Sweet Things Design

Barbie Rocks

2011-02-15T10:47:00.001-05:00

It came, it came, it came, woohoo!

It's my new favorite necklace from the creators of BarbieTM Rocks, Layna and Alan Friedman.

I was a huge Barbie girl growing up. I had it all, the Peaches and Cream Barbie, the dream house (1970's style baby), the Barbie car, the Barbie McDonald's, and even a Barbie bathtub. I spent hours and hours of time playing and imagining with Barbie.

Even though I had to grow up and have long ago given away my Barbie collection I have still continued to love her. Imagine my excitement when I saw all this super chic, grown up friendly Barbie jewelry right at my fingertips!

It was a tough choice but I decided on the Round Silhouette necklace. I am wearing it today for the 1st time and I love it! The quality is fantastic, it's feminine, fun and came very fast even though it states on the site that it's on backorder.

So I wanna know, did you love Barbie as a girl? What was your favorite Barbie toy when you were growing up?

Happy Love Day

2011-02-14T12:12:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wish everyone a happy day today filled with love and homemade Valentine's. These ones were made by my 3 year old Payton (with some help from Mom).

And sweet smiles from young hearts.

And that you win this apron from Sweet Things Design.

To win all you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite thing is about

Valentine's Day.

All entries must be received by Midnight EST 2/14.

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!

Maggie :)

Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I hope you enjoy your new apron.

I Heart Etsy

2011-01-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

The Flirty girl Be Mine apron has been featured in two Etsy treasuries! It's always so much fun to see that people other than me like my aprons too :) It really helps me to keep going, to keep creating.

I Heart Valentine's Day by CraftyLikeThatDesign

I Want Candy... I Want Candy by AngeliqueAshton

A big thank you to both AngeliqueAshton and CraftyLikeThatDesign for featuring my apron and for creating such sweet treasuries! Please click the links to check out both Valentine's Day treasuries and to visit their Etsy shops, you wont be sorry!

To purchase the Flirty Girl Be Mine apron for yourself click here. There is still time to get it for Valentine's day.

T-Shirt Pillows

2011-01-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

This simple fun project came about as we were doing our "Annual Family Post-Christmas Closet Clean-Up". It's a great time to clean out the old to make room for all the new treasures that Santa gifted.

My husband had a couple of much loved t-shirts that were still in great shape, but were getting a little snug after so many trips thru the laundry. I hated to just trash them or give them away since he still loves them.

We racked our brains to think how we could still get use from them. After some back and forth ideas my husband came up with the perfect solution, why not make them into pillows for the basement couch! Done and done was my response and here is the result, or at least the first result! I still have one more pillow to go.

This is a great way to keep all those treasured t-shirts, especially for your kids as they grow out of their favorites. It's also a great way to save a memory like a vacation, family reunion, concert or event t-shirt.

If you are interested in instructions on how to make your own t-shirt pillow leave me a comment and I will post a tutorial.

Cuteness

2011-01-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

Just a little bit of cuteness to make your Monday sweet!

Tomorrow a full post featuring a little project I'm working on for my hubby and his man-cave.

It's an easy inexpensive project anyone can do, with a little bit of time, a sewing machine and some old and much loved t-shirts. Hope to see you tomorrow :)

Java Love

2011-01-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

Look what I found in my coffee Sunday morning, a little bit of love from my favorite cuppa! How I missed my daily dose of coffee while I was preggo, apparently it missed me right back.

And now that all is right in the world between my coffee and me and Emily and family are all settled back into familiar routines, I think that it is time to get back to work!

It's not as easy as I thought it would be, finding time here and there to carve out a little space for my self to create. But I am working on it, were going to start off small with little projects here and there for the shop and hopefully finish Payton's quilt some time this century.

In the meantime I am having a sale to clean out the shop a little and make room for the new. Check it out here!

Introducing Miss Emily Rose

2010-11-15T07:28:00.000-05:00

Well friends the long wait is finally over, our little Emily Rose came to this world with a healthy set of lungs and a beautiful rosy complexion this past Monday 11-8-2010 at 10:16pm after only 2 1/2 hours of labor bless her little heart!

We are all of us home now the hubbs, Payton, Emily and myself and just getting into the semblance of a routine, getting to know one another and learning to be a family of four.

It has been wonderful so far, not counting the lack of sleep which is to be expected. And being off bedrest restrictions that were the last 3 moths of the pregnancy is wonderful.

Expect lots of new posts in the coming days and weeks as I slowly get back to the business and we get our home life steady again :)

Thank you to all for the nice comments while I was MIA.

What is Old Is New Again!

2010-06-15T11:11:00.003-04:00

I love going to a good Flea Market sale, you never know what kind of treasure you will find waiting just for you. A couple of weeks ago a great local landmark, The Greenmead Historical Park, had their bi-annual flea market sale. You may remember that we picked up this great piece of furniture last year that has now found a home as a linen cabinet in our dining room.

This year I picked up this like new Radio Flyer red wagon for a steal! A steal people, only $25, can you believe it, I could not believe my luck. I had been looking at new wagons the day before and they started at like $80. I am so glad that we waited and were rewarded for our patience and for a day of tromping around in the mud for our purchases.

Payton loves his new wagon, he loves to load it up and tug his baby bear around the yard. And we love that he likes to ride in it all the way to and back from the park. It's a long walk back home with a tired 33lb baby who who wont go in the stroller and wants to be carried. Oh our aching backs!

I can't wait to see what we find next year!

It's A Girl!

2010-06-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

We just found out last week and what a surprise, I was almost positive that it was a boy. And now my thoughts are turning to pink, soft and frilly little lovelies for our new little lovely.

Now that we know the gender we can get started building a closet for the new baby and working on decorating her new room.

I have been doing some online window shopping at my favorite place to buy handmade online (ETSY) and have a few favorites to share with you.

Enjoy! I know I did :)

This would look great on Baby's wall from Simple Shapes

Who wouldn't love to cuddle with this little guy from Plants and Animals

Baby will love to snuggle under this frilly blanket from Bare Bebe

Oh ribbons and bows I can't wait this one is from Bella's Bowtique

And speaking of snuggling doesn't this cocoon from New Baby Photo look so cozy.

All I can say to this is precious and we must have them from Curly Birdie.

This little hat from Ellie Bellie Design is to die for, not to mention the baby, oh my what cuteness!

Payton's Quilt

2010-06-10T15:03:00.000-04:00

Well here it is the start of Mr. Payton's quilt!

I decided to go with Michael Miller, Haul It and Zology fabric in Citron, that I purchased from the lovely Fabricworm. I mixed it in with 100% cotton fabrics in chocolate polka dots, black polka dots and black & white gingham from my local JoAnn Fabric store.

Payton loves animals and cars, so I thought this would be a fun fabric collection that will see him thru quite a few years and cold winter nights.

I am almost done sewing the rows and then it will be time to connect them all together. I am having nightmares that I wont be able to match all the squares up and that it will look a mess. But I am going slow and trying to be very careful that all my seams are the same so that does not happen.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

While I Was Sleeping

2010-06-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

Wow March, April, May where did all those months go! I have spent all three in a 1st trimester haze of sleepiness, nausea and wonder. That's right I am happy to say that my little family will be expanding by 2 feet this up-coming November!

So that's why the long silence, I had almost forgotten that 1st trimester tired feeling. I don't think anything else compares, I only had enough energy to work take care of the family, house and then to bed.

Now that I am a little further along I am starting to finally get my mojo back and am ready to begin tackling some new projects. I think my sewing machine misses me, it's been a while, sorry old friend.

First up in the way of projects is Payton's quilt. A while back I posted some fabrics that I was considering and a promise to reveal what I actually chose. Later this week I will be posting the fabric and where I am so far on the quilt top. It's been a lot of fun and I am excited to get back to it, it's my 1st quilt and I would really like to have it done by the end of summer (hopefully sooner).

Maybe if all goes well I can start another one for baby Robbins. We are also going to be doing lots of painting and house projects as the nesting kicks in and we get the house ready for the new arrival. So I will be sharing pics of those fun projects as well.

The Etsy shop is still open for business, although I have been seriously neglecting it as well as this blog in my slumber. I won't have a lot of new things probably til this quilt is further along but I will post as soon as I have some new items.

March Madness - of the non basketball variety

2010-03-08T15:50:00.001-05:00

This is the month where my professional life becomes a blur, deadlines are fast approaching on numerous projects and we are getting ready to deliver for spring events and shows. So please excuse me if I am often absent from the blog and if new pretty and girlie things are not added to the shop. April will be better, I promise!

In the meantime I finally finished the Coffee and Donuts Gathered Front Apron, it's so sweet!

And look this guy got his big boy bed! He really loves it, and I have the fabric for his new quilt. I will be sharing the fabric I chose and quilt pattern soon. Stay tuned!

Sweet Things Watercolor

2010-02-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

For a long time now I have been noodling around with my sketch book, experimenting with watercolor and now I am ready to start offering some of my paintings for sale.

