a pirates bounty

Basting and Quilting

2011-04-30T14:23:00.003-04:00

I am always curious how other quilters put together their 'quilt-sandwich' and basting process. I was lucky enough to quilt my sister-in-laws quilt for her and mid-baste remembered to take pictures to show the process!

I lay out the quilt bottom and and pull it very taut and then tape it down every 3-4 inches with painters tape. Every few strips I reinforce the tape with another piece crossed over. I think getting the bottom part as stretched out and tight as possible is the key to a pucker-free quilt. I try lining one edge up against the grout line on my tiles, but i'm not too stressed about this on the bottom (more concerning if you are perfectly matching a backing design to the top design)

Then I lay my piece of batting on top (i'm highly partial to warm & natural batting in cream. I like it because it is thinner and very soft (not that you feel the batting but I still like the idea). I make sure to leave about 1-2 extra inches on the quilt bottom and batting. I have found that my quilts don't shift much and I usually end up cutting this off, but it is a safety measure.

Next, I lay the quilt top on top of the batting and center it leaving the 1-2 inches of batting / backing and if I have done any piecing on the back (which i usually do) I try to match it up where i would like it to be (i.e. center, etc). Then I cut off the extra batting around the quilt. i should mention that I like to buy my batting in bulk off the roll. It comes by the yard and is about 120 inches tall (i think) - I can usually get it around $6.00 / yard at Jo-ann's with a coupon. The extra leftover is perfect for baby quilts or smaller projects.

Once I have trimmed the batting, I smooth out the top and start pinning. This is not fun on the tile floor so I try to go as fast as possible! I pin in rows about 2-4 inches apart and go from the center out. The more pins the less chance of puckering.

After the pinning ceremony is completed I start working on the lines for quilting if needed. I chose a lattice design for this quilt crossing through the squares. To be exact i decided to lay down chalk lines. I do this is a very scientific way: I go to the garage and get my husbands 60" ruler from his construction days and lay it across the quilt matching corners as best as possible and using my chalk tool I draw lines. I have realized that once the quilting is done it's hard to find the crooked lines, so I guess it really isn't all that scientific at all - but I do find it extremely helpful to have the chalk lines as guides. Once this is done - it's off to the sewing machine with my walking foot - a must!

A Finish!

2011-01-08T14:52:00.004-05:00

I did manage to finish 'Rocketboy' in 2010, just didn't get to post the pics. I was waiting for someone a bit taller to help me take pictures, but that never seemed to happen with good light outside. I think you can see the different parts with all the pictures and my sweet 7 year old holding his quilt!
The pic above is the back of the quilt and shows the back of the squares that i quilted in my variation of the 'square in square' method.

The rest of the quilting was straight line quilting anywhere from 1/4" to 1 1/2" apart. Mostly horizontal with vertical lines between the squares.

The front of the quilt! I still absolutely love the colors on this as it came together. Gray is probably my new favorite color and I've paired it with 2 shades of orange.

I know it's impossible to tell, but i did go bold on the color of quilting thread. Inside the 3 blocks I did an aqua blue and for the rest of the quilt I did an orange. I did stick with gray on the backside.

The picture above shows a good look at the square in square quilting on the frontside, inside the big square blocks.

I love how the binding turned out and the orange dots matched perfectly. I love combining different fabric lines for great combinations!

Finally, there was no pattern for this quilt. I found much inspiration from 3 particular blogs: Tallgrass Prairie Studio - Jacquie is my go-to for modern ways to quilt the quilt

Film in the Fridge - Ashley has the best ideas for modern pieced, quaint backings

Red Pepper Quilts - Rita gave me the original inspiration for the front of the quilt with the 3 big blocks - then i branched out from there - ironically my front inspiration came from one of her backings, which you can find a pic of here!

My goal was to only use items from my stash and mostly solid fabrics. I only had 4 fat quarters in the pattern (1 FQ per pattern). I did cheat and buy the binding. Everything else i had! Yippee!

love to quilt...

2010-11-23T17:01:00.002-05:00

here is a sneak peek at the quilting on the rocketboy quilt....it all started with a little square in a square..
here is square number 2 up close.

i love to straight line quilt with my awesome walking foot!

another view -

i think i just finished debating how to finish the small top portion and then the larger bottom portion - overall the quilting has gone fairly fast - i think i started about 3 days ago, but my quilting spurts are short and limited. A sick child at home today helped me get in a good couple hours. hoping to finish over the holiday weekend!

the finale...

2010-11-19T17:06:00.002-05:00

This is the final chapter on these placemats - they are finished and shipped off...a complete set of 5 times 2. I had fun making them and especially trying my hand at new quilting styles that I had been wanting to try. I think hands down my favorite is still straight line and the square within a square quilting method - both to do and look at.

Flower pattern

Square pattern (see the chalk lines?!)

More squares, or rather funky rectangles...

Simple, straight lines

I'm forcing myself to get down on the hard, tile floor and baste together the Rocketboy quilt after I finish this post. I want to quilt it, just dread the basting! I'm also working on starting a Christmas table runner that I hope to get done before the holiday!

Finishes...

2010-11-15T16:10:00.005-05:00

I finished the fall table runner I was quilting for my mom last week, binding and all. I realized about 1/3 of the way through that I picked a rather 'over-zealous' quilting pattern as usual and it seemed to take forever to finish in my short spurts of free - time.
Up close you can see that I quilted a maple & oak leaf and then a tree pattern to match the shapes in the fabric.

I used a burnt orange color thread and a chocolate corduroy for the binding - Love Love Love the binding - I am going to do this more often - I really like the added texture it adds!

The backing may be my favorite part - I really like the pattern and I had to cut it to get it to fit the length so i added a little personal patchwork touch to it! I hope she likes it!

the entire back

I think you could easily reverse it and do both sides - i used a flannel remnant as the 'batting' so it is nice and then for the table - which i think gives it a more modern look and feel!

Placemat progress

2010-10-23T11:36:00.002-04:00

I must say i'm a bit over sewing with this fabric....and i'm sure you are too! Hopefully this is the next to last post on the placemats! I have the final four quilted and waiting on binding. I do love how the quilting turned out though and because the placemats are 12"x18" it isn't a perfect square pattern..

I have consolidated my strips into this jar to keep them together and off the cutting / work table. I have added some solid strips from my scrap pile to give a little more diversity in the blocks. I'm not sure how many blocks i'm doing yet, but i have a feeling i may run out of this fabric stash - which really is the end-goal! I'm working on blocks 8-12 on these and have been doing them in group of 4 for no reason in particular...

One final strip to sew on the bottom of the rocketboy backing then on to the basting. Also piecing a backing for a table runner i'm quilting....hope to do today before the harvest festival...if i can get a certain little one down for a nap...happy sewing!

Rocketboy Update

2010-10-19T17:36:00.002-04:00

My lovely quilt top all folded nice and neat with the binding fabric placed on top waiting for me to finish piecing the back (which i'm heading over to now)

A sneak peek at the top....

a close-up...

and the finale! i love this one and can't wait to quilt it - i think i know what i'm going to do...just need to pick out the thread color.....bold or subtle?

will work for fabric....

2010-10-18T17:11:00.003-04:00

Guess what came in my mail today? A new stash addition of Anthology Fabrics High Society Bundle in Clay from Hawthorne Threads compliments of my mum! I have been wanting this bundle ever since it came out.....and lucky for me my mom needed a fall table runner quilted and bound...so we traded - what an awesome trade, right? The best part - she ordered this on Friday and I received it in the post today - wow! The 3 below are my favorites - if I had to pick favorites....

I already have plans for the fat quarters - I'm going to cut them into 4.5" squares to best utilize the size of the quarters and mix and match with some kona solids to put together a quilt front. Our living room is a mixture of taupes, chocolates and warm neutrals so it will make the perfect replacement for an old throw.

I can't wait to get started on these! I am feeling pretty good about finishing up some WIP's this week. The last 4 placemats are stacked neatly ready for the binding, the robot quilt front is finished waiting on the piecing of the back, and i finished 4 more strip blocks for a total of 8 and started on 4 more. Yeah! What are you working on this week?

be back soon...

2010-10-01T17:16:00.002-04:00

I haven't been able to post lately because I just got back from a short, but much needed vacation! The first in over 7 years without our boys to be exact! I have been working extra before and after to catch up - so I'm hoping to be back at it next week....enjoy the pics!

sailing on the hobie - something we never have a chance to do without the kids - although it's fun with them too!

welcome aboard!!!

chillin on the island!

formal night! somehow i still fit in that 'perfect black dress' from college!

the cruise ship!

I took my machine in for annual service yesterday - hoping to have it back by tomorrow - I guess you get extra fast service in Florida before the 'birds' fly down! wowsers!

quilting flowers

2010-09-22T17:27:00.003-04:00

i decided to really step outside the box on this one and do flower quilting. I had seen the idea on this blog - which also just happened to be posted on my birthday of quilting big, loopy flowers!

I know the pictures aren't the best but the sunlight helps show the flower with the dark thread. I absolutely loved doing these and I seem to be a lot better at flowers than stippling...

I think I may try this on a bigger quilt if i take the chance and do some bright, fun fabrics even though i have a house full of boys! It went fairly fast too. It does definitely use more thread and by the 3rd or 4th loop the center of the flowers become stiff with all of the stitches. I would like to try this in a variegated thread on a child's shirt without any extra fabric, but just the stitches as the pattern - hmmm....

rocketboy

2010-09-21T16:26:00.003-04:00

here is an up-to-date picture of the quilt in progress named 'rocketboy'. i have the main blocks done, I am going to add another strip of orange to the outside of the row to complete this part.

one of my favorite parts of making a quilt has become choosing the binding and putting it on. I love coordinating this part of the project....so i'm happy to say I made a stash-addition and ordered this awesome print for the binding. It is amy butler's lotus full moon polka dot tangerine and I found it at Pink Chalk Fabrics. This is an older print and becoming harder and harder to find.

I took a couple shots testing it out as 'binding' - I think it's gonna be fab-u-lotus!

Originally, I wanted something w/ red in it to bring out the bit of red in the blocks, but I couldn't find the lotus in the red color anywhere, so i thought tangerine would be the next best option.

can't wait to finish so i can get this binding on there....must finish placemats first!

not for the faint at heart

2010-09-20T17:24:00.002-04:00

Do you drive in the left lane, when deep down you know you should be in the right lane? Do you tap the brakes often? Do you run out of patience easily?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then stippling might not be for you! I finally dove in head first with a set of the place-mats I'm making and tried my hand at stippling. It isn't my favorite quilting pattern, but some people do it and make it look really nice and easy. i read several people say it goes much faster than straight line quilting, so i wanted to try it.

I thought I'd put my pride aside and show you my first attempts - and they are rather ugly i tell you! The entire time i was doing this i kept thinking of sea anemone or bad maple leaves. The hardest part was getting my foot to work with my hands and get my stitch length adjusted.

I found this explanation of stippling: Stippling is a common form of "filler" quilting. Either done by hand or by machine, it creates a pattern of closely-sewn, roaming lines that fill background spaces on a quilt.

I dove in without a real plan as to which way to go or how to fill in the space other than the few online tutorials i had watched. Looking at it now....i think i can do better and practice will make 'better'! I had some 'harsh' edges when i wasn't sure where to go, but the faster i worked the better off i was.

My stitches started really long so i needed to get comfortable with the pedal more depressed and working quicker. It did go quickly and I did remove some of the really bad stitches that were too long.

I think i'll try it again, maybe on some pot-holders or another small project - i think it would be a great skill to have and develop as well as an addition to my quilting options! Tell me your story about learning to stipple!

