Softies for Mirabel

I am so inspired.

While catching up on some of my favorite blogs I came across a post on Ric Rac about the "Softies for Mirabel" campaign. Much like Craft Hope the Softies for Mirabel campaign combines the art of crafting with the spirit of giving to a much needed charity. They just kicked off their third year and there is still time to participate!

This particular charity, The Mirabel Foundation "assists children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use and are now in the care of extended family (kinship care). Mirabel believes that every child deserves a childhood and its mission is to break the destructive cycle of addiction and disadvantage."

This project is simply asking for you to donate a handmade softie (plush or soft toy) by December 10th. Just an FYI - this project is based out of Australia. Please consider that for shipping times/cost.

You can see pictures of some softies that have already been made here. On the same page there is a "Discussion" thread with links to FREE softie tutorials! I'll include some here:

Soldier & Nurse by Ric Rac
Bug tutorial by Blinking Flights
Whip Up - scroll down for "Softies"
Ruby Doll by One Red Robin
Chibi Kitty & Rabbit by My Little Mochi
Itty Bitty Oddity by CraftStylish

For more information on this project including deadlines, materials to use, shipping info, past campaigns, etc. check out "Meet Me at Mike's" blog. Hope you can help! Now...what to make?

Wordless Wednesday: Momo Does Tricks

She even moves her bangs out of the way for you to see!

Time for the Tooth Fairy!

Good Morning Waikiki!

We had a WONDERFUL weekend. Our family spent the night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to celebrate Kailani's birthday. We opted to do this versus having an actual party and it was the best idea ever! Kailani loved it, it was WAY less stress for me and the entire family ended up having a really good time! Kailani was allowed to invite one friend to spend the day with her. It was a blast!

Waiting on the lanai for their friends to show up.

We spent some time walking around the property, swimming in the pool and then swimming in the lagoon. Oh....the lagoon.

Funny thing that happened while at the lagoon - the girls and our friends were in the water while my husband sat on the beach watching our stuff (gotta give him a break - he's been sick!) Meanwhile a group of young, beautiful Chinese women plopped their stuff right in front of my husband and starting posing quite provocatively while taking pictures of each other. It made my husband a bit uncomfortable and he got up and walked away. (Or he was afraid he was going to be in "B.T." (BIG TROUBLE) had he stayed!)

Kailani in the foreground - girls posing in the water.

Momo have a snack while the ladies were getting into position. What the?!?

At first I was a bit annoyed that these women would set up shop right in front of a family with young kids. Maybe I was being set up and was going to be featured on "Candid Camera" or some hidden video show! While some of their poses were of the norm others were quite promiscuous. Even the Victoria's Secret models wouldn't pose in some of the ways these ladies were posing! But after a few minutes just for kicks I decided to offer to help. I asked if they wanted me to take a group picture.

Yeah, I did.

And yes, they wanted me to.

So I did. They handed me their cameras and I clicked away. They even wanted Momo and her friend to get into the picture. And guess what? They were so appreciative and super nice (and kept THIS photo super clean!) While I still question the intentions of their photos (not that it's any of my business!) they ended up being very polite. Who knows their story! But I managed to change an uncomfortable/awkward situation into a comical one. :)

After the lagoon we cleaned up and headed to Lappert's for some ice cream. Oh my. I hadn't had Lappert's in probably five or six years. Lappert's is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S and worth every single calorie!

After eating in (sooooo exciting for a 7 year old!) and then sleeping in the next morning our mini birthday vacation was over. Everyone was happy until about an hour before we checked out of the hotel. A little drama ensued. No. I take that back. A LOT of drama!

I was packing, my husband was in the shower and Kailani was laying on the bed watching tv when Momo started jumping on the bed. Momo fell backwards landing on top of her sister and hit her on the mouth. Kailani rolled out of the bed, jumped up and pulled her tooth out of her mouth and held it up (think football player just scoring a touchdown and holding up the ball for all to see.)

While she looked a little stunned all was fine. That is until she looked in the mirror and saw the BLOOD. Oh why oh why did it have to bleed?

Poor kiddo. As you can tell she was terribly upset. And yes, the tooth fairy did come.

This morning I made it a point to send a note in to her teacher explaining what had happened because Kailani has another tooth that is hanging on by a thread. I will be totally surprised if it doesn't fall out before the end of the school day! Good luck teacher. Hopefully there will be no blood!

