Providence Handmade

- spreading christmas cheer (brace yourselves) -

2011-12-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

The looong shelf (over 6'!) in our entry way is my favorite spot to decorate seasonally. It's on a big blank wall so I have a lot of freedom as far as what I use. We just patched up all the tiny nail holes from the last few years so I had a fresh, clean canvas. I took lots of photos this year so I could share wtih you! :)

Whenever I redecorate the shelf, I have to take EVERYTHING down and start with a completely blank slate. Then I spread everything I could possibly use around the living room and "shop." It's such a disastrous process, and I know it makes my neat, orderly husband nearly have a panic attack. Especially since this one involved lots of fresh pine. (Which he & the kids were so kind to collect for me.)

My aunt bought me these old metal locker baskets a few years ago for my birthday, and I've always wanted to hang them on the wall, so I finally went for it. I LOVE them. And of course I had to incorporate our "W" and "5."

My vintage flashcards made a reappearance - I can't resist anything with a good serif type on it, especially when it's printed on cardstock.

My grandma, Delaney, and I made this wreath out of old book pages. I had intended to continue the scalloped circles around the outside of the wreath, but holy cow, it was taking forever. It could be a little fuller but we're going to go with it for now. My mom surprised me with this awesome bottlebrush tree - it's dark, dark brown with silver tips - from Home Goods.

I know some of the photos are a bit blurry - the large window that is across from the shelf is partially covered by the Christmas tree (which I realize now that I didn't get any pictures of!) and my fixed lens (50mm) makes it hard to get the whole shelf in one frame.

Several years ago for my birthday (5?) my mom added to my mercury glass collection with 5-6 large pieces from Pottery Barn. They are absolute staples in my decorating and I still love them! Finn has done a job on my pillar candlesticks, though - I think he's broken 3?

I covered these little styrofoam balls with yarn last year and I still love the colors. The cream yarn is actually from my first try at spinning with a drop spindle. I had little left and it was perfect for this.

I just realized how fun it is to sit and remember where my favorite Christmas decorations came from and the stories surrounding them. I got this little Charlie Brown tree (which weighs a ton!) from a local store called Cornucopia a couple years ago. My friend Stacy & I went shopping the day after Christmas and I asked if they'd sell me the tree, which was used as a display. I hang all my vintage ornaments on it, which were all bought at the antique shop where my aunt works. The santa (who is close to 4' tall!) was a gift from my Mom, who remembered me admiring it in a store. She's so good to me.

I printed out this amazing free print from Emily at Jones Design Co. and it will definitely become a fixture at Christmas.

My favorite Christmas decor book by Country Living.

LOVE this little old jar that my mom gave me a couple years ago. (Are you noticing a theme? All the cool stuff comes from Mom.)

These frosty, sparkly trees came from Bath & Body Works 6-7 years ago - I bought them after Christmas for something crazy like $15?? They were displays in their store.

This mossy snowflake was picked up last year after Christmas at TJMaxx, if I remember correctly for $5-6. You can see in the close-up that it's a base of grapevine covered in moss with a bit of glitter. Everything's better with a little glitter.

Target had some of the cutest Christmas pillows this year. I bought some wool suiting from Joann Fabrics and made the pillow behind them - it's a chocolate/cream/red speckled heathery wool. LOVE it.

The only new things purchased this year were the pillows. Everything else was "shopped" from my house and garage and collected over quite a few years. And a lot of things aren't even specific Christmas decorations. I really try to collect base pieces (baskets, mercury glass, containers, cake stands) that can perform at any time of year. It's so much fun to see how you can turn things into holiday decorations and spend as little as possible. A little creativity and a few estate sales go a long way. Well, and a generous Mom. ;)

- september -

2011-10-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

September was a particularly fun month this year. Over Labor Day weekend we traveled (with my mom, stepdad, stepsister & her husband) to this GORGEOUS place. Honestly, it was breathtaking. I'd never been to that area of Virginia before and I'm ready to pack up and move! We built fires, ate s'mores, paddled kayaks, had canoe races, cooked some amazing food, crafted, and so enjoyed each other's company.

My boys building a fire on the first night we were there.

We made these Finnish stars out of fabric - they were so much fun and surprisingly easy! You should definitely try them - my friend Stacy even made some with her kids using scrapbook paper.

A beautiful old barn that we passed on the way back. 150+ acres for sale with amazingly restored barns/home for the bargain price of $2.5 million. We considered calling about it. ;)

The Capitol Market is one of our favorite places in town, and it's breathtaking in the fall. So when Josh & I celebrated our 10 (!!!) year wedding anniversary September 8, we decided to go there and walk around before our dinner date. Isn't that everyone's idea of a perfect night out?! We are HIP.

We bought about 55 lbs of apples and did all kinds of fun stuff with them....I'll talk about that in the next post.

A river goes right through the middle of our town, and the IL's have a boat, so we took advantage of one last summer day and went fishing. The kids had a blast and I got totally (TOTALLY) freaked out by all the fish jumping out of the water inches from me. I discovered I'm more of a "fish from the boat" kind of girl than a "fish IN the water" kind of girl.

I started reading Omnivore's Dilemma while we were in Virginia, and I still haven't finished it. NOT light reading. Fantastic, life-changing, but most definitely not light. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm, which is featured in this book. I feel like I should put this sentence in sparkly neon writing - that is how I feel about that man and his contributions to our modern food (counter)culture. Josh, as I was getting out of the car when we arrived at the farm: "If you see him, do NOT run up to him, squeal, or scream. He's a farmer, not a rock star." And obviously I had to buy this t-shirt. (This is a great video interview series if you're interested.)

It seems like the second the leaves start turning the knitting needles call my name. I bought this yarn when we were on vacation 4 years ago and it's finally becoming a pair of socks. I'm making my first ever pair of toe-up socks and have fallen in LOVE. Almost finished with the second one!

(((My apologies for the picture-heavy, scattered post - since I'm not here often I thought I'd give you a little more bang for your buck, haha!)))

Real & Good

2011-08-26T09:19:00.000-04:00

source:People, Places & Quilts

We just returned from our yearly trip to our favorite place, Charleston SC, and I think we are all a little homesick for the beach. And the food. And the people. (My brother and his sweet wife live there, along with some awesome friends).

There are several places that are our "must-visits" when we are there so I thought I'd share them with you!

#1 on that list is Metto. They make muffins like you have never seen...Josh and I swear they put crack in them. Something illegal must be in them - that's how good they are. We had a spiced peach walnut muffin this time that was out of this world, and I also tried a honey latte that was incredible.

I always visit Southern Accent for my Tyler Candle fix. (My favorites are Mulled Cider and High Maintenance.) There's also a fantastic antique shop next door.

People, Places, & Quilts is another favorite - the staff is so friendly and there are 2 shops to visit - one in downtown Charleston and a gorgeous old building in Summerville.

The Griffon flickr source

The Griffon on Vendue Range is one of our favorite taverns...it's small, cozy, and has great local beer on tap.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese inspired by our trip to Charleston SC

And now. The original point of this post. One of my best friends from college moved to Charleston with his wife about 7 years ago, and we have never managed to meet up. I had never met his wife OR his beautiful new baby girl, so we made a date to meet at Page's Okra Grill in Mt.Pleasant. I noticed that this place was always packed when we drove by, and most of the license plates were local, which is always a good sign.

The restaurant has about as much atmosphere as Shoney's, which means it's not great first-date material, but, oh, is it family-friendly. The food was SO, so good and all made from scratch - even the dressings & sauces. We got Redneck Rolls as an appetizer without even knowing what they were. (Deep-fried wonton wrappers filled with homemade smoked BBQ and pimento cheese, with a homemade BBQ sauce to dip them in.) I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. We ate our weight in mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole, fried okra, fried chicken, fried green tomatoes - you get the picture. And then we went back 2 days later. ;)

I had never had REAL pimento cheese before - only the pinkish-peach stuff that resembles Play Doh in the little plastic containers that come from the deli section. And I could never bring myself to even really try that. So when I tasted this I was shocked at how good it was. Josh and I immediately looked at each other and agreed that we must duplicate it at home. I started with Bobby Deen's recipe and made quite a few changes to get to this:

4 oz cream cheese (room-temperature)

2 cups freshly-shredded sharp cheddar (I like half regular & half sharp white cheddar) (and DO NOT buy the shredded stuff in a bag - don't do it!)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3-4 tablespoons pimentos, chopped to whatever size you like

small clove of garlic, minced or pressed

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together, either by hand or in a Kitchen Aid. (It can't get much easier than that.) It shapes into a ball if you'd like to make it into a cheeseball - we were dreaming of rolling it in bacon & green onions. It makes a wicked grilled cheese sandwich, and is awesome with a fresh loaf of bread.

- shop -

2011-07-01T09:28:00.000-04:00

The shop has been stocked! Use code JULY4 for 15% off through Monday, July 4. I hope you have a fantastic, safe Independence Day weekend!

(( This dotty garland has already been snapped up by a speedy shopper, but I have enough fabric to make another if you're interested - just let me know! ))

- exhale -

2011-06-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

What an absolutely manic June this has been. I can say with full confidence that this has been one of the busiest, most challenging months I've experienced. April & May were filled with preparation for my first fair, and then once June 1 hit, I stepped it up a notch, panicking slightly that I wasn't going to have enough to sell.

Then. June 14. My husband had an accident while mowing the grass. His foot slipped under the lawnmower. I've never experienced terror like I did when I heard his scream, and saw him lying motionless in our back yard. To see your most important, your favorite, your everything like that...there are no words. BUT! By the grace of God, he didn't lose his foot, or even all of any of his toes. They're not gonna be pretty, but he will have full function and be able to walk and run normally. His recovery is going to be quite long, probably at least 3 months, so could you please pray that goes smoothly? He will also most likely have skin graft surgery in 2 weeks.

I'm sure you have experienced how an accident can throw things into perspective. Suddenly the fair didn't seem so life or death, you know?! But I did pray about it and go on with my preparations, having already invested so much time and money. The upside of this whole thing is that we have gotten to spend so much time together! He sat with me at the fair and we had the absolute best time. It was fantastic. The kids spent time with our friends & family over the weekend and had a blast, so I'm calling it a success. :D

We met so many kind, enthusiastic people last weekend - and if you're one of them, thank you!! Thanks for your encouragement and patronage, and supporting handmade.

While we're adjusting to our new, home-based normal, I'm hatching a few new plans. I have a class in the works, so look for details about that sometime next week.

So with this new appreciation for phalanges and the important role they play, we'll be hanging out, reading books (Josh on his new Kindle!), watching Phineas & Ferb, and loving our unplanned extra time together.

**Oh! I'm adding a few things to my shop tomorrow & Thursday - I'll post a little note here when I do.**

Small but Mighty Destash

2011-06-05T20:45:00.000-04:00

Some good things! Click on over....

- practical project -

2011-05-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

We have a bar in our kitchen, and it's where our kids eat 99% of the time. They destroyed a set of solid wood stools in under a year, so we replaced them with these metal stools. The tops are cushioned and swivel, but are upholstered in the ugliest fabric - which has been stained with yogurt, salsa, and who knows what. I made some pleated slipcovers, which looked great, but had to be washed constantly and didn't hold up long. Something drastic needed to be done!! I know this is a pretty basic project, but thought I'd share in case you want to tackle a project of your own.

I unscrewed the seats, removed them, and then stuck the stools in the sink for a good scrubbing. That's how bad they were.

Then I used some taped-together sheets of wax paper to make a template for each cover.

I pulled the fabric taut on each side and stapled.

Then went back around and stapled the excess fabric, makings sure to tuck it in so it looked nice from the top and sides.

Then trimmed the excess fabric.

And put the base back on! Super easy project - quick and so practical.

Much more kid-friendly, and the color matches our kitchen perfectly. FYI, this is Heather Bailey laminated cotton, available here. The vinyl laminated surface wipes clean so easily, and feels great - so much less stiff than I imagined. If you've felt oilcloth before, this is not as "crispy" and has a great hand.

I love these three little bums. ;)

- a happy table -

2011-05-24T08:37:00.000-04:00

I've had the pleasure of working on a few spreads for WV Living Magazine since last fall, and this is what I came up with for the spring issue that's on sale right now. I actually remembered to take a few pictures before Katie (the assistant editor) came to my house to shoot it. Her pictures put mine to shame but I'll share anyway. ;)

My mother-in-law lives right up the street from us and has the most incredible collection of....well, everything! She has teapots, china, glassware, serving pieces - in other words, if you're looking for it, chances are she has it. I asked her if I could "shop" her house and she was kind enough to give me free reign. This was shot in February and most of these pieces are still living at my house...shhh...I just can't let them go yet.

I found the most beautiful tulips and greenery at Kroger, of all places, and fell in love with the teeny cabbages that are in the red pitcher. Of course they haven't had them since.

