The Boot Search - b.o.c. by Born Martina Boot

I went to DSW specifically to find a pair of boots to go over my skinny jeans. I have ordered pairs online and sent them back. DSW had rows and rows of boots! I figured I had to find at least one pair that fit right?

After trying on many pairs, I started to get discouraged. A salesman asked me if I needed help and I explained my problem. His answer was to wear thick legwarmers until he noticed just how small my legs were! Then he said DSW fits those with average to larger-sized calves and not those with smaller calves.

I decided to still keep trying pairs on and then I tried on b.o.c by Born Martina boot. They were so comfortable! They had buckles on the top which I cinched as tight as they would go - past the holes. They actually looked decent! I bought them on a whim and I've been pretty happy with them. They're a little loose but you can't tell when I wear them over jeans. The only problem is they seem to be stretching out. I'm wondering if I can take them to a shoe repair shop and have them taken in. They are for a casual look so they are serving their purpose.

 I'm still learning how to use my camera so these aren't the greatest pictures. I used the self-timer feature after several attempts at my 4 year-old trying to take them. She didn't understand why I didn't want my face in the picture :-)

The belt is cinched tighter than the holes allow.

They are so comfy. 

I usually make sure my jeans are tucked in the boots better.

Miss Anna crying because she wanted the camera!

My Search for the Perfect Pair of Boots

I have been on the search for a pair of knee-high boots that fit snugly against my narrow calves (aka stick legs!) for the past 10 years. I have tried on pair after pair and my legs were always swimming in them. I looked like I was wearing buckets :-(  Four years ago, my husband's gift to me was to order a pair of custom-fit boots from DUO (a UK-based shop). Granted, they were over $200 but they are beautiful, leather and fit like a glove!

My search now has been to find a pair to go over skinny jeans and leggings. As much as I love my DUO pair, I can't spend that much money on another pair of boots just for a few months (we currently live in the South).

And so started my search again. I've ordered countless pairs on Endless and Piperlime that claim that they have a smaller calf circumference than listed on their websites. Disappointed, I had to send them back (got to love the free shipping both ways!). My calves are small -  less than 12 inches circumference and I'm 5'5" with a size 8 1/2 in shoes. Most boots are about 15 inches circumference in my size of shoe. It doesn't sound like a big difference - but it really is! It is frustrating because stores have options for those with wider calves. Why not the option for those with skinny calves?

I've done some research online and designer boots seem to run smaller but I'm not forking over $400+ for boots! I did find a very helpful blog, Little Contessa, about a woman with the same issue as me and she has several boot reviews for narrow calves.

I will be documenting what boots have worked for my legs in the hopes that other women with my problem can start finding boots that fit as well. Even my friends who have average-sized legs have problems finding fitted boots. It makes me wonder why boots don't have more sizing options as clothes do.

Let the search begin!

First Day of School Teacher Gifts

This all rooted from Pinterest (seriously, it's like crack). I was not planning on taking a gift on the first day until I found this idea on Pinterest involving cups with cute little flag toppers. I just couldn't wait until Christmas to give this so I'm sending it with L on her first day. 

The cups were $5 or $6 and from Wal-mart but I read on another blog that they have them at Joann's and you can use a coupon. The link provides instructions and a nifty template so you can print the flags yourself.

I need to arrange the drink packets a little better. I might throw some tissue paper in the middle so they stand up around the edge. Those are just Crystal Light on-the-go packets. I included three flavors so they could have a few drink options to choose from. The leftover packets are for the hubby. He likes to keep them at work to flavor his water bottles.

Mommy Back to School Shopping

I have no excuse other than I'm vain and want to look cute dropping off and picking up my 4 year-old next week when Pre-K starts. Yeah, I've been a little bit bad. Luckily, my husband hasn't seen all of the packages. Even if it's been weeks and I get one package, I'll hear "What did you buy now?" One order though was out of necessity, though! I DID need shoes for the gym as I've started working out again.

I'm in an Ann Taylor Loft phase right now.

I wore this top all day today (playdate, cheer practice, errands) and it held up great! It will be very versatile - running around with kids or date night with my hubby!

Soft layering tank

I ordered these in two colors. Not sure which one to keep. If I can find a cute khaki skirt, I might keep the navy one.

This was way cuter in person. It fit so nicely!

With my coupon, this was only $4 so I had to buy it!

