sponsor shout out!

i am so excited to do another sponsor shout out today! have you checked out all these lovely ladies on my sidebar?!?! ——>

it is really important to me that i love all my sponsors. i want to support bloggers and shops whom i follow and personally would shop from. i hope you find a new shop and fall in love like i did!

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clean mama printables

clean mama is one of my newer sponsors. i only wish i was as organized as she is. have you checked out all her printables on etsy? if i had to choose one, i would probably pick the project kit. it keeps you organized and has tons of pretty colors! to do lists are always easier to use when they are pretty! although, i kinda like this calendar too. for those new mamas to be, check out this cute baby brain kit.

discount code:  use 20PLEATEDPOPPY for 20% off your next purchase

expires: january 31st

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sunuva

sunuva  is another newer sponsor of mine! remember when i got these cute jammies from them? love, love. it is still chilly here in california, but i’m daydreaming of getting the kids some new swimsuits for summer already! they also have the cutest rash guards for my little surfers! and for the little little ones, they have some adorable diaper covers… but you’ll find them under “nappy pants” — a little bit of british english translation for you!

discount code:  use POPPY  for 20% off  at checkout

expires: february 28th

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raising up rubies

alright. i love jaime’s stuff! how many of you saw her in the february issue of better homes and gardens?? full page pic of her amazing craft room. way to go, jaime! check out her blog for a little inspiration and then head over to her shop for a little crafty love. my current faves in her shop are this and this.

discount code: for 20% off your total purchase use PLEATEDPOPPYLOVE20

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think garnish

i recently wrote about how much i love garnish’s cute wrappings! well, if you’ve been holding off on making a little something for your friends… now is the time to shop! i think i’m leaning towards getting these birch bark straws and maybe this too. i love that her shop not only has the items, but ideas on how to use them!  so if your inspiration is lacking, it’s okay to borrow someone else’s! what a great idea to do an ice cream exchange! i’m totally in!

discount code: use “pleatedgarnish2013″ for 10% off your next order

expires: february 7th

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red letter words

dee is a long time sponsor here at the pleated poppy. remember when she helped me update my entryway? still get so many compliments on that one. she makes some amazing prints with scripture,  lyrics, subway style locations (hello, boston, chicago, and ann arbor!!!), and more. she also does custom signs for those of you who have your own special phrase or word you want for your home!

discount code: use “Poppy15″ for 15% off your next order

valid only: january 24-26

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oh, nostalgia!

if you’ve seen my WIWW posts, there is a common theme… a statement necklace or cute accessory makes all the difference. oh! nostalgia is run by paige and she has the cutest items in her esty shop to dress up any outfit! she has some great vintage pieces too! my favorite pieces are this necklace and these earrings. what’s your favorite piece?

discount code: use “POPPY20″ for 20% off

expires: February 28th

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jennifer dahl designs

jennifer is another long time sponsor here at the pleated poppy. i just ordered this necklace, only with an “L”. super cute. she has some new styles in stock just in time for valentine’s day. i love these tiny hearts  too. perfect for a mama … or a way to show off your love for your significant other without writing it on your hand like you did in grade school. (come on, you know you did it too!) S + L = true love! :)

discount code: use “POPPY25″ for 25% off your next order

expires: january 31st

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a drop of golden sun

if you’ve been a reader for any length of time now, you know i love my iphone and adore my custom case. sarah at a drop of golden sun is so creative and has so many cases to choose from or she can help you make your own design! i love that my phone is basically a business card every where i go. i leave it out on the table at starbucks and people check it out.  so many ways to make electronics pretty!

 discount code: use TPP15 for 15% off your next purchase

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brickyard buffalo
 another newer advertiser is brickyard buffalo. they are a deals site with some great products that change often. this week you will be able to find several cute items including this adorable baby outfit (shown above). each deal lasts just for a few days. this week they have this colorful geometric print and hand printed cards.
discount code: use “POPPY10″ for 10% off your next purchase
expires: february 10th
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silly happy sweet
carolyn has such an adorable shop over at silly happy sweet. she makes the sweetest necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, all with a floral theme. a girl can never have too many statement necklaces! since i can always go for a pop of color in my kitchen, i think these magnets would be perfect!  she is offering up an amazing deal for pleated poppy readers.
discount code: use “POPPYLOVE” for 30% off your next order
expires: february 1st
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ferrever paper products
our most recent sponsor is raechel over at ferrever paper products. ferrever makes the most adorable garlands! she has some great valentine’s day bunting on the site right now, adorable valentine’s cards, and these cute cake toppers!
discount code: use POPPY10 at checkout for 10% off your next purchase
expires: february 1st
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what i wore wednesday

welcome to wiww!  i spent all day yesterday thinking it was thursday, which would make today friday.  umm, that stunk!  i was really looking forward to the week ending but now i still have 3 more days.  so yeah, its been one of those weeks.

