my dolce baby

2009-06-05T08:46:00.003-07:00

Team Gotta Have Faith Golf Outing and Silent Auction

I just finished up this set for Heidi's silent auction to benefit breast cancer research. Heidi just finished her last chemo treatment, Yay, and has tirelessly fought the disease for herself and others battling with the disease. If you live in the Twin Cities area, please attend this event! You can learn more about it here.

2009-01-05T14:16:00.002-07:00

Save Children's Handmade Items

Congress is about to pass a new law that requires all manufacturers, sellers, of children's items to have their items tested. For small businesses, like myself, where most of our products are one-of-a-kind, this will close our doors. Testing would be cost prohibitive. I am all for making sure our items are safe for our kiddos, but for those of us who use natural materials and buy our supplies locally, and try to provide safe, handmade goods as an alternative to mass produced items, this is a blow. Vote here to have this law amended for small businesses!

2008-12-20T19:46:00.001-07:00

About the Prettiest Dress I've Ever Seen!

Available here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18341004

2008-11-03T16:02:00.002-07:00

Who are you going to pick?

I'm thrilled both of my kids know who is running for President and Vice President but I had a very interesting conversation with Julia on our way to drop off my husband's ballot.

me: who is running for President & VP
Julia: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin
me: who did we vote for?
Julia: stickers

Well, there you have it :) Politics according to a three year old! Go out and vote for your favorite sticker.

2008-10-31T18:52:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween!

courtesy of the craft flickr pool

2008-09-16T16:44:00.003-07:00

Easy Child's Backpack

picture courtesy of Martha Stewart Crafts

How cute is this backpack! Martha states it can be made in about an hour. Hmmm, have to test that out. I hope to be making one next week. Here is the tutorial. I will post pictures when it's complete!

I hope to start blogging a little bit more. I am also ramping up my dolce baby and hope to have a lot more new things in the coming weeks. I thought I would have a lot more time while my kids were both in school but Jackson is only in school for 3 hours and Julia is only in two days a week with different hours so I have limited time at home by myself. That time is usually spent cleaning or at the grocery store!

2008-06-04T19:50:00.006-07:00

Homemade Kool-aid Playdough:

This recipe makes 3 1/2 cups of dough.
Tools and Materials

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 cups cold water

1 packet of kool-aid (any flavor)

Wooden board

Plastic bag or container

Play Dough How-To1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the flour, salt, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and water.2. Cook uncovered over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Stir constantly until the dough is the consistency of mashed potatoes.
3. Divide the dough into four equal portions.
4. Add 1 kool-aid packet to each portion and knead the mix into the dough to distribute it evenly. Kneading the color into the dough is the fun part -- kids will love it.
5. If you store the play dough in a plastic bag or airtight container, it will stay nice and soft and last for years.

2008-05-30T22:22:00.002-07:00

What????? & When will it end!!!

Men and women could be going potty together under new law

I guess I will be going with my children into public restrooms until they are at least 18!!! This, I do not understand at all! How is it discriminatory having men & women's bathrooms. I am with Focus on the Family on this one. Crimes against children are at an epidemic rate right now and we are concerned with being politically correct? Give me a freaking break! Sometimes I want this ship to just stop and let me off to a land where things make sense. I am not saying people of certain sexual orientations should be discriminated against in the area of housing and education but what does that have to do with public restrooms??? I don't get it!

2008-04-21T09:30:00.008-07:00

Meet Verna

My Grandma turns 94 on Wednesday and I am always at a loss for what to get her (I mostly do cards) and Miss Emily from The Black Apple generously shared her tutorial for a super cute rag doll that Martha Stewart recently featured on her show. I added my Grandma's name to the bottom of her dress and gave her some gray hair to resemble my Granny :). Here is some more of Emily's work I have the pleasure of owning.

Three Trees Print

2008-03-24T19:55:00.008-07:00

Scenes from an Easter Sunday

2008-03-19T11:01:00.003-07:00

New Toys & New Skirts

I have been a little behind on my creating due to illness and surgery and two-year-olds but I hope to list my new line of skirts soon. I have some fun fabric combinations with matching tanks!

