Baby Sea Cow "Manatee" Costume

So I wanted something original for Riley's first Halloween costume.  He's so "fluffy" that I wanted something to match.  I thought, pumpkin- nah, marshmallow- nah, Michelin tire mascot?- too much! LOL  So we were actually walking around Lowe's here in good old  Clinton, Maryland and saw a Manatee lawn decoration and the light bulb went off! 

We are originally from Florida and The Manatee is by far my favorite animal.  It's sweet, friendly and innocent.  Just like my little bear.  So I attempted to create a Manatee costume without a pattern!  I bought a yard and a half of gray fleece (50% off), 2 Black buttons ($.50 on clearance), and some black "floss" to make the nostrils.

I think he like's it don't you?  All I have left to do is put velcro down the front and I think I might make some little pants for his legs with the leftover fleece, since they hang out :)

Menu Plan Tuesday!

I'm a little behind this week and I keep thinking of different things to make so I thought I'd better get on here and "write" it down!

Tuesday- Mexican Bake

Wednesday- BBQ Pork Sami's

Thursday- Katie and Norms for Lasagna!

Friday- Organizational day (May be eating out due to exhaustion!)

Sat- Buffalo Chicken Sausage pizzas!

Sunday- Chicken Parm and Zucchini

Guess I better get started on tonight's dinner!


Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica Percifull

From Garden to Grill!

Well our garden is doing GREAT!!  The squash, zucchini and cucumber that is.  So far we have gotten 3 zucchini, 2 yellow squash and 2 cucumbers!  Today we used two yellow squash, 1 zucchini and a cucumber in our dinner. 

I sliced the zucchini and squash pretty thick, put them in a large ziploc with a thickly sliced sweet onion and poured in some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and a couple table spoons of sugar.  Let them marinate in the fridge for a few ours then grill til tender! This is by far one of our favorite side dishes- we make it quite often in the summer!

I also sliced up a cucumber from the garden, with the other half of the sweet onion, and a tomato from the farmers market.  I marinated those in some apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil from the garden and a couple tablespoons of sugar. YUM!

Also pictured were some AMAZING ribs and Grilled Garlic bread- and you thought garlic bread couldn't get any better!!.
Happy grilling!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jessica Percifull

Freezer Paper Stenciling!

I'm addicted!!  It's SO easy and fun! You can tutorials all over the internet!

I stenciled Austen's name on the back of his art smock,

and I stenciled an Autobot symbol on one of Riley's onesies.  I'm in the process of making a few more onesies and will post pics when I'm done! 

*EDIT*

Ok so this is my favorite!!!  It took a little longer because of the details but it really wasn't too hard at all!!

Jessica Percifull

Dress Shirt to Kids Art Smock! & Tutorial

When Austen started Pre-K last year, mid-school year, I really wanted to make him a cute art smock.  Since he started mid-year I really didn't have time to make anything.  So we just bought a XXL Kids Dress shirt so it would be nice and loose on him.

Well they never used it.  This year in Kindergarten I'm sure he'll need one so I decided to take the dress shirt and turn it into an Art Smock.  I also had some cute ribbon leftover from Riley's tag square that was blue camouflage which is perfect for this little project.

The first thing you want to do is line up the sleeves.

Then Cut the sleeves at desired length- remember you will be folding the ends under twice so I left an extra inch.

Turn sleeves inside-out, then fold the ends 1/2 inch, press then 1/2 inch again and press.  Sew along the folded edge to seal the hem.

Then flip the sleeves right side out and attach the ribbon onto the ends of the sleeves.  I sewed along both sides of the ribbon.

Then unbutton the collar.  Attach the ribbon along the edge, I tucked the end of the ribbon around to the underside of the collar when I sewed it on.  Make sure you sew both sides of the ribbon and don't over the button hole with the ribbon.  Once you have the ribbon on your can wiggle the buttons back in.  You shouldn't have to make button holes, the will just be under the ribbon. (This did take a little bit of wiggling)

Next I loosened the top of the pocket and attached the ribbon across the top.  Be sure to wrap the ends around when you sew.  Then reattach the pocket.

Next you will need to remove the buttons down the front and mark where you want to put velcro.  I put 3-3 inch pieces down the front.  I put the rough part of the velcro on the side that had the buttons.  Sew each piece on.  I sewed all four sides.

