So excited

Meet Emma.

Isn't she cute?

And sweet?

I know, I love her too!

She is new in my shop. And the exciting part.....

She will soon be available as a pattern.

In case you want to make your own.

I have written the first draft and now

I am waiting for feedback from pattern testers.

Yeah!

I've got my Kleenex ready

I love this show.

I love these guys.

I am preparing for a good cry tonight.

New in my shop

{here}

{here}


{here}

{here}

I've been pretty busy.

Cutting and sewing.

Clicking and editing.

Listing and organizing.

Wrapping and sending.

I am also finishing up a shop sample for

my favorite local quilt shop.

And the summer just keeps rolling on by........

A sale....Yeah!

It's true.
I am having another birthday.
Turning 29 (again)!

To celebrate, I am offering an additional discount
on all items in the sale section in my shop.
Simply write "turning 29" in the notes to seller
during checkout and you will save an
additional 15% on the already reduced prices
in the sale section. Yeah!

You will receive a refund to your paypal
account in the amount of the 15% discount.
This disoount is valid for the entire month of July.

Well, it's about time!

Yep, it has been a long time since I posted.
Nothing bad happened.
Just life, I guess.

But I am back now and I promise to post daily.
Well, probably weekly.
OK, realistically, at least once a month.
Pinky swear :)

Here are a few new things in my kids shop:

Addicted

This is pretty much like crack to me.
And my husband.
And the Noodle.

We love it.
We can eat a whole batch in one day.
So I only make it for special occasions.
But it leaves me searching for new occasions to celebrate.

Like today is National Zipper Day.
Yippee!
And tomorrow is Manual Typewriter Day.
Hooray!
And how could I forget the upcoming holiday on May 3:
Tighty Whitey Appreciation Day!
Certainly a day worth celebrating with some Crack.

Here is the recipe for Crack, er, I mean Ranch Oyster Crackers

3/4 c salad oil (I use a little less than this amount to keep crackers crisp)
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
16 oz plain oyster crackers

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together oil, dressing mix, and seasonings. Gently fold in crackers, stirring to coat all crackers. Pour crackers on baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.

Now go find a reason to celebrate!

My very first tutorial!

I am excited to post my very first tutorial today!

Since I am new to this, please let me know if any of the instructions need clarification.

So I LOVE,LOVE, LOVE fabric headbands!

But I think I have a weird shaped head

because they never stay put.

I've tried several options,

including those found here and here,

but still no luck.

The elastic either slides up the back of my head

or the fabric slips down the back of my head.

The only headbands that stay in place

for me are the narrow metal ones.

But they score a zero on the cuteness factor!

So I decided to solve my problem with

some headband slipcovers!

First, gather up your supplies.
You will need:
narrow metal headband (mine was about 1/8")
2 fabric strips, each measuring 2" wide by at least 15" long
velvet ribbon, measuring 5/8" wide by 13" long
1 Decor-Bond strip measuring same as fabric strips
Typical sewing supplies like thread, sewing machine, scissors, rotary cutter, ruler, and pins

First, measure your headband from end to end (mine measured 15" long)

to determine the length of your fabric strips.

Next cut your fabric strips 2" wide by the

length you just measured.

Following the manufacturers directions, fuse the Decor-Bond

to the piece of fabric that you want on the

outside of your headband.

Next, cut a length of velvet ribbon 2" shorter than your fabric strips.

Center the ribbon on the fabric that is NOT fused with Decor-Bond

and pin in place.

Stitch close to edge down both long edges, making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end on each side.

(Do not stitch the ribbon on the short sides.)

This creates a tunnel that you will use to slide your

headband through when you are done.

*Note- The velvet ribbon adds a little friction and helps keep your headband from sliding. You can also use an extra length of fabric or

grosgrain ribbon instead of the velvet ribbon.

Next, measure in 2" from each end and mark.

Then measure in 1/4" from each short side and mark with a dot.

Using your ruler, connect the dots to the line you drew and

trim both fabric strips along the line.

This will taper the headband to make it fit nicely behind your ears.

Now you are ready to sew!

Placing right sides together, pin your two fabric strips together

and sew down both long sides using a 1/4" seam.

