weekend wishes

to rest up and feel better soon.

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got hit by something flu/cold like and it's knocked me on my tushie. so this weekend i'm hoping to recoup, rest, finish my quilt top, celebrate the hubs bday belatedly and come back with some great goodies for you all during the week including a new roundup!

wishing you all a healthy, fun and restful weekend. what are you all up to? did you get any fun things made this week? new projects added to your lists?

project run & play - i ain't no nina garcia

most of you know how much i love project runway. i'm a diehard fan. even though i have seen all the seasons i still continue to watch the reruns almost every night at 11:00pm on a channel that i will forever love just for re-airing them. i have even watched the australian and of course, the canadian seasons as well. they are also fabulous and lots of fun. so you can imagine my surprise, excitement and shock when micalah (mom of 2 and sewing addict) from "project run & play" asked me to be a judge for her new blog! it's a play on project runway all based on clothing for kids!!!!! heaven.

i think i reread the email about 10 times thinking she sent it to the wrong person. i quickly said yes and then went and checked out who the designers were......OMG! i just about fainted. how in the world am i supposed to judge these insanely and i mean insanely talented ladies? i mean i ain't no nina garcia or michael kors here ladies. the closest i can get to the show is that i know how to say Auf Wiedersehen like heidi because i'm german (oh heidi, what were you thinking with your outfit to the globes?). honestly though, it's only been one week but i was truly blown away. i mean check this out...the first week's theme was "winter wonderland"...

winner - katy of no big dill

runner up - lindsay of the cottage home

1. ashley of lil blue boo 2. kelly of sewing in no mans land
3. kirstin & jordan of kojo designs

1. susan of freshly picked 2. shauna of shwin & shwin
3. jess of craftiness is not optional

so exciting and so much fun! come join in and make sure to vote for your favorite outfit! this week's theme is the reinterpretation of the leila and ben sweet dress pattern. should be fab! the scores of the contestants are based on reader poll votes and the judges scores. i promise to judge these wonderful ladies honestly, fairly and with all the excitement that i get from reading each and every one of their blogs. for more about how the whole project run & play thing works click here.

thanks again for asking me micalah! i'm honored to be a part of this fun & friendly competition. do you wanna be a part of the fun? you guys can submit things you've made based on the theme of the week and micalah may just post you on the blog too! so fun! if i wasn't a judge i think i would make the projects too. it get's the creative juices flowing!

you guys excited? do you watch project runway? did you vote in the first round of project run & play?

Winner of the Olive Bungalow Giveaway!

and the very lucky winner of the $75 gift certificate to our fab sponsor Olive Bungalow is.......(insert drumroll here please)....

Jodie said...
Oh gosh they are beyond gorgeous!!!! smije04(at)gmail(dot)com

congratulations jodie!!!! enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!! michele will be in touch with you about your prize. a big thank you to all of you who entered! for more on olive bungalow check out her gorgeous jewelry here and don't forget to check out her new bangles...gorgeous and they are on sale!!!!

moments in the mommyhood - my bathing suit & a good cause

my thrifting trip on the weekend was a success.


do you see it, do you see it - my new chair!!?? i cannot even put my excitement into words about this chair. i've been looking for 2 years for a chair that was smaller than 15" wide to fit into the tiny opening for my sewing desk. i was roaming the aisles of my local value village and at first spotted a wooden chair of a completely different style that might have worked but then, like a ray of light on a rainy day was my "chair". i love her. she's gorgeous isn't she? i can't wait to recover her seat and shine her up real nice. i'm still debating about whether or not to keep her the color she is or to paint her. i'll have to do another sewing wall revamp post and we can all chat about it.