Then you'll need to line up the inside of the matching front and mark where you want the smooth part of the velcro. 

Once you have the velcro on you can attach the ribbon to the front of the shirt, on the other side of the smooth velcro.  Again sew down both sides and the ends of the ribbon.

There you have it all done!

I am going to add one more step when I have time tomorrow.  I'm going to Freezer-paper stencil Austen's name on the back of the smock.  I can't wait til he sees it in the morning!

Gathered Clutch!

I saw this tutorial and couldn't wait to make it! Thank you Noodlehead!

When we went to PA for Labor Day My hubby's cousin actually had a final project to do for her sewing class and I suggested she make it.  So we went and both bought fabric and she completed hers after we left, me on the other hand got busy with daily things and put it on the back burner. 

Well they came down for a short visit the other day and she brought hers, it was SO CUTE!!  I couldn't wait to make it!! So I was determined to make it by the end of the week.  SUCCESS!! I love it!

I attached a handle to hold it.

Here's the inside pocket I added for my cell or lip gloss or something. A girl can never have too many pockets!

On the other side I added an extra row of card slots, the tutorial just had 2.  There is also a middle divider.  I put interface on the divider, full length, after I saw Jenny's was a little flimsy.  We though that would help it stand up a little better.  It definitely did.

My handle is a little long but I actually like it that was so I don't have to fumble too much to get it on, especially since i usually have a little man on my hip and another one asking me 20 questions :)

I love it!

Jessica Percifull

Square Foot Gardening Update! "cucumbers"

We've gotten our first Cucumber!!  It was HUGE as you can see it was the same size as Austen's head!

 
He was very excited to pick it.  We used half in a pasta salad and the other half I chopped up to put into other salads.  It was GOOD!  We've got a few more tiny ones on their way.  We also have about 3 yellow squash and 2 zucchini's growing every day.  I wish our Tomatoes would grow but they're a little hot I think.  The compost and rain has definitely helped the plants recover from the bug spray incident!

Jessica Percifull

Menu Plan Monday!

So I went to Trader Joe's today and I was in an Asian food mood so I guess we'll be leaning toward that for the week :)

Monday- Orange Chicken, Brown Rice and Stir-fry Veggies

Tuesday-Pasta Fagoli and Salad

Wednesday- Chicken with Salad

Thursday- Pad Thai

Friday- Tuna Steaks

Saturday- EAT OUT!

Sunday- Leftovers!

Harvesting Our Square Foot Garden!

We've gotten our first second product of our Square Foot Garden!!  A HUGE Zucchini.  Now we had a little tiny one arrive first and I was so paranoid that something would eat it that I picked it! He was only about 3 inches long.  Now this Ginormous Zucchini has not been eaten yet but after we picked him I decided to "Google" when to harvest zucchini (should have done this first).  Your not supposed to let them get too large because they aren't very tasty so we will see!  My big boy was sure excited to see it though!

Next up will be a cucumber it's about 4 inches long and I think I will pick him within the next few days!

TAG Blanket Square and Tag Elephant

I am making matching TAG blanket Squares and Tag Elephants for Riley and my friend Kristi's new baby on the way.  Riley loves his TAG blanket that I made but I was looking for something a little more portable.  So I decided to make a mini version.  I have a TON of ribbons left from his blanket and from collecting rolls from clearance racks so I had that already on hand.  I also already had some leftover light blue minky dimple dot fabric and Thomas the Train fabric.  So I cut a square out of each.  Pinned the TAGS around the edges (sewed them on at least 3 times over.  Attached the two fabrics together, flipped them right side out, sewed another round along the outer edge and there you have it!

 Now Mr. Elephant was definitely not as EASY! I found a cute Elephant image online, printed it out the size I wanted him, traced him on the fabric (with a bigger belly), and cut out 2 pieces in the Minky fabric.  I attached the TAGS for a tail and for some hair.  Pinned the two right sides together and sewed the edges.  Leaving a hole to flip is inside-out (I do not suggest leaving the foot open, it was not fun to flip it all through there!). I stuffed the inside with polyester filling and sewed him shut.  Then I cut out some ears from other fabric I had lying around.  I used quilting batting on the inside just to give it a bit of structure.  I then attached the ears securely to each side.  WALLA!