Iced tea glasses are from our wedding china (I think there are only 5 left that haven't been broken!) and the green glasses are from my MIL.

The feature in the magazine is to provide inspiration for a Mother's Day brunch (why did I not post this before Mother's Day?) so I made some little clay wineglass charms/tags that say things like "Mom" and "I love you". I wrote a tutorial that's in the issue - let me know if you're interested in it and I'll post it here.

I found these beautiful soup bowls at Home Goods - they were the jumping-off point for the tablescape. It's a little hard to see, but the background of the plate is a linen texture with off-white polka dots. The white dishes are our wedding china - 10 years later I'm so glad we picked something simple that I'm not tired of looking at!

. For the napkin rings, I just cut a bit of burlap and various pieces of ribbon, wrapped them around the napkins, and then secured it with a clothespin that had been stamped with some special names.

I got about 2 1/2 yards of burlap at the fabric store to use as a tablecloth, and then used one of these little Spouncers (isn't that the worst word?!) and some off-white acrylic paint to mimic the design on the bowls. I love the table cloth and will probably use it in my booth for the next couple of art fairs I'm in.

Sorry there are not any full-length shots - I had my fixed lens on and didn't have time to change it. You'll just have to grab the issue! Here is a list of the stores that carry it - you can find it all over the country!

- full plate -

2011-05-14T21:46:00.000-04:00

I'm juggling an enormous amount of things right now (all good things!), and my dining room table looks like a sweatshop, but some fun things are coming out of the chaos. And it really is chaotic when you have to push aside stacks of fabric to eat dinner, and still end up eating on top of your cutting mat. I have the most patient husband EVER, God bless him.

I'm going to have a booth at this great art fair during FestivALL, which is a 10-day-long festival of concerts, exhibits, and performances. The Blues, Brews & BBQs and Wine & Jazz festival, special Mountain Stage concerts...it really is an incredibly fun week.

I had some old boards, both barn wood and pallets, so I made some signs to sell. I had to do almost heaven...it's our motto. :)

(the little flashcards in the top picture are from teachmama - one of my favorite sites for homeschool ideas.)

OH! And I won this incredibly generous giveaway, too! Tasha from A Little Sweetness sent me the best package, and I can't wait to make a sweet little doll quilt with the adorable fabric.

- flowers come up -

2011-04-29T16:14:00.001-04:00

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity

But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries, “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are

- lovely flower pictures from my wonderful Erica and song from the fantastic David Crowder Band. Listen here -

- you are so loved -

2011-04-14T10:02:00.000-04:00

As usual, I'm behind on showing you a Christmas gift. This one was for my sister-in-law, who lives in DC (about 6 hours away from us). We miss her so much, so I thought a little memory board/shadowbox thing would be a great gift for her - I included some bits of lace, ribbon, and push pins for her to add photos of the kids and family that she doesn't get to see often. The box has a hinged glass lid, as you can see in the photo above, and is so nice and sturdy. I have another that I'm hoarding for myself. ;)

I got the print here - and I also ordered this one for Delaney's room. I have had them favorited on Etsy forever, so when she had a buy one, get one sale before Christmas I couldn't resist.

I did some messy stitching with my (then) new Sulky Blendables, and added in a few little felted balls.

A free-motion stitched heart, and a piece of an old folding carpenter's ruler, just because I liked it. :)

Now she has something to remind her of all of us even though she's hours (and lifestyles) away in the big city.

Chickpeas, please

2011-02-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

I've yet to meet a chickpea that I don't like, and this is one of my favorite ways to make them. Super easy, tasty, quick, and they are so good it seems like they should be really bad for you, but they're not!! No guilt with these little beans. :)

You can buy these canned, but since I'm cheap (and freaked out by the goo in canned beans) I buy them dry and soak them. Dry chickpeas look exactly like little rocks, and they're also called garbanzo beans. Soak them overnight, then cook on low for a couple of hours and drain.

After you've drained them, pat off the excess water with a towel - the drier they are the crispier they'll get in the oven.

Stick the chickpeas in a bowl (I use about 1 1/2 - 2 cups) and drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil over them. Then season with whatever you're in the mood for - I used lemon pepper and sea salt today, but I also really like curry mixtures, Tony Chachere's, or sometimes Mrs.Dash.

Mix it around good to coat, then spread everything out on a baking sheet.

I use my 10-year-old Pampered Chef baking stone. I have nightmares about the day this thing gets broken - it is truly one of the treasures of my life....loved, blackened, and seasoned to perfection. I especially love using the stone for these because I preheat the stone in the oven, which makes the chickpeas nice and crispy.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 425*. Only make what you'll eat in the next few hours because they don't keep well, but I doubt you'll have a problem finishing them. ;)

On another (but equally tasty) note, I bought myself a Valentine's Day gift. It arrived this week and I am now clothed in the glory of the Avett Brothers. ;)

I also bought some laminated Nicey Jane cotton and recovered our bar stools. They were a health hazard with who knows what caked on them, but after a reupholstery job and a good scrubbing are good as new. Pictures forthcoming.

Back in the saddle

2011-01-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I hope you've all had a productive January....because I certainly haven't! It has been so nice to relax and step back from the manic creating that happened in December - it was getting to the point of being a chore to sew, and that's never a good thing. I took a weekend and made myself a tiny quilted wall hanging (it's about 18x18) and it was just what I needed to ease back into things.

(I can't bear to take down my measuring tape stars so I'm decorating around them.) I'm starting work this week on the Spring issue of WV Living magazine, and having a lot of fun coming up with ideas for it - it's the Mother's Day/Home Decor/Spring issue so there are a ton of possibilities.

This Sweetwater "Make Life" fabric is one of my favorites and I treasure every last scrap of it. The arrow and "make life simple" were so serendipitous - I was almost finished with the little quilt and saw my new mantra right there - and knew that it had to be highlighted. The arrow is pretty subtle, huh? ;)

I did a ton of hand-stitching on this, which is one of my favorite things about it. Embroidery is seriously one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. I can tell you what was going on with every leaf I stitched - the blanket-stitch was done during an episode of our favorite Bones, the French knots were done while hanging out with the kiddos watching it snow. It's almost like a smell or a song - you know how things trigger memories? That's how embroidery is for me.

I threw a few of my rapidly-dwindling stash of vintage buttons in there, too - I have a plan in place to scour the antique shops for more this weekend. We hopped back into the estate sale saddle this past weekend and it was so nice. ;)

Thanks for stopping by here - although I am the most erratic blogger on earth, I SO appreciate your comments and emails...they truly make my day. :) :) :)

Just dropping by....

2010-12-20T19:36:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to keep my head above water during the hustle and bustle of this season - and not succeeding very well. Every year I tell myself that I won't take on as much, won't overcommit myself. But I do. It's hard to say no to things you enjoy, isn't it? Especially when it's making things. I made these lovelies for the WV Living Marketplace in Morgantown, WV. (If you happen to be near there, it's in the Seneca Center downtown).

I have a few of these old rulers hanging around and I can't wait to show you what I did with them for my Christmas shelf! I plan on taking pictures tomorrow and uploading them - so I'll share them here soon. Before Easter, I hope.

The embroidered snowflake and Christmas tree were made from felted sweaters - there's something about the texture of felted wool that I just love! It's so versatile. I especially love checking out what Betz White is up to - she is just phenomenal. Tons of good project ideas on her site.

That's all I've got tonight, friends. I have a nasty cold and a lot of sewing to go before I hit the flannel sheets. I hope you're all have a wonderful week and wrapping up your shopping! :)

A promise is made

2010-11-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

So I made a promise to myself that might be a little difficult to keep, but I'm going to try my best. After the whole issue with Amazon last week - the one where they were defending their choice to sell a very questionable (horrible) book - I decided that I would take my Christmas shopping elsewhere. I am still very sure about my decision, but oh my goodness, it's going to be hard. For the last couple of years I've done 90% of my shopping with them - great prices and free shipping really can't be beat. Except when you really start to think about WHERE your money's going and what kind of people are benefitting from your spending. I've decided that they won't benefit from my money, and the more I type/think about this the madder I get. So I'm going to stop now. Ahem.

Anyway, I do have a point. I'm going to buy handmade and/or local for all of my Christmas gifts this year. This means no Target, no Books-A-Million, no Kohl's. Instead, it means Taylor Books, Kid Country Toys, Etsy. Doesn't that sound so much better, anyway? I know how awesome it feels when people choose to spend their hard-earned money on something I've made - my cheeks get pink and my heart gets all tingly. It rocks. So I'm going to do my best to pass on that feeling this year. I've already bought one handmade gift and I love it. The only downside is that it will take a bit more time, but really, that's a good thing. More intentional, more heartfelt, more deliberate. Thinking about the person I'm buying for - what are their favorite things? What do they love to do? How can I support a great cause while shopping? Instead of running (sometimes literally) through Target on December 23rd, I purpose to be more thoughtful this year. Will you please hold me to it?

Let Love Grow shirt from lovepalm21

Here are a few things I have marked....although some of them are things I would like to receive rather than give. Funny how that works.

Rya Necklace from 31 Bits

from Mary Kate McDevitt

Things just don't stop around here

2010-11-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have to say that these past couple of months are right up there with some of the most exciting and busy times I've had. One of the most incredible things going on right now is my new relationship with WV Living Magazine! Nikki Bowman (owner/editor) and I have been working together for several weeks now on spreads for the magazine. AND, ideas for my products in the WV Living Marketplace - both in Snowshoe Resort and Morgantown, WV! Nikki is one of the kindest people you'll meet and she has given me such a boost of confidence in my craft. So, so cool.

The winter issue of WV Living hit the newsstands this week, and it's sold in 25 states! Odds are that you'll be able to find a copy in your neck of the woods, and I highly encourage you to do so. It is so incredibly well done. It's big and hefty, the pages feel good, and the articles are fantastic. (And everyone on my Christmas list is getting a subscription.) I had so much fun working on a spread for ways to give your mantel a seasonal makeover.

Photo courtesy of WV Living

My things should be making their way onto the shelves of the Marketplaces right around Thanksgiving. Isn't it the coolest store?!

If you can handle any more exciting news ;) I opened my new shop this evening! There are several wristlets and quite a few little polka-dotty garlands in there now, but there will be many more treasures added over the next few days/weeks. So keep checking in! :)

(I promise this won't turn into a self-promotion blog - I just wanted to share all this exciting stuff that's going on! Thanks for experiencing it with me :)

What's Going On

2010-11-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

Inspired Ideas Christmas Issue - click here

I can't tell you how excited I am for the release of Amy Powers' new Inspired Ideas. The last issue was wonderful, but this one is just over the top INCREDIBLE. It is packed full of great ideas and beautiful, inspiration photos - and I am so proud to be part of the contributing team. Amy has such a gift for bringing out the best in all the featured artists and man, can she ever put together a magazine! I can't imagine how many hours of love she put into this, but her hard work is evident and SO worth it.

I put together a tutorial for my little scrappy, patchy tree and a stack of presents for this issue, and I do hope you'll try it! I promise it's not hard at all, and if you have questions, ASK ME!! That's what I'm here for. :)

Oh, and be on the lookout for a Little Bit Funky 20-Minute Crafter segment showing you how to make my little dotty garland that you see in the picture above. I'll let you know when she posts it. (But you know what, go right now and visit her blog - it is so good, so real, and so FUNNY. You'll love it, promise).

In other crafty news, lookie what showed up in my mailbox this week!! I ordered this kit when we were at the beach in September and have been so looking forward to its arrival! Miss Alicia can do NO wrong in my book and I can't wait to start working on these. And please notice that there is a handwritten note with my NAME on it. Jealous, aren't you? ;) Tell me what you're working on these days - any Christmas gift-making yet?

Oh, Fall....

2010-10-12T21:30:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love this season? Seriously! Do you know anyone that doesn't like fall? What's not to like? There are cool days, beautiful leaves, pumpkins, cider (which my kids have discovered and fallen madly in love with), football, chili & cornbread, and pumpkin EVERYTHING. I've decided that everything tastes better with a little pumpkin and cinnamon added. :)

My aunt's birthday is the second of October and I made her that little wreath as a birthday gift. Last summer my mother-in-law (who is quite the crafty lady) cut down grapevine and showed me how to make wreaths out of it. I used one of those wreaths - probably 14" in diameter - and wound some berries (found at Michael's) around it. For the leaves, I sandwiched floral wire between two pieces of fabric and some Heat N Bond and cut a leaf shape out. Easy as (pumpkin) pie. (I couldn't help it).

