Spring is in the (h)air...

Photo shoot for pattern covers and magazine article, check!

Exhausted, check!

Loads of new hair things from this weekend, oh yes!  Check!

Spring in in the (h)air!

I wear one almost everyday...because they make me happy.  My girls wear them too.  I make giant ones for them.  Because they are so stinking cute!

And a great price too!  I just loaded both my local shop and etsy with some...and still more to come.  Got too tired to keep going.

Buy 2 or more of the flower hair barrettes or rings or gloves, and get free shipping!

I think they'd be great for Easter, anything SPRING, weddings, bridal shower favors, or tween party favors (wouldn't the rings be fun as favors for teenage girls!)

Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Trish

On the fifth day of doing nothing...

...ok, let's face it.  I'm not really doing nothing.  Ah heck, I've been crafting away.  You know how you can get on little kicks of things that are just enjoyable and you can't stop?  I believe it's referred to as an "addiction" - maybe an obsession, a persistent little nagging itch in my fingers that I can't seem to control.  If I'm not stitching - I'm thinking about what to stitch next.  When will I get my next "hit" - for serious, I think I may have a problem. On my fifth day of doing nothing...

• I loaded a few more things in my store including these beauties that I made last night.  I have some set aside for Christmas gifts.  I took roughly 18 of them...I know, I know...that means I've made a few more than 20 of these things in the last couple of days...I took them up to the little shop in town where our art guild displays for sale items.
• I shopped etsy for some great little doll clothes for the two peas.  I bought several things here.  Prices were fantastic.  And being tight on money this season - this little matching girl / doll set fit the bill perfectly.
• I also bought this for only $5!   Elvis!  Are you kidding me?!  How original!  I love it!
• And then the littlest pea and I made a run into town to get gloves.

• After the glove run, littlest pea took a nap and I finished making up these gloves and stitching flowers.
• My big peas returned from school and we promptly jumped in the car and headed in to town to meet Suann because we were taking a few more things into the shop.
• We set up.  Peas got a sandwich and a cup of the best hot chocolate on the planet.  Little pea and I shared a bagel and then went home.

And then...after everyone went to bed...I got a hankering to play around some more with those upcycled sweater cuffs.  I've sold  more than a dozen of these up in town this week already, very popular.  Anyway...I created some, well, can we call them "creatures"?

And here it is, well after midnight and I'm blogging.

That's my day 5 of nothingness.  Not really so nothing - other than the fact I'm not doing housework.  My kitchen - which is the size of a shoebox - looks like it hasn't been cleaned it in a month.  It's only been a day - but with next to no countertops - boy, it looks bad fast.

Some fun plans this weekend to celebrate my fathers birthday.  So very thankful to be doing that - my Dad had a heart attack back in July and had to have a stint put in.  The doctor said he was in great shape as my Dad, at 77 years old, still works out at the gym and is amazing.  You'd think he was more like 57.  But, your body just starts to wear out - whether you work out, eat right or not.  Bummer.  But he's doing really well and I am so thankful, thankful, thankful that he's my Dad and that I have this day to spend with him.  He's a super guy, my Dad.  A retired Irish mechanical engineer who loves boats, the Buckeyes and anything old (My Mom :>) and antiques).  He is kind, and generous, and soft spoken, and attentive and loving, and thoughtful.

And because I can not WAIT to give my sister and sister in law their Christmas gifts - chances are, I may give them their gifts tomorrow!  I made them clutches and few other baubles.  I just can't wait!!  I have no patience!

Where Women Create have extended their giveaways - yea!  Amazing stuff over there - find me on Day 4!  Go comment and maybe you'll win something.  And Sunday - we will be giving away this cute little hat. Real good odds at the moment!  Go see for yourself!

Ahh...on to day 6 and 7 of my "doing nothing before Christmas".

wink!

xoxo,

Trish

Day three just blended right into day four...still, trying for nothing

Day three just blended right into day four of my tour of nothingness before Christmas.  Here's what I'm liking best - I have time to craft for ME!  I have time to try new things - like these flowers I've been eyeing.  Love the vintage look of them and now that I practiced making a few - everyone on my Christmas list will be getting one as a hair pin or a corsage.  Ok, not everyone.  Like, I'm sure my husband wouldn't care for one although he did help me figure out the process for making these beauties.  I know my sister reads and yes...I have one for you too!  Can't wait to give it to you!

