Kara Layne, Sugar Momma & Easter Bucket Tutorial

I loved this article written by Kara Layne about how she is living her dream job and how she balances her family and her blooming career. {Sugar Momma is doing a whole series on inspirational women who are living their dream job.} Kara took our family pictures last Christmas, and she is amazing. She has a way with the kids and by the time she's done editing, we all look like we are glowing and have crystal clear skin.

She has also created a fun Easter Bucket Tutorial using fabric and ribbons making a modernized stylish pail that would be perfect to hold a few Decoupaged Eggs and great for pictures of the kids on Easter morning!!

COMING VERY SOON: Fabulous fabric flowers, placemat tote bags and pioneer apron from cloth napkin. Can't wait to show you everything I've been working on!

The reason I do this {plus pick your favorite pattern!}

Just had to show off my darling little nephew/ latest inspiration:

{photo by Ali Smith Photography}

It's for babies like Caleb that I enjoy doing this so much! I get to see him for Thanksgiving and counting down...in fact, probably making this Turkey Countdown next week to help with the anticipation and excitement.

I had to make a few goodies to celebrate his arrival. This roll up changing pad and car seat canopy.

Pattern on the Car Seat Canopy probably coming soon... any requests?

I love the fabric and the stitching details my new machine can do.

To celebrate over 100 followers, I will be publishing a pattern for a week! Thanks to all my supportive readers- I love your comments-- Let me know which pattern you'd like to see!

All Patterns now available in my shop, just in time for you to make some nice handmade Christmas gifts! Which one would you like to see?

Taking a Break...

Earlier this month we moved from our lovely home in Texas to the place where I grew up in Southern California. We are in a transition period- living with my parents while we save up money to get our own place- and all my crafting goodies are packed away in storage until we move into our own house. That's not my only excuse for taking a break from work. My boys are 3 yrs and 18 months--which means my cute little baby just turned into a (cute) whirlwind of a toddler. Both my boys are active and crazy and require my full attention! We lay in bed and read books about komodo dragons that "have germs in their mouth that would kill me" says my ever-so-interested-in-animals toddler. We take walks to parks with playgrounds and grassy parks that are perfect for picnics with circus animal cookies and punch drinks. Basically, I'm soaking up the I have young kids who occupy my every drop of energy life. And I love it.

So while my creations are on hold, I'm praying that my creative juices will return when I'm ready to get back to it. I've thought about creating patterns for my work to share with other sewing lovers, but that also takes a lot of work and a lot of time. So we'll see what comes of that. Until then, I promise to show you all the amazingly beautiful projects I see in the meantime that make it to my to-do-in-the-future list, and artists who I adore that I just have to share with you.

Today, I'm soaking up the beauty of Chrisy Lee Creations, a site that I've been anticipating for months, and has made its debut better than I could have ever imagined. This girl is amazing. Not only does she have the most creative mind, but she helps others along the way, sending adoption pass along cards to help spread the word on couples hoping to adopt. She's my partner in crime at Sending Smiles, one of my lovely swap sisters at Swaperoos and she makes beautiful handmade dolls. I'm talking, I really really want a baby girl next so that I can buy oodles of Chrisy dolls to match our every mood and season. With the launch of her new site, she is giving away 3 Ezzmerelda dolls, just in time for Halloween. She was my swap partner for our first Fall Swap last year, and made me 2 really cute Halloween dolls- a Glinda the Good Witch and a cute Mummy! So I'm secretly (ok not really a secret anymore) hoping to win this giveaway to bring in another beauty to my Fall collection! Go here for the giveaway information!