Jump Up and Down

a reminder

2008-02-14T10:51:00.003-07:00

Just a reminder, and in case you didn't catch it at the bottom of my last post, I've changed to a Typepad blog. You can now find me at jumpupanddown.typepad.com. I'm sorry this causes you a little bit of work, but be sure to change your subscriptions, your links, your bookmarks, etc. There's a new post over there today, so come say hi! and Happy Valentines Day!

an accomplishment and an announcement

2008-02-12T00:39:00.000-07:00

So, I did it - I finally finished the second, larger version of this bag that I have had cut out for at least two weeks! Nothing like a funk and a cold to slow you down. Today the sun was bright and shiny and it was making me feel bright and shiny, so I hope the funk is gone and I know the cold is gone because I can breath with my mouth closed for the first time in four days.

So, the bag...it's quite large - perfect for packing all sorts of fun stuff. I was thinking diaper bag when I made this, so I lined the entire bottom with pockets and added a cell phone and small pocket to the top half. I think I'll leave the small pocket out on the final version - it was just a little too much pocket and didn't really fit.

I also quilted the top part of this, but it took forever and it was really hard to make it all straight (maybe I was just trying to go too fast), and I'm not sure it really added that much to the bag (except for a lot more thread!), so I think that won't be part of the final version either.

I did decide that this one was good enough for giving away and now it's all packed with fun baby goods and ready to give to Peter's speech therapist who is having her first at the end of the month. Today is Peter's last session with her until May - I hope he transitions well to the substitute.

And my announcement (oh, wait, I just realized what you all must be thinking - no, no it's not that) - it's a new blog!! I've moved over to Typepad. So, take a minute, stop by, and change your reader subscription to jumpupanddown.typepad.com! I will probably just post one more announcement here in a day or two (for those who didn't make it to the end of this post) and other than that, I'll be completely on Typepad now. Hope to see you there!

checking in...

2008-02-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to check in today and let you know that I'm still here. The boys and I all got hit pretty hard with a cold/cough around Wednesday of last week and we're starting to feel better now. Ryan and his super human immune system were just fine. Once when I had strep throat I was accidentally brushing my teeth with his toothbrush and he didn't get strep! I can't even remember the last time he stayed home sick - he is amazingly healthy!

I know I'm committing a major faux paux for a craft blog by not posting any pics, but we're really just getting back on our feet here and I thought a blog post would be enough of an accomplishment for today! I was just starting to fight the funk last week and then the sickness brought it all back. But, the sun is shining today and my spirits are up, so I'm looking forward to a productive week! Tomorrow, I'll reveal my big change that I've hinted at and I did finally finish that second purse that I've been talking about forever!

Hope you are all having a great Monday!

fighting the funk...

2008-02-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of your encouragement on my last post. I've decided I'm not going down without a fight. The mid-winter and post-birthday blues (I'm always OK with winter until my birthday is over and then I think it's just time for it to be spring - so at least I get one extra month of relative satisfaction with winter.) will not get me! And here is my plan of attack:

1) Drive north to visit Missy for the afternoon.
status: Accomplished yesterday - the sun was shining on the way up and the kids laughed and played and then cried when it was time to go home. Fun for all! Thanks for having us Missy!

2) Start an all new project - one that I've been thinking about and had supplies for for months.
status: Getting there. I've left it out on my sewing room floor and it makes me smile every time I walk by. Any guesses about what it is?

3) Finish some sunshine-y yellow vintage banners for the shop.
status: Banners are finished, the sun came out today so pictures are taken, will list in the next day or two.
4) Just work through whatever is holding me back on the second trial of this bag and do it.
status: I got a great start last night. I actually almost finished the bag. This will no longer be the bane of my existence!

5) New mystery project in the works.
status: to be revealed later this week or early next week. Go to my shop for a preview.

funky

2008-02-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ned woke up with this crazy hair yesterday and I thought it was a good representation of how I've been feeling for the last two weeks or so - funky. And not funky crazy, but funky like in a funk funky. I've hardly done any crafting or sewing at all in the past two weeks. I've had that bag cut out for a week and a half that I keep promising to show, but I haven't sewn a stitch on it. I have done lots of cleaning (notice the sewing room floor in the picture above is vacuumed.) and sorting and organizing. But, I'm still feeling a little off and it doesn't seem to be just a passing feeling. I've got a lot of ideas about why I'm feeling this way - being 31 (I know it's not that old, but it sure is feeling like it lately), it's the middle of winter and way too cold (Peter keeps saying, "I too cold, I too cold," when we are outside.), and I'm feeling the need for a little more direction and focus in my life, but I'm not sure where I want to go. Oh, I know this is all very vague and I'm probably being confusing more than anything, but I just needed to get this off my chest. Maybe if I just admit it, I'll be able to work through it and move on. Hmmm...I feel a new crafting project coming on - something to help me get out of this funk!

The Verdict on Etsy Showcases

2008-01-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

Warning: Technical Etsy stuff ahead- feel free to skip this post if you aren't interested. But some of you requested an update on this topic, so here it is.

Remember this post a couple of weeks ago where I asked if any of you had purchased an Etsy showcase? Well, no one had, so I decided to purchase one as an experiment. So, I went to the Showcase section on the My Etsy page (this is the one you can only get to after you have logged in and you are looking at a list of what you have for sale and there is a left sidebar with different options - showcase is one of them) and purchased a showcase spot for Monday January 28 in the Gift Guides section. I chose the Gift Guides section because this section is consistently sold out, so I figured it was a more desirable location. This cost me $7 and got me a picture of my choosing in the right sidebar section of the Gift Guides page for that entire day. I chose to show the purse pictured above because it has been one that has consistently received the most views.

So, at midnight on January 28th, this purse had 366 views and 13 hearts. This morning at 8 am it had 400 views and 13 hearts. This was the only way that people could have linked to my shop from the Gift Guides showcase, so at most 34 people looked at my shop because of this showcase. I did have three people heart my shop on January 28th, but I also added this banner to the shop yesterday, so I'm not sure if they even came from the Gift Guide.

So, for $7, I got 34 to look at my purse and I'm not even sure how many of them went on to look at my shop. That's a little more than 20 cents per view. I usually get at least 20 views in the first day on a new item and that listing only costs 20 cents. I think I would have been better off spending my money on 35 listings, which would have resulted in at least 700 views of my items.

So, there you have it - my take on Etsy showcases. I probably won't ever purchase one again. Maybe a main showcase or holiday showcase would do more good, but those cost $15. I'm not sure I'd risk it. I'd still be interested to hear from anyone who has had a positive experience with a showcase - maybe I did something wrong. My shop wasn't nearly as stocked as I wanted it to be, mainly because I have been lazy and in a funk the last week or two, but also because I sold four purses on the 27th. But, I'm not sure it would have helped as I only had 34 views on that purse that day anyway...who knows? I just know it would take a lot of convincing for me to purchase a showcase again.

they say it's your birthday

2008-01-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

What a great birthday weekend I've had, thanks to friends and family who have made it so! Friday's massage was fabulous and then Friday night my friends here threw me a such great party with laughing, great food, and games! Thank you, Thank you! We forgot the group shot, but here I am blowing out the candles on the cake (chocolate with chocolate frosting - perfect!).

I borrowed an idea from my friend Phoebe and made a mix CD (is this what we call mix tapes now?) of songs that I love and have meaning to my years. I shared a copy with all of my gal pals at the party and we listened to it too - fun! And now that I've got you all intrigued, here are the songs, starting with the song that I was named after.

Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band
It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go - Nanci Griffith
Clocks - Coldplay
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan
Galileo - Indigo Girls
Jerusalem - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
Ciega, Sordomuda - Shakira
Vivir Si Aire - Maná
Maybe I'm Amazed - Loma Mar Quartet
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles
Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
Sweetly Sleeps - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
Landslide (w/Nancy Hanson) - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
I Feel It All - Feist
Once In a Very Blue Moon - Nanci Griffith
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Birthday - The Beatles

Last night was babysitting co-op night, so we dropped off the boys and went out for Greek food. Mmmm....delicious gyros, hummus and pita, spanakopita, dolmas, etc. It was our first time going there and I think we'll definitely be going back. I love finding a new restaurant.

And then today, I woke up and it really hit me that I am into my thirties (31 this year). It was a little depressing, but I got over it tonight with a nice banana split and seeing Peter and Ned's excitement to eat ice cream. Peter even told me, "Happy Birthday!" and of course, had to help me blow out the candles.Please excuse my piles of clutter - I've been a little too good to myself this previous week in preparation for my birthday.

Thank you Ryan, Mandy, Kelli, and everyone who has sent their birthday wishes in person and by phone and mail! It was a lovely birthday!

dreaming...

2008-01-24T13:40:00.001-07:00

We are trying to find a house to rent. Ryan's job here is temporary so we don't want to buy, but we keep hoping that we'll find something in our price range with a yard (right now we are in a townhome with a patio which is definitely a step up from our student life, but the boys and I would really benefit from a yard.) We've been looking at places for about a month now, but everything seems to have something that's just not right. Last night we went to look at a place and everything was looking great until we realized it had electric heat and a wood stove. It's been below zero in the mornings here for the past few days, so electric heat is definitely not an option and the wood stove just isn't something I want to deal with right now - not safe for the kids, messy, and much more work than just programming my thermometer! So, I came home frustrated again. And it's starting to get to the point where it's more trouble than it's worth. Maybe we should just stay here. So, instead of thinking about a new place, I decided to do a little virtual shopping today to sooth my soul.

First on the list, a new bed, one with some character and funk (it's the Noresund from Ikea):Second, new bedding - maybe something like this (photo from Domino Magazine):

And what we really need around here is some storage. Does anyone else fantasize about fantastic shelving like I do? It is so fun to dream...

of hooks and plans

2008-01-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

I crocheted for the first time again in a really long time on Sunday night. Just me, my hook, and the Jane Austen Masterpiece Theater Series on PBS - it was lovely. I'm making another one of these. This one is for my Mom and is her Mother's Day present. No, I am not that on the ball - this is her Mother's Day present from last year. Luckily, I have a patient and understanding mother who has no problem with this at all. In fact, maybe I'll have it done for her birthday in two weeks. It could be very likely, as there are two more of the Jane Austen shows before then. We'll see.

Speaking of birthdays, I'm putting the finishing touches on my plans for a great birthday weekend. The beauty of having a birthday on Sunday is that the celebration easily lasts all weekend and sometime into the next week. I've got definite plans starting on Friday morning with a massage appointment. I can't wait!

A few Etsy Topics

2008-01-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just a few things about Etsy today that I have figured out in the last week or so. Maybe you already know about these things, but I thought I would share just in case.

Have you every wanted one of these fab logos on your blog? I finally found out where people are getting them in the forums this morning.

Also while wandering the forums last week, I found out about this super useful tool, Heart-o-Matic, that will show you a listing of all your items with the number of people who have hearted them. No more clicking on each item individually to see how many hearts it has - such a time saver! Just enter your username or Etsy ID and you are on your way.

And, I wanted to ask my fellow Etsy sellers if you have ever bought a showcase? If so, what did you think about what it did for your shop - was it worth it? If so, what kind of a showcase was it? It's something I've been considering, but I'm not sure if it would really pay off. Maybe just consistent daily listings are more useful which is something I would do anyway.

Thanks for all your warm wishes about the cold weather - it is making it more bearable! I'm a little behind on the second edition of the new purse, but I do appreciate your advise. It's unanimous - more pockets are better, so there will be more pockets!

Have a wonderful day everyone! And try not to freeze!

Tuesday Topics

2008-01-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but yesterday and today have really felt like the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas vacation to me. Maybe I was being too nice to myself right after Christmas and things have finally caught up with me now. I don't know, but I sure have felt busy - bills to pay (like 10 of them - how did that happen?), today we had 4 appointments and pre-school plus all of the regular things like cooking dinner and cleaning up little messes and such. And last night I picked up my exercise routine again after a too long holiday break. Busy is good, right?

And what have crafty things have been keeping me busy? First, I wanted to show you the latest addition to my shop - this fun Valentine's Day banner. Anybody need some hugs and kisses? This should do the trick with it's XOXO message.

I've also had a few questions about my new bag. First, does the top fold over? Yes, it does. I got the idea from another bag I saw online and I thought it was a great thing - not just for looks, but for function too. I have lots of people ask me if I can add zippers to my bags for security reasons (and I can, if you're interested), but I thought this fold over top accomplishes the same thing without the zipper.

Second, a request to see the inside of the bag. Here it is - pockets on both sides. The final version might have more pockets - what do you think? Are more pockets better or is there a point where they are just more pockets?
I've been using this bag for a couple of days now and I really like it just how it is, so I'm thinking I might actually offer two versions - one just like this one, but with longer straps and one that is a little wider and has a plethora of pockets inside that could be used as a business bag (like for carrying files and such to and from work) or a diaper bag. I have several friends who are having babies this year and I'd love to give them a bag like this, maybe with a matching changing pad. I'll be experimenting with it in the next few days - I'll let you know how it turns out.

And in the meantime, I'll be bundled up trying not to freeze - six years in California (we've only been here for a year) was not good for my winter time cold resistance. I'm such a wimp now! Or maybe I just have forgotten that when you go out you need a little more than just a coat in a place with a real winter.