2008-03-16T10:18:00.005-07:00

Illness, surgeries & food allergies!

Well, we have been stimulating the economy with our dr. co-pays! I had a wicked case of the flu which resulted in an ear infection then went on to a tummy bug. I was sick for more three weeks which was not only hard on me, but my dear family as well! Jackson just had surgery but is healing great!

Jackson courageously smiles right after surgery.

Julia's reaction to pineapple (we think) & No, that's not her tongue but her lower lip!

We went to Whole Foods yesterday and Julia sampled 3 or 4 pieces of fresh pineapple. We think that's why she started to transform into the Nutty Professor. She has severe food allergies to all nuts, milk and eggs so we are usually very careful about everything she puts in her mouth but she has had pineapple before so we're not exactly sure what it was from.

I will be very glad to leave this winter behind us. It has been filled with way too many dr. visits!! I will have more crafty updates soon!

2008-01-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Some Great Finds

Target has some lovelies in the dollar bin for Valentine's Day. I love the red and white wrapping paper that can be used all year round! I think I will use the red hearts for Valentine's pouches for my kid's Valentines.

"My Folklore"

Wonderful Lecien fabric from the "my folklore" collection. The blue and chocolate was a steal at $3.98 a yard! So much fabric, so little time.

More crafty projects coming this next week, as well as a fun tutorial.

2008-01-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

A Long Absence

Yikes, has it really been three months since my last post? Christmas was wonderful and it was filled with laughter, family, crafting, and late nights but now I am ready to see what 2008 has in store.

These were some fun teacher gifts I assembled. The rosemary mint soap was from The Fuzzy Bunny who has fabulous soap. The washcloths are from Kate Quinn Organics and the cutest cards were from tagyourit. Great service and quality from all of these sellers!

New Packaging

Even though I have taken a hiatus from blogging, I am ready to explode with all of the ideas I have for both my dolce baby and dolce. Why isn't there more hours in the day?

Here is a sneak peak at some new packaging for my bib, burp cloth and blanket sets. I am addicted to packaging but I also like it to be reusable.

I also have some new hair accessories that will soon be available in my dolce shop! Perfect for the littles, as well as their mamas :)

Well, let's hope it isn't another 3 months before my next post. I am so thankful for all of my blogging friends, as well as my customers. You truly are the best~

2007-10-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Some New Things....

Well, not from me, but some amazing things from my fellow crafty friends. My friend Jen, Itty Bitty Barrettes, has some fun new letter wall flowers to keep all of your child's barrettes and Amy, of Zooziis, has a fun new car catch-all for your cell phone, etc. I'm happy to say she sent me a promo to try out and it is amazing. I do detest cell phones and only have one for emergencies or talking with my husband (free minutes) but it is also great for chapstick, etc. My purse is a bottomless pit of who-knows-what and this is a fun organizational item. I'm off to a little vacation with my fam and will hopefully return with a refreshed attitude. Crafting and sewing is my sanity outlet and I do not get to do it very often!

2007-09-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Artist or Graffiti Artist?

Well, I have been up since 3a with a sick child. Jackson has been throwing up every half-hour since 3a and it is now 10a. Poor guy. So excuse me if I sound a little punchy! My dear husband has also been up since 3a and is willing to work from home since I am throwing a baby shower for a dear friend tomorrow and I have much to do! This blog has been neglected since I started teaching and bible study has now started.

Julia has also been quite the artist lately. Her canvas you ask? Well, our wood banister and furniture mainly. My husband bought about 5 sharpie (permanent) pens to write Jacksons name on his baseballs and such. I do think I have gotten rid of most of them now since they appear in the most unusual places but not before she made her mark. The couch she is pictured on above was the hardest hit. I had a professional carpet cleaner come out since I was sure they could remove the stain but no such luck. Black ink on a camel colored couch is not a good look and we decided we would save the couch for when she moves out and needs furniture :) The ink off the banister did come off with polish remover but it does not come out of fabric.

