12. Clip all of your extra threads at this time. You can also try to thread the hood's string back in at this time (it depends on how precise you were sewing your fabric into the hood)

13. You're done! I haven't given Izabella her hoodie yet but when I do, I'll be sure to post some adorable pictures of her wearing it for you guys to see.

I introduce to you...Mr. & Mrs. Lonie Fink

This past Saturday one of my best friends got married to one of my really good friends. To say these people were born to be together would be an understatement.

I've known Mahria for about 6 years and Lonie for about 3. The two of them met when I was asked to go to dinner for a friend's birthday. Being the girl that I am, I didn't want to go by myself so I asked (see begged and dragged) Mahria with me. The two of them pretty much made an instant connection and evidently Lonie called people after dinner and told them he had met the girl he was going to marry (I know, I know stop with the cheese).

The two of them dated for 3 years and 2, 3 or 4 days before tieing the knot this past weekend and I couldn't be happier for both of them. I wish both of you all the best in the world!

Vampire Weekend at Pappy and Harriet's

When the new boyfriend and I (more on him later) found out that one of our most liked bands, Vampire Weekend, was playing near Joshua Tree we decided to make a short day trip out of it and head to the concert. They played in a small off-the-beaten-path restaurant/venue called Pappy & Harriet's.

After researching Pappy & Harriet's a few days before the show I started getting excited. I love going to dive type places and this one seemed like it would be a lot of fun! We left around 3:30 and barely hit any traffic. We made a pit stop at Morongo on our way there, Justin won $50 and I won $40 (yay us!) and then were back on the road.

By the time we got to the windy, 2 way road that leads you to Pappy & Harriet's it was already dark. This made for an exciting drive since you literally are in the middle of no where and there aren't any lights but your headlights to guide you. It was so dark that arriving at Pappy and Harriet's felt like an oasis of light welcoming us in.

Before leaving home we had already decided that we would eat dinner and Pappy & Harriets (mainly because there wasn't much else around to choose from). This proved to be a great choice! This place should be on Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives. From the country saloon feel to the DELICIOUS hamburgers this place gets a A+ in my book. Their food prices were really reasonable and with beers being between $2-$4 and liquor between $3-$5 I don't see where you could really go wrong. All of their drinks are served in mason jars and the walls had old glass bottles built into them, which really helped add to the old saloon feel.

(The lighting is really dim so it was hard to get a good shot of the walls and other decor)

After eating we decided to walk around and check out the venue/restaurant some. There was an ADORABLE picnic area outside that had vines growing over it. I wish there had been better lighting so I could have taken a photo to share it with you. Since it was chilly and there wasn't much to see, we decided to head back inside. They were 3 pool tables and then I found the bathrooms! The doors to the bathroom had been painted to match the feel of Pappy and Harriet's...they even painted the stall doors!


The next thing we knew the first band was taking the stage so we headed in over to the stage are to catch them and get a good spot for Vampire Weekend. I don't remember what the opening band was called, but they were pretty good. Finally it was time for the main event...Vampire Weekend! The room filled up really fast and since we were upfront I could feel my claustrophobia setting in and I headed to the back (shortly followed by Justin). Vampire Weekend was really good. They played some older songs as well as some new one's and everybody was loving it. Since we had a 2 hour drive home we headed out as soon as they were done playing, but both know that we will be back the next time a band we like plays there.

If you ever find yourself in the Joshua Tree area, make sure you head to Pappy & Harriet's. Most nights they have live music and with the drinks the price they are, this place is a sure hit!