“At the end, I want my life to be unexplainable apart from the Gospel and Holy Spirit.”
This past Sunday’s sermon was particularly inspiring to me. A good reminder that the fruit of a Christian’s life isn’t necessarily measured by how many people you’ve been able to lift out of poverty or orphans you’ve managed to save, but rather:
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22,26
Along with the handful of scheduled (academic) activities Calvin and Charissa do each day (tracked with the awesome sticker chart), I’ve been helping them memorize Bible verses. I decided that the Romans Road to Salvation would be a good starting point (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10). The theology is a bit too deep for them to completely comprehend, but as it says in Psalm 119:11
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
…which prompted me to make this heart pocket pillow to literally “hide” their verses inside. A sort of “hands on” literal reinforcement of the importance of knowing God’s word.
The process of making the heart pocket pillow is similar to making a lined tote bag. And the uses for something like this extends beyond memory verses: encouraging or thoughtful notes for someone special or small toys for infants. Or substitute the heart with a tooth for a tooth fairy pillow! Click here to download the PDF tutorial.
This past weekend, we brought the kids to a local farm to play:
jump on a giant bouncy pillow:
and play some miniature golf. Calvin’s got the hang of it:
Charissa is definitely showing potential… in the sport of kitchen-floor-broom-sweeping:
Poor baby Stephen; Still too young to join in on the fun:
I also managed to make a second holiday dress for Charissa and the shop:
Seemingly nice and sweet… until you see this outtake:
Yes. I quickly removed the wooden box prop. So… un-lady like. Totally not the look I was going for!
In effort to redeem myself from yesterday’s post, here is a better cuddle bunny:
Upon closer inspection, I realized that the instructions I bought forgot to include the step of stuffing the bunny’s feet. They hold up much better now!
I’m happy to say that those who’ve bought my dress patterns have done an awesome job in producing finished products that actually resemble what they are supposed to. First up, from Jessica of Mae Rose Couture:
I love the little ruffle she added! And her daughter! So cute!
The little bird-on-a-branch applique is so well placed and designed. Not to mention her yummy fabric choice!
Good job guys! Now back to making more bunnies. By the time I’m done mastering the cuddle bunny, I will have enough of these little buggers to put together a book on the “evolution of Jen’s cuddle bunnies”…
Here’s to a blog post title that will hopefully unite an otherwise random string of updates!
My 1st Drawing Book This was my first drawing book given to me when I was nine. So it was rather nostalgic to see Calvin draw from it!
My 1st Plushie
I really stink at making stuffed toys. It’s like all the skills I’ve gained from sewing dresses goes out the window when I attempt anything cute and cuddly. My finished product never turns out how the designer intended it to. But repetition leads to perfection, and there’s nothing like having two children who are constantly helping you scout out cute plushies on Etsy to motivate one to practice more! Here is my first doll, made from this pattern:
No where as cute or colorful as the samples, but Charissa doesn’t seem to mind!
Now take a look at this adorable plush bunny:
Calvin was sitting next to me when I chanced upon this cuddly bunny and immediately exclaimed, “Mommy! That is sooo cute! Can you get that for me?!” Are you kidding me?! I’ll do better than that! I’ll make it for you! Sort of. Because mine somehow morphed into a ninja-slash-middle-eastern-bunny-with-turban somewhere between trying to hide the uneven placement of ears by tying them together to my inability to embroider and successfully perform blind stitching:
And then one of the poor bunny’s eyes got loose, and in the heat of the moment, I tried gluing the thing back on, only to fail, leaving a smudge mark that resembles dried tears. A sad ninja bunny:
Here’s what it looks like with it’s ears down:
It’s a dumbo bunny! Oh well. Calvin likes it. And that makes one happy mommy But really, I seriously need to practice more.
My 1st Cold Weather Purchase
…from the very talented Merideth of SheepishKnitCrochet:
I love the simplicity of her style and got a pair of these too:
Of course, right after this photo session, he decides to blow out of his diaper. Anyone know of a good way to get rid of poop stains?
Speaking of Stephen, his 1st birthday is coming up! In about two months. But knowing how easily I get distracted, I need to start planning now and with this super cute invitation as a jumping point:
I already have ideas about what favors to make to go along with the invite. Hopefully, I’ll actually get around to them and share with you all!
The owners and designers of the store are really nice! I’ll actually be working with them on something special More on that later! In the meantime, you can visit their blog for lots of party inspiration… and to read their mini feature on me which seriously makes me sound so much more awesome than I am in real life :p
Music & Bible camp/VBS is over and I can finally get back to blogging and making stuff! (By the way, have you guys been to Crap I’ve Made? I wish I thought of that blog title… ) Anyway, here are some things I’ve been working on:
A “Montessori” bag for Calvin (Charissa’s is still in progress):
Room enough for 12 markers, folder or notebook, Goodbyn lunchbox, and water bottle:
A new dress that’s got me thinking about when I want to start the kids on piano and violin:
A cardigan that’s been floating in my head for a while now:
And another upcycled project that I will share with you now:
I remember playing with something similar to these when I was little. You stand and balance on the top of the cans and pull/move with the “ropes”. My mother-in-law had given me a bunch of empty Shaklee cans and I’ve been waiting for the right project to use them. The “ropes” are just strips of fabric braided together, and if you feel inclined to make a pair for your own children, here is a quick tutorial:
1. You will need a power drill with a 1/4″ drill bit.
2. Drill two holes on opposite sides of a sturdy can (the shorter the can, the easier it will be for kids to use. Formula cans may work well too.)
