Shopping

Admitted, I'm a bargain shopper as much as the next person. You see the word "sale" and it's like a compulsion.

HOWEVER, I've been thinking more and more about this mini revolution to return to handmade. It all started when DH lost his job and replaced it with a temporary low-paying-with-smoke-screens-and-dreamy-empty-promises to go on full time/full rate. How on Earth was I going to fund Christmas?? I wasn't. BUT, I *could* make stuff!! I ended up having a really fun time with one of my best girlies and we sewed and sewed and sewed and sewed.... Everyone got new pjs, with the exception of she and I, which I know I haven't even picked up my already cut pair of bottoms and I'll bet she hasn't even cut hers. Lovely how us Moms rate ourselves.. ~sigh~ But I digress..

Then there is the BOOM of Whoremart. All the other chains close down so we're left with NO choices (Bradlee's, Caldor's, Ames, etc etc) and never mind the small shops! What small shops....? And I'll be honest. I was afraid to go in them. Handmade is EXPENSIVE. Or so I thought. Before I continue on that I wanted to post this quote taken from another blog that supports the "Handmade" cause.

Regarding Walmart~

"Take Wal-Mart, the most famously offensive, town-destroying, junk-purveying, labor-abusing, sweatshop-supporting, American-job-killing, soul-numbing, hope-curdling retailer in the known universe, moving upward of $300 billion in cheap mass-produced slurm every year via more than 5,000 landscape-mauling eyesore stores stretching all the way from Texas to China and Argentina and South Korea and Mexico and your backyard. "
--Mark Morford, San Francisco

This really hits the nail on the head. Think about it, people. Think about this recession we seem to be sliding into. All the jobs lost to China over the years. NOW look what's happened! All that has caught up to us and now China is shipping toys laden with lead over here. It should just be a cruel joke but it's true!

So now is the time, All. Regarding my comment before about expensive- I've been to Etsy. I'm *on* Etsy. It's *not* that expensive. Many times, it's completely reasonable! And here I am, going to advertise others' work but I'm in support of this movement and you should be too. Here's a gift that I'd scoop up for a friend in a second! How fun does this look? Or this? Wouldn't some of the other wooden puzzle brands be around this price? The love and care it took to make these items is not going to be found in Whoremart.

Just some food for thought...

Time flies...

.. when you are sewing your fool head off!! LOL

An abbreviated list of pros and cons to having your husband unemployed:

Con:

The mortgage can be difficult to pay

Pro:

You can sew as much as your lil heart desires because there is another adult in the house to take care of children :)

LOL Oh yes, I've been busy. Sometimes I wonder with what... besides making mistakes and becoming overly friendly with my seam ripper..

Here's a little preview:

Hair Clippies~fully lined and heat sealed, of course

Jewelry rolls for a custom order and to fill my etsy shop:

And this little number:A little background:

I've delved into the wonderous land of Etsy. I'm learning the ropes and protocol and looking to sell.. sell.. SELL!~ It's so fun to put all this love and energy into something for a special someone who likes your item enough to trust you to provide it for them~ :) Ok ok, I'm gushing..

This capelet that I've created for Lil Lady is a prototype for an order I am filling for 4 faux fur capelets for a wedding! I wanted to get my hands wet, so to speak, and know this pattern and it's drawbacks before I cut into *the* faux fur, which has been no easy feat to find. (not that I've officially found it yet, I'm hoping to have a local store order it for me)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, I've been busy :) and excited about it. I simply love my sewing room and it's fun set up with a new coat of paint. The part where I can leave a project and not have to clean it up is probably the *best* part of all. :) So I must get good at this Etsy thing so I can feed my serious fabric addiction *and* help pay that mortgage, all in one!

Until later...

The Aftermath

Today was our 3rd annual Easter Egg Hunt! We invite oodles of friends, tell them to send a dozen eggs a child, have them show up the morning before Easter and go for it!! It is *such* fun to watch the kids rummage around, running here and there, trying to find the eggs. This year we had 10 children, two couldn't make it. That's a LOT of eggs to hide around the yard.

Which, in case you are wondering, is the BEST part of it all!

Once the dash is over and everyone has scoped through their 'loot', we have a yummy brunch. It's a wonderful time.

The only casuality can be found below. He didn't stand a chance...

Have a blessed Easter, Everyone.

Creativity

We needed some craft items for our homeschool preschool group. These little foam pieces were perfect for what we needed.

