Take Time To...

I am always working on self-improvement. I don't use self-help books, I use the Bible. I get advice from friends. I talk to my mother. Most importantly, I pray. Today is one of those days where I'm trying to remember to be the bigger person. This is not always easy. I would definitely rather be petty and childish and just do back what is being done to me. But I won't. Today I will choose the higher road. Tomorrow, who knows? Hopefully I'll choose the same, but

I have to take it day by day.

Today I stumbled upon this tutorial at Kind Over Matter for a Take Time Jar. I think this is a great idea and plan to make one for myself.


I love little reminders like this. Issa Sarza, the creator of this tutorial, has included photos, as well as a free download for the words to put on the glass beads. Very cute! Thanks, Issa and Kind Over Matter!

Crochet Owl Earflap Hat

I bought this pattern last week from Inner Hooker and immediately fell in love. I finished my first one last night and it's now available in the shop! I am so pleased with the way it turned out:)

What do you think?

I'm going to start on a pink one tonight. I have lots of color combos in mind, so I hope they're a hit!

Thing I Like Thursday: Another Etsy Edition!

My name is Sara, and I'm an Etsy addict. Here are some of my faves this week:

Polka Dot Hat with Owl Embellishment by BubblegumandPigtails

Little Buns Changing Mat PDF/Tutorial by bellasymphony

Little Owl on the Moon by zoozjewelry

Kyle the Racoon by Cuore

Only one more day to the weekend!

Craft Hope Project 8

By now, we all know about the devastation caused by the Gulf Coast oil spill. Personally, I've wandered what I could do to help and have come up with nothing. Luckily for me, the wonderful people at Craft Hope are partnering with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies to assist them in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals, mostly dolphins and sea turtles. This will be Project 8.

Craft Hope's Project 8 will be collecting handmade washcloths and hand towels for use in cleaning all of the dolphins and sea turtles. These will be thrown away after a few uses, so there is absolutely no need to worry about how they look.

If you can sew, knit, or crochet, then you can do this. They are asking that you create sets of hand towels and/or wash rags to send. Preferably in sets of 10 or 20.

Since they are called "Craft Hope", they do require that they be handmade, however, several people have asked about simply cutting up old towels and t-shirts to send. They said this is okay! Also, someone mentioned not being a sewer and wanted to do the cloths where you tie the edges with knots, like you can do for the no-sew fleece blankets. Craft Hope says this is good, too! So if you're not a crafter, please don't let this stop you!

Craft Hope says this is also a great opportunity to get kids involved. It’s a wonderful way to teach them about our beaches and the fragile marine life. Perhaps they can help you cut up the fabric? It's never too early to teach them about doing what they can to help save the environment, don't you think?

The project deadline is July 3rd, so you still have plenty of time to join in! I think I will get started tonight so I can get as many sets of 10 made up as possible.

If you want to join in with me for this wonderful project, go here.

You can send your handmade towels and wash rags to:

Kimberly Davion
c/o IMMS Oil Spill Relief
1700 East La Rua Street
Pensacola, Florida 32501
USA

They also said that if you'd like, include a bottle of Dawn dishwashing soap, as this is the soap they use to cut through the oil on the animals.

Don't you just love this project? It's so easy, and yet so rewarding. We can really make a big difference if we all step up to help with this! Please let me know if you intend to help!

I will love you forever if you help!! {Okay, I will anyway, but do it anyway--even you non-crafty peeps!}

Last-Minute Mother's Day DIY's

With Mother's day still 3 days away, I assume there are some who haven't picked up a gift yet. I'm usually really pushing it for some reason. Not only do we have Mother's Day in May, but my mom and my MIL both have May birthdays. Somehow, I seem to forget this EVERY YEAR! My SIL {<---she has a new blog, so show her some love} does, too, but luckily we always collaborate. I'm lucky to have a partner where that is concerned, especially since our MIL is very hard to shop for. I'm also lucky that my SIL adores shopping for gifts as much as I do! Anyway, here are some cute DIY gift ideas for Mother's Day:

Beaded Scarf:

I love this. It's so hip and funky. I might need one for myself, really. All you need is a store-bought scarf, some dangle earrings, jewelry wire and embroidery floss. I'm sure you can substitute some of these items if you're really crafty! You can find the tutorial here. Seriously, anyone can do this.

