Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

It's Friday!!! And you know what that means!

This week I'm featuring Tanie from Tamily. She chose her shop name from a blend of her name, her husband's name, her son's name, and the word "family." In fact, she got her crafting start from her family. Crafting, as well as crochet and knitting, runs in her genes, and like she said it was only a matter of time before she picked it up.

She loves custom orders, but her favorite pieces in her shop are her Tuscan scarflettes (shown above). The colors are beautiful, and they are extremely soft and warm. She is inspired by the beauty she sees around her, and her items are very organic in color and design.

Visit her shop to see more of the beautiful pieces she manages to make with a toddler running loose! Just browsing through her items makes you feel warm and fuzzy, like a hug from grandma.

Etsy Buy Handmade Tamily

I'll be home for Christmas

I hope that you all are spending Christmas with those you love, but please take a moment to remember those who can't. Our soldiers have left behind family and friends to put their lives on the line. Say a prayer for them, and hug your family in honor of those who can't.

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly (day after)Friday!

So it's a day late. Happy Holidays, huh?

Suzanne from Suzanne's Special Kids is another one of my Swanky Mama friends. She named her shop after a daycare she had planned until her special needs son was born. She has been sewing since she was around nine, and finds most of her sewing time while her kids are at school.

Suzanne finds her inspiration from her own children as well as the children she works with at the children's nursing home. She features special needs items, and she is willing to work around special needs and disabilities to provide what your children need.

While Suzanne isn't sure how she manages to balance two special needs children and a shop, she pulls it off beautifully while still remembering what is important in life. Visit her Etsy shop to see more of her adorable and functional items.

Etsy Buy Handmade SuzannesSpecialKids

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

Yay, look at that, I'm doing another one!

This week I'm promoting another Swanky Mama, Wendy from Precious Objects. She tells me that she chose her shop name after realizing how much she used the word precious. Upon visiting her shop, you definitely understand the meaning of the word. Her items are special, unique and something you want to keep close to your heart.

Even though she is raising her three boys alone, she still takes time to see beauty in findings that have history, and she enjoys making them new again. Pastels, textures and the talent that surrounds her inspires her new creations.

She may have taken every art class she could in school, but by far, her talent exceeds her training. Please visit her shop at Etsy to view and buy any one of her precious pieces.

Etsy Buy Handmade wendyhumphreys

The Sands of Christmas

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
by Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again

There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see were labeled 'ammunition.'

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

'There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,

To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall.'

He looked at me as children do and said, 'it's always right,
To thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write.'

And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:

'God bless you all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay.'

'I freely submit this poem for reprint without reservation--this is an open
and grateful tribute to the men and women who serve every day to keep our
nation safe.' ~ Michael Marks

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

Maybe the title is a bit much, whatever.

Plum pudding by Jen is an adorable shop on Etsy run by one of my Swanky friends, Jenny. She's a mother during the week to a cute (almost) two year old and a nurse on the weekend. How she finds time or energy to craft is beyond me!

Jenny got her crafting start over the summer while looking for something fun to do indoors. It's hard to imagine that she's been felting less than a year when you look at her shop. Etsy has claimed another victim, folks, she is hooked!

Jenny claims to be able to needle felt in her living room with a little one running loose, but she has admitted to me that her felting needles are always close at hand. Anyone who has felted knows how much those little barbs sting.
Check out her shop for more adorable gifts and treasures.

Etsy Buy Handmade plumpuddingbyjenn

Trying something new!

I'm going to be trying something new (besides my new layout ;). Every Friday, I'm going to feature one or two of my Swanky friends and their work. We'll see how this goes! I'm waiting for some responses back, but hopefully it will be a regular feature. As if I didn't have enough to do, huh?
I'm up for suggestions to a name for this feature. Friendly Friday, maybe something less corny...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Check out my Swanky Prize Basket!!!

Designing Swanky Moms Have Something Different and New
Put all the pieces together and a prize they’ll have for you!
They’ve contrived some riddles, something trendy and fun
Figure it all out and their Main Prize you have won!
Wonder what the meaning is to this Fabulous game?
Shaking up the Etsy World, things will never be the same.
A Designing puzzle,with pieces among the clan…
decipher the clues, find them if you can…
Find 5 Swanky pieces, It makes the puzzle whole
To Fabulous DSM shops Searching, you will go
Read the rhymes and riddles,
Solve the mystery clues.
To Figure it out,
here’s what you’ll do

1. You must have an Etsy account, or sign up for one http://etsy.com it's free! :)

2. Search the participating shops listed on the Designing Swanky Moms Blog for 5 pieces of the puzzle. The whole puzzle is in our Avatars.