i also picked up two other items...of all things, an egg holder. i fell in love with it. do not ask me why..haha. i love hard boiled eggs and remember using one of these when i was little and wanted mackenzie to have one as well. the other item i got was the bright blue, super soft fleecy blanket. isn't it fab? ha! i know it's not everyones cup of tea but it fits mine just right. mackenzie loves it and it ties in all the colors that i use for the girls decor. we like it cheerful in our house :)


on a side note, i braved the pool and went out in public in my bathing suit. eek. i survived and figured i better get over it sooner than later as i have about 2 months of wearing it ahead of me...aiayayaya. the girls had fun and harper had her first time in the pool and her first lesson. don't ya just love those chunky legs...so adorable!


i'm sure you have all heard on the news what's been going on in australia with the horrific flooding and the devastation and heartbreak it's caused. they are in the middle of a national disaster. my heart goes out to them, it's horrible & terrifying.

have you been wondering how you can help? please check out the Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions that the talented toni of make it perfect and her sister have organized. all the money these two wonderful ladies raise from the queensland flood appeal auctions will be going straight to the premier's auction relief fund.

where can you find the auctions? you can find over 2o0 online auctions going on all over the blogoshpere and on facebook. they started yesterday and they will be going on all throughout the week. you can find the master list for all the auctions happening on toni's blog here. there are some fabulous and i mean fabulous items up for bid from fabric and craft designers, artists, jewelers and quilters. so hop on over there and get bidding...there's some serious eye candy up for grabs and it's for a great cause.

have you been thrifting lately? what was your latest fave find? share...i love seeing all of your loot!

the shoulders have taken over

ok, i had a totally different post planned for today but i seriously could not restrain myself from posting about the golden globes. i look forward to the golden globes and the oscars each year. the hairdresser in me loves to check out the hair, the makeup, the clothes and ohhhhh, the glamour. this year's awards didn't dissapoint. my fave all around....yep...anne hathaway. LOVE. I DIE. hahahha, yes, you guessed it...rachel zoe was her stylist. i knew as soon as i saw anne that rachel had a hand in it. she looked flawless and that dress, while i'm not a giant fan of the comeback of the the big shoulders it works on anne.


my other faves for the awards show...claire danes - a close runner up to anne. this simple dress fit her like a glove and was beautfiul in it's simplicity. sofia vergara also looked stunning and man can that girl work her curves. gives us busty gals some hope :) the newly single eva longoria and scarlet johansson also looked lovely.


now for the worst dressed. i seriously hated michelle williams dress. her haircut - adorable, but the dress...heinous. ugly. next up j-lo. i'm not feeling that white cape and all the pounds of makeup you're wearing and jennifer love hewitt..not sure about your dress but the hair, oh the hair. me no likie. and last, but not least, helena bonham carter...what can i say...worst dressed. bah. ok, i'm done...hahaha, i got it out of my system, i promise tomorrow i'll be back with our regular schedule programming.

did you watch? who was your fave? least fave? did your fave movie/show win? i think it will be a fun morning chat, why don't you join me...coffee's on :)

p.s. today is your last day to enter to win $75 worth of jewelry from olive bungalow! click here to enter.

Sponsor Love - Marie-Madeline Studio

are you feeling the need to add some sunshine to your wintery days? need a little brightening up? check out our long time sponsor "marie-madeline studio". this mother & daughters team has everything you're looking for. whether it's....

fabulous aprons...


the joy of quilts...


a great new handbag...


fun tutorials...



stylish clothes for the little ones...


cheerful fabrics...


and some new goodies for you too.


so brighten up those cold grey skies, start a new project, or pick up something new to wear...marie-madeline studio is sure to bring a smile to your face :)

you can find more marie-madeline studios goodness on their website, and tutorials, sewing series & other goodies on their blog.

weekend wishes

to find some new pyrex thrifting this weekend...

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to thank all of you for helping to cure me of being cutting challenged (for 1 quilt at least)...

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to get my yarn and embroidery floss organized...

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to make a new cover for my machine...

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that i can hold this true in my own life right now...

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to get some work done cleaning up the "mommyhood"...

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to get some time to start on some cozy leg warmers for me...

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to not be scared that valentine's day stuff is already everywhere...

