Have You Started Christmas Shopping?

Confession: I'm almost done! It's the first time I've ever been this close to being done with Christmas shopping this early in the year, but I still have a lot of work to do on stockings. We have a lot of people at our big family Christmas, so there are a lot of bases to cover when it comes to stuffing stockings. In my playing around on Pinterest, I came across an awesome blog and I had to check it out.

This has to be one of the best lists of stocking stuffers I have seen so far! Plus for those that don't like to make everything on their Christmas list, it's not all crafty things. Jenna's Journey gives a complete list of items for everyone on your shopping list and they are really creative things too. It's going to make my shopping so much easier. I may even be done before the month is over!

The Dirty, Dirty Couch

I knew my couch was dirty before I started this project, but I really had no idea how dirty. I have loathed it lately and had started shopping for slipcovers. Well back-up. First, I started looking for tutorials on how to make slipcovers. That looked like an absolute nightmare, really, I think you must be very brave or absolutely crazy to make them yourself. So then I started shopping around. The prices were killing me! I couldn't imagine spending what some of the places were asking and I wasn't even finding anything I was the least bit in love with. It just so happened on the same day, I found two AMAZING things to share with you.

First, for those in the market for a slipcover, check out www.uglysofa.com. They have beautiful and affordable slipcovers. They carry brand name slipcovers at unbeatable prices. Believe me, I've looked at the other places. And I was not paid to say this, just found them and saw how awesome they were.

The second thing I came across was on Pinterest. I found a tutorial on how to clean a microfiber couch. (Update 8/13/15: the link to the original tutorial is gone.) It was really my lucky day because that's exactly the type of couch I have. So I figured I would give the cleaning a shot and if that didn't work, I could always buy one of the great slipcovers I found.

I made a list of all the supplies I would need and headed out to Walmart to get them. I couldn't find white scrubby sponges like she recommended but I found brown, which match our couch so I grabbed them. I had no trouble with the rest of the supplies.

Supplies needed:
A spray bottle, rubbing alcohol, soft scrubbing brush like pictured, scrubbing sponges (ideally white to prevent color transfer).

Pour the rubbing alcohol into the spray bottle and spray the affected area of the couch. Use the scrubbing side of the sponge to scrub the dirt off of the couch. Then use the soft bristled brush to rub the nap of the fabric back up after it has started to dry. It will help restore the original softness of the fabric. Try not to over saturate the fabric because it can leave "water ring" like spots and only clean in small sections at a time.

I didn't notice until I posted it but I had a nice glass of wine in my supplies picture. It wasn't mentioned in the supply list but it is a nice thing to have if your couch is as dirty as mine.  You are going to be doing a lot of scrubbing and you will sure need it for your breaks. Warning though, open a window or two if you can, the smell of rubbing alcohol is VERY strong!

So this is my dirty, ugly couch cushion before:
 

And this is my lovely, almost perfect couch cushion now:

I think I can live with it awhile longer.

Shabby Apple Ballerina Dress

If you haven't heard of Shabby Apple, you absolutely must check them out. I love dresses and adore everything they make. I was recently lucky enough to win a $50 gift card to their store and was ecstatic! I have been eying their dresses for as long as I can remember, waiting for the day that I could make one of them my own. Well, that day is finally here!

One of the great things about their site is that you can shop by "collections," where the outfits are similar in style. So if you have a certain look you are going for it is much easier to find. You can also shop their sale and practically perfect departments. They also have a wedding department that carries styles for both the bride and bridesmaids.

I chose Ballerina, which has been one of my favorites from the start and I anxiously awaited it's arrival. It shipped very quickly and came beautifully packaged. I couldn't wait to try it on! It fits like a dream and is very comfortable. I wore it all day and had no issues with comfort or movement in it. It also washed well on the delicate cycle, which I was happy about because I am not one for hand-washing anything. I think it's become my favorite dress!

Now I can't wait to get another beautiful dress, skirt or other beautiful item from Shabby Apple. I'm in love!