curlyQdesign

Half a year!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Here we are, nearly at Michael's seven month birthday, and I've yet to post his six month photos! The saying time flies when you're having fun... very true... especially when I'm also two full months back to "flying" again. I work as a flight attendant, but am VERY lucky that with my seniority (14 1/2 years) I'm able to work two day trips Monday-Tuesday and a one day trip on Fridays... my fabulous in-laws are always on hand when I'm away. Between running my etsy shop, flying, being a wife, and spending as many precious moments with this little guy as possible, I clearly have neglected this blog.

Here are some of the pictures from our monthly photo shoot.

At his six month checkup, he was 20 pounds 10 ounces, and 29 inches! He is already wearing 12 month clothes, and I was sad to learn that a pair of NINE month pjs I purchased last year while pregnant that were for "baby's first christmas" didn't even come close to fitting!!!

As of tonight, December 28th, his top two teeth have cracked through his gums, bringing his tooth count up to FIVE!

He loves to jump when you hold him up in a standing position, but seems to not like his jumparoo as much as he did even a few weeks ago. No real crawling yet, but he is getting up onto all fours and rocking a lot. He also does the backwards scoot pretty well, but gets annoyed that he's going in the wrong direction.

Please slow down little man...

Five Months and we have

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:13:00 +0000

TWO TEETH!

Michael's first tooth popped out on October 22nd. A date I'll always remember, because it's my father's birthday! His second tooth broke through two days later. Poor guy has been trying to maintain his cheerful personality through all of the pain. It breaks my heart.

I continue to make monthly bodysuits to match the saddlecloth colors and numbers of the horses... in case you missed the "why" - check out this post.

Here are the pictures from his FIVE month photo shoot.

Daddy tried to prevent the toppling....

He LOVES being on his tummy!

This picture could either be captioned "Who me?" or... "Could I get a little privacy mom???"

MMUUUWWAHHHHH!

Loving the big wet open mouth kisses we are getting these days. Except when he leaned in to give me a "kiss" on my nose and BIT DOWN.... OUCHIE!!! Not so cute.

We also started "solids" a few weeks ago. So far Michael has had oatmeal, bananas, and sweet potatoes.

Linking up to:

cutest pumpkin in the patch

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Earlier this month we took Michael to the pumpkin patch. After a VERY rainy summer here on Long Island we'd been warned that the pumpkins were pretty moldy and gross this year... but I had high hopes of getting a cute picture of Michael sitting in a field of pumpkins, or maybe holding an itty bitty pumpkin.

Before we headed out, I changed him into an adorable bodysuit that I embroidered for him and this sweet hat that my mom made.

It was a 14 mile drive to the pumpkin patch, and about a 1/2 mile into our drive, this is what our pumpkin looked like!

My sister-in-law gave him that cute bib. It says "My Aunt is HOT and single" and cracks me up!!

Once we got to the pumpkin field, I set about trying to arrange the few least moldy pumpkins into a group to take a picture.

This was the best I could do...

Once we got Michael out of his carseat and next to the pumpkins he was SO not ready to be awake!!!

We headed over to the hayride area and got to take the hayride all by ourselves! It was a Tuesday afternoon and the place was pretty much empty!

I love this picture of Michael holding his Daddy's hand. I often joke that my son reminds me of a labrador puppy, growing into it's paws... his hands and feet seem SO big to me!

After the hayride, we headed back to the pumpkins to try to take a better picture, hoping Michael was a little more awake.

Not so much...

I thought this area looked cute with the little red wagon abandoned in the background. But Michael wasn't sitting up very well on his own.

Here's what happens when you give Daddy the camera and ask him to take a picture of you with the baby sitting on a pumpkin...

There were quite a few animals on the farm, too.

We'll have to make it a tradition to head to this same pumpkin patch each year, and watch our little boy grow.

Linking up to:

Sorry for the overabundance of pictures! It was hard for me to narrow them down.
:)
Happy Fall!

