Stationery

Another clue to what I'm working on. I can't WAIT to show you pictures of the new item/new line, I should be able to get the first batch listed in the next two weeks. I'm beyond excited, I've been working away getting things ready. Still waiting for a few more supplies to arrive, and then the packages will be complete.

How are you all doing? We are enjoying a visit with family right now. It's so wonderful to have family come to visit when you live so very far apart.

The weather seems to be warming, which is lovely. I plan to get out for a run this coming week, I can't wait! I haven't been running in a very long time!

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend!

Cheers,

On Vacation

Just a quick post to remind you that the shop will be closed for the rest of the week starting tomorrow and will re-open on the 1st of March (I can't believe March is less than a week away!).

We're going to have some family visiting for a few days, so time will be spent with them!

Cheers,

Six Months....At Seven Months

Isn't it amazing how much life can change in six short months? Our little Jenson is now six months old (well he was, a month ago, hence the title) and I'm still in shock. He's gone from a baby who just lies around and looks at all that's around him to sitting and grabbing and figuring out cause and effect. I'm amazed that he's already six months old, that he's sitting, that he's "joking" with us and that he's eating solids. When-did-this-happen?!

In six months, I've changed the name and look of my shop and blog. I'm in the midst of trying to figure out what it is and where it is that I want this shop of mine to go. I have ideas, I have visions and now I need to figure out which I want to focus on and how I want to pursue them.

Life is good, I feel refreshed after going to bed earlier than early for almost a week now (literally was asleep by 7:30pm the other night! GAH!) and am thrilled to have energy again. The kids have shaken off those nasty, irritating colds (yes, I'm knocking on wood), and are in fabulous moods.

I'm THRILLED with how my new project is coming along. So far, so good. I'm just waiting on those supplies and then I can reveal and list everything! This is exciting!

Cheers,

A Peek....

This is some of what I've been working on. Again, they aren't nearly complete, but it gives you a little bit of an idea as to the direction I'm going in. I still haven't received all of my supplies, but they should be here by the end of the month, and I hope to get out to purchase a few more items next week. Then I can add all that I want to these to finish them off (which will be fabulous!).

The research continues, and I hope to show you the new idea I have sometime soon.....because if I show it to you, it means it worked!

Cheers,

Waiting In Line

A few days ago I took the time to reorganize my fabric stash. It can get pretty disorganized when I'm in the thick of making items. I just don't always take the time to fold everything as well as I should. Because of this, I often forget about some of the fabrics I have purchased.

I am embarrased to say that I completely forgot about this luscious knit fabric I purchased a few weeks ago....

I had intended on making a cozy scarf, can't you just picture how it would look? Lovely! I am going to purchase a wavy blade for my Olfa cutter, to give the edges a unique look.

This is just one of many projects that are waiting to be started.....

Cheers,

Soon...

I spoke of patience and I spoke of relaxation. I continue to do the two, but I am also deep into sourcing, researching and jotting. I have this idea, and I can't shake it. It combines two of my loves, so if it works, I'd be one extremely happy camper!

I'm not sure if it's doable, which is why I'm working hard on sourcing items out and researching techniques. It's all new to me, but all so very exciting!

I'd love to share, but it will have to wait. I just don't know if it's me being a dreamer or if it's something that could really work out well. Hopefully it's the latter of the two.

Time will tell.....

There She Is!

Here I am....sitting on the couch watching the Olympics (so much fun!), Dragons' Den and drinking a warm cup of decaf tea....oh, and catching up on your lovely blogs.

The past week has been one of relaxation which was much needed. I have been busy taking care of the sick kiddos who seem to finally be getting back on their feet (yes!), cleaning the house (trying to get rid and kill all of those nasty germs that did this number to us!), going to bed ridiculously early (can you believe I went to bed at 7:15pm the other night?!) and just hanging out with my precious boys. It's been a wonderful week, a very wonderful week. It's tough when you're on your own, you can very easily spread yourself too thin without even knowing it, which can be disastrous....this is why I'm trying very hard to keep things simple and easy for the next few weeks.

I haven't really sewn much, but that's okay, because I think that would be taking on too much right now. So for the next couple of weeks, I will sew when I can, which will hopefully be more often than not, but if I can't, well, that's that.

And though it may seem that I'm neglecting my shop because of the lack of sewing, this is not the case. I am currently sourcing items out (which is taking quite a bit longer than I had anticipated) for an idea I have. I'm trying to map out a plan and draw out designs and really get a good idea as to what it is and where it is I want this new item to go. We'll see! Hopefully I can get things started in the next week or two, fingers crossed.

Okay, my tea is getting cold.

Cheers,

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day all my blogger friends! I hope you enjoy a day full of love.

Unfortunately, my other half is away, but love is definitely in the air!

The kids and I will be making a heart shaped cake today and topping it with delicious red and pink smarties, and perhaps we will have heart shaped pancakes for supper. Yummy!

