Whoa, I've been away for a while...

I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted! Lets see, what have I been up to?

I made a ton of things for a local boutique and have sold quite a bit.
I did a local craft fair and it rained so hard, almost no one showed up, i sold only a few things.
School ended for the quarter and I got 2 A's - woohoo - go me!
I started working part time at my old job for some spending money and a little exercise ;)
I painted my house and did some work and listed it for sale (crosses fingers!!)
We threw Lily an amazing Elmo 2nd Birthday party and had a blast.
We took Lily to the zoo for her birthday and made a whole day of it.
And I am potty training....whew...

I'll go into more detail in a few days and  post more pics - but here is a sneak peak....

Let me mention I stayed up until 2 am sewing that birthday dress ;)

Winner - Freebie Friday # 2

We have a winner of a great peapod necklace from The Tessy Tree!

#18

kayte said...

I 'Liked' Tessy Tree on facebook!

email: kaytestreasures@hotmail.com

Congrats!! Keep your eyes peeled for your email!

Thank you for everyone that entered

Freebie Friday # 2 - Tessy Tree

---closed---

Freebie Friday # 2 - The Tessy Tree

I stumbled upon this shop right after opening up my etsy shop. The minute I saw her shop I fell in love! It took me a while to finally decide what to get, and I can not share all the items I purchased in case some family members are reading this...but this is what I ordered for myself:




Isn't it amazing? It's perfect - just like our little family - we are three peas in a pod. And I also love it because we called Lily "Sweet Pea", when we were pregnant. I just can not say enough wonderful things about her. Her customer service is amazing, she ships super fast, and the item really speaks for itself in person!

Anyways - It is so gorgeous and so well made, even with a toddler pulling on it, it looks as beautiful as the day I received it.

Here are some more items she has listed in her shop:






Here is a little about the woman behind The Tessy Tree:


What is your (first) name and your shop name?
Stef, The Tessy Tree

Tell us a little bit about yourself, married, kids, work, ect?
I am a working full time single mother of two girls, who I absolutely adore, and i also have two furbabies Bob and Apples. We love playing outside and they both like to dress up in mommy's jewelry.

When did you open your etsy shop and what motivated you to?
I opened my Etsy shop in January of 2011, I am really impressed on how well it has done so far, I mainly get more orders off facebook for now but I am definately not complaining. My motivation for my shop is the fact that I would love to be a stay at home mom and do my jewelry full time...so positive thoughts please! Positive thoughts bring good things!

What is your favorite thing to make and why?
Obviously my favoritie thing to make are my trees!! They are each different. No two are alike, even if they have the same colors or beading on them there is no way the branches or roots can be identical, so I think it is really cool that when someone wins or purchases one they truly are getting a one of a kind piece. I also enjoy making the pea pod necklaces because they bring such joy to so many mothers and are perfect shower/hospital gifts, I also like them because 5.00 from each one goes to the March of Dimes.

What is your favorite thing to do besides crafting?
I love to fish and I love looking at the night sky, so many wonders out there!

What is a fun fact about you?
fun fact about me.... well... I am addicted to cleaning! haha! I am obsessed with vacuums and I get really excited when I am in the cleaning isle at the store!



And Tessy Tree has been generous enough to offer one of these amazing Pea Pod Necklaces up for a giveaway! So you can win one of these-



Ok, so here are the rules:
1. You have to be a follower of this blog.
2. The Giveaway will run from now until Friday July 8th at 9am pst.
3. You have TWO entries - which means TWO comments below.
4. In your 1st comment tell me which one is your favorite and make sure to include your email address
5. You can have a 2nd entry, and 2nd comment here if you "like" Tessy Tree on Facebook - here (say hi - while you are there!) - don't forget your email address!!!!
6. If you do not include your email address and are chosen I will have to pick someone new
7. I will send the winner an email and they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.


Good luck!!!

Freebie Friday # 1 - WINNER

Freebie Friday #1 Winner is


#3 Ciera

Anonymous said...

