Modernista Homemade swap

Well, I did it.  I joined a flickr swap.  It's been awhile since the last one and I'm pretty jazzed about it.

The group is Modernista Homemade, and sign-ups are still going on over on flickr.  The idea is that we'll swap things (one large, like perhaps a pillow cover, and one small, maybe a pin cushion - whatever suits your partner) for a specific room in our homes.  We're starting off with the sewing room, which is apt. :)

I'd forgotten how inspiring it can be to get lost in people's photostreams... Though I suppose I really should get my butt in gear and get a mosaic made for my partner.  It's a blind swap, so it'll be awhile before we know which bits of lovliness are going where.

I find that I already want to play with fabric, even though I don't know what I'm making yet, or who it's going to.  Ah well, it never hurts to mull over ideas, right? ;)

May Giveaway Day!

(I'm reposting here what I've posted on my shop blog.  Please pardon the overlap!)

YAY!  Sew, Mama, Sew has announced the start date for May Giveaway Day!  Everything kicks off on May 21st, and it looks to be an even bigger event this time round than it has before.  The categories have been revamped a bit (now there are five!) and the event runs for five full days.

If you've never taken part in Giveaway Day...DO!  If you're an artist or crafter with a blog, I can't recommend enough that you get involved.  It's a whole heck of a lot of fun.  And if you just want to find new artists and blogs that will blow your mind, then I highly suggest that you clear your calender for the week and enter as many of the giveaways as strike your fancy!  Even if you don't win anything, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a good time.  Your head might also explode from all of the amazing things that you're likely to see, but it's a chance worth taking. ;)

frog loves monkey will be taking part here, and I'll be doing something over on my personal blog as well, though I'm still ironing out the details.

Keep an eye out and be sure to check out all the goodies on May 21st!

Things That Caught My Eye (Whale Edition)

I can't speak for any of these companies or crafters as a customer, but there are some really nifty things out there in blogland that have caught my eye...

These whale twins by Fog and Swell just look AMAZING.  I can't even imagine the time and effort that went into them!  You can read more about these guys on her blog and see more of her amazing work in her Etsy shop.  I find myself lusting after her Orca stuffies.  Bug has always kind of had a soft spot for Orcas, and our nightly lullabies all center around sea creatures, so I'd imagine that both Bug and Boo would find comfort in it.  Nevermind that it it's just gorgeous.

To continue with the sea creature theme, I absolutely adore this felt whale pillow by PuNk rAwK pUrL.  It looks so cuddly and happy!  I've been doing a lot of work on pillows lately, but don't often get to work with felt (nor is it likely that I will anytime in the foreseeable future).  He'd fit into our bedroom pillow pile quite nicely! This little guy and his friends in different colorways (and different animals!) are available in her shop.  She has some great stuff on her blog, too.

And, while I didn't initally intend to focus on whales, here's one more that caught my eye recently...

This pair of organic whale pillows by Cecil & Clyde make me quite happy.  I think it's the smiles. ;)  I'm quite drawn to the bright, happy colors in the piping (a really nice touch!), and I love that they're really quite large.  Seems like they're perfectly sized for some serious snuggling.  There are other animals available in the Cecil & Clyde Etsy shop (I'm really drawn to the elephants), too.

Craft Hope: Project 17 (Pt 1)

(I mentioned this over on my shop blog, but I think it bears mentioning here, too...please bear with me if you happen to have seen the other posts.)

Craft Hope has announced their next project, Project 17: Aprons for Haiti.  Reading through the note that was posted by Rebecca of Haiti By Hand, who will be delivering the aprons and other collected items, I really felt called to take part.  The last time I felt capable of completing something was way back at Project 12 (mentioned here and here), last summer.

We're swimming in fabric over here, but I wanted something special, so whipped out my JoAnn coupons and picked up a couple of fat quarter bundles specifically for these aprons.

I've made aprons in the past and there are a lot of awesome apron tutorials out there but, to be completely honest, I'm kind of winging it here.  Rather than assembly-line the aprons, I've been playing with the fabrics and letting each one take on it's own personality.  It takes a bit longer, but I'm really happy with the results thus far.

So far, two aprons are done, and I have two more to stitch up tomorrow, children willing.  Still playing with fabric options on the others.

Large lined pockets and a lined apron front.  Sturdy!

Longer apron skirt and *super* long ties.

Over on the Craft Hope facebook page, they've asked people to post pictures of their aprons as they finish them.  There are some neat aprons going up, and links to some great tutorials and blog posts, too.  I was really surprised (and really flattered!) to find out that one of my aprons had been featured on the Craft Gossip blog post about the donation.