Well, it's off to do laundry. I can't grow a plant to save my life but I can grow dirty laundry baskets like nobody's business!

2007-08-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Itty Bitty Barrettes & a Giveaway My friend Jen opened her shop on Etsy called Itty Bitty Barrettes.
She sells the cutest barrettes and wall flower holders for all your barrettes. Trust me, you need these to organize your child's barrettes. She loves to do custom orders for her wall flowers and barrettes so you get exactly what you need! Are they not the cutest!!! She also uses velcro on her barrettes so they stay securely in your child's hair.

I am doing a special giveaway for the red barrette so please comment on this post by Sept. 1 for a chance to win this lovely!

2007-08-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Grandma

We'll miss you! 96 amazing years and a wonderful family to show for it. Please say "hi" to Dad for me ;)

"It's an eyeball, Great-grandma"

2007-08-20T16:19:00.001-07:00

Vine Bib and Burp SetFun New Packaging

Modish Bird Set
Some fun new sets and packaging that are in the shop. Look for more soon :)

2007-08-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

Coming soon....

I have been hard at working thinking up some new designs, sets, fabric combos, and fun new packaging. The graphic above is going on some new packaging I am really excited about. I also gave my blog and shop an updated look. It seems I get bored easily :<)

I am hoping to add my new sets by the end of August. We'll see! Also stay tuned for a "Sweet Set" giveaway!

2007-08-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

The First Day of School

It was Jackson & Julia's first day of preschool today. Jackson is in the pre-k program and Julia is in the two-year-old class. It wasn't too traumatic to let them go as I am a teacher at their school. I feel like there is so little time left before they are both off full-time at school, it's nice I can be involved in this way. Julia did pretty well, there were a few tears but Jackson has already said he wanted to kiss and marry his teacher so I think he will be fine. He is into older girls, so we will have to keep on eye on that ;)

2007-07-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Candy Sushi

If you check out notmartha.org she has the most adorable sweet sushi that would be a blast to make with or without your kids! You can find the twinkie sushi recipe in my tutorial link list (I've added some recently). The recipes came from Clare Crespo, which has the cutest website
Yummy Fun that is interactive and has great recipes. I'm thinking the amber bugs would be great for Halloween. Check it out, it will inspire!

2007-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

I Just Love My Dress, Mom....
Yeah, probably not her exact words but my almost 2-year-old wasn't cooperating with the camera. Jackson was happy to oblige however. I love this style dress and despite its owner, I think it looks very cute on. Since I do not have a serger, I used french seams and made my own bias for the hem. The hem fabric is a Japanese import I bought a while ago. Hopefully, I can make a few more before summer is over.

2007-07-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Special Sets and Special Weekends

This is a sweet set for a very sweet customer! I know we all say our customers are the best but what a humbling feeling to know you are creating something special and unique for a very special someone in their life.

We had a great weekend. A date with my husband which was a long time coming. We didn't quite know what to do without kids hanging from every appendage! :) We saw the movie Transformers which was AWESOME! The special effects were amazing and the storyline was actually good. Be warned that this movie is not for kids, even though the action figures are in Burger King's kids meals. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I hope to be adding a tutorial soon, as well as some giveaways. Stay tuned :)

2007-07-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Looking At You

Up close and personal at the Cheynne Mountain Zoo. It has been so hot here these last couple of weeks and I am so looking forward to fall, my favorite time of year. I am thankful for the low humidity and the cool evenings but during the day, my kids just want to be outside and even with spf 50, they are getting a little too tan for my comfort.

2007-07-16T22:08:00.001-07:00

Orange Bamboo and Chocolate Too!!!

I added some fun Asian-inspired items in the shop and baked a yummy cake for my hubby's birthday. I would have taken pictures along my baking journey, but I'm sure the camera would have ended up in the batter. I didn't have any powdered sugar for the icing so I used corn syrup, chocolate chips and a little butter. Yummy! Ohhhhh, chocolate and orange do go well together!

