Back in the kitchen

Cooking for Thanksgiving has reminded me how much I enjoy cooking. The key for me is to be in the kitchen when my back isn't killing me. These days, those moments are few and far between. But I've been buying stuff at the store that I wouldn't normally to try, to motivate myself to get in the kitchen and do a little more cooking.

Robbie seems to be enjoying the benefits of this. I made him a special apple sauce for his ham that he enjoyed on Thanksgiving. It really was for him because Lyssie can't have apples... although my husband enjoyed it was well.

I'm not a huge apple sauce fan - but I have to admit... this stuff was good. I'd love to give you the recipe... but I'm horrible at following recipes and so I make it up as I go along. I can tell you that I used three apples (not sure what kind, I think they may have been Gala), some cinnamon and a small amount of brown sugar - although I don't think it needed it... it was plenty sweet.

I think Robbie and I will try making some more - I'll see if maybe he has ideas for varying the "recipe". It seems like a fun, easy and inexpensive way of experimenting.

Read more...

Bento #4

It's been a while since my last Bento attempt and the kids have been anxiously awaiting another one. So here it is! I think I'm at least getting a little more creative as the first thing that Lyssie said when she opened hers was "Autotopus!"

Contents: corn, crackers and pepperoni; rice ball, tofu, hotdog octopus ontop of steam veggies (carrots, peas and broccoli).

Lyssie ate the octopus, a little tofu, some pepperoni, a few carrots, the crackers and some corn. I felt victorious. Robbe ate everything except for about a quarter of the corn.

I really wish I kept more fruits on hand - but with Lyssie not able to eat them... they often go to waste before they are used. I feel bad giving Robbie fruit and Lyssie none. I do give her the banana occasionally while he enjoys fruit... but she gets tired of it really quickly. These bento boxes would be much easier to make colorful if I could just add some fruit.

I did find some small containers with lids though that will fit into the boxes. I'm hoping that I can use these for jello or pudding for a little extra treat. We'll have to wait to see how that works out.

Read more...

Black Friday is here!

So, check out these stores that have sales today and most through the weekend...

http://www.lovemeknotcreations.etsy.com
http://www.sucree.etsy.com
http://www.glasselements.etsy.com
http://www.nuetome.etsy.com
http://www.worldofwhimm.etsy.com
http://www.gbaneyx.etsy.com
http://www.hautegoat.etsy.com
http://www.artbynorm.etsy.com
http://www.wiretree.etsy.com
http://www.scarywhitegirl.etsy.com
http://www.countingstars.etsy.com
http://www.juliajae.etsy.com
http://www.starkhorizons.etsy.com
http://www.sewcherie.etsy.com
http://www.AbiznessDigital.etsy.com
http://www.pepopark.etsy.com
http://www.DandylionEggs.etsy.com

Happy Shopping!

Read more...

Happy Turkey Day!

Yesterday, Robbie came home off the bus in this adorable little turkey hat - it was fun and cute and a nice beginning to our Thanksgiving weekend.

This little hat inspired me to finish up the embroidery on our table cloth so that we could bring it out this year. I admit, I've been terrible with this tradition. I sometimes put it away after a holiday and save the embroidery for later. Procrastinating is a horrible thing - because then when I think of using it, I often pass because I know that to use it, I need to finish it.

This tradition was started by my grandmother. She has a table cloth (actually, I think it's about four of them now - all stitched together) that she would put out every Thanksgiving (other occasions as well) and allow people to record their memories, their names and dates, or whatever they wanted. Then she would embroider them for a permanent record. I always loved the idea and I can't tell you how many intricate drawings I did. Of course, I wasn't thinking of the work that it involved on her part - but I love to look back at what I was drawing each Thanksgiving. Oh her table cloth Atari is present, Scrabble comese up frequently and lots of hand turkeys. I love just sitting at the table and reading the hundreds of signatures through the years.

But then, I moved to Washington and I was no longer around the table cloth and this fun tradition. We had my son and I decided that this was one tradition that I wanted him to experience. So, I started my own. And even though I don't bring it out a lot, there are still many on there and it's fun to look back. Our first one was my son's hand print on his first Thanksgiving.

So, happy Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to enjoying the time with my family (even if we are all sick) and sharing new and old traditions with my kids. Another year where I have so much to be thankful. Everyday I count my blessings.

Read more...

It's Coming! Black Friday!

The day after Thanksgiving has become known as Black Friday - the day that stores get out of the red and into the black. To celebrate this day, I'll be staying home and offering sales from the comfort of my own home. And you can take advantage of my sales as well as many others from the comfort of your own home as well! Check out the EtsyRAIN blog for stores offering sales this weekend. There is also a list in the EtsyRAIN shop.

