Saturday, October 23, 2010

October


So this might be my ONE October post, lol. Things just get so busy in the fall, and my kids aren't even in school or any activities! We do have our playgroup, but that's year round. We love our playgroup...it has been great spending time and forming friendships with other Christian women while our friends play together. For some reason, I have not found that at church...I love the other young moms at our church, but I haven't really formed close friendships with any of them, and it's been 7 years...seriously, it is harder to make friends as an adult than it was even in high school!


My etsy shop has been very busy...I fully intended to do 3-4 craft shows this fall, but there is just no way. I am so busy with online orders, which is great, that I don't have time to make many extra things for the craft show. I am doing one in a couple weeks and am very excited about it, and have enough inventory from last time in addition to new things. Hope it goes well! The last show I did was a dud. But this one is in a much nicer area, and seems more my style. We'll see!


Ally has been talking a lot. Her latest word is "goggy" which somehow means "cracker." Hmmm. I've also been Christmas shopping...I love doing it little by little, starting in October, so no need to scramble before Christmas! I am actually done shopping for the kids...a train table for Odin as well as some trains (craigslist!) and some disney princess stuff for ally (mostly belle...because she is the best!). I love my kids more and more each day...they're so fun and get along like best friends!


As for my shop, I won't be adding anything new until after the craft show...but I just perfected a new style (after ripping out seams and reworking it 4 or 5 times! Ugh!) but it looks great now and I can't wait to show you! The above picture is this year's Christmas dress, but Ally's will be done in red. The one she is modeling is going to the craft show!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Fall is coming...


Not that you'd know it here in AZ. It's still around 100 degress F every day, but by this time next month you'll all be wishing you were here. All the way until beginning of May! Fall has never been my favorite season, but I do love it here because the weather gets so nice (again, in October...September is still a summer month). Leaves falling, crisp air, pumpkins, yada yada...not really interested. And fall colors, to me, are somewhat drab! Spring/summer are my favorite season, esp. spring here. This is why my new fall items in my shop aren't that fallish. They can be worn anytime, and that's how I like it. Kimberly Van Sistine photographed a few new items for me, and here's a sneak peak. It's a new pattern that I love, AND it goes up to a size 12! Yay! The fabrics are Meadowsweet 2 by Sandi Henderson...love them. Still bright but kind of seem like fall, too.

Recently we went to the children's museum in Phoenix. Love this place! They've added so many new things since we were there last! Odin's favorite was the noodle forest and the "fiders" (spiders). Went to my brother and sister's baptisms this past weekend...just me and Ally. She did well on the plane and it was an amazing, blessed weekend. I always forget how amazing testimonies are...until I go to them. It was so special to hear Madi and Andre's testimonies and to see them baptized, to know they will be in Heaven with me when they die. Ally had fun with the babysitter and another little girl from my parents' church in West Lafayette. I so wish we could go to Indiana, and the idea of living there is very appealing. I think we will probably stay in Phoenix, but you never know. We are praying for God's direction in where we should be and what we should be doing!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Of course, it's been awhile...again.







Maybe I am not cut out for this blogging thing. I love to write, but not really about myself. Fiction is my thing, so when people ask if I've ever considered writing magazine articles, I usually say no. I could, though, I'd just RATHER write a story :) So anyway, back from vacation and busy as ever. It was fun but now back to reality and figuring out what Adam is going to do for work...a lot of decisions to make!

Enjoy the pictures from our vacation! Right now I am working on new fall stuff (LOVE the fabrics I just bought!) and a few Christmas things, too. Look for those by September 1, a little later on the Christmas stuff but still in plenty of time for the holidays!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Vacation time :)



Wow, just noticed I haven't blogged in awhile! Things have been crazy here. Trying to figure out some stuff, hoping Adam will find a permanent work solution soon...so I haven't thought about blogging. I have also been busy with my etsy shop, and finally finished all orders yesterday and shipped the last two today! So I am going on vacation without any outstanding orders...my shop is on vacation mode but I will change it back before we return.