Today is a lazy day at our house. Lululemon gear is on, and we are relaxing. It is a long weekend and for that, I am thankful. It is always nice to get an extra day to sleep in, don't you agree?

Enjoy your loving weekend!

Cheers,

Patience

Patience is key....that is what I am always telling our eldest. I need to listen to the words I speak.

I am so excited to get the package pretty items listed, but they will have to wait. I've ordered more supplies, a few little things I need to finish off the packages. I know what I will be doing and how they will be listed, but until I have all of the supplies, I can't move another step forward. Bummer because I really can't wait to make them! But....patience. Before I know it, they will be a new part of my shop!

We are starting to feel better over here. The poor kiddos, feeling so terrible. I hope that this is it, and we now have spring aka fresh air, opening the windows in the house to look forward to. Can you smell the fresh air.....ahhh, I can, can't wait! Again...patience.

Have a lovely weekend with your loved ones!

Cheers,

Upcoming Shop Vacation

Just a quick post to let you know that I will be closing the shop temporarily on the 19th of February for a little over a weeks time. We are going to have some family come to stay with us, and it will just be easier to not have to worry about getting to the post office while they are here.

Things will be back up and running on the 29th of February.

Cheers,

Redecorating And Designing

My word! The last two days have been full of redecorating and redesigning! Can you believe that I found those dining chairs I spoke about earlier?! The ones that the store said that they wouldn't be restocking.....well, I found them in the store, sitting pretty waiting for me to pick them up and take them home! I'm beyond thrilled! Then I found a gorgeous red galvanized steel bucket with wooden handles at Home Depot. It will be used as our recycling bin in our kitchen. So bright and vibrant, LOVE it! Our kitchen looks soooo different with these new items.

I am jotting down ideas and drawing out new designs for the envelopes/packages I posted a few days ago, which is very exciting! I hope to have some listed shortly. I have a few items to sew and finish first.

Our ear infection chunky monkey is feeling MUCH better, which is wonderful. He definitely still needs to be given some medicine once a day, but the sparkle is back in his eyes and he is smiling again.....so much better.

Cheers,

Hit Hard

My poor middle chunky monkey has been hit hard with a nasty cold. We took him in to see the doctor today and sure enough, he has an ear infection. None of the kids have ever had an ear infection, so that is new to us, but it seems as though we've had our fair share of colds this winter. I'm about done with colds thank you very much.

I'm still thinking about selling the packaging kits in my shop. They are seriously so fun, and I think that they would work well for small gifts and even some shop items. I have so many more design ideas (still waiting for embellishments to arrive), will definitely have to share them with you once they are all complete!

Did you happen to see this post over at the RikRak Studio Blog? Ever since I read it, I can't stop thinking about it. I totally want to get my hands on a few vintage pyrex dishes/bakeware. I have a fabulous spot to display them in my kitchen. I am in LOVE with the lime green casserole dish that is adorned with green flowers.....too cute!

Tea is ready, time to put my feet up!

Cheers,

Package Pretty!

There is absolutely nothing like receiving a purchased item in the mail that has been beautifuly packaged. I am always excited when it comes to packaging up sold items, thinking of how the person receiving the package will feel when they open up the parcel.

Ever since I switched my shop over to the new name, I've been trying to come up with a new way to package items. The Etsy Packaging Flickr Pool is a place that is full of inspiration!

I finally had some time to get a few prototypes put together and I'm so excited about how they turned out. I'm still waiting for a few embellishments to arrive (deco tape, ribbon, etc) and to finalize some stickers I'm creating. This is what I've got so far, so they aren't fully complete. The deco tape will be used to seal the envelope shut. This isn't a mailing envelope, these will slide into a poly bag, but I'm sure you could mail them this way if you wanted to.

I'm debating on whether or not I should offer these in my shop. They are seriously soooo much fun to make, and a fab way to use up fabric remnants, as well as kraft paper remnants from when we were shipping parcels at Christmas. Not to mention, it's a lovely way to put a smile on the recipients face! I have several different sizes including gift card size! Perfect way to give a gift card present!

So we'll see where this goes, but as I said, they are a lot of fun to make!

Cheers,

Confusion

Isn't it amazing how a long weekend can play tricks with your mind? I'm having to tell myself every other second that today is NOT Monday. There wasn't any school on Friday giving us a long weekend.

I'm so disappointed! Remember that bookshelf I posted about from Costco? Well, it arrived, but my oh my the colour was nothing like that in the picture! It had an orange tint to it, not dark cherry at all. Ugh, so disappointing. Back to the drawing board to find a nice set.

I'm debating on buying a set of chairs for the living room. We aren't sure if we want two leather chairs or two fabric chairs. We plan to get a new leather couch, and I'm thinking that I would prefer two fabric, just don't want too much leather and I like the texture of fabric. Hmmm, decisions, decisions. Wish I had Sarah Richardson from Design Inc to help me out!

