lilli tutu

Giveaway WINNER!!!

2008-11-04T13:54:00.001-06:00

Just threw in another beach picture of Lillian for the heck of it.

Lesson #1: Do not plan on announcing the winner to your giveaway on Halloween when your husband has left to go out of town and you are in charge of all of the evening festivities.

Sorry, guys! I fell down on the job. I really stink at trying to keep up with stuff sometimes. Life intervened and I just got around to drawing the winner. I wrote all of your names down, folded all the pieces up and had Lillian pick from my hand. And the lucky winner is.....SHANA!!!

Shana is a great friend and an equally great photographer! You can find her at Captured Studios in downtown Tuscumbia or keep up with her online. I am amazed by her talent. She keeps getting better and better and I've got to get Lillian back in there soon.

Congrats, Shana! Hope you find a little one who will enjoy this paci clip:)

Carving

2008-10-29T14:12:00.000-06:00

Well, tonight we are going to carve the pumpkin. Every year we carve the pumpkin and I roast the seeds. My mom always did this and I have always loved those toasty seeds. I doubt very seriously that 3-year-old Lillian will try them this year but that just means more for me! This year, I am going to follow these instructions that I found while browsing recipes...sweet and simple. She gives instructions for several different ways to toast your seeds--I always do mine in the oven with a little salt and olive oil. YUMMERS!

Do you roast your pumpkin seeds? Any special spices?

Don't forget about the giveaway on Friday:) That cute little gnome would love to come your way.

Remembering...and a Halloween GIVEAWAY!!!

2008-10-28T14:10:00.002-06:00

Just browsing through photos and found this one from last Halloween--or "Hallowing" as Lillian calls it. My how she's grown--that's what they do though, grow and say funny things and talk about poop a whole lot. Everything is poop right now. We'll be reading a story--last night it was about Arnie the Anteater--and, after I finish it, Lillian inevitably wants to "read" it back to me. Except her version involves a lot of poop. Arnie found a mouse and then he pooped. Arnie looked for ants and then he pooped. Arnie saved the mouse and then he pooped.

I've been making a conscious effort to post more, but I see that I've just spent too much time away and y'all are mad at me. I can't blame you so in the spirit of Halloween or bribery--however you want to look at it--I'm going to force you to comment. How, you ask? By giving away a paci clip--a Halloween treat. It's a cute little gnome paci clip that you can see on my flickr site. He's a cute little fella. And if you don't use a paci yourself then feel free to give it to someone that could use it. Like a one year old or a newborn. Comment on this thread and I will pick a winner (not out of my nose silly people) on Friday.

Holiday Shopping

2008-10-22T16:23:00.001-05:00

Well, the season is upon us, and, while I think the most important part of this Thanksgiving through Christmas season is the memories we make while visiting with loved ones over meals and family outings, I also know that we love to give little gifts as tokens of our love. This year I will be supporting all of the wonderful crafty women out there. Yesterday, I shared with you the wonderful creations by Sarah & Abraham and today I am featuring Tip Junkie's Mom-Prenuer's Shop-a-thon. You can follow the link here or in my sidebar. There are so many great gift ideas from all of these wonderful Mom-prenuers! You are certain to find just about anything you need for holiday gift giving--or for yourself:)

Sarah & Abraham

2008-10-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

I ordered some notecards and an 8x10 print recently from Sarah & Abraham. When she says quick turnaround time, she means it. My shipping label was printed the same day that I placed the order and everything arrived within a couple days. I will have to take a photo of the 8x10 print. I painted a frame green and placed the pink print inside. It hangs on the blue walls of my daughter's bathroom and is just precious! I'm sure you will find something that you will love as well.

Diptych

2008-10-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

My first diptych. Straight out of the camera. Had to try it out:)

ROLLLLL TIDE!

