kadydid designs

Fabric Storage Solution

2012-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to fabric.

There. I said it.

I keep "grounding" myself from purchasing anymore until I've used up everything I have.

Yeah. Right.

I do great until I see something too cute (or too cheap!) to pass up. Anyway. My fabric "collection" has been out of control for quite awhile, and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to organize it.

This is what 90% of my fabric has looked like until now, and I am beyond mortified to let anybody else see it. Sad, huh? Even sadder is the fact that this is in MY bedroom. Driving me crazy.
And my husband crazier.

One day, I'll have my own, beautifully perfect, craft/office space.

Okay. Back to task.

I found a perfect solution for storing fabric on {The Little Green Bean} awhile ago (or maybe I found it on Pinterest first? I can't keep track which came "first" anymore...), and decided to give it a try.

All you need is foam board, a blade and a ruler.

First, you need to decide how large you want your "bolt of fabric" to be. Obviously, take into consideration the size of the area that you will be storing your bolts in. My sweet hubby is in the process of building me an amazing book/craft shelf, so I made my bolts to fit in there. Most of mine are 12"x10". However, I do have some that are 10"x6" (which I use to store 1/2 yds or fat quarters on). I used a 20x30 foam board, and am able to get 4 large bolts and 2 small bolts from each board.

Then measure, re-measure and cut!

Pretty soon, you'll have a nice pile of foam board bolts to store your fabric on.

Simply fold your fabric accordingly and wrap it on your bolt. Add a couple of pins on the remaining edge to help keep it all in place, and you're set! Doesn't that look incredibly pretty?

For now, here is where I am storing some of my bolts.

And yes, I will allow you to believe that all the shelves in this closet are just as organized as the one I'm showing you. :)

FYI, the black bin is full of fabric that has been pre-cut for cloth diapers.

I've done 24 total so far, and by the look of my pile above, I obviously still have a ton to do (yes, that photo was taken after I had wrapped 24 of my little bolts...). The next job is to figure out where to put them until their permanent home is finished!

A huge thanks to Missy over at The Little Green Bean for the original tutorial!!

Linky Followers Blog Hop

2012-02-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Okay. So I'm sure most of you have heard that GFC

is disappearing at the end of this month for all non-blogger blogs.

Kinda not fun.

Yes, my blog is via Blogger, but rumor has it that GFC

will also be disappearing for Blogger blogs in the near future as well.

So...

I am participating in a Linky Followers Blog Hop!

Many of you are already familiar with Linky for all the different link parties going on each week. Well, now they have a tool so that you can follow other blogs much like GFC. That way, you can still keep track of all your favorite blogs/bloggers all in one place.

Come play with us!

1. You must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

Don't worry. It's super easy to get signed up.

2. It would be nice to follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)

If you want, you can add the Blog Hop to your own blog! You can find the code right under the Linky Party where it says click here to enter–just under that it says: What is a Blog Hop? Get the code here. Click on get the code here and enter it into a post on your site.

It's always nice to leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back. We all love comments and it's fun meeting new bloggers!

Hanging On

2012-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, I am still here.

Between the shop being insanely busy and my house being full of sickies (again...I swear we've been sick since December), the blog has been neglected.

But, don't give up on me yet!! I have all sorts of ideas running through this little head of mine that I'd love to share once I manage to get all the massive head cold induced cob-webs out of it!

Were any of you lucky enough to enjoy the long holiday weekend? How did you spend it?

Favorite Fabric Shops

2012-02-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

People ask me all the time where I buy my fabric. I rarely buy anything but solid colors and flannel at Joann's or Hobby Lobby. I try really hard to support other Etsy shops, and then I've stumbled across a few other online stores as well. Since everybody always asks, I thought I'd compile a list share my favorites with you!

1. {Fabric.com}
Obviously, this isn't a new site to many of you. Their prices aren't always the cheapest, but with their free shipping with any purchase over $35.00, I can buy a ton at once and it ends up being cheaper. And their design boards make it easier to match patterns/colors/etc.

2. {Raspberry Creek Fabric}
Raspberry Creek is one of my top picks. They have such a huge selection with many cute bundles. And, they are an Etsy shop with a large flannel selection. I love my flannel! They also have an Etsy seller discount which I really appreciate.

3. {Fabric Shoppe}
I know. Another fairly well known. But I still can't help but love it! I've managed to get some killer deals through The Fabric Shoppe by watching Twitter at *just the right time*. Excellent customer service, super fast shipping...couldn't ask for more!

4. {Stitch Stash Diva}
This is one of my new favorite finds!! I just recently found Tayva's shop on Etsy, and I adore buying from her. She is so excited about her shop and you really feel like each fabric you purchase from her is one of her personal favorites. She is super cute and makes it really fun buying there!

5. {Three Dolls Fabric}
I honestly don't know what I would do without Three Dolls Fabric. I buy 99% of my Amy Butler fabric there (more specifically, Amy Butler's Wallflower and Full Moon dots - which I use to make our most popular {car seat cover ever}). I don't know what I'll do when they run out of it! They are always quick to do my custom orders and seem to get it out to me even faster. Love, love, love them!!

