Stockings for Stuffing...

I've finally begun working on our Christmas Stockings...
This is not something I do every year...but we don't have a proper matching set for all four of us.

That makes this the Year of the Stockings.

Chris and I have a matching red and green velvet set that have our names embroidered on them. His parents bought them for us years ago and they've served us very well.
Problem is that since we've had the kids our names have changed to Mommy and Daddy..."who are these 'Chris and Amanda' People?! Why are we hanging their stockings? Where are the mommy and daddy stockings?" Plus...I really would like everything to coordinate to some degree.

Maybe I'll wrap the old ones up very carefully and we can use them again once the kids move out and we go back to our 'grown up' names!
(Does that ever happen?! I seem to remember my grandparents still calling each other Mom and Dad even though their kids were very much grown. Hmm.)

So...

This year we will have 4 new handmade stockings embroidered with our names.
They will all have the same blue felt background, but each of us will get a different image of our choosing. I chose an apple tree. I don't know why.

Can't wait to find out what the kid's will request.

I'll report back...

Adrift in Yarn...

I'm buried in yarn.

I have a couple of hat orders which, together, total 7 Whimsy hats. So, I'll need to knit a hat a day between now and next Monday.

This is great news for the Plumm Shop.

But...

Did I mention I'm hosting two Thanksgiving feasts this year? The first is this Sunday.

I'm going to have to teach the boys to knit.

Shopping with Style

In an effort to encourage some of my friends and family to be mindful of their consumer choices I am creating reusable shopping bags as holiday gifts this year. I found this sweet strawberry vine vinyl over at Cheap Threads Etsy shop a while ago and stocked up. I knew I would find a great use for it. I know vinyl isn't a 'green' material...by my logic is that if the bags are cute enough and sturdy enough they may see a bit more use. Also, I have impulse control issues.

The bags are lined with the same cute vinyl for wipe-ability and durability and the top edge is bound with red bias cut double fold binding. I just need to attach the sturdy vinyl handles, which are also red, and they will be complete.

I'm pretty sure I am going to need a few for myself!

Well Hello...

So, It's been a while. I had to stop and regroup. I started this blog at essentially the same time I began the Plumm shop and it was too much to take on at once. I find that I am the type of person who needs quite a bit of time, about 6-9 months, before I can completely work a new thing into my routine, my life. I tend to fumble about trying this and that until everything has a place in my schedule... and my head, for that matter. This really applies to everything...kids, friends, coffee makers, camera's, cars, houses.
It hadn't even been 6 months since we adopted Kai when I started making purses and I feel like maybe it was too much at once for me. I was feeling very scattered and spread thin until just recently. I needed the purse making as an outlet during a pretty stressful time, but being the perfectionist that I am, it became too much. I am going to ease back in slowly I think. If you follow the happenings in my Etsy or Lov.li shops you have likely noticed that production has dropped off. I am going to continue to struggle with my 'all or nothing' tendencies...we'll see how I do.

Much to report..I think a list in in order.

1. Luke begins preschool in 3 days.
2. Kai and I have really improved our bond and continue to make progress daily
3. I received a serger as a birthday gift and am anxious to figure it out
   
4. I turned 30!! Hubby and I went away to Stinson beach for 3 days with no kids...bliss. I adore my husband.
   
5. Kai is beginning to talk...albeit slowly.
6. I have come up with a new tote bag design
7. I ordered some fabulous labels from Rohm Customs at Etsy and they are in all my new bags. They rock.
8. I have some Clothes in the works for the shop...stay tuned for that
9. I have gotten my first cortisone shot into a joint and it is amazing. (I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 9 months old and have a bunch of icky fused joints).
10. I quit drinking St@rbuc%s...cold turkey. It was making me a nutball.
11. I painted my bedroom a beautiful silvery green color..It used to be rust colored. It is infinitely better now.
    

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I'm still here!

Well, that was a nice break! I was on a self imposed blogging hiatus for the holidays but I am glad to be back! We had a wonderful holiday season full of friends, family, food, gifts, gatherings, and runny noses. All was as it should have been.

I have been working away, trying to build up a bit of inventory for my Etsy shop and I am pretty excited about some of my recent purse designs! I have collaborated a bit with The Hubs on some swell wood handles for a new purse pattern I came up with. He did a great job making the exact shape I wanted and even went a bit further. He recessed rare earth magnets into the wood which gently pull together and act as the "clasp" for the bag by holding it closed. I am absolutely smitten with the end result....the Cleo purse.

She is just so sweet. I have a few more in "production" in some other great fabrics .

I have also been working on quite a few orders for the "Keely Purse" in all sorts of fun fabrics. Some were from fabrics I found and some are custom orders in fabrics that my great customers found. I must say my customers have great taste!

Here a re a few pics:

All for now.....more soon on a NEW purse that I am Just finishing up! She will be called 'The Lucia'.

Thanks

thank you for all the emails offering kind words and lots of support! these things are so nice to hear.

here is another bag i am still working on. it is sewn, but i am not completely in love with the look...i feel like it needs somthing more. my friend lucia pointed out that i would probably like it more if it just wasn't white. I am pretty sure she is right. I may experiment with fabric dying or some stenciling. hmmmm.