Lucky Kitty

Etsy Finds Friday!

Friday Friday!  Today is my 5th wedding anniversary and the Hubs and I both ended up getting each other prezzies from Etsy sellers - great minds thinking alike!

Let's get to some finding, shall we?

First up, check out 12 Party Votives by GamiWorks...

Aren't these fun?  I just love how colorful they are - makes me long for the days when my in-laws lived in Japan and would send boxes of awesomely Japanese stuff to us... le sigh...

Next up, check out Letterpress Peacock Poster by Sycamore Street Press...

I heart peacocks and things that are fancy... so, I'm totally loving on this print.  The colors are so great too, don't cha think? 

...and finally today, a kinder gentler way to have deer heads mounted on your wall... check out Mini Deer Plaque by Nice...

So sweet!  No deer were harmed in the making of this plaque!  I absolutely love this pink and the flowers surrounding the deer head, simple and beautiful!

Happy Friday and Happy Anniversary to me and Mr. Man! 

Etsy Finds Friday!

Happy Friday!

They say it's supposed to snow here today.  I know, I know... all you peeps that live in places where it snows all the time think that us Texans freak out about such things - but seriously - I can't remember the last time I saw snow!  There's a spot in our baby book for the first time little man sees snow - I thought for sure that spot would be blank for a long time...  :)

Speaking of babies and snow... let's get to some findings, shall we?

First up, check out My Little Button Boots by Hip Knotz...

OMG -  I think I just died from cute overload.  I'm so in love with these little boots and I sure could've used them this morning when I took little man to escuela...  The color combo is delicious and the buttons really take these over the cuteness edge.

Next up, check out 2010 Giclee Calendar by Joo Joo...

So precious! I love that once the year is done, you have 12 beautiful little prints to frame and cherish forever. 

...and finally today, check out Vintage Office File Box by Domestikate...

This year is our 5th wedding anniversary - also known as the wood anniversary.  I've been searching and searching for the perfect wooden gift for the Hubs and happened upon this awesome box last week.  This isn't the gift I finally decided on - he doesn't really have many files that need a box, but I just love that this metal box happens to be woodgrain - how did woodgrain ever fall out of popularity?  The mind baffles...

Happy Friday!  

Custom onesies!

When little man was born, we had a ton of custom onesies - some that we made, some that friends gave as gifts - we were completely set with unique outfits for Mr. Man. 

Now that he's almost 6 months old, he's more than doubled his birth weight and is non stop growing - leaving me in a pickle... all of his cute handmade clothes don't fit anymore... what to do?

To the stencils!

This past weekend, I made Mr. Man not one, but three different custom onesies!

First, I ran straight to my Stencil 101 book by Ed Roth...

Oh snap! A little glitter in the paint was all this low rider needed to be completely awesome!  It's too bad his hot rod shoes don't fit anymore... le sigh...

Next, I thought I'd try one of Lotta Jansdotter's designs from her book Simple Sewing For Baby...

This stencil was just the shape of the gator - I thought it looked a little plain, so had to add some socks, shoes, teeth, scales... just to fancy him up a bit.  This gator has the same amount of teeth as my son at the moment... in the same places!

... so, after gaining inspiration from two different sources, I thought I would go off the grid and try a design on my own...

 

It's Q-tastic!  This one also looked a little plain with just the stencil, but it was nothing a little embroidery couldn't fix!

Stenciling is one of the easiest ways to create custom everything - try it sometime, you just might like it! 

Etsy Finds Black Friday!

Hello Friends! 

It's Black Friday - also known as the busiest shopping day of the year. 

Since I worked in retail for too many years, I'm always turned off by all of the early store openings, blow out sales, and anything labeled as 'doorbuster' savings... makes me shiver...

Thankfully, our friends over at Etsy have featured a slew of sellers that are offering free shipping today - now that's some 'doorbuster' savings I can get behind!

Let's get to the findings!

First up, check out the Hitchcock Moccasin by Darlingtonia Moccasin Company...

I absolutely love that these aren't your typical moccasin!  The colors and the birds are just killer!

Next, check out Noble Fir - the Little Fox by Sleepy King...

Is that tweed?  Love it!  This little fox would be a perfect prezzie for my little guy.  He's really into having lots of animal friends - to the dismay of my kittie boys...

...and finally today... check out Narwhal Named GOB by Squid Ink Kollective...

Even if you're not a fan of Arrested Development, who wouldn't want a Narwhal riding a Segway tee in their collection?

Happy Friday!

Shop Handmade!

Turkey Day Table Fun!

This year, we've got something extra special to be thankful for... it's our little man's very first Thanksgiving! 

I wanted to commemorate the occasion with something special that we could keep and use for years to come.

Thankfully, my buddy Vickie Howell has the perfect idea for a Turkey Day keepsake that was not only fun and easy, but Q and I were able to create it together - our first crafty collaboration!

Turkey Day Place Mats!

Since Quinn is an experienced painter, I thought he would like to provide the focal point to our place mats.  My original thought was to get him to do hand prints and then I would make them into 'hand turkeys' - kinda like elementary school.  

What I didn't know was how completely impossible it is to get a 5-month-old to hold a hand covered in paint still for even two seconds...

So, my hand turkeys quickly became more of an abstract study in orange... which turned out beautifully!

