a creative vacation

Life
It does have a tendency to fill up the schedule doesn't it?

The past week had me spending time with two very special and very engaged people, exploring this excellent market, and having my sister and her Stickies for a visit (yes, I'm currently holding a sleeping, drooling, chubby baby. Bliss I tell you!). I've also taken the time to explore some new projects (like this one here) and am opening up the chalkboard paint again! We've been blessed with many houseguests (both spontaneous and planned), that's when I discovered my love for fresh towels weird, right? I was just starting to develop a habit of washing towels every day when my practical sister stopped me in my tracks, I suppose it was a bit overboard. ; ) We've been blueberry picking, landscaping our front yard, and have developed a list of foreign films we'd like to watch as a family (every since we discovered Life is Beautiful, foreign films has become one of our favorite film genres!), Le Herisson is next on the list.
In addition to the regular brew I've been working on a few weddings for this Fall--details to come...

In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that I've extended the vacation time on my etsy shop. There is so much I'd like to do with my shop and that simply wasn't enough time to do things properly! I'm excited about  showing you the new shop items, branding, and packaging but I do need to focus on a few other things before I can open up shop again. Thanks so much for your patience!
Also, I'm looking forward to showing you my progress so continue to check back here for shop updates and new posts!!


And now, back to living. :)

announcement// happy vacation

The Etsy shop is on vacation! There are a few things I've been wanting to do with the shop and have now decided to take the time to do them. Thanks so much for your patience as I continually learn new things and grow in this area! Recently I was blessed to have the insight and advice of a fellow Etsian and artist so now I have a lovely "Let's Do This" list to be working on.
I'm also working on some custom orders and new shop items which take away from the time I would have been spending on my shop (were it still active and not on vacation mode). I can't wait to show you the new items when I return to Etsy on Monday, June 18th!! In the meantime, I'll be busy with sewing, knitting (once my wrists feel better!), living life, painting, and (today) making blueberry pie.
How about you?

Do any of you live in a "blueberry season" climate? I do! There may not be any apple picking around but we can pick fresh blueberries this month. Last year we were able to get nearly fifty pounds of blueberries and I hope we can get about that much this year (lasted us a good six months). Mostly we flash freeze and package them, then toss them into our daily smoothies or yoghurt; today, however, we'll depart from the text and make this delicious recipe.

What are your plans for the week?

of english pillowcovers and avocados

{Burlap Pillowcover---England Flag} 

Well, hullo everyone!
The past few weeks have been filled with watching children, a wee case of bronchitis, driving around downtown Austin (love doing that), estate sales, eating a Democrat at Torchy's Tacos (great place to congregate!), meeting new and wonderful people, and spending late nights talking. :)
How about you?

Today I posted the above throw pillow, yes friends, my very own curtsy to the plethora of hits I received after this Union Jack post, who knew those simple words would cause that much traffic?? So, I figured that creating a shop item with an English theme would be the best way to acknowledge those 45+ hits a day.
I really enjoyed creating my own version of St. George's Cross, in fact, this could be the beginning of a beautiful, flag-reproducing relationship...

What flag do you think should be next?

In other news, the avocado seed is growing marvelously! What was once a homegrown, California avocado is now a budding plant, contentedly shooting out of a depression glass on our kitchen windowsill.
Now to research what to do next!

Have a beautiful week.

new tidings

{vintage inspired dessert pedestal---spot on floral} 

We're taking a brief break from our regular blogging schedule to fill you in on a few of the happenings.
First, I wanted to show you the new listings in the etsy shop! If you've been looking for a dessert pedestal or place to lay your keys, our new vintage inspired dessert pedestal will do the trick! Perfect for dainty delectables or any collections of items, these two dessert stands are sturdy, upcycled, and quite vintage.

{floral whimsy} 

As always, we love doing international shipping and gift wrapping, so please let us know in a message or "note to seller" if you require either/both---we're very happy to oblige!