At NueToMe, I'll be offering all my Recycled Tshirt Dresses at 30% off regular price! I'll be changing the listing price tonight, but if you can't wait, just email me and I'll change it for you. Also, if you are looking for a specific size and don't see it in the shop, let me know and I'll check my inventory.

In the World of Whimm shop, I'll be offering all quilts, bibs and burp rags at 20% off! Again, these prices will be changed tonight. I also have others that aren't listed - so if you are looking for something specific, let me know and I'll check my inventory.

And while it's still being debated - I plan on closing my shops on December 6th until the first of the year. So, time is running out!

Read more...

Is it that time already?

I'm so glad that my kid's birthdays are evenly spaced 6 months apart - it makes it more manageable. But at the same time, I feel like we never stop talking about birthday party plans. Lyssie has started on hers already (she'll be 3 mid-February). First, she wanted a candle party - then she wanted a cake party. I explained that both of those things would be at her party and that she could pick a different theme if she wanted (there is no way I'm throwing a candle party for a three year old - unless they are made with paper flames).

A quick minute of thought and she decided on a Tinkerbell Party. She hasn't changed since and that was about a week ago. I'm fairly certain this is the one. Which is great - a fairy party would be fun. But I'm a bit concerned. I'm not sure Tinkerbell is truly what she wants. See - we bought her the Tinkerbell movie when it came out on DVD because of how much she says she likes Tinkerbell... and while Robbie really enjoyed the movie, Lyssie came to me half way through it and told me she didn't like it. I asked why - and she said "Der no Peder Pan".

I'll probably still be steering her toward a fairy party - and Peter Pan can visit (perhaps her brother or dad). I'm sure there are tons of fun Tinkerbell, Fairy ideas out there... in fact, I know there is a cookbook that I'll have to see if I can check out from the library. If anyone has some fun ideas for food, decorations and maybe a game or two (not sure if I'll do any games with three year olds, we'll have to see).

Just a few more months of planning a Tinkerbell Party and I'll have a month before my six year old starts in with his ideas (of course, he's already planting his ideas - he wants a train set party - but I don't allow him to discuss his until after his sister's. Fair is fair). I'm a little thankful that we are talking about birthdays though and not the greed of Christmas that seems to run rampant around this time of the year. In fact, my son is already talking about giving some of his toys to those that "need" them. Am I finally making headway? I won't hold my breath.

Read more...

Tackle it Tshirt Tuesday - Ornaments

I admit, I haven't been sitting at my sewing machine lately... and when I have it's been to make something quick - to get an idea off my mind. I hate trying to do other things (like clean the house) when I have a new idea that's just waiting to be tried.

So, I made those Christmas trees last Tuesday and have been wanting to make ornaments with the same technique, but flat. I thought they would be fun for the kids to decorate. We haven't decorated them yet - but I think they came out really cute. They are between 4-5 inches tall and about 3 inches wide.

They are cute the way they are, but I plan on letting the kids glue some buttons or jewels (or both) on them so they have their own homemade ornament on the tree this year.

Tomorrow I'll be announcing some rare sales that I'll be having in a few of my shops for Friday through Monday this weekend. In addition, I'll give you a link to the sales of my fellow EtsyRAINers. Shop online and avoid the crowds and parking!

Read more...

Muffin Tin Monday - Thankful Kids

This week's Muffin Tin Monday theme was foods that my kids are thankful for. I really couldn't afford to fill a tin with calamari, crab and sushi - so I decided to do the meal they are thankful for. They always seem to enjoy breakfast, so that other day we did a breakfast muffin tin meal for lunch. For some reason serving breakfast at lunch, dinner at breakfast, etc seems to be even more appealing to the kids.

So here's what we had!

Robbie's: Cinnamon Chex, raisins, cinnamon raisin English muffin with jelly, canned pears, bacon & string cheese.

Lyssies: Cinnamon Chex, cinnamon raisin English muffin, oatmeal, raisins, bacon and string cheese.

I had thought I hit a home run on this one as I didn't put anything in these tins that the kids don't normally eat. However, they didn't eat it all. They left the English muffins for the most part, only ate a few of the Chex and Lyssie is only ate about half the oatmeal which shocked me as she normally licks her bowl clean!

Check out other tins at Her Cup Overfloweth!

Also, if you haven't already - visit the Craft Crow and enter to win one of my Primary I-Spy Bean Bag sets!

Read more...