Drawing is something I have enjoyed doing for a long time, I took the leap into watercolor and I am really enjoying the experience and results. I hope that you enjoy the results as well, all 3 painting are available framed in my shop.

Cupcake Original Watercolor

5" x 7" Framed

Just One Slice Original Watercolor

5" x 7" Framed

Spring Branches Original Watercolor

16" x 13" Framed

Oops.... A Reminder To Always Spell Check

2010-02-24T12:11:00.001-05:00

Proof that chatting and sketching can be detrimental to your art work.

On Saturday I had art day with my friend Cheryl, we went to lunch, the local Dick Blick art store and then we settled down and got to business. I sketched a new painting, she worked with sculpy and we did a lot of chatting.

The chatting may have led to my embarrasing spelling mistake in said new painting, unfortunately I didn't even notice until my husband pointed it out to me when it was about 98% complete. I mean I know how to spell Moulin Rouge so I didn't even think to spell check.

So I now have a Molin Rouge painting. Other than the spelling error I think that it turned out pretty good. I may even hang it at home to remind me to always always check the little things.

Attempt N0 1

2010-02-19T14:31:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to try something new for a while now but hadn't quite worked up the nerve, today I got brave with some great remnant fabric that I picked up last weekend.

For a first attempt it's not too bad, but I need to work on refining the design a bit. I think I want to widen the bottom to help out the shape.

I have a lot more fabric and a couple more frames so with any luck I may have a completed refined version of this bag soon.

Listed yesterday is a great new travel bag in a vibrant floral pattern. Check it out here.

Be Mine

2010-02-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

Did everyone have a good Valentine's Day, I know this guy did. He really really enjoyed Mom's chocolate cake, especially the frosting!

He gave me a special valentine that he made at school.

My hubby gave me a special valentine too!

So far I am really enjoying this book and learning about Julia Child. And I recently found the recipe for the bruchetta that Julie makes in the begining of the movie Julie Julia! Oh boy I can't wait to make it, it looked so mouthwatering! And I recommend the movie, it was a sweet story loaded with delicious looking foods, it makes you want to run out and buy Julia's cookbook immediately!

In other news there is no WIP today :( I have been so busy at home and work this week I haven't had the chance to sit down and sew. I will be back next week with a new WIP, in the meantime I did finally get all the baby bundles loaded to the shop. You can see them here. I also have one more completed bag that will hopefully be listed tonight.

My Labor = Your Fruits

2010-02-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Snow storm proved to be a very productive day for me in the Sweet Things studio (read my dining room). I finished these two lovely bags to start. The N07 Bag and the N09 Bag both now listed in my Etsy shop.

I finished up photography and the bundling of my baby burp and wash cloths and even listed a few today, check them out here. However, I am still in the midst of photo editing and etsy loading, look for all 9 new bundles to be listed in the store by tomorrow.

I also dug thru all my sewing books and magazines and may have found the perfect quilt pattern for Payton's new bed. I will reveal it next week with my fabric selections!

WIP Wednesday - Snow Day

2010-02-10T11:27:00.000-05:00

Happy WIP Wednesday special snow day edition! This is the view outside my windows this morning. And this is a look at my neighbors sweet playhouse all covered in snow, it's a snowy fairyland.

I have been working hard at dwindling down the projects in my WIP box. I was getting a little stressed about how many projects were in there and how long they had been in there waiting. So I decided to tackle the less time consuming projects and leave the more labor intensive aprons til last. As a result I have this fresh pile of baby wash cloths and burp cloths completed and ready to be photographed, bundled and listed on etsy. Look for them to be loaded later this week.

Today I will be taking advantage of the snowy day to get started sewing up these favorite travel bags.

Looks like I have lots to do, so I better get my cup of coffee and get started, I hope you all are having a fun and warm snow day. Happy blizzard 2010.

Maybe a Quilt

2010-02-09T14:36:00.005-05:00

We have been thinking lately that Payton is starting to look awfully big for his little toddler bed and that he might sleep just a little bit better (oh please, please please) in a big boy bed. And of course a new big boy bed requires new big boy linens, comforters and more.

So I was thinking, why not a handmade quilt made special just for him. Unfortunately, I have never made a quilt before, but I am intrigued by the whole process (and quite intimidated)!

I have a tendency to jump right into a project, usually the most complicated one I can find, but I am trying to hold myself back a little and proceed with caution. I want this quilt to be beautiful, warm, sturdy and something for him to have for many years to come.

In order to accomplish this and not get too far ahead of myself I am going to take it one little step at a time, starting with the fabric. I have come up with 3 options so far that I think will work for his room with out re-painting his soft green (Aloe is the color) walls and his black furniture.

1. Michael Miller, Haul It Spice and Alexander Henry Traffic Jam

2. Riley Blake, Wheels, Green/Blue

3. Michael Miller, Modern Baby Citron/Grey

These are my picks so far, all from the lovely FabricWorm who I love! They have so many great fabric choices, sets and patterns too.

I am leaning towards the Michael Miller fabrics right now as I am not sure how the brown would look with his furniture. I will be posting a poll in my sidebar, let me know which fabric set you like the best :)

Does anyone have any good starter quilt suggestions for a full size bed? I would be interested to hear about your quilting experiences and tips. Thanks!

Nautically Speaking

2010-02-08T13:24:00.000-05:00

I had this really great daydream over the weekend that featured me in warm, sunny, Florida wearing beautiful Nautically inspired clothing. I thought it would be fun today to translate my daydream wardrobe into a fun "style-board" of sorts. I can almost hear the waves now...... ah bliss. Enjoy!

Ode to Spring

2010-02-04T11:56:00.005-05:00

We are starting to feel it, it's been creeping up on us but now it is officially here, CABIN FEVER. We are tired of the cold, the dark skies when we get home, the limited outside activities, and the grey cloudy days.

We are ready for spring, for playing at the park after work/school, making dinner on the grill, new budding leaves and flowers, riding bikes, long walks outside and anything to help burn off this little guys extra abundance of energy.

In the meantime while we wait for you spring we will keep playing indoor soccer on the weekends, sledding when there is ample snow and playing chase in the house. Please come soon spring we miss you!

Here is an apron to help you get into the mood for spring :)

WIP Wednesday - New fabric

2010-02-03T16:15:00.004-05:00

I have a confession, I have not been too good about working on last week's WIP project. In fact it still has a long way to go.

The truth is I have been a little wrapped up in season 2 of a little program you may have heard of called True Blood. I have been quite obsessed watching the episodes end to end and am happy to say I have completed the season. I can't wait til season 3 starts, oh and by the way (channeling my inner teenager) I am so team Eric!

So in lieu of a new WIP Wednesday project to show you I thought I would give you a peak at some fabric that I picked up this week. If I can get thru my box of projects these fabrics will be making their way into new aprons very soon. Stay tuned!!!

Pretty Posies

2010-02-02T14:27:00.006-05:00

There is nothing like a bunch of pretty posies for a pretty price to make a girl smile. Take a gander at these lovely roses that I picked up at my local Trader Joe's for at steal at just $5.99.

Don't they look so pretty in my new, vintage Fenton Hobnail planter. I purchased this planter from Jen at My Milk Glass Shop on Etsy. If you like vintage milk glass then this is the place to shop, Jen has a lot of options at a great price, plus she is so wonderful to work with. I plan to visit and purchase often as I begin the long process of up-dating my home.

Speaking of new things for the home :) Check out the new Cottage Collection pillow from Sweet Things. It's the Sweetheart pillow, made from a vintage handkerchief and 100% natural linen.

WIP Wednesday - Coffee and Sweets

2010-01-27T14:36:00.004-05:00

Happy WIP-Wednesday! What a change from earlier in the week the sky is an almost cloudless blue and I feel my mood picking up by the hour with each new minute spent soaking up the sunshine. If you could see me now I am sitting at my desk bopping up and down in time to Campus by Vampire Weekend (great band) with a smile from ear to ear.

Great sunshine and peppy music combined are putting me in the mood to create, create, create! It is in that spirit that I present to you this week's WIP Wednesday project.

This is my new gathered front apron, in Michael Miller's Sweets fabric. It is just sort of pieced together right now to give you the idea, I have quite a lot of work yet to do but it's fun to see how it is going to come together. The neck and waist ties will be in the little heart fabric as well as a ruffle that will be added to the hem. Enjoy!

Your St. Patty's Day Gear

2010-01-26T16:56:00.004-05:00

Here it is, last week's WIP-Wednesday project all done and loaded to to the Sweet Things etsy shop for your purchasing pleasure.

This apron would be super fun to wear out on a St. Patrick's Day adventure, pub crawling, party with friends, serving irish stew and irish soda bread to your friends and loved ones at home.

Check in tomorrow for more WIP-Wednesday projects.

Grey Day Finds

2010-01-25T15:00:00.004-05:00

It's Monday, I didn't win the lotto this weekend, the work day has been a disappointment, and yes it's a heavy, dull, cold, grey outside my window. Ho hum...