Here we go again...

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:38:00 +0000

With his FIVE month birthday knocking on the door, I figured it was about time to post his FOUR month photo shoot!

Seriously.... does anyone know how to SLOW down the clock???

He absolutely LOVES his "horsie friend"! Everytime we walk into his room he lights up with the biggest smile and reaches out to touch him. Even if he's fussy he always manages to crack a smile for his horse. It is so sweet.

THREE months... (and a few weeks)

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:30:00 +0000

We have had a VERY busy month!

I did this photo shoot on my son's three month bithday, on the 7th of September... however I only uploaded the photos today.

Anyhow... here is our little guy at THREE months!

Smiling away

Using those abs to lift himself forward (most often practiced in his carseat these days).

Leaning over....

Oops, gotta work on that balance!

Just in case you missed months one or two.

I've gotten a few requests from friends to purchase the monthly bodysuits for their little ones, I'm hoping to add them to my ETSY shop soon.

Cute closet dividers

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:40:00 +0000

When I was pregnant with my son, I searched for tutorials on making cute little closet dividers. We were "team green" however, so I waited until after he was born to complete this project. I LOVE his nursery, but figured there was enough green. :)

They are used to seperate the different sizes of clothes in his closet. Since my "little guy" was nearly 10 pounds at birth and I returned ALL of the newborn sized clothes I had purchased for him (thank goodness I only washed two pairs of jammies, everything else still had the tags!) I didn't make a NB divider!
I basically followed this tutorial.

I couldn't for the life of me find the right sized wooden O's at any of my local craft stores. I did however realize that Hobby Lobby sells them online! Major score!

I decided to go all "boy" and painted them blue.

I then traced the Os onto scrapbook paper and cut out. (I didn't do the best job of this.)

Using my cricut (which seems so "last year"... I'd love a silhouette, but can't justify it) I cut out the sizes for each O on blue vinyl.

To hang on your closet rod simply lift out the rod and slide the dividers on, then start organizing clothes!

Linking up to:

I Heart Naptime

In the blink of an eye

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Our little man turned TWO months old on the 7th!

Here are the pictures from his big day. I made him his two month bodysuit. (Again following the saddle cloth color scheme, for thoroughbred horse racing, mentioned in this post).

Here he is getting "over it". I just love this little pouty face... he is really such a sweet natured baby. I sometimes feel like a bad mom because I will laugh when I see his lower lip starting to push it's way out!

This pose is what my husband refers to as the "I can't take it anymore".

This picture seriously melts my heart. The way his hand is on the monkey's head... so precious! This little monkey blanket was a gift from good friends... my mom has already purchased a "backup" monkey blankie for him. I know at this point he can't really be attached to it, but I swear he sleeps so much better when it's in his lap. It's so soft and cuddly!

Linking up to:
I Heart Naptime

ONE Month

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:07:00 +0000

We hit a big milestone in our house today... little man turned ONE month old! I seriously cannot believe how quickly this past month FLEW by!

I've always loved when people take pictures of their little ones with a stuffed animal each month of thier first year and watch how the child grows. I found this stuffed horse at a Home Goods back in May. I knew it would be the perfect photo prop for our little one.

My husband works in the horse racing industry, and I instantly knew what I'd do for each month... make our little one a bodysuit to coordinate with the colors of the saddle cloths in horse racing! For example... the "1" horse will always be red with a white "1".

Thus, the inspiration for the custom bodysuit.

This last picture was on his changing table... where we seem to get the most smiles out of him!

I am looking forward to creating new bodysuits with each passing month and watching our little man grow... I just hope the next month takes a little longer to pass!!!

Happy 4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:06:00 +0000

I was inspired to make a cute little 4th of July themed bodysuit for my little man.

