Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

Wow this month has flown by! It has been a busy month both personal and business wise.

But today's post is to show you what I have done for Halloween!

First off, Little Bit wanted to be Annie for Halloween. Hubs and I went to the local costume store and they didn't have any stock but said we could get free shipping if we ordered from their computer. Sounded good until we looked and it was out of stock there too. :( Since we were right next to JoAnn's, hubs said "can' you make it for cheaper?" I said I might could depending on the fabric; I got some red knit and it was about $10 cheaper than the costume. Here is my version:


Little Bit loved it and since she does not like to wear anything but a hood on her head, I just curled her hair the best I could.





Her class's party is tomorrow so here is the treat bags (from Pick Your Plum of course with HTV) for her classmates (filled with 2 pieces of candy and 2 small toys), her teacher's, counselor's and OT's cups and treat bags for the assistants that help in the classroom. :)


I hope you have a safe Halloween! We are to get storms so most trick or treating will be done tomorrow night. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

There is a new blog in town...

And it is AWESOME! I am so blessed to be a part of a wonderful group of ladies who have decided to start a blog to share craft ideas and projects with you. I was honored to be the first tutorial, posted today.



So head over to Plum Crazy Life and meet the ladies who will be showing ideas from sewing to painting to family fun!


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

SPD, what is it?

October 1st is here. Most people think of October of Breast Cancer Awareness month, very worthy cause so be sure to get checked. But did you also know it is National Sensory Awareness Month? Most people don't. For me it is a great month to help raise awareness for SPD, Sensory Processing Disorder. My daughter was diagnosed with SPD last year; we finally got some answers on quirks my husband and I were seeing. We still struggle day to day in controlling meltdowns but at least we can tell a meltdown from a tantrum, though to most they look the same. Little Bit is super sensitive to noise and visual. Too much noise or visual can cause her to get overwhelmed and if not calmed down, she could have a meltdown, which to her is biting her arm or throwing things.

We were, ok I was, very nervous about her starting kindergarten and how she would react to the structure and how they would react to her. I am so thankful for her teacher and counselor as they have worked with her to help her day go smoothly but still help her learn the skills she needs. She still has trouble writing but she is getting there. She has her bad days (some really bad days) but overall she is doing well and progressing.

SPD is nothing to take lightly. Most just see a kid who is not being disciplined at home or is out of control. To an extent, she is out of control because she has no control over how she feels when she has had too much. Think of your computer, when you have 10 windows opened and trying to make it do 10 things at once, it bogs down or freezes up. That is Little Bit, she can't do it all or she will just get overwhelmed and shut down. I have to let her kick and scream until she lets it all out. You know how you feel when you need a good cry, this is her times 100. So when I am at the store and she is screaming and I seem to be ignoring her. I am not, I want waiting until I can tell she is calming down and she has gotten out the frustration she is feeling. And don't judge me when you see me give her a paci or put her in a stroller at age 5. The paci is something she likes to chew on to calm down; taste is important to her and the feel of something in her mouth helps her calm down. The stroller is her escape. She can sit in there, eat her snack and unwind so she can get back to having fun. Yes I have days where I feel like I can't take it anymore, but I have to look at my daughter and remember she can't control it. So next time you see a screaming kid, don't judge the mom for not having control, remember sometimes it is what is best for the kid to scream it out. Educate yourself before you judge.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Thank you!

So today marks a full week of kindergarten for Little Bit! She has done so good at school; a few meltdowns here and there but her teacher and counselor have really worked with her. So as a thank you to them for all they have done, I made these little jars for them.

I took some small mason jars, turned them upside down, and spray painted them black. Once that dried, I went over them again with a red to give it a more rustic look. I then hammered a hole in the lid, sanded down the back of the hole so it wasn't sharp, spray painted it, once dry, I applied a vinyl initial to the lid, and finally tied it on with some cute twine! Simple project but with tons of appreciation behind it. :)


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Do you love vinyl or HTV?

