Isn't She Lovely!

I have thinking that it is time to spruce up my currant purse situation. I wanted something large enough to handle a mom's world, but also something cute and fashionable. I decided to give the Amy Butler Frenchy Bag a try. I have only ever made one bag before this. I have to say that the instructions were very easy to read. It is intimidating to cut such beautiful fabric!

I managed to brave the cutting and sewing. As a beginner I did have some issue with the lining. The problems were totally my fault, thank goodness they are inside the bag where no one can see it! I love my new Frenchy Bag. It has turned out to be just what I needed for this time of year! It is light, holds lots of stuff, and I just love the colors. I am such a sucker for green and orange! I think maybe this fall I can try my hand at another bag!

May Flowers

I just have to share my flowers with you. My favorite flower is the poppy. I grew these from seeds. I planted them and they didn't come for a year. Then they came up, but didn't bloom for two years. Finally, one flower bloomed last spring and this year. I will have six! The irises are another favorite of mine. They came from a dear friend who didn't like them and let me have them. He passed away less than a year later and now I have a sweet reminder of this sweet, sweet man year after year.

Top 5 Reasons To Check Out Cozy!

Our Etsy blogger of month is Miss Cozy and this Friday we are dedicating our top 5 slot to her and her work!! So without further ado we present the top 5 reasons why we love Cozy on Etsy!

1. We love her creamy dreamy scarf. It is a wonderful neutral color that is perfect for year round wear. It is made from a cotton/nylon blend so anyone can wear it. No wool allergies to worry about and it can be washed in the machine.

2. I love how sweet and versatile this headband is. The cute floral print adds the perfect amount of interest. The intricate hemstitching and edging are what really sets this headband apart from so many others! It is a great accessory to have on hand no matter what time of year it is!

3. Cozy even has items for your kitchen sink! I love to use cotton cloths when at the sink. There is little waste, they won't scratch dishes, and they look great! These scrubbies have a great texture that would help tackle those kitchen pans with no problem. Made of 100% cotton, these scrubbies are easy to care for and only get better with time!

4. I think this toddler girl bandanna is super cute. I love the detail on the edging and the quality of this sweet accessory. The colors are perfect for spring and summer. Your little girl will be able to keep the hot sun off her head in style!

5. Finally we wanted to invite you to visit Cozy on her blog! Her blog is full of fun tips. She also has lots of love for her fellow etsy artists.

That is all for this week! Have a happy Memorial Weekend!!!

A Reminder.......

I was sitting at my sewing machine listening to NPR's talk of the nation. They were discussing the women's movement, Hillary, and feminism. The women's movement has held a soft spot in my heart and issues that women must face. I have to admit that I have lost touch with the women's movement since college. I have "softened" somewhat over the years. But as I was listening to the radio I heard the most brilliant saying....

"When walking a new path you kick up a lot of dust, especially when you are wearing heels." - Ramona Oliver of Emily's List

It reminded me not to be afraid to try new things and to be proud of being a woman. Sometimes it takes a little random saying to spark that tiny flame in your heart. So ladies kick up lots of dust and wear those heels proudly!

Look What Happens When Mommy is Working

Katie and I have had a busy week of sewing, knitting, photographing product, photo-editing, among juggling the other roles in our lives. I have to admit, I don't always do a great job balancing life. The house gets messy, laundry piles up, I have trouble making it to the grocery store, and that's just the beginning.
So I thought I share what Joely decides to do when she feels a bit neglected.

My Birthday Boy!!

My oldest son is turning 4 today! It has been such an amazing journey. I never thought that I would be a momma, but now that I am it is the most important thing to me. Our little man had a rocky start coming into the world as a preemie. We spent 3 weeks in NICU.

Then we took him home. Like most new parents we were like "Now what do we do??" But we slowly figured it out. We somehow made it through the sleepless nights, colic, sickness, teething, and those throw your arms in the air moments. He kept growing and we kept doing what we could to adapt and keep up.

Now here we are and he is such a big boy! He is becoming an independent preschooler. We are seeing him come out of his shell. He is one of the taller boys in his class and he is blossoming (can you say that about a boy?) into a social fellow. He is going to play soccer, he loves cars and trucks and things that go. He likes to hang with the guys and play Guitar Hero. He loves books and going to the park. He can be head strong one minute and the next you are getting a special hug. I am such a lucky momma!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.D. We love you very very much!!!!!

The big family party happens this weekend, so stay tuned for my adventure in preparing for the party and life as it happens!

Etsy Bloggers Are Blooming!

We are so very happy to host this weeks carnival for the Etsy Bloggers Street Team!! Our topic this week is blooming. With spring here and the world coming to new life all around, we thought it might be a great topic. We have lots of great entries this week. So sit back and cheek out what is blooming in the lives of some our fellow bloggers!



Two Zany Zebras presents Blooming as a Mother posted at Two Zany Zebras

Kristin Saegaert presents Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival posted at Life Stories Books

HomeMadeOriginals presents Spring Blooms posted at Home Made Originals

Alicia Mae presents New flowers! posted at AliciaMae's Xanga




Gail presents Mystery Growing Things.... posted at polka dot and persian




Kathy Johnston (Cozy) presents Every Blooming Thing posted at A Cozy Life




Jessie presents Blog Carnival "Spring Bloom" posted at J.B. Guess & Co..




