Etsy Eye Candy - 8.30.10

It's been a little while since I've shared some Etsy eye candy with you, and since I'm resting my sinus-pressured eyes from sewing tonight, I wanted to post some little Etsy pretties for you... check 'em out!

This gorgeous clutch is from sewlola.  I love the blush color and the beautiful lace trim... it's a very "fancy-schmancy" little purse.  Ain't she purty?

This ring is just quirky enough to be fabulous.  Hautecountryvintage is listing this for only $18!

 

I love this dress.  I want to marry this dress.  Seriously.  This is from stephanieteague, and it is beautiful.  Maybe I'll wear something like this when dh and I renew our vows in a couple of years.   Maybe I should get to work now so it looks like this on me...

I heart BlushEnvy.  I've been eyeing her paper rose rings for a while now... but this necklace blows me away!  Her attention to every little detail of the flower is amazing, as this piece shows.

Okay - now go get shopping!

Whew!

We survived the first week of school... thank the Lord!  Big Sis had a fabulous time at kindergarten - she's pretty much loving everything except the cafeteria food, meaning lots of school lunches to pack.  Thankfully Amy from The Idea Room posted some of her great ideas!  If I can be that organized, my mornings should go very smoothly!

After spending the past two weeks moving out of our home into a rental, we were expecting to close on the house Thursday... it totally sucked to get a call from my hubby that morning saying the closing was delayed due to a lender issue. 

Ugh.

I'm having faith this will all work out in a month, so we can start the build on our new home.  Life in the rental house is good -- we've unpacked the chaos for the most part and hidden the rest in a spare bedroom.  It makes me have anxiety just peeking in that room at the boxes!  It's been exciting dreaming up the new home, flooring ideas, kitchen ideas... I find I'm picking up home decor magazines a little more frequently.  I'm still a little cautious (and superstitious perhaps) getting too excited until I know our home is actually SOLD.

These are stressful times, I tell ya.

Luckily, life has calmed down a bit for the weekend, and I can finally have some more time with my new sewing friend.  I have several things I'm wanting to make and have a couple of tutorials brewing in my head... now to just bring them to fruition!

First stop... the fabric store. 

Cause a girl can never have too much fabric, right?

Meet Pearl

So I gave you a sneak peek yesterday of my  fabulous new sewing friend... Pearl.  She was a birthday present from my husband, also fabulous if I do say so myself. 

She's sleek, she's byoo-tee-full... and she's quiet.  My old Singer was quite the clacker, let me tell ya.  Big Sis even told me one day that I wasn't allowed to sew during her "show" cause she couldn't hear it!  This one is quiet and sews like a dream

*drool*

The model is the Singer CB5, fully electronic, with more stitches than I know what to do with.  The needle even lifts itself into the "up" position when I take my foot off the presser pedal!  Genius!  And look at this:

Drop.  In.  Bobbin.

This could be the beginning of something very beautiful.

Nap Towel for Kindergarten

Okay - I have to admit - I've never heard of a nap towel.  Nap mat?  Sure.  Nap cot?  Certainly.  But a nap towel?  Who lays on a towel to rest unless on a beach?

Anyhoo, when I found a note in my new kindergartener packet to bring a towel for rest time, I knew I wouldn't be sending any old towel with my baby girl.  I had to put a little home.made. spin on it, right?  Right.  Even if it meant sewing until 1130pm Sunday night after moving all weekend, I was making this towel a little more than just a towel.

I started with a soft, squishy towel I picked up at Walmart, freshly washed and smelling fabulous.  I added a name applique at the bottom, using fabric leftovers from the Love Your Lunchbox.

Then I added a little "pillow" area to the opposite end, so there was at least a little something soft to lay her head on.  It's a layer of cotton batting topped with a pink chenille.

Good thing I added that part... seeing as Big Sis said she covers up with her towel like a blanket.

Go figure. 

I still want to add a matching elastic strap to help hold it together in her backpack, but I was not feeling like accomplishing that by the time I finished the towel on Sunday night.  I can tell you I was tempted to stay up all night and sew because of this:

Hello lover.

I had to give you a sneeky peeky at my bday present my dh.  Does he know his woman or what?

First Day

Today was an important day for us, as well as for many other children (and parents) across the country... the first day of kindergarten for our first-born.  We have a school-age child! 

 *gasp* 

We started off last night with this bedtime story, provided by none other than the best auntie in the world (love you sis!):

It's a cute story that follows the same cadence as the Night Before Christmas, and it tells of how much easier kindergarten is on the kiddos than it is on the parents.

*sigh*

So true.

Big Sis did great (minus the whole waking up early thing).  She picked out her outfit (note to self: next Christmas, put the skirt away when it's over), put on her backpack, and went right on in the classroom and sat down in her chair, without a care in the world.

Lil Sis wanted in on the excitement too... and the girls were obliging with the photos once they saw the little boys down the street being subjected to the same torture!  As for me, I did okay.  I've known for a while that K was ready for school and getting bored with her day-to-day routine at pre-school.  I think it also helps that the girls have been in daycare/preschool from early on, so being around a new teacher and other children is not a new concept.  For those parents that weren't handling it so well, the school set up a little coffee and kleenex station - too cute!