These last two shops I have just found in the last week, but have already placed orders through them.

{Fashionable Fabrics} and {Hawthorne Threads}.

Fashionable Fabrics has a large selection and is really easy to shop. They've categorized all their fabrics in several different ways (collection, manufacturer, designer, print) so it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for. If I'm in the mood to make little boy things, I can look at all their fabrics especially geared for little boys. Makes my life easier!

Hawthorne Threads is my newest find and I just placed my first order this week, actually. However, I was able to find a specific fabric that everybody else was completely sold out of. That makes me very excited!

So...the next time you find yourself needing fabrics, be sure to check out one of these shops! If you're like me, you're bound to find something you love!!

Etsy Shop Spotlight: SparklingTwi

2012-02-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Before we get on with our spotlight for today, we have something to take care of!

Congrats to Karen H. for winning the adorable sets of earrings provided by Whatsername Jewelry! Karen, please email me at kadydiddesigns(at)gmail.com OR leave me a comment with your email address so I can contact you!!

Now. Back to business!

Our spotlight for today is Michelle, from Sparkling Twi.

Michelle creates her beautiful jewelry in her home studio in Toronto.

She thought she wanted to be a dental hygenist when she grew up, but it turns out all she wanted to do was design/create jewelry. So...jewelry won out and she's been selling it online for quite awhile now!

I love all the beautiful items in her shop.

This bracelet? I have a dress in my closet that wants to be worn with it.

Oh! And a red jacket, too.

And I love these little bird earrings. Just so dainty!

And probably my favorite item in her shop right now is this long pendant.

Soooo pretty!

I couldn't find a single thing in her shop that I didn't like. I would be perfectly happy owning one of everything she has to offer! It's all beautiful and reasonably priced (she has an entire section that is $12 or less). What is your favorite item in her shop?

You can also find Michelle on her blog: {Sparkling Bliss}, on {Facebook} and via {Twitter}.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

2012-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe on here! Sadly, there hasn't been much cooking or baking happening at my house lately. This weekend, however, we took care of that!

Typically, I use blueberries in this recipe. However, I decided to give raspberries a try and we loved it. Maybe our new favorite. There is a streusel topping you can add to the tops, but I just sprinkled a bit of sugar on the tops. It's equally delicious either way.

Add a tiny dab of butter in the middle right out of the oven...yummmm.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

2 c. flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries (or blueberries)

Combine flour, sugars, baking powder in large bowl. Add milk, egg and butter. Fold in white chocolate chips and raspberries.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups (I fill mine almost completely to the top).

Bake for 22 minutes at 375. Makes 18 muffins.

(If you want to add the streusel topping, add it right before it goes in the oven. It's simply 1/3 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon with 3 Tbsp butter cut in until crumbly. You can also drizzle the tops with melted white chocolate right out of the oven.)

Enjoy!!

Adventures in Amblyopia Part Five

2012-02-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Okay. I know I promised some resources for those who may just be starting out on their journey with eyeglasses and young children, but the shopping thing was just way too fun! I have lots of cute suggestions for items to purchase for your little one with glasses; none of which have any labeling such as "nerd" or "geek". That is a major pet peeve of mine. Granted, it never really bothered me until my son had glasses, but now it really gets under my skin.

In December, we got my son's first negative comment regarding his glasses. I took my boys to a Christmas party with the school kids I work with every day. One of my girls (who is 9 or 10) whispered to one of her girlfriends that my son "looked like a nerd". Her girlfriend totally ratted her out to me. As the teacher, I calmly explained that just because somebody has glasses doesn't make them a nerd. And, if they want to be a nerd then there's nothing wrong with that either. I went on to say that he just has glasses because his eyes aren't quite strong enough and need a little extra help. As the mom, I was livid. I was so angry at her parent's disregard to teaching acceptance and understanding. She is old enough to know better and her comments were uncalled for. Now. I know that as the mom, I was totally over-reacting. Sometimes, Momma Bear just gets a little too huffy! Going back to the initial comment; my son didn't even hear it. Even if he did - he has no clue what "nerd" means.

In working with my elementary school kids, I've noticed that if you don't wear glasses, but decide that you do want to wear them - then the "nerd" look becomes cool. If you do wear glasses but don't have a choice in wearing them, then you automatically get the "nerd" label without the coolness. I know this isn't the case all the time. And I know children have to learn what is acceptable and appropriate. But they learn it from adults. Which is why clothing with eyeglasses on them that are labeled "geeky" or "nerd" really bother me.

I hunted around Etsy and found some super cute items relating to children in glasses. None of them are labeled in a negative manner (believe me, there were a lot that were!). I appreciate these shop owners for being respectful; even if they did so unknowingly.

This cute crayon tote is from {Petite Angels Boutique}. It's $18.50

This super cute onesie is from {URBARIAN}. Not only do they have infant sizes, but toddlers, children and adults too (see the photo below). They range in price anywhere from $24.00 - $50.00

{Lovies For My Babies} makes these customized dolls for your little one. Aren't they precious? If you send her a photo of your child, she will make the glasses in the same color and shape as your child's. LOVE IT. These cost $36.95.