Using your favorite method (I use the good old safety pin method),

turn your tube right sides out and press flat.

Edge stitch down both long sides to create a finished look.

Next, finish your headband by running a satin stitch

along the short raw edges.

I set my machine to zig zag and shorten my stitch length.

You are done!

Simply slide your metal headband through the ribbon tunnel to create

a super fabric covered headband.

Now go be cute!

I hope you like my first tutorial.

I hope to have a few more in the near future

so please check back soon :)

p.s. I would have posted pics of me in my new headband

BUT....

the only other person around today was four

and he is not a great photographer

AND....

my roots are showing.

I really need to go buy my red :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Tomorrow I will be posting the first tutorial on my blog.

Come on back for something super cute (and useful)!

Look, Look

I am back from a super busy weekend spent at

the Lake Eola Spring Fiesta in the Park.

The show was pretty good for us and
we even won a ribbon and $100 from the judges!

Woo Hoo!


Since pretty much everything in our booth is for girls

I decided to whip up a few pairs of bandana pants

for the little boys.

I did make two pairs of girly-girl bandana pants

just because the bandanas were too cute to pass up.

And wouldn't it just figure that the only bandana pants that

sold were the little girl versions!

Oh well!

And did you notice the new button on my blog?

Yep, you can now purchase a gift certificate

to my little store right here on my blog!

Yeah!

Happy Easter My Peeps!

I was driving home from my parents house this evening,

with the bright orange sun sinking in the sky,

when, from the backseat, I heard the Noodle say

"God made the sun."

me: "Yes, buddy, he did."

Noodle: "What else did God do?"

me: "God made the earth and people and animals."

Noodle: "Why did He make people?"

me: "So that we could love and be kind to each other."

Noodle: "Why did He make animals?"

me: "So that they could help people and teach us kindness."

Noodle: "Even elephants? And Bruce the Shark?"

me: "Yes, buddy, even elephants and Bruce the Shark."

Noodle: "What is God going to do next?"

me: "That's a good question."

Noodle: "Can I have a popsicle?"

Explaining God and faith to a four year old - funny and charming!

On a crafty note, I whipped up some super cute bandana pants today.

I am getting ready for a few spring craft shows and I wanted to make

some quick and easy things for boys.

As the mom of a boy, I know it can be frustrating to wander

booth after booth of adorable little girl stuff

and find nothing for little boys.

So to balance out my own booth,

I wanted to have some things for little boys.

I know, I know...there are two pairs of girls pants there too.

The bandanas were too stinkin' cute to pass up!

This week I'll be finishing some messenger style book bags

for preschool boys. I made one for the Noodle and he loves it!

I'll post pics soon....you know, in all of my spare time :)

Wordless Wednesday

I heart Crocs

Okay, I am a bit embarrassed to admit this

but I love my Crocs.

I can barely remember wearing "regular" shoes.I have spent most of the past year in these

lovely brown and pink slides

or in these super comfy hot pink mary janes.
But, sadly, it is time to retire my trusty old Crocs.
And replace them with some new Crocs!
Yeah!
I really am in love with these super cute green ones.
Perfect for summer, right?

And how about these feminine and flirty ones.

I love the bows!

And what about these stunners!

Perfect match for summer sundresses.

Oh, I love me some Crocs!

And my toes love them too :)

Saturday

On Saturday I drove from one coast to another.....

from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf coast of Florida that is!

I spent the afternoon at one of my favorite spots

Tarpon Springs

In decades past, Greek immigrants settled in Tarpon Springs where they harvested the sponges growing in the Gulf.

Now, Tarpon Springs is mainly a tourist destination,

chock full of delicious restaurants, charming shops, kitschy Florida souveniers, and sightseeing boat tours.

After a great afternoon at Tarpon Springs

we drove to Anna Maria Island for the beachside wedding of a family friend.

The wedding was to take place at sunset.

We got to the beach at 6 o'clock.

The Noodle ran around for over an hour.

He had a blast and was covered in sand

even in his underwear!

What time, exactly, is sunset?

And finally

the happy couple

And the sunset!

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

And if you get the chance

visit Tarpon Springs

and eat lunch at

Hellas.