My sewing days are numbered

I had put off my Project Linus quilt to make room for several wedding invitation orders, but with the looming deadline to get the quilt in, I had to get cranking. 

When I last left off, I had neatly set down all my squares in the sequence they were to be stiched.  About an hour after walking out of the room, the Gravy Kids rolled through and played tornado with the squares.  Great. 

This weekend, I reassembled the order and got to sewing.  Let's just say that the bobbin was out to get me.  It jammed.  Jammed again.  Then the needle unthreaded.  And unthreaded.  And unthreaded itself again.  Cursing abound.  Frustrated and lacking focus, I found myself sewing together the incorrect sides of the squares a few times:

Finally, I had my rows and pressed out the seams.  And that's about as far as I've come. I couldn't handle the finickiness of my machine anymore (like how I'm blaming the machine and not me?  Classic diversion).  I'll return to the project later this week.

Please try to contain your envy for my ugly green factory-issued iron board cover. One day, I'll buy one of these.

Walking to school...in the snow...uphill...both ways

Can we talk about this a second?

 

 

Aside from the hoopla about children handling smartphones (this photo clearly sharing which side of the fence I'm on, but I respect those who disagree), one thing dawned on me: the things I experienced growing up are already so archaic to my kids.  

 

For example:

• The TV as they know it has always been able to pause live television and record shows.  It would seem so foreign to them to comprehend how I made my little sister serve as the remote control for our remote control-less TV.  
• Standing in line to use the pay phone was just something we did if we wanted to talk to our friends or call mom for a ride. 
• Sometimes we had to purchase paper maps (gasp!) because there wasn't a talking machine on the dashboard telling us where to take turns.
• In college, I took a course - a real credited course! - called "All About the Internet: Search Engines."  I mean, a whole four hours each week dedicated entirely on how to use an online search engine!  I think I passed with a "B."  But I digress...

All in all, they will find many ways to laugh at me the same way I laugh at my dad for using terms like, "portable computer" when he's referring to a laptop, or when I ask him if he thinks we live in the 1800s after he refers to the living room as "the parlor."

 

And for the record, Wav adores the "Single Ladies" song, as seen above.  Only she calls it the "sing-a-ling" song.  I won't correct her out of little kid vocabulary just yet.

 

 

DIY Valentine's Day package

I mentioned earlier this week that I'm always wholly unprepared for Valentine's Day despite any faux ramp-up, and this year is not unlike any other.  I'm already saying to myself, "Yeah, I have about three weeks.  Plenty of time to be ready for Valentine's Day this year!"

Don't let my love for chalky little conversation hearts fool you. 

But, to get you in the craft mood, I'm pleased to offer another Valentine's Day DIY printable: a little gift package!  Okay, so it's loosely based on a French fries box.  But really, it's adorable and I promise your friends will be thrilled by your craftiness and it'll only take between five and 10 minutes to cut and assemble.

Print the file on heavy white paper and cut along the edges:

Use a bone fold or butter knife to create a crease along the edges where the bright and soft pink colors meet:

Gently fold along creased lines:

Bend the back of the box upward:

Secure the wrap around flaps with adhesive (I used double-sided tape):

Enjoy!

I like it wild

I talk often about my lofty dreams, such as perfecting my baking skills or being really organized (just one day, please!), but I'm not alone in my loftiness.  Wavey has one lofty goal that she expresses often: to have straight hair. 

Her Auntie Emily - being one of the best aunties ever, of course - granted Wav her wish (albeit temporarily) and busted out the straightening iron:

I'll admit, I was a little freaked out by the results.  My curly-headed pip was flaunting around her choppy straight hairdo with such pride.  I was feverishly hoping that the curls would come back once she took a bath, which they did. 

All was right again.

Free printable gift tags

I always have these lofty dreams around this time of year that I'll make all kinds of special edible goodies for Valentine's Day, but I usually fall short.  On the evening before, I find myself either baking no-brainer slice-and-bake cookies or being really desperate and running to the market about 10 minutes before closing to buy sad, tasteless mini cupcakes.  You know, those cheapy one-biters?  There's always a million left on the shelves because folks know better than to eat them. Sigh...

But if you're a better planner than me (and you probably are), I've designed print-your-own Valentine's Day gift tags to top off your little homemade goodies.  What's more, they're offered in three different tiers based on your level of affection: 

+ Nothing beats true love
+ Let's hold hands
+ We're more like brother and sister (a personal favorite)

For example, you probably don't hold the same level of affection for that guy Bob over in Accounting as you do your spouse, and it's in nobody's best interest for Bob to get the wrong idea with an "I choo-choo-choose you" gift tag.  I'm just trying to help.

PS: Be sure to enter the Thirty Handmade Days giveaway of Good Gravy! stationery.  Contest ends Thursday.  Good luck!

New wrap around address labels...and more!

This past weekend was rather uneventful - a rare occurrence here at the homestead, but a welcome one.  The quiet gave me the chance to finally introduce a new series of new custom wrap around address labels in the shop. 

I really like this style where the return address wraps around the left of an envelope, leaving the front with a pretty design to write in your addressee.  A little funky, purposely off-center, and yet perfectly dresses up your correspondence.

What's that you say?  You're interested in winning a some of these fresh-out-of-the-oven custom labels AND custom flat cards AND free shipping?  Fine, you drive a hard bargain.  Head on over to Thirty Handmade Days right now to enter (giveaway starts at 9:00 a.m. EST)!

