Free Lunch {BAG}

There may be no such thing as a free lunch BUT if you had one of these reusable bags, you'd have a free lunch BAG. These are my latest creation. They are made from oilcloth, which is a vinyl coated material so should something leak or spill it can be wiped clean. It's a rather tough fabric to find locally. Most of the options available look like my grandma's tablecloth from 1975....and I don't mean CUTE or VINTAGE! These will be perfect for back-to-school. Lauren & Mira have already put in their requests :)

I am also planning to make splat mats, kids smocks/aprons, changing pads, bibs, etc. from oilcloth once I get my supply built up and samples made. My crafty friend, Heather & I will be offering our goods at a number of local places so please stop in to say "hi" if you see us at: The Avenues Arts & Crafts Festival, Octoberfest at Snowbird, Park Silly or the Draper Arts Festival & Farmers Market. More updates to follow and I will announce each of these in more detail as the dates draw near.

Meanwhile I am teaching a mini acrylic album this Saturday (Aug 2) at Heartfelt Creations in Sandy and another August 30th. Email me if you want any additional info on any of the events. Otherwise, I will be scrapping & sewing in my spare time to get ready for all that I have committed to, in addition to two mini vacations in the next 3 weeks and preparing for the kids to go back to school! YIKES! This is when I need to figure out how to clone myself.....that's a scary thought. One of me is plenty :) Wish me luck.

Paper Popcicles

Wouldn't a nice cold popsicles be great to beat the heat? Ever heard of PAPER POPSICLES? Well, go see for yourself!! www.paperpopsicles.com

Everything in their store (but monthly kits) is now 30% off. It's HOT outside, so cool off inside doing what you love with delicious and "cool" products from Paper Popsicles!

Flower update and chore chart

A few weeks ago I had posted a picture of the flowers in my yard when we had first planted vs. what they looked like at 2 weeks. Well, now it's been 6 weeks and here's the difference.
And I just happened to catch this picture of a butterfly on my zinnia. Thought Lauren & Mira would like this one :) Still lovin' the camera!

In the evenings, after Nolan goes to bed, I often spend some quiet time on the front balcony, reflecting on the day and this place in life. And the sweet smell from the flowers is so unbelievable. It's such a wonderful payoff to the days of stiff muscles and back pain immediately following the planting back in June! It's also bittersweet because now that they are at their peak, it also means summer is flying by and we will be getting back to school and cooler weather. One day at a time, though. I'm going to try to savor everyday! This is my first summer being home and it can't be in vein, right?!

I've also been working on getting more sewing done and creating some things for home. This chore chart was inspired by a Christmas gift I saw over at {unwrapped} (http://www.heatherdwhite.typepad.com/). Heather was kind enough to give me her vinyl contact, Deidre at Wall Frenze and she made some great stuff for me, including the "family rules" board I already posted. While I am a "stay at home" mom, I rarely "stay at home" if you know what I mean. Between the sewing and teaching classes and serving as a board member on the gymnastics Booster Club, etc. etc. etc - I'm stinking busy and I refuse to be any one's maid. I go above and beyond to help everyone in this family and it's time they are accountable to return the courtesy. SO...here it is.

Each disc to the right of the "chore" or room to help out with will {eventually} contain a family member's picture. Who ever is to help out with that particular room for the week will find their disc hanging next to it. I especially dig that last one....Mom's choice :) After much painting and sanding I still have yet to decide where this will reside. Obviously somewhere in plain sight would be advantageous, but maybe the girls can agree on the best spot when they get back. Meanwhile, it's done and will hopefully assist in the ongoing task of helping our family stay organized and a little less CHAOTIC!

Just in time and {RULES}

Continued from Friday's post, I have indeed finished my stated project in time! YAY! Tote/Diaper Bag, including diaper case with a flap (my first one like this). Now I will have two sets of everything to send to the Arts & Crafts fair in Park City tomorrow.




