On DogwoodLane

A Stash-bustin' Recycled Craft for Bike Month

2011-05-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

The bicycle coalition I run recently set-up a booth at our daughter's school for their spring fair. Her school's theme is health, wellness, and environmental studies so we thought it would be appropriate to have something fun and environmentally friendly for the kids to do - that would hold their attention while we talked to them about bicycle safety.

We had our local bike shop save old inner tubes for us for a few days (didn't take long to have a TON of tubes). We got about 200 bracelets out of about 2 days worth of inner tubes.

We cut them down into roughly 2.5 inch pieces and used a small hole punch to make a hole in each end like so:

Then thread a scrap of fabric through that's roughly 1.5 inches wide and long enough to wrap around your wrist and tie (15-16 inches at least). Like so:

The rubber stretches enough to feed the fabric through pretty easily, though if you do a whole bunch of them, your fingers get really worn out! It was a great way to keep the kids hanging around the booth and get them talking about riding bikes and wearing helmets and whatnot.

...and now we're totally trend setters ;)

Grrrr Email Troubles

2011-03-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

My email server is down today (3/4). FYI
....and still not properly functioning on 3/5. I think.

A mention worth mentioning

2011-02-22T06:27:00.001-08:00

If you don't follow the super crafty mayamade, well, you're missing out.

The other day she was looking for ideas about what to do with a bucket full of wooden spoons. So, I shared with her how my grandmother used to let us kids use them to blow bubbles in the tub... while secretly getting us clean, and she shared it with her readers.
If you get really soapy and then rub the end of a wooden spool on your soapy self, you get great bubbles. I loved it, my daughter loves it, and I'm glad I could share so that other kids can love it!

Anyway, go check out her sight... she's gonna be a big time author soon.

If you give a kid a camera...

2011-02-22T06:14:00.001-08:00

You will get hundreds of great photos that you will want to look at all the time.

Creativity Overflows

2011-01-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that I am not the only parent who struggles with what to do with the abundance of art produced by their fantastically creative child(ren). I'm also probably not the only person out there with an odd corner of their home that poses a decorating conundrum.
After 4 years of living in our house, I finally solved both problems with one project.

Total cost:
About $20

Materials:
A variety of frames from the thrift store: $9
Valspar flat black spray paint: $4
Picture framing hardware, tiny eye screws, wire, and tiny paper clips: $7

How to:
I striped the frames of all the cheesy artwork, glass, and any backings, then wiped them down with a paper towel. I probably should have primed these, but I didn't. I just sprayed them all flat black with a few coats. Once they were dry, I laid them out on the floor to arrange them. (I think I need one or two more, really for the top right.) Once I had them the way I wanted them, I added hangers to the frames. Then, I attached the eye screws to the back of the frames near the top and strung the wire between them. I only did one wire, but the thought has occurred to me that you could add more wires to one of them to create a grid for little teeny bits of art. Anyway, once I got them all assembled, they went on the wall. I let T pick the art she wanted to display and voila - an ever changing display of her favorite art.

This is the "architectural detail" in my living room. I've learned that at one time it was a planter and the now bench part extended all the way to the window. Someone down the line covered the planter to make the bench and cut into it to create a nook - which now makes a lovely corner for our piano.

Fun with PhotoBooth

2010-12-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

....Or how we spent a cold morning during Christmas vacation.

More before and after

2010-09-19T15:25:00.001-07:00

Spiffy.

Before... and After

2010-09-18T07:22:00.001-07:00

Before
Notice the two different paint colors and the really dirty chimney... lovely.

After
Ahhhh. The house is all one color. We went out on a limb with the awning color. I figure the neighbors will either love it like we do... or hate it (but guess how much I care). If you are curios, the colors are suitable brown and grandiose by Sherwin Williams. I think I'm gonna paint the furniture today... maybe an orange-y red?

It's Done.. or Is it?

2010-09-10T15:53:00.001-07:00

I finished the construction of this jacket today... I think. I ended up making it sort of a double breasted/wrap kinda thing because the pattern was way to generous to use buttons. Since I'm not great with patterns, I didn't realize just how huge it was going to be. I suppose if I wasn't too lazy, I could open the sides of the lining and the jacket and take it in. But, that would be a heck of a lot of work, and unpicking is a sure fire way for me to screw something up. I like the new closure, though something about the second picture looks off. It just kind of looks funky in the chest area. Maybe it's too plain.. or it's just a bad picture. I don't know. If someone has a suggestion about something I need to do here, I would love to hear it.
I'm not totally in love with the collar. In fact, I'm not even going to bother putting a button on it because it looks really odd when brought together in front.
The lining, however, is a silky polyester that I am totally in love with.
Would I recommend this pattern or make it again? Nah, probably not, but I feel better about sewing a major garment like this now. I also learned how helpful having a dress form would have been. It's really hard to take on and off and pin things on yourself while looking in the mirror.

Super Proud Mama

2010-08-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

My little T won 1st prize in the 1st grade category in a city-wide art contest today! Her painting was titled The Three Ballerinas. (I wish I could have gotten a better photo of it, but it was hung way over my head.)
She won a bicycle and helmet (Ironic, right? And, no, it's not one that her daddy sells.). Her painting will hang in the local hospital for a while, and then we hear that there's some kind of artist's reception in a couple of weeks.
I'm just so proud of her! She started going to the Jonesboro School of Art this summer and has absolutely loved every minute of it. We can't wait til the fall semester starts on Monday!

Sooo ready for fall

2010-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, it for the past two months or so, it's felt like a sauna here in Arkansas. But, I saw this pattern for a whole $1 at a flea market last month and decided to try my hand at making a jacket. The reason I picked this pattern is because: a) it was cheap, b) I like the details, c) it has raglan sleeves instead of set-in sleeves, which should make it easier to sew. I'm working on the short version with the collar and the tabs on the cuffs. I bought some wool fabric from ebay. It's not as nice and soft as the high-end stuff, but it looks nice and it was cheap (relatively). I'm certain that when I'm done with this I probably will have spent about as much as it would cost to go to Target or TJ Maxx and buy a perfectly lovely jacket.... but what's the fun in that?Here's where I am so far. The sleeves sewn to the body, the collar made and basted to the neck. I'm happy so far. I'm a little nervous about parts of this (like getting the lining in and making the cuffs look nice and neat). I'll post more pictures as I go.
T's school starts tomorrow and mine starts Monday, so that will throw a wrinkle in things - no pun intended.

ps. I have no idea why the font on here is all wacky. I can't fix it for the life of me.

A Sprinkle of Sparkle

2010-08-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

Inspired by all the great man's shirt to skirt/dress projects out there on the interwebs, I wanted to give one a try myself. I really had in mind to make a skirt for me, but the little one made a pretty good case for a new skirt... so, you know how that goes.
I took one of her daddy's old shirts, cut it just under the arms, added a contrast waistband w/elastic, sprinkled in some sparkly buttons, and bob's your uncle she has a new skirt.
I wanted to make it a little shorter, but the girl likes 'em long on account of her fear of anyone seeing her underpants.

Time to Clean House

2010-07-31T09:51:00.001-07:00

The amount of fabric just sitting in my sewing room in boxes is just a little overwhelming, so I'm cleaning out! Today is list all this fabric on ebay day. You won't find carefully crafted listings with detailed descriptions of all the fabric, just bulk "hope you like surprises cause I'm just gonna fill up a box and send it your way" type of listings. I have made some effort to divide the fabric up into type, at least... satin, heavy, solids, prints... you get the idea. I really don't care to make money on the stuff, I just feel the need to GET IT OUT!
Of course, I'm probably going to fill the void with some lovely new knit fabric soon. ;)
If your curious.... EBAY

Undaunted Sewing

2010-07-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to get fearless and sew something for me. I've been following the Make It, Wear It series on Sew Mama Sew and decided to give a project a go. The Undaunted Top by JCasa looked just perfect!
Here are my thoughts on the whole thing:
First, this top makes me want to work on my arms. I try not to be hard on myself, but I've let some things go unchecked lately and I gotta quit that! I should have also made sure that I chose fabric that matches a camisole I already have. It really could use one underneath since the armholes are breezy.
About the pattern. It was super easy to follow and very forgiving. The original said it would fit a medium/large so I reduced the measurements on the pattern by 1 inch all the way around. After it was sewn, I curved in the sides about an inch or so more on either side (just eyeballed it). I also sewed the shoulder seams 3 inches instead of 4. That made the neck hang better I guess since I took in the measurements. I think if I were to make another, I would sew it all together and do the shirring last, or at least be more diligent about marking the shirring lines. You really can't tell when it's on, but the lines don't match up on the sides.
This was my first go at shirring. After a whole heck of a lot of trial and error, I found that the best way for me to get nice shirring was to wind the bobbin by machine and then set the tension pretty high. This is a knit fabric, so I also had to make sure I stretched it as it went through the machine. Once I figured it out it was easy peasey.
Anyway, thanks JCasa and SMS for the free pattern! I conquered my first top!

Sewing at last... and it is good

2010-06-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

After months and months of not even touching my sewing machine, I sat down to do some creating. The cute one has been asking for a swimsuit cover-up ever since she started swim lessons last week and some of the girls showed up with their boutique-y embroidered ones. I am sooo not the type of mom to go spend a fortune on a cutesy monogrammed number. I will however do my darndest to make something way better.

