Wednesday, August 31, 2011

SURPRISE SALE...


THERE IS ANOTHER SURPRISE SALE IN THE SHOP THIS MORNING....

IT WILL RUN UNTIL NOON. ALL PURCHASES WILL BE 40% OFF WITH USE OF THE COUPON CODE. "SURPRISE40" MUST BE TYPED IN DURING CHECKOUT IN THE COUPON CODE BOX TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT. SPECIAL SALE FOR BLOG READERS ONLY. THANK YOU!!!

*********THIS SURPRISE SALE HAS NOW CONCLUDED*****REMEMBER TO CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR SURPRISE SALES. BLESSINGS!

THE SHOPS REGULAR SALE FOR TODAY IS 20% OFF ON HANDMADE ITEMS AND 50% OFF ON VINTAGE CLOTHING.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

SURPRISE SALE...


I AM HAVING ANOTHER SURPRISE SALE IN THE SHOP FOR MY BLOG READERS. ALL PURCHASES WILL BE 50% OFF WITH USE OF COUPON. COUPON CODE MUST BE USED AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT. TYPE IN "SURPRISE50" IN THE COUPON CODE BOX WHILE CHECKING OUT. THE SALE WILL RUN UNTIL 8PM THIS EVENING. HAPPY SHOPPING.

********UPDATE-SALE HAS NOW CONCLUDED. REMEMBER TO CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR SURPRISE SALES. BLESSINGS, MANDY

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Masterpiece to Cherish...


This past year has been a difficult year physically. I have not shared much outside of a few close friends and even then health issues were a mystery and difficult to figure out let alone explain. So after more struggle these past few days, a string of Drs appointments begin tomorrow for me. The first being an EKG and 24 hour Holt monitor to determine what has been going on with my heart these past 6 months. Part of me hoping they find something to explain this year, but also hoping it is not serious at the same time. Life has been so "stop and go" for me- working hard when I am feeling well because there is no telling how long that will last, which also means the same for the kiddos and Matt. I went through it again yesterday and today. We had been to church in the morning, I was great, spent the afternoon outside in the back yard and smack! It hit me like a truck in the middle of working in the garden. I was doubled over in pain within a few minutes and it has taken me all of today to recoup from it. Well tonight Matt helped me run the errands I needed to. I wasn't sure I could do the driving and all the walking, so he was my comfort and help. With his help, I accomplished what needed to be done. We even managed to slip in our Monday night dinner out together which I hate missing now that our kiddos are getting older and it is difficult to find time to talk and be alone together. When we returned home, I found this beautiful masterpiece in my room. It had been made by my daughter madison after she had put the younger kiddos to bed.

It read...
Dear Momma,

I could travel the entire world,
top to bottom,
core to crust,
ground to heavens,
and not find a greater mom than you.
I love you, get well soon.

Now I am far from the perfect mom,
and struggle so often
and the older the kiddos get, the more I know they see my flaws,
but oh how I treasure things such as this that is so not deserved!

I have learned from difficult pregnancies and the inability to care for my kiddos the way I wanted to during them, that the Lord has a plan for each of us and will not leave us during those hard times. We will get through and will do our best to make the most out of it. And my children will grow and have joy even when mama is not 100%.




Thursday, August 25, 2011

Two Things I Want to Remember...



This is one of those posts that acts as a journal entry for me-something I do not want to forget. A quick reminder of my blessings, but hopefully it will also be a sweet little smile to your day as well. Remember to capture those moments worth savoring. Keep your eyes wide open and your ears in tune and grab onto God's whispers to you even in the midst of ordinary life!!


One of the reasons I love homeschooling!!! All the places we can learn!! Joslyn is studying for a spelling test out under the clothesline, it has the best shade at this time of day. I can do laundry and quiz her on her words-simple joys!!!

So, after I took the photo of Joslyn, I came to drop some pictures off at my computer, and found this next picture. I had been taken by my older daughter Madi while I was running some errands this morning. What a fun surprise to find!! Definitely a keeper!

Thursday's Upcycled Bed Linen Fabric Sale is Underway...


ALL RECLAIMED BED LINENS ARE ON SALE TODAY. 30% OFF ALL BED SHEETS, PILLOWCASES, QUILT SQUARES, FAT QUARTER AND BED LINEN YARDAGES. HAPPY SHOPPING!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE...


