Etsy Finds Friday

Happy Easter! Thank you for the camera suggestions. Hopefully I'll be back in a few days with photos from our holiday weekend. Until then, enjoy these spring picks.


1. PDF - Print You Own - Sweet Bunny Easter Flats or Pop Up Cards by wrenandchickadee
2. Linen Fawn and Lace Pouch/Wallet by Track and Field Designs
3. Daisy Spring Crochet Blouse by canselda
4. Kiele Necklace by Rachelle D
5. Doily - Floor Mat by gildem
6. Spring Cleaning Vintage Apron by In With the Old Vintage

I Need A Camera To My Eye

So my camera quit taking photos a few days ago!! The shutter release on my digital rebel just stopped working. I've got it in for repairs & I'm just waiting to hear back. The camera store may be able to fix it & if not they'll have to ship it off to canon for the repairs. In other words...who knows how long I could be without a camera. It could be weeks!

We have talked about getting a point & shoot camera for quite some time. One that we could take out with us that wouldn't be as bulky as the SLR. One that Dylan could tote around to take photos of old buildings & old mattresses in trash piles with & I'd still have my camera at home for everyday photos & shop photos.

It's only been two days & I'm not surviving well without my camera. Not well at all. I'm thinking that now might be the time to get that extra camera. Do you guys have any suggestions for good point & shoot digital cameras? Preferably ones that are on the inexpensive end.

Soft Little Bunnies

Finished a couple little bunny softies to go in the girls' Easter baskets this year. In the early stages of this project I had thoughts of these little fellas winning over my girls' hearts & becoming family heirlooms that will eventually get passed from generation to generation. That feeling quickly left as soon as I got to the stuffing part. These little guys are wonky! I'm really not sure why I ever attempt to make softies.


But of course I love the imperfections of handmade items. These guys are WAY better than anything that could be bought in the store. The bunny was drawn by daddy...stitched, backed in vintage floral (of course) & stuffed by mommy...and I can't wait to see how the girls take to them.

Etsy Finds Friday

I believe in handmade and I love etsy with all my heart. I plan to start sharing some of my favorite etsy finds with you every Friday. All of my picks are items that I would love to own myself. There are SO many beautiful handcrafted & vintage items out there for our enjoyment.

The rainy day we're experiencing out here in Ohio obviously influenced my choices for today. :)


1. Shoulder Bag in Green by bayabhippo
2. Reusable Vegetable Bags by wonderthunder
3. One of Those Days by ashleyg
4. Blue and Orange Cozy Quilt by auntjune
5. 4-Ever Print by SilhouetteBlue
6. moss terrarium No. 95 by madebymavis

Giveaway at Petit Elefant

Did I tell you guys that there is a Sparkle Power giveaway happening over at Petit Elefant right now? Well, I should have. Go check it out & be sure to subscribe to Allison's super cool blog.

Impromptu Princess Crowns

I get so sick of my girls asking me to buy them those crappy plastic princess crowns that break the very same day you buy them. A few days ago when they asked me for crowns to wear with their princess dresses, I just got to it. Freehand cut a crown shape from cardstock. Pink, of course. Then stapled a piece of elastic around the back.


They are actually holding up quite well and fit really great. Especially on Claire's little head. Now every morning after breakfast she asks for her dress & "town". I know they won't last forever, but it was a quick solution & who knew it would keep them happy for so long. They even wore them to dinner.

Spring Clean Week

I've officially declared this week Spring Cleaning Week. I even made a list of all I need to do. It's rainy out today & we don't have any errands that we have to go out & do, so today is a perfect day to knock a bunch of these chores out. I do love a clean house, I just hate doing the cleaning.

Take a break from some of your chores today to check out kind over matter where one of our daily affirmation prints is up for grabs in a giveaway.

Winners

The winners of the Nature's Source Cleaner Coupon giveaway are Lori, Rachel & Chanel. E-mail those addresses to me & I'll get your coupons in the mail! Thanks for playing.

Nature's Source Cleaner Coupon Giveaway

Are you getting into spring cleaning mode like me? I was happy to be able to try out this new line of cleaning products by SC Johnson. The Nature's Source cleaners really appeal to me because they are natural & safe for the environment. Made with 99% natural & naturally derived ingredients. The cleaning agent is derived from coconut & palm kernel oils. They are free of ammonia, bleach & phosphorous. Not tested on animals & packaged in recyclable bottles.

