time for new favorite things

My list of favorite etsy shops is late this week not because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but because I love the winter trees.

This made me think of how sometimes we don't like to leave the past truly behind and accept new things or new challenges. The past is known, its familiar and comfortable. Even though it may be unhappy, we know that we can handle it because we already did.

I have a problem of letting go of some of my past demons and they are affecting how I treat myself. I need to exercise and lose 30 lbs. I need to be healthy not only because I would look better, but because my three girls deserve a healthy role model.

I need to be more optimistic. I need to see the good things about me instead of focusing on what is wrong or what is not working out my way. I need to say goodbye to the wrongs done tome and say hello to the good things that are waiting for me to receive them.

So to anyone out there dealing with the same things, let it go. Embrace today and tomorrow and leave yesterday behind where it belongs. Be happy.

Happy Birthday Erin!

Today is my middle daughter's 11th birthday. Erin is a beauty with pale skin, and dark brown hair with a touch of auburn highlights. She is tall like her older sister, but that is where the similarities stop. Erin is definitely a OOAK kid. She is very smart and funny in a dry, sarcastic but not mean way. She makes you laugh without thinking she is funny. She has always been very inquisitive and asks great questions about everything.

She has always noticed the little things in life. When she was little she would look at the mountains and notice the way the light was hitting them, or the color of the leaves at a certain time of day. She sees things through an artists eyes and draws and paints very well. She is smart and very stubborn and argumentative which will serve her well someday but can be trying at times. She currently wants to be a senator when she grows up but that changes monthly.

I remember when she was born, my husband left to tend to her big sister and it was just Erin and I snuggled in the hospital bed. I wanted to soak in every moment of just the two of us because I knew it would be the only time we would have together without the rest of the world crashing in.

Being the middle child isn't easy. Especially when you have an older and younger sister who are both very outspoken, loud, outgoing and talented and you feel like you live in their shadow because you tend to be on the quiet and shy side. I wish Erin could see how wonderful she is and that sometimes, the ones that are the loudest aren't always the ones to be listened to.

So here is to my beautiful daughter Erin who has lighted my life and my heart for the past 11 years. May she know only happiness and joy in her life and may she always stay true to her dreams.

Gearing up for Christmas

This was a very busy week for me. After the stress of last weekend's show, I took a bit of a break from sewing to clean house, and start cooking for Thanksgiving dinner which I hosted. The dinner was great and we had a good time. I also awoke Turkey day morning to a huge order from my cousin in CA which really made my day!

My house is a mess yet again due to the boxes and bins of Christmas decorations in every room! The tree is up, the outside decorated and some things are out, but I will have to finish up today. It is snowing, sleeting, and raining here so it will be a good day to get it done.

On top of it all, I have my middle daughter's 11th birthday on Tuesday so I also had to shop for that yesterday and I have to wrap today. Thankfully here in PA the girls are off from school tomorrow because of hunting season opening something or other.

I have custom orders to get done so that I can start sewing the Christmas gifts I have planned. I also have to make my oldest a dress for the Christmas dance Dec. 20th.

So, that is just a taste of what I have coming up, not to mention the school concerts, parties, and other social engagements on the calendar.

I wish you all a fun holiday season, whatever it is you celebrate and take the time to really enjoy each moment, they won't come again.

It was Great!!!

Had my open house debut yesterday and I had so much fun! I made a nice amount of money, got a bunch of custom orders and future customers and best of all, everyone was super impressed with my work!

I was nervous no one would show up but I had a nice turn out. A few didn't show up that I thought would, but life gets in the way so no bother.

I did manage to make a really cool original design bag on Saturday with a matching wallet.
It turned out great and I really like the edgy look of it.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17663335

I am off to start my plan of attack on the custom orders I got. Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving. We all have much to be thankful for if we only look around.

I have entered sewing sweat shop hell!

So I knew I had my big Debut open house this Sunday the 23rd for about two months. An organized business owner/designer/artisan would have had a plan of attack and would have worked steadily creating new items, tagging them, and pricing them all before the last few days. But not me. No, I had to procrastinate, and let life get in the way. I kept thinking I had more time, that somehow the things would get made.

