something old & something new

in honor of the new year, i'm clearing out.

clearing out drawers,
clearing out closets,
and now clearing out my shop!

all christmas items are marked waaaay down.
and for the first time (i think ever), my last version of posy pins are all on sale -
more than 30% off!
holy sale, batman!
look in the "on sale" category for more items marked down.

and, also in honor of the new year, i'm adding lots of *new*!
i've altered my posy pin design and now have a fuller, fluffier version.
i'm loving grey and yellow right now and i think you'll see that in my new products.

so head over to my shop and help me finish off this year with a *BANG*!

-lindsey

christmas, part 2

christmas eve

step 1:
go to church

step 2:
make note to self to NOT sit in front with a fidgety toddler next year.
why?! who sits in front with kids?!
bad idea.

-lindsey

guest blogger nicole: "my anthropologie knock-off"

inspired by this...

i made this...

i think i like mine better!

how about you?

-nicole

christmas, part 1

step 1:
bake cookies with family.
dozens and dozens of cookies.
maybe some of denise's peppermint crack, too.
step 2:
eat.
only stop to sleep.
then eat some more.

-lindsey

spinning

oh how my mind is spinning!

we got back home late last night from 5 days at my parents' house - 5 very relaxing days. i brought my machine with, but never once broke into the 3 bags of projects. i only made a handful (ok, mason jar full) of covered buttons.

as soon as our car pulled into the garage last night i felt like i hit the ground running. having so much time to relax gave me lots of time to think. time to think about new year's resolutions, new business ideas, parenting conundrums, and desires for my home. i got us all nearly unpacked and laundry started last night, which lead (somehow) this morning to me sorting through the kids clothes to give away to smaller friends, which lead to me keeping some sentimental stuff and some for crafting with (i love to repurpose clothes! they have found their way into many a posy pin).

i organized the playroom last night, but have a lot left to do today. i really want a fresh start for school when we go back next week. we have piles and piles everywhere. to have a clean surface in my house is a rare thing. that's one of my resolutions - to stop piling!

i started reading this book over our break and it has inspired new ideas for my business. new ideas can be a little scary for this little business because it generally means growth, which i don't know if i have any room for! but many of the ideas really are practical things, like just being more organized, which doesn't take much more than discipline. anyone know where i can find some discipline?

ok, i better just stop here. i have so much more to share, but am really just delaying the inevitable of just getting started! more to come... new product pics, christmas recap...

have a good day, my friends!
-linds

'twas the night before christmas

the children were nestled all snug in their beds...

merry christmas!
-lindsey

biker babe

sure, babe.
whatever you want.
seriously.
anything.

-mama

birthday skirts

i love making these skirts!

my girls have 2 birthday parties to attend this week, and the birthday girls are sisters.
so, of course, these sisters need some matching girly skirts!

they are so super full and great for twirling.
gracie said they looked like cupcake skirts, with the striped paper wrapper and frosting with sprinkles - perfect!

these skirts are really easy to make, great for a beginner.

wrap them up in $1 buckets, some tissue paper & curling ribbon, a tag, and we're ready to party!

i still need to try making one of these skirts for myself...

-lindsey

deck the halls: check!

want a little tour of my christmas decor?
here ya go!

let's start with the tree.
yes, it's fake.
sorry to disappoint, but after a few years of forcing my husband and his allergies to suffer through the christmas season, we (he) decided it wasn't worth it.
and i must say the only thing i miss is the smell of a real tree.
the convenience and overall cost savings far outweigh missing out on the smell.

the tree is mostly covered in balls, breakable at the top, plastic at the bottom.
i stood by my promise to not buy any christmas decor this season, but i did have some stuff in my cart a few times!
i'm hoping to hit a great after-christmas sale and get more ornaments (balls) to fill up the tree.
i'm kind of into going obnoxious/gaudy for some reason.
also on the tree are picture frames filled with friends and family.
the kids love looking at all the pics.
and my mom gets each of the kids an ornament each year - stars for gracie, snowflakes for lily, and reindeer or silas.
this year i also added some random long strings on pearls.
i'd love to get some more colorful beaded strands another year.

you can see my kids (silas especially) like to redecorate the tree.

now on to the mantle.

i still need to put names on our stockings, but after seeing these i just may be making new ones for next year.


last thanksgiving we made these believe banners, and i also made the fabric trees for a christmas party last year.


i love them all clustered on the mantle, and gracie's little deer were the perfect addition, don't you think?

a little birdy bowl filled with bling, which silas inevitably sprinkles throughout the house.


the birdcages are always great for seasonal decorating.
the big one got the same treatment as last year,


and the little one holds a cakeplate full of glittered candlesticks and plastic crystal bling.

the kids have a little white feather tree in the playroom that has some paper chain and all their handmade ornaments.
oh, and of course a my little pony!


