A Sweet Valentine Confection...

One of my final listings of the year, a sweet Valentine collaboration with my good friend Kathy, of Pixie Dust Studio.  This fabric has to be one of the cutest I have ever worked with!  See my set here, and the darling treaure keeper tote here.

My Little Model...

Today, Ava modeled this adorable OOAK set from my good friend Timi of Cinnamon Girl Studio. If your little one is an Alice in Wonderland fan, she will love this! So much detail! Click here to see the auction.

A Willing Subject...

This is Tigger, my almost 3 foot long, 25 lb. cat. He's a giant teddy bear. He is also my most willing photography subject. Gotta practice on someone who doesn't constantly move, lol.

30 Days til Christmas!

There are only 30 days until Christmas! Gee! I decorated my blog, you like? Next is to decorate the house. Everything but the tree. That we leave until around December 15th, since we get a real one. I leave you with these clips from two of my all time favorite Christmas movies. Enjoy!





Happy Holidays!

A Fall Treat...

One of my favorite treats to bake this time of year, and the kids love them!

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease two 12 cup muffin pans, or line with paper baking cups.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in the sugar, pumpkin and oil.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Blend into the egg and pumpkin mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the muffin pans.
Bake in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Click here for the printer friendly version.

Recipe courtesy of www.allrecipes.com.

A Thanksgiving Reflection...

I have so much to be thankful for every day, not just on Thanksgiving. I have been thinking about all of the things I am thankful for lately. This is in no particular order.

I am thankful for every day I get to take a breath, and play with my children.

I am thankful for the roof over my head, and the warm pillow I rest my head upon.

I am thankful for my girls and their health.

I am thankful to have such an amazing man as my husband, whom I couldn't breathe without.

I am thankful to have a wondeful family, who is supportive and caring.

I am thankful to have so many beautiful friends in my life.

I am thankful for my husband's job, which allows me the time to be at home with my girls, and puts food on our plates, and affords us a warm safe place to live and make memories.

I am thankful for the wondeful caring women who teach my daughter.

I am thankful for the amazing women who support my business.

There are so many other things I am thankful for. I don't ever take one minute of my life for granted. I am a very fortunate woman. I wish you and yours a Happy and heathly Thanksgiving holiday.

Mother of the year???

Yesterday, my husband had a meeting after work, fun...so I decide to take the girls out to Panera Bread for dinner.  It's one of the semi-healthy things they will both eat.  I place my order and find us a booth.  I tell the girls to sit still, and walk the 10 feet to fill the drinks. I do so as quickly as I can half looking over my shoulder the whole time.

As I am walking back to the table, I look at the girls to see Ava leaning on the edge of the table, and it starts to fall over with her on top. A group of older woman, grandma's gasp loudly, and I kid you not, the ENTIRE place stands still and looks over. It was one of those slow motion falls, that you can't get to quick enough to catch her. I put the drinks down on a different table and run over to her. I pick her up and of course she is in hysterics. Now she is fine. She didn't hit her head and it really was a slow fall. Of course the manager of Panera Bread is panicking, and asking me if she needs ice. She doesn't, she has no lumps, no bumps, no blood, she's just scared. So she offers us some cookies to make her feel better.

I can feel the disapproving eyes of the people around me staring at me while I calm her down. Ava is my child who challenges me daily. She drums to her own beat, and rarely listens. She has her own agenda, and no one gets in her way. With that said, I now feel like the idiot mother of the year.

Last year, in Toys R Us around this time, she tried to climb on the side of the shopping cart while I was putting the items on the belt to pay, and tipped it. Again, it was a slow motion fall, and she had nothing but a bruised ego. So do you see, this is just Ava, kind of like curiosity killed the cat.

I heard someone say once, that if you aren't embarrassed by your child daily, you are not a parent. I find this very true with Ava. Thankfully, the rest of our meal was uneventful, and people stopped staring. Of course one of the Grandma's had to come over and give me the play by play. She was sweet and meant well, but I was over it by then. This one will be the death of me...now stick in me in the corner with my dunce cap please.

My New Baby...

My good friend Linda of LilyandEbony, said to me Friday, congratulations, you've given birth! No, I didn't have a baby, but I did get a new sewing machine! A Viking Sapphire 870Q, and it is fabulous! After my other machine breaking down twice in one month, I opted to trade mine in towards this one.