To help combat the unhappy feeling that a day such as this presents I have decided to go on an Etsy scavenger hunt. The objective is to remind myself that beauty and elegance can be found in grey. You need only the will to look for the good, the happy and the inspiration all about you, often hidden in the grey areas. Enjoy.

1. Vintage Grey Mohair Mahara Hat
2. Sweet Bunny – Digital art print
3. Smoke and Ice Rhinestone Stickpin or Hat Pin

4. Grey Ruffle Tank
5. Sporty Messenger Bag in Leaves in Grey Printed
6. Romantic Wrap Top with Short Ruffled Sleeves

WIP Wednesday - Lucky Charms

2010-01-20T16:55:00.004-05:00

This lucky little apron should be in my Etsy shop real soon and ready to wear for your holiday festivities. Wear it out to your pub crawl or as hostess to your very own St Patty's Day party.

I know I have been away for a while but I have been busy, well kind of, I mostly took a very nice overdue break to spend quality time with my family and read these books. But I still had time to finish this tea time cutie and this super sweet Valentine's Day beauty.

And up next is this beast... the super box of WIP... my goal is to get thru this massive heap of projects before the spring. Keep watching as I empty out this box and make lovelies for you and yours!

The Love Birds

2009-12-17T15:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Cheryl for posting a link to this very cool app.

Amy Butler Love

2009-11-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

Love Gathered Front Apron , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Have you seen the new fall 09 Amy Butler line of fabric called LOVE. If not I highly recommend you check it out because you will fall in love with all the beautiful new fabrics.

If I could I think I would buy every piece in the Love line but for now I started with these pieces of the collection, Memento in Midnight and Sun Spots in Mint, to create the beautiful apron pictured above (Love Gathered Front Apron).

Also, created with Amy Butler fabrics, the Sky Poppy Gathered Front Apron. This apron fabric is from the very popular and beautiful Midwest Modern 2 line, I used the Sky Fresh Poppies and Honeycomb fabrics. I coveted this fabric forever and held onto it with both hands for quite a few months before I broke down and cut into this pretty fabric. And I am so glad that I did, this apron turned out so pretty and feminine.

Both these featured aprons will be at the Holiday Show later this month. To see more pictures of these lovelies please visit me on Flickr.

Food for Thought

2009-11-04T10:42:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this quote the other day and have not been able to get it out of my head, so I thought I would share it with all of you. It's a great one to think on :)

The Count Down

2009-11-02T15:03:00.003-05:00

Lavender Sachets , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Now that Halloween is over we officially have 52 days left till Christmas! I don't know about you but I am excited for Christmas this year, I love spending the time with my family and have lots of ideas for handmade gifts and yummy treats for gift giving. I just have to remember to write them all down so that I remember!

I am participating in a small Holiday arts and crafts show this month with my friend Cheryl. To get ready for the show I will be making wonderfully sweet things morning till night. I will be giving you all a sneak peak at what I am working on as I go, but unfortunately will not be updating the shop until after the show. I will however keep everything listed in the shop that is currently there until the 20th and then it will be down until the 22nd.

So if there is something in the shop right now that you want, don't wait! It could be gone very soon.

Pictured above are the lovely lavender sachets that I completed over the weekend. They are each made with linen and embellished with ribbon or buttons. The lavender is imported from France and smells heavenly!

Snowmen Gathered Front Apron

2009-10-28T10:19:00.002-04:00

Snowmen Gathered Front Apron , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Now that Halloween is almost here (just 3 more days) it's time to start thinking about Christmas!

I have a whole bunch of super cute Christmas fabric stashed away that is begging to be made into aprons for your holiday parties or gift giving. I started with this sweet snowman apron, the fabric is by Riely Blake.

I love the colors they are every retro Christmas! It's hard to see from the pictures but the red fabric features snippets from the very famous, much loved poem The Night Before Christmas.

The poem was a great family tradition growing up, my Dad read it to us every Christmas eve and my brother and I looked forward to it each year.

I have since inherited the family book, it is quite lovely, beautifully illustrated and so full of warm memories.

I now look forward to reading it to my son on Christmas eve and hope that he gets the same pleasure from it that we did as children swept up in the magic of the evening.

To check out this sweet Christmas apron for yourself click here.

New Batch of Aprons

2009-10-22T11:45:00.004-04:00

I have been busy working away and now you can get the fruits of my labor all uploaded to Sweet Things on Etsy!

4 new Girlie Girl Aprons: Roosters, Black Dot, Juicy Ruffles and Modern Damask.

And check out the awesome photography style for these photos! I used rollip.com, they have several styles of free templates to turn your photography into vintage style polaroid pictures. It was so much fun and so easy to use!

Bakers Twine Makes Everything Sweet

2009-10-19T11:01:00.002-04:00

Red Bakers Twine, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Hey everyone, I hope that you all had a great weekend, we sure did. Yesterday was a perfect fall day here in Michigan.

We had a beautiful sunny day with crisp cool air. Perfect for putting a little color in your cheeks, but not too cold to keep you from standing in line at the cider mill for an hour waiting for hot apple cider and warm fresh donuts!

Next weekend we are planning to take the little one to the orchard to pick out the perfect pumpkin, go on a hayride and hopefully tackle the corn maze, we can't wait!

In other news Sweet Things is now selling supplies, bakers twine specifically! You will get 100 yards of red and white bakers twine on a vintage wooden clothes pin, click here to check it out.

Coming soon, you will also be able to get blue and white twine, green and white twine and brown and white twine.

Halloween Giveaway at The Cheryl Oz Collection

2009-10-15T13:53:00.003-04:00

For all you Halloween lovers out there and art lovers as well you need to hop over to my friend Cheryl's blog to sign up for her Halloween giveaway drawing. She is giving away this super cute halloween card and a 20% off coupon to her Etsy store which is filled with the most gorgeous art and goodies. But hurry deadline for the drawing is October 16th!

Coming Soon Holiday Gift Tags

2009-10-02T08:34:00.005-04:00

Coming soon to an Etsy shop near you, well my Etsy shop! Check out these super fab holiday gift tags that I designed just this week. I sent them off to the printer last night and I am super excited to get them in the mail and into the shop for all your holiday gift bags and packages!

The tags will be sold in 2 sets of 4, the first set is the Snowflake Collection and the second set is the Shabby Chic Collection. I will post a new announcement when they are listed in the shop:)

This was such a fun and different creative exercise for me, I really enjoyed myself and am now thinking up different projects for the computer. I can't wait, hope you all like them as much as I do!

New in the Shop Animal Print Bags

2009-09-30T11:17:00.002-04:00

Animal Print Bags, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

New in the shop this week makeup/travel bags! I added 5 new travel bags in very sophisticated, very chic animal print fabrics. These would make great Christmas gifts for all your friends and family.

Click here to get yours today.

Small Harvest - Pears

2009-09-09T18:59:00.002-04:00

Small Harvest - Pears , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

My pears are finally ready for harvesting! I have been waiting so patiently all summer long to pick these little beauties. It's so exciting my first harvest. (yes, I am easily pleased).

I had a taste of one of the tiny ones, the flavor was pretty good although a little dry. So I am thinking I may use the rest of them in a desert instead of eating them raw. For some reason I keep thinking pear tartlet although the reason escapes me as I have never made one before. But it just sounds delish and perfect for my pretty little pears.

I would love to know if any one out there has a good tartlet recipe to try. Or if you have any good pear recipes. I love to try new things. Please leave me a comment.

Also on another note I finished my last WIP post projects and they are all listed in my shop.

Flirty Girl Apron - Birdie

Flirty Girl Apron - Angel Cakes

Flirty Girl Apron - Holiday Wishes

Thanksgiving Table Runner

Plus one more

Flirty Girl Apron - Patricia

Plymouth Table Runner

2009-08-27T09:58:00.002-04:00

Plymouth Table Runner , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

All finished and photos as promised! I was in luck yesterday there was just enough light last night when I got home from work to take a couple of quick photos while Payton enjoyed his snack.

I am very happy with the results of this project. When I saw this fabric at my local store I just knew what I wanted to do with it, it yelled to be table runner!

The runner looks great on my black table but I think it would really shine on a white table or wood table top as well.

I bought another Thanksgiving theme fabric as well but noticed when I got home that it is not for commercial resale.

But it looks like I may be having Thanksgiving at my house this year so I will make it for myself :) And if not it will make a great hostess gift for someone else.

To see more photos or to snap up this table runner click here.

WIP-Wednesday New Aprons and Table Cloth

2009-08-26T14:36:00.005-04:00

WIP-Wednesday New Aprons and Table Cloth , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Happy WIP Wednesday! I have a couple projects going this week that I hope to have completed and in the shop by next week.

The first 3 fabrics going left to right (birdie, poinsettias, and cute christmas kids) are on their way to being Flirty Girl Aprons.

