Sunshine in a Bag

Well, I FINALLY finished a bag to sell (it's on my Etsy site now) and I feel so good! I'm hoping to have two more finished in the coming days. But for now, let's just enjoy one at a time. This one is made from heavy weight cotton twill and canvas. The pretty parts are from Anna Maria Horner's fabric lines. It has NINE pockets and a key fob to keep you organized. Plus it's so pretty to look at!

New Girls

I am excited to tell you that Brian and I are adding to our family! No, not in that way; we're not planning any more children, but we're planning for three CHICKENS! Brian is going to build a sweet little coop, and I've been researching breeds. I think we've settled on three breeds and I'm hoping to get one of each. They are: Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, and Austrolorp.

We've been talking about getting chickens for some time now, but the timing was never quite right. Now that Bronwyn is a little older and more stable, I feel ready to embark. I'll definitely keep you posted as we go through the process.

In other news, I'm reading a really great book right now: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. It is a memoir that was written after Jean-Dominique suffered a massive stroke that left him intellectually intact, but completely paralyzed physically. His only way of communicating was to blink his left eye. I'm half way through the book and it's really an inspiring read.

A Sunny Day

Well, I just finished watching the inaguration of President Obama and I have to say I feel inspired and calm at the same time. It's a sunny day here, the first in a long long time, and so that feels extra good. I just finished working on a new table runner/kitchen towel, which I think reflects the positivity of the day.

Also, I got another great feature in another blog dedicated to Moms who are also designers! It's called Designer Y abd you can see the little feature here.

I cut out three diaper bags last night, and am excited to get started on them. I will show pictures when they're finished.

A Nice Spotlight!

I got such a nice little spotlight here on craftershock's blog, for my new Tomboy Wallets. Thank-You, craftershock!



The day is cold and misty; I feel the need to put on a shawl, and luckily my sweet Mother-in-Law sent me this AMAZING hand made shawl for my birthday. It is completely hand done by local artisans (in her town) from shearing the sheep, cleaning and dying the fleece to spinning and knitting it. This is worth more than it's weight in gold to me! This is the only picture I have of it right now, and it's a self portrait so please excuse the weird posture and expression that I have. Just look at the shawl; isn't it lovely?

Spring is Coming

Well, it's been a little bit since my last post, but here's what has happened since then: I've gotten 5 seed catalogues in the mail, which I've been devouring as if I needed to plant the garden tomorrow. The Red-Winged Blackbirds are back from their winter vacation, and so now are the Canadian Geese. They flew over our house two days ago, honking as they went by. The days have gotten a little bit longer, and the clover that covers my garden has begun to grow again. I have continued to read the book, "Animal Vegetable, Miracle" and am feeling extra eager to garden "for real" this year.

Also, My business, BCharmer Designs begain selling on a second site called "Art Garage Sale" and I'm the featured seller there right now! That means I get to be on the front page for a couple of days, increasing my exposure. It's a new site for buying and selling handmade items. It's a lot like Etsy, but it's still tiny because it's new. Check it out! And here's my shop on that site.

I have a lot to talk about, but I also have to limit my computer time because I have so much to do! So I will show some restraint and try to post small but often.

Press Pot Cozy

It is raining buckets outside and we have no power at our house. I was feeling kind of down, but I went outside and the Red-Winged Blackbirds are back! They were singing their hearts out, staking out their territory. That put me in a much better mood.

Presently I'm at the library so that I can do a little administrative work for BCharmer, and connect with you! Here is a picture of a little cozy that I made for my press pot. It makes the process of making coffee so much better; kind of like wearing an apron when I cook. I love the details of formality, even if I'm a casual kind of gal.

A Rainy Day

Well, it is raining today. A lot. There is almost no snow on the ground any longer, which is nice for being able to get out and about. Today Bronwyn went back to school for the first time since the begining of last month. The house is quiet and my sewing beckons me. So this is a short post for now. But I'll leave you with some photos of a scarf that a customer had me make for her. I really like the fabrics that she chose.

Happy New Year

Well, it's been a little bit since my last post. Bronwyn is still not in school, and Brian has taken some time off from work so I've been spending my time with my two favorite people. Last night Brian and I played cards instead of veging out in front of a movie. It was great!

The snow is melting now, and it's warm outside again. My onions survived the cold, and my seed catalogue arrived in the mail... I'm already dreaming about the spring planting. And in that vein, I've been reading an inspiring and very well written book: "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is definitely making me think differently about the foods that I eat and what I grow in my own garden. So yes, my thoughts are of spring.

Here are some wallets that I made recently that make me think of the changing season.