My old machine wasn't even a year old yet, and I kept having problems.  Not a good thing to
have happen in this business.  But all is good now.  Vikki, as I am calling her, will be taking care
of business from here on out.  She can do it all, and is quite the little powerhouse.  I highly reccommend her if you are in the market for a sewing machine.  You won't be dissapointed.

The Next Generation of GenMarie...

Last Christmas, Emma got a sewing machine from my 
parents,a really cute Hello Kitty one by Janome.  It's actually a great little machine.  It was the thing she wanted most. I knew she wasn't ready yet, but this was all she kept talking about.  We tried it out after Christmas once, and she really wasn't ready, so into the attic it went.  This weekend, she was watching me sew, and really wanted to sew too.  My husband, the good sport, sat with her, and together they made Emma's first real project, a dolly blanket.  Yes, my husband can sew!  He actually can applique really well too.  Shhhh...but don't tell anyone that, I wouldn't want his manly image compromised, lol.  I couldn't resist snapping some photos of this sweet 
Daddy daughter moment.



And here she is with her very first real project she made.  Look at how proud she is!



A perfect fit!



She's not quite ready to take over the business just yet, lol!

Double hexed...

Last night started out as a typical Saturday night in my home.  I was getting ready to head out to Gymboree to pick up some things for the girls.  So I start to head down my stairs to grab my Uggs ( it is freezing here!) and I grab onto my railing.  Well, Ava pushes my rocking chair back right against my engagement ring.  Next thing I hear is a clink.  I look down to see my diamond missing from my ring.  There it was laying on my step.  Ugh!  I mean good thing I found it and it happened at home, but what a pain.  Now I have to bring my ring to the jeweler to fix.  She completely bent my setting.  I felt so naked leaving home without my ring on.  sniff, sniff...

So I put on a different ring and head out, determined to not let it bother me.  I was looking forward to this, I get to go shopping by myself.  Ok, so no big deal, I will get my ring fixed.  I am not going to get upset over it.  I stop at Starbucks for a vanilla cappuccino, yum, and continue on my way to the mall.

My main reason in going was to get Ava a winter coat.  It got real cold here, real quick.  Get the coat, and of course, I can't leave without buying some other things for the girls.  Two shopping bags later, I head out to my car.  I hate, let me say that again, HATE, going to the mall, especially at night.  I am always really mindful of my surroundings, and beeline for my car.  You just never know, plus with 2 big shopping bags weighing me down, well, you just can't be too careful.

So I am driving home, all excited to show the girls my findings.  Music is blaring, I am just enjoying being alone.  I am about 10 minutes from home.  And THIS is what happens next.



I am always looking around when I am driving, I have avoided alot of accidents by being so aware of the road.  I am driving along the highway, and I see some kids off to my right in the woods.  Well, the next thing I see is one of the little punks throw something as I approach, and bang, it hits my truck!  Ok, so now I am miffed to say the least.  I slam on my brakes, and start spewing words that I can't share here.  I put my car in reverse, and I am steaming.  So in my mind, I am going to kill these kids! Well, not really, but you know what I mean.  I knew it was going to happen, I saw it coming.  So here is this crazy woman backing up on a major highway, ready for revenge or at the very least, some justice.  I can't find the little punks.  I call my husband and tell him what happened, and get out and look at the damage.  Now I am even more mad!  I decide to call the police and get a report for my insurance company.  I also want them to be aware of what these kids are doing before someone gets really hurt.  And wouldn't you know, I am having cell phone trouble.  So my husband calls the police, and now I am sitting on the side of the road waiting.  After 15 minutes, they show up.  One police officer goes searching for them, the other stays with me to write the report.

Soooooooo.....I come home, order Knocked Up (yes the movie) on demand ( I need to watch something funny), pour myself a BIG glass of wine, put on my comfy pants, and watch my movie with my husband.
Life is good.

And this morning, the girls are checking out what I bought them.  I had to share this picture with you of Ava.  It makes it all better.

Sharing Halloween pics...

Just a few pics from Halloween.  My little Minnie & cheerleader.   
And some pictures from earlier in the day carving pumkpins with Daddy.

Midnight Sky...

WisteriaLane is having an amazing launch today, titled Midnight Sky.  All the designs feature rich hues of black and blue.  See all the designs here.

See my contribution to the launch here.

Fairytales and Fables...

My new design, part of a collaboration with one of my favorite jewelry designers, winipoo.  Find it here.  See the jewelry here.