I did a craft show a couple weeks ago and it was fun and I met some great people...but it didn't generate many sales AT ALL. I was disappointed, but will consider doing another one in the fall. I've added a photo of my booth set up. You can also see a new dress :) Well, I'm off to have a fun vacation! Off to Michigna we go...

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Sew Cute Creations Giveaway!



I absolutely love this etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewcutecreations. I have been eyeing the above tank dress for awhile, and now she is doing a giveaway here: http://thevillageofmoms.com/2010/06/sew-cute-creations-giveaway.html. The winner will recieve a fully customized t shirt from her shop. And you get to choose! If I win, I will get a shirt for Odin and then most likely buy a personalized tank dress for Ally :) Have fun entering!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Featuring...BedBuggs!



Hello everyone! Today I am featuring a fellow etsy shop called BedBuggs. She sells tutus, hairbows, and my favorite...owl pillows (and butterfly and ladybug ones too!). The owl pillows are so cute, I am hoping to eventually buy one for my kids :)

I asked Krista, owner of BedBuggs, a few questions, and here is what she said:

I am a SAHM of two beautiful kids, and I call them my BedBuggs because every morning they end up in bed with my husband and I. I love creating fun items for them, just to make them smile. The past couple years have been tough on our little family with health problems and my husband's job loss. I'm a fighter so instead of throwing in the towel on my dreams of being a SAHM I decided to start selling my stuff on Etsy. My favorite item to create is definately my Owl Pillows, they make me and my BedBuggs smile no matter what our mood, I'm sure that you'll find something in my shop that will make you smile too!

This is her blog: http://bedbuggs.blogspot.com/ (she also featured me on her blog!) and her etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bedbuggs

What's your favorite item in her shop?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Love these headbands...


I have been admiring these headbands by Oh, Sweet Joy on etsy. They are so fun and she is having a giveaway! Here it is:


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

My Baby Brother Graduated!






High school, that is. I still remember when he would walk down the driveway in his diaper to get the newspaper for our dad. And his mullet with those adorable curls. Also, the time he tricked Madi into stepping into a mud puddle (Madi, you still haven't gotten him back! :D). And the time we went mini golfing and he stomped off in a huff because he was losing. Once, in Michigan, we went tubing and dad was driving the boat "too fast" so Andre got off the tube and said he was swimming back to shore. Good times, Andre. We love you and congrats! Enjoy Purdue but come visit us in Arizona.


I made some new clothes for the shop, also. A 4th of July dress that I can still make in time for the holiday, and a cute skirt that matches some of Gymboree's stuff.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Busy Sewing





Things are slowing way down in my etsy shop, but I have been busy sewing anyway :) I'm working on a few custom orders, and trying to create as much as I can for an upcoming craft show. This will be my first one, so any tips or ideas will be much appreciated! I'm glad I have a handy husband who can help me with the display! In fact, I saw something neat on a blog: http://www.blogmimigreen.com/blog/2008/05/craft-show-good.html. She doesn't sell the same stuff I do, but I liked the thingy made with PVC pipe. I could hang smaller dresses and skirts on something like that, and borrow a rolling hanger from someone to hang some other stuff, as well as placing things on the table. I also plan to make some hair accesories. (for girls and women!)

I am also finally getting some of the professional photos of some clothes I made awhile ago. The little girl is such an adorable model, and the photographer is great! The pictures above are some that she took along with a dress I just made for the craft show. In the meantime, I am praying for more online sales to come my way so I can buy the supplies I need! :D
Aaaand just so everyone knows, right now I am doing a summer special: spend $30 or more in the shop and recieve 15% off. So even if you only spend $30, you still get at least $4.50 off! This does not include shopping.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pretty Dress


I recently made a new dress for a customer. It is the double ruffle knot dress, but she chose the fabrics. She chose some from Nicey Jane, which is currently my favorite line! Anyway, it turned out pretty cute.