The fabric was leftover from a bathrobe I made her a couple of years ago. There's elastic around the top and I sewed it all crazy.... my clever way of making up for the fact that this fabric is a bugger to work with and I have a hard time sewing it in a straight line. We'll just keep that between us. We'll also keep secret that this started out as a skirt for me, but I screwed up the measurements making it a teeny bit too snug to pull off without taking my swimsuit bottoms with it. (Yikes!) The bottom hem is rolled up so that the fuzzy side shows there, too- much like the top, just narrower.
Man, I love it when a plan comes together!

Bike Month is Busy

2010-05-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

So May is National Bike Month and the end of the semester at school... holey moley that makes for one busy month! I finally finished up all my classes last week - YEEHAW! The rest of the month is all bike stuff all the time. First up....That there is the beginning of our brand spanking new pump track. The coalition got a grant from New Belgium Brewery and we're spending it building a pump track and mt. bike skills park. Think bmx, but smaller and smoother riding - the idea is that you can pump your way through it (well, the skillful people can) without pedaling. So, it's fun for adults cause they can challenge themselves that way, and it's fun for kids because the "jumps" are small enough that anyone can ride them. We're also putting in a set of obstacles nearby that mimic what you find on the trail so you can practice in a controlled environment. Should be awesome for kids (or grownups) who want to learn to mt. bike, but are nervous about getting out on the trail.
Next weekend we're hosting CycleFest 2010 - Bike to Work Day, classes and clinics, a bike rodeo, casual group rides, youth cycling instructor certification.... gonna be big fun!

Sing it with me....

2010-04-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

It's our anniversary..
The Mr. and I have been married 9 years today!

mmmm Cupcakes

2010-03-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Taylor and I made rainbow cupcakes today. Tedious? Yes. Messy? Yes?
Fun and worth the trouble? Oh, yes!
The cupcake recipe is here.
The frosting recipe is here.
Let's talk about the frosting, shall we? It is one of the best frostings I have ever had. ever. really. The recipe is weird, but the result tastes like what would happen if butter cream married whipped cream and made sweet, sweet love.

Coming Up for Air

2010-03-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

Grad school is amazing!!! Time consuming - way more so than I had imagined- but amazing nevertheless. Spring break is next week, but I turned in my last pre-break assignment yesterday so I am taking a super self-indulgent day to celebrate. Maybe I'll take two. Maybe I'll go for a ride on my new Specialized Haul... I so love this bike!

Shabby Apple San Gabriel GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-03-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

I love this dress! I'm not usually the ruffle - y type, but I really like this!

Shabby Apple San Gabriel GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The 8 O Clock Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-12-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

The 8 O Clock Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

I have recently discovered Grosgrain.... and I am in total awe of her sewing abilities. She makes me want to learn to sew clothes, like really really sew clothes. You know what else it great? She often gives away her beautiful creations.... you should check her out!

Re-Post for the Holidays

2009-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

I'm re-posting this from last year because, well, I've already used this trick this season and I think it bears repeating in case you missed it.

Since the holidays are approaching, I thought I'd share one of my favorite grift-wrapping tricks. I learned this when I worked retail... a real budget saver when you offer free gift wrap because you can use half as many boxes! I am much better at showing than explaining so you can find lots of pictures with instructions here. You'll see how I can turn one half of a shirt box (because I'm always losing or ruining half) into a usable gift box with a little bit of folding and a couple of snips. This is my first go at a sort of tutorial, so if the instructions aren't clear just let me know.

Go from this:

to this:

Tree Pickin'

2009-12-07T14:34:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite family traditions is picking out a live Christmas tree. As a kid, some years we went to a local tree farm and other years we picked one from our own farm.

Since the latter isn't an option for us up here, we go to a great little tree farm in Goobertown, AR (Yep, that's really the town's name.) There's hot chocolate, lots of trees, and fresh roasted peanuts. And here is Taylor with our tree. She named it Mrs. Clause.

Sweet Dreams Butterfly

2009-12-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

"Sweet Dreams Butterfly" has always been a part of our bedtime ritual.

I hope she'll cherish this pillow forever... I will.

The embroidery pattern is by Vol.25 stitched with variegated thread.

Holiday Baking

2009-12-03T06:35:00.001-08:00

I am oh so happy that the holiday baking season is here... like I need an excuse to bake. It's just that now I do so without guilt because we all know that calories consumed during the holidays don't count, right? Besides, with two weeks off from school Taylor and I have to fill the chilly days somehow. I've been bookmarking recipes all week so that we have plenty of new ones to try. And the warmth from the oven keeps the house's heater from working so hard.

See? It's the just right thing to do.

I don't really have any cherished family recipes or baking traditions from my childhood really, so Taylor and I are making our own. It just so happens that Santa and I share a favorite cookie... crispy oatmeal chocolate chip. We make these fresh on Christmas Eve because Santa also loves them warm from the oven. (I coulda sworn I had a picture of us baking them together, but I guess not. You get this cute picture from baking 4th of July sugar cookies instead :)

Anyway, I thought I'd share the recipe with you all.

First Mixture:

1 c butter 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla

1 c granulated sugar 1c brown sugar

Second Mixture:

2 c flour 1/2 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt

Sift together and add to the first mixture.

Add 1c quick cooking oats and 1c chocolate chips (or anything else you'd like in there, like nuts).

Mix together and drop by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet (important because these are thin and can stick really easily). Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

There you have it... easy peasy!

Fabric Garland/Advent... with Tutorial

2009-11-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year, I decided that we'd countdown to Christmas a little different.... without spending any money! I love, love fabric garlands so I thought that I would incorporate that idea into an advent calendar type thing. I made 25 links, put them in a pretty glass vase, and each day in December one link will get added until it looks like the picture above. I figured out that by the end of the second week, the chain will be long enough to drape nicely. Until then, they will just snake along the mantle.

If you'd like to make your own, here's what I did.

You'll need:

-(25) 4.5 x 12.5 in. pieces of fabric (I went with random scraps, but you could be more coordinated if you are so inclined.)

-(25) buttons (I let my daughter rummage through the buttons and pick them out.... shear 5 yr old girl heaven!)

-You could use a light interfacing if you want, but I didn't.... just starched them well instead.

-Your basics - needle, thread, scissors, rotary cutter, ruler

Once you get your fabric pieces all cut out, iron them in half lengthwise, right-sides together. Then, with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, sew up the long edge and one of the short sides. Clip the corner and trip the seam allowance. You've made a tube that looks like this:

Then, carefully turn your tube inside out. Be careful about using pointy things when turning, you don't want to poke a hole in your fabric. Once they are right side out, iron them well. To finish the other end, turn the raw edges in about a 1/2 inch and press. Use a teeny seam allowance to close it up. (hint: Start stitching on the folded side instead of the seam side. My machine likes it much better that way.)

Now here is where I had to really overcome a major fear.... buttonholes. If I can do it, so can you! Mine are not perfectly perfect by any means, but they work (glad my machine has good instructions). Here's one before I opened it up. See, not so perfect. I put the buttonholes on the "pretty" end, the one without machine stitching because that is the side you are going to see when you button them up.

Once you have that done, all you have to do is sew a button on the other end!.... Easy Peasy!

This entire project took me a few hours. The bulk of the time was spent choosing, cutting, and ironing the fabric.

Happy Holiday Crafting!!!

2009-11-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks so a group of students at the local high school vo-tech, you can now find plenty of bike parking in downtown Jonesboro. The kids made 21 of these 2-bike racks and one nice mulit-bike rack and installed them all throughout downtown. The project didn't cost NEABC or the City a dime because the class did this as their community service project. However, as a "Thank-You", we presented the kids with a nice check to help cover their costs when they go to the state welding competition later in the school year. I love that we were able to partner with them! We got great racks, the kids got experience designing and building, and the community gets to see what a great program the vo-tech is.

In other news, I am officially a grad student!! I'll be starting my masters in community development in January.

I've also been a little bit crafty... I can't post pictures because the item I made is for a swap. But, I'll be sure to post once the person gets it. :) I've also been trying learn sock knitting. It is very, very, very slow going. I have about an inch (maybe a little more) done of one cuff. Maybe I'll have the pair finished by summer??

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I love Arkansas

2009-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend, a few friends and I took part in the first annual Tour duh Sunkenlands.... a tour through the flat-lands and small museums of Northeast Arkansas. It was a beautiful fall day, although the wind was brutal which is par for a warm November day, the traffic was low, and the company was fantastic. The highlight of the ride was the rest stop at The Painted House Museum (of John Grisham fame). The picture above is the barn where they house the movie memorabilia, and the actual house is next door. The folks there were super happy to have us (as all the stops were). They welcomed us with homemade lemonade and brownies and were just as welcoming as they could be.... but, ya gotta love Arkansas.

It's been a great week

2009-10-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have been in swap heaven this week. I traded lots of fabric and some old inventory for all manner of etsy goodness. I got soap, simple silver earrings, a glass wine stopper, some cute felted acorns, and big ol' batch of note cards. I really should have taken a picture of everything together, but I didn't I'm too lazy to round everything up now. However, I did take pictures from my AREtsy swap gift. I swapped with SimplyStacyJewelry and got these beautiful goodies (Sorry the photos aren't great... I have a whole new appreciation for those who take jewelry photos.):

If all that swappy fun wasn't enough to make for a great week, it was a fabulous week for biking and walking advocacy here. On Tuesday, it was announced that our city would be receiving a $1.7 million grant (largest in the city's history) that will be used to complete the first phase of our greenway!!! This first phase will connect a large park/community center, an intermediate school, elementary school, our one mall, Arkansas State University, a medical center, and historic downtown. It will basically be a linear park for walking and bicycling.

