Mad About Making Tees with Etsy Iron-ons

A couple of years ago my friend Margaret turned me on to this Etsy shop: Ella Ba' Della's Handmade Appliques.

Lately, I can't stay away from it. Her designs are adorable, the fabric selection is fantastic, and the prices are very reasonable.

You can purchase appliques as pictured in her shop, or browse her extensive fabric selection and come up with your own combinations. I think I really love these because I don't just feel like I'm making a purchase, I also feel a part of the creative and crafty process.

Love these sweet spring designs. I also have some on tap to make for summer: a shark for J and bright red cherries for N.

This is as easy as you can get, people. Peel the backing off and press and hold with your iron for 10 seconds. Voila!

They wash up pretty well, too. I've used Liquid Stitch to touch up a couple whose edges peeled up a bit. Washing inside-out helps too.

I also bought some Fray Block for another project and have been swiping that around the edges of the appliques once I've ironed them on. Not sure if it's necessary, but I figure it can't hurt.

Those of you who are handier with a needle and thread--or better yet, a sewing machine--could also stitch the edges for stronger bonding and a cute embellishment.

And, of course, they aren't just for clothes. Onesies, baby blankets, bibs, tote bags...lots of possibilities. I purchased these love birds because I thought they would look perfect on a throw pillow.

Last share: doesn't my guy look so dapper in his iron-on Irish tie?!!

Do you have any crafts or projects to share?

Any new favorite Etsy shops that you're stalking?

Rainy Day Soup

After a week or two respite of Spring-like weather, we are back to cold, blustery winter weather and yet another sinus infection (which may be explained by these huge fluctuations in weather). I've been almost recovering from this sinus infection since Christmas. It's getting old. I'm feeling a little down.

So, today went a little something like this:

woke up (from a dead sleep with a pounding headache and sinus congestion) to the sound of J playing TRIOs, role-playing an elaborate Batman vs. Joker storyline, complete with the Joker's evil cackle (at the top of his lungs)

blow nose; cough; take Sudafed and guzzle water

shush J by wincing and pointing to my head

play LEGOs with J

put together a new birthday toy for N that (thankfully) has a volume control switch

blow nose; shush J

apply warm compress to face, but peel it back every 10 seconds to make sure N is not trying to eat LEGOs

repeat for the next 4 hours and pray I can muster enough energy to tire J out to the point that he'll agree to a nap

...

As I write this, the kids are napping (at the same time!) and I am lounging under blankets, watching it rain buckets from a bleak gray sky. Blah.

But the good news is that I pulled myself together enough to make a delicious hearty soup that I hope will help. When you're sick, you always want mom's chicken noodle soup, but this is right up there as well. It's my aunt's recipe for a vegetable minestrone, and I'm not sure where she got it. She brought us a pot of it the week we brought J home from the hospital, and it's been one of my go-to comfort foods ever since. It has a very savory flavor because it's made with bacon. Yes, bacon! Unusual, but trust me--it's good. And I'm not one of those people who thinks that everything tastes better with bacon on it. :)

Aunt Kathy's Minestrone

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
1 t. parsley
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
32 oz. carton beef broth
16 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 can green beans with liquid
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
grated Parmesan to top

Brown bacon, garlic and onion in large soup pot. Add spices and broth. Stir in tomatoes and kidney beans. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans and tomato sauce. Cook 1 hour on medium, or till vegetables are tender. Add macaroni. Cook 30 minutes. Season and serve with grated Parmesan.

Happy~Ness

A blogger I read and admire, Abigail Green of Diary of a New Mom, has tagged me with the "Sweet Friend" Award and asked me to post 10 Things That Make Me Happy. How could I refuse? A new year began 26 days ago and here is my first post! But, I think it's a perfect "first of the year" post.

1. My Family--I'd be crazy not to put my family at the top of my list. They are by far the biggest source of happiness in my life. Although I've posted my fair share of mama woes and toddler troubles, I've never experienced such happiness and awe as I do when I'm with J. My husband is happy and funny, a great partner; my parents live near and are supportive; my younger brothers, though they don't always "get" my life as a wife, mother, professional, are around and involved; AND, I have four living grandparents! Life has been good to me in the family department, and I do realize it often.

2. Reading--I've always been a reader, and although it's harder and harder these days to find the time, thankfully I still am. I just finished The Help, which I loved and will be recommending for quite some time. Currently, I'm reading two books for the two book groups I'm involved in: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult and Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. (I bet you can guess which one is for the retirement community book group!)

