Great Gift Idea!

Ok, my shops are full of great gift ideas.. sheesh.. but we knew that.

Not every gift can be made by me. Although, I try!! (no pics though, they went hot off the presses into gift bags and recipients!) There was someone that I found on etsy that I set up a swap with and was able to give her 'ware' with great excitement!

Rene' of DeSigns by Rene' got me my sister's, brother in law's and nephew's name in the coolest ways to gift to them. For those of you who don't know, my sister's name is "Liza" which isnt' the most common of names and Rene' was able to accomodate! I could go on and on but you really should just click on her shop and see for yourself.

It made for a really fun gift.

Oh and the rest of Christmas was super, too! Christmas Eve was a blast and Christmas was a wonderful (albeit harried) day. Blessings to you all for a wonderful New Year!

The Feliz and all it's glory!

Fri am the last of my custom orders were sent out. Fri pm I spent tracing the pattern for the Feliz dress and then cutting the fabric.

Saturday-- I spent the ENTIRE day sewing this puppy. The patterns from Farbenmix are in German first and translated over. I do not know if that's part of the reason why this was SO DIFFICULT to follow. Many other sewers have had this problem, hence why I googled "Feliz tutorial" and, thanks to the vast web, found this kind soul. I kept her pages open and ran back to the computer over and over. Sure, had some margin of error still. For instance, where, oh WHERE, does it say ONE time to attach the front middle of the underdress?? At least it was an easy error to correct and this is my final product! I'll definately be making this again. Especially with my treasured Tillbrook Fairies fabric.

(sorry, pics are kinda crummy. I'll try to get better)

Ribbon added. Snowflakes on hemline.

Twirl shot! Thanks for looking!

And today's sample with "custom orders" update

And here's the view out my back deck today! And it's still snowing..Rare pic of dh~~~>
What exactly is that boy shoveling? The back yard...?
And Lil Lady clearing off my van..Custom Orders. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love being able to be artistic with my 'meduim', love getting the chance to share my work, and love getting more money for my fabric habit! But, the relief I felt when I handed over the last batch of shipments to my PO worker on Friday morning was palpable! It was invigorating yet demanding and a teensy bit stressful..
Now, for the gallery! Isn't that the cutest? Made for a little blonde and embroidered by my friend(thanks, J!)

Sorry, crummy pic-- these are just a few of the weighted blankets I made for Christmas orders.

These wooden ring teethers were a hot seller!

And a totally fun order for the wackiest, wildest dress I could think of for a special little girl whose mom found me on etsy. I made the "santa" shirt too!

A little ipod holder for a swap with another etsian. I can't wait to get her product to give as a gift to my sister! (I won't link it in case she checks my blog ;-P)

Plus the others I made and shipped too quickly to take pictures of. I had a very successful season this year and am very thankful. It was nice to not only spend money but to make money too. But boy, with T minus 5 days left, I'm sure glad the custom orders are done and I can start to make a gift or two!

Just a sample of nature's wrath

Above is a picture of my backyard. I *love* my backyard. It's just enough for me. It's quiet even though I live in a very suburban area, it's semi-private (mostly b/c the other neighbors rarely venture out) and it has a great set of aging Willow trees in the back. They took a beating with the recent ice storm but, wow, do they look amazing or what? This was our view right across our street. We got out virtually unscathed(lost power in the middle of the night --woke to get dh out on time by Grace of God only! LOL-- until early the next afternoon).

Most in MA have power now but there are plenty without still. Blessings to all of those who are being whacked with 8+ inches of snow right this very moment and still without power!

Thanksgiving

This has been one HECK of a year for my family. It was last year at this time that we just came off of a 3 month no-job-barely-any-income status to a yes-job-barely-any-income status. This has been a good month, financially, and we are all sighing big but the battle is still ahead. We are working with an agency to try to get our mortgage situation back on track. Yes, we are 'the' statistic out there, with people struggling to make mortgage payments and the "foreclosure reaper" hanging out on the back deck.

BUT, we have even more to be thankful this year. DH and I are a million times more humble than we were last year. A million times more faithful. A million times more grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Truly.

Not to be corny but my etsy shop has a Black Friday special going on right now- 15% off everything-- in store or custom order.