And so begins the next phase of our baby's development.  Oh, the places she'll go.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

Sorry guys - I meant to post this yesterday, but somewhere between moving, cleaning, and, ahem, breaking the garage door... I didn't get a chance!

So, without further ado... the winner of the giveaway is:

Congratulations!!  Now just stop over at the Lollipop Kids etsy shop, pick out your item, and email me with your choice and your address!

Stay Tuned...

I'll be announcing the birthday winner this afternoon! 

I just got internet hooked up at the new place yesterday, and we've been moving and sweating and unpacking in the meantime, so sorry for the delay.  Today, more moving and sweating and unpacking lie ahead, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I'm hoping that light at the end of the tunnel means I can do a little sewing tonight, cause I just have to show you my birthday present from my hubby.

Let's just say that he totally gets me.  Totally.

Be back later!

Won't Take Nothin But a Memory

It's our last week in this house (fingers crossed that closing goes well next week), and I've been a mix of emotions.  Excitement, fear, a little sadness... and I was most surprised by the sad feelings I'm experiencing.  Every inch of this house is connected to some of the most wonderful, crazy, stressful, fantastic moments in my life since bringing home our second baby girl and watching both of the girls grow and learn and develop a bond the past three years. 

Luckily, as I pack up belongings, I can pack away these memories in my mind, to remember and treasure forever.  Those first sleepless nights after bringing home Lil Sis, accompanied by the projectile vomiting she showered us with for nearly a year.  Big Sis finding frogs and lizards and grasshoppers and crickets and seeing bunnies and deer out the back window.  The girls riding their little bikes down the winding driveway.  Birthday parties, holidays, and get-togethers.  Piggy-back rides and games of chase around the living room, and moving the couch and coffee table to make a dance floor.

*sigh*

I know that the connection I have with this house are all of the memories we've made here, and I'm looking forward to many more wonderful memories at the next place we call home but it is still a little bittersweet anyhow.

This is the house where three became four.

This is the house where siblings became friends.

This is the house that built... us.

Thanks for the memories--

Birthdays and Resolutions - and a Giveaway!!

So, Friday was my birthday.  I am now 33.

Oy. 

I don't know if it's just me because my birthday falls in the middle of the year, but I tend to look back at those resolutions I made for the New Year and usually... end up starting over.  You know, fresh clean slate and all.  I mean, technically, January 1st is the beginning of the calendar year, but your birthday is the beginning of your next year of age, so it seems fitting to resolve a few things.

So, here goes.  My 33rd year resolutions:

• I will exercise more (cause my  ass heart really needs it)
• I will eat less fast food
• I will eat more dessert (since I'll be exercising more)
• I will kiss my husband more
• I will play with my children as much as possible
• I will snuggle my children while they still allow me
• I will bake and sew and knit and be creative
• I will spend more time with the Lord
• I will spend more time with those I love
• I will sing in the shower - loudly
• I will dance like no one is watching
• I will not cry when my daughter tells me my butt is big

Okay, I'll probably break that last one there... but it's a pretty good start, right?!  We'll see how far I've come when January rolls around again.

OH - ALMOST FORGOT!

I'm letting you in on the birthday fun and will be giving away an item of your choice from my etsy shop!!

Here's how to enter:
1.  FOLLOW ME!!
2.  Leave me a comment to earn an extra entry!

Contest ends on Friday, August 20th, so hurry and enter today!  I'll announce the winner on Saturday!  Good luck!!

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

We are sitting here, waiting to hear back on a rental home to find out if we can start moving today... while I have helpers (thanks sis and bro-in-law!) and while the girls are with Nana and Popo.  I've got cardboard boxes and packing tape ready to go... and no place to move things to as of yet. 

So I wait.

And wait.

And look at my sewing machine... aching to whip something up "real quick-like", but knowing that as soon as I get going on a project, the phone will ring and I'll have to abandon ship.

Darnit.

We're Moving

So, after the little bit of house drama and despair this weekend... our buyers have decided to stay under contract on our home which means we need to move...

NEXT WEEK!!!

As of right now, we don't exactly know where we will call home temporarily, so now we're in a race to find a rental, pack everything up, and make this happen.  Bis Sis said to me yesterday, "Mom, when we sell our house, I'm gonna give it a big hug.  Cause I'm gonna miss it."

Me too, bug.  Me too.

Crafterhours Has Done it Again!

Adrianna is seriously on track to get the Mom of the Year award. First, she made her daughter the fabulous Snow White dress and then came the Cinderella tutu... and now?!

BELLE!! 

You must go see her new tutorial.  Now!
Adrianna, you are definitely the Queen Mom today with all of those princess frocks under your belt!

Am I Ready for This?

My daughter came home from preschool last week and proceeded to tell me that her friends told her she wasn't pretty because she didn't have her ears pierced. 

She's five.

I can't believe this kind of stuff is happening already.  And my daughter, being the emotional, heart-on-her-sleeve kid that she is, really had her feelings hurt that these girls said this to her.  I can only imagine what it will be like once she starts school in a couple of weeks. 