as moms, it can be really hard to find time, energy, or desire to get dressed every day.  yoga pants are such an easy choice!  but i have found that spending just ten minutes extra can make a huge change to my day!  if i dress lazy, i feel lazy.   if i dress cute, i feel cute.  as silly as it is, dressing for the day really does make a difference!

try taking pictures of your outfits daily for a week, i dare you.  even if you don’t post the pictures online, you will start dressing better just because you are documenting it.  and if you get really brave, link up here.  please take a look at all the ladies linking up.  ok, not all because that would take FOR EVER.  but please realize that the amazing women linking up are all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages.  and its all awesome.

last week 372 people linked up!!! let’s try to make it 375 this week!

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

 hat – emily sparks

sweater – old navy, refashioned by me

jeans – forever 21 ($10.80 baby!)

boots – steve madden (style = sonnya)

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

 denim jacket – forever 21

black dress – all star, target

tights – target

boots – steve madden

bracelet – groop dealz

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

 i would’ve never paired these colors together, but when i saw them on lisa recently, i knew i had to try it out!

petal pusher – the pleated poppy

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

 sweater – all saints

v-neck t-shirt – forever 21

jeans – target

boots – target

necklace – forever 21

camera strap cover – knitty bitties

i forgot to take a full picture of this outfit, but stole this from my instagram pics.  sean and i went on a date while my parents were in town.

cardi – forever 21

top – old navy

jeans – forever 21

necklace – groop dealz

black wedges (not pictured) – payless

ok, now i need your opinion.  sean and i were on a date and went to ross, of course.  isn’t that what everyone does on a date?  ok, we had an hour wait for our table, so we went looking around.  anyhoo, i found these shoes:

i can’t decide if i love them or they are just too much for me.  sean says they look “aggressive”.  not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing?  what are your thoughts?  and they were only $25, if that helps your decision ;)

do you wanna join me?  yay!  just follow the rules:

1. link to your specific blog post, not your blog’s main page. ex: http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2011/09/what-i-wore-wednesday-fall-inspiration/ not http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog/.
2. please only link outfit related posts. your craft project may be adorable, or that may be a great giveaway, but this linky is for outfit related posts only – thank you!
3. please please please link back here to me so all this wiww stuff makes sense to your readers. and its just nice to do ;) grab a button from my sidebar (see the code box?).
4. check out as many links as possible! i am constantly inspired by so many outfits each week! and you will definitely find some new blogs that you’ve never stumbled upon before – so fun!



diy reverse applique shirt

diy reverse applique shirt

remember awhile back when i showed you how to make a glittered heart shirt?  well…. it turns out i used the wrong paint.  since it wasn’t designed specifically for fabric, over time it got a little, uh, crunchy.  and stiff.  so i hardly ever wore it.   total bummer because i loved it.  i may try it again, but next time with this paint.

but i came up with a solution!  i have been wanting to try reverse applique for awhile and i figured why not just try it on this shirt since i wasn’t really wearing it anyway?

don’t know what reverse applique is?  well, the name pretty much says it all.   standard applique is done by applying a piece fabric onto another piece of fabric.  reverse applique is done by applying a piece of fabric under another piece, then cutting away the top fabric to reveal the applique’d piece.

and if you’re new here, i like to use a lot of pictures for tutorials.  a lot.  because i want my directions to be really clear.  if you have any questions, please ask away!

diy reverse applique shirt

unless you’re redoing a shirt that you already painted a crunchy heart on {ahem}, your steps will look a little different than mine.  first you need to decide what shape you want to reverse applique.  for an easy starter, a heart is perfect.  but you could do a leaf, flower, arrow, bird … really any silhouette thats not too detailed.  start by turning your shirt inside out (very important!).   lay out your shirt and finding the center point.  you can do that by folding it in half and pressing it with a hot iron, making a crease down the middle. (read through the first part of this tutorial for pictures and more detailed explanation)

trace your design with a water soluble fabric marker.