I have been sewing like a fiend for the past 4 days and I still have so much to do before Sunday. I wake up at 5 each morning with a nervous pit in my stomach and my mind racing. I start sewing at 8:45, after my daily school commute and stop at 2 to pick up the kids, get homework going and start dinner. I start again at 7 and sew until 11. It's still not enough!

So, I am hoping that I will have enough to sell and showcase on Sunday. I am really hoping for this to jump start my business and get me some much needed Christmas spending money!!

With that, I will sign off to get back to work. Wish me luck, pray for me, and I will post more when this madness has ended.

Happy Crafting.

Blue beauties!

This week's fav is a little late because I absolutely loved the last ones I chose. They would make a great treasury collection on etsy.

Anyway, this week I chose the color blue, which I love as my guide. I found some gorgeous items which you can check out on the left in the fav mini.

Remember to check out my etsy shop for the latest listings and gift ideas as well as all the other talented artists there.

Happy crafting!

Quiet Sunday Mornings

I love to get up before the rest of my family and make coffee and read the paper while soft music is playing. I don't get to do it as much anymore because Brian gets up super early and so do Erin and Emma.

Today was a rare occasion and it was nice to watch the sun come up and be able to collect my thoughts.

I am finally having my open house debut on the 23rd so I have to get sewing big time. I want to make more bags,table runners, and some other things to showcase what I make. I am hoping that it will bring me some new customers and get the ball rolling to get my business off the ground.

The sun is shining, and it is nice to be able to post this entry without hearing the girls fighting or Brian yelling at them to clean their rooms!

I hope you all have a great Sunday!

Here's to a New Hope!

Yeah!!! I am so very happy this morning that our country voted for change and hope for our future. I am not so naive as to think one man can or will do everything we need, but I do believe that we now at least have some hope for a better future.

I have a busy day of sewing ahead of me. I am working on a reversible work tote, that can carry a lap top, or files or both. I also have some more scarves to make for holiday gifts.

Enjoy today, and the promises of tomorrow!

GET OUT and VOTE!

Happy Election Day! Please make sure you take the time to go and vote today. Whoever it is you support, it is important for your voice to be heard. We in this country take for granted our privileges that our forefathers fought and died for. We have grown accustomed to our freedoms and are blind to the fact that there are many places in the world that people have no rights at all.

If you have kids, then be a great example to them by voting. Children learn from example, and if you use a lame excuse like the weather, or long lines they will view voting as something that is not important at all.

Let's hope that whoever wins will make the changes we so desperately need and turn things around.

Have a great day!

New selling venue!

I just opened up a shop on Big Cartel with some of my bags. I heard about it in the etsy forums as another selling venue and thought I would see how it goes.

Check it out and tell your friends. I will add more when I see what the response is.

For now you can find me at www.bstauffdesigns.bigcartel.com

Good friends, good food, good wine...

Do you need anything more for a perfect weekend evening? Tonight we are having over one our favorite couples for dinner. I am going to make Pasta Fagioli the way my grandmother did and serve it with good Italian bread and red wine. With a fire going, it will be the perfect peasant styled meal for a cool evening in November!

We always have a great time with them and we laugh a lot which Brian and I need to do after this stressful week (OK 6 months). We deserve this little break from reality tonight!

I love to entertain and have friends over. In the past I have always felt I need to have something fancy for dinner, to make it seem special. Not anymore. Simple dishes can be even better because they are comforting, easy to prepare and make your guests feel at home. If you are trying to recreate a restaurant in your home, why not just meet at one? Your friends come over for you, not the meal. A simpler menu also lets you spend more time with them and actually enjoy the evening rather than running around the kitchen preparing different courses.

Open up a good bottle of your favorite wine, put on a pot of soup, serve it with bread and a simple salad and add some friends. You'll have a great weekend!

Have fun!


P.S. It's a new week and you know what that means...new favs on the etsy mini!!! check them out!

Happy Mischief Night!

Do you remember Mischief Night? They don't have it here anymore and my kids have only heard of it through us. I think its a shame but then again, we were less destructive 30 years ago!