A peek inside my Studio

2010-09-14T16:56:00.004-04:00

I thought it might be fun to show you a little peek into my studio. I was taking some pictures this past weekend, and it was fairly clean, so a good time to snap some shots! Here is an overall view of the room with my sewing area and cutting table. In our home in Indiana I had turquoise walls, which I miss dearly. This is way bland for my taste, but it works for now!

A different view including my window overlooking the canal.

Some Scrapbooking Supplies / Stash

A jar with my leftover bindings / triangles left

My many colors of thread for appliqueing and the left-over spools...I don't have anything else to fill this jar just yet, and it's somewhat rewarding to know how much you've sewn and used your beloved machine!

Lots o' ribbon for crafting

And that's the tour! As my number of quilting projects grows I may need to find a new way of organizing. Believe it or not my fabric stash is limited to 1 large metal basket housed in our laundry room shelving. I have 1 small bag on the floor inside my cutting table where i throw my scraps. I have only made a handful of quilts (less than 10) so i don't have a need to color sort scraps or organize them further at this point. It has taken much willpower to keep my stash at this level...as you can tell my scrapbooking hobby didn't include the same willpower! I am living the motto 'less is more' and using what i have, as hard as it is!

what i'm working on....

2010-09-13T10:24:00.001-04:00

Here's a look at what I'm working on this week:

I finished 4 of the strip quilt blocks and have 4 more in process, a look at what a 'big' block will look like - do you see the 'X' through the middle that forms when you put them together?

Here is one of the Robot blocks for my bigger guy - he wants a new quilt. It will have oranges, greys and blues. A bigger modern pattern - inspiration here.

And here is a new small system for organizing projects (instead of piles on my cutting table / ironing board) It will work for now. Top row: placemats / sailboat quilt. 2nd row: Strip quilt blocks / fabric. 3rd Row: Pillowcase / fabric backing / Improv quilt fabric.

I have 4 more placemats done and pinned ready for quilting and binding. A bigger look at my studio / sewing space tomorrow!

i'm a winner!

2010-09-11T10:40:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite things about reading blogs, besides the inspiration and friendships, is the chance at a random giveaway. You leave a comment and then cross your fingers all week in hopes that you've been chosen by the random generator. Do you comment first, last or somewhere in-between....what are my chances? I have left many comments and never won a quilt-blog giveaway until about 2 weeks ago!!! Not only did i win this giveaway, but I won something awesome!

I joined the Improv(e) Your Butt Challenge on Tallgrass Prairie Studio's Blog and by completing my weekly goal was able to enter to win part of her scrappy stash. After finding out I was the winner I will admit I stalked the mailbox / carrier for about 10 days and was so excited to find it in the post.

An overall view of my goody bag

A little bit better pic of each fabric. I can't decide what to do with these....the challenge is to exercise more regularly and the reward part was a piece of fabric for every mile completed - forming an improv project / quilt. I thought it would be perfect to use this stash to start my improv project.

My absolute favorite scrap!

The collection of my most favorite scraps out of the pile!

String Quilt Blocks

2010-09-09T10:02:00.003-04:00

I love the look of the string quilt block and how the 4 blocks form a pattern with just the strip in the center. I'm trying to use up the rest of this older Amy Butler Fabric and thought this would be a great way to use up scraps and my remaining yardage. This is my first finished block, although since this pic I finished 3 more!

this is a simple pattern and makes for easy sewing - I used this tutorial from Ashley at Film in the Fridge. The little tiny corners are also a great way to use those little triangles left over from mitering your binding!

These blocks are a tad more difficult to chain piece, for me at least. I tend to get 3-4 projects going and then spend time at the machine chain-piecing, then chain ironing and then re-pinning new pieces and then back to the machine. How do you do it? Do you just do one project or sew one piece, then iron then pin the next piece?

1+1 = 2

2010-09-03T17:33:00.003-04:00

I finished another set of placemats to add to my mom and grandma's collection I'm making them. They already have 1 apiece and now they have 2!

They each have the same theme of fabric, but I thought it'd be fun to try different quilting on each of the 4 mats. The brown theme is my mom's and the first one had quilted square on it.

This one is my grandma's where i tried organic quilting this time....must say that i *loved* it - no boundaries and so fast! Her first mat had random circles intersecting each other (I just traced a bowl with chalk and went for it with the circles!)

4 more to go!

Camera Strap

2010-08-31T16:39:00.004-04:00

I just love this new camera strap I made. I've been wanting one for the longest time, but haven't sat down to figure it out and just do it. I had a friend request one for her mom's birthday, so I ended up with the proto-type and this one was for her mum.

I found the Cameras in Teal fabric from Hawthorne Threads. It is from the Spring 2010 line by Etsuko Furuya. The fabric was to die for - a heavier weave of linen. Very sturdy with excellent color quality. I can't wait to grow a stash big enough for an entire quilt out from this designer.

The strap is actually a sleeve that just slides over your camera strap, much prettier than the generic one on your camera now - as well as having way more cushion for your neck! This one has a backing of black 'minky' or 'fur' fabric as well as some extra padding for extra cushion.

I just love it and can't wait to make another! By the way - this was my new use for french seams. No exposed frays on the inside of this cover~! I think I may need a few to switch out depending on season and mood!

Pillowcase & French Seams

2010-08-30T15:53:00.002-04:00

I have had intentions of taking pictures and posting since the beginning of last week. But, school started as well as my new, very early and longer hours at work and with the longer parent pick-up lines full of anxious parents my free time was limited.

A last minute project I had before my little guy started preschool was to make a pillowcase for his 'travel size' pillow for nap time at school. I have made pillowcases before, but really wanted french seams on the inside and I had wanted to do the trim between main body and cuff - I finally found a super easy tutorial from Film in the Fridge and adjusted it for a toddler size pillow - we used a 'travel size' pillow from Target - so this would be perfect for car trips as well.

Sometimes when fudging my own pattern I forget to write down measurements, etc. This time I remebered and wrote down the sizes....if you are interested leave me a comment and I will give the measurements for this size pillow. It turned out fabulous and he loves it!

I *heart* french seams and have been dreaming of more ways to use them....I'll show you another one soon!

stash addition

2010-08-12T14:22:00.005-04:00

i just received this in the mail on Saturday to add to my stash. I got it from hawthorne threads which is my favorite online shop. i always envisioned florida having an overwhelming amount of quilting shops, but not so much. I haven't found anything with contemporary fabric and only one shop with a decent but small selection. So, with the price of gas these days it's just as cheap for me to order online and pay shipping and get exactly what i love. I do miss feeling and looking at the fabric up close and personal though; I tend to buy my kona solids at jo-ann's so i still get a bit of matching fabrics in person!

i never know how much to buy, probably bc most times i have no idea what i'm going to do with the fabric. i ended up with a 1/2 yard of this. a lot of times i wish i'd bought more, but I also don't want to tire of it. Do you have a system that you use or does it vary in what you add to your stash??

I'm off to finish binding my placemats and doing a little bit of my 'day' job, you know the one that pays for the stash! i should have the placemats done to show you tomorrow!

a couple finishes and a new stash to start

2010-08-09T13:37:00.002-04:00

I finished quilting 2 of the place mats I have been working on over the weekend. They are gifts I've been trying to finish up. It has been fun because they are 12"x18" and the perfect small size to practice different types of quilting on. I also thought it'd be fun if the set of 4 had different quilting on each mat. The first one is just straight line quilting.

This one I decided to do some organic quilting on. I hadn't done this before, although I'd contemplated it on a bigger quilt. This was a nice small way to figure out if i liked it. I do love just being able to sew any.which.way.you.want with no rules or lines to follow. That also pretty much sums up the type of person I am. Not a leader nor a follower. I don't like conformity much, go out of my way to be something different and unique. I also don't like others following me or my lead...I like for others to also do their own thing, much like the random, free spirited lines. also a good reason i like modern quilting - with little measured cutting or rules to follow - just piece it together, however you want!

Here is a little part of my stash I pulled out and I'm finally ready to cut into it. I think I've figured out what I want to do with it and can't wait to start on it!

Subtle Trains

2010-08-06T14:34:00.003-04:00

This is the front of the quilt. A smaller train applique in the bottom right corner. I used felt to piece it together as I wanted a certain subtleness about it, but matching the backing fabric in primary colors.

I haven't even taken a final measurement of it, but I'm fairly certain I started with about a 1 yard remnant. So, I'm guessing it turned out about 36"x44" or so. I did a royal blue flannel binding - note to self - flannel is a bit bulkier binding then quilting fabric so a 2 3/8" width might have been more forgiving in this instance.

peeking out over the top!

My little helper is holding up the front - so proud of his new quilt!

The back is the remnant piece that started the quilt....trains galore!

reveal and remnants

2010-08-05T12:06:00.005-04:00

This quilt started with a flannel remnant. To say that my youngest son is obsessed with trains is an understatement. He absolutely loves them. As soon as he saw this he had to have it! Then came the question of what to do with it. He already has a train pillowcase that I made, but not a train quilt. I thought the pattern was a little busy for the front, so it is actually the back.

I usually only work with flannel when I make long pajama pants for wintertime (not really needed in Florida) but my older guy likes them anyway. So, sewing a quilt with flannel was new for me. I also received the walking foot for my Bernina machine for my birthday at the end of June. We were on holiday up north (Illinois) until mid-July visiting my family, so I've just now gotten to test it out....this has been a long time coming!! The last fuller size princess quilt I made for Project Linus had a lot of puckers and i was so disappointed in the quilting...I knew a walking foot would make a huge difference. I went with a simple straight line pattern from corner to corner creating a diamond shape. There are 2 small puckers on the back which could have been from lack of over-basting, but i'm so pleased with it otherwise.

I must admit binding is becoming one of my favorite parts of quilting....is that so wrong? I love picking it out, cutting it, mitering it and sewing it on - another excuse to use the walking foot as well. I also admit I do not do any handsewing....the few quilts i have look terrible...I just don't have the hand or patience for a perfect hand-sewn blind stitch. Machine sewing looks much better than my hand-i-work. I found the best tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts. It is very clear and concise and it works perfectly - I started my first binding at 2.5" width and realized quickly that was too wide for me. I narrowed it to 2 3/8" and have done this on my last 5-6 projects and finally narrowed it to 2.25" for this quilt and I think it will be perfect - it is an art to make the binding the right width for your personal sewing style.

I have 1/2 of the binding pinned and just need to finish and sew the back down...the rest of the quilt reveal will be tomorrow!

Join the Challenge...

2010-07-30T15:24:00.004-04:00

I decided to join the challenge presented by Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio - the Improv(e) your Butt Challenge! I already cycle and run and try to do 2 long rides a week and have been slacking in the running department. I thought this might be a good way to get myself motivated. For every mile you log you get to add 1 piece of fabric to your Improv quilt. I have a few ideas I've been wanting to try - so maybe this will help me along.

You can particpate to by going to Jacquie's site and joining the Quilter's Butt team or join on your own on this site. You start in VA, and each mile you log takes your further across the United States, it is very fun! I have already logged my first 30 miles.

where's the fire?

2010-07-29T11:41:00.002-04:00

Just finished packaging up this cutie shirt for a customer. Her little boy is wearing it on his 3rd birthday next month! I love all the detail in this shirt and different pieces.

In fact, my favorite part is how well the actual shirt compliments the fabrics and applique design! I am deciding whether to list a few of the designs on etsy for sale in custom sizes and similar fabrics....any thoughts? I usually use Old Navy t-shirts so I feel the sizing can be fairly universal if you shop there. Off to finish my train quilt - it is in flannels and it has been interesting quilting it versus stiffer quilting fabric.

finishes

2010-07-25T14:19:00.005-04:00

here are some recent finishes in the last few months - i'm working on a firetruck shirt right now for a little boy's 3rd bday and doing a camera design for a photography friend. also turning my boyfriend jeans into 'girlfriend capri's' the wide leg just doesn't look good on me!

in the midst of quilting my little guys train quilt and should have pics of that soon! enjoy...

a few more new designs....

