In My Mailbox

A little red cap, a Target gift card, and new (free!) business cards.

I had my doubts that Storey could get any cuter.

Until I put her pilot cap on.
The little cap is perfect for Utah spring weather and should fit her again in the fall.
Handmade by Annie of Olives on a String.
The same Annie that designed my awesome blog banner.
Don't have an awesome blog banner?
You can get one (along with your pilot cap)-she'll design a custom banner for you-only $15!!

I earned a $5 card from Target just for writing 10 short reviews on LilaGuide.
It was easy and gotta love free money.

My new business cards are from MOO and they are fantastic!
The fronts and backs are covered in colored pictures of my products.Normally Moo cards are very expensive (which is why I haven't ordered in the past), but right now you can get 50 free cards (pay shipping).
Go here.
Under "Import your photos from:" click "Etsy",
enter your shop's name in the box and click on "make some cards.
Choose a few pictures for the back of your card, design the front of your card,
pay $6.00 for standard shipping, and you're done!!
Business cards are a great way to spread the word about your shop.
"Accidentally" leave them in library books, send them with your orders, carry them with you to hand out.

Lately

Wednesday: We went on a little tour of the fire station with the play group from church. Jakson wanted to be a pilot last week, but now I think he's decided to be a firefighter like his Grandpa V. Love the free plastic hats! Storey isn't interested in any profession that doesn't involve dogs in some way. Even if they are stuffed ones. Somehow we made it home without the stolen stuffed Dalmation from the station.

Thursday: Played outside. Pretty weather, pretty scenery.Can you believe this view is right outside my front door?

Friday: We're off to get this kid weighed. A photo for the ages, eh? She has been losing weight/plateauing for the past few months which is a little concerning. We've been feeding her the leftover Peeps from the wreath. Hoping she's a fattie.

Shop Talk: Spring Cleaning

I'm spring cleaning to make room for more fabric.

Lucky you.
I've put together 9 grab bags of scraps. Each a generous pound.
That's over 2 yards in weight.
Lots of different sizes and prints-from fat quarters and designer to 5" x 5" upholstery scraps.
Every bag is different and will be mailed to you the day after you order by Priority Mail.

Don't know what to do with scraps?
Sew Mama Sew hosted a WHOLE MONTH'S worth of tutorials using scraps.
See it here.
Makes me wish I had more time in the day.
I love this pillow.
And this quilt is adorable.

See how much you NEED the scrap grab bags?

I've also listed a few yards of fabric and some oilcloth.

Check it all out here.

In similar news, this is the last week that I'll be selling slings.
As of April 1st, I'll be destashing the leftover fabric. Get 'em while they are hot (and only $20)

And because I'm in a cleaning mood, I went through my collection of vintage patterns and listed quite a few in my vintage shop, Storeybooks.
They are from the 50's, 60's, and 70's.I've got quite a few more that I'll be adding in the next few days.

What will you be making?

The Jury's Still Out

My Christmas wreath has been hanging out on the front door since December.

My neighbors were probably getting tired of looking at it, as was I.

Out with the old, in with the....weird.Or maybe it's not weird.
I really haven't resolved my true feelings. It's a little like the attack of the Peeps.
Or maybe a piece of modern art.
Indecisive.

For now, it continues to torment the birds with its marshmallowness, but may end up like my last breakup (you know, before I got married. I'm not like that).

It's not me, it's you.

NO fun.

Everyone in our house has caught a cold.
Makes for grumpy toddlers and less patient parents. Not a good combo.
Benadryl anyone?

OH NO YOU DIDN'T.

This morning I took the kids to Broadbents to pick up some fabric I needed for a couple of orders. Normally they are "decent", a term I use very loosely to describe their behavior, but get away with some amount of mischief due to the fact that the ladies who work behind the cutting counter find them adorable.

Today-not so much.

Storey is currently on her first "I don't want anything to do with my parents" kick (one of many in the future I am sure) and refuses to let me hold her. She screams, "walking! walking!" every time I pick her up. But when I put her down, she runs away, not really something I want to deal with in a quilting shop where my children seem to think it's appropriate to stuff themselves between bolts of fabric. After carrying and listening to her scream "walking! walking" for 5 minutes, I just gave up, took the kids, and left empty handed.

Cue Jakson's tantrum on the ground in the parking lot because we left without getting french fries (???? ) and I'd say it was a successfully dramatic morning.

Thankfully Zak called about the time that I was considering a new job with the circus and offered to come home at lunch so that I could purchase fabric without the unnecessary meltdowns. My hero.

RECENT READS-FEBRUARY and MARCH

Rhett Butler's People-Donald Mccaig

This is the "official" sequel of Gone With the Wind, told mainly from Rhett's point of view. SO much better than Scarlett (the storyline was too far fetched)-of course not as good as the original, but a good read nonetheless.

Cane River-Lalita Tademy

Written by Ms. Tademy, a former executive in a Fortune 500 company who discovered her roots in the South and decided to bring their stories to life. This book was difficult to read at times because of the subject manner (slavery-slave and owner relationships), but incredibly well-written and interesting. I would highly recommend, especially if you are interested in historical fiction.

Hunger Games and Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

I cannot recommend these books enough-but I was so frustrated when I realized that it is a trilogy and the third book isn't coming out until August! ARG. Different from any other books I've read-sort of a mix of the Uglies, The Giver, and Lord of the Flies (the non-boring parts). Teen novels like this always remind me of my anger toward the current antiquated required reading lists that high school English teachers hold on to for some ridiculous reason. Students could gain just as much from this book as any other "classic" and not hate reading in the meantime.

Splendor-Anna Godbersen

The fourth book in the Luxe series (teen fiction) following a group of socialites involved in various scandals in the early 1900s. I loved loved loved this series. And unlike Hunger Games, all of the books are written, so you can read them all in row without waiting months for the next one to be released.

Next up: The Help-Kathryn Stockett

Practice

After we had our family pictures taken in October, I asked Kelly if she was ever planning on teaching a photography class because I would love to learn from her. She replied that the best kind of photography "class" is practice. Learning how your camera functions, experimenting with settings and lighting, working on composure---and getting all of the technical stuff out of your camera's manual.

Since getting a nice camera for Christmas, I've taken her advice to heart. I've been trying to take pictures of the kids everyday and in lots of different situations. I have learned so much and become more comfortable with my camera, although I still think there's something to be said about a formal class and plan on taking one when I have the time (and money!).

I love this photo that Kelly took of Storey in full sun and have been trying to figure out how to duplicate the lighting without success. Finally, I found this post on Pioneer Woman Photography, played around with the settings a bit, and experimented late in the afternoon.

At first my photos ended up dark,(I had to slide the exposure to almost 100% making the picture blurry)

But after changing the metering a bit, I was able to get a picture that I'm quite proud of (editing done by my brother Jeff-thanks Jeff!)

Disneyland in Sum

32 rides in 2 days

8 times on Buzz Lightyear (can you tell I was over it? Not so much fun when you have a kid in your lap that won't let you touch the gun every.single.time. Zak's intense face is hilarious.)1 parade2 extremely delicious free breakfasts at Mimi's cafe

4 Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes for 2 hungry toddlers

7 character hugs


1 unsolicited kiss20 minutes in the longest line (Storey did not like the 20 min. line)0 minutes in the shortest line (Thursday was so empty-it was GREAT!)

18 month old tour guide
2 cute shirts
30+ real looking (at least to a little one) horses on the carousel. She doesn't get out much.3 nights sleeping in a closet
Lots of excited smilesAnd hundreds of new memories.