I sometimes forget how much Lil Lady likes to use craft-y things! We used to run a playgroup but, due to time conflicts, have taken time off. When I was facilitating, we'd actually do two back to back playgroups. Lil Lady would *love* the chance to do the craft twice.

The kids have been roughhousing and fighting pretty much non-stop lately, whenever we are home. Sometimes, rediscovering creative habits are just what you need when Spring Fever is hitting in a bad way and cold rainy days just don't help matters.

Little Nephew's First Birthday

Who can believe it? A whole year has passed since that very wild day....

It all began when I realized that if I wanted my sister to watch the kids overnight, I'd better hurry before she had the baby. So we set the date, made reservations at the Longwharf Marriot (thank you, brother in law!) and we were off! We had a tremendous dinner on the North End, a yummy cannoli at Modern Pastry, a general great time. Until....

The phone rang at around 4am. It was my sister. She was in premature labor, or so she thought, and her water had broken. Thankfully, my inlaws were nearby and my father in law jumped in and took over as she, my brother in law, and their dog, all ran home, picked up necessities, showered, etc and went to Women and Infants in RI. Everything went fine. He was a month early but still 5 lbs and change and very healthy.

His one year birthday party is tomorrow. It's an amazing time, really. My sister's a mother, seasoned for a year. She's been through struggles and fatigue and is deeply in love. As all of us are, as mothers. I was a mother for 11 years before her and it's been a wonderful time watching her learn the things that you only learn once you've been a mother.

~Sigh~ All deep seriousness aside, we've gotten together a wonderful batch of birthday presents for him! I'm on the hunt from something we just made the other day.... hmm... I wonder if Lil Lady knows...

Anyway, we gathered these per request by his Mama:

And then there was this brainstorm:

I took the measurements from Lil Lady's favorite bath towel and created this divinely soft, cuddle fleece, towel. This stuff is beyond luxurious. Where was this fabric when I was wee?? It's complete with a fleece hood and a fin on top. This size still fits Lil Lady at 4 1/2 so this towel will see some sweet days and weeks and years.

And I made another for my etsy shop, just in case someone else thought it was cute and wanted to own it for themselves! ;-)

Until later...

A little credit

I'm going to kind of tell the story backwards but you'll see why..





I got up early, my mind reeling with creative ideas of things to sew and things to create for my etsy shop. I got a very cute remnant of a shamrock fabric that had all Irish sayings on it. About 3/4 of a yard. It was time to create something with it. Well, I set out to make a certain skirt with a certain ruffle and could only find one tutorial with instructions that I couldn't understand.. SO.. I made the standard ruffle. And put it on the waist instead of the bottom. ARGH! Can I tell you how much these little mistakes make me feel like my brain is functioning at a very low level? Those kinds of stupid mistakes really upset me.



That brings me to my section called "a little credit"..



I did finish the patchwork twirly skirt from scraps of Lil Lady's summer dresses. And it came out smashingly. It was my first twirly skirt AND my first patchworking so I do feel a bit of accomplishment ~crowd roars here~ Lil Lady wanted to wear her skirt today so we had to find a shirt to match. I found a good one and she said "I don't like plain shirts".. then the wheels started turning and out came THIS

I do have to watch the fraying on the top (and grab some fray stop maybe?) This may not look like much to some but OMG!! I did this! Myself!! Rather easily!! LOL ok, I'll stop raving about myself LOLA little twirling...I usually don't post a picture with faces but come on, look at this!

So, with my setback this morning, *this* accomplishment has restored my faith in my sewing abilities. At least for now ;-)

Creation!!!

Ok, so many of you out there knew this WAY before me. Call me 'slow' if need be. All those amazing dresses from Lil Lady's history.. the boutique dresses from Grannie, the perfectly chosen dress from that online flea market, etc etc... I passed them to Lil Lady's godmother's daughter. They then returned. And multiplied!! And all my favorites came back. Definately well-worn. We're talking two toddlers worth! Some had some stains.

What to do.. what to do..

~Insert light bulb here~ Hello!!! I know!! Cut up that great fabric and make *another* item for Lil Lady and get to enjoy those fabrics all over again!

Is this great, or what??!!? Paisleys for the top, flowers for the middle and plaid for the bottom! I can barely wait to finish my *first* twirly skirt. Oh and I found an AMAZING tutorial! Bookmark this, Friends!

Until later.................