AtHomeWithSewSuzanne

So EXCITED!!!

2011-06-06T08:48:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking about changing our curriculum for the girls. We have used Five in A Row for the last couple years, and have really enjoyed it. The concept is just what we needed, and the girls have thrived. However, this year they seemed to grow hungry for more substance in their learning. So I began to look around, and ask questions of fellow home schoolers. I found some information about Charlotte Mason and became very intrigued. I started to search around for more information and guidance on this method of homeschooling. I did found a couple sites, but found them a little confusing and hard to follow. Then I found Simply Charlotte Mason. Oh my goodness is this site fantastic! It is so well organized, easy to follow & full of useful information. I have been downloading Sonja's free e-books to learn as much as possible about the CM method. Once I got through those, I purchased the planning guide; which is an amazing tool no matter what curriculum you use. I have been so engrossed in it, learning as much as I can so I can begin using it properly in the Fall. I can't wait!! Where has this been my whole homeschooling life? LOL The principles behind CM's theory and method are exactly what I want for our girls. I want them to be independent thinkers with a love and thirst for knowledge. I want them to have the freedom to grow and to learn within the well defined "fencing" that I have laid out. I hear more and more from friends with older children and college professors how the kids who graduate high school today are great test takers, but not so good at creating theories and thinking outside the box; that they can't summarize what they've learned properly. I don't want that for my girls. Tests are a great way at figuring where a child is at that moment in time, a snapshot of that day. I would rather the girls ingest anything and everything they can from the world around them, and be more informed. Be able to take the test and do well, not from cramming but because they have spent the time truly learning it.
This site has also helped me to see where I have gone wrong in my attempts at creating a calm and stress free home. I am learning how to better handle the different situations that arise with calm authority to create a more loving environment. I have also purchased a book recommended by Sonja as a curriculum guide for personal development, "Peacemaking for Families" by Ken Sande. I have not finished the book yet, but Oh My Goodness is it a great book if you are looking to handle life's conflict better.
So there you have what I have spent all my free time on lately. I just can't quench this new thirst for Simply Charlotte Mason!!!

ahhhhhh....

2011-05-26T16:13:00.004-04:00

Sitting on my back covered patio, watching my girls swim and enjoying this gorgeous sunshine. Life just could not be better! I love how lush the yard looks, everything filling in so nicely. My lilacs are starting to bloom, and the day lilies are not far behind. This is such a wonderful season, watching life come alive each day. I am almost done planting the annuals too. I have decided to scale back a bit and do a few large pots instead of several smaller; aiming for simpler this year. And I am pleased so far. I just love the fabric I chose for the cushions. Everything is looking so pretty, how can I not sit here and smile?
Gearing up for a relaxing holiday weekend, finishing up on some yard work, enjoying family time and a BBQ Sunday with friends and family. I hope you all enjoy a happy, healthy safe and fun weekend!!!
Suzanne

Monday Musings

2011-05-23T08:52:00.003-04:00

What a weekend!!! We left Friday afternoon with another dance family about 4pm for a 5 hour trip to Maryland for the girls to compete at the Fair Hill Highland Dance Competition. After arriving rather late and getting to bed, we woke at 6am to get to the competition by 8am. After the normal rush to get ready, we spent the morning sitting in the hot but glorious sunshine and watched our girls dance. (I applied sun screen on them twice, completely forgot to do my chest area which got totally burnt :( BUT the dancers did not get any, so at least I did that right!!!) They did fabulous!! We had a little break between the conclusion of dancing and awards so we walked around the games a bit. I so enjoy the festivals! So many wonderful vendors and so much to see and do. We had the yummiest Ice Cream I've ever tasted!!! And then at awards our day got even better!! My youngest took 2nd, (2) 3rds and a 4th in her dances and my oldest took 2nd, 3rd and 4th in hers!!! They both placed in all their dances, and I am so proud of them. They have been working pretty hard, and they were so excited and happy. Made the craziness of getting there and back all worth it!! We left shortly after awards to head home as the other mom with us had to work Sunday, so we got back home around 9:30 Saturday night. Of course, I was exhausted; but woke up Sunday morning and headed straight to the garden which is where I spent my whole day. So this am I am tired and sore but I got ALL my plants and seeds in yesterday. And it looks fantastic! I am behind by about a week thanks to all the rain last week, so I really wanted to get them all in. Today I am going to get the rest of my plants to put in. I start all our pepper and tomato plants (over 100 plants!) from organic seeds myself and plant organic seeds for cucumbers and peas and beans. I don't need a full seed packet of lettuce and squash so I get those plants from a local organic farm.
And of course there is another busy week on tap this week to. My only free day with nothing planned is Friday. :( Looks like I'll be busy again!!!
Happy Monday :)
Suzanne

Finally, here they are!!!....

2011-05-15T16:26:00.003-04:00

A lovely rainy Sunday is just what I needed to get these done. Nothing better than watching the NASCAR race and sewing. Well, at least in my opinion!!! So, here they are. My latest addition:

SewSuzanne Original Garden Apron:

What do you think? Trust me, these ARE the best aprons out there. So simple but very, very effective. And best part yet - handmade in the USA :).

Happy Sunday!
Suzanne

Spring Fever...

2011-05-12T08:37:00.000-04:00

It has sprung here for sure!!! It has been a gorgeous week, we have been spending all our free time outside. Getting the lawn mowed, weeds pulled, and the patio all ready for the warm days ahead. The way our house is situated, we get a lot of sun and wind, and while our back patio is covered, I am always battling both wind and rain. So, after a brainstorming session with my sister, and her gift of several yards of fabric; I have created curtains at each end of the patio. I have had to adjust them a few times, but I think I may have gotten them to my liking. There is rain in the forecast this weekend, that will be the true test! I also bought new fabric to recover the wicker furniture, and I LOVE it! A beautiful blue with some light sage green accents. I am excited for a fantastic season outside this year!!! Today and tomorrow are slated to be the nicest of the week, so you can imagine where I'll be... In between all of this, life has been happening too. Another Dr. appt for hubby (the last procedure on his back) and 4H and dance practice too. I really need to figure out how to carve out more time for my shop. The problem is, it is in reality time for me, which I always put last on the list. :( I need to figure it out.....

Although I am hoping to get the new garden aprons cut and done. The problem is, my sewing time has been spent on recovering the cushions but I am hoping to sneak in both!!! Wish me luck!!!
Happy Thursday!
Suzanne

Gorgeous blue...

2011-05-05T11:49:00.003-04:00

skies today! A light wind, and lots of sunshine!!! LOVE days like today. After all the rain, things are growing and blooming nicely, casting the most beautiful shades of green all across the landscape. My computer is in my office right next to a window that looks out over our backyard, and I love to sit and type and look out at the scene. Do my daydreaming about things to come, come up with plans of what I'd like to do. Watching the branches with their new leaves swaying in the breeze, thinking of warmer days ahead and remembering those of yesterday. It is times like these, moments that seem suspended in time that help me realize how our life can be so very busy, yet seem fulfilled at the same time. I get my energy and strength from these moments, seeing Mother Nature at her best. Seeing the life cycle begin anew, full of promise and wonder. Makes all the stress and worry of life seem trivial.
Yeah, life is good :).
Suzanne

Ramblings from home...

2011-05-03T09:00:00.003-04:00

We had a glorious weekend here in upstate NY this past weekend. After last weeks entirely too busy week, it may have been nicer to have a rainy weekend so we could stay in and catch up on some much needed rest!! But, gladly that wasn't in the cards. Hubby spent Saturday cleaning up the rest of the fallen trees in the yard, and I spent the day at Highland dance (a typical Saturday for me!!) And then we had an old friend of mine and her family up for dinner, which was nice to catch up with them. So Sunday was the day for outside work. I raked for a bit, and then I pressure washed the entire outside of the first floor of the house and hubby mowed the lawn (after a trip to buy a new battery for the mower!). Then we brought out all the patio furniture, pressure washed that and got the patio set up for good weather. As a bonus this year, I found a screen room hiding under the basement stairs while I was cleaning out the basement last week (seriously, why did we put it there eons ago??? It has been wasting there for at least 6 years??? Silly I know) so we set that up just off the patio in some wasted yard area for an extension of our outdoor living space. And it was so nice we had our first dinner on the grill and outdoor meal too. A great day to say the least! May weather is always iffy but now we are prepared for those gorgeous days when they come. The only rough spot came when I opened our patio umbrella (one that I LOVE and have never seen again UGH!!) to find baby mice and 2 nice large holes that their mommy had chewed in the fabric. Such a bummer... They got removed to the woods and the umbrella went to the garbage pile.
I continue to struggle with trying to find time to spend on our shop and filling it. I have some cases sewn and ready, just waiting for a bright day with free time to take photos of them. I also want to make some garden aprons, and have all the stuff I need ~ except time :( .
Hoping to get there today........ Wish me luck!!! :)
Suzanne

Thursday?....... Really?

2011-04-28T08:56:00.002-04:00

How did that happen? We went away to my brother's for the Holiday and National Yia Yia day (my late mother's birthday, which we've made into a holiday for our family!) and got home very late Sunday night. First thing Monday morning I had to take my oldest to the Ortho, found out she needs a top AND bottom palette expander coming in at about $2,000. Then we came home and did some laundry and rested ~ man were we tired! My brother and his wife have just had there basement finished, and the girls really enjoyed that space. Now we have partially finished our basement with a toy room for them, they asked me for a "secret room" under the stairs like the one at my brother's, so Tuesday was spent cleaning out the basement toy room, and subsequently the rest of the basement. Yet again, I have a large donation pile, through out a bunch and re-organized what was left. The result is an awesome space down there! There toy room makes much more sense now, as does the rest of the basement. I do have a few touch up things left, but all in all it looks fantastic!!! Oh yes, back to Tuesday. My cleaning got interrupted by 4H, and then I was too tired and sore to do much after that. Yesterday we were again up and out early for the first of hubby's procedures to hopefully help with the pain from his disc problems in his back. So after a couple hours there, we came home and finished my cleaning frenzy. I finished just before dinner time yesterday, and I am very happy with the results. The girls are too! I need to finish the secret room off, but need to get some supplies first.
So, I guess now I can see how it got to be Thursday already!!! Will it get better you ask? Well while I've been re-vamping the basement the rest of the house is a mess. With 4 dogs, I really can't go this long without vacuuming, so I will be catching up on the rest of my cleaning today. The girls have riding lessons, and I have to get to the grocery store (I have been raiding the pantry and freezer for food all week, but now they are empty too!!!) Tomorrow you ask? Why it is wedding day of course and we have grand plans to be up early watching it. A great lesson in British history for the girls, and a great inspiration to my event planning blood as well. Plus, what a fun girly event too!!! (Hubby is not planning to wake up with us!) Then we are volunteering at the Celtic Hall for Bingo later on. So it doesn't appear to be slowing down any. But, hey who needs rest? Life is for living, right??? :)
Happy Thursday all!!
Suzanne

Wednesday What~nots.....

2011-04-20T08:55:00.002-04:00

Wednesday already? Where did this week go? Honestly, someday my life will slow down and I'll not have ANYTHING on my to do list. And I'll be lazy and free and happy.
Oh, who am I kidding? I appear to like chaos. I seem to thrive when I have to much to do. And I am happiest taking care of my home and family. So, I'll just keep on complaining about not enough hours in the day and continue to live life to it's fullest. Pedal to the metal. Following our heart's desires!!! And trying to organize to my satisfaction.
Today, the girls are going on a play date this afternoon, and I am going to finish up Easter shopping. We rae leaving tomorrow for my brother's to celebrate Yia Yia day (my mother's birthday 4/23, since she passed we have made it a national holiday in our family and we celebrate every year!) and then stay for Easter. Then it will be return home to pack and get everything ready. See, always something....
I am also contemplating a new blog devoted solely to my previous life's passion, BC (before children) I was an event planner. Since becoming a wife and mom, I have only planned friends and families weddings as I can't devote the time I would like to to do it again. I am an all in kind of planner, and I can't do it part time or a just little. I am so detail oriented that I get consumed with it, and want to make the day perfect. Impossible with my current profession. BUT, my thoughts are if I start a blog and begin to share my thoughts and ideas, that may help fill the void I feel. I LOVE to plan events, it seems as if it is in my blood. So, I am working on it. More soon.... :)
If I don't have a chance to post again this week ~ Happy Easter to you all!
Suzanne

Stylish Blogger Award!!

2011-04-18T09:12:00.002-04:00

Thank you Amanda of The Eclectic Blogger for giving me this award! So very cool :)!!!

To accept this award, I must do four things:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you. (Thank you Amanda!!)

2. Share seven things about yourself.

3. Award 15 great bloggers

4. Contact the bloggers and tell them of the award.

Seven things about me:

1. I LOVE to read. Books are a true passion for me, especially if about my favorite place ~ Scotland!!!

2. I love my family ~ they are my reason for everything!!

3. I am an organizer!

4. I love to sew and create, when I can find time!!!

5. I love Scotland, and all things Scottish (especially my hubby!!!)

6. I am a planner by nature, and LOVE to plan parties and weddings!!!

7. I love being a stay at home, homeschooling wife and mom :) Thankfully I married my soul mate who has made all my dreams come true for me!

Here are my picks to receive this award:
Ann at Harvest Moon by Hand
Bluebell Design
Pam at Country Mouse, City Mouse
Claire at Created and Felted
Lona at Farming in the Shade
Helen at Feeding Family of Five for for Fifty
Shelby at Glitterful Felt Stories
Hyla at Green Earth Journey
Melissa at Honey Bee Holistics
Amanda at Kind over Matter
Jodi at Living Life Photographically
Tammi at My Organized Chaos
Jan at Poppytalk
Jay at Red Road Design
Anne at The Handmade Gift Guide

Picking just 15 wasn't easy, but above are some of my true fav's!!! Hope you enjoy them too!!!

Happy Monday!!!
Suzanne

More progress!!

2011-04-14T12:26:00.002-04:00

The Salvation army was here this morning and took away most of my pile :). They wouldn't take the smaller riding toys, car seats or stroller for safety reasons, and an end table that they thought was too scratched. That one baffled me. It isn't in bad shape, just a few marks on the top? Anyway, it feels really good to clean up the place and help people too. Slowly but surely I am getting things organized and the way I want them. :) That feels AWESOME!!! Now I just need to find homes for the remaining things, and I'll be all cleaned up in the garage!!! There are some local charities that may take them, I plan to call today.
Hubby is also making some progress, although there are days I get very discouraged. BUT, I am determined to focus on the positive and stay true to myself, and therefore happier. He and I are so connected that when he is down, it pulls me down too. I am trying not to let it happen, but I too am a work in progress :).
Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the birds are chirping my girls are too!!
Happy Spring day to you all!!!
Suzanne

Thank goodness!!!!

