Fancybelle Finery: Adventures in Handmade

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T11:08:00.006-06:00

This Valentine's my husband and I are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the day we met and started dating! So crazy to think that all of this started ten years ago...and now we're a family of five! :)

I wasn't going to do anything special for the kids this year, but an idea popped into my head yesterday afternoon and I decided to take an hour to make these cute little Valentine's Day shirts for my little ones!

All three shirts have a simple heart applique that I drew freehand. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy...as my oldest son would say! For my boys, I decided to put their hearts on their sleeves (ha!) to go with the tattoo print of the fabric I used. Then I hand-stitched a large running stitch with embroidery floss around the inside edge of their hearts to give them a sewn patch look. I love how it turned out!

Of course, I couldn't resist making a matching hair clip for my daughter! In fact, I churned out two while watching "Castle" last night with my hubby. What romantic nights we have, right? Ha!

She picked this one:

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you lovebirds out there! Happy Crafting! :)

Baby Wipes Tutorial

2012-02-08T14:20:00.004-06:00

After our third child was born with even more sensitive skin than the last, I decided to explore the option of homemade baby wipes. With a little experimentation, I'm pretty happy with our current wipes recipe. So easy! So economical! Man, I really wished I had started doing this YEARS ago, instead of months. As long as there is a roll of paper towel in the house (and we buy it in bulk!) we will never run out of wipes again. Yippee!!

Fancybelle's Baby Wipes Recipe:

1 roll Bounty paper towel
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp baby wash
2 tbsp baby oil
1 round container, at least 6" wide and 5" tall

If you don't already have a round container to use for this project, you can see what your local store has available. I found this set of two bowls that fit the bill:

I like using basic Bounty paper towels for our wipes. I've tried a few types of paper towels including store brands, but Bounty towels seem to do the best job overall so far. Also, I don't like using select-a-size paper towels because I always seem to tear off only the smallest size when I need a larger size (and vice versa) which just frustrates me!

Okay...let's make our baby wipes!

1) Use a bread knife or a knife with a serrated blade to cut a roll of paper towel in half horizontally

2) Put one half of the roll in your bowl with the cut side facing down

3) Add your choice of baby wash and baby oil to 2 cups of warm water

4) Pour the water mixture all over the half roll of paper towel.

Here's what it will look like...

5) Put the lid on and flip the container over. Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

6) Flip the container back upright and open the lid. Reach in and remove the cardboard tube. It will be wet and very easy to remove.

7) Pull a sheet of paper towel out from the center, and you'll be ready to start using your new baby wipes!

So exciting, right? I usually make two bowls of wipes at a time and they seem to last for weeks! And we have a baby just turning eight months old right now, so you know we're running through a ton of wipes. :)

As you start using homemade wipes, you can tweak the ingredients a little until you figure out what works best for you. I like our wipes to be fairly wet, but maybe you'd be more happy with using less water. And, obviously, you can make your wipes with all-organic materials if that is your preference.

Other wipes recipes I've found online use a touch of vinegar to make the wipes more anti-bacterial or to prevent mold growth. Honestly, I've never felt the need. Even though our wipes last a long time, I've never stored them long enough for mold to form!!

Hope this tutorial was helpful! Have a terrific day!

5 Question Friday: 2/3/12

2012-02-03T08:19:00.002-06:00

How is it February already? I can't believe Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. And, in just a few short days, my hubby and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary! We always celebrate the date we started dating on V-Day because we met the weekend before. A whole decade...whoa!!! Maybe we should try to get a babysitter and actually go out for dinner together or something. Ha!