IT IS WEDNESDAY'S DOUBLE SALE.....



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ALL HANDMADE ITEMS ARE 20% OFF.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING IS 50% OFF.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

SECRET SALE!!!


TIME FOR ANOTHER SECRET SALE IN THE SHOP FOR ALL M BLOG READERS. TODAY THE SECRET COUPON CODE IS "SECRETSALE20". JUST TYPE THAT IN WHILE CHECKING OUT, IN THE PROVIDED COUPON BOX(NOT THE MESSAGE BOX) AND IT WILL APPLY THE DISCOUNT. HAVE A LOVELY WEEK.

**********************THIS SALE HAS NOT ENDED-BE SURE TO CHECK BACK OFTEN TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW SECRET SALES.**************************

Monday, August 22, 2011

MONDAY SALE


ALL PURCHASES ARE 30% TODAY WITH USE OF THE COUPON CODE. TYPE IN "MONDAY30" IN THE PROVIDED COUPON BOX WHILE CHECKING OUT TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT. HAVE A LOVELY WEEK!!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Quiet Saturday...



We have had a quiet Saturday. I got up at 6:30 and was able to get in a few hours of work before the sleepy heads awoke. A good old thunderstorm rolled in around 9am and I grabbed all the clothes off the line with Matt's help when the storm began. Here I thought I had done so well getting the clothes washed before 8 and hung to dry. Yes, I knew it was supposed to rain and figured if I hung the clothes out, it would most definantly rain( I am a "crazy about storms kind of gal"-thunderstorms are my joy) . The kids played out in the rain once the lightning had ceased and that gave me a chance to clean up in the garage a bit while watching them race boats down the streams on the street.


The girls tent was drenched so what do you imagine that pile of whiteness is at my sewing machine? See, I had alternative motives for having a clothesline built in our backyard-it is the perfect fort structure of course!! I had collected a bunch of white sheets from my thrifting for this very purpose! The tent cost all of $6.00!! I figured making an all white tent was a little less of an eyesore for our neighbors as well. I will of course steal it from the girls when I need it for a photo shoot backdrop-can we say multipurpose!

************I think this is a good place for and afternoon nap!******
Before lunch, I was able to finish up a fun fabric basket. It is a bigger one that I will be using for toting around the items I need to get listed in the shop, helps to be mobile-and let's face it, there is always a pile waiting for me-so it mine as well look pretty while it sits!

Well the sun finally peaked out and brought the heat with it so the kids are cooling off in the pool while I am writing:) I will probably join them in a bit-looks soo GOOD!
Oh yes-I almost forgot! There was some more toad hunting going on today! Here is the new Mr Toad....

Friday, August 19, 2011

Wee One's Elastic Skirt Tutorial

So here it goes. I am not always the best at teaching something, but I guess that is what practice is for:) A few days ago, I did a post about some simple elastic waist skirts I had been making for my girls and the shop. I had been working on a tutorial for this to back right up to that post, but I have been wrestling with our internet provider attempting to deal with a very poor connectivity. It is quite difficult to run an online business without being on-line-huh:) who would have thought! Any ways lovelies. Here is the tutorial for these skirts. And if I fail miserably at making this sound as easy as it is-I won't be offended if you look up the blog world for help-there are so many of these little ditties out there.

First thing-I tend to always use reclaimed linens, it is just a little ol' obsession with me. But cotton, cotton blends, knits, polyesters, etc work just fine for these. The lighter weight, the better. You need to first determine the length you want the skirt to be and add 1 to 2 inches for the bottom hem depending on how wide you want the hem to be and 3-5 inches for the waist band depending on how wide the elastic you are using is going to be. I have been using a 2 inch wide elastic because that is what I have on hand and it seems to be super comfy on little tummies. As far as the elastic measurement...each type of elastic is different and each child is different, so I always stretch the elastic around my child's waist to see what is comfortable for them.





Next fold is to make the casing for your elastic. I use my elastic for a quick guide line. Remember to leave enough fabric to stitch the tube shut but leave enough room for the elastic to slide through.
Take the skirt back to the machine. You are going to stitch the tube almost completely shut.


But leave a little opening for the elastic to be threaded through the tube.
I use a safety pin to help guide the elastic through the fabric.

