The Bug

The girls all go together for crafty night recently, and I decided to take a break from the sewing machine and create something fun for The Bug!

I Am Momma Hear Me Roar has the most wonderful tutorial ideas for boys shirts.  I love that my little man will be going back to school in an original shirt made with love by me!

I love the way the bubble wrap texture looks in the background.  I can't wait to find something else to stamp with bubble wrap!

And Bug was thrilled to pop the leftover bubble wrap the following day!

Today I'm linking up at

and

Herbed Goat Cheese

This Herbed Goat Cheese appetizer is absolutely the perfect summer dish!  My chefy and crafty friend Kimberlee introduced me to the recipe, and I've made it countless times since!

Kimberlee rolls her goat cheese into the most perfectly shaped little balls before coating them in the herb mixture.  I'm a bit lazy, and just prefer to coat the entire log.  I also substitute curly parsley for the flat variety.

Creamy goat cheese, zingy lemon, and fresh herbs from our garden.  What a perfect combination!

Pinkalicious! {Giveaway!}

I love love love a good deal!  Last week I scored big and found a terrific bargain on some beautiful fabrics.  It was an end-of-bolt bundle that I found online.  The only description was that it was pink!

It feels like a birthday suprise when a package comes and I don't know quite what things will look like inside.  When I opened this one this evening, I certainly was not disappointed!

I think it's time to pass my good fortune on with a little giveaway!

The winner will recieve a Pink-a-licious Ultimate Knot Dress dress in the size of their choice!
(Sizes 12m-7 please)

To Enter

1.  "Like" Lois Pearl Designs on Facebook

2.  Share this giveaway on your Facebook page or blog and leave a comment letting me know

3.  Subscribe to this blog via Google Reader

4.  Follow this Blog

Please leave a comments below letting me know what you have done for each entry!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on Wednesday August 3rd.

Best of luck!

The Ultimate Knot Dress

Knot dresses are all the rage these days.  They go with everything....sandals, leggings, jeans, boots, t-shirts, & long sleeves.

We love them at our house.

The only issue, I have an almost 2 year old who likes to exert her independence just when I'm about to get the dress over her head!  She somehow always manages to wriggle away at the moment that I'm about to slip her little arm through the top.

What's a crafty mama to do?  Create a new pattern of course!

Meet, The Ultimate Knot Dress.

What makes this dress so special is that the back features rows of shearing.  This means getting dressed is so much easier!  No more early morning wrestling matches! (At least maybe not quite as many.)

The shirring allows the dress to fit for quite a bit longer too!  We all love when our kiddos can wear their favorite clothes just a bit longer!

Some of these dresses are starting to pop up in the shop.  They'll be appearing at crafty and trunk shows this fall too.

Have a color scheme in mind for your little ones?  Email me and we'll create a custom order just for you!

Summer Beer {Guest Post}

I'm so honored to be doing a guest post today at Hanging on by a Thread!  

It's Drink Week!

Be sure to head on over and check out Kimberlee's amazing recipes and crafty ideas!

Goldfish Food

Did you know goldfish love algae?  When we were growing up on the farm, one of our favorite summer traditions was to put feeder goldfish in the horses' stock tank.

We were watching the farm while the grandfolks were at the Lake, and it was the perfect opportunity to introduce the kiddos to this tradition.

First, we stopped by PetSmart on our way and picked up 5 very brightly colored goldfish. 

The Bug had fun "making friends" with the fish on the drive.  We then put the bag of fish in the stock tank so that the water in the bag could become the same temperature as the water in the tank. 

While we waited for the water to warm up, The Bug helped himself to a drink from the farm hose.

And we visited with the latest barn kitty, who was quickly name "Tommy".

It was finally time to introduce the fishies to their new home.

Off they swam!  They'll grow big and fat through the summer, eating algae, small water insects, and larvae in the stock tank.  The kids have already had a great time checking up on their fishy friends!

Rootbeer Slushies {Recipe}

We celebrated our great friends returning to town this week with a cookout and these terrific 

Rootbeer Slushies!

Here is what you'll need:

Ice Cream Maker

Ice 

Salt

Rootbeer

First we placed the trusty ice cream maker on the back deck.  We set it up with the ice and salt around the canister.  Then it was time for our helpers to get busy!

Each kiddo got to pour one can of rootbeer into the ice cream canister.  

Then we closed it all up and let it whirl for about 30 minutes.  

Finally it was time to enjoy our slushies!  They were a HUGE hit on this 100 degree day!

What an easy sweet treat on a hot day!  

You've got to love a recipe with 1 ingredient!

A Bias Cute Skirt, For Me!

Have you check out One Yard Wonders?

It's a book full of terrific ideas, from kids to the kitchen to you.  It's a perfect book for beginniners, or the impatient crafty girl in need of a new skirt.....NOW!

I desperately needed to add a few fun summer skirts to my wardrobe, and settled on the bias cut skirt pattern.  It's so simple!  It took less than 30 minutes to create, from cutting to finish.

I added about 3 inches to the bottom when I was cutting.  I just don't do super short skirts anymore.  The Amy Butler Dancing Paisley print has all of my favorite summer colors in it.  Love it!

Fishers Freedom Festival - Our View

This was Lois Pearl's first year to participate in the Fishers Freedom Festival.  I was so excited to be a part of this juried show.  It's so much larger than the other shows that I've participated in, and the best part was Ms. Midtown Chic Boutique was a part of it with me!

My dear crafty friend Helen made the trek down from Chicago with her husband and 3 kiddos.  It was such a fun weekend for all of us!  The men played daddy daycare, while the ladies learned loads about working the crafty show circuit.

Having our banners hanging with our new logos made us feel so official!

We had a great response to our children's clothes.  The knot dresses and skirts were very popular, and there were many requests for boutique pants.  We promise there will be more of those to come!

A very special thank you to our great friend Traci for the lovely pictures.  And thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by and see us.  We hope to see you all at our upcoming shows this fall too!

I Love You Puzzle

Have you discovered Pick Your Plum Yet?  If not, go check it out now!  Each day, they have a different crafty item available at a reduced price.  The fun part is they only have a certain quantity, so if you like it grab it while you can!

Today's deal is for a blank wood puzzle.



How cute is that?

The Bug is a bit puzzle obsessed at the moment.  He's going to love having a special puzzle with his picture on it, and love notes from Mommy and Daddy written on the back!

These would be such a great stocking stuffer or birthday gift too!  (And yes, I'm already thinking about Christmas gifts!)

The 4th at the Farm

Nothing beats a Super Soaker and a baby pool on a hot summer day!

It's good to be a kiddo on the farm, on the 4th.  A swim in the pool, a horseback ride, and lots of whipcream and berries.  All topped off with fireworks watched from Grandma and Grandpa's deck.

Happy 4th All!