2010-02-08T15:42:00.003-05:00

An adult tee with bird applique - this one turned out awesome!

A cute boy's tee with tractor and '3' for 3rd birthday shirt - for my friend Karin's son

up next are designs for robots, elephants, owls, cupcakes, dinosaurs, sailboats, firetrucks, dump-trucks and much, much more!

i have some fabulous ideas for simple, modern baby quilts....can't wait to show you!

what happens....

2010-02-04T16:52:00.007-05:00

when your mom sews and can't find any cute boy clothes??

this happens.......

my friend karin and i have put together quite a few possible ideas and i will be sharing them with you over the next few weeks and months. some will become available for sale and custom sizing in my etsy store after quality testing is finished.

on another note here is a sneak peek at the 4 blocks going into my first Project Linus charity quilt. I am designing, constructing and quilting 2 quilts for Project Linus in SW Florida, which they donate to children in need. I chose to do 2 quilts for girls, since I have 2 boys at my house and do not get a lot of opportunity to play with girlie colors!! I will be piecing around these blocks and then I'm contemplating trying 'organic quilting' (this link shows a good example of what i'm talking about-she refers to it as random straight line, but myself and a few others say 'organic') with these, but i'm not completely certain yet.

Peace, Love & .......

2010-01-31T11:30:00.006-05:00

I have been working on a few new projects in the new year. My friend karin asked if i could help her make a custom baby gift, and of course, if you know me well - then you know this sparked tons of imagination for me and the ideas came so fast I couldn't catch up with them... Thanks to her it led me to doing a few other things that have been sitting on the back burner in the right side of my brain!

Here is a shot of my first custom adult applique shirt - modern style.

Peace, Love & Wool

Peace, Love & ......... what would yours say??? I will show you what mine says in a week or so!

I also finished my blocks for Cancer is Sew done, in the nick of time. I met my February 1st deadline a week early! They were fun and easy to make once I found the extra time to do them. I am making 2 child size quilts for Project Linus and will use 2-3 of the friendship blocks in these quilts also.

The top one is from Amy Butler's 'I love Lotus' fabric line and because I ran my deadline so short I didn't have a chance to go get some solids to add in, so i put all of the patterns together - this wasn't my first choice and I don't think i would ever do it for an entire quilt - but it did grow on me. The 2nd block is from the 'everyday is christmas' group and i little more in favor of my modern taste - i like the pink thrown in with the xmas fabric.

I have spent a few days reflecting on where sewing has taken me in my life. I was introduced to it at a very young age by my Aunt who had 3 boys and no girls. She and my Uncle were always hand-making me things and their youngest son was 9 years older than me, so I would say i was definately spoiled by them. I have very fond memories of Strawberry Shortcake dollhouses, a giant rocking giraffe, handmade barbie clothes and doll clothes. The best hand-painted doll chest for my 'American Girl' doll and clothes to go with. My 2 sons play with many of these items today (among their loads of trucks, legos, trains and all-boys toys!). She taught me how to sew and gave me the fabric and tools i needed to construct my first quilt with 4" square blocks when I was probably 8 or 9 years old. I still have that quilt and dabbled in and out of sewing during the years but never 'really' getting into it until after my first son was born.

Suddenly I felt the need to create again and began reading and researching everything sewing i could get my hands on. I borrowed, then bought my own machine and took it up again. Most of you know where that took me and I founded and owned a custom sewing company for 4 years until I sold it. I began sewing for myself again and started thinking of what I was really passionate about - learning the art of quilting. Then I began sewing cloth diapers for a good friend. I have been doing that for about a year and a half now and have enjoyed every minute of creating the delicate pieces. I just learned a few days ago, very sadly, that she has decided to close up shop. Such a hard decision that many small business owners, especially in the craft and hobby, sector, and much WAHM businesses (work at home mom's) have to contemplate. The art of balancing raising children and working from home is almost impossible to achieve for the wages you make. I will be sad to sew my last 60 cloth diapers but am excited at where my sewing will go next.

After almost 6 years of constant sewing, I have finally realized I am somewhat of an expert in certain areas of sewing. It's funny to think that and really crazy to say it out-loud. But, I am a very good, detailed seamstress. By absolutely no means does this mean that I never rip out seams, or make mistakes, but my work is exceptional. I've spent many years learning, researching, trying new things and finding my niches and growing in my abilities - just as anyone else would in their full-time job. I can't wait to explore the next area and start creating my own quilts and putting my ideas on paper. I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me!

Welcome 2010

2010-01-17T11:33:00.009-05:00

It seems like the last month has been a big frenzy sending us into the new year. We were so grateful to have family in town for 2 weeks after Christmas. We had so much fun even though the weather was exceptionally cold for southwest Florida. This week was our 2nd week back to school and of course the germs returned and our little guy is sick with virus and ear infection. He was so worn out yesterday he fell asleep on the bathroom floor waiting for me to get out of the shower and lay down with him!

My parents and grandparents drove down after Christmas and then my grandparents stayed an extra week afterwards. We did so many fun things....

Christmas pj's in person!

A little Rockband on Christmas Eve...

We spent a lot of time cruising around Coconut Point Mall...an outdoor mall less than a mile from our house with lots to do! Dad and the boys outside the Trek Bicycle Store...

The boys outside of Moe's - I'm so very lucky that they get along so well and love each other so much!

Dad taught Tyler how to hold up #2 for how old he is - try it - not an easy thing for chubby little fingers! More coordination involved than what we know!

Tyler and I at Lakes Park (the train park!)

I did get some sewing done over the Holidays, sadly I only had 1 WIP finish for the Joy in the New Year Challenge, but that is okay! My grandma brought her double wedding rings quilt that she had started hand-quilting about 15 years ago and hadn't done anything with for over 10 years. She had 8 blocks finished and we cut out the pieces for 4 more blocks and I machine pieced the little pieces for her. I was able to send her home with 4 more blocks to piece together - this definately brought Joy in the new year by starting an old project and adding another generation of sewing and handiwork to the project. When she originally starting cutting this quilt there were no rotary cutters. She was tracing the pieces by hand and cutting them out with quilting scissors. I introduced her to a mini-rotary cutter and mat and we cut the blocks in probably 1/4 of the time it would have taken years ago.

I also stumbled upon this challenge while at the bookstore browsing the magazine section...I've learned to use the memo function on my phone for things like this - I type in the title of a book, website, etc. when I find something interesting that I want to check out later, but not necessarily purchase the book or magazine. So, I came home and went on the All People Quilt 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge website and downloaded 4 FREE pillowcase tutorials. If you have a coordinating 1 1/4 yards of fabric you can donate to this wonderful cause and be part of the challenge. I tested out the basic pattern on a train fabric Tyler had picked out with Grandma over vacation. It is SO easy!!! Take the challenge today - I dare you!

I have also started another one of these pillows, because they are so easy and I love doing them - no measuring at all!! Other than that I managed to clean (literally wipe off) the top of my cutting / crafting table yesterday - which really means i sorted, put away, threw away all the contents crowding the top of it - this really needs to be done at least twice a year, right? I really wanted a fresh start to 2010~ and now feel like i have it. I have sorted my immediate sewing projects into 3 stacks for most current and hope to add to that often. I am starting a list on the left hand side of 2010 WIP's (works in progress) and hopefully they will filter into 2010 projects finished.

Last but not least I finished sewing these custom beauties yesterday for my friend / founder at OBB Diapers....aren't they amazing?

free motion fun

2009-12-23T12:47:00.007-05:00

A few more hand-made Christmas gift done! On to the next one!

well i finally finished a WIP for the Joy in the New Year Challenge and here it is - not only is it my first completed WIP for this project, but my first time at free motion quilting - or quilting in general. I have made many quilts, but always handed them off and paid to have them actually quilted. I'm so excited and inspired by this - the possibilities are really endless and i really enjoyed doing it myself. I thought starting with a smaller project and christmas gift were the way to go. The tutorial for this 20x20 pillow can be found here - it was a super fast and fun project with excellent details on the tutorial. Mine came together in about 2-3 days including the quilting. The back is an envelope closing and I just chose a light pink Kona Cotton versus a pattern since the front was so busy - this will help for easy washing also.

Here is an up-close shot of the quilting - i did the 'pebbles' style like the one in the tutorial, but the next one I do I think I'll try the square in square for a more modern feel. I did use a light yellow thread and I think it added the appropriate 'charm' i was looking for. I am very happy with it!

Here are also the pictures from this years Christmas jammies for the boys. I went with flannel pants and an appliqued shirt. I left the edges raw on the shirt as I wanted them to fray after washing!

Austin's jammies (top) Tyler (bottom)

santa is so close...

2009-12-17T10:59:00.002-05:00

At the beach Dec. 15th!

I Love the beach!!!!

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just 7 days away when you have 86 degree days at the beach : ) It's been quite the adjustment after living in the midwest with seasons for over 30 years! Your body really gets used to the season changes and my body is saying it's October! But, we love being at the beach in December and being active outside daily and this really is the best time of year here!

I have a lot of handmade xmas gifts 'in-process' including my 2nd annual making of the Christmas jammies for the boys - the pants are almost done and i found the shirts today - i should have a pic up by tomorrow - I think they are going to be awesome! A few other things are done - mum's the word - and the other's should be completed by the end of the weekend.

Next week the baking shall begin....cookies, cheese balls, meatballs, pies, and we got our ham for xmas day yesterday! I'm getting excited! Family rolls in on the 27th for a couple weeks and we can't wait!!!

Tyler's favorite 'surrogate' dog - they have really bonded!

what to eat??

another grand give-away!

2009-11-20T14:47:00.003-05:00

i've snuck in a little time to take my 56 sailboat blocks to the next step....i'm trimming and prepping to sew the left sky piece on all the blocks via chain-piecing...i've come upon a block in the road though - austin has a full-size bed which has been the plan for this quilt all along...now we are contemplating getting 2 twin beds for the boys room....i of course have several weeks if not months to make up my mind - but do i forge ahead with the full size quilt or do 2 matching twin sizes?? ah - decisions!

If you are a fan of Denyse Schmidt and her style or fabric and haven't found this site yet you must check it out. It is titled 'Flea Market Fancy Freaks' those of us addicted to this so versatile fabric that seems to be the perfect addition to any project. They have a petition going to bring in another run of the Flea Market Fancy line. Check it out for a free chance to win some goodies!

wanna be a winner???

2009-11-18T17:46:00.002-05:00

want a chance to win one of these???

Go to donna downey's blog and leave a comment at a chance to win...but hurry - comments end at 10:00 pm tonight....if i don't win - dear santa, can you leave one under my tree??

Good luck!

I'm so excited!

2009-11-10T16:42:00.005-05:00

Yeah!!! I finally got the courage to join my first virtual quilting bee! I haven't done it before because of the monthly committment and then the thought of having to plan my own blocks the month i host and get the material to the group on time, etc. I can barely get anywhere on time so how could I manage this, right?

But, i found the perfect virtual group today and took the plunge! It is called Cancer is Sew Done and they send you the fabric every month give you a specific block to make and a self-addressed envelope to send it back in! How easy, right? The blocks come together to form a quilt that is then auctioned off to benefit a cancer charity. How cool. There is time for you to join to, even if you are a beginner this is the perfect way to get your feet wet and help a great cause at the same time.

This is a picture of the block we are doing for the first month, i'm just waiting on my fabrics to arrive to get going. This is also the block for the first quarter of the Block Party Quilt Along I have some other fabrics at home that i've been waiting for the perfect quilt idea and i think i might try them on this! Should have something to show you soon!

Quilt Along

2009-11-07T19:21:00.004-05:00

I've been terribly addicted to quilting blogs lately, the more modern the better. i'm loving all the ideas and inspiration i get from them.