2011-04-12T10:52:00.002-04:00

Well, I finally did it! I took the time, rather the DAY on Sunday to clean out the garage. As I have been going through and cleaning out and de-cluttering the house, I've been putting stuff in the garage. So, I took EVERYTHING out and cleaned and organized the mess. I now have a HUGE pile of donations for the Salvation Army, who are coming Thursday to pick it up. I also have a few things to pass to my nephews that my girls wanted to give them. I then went through and organized all the rest. Grouping like things together (all the car stuff together, the gardening stuff, the storage stuff...) and making it a much more cohesive space. I can't wait for the donations to be picked up, because then I will truly have my new clean space!!! I smile when I go out there now, it is just so nice!!!
So, while I am totally happy about getting over that hurdle, I still have the rest of my shop pictures and new products to make to tackle. I am hoping that I'll get to it this week, although we do have another busy one on tap... Perhaps I should stop saying that and just accept that life isn't going to slow down anytime soon, and I should just get better at managing it so I am able to get more done!!!
Happy Tuesday all!!
Suzanne

Ahhhh, it's Friday!!

2011-04-08T09:49:00.002-04:00

Today is a fun day!! The school district has a half day today, and the girls' friends have asked for play-dates this afternoon so we are working to get our lessons done this morning. One is going to her friends house while the other will have a friend here. The girls are pretty excited to not only have a half day, but get to play too! I am hoping to get to the stack of cases ready to be sewn, and get the rest of my new pictures taken for my shop, although today is not turning out to be a sunny one. And as usual we have big plans for the weekend. I'd like to finally tackle the garage - the dumping grounds for my house clean up!! And we need to fix the fence around our yard after the winter beating it received. Hubby would like to go fishing, and the girls have dance 12-2pm tomorrow; which translates into 11am - 3pm with the drive time to get there and back. While I enjoy not having to get up and leave early on Saturday, it stinks to have most of my day gone. I will get to knit while I'm there though, so not all is lost!
And with all this nice weather comes the need to first do Spring clean-up, ans then get ready for gardening. And when the weather is nice and even slightly warm I feel the need to be outside doing stuff, not inside sewing or creating. Gets to be a bit of a struggle!!! Hopefully I'll work out a nice happy medium. Maybe I'll get that screened in porch I have been asking for, and I can have the best of both worlds!!!!

Moving forward

2011-04-05T08:59:00.002-04:00

I finally got the time to take some new photos of my listings!!! I am so happy with how they are turning out. Certainly not perfection yet, but I feel like I am getting there! My camera battery died before I could get to everything, so now I am on hold again until a bright sunny day - which looks to be awhile!!; and some free time to go along with it. Now I can't wait to get the rest of it photographed and up on the site. I really, really like to cohesive, bright look that the shop now has though, and I am feeling anxious to make some new cases!!! It's about time!!! I haven't felt creative in a long while, so I am glad it is coming back! And we are heading into busy time at home too ( isn't it always? ). We are at the beginning of Highland Dance competition season, and we try to do at least 1 a month. Which means lots of practice, lots of time to plan and lots of money spent traveling to different Scottish games around the Northeast. Good thing we all enjoy it so much!!! Not to mention horse back riding, 4H, school and holidays with family in between!!! AND we can't wait for warmer weather to get our yard cleaned up and start our gardening season too. This winter has been a doozy! We are all anxious to get outside and enjoy the air and the sun. My indoor greenhouse is blooming nicely, which means it can't be too long before we can get dirty in the garden!!! Happy Tuesday to you all!! Hope you find inspiration all around you :) Suzanne

TGIF!!!

2011-04-01T10:31:00.003-04:00

We have arrived at Friday!! What a week it has been. Lots of forward progress this week as I continue to strive for peace and harmony in my home. Slowly but surely we are getting there. And I am actually finding some free time in my day - something I haven't had in awhile!!! Feels pretty darn good :). I am feeling better and stronger all the time, and my husband continues to improve as well. I truly believe that as long as you have love, you can handle anything. And Charlie and I have a deep, strong, connected to our souls love. Not to say it doesn't take work, often it is hard. But, the underlying strength to go on comes from the deep love we share. I am very fortunate to have him as my mate, and I thank my lucky stars everyday.

As to shop progress, I am waiting for a bright sunny day to take new photos of our existing stock. I want to get that accomplished before adding anything new. Once I get the new pictures taken and up, I can concentrate on adding new. But first I need to wait for Mother Nature to cooperate and realize that it is Spring. Then I'll need to get some free time to get them done. So, waiting for the 2 to coincide is taking a bit longer than I'd like, but patience is a virtue I am striving to achieve. The girls are in their first (of many!!!) Highland Dance competition of the year tomorrow, so perhaps Sunday will be the day! As long as Mother Nature feels agreeable!!! Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Happy Weekend to you all!
Suzanne

My weekend clean up.....In body, soul and house!!!

2011-03-28T09:42:00.007-04:00

Well, it finally happened. A day arrived where i had the energy AND desire to clean up my office/sewing room. Now, I have done this a couple times before, but what I am realizing as I work through my house de-cluttering and re0organizing is that I need to do it a couple times to get it right. For whatever reason, my first attempt or two works, but isn't the outcome I truly was after. This time around in the office, I feel a great sense of peace when I walk in. And each and every time I have walked in whether to get something, check or send emails and whatever since I finished, I have smiled ear to ear. This room now feels right. I took the time to go through EVERY basket I had in here, simplified and re-organized. And got rid of 3 large baskets. All my smaller scraps are now in a large zip bag on the floor where my girls can have at it, while keeping it neat. All the larger pieces are organized, folded and stacked so I can see what I have. I brought up a new shelf for all my spools of ribbon (- this may be my favorite thing. It is so clean and neat now.) I transferred all my thread into the bottom draw of my sewing table (after I cleaned it out!!), and re-organized all my bobbins. AHHH so much nicer to sit and sew! (OK, maybe THIS is my favorite!!) I also went through my mending basket and mended everything, save for one shirt that needs more attention. I also cleaned up and streamlined my shipping drawer, moved everything closer together to make it easier. What is left? A very clean, very organized space that screams create!!! An area that is just perfect for me to run both my shop and our very busy lives from. And the best part is I have a few thing that have been pressed and are ready to be sewn, and I now feel like I can come in and simply create, with out the feeling of over cluttered. I still need to hang some things on the wall, and figure out what to do with me mom's jewelry, but all in all I am so pleased! I did not take any before pictures, but here are some after. One other thing I want to touch on is the change in myself as well. These past few years have been long and hard ones for my family and I, most specifically my husband. We have been together for 16 year, married for 9. He is the love of my life and my true soul mate. He hit a rough patch a few years back and we have been trying to recover ever since. It has been difficult. Really difficult. I finally came to the realization that I am just not happy, and I wasn't sure what to do. I keep telling him to find his inner self and happiness, and now it is my turn. Then last week I began writing in a journal. How cathartic is was!! Just the simple act of writing down my inner thoughts and feelings opened me up to a whole new world. I realized some hard lessons, what I have been doing wrong; and what I can do to change things. I am a doer, a fixer, a protector. I want to help the ones I love and make it better for them. In his case, I have been a catalyst to him not recovering completely. I have been trying to hard to protect him form hurt and doing to much for him. I now realize he needs to feel the hurt in order to get better. Hurt, and the recovery that follows makes us stronger. So all in all, I am feeling better. Of course I am a work in progress, but I am going to keep at it. Day by day. And I know we'll get there! :) Suzanne :-)

A work in progress...

2011-03-21T09:56:00.004-04:00

Well, my hiatus is taking longer than expected!! I am finding it difficult to get the right groove going. The way things were going wasn't working because I was not being productive in any of the right areas. As a result I am running very low on ambition to get moving again! I am now realizing I was putting the efforts in the wrong places, getting my name out there and staying out there. What I should be doing is creating things that I LOVE, which will translate a whole lot better to my customers. When my shop became a job - something I HAD to do, I completely lost sight of the whole reason I started it: Sharing things I create and love with other people of like minds. I haven't sewed anything in months because I have lost the ambition and creativity. I haven't put any effort in to the shop since the Holidays because all the work I put in prior was not paying off at all. And my priorities as a homeschool mom and wife suffered for it. I now feel better and stronger in those areas, but just have no motivation to get back to work at the shop. I know I need to do an overhaul, especially of the pics, which is probably the first thing keeping me away. I will not lie, I hate taking the pictures. I can't seem to get it right, and I get very very frustrated as a result. I have tried different angles, different lighting, and tried to follow advice I have been given; but nothing comes out as I'd like it. And the pics are very time consuming, and time is something I am short on! What makes it worse is when I do put the effort in I don't get the response I hoped for and so comes more frustration and feelings of "why am I doing this again?" The shop seems like it was way more work than it was worth, and I realized something has got to give! This is not how it should be. So over these months off I have been first and foremost taking a breather, :) but secondly I have been slowly re-evaluating what my wants and needs are where the shop is concerned, and re-developing my focus. I am gradually coming up with new ideas and my motivation is returning. While I am not totally there, I am getting there. A work in progress. :) Mostly what I am learning and realizing is that the only schedule and path I should follow is my own. I need to feel a responsibility to myself and my happiness first so that I can be happy in all the other areas. In my opinion the whole idea of entrepreneurship following your passion and doing what you love everyday. Since this most basic idea got lost for me, I was doomed for failure. So, I am getting back to basics. I am relearning my passions and refocusing my energy into being creative, and creating what I love. Only then can I resume marketing myself, but doing so in a way that is productive while allowing me to remain passionate about my work. It needs to come naturally, or not at all. I need to follow my heart, always. So, now you know where I am and have been. Happily I am slowly returning!! :) Suzanne

Happy February!!!

2011-02-01T09:56:00.003-05:00

Hello all! I know it has been awhile since I was here last, but it has been a busy and productive month for me. I took the month of January off to take a breather, reflect on the past year, make some necessary changes and get my house in order. The result? Simplify. That is my very basic and motivating goal. I need to simply things, all things. Part of the problem last year (and the past couple really) is I spent alot of time cleaning up and chasing clutter around. So I took the time to really clean house. I started in the basement and have been working up each floor. I went through the piles of stuff that have been accumulating, you know the stuff you save because you may need it "someday". Well, the someday has never come so it is time for it to go. Some of it got trashed, some recycled but most of it is in this amazing pile of garage sale/donation items in the garage. The garage will be the last thing we tackle - and hopefully in much warmer weather!!! I am becoming less attached to "things" and more attached to living. And the result is amazing. Transforming. Getting rid of all the stuff truly has lightened my spirit and soul. And having removed so much stuff we are able to get the cleaning done faster and get on to the important stuff in life, and have a much more enjoyable time doing it.

Which leads me here to the blog and our shop. I still love to create and share my creations with others, but I get very frustrated with the shear size of the Etsy world. You have to put in alot of time and energy to be noticed and then even more to maintain it and stay there. Being successful at this is still a dream for me, but I need to be more realistic about it. Being a wife, stay at home mom homeschooling 2 girls, an assistant for my husband's job, with a house and 4 dogs to take care off is my full time job. The wife and mom being the most important, and should be where my focus is. So, going forward both here and as a writer on Handmade Spark I will be focusing more on how I make it all work. Sharing my ideas and inspirations, my high and low points. I will maintain the shop, but it will not be my primary focus. At least not right now. Sadly, something had to give and this is what makes the most sense. My duties were suffering - in all areas - trying to get it all done. This last month had been amazing, without the stress of the shop. So the decision came rather easily, surprisingly. I do hope you'll continue to stick around and follow along. And more importantly share your thoughts and comments with me. After all, "it ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side, it's the climb" - Miley Cyrus.
Happy February!
Suzanne

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-12T09:22:00.003-05:00

Wow, has it really been since December 16 that I was here last?? My but the time flew by! I had a wonderful but very very busy holiday season, that ended this past weekend with my youngest's 6th birthday. Although the true end to our craziness is our wedding anniversary is next week, I feel ready to get back into the swing. In my forever changing quest for organization, I will take the blog with me. Discussing what has worked and what hasn't worked. So, I hope you'll stay tuned and follow along! And share your insight too!

But now I must go and tackle the newest challenge. The blizzard that is currently hitting us! Already a foot has fallen, and it isn't slowing yet.....

Cheers!
Suzanne :)

Let it snow, let it snow...

2010-12-16T08:35:00.004-05:00

Finally! We got some snow!!! 3-4 inches 2 days ago, and another inch or so last night!!! NOW it is feeling a bit more like Christmas!! I just love the look and feel of snow at Holiday time. Adds a little magic to the scene! And this year I needed it. I lost my mom last October after a 5 year battle with cancer. She was my best friend and closest adviser, and I miss her more than I can say. Last year it was all too new and fresh, this year feels more like reality. And I don't like it. I feel as though something is missing, and I can't change it. Some of the magic and joy is gone for me, and I feel so very sad. I am trying though to make new memories and new traditions to help heal the pain, and that seems to help. However my youngest still insists she should ask Santa to bring her back with his magic. Now THAT is a great concept! If only I could. She was an amazing woman and we are all better to have known her so I try to take comfort in that too. But it isn't fair darn it, she was one of the good ones!!!
OK, enough of that! i am off now to start our day. Going to go through our dressers and closets and clean out what we don't need. Always a long process!!!
Don't forget to check out this week's featured artist:

Happy Thursday all!!!
Suzanne

This week's Featured Artist....

2010-12-14T09:19:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday all!! This week we are featuring a fellow SHEteam member, and she has 2 shops for you to check out!! Please read on to learn a little about Kris.

1. What do you offer at your shops?

I have two Etsy shops and offer bath & body products and jewelry at http://BathNBeads.etsy.com and hand-spun yarn and knitted & felted items in my yarn shop http://rainydayyarnshop.etsy.com.

2. Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!

I have been homeschooling for 12 years and have two children. I live in the Midwest and love to spend time outdoors gardening, camping, and taking long walks in the woods.

3. What is your favorite item to make?

My favorite item to make in my shop is my hand-spun yarn. I learned to spin a couple of years ago and am totally addicted to all things fiber! I love that I can spin wool into beautiful yarn and then knit it into something wonderful!

