Holiday is Over!! It's Time to Get Back to Work!!

Happy Monday everyone! While it seems I have been on a very long blogging vacation, that is soo not the case!! We have been in the middle of another move due to the fact that the house we were living in was on the market and it SOLD!! Blah!! I used to love moving because I love new places to decorate, but I am over it! We have way too much stuff to move now! We have managed to finally get moved and I have to say that "I do love the space in our new house." It has a full, partially finished basement, so guess what??? I have my very own SEWING ROOM!! YAY!! I know you are just jumping up and down with me right now!! When I get it all put together I will post some pictures of it.

Also, with this move, came my wonderful older sis "S" and her two kiddos "K" and "J" to stay with us for awhile. They have relocated from Tampa, FL to be closer to family! This is uber exciting because big sis "S" and my niece "K" are super crafty! We have some big ideas swiriling around here that may make some of your jaws drop when you see what becomes of these fantastic editions to Baby Goodness Boutique. I will give you a tiny hint: printer photo fabric. I know that you are excited now!!

On another note, I am considering relocating http://www.bgboutique.com/ to an etsy store. I am thinking that it may help generate more business. What do you think?? I do not know alot about selling on etsy, but I have bought a few things from it before. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

As for our holiday weekend, it was fantastic! Saturday we got a front row seat at the fireworks display. Instead of crying and being scared (which I thought for sure was going to be the case), Princess E watched the fireworks, clapped her hands, and yelling "Alright, Yay, and Pretty." She isn't afraid of anything! A-man dunked a guy in the dunk tank and rode the mechanical bull at the festivities.

On Sunday, we went to a friend's house to grill out and go swimming. I took a ton of cute pics and what I think are some good action shots of A-man in the water. He is quite the dare devil.

Oh, I also spent a little time giving my blog a makeover and helping out my favorite cousin fix some major layout problems with her NEW BLOG!! Click the link to follow her crazy, yet interesting life Somewhere In the Sun. Stay tuned for lots of new projects to come!! I am headed to Jo-Ann's to do some shopping!!

I Love KIWI Paper...

and my NEW (yes, I mean brand spanking new) embroidery machine!!


I have had so much fun these past few days trying it out and doing some projects. While I was at Ken's Sewing Center getting my machine, I poked around a found that they carry KIWI paper (paper you can embroider). I was super excited because I have seen it all over the web, but haven't ordered any yet. They had quite a few different designs, so I grabbed about six sheets to give it a try. They also had acrylic coffee tumblers, so I bought a few of those too. I already do monogrammed sippy cups, but I have had a few requests for the coffee tumblers. I had said when I started Baby Goodness Boutique that I would only do baby items. Unfortunately, with the economy in a recession, I am willing to try to accommodate any product requests to the best of my ability. Plus, who doesn't love to try new things? I sure do. So, I am going to show you a little photo tutorial of the KIWI paper/coffee tumbler process...

Pretty neat huh? I think so! These will be available on my website May 15th and will cost $16.95 + shipping. There are a lot of KIWI paper options available. The tumbler holds 12 oz. of liquid.

Please contact me if you would like to go ahead and pre-order your personalized coffee tumbler.

Leelou Blogs Giveaways

Ok...so I love, love, love these ladies blog layouts!! I am actually using one of them right now! They are having some fabulous giveaways on their blog, including free memberships. So hop on over and check it out and enter to win some great prizes!! Just Click the link below!!

I Can't Believe I Fell Off the Blog Wagon!

I know. Shame on me. Honestly, things have been so crazy. My head is constantly spinning on my shoulders. I can never decide what to do next. Lately, my focus has been on my family and my home. I love my sewing, but I just needed to take a minute to get back to my kiddos and my hubby. We (my husband) are coaching A-man's tee ball team. It is much harder to do than soccer! More kids and less activity- unless they are batting! I am the team mom, so my job is to remember everything my husband forgets, answer all parent questions, keep up with the game/ snack/ and concession schedule, and keep up with the wild little players in the dugout. It is pure chaos, yet so much fun! The team is just so cute! They are all full of such enthusiasm and determination! We have games 2 times a week and that is plenty to keep me busy!

I have been spring cleaning for a couple of weeks. I am doing closets now and my kids have more clothes than they could ever wear. Princess E had so much stuff in her closet that I just pulled it all out and threw it in the middle of the floor. Then, I dumped her drawers too. I went through each piece and boxed what she can no longer wear and reorganized what she can wear! It was very time consuming, but so refreshing to look in her closet when I finished! A-man's wasn't too terrible. He just had some stuff that doesn't fit any more, so I tossed in a box to send to his cousin. We are a major hand-me-down family. Our kids are perfectly spaced to pass the clothes around. It sure beats buying clothes every season! I think I will do my closet next!

