The Malibu Barbie Skirt Tutorial

When I emailed the photo of this skirt to my sister she said " I love it! It reminds me of the beach and Barbie clothes." So here it is "The Malibu Barbie Skirt" Tutorial!:

This is a SUPER easy skirt and takes under an hour to make!

Supplies:

All you need-Fabric, lining fabric, 2" elastic, scissors or a rotary cutter, measuring tape, a giant safety pin, and pins!

First thing you need to do is measure yourself ( or whomever you are sewing for :). I wanted the skirt to sit right above my hip bones, so I measured around my waist at that point. Write down this measurement. Now decide how long you want the skirt to be.. I wanted mine to be about 15 inches when worn.

Now it is time to cut! The width of your fabric will be 1.5 x your waist measurement.

For the length you need to do a little more math- aren't you excited! We are using 2" elastic and making a bottom hem. So we will add those to the desired length. Here is my math

15" (desired length) + 2.5" (elastic casing) + 2" ( bottom hem) = 19.5".

Cut out a rectangle in your fabric and lining per these measurements. Mine were 19.5" by 51".

Next you will need to sew the short ends of each rectangle together. Fold the width in half (hamburger style for all you 80's ladies :) right sides together and sew. If you have been blessed by the Serger Fairy-- good for you! If not you will have to do what I did and use an overcasting or zigzag stitch! You should end up with 2 tubes.

Next you will add the lining to the fabric. You do this by putting the fabric tube inside the lining tube. Making one tube with the lining on the outside.

Now you will want to pin them together. Line them up by matching the seams and pinning. Be sure to put your pins in the middle, as we will leave them in while hemming and making the elastic casing.

If one of your tubes in bigger then the other (like mine were :) do not fear! Separate them, lay them on top of one another and cut the larger one even with the smaller tube. Be sure to leave a 1/4" for your seam. You will need to sew and finish a new seam' and Viola two equal tubes!!!

If your tubes were perfect from the get go, then you are a true superstar and you can disregard this info :)!!

Next we will be hemming the bottom of the skirt. To do so fold the bottom under 1", and then fold it under 1" again. This makes it so no unfinished edge is exposed! If you like to iron (which I do not!) you could iron this down. If your like me and spend far to much money on Downey Wrinkle Release.. then you can use pins :)!! Sew up your hem. I chose to sew two lines, one at 1/4" and one at 1/2"' just to make it more interesting. You could do one line, or even a blind hem, whatever you fancy!

The last step is to make the casing for our elastic. Fold the top of the skirt down 2.5 inches and pin. I measured at four spots and marked them and then folded while lining up the marks. Again.. iron or pins, your choice! You want to sew about 1/4' up from the bottom of the fold, and be sure to leave an opening for the elastic. Keep in mind it is BIG elastic so leave a good size opening.

Now this was the toughest part for me. I wanted the elastic to fit snugly into the casing so it would not move around. This makes it a little difficult to get the elastic all the way through. I found that a giant safety pin and a lot of patience were the key! Once you have both ends of the elastic at an even length, you will want to sew them together. (Just a tip- if your elastic is twisted, you didn't sew the right sides of the elastic together and will need to take them apart and turn one side around!)

Now even out the skirt and tuck the seam of the elastic into the waistband. Sew up the hole up and you are DONE!

Disclaimer- This skirt does not come with a corvette, mansion or muscular man named Ken! Sorry Ladies!

Hand Print Pillows

I had started the year off determined to do more crafts, and blog them. Well January Me didn't take into account that 2010 Me would have a busy little girl to run after and two boys to entertain all summer. Needless to say a handful of crafts are all that have been done. One of those crafts were Hand print Pillows. I made one for each set of Grandparents. There is an awesome tutorial that I used as a base and then added my own touches here and there.

This first one was for my Mother-In-Law Hazel. I fell in love with these fabrics and knew they would look amazing in her house. I have to tell you that my MIL is a sewing genius! Sewing for her is the equivalent of cooking for Emeril.. needless to say I was nervous. All in all I loved the way it turned out, and even if every stitch isn't perfect I know she'll love it anyways!

