family and friends

If you’ve been keeping up with the blog for a while, you’ll remember Baby James (brand new son of my dear friend, Renee) and his arrival back on 11/11. I had been itching to get my hands on him (5-hour commute) and was finally able to do just that over these last few days.

I took every opportunity to spoil him rotten. Sleep on my chest for over an hour so you can get away with sleeping on your stomach? No problem. Christen me during diaper changing? You got it. Want to be held ALL the time? Your wish is my command. I loved it. Every second with him reminded me of the first few fleeting months I had with my own sweet little man, Aidan.

Renee is totally smitten with her new little boy. No surprise there. But what I think catches every new mom off guard a little, is when that tiny fist wraps around your finger for the first time and you wonder how your world could have ever been complete before he came into it.

As for James, he’s already charming the ladies. See for yourself… (Check out his personalized elephant onesie. You’ll never guess where that came from.)

Hey there. It’s been a while. The ‘Handmade Held Hostage’ situation has thrown us for a loop around here. Thanks for all of the incredible support and rallying that the crafting community has created — literally on a dime. I’m very optimistic that our voices will be heard and revisions will be made to the law.

I wanted to share Part 2 of my Crafting for Christmas posts. A few years back, my siblings (one sis, one bro) and I decided that we would only exchange gifts if we all agreed not to go out and spend a lot of money, but instead we would each make something. Well, that wasn’t a big stretch for my sister or myself, but the two of us were very curious to see what my brother would come up with. Paper airplanes? Toxic brownies?

In the back of my mind, I already knew what I wanted to do. I had had good intentions (for years) to make a large Santa-style family loot bag. We often do a lot of traveling around the holidays. It was a pain trying to load up all the presents each time (usually in a laundry basket), making sure none got left behind and all arrived safely. So I thought it would be handy and kind of cool to have a personalized family loot bag that we could load up with the appropriate presents ahead of time, grab it and go. Great idea, right? But I never did it until the year of the “sibling handmade challenge”. That gave me the motivation to get it done and I liked the idea of all three of our families having one.

I had a lot of fun making them. Again, I love that applique and gingham! I used some drapery weight fabric to make each bag and large satin rope to create the drawstring that cinches closed. The top of each bag folds down to make a big cuff with pom-pom trim added to the edge. As far as the applique design, I just went for it — cutting shapes out of the fabric freehand. I had a general idea of what I wanted it to look like, but you could also sketch your design out on tracing paper first. I added some fun trim and buttons and voila! Here’s my sister’s bag:

Now, when we meet at our parents’ house for the holidays, the loot bags are in tow. And the best part is, when all the gifts have been opened, we load up the bags with the gifts we’ve received and know exactly which bag to grab when it’s time to head home.

BTW, for that “sibling handmade challenge”, my sis drew a portrait of Gracie & Aidan that I treasure. Brother cheated and bought us gifts! Should have known!

After Master Aidan was born in 2005, I kind of knew he was going to be the caboose of the family, so to speak. When I was little, I always said I was going to have 10 children when I grew up. I’d still love to have those 10 kids in theory, but in practice, maybe not. Two kiddies, two parents. We try to keep an even playing field around here.

So anyway, we had little Aidan that July and I really wanted to make stockings for Christmas that year. Wasn’t really sure how at first. I just knew that ideally I wanted them to look somewhat vintage and I wanted to like them enough to keep using them until the kids are grown — in the hopes that one day they’ll be reminders of happy childhood Christmases and their mom’s limited sewing skills. (Read my soapbox about that topic in the previous post.)

Before I give you the 411 about crafting these stockings, let me just insert an opinion here: Applique and zigzag stitching is the greatest thing ever! I decided to sketch out my own patterns to applique and had a lot of fun mixing different fabrics. I used antique white felt for the stocking itself and lined it with green gingham. (Gingham is the other greatest thing ever.) I embellished each one with buttons and frills and big jingle bells at the toes for good measure.

