Alive & Kickin'

Hey Y'all!  I'm still here!  I haven't skipped the country, joined the foreign legion or otherwise disappeared from the face of the earth.  Did ya miss me? ;)

For the past 2 weeks, our house has been the mayhem know as "installing tile flooring in the kitchen & laundry room".  Yes, I decided that dust was an instrument of the Devil as I tried to keep things clean during the 2 week assault on our home.  I finally gave up, got in a funk and just decided to ride it out.  Let's just say I couldn't find my happy place during those last few days.  It was a struggle, but I kept looking for the light at the end of the tunnel; praying it wasn't a train headed right for me.

The work was finished the middle of last week, but only over the weekend did I finally find my happy place.  Sew Daddy was THE MAN on Saturday.  He helped me do some major spring cleaning!  There is no more dust, no more dirt, no more evidence of the craziness that happened.  We are left with a clean home and a beautiful new floor.  To finish the day off, he even helped me hang new drapes in the bedroom.  Yes, he's a good man . . . a mighty, mighty good man!

This floor job was a "have to" job thanks to a faulty dryer vent.  We've been through this once in the past 7 years when our dishwasher leaked.  We replaced vinyl with vinyl that time.  Five short years later I declared that if we have to do this again, it will be done with tile.  So, we have tile.  The sub-floor is incredibly sturdy and this floor is permanent.  I'm happy.

During the renovation period, things were torn out to the point that I could see the ground below my kitchen floor while standing in the kitchen.  Sub-floor came out, right down to the floor joists.  Oh happy day!   I tried not to go to the disaster area  kitchen often because it was just depressing.  I knew it would all be worth it, but that was a LOOOONG 2 weeks.   Our work crew was great.  Headed by a friend from church, we were blessed with working appliances {washer, dryer & stove} almost everyday.  He knew how hard it would be without those things working so he moved things around, but hooked them back up at the end of each work day.  NICE!  We did do without a stove last weekend, but that was ok to.  No stove = no cooking.   Ah, the silver lining!

If you've followed this saga on Facebook, you know some folks have asked for pictures.  I haven't taken pics of the finished kitchen.  After the cleaning marathon yesterday, it was late and I was tired.  I also plan to repaint the kitchen so I may way to share the complete unveil at that time; however I will share a few to represent the bliss of the past 2 weeks.

BEFORE:  Not so bad, but it is vinyl

FLOOR JOISTS:  Yes, that black plastic is what covers the ground under the house. 

New, Sturdy Sub-Floor! No more squeaks, no more problems!

Concrete Board Base and NEW TILE!

A little bonus; just in case you like Simple Minds. ;)

February 1 . . . really?

Ok, where did January go?  Wasn't it just Christmas last week?  Seriously!  I've always heard that the older one gets, the faster time passes.  Just because I had a birthday in December doesn't mean that time has to hop on a freight train and zoom right past me.   I promise, I haven't been slacking in 2011.  Things have been pretty busy.  As I looked back over the pictures I took in January, I realized just how busy.  {apparently a little too busy to blog much!  LOL}

We started the month off with a huge snow storm.  I know you folks experiencing this right now may not have much compassion; and that's OK.    Our 6-7 inches of snow is nothing to compare with what you all are dealing; however in Alabama, those things don't happen often.  School was out for a solid week and that is unheard of.  A FB fan asked if our school system didn't have built-in snow days.  Well, not that many.  If we do have to miss school because of weather, there is a day here or there to make it up.  As it is now, we have 6 days to make up . . . 5 from our snow week and one from a previous bad weather day in 2010. 

The rest of the month was busy too.  We visited the Rick and Bubba show, attended a sports banquet, celebrated a birthday, participated in our first ever pageant {no, we are not and will not be pageant people; but it was a good confidence builder}.  Oh, and I did a little sewing along the way too!

Here's hoping that February will be another busy, fun, productive month for us all!  Happy February! {stay warm and get ready for Valentine's Day!}

Bad Blogger

Ok.  Obviously my blog needs a little love.  I knew I hadn't blogged in a few days, but didn't realize it's been 2 weeks.