Note: Please don't hate on me because I recorded the aftermath. ;) A few of my girlfriends have sent me some "hate" mail telling me how WRONG I am to have taken the video clip. But it was a BIG moment! She will laugh about it one day. I promise!

Take Along Car Carrier/Mat

For awhile now I've had this project bookmarked and on my "to do" list. Since we're heading to a birthday party this weekend I thought it would be worth a shot to make and take it as a present.

The verdict? It was easy to make but the instructions definitely need some tweaking. I am a visual learner so more pictures would've been helpful as well. Due to the fact that I had some difficulties making sense of some of the instructions it took me a bit longer (due to having to unstitch/restitch, etc.) to make. It is a simple project but if you are a beginner sewer you definitely need more clarification on the how-tos. I think it's a cute little gift so I am seriously considering rewriting the tutorial for my own sake. I'll let you know when/if that happens.

Here's how it turned out. You may or may not (depending on how much of a perfectionist you are!) be able to see some cosmetic blemishes. *Sigh* Live and learn!



Instead of going with the traditional race track or Disney "Cars" theme I opted for the "Woodie" look since we are back in the islands. It's got the total surfer appeal! The pocket holds three cars. At the time I thought using a constrast fabric for the pocket was a good idea. I think I should've stuck with the same red woodie fabric instead. Again, live and learn.


A couple of cosmetic issues - fraying of the ribbon for one. The instructions recommended using grosgrain ribbon - of course I couldn't find any yellow so I settled for yellow twill. Next time I will try something completely different - just not sure what yet.

I actually managed to find a "Woodie" car to include with the bag! :)

Regardless of the headaches I encountered I think it turned out pretty cute. I'm looking forward to making another one. Next time I will probably include some velcro to keep the bag shut when not in use.

On that same note - have you seen THIS one?

Click on the photo and it will take you to the tutorial. If you make it please let me know! :)

12/11/09: Update! I finally made the above car mat! Here's my version of it. Click on the picture and it will take you to the post!

Call to Tech Support

Folks, I am a college-educated woman. Granted I was on the 10 year plan but I eventually graduated and went on to get my Master's degree. Yet even with some smarts yesterday I became a statistic. You know - the ones you hear about and roll your eyes.

"Not the brightest crayon in the box."

"Not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

Or to put it quite bluntly, a dumba$$.

Yesterday I was without an Internet connection for about five hours (blasphemous!!!) After trying on my own to figure out what was wrong I finally called tech support. It took them, oh, about ONE minute to figure out what was wrong:

Can you say mortified?

50 States Postcard Exchange

Anyone interested in doing a postcard exchange? Our goal is to receive a postcard from each of the 50 states. International is okay too! This would be a great opportunity for Kailani to learn about the different states and where they are located.

I'd like to keep it simple. Just send us a postcard with one fact about your state and we will do the same in return. It could be your state's nickname, state tree or anything of interest about the state you are located in. That's it!

I have listed on my side bar a list of all 50 states. If your state is missing then someone from your state has already signed up. I will post when we have received a postcard from each state!

Leave me a comment and what state you are from if you're interested! You can also send me an email at SHARKritzler@aol.com with your mailing address.

Should be fun! I did this with my 7th grade class and the kids loved it!

Can't wait to get started! Thanks!

Stickers are Arriving!

Sticker Exchange

Notice one sticker is missing? Momo has already put one on the wall. *Sigh*

So guess what? Kailani has actually received some stickers in the mail via the sticker exchange! I really wasn't expecting the sticker exchange to be a huge success - as a matter of fact I was thinking we would be lucky to receive ANY but over the weekend she actually received two letters in the mail containing stickers! Oh the little things that bring a smile to a kid's face!

Thank you so much to Sarah from South Dakota and Madison from Kansas! Hopefully you'll be getting some stickers soon as well!

Birthday Skirts

Happy (Belated) Birthday Kailani!

Yesterday was Kailani's 7th birthday. Where has the time gone? I acted a bit sad when I woke her up telling her I couldn't believe she was seven already. Her reply? "Don't worry mom, I won't be eight for a very long time." :)

It just so happens that one of her best friends has a birthday two days before hers. Since I have a loaner sewing machine I decided to sew her something special. When planning on what to make Kailani actually said, "Mom, I want you to make me something too." How can I say no to that? Matching skirts for two birthday BFFs it would be!

