cute braided headband tutorial

um, what? a tutorial? yep, friends, that's right. i've had this little idea running through my head lately, and today seemed like a good day to give it a try. would you like to make a cute braided headband too? awesome! grab some of your favorite fabrics, a hot glue gun and a headband. oh, and maybe a safety pin.

start by ripping your fabric in to as many pieces as you want to braid. i picked four pieces – this would make the braid the wide enough to cover the headband i chose. the length doesn't really matter. sure, you want them long enough to cover the length of your headband, but if you cut them too short, you can just add another strip in.

safety pin the ends of all your fabric pieces together. i did this because i didn't want a knot of fabric resting behind my ears while wearing the headband. if you don't think a knot will bother you, then by all means, tie a knot! begin your braid. keep braiding until it's long enough to fit you headband.

got your braid put together? great! if you're like me, you're just now remembering to plug your glue gun in. it's ok, i'll wait while yours warms up. ready? let's go! if you safety pinned your ends together, take the pin out and glue the flat pieces to one end of your headband. and then start gluing the entire braid to your headband. go slow and make sure that you're getting it glued down well.

continue gluing your braid until you're about half an inch from the final end. if your braid is longer than your headband, unbraid part of it so that you have flat pieces like the beginning of your braid. and glue those down too.

cut a couple of shorter pieces of your fabric. we're going to use these to wrap around the ends of the headband to keep everything in place and looking neat. put a little dab of glue on the headband and wrap your finishing pieces around.

sit back and admire your really cute headband. then put it on your head, go out and get ready to receive some compliments on your new accessory!

splash pad

we introduced the boys to the splash pad at the zoo today. um, i think they liked it. the photos are evidence. (as were the tantrums when we tried to leave. no worries, those weren't photographed. they'll just be forever etched in our memories. ha!)

eight years

when you think about it, eight years is a long time. but when i look back at these last eight years, they've flown. maybe it's because i got married and had two kiddos in the last eight years. or maybe it's just because these years have been really good to me.

either way, today marks my last day at my current ad agency. i'm off on a new adventure. i'm heading to a small publication company that is REALLY close to my home. it's also about two hours less car time. which in the end? equals more time with my family. and to me? that's all that matters.

but here's the deal: i'm not good at good-byes.

i can remember in third grade my best friend moving away. they stopped by our house for a last good-bye and i just stood in the door after they'd left, watching where their car had disappeared over the horizon.

during the summer of my freshman year in high school, i was the one to move away. i had the BEST surprise party ever thrown for me. and i can still remember the feelings i felt that day. i can also remember the dark cloud that settled over me as we drove away to our new home.

and now today? i have to say good-bye to some people who have really impacted me. and i don't want to. i kind of just want to slip out at some point and just know that i'll see them again. good-byes are too final, you know?

so, dear friends, if i don't walk around and hug you today, it's not because i don't want to. it's just that i really stink at handling these sort of emotions. i'll miss you. and i'll see you soon. promise.

it's an arm party, y'all

several weeks ago, i saw a tweet go out about having an arm party swap. seriously? i can participate in a swap where i make a bracelet for someone and in return, they're going to send a bracelet (or two) to me? could that thought be any cooler? yeah, i didn't think so either. the masterminds behind this brilliance? ilene and leonora. brilliant ladies, i tell ya!

i anxiously awaited my partner assignment and when i read all about micha and her favorite colors and summer memories, i knew we were a good match. (we won't mention the fact that we both crushed on different members of new kids on the block. that would be all sorts of embarrassing. whew.)

when i got the package, i believe i actually gasped out loud when i opened the first bracelet. mustard and gray? and it's a cuff that's made from a piece of wood with a unique leather embellishment? um, yes please! it's bold and fun and i can't wait to wear it out more...

and then there's this lovely blue number. i love it because it reminds me of cayden's baby blues. there's also this uber-cool heart clasp... seeing that little heart reminds me of all those that i love. (i know, gag. i get sappy like that sometimes. forgive me?)

i can't remember how many ladies participated, but if you want to see all the other bracelets that were made and shared, check it out here!

cayden's first day of school

ok, so maybe not first day of school in the sense that most people were talking today, but it was his first day of real classes in the 3k program at his daycare. we talked him up this morning and got him all excited. even asked him if he wanted to wear his pack-pack for a photo. he was all about it... even though he doesn't actually need a backpack since everything stays at school. it was still cute. he instructed me as to how to put it on his shoulders and everything. cause i mean, duh, how would i know what you're supposed to do with those things; i'm just a mama. ha!

and of course, brother needed to get in on the photo taking too. although i'm not entirely sure he understands that he needs to stand still to have his photo taken. he was cute too. and one day all too soon, he'll be off to enjoy his first 3k classes.

uber-plush lovies...

... have made their way back into the shop. (it's only been like a year or so since i've offered them. maybe longer?) these lovies are the softest things ever and i've often considered making myself an adult-size blanket out of these materials. but alas, i've only ventured into child-size blankets. these guys measure a generous 18 inches square and are great for snuggling or covering up your sweet babe in their carseat. currently three bright and cheery color combinations available.

diving. on dry ground.

we're somewhat obsessed with the olympics at our house. anyone else? we may not watch every event, but the tv is on for sure. and this weekend, we got to watch some of the diving. and quickly discovered that someone likes the diving just a bit. for your viewing pleasure, cayden shows you his floor diving skills. (and, in case you were wondering, yes, he does this every time someone dives from the springboard. it's awesome.)

so, um, hi there!

things look a little different, no? yeah, i finally made the leap to join my blog world with my shop world and get a more grown-up title. and you know what? i'm in love with what i came up with.

you see, it's two-fold. i mean, the obvious being the "sew" part. because i love sewing and creating things for myself and you. so, you know, duh. ha. and loved... well, i love doing these crafty things, but also? i'm so very loved. i have this awesome little family that my world revolves around. and the little "i love you's," whispered by my oldest at unprompted times remind me of that. and so, i wanted something that reflects how my heart feels.

and my heart feels so (sew, if you will) loved.

take a look around. layout is the same, but make sure all the links seems to be working for you. twitter was having a bit of a fit, so i was having a hard time making sure that link worked. and remember back in this post where i said i felt things where a-stirrin' in my heart? this is the first of those changes, and i couldn't be happier.

new contact information (you know, in case you want to update your things):
blog: sewlovedblog.com
etsy: sewlovedshop.etsy.com
twitter: twitter.com/sewlovedshop
instagram: sewlovedshop