And the Winner is..........

......... #7 -- Paula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations Paula! I will get the ruffle pants set out to you in the mail tomorrow! I hope your little friend enjoys them.




Thank you everyone that entered the giveaway. I am honored to be able to inspire anyone! (Welcome, Sarah -- glad you entered!) If any of you would like a similar set of ruffle pants drop me a line and we'll get something set up. I hope to open my Etsy shop back up later this spring and am planning on selling the ruffle pants in sizes 6 mo- girls 8 (as well as other items -- I have an idea for a cute ruffle bags -- just a little rounded shoulder bag with ruffles....... I need to get it worked up.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Spring Sewing and a Ruffle Pants GIVEAWAY!

I have been having a hard time trying to find time to sew, as the warmish weather has been beckoning me to join the birds and the violets outside. Having two little kids home everyday and three most days, also contributes to the lack of sewing. It is very important for them to get out and enjoy the great outdoors --they are happier, and Mom is happier, and that makes EVERYONE happier!

The thought had occurred to me to take my sewing machine outside to try and enjoy the day and sew at the same time. But since I am currently {tickled pink} to be borrowing this sewing machine.....


....a Bernina 440 QE, I had better not take it outside! You see, {my Beast} is in the shop for a tune-up and the lovely lady Emily let me take home one of their shop machines to use while mine was being fixed. Emily is the owner of {Becky's Fabrics in Lewiston, ID}. Isn't that wonderful? I equate it to taking a new car for a spin (which I have NEVER done and am not really interested in doing, btw) -- so, BETTER than taking a new car for a spin. I think Emily knew I had been drooling over this machine. She is a good saleswoman, that one.


But sadly, there is no $$$$ in the budget for a new machine -- at least at this point. (Mr. Obama, sir ..... would you mind lower taxes on us poor, small business owners? Then maybe I could help out this poor economy by buying a new sewing machine.... just saying.) I'm not sure if this is the exact machine I would purchase, but it is pretty nice to sew on. So, anyway.....that's what happening in my sewing world. Now for the fun part!


Remember this set? Funny thing..... we ended up winning back this ruffle pants set at the auction that I donated them to. No, we didn't bid on them. But evidently, someone wrote our name, or wrote scribbley enough that it appeared to be our name, so we won the ruffle pants set! I don't mind. But, since my little Nona can only wear so many ruffle pants in one week, I decided to pass them on to some lucky winner! They are sized 12-18 months-- the top is a onsie.

So if you have a little girl or know a little girl that would look absolutely adorable in this set, here's what you have to do to enter the Ruffle pants giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post -- anything you feel like saying -- about spring, about sewing projects, about the economy, whatever!
2. In your comment make sure there is some way I can contact you if you are the winner
3. To enter twice -- become a follower, and leave another comment telling me you are now following this blog.
4. The giveaway will end on March 31st at 9PM PST.

Good luck and have a great week!

The Winners!

The winners of all 4 GIVEAWAYS have been posted under each giveaway. Thanks for entering and I hope you enjoyed the blogs!

Winners--please contact me via email to receive your prizes. Thanks.

Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to texture a ceiling.

Bonus Round GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Just because you are such good followers, and just because I am probably hot, tired, sticky, and dirty this moment as you read these words, and because I am an "oldest child" (so there Pioneer Woman ;)-----

-----drum roll please.......


I am going to giveaway these two pillow covers from {my Etsy shop}. Now I am only giving away the covers, not the inserts as well (the covers are far easier to mail than the whole pillow -- that way you can either fill the pillows with high end down inserts or more reasonable poly inserts -- 20" square).

These french roosters are from the Waverly "Saison de Printemps" line and they are absolutely gorgeous.
To enter:

1. Just leave me a comment--whatever you want!
2. Visit Etsy via my shop and while you are there -- look around at the many other shops on Etsy.
3. Contest ends today at 11pm (for all you night owls) and the winner will be selected randomly and announced tomorrow!

Good luck!!!! Thanks for an enjoyable week.

*****This contest is over!***** Thanks for entering! C0ngratulations go to the lucky winner "klthompson96" (random # 3). Please contact me via email with your address so you can receive your prize!

Meet Cathe at Just Something I Made & GIVEAWAY!

Meet Cathe Holden from {Just Something I Made blog}. Cathe is from Petaluma, CA. I know--not PNW, but I love her blog and her many talents so much that I had to ask her if I could include her in this week of fun. She is a VERY talented graphic artist, crafter, and blogger. I envy her talents and wish I had taken some graphic art classes way back in college (of course what I would have learned back then would be obsolete now!)


She has a beautiful office workspace in her garage that you can view on her Flickr photostream. I wish I were that organized! (You should see my sewing room -- no, second thought, you shouldn't.) Cathe has tutorials on her blog showing how she took these metal cabinets from old and ugly to beautiful and functional.


I started following her blog when I made the change from a two column blog to a three column blog. Her blog has really blossomed since then -- many followers and lots of advertisers. I have used many of her {free blog buttons}, I shamelessly copy and save almost all of the {vintage graphics} she offers. Awhile back she offered a vintage monogram giveaway that was quite popular. Here is just a sampling of some of the vintage ephemera that she offers on a weekly basis. I hope to make blog buttons for my {Almota Roses blog} with some of the soap labels she offered below.

