Happy Birthday!

Today is Amy’s birthday. We will be going out for some dinner and then have a sleepover. On Saturday we plan to spend the better part of the morning and early afternoon crafting with her friends. Hopefully by the end of crafting day everyone will be mostly ready for our Holiday Handmade Open House. We are excited about our Open House and hope that it does go well.

You may not be local to the area….but all of the folks who will be participating in our Open House are also available online. Here is more information:

Get a head start on your holiday shopping with unique, handmade gifts.
Featuring Local Etsy Artisans…
(Check out their sites so that you know what to expect.)
:: Autumn & Everything After
:: Bird’s Eye View
:: Gold Canyon
:: Gongy & Squish
:: Happy4U
:: triple C designs
:: Two Florida Girls

What’s Etsy?
Etsy is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell items that are handmade, as well as vintage goods and crafting supplies. Consider buying handmade this year because these sure aren’t your grandma’s crafts!

Baby Shower Gift

As you have probably seen before in my blog, I have been making Tag blankets as gifts for friends. We do not sell these in our shop at this time but I have made them at the request of people or as gifts. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, keep reading or you can check out these: Kieren and Makenna’s, Makiah’s and Kylie’s

Another friend of ours from church is getting ready to have her first boy (She already has two girls.) and I am not able to make it to her shower. I was planning to make her a tag blanket, so I got it done this week so that I could deliver it before her shower.

 

Tag Blanket

I also decided to try and put her son’s initials on a washcloth and his name on the matching towel. It was something I had in the closet and never gave as a gift. Sadly the machine messed up on his name on the towel and it didn’t turn out right. The washcloth turned out okay, but I didn’t give it to her because I thought it would be silly to just give her the washcloth.

 

 

Washcloth

 

As I was wrapping up the tag blanket, I realized that I didn’t have a card to go with the gift. Seeing that it was after 9pm and Little Monkey was in bed and Little Monkette was hanging out with me, there was no running to the store to get a card. I checked my stash and noticed that I didn’t have anything that would really work for a baby shower either. So I decided to take some card stock and make a card. I had never tried to do what I was thinking in my head so it was kind of a trial run. Thankfully it turned out okay!

 

Card

I just the letters from some leftover fabric scraps we had and used a glue stick to get them in place. Then I did a zigzag stitch around the letters to help keep them on the card and make it look fun. I took a piece of construction paper and cut it to fit on the inside of the card to cover up the thread and holes from sewing. Then I wrote a message inside. Simple but quite cute if I do say so myself!

 

Thought It Was Better

After having a really good day this week, I thought things were looking up. Maybe there really is a light at the end of the tunnel (I know there is…I just can’t always see it.).

Friday Big Monkey had to work and so my sister came over to hang out with us for the day and night to help out with the kids. We had a couple of special orders for our shop and we decided that we would work on those during the day. We started by finding all the fabric we would need and got everything done in steps. Before too long, the special orders were all done, as well as Little Monkette’s “House Divided” Football onesie. (Football shaped applique, half Florida State and half Florida Gators.) Amy had also cut out the fabric for Little Monkette’s name bean bags and got the letters ironed on. Amy’s college roommate was in town with her little girl at her parents’ house, so we decided to go for a visit. We packed up Little Monkey and Little Monkette and headed out. It was good to get out of the house and Little Monkey had someone else to play with. After visiting with her friends, we made a stop at Sally Beauty Supply to see if we could exchange some hair clips that Amy bought since they were not the kind we really like. Thankfully they had the ones we wanted and did an exchange. Now we can really get into our hair clip making craze since we have 200 hair clips! Check out these cute pumpkin clips Amy made the other day.

Pumpkin Hair Clips!

Saturday started out as a very different day. I suddenly was feeling very anxious and unsure about the day. Amy was leaving for the day but my mother-in-law was already here before she left. I tried to relax and calm down but it wasn’t really working. I was still really anxious. I took a shower and then some of the new medicine that my doctor gave me this week. I was still feeling a bit iffy about the whole day but the medicine did its job and I was feeling better. It is nice to have the medicine if I need it and the day was a bit better after that.

It was very hard that Saturday started out so rough since Friday was so good. I was thinking that things were getting better (which they are) but it seems that this will still be a bit of a process and I certainly will not be better overnight. I understand that it is a process, but I was definitely hopeful after having a good day. I know there will be more days like Friday and probably still more days like Saturday, but hopefully the “Fridays” will start to out number the “Saturdays.”

It Will Get Easier

Friday we got up and moving and headed over to Uncle K and Aunt S’s house to help out with some preparations for the wedding. Big Monkey, Amy, Little Monkette and I all headed over and Little Monkey was there waiting to see us. Big Monkey helped his Mom put together an arbor/archway that was for the wedding. It was an interesting project and it was coming along rather well. After everyone had worked on the arbor a little bit, we decided to split up and go work on some other stuff.

