School's Out!!!

The school year has ended (or is ending today) for most of us, which means it's time to think about graduation and thank you gifts! I've finished a few such projects this week and am really pleased with the results!

An awesome backpack cooler for Cassidy's teacher, Mrs. Jones. I LOVED this cooler so much...I kind of wanted to keep it! :) Hope she enjoys taking her sweet little boy on picnics with it!

This was my first time embroidering a cooler and it turned out great! A great idea for a personalized gift...OR your child's lunchbox!!!

A personalized towel for Mrs. Collins

This bag is for the niece of a customer who just graduated high school. This is probably my toughest project yet, not because of the design, but because I KNOW how picky teenagers can be about their clothing and accessories. It took me a looooong time to settle on a design I thought she might like...I took my sister's advice and went with the "less is more" theory. :)

Organized Chaos

Summer vacation has officially begun for most of us...and with it much-anticipated trips to the beach! Our family eagerly counts down to our week at Sunset Beach each year...it seems to take FOREVER for departure day (or D-Day as we call it) to arrive and then as soon as our toes touch the sand time goes into fast-forward and all too soon we are saying goodbye to our week of family fun. And boy do we have fun! But with that fun comes the general chaos of packing multiple families and a passel of kids all under one roof. Organization is key to a successful trip, but keeping up with what belongs to who can be a hassle.

My friend, Kristy, has come up with a fun solution to make sure her favorite beach towels return home with her each year...she has them personalized! This way there is NO confusion when sorting through the piles of towels from the 6 families (including 10 kids!) at their cottage. I just finished two towels for her sweet ladybug...and I may be stealing her idea for my own upcoming beach trip! :)

Kristy found both towels on sale at Target for $6...pretty good deal for the middle of June. After the 4th, you might get them for even less!

The flip flop towel is adorable and I relished the opportunity to break out my teal thread for the first time! :)

Since we're on the subject of organization and travel, I have to share my favorite travel organization tip. It has NOTHING to do with embroidery, but it's just too good not to share. About a year ago I quit packing with suitcases. Instead, I use laundry baskets for everything from clothes to sheets, blankets, and towels to diapers, wipes, and toiletries. My husband loves it because it is SO easy to stack the baskets in the back of the van when he packs. Once we've arrived at our destination, it is easier for me to organize and stay organized...I usually have a basket of clothes for the kids and one for me and Joey. We just leave all the clothes in the baskets in stacks and pull them out as needed. I bring a laundry bag (or two) for dirty clothes so we don't have clean and dirty items mingling...if you don't have a cloth laundry bag, you could always use a garbage bag. Anyway, laundry baskets have made travel a million times easier...give it a try and let me know how it worked for you!

On a final note, I wanted to say "thank you" to all of you that read my blog and have showed support for my Facebook page. My desire for the blog is that it continues to be a place where I share what I am doing and learning...it's fun for me to look back and see how I'm evolving! On my Facebook page, my goal is to offer design ideas for the coming season as creative inspiration for those looking for the perfect gift for a loved one or themselves! :)

Thank you again for all your support. I have really been blessed with the design opportunities I've had in the past few months and I am excited as I look to the future! :)

Happy Father's Day!!!

A small token of appreciation for all the twilight baseball games, sleepless nights when I was sick, long drives to take me back to college in a snowstorm, for teaching me God's Word, loving me unconditionally and completely even when I was the most unloveable, and the millions of other things (both big and little) that you have done and continue to do for me.

Now Dad's all set for our beach trip in a couple of weeks!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!!! I love you!!!

Babies, Babies, EVERYWHERE!!!

We know so many folks who are having babies or have just had a baby...and fewer and fewer of them seem interested in finding out the sex of the baby before the birth. I guess the surprise factor has become trendy once again. :) More burp cloths below for yet another mommy-to-be that doesn't know if she's having a Dayton or Sandrine, Pheobe or Pheobo. (FRIENDS, anyone???)

According to her registry, this mommy seems to have a safari theme planned...heavy on the giraffes. :)

Giraffes are so cute!

An omage to one of my favorite children's books, Guess How Much I Love You.

We're Ready for the Beach!!!

We're heading to the beach this weekend with our Pirate family. I've been packing off and on all week and in the process I discovered that Lily's beach cover-up no longer fit her. I immediately went to Cassidy's closet to see if I could find a hand-me-down replacement and discovered that she had three cover-ups at her disposal (all hand-me-downs...I certainly would never outfit her with 3 cover-ups!)...one that was kind of see-through (so she can't wear that one with her undies at lunchtime), an Ariel one, and a plain white one.

Cassidy wanted to keep Ariel, so Lily inherited the white one. This, of course, made her cry because who wants a plain, boring, old white cover-up? Mommy to the rescue! She swooped in and added "embroider incredibly cute design on beach cover-up" to her unending pre-beach checklist. Fortunately, Mommy loves a good challenge so she was up to the task.

Lily's finished beach cover-up

I drove her crazy making her look at a million designs and then choose her favorite...and then I didn't like her choice so I talked her into a different one...and then dragged her back into the office to "just see if you like this one better" when I discovered the flip flop applique. Yes, I know...my Most Irritating Mother on the Planet award will be arriving next week.

SO glad "we" changed our minds and went with the flip flops. It's so stinkin' cute!

And it only gets cuter when it's being worn by this little lovie!

She was SO excited. She always says, "I NEVER get anything new! I always get Cassidy's old stuff!" Well, baby, enjoy because today it's your turn! :)

Happy Little Buggie

Summer Monkeys

Summer is upon us. I love this time of year...when we live outside, when a late afternoon dip in the wading pool counts as our evening bath. And as my monkeys morph into the sun-kissed versions of themselves I thought it appropriate to have some new T's to celebrate.

 Matching monkey shirts for my monkeys

 A sunbathing monkey for Miss Grace

The pink t-shirt I had on hand for Cassidy required a softer color palette. I was glad to have the chance to use my new pastels. It works for her...she's soft and sensitive.

I found this design last summer and have been dying to make this shirt for Finny Monkey ever since!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the banana surf board. The font is also brand new...Minya from Jolson's.

Lilybug's Surfer Monkey

These bright colors are new, too. This design FEELS like summer!

Teacher Gifts

The school year is quickly coming to a close. Lily's last day of preschool is next Tuesday...I can't believe how fast time is moving these days. I wanted to do something special for her teacher, Mrs. Beverly, to thank her for all she has done for Lily and the rest of her students. Mrs. Beverly took over Lily's class at the beginning of February when our beloved Mrs. Laura had to leave us. 

We were heartbroken when Mrs. Laura left (pictured above with Lily on her last day)...she had been Cassidy's teacher, too. But, Mrs. Beverly was an answer to prayer. She is gentle and kind and just plain wonderful. Lily adores her and can't leave school in the afternoon without running back into the classroom to give Mrs. Beverly an extra hug good-bye.

 FBC Preschool put together a book in their office with information sheets on all their teachers, including favorite things, kitchen, living room and bathroom colors, etc. It's been SUCH a great resource when trying personalize a gift. Mrs. Beverly's kitchen is done is black, white, and buttercream yellow. I hope this hand towel will be a cute addition to her home and a reminder of our love and appreciation.

 I just purchased this font from Jolsen's Designs. It's called Santa's Sleigh and I've had my eye on it for awhile. I love how it looks on a finished piece!