Boo!

If your school is like ours, and it sounds like more and more are these days, your kids can't wear their costumes to school on Halloween.  Our school has several excuses, and to me, they are all pretty weak.  But, rules are rules, right?  So how's a girl supposed to show her spooky spirit?  Skirts!

I whipped up these skirts at the eleventh hour using my 20 Minute Skirt Tutorial...so easy!  I just love this fabric!  It's Costume Clubhouse by Riley Blake.  The stripes are Robert Kaufman. 

 

These skirts really do only take 20 minutes from cutting to wearing - I made them both while my girls were in the shower!

I used Too Cute To Spook by Riley Blake for this one - the dots are from that line as well.  Of course, no Halloween outfit would be complete without hot pink cow girl boots!

And there you have it - two super fast, super cute little skirts, perfect for Halloween at a no-costume school!

No candy for me - I have these sweet little things to nibble on later :D  Happy Halloween!

Spooky Outfits - Last Minute Halloween Outift Ideas

Well, I guess you can say that I got my second Kids' Clothing Week wind!  Better late than never, right?  A costume, and now these little outfits too!

For my oldest, I just added some ruffles to an existing t shirt.  I used a piece of ribbing as the base, and just sewed the ruffle rows right on.  It's perfect with leggings, and I think it will still fit next year!

I used my super fast rolled edge hem on the ruffles - the whole thing took less than an hour including cutting time!  Easy peasy :)

For my little one, I made a ruffle skirt, again using knit as the base, but more in line with this tutorial.  Which, by the way, is fabulous - I've made several and they turn out so cute!

 

This girl LOVES ruffles, so I made sure to make it "super poofy" per her request.  She picked that witch fabric out herself - the witches are sewing and knitting, which she thought was just hilarious.

 

Stay tuned for a few more spooky outfits tomorrow!

Hey There Little Red Riding Hood - simple costume idea

Are your kids excited for Halloween?  I know mine are!  While my oldest is recycling a witch costume from a few years ago, my littlest told me that she wanted to be Little Red Riding Hood,  so how could I resist?!

 

 



 

This was a super simple costume to put together, and only took about a yard and a half of fabric.  I used Dana's awesome circle skirt tutorial for the skirt, which I just hemmed with a rolled edge on my serger.  Paired with a long sleeved white t shirt, she can wear both pieces again.  She loves the skirt as it has major twirl factor :D

 

 

To make the hood, I cut two hood pieces using an existing pattern, then cut a circle using the same method as I used on the skirt.  I just cut down the middle so that it opened in the front, did some narrow seams on the edges, and gathered the neckline a bit so that it was the same size as the hood.  Same rolled edge hem and some ribbon ties, and voila!  A little red hood.

 

Of course, Little Red needs her spooky ghost earrings on her trip to grandmother's house ;-)

My little one has already asked me to sew an S on the back of this after Halloween so that it can become a super hero cape - she's a girly girl, but she does love her super heroes!

What are your kiddos dressing up as for Halloween?  Did you make their costumes?

KCW - what I'm sewing this week (so far!)

Well hello, there!  It's been a bit since I've been here - long story boring: too many commitments literally made me sick.  Ugh.  Note to self: SAY NO MORE OFTEN.  But, that's all over (for now), and I can finally get on to my (huge) stack of clothes that have been cut and not sewn together.

 

It so happens that it's Kids' Clothing Week too!  I just love when everything falls into place!

 

First up, this adorable Daphne Wrap for my 6 year old.  I just love The Cottage Mama's patterns - she has a great eye for detail and her patterns are incredibly well written.  I tested this pattern last spring and have made several for other people, but none for my own girls.  I fell in love with this hounds tooth corduroy (I think it was a Hancock purchase), and thought it would be fun for a fall version of the Daphne.  I lined it with soft pink flannel and made some covered buttons with the flannel too.  So cute - I love how it turned out!  