diy reverse applique shirt

choose the fabric you want to have show on your applique.  i chose a heavy lace.  make sure the piece of fabric you use is large enough to cover your outlined silhouette, plus an inch or so on each side.

although you won’t see it in any of my steps, i ended up adding another layer to my applique since a sheer chested shirt turned out to be a bad idea!  i thought with a tank top under it would be cute, but it just looked funny, so i added another layer of cream fabric.  if i were to do it again, and still chose lace, i would have also cut out a solid piece of fabric to go behind the lace and applique it all on at one time.  is this getting confusing yet?

diy reverse applique shirt

although i’m not usually a fan of pinning, you really need to do it on this project.  lay out your shirt as flat as possible (remember, inside out), with your fabric, right side down, spread flat against your design.  pin all around the edges, just outside of where you’ll run your stitches.

diy reverse applique shirt

this is definitely a project you could do with a machine, but since i was doing this over the holidays, i had the luxury of taking my time by the fire and hand stitching with embroidery floss.  and i also love the look of the thicker thread for this project!  i used a single strand of floss for this.  doubling up for a thicker stitch could be cute, too!

diy reverse applique shirt

a quick peek on the inside of your shirt lets you see how good its coming along!  my stitches are about an 1/8 of an inch away from my outline/glitter heart, but i would recommend doing them closer to 1/4″ out.  you can make the stitches any size you want, but the smaller you make them, the more secure your applique will be.

diy reverse applique shirt

i started and ended my stitches with a couple knots, as you can see at the v of the heart.  super easy.

diy reverse applique shirt

before trimming away your shirt, be sure to check your stitches from both sides to make sure you’re happy.

diy reverse applique shirt

with small, very sharp scissors, slowly trim along your silhouette/outline/glittered heart ;)

diy reverse applique shirt

now is the fun part!  peel back the shirt and you can see the reverse appliqued fabric underneath!

diy reverse applique shirt

how cute is that?!

diy reverse applique shirt

with the shirt inside out, trim the appliqued fabric down to about 1/2″ from the stitches.

diy reverse applique shirt

easy. peasy.

diy reverse applique shirt

this is what my shirt looked like at first…

diy reverse applique shirt

and then i decided to add another row of stitches, and i love it even more!

diy reverse applique shirt

 see what i mean by moving your first row of stitches closer to 1/4″ out rather than 1/8″?  once i washed the shirt it rolled and got awfully close to the edge!

diy reverse applique shirt

 this would be a great project to try out on an old graphic tee that you want to revamp, just applique right under the graphics and cut them out entirely!  i also think this could be fun on the back of a sweater or oxford shirt.

 

monday shop update

this was a busy week for new products!  and so many of you have been snatching them up before i even have time to announce them (thanks ;) )

i have been loving these new cowl style infinity scarves – a continuous loop of fabric sewn in a tube, so there are no raw edges and they are nice and full.

this scarf above is super fun with shiny silver confetti dots sprinkled all over the soft chocolate fabric.

this ocean colored fabric is also so super soft, and has teeny tiny dots on it – so fun!

are you seeing sunshine in your neck of the woods?  if not, maybe you should wrap yourself in a sunny scarf instead!   our weather has been wacky here – in the 30′s overnight, and 75*+ mid day – crazy!

 i just got in this super pretty raspberry colored fabric with silver stripes woven in it – love it!

 after selling quickly out of these scarves a couple weeks ago, i ordered the last of the fabric that was available and have just a few scarves left.  i’m thinking of snagging one for myself before they’re gone…

 scarves aren’t the only new additions!

i have lots of other new products as well as some restocked:

lots of new reusable bags

checkbook covers

and ipad cases

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we had a busy and fun weekend here!  my parents were here so i convinced my dad to do a project with me… more to come!

i’m slowly updating the girls’ room – i really need to get started on their bedding, but the little details have been so fun to pull together!

this is a little sneak peek at my favorite project of the weekend – eeeek!

the creativity is finally flowing here, so i am up to my elbows in projects.  if i don’t respond to an email quickly, forgive me!  i’ve got to take this rush of energy while it lasts!

