The "Ulitmate" cleanse….

We survived Costa Rica! Barely.. And I'll tell you why. First off, let me tell you about our little adventure. It all started on April 12th. Our plans were to drive to Vegas from St. George with another couple, fly to Denver to meet up with 2 more couples and then fly from Denver to San Jose to meet up with the last 2 couples and then drive 2 hours south to a town just 20 min south of Jaco. Sounds easy, right. Wrong. Our flight out of Vegas was at 6:45pm. I figured if we left St. George by 1 we would be good because we had to drive 2 hrs to the airport plus there was road construction in-between.. Well I got vetoed by the boys..They felt that if we left at 3 we'd be fine. Well around 2:30pm I was seeing a bunch of activity on instagram regarding traffic coming out of Vegas. Like traffic was at a stand still for a long time. I finally texted a friend stuck in the mess and she said they had been stopped on the freeway for 3 hrs because of the whole Bundy Ranch Protest. Umm.. What?! She said traffic was still getting thru going to Vegas but that there was a huge protest going on and they were blocking the freeway.

At this point we still did not know what was going on. In my mind I kept thinking, "We should have left at 1…) but that news was enough to get the boys moving. As we pulled into Mesquite we stopped at a gas station to get drinks and I kept overhearing people talking about how they were stuck for 3 hrs and that there was like a riot going on and that NO ONE was getting thru now. This protest was literally a mile or 2 down the road from where we stopped. Um… remember we have a flight to catch… So the cashier told us to take a back road to the next exit down and maybe we will bypass the mess. So thats what we did. What we did not know is that the protest moved right were we had to drive thru. As we turned the bend to cross the river we could see tons cowboys driving cattle on horseback down the river. and the protesters were out!! I have never seen soo many random freedom fighters, militia personnel and little ladies carrying ginormous rifles and automatic weapons! It was nuts! We were able to get thru. I guess by the time we got there the Feds backdown so the protestors were in a sense "celebrating".. It was definitely interesting to see.

In our minds we were thinking, SWEET! We dodged a bullet, we are about 45 min away from Vegas and we had 2 hrs to get there. Well, we hit road construction combined with protest traffic. No Bueno! At this point we now have an hour to get to the airport and on the plane. I kept thinking, we just need to get to Denver by 11:30pm to catch our flight to Costa Rica, because at this rate we were never going to make it! Once we got out of traffic and hit Vegas we have 30 min.. Sweating yet? When we got to the airport we now had 20 min to park the car, get tickets, go thru security and run to our gate. The boys dropped us off at the curb and we ran inside. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen. There was not a soul around! I have never seen an airport this quiet. I was the only one in line for security and out gate was right around the corner. When I got to the gate I ran to the attendant and said I have 3 more in our party (I lost one to the checked baggage counter..) and that they are right behind me. All she said was they have 14 min to get here. The plane waits for no one. (Thanks Frontier) I jumped on hoping they'd be right behind me.. I sat there for 10 minutes! Finally at the very last minute they walked onto the plane. Heart attacked avoided.

Now lets fast forward to getting to Costa Rica! We landed and met everyone in Customs. Six couples ready for a great week in the sun! We got thru,got our rental cars and we were off. We had a 2 hr drive to a little "beach town" outside of Jaco. The house was awesome! we all had our own rooms with bathrooms, a pool on the roof and tons of room to play. We had a sweet view of the ocean and the beach was a 5 min walk from the house. We also had a guide that would come to the house everyday to see what activities we wanted to do. He'd set them up for us. Love that Javier! The town was crazy, there were little make shift houses every where. People rode bikes everywhere. And boy did they know how to give a "pump" They could fit 5 people on 1 bike! There was a little market around the corner and a few open air restaurants. Just simple.

The first day we hung around the house and recovered from our travels. The next day we went to the beach and played in ocean. The boogie boarding was phenomenal!

That night we went and ate to one of the restaurants which was delicious but boy were we in for a "treat". The next day i woke up with a stomach ache and the runs (sorry but its part of the experience..) I just figured it was a little food poisoning but Id be fine. I had to be, we were going to the zip lines that day. At breakfast no one else felt sick, just me. I am glad to report that the zip line was a success and that I did not have any bathroom emergencies while up in the trees for 3 hrs.. whew!