Have you ever visited the Pioneer Woman's cooking website, Tasty Kitchen? It is GENIUS. I finally scored some pumpkin at the grocery store the other day (they had been out forever) and I was looking for a recipe to use it in when I came across this gem . It is truly one of the best things I've ever baked. In my whole entire life. SO good. It tastes just like my mom's pumpkin roll, but in cookie form, and the little flecks of cinnamon in the icing just make me so happy and cozy. It's the little things, apparently, that do it for me.

My kids (especially Delaney) are very big on seasonal crafts, and now that we're officially homeschoolers, it's a necessary part of our day. So she says. ;) We made some candy corn using the same method as our Valentine hearts, and I strung them along with some candy corn using thick upholstery thread. It took a bit of patience to not break the candy corn, but it wasn't too bad at all. It's a shame no one in this house even likes candy corn. We found pieces for days afterward, in melty little piles, where someone (Finn) had tasted it and spit it out.

I also baked these muffins, which were super tasty, but definitely not as awe-inducing as the pumpkin cookies. They're even better today, at 2 days old.

(My new chalk cloth tablerunner, purchased at the Country Living Fair, from Modern June, who was just as cute and sweet as she could be. You need one too!)

Sashiko!

2010-10-04T10:41:00.002-04:00

A couple of weekends ago we went to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH. It's a yearly tradition for us, and it usually falls around our anniversary, which is good timing. (If you missed the Columbus show, there will be one in Stone Mountain, GA in October). I'll post pictures of the fair soon, but I wanted to share what I found in some quilt shops along the way first. I've had a really hard time finding a thimble that I like. I asked a quilt shop owner what she suggested, and she said she loved the adhesive leather dots that you just stick on your finger. I was a little skeptical, but I bought them, and and I. LOVE. THEM. Seriously. They are exactly what I wanted and work over and over again! Like magic.

Every time we travel somewhere I put "quilt" or "fabric" into the GPS and see what it comes up with. (I seriously have the most patient husband in the world.) I found a tiny little shop and I was shocked to see that they carried sashiko! I've wanted to try it for the longest time and for $8 I couldn't pass it up. I chose the white background (they also had navy) and some mustard sashiko cotton. Purl Soho has a great sashiko tutorial here and there are quite a few kits on Etsy. Once I actually start this I'll post some pics.

And I can't wait to make a sweet girly quilt with these charm packs I recently swapped for - the are designed using vintage sheets as inspiration. The colors are great, aren't they?!

A Wedding Quilt

2010-09-29T11:15:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks after I started working with Allie (the bride for whom I made the lingerie bags), I received a (secret) email from her fiance, Zane. He mentioned how much she loved handmade things and wanted to get her something special as a wedding day gift. We emailed back and forth, and he sent me links to their wedding registries. I noticed that they were registered for Fiestaware, and in the most beautiful, bright colors. I sent him a couple of different fabric combinations, and I knew right away what he would choose. He chose the Amy Butler Love line and the colors match perfectly with their new dishes.

I figure he must be a pretty good catch to go to such distances for his betrothed. ;) I made a label for the back of the quilt using this printable fabric, (picked up at Michael's) and I have to say that stuff is pretty darn cool. I hand-stitched around the edge to make it a little more secure and I am so happy with how it turned out.

After I had delivered the bridesmaid bags to her, he emailed me back and asked if I could make another bag for her, too, since she loved them so much! Nothing makes me happier than when someone enjoys what I make for them. :) They went to Jamaica on their honeymoon so I thought a swimsuit bag would be fitting.

Congratulations to a super sweet couple and I'm so glad I could play a small, handmade part in your special day!

Unmentionables

2010-09-28T20:43:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago I had the very fun task of helping a bride decide on something to give her bridesmaids. She was so fun to work with and really let me have free reign. I suggested monogrammed cosmetic bags or a lingerie bag, and I made this little bag to give her an idea. I had recently been on a couple of weekend trips and kept losing socks and undies in my suitcase, so I thought I'd make a little bag to store them in.

She loved it and the only change she made was to put the girls' names on them instead. She requested blue, orange, pink and red, and let me do the rest - I love having creative freedom! :)

I fused the teeny tiny undies on and then embroidered around them, free-motion stitched a clothes line, and then hand-embroidered their names.

The new couple is on their honeymoon now, and tomorrow I'll show you what her sweet groom surprised her with......

For baby Claire

2010-09-23T08:26:00.002-04:00

We have a new niece on the way, and she's all set to arrive tomorrow. Of course I had to make her something handmade, and I used this adorable Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday line. It's becoming really hard to find now, but it's perfectly girly and the colors are great. I made a disappearing nine-patch baby quilt that measures about 36x36, a couple of burp cloths, and a onesie.

She has already been nicknamed "Claire Bear" so of course I had to make her a little bear shirt. (And the fold is crooked, not the embroidery, I promise!) Baby gifts are so fun to make because they're such instant gratification.

Libraries & Labels

2010-09-19T21:45:00.008-04:00

At the end of the summer when the heat became unbearable, we headed inside to the library. The kids still can't get over the fact that we can take so many books home - it's too good to be true. (I secretly still think the same thing!) And DVDs, too! Since we turned off our cable this spring watching DVDs has been a fun thing for them to do, and I love that there aren't any questionable commercials that I have to worry about.

As I lugged home a huge tote full of books, I had a lightbulb moment. Library bags! And they could be personalized, with a pocket for their cards! And have patchwork! And cute handles! I'm easily excited. ;) I've wanted a reason to order some Sweetwater personalized labels for quite some time now, and this was the perfect occasion. I ordered one for each kid and then had fun pulling out coordinating fabrics.

THEN, to add to the excitement, this awesome library tote tutorial from Noodlehead popped up in my Google Reader. I put this all together before vacation, and now that we're back I can't wait to get started.

I'm sure you're familiar with Sweetwater's fabric lines (Pure, Make Life & Authentic), but did you know about their awesome new Label Crew club? It's only $6 and you get 4 fabric labels (one is personalized!) and a cute little pattern every month. Below is the kit for September - I got it in the mail a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to make these little fabric buckets for Halloween!

(And no, this isn't a paid advertisment, I just think their products are that cool!)

Patchwork

2010-09-16T14:54:00.003-04:00

I don't think I'll ever get over my love of simple patchwork squares. They're not fancy; on the contrary, they are about as humble as a design can be. In my opinion, this is what really makes them shine. Not much thinking is involved besides deciding between 3 or 4 inch squares, and then you can do the really fun part of choosing which fabrics to combine. I have been using Robert Kaufman Essex cotton/linen blend for a couple of years now and it's a staple in my sewing stash. I haven't found a group of fabrics yet that isn't complimented by the addition of some Essex in Natural.

This little group was ordered by a great friend to give as a baby gift. I had so much fun picking out girly colors and stitching the little onesie. So tiny. These patchwork bags are a staple in my inventory. They measure about 12x14 inches and are great for keeping toys corralled in the car, taking a change of clothes for an outing, diapers, or packing ballet shoes or soccer cleats.

(If you're reading this in a feed reader, click on in and see my new fall banner!)

All about eating

2010-06-14T20:33:00.006-04:00

Homemade Pita Bread

So in the past few months we have drastically changed our eating habits. It was to the point of ridiculousness, the things we ate. Toaster strudels, pizza, fast food (constantly), cookies, muffins, you name it. Not to say that we don't occasionally eat those things now, but they're few and far between rather than being our main sources of nutrition.

Blueberry Spinach Smoothie

One of the best resources I've found is Keeper of the Home. Stephanie did a fantastic Real Food Makeover on our family and I cannot believe the wealth of information she blessed us with. (Here are Part 1 and Part 2 - make sure you take a look!) I have started making so many more foods from scratch and rarely buy boxed foods now - no more Bisquick, sugary cereals, muffin mixes, etc. It is definitely more time-consuming but SO rewarding.

I would love to share with you a few of the baby steps that we took that have made a big impact - will you try them too?

- Using coconut oil - read here and here for some nutritional information - fascinating!

- Making baked goods from scratch - we are big bread and muffin eaters, and it's so much better when it's baked fresh at home. Here is my favorite pita bread recipe - it's like magic! The kids literally sit on the floor in front of the oven and watch them puff up like balloons. So cool. (Oh, and I also replace 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat or soy flour.)

- Using alternative sweeteners. I rarely use white sugar; instead, I use organic raw honey, maple syrup, applesauce, and brown sugar. (I have to hide the raw honey from my kids - they eat it out of the jar by the spoonful).

- Making our own yogurt. Read this post for directions - it's so awesome. And so easy and cheap and good.

- READING INGREDIENT LABELS! It's shocking what is in most of the food that we eat, and I'm honestly ashamed at the food I've fed my kids, my husband, and myself over the last few years. I can see now that I haven't been a good steward of the body God has blessed me with and that's changing - how exciting!

I picked up some Israeli couscous at our local farmer's market a few weeks ago, and it is absolutely my new favorite pasta/grain. The texture is so great, and it's super easy to cook. The kids devoured it, too. I sauteed some onions and spinach in coconut oil, then added in the couscous and chicken stock. (I use stock instead of water - it gives it so much more flavor.) Then I steamed some broccoli and tossed some almonds on top. This was a totally use-what's-in-the-fridge meal - can you tell?! The kids love boiled eggs and we were out of meat so I added some of those, too, for some extra protein. We had an enormous platter of healthy, beautiful food for under $5. I was pretty impressed.

I have a new step-sister, which is super exciting!!!!, and we recently both bought butter bells. I have wanted one of these for a few years and am so excited to finally have one!

Butter Bell from Pigeon River Pottery

What are your thoughts on REAL food? :)

Better late than never...

2010-02-09T18:22:00.004-05:00

I realized that I haven't shared these juicy little fruits with you. My friend (and hairstylist) Erica gave me these great old cutter quilts a couple of years ago. I have hoarded them, waiting for the perfect project to come along, and it finally did. One quilt was in such bad condition that I could only save tiny scraps, but the other was full of great Dresden Plates.

My mom has a great collection of antique quilts, old linens, and weathered furniture. I thought some of Heather Bailey's Fresh Picked fruit would be gorgeous made out of an old quilt. I made the pear for my mom for her birthday. I added buttons on the felt leaves and hand-stamped the date on a sterling tag and stitched it onto a linen leaf.

After she received (and loved!) the pear, she hinted not-so-subtly that she'd love for it to have some friends to hang out in an old sewing machine drawer. What a fitting home for them, huh? I made the rest of the little fruit and I am thrilled with how they turned out.

You might recognize the strawberry from Delaney's Easter skirt - it's a remnant of an old table cloth I bought at an estate sale. That was $6 well spent. As much as I love winter, I must say that I'm eager for spring and estate sale season to begin.

I hope these little lovelies brightened your day....and check back soon because I have a very exciting announcement to make about a little venture Leslie & I have embarked on! :)

Sad. And Mad.

2010-01-25T21:17:00.008-05:00

I have no idea how this happened. I have been working off and on for a week now on a baby quilt to donate to Haiti by Hand. I have put so much thought and time into this little thing, prayed for the people of Haiti while I was sewing, and put tons of love into it. So you can imagine how bummed I was when, after hand-stitching the binding on, and washing and drying the quilt, I discovered a tear in it.

The only thing I can figure out is that I nicked it with my scissors or it got snagged on something in the washer or dryer. I pulled it out of the dryer this morning and took pictures of the warm cuddly little thing, and as I was folding it up I noticed the hole. It's a teeny little tear that can be patched, and that's what I plan on doing. I'll drop the price and hopefully someone will still love it - especially since it's for a good cause. I'm hoping that sweet Rebecca can get it listed tomorrow.

This and that

2010-01-20T12:36:00.002-05:00

I'm making a baby quilt to donate to raise money for the earthquake victims, and as you can see I have helpers! They are so cute and got such a thrill from smoothing out the batting. I've also discovered that it is SO much easier to baste a quilt on the dining room table rather than the floor! Love those baby quilts.

I decided to go with a gray/yellow color scheme - I've had these fabrics piled together for ages and it was so fun to finally play with them. I can honestly say that I won't be sad to never sew with triangles again - they are so fussy! All that bias stretching and getting distorted when you iron them.....but I do love the way they look, and this quilt has been calling to me for a long time. Maybe I'll give it a while and try again.

I found these potholders that I pieced and quilted over 2 years ago in my unfinished projects basket and decided to tackle them. They just needed binding sewn on, and I've been enjoying hand-stitching it when we're in the car. I can't decide whether to put grommets in them or sew loops of trim for hanging - thoughts? I love the look of grommets but would need to install a hook to hang them from. The loops are a little more practical, I guess.

I got this International Quilt Festival magazine for Christmas, and I have loved poring over it again and again. Josh and I sat for the longest time and stared at the prize-winning quilts - they are incredible! The details are amazing, which they would have to be to keep a man's attention for longer than 5 minutes. There are several projects I want to make from this, and first on my list is this organizer - I think I'll make several to have on hand for gift giving.