{nursing cover---amy butler lou lou} 

Also new in the etsy shop is yet another hip, fun nursing cover! Don't you think Amy Butler fabrics make breastfeeding in public so fashionable? We are really loving the stormy grey/warm pumpkin combination, the light blue adds an interesting dynamic to the fabric.

As I were listing this item, I realized how many different names there are for this one item!
Nursing cape, nursing cover, breastfeeding apron, hooter hider, and breastfeeding cover just to name a few;
what do you like to call them?

This week I'll be meeting with a few people to discuss an upcoming work opportunity (more on that later) and preparing for a baby shower, among other things (like chasing little munchkins, having tea parties, eating raw macaroons, making biscotti, and braiding hair). Around this time last year, I was preparing for the bridal shower of a sweet friend, now I am preparing a baby shower for the same friend---it's very sweet. :)
Also, I am working on a few projects for my crafty partner in the Oh, Hello Friend Shop Swap; this will be my first and I've really enjoyed it so far, pictures to come soon!


What sorts of tidings does your week hold?

of paint pens and peanut butter m&m's

{Butter Yellow Baby Booties}

Yesterday I started my first painting project (pictures to come!); a dear family has commissioned me to make name signs for their children and this week I've started with the so-far youngest child's name. I'm happy to say that with a fine tip paint pen, calligraphy on canvas is indeed possible! I'm very exciting to finish the lettering part of the project today and begin the decorative bits tomorrow (or later this afternoon?).
To be quite honest, I really haven't done much crafting with canvas before and was so pleased to discover that there really isn't anything to it, at least as far as my projects are concerned. So, watch out, you may just see a flood of new paint items in the shop soon! At the very least you can look forward to tomorrow's post where I'll show you the process and the product thus far.

What sorts of things do you have in your crafting schedule?

Another small tidbit for today is a note on the startlingly positive influence of peanut butter m&m's. For the second time this month my darling mama has bought a big bag of them and they are currently being held in our Vietnamese serving bowl in the china cabinet. A great practice in self-control as the door of the cabinet opens pretty loudly. ; )

{news}letters of importance

Creative Reader:

Well, welcome back, Elena! We missed you.

Yours Truly:

Thanks so much, I had a marvelous vacation/roadtrip/conference experience; and, as always, it's wonderful to be home.

Creative Reader:

Tell us about your trip? We'd especially like to know about how it went selling at that consignment shop in Wilmington.

Yours Truly:

I'd love to share with you about that, and as a matter of fact, I have a blog post already written about it, but first I need to ask you a question.

Creative Reader:

Shoot.

Yours Truly:

Well, as a part of my 12 By 2012 list (which has been updated, btw), I'm starting the first L&B newsletter for our caring customers!

This newsletter will go out once a month and will include 

(but is not limited to) 

free shipping coupon codes, giveaways, DIY projects, updates on new items in our shop, as well as creative tips and tidbits. 

I'm so excited to be starting it and I want you to be the first to sign up for it! 

The first newsletter will be sent out on 

January 6th!!

Creative Reader:

Wow, Elena, that sounds so great, how do I get added to the list?

Yours Truly:

Just send me an email (lemonsandblueberries{at}yahoo{dot}com)

with your email address and you'll get your first newsletter on January 6th!

You will only receive one email from us (clogged email inbox's are detestable to us as well) and it will never be shared or sold--even if someone offered me a pair of English riding boots in exchange for your information, I'd tell them, "Sorry Charlie".

Now that, is what I call security.

Early Smiles {a sale!}

{cate via pinterest}

Things That Make Me Smile:

yarn shops

a particular little man running with chubby cheeks

black and white photos

lying in the sun, at the beach

hunting for sea glass

wearing knits (especially handmade)

cold weather and hot drinks/munchies

playing boggle with friends and family 

lacto-fermented carrots (call me crazy)

and particularly,

sales!!!

What makes you smile? 

