juanitas handmade

Curse you blogspot!

2011-04-09T02:52:00.000-05:00

(always reminds me of the movie 'finding nemo', 'curse you aqua scum!!!' lol)

Anyway....

My Blog has a new home over at----->>>>> www.juanitashandmade.wordpress.com

yippee! so excited about it!

Oh, what to do, what to do..

2011-02-26T15:27:00.003-06:00

Oh, this darn blog. I'm about to trash it and start fresh. I have good intentions of posting things on here and keeping up with it. But I've found that posting pictures and getting the formatting just right is really frustrating and it makes me not want to post. I suppose I should just start fresh. And I have been using my 'juanitahandmade' facebook to post links and keep up with people, so it seems a little repetative posting things twice. I think with the new blog I am going to use it more as a journal and just keep updates with the kids, projects I'm working on, things going on in our lives.. and such. I hate quiting things even though it's a silly blog. It's just something that bothers me. I guess I worry too much and get bothered by things that I shouldn't waste my time worrying about. It's a common problem I have, getting stressed over things that are silly or that I have no control over. But I'm working on it. My husband keeps me in check and reminds me of the important things in life. And looking at my three kiddos helps a lot too. There's nothing more important than my wonderful family, it's just those pesty adult responsibilities and worries that get in my way.
I'm going to work on finding a new blog home this week and maybe get some things organized so it gets off to a good start. =)

New listings in the Etsy Shop

2010-10-13T20:30:00.004-05:00

The shop has been full for a few weeks now and it's so nice to be able to keep up. I always feel like I'm behind on things, so it's a good feeling having as many things as I do listed.

Here's a little bit of what's in the shop right now..

thanks,

juanita

Etsy shop

2010-09-12T13:30:00.003-05:00

New things listed in the shop. A few bags and lots of key fobs. This week I am going to work on getting some crayon rolls made up and listed. And also some kids activity/library totes. I don't know how things can get any busier around our house lately. It's been hectic around here, but it wouldn't be our life if it was dull and boring. =)

Have a great sunday!

Facebook

2010-09-03T22:37:00.002-05:00

Juanita's Handmade is now found on Facebook! I'm happy to be back sewing again and I think having the facebook page will keep me motivated a little more then the blog. But I'm making new resolutions to try and keep up with the blog more than I have been. I really don't know how those super moms out there can keep up with it all. There are some awesome blogs out there with some very talented women. One of my favorite blogs right now to follow is MADE. Dana is so creative and talented. Check out her tutorials, specifically the 90 minute shirt and the little sweat pants. =) And I finally got around to trying out her freezer paper printing tutorial. It was a lot of fun. Now I just need to make up some little t-shirts for the girls and figure out what I want to print on them. I am thinking of making the older two each something for their birthday's in November. I figure I should probably get started on things now. And I've been thinking a lot about Christmas presents for this year. Over the past few christmases I've been making more and more gifts each year and am so thankful I have the resources to do so. It just takes a lot of time so I need to get going on those soon. AHH, so much to do and so little time. And keeping up with the holiday rush in the shop. Thinking about it all is really making me tired. I'll get a fresh start on things tomorrow. I didn't get my caffine today and it was a very long Friday for me.

Have an amazing weekend everyone!

Nora June

2010-08-30T11:21:00.005-05:00

Loooong over due but I thought I'd share for anyone that is not a friend on facebook that little nora june arrived on the 24th of june. I was induced at 6:30 am and she was delivered just after 8:30 am. It was a very quick labor and delivery and I am so thankful for that. Her sisters absolutely adore her and give her lots of big sister love. She looks just like her sisters with lots of black hair and dark eyes. She is such an amazing baby and is sleeping night and day. It's great especially after the last baby. I think karma owed us that after all we went through with little cameron. And I think Nora knows that mom and dad are busy and just seems to be along for the ride wherever we go. Its amazing how you never love someone any less but that your heart just grows with each new baby. I just sit and look at her and its the best feeling. I'm so thankful for my husband for working so hard that I am able to stay home with our babies, especially for these precious moments while they are so little.

I have gotten back into sewing and now that school has started I feel like I might be able to keep up with the blog. I don't know how all those super moms out there can do it. But I have lots of ideas and projects still keeping me awake at night that I need to get out. My browser bookmarks are overflowing. I have lots of tutorials and am going to try and share atleast one a week. Starting next week... lol

take care and happy monday everyone!

Happy Earth Day & Giveaway!