I am considering doing a craft show pretty soon. I am just nervous about putting so much money/work into it and then not making sales! Especially money...we just don't have a lot, and we are trying to scrape together every penny for our trip this summer. It gives me anxiety to think about it, and I am just so frustrated because we try so hard and it's never enough. Something comes up and suddenly we are overdrafted because we didn't transfer enough money in time! And online banking is a little deceiving because sometimes they do not show the transaction until a day later, but the date is still from the day before. Anyway, if we were like normal people, maybe we would not have to transfer money from savings at all! I'm so tired of this.

Odin is doing really well with potty training, finally! He has been dry all day so far and peeing in the potty, so I'm pretty excited about that! Hopefully it's enough to cheer me up for now.

Monday, May 10, 2010

I'm being lazy


But laziness is no excuse to not update my blog. The thing is, in every other part of my life I am not being lazy. I'm keeping the house clean (for the most part), writing, sewing, spending time with family...lots of reading, but that doesn't exert much effort. I love to read and am now on a reading kick, which is why I had to force myself to narrow my library holds to 6. I should be getting those this week :) I also have tons of books that are not available at the library that I want to purchase, so I am doing my best to find them used on Amazon. I love Amazon!

Recently Adam and I and the kids all went to dinner with a favorite author, Bryan Davis, and his daughter and another family was there also. It was really neat to be able to ask whatever questions I wanted, discuss my own writing, etc. I don't really know any other writers (I'm talking about people like me, not "famous" ones), so I didn't realize how enjoyable it is to talk about writing with someone who does it...especially someone who is experienced with it. I wish I had a writer friends to correspond with, or at least someone who loves books as much as I do. Bryan Davis wrote the Dragons in Our Midst series, as well as a few others that I love. Christian fantasy is my favorite genre to read AND write, although I read secular fantasy as well, as long as it is "clean." I just don't enjoy reading books with graphic scenes or horrible language...that's just me. The Christian books also have wonderful messages, so I'm saving them on the shelf for my kids. And our bookshelf is overflowing...sigh.

As far as my writing goes, I am seeking out an agent or publisher by querying whomever I can find that represents my type of writing! I am working on the second book in my series, which is loosely titled Brenechia, and I am not opposed to changing the title. If you're wondering, I will only give you the bare bones: it's about a family that escapes to another world because they're being pursue by some bad guys, and in this new world (Brenechia) every believer has powerful gifts. I make it clear that the gifts come from God, and the characters must use their gifts together to fight evil. You might say it's been done before, but I think the characters are unique and the plot is more complicated than it sounds. The main characters are the siblings (two teenagers and two young adults, and the spouse of one of the daughters). So that's all I'm telling the public right now...I am just a little protective of my story :) And it's one I believe in!

As for sewing...my shop is doing fine for now. I don't expect it to ever be a full fledged business, and with my writing, I don't have time for that anyway, but I do enjoy it and really need the money from it right now! I've included a photo of a new top. The kids are doing well, but Ally is still not waking. She's stubborn like her mommy!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Pigtails and the zoo!








There is something I have been waiting for since I found out we were having a girl. Pigtails! Her hair is finally long enough, and it looks so cute! Besides, her hair looks like a mop when I don't do anything with it, and she tears out her bows and headbands. So, I bought some little elastics from Target (best store ever) and put piggies in her hair. She didn't even mind and hasn't been tempted to play with them! We also went to the zoo recently...we need to get in as many zoo visits as we can until it is way too hot. It's sad that we can't do much outside (besides swim) during the summer months. Odin's favorite part of the zoo was the splash pad- mine too! Walking around in the heat was enough excercise to last me awhile (kidding, mom!)

I recently added a new top to my etsy shop, red with white polka dots- requested by a customer. I will very soon have several new items up that are busy getting photographed. And right now, I am doing a 2 for $25 special on solid color single ruffle pants, any size! Normally they are $15 each.

Monday, April 12, 2010

My baby is one!






I am finally back from "vacation." My family was here for two weeks and then I spent another week getting things back to normal. I've been really busy lately and am happy to have a normal routine again. Ally turned one on April 5. So crazy to think she is already a year old, and it went even faster than Odin's first year! I love one year old, though, and she is as sweet as ever. So far she has taken 3 steps at a time, but she is going slow at this walking thing :) Odin was 13 months when he walked so I think she will be around the same...she seems to be progressing at the same rate. Oh and we are trying potty training, for real this time. Not really working. I think he might not be ready yet. And it's hard when most days we are out of the house for at least part of the day! I am trying to do underwear at home though.