With not much time to complete a skirt I chose my pattern carefully. I opted for Olabelhe's "Kirstin Skirt" which I bought off of the You Can Make This website. I then went to the fabric store and left with fabric I had no intention of buying. It was not what I had in mind but it worked out great! The skirt turned out to be quite magical. For the overlay I used a moon and stars batik print that had flecks of gold in it and pink/purple/blue/green batik for the underskirt:

I love the construction of the waistband with the rows of elastic in the back. You can also tie the sash in front or in back.

Happy Birthday Girls! I hope you love your skirts! (Thanks for the perfect opportunity to sew something!)

ETA: Just to clarify - I did not make Momo's skirt. I am hoping to post a picture of Kailani and her BFF in their matching skirts but do not have permission yet to do so.

Computer Monitor Covers

The itch that I had to to want to sew has been scratched. Awww....I feel much better now!

We decided to give the sewing machine repair guy a green light to fix my machine. At least when it gets out of the shop it should work like new (it better!) Can't wait to hear it purr as I feed it with fabulous fabric. :)

In a previous post I mentioned Kailani's teacher requesting someone to sew some computer covers. DONE! I made four flat screen monitor covers and am working on how to make some keyboard covers. Any suggestions on how to construct it? I have this tendency to think big and complicated when simplicity is the best answer - especially for a bunch of 2nd graders.

After I made the covers Kailani's teacher then asked me to sew two seams down the side of some fabric to use as a tv cover. I have never been so happy to sew a darn seam! :)

Pictures to come - after I've completed the keyboard covers!

BTW - that old Singer? It works GREAT. It doesn't have ANY fancy gadgets and is definitely louder then my machine but the sucker works!

My dear friend Stephanie of Sew Fierce and A Pocket Full of Buttons is having a week long anniversary party to celebrate one year of being in business and blogging! I'm a bit late announcing it (sorry Steph!) but it's not too late to sign up to win some fabulous prizes!

It's hard to believe it's been a YEAR! Congratulations Stephanie! I'm so proud of you! :)

It's Gonna Cost How Much?

The sewing machine shop called. The estimate to tune-up and fix my non-working sewing machine is over...

$240.00.

*Gulp*

I don't even recall what he said was wrong with it. Lower rachet, ball-bearing, lot of work to fix it.....

$240.00

That's what I remember.

The other day I mentioned that I borrowed my girlfriend's sewing machine. I still haven't tried it out yet but my plan is to do so this weekend. Yesterday Kailani's teacher sent out a wish list asking if anyone could donate fabric and/or sew covers for their new computers. I jumped at the chance to help. So today (before getting the call from the shop) I went out and bought some sewing essentials - seam ripper, pins, thread, scissors, etc. Of course I need much more but since I have everything that I need back in N.C. I hate to spend the money to get more stuff, you know? Hopefully the sewing machine that I borrowed from my girlfriend will work well enough to get the job done.

$240.00

What to do....what to do.....

I SO want to SEW!

Look at this fabulous print! Does it look familiar? You may have seen the entire line of Orla Kiely decor at your local Target awhile back. I was lucky enough to find six brand new, tags still attached Orla Kiely placemats at my local Goodwill for $.99 a piece! Currently there are a couple of sellers on EBay trying to sell a set of four for $36.99! I totally scored!

The thing is I like the print so much that if I had a bolt of this fabric I would be making curtains, table cloths, seat covers, etc. with it! It's such a happy-happy-joy-joy kind of print! Lately I've been contemplating taking the placemats apart and making cute little summer shirts out of of them for my girls. Problem is I DON'T HAVE MY SEWING MACHINE!

Well, that's only half the truth.

My dad was kind enough to mail me my sewing machine (THANKS DAD!) but I had to take my dear Janome into the shop for a tune-up (and hopefully that is all!) The shop is about 1.5 weeks behind so it probably won't even be looked at for a couple more days. Meanwhile my girlfriend was kind enough to loan me her machine. I haven't even plugged it in yet as I am now reminded of just how much stuff I need to start sewing: scissors and/or rotary cutter; pins; bobbins; needles; measuring tape; iron; ironing board; etc. And I have NONE of these here with me. Sure...packed up in my boxes in N.C. I probably have two or three of everything but right here, right now, nothing! And you know how all those little things add up! *Sigh*

Not that I need another reason to want to sew but about two weeks ago I ordered some personalized sewing labels. My girlfriend recommended that I order from "Mommie Made It" on Etsy. I would love to be able to support another crafting mom so I did. She was able to make my label exactly (actually better) than I wanted!