I'm back participating again in "5 Question Friday" over at the My Little Lif e blog! I've really missed these Friday questions, they are such a fun way the end the week and I love answering random questions, apparently. It's a great skill to have as a parent! ;)

If you want to join in, head over to Mama M's blog right here:

1. What have you done recently that you are proud of?

I've attacked most the clutter areas of our house and reorganized our cabinets to make things more efficient. SO worth the effort even if just blends in, completely unnoticed by anyone but me and my hubby! ;)

2. What is your favorite way to work out? Or if you don't workout, what are you wanting to try?

I hate sweating. Period. Pilates is more my style, or the New York City Ballet workout series. Awesome for toning and keeping your back strong. If I am going to *really* work out, like I did after baby #3, then I go for no frills basic routines like: Pauline Nordine (The Butt Bible), Jillian Michaels (30 Day Shred), Gilad Janklowicz (Bodies in Motion), etc.

3. If you knew you best friend was cheating on spouse would you tell?

Don't hate me, but no. That's between the friend and her spouse. It wouldn't be my place to interfere.

4. If you could afford a live-in maid or nanny, would you have one?

Absolutely! The maid, for sure. Actually, I don't know about "live-in". That could be pretty awkward in our tiny house, if not impossible!

5. Do you stress out about birthdays (specifically the age) or do you enjoy them?

I do, a little. I still enjoy them anyway! Birthdays are the best excuses to celebrate and have fun!! I think 35 will be a tough one for me. Sigh! Oh well, I will celebrate it with a fun girls weekend in Bayfield, WI/the Apostle Islands and that will take the sting out!

And, a bonus question from Scott, that I wasn't brave enough to put in as a regular question...answer at your own risk, or not at all! (Or something...)

Bonus: Lights off or on?

I defer on this one...haha!

Thanks so much for reading and have a fabulous weekend!!

Getting Organized

2012-01-24T15:01:00.000-06:00

Hello again! It's been a crazy couple of months, but now that I've got the household on a regular nap/sleep schedule, I can finally devote a few minutes here and there to blogging! One of my big resolutions this New Year's was to get my home more organized. I've been slowly attacking our clutter-prone spots and it's been a lot of fun. Thank you Pinterest for inspiring my little changes!!

Here's a shot of the new coffee station arrangement in my retro yellow kitchen:

Even though she doesn't fit in, I still really love my Hello Kitty toaster! Maybe I should make a cover for it? It's taken some getting used to having open shelving in the kitchen, but you can't argue with it's simplicity. It forces you to keep things rather organized, I suppose!

My other big project this winter is a makeover of my sewing/laundry room. This is my favorite room in house, just because it's my space to retreat for crafting purposes. Inspired again by Pinterest, I organized my fabric stash by color. Love this change!! These are just stacking totes purchased at Walmart.

I used photoboxes from Joann fabrics to store my sewing notions, trims and specialty yarn.

Next on my to-do list is sewing a new ironing board cover, curtains and a sewing machine cover. Can't wait until this fabric arrives so I can get going!

Bali Gate in Pink by Amy Butler

I'm going for a modern shabby chic look in this room with a palette of pink and aqua with neutral accents. And it involves a lot of furniture painting. Wish me luck! :)

This is what I currently see while at my sewing and crafting desk:

Hubby just added the extra shelf. I love it! However, there's always room for improvement. I have a plan in mind, of course! :)

Have a fabulous week!

Annoucing Our Newest Creation

2011-11-19T06:42:00.001-06:00

Hello Dear Reader! Sorry it has taken me so long to finally update this blog with an announcement about my newest son's birth. Whoops. Can't you tell that adding a third child to our family has really rocked my world???! Anyhow, here's a pic of our darling Finnian Kai at 3 weeks old with his dear Momma...

What a peapod! He was born at 7lbs 10oz and 19.5" long. Hard to believe he's already five months old and nearly 20lbs now. Clearly, we grow 'em big in Wisconsin. ;)

Look guys! I found a baby bunny in the back yard! Can we keep him??

Okay, I can't resist putting up at least one more photo of Finn...this time in a pumpkin hat that I knit a few months ago. I'm thinking of offering this pattern in my shop eventually.

