weekly shop update

How have you been? Wonderful, I hope :)

Things around here have been wonderful, exhausting, exciting, busy, sometimes overwhelming (okay, overwhelming more often than I'd like to think), but wonder-ful.

 With scenes like this, how could it not be? :)
Olivia just turned 6 weeks old {where did those weeks go?} and has begun to laugh a bit. Little things like a baby's laugh can really brighten your day when you're covered in said baby's spit-up. :) And the other two are still completely smitten with her!

 But this post is supposed to be a shop update, not a baby update {but baby updates are a bit cuter and sweeter, yes?} :)
 So .... did you see on the facebook page that I've put the silhouettes back in the shop? If you were wanting one (or more!) and didn't get it before I discontinued them, contact me and we can talk about it.
As long as I'm talking about the facebook page, have you been seeing my updates in your feed? Chances are, with the changes facebook has been making, you might not ... so, if you'd like to change that {you would, right? :)}, after you "like" the page, hover over what is now the “liked” button, and select “Get in news feed.” That way you'll be able to see when I post new things like coupons{!}, flash sales{!}, or random photos of a cute little baby. :)

 screen shot of the work in progress

Next up - our brand new web site {coming soon to a computer/mobile screen near you!}!
My sister {who is really gifted when it comes to tech-y things} has been helping us put together our own web site. It should be ready to go live in another day or two, and I'll let you know when it does. It will be an integrated shop/blog, a site that has all of our web stuff on it {even Instagram pics :)}. We are working to make sure that when you head here to the blog, you are automatically re-directed to the new location, making the transition as seamless as possible. Oh my, I'm so excited!

There are some other things I was going to tell you, too ..... but I can't remember right now. Oh well, they can wait until next week. :)

<3

p.s. can you believe it's just a month until Valentine's Day? I'd better start helping the kiddos make their cards and gifts for the grandparents {things like that can take a while when they are more interested in cutting up the finished products than in the idea of giving them away}!

decorating for New Year's Eve

What are your plans for tonight? Staying up to welcome the New Year? Crashing early? Celebrating with loved ones, yummy munchies and board games? Snuggling up warm and watching a movie? Doing some online shopping of after Christmas sales (if so, don't forget the coupon code for 15% off of the shop - maybe a good time to pick up the Garland for Every Holiday set?)? If you're online, stop by the temporary landing page for our new website - still can hardly believe it's actually happening! - and sign up for the newsletter so you can stay up to date on sales and things :)

Right now, crashing early sounds really good, but I'm looking forward to a fun evening with extended family, maybe a game or two and some delicious goodies. And enjoying watching it snow. :)

 (one of the lovely bits of living in the midwest is having a snowy mailbox :D)

Have you seen the glittered votives making their way around Pinterest? I made some after seeing them and now think I need to make a few more - maybe in pinks and red for Valentine's Day ... :) These have been adding such a festive touch to our Christmas and New Year's decorations!

The rest of our New Year's decor is centered around our upstairs window. I recently found a small disco ball on Etsy (probably one of my most frivolous purchases yet :D) and combined it with a Snowflake Garland from the shop and a printable Happy New Year banner from theTomKatStudio.

Last year's version of the same window (minus the disco ball) - I made up the twinkle star garland as a last minute way to add a bit of festivity to our house and it ended up going in the shop and becoming quite popular! Kind of fun to see how God uses some of my random ramblings and spurts of creative experimenting :)
I'm thinking that some large balloons (maybe like these) and twinkle lights would round this out nicely - maybe next year!


I've been reflecting back on 2012 for the past few days (and would enjoy making up a year-end round-up post here) and can only come to the conclusion that God is amazing. And, because He doesn't change, that amazingness will continue in 2013.

Here's to a wonder-ful new year!


xo

Merry, Merry Christmas!

What a day to celebrate! The day that God, in His infinite mercy and love, sent His only Son to earth to live among us and be our Savior, ultimately dying (and rising again) in our place. Yes, indeed a day to celebrate.