I also pin the tail near the opening so it does not get accidentally lost inside the tube.
When you get the elastic pulled through the tube, pin the two ends together and stitch together. Makes sure to reinforce it well.


Slip the elastic band all the way into the tube once it is securely sewn together. You will then need to sew that little opening shut.
And there you have it. Just even out the gathers and the skirt is finished. BUT-I add in one more step on mine especially when I am using a wider elastic that can tend to twist and fold inside the tube you created for it. If you are using a thin width elastic, this step is not needed.
I place my waist band on my machine and let the needle down through the elastic and fabric.
I sew through the elastic stretching the waist as tight as I can until it is flat. I work in small sections of the waist as I go. If you do not stretch the waist as you sew through the elastic, you will no longer have a stretchy waist.
Here is how it looks with the second stitching.

Thank you my Bell who has patiently modeled each new skirt I have made.

SECRET SALE!!!


IT IS FRIDAY!! I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! I AM HAVING A SALE IN THE SHOP THIS WEEKEND-30% OFF EVERYTHING-BUT!! I WILL BE ALSO RUNNING A SECRET SALE FOR MY BLOG READERS!! I HAVE A SECRET COUPON CODE FOR YOU WHEN YOU CHECKOUT! JUST TYPE IN "SECRETSALE35" IN THE COUPON CODE BOX DURING CHECKOUT AND YOU WILL RECEIVE 35% OFF OF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE! JUST A FUN WAY TO THANKYOU FOR READING ALONG. REMEMBER TO TYPE IN THE COUPON CODE-REFUNDS WILL NOT BE GIVEN-THE DISCOUNT MUST BE RECEIVED WHILE CHECKING OUT. BLESSINGS!!

*****UPDATE-THIS SALE HAS NOW EXPIRED*********CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR MORE SECRET SALES.....

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

What to do with Vintage Bed Linens...



It has probably been years since I did an official "what to do with vintage bed linens" so here is a new little project for those of you who love to sew with reclaimed linens and have wee little girlie girls in your life! A few weeks ago when Matt and Cole were away for a youth trip, I set a few days aside to get some serious sewing done for my own kiddos. It had been quite awhile since I had made new sleeping pants and loungy summer shorts for them, so I set aside a huge stack of linens for this project. But somewhere in the middle of cutting out shorts, I went even more simple and decided to do sew simple elastic skirts for the girls. I have since then, spent a few hours on 3 different days whipping these little cuties out and have even done a few for the store that I will be listing later today.

I will do my best to add a few pictures later today showing the simple sewing process for these skirts, but I know there are plenty of tutorials out in the blog world for skirts such as this.

Bell had fun this morning helping me get some pictures for the shop. I appreciate any excuse to just get outdoors! And Noah is enjoying our new clothesline just about as much as I am!








DOUBLE SALE WEDNESDAY...


TWO SALES GOING ON IN THE SHOP!!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~20% OFF OF HANDMADE


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~50% OFF OF ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

FaBrIc SaLe ToDaY.....


There is a 20% fabric sale going on in the shop today....

BUT THERE IS A SPECIAL COUPON YOU CAN USE TODAY! TYPE IN "BLOG25" AND YOU WILL RECEIVE 25% YOUR ENTIRE ORDER!! THIS IS ONLY BEING OFFERED THROUGH THE BLOG-SO THANK YOU FOR STOPPING IN!!

UPDATE---SPECIAL COUPON OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED. CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR SPECIAL BLOG READER SALES.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Thankful for Those Moments...


