Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Link Party No. 67! / Monaluna Fat Quater Bundle Giveaway Winner


Hi everyone, the link party is back! Since my three children are ALL in school full time, I thought I am going to have a set schedule and be able to work on my projects.... well, I am not there yet. Seems like there is always something that needs to be taken care of or places to go. I actually haven't had that much time at home so far.

I am really looking forward to start cleaning and de-clutter the house. Ahh... I am dreaming of clean and organized space. I know once it is all done, I can work more effectively. Right now, all the fabrics are scattered all over the place and it is hard to find the ones that I am looking for. I bought this special display shelf (the kind that spins) at Border’s store closing sale. I am filling it with fabrics and it is so awesome! I am often squealing with joy while I am filling the shelf and spinning it. I am also keep bugging my husband saying; "Look, look, isn't this SO amazing!?"

Of course I know he couldn’t care less, but being a supportive hubby he usually says, "yeah, that is awesome" or "I am glad you found that" but because I bug him so much that the answers have become "u-huh" or just a glance and nod (oh, wait I think I do that to my kids sometimes).

Well, in case you are wondering what I have been up to, that is part of it... (BIG grin on my face)

I have been planning something special for you, yes, my beloved friends!
September 20th is my 3rd blogaversary, and I am going to do a month long giveaway. At the beginning of each week I will post a giveaway item and announce the winner at the end of the week. How does that sound? Isn't it so fun? I am still trying to decide on a few details, but stop by sometime to make sure so you won't miss the giveaways!

As you have been reading this post you might be thinking "when is she going to announce the winner for the giveaway?" Sorry, I dragged enough... the winner is...

jamie (The Pinterest Project)


Congratulations!! Please email me with your shipping info, so I can send you the amazingly pretty Monaluna fabrics to you. Enjoy!

OK, are you ready to link and share your fabulous projects?

1. Please post something YOU made. It doesn't matter if it is crochet, quilt, clothing, anything would be fine. I want to see it! If you use someone's idea or patterns please give them the rightful credit.

2. Link to your specific post, that way it is easier for everybody to find and read it.

3. Please grab the "Tea Rose Home" grab button, and link back from your post. If you can mention the party in your post or place the button on your side bar, that would be great! I want more people to have a chance to come and show off their creation.




Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Blog Swap/ Some What Simple

A few month ago, I was contacted by Tara from Dating Divas (their blog is full of ideas of how to strengthen marriages in many different ways. Also, they love to incorporate some crafty ideas to bring romance into marriages, how fun is that!).

She wanted to host a blog swap among some bloggers from now through December. I was paired up with Stephanie from Some What Simplethis month. Her blog is filled with fun and fresh ideas, if you haven't visited her blog in the past; please do so. She is here today to share One of her fun ideas!


Hi everyone! I’m Stephanie from Somewhat Simple and I am excited to be here today to share with you a fun date idea as part of the huge blog swap organized by The Dating Divas.


 


In 2008 my husband and I were HORRIBLE at making time to spend together just the 2 of us, so I came up with the idea to pre-plan a date night for every month in 2009. I chose dates we probably would not have chosen to do had we decided on the fly to go out, which is usually what we did. Things like going to a comedy club or miniature golfing- all fun activities, but not something we ever made plans to do.


 


I wrote a cute little poem for each date idea and assigned each idea to one month out of the year. Then I made this gift into a book, 1 page for each month, and I gave it to my husband for Christmas.


 


Feel free to copy any or all of these and give them to your special someone this year for Christmas. Maybe it will spark your creativity enough for you to come up with some of your own as well!


 


Enjoy!












Thank you Stephanie for visiting us, it was so nice to have you!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hey, I Thought I will Let You Know

I had an opportunity to get together with a bunch of wonderful women this weekend (and it was an overnighter!). After a very nice meal, we sat around and talked for a long time, it was really fun and liberating at the same time.

We girls need girl time, don't you agree? Mr. Tea Rose Home and I have a very close relationship and we talk to each other all the time. (well...sometimes we both want to talk so much that we might need to learn to be better listeners), but some how I still need to talk to other women. I read it somewhere that women say an average of 20,000 words a day and men only 7,000. I kind of believe that. :)

I guess as women, most of us love to talk, exchange ideas, connect and support each other. I am not a super social person, but I still like to get together with friends every now and then when my schedule allows. Also blogging is a perfect outlet for that too. growing up, well, after I was all grown too, I try to keep a journal. Every once in a while I will start a new one, and never go past three weeks. Although, I am happy to say that it has been almost THREE YEARS since I have started blogging.

I think the secret is I feel like I am talking to someone through blogging. I will receive comments and feedback, and they motivate me to keep posting.

The "Dear diary..." doesn't cut it for me. The diary doesn't talk back to me.

