Journals

I've been working on some new journals/notebooks. I love giving these as gifts.
They can be personalized to the individual! Kids like to use them to create their very own drawing books. Adults can use them from anything to actual journal to writing grocery and to do lists in them. I always have a few extras on my desk.

Start by selecting paper of your choice. You can use patterned cardstock, or use plain and decorate with stamps and stickers. I also like to use little bits of cool stuff I have laying around, like old card fronts or cool pictures I saved.

Select paper for the inside. This can be anything you choose-plain computer paper, lined, scrap, recycled, junk mail. ANYTHING! Cut them to size to match the cover. Fold your inside and outside papers in the center.

Next you want to stitch them together. Select a long stitch on your machine and follow the crease you made when folding.

Your Done!!

For an extra fun touch, I made a pocket envelope from an old book above. A great way to use books that have seen better days, but still have usable pages. Frame them, make boxes with them, or envelopes. Fun and green.

ENJOY!

THE tie

With {M} in this wedding and my husband was just in one a few weeks back, {D} was feeling VERY left out! I had a brilliant idea [I thought], that a little father and son shopping trip would fix everything. Since I was making {M}'s dress, I thought {D} would like a brand new tie. A real father son bonding time picking out a tie.

Well....the idea lasted about 5 minutes, until {D} decided he wanted a new tie-that mama MADE! He was so excited and had already looked through my fabric stash and selected a fabric. Any other time I would have been over joyed that he wanted something handmade over purchased-normally elated! I was just so behind with everything, and I've never made a tie before.
So I ended up staying up until 3am the night before we needed to leave working on last minute gifts we were taking and THE tie.

I hung it from his door knob when I was done and had a thrilled little boy in my room at 7am, requesting a lesson in tying a tie. A tired mama, happily obliged! He told anyone who would listen at the wedding, how his mama made his awesome new tie.

Young Love

This past weekend, we got to share in a wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, a beautiful day and a beautiful couple.

{M} was the flower girl and could not have been happier[although I think she was under the impression that it was HER wedding]. She asked for several days before the wedding to wear her "wedding dress". She walked with a smile and did a wonderful job throughout the day.

To the happy couple and everyone in love out there-Congratulations! We love you both and wish you many years of happiness...and lots of babies. [haha] :D

I'm so proud of the man my cousin has become. Even now I still think of him as my little cousin, dancing with me at my grandmother's house in preparation for another family wedding, long ago, or playing with his he-man action figures in the backyard. He's grown into such a caring, strong and happy adult!

Smile

Smile! The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day. Enjoy the sunshine. Laugh-laughter always makes me feel better. Soak up some sun rays.

Knit-Knit

A few months ago, {D} wanted me to teach him how to knit. He was super excited and wanted to get started immediately. The only problem was, I didn't know how!!
After searching through the family and finding no one to teach me, I was lucky to find a class at Wholly Craft, a really cool local, handmade store.

After a quick BASIC lesson[I can now make scarves-haha], I was able to start teaching the kids. The Easter Bunny gave them each their own set of shiny new needles and a ball of yarn.

{M}'s fingers are just a tad to small to be able to hold the needles, thread and move it around. She has been content knitting on mama's lap-with my help. {D} took to it right away! He wanted his first thing to be a scarf for his father[so cute], but I have since persuaded him to make a blanket for sweaterpants[his doll]. This way he will finish much faster and feel that great feeling, when you finish a project.

Little Artists

The kids were busy coloring pictures of mama this morning. I love how I have my glasses on in both pictures and rocking purple hair in both also.

Wanting to make some extra cash, they kids had been working hard on an inventory of pictures to take to Eco Chic. We set up a corner of the table for them to conduct business.

They were so proud of their efforts and sold some work too. Thank you to anyone who may have purchased art from my kids! It TOTALLY made their day!

Busy Busy

Super busy here with stuff that should have been finished weeks ago. Still working on {M}'s dress and a few[gulp-4] gifts-all of which need to be complete by Thursday night. Lots to do, and no motivation to do it.

I am in need of a "sleeping vacation"! I need a few days of just hanging out in bed...reading, sleeping, relaxing, no kids, no hubby and absolutely NO thinking about anything! Now with that said, I live in imaginary land if I even think it will ever happen.

A girl can always dream, right?

Here's some new Organic, handprinted zip pouches that are being added to the shop.

Lots of pretty new pins also.

Look Book

I've been thinking of ways to improve my presence at art shows. I wanted to be able to showcase some of my work that isn't represented at the show, or just really cool things I've made that already sold.

I put together a 20 page book, highlighting just those things. I placed the book on my table at the last show and SO many people commented on it. Quite a few other vendors inquired about the book and said "ohhh-professional !" [haha] I had a few local, shop owners come and speak with me at the show and it was a perfect thing to show off some of my portfiolio.