 

instafriday



life rearranged


linking up my phone pics with jeannett!  i’m thepleatedpoppy on instagram.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 craft weekend at meg’s house was so inspiring!  i’ve already rearranged 2 rooms in my house…

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 joy and i went as helpers and part of my job was to organize craft supplies.  dream job!!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 choosing fabric is a favorite of mine, and picking mine out for my ruffled apron did not disappoint!  meg had a huge selection of fabric for us to choose from.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

kimberlee is an amazing cook, and everything she made was so yummy!  pam’s cheesecake with coffee was a belly pleaser.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 i didn’t need the red letters in the background to tell me what to do with these cinnamon rolls.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 a very cold day antiquing resulted in a couple more jars and a globe.  the globe is the prettiest green ever.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 having this time with joy was such a treasure!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 i got to lead a craft and taught the ladies how to make my “inspired canvas“.  its been so fun seeing so many on instagram since the weekend!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 a craft i could’ve done over and over, these adorable covered button bracelets that meg taught us how to make.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 happy accident with all of us in coordinating outfits!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 one bad thing about living in a small town:  it usually takes at least 3 flights to get anywhere!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

back home, back to work!  i listed several new scarves this week – some with flowers, some with teensy dots, some with silvery shimmer!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 naughty girl had to go and grow up!  the 2 missing teeth are k i l l i n g me!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 time to make more posy pins!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

this boy has the worst bed head!  every morning it points straight up!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 silas and my dad were goofing off with some of my fabric boxes, and then i heard the door bell ring.  special delivery at my door!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 i put the finishing touches on the sign at our school.  i’m so happy with how it turned out!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 i have been waiting to start on some projects for the girls’ room, so i just decided to get on it!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 gold!  i can’t wait to get started on more projects!  deco art paints have the prettiest metallics!

 

what i wore wednesday

it’s wednesday again!  crazy how it comes so quickly every week… ;)

if you need a little extra motivation to get out of your yoga pants and into some real clothes, try taking pictures of yourself every day for a week – really!  once you have to be in front of a camera, suddenly you are kept more accountable to put a few extra minutes of effort into yourself.  link up with me!  and if you’re not quite brave enough, take a look at all the wonderful ladies who do link up each week – all ages, shapes, and sizes!

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

 i traveled to kansas this week for craft weekend and packed very few clothes in my carry-on.  so all my outfits were some version of the 2 i have shown here.

sweater – all saints (no longer available)

black v-neck – forever 21

jeans – target

boots – off broadway

legwarmers – lily’s drawer!

necklace – groop dealz

what i wore wednesday at the pleated poppy

cardi – old navy

top – forever 21

jeans – target

boots – off broadway

necklace – groop dealz

do you wanna join me?  yay!  just follow the rules:

1. link to your specific blog post, not your blog’s main page. ex: http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2011/09/what-i-wore-wednesday-fall-inspiration/ not http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog/.
2. please only link outfit related posts. your craft project may be adorable, or that may be a great giveaway, but this linky is for outfit related posts only – thank you!
3. please please please link back here to me so all this wiww stuff makes sense to your readers. and its just nice to do ;) grab a button from my sidebar (see the code box?).
4. check out as many links as possible! i am constantly inspired by so many outfits each week! and you will definitely find some new blogs that you’ve never stumbled upon before – so fun!



garnish {sponsored post}

i made very few new years resolutions, but one i did was to be a better friend.  i have a few amazing friends that i treasure, but i feel like i need to show it more.
 if you haven’t noticed, i have wonderful sponsors on my sidebar —–> over there.  the sweet folks at garnish let me choose some goodies, and i decided to use them to bless my friends – thanks garnish!
it took me forever to decide what to get!  they really have great products at very reasonable prices.  i ended up getting some berry baskets, mini milk jugs, and a sheet of kraft labels.  but i was also eying lots of other things, like the birch bark paper straws and the wooden utensils – so stinkin’ cute!
my sister makes some amazing cookies.  every time i make them i think of her.  they are so super yum!  i accidentally made this batch a little too crunchy, but a zap in the microwave solves that!
i lined each berry basket with strips of parchment that i cut to fit.
6 cookies fit just perfectly!
then i just folded up the side of the parchment paper
and tied in a bow with some extra thick yarn i had on hand
i’m sure the sheet of labels i had could’ve been printed on, but i decided to skip the its-too-hard-for-me-figure-it-out part, and just hand wrote on them.
and this chilly weather calls for warm drinks.   my childhood winter holidays were filled with the smell of wassail (pronounced wassle, like waffle) that my mom would leave on the stove all day to make the house smell yummy.  wassail was the perfect easy drink to give with the cookies!
the tiny milk jugs held a quart of wassail, probably 3 or 4 servings worth.
and i had a little for myself :)
thank you garnish, for helping me show my friends a little love!

