25 reasons to love The Pleated Poppy

Sorry, contest closed.

It's hard to spend much time around blogland and not come across Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy.  She has a lovely blog and and a really great shop. 

Here's Lindsey in her own words:

my name is lindsey cheney and i'm the owner of a small business called the pleated poppy.  i am also a stay-at-home mom of three, 6 and under, and home school my oldest 3 days a week.  so to up my insanity level i decided to start a crafty business out of my home, so i could contribute financially for my family, still be with my kids, and have a better excuse to craft more often! i make lots of different items, from posy pins to aprons, covered journals to zippered pouches....lots of items great for gifting or treating yourself.

And here are some of the pretty little things you can find in her shop:

So if you like what you see, leave a comment with your favorite item from The Pleated Poppy, and be entered to win a $25 shop credit. 

One entry per person and I'll pick a winner Friday. :)

And don't worry if you don't win.  Lindsey has offered a 10% discount with the code PRETTYCOOL.

Happy shopping!

Happy Sunday

My 4 year old's version of target practice. 

The cheater's way to hem

A good chunk of my sewing skills are self taught.  That means a good chunk of my sewing skills are made up things that work for me.

Hems included. 

I start by serging the edge of the sleeve or pant leg needing to be hemmed.

I double the size of the hem I want and draw a line.  For a half inch hem, I draw a line with disappearing ink 1 inch from the edge.

I iron the edge up to that line and sew.  Instant hem before assembling the sleeve or leg!

Of course, this doesn't work if the top or pants are already sewn together, but it's my shortcut when I'm starting from scratch!

A fine day

So I made a little extra effort today.

I cleaned and organized all day. 

I scrubbed the kitchen top to bottom.

The hurricane that usually greets my husband when he gets home was cleaned up before he walked in the door.

I made sure I still had make up on when he walked in that door.

I prepared a nicer than usual dinner.

After the boys were tucked in bed we laid on the couch and watched How I Met Your Mother reruns.

And it was nice. 

Because being a mom rocks.  Best job ever. 

But being a wife?

That's pretty good, too. 

Happy Sunday

Happy weekend, friends!

Our Valentine's Day recap

I hope you all had a lovely day!  We did. 

I can't refuse a heart shaped anything.

When did this happen? 

My baby is writing real words? 

By himself?

I'm not ready for this, but Daddy got some fun Valentine decorations. 

Want to keep a 2 year old busy?  Let him string beads on pipe cleaners.

Heart shapes courtesy of Mom.

Apparently the days of little paper Valentines and a Tootsie Pop are long gone.  Preschoolers go big or go home.

And a little treat for me too.  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Valentine and me on our honeymoon.





Happy Sunday

xoxo

My first sewing project of the year

I finally dusted off my sewing machine and finished a project. 

My little break was growing into a long one.  Way too long.  

So I pulled out my favorite pattern for baby kimono jammies and made a couple.

One pink.

One blue.

Why?

Because a new little brother or sister is joining our family this summer!

Birdseed Valentines

Following these instructions, my boys and I made Valentines for the critters in our yard.

Happy Valentine's Day to our furry and feathered friends!

Happy Sunday

Happy Superbowl Sunday!  Keep warm!

(Another) snow day

We've been doing a lot of shoveling and a whole lot of eating the past two days. 

It's been a great time to be a little guy in this house. 

When this guy showed up with a front loader, they were in hog heaven.

And as cold as it's been, I guess I can admit it is pretty. 

From inside the house.

So, to add to our sugar comas, I tried making marshmallows for the first time. 

So sticky.

So yummy.

So worth it. 

I used this recipe.  The only thing I would change is more powdered sugar, less cornstarch.    But it is easy and they are way better than store bought.

And what good thing doesn't get better when it's dipped in a little chocolate and Valentine sprinkles?