Lo Siento, Mis Amores...

...for my lack in sewing and blogging activity. Unfortunately, I don't have any crafting news....other than I found out how much it is to ship one of my plushies across the world. I sent one of my Ruby 'Roos to Australia, and unfortunately, because I am naive and inexperienced, I did not make a profit off that one. $34 to ship! And that's with a discount. YIKES! Hopefully, once things calm down, I can actually start posting about some new projects, like the elastic waist tiered skirt.

Yesterday I was only home for 3 hours, between babysitting and attending a friend's wedding. I've also been busy brushing up on my curriculum knowledge because the big interview is coming up (for a lead kindergarten position, part time). I'm a bit rusty, because for three years I've been focusing on toddlers, and kindergarten is a very different ball game. It is big in the sense that it is my only LEAD position interview in about 3 months, and only my second interview in that time as well. I am really hoping for this one, since it will give me time to either craft or work as a second source of income, and give me the freedom to go back to school. It will also, however, determine whether or not we will be looking for a second car, and whether or not I will need to obtain my driver's license in just a few short weeks. Mainly, this is because if I end my day at noon, I'll need to have some way to get around because I don't think I could find 6 hours worth of extra work to do every single day. Actually, being a first year teacher, I probably could...

The second car discussion has been in the works since I started my job search way back in February. My boyfriend and I treated our waitress at Olive Garden to a very entertaining conversation regarding this. The big question is: to buy used or new, AND in conjunction, whether to go big or go home, as I put it. You see, my boyfriend is a car enthusiast...and not just any car enthusiast...an Audi enthusiast. And over the past 3 1/2 years, some of that "elitist" (as a close friend and fellow car enthusiast called him) attitude has rubbed off on me. If we had unlimited resources, I would want an Audi S5 in Daytona Grey...a beautiful, subtle color with more *sparkle* than some other colors...very deep grey, not silver. I've been lusting after this car ever since I saw a fellow enthusiast unveil his stereo mods at a get together...it was like love at first sight. But I digress.

And I digress because that car is way out of the picture. In all honesty, if we were to buy new, I would want a cheaper car, perhaps the Honda Crosstour. Not as sleek and sexy, nor as quick and loud (things my boyfriend has planted in my brain as qualities to attain through various car-modding...aka buying better parts and installing them for enhanced performance, sound or aesthetic). A hybrid would also be nice, mostly for the gas mileage.

What we would most likely be buying is a used car that has all wheel drive so I won't get caught in a New England snow storm, with nothing but my limited driving experience and Masshole drivers to help me out of a snow bank. I'd likely get stuck and eventually run down by some idiot texting on a cell phone about how long it is taking him to get from Boston to Lexington. My favorite options would be something along the lines of an Audi Allroad, or a Lexus suv of some sort. I know that if we buy used, it will be something of German engineering that my boyfriend can have fun modding, though he is trying to talk to me into thinking of a Saab or an Infiniti. But, all the talk about how Audis are the best have made me want to show up at a get together with my own Audi to show off. I do enjoy a Mercedes, though I don't like the designs of the older models, which is what we would be getting anyway. So the Allroad is really what I would want if we went used.

And this is only my side of the discussion...add my boyfriend's opinions in there and we really gave the waitress a show...arguing over whether we'd be able to afford an extra covered parking space (my argument was, "Can you IMAGINE me shoveling my car out of 4 feet of snow?!?!") and that I think we go cheap if new and BIG if used. I really dread the moment if we do need to get a second car, because it is not going to be pretty....I'm going to regress to acting like a 5 year old and whining about how pretty the car is, while my bf will be haggling for a better price and trying to convince me to that the bumps on the front of the older Mercedes really don't look that bad (and yes they do).

I apologize about all the car talk. Cars really do take up a lot of our free time. Since my boyfriend is a big enthusiast, we go to a lot of car events. I love looking at all the shiny cars, including imported, modded and just plain gaudy cars. This has spoiled me (a girl who grew up never even wanting to drive, and only knowing four main car manufacturers...Ford, Chevy, Nissan and Toyota) and while I am going to want a pretty shiny car, I know we'll be getting something practical, drivable and parkable and affordable...which means no Audi Q7 for me.  Poo.

