I came across some dress fabric with an Anna/Elsa from Frozen print on it and knew I had to get it, even if I’d never done anything with that sort of fabric before. I thought I’d sew it into a simple dress, and got enough fabric to make two: one for Annabel and one for her friend Molly, who is having a Frozen birthday party today. Annabel’s dress became my prototype. After I sewed it, I realized it could use some straps. I used matching ribbon for the straps and put loops on the back to run the straps through so the dress could be tightened. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, not bad for a first attempt!
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Thanksgiving Eats
~We always spend Thanksgiving with Mike’s family, which is great but it means we have no leftovers. The best part of Thanksgiving is eating the leftovers all week! I usually make a crock pot turkey when we get home, but I was thinking of mixing it up this year. I came across this article, How to Spatchcock a Turkey, and I’m intrigued. Has anyone done this? I need the 4-1-1 on this method because I kind of want to try it.
Tailored Taylor
~So…Santa Claus…is bringing Annabel tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert, but since the show isn’t until August, I thought Santa should also bring Annie something a little more concrete to unwrap with the tickets. I was looking around for Swifty stuff and I fell down a hilarious Etsy wormhole. Did you know you can buy Taylor Swift prayer candles? Or Taylor Swift earrings (literally her face on your ears)? You can also get T Swift nail decals, a Taylor emoji painting, and this interesting Swift/Frozen mashup. In short, I have no idea what Santa will bring Annie, but that’s his problem.
Toys For Toddlers
I’ve been looking for Christmas presents for my little guy, and here are a few that caught my eye.
~Radio Flyer Ride 2 Glide Scooter
~Gears! Gears! Gear! James loves this set at our parent/child class.
~He’s also obsessed with this musical marble tree.
~This Bender Tee is legit.
~Pretty much this entire outfit (P.S I just saw Gap is having a HUGE sale right now, 40% off plus free two-day shipping, use code CHEER at checkout!)
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Kelly says:
The dress is adorable!
We are thinking of doing TSwizzle tickets for my 13-year old, but I’m concerned with her not having anything until August. Grrr–why does it have to be so far away? Maybe the nail art for her.
Jordan says:
Dang! That is awesome, especially for a first try. I seriously am gonna take up sewing one of these days.
Jealous of Annie’s Santa Claus present, though I’m hoping Santa Claus is bringing Jordan and her bestie Fleetwood Mac tickets… at least that’s what I’m hoping for! Ahhh etsy wormholes are the best wormholes! Gotta love it
Jordan says:
oh, and THANK YOU for the heads up on Gap sale. Since it extends to Old Navy, I found a cute sweater dress that I may end up buying to wear for Thanksgiving.
Kristen G. says:
I’m not sure if they have them in Annie’s size but Taylor Swift has a deal with Ked sneakers. There are some really cool styles and since you are lucky to be in a wam weather climate (I am from massachusetts..brr) they might work great! Also get some Taylor Swift shoelaces to go with them. I am send you a picture of her house if you want. LOL I have frequented (and before she bought it) where she has a summer house in RI. Anyways just my tips!
Kristen
Heather says:
Oh, that’s such a great idea! Thank you!!!
Wendy says:
The dress is great.
Laura says:
Heather I sent yuou a PM on FB about my spatchcocking experience
kathig says:
Bon Appetit was also touting the spatchcock method. I’m tempted to try it too, but I’m still one of those reckless fools who stuffs their bird, and I hate to lose that. Will look eagerly to see if you spatchcock!
p.s. that dress is awesome, excellent job!
Ellen says:
We spatchcock our Thanksgiving turkey every year. It cuts down on the coking time and it’s extremely moist.
Candice Janco says:
We’ve spatchcoked our turkey the last two years and it is awesome!! It cooks so much faster, is juicy all the way through and gets the most amazing skin! Delicious! You can always try it out with a roasted chicken before the big day to see if you like it. We’re hooked!
Jill says:
My 17 month old has a Mini Micro Scooter and it is so awesome! It starts out with a seat for him to ride on, then transforms into little scooter and THEN transforms into a bigger scooter. It is supposed to last until he is 7. I wish I had had one when I was a kid
Heather says:
Ohhh really? I’m going to look that up! Thank you for the tip!
christine says:
The Micro scooters are fantastic – we are on our 2nd one – big hit with the kids.
aqua6 says:
I have not tried spatchcocking a turkey but anything that Kenji on Serious Eats makes is amazing. Often his recipes are complicated but worth the time! Good luck
Giselle says:
That dress is awesome! How did you make the top? I didn’t even know someone could make that.. Texture? Sewing at home! What is it called so I can look it up?
Heather says:
I bought it already ribbed like that! At Joann Fabrics they told me it was called, “dress fabric.” I have NO idea if that’s true, though. Let me see if I can find it!
Giselle says:
Oooh thanks! That lady made a name up it seems. Lol
Annie is so pretty. The dress is fab on her. Did Molly like hers?
Heather says:
I think so! As much as a four-year-old can like a non-toy present, at least! LOL
Heather says:
Found it! Online they call it, “Mock Smock.” http://www.joann.com/disney-frozen-sisters-ombre-mock-smock/13824008.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=Frozen&start=1
Giselle says:
I didn’t know it was called that, I just thought it was butterflying. You should always do it with chicken. And I did it with a turkey a couple years ago. It was a BITCH to cut the backbone out, have the butcher do it, if you can. I was almost in tears, but persevered. Was worth it, though. Very good.
Jessica says:
Yup, have your butcher cut the back bone out. And they can split the breast bone so it lies flat. Totally worth doing though – works better on smaller birds though!
DefendUSA says:
Late to this party…but how about Magna-Tiles for James? My almost 15 yo still builds with these!! We have about 4 sets….
Miranda S says:
I was just looking at ideas for my 20 month old boy and saw this: http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-Stand-Stroll-Trike/dp/B00E5UP64Q
It is a stand and stroll which I like so my 4 (almost 5 year old) can ride at the same time as the little one. Less arguing and faster paced walks are what I hope this creates
daisybv2 says:
YAY Taylor Swift is going to be awesome. I am doing a scavenger hunt for my 10 year old on Christmas Moring. I can’t wait to see the video of Annie getting them
Casey says:
Hehe, that Taylor Swift/Frozen mash-up was made by me! Thanks for the shout out. I’ve been torturing my husband with the CD for the last couple weeks and he gave me the idea of using that as a button!
Heather says:
HA! Amazing. It’s a combination of the two things little girls love, so you’re basically a genius.
Amy says:
Just got tickets today for my daughters bday in January, can’t wait until she opens them. It’s a long wait until May but totally worth it, we went to the red tour last year and it was amazing, I think I am more excited to go.
Gert says:
We butterfly our chickens – they always come out amazing. I learned by watching this Jacques Pepin: http://www.kqed.org/w/morefastfoodmyway/episode204.html