Mama's Got A Brand New Bag

2008-01-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to thank you all for your words of support and praise for Peter. I struggle with deciding how much personal info to share on this blog and sometimes I just choose not to talk about Peter because this is such a big part of who he is right now and a big part of what we do in our everyday lives (like me correcting him every time he doesn't respond yes/no to a yes/no question, like driving to speech and occupational therapy and pre-school and making sure he has playtime with other kids and such). I'm glad I shared - I certainly feel your support and appreciate it!
So, here it is, the new bag. Just try not to look at how much I need to vacuum my sewing room floor. This was the only room that is getting enough light for pictures today. It's been so dreary for the past few days. And if I had taken the time to clean it before taking pictures, the light would have been gone. Anyway, back to the bag - overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I wanted something a little more tote looking, but still with enough detail and uniqueness to look like more than just a tote. I think I might make this a little bigger by widening it a few inches. Right now, it's about the same size as my bell bag. One of my aims in creating a few new bags for the shop was to offer a wider range of sizes - some larger, some smaller. This one was supposed to be the larger, so it really needs a couple more inches in width. I also want to make the straps just a little bit longer. These just barely fit over my shoulder and they definitely need a little more room there. The bag is still totally usable though and it's definitely going to be mine! Hooray - a new bag for me!
Other than size and strap length, I'm very pleased with it - it has a lot of structure (I love that it sits up on its own - thanks to some stiff interfacing) and I like the shape. It was fun to put together. The quilted straps were a little tedious, but I love how they turned out, so they were definitely worth it. I'm hoping to have a couple in the shop by the end of the next week. And thank you to Sandi for the fabric - isn't it fabulous? It should be in stores soon.

Have a fun weekend everyone!

Speaking Up

2008-01-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned this before on the blog although I know many of you know that Peter is fairly delayed in his speech. He's been going to speech therapy for about a year now, attends pre-school in a language enriched classroom, and we just started occupational therapy for some sensory issues that are definitely related to the speech delay. I'm always amazed at the progress that Peter makes while we are on break. During the two week break from pre-school and speech, Peter finally started doing so many things that we've been working on for such a long time. Things like saying, "Yes." We've been working on that one for about six months. He usually just repeats the last couple words of the question that you asked him if he wants to reply in the affirmative. He also started saying, "I'm coming" and using more I + verb combinations. On his first day back at pre-school he asked one of his teachers, "What's this for?" and as we were pulling into the garage yesterday he said, "Where's daddy?" So, he's finally asking questions too! Hooray for Peter! It's so fun to hear him speaking up! And it's all just in time - I got a note last Sunday at church requesting that Peter say the prayer in the children's group next Sunday. It should be interesting.

Here's a photo Peter took of our Christmas tree last month. He loves to take pictures - usually we get a big shot of his thumb or the carpet, but this one actually turned out looking pretty cool.
And for a crafty/sewing update: I did manage to make a new bag design this past weekend. It still needs a bit of tweaking, but I'll show you the one I made anyway, as soon as I take a picture. I'm a lucky girl and was able to make it out of Sandi's new fabric. She needs to take a picture of it for the Michael Miller website, so as soon as I get it back (which I think will be today), I 'll share.

Resolving

2008-01-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

I know this about a week later than everyone else's resolutions post, but my number one resolution is not to sabotage my goals with perfectionism. So here I am, sharing a few of my goals for this year. Like I said, I usually don't make New Year's resolutions, but this year I'm feeling especially inspired to make a fresh start.

1. Make a family budget and keep track of expenses.
I did this for the first three months of last year, so I think there is a fairly good chance of accomplishing this one.

2. Turn negative thoughts about others and myself into positive thoughts.

3. Run a half marathon in late summer/early fall.
I haven't chosen which one I will do, but I have checked into a few. I want to commit now so I will keep up with a training program and hopefully feel a whole lot better physically as I go through the process.

There are a few more, including some we have made as a family, but I think these three are definitely my top priority and now that I've written them down and you all know about them too, hopefully I'll be more likely to achieve them. Feel free to ask me how I'm doing with them from time to time and best of everything to all of you with your New Year's resolutions!

Back in the Saddle

2008-01-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

The monkeys I made for the boys - they sat right next to the stockings on Christmas morning. From this pattern.

I'm back - trying to resurface from the haze and craze of the holidays! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and are getting back into the swing of things. Things got a little crazy for me right around the time of my last post. My shop did a whole lot better than I thought it would during the holiday season and it definitely kept me BUSY! And by the time things slowed down in the shop, I had to turn all my focus to the handmade gifts that I'd been putting off. And in between all that sewing and making, somehow I managed to fit in viewing Charlie Brown's Christmas and the old school How the Grinch Stole Christmas with the kids, a little bit of baking, a couple of parties, practicing the piano so I could accompany a church choir number, and a bit of deep cleaning in the kitchen (the oven, underneath the oven, behind all the appliances, that sort of thing). Am I making you dizzy just reading about it? It was a bit dizzying, but fun.

On Christmas Day afternoon, we took the drive down to see our family and spend a relaxing week doing practically nothing but hanging around, taking naps (I had two in one day last Saturday), playing with the kids, and enjoying visits from family. Ryan and I even managed our first night away from the kids (to this fun resort)! Thanks Mom! The kids did great and this is definitely something we will have to do more often.

I'm still finalizing my resolutions for 2008. Usually, I don't make New Year's resolutions. My general philosophy is that if a goal is worth accomplishing, it's worth doing anytime of the year. But, this year my desire for some change and the New Year are coinciding, so I'm making some New Year's resolutions. It's been fun reading about some of yours and I hope I'll be brave enough to share some of mine in the next day or two.

I've got some new sewing projects in mind too - a new purse design or two for the shop and some banners for Valentine's Day. Remember all of this - it's time to use it now. It's also my birthday month and I'm trying to figure out how to celebrate - I sort of missed a nice celebration of the big 3-0 last year (we had just moved here after three months of unemployment, we didn't have friends yet, and I was not feeling much like celebrating), so this year I'm going to pretend it's the big 3-0 even though I'll really be 31 (did I really just admit that?) and celebrate accordingly. Suggestions, anyone?

I hope you're all enjoying the New Year and that you'll all start reading my blog again! I really am back;)!

Heard on High

2007-12-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite ornaments. I made these little angels when I was in college. I think I had intended to use them as gifts, but I loved them so much that I kept them. And I'm so glad that I did - they definitely bring a smile to my face each year when they come out of the Christmas box.

We've been busy getting ready for Christmas here - finishing up the shopping, making yummy treats (chocolate dipped delicious things of all sorts that we plan to share with neighbors and friends if we haven't eaten them all before we get around to putting them in pretty packaging), and enjoying the white covered world outside. I'm still making gifts and probably will be until the last minute - stuffed monkeys for the boys, crayon rolls for nephews, and some things I can't mention because they are for people who read this blog. I'm getting excited just writing about it!

Counting Down

2007-12-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

The weather outside (yesterday) was frightful.

But, inside we have this delightful advent to keep us counting the days to Christmas. Mary put an amazing amount of work into this fun and adorable advent garland - I just about fell over when I opened her last swap package for Sweet Goodness Swaps. I had been wanting to make something just like this - thanks Mary for all the time and creativity you put into this! We love it - especially the Hershey's Kiss for each one of us inside each stocking or mitten. Yum!

A Little More How To - Gift Tags

2007-12-07T13:31:00.001-07:00

I think I just wasn't meant to do much blogging this week - I keep waiting for the sun to come out so I can take pictures of my Christmas decorations. It's just not happening. And if the sun does come out, I'm busy doing something for the boys - changing Ned's diaper or taking Peter to pre-school or getting lunch ready. I am determined to catch the sun this weekend - if it comes out, that is. I heard on the radio this morning that 4-8" of snow is predicted for tonight with a few more tomorrow. Something will work out, right?

In the meantime, I have this pic saved from last week. I sent these tags to Mary for the Sweet Goodness Swap. (I really need to show you the amazing garland Mary sent me - but alas, there are no good pics.) They were super easy to make and I love how they turned out. I used some of my vintage Christmas fabric and cut it out with pinking shears (you'll want to use pinking shears so your fabric doesn't fray) to my desired size (I think these are 1.5" h x 3" w). Then I cut the paper a little bit smaller (like 1" x 2.5"), centered and glued it onto the fabric
with tacky glue. After they were dry, I punched a hole and inserted string. Ta-da - gift tags! And you could make these for any occasion. So easy!

I'm off to do more sewing for the shop - it's a busy time of year and I'm having a lot of fun with it...hope you all are enjoying your holiday season!

Merry Days and Names in Felt

2007-12-03T11:12:00.001-07:00

Happy December everyone! I finally got out a little bit of our Christmas decor yesterday (I'll share pics later) - our little tree, a few lights, a nativity. I must confess that I've been dreading getting out the Christmas decorations because I just imagine myself telling Peter and Ned to keep away from them all day long. And true to form, in the first two hours after they were up, decorations were taken off the tree, the tree skirt was pulled askew, and Ned even managed to pull the tree down on himself (it's very small - no harm done, just a bit startling for him). So, I just got out those few things and put the rest away. Call me a Scrooge, but pulling my kids off the Christmas things all day long doesn't really fill me with the holiday spirit! I promise I'm excited for Christmas and all of the loveliness it brings - just let me enjoy it and not have to spend it keeping my children from touching everything they shouldn't!

I've certainly been helping others prepare for the holiday season by making quite a few custom stockings, complete with personalization in the form of a name in felt on the stocking. I've been wanting to do a tutorial on here for quite some time and while working on this little project, I thought sharing with you how I do my felt names would be good. This technique could also use this technique for any sort of shape. And you can use the letters for monogramming, full names, or initials. So, here it goes.

PERSONALIZING WITH FELT LETTERS

1) Use a word processing program to type out your names. Choose a font that is wide enough that you will be able to sew around the outline easily. Use the rulers in your program to guide you in choosing your font size. You should be able to fit your letters to your desired size by playing with the font size until it matches the length and width of space on the item you want personalized.
2) Pin the paper letters to your felt. Cut the letters out with sharp scissors that have small blades that will easily navigate the detailed and small edges of your letters. To cut the inner circles of letters like “a” and “e”, insert your scissors into the middle of the circle and clip a hole. Using this hole as a starting point, cut to the edge of the inner circle and then cut around the circle.
3) Pin the letters securely on fabric, making sure that everything is positioned just how you want it.

4) With a coordinating thread, sew around the edge of each letter. Be prepared to lift the pressure foot (make sure to leave your needle down when you do this) several times as you change directions to make it around your letter. It is beneficial to remove the pin when you have sewn enough that the letter is attached enough to stay in place.

5) Clip the threads and admire your creation!

Give, Oh Give

2007-11-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have been a lucky girl (again) lately. I must say that I love the giveaways in the blogging world - it's fun to have giveaways and receive from giveaways. Just last week I received my latest giveaway prize - a patchwork scarf from Katie. She made it just for me - I love the oranges and reds and it looks smashing with my gray peacoat. I've only been wearing it for a couple of days and already received many compliments on it. And she still has one left in her shop in brown and green - lovely! Thanks Katie!

And the winner of my little giveaway? Congratulations go to Darcy! I'm sure Elle will love all the little hair adornments!

Growing Up

2007-11-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Again, I didn't me to be gone for so long, but we had some trouble with internet access while out of town visiting family - it was out at my father-in-law's house. I had planned to keep things going at the shop while we were gone so it was a little bit of a necessary hassle to get internet access. I went to my grandparent's house a few more times than I would have normally and then we found that if we drove around the corner, there was an open wireless connection. So, I would camp out in the car doing only the essentials - answering convos, following up an order, etc. Luckily, it was in a cul de sac without any nosy passersby - I sure felt silly in the car with my computer parked in front of someone's house.

So, without further adieu, here is the long awaited first haircut of Baby N. After a week or two of having people call Baby N a girl, I decided it was time and I was ready for it. It took me a little while to find someone to do it, but when my friend Mandy found out I was looking for someone, she happily volunteered. So, here's the before (well, just the back, he was getting nervous about sitting in the chair, so we didn't take the time for anything other than a pic of the lovely back curls) and the after - looking like a big boy, but still not giving up the binky. Thank you Mandy for doing such a great job!

He's definitely growing up and I've decided to stop calling him Baby N on the blog. I gave the boys nicknames when I first started the blog because I didn't know how I felt about using their real names and I figured the most cautious route was the best one. So, I talked it over with Ryan and we decided it would be OK for me to use our boy's first names on the blog. So who are they? Baby N is Ned and Little P is Peter.

And since we're talking about growing up and it is the time of year that we take notice of all we are thankful for, I'm thankful that Peter is finally (after three months of solid potty training) using the toilet for all of his business! Hooray! Please do not ask me for advice on potty training - apparently I had no idea what I was doing!

One more thing and I promise I'm finished - this is my 100th post. And may I say that I love what I've started here - thank you so much for coming here to read, leave comments, and share in the fun! In honor of 100 posts, I do have a little giveaway up my sleeve. In honor of Ned's first haircut, I'll be giving away an assortment hair accessories - bobby pins and ponytail holders with fabric covered buttons. Just leave a comment before Wednesday.

MIA

2007-11-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Wow - where did the last week go? Oh, that's right - busy, busy, busy. We had Little P's pre-school Parent Night, we gave Baby N his first haircut (does this mean I have to think of another, more suitable online name for him? I'll share the new do soon - he hasn't been too cooperative about getting his picture taken.), I had a fun girls night out with some gals in my neighborhood, I got my hair done, and I have been crazy busy with sewing! And we're going out of town tomorrow for Thanksgiving. That means laundry and packing today and tomorrow. And I've got to keep sewing - I'm working on a few bags that I'm going to place on consignment in a boutique in the city where I grew up. Here's a few pics of things I've been working on lately:Aprons, purses, ponytail holders with fabric covered buttons, all which can be found in the shop now. I wasn't going to put the ponytail holders in the shop because there are already so many of them on Etsy, but I had already bought a boatload of buttons for the craft show that I didn't do, so I decided I would put some in anyway. It will probably be a temporary item - like just until I run out of buttons, which may take a while;). Oh, and I'm running a free shipping/$5 international shipping promotion in the the shop until Wednesday on all purchases over $30.