Tell me and you could qualify for free shipping on your next purchase

(Bet you want to comment now, don't you? Well, finish reading and then comment)

Now, back to our sale announcement, I call it the

Lemons and Blueberries

Early Smiles Sale

As I'll be away from my closet studio during the Christmas sale/purchasing season, I wanted to give you a 30% off coupon code, good for anything in the shop as well as custom orders! At the time of your purchase, please type in the code: 1EARLYSMILE

and you'll have 30, yes, 30% off your purchase (custom, ready-made, or vintage!). Go ahead, get over there and smile.

vintage+a sermon

I'm very pleased to show you the new vintage section in the etsy shop!
At last, I've made the decision to list some of my estate sale finds and treasures, though I must confess that it was a bit difficult to decide what to sell; most of my thoughts go like this,

"Okay, I've got to list at least--oh, wait, I remember buying this! It was in that old house with the--no, Elena, just list it, when are you possibly going to use this anyway? Well, maybe someday I'll need a really small decorative bowl and--oh, mercy, just list it!"

So, in the end, I convinced myself decided to pull a few things from my stash and see how they sell in the shop; this week there are a few estate sales that I'm planning on checking out, so hopefully I'll be able to add more things in the shop.

Also, along the "vintage" thread, I saw this diy project for recovering books, vintage-style, on the ever resourceful Design*Sponge (I just love that place); let me know if you try it out, I'd love to see how your covers come out! Currently on the project list are a few painting projects (I've been loving that lately), a lace baby dress, and a shawl for my Mama; so, don't really have the time to devote to this but I'm definitely putting it on my "future project" list (I'm a big fan of lists. : )
What's on your project list?

Also, I wanted to share with you the link that I posted on Deep Roots At Home for this weeks "Encourage One Another" link-up. This week shared this sermon on Humility: A Blessing from Dr. Peter Masters of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. I was first introduced to Dr. Masters when my parents visited during a trip to the UK last year; they were so blessed by his sermons and we've been listening to them online for quite a while.

Dr. Masters precision and burden for the Word of God to be preached rightly makes for a rich and encouraging sermon. (also, I'm a huge fan of accents so it's a nice feature. ; )

Check it out and let me know what you think!

friday musings

{Sleeping Eva} 

You might have noticed the absence of the {Dubai Covers} page (don't look for it, it's already gone), well, the time has come to add the inventory to our shop! Though this feature did quite meet my expectations, I've decided to employ my "reuse, reuse, reuse" mentality and am posting the unsold covers in my Etsy shop!

{Here is the first of many listings to come}

Mica and I still planning our trip and thanks to some other forms of fundraising, have enough collected for our trip! I'm so, so, so excited and have continued my mental packing of suitcases. : )
As the planning continues I have a mysterious question (don't you just love it??), how many of my readers are located in the London, England or Frankfurt, Germany area? Just wondering...

As an interesting bit of random information, I'm also wondering how many of my readers play musical instruments? This question has no mystery, sorry. Currently, I'm learning to play the piano again (Thanks so my fabulous teacher, Amy Sheehan) and one of the songs I'm working on is Beethoven's Sonatina in F (if that little seven-year-old can play it, by george, so can I).

And before I part with you on this fine Friday, for my estate sale/thrifting friends,
here is a great resource I use: estatesales.net
Ever used it? I will be this weekend, I'm on a hunt for plates. Lots of them. And teacups with saucers in addition to my usual, "Gee I Wonder If They Have This" list. Yet another mystery for you (isn't it exciting?).

There's still time to add your link to the 

Encourage-One Another link-up!

Click the button for more details.

A Wonderful Kind of Ugly

Do you have an item/accessory/trinket that you just love...but everyone else thinks it's hideous?
Well, the pair of shoes you see is my "Wonderful Ugly" item. Those Simple shoes are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes that I own; I could wear them all day long, they're just practical and super comfy. However, around these parts, they're known as my "granny shoes" (I prefer to call them my "Whole Foods Shoes"). 
This reminds me of my journey selling on Etsy; at first, I had to remind myself "not to despise meager beginnings"; to do what I could with what I had. Rather like my "Whole Foods/Granny Shoes", my methods weren't terribly streamlined or professional (and are still being refined) but practical and they worked for the time being (I'm glad to know that I did the best with what I knew at the time!).  I'm so thankful for the helpful people and resources that I have discovered and am still discovering (You know who you are)! I'll be you have a "Wonderful Ugly" item as well, don't you?    ; )
 

Also, I wanted to introduce you to a great, new resource for selling your crafts online, in fact, it's called How to Sell Your Crafts Online (groundbreaking title, I know ; ). It is being released on Amazon in October and seems somewhat similar to one of my favorite how-to books, just more relevant to Etsy sellers.
What sorts of books/resources do you find helpful? Let me know, I'm always looking to expand my library!