And thus day three...

• I went to work at my big university job.  It's finals week and I've seen some mighty stressed out students this week.  One even cried after sitting down after just a minute...lack of sleep and the pending reality of the "real world" will do that to ya.  Remember those days?
• I had to stop at the grocery for a few staples before going home.
• And then hugs and kisses to all as the peas were all headed to bed.

And then I was able to start crafting these precious blooms

Day four isn't even done yet but I can tell you this...work, work, work.

Tomorrow, a meeting with Suann and laundry on the to do list.

Might actually need to do some Christmas shopping for the kids too.

I have some cash finally from my craft shows so I can get them a few things.  This year, things are quite tight.  Will do my best to make it special for them.  They are easy to please and I'm a pretty thrifty shopper.  I do have one big surprise up my sleeve.  Maybe two.  Lots of handmade goodies will be under the tree.  Maybe a few thrifted items but things they will love.  The greatest gift has already been given to us.

Snow fell beautifully outside my office window today.  I think we shall have a white Christmas.  Yippee!

Listening to the "MercyMe Christmas" station on Pandora - very good.  I love Steven Curtis Chapman's version of Away In a Manger.  What miracles came to us that day - and continue to swirl around us each day.

Day five...I'm beginning to like doing nothing.  (but I do have a deadline still for submitting pattern text for the magazine feature...that's hardly a chore)

Wishing you a wonderful nothing kind of day.  What do you have planned for this weekend?  What are you crafting up for the holidays for gifts?  (I did just get a few blooms listed to my etsy  shop - I have MANY more, I just get tired of listing them!)

xoxo,

Trish

PS STILL A FEW DAYS ON THE GIVEAWAY LEFT AND RIGHT NOW, HECK, YOUR CHANCES ARE PRETTY GOOD!  THERE IS A LOVELY LITTLE HAT WITH YOUR NAME ON IT - GO SEE AND LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER TO WIN HERE!

{Our Easter parade...}

Where do I begin?  So much I want to share with you but so little time!  The girls enjoyed a great spring break last week and if you were following me on Twitter you know we headed out to the zoo...in the snow.  I love working at the largest university in the country - gives me a chance to network with loads of people and luckily, one of our alumni board members is a keeper at the Columbus Zoo SO, she was wonderful enough to give my girls a behind the scenes tour.  We got to see exactly what she does to care for the animals and a chance to see a grizzly bear, 2 alaskan brown bears and a cougar very close!  So cool!  No photos to share of that as we were not allowed to take any in the back areas but...check this out!

This is the cafe at the zoo.  See anybody else there?  That's right...when it's 20' windchill and snowing - NOBODY goes to the zoo.  We saw two other people there all day.

Here's the girls in the "jungle" with a researcher!  Ha!  And some cool looking birds we saw in one of the aviarys...where it was WARM.

The flamingos were out...

The manatees and sea turtle at the aquarium section...

And so on to Easter...we went to my parents house which was fun.  The girls got these really cool little jackets for their American Girls from the sewing room of the easter bunny, aka The Doll Closet on etsy.  Really cute!

And they had a blast!  I have to say, they looked BE-AU-TI-FUL in their easter dresses.  They turned out really well, if I do say so myself!  I got the pattern for these from PinkFig.  I used the Lily pattern and had to adjust some because my girls are a size 8 and the pattern only went up to a size 7.  I added some extras on the ruffle, etc.  They LOVED them!  If you are looking for an easy EASY to use pattern line - PinkFig is it!

OK, so I never did get them to stand very still for a photo but here's a few portfolio shots...you get the idea!

And then...I've had quite a few orders for dresses lately.  I have some already listed on my etsy page. But here's a peek at a few..

And matching ponytail ribbon explosion thingy whatevers on their way to etsy soon...here's a peek at just one of them...

Does the baby look happy here?  Poor thing!  Her sisters love her TOO much!  Well, lots of photos, not too much text.  Since Easter (yesterday) one of the peas has been diagnosed with whooping cough.  She doesn't look sick does she?  Exactly why we had no idea...since all she had was a nagging cough.  Our AWESOME doctor caught it and well, things are now quite hectic in our house so I'll be back next week with an entry about handmade stuff!  (I noticed at my Moms, my sisters - dang!  I make a LOT of stuff cuz it's all over their house from paintings to placemats! More on that next week!)