I started remembering all we did on that wonderful night! We would soap every ones windows, and TP our front yard and the neighbors. We also always tried to make a TP wall across the street. We would wrap it around a tree in our yard and walk across to wrap it around the tree across the street. The goal was to have it be high enough before a car would come down the street. It was funny to see all the cars slow down, afraid to drive through it. some would turn around, and some would race through. We would hide and crack up. Man did we go through a lot of TP! My dad probably had a fit.

We would also ring doorbells and run and I always thought the people who would answer were pretty stupid for even bothering on that night!

I heard of some funny things people would do like dress up a scarecrow and tie it to a rope and put it in the middle of the street so people would think there was a body in the road. When they would stop and get out, the rope was pulled and it would scare the heck out of the person!

I also think the classic dog doo in a paper bag is funny although I would not want that to happen to me now!.

Good times, good times.....

Have a safe and fun Mischief night and Halloween!

Twittering

Ok so the hottest new thing apparently is Twitter. Twitter is a website that is set up like chatting with people you choose to follow. It is supposed to be a great marketing tool and has gotten a lot of people sales so I am now twittering away hoping for some!

If you would like to check me out there my address there is http://twitter.com/bstauffdesigns

Let me know if you twitter and we can follow each other!

Funny things kids say

My youngest, Emma will be 7 shortly and she is really a funny kid. She says the funniest things at times and cracks us all up. I recently taught her how to chain stitch because she wanted to learn how to crochet. (I barely even know how so she won't get too far!) She got the hang of it pretty quickly and woke up early one morning to start again. As she was working away she announces "Crocheting is my life. I was born for it" Well, needless to say her sister Erin and I just lost it.

My oldest, when she was about 5 was saying grace and thanks God for "our family, the good food and the merry drinks". Maybe coming from a wine/beer loving Italian/Irish heritage was rubbing off!

My middle one, has a very dry sense of humor and although she may not come out with the funny phrases the other two have, she will make a comment without even knowing how funny she is. Brian and I will burst out laughing and she will look at us like"what's so funny". She also gets humor quicker than the other two and will appreciate a more complicated joke.

There are so many times my girls have made us laugh and I am so blessed to have those memories. When times are tough like they are now, it is such a nice relief to just sit back and laugh with them.

Check out the new favorites I have posted, as well as my new 1950's styled tweed bag.
Have a great day and happy crafting!

Pics, books, and recipes

I am going to cover three topics today since I have lots of sewing to get to! First off My daughter's Homecoming dance was last Saturday and she looked beautiful. She and her date had a wonderful time. Here is a picture of the vintage dress she wore.



I have also been busy adding new items to my shop on Etsy. My latest handbag is a gorgeous cranberry floral print hobo bag. It sells for just $35.00 and would make a great gift for the holidays! I have also added some new vintage jewelry pouches as well as new table linens so check them out.




I also wanted to share with you an appetizer recipe that is so easy but so delicious. I get rave reviews on this and with the holidays approaching it is an elegant and easy appetizer for your next party.

Brie Toasts:

Bruschetta toasts - plain or only lightly seasoned
14oz. wheel of Brie Cheese
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 melted butter

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F

On a cookie sheet, make a single layer of bruschetta toasts either store bought or home made, from a sliced baguette and toasted in the oven until golden.

Slice the brie cheese into 1/4" think pieces large enough to cover the toast. Place one slice on each toast.

Melt the butter and mix the brown sugar and walnuts into it. Spoon this mixture over the brie toasts.

Bake 5-8 minutes or until the brie has melted. Serve hot. Yummm! You won't be able to stop at one!

Have fun and happy crafting!

Fall showings

The air is finally getting cooler today here in PA. For the past week or so we have had an Indian summer and while it is nice, I am longing to have to pull on a sweater without fear of sweating or having a hot flash!

The leaves are beautiful around me, and my house is decorated for Halloween. I got a late start this year because I have been busy preparing for a show on November 1 I am having at my home. It's kind of my debut party for my friends and family. I'm am stressing out that I won't have enough stuff or worse, I will have too much, and no one will show up. I hate having to do these things but I need to get my name out there and have people see my bags and scarves and other things.

This weekend is the big Homecoming formal for my daughter! Very exciting! She is wearing a vintage dress I had to seriously alter for her but it fits her like a glove and is so lovely. I will post pictures Sunday!