You can click on the above images, the right mouse click to save them for yourself -- there are lots more on Cathe's blog. And best of all, Cathe has offered a beautiful "winner's choice" sketch pad/journal from her {Cafe's Press Shop}.

or

All you have to do to enter the GIVEAWAY is:

1. Leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me whether you are more of a "vintage" or "modern" type person when it comes to decorating your home. (one entry per person please).
   
2. Go on over and visit Just Something I Made and let Cathe know you stopped by.
3. The contest ends Thursday July 30th at 9 PM. A winner will be selected randomly and announced on Friday July 31st.

Have a great rest of the week!!!!

You can visit Cathe
at her blog : http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/
website: http://www.homegrownlogos.com/
store: http://www.cafepress.com/JSIM


*****This contest is closed******Thank you for entering. Congratulations go to "The Hoppes" -- the lucky winner of this sketch pad journal. Please contact me via email with your address so you can receive your prize (let me know which one you would like).

Day 2 -- Meet Debi at Retreat -- and a GIVEAWAY!

Meet {Retreat by Kennedy and her beautiful blog} from Camano Island, Washington. I actually met Deb (1/2 of the Kennedy duo) at the Farm Chicks Show in June. My friend Tami and I had almost finished perusing the booths at the show when we came upon the Retreat booth. The booth was nothing less than beautiful -- put together with a warm neutral palette, the booth seemed to glow. I had been looking for wooden bent-back spindle chairs to match my current kitchen chairs.

So this display caught my eye. Unfortunately the chairs were being sold as a 6-pc set and I only really wanted 2-3. Still, I was sorely tempted. Afterall, what else are attics for but storing the things you may need someday. (I really like how the round black table was stacked on top of the bigger rectangular white table -- she had very creative displays).


Then I saw the lockers. (See them hidden on the left hand side of the above photo). At first I just thought that they were nice looking lockers. Then I thought---hmmmm....... 1,2,3,4,5,6 lockers.....there are 6 of us.....hmmmmm.....that would solve my problem for personal storage in the entry way..........hmmmmmmmm........only $150 (if my memory serves me well) for each set of 3........... Then Deb (I didn't know that was her name) says, "I would do about anything not to haul those back over the mountains." So, I called my husband. Ring, ring, ring.......Ring, ring, ring........ Ring, ring, ring.......Ring, ring, ring.......RING, RING, RING!!!! I didn't want to purchase the lockers no matter how good of a deal I got without the OK from the man that would have to come back up to Spokane and get them. So..... but they were immaculate, brand spankin new! Oh, well.

A few weeks later I found pictures on a blog of those exact chairs and lockers. That's how I found "Retreat by Kennedy".

Deb's husband builds or repurposes most of the furniture and large decorative pieces they sell at shows and their booth at {Poppyseeds in Stanwood, WA}. This baby grand was repurposed as a "piano bar" with collaged antique music sheets all over it. Very creative couple these two.



Above is a picture of some of their items at Poppyseeds, and below you see some of their creations for the {Barnhouse Flea Market} show they attended. I love that red door.

Retreat will be selling at the Sand Point Antique & Design Market in Seattle on Sunday, August 30th, and at a Paris Flea Market event in Mill Creek, WA. September 12. So if you are nearby, hop on over and check it out. You will not be disappointed. (Debi Ward Kennedy also writes a Retail Design blog: http://decodivadebi.blogspot.com/ if you are interested.)

And best of all -- Debi has offered the Sea Queen Crown you see on her blog to one lucky person as a GIVEAWAY today! Isn't that wonderful? She hopes to be offering her crowns for sale online soon, so keep checking her blog.
So here's how to enter:

1. Leave me a comment at the bottom of this post telling me who in your life would love a Sea Queen Crown.
2. Head over to the Retreat blog and give them some blogging love.
3. No entries after 9 PM Thursday (7/30) and the random winner will be announced by 5PM July 31st. Have a great week!
   

Please go over and visit Debi at her Retreat blog : http://retreatdesign.blogspot.com/ and let her know you stopped by.




****This contest is closed **** Thank you for entering. Congratulations to "Linda" --she wins this lovely crown for her little princesses! Please contact me with your information so I can send out your prize.

Day 1 -- Meet Jen at Windy Ridge and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

This week I am going to be away from my computer on a camping trip with my family. It is a sort of forced camping trip because the floors in our 1917 farmhouse are being refinished. Forced or not, we will be enjoying swimming, camping, fishing (the boys are SO excited), and hanging out together. So to celebrate our family vacation, I am going to host a couple of giveaways on my blog this week. Are you ready?


First, I would like to introduce you to some blogs that I love and find inspiring. No, I will not introduce you to {Pioneer Woman} ---everyone already knows her, right? She's kinda like {Martha} --everyone loves her and everyone hates her (but secretly everyone wants to BE her). Sorry -- got a little sidetracked there. Anyway, I thought I would introduce you to some Pacific Northwest bloggers that I have "met" either in person or through the wonderful world of blogging. Here we go!

