Sewing for Self!

So, yesterday I found myself with a Friday with nothing on the to-do list. Boys in school, just me and Haze chillin' at the house. 

And as enticing as, "laying around on my keister and doing nothing all day" sounds, it's always a bit of a let down and I usually get a headache and the guilt. So I wanted to do something, but nothing too productive. 

And it occurred to me...as unlikely as this sounds... I kinda need a purse. Despite the fact that I have tens of them, none of them is just right. So I cracked open the big book of purses, Style Stiches by Amy Butler and went to work with a yummy chevron that's been itching for a purpose. 

And viola:

I am super excited. 

This is the most structured bag I have ever made. It might be kinda nice to depart from the boho hobo look for a bit. 

Love!

It's got two dividing pockets inside (one zippered) making five separate compartments. I even had the forethought to add to pockets on the side for my celly and keys. I love pocketry!

Now, I'm off to transfer purses! Don't you love doing that when you have a new bag? I do! But I made it wait so I could blog about it first. You're welcome! :)

Embrace the Past

Lemme walk you through it...
This weekend we're having a yard sale. While going through all our junk we came across an old desktop computer. Eric cleaned it off to recycle and put all sorts of photos from our pre-kiddo life onto my current computer. I've been through all 8 zillion of them and here's apparently all our pre-kiddo life entailed:
1) lounging. There are like 79 pictures of me lounging on couches covered in blankets. I miss lounging.
2) cats. We're like an old couple who has 9 cats and takes like 100 photos of them a day except we're not old (debatable) and there were only 5 cats. As many pictures as I take of our 3 children, I took at least that many of the cats. Freakish.
3) lounging with cats. In all the lounging photos one or more cats is always snuggled up with me.
4) lots and lots of pottery.

So, for today's Embrace the Camera I'd like to take a walk down pottery memory lane. The above shot was taken at the Buyer's Market for American Craft in Philadelphia in early 2007. I was like a minute pregnant with Eli and we had just found out like 2 days before this show - the biggest of my career. During that show I booked orders for more than a year. It was intense. My woodworker friend Marc made those awesome shelves. You can put them together in all different ways. They're beautiful.

I'm not gonna lie. I was a pretty dope potter. See?

Pots.
Dear Pots.
I love you.
I miss making you.
I'll be back with you someday...


And locals will have one last shot to score some pottery at said yardsale. There's one wee bin left and its mostly plates and seconds. But sometimes you gotta take what you can get.

I'll be back pottery. I'll be back.

An Original

This is Peek of the Week worthy but since it's only Tuesday and the polish is likely to wear by then, I give you an incidental monumental moment.

You see, it's here in my 485th (whoa) post that I can note and say with some certainty, I have had an original thought.

I'm clear on this platform...most of the ideas are not mine. I'm an excellent executor. You give me the idea, I'll make it so. I may even improve upon it. But usually the brains behind things here are the fella's, or Eli's, or Yaya's. They come from a book or a pattern, or let's face it...pintrest.

Yesterday I had one of my own.

I spent much of the day looking forward to a little self care evening which was to include situation comedy and a manicure. And then it came to me...

a tiny mustache on an index finger. So simple. So whimsical.

Trivial, yes. It's no cure for cancer, unless what they say is true and laughter is, in fact, the best medicine. But to me it's like a miracle. This ol' brain, she's still got some life in 'er.

Embrace the Glider

Looking for us? Well these days you'll find us out in the yard, gliding on the new old glider. 

We've had a string of gorgeous days and I've got one gorgeous baby who loves to get her glide on. The boys play happily in the yard and a good time is had by all.

 

See you there!

And OH MY WORD - check back tomorrow for a very exciting announcement!!!

Linking up to the Anderson Crew today as is our Thursday tradition. Cheers!

Guest Photographer(s)

When I was a kid, I won a camera of my very own for my efforts during "Jump Rope for Heart." Remember JRFH? Do they still do that? It was fun.

Anyhoo, I was super excited about my prize. It was my own personal camera with a flash and film and the whole bit. And it was garbage. I remember being soooooo frustrated but I still wouldn't throw that camera away because I wanted so badly for it to work. I loved the idea of taking my own photos. 

So, even though it's mine, and even though it cost major bucks, recently when my little boy children have shown interest in using my new fancy camera to take their own photos, to tell their own stories, I am eager to allow it. 

I love their stories. 

I love how they tell them. 

Here are some Eli highlights:

And Amos':

 Amos LOVES a self-portrait.

Man I love a good story.

Peek of the Week - April 7, 2012

Take a peek at this...

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

So, I think the above photo should be called "Pintrest Takes Over." I asked Eric to snap it the other night while I was decoupaging Easter Eggs and when I saw it I was like, "Daaaaaaamn, that's a lot of pintrest in my living room." Just in this one non-staged shot are the following pintrest projects:
1. Tape masked name paintings
2. Holder for charging cell phone made from old lotion bottle
3. Fabric decoupaged Easter eggs
4. Duct (or masking) tape race track
5. Tube car ramp track
6. Paper roll installed under kids table with tension rod

And there are like 7 others out of frame.

I even have a Pintrest Board called "Saw it on Pintrest and Made It." See? Does everybody actually make the things they see on Pintrest, or is it just me? Because I currently have 251 pins including 19 on a board called "Do This Now" so I may have to quit my job.