Rearranging and Organizing

{Photo Credit}

Ah, these past few days we've been rearranging home, that means lots of cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming (except for Sunday, we visited with some dear friends and drank tea)!

My Mom and I really enjoy rearranging the furniture in our home, every time exclaiming "how much better the room is this way" and " why haven't we arranged it like this before?";

it's kinda funny, and there you have it. The spring cleaning frenzy hit me a bit late, last Friday my room looked like an unmade while I was completely reorganizing my closet.

It's now in the home stretch of being done after two days of work (whew!),

very soon I'll be able to open the door unashamedly!

Today I'll be trying to wrap up the odds and ends before I leave for Austin on Thursday.

Speaking of Austin, I've been trying to brainstorm fun things to do with the Stickies while I'm there. After her baby is born, I find it to be really helpful for Mom and Baby to rest well if the other Little People are out of the home for an afternoon. The only thing is that it's July and it's hot. So, I've been thinking of indoor, cooler things to do like:

walking around Whole Foods ( Did you know that Austin is the home one of the largest WF's in the country, yes, it's pretty exciting), going to the "Storytime" at the library (shall we venture downtown again?), or a fun afternoon/picnic at the pool (we could make popsicles and lemon bars!); praise the Lord, my Aunt lives no more than ten minutes away and we can always have our lunch at her place (cream scones and tea are a must, it's tradition). Also, to maintain a healthy balance between work and pleasure, before the baby is born Nicole and I have lots of organizing and toy purging to do (a garage sale is in order), thankfully our Mum is planning to take the three Stickies for a few days so that Nicole and I can purge without regrets.

I've been collecting new, easy peasy recipes to try out while I'm there (Thank you Kimi and American's Test Kitchen ;) It's always fun to try new recipes, whether they come out right or...well... I'll share the brownie recipe story another time!

How is your week looking?

p.s. Have you seen these Edward Juan cards? I think they're adorable!

Possible shop item?? Hm...

Sweet Summer Days

{Design*Sponge}

This week will be full of moving, packing, moving, swimming, packing, moving, and more packing (more on that in me and my sister's blog). Tomorrow night my sister, a few friends, and myself will be seeing the opening performance of Emma--so excited! I'll admit that I'm a lover of Jane Austen and Emma is no exception, one of my top three Austen favorites you might say.

Going to the theater is not an everyday occasion for us, so I treasure each time we can go--are there any other theater-going lovers out there?

Next week I will be heading off to the Texas Hill Country again! Yes, as my eldest sister is expecting her fourth (this will make three girls!), I'm off to be with her before, during, and after she has her baby. Lord willing, my brother-in-law will be in town during the birth, so my job will be the "Mary Poppins" sort. : )

Which I absolutely love!

I'm going armed with new recipes (we'll see what the Stickies think about paleolithic eating), some crafty projects, and supplies to make a few baby booties and possibly another sweater.

Let's not forget my sweater for The Summer Sweater Knit a Long! I'm halfway through the back piece and am slowly but surely knitting along! I'd really like to finish soon as I am excited to wear this very sweet sweater (the entire outfit is planned already!). I'll also be working on some new items for the shop, some fun summer things to keep it interesting. : )

I'd love to squeeze in some reading time but with everything else I'm not sure that's possible, do you have times like that? I am plenty of half-finished books on the shelf and for the most part, that's where they are most of the time--on the shelf. I'll have to show you the new literary treasures I've found (actually my Mum spotted them first) at some recent estate sales; one is an illustrated first edition of Cranford and the other is an edition of Jane Eyre--nope, haven't fully read either copy yet! But I can assure you, they are treasured even if they aren't read!