The Crafty Crow

I love crafty blogs. I love getting new ideas and I love that crafty people are attracted to crafty blogs. This means that when you check out one crafty blog - you are instantly connected with tons of other crafty people - and sometimes their crafty blog!

Lately, I've enjoyed the ideas on The Crafty Crow. Have you checked it out? It's great and has tons of project ideas for kids (and adults will like them too) of all ages.

So - check it out... because not only is it a great resource site... but today, Monday the 24th - I'm being featured. I'm giving away one of my popular Primary Colored I-Spy Bean Bag sets. Yay! So check it out and enter to win! Click on the Crafty Crow logo above to go straight to their site!

Read more...

Tshirt Flower Tutorial

I first made these flowers when I was designing one of my recycled tshirt dresses. The dress needed a little something extra - but something that wouldn't detract from the dress.

I made several of these flowers but ended up only using one on the dress. So, I found other uses... my favorite being a hair clip... which I gave to UCU for their swag bags. This means I'll also have some of these available at the show.

But these are so simple, fun and versatile that I thought I'd do a quick tutorial. So here it is!

Materials:

• tshirt scraps
• buttons (I used one with shanks on the back)
• sewing machine & thread

1 - Cut two circles from the tshirt scraps - one about two inches and the other one slightly smaller. I cut them free form rather than using a pattern as I think that the slightly irregular shapes gives the flower a more natural look.

2 - Zig Zag stitch around the edge of each circle. I've used several different width and length settings and they all seem to work fine. I like the zig zag to be a bit closer (about 1.5) and the width to be a bit larger (about 2.5). You may want to experiment yourself to see what you like best. Stitching the edges will flare the edges slightly giving it a ruffled look.

3 - Stack the smaller circle on top of the larger circle and pick a button to sew into the middle. My first flowers were red and I chose a nice dark black button for the center. I've also experimented with other colors liking a beige flower with a white center too.

4 - Hand stitch the button into the center of the circles pulling the thread tightly around the shank causing the circles to bunch slightly around the button. Tie it off... and your flower is done!

Use the flower to make a brooch or hair clip, use it to make greeting cards, embellish scrapbook pages or to decorate the top of a present. The uses are endless!

Read more...

New for World of Whimm!

It's been a while since we've added a new item to the World of Whimm store. It's actually been a while since I've listed anything in the World of Whimm store. I guess I've been a bit caught up in other things.

But this new product us worth blogging about. Dinosaur Bean Bags! These super cute bean bags come in a set of 6 with a picture on one side and the name of the dinosaur on the other- and the dinosaurs vary from set to set. How cute is that! They also come with a cute little carrying bag. These are perfect for that dinosaur lover on your list!

I've posted one in the store and will be taking the others to UCU. I don't have many though - so if you are interest... get it while you can!

This is also the season of giving and I am feeling more and more generous the closer we get to the holidays, so I'll be doing a few give-aways before UCU - and I've donated a few items to other sites for give-aways and prizes. So check back frequently for details (you can always follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" on the left!

Read more...

Blog Award???

I'm not sure how this all works - but I am flattered that someone has enjoyed my blog enough to award me a blog award. Thank you Just for Fun!

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So, I'm passing this award on to only four others for now... as several of the ones I would pass it on to... have also received it recently.

1. Living Out Loud

2. Blue Bird Studio

3. EmmaKat

4. House of Peanut

Read more...

Haiku #3 - Inspiration

Inspiration - one of my favorite words! The reason behind World of Whimm (creations to give kids inspiration and to spark their imagination). my kids who inspire every last piece that I make and the one things that keeps me going one day to the next regardless of the pain and frustration that I feel each morning I wake up.

This is the topic for Haiku Monday this week - week #3. Really, I posted the picture of the ring to the right for no particular reason. These fleece rings are new and were inspired by Lyssie's Halloween costume (I had to make a ring for her Princess Peach). The bright yellow and radiating sun from the center is inspiring in itself. I hope to post this ring to one of my stores soon - probably On A Whimm which seems to be getting a lot of attention right now.

A simple comment
from their imagination
fills my week with fun

You know, I'm finding it really hard to like any of my Haikus. I'm hoping with a little more practice, they'll be at least passable in my mind. I'll try one more...

I watch him in awe
a man of ease married me
He makes me my best

I don't know if I'm getting the syllables right or not. But it's fun! Happy "Haiku"ing everyone!

Read more...

Birthday Present

Okay, so I felt like a horrible wife not having a present for my husband... so this afternoon while my son was at school, I made a pillow cover for each child to give to my husband. I was pleased with how they came out... and to top it off, the match the idea I have for our duvet cover (if I ever find time to work on something for myself).