pin it to win it — $50 winner!

pin it to win it at the pleated poppy

did you pin it to win it??? a LOT of my readers did! thanks, everyone!

we have one lucky pinner!

the random winner of the $50 gift certificate who pinned this photo:

 

… is virginia t. from alabama!

virginia, i left you a message on facebook! email me at info (at) the pleated poppy {dot} com to claim your prize! congratulations!

monday update

ohmyword, you guys!  this past weekend was amazing!!!  did you follow me on instagram or facebook and see all the fun?

if you have no idea what i’m talking about, my best friend, joy, and i went to craft weekend at meg’s house in kansas.  it was so much fun!  for me it was like inspiration on crack, a visual overload, an aesthetic wonderland for my eyes!  clearly, i am still on a high from it…

but after a long weekend away, it was wonderful to wake up to 5 year old freckles in my face and lots of long hugs from the girls.  i missed them so!

i will definitely be posting on all the fun we had, but that will come later…

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for now, i have a little shop update for you!

this is my newest tiny pouch – isn’t it so happy?

 and another new floral infinity scarf!

the scarves are selling fast, and i’m ordering new fabric as much as i can, but i’m just not fast enough! for those of you contemplating on the scarves i have in stock, i wanted to let you know that the stock is running low.  really low!

only 2 hot pink french terry scarves left

2 ruffled pretty stripes scarves

1 heathered hot pink infinity scarf

1 blush ruffled scarf

2 grey/hot pink colorblock infinity scarves

1 heather grey infinity scarf

ok, off for now.  on my to do list: catch up on emails, eat more home made bread my husband keeps making (mmmmm), do a little more painting at school, and get back to real life.  and my parents are here – yay!

 

instafriday

life rearranged

linking up my weekly cell phone pics with jeannett again! if you’re on instagram, i’m thepleatedpoppy!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

we started our saturday morning with a hike with friends – so much fun!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

sean and lily have been way into making bread lately.  each time they search around for a new recipe.  i’ve pinned a couple of them on my pinterest food board, but i don’t have them all.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

lily is a resistent reader, but reading along with audio books seems to be clicking for her!  she was listening to the swiss family robinson here.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

santa brought lily a baby alive that sips and tinkles.  after wetting the one and only diaper it came with, we decided to make our own.  she made a paper pattern, traced it on an old towel, and i sewed on some velcro and some extra padding.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

one of my new years resolutions was to be a better friend.  giving cookies is friendly, right?

instafriday at the pleated poppy

super cute packaging from garnish made it even better!

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 after a long homeschool day, i gave myself an hour break to finish up this project before dinner.   i forget how rewarding creating for my self is, rather than for sale.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 apparently most of my instagram friends are from central oregon.  when i posted this pic of our homemade yumm bowls, i had more questions/comments than i could answer!  background:  our good friends live in bend, oregon, and they made us yumm bowls at home, copying a local restaurant, cafe yumm.  they had the special yumm sauce, and we didn’t, so we had to do without and it was still yummy!  here’s the basics: rice, meat (we used diced pork tenderloin), beans (black or pinto), cheese, avocado, olives, cilantro, sour cream, and yumm sauce, if you have it.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 i had a little project to do at school.  my parents and i made this huge wood piece to cover some switch boards on the wall, and i wanted to dress it up with our school logo and a quote or something.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 this is only partway done, but i’m loving it so far!  i love the bright color contrasting with the rough wood.

instafriday at the pleated poppy

 and i’m throwing in this pic just because it makes me happy.  on our way home from oregon we passed this truck place that had rainbow colored trucks!  red, orange, yellow, lime green, grass green, light blue, royal blue, and purple.  how cool is that?!  if i owned a truck company, i’d totally do this!

if you want to see what fun we’re having at craft weekend, tune in to instagram (thepleatedpoppy).