3. Using pinking shears or a pinking blade, cut three 1″ by 88″ strips of fabric (you will need to sew strips together end-on-end to get the length you need.)
4. Layer the ends of the strips together.
5. Roll up the end as tight as possible,
6. and thread it through the hole.
7. Tie a knot,
8. and pull through.
Then just braid the strips together and secure the other end of the strips in the same manner.
Calvin had a lot of fun practicing walking on them:
And for those of you who know my kids, here’s a recent clip of them dancing away. They were much less reserved when I didn’t have the camera on them. Once they knew I was recording, they toned it down a bit
Jeremy thought it would be cool (for me) to make a double rainbow dress. And so I did. Really, just for our amusement. I wasn’t expecting it to sell seeing how it is a bit different than my usual style. But I actually sold one today! Which, in my opinion, is so double rainbow!
This has now become Charissa’s favorite dress. I guess there’s just something about bright colors and rainbows that attract little girls!
Speaking of Charissa, I’m “moving” my store to minimooh.etsy.com (the “h” stands for “handmade” and is only there because minimoo.etsy.com was taken …Now that I think about it, I probably should have just made it minimoohandmade.etsy.com…) Growing Up with Charissa will stay remain open for a while. Maybe even indefinitely due to all those hard-earned hearts and positive feedback!
Anyway, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I will be co-leading crafts for my Church’s Music and Bible camp next week. We were all given this lovely t-shirt to wear:
The crew neck is so high it reminds me of a stunted turtleneck. Not attractive. To leave the shirt as-is could be considered crime on the high seas! Especially when one is able to do something about it! (Get it…? No? The camp theme is “High Seas Expedition”.)
Here is the end product (I finally figured out how to activate the self-timer on my camera):
Nothing spectacular, but a bit better than before! If you happen to need to modify a t-shirt into something more “sailor-y”, here’s a quick tutorial:
1, 2. Cut an asymmetrical “v” from the neckline. Be sure not to cut it too wide.
3. Cut 2 1/4″ off the bottom hem of the shirt.
4. Cut the strip from step 3 into two equal-length strips.
5. Place a strip across one of the “v” sides, matching up the raw edge of the strip to the raw edge of the “v”. Sew in place using a 1/4″ inseam and stopping at the bottom point of the “v”.
6. Place the second strip across the other “v” side and sew in place.
7. Tie a knot. You now have a sailor-y neckline!
8. Cut 3.5″ off from both sleeves (or however much you’d like. You can even cut the entire sleeve off and make it into a tank.)
9. Ta da! I also sewed in side seams to help the shirt take on more shape, instead of a giant tube with neck and armholes If the neckline is too wide for your taste, you can always wear a strappy camisole or tank top underneath (which is what I will be doing… I have narrow shoulders.)
This morning has been “one of those days” where I let myself mope around the house in self pity. Maybe due to the rain… or the long weekend spent prepping our townhouse in Baltimore for sale… or the lack of sleep… But what’s worse than allowing yourself a pity party is getting into bed at night and realizing that you let a whole day wallow by. So I made myself get off my lazy butt and filled out a rebate form (wahoo! Aren’t you impressed?! :), made a “Lemonade Stand” dress, a sort of tribute to a lemon-y kind of day:
reminded myself that the rain won’t last forever, and that my favorite part of the day is waking up in the morning and walking into a sun-bathed kitchen and family room:
flipped through the children’s journals that we started this summer and thought about how much Calvin has enjoyed doing math, spelling, and reading since school ended:
and rejoiced in the fact that if it were not for these “down” times, I would not appreciate the things I do have and give thanks because every good and perfect gift comes from above
…because I’m feeling generous You could win this from my shop:
Woodland Friends Top in Deep Earth
Sizes available from 12 months to 4T. Just enter a comment below with your email address! Giveaway ends Sunday, May 23 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be announced on Monday!
So after much debate, I’ve decided to re-open my Etsy shop. Except, instead of selling dresses, I’ll be selling kits, of my dresses, so you can make them The kits will contain pre-cut fabric, all embellishments and notions, and instructions. Going this route will allow me to keep all the stuff I make (which I always have a hard time parting with), focus on creating, and fulfill my role as mother, wife, etc. ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Yay! Plus, others will get a chance to make something simple and special for their own little girls without the time-consuming task of figuring out, marking, and cutting out patterns… which is ideal for beginner sewers or those looking to get into sewing (ahem ).
