Day 39: Busy day!

We have been so busy lately with trying to get Sweetie Wraps off the ground, I'm so behind on my blog! Today we started off by lounging around and taking a super long nap. This is a new and unexpected turn in our life lately, (ya know, rest?) and I don't really know how to handle it. :) Then we went to the fabric store so I could make my first big investment in fabric, I bought my first bolt! (Now please buy some of my wraps!) :) I'm excited! :) And I finally got a picture where you can see Neva's teeth! :)

Day 38: Return of the slacker!

Holy "It's been a crazy couple of weeks!" Batman! Wonderful and productive, but crazy and hectic.

Sweetie Wraps is official! Woohoo! We've been wading through the paperwork and making progress. I've opened my Etsy shop and trying to get some slings and wraps listed for sale. I also put my deposit on a table for the craft show!

Neva is a walking girl! She's gaining more and more steps before sitting down Its only a matter of time before she's going to have me running even more than she already does. :)

It's now time to get back on the photo blog train. :) My future sister-in-law had asked me to make her a beach tote and I had the perfect amount of the perfect fabric left. :) She got it in the mail today and sent me a picture. :) Things are looking up! :)

Day 37: Unexpected Success!

I've continued playing with the natural dyeing process and we've had a bit of a surprise. I didn't have near the amount of grape juice that I thought I needed, so I simmered it for an hour, turned off the heat and just let it set overnight. I ended up getting this really cool mauve/ rose color… from grape juice!! I thought this was very cool. :) Here's a picture of the almost-end product (it's not dry yet, so the end color isn't totally certain).

On other fronts, I'm starting to take steps to actually make my ideas a business! I've never done anything like this before, so it's a little nerve-wracking, but my father-in-law said something that made me feel better (like he usually does):

"Any ol' dummy can run a business, and even keep one open for a long time. You've worked for a couple. You'll be just fine."

I'm very blessed to have such good parents and in-laws. :)

Day 36: Hi and welcome to the Delicious Dish....

This food was too good not to share. Rigatoni pasta with an awesome tomato sauce (doctored up by you're truly), and tomatoes, spinach and shrimp sautéed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt & lemon pepper. Holy amazing-snd-healthy-dinner batman!

Day 35: I could just dye!

I tried my first natural dyeing project today. :) I dyed a little piece of muslin in some coffee, just to see what it would look like. I'm pretty happy with the results all together.

Pot of coffee anyone? :)

It was a little hard to tell the difference from my before and after pictures due to the not-so-exquisite lighting in my bathroom, so I did a comparison:

I didn't think the change was so dramatic until I matched it up against the original. I'm hoping I can veer away from the chemical dyes when I color fabric for my Sweetie Wraps. 1) It's rubbing up against your clothes and your baby and 2) this is just more fun! (....and has a less chance of ruining my kitchen floor if I spill). I've got lots of other ideas to try, so I'm hoping they turn out as well as this one did. I'll be sure to post pics when I actually implement this into some of my projects!

Day 34: Tasty dessert

The family is heading over to a friend's house for dinner and when I asked what to bring she said a dessert. Off to the internet I went! I found a recipe for Oatmeal Brownies and they looked amazing. Plus I had all but 2 ingredients already in my house, huge plus! Here's the link the the recipe: Oatmeal Brownies. The prep time says 3 hours 10 minutes, but 2 hours of that is cooling. It was so easy, my house smells amazing and I can't wait to dig into these!!

Day 33; Baby Steps!!!

As I try to get Sweetie Wraps (my home business) off the ground, I'm trying to make baby steps. I've had business cards made, now I just made flyers to post around town. I just want to be able to bring in some income and help out. :) I'm hoping that things will sort of take off soon. I don't have super high hopes, but I'd like to be doing something. :) Plus, I really dig babywearing. It's made my life SO much easier!!

Shameless plug in 3.....2..... 1..... So if you're having a hard time figuring out what to get for that cute little lady for a baby shower gift, how about a Sweetie Wrap?? ;) Here's the flyer I made.