The next one was for Stacey and Bob's Dad Eric. Jakob picked the fabric because he said " Their house is cowboy styled Mom, lets make a cowboy pillow." So we did just that. They LOVED the pillow and that made me feel awesome! It will certainly be something they can look back on and remember when the kiddos were so small!

The last one was for my Mama and Daddy! My mom has been pondering ideas for redecorating her house, so I just decided to go with a fun theme. My parents LOVE coffee.. there is always a warm pot at there house. I found this super cute coffee bean fabric and some other to match it and I think it came out really cute! My Mom loved her pillow and told everyone in the house that it was only for looks, not use! haha :)

So there you have it.. a really fun idea for Grandparent gifts. If you only have one child, you could do both hands instead. The possibilities are endless.. I will definitely be making one of these for myself very shortly!

Vacation 2010 Part 2

Here is goes.. part 2 of the fun!

Wednesday we were headed back to Disneyland, but this time it would only be Myself, Bobby, Jakob and Aiden. After grabbing donuts on the way, and some stubborn California traffic, we got to the Happiest Place on Earth around 9:45 am. We had only been able to see Disneyland the first day, so we started our morning in California Adventure!

Now, if you have traveled with my hubby, you know he likes a plan! While talking to Bobby on the ride over, I found out this was a learned trait from his Dad :). He quickly got a map and we decided on route. First stop was a Monsters Inc. ride, which the boys LOVED. I loved it to.. it even had the warehouse full of all the children's doors! Then it was off to A Bugs Land. This area is adorable. Everything is giant, so you feel like an ant! It has a few rides and some fun bumper cars. On the way out we did the 3D Its Tough to Be a Bug show.. the boys thought this was hilarious! Next, we walked the boardwalk and ate Pizza for lunch. While up there we rode the A Toy Story ride that Jakob had been stoked about for days! At this point we realized our phones were both dying, which was freaking me out because my sister had Lucy at home and I needed to know she could reach me if need be. So we used our fast passes on Soaring Over California (which is awesome and one of my favorite rides EVER) and said goodbye to California Adventure.

Bobby and Jakob went on to Disneyland to ride Indiana Jones, while Aiden and I went to the car to relax, have a snack and let the phones charge. We hoped on the tram, walked to the car... and then I realized Bobby had the key... OOPS! So a phone call, 2 tram rides and a mild case of frustration later and we were in the car :)

Once we met up again, we rode Pirates, had a blast in Toon Town, and finally got on Its a Small World. We had dinner, and it was starting to get dark. Aiden had been begging to do the Matterhorn again, so off we went. After the ride he said " I like the Mountain Horn (as he calls it) when the lights are on outside, not at sleep time!" Love him :)! The ride the boys were most excited to ride had to be Star Tours, so they were over the moon when we finally got in line to ride it. I wish I had a picture of their faces while riding.. they were SO happy! We have some serious Star Wars fans over here! Next up was Mr. Toads, then off Big Thunder Railroad. It was neat because we were in line during the fireworks show and got to see the whole thing. Aiden loved the coaster, Jakob had this to say " That freaked me out, I am positive that train is the fastest ride ever" :)! The boys were fading and we knew we only one ride left. We had decided to do Splash Mountain last in case they got wet because it was a little cold out for us desert folk ;)! Thankfully there was no line and it gave them no time to freak as they watched other people drop off the mountain! Overall they did really well, and besides the last drop, even enjoyed it. The picture of us dropping is hilarious.. they boys look terrified and we are cracking up, add in the silly random boys us front.. Love it!:Here are a few more pictures from our day at Disney:

It was a really fun day!

Thursday was another lazy one. Bobby got to go spend some time with his friend Matt, while I hung out with my Sister. Later that day my sister kept the kids for us so we could have dinner with our friends Matt, Kristen, and Robert, it was nice to catch up and have a kid free meal! After dinner we went back to my parents and my Mom, Sister and I got to go grab coffee and spend some time together which is always fun. The rest of the night was spent packing. First thing Friday morning we were on our way back home to Arizona.

It was such a great trip. There were some really good times, and some tough times. We got to see so many friends and spent some great family time together! Overall a successful vacation!