This onesie from {The Wishing Elephant} is adorable. It's $18.00 and available in sizes up to 18 months.

The last two items I'm sharing are prints. Both are adorable and would be fun in any child's room!

This first one is from {Lulu Froot}. It's 8.5'x11" and is $20.00

I love this little owl. This print is 11"x14" and is $25.00. You can find it at {hippos and nuts}.

I hope you'll take a minute and browse these stores. They have many cute items available. And maybe even drop them a note saying that you appreciate them carrying these items. I know there are lots of stores that do provide adorable items for children featuring glasses. Know of any right now? I'd love for you to leave a comment with a link to the item(s) you've found!

Etsy Shop Spotlight & Giveaway: Whatsername Jewelry

2012-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Another edition of our Etsy Shop Spotlight and today, there is a giveaway included.

How nice is that?!?

Meghan is from Rhode Island and she is the designer behind Whatsername Jewelry. Meghan loves making polymer clay jewelry, a good cup of coffee, running and spending time with her family.

Her store is full of fun little goodies like these cute earring/bracelet sets:

Or her line of Zodiac necklaces, which is what she's spending the majority of her time on now.

Since I'm a cancer, I obviously had to share that one. ;)

Not only can you find Meghan in her {shop}, but you can also find her on her blog; {Whatsername Jewelry}.

And now for the giveaway! Meghan has so graciously provided not one but two sets of adorable earrings to go out to one lucky winner! It's super easy to enter to win and Rafflecopter will guide you through the entire process. The only mandatory step is following Kadydid Designs. The rest are optional, but the more you do the better your chances to win! I will announce the winner next Friday during our next Etsy Shop Spotlight!

(Be sure to click on "Read More" underneath my signature at the bottom of the post to be entered for the giveaway!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Day Crayon Art

2012-02-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

I've been itching to get a little project on here lately, so after I came up with this idea earlier in the week, I had to hurry and get it on here!

This is a combination of a couple of different craft projects I've seen floating around on Pinterest. I had seen somebody do this project using thumbprints (SO cute!), but I have also really been wanting to give crayon art a try. So, this is what I came up with!

A crayon dripped heart on canvas. It was super easy, super cheap and super quick. Perfect!!

I started with:

a 5x5 canvas (which was on sale for $2.49)
a few old crayons (I used exactly 4. Purple, pink and 2 shades of red)
a bit of masking tape
a lighter
my template (just google "heart template" you'll find something you love...)

Simply center your template to your canvas and then tape it down (I just used one tiny piece at the top of the heart). Then just start melting your crayons to drip on the canvas.

FYI? The cheap crayons drip the best!! When you're done filling in your template (it took me maybe 20 minutes with plenty of interruptions from my 2 year old) simply peel it off. If you have any drips that fell inside the paper and outside of your heart, they easily peel off once they're dry.

There you have it! I now want to get 2 more canvases to add an "I" and "U" to either side of the heart.

Knit A Square Challenge

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

I recently "met" Laurie from Kitty's Fiber Journey via Etsy a couple of weeks ago. I really liked this project that she is working on and asked if she would mind sharing it here, since I know I have several knitters that read the blog. Knitter or not, it's an interesting challenge!

You can visit Laurie's blog, Kitty's Fiber Journey by clicking {here}. You can also visit her Etsy store by clicking {here}.

Thanks so much, Laurie!

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I know that the new year is full of pledges and challenges that we are encouraged to make. Rather than be discouraged by all of this, I find it very encouraging. Aren’t these all just the signs that the new year is full of hope and that we have the desire to better ourselves or help others? I sincerely believe they are.


Percentage of adults infected by AIDS in 2009.

So, I invite you to join another challenge! This one is quite easy and yet has such a huge impact on the lives of children. We are all aware that the African continent is the one the hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. What most of us ignore, myself included, is that the adults who die of AIDS leave their children behind. There are an estimated 1.9 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa. 500 children a day are made orphans by the combined ravages of AIDS and poverty. The majority of them are left to fend for themselves in shanty towns. Governments and charity organizations do what they can, but it is not enough.


Beautiful children in beautiful KasCare blankets

Since 2008, the KasCare foundation has been taking donations of knit and crochet squares to make blankets that are then distributed to these poor children. The idea is ingenious. Why just a square? Because squares are quick and easy to create and they are small and light to ship. People from all over the world can contribute and for a small cost, send the squares to South Africa. Once in Africa, the squares are assembled into blankets by volunteers and even prison inmates!

This cause is extremely important to me. I was in college in the early 1980’s when we finally started waking up to the atrocity of Apartheid in South Africa. I attended meetings and went to rallies, but we were all quite frustrated by the feeling of helplessness. What could we, a bunch of kids, half a world away, do to stop Apartheid? Well, South Africa is faced with yet another horrendous problem and this time I am not helpless. I can make a difference. I have joined the knit -a-squillion challenge. I will empty my stash and send beautiful squares to help warm these beautiful children!

Specifically, the goal of the knit-a-squillion challenge is to collect 1,2 million squares by July 1st.