Oh, I wanted to mention that my new (refurbished) machine that I bought, was a hunk of junk!! I had to send it back, so that kind of made me sewing sour..lol! Good news...a new (I mean still in the box new) machine is waiting on my pick up. I am going to get it Monday! Yay! I have a lot of projects I would like to finish and some new ones to start! The place I am picking up my machine has KIWI paper!! It is some neato stuff! I can't wait to try it out! I will go into detail more when I do a project with it, so stay tuned!

Projects that I recently completed:

A birthday gift for my sister

A matching applique shirt for my nephew

An Easter basket lining monogrammed for my cousin's little girl

So Excited!!

I finally got a new embroidery machine! I am so excited! I have been using a machine with only a 4 x 4 embroidery area. I wanted to start off with an amount I could handle. I have been embroidering, monogramming, and sewing for about a year now, so it was time to step it up. I purchased a Brother machine with a 5 x 7 embroidery area. I guess only time will tell how many new things I can make!! I have a lot of orders coming in and the spring weather has been keeping me busy too! I am continuing to blog at least once a week, but I will try to make it more as I get in to the spring swing of things! Hopefully, as the weather becomes more predictable, my family will not be so sickly. Anyways, I just wanted to share my excitement. Oh and I wanted to mention that Lyndi and Kasha were the winners of the St. Patty's Day contest. They will be getting their prize in the mail very soon!! There will be more giveaways coming up so stay tuned! Here are some new photos of my sweet kiddos- A-man and Princess E!!

I love them!! They are such beautiful children!!

St. Patty's Day Giveaway

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than to give away a free gift? So, here are the details. In order to be eligible to win, you need to do two things. First, click HERE and become a follower of The Baby Goodness Diaries. Second, leave a comment on today's blog with your name and email address. By doing these two things, you will be entered to win a super cute free gift from Baby Goodness Boutique! I will have Big E choose a random winner sometime at the end of the day today! So, good luck! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Did You Miss Me?

Did you miss me? I have not blogged in over a week and I feel terrible about it. I have been overwhelmingly busy with lots of stuff- household projects, sewing projects, and a sickly child. I am happy to say that I have made some major progress in all of the previously mentioned areas. I helped Big E in the garage for what felt like 72 hours straight. We managed to clear out boxes that haven't been opened since our first move almost 3 years ago. It felt great when we finished and the super hubby hauled off a full truck bed of stuff to the Goodwill! We still have a lot of organizing to do in the garage since it is/will be half sewing room/half boys room. I suppose one more weekend in there will get it done! As for the sickly child, Princess E is just having a terrible time. She has been spiking fevers and being cranky on and off for weeks. I am now thinking that we have some molars coming in and she isn't happy about it. Hopefully, this mess will pass soon. If the weather would make up it's mind, I think we would all be much happier. I love Spring and Early Fall. I am not one for sweating or freezing. I like it be warm enough for flip-flops and just cool enough to enjoy watching A-man playing sports. Be watching for new pics of him and Big E, we are about to embark on our first tee ball season! Big E is going to coach!! He is amazing with the little kiddos. All of our soccer parents just love him! He is always all about making it a great experience for the kids and teaching them how to have fun. He has patience that I could only dream about having! As for the sewing projects, I have been busy, busy! I had a baby shower to attend for a friend and as with all showers I am invited to, I make something for the mommy-to-be and baby! This gift was interesting because the mommy wanted her stuff to be pirate themed. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I when I was finished I liked it. My friend was very excited and I got a lot of positive feedback at the shower. I was able to give out my card and get my name out there. The mommy-to-be placed an order immediately for a shower she will be attending the first of April. Hopefully, it will continue to build business for me! I also decided to attempt something that I have been very afraid of- Applique!! It looked really difficult, so I never considered it until now. I read the instructions and crossed my fingers! Here is what I got!

Turned out pretty cute huh??

You can get one for a boy or a girl at my website!

All letters are available and sizes, colors, and fabrics may vary.

Here is the pirate themed set:

Now, how about a little Eye Candy??

Hope you have a wonderful week! I will try to post a little sooner next time!!

Cute New Stuff

I have been sewing for days on end, working on one project after another. I love seeing the stuff once it is completed. It makes me feel so good like I have accomplished something other than dirty diapers and dishes. It has been a long week so I am keeping this one short and sweet. Here are the photos of my latest creations! All of these items are available at my website:

http://www.bgboutique.com.

Fun in the Snow!

It started snowing about 9 o'clock last night and kept snowing until about 6 this morning! I finally rolled A-man out of bed at 9 and told him to look outside! He was so excited that he wanted to get dressed and get outside to play! He really had a lot of fun. I wish I could have gone out to play with him, but Princess E did not need to be out in it. Although, last night as we were getting out of the car, it was snowing and she looked at it in amazement and reached her hand out to try and catch it. It was precious! So, here are some pics of A-man throwing snowballs at the door and running with the dog in the snow! Isn't he the cutest??