We are lucky that he sleeps pretty well at night, so during his daytime naps I've been able to sew a little. I'm not expecting miracles, and know that there will be days that I feel like I'm doing nothing but feeding him. But I have been able to sew the past three days, and it feels great to be creative again!

You can expect to see these designs in my ETSY shop.

I'm so excited to have my own little model now! :)

Linking up to:

Oh Boy!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:45:00 +0000

It's a BOY!

We welcomed a bouncing baby boy to the world at 3:04am on June 7th. Michael weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 10 ounces and was 22 inches long! I guess the extra 6 days of "cooking" really beefed him up!

His birth was by far the most spiritual moment of my life. Around 2am, after about 20 minutes of pushing my epidural was turned off, and I was started on pitocin because my contractions had slowed down too much. An hour later the epidural had completely worn off by the time Michael made his debut! I honestly don't remember the pain, just the prayers and chat I was having with God asking for his strength and help in successfully delivering my child.

I love this picture of him! I think it looks like he's pondering something very important.

One week after his birth, I had newborn photos taken. I cannot say enough good things about Jessica of AJ Nick Photography. Anyone in the Long Island/NYC area should really consider booking a photo shoot with her. You can also find her on facebook.

This galvinized bucket was a special gift from my NY bridesmaids at my bridal shower in 2006. They filled it with bottles of wine with a note attached for us to celebrate monthly anniversaries following our wedding. To see our sweet baby boy nearly five years later sleeping soundly in the same bucket is just awesome!

We are all adjusting to life as a family of three. So far the little guy has a wonderful disposition and I'm already finding time during his naps to start sewing again. I should be re-opening my ETSY shop soon!

June 1st is finally here!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Well... today is our "offical" due date!

Each morning, the first thing my husband does is change the date on this little wooden calendar. A few years ago, I brought my husband with me on an Amsterdam layover over Valentine's Day weekend. The hotel we stayed at was in The Hauge and we took a train to Delft and this was the souvenir we brought home.

I thought I'd share some of the "completed" nursery pictures, too. All we need to add now is our little one!

This is the adorable fingerprint tree that my sister made for my shower in California. I had my NY friends and family add their fingerprints to it at my NY shower. I LOVE it!

This lavender sachet was a gift from my sister years ago, and it matches the baby's room so well!

I found this stuffed horse at HomeGoods. I plan to use it in the monthly pictures of the baby to see how quick the little one is growing. Since my husband works in the horse racing industry and all... I found it very fitting. Stay tuned for future posts... I just may have to make little outfits for each month, too!

Here's a good close up of the bumpers I made.

My mom knitted the baby a blanket, hat, and duckie... too cute, right??

I love all of the natural lighting this room gets. However, I did sew a heavy duty blackout curtain lining to the back of the Roman shade I made. We also have a pull down blackout roller shade behind it, too. The sun won't be what wakes up this little one, that's for sure!!

And... last but not least... this was taken this morning. Fourty weeks pregnant! Honestly, as sick as I was the first, hmmmm, five months of this pregnancy I feel pretty good!

Happy June! Looking forward to meeting our little JuneBug soon!
Linking up to:

Coming Home Outfits

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:09:00 +0000

I finally finished the coming home outfits for our little one! Since we continue to be on "team green" naturally, I had to make two outfits!

I also decided to follow this tutorial to make matching little diaper covers. They took longer than I expected, but now that I'm 37 weeks pregnant, most things are taking longer than I expect! (Practice for how much longer things will be taking once the little one is actually here, I'm sure!)

Here's our "boy" set:

And the girl set:

I will be putting my etsy shop on "Vacation Mode" when I get closer to my due date (June 1st) but for now I'm feeling great and enjoying having energy to get things done!

Have a great weekend!

Tooth Fairy Pillows

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:42:00 +0000

I know I have been a really bad blogger these past few months. Sorry!