4. Where can we find you?

http://BathNBeads.etsy.com

http://rainydayyarnshop.etsy.com

Now please check out some of her items...

Happy Holidays All!!!
Suzanne
Happy Dau

TGIF!!!

2010-12-10T10:09:00.003-05:00

Man, where did this week go??? So much going on that I often feel like I am in a whirlwind! Still, we are having fun too. But I will admit we are still struggling a bit with getting the girls back on track. I have to keep reminding myself that Rome wasn't built in a day and that it has been a rough few months for all of us. They have been through a lot and it will take time and patience to correct it. I need to have time and patience with myself too ~ not easy for me I guess :). When I wake up in the morning I start right in with all I need to accomplish that day, and when they (husband and girls) don't cooperate with my plans it frustrates me. The day is only so long and I have so much to do that I rely on their help. My husband and I just had an argument about it this am. He is always very quick to point out when I am being negative, but doesn't stop to see why. Typical spouse fight I am sure. And since he is at work all day I suppose he doesn't know all that I do. BUT it would be nice if he stopped to think why before he jumps in, ya know? Maybe even offer to lighten my load a bit. BUT I am very thankful to have the life that I have and the husband and kids that I do. They are the light of my life and my reason for living. So that is why I keep going, and keep getting frustrated!!! LOL Never ending merry go round :). That's life though! And what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. (Man I should be superwoman by now!!! LOL)

Still lots of good shopping deals in our shop. Hope you'll stop by and browse around. A sale today would certainly brighten my day!!! And don't forget to shop our feature artist too:

Happy Friday all!!!
Suzanne :)

Wednesday Wonders...

2010-12-08T09:08:00.003-05:00

Woke up to a covering of snow this morning!!! Not enough to play in, but enough to be all white!! :) Snow just makes the holiday season so much more festive! We are plugging away at our to do list, but making great progress on it! We are also having some issues here with the girls and their daily schedules. We need to revamp a bit, and get them back on track. These past few months have been difficult with Charlie's job situation. Now that he is back to being a loan officer (at his previous company who was bought out by an absolutely fantastic company!! We are so thankful that they recruited him to come back. Our future is so bright!!) we can get back to our regular routines. It is funny how you can't see things going on right around you until it is too late! We didn't realize the affect these last months had on the girls until they started having some behavior issues. Nothing major, but just not acting like our girls. So, we are now addressing that head on, and hoping to get them back on track without issue. This was a great growth year for Charlie, but not so much for us girls!!! But, onward and upward!
And I heard back from a local shopkeeper yesterday that she is interested in wholesaling from me!!! WooHoo!!! I need to set up a time to meet with her, so I'll keep you posted there too!!!
Off now to get our day going. Please remember to check out our featured artist:

Happy Hump Day to all!!!
Suzanne

This week's Featured Artist....

2010-12-07T08:59:00.002-05:00

It is Jo from DragonflightDesigns !!! She is a fellow McEtsy teammate of mine, and her work is amazing!! I do hope you enjoy learning a little more about her....

1. What do you offer at Dragonflight Designs?
I love variety and trying out new things so I make a range of different types of jewelry. I also get bored rather quickly so only make small amounts of any particular design, and a lot of one off pieces. Some designs are made for a specific venue, for example I supply Roman style necklaces to Archaeolink Pre-history Park in Aberdeen-shire. I also love to sew and am currently working on some new designs for a small range of clothing and accessories.

2. Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!
I'm a big fan of the natural world, especially the quirky. I like bats and weird sea creatures. My second love is historical clothing, I'm even part of a Roman re-enactment group, although Victorian and Medieval clothing are my favorites. This naturally means my next big project is Steam punk related.

3. What is your favorite item to make?
My favorites tend to change often but at the moment I'm totally addicted to polymer clay and in particular making Octopuses. I love all those legs, their ability to change color and the way they move. Polymer clay is so versatile and so easy to work with, plus you can make an infinite variety of colors.

4. Where can we find you?

Blog: dragonflightdesigns.blogspot.com

Website: www.dragonflightdesigns.co.uk

Etsy shop: Dragonflightdesigns

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DragonflightDesigns
(Where I'm about to do a giveaway when I reach 200 "likes".)

Plus I look after the McEtsy blog: mcetsy.blogspot.com

Thank you Jo!!! And now for a sneak peek at her shop:

Thanks for reading all. I do hope you'll visit Jo ~ and tell her I sent you!!! ;)
Happy Tuesday!
Suzanne

Monday Musings......

2010-12-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

Well, we made it through another very busy weekend! And when I woke up this am there were snowflakes falling. Not enough to stick, but enough to be pretty!! And to make us say when will we get our first real snow???
Today I am working on my seemingly never ending quest to get the house in order. I need to work in the basement today. I made a mess getting all the holiday decorations out and realized that I need to get rid of some things that are down there and haven't been touched in years. So, after my work this morning, lunch and finishing school I am off to the basement to get it done. It always amazes me how much stuff we have accumulated and how I can't believe I keep what I do!!! I am learning though that to keep a calm house means less clutter and "stuff" to make me crazy. So now I don't keep unnecessary things, but it also means cleaning out what I USED to keep!!! LOL I am a work in progress I guess. Too bad it is too cold for a tag sale, I bet I could make a fortune with all that I want to get rid of!!!
I also began reaching out to get some wholesale accounts this morning. (I am hoping that I can get a more steady income this way, so if your interested or know someone who may be please let me know!!!) I will touch on this more in the coming days.....
So, off to work I go! Please stay tuned for this week's featured artist posting tomorrow!!!
Happy Holidays!!!
Suzanne

BRRRR.....

2010-12-02T09:51:00.003-05:00

I wish we had this cold yesterday!!! We would be shoveling out instead of water logged!!! :) All in good time I suppose. i am still felling the weight of all I have to get done ~ although making progress on it too. I know it is my own fault for piling so much on my plate, but I seem to not be able to help myself!!! I do have alot to do today and tomorrow because we are leaving for my sister's in Connecticut tomorrow night to go shopping on Saturday and then home late Saturday night for the Holiday on Horseback pageant on Sunday that the girls are in.... So this is short and sweet today! Wish me luck on my lengthy to do list!
Please don't forget to check out Shannon at OrganicMamas:

Happy Thursday all!!
Suzanne

Happy December!!!

2010-12-01T08:34:00.002-05:00

Seems so strange that it is Dec. 1st already! Where does the time go? On one hand I feel like life goes slowly by, but in the other it is flying. Does that make any sense? No, probably not. LOL!!! As it is rainy and yucky outside today my plan is to finish as much of our holiday decorating as I can. I just wish all this rain was snow instead!! All in good time I suppose. Snow always sets a holiday mood.
So, while I am off decorating and having fun I do hope you'll take some time to visit Shannon at OrganicMamas. If you haven't yet read yesterdays post, please do and then check out her shop:
OrganicMamas . You won't be sorry!!!

Happy Holidays!!!
Suzanne

This week's Featured Artist...

2010-11-30T08:55:00.004-05:00

I am thrilled to share with you a friend and fellow SHETeam mate Shannon from OrganicMamas. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about her!

1. What do you offer at OrganicMamas?
I provide Natural Mothering Accessories and Necessities, specifically Nursing Jewelry- Necklaces to keep little hands busy while nursing or in a carrier and Bracelets to help your foggy Mama brain remember what time and on which side your little one nursed last. I also carry custom knit items including newborn photo props (Cocoons, Sacks, wraps, and hats), as well as every day items- sleep sacks for babies, also unique hats and cozy neck warmers in all sizes! I carry a HUGE selections of yarn! Choose from synthetic fashion yarns, Organic Cotton, Bamboo, Alpaca, Mohair, and Merino Wool. In fact I have so much yarn that I've begun selling it in my other shop- GrandValleyFiber.etsy.com. You can check out all my Merino Wool and pick out one for a new hat or neck warmer ;o)

2. Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!
Hmm... about my shop- I LOVE custom orders!! I'm always up for a fun new challenge! Also, my nursing bracelets are great for women who aren't nursing too! You can use them to keep track of so many other things like medications (gift for Grandma?) or counting the glasses of water you're drinking- just to name a few. They're comfortable and beautiful enough to wear even when you aren't nursing! Oh, I also love to trade! About me- I'm a farm girl wannabe ;o) Our family just moved to a house in the country with a few acres and if I had my way I'd be up to my ears in farm animals, but my wonderful husband keeps me balanced ;o) So for now, we just have a clan of crazy chickens. You can see more about our self-sustainability venture on my husbands blog BlackForestHomestead.com

3. What is your favorite item to make?
Neck warmers ;o) I've made one for each of my kids and a couple for me! They're my new favorite accessory and they're fun to make. I'm also having fun with some custom hat orders. I allow customers to design their own hats, so it's interested to see what people come up with!

4. Where can we find you?
Oh boy, we're all over the place...

OrganicMamasShop.com
GrandValleyFiber.etsy.com

Find me on FB- Facebook.com/OrganicMamas
(LOTS of giveaways, deals, and links to other freebies, articles, and great recipes!!)

My blog is OrganicMamasBlog.blogspot.com and our family's new blog is BlackForestHomestead.com (you can find info on there about the new Grain Mills we're selling)

I hope you enjoyed reading all about Shannon ~ and now you can visit her!!

OrganicMamas
Happy Tuesday all!

Suzanne

Cyber Monday!!!!

2010-11-29T08:30:00.006-05:00

WOW ~ what a week, and weekend! Thanksgiving was very nice this year, just the 4 of us for dinner. A big change from last year's 36!!! I was very sad missing my Mom this year as the pace was much slower and I had time to reflect. She was an amazing woman, and I miss her everyday. But still, it was a great day ~ but less people doesn't mean less work! We still made pies and baked yummy food, watched the parade and then football. We ate later than normal, not until 5ish. And it is always crunch time right as the turkey comes out. No matter how much prep you do, or how many people your serving everything needs to be done at the same time and you suddenly you need 10 arms! But it still was wonderful. Then we went over to my sister's for dessert. All in all a great day! Here is a pic of our table set for 4:

Against my better judgment the girls and I went out shopping on Black Friday, and it turned out to be a blast! The stores we went to weren't bad at all. In fact we never stood in line! We just took our time and had fun. We also went to Verizon Wireless later on for their Black Friday sale so Charlie and I could upgrade to the new Droid Incredible at the best price. They are awesome ~ but I am still earning how to use it!! So far so good though. The girls LOVE them and have been playing games on them. The weekend was spent taking down all the fall decorations and starting on the Christmas stuff. We got our tree Saturday, even though it was FREEZING out!!! We found the perfect tree at our favorite tree farm for Charlie to cut down. I love listening to the girls as they decorate ~ "Oh, I remember this one!" or "This is my favorite!". This is by far my favorite time of year, and I have the most decorations for Christmas so it will take me a couple days to get them all up. But I so love doing it!!! Trying a couple new things this year too, to keep it fresh.

Well, that's all for now! I am off to work on Cyber Monday stuff! This week's feature artist is Shannon from OrganicMamas. She is having some fantastic Cyber Monday clearance deals ~ check her out: OrganicMamas !!!

Happy Shopping all!!!
Suzanne

Wednesday Morning Musings......

2010-11-24T09:11:00.003-05:00

Wow ~ Wednesday already? Where does the time go??? As usual another busy day in store for us today. Getting some shop things done this am, then my oldest has a birthday party to go to, and I have to get to the grocery store to prepare for tomorrow, as the girls at the party are going to see the new Disney movie Tangled, I am going to take Makenzy to see it as well, and then it will be more errands after that, then home to bake and prepare for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. Whew.... I am tired just typing it!!! Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all that I am still preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I was able to get some scarfs listed yesterday, hope you'll take a look in our stocking stuffer section:
StockingStuffers!
Also, wanted to ask to please check our Facebook Page for fellow SHEteam members shops that are also having sales this week!
And of course ~ our featured artist!!! She is offering 25% off her shop now through Monday!! Just use the code JATO25 at check out for 25% off! Hurry in now to take advantage!!!

So, happy shopping everyone! Please take a look at our fan page for updates through out the next few days!!!
Suzanne

This week's featured artist...

2010-11-23T11:55:00.005-05:00

Here she is!! Angie from JustATinyOwl , she is also a fellow teammate of mine at SHETeam. I do hope you'll take some time to learn a bit more about her and check out her shop! Happy Reading!

1. What do you offer Just a Tiny Owl?

While I'm sure that it would be far better if I had some special niche in my store, I have to admit that I just like to do too many things. So, Just a Tiny Owl is pretty much my creative outlet for whatever I feel inspired to do at any time. At the moment, I have some mixed media pieces (both the originals and reproductions), several "Word Art" (typography) pieces, prayer art prints, some design services, and one very special monster named Leo. (I'm about to add some TTV photographic pieces as well.)

2. Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!

Not only do I have an Etsy shop, which I really enjoy, I have three blogs, which take up a lot of my time. My main blog is Many Little Blessings, and then I am the founder/editor of (and also a writer at) two other blogs - The Homeschool Classroom and Catholic Mothers Online.

3. What is your favorite item to make?

I don't think I have one favorite item to make. All of the digital pieces allow me time on my computer to take words and turn them into art. While things like the mixed media work (and Leo!) allow me to really get my hands dirty and put my full self into creating without online distractions. It makes a huge difference of what kind of mood I'm in. Plus, when I am on the computer creating, it's usually solo work. As soon as I grab out paints or my sewing machine though, I always end up being surrounded by at least a couple of my kids and they want to join in.

4. Where can we find you?

As I have already mentioned, I have three blogs, so I can be found on those. (Although you can't always see me on the group blogs, but I'm definitely there.)

For Just a Tiny Owl (http://www.etsy.com/shop/AutumnDaisy)

I have a Facebook fan page where I update what's new, as well as just highlights of life: http://www.facebook.com/JustATinyOwl

You can also often find me checking out Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/angie76
My Blogs:
Many Little Blessings: http://www.manylittleblessings.com/
The Homeschool Classroom: http://www.hsclassroom.net/
Catholic Mothers Online: http://www.catholicmothersonline.com/

Thank you Angie!! Good luck on this a very busy shopping week!!
Warmly,

Suzanne

Good Monday Morning!...