2010-04-22T17:24:00.004-05:00

We're having a wonderful Earth Day here in Arkansas. The weather is a beautiful 85degrees and sunny. We finally got around to putting in a small raised bed garden, so i guess that is our tiny input for earth day. I've been composting ever since we moved into our house so it was great to finally mix in the wonderful compost to our garden.

In celebration of Earth Day there is a really great giveaway going on over at Everyday Beautiful. Jody has a great etsy shop where I get a lot of my fabrics so go on over and check out her site, her shop, and sign up for the giveaway. Oh I guess I should mention that she is giving away a fat quarter bundle of super soft Cloud 9 Organic Fabric from her Fabric Shoppe. I've been eyeing up this wonderful bundle of fabrics for awhile now. They would make some beautiful things for the new baby.

Well Happy Earth Day everyone, and I really hope you treat everyday as Earth Day. Its great to pay extra attention to taking care of our beautiful planet but don't let the good deeds stop after today or even this week. Its something we have to do everyday. =)

Tuesday Loves

2010-04-20T21:51:00.008-05:00

There are so many pages and blogs and projects saved as favorites on my browser lately that I have been so anxious to share with everyone so I thought I'd post a few of them today..
I also have a few DIY projects that I have plans to post some time soon. I have been a busy little bee lately and that is partially to blame for the horrible lapse in postings...

So here they are and I pray that everything formats the way I would like it to.

This isn't the bed we built, I havent taken pictures of it yet, but its on the list of things to get done.

If you havent heard of the site Knock off Wood yet, be prepared to be amazed, and if you have already heard of it, then I assume you are a frequent visitor like myself and lots of other DIY-ers. To give you a quick idea of her site, it is this; She is a carpenter that builds furniture inspired by expensive retailers, and provides the finished plans for everyone else to use. We built the farmhouse (pottery barn inspired) bed and we've been getting so many comments on it and it cost us a fraction of the price to build it ourselves. And it is so rewarding, especially building something that substantial. People hardly believe me when I show them the bed we built and tell them the amazingly reasonable cost in supplies we spent to build it.

My next love is this amazing blog, Young House Love, I think it was how I found the knock off wood blog. I don't quite remember though because I wander from blog to blog and don't even remember what I was looking for or how I got there. This blog is filled with so many things I love, such as buying and fixing up a home, DIY projects, especially on a budget, money/budget advice, preparing for a baby, decorating a nursery and home on a budget and also being environmentally concious... this blog is filled with soo many things that I am interested in and I am not the only one that follows along with the Yougsters. It is a very popular blog and I believe the husband actually works from home making the blog his full time job. So go on over and check it out. I promise you won't be disappointed, but don't blame me if you get lost reading old post for the next few hours.. And along with all the knock off wood brag pages and plans you should be set for a full night of blog reads.

I am in loooove with this bag from this etsy shop, Quote. I think I may see if i have some similar fabrics and try and make one for myself.. I keep going back to look at it, but I am too thrifty to for the 78$ price tag.

I have never been one for alcoholic drinks but after living in Germany for 3 years I found that I love a nice glass of sweet wine. I would always save the empty bottles hoping that I would find a use for them. And after having the moving company pack and ship who knows how many empty bottles half way across the world and convincing my husband that we can't throw them out, I have finally found an amazing use for them. I stumbled across this etsy shop, who knows how I found them, but I was so excited to see this great idea for re-using the old wine bottles. I am thinking that I will be able to find the toppers and the rope at a local Lowes or Home Depot. I hope its that easy but I am planning post a DIY after we try it out and see what works for us.

Some of my Items Found Locally in Bemidji, MN

2010-04-20T13:07:00.005-05:00

@ the Yellow Umbrella Gift Shop & Gallery
422 4th St. SE Suite A
Bemidji, MN 56683

They are located down towards Nymore and are just behind the Ameripride.
Store Hours- Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm

Here is a link to their website also- Yellow Umbrella

Darn you blogspot..

2010-04-20T12:46:00.002-05:00

This darn blogspot has been driving me crazy for the past few months. I've tried posting a few different times when i had some awesome ideas to post.. but after a couple hours of frustration trying to get pictures to go with the correct words I gave up. so.. I'm not sure what I am going to do. Maybe just more frequent shorter posts instead of the long posts I was trying to do. We'll see how this goes.

Juanitas Handmade now found locally!