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to get finished reading the huge stack of mags i've been hoarding for months...

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and to not scare children & adults with my first time in a bathing suit in a very, very long time.

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the word bathing suit instills fear into my heart. the girls are both starting swimming lessons up this weekend and yes, that means i have to go out in public in a bathing suit - eeek! i'm scared. i'm gonna break all the pool rules and run across the deck and get in that darn water as fast as possible. i know, i know, i shouldn't care, but i'm a woman and i do. here's to hoping my girls (aka boobs) fit in my swimsuit in the first place.

we're hoping the endless rain is going to stop this week and break out in some sunshine so we can go frolick along the water and get some pretty pics. i'm looking forward to watching the golden globes on sunday (love seeing the dresses & hair) and i'm also planning on going thrifting this weekend. send your pyrex and vintage sheet vibes my way...it's been a while since i've had a chance to go scour the shops. i hope that means i'm gonna find something good..i've got that feeling.

i'm happy to say that i spent an hour cutting yesterday and it was so much more enjoyable! i actually got the last yard or so relatively straight..haha, and some of them i cut with one slice! so proud of myself. i owe it to all of your wonderful tips. who knew that i was doing it all wrong. i never thought there were would be so much involved with using a rotary cutter properly, but honestly there is. even the process of how to cut it was much easier. i was doing it the hardest way possible. i have a whole renewed faith to being able to quilt again.

it's been one of those weeks where my to do list is way bigger than my time. i have so many fun projects and goals for this blog and just not enough time in my day to get them all going. so frustrating. i think i'm organized but i'm also starting to think i need to revamp my process and schedule to be a tad more efficient for 2011 or i'm never going to get a good chunk of it accomplished and i tell ya, that in itself would make me cry.

so on that topic what do you do to keep your goals and projects organized? do you use a planner? calendar? notebook? what kind of schedule do you use to blog/sew/craft? let's share and of course.....here's wishing you all have a wonderful, relaxing, sleep filled, laughter full weekend.

the princess & her tower

mackenzie, like most kids her age, is into everything and wants to do most things "by herself". she loves, loves, loves to help in the kitchen. she wants to clean, wash dishes, cut, chop, cook and make food with mommy and daddy. we want to allow her to help, but our kitchen chairs at the moment are 6 year old $15 ikea chairs. cheap and not sturdy at all. so when she tries to help she's always wobbling and scaring the wits out of me. if she's not dragging our cheap chairs around, she's using her potty...which needless to say doesn't belong in the kitchen, nor is it high enough for her to safely reach the counter and interact the way she could be. so when little towers contacted me about reviewing their fab product "the learning tower" i couldn't say yes fast enough.


now this isn't a review blog, but i agreed to write this post because i think this is a fantastic product that a lot of parents/children could benefit from and that i knew would work for our family. it allows me to not worry about the safety of my child while she gets to experience the joys and fascinations of being "just like mommy". whether it's just washing dishes or even pulled up against my sewing desk so she can safely watch me stitch - it's come in very handy. she plays with it during the day as a fort, she sits in it with her dolls, she climbs on it, she reads in it, plays with her friends in it...and just plain enjoys it. she calls it her stander...haha.


the best part is that when harper is 18mths she can use it too. the learning tower is designed for 18mth olds - 5 (6) year olds. the base the child stands on is adjustable (no tools required) based on the age/height of child and can hold a weight capacity of 500lbs and is designed to hold 2 kids! can i climb in it too??? it was designed and created by another mom - carol gamble. thanks carol!

you can get some great accessories for your learning tower too! turn it into a puppet theatre (fun!), attach the fab art easel (one side chalkboard/other dry erase) add one for their toys and you've got a great asset to any child's playroom, bedroom and kitchen. the learning tower also comes in 9 stylish and modern colors. ours moves all over the house during the day. i'm even thinking it would make a great place for those times when your child needs to "wind down". it would make a great calming asset to any parents arsenal :)

so get baking, crafting and just plain playing and let those kids imaginations go wild. it's time for cookies, paints and puppet shows! sounds like a good day to me! and because the folks at tiny towers are so awesome they are offering all of you a discount of 10% for the next month. the code for the promo will be LITMH (for luv in the mommyhood). thanks learning tower!

