December 29, 2008

Christmas has been a whirlwind! I still need to get my tree decorating pictures off of my camera and up on the blog-- although at this point most may not care. My posting has really been lacking...I'm such a slacker. But hubby has off until January 5th for the holidays (!!!) so spending time with him is first priority. We don't usually get a stretch of time like this together. I hope those who do read will understand.

Christmas and family were very good to us this year-- I'll have to take photos of my favorite gifts and post them! Despite economic crises and the loss of my job back in October, we were able to give more than we anticipated, too. Which is great because we love to give! One of my favorite things about the season is seeing the excited looks on our family members' faces as they tear open the wrapping to a gift chosen especially for them. I hate to sound so cliche, but it's so true. I really do enjoy giving more than getting (although getting is also very fun!).

I wanted to give more handmade gifts this year than I actually ended up giving but there's always next year. I wasn't prepared for the amount of planning and preparation that would go into hand-making most, if not all, gifts so next year I will have to plan much more in advance. The holidays have been treating us great here and I hope they've been treating you well, too!

Have a safe and Happy New Year and see you all in 2009!!!!

December 18, 2008

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. The days have just been flying by! I've been keeping myself busy with Christmas-related things and trying my very best to do what I can to secure myself some schooling. I've only had job interviews with one company and, if I had to choose, it's not really where I'd want to end up. That's why I'm really hoping unemployment pulls through with paying for the certificate program I'd like to attend. Who do I have to sweet talk?

On a more festive note, hubby and I got our Christmas tree just short of a week ago. I have photos that I'll be posting later of us decorating it. I love our tree! It's got a woodland theme. With red and white lights. It's such a comfy, cozy tree.

Right now though, I must tackle some more Christmas-ness! A cat plushie for Maple (since she loves chasing cats) and some truffle-y goodness for friends. See you soon!

December 11, 2008

blargh....

How is it that it's December 11th, exactly two weeks to Christmas day, and it's raining outside? It should be snowing. Come on, winter! Isn't New Jersey north enough for you to give us a little snow? It doesn't seem right to be listening to Frank Sinatra and The Carpenters crooning Christmas tunes and look out the window to see this....



On a completely unrelated note, but still on my mind, since I've been unemployed for about two months now, I've noticed (for the most part) that one mail woman always delivers my mail. Today, I went to run a letter out to the mailbox right as the mail truck was pulling up to my mailbox. It was a different postal worker. It got me thinking about how, during the holidays, a lot of people give their postman or woman a gift. First, how do you determine what to give them? Is it poor etiquette not to give them a gift? I've never been told about this so haven't done it. And, how do I even know that my regular post woman will get the gift. What if the guy comes on the day I leave it for her? Hmm...

December 5, 2008

Freak Allergy Attacks and a Solution

My family and friends can attest to the first part of that title. I will have these amazingly involved freak allergy attacks and, usually, when I'm without tissues or access to tissues. This has happened on numerous occasions and, maybe I'm a freak, but I find it terribly embarrassing. I'm always hoping, "Please let me get to tissues, napkins, paper towels, burlap cloth...I don't care...before my nose starts running all over my face like a 2-year old." (You probably didn't need those graphic details but I feel like it proves my point all the more.) So, any logical person would ask why I don't just keep tissues in my purse. At to that I say, maybe I really am a freak.

I hate carrying loose tissues in my purse because they get all threadbare from rubbing against the sides of my bag or whatever else happens to be in my bag. And I hate, hate, hate those travel packs of tissues. There are about 10 tissues in a pack which I could go through in 5 minutes of my allergy attack. And after sealing the pack about two times, the adhesive wears off and then I'm stuck with threadbare tissues again. Yeah, I know, the problems I have! :)

Enter The Solution.


I made this little guy the other night. I didn't plan on making him look like a face but, alas, he does and it's actually pretty cute. The tissues are encased in a fabric pouch and they can't escape because of the construction. The two flaps overlap and it's a pretty tight fit so there's no chance of the tissues peeking their way out (I pulled them out in the photo above to make him look extra silly). And...the fabric and buttons match the tote bag I posted about earlier. Bonus!!

I was really happy with how it turned out so I made a few more to try to sell on Etsy as stocking stuffers.

They're more pretty than silly this time around. I love how the one with lace turned out! The other two are pretty plain but I like the button embellishments with the black (a fabric covered button I made with the same fabric I used to make the one with lace and another with a pearlized, flowery button).

Yay for pretty solutions!

December 3, 2008

My first sale!!!


I am super psyched!!! I've made my first ever sale on Etsy today. I made another set of 4 snowflake embroidered gift bags and that $5 is going to be framed and hung in my sewing room. The snowflakes are much simpler than my previously embroidered snowflakes but still pretty cute.

It's not really a big deal when you look at the big picture but I'm just so thrilled that someone actually wanted to spend money on something I made. I'm busting and just had to share!