I also really like the Eerie Edgar so cute my son would just love it Ciera from swapmamas
and my email is angelfrog123@yahool.com thanks :)

Congrats!! Thanks to everyone for entering and hope to see you back next week for another Freebie Friday!!

30 Day Shred starts tomorrow!!!!

Tomorrow is the first day of my new diet, 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. This dvd is seriously amazing. If you havn't tried it already - you have to give it a shot!!!

Last summer I lost 32 pounds in one month. Then i quit my job and gained 10 pounds. Then the holidays came a that good old yummy pumpkin pie packed on another 5-10 pounds. Then I broke my foot and was laid up for 3 weeks on the couch with my foot in the air, and another 6 weeks with a big boot cast on that kept my mobility limited.

So as my 30th birthday approaches (i am 99% sure I will turn 30 and not stay another year at 29...) I can't help but dream back to that cute little number on the scale the day I learned I was pregnant. I want that cute little number back. My current number is a dark, icky number. So my 30th birthday present to myself will be that cute little number back.

To start it off I ordered something I have been eyeing for ages now. I can't wait for it to arrive. I bought it from this cute little etsy shp - Artaffect , here is the listing - everyday-pencil-skirt-heather-gray



SOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

Freebie Friday #1

Freebie Friday #1

ok everyone - I am kicking off Freebie Friday with an awesome Etsy shop: mboclair

Check out the Freebie Friday tab for this cutie!!




She is also offering 25% off an order with code "blogger" good thru June 25th.

Coming Soon - Freebie Fridays

Who doesn't like a little free now and again, and since the blog isn't that big yet - you have a really great chance of winning, as long as you enter!!

Here is how it works. This Friday I will post an Interview and Giveaway for a great Etsy shop I found, the giveaway will run for a week, then next Friday I will announce the winner. We will take a week off and then I will post a giveaway the next friday.

It will be loads of fun!

Winner

The winner of the target gift card is # 2 - PHARMAMOM.

Stay tuned for more, i might start doing this regularly ....

PharmaMom said...

I would love this! I just made a list of things I need before Baby#2 and it's longer than I would have thought :/

nmolson@gmail.com

June 15, 2011 6:42 AM

ok, lets see who is listening out there

---CLOSED---

I got a couple great gift card deals at Target this afternoon - So I am gonna give one away.

(1) 5.00 Target gift card is up for grabs!

Comment below with your email address that you want it - make sure to include your email address!!! You have to be a follwer of my blog - if you are not I will choose a new winner!

It will go until tomorrow morning at 11am and then I will choose a winner via Random.org.

Good Luck!

Giveaway Alert!!

There is a super cute Giveaway over on The Adventures of J-man and Millerbug.

It is for an item from this cute little shop on Etsy - Mumsy Goose that makes onsies and they are so adorable I already hearted like 10 of them! I have so many friends having babies and I want to order one for each of them!!!!

Anyways - you have to check it out - it ends tomorrow.

Please Vote!

Please vote for my ruffle bodice dress! I would love a new sewing machine and serger!

BurdaStyle Fashion Challenge

My typical day...

I have been so busy that sometimes I don't even have time to think.

Today was the first day since before memorial day that I actually had some down time. Although I have a million things to do, I felt like I had a little breathing room, so after I cleaned the whole house - I took a nap. It felt so good! So I thought it would be fun to list what I do in a typical day. And if anyone is reading this in blog world, I would love for you to leave me a comment of your day or a link to a post about your day. I always find it so interesting! In addition to this during the week I also work on the weekends.



8:30 - Wake up - me time, check email and etsy, make coffee and drink 1st cup all by myself!

9:00 - I wake up Lily - actually i let the cat in her room and he meow's so much she wakes up - he sure loves her!

9:30 - Feed the kiddo breakfast or "socky" (snack) as she has been calling it. Start laundry.

10:00 - Pick out her clothes so she can try to dress herself, she's very independant - then i dress her - lol.

