Gabrielle Messina Just a Girl

First Holy Communion: The Dress

First Holy Communions are a pretty big deal in this family. This year, I've already been to a few and my little lady's is coming up this weekend! She's been learning and growing in her faith and is so excited to take this next step. She's had Religious Education classes for the past few years, but this year, she seems to grasp it all.  There's lots of dresses out there that are really pretty, but I wanted hers to be a little different than those. It needed to have a special touch, one that was a little more personal. I wanted to create a dress, but since sewing up a dress from scratch is completely out of the question, I nixed that idea and nixed it fast!  What I could do though  was turn an ordinary dress into something special. I could do a bit of altering; takeing away a bit of this and adding a bit of that. 
I think God was shining down, because I found this dress on sale for $27.00!! It was the only one left and just happened to be a size seven! I snatched it up not having to think too long or hard on that one! The price tag was over $150.00 originally! I knew this was something I could work with. I removed the ties along the back(that I didn't happen to take a photo of) put them to the side. I could use them to make sort of a belt or sash and turn the dress into a one of a kind.  I dug deep into my lace stash knowing exactly which trim I was in search of. I had salvaged it from a shirt that I had stained years ago, knowing it would be perfect for something....  It's this beautiful delicate mesh with embroidered flowers. The trim hangs about six inches and I had at least a yard  to work with. I was able to sew it in tiers to so it would have a layered look on to the ties that I had removed and with a few hook and eye closures, had made a belt/sash/cumberbund.... not sure what you want to call it! 
I found a veil a few years ago at a flea market. It's delicate and falling apart. It's perfectly simple.I tied the dress with a pale pink silk ribbon and an old floppy flower. Now it's ready and awaiting her big day.

Now, I'm praying that my peonies will open by this weekend so I can make an arrangement for her big day...

Good Luck Charm

It's really the littlest things in life that prove to bring us comfort, isn't it? A warm blanket, a steamy cup of tea, a tattered toy, a reassuring phone call from a friend. It brings comfort to think at the end of the day, these things will be there to take even the slightest edge off  of our day. I wanted to make a little something for a friend to do just that; to take just the smallest trifle of stress off of her day. It's such a small token, how I wish I could do more...  A friend who's made many trips to and from doctors with her sweet child; her faith unwavering and her spirit so strong with the sweetest smile.
 I decided I wanted to make one of those moist heating pads that you can heat up in the microwave. Only I wanted a a prettier version and one that carried a message. I found a beautiful vintage postcard in my collection and printed it onto fabric and then went about creating a pillow case for the heating pad to slip into. The pad itself is filled with rice, lavender buds and lemon essential oil... it's smells divine! 

I used velvet on the back so it's soft against skin and while not in use as a heating pad and because it smells so lovely,  it can be used as an over sized sachet.I hope she will enjoy her gift and if it can provide the smallest bit of relief of a rough day, then it's doing just as it should. 

 

Because it snowed.....

Because it snowed here yesterday, I got all the Bavarian inspired ornaments listed in my Etsy Shop and even made a snowman too! I hope you will take a little peek! 

Bavarian Christmas Ornaments

It's been so long since I've been here. I wonder if anyone is out there? Hello.... check, check, 1, 2, 3. Well, if you are, hello, so glad you've stopped by. Autumn is in full swing around here, and forgive me for not posting anything Halloween-ish, but I've got sugarplums dancing in my head at the moment. It's been raining and cold here all day and I've got no desire to step outside when it's this toasty inside!  For the past few months, I've been completely and utterly enamored with Germany, it's culture, traditions, foods; desserts and chocolates mostly. But, for years, it's been their Christmas items...  ahhhh! The Germans really know what they're doing when it comes to crafting the most exquisite Christmas ornaments! Often, the most expensive ones of all too! For years and years I've wanted to get to a true Christkindlmarkt in a Deutschland town. Not the one in Chicago, not the one in Pennsylvania, but an authentic one in Bavaria. I'd sip hot spiced wine, and walk in wonder from stand to stand.  In my craft room, I've been taking in a bit of Bavarian inspiration and making some Christmas ornaments that I hope to have listed in the next few weeks. Here are a few peeks for you!

Ol' Mr. Rabbit....

 With Spring in the air(finally!!) I thought we could really use another Mr. Rabbit around the house.... After two years, and never getting around to doing the original Christmas project, I used the same technique Heather taught in this tutorial for our newest Mr. Cottontail. He's all paper... lots and lots of it, actually with forget-me-not flower ears, Lametta tinsel eyes and whiskers and a bubblegum pink velvet bow-tie! I think he looks like something you could find in the five and dime forty or fifty years ago! It was a simple project that took up a few nights and he's adorning the playroom door. Adding a little festivity in that corner of the house today.   I think he might be in need of his Misses. I guess we'll have to wait and see if I get around to her before Easter comes!  The kids and their wardrobes are in need of a bit of freshening up! Is anyone else loving the D Signed clothing at Target for their little girls?  After a trip to the donation center, my closet's looking rather spring- like too with some new velvety pink hangers and a lot less clutter! Lots of organization and spring sprucing around the house these days. How about you? Has spring fever hit you too?

Party Time!