Monogrammed Tea Towel:

If you're pretty handy with stencils, check out this tutorial from MarthaStewart.com to make some monogrammed tea towels to match her kitchen.

Stamped Book Bindings:

If your mom loves to read like mine, this is a really cute idea, also from MarthaStewart.com.

Herb Garden Kit:

My mom loves to work in her garden, so I thought this was a really cute idea. I would probably get flower seeds instead of herbs though. There are a million things you can do with this. Perhaps add some gardening gloves and tools, or one of those pads you kneel on in the garden?

Thanks, Martha! I can always count on you!

Let me know if you have any cute Mother's Day gift ideas!

Wanna Make It Wednesday: May 5, 2010

Scotti over at The Oxford Family blog had the idea for a Wednesday theme: Wanna Make It Wednesday. I love new themes!

Here's what I wanna make this week:

Easy Fabric Vase Covers

Do you have any boring cylinder vases around your house that need sprucing? I don't, but I think I'll have to go to Hobby Lobby and buy some. {When they're 50% off, of course.} If you do have some, you should try out these Easy Fabric Vase Covers. Such a cute way to decorate while using up some of your fabric scraps. Two birds, one stone! Oh yea!

Happy Scrappy Skirt

I love this Happy Scrappy Skirt by Little Bit Funky. If you don't follow her blog already, you should. She made this skirt last summer and now offers the pattern for $5. You can get it in her shop. Perfect for summer and for using up more scraps! I'll definitely be ordering the pattern when she reopens shop after vacation.

DIY BabyLegs

I don't have a baby, but I think these would make a great gift. You can find the tutorial here. I hear these are pretty expensive if you buy the "real" ones, and I think the DIY's are just as cute. They can also be used as arm warmers, too.

Neck Pillow

It is impossible to find a cute neck pillow. Why not make your own? FREE pattern here:)

Wanna join in on Wanna Make It Wednesday? Link up over at The Oxford Family. Be sure to check out everyone else's posts, too!

So glad it's Thursday...

...because that mean's it's almost Friday! Finally!

I don't have much to blog about today, so I'll just share a couple of things I've been working on.

I made this cute little door hanger last weekend for my sweet nephew's bedroom.

I used the "H" from this pattern and just added a ribbon to hang the letter with. From start to finish, it probably took me about 20 minutes, which was fantastic. I love quick projects!

I also FINALLY finished a crochet project. I have about 5 in progress right now, due to some sort of craft ADD or something, and I won't tell you how long this has been sitting around the house. {Note to self: One project at a time!} Anyway, it's finally done and in the shop. I'm pretty impressed with my fortitude. Aren't you?

Maybe I'll finish another project tonight, you just never know. I bought a fabric yo yo maker at Hobby Lobby today and I'm pretty excited about testing it out. {In case you don't know, the round scraps of fabric under the button on the yellow hat are fabric yo yos. I didn't know this until I learned to make them.} They are boogers to make so I'm hoping the yo yo maker will make the process a little quicker and easier because I think they're super duper cute.

...and a special thanks to Scotti at The Oxford Family blog for featuring me today! You're too sweet!!

What Are You Doing Wednesday

photo from kindovermatter.com

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you already know that I have recently really felt that God was telling me to use the gifts and talents he has given me to help the less fortunate. I have been ABUNDANTLY blessed in so many ways. While I'm by no means "wealthy" or "rich", my husband and I live comfortably and don't have to worry about whether or not we can pay the bills. I have also been blessed with my creative abilities. Without Him, I would have and be nothing.