On Thursday, about 50 folks gathered for to take part in a walkability survey of our city where we went out to intersections all over town and evaluated them. It was a very illuminating experience for lots of folks to see just how little pedestrians and cyclists have been considered in past development. The data that was collected is going to be used in a larger presentation to the city which can then be used as a guide for future development.

Oh yeah, I also turned 30... but that was the week before.

Things fall into place

2009-08-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a glorious vacation - in two parts. The first was with the mister, little bit, my mama, my little sister, brother in law, and my nephew. We spent four days playing, swimming, reading, lounging, and eating the best seafood ever at Orange Beach, AL. Having my mom and sister there was so great. It really was idyllic... time spent with

my family that will go up there on the best memories ever list.

The second part was just my little clan and it, too, was awesome. After leaving the beach, we headed to Atlanta to take Taylor to the Georgia Aquarium. Not only were the exhibits amazing, we took an almost private behind-the-scenes tour of the shark exhibit. Taylor aspires to be a shark scientist and, boy was this the perfect place for her! We spent well over an hour watching the sharks above (those are 2 of the 4 whale sharks there as well as a giant manta ray).

Ok, so for things falling into place? NEABC got word from the IRS that our application for non-profit status was approved! Yayayay! I got a lovely email from a former professor saying she would be happy to write a letter of recommendation for me and that she was really glad to see all the things I am doing. It may be a little silly, but having her approval really means a lot. I was nervous that she wouldn't even remember me after so long. I also had two other people who I work with enthusiastically say they'd help with letters. And, I was chosen to be featured in Jonesboro Occasions magazine in a segment that focuses on people who give back to the community. Seriously, such an honor.. and such a great thing for my organization.

Back to school?

2009-07-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

So, I think I'm going back to school.

Eight years after graduating from college, I now think I've figured out what I want to do with my life. Yay! Going back to school has been on my mind for quite some time, but I hadn't been able to put a finger on what exactly it is that I want to be doing... until now. The work I've been doing with my organization and the interaction I've had with the city government has solidified it for me. I really am passionate about what I do and can actually see myself doing this long term. Wow, I'm saying that out loud!

I've found a few online masters programs (from real live universities) in community development and non-profit organization that look really promising. At this point, online programs are really the only option. Thank goodness for the internet! The application process is making me anxious, though. Reference letters? Ha. Most of the professors I had good contact with have retired or moved on. The GRE? Please no. It may or may not be required, and I'm still waiting to get an answer on that. But really, please no. And then, I have no earthy clue how we're going to pay for it. We'll cross our fingers for good financial aid. Eh, if I were to wait till we can afford it, I'd never go. Oh, the butterflies!

(Oh, the picture up there - Taylor took it. Her Fisher Price tough camera produces the occasional cool image.)

Sewing for Myself...

2009-07-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

I find it really hard to sew for myself. I really wrestle with all the details... color, texture, style, design, etc. I really needed a bag that would hold my work portfolio and laptop, and that would also serve as a good day travel bag (you know, something to keep all the mom stuff). Anyway, this is what I came up with. I went with a messenger style so that I can carry it on the bike. While I really like the way it looks, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to regret the fabric and strap choices. The main fabric is a really heavy linen and the adjustable strap is cotton webbing - certain to look filthy in a hurry. I really should have gone with black webbing, but I didn't have any on hand and that's just how lazy I was that day. See? Doggonit- I really like the bag and I'm still questioning myself! I wonder why it is that I can make stuff for other people without driving myself nuts.

Happy Day!

2009-07-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

I am one happy advocate and happy seamstress on the same day!!!

That up there is a picture of one of the very first Share the Road signs ever to go up in Jonesboro, AR. YEEEEEHAW! After lots of drama with the sign maker and with the State of Arkansas, there are now bicycle signs up on one of the most heavily traveled bike routes in town.

And, this is my cute patoot modeling her new sundress. Not a huge challenge as it was a one seam job, but hey, it's something! Her response to the dress was the best... "I look sooo cute, and it's so long that I don't have to worry about showing my underpants!"

Cleaning up

2009-06-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've been cleaning out closets this week. Yeah, lots of fun. It didn't take long to figure out that we have way too much of too things - fabric and old cycling clothes.

I've been listing fabric in my shop all morning and I still have quite a bit to go. Most of it is newish fabric, but I'll have some vintage listings up at some point. Those are going to be a bear to ship... they are heavy home decor fabrics.

Later today, I'm going to start listing the cycling clothes on ebay. I think it is uber gross to wear used cycling shorts, but people buy them and all I can say is "ewwww".

Taylor's First Triathlon

2009-06-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm the proudest mama ever! Taylor completed a triathlon on Sunday and had the time of her life.

Her age group swam 25 feet,

rode 1/4 mile,

and ran 100 yards.

Fortunately, they were allowed to wear a life jacket in the swim and have training wheels for the bike. She was the second girl to finish in her group, but I am most proud of the way she handled the race. She crashed her bike when her training wheel slipped off the wet pavement and scraped her knees, but she got right back up and kept going with a big ol' smile. She also did the race with her bestest buddy and the her first words across the finish line were "H, that was SO MUCH FUN!" I don't think the smile left her face one time (well, maybe just a second when she crashed), but she was in it for the fun. All the kids got a big metal when they crossed the finish line which was way cool. And, the proceeds from the race went to a really great cause: Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. If you haven't heard of it, check it out.

Is that something crafty????

2009-06-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, yeah it is! That's right, I made something today! And, it happens to be my favorite of all the seat bags I've ever made. My internet pal Kiley asked me if I could come up with something to go with her husband's bike (a beautiful brown/rootbeer color)... and tadaaa!

Some of you already know that there's a coffee roaster called Kona Cloud in my husband's shop that keeps me stocked with coffee bean sacks. They can be a real bugger to work with, though, because they are super duper lint-y and ravel-y. But, I really wanted to make a seat bag with one, so I figured out how to work around all that. First, before I cut out my pattern, I traced it onto the sack and sewed just inside of that line with my machine. After I cut out the pattern, I fused a piece of muslin to the backsides. You know, it worked really well and gave the bag some really nice structure. I still didn't want to try that with the smaller pieces where the zipper is, so I just used black canvas (should go great, since he has black bar tape).

So nice to do something crafty and right-brain challenging today!

Success!

2009-05-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Our Bike to Work day was a success! The 30 or so riders that showed up got a fantastic ride through Jonesboro. I had hoped for a larger crowd, but considering that there was a good chance of rain and this was our first event ever, I won't complain. Our police escort surprised us by stopping traffic at every single intersection.... so nice to have cars yielding to us for a change! Taylor rode in a trailer behind her daddy and took photos along the way. Most were of herself, but she did manage to get a couple shots of the riders. I happen to really like this one (that I took) of her completely holding the attention of the guys (our mayor is the guy in orange). I'm not sure what she was telling them about, but I'm sure it was something very important.

My Media Debut

2009-05-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of getting to give the guest commentary on our local news last night. The segment is called "A Better Region 8" and is usually done by the station manager. However, he offered it to me last week, which meant that I had to come up with a 90 second message super fast. That was some serious pressure... find

ing just the right words and just the right message to represent my group. There were about a thousand different things I'd have liked to say, and choosing one was the most nerve wrecking thing ever. Standing in front of a teleprompter in front of a green screen talking to myself was nothing compared to deciding what to say.

You can see the video here: A Better Region 8.... no laughing!

Our Share the Road Signs are now on sale, and the Proclamation by the mayor last week was great. I can't wait 'till they start going up!

I did take a day last week to do some stitching.

I'm working on a special butterfly embroidery project for Taylor. It's alllmost finished and I promise I'll post pics as soon as it's done. I really hoped to have it done by now so that I could give it to her as a Pre-K graduation gift. (We took a trip to Build-a-Bear instead.) And, I still don't have a clue when/if my shop will be back. Honestly, I haven't been thinking much about it. I still browse etsy and lurk in the aretsy team thread, but I just don't feel any real pull to get back in there and list stuff.

Happy Bike Month!

2009-05-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

May is National Bike Month! Hooray!

Things here are moving full speed ahead. Tomorrow our mayor is making his proclamation about bike month, our Share the Road signs go on sale, and the 15th we are hosting a ride to work event. Here is a link to lots of other bike month events courtesy of the League of American Bicyclists. Even if there's not an event near you, you can still celebrate... just get out there on your two-wheeler and ride like you're 5 again.

warp speed

2009-04-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe its tacky, but I really need a boast-y post. Last week, I had a meeting with our mayor about bike stuff. Not only was he supportive, he put my group's plans into warp speed. In one fell swoop, he decided that at the next city council meeting he would proclaim May "Bike Month" in Jonesboro, announce that he would have the city install "Share the Road" signs if we would provide them, announce that the signs are for sale, and buy the first one. If that wasn't enough, he wants to do the rounds with all the local media showing his support for our "Share the Road" program and attend our Bike to Work day. He even got us a police escort for the ride! I am just so totally thrilled about how things are going. And, I'm so so glad that I have Jason to keep me from freaking out too much!

Anyway, these are the things that I've been up to and the only creative things I've done in the past couple of weeks have been to make that poster and make Taylor a headband. I have been thinking about crafty things if that counts.

Catching up between sneezes

2009-04-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

I love spring. I love that my yard is

all pretty and green. I love that there are lots of birds and squirrels and bunnies around. I do not love sneezing and having a congested, achy head. Ever since moving to the northeast part of the state, I have been in allergy hell. I have yet to find an over-the-counter that works without making me all loopy or sleepy. Who knew such a small distance would make such a big difference.

I know I've been a bad blogger and haven't been updating very regularly. Sorry. Even though my etsy shop is closed for a bit, I have been doing some crafty things.