10:30 - I do all the dishes, clean the kitchen, use my shark vac then steam to do the floors - daily - yes I am that person. Lily helps the whole time, right behind me wiping things with a clean rag. I usually make the bed and switch around the laundry at this time too.

11:00 - I pick up the livingroom, and then plan lunch and dinner.
(Tuesday and Thrusday we leave the house at 11:15 - head off to Grammy's house to drop off Lily while I go to the tech school to biology and then math.)

11:30 - Lily eats lunch and then heads off to nap time by noon.

12pm - Study time!!! I sit down at the table and study everyday during naptime. I am determined to stay a straight A student and this is what it takes.

2:00 - I watch the closer - I seriously love this show! as i check orders, swaps, and sew.
(Monday and Wednesday we leave at 2:15 to take Lily to Grammy's and me to school.)

3:00 - Lily wakes up and has a snack. Now that the weather is nice we go outside to play or go to the "ocean" which is just down the road. It's a bay, but since her dvd talks about the ocean, we just keep it the same.

5:30 - Make dinner and try to do the dishes as I go, laundry if there is more, and other misc things. Lily helps me cook by beating a spoon on her pan.
(this is when we get home from school - monday -thursday)

6:00 - dinner time! Just me and Lily. Hubby is still at work.

6:30 - Sewing or studying, while Lily plays all around me.

7:30 - Play time on the livingroom floor. Hubby sometimes gets home at this time and we all play together.

8:30 -Pick up toys, Tub time and she pretends to pee in her potty.

9:00 - She is in bed. Hubby usually is making dinner or eating it. I get down the swapping online. I have not bought one item of her clothing in the last 10 months!!!!! Thank you swapmamas.com! Then I study if I have a test the next day, finish my homework (math leaves me 50-100 problems each night). I usually watch NCIS, law and order, Bones, or whatever is on tnt or whatever channel 58 is - lol.
I usually head to bed at about 1 or 2. Any earlier and I lay there trying to sleep, which is super annoying to me. (it's 12:47 am right now...)


So that's my day.

Memorial day special!

Now through memorial day only - Free ruffle bottom skirt with purchase in my store.

What to do -

When you purchase an item in my store in the checkout please specify-
"Free Skirt, size"

They are so stinkin cute - why not?

Only while supplies last - so hurry!

fabrics and colors vary.

We have a new winner!

Ok everyone.

I did not hear back from the first place winner - so here is a new winner for 1st place!

Result:25Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Iris!

Anonymous said...

I "like" you on fb :)

Iris (unknown.bliss@live.com)

April 29, 2011 11:08 PM

We have a Winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my first Givaway. It was a lot of fun and love all the new likes on facebook!

Sorry it's a little later than it should be - overcast=no wifi signal - lol

The First Place Winner - who gets to choose any item in my Etsy shop is:

Result:16Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Mary kate!

Mary-Kate said...

I am following you!! :o)

April 29, 2011 8:36 AM

The Second Place Winner - who will receive any item in my Etsy shop at 50% off is:

Result:48Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Jewerly by J!

Jewelry By J said...

i love this!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72706345/ribbon-lace-diaper-cake

..etsy trade-a-holics!

lovejewelrybyj@gmail.com

May 4, 2011 1:10 PM

You will both be contacted by the end of the day via email from me.

Congrats to you and thanks for everyone who entered!

Happy Mother's Day

I awoke this morning to a sweet little Lily telling me "i luv you Mama". Then I received a card with her "writing" all over it. It made my heart melt to see she had made me a card (with daddy's help of course).

We had a leisurely breakfast and went to brunch with the in-laws, where we stuffed ourselves of lots of yummies.

Now Lily is taking a nap, and I am going to do the same. Happy Mother's Day everyone!

My favorite time of day....

As I sit here and sip my coffee in quiet, I can't help but love this time of day. Between 8am and 9am I have time to myself. Quiet time, coffee time, and emails.

No one is pulling on my pants, no one is asking me for clothes or socks, no schoolwork, or sewing... just me all to myself. The cats run around under my feet and quietly play with Lily's toys, especially on sunny mornings.