Bad Blogger

In my defense, it has been a busy 2 weeks.   I've been:

sewing like crazy; catching up on orders that came in during my vacation
working with several smart brides got their bridesmaids from me on Etsy
working new items
going to Little Gracious's softball games 
celebrating that Little Gracious made the volleyball team at her school for next year
planting our veggie garden {pictures to come soon}
planting annuals {more pictures to come soon}
dodging some typical Southern severe weather
getting back to working out regularly {attempting it anyway}
having some landscaping done {major project that would be hard for us to do alone}

I could tell you more, but I think you get the idea.  Real life happens.

I have been posting on Facebook regularly so you can become a fan to stay updated {or now that they've changed things again, you have to "like" me}.  I hope you like me anyway.  :)

I promise to try to be a better blogger. May is going to be a super busy month but I have SO much new fabric that is calling my name.  Hang in there with me!

How NOT to Give Yourself A Spa Hand Treatment

17 Easy Steps : How NOT to treat yourself to a spa hand treatment:

1. Drop your paraffin warmer in the floor.
2. Make sure you have a batch of sausage balls in the oven that have to come out in about 2 minutes.
3. Don't forget to spill wax in the cat's dish so the food is one giant clump. It makes the cat food easier to clean up.
4. Stand there for about 2 seconds; so that you can process what just happened, because you believe this is surely a bad dream. Realize you are indeed awake.
5. Call for someone to bring paper towels & the garbage can. Call loudly because one is outside with a leaf blower and one is getting ready. No one is even remotely near by.
6. Thank the person who brought the can, saw the mess, noticed your happiness level and then hit the road quickly. You know what they say: "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"
7. Realize you need a new garbage bag because the can is full & grab a spatula on the way back through the kitchen. You'll need it.
8. Rescue the sausage balls from the 400 degree oven; just in the nick of time.
9. Return to the scene of the accident & commence to scraping up all the wax you can only to realize there is still ALOT of wax on the floor.
10. Have a lightbulb moment! Get the hairdryer {and more paper towels}
11. Lay paper towels in the floor and blast them with the hairdryer. It's amazing how paper towels absorb re-heated wax.
12. Repeat, repeat, repeat, ad nauseum.
13. Take the paraffin warmer outside, avoid the temptation to throw it in the trash and bring that hairdryer. You'll need it because dried wax is all over the outside of the contraption.
14. Eat a few sausage balls with each trip through the kitchen. Nothing like some good healthy stress food while in the midst of a crisis. Give thanks that you had the where with all to get them out of the oven before they burned to a crisp.
15. Set aside about an hour of time and 100% of your temper. That will come in handy for clean-up.
16. Be happy that the family left for a bit so that you can gain your composure and have a few more sausage balls all to yourself.
17. Remember how blessed you are and look forward to actually dipping your hands IN the paraffin spa for your next treatment.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
life is good!

Christmas Shopping Deadline 12.12.09

Tick-Tock . Tick-Tock . . . time is running out

The deadline for ordering from the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop is
Saturday December 12

Any orders placed after that date, cannot be guaranteed to ship in time for Christmas gift giving. It's time to cut off orders so that I can enjoy family time, Christmas parties at school {yes, I'm the room mom this year and am planning the party for the entire grade -- 4 classes. Yes, I'm crazy! LOL} do some baking, get ready for 2 family gatherings at our house, wrap gifts, attend a spelling bee & chorus program, coach a scholar's bowl team, celebrate a birthday, go to Jr. Beta club initiation . . . well, you get the idea. I've got a busy few days ahead. All that, plus finish my orders. :-) Life is GOOD!

I'm so thankful for my customers every single year. I know the economy is concern for everyone, but I'm so pleased to be able to offer quality, affordable gifts to return customer as well as the droves of new Etsy shoppers! Yea!

So, go ahead and order now. Knock out those last minute teacher gifts, secret pal presents or just treat yourself. I know you've are busy & working hard these days too!