2010-11-22T09:03:00.003-05:00

Whew, we survived!!! Our Peace Themed Birthday Sleep Over was a hit! We had 6 girls , including my own, and we laughed, had fun, made tie dyed t-shirts, giggled, ate, actually went to sleep at a decent time, made AlyMak Original Designs Scarfs for everyone and had a huge breakfast in Sunday. It was a ton of fun ~ but of course I am exhausted!! BUT, this is a busy week and I am so looking forward to it! We have, of course, the Thanksgiving Holiday which we are keeping very simple this year (a change for us!) and it is hunting season so hubby is out whenever possible. But it is also 2 huge sales days for us shop owners and I am planning some things for my customers. I will announce later in the week what they are, so I do hope you'll stay tuned! We will also be doing our new weekly featured artist, this week it is JustATinyOwl.
So, off I go to get busy! Lots to do in preparation!!
Happy Monday to all!!
Suzanne

TGIF!!!!

2010-11-19T08:51:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday all!! I do hope that you all had a busy, successful week :). I do have more listings to add today, and a couple of specials orders to finish up too. I am also busy looking ahead to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, planning some great sales for all my wonderful customers. Have you seen the app for creating a sale? It is quite a wonderful app. Makes having sales a breeze! Check them out at: Etsy On Sale .
I do you have enjoyed getting to know Sonja at VeryVerdant. I have heard from a few of you that are customers about how wonderful she and her work are. If you haven't had a chance yet, please visit her shop ~ you won't be sorry!!!

Etsy
veryverdant

Happy Weekend everyone! And happy shopping too!! :0)
Suzanne

Next week our feature will be Angie from Just A Tiny Owl ! Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday...

2010-11-18T08:38:00.003-05:00

To my beautiful girl Alysia! She is 8 years old today! My how time flies!!! So, today's post will be short and sweet. I have lots to do :)!!!

Happy Thursday!!
Suzanne

PS.. Our feature artist, VeryVerdant...

Etsy
veryverdant

Tuesday Musings...

2010-11-17T09:19:00.003-05:00

As most of you that read regularly know, I am an avid fan and reader of the Etsy Success Newsletters. I read a fantastic post the other day (part of the Holiday Boot Camp series; How to Sell Your Story With Johnny B. Truant) and became truly inspired. This wonderful Handmade world we are all a part of is basically a very large craft and flea market where you can get lost for hours searching Vendor to Vendor. And you can find pretty much anything you are looking for, it is all here. The best part, you can line up what it is your looking for and search through without having to walk table to table, market to market. It is all at your fingertips. What's missing? Well, obviously it is the face to face, personal interactions that you would normally get at a market. This article helped me to see you can still have a bit of the personal interaction with your customers, share your story and give them a story to share about what they purchased from you. I have already made some of the changes to our shop, and have a few to go. Hope you'll take a moment to read the post, and become inspired yourself!

Happy Story Telling!
Suzanne

Don't forget this week's feature artist:

Etsy
veryverdant

This Week's Featured Artist.....

2010-11-16T08:44:00.008-05:00

This week we are featuring Sonja, and her shop Very Verdant; a fellow member of the Etsy SHETeam! So in addition to her "work" here on Etsy, she is also a Home Schooling Mom!! A multi-tasker to say the least!! I do hope you'll take some time and get to know her ~ she has some fantastic items for sale! Here we go....

1. What do you offer at VeryVerdant?
My shop is filled with items for school aged children through teens, such as sack packs, pencil cases and play things. I also make items for the home.

2. Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!
I love order and quiet and am not much of a pack rat, but when it comes to collecting books that last love goes out the window. I firmly believe no home can have too many books. I love the smell, feel and look of books, especially old and out of print books. I can't get enough.

3. What is your favorite item to make?
I really enjoy making my sack packs. When people custom order, it gives me such a thrill to search for just the right fabrics. The whole process really is a lot of fun. Then, when the items are complete and my customers are so excited because they have an original "just what I wanted item"...well, it just makes me feel so happy.

4. Where can we find you?
Shop ~

http://www.veryverdant.com/
Blog ~

http://www.veryverdant.blogspot.com/
Facebook ~

www.facebook.com/VeryVerdant

And here is a little peak. I hope you'll visit her shop for a larger selection!

Etsy
veryverdant

Thank you for "meeting" Sonja! Please leave your comments as we would love to hear from you!
Happy Shopping!
Suzanne

Monday Musings.....

2010-11-15T08:53:00.003-05:00

Whew, what a weekend! So much going on! We started out on Friday night with the girls performance at A Highland Evening, which was a great night ~ albeit a very late night ~ as usual. I LOVE to be around Scottish culture, and to have my girls a part of it is awesome! Then it was up early on Saturday to drive (2 1/2 hrs one way) to Syracuse to a memorial service for a close family friend, and after a few hours spent remembering a great man we drove back home for our annual dinner for the dancers. We arrived just in time for the pot-luck dinner, and then had a great time celebrating with the all the dancers, family and friends that came ~ but another late night after a very early morning and even longer afternoon. As you can imagine when Sunday finally arrived we were ready to rest! And through it all I still had this nasty virus that left me without a voice :(. Not having a voice, and not feeling well in general; made all these activities that much more tiring. Trying to talk, trying not to talk but still participate; well I was exhausted! Sunday morning I felt awful. So I tried something that I always do for me girls, and what my mom always suggested too ~ I took a nice long hot bath. I also used a great product that I have used on the girls since they were little, Johnson's Soothing Vapor Bath. (It is like having Vick's Vapor Rub in the steam of the bath! If you have not tried it, you should! Look for it in the baby aisle!) It was heavenly!! And as the day went on and I rested but puttered around, I began to feel better. Even got outside while Charlie and the girls rode their 4 wheelers around the yard! And now this morning, I am feel pretty fit. Voice is back, only sometimes shaky, the coughing has slowed to only occasionally but now my nose is running! A good sign that it is breaking up I think!!! All in all a great weekend!
This week will be another busy one. In addition to the norm, we have an online assembly from Plimouth Plantation, I have a board meeting on Wednesday, Aly's birthday on Thursday, her party on Saturday... Need I go on? I am truly hoping the girls stay well ~ Charlie has already fallen victim to what I had, poor guy! I'll keep you posted as we go!
And lastly our featured artist this week is http://www.etsy.com/shop/veryverdant . Hope you'll come back to "meet" her!
Happy Monday!!!
Suzanne

TGIF!!!

2010-11-12T09:26:00.003-05:00

We have a very busy weekend ahead of us. Tonight the girls are performing at an event called A Highland Evening, so I get to surround myself with the culture I love so much. Tomorrow, we are leaving very early to drive to Syracuse (2 1/2 hrs one way!) for a memorial service for a very close friend of Charlie's family who passed away last week. Then we have to get home by around 6 or so as tomorrow night is the annual dinner to honor all the highland dancers and our school. An event that I coordinate, making my absence for set up and such a little difficult. Thankfully we have very active and helpful parents that will help out. It is truly a great group of people. Finally Sunday we can relax ~ I hope!!! I have been battling a virus all week that has left me without a voice and feeling pretty icky. I think however it is breaking up now, since I am coughing like crazy!! All I need now is rest...... Well, a girl can hope :) !!!
This week has gone very well for me. Our new feature has also done well. I am also hoping to get the new AlyMak Originals listed today. I do have one more thing up my sleeve that I hope to announce very soon. Stay tuned!!!

Suzanne

Don't forget one last look at this week's featured artist:

Next week's feature is http://www.etsy.com/shop/veryverdant . Hope you'll come back and check it out!

New idea from unusual place!

2010-11-11T09:18:00.003-05:00

So, we were in the office the other day, my 2 girls and I , when they started their familiar can I have this fabric chant. They do this all the time - but then I find it ALL OVER THE PLACE!! So this time I said, what would you like to do with it? My oldest, who I should mention is a fashion-ista in the making, said how about a scarf. A scarf, I said?? HMMMM. She wears them ALL the time to accessorize (she'll be 8 next week - I know WAY to grown up for her & my own good lol!) And now she is excited at the idea of customizing her own clothes. As she said, "it's like I'm already a Fashion Designer!"!!! And so began a very fun afternoon of them choosing which fabric (my youngest was just as into it!) and then coming up with a pattern to use. They are now the proud owners of their one of a kind, own design scarfs; of which they now have several! Which of course lead me to the next thought of - I could put these in our shop!!! I am always saying that SewSuzanne is a family affair, and it has never been more true! So, here is the unveiling of a new line we are naming - appropriately - AlyMak Designs!!!

I spent most of my office time yesterday working on some for the shop. I have a couple to finish today, get my models to pose for me and get them listed. They are all made from 100% cotton flannel so there are warm and snuggly as well as stylish!!! So, let me know your thoughts so I can share them with the "designers"!!! They would love to hear your opinions on their first designs. And should you choose to buy one of them - who knows in a few years they could be worth something - you could have the very first design of an up and coming designer LOL!!! Stranger things have happened I guess :)
Happy Thursday!
Suzanne

Don't forget our feature artist this week:

Looking for stocking stuffers?

2010-11-10T10:13:00.004-05:00

These pillowcases wrap up and fit nicely into stockings! And it is a stuffer that can be used over and over, in any season! My girls LOVE to change there cases to fit there moods!

And please don't forget to check out this week's featured artist:

Happy Holiday shopping to all!!
Warmly,
Suzanne

Tuesday Feature....

2010-11-09T08:17:00.009-05:00

I am so excited to begin our new weekly artist feature!!! I hope you will take some time to read and look at her shops! You won't be disappointed! Here we go!
Our first feature is a fellow member of the McEtsy team and a very talented artist.

What do you offer at SunshineScot ?

The shop has all my contemporary artwork, mostly mixed media, illustration with a graphic design feel ~ I love typography. There's also a small vintage art section that has a textile influence. I also create smaller items such as Art Badges and Cards made up from my work.

My fun illustration work and second shop is under the banner ZiggyandFriends on Etsy.

Tell us one thing you'd like us to know about you!

Well that is always a hard one, but I was almost knocked down by the Queen in Dundee! (It's true!!)

What is your favorite item to make?

I love working with mixed media at the moment and am finishing off some art pieces for an exhibition in December - but it does vary.

Where can we find you?

Blog: http://redroaddesign.blogspot.com/

ZiggyandFriends on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ziggyandfriends

SunshineScot on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sunshinescot

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ziggyandfriends

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/we3collective/103421206358711

Here is a preview of both her shops!!! Enjoy!!! :)

Monday updates...

2010-11-08T12:28:00.005-05:00

Well, here we are again. The start of a new week. And it is cold and rainy outside. It WAS snowing~my girls were thrilled!! I must say that the end of last week and this past weekend were very productive for me. I finally finished some new listings, got them photographed and up, got my office the way I want it ~ FINALLY! And started this am with a clean slate ~ literally. My cutting space is clear, my desk is clear and I finally have a schedule of daily tasks for my job ~ SewSuzanne! I have also come to the realization that the only thing holding me back from success is me. That I need to make this a priority, a real job and not just a hobby I get to when I can. So hopefully you'll be noticing all the changes that I have been making, and see more consistency in my work. I do also have a couple new lines to introduce in the coming days that I am pretty excited about. Hope you'll stick around for them!!

One of these new changes will be a new weekly feature here on the blog! I will feature 1 seller each week, hopefully helping spread the word about our Handmade world and a few of us in it! Tomorrow's first feature will be Jay from http://www.etsy.com/shop/sunshinescot & http://www.etsy.com/shop/ziggyandfriends . Hope you'll come back :)

Make it a GREAT day!!!
Suzanne

TGIF!!!

2010-11-05T09:37:00.003-04:00

It's finally Friday!! This week has been great! And with the rainy cold weather, I got alot done for the shop!! Have any of you read the Etsy Boot Camp newsletters? I have found them helpful, and inspirational! It is helping me to focus on what is important, and to prioritize things better. With my new cleaning schedule for my "family" life, I am hoping to now marry in my "work" life more efficiently. So far, so good! Today I am going to get all the new cases I made into the shop. I am also going to add some holiday goodies in as a little something extra!! Now that Halloween is over, I can concentrate on the holidays a bit better!!
I am also going to start a regular feature on the blog showcasing other Handmade Artists. Would you like to be one? Drop me a line at SewSuzanne@gmail.com and I will add you to the list! I am excited about this, and can't wait to get going!!
Happy Friday all!!! Have a GREAT weekend!
Suzanne
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewsuzanne

A good time had by all!

2010-11-01T08:39:00.004-04:00

Thought I'd share some pics from our busy Halloween weekend!

Snow White and her Prince, Tinkerbell and Wendy Darling! :) I know, Charlie looks thrilled. He was, if fact was smiling but he said something to someone at the party just as the pic was taken. It was the only group shot so I have to share it!!! (He said not to!)
And then the Halloween parade to town for the reading of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow complete with headless horsemen rider (supposedly our town is where this story took place?). We were part of the meet and great the horses after the reading.

We had a great weekend - now we are exhausted!!! Time to relax and unwind...

Happy Monday!

Suzanne

TGIF!!

2010-10-29T08:38:00.005-04:00

Well, another week has come and gone! And try as I may, I still need just a couple more hours in the day to get done all that I'd like too!!! My cleaning routine is going well, but I am still having trouble fitting in my shop and blog. I'll get there, I just need to keep at it!!!

We got all the summer stuff finally put away, and the porch is all clean and ready for fall and winter - and most especially for the wood pile to be brought up for the fires on the chilly nights. And we are almost ready for Halloween. I hope to post pictures next week! And just because you didn't think I was crazy enough yet, here is a picture of something else to take up my "spare" time:

Yup, a new 6 month old puppy. Yeah, I know, we already had 3 dogs. And yes, I have made an appointment to get my head examined!! (LOL) We named him Buchanan and he is a great addition to the family. He is such a lover, the girls adore him and so do our other dogs (although the Jack Russell is still deciding on him!!). He LOVES to cuddle. He is a rescue of course. He was with a friend of my husband's for about a month, but he had no yard for him to run in and worked all the time and felt bad that Buchanan was in a cage all day. He got him from the animal shelter. Now, he is here with us and runs in the yard with the others all the time, and gets love all time. He fits in great so far, seems like we've always had him!

Happy Halloween to you all!

Suzanne

PS.... Our 1/2 off sale ends soon. Hurry in to get yours. They make fantastic gifts!

