Cute as a Button {Pumpkin}

When she isn't working a full-time job or serving as mother to three year-old Jacob, my friend Shelly is playing the part of a baking and crafting goddess. And unlike others who bake and craft for the sole purpose of baking and crafting, Shelly finds ways to practice these hobbies while doing so for a greater cause or for the benefit of others. 

Take the following as examples of her talents and generosity:

Last Christmas, the girls and I exchanged home made gifts. While I gave the girls framed subway art and crafted ornaments, Shelly presented us with these soft, warm woolen mittens that she had crafted from old sweaters. 

Shelly created the baby shower gifts in this box for her sister-in-law Kelsey.  I told her that she could make the same gifts for our babies, and she did!  At my baby shower, she presented me with a box filled with ADORABLE owl-themed hats, stuffed animals, a changing pad, and rice bags!

Shelly is as talented in baking as she is in sewing and crafting.  Now, I like to bake, but I bake and then...I eat!  Shelly bakes for others.  In the picture above, you can see cupcakes that she baked to encourage others to donate money to Children's Hospital. 

...and just look at this AH-MAZING cake that she made for her niece, Julia.  It looks too beautiful to eat!

 

Not only is Shelly generous with her talents, but she is QUICK!  A few weeks ago, the babies and I ran into Shelly at Jo-Ann.  I was picking up the materials to make a button pumpkin that I had pinned on Pinterest.  She was looking for inspiration for a costume for Jacob.  We chatted before parting ways, she with inspiration, and I with burlap and buttons. 

Just a few days later, Shelly posted these pictures of the most adorable dragon costume:

She made this in just DAYS, people!  Can you say SPEEDY DELIVERY!?!  Meanwhile, I still had not started on my MUCH simpler button craft. 

It took me 2 1/2 weeks from the day on which I had seen Shelly at Jo-Ann to make this button art:

It's cute, yes, but it's no dragon costume.  To make this cute as a button {pumpkin}, I followed the tutorial found here. 

Oh...guess what Shelly was doing while I was FINALLY getting around to crafting my button pumpkin?  MAKING ANOTHER COSTUME!  She made this fantastically wicked witch costume for herself:

How does that girl find the time to do it all?  I bet she doesn't spend as much time watching Days of Our Lives as I do, huh?