I'm taking this Christmas a bit slower than usual. In fact, most of my Christmas cards are quickly becoming New Year's cards. : ) There are so many things that I wanted to do that didn't get done, so many things I wanted to make (a bunch of them are on my Pinterest board) that didn't get made. There's always next year, though! This year I spent most of my time cuddling our three(!) babes and learning Olivia's moods and preferences. Which is just as it needed to be : )

It seems that Christmas (not to mention December) has come around again so quickly this year. I'm hoping/planning to put up an end of the year recap post - so much has happened in the last twelve months! God has blessed us beyond our dreams, and are so, so very grateful. This next year is already shaping up to be even more incredible! (one thing being a new website - amazing! We're hoping for it to be live by the second week of January - while you're waiting for the real thing you can see our landing page at www.pltmarket.com sign up for our newsletter {yet another new thing!})


My gift to you this years is a shop coupon code (CHRISTMAS2012) for 15% off of your entire order, good until January 30, 2013. I hope you enjoy it! You have each been so wonderful, and I've been privileged to be able to serve you. :)


Blessings to each of you and your families this Christmas! May you make memories to cherish and enjoy the wonders of His amazing love.


<3

weekly shop update

So, the weekly shop updates haven't quite as weekly as I had planned. :)
But then, I've been a bit busy with other things!

The other day I took advantage of a certain baby girl sleeping and made up (and listed - such a feet to get both things done on the same afternoon right now!) some snowflake and Christmas-ey things that I've had in my head for a while. :)

Here are a few photos and links to them - there's still time to place an order to enjoy them this Christmas!

The snowflake chair garland - to coordinate with the 10-foot snowflake garland

Christmas Star Cupcake toppers - the idea for these came while we were driving just before Thanksgiving and saw the neighbors' lights. One of the decorations was a star that had the word "JOY" in the middle ... and I knew I needed to make something out of it. :)

Snowflake Cake/Pie toppers (or you can use them as wands for little ones pretending to be snow fairies!)

Merry and Bright cupcake toppers

So, there you have it! 4 new items and one more week to place an order to enjoy them. :) And there's still a few more things I wanted to make for the shop this Christmas ...
Oh well! Here's to enjoying our sweet, darling baby girl and celebrating the wonder of our Savior's birth with Em and Ian.

What are your plans for celebrating with your loved ones?


<3

thankful for ...

... you!

And so many other things :)

via

This year has been so crammed full of blessings! And even when things don't seem to be blessings, this year I've been learning that having a thankful heart helps to change my perception of them, helps me to see them as gifts in their own way. Because no matter what, God is good. He is many other things as well, but along with them all He is good. And so faithful.

And so this Thanksgiving I'm most thankful for His faithfulness. Blessings to you and your loved ones as you celebrate this Thanksgiving and the many blessings you enjoy!


<3

(and don't forget to come back Monday for the coupon code!)

decorating for fall

It's definitely getting nippy around here! A few weeks ago my nesting energy turned toward dusting and rearranging our "mantle" and bookshelves (side note - this shelf has been wonderful! We go it 3 years ago from Ikea and haven't regretted it once!). I dug out our Thanksgiving box to find our little straw and ceramic pumpkins and brought a few wispy branches in from the yard.

As I was arranging (and rearranging) I remembered that I just made up this fall colored garland for the shop, and then putting up that led to the idea of the "GIVE THANKS" banner ... :) Funny how my creative process works!

This cherub used to sit on my grandma's mantle and every time I see it my mind flashes an image of her living room ... so I'm not sure if I love the candle holder or the memories it holds!

The fat candle with the votives is my substitute for a fireplace this year. : ) I seem to enjoy making up "mock fireplaces" when I don't have access to the real thing (I've done it before, you know)!

In a week or so I'll add our pilgrims and turkeys to the table, bookshelves and windowsill. And maybe the little ones can find a few leaves for some crayon rubbings before they all disappear?


Have a lovely weekend staying cozy!
<3

because we need to remember

 Memorial Day weekend has arrived! Which means school is letting out for the summer - and summer is here!

 There's something special about Memorial Day that I really love - it doesn't hurt that tons of retailers celebrate it with sales! - and that sets it apart from most of our other holidays.
 So many of our other holidays and celebrations center on gifts, "me", and so on, but Memorial Day is about remembering other peoples' sacrifice, celebrating and honoring it and them.
 We gather together, barbeque, eat watermelon, maybe light a few fireworks, watch for the first fireflies, and we remember. 
 They say "freedom is not free", and it is so very true. Pretty much anywhere you look in our nation today, you  see the result of someone's sacrifice, whether it's their blood on a battlefield securing our freedom or their sweat and tears to maintain it. And it's what makes America amazing.

 Kind of sobering when you really think about it, isn't it? And so, we celebrate! Celebrate the people and the miracle that America is.


