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DIY, Fabric Garland
First, I've got to give a shout out to my brother Matthew who is celebrating his birthday today! Happy Birthday! I love you and I am so proud of you and all that you have going for you right now.
A few weeks ago, I got a wild hair up my sleeve and decided to give homemade fabric garland a whirl for Jonathan & Greta's baby shower. They are having a little girl in September, and our office threw them a baby shower, which was so much fun and yummy I might add. We have a lot of great cooks in our office and I really need to get my hands on Patti's cream cheese french toast recipe. It was to die for. And I know today is Wednesday, and you are on the edge of your seat wanting a Whip It Up Wednesday, but we promise we will have one next week. Things around our house have been a little crazy. |
Aside from my creativity in my photography, I love branching out into other creative outlets such as sewing, knitting and scrapbooking. I have an entire room in my home dedicated to these crafts, but don't have a whole lot of time to work on them. I did however, stop the presses for this garland and it felt to good. I enjoyed it so much, and it was such a great stress reliever. I guess now if I am not editing, which I LOVE, I will be doing one of the above crafts/hobbies.
The garland was super easy to make, once you have all of our supplies and know how much you want to make. I originally got the idea from the Restoration Hardware Baby catalog. First, going into the fabric store is like going into a candy store. I literally get lost with all of the colors, patterns and ideas. And, I just have to say, that I am no seamstress. I can read a pattern and have made a few things, but you won't see my next design in Vogue. My neighbor aka Maxwell's Nona is a wonderful seamstress and makes the most beautiful aprons.
Here is a list of the supplies I used. Remember, if you don't want to make 12 yards of garland, then don't buy what I did. Trust me, we had a LOT! If you want to include three different color flags, then buy 1/2 a yard of each.
1 yard of pink cotton fabric
1 yard of green cotton fabric
(3) 3 yard packages of quilt binding. I used 7/8, but you can use narrower, if you want a different look.
Pinking Shears (I use these instead of regular scissors because I wanted a more classy look, and so the fabric wouldn't fray)
Iron
Spray Starch
Straight Pins
Sewing Machine |
| I pre-wash all of my fabric and press it out before I cut it. I then cut out the triangles to measure 6 inches wide and 9 inches in height. I actually cut a piece of cardboard and used it as a template to make the process go a little smoother. |
| Once I had the triangles cut out, I started to pin them inside the quilt binding. *Note, place the pins closer to the edge so the sewing machine needle doesn't hit them. |
| We don't have a big fancy sewing machine like Susan my neighbor does. This one was actually David's grandmother's and it is still going strong. |
Once I was done sewing all of the pieces, I starched the garland to prevent the wrinkles.
The finished product out in the back yard. You can use the garland as a permanent decoration in a kids bedroom, or for a party like we did. Another idea is to get iron on letters and place a child's name on the garland. |
Checking In, Vol. II
Reading: The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and Friendship by Jeffrey Zaslow and What to Expect Before You are Expecting by Heidi Murkoff. Because you have to do all of your homework first. Enough said.
Enjoying: Time at home with my husband.
Watching: The Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva (my Sunday night favorites)
Thinking about: How jam packed this week is already and it has just started, and finalizing my new promo video.
Looking forward to: Going through the rest of Austin's pictures from Saturday and meeting Sasha on Wednesday.
Thankful for: Great health insurance and a new album company that will go to the ends of the earth to make things perfect.
Listening to: Lady GaGa, The Fame and Train, Save Me, San Francisco (hasn't changed since last time, these are my two most favorite albums right now)
Because all blog posts are better with an image attached, here is a sneak peek of Austin from his Senior Portrait Session on Saturday. |
Leather Craftsmen Albums
I was like a kid in the candy store, jumping up and down when the UPS man came to our house yesterday, as I was cleaning up the house so David could host a meeting, everything happened so quickly. And then my friend JJ called so I could tell her all about it! So excited!
My very first sample album arrived from my new album company, Leather Craftsmen. As you know, I had been using KISS for the past few years and I have truly loved their service and products, but felt it was time to take my client albums to the next level by offering some more custom selections.
Leather Craftsmen offeres many different album styles, leather and fabric colors. I have chosen to offer my clients the 3500 series, which is a very clean and elegant album that can be custom designed to your hearts desire. Seniors, you can get a custom album with your school colors!
