Amos in Wonderland

Amos' big 1st birthday is coming up (what???)

It seems to be fated that he have an Alice and Wonderland themed shin dig. Turns out the 1st place we ever took him (when he was 50 hours old) on their opening night, is having their own 1 year celebration. It's Alice and Wonderland themed (totally appropriate for the venue). They're having the staff dress as Alice and the Mad Hatter, they're having a magician, and cupcakes, and all sorts of fun.

In short, I'm usurping their big plans. We're heading there for Amos' big to-do.

Ready made party. Love it.




Even the U.S. Postal Service supports our theme with the perfect stamp - the Queen of Hearts.

If only I'd thought to call it "Amos in OneDerland" Hello!

Paper Takes Over

Remember that sweet little bird mobile I made for sweet little Amos?Well his sweet little girlfriend, sweet little Elsa, needs one too.

I took all the bird mobile fixins to camp thinking, "Well, since I can't bring my sewing machine, maybe I'll FINALLY get to making that bird mobile."


So I set up craft camp one morning in the trunk. It worked pretty well, but other campy activities took over.

So I got back to it the last few days.

Here's a little, not-comprehensive tutorial.

So, you first need some fun papers and a little craft shape punch (or small die cutter). I went with birds, but you could do just about anything. I got my punch at Archivers, but they have them at Michael's and places like that.
Then you need something on which to hang your little birdies. I've gone through a few manifestations of this. I found the perfect thing when I was making Amos' - it was a charger target had during Easter and it could not have worked better.

This time around was a little trickier. I came across some sconces on clearance I thought would work. But they were square and that was bugging me, so I scrapped that idea.

So I kept looking and I found this handy wreath frame at Michael's.
I strung a few wires across the middle to give me more options for hanging.

And threw some green crafty paint on their to lighten things up a bit.
Next I had to find something to hold everything while I strung birdies. Enter Ikea drawers and big DSP bowl.
And I went to stringing. I use a needle and thread and put a knot each place I want a bird to sit.
Then I attach them randomly to the hanger.
And viola! It's really hard to get a good photograph without going through the trouble of hanging it, but you get the idea.

Hope Elsa likes it!

The Making of a Logo

I'm 100% sure this is not how the pros do it.

But here's how I whipped up a happily homemade logo for the Summer Sunday School curriculum our Children's Minister is putting together inspired by the Magic Treehouse Book Series. I used Wall Pops solid colored decals and paper. I cut out shapes and layered, stuck, and re-stcuk.



Getting there.

Spring in the New

Spring in Colorado is a big ol' tease. Two nice days...eight inch snow fall. Sixty eight degrees one day...school's canceled the next. Head to the park wearing flip flops in the morning...throw on your parka and snow boots in the evening to check the mail.

Dear Spring,
Get here and stay already!
Sincerely,
Frozen Mother of Energetic Toddler Who Lives in Tiny Apartment

So, in preparation (and pleading) for the permanent arrival of Spring...I am engaging in the following symbolic acts:

1) I started this blog today, because Spring is for new things, right? Coincidentally:
2) I opened at Etsy shop for my home-crafted goodies. You can find it here. It contains mostly my sewn creations, but keep checking back for new things because things are just heating up over there (much like the temperature outside, hopefully).
2.1) I started Happily Home Sewn the blog and etsy shop because I've entered the Springtime of mother-of-two-hood. Meaning, the fog of having a new baby is beginning to clear, inspiring and allowing me to dabble in enjoyable ventures like crafting, blogging, and etsying.
3) The moment the mercury rises above 55 I change my entire family into summer clothing.
4) Picnics, picnics, more picnics.
5) My 2.5 year old, who shall henceforth be referred to as E-Dizzle and I spent three days crafting springy wreaths for our doors.

This ain't our first rodeo. We know that a vat of almonds and some nose picking are required to complete such a project.
Spoiler Alert - See that? That's what this blog is going to be all about - learning through craft...and some other ways too hopefully.
You too can make some spring for your doors! I got these wreath ideas from two fabulous crafty Mamas whose blogs I read.

A tutorial for the larger one can be found here on the hilarious, craftily inspiring, and most recently miraculously surprising Secondsister Suaviloquy (see her exciting newest post here).
The smaller one blossomed (pun intended) from this holiday wreath blogged about by another crafty Mama who inspires me.

Don't let those 8 inches of snow fool you. It's time the ice skates came down.

Ta Da!

Have we done enough to lure you Lady Spring? Will you come to stay?