Me next to a Lamborghini Gallardo at a car event...

Me in a 1980's Ferrari...the owner let me sit in it!

I hope you enjoyed my decidedly off-topic post. I needed to fantasize about the exciting part of this prospective job, and not the very real possibility that I will get a stomach ache the morning of the interview from nerves and forget everything I read about phonemic awareness and the importance of narrative and expository texts in early reading instruction. As Jim from the Office put it so eloquently, "Lord beer me strength."

You're My Cha Cha

Today, this blog is dedicated to all those people who have supported me this week, either through sales or by coming on my blog, clicking around, using my Google search, etc...because I was short on money this month and was worried I wouldn't be able to pay either my rent, student loans or health insurance on time...one of them was going to have to get pushed back a little. But thanks to those who have ordered from my shop or checked out the ads on my blog, I will be ok! I know it sounds corny, but I love you all for giving me some support when I needed it! *big squishy hugs!*

One of those orders was a Mini Kitty that the Curious Cupcake shop chose. This is my first mini, and I must say, she turned out as good as I could hope for! She's a little larger than half-size, but still quite a bit smaller than her big sister. I was able to take my regular pattern, placing those pieces under my paper and eyeballing about a half inch off the sides. I'm making a mini Ruby 'Roo for Karilan, who won the One Month Giveaway...I'm excited to see how that one turns out. And my other two orders were for big Ruby 'Roos! So there will be a lot of sewing this week!

I finally went to Staples and got myself some packing supplies so I don't have to pay extra at the post office. That with my new business cards, thank you cards by Invite Me, and some more tags that I'm printing out tonight, will have me ready to send out all these orders. Keep them coming everyone!!! =D 

I know this is a short post, but I've got lots of sewing to do!

Give a Little Heart and Soul

Hello readers! I am still singing the songs from the concert, and since my back is feeling a little better, I am in a chipper mood! So today, I tried out my newest baking pan that my boyfriend ordered for me, from Debbie Meyer. It has this little attachment that creates a hole in your cupcakes to add filling. A couple years back, there was a place in the North End of Boston called Tranny. They made ice-cream-injected cupcakes and we talked about going, but they closed before we ever really went. So this idea of filled cupcakes has been in the back of our collective appetites for a while now. And finally, FINALLY I have filled cupcakes! It's not ice cream, but it is a frosting overload and I love it. :)

I've made my pattern for my "minis" that I've added to my shop, and I've started the first one that was ordered Friday night. Hoping to finish it to send out tomorrow. It's a custom order and she wants a mini version of my Rainbow Kitty. I'll post pictures as soon as it is finished. I added these to my store because a couple people on the Etsy forums mentioned the price being a slight deterrent, so these little guys will be half the size, and thus, half the price.

I got some fun things in the mail this weekend! A Christmas present that I ordered for a family member from The Curious Cupcake came this weekend and it is even prettier in person. They included a free gift with my purchase and a personalized thank you note. I was so impressed and definitely recommend them! I also got my business cards that I ordered from Moo a while back and I love them! I got the smallest package to try them out because they are a bit pricier than generic business cards, but I love that you can put photos of your products on the back and include your own graphics. I think these will definitely make a statement and get people to my shop, not just tossed in the trash. Do you have business cards? What do you think?

Well, I'm off to work on my custom order. I hope you are all enjoying your Monday!

My Hanson Day

Now, now, before you make fun of me for being a teenie bopper, go to my Soundtrack to Sewing tab and check out the new Hanson album, Shout It Out. Because it is awesome and not teenie bopper.