However, an hour is really as much as I can take before I go and wake the babe. We start every day with a game of peek-a-boo, and I love it. That is my second favorite time of the day!

Giveaway!!

Since I have my Etsy store up and running I thought I would kick it off with A Giveaway! Check out my store here - Redheads&Ruffles.

I have listed all the important information under the Giveaway tab up top. Check it out!

GOOD LUCK!

Ruffle Bodice dress

On Sunday we went to church with the family and to brunch, but we didn't do a large Easter celebration because Hubby had to work. So yesterday we went over to the inlaws house and had out Easter egg hunt and dinner. Snce Lily had worn her Easter dress Sunday, and got it all dirty, I was in need of a cute dress for Monday. So I decided to put her in my favorite creation-the ruffle bodice dress. She had a blast, and really liked it.

Look what I made today!

Ok, so there are a million other things I was supposed to do today. Like getting dressed - lol, laundry, floors, studying, or sewing, but this was way more fun. I have made one diaper cake in the past just to see if I could - and it really is easy. I didn't have to buy diapers since I have like 7 cases left in the closet- Target had a really great deal a couple months back and I bought ALOT!

I just took some diapers, ribbon, lace scraps, and some head bands i bought but never intended on using. They were a 3 pack of head bands and I really only wanted on of them for easter - it's very cute, it looks like a rose.

I went into the closet and pulled some baby stuff and some gift bags from my baby shower to use as props. What you can't see if the the yard and the porch look sooo bad. lol. Hubby got some wood and has been chopping like a mad man and trying to get it all cleaned up before I have a fit about it taking over the yard. In the mean time he has tracked all his dirt, mud, and wood chips up onto the porch and I havn't cleaned it off yet. But i washed the table and a chunk of the railing. My camera is a simple kodak point and shoot. While I am not usually thrilled with the pictures inside, it takes wonderful pictures in natural light.

Oh ya, and my silverware is amazing. I am just as much in love with it today as when I opened it the day after our wedding - 4 1/2 years ago!

And where was my child during all this creativity? Well she was pushing her Elmo doll around in HER new First years umbrella stroller that came in the mail yesterday. And trying to coax the cats into it so she can push them around too. Poor thing is sick so we are not going out on the sunny, but cold day.

Here they are. I added these listings to my Etsy shop today.

Hello

Hello there!

My name is Amanda and I am a 29 year old wife, mother, mocha addict, compulsive organizer, crazy coupon-er, and sewing maniac.

I have been married to my redheaded husband since 2006, but we have been together since 1999. Yes, that’s right – we are one of those rare high school sweetheart couples.

Our baby girl came on August 31, 2009. She came into this world just one day after her due date. The labor was very long, and she showed us right off the bat how stubborn she was. Since she has a redheaded mama and a redheaded dada, she was destined to be a redhead herself. And we were delighted!

I used to work full time for a vacation rental company but quit my job last year to go back to college and get a degree in nursing. So by day I am a student and by night I am everything else. When I quit my job and went down to one income and I found coupons. I spend at least an hour each night looking for the best weekly deals, keeping up on the freebies available to snatch, and swapping for more. This has saved me mounds of money.

I also joined a swap site called swapmamas.com. This site is more geared to swapping household items, clothes, and baby goods. It definitely came in handy for a fast growing child. Why spend $20.00 on an outfit when I can swap it for old things around my house?

I learned how to sew when I was just a youngster. My mom used to make all my baby clothes. She was the type of person to look at something and go home and recreate it by making her own pattern. This wonderful talent was passed onto me!! I really enjoy sewing and creating cute items for my little girl. And I love ruffles – hence the name ;)

Since I love it sooo much, I thought I would try to make a business of it. I opened up a little shop on etsy : www.etsy.com/shop/redheadsandruffles . And spend my free time making new creations to add to my shop.

I am jumping into this full force. I am doing a local craft fair in june, I am checking into a couple different local farmer’s markets, and more! Stayed tuned for fun things to come!