I love that my logo was stamped on the box. Just love it. |
| This album was done with the thin white pages, which I will only offer to a client who wants it. Moving forward, all of our Leather Craftsmen albums will come with the standard pages. I have a few more albums coming soon, so I will definitely blog about those. |
| And my logo gets stamped inside the album as well. Again, with the standard pages, the inside of the album will be black and the logo will be branded/embossed inside. |
| LOVE the attention to detail of these albums. Last year, Hanssie and I attended a business class down at Leather Craftsmen in Santa Ana and then had a tour of the facility. I had tears in my eyes when I saw the love and care that went into every single album. |
| The 3500 Album has so many options. Clients can opt to have their names embossed on the front of the album, or on the spine. And you can choose from different ink colors. You can also choose from having a horizontal, vertical or square image on the front. All of our new portrait collections and senior collections include a Leather Craftsmen Album. |
The Whooping Cough Vaccination
First, let me say that I am not a medical professional, but I am a photographer who most definitely cares about the health and well being of my little clients.
Yesterday, I received the following text from a friend who is going to be having little girl next week, and I will be doing some of her first portraits:
"Hi Tira! Bad news! Dr. told us yesterday that no one can/should handle our baby who has not had their whooping cough vaccine...Including photographers!"
When I first saw the bad news part, my heart sank, and as I read on, I thought, this isn't going to be a problem, as my friend has been very health conscious throughout her entire pregnancy and she is putting her daughter's future health first, and I have fantastic health care and can get the vaccine at anytime, no questions asked.
I immediately sent my doctor a message to let her know the importance of getting this vaccine so I could continue photographing my precious little clients. My amazing doctor replied to my message late last night and told me the following:
"Hello Tira, you got the Adacel ( tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine at our clinic on 4-19-2010, so you are protected and do not need to get a booster. Let me know if you have any further questions.Take care and have a good day, Signed, MY AWESOME DOCTOR."
I let my friend know that everything was taken care of and the coast was clear! Whew! I did in fact receive the Tdap vaccination recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Read below for more information about how we can protect our little ones like Finn!
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From the Kaiser Permanente Website
Whooping cough: Protect your family by getting vaccinated
California currently is facing an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis). Make sure you and your family are protected. Children should be vaccinated against the disease. Parents, family members, and caregivers of infants need a booster shot.
The facts about whooping cough
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a contagious disease that spreads easily through coughing. It's life-threatening for babies 6 months and younger, since it can interfere with breathing or make infants cough so much they can't breathe.
For children 2 months through 6 years old, whooping cough can be prevented with pertussis vaccinations (DTaP) given at regularly scheduled wellness visits. For those 11 years and older, a Tdap booster shot can help protect against pertussis, as well as tetanus and diphtheria.
What are the symptoms?
A typical case of pertussis in children and adults starts with a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes end with a whooping sound. Fever is rare. Some people do not make the classic whooping cough sound.
Who should get vaccinated
You can protect your family by getting yourself vaccinated or by getting a booster shot. Since babies most often catch whooping cough from a family member, the following people should make sure they're up to date on their whooping cough vaccinations:
* Mothers, fathers, caregivers, and people living with newborns and infants, especially those younger than 6 months
* Children 11 years and older who haven't had their regularly scheduled Tdap booster shot
* Pregnant women in their second and third trimester
* Women who plan to become pregnant
*PHOTOGRAPHERS who handle newborns!
When to contact your doctor
Talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated if you belong to any of these groups. Always be sure to cover your mouth when coughing and wash your hands often to help reduce the risk of spreading whooping cough to others.
If you suspect you or a family member has whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.
Again, I am not a medical expert, and I know many have strong opinions about vaccinations. I felt that all of my clients, parents and photographers should be informed.
Happy Thursday! |
Upland Children's Photographer, The Randall Boys
Oh the Randall Boys!! Daniel, Donovan and Dillon aka Pickle! They are so handsome and FUN! Of course, we laughed a lot, and went on a little adventure on the rocks and in the dirt, but boys will be boys, and I loved the nitty gritty.
The 3-D's - You guys were great and I am so excited to continue to watch you grow up in front of my camera. Your Mom ROCKS and is a blessing to everyone she comes in contact with. Elizabeth, thank you for spending the afternoon with me and allowing me to capture your little men! Love ya, Tira J.
We went to a private residence and there is this awesome red building! Perfect for a fun image like this. |
| Mr. Daniel. He is vocal, bright and charming, according to his Mom. Yes, it is true! He is going into the 7th grade in the fall. Watch out girls! |
| Mr. Donovan is a true artist and a gentle soul according to his Mom, and also very serious. |
| Oh, and then there is sweet Dillon aka Pickle! He is independent, bright and absolutely adorable according to his Mom. He is so sweet and is going to be a real charmer. How can you resist this face? |
| Here's their beautiful and loving Mom, Elizabeth. I love her hair! |
| To see more images from their session, enjoy the gallery below. Be sure to give it time to load. |
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