Piece by Piece

Well it's Friday the 13th! Are you Superstitious??? I'm really not. I am more worried about bad luck today than anything else! LOL!!! As you know I have already had quite the little injury to my foot with my seam ripper. Well I think my family is trying to take me out piece by piece! LOL!!! First I cut my foot, then hubby is carrying me to bed that night and completely WHACKS my elbow into the door frame putting me on the verge of tears and taking the skin off my elbow. I've got a nice bruise that now and big scab. oh wait! there's more! I was hobbling into the car to take my daughter to dance class when my almost 3 year old son decides to help out by slamming the car door on top of my legs (shin/calf area) before I have to chance to put them into the car. He got a running start too. (heaven help me!) THEN, while trying to sit and get a little bit of sewing done I managed to puncture my index finger with the sewing maching needle while it's still in the machine rather deeply and have a bit of trouble wriggling it out. Can I girl catch a break???? I'm not sure what is going on but I hope this Friday the 13th will change my luck this week! Otherwise I'm afraid of what will happen next! LOL!!!

Mosaic Women's tops

After SEVERAL requests for larger sizes of my Women's tops - HERE they are! I have 3 tops newly listed in my Blossom Street Shoppe tonight. Both designs are perfect for Spring and Summer. They are colorful, original and sure to add a POP to your everyday wardrobe. Take a peek at them HERE!

OH Snap!

Sewing tool or weapon? In this case - weapon! very, very bad weapon! I just spent about 1 hour of my night in the emergency room. Sadly enough I dropped my seam ripper while walking down the stairs to start a project and immediately stepped on it - while it was standing up! OUCH!!!!! I had to pull it out of the soft arch of my foot. Luckily, I was on the phone with my neighbor discussing when her daughter needed to be home and she quickly ran down, arranged childcare for my kids and hers and drove me to the emergency room. *sigh* Talk about frustrating. *sigh* Such a silly thing to do that will really put a kink in my whole week. But whatcha gonna do? Grin and bare it I say! LOL!!! OH! the doctor that took care of me was sooo not Dr. McDreamy. Would have really helped had he been good looking like that. tee he he he - I am Sooo not a fan of needles and I had to get poked with a few and when he stuck my foot with the anesthetic - oh baby!!!! I probably could have kicked him!!! Plus the nurse that cleaned my wound off was not gentle! LOL!!! She got alittle yell from me. ;) Well there's the adventures of my night! Good think it wasn't my "sewing foot" though.

They're multiplying!!!

Where oh WHERE did all these "spare Buttons" come from? Suddenly I seem to have little plastic bags all around my house with the spare buttons in them. Ok yes, I have done alittle Spring shopping for myself the and family and I rip off the little "extra button sack" and set it down thinking "I'd better save that for SOMEDAY when I might need it." But there just seems to be ALOT of spare buttons floating around. And if my memory serves me right, I don't think I have EVER needed the spare button that comes with the blouse, slacks, or whatever! LOL!!! So I quickly grabbed a handful that I could plainly see around the house. WHAT do I do with these? Do you keep them? and if so, WHERE?????? I think the buttons are secretly multiplying just to drive me crazy!

Can I get a YEE-HAW!

Lookey! Lookey! Here's a sneak peek at what is coming up for my boy customers! I really LOVE this little boys outfit and the photo shoot was as fun to do! Here's another sneaky piece of info - there's a girls set as well ;) Anybody want to see?

The HUNT!

Ready, set and GO! If you are not quick it will be over before you muster up the courage to dive in and grab some Easter Spoils. Heck, it will be over before you blink and realize what is going on. LOL!!!

Our family attended a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Luckily my 3 year old had a bit of practice and pre-coaching from Dad that morning before the egg hunt. (wink, wink) He did GREAT! Just drove right in and grabbed as many as he could! My daughter didn't have any problems either and they both sat right down and ATE all the candy in one sitting! LOL!!! I guess that is better than stringing it out over days and days of sugar highs!

My 2 year old niece also came with us and she wasn't shy either. I felt bad for the really little kids that got last minute stage fright and then stood there crying as the mass of children exited the field with baskets full of colorful eggs and Easter Spoils and they were left standing there - empty baskets in hand and parents trying to comfort them. I guess there is always next year.

Easter fun!