2010-04-07T08:04:00.005-05:00

Well, locally if you live in the Bemidji, MN area that is. I am so excited to be one of the newest artists to be selling my things at The Yellow Umbrella in Bemidji, MN. The shop is so cute and filled with lots of handmade and vintage goodness. I dropped off a lot of things when I was just home for a visit to see family and I thought I'd post what you can find there and I have a lot of new things made up that I am working to get in the mail soon, hopefully in about 2 weeks. So I know I've sold a few things already but this is the list of things I dropped off. I am not sure what has sold specifically, so you'll just have to stop in and check things out. I guarantee you won't be disappointed and if you're like me you will be overwhelmed by the shops handmade beauty! Its about time a shop like this has opened up in the area. =)
So I will post in a separate post some of what I dropped off at the shop in Bemidji, MN.

Some Recent Projects

2010-02-25T16:46:00.005-06:00

Just some recent projects that I've been working on. We're going home to MN for a visit in a few weeks and I want to take a lot of things home with me. I am looking at selling locally at a cute shop back home so I want to have a lot of things made up. So that is what I have been busy with lately. Lately any spare time that I have is spent sewing or sleeping. So here are a few things I've been working on...

Little Rock, arKansas

2010-01-10T23:24:00.004-06:00

the girls in our new home, for now atleast, little rock, arkansas, with our pug lexi and our new little kitty we got at the shelter here, mr. wilson. =)

Summary of the past 6 months,...left germany (sad, very sad), went home to minnesota for a visit, garrick and brooklyn drove to little rock, cameron and i flew, found a nice place to stay, girls had their birthdays the end of november and i now have a 5!! and 2 year old, got on the waiting list for preschool *yikes, had company for 2 weeks over the christmas holidays- lots of garricks family and my parents for new years, school started last week... i think that about sums it up....I wasn't intending to be gone from blogging so long but these past few months have been crazy and gone by way too fast. I thought that this blog would rob me of time I hardly seem to have these days but I have been stumbling on some great blogs this last week and I just keep thinking that I should keep at it. Sewing is back in nearly full swing. It was going well and then my little Brooklyn started pre-school last week so we've spent the last week trying to adjust to the new and oh sooooo early wake up time.. I am not a morning person. It has been nice though having only one little one at home during the week (for now atleast * #3 will be here this spring). The first day brooklyn was at school I didnt even know what to do with myself so Cameron and I read books and I am pretty sure we sat on the floor being goofy and giggling for a good hour or so. It was so nice to get the one on one time with her, that brooklyn had for her first three years. So now it is Cameron's turn and she is loving every minute of it. I do feel guilty for 'sending' brooklyn away for such a long day and 5 days a week. But she really loves it and was getting soo bored at home. I wish I had the energy to homeschool and to trust myself with their schooling.So sewing is coming along and I have finally gotten back into cooking like I used to. I love trying new recipes and making things, like bread, that I need around the house. I have been cooking up a storm and try to make something big on the days that garrick will be home then on the days he works (24 hr shift) the girls and i eat the left overs or make something simple and quick. I made up this the other day and garrick Loved it. He robbed my leftovers and took them to work the next day. The guys he works with didnt believe that I made it and swore they were leftovers from a resturant. I had a big smile when garrick told me that. I love making his tummy happy even though he blames me anytime he will gain a pound or eat too much. I love flavor and color and soo many things about cooking. I love doing it and letting the girls help with things in the kitchen. I hope they grow up to love being in the kitchen as much as I do. I got a pressure canner for christmas this year from my parents and am so excited to use it. I am a little nervous about learning but can't wait to give it a try. I grew up with my mom canning every summer and I completely forgot that I had mentioned to her that I wanted my own so I could start canning. She found one at an auction that she never intended to go to and I am so happy that she did. I can't stop dreaming of all the wonderful things I can preserve, filling my cupboards with those beautiful jars of my hard work, dreaming of all the wonderful things I want to plant in my garden this summer. Its all I have been thinking about lately. I ordered the Ball's book on home preserving and have been stalking the mailman for a week waiting for it to arrive. I tried to find some books at the library here but they don't seem to have anything so I am going to try the extension service and see if they have anything to help out my gardening also. I have never gardened in the south before and am excited about being able to get things in the ground so much earlier then up north. I want to start seeds this year too and need to get those ordered soon. There is so much I want to write but I am such a scatterbrain and its getting late, making it extra difficult to collect my thoughts. I will just have to leave you with a few pictures of us from the last 6 months..

soo glad to be back.

halloween 2009,

costumes thrown together in about 5 minutes and dug out of a mountain of moving boxes...

but they had sooooo much fun. i'm glad we did it.

=)

little cami paige turned two the 23rd.

my big girl brooklyn turned 5 the 26th.

happy christmas from arkansas.