Now that I've made my disclaimer, I can continue. So my friend from college had an extra ticket to see Hanson, and since Rooney was opening (who I need to add to my SoS btw...) I was super excited! We went down early to attend The Walk, which is a mile long walk barefoot (I cheated and wore sneakers for my back) that Hanson puts on. They donate $1 for each person who attends toward an AIDS related charity of their choice...I, of course, chose building a school. It was a pretty nice walk, even though the humidity made it a little sticky. We arrived 10 minutes late, due to bad directions from google maps, and almost getting t-boned by an ice cream truck! A little jog over to the crowd and we ended up walking by Isaac the whole way. He was pretty friendly and chatted with some of the fans. At the end of the walk, we stopped by a beach and a cemetery...weird place to talk about AIDS charities, but never-the-less it was pretty inspirational.

Afterward, we walked back and registered so our dollar would get donated and then headed out to lunch. I don't know how many people are familiar with the South Shore, but the town we were in was very small and seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere (pun intended). We found a Japanese restaurant and hung out there for a while until it was time to head to the concert venue, the South Shore Music Circus. A very small but clean and beautiful venue with a rotating stage.

The show was awesome. Rooney opened up and played some stuff I haven't heard, but also played a couple of my favorites from their first album. The Hanson portion was full of really high energy, great music, and of course, lots of screaming. We were able to sneak up to the front so my pictures turned out really great. The BEST part of the show, in my opinion, was their cover of Oh! Darling by the Beatles. I was able to get a pretty good  video of it...you can watch it here. One of my favorite bands playing my favorite song by my absolute favorite band = kickass.

I had fun taking up close pictures of the drum kit, the guitar pedals, and so on. If you're not a fan of Hanson, I apologize for this non-sewing-related post. If you are, enjoy some of my favorite pictures.

A Pain in the Bum

Here she is! My back was feeling well enough today for me to finish up my rainbow kitty and I'm pretty proud of how she turned out. I was playing around with options for her face and I had these circular scraps...I  was going to try them for whiskers, but then they were sitting near her nose and I had a stroke of genius...I don't know what you would call those...her nose or mouth? But I've seen cats drawn that way and it looked pretty cute. I also added a little tongue too. What do you think? I already have an order for a custom mini version of her, which I sold through my fame sale this evening. The fame was pretty successful. I sold another Ruby 'Roo, as well as a custom blanket order. So it was well worth my 30 minutes of 25% off!

Also today, I confirmed my interview for part time kindergarten. I've got to freshen up a little on my curriculum knowledge before then...I'll be busy this next week and a half studying for that and sewing my custom orders I got tonight. But it will be well worth the effort. I'm hoping that my back will be able to handle this much activity...so far, today my lower back is feeling better, although I'm getting pain in my bum, down the back of my legs, wrapping around my foot. I had done this before, a while ago, and the physical therapist said it was an irritated nerve, but not to worry. That's easy for him to say, he doesn't have a sharp pain in his bum and legs! In any case, it's annoying and can be painful, but at least my lower back is better. I'd rather have leg pain than pain with sitting.

Tomorrow will be another busy day, hopefully the back will handle it. I'm going to see Hanson in concert with a college friend...we're also doing a one mile walk for AIDS awareness beforehand. Walking is fine, it is actually when I'm most comfortable, so I think that will do ok. Now what to wear....I'm thinking either my ruffle jean skirt or my blue floral skirt. But with white sneakers...you know...for the arch support. :)

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! If it's hot where you are, stay cool! And if it's cold (for those on the other side of the globe) stay warm!

And Slowly We Go...

My back is still acting up...argh! I'm back to spending a lot of the day in bed or reclined  on the couch. It's so frustrating, I thought I was past this! But I've made an appointment with my doctor in two weeks (first one available). I'm going to ask about acupuncture, because it feels like my muscles are just super tight, and my tailbone gets sore. It almost feels like there are a couple nerves that are irritated too. All I know is, I've got some interviews coming up and I really need to be able to move by then. *sigh*

