Organic Fabric Giveaway from Honeybegood!!!

prints all from havana from monaluna
who wants to win some new fabric? i do, i do!  i loooooovvvee when we get a fun fabric giveaway and i love it even more when it's organic!!!!

our fabulous sponsor honeybegood has a wonderful fabric prize for us today!  honeybegood is run by the lovely karen who makes buying organic and environmentally friendly fabrics a lot easier for all of us.  her shop "specializes in organic cotton, hemp blends, and sustainable fabric for quilting, art and life".  honeybegood carries "designer organic quilting fabric from amy butler, daisy janie, monaluna, clothworks, robert kaufman and many more". you can also pick up "eco-friendly batting and organic cotton thread in a range of colors"!  hello!  how awesome is that!!!

top row: geocentric canvas by cloud 9 fabrics  bottom row: alchemy organic by amy butler
karen also has a handy section on her blog that explains all the different certifications that organic products can have.  it's worth a quick read and makes it easier to understand when you are shopping for something that is truly organic.  you can find that listing here. i also enjoyed this section on honeybgood that is called the "top 9 reasons i love organic".  it's a great way to find out a bit more about shopping organic and why to do it.  shopping organic can be easy and affordable if you're shopping from wonderful stores like honeybegood.
robert kaufman pure organic solids
for all of november karen will be donating 3% of all sales proceeds go to the American Red Cross for sandy relief efforts and there is also free shipping on all US orders over $50. i personally love stocking up on solids and i love the whole line of pure organic solids by robert kaufman.  i can never have enough solids and to have my solids stash be organic is something i'm trying to slowly achieve.

amy butler organic soul gift box
you can shop on honeybegood by designer/manufacturer, categories, kits and even bundles/precuts.  honeybegood also carries organic felt from eco-fi as well.  i also adore that karen sells gorgeous boxed sets of some of their loveliest fabrics!  what an awesome xmas gift that would make for the fabric lover in your life!  she even has free shipping on any "gift" purchased.  entire order must be shipped to one address to qualify.  enter code "giftship" at checkout.

you fab ladies ready to find out what you could win?
||  THE PRIZE  ||
- one lucky winner is going to get a $30 Gift Certificate to HoneyBeGood!!!!

||  HOW TO ENTER  ||
- simply enter a comment below letting me know what you would use your $30 gift certificate for at HoneyBeGood.
*bonus entry - like honeybegood and/or luvinthemommyhood on facebook and then come back and leave another comment letting me know you did that too.

||  THE RULES  ||
- you must include a valid email in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until november 19th, 2012, midnight PST.

good luck and happy fabric shoping!  a big thank you to karen for the lovely prize and for such a wonderful fabric shop!

you can find all things honey be good below:


thanks for all of your entries!

weekend wishes

Einstein Mini-Notebook from Happy Dappy Bits
don't you just love the feel of a sharpened pencil or a brand new pen?  pair it with a new fave journal or notebook and i'm one happy lady.  this time of year always has me feeling so inspired and also has me sketching & taking lots of notes.  this week's weekend wishes is a short one because of that.  i've got some projects on the go that i really want to indulge in today :)

i thought it would be fun to hear what you all plan on indulging in this weekend? is their a project or activity that you plan on doing just for yourself this weekend?  what special thing are you making or creating that you can't stop doing?  it's like when you find that special book that you just can't put down....i get like that with the projects i'm loving too.  i just don't want to put them down.  they are always on my mind calling out to me.  you know....the ones that we stay up till late in the wee hours for....the ones that we will rip out or tink back over and over till they are as perfect as we can make them....the ones we will bore anyone who will listens with all the details because we can't contain our excitement...the ones that cause our eyes to light up and our hands to get twitchy to make....the ones that fill our souls with that moment of bliss when you stand back and go "yessssss....i made that"...ohhhh that feeling of fulfillment and joy, its so addictive and indulgent and i love every single amazing second of it. 

this weekend i'm hoping to indulge.  i'm going to hopefully get more sleep than normal, knit happily away on some new upcoming patterns (yay), and get my newest quilt bound. i'm a 1/4 of the way there and i'm so in love with it. i hope that by next week i'll have pics and a tutorial to share. so excited!

so spill the beans ladies.....whatcha up to?  what have you got on the mind that you're wishing you were doing instead of chores/work/diaper changes/school pickup etc......i'd love to hear about it!  wishing you all a wonderfully indulgent and gorgeous fall weekend! monday is remembrance day here in canada and it's a holiday so i'll most likely be back on tuesday. xoxoxo

 

moments in the daddyhood - foggy fall

the hubs was at it again.  my fave moments in our home are sometimes the ones i'm not a part of that i find later on the camera and now our ipad.  cracks me up every time to see how their little adventures play out.  here's some shots of the latest installment of them on a foggy fall day....
 

victoria is always filled with the most gorgeous and inspiring leaves at this time of year and i could probably easily fill this blog up with just leaf pictures alone...lol.  it's heavenly.  as long as it's not monsoon raining i'm a very happy lady during this lovely vancouver island weather.

do you find unexpected pics on your camera? what happens when your partner takes your kiddos out with you?  are you relishing in the fall weather where you are?  it's a blustery one here today and it's  filled with blue sky, leaves crisp and blowing and warm fresh coffee - want some?