So, friends, I thought I would tell you... THANK YOU for coming back to visit me often. I really appreciate it.

I had a really busy day, and I don't have pictures to share or anything, but I wanted to tell you that before I drag myself off to bed. :)

I will see you soon in my next post.

Note: Don't forget to enter Monaluna's giveaway, the contest ends soon!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Monaluna Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway!


Yeap, you read it right, I am hosting a giveaway for monaluna today!! Not only that, she agreed to do an interview with me for my readers. I know she is one busy person, thank you so much for your generosity Jennifer!

Before we start, let me tell you a little bit about her and her design...

Back in May I was at an International Quilt Market and met so many designers that I admire... Can you picture me being so happy and overwhelmed at the same time? Anyways, back in to the main subject... all of them that I talk to are so nice. One of the people that left an impression on me is Jennifer.


She is the talented designer and owner of monaluna. After the market we did some emailing back and forth and she has been so nice and sweet, I have this feeling anyone who meets her will want to become friends with her.

Her design is modern and fresh. I love her color pallet and hint of nature in the design. My favorite collections are;
marin

and monaco


I wish I had a little baby boy at home, so I can use fabrics from Monaco to make a special quilt for him. They are just so adorable!

Are you ready to get to know Jennifer? Here is the fun part!

1. Have you been sewing and designing for a long time? When did you decide to become a textile designer?

I have been sewing for a long time, though I had a bit of a rough start with it. I loved hand sewing as a kid, but my first few attempts at machine sewing were really frustrating and I swore off it for years. Then, I decided to sew some pillows for my apartment, and I fell in love with being able to create unique designs for myself. After that, I tried all kinds of things, with varying levels of success. A couple years ago, I even sewed my own wedding dress, using 26 yards of dupioni silk – quite a project!

As for textile design, that happened almost by accident. I had worked in various aspects of design, including surface design for children’s clothing, and I’d also done a fair amount of artwork for print houses, which supply the artwork for apparel and accessories companies. In 2007 I was working as a freelance designer when things really started to slow down. With time on my hands and a number of sewing projects in my head, I started to think about using some of my prints for textiles. I got in touch with a number of fabric companies, and was able to license a number of my designs to Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

After designing several successful collections for Robert Kaufman, I felt determined to pursue my long-time goal of printing my designs on organic cotton. I had missed being involved in the whole product development process, and after a lot of thought and consideration, I decided to branch out on my own and start my organic fabric business.

2. Work and family life, how do you manage them all? Is there any secret you would like to share?

Ah, it’s a constant struggle! Some days, it doesn’t seem like I’m managing at all. My first collection of fabrics arrived about 3 weeks after my daughter was born, so the last year has been full of some steep learning curves. There was this beautiful time until she was 7 months old where she wasn’t moving around much, and I actually felt like I could really work and watch her at the same time. Now that she’s crawling and walking, all bets are off. It’s probably time to get childcare and really focus on the business, but I’ve been enjoying getting to spend this time with her. If there’s one secret, I would say it’s to do work that you really enjoy. That way, you resent it less when you’re up at midnight finishing something you didn’t get to that afternoon. I almost always look forward to my work, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

3. Where do you get inspirations for your design?

All over! I feel most inspired by nature, and my favorite way of inspiring myself is to go for a long walk or hike and really LOOK at things. There’s so much that we don’t see in our everyday life, and I like to be able to really focus and notice the patterns and beauty around me. One of the best ways for me to do this is to travel to new places. When I’m out of my usual environment, whether it’s another country, another city or just a new hiking trail, I notice my surroundings more keenly and clearly than I do at home. Even the smells and the light and sounds of a new place are clearer and special.

4. What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you started your company?

Well, it’s always very exciting when new shipments of fabric come in, but I think my favorite thing is seeing how the fabric is used by other designers and sewists. I love seeing the things that etsy designers have made, or when people send me photos of things they’ve sewn with the fabric. I also really love shipping it out to other countries. Last Friday, I shipped fabric to Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia, and I prepared fabric swatches to send to Chile. If I can’t travel to those places right now, at least my fabric can!

5. Where do you think you and your business will be 10 years from now?

That’s a very good question! The usual idea is that you want to grow and expand, but I really love the size of my business right now. I am able to have a connection with my customers, and it feels really personal. I know it needs to grow, but I think it will be gradual. I would love to use my prints on different products, like stationery or wall art, but for now I’m still getting the hang of fabric. It will be very interesting to see where the organic market is in 10 years – I hope by that time it’s more the norm than the exception!