And, finally, to toss it all in one post:

Love you and miss you 7 years, Mom. XOX

I've been tagged!

Does this mean I've truly 'arrived' in Blogland?

Anyway, here's my assignment :-)

A. I've been tagged by Sabrina of http://mylilsliceofpie.blogspot.com/ She's another SewingMama- which is another amazingly cool and inspiring place to be a member of. In checking out her blog recently, I see she won a contest (I LOVE blog contests!) by Dawn of http://olabelhe.blogspot.com/, another SewingMama that I've gotten inspiration from. Go and visit her too! Sabrina tagged her, as well. Sabrina also posted a recipe that I am itching to try!

Now to my assignment:

B. 7 Random/Weird Things about me (oh boy!LOL):

1. I am a Virgo and, while not neat and tidy by any stretch, I am VERY particular about certain things. For example, I hate my bed and sheets all messed up. I really have a hard time getting comfortable if the sheets and blankets aren't 'just so'(which is not like my dh at all, btw)

2. At age 14, I went to LiveAid with my cousins in PA and had the time of my life! I saw all kinds of legends-- Tina Turner, Mick Jagger-- and saw my all time favorite band member, John Taylor, who I LOVED at the time more than the air I breathe! He was in both DuranDuran and The Power Station performing that day. ~dreamy sigh~ I still think he's 'the bomb'. He even shares my Dad's birthday, how funny is that?

3. I am motherless and have been since the age of 31. Ok, that's a sad random fact but true. She died 7 years ago this week and I don't know how the time has passed so quickly and so slowly all at the same time. I've still not gone through her effects yet (the ones we moved here after we cleaned out the house).

4. Let's get more upbeat.. Those who only know me in Blogland don't know that I'm just a hair under 6ft tall. I didn't always love it but I do now. I love that I don't need a step stool to reach something and that I don't even own one. I don't love trying to buy pants that are long enough but I do love wearing heels and commanding a room when I walk in (ok that's a total secret .. shh.. LOL)

5. I'm a Survivor Junkie. Yes, it feels like one of those things you start with "My name is Tonya and I am a Survivor Junkie" I've followed every season and missed very few shows. When I have, I catch up with them online.

6. I am a people watcher. Yep, I'm a total nose-bag LOL. I love to watch people and how they interact and how they talk to each other and their children. And then compare it to our wacky ways of dealing with things LOL

7. And lastly, when given the choice 15 years ago whether I wanted a diamond engagement ring or a honeymoon in Ireland, I chose the honeymoon in Ireland. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my lifetime and I ache to get the opportunity to go back again someday. I told my dh "I'd rather go to Ireland than have a rock on my finger any day!" I'd been engaged one time before and had a ring and it really didn't mean anything so I learned then that objects over experiences isn't usually what I am looking for. So, 14 years of marriage later, I've never had a diamond engagement ring. And I don't care.

There you have it! That last one was more like a 'two-fer'.

Now for those who are getting tagged! ;-)

1. The StoneAged Techie -I met Karen and her boys at a great outdoor event at Capen Hill

2. LoveLeighThings -A terrific blogland friend with a very fun blog to visit!

3. CheryinMA -A friend IRL and a fellow homeschooler of which I could visit her blog more often if her music didn't crash my cruddy system everytime LOL

4. BlueberryCottage -Another friend IRL whose blog I like to visit for inspiration to be a more mindful parent- a mission that I am on every day.

5. Vegbee - Not only does she blog adorable pics of her babies, she has a fabulous blog that I go back to frequently! Tutes Galore!!

6. Kip - Another SewingMama who sews for boys only! What a concept! I admire her for doing what I usually don't-- heehee. I save most my sewing for beautiful girlie things but, ahem, I do have THREE men here. ~shaking head~

7. Aiti -Yet another SewingMama who does AMAZING work, sells on HyenaCart and Etsy, works with many hard to find fabrics and I won a gift certificate at her blog!

And there you have it, Ladies! Tag, you're it!

So Many Pictures!!

We had a spectacular weekend. It's nice to even be able to say that.