2008-10-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

WHEW!!! I feel like I'm back from the dead. My Photoshop editing software was on the fritz and I just haven't had time to figure out what was wrong so I couldn't post pictures and I just felt like I was losing it. Well, I sat down tonight and it's really embarrassing how easily the problem was fixed. I feel like a genius, though . We moved this month and things have been a little out of whack but I'M BACK and it feels great. Here's an outfit that I made for Lil to help her show her team spirit at school on Fridays during football season.

A Little Frustration

2008-09-01T19:32:00.000-05:00

I caught this expression while trying to get Lillian to pose in a dress that I made her. She wasn't up for the photo shoot at all and I didn't get the shot of the dress that I was hoping for but while uploading the photos from my camera, I found this little gem. I think it captures her frustration perfectly. I also think it fits nicely with the Shutter Sisters "stalk the moment" post.

I would love to see the moments that you've captured "by accident".

Oh Say Can You See

2008-06-24T22:54:00.000-05:00

Well, we normally have an anual Fourth of July party with lots of friends around town but this year so many of us were going to be out of town for the 4th that we all got together for June 14th and celebrated Flag Day. Lillian really enjoyed this first party of summer. Photos are from the annual parade around the grounds. So much fun!

Family Time

2008-06-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

When Chad isn't here at night, Lil is somethimes still up at 9:40 pm. Only because she doesn't "WANNA GO TO BAAAYED!!!" There's a bunch of other reasons too like she "wants some GUMMMMM!" Or she needs to "GO POTTY"--a phrase she rarely utters unless it's bed time. One of the best excuses is that she doesn't want to close her eyes. That leaves me saying 'you don't have to close your eyes, just go to sleep'. NOW!!!
Anyway, I was sitting down to post about what a great time we had at camp this weekend. But I sat down to post this over an hour ago and once I got the photos edited and uploaded and once I got the "GUMMMM!" and once I took her to the "POTTY" and once I realized it's now 9:50 and someone is still awake, I just don't have a lot of time to write about the fishing and the marshmallows and the swimming and all of the other fun stuff we did. So I'll let the photos do it for me. There was a first fish experience and some other cool stuff. Oh and a sweet little pic I snapped of her while she was pulling leaves off of the trees. Next time I'll start this after I put the little night owl to bed. I'll be typing away as she's sleeping with her eyes wide open.

A Precious Little Top

2008-05-20T21:32:00.005-05:00

I just love the way this top turned out. You can find the pattern here and here. I bought it over at YCMT, as usual. I think I shop there daily. Which means I have WAAAAY more patterns than I can get to in the near and not so near future. This particular top is by that darn kat and it really is simple. She did a great job putting it together. I know that Sandi Henderson is also coming out with a round neck top pattern very soon. I'll be trying it as well. I truly wish that I knew which end was up when it comes to designing patterns but I'm just no good at it. Maybe one day...

I'm Still Here

2008-05-14T21:55:00.004-05:00

I mean, seriously, I really am. I've been having a blast this month sewing up eight outfits for the sweetest little kiddos. My only regret is that none of them were for my Lil. Three of the eight were reversible and I'm dying to throw something in the mix for Lillian but there's that whole time thing. Thanks so much to everyone for keeping me busy doing what I love to do. For those of you who do not know me, I work full time during the day and get a few hours of sewing time in at night after the little one is tucked in tight. It's a challenge to find the time to blog, post photos on Flickr, list items on Etsy, create new appliques, sew and be a mommy and wife but hopefully I'm succeeding at each of them. The blog suffers the most, I know.

Anyway, here's a couple of photos of the outfits. Okay, I know you can't really see the dresses in these photos but Lil was hamming it up for the camera and I had to include them. Just click on the photo and it will take you to my Flickr if you want to see more. The green seersucker with applique reverses to the blue seersucker with the octopus. The swing top is a Simplicity pattern and the A-Line dress is from my favorite lady (Carla C) over at YCMT

Sorry

2008-03-26T21:27:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I'm not very good at tagging people even when it's as nice of a gesture as the "You Make My Day Award". I was supposed to tag 5 folks who make my day and post the badge on my blog. Well, I don't know how to post the badge and I just suck in general sometimes but there are so many great blogs out there and I've added so many to my Google Reader that it's hard to keep up. Here are 5 that I read EVERYDAY!

