Over the Weekend

Our weekend was filled with lots of activities! We started out by making our weekly trip to the Farmers Market. The corn & peaches we picked up were phenomenal! Our friends Anne & Vic met us there, so we got in a little friend time too!

Next, we headed off to a Dog festival being held in town. We opted to leave our pooch at home [a fact {M} was NOT happy about]. Chasing three kids around and making sure Lucy didn't run off, seemed like less of a relaxing day than not. Vic & Anne brought their two doggies though, so we were not without any 4 legged friends. The best part was watching all the dogs fetch, swim and play at the dog pond. It was hilarious! Small dogs, big dogs, hairy dogs and crazy looking dogs-all with their tongues hanging out and smiles dancing across their faces!

I also started working on this blanket & bib set for a friend. I only have the tops complete, but I love how they turned out. Little singing birdies.

Uhhmmmm, what about your fun filled weekend of cleaning you ask? It's gotten put back on the calendar for next weekend. I tidied up a little, does that count?

His shirt says it all Mr. Trouble. Haha, but he's just so sweet at the same time! He's signing that he's "all done" in the stroller here.

Weekend!

After taking a look at my studio yesterday, I realized a very, very obvious thing-I need to clean! It's one of the things that keeps getting put off lately.

After everyday care of three kids, homeschooling two kids and then cleaning the house up after a family of five [+pets], I've been burnt out! I crawl into bed and actually fall right asleep. Typically, I lay there for an hour with projects, idea's and things that were said during the day, dancing through my mind, but not lately. I feel asleep with the lights on the other night!

So I have ambitious plans this weekend! I want to get everything back in it's place in the studio, and then finish a few projects I have. A blanket for a friend, 3 more quilts and a few scarves. Yep, I'll have a new line of scarves with me at the next few shows for this Fall.

Loads of fabric that is mostly ironed & folded super nice, but just packed sloppily onto the shelves. Looks like I'll have to reorganize that this weekend. Darn...playing with all my pretty fabrics?

Some folded children's scarves. I am making them for adults and kids. They are patchwork, like my quilts. So if you love my quilts, these are now wearable! I'm really excited about them.

I just signed up for The Independence Day Show on September 19th in downtown, Columbus. The scarves will make their debut there, so come down and say hello. We attended the event last year and it was really fun. Lots of artist, crafters and music!

I found this cool bowl set at a moving sale last weekend. It came with four little dishes. I have been using 2 and the lid to store my pins. It has worked out awesome. Easy to access, and looks pretty too. The best part was they cost me a whopping $0.75!

What plans does your weekend hold?

Vampires!

Earlier this week, I received another order for one of milk vampire, organic bibs. They are typically made as ordered, so I made up a new batch of them. I love that each and every one is unique and different from the rest. While it's "only" a bib, the concept of being an original is so cool to me! A little piece of something special, for a specual child-cause we all know each & every child is special & amazing.

The original drawing was made after Mr. {D} requested a vampire shirt. He's always saying I make more girl stuff for {m} than clothes for him. The sad thing is, while the bib has been in my shop for months, I am just getting around to making that short for {d}. Yes, crappy mom alert!



I was sitting in the studio working on the bib prints when {D} wandered in and said, "Cool bibs!Uhhhh, Mom.....are you ever going to make that shirt for me?" Feeling extreme guilt, I send him off to his room to search for a blank shirt.

He came back with this striped shirt. I would never have even considered using that one. Mr. {D} said it was the only one he could find and he wanted to use it. I had a few reservations about the stripe, and placement, but wanting to make my son happy I figured who cares. It it turns out silly, so be it. The end result=I LOVE the stripe and the triple vampire print. He Loves it too, so it's a double score!

Ps...Yep, he wanted one mean, angry vampire of the three.

Quilts are done!

I finished up two more quilts yesterday. Hooray!! The brown one has hand sewn binding. It was able to stitch the binding while teaching the kids about adding with the number one yesterday. My favorite squares feature the dancing foxes. It's a Heather Ross Kokka import fabric. You can't tell from the picture, but it also has dancing frogs and bunnies.

The blue/green one has some cool binding also. After making this bias tape, I wanted to sew it onto everything!

I like that both of these quilts could be for a baby of either gender. I am in love with blue for girls-really, any color besides pink. Don't get me wrong, I like pink too, but overall, baby girl stuff has an overwhelming amount of it! Of course this means, my daughter has declared pink is her favorite color. Isn't that the way it always goes? Lucky for me, my boys like blue!