Next on my to-read list is probably The Happiness Project, which fits in perfectly with this meme. The author summarizes it as "a memoir of the year I spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy". Check out her blog, which is one of the happiness experiments she conducted while writing the book. It's energizing and inspiring.

I love to write and talk about books, and I have another book giveaway (or two) coming up soon. Please stay tuned for those!

3. Nature--Nature was a big part of my upbringing. My parents "made" us spend lots of time outside, took us to metro parks all the time, and planned vacations around nature attractions and activities. I feel happy and enjoy myself when I'm outdoors. My mood is also strongly affected by the environment and the weather. (I probably have undiagnosed SAD, but how could you not?)

4. Concerts, Live Theatre, Performances--If we made more money we would be more frequent patrons of the arts, but as it is I think we do pretty well. Last week we took J to his first symphony, one geared towards kids, which he loved. In high school, I went on the Stratford trip, where we traveled to (ahem) Stratford-on-Avon, Canada for the annual Shakespeare Festival. That was a really amazing experience. A couple of my favorite concerts are U2 and David Gray.

5. Traveling--I've taken some great trips around the country, the highlights being a) honeymoon to Bar Harbor, Maine, home of Acadia National Park; b) a year into our marriage, C and I trekked across the country to the Southwest in a little stick shift Saturn--these were some amazing adventures, one of which was my profound desire to knock C over the edge of the Grand Canyon once we finally got there; and c) a high school road trip with my best friend, her brother and her uncle traveling throughout New England and into the amazing cities of Montreal and Toronto.

6. Music--All kinds. Lately, my favorite musical interests are J's. He's BIG on singing, making up songs, dancing, playing instruments and asking who we're listening to on the radio. I think he has some kind of music lessons in his future, which makes me very excited and happy, as I have no musical talents whatsoever!

7. Writing--A favorite past-time that's taken a back seat lately. The entries in the pregnancy journal are much shorter this time around! But, any kind of writing makes me happy, especially blogging and letter writing. And, the extra happy bonus about letter writing is getting mail in return!

8. Good Food--I'm just gonna be totally honest here: food makes me happy! Pregnant or not, I like good food!

9. Photography--I could probably add "wanna-be photographer" to my blog header. I'm not sure exactly how good I'd be at it, but it is something I enjoy. And, I can appreciate the qualities of good photography. Looking at photos makes me really happy. We have so many albums around the house that I often pick one up and flip through, however quickly, just for that warm fuzzy reminiscent feeling I get.

10. Friends--Last but not least, my friends make me happy. I hope you all know that! Whether you are close personal friends, blogger friends, Twitter friends, you all add happiness to my life. With that, I'll tag a few friends with this "Sweet Friend" award and encourage you to blog your own 10 things:

Jenny of Write the Journey

Cheryl of Herland Notebook

Amanda of Made in a Treehouse

:: connect the dots ::

Here's a fun random post with a kind of connect-the-dots logic to it.

Last week, C and I celebrated our ninth (!) wedding anniversary and spent a fun and casual night out in Short North Columbus. We had dinner at Marcella's, which I had been dying to try, and is absolutely positively my new favorite restaurant. Italian tapas, great wines, and a killer dessert menu!

After a nice leisurely meal that did not involve me rummaging through my bag to find a toy or a crayon or a sticker or a lollipop, we strolled the Short North checking out the shops and the galleries. At one of the galleries, and I hate to say that I forget which one it was, we came across some wooden carpets, like this one. Apparently, they are made in Israel. They're vinyl-backed and fold up accordion-style. Several coats of a laquer are applied so that the design is protected and it can be easily cleaned. Beautiful, don't you think?

Next, we stumbled upon this really cool boutique called Tigertree. Wow, I seriously coveted just about every item in there. Particularly, the gorgeous Orla Kiely wallets and totes in this fabric.

Also, the shop had tons of little trinkets, bags, notecards, and accessories done by an artist named Shinzi Katoh. The shopkeeper told us he's a Japanese picture book artist. C and I loved his style and have since been scrolling through his online shop. I want to get some of this tape and do something crafty with it. Take a look at his shop--it's endless!