6. What are your favorite activities when you have any free time (if you have any at all!)?

Lately, I haven’t had much of what I think of as “free time”, but when I’m not working, I’ve been landscaping the yard of the 100-year-old house that my husband and I bought a year and a half ago. I love to garden, and have always wanted a big yard to work on, but now I’m realizing just how much work it can be! I’m hoping to build a chicken coop in the next couple of weeks – I’ve been wanting to get chickens for years, and now I finally can! I also really love to hike, dance, cook, entertain… but admittedly haven’t been doing as much of that as I’d like this past year.

7. Do you have a favorite quote to live by?

I have a friend who uses the Gandhi quote “You must be the change you wish to see in this world” as her signature. This one always rings true to me, and I really like the sentiment.

As I read the interview answers, I became a bigger fan of her and her creations. Again, thank you so much for your inspirations Jennifer. I hope you enjoy the interview too. :)

Here are the giveaway rules;

1. Visit her shop first and come back here to let me know which one was your most favorite collection. (1st entry)

2. Become a follower on my main page. (2nd entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway, tweet, become fan on Facebook. (3rd entry)

I will run the giveaway until midnight of the 30th and post the winner on 31st.
Good luck!

Monday, August 22, 2011

School is in Session ~A Mother's Thoughts~


The first day of school went so well. We were actually on an “End-of- summer-mini-vacation" over the weekend, and came home on Sunday afternoon. I made sure everything was ready for school before we left town, so there was no hassle.

Guess what... my youngest started going to school full time now. I cannot believe it. I will not lie, there were times I dreamed for this day. To have more time for myself and the things that I want to do. This morning, I woke up and thought, "Wow, today is THE day".

If someone asked me how I feel right now, I actually don't know. I went out on a lunch date with my husband, and it was really nice! Although, I can't imagine not having all of my kids until I need to pick them up at 3:30. It hasn't sunk in yet... no noisy cartoons, no sounds of someone running around the house, no nagging or fighting, and no one is calling for me saying "Mommy!” Ok, I guess part of me misses having them home already.

Some of you might think that I am being a bit melodramatic, but in a way this is a growing process for me too. As they get older and spend less and less time with me, I need to gradually get use to that. So, when they leave the nest completely, I don't have a HUGE gaping hole in my heart, I will slowly start filling that with other wonderful things.

For me that would be more sewing and designing time. Time to organize and clean my house better, I could actually try a new recipe or two. More lunch dates with Mr. TRH or my girlfriends. Most of all, celebrating the milestones and accomplishments of my children.

I know many of you who read my blog have little ones at home. One piece of advice I that I can pass on to you is that you "enjoy the little ones while you can". Many people gave me that advice when I had babies and toddlers, and I don't think I quite got it that back then (it is hard to enjoy them when they are the ones who are giving you reasons to pull your hair out).
But now, I want to say the same thing to you. Enjoy them! Cuddle them, kiss them and read them books, do whatever you and your children enjoy, they grow up SO fast!

We went on a picnic during the summer, Christopher was talking to me and when I was talking to someone and turned around to talk to him again (not even a minute), he was gone. He said "Mom!", when I looked around; he was already climbing a tree and smiling at me. I think parenting is kind of like that. They are there and while we are distracted for little bit, they are gone. So, enjoy the moments with them. :)



Now, I also know many of you already have teens, or grown-ups who’ve already left home. What did you do? Did you do anything special to make the transition easier? Any words of advice you can share? I am curious to learn about the next phase I am entering.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Link Love No. 66!


I can't believe this is the last weekend of summer vacation. In the beginning, I was thinking that I have a LOOOOONG summer ahead of me, but it actually flew by so fast! I wanted to teach my kids so many more things (cooking/crafting) during the summer, but I think I actually did about the half of the things I had in mind.

We didn't go on a big vacation or anything, but we did a lot, and had a blast!

This may sound a bit crazy, but I think I will miss having them with me all the time. Really, I mean it. :)

Are you ready for the link love?

A while ago, I made a necklace with crochet beads, and some of you asked me if I made the beads. I used the crochet beads from a craft store, so I wasn't able to share a tutorial... now you are in luck! Little Treasures made these cute crochet beads and shows you how on her blog. Aren't they so fun?


I just LOVE this idea! I can't Stop Crafting created these cards with her children's pictures. What a fun way to preserve memories, I bet they will enjoy them for years to come.


I always wished that Wal-Mart and Target would sell more stylish kids bikes at an affordable price (there are stylish bikes you can find on the web, but they are a LOT more expensive!). DIY Kinda Girl took a garage sale find pink bike and turned in to an orange/aqua blue bike. I LOVE the color combination!


The one thing you might not know about me is...I choose "Lemony" dessert over "Chocolaty" dessert. If there is an option where I can have both, of course I do that... :) but, if I have to choose one, Lemony is 99% of my choice. The Ivy Cottage Blog shared this Lemon Cake recipe, and it looks soo good. I feel like I can almost smell the lemon scent coming out from the oven.