Winners!!!!!!!!

simply color ombres by v and co.
we have some winners to announce today!  let's get celebrating!

the winner of the simply color by v and co. fabric giveaway from fat quarter shop is.....

Commenter #182 - Alexis

yay!!! this line is so lovely! congrats on your win!!!

 1. whitney's ruffle neck romper 2. natalie's ruffle butt romper 3. elena's double layer peasant dress 4. helen's maxi dress
and the winner of our create kids couture giveaway is......

Commenter #30 - Alexis!

congrats! these patterns are so adorable! have fun sewing!

thanks to all of you who voted!  and a big thank you to our awesome sponsors....

you can find all things fat quarter shop here:



and

you can find all things create kids couture here:


holiday crafting support group!!


i finally allowed myself to realize that it's november.  halloween is over and that means christmas stuff is everywhere.  tv, radio, stores, online...you can't get away from it.  this also means for us lovers of making that we usually are at this point getting either over zealous or a wee bit stressed with our holiday crafting plans.

if you're anything like me you've probably experienced both the highs and the lows of holidays crafting.  you start out super excited, almost a crafters high of sorts, writing lists, planning out your supplies and choosing gifts for everyone from your child's teacher to your loved ones.  you get all revved up and pump yourself full of "i can do this", "i'm going to save so much money doing this", "i don't need sleep", "i can live off coffee for a month" and so on....until you a) give up half way through and buy gift cards b) have a crafters breakdown c) burn out or d) end up grumpy/stressed and severely sleep deprived on xmas that you don't even enjoy yourself.

what's the point in pointing this out to you? well....i don't want that to happen to any of us anymore.  so how do we solve it? i'm not 100% sure what the answer is but what i do know is that i have some tips that i have learned and so do a lot of you.  we all love making gifts for our loved ones and we all just love to "make" so how can we, as a group, inspire, support and cheer each other on to make a  "reasonable"  (and i mean human, not robot) amount of gifts and home decorations.

throughout november and december i'll be writing posts on most wednedsays to open up discussions, project sharing, friendships to be made, shoulders to cry and lean on, and overall just a place you can come each week to keep focused, stay on track and try to make it through the holidays making but also smiling.

||  FOR THE SEWERS & CRAFTERS ||

- this is new for me so i'm going to try out a few things along the way. depending on interest from you fab ladies i'm thinking of starting a linky party on this day where you can link up your posts for crafts/projects you are making for the holidays and their progress or other posts inspired by the theme "holiday crafting support group".
- add your pics to our flickr group to show off your handiwork. we love to see what you're making.
- comment, chat, start discussions, join in the convo. i promise this is all more fun if you get involved :)

||  FOR THE KNITTERS  ||

- there will be a topic in our luvinthemommyhood ravelry group called "holidays crafting support group" where you can all chat away, share your project line ups, link to what you're making and also show off those pics!!! i love this part!!!
- feel free to also join in with the rest of us here on my blog post each week, link up your posts on all the knitted lovelies you're posting on your blogs as well.

i want this space to be somewhere you can come during this mostly joyful but also sometimes stressful time of year each week to feel like you have people to talk to who understand you, are making things right along side you, cheering you on, and just plain want to hear about all the fun stuff you have planned for the holidays.  feel free to show off all your handiwork and crafting skills!  it helps to keep us all motivated and feeling inspired.

i love christmas and plan on making this one as relaxing and as enjoyable as possible for my family this year and i hope you will all join me in this wee journey.  so join in! i can't wait to see what you will all be whipping up this year!

to get you started here are some of my fave roundups from previous years for holiday goodies:

||  GARLAND ROUNDUP  ||


||  WREATH TUTORIAL ROUNDUP  ||


||  CHRISTMAS STOCKING ROUNDUP  ||

would you all like to see some new roundups on these topics this year? anything else you'd like for me to round up for the holidays?  let me know below and i'll get my lasso out and get rounding em'posts up.  have you started your holiday crafting list yet?  what & how many projects are you planning on making this year?


quilting 911 - creative bliss


i have a confession.  i've been cheating on my vintage sheet inspired quilt with a new one.  i know, i feel guilty.  i try to work on only one quilt at a time but this time i've cheated.  i blame it completely on lotta jansdotter.  yep, it's all her fault.  why did she have to come out with such a lovely line that i just could not absolutely resist making a new quilt for myself out of?  it lured me over to the dark side.  i quickly bundled up my other quilt and put it aside to jump head first into the frenzy of lotta sewing.  the line - bella.  the result?  can't show you yet...hehe.  but i loooooove it.  i think it's my fave quilt to date.  why?  because it was completely spur of the moment and i just winged it. 


sometimes my most favorite projects are the ones that are totally unexpected and not on my schedule or list at all whatsoever.  it feels wild and freeing to do this once in a while.  i'll just drop everything and immerse myself completely in something new and unplanned.  i just lose myself in it and boy is it fun.  even though i feel guilty for dropping my other quilt faster than a hot potato i feel that it's worth it to have this new baby to snuggle up under.

how to sew binding roundup
want to know what the best part is?  it's going to be my first quilting tutorial!!!! yes!  i'm so excited!  it definitely is something i wanted to share and it's the perfect quilt for all you fellow newbie quilters like me to sink your teeth into.  so watch this space....it's coming soon.  i spent all my kid free time yesterday quilting my brains out on this bad boy so that today i can start putting the binding on. i had tons of work to do but i just. couldn't. stop. quilting.  speaking of binding....don't forget about our how to sew binding roundup! this is a great resource of tips and techniques for binding your quilts.  i refer to it all the time.