I hope to get back here tomorrow with pics of Baby N's hair, but if I don't....Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thursday's Dinner

2007-11-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

I want to rewind to last Thursday so I can share our yummy family dinner with you. Last week I was trying to use things I already had in the house and not go shopping - a little cleaning out. I was surprised by some of the things I managed to pull off, but Thursday's nights dinner definitely topped them all. We had Kelly's Chicken Noodle Soup with her grandma's egg noodles and butternut squash pizza. It was a fabulous combination - yummy!

This was my first time making egg noodles - I must admit they turned out a bit chewy. I'm assuming I didn't let them dry long enough (I didn't realize I should have made them ahead of time and we were all getting grumbly tummies so they only got dried for 10 minutes)- can anyone shed some light on this? I have absolutely no talent when it comes to making anything from any sort of dough that involves mainly flour and water, yet I keep trying.
Add yeast and we complicate things a thousand-fold. It is just not something I have a knack for, but I keep banging my head against the wall with it because I love eating anything made from a dough that is mainly flour and water.

The butternut squash pizza is one of the few recipes that I have made more than just a couple of times. I like to try new recipes and this sometimes means that ones we have tried that we like don't get made again simply because we are trying new recipes. So, if we've eaten a particular recipe time after time, it's really good in our book! This pizza is fairly easy to put together too. Just chop up an onion and a small butternut squash, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 425 until tender (usually about 15 minutes). Get your pizza dough rolled into your favorite shape (you could use ready made or homemade) while the squash and onions are cooking. Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan or asiago cheese. Then add the onions and squash and sprinkle on a little more cheese. Put it back in the 425 oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes (until crust is golden and crispy - this really is best on a thin crispy crust). Then enjoy!

Dots Revealed

2007-11-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I was surprised that so many of you were so intrigued by my dots. I had thought about posting the recipes from our fabulous dinner last night, but I decided to end the suspense and let you in on my little project. I had a couple of close guesses with a tree skirt. You were all on the right track with a Christmas item, but you aimed too big because I tricked you by piling them up. So go a little smaller and you get stockings - fun, retro, yet modern Christmas stockings with two of my favorite trims - ric rac and pom pom trim. They were so much fun to put together and watching all the pieces come together. I first talked about here - remember the trip for the white cotton velveteen? I shopped here for the fabric on the cuffs. I bought the wool felt when our local Hancocks went out of business. The ric rac is mostly from my stash and the pom pom trim was from the town fabric shop. I haven't talked about it much, but this project has been in the works for a while and it just took it a while to get to the final product. And now that it's here, I'm so pleased with them. They're for the shop and I'm hoping to have them all listed in the next few days.

And I have to thank my friend Phoebe, for sparking all of this Christmas creativity. She sent me an e-mail a month or so ago asking for Christmas stockings that were fun, but a little different, but not so different that they couldn't be a timeless heirloom. So, here is the set I made for her three little ones. If you're into something more like this, I'll be making a special custom listing for the shop.

And I have to thank Sandi for the photos! And her daughter Eliza for being our model up there in that first shot - thanks so much!

Seeing Dots...

2007-11-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Curious? Stay Tuned.....

A Space of My Own

2007-11-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

As part of my desire to prioritize my life, we did a little furniture rearranging this weekend. We moved Baby N's crib in to Little P's room, so they are now sharing. We had tried to have them share when we first moved in here a year ago, but it just wasn't working out. The last two nights it went fairly well with just a few times putting Little P back in bed.
So, what did we do with Baby N's room? Well, it's my new workspace/studio/sewing room (not sure what I will call it yet)! As you can see in the pics, still terribly unorganized , but mine nonetheless. Hooray! I think I had mentioned that previously my workspace had been in the kitchen. This worked out well in some ways - it was easy to work because I was often in the kitchen. But, on the other hand, I found myself feeling like I was paying way too much attention to it. Other negatives? The kids, their curiosity, and my sewing supplies were not such a great combo. And it was impossible to keep the kitchen clean - my stuff was always out or always being moved around so we could use different surfaces in the kitchen that were being occupied by my things. It is going to be so nice to be able to leave my things out and just shut the door on it, where little hands can't get to it. Already I notice I am feeling more balanced. I am hoping that my sewing time will be more productive because I am not burned out by having it always around me. And we are planning to put some play things in the extra space in the kitchen - things that I will love as much as the kids so I will want to play with them more. There's also going to be a small table just for them and the cupboard that used to hold my sewing supplies (well, it still does - the new room is not even close to being organized yet) will hold art and creativity supplies for the boys. I can't wait!

p.s. for more pictures of the quilt I made for Sandi, check here (and be amazed by the gorgeous fabric once again;)!)

Halloween

2007-11-01T07:03:00.001-06:00

I couldn't decide on which picture or two to post, so I ended up with six. All in all I think they turned out well. People knew who they were and they had a lot of fun, especially Little P who got really into it by casting spells on us all. Baby N didn't collect much candy - losing the binky might have helped him project a more grown-up, ready for candy appearance, but it wasn't worth the sacrifice for him. Little P faired better in the candy department, but was more interested in eating it than collecting more. In his defense, it was quite cold and I think he just wanted to warm up while enjoying some sweet things.

The component of the costumes are from various sources.

1) The scarves -My best friend, Cayenne, knitter and spinner extraordinaire, knitted the Gryffindor scarves. They are so great! Thanks Cayenne!

2) The pets - The crochet rat pattern (really it is a mouse, but I figured Baby N is a small kid, he needed a small rat) came from here. The owl pattern came from here. If I get really ambitious, I'll make those Harry, Ron, and Hermione softies. This was my first try at crocheting amigurimi. I liked it just fine until I got to the tiny parts - like the owl's feet! Yuck! So, I fashioned some feet out of heavy interfacing and fabric. I really like how they turned out.

3) The wands - Wand instructions came from here. E-mail me for tips if you decide to make these. They were slightly tricky.

4) The glasses - store bought crazy eyes glasses (you know the ones with the lenses that make your eyes look crazy?) with the lenses popped out.

All in all, it was so much fun to see these come together and even more fun to see how much the boys enjoyed them. Little P is just now getting into dressing up and such, so I think this will be the start of our dress-up box. I can't wait to see pics of all of your Halloween adventures. Happy November to all!

Mail's Here!

2007-10-31T13:39:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to show some of the great mail I got this week.My Sweet Goodness Swaps package arrived from Mary. In it I found a fun Halloween pillowcase, a Halloween brag book and some great chocolate! Thanks Mary!
And my buttons from the Embroidered Button Swap. Aren't they all just fabulous? I'm especially in love with that the one that has a button embroidered on the button. What a fun little idea!

Hopefully I'll be back tonight or tomorrow with some fun pics of the kids in their Harry Potter get-up! Happy Halloweeen!

Halloween WIP

2007-10-30T10:53:00.000-06:00

I'm still finishing up on the boy's Halloween costumes. This is how some of the different parts look today:Any guesses yet? There is a dead giveaway in one of the pics.

There's not much left to do one these. I would have been in trouble if we had had any pre-Halloween activities, but I think everything will be finished in plenty of time for tomorrow. Hopefully the boys will cooperate and we will get some good pics of the finished product. Happy Haunting everyone!

the past few days

2007-10-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

Have I been a little absent lately? I've had a pretty big project going the past few days - this quilt! These new fabrics from my friend Sandi are debuting at Quilt Market this weekend. Aren't they fabulous? I'm loving how they look in the golden morning light. But, I can truthfully say they look amazing in any sort of light. Go tell your local quilt shop to get some!

And if this quilt combined with more quality time with my chicos has made me be here a little less, I apologize. But, making this quilt is putting a big smile on my face and my boys are smiling too, so I suppose that's what really matters. I hope you're finding something to make you smile too.

Day Trip

2007-10-22T23:10:00.000-06:00

Today the boys and I headed south to meet my Mom in a city halfway between us.

"So, where are we off to Mom?" they say with muffins in hand.

Good tunes are essential for a good road trip. We started out with a little Feist, then a bit of Sarah, and on the way home? Mana, of course. Luckily, my kids like my music.

First stop? An emergency pit stop at the po-dunkville mercantile because I forgot to go before we left home and drank a Diet Dr. Pepper in the first 15 minutes on the road.

And a landmark sighting for all of you Napoleon Dynamite fans - the Cuttin Curral really does exist! We have been fans for a while (Little P can do the Napoleon dance), but now that we live in Napoleon's neck of the woods, we find it more entertaining than ever .

After a bit of shopping and lunch, we had to get ice cream. As you can see, the boys loved it!

It was a good day!

And the reason for our little jaunt, besides some quality time with Grandma? Could the motivation for this trip really be that innocent and wholesome? OK, I admit it - there is fabric involved! I needed some white cotton velveteen for a little Christmas project I'm working on and I couldn't find it anywhere in our town or online. So, I did what any girl with a fabric loving mama that lives in a bigger city would do - I called her up and asked her to find some for me. She came through right away. Thanks Mom! For the fabric and for such a fun day!

a few things

2007-10-19T22:15:00.000-06:00

1) Thanks so much for all of your encouraging and supportive comments on my last post. The boys and I have been laughing and playing a little more in the last couple of days. I have some plans for moving things around in the house to help us be more balanced in our days. More on that later.

2) Want another chance to win one of my bags? Leave a comment here.

3)I was flattered to be seen here.

4) Many of you asked about the jacket. Well, it's on hold, while I help a friend sew some of her new fabric into something pretty. It's not hard with such lovely fabric. And I'll get back to the jacket just as soon as I can. The weather next week looks perfect for jacket wearing.

5) Enjoy your weekend!

The Real Me

2007-10-17T15:48:00.000-06:00

I started working on that jacket last night. It's coming together nicely. And the reason why I had time to start on it? I decided to drop that craft show. I have been working non-stop trying to get ready for it and trying to sell things on Etsy so I can pay for the supplies I needed for the show. And what did I have to show for it? Six purses - yes, that's it! Six purses. That's why I dropped the show. I've sewn a lot more than that in the last few weeks, it's just that the rest needed to go on Etsy. I really wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was going to happen and I wanted to give the organizer time to find someone else to fill my spot.

When I started this whole crafty, sewing, selling things on Etsy adventure, I didn't want to give up sewing for myself or my family and I didn't want it to take over my life. The last couple of weeks, it's been taking over my life. I so enjoy what I've started here on the blog and on Etsy, but really, I'm a full-time Mom and a part-time crafter. So, in the spirit of remembering who I really am, I might be talking a bit more about my Mom adventures here. You can still expect lots of sewing and crafty goodness, because that's who I really am too, just with a little more of this, this, and this thrown in.

Monday WIP

2007-10-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

1) Accessories for the boys' Halloween costumes. Yes, I'm being a tease and not telling you what they're going to be be. This is a pretty good clue though.

2) The eleven purses. They're half finished. They would've been finished, but I got side tracked by some new fabric and two custom orders.

3) A new jacket for me with fabric from this pile. I don't usually make time to sew for myself - cut them out? Yes. But actually sew them? I'm going to have to change that!

Remember, Part 2

2007-10-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

Do you remember this? I have had this name stitched for a while now. But I have been putting off this post because I knew there was no way I could adequately express how I feel about this. I am grateful to have been a part of this project and I look forward to carrying the tote when it is my turn. I hope it will give me a chance to tell people about Alicia.

Alicia A. Birchett

She was my same age.

She died on my anniversary.

She left three sons and a husband.

She joined the military so she could see the world and contribute.

She died from injuries sustained when the brakes failed while she changed a tire on a truck.

I wish she were still here.

While searching for information about Alicia, I came across a page that listed pictures and names of the one hundred and forty-one men and women my age who have died in this war. This war that never should have happened. I weep for them. I still have so much life ahead of me and while I am grateful for these men and women who have sacrificed, I can't help thinking that they should all still have so much life ahead of them too.

A little bit of everything

2007-10-09T20:48:00.000-06:00

I've been fighting a cold since last Thursday and I think I'm getting over it today as I sit here breathing freely through my nose. So, I haven't done much crafting for the past few days - a little bit of work on the boys costumes that I will show later, but not much other than that. I did manage to do a few other things though....

1) I got my hair cut yesterday. I tried out someone new. I'm not so good at staying with one person - if I have one bad experience with them, I cut them off, at least for a little while. If their price it too high (not a problem here in Idaho, but very much an issue in California), I will go to them occasionally and fill in with a less expensive stylist. The last time I got my hair colored (I have a ton of gray and am way too vain to let it show) before I had Baby N was the day before he was born. It didn't really take and even turned my hair a bit green. I swore off this stylist because of this, but then I thought that maybe it wasn't her fault, it was probably the hormones.

So, the verdict of yesterday's cut and color experience - good. It is my same old hair style (my hair is pulled back here - I hate having it on my face!) and I was trying to go for something a little different. I think I'll have to either chop it really short or grow it out to get a really different look. Maybe I will chop it next time. I'm tired of this hair style, but it is a good haircut. It lays nicely and it took more than ten minutes to do (the reasons why I left my last stylist). And the best part - I got my hair cut, colored, and highlighted for the same price as just my haircut in California.

2) We made these delicious apple cakes, a recipe that my family started making when I was a teenager. Can you tell what they are supposed to be? Probably not, so I'll tell you - ghosts! My little ghost pan was probably not the best for this cake as it has a streusel topping that just bubbled and boiled over making a gooey, ooey, yummy mess that didn't do much for the shape of the ghost. I tried to make some changes in the recipe to make it healthier, but I think the streusel thwarted my efforts. Anyone know a way to make a healthy streusel?

Here's the recipe without any modifications:

Yummy Apple Cake
4 cups apples peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
Cover apples with sugar and let stand for 10 to 20 minutes.