I hope to someday make a duvet cover with men's dress shirts. I love the strips, plaids and blues of so many dress shirts that I thought it would be nice for our bedroom... you know, something I like and something masculine that my husband will like. I hope with the New Year, I'll get a chance to start on this project. For now, the pillows were something obtainable.

I used two men's dress shirts that I have collected from various Thrift store outings. I swapped the patterns on the front and back of each pillow so that the two pillows go together. So the fabric on the front of one is the fabric used on the back of the other. I also used the button front for the opening of the pillow cover. Such a breeze to make and soooo cute! I'll be making more of these... maybe even for one of my stores.

I printed the picture on my less than stellar printer. A low quality printer gave me the exact look I was going for - kind of worn. I printed it on some fabric paper I had obtained a while back. But you could easily just iron some freezer paper to the back of muslin. I'll probably do that next time as then I can control the quality of the fabric.

The longest part of this project was cutting the shirts apart. I was making 18 inch pillows, so I had to be sure that I cut each shirt perfectly to get in 18.5 inch square out of both sides. It was a bit challenging - but well worth the extra effort.

I also had visions of the kids stamping their little hand print on the corner of each of their pillows in black ink - but, since this was a last minute idea... that isn't going to happen.

I'm hopeful that my husband will enjoy these. I think I might make a few for downstairs for Christmas while we have guests here. The great things about these is that they are just covers, so they can be removed and put away until next year or swapped out with something else. I'm addicted to pillow covers now - watch out!

Read more...

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my husband! Today is his birthday and I've procrastinated so long in finding that perfect something for him... that I've ended up with nothing. I also had the plan of making him something with the kids - but with Robbie sick, that didn't happen either.

So, I decided to browse Etsy. I mean, what would you do? Here are a few things that maybe he would have liked. There' s always Christmas!

I'd have to start off with a card from Tracychong - and this one is soooo cute! Okay, so cute isn't necessarily his thing... but I think the message is. Of course, it would be signed by his kids and anything signed by his kids... is gold.

Customized money clip from TheCrazyDaisy. It's better than carrying pictures of the kids around and having the pictures get all mangled in his pocket. Don't you think?

Some yummy peanut butter bites from Kindlytreats. He's a big Reeses fan - so I'm sure these would be perfect for him... and he is getting a bit skinny these days.

Here's something he needs - a belt. He's so skinny now, his pants are just hanging off him. I guess I could get him new pants - but this belt from KidPirate is so much cooler!

So, Happy Birthday to my husband and just a reminder - it's the though that counts, right? And I thought about getting these things for him :)

Read more...

Tshirt Tree Tutorial

I love this tree - it has so many possibilities. It can be decorated with buttons and jewels, it can stand alone or in a grove of others, it can be made from tshirt scraps, cotton scraps, fleece scraps - I could go on and on. Also, this same concept can be adapted to make ornaments - it can be flat or it can be stuffed to stand - my head swirls with ideas!

But first, for the basic tree.

Materials:

Tshirt scraps - any color, I used shades of green
Muslin or another tshirt scrap
Polyfil (or fabric scraps for stuffing the inside)
Scissors
Sewing Machine

1 - Cut a pattern from the Muslin (or another tshirt scrap like I did). This will be used as the base to which you will stitch the scraps to. The first tree I made I not use a base which made for a bumpier tree (see first picture - tree on the cedar block). It is easier, however, to stitch to a base. The shape of the tree is a quarter of a circle - size will depend on what size you want your tree to be (final size will end up being approximately the height and a third of the width if that makes sense). Round the bottom.

2. Place scraps across the base pattern you just cut - making sure to cover the entire shape (it doesn't matter if the pieces are hanging over). Pin the scraps in place against the base shape. Do not trim.

I did this in strips. I'm sure it would also work with small pieces - I went for simplicity (I also have a lot of scraps that are in strips). I also started from the bottom and worked my way to the top so that the tshirt fabric was hanging down as the branches of the tree would.



3. Stitch across pieces from one side of the shape to the other. I begin by stitching to the areas I have pinned so that I can remove all the pins, then I start filling in areas the seem to need more stitching. You can stitch as much or as little as you want. I used white thread on this one and green thread on the first one. I like having the contrasting thread color.

It might also be nice to do decorative stitches - again, I went for simplicity.

4. Trim off excess edges from the back following the pattern shape. Fold in half along the side edges with the scrap side on the inside. Pin in place.