Half_Off_Sale_Click_Here

I'M BAAACK.... :)

2010-10-20T08:42:00.002-04:00

After what feels like years...! We have been really busy, and sadly when I get busy the things that I enjoy the most are the things I let slide - my blog and our shop :(. But I am happy to report my weekly cleaning plan is still going well, really well in fact. We went on our annual fall vacation to Cape Cod last week, and since my hubby's new job only allowed him to be with us for 2 out of 9 nights, he was home with the dogs and working. So not only were we sad to be there without him, I came home to a house in need of cleaning. (Men - like things to be neat and clean but don't think to turn on the vacuum!!!) But using my new system I started in right away using the weekly checklist which helped keep me focused on not trying to do it all at once, but take little chunks day by day. So refreshing for me!!! Normally I would try to get it all done in one day. But I chose the most used areas first, and am gradually working through the rest of the house each day. I am also very busy with my volunteer stuff to(planning our annual dance dinner, 4H, planning my families annual Christmas party....etc!), so I have been trying to divide my time accordingly. And I must say, so far, so good! I think the fact that I am committed to staying more organized is making the difference too. As I see a need for tweaking, I can do so. I am always a work in progress! ;)
Our half off sale is still going on in our pillowcase shop. But hurry in today - it won't last much longer!!! Check em out here! They make FANTASTIC gifts! And at this price you can't go wrong!!!
Happy Fall!!
Suzanne

Happy Monday!!

2010-09-27T09:02:00.002-04:00

The fresh start of a new week always fills me with promise of what can get done!! The first week of my new weekly chore plan came together nicely! I got all the important tasks done, kept track of when I did them, and had spare time too! So, this week I am even more excited to see what I can do!! I am finding free time that I never had before and LOVING it!!!
I also announced last week a half price sale on our flannel pillowcases that was a HUGE success. As of this morning I have sold 10 cases, with a special order for 2 more!!! So now I really need to get going and fill the shop with some new fabrics.
And lastly, Charlie should be starting his new job this week. This will be the final step in truly getting on track as I can adapt to the new and hopefully final schedule change from him. So, all in all this week is looking good!
To check out the sale, please visit: 50%offsaleatSewSuzanne
Happy Monday to you all!!
Suzanne

Week in review....

2010-09-24T09:46:00.002-04:00

So, one week in (well, almost!) and I can report it as a success!! Even on the days when life throws more curve balls than I'd like (Wednesday-2 sick kids, Thursday-Dr. appt for Charlie's back) I was able to stay on target! This new cleaning system is a breeze to use! It has structure - which I needed - in that there is a schedule to follow, yet flexible enough in that I can choose which tasks for which day. I can't believe I didn't come up with it before! LOL I am so thrilled with it!!! And this week probably took longer than it will in the future, as some of the tasks I cleaned REALLY well, so now all it will be is weekly up keep. I also find that if I pick up as I see a mess, or something out of place, it makes the house stay neater and I have less stress!!! I highly recommend to anyone that feels like I felt - drowning in chaos and clutter that you can't break free of - to try something like this. I have found it so satisfying!!! I am happy to help and share with anyone that would like help! Just drop me a line....

My hope is that next week I can add it to the schedule some more Etsy time. With this in mind I am offering a sale to help clean up the office, and make room for more merchandise. SOOOO, everything in our pillowcase section is on sale 50% off!!!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewsuzanne?section_id=5738806 Please come on in and send your friends too!!! These cases make GREAT gift ideas. Get a jump on that holiday shopping!!!
Happy weekend and SHOPPING to you all!!
Suzanne

Day 2...

2010-09-21T09:25:00.003-04:00

With only 1 day down my new system is going well. And I can see it being a success. It works for me because of its simplicity. My life is so crazy that I need my cleaning routine to not to be. So, we'll see if I can keep it up :). Just as a test I suppose, I got my first couple wrinkles. My oldest isn't feeling well, and kept me up half the night and we just got off the phone with one of my hubby's doctors. We have hopefully figured out what is causing my husband's pain - a bulging disc with bone spurs that may require surgery. Sounds a bit scary, but we go to a specialist on Thursday to hear the full truth of the matter. So, if I can keep up the routine with all this - I can do it anytime, right??? Life seems to always throw curves at me, which is why I do need a simple approach so it is attainable during hectic times like this.
AND, I was able to get some of the summer stuff put away, pressure washed the front porch and house, and got a few fall things out too. I'm on a roll now :).

So, how about you? Any big cleaning or organizing projects going? Share them with me and we can inspire each other!
Suzanne

Revelation update..

2010-09-20T08:35:00.002-04:00

Well, I spent the better part of last week on my goal of organizing the house. And it has been so worth the effort! I have a much better handle on things and I am ready to begin the next phase in an organized life: Keeping It Up!!! I have been to many sites, reading all kinds of articles with other peoples ideas on keeping your home the way you like it. I really like the ideas on http://organizedhome.com/ , their household notebook is a great concept. I spent some time browsing through the printable library and did actually use a couple of them last week. However, for me, it is tooo organized. :) Meaning, I need daily flexibility with what chores are getting done. To have it all laid out ahead of time just wouldn't work. Things would not get done, and then I'd feel behind again. SOO, I created my own!!! I now have a list of chores that need to be done every week, with a built in daily calendar so that each day I can choose what chores to do (or more what I have time for!!!) and write it on the appropriate day. I will then have a reference point the following week to see which day I did what the previous week. This will come in handy for things like changing all the sheets and mopping the floors, etc. It was pretty easy to do. I used excel and created a page that works for me. I also created a new weekly (Mon-Sun) assignment page for at a glance daily lesson plans, making it easier for me to know what lessons we are doing any given day! I am keeping all of it in a folder in my lesson basket on my desk so it is easy access! I am very excited to get this new list going. Just getting the house in order makes my daily planning a whole lot easier, and this weekly chore list will help immensely! I can actually see time each day for more fun stuff - starting with our fall decorating. Of course first I need to put all the summer stuff away!
Thanks for leaving your comments! I LOVE to hear from readers! Please be sure to share your organizing tips with me....
Suzanne

A revelation....

2010-09-15T09:05:00.002-04:00

It hit me yesterday. I was going to start pulling everything out for fall, and realized that part of why I always feel behind is my house isn't as organized as I'd like. Some areas are, and then others are not at all. I need to find a place for everything and put everything in its place first so that cleaning is a breeze. Then I will have extra time to do all those projects and things that I soo want to, but can't because my time is spent cleaning and picking up. Once I know where things go, and actually have room to put them there, I will be ahead of the game! My Etsy shop and blog always get neglected because I know there are other things I SHOULD be doing. So, yesterday I tackled our master bedroom closet. I made a (big!!) pile of things to donate, and then started to put things away - making sure EVERYTHING has a place, not just thrown in there. If my husband doesn't comply with the new system - he'll be living in the garage LOL!!! Today I am going to continue my quest for organization, getting the house in order so that I can get on with the important things in life. Making memories and doing what I enjoy as well as running a very busy household.
What about you? Any of this sound familiar??? Share your ideas with me! I can always use them :).
Suzanne

Ahhh Monday :)

2010-09-13T09:13:00.004-04:00

Another new week! But we BARELY survived last week! We spent Labor Day weekend as we always do - at the Scottish Games. And it was a blast!! We worked hard and played hard. The girls danced both days, and loved it. But then we had to recover!!! We also started school last week, cleaned and winterized the camper, and cleaned the house too, so it was a week of getting back into the swing. My husband has also made his choice as far as which job offer to accept, and now we just wait for the whole process to take place. He will be going back to his old company, their offer was just too amazing to pass up! So, for now we are in a holding pattern waiting for the next week or 2 until we start back in again. And we will try to achieve a 4/3 day week. 4 days on for work/school, Friday an open day, work from home day, field trip day, and then the weekend for play! I have also been taking the time to reorganize the house and get it as un-cluttered as possible, (will it ever be ???) and get our routine back into normal swing. This is always my goal, but I always seem to falter on the way there! But I persevere because I would truly like to have some consistency in our lives.
And I will be getting back into the swing with our shop too. Our new flannel cases have been a hit so far, and I have more to make and unveil too! So until next time....
Suzanne

Sticky, sticky, sticky...

2010-09-01T08:27:00.002-04:00

Ya gotta love when the temperature goes from the 60's to the 90's in a span of 2 days!!! I was getting in mood for fall, and then got slammed with the heat of summer again!! We did spend the day sweating yesterday as we made some changes around the house. First and most disrupting is our fridge broke :( (it is only 7 yrs old...grrr). Thankfully we have one in the garage for drinks and such, so I had to transfer everything out there. Then we decided to change the girls' room around and spent a couple hours doing that. They were so proud that they were a part of it. Aly was a big help with the heavier items. It looks great and they are very happy with it. And we were dripping with sweat when we were done lol. This week is a crazy one - I know when aren't they, right? So much to do and going on. And, we are getting ready to leave Thursday for the Capital District Scottish Games, where we are going to camp this year. It will be so much easier than driving there and home every day (about an hour 1 way). And as this is our home games (and our favorite!!) the girls compete Saturday and perform Sunday. Should be a whole lot of fun!!!
And an update on the job front, I believe he has made his decision to stay roughly in this area and return to his previous employer as their offer is by far the best. Will know more next week, but we are pretty excited about it :). I just wish life could let me be for awhile. I'd like to get a routine down and be able to stick with it for more that a week or 2!!!!
Happy September 1st all!!!
Suzanne

Ahhh Monday!

2010-08-23T09:24:00.004-04:00

Such promise for a new week! And, as usual SO MUCH TO DO!!! And as has become par for the course in our life lately, we have been thrown yet 2 more curve balls. Charlie has received 2 NEW job offers. 1 in each of his professions. We have 2 meetings set up this week to hear them both, and then decide which one we want to take. Unfortunately, both come with the prospect of relocating. And while I wouldn't mind if it were just he and I, in fact I'd go anywhere to be with him!!; having the 2 girls really throws a wrench in the works. I have a pediatrician that we LOVE, and a pediatric dentist that we all love too! These things are important, and while I know we can find new, the area we may be moving into doesn't have as much to offer as where we are now. Also, we are in a very home school friendly district, and I know what to expect. I'd need to do alot of research to find the right district to move into. But of course the prospect of finding a new home with everything we want in it - complete with pastures and horses!!!, is pretty cool too!
So for now, I am plugging ahead with our life and trying to be patient (not easy for a planner!!) and hear the offers so I know what our next move will be. This am, I have to take Aly to the dentist, and then 4H this afternoon. Tomorrow an early morning meeting to hear the first offer. Wednesday I will pick Charlie up at work and we'll travel the 3 hours south to my brother's, so he can then meet Thursday to hear the second offer. Home Thursday night so he can work Friday. Then of course dance on Saturday. And in between all of that is life - SewSuzanne, play dates, chores, and all that stuff that makes up our week.
So, again I wonder at my own thoughts that I am Superwoman and can handle all this. Sometimes, I swear I am my own worst enemy!!! LOL
Please check out our new boutique - a few great listings there. And please leave a comment! I love to hear from readers :)
Suzanne
SewSuzanneBeddingBoutique!

My very first Treasury!!

2010-08-17T11:22:00.003-04:00

I was featured in a treasury for the first time!!! Woop woop! So excited! Hope you'll have a look: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c69ffe55bf38eefaceabd9c/mani-feel-like-a-woman . Have some new listings to post soon - but have a play date coming for me and the girls in a little bit, so I have to get ready for that first :). The re-launch is going well, and I thank all of you for your comments and encouragement!!

More soon....
Suzanne

So far, so good!

2010-08-13T10:33:00.005-04:00

Well, the response to our re-launch has been very positive so far!!! Please take a look and let me know you thoughts :)

Our new Bedding Boutique at SewSuzanne:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewsuzanne?section_id=7267753

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

SewSuzanne Re-launch official!!!

2010-08-11T16:05:00.003-04:00

Hey all! Our re-launch is official!! I am so happy with all the changes and upgrades, and I can't wait to get moving on all the plans we have made. I hope you'll all stay tuned with me, and let me know how we're doing too!!!

Come one over - http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewsuzanne .

Sincerely
Suzanne

Ahhh Monday

2010-08-09T09:29:00.004-04:00

So here we are, the start of a new week. One that I had high hopes for. But alas, I awoke this am with a hard realization - I am not superwoman. Damn, I was so sure I was. :) I had thought that I could return from our trip, get the camper cleaned out, attend my niece's farewell dinner Friday, go to Highland Dance Saturday am and run a few errands after, returning home and get right back to work with laundry, camper cleaning, house cleaning, yard cleaning and so on. That was the same promise for Sunday - get all caught up and then tackle SewSuzanne shop re-launch and get new merchandise made. OK, here's reality: I did get some of the camper unpacked, some yard work done, laundry up to date, and absolutely no housework done. After a very long and hectic week in the St. Lawrence river last week and arriving home at 2am Friday morning, I found myself truly exhausted. Felt almost like I was moving through quicksand as everything felt heavy and tired. And it didn't help at all that I had started Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (an AMAZING story that I read once about 15 years ago. It is wonderful, and I am so into it now, except it is very long which frustrates me as it takes so long but delights me as it is a wonderful love story!!!) while away, so now all I want to do is sit and finish it. I battled the urge all weekend, only giving in at night. But then I'd stay up late reading, making me not so much rested come morning.
So, here it is our scheduled re-launch day and I find I am not ready :(. And I have to leave shortly to run a few errands (need pool filters and I have to renew my driver's license - what a pain!!), get home to clean and then be to 4H by 3:30pm. So, since I am in fact not Superwoman, I am going to push back the re-launch by a day to tomorrow. That should give me time to get me to where I need to be, I hope!!!
So, until tomorrow then. Anyone have a cure for too much to do and not enough time to do it??? :)
Suzanne

Home again!!!

2010-08-06T09:20:00.003-04:00

And man, I am glad!!! We had a good time, but I am exhausted!!! We spent a good deal of time on the water; fishing, swimming and tubing. And it can zap the energy right out of you :). We didn't get home until 2am this morning, which isn't helping matters either!!! I need a vacation from our vacation!
So, now I need to spend time unpacking, doing laundry and catching up on housework. Not to mention our garden is in serious need of harvesting. Oh, and of course there is the SewSuzanne shop re-launch scheduled for Monday. Can you say over scheduled??? :) Story of my life though. And since I do it to myself, I have no one to blame darn it all.
Anyway - I hope to posts some pictures soon of our trip, as soon as I get settled back in. Can't wait to show off Charlie's 20+-lbs catfish!!! Probably after the re-launch. Hope you'll stay tuned.....
Suzanne

Family travels

2010-07-31T08:15:00.003-04:00

So, after a very busy week with cleaning and organizing the office (done save for some bulletin boards!!) and play dates and errand running, we have arrived at Saturday. No dance this am which means a quite morning, followed by a trip to the bank and then the grocery store. Then it will be back home to finish laundry and pack up the camper. Luckily I have a great system that requires only our clothes and food be put in, so it shouldn't take a whole lot of time! I hope!!! I am also hoping to get some weeding done and get a couple of heather plants in the ground before we go too. Sounds a bit too ambitious now that I am writing it!!! We shall see how I do.....