1. rocky shore in schooner 2. scattered sand in seaspray  3. seaside stripe in seaspray 4. seaside stripe in warm grey 5. rocky shore in sunspray 6. woven in schooner all from bella by lotta jansdotter
want to know what prints i used for my new quilt?  i used the lovelies shown above & even had to add some color palette boxes below the prints just for fun! aren't they purdy?  i don't want to reveal too much and all i can say is i'm digging it.  yep. i even snuggled under it for a few minutes after i was done quilting it.  i feel like that is the moment of true quilting love for me. i love the quilting part the best out of the whole process.  it's so exciting and fun for me.  this time was tricky though.  this was a much bigger quilt than i'm used too and it was a good workout trying to fit it in my machine.  it was tricky and time consuming but i managed to push through and i'm happy with the outcome. it ain't perfect but heck...who is right?  it's all a learning process for me.


i simply love the feeling of getting lost in a quilt and watching the time fly by while i'm having a heckuva lot of fun. there is something so soothing and relaxing about quilting that i just can't put my finger on it but man is it good for the soul and oh so rewarding when you are done. i even have to admit that this is the first time i'm actually looking forward to the binding process.  i usually detest it but have started to grow a fondness for hand sewing my binding.  i sew the first side by machine and hand sew the binding down.  this works great for me and i love snuggling up under the quilt with my trusty thimble.  it's starting to become fun for me and i'm so looking forward to this evening.  that is exactly what i'm going to be doing tonight. i can't wait to show you all the finished product and share the tutorial.

what quilt are you working on right now?  do you love or detest the binding process? which part of quilting is your favorite?  do you find yourself getting lost in creative bliss while quilting too?  let's chat m'dears!  it's monday and it's finally not raining here! yay!!!

weekend wishes

to get working on all the projects that the new taylor swift album (i'm obsessed) has inspired...

taylor swift - red
to get myself some fun tights for the winter (these ones have foxes on them! cute!)...


to hang this in my house...
Coffee Tea Print
or this one...lol...

Coffee Tea print by Noodlehug
to get crafting with pinecones...you know i love me a good pinecone...


to make some of these for the tree, for my keychain, for gifts, for.....lol..the list goes on...


and that santa brings me these coffee stitch markers for my needles :)
java jive handmade stitch markers from lady danio
i know...coffee on the brain today right! lol! i can't help myself. i'm all jacked up due to my first eggnog latte of the season. the red cups do me in every year. it accelerates my coffee addiction from somewhat excessive to mental...lol.  i just get coffee on the brain all day when the holiday crafting season starts.  i'm gonna control myself this year...or attempt to. not going overboard on handmade gifts and may just spoil myself silly with making lovely goodies for myself..lol.  too many wip's in my knitting baskets that i need to finish.  same with my sewing table. too many washi's and tova's that need to get sewn for this momma.  it's ok right?  if i make myself some indulgences and buy lovely goodies for my loved ones instead?  right?  please tell me it's ok...lol.

i've also be crazily addicted to the new taylor swift album. #4 is my fave. can't stop playing it. i'm a wee bit obsessed with some riffs/beats in it and find myself strangely inspired by the whole album and in particularly that song. some good stuff is gonna come out of it...i can feel it in my fingers...lol. besides being inspired i am a big fan of hers and love that my girlies love her music as much as i do.  we all blast it in the car and sing at the top of our lungs.  it feels good and it's one of my fave things to do with my kidlets.

what are you all up to this weekend?  anyone else changing up how and who they are making handmade gifts for this year?  the hubs is in an all day course on sat so i'm going to attempt to work/sew with the kiddos home a bit (cross your fingers for me) and we're also going to be doing some cleaning and purging. we're behind on our pre-holiday organizing and desperately  need to get moving on decluttering and cleaning out our wee condo.  fun right? not. i hate cleaning. hate. dislike. don't ever want to do. funny thing is i dont like it when it's messy or cluttered in my place and it always is. so maybe i should clean more? but then that means i can't sew or knit or chat with you all as much...boo urns.  i think i need to work more so i can hire a maid. that would work right? lol. dear santa....please bring me a maid for christmas...purdy please?

wishing you all a maid, tons of coffee, laughs, fave song singing, crafty filled, self indulgent kinda weekend. you deserve it! luvs!  

ps. don't forget to enter to win the "simply color v and co. fabric giveaway from fat quarter shop"! you don't want to miss this line! those ombre solids kill me! love! enter here.