Anyhoo, after a few days of laying around watching tv again, I risked the pain and did some sewing. My boyfriend came home from work and found me sitting on the floor cutting pieces of fabric...I felt like I got caught reading a dirty magazine! "I know it's bad for my back, but I've only been down here for 5 minutes! I swear!" I got a small amount done and then had to stop...but in these above pictures you can see what one of my plushies looks like before it is assembled. This one is a rainbow kitty...I think I should have done a blue body and green paws, but I think it'll still look nice. I'm trying to get new things in my shop because I won a "30 Minutes of Fame" on an Etsy forum so I am having a BIG sale on Friday night! 25% off everything in my store, PLUS free shipping on custom skirts or my exotic collection, AND because I have a Christmas in July sale, you can also get a custom order half price with any other regular price item. But it's only during 8-8:30pm EST on Friday night, so if you've had your eye on anything or need to buy Christmas gifts....*hint hint*

Ok, enough shameless self-promotion. This is another piece of fabric that I'm hoping to use soon, to add to my exotic collection. It's a red brocade with a black cherry blossom print. I think it'll turn out really pretty...now if I could just manage to sit long enough to make it.

So what are all of you working on? I'd love to hear about it...it would add some excitement to my day. :) Until then, Slinky will keep me company.

And the winner Is.....

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 20

Result: 6

Karilan Designs!

#6: Tweeted about your giveaway!

Congratulations! And thank you for helping me celebrate One Month of blogging!

Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Hello readers! Just want to remind you that the custom item One Month Giveaway ends tonight at midnight! There are 7 ways to enter, so head on over, help me share my blog and shop, and enter to win a custom plushie!

One Month Giveaway

The Sunshine Award

Chrissy over at Lila and Bells was kind enough to put me in her list of blogs that bring a little "sunshine" into her life, and I'm so honored! It was so sweet of her to give me this award, and now it is my turn to pass it along! The rules of receiving this award state that the receiver is to pass it along to 12 other blogs whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. I hope that you will check these blogs out because they are incredibly unique and written by very talented people!

DIY Weddin Invitations

Fairyspit

Feather's Flights

Missouri Bend Studio

NewCreatioNZ

Oops! I Craft My Pants

Yes, Teacher!

Adventures in Dressmaking

Capture the Moment

Karilan Designs

Sweet and Sassy Cards

Lithuanian Egg Art

That's really all I have to write about today. No sewing. My back has been pretty bad, similar to about 3 months ago, when it was uncomfortable to sit. So I've been reclined all day. It is very boring. :( I'm really itching to use these new fabric bundles and ribbon:

You can see Slinky kitty in her tree in the background. She's bored too. Haha.

Birthday Bear's Hat

My back is really achy and sore today, and it hurts to bend. I'm getting really frustrated and thinking maybe I should make a trip to see my doctor again. So, I didn't get to sew very much, but I did finish up the body of the Birthday Bear and got his little hat made. I used orange felt and ribbon for the trim. At the top, I sewed pieces of yarn to make it  a little more festive. I think he's turning pretty cute, and I don't think I'm going to use the "sleepy" angle...he looks more like he's singing. That's the great thing about creative projects...they can change and be even better than you expected.

Busy Weekend = Little Sewing

It's been a slow sewing week, since we have been oh-so-busy. I've only made small headway on one project. This is the face of the little guy I am working on for the 1st Birthday Bear project. My boyfriend picked out the material and we decided on a sleepy face...the request is to make a shirt and hat for the bear, so I'm doing an orange hat made of felt with a birthday ribbon for trim. On the shirt...well, that's still up for debate. I'm thinking to tie in the "sleepy" face, I'm going to do something along the lines of "The best part of my 1st Birthday was cake and a nap!" Or some combination of First Birthday on the front, and the cake/nap bit on the back. I made his head/face a little askew...I think it gives him a bit of character. :)

The back is still on the fritz....so instead of staying the night in Rhode Island, we just went down for the day. Walked around in some shops, bought some fudge, had a meal. We went into an antique store and I saw lots of things I wanted (didn't buy), but the best thing was what looked like a tennis bracelet made up of diamond Chanel logos...for about $165. My boyfriend tried to convince me that it was fake, but I wanted to see it...in the end, I left disappointed and wishing I had made them open the cabinet, but of course I couldn't have bought it anyway. *hrumph* I've tried to look it up online and couldn't find anything resembling it, so it must be very fake. It was a pretty cool  find though. I also saw a vinyl Michael Jackson Thriller album, which can be found in my updated Soundtrack to Sewing, for $80! Can you believe that? Anyhow, we ended the day with dinner at the Red Parrot, which was yummy, and left as Cake took the stage at a nearby music festival.