5. Stitch along the side of the tree to form a cone shape. Trim the top point so it will be less bulky when you turn it inside out.

6. Cut a circle to fit the bottom of the cone from another scrap. I do this by eyeballing it and guessing. You can also open your cone, place it on a piece of paper and trace around it to make a pattern.

(If you want to make this into an ornament, you can always sew up the bottom at this point, leaving a space to turn it. Turn the tree and sew up the bottom by hand. This would give you a flattened tree shape that you can attach a hanger to the top (or sew the hanger in on step 5.)

7. Pin the circle to the bottom of the cone. Stitch around the bottom leaving an opening large enough to turn it (pull the tip of the tree through so you can turn it inside out). I left the opening in the back so that the stitching wouldn't show as much.

For the first tree I made, I hand stitched the bottom of the tree leaving the edges exposed. This does help it stand a little bit flatter and gives it a different appearance. If you choose to do this, I recommend stuffing it 80% of the way before sewing the bottom on - then stuffing it the rest of the way once you have stitched most of the bottom.

8. Turn the tree inside out exposing the green side of the tree. Stuff it and hand sew it closed.

This tree would be great with a bean bag stitching inside to weight the bottom, maybe even filled with a little pine potpourri.


These would be great on a mantle, hung on the Christmas tree, used as a pin cushion or set out for a center piece. Possibilities are endless... and they are so much fun to make! Make one for your kids so they can decorate it for their teacher! Have fun! And, please, let me know if I've missed any steps. For more pictures on the process, you can check out my Flickr pictures here.

Read more...

Tackle it Tshirt Tuesday

Okay, so this is probably turning out to happen every other week rather than every week - but hopefully as my time frees up a little (after the first week of December), I'll have more time to concentrate on my ever growing pile of scrap.

This week, I'm concentrating on trying to come up with ornament ideas for our EtsyRAIN ornament exchange and the one I signed up for the kids. I'm thinking that this tree (in a smaller version) might be fun. I can do a version like this with the kids on cardboard, they can then glue little jewel ornaments all over it. Of course, it wouldn't have all the cute stitching around it - but it would be made 100% by them and I think that's what counts!

I think this tree is fun and festive and I hope to make more of these to display along with our other Christmas decorations. It was made from my scrap pile with the same scraps that I used to make the stocking. Yep, I didn't even throw away the scraps from the other scrap project. It's an illness :)

** Watch for the tutorial for this tree to be posted later today **

Read more...

Muffin Tin Monday - It's all about dipping!

Okay, so I wasn't prepared for today's Muffin Tin Monday theme. I guess I was a bit distracted last week and just didn't catch it... but I still managed to pull it off. Of course, I'm not sure how much of it the kids will eat. I figure if they don't, I will.

Contents:

Dips (all from Costco); Organic Bean Dip and Organic Salsa (these have a little spice to them and their are delicious!) and Artichoke, Spinach and Parmesan dip warmed (yum!)

Dippers: tortilla chips, quesadilla rolls and carrots

My son loves the salsa and artichoke spinach dip - I'm not sure how the bean dip will go over with him. I fully expect my daughter to eat everything except the dips. I can live with that though. The are finding this tin to be a treat as it contains chips which they rarely get.

Again, blogger turned my picture. I don't care anymore. It makes it look a bit like I don't know what I'm doing - and that is true in some instances. Happy Muffin Tinning! Oh - and there is a guest host today, so check it all the others at Just For Fun.

Read more...

Handmade Harvest Show

This weekend was the Handmade Harvest Show at Kay's (A Crafty Arab) house. Her house was perfect for such a show. She has a beautiful, brightly painted house... I was jealous. My house is still the same color it was when we moved in. We talk about painting all the time - but life takes over.

It was a fun day spent with several other EtsyRAINers; Dancing Monkey Jewelry, Nits Creations, Pepo Park, A Crafty Arab and It's Made At Home. I had a generous space for my World of Whimm items - so I was pleased I was able to put just about everything I had brought (which I originally thought was going to be way too much).

It was a great day - friendly people coming through (and buying), yummy food and great company. It was a nice relaxing day which is hard to say about most craft shows.

And now... I am in full production mode for UCU. Or at least I will be once I shake this crazy headache and earache that I seem to have acquired overnight.

Anyhow, I huge thanks to Kay for opening her house up to us. I had a great time and I even picked up some great stitch markers from Martha of Dancing Monkey Jewelry. They are sooooo pretty! Oh - and if you are over visiting her shop, check out her photography. She has some beautiful shots!

Okay - on with the day!

Read more...