Major success! This was my first time on a zip line and it was worth every penny! But, the sickness was spreading.. Now 2 more people were beginning to feel queazy followed by the runs.. Uh oh! Thats 3 of the 12. As the day went on people in our group were dropping like flies. By the end of the night all but 3 people were experiencing the runs. And this was not your typical diarrhea (we only wished it was) we are talking, eat something and 5 min later it was pure liquid.. 2 people we up all night with chills, runs and aches. Me being one of them. I thought I was going to die!! But I also thought I was on the mend and that the worst had passed. Like food poisoning does. At any moment during the day you would see people run off to the nearest bathroom. Mid conversation. It was hilarious and awful at the same time.

At this point we had been stuck in the house for obvious reasons and were ready to venture out. We went in to Jaco to shop and find "american food" because at this point nothing "native" sounded good. Period. It was fun to see how people there function. My husband speaks fluent spanish so it was fun to hear him translate and talk to the people. As people were on the mend (we thought) we decided to venture a little farther away and go on a waterfall hike. It was awesome! You hike up to this place with 3 waterfalls that had pools you could jump into. It was definitely refreshing and we all needed it after shedding 5 pounds from the runs…

It was soo fun! I think Javier got a kick out or group. I swear he thought the boys were a group of teenage boys..They were so funny to watch! We got to experience a thunder storm one night that was insane!! I had no clue it could ran soo hard and thunder soo loud! It was nuts! and boy when it rains, all kinds of creatures come out…We were sweeping crabs, frogs and ginourmous bugs out of our entry way! My kids would have been in heaven.

The rest of the trip was filled with fun, the beach and playing games! And yes,at this point we all had the runs.. Violent runs! It was such a fun group to travel with and I am pretty sure was all had a blast, minus the being attached to a toilet thing.. But we are forever bonded by Montezuma's Revenge. It is VERY real people. and its frightening!!! My doctor laughed, gave me a antibiotic and said, "good luck!" This experience has forever changed my opinion about international travel.. and NO we did not drink the water… I am happy to report I am almost back to normal almost a week later… as the for others…well, some have not been soo lucky…especially the ones who had no sympathy for us early on. lol! He are some picks of the trip!

Thanks for the "Ulitmate Cleanse" Costa Rica, you shall not be forgotten…

On another note, I am back working like mad to get slipcovers finished before my next rip up, which will be over Mother's Day weekend. Hit me up if you want to get on my fitting schedule. I have 1-2 spots open. You must have fabric washed and ready to go!

Costa Rica baby!!

I am SUPER excited today for 2 reasons.. 1. We are heading off to Costa Rica tomorrow for a whole week of fun! I have heard of how great this place is but I can't wait to see for myself. 2. I finished my family room couch and chairs just in the nick of time!! Not only did I get them done but my new rug showed up too. It was like christmas morning!! I can't believe how different my family room looks. And soo much bigger too! Here is the before:

The couch and chairs were given to us by my mom when we moved to St. George. She got new furniture and I am never one to turn down her hand me downs.. They are pretty much perfect and brand new! I do like the pattern of them but they just did not go well in our new home. I knew that I wanted a more relaxed feel in the room. Its open to the kitchen and dining area plus, we are just casual people.. I decided to nix any kind of skirt and just bring everything to the gound with a little bit of a drag and then finish it with a rolled hem. Simple and relaxed. I also knew that I wanted a soft and yummy linen to complete the look. I stumbled upon Fabrics-Store on line and hit the jack pot! I ordered a few different samplers to get the right color. I had to get 18 yards for the couch and 18 yards for the chairs. I used drop cloth on the decking of the couch and chairs and no joke, I used every last inch!! I probably should have ordered 20 for the couch and 20 for the chairs but that saved me and extra $50 by using drop cloth in the areas you will never see..

Not only did I get the slipcovers finished but my new rug or should I say carpet came the same day! When we moved in we knew we needed a big rug to cozy up the room but have you ever looked into buying a 10'x12' rug?? Kill me!! So expensive!! So… we found some carpet that we loved and have it cut and bound into a custom rug for $500! It has a cool linen weave texture to it and I love it!! Here is the after of the family room

My little sassy pants Oakley insisted that she should be in one of the pictures..Just love her!


I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! It all come together and I could not be happier! I just put the pillows back on the couch because I have not had time to find fabric for them, but hey, they actually work pretty great for now.. I used this linen. Its heavy enough for slipcovers and super soft after you wash it. I did not realize it at the time but the company I bought my linen from is running a contest to see what people create using their linen.. So of cousre I entered my stuff in! Head over to the Fabrics-Store blog and vote April 15th.

Just a reminder, I'll be back in Salt Lake at the end of the month and I have maybe 1 or 2 spots open for fittings. Contact me to get on the schedule1!! Until then… Peace Out!!!