With all that said, our trip takes us to the St. Lawrence Seaway from Sunday through Thursday 8/1-5, so I'll be away from Internet access and therefore; blogging! I am going to schedule the shop re-launch for Monday 8/9! SOOO excited to get it up and running!!! Hope you'll all stay tuned and join me then! I am planning some fabulous things....
Happy week to you all!!! Until we return... :)
Suzanne

The 3 H's of Summer for Hump Day!!

2010-07-28T13:58:00.004-04:00

Hazy. Hot. Humid. That about sums it up! And for a change this summer has been full of days like these. And we have been thoroughly enjoying them too. This week has been busy and fun so far. We have been settling into our new routine nicely, although we do miss having dad around all day. The girls, Mak especially, have had a rough go of it. But, I have been trying to ease them into it with fun activities and play dates, and that seems to help. Right now I am sitting on the back patio sticky hot but enjoying a pleasant breeze, watching the girls and their pal Emma go from the slip n slide to the pool and back again. They are having a ball!! And I am enjoying my outdoor office immensely. Now, don't laugh at me, but I never thought to bring the laptop out here to do my work. I got a usb wireless connection so the girls could use Charlie's old laptop to go on-line, but I never thought to use it myself!!! LOL I am a bit scatterbrained at times I guess. :) I used to spend mornings doing computer work so I could spend afternoons outside or with the girls doing things. This morning we went for an early walk to try and beat the heat, and then I spent time cleaning and organizing the office. I am really liking the freedom this laptop is affording me!
The re-launch is still going well. The office cleaning is part of it - I want to be able to have all the things I want done, done and in order so I can concentrate on a successful business from re-launch on. Through this process what I am finding the the most helpful is writing a Business Plan. It is helping me to be small business owner minded, and see things differently.
So, while I wasn't and still am not totally ecstatic about Charlie going back to the car business; I am finding it helpful to my "jobs" and routines. I know what each day brings, what the schedule is going to be and how to handle it. And I am getting more done than ever before. Weird, huh?

Well, Happy Hump Day to all! If you get a chance, please visit our fan page to help me in a very unscientific poll. Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1769815348#!/pages/Kinderhook-NY/SewSuzanneetsycom/95685787713?v=wall&ref=ts&__a=29&ajaxpipe=1 I appreciate the help!
Suzanne :)

Introducing......

2010-07-26T08:55:00.002-04:00

Our new and improved blog! As part of our ongoing preparations for our shop re-launch, I decided to upgrade the blog too. I am so happy with the results! So simple and elegant, and so very me!!!
I have been discussing my banner and logo upgrades and how I had hired Erin from http://www.etsy.com/shop/swiekysiggies to help me. She is just wonderful, and so patient. However, it is so hard to convey to someone through email what you truly want or see it your head. So, while browsing through the Etsy Sellers Handbook, I found this awesome tutorial on making your own banner (from the Etsy Blog)http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/skill-share-making-a-banner-641/ . So I read through it, downloaded a free trial version of Photoshop and spent the better part of my weekend learning and creating. The program is pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and I had a blast playing around. After 9 attempts I came up with the final version that I adore! It is everything that I wanted, and I was able to create it myself! Also, I used an image of our actual family tartan (Strathspey District) and not the image created on a computer, so the colors are true. I am just so thrilled and feel it is a real reflection of me, and the shop image that I want to portray! I am totally addicted to Photoshop now!!!
Also, I have added to the blog a tab listing several of the shops from my Etsy Team-SHETeam. Please visit them, and look around. Maybe leave a heart or 2???

Our re-launch is just about ready, a few more upgrades to go. I will be announcing it soon, so I hope you'll stay tuned!
Happy Monday!
Suzanne
Be sure to leave comments on our new look! We love feedback :)

Coming soon....

2010-07-23T08:39:00.005-04:00

very soon, I hope! The re-launch of the new and improved SewSuzanne! I have been hard at work making the upgrades and changes that were necessary. And I have some gorgeous fabric with which to make our fabulous new line of cases. I am soo excited about these upgrades! And I can't wait to share it with you! Stay tuned, but for now, a sneak peak just for my readers!

Be sure to leave me comments and suggestions! I love to hear from my readers!
Happy Friday to all!!!
Suzanne

Thrilled to annouce....

2010-07-19T14:29:00.004-04:00

that we are now proud members of the Scottish Mc Etsy Team!! http://mcetsy.blogspot.com/ Stop by and visit the blog for more information on the team. Although we are not in Scotland, she is never far from our hearts! Joining this team seemed like a no brainer for us!!! I am looking forward to getting to know my new team members and sharing stories and shop advice!!

Still working on the new logo - hope to get it completed this week. Poor Erin at http://www.etsy.com/shop/swiekysiggies I have been driving her mad I believe with constant changes to her work!! She is amazing though, very patient and works hard to get the look I am after. Thank you Erin!! YOU ROCK :)! If you need any graphic work done - you should start and end with her.

More soon....
Suzanne

The day has finally arrived....

2010-07-16T08:23:00.003-04:00

My hubby started back at his old profession today. Which makes me both sad and happy! I am sad to lose him for 40-50 hrs a week as he has spent the last 7 years working from home. But I am happy because he has not been happy or enjoying his work for awhile now. He missed the car business and it was affecting him greatly. I have been telling him he needs to follow his heart for until he does, he will not find peace. The car business is in his blood it seems, and he feels energized just walking through the doors of a showroom. So, he is starting back at square one as a salesman for now, but I am sure that in no time he'll move back to management. He is very talented and a natural at it. I am very proud of him, and glad he is finally following his heart. I am very sad though that my life and routine is going to be completely upended. My chore load, already quite big; is going to get bigger while my time with him is limited. He is my strength and my heart. But this is also the reason he needed to do this. He has been very unsettled these past couple years, affecting all areas of our life. I am hoping this will be what he has needed to right himself again. And I am looking at it as a chance to revamp our life too. Both at home and with our shop, SewSuzanne. I will be working through the kinks and developing a new routine so my part time job - our shop - excels as well. I am again working with Erin at http://www.etsy.com/shop/swiekysiggies on revamping the logo. And I have a few more pics to take to complete our new look. Then I will be introducing a new line of cases. So much to do - perhaps I won't miss him at all??? (I doubt it!)
Happy day to all!
Suzanne

Camping...

2010-07-07T07:51:00.002-04:00

Hello Readers!

We will be on vacation, camping with our family from Wednesday 7/7 thru Wednesday 7/14. We will be back in motion soon, and are getting ready to role out our revamped shop!! Hope you'll stay tuned :).

Suzanne

Tuesday thoughts....

2010-07-06T09:12:00.002-04:00

We are getting closer with our revamp of the shop. I have taken new photos and am very pleased with the outcome. Amber from http://mommythemarketer.com/ turned me on to http://www.picnik.com/ for editing and I LOVE IT!!! It is so easy to use, and the pictures look outstanding! I need to finish shooting all the current merch, and then will make some other changes and do a big reveal soon. We are going camping for a week, so I won't be active again till we get home. I am also working to change our banner just a bit to reflect our new image too. I am working hard to make SewSuzanne a small business not just a hobby. I am even writing a business plan to help me achieve my goal. So far, so good. I am so grateful to Amber and all her help. She is just amazing. I hope you will all stay tuned and let me know what you think of our changes. Good or bad - it is helpful!

Suzanne :)

Happy 4th!!!

2010-07-04T07:43:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!

Happy July 1st!!!

2010-07-01T09:07:00.004-04:00

Although it feels more like October today!! It's alright though, I have SO much weeding to do in the yard, it will be nice to have a cooler afternoon to do so! I am also working to revamp the shop. Working hard to take some new pictures that flow better and update the look of the shop. I am working to make it more a reflection of me and our product (thanks Amber, http://mommythemarketer.com/ ). Something to be proud of. I think I took 50 pictures yesterday trying to get it all right. I don't know about you but the pictures is ALWAYS the hardest part for me. Here is a little sample. What do you all think?

I'll be sure to keep updating as we go. I am very excited about our changes...!

Suzanne

At it again....

2010-06-29T09:30:00.003-04:00

So, for those of you that have been reading along with me you know that we have been working on a new line of organic bath and body products and that life was put on hold as my husband has decided to follow his true passion again and get back into a profession that takes him away from us (he currently works from home mostly). And with this comes new schedules and new routines and a sadness to be with out him. The worst part is it hasn't actually happened yet for one reason or another so we are still in limbo so to speak. With this also came the realization that a new business venture is just not smart right now. So we have tabled it for the time being. With this also came another realization. I already have a shop that is established and out there, and I can and should focus my energy on it. So, I am now working on a new more sophisticated line of cases for SewSuzanne. I am also going to be adding plaid cases, which is surprising I haven't given my love for Scotland and all things Scottish. I will still do the flannel cases that we are known for of course.
I hope to have some things done and ready in the next week or two. I am again working with Mommy The Marketer, Amber Jordan http://mommythemarketer.com/ , to help me be more successful. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Wish me luck!!
Suzanne

This was not my intention!!!

2010-06-10T10:02:00.003-04:00

When I started this blog, I intended to be blogging often, daily even. And for awhile I did. But then when my mom passed away my life and routines changed drastically. And I don't know why I am having a hard time getting back into a rhythm. I thought I was getting another good routine down, and then my husband through me a curve ball, which again shifted the balance. The worst part is that his curve ball hasn't even landed yet, so we have been in limbo waiting on other people. This may be a life changer for us, as he may be gone alot of the time again. And I have to admit I am very sad about it. And I believe that is why I have no desire to do anything, no energy to put forth into any kind of schedule or normalcy. Until we can get this new plan of his into action, I feel like my life is in constant upheaval. And I can't plan for anything; big or small, because I don't know what is going to happen. And so I find myself here again with a large feeling of discontent that I can't get rid of. So, my solution? I am going with it! :) I am just taking 1 day at a time, and trying to have patience. I love my husband with all that I have and I want him to be happy and follow his dreams. I have been incredibly spoiled these last 7 years having him with us most of the time, working from home. I am so not looking forward to possibly being without him not only for a new schedule but for many of the weekend activities too. Like Highland Dance competitions and Scottish Games that we need to attend for the girls. Like all the camping vacations that we have already planned and paid for prior to this. BUT, as I said I will adjust and make do as he deserves to follow his heart. I just wish the shoe would drop already so I knew what exactly my future is. I am a planner by nature, and I HATE not knowing. Drives me bananas, and I can't concentrate or well, plan, anything!

I'll keep you posted. I truly am hoping I can't get another good routine down, here on the blog, in our Etsy shop and at home. Wish us luck!!!
Suzanne

A couple more sales....

2010-05-13T11:54:00.004-04:00

Woohooo!! And one was a special order that I thought I'd share with my readers. I think they came out well...

I am working on some more cases too! I have some great fabric all ready, just need to find the time to make them!!!

Happy reading....

Suzanne

Just breathtaking

2010-05-05T09:00:00.004-04:00

AAHHHH. What a beautiful morning!!! Bright sunshine and a gorgeous blue sky. How can you NOT feel inspired? And I woke up to 2 orders in our shop!!! Even better, right? I just had to share some of my positive energy, I seem to be bursting with it today...... :) !!!

Hope all my readers have a fantastic day!!
Suzanne

PS.... A great deal going on in one of my favorite home school shops. They are turning 4!!! Check it out here:
http://www.notebookingpages.com/index.php

SOOO Excited!!!!

2010-05-03T11:43:00.003-04:00

We used to spend most of our summer at my mom's house at her in ground pool. As most of you know, we lost her this past October, an event that devastated my family. With warm weather fast approaching, we all have been really missing her and talking about not spending time with her and her pool, and how this summer will be hard. However, I think it's important to make new memories, while cherishing the old ones. BUT pools are expensive, and money is tight. Yet after a little research I found an above ground 15'x48" pool that was ON SALE. I also researched salt sanitation systems as they are so much better for swimmers and the environment since they use little to no chemicals. The exciting news? I was able to purchase both USING ONLY ETSY PROFITS!!!! Isn't that fantastic? My passion for sewing, which was taught to me BY my mother, was able to get something my girls are going to just die over!!! I am not telling them until it arrives in a week or so, so that they will be surprised. I am just so happy that I am able to do this for them. What a blessing Etsy has has become for me.

But, now I need to rebuild our account!!! :) And so, now a little shameless shop promotion :). Please visit our shop and check out our stuff. Our pillowcases make great gifts for all ages, and are a gift that will last! Best part is they will think of you each time they lay their head down!!! I know it is a little late for Mother's Day, but if you order today, I can ship DIRECTLY to that special mom on your list (US only)! SO please check out our shop, and maybe tell a friend!

Happy Monday to all!!!
Suzanne

Our new venture.......

2010-04-29T08:59:00.003-04:00

We have been hard at work coming up with and trying out new recipes for a new line of products we are planning for a new shop. We have come up with a few keepers, and a few not so great trials. I am so excited about this new venture, which began because my daughter has patches of very dry skin and her Pediatrician recommended a popular store bought cream to use. I was concerned about the chemicals in them, and decided to try to make our own. What a process!!! I have been researching and trying, and spending :(, and from these tests sprouted the idea of a new line of products. If I feel this way, I am sure others do too, right? So, now we are working to perfect them, and hope to launch a couple of them in the very near future. The best part is I know exactly what is in them, all natural, organic when possible, and pure. I am also going to make our own floral fragrances from our organic garden. I am so excited about creating a product that is just what I want, and from plants I have raised and nurtured from seeds. I can't wait for our lilacs to bloom so I can create that fragrance first. Stay tuned, as I will post our progress often, and announce when we are ready to launch!!!

Happy Thursday to all!!!
Suzanne

A funny little story...