I stumbled across this blog the other day http://www.blockpartyquilting.com/ and found that they are doing a year-long quarterly quilt along to prepare for their new book! How exciting....they will be offering tutorials on a block a quarter and then quilters are asked to post pics on their flickr account and some will be used for the book - the book is a look at the modern quilting community online and how the virtual quilting bee has come back with a vengeance and the community that modern quilters are finding online through online quilting bees and quilt alongs. Fantastic, I say!

In case you aren't aware of how a virtual quilting bee works - there are a ton to choose from online - each member hosts a month - sends fabric to the other members and boundaries for what size blocks she/he wants, style, etc. You have a few weeks to make the block(s) and send it back, so essentially once a year you get the blocks to make a quilt made by others and so forth!

Block Party is doing a giveaway here for all that want to check it out! I'm in!

halloween 2009

2009-11-03T17:55:00.005-05:00

i think this is really fast for me to get halloween pics up! i don't have many good ones this year..tyler decided to totally not cooperate and up until we started walking down the street I didn't think he'd actually wear a costume. he was going to go as his poor little grouchy self! But, amazingly enough he put it on and away he went. Fleece costumes were not a good idea for the exceptionally warm weather we had here...high 80's for sure. Our therapist told us in her 14 years in Estero this was absolutely the hottest halloween ever.....why does that not surprise me? i think i've been hot since June 1st this year....can't wait for that next cold front here --- maybe december - should be in the 70's !!!

this is how i feel most days!

anyway we did capture a few good pics and i'll post those for all to see! lots of loot which always makes one happy mama!

Joy in the New Year Challenge

2009-11-03T14:30:00.002-05:00

If you notice to the left I added a new picture / link. Tallgrass Prairie Studio is a blog that I read daily and gain a ton of inspiration from. If I had to sum up the type of quilter I think of myself as - I could send you to Jacquie's blog and say "just like her!" She has a very modern quilting style and most of her stuff is simple and easy, but really makes you look once then again and again and think....wow, I really like that!

She posted a challenge yesterday to count your UFO's or WIP's in quilt's or quilt tops that you would like to finish before the new year....like a before the new year resolution! I thought about it and then said, why not and joined in on the fun...I decided 4 was a completely unreasonable amount for me to finish, but I'd be ecstatic if I came close. I'm in the midst of finishing the top of the sailboat quilt for Austin's bed. The blocks are probably about 1/2 done then they need to be sewn together. The other 3 quilts in my head are much, much simpler, although I'm hoping for a huge statement. So, I'm thinking that 1 quilt is extremely realistic!

If you want to join in the fun, click on the picture and leave a comment and post about your thoughts! Come on, it'll be fun!

some new creations....

2009-09-27T09:27:00.005-04:00

Well, we finally got Austin settled in school....naps rescheduled earlier so we are awake and ready to go pick him up by 2:30 and earlier bedtimes for all. I still think it is hardest for me to wake up before everyone else in the morning, even though it is peaceful when we do. I still hate the chaos school brings of 'having' to get up and trying to get everyone ready and out the door. I just can't seem to adhere to structure...probably a major fault in a lot of eyes....can't say i'm a list-maker - more free-spirited - do as i please when i feel like it - that is what life's about, right?

With Austin going off to school we are trying to spend more time with Tyler to encourage his speech along - this is our day at the park.. he was cracking up at this!

on the other side of the teeter-totter!

me goofing around

so sweet, hmmm......mr. blue eyes

in the fort....could they be more different?

Labor Day visit with my parent's - we had so much fun!

Austin at his new desk at school - first day!

His new 'big' backpack - should last for a few years!

All ready for school - uniform and all - no worries on what to wear.

Now on to some craft things i've been doing. This is a sneak peek at the quilt i'm working on. I've wanted to do this for about 4 years now (ha) but plenty of things kept getting in my way. Now, I seem to have more time and finally got up the nerve to start it. I swear i've read the pattern about 100 times and it seemed rather confusing, but I decided to just jump in and figure it out. While, it is different, it has turned out to come together nicely. I did a few semi-complete blocks at first and now i'm chain piecing the parts together to be more efficient. The blocks will measure 12 x 12" when they are complete and I need 42" of them for a full-size quilt. Each block (like below) will be a different size depending on how it goes together so I'm going to add white around each boat until it reaches 12.5 x 12.5" (with seam allowance) and then create the rows. I ran out of sails and sky fabric yesterday and had to get some more - so i'm back at it today!

the block below is the very first one i did about 4 years ago - i realized now that i had several of the pieces going the wrong way...i was going to throw it out, but decided to add it in - i think it makes the boat look like it is in the high seas moving around. I also like to have one 'non-anticipated' mistake in every quilt - i don't think it has anything to do with being a perfectionist or not - the sewing is perfect - just the pattern is a bit off. It gives you something to find each time you use the quilt. I remember doing this as a little girl with my grandma - we would look at the quilts her mother made (my great-grandma) and find the mistakes - it was always so much fun for me and I'll remember it forever -something i'd like to pass along in my quilts!

A couple of the remaining cards I made that went into that last batch. Some of these stamps are new for the 2009-2010 Stampin Up! Catalog...I really like the robots - they make me smile!

I am getting in some supplies to start making Christmas cards tomorrow. I am hoping to put the quilting aside and do a few samples for my customers to pick from and have them up by tuesday or Wednesday! Have a great Sunday!

hot summer days...

2009-08-15T15:51:00.003-04:00

summer feet - gotta love em'

i know many munchkins went back to school this past week...Austin starts a little later here - aug. 24th is his first day. so we have one more week of 'official' summer break. it's so hard to believe...kindergarten - full day, every day, whether you feel like it or not, scheduled breaks, homework, packed lunches...and oh yeah - uniforms. how does this happen...so fast? i know he is more than ready for this daily activity, entertainment, socializing and learning but it just feels like the beginning of the end...succumbing to school schedules, organized breaks, vacationing only when everyone else in the world is able to, the end of spontaneous mid-week trips and late nights....oh so hard....but a neccessary evil. he is ready - and somedays i'm more than ready!

we have been trying to soak up our last pool days but have had some rain the last couple days. we managed to hit the beach on thursday - one of doug's days off - an early morning ocean swim and then i did a hot 4-miler in the heat. i'm learning it takes about 2 days to recover from the hot runs. i'm going to have to start going by 7am or forget it - urgh...

hanging poolside......

i'm almost finished with my last run of cards...tomorrow i should have 2-3 more samples to upload and show you - then i'm shipping them off to their new homes. i have had a lot of fun making them and remembered what a nice quick project they each are - it is like getting quick satisfaction in just 20-30 minutes or less (or more)!

i was also able to finish some pajama pants for austin and another few alterations that were piling up. i'm still sketching the quilt for the boys and can't wait to dice into the rocketship fabric i have. i've been reading up alot about quilting and researching other modern quilters and their designs - i'm feeling very inspired and ready to get a quilt top or two started.

hot days in the water!

more project pics tomorrow!

Projects, projects

2009-08-04T18:36:00.006-04:00

i have, for the first time, made a list (unfortunately it's only in my head!) I can never bring myself to write my lists on paper with the sole exception of the grocery store...then I *usually* have such an inept sense of detail that once i've actually written it out i remember it and don't refer to it once in the store....occassionally this system fails me. but, i had to come up with a mental list of project to-do's, yep had to prioritize them into importance or else i would have been doing the one's i fancied most first....so i thought this was a great way of tricking myself into get the 'must-do' stuff done first so that i could do the 'really-fun' stuff later - and in reality i enjoy it all!

this is probably one of my favorites ever, but it took a long time to cut all the pieces - there is a tutorial on the website above! this paper is retired SU! by the way!

I played around quite a bit with this one - it was fun and easy to make, so i switched up the designer (patterned) paper and ribbon a bit on each one. Also, a great way to get rid of some of the million flower embellishments i have hanging around!

I have been making a lot of cards lately for an order I recently got, here are some of the one's i've made...i'll be the first to admit the more difficult ones I snagged the ideas from here, a fabulous site for fresh ideas! Of course, they have my own style and spin put into them!

the inside pulls out for the sentiment and i thought it'd make a lovely bookmark as well!

I spend way too much time hand cutting each image and designing the card itself, but i can't resist the outcome - hopefully they each go to people that appreciate the hand-made card!!

here is a really bad picture *but i was in a hurry to do the post* of the re-usable quart size ziploc bag i designed. Hopefully you can see the very cool pirate print that i'm hoping makes it too cool for austin to resist taking in his lunch this year! It has a fold down flap with velcro securing it and a waterproof liner. This one is great for chips or larger snacks...i'm going to make a *sandwich* size for sandwiches and maybe a couple snack sizes for apples, grapes, etc. I figure that at $2.00 + / box of plastic sandwich bags I should be saving about $80 a year by using these : ) I finally talked doug into 'testing' it with his lunch yesterday....the chips were gone, and he *did* bring it back home to me, but i wonder if he ate lunch by himself in a dark closet so no-one could see what his nerdy wife sent his lunch in....hee hee! it's all part of saving the earth and recession-proofing our lives!

Last, but not least, are these precious babies....they are on the top of my priority list, although I enjoy sewing them as much as anything else. So, I had to get to a certain step in the diapers in order to work on other project. If you haven't checked them out yet, you must do so at OBB diapers - click on hyena cart to check the in-stock diapers, all hand-sewn by yours truly....

**Then of course lots of pool time in this really warm weather - today the pool water was 96-98 degrees - so warm! **

Tyler wearing the finished cloth diaper - i tried to get him to stand up but he wasn't cooperating! aren't they adorable?

Austin practicing moves on his new boogie board!

That is it for now...I'm excited to start on a new quilt design hopefully the end of this week or beginning of next...i'm feeling more motivated to quilt than i have for a long time - better soak it up!

Sara

Ever fallen in love....

2009-07-30T08:03:00.002-04:00

with someone you'd never met and didn't really even know? Well, i have, just 2 days ago and now i'm addicted to this 8 month old, sweet little boy. I've added a link to my blog on the left-hand side and it says "pray for stellan". to read about his story and struggle with SVT click here - the blogging mama and photographer has an amazing blog and you will get to read about stellan's condition. He has been in the hospital the last week and for 3 days his heartbeat was racing at over 230 beats per minute. This baby has been through hell the last few days and the family is asking for prayers for wisdom for the doctors and family, for his heart to come out of svt, and hope. They also courageously, in this time of fear, ask you to donate to other causes, pray for all the babies in PICU or NICU ...all of the things we fail to think about when our own families are so healthy. They are currently contemplating a air transport to Boston for a possible ablation which could result in a permenant, 100% pace-maker for this sweet 8-month old baby. All of the details are further explained on her site. You can follow detailed updates on her Twitter account here. The story is very moving - I kept feeling the need to post about and continue stretching the prayer chain.....what can i say - i fell in love.

the Beach!!!

2009-07-27T17:57:00.005-04:00

Austin patiently waiting for us as we drag his brother up the beach..

Some major eye candy today! Last week we went to the beach - very early one morning - around 7:00 am - low tide to look for shells. I think we hit the wrong beach because we didn't find anything spectacular, but we got some great pictures - and in the end - that is all that matters!

sandy toes and feet!

Ty-bear is pouting because he is tired and doesn't want to walk anymore so he just plopped down and threw a fit - gotta love those terrible 2's...

mr. determined

hunting for food

Mr. Crabs-- we thought it was a shell and dug this out instead!

running on the beach - low tide is great - everything is packed down!

austin and mommy!

ready to hunt shells!

another foggy picture! the lens fogged up when i took the cap off because of the cool weather so early! it made for a nice mask!

We are going to try shelling again this week (wed. or thurs.) and hit sanibel island - hope to get up and around a little earlier and find some better shells....i'll keep you posted!!

oh no - waterfall in the foyer!