Now the ‘monogramming’ was tricky. I don’t monogram, so I had to figure out a way to monogram without monogramming — hence, the tricky part. I found some small gold wire ribbon that I twisted into names and handstitched them in place with clear thread. Pretty smart, eh? (It took me forever to figure something out that would work. Don’t give me too much credit.)

Here’s some close-ups of the results…

I keep hearing that song on the radio. We have a station here that plays nothing but Christmas music throughout December (you probably have one of those too). Seems like every time I turn it on, Julie Andrews is belting this one out. I never really considered it a Christmas song or Sound of Music (one of my all-time favorites) a Christmas movie, but okay. Works for me. In the movie, I guess the children are preparing for a holiday concert if I remember it right. I’m way over-thinking this. Moving on…

My favorite things… I’ve kind of been on a hunt the last several years in search of vintage ornaments similar to those that were on our tree when I was a kid. My mother sold all our ornaments in a garage sale years ago. (She knows I love to give her flack about this.) We lived several states apart at the time, so I didn’t even know about the horror until long after the fact. Her reasoning? She wanted to ’start fresh’ with the tree. And I get that, I do. But it kills me to think about it. I can still remember our tree vividly from all those Christmases growing up. My mom even HANDMADE a bunch of those original ornaments (felt gingerbread men, bells, santas, etc.). How could she sell them a decade later at a garage sale for 25 cents? Can you tell this is a sore spot for me? Don’t get me wrong. My mom is the greatest and she did hang on to sentimental things from our childhood. Unfortunately, the tree stuff — the stuff she made — just wasn’t among them. The upside is that the whole incident reminded me that stuff is just stuff. And it also made me realize that sometimes that stuff can hold childhood memories for the little ones we love most.

My kids may or may not grow up to be the sentimental sap their mom is, but in case they are, I’m making a conscious effort to keep small reminders of their past.

Favorite #1: Vintage Elf: Is he the cutest thing or what? Found him and a few of his buddies at a flea market last year. He’s a total flashback from my childhood. The cool thing is that at the base of his head he has this candy cane-wrapped wire that you can actually twist around the branch of the tree rather than your standard hooks.

Favorite #2: Vintage Stocking: Yep. This is the real deal. This held my very own loot from Santa every year when I was little. Mom held on to this one! It’s made from red felt and lace. Gold glitter sequins spell out my name. It actually inspired me to make handmade stockings for my own family that we now use every year. I’ll have to share them with you in a future post.

Favorite #3: Vintage Santa: Check out this jolly vintage Santa. I was able to grab him and an entire bag of his clones at an estate sale a few years back for $5! Score! Just like the elf, his hat is felt and he has that hard plastic face reminiscent of the 60s and 70s. He also has a fluffy spun cotton beard and his ‘made in japan’ label on the back.

Just as a side note, you’ll probably also notice in this photo that we have a ‘fake’ Christmas tree. I ADORE live Christmas trees. They are beautiful and smell wonderful. And I admire my friends that use them. I know that picking out the tree every year is a tradition for lots of families. If I had any sort of green thumb, I’d probably be tempted to go that route myself. But I don’t. And that makes them a pine-needles-everywhere, fire-hazard nightmare that scares me to death. So I’ll have to stick to enjoying them from afar.

Favorite #4: Vintage Christmas Place Card Holders: I keep telling myself that I’m going to use these at a big Christmas dinner, but so far it hasn’t happened. We usually go to the grandparents’ house for big family dinners, so I haven’t had the chance. I’ve also thought about using them in an altered art project. I found them in mint condition in their original box and couldn’t resist the urge. They’re really tiny. Only about 1-1/2″ tall.

We’re back from our week-long trip to see Mickey. We had a great time, but I can’t tell you how good it feels to be home. There’s something to be said for sleeping in your own bed, showering in your own shower, eating in your own kitchen…

I’ve got tons of photos from our trip that I’m sure I’ll share in later posts, but just wanted to let you all know that we made it back safe and sound.