Also, I'm working on something new.....and am thinking I might start offering them in the shop. I'm not sure about this, as it's just in the beginning phases, but I am excited about it, so we'll see! I'll be showing you what I'm talking about in the coming week.

Morning coffee time! Hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend!

Cheers,

Giveaway Courtesy of RikRak Studio

This has GOT to be one of the funnest giveaways I've seen in a while! K over at the RikRak Studio Blog is hosting a sponsor giveaway. You can win a $25 gift certificate to one of her sponsors stores if you are the lucky winner. I'm thrilled to be one of the lucky sponsors!

So make sure you head on over to the RikRak Studio Blog for your chance to win and to see all of the other lovely shops!

Cheers,

Shop Update

Things are moving along nicely in The Shop. I've added a few new items:

Receipt/Coupon Holder with Vintage Trim

Card Wallet

Receipt/Coupon Holder

And there are two more card wallets and three more receipt/coupon holders 1/2 complete on my sewing table, hopefully they will be finished by the end of the weekend.

I also have a few new projects that I'm working on and that I'm VERY excited about. New items for the shop, which is great. I'm happy that the shop is filling up. It was hard seeing less than 10 items for sale, not much selection for people, there are now over 30!

I'm also tweaking the way that I package my items. I like what I'm doing now, but want to jazz it up a little. I think I'm going to invest in the ever so popular bakers twine. It's so delicious, I need to get some! We'll see what I can come up with!

Time for more coffee....early mornings are tough!

Cheers,

Sunrise

The Human Heart Has Hidden Treasures - YourWillingSkin

Getting up early can sometimes be tough....but to see a sight like this makes it a little easier, don't you agree?

Sick kiddos mean very little sleep in our house. We now only have one that is still sick (knocking on wood) and he's not feeling too well at all. Poor booger. So here we are, in the living room watching Thomas and Friends, cuddling to make him feel a little better.

I think it's working.

Cheers,

Early Start

We've been up since around 4:30am....we being Jenson, Ripken and I. I'm amazed by the fact that I'm not tired. Perhaps my body has gotten used to running on very little sleep. Whatever the reason, I'm happy that I feel rested, because it would be a LONG day if I started off feeling tired.

Fly Above - ValentinePhotography

Sometimes I feel as though I need to get away.....but then I realize that I'm happy just where I am. But I do find that pictures can give you that feeling of refreshment that you sometimes desire and allow you to dream just enough to rest your mind. This picture does just that for me.

Lovely.

Cheers,

Solitude

Croup has hit our house again....I don't like croup, and I'm pretty sure most people don't. It can be tough, and stressful, because there isn't much that you can do, other than wait it out. We (Jenson and I) have enjoyed a few steam dates. Sitting in the bathroom with the shower and sink faucet on full blast....hot water. We sit there, sing songs, talk and just wait until time is up. The steam is definitely working, so we'll be doing that a few more times today.

I am thankful that my husband is home and I'm not having to go through this solo.

I have to say, having sick kids isn't fun. You just feel so very bad for them. But when they take a moment to rest and when the housework is all done, I usually head to my own personal resting spot.

Our dining room, where there is an abundance of natural light and I can just enjoy the peace and quiet while gazing outside.....solitude

Okay, perhaps I'm not gazing out the window, but if I wanted to, I could, it's just to my left....

Where do you go for a moment or two of solitude?

Cheers,

Back Home

I just got back from a shopping excursion. Didn't spend much money, because no one had what I was looking for (bummer). But it sure was nice to get out and shop to see what stores had in stock. I am hoping to get to one antique shop later in the week. I noticed that they carry vintage fabric, needless to say, I'm dying to get there to check those threads out!

I'm also in the midst of re-organizing my workspace. I'm hoping to move out of the corner of our master bedroom sooner rather than later, but once again, work on the basement has stalled....sigh.....

I bought some shoe bins, you know the clear ones? Labelled with my lovely p-touch labeller and they will now house all of my listed items. Soooo much more organized and easier to see what I'm low on. I can't wait to get shelves in the new room to put all of my fabrics on, that will, I will be able to easily see what I have and what I need to get. Okay, enough dreaming about the new room.......time to get some work done!

Cheers!!!!

Times Two

We have two sick little guys in our house. One being baby Jenson which means I'm not getting much sleep, neither is my husband for that matter since Jenson is in our room. He's so unbelievably congested that I just can't leave him in his room. His nose is constantly needing a wipe and he needs to be propped up. So yes, in our room he shall sleep. I think I'm running on about four hours of sleep between last night and the night before. But oh well, that's the way it is sometimes and this too shall pass.

I'm hoping to get some sewing in today. I have some Receipt Holders and Card Wallets all cut out.

Okay, I'm off to drink some coffee while little Jenson sleeps.

Cheers,