I have had the materials for this project for umm..... about a year. Which is awful. I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. 2016 definitely needs to be the year for this girl to kick her bad procrastinating habits to the curb for good! Wish me luck with that, would ya?!  :) This beauty was worth the wait, however! I absolutely love how it turned out. It has it's imperfections, but it was handmade by me for our miracle baby and so I think it has a special place in my heart for that reason. 

I was super intimidated when I first thought about trying to make a canvas wall hanging. I do that a lot (psych myself out) and I'm sure some of you do the same, but I'm here to tell you that this was much easier than I anticipated it would be and I would venture to say that even a beginner DIY-er could successfully complete this project. 

MATERIALS

Here are the things you will need to make this banner wall hanging:

Materials -

• Lighweight Canvas or Fabric to make your banner
• Felt for the letters (you could also use fabric, leather, cardstock, etc.)
• Twine or Yarn to hang banner and to make decorative tassel (optional)
• Dowel

Tools -

• Glue Gun or Sewing Machine (either will work great!)
• Scissors

RECTANGLE PIECE FOR BANNER BASE

STEP 1.) Make sure to iron your canvas or fabric that you are going to use for the banner base before you start. Next, decide how big you want to make your banner. I just proportioned mine to the 12 inch long dowel that I purchased. Before I hemmed any of my edges my rectangle piece measured 14 inches long (from top to bottom) and 10 inches wide (from side to side). 

SIDES FOLDED OVER BEFORE HEM

STEP 2.) Fold over the left and right sides of your banner base about 1/2 inch to make a hem. Make sure to iron them down before you attempt to sew or glue them. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. You will regret it if you do - - - >  #beentheredonethat. Hem the sides with a sewing machine or glue gun (both work just as well). 

BACK OF BANNER SHOWING DOWEL CASING

STEP 3.) After the sides of your banner are hemmed, you can move to the top of the banner to create the casing for your dowel. My dowel was 1/2 inch in diameter so I folded my fabric over 1 1/2 inches to make sure there was ample room to slide in the dowel. Next you can sew or glue the casing. Then you are ready to insert your dowel. Can you see it starting to take shape now?!

STEP 4.) I don't have any pictures of this part, because honestly I struggled with getting the points on my banner to look the way I envisioned them. Halfway through this step (after I had already made the cut) I realized I should have stuck with an easier banner shape like THIS ONE. It would have made this project go more seamlessly and saved me some time. 

STEP 5.) Now for the fun part!! After your banner base is complete you are ready to decorate and bedazzle it to your heart's content. Since Kate's nursery theme is very soft and sweet I stuck with a neutral palette and simple design. I enlisted the help of my Cricut machine to cut out paper letters to use as a guide before cutting my felt because my scissor skills are horrible and I didn't trust myself to be able to freehand the letters. After my felt letters were cut out I used a hot glue gun to attach them to the banner. Lastly, I made a fun little tassel out of baker's twine to add a little whimsy (awesome tassel tutorial HERE) and then tied twine around the dowels to create the hanging piece. 

I haven't decided exactly where I want to hang my banner yet, but I had so much fun moving it around the room to take pictures for this post! Honestly, it looked perfect in just about every place I put it. It's such a versatile piece and I hope that when she's older Kate will love it as much as I do. What do you think about the finished product? Is this something that you would attempt? 

You guys, it feels so wonderful to be blogging again! Thank you for taking the time to read this tutorial! Make sure you tell me if you try this project. I would LOVE to see what you create!!!

xoxo,
Hannah

Friday Favorites - Fixer Upper

Yes, I have been away from this blog for SO LONG, but I promise I'm not letting her go just yet!
I want to kick off my first post in forever with a new series I hope to do every week. Friday Favorites! Some of you may recall my Things I'm Loving Thursday posts in the past... Friday Favorites will be similar to that. Only it's way easier to say. Actually that's pretty much the only difference. 