1. Dooce: Heather Armstrong is hilarious and I laugh outloud everytime I visit. I love her sense of humor because, although I love the soft and cuddly things in life, I also love sarcasm and crassness (is that a word? yes, it is)

2. Portabello Pixie: Just click over there and tell me if she isn't one of the most talented and creative folks in webdom. Her new line of fabric, Ginger Blossom, is begging me to make something out of it. But in the mean time it has to sit in my sewing room while I dream of what it will become.

3. How About Orange: This talented little lady is dedicated to her blog and has a line of fabric available at JCaroline Creative. She finds the coolest spots all over the web. These are two of my favorites: ONE and TWO.

4. Make and Takes: Marie is one busy Mama. And oh so creative. She makes the simplest of things look so much fun and comes up with the neatest crafts for her two precious (and lucky) kiddos.

5. Hello My Name is Heather: Another awesome Heather on my daily list of blogs to read. This is one talented lady and I own some of her Freshcut line of fabric. I've made several things from it and love it just as much now as I did when it came out.

Well, there are many more (too many!) but these are 5 that I know I can count on for a laugh, inspiration, and a good aha! moment each day. I would love to hear of some of your favorites. Oh, and I have to post a photo...this post looks lonely without one.

It's ME!!! and my Lil and my sister (from Left to Right).

Easter

2008-03-23T19:36:00.003-06:00

What a fun and busy weekend. My beautiful sister was in town for an Easter visit and we had so much fun dying eggs, hiding eggs and letting Madelyn and Lillian play together. Madelyn is my niece and is just 16 months older than Lil. Saturday we went shopping and stopped by the fabric store to get some fabric for some beach dresses that I'm going to make for the girls. I turned my back for 2 seconds ( I SWEAR) and when I turned back around Lillian was in the process of painting her eyes with lipstick. The kind that is long lasting. The kind that is pretty much just permanent marker in a tube. I had to scrub and scrub to get it off. You would have thought that I was pulling her fingernails out one by one though by the sounds coming out of her mouth. However, on Easter morning, her eye was still puffy and rug burned so I think maybe I did scrub too hard. Hence the reason that this was her best side this morning.

I Am So Tired

2008-03-17T18:33:00.003-06:00

Of talking about myself. I'm sick of it...I feel really bad that I've put up post after post of "hey look at what I did". Anyway, thank you all for commenting and emailing and finding ways to lift me up on your shoulders so I feel as if I've really accomplished something with my sewing and smocking and blabbering about ME! Anyway, I know I've written about Heather before but I just LOVE her. See here and you'll see why. She's an incredible writer and her (written) voice sounds like the voice inside my head. She can put words on paper like no one else. Oh, if you don't like curse words or are easily offended--please don't click the links.

Smocked

2008-03-16T18:47:00.005-06:00

Well, here is my second attempt at smocking. I do love it. Once I learned to smock, I knew that I MUST learn to "picture smock". I found the cutest pattern (they are called "plates" in the smocking world) in the spring issue of Creative Needle. It was a row of chocolate bunnies that just screamed Easter. Lil will certainly wear this through the Spring--not just for one Easter Sunday--considering that a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into it. Here's a peak:

Many of you have expressed anxiety over trying to learn to smock. I say GO FOR IT!!! My teacher told me that you will either love it or hate it--You will be over it before you even begin or you won't be able to get enough. Well, I certainly couldn't get enough. My first dress was a "bishop" and I took a class that walked me through each step. This second dress is called a "basic yoke" and I dove into it on my own. I bought a book that is indispensable called the A-Z of Sewing for Smockers. These A-Z books are incredible and this one deals only with construction--not smocking. So it walks you through the steps of how to construct the actual dress--whether it be a bishop, a basic yoke or a full yoke. How to add a sash, collar, sleeves, etc. EVERYTHING. I want several books from this series because there are a kazillion photos in the books with step by step instructions. I could go on and on. Anyway, the point is, don't be scared. Jump right in like I did but be prepared to make time for it. Lillian likes to sit right next to me while I smock. I would love to see your smocked creations! Here are more photos of the bunny dress:

The Song Remains the Same

2008-03-15T19:30:00.004-06:00

Well, it's the same song second verse around here. I've been busy busy busy and haven't made the time to blog. I did finish my first smocking project and loved it so much that I learned to "picture smock". So I've completed two dresses at this point as well as some other projects. I've done so much lately that I really don't know where to start so I'll just take it one step at a time and blog about each thing separately....first is my very first attempt at smocking. Which I have to say I am very pleased with.

Oh SHOOT!!! I just remembered that sweet, sweet Tara over at Project Felt gave me a 'You Make My Day Award' exactly ONE MONTH AGO. I have so fallen from grace on this one and I apologize, Tara. I was so honored by this and yet I didn't even show up. Tara is great about blogging several times a week and honestly--She makes MY day. It's all on my list of things to do. And I don't even know HOW to display the badge:( That shows my stupidity with all things related to html. I'll just post another couple of pics of my dress since I DO know how to do that:)

I must stop

2008-02-09T14:41:00.000-06:00

I seriously must stop browsing over at You Can Make This. When I told you all that it's my new favorite place--well, I meant it. Anyway, for about a year now I've owned a yard of the coolest material. It's chalk cloth that I ordered from Denver Fabrics but I have since heard that you can get it at Hancock's. About 6 weeks ago, I joined an AWESOME fabric co op. I have since spent my life savings there and, in the mean time, I managed to get hold of some of the Michael Miller Lolli Dot laminated cotton. I've been all giddy trying to figure out what I would do with it. Then I remembered the chalk cloth, then I remembered all the cool stuff over at You Can Make This, then I ordered this. And then I made this:

Mine is a little different than the one over at you can make this. The dimensions are a little more rectangular and I used a different technique to hold the chalk but all in all it's the same deal. I used some oilcloth around the edges--I purchased it when I ordered the chalk cloth. This sweet little placemat/chalk mat is a gift for one of Lillian's best buddies in the whole world. Maybe I'll find the patience to make another one for Lil. I would love to see your oilcloth or laminated cotton or chalk cloth creations!

With Love

2008-02-07T19:09:00.000-06:00

I made this outfit for Lil with a lotta love. I did it in one marathon sewing session this past Sunday. It was so much fun! Both the top and bottom are from patterns purchased through You Can Make This--my new favorite site for patterns.

The back of the dress turned out perfectly and is probably my favorite part. It looks as if it is shirred but it is actually four pieces of elastic running parallel to one another.

I promise to update on my smocking soon. It is turning out better than I had imagined and I've even learned to "picture smock" and have chosen the perfect pattern for her Easter dress. More later but for now I need to enjoy this little outfit a little longer.

Just Enough

2008-02-05T21:01:00.000-06:00

She now has just enough hair to pull up into pigtails. For months, Lil has been handing me pony tail holder after pony tail holder until her hair is littered with little sprouts of hair like water spouts---the elastic barely hanging on to those few strands. "More! More!" She would insist not realizing that she didn't have enough hair to support one ponytail much less "More!" So just the other day, I went for it. Eureka! We got two REAL ponytails out of those curls and now she feels like a princess.

As soon as I took this photo, I knew I would have to include it as a blog posting so I went ahead and edited it so that, when I found time to write, the photo would be all set to upload. Well, the next day I'm going through my favorite blogs and what do I see but this. I thought that was pretty cool. Almost the same shot. There's something so sweet about pigtails.

You Can Make This

2008-01-26T22:16:00.000-06:00

Oh yes you can! The coolest site on the web, as far as patterns go, is You Can Make This---also known as YCMT. The money I have spent over there this week isn't to be shared with the hubby. But just think of all the money that I am saving by MAKING Lillian's clothes rather than BUYING them.