They're made for each other! The tags are great to link together with those linkable rings, you can hang them from carseats, strollers just about anywhere!

 I know Riley really loves his new TAG I can't wait to introduce him to his new buddy Mr. Elephant tomorrow.  I'm also very excited to see Kristi's little man with his in a few months!

Jessica Percifull

Thai Coconut Ginger Soup!

Can't wait to make this! I've been looking for Lemongrass EVERYWHERE but haven't found this.  When we went to Florida for vacation last week my Dad actually had it growing in his back yard!  He said it grows quick and easily so he pulled out a few bulbs for me to take back. 

Recipe:

2-14 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
6 tablespoons of finely chopped lemongrass (I have kept it in the freezer then used the microplane to shred it up!)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh Ginger
1 tablespoon Garlic
1 Serrano chili or jalapeno (cut a slit down the middle but leave the top together)
*Optional I like to add 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 lb chicken, cut into thin strips or 1 inch chunks (or peeled shrimp)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (white and green parts)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil or cilantro (I prefer cilantro)
3 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice
2 cups of steamed rice (great use for leftover rice)

Combine first 8 ingredients, including the whole pepper (I just cut a slit to give just a bit of heat, but you can cut it up into rings if you prefer) into a large stock pot. Bring to boil then reduce heat so simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add chicken (or shrimp) simmer until cooked through, about 5 min. Stir in Lime Juice. 

Spoon some leftover (no need to heat) or fresh rice in to a bowl, add soup and top with sliced green onions and cilantro and ENJOY!

Jessica Percifull

Menu Plan Monday! Take 2

So we did really well with my first Half attempt at Menu Plan Monday (Wednesday).  I think we will try a full week this time!

Monday- BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday! (As my 5 year old Austen would say)

Wednesday- Chicken with Whole wheat Penne (Sauce to be decided later!)- Ended up being Hotdog Panini's with lemon-feta asparagus!

Thursday- Out to dinner! TGIFridays! (I have an $8 Give Me More Stripes coupon and gift cards!)- Hubby will be gone so we're moving Wednesday's dinner to Today!

Friday- Panini's- Not sure yet what will end up here now (Gotta love the ARMY!)

Saturday- Grill!- Change of Plan's going to Aunt Marianne's!

Sunday- Leftovers! TGIFriday's Make up Day!

I also found a great blog with a few links for breakfast! 

http://thehappyhousewife.com/

Homemade English muffins HERE

Whole Wheat Pancakes HERE

Whole Wheat Waffles HERE

I can't wait to try them!! No more Bisquick for me!!

Jessica Percifull

Menu Plan Monday! Well actually Wednesday :)

So I've been thinking of doing this (Menu Plan Monday) for a few months now, and I've done it a few times on my white board in the kitchen but since I spend most of my time on the computer I figured I would try it out on my blog! 

Since it's Wednesday I think I'll just finish out the rest of the week.  We'll start small :)

Wednesday- hubby just got back so we ordered Pizza!

Thursday- Chicken, salad and garlic noodles

Friday- Spaghetti, salad and bread

Saturday- Chicken and crescent roll ring

Sunday- Leftovers!

So we'll see if I can hang!!

Jessica Percifull

Square Foot Gardening Update!

My garden is doing GREAT!!  Well that was until I decided to spray some Organic Plant Based bug spray on it!!  The leaves started to shrivel up like they were burning!  My husband started to water it so that the process would stop but the damage was already done! It didn't kill the plants but some of the leaves are damaged.  I was so upset! 

On a happier note we have 2 zucchini's almost ready to be picked!!  This is my most successful gardening attempt so far!  The tomatoes will hopefully start producing soon, and I just saw a tiny cucumber yesterday also!!  My herbs on the other hand are growing quite slow, I think they may be getting too much sun.  I'm going to have to experiment and see if I can give them a little shade.

Jessica Percifull

Summer Baseball

Hot dogs,  Baseball, and Fireworks!

We are loving being in DC! We have been to 4 National's games and are planning on going to at least 2 more this season! The Hubby really wants to go to an Oriel's game too. We've been in just about every part of National's stadium and think we've figured out the best seats for the different games.