(below) our 'step-brothers' christmas pose.. lol

makes me laugh every time i am looking at this one

christmas cookies for santa,

christmas eve 2009

August Already!

2009-08-08T11:30:00.005-05:00

There is a lot going on for us lately with the movers coming in less than a week and getting everything ready to move half way around the world. I am still not really that stressed which is great. For the last 2 weeks I have been trying to do a couple things a day to get ready for the move. Even if it is just something small, its all been adding up and has helped out a lot. The movers already took a small shipment of stuff that will hopefully be waiting for us in Little Rock that will help us get by until the big shipment arrives. We shipped the kid's beds and some kitchen things, linens, and a few other things I don't even remember. But we shipped the crib with the first small lot and now cameron has been sleeping in her pack n play that I found a yard sale for only $10! =) But within the first 24hrs of having to sleep in it she has taught herself how to climb out. So now everynight and at nap time I have to keep putting her back in bed a hundred times until she finally gives in and is too tired to climb out again. I thought it would stop after the first week or so but she keeps doing it. I get scared at night that she will wake up and wander around when we're all sleeping but she sleeps pretty hard and hasn't done it yet. Thank goodness!
I was looking for some fitted sheets for the pack n play and found that they are really expensive, even on etsy. So I found an online tutorial with instructions on how to make my own. I was so happy to find it and made my first sheet within an hour. The second one is going to be so quick now that I know what I'm doing. It is really easy and I am going to make a few larger ones for the crib after we move. I just wanted to share the tutorial though so everyone can give it a try. So you can find it here. It is a good way to get some fabric used up too. I've been trying to thin out my fabric stash too so the movers don't have to deal with so much of it. It has been so hard not to order any fabric either. I just keep reminding myself that when I get to the states I can stock up and actually be able to go to the store and pick things out without having to order on the internet and pay s/h. I did order some a couple weeks ago though. I am just in love with this Heather Ross line, Mendocino. The oranges and teals are what caught my eye first and I found this adorable top that really loved. And then this bedding set. So I think that when I am pregnant next time that I am going to make a crib bedding set like this out of this print. I thought it would work well for a girl or a boy. That is what I am thinking now, and I am always changing my mind so we'll see if I actually go through with it. But I am so in love with this fabric and can't wait to move so I can order more of it. I wish I knew how to make a collage of pictures that I love so I could post them all in one thing, but I know that it will take way too much time and I have things to do. soo.....

Oh and my little sister gets married today! I wish we were able to go but it was pretty much the worst month out of the year to take off to the states and pretty much not even possible. So we're here thinking of her and mike right now and of all the wonderful family that I haven't seen in so many years that I am missing out on seeing. But it feels good to know that we'll be home in just a few weeks. We'll have to make the rounds and visit everyone ourselves then. I can't wait. With the movers coming it just makes everything feel a little more real and gives us that 'this is REALLY happening, eekk' kind of feeling!! And it feels great! =) Hopefully it won't be so long between blogs again, but who knows with everything going on here. We are going to be staying in a hotel for about 2 weeks between getting out of our apartment and flying out so I will have lots of time on my hands.

Busy Busy Bee...

2009-07-25T07:41:00.006-05:00

^^ This top/dress is so adorable with a pair of jeans. ^^ and this top is a combination of a thrift store top (the pink part) that still had the tags on and then the striped top I made and attached the two.

Love this REVERSible dress^^^^^^^^^ I made it from a dress I had laying around that didn't fit right but I never returned because I liked the fabric. So I cut it up and made it reversible with the solid black. I am so happy with the result and can't believe how far my clothes making has come in just a week or so.

^^ my little stash of dresses/tops ^^ love this top.. it turned out way different from what was in my head but I just went with the idea and it turned out so beautifully. And all the fabric came from my scrap bin. I can't believe I almost got rid of the yellow fabric. I'm so glad I didn't. I am such a pack rat some times but I guess it pays off sometimes.

This yellow top I have lined with a yellow solid so there aren't any raw edges or seams showing. Cameron loves the little birds and the silky feel.

^^^This teal garden party dress and this ^^ butterfly one are the same dress only reversible!

I have been sewing a lot lately and have put in two nights this week that I didnt go to bed until 3:30! Just yesterday I think I set a record by getting 2 dresses/tops, 2 diaper bags, and a messenger bag made up in ONE day! I've never done so much before. But I love to stay up late and get things done without distractions. I live off of this stuff and I see on the site they have other flavors so maybe I'll be able to find those in the states. We only have the Original here and it's a lot cheaper here at only 3$ something compared to the site at almost 5-6$. crazy. But it's organic so that is always wonderful! Anyway...

