Saturday, January 31, 2009

Woo Hoo!!

I just got news that the CPSIA law has been suspended for a year for them to take more time and figure out a way for people like us to continue to make handmade things for kiddos without spending a fortune getting them tested and certified.. This is REALLY good news and something we have been keeping our eye on as Don and I get ready to launch our little toy making business.

To read more about this update, go visit one of the very best places to buy handmade treasures... Etsy!

I am so happy!

Friday, January 30, 2009

i need a maid..

Seriously.. Even if all they did was clean my craft room, which, I am not exaggerating, looks like a bomb exploded in there!!! I have not really cleaned it up since before Christmas... it is awful!!

I am hoping to at least get started on it tomorrow...

Because I have LOTS of stuff I want to make and do in there and it really is out of control!!

Somehow, I did manage to fight my way over the madness to make a few gifts during the past few weeks. One was the shoes and shirt I shared about on Thursday and then I just have to share with all of you ...THESE:


Aren't they awesome?!! They were for one of E's best little buddies, who had a birthday last weekend. "I'm turning FIVE!" he kept saying...

I'd noticed that whenever he comes over, he goes for the super hero capes and will put little leg warmers or something on his arms for super hero bands. For awhile now, I've had the idea to make him some "real" super hero bands. I used his birthday as an excuse to finally get them done!
A big gigantic thank you to my son for being such a fabulous model for me!

And, I have to say that I tried them on and I think they really do make you invincible..

(maybe I should make some to help me get my craft room cleaned up? hmmmm....)

Thursday, January 29, 2009

my go to baby shower gift

I love making these little shoes!! They are the first little crafty project I ever did with my sewing machine just over a year ago. I had really wanted some for my daughter, but we had no money so I decided to get my sewing machine out and make some myself.

My mom had bought me my sewing machine a couple of years earlier, but I was kind of intimidated to get started. I really did not know how to sew, completed maybe 2 very easy projects when I was a kid (which really means my aunt "helped" me aka did it for me!). But as a mom, I just really wanted to be able to make things for my kiddos. So I asked for a sewing machine and it collected dust for a couple of years.

Something about being pregnant with a little girl gave me the nudge I needed to just TRY. So I did and a pair of these little shoes were what I made.

Now, when someone I know is having a baby, I find that this is the thing I want to make and give them for the little babe. They are just so dang cute!

And, the little baby boy who will be wearing these after he is born, gets to be super matchy cute! Cuz, super cuteness should not be a girls only exclusive, don't ya think?

For my friend's little bugger (Oliver, LOVE this name!) I decided to applique a baby elephant to a onesie in the same fabric I made the shoes with.


This is a super easy, totally personal gift that I know I will make time and time again.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

more dreaming

Ok, so part of the drive for doing the website that I shared about yesterday is to free up our time and create the financial resources to pursue other things we are passionate about..

Something that I have had in the back of my mind for a long time is to get really good at photography. I LOVE taking pictures. Love it, love it, love it!! But I don't know much about all the "real" photography stuff like aperture, depth of field, etc.

So, one of my goals this year is to practice.. Practice using all the features on my camera and teach myself how to be a "real" photographer. You know one that can take an amazing shot without using the auto function...

I have yet to dive into my users manual, but one of things I am hoping to do is to participate in more photography type things.. blogs, contests, clubs, etc..

Last week, I came across this totally awesome project, where you can enter a photo every week and have it be viewed and judged by a pro... And you can check out all the other cool entries for inspiration and ideas.

It is called "i heart faces" and focuses on taking pictures of people, which I love most of all..



Every week they have a theme and this week the theme is JOY.. so, last night while laying in bed, I was thinking about this and thought about this photo that I took last year while we were camping...



Total blissed out joy!!!

And it's official, today I entered my first photo contest!! Look at me go...

Monday, January 26, 2009

a new start

We have a lot going on around our household...lots of new projects, new possibilities, new dreams. I truly feel that this year is a new beginning for us. For awhile now, we have just been surviving, working on things just to pay the bills, wishing for more, you know how that goes....

Well, we are at the start of a new way to live and "be"...

Don is making stuff and is really happy and he is REALLY GOOD! I am plotting and planning on how to grow his little enterprise and support his wishes and hopes. Soon I'll be sharing about all that, but today is about sharing what I've been up to.