So for my husbands birthday his favorite team just happened to be in town so we bought tickets for July 3rd and 4th!  What a better way to spend the 4th of July than with a soldier at a baseball game? All American right??  Well of course it can get better because we got to spend it with our 2 beautiful boys. Austen had a blast and Riley slept through most of both games!!
   

Austen really wanted to catch a ball but didn't have much luck.  There was a really nice family sitting next to us though and they gave Austen a ball they got.  He was ecstatic!

After the games on Sunday the kids get to run the bases which Austen thought was cool.  I think Daddy may have been just as excited or maybe more :).  All in all it was a great weekend filled of baseball, fun and family!

Jessica Percifull

Help me meet my fundraising goal!!

Help me reach my goal for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure!

Jessica Percifull

Things I'd like to Make/Do

Sewing Machine Cover
Mixer Cover
More Bibs!
Travel high-chair
Purse
Craft bag for bubba
Knitting needle holder

The list is MUCH longer but my brain is sucked dry so I will add as I remember :)  Feel free to leave me more ideas and their links!

Jessica Percifull

Square Foot Gardening

This is my FIRST attempt at Square Foot Gardening! I have tried growing a vegetable garden back in Tennessee but the clay was so dense even worked with peat, soil and compost many vegetables did not grow. So I am hoping that this will be a much more productive way to produce vegetables!
We started off making a box 4' x 6' . I taped off 1' x 1' squares. I started my vegetables in those little Jiffy planters (I didn't get a pic of them). Once they sprouted I trimmed them back and left the strongest sprouts standing. I then placed them in the squares and labeled them. I have one square left, I'm not sure what I'm going to put in there yet. so far I have Tomatoes (one of the few things that produced in TN), zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, jalapeno, leeks, spinach, salad mixed greens, basil, tarragon, dill, cilantro, chives and oregano. I did mostly herbs because i know they do well, I use them often and I'm nervous about the other veggies. I was going to attempt Asparagus but i heard it grows 12 feet and it's not good for beginner gardeners to attempt, so maybe next year. I also hope to get a few more blueberry bushes next year, we really enjoyed the ones we had in TN.

Once I got the veggies in the ground I surrounded it with posts and the fabric chicken wire fence. I'm hoping it will keep the squirrels and these little guys away (I think they're living under our shed!
I'm also going to plant some more herbs or flowers when I make these planters. I think I may put mint in them because it spreads like a weed and I don't want it to take over my ENTIRE garden :).

Link up your Square Foot Garden and let me know what's growing in your Garden!

Jessica Percifull

New Couch Pillow Covers!

I had 4 un-matching pillows on my couch and I have been wanting to get a nice bright fabric and make some NEW pillows. I remembered that I had a bunch of fabric left over from when I recovered my chairs a few years ago that has just been sitting in my closet. When I picked the fabric I made sure it matched the couches because our eat in kitchen was also attached to our living room. So I knew the fabric would match.
So I decided while my husband was gone for training the last few weeks that I'd get back on my sewing machine and get some projects done! I have gotten 3 of 4 pillows done and I think they look great. I didn't have to buy new pillows I just stuffed them in side the covers. So the project literally cost me NOTHING!!! :) Can't get any better than that!!



The pillows were very easy I just measured the pillows they were all about 17" x 17" so I cut my fabric to allow for 1/2" around for the front and 17.5 x an extra 3.5-4.5" for the back (to make the flap, see below). I cut the back piece in half, folded down the "middle seam" and sewed then i matched the outside corners and pinned. Sewed all the way around reinforcing the flap (going forward and back a few times) trimmed the edges and round the corners. Flipped them inside out. Ironed the wrinkles out and popped the pillows in! DONE!



Jessica Percifull

Teacher Appreciation Week!

For Teacher appreciation week I made these:

I thought they'd be great for Austen's teachers because he is in Pre-K and most of the children are learning their letters in the beginning of the year. I also added a few Tastefully Simple goodies!

I got the idea from here. They weren't too difficult to make. I cut the crayons with a knife on a silicone cutting board. Then I used the hot glue gun to secure them to card stock that I printed Austen's teachers names on and then cut down to size. The frames are small shadow boxes (about 5 x 7) that I got on sale (40% off) and then used a 25% off coupon at Michaels. The teachers LOVED them!!

Jessica Percifull