beebee buttercup

A while back I mentioned that I was working on a project that I was not quite ready to reveal yet... well it is ready now.

Click on the image to link to:

This project has actually been in the making since before Sadie was born when I made my first nursing cover for myself (and boy have I made a lot of revisions to that nursing cover over the last few months). I decided to turn the idea for this nursing cover and personalized receiving blankets into a business after many happy gift-recipients mentioned that they would love to buy gifts like these for other moms and moms-to-be but found that there were no local retailers selling similar handmade products. I decided to take the plunge about three months ago and began designing and sewing products and my website (which ended up taking a lot longer than I thought - but I think it was worth the wait).

Today is the official launch of my new website and in celebration I am offering one free boo boo pack with any purchase over $30.00! (if you don't know what a boo boo pack is you will just have to visit the site to find out!)

A fact of mama-hood

Spit Happens! We all know it, maybe we all dread it a bit (at least the laundry that it creates). So I'm fighting back (in a totally chic and functional way of course). Introducing the Spit Happens! burp cloth. Made from organic cotton prefold cloth diapers, embellished with designer prints and embroidered with the phrase "Spit Happnes!" I love them, they are big enough to be effective and super absorbent so they are really good to clean up those messes that I wasn't anticipating as well (ahem... remember the extremely car sick toddler? Yeah, I think that Sweet Pea will be requiring these more than Baby S!). I'm going to be keeping a few for myself and there are a few that I'm saving for upcoming baby shower gifts.

From Apples

Tonight before dinner I decided to make a quick batch of applesauce from some fresh from the orchard Cortland apples... and it is (was) delicious!

To make this ridiculously simple applesauce I washed and quartered the apples (peels on, cores intact)

Cooked until soft

Strained with this hand me down strainer (it has seen a lot of applesauce let me tell you!)

Marveled at how pretty and pink it is

Then handed the spoon over to this adorable toddler.

Easy Peasy!

Lemon scones, tea and quilting

I had a fabulous morning. It started out with these lemon scones that I made on Thursday (much better fresh, but still a nice way to start out a Saturday morning). Mmm... so good.

Then I popped over to a friend's house for tea and a little quilting. I recently found out that this friend (an interior designer) has a long arm quilting machine and she agreed to quilt this little quilt for me. After showing me the ropes it was all mine and I had so much fun. I have been stalling on a few other quilting projects because while I love my little Janome machine, it is just that a little machine and there is no way that I could possibly stipple anything other than a baby sized quilt on it. But now that I have access to this long arm there is no stopping me! I just wish that I thought to bring my camera. I had no idea when I went over this morning that I would be doing the quilting!

(I will post a picture of this entire quilt when I get the binding completed)

Cozy Nights

I am a bit late posting about this but better late than never. This is the polar fleece/flannel sleep sack that I made for Baby S a few weeks ago. All of a sudden the temperature dropped and the girls rooms have been freezing, even with the heat on! Baby S is at that thrashing and rolling around in her crib stage, with no regard for warmth (until it is too late) so I figured that she needed something that would roll around with her.

She loves it and so do I. I made the shoulder straps attachable with Velcro to make it easier to get her out, and I'm so glad that I did. It is so soft and snuggly and I'm thinking about making one for myself (well, maybe just a flannel lined polar fleece blanket for the bed).

Fall cleaning

Nick and I decided to take advantage of the holiday today to do some fall cleaning. I had papers (left out from when I was finishing up my course) all over my desk making it increasingly difficult to find room for sewing... so my fabric and notions were beginning to take over our bedroom. I didn't take a before picture of the fabric because honestly, it was terrifying - but this is what my ribbons looked like before I spent a half hour sorting them.

This is the 'after' shot of some of my fabric

And the 'after' shot of my ribbons. Its so beautiful, I just cannot look away!

There really is something to be said for having an organized workspace. It takes so much less time to get the materials needed for a project when you can actually see what you have, and then easily access it. I know this but I am just terrible keeping things organized. I am a great organizer, but I'm also a closet slob... I would much rather get started on the next project then clean up what I was just working on. Terrible way to be I know, but some things I'm afraid just cannot be changed! So for the next little while at least I have a lovely, organized area for my fall crafting.

Wee "haping" hands

Almost every night this mama gets a lovely little sewing break before bath time. Nick and the girls come upstairs with me to play and I get to sew. Tonight I just had to take a "too cute" break. I was working away on this project when a little person started pusing at my legs trying to get me out of the way.


I said "Sweet Pea will you play with Baby S?" and she replied "NO, I HAP". Well how could I refuse. So off she went with a ruler and handful of scraps to "HAP" (help) me work. She took them to a safe place (her room), where she is still running them (one at a time) back and forth between a random spot in the middle of her floor, and my sewing machine. I love it when he haps me like that!

Gardenmama :: Giveaway

If you haven't already done so stop by Gardenmama's beautiful, nature inspired blog to check out her latest giveaway! I won't give away the surprise, but its absolutely worth it.

Giving Thanks

We are having a lovely thanksgiving weekend, and we have much to be thankful for.

I thought I would share these pictures of Sweet Pea in her Halloween pj's because not only are they disgustingly cute... but I still laugh when I think of how much fun we had playing hide-and-go-seek behind the curtains. She thought I couldn't find her (notice the feet sticking out) and was absolutely vibrating with excitement as she threw away the curtain and screamed.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Well... signed, sealed, mailed didn't quite sound as good! In an effort to motivate myself to get finished with the course work I started this post back on Aug 26. I figured that if I saw it hanging around in the drafts box every time I logged in it would remind me to stop messing around and get back to work! And I think that did the trick. 20 months of research and work are on their way over to CAPPA for evaluation and if they like it I will be writing my final exam very soon. The shipping costs for 100+ pages of lesson plans kind of sucked and were I not so detailed oriented (and had I not made my 5 week course 'outline' so long) it might not have hurt the wallet so much, but none the less I am happy with how they turned out. I can't even express how good it feels to have this finished. In the future I probably will not start a new course a month after having a baby, and if for some reason I do I will not be following up with a second baby just a year later!

Well, realistically I probably would do it all over again the same way. I am so passionate about babies and natural childbirth, I cannot wait to have my certification and start teaching!

Next up

Oh, I can't even wait but I'm not telling yet!

Snuggle Quilt

I don't know why I've never made a rag quilt. I'm trying to think of reasons but I just can't. I whipped this up the other day and couldn't believe what a quick project it was. I used some new winter themed flannelet and it is so soft and warm - I just love it. I will be making similar snuggle quilts for the girls. This one measures aprox. 27" x 27". I will make one for Baby S that is the same size but my little Sweet Pea is getting big enough now that she might want hers to be a bit bigger. I am really excited to make the girl's quilts, I bought the fabric last winter but was just so busy, tired and pregnant to get around to making anything out of it.

52 Books :: Week 41 (Book 32)

I have been a little lax with this here blog of mine as of late. Life has been so hectic that there hasn't been much down time, certainly not enough to actually take, download and post pictures! Baby S is now 6 months old and rolling like crazy, and my not-so-little-anymore Sweet Pea has entered the "terrible twos"... I hope the saying "in like a lion out like a lamb" can apply here as well! So this mama spends her days trying to entertain both, create meal ideas that will appeal to the picky eater at my table, attempt to sleep (ha!). And if I get can them, I will set aside a few minutes to sew every day. I'll have some pictures to post soon but for now I'll have to be satisfied with another book post.




I have heard only the best things about You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy and am really looking forward to getting started in on it.