This little bunny's name is Janes. I made her for Taylor's Easter basket, but I gave it to her early. The night that I finished her, Taylor woke up scared from a nightmare so she got her new bunny a little early. Being pocket-sized, she got taken pretty much everywhere... which is why she's so filthy now. The pattern is available from My Little Mochi. Taylor also painted those wooden eggs in the background.

The beautiful bit of embroidery above is also Taylor's work of art.

In other family news, my better half has started a blog! AsTheFreewheelTurns is sure to be an entertaining read. I'm super excited! I've been trying to get him to write for the longest time.. he's much, much better at it than me and always has an interesting take on things.

And then there were five

2009-03-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling lately with what to do about my Etsy shop. I enjoy sewing and I enjoy having a bit of extra money, but the past few months or so I have not really enjoyed feeling like I need to keep up with the shop. My sewing mojo comes and goes (as I'm sure most people's does). So really that shouldn't be that big of a deal, but having a mostly neglected shop just nags at me and creates this sense of pressure... which does not help matters. I know that the shop won't be at all successful if I'm not listing regularly and promoting it well. The question I face is whether to just get over it and get back to business, or list as I feel like it and if I sell something great (and if not, no biggie), or do I just go back to crafting for just me and my friends and family and take etsy out of the equation. Making the last few custom orders I've done was like pulling teeth. They were super nice customers and really good orders, but I just struggled. Before this little etsy crisis, I'd be stoked to get an order to work on.... now... eh. That's a problem for my shop as a good portion of my sales are custom orders for brides and bikes.

Was the desire to make a buck killing my creativity? Maybe I just need a new outlook on my shop? If I take a break by closing shop for a bit, will it be possible to make a successful comeback? Do I want to have a busy shop?

Stay tuned.....

A Quick Sewing Fix

2009-03-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I had a quick burst of creativity today, so I whipped up this little fabric basket. The outside is made out of a coffee bag that a friend of mine gave me. He works for Kona Cloud Coffee and hooked me up with some beautiful bags.

If you are into coffee, you must try it.. A local doctor owns a coffee farm in Kona, ships it here, and it's roasted fresh in the back of the bike shop where my husband works.

For tutorials and inspiration for your own fabric basket, check out Sew,Mama,Sew.

Some DIY Goodness

2009-03-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

This scary looking tool is my new favorite thing. It's a tufting needle and it is a must have if you have any button tufted furniture. I happen to have a lot....

We are in major home remodel/fix-up mode around here. That orange sofa has had a button hanging by a thread for, oh, the past year or so and I finally decided to take care of it. I really did not want to have to pay an upholsterer to make a house call, so I turned to the google.... and found the tufting needle.

It is super duper easy to use! You just thread your twine through the round hole in one of those little metal pieces, attach that thing to the needle (there's a square hole for that), push it into your furniture, twist, and pull it back out. The metal piece stays in as an anchor, and you can then thread on your button and pull it tight. Super easy! I couldn't find one of these locally, so I had to order it online. The tool cost about $21 plus shipping. Since the buttons on the sofas seem to be irresistible to little kids, I'm sure that this will be worth every penny.

2009-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

My poor neglected blog....

I've been a busy gal lately, but I have found some time to pick up a new hobby. I've drooled over the lovely hand-spun yarns on etsy (ahem... WoolyHands, TheTwistedPurl) long enough without being able to do something with them. I picked up the book Stitch 'n Bitch a few weeks ago and got to work. Mostly, the instructions are pretty clear, but I still ended up having to go online and watch videos of hands in action. I must say I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, but of course it has a few "first timer" bobbles. I don't think I quite grasped her method for bringing in a new ball of yarn... I don't have a beautifully seamless transition.

I have yet to try anything more complicated than a scarf, but I can tell that I'm going to enjoy this. Of course, I take it up and finish my first project when it's 70 degrees outside. Ah well.

I'm still here...

2009-02-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a really long time since my last post! So what's been happening?..

Well, I've been really busy with the cycling advocacy group I'm starting. We're having our first meeting next Tuesday, and my oh my, it's getting overwhelming. So much to learn and so much I really want to get right.

The little one had two firsts - her first ear infection and her first date. Yup, a date :)

Aren't they cute? The day before Valentine's Day, she and her buddy went to see Playhouse Disney Live, then had dinner, and a carriage ride (and everyone says "awwwww"). That wicked cute little green jumper she's wearing is from Brighton Early. I made her a pretty Valentine heart pin for the occasion. It's pinned down near the bottom of her dress.

What else? Oh, yeah... the past week and a half, I've been working on another large jewelry roll order. Seven custom rolls for seven bridesmaids. I finally got them finished up today. My sewing funk continues, though. It was like pulling teeth to get them finished.

Ice Storm '09

2009-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

Beautiful... yes. A pain in the neck and rather dangerous... even more so. These are the trees in front of my house in the early hours of the storm on Tuesday. All pretty and laced with ice. Later that night, though, all that ice compiled and that tree is now missing it's top half. This picture is from the next morning.

All night Tuesday, we listened to freezing rain, trees cracking, limbs falling, and transformers blowing. Our yard (and everyone else's) looks like it is covered in shards of glass. We were out of power from Tuesday night until Friday afternoon. Thankfully, we had hot water and a little gas log in the fireplace that we were able to huddle around and cook over. Nothing like camping in the living room! We took in my father-in-law whose house had no heat source at all and we all got some good quality time together.... just enough that we didn't kill each other.

Anyway, I am really thankful for all the utility workers who got us up and running in what was really pretty quick considering that the entire city (the entire northern part of the state, actually) was out of electricity. It is so good to be warm and back to normal!

Playin' with dolls

2009-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

This is Ruby, and she is a special little surprise for Taylor's 5th birthday.

You can find the pattern to make a Ruby doll from One Red Robin.

Trades, Lovely Trades

2009-01-14T06:10:00.001-08:00

I love a good trade, and lately I have had some really really good ones. Several weeks ago, I traded Laurie (aka punkinhead) a wristlet from my shop for a set of these beautiful vintage fabric coasters. They are so stinkin' pretty!

Just yesterday I made another awesome trade with Kiley of Kiley's Handmade Books. She is getting that cute elephant wallet and I am getting this gorgeous handmade, square, recycled leather journal.

Over Christmas, my dad gave Taylor a very special silver dollar that his grandfather had given to him. He told her a really beautiful story about how his grandfather always gave him a dollar and handkerchiefs for Christmas (and how he thought it was rather lame, but whatever) and how his dad always took the dollar on the way home (even more lame, geesh). Then when his grandfather passed away, his dad gave him back all the dollars. So now I have Taylor's dollar and this great story. My plan for this journal is to write all of these kind of things down so that she can read them some day, and so that I won't forget them either.

So Not a Crafty Post

2009-01-09T08:58:00.001-08:00

Today's a big day. Today, I founded the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition (or NEABC for short). It's an advocacy group that is dedicated to raising cycling awareness and making Northeast Arkansas a great, safe place to ride a bike. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, but one thing after another has come up forcing me to put it off... stomach flu, then holidays, yadayada. But, today it was born - in sort of the unofficial official sense. I created an official Facebook page for it, contacted a few key people (there are real live members!), and will be setting the date and time for our first meeting of the minds. There are many many many details to work out, but the important thing is that they are being worked on and not a moment too soon as there are some really exciting cycling related projects in the works in this area that really need some community support. Like I said, this is so not a crafty post, but man I'm excited.

A Very Tasty Chain Letter

2009-01-03T06:30:00.002-08:00

A friend of ours gave us the tastiest chain letter ever for Christmas.... Amish Friendship Bread. I knew nothing of this bread before a couple of weeks ago, so I had no idea what I was in for. She presented us with a beautiful box with a loaf of the most delicious "bread" ever, a bag of starter, and some instructions. First, this is no bread... it's cake. Delicious cake, full of cinnamon and sugar. And, it's not terrible Amish, at least not this version it's not. I mean, it calls for using a plastic bag for storage and mixing and instant pudding mix as one of the final ingredients. For 10 days, you mush the bag of starter, add some stuff, and mush some more. On the 10th day, you add lots more stuff and you end up with 4 more bags of starter and enough batter for two more loaves of "bread". The instructions say that you are supposed to give away 3 of the starters and keep one for yourself because it's a secret Amish recipe that may never come back around to you again... dah dah dummmmmm. Of course, a quick google and you'll have the recipe for the starter in about 2 seconds - along with a host of websites praising and complaining about the AFB. It hadn't occurred to me that not everyone would be as thrilled as me to get it. There were plenty of blog posts from people who weren't, including a not-so culinary inclined woman who had been given a starter that was several days along and it exploded on her desk. So, since most of the people I think would enjoy it live not so close by, I just gave one bag to my mother in law (she rocks at baking) and froze the rest. I could potentially have this stuff the rest of my life. Forever.

MacBook Gets a Home

2009-01-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

First, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We had a very nice, relaxing time just hanging out. We did lots of cooking and baking and watching movies.

Despite my complete apathy toward my shop lately, I was happy to take in a couple of custom orders this week. It was nice to do some work that didn't involve dishes or laundry.

Yesterday, I decided to do a little sewing just for the fun of it... imagine that! I made a spiffy new laptop cozie for the new MacBook (which I am in love with, btw). I used some thrifted wool blend fabric and some of the super cute fabric I won in last month's giveaway at Oh, Fransson. (In case you missed that post, I won a priority shipping box packed full of beautiful and fun fabrics!) The cozie is padded with some leftover batting from a quilting project that is in the works, but seems like I may never finish because I'm pretty sure that I got in way over my head. Anyway, now my 'puter will have a cozy/protective/cute place to stay when I take it around with me. Sorry the pictures are so dark... I'm trying out new photo editing software and I haven't quite gotten it dialed in yet.

