We have been Featured! Free Shipping!

We have been featured in a Open BNR feel free to drop by!

We are also offering FREE SHIPPING with the code MAY11 at Tulipsea for the duration of the weekend!

The Art of Being Cheap

Over the years I have learned that being cheap is often more fun than over spending. Now there is a happy medium you have to find. I’m cheap but my family never eats a frozen meal. We travel and hunt for deals but never stay in a slum. How so? With lots of research. For instance we recently traveled to Napa Valley and the hotels were outrageously priced! So I Goggled bed and breakfasts. Low and behold we got a wonderful bed and breakfast that was not only on Oprah but Trading Spaces! At only $100 a night. We had more than a wonderful time at the in house free wine tasting, breakfast was so delightful! And sweets were always out. YUMMY!

                                   

So I moved on to cupon-ing at fabric stores, shopping on certain days. Stocking up on the stuff that never goes on sale. All you who are on Etsy probably know what I'm talking about. Well this soon lead to clipping coupons for food. I usually save round $10-$20 a trip. And then I ran across this website: Mommy Saves Big. Good gravy I love this woman. She has put all the coupon sites in one place. I'm talking Joann's, Kroger, Manufacture, Target, Lowe's, and on and on.  My last trip to Kroger I saved $36 and spent $24. The cashier even re looked at the receipt. I do NOT over stock my pantry like those people on TLC I just shop smart. If you ever pay for cleaning products or paper products I recommend you go to Mommy Saves big and do a little research at your local grocer. I've never paid for a cleaning product or paper product.  

It took me a while to figure it out. Everyone just kept telling me to combine sales with coupons. I did this. And still didn't get anything free. I later learned its all about combining multiple coupons and store sales. Duh right? So if you want to save a few dollars or get some free stuff see the Mommy Saves Big website, also check all manufactures websites and add them on facebook and do this often. 

Here's a few fun facts about stores in my area:

Kroger(My fav): doubles the first $0.50 of the first coupon. But wont match if the coupon is for more then $.50 off :( but the do give $.10 off a gallon at the gas station for every $100 you spend. Pshh I do that often enough.

Bi-Lo: Doubles the first cupon (the produce sucks and the meat department is often a wreck so I never shop here, also Ive noticed that they up price befor a "sale" fishy yes??)

Publix: They have tons of manufature cupon machines around the store. WIN! even if you dont shop here and just take the cupons like some of us lol

French Basketeer

Give AWAY!

You know I'm all about free cute stuff, especially when I could use it everyday. So I would like to share a give away another blog is doing with you for these wonderfully cute bags.

There is a wonderful contest going on now on la chapstick fanatique. The bags are cute as can be! Perfect for a day of running around or a day at the beach!

This one one match my swim suite best: 

And they make produce bags :D

Check out the designer's official website!



Featured in a treasury!

We were featured in a treasury! Yea OK I may have made the treasury. *cough*cough*

Hey you gotta do some self promoting sometimes though :)

Check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dc06f0492336d9139df418b/wehadababyitsagirl

Pretty Toe’s

Lately I have fallen of the face of the earth to make some more shoes. But this time I am not just making baby shoes. I have moved on to toddler and children shoes. So much more thought goes into theses shoes. For instance the bottom, it has to be slip proof somewhat or does it? What about water proof? I’m not sure how to successful solve these problems so I have just started sewing in hopes the solutions would just come to mind.   Here is how we are looking so far:

Uhg I hate this step. I would knock a few dollars off my shoes price I could figure out how to not do this step…The rest of the shoes takes like 15-30min (depending on what else I’m doing!) but this step alone takes 30min! and that’s with no interruptions.

 I hope to be making womens shoes by next month and can not wait!

The Basic's on Sewing.

You have to check out this awesome sewing room by Sewmanyways! Its not mine but a girl can dream :0)

A lot of people have been admiring my awesome sewing skills. This I find hard to believe because it seems like every time I turn around I have to take apart a seam or fix the thread. So I figured I would offer a few tips for this task that took me long hard road to learn.

First: DON’T RUSH. I know you just want to finish but you also want to make something nice.

Second: PRE-WASH. Yea most project this won’t matter but when making anything with cotton that you want to keep longer than a month, Just pre-wash it and save the fuss. I usually wash mine with my towels If  I don't have a lot of material.

Third: IRON. IRON. IRON. I hate hate hate ironing everything 50 times too. But trust me skipping this step will only make your life more difficult down the road.

Finally: READ AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. I can't count how many times I missed a simple step or tried to do something "different" and I ended up with a big mess.

If you can remember these three things I promise you can make anything. You may end up with a bunch of scraps from failed attempts like me but don’t worry they make great quilts down the road J

O and I did I mention to remember IRON EVERY STEP! This year alone I've had to buy two irons but there worth every penny on saving you time and major headaches.

You like my awsome sewing room? Ok It's not my sewing room but I sure wish it was I loooooove this room. I want to just run in and sew my little heart out...... but I may never leave... lol

Spring Time

It is spring time! Warmer weather, blooming flowers, birds chirping what else could you ask for? I love warm weather. Not hot weather let me be clear on that. With warm weather you can open the windows, dig in the yard, wear cute skirts, take a trip to the beach and I could go on and on. But the possibilities are endless!

While I enjoy this time I also tend to freak out a little bit. Spring time means one thing in a crafter's mind.....Start or the Craft Show game. Uhg this will be my first year so I'm only doing one. And maybe I'll sell at the farmers market. Even though I'm only doing one I still am a little freaked out.

Will I have enough supply? Will anyone buy? Will I have a good setup...What am I gonna do about my set up anyway? Will my Etsy shop ever take off? Will my website ever get completed? Will I ever get caught up on my supply? Am I even going in the right direction?? And that's just to name a few question going through my mind all because its spring time.


Or maybe I'll just wear my pretty skirts and sit on my pretty porch and admire the pretty flowers blooming as the sun sets over the pretty trees.