ah, the feather wreath again!


this year i added some extra color with ribbon and strung a glittered "believe" ornament at the top.


i added a little glittered "joy" banner to my message board, and am pinning up all my christmas cards there.


i have all my blue mason jars lined up along the windows behind the tree.
they held votives for the boutique.

i have 5 of these tiny wreaths on each window facing the back yard.
i added glittered berries i got a couple years ago on clearance from michaels, some tiny ornaments, and lots of ribbon.

i put red glass beaded garland around the chandelier and hung more ornaments.

can you see my reflection in the ornaments?
yes, i'm wearing a big fuzzy robe.
and it was the middle of the day.
leave me alone, i'm on vacation.
ok, so i'm always in my pajamas, but isn't that one of the bennies of homeschooling?

-lindsey

bible carriers for kiddos

does anyone feel like we've lost the sight of what christmas really is?

it is so often all about what you get, especially when you're a kid.
now, i'm not a total grinch and not giving my kids anything, but i do want to give in a manner that is respectful to the celebration of christmas and to not encourage utter gluttony.

so here's our philosophy on christmas gift giving (to our kids):
3 gifts for each kid (as a reminder of the 3 gifts jesus was given)
1 "santa gift" - usually the toy they asked for or the biggest gift. last year it was bikes.
a few small gifts in their stockings - i try really hard not to give junk that i will want to toss in a week.

so this year we decided to get our girls new bibles.
not that anything was wrong with what they have, but the tiny ones without pictures are too advanced for gracie to read and comprehend right now, and lily really doesn't get something new very often, so it would be nice for her to get a bible not handed down.

since they bring their bibles with them to church every week, i wanted to make them little bible covers with handles. the last thing i want is to be carrying their new bibles for them!
but they also bring them into "big church", where they have to sit for a good hour+.
inevitably, at their ages, they need a little entertaining.
so i added a little pouch for each of them.
gracie's has colored pencils and lily's has crayons.

then behind each coloring pocket is another pocket that i stuck a dollar store pad of paper into.

these really weren't that hard to make, just took awhile of pattern drawing and math (2 things that are not my strong points!)

each layer is lined with flannel to add a bit more heft to the cover, and it's removable.

i also used button/elastic closures to hold the bibles shut when they're carrying them, and also on the coloring pockets.

i'm hoping i can write a tutorial on this one, but each bible is sized differently, so it'll be a lot of work! maybe after the new year!

-lindsey

cutie patooties

-linds

guest blogger nicole: ok. ok. ok!

{fyi - this is a guest post by my best friend nicole. get out the tissue...}

I have been avoiding doing this for far too long… but i owe it to my girl to get it done. for those of you that are new around here, i am nicole {and no, she doesn't have a blog!}. otherwise known as as lindsey’s guest blogging best friend who lived in a house in oregon with a rockin’ kitchen where i hung my family rules. i am also the girl who sold that house, and linds came to visit and pack me up so that we could be joined forever and ever together in san luis obispo (where she lives). however, after moving to slo, having my 4th babe, and enjoying far too little of my bff and her beautiful family...

we moved back to bend after only 3 and half months...

of course, part of the reason i haven’t guest blogged in forever is because the insanity of life changes and moves. but it is more because i am tired of telling the story. i am often tempted to write it up and print it on business cards to pass out. equally exhausted is lindsey who still bumps into people who say, “isn’t it great having your best friend here?”. … not fun for her at all. so sorry linds…

the details are a bore… i will save you from them. besides, now you all know how I feel about telling the story.

of course, even though we chose this, i do miss her. i miss her so much it aches. weekly. daily. hourly. sometimes by the minute.

we had an action packed, wonderful time while there. my hubby hardly worked and we spent time at the beach...

we had a BABY! still so crazy to think that i moved there only weeks before he was born... and lindsey was there to help me through my delivery...

went peach picking with a 1 week old...

tyler and gracie started kinder and first together...

sean and linds were able love on little curren ...

we treat-or-treated together ...

and we actually wore costumes that didn't require winter coats and hats... gotta love that cali weather...

we celebrated lulu's 4th b-day...

the boys turned 2 together ...

the kids ran wild together ...

and we did a lot of this...

so, what now? lindsey and i are getting our groove back. we are back to a phone friendship...something we have known for years. and we TRY to see the brighter side. right, linds? maybe we'll sneak off to portland again and we can always look forward to a summer visit with ...

the pancake breakfast and parade...

the boys on their "freedom ride"

cruddy fireworks...

working a summerfest booth for the pleated poppy...

silliness guaranteed (but i won't be 8 months prego!)

sorry far WAY TOO MANY PICTURES! it is sort of therapeutic for me...
probably depressing for lindsey. {just a bit... *sniff*}

i'll be back soon with something cheerier...promise!

:) nicole