Baby things to sew...

I'm obsessed guys with indie pattern makers Brindle and Twig. I mean I've downloaded around 8 patterns and counting. The reason I enjoy them so much...they are so easy. Terribly easy. And, a quick sew - the Harem Pants pattern took me a total of 15 minutes - with the occasional stop to check in on Dylan. With Dylan growing so quickly and going through clothes left and right - it's nice to have these patterns in all sizes to make more clothes to throw into his wardrobe. With one yard of fabric, I can get 3-4 pieces out of it at for the 3-6 month size. Talk about a cost saver, 3-6 different articles of clothing for a $17 yard of fabric - WOWZA!

So I thought I would review a few patterns for you from the brand here over the next few weeks. First up, the Harem Pants - no cuff. I found This pattern to be a breeze, and this is coming from someone who has used a commercial pattern to sew a similar item and struggled. The cut is quick and simple - just three pieces - the back, front and waist band.

I needed to make no alterations for my little one. And the assembly, even easier. The pattern recommends a serger, but I used my overcasting foot on my sewing machine. You simply serge/sew the front to the back. Next, serge/sew the waistband together, fold it in half right side up, then place it inside the pant where the right sides are together. Sew it together, turn the pants inside out and voila. Hem the bottom of the pant and you're done. 

You'll want to use some nice stretchy knits for this, and the softer - the better.  I also trace patterns, so I don't cut them - so that means I can go back and whip these out at every size for Dylan. Love it! 

Have you tried any great indie baby patterns recently? If you have, share. I'd love to try them out. 

XOXO, 

Tammie 

When you want hot chicken....

So, I've been eating primarily plant-based diet since having baby Dylan. But, I have been CRAVING chicken. And not just any kind of chicken, SPICY, HOT, CHICKEN. Thank heavens Google came to the rescue with a number of recipes to choose from. I did cut some corners to make things a bit more healthy. First of all, I used organic chicken breasts, organic flour for the breading and almond milk for dredging. Then for the hot chicken rub, I used coconut oil, hot sauce and my spices.

So here's what I did to make this so delicious, my husband asked for it by request. First, I used Texas Pete Hot Sauce. I don't know if it's available nationwide so any other trusted hot sauce may do the trick. Second, since the chicken breasts I used are skinless, I soaked them in a mixture of almond milk, Texas Pete's Hot Sauce, and Cayenne Pepper for 2 hours. This made the absorption of the flour more clingy and built a better crust. 

When it came to frying, I used peanut oil and fried for 13 minutes. This may take a longer or shorter amount time depending on the size of the chicken. 

After the chicken is done frying, use a pastry brush and brush the rub over the chicken. The hot chicken rub consists of paprika, brown sugar, pepper, chili powder, hot sauce, and coconut oil. 

It's good chicken y'all! Here's the recipe I used. Quinch your cravings. :)  

XOXO, 

Tammie 

PS - I'm starting a new series, where I'll be trying out something from Pinterest and sharing my successes/failures. Let me know if there is anything any particular you'd like to see!

Vegan Cinnamon Roll Obsession

My husband suffers from a dairy allergy, which prohibits him from having a lot of sweet treats. With my baking past, this challenges me to make vegan treats that we both can enjoy. Enter mu, me-made vegan cinnamon rolls. De-lish!

I used this recipe, and instead of eggs used Bob's Red Mill Flax Meal, vegan butter, and unsweetened almond milk. The results? 

Something that went WAY too fast at our Christmas Eve Gathering. I just made another batch for NYE. So worth it!

What are your vegan dishes? What have you made recently?

Comment below!

XO, 

Tammie

Meet Dylan

So happy to announce my little one arrived 2 weeks ago, and is precious as can be. I ended up having to have a c-section because my boy was sunny side up and just not burying. It would have not been my first choice, but my doctor was absolutely amazing and did not put me or Dylan at risk. I think he is absolutely beautiful. I was able to make a few things for him prior to his arrival. Mainly a hat, swaddle sack and some lounge pants. The hats I got the idea from Made Everyday. ( I love Dana!) And the pants I hacked a pattern I found on Pinterest. I'm sharing some photos of Dylan here, and my makes. Be back soon!

XO,

Tammie

Countdown to Baby and post-natal sewing plans

Guys, when you’re having a baby - nine months is an absolute blur. Between doctors appointments, a full-time job, a full court press on volunteer efforts, and prepping for Baby time flies. But we are really close now, 4 weeks out to be exact. I’m looking forward to taking some time off and bonding with my little one. I of course have sewing plans, and one of my goals for next year is sewing pieces that are timely and express my style. I am obsessed with the sketch below, I don’t know if it’s the wide leg pant or the wine jersey that I’m dying to cut into. But I cannot wait to see this!! What are you guys waiting to sew? I literally don’t even feel like I have a size right now, so this is totally on the post baby list.  Check out my sketch!

Xoxo, 

Tammie 

Hurricane Harvey + Me

Hurricane Harvey blew through Houston last week, disrupting life as we know it and causing damage in its wake. We were BLESSED, to have minimal damage mainly to our master bedroom and not to take on water in our home. We got REALLY close to having water come into our home, and I spent every night during the storm watching in fear as the water came closer. To come through that you think, "Shew! We've made it." And, then you hear from your friends and neighbors and reality sets in. So many, lost everything- all that they had. And, it's devastating. I saw light in so many though, people helping people, students from Texas City High working hard to help with cleanup efforts, my local women's group mobilizing to do the same, and my chapter of the Junior League putting together a fund to help the community. If you're not from Texas, you probably hear all the time how STRONG we are and how we have big hearts. Well it's all true and we ARE. This is a rough patch, but we will rebuild and we will prevail. If you are able and would like to help and cannot be here in person, donate to the Red Cross or you can donate to the Junior League's fund as well. And if you are unable to give, just pray for us that our city will be restored soon with God's Grace.

To donate to the Red Cross - click the link.
American Red Cross

To donate to the Junior League, click the link.

Junior League of Galveston County 


Sending love from deep in the heart of Texas,

Tammie

Positive Vibes: Living Zen

Happy Thursday, my ladies and gents! Thursday is such a positive day of the week, right?! I mean Friday is drawing near, if you're me, it's pay day(Yaaasss!), and you're already making plans for the weekend. But if you suffer from Anxiety, you might be thinking, "Oh my gosh, we only get two days." It takes time to break the cycle of living for the weekend and being terrified of Monday. We are BLESSED to have each day, to do what we love, to be able to pursue our dreams - so why do we feel dread? It could be a lot of things - people you work with, tests you are about to take, a major life change. It's hard, I know. But think of this, what rain comes from today's issues, will be tomorrow's sunshine. I read somewhere that Beyonce gives herself one day to be sad, and then bounces back the next day. I think that's a great rule of thumb, be sad, be mad, cry and then the next next day GO KICK BUTT! Being Zen is not sitting in a tree and getting your Yoda on, it's accepting the moment, appreciating the lesson, and moving forward with love and light. I challenge you this week to find Zen in your good and bad moments, and keep moving forward.

XO,

TLB