Spirit Jumpers

2008-12-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

Laurie, or Punkinhead to those of us on Etsy, posted a great site over on her blog that I would also like to share with you all. The site is called Spirit Jump and it connects people who have been diagnosed with cancer with people who would like to lift (jump) their spirits by sending them a little something special in the mail. As she explains on her site, it could be anything from something you make that would make life a little easier to something as simple as a card with some encouraging words.

So, now you can go learn more about it, sign up to be a Spirit Jumper, or sign someone up who could use a jump. In honor of my Dad who battled his way through colon cancer, I signed up to be a spirit jumper. I remember how much better he seemed on the days when a friend would drop by his hospital room or a card would show up in the mail.... those little things make such a big difference.

p.s. Laurie made me some awesome vintage fabric coasters. They rock.. thanks!

Whew.. back with a quick update

2008-12-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update for today... the FedEx man brought me a sexy new Macbook last night! Yay! It's funny how disconnected I felt without access to the web. I know I existed for most of my life without it, but, boy you sure get used to having it! Being iced-in for two days without internet access made it seem so much worse, too.

I've been doing a little Christmas sewing lately. I made some teacher gifts, gift pouches for all the nieces and nephews, a Strawberry Shortcake apron for my little bit, and a Super Sleuth (those with young kids will know them from My Friends Tigger and Pooh) costume for a wee friend. I have been really slacking on my Etsy shop. I don't know if it's just a bit of burnout or what, but I just haven't been into it lately. I've been happy sewing all sorts of non-business things, but when it comes to sewing for the shop I just can't muster the want-to. The feeling's been coming in waves over the past few months.... I'm sure the etsy love will return eventually. :)

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now.

And the winner is......

2008-12-10T05:58:00.001-08:00

drumroll.... Colleen!
Thanks so much to all of you who sent such sweet comments! This was lots of fun and I'm sure I will hold another again sometime. Colleen, I'll email you to get your address so these can get on their way.

In other news, my computer died. :( My emac had a long run and now it runs no more. However, I have a sexy new Macbook on the way. I'm mooching off Jason's computer at work till the new one gets here, so I won't be able to respond to emails and such quite as quickly as I might normally. Here's to hoping that 3-5 day shipping takes 3 days!

It's a Giveaway!

2008-12-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

I want to pass along some good cheer, so I am hosting a giveaway. Hooray! To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post. Say anything you want, just make sure that I have some way of getting in touch with you if you win. If you have a blog or even an etsy shop, that will do. I don't want to drag this out too long, so I'll end this thing Wednesday morning, the 10th, after I get the kiddo off to school (roughly 8a.m. Central time). I will use a random number generator and that post will win a super cute zippered pouch and a sweet little tissue holder. I made the items nice and light so I'm happy to ship internationally (although I'll likely have to leave the tissues out of the holder, sorry).

So get yourself entered and maybe you'll win a little something for yourself or something to give to a super lucky friend. *One more thing - Through Wed., I'll offer you guys 15% off any purchase of $10 or more in my Etsy shop. Just put "giveaway15" in the note to seller and I will send you a revised invoice through paypal for the adjusted total. If you'd rather not wait for me to send an invoice, you can pay the full amount and I will send you a partial refund, but you gotta leave me a message in the note to seller. :)

The zippered pouch is approx. 7 3/4" wide x 6 1/2" tall (20 x 16.5 cm). The fabric is a dark brown linen blend topped with Ginger Blossom by Sandi Henderson. The lining is a heavy, yet smooth muslin. I also added some pretty sparkle with a button accent. I would so carry this as a cute little clutch!

The tissue holder is made with fabric from Heather Bailey's Freshcut line and the same smooth muslin. Again, I dipped into my button stash to add a little cuteness.

Special Gifts and Giveaways - Oh My!

2008-12-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

This week has been very gifty. On Wednesday, Sew Mama Sew hosted a giveaway day where lots and lots of crafty blogs held giveaways.... and I won one!!! Oh, and you are gonna be jealous. I won a box of beautiful fabric from Oh, Fransson one of my favorite blogs. She is a super crafter and always has the most beautiful and fun projects going! You must check her out. But, the really exciting thing for you guys is that I want to keep the giving going so I'm tomorrow I'm going to host my own giveaway!!! I don't know exactly what the gift will be yet, but I promise it will be worth checking out!

Yesterday, I mailed out my AREtsy secret santa gift. I really love doing swaps. I feel like I can really be creative, more so than when I'm creating for my shop. I just hope she likes them! I feel pretty safe posting a picture here because she should have it today and the chances of ruining the surprise are pretty slim I think. So....

My person is getting this crafty little set of goodies. The tissue holder is made with one of my favorite Japanese import fabrics, the house ornament is embroidered with that cute pattern from vol.25, and the little embroidered button pattern is from pimp stitch.

Finally, the most special gift this week came from the big man himself - Santa. I took Taylor to see Santa at the mall yesterday after school and she brought with her a teeny bell to give to Santa to give to Rudolf. She sat on his lap and gave him the little bell and in return he gave her his bell. How cool is that?! The look on her face was absolutely priceless.

Kids + Christmas Crafts = FUN!

2008-12-04T12:24:00.001-08:00

I've never been one to buy tons of decorations and go bananas getting the house all gussied-up for Christmas. In the pre-Taylor days, we would put up a tree (maybe), but that's about it. I do a bit more decorating now, but I still just can't seem to make myself buy tons of stuff. Partly it is because I know that as Taylor goes through school we are going to accumulate lots of the best kinds of decorations..... the kid-made kind! We really just started to this year.

First, she made the super glittery paper chain above that is the exact right size for our mantle with her Grandma.

Over Thanksgiving, my aunt brought craft supplies for the kids to make these hangings to count down the days till Christmas. There's a cute little poem at the top and then a little bell at the bottom. You get to take a candy cane everyday and when you get to the bell you know it's Christmas! Kids got to glue on the sequins and decorate the top (Taylor's has a little tree). The bigger kids and grown-ups got to sew on all the yarn to tie the candy canes.

And, finally, we have the one that was the most fun to make. I bought some styrofoam balls and let her cover them with Mod Podge and fabric scraps. It's super messy (Of course, that's what makes it fun!) so we did one half, let it dry, then did the rest. After the fabric was dry I gave it an outer coating. I used a pretty pin to attach a ribbon and there you have it!

Brighter Days Comin'

2008-11-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Whew... the past 7 days have been rough, and I'm glad to be past them. Exactly a week ago, I broke a tooth that resulted in a root canal, a temporary crown, and one outrageous dental bill. I tell ya, not having dental insurance really stinks. The pain from the dental work really wasn't so bad, but the stomach flu that followed was plenty painful enough to make up for it. yay. I suppose I could say that losing a few pounds and getting caught-up on daytime t.v. would be a silver lining? Maybe? There's certainly no worry of putting on any weight during Thanksgiving... anything sugary, crunch, or chewy is off the menu. damnit.

I did say that brighter days are comin', though, and they are. The stomach flu seems to have pretty well run its course. And would you believe that the little one has not gotten it?! That alone is reason to be thankful. Today I'm playing catch-up with my etsy shop and getting some custom orders taken care of.

p.s. Glad you guys like my little box trick.... it's not a fancy tutorial, but that's a darn handy thing to know.

My Favorite Gift-wrap Trick

2008-11-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Go from:

To this:

1 Down...

2008-11-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

2 more to go! I posted a while back about a set of floor cushions that I'm making and I wanted to post an update. I got the first one finished! Yay! The picture is dark so it's hard to tell that the sides (and the bottom) are dark brown linen. I'm pretty pleased with it, but it is far from perfect. Putting all the pieces together went really smoothly until it came to putting on the bottom piece, then getting everything straight was a challenge. I had to fudge a little bit, but it's not too noticeable. I also left off the handle from the tutorial because they are pretty much going to stay parked in my living room. They are also bigger - 19" square x 4" deep. Taylor says the next one must have more pink. ;)

Yes We Did!!!!

2008-11-05T10:50:00.001-08:00

The past 6 weeks of so have been so incredibly rewarding. I am so proud to be able to say that I worked to elect our first African-American president! What a proud day for our country!

I sincerely hope that keep the enthusiasm and the momentum going so that we can make our country the very best that it can be!

(Now, after standing, sign-waiving, and cheering at the polls for seven hours and then staying up to see it all pay off, I'm exhausted. I think I'll take a nap today.... then it's back to the crafty business already in progress.)

Being a part of something bigger

2008-10-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I got to be a part of one incredible event on the most beautiful fall day ever. President Clinton along with several other of Arkansas' present and past political leaders (and Mary Steenburgen) were in town for a "Painting Arkansas Blue" rally. The event originally started out as a Get Out the Vote rally where we were going to meet, march down to the early voting location, and then have a cookout. Well, just a few days before the event was scheduled it grew exponentially and I got to be involved. Jason got to play grillmaster and I helped serve up the food.... not glamorous jobs, but boy people love some free food!

Anyway, the speeches were all excellent. It was really something to see so many people here of all places gathering to show support for Obama! I would love so much to see our state be something other than solid red on the electoral map... I'd even be ok with baby blue. I just hate that we're considered in the bag for the Republican party. I'd really like to think that we could show the country that we're more progressive than that, particularly since we seem to be A-Ok with electing Democrats on the state level.

