It's a good day.
I woke up to rain and coffee
(I should really live in Seattle)
and it is super fantastic 
giveaway time.

Meet Trish.
The brilliance behind Daisy's and Dots.

"I am married to a wonderful man who is extremely supportive of my artsy side.

I have two girlie girls and one sweeite in Heaven.
I've learned through my life experiences that every single person has a story of why they are the way they are! 
So I try to be quick to listen and slow to speak. (It doesn't always happen, but I try!)


I heard about Etsy almost 2 years ago from my cousin. 
I checked it out and knew it was for me! I'm inspired daily! 

The blogging community is amazing as well! I'm so giddy when I find fun blogs that give wonderful and easy tutorials.,
I am seriously addicted to paper, ribbon and fabric. I try and stay focused when going into a scrap booking supply store, a fabric store or Hobby Lobby but usually I open the door take two steps in and forget why I went there in the first place (true story)!"



Her paper cakes make me want to have a party.



Or go back in time and use them as wedding favors.



Look at them!!
Festive, fun and functional.
Think of the things you could put inside.
Imagine the look on your guest's faces when the find $100 bills inside.
Oops.  That is just the imaginary party I hope to get invited to.



My imaginary party would have bunting.



Happy cheery bunting.



Flapping in the breeze bunting.



Bunting that lets the world know
"this is the best party ever!"



Bunting that would say something cute.



Bunting that can be yours.
For your party.
That you will invite me to.
The party where I will walk out the door with 
a paper cake filled with $100 dollar bills.

(Sorry for the crazy brain.
Lots of coffee today.
Not much sleep.
Pretty standard, really.)

So, how can you win your choice of super awesome bunting?

Lots and lots of ways.

(Remember, leave a different comment for each entry.)

1. Visit her shop.  Come back and tell me your favorite happy thing.
2. Make a super happy purchase from her shop.
3.  Visit her blog.  Leave her some comment love.
4.  Follow her on Twitter.
5.  Tweet about the giveaway.
6.  Follow her blog.
7.  Blog about the giveaway (paste the link into your comment).
8.  Facebook it to your super cool friends.
9.  Follow my blog.
10.  Follow me on Twitter.
11.  Bring me a cupcake from Sprinkles.
12.  Bring me a venti iced nonfat latte from Starbucks.

Entries will close at noon Pacific time on
Monday, June 1st.

Go have a party.



Before I had kids I used to think the warning labels
on plastic bags "this is not a toy" were so ridiculous.
Who would ever give a baby a bag?
But then I had kids and I understood.
Babies like things that crinkle.

So here is a way to make something cute and crinkly
without the warning labels.


Supplies:
6 ribbons
Flannel
Something crinkly.
(I am using a wipes package, but clear gift wrap
or microwave popcorn wrappers are also nice and noisy.)


Cut two 6 x 6 inch flannel squares and one 6 x 6 inch crinkle square.
Cut six 4 inch pieces of ribbon.


Lay one flannel square right side up.
Pin folded ribbons along the edges with the
folds towards the center of the flannel.


Place second flannel square on top, right side down.


Pin all layers together with crinkle material on top.


Sew along all sides using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
Be sure to leave enough room to turn inside out.
(I started sewing right before the aqua ribbon
and stopped after the brown satin one.)


Take out all pins, trim excess ribbon, seams and corners.


Turn inside out.
Tuck in raw edges between the ribbons.
Topstitch around entire square, making sure to close the opening.


This would be a great opportunity to use those
fun decorative stitches on your machine.

I obviously do not have any.
Zig zag is as fancy as I get.


My assistant is also my product tester.
She gives it a big, drooly five stars.

*I forgot to add that I have washed this dozens and dozens of times with the normal laundry and it is holding up just fine. No purpose in having baby things that are complicated to clean, right?


Duvet maker?
Sure. I can bust one out in my sleep.
But I have never attempted a quilt.
I planned to.
(Which has since been used for other projects.)
But chickened out.


I have a misconception that all quilts
are detailed and fussy.
Two words that are not in my vocabulary.
But when I saw this quilt that all changed.
It didn't change enough though.
I chickened out again.