Alright. Your turn. What's in your living room?
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

Embrace the Fab Five

The other morning I was unpacking some new IKEA mirrors to get them put up on the walls and I perched sweet Hazey on one to get to peek at her sweet self.

She thought that was pretty fun. 
And then whadya know, without any herding, bribery, or cajoling of any kind, we were all there, gathered together, gazing upon each other with, serendipitously, camera in hand.

Don't you love how Hazel's the only one of us not still in her jammies and she's all decked out in 50's vintage? I do. Girl knows how to dress for an impromptu photo op.

This smacks of Embrace the Camera, don't you think?

Embrace the Embarrassment

I don't know how this happened. I take no responsibility for this embarrassing scene. 

Except that I sewed our little frocks and dressed us both that day. 

So, a little responsibility.

My intention was to just step out into the yard and have the fella snap a few shots...

...but somehow we ended up at a 5 year old's birthday party in matching outfits.

In public.

And, in hopes of airing my dirty laundry so I'm shamed out of ever trying such a stunt again, I'm posting this up with the Anderson Crew for Embrace the Camera today. That'll teach me.

Embrace Your Face

 We're all snuggles around here lately. I may have ruined Hazel for ever napping in her own bed again...but come on...who cares.

So for my Embrace the Camera post this week...

Extreme Close Up Snuggling

And in case you missed it a few posts back...

 Get the salts.

Sock Bun Update

Correction to yesterday's post: I have now mastered(ish) the Sock Bun I found on pinterest:

 

Click here for this helpful tutorial from Three Pink Dots.  

I wore it to work  yesterday and even had a few chances to tell some folks there was a sock in my hair. I'll never get tired of that. 

So, pin that one to the Saw it on Pintrest and Made It!  board. 

Embrace the Photo Shoot

A few days ago before Hazel and I left for work in the morning, the fella did an impromptu photo shoot with us. Here are the results...

Man she's yummy.

And donchya just love hipstamatic?

Linking up to Embrace the Camera. Good times!

Peek of the Week - January 20, 2012

What's Peek of the Week, you ask? It's our regular Friday feature and it's all about you! I want to hear (and share with my readers) what wowed you this week. It could be a cool finished project, a work in progress, a personal accomplishment, a cute kid moment, or something that surprised you.

If we could peek into your week - what would you want to show us?

Each week I'll share my own Peek of the Week to get the ball rolling, and invite you to link to your blog post about your Peek of the Week. I know y'all are up to cool stuff - we wanna see it! 

I am super excited about my peek today. 

It's my first ever Happily Home Sewn garment made for me! 

I used Amy Butler's tunic pattern and some gawgeous fabric from Fabric Bliss and oh my wordy word I am in love.

 The pattern also included instructions for the fabulous flower brooch. Delish!

Hazel likes it too. I may or may not (ok...I did) have made her a matching pinafore with matching pin while I was at LadyFest. Photos forthcoming.

Ok! Your turn!

You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

The Introductions

I think I put the blogpost cart before the horse. So, let's go back a step. Let me introduce myself.

I am Jessa. Second sister of 4. Wife of The Fella for dangerously close to ten years now. I have lived a migratory life, but am currently nestled in Colorado, while The Fella works on his PhD. We're content here, but could be anywhere in 5 years.

I am the happy Mama to two of the sweetest little wonderboys on the planet and I spend my days in stitches at their antics. They are two and a half and uh, a half.

I have a Bachelors in Communication. It's practical and I have used it for real jobs, which I guess is the point. I have a Master of Fine Arts in Pottery (which I promise is a real thing). Until October 2008 I was a full time potter with work in over 40 galleries across the U.S. You can see the work of that season here. More on that later I'm sure.

In October 2008 - my elder boy child got mobile. Until that point I did Decker-Smith Pottery with him in tow. In fact, on my way to the hospital to birth him, I stopped to unload my kiln. Whilst in labor. Contractions and all.

After he was born, I just kept at it. I strapped him to my body and went back to the wheel. Looking back, I'm amazed that year didn't kill us both.

But mobility broke the camel's (that's me) back. Thank goodness.

In October 2008 I decided to give us a break. Two short months later, confirmed on my husband's birthday, we discovered we would welcome another baby in the coming year. So it just made sense to extend my hiatus and put Decker-Smith Pottery on the back burner.

And welcome him we did. Sweet Baby A, the little mouse, is a ball of love and he has added so much joy to our days.

So now I scratch the crafty itch in other ways. Lots of 'em. But more often than not I sew. I started when E-man was about 10 months old with the simple, one seam pants seen above, which I still make. But now they have enough dorky matching home sewn outfits. They're set. So it's time to send some of that handmade goodness out into the world.

Enter: The Etsy Shop

It just seemed natural to start Happily Home Sewn the blog in conjunction with starting Happily Home Sewn the Shop.

What you'll find here is the chronicles of our crafty adventures. You might come across some ideas you want to try. And I hope you'll send me some of yours too. You'll see our successful projects, and some screw ups I'm sure. I hope you'll see how creating teaches and nurtures me and my boys, and maybe even get inspired.

So. Welcome! Let me know who you are and what you think. I'd love to know who I'm talking to, if anybody.

Now. Let's get crafting!