2009-07-21T17:23:00.002-04:00

well it was a peaceful afternoon - baby sleeping and I was doing some work on the computer while austin was playing and then I hear this splashing sound coming from the foyer area...i looked at Austin and said "what is that?" and run into the entryway - there is water pouring out of the can lighting and the smoke alarm?!? omg, right? In a slight panic I stand there dumbfounded then throw down a *clean* beach towel and run to the phone to call my husband...

He of course can't comprehend what i'm talking about at first...then he says - don't worry I'll be right home. in the meantime I find a small trash can and start collecting over a gallon of water and put all 4 *clean* beach towels down! Finally, after about 20 minutes the rain, i mean leak, stops.

Now...we are on the first floor of a condo / coach home. There are 4 college boys that live above us...we ring their doorbell (3 times) and they finally answer and act like they cannot even understand the words that are coming out of our mouths!

the conversation went something like this:
"uh, dude, we like just got home, I don't know if anything is leaking....or overflowing....um - do you want us to like go check or something and let you know??" How do you keep from responding something such as "No, you moron, move over and I will come in and check for myself!?" We suggest - did someone just take a shower or did you possibly have a keg, I mean toilet, overflow? their response: "um, i'm not sure, i just got home"

okay this conversation is obviously going nowhere....fyi: we are calling the association and they may be knocking on your door to check your shower drain!

fast forward 40 minutes, the fire / water restoration team is here -- the wall is obviously damp, hence the water spot on the wall as well as the ceiling - so I get 2 drying fans and a dehumidifier...it is yet to be determined if the drywall will need replaced.

Oh yeah and I'm supposed to hang out and wait for the frat boys to take another shower to determine the source of this leak....

fun times for sure!

Going to the Beach!!

2009-07-20T18:30:00.002-04:00

Just finished up the new beach bag! I have been using an old diaper bag to take to the pool / beach and it just isn't big enough for 2-3 towels, pool toys, goggles, snacks and drinks. Plus it was a little frumpy looking....thought I would use this awesome bright yellow waterproof fabric for the liner and dress it up a bit on the outside - it is seriously enormous!!

the hanging view!

the side view

the front view!

I took this last picture because i know it's hard to determine dimensions by looking at it on the floor...so I tried to show it in proportion to me - it is HUGE!!! Beach: here we come!!! I can't wait to use it!!!

can't live without.....

2009-07-19T09:06:00.007-04:00

COFFEE.......and man...my coffee pot needs to be cleaned....

I have been promising some picks of our new diggs...here is the view out our dining room / lanai window! It is lovely....i took some others of the living / dining area - really the only rooms almost organized enough to take pics! we are still unpacking some misc. stuff that we can't find the perfect place for yet....

the kitchen and dining area

i'm standing in the 'formal dining area' in this picture taking a view of the living room / kitchen. Since we felt we needed some sort of dedicated 'guest' room in this house we left the den open for that. Which left me in need of a studio area...since we have *no* use really for a formal dining area that would hardly get used (i'm not the 'big' meal kind of gal!) we decided to use it for my studio. I would have rathered had a closed off area to retreat to - but this works as well - i do get to spend more time with the family while i'm creating. i haven't taken pics of it yet - it was a little messy as i'm in the middle of a project!

the living room - not yet finished - the great debate (tv - on the wall or on the stand, vote now!)

some Florida fun....

one of my tan blondies.....

dare you....

2009-07-18T10:53:00.005-04:00

I dare you to do a mini-book this month - do it on summer, vacation, stay-cation, an event you've strived for, a brief overview of the year so far, or as a gift for someone else....

recently I did one for doug for father's day - i wanted to do something unique and he had been training so hard for his tri-athalons that I thought a re-cap would be appropriate....after all striving to be healthy and strong is part of being a great dad!

Here are the pictures of my book - I used two 6x6 plastic covers by zutter (bind-it-all) and then used 1 patterned paper by basic grey and then solid matching cardstock for the rest of the pages. I wanted to keep it bright and fun! Everything else i used was stuff I already had in my stash. I then binded it together with the Zutter and added ribbon...

I really wanted to put tri-hard*er* .... but didn't thing that was so nice!

I did the half-circle to allow the patterned paper to show through to the cover

Tried playing with different mediums like paint, rub-ons, and ribbon

I tend to hand-journal everything (mainly to save time) so I really want to step-out and use some of my letter stickers

When I took these photo's I knew I would be doing something special with them...so I tried to capture a lot of 'texture or landscape' photos at the events...things to remember..pics of the bike / the transition area / the medals / the results / any funny signs or props, etc...they came in handy when trying to fill the pages

I also used some epoxy stickers from love, elsie....snuck some rhinestones in there at the end as well!

I hope you liked it and you create your own - send me pics of yours or a link to where it is posted...

until next time * the mini-book queen (as i've been previously deemed!)

Camera's: Large or small?

2009-07-17T12:46:00.003-04:00

Okay - here comes my great debate...i couldn't wait to have a nice, professional, 'large' camera to take fantastic pictures...ultimately saving us the time, trouble and money for needing professional pics taken of our kids...

so i got it, still don't know how to use all parts of it, but love it dearly. the problem, of course, is it is a huge pain to tote around in addition to 2 adventurous boys and all of their things. it doesn't easily fit into my purse and if it does it is ultra bulky. It just isn't great for toting around everyday to take those spontaneous 'shots' we all love to have.

so - the question is - do i go invest more money in a 'pocket' size camera that doesn't take as great of pics but is easier to take with me literally everywhere? now i'll have 2 sources i need to download and catalog - when believe me i have enough trouble with one! but, i'm likely to have more pictures to play with.

example at hand: i've been meaning to get pics of the kids at the pool...but it is a constant 95 degrees here daily - i really hate lugging the big nikon bag on the walk to the pool in addition to my beach bag, stroller, life jacket / noodles, oh yeah and my 6 year old on the bike. I'm also afraid of leaving it in the heat for the 1-2 hours we are there...probably not good for it? hence, no pics of florida yet!

okay - give me some feedback....maybe go really cheap on the pocket camera, but don't miss out on 'any' shots. then use the nikon when we are doubling up on the kids (i.e. doug and i can both be there) one to take the camera back home once we are done - or just carry the huge thing!

i know these are not 'really' problems....just thoughts rolling in my brain!

look out for the 'i dare you to do a summer mini-book' challenge coming soon.

love to all - s.

berber vs. carpet???

2009-07-11T11:47:00.004-04:00

i know it has been forever....for those of you who might not know, we just moved to Florida about 10 days ago! A surprising, yet very exciting move....something we have talked about for a few years now, but finally the stars aligned and it seemed a perfect thing to do. Doug, is back in a field he loves and is passionate about and the boys and I are soaking up the sun and surf! I am continuing to get settled and get slowly back into the creating groove and still busy making cloth diapers for a great friend which you can find here.

I have been more into this facebook craze lately, leaving me little time to blog and fb....and keep up with my other favorite blogs...but i believe it is easier to post pics here and talk about creative things, so i'm trying to keep it going more regularly - and yes, i know i've said that before!

so, i am busy vacuuming right now -which is probably why i thought i'd do a blog post, i will do almost anything to keep away from cleaning! i'm pondering why i have more real estate to vacuum and why i have had to dump my bagless vacuum 2 times already from just our living area....did we turn into major pigs and slobs once we moved to Florida?? is it that much dirtier here than indiana?? or is it carpet versus the berber i had at home?? First off, we went from a 2-story to a large ranch style home...so i'm thinking i used to split up the first floor one day and the 2nd floor the next so it never seemed like much vacuuming....we have more 'open' space here as well. so i'm vacuuming the entire house all at once (more dirt) and omg this regular carpet thing sheds like a golden retriever would...holy carpet fuzz???

so cons of berber....it melts really quickly when you drop an iron on it, it isn't the softest carpet, sometimes lacks dimension (compared to the nice shag carpet). pros of berber....holds up really well, if you get a 'multi-color' blend everything from coffee, playdough, kool-aid, yogurt blends in rather nicely and there is no need to get the entire stain out - making life with kids really easy!

so far my cons of carpet - sheds like a 100-lb. golden, cream color shows stains ratehr easily (although none of ours yet), not sure on the wear and tear....pros - it is very cushiony and does add more a homey feeling....althought not as even as berber when installing 3 sets of ladder shelves next to each other....

okay - i know a rather odd and boring post, but we have to start somewhere right? sad, but true, i've only taken 2 pictures since being here....i promise - soon they will come...maybe another post about pros and cons of a massive nikon d80 versus a small pocket camera.....

comment if you would still like to read posts from me in the future! let me know you are out there!

sara

Fabulous Quilt

2009-04-19T09:58:00.002-04:00

I just found this free pattern from Moda fabrics for an amazing modern Christmas quilt...the best part is it is the same fabric pattern as my fabric scrapbook paper, Basic Grey that you will find my x-mas pictures on in our scrapbook.

I love the old feeling of the designs, but very hip and modern all the same. Check it out!

2009-04-18T07:14:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning all week to post some pics from spring break in Savannah. Such a quaint, old town. Not to offend anyone but I don't forsee myself vacationing there often, but definately a place you should visit once or twice. The scenery was old and gorgeous. Here are some pics of the riverwalk....

These trees lined the streets all through savannah and down the center. they were gorgeous. I will post more pics of the beach and family later!

We have an early soccer game and pictures before the game. So I'm headed to wake the boys and have the normal morning argument over getting up and getting ready! no wonder i'm posting trying to put off the inevitable!

Victory at last!!!!

2009-04-07T19:40:00.004-04:00

It is a small miracle, but I have finally finished an entire book - and it only took a few months - this is probably the first entire book I have managed to complete in a year and a half - or at least one that I remember! It's truly amazing how after child number 2, being a work at home mom that there is zero time left for reading anything other than a blog entry or magazine article...but i'm proud to say I finally finished this book!

Yes, the movie - and I will admit I saw the movie first and then read the book...but I already have #2 in the series which i hope to finish this decade!

We are back from a wonderful spring break (I'll post those pics in a later post) back to school, routine is good, and awaiting Tyler's 2nd birthday this Easter Sunday. I couldn't resist making him a bunny cake - who knows when I'll get the chance again! I also read a very moving blog post which you can find here. If you read my blog you'll realize I've sent you here before for insight into life, love and being brave. She can often materialize the words that are hard for me to form or share.

I will leave you with a quick 2 pictures of my growing boys! Soccer season starts this weekend. I only have 39 days left to train for this 1/2 marathon that i signed up for. And the weather if finally improving on a somewhat consistent basis!

Too long....away

2009-03-24T12:09:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone,

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything. I must be honest I just haven't felt that creative lately in my writing and have lacked some of the creative energy I usually have. Late last fall I started sewing cloth diapers for a good friend of mine and her business. I have enjoyed it immensely and they are the cutest things ever and you can view them here. Nevertheless, this has been taking up my extra time for creativity and teaching preschool has zapped my energy!

I have decided to run a 1/2 marathon on May 16th in a local race. It will be nice not to have to travel to get to the race and spend the extra money on hotel, travel and food. Plus, I haven't done this one before as it is only the 2nd annual run so I'm excited for a new scenic run. You can read about it here! I have been spending my extra free time running and training for that. I've almost been talked into trying my hand at a sprint triathalon this summer as well. So, I have been spending some time in the pool trying to reaclimate my body to the water. Swimming is definately not a strong point for me ... not even close actually!

But, I'm trying to set some new goals and getting back to blogging is one of them. I have missed it ... I just haven't had much to say! I finally downloaded our Christmas pictures onto my new computer and I'm getting excited to start scrapbooking again and have a few other unique projects in mind for spring. Austin is starting soccer practice tonight and Doug's 2nd triathalon of the year is this Saturday! Full spring ahead!