Christmas Shopping

Okay, so I'm supposed to be getting things ready for the show. But I've been at it all day (not that you can tell) and my back is starting to really hurt. So, I need to do something that will get my mind off my pain. I thought I'd do a little Christmas browsing. Perhaps, if I do well at the show, it can later become Christmas shopping.

At the very least, this might give others ideas and it'll highlight some fabulous Etsy sellers...

Okay, okay, the first one from Flamestitch would be for me. Isn't that purse awesome! And I need a purse. Yes, I have been planning on making my own for a while now... but I don't think I could make one this cool.

This cashmere scarf from Haute Goat would be perfect for anyone - but especially those hard to buy for men. Of course, I'm not referring to my man, because he's easy to buy for... all he wants are video games. At least that's what it's been for the last 10 years... I wonder if it's changed this year.

This would be perfect for the grandmother that is always so hard to buy for. I love this artist... I've featured her before. Jelly Bean's shop is full of colorful, whimsical, happy trees.

I've spent enough time browsing, I need to get back to work. But if you are having a hard time finding something for someone - check out the Etsy Gift Guide. It's packed full of great suggestions in all price ranges.

Read more...

You know when it's getting close to a show

Because my blogging (especially with photos) tends to decrease. I'm really trying not to let it happen though because blogging is a great release for me... and I like sharing.

So, right now, I'm getting things ready for a home show tomorrow in Redmond. Are you in the area and want more information? Email me and I'll get an invite sent to you. It's invite only - so this is the only way you'll find us! I'll be doing it with 5 other EtsyRAINers and it's being held at the house of A Crafty Arab.

This means that I'll be taking a few of things in my shops down (some of my favorite stuff like the stockings) while I'm at the show on Saturday. Of course, this is at a house, so I might just take my laptop instead and manage the store from there. We'll see how it goes. Oh! And I just had a thought! Kay (from A Craft Arab) can finally show me around Facebook - yay!

So today will be a day of preparation and mask making. I only have 4 mask left from the last show... so I need to make a few more. I keep putting it off because it requires ironing :)

Have a great day! I'll try to post a few pictures later of my new fleece rings I've been working on and the display I have for them. I'm fairly excited about it.

Read more...

Project for Lyssie

The other day, for some reason, I had a hard time keeping Lyssie occupied. I was working on clearing the table and making some work space for some friends to come over and craft. So, I decided to set Lyssie up with some glue. A few weeks back I had printed up some leaves off the Internet and cut them out. They were to help her with matching. Once she mastered them though... they quickly lost their appeal. So, I had her make a fall wreath with the leaves.

I armed her with a circle of construction paper, a bowl full of leaves and a glue stick. She had a great time getting glue on every part of each leaf. I have a feeling more glue ended up on the table though - as it took me a bit to scrub it to the point where it was no longer sticky. But she's proud of the end result. I think it was also nice for her to do her own project where she didn't have her brother one-upping her or telling her how she should do it.

The best part is we still have lots of leaves to do another project. I'll be looking around for more ideas - maybe a turkey from leaves??? Can't do rubbings since they aren't real leaves... but perhaps I have have her trace the lines on the leaves. We'll see.

Her artwork now hangs on our door - on the inside though since there is no way it could withstand our current weather trend. Rain with a chance of rain. I'm certain I saw lightening - which means there must have been thunder too. I can't tell you how thankful I am that we are no longer in our old house where the front yard used to flood. We also had to put a pump in the basement because it used to flood too! There's an advantage to living on the top part of a hill.

Read more...

Haiku #2

So, the topic this week is "change". I am very familiar with "change". And I welcome change most of the time. I'm one of those people that if something isn't going right... I not only make a change - but I make a huge change. Like move from San Jose to Washington.

But right now, when I think of change, I think " what can't my kids change their clothes any faster?" or "why is it that their new change of clothes is just as dirty as the last change of clothes?" I know that with a topic of "change" this should be deeper Haiku than it's going to be.

boy in pajamas
seconds before the bus leaves
calmly reading books

Okay, that one is not so good... I'll try for another one.

kids are playing well
errands to run before five
driving screaming kids

Hmmm... I guess I can probably still use some practice.

Read more...

Before the deadline!

I'm feeling accomplished, I managed to get my swag in before the deadline! I'm not sure about you, but I'm a procrastinator. I am slowly working on this (as it pertains to business - certainly not in my personal life).

I managed to turn in a total of 20 swag pieces. Not impressive, but more than the requirement. We were asked to contribute $25 worth. With the cuffs at $7 each and the clips at $4 each (this is still undecided) - that's over $100 in swag! That's a decent contribution for a little business like mine.