I've been getting quite a few requests lately for tooth fairy pillows, and just recently acquired a new design set from Just For U Embroidery at ETSY. I have been making tooth fairy pillow for quite some time, but didn't have a cute little tooth fairy design to go on them, until now.

This is a closeup of my favorite design. {Thanks to my sister for taking the pictures, as I was in a hurry to get it in the mail to my niece before she lost her first tooth!}

And this is the pillow hanging from the bedpost of her bunkbed.

My niece has fair skin and blond hair... here's another pillow for a brunette with olive skin.

These pillows were done a while ago, but just wanted to share them, too.

Aren't they a cute way to customize the tooth losing experience for each child? If you are interested, visit my ETSY shop to purchase your own custom tooth fairy pillow!

Sweet Shower

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Last weekend, two of my closest girlfriends from college hosted my baby shower in California. They are both incredibly talented and creative women who love to plan parties and events. The day was absolutely perfect!

Before the shower, my sister had emailed everyone asking them to bring a photo of them with their kids (or a picture of themselves with me, if they weren't a mom) and she is putting together a little scrapbook with these photos and each woman's "advice on motherhood". This picture shows my mom and her friend along with my girlfriends working on their individual scrapbook pages. It is going to be such a wonderful keepsake for me and the baby!

My sister also put this fingerprint/wall hanging tree together. Each guest put their fingerprint on one of the branches as a "leaf" and then she added their name around the fingerprint. (I'm planning to pick up a few more shades of green ink, and do this again at my NY shower in a few weeks!)

Pin It

These were seriously the BEST cupcakes!

Again, a HUGE Thank You to Michelle & Christa for honoring me and the baby with such a beautiful shower! It was such an intimate and special day. Living 3000 miles away from my family and childhood & college friends can definitely be tough, but I am so blessed to still have such close relationships with so many wonderful women!

Nursery Beginnings...

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 01:02:00 +0000

After tons of research I decided on this set, named Bella, from JCPenneys. I really fell in love with it.

We had it shipped to the store for free and picked it up this afternoon. Let me tell you, the boxes were HUGE! I drive a mid-sized SUV, and there's no way anything would have fit into my car! Fortunately one of my husband's buddies had been over at the house helping us with a few other projects, and I asked if he could give us a hand, and the use of his mini-van. The store was about 3 miles away from the house, and I figured between our two cars it would be a quick trip! Boy was I wrong!!

The box for the changing table appeared to have some damage but I didn't think that it looked like it was in an area that could have caused harm to the item. Well... again, proved wrong! Once home, the changing table was pretty banged up! One of the drawers was actually shoved further inside than it should have been, and a few screws seemed to have popped out. Not to mention the nicks and scratches on each of the drawers and one corner of the top. I immediately called the store, and the manager is supposed to call me back on Monday. I am hoping that they do the right thing and have it picked up and ship me a new one to my home. I can't imagine having to lug the damaged one back to the store and wait until the new one comes in and going through finding someone to help us get it back to the house, again!

Fingers crossed that JCPenneys customer service steps up and corrects the problem!

The dresser and changing table both came fully assembled, all we had to do was move the drawer pulls from the inside to the outside.

I'm planning on sewing my own bedding, and am waiting for one of my fabrics to come in, but I promise to show my progress as I go.

My husband and I also are doing the crown moulding ourselves in the baby's room. Neither of us have ever done this before, so it should be a fun project! :)
I have been searching and searching for good tutorials to help with this project, I may try to put together a user friendly one. (If we both survive in one piece!) I know I've mentioned it before, but many of the walls in our house, built in 1928, are covered in plaster. Needless to say we are sure to be getting very friendly with painters caulk because of the lovely "english muffin" texture on the walls! I love the character it adds to our home, but painting it proved a challenge. I can only imagine what fun the moulding will be.

Once we have the moulding project is complete, we'll be putting the crib together. It's currently sitting in it's (undamaged) box in the middle of the family room.