3. When you've found all of the items, send a convo to Beth (http://tadadesigns.etsy.com) with all your answers.

4. The winner will be the FIRST person to correctly find ALL 5 pieces of the puzzle, they will get the MAIN prize, valued well over $150. Second Place will get a smaller gift basket valued over $50. All other correct finds will get a Free Shipping Coupon for all participating shops!

5. The contest will run for 7 days from December 2 through December 9th . The winner will be notified via convo on December 10th, and will be published on the blog (http://swankymoms.blogspot.com) and on the Etsy forums.

Swanky Fun for All!!!

Do you want to win a prize basket valued at over $150??? Then come join the fun of the first ever Designing Swanky Moms Treasure Hunt!!! Here are the rules and complete information:

1. You must have an Etsy account, or sign up for one http://etsy.com it's free! :)

2. Search the participating shops listed on the Designing Swanky Moms Blog for 5 pieces of the puzzle. The whole puzzle is in our Avatars.

3. When you've found all of the items, send a convo to Beth (http://tadadesigns.etsy.com) with all your answers.

4. The winner will be the FIRST person to correctly find ALL 5 pieces of the puzzle, they will get the MAIN prize, valued well over $150. Second Place will get a smaller gift basket valued over $50. All other correct finds will get a Free Shipping Coupon for all participating shops!

5. The contest will run for 7 days from December 2 through December 9th . The winner will be notified via convo on December 10th, and will be published on the blog (http://swankymoms.blogspot.com) and on the Etsy forums.

It's a scavenger hunt!

The DSMs are having a scavenger hunt! There are some great prizes being donated, and all the details are listed here.

I've been busy!

"Hello, my name is Sara, and I'm a handbag addict."

These adorable keychains will proudly show the world your addiction!

These keychains are made to resemble a handbag with glass beads to accent. They come with a split ring to attach them to your keys.

They can also make great zipper pulls or attach to your backpack or handbag!

At $4 plus shipping, they make wonderful stocking stuffers!

Approximate dimensions: 3 1/2 inches (at it's widest) by 1 1/2 inches tall. They are a thin 1/8" in depth, so they're not too bulky.

Check out my shop for more details!
Crafty Bags, etc.

Changing Things Up

I know I haven't posted much lately, I'm trying to get my Etsy promoted as much as possible. And of course, the holidays are time consuming!

I added a new MySpace to separate out my personal life and my business life, so I'm thinking I may do the same here. I'll have to do some serious cleaning house though and that scares me, big time! It'll probably stay the way it is for a while, and let's face it, I don't post that much anyway!

New Items!

This fall colored clutch is just the right size for holding necessities for an evening out or all those holiday parties you have filling your schedule.

The outside is a quilted-look bronze satin that appears deep chocolate from the side, but shines bronze from the front. Hand-beaded accents compliment the diamond stitching. The delicate hand-beaded tassel adds extra sparkle. The inside is lined in a hand-dyed poinsettia print dyed with homemade organic coffee dye.

A magnetic snap will keep everything where it belongs.

Approximate finished dimensions are 8 inches by 4 1/2 inches.

Happy Veteran's Day!

I survived! Our church had a special veteran's service and of course, I'm involved somehow.

I'm in charge of the church bulliten board in the lobby, so I collected pictures of all the veterans in our congregation and put photos of them up with what branch they were in and how many years they served. We also had two family members still serving (both are currently in the middle east), so they were added also. Side note- one is my brother, yay Bubba! We love you and miss you!

I also am currently in charge of the banquet/brunch decorations in the multipurpose building (really it's a gym with a/c ;), so I printed out lists again of who served in what branch and a short paragraph of each branch (some were the creeds, some were songs, etc) and a image of an eagle holding a US flag, and put them onto a three sided centerpiece. Each table had a different branch. We had 24 tables (seating 8 people each), so they were all repeated several times. I made sure that there was enough for each veteran to take one that had his name on it home with him.

I had a table with blank Christmas cards for everyone to fill out and I will be slowly mailing those out (160 cards are a lot to lick and address!) to the troops overseas. There were also activity sheets and crayons for the little ones.