Finn is really not so much the stoic baby that these photos imply, but seems to be taking after his sister who greatly dislikes posing for photos. Oh well!

Check out my entourage. Am I a lucky mom or what?

Just wanted to quickly update you that our shop is open just until December 1st. We have some fun offerings for the early Christmas shopper such as Grandma's scallop-edged handknit baby legs, Baby Belle cloth dolls (perfect for baby's Christmas stocking!) and, of course, handstamped jewelry. Check it out here at Fancybelle Boutique on Etsy if you get a chance. Otherwise, I'll be committing the month of December to catching up on my other sewing and knitting projects. I hope to write more details about those in the weeks to come!

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!

Fancybelle Baby

2011-06-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

I'm officially on vacation, preparing for the birth of my 3rd baby! Tomorrow's the big day, in fact. We are so excited!!! If only we had been able to pick out a name ahead of time...then I'd already have a new hand-stamped necklace with baby's name on it!

Here are just a sampling of the projects that have been keeping me busy these past few weeks...

A special gift for a special friend

Hand-embroidered "going home" outfit

New hair blooms for my daughter

Baby blocks!

Baby doll "layette" for my daughter's new doll...blanket, burp cloth, bib, and wipes too!

Amy Butler curtains for my "new" kitchen

Handknit newborn hats in alpaca, luxury fiber blends and organic cotton

Infant car seat slipcover for baby #3!

Baby's nursery in a room shared with our oldest

A simple patchwork blanket backed in minky for my daughter's birthday

Hand-embroidered shirts for my 3 crabs...I mean, kids! ;P

Baby #3's new blanket...I love this style! So easy to make.

Designer chenille burp cloths galore!

Security blanket...so snuggly

Baby Bjorn slipcover with minky lining

Patchwork couch pillows backed in minky...can you tell I'm a minky addict??

A very manly blanket for my son who's turning four :)

Book sling! I love this great idea for wall storage

Clothes! A dress and skirt for me with a matching pillowcase top for my daughter.

Well, time to get going! Not sure when I'll have time to post again or exactly when my shop will be open again...but just wanted to update you quickly before the chaos ensues tomorrow! Happy June and have a wonderful summer!

Giveaway Starting Tomorrow!

2011-03-13T22:04:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I'm giving away the adorable hand-knit Isabella handbag shown above starting tomorrow in the Cowgirl LOVE Giveaway over at Oh! Fiddlesticks! I'll post the actual link to enter once it's available tomorrow. Here are some details about this Isabella Double Pink Ruffle Ribbon bag:

"This handbag is so sweet with three coordinating hand-knit flowers accented with vintage button centers. It's the perfect size for toddlers and little girls who want to look just like Mommy, and a great touch with that special occasion dress! The Isabella has room inside for all of your little one's treasures. It has a drawstring top that crisscrosses the handles so that when it is picked up, it is easily shut.

The Isabella purse is knit with two colors of pink acrylic yarn at the same time, for a double pink effect. The flowers on this bag are made with white and pink acrylic baby yarn and oatmeal tweed wool yarn. The handle is made from a beautiful ballet pink double ruffle ribbon.

The Isabella measures approximately 5" across the bottom and 9" tall. Spot clean as necessary, hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry."

So excited to take part in this giveaway! Hope you can take the time to check it out and enter starting tomorrow! :)

Shop Notes 3/1/11: End of Winter Sale!

2011-03-01T09:33:00.001-06:00

Hi there! Just a quick note to let you know that we're having an End of Winter Sale on our selection of hand-knit Baby Belle Leg Warmers! There are lots of new sets and colors available, so please check it out!

Fancybelle Boutique End of Winter Sale

Baby Belle leggings make diaper changes a breeze and extend baby's wardrobe of dresses throughout all seasons of the year. These leg warmers are specially knit in easy care acrylic to be nice and stretchy, perfect to accommodate those gorgeous rolly-polly baby legs! Each are trimmed with a row of sweet scalloped edging around the cuff - such a unique and beautiful baby shower gift item!