I also decided to go with giving the other cuff free if they stop by my booth and I'm offering 15% off of $15 or more. I'm excited that I'll actually be able to measure the success of this little experiment as I have a limited number of them and I'll be able to tell how many people actually picked up the second cuff!

Now, on to the many, many, many other things I need to do to get ready. Oh - did you notice the new logo in the pictures? I need to change the logo because the other one wasn't versatile enough for the things I wanted to do with it. I'll continue to use up the sew in tags that I have, then I'll change them to this new logo. So many changes!

Read more...

Wiping my hands clean

Today is the day I drop off my swag for UCU - I can finally check that off my to do list and move on to the rest of the ever-growing list.

Robbie also has today off from school. So, we are going to be spending the day in Seattle with a fellow EtsyRAINer, stop by Schmancy to drop off the swag and hit up Daiso (I've not been to this one yet). I'm sure somewhere in there, we'll also have some good eats.

I need to finish up my World of Whimm swag before we leave, but the NueToMe swag is complete. Sadly, I was only able to do 10. But I'm happy with how they came out. I'm glad to have something that I can do that is a little simpler to give out as swag. I'll post a picture of the other swag later tonight after I get home.

Have a great Tuesday and I'll still be doing my Tackle it Tuesday - but probably on Thursday this week. I think it still counts.

Read more...

Felt

I made these a long time ago for my son - who wasn't in to them. I used to love the felt board my mom made me when I was a kid. Of course, I think the felt pieces she had for me were a bit better. I did these ones very quickly and free hand one day.

Anyhow, Lyssie found them in his closet and seems to love them. She doesn't even feel the need to use the big flannel boards we have - she went straight for the carpet (thankful to my husband who had just vacuumed). I like that she is finding the shapes and making things from the shapes... notice the trees with the rectangle and circle.

I really should make her better pieces... I'll just add that to my list. Of course, I think it only bothers me as she seems fine with circles that aren't truly circles and rectangles that aren't very rectangular.

Read more...

Muffin Tin Monday - Family Heritage

I admit, this one was done last week sometime. I knew that there was no way I could be this organized on a Monday. And, one night, I happened to be cooking Chicken Tortilla Soup and thought it would work out great for a muffin tin.

My husband's family is Mexican and I LOVE to make all types of Mexican food. I'm part Japanese... but Japanese food doesn't come as easily. Perhaps that's a challenge for another time.

The kids weren't as enthusiastic about this one... I think it was the soup. They aren't huge fans of soup unless we are in a restaurant and it is in front of me or my husband. But my son still ate it all and my daughter ate about half (cheese corn and raisins)

Contents: corn, tortilla to dip in the soup, a mini turkey taco with cheese, tortilla soup with a little bit of tortilla on top, cheese and raisins (I had an extra cup that needed filling and very little imagination left - so out came the raisins!).

I love to do these challenges and I look forward to others by our new Muffin Tin Monday host, Her Cup Overfloweth.

Update:

My parents also wanted to submit a muffin for Muffin Tin Monday - here's there's!

These new bean bag sets are made by my mom and will be available at the Urban Craft Uprising. If I get them in stock before then, I'll list one in the World of Whimm shop as well. Aren't they the greatest! AND they'll be in a little bag. What a great gift!

Read more...

A Few Things

Today has been a strange day of working with not a lot to show for it. I've listed four Scrappy Little Monsters in my shop - I'd love to hear with you think about the new picture style (not the lighting - I know it sucks). It seems to take me longer to list them because I feel compelled to give a little story so you know who you are adopting. I have two more with pictures to list... but thought I'd move on to another store.

After this posting, I'll be posting new tacks in the On A Whimm site. There are ones that I've had for a while. The new ones I made today won't be ready for a few days as I still need to stick the tack onto them and I need to get more of the glue. But the ones today are really fun and festive! So, watch for them!

Finally, our little Lyssie. She fell out of the car (it was parked) yesterday and landed on her head. I wasn't there for the incident... but it left a bump the same size of her forehead (her forehead was protruding). A trip to the emergency room, some monitoring at home... and today she's fine! Phew! I hate head injuries. Anyhow, she cracks me up. Here's a picture of her being like mommy (I wear glasses).

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Oh! And I'm not sure if you've noticed... but I've added a place to follow my blog on the left and I've added some ads from other fellow crafters on the right - check them out!

Read more...

