A visit with family

We were so happy to have my sister-in-law and her family make the drive from Michigan to spend Memorial weekend with us. What a treat! They have two boys, Ethan and Gabe, who our daughter Alora adores, and a beautiful 8 week old daughter Ayla. Alora was so taken with her saying, "Look how cute she is! She's so tiny!"

Gabe holding his baby sister

We had a great time going to Ikea, taking the train downtown, going to Shedd Aquarium (braving the torrential rain in the process) and just hanging out at home!

Alora loved watching Ayla get her diaper changed

Movie time for the kids!

Fun in the splash pools with Alora and Everett

In preparation for them coming, I just had to make a little something for that baby girl. I can't resist. I made her one of my Eco Cotton Rosette hats and matching booties from this great pattern while she was still a cookin' in her momma. I also made a knit blanket for her out of a lovely grayish-lilac yarn and trimmed with white ribbon when she arrived. I didn't get a picture of these, silly me, but that's okay!

Nevertheless, little ones just beg to be created for and I couldn't help myself. More on that in a minute...

I have been wanting to try out some more applique after my custom Dr. Seuss order.

This is just one of the four pieces, including two bibs and two Ergonomic Burpcloths. They came out so cute!

First I whipped up this little burp cloth duo for a friend who just gave birth to a sweet baby girl, Kennedy.

I fell in love with this fabric line. It's Kate Spain's Central Park for Moda. Love. It was fun to play around with my sewing machine embroidery skills, something I'd never done, and try out some new applique techniques.

So on to the little lovely for our niece.

I picked up some Carters onesies on sale the other day and had a vision in my head. After one "practice" onesie that I had fully embellished and mostly destroyed while playing with my machines embroidery options, I was ready to make the official one. Let me just say that sewing on knit fabric is a WHOLE different ball game. I knew it was going to be different that sewing on my usual woven fabric, so the practice shirt was REALLY helpful.

And here are a few shots of sweet Ayla in her new shirt.

Just looking at her daddy :)

Not a great pic, but those are the EcoCotton booties I made on her cute little feet.

Her daddy sure is good at getting her to smile!

You may see some more applique items end up in the shop at a later date, but I did get this cute little ruffle onesie listed if you just have to have one!

I also have a new project started that I've been wanting to do for quite a while. More on that tomorrow!

Cleaning house...blog style

As I attempted to revisit blogging today, I was bombarded by way too much clutter on my page and just felt overwhelmed and under-inspired.

Funny that the house full of clutter surrounding my desk chair and computer screen was so much less disturbing...but I digress...

The lovely ladies behind The Ivy Twines just had a post about blog design. You can check out it out here. Thanks to their introduction, in steps from stage right - Makin' Cute Blogs - what a revelation. This site is fantastic. There are so many free background sites out there, and good ones, but Carolynn from MCB has these awesome tutorials for doing it yourself.

First she sent me to ColourLover. Don't even get me started on how cool this is. And free. (Did I mention it is SO cool?) I could play on this for hours and even my three year old would love it.

Spiffed up and streamlined things nicely and with a few more color and font tweeks, as well as a new header, things are looking much cleaner.

The other places worth a look are http://pixlr.com (like a free photoshop and no software downloads) and Pugly Pixel (lovely blog bling clip art).

Here's what I've been up to in the studio:

Kids are in bed, J is out of town on business, time to hit the sewing machine...

Spring line...might just make it out by summer.

Since we are already in the midst of spring, I thought maybe I should start working on a spring line. Late? I know. Such is life right now. I have had a few patterns steeping in the back of my mind for a while now just waiting for the right time (aka: finding time to knit) to make their lovely appearance.

Just because it is spring doesn't mean the sun received the message. Here in Chicagoland, the clouds have been predominating and the weather is "brisk" to say the least. This time of year still calls for some layers of warmth. (Sidenote: one of my favorite books from childhood is "How the Sun was Brought Back to the Sky." I now read it to A and she loves it. Seriously, check it out.)

The two I have started are both in my favorite organic cotton. Awesome fiber.