My favorite moment of the weekend came when a cute young couple told me how well branded my company was. They commented on my logo, look book and overall "brand" of kunklebaby. It was so fulfilling to have someone notice and talk about it with me. Thank you, if you two happen to come across this!

Over the Weekend

Spent the weekend at the Eco Chic Show. It was really fun and after a rough start Saturday, the sun came out shining and bright Sunday. Sunday was such a beautiful day, I was just happy to be outside in the nice weather, hanging out with my family. Selling stuff was a nice perk to that.

My zipper pouches and brooch/Pin trays. I love using these stacking plate trays. Helps to showcase a lot of stuff in a small amount of table space. Lots of selection!


My blankets in a vintage cradle. I LOVE this set up the best of all.

Bibs, Boob Pads and flowers. Not to self:Next show, don't spill the water from your flowers all over the table 1/2 way through the day-haha.

Some t-shirts and bibs

The fam hanging out. We brought a small rug and placed it next to the tent. Throughout the day we started collecting kids. More kids just kept showing up to play with the toys and mingle with the mini-crowd. It was so cute!

Some new goodies

Getting ready for the show! Here's a sneek peak at some stuff I'll have with me at Eco Chic.

Lets hope for sunshine.

See you there!

Feature Friday!

Some of my favorite things in our home are from cool shops I've found on Etsy. Here's a few of our new toy additions:

Starbright Baby makes these fun teething giraffes. Colorful, soft and really fun. He's a big hit at our house with all the kids. All though I often hear, "Make the giraffe sound, mama!" What sound do they actually make?

Need a unique handmade baby gift? check out Starbright Baby.
{L} got this cool wooden, helicopter below for his birthday. Fun, looks cute hanging out on the shelf and made from a natural material. What more could you want? Find one for your special someone at Imagination Kids.

Also from Imagination Kids is this amazing bunny set. The Easter Bunny left one at our house for the kids. This set gets played with EVERY day here. Can it get any cuter than these little rabbits? No! Enjoy your weekend!! Hope to see some of you at Eco-Chic. Let's hope the rain holds off and we are still able to be outside in the fresh air! Keep your fingers crossedf or me.

Corners of my Home

As many of you know, I LOVE Seahorses! As a child I found them so magical, and cute! AS I grew up, it never really went away. Lately I have found myself enthralled with them again.

I made this seahorse a few months ago. Originally I was going to create a security blanket for some lovely child and add it to my shop. I fell too in love with him and he now lives on my couch. His fin moves and something tiny can be placed into his pouch-if needed. And yes, my kids are always trying to think of things that "need" to be placed there-lol.



Here's a side view. I paired it with the bright and cheerful octopus print from the Heather Ross line.

Shop Update Coming

Check back starting Monday the 18th, and throughout the week, for new goodies to be added to the Kunklebaby store. The shop will be closed through the weekend, as I will be selling at Eco-Chic. So if your local, come on down, say hello, and check out the new stuff in person!

Smile...

Take a moment to smile at the beauty all around you! Sometimes we need a quick reminder about just how lucky we are.

Darth!

{d} has this cool Darth Vader mask that has a voice changer. It has a few programmed saying- Luke I am your father, etc, but the most fun is hearing your voice all darth-y. This same feature is why {L} is terrified of the mask!! He used to be ok with it, until it said his name one day. It was all over at that moment!

He runs and clings to me when he see's the other kids playing with it. {D} has decided this running and scared face, happen to be the cutest thing he has ever seen. -sigh- So, he goes out of his way trying to "accidentally" scare the baby into making his cute, scared face. When {L} is safely with his mama, he starts to growl back at the mask. Grrrrrrr....gRRRRRRRRR, GRRRRRRgggr!!!! At that point, even I find it cute and have to stop myself from laughing. It's just so sweet!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mama's, grandma's and special ladies! Hope you had a wonderful day filled with love!
They make everyday special!

Feature Friday

With the new paint and bedroom renovation, all I can think about is blue and orange. How to combine the bedding, curtains, art-into one pleasing, but fun room for two boys. Add my new affection for knitting and I found these goodies!

Super Organizer - for knitting needles from Madbirds.

I LOVE Heather Ross fabric and this combines knitting and one of my favorite fabric designers.

Beautiful Here Fishy Fishy Fishy- Handspun Super Bulky Yarn from Spazzy

Love these sweet little booties from pombamarela . I wish {L}'s feet were this tiny still!

Have a great weekend everyone! It's wedding and Mother's Day-YAY! Hope all you mama's have something wonderful planned for the weekend.

Eco Chic Is Coming!