I also had one more table with an empty place setting on it sitting next to a flag that the other family member serving in the middle east had sent us. The empty place setting served as a memorial to the soldiers who had lost their lives serving our country. The woman who organized the whole church service (there was tons of special music, reading, slide presentations, recognitions, etc) wanted me to get up and explain about the Christmas cards and the empty table. Well, I started fine. I was talking really fast trying to get through my mini speech about the empty table before I started crying, and I was doing fine until I saw one of our veterans (and a dear sweet family friend) start to tear up. Oh I had to stop and take deep breaths, and by the time I reached the end I couldn't even see my eyes were so full of tears.

It was a very moving day, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the veterans, soldiers and their families that may read this. Without what you have sacrificed our country would not be possible and I hope that everyday you feel the love and encouragement that you deserve.


-Of course I forgot my camera! I'll have to bum some pictures off of someone else and post them as soon as I get them.

Squeezing a week into one post.

Wow, has it been a whole week already?
I've had quite a busy week, so it really isn't that surprising.
First, I've been trying to get together a bulliten board for the Veteran's Day service we're doing at church. I'm in charge of the bulliten board (every month I change it up) so I thought a Veteran's Day thing would be nice. I'm collecting pictures and years of service for all the veterans in our church. I also get to decorate tables for the potluck on Veteran's Day.
Second, we had the fall festival on Saturday. I did the face painting with a man from CEF. We painted 100 kids' faces while telling them the wordless book story. Overall, there were about 630 people there. AND, Sissy fell off the slide on the playground and broke her arm. She was only about 2-3 feet from the ground, but she landed with her left hand down and got a buckle fracture in her wrist.
Third, we didn't really think it was broken, so we waited until today to take her to the doctor. I sat for 2 hours waiting for the doctor, and the x-ray for them to tell me it's broken and to see the orthopedist tomorrow. Ugh!
I'll doll up her cast like last time (she broke her leg over a year ago), and I'll post pictures of that. She looks so sad with the soft cast on, and I might cry when they put the hard cast on her. They might not have to, but since she's so little and active they probably will.

I am a treasury-holic.

I've caught the Etsy Treasury bug. I'm addicted to treasuries.

For those of you that do not know what a treasury is, it's a collection of favorite items that you choose and arrange to be displayed for all the world to see. Sometimes they can be difficult to get; they are limited in number. I managed to sneak 3 out of the system. One is on the regular treasury page, and the other two are on a test Treasury West page.
Mama said... is a collection of DSM items. I've swapped it out a few times to feature as many people as possible.
Swank it up!!! is another collection of DSM items, this time all jewelry. I love it, but never really wear it. This one I haven't changed at all. This one is on the Treasury West page.
Ladybug, Ladybug is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of ladybugs. It's from everyone not just DSMs, and it's on the Treasury West page also.
They only last from two to three days, so look quick before they expire!

Random Stuff

I'm battling sinus issues. I have the lovely scratchy throat, pressure, constant nose running, ugh! I've been drinking hot green tea with honey and lemon constantly for the past 3 days, but so far nothing! I can't sleep because of the breathing problems, so I've been watching alot of late night TV.
I re-discovered a movie. It's called 200 Cigarettes. I love it! It's cheesy bad, but is loaded with good talent (and some not so good talent). How could you not love a movie with Ben and Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Paul Rudd, Courtney Love, Christina Ricci, and so on. It's set on New Years Eve, and I'm loving the thick accents and bad hair.
I'm working on a gift for Hubby's boss. He had a little girl, and Hubby wanted me to make her a Snuggle Bunny and blanket. It's their fourth, so I definitely need washable yarn. I can't decide what I want to use. I guess a trip to JoAnn's is in order. Yay shopping!

"Get better soon!"

Hubby and I got another chance to go out this past weekend. My regular sitter had to work her other job, so Mom was kind enough to fill the void. God bless mothers! I feel bad asking her so often, but we needed the break after the day of funerals.
In the morning, I had to attend a funeral of a co-worker, and in the afternoon, Hubby had to attend the funeral of a teen boy's mother. It's very sad in both cases, but I think I had the tougher time. The co-worker also taught a Sunday School class of little ones, and they made her a video to watch during her hospital stay. Well, I started sniffling when it started and almost lost it completely when, right before the video ended, a little voice shouted, "Get better soon!" Oh, that was tough. I know she's happy and no longer in pain with Jesus, but it doesn't make the sadness disappear completely.
Anyway, so Hubby and I showed up looking like the Gotti's in mostly black to the show. I felt completely overdressed, but Hubby and Rob matched- it was cute! I'm looking forward to hearing him with the whole band next time. We may have to become official groupies!

