sometimes a girl just needs a frozen pizza.

things have been really hectic for me the last few days. getting all the special orders finalized and getting more things made for the open house has been draining me. i usually stop working around 6, lately it's been midnight. and i think that's going to have to continue on through next week if i am going to get all the presents made for my family. yikes.
on a less exhausting note, my friend katie is in town from bend, oregon and is participating in the open house with me!! she makes super cool fabric/leather jewelry and wool hooded cowls. she has TONS of great leather earrings made. i figured if the i had a poor turn out for the open house, at least i wouldn't be sitting here alone. it will be a little less sad. :) plus, we haven't seen each other in over 2 years. so she brought her stuff over today and we rearranged some furniture and discussed things for tomorrow.

adella and katie mulling over the definition of a "trunk show."

leather earrings by katie.
r a k

these are about shoulder length, she has a variety of lengths.
r a k

my friend shannon has been perfecting her nut-free/vegan baking and she will be contributing some great treats. she is also trying to start up a little business, baking and selling her treats. she is starting to get some business, this will be her first big order i think. :)

on a whim the other night i fashioned up some hair clips and barrettes. i have been having these whims lately, and they have been like little surprises. another whim: making a big batch of the sugar scrub i have been using this winter. in four essential oil scents. 

it's getting a little crazy around here with all these projects! so yes i have been staying up too late. and no, i haven't been eating properly, or even taking breaks to drink water. the only breaks i take are to feed adella, or the dogs, or the chickens. and switch out an occasional load of laundry. so,when george scoffed at me when i requested a frozen pizza from open harvest, i said, "sometimes i just want frozen pizza!" besides, it was le quartier.....and it was good.

crowntastic.

i am finally done with the crowns that were special ordered. to be honest, i didn't have that many, but when someone wants something special, i take my time on it. it has been paying off, because i am getting great feedback from those who have gotten their crowns. in between the crowns i also made a dress, something AWESOME for adella for christmas and have 4 pairs of shoes ready to sew together at my dad's. now i have to replenish most of what i took to bodhi for my open house saturday! i'm going to have some smaller items for sale, and not just kid stuff, but i am having a hard time deciding what to go for. i need to pick one thing and run with it. but it has to be the right thing......

crown work space.

princess heart crown.

on a whim, to get warmed up to make a cat crown that had me stumped, i decided to try an idea i had been mulling over, a hot air balloon themed crown. it turned out pretty cool, if i do say so myself. i figured that the balloons were probably flying over lincoln, and added the state capitol building. i love it!

retail therapy.

no, this post is not about christmas shopping. ok. in a way it is. but it's not going to be about me shopping for gifts and such. i'm not doing that this year. i have been having a sort of existential crisis lately. i guess that's what you would call it. i don't think it's right to go and spend gobs of money on items that are made carelessly, or on some lump of plastic that will just sit around taking up space. i have decided to make almost all of my presents this year. for everyone, not just the children. i'm taking christmas back. i'm going to make it what it's supposed to be. it's a day to share with family, and give gifts from the heart. if i do go and purchase something, i have vowed to only patronize small, independent, LOCAL businesses.
speaking of local businesses, i took some of my wares down to Bodhi Imports this morning. the owner, jen, is a friend from high school (and beyond) and we had talked this summer about me bringing some items down. i saw her at the co-op the other day, and now my goods are on display! Bodhi is a lincoln staple when it comes to local shopping. they have something for everyone and carry goods made here in lincoln and goods from all over the world. i am so excited to have a way for more people to see what i've been making.

jen gave me a great spot to showcase my wares!!
thanks jen!!

oh, the cuteness......

a few random pictures from the last few days, sure to brighten anyone's day!

shopping at open harvest.

we love tired produce!

mini-crowns! more details on these later.....

pressure point massage.

"let the wild rumpus start!"

today i finished a project that had been on my mind since i started it last week. a crown for a boy named max. this was a special project for several reasons. it started the ball rolling on taking some special orders, it was very unique, and i knew it would be more difficult to pull off. but, i am always up for a challenge, and it's that time of year when mothers want everything to be perfect, so i knew i just had to make this crown. 

the theme of the crown? 

a childhood favorite, 'where the wild things are.'

this was a challenge and i got a refresher in the lessons "less is more" and "don't over-think things." i had a very elaborate plan in the beginning, but in the end, simplicity won. she always does.

i love how crowns look at this stage with pins in the embellishments.

front.