Also to let you know, our shop will be closed next week (March 6 - March 12). My husband is a contestant in the International Sheet Metal Apprentice Competition in Las Vegas Nevada, so we'll be out of town for a few days. Wish us luck! :)

Just wanted to share a photo of my newest personal project - a simple patchwork throw for our living room couch!

My grandmother was an amazing quilter and I'm so excited to be enjoying this facet of sewing right now, plus carrying on family traditions in this way. I have a few other patchwork plans ahead, and hopefully even a little blanket for our baby #3...due in June!

Take care and have a terrific day!

My First Sweater!

2011-02-02T17:40:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I actually finished knitting my first actual sweater! Granted, it's a shrug...but I'm still proud of myself. :) I feel like a real grown-up knitter now, ha!

The pattern was from the gorgeous book Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel

Shrug! I loved the color combo from the book's example, so I didn't change a thing.

My little man, bravely modeling my finished "masterpiece so mommy could get a photo...

Eventually I get a photo taken of me in my new sweater...hopefully soon! :) Have a terrific week!

It's Sweater Weather!

2011-01-12T07:00:00.001-06:00

Hi there! Just a quick post about my latest project: a cute little shrug sweater from Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel. Check out my progress below...I'm almost done constructing the body. I'm finally using the new stitch markers I made as an extra little Christmas present to myself!

Such a gorgeous book, by the way! I purchased it last year when I was recovering from back surgery and earmarked several skeins of yarn for a few sweater projects, but Spring came and my ambitions flew out the door. Ha! Anyway, I'm hoping this shrug turns out perfectly so I can move on to a few items from this book while the weather is still so chilly.

Stitch markers...so crucial for "serious" projects! ;)

Since I'm expecting baby #3, I'm in the mood for nesting and knitting baby hats! But I couldn't get started on anything for the baby until I finished a hat to match my new winter parka. Even though I've always lived in the midwest, I really can't handle the cold! This hat is seriously warm and beyond soft in an alpaca and merino wool blend. I added embroidered daisies with french knot centers with a contrasting chunky alpaca yarn.

One size fits all!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T15:48:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year from our little Fancybelle Boutique family!

The shop has been closed since Christmas but I plan to re-open in a week or two, once I've restocked supplies. What an awesome holiday season we had! I'm so grateful and amazed for all of our wonderful customers and I really had fun being Santa's little helper this year! Our personalized sterling and gold jewelry was such a hit amongst holiday gift-givers...and who wouldn't want to be a gift recipient of a pretty bauble like this:

Or this?

Can't wait to get started on some new creations for the shop! We have lots of our adorable Baby Belle leggings and some new hand-sewn items in the pipeline to brighten the remainder of these long winter months. I've been using a little of my holiday break to focus on personal projects and I'm re-discovering my love of needlepoint. My grandmother taught me how to embroider when I was a child and I was very proud of my "masterpiece" table runner when I finally finished all the pretty embroidered flowers! Here are some shots of my latest...personalized Christmas stockings for me and my daughter:

Time to run! Best wishes for a fabulous 2011!!

Halloween Hair Clip Giveaway!

2010-10-18T18:51:00.002-05:00

Check out my new Halloween hair clip giveaway starting today! The winner will be a randomly selected Facebook fan, and you can earn an extra entry by suggesting the Fancybelle Boutique page to your friends! Just let me know by posting a comment to our fanpage so I can give you credit.

The Great Pumpkin Clip measures about 3" and can be attached to a stretchy crochet headband or a ponytail holder. The Candy Corn Clip is 2" and has a fully lined alligator clip with a no-slip grip.