I will share some pictures and hope to be back at regular blogging soon! I've missed you all!

Welcome 2009

2009-01-05T06:24:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone,
I hope yours was lovely. We brought it in calm and steady but wishing for great things to come.

School starts again today - the break seemed so short, yet long and much needed. I, of course, didn't really do the things I thought I would. More lounging, sleeping in late, playing with the kids than much else. We have completely managed to disrupt our schedule by staying up late and sleeping in. In that sense I am ready to get back on a schedule of some type, yet also looking forward to spring and summer and sailing this year. I think austin is old enough to finally learn to start sailing a small boat by himself some which will be so exciting to watch and Tyler may be more manageable on the boat. They will both love swimming and it is bound to be easier to have them in the water this year. We have been going to the pool at the gym regularly over break and they are both really getting used to it and more comfortable in the water.

I have some big units on space and science i'm getting ready to do for school this month with a fieldtrip to the planetarium at the children's museum. It will be exciting and hopefully help winter go by a little faster!

i'm contemplating training / running a 1/2 marathon this spring. I have it narrowed down to 2 races or maybe both. Having a hard time finding the time to train so I need to nail that down in the next week or so and start progressing past the 3 mile mark!

okay - i'm ready for a crazy first day back...here we go

the eve of eve

2008-12-23T18:33:00.006-05:00

can you seriously believe it is almost here? i could be the worlds worst procrastinator at christmas. i have all of these great ideas on what i want to make everyone, etc...my thoughts are usually way bigger than my time and resources....and here i am rushing to get it all done. i think my problem is that I feel if i keep putting it off the christmas season will last longer....i love the joys of it all - the lights, the tree, the food, the ambiance and i want it too last forever....at least more than 3 1/2 weeks. but, here it is - faster than last year and it's going to be a late night!

we did get a gingerbread house made and decorated which is more than i can say for last year. and i made the boys their x-mas pj's instead of buying them - the crazy thing is - i think they are way cuter than any i've ever bought...i'm finishing the pants and then i'll take a pic and post - you can let me know what you think!

the beginning

the icing the decorating

finishing touches

i made 2 batches of cookies on sat / sun. and have 2 more to do tonight / tomorrow. i have the other food bought - ready to be put together tomorrow for christmas day - can't wait!! okay - so i'm still debating on the whole christmas card delimna. i usually love the process of sending them and this year it just never fit in with my schedule...probably because i couldn't get both kids to pose (together) at the x-mas tree farm and haven't had them looking good enough since to snap a decent shot....maybe new year's cards? as i've been getting them from friends i am remembering how great it is too see how the kids have changed each year and laugh at how much they look like mom / dad! so i think i'll have to find a way to get them out.

Tyler's are the ones on top / Austin's are on bottom

okay - just finished making choc. chip cookies to bake tomorrow and will do sugar cookies tomorrow and other stuff. i'm uploading the pics of gingerbread and pj's then back to the studio to work on gifts! happy happy day before the day before!

Snow Day

2008-12-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

yesterday we had our first snow day at school....should i be worried that i was sort of upset and bummed as the teacher versus jumping up and down for a unexpected day off?? it was our last day to finish our mom gifts before the class x-mas party on friday. plus we were having evan's b-day party (which is always fun to have sugary treats at snack time!) i think i'm just one of the kids. so - i'm hoping this inch of ice covering all of our side roads is gone by tomorrow - i'll be so sad if we miss the last day - i had so many fun things planned! Our schools did a 2 hour delay again today so we will see. it is pretty gross out there!

we are making reindeer dust and reindeer cookies in class tomorrow (cross your fingers!) out of nutter butter cookies / m&m's / pretzels and chocolate chips - they should be fun and the kids absolutely love doing anything with food!

my friend came over yesterday to set me up knitting some wrist / hand warmers. I got the best yarn from another friend's stash and i'm very exciting to whip these things up (we'll see how fast the whipping part goes!) the thumb will definately be tricky and i'll need some major guidance...it's been quite a few years since i've picked up the knitting needles.

i'm trying to make an effort to get back to the gym today....hard in this dreadful weather. we are having an all-out baking day on saturday with my sister-in-law and the kids....cookies galore!

time with this

2008-12-16T10:17:00.004-05:00

i'm going to be spending lots of time with this today:

i have been sewing cloth diapers for a fellow co-op mom / friend. you can view them here - i had no idea they had come so far. If i was just starting out with my kids I would totally invest....but my luck tyler would potty-train himself within 3 months of buying them --- maybe that isn't a bad thing! It has been really fun making them and i'm happy to be using my machine again.

my big guy likes to spend lots of time with these:

we are going to write a letter to santa and mail today -maybe i can finally get him to pick a 'few' things he really wants for christmas. if i get ambitious we will put together the gingerbread house!

i have a few gifts to finish making before x-mas. school is out this friday so i still have a few free days next week. we are supposed to get a few inches of snow today so i'm trying to get motivated to run my errands this am.

etsy is updated!

2008-12-15T22:20:00.007-05:00

i spent a few hours yesterday updating my etsy store! so check it out. i realized after i took all the pictures that i should have shrunk the files - so i had to re-take some of them to fit. but i have added a few things and plan on adding some more tomorrow if i get a chance!

I also wanted to show you the thanksgiving craft we did at school ( a bit late i know!). also - notice our head-wear!

and here is the funniest picture of my little guy at my parents house over the holiday!

wish you were having one of these is this frigid weather? we went from 46 degrees when i got in the car this am to 16 degrees tonight...brrrr.....wouldn't a hot tub feel nice right now?

Santa

2008-12-14T13:54:00.006-05:00

i finally downloaded some pictures off of the camera...we saw santa yesterday when we picked out our x-mas tree at dulls tree farm. all of the fir trees were picked over in the field - so we ended up picking out a frasier fir that was pre-cut. the wind was really bad making it feel so cold! after we picked out our tree we had some hot chocolate and played tic-tac-toe in the cabin and Austin saw santa - tyler wouldn't have anything to do with him this year! so much for a great christmas card picture!

I think they were exhausted after the christmas tree hunt and cold weather - at least it was a quiet drive home!

it's amazing how peaceful they look when they're asleep! especially when i know how hyper they'd been all day and week....i'm going to update etsy right now - i'll post when it's done!

Season of giving

2008-12-12T21:02:00.004-05:00

We love Robeez shoes at our house for the little feet running around. I just received an email from them for their season of giving charity. For every Robeez e-card you send they donate $5.00 to Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) and the card is free to send! If you are out of time to send cards in the mail - try these via email and help a great charity! Click here for the link to the cards!

Promotions Galore!

2008-12-12T17:18:00.004-05:00

Stampin up has announced their retiring stamp list for 2008 and is running a free shipping promotion for order over $70! What a deal - if you order by December 16th you should get delivery by Christmas. Anyone need a last minute gift for themself! Click here to see the retired list.

I cannot believe christmas is only 13 days away. I thought this year without running alm this time of year it would go so slow and i'd have so much time to get everything done.....wrong! I can say our house has been way more peaceful and joyous then years past. I enjoy every minute of cooking dinner and enjoying my afternoons and evenings with nothing to stress about. It is amazing what a schedule or routine can do for everyone! The baby naps everyday around the same time for 2-3 hours. I cherish that time and wonder how i did without it before!

Preschool has been keeping me very busy right now - probably the biggest excuse for time flying this month. We have been doing a ton of fun crafts in class - we decorated gingerbread houses today and the kids LOVED it - it was very cool to see what they created and the different designs. We are finishing our ornaments for mom's next monday / wednesday and having a fun class x-mas party on friday, our last day this year. I am excited to have a couple weeks off and finish my holiday gifts next week.

we haven't even started shopping for the boys - a bit lost at what to get them this year. I have gotten a couple shirts for austin and new pacifiers for tyler {the sad thing is he will love them!}. but no toys or fun stuff yet....planning that for next week.

i'm still without a computer during the day - and while i haven't completely adjusted to it - i am getting a lot more done around the house and in the craft room. it is awkward though when i go to look a recipe or something up quickly and the computer isn't there. what did we ever do before the internet??!!

we have a christmas party at school tomorrow and then off to the tree farm to cut down our tree. It seems like we are getting one really late this year. i'm contemplating getting a small, artificial tree when they go on sale to put in our loft or play room to put up after thanksgiving for the kids.

i hope to take lots of pictures tomorrow and actually have time to download / upload them. I'm also planning to update my etsy store this weekend. Happy holidays!

so sick

2008-12-05T06:45:00.004-05:00

i have such good intentions of posting pictures and blogging since thanksgiving....not having a computer at home all day is putting a cramp in my style....although it's amazing how much 'other' stuff i get done when i'm not tempted to email and surf all day! i'm up early preparing for class - and thought i'd sneak a quick post. everyone at our house has been sick for about a month now. when i thought everyone was healthy, tyler got a bad cold and then eye infection. austin followed with his own cold and then very first ear infection and doug had a touch of the flu for a day. i *think* everyone is on the mend and feeling better finally. Austin missed school monday and wednesday - so is excited to go back today and i'm excited for the week to be over!

The extra cold weather is giving the boys major cabin fever and i'm just cold! i was out of coffee for about 4 days and had to breakdown and go buy a cup at mama bears yesterday at 4:30 ish (nuts, huh) and then to the store to actually buy a pound. With everyone sick I just couldn't make it out to get any....i'm pretty sure i won't run out again this winter - i'm stocking up! i'm also eating vitamin c gummies like nuts and washing my hands like i have ocd. germs stay away from me - i do not want any more illness...i cleaned the house yesterday and lysol'd it down!

I have some great pics on my camera....i will try to post them this weekend if possible. i'm also trying to add some new things to the etsy shop...i'll let you know - crazy - only 20 days until christmas! i have to get some things done and fast!!!

Holiday Extravanganze Sale at SU!

2008-11-26T07:53:00.003-05:00

OMG!!! I had to do a quick post before our thanksgiving feast at school today and marathon packing to be ready to head to grandmas house for the weekend afterwards.

Stampin Up! is offering an amazing holiday deal on some great bundles if you order between today and Dec. 1st. Each bundle is between 30 - 50% off which is something they have never done before!!! This is an amazing deal for first time scrapbookers, cardmakers or just anyone wanting to replenish their embellies or add some new stamps to your stash. Click here to see the flyer and if you don't have a catalog - go to http://www.stampinup.com/ or click on my link to the bottom left. I can't decide which is the best deal!

Email me sekorinek@gmail.com if you would like something and I can call you for your cc number and the order will ship directly to you! These are great gift ideas as well.....totally fabulous!

I promise pictures of the turkey centerpiece and thanksgiving feast later today!

don't jinx it!

2008-11-23T09:10:00.003-05:00

a miracle has happened at our house, but i am tempted to not even talk about it - in fear of jinxing it! Austin has never been fond of sleeping by himself...so we have had to lay down with him, let him fall asleep and sneak out of the room....the bigger problem is usually doug or i fall asleep before he does and then before we know it it is the middle of the night or morning. Doug finally decided enough was enough and designed the 'magical box'. we took a large box, taped it up, cut a hole in the top and covered it with brown packing paper. We let austin draw on it with markers, glitter glue, etc. Then we filled it with goodies. The deal was: sleep in your own bed all night and in the morning the magical box will be filled with surprises, if you don't sleep in your bed it will be empty. Last night was night 3 of the magic box and it is working!!!! Nothing short of a miracle and good old bribe. But, it is so worth it!

Now i'm just trying to make sure no one gets sick before thanksgiving. we have a thanksgiving feast at school on wednesday - so tomorrow in class we will be baking muffins and making pies and turkey hats and finishing our turkey centerpiece for wed. It should be a fun day and the feast is always lots of fun with the kids before break.