My goal is 500 squares by June 1, 2012.
Will you join me? It's easy:

- Knit or crochet an 8” (20 cm) square (instructions)

- You aren’t a needle person? Upcycle a wool sweater by felting it and cutting it into squares (instructions)

- You want to do more? Hats and sweaters are also needed! (instructions)

- Make a donation on the knit a square site.

- Encourage family, friends, neighbors and colleagues to join.

If that isn’t enough, I have one more incentive! Everyone who sends squares to me will receive coupons from my new online yarn shop, Hands with Hearts! $1 per square, $3 per hat, $5 per sweater

Send your donations here:
Laurie Fortier
Hands with Hearts
3022, de la Rochelle
Québec, Québec
G1W 2B2
Canada

From the bottom of my heart and for all the orphans of southern Africa,

THANK YOU!!!!

Sign up, grab a button, but most of all spread the word!

Still Movin'...My New Favorite Workout!

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

Remember {this} post? The one where I told you I was working on losing weight for not only a Biggest Loser Couples Edition game with my family but also to earn a trip to Hawaii my hubby promised me if I were to reach my ultimate weight loss goal?

Here's a quick update.

1. The Biggest Loser's game went great! I lost more weight in those 3 months than I had ever been able to before. My husband and I lost to my brother and his fiancee by less than a percentage point. Grrrr.
2. Christmas came right after we ended the game. I gained ALL of my pounds back and them some. Double GRRRR.
3. Spoke to not one but two different doctor about my weight concerns. Neither one of them were concerned enough to help me. Triple GRRRRRR.
4. I am signed up for not one, but two, 5Ks in March. I am NOT a runner. I loathe running. But, I'm doing it. Slowly. Whether or not I'll really be ready for those 5Ks is another question!
5. One of my really good friends here just found out that they are moving to Hawaii in June. I now have even more motivation to earn my trip.

I'm feeling like it's an uphill battle right now. But, I have an awesome support group AND my favorite new workout!!

I'm sure some of you have heard about the Deck of Cards workout. I never had, so I'm going to share it with you just in case you haven't heard about it. It's super easy.

For each suit, assign it a specific workout. When we did it, our first round was just for lower body. It went something like this:

Hearts: Lunges
Spades: Toe touches
Diamonds: Crab kicks
Clubs: Monster walk (which is basically walking in a squat position)

Start at the top of your deck. For each card you draw, you do the assigned exercise in the amount the card says. Let's say you draw the 5 of Hearts. That means 5 lunges per leg. Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces are worth 15 reps. A Joker is also worth 15, but you get to pick which workout you do. Does that make sense?

You can work your way through the entire deck or set a time limit. We started with a 5 minute warm up walk and then did 15 minutes lower body, 15 minutes upper body and 15 minutes of abs. I could not walk for 2 days after, but it was amazing!! I LOVED it! I loved that it changed up enough that I didn't get bored and I could handle it. I also loved that we were only focusing on one section of the body for 15 minutes. I can handle anything for 15 minutes.

Obviously, you can assign any type of repetitious exercise to each suit. The flexibility to change it up however you want makes it even better. If you need any ideas, though, let me know. I'd be happy to share! And if you try it out, let me know how it goes!!

Adventures in Amblyopia Part Four

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

These are my all time favorite photos of my son wearing his glasses. They were taken 2 years ago by his Auntie while I was in the hospital having his little brother. They still just make me smile.

Anyway. Sorry for my self indulgence, there. But Happy Monday!

When I decided that I wanted to start writing a series about our life with a small child in glasses, I asked a group of parents from the Little Four Eyes group on Facebook what FAQs they frequently received from others regarding their child in glasses. I wanted to share a few!

1. Are those glasses real?!?

It's a bit strange to me that people would think we would put glasses on an infant or toddler just for an accessory to an outfit. The hassle of glasses is so not worth it for them to be used just as a fashion statement. Yes. The glasses are real.

2. Why do they need to wear glasses?

Again...really? They need to wear glasses for the same reason anybody else does. They have poor eyesight that needs corrected.

3. How did you know they needed glasses?

That one is asked all the time. In our case, as I mentioned before, I noticed one of his eyes slightly turning in towards his nose. Other families may notice that their baby isn't focusing on items as they should. Their child may show poor depth perception and continually run into items or trip and fall a lot. Some may already have a family history and made sure to get their child checked early. There are a variety of different answers to this question. The important thing is to get your child's eyes checked as early as possible, even if you don't think they have a problem!

4. Will they have to wear their glasses forever?

That depends on each individual case. In our case, we know there is a chance that he will not have to wear his glasses forever. It's kind of a small chance, but it's still a chance. Will I be disappointed if he does have to wear them forever? Not really. I mean, I would love it if I could stop wearing my glasses or contacts, but at this point, it's just kind of a part of life. No biggie!