I can't wait to see the room all put together! I do feel like it's all happening so fast, but when we (my mom) first placed the order, the set was supposed to be on backorder until the end of February! I guess it's better for it to be here sooner rather than later, while I still have energy and can help.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Love... and marriage through the years {framed}

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:05:00 +0000

This picture was taken at my wedding in November of 2006. I had framed wedding photos on display of our parents and grandparents. My two Aunts that traveled from London for my wedding are also captured in this picture, making the memory extra special.

For years, these photos have been collecting dust in my basement. I knew I wanted to display them, but wasn't quite sure how.

I used photoshop to retouch the older prints, and added the names and wedding dates. {Wish I'd had photoshop when I got married, would have been great to have added the names and dates then!}

I bought a large frame at Michaels, and instead of using a paper background or mat, I found a great chocolate brown damask fabric. I covered the cardboard insert and basically wrapped the corners like a present. I used hotglue and my staple gun to keep everything taught.

I then used cream cardstock to mount each photo and then used glue dots to attach the mounted photos to the fabric.

I also got my cricut into the action. I cut out in cream vinyl the words "I Do" and flourishes in a mirror image, and adhered them to the inside of the glass.

And... the finished product hanging on the wall in our family room!

Linking up to the following:
My Romantic Home
The Girl Creative

Small Business Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Support small businesses today!

Head over to ETSY and check out many amazing shops!

So proud!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:15:00 +0000

I am so proud of my sister! For my whole life I've always looked up to my big sister in so many ways... even though I think I was taller than her when we were teens. :)

This week she opened her own ETSY shop, Willow Of Wonder.

Her artwork is absolutely amazing and inspiring!

Check it out when you have a chance! You won't be disappointed!

You can also read more about her journey in creating her art on her blog.

Oh Baby!!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:27:00 +0000

I know I've been very MIA lately, but I do have good reason. I have been suffering from serious Progesterone Poisoning!

Today we are 11 weeks pregnant! I have had a VERY rough first trimester so far. I had such high hopes of being {one of those women} who is constantly glowing through pregnancy and loving every minute of it. I've already asked my husband if he's okay with only one child, because I'm not sure I could go through this again! {SIGH}

By the way, the term "morning sickness" is crap - if it was only in the morning, I'd be doing cartwheels! And... saltines... don't really work... Gingerale, I LOVE you!

My husband has broken down my two biggest symptoms thus far as: Nausea and Narcolepsy. There are days I can't seem to stay awake longer than a few hours at a time.

On a lighter note... my parents were in NY back in early October and we decided it would be great to break the news to the whole family in person. (My parents don't get out to NY all that often.)

We had a Sunday Family Pizza Party on October 3rd. A week before, I went to our local pizzeria and asked if they could spell out "Oh Baby" with pepperoni on a pie. It was a request they had never had before... but I think they did a GREAT job! Mike, the owner of Mario's Pizzeria sent me home with a handful of the little white pizza tables (the little thingies that keep the cheese from getting stuck to the pizza box). I had an idea to make little stickers to put on top and then into each pizza.

The little stickers say our due date is June 3rd, 2011... it's already been changed to June 1st, 2011... and from what many of my girlfriends have experienced, I hear it's not unusual for the date to change a few times!

Here's a picture of me with my husband and our "Oh Baby" pizza!

I have barely even turned on my sewing machine more than a handful of times in the past 6 weeks... I'm hoping that I'll turn a corner and start feeling better soon! With the holidays coming up, I have SO many things I'd love to be creating!

*** Today is also my four year wedding anniversary! I am so blessed to be going on the amazing journey with my best friend and soul mate! I know my husband is going to be a wonderful father!

Linking up to:

The Tunnel To Towers Race

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:44:00 +0000

On September 11, 2001 Steven Siller, an off-duty firefighter from Brooklyn ran in full gear from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Towers of The World Trade Center. He helped save many lives that day, but along with 342 other firefighters, he lost his own. To read more about his story and the race, go to the Tunnel To Towers Race website.