"and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for max"

"that very night in max's room a forest grew"

whiskers.

this was a fun project and i know that this crown will spend a wild christmas in a great place, with a great boy named max.

testing my skills.

i took a couple days off from making things for other people to make adella's winter coat. finally. i have had the pattern traced and cut out on top the fabric (an old wool army blanket) for weeks. it's been moving around my studio area and i just needed to make it and get it out of the way. and it's december. it's cold.

it was a more detailed project, that's for sure. a fully lined coat. as i get better at the simple things, i am trying to branch out and work on more difficult skills. and you know what? they always end up being easier than they look. to line a coat sounds ( in one's head, while reading the instructions) hard. really hard. and it's so hard to think in 3d, and actually SEE how the sleeves will be lined and turn right side out after sewing them, for example.  but, after reading the instructions out loud about 3 or 4 times, all of a sudden it clicked and it wasn't really that hard. it's just a little tricky to envision the finished product, which is what sewing is all about. the finished product.

adella's new (old) wool coat.

a little flare. 

the coat turned out great, save for a couple minor, superficial flaws. and it's a little too big, but still wearable. it could possibly fit next year. or, i can make her another one, in a bigger size, because now i know,  it's not as hard as it looks.

hi.

wolly pog.

this is wolly pog. she is an old lady and hisses like a camel sometimes if you get in her bubble. she likes licking feet and chasing squirrels. she also talks a little when the neighbor dogs get let out. she would probably love to eat our chickens, which is why they aren't free-ranging. oh wolly, we love you!

cleaning out the cobwebs.

the last couple of days have been weird. sort of disorganized and discombobulated. i haven't gotten much done, and feel unmotivated. not good. so, i thought i would clean out my studio corner. i have been moving a couple of storage totes of projects and fabric around the house for a few days and i realized i needed to organize things. i have to do this at least once a month. i'm not working with very much space and it doesn't take much (a couple good frenzied searches for that grey canvas) and it's all out of whack. my big idea was to take pictures and show the improvement. although.....

during the clean-up....

after. much of the magic that was done cannot be seen by the naked eye.

.........can you tell the difference? maybe not, but my brain will, and everything should work a lot smoothly tomorrow. now, if i can manage to not stay up 'til 3 am watching 'breaking bad'.......

pure bliss....

quitting my job and working on really starting up my business has been the best decision i have ever made. i don't remember a time when i have worked so hard and had so much fun. it's great being home with adella all the time, and she is so good.
i get up before her most mornings and have a strong cup of tea or 2. i open the computer, check on everything, while thinking about what i need to do that day. sometimes i start cutting and sewing before adella has made a peep, sometimes i don't start until 10. either way, there is something about owning one's day that makes me so much more productive than any kind of a schedule. sure, sometimes the daily household needs get mixed up in my loosely woven plan of creating, and i find myself doing the dishes when really, there are so many pants i could be cutting out. it's a small price to pay for the luxury of choosing the rest of my day.
money might be tight, but i would much rather be with adella than send her off to some stranger while i work for someone else. i'll never get this time back, and i am so grateful to spend all day with her and be there for all her firsts. i am so grateful that george barely batted an eye when i told him i was quitting my job and staying home. it has actually worked out much better for his hectic school/work schedule.
finding what you love to do and taking a chance to make it into a job is so liberating, it's pure bliss....and it's all mine.

thanks, val kilmer

i cooked my first bird ever yesterday! it turned out pretty darn good. i used a cajun spice blend on in, and also made cornbread stuffing and cream biscuits, all from a southern menu. the hardest part about cooking the feast was getting the timing right. having everything done (and hot) at the same time is tricky. but, it worked out pretty good. and we had plenty of good, cajun spiced gravy. one of my thanksgiving pet peeves is not enough gravy.

notice the tie napkins that i got as part of a trade at the milkworks show!

adella fell asleep right before we ate, she was tired from playing so nicely by herself all day (as i cooked.) she was so good, just running around the house with the dogs, dancing, making minimal messes. she liked the cream biscuits right out of the oven. 

sleeping on aunt susie.

sleeping with mr. eel.

it was a great day! we decided to have a themed movie marathon, and we each picked a val kilmer movie. i chose 'top gun' at the last minute, susie brought 'real genius', george chose a wacky movie called 'american cowslip-a redneck comedy.'  i wonder if val kilmer is his real name?

successful saturday.

saturday was a success! people bought stuff! that I made! it was great. nobody bought anything for the first hour, and i was beginning to panic, but then.....one person bought something, and set the ball in motion.
it was hard to set up with such limited space, you would think a five foot table with lots of wreath stands and wire-rack-type-things wouldn't be hard, but i had more wares than i thought.

the shoes and bugs were big sellers, but i only sold one crown, which i was surprised about. i thought those would be a hot item, they are so unique. 

for the next event, on saturday (already?!?) i think i'll make some little wool pants, burp cloths, and more tag blankies. someone bought me out of tag blankies.....you know who you are!

the other vendors had some great stuff too. i traded a pair of shoes for a handmade wool hat for adella and 4 dinner napkins with ties appliqued on them. it was great to do something for Milkworks, vendors donated 20%.  thank you to everyone who came out on such a cold day to support your local artisans and a great community resource!

eek!