you can find out more about the learning tower here on their site, keep up with new products and information on their facebook page & twitter page and share your pics on their flickr page.

what do you guys think? would you use one? do you already have one?

quilting 911 - i need help martha!

i finally got my butt in gear to start making harper's quilt. i made mackenzie a quilt (my first) when she was little and we call it her love quilt. when she goes to bed at night the quilt will protect her from bad dreams cause it's filled with mommy's love. when she spotted me making harper's she asked me if it was going to be a love quilt and when i said yes, she said "how do you get the love in there mommy?". how cute is that? so sweet. the fabric i'm using has been calling my name and even though i have a lot of other unfinished projects i felt like i needed a brain break to make something fun. needless to say i forgot that i am "cutting challenged". i really need help. i don't think there is anyone worse at cutting fabrics than me..haha. seriously.

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the pattern i am making is from the lovely blog "the polka dot chair". it's called the snuggly bricks quilt tutorial. it's easy, quick and perfect for the amount of time i have to spend on it right now...or so i thought. all i had to do is cut out rectangles. straight lines. easy right? i guess not for me. i got out my rotary cutter, my mat, made a template and got out my ruler. do you think they were straight? nope. did my rotary cutter behave? nope. by the end of one hour i had a whole whack of rectangles cut, one not usable (too small) and man was it a b&^ch to get that amount done. i am starting to think i should just stick with sewing clothes..haha.


i'm going to be using the prints above from moda by momo called "it's a hoot". i love it. any suggestions from you guys on how to quilt this when it's pieced? i've never quilted a brick pattern. would you just do stitch in the ditch? also what color do you think would work best for the binding and backing? i'm a new quilter and any tips are greatly appreciated :)

and of course, let's not forget my cutting issues...my question to you on this is are...what are your cutting tips? am i the only one cutting challenged? is there some weird part of my brain that refuses to cut with a rotary cutter? can martha stewart invent a chip to implant into my brain to fix it?

bring it on my friends. i could use your help :)

Olive Bungalow Giveaway!!

**This giveaway is now closed! Thanks for all of your entries!!!***

ohhhh, ladies....i'm so excited for today's giveaway! i think the only way i could be more excited is if i could actually win it. it's hard to believe but it's still almost as fun to watch you all enter as it is to be able to enter giveaways myself. today's giveaway is just.....well...fabulous!


i'd like to introduce you to olive bungalow, one of our newest sponsors here in the mommyhood. all i can say is wowsa! i love me some jewelry and michele's stuff is stunning! i'm swooning over the custom birthstone stack rings. so pretty. there is even 9 band styles to choose from and the rings are sterling silver with gemstones! you decide which size stone (you could do larger to represent the parents & small ones for the kiddos), which band (thick or thin) and then your gemstone. this would be fabulous for any mom. so pretty! i love that you can customize so many features to fit your style and family.

the stackable birthstone rings aren't the only gorgeous things olive bungalow has to offer. i want all of it..haha. here's a little taste of some of her handiwork all made from her studio in arizona overlooking the desert and mountain range. i can't imagine the time and love she must spend making every single piece. i know for a fact she is very passionate about her business and works very hard at producing quality jewelry made with only fair trade gemstones & conflict-free diamonds. you can read more about her process, birthstones and gemstone info here.


how gorgeous are these?


you drooling yet? dying to know the prize?






one lucky winner will win a $75 gift certificate to olive bungalow! wowsa! thanks so much michele!





1) go to www.olivebungalow.com and sign up for their newsletter (you'll get the inside scoop on exclusive offers) then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did.

*Bonus entry: tweet or facebook mention this giveaway then leave a comment telling me you did so.







