Just Jen

I know it's the 6th, but HAPPY 4TH!!

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday besides Christmas. I love the hot dogs, the fireworks, the patriotism, the fireworks... :)

I am usually the one out there with a lighter right there in the middle of it, but this year, I had to sit with this little booger who wasn't much of a fan of the firecrackers.

Once it got dark, though and she could see them all lit up, she decided she didn't mind the noise so much. That's my girl. :)

I did make sure I fired off a few of these - well, only 1 of the 3 I bought actually worked, but that's why I buy 3... This little $1.50 firework makes my whole 4th of July. There's only one stand around that stocks them, so we hit them every year. It's just not the same without it... Watch this and you'll see why:

I sewed a top!

I consider my sewing skills to be pretty basic, and clothing has always intimidated me. But having a little girl makes me want to sew up all kids of cute ruffly tops and dresses. So I am spreading my wings a bit. My "sew" board on pinterest is full of great inspiration, and with the long holiday weekend ahead of me, I decided to tackle one of them.

I settled on this pattern by EverythingNiceSewing on Etsy. It had some gathers, and (gasp) a button closure - which I usually avoid - but I was willing to give it a try. I just used the measurements in the pattern for a 2t-3t (my daughter normally wears a 2), but I should have measured her first, because it was a little snug on her. I ended up adding a little bit of the contrasting green on the sides to give her a little more room, which did the trick. I love the way it turned out, and think I'll probably make it again in a longer dress version soon.