The fabric you see here is a work in progress How to Make a Peasant Top. It's just the top--not the corset. In order to complete this top, I had to learn a bit about shirring. There's a great instructions included in the pattern but more can be found in this tutorial on one of my new favorite blogs: Portabello Pixie. We'll save that for another post but I'll let you know how the shirt turns

Working

2008-01-17T19:56:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm busy that's for sure. Learning to smock. Oh the fun. It really takes so much concentration that I can't imagine breathing AND smocking at the same time. I find myself holding my breath--working a few stitches--breathing--then working some more. These are just my practice stitches but before long it will be the real thing. On a real dress. On a real girl.

Learning

2008-01-10T13:03:00.000-06:00

I feel that I'm all the time learning something. If there's ever a lull in the learning then I seek out something to learn. It could be something simple like learning what a charm pack of fabric is:) Yes, I'm one of the few sewers who still doesn't know what one is(until about 20 minutes ago). Or it could be something BIG like smocking. I've signed myself up for a smocking class that starts Monday. I'm so excited. Even more exciting than that is in February I'm taking a quilting class. I want to learn to quilt so badly. So, in the mean time I have put my little shop on hiatus while I learn some new moves. I'll keep you posted. Here's a few things that we've been up to lately:

We went to the Christmas tree farm to find the perfect tree. Well, I guess, I should say for the experience of finding the perfect tree. I like Frasier Firs and Frasier Firs do not grow in Alabama but lots of Pines do. So we bought a severely overpriced but absolutely beautiful Frasier Fir that had been shipped from North Carolina and kept fresh in it's own little pail of water. My brother and his fiance on the other hand love Pines for Christmas so Lillian got the full experience of riding the Mule drawn carriage through the Pine fields and then walking up and down the isles of trees with our pole to measure and find the perfect Pine. We always went to the tree farm growing up and I'm excited that Lillian will get to experience this year after year.

Afterwards, I stole a few shots on the porch swing.

And between all the baking and potlucks and parties and gift buying, wrapping and giving, I found a little time to sew.

The sweetest little set for a great customer:

The snazziest of collections for a college friend of mine:

And a little something for a sweet little boy.

Of course there was more ~ this being the giving season and all ~ but this post is long enough and there are tornadoes looming in the distance on this scary warm January day, so I'll put it to rest now and go check the weather.

Happy New Year to you all!

ahhh...vacation

2007-11-20T18:07:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I was just there. In St. Martin, St. Thomas and the Bahamas. All of my photos look like postcards. It was just that beautiful. I missed Lillian so much toward the end of the week but the trip was long overdue and just so perfect.

There is one season in the Caribbean and it's a nice one but what a nice season to come back to with the changing of the leaves and Christmas right around the corner.

Busy in the Little City

2007-11-19T18:10:00.000-06:00

Life around here has been hectic and heartwarming all at the same time. September through January is a busy time in the Gamble Household. There's my birthday, then Lillian's birthday, then our anniversary, then Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. And in the middle of all of that Chad and I scheduled a week long vacation. Lillian didn't come with us and I can honestly say that I will never leave her for 8 days again....not until the back talk starts then we may have a room to rent.

Yes, You Can Find Cute Stuff For Boys!

2007-09-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

At the request of one of my favorite Etsians (Leslie of This and That), I made this cute little set. Sweet sweet baby shoes, appliqued burp cloth and a monogrammed paci clip. Too cute for that little nephew of hers:) Thanks, Leslie! Oh, and if you need any supplies at all for your small business, Leslie is always happy to help. And what a great job she does!