2010-04-27T09:29:00.003-04:00

So, I have been away for a little while, and while this isn't totally unusual for me lately, I do have a good reason this time! A bout 2 weeks ago I was coming down the stairs to say hello to my nephew who had just arrived when my foot got caught and I fell down the stairs. I landed with my foot up under my bum, the top part of my foot falling on the edge of the step. Needless to say OUCH!!!. I did go to the ER, and thankfully nothing is broken, however I sprained everything from my knee down. I almost wish it were broken, would be as easier fix!!! So I have spent the last 2 weeks hobbling around with my leg up whenever possible. Sitting at the computer was excruciating, which is why I have been so absent from both here and our shop!!! I was also in the middle of redoing my office (again!) and with things all over the place, trying to navigate with crutches was very difficult! But, I am trying to get back into it, and have been putting some weight on my leg hoping to hurry the healing along. I cant believe how much it hurts!!! I can laugh about my stupidity now, although it still stings a little to think about :). My sisters and brothers have really enjoyed ribbing me - there job I suppose!!! I have also been working to get the office put back together so I can actually think clear in here!
So, I am hoping to be back to blogging more regularly and to making new merch as well. And we are still working on our new line of natural lotions and hopefully bug repellent. We hope to unveil soon!!! Thanks for reading my silly little story!!! And I give you permission to laugh at my expense!!!

Have a great Tuesday!
Suzanne

Ahhh blue skies....

2010-04-12T08:44:00.003-04:00

Such a gorgeous blue it is! I LOVE mornings like these, the beautiful sky and bright sun fill me with peace and contentment. I want to go sit on the glider in the sun and read, watch my girls play in the yard and just sit back. And then life slaps me and says "wake up and pay attention, there's laundry to do, school work, house work, not to mention your Etsy business. Maybe when you are done you can sit and relax". I start out saying, OK, moderation. Do what you can and then enjoy the sun and weather. But, it never works out that way LOL. I started to reorganize my office - AGAIN about 2 weeks ago. I got rid of the monster desk that was in here and replaced it with some of our beautiful antiques. Now, it is beautiful, BUT not complete. I have to go through the rest of the "stuff" and find a place for everything. Part of it is I was waiting for hubby to build me some shelves. I finally bought one and put it together myself yesterday. BUT because my office is not organized - things and boxes are here and there, I can't concentrate and work on ANYTHING. So I haven't been doing such a good job here on the blog, in our Etsy shop or on the new product line we are developing (natural, organic products such as bug repellent and lotions, sun screen). BUT, as this blog began, the beauty of the outdoors beckons me away... and it stays incomplete!!! My back porch is a different story. I worked hard and created a wonderful space that we all love. And there you see is the problem. It calls to me, and welcomes me to it. And then my indoor plans go out the window. It has been beautiful this spring, and we do almost everything out side now. School work, lunch and dinner, playtime, relaxing.... See my problem??? Maybe I can take my husband's laptop out there.... :)

How do you do it all? Any suggestions for me...
Suzanne

Unbelievable connection...

2010-03-18T09:51:00.003-04:00

OK, so through my attempts at networking and marketing our shop, I came across Mommy the Marketer http://www.mommythemarketer.com/ . I looked through her sites and sent her an email saying how much I loved what she is doing. Then, yesterday I came across a marketing tool for sale that I thought may be worth while to help me make our shop more successful. I reached out to Amber (Mommy the Marketer) and asked her opinion on it. She responded THE SAME DAY that I should keep my money, and that SHE would help me FOR FREE!!! I was blown away, I responded as such and told her that was not my intent. And she still insisted on helping me, because it was she does. And, she is good on her word. She critiqued our shop, and has so far given me some VERY useful tips on making our shop better. And I am going to keep working with her to make improvements. And all this in just one day. You really need to check her out. And pass her name out to all your friends too. She is the real deal, looking out for and helping us little guys that are trying to make it in this crazy web world.

Here are her links:
http://www.mommythemarketer.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-The-Marketer/295638618708?ref=ts
http://www.mommythemarketer.com/because-i-said-so-blog.htm

Thank you Amber!!! I will forever be in your debt :)

Happy Almost Spring!!!
Suzanne

Top o' the morning....

2010-03-17T09:33:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

While not exactly a Scottish holiday, still gotta show the love for fellow celt's every where!!!

So... Eirinn go brach!!!

Going green.....

2010-03-16T08:55:00.003-04:00

So, I think I am a pretty aware person. I know that there are things we can do, our little part in saving the environment. I try to buy things that are healthy for both my kids AND the environment. I'll admit I haven't always been as conscience of it, although I fell like I have tried to make smart choices. A few years ago my husband stopped drinking after years of enjoyment. Not surprising, he became ill with a series of things that to this day we are battling. No one can seem to find the solution to get him well again, and we have gone to COUNTLESS doctors for help. But, one good thing that has come out of it is way back then (about 3 1/2 - 4 years ago) we went to a nutritionist who really opened our eyes to all the products on the market, and what they are doing to our bodies. I began to really pay attention to what I was buying and giving to my family. Things I THOUGHT were healthy were anything but. So, now I find myself at the other end of this spectrum. How much is too much scrutiny? I am aware that you can go way to in depth and that you may not always need to. But, where to draw the line? I have found safe verses unsafe food lists on-line that I have printed and carry to the store with me, and always check it before I buy. So, in my ever vigilant search for healthy, green living I found Seventh Generation. http://www.seventhgeneration.com/ These are cleaning products that I really like and the company motto is wonderful, they create products considering the impact on the next seven generations. I LOVE their laundry detergent the best. BUT, why does green living have to be so darn expensive?? I mean I do get why, but if there was a way to make it more affordable, it would be easier to make a bigger impact.

So, what do you think? Have a product you LOVE??? Leave your comments here... I am always searching for healthy, green alternatives for my family!!

Suzanne
please visit our Fan Page, and become a fan!!

Now a member of the Etsy SHE Team ....

2010-03-03T09:58:00.002-05:00

And I am soooo excited! It is a group of Etsians that also Home School! What a wonderful place to be, among other like minded individuals :). We are thrilled to be a part of it all. I will be posting more info on them soon, but check out the blog at http://sheetsyteam.blogspot.com/ . And here is the link for all the team stores http://sheteamstores.blogspot.com/ .

Also, have you checked out our new listings yet? I will be adding another a bit later on today. Please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewsuzanne to check them all out.

Are you a fan???
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinderhook-NY/SewSuzanneetsycom/95685787713

Happy day to you all :)

TADA Monday!!!

2010-03-01T15:31:00.003-05:00

Well, here they are all together. Our new line of cinch bags. I will be adding them 1 a day to the shop - but you can always email me if you like one :)

They are sooo adorable! And I have plans to make alot more.

Happy Shopping!!

Suzanne

Homeschooling and loving it!!!

2010-03-01T11:34:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted anything about what our daily life is like, and how much we enjoy it! Homeschooling can be a challenge at times, but the rewards are so worth every second of it! I have found such joy in watching my girls blossom and expand their horizons. I also wanted to share a site with those of you who either home school, keep journals and notebooks or enjoy keeping an organized home. I have found this site very useful and inspirational many many times. I hope you do to! http://www.notebookingpages.com/ .

Happy March 1st to everyone!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

PS... I have some new ADORABLE bags that I will be adding to our shop. Please check back later today to check them out :)

Finally.....

2010-02-17T09:06:00.003-05:00

We got some decent snow!! About 7 inches or so here at the house. The girls are thrilled!! While spring will be nice, I am glad to get some of the white stuff! It just isn't winter without it :)

Happy Wednesday..
Suzanne

After a very long absence...

2010-02-15T09:41:00.002-05:00

I am back to blogging!!! I don't know how often I'll be here, or about what I will write; but I am getting back in the swing of things. I miss my mom more than words can say, and going on without her has been very hard, but at times easy too. I am finally able to be completely free, free to take care of my family, take care of only 1 house and focus on what I want from life. I would take her back in a minute, but I am also beginning to live again. Only this time, life will be what I make it. I am the last of 6 children and I have spent my life trying keep up, prove myself worthy or following others directions. I always did what either she told me was right or what I felt mom would want me to do, but now I am going to what I want to do, follow my own path to destiny. I learned so much from my mother, about who I want to be as a wife and mother, a friend and person. She gave me the knowledge and confidence to hit the world head on, and that is what I intend to do. Be me, for once, without trying to prove worthiness. I have the confidence in myself after this very long journey with my mother to know that I am good and honest, and that I have the most amazing best friend and husband around. And my girls continue to amaze and astound me. For the first time I am able to focus all my attention right here at home and it has been wonderful. (I cared for my mother and her home all during her 4 year long battle with small cell lung cancer, and often felt as though I was running 2 households) So, while the pain of her loss is still very raw, and I miis her every day, I am learning to go on. And I am enjoying the process..
We have a new motto here at the house, and that is to be posistive and move forward, without letting yesterday weigh us down. My husband started a new job, which has been amazing for us all. He is now Senior Loan Officer for a national, federally funded bank. I have added his Facebook Fan Page here to the blog. I am hoping people will have a look and become a fan. It is a new endeavor for us, but the intent of the page is to post information on current mortgage news and rates, and how he can help people with mortgage and finance questions. Please stop by and visit - and become a fan!!!

Feel GOOD about what you can do, and NOT bad about what you can't....
Make it a great day
Suzanne
ps... It is good to be back!

It is with a very heavy heart

2009-10-20T08:35:00.002-04:00

that I write this blog. It has been a rough and long week for me. I have written a bit in the past about having the honor of caring for my ill mother. While packing to get ready to go on the Cape Cod vacation that we took each October with her and my sister, I got the call that forever changed my life. Something had gone wrong over night and she was not doing well. I rushed down to her house, after about 10 minutes with her I knew she would need help. I phoned her Dr. and took her to the ER. She was admitted and by Sunday night she had slipped into a coma. All the tests that were done revealed nothing. I am the last of 6 children, but she chose me to be her voice when she could not. By 5am Monday morning, I had to choose whether or not to put her on life support, as she was failing fast. Still, I did not know what we were battling. How could I follow her wishes if I didn't know what was going on? I weighed all the options, and made the choice NOT to. I felt it would just prolong the inevitable as all the signs pointed to non - reversal of whatever was going on. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, signing the DNR paperwork. I sobbed uncontrollably for awhile. Her Oncologist came that afternoon, and we got all the answers we needed. What we had been suspecting was a tumor in her chest was indeed just that, regrowth of her lung cancer that had been in remission for 3 years. The tumor was growing rapidly, and it was blocking her airway. So I made the right choice after all. Now all we could do was make her comfortable. We were all there - her 6 children, younger brother and husband. Some of the 18 grandchildren were in and out as well. We kept a bedside vigil, sleeping where we could, but mostly sitting with her and making sure she was comfortable and NEVER alone. She did wake up and become responsive on Tuesday morning. And we were all able to talk to her and share our love. She was able to nod and smile and she even reached up and held my husband for a bit. That both helped and made it harder. She passed at 1pm last Tuesday, and I held her hand the whole time. I did not want to let her go. The pain of losing her is just too intense. I know that she is no longer suffering, and in a much better place, but I don't know how to live without her. We did all go to the Cape anyway, as we had 3 houses paid for on the beach. This time though all 6 kids and their families went to grieve privately. It was so hard for me at first. I just needed and wanted to be alone. So I spent much of the time by myself, trying to hold it together. Then on Friday we had a little celebration on the beach in her favorite spot, all the grandkids drew hearts in the sand and we just honored and remembered my mom. And my healing began. We came home on Saturday and had her services on Sunday. I am now just trying to cope and get back into the swing. I may not write as often for awhile, it is all just too much right now. I will get back to our daily entries, so please stay tuned.....
Suzanne

Beautiful Morning.....

2009-10-06T09:10:00.003-04:00

Wow. The sky is so bright and blue! I love beautiful mornings like this. It brightens and lifts the soul :). Hard to feel irritated about anything when there is so much beauty around! I guess it doesn't hurt that I am still loving our new banner and logo! It just makes me smile every time I log on to the shop or the blog! I am just so pleased with it. We have been making great progress reorganizing the house. The girls were amazingly receptive yesterday when we moved to their toy room. So far there are 2 and 1/2 garbage bags of give away!!! YEAH!!! I am so proud of them. We have had a lot of discussions about how there are alot of families that don't have much, and that those kids would love to have some of the toys that they never play with. Now, they are both eager to help and pass on things. Plus, I have explained that having less things around will make their chore of keeping their toy room clean a whole lot easier :). And I told them they are not the only ones. That dad and I will be cleaning out our closets and passing things that we don't use or need too. I am sick of feeling like all I do is clean the house. It is a constant, never ending battle with all the clutter around. I have been patient up until now, but no more!!! I am not even sure what I would do with free time anymore! It has been so long since I had any, always feeling like I should be doing this or cleaning up that.

Well, of to start school and then the continuation of Operation De-Clutter. Wish me luck :)
Happy and Warm Tuesday to all!!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

TADA Monday!!! Introducing....

2009-10-05T08:42:00.004-04:00

Our new layout!!! Isn't it great?! Erin at http://www.swiekysiggies.etsy.com is an amazing graphic artist that I found after deciding I wanted to use our family tartan instead of a generic one. She is so very talented and patient during what has to be a difficult process for her to create. The only way to communicate is through email, and it is so hard to convey your thoughts and wants through written words sometimes! So after many back and forths, we arrived at a perfect result! When I first contacted her, I knew what I wanted but couldn't find it. Then as I was cleaning the back porch one afternoon it hit me! I wanted the logo to have a medieval and authentic feel, and I wasn't finding it because it wasn't out there yet! I wanted a family crest for our shop. Something that is unique to us, and could become our signature, something only we have. So Erin and I set about creating one! I sent her images of both my ancestor's crest (McPherson) and Charlie's family (Tuthill) to give her an idea of layout. We then set about adding the main elements of sewing and Highland Dance - the 2 things that take up MOST of our time :). After a few days of back and forth our new and very own crest was born!!! How cool is that?! She then set about creating the banner using our (Charlie's) family tartan as the backdrop, and making all the corresponding buttons needed too. And last she redid this beautiful blog for us!! I am so happy with the result! It has all the elements I wanted, feels very authentic and medieval. Erin is VERY talented and so easy to work with. She listens and tries to replicate your thoughts and needs, and is there with helpful advice too. I would recommend her to anyone needing a graphic artist. I will surely go back to her again and again in the future!
So here it is. As promised! Our TADA moment. I am thrilled to have a One of A Kind design that I know no one else will have, or be able to have! :) It is ours, all ours, as Erin had assured me she will not resell it. It is perfect!
Today is going to be fun. First it is off to the Library and then back home to finish our school work and then continue the reorganization of the house. It is a slow process, but at least it happening!!! And I had a long talk with the girls about sorting through all there stuff and making it more organized and donating things that they just don't need or use. They are on board - I think ;).
Make today a great day!!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com
Let us know what you think of our new logo and layout! We'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!!!