- you must leave a valid email address with your entry or you will be disqualified.
- the giveaway is open until monday, january 17th, 2011 at midnight (pacific standard time).

olive bungalow has another goodie for you too. michele's generously offered up a 15% discount to luvinthemommyhood readers until friday, january 21st. simply enter the code: lmh15


you can find oodles of lovely jewelry in the olive bungalow shop here, read about olive bungalow on michele's blog here, and follow along on twitter here.

good luck ladies and thank you for all of your entries! i can't wait to see who wins!

moments in the mommyhood - coastal life

(don't y'all just love my pose? we call that my "kelly rippa" in my house and yes, i'm a loser..hahaha)

i've been trying to give you guys a bit more pics to show you a bit of how gorgeous the scenery is here in victoria right now. when the blue sky is out and the sun is shining there's nothing better for us than a stroll along the beach with good friends and of course, coffee. we had a good visit with friends who came to stay with us. there was a lot of wii playing, or should i say showdowns. we discovered that mack has a talent for bowling and golf on there and even beat her dad the first time she played. i got to go out for breakfast (my fave meal to eat out) for the first time since before harper was born. it was fabulous and as yummy and fun as i remember and i even got some knitting & sewing done too! it felt like a mirage!

a bit thanks to all the commenter's on friday's post, you guys gave me so many tips for organizing my knitting needles - wowsa! i could hardly keep up! i cannot wait to try them all out and see what i can come up with. i'll make sure to do a post to show you what system i decide on. i ended up finally reorganizing the gazillion of pages that i rip out of my house & home and style at home magazines and putting them into a binder. i used the clear sleeves and labeled them by room and by topic so now i can have easy access to the eye candy i want to save. i also redid my inspiration board...oh how i love doing that. fresh pictures, new colors and lots of lovely things to drool over while i'm sewing.

i also cannot tell you guys enough how much i am in love and addicted to the fab site pinterest.com the amount of space & time this site saves me is crazy! it's like having room upon room of inspiration boards and nobody will ever tell you that you have too many. it's so much fun and now instead of bookmarking all the goodies i heart online i just pin them into my inspiration boards. come join up! if you do you can find me under "luvinthemommyhood".

what did you get up to on the weekend? any organizing going on in your house for 2011? did you get any sewing/knitting done? what did you make? happy monday - let's chat :)

weekend wishes

to revamp my knitting basket & make a new knitting needle case for my needles...

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to make ya smile...

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that summer will be here sooner than later & i can whip out my lady hat...

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to get some pretty storage baskets sewn up...

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to find some time to spend with a bronte...

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to find the perfect yarn to make this cozy cowl...

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to decide which of these to knit first...

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to have a fun, cozy weekend with good friends visiting.

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we spent a huge amount of our time during christmas break cleaning and purging our little condo. we scrubbed, vacuumed, sorted, sold, bought, reorganized, donated and cleaned some more. it felt great. it would have felt even better if we were done, but we're not. most of what's left to do is mine. my sewing wall revamp is still in progress. the fabrics that were once folded neatly are all in shambles, the ironing board monster has grown since xmas not shrunk, and now my knitting supplies are EVERYWHERE. my knitting basket is ripped and falling apart and after seeing christina's gorgeous knitting basket makeover on "the sometimes crafter" i knew i had to get my butt in gear. i've pleaded with her to make a tutorial for us sewers so we can replicate the one she made, so I'm crossing my fingers. in the meantime i may just attemp to make one on my own.

my biggest problem is my needles. i keep buying more thinking i don't have them (due to the extreme disorganized mess that they are in) only to find i already have them. over the years people have given me needles that they didn't want or need and i have just been too darn lazy to go through and figure out what size they all are. i swear the dpn's and circulars and planning to take over my sewing table. they have raged war against the pins. i think they are gearing up for a rather fiesty match of "comfy sews vs cozy knits - the spring edition". what do you think?