For a few months now, I've been staying up late, being a busy bee here at my computer, starting my own little business...

What matters most to me is getting to stay home with my kiddos. We plan on homeschooling and really want to travel and give our children an adventurous life. I've been hunting around for awhile for a way for me and Don to both be able to stay home, but we still need to pay the bills, ya know?

Sometime last year I said to myself, wouldn't it be great to just be able to dink around on the computer doing what I like to do and make money doing it? Well, I have found a way...

It is going to take some work and some time and patience, but I have found the perfect thing for me to do...write and create websites on topics that I love!!! And the opportunity of making a much better income than what we are used to is a reality. AND, this will allow us to live wherever we want to, travel, Don can go crazy with his woodworking, etc...

So, finally, I have written enough info on my first website to be able to share it with you.



This is one of my most favorite topics that I can go on and on about!! I so love all things about cloth diapers (well except washing them!) and I love helping people get started using cloth. I love writing and babbling on about stuff and I can spend hours goofing around on the computer doing layouts, choosing fonts, etc.

See....it's perfect for me! I feel really blessed to have found something for me to do and be passionate about AND that will eventually be able to support our creative little family.

I have so many plans for what I want to do with this site, including tutorials for sewing your own diapers, reviews, sales announcements, etc.

So, go have a look and let me know what you think!!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

speding time with sis - part 3

A trip to the zoo with the whole clan...


I am loving the fascinated look on her face this whole day...



Most of the crew...
Father and son..


Saturday, January 24, 2009

spending time with sis - part 2

All of these pictures are from the day we walked around Manitou Springs with my mom.





Friday, January 23, 2009

spending time with sis - part 1

My sister is my best friend.

We jibber jabber on the phone almost everyday, sometimes for hours at a time. I love how our friendship has evolved over the past few years. I think we have always been close, with the usual ups and downs that siblings experience growing up together.

But, right now, we are closer than we have ever been and I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful woman as my sister. I seriously do not know what I would do with out her!

Oh, and did I mention she lives all the way up in Washington state? So we only get to see each other a couple of times a year. I love it when she is in town, thought the week usually flies by! But we did get so spend alot of time together.

Over the next few days I am going to share some pictures from her visit.

Walking through the woods...
We have been having the most wonderful weather here all this past week!

There is a really funny picture of my mom and her sister where they have on those nose/mustache/eye glass funny faces and they are facing each other, looking totally alike. This picture reminds me of that one...


With her sweet boy...

My ADORABLE nephew!

My sisters lovely family...

Enjoying a little catching up with our grandparents...

And this was just ONE day!!! More tomorrow...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

whew!

I feel like the fast train has finally stopped. We have been so busy since before Christmas.. We were making presents, celebrating, making more presents for E's birthday, celebrating, being sick, then enjoying lots of family time while my sister was in town. It has been really fun, but now I feel pooped!

And behind.. seems like my to do list just keeps growing and growing and growing. And I just want to sit here and do nothing! That is how it goes, I think, when you put too much on your plate. You can only go a million miles per hour for so long and then you just have to stop. So I am enjoying a week of quite a bit of doing nothing and a little bit of getting caught up.

In the midst of all our running around.. we got a special new family member. His name is Eagle Earth (named so by Chubbas).
Did you know that trying to take a good picture of a rabbit is REALLY hard? They like to move around alot!

The kids totally love him! He is really sweet and likes to cuddle. And doesn't seem to mind being chased around the house too much.

A bunny! Who would have ever thought I would get a pet bunny! I love him.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

today is a good day!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

another doll

I totally get why people get into making dolls. It is so much fun watching this little character emerge.

I made this little sweet thing for my nephew, who just got into town (with his parents, of course!).
I also finally figured out why all the Waldorf dolls out there come with a name already. I kind of thought that was a little strange, shouldn't the child receiving the doll get to name him or her?

Well, while I was making this, a name kept coming into my mind. My little nephew may end up calling something else as they become friends, but for now, I'd like for you to meet Jacob.


Ain't he cute?!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

baby steps

Not totally walking on her own, but Boop has officially taken her first little baby steps all by herself!


And just look at that grin, so proud of herself!
Soon there will be a whole new world for this one to discover....

Please do not use any images or content without permission. You can contact me at happydelz [at] comcast [dot] net. Thanks.

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