moments in the mommyhood - pumpkin boobies

and yes, these do look like my boobies...muahaha...lmao!
i heart fall.  i don't heart the endless rain and miserable grey misty cold but i heart the glimmers of goodness about fall.  pumpkins, leaves, trees, fresh air, warm knits, and the calm before christmas.  one of our fave things to do in the fall is head out to the local pumpkin farm to pick our pumpkins.  we had a good time even though our youngest refused to look at the camera.  not even once...poor little thing.  she had just woken up from a nap and no matter what i did she wouldn't lift her head up to smile or even scowl...haha.  i'm sure you can all relate to those moments when we really, really want to get pics of our kiddos and they just won't pose.  oh well....such is life..haha.

here's some of our faves from the last few weeks....(i love getting pics of feet...can you tell?)


we did get some other great pics and i couldn't resist sharing them all today.  it's back to the misty, grey rain today but we were lucky to have a break of no rain for trick or treating last night.  i hope you all had a safe and fun halloween and before you ask - no, i didn't make any costumes for halloween and never have.  one day i will though :)  we had a great night and it was soooo fun to see harper have her first halloween that she will remember and to see the 2 girls together trick or treating so fun!

my fave moment - there is a house in our neighbourhood that goes all out for halloween every year and i mean all out.  scary...like adult freaky scary.  it's not for little ones.  it's frightening and each year it's my favorite house to go to. i slowly creep up and wait to get scared. last year someone grabbed and pulled me across the yard....awesome.  now this house happens to use santa as one of it's freaky compenents..and yes, i said santa.  i told you...not for kids..lol.  we were almost at the house and all of a sudden santa came running out of the yard and literally chased 3 kids about a block and a half scaring the wits out of them (these were teens) and i almost peed myself. the screams were so fun!!! honestly...loved it.  that may be twisted of me but it was a riot.

how was your halloween? how has your fall been? do you pick your your pumpkins or have other fall rituals you do?  hope you're having a wonderful week!  let's chat....i've got tea and coffee...want some?

ISLAND Pre-Order Book Release!!!

A collection of handknits designed by Jane Richmond and inspired by life on Vancouver Island. This book was a special artistic journey to bring Jane's patterns to life with photography by Nicholas Kupiak, modeling by Kylee Shaw, and graphic design/layout  & conception by Shannon Cook & Jane Richmond.

More than just a knitting book, ISLAND is a visual and creative experience showcasing the majestic beauty of Vancouver Island. Filled with designs & fibers that are true to Jane's classic and modern aesthetic, ISLAND not only makes you want to knit, it also inspires you to lose yourself in an adventure of your own.

Be inspired, get lost in the journey, set your imagination free, and ESCAPE to the ISLAND.


CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR PRE-ORDER
 I S L A N D - $20
Includes:
Print Copy  |  Digital Version  |  Printable PDF


we are soooooo excited to announce that ISLAND is available for pre-order starting today and running for one week only!  books will ship november 30th!!!! woot woot!!!!  we've been really busy working on the sidelines to get copies available to you as quickly as possible and we hope you will all love the book and collection as much as we do.

included in your pre-order is the print copy of the book as well as the digital copy!!!  so you can get knitting before your book even gets here! bring on the holiday knitting!

you can also now view all the projects contained in the book on ravlery.  visit our ISLAND ravelry store page here for more info or to purchase the digital copy of the book ONLY.  for those of you who already have the book (yay!) please feel free to add your projects to the rav pages! we cannot wait to see them!  we will also be adding a new thread in the jane richmond ravelry group for you all to chat and share your ISLAND projects! fun!

and just cause we looooooovvvve the ISLAND video so much i'm posting it in here one more time...hehe.  can't get enough of it.  makes me well up every time. i'm so happy that you all enjoyed the video as much as i did. it was so fun to put together for you all!


thank you all sooooo much for all of your support and for such a lovely and warm response to the book!  it means the world to us! we can't wait to see all of your wonderful and inspiring projects and stay tuned...we'll both be blogging about the whole "self publishing" a book process soon! <3

Simply Color by V and Co. - Fat Quarter Shop Fabric Giveaway!

simply color ombres by v and co. for moda
you guys in the mood to win some yummy fabric today? sounds good because i'm in the mood to give some away!  the lovely and oh so adorable bloggy pal of mine vanessa of v and co. fame has her first fabric line out this year called "simply color".  i loooooooove it.  i'm so feeling those ombre prints (shown above) and since i'm pretty excited about this line i knew you all would be too!
simply color by v and co. for moda
the awesome "fat quarter shop" is sponsoring our giveaway today and one of you lucky ladies is going to get a chance to win them some simply color! simply color is perfect for anything ranging from quilting, clothing, accessories...the list goes on.  there are a ton of awesome patterns on fat quarter shop as well as the v and co. website (and her book) so there is definitely no shortage of projects to use simply color for.  all the solids and ombres are my faves. i love the colors that vanessa chose and can't wait to get my hands on some. 
simply color by v and co. for moda
fat quarter shop always has a great selection of all of your favorite prints and all the yummy moda pre-cut selections. dare i say christmas is just around the corner and it's never too early to get perusing the fabric...right? or at least that's what i've been telling myself this month..haha.
simply color by v and co. for moda (image via v and co.)
the weather has been horrendous all over and i feel like simply color is just what we need to lift upour spirits.  it feels so bright and fresh to me...sort of like that perfect day right in between spring and summer when the air is fresh and full of promise but it's not too hot out yet.  where all seems right in the world and you feel creative and energized.


you ready to enter?  yay!!!

||  THE PRIZE  ||

- one lucky winner will receive a jelly roll of simply color by v and co. from fat quarter shop.

||  HOW TO ENTER  ||

- simply leave me a comment letting me know what you would make with your jelly roll.
*bonus entry: follow fat quarter shop on pinterest and then come back and leave me a comment telling me you did that too.

||  THE RULES  ||

- you must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until monday, november 5, 2012, midnight (PST).

good luck everyone and thank you for all your entries! i can't wait to see who is going to win!  and a big thank you to fat quarter shop as well for the awesome prize!!!

you can find all things fat quarter shop here:



ps. to all of you facing sandy this week please stay safe... you're all in our thoughts.