Yesterday was the 9th annual Tunnel To Towers Race, it's just about a 5K, 3.1 miles. The path of the course retraces the steps Steven took the morning of 9/11.

My husband had watched the televised footage of the race last September and was so moved that he decided he wanted to run the race himself. He had only begun jogging a few months earlier, but vowed to himself that he wanted to be a part of the race someday.

He finished in just over 36 minutes! I am BEYOND proud of his accomplishment! When he sets his mind to something, watch out... he WILL do it!

When I crossed the finish line the clock read 1:02:36.... however it took the group of "walkers" I was lined up with quite awhile to even cross under the starting line. I think it took me about 50 minutes to finish the race. I jogged most of the way through the tunnel, and walked the rest.

Seriously, WOW, it was probably one of the most amazing experiences. I'm including several photos that I took on my iphone during my journey. I hope you enjoy!

There were over 20,000 participants, and to date, they have raised over 7 million dollars!

The picture above with all the water shooting out is of the FDNY's newest boat, three forty three.

It's Giveaway Time!

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:01:00 +0000

To all of my new followers, Hello!

To everyone who has been following me for a little while, please head over to Impatiently Praying for Patience and check out Katie's blog for a chance to win $25 to spend as you wish in my etsy shop.

I've been following Katie's blog for awhile. She has some really great tutorials on her site! She and I bonded after her post which mentioned she used a paint color "dried parsley" in her laundry room, it's the same color I picked for my kitchen. It's a Benjamin Moore color, but she was SUPER smart and had Home Depot color match it with their paint with primer included! {Wish I'd thought of that!!}

Anyhow, the giveaway ends on Friday, so for those of you that are already a follower or a Facebook "fan" - you basically already earned an entry, just leave her a comment!! Easy Peasy! You should also become a follower of her blog, that's another entry!! Good Luck!

I'm leaving you with a sampling of items in my shop that you could put the $25 gift certificate towards!

Coffee, Tea, or..... Water???

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:22:00 +0000

Yes, that is a play on words from the book published in 1967 about stewardesses.

A few months ago, on a really hot summer day, I purchased a large Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee at JFK. I was on my way up to my gate, and had always been allowed (as a working, uniformed crew member) to bring liquids through security. The coffee cup just had to go through the x-ray machine, like everything else. I had it down to a science though. I'd wedge my coffee in the plastic bin next to my small carry on bag, and it wouldn't budge!

However, this was not to be my day.

As I was securing my coffee, the TSA agent on duty (not so politely) informed me I couldn't put my coffee cup in the plastic bin. (I guess they'd changed the rule because liquids had spilled from not so careful crew members before me... ugh) Needless to say I sucked my coffee down as quick as I could because you just don't throw away a Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee! I was then on a hunt for a travel coffee mug that could hold either hot or iced coffee.

Not an easy task!

Then, a few weeks ago, I found these great stainless steel travel mugs that you can personalize. You can put your own personal photographs inside, cute scrapbook paper, or fabric. The options are endless!

The inside of the mug is stainless steel and holds 16 ounces, and the only drawback is that I can't fit it under my Keurig coffee maker. {bummer} I've been using mine for a little over two weeks now, and am in LOVE! I put my coffee, cream, and sweetener into the mug, close the lid, and turn it over to blend. It doesn't leak! It's great! One little trick I do, too... I'll rinse out the inside of the mug with really hot water before putting my coffee inside, and it stays SUPER hot for a really long time. ~ I'm not sure about you, but I tend to start "creating" shortly after I start my coffee, and tend to walk away from it. I usually end up putting it over ice later, but not with this mug, it'll stay hot long enough for me to get back to it!

This is the one I made for myself.

And the lid options that let it go from holding "hot" to "cold".

And a few others that I've made.

Very cute, right?