Happy Summer Giveaway {Reminder}

{Design*Sponge}

Here's your reminder about the first giveaway held on this blog!

Remember, it's apart of the Happy Summer giveaway

from Sarah at forgiven. love much

July 1st and 2nd you'll comment on

this Happy Summer! post to win

two skeins of Italian Merino wool!

Be sure to read for all the fun details; the contest will close at midnight,

July 2nd so you'd better act fact for this one!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. : )

Happy Summer Giveaway!

Well, summer is here all bright eyed and bushy tailed!
We've been at the pool, in the sprinkler, and trying new ways to cool off
(let me know if you try it--we're big fans here!)
Hence, the slight lapse in blogging time, we've been a bit busy around here!
More on that later...

Also, I've added a few new items to the Etsy shop, please have a look around and let me know what you think and what you would like to see more of in the future!
I'm also interested to know what you all think of the newest addition to the summer line, it's a bit different but I've been wanting to expand my creative horizons. ; )

Now for that giveaway. *grin*

I'm very excited to announce

the very first giveaway for Lemons and Blueberries!

Thanks to Sarah from forgiven. love much,
I've been inspired to give away
two skeins of vintage Italian Mohair.
These treasures were found at a recent estate sale and are entirely clean and unused;
I tried to find more information on them but couldn't! If you happen to know the dates or more info, please share--I'm always interested in the story behind what I find.
For those of you new to mohair, it's a wonderful world. : )
Just by following a simple pattern you can make things like
this Cat Cay Cowl, something out of this look book, or these fun Sabrina Mits.

So here's how it'll go down:
From July 1st to July 2nd
the giveaway will be open until midnight, July 2nd.
1. Follow my blog (if you don't already) and
leave one comment below and include,
2. The nutshell story of how you met one of your
kindred spirits/dear friends,
3. and your email address (I'll get the winner's
physical address after the announcement).

Here's a few important p.s.'
*I'll be shipping no later than July 8th
**I will be covering international shipping, so those in Kenya, Kazakhstan, and Cadiz, feel free to join too!
***It's very important that you provide your email, that way I know how to get your physical address!

I'll be announcing the winner on July 3rd, so stay tuned. :)
Let me know if you have any questions.

That's all!

Bits of My Home and "Hello Summer"

{Irises gracing the dining room table}

Ah, summer, the time for pool parties to get in the sun and games of scrabble

and cards to get out of the sun; this year I'd love to have a few movie night

with friends, start a bookclub, and try out this Basil Lime Soda recipe

--anyone want to join me?

Though we don't really have a beach here in Houston I'm looking forward to

getting into the water this summer and have lots of sun time with my nieces

and nephew, because it's just so much fun to go to the pool with stickies.

What are your favorite summer pastimes?

{Lounge Around Baby Sweater}

So, the shop has been refreshed and replenished with new items, just in time!

Today's new listings are just a start so be looking for new ones in the weeks to come.

Here are a few peaks at what's in the Etsy shop, enjoy.

{Butter Yellow Lace Baby Hat}

Have you been by Spancy's Closet yet?

Check out Sarah's project on Goodsie and it's kind of a test to see how things sell;

I'm looking forward to hearing her results and opinion!

I've already bought something and am please with the process, very similar to

buying something on etsy

(I especially love how the shipping cost is worked into the price.)

{I just love the half off section in the floral department}

This week will be moving on in my studies with educational psychology and reading

more about the effects of caffine and sugar (gasp!), as well as buying yarn for my sweater

(which will be unveiled to all of you in September!).

KAL's are so fun. :)

What plans do you have for the week?

Inspiring People {Sarah Mendenhall}

So, for today's post, I'd like to introduce you to an inspiring

young woman and her blog. I came across her and her sister Hannah last

year and am so impressed by their fervor and desire to serve and trust the Lord.

It was difficult to condense all that they do but for now

I wanted to introduce you to...

{Captured by Little Light Creative}

...Sarah Mendenhall!