Stasia Cowl Knitting Pattern - New Pattern Release!!

STASIA COWL PATTERN - BUY NOW

 a while back i started daydreaming about a knit version of my commuter cowl.  i kept pondering it and pondering it but nothing ever really felt "right".  the thought never really left my mind though.  i knew i wanted to play on something fun that had to do with assembly and that also included texture that would showcase your fave handspun yarn in a warm cozy cowl. so once i got my hands on the yarn used for this project the stasia cowl was finally born.

Stasia Cowl Pattern



the stasia cowl features a modern twist on your favorite everyday cowl.  textured with a unique assembly this cowl is a fun, quick knit that showcases your special hand spun/dyed yarn beautifully.  i used spincycle yarns 100% BFL worsted in colorway gluttony.  this cowl is super warm, stylish and one of my fave cowls to wear daily.  the color is to die for and the yarn texture is just scrumptious!  i really just couldn't get enough of it and used almost every single piece of my (2) fabulous skeins. 

 
 

the stasia cowl is also a great beginner project perfect for those of you wanting to dip your toes into the  knitting pool and it's also definitely still interesting enough for an advanced knitter.  there's some new techniques to learn (for the newbies) and of course, a really fun assembly.  i love that it feels retro and yet modern at the same time. a perfect combo in my book!

the stasia cowl pattern features:

:: clear and easy to understand step by step instructions

:: bright & colorful photography with a tutorial outlining the assembly of the cowl

:: 7 page color PDF pattern

:: digitally drafted diagram

::  a great knitting experience

the stasia cowl pattern is available for purchase at the following:

RAVELRY  ||  ETSY  ||   CRAFTSY

....MORE SHOPS COMING SOON!

a while back i was lucky enough to get my hands on some of this gorgeous kettle-dyed and handspun yarn from spincycle yarns in bellingham, washington.  it's their 100% BFL worsted (in colorway gluttony). they source their raw fiber locally and everything is done as natural as possible (they use natural and/or non-toxic dyes). they even travel to farmer's markets etc with bicycle pulled trailers! i love that.  kate and rachel from spincycle are so awesome that they are offering you all a 10% discount off of all your orders.  just use  the code "STASIA10" at checkout.  so pop on by spincycle and say hi! thanks spincycle yarns!



it's been so fun working on this project and i hope you all enjoy making this cowl as much as i did.  i can't wait to see all the different yarn choices you guys all use to whip one up!  just imagine all the different color variations you can find in gorgeous worsted yarns?  it's like letting loose a kid in a candy store!!! i know i'll be making another one for myself soon, but for now i'm smitten with this one!



STASIA COWL PATTERN - BUY NOW

don't forget to add your wip and fo shots in our ravelry group and/or our flickr group so i can see all of your lovely projects!  it's no fun to knit all those awesome goodies and then keep em' to yourself! you gotta show them off!!!! 

i hope you enjoy stasia and happy knitting from my home to yours <3

ps. a big thank you to my hubby for photographing the shots with me in it (i luv you hun). i hate pics being taken of me and it was needless to say a "not so fun" event...lol.  even the kids were mad at me...lol.  due to the horrid weather we've been having here though i just couldn't get a chance to shoot my model in it so you're all stuck looking at me :P

 

weekend wishes

to happily wear my glerups for the fall and winter again...
best slippers ever - glerups (image via luvinthemommyhood)
to go swimming...


to make mack some kind of faux bow and arrow for xmas (she loves brave)...

to remember how true this is...


to curl up and read...


and to someday knit a skirt or dress for myself.


it's friday! yessssss!  i'm totally looking forward to following along on twitter and instagram to check out all the fun going on during fall quilt market.  i love seeing all the booths, fabrics and goodies on display! i've also got 3 dresses on display at the birch fabrics booth again and i'm excited to see them on display.  say hi to them for me if you are there and spot them! i can't wait till spring market cause i'm hoping that i will be there in person!  i cannot resist the closeness nor the lure of portland. i loooove portland.  but in the meantime i'm going to happily follow along and cheer on all my peeps and hope they have an awesome weekend!

it's looking to be some of the same here...rain, gloom, and more rain.  the leaves have changed and when the sun does peek it's head out boy is it gorgeous but it's fleeting.  i keep waiting for that spectacular fall day when the air is crisp, the leaves are so bright you gotta wear shades and i'm holding the hubs hand with a coffee in the other while listening to my girlies run and play. yes....fall.....c'mon.....i'm ready for you.  take your rain and come back another day.