I'm really excited to get more of the aprons done and see what personalities they take on as they come together.  My goal is to fill a medium sized Priority Mail box with aprons, and possibly some of the other requested donation items, by the May 31 deadline.  (That's the Craft Hope deadline, but Haiti by Hand will be accepting donations of items through June.  They also keep an up-to-date list of needed items on their home page.)

Featured at Kindred Images and Creations!

Heh...  My head's going to get big from all this attention. I was featured again this past Friday, this time at Kindred Images and Creations.  :)

As far as I know, it's going to be awhile before another feature, so it'll be a few months before I get all attention-hoggish again. ;) 

Featured at Simply Cherise

Somehow, I forgot to post about it here the first time that frog loves monkey was featured in on a blog.  Hrm...not sure how I managed to do that.  (It's here, at The Sweetest Memory.)

Exciting news though - it's happened again!

I'm the featured artist over at Simply Cherise.  Very flattering. :)  Go take a peek if you'd like to hear a bit more about what I do why I do.

Easter, Part II

Easter was a REALLY low-key affair for us, this year.

Richard had to work.  We'd already done the big egg hunt at my sister's on Thursday.  And, after playing with our friends on Saturday, Boo woke up sick on Sunday morning.  (GAH!  We were the plague carriers!  Dangit!)

The kids had actually forgotten that it was Easter. 

They were on the sofa, tired and congested and watching tv with their breakfast (hey, they were sick), when I surprised them with their Easter baskets.  Talk about excited!  We don't so the Easter Bunny and they don't get candy, but I tucked a few things into their baskets that they were excited about.  They each got a set of bunny ears, which they thought were funny, and a little stuffed animal, and some Annie's gummy bunnies.  There was a set of egg-shaped sidewalk chalk for them to share, and Bug got some Silly Putty (which Boo always tries to eat) and a little set of wooden cars in his basket.  Oh.  And they each got one of those little washcloths that's packaged up super tiny and grows to full-sized when you get them wet.  Boo was so excited she asked to take a bath immediately.  Bug opted to play in the sink.

They spent the rest of the day attempting to eat the last of the eggs we'd dyed for the hunt at my sister's house.

The eggs my sister made specially for Bug and Boo.  Their names are on the other side.

Pre-Easter Playdate

The kids and I got to go have a bit of fun just before Easter.  Even though we've been here in Arizona for nearly two years already (how did that happen?!), given everything that's happened during that time, there hasn't seemed to be a lot of time for us to get out and meet people.  But we do have friends, and for that I'm very grateful.  :)  And, that we *all* seem to have made friends in the same family, well...that's just awesome. :)

So we got to go play with our friends.

It was a really nice, relaxing day.  The boys, both four, alternately had great fun with each other and then seemed to delight in shouting at each other.  The girls, both hovering on either side of a-year-and-a-half, mostly still play near each other, but have taken notice of each other.  There were moments that I wondered if they weren't developing little crushes on each others brothers.  And I always enjoy hanging out and talking with Kendall.  She's awesome.

The kids dyed a few eggs, though I didn't manage to get any pictures of it.

Boo got to wear her first tutu, and I think she fell in love.  She liked it so much that Kendall sent her home with it.

Boo and Luca.

Much fun was had. :)

(And, Kendall has a shop!  Find her at www.hennyandev.etsy.com, www.facebook.com/hennyandev or www.hennyandev.blogspot.com.  She does CUTE stuff.)

Shop Goodies - Baby Things

Been doing a ton of sewing for the shop lately.

Some of my recent favorites in the baby items category...

Car Seat and Nursing Cover Combo

Diaper Strap

Diaper Strap

Swaddling Cloths (Not in the shop yet)

30 Minute Pants

I've been doing a LOT of sewing for the shop, and while the kids typically end up with new clothes when I do that, Bug has kind of been shortchanged on that front lately.  Adding lounge pants to our offerings was a boon for him though, and he loved them.  (Yay!)

Bug isn't much of a fan of fabric shopping - though he does have an impeccable eye - but he does really like picking out fabric for his own projects.  He also loves Lightning McQueen.  A lot.  So he picked out some Cars fabric a week or so ago and it's been sitting here, waiting for me to do something with it.

I'm guessing it was a bit of insanity, but when Richard had the kids at my sisters, I realized I had about thirty minutes before I needed to go meet them and thought, "Hey, I wonder if I can whip up those pants before it's time to leave?"

Short answer, yes.

And he loved them. :)  (Yay!)