I'm off to lay on the sofa and rest - the girl and I have a tummy bug. She threw up all over Target today and I think ruined the novelty of cherry slushies forever. So sad.

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-17T10:13:00.004-05:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but there are still items being listed around the clock. Craft Hope has opened and Etsy shop, Craft Hope for Haiti, and is donating 100% of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders.

In the first 24 hours over $4000 was raised - isn't that INCREDIBLE?!? I donated a wallhanging that has already sold, and it makes me so, so happy to know that that money is helping people. So I'm giving you permission - GO SHOP!!! (or if you can't shop, donate!! )

No making fun (and a Haiti update)

2010-01-15T09:15:00.007-05:00

-----------------------------

I am very hopeful that I've found an orphanage to accept and distribute our handmade toys. It was not affected by the earthquake and I think that will make the logistics a little easier. I promise to update you as soon as I have more information. Thanks SO much for the interest - this is going to be a blessing for everyone involved!

------------------------------

On to the no making fun part - I am HORRIBLE at drawing in Photoshop. Completely laughable. I know how to do the things I want to do in AutoCad, but unfortunately that doesn't help me in PS. I would love to try Illustrator, too. This is a sad little thing I drew in PS to help me choose colors for my next quilt. I'm using the Country Threads Star Quilt pattern, which I bought 2 years ago at the Country Living Fair. I'm loving the idea of using these traditional patterns with a fresh color palette and more modern fabrics. One of my goals this year is to explore that.

Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics is just the best to work with when you're not sure which fabric to buy. We emailed back and forth yesterday and she was kind enough to match Kona cotton solids to the Hope Valley fabrics that I'm using. She posted 2 pictures to Flickr and I'll share them in case you might find them helpful too.

Zucchini, Sweet Pea, & Moss Kona Cotton

Sage & Teal Blue Kona Cottons

I really can't recommend her shop enough - she has a fantastic variety of fabrics and also let me know that she's expanding her collection of solids in the next month or so. My next order is going to contain one of those great Kona color sample cards, too. I know where my birthday money's going.

I have a couple quilt ideas on the back burner, and one of them is a large (6"-ish) patchwork quilt for Delaney's bed. I have slowly been collecting these Little Folks voiles and let me tell you - they are the most fantastic fabrics I've ever felt. Even better than Liberty Tana Lawn, if I may be so bold. ;)

And I want to know how in the world I missed Joel Dewberry's newest collection, Modern Meadow?!?! I haven't immediately loved a line this much in a looong time - I can't wait til it's released!! Does anyone know any details??

How can we help?

2010-01-13T11:30:00.004-05:00

Image from msnbc.com

My heart is broken for the poor people of Haiti. I honestly can't imagine the horror of having an injured or lost child, and I can't imagine the confusion and fear that the sweet babies of that country must be feeling right now.

Image from my dear Rashida

I have been thinking of how we, as a crafting community, can best serve these people who are so desparately in need right now. I know that the necessities, such as food and water, will be provided by organizations much bigger than myself. These things are obviously of utmost importance for survival, but I also think of the children who lost everything they had. All of this to say, I would love to organize a handmade toy drive. I would love to think that we could provide just one small thing to a child to help him or her cope, to help this precious child know that someone out there loves and values them.

Will you join me? I am trying to work out the specifics and come up with a name for this drive (and also a logo if anyone is so inclined ;) ) so give me a day or so to work it out. I'm thinking Handmade Hope to Haiti? Thoughts? I'll be back in touch soon. :)

A little taste of summer

2010-01-09T11:25:00.008-05:00

(a naked little orange after an encounter with a microplane zester)

I have been meaning to share this recipe for ages and finally remembered to take some pictures

when I made these lovely orange scones this week. I adore Panera Bread's orange scones (despite the fact that they look like they are topped with American cheese - what is UP with the artificial coloring in their glaze??). I tried a couple of times to duplicate the recipe and didn't have a ton of success. This is mostly due to the fact that I can't stand cutting in butter. Despise it. I don't have a great pastry cutter or a food processor so I always do it with 2 knives and end up completely irritated. This recipe, however, uses heavy cream in the dough, and takes just a minute to make. They aren't flaky as I imagine they would be using a dough made with butter, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. (This recipe is a compilation of several I found online, using my favorite parts of each.)

Orange Scones

Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 T plus 1 t orange zest
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 T melted butter

Glaze:

3 T cream cheese
3 T unsalted butter (I use salted because that's what I usually have on hand)
1 T orange zest
1-2 T milk or whipping cream
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425. Mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 T baking powder and 1/4 t salt in large bowl. Stir in orange zest. Add whipping cream and stir just until dough forms (it should still be quite crumbly, do not overstir). Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently just until dough holds together - do not overknead. (You'll be tempted - but DON'T DO IT!!) Form dough into 1/2 inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges.

Transfer wedges to a baking sheet or a baking stone. Brush scones with melted butter. Bake scones until light golden brown, 14-16 minutes. (Sometimes the middle takes a while to get done, so make sure you check them).

While baking, prepare glaze. In a small saucepan, melt butter and cream cheese, stirring often. Add orange zest and stir well. Add half powdered sugar mixture, stir well. Add milk or whipping cream, stir well, then add the rest of the powdered sugar slowly, just until the glaze is the right consistency. It should be a touch on the thick side.

As soon as the scones are done, pull them from the oven. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, and while still on the sheet, coat tops of scones with the glaze. The glaze should melt down and cover the scones down the sides.

These scones are very rich and dense, as you might expect with something made with so much heavy cream, but man are they good. They also keep well if you can manage not eating them all while they're warm.

The view from here

2009-12-19T18:23:00.002-05:00

On my lap.....one of my favorite blankets.

On the TV....one of my favorite movies.

Outside my window.....beautiful.

On my mantel......sparkly decorations.

Ahhhh......nothing like an afternoon when you're forced to stay home and enjoy the things you love.

For the babies...

2009-12-18T08:56:00.003-05:00

I have discovered that I love making baby quilts. They are just big enough to use several fabrics and really have fun with, but not so big that quilting and binding them is a chore. This elephant set was for a little guy born earlier this fall, and his name is Britton - isn't that a great name?!

The other two are quilts I made for an open house at local baby store owned by Josh's aunt and uncle. Neither sold, so they are available if you're interested. The girly quilt is appliqued and free-motion quilted. I can't seem to let go of my leaf motif! I love the colors in this one, too. Wrangling this quilt in my sewing machine to outline all those leaves was a pain, but I think it was worth it. I love how the edges of the leaves are just a teeny bit frayed, and the back is as pretty as the front.

The pictures are terrible - winter light is a bear to get good pictures in! Everything looks so blue. We're supposed to get a big snowfall this weekend, though, so that will help with some bright white light!

I have been obsessed with patchwork squares lately. I know they are so simple, but I love how it shows the fabric and how it can look completely different with some diagonal quilting. This one's available also.

That's it for today!! Aren't you impressed?!? Two posts in one week! :)

Let's pretend....

2009-12-13T09:57:00.005-05:00

Let's pretend that it hasn't been since APRIL that I posted....I'm hanging my head in shame. But the great part is that I have SO MUCH COOL STUFF to show you!! I'm not quite sure where to start.

I still haven't finished my Christmas decorating - I need to cut some greenery from my brother-in-law's yard - but I have so enjoyed sitting in the living room with the tree lit and the fire going. Oh, and with my Yankee Frosted Cedar Wreath candle lit, too - and of course it's being discontinued this year. Boo. I'll stock up, though.

I have had a couple of open houses that have been fantastic, but on the flip side, my friend Chris and I also did a craft fair that was a total bust. I mean, I didn't sell one single thing. But the guy beside us selling 1000 thread count sheet sets for $19.99 was slammed. ;)

I will try my very best to be back here soon, I promise!! Thank you SO much for all the sweet emails asking about my little space here. Please keep visiting - it absolutely makes my day!

Hello, my dears!

2009-04-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

Just in case you're in the mood for a little handmade goodness, the shop is stocked. :) I'm off to bed now....busy day tomorrow - breakfast at Panera's with Nana, shopping at Target, and then planting veggies with Grandma & Aunt Sandra. It doesn't get much better than that, right?!

Tomorrow will be fun!

2009-04-28T14:54:00.002-04:00

Why, you ask? Because tomorrow is when I'm updating my shop with some lovely art quilts. I hope you like them as much as I do! Visit me at my Etsy shop Wednesday, April 29 at 9pm EST. I'll be the one with the quilts. ;)

Need

2009-04-20T11:05:00.004-04:00

Have you ever SEEN such cuteness?!? They're a tad expensive but I seriously do need them. And the fact that the color is Ketchup makes them even better. I'm having a yard sale this weekend - guess where some of the profits are going?

Oh, I could just squeal!

2009-04-14T21:50:00.005-04:00

Let me first say that if I don't win this giveaway, I will most certainly be buying some prints from the lovely Tollipop! I adore her blog - how have I not seen it before?!? It is hilarious - I mean, really, laugh-out-loud funny. Her stories are deeeelightful - and I'm off right now to peruse her archives. Go over there right now and have a look around - I promise you'll love it!

So I've been....

2009-04-14T13:20:00.005-04:00

So I've been quite the prolific sewer during the last week or so. I've cut out 4 bags to sew, made an Indygo Junction Tribeca Tunic, an Easter skirt for Delaney, and 3 kidlets. Oh, and 4 wallhangings. I've been in a groove - don't you love it when that hapens?!

First up - the tunic. I was a little apprehensive about this pattern, thinking that maybe it would be too frumpy for me. I love the tunic style, though, so I thought I'd give it a try. I made the size medium, and I must say that I love it. It fits perfectly and was so super easy to make. And fast! It cut out and sewed up so quickly! I'll definitely make it again, but with a deeper v in the yoke. I also wish I would have chosen a smaller print for the yoke and contrasting bands, but oh, well. I found some earrings at Target that match it perfectly, and I have some great Ann Taylor off-white linen capris to wear it with.

We go to estate sales almost every Saturday - it's our little family ritual in the spring and summer. We hop in the car - kids still in their pj's - grab some breakfast, and cruise around town. It's a fun way to see old houses and find some treasures. I came across this gorgeous tablecloth a few weeks ago for $6 and I couldn't pass it up. It has the most amazing emboidery on it, especially on the corners, and I knew it would be great incorporated into Delaney's Easter outfit. I didn't use the corners on her skirt so I have to figure out what to do with them. Any suggestions?

I used some Michael Miller bias trim, and let me tell you - it is SO nice. It's silky and smooth and sews on so easily. I also used the last little bit of my Amy Butler Lime Full Moon Polka Dots - that has to be one of my favorite fabrics of all time - it just matches everything!

Delaney had this pink cardigan that was missing a button so I just went with it - I took off the other buttons and sewed on mismatched buttons in yummy candy colors. She loved looking at all the different colors and shapes - and it looked adorable!

I haven't lined the kidlets yet, so no pictures of them. I forgot to buy the cotton webbing for the handles, but once I finish them I'll upload pics. Hmmm....what else.....I'm excited to finish up some pillows and bind my wallhangings - I'm hoping for a shop update sometime in the next week or so.

That's all I've got, friends! Mwah!

2009-04-07T15:11:00.005-04:00

Recovering from a cold. Sitting here with a box of tissues, a fresh cup of coffee, and wearing my favorite LLBean cardigan. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? But I do have makeup on, though. I went to the MAC counter this past weekend and got some much-needed goodies. I brought home some loose mineral foundation, some blush, Viva Glam lipstick, and lipglass. I'm definitely going back for more - the makeup artist was super knowledgable, so sweet, and took me out of my comfort zone to try some new colors. I think I'll get some pressed powder and a couple more glosses next time I go.

I ordered the kids' Easter gifts from Amazon this morning (Tinkerbell & Kung Fu Panda) and slipped in a little book for myself, too. I found a copy of Quick & Easy Slipcovers at Books-a-Million the other day and lo and behold, the first pattern was for a slipper chair slipcover! Sold! (I had to order it from Amazon, though, because it kills me to pay full price at a chain bookstore.) It looks like a great book, so we'll see how it goes.

I had a couple of comments/emails about my butcher block countertops. They are from IKEA - actually, our cabinets are from IKEA, too. Let me tell you, I LOVE them. I actually use them - I set hot pots/dishes on them, use them as a cutting board (not for meat, just fruits and veggies) and generally abuse them. They were unfinished for the first two years that we lived here and did just fine. A few weeks ago we sanded them down and put 5 coats of this sealer on them and they look wonderful. We should have done it long ago, but it's kind of a pain. You have to open the windows and you can't use the countertops for 72 hours. Josh and I have decided that all future kitchens that we build/remodel will have butcher block instead of pricey stone - it is beautiful, cheap, and we would much rather have one of these tables instead of a slab of granite. ;)

And I'm coveting one of these old subway directories - I LOVE them. Maybe one will make its way into our next house.

