kennedy & friends

guess who is three?...

yes time flies! three years ago i got the biggest christmas gift of my life. a sweet girl to love and to cherish! she is our world indeed! we had a little celebration for her on monday with all of her friends. mama here even made these delicious cupcakes.

she looks like a big girl and acts like she is a big girl...but please...stay little a while longer! we have a nice little day planned at home for my special someone. we will start with chocolate chip & peanut butter pancakes, just as she loves. the weather says we might get a white christmas. that would be too fun!

happy birthday my sweet love!

this a handmade christmas...

have you been missing me? well miss me no more. i graduated yesterday (cum laude with a degree in cell & molecular biology!) and i will have all kinds of time on my hands now. well, not really a whole lot of time time, but let's say a little extra time. i know 2010 will be super awesome and i can't wait to see what it brings. due to graduation and the massive amounts of studying hours it entailed i was not able to get a lot of things done around the house. but little by little i put these new stockings together. this might look a little fanciful, but it wasn't all that difficult to make. i wish i had taken step by step pictures of the project. maybe this will be a 2010 tutorial project!

i used the same silhouettes i made last year. i scanned each one and printed on muslin fabric. in order too print on muslin i cut freezer paper in the standard printer paper (8 1/2 X 11...i think) then ironed the freezer paper on muslin. this gave the printed some more sturdy to pull through. i would say it would be easier to use those printable sheets of fabric at the craft store. the ruffles are just half circles folded. i used 100% wool felt. i purchased quite a bit of it for future projects. you can buy here. for the stocking pattern i used vanessa's pattern from last year. you have to check out her house tour. what an inspiration!!!!

i found the smaller inner frame in one of my little flea market expeditions. it had the ugliest print on it so i just spray painted it with chalkboard paint. two coats of it and it was done. i spray painted the frame as well. the big frame i got a hobby lobby. i had this idea in mind for a while and it finally came to reality!

i think i saw in a magazine how they used old mason jars to decorate. i had these jars sitting around and thought they would be perfect holiday decor. i was trying to use some natural branches and such this year and i got a little lucky with these. i went to the local nursery to buy a fresh garland and the owner ended up giving me a bag full of these branches. love the natural look. maybe next year we will have a fresh tree as well. 

 

the complete view of the room. including a little girl who is going to turn three in a few days. according to her all of this decor is for her birthday!

i hope you are all decorated and ready to take in the season. i look forward to catching up on my sleep and drawing the plans for 2010! the undergraduate degree was just a small step in a bigger plan. future here i come!

and this is me and my beautiful classmates! i would be the one with the crooked hat and the maroon cord about to fall off! way too many cameras for us to look at!!!! i will miss all of these amazing women!

missouri state university's fall 2009 commencement ceremony.

for the christmas card...

now that thanksgiving is over it is time to think about christmas. i know i'm not the only one who thinks this year has really flown by! little k will be three soon. you have no idea how much begging and bribing went on to capture these images. the girl knows what she wants and when she wants. i have a ton more, but these are my faves. the tee and tights are from crewcuts and i made the skirt for her. best get downstairs and start decking the halls. i still have my spring wreath up, can you believe it? did you guys just go crazy shopping today? we went out for a bit. things were pretty mild. there is only one way i would get up at 3am to go shopping. it would be if anthropologie was giving 70% off everything in the store. not happening. but if it did happen, i will would have been there!

ps: i know there was some issue with leaving comments on my blog. i asked them to fix it. you will let me know if this is still happening? thanks! you can just email me. kennedyandfriendsco@yahoo.com.

just like in buenos aires...

my husband has been telling me how much he wishes he could have some empanadas. like the ones he ate while on a business trip to buenos aires. i know how good those things are, i have eaten plenty of them. but never, ever, did i think i would be able to make them myself. the kitchen is not my favorite spot. i do enjoy it occasionally and today was one of those days. i had to goals in mind. one was to make some for my husband to enjoy and two i needed to practice my cooking skills a bit more. my dad, stepmom, and sister are coming from brazil for my graduation and i can't let them down. well, the verdict is in, the empanadas are freakin' delicious. i used a super easy recipe from real simple magazine. sort of, i did not use any of the spices they listed. i just browned the hamburger meat with diced onions, mashed garlic, green onions, cilantro, and added juice from one lime. so, really the only thing i used was the idea for the dough. and you will have to get the mag to see the idea. probably anyone who cooks would know it, but i did not. duh!

any big plans for thanksgiving? we do not have any. i have tests the week after so we decided to lay low and not do much. i plan to take a day over the holiday and do some christmas decorating.

i guess i better go paint my mirror before someone gets up from her nap. i will miss these hours when she decides she is too big for them!

happy sunday!!!!

saturday's findings...

i was inspired yesterday to go out and hit the flea markets and antique stores. i have been dreaming about a red velvet chair. i wanted one so bad. so when i saw this beauty just there, staring at me, i sat down on it and told the shop owner i was not getting up anymore! lol! she laughed and said, they had just brought the chair in. i can't wait to use this in a photo session.

the mirror was also a delightful bargain. i want to give it a fresh and funky coat of paint and hang it somewhere in the house.