While obsessing over this new-to-me artist, I read that he's one of the premiere Zakka artists. What is Zakka? Maybe some of you hipsters already know, but the word was new to me. I Googled it and found this helpful page on Squidoo:

In Japan, all the 'small, various products used in everyday life' are commonly called 'zakka,' a term which encompasses household goods, daily necessities and sundries. However, zakka has also come to represent a style of art and craft that is simple, charming, and of Japanese esthetic. Most items in the zakka style are handmade, but there are commercial companies that mass produce items using the style. The Japanese dictionary describes zakka as "general merchandise", "miscellaneous goods", "sundries", "sundry goods" including interior goods, kitchen goods or even cosmetic product.

I think that's such a cool concept. And, it's the concept that is the basis for an amazing blog I discovered this week. Zakka Life features a craft project of the week, as well as helpful book reviews of fun and crafty new books. Several crafts have been posted recently with Mother's Day being the theme. I liked this tea cup card. It could be a gift card holder. It could adorn a breakfast-in-bed serving tray. Use it as a place card if you're hosting a Mother's Day brunch.


My best friend's mom has been like a second mother to me all my life and she is soooo into tea! I think I'll be making one of these this weekend to send to her as just a cute "thinking of you on Mother's Day" token.

And, Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas and mamas-to-be out there. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some of your favorite things and reflect on the amazing things that being a mother brings.

XOXO

lovey-dovey

A few things here that make me smile and feel all ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey. Both because they'd make adorable Valentine's gifts and because they're helping to cheer me up this week with their happy loved-themed prettiness.

So, Valentine's Day is always about the sweets, particularly chocolate, right? Who wouldn't fall head over heels for some homemade treats rather than the heart-shaped box of mystery chocolates that you can pick up anywhere?

Pretty & delicious vegantine cupcakes from the cupcake mint

Or

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie heaven cookies from pattycake vegan bakery

~~


L O V E alphabet boxes from A Little Hut

~~

For a long-distance Valentine...

by Ms. Starry Art

~~

And, of course, I can't post about Valentine's Day without mention of jewelry

I love this beaded heart ring from Natasha Kahn Designs for its simplicity and femininity

~~

A Very Special Valentine

I think there's some connection between being a mother of a toddler and getting crazily excited and decked out for holidays...

This year, I'm really feeling the love as Valentine's Day approaches. J and I decorated the sliding glass doors with vinyl cling hearts. I purchased a cutesy love birds hangy-decoration-thingy for the front door. I've been scouring books and web sites looking for Valentine's Day crafts. I bought pink muffin cup papers and 5 mini jars of pink, red, heart-themed sprinkles in the anticipation of baking some heart-shaped cutouts! (I even caught myself looking at pink and red bejeweled socks in the dollar bins at Target, but snapped out of that one very quickly.)

All this, and it's only February 1st!!!!

With all these ideas and preparations underway, I thought I'd best get a move on with a Valentine gift or two. The always-up-to-something-cute Jessi at everyday studios posted the cutest, most perfect, most inspiring gift idea -- a love-themed photo book from Shutterfly. As I clicked through the pics of her adorable boys, I knew a book like this would be treasured by J's grandparents. So, I spent a couple hours working on one of our own tonight while J slept and C watched the Superbowl, and here's the finished product:



View Project at Shutterfly

A Christmas Meme

Merry Christmas everyone! I was tagged by Cheryl to do this festive meme, so here goes...

01. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I'd say, about half and half. I love buying cute wrapping paper and tying packages up with ribbons and bows. These gifts are much more fun to open as well. Gift bags are nice though - and reusable.

02. Real tree or artificial?

I grew up with an artificial tree. It was enormous. It had to be carried up from the basement branch by branch, and my brothers and I always enjoyed doing that. But, I absolutely love the smell of pine and the tradition of picking out a tree at the nursery each year, so my husband and I have always gone with real. I do feel guilty, though, when I think of all the trees that get cut down each year, so we are thinking next year we might try one that can be planted after Christmas.

03. When do you put up a tree?

Early December. My birthday is the 7th, and the tree MUST be up before then.

04. When do you take the tree down?

New Year's Eve day or New Year's day. As beautiful as our tree is, I'm tired of it by then.

05. Do you like eggnog?

Meh. It's okay. I usually have a small glass on Christmas Eve, because that's when my parents would drink it. So, I associate it with the excitement and festivities of that particular night, but I really don't care for it all that much. I guess you could say I choke it down in the name of Tradition! ;)

06. Favorite gift as a child?

A huge stuffed brown rabbit. It was almost as big as I was. He wore a black tie and a red plaid vest. I named him Bentley and loved him dearly. (I thought of him as my own personal Velveteen Rabbit.)

