valentine's

here are our valentine's this year. we wrapped a chenille stem around a pencil and added our message and a sticker at the top.

are these the cutest pants and little model ever?! i stayed up way too late last night making these. i had seen a similar pair but they were unavailable so i thought i would try making a pair on my own. i'm so happy with the way they turned out and lucy loves her little poppit (pocket). they took a few hours to make, with no pattern so i probably won't be making any for the shop, but i was glad to sew something other than a onesie applique. and now that i'm finally feeling a little less scattered since school has started maybe i'll have time to come up with some more fun clothes for her!

felt flowers and monograms

i finally had a chance to create a new little something and am so excited with the way these cute felt clips turned out! hopefully once we get used to our new schedule i will have a chance to make some for the shop.

and if you are looking for great gift ideas or need something monogrammed, check out my cousin's online business, the monogram girl. she put lucy's name on this cute lunchbag from gymboree!

new skirt

a new skirt for lucy. sew simple to make-i picked three fabrics and cut 12" squares, sewed them together, made casing at the top for ribbon and a hem at the bottom. i'm kind of an impatient crafter and i like to get projects done in one sitting. this one took about half an hour - perfect for during the kids 'rest' time.

then later that night i wanted to try some embroidery. got out my stitch-it kit and practiced some stitches (i finally got the french knot and am so excited) while i watched the last few episodes of sex and the city. yes, i had to see them again before i went to the movie with some girls on saturday.

fabric + paper

an invitation i made for a friends shower inspired by the ones anna-maria horner made. this cute fabric is from the heather ross collection. too cute!

the nadine

named after my grandma nadine who started this quilt top. i turned it into a large tote and lined it with heavy cotton fabric. it is listed in my etsy shop but if it doesn't sell it's going to be our summer park/pool bag!

good day sunshine

this new design makes me smile! i can't wait for the sun to come out here.

diaper bag

this is the diaper bag i made to use with lucy. it was inspired by a picture in country living magazine. now it mostly spends time hanging on her closet door. it's amazing how quickly the baby stage passed, when i couldn't leave home without a bagful of supplies. now she carries her own cup and i throw a diaper and wipes into my bag and we're off...

ice cream

a new design for summer! it's coming, right?!

more onesies with baby's initial. i'm really liking the way these are turning out and having fun using new fonts and fabrics.

flower clips

there will be a small shop update today!

mama made a brand new bag

i have been wanting a new purse for awhile now and hadn't found one that i loved, so last night i stayed up too late and made this one. it's a kind of pink velvet-y material on the outside and linen on the inside. the material is fitting for winter but the pale pink color and flower pin is a reminder that spring is not too, too far off. and as an added bonus it actually fit everything in it this morning including a book, the diaper and wipes case, a checkbook with a new matching cover, wallet and burt's bees chapstick!

i think lucy may need a bag of her own soon.

here she is modeling her new appliqued shirt and first haircut. all of the whispy baby curls are gone and she looks sooo big. another reminder that time does go so fast.

today's creative blog

hope everyone had a great holiday season. we did but it was very busy, so sorry about the blogging break! i have been trying to finish up orders and working on new projects. i have had several requests for adult sizes and i am working on some fun designs. i will let you know when those are ready. one of my new years resolutions is to make more time create and grow this business. i've never been a good organizer, so we'll see how this goes. i promise to have some etsy updates soon!

last weekend (yes i'm that far behind) i was a feature on today's creative blog! thank you, thank you kim! thanks also for your kind comments, i feel like a real blogger now and am encouraged to keep creating!

the pictures above are from a new bag that i made to replace all of the plastic bags from the grocery stores, target, etc. (another resolution was to be more 'green') i have a few different sizes and versions and hopefully will be able to offer these for sale, too!

apron

this is the first apron i have made and i think it turned out so cute. i can't wait to make lucy and the boys their own (this is an order for a friend). oh, how i wish i had time to make all of my neices one. perfect for helping mom and dad in the kitchen or working on art projects.

new designs

fun for the big birthday.

soft and comfy soy onepieces personalized with baby's initial and a little flower or star on the back.

this snowflake with a little mountain scene on the back went to colorado.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

A fresh tree decorated with bright colored glass ornaments on the top half and lovingly and excitedly hung handmade or non-breakable ornaments at the bottom. i love that the boys hung at least three per drooping branch!

three handmade stockings and two not.

fun gift wrap i found in the dollar bin at target. i'm also using little suitcase style boxes for the kids this year. trying to be a little 'green' and then they have something to store all of their collections in after.

my favorite place in our house to change each season. i found the glitter letters for a dollar each at joanns and hung them on green velvet ribbon.

hope you are having fun decorating and celebrating the season!

a little organization might help

in the last few weeks i have forgotten a meal for a friend with a new baby, snacks for henry's class at school and two weeks in a row i have left backpacks and lunchpacks in the parking lot at school while i drove off. both times a friend with three kids herself has dropped them by my house with a little laugh, while i'm sure she thinks i've totally lost it.

so here is my attempt to be more organized. a neat planner with tear out sheets for the grocery store and to-do lists. i made a snazzy cover with a fun amy butler print and some vinyl to protect it against spills and sticky fingers and pocket space for the important notes that usually get tossed in a big basket at home and don't get seen again until, yes, i 've forgotten something. now it will all be written in here and hopefully i will remember to check it daily!

handmade christmas

my goal is to make at least one handmade thing for each family member this year. henry really wanted to sew the other day, so we started with this quick and easy felt tic-tac-toe game for his cousin keegan. he helped cut the x's and o's with pinking shears and then we sewed the game lines to the square. voila! one down.

racing to three

charlie's third birthday party was this weekend and he wanted a race car party. i made the flag banner (which is now hanging in the boys room), the car birthday cake and i lucked out and found a great kit at target that had wooden cars for the kids to paint, add stickers to and then race them. i was amazed how long they all sat at the table and worked on their little creations. it was a beautiful day and they all played in the backyard until dark. of course he didn't want the day to end and passed out at the kitchen table while coloring. oh.. he is so sweet! everyone who meets him says the same thing.

today we had a 'date' to see jim cosgrove with the kansas city symphony. we have season tickets to the family series which is four concerts including the magic of christmas. it is great, they have an instrument 'petting zoo' before each show where the kids can play the different instruments. a fun way to spend a sunday afternoon!

clothespins

these little clothespins are so happy! i've been wanting to make some for lucy's room and here they are, some packaged for the open house in two weeks.