The elder of the two Mendenhall sisters, Sarah is a lover of Christ,

her family, and all things sweet and vintage.

On her blog, forgiven. love much, there is much inspiration to be found

in her cute, creative, and modest approach to dressing in a feminine way;

each week she posts different outfits for each day as well as some

yummy recipes! I appreciate her evident contentment as she serves

her family at home.

Sarah also keeps a shop on Etsy called,

Spancy Ketosherosh Vintage,

which showcases her fun vintage finds as well as an arrangement of

handmade items. Sarah uses this venue to donate to Compassion International

by using 50% of all profits from her handmade items towards this ministry,

you can learn more here.

Recently, I was able to benefit from winning this adorable headband during a

giveaway that Sarah hosted. Quality is important to me,

especially in handmade items, and I am very happy to say that I'm very

content and impressed with her work

--I'm looking forward to working with her again in the future!

Before we wrap up this post, I'd like to share an interview I had with Sarah-

-enjoy!

Sarah, what was your main drive in creating your shop?

When I started thinking and praying about opening a shop, I simply wanted a way to develop some small business skills and make a little money for myself and the future. Now that I have been open two and a half months I have come to realize how it can be used for so much more! I have met many new people, networked, participated in giveaways and been able to donate some of my proceeds to a worthy cause.

How exciting! That leads to our next question about where you donate 50% of the proceeds from your handmade items, how did you come to desire to donate to Compassion?

My family has sponsored children through Compassion International for over 10 years now. When I was working full time I always donated a portion of each pay check to CI. I want to be able to continue to give even though my income is much lower than when I was working outside the home. :)

I'm always interested in how people choose the name for their business, how did you choose yours?

:) Funny little story. When I was five years old I named one of my dolls Spancy Ketosherosh! When I was throwing around names for my shop my sister Hannah suggested SK and it stuck. :)

What influences you the most in your business?

I believe that modest fashion, style, and home decor doesn't fit in a tiny little legalistic box. God has given so many people the gift of creativity in making clothing and home goods.

What do you hope to do in your shop this year?

I hope to expand my inventory and add some additional handmade items. I would love to continue to upgrade my packaging and streamline my shipping!

You can catch up with Sarah more by her blog or her shop!

What about you?

Do you have an inspiring friend in your life?

Someone you think would be helpful to showcase?

Drop me a line! I'd love to share that connection here.

Just email me and we'll start that conversation. :)

{Dubai Covers}

{Wooden German box-estate sale find}

As I type this, there are yards and yards of fabric around,

all washed, pressed, cut, and ready to be sewn!

In posts past you've read me go on about a new project that is pretty large-scale.

Well, today and yesterday, the idea became a stack of fabric and

the inspiration was worked out with a rotary cutter and hot iron in the craft

room of a sweet friend.

So, to give you a wee history, we have these dear friends named, the Neal's:

{the Neal Children (except for Mr. and Mrs. and Little Joy)

with Mica and Caro, taken last year}

We haven't known them terribly long but they hold a dear place in our hearts.

What strikes me the most about this family is their love and passion for Christ;

it's infectious each time we are with them.

I so appreciate the loving yet firm way they are raising their family

and the way they are training them in the fear of the Lord.

I could write for a long while about the funny things they've said and

brilliant ideas about the direction for bedtime stories.

We all love spending time with this dear family and

miss them a great deal since they moved to

DUBAI

Yes, way over in the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. N is a pilot and it's his work that has taken them across the pond.

They may be on the other end of the world but be assured that they

have continued to share their love for the Lord wherever they go.

I love hearing their stories of gospel centered conversations and

people they have been able to build relationships with.

Since they left around two years ago, Mica and I have hoped to be

able to scrap our small savings together for the plane fare and traveling

expense of visiting them. Well, this year we got serious and our parents

are willing to pay for half if we come up with the other half of the expenses.

At once we began scribbling out ideas for raising the money we need.

Mica and I are very excited about the prospect of

seeing the work they are doing and

spending sweet fellowship with believers

from that part of the world.

Here, I present you with one of the ideas on the list.