Father's Day

I am lucky, if you have ever been in the presence of my father, you know why! My Dad was and is always there for me. As a baby he sang to me, pulled me around for hours in a hamper/diaper box when I couldn't sleep, and took a million pictures! As a child he built me a life size playhouse in our backyard, told me the BEST stories, and taught me that my imagination is endless. As a teenager he let me make mistakes, drove me and my friends around like he was a taxi, and always gave me a big hug when I needed one. As an adult he walked me down the aisle and gave me away but he will always be the hero I call when my world goes crazy, he is the most amazing grandfather to my babies, he reminds me that money is just money, a bad day is just a bad day, and that there is always a reason to be happy and grateful. I love you Daddy, Thank you for EVERYTHING, I have been so blessed to have you as the guiding light in my life! I also have an AWESOME Father- In- Law. Eric made me feel like family from the get go. He is always there for us, we would not be anywhere near where we are without him! My kids adore Papa Eric and beg to visit his "farm"! We are blessed to have his wisdom and love in our lives!Bobby, I love you. I loved you before we had our babies, but watching you as a father made me love you SO much more. You are those little boys' hero! You play with them, teach them, comfort and love them. They are two very lucky little guys, and it melts me to watch the 3 of you together! And then there is Lucy.. your little princess! She softened your heart, and she already has you in the palm of her tiny hand. You are so gentle and sweet with her, and that girl LOVES her Daddy! We are all so lucky to have you! You work so incredibly hard for our family, and we love and appreciate you more then you know!















Hope all the Daddys out there had a wonderful Father's Day!

Vacation 2010- Part 1

We are back in the Arizona sun after a week of California vacation. We got out there on Saturday and the first thing we did was visit my Sister in the home they recently bought. This is my Sister's first place and it was such a weird feeling walking up to Sarah's door. I had saw the house before they bought it, but it was much more "homey" and beautiful now! After a while of visiting we all packed up and went on to Mom and Dads. I was so stoked because my sister and Landon would be staying the whole week at Mom and Dad's too! Once we got there we relaxed, ate some yummy enchilada casserole my Mama made, and the kiddos swam.

Sunday was our first day at Disneyland. It was my little family, My Mama and Daddy, My Sister and her family, and my little Brother. We went to Fantasyland first and I must say that Landon and Aiden were not fans of those rides, and also that Disney movies were much darker back in the day :). Jakob was tall enough to ride Indiana Jones so all the big guys and Jakey headed over. I had been telling Jakob that Disney rides were safe and that millions of people ride them and come out smiling. This was to be his first big kid ride EVER. They waited in line, got on the ride, and wouldn't you know it.. it broke down! They had to be walked off.. haha! He had a tough time trusting the rides after that. We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Nemo and many others and the kiddos were soon having a blast. Jakob and Aiden even rode the Matterhorn! Later in the day we even persuaded Jakob to ride Space Mountain.. he wasn't a fan, but he tried and we were proud! My Parents and Brother In Law had to work the next day and the kiddos were all exhausted, so the offered to take them home and let Bobby, my brother and I stay until closing. It was so fun! We rode all the fast rides and ate at IHOP at midnight! All in all it was a pretty fun day!

Monday started out super lazy... like jammies into the afternoon lazy :)!! Around one or so we got up and ready and went to visit Bobby's Dad and his Wife. The boys LOVE their "farm" . The farm consists of a pot belly pig, a goat, a few cats, 3 horses and a couple dogs who are as big as horses. They even had a few puppies this time. It was a great visit and the boys got to pet and feed all the animals! Lucy was excited because she got plenty of snuggles from Papa! I forgot my camera, so this is the only picture I have and it is from my phone. It is of the boys playing with the pig :)

( Wish I had pictures of Lucy with her Papa.. it was so cute!)

Tuesday was a very sad and difficult day. A week prior we had found out that a very close friend had passed away. Bobby and Justin had been friends for many years, and from the day I met him he treated me like I was a friend too. He was a son, a brother, a friend, a father, a soldier. If you knew him, you knew he loved to enjoy life and had a contagious smile. Tuesday was the day we had to say goodbye. The funeral was hard to say the least. As each person got up to speak one topic was brought up over and over.. Justin's huge heart and how much he cared about others. Bobby was heartbroken, and I cannot begin to imagine how difficult that day was for him. He gave a beautiful speech, I was very proud of him. He loved Justin. He misses him and I am sure he always will. Rest in Peace, we will see you when we get up there!