I've figured out how to make up these little dresses and I already posted about them before but I've made up a few more and am getting really quick at getting them made. I used one of cameron's dresses and then looked online for a few tips to make the reversible ones. I am going to make up a few more hopefully soon and start listing them on etsy. I love how they fit well but they grow with my girls. Cameron will be wearing them for a long time. And I love anything reversible because I love to have options. This winter I will just pair them with a long sleeved top and a pair of jeans or thick tights. Well it is nap time here so I need to hurry up and get sewing while everyone is sleeping.. I'll post some pictures of the adorable elephant diaper bags I made up later. Or you can go to my etsy; www.juanitashandmade.etsy.com and get a preview now.. have a great weekend. its beautiful in germany and my hubby doesn't have to go back to work until tuesday!! yay for days off finally! he deserves it.

Oh and new things in the shop

2009-07-22T19:56:00.004-05:00

I forgot to put a link to the shop.. juanitashandmade.etsy.com

Check out the new things and hopefully I'll have some more things posted in the next day or two.

2:30 a.m.

2009-07-22T19:29:00.006-05:00

Well I am back and sooo much has happened since I last wrote. And now it is 2:30 am so I guess I will catch you up on things.. lol I have no idea why I all of a sudden felt like writing now, but please over-look the typo's if there are any because I get really sloppy at typing late at night (and early in the morning).

So, my husband returned from Iraq, safe and sound, and I am so thankful he is home. Things are so different with him home but its a good different. The girls were so happy to see him. They followed him around non-stop for the first two weeks he was home and I just couldn't get enough of saying 'go see your daddy'. He was lucky enough to get 3 weeks of R&R before he had to return to work and we did absolutely nothing and it was Great! We do live in Europe and could have gone 100 different places but it all didn't matter. As long as we were together I didn't even care to go anywhere, just to sit around and watch movies with him was as good as it could have gotten for me. But he is back at work now and we've gotten into a good routine. I am just so thankful to have him home, its the best feeling!

Little Cameron decided she would start talking once daddy got home too. She had a few words before that but her vocabulary has multiplied ever since he got home. I guess she didn't want him to miss anything.

I have been busy sewing and have gotten a lot done in the past couple of weeks. I had a rummage/craft sale last weekend and did alright. People keep emailing me and telling me they couldn't get to the sale and if they could stop over. So I've been making money all week from different people stopping over. It's like the longest yard sale I've ever had.. lol But I have a lot to get rid of before we move in a month. And I sold a few bags and posted the ones I still have on my etsy page. I've been doing well and have sold a few since I posted the other day too, so things are going really well. I've decided to try and make some clothes for the girls lately too. I've read a lot of different craft and sewing blogs and there are a lot of challenges out there, that challenge you to repurpose the clothes you have in your closet or repurpose things you got at a thrift store. So I've sort of started to try that out. I've never really done any clothing before but little girl dresses are the easiest thing and a great way to start. I've made Cami a couple pillow case-type dresses and they look so cute by themselves or with a pair of jeans. The tops will even fit Brooklyn as a tank top, so I was so happy with myself on how they turned out. I made one more that I will have to post later because I haven't gotten pictures of it yet. It's my favorite of the three too.

The movers will be here tomorrow to take the first shipment of things and it feels good to get the entire process started. It will just be a small shipment of essentials that we will need once we get to Little Rock AFB. And it will be there waiting for us so we have some kitchen things and other necessities.

I thought there was more I wanted to post but it's now 3 am and I am about to crash. So I'll have to write later. I just had to get something posted since it has been so long. Hopefully now I'll keep things posted a little more frequent and get updates on the move and all.

Home

2009-06-08T06:54:00.002-05:00

I have been m.i.a. for the past week and probably will be for a little bit longer. My husband just returned from his deployment in Iraq the other day and we are so happy to have him home again!
I will be back soon. =)

W.I.P.- Work in Progress Wednesday!

2009-05-26T14:53:00.011-05:00

Well its almost Wednesday, here in Germany at least, and I've been meaning to get these things posted for w.i.p. (work in progress) Wednesday. So I figured since the kids were in bed and I finally had some time I'd actually get them posted on the right day, so I don't have to wait until next week. So, here they are.....

This isn't exactly a work in progress, but it is something new. My mom got me a few of these coffee sacks and I made this one into a reusable grocery bag. I have a few more of these so if you have any other great ideas for them let me know. I was also thinking of making a couple baskets out of them, or maybe a hobo bag. What do you think would sell best or be the best use for these awesome bags? Let me know!