2007-07-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Fairy Tale Land

Wouldn't you want to go there? I finally cut into this fabric I have been hoarding for a while. Don't we all with our Japanese imports? I love how the burp cloth turned out with the red polka dots. This set is now available in the shop. Happy Sunday!

2007-07-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

New Shop

I have been contemplating opening a new shop with my accessory items for a while and finally have it up and running. I've called it dolce, which means sweet in Italian and I will have my jewelry, tissue holders, some supplies, hair accessories (I will still keep stocking my dolce baby with headbands though) and maybe some other items. My dolce baby is looking a little bare but I hope to be stocking it soon with more cool stuff. Maybe made with these:

Motherhood is kind of kicking my butt right now as Julia has decided she wants to party from 2 to 5a. Sweetheart, you are almost 2 years old. We can play all day but we both need our alone time at night :)

Who, me?

2007-06-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Another Reversible Dress

So I am obsessed with making everything reversible now. It is a wee bit big but looks so cute on Julia! Yes, we know the binky needs to go. Sometimes as a parent you just need to choose the path of least resistance.

It has been extremely hard to finish any sewing projects, let alone finish any of my thoughts. So I am hoping to get many projects done this weekend.

Here is a yummy recipe from Real Simple that a friend made for us a while back. I think it will be a summer staple! I used feta cheese instead of the blue because I don't care for blue cheese.

2007-06-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Destash

I was inspired by my friend Cheryl to destash some of my fabrics. No, I am not moving or closing my shop, I just wanted to make room for more :) I have way more fabric than I have time for and I always like to keep things fresh so check out the shop for my current listings.

2007-06-08T12:56:00.001-07:00

Sushi Pinafore and other cute things ...

These cute pinafores were a custom order for a very sweet buyer!

This sakura print was a fun find on Ebay. I have the mint green and Cheryl traded me for the blue. I am just disappointed it is discontinued!

These are a fun Japanese import from Nuno.plus. I thought the red and orange looked great with the red ticking fabric. Maybe a tote bag for the fall?

I was very disappointed to find a hole in my morning glory linen fabric from Amy Butler. I know these things happen but why do they have to happen right in the middle? I know the online store I purchased it from is out of this print, but do you think they will reimburse me or let me pick out another fabric?

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

2007-06-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

AAAhhhhhhhhhh........

Well, it was a dream but I hope to be motivated tomorrow to make it a reality. Who knew how hard it would be to keep organization in your house with two kids! We have one room dedicated to toys but they seem to filtrate throughout the house. My craft area is the only clean room in the house right now. It has been a stressful week with the kids and spouse being sick and two major car repairs on top of it did not help. But, tomorrow is another day and I plan to take it head on! I finished some special orders this week and I will post pictures as soon as I have a minute! So my motto for tomorrow will be:

Other cute sayings here

2007-06-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tag, you're it

I have been tagged by my sweet and talented friend Cheryl.

Seven Random things about me:

1) I switch toilet paper rolls around if they are not feeding through the top, yes, even at my friends.

2) I met my husband on Valentine's Day at a service project event I organized through our church. We were engaged a year and two days later.

3) I usually have one obsession going in my life at one time. It used to be working out. I would go to the gym sometimes 3 x's a day but at least once a day. I did too many aerobics classes and training and running a marathon did my knees in. Right now my obsession is my business, it really needs to go back to exercise though!

4) I get a knot in my stomach when I mail out orders because I am nervous the recipient will not like it!

5) I love orniary kids. Yes, it can be frustrating at times but I especially like it when they question authority. I think it will serve them well in the real world.

6) I am an extreme introvert. I love spending time with my family and friends but I really need my alone time to recharge, especially after being with my kids all day.

7) I hate to shop. Well, any other shopping besides fabric shopping that is.

I am tagging my friend Amy!

2007-06-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sweet Elephant Bib
I love this print with white elephants balancing apples, blowing water and giving rides to sweet pink birds. I love the randomness!

2007-05-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Some New Earrings

I ordered some charms from Rainyday Wares and they are just so cute! I added them to a 14K gold-plated ball hook and voila! The gold charms were extras Krystin threw in and they look adorable together! It is very hard for me to find earrings because I have simple but specific taste and I know these will be put to much use! These will also be perfect for gifts!