   (and, in keeping with the spirit of holiday sales, you can use the code "CELEBRATE" for 20% off in the shop until Monday night - enjoy!)


I made the above wreath a few years ago and thought I'd share it again (and maybe make it again for our front door?). It's the simplest thing, really, but still has quite a bit of impact. I took a heart shaped berry wreath and stuck American flag picks in it, letting them "wave" in the breeze, and then hung it on our door. So simple! 



*I'm linking this at Making Monday Marvelous and a few of these fun blogs - check 'em out!

"I LOVE YOU"

I've been loving Pinterest. Just loving it. I've been pinning just about everything and have a board for just about everything. Including Valentine's Day.

 {via}

One of the things I pinned was this sweet "I LOVE YOU" banner.

As I started writing this post I realized that the woman who made the original banner has a very nice post about how she made it - I of course didn't even think to click through to her blog to see if there were instructions or not. I just muddled though and made my own. : )

I used the font Arial Black in 400 point to write out "I LOVE YOU" and printed it onto white cardstock in very light gray.
Emma Grace chose the color of the glitter - pink, of course. : )

After trying a light layer of glue, I realized that, to get the nice thick and full look, I needed to put a heavy layer of glue on. A very heavy layer!

Once they were dry I cut slits in in the sides of the letters and threaded a creamy ribbon through.

It turned out quite well, but the sweetest part of the process was my helpers! They were so proud to be able to "help" with things like glue and glitter that are normally off limits to them.
And - even though there were a few moments where I was quite nervous about them smearing glue where it shouldn't be - their joy was more than worth it.


If you haven't joined Pinterest yet and would like an invitation, let me know - I've got several left. : )

(I'm linking this at a few of these crafty blogs)

a giveaway!

And ooo, just in time for Valentine's Day, too!

I'd like to offer one of my 8-foot Romantic Heart Garlands in red to one of you sweet readers <3

Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to enter! (pretty easy :D)
For a second chance, click over to my shop and then leave a comment telling me what might go on to your wishlist.
And for a third chance? Share the giveaway! (and then leave a comment here letting me know that you shared and where)

The winner will be posted here on Thursday <3 {giveaway closed}

for your Valentines

 This was going to be a home-made Christmas gift post to go with my little mini-series from the Christmas before, but it's quite a bit after Christmas already (how in the world did that happen? and I was even planning a year re-cap post ... whoops!). So now it's a "just in time for Valentine's Day" post. : )

Have you seen the idea from Martha Stewart where you take a quilting hoop and make it into a card wreath? There are really excellent step-by-step instructions on her site, so I won't try to replicate them here. : )
I made one a few years ago, and this last Christmas I made two for my sisters-in-law. Notice the gold ribbons? I did that on purpose - not only will they be great for display Christmas cards neatly, but they will also work really well for displaying Valentines, Easter cards, or even family photos. We live a distance from some of our family, and pinning up photos of Grandpa, Grammie and Aunts and Uncles really helps the little ones with being able to associate a face with the voice on the other end of the phone. : )

 

So there you have it! A belated post saved from being deleted! Or rather, a special project just in time for Valentine's Day <3

xoxoxo


(I'm linking this at a few of these blogs {link here} - check them out for lots of crafty Valentine ideas!)

my first Pottery Barn knock-off

I finally did it - I made my own Pottery Barn pillow. I've seen bunches of Pottery Barn inspired things that other people have made, and I've finally joined their ranks. And I'm so glad! A few weeks ago the Christmas version of their catalog came in the mail and I quickly thumbed through it for decor ideas, and, to make sure that I wouldn't get too tempted to buy anything, I even stood by the trash can while I did it so I could just toss it in when I was finished.

And then I saw the photo of the poinsettia pillow. The one that was made of linen and had a white, fleecy looking poinsettia stitched on it. With gold bells. And I knew I could make one. For free. : )
So, I tore out the page and tossed the rest.

I dug through my fabric boxes for the linen and fleece and got the bells out of the Christmas box and got to work (and then got interrupted by small voices letting me know that nap time was over).

Over the next week I cut out 18 petals: 6 large, 6 medium and 6 small. I made up a simple envelope style pillow cover and one evening stitched the petals to it with white embroidery floss while John and I watched a movie. The next day I put the bells on during nap time and voila - it was done!