Big Monkey went with his Dad to get a new watch battery and get ready for going out with the boys. Amy, Little Monkette, Little Monkey and I headed over to my mom’s school to introduce Little Monkette to her fellow teachers who had been asking to see her since she was born! After visiting at the school, we headed back to Mom and Dad’s house to drop off the kids with Mom and then ran a couple of errands. We brought dinner back to the house and then got ready to go out for the evening. Friday night was Aunt K’s lingerie shower and bachelorette party. Amy and I went for the lingerie shower but then headed back to the house and hotel. The lingerie shower was fun and everyone had a good time I think. I came back to the hotel and spent some time online while Big Monkey was still out with the boys.

The Girls

Saturday was another day filled with activities. Big Monkey was headed out for breakfast and golf with the boys. The girls were all going out for pedicures, a luncheon and making bouquets. I started out the day a bit rough and sad. Big Monkey offered to spend the day with me instead of going golfing but I didn’t want to keep him from it and I had my sister to go hang out with. I got moving and headed over to Mom and Dad’s house to spend some time with Amy. Thankfully when I got there Mom, Dad, Little Monkey and Little Monkette had already left to go to my grandparent’s house for part of the day. We did a little shopping, looking for hair barrettes and ribbon. We also checked out the new H&M store in the Sanford Mall. Before I left for the bridal luncheon, my Mom, Dad, Little Monkey and Little Monkette came back to the house. I wasn’t quite prepared for them to be there but it was okay. I left very shortly after they got there.

The bridal luncheon was nice. It was at the Hart Sisters Tea Room in Sanford. I had never been there before. We had a quiant room and all got to wear fun hats. We had a nice meal with scones, fruit, sandwiches and lots of dessert. We also had some tea. It was nice to spend time with everyone and just relax but it was still hard to try and be “normal.” After the luncheon, the bridesmaids were going to go make our bouquets for the wedding. I decided not to go along but instead went back to my Mom and Dad’s house. Amy and I worked on learning to make some barrettes. The first ones were okay, but when we tried our hand at a ladybug, she didn’t turn out so well. A little bit of practice should help out. I also finally got my nails done. Saturday night we had a big dinner at Red Lobster with lots of people that were involved in the wedding or who were in from out of town. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and watched some tv for a little bit before going to bed.

The Bride

Sister in law and Sister

Time For Football!

Some of the guys in our church have a fantasy football league. Big Monkey is a part of the league for its second year. (Last year he played and came in last and won the toilet seat award.) We are hoping for a better showing this year! One of the other wives had an idea to have a playdate with the kids and make shirts for the guys and the kids to represent their fantasy football teams. We went over to their house this past week and got to work. Everyone was excited that I was coming because they said they needed my creative help. (I tried to explain to them that I am really not that creative. Just about everything I make is something I have found online and just recreate!) The other moms used paint pens, markers and tie dye. I also did one tie dye onesie for Little Monkette. It wasn’t ready to go yet when we left, so I don’t have it back yet.

I also made Little Monkette this onesie.

Cheerleader!

It was simply an iron on that I bought and ironed on to the shirt. I still haven’t decided if it is done as it is or not. I might add some words or her name to it with the embroidery machine or some iron on letters.

This is Little Monkey’s shirt. I made a long sleeve shirt (mainly because when I went looking for plain white shirts, long sleeve was the only thing I could find in his size). I did most of the work at home before we went to the playdate. (Printing a template, preparing the fabrics and getting it all cut out) Then at the playdate I did all the iron on work. I had to sew it when I got it back home. I had left part of the football without the fusible webbing on it so that after I sewed around the edge, I could make it fray some.

Football Applique

Here is an up close of the football, before it had been frayed at all.

Football!

Big Monkey also got a shirt. I had picked him out a red shirt and put his team name on the back with some iron on letters. Then on the front I had also printed a template to use to create the football and the burst around it. I did all the prep work at home also and then did the iron on work at playdate. Big Monkey says that he likes it…but we’ll see if he’ll wear it out of the house at all! (It reminds me of the Incredibles outfits a little bit!)

Front, Close up, just starting the fraying of the black

Back-The name of Big Monkey's Fantasy Football Team

Another Project For Little Monkette’s Room

A few months ago, Amy sent me to this website : Pretty Partridge. She had seen a cute idea for making a clip holder and thought I might like to make one for Little Monkette’s room. I saved the webpage and waited and waited to make one. I made ours a little bit differently of course.

Model Version of the clip holder

I found some ribbon on sale at Michaels that I was planning to use for it (actually two different ribbons-I couldn’t decide on which one). I ended up using the ribbon that I had hoped to use for the border in her room but Big Monkey was against that idea. I got this ribbon at Walmart for 53cents a yard. I also found the picture frame at a thrift store for 50cents. I used paint leftover from Little Monkette’s room, some staples (staple gun we had on hand) and also some glue with a glue gun (we had on hand). Total cost for this project was about $1.56! (Not including the clips, obviously!) Hopefully tomorrow we can get it hung up on the wall. Now to also work on learning to make more clips for Little Monkette!

