a bit of earth.

care to hear about this super cool idea i have?

well...i'm planning on setting up a small set of shelves on my wall.

what for?

glass jars.

but not just empty glass jars...jars filled with dirt from every country/state i travel to!

on our roadtrip i went a little crazy buying small, glass bottles at different antique stores.

and when i say "a little crazy"...well...i got about 20.

but they're so cool!

all different shapes and sizes.

unfortunately...i got so carried away with buying the jars, i didn't even remember to fill them up with dirt from the states we went through on vacation.

i know. i know.

i guess that just means i'll have to visit the states again.

(fine by me!)

but coolest idea EVER, right?!

(thanks maddy for the inspiration!)

also...a sign that says "a bit of earth" that hangs over the shelves is a must.

xo,

rebecca jane

p.s. have you ever heard the song "a bit of earth" from secret garden: the musical...? not only is it one of my favorite musicals, but a really beautiful song. listen to the broadway recording HERE or a clip from when they performed secret garden at casa manana last summer while i was an intern (which i think is 10 times better than the broadway recording) HERE.

giving gifts is my favorite thing to do.

...especially when they're handmade tea bags with original tea blends made up and named after the person receiving the gift.

in love with this tutorial.

now that scrooge is over...and the holidays are over...i'm a little confused about what to do with myself. lately i've been working on my theatre portfolio, going through hundreds of pictures from 2007 to now...such memories! i've been so very blessed these last few years with amazing new friends i've met through theatre...especially this last year. 2011 was an incredible year and i'm so very excited to see 2012 unfold...it's held a special place in my heart my whole life...so i just know it's going to be swell!

xo, 

rebecca jane

p.s. HAPPY 2012!

painting leaves. pies. and surprises.

two weeks ago i got to be a part of planning a surprise birthday party for one of my dearest friends, maddy. at first it was to be a picnic...but then it rained...so it was changed into an indoor picnic/tea party. the night before the "big day" i remembered my promise of producing two pies for the event. so at 11pm as it was raining and everyone had gone to bed...i stayed up baking pies. it was kind of the most peaceful, happy moment of my life. next time it's late and it starts to rain...i'm totally baking some pies.

   the next day, after church, i drove maddy to my house and we painted leaves as her mother and sister rushed home to set up the party at *her* house. i'm just going to say...those were probably the most stressful hours of my life. i HATE keeping secrets...so it was hard not to burst as we were painting leaves and she was talking about still trying to figure out what to do for her birthday. she was...clueless.

after splashing in some mud-puddles, i drove her home. she wanted to go into the house through the garage...and i, knowing everyone was by the front door ready to yell "surprise" made up a silly excuse of not liking to go through other people's garages because it made me feel awkward. somehow she believed me...and we walked through the front door. everyone yelled. someone grabbed her from the side. she squealed. and i began to shake violently because it was over.

the party was a hit. she was surprised. and i was exhausted. but it was so worth it...!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEAUTIFUL, WHIMSICAL FRIEND!!

tinfoil kite.

lately i've been a little crafty obsessive...about anything from blanket forts to kites.

i really, REALLY am dreaming of making a kite that's absolutely perfect and flying it.

alas, there is no wind...and have not had the chance to make one as of yet.

so there's only one thing to do...make a fake one from tinfoil at freebirds.

it's kind of magnificent.

(i made the bows!!)

and according to a reliable source...it is still hanging there.

pretty sure if our real kite turns out as amazing as our tinfoil kite...we'll have the best kite in the whole entire universe.

of blanket forts and pies.

have you ever seen anything quite as magical as this beautiful blanket fort??

no?

i thought not.

some tea sipping, blanket fort building, list making, barbie game playing, apple pie baking, and all of the usual frivolities and whimsical fancies that are to be expected at a slumber party.

i think it was possibly the most beautiful thing i've ever seen/been a part of.

indian tunics DIY

for the music man show we've been putting on we required six indian tunics.

basically...we have NO costume budget...so we didn't have a lot to spend on these since they're only onstage for a few minutes...i say we...i mean me.

