blue

This one belongs to Elizabeth.
Have you decided what color you'd like?

email me: barefootstephanie@gmail.com

My husband is so tricky.

Did you know that he posted on my blog and I didn't even know about it? I don't know how he managed it. But then, he's always loved a good surprise. (Have I ever told you how we got engaged? I was surprised, to say the least.)

If you saw his posts and sent me a birthday card, thank you. Thank you! I don't think I've ever felt quite so loved. It was a really good birthday.

I think I'm going to like being 30.

Rainbow Chip never looked so elegant.

I'm having a great day.

The Beatles are Oliver's favorite band.

I'm totally raising him right. Today he told me that Paul is his favorite. He's mine, too. I am particularly liking this song right now.

p.s. Have you seen Help!? You should. It's silly and so good.

a new lens

I opened all of my birthday presents on Saturday. It was Mike's idea. But I am not one to argue with an idea like that.

One time, when Mike and I were first married, we opened all of our Christmas presents a few days before Christmas. I don't know why we do it.

Anyway, one of the things I got was a new lens for our fancy camera. Don't ask me what kind it is, because I don't know. Also, I don't know how to use our fancy camera. All I know is that it takes pretty pictures. And my kids are cute.

The end.

Why I sew.

I think I was 10 when my mom put me and my older sister in sewing classes at our local fabric store. I remember carrying her old, heavy, olive green sewing machine into the mall for our classes. We made a tote bag. I loved it. I didn't sew much during my teen years, as I recall, but as I was contemplating what to do with my life as a sad little freshman at Brigham Young University, I remembered that I liked to sew.

I graduated from BYU in 2001 with a degree in Home & Family. At the time, it was the closest thing to a clothing/sewing major. Most of the girls (there were zero boys) in my major were going to be Home Ec teachers. I was required to take lots of nutrition and human development classes, as well as fun classes like weaving (on big looms), housing the family (our final was touring new model homes), and household equipment (a 3 hour lab each week where we tested various baking pans and appliances). But by far my favorite were my sewing classes. I learned how to tailor clothing to fit and how to make patterns. It was a blast. I know it's not quite up to the level of a fashion design school, or anything, but I loved it. It was a good balance of practical learning for my current position as a mother.

I love sewing because the possibilities are endless. I love that I can take a piece of fabric and turn it into anything I want-- curtains, a skirt, a dress. The idea of making something out of nothing, and working with what I have to create something spectacular, have always been exciting to me. Also, I am cheap. And super picky. With sewing, I can make whatever I want for very little money. I know sewing isn't always the most economical choice, but it's the pride of creating something with your own hands that makes it worth it in those instances. Sewing is just so very satisfying.

Why do you sew?


Thanks for asking, Christina!

oliver & s dresses

Did I tell you that I won an oliver & s giveaway a bit ago? I am so stoked. I can't wait to make the playdate dress for Stella's second birthday. I'm pretty sure it's going to be darling.

And lucky for us, they have a free sundress pattern on their blog right now. You can find it here. And then you can make one for your little girl. And she will look cute.

the details

I've come up with some dress options for anyone who is interested:

option 1. If you like the denim dress I made for myself, or the green linen dress I made for my sister, you can purchase one like it for $85.

option 2. You provide me with the fabric of your choice and I will turn it into a dress just for you for $70.

option 3. You tell me what you'd like your dress to look like, and I will find the fabric for you. The price of this dress varies, but would be somewhere in the $90 range.

Shipping is $7.

What do you think?

Email me and let's discuss.

See more about the dresses here.

Dresses for Sale

I'm finally putting my degree to work and making custom dresses. Yay!

The 1968 dress is now available for purchase. All I need are your measurements and 3 yards of your favorite fabric. I just made one for myself in a dark denim. I think it looks smart. Linen, corduroy, cotton, or silk would look fabulous, too. It might be the most versatile dress I've ever seen. It would even do for maternity wear, I promise.

You totally need one.

If you are interested, or have another style in mind, email me at barefootstephanie@gmail.com.

Be a dear and spread the word, will you?

Here are the details.

I'm not a fan of bunk beds.

But these could change my mind.
Aren't they beautiful?

I wish our basement had 10 foot ceilings.

shoot, I don't remember where I saw this picture. you know how it goes, you click from one blog to the next and you have no idea how you got there. I'm sorry there's no link.

Stella's on Cambie

While in Vancouver, BC last week we stumbled upon this cute little place on our walk home from church. Even though Stella was sleeping, we had to stop and snap a picture of her in front of that sign.

Things I love about this picture: Mabel's pink cheeks (it was a long walk on a rather warm afternoon) and that Oliver is wearing womens' sunglasses and doesn't mind one bit.

What a fun trip we had. I'd go back to Vancouver in a heartbeat.

Dear Mabel

Your hair looked really pretty this morning.
I hope you are having fun in second grade.
We miss you.

Love,
us

the last day of freedom

School starts tomorrow.

Before the rigors of second grade and pre-k begin we are taking advantage of this last day of summer vacation to do whatever we want.

We are wearing pajamas, not making beds, playing computer games, watching movies, and making messes that we don't intend to clean up.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we are off to Wendy's to get frosties for lunch.

I'm a sucker for a muffin.

Mike had to work today (boo) so instead of Saturday morning waffles, I made muffins. They were yummy.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c flour
1 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour for 2 large loaf pans.
Bake at 375 for 4 small loaf pans.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes for 20 large muffins.
Bake at 375 for 12 minutes for 5 dozen mini muffins.

I made the regular muffin size and ended up with 22. I wish I had used mini chocolate chips or fewer chocolate chips, because the banana flavor is kind of overwhelmed by chocolate (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). But they were good and my kids each downed a few. In fact, Stella is saying "more cookie" as I type. I can't get her to admit that they are muffins.

recipe found here

a green dress for a green-loving sister

Sometimes the best patterns are the simplest. This one, from 1968, was a gem. I used a grass green linen. Isn't it sweet? The trick was to make the size 14 pattern fit my size 0 sister. I think I got the proportions just right so that it doesn't look like a garbage bag. I might have to make one for myself. Any other takers?

good mail

click on photos to make them bigger

Look what came in the mail the other day. I thought it was so cute I had to take a picture of it. And post it on my blog.

You can get your own if you sign up for Anthropologie's reward card.

Stella and I have a date with their sale rack as soon as the big kids go back to school next week.

Here are lots of pictures of us in Alaska.

clockwise from top left: all of the P* grandkids (minus the 2 babies) in front of the Anchorage Temple, boarding the ship on a very cold and windy day, in the Wheelhouse bar before dominating daily trivia (we have the luggage tags to prove it), in front of a little totem pole in Skagway

a pretty view from the ship (there were lots of those), Mabel and Oliver holding hands in front of the Mendenhall Glacier, Mabel loving a sled dog puppy in Juneau

me, Mike, and a thrilled Stella in front of a big glacier, some whales, a pretty view, and panning for gold in Juneau

yet another pretty view, some silly kids in front of a crazy tree in the rainforest, Stella at sunset on the Promenade deck, Oliver, and Mabel both in the very green rainforest in Ketchikan

If you ever get the chance to go to Alaska, take it.
It's pretty much amazing.
We had the time of our lives.

Thank you mom and dad!

If you want to see more, check out my sister Leslie's blog.
Her pictures turned out really well.

We're home.

We had a very nice trip.

More pictures to come. . .