A pair to share

I realize my posting has been less frequent but with good reason.. I am still working like crazy only all I have to show for it are "before" pictures. You'll just have to wait to see the afters when I head up North at the end of the month. You'll have plenty to look at then;) In the meantime I have been sewing 3 chair bodies and 3 couch bodies. Now Ive got to get on the cushions. Its a lot! I have also been working on getting my chairs and couch covered and I am trying to get them done before Friday because the hubby and I are heading off to Costa Rica on a spur of the moment trip with some friends! I can not wait!! Maybe because my husband has been gone for 3 weeks or because I get to sit and do nothing for a whole week.. Its a toss up. Anyways, I have a lot to do before then.

Speaking of the hubby, he came home for Conference weekend to spend time with me and the kiddos. We had a blast! And of course I had to use him as my "Furniture Mule" to get clients stuff down to me.. Sorry honey, but hey, those ladies sure do love you! I am just happy I am able to continue to do work for my clients while I am down here. It keeps me sane.. I had to bust out 2 dining chairs and 3 euro shams Saturday morning because they were going back up with him after the weekend. My client picked a fun geometric print for her chairs. She selected an indoor/outdoor fabric which is actually great for dining room chairs considering its waterproof. We did a box skirt to the ground because she did not want any of the wood to show. It really turned out great and I love how the fabric is just happy!

Before:

AFter:

I love Conference weekend! I love the messages that are given and I especially love the breakfast!! Steve is happy camped out on the couch all day but for me, the second my butt hits the couch I am a goner! I don't stand a chance so… I fitted my chairs. I HAVE to be dong something, its hard for me to just sit. I may have a problem.. Anyways I always retain more if I am listening while doing something so I figured, Hey, I can kill two birds with one stone by doing this. Listen to Conference and REMEMBER what I heard and get my chairs done. Win win! I would have done my couch too, but then Steve would have had to move… ya. right. Anyways here is a sneak peek at them..

Before:

um..i guess you could say, "middle":

I am beyond thrilled with what they are gong to look like!!!!

Also, some exciting news for me. I will have a booth at this years Swiss Days in Midway Utah August 29th-30th! You will be able to find me at Midway Country Corner across from the park. I am super excited about it and will have some really great slipcovered pieces for sale, along with pillows and possibly curtain panels… Anyways, stay tuned for more details!!

March Madness!!

Well I think it is safe to say that everyones brackets are a bust… Bye Bye billions. Oh well, there is always the lottery. Right? This month has been a busy one for me. I just got back from visiting family and dropping off/picking up slipcovers in Salt Lake last night. The kids and I ran up to see Steve, he has been gone working for 2 weeks now! He is crazy busy with landscape work up there but he is being well fed by his mom and mine. Its funny how when you move away you all of the sudden get bombarded with work that pulls you back. Its a good thing we have awesome weather down here to play in to make it manageable.

Speaking of work, I was able to drop off a bunch of bench and cushion covers, a few chairs and an ottoman on top of fitting 2 couches and a chair and bring back more random little projects for clients all in 1 day. Um.. thank goodness for grandmas! Here is a chair and ottoman I did for a cute client. She loves the way white slipcovers look and went with a white denim for both. Her husband though she was crazy since its white and they have kids but I think we did a good job at changing his mind.. Before:

I just copied the lines of the chair to give it a clean look and then did a box pleat skirt on the ottoman. They turned out soo cute! She loves them and I think her husband did too!

They look so great and they really brighten up the room. Here is the other drop-off I did while I was up in SL. My client searched for fabric for months and finally found the perfect one. We are slipcovering her large sectional next month and this fabric will compliment it perfectly! Now this chair is the perfect "Sunday Nap" chair.. Down cushions and the perfect size to curl up on. She has had this chair for a long time but it was in desperate need of a makeover. It originally had a red denim slipcover on it but the sun did some major damage to it. The red faded into a rusty color and it was no bueno. So she sent me home with the original slipcover to rip apart and make a pattern for the new slipcover. I love how it turned out and she didi too! It will look great with her sectional once we get it covered! Here is the after picture:

This week Ill be working on 2 couches and a chair as well as some other projects I was sent back with. I am also super excited to get my couch and chairs covered too! My fabric arrived from Fabrics-store.com before I left. I got a nice heavy linen. I can't wait!!! I will be back up in SL at the end of April first part of May. If you are wanting anything slipcovered, contact me now to get on my schedule. You need to have your fabric washed and ready to go when I come.

EW!