2009-03-29T19:47:00.009-04:00

Here's the (finally) finished spring shelf. I'm really happy with it - the angel was swiped from my mom and is made from old barn wood, the "w" is metal, really heavy, and really old, the polka-dot "w" used to be silver and shabby chic and got a new life with some paint, the wallhanging you've seen already, and then there's my new Jennifer Lanne painting. Ahhhh....I l.o.v.e. it. I actually ordered another one of her paintings yesterday and I'm searching for the perfect home for it.

I grabbed this sweet little rusty metal basket from my mom's house last weekend - it's always so much fun poking around her garage, finding new treasures. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, and I'm still not, but for right now it's housing my new painting and some fresh flowers and just making me happy.

And here's the kitchen! It really wasn't too bad - we painted one day and took a couple of days to put the tile up. I grouted the tile during the day, between naptimes and snacks, and then we sealed the butcher block counters - 5 times. They had to be sanded first, since they have had 2 years of abuse, then we sealed them with this sort of mineral oil sealer - and they look fantastic!! I am SO pleased with them - we should have done this a long time ago.

Oh, and here's a new pillow I made - I'm working on a few series of pillows to put in my shop and this was my prototype. I decided to even up the crosses a little more so this one's mine to keep!

And I had the brilliant idea to slipcover our living room chairs. They're only 2 years old but I'm already tired of the upholstery. I should know better than to buy something patterned. It's a stripe, a really pretty stripe, actually, but I want a blank slate. I'm thinking of using a natural canvas, something I can wash and bleach. A lot.

Boy, that was a picture-heavy post, huh? Wish me luck with the slipcovering - I've never attempted it before and am totally flying blind. Any tips?

Have a great evening, and, dare I say it, Monday morning! :)

Should be painting

2009-03-07T20:34:00.002-05:00

We're finishing up the kitchen painting tonight and I've hit the wall. I'm sitting here at the island while Josh paints the last little bit. Love that man. It's so bright and fresh - like a ripe pear. It's amazing what a new color can do to a space! Now I'm super excited to see the tile go up. We're doing glossy white subway tile and hopefullys starting on it tomorrow.

My friend Chris & I decided to do the Pumpkin Festival this year. I had planned on doing it last year and realized what an enormous amount of work it involved, so I'm thinking that starting 8 months ahead of time and with two people it shouldn't be bad at all. We're brainstorming so hard about things to make that I think neither of us is getting much other thinking done. I'm surprised I haven't tried to feed the kids clay and paint for breakfast yet. ;) And check out this gorgeous crocheted throw with Amy Butler patchwork that Chris made - it's up for sale in her new Etsy shop, Mabel+Lola (those are the names of her kids' fairies!)

I finished Dawson's quilt about a month ago and kept forgetting to take pictures of it. This is the first quilt I've done with hand-stitched binding and let me tell you, I'm hooked! I'll never machine-sew sandwiched binding again. It is so relaxing to do and looks wonderful.

Here's a little preview of my spring shelf. I made this wall-hanging a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of those projects that just clicked, you know? I was planning on making a table runner inspired by this Anthropologie pillow, with a sort of leafy vine connected with embroidery. I was cutting out the leaves and stacking them up to iron on when I saw an unintentional pattern emerging - and it really reminded me of Orla Kiely! I knew immediately what direction I wanted to take - a fresh take on her trademark pattern - a little more laid-back and using my favorite vintage fabrics. This piece feels so much like spring to me - bright, comfortable, and fresh. I received my Jennifer Lanne painting today (I bought it using my birthday money & it is incredible!!) and I'm going to take a picture of the completed shelf to share with you later this week.

And here's a sweet vintage children's rocker I got a couple of years ago for $5. It's sitting on top of a bookcase and I planned on putting a fern in it, but I'm kind of liking our wedding picture and letterpress blocks right now. Look at those kids. Who would've thought 8 years and 3 kids later I would love him even more....It's amazing, really, how you think you know everything about the one you love, the one you are marrying, when you've just touched the surface.

Now that I've gagged you with the sappiness!, go listen to this - it's my favorite song of the week! I hope you have a fantastic Saturday evening....

I'm diggin

2009-02-04T20:32:00.008-05:00

Clementines. They're seedless, easy to peel, and taste like candy. We've eaten 10 pounds of them in about a week.

Cowboy boots. I am (and have been) on the hunt for the PERFECT pair. I looooove the turquoise ones here - anyone know of any great boots? (That don't cost $400, that is. Those are easy to find).

What genius bribed Orla Kiely to design a collection for Target? My mouth literally dropped open and then I'm fairly sure I squealed when I found this out. Comes out this month - the 14th, I believe.

We (my mom, brother & I) went to Mountain Stage this past Sunday and saw Dierks Bentley. He was great, but what really caught my attention was the crazy good voice of Jessica Lea Mayfield. I kept thinking that one of her songs sounded SO familiar, and when I googled it I realized it's because The Avett Brothers also recorded it and I have played it over and over. I'm loving both of their sounds - twangy, acoustic, clean and just different. Different is good.

Speaking of good, let me demonstrate:

Soup & Sewing

2009-01-15T11:52:00.002-05:00

Since I'm trying to be a little more thrifty (and I'm already pretty darn thrifty) I thought I'd try my hand at making my own chicken broth. We often buy the seasoned rotisserie chickens at Sam's Club - they are so good and so CHEAP! (less than 5 dollars). After most of this one was eaten, I picked off the leftover meat and put the carcass (isn't that a lovely word?) in a pot full of water with an onion (chopped in half, not peeled) a couple of cloves of garlic (again, chopped but not peeled), a few stalks of celery and a couple of carrots. I didn't season it because the chicken skin was already liberally seasoned. Then I let it simmer for between 5-6 hours, occasionally skimming the top.

I strained it through a fine mesh strainer (we call it our fencing mask, like Nigella) and then stuck it in the fridge. The next morning, I scooped the layer of fat off the top, although surprisingly there really wasn't much fat there. The broth was SUPER rich, so I used it in a 1:1 ratio with water, added the shredded chicken, a few carrots, an onion, celery, and garlic and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Right before we ate it I added some whole wheat organic egg noodles from our local bulk Amish food store. It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself! And the kids actually ate it.

On the sewing front, I finally finished my friend Renetta's table runner. I just made some improvisational log cabins and surrounded them with linen. Her only request was that it be framed with AMH's Garden Party polka dot. I'm pleased with how it turned out, especially considering it was my first real attempt at free-motion quilting. I'm sure it will get nice and puckery after its first wash.

Here's a litte detail of the quilting - I LOVE that mustard-colored thread and use it every chance I get.

Sorry about the dreary pictures - it was a dreary day.

Enjoy your Thursday - it's almost the weekend!! As Dawson would say, "Yay! Wow! Woo hoo!"

Like I need one more thing to do

2009-01-05T13:21:00.002-05:00

I couldn't help myself. I signed up for Creative Kismet's Birds of Change exchange. I have been really wanting to make some sweet birdies to hang around the house and this is my motivation now! The birds are due by the 17th, so this will be a quick exchange. I have a few ideas floating around and my goal is to get started on them later this week.

Off to decorate a Barbie cake now - so far today I've baked a cake, made buttercream frosting, The Lady's Cheesy Mac (yum!) and cleaned windows and a bathroom. Since we're just having a family party I don't feel the pressure that I would if we were having a ton of people over. So that's a good thing, I guess.

Have a good Monday afternoon - have you recovered from the holidays yet??

My Resolution

2009-01-03T10:03:00.006-05:00

My bloggy resolution, that is. I am going to post more in 2009. Here's my problem - I feel the need to wait to post until I have an enormous amount of pictures and things to share and a perfectly written post to go with it. That (obviously) doesn't happen much. So this year I'm going to just throw it out there as it comes - or as I download my pictures. :) Does anyone else have trouble finding time to download, edit, and then upload pictures? It seem like such a process that I hardly ever sit down and do it.

So did you guys have a wonderful Christmas? We absolutely did - the kids are getting to a great age for opening gifts and they had a BLAST. It was so fun to watch. I didn't make them many gifts this year, as I had planned, but that's okay - they didn't notice!

Here's a little covered notebook that I made for my hairstylist, Erica. We have pretty much the exact same taste when it comes to decorating, and she is just the sweetest thing. She had two antique quilts (cutter quilts) that she wasn't going to use so she gave them to me! This was my Christmas gift to her - it's one of the Dresden Plates from the quilt! I used my trusty seam ripper to take it off of the old quilt and also pulled out all of the old batting. I ironed the seams under and then machine-appliqued it onto linen. I am in LOVE with this little book - I need to make myself one soon.

Delaney's birthday is on Monday and I think we're having her party on Saturday. I need to do some serious planning this week - she wants a Barbie Diamond Castle cake. Whoa.

Holy Night

2008-12-24T22:42:00.007-05:00

Here it is, 10:30 on Christmas Eve, and I'm ready for tomorrow. I think this may be the earliest ever. I thought I'd share some of my Christmas decorations with you before I take them down...

Luke 2:11
"Today in the town of David
a Savior has been born to you:
he is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:8:9
And there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

Matthew 1:21
"She shall bring forth a son,
and thou shall call His name Jesus;
for He shall save His people from their sins."

Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Luke 1:14
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth

Matthew 2:2
"We have seen His star in the East,
and have come to worship Him."

Philippians 2:9
"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name."

Psalm 72:11
All kings shall pay Him homage,
all nations shall serve Him.

Luke 2:13
And suddenly there was the angel,
a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest."

John 3:16
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Quilt Giveaway!

2008-10-13T21:05:00.003-04:00

No, not by me. Did that get your attention, though?!

Elizabeth at Pigtails & Snails is giving an absolutely gorgeous quilt away - go look for yourself. And I'm going to win it! Posting this on my blog gives me an extra 5 entries and the little banner over in my sidebar adds another 5. I'm not proud! Can I start another blog just to post there and get 10 more entries?!?

Now I'm just hoping she'll write up a pattern so we can make ourselves one too!

Just a few things

2008-10-10T12:34:00.005-04:00

On my mind today...

I am going to be nice to telemarketers. They have such a crap job and I can't imagine that my shortness with them makes their job or day any easier. Their phone calls irritate me but they're just trying to feed their families, right?

I LOVE FALL.

We are almost through our second batch of apple butter. And the 19 pounds of strawberries that we turned into jam is gone. Long gone. We are some toast and jam junkies in this house.

I'll be sad when our garden is empty. It's so much fun to take the kids out every day to see what is ready to be picked.

I finally got my sewing groove back. It feels good.

Thank goodness Monday is a holiday - I am so thankful to have a long weekend to look forward to.

I had an abundance of red peppers so I diced/froze some of them and then roasted/canned the rest. YUM.

What's on your mind this lovely Friday afternoon?

Let's catch up!

2008-09-18T09:44:00.007-04:00

There are so many things I want to share with you! I have been on an unintentional blog hiatus but I'd really like to get into a good blogging rhythm this fall.

We celebrated our 7 year anniversary by going to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH a couple of weeks ago. It was fantastic. We went last year too but it was SO super crowded - the venue was beautiful but just not big enough. It was held at the Ohio Village this year and let me tell you, it was the coolest place. It felt like we had stepped back in time. AND, I got a super cool show poster and got it autographed by the editor of Country Living, Nancy Soriano.

My far and away favorite booth at the fair was the Earth Angels tent. I lost count of the thousands of imaginary dollars I spent there. It was jaw-dropping, gorgeous, funky, incredible ART. I was so inspired and I walked through there a few times. I ended up bringing home an awesome penny rug (sort of) framed in barn wood. I'm in the process of putting up fall decorations so I'll post a pic as soon as it gets hung up. It's awesome.

I had spotted this pattern on Country Threads' website and hoped that they would have it at the Fair and sure enough, they did! I can just see it in solid Kona cottons with a coordinating print back. And the nice gals there even let me practice on the sample punchneedle! It was awesome (I know, everything was awesome). But it really was! It was so easy - I am definitely putting it on my Christmas list. (I also grabbed this Daisy Kingdom pattern to make Delaney a fall jacket.)

My good-ness order came last week too....I am in fabric heaven right now. And would you believe I found this gingham at Joanns?!?

I had stocked up on velvet ribbon at McMaster & Storm at the fair last year and I was hoping they would have some great ribbon again this year. Man, did they! I lost count at 20 yards. It is delicious velvet ric rac. Someday I dream of going to their actual store.