The last fabric on the right is an Alexander Henry Fabric called Plymouth. I actually finished this project since taking the picture this morning. I made it into a very elegant table runner, it will make a beautiful addition to any Thanksgiving festivities.

Today is a bad day to take pictures, very grey and rain soaked day here in Michigan. I am hoping for blue-ish skies tomorrow so I can take pictures to show you all how well the table runner turned out.

I hope you all are having a better weather day where ever you are!

Jack 'N Jill Store Opening

2009-08-20T15:45:00.003-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I have some very exciting news. Sweet Things Hand-Crafted Design Aprons are going to be sold at The Jack 'N Jill Store in Helana Montana.

Check out this sweet little slideshow I put together to show you the aprons that will be available at Jack 'N Jill.

Jack 'N Jill is a great shop with lots to offer! On the Jill side of things there are invitations, aprons, home decor, jewelry, and baby/kids items. And on the Jack side sports memorabilia, home decor and gift items for men.

The store opens up on September 1st, if you are in the area stop in, say hi and check out all the beautiful wares. The store is located at 109 East 6th Avenue in Helena, Montana.

You can also see these photos on flickr click here.

Vintage Handkerchief Pillows Finished!

2009-08-03T11:27:00.002-04:00

Vintage Handkerchief Pillows, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Finally posted the vintage handkerchief pillows! These beauties have been finished for a little while now I just haven't had time to post them.

I have more vintage handkerchief's that have been set aside for pillows in the near future!

Here are the links to see them in my Etsy Shop

Ribbons & Bows click here

Violets click here

Tulips click here

Sketch Book Sunday

2009-07-28T14:44:00.002-04:00

SS Week 1 Strawberries and Lemons, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

If you are looking for a way to jump start your creativity or just a way to while away the sumer days I have a great new group for you.

My friend Cheryl started a sketch book Sunday group that is open for anyone to join. Here are the basics, every Sunday she will list a new subject for the group to "sketch". She is using the term sketch loosely to allow for photography or whatever medium you are most comfortable in to allow for more people to join in on the fun.

Submit your entry into the Sketchbook Sunday flickr pool, images will be posted on her blog the following saturday.

Click here to get more specifics on the group.
Click here to join the flickr pool.

The group just started last week and the group challenge was to sketch your favorite summer fruit. This is my submission Strawberries and lemons.

This weeks challenge is to sketch a trio of small items (3" or less) found in your drawer. I am thinking up my submission for this week Can't wait to share it with you all!

My Garden

2009-07-27T14:03:00.002-04:00

My G arden - Butterfly Decoration, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Happy Monday all you sweet people :) We had some sunshine finally this weekend so I thought I would get out into my yard and take a photo of the garden decoration that I picked up in Royal Oak at the Antique show.

Isn't it pretty! I just love the green glass but it makes it hard to see from far away so I may have to move it somewhere else in the yard so I can see it more clearly. You can kind of see my white hydrangeas in the photo too, these were a gift from my brother's new back yard which is overloaded with too many beautiful flowers. I am very happy that they seem to be doing well in their new home, and I can't wait to get more from him in the fall. Thanks Scott.

Well I thought while I was out there with the camera I might as well take a couple more pics of the ole yard. We did a bit of work on it in the spring and I really like what we have going so far.

Check it out we have pears!!!!! My husband and I planted this little pear tree last year with the hopes of fruit but I was still amazed when I looked out one day and what do you know little pears. However, I did make a rookie mistake by not spraying the tree, so the leaves look kind of junky but now I know for next year.

Forever Blooming Hydrangea

Climbing Roses

Hosta

Hanging Basket

Huge Score of Vintage Goods

2009-07-20T11:48:00.003-04:00

Huge Score of Vintage Goods , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

So someone had a lot of fun at the Royal Oak Garage and Antique sale this weekend.... oh yeah I think that was me!

Look at all the great vintage linens I walked away with, beautiful handkerchiefs, tea towels, a huge bag of buttons, a rice bag, and a table cloth. Plus I got a beautiful (new) garden accessory that I forgot to take a picture of as it is already in the yard, I will have to take one to post for you later.We had so much fun looking around, there was a lot to see even though there were fewer vendors this year.

I think a lot of this is going to end up in the shop sometime soon as pillows, bags and who knows what else I can upcycle them into.

I also got this pretty little apron from a shop in downtown Royal Oak. Unfortunately I don't remember the name as it was a quick trip inside to see all the beautiful vintage clothes and accessories and right back out as this guy was getting real antsy.

I am hoping to go back soon to check it out again when I can spend a little more time and get the name to share with all of you.

WIP Wednesday - Vintage Handkerchiefs

2009-07-15T20:57:00.002-04:00

WIP Wednesday - Vintage Handkerchiefs, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Hello everyone, this weeks WIP Wednesday is a new addition to the Cottage Collection. Pillows made with vintage handkerchiefs.

Some of the hankies were given to me and some I have picked up from various antiques fairs. I have been kicking around different ideas on how to use these lovelies for quite a while.

It seems like every couple weeks I get them out stare at them longingly, play with them for a while trying out ideas and then put them back away.

But this time I think I have it and I am so excited to see how they turn out! I can't wait to post them finished for you all to see.

I am hoping to get at least one completed before the weekend, as the Royal Oak Antique and Garage sale is this weekend. If they turn out as cute as I hope I will be picking up a more handkerchiefs to add to the collection. If you should be in the RO, Michigan area this weekend you should come and check out the show, it's really great I look forward to it every year.

Last week's WIP pincushions are now posted up in the shop click here to pick-out your favorite.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Cottage Collection

2009-07-13T21:52:00.002-04:00

Cottage Collection Pillow , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Introducing The Cottage Collection by Sweet Things Design. The Cottage line is inspired by cottage style decor and my love of the water and water living.

Stay tuned for lots of great beach cottage style and shabby cottage style handmade goods coming to Sweet Things soon. Check out this great blue coral pillow slip available in my shop now.

In case you are wondering I will still have retro style aprons and make up bags available in the shop.

I have so many ideas and styles that I like and that I want to create! The retro and cottage styles are just 2 of many. I so wish that I had the time to explore everything that is in my head. I can only hope to be able to keep this up long enough to get to everything that I want to do eventually.

WIP Wednesday - Pincushions

2009-07-08T15:09:00.003-04:00

WIP Wednesday - Pincushions, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Happy Wednesday! I love Wednesday, it is officially the middle of the week, you are half way to the weekend past the worst part of the work week (the dreaded Monday!).

Plus it's So You Think You Can Dance night! I confess I love SYTYCD, I used to dace when I was in school and have carried a love for it in my heart since then. I did tap when I was very young, then jazz and then clog dancing. I would love to take up tap again but I have not been able to find a class in my area. They are either for the very young, or the very old neither of which am I. So instead I have to comfort myself with watching shows like SYTYCD and old movies, oh Fred and Ginger how you make me smile.

Any how here is a sneak peak at this week's WIP, pincushions! I am having a lot of fun making these sweet little pillows! The cushions shown are made with Moda Wonderland fabric for the top and linen on the bottom. They are so cute already I love them, I have been wanting to use linen for a while and am so glad that I finally did. The linen compliments the colors in the Wonderland fabric so well. Now I just have to figure out how I want to embellish them.

I am hoping to have time to finish these up after the garage sale on Sunday so that they are available on Monday. If not on Monday they will for sure be available in the shop sometime next week. Stay tuned for the up-date.

Christmas in July

2009-07-07T15:09:00.002-04:00

Girlie Girl Apron - Holiday Wishes, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Hey there folks, so I kinda took a rest over the holiday weekend to spend time with family and catch up on stuff around the house. I do however have a few items that have been and will be added to the shop this week, including 2 Christmas aprons. Visit my Etsy Shop to take a peek.

Seems early to me too but really it wont be long, we will blink our eyes and it will be here. I have some other holiday goodies on the brain that I hope to add to the shop later this month. Along with some stocking stouffer type items.

Lizzy Dish Full apron

2009-07-06T22:29:00.002-04:00

Lizzy Dish Full apron , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

FINISHED! And available here in my Etsy shop, it was so much fun to try something new. It took a little longer than the half aprons usually do but it was so worth it, I have to say I am pretty proud of this little number.

I cut out the pattern for the next full apron but I have a few projects ahead of it that I want to get out of the way first.

Plus I am having a garage sale this weekend, ugh. A necessary evil I am finding when you have a baby, we have stuff coming out of our ears! I can't wait to have it over with, it will be nice to have my guest room back, right now it is over-run with garage sale items.

If you are in the area stop by and pick up a onsie or two or three or four, and a stack books :) We have them by the dozen.

WIP Wednesday - Apron Bodice

2009-06-24T15:10:00.001-04:00

WIP Wednesday - Apron Bodice , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

I decided to branch out and try a different style apron. I have all kinds of great apron patterns that I have not tried out yet and am finally ready to start.

I picked up this great coordinating Lizzy Dish fabric by Elizabeth House and it cried out to me to be a full apron. I have never done a bodice like this before, it was a really fun challenge and I think that it turned out really well.