The start of the project....

Our completed version. Needs to be hung on the wall. I left the background blank, so the wall color will show through.

A Work In Progress

We spent some time over Labor Day weekend working on Little Monkette’s room. It was a disaster area before we started and seeing that she could show up anytime, we decided that we better get to work! Big Monkey’s mom came over for the weekend to help out. We spent Saturday getting everything out of her room that did not belong. We made piles of stuff to give away and stuff to try and sell. GrandMom and Little Monkey also got the closet painted. We washed most of her clothes that are sized newborn to six months and sorted the rest. Her clothes are now in boxes by size in her closet and the smallest stuff is in her dresser.

Sunday GrandMom and Big Monkey painted her bedroom. Before the day was over, her room was painted, the crib was down from the attic and put together and her room is starting to look like a little girl belongs in there! We are not done yet (there is NOTHING on the walls!) and we need to fix the current “white line” border. I really wanted to put a ribbon there and found something that would be perfect and fits but Big Monkey is not keen on the idea AT ALL. We tried looking for a border but had no success there either. We think the current plan is to just fill in the “white line” with white paint. In the pictures it looks okay, but in real life, there are some issues where paint got into it and where it is not crisp.

Looking into her room from the door towards her closet.

I also got some wooden letters that spell out her name and have painted them the brown color that is on the bottom part of her walls. I will use the pink color to put polka dots onto the letters and then we will hang them with some brown and pink ribbon that Little Monkey picked out. I also have an old wooden sign that I’m thinking I will paint brown and either get some vinyl lettering or find someone who can paint nice letters on it (maybe a saying like “Always kiss me goodnight” or something). I also picked up a mirror for $2 that I had originally thought we would use in her room. Since we ended up going with different colors, I’m thinking about painting the mirror with the brown and pink so we can still use it in her room. I am also still thinking about getting some other kinds of vinyl wall decorations to use, but I haven’t decided yet. My mom had picked up some fun circles that we could use, but I haven’t tried them out yet to see how well they match the colors on the walls.

Overall her room is coming together and just awaiting the finishing details and her arrival! (Sorry the pictures appear to be of not great quality…I’m not sure what happened!)

Her Crib and Swing (The cover was in the wash and Little Monkey's Baby was swinging.)

Changing Table/Dresser

Free Home Depot Kids Workshop

This morning I took Little Monkey over to Home Depot to do the free kids workshop. We have never taken him to one (It says they are designed for kids ages 5-12.) Home Depot has free kids workshops on the first Saturday of the month. Today’s free workshop was to build a bean bag toss.

Little Monkey had a fun time putting it together. Yes he did need help, as did even most of the older kids that were there. I started all the nails for him but he did a great job finishing putting them in. He has been playing with it ever since we got home. He has also asked for more bean bags. The ones I have already made for him are too big, so we’ll have to see about making some more smaller ones. The kit did come with two little Home Depot bean bags though.

After he finished putting it together, he got a certificate for him work and a sticker to put on the bean bag toss if he wanted. He says that he wants to paint it green. We’ll see about that! Also each time you go, you get a pin to add to your apron (that you are supposed to get on your first visit but apparently they didn’t have any today). I wish we had taken him to some others this summer because it didn’t take too long and he had fun. Next month they are building a firehouse bank. Hopefully Big Monkey can take him to that one! (It looks like it might be more work than the bean bag toss was!)

Lots of Concentration!

Finishing up his work.

Told You I’d Be Busy

Yesterday Little Monkey got to go with his Mimi to Disney. He chose to go to Epcot so he could see Nemo (Meno as he calls him). They also went to MGM (Actually now named Hollywood Studios) and rode the Toy Story ride and saw the Playhouse Disney show.

While they were gone, I worked hard on some orders we had and some other items for the shop. Here is a look at some of my work:

Special Order Bean Bag Order

Special Order College Coffee Cozies

Special Order Bean Bags (Not finished yet though)

I also have about seven more coffee cozies that are at the half way point. I have a few more things that I need to make for special orders but we had to order the fabrics and they haven’t arrived yet.

Where Have I Been?

You might be wondering why I haven’t posted over the past couple of days. It was a VERY busy weekend around here!

Friday night I went to a bridal shower for my sister-in-law.
Saturday was my mother-in-law’s birthday and we all got together.
Sunday was church and then my baby shower.
Monday started Little Monkey’s swimming lessons and we had a bridesmaid get together that night. (We made jewelry for the wedding. So fun and everyone’s is different but similar.)

The bride took all of our jewelry to hold onto but I did get a picture of what I made. I can’t wait to see it with the dress on!

My jewelry for the wedding.

I would like to say that things are settling down  and getting back to normal, but I don’t know that that is the case! I will be doing some sewing for some orders we have and we are working on getting the little one’s room ready for her arrival!