Afterward, I hung around and got to shake Clinton's hand and tell him thanks for also talking about Initiated Act 1 because it is so under-covered here, but is really very important. For those of you not in Arkansas (or those here who don't yet know) it's an act on the ballot that would prohibit so so many people from potentially becoming foster parents. It would ban anyone who is unmarried (gay or straight) from serving as a foster or adoptive parent and take away the ability for judges to make decisions on a case by case basis. It was really good to hear him and Ms. Steenburgen speak out against the act and I'm happy that I got to thank him for that in person. I tried to get a picture with him, but it was nuts and I only managed to get a blur, oh well. I did get lots of good pictures throughout the day. You can check them all out on flickr.

Finally... A Crafting Day!

2008-10-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have a serious thing for online crafty tutorials. I've been eyeing this one for cushions from Sew Mama Sew for quite some time and decided today to give it a try. I'm not finished yet, because I just had to make it more complicated by adding some quilting to it. I thought, though, that I'd share the progress with you fine people. Here is the top of one of three cushions. I pieced the top out of some new and some vintage cottons and sort of quilted it to a piece of nice flannel to make it a little more durable. They are 19" square and 4" deep. They'll be floor cushions for the living room. I'll be using the brown linen I used on my little houses pillows for the sides and bottom.

One of the things about this tutorial that just knocked my socks off is the part where she shows you how to magically make tons of bias tape out of a small square of fabric and then turn it into some super fab custom piping! It's worth checking out just for that little gem.
Now, hopefully it will not be months and months before I can show you a cute stack of finished floor pillows!

Back From Wherever

2008-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding my blog like the plague lately. I've been fighting the urge to make political posts. I struggle with the idea that it could turn some people off, but at the same time it is my blog, right... my platform so to speak? And, I don't want to be Miss Negative Nelly Crankypants, not that it's all negative. Far from it. So, I'm going to do a split post starting with the non-political stuff and if you don't want to read the rest then that's A-OK.

The best stuff first:

We had our first parent-teacher conference yesterday and I am just the proudest mama ever! I already knew that Taylor is a smart cookie, but her teacher told us a story that just makes me beam.

Little bit is always very quiet and well-behaved and has never had to change her color (they use the stop-light system for behavior). Well, one day at nap-time the teacher got onto a girl who was near Taylor for making noise and made the girl change her color. Before the kids go home, the ones who stayed on green for the day get to get a piece of candy or a sticker. When the teacher got to Taylor, her color was on yellow and Taylor told her with tears in her eyes that she couldn't have any candy because she had to change her color. Without being told, she had changed it on her own because she was the one who made the noise at nap-time. Her teacher was so moved that she had been so honest that she told her to change it back to green so she could get a piece of candy. My sweet little one's moral compass is pointing in the right direction! ... did I mention I'm really proud of her?!

In etsy news, I really haven't had tons of time to sew. I did manage to get a few things made last week, and this week I got a custom wallet out the door. I also have some sewing to look forward to for a repeat customer who is sending me some fabric to use. She's always super fun to work with so I'm looking forward to that.

OK, the political stuff.... starting with the positive.

I've been volunteering my time down at the Democratic HQ here and have been so incredibly surprised at the positive reaction people have had to the campaign. People that you'd never guess would be supportive coming in, getting their yard signs, and saying "thanks for being here". I've had lots of "thank you"s and "so glad you called"s while doing phone banking. It really has been an amazing experience. The icing on the cake came today when we found out that Pres. Clinton will be attending our rally on Saturday. How awesome is that!!!

The posts I've been avoiding are really about how I'm really tired of the Republican campaign taking ownership of patriotism. That somehow I'm not as American or that I'm not as proud of my country because I don't buy into the neo-con ideology. It is ludicrous and it pisses me off! I'm tired of and saddened by reading hateful, fearful letters to the editors of my local paper about how Obama is going to be the end of us all because he's Muslim, the anti-christ, going to kill babies and on and on and on.... all lies fueled (or at the very least not repudiated) by the McCain campaign.

I've chosen my candidate because I care about our country and want someone in the White House who will inspire us, bring us together, and restore our standing in the world as "the shining beacon on the hill". I admire his "intellectual vigor" as Colin Powell so eloquently put it and I'm proud of the campaign he's running. I feel like Obama gets what it's like to be in my shoes... lower middle class (stuck in a no-man's land of not making enough, but making too much for assistance), having to make hard decisions about money, health-care, etc. I want the war in Iraq to be over and I want our military to be able to focus on the real threats. I want real change from the last 8 years!

You know, I also think it's perfectly fine if someone doesn't agree with Obama's policies and wants to vote for McCain, and I'll never ever call them unpatriotic or somehow less American. I will not wish harm on their candidate or on them because that's the beauty of this country, we all have the right to decide for ourselves.

Ok, there. I really do feel better now....

Cute Houses

2008-10-07T08:54:00.001-07:00

I have a thing for cute, colorful houses.. in real life and in art. Last night I got to test out a new embroidery pattern by Jessica Rose of Vol 25. She emailed me the set of patterns yesterday, and I just fell in love! They are so cute and fun. I immediately thought "row houses" and "pillow".I used bright colors and kept the stitching really simple and artfully imperfect to keep it feeling whimsical. The border around the pillow is by Amy Butler (Wall Flowers in Mustard). The back and background fabric is chocolate brown linen.

Jessica has a couple of free patterns in her flickr group as well as pictures from other testers. I can't wait to see what else she turns into embroidery patterns. You should check out her other work.. fantastic it is! She has a very lovely etsy shop.

Birthdays

2008-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

We are up to our necks in birthdays around here! Thursday was my birthday. On the great birthday scale, I would rate the day as "eh.". It had some great moments, like my Dad coming up to visit, Jason and Taylor singing me "Happy Birthday" in the morning, and the most delicious cake ever that I made for myself. It is my very very very favorite cake... and it looks just like the picture. (Or, it did before we devoured it!) There was other stuff that made the day, well, not so stellar, but that's all water under the bridge now. I went out for a little retail therapy yesterday and that really did make me feel better. Besides finding a cute pair of jeans that fit On Sale, I found these super ridiculously cute shoes at Target (I heart Target!).

It is also Taylor's very best buddy's birthday tomorrow. The kid freakin' loves to dress up! So, I made him his very own super hero cape. I used the tutorial found on puking pastilles. I was a little unsure of the how to draw out that shape exactly, so I made one out of paper first. It's really like making a giant bib that you wear backwards. I made my own applique from felt and the fabric of the cape is costume nylon that has a satin finish. I wanted to do satin, but that stuff is so ravel-y and this sucker is going to get put through its paces, I'm sure. Since you can't use a hot iron on this stuff I just glued the applique to the cape with fabric glue and then stitched it down by hand with embroidery thread for a cool border.

Next stop for today is a bowling party for some kid in Taylor's class.

Rock the Vote

2008-09-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 6th. Are you ready? If you're not registered to vote, then please click on the Rock the Vote button to your right and get yourself ready to take part in this historic election.

"The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men."~Lyndon B. Johnson

A new project

2008-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Happy day, I have found something creative to work on while I'm on my little sabbatical (perfect term for it, thanks Anne) from my etsy shop. Yay! I visited a flea market today and I literally walked into this adorable little desk and chair. The woman working the counter at the place was glad to see it going because she had done the same thing twice today, lol. At some point, this was a beautiful cherry set I'm sure.... you can see from the back (that's the 2nd picture). I guess whoever decided to paint this really wasn't much for detail because they only painted the surfaces that you could see when it's pushed against a wall. I actually sorta like that shade of green, but this desk is going to be for Taylor and she will not be amused that I brought home a green desk. So. Now, I need to decide just how I'm gonna Taylor-ize this thing. My first thought was to add fabric panels to the sides, but I wonder if that's too permanent. Part of me wants to do something really bold and fun for her, but I don't really want to be re-doing this thing again in a couple of years. I may just go with off-white to match her other furniture, some fun fabric for the seat, and some glamorous new knobs. Oh, the decisions! I need to go browse the web for some inspiration.***After school update: Taylor loved the desk as is.... stinker ;) Actually, it looks pretty darn cute in her room, too.

a wee little break

2008-09-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

I know, it's been forever since I've posted. Sorry. It's also been quite some time that I've sewn something for my etsy shop. I'm taking a little break while I wait for my crafting mojo to return. I think a combination of the new school schedule, having time now that's mine all mine, and not really knowing what to do with it is putting me in a bit of a funk. Before we moved to this part AR I had ideas (vague ideas, but ideas nonetheless) for what I wanted to do when the little one started to school. Now, those really aren't an option and I'm kinda thrown.... more than I thought I'd be. Funny, how we don't realize how much we want something 'till we can't have it.

Anyway, I'm sure the crafting bug will bite me again soon and I'll get back to my sewing room and all will be well again.

2008-08-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Normally, my position is to keep work separate from politics and religion and all the other hot debates. However, I just can't this time. I won't go into the details of my political beliefs... I'll spare you. I do want to give a little nod of recognition to the badge I've added to my blog for Crafters for Obama, a campaign set-up by julie ree. Her goal is to raise $2000 from crafters like me and many of you to help Barack Obama in his campaign to become President of the United States.

I was incredibly moved by several of the speeches and the historical significance of the DNC this week and feel compelled to do something. I don't have much money to give, but I do have a voice and a venue. Even if you do not agree with my choice for president, I implore you to educate yourself about the candidates and get out and vote! It's easy to become cynical about politics, I know, but we can not let cynicism take over... we must be involved and have faith in our country.