I thought I was ready... ready for my big girl to wear her backpack into her Kindergarten class, ready for her to officially be a big kid.

I don't think I'm ready for the teasing, the tears that will surely ensue, the way that kids can just be so darn cruel.  I mean, this is my baby girl, so full of life and curiosity and joy.  I'm not ready for that to be crushed by someone's hurtful words or actions.  "Sticks and Stones" is a nice little mantra to teach them, but let's be honest here.  Words hurt, and sometimes much more than sticks or stones or any object one could find on a playground.

I know that this is all a part of growing up and there really is nothing I can do about it, but sometimes don't you just wish you could?  Don't you wish you could shelter them and protect them forever?  Unfortunately, doing so would mean they'd miss out on all the good things too... like making friends that they'll have forever, learning and experiencing new things, and becoming the little people they are destined to be.

I just hope I've done my job of raising her well enough that she can recognize and enjoy the good parts and forget about or forgive the not so great parts of growing up.

And if not, mama will put some sticks and stones in the backpack, just in case.

More Gathered Clutches!

I completed the final two clutches this weekend... wanna see?

I finally put some of my Amy Butler stash to work on this one.  It's purty.  And my hubby's favorite - he was so cute yesterday oohing and aahing over these little things!

I actually did the zipper correctly this time.  On the first clutch, I sewed over the zipper tabs rather than around them.  I didn't even realize it until I looked back at the tutorial again.  Truth is, though, I kinda like the curved zipper tab from sewing it incorrectly.  I'm weird like that.

And here's the final version, made from some stash Joel Dewberry and natural cotton fabric.  See how I left the zipper tabs curved inward again?  I like it like that for some reason... What do you think?

I also altered the pattern a tad bit on this last version.  On my previous clutches, I had trouble getting the lining to fit without feeling a little overstuffed, so on this bag, I added a 1/2 inch to the width of the exterior panels... and it fit perfectly this time!  No bunching, no wrinkling of the lining fabric - perfect.

And here's the final lineup... in need of some gift cards and pretty packaging to give away to the special teachers who have helped shape my children's lives.

And on the schoolfront... the supplies are bought, the backpack has been chosen.  Two weeks and counting til K-Day!

Change of Plans

So, I had this great post already written in my head about craft rooms that I love, reason being because we were due to close on our home in two weeks and were going to start building a new home... one that included my very own sewing nook!

*sigh*

The wind was taken out of my sails yesterday when our buyers terminated their contract on the house.

*weep*

So now we're back to being "on the market" again... keeping the house clean, making it smell nice, and cleaning up my sewing dining room so it doesn't look like a fabric tornado swept through it.  I'm hoping to finish up another clutch this morning before I have to put everything away neatly...

I better go get started...

Gathered Clutch, Round One

Yes!  I finally figured out the zipper portion and completed my first Gathered Clutch last night. 

This is the entire reason I love this bag - the gathered front peeking out from behind the solid band... but wait til you see the inside!

I just love that happy polka dot lining hiding inside.  I added the optional divider pocket and credit card holders - I'll be tucking little gift cards in there for the teachers along with a thank you note from me (and the girls).

Look!  I put in a zipper!

It's going to be hard letting this beauty go, but no worries.  There's more fabric where that came from!  I've got two more to make - hopefully I'll be able to finish them this week while I remember how to put them together!

This is what's been on my mind while I'm sewing these:

My oldest daughter.  I can't believe she's going to be starting kindergarten.  I very well remember those first moments with her after her birth, the first words, the first steps, the first, well, everything.  And now it's almost time for the first day of school.

*weep*

Zipper Hell

Ok... so no pics of any gathered clutches today cause I got a little, um, stuck on the zipper part last night!  I swear, I read the tutorial instructions, looked at the pictures, and still got it wrong... my tired, full-of-sinus-pressure eyes couldn't take any more by 11pm, so I called it a night. 

Tonight... I will try, try again.

***On a good note-- the HB fabric is frickin' amazing!

The Little Things

Do you love caring for your fabric?  I do.

Last night I spent some time ironing the fabric that I'll be using on gathered clutches for the teachers at my girls' school.  I can not tell you the joy I felt as the steam hit the fabric, releasing the scent of fresh laundry as it smoothed the wrinkles away.  I then carefully folded the pieces and stacked them, admiring the beauty of the colors and prints.

These two made me particularly happy:

Now tell me those colors and prints don't make you smile inside... I think Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane is one of my favorite collections ever.  So bright and cheery and sunny.

It's the little things people...

Hi.

I'm Rhonda... hello!

I'm a full-time working mom of two gorgeous girls, and wife to the most amazing man ever.  You might have known me as the woman behind Mommy Needs a Time Out, but when I realized that my mom blog had turned into more of a crafty mama blog, I found a new home: home.  made.

I love making beautiful things with my hands; for my girls, myself (occasionally), and my home.  Most of the time, this is with my trusty Singer but don't be surprised if it's something I whip up with my (also trusty) Kitchenaid... as in baking. 

Hey, a girl's gotta have her cake and eat it too, right?