Its spring break here in St. George and the sun is out in full force! I am loving this weather and the feel of pasty white skin getting some much needed color. Yes please! I thought I'd hurry and post my latest project while the kids are over playing with friends. I had ordered fabric a while back to make curtains for my family and dining room windows. They are super wide which I love because they let in soo much light but curtains of that size are a pain in the A%$ to make because of how much fabric you have to maneuver. I ordered 26 yards between the 2 windows. I had to make 2 double wide panels for each room, soo.. I had to match and sew 2 pieces of fabric together to make 1 panel and line them… EEEW! Meaning

If you watch Jimmy Fallon then you know. Soo great. I hung them with rings. Super simple and straight forward. Its amazing how fabric can transform the look and feel of a room. Before the rooms looked bare, but now they have an inviting feel that makes it more livable to me… Since the windows are soo wide and let in soo much light I snapped a picture of the corner of the dining room to give you an idea of what the fabric looks like. I LOVE love it!

I only have a few little projects left around my house and one includes making a pipe bed frame for Lakers room. Oh Buddy! I can't wait! I am taking the week off and playing with my kids so check back soon for more goodies!

Boy Dance Party

This past weekend I headed up north with just me, my daughter and a bunch of slipcovers. That means the boys were left home. Alone. To fend for themselves! I had a feeling that a Boy Dance Party was going to break out. And I am pretty sure it did! If you watch SNL than you know exactly what I am talking about…Exactly! Their lips were sealed when I got home so that can only mean one thing… BOY. DANCE. PARTY.

My brother and his cute wife are about to have their first baby so we had 2 back to back showers to attend. It was fun to see family and friends and boy did they make out like bandits! They literally ran out of room in their nursery because of all the stuff they got! They have 3-ish weeks left for baby to come and we couldn't be happier for them!

Like I said, the car was also packed with slipcovers to drop off. Most of slipcovers I came back with last month got shipped out, so maybe one day I'll have after photos for you, but the remaining slipcovers belonged to a cute client of mine that inherited a couch and 2 wing chairs that no one else in the family wanted. Well, their loss because she scored! The furniture was in great condition. Just a bit dated. She had made curtains for her front room where the furniture would be going and wanted it all to be cohesive. So she found fabric in like a day (seriously!) that coordinated with them. She picked a blue textured upholstery fabric for the couch and a neutral and blue jacquard for the wing chairs. Normally upholstery fabric is a bad choice for slipcovers because it is soo heavy but she lucked out with this fabric. It was not as stiff or heavy as most and it actually draped pretty well. She kept the lines similar to the original pieces.

Couch before:

Ater:

I was really happy with how it turned out. Here is one of the 2 wing chairs, I did not have a great before picture. Use your imagination. It was pink. Enough said. The fabrics she chose complimented each other really well.

She was soo happy with how they turned out! I was just glad she was patient with me no the time frame..LOL!

My next trip up north won't be till the end of the month when my little niece is born, but I will be scheduling fittings. So hit me up if you want on the list! Until then I am going to enjoy the warm weather, figure out how to entertain my kids next week during spring break and finish up sewing projects around my house.. maybe.

Kids Room, Part Un

I am just getting ready to head up "North", but I'd thought I would post how the kids toy room turned out. I found the curtain and pillow fabric at Home Fabrics in Orem and the Houndstooth on the settee came from Fabric.com. I love the bright colors! ITs a kids toy room so its allowed to be obnoxious. Right? The next project for this room would be to put a fun fabric on the wall, paint the TV hutch and hang some art. But for now, I am just happy I got this done… What do you think??

Before:

After!

I kept the lines the same as the original. I like the casual feel it had plus the cushion is amazing! Its a nice squishy down filled insert and is quite heavenly to sit on. I just did a informal skirt with a simple hemmed finish. I did not do a box pleat on the corners. Its a kids toy room and its gonna get used and abused and I did not want to turn into "Mean Mom" every time the slipcover got messy with common occurrence of fort building that goes on… I really like the casual vibe it gives off!

My next project around the house is curtains for the dining and family room area and slipcovering my couch and 2 chairs. I got a sample of the most awesome linen (I can feel my husband rolling his eyes at me right now)and can't wait to order it! With "linen" and "slipcover" some say good luck with the wrinkles, but when you wash a good linen it does something magical, it gets soft, worn and yummy! I am going for more of a "Restoration Hardware" look that is more relaxed and casual. Oh boy!! Can't wait!

I may have time to squeeze in 1 or 2 fittings friday while I am up north so if you are in need, contact me!