5. How do they do an exam for someone that little?
That's a good question. And I don't know all the medical/scientific stuff behind it, but I can tell you a few things. First of all, the PO (pediatric opthamologist) has a light that they use to look at the child's eye. The way that light is reflected back for the PO to see that tells the PO if there is a problem. They do have eye charts, but not the typical eye char you're used to seeing. In our case, they show my son a series of pictures and ask him to name the photos, and they repeat the process several times. Each round the photos get smaller and smaller, which helps the doctor narrow in on his vision strength (ie 20/20).

sitting with little brother waiting for the PO to come in

Unfortunately, there are a lot of ignorant questions asked of people with children in glasses. "Why would you do that to your child?", "Are you dressing your child up as a pirate?", "Did they run into something and hurt their eyes?"...the questions are endless.

If you are curious about a child in glasses, please, by all means please ask!

We (as a group in general) are usually pretty happy to talk about our experience and help educate others.

Next week I want to provide a bunch of different resources for parents who are new to this or others who are just curious and want to learn more. I'll warn you now...I'm also going to be on my soap box about "nerdy" and "geek" clothing/items in stores right now. BUT, I will provide some other shopping alternatives for cute items featuring glasses without the unnecessary labeling.

Have a great week!

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Le Maison Belle

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today's Shop Spotlight comes from Mississippi.

Le Maison Belle is a wonderful little shop filled with exquisite items for your home.

I am absolutely in love with this frame.

So much so that it makes me want to change a color scheme in one of my rooms just so I can use it somewhere. I love the color, love the distressing; just love all of it.

There is an abundance of beautiful black and white photography in their shop as well.

This 8x10print is titled "The Front Porch French Quarter New Orleans".

Isn't it so pretty?

I just want to sit on that front porch and drink lemonade with my girlfriends!

You can also find fun, unique items for your home.

This message board is adorable.

And this fun refrigerator magnet is one of their biggest sellers.

It's a good suggestion, don't you think?

These are just a few different selections from Le Maison Belle. Go browse the shop, and you will find a variety of other, equally wonderful, items for your home. You can also find them on twitter by clicking: here!

Project Flashback #3

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

This project is a super old one.

Before we moved to Arizona (almost 3 years ago), we had an adorable little house in Utah that was built in the 1940s. It didn't start out cute at all...we (and when I say "we" keep in mind that I really mean my hubby. He did 95% of the work) totally gutted the house and started over from scratch. Old walls down, new walls up. Old closets moved, new closets put in where they didn't exist before. I'll have to share those projects later.

When we were done, we had a beautiful little house that was 100% ours.
Cute, isn't she?
(By the way, all that luscious green grass is desperately missed!!)

But. One of my favorite features of our house? Our hardwood floors. Granted, they took 30+ hours of sanding, almost a week of staining and topcoating, several splinters and 13 days to redo, but it was worth it!

In our master bedroom and the hallway, we decided to go with stripes. I was a little skeptical when my husband first suggested it, but in the end, I loved it!

So here are a couple of photos of the finished product. The rest of the house had the solid lighter color of wood. The dark stripes were hand painted by yours truly.

I realize stripes are not for everybody, but what do you think?

Idaho At Heart

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

We have another guest blogger today...Lacie from Idaho At Heart! Be sure to check out her blog and her shop...

And don't forget!! Today is the last day of our pinning game!! Head on over to our shop, "Pin" your favorite Kadydid Designs items and then come back and let me know what you pinned. Each pin earns you an entry to win a $10 Kadydid Desgins gift card!

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Hi, My name is Lacie. I am 28 and I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful little girls 3 and 1. We live in Oklahoma for the time being but we are originally from Idaho. We hope to live their again someday but we go where the work is at this point.

I love to sew and that is why I opened my store IdahoAtHeart on Etsy in 2010 as well as my blog. I thought it would be a great way to share what I love with others and so it has. It has allowed me to sew when I can find and sell things as they get finished. I have loved it. I love to sew pretty much anything. If it has instructions I can figure it out. I try to get creative sometimes and mix and match patterns or change patterns around a little bit. I am not the most creative person so that is about as good as it gets. I mostly sew from patterns and chose my own colors.

I have found that I love to sew quilts. I don't tie anything anymore since I was introduced to free motion quilting in collage. Eventually I would like to sew a quilt and try to sell at my store. I mostly sell table runners, pull over bibs, and grocery sack holders. I have started adding flower hair clips as well. I love to sew outfits for my girls as well. As my children get older and start school I hope to spend more time sewing but for now I make due with the time I have and enjoy spending time with my children while they are little.

Outside of sewing I love to run, go on bike rides, go camping, hunting, shooting and pretty much anything else outdoors. I'm kind of weird and even enjoy mowing the lawn. I have really begun to enjoy long distance bike rides and have spent a few Saturday's just riding around the area.

Feel free to check out my blog to see projects I've done as well as a tutorial on how to make your own pullover bibs.

Adventures in Amblyopia: Part Three

2012-01-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry I missed last week. We made a quick, last minute trip to visit my parents and grandparents in Texas. I kept thinking all weekend long about how I was missing my Amblyopia post!

Anyway, on with the show!!

If you'd like, you can start at the beginning with the first post here.

Or, jump in with the second post here.

Shortly after beginning our experience with Brychan in glasses, our PO (pediatric opthamologist) recommended that we start patching.

So, what is patching? Patching helps by training the brain to use the eye with weaker vision by completely covering the stronger eye. This allows vision to develop normally in the weak eye.