Sift together 3 cups flour, 2 tsp soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon.

Blend 2 eggs and 2/3 c. oil into apple mixture. Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Add 2 tsp vanilla. Pour into 9x13 pan.

Mix and spread on top: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup butter.

Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes.

3) And while we're on the subject of food, Darcy tagged me for a food related meme - a food factoid for every letter of my name. Here we go...

J - Juice is a good breakfast beverage and breakfast is by far my favorite meal. I love cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt, waffles, french toast, eggs, omelettes, etc. I don't usually eat breakfast how I would really want to, but I still love it!

E - Escargot is something I've never tried and really have no desire to try.

S - Sushi is something I tried and was surprised to find it wasn't so bad. I'm not in love with it, but I'm not opposed to it either.

S - Spaghetti was my favorite dinner when I was a kid.

I - Ice cream is by far my favorite food. It got me through my first pregnancy. It's my favorite treat. I had a few ice cream birthday cakes as a kid - ice cream birthday cakes with ice cream on the side. I scream, you scream, Jessi screams for ice cream!!

4) And on my crafty to-do list - get going on the 11 purses I cut out last week (this was before the cold hit). Some of these will go in the shop and some I will save for the craft show.

We got a late start to this week because Ryan had the day off yesterday. Three day weekends are the best! Even if you don't go somewhere, it's so great to have an extra day to sleep in, especially when you're a little under the weather.

Purses and Such

2007-10-06T12:46:00.000-06:00

It's giveaway time again, but not here. Go over to Design Mom and enter to win a fabulous prize package, including this purse. And if you're not already reading Design Mom, I highly recommend it. Hers was one of the first blogs I started reading and one of the reasons why I now read so many.And, while we're on the subject of purses, if you're ever in Kauai and looking for a great gift (like on of my purses) to take home, check out Nest. Julia is just opening her store there and I think she has done a fabulous job of putting things together - doesn't it look great? And she also has an Etsy shop with some great jewelry.

Have a happy weekend everyone!

More Autumn

2007-10-04T06:01:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why I am so into autumn this year. I am normally a fan of autumn, but not like this year. This year autumn is my best friend. I walk outside and my heart jumps upon feeling the crisp air. I glory in those days that are dreary and i n those days that are full of golden autumn light. Everything about this season is making me a very happy girl this year.

Yesterday we made Amy's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins and they really are "mackin good." Little P couldn't keep his hands off of them - every time I turned around he had another muffin. I guess that's what I get for leaving them in reach of a three year old. Even Baby N was a big fan and he's been a bit of a picky eater lately. This is only because he's finally going to have more than six teeth and it seems they are all coming at once - poor guy. Oh wait, poor me! I'm the one who was up with him four times last night while he cried and cried and cried.

And in the spirit of destashing and autumn, I put together some Autumn Inspiration/Goody Packs for The J Shop. Check them out!

Happy Autumn everyone! Again! (This is probably not the last time you will hear this from me.)

In the Air...

2007-10-02T09:12:00.000-06:00

It's in the air - that crispness and chill that says autumn is here! And with it comes that most fun of all holidays, Halloween! Remember these? (I hope you do - it was only a few days ago) - here is what they became...

And I made four - one for our family, one for a gift, and two for the shop. I'll list one today and one later this week. I still have a bit of fabric left, so I might have to think of another little project - any suggestions?

To start out the Halloween fun, we had some friends over last night to make pumpkin cookies (and ducks - somehow the boys found the Easter cookie cutters and insisted on making some Halloween ducks). The boys (theirs and ours) licked the frosting off the cookies and sneaked bits of dough while the adults enjoyed each other's company.
And a few more bits of handmade - this is my trick or treat bag from my youth. My mom made it for me - isn't she great? I think I am now just realizing how lucky I was to have all these handmade items. I grew up in the 80's - handmade was not cool (at least not where I grew up - even though there was a lot of handmade going on where I grew up). I'm so glad that handmade is making a comeback and people are appreciating the one of kind, unique, and lovely nature of it. I would love to make these for my boys - I'll have to see if my mom still has the pattern.
And this - well, this is Funky Frank. I made him the first year we were married. I made him from a Simplicity pattern that came with many other wreath patterns. I think it must be out of print now because I don't see it when I'm perusing the Simplicity catalog. My favorite part about him? His bobbin bolts! Happy Halloween Everyone!

weekend plans

2007-09-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

My order from Sew, Mama, Sew was in my mailbox yesterday! It was so lovely to open - all the fabric folded so beautifully and tied up so nicely. I meant to take a picture of it before I ripped into it, but I was too impatient. And among other yardage (oh, yes - there was much more than this - maybe I'll show some of that later...), I got some bits and pieces of these Halloween fabrics. Then I stopped by the local quilt shop today and picked up the polka dots and now I think I'm ready to whip up something festive!

I realized I haven't really been sharing anything I've been making lately (lots of fabric, but no wips or finished project). I certainly have been sewing, but it's mostly been purses, which is something you've all seen before. But, I am officially declaring the next few days purse free, so it's time to figure out the costumes (Ryan is still not 100% on board with Peter Pan family costumes, so I'm thinking about plan B), time to do some fall clothing sewing, and time to get some aprons back in the shop.

Help, Please

2007-09-27T13:08:00.000-06:00

"Help, please," is what we have taught Little P to say when he needs something from us. He doesn't always use it, but he usually tries. And "Help, please" is what I need from you today. I signed up to do a craft show the weekend before Thanksgiving and I am feeling overwhelmed. It's still six weeks away, but I don't really have any idea what I'm doing. I don't know how much inventory I should prepare (it's a three day show), I have no clue how I should to set-up my display, and I'm not sure exactly what items to take. Purses and aprons are definitely in, but I want some lower cost items and some things that appeal to a wider audience. So, any advice you have, I'd love to hear it! Do you have any ideas on how to set up, where to get things to display items on (like where can a get something to hang my purses on), how much inventory to take, how to make my space look more appealing (the show is in a home and I'll have a six-foot space against the wall), and what items have sold well for you in person as opposed to online. I'm looking at the set-up as an investment - something I will be able to use for future shows, so I'm willing to not be totally thrifty, but I don't have all the money in the world, so it does need to be somewhat economical.

And did anyone else hit the 50% Clearance at JoAnn this week? This is my little collection from that - the green is for a shirt for me, the tan floral for purses, the brown denim for a jacket for me, and the pinks and reds for Valentine banners. I probably would have gotten more, but I just put in a fairly large order to Sew, Mama, Sew too, so I was trying to be somewhat prudent.

20 Questions

2007-09-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

I did it again - I couldn't resist joining Sweet Goodness Swaps Holiday Swap. And they've asked us to post the answers to these 20 questions on our blog so our partner (mine is Mary and I couldn't be happier about it!) can get to know us. So, here it goes...

1. Favorite Color:
Red, Yellow, anything bright! Oh, but with fall coming on I am really loving the earthy tones. Do I really have to choose just one?

2. Chocolate Lover? Milk, Dark, White, or none of the above?
Is all of the above an option? I choose that, but I am special fan of dark.

3. What is your favorite craft hobby?
Definitely Sewing!

4. What is a craft/art hobby that you would like to start?
Knitting. I just learned to crochet last year and my best friend is a knitter and spinner. I always see these fabulous knitting projects and think, "I really need to learn to knit."

5. What craft do you NOT have an interest in or just not great in ( so your partner doesn’t send something you wouldn’t use)?
Scrapbooking - I just don't have the time for it. I used to scrapbook, then I had children. Isn't this what gets a lot of people scrapbooking? I guess it had the opposite effect on me. Little P was a very difficult infant for about the first 18 months of his life and then I was pregnant with Baby N. I could probably find time to scrapbook now, but I guess I would rather sew.

6. Do you have any allergies?
No

7.What’s your favorite part of Halloween? Decorating, candy eating, costumes, or something else?
I love the costumes. My mom always sewed fabulous costumes for us and I always had one of the best costumes on the block.

8. Do you decorate for Thanksgiving/Fall?
A little - I have a fall tablecloth and I am a sucker for any holiday paper towel, so I usually get the ones with autumn leaves on them, but other than that, I don't do much. I like to spend my time thinking about the Thanksgiving menu - yum!

9. December Holidays--what holiday do you celebrate? What type of decorations do you like to put up in your house for that holiday?
I celebrate Christmas. I put up all sorts of traditional decorations - tree, stockings, lights, nativity, etc. Nothing too extravagant because we still live in apartment, but enough to set the mood and get us excited for the season.

10. Do you have any children, if so what are their ages, boys/girls?
Yes - two boys. Little P is 3 and a half and Baby N is 1 and a half.

11. Do you have any pets, if so what kind?
No pets - I've decided that there won't be any pets until after the kids are all out of diapers. After that, there may be a dog.

12. Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like?
I do like to read. I wish I made more time to read, but I usually choose to sew. I am a big fan of historical fiction and I love Jane Austen (these are the only books I re-read). I also love trying out new authors. A couple of my friends have introduced me to GoodReads and I think this is such a great idea - such a great way to figure out what to read.

13. Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary in October, November, or December? If so, what day and what is the occasion?
It is Ryan's birthday in October (the 29th), but other than that, we are birthday and anniversary free for these three months of the year.

14. Do you collect anything? If so what type of things do you collect?
No, I'm not really a collector, unless you count my fabric collection which seems to have grown by leaps and bounds in the past six months.

15. What type of things do you like to cook? Are you an appetizer person, cookie maker, dessert freak or a take out type of person?
I like to cook a good dinner. Since this is the thing that is most beneficial to me and my family, I find I really like to try out new dinner recipes and find things that we like and that are easy to make. I also enjoy baking.

16. What is your favorite scent? Is there one that you can’t stand?
I love any citrus scent, especially grapefruit. I'm not a big fan of vanilla scents.

17. What’s your favorite song?
Right now I'm really in love with anything by Feist. My favorite song changes with the seasons.

18. What’s the last movie you went to see at the movie theater?
Becoming Jane - I went with my Mom on our last visit to her town.

19. What’s your favorite Candy?
Dove Chocolate, Almond M&M's, again, anything chocolate!

20. Tea or Coffee or other?
Other - mostly water. Sometimes Diet Pepsi/Coke. Today, since the weather was a little chilly, I had a nice cup of chamomile tea.

Compelled to Craft

2007-09-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

Last week I ordered Cotton Friend from Chocolate Swirl. Three days later it was at the post office waiting for me (not in my mailbox because our mailbox got ran over and one month later the HOA has yet to replace it. I digress...). I opened it up in the car for a quick glance before dashing Little P to pre-school, but when I got home I sat down and took it all in.

This is the page that made me have to have this magazine.

This is the page that delighted me the most when I first looked over the magazine.

This is the picture that gave me that "must make now" feeling (does anyone else get this? I think it must be a psychological condition.), and so I did.

And here is the result of the "must make now" feeling.

And now you can find it in the shop, and if you're in love with the vintage green floral fabric, I have oodles and you can get yourself some here.

Thank you Cotton Friend, Chocolate Swirl and all of your yummy goodness! Must go - I feel that "must make now" feeling coming on...

All Different Sorts of Things

2007-09-18T09:29:00.000-06:00

First off, I forgot to include this in my "Lucky Girl" post. And it certainly makes me a lucky girl - it is the bag of goodies I got from Rebecca for winning third prize in the Sweet Goodness Swaps Container Contest. Wow! There were so many great containers and I was honored to win. I am so excited by this little pack of fun that arrived while I was on my blogging break. Included was a dish towel, vintage pillow case (may just have to make me my own bag with the pillowcase), an orange potholder (crocheted by Rebecca), and a bag of trims and buttons. Thanks to Rebecca for the goodies and to the ladies of Sweet Goodness Swaps! Have you signed up for the Holiday Mini-Swaps? Sounds like so much fun to spread the goodness throughout the season!

Second, a work in progress for another swap - the Embroidered Button swap. I guess I'm going for a "Five a Day" theme here. I sat down on Sunday night with a little Netflix (Veronica Mars Season 1) and got going on these. They are so much fun! I got a little inspiration from this pic and did a pineapple and watermelon, but then I just went for it with the strawberry, carrot, and broccoli. Now I just have to find the big shank buttons I bought at the thrift store so I can finish these up.

And lastly, I finally did it - I finally signed up for the Pay it Forward crafting gift fun. After having several opportunities to join in the fun, I finally did it and signed up to have Missy send me a handcrafted gift sometime in the next year. So, part of this means that I have to Pay it Forward and send something out to three of you. So, I will send a handmade gift to the first three (3) people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift (although I have some ideas) will be yet, but you will receive it within 365 days. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. So, if you've resisted joining in or haven't heard of this yet, join in the fun - I'd love to send you something!

Lucky Girl!

2007-09-15T23:50:00.001-06:00

I feel so lucky lately - while I was on my blogging break, I won a yard of this great fabric at Sew, Mama, Sew. I'm hoping to make it into a shirt for Little P - it is Kid's Clothing Month after all!
And today, I checked Melly & Me and found I had won the pattern for this cute little guy. I am a lucky girl!

Remember

2007-09-12T08:55:00.000-06:00

I wanted to post this yesterday as it seemed fitting for the day, but I didn't find the time until today. I remember six years ago on September 11th - I got up early (we were living on the west coast - it was 6 am or so) to take a walk before work, something I had not done in a while. I loved to listen to NPR while I walked and so I turned on my radio and listened. Then all of sudden, the programming went out and a few minutes later the report about the plane hitting the first tower came in. I thought it was a joke - but who would joke about such a thing? The more I listened to the reporters repeat the same information, it began to register. I went home and turned on the the television - just in time to see the second plane hit the tower. I couldn't believe it still. Ryan came home from his run and then we watched to replay and then we went to work together. That day was surreal. There were such varying reactions from my co-workers- anger, sympathy, depression, seeming ambivalence (although I don't think it was real - who could not care on a day like that day?). I went home for lunch, turned on the television and sobbed as I watched again what had happened in New York and heard about Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. That day, I wanted to do something to help, but I didn't know what to do. I often remember this day and I still want to do something, but often lack the initiative or organization. Does anyone else feel like this? What do you do to feel like you are contributing in some positive way? I did find a small thing I could do.