Books for Soldiers

The lovely mother of Mr. Skull-A-Day sent me an email telling me about this program, and I'm passing the word along. If you can help, please do. I've heard very lonely, sad stories from the grapevine, and I know that any contact with home is appreciated.

My Barbra Walters special

I've been playing around with the stupid Picasa thing, and I made a new picture thing. I thought a little color would be nice. It looks like a Barbra Walters special. I think that's what I'll call it. My Barbra Walters special.

God bless you and keep you...

A friend recently suffered a loss. I am praying for her and her family and asking you to do the same.

Nine years and counting...

It's been nine years. My loving Hubby and I have been married nine years! We had a nice quiet (but short) evening listening to an old friend at his acoustic gig. We had some coffee, very good, and listened to some music, even better.
He sang two songs at our wedding (back when Hubby and he were in the same band) Aerosmith's "I don't wanna close my eyes..." and the standard Steven Curtis Chapman wedding song. Well, Hubby asked him to sing the Aerosmith song for us. Rob's such a sweetie that even though we haven't had contact in like 4 years he did it! And Hubby teared up! It was a great evening.
We found out that Rob and his wife live really close, so I think (hope) we'll be able to get together more often. I really missed him- he's a good guy, some of Hubby's friends (I won't mention names) I didn't like so much, but Rob's a good guy.

Go Gators!

My supervisor asked me to make this, it's for my MIL. She ordered her a set of Scrabble tiles to play fast Scrabble with while she's recovering. Can you guess she's a Gator fan?

The inside is lined with this bright orange slippery fabric that my mom has had laying around for years. I think its original purpose was to become a hunter's vest back when my 26 year old brother was 5.

You wouldn't think that a bag that small was as difficult as it was. I had it all cut out and planned and then my sewing machine decided it wasn't going to do buttonholes. SO... I had to redo the top and rethink the ribbon tube thingy. Agh! It was a learning experience to say the least.

Designing Swanky Moms!

Guess what. I joined a new group at Etsy. It's called the Designing Swanky Moms. Doesn't that just fit me to a "T"? I like to think that under all the food that my monster has "shared" with me, snot that has been smeared on my clothes, and "jewelry" that has been lovingly made by little fingers is my swanky-diva self. Anyway, I've checked out a few of the sites, and it's all treasures I would be proud to wear/carry. Check out the blog! You can also search Etsy tags for dsm and find all of out goodies.

So, you're saying I need to clean up my junk?

He also sent me this. Do you think he's trying to give me some sort of hint?

Recycling as art?

Hubby sent me a link to someone's blog where they featured pictures of creative recycling. I found the original, and thought I might share. I'm also going to credit the author. Since I can't read what's written, I'll just direct you to here. I think the author's name is atelier v.
Those crazy Europeans!

Fall is tumbling!

Check it out!!! Finally new items for my Etsy!!!

More sneaky peekies!

The color is off. It's actually turquoise. Yeah for fall!

It is not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.

For those of you who aren't my Hubby, just skip this post- you won't understand why it makes me laugh.

It is not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.
Henry Ward Beecher

Often times I wonder why our lives revolve so much around milk. We start with the bottle or nursing, and it continues to feed our lives, our bones, and our very souls.

Everyone in all walks of life have some contact with milk or milk products. The global impact of milk not only puzzles me, but gives me hope that everything will be safe, happy and sweet... much like milk.

We all have memories of milk: cookies after school, chocolate cake at birthdays, milkshakes on hot summer days and even cool autumn evenings.

A glass of milk holds memories, speaks to my soul, feeds my inner hunger, and quenches all my thirst.

What I did today...

I did a lot today. I cleaned my house a little, almost finished a bag, went on an activity with our youth group, took a bag apart, and made muffins for tomorrow's breakfast.

First the muffins, is it wrong that I use a boxed mix? I don't think so. I'm particularly fond of the mix that includes a can of wild blueberries. Yummy! It's got real fruit in it, too. My kids love it, and it's not any worse than pancakes covered in syrup or doughnuts. Plus, the house smells all yummy. I doubt all twelve make it to the morning.