I was a little weary of patching at first. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, and I was worried about comments we would get from other people.

Luckily, though, we started out patching just two hours a day, seven days a week. We could pick any two hour time frame we wanted. And no. It was not an easy thing to get used to! My son hated it. We started with stick-on patches. Doesn't he just look miserable?

In order to help support and encourage my son, I would wear a patch with him. I hated it just as much as he did! It gave me horrible headaches and was just uncomfortable. And taking it off kind of hurt too! Imagine a big band-aid ripping off your eyebrows...

But we both kept plugging along. There were lots of sticker charts and bribes used to get him to keep his patch on. We started off with just 20 minutes a day and eventually worked our way up to the 2 hours.

Eventually, we found these cute patches that slip over the child's glasses. He picked out 3 of them that he really liked (a puppy, train and one with balls on it) and we placed our order. You have to be really careful in using the patches that slip over the glasses, because if there is any open space whatsoever, your child will use that opening to look through, making the patching pointless.

Obviously, these patches work much better!

I put these photos on Facebook that first summer.

It was the first time that I allowed my son to be "seen" publicly with his patch on.

I was so nervous about it, but you know what? It was totally fine. No rude comments. In fact, nothing about comments about how cute and happy he looked.

As a mom, sometimes I just need to get over my "momma bear" complex and realize that it will be okay.

We have done patching off and on. We are currently patching again...still just 2 hours a day 7 days a week. Little brother gets really jealous that he doesn't have a patch!

Every once in awhile, I will give Brychan eye drops that do the same thing as patching (they are actually the meds that the doctor uses to dilate the eyes during exams).

I do this for a couple of reasons.

#1: When he's wearing his patch, he tends to not want to do anything but watch TV. Which, in all honesty, is usually okay with me because he has to wear the patch to avoid surgery. I'll take whatever I can get. But, when I use the drops, the effect lasts all day long, so he ends up using that weaker eye for much more than just vegging in front of the television.

#2: The drops last all day rather than just the 2 hours. I feel like it helps make up for days that we don't quite get our full (or any!) 2 hours of patching in.

It does have side-effects though. When we first tried the drops (when Brychan was 2) we noticed that he had sleep terrors. Our PO warned us that those side effects may take place, so it wasn't a surprise. The sleep terrors were nothing new to him; he had had them for awhile. But we noticed that with the drops, they were regular and more severe. We stopped them immediately.

Now that he's older, he gets really crabby and defiant when he uses the drops. I'm more willing to deal with crabbiness than sleep terrors (which equals sleep deprivation for mom and dad). But that is still a huge reason why we only use the drops occasionally.

I'm curious to know...have any of you had to deal with patching?

Any great tips or tricks?

Until next Monday...have a great week!

A Little Game...

2012-01-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Pinterest and Etsy.

Two of my favorite things!

Have you noticed that Etsy now has a Pin It button for each of the items listed on Etsy? Making it so much easier to save (and share!) those items you fall in love with.

In order to celebrate the "union" of Pinterest and Etsy, let's play a little game.

Go to my shop (you can just click on the Etsy mini on the right of your screen),

and pin any of the items that you really, really love

OR that you just kinda like.

For each item that you pin, leave me a comment.

For an extra entry, follow my boards on Pinterest.

Tuesday morning, I'll draw a winner for a $10 Kadydid Designs gift card.

The more items you pin, the better your chances to win!

Have you not joined the Pinterest gang yet?

Leave me your email address and I'll gladly send you an invite.

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Originally Me

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

TGIF!!

Although, since Monday was a holiday, this week seemed super short. Which is alright with me!

But, since it really is Friday, that means I get to introduce you to another fabulous Etsy shop!

Today, I am spotlighting Lindsay from Originally Me.

She is an architecture student, so obviously, she loves designing!

Lindsay makes some of the cutest jewelry.

Take, for example, this adorable Infinity bracelet. I am in love with this.

So simple, yet elegant and pretty.

I would wear it with just about everything in my closet.

Or these fun feather earrings.

Feathers seem to be everywhere right now, and I love the copper!

And last, but not least, her necklaces.

I love the colors and (again!) the simplicity of this piece.

Not only does Lindsay have her Etsy shop, but she also has a pretty fun "little" blog too!
You should definitely check that out too.

You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

So when you find a minute, go visit Lindsay! You'll be so glad that you did!

Heartsy + Kadydid Designs

2012-01-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

First...congrats to Marybaker12 who won our giveaway from The Sweetest Giveaway!
Please contact me asap!!

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Heartsy.

It's just like Groupon, only it's just for small shops featuring handmade items

So basically, Groupon for Etsy.

Steep discounts on homemade goods.

If you're a shop owner, and unfamiliar with Heartsy, here's how it works.

First, you submit your shop (with your absolute best 4 photos) for a feature.

The Heartsy "community" then votes (for 48 hours) on whether or not

they would be interested purchasing vouchers for your shop.

As long as you get 1 vote, Heartsy will then review your shop and products and let you know

(usually within 2 weeks) if they feel like your shop would be a good match.