07. Hardest person to buy for?

My mom. She is particular about things that I am not, so I have to really try to think like she would while I am shopping for her.

08. Easiest person to buy for?

That's probably a tie between my husband and J. Both are excited by small things and very appreciative.

09. Do you have a nativity scene?

Yes. We purchased it from a talented wood carver at Winterfair one year. We have subsequently gone back to his booth in the years since to buy more as gifts.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Hmmmm. It's probably a tie between a box of chocolate-covered cherries that I received when I was about nine years old (disgusting!) and a quilted vest embroidered with little dogs. I kid you not.

11. Favorite Christmas Movie?
White Christmas. I just love Rosemary Clooney's voice, the costumes, and the crazy funny acting of Danny Kaye.

12. Favorite Christmas Song?

Um, I'm not sure... Honestly, I find a lot of them annoying. Oh, but I do love the Chris Isaak Christmas!

13. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

We stay in Columbus. We spend Christmas Eve with the in-laws and then divide Christmas day between my maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents, all of whom live nearby.

14. Have you ever recycled a christmas present?

No, I don't think so. Maybe an ornament...

15. Favorite ornament or theme color?

When J is old enough I am sure my favorite ornament will be one he makes for me, but for now it's one from my childhood. A glass reindeer that appears soft and glowy when hung directly in front of a Christmas tree light.

OK, so to carry on the fun, if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! I'll also specifically tag Casey, Mike, Mark and Steph. (I will be completely shocked if Mark participates, btw...I don't think this is his kind of thing!) Please stop back and leave a comment if you do participate.

**********************************************************************************

1/1/09 UPDATE: Thanks to little brother Mark, my mom got wind of this post and takes offense to being my answer for the person hardest to shop for. I attempted to clarify the reasoning behind that answer and in no way meant to imply that she is picky! :)

This week I <3...

Sheesh! What a week, and it's only Wednesday. We are a little under the weather, frantically trying to prepare for Christmas only a week away, and we are recouping from two weekends in a row of birthday bashes for me as well as my little guy.

So, here's a brief post about the things that are getting me through the week sane. I <3 these things all the time, but this week especially.

~ Books. Specifically, Paper Towns (which is SO hard to put down); Birds and Words (yay! my parents gave this to me for my birthday); and, a set of Eric Carle's of split-page board books.

~ Hot tea. When it's cold and I feel crappy, I crave nothing more than tea. This Vanilla Comoro tea from Harney & Sons is sweet. Extra sweet and soothing with a spoonful of honey.

~ Pajamas. My friend surprised me with a cute set from Old Navy for my birthday. At least when I'm wearing cute ballerina slippers and a matching set of PJs, I don't feel like a total slob.

~ The World Wide Web. Where, oh where would I be without the Internet, especially when there's lots to do, and you feel run-down, and there's a sheet of ice coating your driveway! I've been able to browse online for gift ideas, so that when I get the time and energy to go shopping, I'll have a goal in mind; I've helped my cousins create a photo calendar for our impossible-to-buy-for grandparents thanks to Shutterfly; and I saved money and paper and time by inviting and thanking our birthday party guests via evite.

~ And last, but (in no way, shape or form) least: sugar and sweets! The leftover red velvet helicopter cake and cupcakes from J's "Happy Birthday Party" (as he adorably called it).

Find the red velvet cake recipe here. Very simple. Very yum.

three beautiful things

1. My little guy eating an apple. A whole apple! It's messy and noisy and hilariously adorable.





2. Christmas trees tied to the roofs of cars.

3. Trader Joe's "Joe Joe's". Oreo-type chocolate sandwich cookie with bits of candy cane crushed into the creme filling. Move on over Thin Mints!

enjoying the excuses to stay inside

gray

november

rain

~

hot tea

pumpkin pie

~

family

laughing

warm

10 Random Things

For a project at work, staff were encouraged to participate in this meme. Participants were to list 10 random things about themselves, publish it to their blog, and then send out a Twitter update when finished. The goal was a networking/getting-to-know-you experience.

I've had fun reading others' random things and thought I'd extend the challenge out to those of you outside of the library blogosphere. Have fun!

1. OK, the CML stuff first. I was a Page before there were LSA’s and a Clerk before CSA’s and CSS’s. I’ve been in the system 12 years. (Yes, I realize this sounds like gibberish to all you non-library folks. Sorry. None of the other 'things' will; promise.)
   