The Craziness That Is My Life

2007-09-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

So, I love dooce. This is one of the many blogs that I check up on daily. Heather Armstrong keeps me laughing with just about every post. Out loud. I was completely inspired by her monthly newsletters to her daughter so I decided to do the same thing for Lil. We are now in our 2nd year of Lillian's life and monthly I write to her. Just so I won't forget the little things that happen between the big moments. After the first 12 months I uploaded everything to shutterfly and made a photo book out of it. It's a keepsake that I hope she will treasure forever. We are now in the 23rd month so another book will be ordered soon. Some months are very sentimental, some are funny and some are just REAL. I'll share with you one of the real ones here. Please keep in mind that I love my daughter to no end and that perhaps I should have shared with you one of the more loving entries first but that would be no fun. Having said that, here's Lillian's 22nd month:

Dear Lillian,
You are now 22 months old. WOW! You will be a 2 years old in just 2 months. That’s a lot of twos. And speaking of twos. I vow to never allow the TWO of us back into Walmart at the same time. Our last trip was a fiasco. An absolute nightmare for everyone involved and I mean EVERYONE. The meat man, the pharmacist and even that little boy who was busy showing us how well some kids can act while shopping--WITHOUT opening five different snacks or being slipped some Tylenol PM.
Anyway, it all started when I decided to try Spin Class for the first time. I have been avoiding this class as if it had herpes because I knew my body would feel the effects long after the herpes had cleared. My plan: First I would go to work, then I would rush home to change, then I would go to Spin Class, then I would pick you up, then the two of us would hold hands and skip merrily into your own private hell---Walmart. That was a fool proof plan for sure but for some reason, I didn’t take into account the amount of sweating that I would do in this class. I probably didn’t think about it because I don’t sweat much. Instead my face turns so red it looks almost purple for two full hours after I’ve exercised. It’s embarrassing. Well, this class caused my face to turn purple AND caused me to sweat like a 400 lb man. Seriously. My hair was soaked. But anyway, I’m not the one who turned 22 months old today so on with the story. Okay, I looked like crap obviously so I drove over to pick you up with the air going full blast. Now the only difference is that my face is cold and purple and my hair is cold and wet and a little wind blown. When I arrive, you had evidently just finished jello wrestling with one of your buddies. I was initially relieved that you had gotten this out of your system at such a young age AND with your clothes on then I remembered that we had to go to Walmart. Your dress was covered in red jello stains. Wait, not just your dress but your shoes too. And Daddy hadn’t put a diaper cover on you that morning so your diaper was sagging below your dress. And not only that, but your face was stained with jello too. Right across your cheek so that when we got to Walmart, and you were screaming bloody murder because you were so excited to be there, it looked as though you were screaming bloody murder because I had just smacked you across the face. Hard. If this gives you any idea of how the rest of the trip went you‘re probably still way off. Not only was everyone staring at us because you were loving life so much but when they looked at us to see what the heck was going on they saw two humans who quite possibly had just been involved in some sort of disaster. A major disaster that had caused us both great harm. Anyway, I’ll never take you back to Walmart. You win. And, by the way, I know you put the tortillas back on the shelf after I put them in the buggy. I couldn’t find them when I got home. You didn’t have to do that. I had already decided not to take you shopping ever again when you started screaming because I wouldn’t let you eat the frozen fish sticks. You didn’t have to put those tortillas back. That was a low blow.
Love,
Mama

Spell with flickr

2007-09-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

How cool is this?!?!?! So this is the whole reason that I visited Nested in the first place. Then I got side tracked and saw my paci clips there and got all giddy. Anyway, I was visiting one of my favorite blogs How about orange when I ran across this super cool tool Spell with flickr. You just enter the word you want to spell and then it grabs images of the letters from flickr to spell your word! If you don't like the letter chosen, simply click it and it will choose a different one. Oh, I may be here all night! Go check it out.

It's Always Thrilling

2007-09-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

It's always thrilling to be featured on someone's blog but even more thrilling when you follow a link to a blog and there you are! Featured and you didn't even know it. I almost missed it too. Just happened to scroll down a little farther and there were my paci clips. Cute little fellas. Oh, and not just because I'm there, please check out Nested It really is a super cool blog featuring super cool stuff. Like my paci clips:)