Today was another busy day. We went to the Happy Endings Celebration over at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, where we adopted our cat last fall. There were hot dogs, veggie burgers, cupcakes, soda, popcorn, games, a slide show of happily adopted shelter alumni, and of course, the animals available for adoption. We had a great time visiting with a few kitties, and I fell in love with Dunkin, who has the same types of white markings as my little girl, but is orange. As we are in a one bedroom apartment, however, we decided to wait and see how our kitty handles being alone once I go back to work *hopefully* before we find a new friend for her. I'm a total sucker for a cute face, so I will be checking out their adoptable kitties online til then! I'll be making a stuffed kitty out of the ARL bandannas for the auction in September, and I will definitely post it once I finish it! And readers, if there ever was a good cause to donate to, this is the place! So please check them out and if you have a few extra pennies in your pocket, you know what to do. ;)

*Don't forget to enter My One Month Giveaway, where you can win a CUSTOM PLUSHIE! There are 7 ways to enter, you must be a follower, and it ends Wednesday night! So go enter and help me promote my little corner of the blog world!*

 

And now, I am off to relax, do some of my physical therapy exercises and maybe eat some red bean buns that we got at H-Mart today...YUM!

Hip Hip!

Photo courtesy of college magazine

I can't believe it has been three days since my last post! And I've done very minimal sewing....well, that's because it has been a busy end-of-week. On Thursday, my back was flaring something awful, so did a little bit more sewing on the birthday bear for my boyfriend's mechanic's son's first birthday (that's a long one!). Then I took a nap in preparation for our long evening. We drove down to MGM at Foxwoods Casino to go see Weezer...for free! The casino offered us free tickets (read: please come gamble) and we jumped at them. Now, I'm not a huge Weezer fan or anything...more of a casual listener, but I've always enjoyed what I heard. We got there just 15 minutes before the show and found our seats in the nosebleeds while the opening act, Rival Schools, was playing. They weren't too bad, I kinda enjoyed the music....more so than the frontman's voice, but there you have it. After another 25 minutes, Weezer finally came on and I was surprised at how much fun I had! Rivers Cuomo, Weezer's frontman, was beyond entertaining! Jumping down into the crowd during a lot of the concert, letting fans sing into his mic, grabbing people's hats, rolling off the stage in a desk chair, jumping onto the drum kit via a trampoline. They played a lot of their biggest hits...Island in the Sun being my favorite, or maybe Buddy Holly. It's a toss up. My back was really starting to hurt, so I was standing, sitting, trying to stretch out my back during the entire thing. By the end of the night, I was really feeling it, but it was totally worth it.

Yesterday, I had an interview for a floating teacher position....a little last minute, but it went well. I still have my other interview in August, but could this be a glimmer of hope? Could I be employed in the next couple of weeks? I sure hope so!! We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Museum of Science, checking out the new Whale exhibit. It was so hot outside there was no way I was going to do anything outdoors. By the time we got home, around 7pm, I was so exhausted that I went to bed...and slept til 10 this morning! Hopefully, the rest of the weekend will be a little more productive...or at least spent at the beach in Rhode Island. We'll see.

A Little Business

This afternoon I worked on my labels. I made 9 of them...already printed and cut from another day. I took the two pieces, placing them back to back, and stitched them together to keep them flat and loop-free. The edges fray a little bit, but I can't use any adhesive (because of lead/fire testing), and the fabric doesn't heat-seal like ribbon, so I'll have to live with the slight fraying. The important thing is that they have my registration number, company name, etc, and are attached to my animals in a "conceivably permanent fashion," or something like that.