anyhoo, i'm on the hunt for the perfect needle organizer. i've found a lot of tutorials online but none seem to fit all my needs. so ladies, how do you organize yours? did you buy or make your cases? do you have separate ones for the dpn's and circulars or do you have all of them together? i'm not sure what to do here and would love any suggestions or tips you may have. i definitely know i do not want a flip and fold one (where the needles are on both halves of the fabric and you have to fold it in half before rolling it). i have one like that already (secondhand) and i hate it. loathe it. whenever i open it i get attached by a barrage of unsorted needles. it's nasty and i think it hates me.

as you can see i've got knitting on my mind. it's the time of year i think. it's been pouring buckets here and the sky has been grey for days. it makes me just want to stay inside and knit. we've got really good friends of ours coming to stay this weekend and i'm super excited to see them so our weekend will be filled with laughs and good company.

what are you up to this weekend? have you been knitting or sewing? wishing you sunshine, organized craft rooms and the company of good friends. pull up a seat & stay awhile. i've got a coffee here for ya.

You're a winner!

we have a winner!!!!!!!!!!

Erin Leigh said... [Reply to comment] 9

I answered the poll!

congratulations erin!!!!! you're the winner! i'll be in touch soon to get your contact info.

i hope to have a few other giveaways this year made by me as well, so if you didn't win today, don't worry, you may get to another time. if you want to make an infinity & beyond scarf for yourself here's the link and the booklet for instructions on how to wear it is in the works. i hope it's done sooner than later...but as you other moms know, it will more likely be later.

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a big thank you to all of you for all of your entries. you guys are so sweet and it honestly means the world to me that there was even 1 entry for a scarf made by me :) it was the best xmas pressie. i really want you all to know how much your loyalty and friendship has meant over the last year and a half and how special this community is to me. you've been with me through many a lonely night, bad and good mommy days, one parenting crises after another, a pregnancy (aka a lot of barfing), a birth, birthdays, holidays, sickness, health, and everything in between. you've cheered me up, made me laugh, made me cry, shared your stories, given advice, counselled, taught and just plain been fabulous friends. you are part of what makes blogging my passion and what honestly brings joy to my life every single day. so thank you...thank you...thank you. i hope 2011 is just as good of a year for all of us and that we can all continue to share it together.

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how's your week going? have you made an infinity scarf yet? come join our flickr group and show off your projects, i'd love to see what you are all making!

moments in the mommyhood - xmas break

here's what we've been up to:

i've been loving my new fabric that i got from my mom/dad for xmas...


that will become a new quilt for my bed..


lots of walks near the ocean in the sunshine...


funny times at the park...


showing off new tights in a swing that may be a bit small...haha...


"it's a hoot" goodness that will become a quilt for little harper (ignore the wrinkles, haven't had time to beat down the ironing monster in our house to work out the creases)....


and needles working slowly to make a hat.


happy new year's to you all! i hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing christmas break and are as excited as i am for a fabulous 2011! yesterday was a weird day. it was strange to have the hubs go back to work. the house seemed so quiet and i think we were all reluctant to return to our old routine. i know i was. i wanted to hold onto our "family" time as long as i could and make the most of it. we had a great break and it definitely wasn't long enough.

we had lots of laughs, good food, family time, swimming, walks, movies, a lot of cleaning & purging (our condo seriously looked like a bad episode of hoarders until we were done the reorganization), a lot of "candyland" and "chutes and ladders" showdowns, first bike rides for mackenzie and of course, for me - starbucks. santa was so nice to put some gift cards in my stocking and you all know how much i can use those..haha. we also experienced the rath of a tired, over excited toddler, timeouts, tantrums, and lack of sleep too (let's be real folks, it's not all candy and roses in our house) but it was worth it. i'm sure you all had a bit of that in your homes as well and if you didn't i could use your tips..haha.