Back to School Shoes

With school starting up soon, I of course used the excuse to buy some new shoes for L. We haven't bought many clothes as it's still 100+ degrees here and she can still wear her summer clothes to school.

I DID buy everything on sale or with a coupon and free shipping.

Morgan & Milo sneakers - I sized up on these to save for Spring.

Lelli Kelly - These are her "dressy" sneakers. They are sooooo cute and sparkly. I wish they made them in my size!

Morgan & Milo - They have elastic inside so they slip-on easily.

She also has a pair of suede brown Morgan & Milo shoes from last year that will probably hold up another couple of months. Her shoe size changes so quickly so I like to be prepared by keeping a couple of larger sizes just in case.

Dynamic Drive CSS Library

For the web dev geeks out there, Dynamic Drive CSS Library is where I get code for drop-down menus, rotating images, and other nifty tricks.


The jQuery Multi Level CSS Menu #2 is a drop-down menu code I use frequently. The colors and styles can easily be changed through the stylesheet to match the look of your website. It also works on phones and other mobile devices.

The Giggling Bunny Goes on Vacation

Tonight, I'm blogging from beautiful Pensacola Beach. It not only boasts white sand and blue water - it also is a great "secret" because it's not as well-known as Destin - which is where most people go. We get better deals on accommodations and less crowds - both are win-win to me! Not to mention history, culture and less commercialization. So sshhhhh, don't tell anyone ;-)

Pinterest

I recently discovered a great site to keep track of tutorials, links, blogs, inspiration - basically anything you would normally bookmark on your browser. It's called Pinterest! It's a virtual "pin board." You select or "pin" photos that are either inspiration or can link to websites, tutorials or products.

You can also search for pins posted by others. I found things that normally would have been difficult to find through a Google search. Think of it as an improved Google search - especially if you are looking for creative ideas. I'm warning you now though - it's very addicting!!

Google Web Fonts

As a web developer, I'm always on the look-out for the latest and greatest. CSS-based websites are my passion and specialty. Give me a good design (I used to do designs but don't anymore) and I'll sit down and code a site for you. Before kids came along, I would put on headphones with my favorite music, surround myself with junk food and code for hours. I love it!

I'm so excited about Google Web Fonts. Clients almost always go for the glitziest of web designs. But in the web world - accessibility is everything. Fun fonts are a nice touch to websites but could only be done in graphic form so we were limited to using them in mastheads, web buttons and images. Now, with Google Web Fonts, we can use them in the actual text and content of websites.

How far web development has come! I'm excited to see what comes out next.

Strawberry and Mixed Green Salad - Foodie Friday

Every Friday I'm going to try to post something about food - whether it be a recipe, a favorite snack, or a restaurant review. So here's my first Foodie Friday... Strawberry and Mixed Green Salad!

I first tried this salad when my mom made it for a get together. The ingredients sounds strange but it is really good! My husband loves salad but wasn't a fan of this recipe because of the fruit in it. On the other hand, I'm kind of "eh" on salad in general, but I love this salad!

Strawberry and Mixed Green Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed greens
chopped strawberries
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 apple, chopped
nuts (optional, I dislike nuts in salad so I left them out.)
shredded carrot (optional)
shredded cheese (optional, my mom puts cheese in hers but I leave it out.)

And if you can find it - Brianna's Blush Wine Vinagerette Dressing - it is amazing with this salad!

Toss everything together and enjoy! The fruit adds enough sweetness and flavor so you don't absolutely need dressing.

Yup, that would be my Caffeine-free Coke! At least I'm eating salad, right? ;-)

Car Seat Cover - Etsy Love

I ordered a car seat cover on Etsy (also known as the.best.site.ever) a couple of months ago in anticipation of my youngest moving from her infant carrier to our Britax Marathon. She still fits in her carrier (Which is convenient for me, especially when she is sleeping!) so we're holding off on moving her into the Britax.

The slipcover is from FattyMamaDesigns. It goes right over the old Britax cover so it has some nice cushion to it. My husband still needs to feed the straps through. It is very well-made and fits the seat perfectly. I love pink and brown together - girly and not too busy so we can live with it for a few years.