My little bunny paperweight

I have a real affinity for good packaging.  To buy something - especially handmade - and to receive it well-packaged is like getting a birthday present when it's not your birthday.  I appreciate the time and thoughtfulness behind the effort. 

Being the nerdy office supply person that I am, it should be no surprise that I recently purchased a lovely paperweight just because.  When my little item from Paper Flowers Boutique arrived in the mail, I fell in love with how it was so carefully packaged with vintage ribbon and wallpaper, and enclosed in a sweet little organza bag.  Again: happy un-birthday to me. 

And check out these serious details:

It's the little things that make us happy, isn't it?

Caution: mowing ahead

 

Guess whose daddy didn't check the clipper settings before commencing a monthly haircut?

There was no way I could allow that super-low setting to go all around Griffin's head, so we have to live with this crazy, single stripe for another 4-6 weeks.

Maple bars win!

A big thanks to everyone who participated in our first Good Gravy! Giveaway.  I'm pleased to announce that lucky #6 won the prize! 

That's you, Amanda!  Email me at hello{at}goodgravydesigns.com to claim your stationery!  Isn't her plan to write a love note to her husband sweet? 

And I'm a big maple bar fan, too.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I love all donuts.  Thanks to everyone who indulged me.  :) 

Everyday conversation

If you were a fly on the wall in my house, you'd hear a bevy of weird comments that are puzzling, regardless of understanding the context in which they were spoken.  For example, I casually said this to my husband as I walked out of a room the kids were playing in:

"Hey, keep an eye on the corner over there.  Barbie is using silly putty for a pillow so don't let Griffin eat it."

And he didn't bat an eye.

 

Project Linus quilt

When we were at the hospital on Christmas Day, the nurses gave Wavey a blanket from Project Linus, a non-profit group that provides handmade blankets to hospitals and social service organizations to help comfort children during a difficult time. 

To pay the gesture forward, I've decided to make a blanket in return so that another child may benefit from the experience.  However, its been no secret that my sewing skills are pretty basic.  So much so that I'm hoping the Project Linus people don't return my blanket with a note that reads, "Ma'am, your preschooler shouldn't be using a sewing machine." 

I've cut out all my squares so far (and if you craft with fabric without a rotary cutter, you're nuts.  I rank the invention right up there with the light bulb).

And have decided on the sequence of the squares:

I'll keep you posted on the actual fun-with-sewing part when I get there.  I imagine my resolution to keep the swearing to a minimum might be challenged.

PS: Today is the last day to enter A Good Gravy! Giveaway.  Deadline is 11:59 p.m. tonight.  And seriously, folks, the donut preferences are truly cracking me up.  Such passion behind those answers!

Two Little Tots logo design

I'm super-excited to share that Melissa at Two Little Tots chose this logo design among the few I presented for her ridiculously cute shop.  Through the process, we've developed a wonderful friendship and while she's a Midwest girl and I'm a New-Englander-by-way-of-California, we've found that we have so much in common in work, family, and parenting.  The blog world is a small world, indeed.

What we do not have in common is sewing.  Melissa = amazing.  Me = not so much.  I'll stick with paper products, thank you.


PS: Don't forget to enter the Good Gravy! personalized stationery giveaway!  Have a great weekend!

A Good Gravy! Giveaway (closed)

Resolve to get more personal this year.  Instead of email or texting, send a handwritten note expressing anything, such as gratitude, love, big news, and more. 

Good Gravy! is giving away two free sets of personalized flat note cards to one lucky winner!  The winner gets his or her choice of any of the designs in our shop, and we're throwing in free standard shipping, too. 

You're feeling lucky, I know it.  Here's how to enter:
To enter, leave a comment and tell me who would be the first person you'd write a handwritten note to with your new stationery, AND your favorite kind of donut.  That's right, your favorite donut.   Just because I'm wondering.  Here's mine: strawberry frosted with sprinkles.

Details, details, details...
+ Contest ends at midnight 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, January 11.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 13.
+ Limit one entry per person, please.
+ Winner will be chosen at random using the random integer generator.
+ Your donut answer will not be held against you.

Good luck!

Pretty in pink: baby girl birth announcement

While I'm the first to say that I love photo announcements, I really enjoyed the simplicity of this latest custom baby girl birth announcement.  Featured on white textured paper with chocolate and cotton candy inks, it's matted to a shimmering pink lollipop cardstock.  Simple.  Pink.  Pretty!

Welcome, Sydney Grace!

Personal information modified for privacy.

1972 called again. They want their clown back.

Oh, Hi-C.  How I wish my mother would have let me consume something as nutritional sounding as "orange drink."  But wait, did mom decline serving us your juice because it resided in a tin can or because some random sad hobo clown served small children Hi-C in the 1972 print ads? 

1972 called. They want their hairpins back.

We're in the midst of freshening up the layout of our finished basement and while I was on this binge-and-purge tear, I came across this huge stack of magazines I'd been saving for a variety of reasons.  Most of them hit the recycle pile, but a few I held onto, such as the small stash of magazines circa 1972 from my Nana's house: A page-by-page treasure trove of hilarity for me, including the DIY holiday ornament idea using hairpins as seen above.

Other gems included an ad for plaid couch and loveseat set with what appears to be a brown cow rug under the coffee table:

And who can resist a recipe for "Corned Beef 'N Cabbage Mousse?"

If you look really carefully at the bottom of the picture, you'll see this delectable delight is described as a "man-pleaser." 

You just can't make this stuff up.