Good luck and have a wonderful week! :)

Shop Notes: Oct 14 2010

2010-10-14T15:25:00.001-05:00

So excited to announce that soon we'll be offering a new font for our hand-stamped jewelry...the Alexandra font! We just purchased this set of custom, limited edition stamps and here's an example photo from the designer:

I think Alexandra will be a perfect addition to our font family and an especially wonderful option for our Dainty Initial necklaces. Can't wait to try it out! Don't forget about our Bella font...she's an equally gorgeous and unique option for a variety of jewelry items. I should be listing this adorable Bella font ID bracelet for babies and children in the next few days...

We're also working on a couple new options for ladies who would like three or more stamped names on their necklaces, details and photos coming by November!

Another big announcement...our upcoming Halloween giveaway, available soon through the Fancybelle Boutique Facebook page. More details to come on Monday Oct 18th, when the contest begins! Here's a preview of what you can win...

The set includes both large and small Halloween-themed hair clips. The larger clip can be attached to a stretchy crochet headband or a ponytail holder, depending on the winner's preference!

It was fun checking the mailbox today and finding out that these gorgeous new fabrics have arrived! Can't wait to figure out which projects I want to use them for. :) A new guitar fabric for boy items...suitable for bringing out the rockstar in anyone!

This Zoology fabric is already earmarked for a customer's car seat handle cushion...a wonderful match with a red, gray and black infant car seat. I love the clean graphic print on a black background, so modern.

With names like Yummy Donut and Chocolate Ice Cream Dot, how can you go wrong?? Donuts and ice cream...delicious. I'm thinking this combo will be so cute for bibs and play smocks.

Finally, here's a preview of my new Christmas Baby Belle dolls in the making! Just got this fabric in today as well and what darling faces these dollies have. They're going to make awesome stocking stuffers for a few lucky little girls. :)

Enough writing, time for more creating! I'll be back soon with a post beginning our Halloween hair clip giveaway very soon...hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday: Off and Running

2010-09-01T06:03:00.001-05:00

Now that my daughter's 1, there's no stopping her!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, visit 5 Minutes for Mom today!

Happy 1st Anniversary!

2010-08-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

It's Fancybelle Boutique's first anniversary!

What a fun and unforgettable year it's been! I've learned so much and had such a blast creating custom and personalized items for people all over the U.S. and the world. We've come so far and have tons of exciting plans for the future. Thank you very much for your support in reading this blog, I so appreciate it! :)

Just a quick note to let you know that we're offering FREE SHIPPING all day today in celebration. I hope you have time to stop by the shop today. :)

Shop Notes: August 19, 2010

2010-08-19T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have so many cool photos to share with you from recent projects that I'll just dive right in!

Some of my favorite items...the Baby Belle dolls! They will be returning in force to my shop just in time for early Christmas shopping. They're such a sweet stocking stuffer idea for any girl. :) Here are a few dollies from a wholesale order of 12 that I recently completed...

This is something that I'm really proud of...my first dress project! My little sweet pea, Lucy Belle, wore this adorable pink and tan floral dress for our family photos last weekend. Can't wait to share some of those pics with you when I get them in hand! I will share more details on how I constructed this dress in another upcoming post. :)

Here is a sewing project that is coming soon to Fancybelle Boutique...the personalized appliqued name pillow! So incredibly adorable for baby's first nursery or a toddler's snuggle pillow for "night-night".

Here is the boy version I made for my own son...

On to our latest hand-stamped jewelry projects! We've done some really pretty work in our shop lately, it's so exciting! Here's a shot of an item in brushed sterling silver with our baby feet stamps...

I'm also working on some new gift ideas for the man in your life. We recently made a set of matching keychains in brass for a wedding gift that can be totally customizable with any saying, name or date for your guy.

Another gift we made in brushed sterling and copper for our sister-in-law...a beautiful item for a bridal or anniversary gift...

One of our gorgeous gold fill initial necklaces! These are so exceptional in person.

More hair blossoms are coming this week to the shop! This one is made with silk, tulle, sequins and gold french net. Tons of girly-girl prettiness to be worn with a simple hair clip, on a headband or clipped to a beanie hat or ribbon belt. Very versatile.