And there's a label all attached and ready to go! A talented seller on Etsy, Brixton Studios, is making me a custom banner and button for my shop and blog, and I'm hoping to incorporate the button image onto my tags. I got a sneak peak today and it looks AMAZING, much better than I could have imagined! I'm super excited to put it up once it's all finished. :)

Finishing up with a picture from my label application. All my little plushies lined up to be stitched.

One Month Giveaway!

In honor of my first month of blogging, I'm having a giveaway! You can win a custom item from my shop, or I will work with you to design something else unique to you! There will be 7, count them, 7 ways to enter! Hopefully with your help, this giveaway will increase awareness for my blog, facebook page and Etsy shop, which will of course make me eternally grateful, and in turn you get a fabulous, CUSTOM prize! Are you excited?! I hope so! Here's how YOU could win!

How to Enter:

Each of these actions is counted as one entry, and you must leave a comment telling me which action you took. For example, "I tweeted your giveaway" and "I bought an item" would be two comments and two entries.

1. INITIAL ENTRY (MANDATORY): Become a public follower on this blog.

2. Visit Silver Rose Sewing and tell me what item you love!

3. Purchase any item at my Silver Rose Sewing Etsy shop.

4. Add the Silver Rose Sewing shop to your favorite sellers on Etsy

5. Grab the Silver Rose Sewing Button and display it on your blog.

6. Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link in the comments.

7. Become a fan of Silver Rose Sewing on Facebook.

 The giveaway will end in one week, Wednesday, July 21st at 11:59pm. Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner, so if you do not have your email public on your blogger profile, leave it in your comment.

So what are you waiting for??? Enter the giveaway and spread the word!

Visiting My Little Ones and Some Baking

Today, I got to go in and visit my class! The center is closing their doors in just 6 weeks, so some of the children are starting to pull out and go to their new schools. I went over after babysitting in the morning, and spent some time during the kids' nap to chat with my former co teachers for a bit. I was so anxious to see my kiddos that I kept checking the clock, just waiting for wake up time! Finally, they started stirring! As they started getting up, moving around and putting their nap things away, one of the girls saw me icing a birthday cake (yep, I came on a good day!) and said, so softly, "You're back!" I almost teared up...and I am definitely going back at least one more time to visit before they close. It was really nice to spend time reading stories with them, getting hugs and just being with the great people I've been missing so much. Needless to say, after a morning babysitting and an afternoon with my kiddos, I came home and was FINALLY able to go to sleep within 10 minutes of hitting the pillow. Best sleep I've had in a while, I just hope I can fall asleep tonight. *crossing my fingers*

We've been eating well here! Last night we had a friend over and the guys helped me make a chicken pot pie! Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peas, chicken and a thyme crust. My first time using my marble rolling pin, and it turned out delicious!

And today my boyfriend made a fruit salad with strawberries, grapes, mango, nectarines, and pineapple. Yum!

Furry Walls

Photo from Orlando Sentinel

Furry Walls Cover

Have any of you seen Get Him to the Greek? Or Forgetting Sarah Marshall? If you have, you know about Aldous Snow, played by the hilarious Russel Brand, and his fictional band Infant Sorrow. Infant Sorrow is best known for their hilarious and inappropriate lyrics, but the best song from Get Him to the Greek (besides perhaps The Clap) is Furry Walls. If you haven't seen the movie, the hilarity of this song might be slightly lost on you, but if you HAVE then you understand why this is so dang funny. In a scene with P. Diddy, Russel Brand, and Jonah Hill, the group smokes a "Jeffrey" which is jam packed with every drug you can think of.  The only way to keep Jonah Hill from freaking out while mayhem ensues around him is to "stroke the furry wall." Now, I'm not going to go in depth on why the furry wall works so well, but it is one of the funniest parts of the movie! And this morning I came across a version of the song covered by Hanson. I've been a fan of Hanson for a long time, and this is one of the reasons I like them...they have no problem making (or in this case, covering) songs that are just silly and funny. Their new album, Shout It Out, is one of their best, with a lot of great upbeat songs (another reason I like them so much) that are great to just dance around the house to. I'm going to see them in concert in a couple weeks with a friend of mine from college and  I'm really excited to hear this album live...plus, I hope they play Furry Walls!! 