we're hoping to hit the pool up this weekend for some family swim time and i've got quilting on the agenda as well as finally (and i mean finally) finishing up my washi dress.  poppy the pfaff has been naughty with my elastic thread and while i should be done already i decided to go back and add one more row of shirring in.  yep, i couldn't just leave well enough alone and now i've got a dress that just needed to be hemmed to one that now has ripped open seams and a much needed row of shirring. oops.  i'm dying to wear it so hopefully i'll get that finished and some pics up soon.  i'm also almost done my summer sweater kal project.  that one darn sleeve has been taking me forever people...i hate sleeves so i'm not surprised but i really just need to focus on it and just get the friggin thing done so i can wear it already. i love it.  i'm gonna need help with my button choices though so i'll prolly be posting soon to get your awesome advice.

what are you all up to this weekend?  any fall plans?  getting ready for halloween?  whatcha busy making?  share...chat....you all know i love hearing your weekend wishes :)  wishing you all a cozy, fall, loved ones and cuddles, books, naps, and laughs kinda weekend.

ps. my new knitting pattern will be out on monday!!!! woot woot! can't wait to show you all!!!! head over to my fb page for a sneaky peeky!

Create Kids Couture Sewing Paper Pattern Giveaway!


we're still battling some kind of bug in our house and i thought what better way to cheer myself up than to give you guys a fun giveaway! one of our newest sponsors in the mommyhood "create kids couture" is here today for an exciting pattern giveaway!!!

elena's double layer peasant dress
create kids couture is run by friends tiffany and shannon and was started when they noticed a lack in "over the top" couture boutique sewing patterns.  they decided to jump in and started their now successful and very popular pattern design company.
helen's maxi dress
if you're looking for sewing patterns that are boutique, couture, beautiful and range from dresses, bottoms, rompers, accessories and even boy's clothes than create kids couture patterns are the way to go!  their patterns feature clear instructions, full color photographs and computer drawn pattern pieces.

natalie's ruffle butt romper
whitney's ruffle neck romper
create kids couture recently decided to release their first set of paper sewing patterns just in time for this month's fall quilt market and guess what?!  one of you lucky ladies is going to get a chance to win all 4 of these adorable paper sewing patterns!!!!  ready to enter?

 1. whitney's ruffle neck romper 2. natalie's ruffle butt romper 3. elena's double layer peasant dress 4. helen's maxi dress

||  THE PRIZE  ||

- one lucky winner will win a copy of each of the 4 new create kids couture paper patterns!
 whitney's ruffle neck romper, natalie's ruffle butt romper, 
elena's double layer peasant dress, helen's maxi dress

||  HOW TO ENTER  ||

- simply pop on over to create kids couture & then come back and leave me a comment letting me know your fave pattern.
- bonus entries: like create kids couture and/or luvinthemommyhood on facebook and leave me another comment letting me know you did that too.

||  THE RULES  ||

- you must leave a valid email address to enter or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until monday, october 29th, 2012 at midnight PST.

thanks for entering everyone, good luck to you all and thank you to shannon and tiffany from create kids couture for the lovely giveaway.

you can find all things create kids couture here:





Summer Sweater Knit Along Winners!!!

girl with balloons by lola's room photography
this was a giveaway that i was very thankful for www.random.org.  i mean how could you possibly choose a winner out of all of you?  you all did so amazing for our summer sweater knit along!  i'm just so thrilled that anyone even joined in nevermind the lively group we have going now.  you guys rock and i so appreciate all your time, comments and friendship.  i can't wait for the next one!

on to the winners.....was it you?  here ya go...drumroll please......

Winner #1 - Vanessa of Bunnies & Bettas, Rav ID: urbanizer

wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! congratulations vanessa! so excited for you!
YOU'VE WON:
Tanis Fiber Arts - 1 skein of lace weight yarn in the mallard colourway
Knit Picks - try it needle set & yarn
Sweet Georgia - $25 gift certificate
Sundara Yarns - $50 gift certificate
Joji Locatelli - 4 patterns of your choice

 Winner #2 - Tracy Johnson, Rav ID: rncurlysue

congratulations tracy!!! yay!!!

YOU'VE WON:
Jane Richmond Designs - $25 gift certificate
Madbird - $25 gift certificate
By Annie Claire - 2 skeins of yarn and 1 pattern

Winner #3 - Ryan Page Haas, Rav ID: ryanpagehaas

congrats ryan!!! enjoy!!!

YOU'VE WON:
Knitterella - Project Bag filled with patterns and goodies!

 

enjoy your prizes everyone, i'll be in touch with you all soon and again a big thank you to our awesome knit along sponsors too!  thanks for making our knit alongs that much more fun!!! you guys are the best!

who's in for another round of our holiday knitting support group - christmas knitting 911?  let me know your thoughts and if enough people are interested i'll set up the topic in our rav group for nov/dec again this year. it was so fun to see what you were all making last holiday season and a great place to go to get inspired and find support.

happy knitting everyone!!!! 