Another small miracle happened yesterday when i finally discovered why my sewing machine was skipping stitches when I was sewing this stretchy jersey wicking fabric that was also rather thin. After finally breaking down and taking my machine and what little pride i had left to quilt quarters and spending another 40 minutes troubleshooting in the store with different needles....the amazing lady finally tried a single needle throat plate (who would guess that?!) and it was fixed. this has been driving me nuts for over 2 weeks and i was beginning to think that my barely used, very nice machine was a dud! back to loving my machine and hopefully done ripping out skipped stitches for a long time!

I did a holiday vendor open house yesterday for stampin up with 9 other vendors. It was fun meeting new people as always and i was able to get a new really great lasagna soup mix and this warm artichoke dip from the tastefully simple rep and learned about a new product or company called scentsy. This product was very cool and different....similar to the old candle (wax) melters where you put the tea light in the bottom to melt the wax?! this one though is heated by a light bulb and they have ones for the bathroom to plug in. the great thing was they were actually cool looking with a ton of selections on scents. I got this one for the bathroom in black weave.

I did make several page kits for the show and didn't sell out of all of them and had some discontinued stamp sets for sale. I'm planning to post the ones that didn't sell in my etsy shop today or tomorrow - so check it out!

what a week

2008-11-18T16:45:00.004-05:00

if you have been wondering what happened to me this past week - i'm here to tell you! you know the domino effect when everything is either good or bad and all at the same time?! We first had colds at our house, then the stomach flu, then my dad was here for surgery (which i couldn't be at because of the stomach flu) and when i thought we were all better .... Tyler got a bad cough and started wheezing. I had to take him to the dr. last thursday and found out he was having bronchial spasms and had to be put on breathing treatments 4 times a day. Most of you may have experience with this or not think too much of it...but Austin has NEVER been on an antibiotic and only had 1 dr. visit outside of his wellness checks and that was fingernail related! We have been SO VERY lucky with him that Tyler's issue is something new for us! Then, to top it all off my computer crashed, probably for it's last time....and of course I hadn't backed up everything i needed for 08 taxes and had 2 folders of pictures i hadn't burned or uploaded to shutterfly yet.....of course!

but, good news is - dad is out of the hospital, on his way home today and doing fairly well considering the surgery. Tyler is slowly adjusting to his treatments and seems to be doing better. I'm in my 3rd week at school and things are going really well.

We had a class coffee last night so the parents and teacher could be on the same page and I feel really good about it. I wanted to make sure everyone knew how excited I am to be experiencing this chapter in my life...how I am meant to learn from these children and them from me. How being part of a co-op is hard work, but the best gift you can give your children and yourself. How you have the power to change things and make them the best they can be.

now lets talk about thanksgiving!!! can anyone believe it is just 9 days away and christmas is close behind? wow! but i'm so thrilled to be part of it this year with my family, not to be rushing to the post office 5 minutes before close every day. I am doing cookie exchanges, christmas parties, handmade gifts, loving every minute of christmas traffic, soaking up the twinkling lights and watching it happen through my kids eyes. I am going to love EVERY minute of it!

I would close with some pictures, but ... they are on my not so trusty laptop. Maybe tomorrow if i can get some taken! We are making the cutest centerpiece in class this week for our 3rd annual thanksgiving feast and I will most definately have pictures of it to share.

Does this mean it's winter?

2008-11-12T07:10:00.003-05:00

Everyone, but Doug is sick at our house...we are all grumbling about the weather change and already discouraged about sick season. I'm making appointments for flu shots today and looking for a good multi-vitamin for everyone! I think the worse thing is when your kids are sick and so are you. No one wants to take care of anyone! Tyler has had this mild, random vomiting since sat. night and was still cranky and lethargic all day yesterday. I got a milder version all day yesterday and Austin is in and out of it too. I hate wasting 3 days to being sick, now i'm feeling behind on my school lessons and lacking energy at that. So, I am up extra early cutting out some sheriff / firechief badges for the kids to decorate today. Oh, and I still have the cold /cough i had all last week.

i'm off to get ready for school, my other computer is acting up as well...but i'm going to try to have some fun pictures soon!

Saturday Fun Day

2008-11-08T17:45:00.002-05:00

I was a lucky mom today ... got invited to a scrapping birthday party complete with Taylor Bakery cake and all! What more could I ask for on a dreary, cold Saturday? I was able to get almost 12 Christmas cards done for my mom's stash and used the new x-mas paper I got from stampin up. I will take some pics tomorrow. I wasn't sure how the paper would be in person, but it was so amazing i may order an extra pack for my x-mas pictures this year.

I have been thinking about putting together some monthly scrap kits that would be extremely reasonably priced and have a mish-mash variety of fun embellies to play with as well as designer paper and matching cardstock. this is something that has been in my mind for a few years actually and i just now have the time to do it. I am doing a holiday open house with a pampered chef friend and wanted to have them available for that. please leave me a comment if you think this sounds like a good idea and i am hoping to have the first one together in a couple weeks! I will probably post them in the etsy store as well. I am anticipating doing just a few in the beginning to see how it takes off. I thought it would be a great way to 'taste test' a lot of product without having to buy the entire bag or set. i mean really - who needs 300 felt flowers in just 3 colors : ) I also love all the paper, but rarely use the entire pack...anyway - i will try it and see how it goes! Happy scrapping ...

Survival

2008-11-07T14:42:00.010-05:00

Well, I survived my first week as a preschool teacher. I knew I would and it is funny how the things you are worried about aren't a problem and the things you thought would be a breeze create the chaos! I thought I wouldn't have enough to fill the time and it turns out I don't have enough time to get through everything i want! Transitions are a little more chaotic right now than I imagined, but all in all I love it and think it went really well. I am expecting even more adjustment after next week. The kids are great and it is exciting to get to know each of their personalities a little better.

We ended up having quite the busy week with the election excitement on Tuesday and then Thursday we had a field trip at school which is usually our day off. Amazon Jon came to school and brought his jungle animals. The kids of course loved it and he tried to add in some adult humor as well. The presentation really was good and very kid friendly. I'll attach some pictures of Austin and his wild animals. I had the kids journal about the experience today and it was neat to hear there recaps.

We are headed to a cookout tonight and I'm headed to a friends birthday party tomorrow (yippee!) have a good weekend!

History has been made!

2008-11-05T07:04:00.004-05:00

how many of you stayed up watching until the very end last night? I finally had to go to bed at 11:30 - although I couldn't stand it! So excited that our state, Indiana, was one of the last to be called. Four years ago when i voted and stood in line for about 2.5 hours I came home and they had already called our state....I was so discouraged! I couldn't believe it when I woke up and checked this morning that it was so close here and Indiana itself had a little bit of change! wow.

I am going to post lots of halloween pics from the weekend! Class #2 today...i'm hoping for a little less drama : ) if there is such a thing with 14 four / five year olds!

Batman and his sidekick 'rumble bumble'

this one is blurry, but it really shows his excitement at hitting the next house!

welcome november

2008-11-03T07:27:00.003-05:00

quick post - more pictures of halloween later!

*got some home projects continued / finished / started this weekend - yippee!!

* start teaching twigs today - yippee!! (they are voting for their favorite colors, foods and animals - in honor of tomorrow!)

*got TONS of candy from halloween - yippee!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T13:49:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! We have had a busy day so far...I participated in Austin's class ( my last day as parent instead of teacher!) I start on Monday officially and I am very excited. I still need to get my actual crafts planned out, but I'm feeling pretty confident!

It turned out to be such a nice day today that we are sneaking out to the boat to go for a quick sail this afternoon before getting ready for trick-or-treating! I was torn between riding my bike and sailing, but the entire family will enjoy sailing more! I am hopeful the weather will be nice through the weekend and i can sneak in some riding! I am so glad it isn't going to be freezing for trick-or-treating tonight! I am such a kid and can't wait to dig through the buckets at the end ... Halloween is definately one of my more favorite holidays.

2 lucky family members are hopefully receiving these cards in the mail today if they haven't already!

Soup and more soup

2008-10-30T07:45:00.007-04:00

We went from 70-80 degree afternoons to highs of 45-50 overnight a few weeks ago...The last few weeks it has held steady and the kids have coughs, doug and i have runny / stuffy noses and i've noticed that lack of energy in your body that comes when it is time for drastic weather changes. This year I have had a hard time adjusting, I think my allergies have been a bit worse than usual and my joints ache a little more than last year!

I always try to be optimistic about winter and secretly enjoy it a bit...I tend to be someone who needs to 'hibernate' in the winter. After a long and busy summer I usually feel exhausted and socially drained and need to recharge my batteries so to speak. I look forward to relaxing and watching a few tv shows, having more time to spend in my home studio sewing and crafting, and at our house we usually do more comfort cooking in the winter. I start pulling out recipes for meatloaf / chili / chicken and noodles / lots of homemade appetizers and dips / and a lot of crock-pot recipes. I am so excited because i have 2 new soup recipes to try this year! I must say 2 out of 4 of us is pretty picky...so I think I may only be able to get away with 1 of these recipes for the whole family. It is also done in the crock-pot so I am anxious to try it (so easy!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning

1 (16oz) can chili beans

1 (15 oz) can black beans

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (12 oz) can / bottle beer

2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (undrained)

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

shredded cheddar (optional)

sour cream (optional)

crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours. (on low heat)

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop (such a funny word!) of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

We have a busy, cold weekend ahead with trick-or-treating tomorrow night and then the fall work party at the sailing club on Saturday 'winterizing' the boats / docks so I plan on making the Chicken Tortilla soup this weekend and having something good to warm up with. The second soup recipe is for a delicious sounding Pumpkin, Mushroom soup that I think would be to die for....but I'll have to sneak it by my family....I may have that one all to myself! I have a weekly playdate and we do homemade soups and bread for lunch each week during the winter - so i may try it out there too! These 2 recipes are compliments of my sister/law Jenn.

Tonight is our fall party at school so we will be dressing up for that! These pictures are from our Pirates Ball party last weekend at the club. Austin wore his pirate costume from last year and we had fun drawing his face (I told doug he looked like keith richards after a long night!) but we found a batman costume for tonight and tomorrow night. Tyler was Austin's old bumblebee costume (this is a perk of having same sex children!) and this picture is a classic example of where you can find this child anytime he isn't getting his way!

