This blog stinks.

One of the reasons is that I have a personal blog that I’ve kept for years. It’s much more funner. It’s much more betterer. So, I’m deciding to put this blog out of it’s misery and officially quit posting here.

Gosh, like that’s a surprise. I mean, I hardly ever posted here anyway!

So, please consider this a hearty invitation to you to head over to my other, more betterer and funnerer blog: The mab Blab. There’s a giveaway going on now to celebrate my 500th post!

Thanks to all of you poor souls who endured my sad blog. Please read up at my other one… I have a great new Etsy shop in the works that will have a ridiculous amount of vintage fabrics to share with you.

See you at the Blab!

But, now on to the next giveaway I’ve found! I am sooooo excited to find this Etsy shop. I love it. Love it. I’m favoriting everything right now. And, if you head over to fabulous k, there’s a giveaway for three of her prints. WOW! Three! I need these. NEED.

Hope you’re having a crafty day!

HP is giving away 5 Touchsmart computers! Check out these blogs below to find out more details…
1) BooMama

2) NieNie Reviews

3) McKMama

4) Totally Together Reviews

5) Kelly’s Reviews

Well, the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway days are over. I entered almost every giveaway and now I’m hoping (with fingers crossed!) to win something.

But, more than anything, I would really like to win this. Yay for giveaways!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

1. A ring from my hubby to temporarily take the place of my wedding bands. After 2 kids in 3 years, my knuckles have expanded and they don’t fit. (This is strange for knuckles to grow, isn’t it?)

2. Some storage shelves for the mess of toys in the girls’ room.

3. New clothes.

4. A new rotary cutter and cutting mat.

5. A magic robot that will clean my house, do my dishes, and wash my laundry.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

One year, my mom put together a recipe box full of cards. She mailed these cards to friends, family, former teachers, and people I’ve known all my life. They each wrote one or two cards and sent them back. It is so neat to look through and see all of the different recipes, the handwriting, and all of the people who sent something in. I treasure that box!

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

Someday I’ll make a quilted family tree wallhanging for my grandmother. I can see the project in my head. Let’s see if it can come to fruition!

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

I got a Cabbage Patch Doll. It was the year that everyone was in a frenzy for them, but as a 4 year-old, I don’t think I was caught up in that. I knew that I adored Nicola Beth with her red yarn pigtails instantly. She went with me everywhere. The older cousin who gave her to me took me and my brother later that year to get our pictures taken. These professional portraits were supposed to be a surprise for my parents. They were certainly surprised to see me, my brother, and Nicola Beth in the finished portraits!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?

My kids are too small to really have a conscious wish list. (They’re 1 year old & 2 1/2.) But, they’re getting a kitchen and I know they’ll adore it. My oldest is also getting a Buzz Lightyear doll. I know she’s a girl, but she’s obsessed with Toy Story. I know she’s going to love that toy!

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

The massive amounts of handmade candy and cookies that my Mama makes each year! YUM! She asked me and my hubby tonight which ones we wanted this year so she wouldn’t have to make any that we don’t want. My hubby’s answer: She can make all of them. One year I counted and there were 17 different varieties of treats on the dining room table! That’s right… it takes up the entire dining room table.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

I’m making a variety of gifts this year. I won’t write details since some family members read this blog! But, one family member doesn’t have a computer or read blogs, so I can tell you about hers… My 81 year-old aunt loves birds. She has a walker that she uses to get around. There’s a basket attached to it for her to hold her purse or other things. I found some perfect birdie fabric and I’m going to make a basket-cozy for her. I think she’ll like it. I also think I should get extra points for creativity!

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?

Elf. Love it. Hee-larious.

9. Favorite holiday song?

Probably O Holy Night. I sing it in the shower if no one else is home to hear it. In college, my roommate came home early one time while I was showering. I didn’t hear her come in to our tiny dorm room. I had started the song a bit high for my range, but since it was just me and the shaving cream, I let it rip anyway. Well, when the water turned off and I was reaching for the towel, I heard a voice from the other side of the bathroom door screeching in imitation of me. Sigh… no one appreciates good art, I guess.

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

Taking my daughters to see the lights. They love them. It’s just magic!

Now, I tag Britty, KarenD, and Ashley! Y’all need to make sure to participate!