Christmas apparently snuck up on us while we were away. When we arrived home last night, we were greeted with Christmas lights all over the neighborhood. Clearly we have some catching up to do. I’m itching to write about vintage Christmas ideas too, just as soon as I can get settled back in, wash about 10 loads of laundry from the trip, start and finish a class project with Grace, and deck the halls with boughs of holly. It’s great to be home.

After months and months of childlike anticipation, the day is finally here. We’ve officially hit the road on our way to that place where wishes really do come true (if you’re age 3, that is) – Walt Disney World. Wish us luck on our 10-hour road trip of endless bathroom breaks, bickering siblings, and answering the ‘are we there yet’ question about a gazillion times. It’s gonna be great!

Never fear! I haven’t left you empty-handed in my absence. I can’t spill the beans completely, but let me just say there will be a very special post on Thanksgiving Day. Feel FREE to stop by. Catch my drift?

Hope all of you have a fabulous Thanksgiving. I’m sure I will come back with a ton of stories and more photos than I know what to do with. Talk to you soon!

D

[ Shop Note: The shop will remain open while I'm away. Orders for in-stock items placed Thanksgiving week will ship on 12/1/08. ]

Baby James was born today, 11/11/08, at 12:57pm! He weighed in at 7lbs, 15 ounces and 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. We live about 5 hours away, so I’m dying to get my hands on him! Had to share the news. In case you have no clue who Baby James is, catch up on the ‘vintage nautical saga’ here and here.

Welcome to the world, little one!

[Since I don't have any pics yet of the baby, here's a pic from the day of Renee's baby shower when I gave her the now infamous vintage sailor coloring book. Renee also sent me a pic of his nursery with some other vintage finds: a vintage children's book titled Teddy's Sailboat and a set of vintage glass nursery jars that have the cutest baby graphics on them. The big paper maché 'J' was a decoupaged table centerpiece from her shower.]

We had a pretty sweet Halloween around here as the gobs and gobs of candy will attest to. The kids had a ball. And as much candy as I dished out to every trick-or-treater Friday night, I swear they came home with twice as much. But I will admit I loved watching them ‘organize’ their candy all afternoon — by color, shape, flavor… You name it, they did it. That candy was seriously man-handled. And then of course mean Mama had to break it to them that it would be rationed.

We had a cowboy theme going this year. I had all these great plans of making costumes, but this year it just didn’t happen. So I punted and went shopping. Aidan was a piece of cake, but getting Grace on board? She was less than thrilled — until she found the pink cowboy hat with the sequins and the tiara on the front! SOLD!

So how did YOUR Halloween go? Share the costume pics!

Welcome! The Baby Gardner is privileged to host one of many silent auctions being held today in honor of Stephanie Nielson. We celebrate NieNie today. And our hope is to raise awareness and funds to alleviate some of the financial burden on this precious family — so they can focus solely on the recovery of NieNie and Christian (read our last blog post for more info). Won’t you please join us?

Check out all the silent auctions today and bid like crazy! All items have been donated and ALL proceeds will go directly into the Stephanie Nielson Fund via PayPal.

The Baby Gardner’s auction today includes a bushel of bluebirds for baby. This is ONE auction lot that includes all of the items described here:

1. Bluebird Buddies Crib Shoes: Hand-stitched wool felt crib shoes are loaded with personality with these adorable hand-embroidered baby bluebirds. One-of-a-kind and irresistible, they’ll be the topic of conversation wherever baby goes. (Size: Small; 0-3 months)
2. Bluebird’s Melody Vintage Tote: This is the perfect size tote for always keeping the essentials handy. Vintage embroidery, linens and crocheted trim all add to the charm. Baby bluebird plays a delightful melody on his violin. Turquoise gingham creates the tote straps and lines the interior. (Dimensions: 9”w x 9”h)
3. Bundle for Baby Layette Gown: This little gown is bundled and tied — ready for gift-giving!. Soft combed cotton gown has a charming vintage graphic in the center and crocheted trim. Tied with vintage-style ribbon. Gift card attached. 100% soft combed cotton. Heat-transferred graphic. Elasticized closure at bottom. Mitten cuffs. Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Tumble dry low. (Size: one size fits most newborns)
4. Bluebird Greetings Note Cards: Set of 6 blank note cards with envelopes. Blank interior. Endless uses as thank-you notes, gift cards, etc. Heart above bluebird reads ‘Greetings’. (Dimensions: 5-1/2” x 4-1/4”)
5. Little Girl Silhouette Gift Tags: Set of 12 oval tags with lovely scalloped edging. The finishing touch for that special gift. This adorable vintage silhouette depicts a little girl playing with her doll.Blank back for your personal message. Cotton twine ties.
6. Momma Bluebird & Babies Burpcloth: 100% cotton feedsack-style burp cloth is oversized and ready for anything. It’s soft, lightweight cotton makes it handy and portable, soft on baby’s skin, and large enough to handle a multitude of spills. Heat-transferred graphic. Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Tumble dry low.

RETAIL VALUE: $105.00

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BID:

• Please place your bid by leaving your 1) NAME, 2) EMAIL ADDRESS, and 3) BID AMOUNT in the Comments section for this post.
• Please be sure the bid amount you specify is larger than the most recent bid listed in the comments chain. This allows the current high bid to be easily viewed and identified at any time during the auction.
• Bidding will end this evening (Thursday 8/28/08) at 11:59pm GMT. Any bids placed after this deadline cannot be accepted.

IF YOU WIN THE AUCTION:

• Once we have contacted you and confirmed that you have won, please pay your high bid amount directly to the Stephanie Nielson Fund (via PayPal) by clicking the donation link on the sidebar. (Please reference ‘The Baby Gardner Silent Auction’ in the Notes area on PayPal.)
• Please forward the email receipt from PayPal to info [at] thebabygardner [dot] com along with your shipping address. We will then get your package shipped out to you.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY:

• As a small thank-you for participating in our auction, all bidders (even if you are not the high bidder) will automatically be entered in our drawing for a special giveaway gift.
• The winner will receive this White Doves Felt Hat for Baby created exclusively by The Baby Gardner. [Size: 3-12 months; hat circumference: 17"] Winner will be chosen at random. We will contact the winner via email for shipping information.

Thank you all for your generous and caring support of Nie and Christian and their family. We know this outpouring of love will be cherished always. If you have any questions about the auction details or the items in the auction, please feel free to contact us at info [at] thebabygardner [dot] com.

Nielson family photo courtesy of Blue Lily Photography

Stephanie Nielson (known as ‘NieNie’) is a very popular blogger who’s talent, faith and humor has drawn many to her little corner of the internet. I didn’t have the opportunity to know Nie before the accident, but I soon discovered if you don’t know Nie, you probably know someone who does. I can’t tell you how many blog friends I have who have shared stories about what an incredible person she is.

In case you don’t know, NieNie and her husband, Christian, were in a terrible airplane accident just last week. Both of them have severe injuries and will require extensive time to heal, but by the grace of God, they are still with us! They have four small children who are being cared for by family. Insurance will only go so far. Above all else, the family asks for prayer, but we also realize what a financial strain the family will be in.

All of us — those who know Nie and those of us who feel as if we do — want so much to help in whatever small way we can. This Thursday many artists and designers in the blogging community will be hosting silent auctions for Nie and her family. All proceeds from these auctions will go directly into the Stephanie Nielson Fund via PayPal.

Items from The Baby Gardner will be auctioned on our blog this Thursday in honor of NieNie. If you place a bid (whether or not you are the winning bidder), you will also be automatically entered to win a special giveaway from The Baby Gardner as a small thank-you. Winner will be chosen at random. All details for bidding will be posted at the time of auction. Bidding will begin Thursday at 7:00am PST and last until midnight.

Please join us in prayer for Nie and Christian and their family. If you are interested in helping in other ways, you can donate directly to the Stephanie Nielson fund by clicking the link to the right. You can also view a list of links to all the silent auctions by visiting Design Mom’s blog on Thursday.