I moved my oldest into a Graco Nautilus because her head was higher than her Marathon and she wanted to  have a headrest. I did a lot of research and went back and forth about getting another Marathon. The great thing about the Nautilus is that it will convert into a high-back booster and later into a backless booster. It actually has more padding than the Britax so she seems to be comfier. And it is pink, so of course she likes it better than her Britax :-)

Bird Applique

I decided to try machine applique on a shirt. I have done burp cloths for A (cute and fun to do) but not a shirt and definitely not knit. T-shirts intimidate me because they are knit and because they are layered so you have to be so careful not to sew it together!!

There are a ton of great applique tutorials online. I really like this one by Sew Like My Mom. She has great pictures and clear instructions. I did not use fusible interfacing for this project because I was lazy. I used an old white shirt of L's because I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I drew the bird free-handed and used scrap fabric for the body and beak (I didn't have yellow and settled on orange.). I did a Google image search for pictures to give me ideas on how to do the beak and legs. I decided it would be the least amount of work to just make the legs straight. I used a contrasting pink button for the eye and hand-sewed it in place. I decided that I am not a fan of hand-sewing buttons :-)

Some tips when you machine applique on knit:

• Do not pull at the fabric when you are stitching. Because it is knit it will pucker when you pull. I learned this the hard way! You can kind of see on my bird's belly where the t-shirt puckers. 
• Use Wonder Under or some sort of fusible interfacing. It helps keep your edges in place. Again, I was lazy this time around and just pinned my bird in place.
• Test out your stitches on scrap fabric until you find what you like best. I played around until I decided on a zig zag stitch that was closer together but not completely close together like a satin stitch (the kind you see on the embroidered shirts done completely by machine).
• Be very careful while you sew. Pull up the back of the shirt so you don't sew it together. I go very slowly, a few stitches at a time, turning to the shape of the bird as a I go. I keep my needle down so I can just turn it bit by bit and keep it all in place. 

This is is what it looks like while sewing - a big, bunched up mess!

Yes, that's a big water spot... See how the birdie puckers (not laying completely flat)? That's because I pulled while sewing.

L's class animal for next year is a seal so I'm planning on doing a seal shirt for her to wear on the first day of school. I'm trying to start thinking about it now and not procrastinate like I usually do!

L wanted to model her bird right away. She insisted on posing with her hula hoop complete with wet hair from the pool. Oh, the life of a 4 year-old!

Personalized Waterproof Labels - Etsy Love

I love Etsy! It's a great place to find unique and handmade items. Here is my latest Etsy Love - Waterproof Vinyl Labels! They are from mytwobabes for L when she goes back to preschool this year. They are super duper cute and waterproof, so hopefully they will hold up.

I compared many labels and for the price and the style (can't beat the cute scalloped edges for that girly touch!) - these were the best deal. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist and I notified the seller the colored ovals are *slightly* off center. She responded that it could not be helped but thanked me for letting her know. There is a code on her Facebook for 10% off. I also ordered a set for A when she eventually goes to preschool! The same color and same style, of course :-) Have to be equal with two girls!

Crayon Folio

My oldest daughter loves to draw and color and I'm constantly on the look-out for cute ways for her to tote her crayons and paper around.

I made a Crayon Folio the other day using a tutorial from Gingercake. It was included with another tutorial/pattern I purchased from her. The fabric is some leftovers I borrowed from my mother. She has a large stash of fabric and I go "shopping" there quite often. I'm NOT a perfect sewer so there are some flaws. But overall, I was pleased with the outcome. It would be cute with a name or initial appliqued on it.

I was happy with the pattern. It not only included a tutorial with pictures, but also a pattern that you can actually cut out. The pattern showed where to mark the velcro and crayon pocket stitches - which made it rather easy for a beginner like me! The finished folio is about the size of a large wallet.

These are camera pictures so not the best quality but you should get the gist:

 

Add a small pad of paper, stickers and crayons and your little one is all set. Perfect for throwing in my purse to run an errand!

My Blog Title

Why "The Giggling Bunny," you ask? I honestly have no idea! I don't claim to be normal, haha! When my oldest daughter, Lydia, was learning her animal sounds, she used to ask me what sound a rabbit makes. If anyone would love this title - it would be her!

Joining the Party

I avoided blogging because I thought it had to include every detail of my life. Who has time for that? Not me! But after reading so many blogs with tutorials, craft ideas and opinions, I wanted to be able to share my experiences as well... my sewing attempts, daily adventures with my girls, crafts, cooking, my crazy shopping habit and whatever else I feel like posting about!