If you would like to view or read Obama's historic acceptance speech, the link is right here.

A fun find

2008-08-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

I rarely find anything really great when I go to flea markets and such, but I love to go looking anyway. Yesterday, I had good luck. I found a copy of Sewing Made Easy by Mary Lynch. Not only is the writing and the language just hilarious (we're talking 1950 here), there is a ton of great information! She covers everything from how to alter a pattern (the whens, whys and wheres) to how to sew the perfect drapes. There is even an extensive section on choosing the right clothes and accessories for your body type.... I mean really "Never wear socks on the street in a city, unless you are in your teens." Got that? Ok.

I've just about read this grand book from cover to cover and I can't think of anything that she's overlooked. I really would like to start sewing more clothes for myself (If I can't buy great fitting pants, then I'll frickin' make some.) and I'm glad I now have Ms. Lynch at my side.

So excited to unveil....

2008-08-22T07:05:00.001-07:00

My very first Special Edition wallet! Some of you may remember that I was working on getting set up with Sublime Stitching's licensing program a while back. Well, I got approved and I just listed my very first hand-embroidered super organized wallet!

I will be listing these periodically, so you'll have to check in every now and then. I'll give a special head's up to my blog reader's so you guys will be the first to know when a new one is being listed. Each one will be different (different fabrics, patterns, colors.....). These are really an outlet for me. I love sewing the items for my store, but sometimes it becomes more about getting products out there than about the creative process. These take care of that for me and we all win!

We won :)

2008-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, BrightonEarly had a contest on her blog and the prize was 1/2 off one of her super cute dresses. Guess who one! Me (well, Taylor really)! The dress arrived in the mail today and it's just super cute and super well made. I see this staying in the wardrobe for quite some time. Thanks so much Tasha! You can check out her Etsy shop here where she has a fantastic back to school sale going on.

More Etsy Bicycle Goodness

2008-08-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

In honor of the temps coming down a wee bit so that riding is fun again, I thought I'd do another round of cycling accessories found on etsy.

First up is this super duper cute cycling cap from

KoziePrery's shop:

Her shop is full of really stylish caps that appear incredibly well constructed. Many of her caps are made with reclaimed fabric, a wonderful little bonus feature!

This next product just rocks my socks!

These are Ear Toasties from Matel Makes.

They fit around your helmet straps to keep your ears warm. Brilliant! I never have much luck with keeping beanies down over my ears with a helmet, so this is just the thing.

Can you tell I'm ready for cooler weather?

I love this track jacket from Red Boot Design!

Another project for little bit

2008-08-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm just popping in to share my latest project.... another little something for my little bit to take to school. We're just a few days away from the big first day! We went shopping today for a few last things (bag, lunchbox, and thermos). But, I just couldn't bring myself to buy a backpack from the store.... just couldn't do it. So, off to Hancocks we went. Taylor said she really wanted a messenger bag, so that's just what she got. She picked out this super cute corduroy all by herself and decided that it must have her name stitched on it somewhere. The name patch is fused on and then I just kinda went willy-nilly with the border stitching. Kinda fun, I think. I even went for an adjustable strap. I'm not sure why I've always shied away from doing those; it was way easy. There's nothing fancy inside, no pockets, and the flap closes with a magnetic snap.

Oh, and we did buy a lunch box (pink camo) ... I thought about making it, though :)

The New Blankie

2008-08-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pictures of the new nap-time blankie. I decided that it really didn't need tying since the flannel sticks pretty well to the cotton. It's just a simple, sew it right sides facing, leave a hole, turn it, then top stitch around the edge (note: I should have changed to a top-stitching needle to make the stitches look a little nicer, but I'm out and too lazy to go to the store). Easy peasy. I did add a little special something to the backside, though.

Getting ready for school?!?!?!

2008-08-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

I am just in shock that in two weeks Taylor will be starting pre-k. She's never been in any kind of daycare or mother's day out; it's always just been the two of us hanging out together. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous... for me. No, not so much for her. She's a little social butterfly that's wanted to be in school ever since she learned that there was such a place. I'm really excited for her. I'm not gonna know what to do with myself without her around her all day.

All nerves and excitement aside, though, we have to get this gal ready. When she heard she needed a blanket and pillow for nap-time she asked if I'd make her something (sweet girl). So, I let her browse fabric on etsy till she found this great butterfly print by Alexander Henry from bellasarababy. I'm thinking a simple flannel backed blanket, maybe tied, will do the trick. Of course, I'll post a pic or two when it's done :)

And, while we were in her shop we had to browse the clothes and Taylor picked out the cutest skirt ever! The fabric and skirt came in the mail today and she had to put it on right away! I didn't get to look at it long, but the quality looks great. It's a good thing; once she falls in love with an outfit it's hard to get her out of it!

A little something for me

2008-07-29T08:44:00.001-07:00

After last week's custom order craziness, I decided to make myself a little something yesterday. I whipped up this cute little needle book. It fits in the palm of my hand and keeps all my embroidery needles nice and organized. I have quite a thing for patchwork, too. I find it really relaxing and fun to go at it freestyle.... just dig through the scrap stash 'till something catches my eye and start sewing things together.

I Heart Custom Orders

2008-07-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

1. Custom Sling Bag, 2. More custom jewelry rolls, 3. More custom jewelry rolls, 4. Custom Jewelry Rolls, 5. Mondo custom seat bag, 6. custom top tube tote

So, this is what I've been up to this week! I have been glued to my sewing machine all week long. I still have a couple more custom orders to work on, but I am taking the weekend off. Hooray! I really do love custom work, though. It's always fun to see what my customers will come up with. The jewelry rolls are all for brides. (Congrats Nicole and Amanda!) The seat bag looks normal, but it is actually much bigger than my normal ones. I had a customer who just needed to carry more stuff, so.... The top tube tote was for a gal who has the cutest cruiser ever! And, the sling bag... It looks so simple, yet that was one heck of a challenge. I'm really diggin' it and sorta thinking of making one for myself.

Way To Go Jason!!!!!

2008-07-19T10:15:00.001-07:00

In a very manly sprint, Jason won the State Criterium Championship in his category this morning. I'm so proud. Congratulations!!!

(Sadly, I have no photo... )

Just popping in...

2008-07-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Where the heck did this week go?! I can't believe today is Friday! I've been pretty buried in my sewing room I guess. I took in lots of custom orders this week so I've been busy working on getting those together, and will still be working on them next week. I treated myself to a pair of really nice dress maker's shears, and I had no idea what I was missing.... I just thought I had good scissors. What else? Jason's shirt came in from Rat Trap Press and he loves it! Those folks are so nice; they sent me a shirt, too (one of their crank set designs)! How cool was that? I also ordered some vintage buttons that I hope will be in soon.

Oh, how I love buttons!

Crafty Bike Stuff on Etsy

2008-07-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

As of now, there's no cycling specific category on etsy. However, I've been told by admin that they'll look into adding a section for cycling in the subcategory of sports (in the toys category)... yeah we'll still be buried, but it's a something, right? Anyway, until then, I thought I'd highlight some of the many fabulous cycling related items on etsy. For starters....

"The Badger" by rattrappress

This is one for the hardcore cycling fans. Rattrappress is making one in orange for my husband who NEEDED this the moment he saw it. Check out their shop for other cycling inspired designs.

Need to add a little cute to your cruiser? CityStreamers makes the most fun streamers for your bike ever! They just slip right over your grips... easy. Who says streamers are just for kids' bikes?

How cool is this?! Laura from Tangerine Treehouse makes these custom head badges that are just amazing! If you can make a line drawing of it, she can turn it into a beautiful head badge. And, if you're like me and can't draw, for a very small fee she can turn your idea into a drawing!

While putting this post together I spoke with (ok, well convo'd) all of these sellers and they are all really great folks. I hope you will go check them all out and show your support for us cyclists on etsy. I hope to make this a pretty regular feature here, so stay tuned... or go ride!

Diving back in

2008-07-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

After much whining about it this morning, I dove right back into my sewing. I really wasn't ready for the vacation to be over (it was fabulous, btw), but after I got my belly-aching over with I had pretty darn productive day.

When I really need to sew a lot of stuff, I dedicate one day to cutting and prepping. So, today was that day. Now I have all ready to sew: 4 jewelry rolls (for a bride), 2 bicycle seat bags, and 4 top tube totes to match. That bit of red and pink striped fabric is some super duper cheap knit that I picked up today at Hancocks. I've been thinking about trying to make something fun with knits, and at like a dollar a yard, I couldn't pass that up. I'm thinking of this really cute sleep set from BurdaStyle. I just love that site! I haven't tried making any of their projects yet, but I love seeing everyone else's projects. I really do think I'll try this one.

Oh, and more great crafty news... my application for the licensing program at Sublime Stitching was accepted!!! Yay! Once I get my shop all caught back up, guess what's next? Keep your eyes peeled!

I'm gonna leave you tonight with one more beach photo... this is one of my very favorites.

And.. We're Back!

2008-07-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jason!!!!!

2008-06-27T04:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best husband, Daddy, and friend

these two girls could ever

ask for!!!

I Made a Cycling Cap

2008-06-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Cute, huh?

With the smokin' hot weather here, I decided it was time to make a nice breezy cycling cap for myself. I used this great tutorial from Curiously Crafty with just a couple of modifications. The instructions were really easy to follow, but of course, I had to go changing things. I only made it single layer for coolness instead of lined, so I had to make sure my seams were at least a little bit finished. (I really could use a serger.) I made the back panels from some nylon mesh that I salvaged from an old shoe bag I found at the back of our closet. And, I added elastic to the back so it would fit my head better for riding. It would have been OK without the elastic if I were just going to wear it casually, but for riding I wanted it a bit more snug. The bill was cut on the bias just for fun really and the bottom side of the bill is black to keep glare down.