 

this book is a sweet treat! my littlest brother is named athos, after one of the three musketeers. he is sweetest kid and i'm sure will be a heart breaker someday!

i started on two little skirts for k. one for a christmas card picture and one for her birthday. hope to show it off soon. so much for no sewing until graduation. i can't live without it! happy weekend everyone!!

ps: i have been a wee posting some sessions on facebook, check out the fan page!!

little indian hideaway...

last year she was little red, this year she is a little indian. and this little indian lives 5 minutes down the road by the creek. she likes to play hide-and-seek.

sometimes she comes out of her tee pee...
but quickly returns to hiding...

she is always on the lookout for cowboys...

they tend to cross the creek once in a while...

and when she doesn't see any cowboys, she squeals with happiness...

and back to hiding she goes again... 

happy halloween!

this is probably my last sewing project until i graduate. the outfit and tee pee was so much fun to make and the tee pee is much easier than i thought. it is set up in the living room now and i suspect she will want to sleep in it soon. i have some photography sessions to post in the near future.

hugs to all!

a playhousewarming party...

yeah i know i have abandoned my poor little blog. just hang in there my faithful readers, 6 more weeks and i will have more time to create and post. how about this little house? last year's christmas gift is all finished and have been played in and loved much. i invited some of my friends and k's friends for a little housewarming party of sorts.

for a party to start off on a good note, we need sweet invitations, and i found the perfect ones for this day.

and here is a view of the little house. i can't tell you how many times i hit my head on this front beam. k's friends were so kind and gave her the sweetest doll first aid kit, a fun rug for the front door, cool cups, and the delicious cupcakes below.

they played and played and played. the girls get along so well. oh and i did invite boys, just just could not make it to the party. k's friends can't be any prettier. not possible!! and each with such sweet personalities.

some vintage and wooden toys (from the playroom). just the perfect little cozy place to hide, play, and have her own little world.

a long while ago i snatched this vintage iron crib, is it perfect for this tiny house or what? i will post other pictures soon. the house is not that big, so it is hard to get a good shot sometimes.

there's even a mail box to send letters to friends!

i hope you enjoyed the tour of k's little place! we have to thank mr. handyman for the craftsmanship in building this fun place. i still need to make some little curtains and a add few more details. but that can wait a little while longer.

also thanks to melissa for such kind words! i never thought of myself as brilliant...but i gladly accept the compliments!

one a not so related note: i went to see brightstar, excellent movie! after the movie i bought a john keats poem book and am trying to read it and comprehend his words. my favorite movie quote is: "My stitching has more merit and admirers than two of your scribbles put together...and I can make money from it." perfect quote for a seamstress. 

Happy weekend!!!

just had to...

was not intending on posting today, but i had to show how big my sweet one is getting. we said our goodbyes to summer this afternoon with some yummy ice cream. as much as i'm sad to part with summer....happy fall!

miss millie says...

we have a winner!  amanda wassell you may claim your prize!  please email me with your mailing address and the pillow will be on its way! 

i have had the craziest weeks. last week was horrible with hundreds of things to do. on friday i had to drink some blue moons and relax on the patio. i could feel the stress on my shoulders. and to top it off we all got sick on saturday. i think h1n1 was lurking around. i gotta say, i owe a huge thanks to mr. hot man. he played single papa here all last week and without complaints. i think i got home every night around midnight and had to be back on campus early.  thank you my love! i could not do any of this without you.

the next few weeks won't be too different. i will start a new research project in the lab. my professor has a grant from the american heart association to work on clotting factors and i will be helping her a few hours a week. i think from now on i will have a test every week. it's ok, i just need the last few drops of stamina and i will be a graduate.

i have my next prize ready to go. remember that from now on i will pick a random post to choose the winners from.  i hope to have a couple of more prizes very soon! have a great week!!!

have a seat and stay a while...

this is my newly reporposed living room. i have been meaning to photograph it for several weeks and finally found the time to do so. before i take you on our little tour, let's have a cup of tea. the menu today is mint orange tea. ahhh, so refreshing.

the sofa belonged to my husband's grandparents. they gave it to us and i got it recovered to suit the style of our home. when i found this perfect fabric my heart skipped a tiny beat. i immediately thought of how i could use it on this piece. and wow, i love the results! the ottoman was a gift from my mother-in-law. she snatched it for very cheap and i sent her the fabric to get it recovered. it makes the perfect coffee table. are you loving my crazy fabric combination?

the view from the back is even more amazing. the two chairs you see in the background also belonged to the grandparents. they are gorgeous ethan allen chairs i put my touch on. again, different fabrics. as you can see i'm not that much into super matchy matchy stuff. i did like matching once upon a time. i think i remember a pair of pink jeans i loved to match with my pink converse. i looked like a walking bottle of pepto-bismol. needless to say i no longer care for the color pink. oh the things we do!

the headdress on the mantel came from brazil. i got it in one of our expeditions down south. it was made by natives from my state. can't remember the tribe. it is made with macaw feathers. this is the typical ceremony headdress they wear. i had it perfectly framed in brazil. by far, one of the favorite pieces of art in the home. if you have been reading my blog for a while you will remember that i have several native brazilian art work around. most of them are paintings.

and now the resulting pillows of last weekend sew-a-thon (not the two big ones in the back, those are from pier 1). and you might get to receive one next week. this is where i seat at the moment, nice and cozy with sweet little pillows.

i did the embroidery while i was in dc. they turned out exactly how i had imagine. as much as i'm crazy about anthropologie, this beats paying $98+ for a pillow.

and if you leave a comment, you might be a lucky one to win this little guy (below). he is my favorite, but i will part with him. hopefully he will make a great addition to your living room. i will close comments 9.18.09 at 7PM CST. and one last thing, if you read my last post you know the rules. i like rules.

now that we had our tea and you had a little tour. i best get back to my lovely books. stay tuned because there is something very cute i made for two lucky little girls, one is staying here for my lucky one, and one i will give away. i'm sure you will like it! tchau for now!