Second, the bag, I got it all put together and was turning it ready to press and topstitch, when I realized that I put the strap on the bottom and the pocket upside down. While typing this I remembered that I hadn't turned off my iron, God bless the automatic shutoff! Hopefully, this little sneaky peeky will show up on my Etsy real soon. I'm still working on my fall things; I just haven't been motivated when it's 91 degrees outside.
Third, the activity, I had fun. We went to Palmetto Avenue Baptist and listened to a speaker from Ohio. There were games involving eating the mystery Twinkie (I didn't play that one- no way), popping balloons tied to everyone's ankles, and sticking lifesavers to your teammate's face with your saliva. I didn't play any of them; I'm too old for that. I did have fun watching and laughing, and laughing and laughing. No girls went, which is a shame, but I don't really know many of the girls because they don't come to activities. It's kind of a vicious circle. I think too, because I work at the school they aren't really sure what to make of me in youth group.
I need a muffin. It smells really good in here.

Tea for Two, or just Kelly.

I finished one more. It's a bag for my supervisor; she gave me the tea print to use. It's an old linen calendar from a few years back. Finding fabric to match that gold was a killer! I have issues paying full price for fabric, so that didn't help either. The blue fabric inside is actually pieced together from stash fabric that my grandma gave me. She'd be so proud- neither one of us throw anything away!
The linen calendar is still in one piece (in case she wants to take it off); she just needs to rip those stitches, and she'll have a plain bag! I tend to change my mind often, so the fact that it can change so easily makes me feel better.
My lovely friend Chesley photographed this bag and the previous one, and I think she had a little too much fun because she came back inside with 25 pictures (mostly lizards and bugs). She did a good job, and I have a huge memory card, so it's all good!

Busy with Stuff

It's been awhile I know. I've been busy with stuff, nothing fun, but important stuff. I did manage to finish one bag for a friend. She saw that bag I had on my Etsy, and she wanted it only bigger. So here it is! I even did a fancy pocket with separate compartments for a pen and a cell phone. Oh, and the straps are long enough to wear on your shoulder. I like it. I was kind of hoping she wouldn't like it so I could keep it. Yup, there's always the dream, but what do I need another bag for?

It's a boy! (I hope.)

Hubby told me that a co-worker is expecting. I'm pretty sure he said it was a boy. I'm also pretty sure that he mentioned the mommy is eco-conscious. So I got me some fancy yarn! It's Bernat's Bamboo, and I strongly recommend you try it! It is so soft; it feels like cashmere. The only problem is it's hand wash only, and I made baby things with it. Oh well, it's her first.
I made the pattern up myself, and it's obviously not blocked. I HATE blocking, and it's a blanket- so who cares! The blanket was done in a half-double crochet lattice pattern with ten rows of lattice and one row of HDC alternating. The border is a shell stitch (or my version of it). The snuggle bunny (that's what I call them because that's what we call snuggly hugs in my house) is done with five rows of HDC lattice and one row of HDC alternating. It also has a shell stitch border, and the head and ears are single crochet with a much smaller hook. I couldn't tell you how many stitches I cast on; I'm bad about writing things down.
Oh, the colors are water (blue) and linen (off white).
Now I just hope it really is a boy!

All Done!

I went back to JoAnn's and found some yarn to finish the hat I started (see previous post). It's Lion Brand's Chenille Thick & Quick in black, obviously. Enjoy!

Now what...

I kinda finished this hat. This yarn (Sensations Artic in Multi) was on sale at JoAnn's, so I picked up a skein. I thought that would be enough to make my monster a new hat for winter, nope! So now I have a half-finished hat that is made from a color no longer in stores. I'm thinking a black band and black tassels on each point. I found the pattern on Lion Brand's website.
Oh, this picture is of a little girl I sit during the day, she's not one of mine.

Let it snow; let it snow, please God! Let it snow!

I'm ready for winter. It's been 97 degrees outside with 250% humidity, and I'm done! I started going through my kid's sweaters (for the one week a year they need them), and I found the very first sweater I made. It's a year old and covered in mulch, but I still love it. My darling monster is modeling it (ignore the black eye- he's table height now).
I used a pattern in Candi Jensen's book, Total Baby Knits. It's made with my favorite yarn, Caron's Simply Soft, in colors Iris, Off White, Rubine Red, and Berry Blue in their Brights line.
I did make a matching hat, but his head grew faster than the rest of him! Oh, and that's his artwork on the door behind him (in permanent marker!)