Have you heard of the Mother's Day Project? Basically, Anne Landre is organizing a project where the names of fallen female soldiers are embroidered on muslin (by volunteers - this is where you and I come in) and then she will take these names and make them into a tote. The tote will then be passed through the participants, each to use it for a week or so, taking it to the grocery store, to church, the library and hopefully giving them the opportunity to share about the project. I first heard about this project on one my favorite podcasts, Craftsanity, a couple of weeks ago. Immediately, I knew I wanted to be part of it.
So, here is my name....Alicia A. Birchett. I haven't found out anything about her yet, but I plan to and I'll share when I do. I believe Anne is still looking for volunteer stitchers, no experience needed, so go on over to her blog and volunteer, if you feel so inclined.

Hello Autumn!

2007-09-10T23:23:00.000-06:00

I am loving the crispness in the air, wearing a jacket in the morning, and the golden hue in the sun's light. This time of year may just be my favorite (I have a hard time deciding between the first days of autumn or the first days of winter with new snow). Call me crazy, but I love to wear layers, snuggle up with some hot cocoa and a good book and enjoy the chill. And I love it even more because I haven't experienced it for a number of years. This is our first year in Idaho at autumn time. California (at least where we used to live) has autumn for about 3 days - it goes from 90 to 80 the first day, then on the second day from 80 to 70, then 70 to 60 on the third day, and then it starts to rain and is 50 and winter has arrived. For the last three days here, though, I have walked out the door and thought,"Oh, it's a little chilly," and that thought has brought a big smile to my face. It's time to start planning for Halloween costumes (I'm trying to convince Ryan that we should do a Peter Pan family theme. Little P as the Pan, Me as Tink or Wendy, Ryan as Captain Hook and Baby N as Smee - leave encouraging comments. Maybe we can persuade him.) and Thanksgiving dishes and Christmas gifts. It's time for butternut squash (one of my all time favorite foods) to be in season. I hope there's lots of it here in Idaho like there was in California. It's time to pull out the cold weather clothing. Hello Autumn! I'm so glad you're here!

And autumn has perfect timing - it was nice and sunny and warm when we went to the fair on Friday night - a perfect farewell to summer. And I didn't get too many pics because we were too busy eating yummy junk food like these "Tortatoes." Gotta Love Idaho potatoes! YUM!
p.s. Check out this good cause if you're in the Salt Lake area.

It's Me Again

2007-09-07T16:36:00.000-06:00

Have you tried this yet?

Just a note to say that I'm back and next week I'll be back to my regular crafty posts.

And just what have I been doing in this blogging down time?

Potty Training - remember when we tried this a couple of months ago? It didn't work out so well then, but this time we are making progress! Hooray!

Weaning - not quite there yet with this one, but we are down to once a day and both of us are happy with that for now.

Purses - the wholesale order is finished and will be in the mail tomorrow. And I can't keep these things in the shop. (That is not a complaint!) And speaking of the shop, check out the new SALE section - time to clear out for the holidays...

Girls Day Out - Last Saturday a little retail therapy (where did this phrase come from? it so makes me laugh!) with Missy and Sandi. So much fun - must do again soon!

And I was supposed to do more house cleaning than I actually did- oh well...

Have a lovely weekend! We're going to the fair tonight (I'm hoping for some fun pics) and tomorrow we have a housewarming party (of one of Ryan's co-workers) to go to. What are your plans?

U, V, W, X, Y, and Z

2007-08-28T08:45:00.000-06:00

U is for Utah - the state where I grew up. When I was thinking about this post, I was almost going to write " the state where I was born," but then I realized that was not true. I was born in Oregon, but my family moved (back) to Utah when I was three months old. I love Utah for so many reasons - it really is such a beautiful state. I spent my childhood summers at lakes, in mountains, and at national parks and I never left the state. I love that Utah has four seasons. When we lived in California, I missed the winter most of all. I loved it when it would snow when we came home for the holidays. I went to and graduated from the University of Utah. All of my family (minus one cousin) lives in Utah. I'm glad I grew up in such a great state and have reason to go visit frequently!

This is Ryan and his sister shoveling snow on the day after Christmas 2003. I got to watch and take pictures because I was 5 months pregnant.

V is for varicose veins. I have some serious varicose veins. My legs look like the legs of a 75 year old woman. And I have my two boys and a rock repelling injury (this is a long story - e-mail me if you want more details) to thank for this. I will spare you pictures as they really are quite gross. Other people probably wish that I took more care to cover them up, but I don't. I like to wear skirts, but not pantyhose and I refuse to wear long pants during the summer So, if you know me in person, you have probably seen my yucky legs. I know I can get them fixed and I probably will once we are certain we are done having babies, though I'm not certain my legs will survive another pregnancy.

W is for Wee Wonderfuls. If I recall correctly, Wee Wonderfuls was the first craft blog I ever read. I don't remember how I found it. This was a little more than six months ago and I had been reading the blogs of a few of my friends and then suddenly I was reading craft blogs. I started here and then I would click on links to people in the comments to find other craft blogs. And before I knew it, I was using Bloglines and had subscribed to over 100 blogs. Yikes! So, we have Wee Wonderfuls to thank for my little obsession, me starting a craft blog (and an Etsy store too since I'm sure I wouldn't have run into Etsy without this start), and for helping me to meet all of you! I think it was great that I stumbled upon it!

X is for X-ray. I had several x-rays when I was a girl. When I was 8, I woke up one morning and I could not move. My back was killing me! I laid on a board on the floor for two straight days because this was the most comfortable position. When we went to the doctor, we found out that I had scoliosis. It was never so bad that I needed a brace, but I did have to go to get an x-ray every six months for the first little bit and then every year until I hit puberty to keep an eye on it and make sure my little curve wasn't getting any worse. And I am still crooked. When I am standing up straight and tall, one of my shoulders is lower than the other - nothing you would notice unless you were looking for it.

Y is for Yikes! Have you noticed that I use this word a lot?

Z is for Zoo. We love going to the zoo. Did you know that most zoos have a family pass that you can buy that will get you into your zoo and many other zoos around the country for a free or reduced price? We used our zoo pass this past weekend to visit the zoo in a city about an hour away from us (for free!). We were impressed by the variety and the general look of the zoo - it was pretty up to date in terms of the animal enclosures and such, especially for a relatively small city. And does every zoo have one of these lion drinking fountains? I've seen them at so many!
And there you have it, me from A to Z. It's been a fun little blog project. Thanks to Bella Dia for the idea. You can check her blog for links to more folks who are participating. And before the summer is gone, I think I'm going to take a little blogging break. I have some things at home that I need to do and a large wholesale order of purses, so I'll see you in a week or so! Enjoy!

R, S, T

2007-08-24T07:46:00.000-06:00

R is for Red. I love the color red. Our couches are red. My wallet is red (red faux alligator - I thought I would get tired of it soon after purchasing. It's about two years old and it still makes me smile when I pull it out of my purse). I have a red purse. And one of my more recent red purchases (and an Etsy one) - My Bird of Happiness is Red by John W. Golden.

S is for Space - the theme in my boys' bedroom, inspired by this quilt, made by my amazingly talented Mom. She even made two, so there is one for each of the boys, once they are both in big boy beds and sharing a room. And the space theme continues with another John W. Golden purchase, although this one is still waiting to be framed.

T is for Tote. When Ginny showed the little birdie fabric she found, I loved it. A little bit ago, on an impulse, I sent her a convo to ask if she had any more totes made from it - two minutes later, she listed this one at isew.biz reserved it for me. Now that's service! And, those little birdies are just as lovely in person.

Q is for Quilt

2007-08-22T10:28:00.000-06:00

Quilts have always been a part of my life. Let me share a few from my collection..,This quilt was the last full quilt quilted by my great grandmother. It was the quilt on my childhood bed. It doesn't have a fancy design or any intricate piecing, but it is completely hand quilted by her. I am proud to own this heirloom.

I made this quilt as a project for church when I was a teenager. The Young Women values are embroidered on fabric squares. It is machine pieced and hand quilted . It think I did this by myself, but I'm not sure. Mom - do you remember if you or grandma. helped me quilt this? I plan to hang this on my studio wall - once I have one, that is...

This is the wall hanging in my living room. It took me ten years to finish this. I started it in a quilting class that I took in college with my good friend Cayenne (who doesn't do much quilting anymore, but is an amazing knitter and spinner). To pass the class we had to finish the piecing and had to do it all by hand. I did that, but then it took me ten years to quilt it and bind it and such. I actually just finished it last fall. I love that it is done completely by hand - I am in love with totally handmade items, I just don't usually have the patience for them.

This is the quilt that my Grandma made for our wedding. I picked out the pattern and the fabrics and she made it. (How great is that?) I love it because it was made with love . I also love it because I remember my grandma not being so sure about my fabric choices, but really loving how the quilt turned out. I now will sometimes get consulted when she is picking out fabrics for quilts - she's making one for each of her grandchildren.And lastly, this Irish chain. I pieced it before I left for Argentina and I came home to a quilted quilt! Thanks Mom!

I love the art and the warmth of a quilt. I hope I make many more, some to keep and some to give, in my life. Do you have a quilt that you love?

N, O, P

2007-08-21T14:45:00.000-06:00

N is for needles and my little needlebook from Jenn - oh how I love it.
N is also for NPR. I listen to it while I sew, cut out, clean, in the car - yes, I really like NPR.

O is for over thinking because I just cannot think of something to go with O.

P is for pins and pincushions. I have one from Jenn and one that I ordered from Christina's last
week. That makes one to keep by the iron and one to keep by the sewing machine. My mom and grandma swear by magnetic pincushions, but I am always poking myself as I pick up pins when I use them.

K, L, M

2007-08-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

K is for kindness - check this out.

L is for love - Ryan and I celebrated our 7th anniversary earlier this month (can't remember why I didn't post on the day - the 9th). Happy Anniversary to my guy!

M is for Music. I am a pianist and I play the organ (though I would not call myself an organist). I used to teach piano (hope to teach again in the future). Music has been a big part of my life - thanks to my Mom for always making sure I was able to have piano lessons!

J is for Jess, Jessi, Jessica

2007-08-17T09:50:00.000-06:00

For today's post, a little discussion of my name (and a picture of me from last year with a few highlights)...

My given name is Jessica and I am told that I was named after the Allman Brothers song by the same name. You probably know this song if you have heard any of that good old stuff, but probably don't realize you know it because it is instrumental. It's a fun one, in my opinion. I was almost name after my great aunt Britta. I would've have loved that unique name,but apparently my father did not, so I was named Jessica and luckily before it was popular, so there weren't ten other Jessicas in my classes in school. Ten Jennys? yes, but Jessica? just me.

As far as nicknames go, I have two - Jessi and Jess. I have always used my nicknames to gauge how well a person feels like they know me (or just to tell me how much they like using nicknames if they call me by one of them in our first meeting). It's a good name for this. I usually introduce myself as Jessica and then see how long it takes for a nickname to take hold. Most of my close friends call me Jess and my family calls me Jess or Jessi (I'm not sure I remember the last time one of them called me by my full name) and in the general public, I am known as Jessica. And I decided to use Jessi (yes I spell it with just one i - it took my grandma years to get that right) for my online name to hopefully distinguish me from the bazillion other Jessica's that are out there.

So, there you have it - my name. And now that I feel like Gus in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where he tries to show that the root of every word is Greek, I will end by wishing you a lovely weekend!

I is for Ice Cream

2007-08-16T07:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, we are quite the ice cream fanatics in our family. I believe I can take most of the credit for this. Ryan tells me that he never ate so much chocolate or ice cream before he married me. I just think ice cream is so much better when everyone in the family is enjoying a bowl, so I had to convert him. Ice cream is what kept me alive during Little P's pregnancy (I could only eat Olde Fashioned Ice Cream in Vanilla). Ice cream is probably my number two craving (after chocolate). On Saturday, we went to our local zoo for the ice cream zoofari - does every zoo have this? I know our last zoo had one too. There are ice cream scooping stations set up around the zoo and you can eat as much as you want! It was fun! I meant to take pictures because I was thinking of this post, but I forgot to take the camera. So, the pictures are from another ice cream adventure this summer - we stopped to get ice cream and cheese at a dairy on our way to see family - YUM!

H is for Happy

2007-08-15T07:24:00.000-06:00

Just a few things that are helping to keep a smile on my face today....

I discovered yesterday that Little P likes green beans - both raw and cooked versions.
I woke up this morning, turned on my computer and found and e-mail telling me I'd been featured here.
There is no more chocolate in the house - nothing to tempt me. It's overdue, I know, but I am really trying to lose this baby weight.
Yesterday I got some more purses cut out from Amy Butler fabrics. I can't wait to sew them up!
I also cleaned my carpet yesterday - it was so filthy and now I can enjoy it's lovely cleanness.
I got some serious comment love on my last post! Thanks everyone! I should cook and take pictures of it more often.

I hear Baby N whining for me upstairs, so I guess it's time for the day to begin...hope you're having a lovely one!

G is for Garden Fresh

2007-08-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Wednesday's CSA share had tomatoes, basil, and green onions - perfect for making my own little version of this. I'll get to those summer squash today. YUM! Don't you just love summer eating?

F is for Fancy Flowers for a Friend

2007-08-11T07:45:00.000-06:00

This week I made these onesies a little more fancy (two with another of my favorite F words - flowers) for a friend who just had her first baby girl after two boys. It's so fun to make fancy little girls things!