It was a nice treat to have a bit of a normal weekend ahead for all of us. Matt is done with the summer trips and a busy week. But the weekend did not quite go as planned though, but I am thanking the Lord for his protection and care and for some treasured moments amidst the craziness. Friday night we ended up with an emergency clinic visit from an accidental grill burn to our little Bell. It was one of those moments that was heartbreaking to a parent. Even with all the careful mindful precautions and warnings, injuries unfortunately happen. It was one of those experiences that I found how deep our love for our children goes. The kiddos were all cautioned about the hot charcoal starter cooling away from the play areas and not to go anywhere near it. It was also one of those times where honest forgetfulness had unfortunate consequences for a wee one's bare summertime little foot. Sweet little Bell was happily attempting to capture a frog for their fairy garden and what better place to look than in a window well, the window well that no one ever goes near and would be a great place for cooling charcoal starter). It became a moment where you do not care about your child's mistake, or the guilt you feel for not being able to protect them, you just do not want to see them hurting. Matt rushed Bell in the house as I was racing up the basement stairs after hearing a blood curdling scream from outside. I grabbed Bell and rushed her to the sink to cool her burn under cool water while we prepared the clinic and other kids for our dash out the door. She was in a good deal of pain but by the time we arrived at the Dr's, she was calm. The Dr assured us that it was going to heal wonderfully, could get a little worse overnight, but they would check it again the next day to decide treatment. I was anticipating a rough night, but to both our amazement's, she slept through the night and the burn got better, not worse. We did carry her from place to place, so as not to cause any discomfort and to keep it as clean as possible, but with her recheck the next day, she was given a clear bill of health to walk, run, swim, anything she wanted. To simply manage pain and keep an eye on it. She was walking carefully on it by that evening. Praise the Lord!!

We kept her home Sunday morning since walking was still uncomfortable. But were thankful to have some good friends come over for lunch to give her a little get well treat. About an hour before our friends arrived, Bell told me her head was hurting and asked if she could get in my bed. Within minutes she was out with a fever and sore throat. She slept through lunch and an afternoon of friends. Matt and I determined after 24 hours of fever this meant a 3rd trip to the Dr's today. We did not really see any concern from the burn but needed to make sure. After a few tests showing neg, they felt it was simply a virus. My thoughts, we probably picked it up the night we brought her in for the burn-this poor little girl!

It was Matt's day off today, so while the older kids worked on their studies, Matt and I worked on building a clothesline for the backyard. Noah had a good time helping Matt and I was able to keep an eye on Bell who was resting in bed. But she had a few hours of feeling a bit better and I was able to read some stories to her out under the apple tree where the shade kept it cool and the fresh air was good for her. That was a moment in the midst of unplanned events, struggle, and icky bugs, that brought joy to both Bell, Noah and I and Matt even, who was working a few feet away also listening to the stories. A moment to be thankful for. I was thankful for a day where we could be outside in creation, working, but also caring for those who needing caring for. We were even able to "grill" for lunch and eat outside while Bell napped under the tree.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

A Walk through the Garden...


This past week has been a very welcomed break in heat-it was absolutely beautiful weather! Usually by this time in the summer, the garden starts to get out of hand due to the horrid heat, humidity and the bugs it brings with it. But thankfully this past week has been almost cool and has provided a chance for me to wrangle in the growth so to speak. I have even managed to begin filling up a journal for the garden while relaxing outside(sitting still actually-something I am practicing on) It is fun to look at the gardens and jot down my thoughts that I will forget by next year which will lead to making some mistakes twice. It will help me to be excited about the work in spring instead of overwhelmed.


The kids also enjoyed playing outside as well. They had fun creating fairy gardens in an area of the yard that has yet to get some love from us. It was fun to see them create a whimsical little land complete with trickling water features. I had fun planting little clothespin fairy doll ideas in their imaginations as well. Standing back only to see each one of them spin the idea into their own styles.



In the back corner of the yard, behind the pool, we put in new strawberry and raspberry patches. But, not much else had gotten done around them and the area has been fortunately hidden from sight. But this week I had the chance to get the mulching around them done and they are blending nicely into the rest of the garden area. There is even a nice bench to sit on and dream.
strawberries will be wonderful come next year-cannot wait...

The other project came about in a round about way. We have one of those, big, but not so permanent pools for the kids. They are fabulous for a tight budget but of course not designed too great, so the tiny little filters that come with them do not quite keep up when the temp gets close to 100. The pool began looking more like a pond with no chance of recouping no matter how many chemicals you feed to them, so we drained it(it took 7 days!) repaired and deep cleaned it and then filled it back up. Oh how nice to see the sparkling blue water again! Anyways, in that process, we decided to move the sand out of the old sandbox to under the pool giving it a better foundation. Once the old sand box was empty, I was able to dig it up and move it over to the newer garden area for next year. I wish I did not have to wait until next year to plant!

I always think it is so curious how the plants inch their way out of their confinements. Do they not understand I am trying to keep them safe;) We have a few little watermelons on their way. Just needs some more of that oppresive heat to fatten them up.