Here's a few last minute ideas and crafts for this Holiday Weekend. If you can't get to them this weekend - keep them in mind for next year!

Let's start off with some fun for the kids with Fruity Confetti Eggs. I would probably alter this project just a bit to fit my younger kids (and make it easier for me to do) but so cute and fun none the less!

and if you have a few minutes to sit down with your needles take a peek at these adorable patterns. You can create these! They are so cute and cuddly looking.




And these cards will take you through Spring and not just this Holiday Weekend. I love the chic and not store bought look of these.



And what about the family pup? Well I am not a dog lover at all BUT for those that are I thought this was hilarious! LOL!!!



and lastly - the Easter table. I love these and can see them being used in a few other occastions as well. Snap up these Birch nests and glass eggs for something different and lovely.



We are off to hunt eggs today! Enjoy your weekend!

The Sales Pitch!

My Daughter came home from school all excited Tuesday afternoon! Not just your typical excited to see you again, excited to play with friends or tell me all the fun things she did in her kindergarten class that day. This was a different type of excited. The kind that comes from prizes and and the hopes of actually winning something. *sigh* She came home with flyers, papers and a catalog for a School fundraiser! (insert dreaded music here) DUN dun DuNNNNNNN! I have signed papers several times during the school year stating that we would rather make a cash donation than "sell" things to our neighbors, family and close friends. BUT all the kids at the school attended an assembly to get them all excited about this last fundraiser for the year and they were shown all the prizes. How can you tell your child "No" when they have a goal of a prize they would like to get and really want to do it? Plus the prize wasn't something that was just your typical everyday prize or toy. The one she was striving for was a "limo ride to a nearby kids fun center for Pizza pop". She was soo starry eyed by the thought of getting to ride in a limo and sounded determined and overly excited to really go out and talk to our friends. SO......we practiced alittle sales pitch and talked about how some people would order and some would not. WELL I am proud to say that after only 3 days of "pitching her fundraiser" she has met her goal and will get to ride in a limo and have a fun lunch with other kids from the school! AND she talked to all the people with all the details by herself - with her mom or dad standing behind her of course ;) But she did it on her own with the determination to reach her goal. Not bad for a little kindergarden"er".

How about alittle Fresh cut?

I love love LOVE Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut fabric line. The Material Gals group on Ebay did a special launch featuring this fabric line. The designs are yummy. You have to take a peek to see all the variety and inspiring Spring designs.

Take flight!

Journal Modiste designer launch, "TAKE FLIGHT" is currently underway on Ebay. All custom Boutique items are themed around flight. You'll see bugs, butterflies, birds, airplanes and more. There are some really darling items. Here's a few of my favorites.

Take to the Sky necklace from cinnamon*sticks is a great feminine, unique piece.

In the Market for a GREAT bag? This bright and orginal tote labeled TWEET......" from persona may just tickle your fancy.

LOVE this crocheted Hoodie sweater from pinkwillowdesigns. It's funky and fun!

and I couldn't resist posting another great bag! keetacollection has paired up stricking fabrics and colors with this little number.

Enjoy shopping around!

Grab it while it's HOT!

Going.........going...............GONE!!!! Ending today is my YOU Design IT Girls Mosaic jeans!!! This auction started at .99 with NO RESERVE!!! you pick the fabrics and the length - full length or Capri! Grab it while you can! This is a $90.00 - $100.00 value! woohooo!!! Happy Bidding!

"Mama don't let your babies"..........

"grow up to be Cowboys." Do you know that song? Well that is all of the song I can remember and thought it fit well with some photos I snapped of my kids recently. My son is never one to be found without his shirt on until this one day. He took it off for no particular reason and wouldn't put it back on. He ran around the house playing and found his play cowboy hat. Once he put that hat on I just couldn't resist myself. There he was in his hat, droppy jeans and big belly sticking out. I snapped some photos and then my daughter wanted in the action too. Whenever there is a camera around she wants to be in front of it. hehehehe. Here's a few of my favorite shots. I thought their Grandparents and Aunts might want to see these too. ;)

Girls Getaway Weekend! come play!