What's up next for our shop? We'll be getting another fancy font in about a month. We special ordered it awhile back and can't wait to start using it! I also have tons of handknit baby legs that are ready to list, just in time for the cool fall temps. I really feel like picking up my knitting needles again and attempting that sweater I didn't get around to last winter! :)

Also, Fancybelle Boutique's Etsy anniversary is coming up this August 31st! I plan on offering free shipping on that date to celebrate! I hope you have time to stop by and check it out.

Take care and have a wonderful week!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Blue Eyes

2010-07-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom today!

Have a marvelous week! :)

Shop Notes: July 20, 2010

2010-07-20T07:34:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh, I can't believe we're this far into summer already and it's been way too long since I've written a post!! Can you tell that I've been busy enjoying this long days with my kiddos and filling my extra time with lots of little projects? I have!

My biggest news to share is the arrival of our new Bella font for hand-stamping jewelry!

I am so proud of the work my husband and I have put into making our jewelry special. Only high-quality methods and raw materials are used for each piece, and each jewelry gift arrives in a beautiful gift box tied with a bow. We even include a little polishing cloth to keep everything all nice and shiny for years to come! :)

Here's an example of the Bella font in action...

I just love it! In fact, I have a matching necklace that I wear practically everyday. Soon we'll be offering a few of our best-selling items in 14k gold fill, starting with the Dainty Initial necklace. In case you're wondering - yes, I do have a ridiculously overstuffed jewelry box (and it's pretty big!) but I still plan to make my own gold initial necklace very soon! They are just too cute. :)

Otherwise I have been working hard on our needs at home, including an impromptu crib rail cover after we purchased a new convertible crib for our daughter.

Could this crib get any girlier?

Here's a closer shot, with a good view of my new pink collection label!

Yep, you can look forward to some special hand-sewn offerings perfect for the girliest of girls on the way for later this summer and early fall! Another big inspiration in the shop lately has been babies! Duh, you say. Actually, I mean newborns. I know quite a few expectant ladies lately so I'm gearing up with all kinds of cute shower gift ideas to thrill those mamas-to-be. Even boy stuff!! I've been horribly neglectful of boys these past few months but I promise to fill out the ranks at Fancybelle Boutique with a nice assortment of items for your little man very soon.

Gotta run! Hope you have a fantastic day!

Wordless Wednesday: Get Your Birthday On!

2010-06-23T10:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday! We celebrated birthdays for my kids together last weekend, their dates are only 6 days apart! Check out the fun party hats I made...I'll be posting a tutorial on how to make them very soon. Hope you have time to check it out!

Lucy Belle's birthday crown was made by Stell and Livi, a gorgeous shop by a super nice fellow Etsian! You can also see the sailboat hat she made for Zach on the table next to their birthday cake. :) He loved his hat enough to wear for a few hours prior to the party, but then it kinda got lost in all of the excitement!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom today!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Birthday Princess

2010-06-09T10:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday! And Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet daughter yesterday! We had so much fun celebrating her special day. :)

Welcome to my kingdom, let the festivities begin!

Hey, that's MINE!

All this, and I get gifts too? Yippee!

Yay, cake! Want some?

Birthday gifts! I made the pillow and doll, they turned out so cute!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom today and check it out! Hope you have a lovely day. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Swing!

2010-06-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Hanging around with Daddy

Sleepy Baby Girl

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom today and enjoy!

Shop Notes: June 1 2010

2010-06-01T09:10:00.002-05:00

Holy cow, how can it be June already?! There's not much that I love more than beautiful summer weather so I try to savor every moment. The kids and I are getting outside as much as possible, and that means a little less time for projects than I would prefer. But here's a few photos of items I've made recently...