I am getting ready to start on the skirt and will hopefully have the apron completed this weekend. Can't wait to see it all completed, I've already got fabric lined up to start the next one.

Would You Like A Drink

2009-06-22T15:31:00.002-04:00

Would You Like A Drink, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Hi there friends, happy Monday to you all. I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures that we are here in Michigan today.

Well here it is the 2nd illustration for the new apron packaging. The illustrations are turning out so well and the packaging is so sweet!!! The cover for the Flirty Girl apron pattern is done and I have the pic, I can't decide if I want to sneak peak it or if I want to wait for the reveal when it is totally complete.... hmmmm. Let me know what you think in the comments!

To see the original photos that inspired this illustration click here.
To see the Chery Oz's other works click here.

Last week and the weekend were kind of long ones for me I was feeling really under the weather but had a big event to attend for work. I got to go to the test track at Ford Motor Company and drive some of the new 2010 vehicles.

I had a blast driving all the new cars! I have been a long time Ford buyer but I have to say I am super impressed with the quality of the new vehicles. I can't wait to go out and get something new now, I am waffling between a Fiesta and a Flex. Total opposites as far as vehicles go but I really loved the feel and handling of both. If only I could buy 2 cars :)

Payton also developed infections in both his ears this weekend which resulted in a quick trip to the ER for some relief yesterday. But I am happy to report he is feeling good and up to his old tricks. He is staying home today with Grandma and last I checked he was splashing around in the baby pool.

Now that everyone is feeling better I am hoping to get more items completed for the shop. And maybe re-take some pics, I took these shots last week while not feeling so well. Going back with a clear head they look a little dark and I think they are a little tilted. What can I say folks I was sick!

Illustration #2

2009-06-18T12:16:00.003-04:00

Illustration #2, originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Another up-date on how the art is coming for the new Sweet Things apron pattern packaging. This is the 2nd illustration for the Flirty-girl apron pattern packaging. The illustration and inking are complete and now the watercolor begins!

To see the original image click here.

To visit Cheryl Oz's etsy shop for more wonderful watercolor images click here.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Packaging art

2009-06-15T17:07:00.002-04:00

New Packaging art , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Here it is the watercolor for the first image is complete. It turned out so great! I already got a sneak peak at how it will look on the packaging and I am so impressed! It's turning out even better than I had hoped :)

There are three more images that will be done for the packaging. I will keep you up-dated on the progress.

For more great watercolor images visit Cheryl at her blog here, and at her Etsy shop here.

Work In Progress

2009-06-12T17:25:00.002-04:00

Work In Progress , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

My friend Cheryl was kind enough to share a photo of the progress she has made on the apron pattern packaging she is working on for my shop today.

The drawing is based on this original photo she took during our lunchtime photoshoot yesterday. Next step is watercolor... so exciting! Thank you Cheryl :)

Sneak Peak - Behind the Scenes

2009-06-11T15:25:00.002-04:00

Sneak Peak - Behind the Scenes , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

About a moth ago or so I introduced a new product to Sweet Things, the Girlie Apron pattern. Well my very lovely and talented friend Cheryl has very kindly offered to help me with the packaging.

Today at lunch we did a very fun photoshoot at my house with our friend Larissa as model. It went really well, this is a behind the scenes photo I took while all the action was going on. The photos all turned out good and we had a great time coming up with poses and props for Larissa. She was a great sport.

There is more to come on the packaging and these photos as they are going to be turned into beautiful watercolors before they are done. I will also be introducing a couple of new apron patterns to the shop once the artwork is complete.

To view the complete set of photoshoot images click here.

To read Cheryl's very inspiring blog click here.

And to visit her Etsy shop click here.

Flirty Girl Apron - Sweet Tooth

2009-06-11T10:41:00.002-04:00

Flirty Girl Apron - Sweet Tooth , originally uploaded by Sweet_Things_Design.

Check out this super sweet new apron I just posted in my Etsy shop this week. It is the Flirty Girl design which means it has a fuller skirt and long ties that you can either wrap around to the front or tie in the back.

I used a new ribbon I picked up from Archivers for the waistband and the hemline. It is a ruffled ribbon. I love it so much it really added to the apron. It reminds me of the cupcake frosting. Love it! Get it while it lasts here.

Flea Market Fun

2009-06-08T11:32:00.004-04:00

A while back I received an email from a local antique linen vendor that there was going to be a flea market at Historic Greenmead. I was super excited to go, not so much for the flea market but because I wanted to check out Greenmead. I have driven by it so often and wanted to know what it was all about.But as soon as we pulled in it quickly became all about the flea market! I had no idea it was going to be such a big event, they had so many vendors with all sorts of wonderful treasures.

The whole time we were there my husband and I kept saying, we should have brought more money, who knew! However, we did have enough money to snatch up this beautiful piece, I got it for quite a bargain only $20. I am glad I snapped it up when I did, when we went back to take it to the car two women (sisters) spotted it, started giggling, and actually sprinted trying to beat each other to get it first. They were visibly bummed to see that it was sold, I could see them watching us carry it away, and I was very happy to be the one who got the treasure this time!

We were all set to wait another year til the event came around again but I just found out this morning that they do it again in September, the 13th this year. So you can bet that we will be going back in the fall with a pocket full of dollars. Next time I am hoping to find a great buffet for my kitchen that I can refinish.

Vote For Me!!!

2009-06-03T22:23:00.002-04:00

My Flirty Girl Fleur apron has been entered in the 70's colors contest on the Retro Handmade Team blog. The voting is open until June 12th at midnight EST. Check out the blog here and vote for me :)

Busy Busy Busy!

2009-06-02T10:41:00.003-04:00

Oh wow where to start... I have been keeping really busy lately but I have not been a good blogger, so here is the up-date on the shop these days :)

I recently joined the Etsy Street Group Retro Handmade Team. They are a great bunch of people who all love creating vintage inspired items, and I am so happy to have joined up. If you are interested in checking out the team you can go to the blog (where you can even see some of my items in the Friday Finds), click here. You can also check out other team member shops by typing retrohandmadeteam in the search on etsy.com.

I was asked to join a slideshow about aprons on the Fox News online magazine website, it was very exciting. You can see the slide show here.

I received a very nice feature on the blog Sweet Cuddle Cakes. The blog features all sorts of fab items for your baby or for a baby shower gift. To check out the blog click here. They also have a very cute etsy site filled with all kind of goodies, click here.

Oh and my cupcake apron was featured on All Things Cupcake which is a great blog especially if you have a thing for cupcakes, cupcake tattoos, and cupcake inspired items and lets face it who doesn't. To check out the site click here.

Other than that I have been a sewing machine addict lately whipping up one cute apron after another! Check out my new beauties here.

And now you can try your own hand at the Sweet Things Girlie Apron. Introducing the Girlie Apron pattern, visit the shop today to get yours.

Etsy Treasury YEA!

2009-05-31T19:18:00.002-04:00

A quick post to share fun news... One of my items was selected for an Etsy treasury page. Here is hoping that the treasury gets picked for the Etsy front page. Thanks to Drunce from the Retro Handmade Team for including me. To see the treasury listing click here.

Eastery Things

2009-04-21T21:03:00.003-04:00

Last year I decided to adopt Easter as "my" holiday. This would be the holiday that I take over hosting each year 1st year with my husband's family and this year with my family.

I love putting together gatherings, planning the meal, the decor, cooking/baking up the food and making sure everything is just right. It's so much fun and very gratifying when everything turns out just right and everyone is happy. Here are some of the fruits of my labor this year.

Time Off For Good Behavior

2009-03-19T11:34:00.003-04:00

I have been keeping myself so busy lately with projects and Etsy posting that I decided to take a little time out to enjoy the nice weather.

Spring seems to have sprung here in Michigan and I have been enjoying all the sunshine, smells, and sounds with glee. And having fun seeing it again for the first time with my son Payton.

Last year he was too little to understand but this year at 18 months old he is super excited to be able to go outside and play in our yard and at the park... he is especially enjoying the slide.

But the last couple of days I have been yearning to make something, the sewing machine is calling me back with her siren song... CREATE, CREATE, CREATE. So it's back to work for me (well fun really not work).

I opened up a shop at Dawanda a while back and really haven't done much with it, so I am going to be posting my new goodies to that shop for a while. My Etsy shop is pretty packed right now with lots of super sweet goodies. If you haven't already check it out here.

Vintage Finds

2009-03-10T21:21:00.007-04:00

Over the weekend Mr. Payton and I trucked out in the rain to an Antique show in Howell. I had heard that there would be vintage aprons to be had and could not resist.

You see I have a thing for vintage linens and aprons, I try to be good and not buy too much but every once in a while I splurge. My love of vintage aprons is actually what got me started on Sweet Things. I loved them so much I wanted to create my own, but I still like to collect.

So here they are my finds, this super sweet sheer pink and blue apron with matching pink clip on earrings (also vintage).