DUBAI COVERS

Also known as nursing aprons, breastfeeding covers,

or hooter hiders (take your pick);

with everything ready to go, we are stitching up our very own

"Dubai Covers" to sell as a way to raise money.

We sew 'em, you buy'em, and we tuck the proceeds away for our plane ticket!

I'm sure you know someone (or perhaps this would be for yourself)

who could use a good nursing cover. They're fabulous for breastfeeding mothers

who like to be more portable with their babies, and it definitely

beats throwing a blanket over yourself while your hungry little

one is protesting. A great baby shower gift idea or maybe even for that

"someday" when you hope to have babies of your own.

Plus we've chosen some pretty cute summer

prints, so in a sense they're also practical fashion accessory.

And with each cover you purchase,

the profits go towards our part

of the material cost for going to Dubai.

You get a cover and we are able to get one step closer to flying to the U.A.E.

Easy. Peasy.

I'll be back here with the specifics on prices, colors,

and where you can purchase these "Dubai Covers" but for now,

it's sewing time.

Turning Business Into {pleasure}

"Customers. You can't have a business without them...

We all know the cornerstone for any good relationship,

personal or business,

is communication."

-Kari Chapin, The Handmade Marketplace

Shipping days are always happy ones for me.

Today I realized the vast importance of turning a business transaction into a pleasurable one;

going the extra mile to make opening the package an exciting experience for the customer.

I know from experience how boring it can be to open a plain jane package with my items simply put in a plain jane box, accompanied with a plain jane receipt.

On the other hand, I recently received a pocket calender from Oh, Hello Friend.

Pretty cute packaging, let me tell you.

The wee calender arrived in a small envelope with the address information stamped and my address written in a cherry red ink. She even included a fun handmade sticker to boot.

So, whether it's creatively stamping your packages, wrapping each item in fun tissue paper (even though it may not need gift wrapping--admit it, unwrapping something always brings a smile.), or hand writing a customer appreciation thank-you note,

special touches are important.

Do you have any wrapping inspirations/stories to share?

Meet the Green-Eyed Sticky

{The first-born of my sister's offspring, Sophia--or Sophie as her Tia's call her}

This is Sophia (The Green-Eyed Sticky).
She is small and very funny.
Yep, those green eyes are very real and very captivating.
I think she does a fabulous job sporting the newest birthday crown, made for a special little someone.
Want to order one? No prob, just head on over to the shop and let me know--I'd love to recreate something in the shop or perhaps you already have an idea in mind? I'd love to work with you!

There are lots of things being checked off my "To-Knit" list, good thing too because there are things being added!
Check out the {on the needles} page to see what I've done and what is still in the works.

What projects are you working on?
In this season of my life there are many wee ones to make things for.

Recently I've had a flurry of ideas for my sisters baby-to-be

and today a larger scale project has been brewing in the back of my mind,

here are the keywords:

Planes. Mica. Fabric. Sweet Friends.

Stay tuned.

{A packaged good for a customer ready to be shipped!}

p.s. I came across these adorable, comfy looking shoes;

it's never too early for birthdays you know ;)

Sea Glass

{Design*Sponge}

Color B is one of my favorite "I really don't know the name of it" colors. It reminds me of a day on the California beaches when I found a piece of sea glass, lost the sea glass in a move but I still have the memory. It also reminds me of a cozy little cottage by the sea in England, and a particular room in that cottage where you can smell the salt and feel the brisk air but still have the comforts of a wool sweater and cup of something.

Not quite sure where that is either but it makes for a nice thought :)

This week I am working on a lace scarf for my sweet friend Amanda, as she is temporarily moving up North (Brr!). The yarn is the same used in the hat that I made her but I am trying out a different lace pattern. It's just complicated enough to keep me from being bored but just simple enough to do while talking--perfect!

I'm also planning out an embroidery project for my sister,

check out Amanda Soule's shop banner for my inspiration! I'm afraid I can't tell you more until the unveiling at her casa (I want the final product to be a surprise).

Stay tuned!

What is keeping your work basket full these days?