This is a great spring bag that I am really excited about. It is all ready to go except I am anxiously waiting another batch of labels. They are way over due and holding up a few projects. One of the great aspects of living overseas! waahoo... lol I was so excited about this bag because I found the handle at the thrift store. It is a really cute belt and the colors matched perfect with the bag I was putting together so I thought I'd try it out. And these pictures aren't of two different bags, it is reversible! super cute!

This is a custom bag for a lady. She was in love with all these bright prints and just had to have them all. I just have to put the handle on and it will be finished! Defiantely on the top of my list to get finished up tomorrow.

Another reversible bag. Black and white toile on one side with the Anna Maria Horner print on the other side.. .

Skully bag with bright pink on the inside. I love the way this bag is turning out. It could even be reversible!

And I finally am learning to master putting in a zipper. I started small and got these two guys made up the other day. The wallet with a change purse is for myself. I am going to give the other one I ordered for mothers day away I think... lol I got it in the mail and looked at it for about 5 mins. and thought I could definitely make that up. This always happens to me. I can't wait to get to the states so I will be able to take a closer look at things instead of looking on the computer at them. If I can check it out and touch it I can get a better feel for the way it goes together. But I still love the wallet I bought. I'll just have to think of someone special to give it to. No worries!
And I made up this cute coin purse. Its the first one I've ever made but it came out pretty good. I am going to try and get it to my friend Sara. She is leaving for the states tomorrow. =( sad. But I am going to try and meet up with her at the airport and say good bye and get it to her before they leave. I am definitely going to make up a few more of these. It was super easy, but I need to find some more zippers, I only have a couple left. I've found quite a few at our local thrift shop and they were all still in the packaging and only 25cents! So maybe I'll get over there tomorrow and check to see if I can find some more.

And the last bag I have to post isn't a w.i.p. but I just finished it the other day for a lady and she was sooo happy to get it. Its a messenger and it turned out really well. She said it was just what she wanted, so that was great. She also wanted a matching passport cover so I made one of those up for her too.

It's only 3 more days until the weekend! yay.. jk that means not a lot to me since everyday sorta meshes together for us.. but daddy will be home hopefully by this time next week! We're all sooo excited to have him home. It truly feels like forever since he was last here with us.
But have a great rest of the week everyone!
take care,
juanita

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T10:57:00.009-05:00

Well, Happy Memorial Day to you all. I hope your day has been as beautiful as it is here in Germany. The past two days have been in the 90's and I am loving the warm weather. It was so hott today that I had to think of ways to cool the kids off but to also get them out of the house. We don't have a kiddy pool or a sand box. They're both on my list to get the kids but with us moving back to the states in 3 months I don't think it will happen until we get to Little Rock. We'll just have to get by for now. So the kids played outside for a while until they got bored and hot so I got them some buckets of water to play with and help them cool down. Not long after I brought them out I found little Cameron sitting in hers. It was pretty cute, so I had to take a picture.
We have been taking it easy for the weekend and haven't really done anything. But Memorial Day means a little more to us this year then before with my husband deployed in Iraq. But he will be home soon. Only one more week! Everyone is soo excited to be back together again. I can't wait to see how excited the kids get when they see him. =) It's going to be great!

I made a dress the other day for Brooklyn. I saw a tutorial for it somewhere online. I will share that and a few others that looked really cute later.. but for now I wanted to post a few pictures. I didn't actually use the tutorial but I just looked at the picture of the finished dress. It is really easy because you make it out of an old dress shirt. I picked up a couple the other day at the thrift shop and used the one I didn't like the best to try things out on. And I got to use my new bias tape maker so that was a lot of fun. I picked it up here. (great site to buy fabric from also, they have everything) It's the best tool I've ever used and think its a must-have for quilters and pretty much anyone else who sews. I really want to start making more clothes for my girls so I am sure I'll get a lot of use out of it.

And the other day I snapped this picture of little Cameron listening to her sister's ipod. It was so cute because she found it all by herself and was jammin' out.. so cute. =)

I hope you all have had a great and safe weekend
of cookouts and relaxing.
And haven't forgotten who to thank for it.
take care,
juanita

Handmade Toys I [heart]

2009-05-14T14:44:00.021-05:00

As promised... (finally, it's been a long night)

Handmade toys that I LOVE

I am just in love with these adorable dolls from Bit of Whimsy. I wish she had more than the pdf pattern for sale but maybe she'll be stocking more sometime soon. I might just have to get the pattern anyway. They are just too cute! And I really love the bunny and this lamb.