They clean really well & smell great...and I feel good about using these products around my family.

I have three coupons to giveaway for a free nature's source cleaner of your choice. Just leave me a comment on this post & I'll choose 3 winners on Monday. If you feel like sharing a green tip for us all, that would be great as well!

Dude! Life Is Busy

Has it really been almost a week since my last post? Yikes! I have been feeling so very behind for the last few weeks. Like I'm constantly trying to do 10 things at a time & still having trouble feeling like I'm getting ahead. So until I can get back here with something better, here are a few things of note:

* My exercise routine is definitely cutting into my time. I'm finding it harder to keep up with my housework. BUT! My waist is getting thinner & that makes it all worth it. Today I'm wearing a shirt that didn't fit me a few weeks ago. Hooray for diet & exercise & new clothes that were really there all along.

* Spring has decided to show itself around here. I am loving hearing the birds chirp, feeling sunshine on my skin & the feel of my bare feet on the kitchen floor. Life is good & all this beautiful weather has made a big difference in everybody's attitude. There is happiness galore around here & I'm just soaking it in.

* We went to see Langhorne Slim last weekend. He's great. I love hearing music live. I fall even more in love with my favorites after seeing & hearing it in a new way.

* Tomorrow night we'll be at the opening night of the Cleveland International Film Festival. We're pretty excited. Dylan has been working hard on this project for a while. :)

Matching Skirts For My Girls....Oh, Yes I Did

I am not the type to dress my kids alike...but I just couldn't resist.


After some serious neglect of the sew along blog...I've decided to get it going again. We're currently working on the oliver + s lazy days skirt pattern. I love this pattern. Seriously, love it. It's super, super simple & easy. I didn't have ribbon on hand so I used double fold bias tape for the finishing edge & that worked great as well.


My girls love their skirts. I love that Sadie thinks I can make anything. But, instead of saying thank you for the skirt she immediately asked if I was going to make matching shirts. :) Um, no. However, I am going to make a few more of these skirts for each of them before I move on to something else. I'm planning on making more of their clothes & spring is a great time to jump on that.

5 Things

1. I've added a few new flag garlands to the shop today.

2. I had a bad exercise week last week. Only worked out 3 out of 5 days...and I ate pretty crappy. Feeling more determined today. I'm going to start keeping a food journal. I have a goal to drink more water. I also want to have a salad & one vegetable side with dinner every night.

3. Daylight savings is hard to adjust to.

4. I promised Sadie that we could cut up a pineapple when she gets home from school. We're both pretty excited about that.

5. We have decided on full day kindergarten for Sadie next year. There are an number of reasons why. I just need to quit feeling like I'm a bad mom for making this choice. Ultimately, we think it will make Sadie happy & the whole family happy. She wakes up every morning & the first thing she asks is if it's a school day. With the long winters that we have here, I think an extra few hours of school will be good for her. It's hard for us to get out & so much of the time she is asking to play the computer or watch a movie anyway. If we decided to go half day then she would miss out on music, p.e. & art. All of which she'd love. For our situation & for Sadie in particular, we feel that this is the best choice. Thanks for all your input!

Kindergarten...Help!

Kindergarten registration is coming up this month. This year I have the choice to have Sadie go to all day kindergarten or just half day in the morning. This year she has been attending preschool every day of the week with 2 Fridays off per month. It's almost like she's been on a half day kindergarten schedule already. I'm feeling a bit stressed about this decision. Here are my thoughts...

Pros for all day:
* She is very social & really ready to learn right now.
* I could get more done around the house & w/ the etsy shop
* my house may stay cleaner
* I could have one-on-one time w/ Claire

Cons for all day:
* I would miss her
* She's at school more than at home during her awake hours
* I'd have to pack her a lunch
* We wouldn't be able to do as many spontaneous fun things in the afternoon

I think I've already made my decision, but I'd love to hear your input. Especially from other moms that have made this type of decision already. Chanel, I already know what you will say. :) I'm also putting a poll on my sidebar. So, go ahead & vote....doesn't mean that's what we'll do. It's just for fun.