After Q was done with his portion on the place mats, I stamped 'Quinn's First Turkey Day' on them in copper sparkly fabric paint (a little note: fabric paint isn't the best option for stamping - I probably should've used stamp ink... so, they're far from perfect, but that's just how being crafty goes sometimes)

I attached Quinn's art to some plain brown fabric, embellished with ribbon, sewed into place mats, and that's it!  Easy peasy!

Check out Vickie's column, Craft Apparent, over on PBS Parents for inspiration on your own version of Turkey Day place mats!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Etsy Finds Friday!

Friday Friday!  It's almost Turkey Day, can you believe it?  Guess I need to start thinking about Christmas presents too... where does the time go?

Lots of good stuff to share with you today - let's get to it!

First up, check out Clock Made From A Recycled Record Player by Stuff Made From Stuff...

I think this is such a cool idea - I love old record players and everyone knows I'm a sucker for a cute unusual clock, so, this seems like a match made in heaven!

Next up, check out Little Bitty Giant Sequoia Plush by Hi Tree!...

Wow!  This is made of felt?  Wow! I'm impressed.  I love the layering effect of the tree leaves here - simply awesome.

...and finally today, since it is almost Christmas time... and since I know a baby Man Cub that likes him some stuffed animals... check out Plush Reindeer by Noica...

So cute!  Little man would for sure love to tell this reindeer some stories while munching on an arm or leg...

Happy Friday!

Multiple Inspirations equal...

... one awesomely cute pair of baby shoes...

We attended a baby shower for some dear friends of ours are expecting their first bundle of joy this coming January over the weekend. 

Since they got preggers during my last trimester, they have been the lucky winners of all of Q's hand-me-down stuff, which has hopefully been beneficial for them, but I wanted to make sure I gave their baby something that never belonged to anybody else... something that can be all his... or hers...

Using the baby shoe pattern found over at Stardust Shoes, I knew I wanted to branch out and embellish the shoes in some way.  Thanks to Jenny Hart and her Baby Bib Embroidery Kit, I had my design!

I used fabric paint and a stencil that I made from one of Jenny's owlie designs, then just embroidered my little heart out!

I'm super pleased that the branch goes from one shoe to the other and that it lines up well, that was one of my biggest fears - that the branch would be all wonky and wouldn't make sense, but thankfully, the shoe pattern comes with mid point markers, so, if you actually use those (I never did until this pair of shoes) - turns out, they work!

I hope our friends enjoy these baby shoes as much as I enjoyed making them!  Now to make a pair for my little guy!

Etsy Finds Friday!

Friday Friday!  So much good stuff to share with you today - let's get to it!

First up, check out Antler Frame by Paperdoll Woodshop...

I absolutely love this frame - I mean, it has antlers, so, how can you go wrong? 

Next up, check out Owl Family by One Gift One World...

Hey, that's my family!  These are so incredibly beautiful - if I didn't have 4 kitty boys that would most certainly break one of these and hide the others under the couch, I would love to own this sweet little owl trio.

...and finally today, one for the Man Cub.  Since it's mid-November now, I'm guessing that any day now it might be chilly outside... it is almost Christmas, so, it has to get cold at some point, right?  When it does, wouldn't my little man look absolutely adorable in this Cashmere Silly Bear Hat by Fuzzsicle?

So cute!  The fact that it's cashmere is a total bonus, but what really made me fall for this hat is the super duper cute embroidered bear - almost too cute for words!

Happy Friday!

Baby Bib Embroidery Kit!

I received this utterly adorable embroidery kit by Jenny Hart for my birthday and have been itching to bust it open and get stitching ever since!

Recently, little man has become very interested in what we're eating for dinner, he's sprouted not one but three teeth, and just seems ready to start eating solid foods.

I decided that this is the perfect time to whip up a few bibs in honor of this momentous occasion!

Shazam!  The patterns are not only cute, but very easy to stitch!  The kit includes pattern transfers, thread, a needle, and some instructions so you know just what the heck you're getting yourself into!

The first bib I made I decided just to stitch directly onto the bib itself - turned out super cute!

For the second bib, I decided to get a little fancy pants with it and applique some fabric on first, then stitch on top of that.  It made for some sore stitching fingers, but I'm super duper pleased with the finished product!

Does little man like his fancy new bibs?

He still seems a little suspect of the entire 'eating food from a spoon' situation, but I think the bibs are keepers!

Etsy Finds Monday?

Huh? Monday?  Friday I woke up with the most terrible stomach virus ever - so, there was no blogging going on - there was not much but sipping 7-Up and feeling sorry for myself...

But I'm back, and I'm still alive!  So, let's do some Monday finds, shall we?

First up, check out White Rabbit Ring by Vienna Horses...

 
This ring can also be a brooch - your choice!  I love the shape, texture, size and color of this little beauty.  So simple and cute!

Next up, it's something for the Man Cub - have I mentioned how much my baby enjoys the company of finger puppets? 

They are by far his favorite toys... Check out these awesome Fun With the Farm Animals Finger Puppets  by With Hugs and Kisses...

These are a must have for somebody's Christmas stocking this year!

Finally today, check out probably the single greatest item I've ever stumbled upon on Etsy in all my days of Etsy Finding...

Do you like Night Court?  Sure, we all do...

Do you like bringing your own bar to the party?  Hmmm... never thought of it, but could be a good idea...

Well then... the Night Court Travel Bar by Frosty Darling might just be the one thing that could make all your dreams a reality...

 
I'm not really even a drinker, but OMG I so want to show up to the next dinner party with my own Night Court Travel Bar! 

Happy Monday!