Rules. While to some they may seem restrictive, we need to have rules in life. They build structure and consistency and all those things we need to help shape us into better people. That being said, kids especially need rules. OUR HOUSE especially needs rules. Sometimes when we are together as much as families are, we tend to forget the protocol in how to deal with those we love. Loved ones are important to us but it's easy to take them for granted. We can sometimes act nicer toward friends and others in our lives because they can turn away at any time, whereas our family can't. They will always love us...no matter what. Well, as a friendly reminder, I've made this "family rule" board to sit on the buffet in the dining room. Some of these rules, if you really think about them, may seem redundant. But for our family they are each meaningful and important. Hopefully we can work harder to make our home more peaceful and comfortable to all, not just to those who visit.

What day is it?

It can't possibly be FRIDAY? Can it? Where do the days go? The summer is flying by! This week has been full of sewing projects for a craft fair in Park City this Sunday. A new friend of mine does a lot of the same things I do and we are thinking of partnering up and selling our creations. I will post more about that endeavor later. But for now, I have to get everything ready to send out for sale Sunday. Here are some pics...


This is a changing pad to match the diaper bag I just made, including strips of fabric just like the lining of the bag! It has SUPER SOFT minky fabric on the other side and a fabric loop to add a toy to keep baby busy during the diaper change.


Here's another nursing cover (Hooter Hider) and matching burpies.

Two more hoded towels for Nolan.

And a sneak peek of the last project I haven't yet finished. Hopefully I can post the finished photos tomorrow (I'd better or I will have missed my deadline!) So, gotta keep the momentum going but I will post later today, as I've promised Lauren & Mira some special pics to view while they are away in California. Until then, enjoy the beautiful day!

Tote-ally Cool

Mira & I went back to Material Girls to grab some fabric and I found the greatest diaper bag/tote bag pattern. I really wanted this floral fabric by Amy Butler but they didn't have any yardage left :( But with THIS pattern the only yardage you need is for the sides & bottom panels! You can use fat quarters for the entire rest of the bag! YAY! It just so happened that they DID have the fabric in fat quarters. The lining of the bag is made from strips of coordinating fabric that I sewed into panels. It has four roomy pockets on the inside, two on the front and one large one on the back.


It was SUPER easy and I was able to complete it in two sittings. The only reason I needed 2 sittings was that Nolan likes to come into my craft room and ink his hands and make big messes!
I try to remember to keep the doors closed on the cabinet with all the inks and sharp tools in it. Sometimes he has to improvise when they are closed and find other things to get into...like this!

He loves to get into my scrapbooking tote bag on wheels and have his sisters pull him around :)

Lovin' the new camera

The camera that I recently purchased is A-MAZ-ING! I just love it. It's a SONY Cybershot DSC-T300 (10.1 megapixels) While I'm still learning all the features and shooting settings, so far it's nothing but fantastic. These are some of the flowers (Zinnia & Portulaca) in my yard. I was testing the macro setting and, well, no disappointments. With as many pictures as I take, there's still a desire to get a digital SLR but for my lifestyle, a point & shoot is perfect. I carry it with me everywhere and often take pictures on the fly. This is ready to go and can perform rapid fire action shots too!

Happy Birthday {Paper Trunk}

Happy Birthday to PAPER TRUNK! Check them out at http://www.papertrunk.com Not only do they have wonderfully fun scrapbooking supplies, but you can feel good about using them , LOTS of them. Paper Trunk prides itself on being one of the FIRST scrapbooking manufacturers to offer recycled cardstock and a greener option for crafting. They wanted us to be able to scrap greener! From reduced packaging to recycled contents, they are making great strides to keep us all in mind when designing their products. They even have ideas and educational information on the website to help us all think a little greener. You, too, can join in he birthday fun by visiting their blog: http://www.papertrunk.blogspot.com/ They have new posts EVERY HOUR all day. Don't you wish all birthdays were THIS exciting?

Many happy returns of the day to all at PAPER TRUNK! Thanks for helping us think and scrap greener!