Happy Weekend Everyone! I'm off to hit some garage sales and thrift stores. It's been a while since I've had a proper Saturday morning of thrifting . I gave it up at the end of the Use What You Have Challenge - it was just too tempting and then we were out of town last weekend. And then with Little P being sick this week (he's feeling much better - thanks to those of you who sent well wishes), we've been inside almost all week so I can't wait to get out! See you later!

E is for Et Cetera

2007-08-09T15:37:00.000-06:00

E is for Et Cetera - a few random facts about me, thanks to a tag from Missy.

What was I doing ten years ago?

It was the summer before my last year of college. I was working 50+ hours a week in a biology lab and 10+ hours a week cleaning houses, trying to save money to go to Argentina (even though I didn't know at the time that was where I was going.)

What was I doing one year ago?

We were living in California, Ryan was finishing up his dissertation, Baby N was really a baby - 3 months old, and we were preparing to move, but we didn't have anywhere to go - kind of stressful.

5 snacks I enjoy...

1. half a peanut butter sandwich on bran bread
2. anything chocolate
3. a tall glass of cold Crystal Light Fruit Punch
4. watermelon
5. toast

5 songs I know all the words to...

I'm skipping this one - I can't think of any that I know off the top of my head except for children's songs. My memory is so terrible - especially when it comes to non-essentials.

5 things I would do if I had a million dollars

1. Buy an old house and remodel it.
2. Fulfill all of my fabric dreams!
3. Fund several small loan projects.
4. Join a gym (I really need to do this and I use the cost as an excuse/reason not to.)
5. Share the the joy with my family - gifts for everyone!

5 of my bad habits...

1. Not cleaning up after myself - this has been my plague since childhood - ask my mom!
2. Saying Ummm...
3. Not flossing - though after my four recent cavities, I am making great improvements in this area.
4. Chocolate
5. Not doing things for myself that I should - like exercise, take time for myself, etc.
Most of my bad habits are not having good habits, does that make them better?

5 things I like doing...

1. thrift shopping
2. Crafting/sewing
3. trying new recipes.
4. Vacuuming - really I find this so satisfying since I have kids who drop stuff all over the place. It's so nice to go from dirty to clean in just a few minutes.
5. Talking to Ryan - I love to hash things out with him. I know sometimes he wonders if I will ever leave him be, but secretly he loves it!

5 things I will never wear again...

1. neon
2. denim jumpers
3. pegged jeans
4. leg warmers - I know they're coming back, but I just can't do it!
5. feathered bangs

5 of my favorite toys...

1. my sewing machine
2. my ipod
3. my laptop
4. my remote unlocking car doors (love these with the kids!)
5. any sort of bath additive - bubbles, salts, soaks - I love a good bath!

D is for Dresses

2007-08-09T08:57:00.000-06:00

These are some of my dresses from when I was a young girl. I keep saving them to perhaps put on my own little girl. And if that doesn't happen, I think they would look really great hung on the wall of my future studio, like this. All of them were handmade for me, I'm assuming by my mom, but some could have been made by my grandma. I love how very 1970s they are - bright colors and lots of polyester fabrics. And even if no one ever wears them again or they don't get displayed, I keep them to remind me of who I am.

C is for Colors

2007-08-08T12:54:00.000-06:00

I know, I know - this idea has already been done and I mentioned a different topic yesterday, but Little P has been under the weather. Yesterday we sat and watched PBS all day (our station shows kids programming all day - I still haven't decided if this is good or bad) while Little P leaned on me or sat with me and tried not to puke. Today he's doing a little better, but still not his usual self, so I didn't have time to put together the photos for my original idea. I think I can still work that post into this little blogging project somewhere though.

So, last night, while watching Pride and Prejudice (yet again), I arranged this little set of embroidery floss by color. I picked the set up at the thrift store a week or so ago. I already have a decent set of floss colors, so I couldn't decide whether to get it or not, but I'm so glad I did. I love how this looks - so inspiring and so easy to find just the right shade of green with all of the green right together. I have really been wanting to do more embroidery, so hopefully that's something you'll see more of here. This makes me want to arrange my books by color.

B is for Blond

2007-08-06T22:59:00.001-06:00

My Kindergarten School Picture

My First Grade School Picture

B is for Blond! That's right - I used to be a blond..until kindergarten! And poof! In one year I turned into a brunette! I sure do talk about this aspect of my life a lot, even though now my blond years are a very small portion of my total life. Being blond must have meant a lot to me. I contemplate going back to that youthful look sometimes, but the cost of maintaining it scares me away (although my brunette now is from a bottle to cover my untimely grays, so it probably wouldn't be too much more than I'm already spending.). Anyone have any thoughts on this - have you gone blond and been oh so glad that you did? Or have you gone blond and then gone straight back to brunette, or red, or whatever you were before? Should I give it a try? I've had some fairly serious highlights before and I really liked them, so maybe I would like taking it all the way to blond.

And on a crafty sidenote - my mom made both of those outfits. She made a lot of my clothes when I was a kid. More on that tomorrow!

A is for Argentina

2007-08-06T09:25:00.000-06:00

So, I'm getting a late start, but I still want to participate in Bella Dia's Encyclopedia of Me Meme, so here it goes....

A is for Argentina

I went on an 18 month mission to Argentina for my church. I've been back for seven years and I still think about my experiences there almost daily. I have certainly been changed by that experience. I loved giving cheek kisses as greetings. I was almost a vegetarian before I left and came back a full-fledged meat eater. I'm not proud of this (I keep trying to get back to my vegetarian ways, but once you've had a nice cut of fresh meat, raised on the Pampa, it's hard to go back), but vegetarian is almost a curse word in Argentina. The Argentines I met were very confused by the concept of not eating meat. On a more serious note, I can never look at what I have and not truly be grateful for having such abundance, opportunities for education and economic stability. I lived in Argentina in the years just before its economy collapsed - these were difficult times for them and I learned just how much I took for granted as a US citizen. I am thankful for the experiences I had here that touched me and made me a more thoughtful person. I am still in love with the warmth of the Argentine people. And I hope I never forget what I learned there.

p.s. I DID try to scan some of my actual pics from Argentina and add them to this post. See them below. This little project is going to be a good time for me to learn how to use the scanner and not forget the next day (Ryan has showed me multiple times).

I was going to scan individual pictures, but realized most of my photos from Argentina had been scrap booked during my very brief-lived scrap booking days. So, I just scanned entire pages - you should be able to click on each page to see a larger version.

This was the most beautiful city - Balcarce. It was known for its lovely hills and its potatoes. It was home to a Simplot plant - sort of funny because I am again living in a town with a Simplot plant.

Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. I am sweating and we are outside having a nighttime picnic. This was actually great - I never missed Christmas much because it felt more like the 4th of July.

Some of the wonderful, friendly folks I was privileged to know.

The skyline of a city in La Pampa, called General Pico. I lived in this unfinished cement house, pictured in the bottom right corner.

Thrifty Thursday

2007-08-02T07:34:00.000-06:00

Wow - is it Thursday already? Where did the week go? After a not so great day on Tuesday, yesterday I decided I would make sure to take a trip to the thrift store in the hopes of making myself feel a bit better. And did I! Some great finds and I remembered about five minutes before I set off that yesterday was August 1st and I could buy my beloved fabric and sheets again, now that the Use What You Have Challenge is over (although I should probably really keep going with that for a while longer!). So, without further delay, here are the finds...

Is it possible to hit the holy grail twice in one year? Yes it is! That's right folks, another fully assembled quilt top with great retro prints. Not quite as bright or polyester-y as the last one, but still lots of fun. I'm not sure if I'll actually turn this one into a quilt - maybe I'll cut it up and make it into totes or something. Anyone else have any ideas for how to re-purpose this treasure?
Some fun retro Christmas prints - there's not much of these, but they are perfect for a little Christmas project I have up my sleeve.
These were in a grab bag of fabric, that when I opened it, I saw these! Ahhh! I love it when this happens. The edges are unfinished on these little embroidered tea cups, but they could be used for appliques or pockets. I'll think of something special to do with them.

And I bought about 40 retro patterns, which brings me to my next announcement. I've opened another Etsy store in which to sell these patterns (I have one serious collection now) and other vintage finds and fabrics. I know, I know - Etsy discourages sellers from having more than one store, but having one store just wasn't working out for me. Does anyone remember when I had patterns in Jump Up and Down? After I started putting handmade items in that shop, I felt like the patterns were overwhelming and distracted from my creations. So, I just took them out (there weren't very many at that point). And then I couldn't decide what to do - I still really wanted to sell patterns, but there was this whole two shop issue. So, I hemmed and hawed about it for a long time and I finally decided that despite Etsy's discouragement (which I think is mainly because they don't want people with two shops to be buying things from themselves, giving themselves feedback and basically breaking rules), I would go ahead with another shop - and The J Shop was born, about two weeks ago. I've already made a few pattern sales and I listed my first vintage items and fabric last night. And I have so much more to list - this will probably take a while. Go take a look!

Oh and to top off what was already a fabulous day, I recently found out that Sandi Henderson of Portabellopixie lives in the same town as me. I contacted her on Tuesday night and she invited me over yesterday to see the strike offs of her new fabric line!!! WOW! Have you ever seen fabric in it's making stages - so exciting and fun! Yesterday she shared a sneak peek with everyone on her blog, so you can have a look too. And Sandi is such a nice and friendly gal - thanks Sandi!

Happy Thrifting everyone and have a great weekend! We are off tonight to visit family.

P.S. Check me out here today and check out what I bought here. Thanks Leslie!

My Swap Package is Here!

2007-08-01T15:20:00.000-06:00

Hooray! It came today! My Sweet Goodness Swap package from Jane arrived while I was out at the thrift store (more on that tomorrow) and it was definitely worth waiting for.

First off was the fabulous container - a vintage travel case that she painted! What a talented lady! My grandmother had one of these when I was a kid and I always wanted one.

And then inside, there is a piece of yellow chiffon fabric, a Vera sunshine scarf (I've got to figure out something to wear this with before summer is over), some daisy stickers, and entire roll of yellow ric rac (like yards and yards of it!), some great orange and yellow paper, bits and pieces of trim - perfect for artsy projects, and an owl painting (I'm assuming that Jane did this as well as it is very similar to the paisley on the container). Oh yes, and a little container that has an owl topper - so fun! Little P decided this needed to be his right away. I had a hard time taking this picture because he wouldn't leave the owl alone.

Thanks Jane - I love it all!

My Favorite Things: Podcasts

2007-07-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

My latest banner creation, now in the shop.

Last night I was listening to the latest edition of one of my favorite podcasts, Craftsanity, which is produced by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood. It was a recording of the recent "Art of Craft" session at the BlogHer conference. This was probably the next best thing to actually being there. Panelists included Amy Sedaris, Kristin Roach of Craft Leftovers, Natalie Zee Drieu of Craftzine, and the Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano Murillo. This is a must-listen for anybody who is trying to sell their wares and especially using the internet. Topics included pricing, how to write about crafting on your blog, and many more. I know I'll be listening again! There is a lot to learn from these ladies. I would so love to go to this conference next year - anyone want to be my BlogHer buddy?

And while we're on the topic, let's just keep going. I have been meaning to blog about podcasts for a while now. I have listened to them for about six months now, maybe a little bit longer. They keep me company while I sew. Does anyone else listen to craft or sewing podcasts? I am always looking for new ones. Here are some of the other craft/sewing centric podcasts I listen to:

Material Mama - This one is from a Mama to three girls. She talks mostly about apparel sewing, but a little bit of craft and accessory sewing too. This was the first craft or sewing podcast I subscribed to. She usually talks about hints and ideas for inspiration, gives a recap of what she's been sewing lately, and often shares links to great sewing and crafting sites. It looks like she has a new edition today - check it out!

Craftcast - Alison Lee interviews a different crafter for every show. One of the first ones I listened to was an interview of the Crafty Chica. It always fun to learn more about each crafter and find out about how they get things done, where their inspiration comes from, etc.

Sew Forth Now - This is a fairly new podcast, produced by Lori, who covers one instructional topic per episode. This would be a really great podcast for anyone wanting to learn to sew. The last episode was on pressing and was an interview with Ann of Gorgeous Things. Ann is an experienced seamstress and talked about all the dos and donts of ironing. I learned some great things.

Craftypod - This is a great podcast. I love that it is a little bit shorter (usually 20-30 minutes as opposed to an hour) than most of the other podcasts I listen to and gives me a different time option for when I don't have as much time to listen to a whole show. Sister Diane of the Church of Craft puts out a great show every two weeks or so. This is more of a topic driven show - each week there is a crafty topic and sometimes it is accompanied by an interview which fits into the topic and sometimes not. Either way, it's a great show!

What are your favorite podcasts? And they don't have to just be craft ones. Let me know!

the Aprons are in!

2007-07-28T21:36:00.001-06:00

Remember how I mentioned boys aprons a little while back? Well, here they are. I wanted to have these finished much earlier this week, but it has been one of those weeks. So, I stayed up late last night to put the finishing touches on them and then early this morning I took them to the playground for an experimental photo shoot. The lighting wasn't quite as good as I had wanted, but I did get up a bit later (OK, a lot later after that late night) than I had intended. I still think the playground made for a fun background for this bright aprons though.

I made them in two different sizes - Toddler (2T - 5T) and Childrens (5-10). I actually first made one for Little P. You can see in the picture that he is not so fond of wearing it, but it does fit his tall 3 year old body quite well. I did get him to happily wear it while he helped make zucchini bread, but as soon as we were done measuring and stirring, he was done with the apron.