So, to make a long story short, I have decided that for EVERY BABY ITEM I sell in my shop, whether it be a bib, burp cloths, crochet hat, or whatever, I will donate one of those items {bib, burp cloths, crochet hat} to Hope Unlimited {a local Christian organization that aides women with crisis pregancies} or to our church's ACTS House, which gives free clothing and homegoods to families in need in our area.

Through this, I hope I am able to bless someone in a small way, as I am blessed daily. This also means I need to get more items in my shop, which is something I always put off. I love creating but hate listing. Boo hiss. If only I had an Etsy fairy...

*Profits from my shop will still go to the child I am going to sponsor through Compassion Int'l.

If you have any other ideas of ways I can use my craft for the greater good, please let me know! I'm always interested in new ideas. How do you give back?

Here are some blogs focused on using your crafts for the greater good:

Craft Hope

Snuggles Project

Kind Over Matter

God bless your day!

I'm still alive!

I'm baaaaack! My friend Jayme has been giving me a hard time about not blogging anymore, and I really have no excuse, except that I hate taking pictures of my projects. I love doing them, and want to even put some on Etsy, but I have a confession...I'm lazy. Atleast when it comes to taking pictures, uploading, doing descriptions, etc. ect. So, this one's for you, Jayme:)

Anyway, here's what I've been up to lately:

I finally learned to crochet, and made this fun little hat for my nephew. I hope to put some in my Etsy store soon. *Pattern from Nutella Dreams Late Night Crafts.

I also ordered a bunch of these elephants and am embroidering them for baby gifts. (Also comes in pink).

And for my newest crochet project, I made my nephew a monkey hat for his upcoming 1st birthday party, which is going to be (of course) a monkey theme. He's precious, I know!

*Pattern by Inner Hooker on Etsy.

I have a ton of new crochet patterns I'm planning to try, so I will post pictures soon. In particular, I hope to be posting some "green" crocheted face scrubbies in the shop soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Crochet

Happy New Year!


I have done tons of crocheting and have finally taken some pics! I really hope to get some hats in the Etsy store soon. Be on the lookout! Here's a pic for now. What do you think?

Pattern by:
Nutella Dreams Late Night Crafts
www.thnkdfrent.etsy.com

Learning to Crochet

I haven't told you this yet, but I'm trying to learn how to crochet. I just ordered a pattern from Etsy yesterday for a hat and really hope I can get it down. I think it would make some great Christmas gifts for my really sweet niece and nephews! (Shhh! Don't tell them!) Anyway, I hope I can master the art of crochet after seeing this blanket by Jill of Homemade by Jill. How precious is this?! I absolutely love it. She is just way too talented.

I will keep you updated on my crochet progress. Wish me luck!

Also, Jill is one of the competing crafters on the So You Think You're Crafty blog. Go vote for your favorite Harvest entry!

Lots of Custom Orders!

I was quite busy this weekend with some special orders for friends an family.

Presenting my first ever taggy blanket!

I made it for my 6-month-old nephew and he loved it! It got lots of chewing over the weekend. I embroidered his name on it, but quickly realized I should have used the bright green thread instead because you can't really see his name at all. Oh well. Here's a close-up.

I just love the 80's cassette tape fabric! I also worked on an order for a baby's 1st birthday shirt. Another first:

Off to work on more custom orders!

Wordless Wednesday: Our 2008 Pumpkins

Mr. Savvy Stitcher's Pumpkins:

...and mine:

Yes, our services are for hire ; )

Happy Halloween!

Foxy!

I am so excited about the new Foxy design released at Urban Threads today. Check it out!

How cute would this be on a onesie?!

Rag Quilt Alphabet

I found this fabric alphabet tutorial the other day on Happy Together and had to share! I was so excited for a new idea for a toddler gift and will definitely be making some of these for my nephew for Christmas this year. He will be 2 1/2 so I think he will be the perfect age for these. I may even try to make him some numbers, too. This is also the perfect way to use up some fabric scraps that I just can't make myself throw away--and now I'm glad I didn't!

Let me know if you make any--I'd love to see them!