As far as the shop...getting that back up and running too. Have had a few sales since I reopened, and am getting some new items photographed in the next week or so. So definitely check back soon! Sorry this post isn't more interesting...enjoy the pictures though!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

More new clothes...







I realize I am not good at updating this blog with family news. To be honest, there is not much to tell! Still can't potty train Odin (I don't know if he is ready yet, and also I need to try harder) and Ally is not yet walking. She did, however, finally drink out of a sippy. It was Odin's sippy, one of those cheap take n toss ones, but she loved it! It had a softer spout than most, maybe that's why. We had a playgroup thing today, and of course I forgot my camera, so no pictures :( It was really sweet when I put Ally on a bench swing next to Odin and she immediately grabbed onto him for safety. Love it! I really do think she will be walking soon...she can almost stand by herself, and with Odin that's what happened right before he took a few steps. I can't wait! Also, less than 2 weeks until I see my family. I REALLY am excited for that. I miss my parents and siblings so much, and wish they would just move back already. I hope my brother and his wife and new baby will come down too, but I am not so sure they will. Allison will turn 1 in less than a month. We'll have a party when my parents are here. I am thinking a Paris theme, which means I will be appliqueing an Eiffel tower onto a t shirt for her to wear. I already have the shirt, and an idea. I think I might even post a tutorial for it! I am hoping to get some tutorials going soon :P. But I always forget to take pictures during the creating process. Anyway, enjoy the photos of some new items.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Meadowsweet Skirt




Odin had the camera :)


Yesterday I had 3 pairs of white pants to make for different customers. So I did that, then decided I wanted to make a skirt for Ally (once I get going, I really don't like to stop). Skirts don't take terribly long to make, so I was able to finish it pretty quickly (with interruptions, of course!) I made it with Sandi Henderson's new Meadowsweet line. The butterflies are so fun, and I love pink and orange! I had gotten a pair of ruffle leggings and a ruffle top at Target, and the skirt matched really well. Ally was a little over-ruffled though! The skirt is available in my shop, and Ally actually was a really good model for me today. I got some nice shots! The kids have really been great about playing outside. I don't know what I'll do when it's summer and it's too hot. We also had to go to the post office today. The line was really long, but both kids were good about it. Odin has been so sweet lately, with lots of "I love you's" and kisses, and I don't really want him to grow up. Gave him a cookie-pie for being a good boy (Oatmeal cream pie). I miss my family- less then 3 weeks until they are here! But don't tell my mom that; she likes to think of it as a month because she has so much to get done in that time. :) The shop is slowing down lately, but I am hoping for a few more sales before I take a much-needed break.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Love these kids!

Aren't my kids cute? I love how much they love each other! Ally follows Odin everywhere, especially outside. Today she climbed into his car and was very proud of herself. Odin squeezed in with her and made me take her out (he does not like to share). Oh, and potty training is going nowhere. I need to step it up! Below are some pics of custom orders. The pants are in the shop now and the dresses will be soon! I also tried something new today. I wanted to make flower headbands, for me. I made two and the flower on the first one was huge, so I made the second one smaller. I think I'll wear it with a skirt I intend to make soon. Lots of projects as well as orders to fill right now!








Saturday, February 20, 2010

Drumroll please...








Yep, I got some professional photos! A wonderful photographer named Kimberly Van Sistine- http://www.kimberlyvphotography.com/ or http://www.kimberlyvphotography.blogspot.com/- contacted me for a trade. I made outfits for her girls, and in return they modeled them for a nice photo shoot. I decided to go with brand new designs for these outfits, and am slowly rolling them out in my shop. So you will see new stuff with stunning photos in the week or so to come. Here is a sneak peak of some the pictures she took! They are beautiful, and looking at my clothes photographed that way makes me feel like a real professional. I can't get pictures like these on my own! So enjoy, and check the shop for new items!