Oh, and each neck strap fastens with a snap. I found that especially with Little P, this helped it to fit around his neck properly. Had I made the strap long enough to go over his head, the apron would have fallen too low on his chest.

I tried something new this time and listed them all in the shop at the same time. The denim aprons are already on sale because this denim is so heavy, that my machine had a bit of a hard time handling the layers and some of the stitching turned out not as well as I would have liked.

I hope you're all having an enjoyable weekend! We went and saw Harry Potter today and I loved it! My favorite of the Potter movies by far. The music, the way they scripted the story, watching the characters grown up a bit - all wonderful!

The Great Reveal

2007-07-26T08:49:00.000-06:00

Jane received my package yesterday, so now I can reveal all of the goodies that I put together for the Sweet Goodness Swap. This was so much fun. Orange and yellow are some of my favorite colors, so it was fun for me to base an entire swap package on them. So, without further delay, here it is:My container was the pleated tote, which I made from thrifted vintage linens and fabrics. I found the napkins holder at the thrift store and then made napkins to go with it. The napkins were a great stash busting project - I used up two and half sheets in no time! I also made her a retro half apron. I threw in some sour tangerine Altoids, one orange and one yellow fat quarter and some orange and yellow ribbons. I love how bright and summery it turned out - that was the point of all that yellow and orange, so I guess I am saying I am pleased the colors served their purpose.

I am loving looking at everyone's packages and I can't wait for the next round!

We have a Winner!

2007-07-25T09:40:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Kath, comment #26 and the winner of my recent 50th post giveaway! In her comment she said she liked orange, so she will be getting some orange fat quarters and trims and even some orange yarn (she's a knitter) from my stash! Thanks to everyone who stopped by - old and new readers alike and especially all of those who stopped by from Sew, Mama, Sew! Everyone left such kind words - nothing like 57 comments to bring a super big smile to your face!

Yesterday, the boys and I made an impromptu day trip to meet a fellow blogger and Etsyian (is that how you spell that?), Missy, of the Paper Flowers Boutique. What a fun gal with some great ideas! Our kids played as we got to know each other. Next time I think we'll try to plan a kid-free get-together and do ourselves a bit of crafting! Thanks for having us and for feeding us lunch Missy! I can't wait to get together again!

When, I got home I made the raspberry peach jam I'd been meaning to make all week and we had raspberry waffles for dinner. It reminded me of my childhood when I would make jam with my grandma in the summers. I could hear her instructions in my head as I went through the process. Good memories! I wonder what CSA will bring us this week. We'll find out tonight - yum!

Down to the Wire

2007-07-23T09:25:00.000-06:00

Have you submitted your bags for the Sew, Mama, Sew Bag Month? Today is your last day, so get on over to the Flickr group and put in your entries. There are some fab prizes, and even if you don't have any bags to enter, the photos are amazing and will certainly inspire you in your own bag making efforts.

On Saturday, I put together this bag, made in the same style as this one that you have seen before, but with Amy Butler fabric, like the one I made for my friend. And now, it's in the shop.

And my pattern review, also on Sew, Mama, Sew, was published today, so here is the bag I made for it. It is Betsy Ross' All for One Shoulder Bag.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! From your blogs, it seems that many of you were reading instead of sewing. I'm letting DH have first stabs at Harry Potter, so I'll just have to be careful not to have it spoiled for me.

Don't forget to comment on my last post for a chance at my 50th post giveaway. I'm thinking the prize might just be a bag!

A Sneak Peek and a Giveaway

2007-07-20T16:11:00.001-06:00

Last night I went out and finished up the shopping for my Sweet Goodness Swaps Package for Jane and tomorrow I'll send it off. Hopefully, it will arrive quickly and I'll be able to share the package in it's full glory, but until then, here's a few pics to give you a sneak peek.

And this is my 50th post! Wow - that went pretty quickly (do I spend too much time blogging? maybe, but it keeps me sane!). So, in honor of this milestone, I'd like to host a little giveaway, although I haven't decided what I'll give away yet. It might depend on who wins. It will either be something pretty or some pretty things - your choice. So, comment away until Tuesday - I'll draw names next Wednesday. If you're lurking, you can de-lurk (no shame in this - I do it all the time!), and if you're a regular reader and commenter, all the better!

A Lazy Day of Summer

2007-07-19T08:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the perfect summer day. We took our time getting ready for the day and then Little P had a playgroup in the late morning. During playgroup, Baby N enjoyed the attention of the babysitter, so we all had a lovely morning.

After lunch, the stars aligned and we all laid down for a nap and all slept for two hours! Mmmm...this was so nice. I love a good nap. I'm not so big on sleeping at night, but a good nap is one of my favorite things. I love staying up late and taking a little nap in the morning, though my kids don't really allow me to do that and before my kids there was my job that was keeping me from my ideal schedule. Maybe someday...

Ryan was home within an hour so of us waking up from our naps and then we all piled in the car to go pick up our CSA share. This week's variety was a little sparse, but there were lots of happy raspberries (something I rarely buy in the store because of the expense), so I think I will make some jam. For dinner we picked up some hamburgers and headed to the park to have a little picnic. The kids and dad headed straight for the playground and I went to take pics of the bag I made for the Sew, Mama, Sew pattern review. And when I was done, I took pics of the kids. And then we went home, bathed the kids, put Baby N to bed and I thought about what a great day we had!

Checked Off

2007-07-17T06:47:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a day for finishing up loose ends. I had a couple of projects around that have almost been finished for a while now, so I worked on getting them out of the way so I can get started on some new things with a clean slate.

First, I finished this pennant banner made from bright, fun fabrics. I made two of these for a custom order last week and I like how they turned out so much and I had enough leftover flags to make another. Most of these fabrics are from my Mom's stash (which is much, much larger than mine), so does this count toward the Use What You Have Challenge? My Mom could probably never use her stash all by herself, so I was glad to help her out - thanks Mom!

Second, I finished this tote. I made the body of the tote a while back when I was making one for Natasha for the My Favorite Things Swap. I wasn't sure if I would crochet the handles for this one, so it got left undone. I finally did decide to crochet the handles and that took a little while too, so now here it is. And if you were wondering, the inspiration for the fun ric rac and trims at the top came from my shower curtain. Maybe you saw it in Target last year - a fun blue curtain with horizontally placed ric rac and trims. I had my eye on this curtain for a long time and eventually found it in on clearance for $7, which made it even more lovely.

It's nice to have both of these projects out of the way. And now they are both in the shop.

I also finished up my sewing projects for the Sweet Goodness Swap. Now I just have to gather up a few more items and send off the package. My partner, Jane, is new to blogging and an amazing artist and quilter, so stop by and say hello.

Obsessed

2007-07-16T08:08:00.001-06:00

I admit it - I have been completely and totally obsessed with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in all forms lately. I've been watching the movies, all three versions, for the past couple of weeks and then on Friday night, I had to read the book again. I even risked waking up my children (we have books stored under their beds as we do not have enough bookshelves to store all of our books) to find this book. I brought out all of the boxes of books (I did wake up Baby N) and finally in the last box (of course) I found all of my Austen novels except Pride and Prejudice! Aaack! Dissappointed, I contemplated going to Wal-Mart at midnight in my pajamas to get a copy. Patience prevailed, and instead I headed for the mall on Saturday and picked up this lovely little hardback copy (don't you think that print on the cover would make a great fabric?) and immediately started devouring it. I cannot get enough! I'm not sure what sparked this obsession - maybe a visit to one of my dear friends who started a group that dresses up in Regency Clothing (she makes her own - I'll have to feature it here sometime) and gets together monthly for social dancing from the period, or maybe it's just that all of the good TV shows are on hiatus for the summer and I have moved on to something different. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying it and now I'm trying to figure out a way to get it into my sewing. I'll let you know what I come up with on that end. Anyone else a bit obsessed with Ms. Austen?

UPDATE: I just found this via sk*rt. I can't wait!

p.s. I've had several new visitors come to visit in the past few days. Welcome! I'm so glad you came! I'd love to respond to all of your comments by e-mail, but blogger does not require that you provide, or show your e-mail address. You can however, change your settings so that it will show. Find out how here. And if you're a fellow blogger, I will usually visit and leave you a comment within a few days of your comment.

Tag, You're It!

2007-07-13T11:16:00.000-06:00

Recently I made a fab etsy purchase that I wanted to share. Amy of Amy Elise Designs has the greatest tags and other stationery products. I first fell in love with the tricycle stamped ones on the left - they had that fresh vintage look to them and then I noticed a variety pack that was too tempting to resist and I got that one too. She has lovely products, great prices, and even threw in a few extra tags. And she blogs - check her out! Thanks for the great stuff Amy!

I promise more crafting next week - I've been working on secret projects this week. That word "secret" probably makes my life seem a little more exciting than it really is, but that's OK - I do have an image to maintain. No, really I've just been busily working on items for Sweet Goodness Swaps (I finished my container last night) and a pattern review for Sew Mama Sew (I was really excited to be chosen to do this! I'm not sure if I needed to keep it secret, but figured it would be better if I did). Have a lovely weekend!

Tonight's Menu

2007-07-12T16:13:00.000-06:00

Supper tonight will be creamed peas and potatoes and raspberry almond muffins - courtesy of our first CSA share which we picked up yesterday. Hooray for the Harvest!

Some Recent Thrifting

2007-07-11T14:26:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted about my thrifting adventures lately. I haven't been thrifting as much lately. There's only a couple more weeks of the Use What You Have Challenge, and let's just say the temptation is great and trying (very hard, but sometimes not succeeding) to stay away from the thrift store and fabric store is how I'm dealing with it. Nonetheless, I do have a few unreported thrifting finds.

My favorite find - ric rac, seam binding, bias tape, and various other trims. These were all 50% off. Now I probably need to add this sort off thing to my Use What You Have Challenge no buying list.

This fun suitcase was $2. I am going to decorate it with illustrations from some vintage children's books . Until I get around to it, the kids are having a lot of fun sitting in it and dragging their toys around the house in it.

A sweet set of dishes - I love the little birds!

This fun typewriter. It was fully functional until Little P decided it was his new favorite toy and pulled the tape off of the wheel. I think it can be easily fixed though. Part of the reason I bought it was for the kids, so no biggie.

So, no new sheets or fabric, but still some fun finds. It has been hard to resist buying some vintage sheets I've seen, but I have resisted. Can you tell I am counting down the days until I can buy sheets again? I'm not sure why - it's not like I don't still have a bundle of them here. Time to get back to sewing - must use that stash!

Motivated by Friends

2007-07-09T13:33:00.000-06:00

Just before I left for Yellowstone, a friend of mine wanted me to make a couple of gift sets of baby items for some friends of hers. So, I made a bib and burp cloth to coordinate with some of my decorated onesies. I was glad she had asked me to do this, because this was something I wanted to do anyway and it gave me an excuse to do it right away. And then last week I got a request from another friend to make a set with a different onesie. Here they are and you can also find them in the shop:

And again, last week when I was talking to another friend who had looked at my aprons and told me that she would love to have some for her kids. Well, this is something that is also in my plans. So, now as soon as I get done with a few other commitments, I know what I'll be working on. And there will be aprons for boys too- as a mother of two boys, I think there are not nearly enough cute things for boys out there.

Thanks to my friends for being excited for me and my little shop!

Take a look...

2007-07-05T22:59:00.000-06:00

We had a fun Fourth of July with family and friends. I managed to fit in a couple of visits to old friends, a bit of thrifting (more on that later), and a photo shoot for my hand bags - thanks to my brother-in-law Chad. I needed some high quality photos because I am going to submit them for this book. I love how they turned out, and I must give all the credit to Chad - he came up with the idea (which I loved) and did all the hard work. It's great to have talent in the family! He took over 200 photos - here are a few of the best ones (well, they were all great, but I couldn't realistically show them all).

And now, time to get back to sewing. I took some crochet projects with me on our trip, but I kept thinking of all of the sewing projects that I needed to do when I got home - it was quite distracting. I have so many things to do, but it's nice to be busy. First on the list though is turning some of the zucchini my father-in-law sent home with us into these. YUM!

p.s. I am not so careful with my own photos, but these are not mine, so please do not copy them or use them in any way!

A Few Days Away

2007-06-29T13:44:00.000-06:00

We just spent a couple of days in Yellowstone with my family and without DH, who had to work. I haven't been here for over ten years - it was fun to go back and see what I remembered from my youth. The kids really missed their Dad and I'm not sure I'll do this again unless he can come or until they're a little older, but we had fun anyway and it was nice to be out in nature.

A hot spring at Norris Geyser Basin.

Baby N showing off his appliqued shirt (I had to include a little craftiness in this post).

Little P refusing to show off his shirt - he was too tired to bother at this point.

Old Faithful Erupts.

Buffalo - I especially loved seeing the calves. I don't know that I've ever seen buffalo calves before. I probably have and just don't remember it.

And we leave again tomorrow to go spend time with family for the 4th of July. Where are you going for summer vacation?

What I really did last week.

2007-06-26T10:48:00.000-06:00

Last week I worked on lots of projects that I couldn't show, but I got them finished and in the mail by the end of the week. Now they have been received (I am impressed with the US Postal System - very fast) and I can share them.

First, I put together some things for Natasha for the Favorite Things Swap. I made her a hostess apron and tote. I also included a subscription to Blueprint, my new favorite magazine and some chocolate. Chocolate is definitely right at the top of my list of favorite things, right behind air.

I also made a bag and diaper wallet for my good friend, Phoebe. I forgot to take pictures before I sent it away, but she blogged about it here if you want to take a look. I used an Amy Butler print and I really like how it turned out. I'll be doing more of these for the shop in the near future.

And, I also got some fantastic mail yesterday. Jenn and I swapped some items from our shops and mine arrived yesterday. Look how lovely! I put them right to use and then took a picture of my great sewing book and pin cushion. It looks like she's got another set in her shop, just in case you want one of your own.