Also I picked up some vintage handkerchiefs as well and am playing with some ideas on how to incorporate them in a sewing project, maybe an apron. I'll keep you up-dated :)

Check out my new bag posting on Etsy here!

Bags Bags Bags!

2009-03-09T22:01:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! Well it's been all bags for me lately, and I've had so much fun picking out the fabric combos. I have new bags to post all this week check out today's bag here and check back all week for new postings.

Last week was a good Etsy week :) I sold a few items got a custom request and even had my bags posted on a couple blogs!

Thanks to Monica at Beauty Parler, this is a great blog that talks about fashion, makeup and skincare. Check it out here.

Thanks also to Diana at Daily Art Shop, She has a wonderful blog that talks about art and life. She featured Bag No 10 in her Friday Finds, check it out here. She also has a Sweet Etsy shop that you can check out here.

Aprons of the Week

2009-02-26T10:48:00.004-05:00

Hi All... well it's been another week of aprons for me! Stay tuned next week I will have all new items to post every day not aprons :)

So here are this weeks girls :)

Monday: The Barbie

Tuesday: The Rachael

Wednesday: The Abbey

Thursday: The Lynn

Coming Friday: The Patricia

The New Girls

2009-02-19T15:14:00.003-05:00

Here they are fresh from my Etsy shop The Courtney and The Ann.

The Courtney is a mix of sweet and sparkle that you just have to love. The fabric is a light pink soft fabric with a printed flower design. The Flowers are accented with a darker pink embroidery design and sequins. The ties are a pretty white satin ribbon and the skirt is finished off with an iridescent pink disc hem. I love the sound this apron makes as you swish around... makes me wish I was having a party.

The Ann is a little more sophisticated with a crisp white waist band up against a beautiful orange and blue pattern by Amy Butler. The hem is finished off with a nice white ric rac trim and white satin ribbon for the ties. Would be great for a home PTA meeting or some such event when you want to look your capable best. This is the final piece of Amy Butler fabric I picked up from Crafty Planet, hope you guys come back again this year!

More Aprons Abound

2009-02-18T11:23:00.006-05:00

Here they today's aprons for your viewing and shopping pleasure, The Cheryl and The Lucy.

The Cheryl is both sassy and sophisticated in a ivory/orange polka dot fabric by Amy Butler. This is another fabric that I picked up at the Craft Planet booth at the DUCF this fall.

The Lucy is a super sweet seersucker fabric with lavender and white gingham pattern accented with flower embroidery. It is finished off with delicate ribbon ties. This apron is so ready for spring! It would be so cute worn for your easter feast.

Sweet New Aprons Revealed

2009-02-17T20:56:00.007-05:00

Day 2 of apron week, everyday this week I will up-date my Etsy shop with 2 new aprons. Keep checking back to see the up-dates. Today's aprons revealed are The Jane and The Elle.

The Jane apron is made from an Amy Butler fabric that I picked up last November from the Crafty Planet booth at the DUCF. I coveted this fabric all year long and had to pick it up as soon as I saw it at the booth! I think it turned into a lovely little apron.

The Elle apron is a super soft white and yellow swiss dot fabric finished off with a vibrant yellow ruffle hem and striped ribbon ties. I think this apron is kind of sweet and sporty at the same time, it makes me want to go play some tennis.

I hope you like the new aprons and stay tuned for tomorrow's aprons revealed, The Violet and The Cheryl.

It's All Coming Together

2009-02-16T21:01:00.005-05:00

Everything is starting to come together I have my new business cards (48hourprint.com is awesome), I have my new fabric tags and about 13 aprons in various forms of completion. As you can see my dining room is in somewhat of a state of chaos... aprons everywhere.

I plan to post 2 aprons a day to my Etsy shop until they are all finally posted. The first two aprons went up today, The Mary and Little Red.

Etsy Promotional Video

2009-02-06T16:13:00.002-05:00

Love this Etsy promotional video!

Sick Days

2009-02-05T11:40:00.004-05:00

They just can't be avoided when you have a small child in daycare it seems. The little germ factory hit us all pretty hard over the weekend but with a little time off and rest the whole family is back on track for recovery now and it's back to work!

Over the weekend and with much excitement I sold 3 aprons from my Etsy shop bringing my sales total up over the 20 mark! I am so excited :)

With my wealth of sales this weekend it brought my apron inventory way down (only 1 left) and come to think about it Christmas wiped me out of all my travel bag inventory.

So I have been hard at work drafting new ideas for aprons. I already have 5 aprons started and they are all so cute! (in my humble opinion) I am working on finishing them as far as I can until the new fabric labels I ordered from Jennifer's Jewels come in the mail.

I also have a fun idea for some totally decked out over the top fancy aprons that would be great for entertaining. Coming up with sketches now, figuring out fabrics how to do the construction. I am so excited I cant wait to get started!

Once I get the apron stardust out of my eyes I am going to start on the bags again. I love the travel bag and I received some new sewing books at Christmas that had some great bag designs I want to try.

Getting Fancy

2009-01-27T15:56:00.002-05:00

I am so excited I just ordered official business cards from 48HourPrint.com. I have been waiting and waiting to get cards printed but just kept putting it off for other things.

But finally today I got it done, they go on press tonight and hopefully will ship out tomorrow. I will be sitting on pins and needles waiting by the mailbox for them to come the rest of this week.

A big thank you to my friend Cheryl for coming up with the design!

Linger

2009-01-26T13:52:00.004-05:00

So did you ever start a project thinking this is gonna be a snap! and then 7 years later wonder where it all went wrong?

When I moved in with my husband it was the fall and I was real excited about our 1st Christmas together. I thought it would be nice to make something to commemorate our 1st holiday that we could keep forever.

With that in mind I went to the local Michael's store and found this lovely kit for a cross stitch tree skirt. Perfect I thought, I am a whiz at cross stitch, I can have this done in no time!

Well as you can see it was a little more work than I anticipated although all through the next year I worked on it diligently when ever I could find a spare minute. I got pretty far and was very proud of myself, however, I also got burned out on the project.

Since that 1st year I have picked up the project every now and again but never with the same vigor that I had the 1st year. In fact since I have moved in to my new home over 2 years ago I have not touched it at all.

So with this being a new year I have decided to make yet another pledge to myself to finish this darn tree skirt for Christmas 2009. At my house Christmas goes up Thanksgiving weekend so I will have until then to finish.

As I make progress I will up-date on the blog. Wish me much luck and persistence as I endeavor to meet the challenge ahead!

My New Dining Room

2009-01-23T16:26:00.004-05:00

So last weekend my wonderful parents came over to "help" me paint my dining room. My Mom watched my son and my Dad prepped and painted my room for me all by himself. I have very wonderful parents :)

The color turned out so lovely, and I am super happy the way it looks. It is now our first official sort of done room on the 1st floor. I have a few more things to figure out on the walls and then it will be done for real.

I have a antique platter coming that I purchased from Rick Rac and Buttons on Etsy that will get hung on one wall (not sure which yet) and then maybe a really pretty mirror and my engagement photo.

Now I am super excited to get painting on some more rooms in my house.... hmmm what to do next.

The Emily Apron

2009-01-22T13:11:00.003-05:00

My latest apron reminds me of my Great Grandmother Emily. She was a wonderful woman very funny, loving and full of stories. I can just see her making her famous sweet and sour cabbage wearing this apron, which is why I have named it for her.

Did someone say...... SLACKER!

2009-01-21T15:02:00.002-05:00

Yeah that's me I have been neglecting the 'ole blog for quite a while now. The thing is once you start missing a few days it easily turns in to weeks and then before you know it months have passed.

By the 2 month mark going back and actually writing something becomes quite daunting, what will I write, will it be good enough, will any one care, do I even have the energy. And then you have to stop focus and just get down to business which is what I am doing today.

It's a new year and I am ready to get started on new ideas for my crafts , my family and my home! So starting this week I am going to try my hardest to blog more frequently and to share more of the goings on with you all... This is my new years pledge to you all.

Things I have been Doing

2008-11-09T17:05:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been a little while since I have tended to my blog. I took a little break however, I have been really busy creating. Just this weekend I posted 5 new makeup bags and 2 aprons, check them out here.

I have also been hard at work making coffee cup cozies. I will be shooting a posting them hopefully next weekend. Unless I can get some good sunlight after work sometime during the week. In the meantime check out these photos.

NieNie Recovery Fund

2008-10-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

On August 16, 2008 Staphanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa Hospital.

Stephanie remains in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie's body was burned over 80%.

The recovery fund is helping to pay the substantial medical costs to help this wonderful couple heal and return to their 4 children.

Sweet Things will be donating 10% of all apron sales to the Nie Nie Recovery Fund.

To find out more about the Nie Nie Recovery Fund or make a donation click here.

To read Stephanie Nielson's blog click here.

To read Stephanie's sister's blog for updates on the couple click here.

To Purchase a Sweet Things apron click here.