March!

I'm so happy it's March, even though it's only 19 degrees out today. It means spring is coming sooner than later, right?

We have been so busy around here. I've got lots to tend to today & most of it is shop work. We are not complaining though. The increase in sales has been such a blessing & so helpful to our family.

I'm still on track with my exercise routine. I'm halfway through already. Any suggestions for good fitness dvd's that I can try when I'm finished with this one?

After dropping Sadie off at school I snatched this chair from the curb that somebody was throwing out. It's a cute wooden chair that I think I'll paint a cool color someday. I also took my neighbor's coupons out of his recycling bag last week. I'm becoming a real good garbage picker & instead of feeling ashamed, I'm quite proud of myself.

Anybody else feeling the urge to do some major spring cleaning? I want to organize & clean everything. I just need more time to get to it all.

I've decided to do a rotating monthly list of a few of my current favorite blogs so check that out on my sidebar. I'll be changing it up again soon for the month of March.

Light Turkey Meatballs

3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat)
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
salt & pepper

Place bread in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, scallions, garlic, parsley, egg, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently with a fork.

I use a cookie scoop to form meatballs & then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. To freeze, place baking sheet with meatballs in the freezer & freeze for 1 hour to set their shape. Transfer meatballs to an air tight container or a ziploc bag & store in freezer for up to 3 months.


I doubled this recipe & it made enough for 4 meals of spaghetti & meatballs. Now I have a big batch of meatballs in the freezer just ready to be pulled out for an easy, quick dinner later.

To cook, heat meatballs in a skillet until browned, 5-7 minutes. Add a jar of spaghetti sauce & cook until heated through, 5 minutes. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Daily Affirmations

We've got some new prints in the shop. I'm so excited about these. Printed on a pretty neutral brown kraft paper & sized perfectly for framing at 8" x 10". I also imagine these looking really nice clipped to an inspiration line. The captions are taken from song lyrics & the buyer can choose which color they'd like each print in. I can't even decide which one is my favorite. I love them all. They make the most perfect gifts as well. A sweet sentiment handsomely framed for all the dear ones in your life? Sounds perfect to me.

Work It!

I've been adding a sticker to the calendar for every day that I exercise. In fact just before sitting down to write this, I added another sticker for today. I haven't missed a day since starting my routine on the 9th & I must say that I'm pretty proud of myself. Although I do love how good I feel when I'm exercising on a normal basis, it's hard for me to find time to fit it in & quite frankly I'd rather spend my extra time doing something else...like sewing. I decided it was time to get my butt in gear. I want to feel better about myself & I want to look better.

Somebody said that you have to think of exercise like something you just have to do each day, like making dinner or giving the kids a bath...You just have to do it. I picked a time in my day when I could fit it in. Just after I drop Sadie off at preschool in the afternoon & I lay Claire down for her nap. I'm don't allow myself to look at the computer or do housework, I have to go straight to the DVD player & put on my workout disc. No getting sidetracked. I'm doing the Slim in 6 program. I struggled the first 2 days with super sore muscles & I just didn't have the stamina or strength to do the entire program without taking breaks. I could only do 3 push ups when starting...now I can do 20 or more.

I'm not seeing results on the scale yet, but I can definitely see that I'm getting stronger & tighter. My pants are a little loose around my waist & I'm seeing muscle definition. The program has 3 levels. You do each level for 2 weeks & then move up to the next. I just started the second level yesterday & it's kicking my butt big time, but I'm excited to keep going & gain the strength to master this one & be able to move up yet again.

I originally started out with the plan that I'd buy myself an iPod if I get through the whole 6 weeks. I thought I needed that motivation. But I'm not even thinking about that iPod anymore. All I'm thinking about is what I'll look like in the end.

Cute Girl In New Glasses

Sadie got a new prescription on her glasses last week & we were able to get her some new frames. She got her last frames when she was 2 years old. We were happy to have so many more options this time around. She's pretty pleased with them & so are we.

(The dress she's wearing in this photo was made by her Aunt Lilia.)

Cutting Fabric, A Few Tips

A reader recently e-mailed me asking about how I cut fabric. When you first start sewing it sometimes seems difficult to get a nice polished look to your projects & most of them end up looking a bit wonky. This will go away the more that you practice, but here are a few tips that will help in achieving a great end product. Because you don't want to spend all that time working on something just to be disappointed in the end, right?