Relieved

2008-09-01T16:56:00.003-04:00

So I have decided not to do the Pumpkin Festival. I can't tell you what a weight this has taken off my shoulders. I was feeling so pressured to make such a huge amount of STUFF that I wasn't enjoying just creating. I was thinking in terms of what other people would like, what was easy to sew, what would be popular. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that just not ME, you know? I don't want to sew because I feel obligated to. I want to sew because I want to, because I feel energized by it, because I get pleasure from it. Not for something that I know I don't love and will have to underprice just to get it to sell.

I decided, instead, to do an open house at the beginning of November. I think I'll do a Friday evening and Saturday with snacks and drinks. I want it to be as much of a social thing as a shopping thing! I hope that it will be a good chance for people to pick up Christmas gifts, and I am really looking forward to making things for it.

I've been working on this little throw blanket for a few months. I cut scraps into 1 1/2 inch, 2 inch, 2 1/2 inch, and 3 inch strips. I pieced them randomly and I'm just putting a strip of white Kona Cotton between them. I also found some awesome vintage fabric at an antique mall the other day - about 1/2 yard for $2 and I also got some awesome pink wool. I have been wanting to try J Caroline's monogram pillow and I think I'm going to use it for that.

I have about 5 million friends that are pregnant (!!) which is exciting in and of itself, but even more exciting for me because I get to make baby gifts! Woo hoo! I LOVE making baby things. I got these Clover embroidery patterns at JoAnn's, shockingly, and I ordered this hedgehog fabric from Crybaby's Boutique. I'm going to try my hand at embroidering them onto this shirt and make a little blanket with the hedgehog fabric and some solid cottons.

***Oh, and I haven't forgotten about those of you who asked about the shirt pattern. I think it's been discontinued because I can't find it on the patternmaker website. I need to go dig through my sewing room and find the actual pattern.

It's about time

2008-08-05T12:45:00.002-04:00

I made this shirt several months ago. (May, maybe?) I wear it ALL the time - it is so comfortable and does a great job of covering my post-baby poochiness. I can't remember what the pattern is. If anyone really wants to know, email me and I'll find it. The fabric is Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom - Avocado Tile and Vintage Dots Breeze.

I've been cutting things out for the Pumpkin Festival - pouches, birthday banners, notebooks - and now I need to start sewing them up. I am so overwhelmed. I have fifty million things to do and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Isn't that every mom's lament?

Thoughtful Friday

2008-07-04T20:51:00.003-04:00

What is home?

A roof to keep out the rain? Four walls to keep out the wind? Floors to keep out the cold? Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father, warmth of loving hearts, lights from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school and first church for young ones, where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind, where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick; where joy is shared and sorrow eased; where fathers and mothers are respected and loved, where children are wanted; where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned; where money is not as important as loving-kindness; where even the tea kettle sings from happiness. That is home. God bless it!

-Anonymous

Where to start?

2008-06-30T08:25:00.001-04:00

We have been so busy the last couple of weeks. Good busy, but still! I have been crafting and cleaning, getting ready for a 4 week Home Prayer Fellowship - every Wednesday night for the month of July we will have about 20 people in our home. I am so excited, but MAN does my house need cleaned! Good motivation, I guess.

I baked a Dorie Greenspan Devil's Food White Out cake on Friday for a dinner party we went to. I didn't really like it - nothing personal, I just don't like chocolate cake or marshmallow/meringue, but it seemed to go over well and was a blast to make. I've never made an frosting like that before and it was great - like magic! Took me over 2 hours, though.

Oh, and there's my new print from Mt.JoySchool - I love, love, love it! The colors are gorgeous and the print is just perfect - every detail is there and it almost looks like the original!

And our new front door sign thingy from ScribbleIt on Etsy - my mom and mother-in-law both love it and just might get one soon! It's honestly one of my favorite things I've bought lately and was such a bargain!

Last but certainly not least, I have discovered a new blog! Let me tell you, Kathleen makes some of the most gorgeous clothes I have EVER seen. And she's doing a giveaway! If I don't win this gorgeous dress you'd better believe I'll be making an "inspired by" version! ;) Click on over to check out her site:
Roosters-N-Rickrack Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!

Have a good Monday.

Jackpot!

2008-06-16T10:56:00.002-04:00

So we finally had some successful yard sale-ing this past Saturday. There was a craft and quilt sale advertised so I wanted to have a look. It was a few older ladies selling crafts and smaller quilts, but they were also selling things that they couldn't use, like trims and buttons. My eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw the basketfuls of zippers, trims, buttons, and laces. And guess how much they were charging?! 5 or 10 CENTS!! I felt so guilty, almost like I was stealing. That obviously didn't keep me from buying tons, though!

Almost every single package of trim was still sealed, and I also got 10 zippers. What a score! It just made my day. I also found some awesome vintage chenille in red and green - I can't wait to use it for Christmas decorating.

We also stopped by a rummage sale at the big Catholic church downtown. I picked up a vintage chenille bedspread ($3!) and an old apron/smock thing (25 cents!).

Look at this trim card - I love the font! And the name....how cool is that? I'm pretty sure that I've used up all my yard sale luck for the summer. I would really love to find some old quilts though. Fingers crossed!

New: Vegetables & Shoes

2008-06-10T19:59:00.002-04:00

We planted quite a few veggies this weekend. Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, hot banana peppers, finger eggplants, & squash. Pretty ambitious for our first vegetable garden, huh? We've grown tomatoes in pots before so I'm fairly confident about them but the eggplants are already looking a little sad. And something (deer? chipmunk?) has eaten a squash. Hrm.

Something I'm very confident about, however, are my new pink Birkenstocks. I loooove me some birks. I have the traditional leather ones that are about 10 years old - at least - and some baby blue ones that are about 5 or 6 years old. They hold up so well. That's how I justified these. Well, that and the fact that they were about 60% off at Sierra Trading Post. That place is dangerous. (And I'm wearing my Nick & Nora flamingo cropped pj pants in the pic - LOVE THEM!!)

I had to get these for Dawson - his little pigs are too cute in them. Must get picture of him wearing them. And I don't feel guilty at all - I got them on Ebay and he is SUCH a shoe fanatic! It's hilarious - he'll take shoes over toys any day. That's my boy.

Tis the season...

2008-06-04T19:04:00.003-04:00

for babies? It seems like there's a bumper crop of babies this spring. My sweet friend Angie asked me to make this to give as a gift. I've started making my Patchwork Initial tees with larget letters and I like it so much better. I can't wait for her to see it!

Another friend has me making two more shirts with matching quilts. I forgot to buy the quilt backing yesterday so I'm using some Kona Cotton that was supposed to be used for another project. I'll have to go back to Joann's later this week. So sad. I just hate looking at fabric. ;)

I've been freshening up my living and dining rooms with some new accessories and pictures. I need to replace my winter throw blankets with some lighter-weight throws and we'll be all spring-ified.

I found these awesome mossy rocks at TJ Maxx - I had been looking for some forever and was so psyched to finally find some!

Who would've thought

2008-05-28T21:40:00.003-04:00

that a vintage sheet makes such a great skirt?

Lisa over at Polka Dot Creations organized this awesome Summer Skirt Sheet Swap. I had the perfect sheet so I cut it into three pieces and mailed it to her. I received three different pieces in return and made a cute little skirt out of one last weekend. I literally hemmed the bottom, stuck some elastic on the top and sewed on some ric rac. It took me about 20 minutes. Stuck a cute little brown tank on with it and wore it to a Memorial Day cookout! I felt like I was in my pj's all day.

Thanks so much for all your hard work, Lisa - it was SO well-organized and I could tell she put a lot of hard work into the swap. I think I'm going to make pj shorts out of one of the other sheets. I have about a million projects on my mind right now. I had better go write that one down before I forget.

Wonderful Wednesday

2008-05-28T11:18:00.002-04:00

Sister was up throughout the night last night. We finally brought her into bed with us and for some reason she thought it would be a good idea to stuff her feet into my pj bottoms. Not comfortable. Back to her bed she went.

The littlest on also joined us in bed this morning (early!) and man, I’m tired. Why don’t mamas get a morning nap?

I think we’re going to make muffins for our morning snack and I’m going to guzzle more coffee. We’re visiting the pediatrician later this afternoon. And it’s raining. Woo hoo.

On a more positive note, I was juried and accepted into the WV Pumpkin Festival. I’m pretty darn excited and a little nervous too. It’s a four-day festival with 45,000 visitors. Holy moly. What have I gotten myself into?!

Adjusting

2008-04-25T18:38:00.003-04:00

We're adjusting to being a family of 5. It really hasn't been too difficult - quite a bit messier and exponentially louder, but really not bad at all! D & D have figured out that they can wreak havoc while I'm nursing Finn so I have learned to keep the broom & dustpan handy.

I appliqued this shirt for Finn and amazingly it fits already - it's a 6-12 month! At his 5-week well visit this morning he weighed 12 lbs. 4 ounces. He totally has a Buddha belly - see for yourself.

Sweet little man

2008-03-18T22:07:00.002-04:00

Finnegan Gray

St.Patrick's Day

10 pounds 6 ounces

20 1/2 inches

Absurdly cute

Has been kissed approximately 452,464,873 times

Seven things...

2008-02-27T19:39:00.007-05:00

The sweet & very talented Mystele has tagged me with the "Seven Things" meme. (Oh, and be sure to visit her shop grand opening March 1 - I can't wait to see what gorgeous things will be there!)

Okay, here are the rules...

1. When tagged place the name and URL on your blog.

2. Post rules on your blog.

3. Write 7 things about yourself.

4. Name 7 of your favorite blogs.

5. Send an email/comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.

About me:

1. I am very, very, very, very pregnant right now. Like unnaturally huge pregnant. Freakishly enormous. I'll post a picture soon to prove it. Doesn't that sound appealing?

2. I'm an interior designer. Not decorator. Designer. 4-year college degree. (Can you tell it's a pet peeve of mine?!)

3. I have the most wonderful friends and family I could ever ask for - seriously.

4. This is going to sound so trite, but finding and connecting with other craft bloggers has meant so much to me. It continually amazes me that there are women out there (and my age, even!) who are fascinated by the art of homemaking and love to spend time crafting and making. I used to feel very alone - awkward, even - when it came to this area of my life. Now I'm proud of my interests and don't feel so old-fashioned anymore. Well, maybe I'm still old-fashioned but without the negative connotation attached. ;)

5. I love french fries. Passionately. Madly. Deeply. Especially with ranch dressing. Oh! And buffalo sauce. I could drink it.

6. I'm obsessed with polishing my nails right now - my hormone-fueled, super-growing, go-go-Gadget nails. I know I won't have time to do it after the baby comes so I might as well enjoy it now, right?

7. I get my best creative ideas when I'm right on the verge of sleep. It drives me nuts.

Oh, dear. Here's the hard part - how to pick just seven?!?

1. Melly & Me

2. Beebee Mod

3. SortaCrunchy

4. PinkLemonadeBoutique

5. Fairytales and Margaritas

6. . Mountaineer Mommy

7. Redheaded Daughter

Get goin', girls!!

A little behind...

2008-02-14T07:54:00.006-05:00

I uploaded these on Valentine's Day....running a bit behind. Such is life, right?

We (read:I) carved potato stamps to make Valentines and Delaney had fun stamping. I remember making these as a child.

Then we got really ambitious and decided to make melted crayon cakes...

I do believe Dawson thought they were cookies!

We also used some red and pink crayon shavings to make Martha's stained-glass hearts...

And then to add to their excitedness we made cupcakes and buttercream icing...

I think they enjoyed themselves, don't you?! We had a great afternoon - I'm sure there's a St.Patrick's party coming up too. And an Easter party....you get the picture.

My reward

2008-01-15T19:22:00.000-05:00

Josh has been out of town this week - which leaves me 43563 weeks pregnant with two manic toddlers to parent. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal but let me tell you, I am enormous. Bending over is impossible and any sudden movement causes serious contractions.

All this is turning out to be a good thing, though. He offered to shop for me at Anthropologie. I will endure all kinds of horrors for a bag of goodies from my favorite store. I emailed him a few links and VOILA! Thursday I will have a very special delivery - my husband, some new dishtowels, plates, & glasses. What more could a girl want?

Spring is on my mind

2008-01-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

Can you tell?! Everything I've made lately has been bright and juicy and downright cheerful. I've wanted to make a couple of patchwork pillows for several months and finally found the time last week. I am so pleased with how they turned out regardless of the fact that they really don't match my living room.

I embroidered some abstract flowers in the middle that are reminiscent of the pattern in the Amy Butler fabric that I used - Clay Geisha Fans, I believe. Love that fabric. Must buy some more and make a skirt this summer.

I added ties on the back out of scraps. Thrifty, huh? As you can see, though, I have most definitely not mastered the art of pillow-making. My envelope closure on the back didn't work out exactly as I had planned but now I know how to make it work the next time. It's really amazing how little fabric these require. I have some ideas up my sleeve to spruce up our bedroom once the winter linens are put away.