The new items listed on my etsy faves are finally up. Really great fall/Halloween things so check these artists out.

New Beginnings

Sorry for the long time frame between posts. It has been a very busy week here for me and my family. We changed schools for my younger two and today was their first day. They were excited and nervous at the same time but we really feel good about the change and know this will be a better fit for them.

New beginnings can be hard. Just like starting up a business from scratch and all the work that goes into that. They can also be exciting, like starting High School and getting asked to Homecoming by a junior when you are only a freshman (say a prayer for her father's nerves! :D ). They can be challenging like starting a new exercise program and diet, or going back to school after a long absence. They can also give you a fresh start and a new look at your life that you may not have seen before.

This fall, try something new. Take up a new craft, learn a new language, take the road not taken, expand your circle and see where it leads you. Feel free to share with me what you have done new and what you experienced from that new beginning.

Also, it's a new week so please check out the new featured etsians in my faves mini to the left!

Have a great day!

New etsy mini for faves

It is another new week and Saturday I posted my new faves on the mini to the left. This week I used Etsy's pounce feature to show off some artists that have never had a sale. I love the photos and art work.

I have a big show coming up on November 1st that I need to stock up for. I just can't seem to find the time! I really have to get of the computer and start sewing! So, with that said this will be a short post so I can make at least one bag today. Have a good day everyone!

It's a good Day!

Things have been pretty glum here lately. Money worries, slow sales on my handbags, the economy, etc. Today was a good day! Clean bill of health from the dermatologist: which is especially important to me with my mom having had melanoma 3 years ago and her brother dying from it 2 years ago; sold a purse on Etsy, got an order to make some pillows, and we have a busy weekend coming up.

Hopefully this will be the start of an upward swing. With each sale I just think of all the new people that will hear about my designs which will bring in new business.

Designed a new evening bag the other day and I am going to make a bunch in different fabrics for the holidays.

Check it out and until we meet again.. keep positive, keep smiling and keep doing what makes you happy.

Fabric Stashing and addictions

I have to come clean, I really am addicted to fabric. You know the economic fact that even in the worst of times women will still find the money to buy a lipstick? Well, the heck with a lipstick, I will still get fabric!

I love it. I love the colors, the patterns, the texture, the smell of it, the way it feels draped over your hand, the endless possibilities in what I can shape it into. Fabric has personality. Each piece is unique and speaks to me about what it wants to be.

Vintage fabrics are the best because of the history attached to it. When I get a new vintage piece I love to think about who owned it, how many lives it has seen, how many tears, hugs, or laughs it has witnessed. I love the worn soft feel of vintage cotton. The colors and prints are so different than today. It is comforting to me and reminds me of a simpler way of life I wish was still around.

My fabric stash is growing out of control. My studio is small. Only 10x10 and I make use of every inch. However, even though I have been making bags and cranking out product, the fabric doesn't seem to go down. It's like when you have to eat something your not crazy about and even though you keep taking bites, it never goes down.

If I ever win the lottery, I am going to put an addition on my house for my studio. then my current studio can be one huge walk in closet just for fabrics!!! Aah! the shear joy of it.

I'll keep dreaming!

14 years ago today

Today is my oldest daughters 14th birthday. 14 years ago today I became a mother and my life changed for the better. It was an easy labor and only 7 hours long. All 7 pounds 3.5 ounces and 21 inches of her was perfect in every way. She was a happy, free spitirited, outgoing little girl and she has grown ito this amazing young woman I would want as a friend.

Kate lights up a room when she enters it. She is tall, thin, and her beautiful red hair and green eyes grab your attention. She isn't afraid to do her own thing and is so much more outgoing then I was at that age. She has every good trait you would want in yourself. She is wonderful with children and is a very popular babysitter in our neighborhood.

Kate is a very talented actress and singer and has had several lead roles in community theatre, and school productions. She has a great imagination, always has, and is also very good at drawing, and writing.

For all these gifts that she has, today makes me think of what she has given to me. She has made me love life more. Being her mom has been challenging, and there were times I would just say "grow up!" as she was busy playing another pretend game. But now that she is growing up I realize that I was the one that needed to grow up. I needed to learn from my daughter that life is meant to play pretend and to sing and dance when you feel like it no matter who may see you. I need to care less what others think, and do what makes me happy. Kate has taught me that.