2. My husband and I met at the library, although he was not an employee. (We’re actually kind of the result of a set-up.) We’ve been married 8 1/2 years. If not for him, I would not have absorbed so much Seinfeld trivia nor developed an interest in the Tour de France.
   
3. My retirement dream is to move to Maine, buy an old farmhouse, and open a bed & breakfast.
   
4. I have naturally curly hair and it drives me crazy when people ask me about it - I don’t like the implication that I might possibly have a perm!
   
5. I love to travel. A few years ago, the husband and I took a cross-country 3-week trip out West, visiting St. Louis, MO; Moab, UT; Sedona, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, AZ; Santa Fe and Taos, NM before looping back home. The kicker–we made the trip in my ‘94 standard transmission, NO cruise control Saturn. Yeah, that made the Rockies interesting. Still, it’s our favorite trip.
   
6. I can’t stand the word ‘whatnot’.
   
7. Typos, misprints, grammatical errors, the stuff on Jay Leno’s Headlines are my worst pet-peeves. That’s why I enjoy reading this blog.
   
8. Garden gnomes freak me out.
   
9. As a child, I was i n c r e d i b l y shy. I hated talking to ’strangers’ like my parents friends, employees at stores or restaurants, doctors, etc., even on the telephone. I’m not sure when I got over all that…maybe not until high school.
   
10. I love mail. As much as I enjoy and feel thankful for email, blogging, IM, chat, etc., I still love sending and receiving handwritten notes and letters. Besides feeling special and more personal, one of the best things about mail is that it combines two things that I love/am fascinated by: stationery and people’s handwriting.
    

Care to share your 10 random things?

Etsy Artists + YouTube = A New Favorite

Once again, Twitter has clued me into something I never would have wanted to miss. Yesterday I saw a tweet from Etsy complimenting littlebrownpen's YouTube video. Curious, I clicked on over to check it out. Here is what I found:

Isn't that just the coolest? I'm such a fan of stop motion animation and I hope someday I'll have the patience and creativity to attempt one. (And, the music is totally rockin'. I'm going to have to find that on iTunes.)

Aside from how amazing the video is, aren't the cards, calendars and gift tags just adorable? This morning I logged on to the Etsy shop and purchased the 2009 calendar. Within 2 hours, I was printing them out and totally loving them. Little Brown Pen emails you a PDF file of whatever it is you purchase. Then, you print as many as you like and can go back and access the file anytime for more! It's an impressive and inspiring concept; one that's economical, innovative, and environmentally-friendly. Bravo, Little Brown Pen! And thank you.

the year of the book and another favorite thing

Books are always a big part of the gift-giving I do, and this Christmas is no different, although I think it's a little heavier on the book side than most years. I am really excited though because I got some wonderful titles that I think will really match up with the recipients' personalities.

A HUGE Amazon shipment arrived today, which is another of my favorite things! What is it about the delayed gratification of making online purchases that I just love? Plus, most of the time I forget half of what I ordered so it's like opening up a surprise. :)

So, combined with what I bought at Barnes & Noble last week, I've got an incredible set of books to gift this year. And, with Christmas still a month away, there's a good chance I'll add a few more books to the pile before the big day. Two others that I'm thinking may be just too good not to own are Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton and Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea.

What books are going to be part of your gift-giving this year? What are some titles on your own wish list?

these are a few of my favorite things...

At the risk of coming across as self-important and snooty or sounding like Oprah or Martha Stewart, I've decided to go ahead with a blog series called 'My Favorite Things'. I think it could be fun, and maybe it will help some of you while searching for the perfect gift this holiday season. I'll post a handful of things and then continue the series a little on down the road with some fresh new favorites.

And, please feel free to add links or post comments about your favorite things.

1. Great Harvest bread - especially the cinnamon chip. The principal at my husband's school usually gives a loaf to all the teachers at Christmas and Easter, which I think is a nice tradition.








2. Elizabeth Mitchell's cd You Are My Little Bird - beautiful folky music that makes me imagine it's Spring.








3. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks - I love double-duty products!








4. Aveda Hand Relief Lotion - Aveda's signature scent combined with the most amazing moisturizer.








5. Shopping for Christmas ornaments and handmade gifts at Columbus' annual Winterfair.








6. Charley Harper's Birds and Words - Intricate and intriguing art as well as funny, tongue-in-cheek descriptions of various birds. Great addition to the library of an artist or naturalist.








7. Life is Good tote - Fun and functional!