Here is my first attempt ever at traditional applique. Can you tell what symbol this is? It's subtle, due to the layering of fabric patterns - but after my son scraped up his knees on a walk a few weeks ago, I knew we needed a little First Aid pouch in our diaper bag. And my addiction to Amy Butler fabric is so severe that I'll take any excuse to use whatever I can, whenever I can! I made this little accessory bag out of 3 different Amy Butler scrap pieces - score!

The interior is lined in Martini in Fuchsia, exterior is made from Fresh Poppies in Fuchsia - one of my all-time favorites.

It features a covered button toggle-type closure in Honeycomb in Linen. I like that this type of fastener allows for expansion, so you can really pack a ton of stuff in this pouch.

Another project I'm devoting some time to is perfecting a sewing pattern for sun hats. My daughter got the first prototype and I just finished a boys version. Even though we took hundreds of photos over the holiday weekend, none of them were of my son in his hat! Grrrr. Typical almost 3 year old!

She actually likes to wear it too. :) I must admit, I'm itching to make one of these for myself!

In other news, I'm so excited to announce our sponsorship of this fun and witty blog by a fellow Minnesotan mom: The Girl Next Door Grows Up! Check out her new post with a mention about our shop, and our new button featured on her site! I just love this blog and I've been following it for months. I hope you enjoy it too!

Finally - just a quick mention that we got our new lowercase block font in for hand stamped jewelry, and I love it! My poor hubby, now he's going to have to make ME something new and shiny!

Check out the awesome email I got the other day from a customer about our jewelry...squeee!!

"I literally just received the necklace and am even more pleased than I thought I would be. I LOVE the packaging and the dainty chain and the charm is the perfect size. (...) Oh my goodness, I can't thank you enough for your speedy processing!!! and will be ordering when Christmas rolls around for my niece. You are wonderful!!"

The next project on my list? Birthday shirts for my two kiddos, who practically share a birthday in June (6 days apart). I can't believe I'm going to have a 1 year old in just a week - and then a 3 year old! Wowsa, we are blessed. :) I'm thinking of trying a frayed edge applique technique - wish me luck.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Wordless Wednesday: Two Peas in a Pool

2010-05-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

My husband says that the only time the kids get along well is when they're in water. He's right!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom today. :)

5 Question Friday Again!

2010-05-21T08:36:00.002-05:00

It's Friday again! Did this week go incredibly fast or what??! I can't complain about that. The weather here has been incredible. Superb, even! Although, I just finished a new sun hat for my daughter and today it rains. Oh well!

I feel like some 5 Question Friday today!

1. Do you have an iPhone and, if so, how do you get apps and what are your favorites?

Nope, not interested...yet. I don't want to switch service providers and I LOVE my Blackberry. Although, I did hear that the iPad has an awesome app for knitting & sewing patterns...

2. What is your fondest memory of K-3rd grade?

Umm, I have a notoriously bad memory for my childhood. I really can't think of anything school-related so I'd have to say spending my summers with nothing to do but have fun and running down the street to my grandma's house every chance I got! :)

3. What makes you cringe at the thought of touching?

Dead stuff. I don't even like to handle moldy food when I'm cleaning out the fridge!

4. If you could have any celebrity show up on your doorstep who would it be and why?

Angela Lansbury! (Bet you didn't guess I'd pick an elderly lady - especially when I could've picked someone like Hugh Jackman, for example!)

If I hearted her any more, I'd have a heart attack. :) My friend and I even write about her old TV show at Murder She Blogged. Yeah...we're superfans.

5. What would you say is your best physical feature?

My eyes? Or my husband might say my legs. I'm 5'11" but I still love to wear heels whenever I can! :)

Have an awesome weekend and thanks for dropping by my blog today! For more Five Question Friday posts, visit Mama M's blog and check it out!

Wordless Wednesday: Is it Summer Yet?

2010-05-19T08:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

"Can I go in, Momma?" "Not yet, take a step back please kiddo!!!"

Can you tell that my son can't wait to go swimming? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom today. :)