30 Days of Christmas – Day 16

(My laptop charger AND battery died simultaneously forcing me to play catch up for much of this series.)

I had fully intended to list a few items in my etsy store this month for the Christmas season.  Enter laptop malfunctions and life and I never did get around to creating the listings.

I did, however, make some fully lined festive stockings that will end up sitting in my office until next year.  Or I’ll add them for an after Christmas sale if I don’t have Christmas burnout in the meantime.  ;-)

I’d almost like to keep them for myself but T’s sister had personalized stockings knit for us two years ago.  I can only hang so many stockings before Santa says I’m being selfish and stuffs them all with coal!

Festive.

Sew Fun Sunday

Yeah..  so it’s Tuesday.  You know how it goes around here.  Life is hectic.  I’m lucky I’m having time to post at all, let alone on the right day…  ha.

Little Man needed curtains in his room.  This is what he’s been sporting – leftovers from when his bedroom was a guest room. (Don’t mind the shadows.  T was putting up the new hardware when I snapped this.)

I found this fabulous shower curtain at Target on clearance. 

They didn’t have any in store locally so I sucked it up and paid $6 in shipping because I really just HAD to have it.  The numbers.  The letters.  The fun randomness.  It still only cost me $24.  I sliced it down the middle, hemmed up my raw edge and we now have two curtain panels.

I bought a couple of cute coat hooks at Home Depot and some nice curtain clips on rings.  T mounted the hooks for me.  The rod?  One of T’s old hockey sticks.  It had just been taking up space in our closet for the past 8 or so years.  Now it has a cute purpose.

I’m mighty pleased with the look.  I am considering either adding a color block at the bottom to make them floor length – or shortening them to the height of the window and creating throw pillows with the extra fabric once Little Man is in a big boy bed.  They’ll stay as is for now until I make up my wishy washy mind.

I’ve been doing a lot of sewing.  A few were gifts so I’m not able to share at this time.  But I did make a custom apron I’m pretty pleased with.  (Don’t mind the wrinkly pants.  I’ve been at the office all day and had T take a quick picture so I could get final approval from the person who ordered it)

Aprons coming soon to The Road Less Traveled on Etsy.

Have you been working on anything fun?

Sew Fun Sunday

For Mother’s Day, my sweet T told me I could do whatever I wanted to do – all day long! 

I decided to spend a little time with my sewing machine in the morning (and force fed family time for the rest of the day.  haha).

Thanks to the lack of interruptions, I was able to put together a few new items to list on Etsy!

Who says such a utilitarian item as burp clothes has to be boring?

 

Don’t you love the lilacs in the background?  T usually waits until they are open to pick me some.  He got impatient this year.

I’ve also got a second diaper kit nearly finished – it still needs a diaper caddy (they are great for keeping your diapering gear organized and easy to grab from the vast array of stuff that usually winds up in your diaper bag).  Included will be a sling (sized medium), a burp cloth, a changing pad and the yet to be sewn caddy.

I also got to make a special treat for Monkey.  We went to JoAnn’s Fabrics on Friday and she found a lady bug button she just had to have.  While trying to figure out what to do with said button (so Little Man wouldn’t find it and choke on it with it lying around), I spotted an adorable lady bug print fabric.  Monkey now has an apron (she’s a moving target – I had trouble getting a picture.)  It is technically reversible because I also lined it with a deep green for extra thickness/clothing protection.

 

I hope all of the moms out there enjoyed their Mother’s Day and got pampered a little. 

Enjoy your sewing machines!

Sew Fun Sunday!

I haven’t been able to spend nearly as much time with my sewing machine as I would like in the past month or so.  This week, that changed.

A friend is having a baby and today was her surprise baby shower.  I made a diaper kit for her.

I started with the diaper caddy:

 

In it, I put a tube of Butt Paste (the best diaper rash cream we’ve ever come across) and a personalized travel sized wipes container:

I also included a matching changing pad:

A coordinated burp cloth:

And a sling (which I forgot to take a picture of.  Then I tied them all up with a nice little bow:

Watch my Etsy site for similar sets coming soon.

And have fun with your sewing machines!  I know I sure missed mine.

Introducing….

The Road Less Traveled!

I currently only have a handful of slings listed for sale, but I’m hoping to remedy that in the near future. 

 

I also need a better photo of a sling being modeled…  I’m working on my self-portrait skills.

 

So no more blathering on about needing to do it.  It’s done. 

Have a great day!

Taking a big step

Two years ago, while pregnant for Monkey, I started an Etsy store.

It has been sitting empty and unused this entire time.

Why? I'll admit it. Because I'm a chicken shit and have been scared to do anything with it.

First, there's the whole sales tax issue because the State of Maine requires you pay sales tax for purchases (meaning I have to charge sales tax on in state sales).

Then, there's the whole "what if my stuff sucks and nobody likes it" mental hurdle.

I have been toying with this for much longer than the two years I've had the store set up.

After a talk with my mom (she works for an accountant and is much smarter than I with taxes and bookkeeping and with life in general), I filled out the application to get a sales tax number.

It is now sitting here, addressed and stamped, ready to go. Staring at me. Making me want to vomit with nerves.

But, I have finally taken the first big step.

Now, someone come kick me into taking the next one.

What's the worst that can happen? Right?