it sure felt good to pick up the needles and knit for fun at night. i've been so busy making xmas pressies that i'm making some things for the kiddos now. the hat is for harper and i'm making the "stella pixie hat" (on ravelry here). i'm loving this pattern - so fun! also that yummy layer cake and jelly roll from moda...yep, the dream on line i've been obsessing about for months was under the tree for me on xmas morning! mom - you're the best, love you! i cannot wait to make my first queen size quilt for my bed with this line! so excited! i'm also going to be doing a second quilt (smaller) for harper from one of my other fave lines from moda "it's a hoot". i love the colors and the bold prints, it will be perfect for my little bundle of giggles.

what have you all been up to? how were your holidays? did you get some good family time in? anyone sad/happy to have the routine back? i missed you all ...let's chat :)

p.s. to those of you i owe emails to, i'm sorry, i'm slowly catching up. i really tried hard to unplug a lot during the holidays and part of that was letting the inbox get a bit out of control..haha. hopefully i'll be getting back to you all sooner than later. thx for understanding.

how to be alone...

i fell in love with this and couldn't resist sharing it even though i'm technically not blogging....hee hee. i wish i had seen this years ago. it's beautiful, simple and shares a message that i feel is important - finding comfort in yourself and your own company. so lock yourself in the bathroom with the laptop (if you have one) away from the kiddos and the hubs and enjoy some solitude ("cause if you're happy in your head, then solitude is blessed....") if only for 4 minutes.

holiday edition - weekend wishes

that you all have a happy holidays...

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eat lots of yummy cookies....

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lose yourself in the wonder....

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see the magic of it all...

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have lots of fun...

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have some yummy xmas drinks...

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get lost in the snow (if you have snow)...

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relish in all the pretty packages under the tree...

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be thankful...

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and enjoy a handmade holiday with your families and loved ones.

it's my last weekend wishes before 2011! 2011! can you believe it? this year went by so fast and wow, has it been a busy and fun one! i want to thank each and every one of you for reading, commenting, blogging, emailing and for being a part of my life. i adore all of you and truly treasure all the wonderful and special friends i have made through this blog. you all mean so much to me. i wish you all so much happiness and joy for the holidays and the new year. may all your wishes come true!

i'm going to be spending the rest of this month with my family and will be back online on january 5th. i may pop in here or there but things won't be back to normal till then. i'm hoping to get some serious relaxing and family time in while the hubs is on a much needed vacation. until then....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!! see you in 2011!!!!

p.s. don't forget to get your entry in for your very own "infinity & beyond scarf"! click here to enter :)

moments in the mommyhood - snippets of our day

the garland on our mantle is hung...

barbie house in full swing...

nighties on all day...

owies fixed...

knitting on the go...

star put on our tree...

chatting with you folks on the computer...

the ironing board monster continues to wreak havoc in my sewing space...

toys are played with...

music sung...

and candy cane eating is about to begin.

i thought you might want to see a peek of what's been going on in our house today. chaos. barbies. toys. books. knitting. sewing. candy cane eating....yes we are behind a few days, and lots of fun (sometimes). it's been a crazy, crazy week here. i'm almost done xmas pressies, almost. i still have to wrap though, but i'm pretty fast at that so i'm not going to worry about it yet. i never really got too many pics of our xmas decor this year, but there's a few in this post. our garland is simply granny squares strung on yarn. they are from a blanket i'm working on. our tree topper is simply a toilet paper roll and some cardboard covered in fancy wrapping paper i love that has a velvet feel to it. simple and very eco-friendly. i also make a lot of our ornaments the same way. i simply save up a ton of our granola bar boxes and cut out shapes for ornaments and then cover them using glue with fun wrapping paper. hole punch and then string and hang on tree. easy peasy.

harper's had a weird fever off and on these last few days that i can't seem to figure out so we're hoping she get's better soon. mack's been barbie house playing up a storm lately. does anyone know of a great site for patterns for barbie and doll clothes? i recently got my copy of "wee wonderfuls" from the library - so excited but i'm also sad that it didn't come before xmas as i wanted to make her a whole bunch for Christmas. thankfully her bday is in april so that leaves me time to surprise her then. i recommend this book - it's gorgeous and filled with tons of great dolls and softies! definitely a must see :)

what have you all been up to? how's your week been? want some coffee? sit...let's chat girls!