It was easier than I expected it to be, even though it took longer than I thought it would. (funny how mothering little ones can take up your time :D). I love the result, and am delighted to have added something else to our Christmas things.

vernal equinox - Spring is here!

Today it's official - Spring is here! The grass is getting greener, the buds on the trees are starting to swell and Easter is coming ...... just thinking about it makes me happy!

(and Peeps are back in the store, too :D)

a Valentine's Tea

A belated Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I have been working on this post for several days, hoping to get it posted in time to celebrate Valentine's Day with you, but life kept moving and babies kept needing mommy. Oh well - at least late is better than never. :)

Did you catch my brief mention that we are moving? This move is happening in two stages, the first stage of which is complete but now we are waiting on some paperwork and other details before the second stage can happen - so blogging here has moved a bit lower on the priority list!

As we were packing things up in the middle of January I realized that we probably wouldn't be settled by Valentine's Day - and that I really wanted to be able to celebrate Valentine's this year!
The solution? Celebrate early. :)

Emma Grace and I invited my sister-in-law and her friend over for the day and then we (I) pulled out all the red and pink things that I could find (read, all the ones that hadn't been packed yet). We had so much fun taking a break from moving to just decorate and enjoy the holiday. :)

We had strawberry scones, pumpkin bundt cake, lemon curd, sweetened cream cheese and my sister-in-law and her friend brought some cucumber tea sandwiches and a plate of baked ham sandwiches (Leah, if you still have the recipe could you email it to me? thanks!) that were really good.

I used this totorial to make a pom-pom garland. I loved making it (so fun and easy!), and love the actual garland even more! I'm thinking of maybe making more (in white perhaps?) to put in our master bedroom - or in the family room. :)

We had a wonderful time, and Emma Grace absolutely loved her first tea party.

I'm linking to a few of these blogs - can you believe that Spring is coming? They are posting some really darling decorating ideas!

handmade Christmas, part III

I made several jars of Lemon Curd to go with the tea towels that I gave as gifts this Christmas, and they were a huge hit!

Lemon Curd - makes about 1 quart

6 lemons
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
6 eggs, beaten

Zest 2 of the lemons.
Juice the lemons to get 18 Tbsp juice.
Combine the zest with sugar, lemon juice, butter and eggs in the top of a double boiler over medium heat.
Stir frequently until thick, about 20 minutes.
Pour into jars, cool and refrigerate.

This is a family favorite (my grandma used to make it every year for her church's Christmas tea) and is delicious on scones, toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes ... pretty much anything!


I'm posting a link to this on some of these blogs. :) 

1-1-11

2010 was a good year. A very, very good year. It was a full one, too!

 In January I got Emma's closet/my craft storage area organized.  It was so nice to see it all tidy. :)

 In February I opened my Etsy shop. I had high hopes but no real idea of how well it would do!

I made Emma a little blue skirt in March. 

I posted my first step-by-step tutorial in April, a flower pin.

May saw me in full nesting mode - wow, there were a lot of things getting done around here! There were the Chalkboard Storage Jars, the Hanging Votives, Moses Basket, made room for baby #2, and my February Sweater to name a few. And another highlight was that some of my projects were featured on other blogs - a fun first for me. :)

June had the biggest and best news of the year - our "little" Ian was born.

In July I added international shipping to my Esty shop (and have since mailed things to England, Spain, Singapore, Australia and Canada!), wrote a post about growing your own ginger, and posted photos of the blanket that I made for Ian.

One of the highlights of August was getting my flower pins featured on the front page of Etsy. :) I also posted a tutorial on how to make your own cushion covers, photos of the sweater I made for Ianhttp://path-less-traveled-market.blogspot.com/2010/08/bench-cushions.html, and about organizing my recipes.

September saw me sewing for Emma and a bunch of custom orders, winning a darling dress for her from Back Country Drive and joining the Kids Clothes Week Challenge to name a few things. That was a busy month!

 In October we took a family vacation and when we got home I got another custom order, this time for a fabric garland. It was so popular, both here on the blog and in the shop, that I ended up writing a tutorial on how to make your own.  :)

 In November I (finally) joined Twitter, hosted my first giveaway, finished Ian's hat and sweater and a bunch of other things that got jumbled together into one post.

And in December I posted about painting wall words,  making an ironing board cover, and my most popular post yet, making tea towels as Christmas gifts.


Yes, it's been a very good year. Thank you all for reading and joining me! I'm looking forward to what God has in store for us this next 12 months. :)