It might not feel like summer...

2008-01-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

...but it certainly tastes like it.

Oh, how it flies...

2008-01-07T17:41:00.000-05:00

Has it really been 3 years since my surprise redhead was born? You don't realize how the time really does fly until it's your own child, I suppose.

She asked for a "birdy shirt" for her birthday. I thought I'd just quickly sketch out and applique a little bird, but oh, no. My little girl, she's got an opinion now! I loved that she was interested and involved in the creation of this outfit - "now, Mommy, this leaf goes here, and the birdy needs to be on a branch." A girl after my own heart, I tell you! I so enjoyed this project and am so excited that she gets it, you know?!

I also gave a go at the Twirly Skirt tutorial to match her new shirt and it definitely won't be the last one I make. It's such a well-written tutorial and the skirt is absolutely perfect. Just perfect. I used some 1 1/2 inch fabric scraps with a zig zag stitch as hair ribbons. Hardly any effort at all!

Pardon the blown-out photo. She moves too fast to change the manual settings on my camera, the little rat, but this is the only one I got that comes close to showing the little bird.

Delaney is so into drawing and gluing and cutting things up that I thought she'd enjoy a special suitcase for all of her art supplies. I replenished her stock of construction paper, glue, crayons and coloring books and stuck everything in a suitcase I found this summer for 50 cents. Sandi inspired me to Mod Podge fabric on the front to dress it up. I have to say, it was a hit with all the kids at the birthday party and she hasn't gone more than 3 hours without opening it up just like her very own treasure chest.

The little pockets in the suitcase lid are perfect for storing those pesky foam shapes and letters that otherwise seem to breed and migrate to all corners of my house. I think I'll have to stick this idea in my birthday project folder. Not that I have a birthday project folder, but you know. If I did, this would be in it.

Time to slow down a bit

2008-01-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

I've never really enjoyed this time of year (the post-holiday letdown) until recently. I used to enjoyed the chaos of November and December and find myself a little depressed come January 2.

No longer, my friends. I have enough chaos, courtesy of Delaney & Dawson, to last me all year long. I am reveling in the quiet, enjoying having the house back to normal, and not feeling guilty that I'm not handmaking all the Christmas gifts.

We cleared out all the decorations, put them in very organized red & green storage containers (I think I'm nesting already) and put out some goodies that had been in hiding. I found those awesome wood stamps at an antique shop and bought enough to spell our last name - I love them so much I want to buy the whole alphabet and spell things out all around the house.

I hinted (in a not-so-subtle way, like a link saying "BUY THIS") that I wanted this print from Swallowfield for Christmas. I think it's just perfect, don't you? And let's just pretend there's a picture in the frame below it.

What do you think of my latest obsession?? More to come on that in the next couple of days. :)

Last-minute Shop Sale!

2007-12-18T07:44:00.000-05:00

40% off - go do some last-minute handmade shopping!

This is not the time to count calories

2007-12-17T11:18:00.001-05:00

And the goodies have been delivered! Whew. I dropped all the sweets off and mailed the last of the Christmas orders - I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Check out the adorable labels on the cookies - I ordered several different stickers/address labels/Christmas tags from Max & Bella - let me tell you, they are great! And wonderful customer service, too.

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Whisk together 2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, & 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.

Beat at medium speed: 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup solid Crisco shortening. Add 1 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and the grated rind of one orange.

Stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until well blended. Then stir in 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, 6 oz. dried cranberries, and 11 oz. white chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoon onto cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Go make these cookies now - they make your house smell heavenly and everyone will ask when you're going to make them again.

And the marshmallows! Oh, the marshmallows. They were honestly very easy, but quite time-consuming. I can tell you now, though, that these will be a Christmas tradition - there's something magical about them and they have gotten rave reviews! I just dipped them in melted Baker's semi-sweet and crushed candy canes. I don't even like marshmallows but they are definitely fun to look at. Maybe I'll just lick the chocolate off of one.

Peanut Butter Bon Bons (forgot to take picture of these. Whoops.)
*edited to add chocolate & wax quantities!

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box + 1 cup confectioners sugar

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cake candy-making wax

Cream butter & peanut butter; slowly add sugar and vanilla. Chill mixture in fridge while chocolate is melting.

Melt chocolate & wax in double boiler. Shape chilled peanut butter mixture into 1" balls and dip onto chocolate. Put on wax paper to cool & refrigerate!

Now go forth and bake!

Stitching & Baking

2007-12-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been working on (and dreaming about) these upcoming Christmas stockings. I downloaded Wee Wonderful's Elf Stitchette pattern a few days ago and have been working on the little elfette here and there during the last couple of days. I have to say, I would have never thought of using only one color for the entire elf but I LOVE it. I mean, really, really love it. Sometimes I need to hop on out of this box I'm thinking in.

And this morning when I opened my Google Reader I noticed some little elf legs peeking out over at Soule Mama's house too - no one can resist these little guys!

We have a big day of baking scheduled today - some fruitcake cookies (which I think sound terrible buy my mom swears they're wonderful), peanut butter bon bons, cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies (with orange zest & cinnamon- yum!), peanut butter fudge, some chocolate-dipped peppermint marshmallows (Sandi totally inspired me!), butterscotch pudding cookies, and I'm sure there are a couple that I've forgotten. Pictures & recipes tomorrow!

Handcrafters' Holidays Meme

2007-12-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

From the folks over at Sew Mama Sew - here goes!

Gifts

Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?

No, I really don't! I try to personalize gifts to each person's changing interests/hobbies.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making? (Post photos if you have some!)
I'm making some felt pincusions, some patchwork initial shirts for little cousins, crayon rolls, tissue holders, and knitted socks. Mostly things that can be completed in short bursts of crafting!

Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?

No, not particularly - I have, however, been disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm with which handcrafted gifts were received. I know that's not the reason to give, but come on - don't we all expect just a teeeny bit of excitement or thankfulness when someone receives something that you spent hours and hours on? (You know, like a quilt?!)

Do you have any great gift compilation ideas (a grouping of gifts just perfect for certain recipients?)

All the little ones on my list are receiving crayon rolls with crayons and sketch pads/coloring books this year. I can't think of anything better for a toddler/preschooler!

Name one thing on your personal wish list.

Oh, just ONE?! How about three or four...

Anything from this lovely shop

These earrings

Gorgeous bangle bracelets

This print

Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts? (Link)

Why, of course!

Providence Handmade

I'll be back with Part 2 of the meme (Traditions) later - crying baby, gotta go!

Giveaway!

2007-12-13T12:42:00.001-05:00

My darling friend Meghan is absolutely outdoing herself by supporting us Handmade Mamas this Christmas season. She's hosting a series of giveaways on her blog and guess who is featured this week? Providence Handmade, that's who! Hop over and check it out - you just might win!

And I forgot to mention on my last post - the tissue holder and crayon roll patterns are courtesy of Sew Mama Sew's Handmade Holidays tutorials. Thanks so much, all you hard-working girls at SMS and all of the tutorial contributors!

GIPs

2007-12-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

or, gifts in progress.

I have to say, I am really enjoying crafting for Christmas this year. I actually started early enough to have gifts completed and am not stressing out about finishing things. I think that's the key!

Crayon rolls for everyone!

And tissue holders for everyone, too.

And a lovely felt pincushion-in-progress for my aunt.

Next up: patchwork stockings for the entire family! I just placed a big order of Christmas fabric at Sew Mama Sew and I can't wait to get started. I just might do my first tutorial! What do you think??

Finally, some Christmas decorations...

2007-12-09T18:37:00.000-05:00

Seriously, where does the time go? It's been speeding by at an absurdly fast pace these last few weeks, even months. It's been four days since my last post and I could swear I did it last night. Wow.

At any rate, I took some pictures of the holiday sprucing-up that our house got this past week - now I can check that off my to-do list and move on to making the rest of my handmade gifts.

I've been making these sweet little mittens like a crazy woman - they're so quick and different that there's not a chance to get bored with them. I bought several bags of vintage buttons at this great antique shop in Ohio and have been using them on every mitten. The pattern over at Disdressed is so easy and clever! I plan to make a dozen or two each Christmas until I have enough to wrap around my tree.

I also whipped up one of these little stacking-cone trees from a tutorial at The Small Object - I plan on enlarging the pattern and making at least two more. They flew by and are the cutest little trees I've ever seen!

One of Josh's merino wool sweaters became moth food over the summer so lucky me inherited it and felted it. I used it for the tree and then embroidered a little snowflake on another scrap and finished it off with (another) vintage button.

I just about squealed out loud when I found this wreath at TJ Maxx last week - it's red and aqua and green!! Do you know how hard it is to find those colors together for Christmas decorations?! Not to mention that it matches my sparkly little church perfectly and looks great with my mercury glass trees. Can you tell I get all excited about this decorating stuff?!

Oh, and we can't forget the tree! We got this lovely thing at Target a couple of years ago after Christmas for 75% off - it's prelit, 9 feet tall and gorgeous, but it's so tall that we can't fit a topper on it! I really don't mind, though.

Looking at all the work I've done over the last few days makes me realize why I'm so pooped! I just get so wrapped up in Christmas that I want to cry when it's over - it's by far my favorite time of year.

It's contagious, this Christmas stuff

2007-12-05T08:20:00.000-05:00

We (I should say I) have been in a Christmas decorating frenzy around here. Sorry about the lack of posts - I am just getting around to re-loading Photoshop onto my new laptop and I just can't bring myself to post without pictures. I KNOW you guys don't come here for the writing. ;)

Even Delaney has been spreading some Christmas cheer - I find these little arrangements scattered throughout the house and it brings such a smile to my face. Sweet little goose.

Hopefully I'll be back tonight with a post full of handmade Christmas goodies - I'm actually ahead of the curve this year!

Shop update!

2007-11-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Check it out!

Please. :)

Don't read this, Mom.

2007-11-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

My mom's 50th birthday is coming up in just a few weeks. Do you realize the pressure to get a memorable gift for such a monumental birthday?! I was at a total loss until one night it popped in my head - a necklace from Lisa Leonard!! My mom loves personalized jewelry and Lisa's pieces are just the classiest, most unique pieces I've seen. I ordered the Mini-Circle necklace with Dawson & Delaney's names on it and I am just so excited to see her face when she gets it. Of course, I'll have to order another charm when the new baby comes in the spring. ;)

A little glitch in my plan...

2007-11-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

I seem to keep forgetting that I'm not Superwoman. That I am 6 months pregnant and taking care of a one- and two-year-old. That I have a home to keep up and a husband to cater to (ha!). Seriously, though, I totally underestimated the amount of time it would take me to finish the Christmas goodies, photograph them, and upload them to Etsy.

Soooo, the shop update is postoponed until Monday. And as a reward for your patience, if you buy two or more shirts I'll include an sweet little stocking stuffer with your order. How's that sound?! See you Monday!

Shop Update

2007-11-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

I will be posting a shop update later this week - Saturday, to be precise! There will be some children's patchwork Christmas shirts and some great Christmas gifts.

Come on over and buy handmade - it's a good thing!

Oh, dear!

2007-11-15T07:58:00.000-05:00

Has it really been eight weeks since my last post? I'm embarrassed! It is a little difficult, however, to post without a computer. Remember my very sad picture? Well, my laptop is officially dead. At $600 to replace the screen I thought it was time to say goodbye. A new PC is at the top of my Christmas list, of course. I hop online every few days with my mom's laptop so I've been somewhat keeping up with my blog reading.

Since I haven't had much computer time I've decorated the heck out of my house. Every nook and cranny is filled with fall decorations. Martha Stewart glitter has become my best friend - the most beautiful colors and boy, can it transform ugly little green pumpkins!

I'm also very pleased to see the abundance of mercury glass accessories this fall/winter season. I have collected mercury glass for a few years - it's so hard to find! - but now it's everywhere. I've picked up a couple of candlesticks at Pottery Barn, some tiny little ornaments at Crate & Barrel, and some Christmas trees at Kohl's.

I just switched out the Halloween fabrics for some beautiful Joel Dewberry fabrics that are the epitome of fall. I so enjoy seeing them when I walk in the door - what a simple little arrangement to make me so happy!

Hopefully it won't be another eight weeks until we meet again....

A few WIPs and a very sad picture

2007-08-31T09:39:00.000-04:00

I've recently reconnected with one of my favorite things - sock knitting. I've had this Cherry Tree Hill yarn sitting around for, oh, two years or so. I haven't knitted since before I was pregnant with Dawson and he's almost 14 months old if that tells you anything. It took a while to get reacquainted with all those tiny needles but we're back in the groove now. I already have some gold & blue stripey numbers planned for Josh and I - Let's GOOOOO Mountaineers!