SOOOO! Let's kick it off! This one actually seems like a cop out, because really - who isn't obsessed with Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV's Fixer Upper?! You guys, I'm telling you Joanna has pretty much rewired my decorating style hard drive since I began following the show. I was already making the move away from modern decorating which was my style when I first became a homeowner nearly 8 years ago, but Fixer Upper just pushed me over the edge. Can we say #shiplap E-VER-Y-THING! Darren (the hubby) thinks I've lost my mind, because I'm asking if we can wood plank a wall in our house about twice a week. Here are some of the Fixer Upper projects that I'm googly eyed over lately. 

What are your favorite things about Fixer Upper and Chip & Joanna's style? Have you incorporated any of her ideas into your home yet? If so, I would love to hear what they are and how your projects turned out!
Also.... what do you think about the new blog look? I thought it was time for a refresher. Simple, basic, and pretty florals are the new black in my book! It's so good to be back in bloggyland! Happy Friday, lovelies.
xoxo, Hannah

Baby Kate

Oh my goodness, you guys - I just realized it's been over a year since I blogged on a regular basis!! While that makes me sad (because I seriously love blogging) I'm also ok with it because my hiatis was for a good cause. :)  I am not one of those super women who can juggle everything at once so I had to let the blog go for a bit during my pregnancy and Kate's newborn baby stage. Speaking of Kate... I want to officially introduce you to her! These pictures were taken when she was 3 weeks old by She Designs Photography. 

Katherine Noel Hutslar was born at 9:48am on December 30, 2014. It was an extremely long labor, but it was (of course) worth every second of pain the moment they placed her in my arms! Kate was 6 lbs. 15 oz.,19 inches long, and had a head full of dark hair. Here are some more of my favorite pictures from the lifestyle photo shoot we had with Karalea Payne when Kate was 6 weeks old.

I hope to get back to writing on a regular basis very soon. I already have a few DIY projects up my sleeve that I can't wait to work on and share! Tata for now... will write more soon!

Thoughts of a Survivor During Pregnancy After Infertility

To the ones who are still waiting, hoping, and praying for their miracle... this is for you.

Believe it or not, "survivor's guilt" (for lack of a better description) is a real thing during pregnancy after infertility. At least it has been for me. Maybe I feel it more than most because I've been so open about my journey and as a result have come into contact with thousands of women who are waiting day after day for a miracle. Maybe it's because infertility changes you in a way that just can't be forgotten. Maybe it's even the occasional thought that someone else deserves a baby even more than I do. I mean... why have I been blessed with the gift of pregnancy while so many other amazing women are still waiting, praying, and begging God for their wombs to be filled?
Regardless of the why... the thought that I am one of the lucky ones has been something I've struggled with. Please don't get me wrong... I am thankful beyond belief to finally be carrying a healthy baby! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am enjoying every minute of being pregnant and thank God often (but not nearly enough) for the precious life that is growing inside me.
The whole point of this post is so that the women out there that are still in the thick of fighting their battle with infertility know that you haven't been forgotten. I have thought of you every day since I got my good news. I still pray for you and I still feel your pain. You're not alone in your journey and you still have a voice on this blog. I know that you're happy for me, but that you're sad for you. And that's ok. I understand, because I've been there. I remember how it feels and I haven't forgotten that sting.
I feel so happy and blessed that I have been given the incredible opportunity to carry a life inside me... I truly hope that every one of you will be able to feel this same joy one day. Until then, I will weep with you, I will pray for you, and I will remember your pain.
xoxo,  

An Announcement

Hello, my bloggy friends! I have been absent for WAY too long. I've missed you all and am super happy to be back! To kick things off again here at Lovely Little Life I have a little announcement to make...

Photo Shoot by Tyler White Photography

Yes, it's true! I'm expecting! So far everything has been fine this time around, but please continue to pray that this miracle baby will keep growing strong! I am currently 16 weeks + 2 days... Baby H is due on December 23rd! I promise to share all the details and fill you in on how things are going very soon.
Thank you all for your support and prayers over the past two years! I am so blessed to have so many people cheering for me. Please know I appreciate every one of you and haven't forgotten that there are thousands of women still fighting the battle of infertility. I have had so many thoughts about that during this pregnancy... I promise to write again soon and share! 
XOXO,