What I've been Up To......

2008-09-30T14:38:00.000-04:00

Wow I can't believe I've been absent for so long! I have been kind of busy and have neglected posting a bit... But I am back :0 ) Here is a little peek at what I have been up to this month.

Payton turned 1 years old, we had a fun party.

I made his Winnie the Pooh cake,

it turned out pretty good but I had a rough start with the outlining.

A recent trip to the flea market inspired this tricky treats Halloween apron. I based the pattern of a vintage find, enlarged the pocket and added a second one for maximum candy storage capacity. This would be a great apron to wear on Halloween night, it will keep you from running back and forth to the candy bowl.

I just completed this Strawberry Fields travel/makeup tote. The idea was inspired from a recent book gift from my husband. Simply Sublime Bags, 30 No-Sew, Low-Sew Projects. I highly recommend this book, the instructions were supper easy to follow. This bag sold with a few days of posting on Etsy. I will be doing another strawberry bag soon and other patterns soon.

A Busy Week

2008-09-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

Well I have had a busy crafting week, it's been great getting back into the swing of things again. And my brain is working again on some fun new ideas like the one I had this morning for this "Tweet" pillow. I managed to concept and complete it all in one day. I will take some official pictures in the morning when the light is better so I can post on Etsy.

I finally finished my Roosters apron, and it is officially posted on Etsy as of this evening. I cut this fabric out to start months ago and for some reason just couldn't get it started. Now I am sorry I waited so long look how cute it turned out! I am really happy with it :)

I also did some work on my baby wash cloth and burp cloths. I combined the wash cloth and burp cloth sets into baby bundles. You can now get a set of 2 wash and 2 burp cloths for $20 which includes new packaging and gift tag. All you have to do is write on the card and this gift is ready to give! There are now 2 new sets that were posted just this week!

I have about 3 more baby bundles cut and ready to be sewn and posted on Etsy. I am hoping to get them done this weekend. Hopefully I will have some more time to come up with so off the cuff ideas like the "Tweet" pillow as well.

What I Like

2008-09-04T09:54:00.001-04:00

Creative Back-Log

2008-08-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

Well I haven't had a lot of time for crafting lately my little guy is teething and hasn't been sleeping great. I have a whole pile of stuff waiting to get put together and some new ideas to try out too.

Payton is about to turn 1 in September and I am going to try my hand at making him a special birthday shirt. I saw some great 1st birthday shirts on Etsy that really inspired me to make one of my own.

I am hoping to get some crafting time in over the long holiday weekend and will post my efforts!

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!

Bento Boxes

2008-08-21T15:17:00.000-04:00

1. Green bean, sweet potato and balsamic chicken bento, 2. MomoCon Bento 2, 3. Meatball and omelette bento, 4. Shinzi Katoh bento, 5. Garden bento, closeup, 6. Bento 5506, 7. Grouchy Bf bento, 8. Bento #60, 9. piggy bento 1, 10. Ladybug bento box, 11. my first bento!!, 12. Bento #3, 13. Panda bento box, 14. Smiley clouds bento box, 15. Aquarium Bento, top view, 16. Tinkerbell bento

Thank you so much Crafty Daisies for your post today about Bento Boxes! After reading it this morning I did my own research and am now obsessed. I have been looking at boxes online and I just can't make up my mind on what kind I would want to get... there are so many great possibilities based on size, color, tote-ability (a word?). It's so hard to decide.

And the food combinations.... yum! There are some great blogs out there dedicated to bento boxes with some very delicious looking recipes. I can't wait to get my own bento box so I can fill it with all kinds of cute delicious food.

If you have a bento box or make one for your child's lunch I would be interested to hear about your experience!

Here are some great blogs about the Bento!

The Detroit Urban Craft Fair

2008-08-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

I just found out about this craft fair in Detroit coming in November. The application submission time just ended on the 15th so I think I am going to check it out this year to see if I might be interested in showing there in 2009. Here is a little information from the DUCF about the show. If you are in the Detroit area mark it on your calendar to check out this November.

The Detroit Urban Craft Fair is an alternative craft fair featuring 50+ independent, DIY artists and crafters. DUCF exists around a community market feel, encouraging the interaction of maker and buyer, while showcasing a wealth of handmade talent.

The 2008 DUCF is November 15 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Fillmore Detroit (formerly the State Theatre.)

What does ‘alternative craft fair’ mean?
Simply put, we aren’t your typical arts and craft fair. You won’t see country crafts, painted saws or jams n’ jellies at our fair. You will, however, see rock star nightlights, recycled t-shirt tote bags and vegan lip-gloss.

What type of stuff will be there?
Clothing, accessories, bath and body products, stationery, zines, toys, baby stuff, art, household accessories, jewelry, recycled and sustainable crafts and more.

Who is running this thing?
DUCF is run by Handmade Detroit, an urban craft collective for people who like to make stuff. Handmade Detroit exists to create community and opportunities around Detroit’s DIY makers. Our web site features connective information for crafters and more about our mission. Check it out at handmadedetroit.com.

There is also an etsy site that you can check out to support the fair at handmade.etsy.com.

I've Been Featured

2008-08-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

Take a peak, The Sweet Things Gingham Cupcake Pillow has been featured on All Things Cupcake. Thank you guys so much for the feature!

Last Chance!

2008-08-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

To get 15% off select Sweet Things Hand-Crafted items! Sales ends after today.

PLUS, there is still one mystery gift available!

New Recipes

2008-08-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

My husband says that I have been really "on" this week with my cooking. I had some stuff in the freezer that I wasn't sure how I wanted to use. It forced me to get a little creative and inspired some original recipes. I am posting them here for your enjoyment, I did not take pictures of my efforts but as my husband is a very picky eater so I can assure you that they are both very good.

Mexican Pizza

Pre-made pizza dough (I use a frozen dough, let thaw in the fridge overnight)

1 can refried beans

1 jar salsa (I used a peach & chipoltle salsa)

1 small can of corn

1 pound ground turkey with taco seasoning (by Jennie O)

1-1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese (I used Weight Watchers Shredded Mexican Cheese)

Pam cooking spray

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam cooking spray (I used a 13" x 9" pan). Stretch your dough and place on the cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the ground turkey in the skillet.

While the turkey is browning, spread the refried beans on the cookie dough to your desired thickness. Top with your salsa and corn spreading evenly.

Once turkey is done spread evenly on top of the corn and finish with your shredded cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes and enjoy!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

1 full chicken (I think mine was about 6 lbs or so)

2 cans of chicken broth

Salt

Pepper

Garlic salt

Mrs. Dash

Poultry Seasoning

BBQ sauce

Rinse off the chicken and put it in the crockpot, pour in the chicken broth. I just eyeball the seasoning based on our personal taste. Cover the chicken with the seasonings and top with a generous amount of BBQ sauce. Try to cover the entire chicken.

Set the crockpot to low for 8-10 hours and sit back and wait for delicious. By the time the timer goes off the chicken should be falling off the bone.

Etsy Finds: Cupcakes

2008-08-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

Etsy is really a great site, and I think I might have become addicted in the short time since I joined this group. I log on here and there just to see how my views are coming and I find myself on the treasury, and then looking at one treasury item and then another and then a blog which leads me to a new shop which inspires a search and then on to the forums, chats etc.... next thing I know it's way past my bedtime and the baby is up again looking for a snuggle.

There are just so many great things to look at on Etsy (eye candy if you will) that I thought I would start posting some of my favorites from time to time. So here is my 1st set of favorites, my inspiration was cupcakes... enjoy!

Dancing Cupcakes Print by modernradar

Inspired by vintage advertising imagery, I drew these little cupcakes years ago on a whim, and they have been a shop favorite ever since. Great for a kitchen or kids room! The image is a 3 color screenprint which I printed by hand. The paper is heavyweight archival 140 lb. Canford Card. The print size is 8" x 10" and can also be matted to 5" x 7".

Everyday Cupcake Cube Wallet Double Snaps, 5 Pockets by florspace

"Eat a delicious cupcake everyday" - Sweetest thing in the world! My absolute favourite thing in the world - cube wallets! They are cute, practical and create so much conversation! I've been asked about my wallet (coz I made one of this for myself) so often, I've decided to make some to share! So grab one for yourself!

Kawaii Cupcake Fantasy Necklace by YuraPockyLover

Kawaii Cupcake Fantasy Necklace with assorted colours icing frosted cupcakes fresh from oven still in baking tray! Baking tray is made of plastic. Baking Tray: 4.4cm x 3.4cm Ball Chain Necklace: approx 20 inch

Original Mini Watercolor Painting Nerdy Cupcake by Jessie Oleson

Cakespy's mission is to spread happiness and sweetness through the world through joyful little pastries. Why not add some sweetness to your life...or give a sweet gift to a loved one...by buying one of our original pen and ink / watercolor works? This is part of a new "Mini-series" of paintings, 2.5x3.5 inches and in mini frames.