Have I mentioned before how much I adore fall?! I'm not very fond of hot weather (to put it mildly) so the prospect of cool fall days and bringing out the sweaters and scarves thrills me to no end. I bought two new fall candles last week and you had better believe that September 1 they will be burning. I even love the word "September" - it makes me think of pencils, new shoes, school buses, leaves and the return of all my favorite network shows. Oooooh, I can't wait!

And I'll leave you with a picture of a very big, time-consuming, challenging WIP - a nap mat for Papaya. I actually wrote a (vague) pattern for this so if I ever make another I'll be able to remember the steps. Papaya and her mama are moving (back) to Hawaii next month and this will be for her to use at her new preschool. I can't wait to see a picture of her sweet blond head laying on her new nap mat.

Oh! I almost forgot - and I don't know how since I'm staring right at it. One-year-old + laptop on sofa = BIG trouble. The guys at Gateway just looooove me.

My dear friend is taking a journey to Tennessee for a new video card. I'm not sure I'll be able to survive the 7-10 days that she'll be gone. It's going to be a sad, sad time.

A little goodness

2007-08-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago I found a blog I really enjoy, written by Leslie in Japan. We email back and forth and are in the process of doing a craft swap. Being the doll that she is she offered to pick up any Japanese fabric that I've had my eye on and mail it to me. Apparently a few other readers thought that was a good idea too! Within the last few weeks she's opened an Etsy shop to share the Japanese crafting goodness with the rest of us unfortunate souls stuck in the land of JoAnn Fabrics. I just can't rave enough about her selection and fantastic customer service!

I requested a specific book because I'm madly, deeply in love with the shirt on the cover. I want to make one for Delaney and myself. She ordered it for me and let me tell you, when I opened that delightful little envelope from Japan I literally gasped with excitement! I won the coolest Eco Bag and she stuck in some sweet squirrel fabric (that will be made into a fall tote for ME) and some little candies. I'm trying to pace myself on the candy - I have only eaten one piece and OH, BOY. The empty Hello Kitty wrapper contained a marshmallow filled with chocolate. Seriously? I could have eaten at least 5 of those. Or 9 or 10. I think the baby likes them.

All Your Kids Need (ISBN 4579111338)

Check out these bags - perfection! Totes, drawstrings....

And this dress - oh, my...

The minor glitch in my master plan is that both the book and the patterns are written entirely in Japanese. Hmm. Would it be a bit much to learn a foreign language to make a cute shirt?

Nah. I don't think so either.

Stuck in neutral

2007-07-25T10:37:00.000-04:00

It's probably more like "stuck in reverse." This first trimester is kicking my butt. The all-morning nausea, the life-sucking tiredness, the raging hormonal moodiness - good birth control, right? It's amazing how quickly you forget these inconveniences - I suppose otherwise we wouldn't procreate.

My crafting is taking the brunt of my first-trimester neglect, I'm sad to say. I have piles upon piles of fabric begging for attention. Pages filled with sketches and ideas waiting to come to life. I usually sew during Dawson's afternoon nap but that seems to also be my sleepiest time of day and all I want to do is lie on the sofa. Then after the kids go to bed the last thing I want to do is make yet another mess that will have to be cleaned up. I just can't be bothered!

My goal this evening is to actually cook dinner (gasp!) and then SEW. Hold me to it, will you please?

Refined tackiness

2007-07-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

These things I like

2007-07-20T21:34:00.000-04:00

Mrs.Meyers All Purpose Cleaner

This stuff rocks my world. The Lavender scent is unbelievable - the hint of zesty citrus in it makes it modern and fresh rather than stuffy and I really think I could drink it right up! I also use the hand soap and lotion and the next time I need laundry detergent I think I'll splurge on some Mrs.Meyers goodness.

Dorie Greenspan: Baking: From My House to Yours

This woman is pure genius in the kitchen. My absolute favorite cookie recipe is from this book. Her recipes are so sophisticated and just gorgeous but extremely well-written and easy to execute. I haven't bought this book (yet) but it's on my wish list and I'm hinting around that it would make an excellent anniversary gift. Wink, wink.

Sew, Mama, Sew! Blog

This blog is an endless source of sewing information for me! There have been several great tutorials lately - a few of my favorites are on bag straps, zippered pockets, and a CD case. Oh, and there's a fabric store too - what more do you need?

One year old

2007-07-18T08:33:00.000-04:00

From an angelic newborn

To a rotten little Mommy's boy.

WIP Wednesday

2007-07-18T08:04:00.000-04:00

Work-in-progress #3!

I sense an addiction coming on

2007-07-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

I placed my first Superbuzzy order this morning. Oh, dear. I just kept adding and adding. And adding. I had to go back twice and remove things from my cart! I ended up with some of this absolutely darling cotton/linen blend fabric - I have in mind a patchwork blanket with some linen and some embroidered animals. I am beside myself with excitement! That combination of coffee-with-cream brown and that pale, rich blue just gets me every time. It's going to take every ounce of determination I have not to keep it for myself.

The little French phrases make it even sweeter - no matter that I have no idea what it says!

Oh, and totally unrelated, but I didn't foget to post pics of my WIP from last week. I finished it and am not completely happy with the results. New fabric is on its way and there will be pictures forthcoming!

Images from superbuzzy.com

Pay It Forward

2007-07-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

What a fantastic idea! I hopped over to Prickly Pear Bloom the other day and joined this PIF exchange - I've never done this before but it sounds like great fun!

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week… LOL… but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Don't forget - the gift must be handmade!

WIP Wednesday

2007-07-11T06:24:00.000-04:00

The makings of a summery tote - the first I've ever made, coming along smoothly so far. Fingers crossed!

Sweet!

2007-07-10T08:27:00.000-04:00

My friend Amanda is just the sweetest - she brightens my day with her kind words and thoughtful gestures. Imagine my excitement when a little package arrived yesterday!

A box of goodies from the most adorable shop, Kim & Jason's Lemonade Stand! The most hilarious gingerbread cookie cutters, water balloons, an "Escape Adulthood" sticker, a coupon for free Haagen Dazs (!!) and some lemonade! What a TREAT!

Watch for pics of the already-been-chewed gingerbread men later this week....

He blesses me

2007-07-09T21:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I caught him looking at our little girl. This smile completely engulfed his face - a overwhelming, beautiful, guileless, fatherly-love smile that makes me think of what Jesus must look like when he looks at us, His beloved children.

Nothing - diamonds, chocolates, flowers - will ever romance me more than that moment. What a daddy, this lovely man of mine.

The only way I can get my husband to go to yard sales . . .

2007-07-07T20:40:00.000-04:00

Yes, he is taking a FULL POT of coffee and an entire container of creamer with him. In the car. Crazy man.

Let me just say how much I love my husband - we spent 2 1/2 hours driving around this morning in search of good yard & estate sales. We had absolutely no success but it was just the best morning! We drove around South Hills, oohing and aahing at all the beautiful homes, drinking coffee, and listening to Delaney talk to herself.

Then we had a nutritionally-complete breakfast at McDonald's and explored Kanawha City. Again, no luck on the yard-sale-ing front but we sang, pointed out cranes, trucks, balloons, butterflies, & hot tubs (my child has a strange fascination with hot tubs - go figure).

Who would have thought that we could have so much fun driving around in circles for a couple of hours?! I highly recommend it - pick a sunny day, roll your windows down, pack some snacks, and listen to your kids.

Delightful!

2007-07-03T10:50:00.000-04:00

I can't title this "WIP Wednesday" since it's not Wednesday, but I couldn't wait any longer to share this delightul little project.

My friend Lori commissioned me to make her sweet daughter's first birthday dress. Here are a few peeks into my progress - almost finished!

It's been a more than a day, I know...

2007-07-02T19:11:00.000-04:00

I promised pictures of the completed shirt several days ago. Didn't happen. BUT, to make up for it, I have pictures of the shirt and a new bag that I made! Two firsts in one week - isn't that exciting?!

Okay, no making fun of my self-portraiture skills:

Not much of the shirt showing, is there? I was in a rush - screaming kids - so I'll try to get a better one sometime soon. The pattern (Simplicity 4589) was super easy - I mean shockingly easy. Like I said, I'd never sewn adult clothes before so I expected to be a little overwhelmed but I was pleasantly surprised! I actually made two shirts, but the first one is quite possibly the LOUDEST thing I've ever seen! The colors are way out there and it's striped. Enough said. I am really happy with the orange & linen version and some embroidery is planned for the neckline. Doubt that will ever happen, but I can dream, right? Oh, and the linen is from an old pair of pleated suit pants - LOVE that I was able to recycle them!!

On to the bag:

It's the Sweet Sixteen pattern by Rosalie Quinlan of Melly & Me and I am just too happy with it! The pattern was well-written and it went really quickly. I'm going to scale the pattern up a bit and make another to use as a tote. (Also made from the linen pants!)

See you tomorrow - I have some WIPs to share!

Withdrawal

2007-06-27T17:27:00.000-04:00

A little background - we built a new house last year. We've lived here for 6 months now (we moved in December 23rd!) and in our rush to move in the basement wasn't completed. I swore that it would be finished as soon as humanly possible, but guess what? It's still not done. And guess where my studio/office is? In the basement.

But I'm not bitter, oh nooooooo. Nope. I just use our dining room! The problem is, I had to clean it up to host the party last week and I can't bear to clutter it up again! The piles and piles and PILES of fabric are now neatly stacked in Rubbermaid containers in my garage and it makes me want to cry. I hadn't touched my fabric or my sweet sewing machine for THREE DAYS and I was starting to get the shakes.

To remedy this I decided to start on the ever-present Simplicity 4589 top. I've had the pattern and fabric for months. I bought some clearance fabric for my first try - I've never sewn adult clothing before so it's a new adventure. One part of sewing for myself that I've already found offensive - taking my measurements. Oh, MY. That made me think twice about what I'm ordering at the Thai restaurant tonight.

You can see some cute tops made from this pattern here, here, & here. Let's hope mine comes out half as good as those - pics tomorrow!

It was fun . . .

2007-06-25T12:43:00.000-04:00

. . . but I am so glad the party's over. Three weeks of preparation boiled down to a 3-hour party. Funny how that works, isn't it?

It went as smoothly as it possibly could have and it was so much fun getting everything put together - that's always my favorite part. The decorations, the neat lines of plates & napkins, the untouched platters of food . . . and then it's destroyed in a matter of seconds! In the best sense of the word, of course.

I hate to tell you, but these aren't homemade cupcakes. I have this thing (okay, obsession) for cupcakes from Sam's Club. Wierd, huh? They just taste so good to me that I don't even waste my time trying to duplicate them. That, and the fact that they're $11.88 for thirty of them really seals the deal. They did a great job matching the colors of all the other decorations - I was really happy with them. What I'm not happy about is the fact that Josh took the rest of them to the office today. Delaney's none too pleased either. My guilty conscience is thanking me, though.

My mom's a Vera Bradley fanatic so her retirement gift was a beach bag full of goodies - the bright colors fit her personality perfectly and I know without a doubt that she will use every single thing that we got her. I think my favorite part are the lounge pants - it took a lot of self-discipline not to swipe them! Seeing the look on her face was totally worth all the preparation- I love giving gifts!

We had an obscene amount of food. . . homemade potato, pasta, & ham salads, artichoke dip, fruit & veggies, and hot wings from a local favorite - The Cold Spot, which is a total dive but has the best wings I've ever had. We made lemonade & iced tea so we could have "Greg Normans." (They're really called Arnold Palmers but I have a hard time keeping my golfers straight so that's what I always call them - drives my golf-fanatic husband mad.)

Congrats, Mom. I'm so happy for you.

WIP Wednesday

2007-06-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

My main works-in-progress these last few days have consisted of the finishing touches for my mom's retirement party. Who am I kidding - finishing touches? I should say beginning touches! I'm hosting it at my house on Sunday, so at least I have 3 more days to prepare. For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to do handmade decorations. My ideas are always perfect in theory (and in my middle-of-the-night brainstorming sessions) but somewhere between my brain and the sewing machine reality hits - usually in the form of two little people screeching, smacking each other, and wanting to be fed. Eh, they can feed themselves, right?

I found this great vinyl outdoor tablecloth and thought it would make some nice little seat covers for my patio set - and it just so happended that Target also carries all the matching party supplies - string lights, plates, napkins, you name it!

We've been working on our landscaping over the last week or so and I am so enjoying the new flowers on the back deck. Add a few little lanterns, some brightly colored pots and some wind chimes and we're ready to party!

I think my favorite part so far is this sweet little bunting made from 30's-inspired fabrics. I'm really going for a old-fashioned look and this will bring it all together. Oh! I just thought of another perfect little touch - my grandmother's white milk glass filled with fresh flowers! Is that going to be precious?!

Another bonus - an enormous pile of scraps.....oh, scraps - how I love you.