well, tomorrow's the big day. my first public event selling my wares. i'm excited and nervous and keep wondering what people will say about my things. i have almost everything packed up and i shouldn't have forgotten anything, thanks to my new clipboard that holds my trusty lists. (thanks mom, for the clipboard, and the talent to make lists upon lists upon lists....)
i had a major malfunction in my shoe pattern, but i ended up with more shoes than i thought i would, i just had to make some last minute adjustments. they are looking good! i have 3 sizes, which i didn't even plan for, it happened naturally from altering the pattern so many times.
off to bed, i hope i can get some sleep.....i'm so pumped up!

pretty sharp.

i got these new scissors from george for my birthday! they are AWESOME! they're spring loaded, which is why they have the gold hook on them, to keep them closed when i'm not using them. super sharp, in more ways than one! thanks, george!

wipe out!

today i made cloth wipes. and boy, did i make them. i started to feel like a factory worker. my mom is loaning me her serger, which makes the wipes a piece of cake. but i made about 80 wipes. that's a lot of serging.

thanks mom!!

 the holiday boutique at milkworks is ONE WEEK AWAY!!! and the next saturday after that is a launch event for a maternity clothes website, then the circle me 2 day winter collective. i hope i can make (and sell!!) enough stuff.

wipes before.....

wipes after!

i also worked on 3 cute brushed corduroy dresses tonight. i feel like there is so much i still have to do....oh, wait, there is. more shoes! my goal is to make 6 more pairs to add to my "stock." and felt "play" taco kits, and lavender sachets and tag blankies.....it never ends.

is it working?

linking this blog to my facebook has cost me my morning. blarg.

testing the waters.

i'm trying to link up my facebook, etsy and blog. it's tricky.

back in the saddle again.

hello! it has been MONTHS since i have posted and a lot has happened. i quit my job (yikes) and am now staying at home with adella and sewing full time. it has been the best decision i have ever made. a couple weeks after i quit, i started my etsy store and have lined up 3 holiday boutiques! those should be great exposure. i decided i had better start blogging again, to have another way to get my work out "there." so stay tuned, folks, we're about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

fancy skirt.

putting my stamp on it.

i have been trying to figure out what to use for a tag for the things i'm selling. i ordered this stamp about a week ago and it came the other day. it's a bit smaller that i thought, but it will work and it's adorable! i looked at hobby lobby for a certain kind of "tape" but they didn't have it. i need something that doesn't fray, this wide ribbon looks pretty good. also, hobby lobby didn't have the right ink pad for fabric, so i bought a marker, which i hated. it just didn't work right. i had tried just paint with the fabric medium-too goopy. so....i painted a square of paint on this card and used it as a stamp pad and it worked great! i really impress myself sometimes!

testing.

i made a few while i was at it.
 my new mat worked awesome to measure how far apart to stamp.

roy g biv

here is the dress. mid-stencil. i thought it needed a little something. i was going to try a dog stencil, but then i remembered i made these cloud stencils for another project. i just have some acrylic paint and fabric medium that i mix in. i have red, yellow, blue, black and white and i mix whatever color i want! i cut up a sponge and just pat it on. the stencils i cut with a tiny utility knife using a magazine underneath. it works great!

cute pink seersucker!

we're in business!

i have been working on my first order!! a crown, dress and bloomers. they are for my friend julie's niece in colorado. her first birthday is coming up! :) i'm really excited about these projects. they are so cute!

i like cutting out these little pieces and arranging them just so.
it's oddly calming.

finished crown.

the chicks have arrived!!!

these are our long-awaited chicks! they don't have names yet. just rhode island red and california white. the red will lay brown eggs and the white, white eggs. yesterday, we bought the light, light bulb, feed, pine shavings and feeder bottoms. we had some mason jars that screwed right into them. we also had the aquarium. all together we spent about $35. now to build a coop for them! we have been looking online at ideas and there are some really cool chicken coops out there. :)

all warm and cozy. they love their new home.

you can see their coloring better in this photo. mine's the red and george's, the white.
it has to be 85 to 100 degrees for these little guys.

little feeder and waterer.

the law for keeping chickens in the city is that one can have two without a permit, and up to 20 with a permit. 20?? no thanks! we do want to get a couple more this summer though. there is a breed that lays blue-green eggs that are supposed to be delish. we actually bought some green eggs from open harvest yesterday, but have yet to try them.

what nice teeth you have....

adella has two teeth! they are the bottom middle two.

she is proud of her teeth.

no chicks!! :(

george with the light.

i have been waiting to post because i have been taking a little break from sewing. last night, i was sewing a dress, and everything was going wrong. i needed a day off. also, i was waiting for chicks! we've decided to raise chickens for fresh eggs. we have been to orscheln's twice and no chicks. yesterday they said today, and today they said tomorrow! today we bought all the gear and their new home is ready!

we have this great back porch/mudroom that until recently had the dryer and washing machine jammed in. tight fit. we moved the dryer and there's much more room. when the washer is moved, we can keep all kinds of gardening and outdoor things here for summer!

looks cozy.