Handmade Awesomeness

Last month I signed up for the Love Club. If you are looking for a monthly subscription this is an amazing one! I've gotten two so far and just love everything in them as do my little girls. They have a bit of a waiting list but if you check out the Love Club Blog they are giving away a three month subscription PLUS you get to jump off of the waiting list. I love the fact that they work with handmade businesses. It's a fun way to get exposed to a bunch of new places and try out products from ones I admire.

This month there was an "awesome" sticker from Yellow Heart Art. I had seen them before and loved their stuff and was thrilled to get this little gem! At first I was unsure where I would use it. I loved it but just couldn't figure out what to do with it. Then it hit me! I was inspired by this  picture of Pen & Paints sketch book decorated with September Love Club goodies. The front of my new journal is pretty busy already so I decided to decorate the inside. So far I only have the Yellow Heart Art sticker on there but I can't wait to sit down and add my mini owl from decal from Three Thirty Six that I got in my September Love Club Box.

What are some of your favorite etsy/handmade businesses?

 

Safe, Dry, and Warm

Not much going on here. This storm Sandy seems to be headed to hit the East Coast pretty badly, but where we are is looking safe. Definitely cold and wet but nothing serious. We are staying warm and dry by the wood stove and making good use of our new crock pot!

I got permission to share some pictures of my new nephew!!

I can't believe how precious he is! I can't wait to snuggle him. :)

My brother has written a beautiful post on this little one's first moments in the world. If you are interested you can read it over here. Be for-warded, you will probably cry.

Hope every one in Sandy's path is staying safe and dry and warm. Happy Monday!

Silence

I've been silent here for a while I know. I'm not even sure I can give one reason as to why.

*Once you skip a day or two it's easy to just forget.

*I've been crazy busy prepping for shows.

*I've just needed some down time to processes and think and rest.

So, in case you've been wondering, here's a bit of what we have been up to.

My good friend Amber of Wildflower Photography Took some amazing photos of my girls in their Halloween costumes.

Lots of Halloween parties, Fall Parties, and Fall Festivals going on around here as well.

We are in the throws of Craft Show season right now which means a ton of sewing and playing with new patterns. I love this dolly and think she would make a great "Elf on a Shelf"

Here is me! Sorta. :) I've also been making a lot of non kid items for the shows this year. Loving my bags and teething necklaces.

I may not be writing much but I've been thinking about this space and all you readers quite a bit. Been doing a lot of reading about blogging and taking notes and thinking about who I want to be and what I want this space to become.

My baby nephew was born on Thursday. He is absolutely precious . (I am waiting to post a picture of him till I have his mama's approval. But as soon as I do trust me there will be LOTS of pictures on here.) I cannot wait to meet him at Christmas!

I am going to be perfectly honest at this point and admit there have been some bittersweet moments. There is a pretty big age gap in my family and I never thought I would get to be pregnant at the same time as a family remember. I was so excited to be expecting at the same time as my sister-in-law. There are still moments where I can't help wondering what it would be like to be sharing this time with her. But I am so excited for her and so thankful that she had a safe pregnancy and that her delivery wasn't overly traumatic. God is so gracious and I am praising God for his blessings on all of us. I love welcoming new little ones into our family.

What have you all been up to the past few weeks?

He Loves Me

Hello There,

So sorry for my absence. I am still here, though clearly not doing the 31 Day Challenge any more.  I didn't really think it through and this just wasn't the time to commit to something that. Our due date was a few days ago and while I want to write on that eventually I am just not ready yet. I have been spending a lot of time just being quiet. Thinking, reflecting, and just being. I am still doing Onetober though.



This is today's look. I was running late so my hair is not at all styled, and I am wearing no make up whatsoever. I ran out the door with out a jacket so ended up wearing one of Josh's Mr. Roger's sweaters. And I love everything about this picture. It's not glamorous or polished but it is so very real right now.

Josh was taking the pictures today and I feel like you can tell that. I was just being me. The thing is, I haven't felt like "me" in a while. Josh always brings out the best in me though and I feel like that comes through. No matter how I am feeling or what is going on he is my biggest fan and best cheerleader. He points out my strengths and builds me up in areas that need work. I'm so blessed to have him in my life and have some one who loves me even when I'm not feeling quite myself. :)

Day 11 Onetober and 31 Days in the Life of Me.