Just Checking In

2007-08-29T22:33:00.000-05:00

Just checking in as I'm trying to get better at this blogging thing. I read so many wonderful blogs and I'm so envious of all of the creative talent out there. I was a late bloomer when it came to sewing. I've always had these crafty ideas buzzing around in my head but I could never put my finger on what it was that I wanted to do. In highschool and college it was writing. Soon after marriage it was decorating my spaces. And now that Lillian has been born it is sewing. My mother always had her sewing machine out. Always. I remember being told to never use the THOSE scissors to cut out my paperdolls. I remember always having to stop what I was doing to model her latest creation. She taught me to cross stitch at age five. I still have my first project: a brown owl about the size of my thumb and just about as interesting. I picked up sewing again around age 8 and made a ballet skirt out of a sheer scarf and ribbon and then a denim skirt. And then I stopped. I picked it back up about 5 years ago but was terrified of patterns until very, very recently. Now I can't stop. I want to make everything for Lillian. Anyway, back to the blog envy. Since I have been such a late bloomer, I have no clue how to change patterns up to meet my needs much less create my own patterns. I stumble upon this and I just want to cry. I mean weep for the absolute talent that this woman has. After reading Heather's blog I have to wipe up the drool. She's amazing and such an inspiration. I'll just have to live with sewing by patterns for now. Here's my latest: a sweet little summer outfit for Lil. I couldn't be more pleased...except that I really wanted it to be reversible but the pattern didn't call for that...oh well.

The Sweetest Thing

2007-08-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

I could post some photos of recent projects here but in looking through my photos this one just jumped out at me. Is it not just the sweetest thing? Lillian has her head cocked to the side listening so intently to her Nana. I think they were both in heaven here. I did make the outfit that Lil is wearing so I guess I did find a way to work a project in after all.

Lounging Around

2007-07-31T20:53:00.001-05:00

I am so proud of this little lounge set. I think I am so proud because I designed it all myself and Lillian was so excited to put it on and happily let me take pictures of her on our swing that is desperately in need of a new paint job. I'll add that to the list of things to do...wait! It's already on there. Anyway, take a peek and let me know what you think.

Has It Really Been A Month

2007-07-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's already been a month since I last blogged. What a slacker. Anyway, life has been busy, busy, busy.

My niece was living with us for a while and she is just 16 months older than my little Lil so time got away from me before I knew it. In the mean time I messed around and designed some new paci clips. My sweet friend, Kerrie, was so excited that she ordered four. Now that's one safe pacifier. Here's a peek:

They are just too cute and I'm making more as we speak. Life is never boring and there's always 5 other things that I should be doing so gotta go for now!

Everything But the Blog

2007-06-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I haven't been faithful with this new blog but who's got time between reading everyone else's blog, working full-time, sewing, bathing babies and cooking dinner? I mean seriously. Anyway, I found the coolest blog this week and now I am a faithful reader. Marie over at The Stitching Barn is the coolest mom ever. I envy her and all of her creative ideas...I'm already in the process of stealing her glass etching idea. She gives credit to her friend and neighbor Lorinda who I will be ordering vinyl from in just a few minutes.

If you want to talk sewing then here's some photos of a couple of sets I recently finished for a friend of mine. I think they turned out quite sweet now only if I had time to post them in my shop.

Oh and for those of you kind enough to find my blog and tag me. Thanks! I promise I'll get to that. Just as soon as I find out why Lillian is in the other room screaming...

The First Big Try

2007-05-24T16:38:00.001-05:00

Why is it that you always enjoy reading others' blogs but never think that yours would be interesting? I have all of these ideas in my head but trying to get them out of there is the problem. Somewhere in the space between this screen and my head, those thoughts get jumbled and well...turn out like this. Anyway, I'm giving this a try.

These booties are my latest project.

I made them to match a dress that I was commissioned to do for a sweet lady in Wales. My Etsy friend, Ginger, of Huckleberry Baby made the most beautiful quilt from this fabric and then asked me to make a matching dress and booties. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be but dresses take me so long that I don't enjoy making them unless they are for my daughter and I can see them day in and day out either hanging in her closet or on her little body. I get attached to my projects and it was hard sending this set off to it's new home across the Atlantic. I've got the pictures though and that keeps me inspired to do more.