The first piece is this adorable cable hat. I wanted to evoke the feeling of warmer weather on the horizon though, and this lovely robin's egg blue just speaks to new life. Appropriate both for the season and this upcoming Easter which is all about rebirth and new life. Here's my little E modeling it for me.

We are all abustle with birthday preparations as E turn's one tomorrow! Hard to believe. All the emotions of that day come flooding back as if it were today rather than months ago. What a joyful moment in our families lives. He opened our hearts to a lot more love, a boy's world, and the sweet, silly, loud, BUSY life that he's given us. He made A a big sister and she has blossomed and grown so much this last year. Her tenderness toward him still touches me and teaches me every day.

J's parents are coming in for the weekend to celebrate Easter and E's birthday together, which is such a treat. We will have a little party on Friday with some close friends and then head to the city on Saturday. A has been asking to go to the "Dinosaur Museum" since we moved here and so we are planning on it, finally!

My second new piece in the spring/summer line is this silky, feminine seed scarf that drapes so beautifully.

Light and airy enough for warm days as well as cool and is that perfect finishing touch. I love it paired with a neutral top to transform your whole look into something fresh. Nothing like a great accessory to take something you've had in your closet for years to a whole new level.

As you can see it is still on the needles and has just a bit left to go. I am planning on a pared down version for girls as well as the women's scarf. This vibrant teal was just what I needed on a rainy, gloomy day to evoke the colors of coming warmer months.

Stayed tuned for more to come. When? No idea...

A little something new

In the midst of unpacking from our trip to Chicago as well as getting organized to pack up for our move, what am I doing? Crafting new items for the shop. Was this on my "to do" list? Certainly not. After a stressful few weeks though, I just needed a little "me time" to create. I have had the supplies and plans for these for months now, but just hadn't set aside the time to come up with the design.

First off is a fabric covered mini 3-ring binder. It seems in this tech-age, everything we do is on our smart phone. There is something about the tactile experience of writing something down that imprints the information on my brain better than any touch screen ever could. On any given day my mind is a whirl of things I need to get done, ideas for new projects, funny things my daughter just came up with, food I need to buy at the store, meal plans for the week, milestones my 9 mo. old son just reached, and so much more. Tuck this little binder wherever you need it most: your purse, laptop bag, car, diaper bag, anywhere! And the best part? It's filled with lined notebook paper you can refill to your heart's content.

Along the same lines, but on a smaller scale are the new notepad trios, decked out in cute cardstock. These two trios have a "Little Birdie" theme, one in dots and stripes and the other in a cute floral. I am a little crazy for things that COORDINATE (chalk it up to a mom that dressed all three of us kids to match). There is something about it that feels pulled together and organized. What a great little pad to stash in your purse or better yet, give this trio as a gift to that friend of yours that needs to know you're thinking of her. It seems I always am in need of little "somethings" to give to a girlfriend, hostess, teacher, or neighbor who has helped me out in some way or another. These should do the trick!

I'm sure there will be many more of these to come, but you'll just have to wait until we move and I get settled in my new craft room! I can already see in my mind's eye all the delights that will come out of that space.

We're Moving!

The M family is packing up and moving from Colorado to the Chicagoland area! My husband accepted a new job there and we are looking forward to all this new adventure will bring. Justin started work in December so I've been holding down the fort here at home with the two little ones.

We've sold our house here in just 10 days, over Christmas none the less. What an amazing blessing! The kids and I just returned from IL after a house hunting trip. The week turned out a lot different than we were planning. Monday morning I came down with a ferocious stomach flu which quickly spread to my 9 mo old son E. Let me tell you, stomach bugs (and its byproducts) and hotel rooms don't mix! What a mess (literally). With no access to laundry facilities and with Mom (me) being so under the weather, my husband drove us to Michigan to my in-laws so they could help and we could wash the mountain of clothesmy son was going through every day! They were amazing. I am so blessed to have such wonderful in-laws! Even when we passed our bug along to them, they were so positive, so helpful and just so happy for the unexpected visit with the grandkids. Even with me in Michigan and Justin in IL, we found a beautiful home in Crystal Lake and things are moving along well with that process!