How I Fixed My Waistband

2008-06-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

I bought a really cute pair of shorts yesterday that fit everywhere but the waist. Don't ya hate that? Good thing I can sew! I salvaged a piece of elastic from an old pair of adjustable pants that belonged to my daughter and added it to the inside of my waistband for a quick fix. The salvaged elastic was perfect because it has button holes sewn right in!

Here's what I did:

*I just used my seam ripper to make a couple of slits in the facing of my waistband.

*Added a button beside one of the slits.

*Fed the elastic through using a safety pin.

*Hand-stitched the elastic down to the facing on the end without the button (so you can't see the stitching on the outside of the shorts.

*And that's it! I can pull the elastic to make it more snug (or

not) as I need.

Really, I probably could have made it a bit wider so that you'd be less likely to notice the bit of gather in the back, but with my shirt down it's not terribly noticeable. Or, it would have been cool to have done this all the way around like my kid's pants are, but there were buttons and seams in the way.

Anyway, hope you all can use this tip!

Countdown

2008-06-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

No, not my favorite political news show on MSNBC... a countdown to Vacation!!! Next Sunday, the 29th, we're heading out for 4 days or so. We're taking the wee one on her first trip to the beach and I cannot wait. We're keeping it a secret from her till we get there (we'll just call it another of our adventures) or we'll be hearing "Are we at the beach yet?" every five seconds for the entire trip down. I know I was that way when I went with my folks, so I can expect nothing less from my little bit.

I'll have to see if I can embroider in the car without getting ill, lol. Otherwise, though, it's gonna be a craft-free week and I'm kinda glad. It'll be nice to step away from it all and come back refreshed and full of new ideas. I'm debating with myself about what to do with the shop... whether to leave it open or make everything inactive. I think the store will be left open, and I'll have an announcement in the shop, in my avatar, and in the message to the buyer that all purchases will ship out when I get back later in the week. We'll see.

Oh, it's gonna be a loooong week! :)

Crafty Stuff and Good Mail

2008-06-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm happy with my mailman this week :) My Chacos came in and they are super cute and comfy. It's still gonna be hard to give up my old sandals, but these sure are nice! A pair of sunglasses that I had sent off to be replaced came in. And, I got in a big bunch of cute zippers from KungFuCowgirl. I got one of her assortment packs and a set of 6 inch zips. The colors are so fun! I love buying supplies online (especially from etsy sellers) cause I can get so many things that I just don't really have access to here in Jonesboro.

I also had to pick up some embroidery floss and a bit of fabric at Hancock's today.. it was 1/2 off! In other crafty news, I sent off my application to Sublime Stitching to become a licensee, so keep your fingers crossed. Oh, and did I mention that I'm having a Yart Sale? Well, I am! In case you're wondering what a yart sale is, it's kind of a yard sale with an artistic slant. Someone on Etsy started the idea in hopes that it will become an annual event during the week leading up to summer. Anyway, I've marked down several of my wallets and zippered pouches and even a wristlet. You should really check it out! You can also search etsy for "yart" and tons of great sale items will pop-up.

TaDa...

2008-06-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

So a couple of posts back I said that I was going to try my hand at a little embroidery, well, I did and I LOVE it! I am totally hooked on this. What a relaxing crafty thing to do while the little one runs crazy in the back yard. I pulled out my Sublime Stitching book and just dove right in there with this super cute bird:

And, yup, that there is my first hand-embroidered wallet!!!

Since I used a copyrighted pattern for the embroidery, I can't sell it in my shop so it's mine all mine all mine! I'm either gonna have to learn to draw, or see if I can apply to sell my items using the Sublime Stitching patterns. I think I saw you can apply somewhere on the website. Notice the super cute tag inside that was done by Jacqueline of Snappy Bibs. She did a wonderful job, don't ya think? The inside fabric is the cutest vintage cotton (from a sheet I think). Anyway, I'm glad I laid down that challenge to myself for all of you to read! Now, what to embroider next? (I have some ideas, but I don't want to spoil what could be a great surprise for someone!)

Introducing....

2008-06-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

A brand spanking new item on DogwoodLane, the Girls' Ride Top Tube Tote!!! It's a mouth full, but hey, it gets the point across. These little bags are a super convenient place to keep your cell phone and keys handy while you're riding. I just have this one listed right now, but you can bet that there will be more!

Cheers to Summer

2008-06-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

The first official day of summer may not have happened yet, but it's definitely here. The sticky humidity and blazing heat are here. I'll take it, though, because along with it comes staying up late to chase fireflies in the front yard and waiting for the ice cream truck, frequent popsicle breaks, lotsa reading, trips to the fountain park, wading pools, and sprinklers. It also means a little less crafting, but that's OK, too. I may have to take a page from Anne's book and start doing a bit of needle work.... something I can do while sittin' in a patio chair. I ordered the book Sublime Stitching a while back all fired up about doing some embroidery and bringing in that element to my other projects, but my excitement sorta fizzled. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a hand embroidered wallet, though? I think it would! So. Now I've said it out loud... you all heard me (those of you who are sweet enough to peek in on me now and then)! Before summer's end, there will be at least one good (that's key, right?) embroidered project.

Now then, it's time to get back to my book. :) Oh, and I wanna know all about your summer crafting. What's your favorite thing to craft in the summertime?...ya know in case the stitching doesn't go as well as planned...

A Sad Goodbye

2008-06-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's a sad goodbye to my favorite summer accessory... my orange Birks. I've had them since my sophomore year at Hendrix, so something like 10 years. They've been resoled twice, once from wear and the other because I left them in a super hot car and the soles shrank right off the footbed. (That was sad and really funny at the

time!) I've worn the inside down to nothing, the cork is crumbling, and they need re-soling again. Of course, they'll still stay in the closet. (Well, maybe. They really really stink now, too.)

It's a sad thing to put them aside, but I have, at last, found a suitable replacement! These beautiful orange leather flips from Chaco

Soon the mailman will deliver these and my trusty sidekicks will be laid to rest.

One Crafty Rider...

2008-05-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, I've been really busy with custom orders. Well, this lovely seat bag was one of them. This bag was custom made with the zipper on the outside, so quick work could be made of getting flat fixin's in and out during a triathlon. The best part... this triathlete is a fellow crafty lady! She's Debi from the grayeyedscorpio on Etsy. She was sweet enough to take some pictures for me of her new seat bag on her bike. When she's not riding, she's sewing up some super cute accessories for her shop. She has some of the most fabulous headbands! And, if you check out her feedback, they get rave reviews for having the perfect fit. You know, not so loose that they fall right of the back of your head, but not so tight that you end up with a splitting headache after 15 minutes. Of course, that's not all she has (there are some great totes, uber cute fabric covered pendants, aprons...) but, I've got my eye on this little number:

When great minds come together

2008-05-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am posting photos of the collaboration between me, one great customer, and Snappy Bibs (she's the embroidery queen!). I started making these jewelry rolls at the request of a customer for her wedding and they were an instant hit. This is the 2nd large bridal party order I've done on etsy. I really think it's the embroidery that makes them as special as they are! There are 3 pockets. One that is really long and has a ribbon for hanging necklaces, one that is very shallow for teeny things like earrings, and one that's medium for chunky bracelets and such. My customer chose all of the outer fabrics, the satin lining, and the monogram color. She did a fine job I might add!

Where the magic happens...

2008-05-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a crazy amount of time at my sewing machine lately so I thought I'd share with you all where it all happens. I share my little workspace with the little one and the bikes (which is why I won't be showing the rest of the room, lol). The little desk was a great find from Target and the cabinets were some diy jobs from Home Depot that I got on the super cheap. I have a little bit of artwork to keep me inspired. If I dared to show the rest of the space you could see a great collage by Cyndi at DivaSchmiva . Right now, though, the thing that has me pinned to that chair is the to-do list taped to the pegboard.

I've been lucky enough to take in enough custom orders to keep my fingers going non-stop this week. The list reads: 5 jewelry rolls, 2 seat bags, 3 zippered pouches, 1 tote bag, 1 other bike bag... (and a partridge in a pair tree). I'm making my way through. I can't wait to get all the jewelry rolls finished! They are so pretty and embroidered by the fabulous Jacqueline of SnappyBibs. As soon as those puppies are finished, I'll post 'em up here.

Girls' Ride

2008-05-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Around here, Friday mornings belong to the ladies. My riding partner (and sometimes partners, we're not exclusive) and I meet up on Fridays for the girls' ride.... a casual, friendly kinda ride through town and then into the country. It's really a beautiful route (the photo is one of my favorite spots) with lots of tree lined country roads and open fields.

It's a good time and a great way for us to keep our girlish figures and it was the inspiration for the seat bags in my shop! That's my teeny cycling buddy, btw, who just can't wait to join the ride!

My Least Favorite Game

2008-05-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

So, today was a day for lots of..... wait for it..... waiting.

I'm waiting for fabric from the mailman for a custom order. Waiting for emails about other custom orders. Waiting for my husband to come home late tonight. Waiting for chat time with my AREtsy gals. You get the idea.

Reminds me of one of my favorite Mr. Rogers song Waiting

Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way? What did I do while I was waiting? Well, I watched the little one ride her bike A LOT, read a bit of Bel Canto, got some laundry done, cut out some fabric, read a few stories, did some dishes... Wait. Today was pretty darn productive! That Mr. Rogers.. so smart.