If you have a confused look on your face then I would say you don't love vinyl or HTV. :) But let me enlighten you to the wonderful world of vinyl. If you read my blog, you have seen several projects that I have used vinyl or HTV, cut with my Silhouette Portrait. My first HTV was bought from Pick Your Plum, shocker I know. But I found a place to order from that I love, Expressions Vinyl. Their prices are wonderful, their customer service is superb, and their shipping AMAZING! They ship the same day! I love them!! Since I love them so much, I joined their affiliate team. So if you would like to check out what the heck HTV is, hint heat transfer vinyl, lol, then click HERE to go to Expressions Vinyl's website to learn more. They have some great video tutorials as well. Also be sure to check out their daily deal as well.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Fabric covered canvas

So chevron is the trend huh? Ok, my house is lacking in the chevron so here is my attempt at staying "with it." lol My first attempt at a fabric covered canvas with a fabric applique and HTV wording. Not too shabby for my first try. What do you think? All I did was take a canvas, measure the fabric so enough folded over the back, picked out my fabric for my state, cut the state out with my lovely Silhouette Portrait, cut the Home Sweet Home out of HTV with my Portrait, iron on the state, iron on the saying, and fold and staple the fabric to the canvas! 

I used the chevron fabric I got from Pick Your Plum, you might have heard of them. lol Love PYP!




Crazy life...but it is calming down

So my little 3lb 5oz preemie is now 40lbs and started kindergarten! Where did the years go? She has been 3 full days, today is the 4th day. So far she has done good. We set up her IEP last week so they are really working with her and her sensory needs. Knowing they are willing to help makes it so much easier for me; I worry about her. So far, no tears have been shed by her; now by me is another story. lol I didn't cry the first 2 days as I got to walk her to class by yesterday we had to drop her off at the door and a teacher walked her in. She didn't want to get out of the car so it was hard on us. I cried as I left. But each day will get better! I hope!

So with my new free time, I have been busy. I have cleaned the house and worked on a few ideas. One idea is a super cute Halloween Garden Flag. How cute is this? Click the picture to go to my Etsy shop to order one. I also have a Trick or Treat design but I have not cut it out yet.


I also tried this idea out for Little Bit; she loved it.


I also listed this item in the shop recently. It can be put on a baby bodysuit or a T-Shirt. Click the picture to go to my Etsy shop.



I am also working on some Home State shirts for my friends. I want to show more states than just TN so I offered to send a few of my out of state friends a shirt and in return they take a picture for me to use. I got the shirts today so I hope to work on them tomorrow.

And for me, I hope to make this shirt soon. I saw a design like it so I added my twist to it to get ready for some Titans football. Hubs has been to one pre-season game and we will miss this week's due to him having to work. But I hope to make the rest; we have season tickets!


And be sure to check out my Facebook page as I post sneak peeks and finish products there. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Mason Jar overload - Simple projects

Mason jars were in danger this week at my house. Most were spray painted, the rest hid from me. lol

I have seen all the neat project with spray painted mason jars so I tried my hand at it.

First up was a Back to School mason jar for my daughter's table. All I did was turn the mason jar upside down (I have an old wooden board I use for all small spray painting jobs) and spray painted it. Once dried, I cut out a cute little I heart School. Then tied on with some twine.
Next up were my sewing jars. I had them hanging above my cutting table for easy use but thought they could use some color. Before and After! Love

 
And next up were some jars for my mom. She loved all of mine so she came up with some ideas for Fall and Christmas. These are for her, my sister and an aunt. All tags were made and cut with my Silhouette Portrait.




 
 
I don't think mason jars are safe from me or my mom now. ;)



 

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Grab Box addiction contiunes...this time with a video

Ok, so if you read my blog you know I have an addiction to grab boxes, especially Pick Your Plum. On July 13th at 7:00am CST, I was up ready to grab my box at 8:00am. I had LOTS of technical difficulties but with patience I was able to get my box! Phew! It arrived today and I thought I would share it via a video...ok I ripped into it then thought "I should have done a video" so you missed my Holy Mackerel comment when I opened the box and it was packed full!