Aren't they cute? The ones I bought are not pre-cut but Mommie Made It does have that option. If you're looking for sewing labels I would highly recommend checking out her site. The turnaround was quick and shipping was blazing fast! Can't wait to sew!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day! Here in the United States today is a holiday and many have the day off. If you are one of those lucky ones I hope you are enjoying your long weekend!

Yesterday we spent some time at the beach. It was really overcast and we had a few sprinkles but not enough to scare us away. While playing around in the water Kailani said, "Mom....I stepped on something and it was gushy." A few minutes later I noticed something floating by. I scooped it up with Momo's net and this is what it was:

Mysterious Creature

What exactly is it? I don't know! Some kids thought it was an octopus or a squid but I'm thinking more along the lines of an anemone or jellyfish (or a scary hybrid!) One of the kids (not mine!) picked it up and said he started to itch. I apologize for the terrible picture - unfortunately you can't see the iridescent "tentacles" and two of it's "legs" are tucked under. I think the little guy is on it's back in this picture.... Do YOU know what it is? I would love to know! :)

Besides finding the creepy creature we had a nice time. Hope you are enjoying your weekend as well!

Waikiki Beach on a cloudy day.

I'm a Winner!

Awhile back I entered A Pocket Full of Buttons' All Modern Baby JJ Cole Tactic Changing Purse giveaway. I never win anything so I was totally floored to find out that I actually won!

We were in the midst of moving so when the email from All Modern Baby came in requesting my choice of bag it either went directly to my Spam box or I simply overlooked it. YIKES! Thankfully Stephanie (hostess of the giveaway) was also sent a copy of the email and forwarded it to me. I emailed All Modern Baby apologizing for not getting in contact sooner and lucky for me they still honored my win!

So which one to choose? I really liked "Cocoa Tree" but thought something lighter in color would be better since we are now living in the land of never-ending-summer! ;) Instead I went with "Pink Daisy."

When the bag arrived (quickly I might add!) I opened up the box and was surprised at the size of it! Even though Steph had posted pictures and even mentioned how small it was for whatever reason I was still expecting something bigger. While it might've been smaller than anticipated it was BETTER! It is so cute and compact but large enough to carry my wallet, phone, diapers, wipes and a few other things. Great for those quickie errands when you don't want to lug your big diaper bag around!

Now if only I can get the chance to use it. Momo loves the bag and has claimed it to be her own. "MINE!"

Just enough room to carry diapers, wipes and my wallet.

Or one dearly loved stuffed animal.

Matching changing pad included.

Getting ready to go (where?)

Diaper changing time!

Guess what? All of the JJ Cole Tactic Changing Purses are currently on sale at All Modern Baby! Some at 50% OFF!

Thanks to A Pocket Full of Buttons and All Modern Baby for this FANTASTIC giveaway! I'm so happy to have won!

Stickers!

On Saturday Kailani received some mail all the way from New Jersey! While Lulu and Emme didn't sign up to be a part of the "Sticker Exchange" out of pure kindess they mailed Kailani some stickers! Kailani was TOTALLY stoked! It was fun watching her open the envelope addressed personally to her:

Opening her letter....

"Mom! They put a "K" on it!"

STICKERS!!!

Apparently the stickers were left within Momo's reach. Momo was being a little too quiet and here is why.....

She was so darn proud. Thankfully the stickers were easy to remove from the wall. I was able to put them back onto it's original paper without Kailani ever knowing!

Thank you Lulu and Emme for the stickers! Because you were so nice we're sending some back! Check your mail in a couple of days! :)

PS - If you would like to be a part of the "Sticker Exchange" it's not too late! While we finally have six people to send letters to my girlfriend Stephanie at A Pocket Full of Buttons is looking for people to participate!

And the Winners of the UPrinting Giveaway Are....

#2 Corey:

"I would love to have 200 postcards

for thank you notes."

and

#3 JFibers:

"I would love to promote the Arts Magnet program

at my school with the free postcards......"

Congratulations to both winners!

I have sent you both an email explaining what happens next!

Thanks to UPrinting for allowing me to host this great giveaway!