They are now available to custom order at my etsy shop. They make great gifts for back to school, and the holiday season is fast approaching!

Loving custom orders

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:52:00 +0000

I was recently contacted by a customer about a ring bearer pillow. It's one of many items I enjoy making that I've yet to add to my etsy shop. I'm working on updating my site to include more options. I wish I could click my heels together and have a whole month to dedicate to sewing and creating rather than flying. It's been a ridiculously busy summer in the travel industry!

Anyhow, here's what I came up with.... scroll down to the bottom of the post to view a scan of the letter my client sent to me with her vision for her pillow... I think I nailed it!

the request

Here are a few of the other ring bearer pillows I've made.

Linking up to:

Gorgeous Garden Bench under $125

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, while beginning the re-organization in the basement my husband took apart one of three workbenches left behind by the previous owners of our home. Each bench was about 68 inches long by about 30 inches deep.

This isn't the one we took apart, it's one of the two left behind, but I wanted to give you and idea of what it looked like.

After removing the "table top" portion of the workbench, my husband called me down to the basement. He had a vision of us turning it into a real bench that we could put in our garden.

You should have seen us trying to negotiate that thing up the stairs and through the kitchen to get out the back door. I was literally stuck in the stairwell for awhile while DH moved furniture around in the kitchen to make room for this monster to get outside!

Once outside, this is what we started with.

First, we (mostly DH, aka "Demo Man") removed the awesome dark wood paneling back. I'm pretty sure the back was left over from the original walls in my craft room. Next, we removed the extra support beams on the top and sides that once held up the massive table top. I then started sanding and sanding and sanding, until both hands we numb from the sander.

I then got to break out our circular saw, and cut down the front "table legs" to make armrests. We also added small pieces to be supports to hold the back of the arm rests in place.

The back piece was a left over section of pressure treated plywood that we had left over from the wood for our floor kit to our shed.

Already looking cute, right?

Then the bench got a good thick coat of indoor/outdoor primer.

And a few coats of outdoor stain.

Up until this point... we didn't spend a PENNY on this project! Everything we used including paint and stain, we already had. {YEA!!}

Next, I coated the bench in a few coats of clear gloss spray paint, and made cushions.

I measured the seat of the bench and it came to 26 inches by 66 inches. I picked up a two inch thick high density foam cut to exactly 66 inches (by 24 inches wide) at The Fabric Mill for $5.50 a foot ($30.25 total). The back pillow forms came from IKEA at $6.99 a piece for Euro Sham sized 26"x26" ($20.97 total). I then purchased two different outdoor fabrics from Joanns, (on sale for 50%) off, for around $50. Add in cording for piping at $.15 a yard ($3.00 total for 20 yards) and zipper by the yard at $3.00 a yard ($11.25 total for just under 4 yards). My total out of pocket cost came to under $125.00!!!

I used this tutorial as a guide to follow while making the box pillow cushion bottom and for cutting the bias binding for the cording. It's a great tutorial and really explains all of the steps well.

And, for those of you that have been following other "before and afters" here are a few pictures of what the area of our yard looked like when we first purchased our home.

Do you remember the awesome horse statue my husband cleaned up? Do you spot her in the garden now?

Now, to be able to take a break from my busy summer flying schedule and sewing for my ETSY shop and sit on her and enjoy a lazy afternoon with a book and cup of tea. {Iced Tea of course in the heat of this Long Island summer!}

Linking up to the following parties:

CPSIA compliance - Rabbit Skins

noreply@blogger.com (curlyQdesign) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:23:00 +0000

I know I had mentioned yesterday using new suppliers for my embroidery on children's clothing. Through Alpha Shirt Company I will be ordering Rabbit Skins brand clothing items. I am so excited about the variety of delicious color choices I know have available to me!

They also have little knit caps in white, pink, and blue as well as organic cotton options on shirts and creepers. I have only placed one order from them so far, but was SO impressed with the quality!