Once they've accepted you, they recommend a discount for you,

a date for your feature, and you're set!

Your feature runs for 48 hours.

The people at Heartsy are super easy to work with, and the process is relatively painless.

If you're a shopper, you simply create an account on Heartsy and then keep an eye out for amazing deals! You also have the option of being a "VIP" member, which gives you a larger discount plus deals that the typical Heartsy member doesn't receive. The VIP membership is $10.00/month.

I don't remember where I first heard about Heartsy (probably in an Etsy team thread somewhere), but I signed up as soon as I could. I submitted my shop, sent Facebook notices and Tweets asking for votes, and within 48 hours, I had a generous number of votes for my shop. Two weeks later, I received an email from Heartsy saying that they wanted to feature my shop.

WOOT WOOT!!!

I was beyond excited!

The deal shoppers got from my shop was a $23.00 voucher for $10.00.

It was only open to VIPS

(had it been open to everybody, VIPS would have received a $33.00 voucher for $10.00)

I received $9.00 for each voucher sold (meaning Heartsy only got $1.00/voucher).

My feature was over New Years Eve/Day.

A weekend.

A holiday weekend to boot.

I only sold14 vouchers, for a total of $126.00.

But - I had over 1200 shop views in 1 day,

and since then, my shop has exploded...with multiple orders almost every single day.

I will totally do it again.

Even though it was a crazy rush of orders and conversations with customers,

it was worth it.

A hundred times over.

For me, anyway.

I know other shop owners haven't had the best experience.

A couple of things I did learn?

1. Stock up ahead of time. I'm talking a huge stock pile!

2. Stock up mostly on the cheapest goods in your store.

3. Have all packaging assembled and ready to go.

4. Have somebody around to give you an extra hand (or two).

5. Try to get a feature that is not on a weekend.

I don't know about anybody else, but I know my Etsy shop is D-E-A-D over the weekend.

6. Try to steer away from a feature over a holiday too.

Who's online shopping when there's partying to be done?

Project Flashback #2

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our main bath was an eyesore for a long time. I had been s-l-o-w-l-y been trying to redo it; when you're on a super tight budget, it makes it a little bit harder. But, last summer, with some help from my sister, we managed to make some improvements.

Here's what we started out with. The lovely mirror took up that entire wall. My husband hated it. And, stepping out of that shower was a bit of a shocker too.

Ugly blinds (which unfortunately are still there...)

And just all around drab. Blah.

I wanted this bathroom to be fun, since it's the bathroom my boys use. When I started redoing it, we were starting to think about potty training, so I wanted the bathroom to be fun and inviting. It's a tiny room so there's not much to work with.

And now, this pirate themed bathroom is what we have! We still need to redo the flooring, eventually change the vanity and update the shower, but I like this MUCH better. And the best part? I only spent $150 for the whole thing. Paint, mirror, pictures, decor and Pottery Barn linens. Yay me!!

I think my favorite part is these two little hooks we put in behind the door so the boys can reach their own towels. And they love that they can get them and put them away all by themselves!

The Sweetest Memory & Giveaway!

2012-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you Alyssa for having me on your lovely blog!

Hi I am Kari, and owner of the shop the Sweetest Memory.

I am a commercial interior designer by day. I design interiors of office buildings and universities. I enjoy the variety of tasks, but I still wanted a creative outlet.

Here is a post from my blog about using color in your home. Many are afraid to use color. Here are a few simple steps. http://thesweetestmemoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/color-you-can-do-it.html

Extra large fabric covered Magnetic Board

I started crafting when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I wanted to find nursery art, but couldn't find anything I liked or it was too pricey. I created some wall hangings incorporating beautiful scrapbooking paper (I am addicted) and ribbon. I then created my daughter's name in coordinating letters. That encouraged me to start my Etsy shop and Blog.

Polkadot Nursery Art

I offer vintage, children's items and holiday items. My shop is also collaborative. I invite friends and family to share their talents in my shop. From hair bows to organic dog treats, my friends help bring a wider offering of items in my shop.

Custom Room Letters

Vintage Silver Heart Jewelry Box

Purple Petal Tooth Fairy Box

I have recently started my blog and would love if you follow me. Each month, I feature other shops, called "Sweet Shop" on my blog. Right now I have featured a multi-talented girl from Indonesia. She crafts, blogs and sings in a band. She included a music download and is giving away two necklaces and a pair of earrings. Stop by and I would love to have you enter to win. http://thesweetestmemoryblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/sweet-shop-dita-maulani.html

I still have a lot to learn, but I hope you will enjoy the information I share. I am excited to introduce my latest product line - clutches.

To thank all of Kadydid Design readers I am giving away my black and red envelope clutch. (You can win before I add these to my shop!)

I am also offering 15% OFF my shop. Use coupon code KDDGIVE15 at checkout!

Happy New Year!

Kari

You can find me here:

Etsy . Facebook . Blog

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Thank you so much, Kari!

Now. For all of you who are interested in winning that adorable little clutch, all you need to do is follow Kari's blog (link above) and then come back and leave me a comment!

I will draw a winner on Wednesday, January 18th. That's only 3 days, so hurry!!

