dreaming...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!