A Month of Thanks

I love my son. He came home other day with two cards in his bag. One of them was for both me and my husband and the other one (pictured) was just for me. It's amazing a handmade card from your child is truly one of the best things ever. Especially if it's a surprise. Certainly I receive my share of drawings that have been done at the kitchen table... but this was one of the first that was done while he was away from me. It's nice to know he thinks about me while he's at school... especially since I'm sure it's only a matter of time before that all changes.

The card says "Thank you mom" on the front, "I love (with a heart) you" on the inside and "Frum Robbie" on the back. I know, I should tell him how you spell from... but I figure that's his teacher's job... I'm enjoying it's cuteness.

So, I thought it appropriate to post a picture of this card since Thanksgiving is a month where we focus on our thankfulness... and I am truly thankful for having such a thoughtful kid. I know, I'm sure his teacher coached him... but don't ruin my moment.

Read more...

Apple Pie

I'm not a huge fan of fruit - it's a texture thing for me. But I do like the flavor of many fruits and one of the few fruits that I do occasionally like is apples. I had three apples sitting on the counter the other day looking a bit old and decided they needed to be used. So, I made up some apple cinnamon mixture, found an easy pie crust recipe and made these little babies! They came out cute and yummy! It was also a nice surprise for the family as I rarely make anything from scratch. I do think that the crust could have used a little bit of sweetness, but it was nice and flaky. I really do need to do more baking this winter. It seems to make everyone in the house a little bit happier.

Read more...

Haiku #1

"Haiiiikuuuuuu!" Okay, I just yelled that in a Samurai Jack sort of way. Perhaps you don't get that, and it's okay. I, at least know, that my husband does. Of course, it should have been Aku... but the point of this blog is Haiku... anyhow, seems pointless to have to explain something that's supposed to be humorous - so I'll stop.

I was visiting favorite blogs recently and came across Laurie's of Living Out Loud. She does some fantastic artwork by the way. Anyhow, she is introducing a new Haiku Monday (I know, why is every great idea on Monday... one of the hardest days for me to do anything). Of course, I'm not very good at Haiku's (in my opinion)... but the blog is the perfect place to write them because most likely, if someone doesn't like it... you'll never know. Unless they are cold and heartless and tell you in your comments. But I have the power to delete - so I'm not scared.

Okay, I seem to be getting off subject a lot today. So, here's my attempt at the theme for this week "Gratitude". I definitely have much to be thankful for. Even when I sit in the pit of my disastrous house - I'm thankful that it's my house and my disaster. Yep, I'm that twisted... or content... or lazy. You choose.

I still need a little more to focus on to write a Haiku, so I'll post a picture and write a haiku about it. Here it goes!

Passion in a child

A Paleontologist

Feels it in his bones

Is that right? It may not be good... but did I at least get the syllables correct? Okay, it's my first one since elementary school... cut me some slack!

Read more...

Gloom, Gloom, Gloom - It's a matter of perspective

This sad image is one of the first things I see when I go to log into my Google account. I know it's hard to believe, but I have a hard time staying upbeat when the forecast looks like this.

You know, this is still my favorite time of year though. That time of year when it only seems right that at the end of the day, I settle into my bed - tv on with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate (and peppermint schnapps). Or it seems only right that the kids would want to just cuddle under a blanket with me on the rocking chair and read a nice long book that puts us all to sleep.

I'm hoping that the forecast remains like this through the winter... but I'm sure soon it'll start dropping down to freezing and those rain drops will change into little white snow flakes. I'm just not ready for that. Thinking of those days, makes me thankful that the forecast looks like it does.

Read more...

What a novel idea!

I can't believe it... it's over a week before my swag for UCU is due and I have them all made! It's just not like me as I am a procrastinator and always have been. I think I learned it in grade school when we were given extra time to prepare a project - I always waited for the last minute and continued to carry the tradition through high school and beyond.

So it is out of character that I have these done. Of course, I still need to do the tag that will go with them... and I'm sure I'll procrastinate on those. I'm still working my idea out in my head and that can take some time. I'll be contributing 10-15 cuffs and 10-15 hair clips (made from recycled tshirts).

Check out my idea for the cuff (it's supposed to be a fist)! I am leaning toward requiring them to stop my booth for the second cuff (if they don't want to, the cuff can stand alone and be just fine - and if I have single cuffs left over... I can just make a mate to match it)... and a discount for any single item of a certain amount... probably $15. The clips will just be attached to a business card with no extra incentive or discount. It's really hard for me to offer a discount considering I don't mark my items up a whole lot. But this will be a learning experience. I'll have to see how many people take me up on my offer. And with only 10-15... it should be pretty easy to measure the results.

Read more...