Merry Christmas! Only 14 days til Christmas! Remember the real reason for the season

ox :)

I DO!

and 14 years later, I'm still glad I did!

An Anniversary Message to SewDaddy:

{it's not too mushy; you all can keep reading if you like}

You've earned a gold star.
I know it's not always easy being married to me.
I mean, what's not to love, but I do occasionally have my moments!

Sometimes.

Not often.

Less than I used too; I've mellowed.

Rarely.

Once in a blue moon.

Almost never.

Ok, maybe a little less than you.

.........

........

hmmm, maybe I should get the gold star? ;-)

I will always offer a kiss & a hug.
through thick & thin

no matter what

you are there for me

supporting me, encouraging me, loving me

I am SO blessed and I look forward to going through the rest of

my wonderful life
with YOU!

May we enjoy many, many, many, many, many, many more years of happiness together!

I love you, SewDaddy!
Happy Anniversary!

Demolition Man

Meet Demolition Man, aka SewDaddy

Yes, friends we are still working on getting hardwood flooring put into our house. To save some coin, we are doing the prep work ourselves. Let's face it, our labor is cheaper than the floor dudes. We are taking out baseboards and replacing the subflooring ourselves. I should really say "he". I'm a DIY kind of girl and can paint with the best of 'em, but SewDaddy is much better with sledgehammers and saws so he did the lion's share of this job.

Demolition Man's Best Friend . . . Spartacus the 36" Crow Bar

Sick of sawdust, dust in general and the mess. My mantra "it will be worth it when this job is done". ;-) Looking forward to the Floor Dude's appearance this week! :-)

Marathon Week

Hey there! Remember me? I used to post this blog regularly. Lately. . . not so much.

I really haven't abandoned you, I promise. You see, I'm a mom, it's the last week of school and I am running a marathon.

Today was the talent show and this afternoon is a surprise beach party for the class. Honors assembly is also this week. Last week we had student council elections, 2 field trips, the spring musical & field day. Needless to say, I've been juggling. I still have orders to work on, sewing to do, etc. Oh yes, and remember, we are trying to get this hardwood flooring put down, so I've also been moving furniture. Luckily Sew Daddy has headed that up; I'm just helping him a little bit. Oh and we opened the pool . . . a whole Saturday was spent on that. Whew! Are you tired yet? ;)

I have a camera full of pictures of new items just waiting to be listed in my Etsy Shop, but haven't had a chance to upload them to my computer for editing. Hang in there, new things are coming. I PROMISE!

In the meantime, I just wanted you to know that I'm still alive & kicking. Just bear with me while I enjoy doing my Mom duties. That's the great part about being a work-at-home-mom. I can work from home, but still be able to those things at school that I enjoy. I don't have to ask off or worry about a boss who might not understand my crazy schedule this time of year.

If you saw my Tweet on >Twitter this morning, you know I've deem this Marathon Week for Moms. It's the last week of school. I wouldn't change a thing. It's good to be a Mom!

Summer starts soon!

It's Good to be The MOM

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I hope your Mom was as blessed & felt as much love as I did. My family literally showered me with gifts, none of which I asked for or expected. Those are the best kinds. I awoke to a kitchen table filled with gift bags & cards. Photos & hand drawn pictures were among the treasures.

This is one of my favorite gifts. Sew Daddy & family made a secret trip to the local paint-your-own-pottery studio. They made this especially for me. They even painted the back and painted the stand.

It just doesn't get any better than this. Well, the hugs & kisses were the absolute BEST, but this little reminder, sitting on my kitchen counter, will remind me of how much I'm loved every single day.

It's definitely Good To Be THE MOM!

A Busy Week

WOW! It's been a busy week!

So sorry I've neglected my blog, but apparently 24 hours in a day just aren't enough. It seems that my days of late have been filled with sewing for custom orders, preparing for a student council election, getting a go-go girl costume together, a trip to urgent care, dealing with a house in shambles due to installation of hardwood flooring {still not done, so the house is still not in order; but it will be SO worth it when this job is done}.