Rainy presents Spring Bloom Blog Carnival posted at RainyDayArt




lazytcrochet presents Spring Blossoms posted at LazyTcrochet




Jo Hoffacker presents Spring Bloom and Bead Show this weekend! posted at Dogmaw Glass




Shannon Saylor presents blossoming out in all directions posted at ShannonSaylor.Etsy.com




Lily Wrey presents May 12 EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival posted at TuLips Talking




Linda Wheelock presents "Spring Bloom" posted at Spotted Cow Soaps




Jackie presents Spring Cleaning In Full Bloom posted at A Keeper's Jackpot




Nora Demirjian presents Blooming Spring... posted at Nora's Blog.




Rebecca presents Blooming blossoms posted at FaerieRebecca's Workbench




Keith Krueger presents Practice Brings Improvement posted at Mindless Pursuits




gabrielle presents Spring Time Creativity posted at Mintage Home.




Stormy Designs presents Spring Bloom at Stormy Designs posted at Stormy Designs




Angie (artbyangie @ etsy) presents Etsybloggers Blog Carnival: Spring Bloom! posted at JellyBeans Art.




sally holland presents Time off posted at sallers - craft in progress

Katie presents It's Blooming Time! at Doodlesprouts

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of etsybloggers using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Top 5 Friday - Happy Tulip Time

This week we are celebrating a happy little week in west Michigan called Tulip Time. Tulip Time is celebration filled with food, flowers, dancing, and parades. We are showcasing beautiful handmade items that truly have the beauty of this flower shine! So here we go.......................

1. This is just a beautiful photo! Even though it is not from Michigan, it is gorgeous! The amazing color is just brilliant.

The photo was taken by pmgraham where you can find lots of lovely photos! We were just partial to this one!

2.Don't these look delicious? I love the earthy colors and how cute they are. Cookietherapy makes very fun cookies that are perfect for any occasion. Including our little celebration of the tulip!

3. I LOVE this sweet little dress!! The colors are bright and bold and the design is wonderful! Made by Little Pearl Girl who specializes in clothing for girls. Her clothing is full of wonderful design and beautiful detail. What a fun way to spoil your little sprout!

4. This is such beautiful and simple necklace. It is a perfect way to show your love for this special flower! Made by South Street Design . Her jewelry is just amazing! We were so happy that she had something to help showcase our top 5!

5. Finally a girl needs something to carry her camera and wooden shoes in while tip toeing through the tulips. This bag fits the bill just perfect! Made by Danielle Bags. Her purses are so much fun and this is not exception. Fantastic colors and lots of room make this a fun spring bag!!

It's Blooming Time!

Spring time is such an interesting time of year. It is more about resolutions than New Year's ever could be. It is a time of action that is inspired by the changing of the season. Newness is all around in the flowers blooming, people and animals coming out of their winter hibernation's, and spring cleaning. It is much easier to put these resolutions to practice than in the winter.



So I am wondering in what area's should I be blooming? As a parent I feel like that is always a given! We are working on improving our home. I also feel like exploring in the crafty world as well. The last I need is to take on something totally different, but there is always room to learn more and grow in what I currently enjoy. With knitting I want to learn more about intarsia and finish some long overdue sock projects. With sewing I have some projects to work on, but I have so much to learn!!!! I would like to learn how to sew more structured pieces and to not be a slave to the pattern! Only time will tell, but with spring here and my thoughts being "seize the moment" I think these new adventures can begin!!!

Women's Clothing Month!!

I am so very very excited about this little event on Sew Mama Sew . I love this website! They have an amazing blog full of wonderful sewing projects, not to mention a great shopping site for fabrics!! On their blog this month it is women's clothing month. Right now they have a series on making a smock. (See photo above for smock pic!) For those crafty folks, this is a great stash buster. It is also great for beginners. They are including a video that is really helpful and it is always nice to have some instructions. So this month let's smock away and have a little fun!!!

Mother's Day

Can't everyday be Mother's Day? I say this because I am a mom to three beautiful and active kids. Some days are so busy with activities, sports, meetings, and unexpected life situations that I just want to be appreciated. Does anybody see all that I do? But really, was my purpose in having children to be appreciated? Absolutely not!

I am thankful (at least I'm trying) that I get to wake up from the sound of Joely at 6am (I'm not a morning person). Or that I get to grow in patience while helping Carter find the very thing he is looking for (which is right out in the open) and that Calla comes to me when she is hurting because girls at school can't get along. I find being a mom is a privilege. For the 4 nights a week of running around with kids' practices, games and social lives, which make me crazy, I wouldn't change a thing. I am so grateful that I get to be a mom to Calla, Carter and Joely. Happy Mother's Day to all the under-appreciated mom's out there!

I am in a daze.........

This week has been such a crazy roller coaster! We have had highs in selling some items from our shop and just getting some things accomplished with our shops. And I have had some crazy lowish stuff with my mom having emergency surgery yesterday. So there will be no top 5 today as I am heading off to be with my mom =) She is doing great, but her painful kidney stone turned into an emergency removal of her gall bladder. My sweet step daddy -O is out of town on business and headed home today. In the meantime my sister and I are trying to get her home and comfortable and happy. I feel bad, but it is family first around here.

Anna may have to be on the case for the weekend while we get things back to normal and back on track! Thanks so much and have a great weekend =) =)