First of all, I want to applause Happy Looks Good on You; she bravely painting a piano! I would be so afraid to make mistakes and damage the piano. Not only did she paint the piano, she did such a fabulous job! It looks amazing!


Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us every week! By the way, I have so much going on, so I decided to take a break from the link party next week. I will have the usual posts and more (what? Did someone hear GIVEAWAY?). I will see you at my next post!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Tutorial ~ Felt Party Favor Bag ~


Last week we celebrated Rachel's birthday. I will share the tutorial for the party favor bag. Did you know that printed felt exists? A few month ago, I was at Hobby Lobby and found this polka dot felt, and it was on sale (normally they are 2 for $1, I can't remember exactly how much they were, but I got it for less than that). I thought I could make party favor bags that would be usdable as a play thing later on for the girls.



{You will need}

1 - Polka dot felt

Two coordinating felt for the flowers (You can make several flowers out of two, depends on the size of the flowers)

Matching thread, button for the middle of the flower

{How to}

1. Cut two 1 1/2" strips for the handle.


2. Fold the strips in half and sew.


3. Mark on the shorter sides of the other piece of the felt, 1 1/2" from both sides.
Lay the handle right next to the mark, and sew the handle on to the felt.


4. Fold the felt in half and sew both sides. I used a slightly wider than 1/8", narrower than 1/4" seam.


5. To make the boxed bottom, pinch the corner and sew. Cut off the excess.



6. For the flowers, I used three different sizes of cookie cutters as templates. I just pressed the cookie cutter really hard on the felt, and cut on the line.


7. Layer them together (make sure that the flower peddles are offset from each other) and sew. I pinched the back and sewed several times, so the flower doesn't look flat.


8. Sew a button in the middle, and sew it onto the bag.


9. Ready to stuff with party favors!


It was a really laid-back and fun party. I didn't even plan games or anything, I just let them play and did a "nail salon" and face painting. We all had a fun time, it was a good day. :)

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Link Party No.66 / Mini Doily Bracelet Tutorial

I did a guest post at Sew Dang Cute a few weeks ago, and came up with this tutorial. I am posting this today, just in case you missed it.

One of the things I enjoy doing is making jewelries for myself to wear or as gifts. If you are someone like me, you might have an assortment of leftover ribbons and lace; I was thinking of ways to use them and came up with this bracelet.

Are you ready to make this summery- easy peasy bracelet?


{You will need}

1 -- 1 1/2" X 5 1/2" lace
2 -- 1 5/8" X 5" lace
Matching thread
Chain (I used 5", but you might need less or more depends on your wrist size)
2 Jump rings
1 Headpin
1 Pearl
1 Clasps (I used magnetic kind, but you can use whatever you prefer)
Jewelry making tools

{How to}

1. Cut the laces according to the measurements listed above. Then, fray check both ends to prevent fraying.



2. Hand stitch one side of the lace and pull the thread to gather it up. Sew the ends together to make a circle.


3. With 1 1/2" wide lace you can make a 2"diameter circle, with 1 5/8" wide lace you can make 1 1/4" circle. Now you have your mini doilies. :)



4. Connect the mini doilies. 2" circle in the middle, 1 1/4" circle on both sides connect them with slip stitches.



5. Measure your wrist. Mine is 5 3/8", the doilies are 4 ½”, I cut my chains to 1” long. This will give some wiggle room so that the bracelet is not so tight. You will need 4 chains.

Sew chains on the side of the small circles using a slip stitch.



6. Connect the jewelry making parts.
First, open a jump ring using your round and chain nose pliers.


Second, slide one side of the clasp, as well as the end of the two chains onto the open jump ring. Close it.


7. Repeat the same process for the other side of the bracelet, except, I added an extra chain with a little a pearl, to make it more appealing.


8. To make the headpin with the pearl, I found a really good tutorial for you here. This is probably the technique that is used the most in basic jewelry making. She explains this better than I can...

After you are done making the headpin with the pearl, add that to the extra chain on the bracelet.


It is wearable now...





I was pretty psyched about how it turned out. What I like about this bracelet is it is feminine, but there is a casual element to it.

Ok, it is your turn to link up and show us what you got! Thank you for stopping by! :)

1. Please post something YOU made. It doesn't matter if it is crochet, quilt, clothing, anything would be fine. I want to see it! If you use someone's idea or patterns please give them the rightful credit.

2. Link to your specific post, that way it is easier for everybody to find and read it.

3. Please grab the "Tea Rose Home" grab button, and link back from your post. If you can mention the party in your post or place the button on your side bar, that would be great! I want more people to have a chance to come and show off their creation.