Today's plan are not too exciting. Mr. {D} has a doctors appointment with an ENT. Hopefully that goes well. The color of the week is red, and we are still working on T's and the numbers zero and one. {L} the littlest giant, is running through the house causing havoc and so happy about it.

What does your week hold for you?

Keeping Busy!

"Work, work, work. You know mama, you don't always have to work. Sometimes you can just relax". Little Miss {M} tells me this all the time!

The problem isn't that I don't like working, rather I don't have enough time in a day. If I'm feeling creative, I'm feeling creative. It's hard to turn off! If a day goes by and I have not made anything it's hard for me to fall asleep that night. I've been know to get out of bed just to make a little something, to ease my nerves. At any given time, I have 1,001 projects dancing in my head-some of them need to get out.

I've taken to hand sewing while the bigger kids do some of their school work during the day. I started a new line of really cool....well, you'll have to wait and see what they are. It's awesome because I can still do some work while homeschooling the kids. Don't get me wrong, they have plenty of my attention, but I can fit in a little here & there while they are drawing or eating lunch.

It feels good being a good mom, and still getting to create!

We found this cool old children's school desk at a yard sale the Saturday before we started classes. It was like it was waiting for us to find him! Beckoning-haha. At only $8, it was a steal. {D} has used it every single day.

The baby even likes to sit at it in the morning, drinking his milk. It's so cute, and so unnerving at the same time. Every time I look up and catch him sitting there, I realize how quickly the time will pass and he really will be sitting there-waiting to learn. Pencil and paper in his hand rather than a sippy cup. Yes, very unnerving to this mama! It seems like yesterday that the bigger kids were toddling through the house and now they are learning to read.

In one week...

In one week, 7 little days, so much changed for us! I am sitting here, looking back on the week and everything new that happened.

{D} & {M} started school, "officially". They have a whole folder full of worksheets, projects and drawing that didn't exist a week ago. It's awesome to watch them learn and grow. I'm so happy we decided to homeschool. {D} is really interested in mammals right now, and {M} is picking up reading word after word, with little effort.

We had a few visits from the tooth fairy. She is becoming a regular at our house and I caught {D} trying to loosen some more teeth tonight. Loose teeth= a visit!

{L} had a sudden burst of speech this past week. He picked up about 10 new words. Bird, baa[for a sheep], watch out, feet and a few more. He learned the sign for elephant and has started pointing to his eyes, ears, mouth and feet when we ask him. He seems to be getting over the pain of his brother & sister starting school and being left out. He was so angry that the bigger kids seemed to be ignoring him all week, that he set out to get into as much trouble as he could find--and yes, he found A LOT!

It's easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle & bustle of life and miss the little things. More often than not, the little things are the important things. It was nice to take things a little slower, listen a little more to what the kids were saying and give out twice as many hugs! My sewing projects are beckoning me, so I just need to find a little time to squeeze into the studio and everything will be perfect.

So hug your kids and smile today!

More Journals

The kids were really excited about my foot book journal when it arrived. Both of the older kids asked me to make them a new journal also.

Later that day, I noticed a LARGE amount of cereal being consumed by the kids. I mean A LOT. I finally told the kids to stop and eat some real food. Their response made me smile so big! They were eating up all the cereal, so they could use the boxes to make new journal covers.
{D} & {M} are really into recycling and repurposing items. I was a proud mama when I realized their intent. So, I let them finish up their cereal feast and we got to work.

They are super simple to make, but great fun. We cute out rectangles from the front and back of the box about a 1/2 inch larger than a sheet of paper [folded in half, but you could do a full sheet also]. Each book had 20 pages. We simply stapled the books along the spine, but they could be hole punched and ribbon tied, or sewn just as easily.

{D} had the amazon Lemur and drew pictures of The cat in the Hat and lots of Dr. Seuss references. It was a nice break from bloody vampires [haha]. {M} drew an entire book about a farmer Bill and the animals he cared for.

It was a fun way to pass a rainy afternoon. I love having such creative kids and being able to share their interests with them! Their talents grow each day, and I am amazed at the people they are becoming!

Moo Cards

My new Moo cards arrived late last week-I LOVE them! Moo was offering a free order of their business cards. Total cost was about $6 for shipping.

The cards did have a strip of advertising for moo on the side. I designed the cards so that I could cut them off
[I'll add the strips to my next round of swag bags, as they each have a 15% off coupon]

I will be using the cards as tags for my quilts and sweater balls. Some of the other images will become bookmarks. I love that they showcase my work. I always keep a few in my purse, in case anyone asks what I do. I have regular business cards that are great to pass out, but I like having the option to actually "show" what I do, not just tell someone.

