My First Doll

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got a sewing machine for my birthday and in my excitement I promised pictures of my creations. Well, it turns out I was both ambitious and naive.

The first thing I made was an incredibly unimpressive "pin cushion." It's basically a felt pillow with a sloppily stitched heart applique. I was too embarrassed to post a picture of it so I avoided mentioning my new sewing hobby again and hoped you all would forget I ever wrote about it.

Since the pin cushion, I've done a practice run of a headband for Little Bit following these instructions, and I've sewn a valance for the girls' room. Sadly, none of these projects were bloggable. It was very discouraging.

But then, I was inspired by the Wee Wonderfuls "Archie" pattern and decided to give this little guy a go. My godson's first birthday party was coming up and this doll seemed like he'd make a good buddy. Despite MANY imperfections, including one leg sewn on backwards, he actually came out kind of cute.

Photo courtesy of my husband who was able to capture the doll's good side from this funny angle. Thanks Sweetie!

I was sad to see him go, but I think he'll get lots of snuggles in his new home. I'm really looking forward to making a couple more for the girls. In another week or so. :)

Our Mother's Day Gifts for the Grandmas

I didn't think it would be this long between my Mother's Day Crafts post and now, and I'm sure you've all been just teetering there on the edge of your seats waiting for me to present the silhouette card idea that I left as a teaser at the end of the post.

Oh...you didn't get that far? Just a skimmer, huh? Well, here it is anyway.

On the inside I included this poem (that I wrote so please be kind):

This is your day,

It's all about you,

Flowers and cards and how do you dos.

This one time of year,

We remember to say,

Thank you, dear Grandma, for your loving way.

We also made some hand flowers and taped the hands onto a pipe cleaner stem. One hand from each kid. Tis very cute. In fact, I think I'm going to make an extra one to keep for myself. :)

The silhouettes were VERY easy to do. The hardest part was getting a good profile shot of a kid who won't stay in one place for more than a second. Once you have the shot, there are just a few steps in Photoshop to go through.

I found directions here. Basically, you delete the background using the magic wand tool, desaturate, decrease brightness, and increase contrast. Very easy. Just make sure you have a good clean background...saves a lot of time with the magic wand.

I'm loving how mine turned out, but I think that someone who really knows what they're doing could turn this idea into something truly impressive. If you do try this, let me know. I'd love to see what others can do with the silhouettes!

P.S. A BIG heartfelt thank you to those who offered your kind words and prayers. The Lord heard you and every time I thought I had tapped out all my baby-watching resources, He would send someone else over to help keep an eye on my little ones so that I could go spend some more time with my husband in the hospital. Between the memorial services for Grandpa tomorrow and Daddy-O coming home, things should definitely start getting back to normal by the weekend. Thanks again for your thoughtful words.

Buying Gifts from Your Sofa, or Bed, or Wherever!

Hey kids! Let's all go to the mall! First, let's make sure we have a change of clothes for everyone, plenty of diapers and pull-ups, snacks, toys, the sling, pacifiers, and the stroller. Is everybody ready to go? Oops, Bitty Baby just embellished Mommy's shirt with spit-up. Mommy's gotta go change...Shopping is fun!

Going shopping with the little ones tagging along isn't always an ideal situation. Actually, I try to avoid it whenever possible, but it seams like there's always some holiday, birthday, baby shower, or wedding that I need to buy a gift for.

Problem solved. Thanks to the wonderful world of online shopping, I can usually purchase my gifts, have them wrapped if so desired, and add a personalized Hallmark greeting card all from the comfort of my own home.

Here are some of my favorite places to shop for gifts...

Amazon- As close to one-stop shopping as you can get. 

Uncommon Goods- I discovered this online store last Christmas and  immediately fell in love with it. Where else can you find a pair of "Freudian Slippers" and sassy little tampon cases?  You can find something for just about anyone here.

Think Geek- The ultimate shopping destination for the geek in your life. Products range from the practical USB Squid to the completely off the wall Giant Plush Microbes. Haven't you always wanted to snuggle up with a plush representation of Salmonella? Not a Christmas has gone by since my husband and I have been married that I haven't purchased something for him from this wonderful retailer.

Oompa Toys- Take a break from Toys R' Us and find some truly special  toys here. Their mantra? "No batteries. No blinking lights. No cartoon-themed toys. Period." I love their European made wooden toys and, if I could justify buying another stuffed animal, I would really like to get my hands on this little guy!

Hallmark- This is my favorite little secret. Yes, everybody knows that  you can get lovely cards and sentimental trinkets from your local Hallmark Gold Crown store, but what about if you just can't find the time to get out of your house and Valentine's Day is fast approaching? Did you know that you can purchase a real greeting card, have it personalized and signed by a real person, and have it mailed directly to it's recipient for about what it would cost you to go to the store and buy it yourself? The person you're sending it to will have no idea you didn't send it yourself. I have used this service several times when I knew I wouldn't be able to make it out before the particular occasion and it has been a real life-saver.

There you go! Save your gas. Forget about the hassle. Just hang out in your jammies and shop when the kiddos are sleeping!

The Giving Blanket

This is the best baby gift idea I think I've ever seen. Baby gets a warm soft blanket, more than 30 children's organizations receive funding, it contributes to the independence and productivity of the disabled, and it is packaged in 100% recyclable material.

What more could you ask for?

We received a Nanny and Webster blanket as a baby gift from my husband's employer. Upon finding out more about it, I learned that 100% of the proceeds are donated to about 34 organizations benefiting children (mostly in the Bellevue and Seattle, Washington areas, where the company is located).

In addition, the company relies on an organization called At Work for it's packaging. At Work is a nonprofit group whose purpose is stated on their website:

AtWork!'s purpose is to to help people with disabilities learn marketable skills; find and keep good jobs in the community; and earn wages and benefits that help them escape poverty.

What a wonderful lesson in giving this blanket will be to our daughter. She will grow up knowing that her blanket is so special it also helps other little boys and girls. She will know that while it is providing her warmth, it is helping another child heal. And when she has it wrapped around her for comfort, she can also be comforted with the thought that her blanket has helped to provide a better life for children in foster care.

The blankets are generously-sized at 36" X 42" so the receiver of this gift will be able to snuggle up to it for many years.