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Jezzy Belle's Vintage

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I had a blast snooping through this shop for this week's spotlight. I just kept finding treasure after treasure after treasure. Too much fun!

Anyway, this week we have Deborah from Jezzy Belle's Vintage. According to Deborah, in her shop you'll find a bit of homemade, a bit of vintage and a lot of sass. How can you pass that up?

Okay. So let's dive into some of the goods. And let me tell you, I had a super hard time limiting the number of items to put in this spotlight. Let's just say there's a 1950's wedding gown that still may find her way into this post...

For starters, how about this fun, mod scarf?

I love the colors, love the print and would love to put it in my hair this summer!

This ring is amazing. It reminds me so much of my sister.

And. This dress.

I've mentioned my love of Mad Men before (you can read that post here).

I would die to have this dress

(actually, I would die to fit into this dress...it's pretty teeny tiny)

I am absolutely in love with it!!

I'm pretty sure that I will be a new Jezzy Belle's stalker.

I can't wait to see what Deborah finds to put in her shop next!

You can keep up with her on twitter too!

Ninth Street Notions

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I'm so glad Alyssa has invited me to introduce myself today. By the way, I'm Amanda, and I blog over at Ninth Street Notions.

Here I am with my husband, Erik:

He's from Vermont. I'm from Oregon. We met and married in Alaska. Really, I think, how else could it have happened? We're adventurers, and we love to travel. It's only fitting we should meet thousands of miles from where we were born and raised.

We are also the (parents, owners) of one wild dog named Lexy:

She's some sort of yorkie-poo mutt dog who has been described as quite homely but with a fun personality. I'm certain she sleeps 20 hours of the day just so she can spend the other four bugging me to play with her. I have determined she is basically un-trainable. Fortunately she's a pretty good dog.

On any given day you can find me writing about Erik or Lexy. Or I love sharing recipes like Curried Potato Salad, craft projects like a Workday Survival Kit in a Jar, or sewing tutorials like this Ribbon Pillow.

Really, I just love writing about all of my passions. That's why I started blogging: I needed a place to share my newest creations and even my failures. And in the process I've met a lot of fun people and discovered a lot of new ideas in the bloggy world. I'd love for you to come visit my blog and sign up for my RSS feed if you like what you see. And leave me a note about the sorts of blog posts you like to read. Are you into recipes or crafts? Just reading about the lives of your favorite bloggers?

And come check me out on Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy. Thanks again for letting my come visit you here!

Project Flashback #1

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

I figured that since I am so super busy with all my current, time-consuming-projects-that-make-me-too-busy-to-do-quick-and-easy-to-share-projects, I would share a few of my past projects with you. These are all pretty old, and I originally posted them on my family's personal blog.

This first one is from last summer.

One of the homes that my husband had listed for sale (he's a Realtor) had this dresser with a matching nightstand in it that had been abandoned. I had been looking for a big dresser for my boys to use and was so excited when I found out I could have the set.

This is what it started out looking like. It was nasty, nasty, nasty.

I'm assuming that a teenage boy had it (judging not only by the look of the dresser/nightstand combo, but also by the looks of the room they came from). And I have to admit that I was a little afraid of finding nasties (any kind of nasties...let your imagination run wild!) in this dresser somewhere. Much to my relief, I found nothing inside but a bunch of dust bunnies.

After a coat of primer, two coats of paint, new pull handles and less than $50.00, this is what it looks like now. It's still not perfect, but it's at least clean and usable. And nice enough that I was okay putting it in our bedroom since the boys have no room whatsoever in theirs.

This was my first solo attempt at a big refurbishing project. Did I do okay for a newbie? I did learn a few things along the way, that's for sure!

1st Day of Preschool

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my oldest's first day of Preschool!

He is one of four peer models in a special needs preschool classroom at our local elementary school.

The other 3 peer models are in his class at church, so that's extra fun for him

There's only 13 kids and 3 teachers, which Mommy really likes,

and he has school for 3 hours Monday - Thursday.

He was beyond excited yesterday. He's been waiting a long time to get to go to school.

However, Mommy is feeling like it wasn't long enough.

I am super excited for him though because I know he'll have so much fun

and I know how much he loves to learn.

His little brother is not as excited.

He cried for the entire first hour after we dropped brother off.

Although, I think once he gets used to 3 hours of

uninterrupted Mommy time and getting to play how he wants,

he'll quickly learn it's okay! :)

I will say; I definitely like being on the Preschool Teacher side of this experience

much more than I like being on the Mommy side of this!
As the preschool teacher, I knew the children would be okay, that they would have an awesome day and that I was giving 200% of myself to ensure the best learning environment for them.

As the mom, I know that my son's preschool teacher does those same things. I also know that he is fine, having fun and will thrive in his classroom environment. But also as the mom, there are way too many (very tight) heart strings attached to this little boy whom I love so much. It's just another step of the growing up phase that I dislike so much, and then I start doubting my decision to let him start preschool now. I worry that I am starting him sooner than necessary. After all, he'll be off to Kindergarten next year. And time flies so quickly that he'll be grown in no time.

Ugh. How did you handle your child's first day of school?