Those are just the extras that have come along on top of the usual laundry, ironing, making dinner, etc. of every day life.

But, I'm not complaining. I am SO blessed to be a wife, be a mom, work from home, have a home that we can make improvements to. Life is Good!

Internet Down

Update ~~~ as of Sunday afternoon we have a connection. Yea! ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UGH!!! Don't you hate it when things don't work properly; especially a service that you pay for?
Me too!

I discovered this morning that our internet connection is down. Nice! After a phone call to the provider, we were told it could be fixed anytime between now . . . and Wednesday Nov 12. Huh? The 12th? Don't they know I have a business to run, emails to answer, bags to list? I guess in the big picture it's not a big thing to them, but it is to me.

Anyway, I'm at Sew Daddy's office checking email and such right now. If you email me, convo me on Etsy, etc and I don't respond right away, you will know why. It's not because I don't love you, it's because I can't stay here 24/7 while our connection is down. ;-) And please keep your fingers crossed for a repair sooner rather than later!

I guess this could fall under that "real life happens" heading! :-)

So, it's been a while . . .

Have you missed seeing new Sew Gracious BAGS in the Etsy shop?

It's been a while since I've had a chance to make brand new bags. Custom orders, keeping the Etsy shop stocked with accessories and real life has kept me busy. It's a good thing, so I'm not complaining! :) I'm grateful, but I have to admit . . . I've missed creating new bags. Finally this week, I made some time to create.

Here are 2 of the newest Sew Gracious Bags; just listed in the Etsy shop. {pssst . . . . there are LOTS more on the way; just as soon as I get pictures}

Click the pics to go directly to the listing or visit the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop for lots of great bags & Accessories!

Christmas shopping yet? GOOD!!! You'll find tons of great gift items & stocking stuffers for under $10 in the shop {most under $8!}. Buy now to take advantage of the best selection and beat the Christmas rush!

The New-ness of Bags

The past 6 weeks have been pretty busy around these parts. Between big custom orders {HUGE thank you to those clients!} and when real life happens, I haven't had much time to work on new bags for the shop. I have to say I've enjoyed sewing this week. The house has been quiet and I've been able to spend time in my sewing studio CREATING!

Here are 2 of the new bags; just listed in the shop. Click on each picture to go directly to the listing.

Watercolor hues from the Charisma Collection by Chez Moi for Moda
paired with classic Seed Dots by Amy Butler

Yin & Yang . . . classic black paired with funky retro dots in chic pink & green


More new bags are on the way as well as accessories with new fabrics. I just need to make some time to take pictures of the new goodies. So, in the mean time, enjoy these new bags and keep checking the shop to see what's new. I'm gearing up for the holidays. Christmas is a little more than 2 months away, so it's time to shop now. I know the economy is "interesting" right now, :-) but you can still give beautiful handmade gifts for less than $10. Consider Sew Gracious Wristlet Key Fobs, Mini Wallets, Tissue Cases or Clutch Wallets for the special people on your gift list this holiday season!

Back in the Saddle Again

After the past few weeks, especially last week, I really enjoyed working today! It was nice to be back in my sewing room, surrounded by pretty fabric & hearing the sound of my machine. I finished up lots of orders, so yours just might be on the way to you today! :-)


I was able to list some brand new mini wallets & wristlet key fobs in The Shop as well. Come check out the new fabrics and watch for lots more new fabrics on the way {just as soon as I can finish the last of my pending orders! ;-) }

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget to visit Jayne's Blog to enter to win 2 great Sew Gracious Goodies! Contest ends soon!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit Angie's blog, The Downtown Boutique to enter her giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card! WOO HOO!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Missed Me?

Yes, I'm still here! :-)

It's been quite the week around the Gracious house. Without going into the boring details; suffice it to say that we hope our entire family is back on the road to good health.

For those who have an pending monogram order from the website or an Etsy order, hang in there! I should be back in the sewing room tomorrow and will be shipping orders again next week. Thanks so much for your patience while "real life has happened".