So early this morning as I was reading Kelly's blog
(who by the way is having a really fun giveaway)
I came across Old Red Barn Co.'s Quilt Along.
Basically the instructions on how to make my
dream quilt step by baby step.

So I went to my fabric cabinet,
picked out a bright and funky mix of prints,
Michael Miller that I purchased here)
grabbed my assistant and her Bumbo,
changed the blade in my rotary cutter,


and somehow managed to cut all of the strips
before the rest of the family woke up.
Look at this yumminess.
Simply. Cannot. Wait.


So here they sit, ready for the next batch of instructions.
In a little over a month,
I too, will be a quilter.

Want to join me?
There is plenty of time!

Oh, and when all is said and done,
I will no only have a newfound skill,

but a chance to win a crazy sewing machine worth over $1,000.

Will I win?
Doubtful.
If I don't, I'll just curl up in my new quilt and give love to my
simple sewing machine that helped make it.
I'm cool with that.


A while back I signed up for American Apparel's email list.
My hope was to get a coupon to buy some baby gowns.
(They are really soft.)
The coupon never came.
Instead, weekly hideousness appears in my inbox.


I survived the 80's.
I have no intentions of reliving those days.
Somewhere there are pictures of me in a neon,
off the shoulder oversized sweatshirt,
leggings, reeboks with the straps,
double neon socks and matching scrunchies.
(Yes, scrunchies plural.  Side ponytails
require more than one.)

Somewhere.  But not here.  No need to dig them out.
I don't want your eyes to bleed.

American Apparel does however.

I must be officially old.
And lame.
Because I don't get it.
Do they want to go out of business?
Is their marketing goal to make their  models look as ugly as possible?
Because it sure is working.
We work with pretty cool teenagers.
They only dress like this on our once a year 80's night.
They should change their website to don'tbuythis.com.
Imagine your man in this.
A father's day gift perhaps?


You know what, I am okay with being old and lame.
Because if this is what I should be wearing.... 
I'm good.


Did I suddenly become a graphic designer?

Or learn how to actually do something 
in  Photoshop besides adding fonts 
and using Pioneer Woman's actions?

So kind of you to ask.



No.
I wish.  
But with goodies like these
(shhh.... they are free!!!)
who needs all of those skills and knowledge?

Not sure what I am going to do with them...
but I am excited to find out.

Make your own here.
Type a name in the search box and have fun.
 


I am so excited for today.
I get to host a giveaway for Crystal of 

The person whose blog inspired me to start my own.

(Did I ever tell you that Crystal?)

The person who has encouraged me and helped me navigate 
through some really complicated Etsy adventures.
 
She even sent me a care package with 
home baked bread after Janey was born.  

Home. Baked. Bread.  

Who does that?
Crystal does.


Let me tell you.
She loves her husband and boys.  
Loves them beautifully.
 
She is an inspiration as a wife, a mother, a friend and crafter.

I cannot even begin to count the number of things that I have learned from her.


She is generously offering a custom 5 x 7 silhouette.

But don't be fooled.

This is no ordinary silhouette.
Crystal does not do ordinary.

This is a hand cut AND stitched silhoutte.

Because that's how she rolls.

Seriously, click on the pictures to see the sweet detailing.
Doesn't it bring tears to your eyes?
If you have a heartbeat, I know that you will want to win.

That's why I am getting crazy with chances.
(Plus, I am addicted to comments.  There, I admitted it.  Sue me.)

For each entry leave a separate comment.
Go nuts!!!

1. Visit her shop.  Come back here and tell me your favorite item.
2.  Visit her blog.  Leave her some comment love.
3.  Follow her blog.  
(Seriously, if you aren't yet, you're crazy.)
4.  Make a purchase from her shop.
5.  Heck, follow my blog.  
(I almost linked it.  Duh, you're already here.)
6.  Tweet about this giveaway.
7.  Facebook it to your peeps.
8.  Blog about her shop or this giveaway.
9.  Tell me why you started blogging.
10.  Come over and fix my drywall.  
(I promise to rig the contest for anyone who takes me up 
on this offer.  Just being honestly dishonest.)

Entries will close at noon Pacific time on Monday May 25th.  
Just in time for a Memorial Day BBQ extravaganza.

Hooray!