Saturday, we had a church fair and picked up a great fare-- tape player for Puppy Feet, homemade pickle for LilLady, a Barbie sewing machine (more later), and some yummy treats. The oldest didn't find anything, which put him out immensely.

The sewing machine came home and LilLady was very excited to use it! It works but likes to be threaded. And re-threaded. And re-threaded. Oh, and rethreaded. But she did make the three sides to this pillow, fill it with scraps, and then let me teach her how to hand sew.

On Sunday, we had an opportunity to go to Worcester Art Museum with some friends. They had sculpture making, bulb planting, a scavenger hunt and snacks! The two younger children and I went and it was truly a really nice afternoon.

Enjoy the pictures!

Back on Track

Ok,

Saw this posted somewhere and HAD to share.

Go, look, and laugh your butt off!

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Latest Up to the Minute News??

NBC: Obama elected 44th president

Really? Truly? It's 11:39 pm here and I just went cold. My stomach fell to the floor and I feel sick.

Is it true?

Hopefully, I'll wake up tomorrow and it'll all have been a miscounted dream..

Happy Halloween!!!

This is the jack-o-lantern that my middle child made!! That is funny!

Wonderful Fall Day

My kids, my sister, my nephew and the little girl I watch two days a week.

We had such a nice day.. see for yourself..

Baby Yumminess

I always loved these little 'swee'pea' gowns for my babies. Can you think of anything cozier?!? This is one I whipped together last night. It came out really nice and was pretty simple! Yay! Always love that kind of project ;-)

I've already cut one for my store. Look below..


You can even see in pictures how incredibly buttery soft this knit is, never mind the cute "later gator" theme! Love it!!

14th Anniversary Celebration

So, Oct 2 was hubby and my 14th wedding anniversary. Oct 1 was my in laws' 48th anniversary. To celebrate these events, my inlaws graciously invited us to a night out with dinner and to see Dave Brubeck's Quartet. If you don't recognize his name, google "Take Five" and you'll go "Oh ya!"

I'm not a huge fan of jazz. My husband is. Maybe you aren't either, however, before you stop reading, if you EVER have the opportunity to see jazz live, jump on it! Better yet, take a leap of faith and buy tickets to the next Dave Brubeck appearance in your neck of the woods. You will NOT regret it.

The music is mind boggling. I'm not particularly musically inclined but even I can see that these guys are AMAZING. Dave Brubeck is brilliant. And hysterically funny! I'm serious. These guys have been rockin' in out for decades yet are smiling, laughing and cracking inside jokes while performing. Then, when Dave gets up to the mic to talk, he's a riot! So dry and entertaining!

What a great night. ..definately adding this to my list of 'things to be thankful for..'

Working Working

I've been a busy chicka lately. At least this week I'm not feeling as completely overwhelmed. I think it's a combination of things but possibly the largest thing is DS#1 took a little "vacation" over at Grannie and Grampa's. Grampa was going on a business trip; Grannie didn't want to stay alone. He stepped up. He can be sweet and chivalric like that ;-)

I think the break was good for all of us emotionally but also not having that karate schedule of three nights a week was NICE! Even if it was only a couple of nights off.
Anyway, here's a little of what I've been up to (custom orders and for us)

Weighted lap pad to fill my SensoryShoppe
Hannah Montana slippers for LilLady that were an ok first attempt but, come on, you know you want to laugh at what I did with the faces on the slippers!
Monster Girl costumes for Lil Lady and one of the girls she looks up to. (ya, super, have to copy the one girl we know that wants to be 'goth' for Halloween LOL) I'm not totally finished but hey, not a bad replica so far, eh? ;-)
Wonderful, and I mean WONDERFUL, organic flax seed and lavendar eye pillows. Honestly, you MUST have one of these. Lil Lady and I kept passing them back and forth. "You try it" .."Oh that's nice, now YOU try it"
A simple Dorothy costume for a custom order
An even more simple one for the shop
And the matching headband modeled by Lil Lady

Now, to get the panties (oh yes, another custom order I decided to take on!), Word Girl cape, weighted blanket, cape for Puppy Feet, pirate costume for DS#1, oh and what else...

Hey, heck with it tonight, I'll tell ya! I just picked up SEX AND THE CITY from Redbox! G'nite, All!!