simple, meaningful jewelry

when i first discovered this wide world of blogging, one of the first blogs that i was drawn to was this one. lisa leonard shares her beautiful photographs and sweet stories about her children, including one special needs son. in addition, she makes and sells jewelry, such as the necklace that you see here. you can personalize the jewelry to make a one-of-a-kind, special keepsake.

simple mom is having a giveaway this week where you can enter to win your very own lisa leonard original, as well as some other other meaningful jewels!

success!

 

well, my first show was a lot of fun and i am very pleased with the amount that i sold. it was also a wonderful experience to meet the other artists and talk with customers and browsers. i think that i could really get into this avenue of business, and would like to find out more about selling in a farmer's market.

now i am preparing for my second, and larger, show on saturday, so must get back to sewing.
have a great day!

 

 

 

today!

i have been busily preparing for my very first venture into the world of craft shows (artisan market? art show? i haven't decided which term i like best yet). i am excited and anxious to see how it goes! every free moment in the past month or so has been spent either sewing or preparing in some other way (making postcards and flyers...painting my sign...spreading the word...tagging and ironing...procrastinating on facebook). i have sixty onesies and tshirts to take with me, plus some bibs and holiday cards. i'll be happy even if i only sell a few (although i'd be happier if i sold a bunch!) i see this as an experience, to spread my name, to learn what works and what doesn't.

if you're in the charleston area, stop by and see me at lowcountry local first's holiday bazaar today! in addition to the artisans selling their wares, there will be food from local restaurants and musical entertainment. is there a better way to support local artisans and the local economy while scoring some cool gifts?

the gift that keeps on giving

looking for a gift for the person who has everything? want to give a gift this year that will give back? or simply looking to win the family competition of who-can-make-mom-cry-at-christmas? (um, yeah. maybe that is only in our house...) well, here is one idea for you. kiva is an organization that facilitates micro-loans to needy communities throughout the developing world. basically, kiva finds entrepreneurs in developing countries of the world who are in need of a loan. what we can do is provide some of the money for that loan. on kiva's website, they list the many programs that are requesting loans, so you can choose what you would like your money to go to. once that loan is paid off (usually in less than a year), you take that money and choose another program to loan to. and so on and so on.

last year, my siblings and i gifted our parents with a kiva gift certificate. it was perfect for them as my dad's business involves agriculture in south america, so they are able to focus their loans in that area of the world. by joining our efforts we were able to get them a certificate for an amount that we feel can really make a difference. oh, and yes. you bet our mama cried.

give local this holiday season

if you have checked out my shop recently, you've probably noticed that i've gone crazy with the onesies. i've been a madwoman lately, ferociously sewing every chance that i get. this is partially because i've felt some good inspiration of late, but also because i am preparing for two upcoming holiday markets. the first of these will be on tuesday, december 2, and is hosted by lowcountry local first. this awesome group and its even awesomer sustainable ag director are doing amazing things for the businesses, farms, and people in our area. if you live in or near the charleston area, come out and support your local economy while scoring some unique gifts! find out more info and directions here.


the second market is later that same week, on saturday, december 6. my friend barbara and i will be sharing a booth at this all-day affair. there will be lots of vendors there, as well as activities for the kiddos (including, i am told, santa and mrs. claus...) we will also have some surprise treats to share with everyone who visits us. hope to see you at one of these events!

apple afternoon

 

my baby's been sick and the weather's been cold so that made for an inside day today. we're still moving through that peck o' apples and this is what i found to do with them today - spiced apple cobbler. i actually think this recipe was a little heavy on the sugar and flour so next time i'll go lighter in that department, but other than that, pretty scrumptious! and yes, i do occasionally indulge in the afternoon talk shows...what can i say, they're good company for a sewing mama while baby naps...and sometimes you get a special treat, like today's oprah: brad pitt. need i say more.

anyway, back to the cobbler. just look at how cute my assistants are...

 

 

baby gear 101...part 3

in honor of international babywearing week, i thought i'd spend a little time talking about the many options of the wonderful and precious art of babywearing. when i was pregnant, i spent probably a month or more obsessing over finding the perfect baby carriers for my little one. i researched, cross-referenced, stalked chat rooms. i ended up with way more baby carriers than i now need or use (not to mention an i told you so sort of reaction from dear hubby). but in my own defense, it's difficult to know what you will end up using until you can test them with the real deal. i think that every baby and mama will have their own needs and preferences. so, i am going to offer some advice on what i found worked well for us, and i'll also try and give a few other options for you to consider for your own self as well.

 

the photo above shows my husband (with baby at her very first farmer's market) wearing a peanut shell sling. i think our daughter was probably a month old here. this was a nice sling when she was very tiny as she really did just fit in there like a little peanut. i was nervous at first that she was too "bent up" and wouldn't be able to breathe, but she of course was just fine, and in fact, quite cozy as all she really did in there was sleep!

one of the downsides to this type of sling is that it hurts your back if you wear it to walk around a lot, probably because of the uneven distribution of weight. it is nice around the house, though, especially when the little one is fussy and your arms need a break. this sling also comes in handy when the baby is around 4-5 months and is starting to sit on your hip. other popular brands for this type of sling are hotslings and new native.

 

the nifty little wrap that you see above is a gypsy mama. this is essentially just a really large piece of fabric that you can wrap around you in all sorts of ways. you can wear your baby on your front facing in, on your front facing out, on your back...i believe there is even a way to wear two babies with this thing! it is very similar to the moby wrap, which i hear wonderful things about, but as i live in a warm climate i decided to go with the lighter-weight gypsy mama. the fabrics are from bali and are beautiful. the gauze wraps are the lightest weight, but i went with the bali baby stretch. the stretch wraps are apparantly easier for the novice baby wearer as they are easier to wrap and are more "poppable" - meaning that once you have it on, you can put your baby in and out of it a few times without having to take the wrap off and rewrap each time. didymos wraps are another option for this genre.

 

this is my current favorite baby carrier. it is a mei tai and mine is from baby hawk. through baby hawk you have endless options to customize your own carrier, including a ton of amy butler fabrics - so cute. or, if you'd like to make your own, sew liberated has an adorable pattern available here. this carrier can also be worn on your front or back, and is just so easy and comfortable. both me and my little one love it.

we have also recieved an ergo, which we plan to use once we live back in the mountains and start taking the little one on hikes. for now, we've just used it a bit around the house, and it seems very user-friendly and comfy from what i can tell so far.

you have likely heard of the baby bjorn - we recieved one of these as a hand-me-down and our own personal experience is that it feels a little stiff and awkward to us. but i know a lot of people love them, so they are worth checking out. i also know a lot of mamas who love ring slings. my own mama made me one, using this pattern, and she said it was very easy to make. however, the fabric that we chose ended up not being strong enough, so i didn't feel comfortable using it. so my advice is: get some good, sturdy fabric and you are good to go.

so have fun looking around and making your decisions! the upside to having more carriers that you need is that there is a good market for them right now, so they have pretty decent resale value. or you can hang on to them and start a babywearing group in your area, so other mamas-to-be can try out and learn how to use the different carriers. i love how many mamas i see these days wearing their babies. it's such an intimate bond with your baby, and as supporters of attachment parenting know, it can have lifelong benefits for both you and your child.