She has also taught me to look for the good in everyone. She is always the first to find something positive to say about someone that may look weird, or act weird, and she is always there to stick up for her friends.

My life has been blessed in so many ways. I only have 4 more summers with her before she leaves for college and is on her own. I know we will always have a special relationship but my how the time has flown.

When she was 3 she told my mom "Grammy you make my heart smile" Kate has made my heart smile for the past 14 years.

Happy Birthday Kate!

I hate paper clutter!

School has only been in session here since 8/25 and already I am swamped with paper for all three girls. Between fundraisers, permission slips, lunch menus, weekly calendars, school lists, and mail I am drowning in it.

No matter what creative way I have tried to organize, it still clutters my counters and island, and desk, and drawers....
I try to be neat. Really I do. but I always end up not being able to throw any away because at one point I will need it.

So much for us trying to live green. I wish everything could be done on the computer but there are still so many who can't even email and they always complain when it is mentioned. I thought by becoming the Home and School President for the next 2 years I would be able to do something about this, but alas, no.

Well, I am off to bed. I know that right now it is only 8:22pm but I was awake last night between 12 and 4:30 with my mind racing and I just couldn't relax. Not to mention that I am nursing a really sore butt, legs and arms from my first spinning class last night. God was that hard! I think I should have eased into exercise a bit more because I can hardly move today!

Have a great night, enjoy your stay here and I hope to see you around my shop at Etsy sometime!

Handmade Holidays

I know its early, but I wanted to let everyone know that I will be having a handmade holiday season this year. I did so last year also making the women in my life handbags, and the men, fleece pullovers and PJ bottoms. My girls received nightgowns and American girl doll clothes and coats in addition to other gifts.

I have added some of my favorites from Etsy in a photo mini to the left. These Etsy artists are my favorites because their shops are unique and their products are original and beautifully made. I will change the list every Saturday to showcase a new crop.

This holiday season, check out Etsy for your gifts. Think of all the people you buy for, friends, family, teachers, bus drivers, coaches etc. Etsy has thousands of gift ideas in all price ranges and these are unique gifts that will be treasured more than the standard token gift.

Have a great weekend!

9/11

Today being the 7th anniversary of the most tragic day in my life, I send out my prayers and thoughts to everyone affected by the events of that day. I still remember every detail of that day like it was yesterday.

Please say a prayer that our children will be able to find a way to agree to disagree, and solve problems through words and peace instead of wars.

ramblings about ugly sewing projects

I posted a thread about this at Etsy but I thought it deserved a bit more ranting from me. Why is it that almost every craft magazine has the ugliest sewing projects? The knitting, felting, weaving, beading, ceramic ones are always really nice and up to date. The sewing ones are always tea cozy's, quilted table runners, sweatshirts made into something that my grandmother wouldn't wear, or clothes that would not have been fashionable even in the 60's or 70's!

With the exception of Threads which at times isn't that great, there really aren't any good sewing project magazines out there. Even just covering sewing is rare. There are hundreds of mags on quilting, knitting and jewelry making but only two or three on sewing and some of them aren't that good.

That being said I thought I show off my latest piece:

What do you get when you buy 'Handmade'

A fellow Etsian posted this and I thought it was great. To all those out there visiting craft fairs and looking at handmade items and wondering why you should pay the price they are asking, please keep this in mind.

What do you get when you buy Handmade?
You pay for:
The materials
The time taken to make the piece
The energy (power,heating, and other overheads)
The years the artist has taken to become a specialist in that field
The design of the piece
The talent that hand made artisit has to create the piece

also add that it will probably last longer than anything you would buy at Walmart, Target or any other retail store.

Fall decorating and new ideas

I love the fall! Being a natural redhead, it is my season because the colors work well with my coloring. I can't wait to get out my fall decorations and Halloween things. I am a bit crazed about Halloween. I love to decorate my home inside and out with cool Halloween things. I don't like tacky plastic things, but wooden signs, lifelike rats and crows and cool folk art are so great! I have a 6 foot fake pine tree that I decorate all year round with different ornaments for the different holidays and seasons. It looks so cute in my family room and makes a great conversation piece.