Pattern Pieces for the Eco-Friendly Placemat to Bib Tutorial!

does she look familiar? awww, how time flies. the "eco-friendly placemat to bib tutorial" was one of my earlier ones and mackenzie was so tiny....it makes me cry just looking at it. seems so weird that she's gonna be 4 in a few months :( it's also sad that it's taken me this long to scan in the bib pieces so you guys can just print it out and cut. this is a really easy and fun bib to make and very, very cheap to buy supplies for. we use ours all the time, in fact i need to make some more.

click here for the original tutorial and here's the pattern pieces:

Top of bib

Bottom of Bib

Sides of Bib

feel free to ask any questions if you have them :)

have you made any of these bibs? don't forget to add your pic to our flickr group - i'd love to see them!

Infinity & Beyond Scarf Giveaway!!

***This giveaway is now closed.***

yep, that's right...i'm doing a giveaway! yippee! i really wanted to thank all of you guys for being so great and for being such a big part of this blog. it means so much that you guys keep reading and it's been so fun getting to know you and sharing our lives with each other. it's part of what makes this blog so special to me. so since i handmade my xmas gifts this year, here's my xmas gift to you - a fun giveaway for an infinity and beyond scarf made by little ol' me! want one?


well here in the mommyhood we like to think of it as a fun neighbourhood. neighbourhoods need to be maintained, cleaned and undergo general upkeep and modernization. so keeping in tune with the new year ahead i'm calling a little town meeting. that's right, you all get a say on how your neighbourhood is run :) i've created a poll that i would love for you to fill out and tell me your thoughts. if there is something you would like to see or want me to know about the mommyhood that isn't in the poll please feel free to send an email my way to luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca i love hearing from you guys!





one winner will receive an "infinity & beyond scarf" from me. i can't show you the fabric yet, as it's a surprise, but trust me, it's nice! i've got some yummy, super soft flannel for you :)





1. Fill out the poll below (please choose all that apply, you are allowed more than one answer) and then comment to tell me you did.
2. Subscribe to the mommyhood or follow us on google connect (on the sidebar) and leave me another comment telling me you do.
3. Bonus entry: follow us on twitter or facebook and then comment you did.




- you must leave a valid email address with your entry or you will be disqualified.
- the giveaway is open until wednesday, january 4th, 2011 at midnight (pacific standard time).

the poll:

here's the direct link to the poll in case the embedded one goes wonky on us.

i can't wait to hear your thoughts! thank you in advance for you entries and for your time to fill out the poll, i really appreciate it.

have you made the infinity and beyond scarf yet? have you added your pics to our flickr group? i'd love to see them!

moments in the mommyhood - me & my girls

we had a great weekend. not a ton of sleep (surprise, surprise) but a good weekend nonetheless. we got into the xmas spirit and did some fun holiday stuff around town, had dinner with friends and i even got some sewing and knitting done! it's a christmas miracle...haha! not enough to be done, but enough that i got a tad bit more accomplished. i see many late nights ahead this week so some of the posts this week may be up later in the morning.

i also got to go out for lunch without the kiddos - now that was fabulous.the hubs had his exam on friday (thanks for all of your well wishes) and boy was it nice and relaxing to have him home and to have the much needed help again. we sure missed having him around all the time. we are looking forward to christmas break with him.

when putting my xmas cards together the other week i realized i had hardly any pics of me with the girls since the early fall so here's some for you all. we went for a late walk along the ocean last night..it was gorgeous with the full moon and blue sky at dusk. thought it would give you all a little taste of where we live. oceans and mountains. i doesn't get much better in my book :)

hope you all had a good weekend. what did you get up to? are you going to be up late crafting this week like me? happy monday!