We Interrupt This Program....

take a pic mom!
we interrupt this regularly scheduled program with some more pics of my girlies. i know...i know...2 days in a row..lol...but i just couldn't help myself and i have an excuse.  see that cutie patootie above? well she's sick. poor little thing had a really bad fever all day and by dinner time yesterday it was getting really bad and not responding to tylenol and she was just not well.  i took her to the walk in clinic who told me to go to the ER.  so that's where our little fam spent a good chunk of our evening. not fun. 

outtake from my upcoming pattern
 anyhoo she's ok, still has a fever but is hopefully on the mend.  so i'm curled up with her on the couch drawing pics and watching caillou today and hopefully i may sneak in some knitting.  i will be back soon with some winners, another fun giveaway and hopefully a new pattern so stick around peeps!

kept meaning to post this shot from sept :)
btw..totally off topic, is anyone else hopelessly addicted to the new show Nashville? omg! loving it! please say i'm not alone...lol.  anyone else loving the DRAMA and the music! yeehaw!  can't wait for this week's episode!

hope you all have a cuddle filled and crafty day.  thank you all so much for your supportive and oh so kind comments yesterday.  meant a lot to me and seriously helped me get through my day yesterday. big hugs to you all.

moments in the mommyhood - tissues anyone?


today is just gonna be one of those days where i wish i had bought stock in kleenex.  yep, the tissues are my best friend today. no - not a cold....worse....saying goodbyes.  i hate them.  i also dislike "see you laters" and all other sorts of goodbye greetings.  i especially dislike them when it comes to my parents and others whom i love dearly.  especially when they live far away and i only get to see them once or twice a year.  it's so hard.  so yes, today i'm letting myself just have free range of the kleenex box and allowing myself to not feel too guilty about it.

i'm very close with my parents and we've been so lucky to have them down visiting for almost a month.  it seriously was such a special thing to get to visit with them that long.  especially for the girls.  we got to have thanksgiving with them which i haven't had in like 12 years and many other fun moments to share like the birth of my new nephew (such a cutie pie!).  they got to stay in a house rental half way between my sister and i that was literally a 5 min drive for me.  it felt like old times.

i know some of you have prolly never dared to read my "about" page but i grew up in a very small town with almost all my family living there.  anytime you wanted to visit them you could walk there.  all my friends were within walking distance too.  so being in a city was a major culture shock for this northern bc gal.  it was so special to have that comfy feeling of being able to whip over to my folks place this month just to visit or stop by for coffee and let the girls run in the yard.  it was awesome to have those shoulders to lean on and those hours after school was out to visit and play.  it honestly became my fave part of the day instead of dreaded.

we're in a condo so yards are a gift to themselves these days.  so each day we were over there to visit, play and get spoiled.  we had gorgeous weather and lots of fun.  bonus is my mom is where i get most of my crafty gifts from so i got to wind her new yarn, talk quilty goodness and sewing fun too. she loves to go thrift shopping & had craft parties with the girls! yep...i'm gonna miss her.  she even drinks more coffee than i do..lol.. and the girls just loved having their opa (my dad) to play with, have tickle fights with and do his hair.  my omi (my grandma) was with them as well and it was so nice to get to spend so much time with her as well.

i could go on and on and i'm sure you can all relate somewhat to those people who are family (or like family) in your lives and how hard it is to say "see you later" when you know later is a long way off.  when later means phone calls instead of real hugs, when later means emails and pictures instead of hanging out in real time, when later means who knows when.

so i'm going to pray they get home safe and await the first phone call of many and hope that the "see you later" will be more like "see you soon".  i hope that one of these days everything will align and they will be down here for good instead of just visiting and that my hugs goodbye no longer have to be the hugs where you can't let go.  in the meantime i will bond with my kleenex, hug my babies and try to explain why nana, opa and omi had to go home & let my hubs tease me for crying so much.

- to my folks and my omi:
we love you and we'll miss you guys....come back soon.


anyone up for virtual hugs?  i could use a few and i know some of you are going through similar things or have loved ones away working or living far from home so let's console each other.  how do you make it that much easier on your wee ones when you have to say goodbye?  what do you do to stay in touch besides facetime and webcams?  tea's brewing and i've got a cozy couch...you up for a chat?

Winner of Peekaboo Patterns Build a Wardrobe Giveaway!

so excited to announce the winner of the fab peek-a-boo pattern shop build a wardrobe giveaway!!!  this shop is filled with so many wonderful and classic patterns that you could easily make more than one wardrobe.  was the winner you?

commenter #146 - njeri!!!

congratulations njeri!!! we'll be in touch with you soon! i hope you have fun with the patterns!  and thank you so much to amy of peek-a-boo patterns for the super generous giveaway and awesome patterns! you rock girl!


 you can find all things peek-a-boo pattern shop here:


happy sewing everyone & thanks for all of your entries!

weekend wishes

to make these AWESOME wristwarmers from tiny owl knits asap...(the tails kill me!)..


to bite into these right now...


to try making these this xmas...


that i can continue my love of pine cone decor with crochet...


to frame this to look at when i'm exhuasted..lol....


and to have this exact outfit.