So here is my video, please excuse the commentator. lol

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

End of a chapter...

So Thursday will be Little Bit's last day of preschool. In just a few weeks, a new chapter of her life will start as she begins Kindergarten. She seems excited; Mommy is nervous and in denial. lol!

But as a small token of our appreciation for all that her current preschool has done, I made a little Thank You gift for the teachers. I used Pick Your Plum's twine and pleather flowers (yes I am addicted to their site) and I used my Portrait to sketch the card. I hope they like it.


Friday, July 12, 2013

Super Busy week!

So Little Bit has been visiting grandparents since Friday (I came home Sunday from dropping her off). So with the new free time, I WORKED! The house is clean, not spotless by any means but finally got some stuff done that I have wanted to. I also finished up an order from the lovely ladies at The Vintage Honey Shop. They so graciously bought several weighted blankets from me to donate to a couple of local therapy places. I was honored to make the blankets. Check out their site as they make some super cute necklaces.

I also worked on some projects for friends back home (West TN is home). Since I had several orders for the sports cross t-shirt, I have added a custom listing to my shop.



I also decided to work on a few new baby bodysuits, I used heat transfer vinyl for 3 of them. I must say the Princess one is my fav!




Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Simple Washi Tape project

I didn't take pictures when I did this project but it is really simple to do.

  1. Find a piece of white cardstock
  2. Pick out some blue washi tape and some red washi tape
  3. I drew a square the size I wanted the blue part of the flag to be. Then I placed strips of blue in the square
  4. Place the red washi tape, spacing to show the white cardstock
  5. Design your shape in the Silhouette Studio
  6. Place the cardstock with the washi tape on it in your Silhouette Cutter (I have a Portrait), and cut
  7. Place the newly cut shape in a frame; I chose a white background
  8. Add any vinyl wording you want to the outside of the glass frame
  9. Hang and enjoy!

Sunday, June 30, 2013

A month already gone, wow!

I can't believe it has been a month since my last post. June has been crazy busy for me. The first week was good, bought hubs his birthday present, a Discovery Flight with the local airport. He has been talking about doing one for a year now and I actually had a little money so I bought one for him. He was literally speechless. The 2nd week of June was horrible. On June 12th at 6:00pm, I got a call from my Dad telling me Grandma had passed away. My mother was the one that had found her. Grandma was outside in her motorized chair trimming the hedges when she had a massive heart attack. She was still sitting in her chair like she was sleeping when Mom found her. It was a horrible few days following as I thought she would live forever so it was hard to say goodbye. The 3rd week of June was just blah as I was still dealing with the loss. But my sister and I did enjoy one night of fun at the NKOTB, 98*, and Boyz II Men concert in Nashville! So much fun!! And this past week start Little Bit's 2nd session of swim lessons; it if 4 days a week. In between all this, I have made a few weighted blankets; I have 8 more to do!! Yes, 8, the last 2 orders have been orders for 6 blankets, then 4 blankets. So I sew every chance I get, which with Little Bit home, isn't a lot. :( But I am making progress.

Speaking of progress, if you following me on Facebook, I posted Instagram pictures of how I make a weighted blanket. I tried to capture each step the best I could. Be sure to check it out.

I will try to update more often but with Little Bit home, she demands my 110% attention most days. So I do try to give it to her as she is growing up so fast. She will be starting kindergarten in 1 1/2 months! EEEKK!!



Thursday, May 30, 2013

In a slump...

It seems time has gotten away from me more and more lately. I haven't done much sewing or crafting the last couple of weeks. I did get a few applique baby bodysuits done and listed. I have one more done but have yet to get the pictures taken to list it. :/

Little Bit's last day of preschool was May 23rd; family came up for Memorial Day weekend; Little Bit started swim lessons May 28th; Dentist appt for Little Bit; new puppy who needs to be bottle feed every 4 hours.....the list could go on. I have been tired. Little Bit is going to go back to preschool 2 days a week starting June 11th and I hope to sew on those days but who really knows. I have gotten a couple of custom orders for weighted blankets this week so when the fabric arrives, I will have to set aside some time to work on them. Probably after she has gone to bed as she doesn't like me to sew when she is awake and Hubs gets home around 6pm.