October:

For the month of October I will be participating in two challenges. Onetober: One Dress, One Month, One Cause and The 31 Day Challenge. You can read more about these here and here.

Day 11

Hello friends! Are you tired of seeing the same dress over and over again? I thought you might be. So, no outfit picture today. Honestly, I wonder if you might be a bit tired of hearing from me so much in general. I promise, next time I do 31 days I will make sure I have a much more interesting topic. For today though, I thought I would share some things that have been inspiring me lately.

Our local Joann Store is moving and they are clearing out all the stock. I went a little crazy and bought a ton of fabric. Loving these combinations together.

We went to Barnes and Noble's today and I fell in love with this issue of Artful Blogging. It was so beautiful and inspiring. I didn't buy it but I really want to go back and get it. Thinking of subscribing with whatever Christmas money I get.

One of the reasons I passed on the magazine was because I broke down and bought the new journal and book I have been drooling over. I actually got a deal since I used swagbucks gift cards for the book. Got to love free stuff. I'm now so inspired to journal again and have a bunch of lists and quotes from the book already jotted down.

What have you been inspired by lately?

Days 9 and 10 of Onetober and 31 Days in the Life of Me.

October:

For the month of October I will be participating in two challenges. Onetober: One Dress, One Month, One Cause and The 31 Day Challenge. You can read more about these here and here.

Days 9 and 10

Hello Friends!

[caption id="attachment_522" align="aligncenter" width="558"] Dress - TJMax
Scarf - Hand painted from a Boutique
Hat - Holiday craft show
Jacket - Target[/caption]

Are you bored yet? If so I am sorry. Since I don't always go out a whole bunch my dress doesn't get "dressed up" very often. Not a whole lot to write about either, but maybe you are getting to know me a bit better. Getting to know our life and what motivates us.

A few pictures from our week so far.

I took a break from making dollies today and made some zipper clutches for my friend's sister. I love getting to be creative and working with fabrics and patterns that inspire me.

Goose and I went to Bible study yesterday and afterwards went to see Grandma at work. Goose love's helping her at the bookstore! :)

They cat got highjacked today and dress in a Build a Bear shirt. Shockingly he still has it on and doesn't seemed to be bothered by it. We really did get a super cat.

Monday was our due date for the baby we miscarried back in February. We are taking it slow this week and giving ourselves lots of grace and time to process. I'm sure I will have thoughts on all of that to share in a few days, but for now I'm ok letting that just sit and percolate.

I hope you all have had a wonderful week so far!

Tiny Prints Holiday Card Give Away!

October:

For the month of October I will be participating in two challenges. Onetober: One Dress, One Month, One Cause and The 31 Day Challenge. You can read more about these here  and here.

So apparently I am not the only one with Christmas on my mind after last night. I woke up this morning to down right cold temperatures. 47* people! That's cold. Especially for October in Va. I will be honest I wore my sweat pants and sweat shirt as long as I could today, but then I had to go pick Bear up from school. So I put on my dress and one of Josh's zip up sweatshirts. Now I am home but since I have to go back out at 9 tonight I'm still in my dress but with majorly fuzzy socks.

Now if only I could get away with wearing the socks out tonight.

What with the weather and my internet browsing last night I am so ready to start planning for Christmas. And apparently I am not the only one. Today I got an e-mail from Tiny Prints all about their new Holiday Cards.

I was so excited when I stumbled across this card. The perfect blend of photo card and Holiday letter! Now all that's left to do is decide what picture to use and information to include. It's been a busy year over here. I'm so excited to get these cards. I am told they are beautiful and very high quality. Want some or your own? Well you are in luck. Tiny Prints is offering $50 off total order to one lucky Redirected Dreams Reader. (Does not include shipping & cannot be combined with any other promos.) Want to win? Head on over and check our their huge selection of Holiday Cards and then come back and fill out the entry form bellow. Good luck!

 

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored blog post/give away but I have offered a genuine and legitimate product review and share my own, honest opinions on any and all products.