Take a Look

2007-06-25T11:28:00.000-06:00

Just in case you don't read Molly Chicken, take a look at these fab free patterns here. She lists two other sites, but I thought this one was by far the best - it had the most variety and had great pictures. They are all in Japanese, but look like they would be fairly easy to figure out as measurements are abundant. I printed one out and it looks great.

A Little Miracle

2007-06-23T08:56:00.000-06:00

Here is my little plant. He has now been alive in my house for a few weeks. This is pretty much a miracle around here. You would think person who worked in a plant bio lab in college and has a biology degree would be able to keep her house plants alive, but that is not the case around these parts. The only way plants stay alive in our house is if DH takes care of them. But, DH, as far as I know, has not touched this little guy. I even had to transplant him this week because he was growing out of his first pot. I think he deserves a name. Feel free to make suggestions.

Trial and Error

2007-06-21T21:12:00.000-06:00

Remember the wonky little embroidered bird on the bias tape last week? Were you curious what I was creating with that bias tape? Probably not, but I'll let you in on it anyway. I was working on a diaper and wipes wallet - the sort of thing that could turn any bag into a diaper bag.
As you can see, I've been through a few different versions in the last week and a half.

I finally came up with something I'm fairly happy with, but I still need to tweek it a bit (mostly the closure - how to make it a little more adjustable so it is not too loose when the wallet isn't full), so these two will be in the shop at a reduced price and hopefully I will come up with something I am totally happy with soon. Even though I've been working on this for a week and a half and am still not exactly where I want to be with it, the process has been enjoyable. I haven't done much pattern design until lately. I like it because I can make things exactly how I want to, but sometimes it takes a while to figure out exactly what it is that I want.

You've got Mail!

2007-06-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

There was lots of swappy goodness yesterday. The goods from my first two swaps both arrived and I received my swap partner for the Sweet Goodness Swap. How exciting! And when you see what I got, I think you will agree that I got paired with the absolute best swapping partners! It was nice to come home to these treats after being at the dentist and finding out that I had four cavities - yikes!! After my first baby I had two cavities, so if I have another will it be six or eight? I'm going to try not to think about it!

So, first off the OHC Apron Swap. Stacey really outdid herself with this fab hostess apron! I love, love, love the paper doll print (she says it is called "kids at play 2" - I've never seen it before, but I love it) and the design of the apron (she came up with it herself). I especially love the buttons that hold the embroidered tea towel. What a great idea - I have never seen this before. And the music note embroidery is very fitting for me - I play piano and organ. I taught piano lessons for about two years, between my first and second baby. Also included in the package was a bag of dried peppermint from Stacey's garden and some great cookbooks - a thrifted potluck cookbook from the fifties and a Virginia cookbook. Can't wait to try some of the recipes! Thanks Stacey!

And next, the Favorite Things swap. This one isn't even due until next week (I'm hoping to get mine in the mail on Friday), so it was a great surprise to get this yesterday! Natasha sent some luxurious Ahava mineral hand cream, a set of Forever Stamps, and fleur de lis magnet (she is from Louisiana) all in a cute little polka dot bag. The wrapping was all so cute too - personalized stickers and bags tied pink grosgrain green polka dotted ribbon. The hand cream is divine! Smells great and instant relief for my dry hands (potty training is not going so well so I still have two in diapers which means lots of washing). The magnet will be a great addition to our collection - we collect magnets from places we have been. And who doesn't need stamps? Especially me who has lots of thank you notes to write for all of this great stuff! Thanks Natasha!

OHC Apron Swap

2007-06-18T13:01:00.000-06:00

Stacey got her apron from me last week for the One Hour Craft Apron Swap, so now I get to share it! I made a ruffle apron from the tutorial at One More Moore. I made a couple of modifications to give the apron a more finished looked. First, I backed the apron with a piece of the same fabric that I attached the ruffles to (no picture of this). And second, I used iron-on seam tape to cover the unfinished edges (see picture below). This worked great! It was so easy and then I just sewed over it to make sure it wouldn't come off. I should be receiving my apron from Stacey any day now - can't wait to share it. In the meantime, enjoy all the OHC Apron Swap aprons here.

For a Friend

2007-06-15T09:39:00.000-06:00

This bag is for my super eco-friendly friend, Kate (if you're reading Kate, sorry to ruin the surprise) and I love how it turned out - it is made entirely of thrift shop or garage sale items, even the thread! I crocheted the handles, the outside is a tea towel I picked up last week at an estate sale (my last hurrah before joining the Use What You Have challenge), and the inside is a thrifted sheet. I love using thrifted materials - it creates a unique, one-of-a-kind look, I love the thrill of the hunt to find them, and of course, I'm saving them from entering the landfill and cutting down on resources used to make new items. All good things in my book. For more on the subject, read here.

And Christina has tagged me for a to-do list, so here are the first five things that come to mind.

1. Get a notebook so I can make a Father's Day Book like this one for Ryan.

2. Mail the Robocut that we sold on ebay this week. It didn't really work for our family, so hopefully it will get some use in its new home.

3. Start sewing and collecting the items I want to send for the Favorite Things swap.

4. Anticipate an e-mail informing me of my partner for the Sweet Goodness Swap. You still have today to sign up.

5. Figure out what we will eat for dinner tonight. It's Friday, right? Maybe we'll just order pizza.

Have a lovely weekend!

p.s. does anyone know why sometimes I have my lines are single spaced and sometimes 1.5 spaced (that's what it looks like) and how I get them to be 1.5 spaced because it makes for an easier read?

Helpful hints for using bias tape

2007-06-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

1. Check to make sure your kids haven't adjusted the tension on your machine before you start sewing.

2. Make sure not to cut the bias tape when you are clipping threads. But, if you do, embroider a wonky little bird over the hole.

3. If you really want help with bias tape, check out this tutorial.

A Question

2007-06-12T13:53:00.000-06:00

So here’s the question of the day - what do you do with something you made that you’re not quite sure you like how it turned out? I imagine this eyelet bag accompanying a young girl to church on Easter Sunday. It’s just not me, anymore. Fifteen or twenty years ago this would’ve made my heart skip a beat. This is one of those things that I planned out thinking it would look different than it turned out, but looking back, I’m not sure why I thought that – of course an eyelet lace bag trimmed with eyelet lace is going to look super frilly! So here’s the question: what do you do with these items? Just put them in a drawer and try not to think about them? Find someone else who appreciates it and give it to them? Use it anyway because you went to the trouble of making it? Normally, I wouldn't have even shown it to you, but I put it in my to-do list yesterday and some were curious to see how it turned out. Now, isn't the perfectionist in me just shining through right now?

On another note, this is what I did while I watched Gilmore Girls on DVD last night (until I fell asleep mid-stitch that is). I'm pleased with how they turned out. Look for some of them in the shop soon.

Today's To-Dos

2007-06-11T05:12:00.000-06:00

1. Finish eyelet tote bag. I started this on Saturday as an Use What You Have Challenge project. I have a lot of eyelet. I have always loved it - I had a few dresses made of eyelet as a child. Originally I was going to put ruffled strips of vintage sheets on it, but then I saw all of my eyelet lace and thought, "What goes better with eyelet than eyelet?" I'm not sure about this bag though - it's a lot of eyelet. But, I think I'll hold judgment until it's finished though.

2. Finish comfort blankets for Skip to My Lou.

3. And, oh yeah - first day of potty training. Little P picked this potty out on Friday, so hopefully he'll use it now. He loves having a choice right now. Wish me luck - I have no idea what I'm doing!

Thrifty Thursday

2007-06-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

Even though you haven't seen it here, I have been doing a ton of thrifting lately. I am looking mostly for vintage sheets, fabrics, and sewing supplies and have found some great stuff lately. This photo is just part of what I've picked up recently - most of this is from garage sales last Saturday (there were 69 listed in our local paper! I made it to about 10.) and a quick trip into each store (we have 4 different ones that are open during the week, and one that is just open Tuesdays and Saturdays) in town this week.

I love the stash of ric rac and bias tape - based on the packaging, I would say it's at least from the 50's. One of the bias tape packages is marked 8 cents! And the set of crochet hooks I got for 99 cents - there are 7. I think I might already have some of those sizes, but you can always use a spare (especially me - I am always losing things).

And here is my other find - not a thrift find, but possibly a resource for the my fellow Etsy sellers. I bought this custom printed ribbon at namemaker.com to use for labels on my creations. I tried printing my own, but I found it was hard to get a nice edge on them and when I washed them, the ink disappeared - not good! I really like these - it was convenient that they had a polka dot ribbon and the same colors that I use in my Etsy banner and avatar. The cost was fairly reasonable, especially when compared with custom printed labels - $30 with shipping (my only complaint is the shipping was $10 of this!) and I should have 80 to 100 labels on my 10 yard roll.

Rumor has it...

2007-06-06T10:19:00.000-06:00

Rumor has it (ok,ok, I know for sure) that my apron giveaway will post on Life is like a Lunchbox's Apronpalooza this evening. In the meantime, here are a few snippets of the aprons I have been working on the past few days that you can now find in the shop. (Did I mention that when I committed to be in Apronpalooza, there were no aprons in the shop and I only had 3 that were made? It's been a busy week.) You have until Friday to enter each giveaway, so get on over there and win yourself a new apron!

Another Good Cause

2007-06-05T17:52:00.000-06:00

Here is another good cause that's been buzzing around blogdom lately. In case you haven't heard, check out Skip to My Lou, who is collecting Linus blankets for Chinese orphans.

Let's Get Real Monday - the five senses

2007-06-04T06:53:00.000-06:00

Randi is hosting Let's Get Real Monday and today's topic is the five senses. I've got two little guys who explore their five senses everyday, so I thought I'd feature them. Luckily, they were fairly cooperative.

Feel: "Mmmm, corn is so squishy!" -Baby N

Taste: "Scones with Nutella - YUM!" -Little P

See: "Don't all the dishes look so much better on the floor? I think so!" -Baby N

Hear: "I DO IT!" -Little P

Smell: "Hoping not to smell anything coming from here." Mama J

Check out more Let's Get Real Monday here.

Apronpalooza

2007-06-02T20:04:00.000-06:00

Wow - this is a busy weekend for me and blogger. Anyway - just to let you know, Nan is hosting Apronpalooza next week which involves several fabulous apron giveaways, including one from yours truly (see below). Check it out!

Helping Fight Cancer with a Postcard

2007-06-02T13:36:00.000-06:00

Christina just posted about Jennifer Dangerfield who has created an interesting and fun project to help fight ovarian cancer. My mother-in-law died of ovarian cancer before I was able to meet her, so this is a cause that touches me personally. It's so simple:

Let her know you want to play by e-mailing her and she'll send you a code along with her mailing address

Mail a postcard to her

And that's it! For every postcard she receives, she will donate $1 (up to $250) to Ovarian Cancer Action. You will be entered into a drawing to receive a jewelry prize as well!

This is the piece she is giving away for first prize. How gorgeous is that?! Check out the others.

Check out her blog for full details. I've told her I will play and she sent me a very nice e-mail with all the details in no time at all. And it's fun to see the postcards she's received so far.

Thanks to Christina for letting me copy her post!

Cut Off, Hangin' Out, and more Swap Fun

2007-06-01T16:40:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, around noon, a workman was leveling the ground around our town home to get it ready for laying down sod and he ran his backhoe right over our telephone cable. Now, I was not so upset about losing telephone access (we don't get that many calls and I have the cell to make calls), but we have DSL and I was dying without the internet! I'm not ashamed to say that I could not live without it. I even had to go to the library last night to get my fix of blogs, check my e-mail, etc. I didn't think I would be able to sleep very well unless my mind was at rest that I didn't have any urgent e-mails requiring response in my inbox. It may seem pathetic, but it is true. So, a little more than 24 hours later we are back online and hopefully this never happens again.

Today I finally got around to hanging this mini-quilt I made a few months ago. I guess I was thinking I wanted to hang it on a rod, but then I decided it would look fine just pinned to the

wall and that only took about five seconds to complete.

Oh, and for more swap fun, check out this one. Have a lovely weekend!

Announcement

2007-05-30T16:44:00.001-06:00

Sweet Goodness Swaps announced the Summer Fun Swap today! Just letting you know in case you're interested.

The Smaller Bag

2007-05-30T15:42:00.000-06:00

Here is the smaller version of this bag. I rounded the sides a bit more and took a few inches off the body of the bag, but other than that, the design is the same. I also used my one and only red crochet flower to embellish it, along with a the yellow one that I made when I was figuring out the flower pattern.

Front View

the Flowers

Back View

I put it in the shop today.

Is anyone else getting more done now that all the TV shows are over for the season?

My Best Find Yet....

2007-05-29T08:05:00.001-06:00

We had a great weekend away with our family. We went to the children's museum and the kids had a great time. We had two family barbeques, a trip to the cemetery, and a night out for mom and dad while grandma babysat. They are still recovering from it all - it is 8:15 am and both of them are still in bed - a miracle in our house.

I managed to fit in some thrifting on Saturday and yesterday and found what I consider to be my best find yet - this fab pieced quilt top! I have read of others finding quilt tops in their thrifting adventures and have wondered if my lucky day would ever come.

It is a flying geese pattern made out of a ton of different retro polyester crepe prints. I love it! It is so well made too - the points all match perfectly and all of the pieces are backed with a piece of muslin. There are six rows of geese and I think it is a twin size or possibly somewhere between a twin and a full. There wasn't a price tag on it when I found it so I took it up to the register and hoped for a good deal - with the 50% off Memorial Day Special they were running I paid $1.50 for it! A good deal indeed! I also found some other great things, but I will save them for later. This one definitely deserves its own post;)!