Now, let's talk about sewing for a minute! I have lots of orders that I am working on at the moment, but I cannot share the photos until they have been received by the client! I love the excitement of waiting on a package!! As they get to their destinations, I will share them with you! Also, keep watching! I am going to be doing an adoption donation project soon and I hope you all will participate in this wonderful cause. I will post a blog with all the details sometime this week! Here is a photo of a toddler tee that I made this weekend!! This shirt can be purchased by emailing me here.

Have a great week!

Sick Princess

We have had quite the sick princess this past week. Princess E came down with another stomach virus last Monday. She would have a good day and then a bad day. Thursday was her worst day. She slept a straight twelve hours Wednesday night and woke up very lethargic and pitiful. I could not keep her awake for more than 45 minutes at a time. By the afternoon, she wasn't drinking and she refused to sit up or crawl. We went to the doctor and they gave her an IV. We thought she was good to go and then she threw up when we were getting ready to leave the doctor's office. Our little angel was then admitted to the hospital. I felt so bad for her. She was so weak and pitiful. They kept her on the IV fluids until Friday at lunch. Once she was able to tolerate fluids, they let her eat some bland food. After a very long and tiring week of sickness, we were able to go home Friday night and she has been much better. She is back to singing, talking and getting into everything. I took a few pictures of her in the hospital. She was very happy to get balloons from her Memphis relatives.

We are happy she is better. I have spent most of the day today trying to disinfect the house and get rid of the germs that cause this yucky virus. Luckily, no one else in the house has been affected by it. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to relax. I have a project in the works and I hope all of my friends, family, & readers will be able to get involved and show support for a great cause. I will be posting about that project soon. Have a great week!

What a Great Day!!

Today is a great day!! It is 60 degrees and the sun is shining! I have plans today to take the kids to McDonalds for lunch (I know the food is terrible for them, but hey it's only once a week and they eat Chicken Nuggets and Apple Dippers without the dip) and then we are going to the library. It gives A-man the opportunity to get out of the house and socialize with other children. Also, we check out books to read throughout the week. Hopefully, tomorrow will be pretty too and we can catch a few hours at the park! I love going to the park and it wears the kids out!!

On another note: I have been in a sewing frenzy for the past two weeks!! It takes me awhile because I have to do my sewing during nap time. I am happy to say that every time I complete a project, I get so excited I have to blog about it to show it off! I did the diaper bag last week and this week I have completed 2 of my 5 crayon bags. These crayon bags are just adorable. I actually created this pattern on my own from seeing other peoples versions of this type of bag. They hold a full size coloring book, have 12 crayon slots, and plenty of room for a few more small toys. It is awesome for keeping the kiddos busy while waiting at the doctor or at a restaurant. A-man loves to take his to church and it keeps him occupied during the sermon. Here are a few pictures of the bags I just finished. I made a matching sippy to go with one of them. If you are interested in ordering one you can visit my website or email me directly.

Oh and I must post this cute picture of Princess E. She is always looking so adorable!!

Check Out Leelou's Baby Shower!!

This is a blogger baby shower being held to raise money for two little girls that have been fighting for their lives since the day they were born. They have tons of giveaways and prizes that you can enter to win. You can read their stories at Baby Kayleigh's blog or Baby Mia's blog. You can also make donations on Leelous blog. They both have millions in medical bills from the NICU. So just click the button to head on over and have some baby shower fun!!

In Nashville for the Weekend!!

I am so glad to be sitting here blogging this early Saturday morning. I was afraid that I was not going to have internet access this weekend. I cannot survive without the laptop! We are staying in a hotel in Nashville while Big E has guard duty this weekend. We figured since we had to be up here for a funeral yesterday, we might as well stay all weekend. It's exciting for me to get away from the house and to get to visit with my friends. The only thing that is difficult is traveling with a 1 year old. Her pack and play will be where she sleeps, snacks, and plays!! I am not fond of her crawling around on the floor in a hotel room..Yuck!! Hopefully we will get out and find lots to do since it is supposed to be 70 degrees all weekend!! YAY!!! I think we might find a park and we also have to go to the fabric store and I must go to Opry Mills. The sales there are awesome at Children's Place and Gymboree outlets. I can honestly buy both of my kids an entire wardrobe for the next winter season for like $50 right now. Everything goes on clearance at the end of each season and most of it is like $1.99 per piece at the Children's Place. I love to shop, but being a one-income family doesn't really allow me to do so. I have to just enjoy it when I am getting really awesome deals! Well, I think I will head down to the free hotel breakfast and grab something to eat and start my day! Happy Saturday!!

Here are some pictures of Princess E this morning in the pack and play:

CHEESE!

With her toys and cheerios

This is her way of playing Peek-A-Boo

She is just to dang cute!! She is talking up a storm and can already sing H, I, J, K of her alphabet!