The dress pictured above is a new design I’ve been working on. Originally, this dress was going to be made into a kit. But they no longer make this fabric pattern. So I had to go with something else…
Anyway, here are some other shots of Charissa… in a dress that she can finally now keep!!!
Special thanks to my friend A for giving me the idea and helping me get it together
It’s been a while! A lot has happened. But first things first…
I decided to close my Etsy shop. I was very happy that the shop was successful, but not thrilled about how it was overtaking my life. Seriously, I don’t know how other Etsy crafters do it. I felt like a slave to my own customers It wasn’t an easy decision. The Bible is so right about the pitfalls of pride and money (duh!) There’s nothing like people giving you fluffy feedback and buying your stuff to boost your ego and seeing your net profits shoot up to feed that little monster called greed. But I also (almost) equally hate the feelings of stress and guilt. I still remember that moment - I was trying to attach a flower to a dress with Charissa sitting at my feet playing with Calvin’s dinosaurs and baby Stephen laying quietly awake, looking so darn cute. I literally threw up my hands and said to myself, “This Etsy stuff is so not worth my time. I’m going to go play with my kids and cook us some dinner!” (I hadn’t been cooking dinner because I was either too busy sewing or too busy, well, sewing…) I believe that my role as wife and mother comes first before any money-making hobby of mine. And I figured if God has chosen to show me something I can do, He will also show me how to use it for His glory, someday, that won’t involve compromising my responsibilities So I’ve canceled close to $500 in orders, but it’s been worth it Sometimes, it pays to lose money. Here’s to my short-lived venture:
Girlfriends
We were so blessed to have the Liao’s visit us during Thanksgiving. The kids had a blast, and now that they are older, their interactions have also gotten more interesting:
“So glad to see you again my friend!”
“We can dance and play and get along fine…”
“…as long as you don’t take my lambie!”
Adding to the Family
As of last Saturday, I am no longer the only married “child” in my family! Which means, my dreams of becoming an aunt and getting some cousins for C,C, and S are well underway! Seriously, no pressure guys, but you know, it’s easier when you’re youngerrrrrr…
I made Charissa’s flower girl dress and Melinda’s junior bridesmaid dress. I don’t actually have pictures from the weekend wedding extravaganza because I’ve been bad about taking them (but in my defense, I’m completely outnumbered. I don’t have enough limbs for diaper bag, car seat with baby inside, free hand to wipe a dirty mouth, another free hand to drag a screaming child to timeout…)
I also took the time to cut Calvin’s hair. I love you Calvin (talking to future Calvin who may read this), but you seriously look like a dork when your hair gets long And since he would be walking down the aisle with Charissa… Anyway, here are the before and after pictures:
All this for a beautiful and special couple:
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…
Or in Charissa’s case, a spoonful of birthday cake! We all caught a funky bug after the wedding (even poor baby Stephen!) The grandparents threw an early birthday party for Charissa. We were all in our PJ’s. And if you were to only look at the pictures, you’d think it was Calvin’s birthday
For everything else…
…there’s my Amex I just had to do a quickie feature of my first ever Etsy purchase from norajane:
She even included a whole bunch of stamps for C&C! Very generous For those who know me well, I have a weakness for “collecting” (a.k.a. “hoarding”) certain things (pretty socks, pretty duvets, pretty pillows, pretty fabric, good movies, books, to name more than a few.) I think I may have to add her stamps to that list soon…
… and grab their awesome silicone bakeware in their “dollar” spot for $2.50 each! I used them to bake some cookie crayon favors (as Charissa likes to call them) for her upcoming birthday party:
I love the snowflake mold:
The snowman mold is actually quite cute. But I would advise making them a uniform color so you don’t get a burn victim like mine on the left (maybe I’ll give it to one of the little boys at the party… they would probably appreciate it more than the girls…):
… and lastly, the tree mold:
Growing up with Charissa…
has grown so much since it opened back in September. It’s been roughly 2.5 months, and since then, we’ve been featured in the online magazine VivaLaModa (page 44):
and blogged about on several websites. And thanks to being spotlighted for my “Going Platinum” dress, I am now completely swamped with orders. My shop hearts jumped from 194 to 460 within 24 hours. It is all very exciting… but also very tiring. I’ve made and sold 125 items to date. I need a vacation… to not only get ready for my spring collection and very first craft fair in March, but also to organize myself so that this little venture doesn’t overtake my life and consume my every waking moment God first, family second, friends third, and then sewing
And by the way…
Thanks to everyone who sent lovely gifts for baby Stephen and hasn’t received a thank you card yet! I am working on them! Your thoughtfulness has not gone unopened, unused, or unappreciated
But really, I seriously need to practice more.
More on that later! In the meantime, you can visit their 
…Now that I think about it, I probably should have just made it minimoohandmade.etsy.com…) 