After all that excitement this morning, I put the song on my iPod and got sewing! This inspired me to make a new section on my blog...Soundtrack to Sewing. I'll update this periodically with songs or albums that I've been listening to during my creative sessions. The bear I made this morning turned out a lot bigger than the others, mostly I think because he is made of a cotton knit that is pretty stretchy, and I hadn't thought about that when I did my cutting. But he turned out really soft and huggable. Now that I've made all these bears, I'm running out of room to put them! So don't forget to check out my shop, share with others and pass it along! Alrighty, time for me to start on dinner (chicken pot pie) and sing along to Furry Walls one more time. :)

Why Buy These When You Can Make Them?

It's been a busy and difficult weekend. Yesterday I went to a birthday party for one of the children who was in my class. I got to see quite a few of the other children and their families and had a really great time chatting and catching up with everyone. The kids had a great time listening to a musician, running through the sprinkler and just playing in the yard. And of course cake is always a great thing! The party ended right on time when the rain started...we helped move all the food inside and then the sky opened up and it started POURING! My boyfriend and I decided to make a run for the car, so I took off my shoes and ran through two yards to get there...we were both totally drenched by then. And about 20 minutes later when we  went to a friend's apartment, my shoes got soaked when I stepped out of the car into a small river coming down Beacon St. So I didn't end up saving them in the end. Later that evening we picked up take out dim sum from Gitlo's (anyone in the Boston area, this is a GREAT place to go! Very small, all handmade-to-order by a guy from Hong Kong...he is brilliant and it is one of our favorite places to go...the sweet potato puffs and rainbow noodles are my favorite!).  We brought this home, because we were having my former co-teacher and her son over for dinner. It was really nice to catch up with her and her son had a great time play Rockband with my boyfriend. :)

I don't know if it was the running to the car, or the adjustment I did to my hips earlier in the morning, but last night was a horrible night's sleep. My back was killing me, and this nerve that I've pinched over and over that runs over my right hip started flaring..at one point I felt like my leg was going to fall off. A lot of Advil and some ice this morning helped ease the pain but after walking around the Legacy Place today my legs are cramping and my hips hurt again. I hope this isn't my back regressing.

Anyhoo, the point of this post was to talk about the inspiration I got today while walking around the stores at Legacy Place. We went and saw Despicable Me (great movie!) and then looked around at the shops nearby. I went into a handmade and local artisans shop, looking to see what kind of artists they feature there (I later visited the website and they offer consultations for $100 an hour...not what I'm looking for). Still thinking about my next move to market my bears. Ever since I started sewing clothes, I've had a hard time buying anything from the stores. Mostly because I think, I could make that for a lot less! Not the super fancy things, but for instance those skirts that are just elastic and fabric. I saw a ton of these in H&M and they are so easy! I couldn't find an example of the H&M ones but this one (MetroparkUsa)  is a simple example:

The ones I liked in H&M had some silky material with a bit of a bubble hem, which I liked a lot. And I've seen some tiered skirts that are just as adorable. So that is going to be my next project for myself. I always thought leaving the elastic visible seemed lazy, but hey...if it's trendy AND easy, why not??

Finally, my jaw dropped when I saw this next item in William Sonoma...a baby food maker. Now call me crazy, but if you have a normal kitchen and a blender or food processor, I can't imagine that you couldn't do what this machine does (and in larger quantities!). I don't have children, so maybe I'm wrong, but this seems like quite a rip off. What do you think??

He's Sorry....

Here's my Sari Panda! My boyfriend and I decided to change the mouth a little bit and oh my, I'm gonna toot my own horn, he is CUTE! The play on words works out and he really looks sorry. Haha. The material was really difficult to work with. There was a lot of fraying and boy was it slippery! I don't think this one would be good for small children, as a good hard squeeze or a too-tight pull might cause a thread to loosen, so I listed him for older children.  He's super silky and smooth and I love the way his color changes a little in the light.