 

I also made my 6 year old this Perfect Peasant Dress by Peek A Boo Pattern Shop (affiliate link).   This is truly one of my favorite patterns!  So quick to sew, and super easy.  Amy is working on adding long sleeves and also making the pattern go up to a 12 - hurray!  My girls love the comfort of a peasant dress, and I love the fit of this one.  It makes a great nightgown too!  I used a few Amy Butler prints from the Love line, which I think were purchased at a local quilt shop.  My daughter picked the fabric combo out herself - love when she helps me design!

Next up is the first of several BBC Vests that I have cut out.  This one is for my 8 year old - she has been wanting to get away from "little girl" clothes and more into tween-type clothes, and this vest is perfect.  I used a polka dot cotton (sorry, can't remember when I bought it!) for the outside, and lined it with warm flannel.  The best part of this vest is the little peplum - instead of pleats, I just did a ruffle in the back.  So cute!

Finally, I made this cute little Every Little Thing tunic for my youngest - again, she picked out the fabric (I think she has a thing for Amy Butler!).  This little number took me all of an hour to cut and sew together - it was that fast!  I love the bow detail in the front.  Shauna is adding some sizes to this pattern and I can't wait to get the bigger sizes.  This is a wardrobe staple for sure.
 

And yes, I now have a kid-sized mannequin as my model.  My kids are gone at school while the sun is out (and I mean, the sun is only out here in Seattle every so often!), so I need to take my pictures while I have the chance!  I have named her Henrietta :)  She doesn't complain and doesn't require bribes of candy - win!

Be sure to check out the KCW blog to see what other folks are sewing for their kiddos, too! 

Meal Plan Monday

We're still having gorgeous fall weather here in Seattle - sunny and cool, and the leaves are changing to some really beautiful colors!  Makes me want to drink tea and eat soup all day.

MONDAY
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit or cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: salsa verde chicken with black beans and brown rice, roasted broccoli on the side

TUESDAY
Breakfast: eggs, toast, sausages
Lunch: turkey sandwiches with cucumbers and carrots
Dinner: miso, sweet potato, and broccoli bowl

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: smoothies or cereal
Lunch: salami, cheese, crackers with apple slices and grapes
Dinner: polenta with maple sea salt roasted vegetables

THURSDAY
Breakfast: eggs, toast, fruit
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: ultimate nachos with beer braised carnitas

FRIDAY
Breakfast: cereal or smoothies
Lunch: sunbutter and jam sandwiches, grapes and carrots
Dinner: stove top buffalo chicken mac & cheese, salad

SATURDAY
Breakfast: kale, sweet potato hash with poached eggs and sausages
Lunch: black bean and pepper fajitas
Dinner: eggplant, mushroom, and tomato pizza with salad

SUNDAY
Breakfast: apple cinnamon baked oatmeal
Lunch: out
Dinner: pot roast with potatoes and carrots, salad

Recipe: Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup with Garlic Cilantro Croutons

I don't know about the rest of the country, but we are in the full swing of fall here in the Pacific Northwest.  For us, that means it's sunny and clear one minute and pouring down rain the next...possibly one of each on each side of your house!

This is my favorite time of year, food wise, because I LOVE soups and stews!  And when you have a busy family - well, a pot of stew hanging out on the stove that people can dip into as they get home from their various activities is extra nice.  This Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup is something that my mom made a lot when we were growing up and it's one of my favorite easy recipes.

Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup with Garlic Cilantro Croutons
Serves 8

For the soup:
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green cabbage, shredded
2 baking potatoes, diced (I leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer)
4 ounces ham, diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can white beans

For the croutons:
1/2 baguette
4 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 t lemon juice
3 T chopped cilantro (you could sub parsley)

For the soup:
Combine onions, cabbage, ham, potatoes, and stock in large pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add beans, cook 10 minutes more.

For the croutons:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice baguette, brush with 2 T olive oil.  Place on baking sheet, place in oven, and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  In the meantime, add remaining ingredients to a blender, blend until chunky. 

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl.  Spoon garlic cilantro sauce on top of bread slices, top each bowl with one or two slices of bread.  You could also just leave the bread out and add the garlic cilantro sauce directly to the soup - it's delicious either way!