2007-05-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Simple

A sweet birthday gift for a special little boy. The elephant pattern is found here:

Simple red ticking whose fate I still have not decided! I thought the buttons looked so cute with it! Just a few sweet and simple things that are making me smile today :)

2007-05-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Crafting Studio

I moved my studio from the basement to our loft so I could be closer to our kids playroom. I thought it would enable me to do some sewing while they played (yeah right) but I still do most of my work during naptime or the weekends. I usually keep my sewing machine on the dining room table downstairs since our loft is right by their bedrooms and the noise wakes them up! As you can see, it is still a work in progress.

2007-05-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Four Generations

This is me with my maternal grandmother, mom, and Jackson and Julia. It will be a picture I will treasure as well as passing the legacy to my kids. I feel very blessed to be Verna's granddaughter, as well as Phyllis' daughter. I can only hope that my children will also be blessed by their legacy.

2007-05-21T15:08:00.001-07:00

Maple Syrup Makes The Best Hair Gel!

Julia decided to take her brother's breakfast plate and wear it as a hat! That will teach me to clear the dishes faster :)

2007-05-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Breakfast on the Patio

Our View

It has been a wonderful weekend with beautiful weather and time with family. Unfortunately we didn't get much sleep as Julia is still going through a non-sleeping phase but hopefully naps are in our future :) I also got a chance to organize my studio so craft time will be much more enjoyable. Hope everyone is also having an awesome weekend!

2007-05-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Pinafores

I have been trying to perfect a new design for pinafores and I am very excited about what I have come up with. It is based off a dress/top my mom made for Julia when she was 6 months old.

It was not reversible but it had tie tops and she can still wear it today (14 months later). The pinafore I designed (I can't follow a pattern to save my life) is reversible so when she spills on one side, I can flip it over. It also looks cute with shorts, pants, skirts, or a diaper.

More pinafores in different fabrics coming soon!!

2007-05-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Before I Was A Mom, I made and ate hot meals.

I had unstained clothing.

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom, I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous and I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on or even pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom, I had complete control of my mind,

my thoughts, my body and I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do test or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at nightwatching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry child.

I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night to make sure all was ok.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,

the heartache or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know that I was capable of feeling so much

Before I Was A Mom.

2007-05-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Star Fabric and 'Ziggy and His Colors'

I was drawn to this fabric when I saw it and I realized it marks a striking resemblance to a page in my favorite children's book, 'Ziggy and His Colors'. We had these books when I was a child and I am so glad I am able to share them with my children. The pages are very worn which just adds to the appeal of this book.

Here are some other illustrations from the book:

The other books in the series:

Now if I can just figure out what to make with that fabric????

2007-05-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

My babies are Groupies!

Damon's brother is in a SWEET band called Manchester Orchestra... They are currently on tour and were able to stay with us after thier gig at the Ogden in Denver Co. They were even named Rolling Stones 10 artists to watch. The band records their travels and publishes them as podcasts. Jackson and Julia made their way into this one...

2007-05-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

New headband designs and tissue cozies

Funky rings and earrings

More fabrics in the shop soon!!!!

2007-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Easter and other randomness....

Julia was perplexed and perhaps a little disturbed at the thought of the Easter Bunny

Jackson & Julia with the bunny cake Jackson and I made.

Julia destroyed the cake when we weren't looking, this is just the first swipe.

Princess Julia

Jackson and his beautiful smile!!

2007-04-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

I made these wonderful little purses/pouches for my CBS kids. I taught the two-year-old class this year and let me tell you, they have stolen my heart!

Here is a close-up of what is inside. Sweet notebooks and pins from mysweetloveablegoods. Amy did such a great job customizing each one!

Sweet hair accessories to coordinate with their new purses!

Fun teacher gifts that include the most wonderful body cream from Mad City Sue, tissue cozies by me and sweet tags from Malien.

I have been so busy with gift making, I now need to spend some time organizing my craft area and creating new items for the shop.