   Hello, ladies! I thought it might be high time for me to get to posting about my girls' 7th and 5th birthday party! We had a tiny intimate affair, this year. The girls picked a few of their closest friends from school and invited them for an afternoon of girlie fun! As you can see form the above picture, my littlest lady loved her doll and named her Miss Angela on the spot.The night before the party, I set the able with a few paper dolls and a vintage handmade table cloth my mother- in- law gave me.On the cabinet in the corner, I stacked some hatboxes from my bedroom and craft room along with a vintage train case and tacked some paper doily bunting to the ceiling.I made a little clothes line with a sweet selection paper doll attire to festoon the cake.   And individual vases of petite roses at each place setting.I pulled the buffet table from out of my craft room and set it up in the kitchen, once again. Of course, another paper doll.Here's the cake I made the morning of the party. Strawberry buttercream icing, as per requested! And the little clothes line atop! A party isn't complete without cupcakes, now is it?A day filled with smiles galore.

paper doll line-up

 I got to thinking, that for the girls' Paper Doll Party, more paper dolls might be in order. Who's ever heard of too many anyhow? So, a few weeks ago, I set about making some rather colossal sized paper dolls that could be used as center pieces and focal points for the day of their, now rescheduled celebration.
I used the same image of the sweet paper doll I had used in all of the other trimmings for the party. Just this time, scaling them larger. I scaled them too large to fit on a standard sheet of paper, so I copied first the top portion of the little girl, then the bottom and fitted them together. I think they turned out pretty cute and think I'll end up using them as little decorations for their playroom after the party's over.As cute as the front of them are, I think I like the back just as much! There's something wonderfully mod about the lineup of these little women and at the same time, old fashioned. 

  On a side note and completely unrelated, I realize that ferris wheel has been shown in the last couple of posts. It's just been making it's rounds around the house more then usual. I love ferris wheels. Ferris wheels, hot- air balloons and carousels... I put them all in the same fun category and they are often hard subject matter to find. So when I do, I scoop them up! Rambling, rambling. Thanks for listening, girls! 

Another Snow Day...

   Snow day today.... again.  These paper flowers on my window sill are making me smile a bit, although I feel rather out of sorts and off kilter today... They make me wish for spring, instead, I've got snow.....  More snow...  I baked a cake.  I like to bake cakes and eat them too. The kids like to bake cakes and eat them too.  They wanted to celebrate the snow day.... I lit the candles for them, but did not partake in the celebration of another snow day.... Pardon me, but I hope you can understand.  I did however, have a slice of cake....   I think I'll put a movie in the VHS player to entertain them. Because I am done. They like The Parent Trap with Haley Mills. It's my movie from when I was little. I've heard way too much bickering today and am going to implement a mandatory quiet time during the movie..... Anyone else so over SNOW DAYS?

A Paper Doll Party

 Well, we came up with a theme for my girls' party this year.... A Paper Doll Party! I think it's such a sweet theme and my youngest little doll has been helping me non-stop. She's so into crafting and loves her vintage like her mama! She's playing a big part in the whole design... picking out the colored ribbon, glitter and flowers for the decorations. We just got word that she will be starting full days at school next week. I'm so sad I'm losing my little helper around the house, but she's so excited and it's what's best for her! Both girls are excited to have their friends over for a day of girly fun! I've been cutting out lots and lots of these sweet little curly haired dolls and her wardrobe for garlands, invitations, and wands! A wand for each.... I may stick these inside their cakes a cake toppers...  And plenty more little girls to be used as cupcake toppers.... I backed each with vintage paper from an old book and tied on some seam binding. Easy peasy!   And been dying doilies in coffee for what seems to be an eternity now too. As the party will be very close to Valentine's day, hearts and lacy doilies make for a perfect compliment to the little dolls!! The remind me of sweet sentiments little girls would hand out to their third grade sweethearts in the 1940's. Very nostalgic, I think. Well, I'd better get out of these pajamas and get dressed. It's soon time to pick my little one up from school. Have a beautiful day!! 

 

A Bell to Ring in the New Year!

 Last year, at about this same time, I began to make this bell covered entirely in pearls. I got to a point, about three quarters of the way to done and just stopped. I didn't even want to look at it anymore. I had orignially planned on making two of them and hanging them from the top of our Christmas tree. That plan seemed to fizzle when I realized that it took much, much longer than I expected. That, and the fact that I am pretty sure I had newborns that weighed less than this bell does..... It's a heavyweight and would topple the tree if it was paired with another at the very top! 

  I thought the bell would make a nice centerpiece for our New Year's table. It will be a day similar to last year's New Year's Eve. A night in with the kids in the early evening and the hubby and I later on... Oh, and a snazzy bottle of champagne too! These would be pretty to make in smaller sizes as ornaments... That's a project for next year!   I used a mix of old pearls from strands and necklaces that I tore apart along with new glass pearls; the pink and pale green ones.  I was finishing up the last few details on it today and happened to turn for about a half of a minute and when I looked back, lots more corsage pins were stuck into it! I had to laugh, that's my little guy! What a big helper! (I don't know what happened to this picture...)   To finish, I topped it off with a vintage cluster of millinery, ribbons and old and tarnished tinsel!   Well, I am going to wish you well now, as I know there will be lots to prepare come tomorrow!  Here's to you and your's this New Year's! Happy 2011, sweet friends!!!! Cheers!