This is another doll that I just adore from Fabric Farrago. Isn't she just the cutest thing?

I don't know how to crochet so I am going to definitely have to pick up some of these crocheted cupcakes from Puka Shell. She has some other delicious looking crocheted deserts but the cupcakes have to be my favorite.

Also along the lines of play food is felt food. I have been meaning to make some of these up for the girls; I just haven’t made the time to do so yet. And felt is not easy to find here in Germany. There are lots of easy patterns out there that you wouldn’t even need a sewing machine for. You probably wouldn’t even need a pattern for many of the foods, just a picture to look at. The sky is really the limit on these and honestly I don’t think the kids will care too much on how perfect they turn out. This could even be a great project for kids that are a little older and able to use a scissors. Kids are so creative and it would be a lot of fun to hear their idea and see what they come up with. I can’t even decide on a shop to spotlight or even an item, just log on to Etsy and type in ‘felt food’ in the search bar. But if I have to choose I’d say I do love this sushi set and these fruit baskets.

There are lots of things you can make at home like home made play dough. My mom always used to make it for us, and it’s great that you know exactly what it is made of when you make it yourself.

Homemade Play Dough Recipe
makes four 2 1/2 inch diameter balls of play dough

Ingredients:
· 1 cup of warm water
· 1/4 cup salt
· 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
· 1 teaspoon canola oil
· 1 cup flour 15-20 drops of food coloring per ball (4 balls per batch)

Preparation Instructions:
1. In a small, non-stick sauce-pan, mix the warm water, salt, cream of tartar, and canola oil. Slowly blend in the flour, getting rid of clumps.
2. When blended, turn the stove eye to medium heat (medium-low on a gas range). Stir constantly. As it heats, it will begin to clump and turn into dough.
3. When smooth and thickened, remove from heat promptly. Pull the dough out of the pan and let cool a little. Start kneading as soon as possible until well-blended and appropriate consistency. Divide into four even balls.
4. Add food-coloring five drops at a time to each ball until color is evenly mixed in and desired hue. (Wash hands between colors). Let cool.
5. Place the colorful dough balls in plastic bags or airtight containers when cooled.

Another great toy that you can make yourself is play silks. Here is what I found on a tutorial of how to make them.

'What are play silks? Only the best imagination inspiring toys ever! No really, I was skeptical at first too, until I saw children playing with them. They are completely "open ended" which means that the only limit to their use is your imagination. Younger children play peek-a-boo with them and liked to swish them around and watch them gracefully float through the air. Later, they will play a huge role in pretend play. A purple one becomes fairy wings, a black one becomes a wizard's cape, a green one on the ground becomes a pasture for small animal figures and a blue one becomes a pond for boats. A red and orange one can be fire for a pretend bonfire and a white one can be snow...' (taken from here)

The tutorial for making your own is on the site, Make Baby Stuff. And I found another great tutorial for making them here on The Artful Parent (lots of awesome ideas on that site too) They look really easy to make and if you'd rather buy them already dyed there are some great shops on Etsy that sell them.

Well, that is going to be it for now. The editing thing on the blog has been driving me crazy tonight and I've wasted way too much time trying to get everything right and I lost everything just as I finished the first time. So this will have to do. So much for getting to bed early. I hope you enjoy and I will for sure have to do another list of toys I love because there are plenty more...

take care,
juanita

Something to think about...

2009-05-14T07:52:00.015-05:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the toys my girls play with. There are so many issues these days with toys with the number one being safety, but also so important to me is quality and imagination. I have always been a dreamer and have had the biggest imagination, and I wish for my kids to have the same. I met a lady a few weeks ago and we were talking about wooden toys and handmade things. She said 'A wooden block can be a castle, a car, or a cruise ship, but a plastic cruise ship will never be anything more then a cruise ship'. I think she got the idea from a book she had read, but what she said was so true. And I am tired of cheap plastic toys that break and are tossed out and that use up a 100 batteries. (This great video called 'The Story of Stuff' is so informative if you want to know where stuff comes from and where it goes after you're done with it.) On there is a statistic that just blows my mind. It's the percentage of stuff that you buy today and you're still using 6 months from now. What do you think it is? 50%? 25? 10% It's actually 1%!!!! 1%!!!!!! So think about when you go to the store today, 99% of the stuff you put in your cart is going to be in the trash within 6 months! But it doesn't have to be that way. I am getting a little off track, but the point I am trying to make is that handmade toys are toys that you'll keep forever and that you'll hand down to your kids and your grand kids. And they are quality toys that some one made with their own hands. There is so much love and care put into them. And another amazing thing is that you're supporting that person and their craft. When someone buys a purse from me they are supporting myself and my family. And I am going to in turn use that money to create more bags and also support other people that make handmade things. This is a beautiful system. =) I truly think that everyone has a skill and can contribute something. Some can paint, sew, cook, do woodworking, entertain, farm.... I am big on self sustainability and supporting each other and not depending on big box stores... etc. I can even organize my thoughts right now because I get so excited about it and could talk for days about it. But that is another discussion and today we're talking about toys.
So I really hope this is all making sense and I haven't lost too many of you. There are so many easy tutorials out there that you can use to make your own toys or if you'd rather buy there are so many wonderful shops on Etsy and the internet that sell handmade toys. I am going to share a few of my favorites in a bit.. promise! In the mean time make sure you watch the Story of Stuff!!