I had planned on getting out my stuff this weekend, but I got into a crafting mode and was sewing all day yesterday. I made a few new pieces that turned out great. Check them out on my Etsy shop if you want to.http://bstauffdesigns.etsy.com/. I have also been busy making some custom orders as well as marketing online and setting up another shop in dawanda http://bstauffdesigns.dawanda.com/. Dawanda is a European site that is similar to Etsy. I figured it couldn't hurt!

I also have someone passing along my shop to a friend of hers who owns a pricey boutique and is looking for handbags. She loved my things and wants to tell her friend about me. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Tropical storm Hannah gave us some much needed rain yesterday and today is much cooler and crystal clear! Now to just get in that crawl space and dig out the fall stuff....

Pets at Work

This is a typical morning in my studio with Bennett my cat and Buddy my yellow lab. As you can see they are hard at work helping me sew and create! My ironing board is constantly covered with black fur and I am thinking of taking up stock in lint rollers. This is the lesser of two evils though; the other being laying right on top of my latest project. How he escapes getting straight pins in his paws is beyond me.

Buddy is my 88lb baby who unfortunately lays right in the middle of the room. This is fine while I am working on the computer, but once I need to start cutting and sewing, moving around can get hazardous. I don't only mean hazardous because of the scissors and rotary cutter I am holding, but hazardous because of his gas problem. God forbid he eats anything other than his food, and the dog is a farting machine. In a small room, its a wonder I haven't passed out and hit my head on something. It really is bad and can actually bring tears to your eyes. But, we love him even though he is lucky he's good looking!

It's another beautiful but hot day here in eastern PA. Here is hoping Hannah will turn out to sea and not damage our beloved Outer Banks!

vintage aprons and being patient

Thank God the girls are back in school! I can finally get some things done without breaking up a fight.

I recently updated my photos in my etsy shop and I think they look better. A friend had told me to just take the pictures with a white background but that looked boring. The photos I changed are now in natural settings and I used eldest dd as model to give perspective which is good.

I got a request for a vintage apron but with a wider bottom so that the apron covers all of the hips. I am going to work on that today which should be fun. I wish more people were into aprons. I love them and they are such a cute fashion accessory. There are plenty of books out there, and magazine articles on this once popular staple, but I guess it depends on where you live.

I want to make some with sweetheart necklines and some ruffles for fun. I saw a shop that had some gorgeous aprons and the woman even has a retro kitchen in which she took photos from so it really added to the nostalgia of the pieces. She has a lot of sales so maybe I just have to be patient. We could use the money though!

I hate being patient. I have all these ideas and I know my stuff is great, but I hate waiting around for someone to discover it and buy it. Hopefully, blogging will help although I admit that I am such a newbie at this I don't know how people are going to be exposed to it.

But, on the off chance that someone, somewhere out there is reading this, check out my etsy shop at http://BStauffdesigns.etsy.com . Let me know what you think.

Have a great week everyone! Buy handmade!

Back to School- Back to Work!

vacation being over i am now going to focus on getting my etsy business going and getting my designs out there. the girls are back in school and i can now start getting back to sewing and creating. i have a lot of cool ideas for the fall and winter, to use up my ever growing stash of fabrics(which never seems to go down.....) i'm not going to focus so much on christmas because i want my creations to be enjoyed all year through, but i will change the color scheme from cooler colors to warmer.

i still don't think people understand what vintage means. to most, it means "old" or out of fashion and they don't get the concept. i am trying to change that way of thinking by using vintage fabrics in a new way. i love using aprons as a piece of clothing to wear all day, not just when you are cooking. they look great over a pair of jeans and a cute shirt.

made my first sale on etsy the other day which was very exciting!!!! i hope more follow. i need to go to a few vitnage stores by me and see if they will carry my stuff in their store. i think it would be great to get people to see and feel the products rather than just seeing a photo on a computer screen.

today i want to finish up the apron i am working on and the patchwork purse also. i also want to lay out the fabrics i am planning to use and sort them into project categories. i'll post pictures when i get a chance.

well, this concludes my first foray into the blogging world! let the fun begin!