Members of Etsy Team Columbus are very excited and proud of the upcoming Eco Chic Craftacular at the Whetstone Community Center on May 16 & 17. Many hours of planning and marketing have gone into this event. With over 50 vendors, live music and delicous food...we feel this will be an unforgetable gathering.

Did you know there will also be FREE workshops going on the entire weekend? Be sure to stop by our information table in the Community Center lobby (beginning the 16th) to pick up a schedule/map for more info. Topics being offered include: rain water harvesting, composting basics, bike maintenance 101, keeping our rivers clean, etc.
Each of the artists and crafters appearing at the Craftacular has been asked to include or incorporate eco-friendly elements in a portion of their wares. You might see canvases colored with soy based paints, creations from recycled or sustainable materials, vintage goods and found/repurposed objects.

In additon to all the above, there will be a daily swag bag giveaway. Be among the first 50 guests to arrive each morning to get your hands on some fab freebies. Here is a list of the possible swag contents in YOUR bag: bubble rings, fabric wallets, postcards, magnets, buttons/ pins, coffee cozies, coupons, gift tags, coasters, patches, erasers, notepads, stickers, ACEOs, recycleable bags, honey (yes honey) and more!

Raffle tickets will also be sold during the Craftacular for $1 each or 6 for $5. If you are a winner, you might end up taking home any of these prizes: original paintings, handbound journal, dyed fabric/ textile art, denim purse, leather "snail" business card holder, embroidered tshirts, fabric totes, goats milk soap & candle, plushies or jewelry.

We hope you will join us as we celebrate creativity and caring for our planet. The support you show these artists is always appreciated and goes a long way towards stimulating the local economy and small businesses.

Many thanks readers and please help us spread the word----let the countdown to all this FABULOUSNESS continue...

Cool Stuff

I've been meaning to write about these little felted animals, since Easter. I, a grown woman, am so in love with these cute creatures!!

The Easter Bunny added these guys to the older kids baskets this year. The little duck is my favorite. She's so tiny and sweet! {D} carries the chocolate bunny everywhere with him. We have been making some paper boxes lately and the bunny has an entire wardrobe of hand colored, paper box homes.

They come in their own little egg homes, but as you know, everyone needs some accessories. It's been fun watching the kids make the extra homes. Lots of smiles and laughter!

Want your own super sweet new friend? Check out the Canadian based shop: Magic Forest on etsy.

Weekend

We spent the weekend painting and moving furniture. After it was all said & done, I realized we moved EVERY room in the house besides the living room and dining room. It was a L-O-N-G process, but gives us some much needed space. It's a way better use of the space we have.

I love when we find a better way to fit into our home! We have a smaller-ish house and with 3 kids and the huge amount of "stuff" they come with, organization is extremely important. I used to get annoyed and just say. "We need a bigger house-ahhh!!". I've now switched my way of thinking to: What can we do to fit better.
It involved pairing down our objects and keeping those most special or useful only. At first it was a little hard [as a self proclaimed pack rat], but we are all benefiting from the lifestyle now! When we want to buy something, we think a lot harder about how much we really "need" the item. If it's something that will help us, benefit our lives, or just crazy cool, then we will get it.
I like to think about the impact it has on the Earth also. With cost differences, it is not always possible for us to afford the "most" Earth friendly, but in most situations, not a problem. We try to use things that go back to the Earth-wood and cloth vs. plastics. Cotton, wool, organic vs. synthetics and polyester.
That doesn't mean we have no plastic, or chemicals in our home! The kids have a mix of toys that have been passed down or gifted to them. It's just the process of making them think about where it came from and where it's going. I was so proud the other day when the kids requested crappy $$1 toys. After a moment, {d} said, "No...I changed my mind. I don't want this plastic toy. It's junky, made in China and I don't even need it."

The boys got a lovely new shade of teal on the walls. An accent wall is done in teal, orange and white stripes. I'll post more pictures when the re-do is done. The coolest thing about the move-I got a studio space!! YAY! I can't wait to show you all. Right now, it's just a room filled with my sewing and painting supplies-in other words a GIANT MESS. As soon as everything finds a home, I'll get some shots posted.
Not sure when everything will get put back together though. I am so heartbroken about the loss of our dog. It's really been much harder than I ever could have anticipated. I have no motivation to finish the room, or anything else either. Each time I look out into our back yard, the tears come and I am struck even harder with sadness. Each time a car passes the house, and I don't hear her bark, I feel pain. I can't believe I actually miss her non-stop barking. My husband thinks we should just "move on" with life, but I am taking the time to mourn her. It's a [painful] process that I need to go through and it's important. She is the first pet I've ever had pass on. Since we had to put her down, I feel sadness, but also guilt and anger. I miss my friend and want her back. Although my head knows we did the right thing that needed to be done, my heart aches for her back. I thought it would get easier as the days pass, but I have yet to reach that point. She was my friend and I miss her!