So, the tablecloth is a tan matelasse bedspread, the damask boxes typically hold my ribbon, lace, and sewing notions, and the bulletin board goes in my closet to organize my jewelry. I used the few serving silver pieces I have here to hold bracelets & samples of my sugar scrub. I borrowed a crystal bowl to hold small bath salt packages. Then, I raided my house and two neighbors’ homes for silver photo frames. The prices were matted on coordinating scrapbook paper and put in the frames.

Oh, and the milk glass that held business cards, mini flyers, and other stuff… normally holds our toothbrushes and my hair stuff.

I know the table is really cramped! But, it was the only way to maximize my space. I got lots of compliments and I hope it encouraged the usual vendors to step it up with their booths next year. We’re hoping more people from the community come to this event, but they only will if it looks more professional.

I thought of tons of things to change for next year. One thing I will keep the same: I’ll have help! The person in the pictures (well, the one with teeth) is my good friend Jayme. The baby is one she “borrowed” from a friend. She claimed she only got little Abe to sit with us to draw people over to our booth. I guess it worked. So… next year I’ll borrow a baby.

My favorite thing: I used my Turkish chai glasses to hold samples of the sugar scrub. They are shaped like a tulip and have a cool pedestal foot. That way, people could smell what each of the scents were like. I have Vanilla Bloom, Cotton Blossom, Very Peary Berry, and Fleur de Lis.

Do any of you participate in Craft Fairs? I’m interested in doing some that are larger. But, I need help! YIKES! And major advice. So, feel free to leave a comment, send an e-mail, or convo me through Etsy and tell me all the good and bad you know!

Check out the Hawthorne Threads Giveaway for a purse kit or fabric from the amazing Art Gallery Fabrics peeps!

Also, another Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day is coming up for the first of December. I’m clearing the calendar and getting a babysitter so I can enter contests all day! Ok, I’m only sort-of kidding on that one.

Now, here’s a great giveaway that I really really hope I win….

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card Giveaway!

I am excited about something new….

Aren’t the logos beautiful? My best bud over at b.originals did them for me. Tonight will be their debut. We’ll see how it goes….

Now, back to packing and getting ready! And more tea. I need more hot tea.

When my 2 year-old moved into a big girl bed, we went looking for sheet sets and pillowcases. The trouble — the only ones I could find came in a huge, $40 set complete with a comforter. I happen to like the quilt I already had for her. So, we found a few sheets, I plan on making more, and we found one pillow case to get us started. I took some extra fabric and made these three other pillow cases for her toddler-sized pillow. She loves them. In fact, right now she’s sleeping on the ABC one and her baby doll is wrapped up in the red one. (We had a crisis tonight where we couldn’t locate the baby’s blanket…. this pillowcase kept her from melting down!)

This next picture shows a project in progress. I got this fabulous brown and yellow plaid fabric out of my grandma’s stash.  I wish I had a better photo of it for you! Still, you can see the lattice smocking I did at the top. This will be the top of a purse and it will create all kinds of fun gathers. I have a great purse I made for myself, but it’s time for a new one. And, it’s time for a bigger one! Too often my purse turns into a diaper or toy bag. I can’t wait to finish this one. Right now I’m in the final days of prep for a major craft fair. Once that’s done, I can turn back to this project and get it done.

The last item I have a photo for is this drawstring sewing bag. I have several projects I like to work on in the car, but I didn’t have a good place to store them. This bag is also made of fabric from my Grandma’s stash and is lined in white flannel. I made a quick scissors case as well, but neglected to photograph that. I’m glad I had this — the next day we drove 5 hours home and I had all of the supplies I needed to make an iPod case and to do some more lattice smocking. Both great car projects.

The main item I worked on was the winning bunting for my giveaway. But, did I take a picture? No. Because I’m a goober.

I’ve mentioned Grandma’s stash twice in this post so far — she is 88 and has decided not to do much sewing anymore. So, I inherited everything from her and her sister Aunt Velma. I have a huge paper grocery sack full of vintage buttons. My goal in these last few months of this year was to greatly reduce my fabric stash. Instead, I’ve ended up tripling it! YIKES! The buttons are absolutely beautiful. I’ll have to post pictures of my faves. I could eat them up.