For those of you with kids, or pet babies, moo cards also make great magnets! The thick paper helps them hold up well and look expensive. They make quick & easy gifts to mail to the grandparents. I buy sheets of magnet paper from the craft store. Place the cards over the sticky side, cut out and place on your fridge, or pop in the mail to someone you love.

Check out Moo.com to order a set for yourself!

I WON!

I'm the kind of person who never wins...anything. As a child, I entered contests, already planning what I'm going to do with my prize, as I wrote my name. Each time I was SURE this would be the time. This time, I would finally win...

After 28 years of not winning, I've just gotten used to it. It doesn't really bother me anymore, I still enter contest and blog giveaways, but I think less and less about the chance of actually winning over the years. I let the dreams of grandeur lie with my husband, who still thinks we are going to hit the lottery-every week.

Well, I am HAPPY to say, my losing streak is over. HAHA-Hurray! I won this super cool journal over on Cathe Holden's blog, Just Something I Made. It's a super cool journal and a great blog for anyone creative or crafty! The journals are made with repurposed book covers and pages. Check out some other cool books at the Ex Libris Anonymous site.

Check it out! Meanwhile I will be writing in my new book. Thanks to Cathe & Ex Libris Anonymous-you guys rock! :D

Quilt tops

Here's a peek at some of the work I've been doing. I'm getting ready for Craftin Outlaws with lots of colorful, fun new quilts. These few have been dancing around in my head for awhile, so it's exciting to see them start to come together. Blue is my favorite color [big surprise, eh?], so I'm slightly partial to the one above. I love knowing that the creations I am making, will someday make a child smile. It makes me feel connected to the world in ways, I would never have imagined. Pretty cool!

Also the show will have a new "kunklebaby item" debut!! I can't tell you what it is yet, shhhh...but I'll drop a few hints closer to the show. What I can say is it's something awesome for the older kunklebaby fans-the kids can't have all the fun!

This quilt features some awesome rocker prints and a few great Japanese imports mixed in too. Love the little pirates above.

This is my neutral blanket. Mostly shades of brown, with a few punches of color.

BIG News!

Lots of things happening at our house over the weekend! The most important of all...{D} lost his VERY first baby tooth!! He was so excited and couldn't wait to see what the tooth fairy would bring him. She traded his tooth for 5 coins and a super cool, golden, fairy button.

Everyone knows that fairies are notorious for collecting little treasures and things lost to the humans. {D} was beyond excited that the fairy shared one of her treasures with him. He carried that button through the house for the entire day!

I was a proud mama, but a little sad too. My first baby is losing teeth...teeth! The tooth next to it will fall out at any moment. He's grown so fast and is starting kindergarten tomorrow-crazy!

New Kicks!

The summer has come to an end at our house, {M} is wearing...tennis shoes! The things that make her feet sweating and achy. The things that need tied every four seconds, and fall off one foot every 24 steps. Yes.

Truthfully, I couldn't have been happier about her choice of new shoes. Typically she tried to pick out some hideously sparkly, plastered with a cartoon character [that we don't even watch], pair. YAY-red is lovely baby girl!

This weekend will be our very last before the kids start school. We are planning in taking a trip to COSI [science museum], going for a swim in the yard, and just relaxing. Hanging out and having fun!!

I started working on a few new quilts yesterday and they are fun! I have a really cool, punk/rocker one living on the sewing machine right now. I can't wait to share it! For now you can have a peek at my Lola Quilt. {M} was helping me try and get a better shot of it today.

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Etsyveg team

I have been a vegetarian for 25 years now. My husband and I are also raising vegetarian children. We are vegetarian family that cares about our animal friends and the environment.

We try to eat organic, locally grown fruit & veggies as much as possible. We shop at our local farmers market every Saturday. I LOVE the market. We get fresher food, cheaper. Everything is super tasty and picked that morning or the day before! It also feels good to pay the farmers directly for their work than through a store [you know I still love you Whole Foods!] You get to know the people or families who grew the food you are going to feed your family. It's pretty cool!

A few months ago, I found the etsyveg team and knew it was a perfect for for me. It was awesome finding a whole group of artists that had similar views! The group has everything from painters and photographers to candle and soap makers--and everything in between.
You can check out the blog, or enter "EtsyVeg team" when searching on Etsy.