i was given six brown t-shirts and some red ribbon. 

that's all.

step one - three...cut off collar, sleeves, and hem.

step four - cut strips from the bottom up (a few inches).

step five - turn shirt inside out (where any writing is facing the inside)

step six - tack on and sew red ribbon where desired. i did a v-neck and put some across the top of the fringe. i didn't put any on the back.

what do you think? easy peasy, right?

off to a performance tonight!! woohoo!

xo,

rebecca jane

p.s. do you foresee wanting more DIYs on the blog??

i love cards... :)

making cards is my best and favorite crafty thing to do.

thank yous. invitations. valentines. 

they can always be so fun and unique.

p.s. recieving cards is another favorite of mine... :D

of valentine card making

yesterday was spent in the company of some wonderful friends! we took the whole afternoon to make some lovely valentines day cards! i only ended up with 3...but they all turned out uber cute!! :) and we made the biggest mess towards the end...but it was possibly the prettiest, pinkest, paintiest mess i've ever seen! i love being crafty with friends. 

do you like gifts?? :)

i entered Bramblewood Fashion's "pay it forward", so i'm doing it here too. not just because i'm super nice and love giving gifts...but it's also part of the rules. go figure.

here is how "pay it forward" works:

the first FIVE people who comment {open to those living in the USA} will receive something in the mail from me. either some vintage lace, a bit of velvet ribbon, or something handmade by me. i'll poke around and find something lovely to give to you! :)

they in turn, must commit to doing the same on their blog.

also, please include your email address. so I can contact you.

1. kellie
2. corbyjane
3. amy
4.
5.

i'll fill in the spots as they are taken.

i'm really excited about finding/making something special for each of you!

and a big huge thank you to ashley for the wonderful ribbon!!! i LOVE it! :)

last minute gift ideas!

wait. WHAT?! it's almost christmas??? 

are you a "wait until the last possible minute" kind of person like i am? 

if so, here's a few AWESOME tutorials and links to perfect gifts! i am in love with them all.

such a cute, easy, affordable way to create unique headbands. whip a few of those up, and voila! a great gift for any lovely lady you know! :)

tutorial

oh my stars. this cute birdie pincushion is just the cutest gift i've ever seen. perfect for any seamstress/crafter you know!

link

a really awesome tutorial! fun coasters to give. unique and colorful!!

tutorial

perfect for the little "monsters" in your life. easy toys to make...but super cute!

tutorial

nice and warm felt house shoes! i want some! and choose any sort of decorative flower/anything for the top.

tutorial

hope these helped you out in your procrastination! 

i think i'm going to have whip up a few of these myself...

do you know of any other fun tutorials??? let me know!

happy early christmas! :)

ruffle picture pillow

hello! i'd like to show you a little project that has been under-construction for quite a while. i finally decided to pull it out and complete! smart, huh?

basically it's a picture pillow. and the picture is made of mainly ruffles. consisting of a tree and two little blue birds. ruffles are really fun to make pictures with. whether you're adding it to a pillow or a tshirt! and using jersey or ribbon ensures no fraying edges.

i hope you like it. and i can't wait to add it to my window seat in my upstairs sewing room! :o)

owls, giraffes, and elephants...oh my!

for christmas this year i made stuffed animals for my niece and nephews.

it was a longer process than i had intended...but the result was oh-so-marvelous.

baby piper got the owl. the owl was my favorite.

not just because it was the easiest to make...but it was THE CUTEST!!!

i kind of wanted to keep it myself.

baby graham got a giraffe.

it turned out really lovely.

and an extra special nice thing was that the fabric had a random fuzzy edge.

so i just cut it off and used it for the mane and tail.

nifty, huh?

and the zander got an elephant.

my favorite part is that the bottom of the legs have the patterned fabric.

the ears are really cute, too.

this elephant makes me smile real big.

and the best thing?? they loved them! such a fun gift to be able to give.
happy early christmas!

p.s. i feel like christmas is over because of the early gift exchange with the sibs. this needs to change.