* Cutting - Invest in a great pair of scissors. I am in love with my Gingher dressmaker's shears (photo above). My mother-in-law gave these to me as a birthday gift when I was new to sewing. They are amazing. Nice & heavy & sharp. They're "like buttah". They are pretty expensive, but go on sale quite often at Joann's & there's always those 50% off coupons. I also like to use my rotary cutter when I'm cutting lots of straight lines, like quilt squares. Be as precise as you can. It will make a difference in the end.

* Ironing - Be sure to run an iron over your fabric before you get started on a project & keep a hot iron nearby while working. Do take the time to iron as you go. Again, makes a big difference in the end.


* Pinning - I know sometimes it seems that you don't need to pin your fabrics, but do it. Pins hold the fabric in place & keep it from shifting when you run it through the machine. This is a major step that will help your projects look great.

(My pin cushion was crocheted by my grandma a few years back. Cute, huh?)

I hope this helps a little. You may be a wild, creative type that wants to speed through your project, but slow down, do these steps & I promise your work will look better in the end.

You + Me = Forever

I hope you all had a nice valentine's weekend. We are pretty low key around here. Like last year, we ordered some yummy takeout food. This year we ordered from Beer Engine. It was really, really good. I really love my guy, but I'm not so sure how I feel about Valentine's Day. What is it about that holiday that annoys me?


The La La Love You print above is framed in a $6.99 Room Essentials frame from Target. It does need to be trimmed down just a bit to fit in an 8x10 frame. If framed in a larger frame w/ an 8x10 mat, no trimming of the print would be required.

Happy Birthday Lover Boy!

No matter how much I worry or stress it all comes down to this...Everything will always be alright in the end because we've got you in our lives. Happy Birthday, Dylan! You know we love you like crazy.

Flag Garlands

I added some new flag garlands to the shop today. I've been feeling a big more bright & playful with these lately. More geared towards birthday parties & rockin' playrooms. Check the out here.

From The Archives: Sugar Cookies

I had a reader request my sugar cookie recipe so I'm posting it again this year. I am a bit of a sugar cookie snob & it's all my mom's fault because she made these incredible ones. I signed up to bring cookies to Sadie's school party so it looks like I'll be making these tomorrow night!


Now it just wouldn't be Valentine's Day without some of these.

Sugar Cookies

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tarter

Mix powdered sugar, butter, egg, vanilla & almond extract. Mix in flour, baking soda and cream of tarter. Cover & refrigerate at east 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into halves. Roll each half 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are light brown 7 to 8 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen 2 inch cookies.

Buttercream Icing

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk

Cream butter & shortening. Add vinalla. Add sugar one cup at a time. Add milk.

Rice Pillows

I just had to make some rice pillows last week & I blame it all on these girls. But I am so happy to be clued into the wonderfulness of rice bags! I followed the tutorial over at Wisecraft. A couple minutes in the microwave & you have a nice warm pillow to set on your lap or wrap around your feet or shoulders. Sadie was really cute when I first gave one to her. She is our kid that likes to sit right in front of the heater vent. So a nice warm pillow to carry around put a huge smile on her face.

Collate

Last week I received my journal from Jessie's Collate project and it is so cool! I was happy to see my contribution (a yellow floral wallpaper) mixed in with all the other cool vintage paper.

Such a clever idea, Jessie. Thanks for all your hard work & attention to detail. The book covers, mailing labels & wrapping (tied up w/ red string & a pencil) made for some seriously happy mail!

Super Easy Removable Pillow Cover Tutorial

I love to make my pillows like this because they are quick & easy. Also the removable cover makes washing a breeze. It's nice to simply be able to slip the cover off & replace it with another when you're ready for a new look.

To make the pillow you will need a pillow form (these go on sale 50% off quite often at Joanns) and fabric for both the front & back of the pillow.

Cut your front fabric to the exact measurement of the pillow form. For this tutorial I covered a 14 x 14 inch pillow form, so I cut my patterned fabric to 14" x 14". This makes for a nice plump pillow in the end. Cut two pieces from your backing fabric that are the same length of the pillow, but 4 inches shorter on the width. My pieces were 14" x 10". (If you are using a larger pillow form, you'll want to come in more than 4 inches. Just eyeball it so that once you finish the hems, the back pillow pieces overlap by at least 2 inches. See below.)