We are all just trying to do our part, for a better future for our kids and this beautiful Earth!

Inspirations

:: Find beauty in everyday things::

birth, life, love.

::Don't be afraid to be odd sometimes::
Going against the grain isn't always a bad thing. Foster creativity and change.

::Go for a ride::

if you need something new in your life. Take a trip, whether it last a day, a week, or even a hours. Make some time for you

::Make Friends::

Or call the one's you've had forever-chances are, they'd love to hear from you.

Thank your family members for all they do for you.

Follow the path YOU want!

Fairies Everywhere

{D} and {M} are completely infatuated with fairies right now. They spend hours at the park and in the yard scouting for them. Nights are used to dream about fairies and the day, they may actually meet one. {D} ponders why someone could actually not believe in them..or worse, not even care.

On a recent trip to the park the kids saw a REAL fairy. They had a magical experience that they will never forget [their words-lol]. While looking for fairies, birds or the spare monster running around in the woods waiting to gobble them up, they came across a little floating, glowing speck. I was quickly hushed and told I was in the presence of a live fairy.

After a quick look, I realized I had no idea what they were looking at. It had a faint white glow and was drifting as if on the wind, but there was none. I looked closer trying to see what kind of bug it was, but that failed too. It wasn't fuzz either, which was my second guess.

In the end, I never figured out what it was. The kids have talked about it ever since. They say wasn't it cool, they day we saw that fairy! {M} says it was magical. While I have no idea whether it was a bug, fuzz, or fairy. I will always remember the day "we" saw the fairy. The magic in my kids eyes, the wonder crossing over to even me.

The kids decided this was the entrance to the fair wild-the land if the fairies.

Here's a quick shot I took of the "fairy". Not the best shot, as it appears only as a speck, but the day is fresh and glowing in my memory.

YAY!!

I learned this morning that Kunklebaby has been accepted into Craftin Outlaws for the third year! YAY! It's one of my favorite shows of the year. The crowd is young, fun, happy & ready to shop. The show will take place at the Lodge Bar this year in Columbus, Ohio-October 17th.

The 17th also marks 13 years since I have been with my husband [the following day, 10/18 will mark our 5 year wedding anniversary].

We are total opposites, but somehow it just works. I am creative, somewhat eccentric at times and difficult.... eh, strong willed. He is conservative, silly and driven, always looking ahead. I try to focus on the moment/ current time rather than the big picture.

He often doesn't get my impulsive, artist chaos, but tries so hard to understand me. He makes me laugh and makes me feel safe & loved. We have a beautiful family, and is my best friend.

What more could a girl want?

Summer

With the end of the summer drawing near, I find myself a little sad this year. It's totally abnormal for me! Usually, I cannot wait for the fresh, crispness of Fall to arrive. [my favorite season of all!] I'd trade scarves & snuggly hats for bathing suits anytime [especially after my post-baby body!] The cool breezes, falling leaves, pumpkins and harvest=wonderful!

This year things are different. Things will never be the same again. Why, you ask??
{D} is starting school! The end of summer has suddenly taken on new meaning. Suddenly it's sounding so very "official". It's not really going to change too much, as we have decided to homeschool, at least for the next few years, but the sentiment is there. The kids are growing up, and things are changing. Normal people welcome change, I run away kicking & screaming. On one hand, I'm super excited, on the other I want my babies to stay....well babies.

We have our curriculum together, notebooks and pencils have been purchased. Mama has a surprise set of book bags in the works for both {D} & {M}. All I need is the strength to let my babies grow up.

Any homeschooling pro's have tips for me?

Etsykids

The Etsykids team has published and online magazine. Lots of fun tips and handmade goodies. Check it out & subscribe to future FREE issues here:
http://modernhandmadechild.com/index.html

PS...You can also do a search for team members by entering "etsykids team" into the search on Etsy.

Happiness

One, two , three.....where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday I was becoming a mother for the first time. That small baby, so tiny and sweet, suddenly has adult teeth!! How did this happen? How can time pass so quickly? Even the smallest, is quite unsmall-ish now.

Sometimes at night I hold them close and think, please, stop growing so fast. I'll blink a few more times and they will be holding their very own, sweet first babies.

I feel blessed each day that I get to spend with them. To listen to their questions, which have grown more in depth and require answers with much more substance than, "because that's how it is baby". I get to see glimmers of what they dream and aspire to be. Best of all, I am still the person they seek out for comfort or just a much needed afternoon hug.

That is true happiness for me! What makes you smile?