Meal Plan Monday

Whew, the weather here has been lovely - sunny and warm, but it's going to get chilly this week!  Lots of soups on my menu, including my kids' favorite tonight.

MONDAY:
Breakfast: smoothies or cereal
Lunch: turkey sandwiches, apple slices, cucumber slices
Dinner: Clam chowder (I reduce the fat in this with fat free half and half, but yeah...it's caloric.), salad on the side

TUESDAY:
Breakfast: pumpkin oatmeal
Lunch: crackers, cheese slices, salami, apples, grapes, and carrots
Dinner: Ham, White Bean, and Potato Soup with Jalapeno Garlic Crostini (recipe coming), salad on the side

WEDNESDAY:
Breakfast: smoothies or cereal
Lunch: leftover soup with apple slices
Dinner: Enchilada Noodle Casserole (My youngest literally ate 3 servings of this a day until it was all gone!)

THURSDAY:
Breakfast: apple cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch: sunbutter and jam sandwiches, carrots, grapes, and pretzels
Dinner: Sausage, Pepper, and Potato Bake with roasted broccoli on this side

FRIDAY:
Breakfast: smoothies or cereal
Lunch: turkey sandwiches with carrots and apples
Dinner: leftover night

SATURDAY:
Breakfast: Waffles of Insane Greatness (no really - they are amazing!), spiced apples, turkey bacon
Lunch: out or leftovers
Dinner: Black Eyed Pea and Kale Bi Bim Bap

SUNDAY:
Breakfast: migas (recipe coming) and fruit
Lunch: out or leftovers
Dinner: roast pork with baked apples, roasted Brussels sprouts, and salad

There you have it!  What's on your menu this week?

Instafriday - September edition

Whew - September was a busy month!  Back to school, back to soccer, back to Girl Scouts, back to PTA...and back to work for me!  I'm linking up with Life Rearranged for Instafriday today to share some of my favorite pictures from last month.

 

You just can't start September without a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Am I right?

 



Theses cuties started school and it was the first year I didn't get teary-eyed watching them get on the school bus.  Well...at least not too teary...

 

So long, summer shoes!

 



 

My youngest LOVE her Ducks :D

 

I posted this picture of my Sunday routine - planning the upcoming week - and it sparked a few posts on staying organized.

 



These woodpeckers live in my neighbor's tree and DRIVE ME CRAZY!

 



This girl is halfway to wanting her two front teeth for Christmas.

Fall means soccer in our house - 4 practices and 2 games a week for 10 weeks...yeah, I'm tired just thinking about it.

 

We had a really great summer, and this was the last hot day of the year - it was over 90, so we had smoothies for dinner!

 

I've been testing a lot of patterns lately, and this girl has become quite the model.  I might be biased, but I think she is just so pretty :)

 



I had fun making a pencil pouch and business card case for myself for my the Schoolhouse Craft Fall Conference.  Which, by the way, was AWESOME.

 



I picked up this fun pin there, as well as some other great swag.

 



 

Bookkeeping 101- I have finally decided which software to use...uh, I just need to install it and get going!  The ol' receipts in envelopes thing just isn't cutting it anymore!

 

First of all, if you haven't watched the show, you are totally missing out!  Second, this was a great nail color in my Birch Box, which is totally worth the $10/month!

 



 

One Pan Pasta...make it tonight!

 

My mama turned 65...she's looks pretty good, right?

 



 

Best. Soup. EVER.

 

One night it was so cold...I just had to turn the heat and fireplace back on!

 



I got to escape to Eastern Washington for a wine tasting weekend...HEAVEN!

 



I totally need to do this with all of my wine corks!

 



 

 A girl in a vineyard...it's my happy place :D

And a sparkling wine tasting the morning after...yes, please.

 



At one of the kids' soccer practices, this beautiful double rainbow appeared over the park...SO pretty!

 

If you'd like to follow along with all of the other bloggers for Instafriday, be sure to click over to Life Rearranged with the button below.  You can follow me on Instagram too - I'm thegracefulroseshop there.  Happy Friday!