This little cuppie is smiling oh so hopefully at you--with a mouth full of braces and a pocket full of pocket protector! He really wants to be buddies!

Boutique Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcake Earrings by Bunny Beads Boutique

Chocolate and Stawberry Cupcakes! Freshly baked for you! We have a yummy pair of sweet earrings featuring our hand sculpted polymer clay cupcakes. Chocolate cake with vanilla and strawberry frosting. A cherry on top of each little cupcake. Deliciously delightful!

Hand wrapped on sterling silver french hooks.Also available on sterling silver 3mm ball posts or silver plated clip on earrings. Note: You must specify your ear wire choice by convoing us otherwise we will ship the earrings as pictured.

Completed Projects

2008-08-13T11:20:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything new to Etsy in a while but I have been completing some home projects. And now that they are finished I am ready to stat some new Etsy projects.... well when I can find some time again. My son is 11 months now and is VERY active. He learned to walk about a month ago and is not napping as much now so it's hard to get in as much Mom time for crafting. But we have been having a blast playing together. I think this is my favorite age so far.

So here is my finished cup cozy or my cup sweater as I like to call it, ha. It has worked out really well, it keeps my tea warm and my fingers from getting singed :) Now I am working on a second one and am going to try some button hole closures. It's looking really good so far and if it turns out I might be starting a line for Etsy.

I also finished a trailer birdhouse for my front yard. The top and bottom are decoupaged with some pretty scrapbook paper that I had hidden away. I think that it turned out pretty cute and it brightens up my front yard.

I've Been Featured

2008-08-08T10:24:00.000-04:00

My "Sweet Treats" apron has been featured on All Things Cupcake! This is one of my favorite blogs, great blog to visit for your cupcake news and items. Go check them out to get your sugar fix for the day and see my apron feature while you are there!

THE SWEET END OF SUMMER SALE

2008-08-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

The Sweet End of Summer Sale is going on NOW!!

Select items at Sweet Things Hand-Crafted Designs are now 15% off. The 1st two summer sales shoppers will receive a free sweet mystery gift in addition to their purchase! The purchase does not have to be a sale item to count for the free gift.

Happy Shopping!

The Game

2008-07-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

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1. Christine Plays It Hot, 2. Day085 - Simple grilled cheese and tomato, 3. June 1960 Kimpo, Korea ~ Visit by US President Dwight Eisenhower, 4. Gizmo, 5. Ryan Reynolds, 6. IT WAS A GOOD DRINK, 7. Blue Hawaii, 8. Strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting topped with sugar strawberry decoration, 9. Wonder Woman in 1940's, 10. family picnic, 11. بــحـط قــلـبـي بــيـن يــديـنـك هــديـه, 12. what?

Here are the rules if you want to play too:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

Thanks you Glory Daze for posting this fun game on her blog

My Fist Feature

2008-07-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

Well it looks like I am going to be a featured artist on The Dancing Monkey Jewelry Chronicles this coming August (I believe sometime around the 10th). I am very excited!

The Dancing Monkey Chronicles is a wonderfully written blog where each week 5 new artists are highlighted. Martha of DMJC is also an artist herself and makes beautiful jewelry that she sells on etsy.

Please visit her blog and etsy shop and come back to visit in August to see my artist feature!

The Dancing Monkey Jewelry Chronicles

Dancing Monkey Jewelry Etsy Shop

Great Finds, Projects, and Inspiration

2008-07-25T14:27:00.000-04:00

We had a great time on Saturday at the Farmington Founder's Day Festival and the Royal Oak Antique and Garage Sale. My in-laws, husband, baby and I all went on this day long adventure together.

I picked up for myself this super cute vintage apron. I really love the shape and flow of this apron, it is a little bit different from the apron's currently in my shop. I think I am going to use this apron as a pattern for the next set of aprons that I do.

We also found this great antique sewing cabinet. It was so beautiful I couldn't help but drool. My Mother and Father-in-law were so kind and bought it for us. I have it up in my guest room right now. It looks so nice, thank you guys so much!!!

Well I have been working hard but not getting to much done lately on my projects. My Mom however has been busting out the birdhouses. She brought out 2 more today that I just posted on Etsy, and they are beautiful.

For my part I have been knitting in my spare crafting time this week, and I am just not very fast. Currently I am working on a cozy for my work coffee cup. We have a coffee system called Flavia and that machine pumps out the hottest liquid ever. You practically singe your fingers trying to get the cup back to your desk :)

I have also been spending a lot of time lately looking out at my neighbors garden. It's so pretty and she has this one pink Phlox that captures my eye every time I look out. It really inspires me to want to work on my yard more this summer!

I do have one really pretty white phlox bush that I just love. It has a very nice light fragrance.

Oh look There I Am

2008-07-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

I recently just signed up the Sweet Things Etsy site on Google to be included in the search engine and have been waiting to be added, semi-patiently.

I was just notified by my friend Cheryl yesterday that I am finally listed!! Woohoo. When I went to check it out for myself I found this listing as well for oodle.com. I was so excited, it pulls locally listed items from Ebay and Etsy. I had no idea this site existed, it was kind of a weird experience for a second seeing my item listed on another site. Then it was cool, it made my Etsy shop feel a little more real.

I also just made myself a Sweet Things page on Facebook. Come and visit me, click to be a fan favorite to get shop news!

So Sad

2008-07-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

Well I didn't get to go to Art In The Park last weekend. My poor little baby had an ear infection that we thought had healed up but it flared up Friday night sending us to the doctor first thing on Saturday.

I was sad not to go the the art show but am SO happy that Payton is now feeling better. I heard that it was a great show though and am planning to go next year.

Since I couldn't go look at crafts I decided to start some new projects. I made one of the pillows from my earlier sketch. It's the cupcake pillow, so cute! I have some great fabric combinations set aside for more of my sketched pillows. Can't wait to find some time to do another one.

This weekend we are off to Royal Oak for the Garage Sale and Antique Show. They fill an entire parking structure with vendors selling some great finds plus the local stores are having sidewalk sales. I can't wait to go it is always so much fun. A lot of the area neighborhoods hold garage sales as well!

It is also the Farmington Founders Festival this weekend. We were out of town last year (our first year living in Farmington) so we missed all the fun. This year we are going to fit it in after the Royal Oak trip. It will make for a long day but sweet dreams that night thinking of all the great things we saw and fun we had.

Distraction

2008-07-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

Ok so my next project was supposed to be the rooster apron, I have it all cut out and ready to sew. But a funny thing happened on my way to the sewing machine... ha ha

Seriously, I was at work and I got a great idea on how to use this adorable mother goose flannel fabric I bought during my Christmas fabric shopping spree. There was only two yards of it left. I had no idea what I wanted to use it for, and I was shopping for holiday material. But I HAD to have it, it was mine!

I decided that with a little bit of terry cloth it would make oh-so-cute wash cloths, burp cloths maybe even bibs. I have the 1st set of burp cloths done and posted on etsy. They turned out so cute, I can't wait to do the wash cloths next.

I also have some cute monkey flannel that I think I will do next. As long as I don't get distracted again!

Art in the Park

2008-07-09T17:04:00.000-04:00

I am so excited this weekend is Art in the Park in Plymouth, MI. I am meeting up with my friend Cheryl to go and check it out.

I have not been to this art fair yet and am so excited, it looks like there are going to be some great booths to check out. Plus I just love downtown Plymouth it's a beautiful town.

If you are going to be in the Plymouth area this weekend you should come and check it out, art show dates are July 11, 12, & 13.

For more information visit www.artinthepark.com

Back to Work

2008-07-08T15:16:00.000-04:00

Well I am back to work now after a great vacation spent with my husband and son. We relaxed took the baby to the zoo, Lake Huron and let him hang out on Grandma and Grandpa's boat for the first time. It was a wonderful relaxing time and now I am ready to get back to business at both my full time advertising job and my crafting.

I posted two great aprons on etsy today, and I am ready to start on another one. Here is the fabric I am going to use, how great are those roosters. I can not wait to start.

Over vacation my mother-in-law invited me to raid both her fabric stock pile and button tin. I found some really great materials both new and vintage and am having fun thinking up ideas how to use it all!

I also made a side-trip to the fabric store with husband and baby in tow. It was the day after the holiday and they were running a sale on the Christmas fabric. I couldn't resist and picked up some great fabrics for both Christmas and Halloween. So be on the lookout for some new holiday treats coming soon. A big thanks to my husband for some great ideas for Christmas projects too :)

Meanwhile in my "spare" time I have been sketching up some ideas for some fresh little pillows with summer fruit and yummy confectionary treats as my inspiration. Yumm, they look so cute already just on paper. I am thinking about painting them too but I'm not sure if I want to go with watercolor or acrylic, hmm.

Now that I am devoting more time and energy to crafting it seems like inspiration is everywhere and I have more ideas than I can keep up with. The flood gates are open so I am trying to be really good with my ever-handy sketchbook to capture them all for later.

So I want to know what inspires you?

Till next time