Wednesday, hump day...

2009-09-30T09:37:00.002-04:00

and it is a bit chilly! Feels like fall though, and I love the crisp air! Busy day, so just a quick post. I am almost done with Charlie's vest, and then I am moving on to mine. I know I promised pictures, and I will post them soon! It looks great.
We are also almost done with the new logo and layout. It has been a challenging process, only communicating through email, but Erin is doing an incredible job. Can't wait to reveal it :).
We went to leave yesterday afternoon for my niece's volleyball game and found our new (2yrs old) van dead in the driveway. SO we now have to contend with that today, jumping it and taking it to the dealership to get it fixed. And we have 4H too. I am also in desperate need to do a complete house overhaul and weed out the stuff we just don't need. With it being chillier outside, I am hoping to get it done, little by little, within the next week or so!!! How do you accumulate so much needless stuff???

Hope you all have a fantastic day!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

So...

2009-09-29T08:23:00.002-04:00

I didn't get the chance to write yesterday. It turned out to be just one of those days that I was in constant motion and really didn't have a chance to sit much. I spent the day on Sunday sewing. The girls had a birthday party to go to, and Charlie took them, so I stayed locked in the office working! It was quite nice really. I got alot sewn for the shop, and plan to post a little each day. And I am almost done with Charlie's vest, which is looking pretty good if I do say so myself! Once his is done, I'll work on mine. I can't wait as it is going to be great to wear around the house during the cold months! Lots more busy work today, as usual! But, life is good :).
Some of you commented on our new Dr., so I thought I'd give you an update. Charlie is doing better, and this ND has made more progress in a short time than all the others combined. If you can believe it, he has been suffering from and battling a virus all this time. That is simplifying it a bit, but the Dr. found it in a blood test. Now, why has no one else seen it??? In 4 years? I guess because MD's look at things differently. And they never even thought to test for this. So the holistic approach is working, and more and more of my Charlie is returning. He is almost back to who he was when I married him, and that is wonderful. His energy is returning, and e smiles ALOT more often. And the pain seems to lessen each day to. So, while they aren't cheap, unless you are fortunate enough to live in a state where they allow ND's to be certified and therefore covered under insurance, we do not :(; they are so totally worth it.
Hope you all have a wonderful fall day :)!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

TGIF!!!

2009-09-25T08:42:00.004-04:00

Made it through another hectic week!!! The Dr. appt yesterday went well. Charlie has been having health issues for the last couple of years, and we haven't been able to find a Dr. that could help him. We are hoping that we have finally found him, after countless consults with others. He is a Naturopathic Dr, which is a Medical DR that believes the philosophy that the body will heal itself given the right help. He does alot of homeopathic type treatment using herbs and such. I know - it sounds hokey right? Well, so far he has been right on the money. Ordering tests no one else has ordered, and truly truly listening to Charlie's complaints. So, having found something in the blood work, we are now starting a course of treatment that we are very hopeful will help him. My husband is such a wonderful man. He has been through alot over the past several years, including the death of both his parents. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he is a very emotional person who was brought up in a house with an emotionless mother. He perfected the art of hiding his true nature, only I saw right through it!!! He has come a very long way, and I truly hope that this ND will be the one to get us completely on the right path.
After the Dr., we had dinner at my mom's then stopped at Jo Ann's on the way home. I wanted some fabric to make a craft I saw, and we ended up buying material and such to make Charlie and I a vest. Now I am terrible with patterns, so we'll see how I do! We found this great quilted Blackwatch plaid, and we thought it would make a great vest for us both. So now, I have alot of sewing to do this weekend!!! Hope you'll stop back on Monday, I'll post the results of my efforts :).
Happy weekend to all!!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

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Already?

2009-09-24T09:35:00.003-04:00

How can it be Thursday already? It was Monday only yesterday, or so it seems :). Perhaps if I figure out a way to slow life down a bit, it won't fly by so quickly. LOL yeah right. How am I going to do that? My do to list seems to get longer, not shorter. As soon as I cross off 1 thing, 2 more seem to appear. Ahh well. Nothing to do but tackle it head on, right? Today will be spent partly on doing that, tackling a few things that need to be done. I have to get our new merchandise finished and listed for sale, and get our newsletter done and out too. Not to mention our chores around here. But then it is off again this afternoon for a Dr. appt and to volunteer at our new Celtic Hall. They have purchased an old office building, and it needs a lot of demo work done so that they can renovate it to what the Hall needs. This will also be the new home for the girls Highland Dance school, so the more that gets done, the sooner they can move to their new beautiful space!!! Charlie and I are doing what we can, when we can. It will be a great place when it's done! Can't wait for that.
We had 4H yesterday afternoon at the farm. It was alot of fun, and everyone got to ride for awhile after learning all about horse markings and body parts. We are very happy to have joined 4H. The girls like it more than they did Girl Scouts.
So that is it. My jam packed day as usual!!! I am still awaiting the first draft of the new logo. Kim, who made my current logo, felt she wasn't able to create what I had in mind so I found a wonderful graphic artist on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5589926 who is working on creating me something wonderful!!! I so can't wait to show it off!
Happy day to all!!!
Suzanne

SewSuzanne@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinderhook-NY/SewSuzanneetsycom/95685787713
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Our Sunday in pictures......

2009-09-23T09:38:00.007-04:00

As promised, pictures from the Mini Horse Show!

(1) Princess Makenzy and her mentor Jess, on Shari (2) The blue ribbon winners! (3) Proud papa with our little Princess!

(1) Dad holding Aly's pony for the day, Biscotti (2) Aly with Kinder Farms minis (3) Proud papa again with our oldest Princess!

Good Monday Morning.....

2009-09-21T10:38:00.002-04:00

ahhh. Monday. The start of a whole new week! I just love the feeling of a clean slate, and seeing what can get accomplished! I was able to get some sewing done this past weekend, got A LOT of things cut and ready to sew, and lots done around the house too! I put away all the summer things (I tend to decorate the house for each season and holiday!) and got out all the fall things. I didn't put up any Halloween yet, as I think it is way too early. But I got all the scarecrows and fall leaves, pumpkins and fun out and the girls and I decorated while Charlie went to a poker tournament Saturday night. It was great fun! And yesterday we spent the entire day at the horse farm for the Fall Mini-Horse Show. What fun!! Holy cow we enjoyed ourselves! The girls each won ribbons in different classes - 1 being a blue ribbon for each!!! That's right, first place. They are just beaming with pride, just like their parents are!! We made a bunch of new friends and learned a lot too. i will post pictures probably tomorrow, as I am already way behind this am.
The shop newsletter will go out this week. (If you are not on the list please send an email to me with newsletter in the tag line.) I have alot of new items that I want to share, so be sure to keep an eye out for it!! :) I also hope to unveil our new look very soon. Still working on it, but can't wait for the results!!!
That's all for now! Happy day to all!!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

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TGIF!!...

2009-09-18T09:19:00.002-04:00

but it is a busy one! I have to run and get the day started earlier than usual. I have to get school done, and Charlie off to a new back specialist early this afternoon. I got some sewing done yesterday, and am ready to do a TON more this weekend. I will also be getting the newsletter out with some new info and materials to expect too! AND, we have a mini horse show at the farm on Sunday. Oh yeah, and the county farm festival tomorrow too!! :) Should be fun... and exhausting!

Kim is working on my new logo and banner. Should be ready with a rough draft on Monday. I know she'll do a great job, and I am anxiously awaiting the results! I am so excited about it! To make our shop and brand truly reflect our family and stay true to tradition... so very cool. Cinderella is right, dreams do come true :)

Make it a GREAT weekend!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

Yes, I am crazy...

2009-09-17T09:50:00.005-04:00

or losing it. Probably a little of both! Most of you know about my love of Scotland and all things Scottish. Following this love, we have been researching our ancestors and have found our family tartan!! We have the family crest, and have been trying to trace the roots, but in this world of the Internet there is SO MUCH out there it is difficult to work throught the maze. Luckily we found a very knowledgeable gentlemen recently at the Capital District Scottish Games who was a huge help in our search. Following the correct Scot tradition, we have been following Charlie's grandfather's lineage (as opposed to my family which is the MacPhearson Clan. By marriage I wear his colors, as I "belong" to him now lol), and it took us to the Strathspey Region in Scotland. So, it isn't a clan tartan but a district tartan, worn by many people in the area and by the current Clan Grant Chief, called simply the Strathspey Tartan. This tartan is NOT massed produced as it is not as popular as others, and so one can use the Blackwatch Tartan which is very very similar. The Blackwatch is a military tartan, and so not associated with a specific clan, so anyone can wear it without feeling traitorous!!! So now to the part where I am crazy and losing it!!! I have contracted my wonderful friend Kim again to change my logo and banner to reflect our tartan and colors. Yes, after I just completed our shop makeover, I am doing it again. But this feels right. Our shop should have our colors. To match the kilt my husband looks SO FANTASTIC in!!! :) So keep you eyes out for these new changes. I hope to have them up soon.

Off now to get to work. I am getting really backed up in the office. It is a little chilly out today, and we have been on the go all week. SO today is a work in the office day, after school of course :) !

Happy day to you all!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

Wednesday....

2009-09-16T09:01:00.002-04:00

the middle of the week, how did that happen already? Man time flies sometimes!! We spent the morning here yesterday, then off to my mom's to clean, and swim. I spent like 3-4 hours straight cleaning, and when I was done I was whooped. She has a big house!!! Mine is almost the same size I guess, but I don't try to clean it all at one time. I do it gradually. It is harder to do that at hers though, as I try to allow a certain amount of time to go down there, so it gets done all at once:(! Anyway, it's done now and I can concentrate on other things. Busy day today - as usual. Charlie is in a golf tourney in Cooperstown, and we have our first 4H meeting of the year this afternoon. I have to get the lessons done for that, get him off in time and get our school lessons done. Plus, I have cleaning to do here, specifically change and wash all the sheets. We spent the day Monday cleaning the front porch, first with the shop-vac then the pressure washer, and then we washed all 3 vehicles. I would like it if I get time to clean the inside of the truck, and maybe get to the back porch too. Sounds a bit ambitious huh? Maybe, but it gives me a goal!!
I did get a wireless adapter for our old laptop, and I set it up this morning. So the girls now have their own computer. As we speak, well write!!, they are on Literactive.com a great website that helps them learn to read and spell. How cool is this? I am thrilled. Now they can learn while I work!!!! :).
And I have had 2 sales in 1 1/2 days!!! I now have to get my but sewing and make new inventory. I will be sending out our September newsletter soon highlighting some new fabrics that I am super excited about!!!
Well, as you have read, I have to get to work!!! Happy shopping day to all!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

Our day in pictures.....

2009-09-15T08:51:00.005-04:00

Here they are! From our day at the Celtic Day at Mills Mansion this past Sunday. Enjoy!

1. Backstage with our host 2. Alysia in 1st position 3. Makenzy just starting 16 Pas De Basque

1. Final bow 1st set 2. In first position 3. Alysia's 16 Pas De Basque

1. Makenzy dancing away! 2. Mills Mansion - Gorgeous! 3. The view from the grounds

It was a glorious day. We had a ball!! There are a few more pictures on our Facebook page, so please check them out too!! Including some great shots of the Clydesdale's that were in attendance. :)

Have a great day!

Suzanne

SewSuzanne@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinderhook-NY/SewSuzanneetsycom/95685787713

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Happy Monday!

2009-09-14T09:00:00.003-04:00

What a glorious morning! The sun is shining bright in the big beautiful blue sky, and that crisp (almost!) fall air smells divine!!! What a great start to the week. Our weekend was wonderful, not too busy, not too slow! I spent time sewing, actually most of Saturday sewing! The girls had Highland Dance in the morning, and then we stopped at Wal-Mart for a few things. When we got home I finished the bag I had started for Alysia Friday night, made one for Makenzy and then one for me! I made them new dance bags, large enough to hang their kilts in to keep clean while traveling, a separate section for their ghillies (shoes) and crocks that they have to wear over the ghillies to keep them clean, so the shoes don't get the costumes dirty!, and then made them each a small pouch to keep all the necessary hair things in. They HAVE to wear a bun, with all their hair pulled back from their face, so we need to have lots bobby pins, hair nets, clips and hair spray on hand. Last week we went to Jo Ann's and they each got to pick their own fabric for their new bags. Their choices are so telling! Aly chose a very pretty pink plaid with metallic darker pink threads, very girly and very Aly the drama girl. Makenzy chose a pretty blue plaid that is very soft, like flannel. Very Mak, soft and unassuming. I chose a very pretty mix of blue, green and dark red plaid to make myself a fall handbag. They all came out great! (if I do say so myself :) )
Yesterday we attended the Celtic Day at Mills Mansion where the girls performed again. What a great day! And the new dance bags were perfect!! It felt very much like a traditional Scottish Highland Games. They were held on the sprawling front lawn of a beautiful old mansion overlooking the Hudson River. The event was not to large and not too small, and the pipers would periodically march around the grounds and perform. There were vendors, of course, and lots of yummy food. A kids area for the girls to make some things, fencing and athletics too. And some beautiful Clydesdale's that were just gorgeous. Very calm and polite too! (our new wish is to someday own a couple of these gentle giants!!) And the girls did a fantastic job dancing, again! We so love to watch them. And having this opportunity to perform these last 2 weekends has made them better dancers. They can't wait to learn more! We are just so happy to have found this school. We are truly enjoying it.
I have to go and get the day started now. I will post pictures tomorrow!
Happy shopping!!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com

TGIF.....Although

2009-09-11T10:31:00.003-04:00

What a pain! I have been on the phone for what seems like forever trying to set up a second computer in the office so the girls can have their own computer. And what is the outcome? I am going to buy a new wireless card, and set it up that way. So basically I just wasted my morning on the phone. UGH UGH!!!

So now, I have to rush through the rest of my morning things so I can get on with the day. We also have another Highland Dance performance on Sunday, and I will try to post pictures on Monday!

I have some new fabric that I am working with, and hope to have new listings up soon, so stay tuned!!!!

Enjoy the weekend!
Suzanne
SewSuzanne@gmail.com