Happy Mothers Day to Me!

2009-05-10T15:50:00.011-05:00

Well today is Mother's Day and honestly most of the day I forgot it even was. My amazing husband is deployed right now so he wasn't here to help the kids doing anything extra special. But I did tell Brooklyn (my 4 1/2 yr old) that today was Mother's day and she just loves a 'holiday' and any excuse to make a craft project so she made me a few cards, so that was nice. We talked to daddy on the web cam tonight and Brooklyn said 'happy mothers day daddy! It's mother's day here dad.' Just like she would say if it was Christmas or some other major holiday. It was cute.
So, since it was mother's day and all and I've been searching for a new wallet for a while, I decided to buy myself one. I have been looking on etsy and I kept coming back to the same one, but I kept thinking that I could make it or I'd find one for a lower price. But tonight I finally decided that I would just buy it. It's beautiful and perfect and everything I wanted in a wallet. So, I thought I'd share it with you and the great shop I found it at. Blissful.
I hope everyone else had a wonderful Mother's Day. The kids were really great today and I had a couple people stop in and visit so it was nice. And I also had a lady I made a few customs bags up for stop over and pick them up so I got paid for those, so that was nice too. She was great to visit with again and so wonderful to work with. I will have to post some pictures of bags sometime. I've been really busy lately because I didn't realize I had taken on 13+ custom orders. But they are getting done and hopefully by the end of next weekend I'll have them all finished up. Custom orders are great but I really enjoy doing my own thing and trying new things. I want to try and make up a few baby quilts, maybe some bibs, coin purses and I've been brainstorming a few new ideas for bags that I really need to try out. I have a flikr account but I've reached my maximum uploading limit and have been debating weather or not to pay the fee for the unlimited storage. I have lots of pictures of projects and it would be nice to be able to have them all in one place and for everyone to see. Maybe eventually I'll give in and take the plunge, just not today. But if you'd like to see what I do have posted the link is here. The best way right now to see what projects I have made up is on my Facebook photo albums. Here is the link. And here. And the last one, for now, here. Or add me on Facebook. =)

enjoy!

To start somewhere.

2009-05-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

SO, I've been meaning to start a blog for some time now. I was just worried about not being able to keep up with it, but so many times I see things I want to tell people about and post links to some great sights and resources so figure this would be the best way. So many of my friends and family keep up with me on facebook, but I never post updates on everything we've been up to and its mostly just to post new pictures of the family and such. I am pretty excited about this and just bear with me until I get the hang of things. I certainly don't have a journalism major so I apologize in advance that. =)
Lately I have been seeing so many things that I am just in love with and wanted to share them with you all. I stumble across sooo many things and I honestly don't even know how I find them but I do. Last night I found these amazing things on Apartment Therapy. (pictured above)
I thought it was such a great idea! I just need to find some of those spouts so I can make up a few for myself. As many of my friends and family know, I LOVE Etsy. They have everything on there. And it's all handmade. Its the best site if you're looking for anything baby. I have so many favorite shops and items bookmarked on my Etsy. I thought I'd share a couple today. These shops are from my home state of Minnesota! The first shop is from Minneapolis and they make the cutest baby shoes and boots. They're adorable. The shop is Ivory and Moss.
And the other shop is a great place to get some beautiful fabric and she is located in Duluth, MN. The Fabric Shoppe. And she has a neat blog too, that is found here.
Well that is all I have time for today, the kids are wondering around aimlessly.
But I have lots of tutorials, craft ideas, Eco friendly options, handmade shops and other ideas that I really hope I can share soon. Lets see how it all goes.. Well enjoy.. And have a great mothers day... I love you Mom! =)
-juanita