Meet {Jen from Windy Ridge}.

I found her blog and her lovely shop not too long ago. I was enthralled immediately by the beautiful photography and gorgeous children's clothing. I have to admit that over the course of the next 24hrs, I read her entire (new) blog during little snatches of time here and there. (I deduced that she had a different blog before this one --haven't read that one). Anyway, Jen has 8 beautiful children with one on the way -- (exhausts me just to type that let alone live that) --and she designs beautiful boutique children and adult clothing -- AND she takes lovely photos of her life. She lives on the west side of Washington state near Mt. St. Helens. Her new home is gorgeous inside and out, and she says she needs to have a {Herman} at her home.

She has an online shop called {Eden's Bouquet}. I dare you to visit and not be enthralled. And guess what? She has generously offered to contribute to my first giveaway this week -- a pair of her best-selling {Eden Ruffle Jeans}.

Aren't they just the cutest little jeans? Sorry boys, these are for the girls.

I know a little girl who would look fabulous in them.

They would look scrumptious with this {Swiss Dot blouse},

or this {Peasant Top} -- don't you think?

So if you want to enter this giveaway --any size of Eden Ruffle Jeans:

1. Leave me a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite summer vacation is or would be if you could pick. (one entry per person please)
2. Then head over to the Windy Ridge blog http://edensbouquet.com/blog/ or shop http://www.edensbouquet.com/ and enjoy the beauty! Be sure and give her some blogging love.
3. No entries after 9 PM Thursday (7/30) and the random winner will be announced by 5PM July 31st. Have a great week!
   

*****This contest is closed******Thank you for entering. Congratulations go to "Hope" (random #36). Please contact me via email with your address so you can receive your prize. Please also include which size of ruffle pants you would like. Enjoy!

And the Winners Are....

1) Holee --she wins the box of goodies! Her comment follows....

I recently found a Simplicity pattern for tiny old fashioned aprons to be used as ornaments. First I turned them into pin cushions, barbie aprons, recipe holder, etc.

One day I was going to the nursing home to visit and needed something to take along to put a smile on the ladies faces. The gift of the day was bottles of hand lotion. I quickly sewed elastic on the little aprons and slid them on the bottles.

The sweetest thing happened. A little old gentleman turned down the glass case offered to the men and asked for an apron because it reminded him of his mother. The stories of his mother & her apron flowed for the next 2 hours and kept everyone entertained, many jumped in with a story of their own. I learned an apron is not just an apron, but a world of memories!

2) Cassie --she wins the elephant pillow! Her comment follows...

It is interesting how aprons have changed over the years... originally they were designed with a purpose, keep the dress clean so that you didn't have to wash it as often, and you could wash the apron which was less fabric and easier to clean. Then in the 40s and 50s with the woman's rights movement, the view of the housewife changed, people started making pretty/frilly aprons for woman to wear. I wonder if this was part of a ploy by someone to make more woman stay at home "Look you get pretty things to wear all day" or if this was a change that was brought on by housewives because maybe cooking had become less involved or something. I wonder!

My first apron came from my great grandma when she passed away, it was one of the things I got to remember her by. I think it ended up staying at my mother's house. I love that apron, thick fabric, cute print and functional!

Now I really have a hard time not buying aprons when I am out thrifting or yard saleing. I try hard to pass them up just because I already have so many of them. But they are lovely aren't they? :)

Good luck with your apron store! I hope it goes well. I love the box of goodies. The pillow is cute too! Elephants are my sisters favorite, the trunk pointed upward is supposed to be good luck or something.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Let me know, Holee and Cassie, if you did not get my email.

Thanks for visiting and come back soon!

Giveaway Winners Later Today!

Thank you for all your wonderful apron stories and tips. I am working on picking a winner and will post the results later this evening. Have a great day!

Give Away!!!!!

I am participating in "Give Away Day" over at SewMamaSew . The giveaway starts May 27th and goes through May 31st. Here is what I am giving away: Winner's Choice!

1) a box of fabrics and trim--see pictures below

4 pieces of a very light weight decorator fabric (200"X16", 120"X 19", 62"X33")

4 pieces lustrous high-end mohair (48"X16", 2-24"X 10", 50"X12")--this is great for teddy bear crafts!

3 yards pompom trim--balls about 3/4" diameter

32" green tassel trim

OR 2) a 20X16 lumbar pillow with feather/down insert sewn inside. This heavy cotton decorator fabric is from P. Kaufmann and is trimmed with beige tassel trim. Same front and back.

All you have to do is leave me a comment below and tell me SOMETHING about aprons. I am looking forward to sewing aprons for my Etsy shop and for local craft shows, and I want to learn all I can about sewing aprons, apron-lore, and fond memories of aprons. So---leave me a comment and tell me something interesting. I love a good story, and I love tidbits. I will pick the one that I like best--or heck, if I can't pick just one--maybe I will give both gifts away! Good luck!

Have a great day, and come back and visit anytime!