On one of the long sides of the backing pieces create a hem by folding the fabric over towards the back 1/2 inch & iron.

Then fold over another half inch, iron & pin. Sew along the fold with a straight stitch. Repeat on the other backing piece.

The photo below shows how this will look on the back side of the fabric (piece at the top of the photo) and on the front side (piece at the bottom of the photo).

Next, lay your front fabric piece face up. Lay one of the backing pieces on top, facing down, so right sides are together. Position the raw edge of the backing piece on the left edge of the front piece. The hemmed edge will be in the middle. Pin in place.

Lay the other backing piece on top with the raw edge aligned with the right edge of the front fabric piece. The hemmed sides will overlap in the middle. Pin in place.

Sew around all four edges using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Remove your pins & trim the corners.

Turn the pillow case right side out. Using the eraser end of a pencil, push your corners out. The pillow case is done! Put your pillow form into the case.

The back pieces will overlap nicely in the back.

And you've got a snazzy new pillow! It's really that easy.


So go on and add some new life to every sofa, chair & bed in your house!

500 Is Good & Introducing Tuff

Around our house this week, we were really excited to see the Sparkle Power esty shop hit 500 sales. I remember starting out on etsy, I'd watch the shops of other stay at home moms like Kelly & Jennifer. I really admired their sales totals. 350 & 500 sales seemed incredible to me & I never though I'd reach those marks. And I really thought that 500 would take me a while to get to, that's why I put it on my bucket list. Feels good today to know that I should have set that mark a bit higher.

I really couldn't have reached this point without Dylan's wonderful posters. Getting here has really been a team effort. Go Team Sparkle Power!

Now Dylan's got his very own etsy shop called Tuff Industries. He's listed some new posters which are a little more "him" & not so sparkle powerish. Just like Dylan himself, these designs are a bit silly & goofy & a little irreverent, but very cool & sure to make you laugh. Here are a few of my favorites:

Longing For Warmer Days

February is here & I am itching for spring to come. Something inside me has changed I've decided that I can't take winter any longer. It's not fun anymore. Yet we still have a long time before it warms up & we can spend more time outside in the sunshine. It probably doesn't help that both my girls have been sick.


I'm trying to fight off these February blues though. I started by pulling out some strawberry freezer jam that I made over the summer with those berries we picked ourselves. That was definitely a good pick me up. And I found myself smiling today as I stood in the kitchen making potato soup for the little sick people around me. I love the steamed up windows in the kitchen during the winter. They make me feel like a good momma. Cooking for my family always makes me feel like a good momma.

You must try this potato soup recipe that I got from Andrea. It's really, really good & it's what caused the steamy kitchen windows tonight. A few notes on this recipe: I don't think it really makes 6 servings. Our small family never has leftovers, so if you have a larger family I would for sure double this. Also, I use half the cheese & most of the time I leave out the bacon & croutons & it's still delicious.

Vermont Potato Soup

1 cup onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T butter
4 cups chicken broth
4 lg potatoes, cubed
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
Garnish: 4 bacon slices, crisply cooked and
crumbled and 3/4 cups croutons, crushed

Combine onions, garlic and butter in a Dutch oven and cook for 5 minutes. Blend in chicken broth, potatoes, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes then remove from heat. Spoon mixture in a food processor (or blender) and puree small amounts at a time. Place soup back in Dutch oven and stir in cheddar cheese; heat through. Combine bacon and croutons; sprinkle over soup before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Giveaway Winner & 15% Off Code

Congratulations, Cherine!!

By the way, it just so happens to be Cherine's birthday today. What are the odds? She has Random.org to thank for choosing her number. Happy Birthday to you, Cherine!

Thanks so much for playing along and thank you for your suggestions. I have some great new ideas for blog content. :)

If you didn't win & have your heart set on something in the shop, don't be discouraged. From now until February 7th, ff you enter the code SUPER SECRET CODE in the "notes to seller" section & then wait to pay, I'll send you a revised invoice for 15% off your order.