I am sorry I am a bad blogger but it is hard to find time to sit and type. Currently Little Bit is playing right beside me but normally, if I sit, she wants in my lap. She is 5 years old and over 43" tall, so trying to type with her playing in my lap would be a mess.

I hope to get better with this, I really do.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

It is Official...

Little Bit had her kindergarten evaluation today. It went fairly well. Not a lot of feedback other than she had trouble focusing but she did answer most of the questions correctly. We are to get a call by August from her teacher, once they assign classes. Sniff!

Also today, I listed 2 new baby bodysuits. These designs can be put on any size baby bodysuit or Toddler shirt so just convo me if you need a different size.


Fabric Red Fire Truck Baby bodysuit, size 3-6 months


USA map fabric baby bodysuit, size newborn

Monday, May 6, 2013

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day is here!!!

CLOSED: The winner is via Random.org generator, #13 (skipping the deleted comment): Emily! Thank you for all that entered! Emily, be sure to check your email.

Emily said...
My favorite summer memory was a trip to Alaska with my grandparents when I was 15.

Thanks so much for the wonderful giveaway!



I have decided to join in on the giveaway this time around! So what can you win?  (Open to USA residents only)

How about an adorable baby bodysuit or Toddler Shirt with a fabric applique?! You chose the size of the bodysuit or shirt and the shape you want.

Here are some examples:






 
 
To win, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite summer memory. (Open to USA residents only) Contest closes May 10th at 5pm PST. I will announce the winner on my blog soon after.
 
Be sure to head back to Sew, Mama, Sew! to enter to win more awesome prizes.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Dresser Makeover!

So I wanted a new dresser that I could use for storage of my fabric and vinyl, as well as use it to iron on. I asked around, looked on Craigslist, etc. My cousin texted me one day and asked if I found one yet. I said no. Her father in law had one that he was going to sell. It was the perfect size! But really, REALLY dirty. But it was $40. So my dad brought it up here for me when he came for Little Bit's birthday party. And since she is visiting them this weekend, I tackled the dresser. I had cleaned it up a few days ago so all I had to do was paint. It took about 4 coats but I LOVE IT!

Here are some progress pictures:

This is it at my cousin's father in law's house
 
Home and dusted off


Debating on a color

 
Chose Valspar - Top Banana

1st coat is on!
 
After soaking in Vinegar for a couple of days, and a good scrubbing, the knobs were ready for painting. I used Valspar Spray Paint, White

Another coat (not sure if this was 2 or 3)
 
And here she is! She is not perfect but that adds to the charm of her.
 
Comparison:
 

 
 

Win a custom baby bodysuit (onesie)!!

Just enter the easy Rafflecopter form for your chance to win! You pick the size and the design shape! That easy!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0c5d881/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Fabric appliques

So the real reason I wanted the Silhouette Portrait was the ability to cut shapes out of fabric. I kinda got side tracked with the vinyl aspect but I am back to fabric! I have made 4 baby bodysuits over the last couple of days. Here they are, all are listed in my shop for $15 plus shipping. If you need a different size or want a different shape, let me know!






Monday, April 22, 2013

Thomas the Train and Chuggington Birthday Party

Well here is the final results of the much planned 5th Birthday party for my daughter.

Picture overload ahead: Shirts were made by me with heat transfer vinyl and cut out with my Silhouette.

Old suitcase to hold the party favors (some are in a metal tin), banner was made using my Silhouette Portrait.





How cute is Little Bit in her shirt!

Yup, we rent a trackless train for everyone to ride. The kids and adults loved it. It was full the entire hour!



Her cake!



I used blind slats and vinyl to make the crossing sign (and yes I fussed at hubby for putting it on the pole)

Traintastic Family with our train shirts! (this was at the end of the party and I was tired! We had about 15 kids and 20 adults!)