Boutiquecafe would like to extend an invitation to all women, mommies and work at home entrepreneurs to the 1st Annual Boutiquecafe.com Girls Getaway Weekend April 20th -22nd. This weekend event will be a mixture of business and fun! Designers and podcast fans from all over the U.S. and Canada will be attending the Boutique Café Girls Getaway, which will include a Saturday morning conference that boasts an impressive list of guest speakers:

Amelia: Owner of Sweet Feet Boutique and a fashion guru
Liz Carlson: Owner/founder of Chatti Patti
Keynote Speaker, Charlene May: Owner/founder of Greggy Girl

Attendees will learn about everything from keeping your fashion style as a mom to how to grow your business. The Saturday morning session will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Topaz Room at the Salt Lake City Hilton., and tickets are $25 in advance. Space is limited, so contact daria@boutiquecafe.com to reserve your spot.

We would love for you to help us spread the word and reach those ladies who might be interested in attending. Interested attendees can also find more information about this event in the following link:
http://www.boutiquecafe.com/home/?cat=15

This will be such a great event and a great opp to meet these talented business women, network with other women, showcase your designs and have great time! We hope to see you there!

It's my Birthday, it's my birthday!

March is big month for me full of lots to celebrate! and in honor of my Dad's Holiday and Birthday traditions of always giving gifts to others instead of asking for or recieving on these occasions, I am going to give a gift to YOU!

Just listed is a 99 NO RESERVE auction for a pair of my Girls Shaggy Mosaic Jeans! you pick the fabrics you love, what length - full or capri - and I will create them for you!



Celebrate with me and have fun bidding! and a HUGE THANK You to all my customers, mailing list members and other designers and friends out there who have supported me all along the way!

BIG NEWS!!!!

I am so excited to annouce that Mary of Sweetpea-Totes will now be selling her FABULOUS handbags in my Blossom Street shop. We are "teaming together to glamourize and accessorize!"

She does amazing work. I have personally bought 3 handbags from her and recommended her to several friends and family members. Her handbags will be a great addition to our store and compliment my women's line I offer there - my MOSAIC jeans and women's tops. To learn a bit more about Sweetpea - Totes click here.

In other EXCITING business news you can now find my designs a bit easier on ebay and in my store. All my store and ebay listings will now sport the word - CODesigns. It will be a quick easy way to find my items by typing in a shorter version of my business name. I hope you will find this convienent for you. Take a peek at our store to see the items I currently have available.

and just a little reminder that our store will be stocked fresh every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month along with all the stores in the Villa Fresca Neighborhood on Blossom Street.

Fashion Guru Q&A

Do you have a Fashion question? do's, don'ts, or how to make it work? Boutiquecafe's own HOT MOM moderator Amelia of Sweet Feet Boutique is now doing a Fashion Q&A session to help her prepare for our upcoming Boutique Cafe Girls Getaway weekend in which she is one of our speakers. LOTS of great questions being asked and some even better practical advice being given. HOP on over - we'd love to have jump aboard and chat with us!

My head is spinning!

Whew! Ok spring has sprung here and brings it's own projects - spring cleaning, yard work, etc. But suddenly my design ideas have sprung as well! My head is spinning with fun new ideas, designs, etc. It's great but there's no way I will get to everything I would like to. Such is life though right? We all do what we can do. Here's a little peek at my latest fabric pile I have bought. Lots of fun new outfits and designs coming your way! INCLUDING - stuff for boys! yeah!!! I also have some exciting business news to announce - just working on some finishing touches. Stay tuned!!!

Ok - You didn't hear it from me!

Complaning that is! LOL!!! I've been tagged to stop complaining! Who ME? I supposed we all do a bit of grumbling from time to time. Now I have been Challenged by my good fried Daria to join the worldwide movement to stop complaining. This has all started from Oprah's Good News Show today. Can I go for 21 days without complaining? I guess we'll see! Can YOU? Here's what you need to do:

1. Click on Beki's blog to order a free purple Complaint Free bracelet.

2. Tag at least 3 people and spread the word. Challenge them to participate.

3. Sign the Mr. Linky On Beki's Blog so we can see how far this goes!

4. The final step, and most important. STOP COMPLAINING! You put your bracelet on and any time you catch yourself complaining you must switch it to the opposite wrist. The goal is to go 21 days without switching it. If you switch it, your 21 days starts all over again.

Ok - here we go! The three people I will tag are Nicole, Lisa, and Morgan TAG! you're it!