Part two of the Vacation coming soon :)!!!

Kimery Kiddo Update

Doesn't that picture just make you want to squeeze all three of them- that is certainly my reaction when I see it! Jakob got a Person of Character award at school last month! He is reading so well, and reads Lucy and Aiden bedtime stories at night! He is an awesome student, and his teacher always tells me that he is such a great kid! We are so proud of him!

My little Monkey :)! Aiden is still my shadow, still stubborn as all, still adorable and sweet! He will be four years old very soon, and I cannot believe it! He is really coming into his own lately- which is equal parts fun and hard! He seems to know so much more everyday, and cracks me up with the things he says! Want an example :) - Bobby was leaving for work and told him " Be good for your Mommy".. his reply " Okay Daddy, and you be good for your police officer boss"! He is too cute these days! Four or Forty, Aiden is my baby!

Lucy.. or LuLu as she is known around here! This girl is EVERYWHERE these days. She is not crawling fully yet, but she is mobile for sure! She is eating baby food 3 times a day, and is growing so fast! She says "Mama" and "Dada".. Dada when she is blabbering happily and Mama when she needs something or is crying ( isn't that typical :)! ) She is a really good baby, and her smile can make even my hardest days a little brighter!

A New Direction in all Directions!

So, where do I start! My kiddos, husband and home are my world these days... I am lucky, and blessed, and love my role in this world, but somewhere I have lost a little bit of me! I have been trying to spruce up all aspects of my life lately.. my home, what we eat, falling back in love with sewing and all things crafty, while promising to be thrifty along the way! I will continue to write about my babies and my hubby... because they are the center of my universe and all ( wine is the secret.. a glass a day keeps the crazy irritated Mommy away :), but I am going to let this be a place to log all the crafty things I have promised myself I will do going forward! I love to take a bunch of nothing and turn into something beautiful, and I am going to start doing that again! I want to remember all the things I have created, so I will blog them! So to set things off, here is the thing that brought me and my sewing machine back together- Hooded Towels :) They were Christmas presents and they turned out really cute!

This first set was for three little boys I love a ton who are brothers. I an going to have to make their sister one soon!

This one was for my niece and was SO much fun to make that I recently made another just like it for an upcoming Bday gift!

This brother-sister set was for my niece and nephew:

I am SO bummed because I made another set of three for my older brother kiddos, and a Batman one for my nephew Landon, complete with a mask and ears... but took no photos of them! I just bought some adorable heart towels on Valentines clearance at Target for Lucy, and I have plans for Marvel Superhero towels to match the boys room! This was a fun project and all the kiddos loved their towels! Happy Crafting!

New Years Resolution- Rethink!

I have been a busy girl lately. Organizing, Painting Decorating, Sewing, add three kiddos in the mix and you have CHAOS! Fortunately it is the fun kind of chaos! This year instead of my normal resolution to shed some pounds ( which I could totally stand to do), I decided to rethink how we live over here at Casa De Kimery :) I have vowed to get organized, which has been a daunting task- we had WAY to much junk laying around. I have also vowed to save more, and spend less! When we do spend we want to focus on things that last or matter. Things like sprucing up the house, or saving for a trip to Idaho. We are on a one month no eating out strike, and we have done very well so far! So put simply my New Years Resolution is Life Simplified.. you know like the Target commercials ;) haha!

One place I tend to spend WAY to much money is clothing! I buy for the boys, Bobby, myself, and of course Lucy! So in order to cut back in that area I have decided to be a REfashionista! As in, go through my closet and use things I no longer wear to make new fun pieces! I LOVE to sew, and fabric can be so expensive, so it is a win win!

Here is my first go:

I had this black and white print dress that I bought and never wore, and a cute yellow top that I love, but is way to tight these days:

So I turned them into a belted dress instead. It may not be for everyone but I love yellow, black and white together! The only thing I plan to do is make a cuter belt.. I am thinking wider with some random yellow stitching!

It turned out better then I expected, so I am quite happy. I have plans for many more, as well as some cute things for my Lucy! In no way do I plan to stop shopping all together, lets face it, I am a girl! However I can cut back, and with the pile of clothes I pulled from my closet to redo, I may be able to cut back in style ;)!