Here are some pics of the new house! We are so excited for all the memories and love that will be shared in this new home.

I've ALWAYS wanted a front porch!

Our back yard. With over half and acre there will be plenty of room for the kids to play!

And probably one of my favorite rooms in the house...my new office / craft room!! I can't wait for all the creations that will come out of this space.

I'll keep you all updated as things move along. In the meantime, head over to the shop to snag 20% off all ready to ship items for my moving sale! Use the coupon code "MOVEOUT20" at checkout to receive your discount. I'll be back to taking custom orders and restocking the shop once we get settled in Crystal Lake.

Finding Balance

First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me in this new endeavor thus far. Those of you who were my first customers filled me with such glee and much needed morale that yes, I can do this. Those of you who have offered encouraging word have bolstered my confidence more than you know. After fulfilling some custom orders, I have been back to work on rounding out the stock in my shop. Through perusing forums and advice columns, I do realize it is important to make products that your target customer desires. That being said, I do this because it is a passion, I love to create, and it is an artistic outlet for me. So, to a certain extent, following my artistic whims of the moment is part of the process. I could make the same item day in and day out, but I feel my shop and my creative body of work would be much more reflective of who I am as an encompassing menagerie rather than one redundant "best seller."

A dear friend of mine and fellow business owner whom I trust, K, shared her wisdom and experience with me yesterday. "Find a balance." Starting a new business can be all consuming. Yes, I am a budding entrepreneur, but first I am a wife and mother (and I also have a 'real' job as a nurse!). I have small children who deserve to see more than the back of my head as I work on the computer. This season of life is precious and fleeting. I have years and years ahead of me without children pulling on my pants saying, "Mommy, watch this!" Putting too much focus on building my business has the potential of pulling my attention away from where it should be...relishing in the joy of my dear children who want nothing more than to spend every moment with me. I know they won't always feel that way. All that being said, my wise friend also empathized with the sentiment that, this is ME. Not mom, wife, but ME as a woman and who I am. Pouring myself into my work feels good because it is what I love to do. I have found in my relatively short three year tenure as a mother that finding a little "me time" makes me a MUCH better mom.

So, here are my take away thoughts for the day (some, courtesy of K):

• If I haven't spent time with the Lord yet that day, I have no business working on 'business'
• If my children, "Mommy, watch!", stop what I am doing...always...and turn my eyes to them because they deserve my undivided attention
• Save work for when it doesn't interfere with family. Sometimes I can do both (knitting in front of the TV while we all watch a movie), but if I can't, family ALWAYS comes first.
• Use nap-time to recharge with "me time" whether that is working on my business or just reading a book with a cup of tea

If you are struggling to find balance, I hope this helps a little. To be honest, this post is much more for me to get my thoughts out on the subject of balance. But if it helps anyone else find a little, what a blessing!

***Fall Giveaway!!!!***

(Women's Rosette Head Wrap)

So to start this fall season off right, I have decided to do a giveaway to all my lovely Rosewill Arts fans! This is your chance to win one of the hottest accessories for the season. The winner will get to choose a hat/head wrap of their choice, CUSTOM MADE in the colors and size of their choosing! This could be a boy or girl hat size newborn to adolescent/adult or one of my new Fall 2010 Women's Rosette Head Wraps!!!

(Girl's Rosette Hat)

(Boy's Hat)

Don't pass up this opportunity! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Become a fan of Rosewill Arts and "Like" us on our Facebook Page

1 Additional Entry for EACH of the following:

• Publicly follow Rosewill Arts' blog and post a comment here telling me you're following
• Leave a comment on this blog post telling me which hat (Boys, Girls or Women's Head Wrap) you would choose if you won
• Tweet about this giveaway and post the link here as a comment
• "Heart" Rosewill Arts' shop on Etsy and post here to tell me that you did
• Post about this giveaway on YOUR blog and post the link here

5 Entries if you:

• Purchase an item from Rosewill Arts' Etsy shop and post the transaction here!

Remember, you must post your additional entries here for them to be considered. The winner will be drawn at random on October 15th at 12:00pm Mountain Time.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!