I'll leave you with one last little cutie - my baby's first Easter.  Next week she celebrates her first birthday.  A very special little day.  She was born on April 25th - the same day as my oldest sister.  My oldest sister  died when she was 15 from complications from mono.  My baby being born on her birthday was quite special.

God bless - hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday!  Ciao, xo Trish

AND DON'T FORGET...post a comment and you'll have a chance at our monthly giveaway!

Giveaway and another year...going, going....

Almost gone! First, a giveaway and the time is almost gone! I have a sweet little spring hipster (see the fabric selection in the previous post) waiting to find a new home. Post a comment or send me an email and we'll put your name in a hat for this little bag. The winner will get their bag shipped out to them next week. SO COMMENT NOW!! OK...and so, another year has come and gone. I celebrated a birthday last week and I'm not exactly thrilled at the aspect of moving ever so closer to...gulp, 40. I mean, really, 40?! I still have a few years left but it's out there, looming ahead and just waiting to snatch me up into its clutches. So when I woke up to yet another birthday this week, I have to say I was not feeling all that chipper about the day.

I went off to work and sat in my office in silence most of the day. Our students are off on Spring Break and so most of them are out sunning on a beach somewhere or hiking in the mountains. Nothing exciting about the day. Just an ordinary day. But wait...

I knew something was up when I called my sister on my commute home. She said, as we were about to sign off, "have fun tonight with everything". What everything? What are you talking about? She says, "oh, I don't know." I asked her, what do you know - did you call my house? She said, I might have called your house. Just have fun, ok. Smiling to myself, I pull down our street and promptly lose cell connection (you've heard me groan before about all of this right? We have no internet, no cable and very intermittent cell connection from our house. Drives me nuts!).

I pull up to our driveway and I wonder...why has someone marked the trees? They had tape around them - or so I thought. When I actually pulled in I realize that my entire driveway has crepe paper strewn from tree to tree that goes back and forth blocking the entire length of the driveway. My twins are standing in the doorway yelling "drive through it! drive through it!" and jumping up and down laughing and screaming as I drive slowly through all of the paper and get to a garage that is equally covered! Too fun!

I enter into our house - same thing! A combination of crepe paper, christmas garland, easter decorations and birthday balloons everywhere. They had a delicious lasagna dinner waiting for me compliments of my MIL, and a cake that had dots (?), yes those are my favorite polka dots on there, and my "birdies" that I applique on various things. The girls did the design work and I think it was quite clever. They presented me with a new hummingbird feeder, garden gloves, a bracelet and earrings, and my hubby gave me a dozen roses. I have to say, my blah, blah, blah birthday turned out to be the best ever. I "heart" my family - especially my husband. All that effort meant a TON to me...thanks.

Also this week - just pure random-ness here - Sprouts hair has been wild. Crazy! She's been sporting this crazy hair all week and I keep wetting it down and it pops back up! Too funny. But with her hair getting longer I can finally really use the barrettes I bought from Suann at Bows and Blossoms. They stay put - well - when she isn't pulling it out - and I love this one with her initial on it. Suann makes uber cute things, super great price and SUPER fast shipping. Check out her site here because she has some of the cutest new things for Spring.

Coming up next - bunny tutorial!

A little something you can handstitch for the easter baskets or decorate your table with or just love on! Fun!

Ciao! xo, Trish

Bows and Blossoms

This is Suann's uber cutie little girl.  Suann lives up in Marysville and has this awesome hairbow business.  I couple of posts ago, I put up a photo of my little one with a hairbow...this is one I purchased from Suann.  They stay in even in super fine baby hair. Anyway, Suann ordered a mommy and me purse set from me and I added in with her purchase a little dress for her daughter.  Suann made this adorable bow to go along with the dress.  I love it!  I love being able to find things handmade and made locally.  So share this link with your other "mommy friends".  When you order something from Suann - she sends it to you in this adorable little box, wrapped so pretty - it's like getting a gift!

As the snow falls outside my office window here on campus, and my baby is talking to her dolls on the floor here...and the big sisters were just dismissed early from school...I'm thinking we had better wrap things up and start heading home while we still can.  I love LOVE LOVE snow but hate driving in it, especially when I have the kids with me.  I think the baby could stay here all day - she gets loads of attention from everyone that walks by my office door...and the students think its funny that my office is set up like a nursery.  Hey, it works and everybody is happy!

Happy Snow day all!

Ciao, TRP