If you have a great soup recipe that I can add to my list to try, please post a comment and leave it...I would love to try something new!!

new me, part II

2008-10-26T15:21:00.001-04:00

family: the reason why we all make sacrifices...

i have been cleansing my soul the last few weeks and have wanted to share some of my thoughts as i do this.

i can't explain how hard it was to have something so prominent in your life for 4 long years to just be completely out of your life one day. as i was riding my bike with tyler in the trailer last week i spent 2 hours in the fresh, cool air reflecting on the last 4 years of life. this is what came to mind: way back before i was married, before i had my own children i taught a class to children of divorce on how to manage their grieving process relating to the divorce. we taught that the first stage of grief was denial -and once you got through denial you moved on to anger - after anger was acceptance and renewal. you also never knew how long each stage would last before you got to the next and most importantly was that none of these stages was your fault, it was natural.

while thinking about this process i realized that i had been grieving the selling of my company. it started with the denial, just plain ignoring the fact that i was doing it. then a long period of anger or grouchiness that i had done it....probably related to the fact that i felt a bit of failure for not being able to manage and balance a huge company and my family at the same time. i think i'm somewhere in between anger and acceptance right now...a little lost in what to do with my creative energies and all of my free time. let me also mention that throughout this whole process i have never regretted selling the company - it has just been a very hard process. i knew deep in my heart that it wasn't good for me anymore or my family, everyone was suffering.

one of my favorite artists and bloggers, elsie, has been working on an interesting post that i can't wait to read once she posts it. She is going to talk openly and candidly about having a career as an artist. I can't wait to see her take on it and while always thinking of myself as more an entrepreneur {probably due to my business degree and background, versus schooling in design or art} than an artist. But, she is going to talk about having a career as an artist or creator versus having a 'normal' job....so i think i fall into the category of artist, creator, designer - whatever you choose to call having a job where you never quite know where your next paycheck is coming from!

having said this i have also been contemplating how something so innocent becomes so huge and then what happens when it isn't really fun anymore. i read this post by melody ross, founder of chatterbox {a pioneer in the scrapbooking industry} and couldn't have related more. it all of a sudden made so much sense...you have an experience, come full circle, just to realize you have reached the beginning. a scary thought i must say, but it had some really deep meaning. i had gone through the last 4 years of really hard work mentally and physically demanding. an experience that has taught me so much about myself, including my faults as well as my talents, shown me boundaries in personal and professional life. most of all giving me the confidance to know that i can do anything i set my mind to and that i tend to be an overachiever when i want something and can see the 'vision'. the flip side of this is how does something that started on the kitchen table for some extra fun money slowly creep into your life and become something of a disease that takes over your family and personality? so here we are at the beginning - cleansing the soul - a fresh start - repairing the damage and deciding which road to take.

new shop

2008-10-24T11:45:00.005-04:00

i can't wait to introduce my new etsy shop! you can find it by clicking here. I was going to wait to share the news until i had the store stocked with fun stuff, but wanted to go ahead and start playing with the design and uploading items. My hope is to design a few of my own quilts and post finished quilts and cut kits. As well as some handmade scrapbook / card items and kits. So, go ahead and get yourself familiar and check back often.

It has been raining all morning and is so dark in the house - i think this week has been our first reality check that winter really is coming. My body is trying to adjust...the runny nose, dull headache {this could also be directly related to the fact that I'm out of coffee} and lack of energy. The cold weather has thrown off my exercise routine since I bike outside with the kids in the trailer...yuck!

I have some Christmas cards to finish making today and then I'm hoping to finish up some scrapbook pages I have been working on. We have a busy weekend with dinner at my brothers house tonight and then the last sailing regatta of the year this weekend with a fun costume party Saturday night. Have a great weekend!

wow!

2008-10-21T15:00:00.005-04:00

if you know us you know we are a huge sailing family...i will say that my husband is probably the most passionate about it with austin in a close second. i also love the water and most of the sailboats we've owned have had there own quaint uniqueness that i've been so fond of. i am very passionate too, but doug is competitive by nature so wins as the expert in our family. i win at being most passionate about running and crafting / creating : )

one of our 'many' boats along the way - this one was for racing...

one of our favorite blogs to read every morning over coffee is this one. This 16 year old kid is named Zac Sunderland and he left marina del ray, california on june 14th in a 36 foot sailboat in attempt to be the youngest male to sail {solo} around the world. wow. remember when you were 16? did you have a dream like this - and not only a dream - but the ambition to follow through with it? I am remembering when i was 16 and my dream was to learn to fly a private size plane, and unfortunately it didn't happen....this pales in comparison to sailing around the world. i just wanted to learn to fly - not solo around the world! if you have a minute check out his blog, even if you aren't an avid sailor, or know nothing about it, but appreciate ambition you will get something from this. it is so refreshing to see how many people are backing zac financially and spiritually hoping he succeeds.

doug coached soccer this fall for austin's team and really enjoyed it...i knew he'd be good from the beginning being so athletic, but i think he was a little skeptical of trying to teach 5 year old boys the strategy of soccer while just trying to hold their attention for an hour. their last game was last saturday and then were an exceptional team...doug was so proud of them and i was so proud that he was such a good teacher and didn't make it competitve, but just taught them how to play and love the sport. he has a new project for this fall / winter and is so excited. he has been wanting to create some sort of junior sailing program to grow the sport among young people...and not the sport of racing but the love of sailing. it looks like it is going to happen and i'm so proud that he is involved and helping renew the sport....more on this soon!

i'm working on a few creative projects and hope to share them soon!

31 goals

2008-10-19T14:58:00.007-04:00

i have been wanting to share this scrapbook page i did about a month ago. i got the idea from a couple different places about setting goals...i've seen people do 1, 2, 5, and 10 year goals or goals at each birthday - so i decided to think about 31 things i wanted to accomplish in my 31st year. not an easy task i must say...i tried to find balance between personal goals, goals for my family, goals for my marriage and general goals. I took about 3-4 days just to think about and ponder the 31 things i wanted to include. I wanted the page to be simple with the focus on the goals - i am also really into using white pages as backgrounds right now and keep alot of 'white' space. I used paint underneath the goals and around the edges of the pictures. i also punched photo corners out of hambly transparencies and kept a rather bright theme!

I do need desperate help in figuring out how to post my scrapbook pages in the cleanest way. i don't have a 12 X 12 scanner nor do i have photoshop - so i'm limited in those ways...i just took a photo of this one so we'll see how well the picture turns out. also if anyone know what i need to do when i upload it so you can click on it and make it larger let me know!!!!

i challenge you (even if you don't scrapbook) to sit down and make a list of goals for the next 12 months...it is a good exercise in where you are at this point and what is important to focus on in the next year...then it serves as a great reminder and memory down the road!

Another soccer season ends...

2008-10-18T18:20:00.004-04:00

Today was our last fall soccer game, a bit bittersweet i suppose. I'm ready to have our weekends back without any commitments, allowing us to travel if we want to. But, Austin made the best play today and it was SO fun to watch. you know how finally the last game of the season the underdog finally seems to get it? That is sort of his case. Doug coached this season and we were lucky to have 2 really - really good boys on our team. One was super fast and the other was great at getting the ball in the goal, so we scored a lot and the boys really improved on passing the ball as the season progressed.

Here's the deal, Austin isn't the fastest player so he kind of missed out on getting the ball very often because the two really good/fast players always had control. Today the ball ended up right in front of him with no one around and he (very controlled) took the ball down the field right to the line and then passed it right to the 'goal kicker' and he kicked it right in. It was awesome and he was so excited and doug and i were so proud! So...that is when you hate for the season to be over - but we got our pictures and trophies and kids loved it!

laugh away!

2008-10-16T16:58:00.002-04:00

okay this made my day - take 6 minutes to watch, laugh and smile!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aih_Eqx2o9g&feature=related

her name is suzi blu and she is quite funny!

Thursday hello!

2008-10-16T16:14:00.003-04:00

I can't wait to share the news with all of you about my new job starting November 3rd! I was offered the position of Twigs teacher for my son's preschool class. I will be teaching the 4-5 year old class that we call twigs. Austin goes to a cooperative preschool where the parents run the school. They are in charge of everything from hiring teachers to raising funds for the school, etc. The greatest part is that once or twice a month as a parent you participate in class with your child, hands-on learning what they do and being a part of the process.

Austin started here when he was 2 years old, so this is our 4th year and it was a great way to 'ease' into the process of him being in school and away from home for a few hours. I have always loved knowing how class works and what they are learning about. They start as Seedlings, then become sprouts and graduate as Twigs. I have a lot of creative ideas for class and can't wait to start working on my plans!

more later!

yummy fall recipe

2008-10-07T19:02:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share this really yummy fall recipe - whether you love sweet potatoes or not this is really good!

*twice-baked sweet potatoes*
2 large sweet potatoes
2 oz (1/4 of 8 oz. package) cream cheese
2 T. milk
1 T. brown sugar (i did a little extra!)
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup pecan pieces

dir.
heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes lengthwise in half; place, cut-sides down, in foil lined baking pan. bake 30 to 35 min. or until tender.

scoop out centers of potatoes into bowl (or mixer) leaving 1/4 inch-thick shells. Add cream cheese, milk, sugar and cinnamon to potatoes; mash until blended.

spoon potato mixture into shells ; top with nuts. bake 8 minutes or until potatoes are heated through and nuts are toasted.

these were awesome and tyler loved them!!

Think Christmas time!

2008-10-07T12:11:00.005-04:00

I did a workshop last week and we did a christmas card so i thought I would share. I have since made a couple other versions using an older stamp set! This card was mulit-dimensional and we got the idea from http://www.beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ - she has a great website and gallery with tons of ideas!

I used the Season of Joy stamp set from the Stampin Up! catalog and the Ski Slope designer paper from the holiday mini.

the cards at the bottom are done with paper from last years catalog that i had leftover and an older stamp set! I embossed the green santa and then colored the other one with ink and an aqua painter!

The new me!

2008-09-30T14:43:00.004-04:00

Some of you may know this and some of you may not so I wanted to share what has been going on in my life the last couple months and introduce my new blog and the new chapter in my life i am embarking on!

Most of you who know me know that i have been the founder and owner of a company called a la mode for the past 4 years. The company started as a hobby when my oldest son Austin (now 5) was 18 months old. I wanted something to do while i was staying at home and designed a small and simple line of handbags that I was making for friends and family. I had the idea that the bags might sell in home parties where women could pick from a line of fabric and purse designs and essentially design their own custom handbags with different add-on embellies. I put together a small test program and launched a la mode with my small group of friends. The first few parties i did were successful and the response was overwhelming so i knew i had something. Within a few short months i had a few ladies wanting to sell the bags and a few women helping me sew them.

the company has grown and changed so so much since then - it is really mind-blowing. within 6 short months we had big equipment, full-time seamstresses, a list of design associates and more sophisticated styles and fabrics. through much streamlining, hiring, training, recruiting, friendships, mistakes and successes the company continued to grow and become more than a full-time job for me. It still amazes me that i started this little idea in our kitchen on a cheap, borrowed sewing machine and now it has a separate studio and has a presence in over 7 states. such an accomplishment!

In april of 2007 my husband and i had our second little boy, tyler. It was rocky at first managing a newborn and the business...but somehow i made it through. once tyler was a couple months old he visited the studio with me daily first in his carseat, then on a blanket, lots of time in the baby bjorn sling, the playpen and finally running around getting into nearly everything! this was definately one of the most challenging times in my mommyhood / career. the whole reason for starting a la mode was to be able to stay home with my kids and still earn some extra money. But, it was becoming really difficult to manage both in a good way. The middle of July I had a realization that some major things in my life needed to change.

I talked to doug about it and with many tears i decided it was best to try to find another fabulous person to take over alm. It was becoming too much for austin to be at the studio everyday bored to tears and tyler was just into everything and safety was becoming an issue. I just couldn't find the time to manage a full-time career and a full-time sahm. so i decided it was time to enter a new chapter in life and sell alm. i found a person i trusted and admired to acquire the company and continue on the path of my dreams and hopes for alm.

i have continued to stay on as founding director, selling and recruting for alm. really these were the things i was always so passionate about, but the rest of the company just got in the way. this would allow me to still be a part of my passion, explore new avenues and give more quality time to my boys and family. so - here we are chapter 2: sara creates! i can't wait to see where the next few months and year take me. i have finally finished that home studio you all read about months and months ago in the alm studio blog - i have been scrapbooking much more and even got my own quilting machine back out and dusted off!

the kids and i have been loving all our undisturbed time together - we've been going on 90 minute bike rides every day enjoying the start of fall. i don't have to miss any of austin's field trips because i am too busy at work and can't spare the time! i feel like i'm actually watching my kids grow and learn instead of just watching it pass by. our family life has calmed down - laundry and dinner get done in a reasonable time and we actually have somewhat of a schedule or routine around here (and it doesn't involve daily trips to the post office!!) Life is good! I'm so glad i took the plunge - it is paying off! I didn't realize how much i was missing until i saw it up close again.

i hope you all will continue to visit my new blog. i plan on posting all kinds of creative things - i have some goals i would like to achieve over the next 12 months and i'd love for you to come with me on the journey. look for pictures of scrap pages, cardmaking, quilting and everything creative!