oh ladies...the weather here is atrocious right now.  the rain is killing me and it's only just begun.  yes, fall is amazing and i LOVE it but when you throw the monsoon like rains (i'm not exaggerating) in i can easily forget about the gorgeous leaves, knitwear and hot coffee.  it makes me want to hole up inside and snuggle up under my quilt.  it's yucky.  hopefully the rains will die down a bit after a few weeks of this madness.  we're crossing our fingers.  believe me i can deal with rain, after having grown up in one of the rainiest towns and living for years in the rainiest city i can handle it, but i just can't like it.

the rains have also been interrupting the release of a new knitting pattern of mine.  i need to do the photo shoot and the weather is just not cooperating.  it's torturing me...lol!  i'm so excited to show it to you guys so hopefully soon i'll get a nice weather day and can get the pics done. i think it's a super fun project that would make a great xmas gift!

 i was also super excited yesterday when my first order from joanns (woot woot) arrived and i got a nice big box of batting for 50% off!!! thank you joanns for finally shipping to canada (the shipping rates are not bad at all!) - it's about time!  so this weekend i will be busy quilting a new fave quilt that i will be sharing a free tutorial with you all for!  yay!  the sandwich is done and now it's quilting time!!! yay! my fave part!  i can't wait to show you all!

my folks and omi have been here visiting for the last few weeks and it's been amazing to have them around.  they leave after this weekend and i have to admit i will be a mess.  it's going to be so strange not having them here anymore and we will all miss them and my omi horribly.  i will prolly need some virtual hugs and some online consoling....wahhh!!!  makes me teary eyed just thinking about it already. 

so this weekend i will be spending as much time as possible with them, working on my quilt, knitting up a storm (2 new designs in the works) and cuddling up nice & warm with my little fam.  wishing you all chocolate goodies, steaming coffee, sunshine filled fall days, warm mittens and lots of hugs kind of weekend. 

what are you up to?  what kind of fall weather are you dealing with?  do you fall apart when your family leaves after visiting?  what crafty projects are you up to this weekend?  come...pull up a chair....the coffees brewing and i've got a cute mug with your name on it!

Summer Sweater Knit Along Giveaway Day!!!


this summer sweater knit along post has been a long time coming and boy am i excited!  i love the end of our knit alongs so that i can see all your beautiful new handmade lovelies but i also love our giveaway day!!!! that's right ladies, delicious knitty prizes for you all to enter to win!!!! yay!!!!! these are some awesome prizes too.  the best ones we've had yet!

1. jane richmond 2. tanis fiber arts 3. kniterella 4. knit picks
i wish i could give you all a prize! this summer sweater knit along was so much fun and you all were such a fun group of ladies to knit with!  i'm already starting to count down till the next one! 

1. madbird  2. sweet georgia
i would like to say thank you all for knitting along with me and for making this knit along so much fun! it really is so special to me to have you all join in!  and also a huge thank you to our sponsors for this knit along!  they are all amazingly fabulous and i hope you all show them some love!

ready to hear what the prizes are?  yay!  here they are....

TANIS FIBER ARTS  |
  FIRST PRIZE - 1 skein of lace weight yarn in the mallard colourway

KNIT PICKS  |
FIRST PRIZE - try it needle set & yarn

SWEET GEORGIA  |
FIRST PRIZE - $25 gift certificate

JANE RICHMOND  |
SECOND PRIZE - $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE

SUNDARA YARN  |
FIRST PRIZE - $50 gift certificate

MADBIRD  |
SECOND PRIZE -  $25 gift certificate

JOJI LOCATELLI  |
FIRST PRIZE - 4 patterns
BY ANNIE CLAIRE  |
 SECOND PRIZE - 2 skeins of yarn and 1 pattern

KNITTERELLA  |
THIRD PRIZE - Project Bag filled with patterns and goodies!


|  HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY  |
- you MUST be signed up for the summer sweater knit along and have started your project (it's no biggie if you're not done yet).  if you haven't already signed up you can here:

|  RULES OF THE GIVEAWAY  |
- you MAY only enter your name once on the sign up form.
- you MUST have at least started your project.
- you MUST have a valid email address.

1. joji locatelli 2. by annie claire 3. sundara yarns
good luck everyone!!!!!!!!!!!  happy knitting!!!!!!!!!

Crafty Crosswords: Puzzles for Creative Peeps!


i dig crossword puzzles.  i like them a lot. i used to do one every day but now it seems like i never feel like i get time to do them anymore and with the monsoon rain we keep having i keep finding myself longing for a good crossword puzzle.  you know...that steaming hot cup of tea/coffee, a quilt, the fireplace on, slippers, my pj's and a good crossword...mmmm....feels like the perfect fall day activity.

so what did i do? i got a bit nutso and made us all a crafty crossword!  the topic is knitting! fun right? i hope you think so!  click on the link below and download/print your copy and play along!



i also thought it would be really fun if you all blogged your crossword puzzle love!  write a post about crossword puzzles and why you love 'em & if you completed the one today and share your link in the comments below so we can all come say hi!  also if you get stuck don't fret....i'll be sharing the answer key another day.  and to all you sewers....a sewing one is coming your way soon too!  i didn't forget about you lovelies!

do you heart crosswords?  how fun is this?  i had such a good time putting this together and filling it out and i hope you do too!  

p.s. the big summer sweater knit along giveaway is up tomorrow!!!!!!!! don't miss it! it's HUGE!!!