Paint!

Buddy is a fastidious child. He doesn't like getting his hands messy. Because of this, he has gone almost the entire year of pre-school refusing to participate in painting projects.  Right now, his class is working on a dress-up wardrobe for a school fundraising auction. The children have been painting the wardrobe. Making balloons with their fingerprints as well as flowers, butterflies and grass with handprints. Just imagine how much of this painting my son has done.... His teacher has wanted him to be involved so she sent home some paint and the handles for the wardrobe drawers. She figured that I'd be able to find him in the right mood to paint the handles if we did it at home.

Well, it took a couple of weeks to find a time when he was willing and boy did I find him willing:

After he painted the handles, he just kept going.

Buddy said, (and I quote) "I like painting!" So, I asked him why he doesn't paint at school.  He responded very matter of fact, "I just like cutting and gluing at school."

So, did Jellybean paint too? Yep, she did.

She was a little disturbed when I told her not to paint her mouth.

I love the end results of both of their work.

I think I'm going to need to frame both of these.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

1975 Was A Good Year

In 1975, the Toyota company (yeah as in the car company) manufactured my White sewing machine. This is the machine I learned to sew on and it is still awesome. I also drive a Subaru. The Japanese sure know their cars and apparently sewing machines.

When I was 11 I took a sewing class. If I recall correctly, I made a tote bag with an amazingly awesome coyote iron-on design on the front, a sundress that ended up being used as an apron and my final piece was a Blossom-esque romper with a Paris, France motif. I remember wearing the last number on a daddy-daughter date with a sweet, white baseball cap (worn side-ways of course). If memory serves, it looked a lot like this but longer and with buttons down the front.
Anyway, after my minor fling with this sewing machine in my pre-teen years, I hardly touched it again until I was married. Over the last 12 years, I've only broken it out to sew a skirt or two, and maybe a few burp cloths, blankets or lovies to give as gifts.
This year I decided that I was going to actually use my sewing machine. My New Year's resolution: Sew Something. It's a bit vague, but don't worry, I have a few projects in mind. Here's a sneak peek at my first sewing project of the year.
Here's a hint: I just purchased a Kindle. :) I'll have updates on that later.

Have a Happy Day!
~MJ

In Stitches

When I was young I took up counted cross-stitch. I made a few folksy gifts for my siblings and began some more ambitious projects that never found their way to completion.

Recently, I found my old cross-stitch bag in my fabric bin and got looking through it. I found some of my old projects and decided that I needed to pick up my old hobby again.

I started by modifying a few patterns from others online and then I started creating my own patterns to be used in the shop.
I really like the way cross-stitch looks and I'm enjoying working with my floss and needle again. Sometimes life comes full circle like that.

So far Sunshine & Lolli features two styles of hair clips using cross-stitch:
The Ava Leigh and The Elise.

The Ava Leigh

The Elise

I'm adding a third style just in time for Easter. Here's a sneak peak at "Bunny Love."
Have a Happy Day!