You might have noticed that I did a little reformatting to the blog. I added tabs for About Me, Tutorials and my favorite, Sensational Shops! This is a growing list of Etsy shops that I've come in contact with and just love! Make sure to take a peek at each of them because there are some really great, quality handmade items found there. Why don't you head on over right now? I'll wait....and while I do, I'll take another peek at Sari Panda.

Well, it's been a long and busy day! Spent a lot of time working on the blog, finishing Sari bear and cleaning my apartment. I've got a former co-teacher coming over for dinner tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I didn't have lot of fabric scraps all over the place. And after watching Shutter Island, I am totally creeped out and need to read a little bit of my new book, The Wedding Girl, to make sure I don't have any dreams of Leonardo DiCaprio coming after me.

A Productive Day that Ended Flat

After many, many days of having a horribly skewed sleep schedule, I managed to stay awake on only 4 hours of sleep...hoping that will pay off tonight! Having an early morning meant I got a lot more done today! I started out by getting my labels finished, cut out and one attached! These are required by law and must include manufacturer name, location, products used and (because I live in MA) my registration number as a licensed stuffed toy manufacturer. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that me, my sewing machine, and 11 stuffed animals equals a business, but it's official! I have a piece of paper and $300 missing from my account to prove it!

Anyhooo, after my labels got rinsed, dried, ironed and cut (while watching What Not to Wear), I sewed one onto my newest bear, then I also added some daisies around her ears and a ruffle of lace on her head. I think it makes her a little more fancy. Afterwards, I took her and the 'Roo outside to do a quick photo shoot. Outside by the flowers is always so much prettier than in the stuffy apartment.

This is my project I started this afternoon. I know...a HUGE departure from my "style" so far, as far as the facial features. I bought felt at the craft store this time instead of felt buttons...partially because the buttons were overpriced and partially because I wanted more control over the size and color. This little guy is Sari Bear...my boyfriend's pick of fabric and name. he thought it would be a funny play on words...thinking you could give a Sari Bear when you are sorry. I just really like the fabric! The fabric had a gradient of color that created an interesting look...I went from lighter on the head, getting darker on the way down, with the feet being the darkest, and a little more color on the ears. I didn't expect this to be anything more than a stylish choice, but when I sewed the ears on, the first thing I thought was "This looks like a panda!" So I chose to do matching blue panda eyes. I also added a mouth. The conception of that design was my boyfriend too...I think it turned out kinda cute. Unfortunately, I ran out of stuffing, so he is still flat and deflated. What do you think of this style?

My cat had to come investigate. ;)

The Roo!

Yesterday I started on a puppy for my boyfriend's car enthusiast website, hoping to make a sample to pitch to them as a new merchandise item. He asked me if instead of a round face, I try to make a nose that sticks out a little bit. I did by cutting the circle pattern in half and creating a profile in the center. This would make the head three pieces. I also tried a different pattern for the ears, which still unfortunately need to be tacked down to get the right affect. In any case, after getting the head assembled, I realized that my puppy looked far more like a kangaroo than anything else...and what a cute kangaroo it would be! And thus, this 'Roo was born!

I kept the body mostly the same, but with a little pocket-pouch and a longer, thinner tail. I really love how she turned out, I almost don't want to sell her!

Isn't she darling? She is a bit larger than my other animals and I stuffed her very tightly so she's got a more defined shape. I made her eyes and nose out of felt, stitched on my hand, and I just LOVE how you can put little trinkets in her pouch! My boyfriend told me I should make a baby to go in her pocket, but in my mind, she is a baby, so she wouldn't have one. I like the idea of bringing this little girl on adventures outside and bringing home special treasures in her pouch. You know how children always have something to bring home, like a rock or a leaf. Although, then her poor pouch would get dirty...

In other news, I have an interview in August for a half-day kindergarten position! I checked my email yesterday and was totally prepared to see another rejection, but when I saw that it was good news, I was almost jumping up and down! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will go well. I have a month to prepare, so I think I will be on my game. ;)

I'm going to be doing a giveaway next week and was wondering what item you would most like to win! Please comment with your ideas! That's all for now. Happy Thursday!