Bare Bottoms Boutique

Dear Kids Sunday

2009-01-18T17:09:00.001-08:00

Sunday January 18, 2009

Dear Baby Girl and Baby Boy -

It's been somewhat of a tough week. Last weekend Isaac got sick. I thought he was improving come Sunday night and we ended up going to dance class on Monday. Ryleigh - you hadn't been to dance class since before Christmas, so you were excited to go. But, come Monday afternoon and Monday night Isaac, you really were not doing well. I ended up taking both of you in to see Dr. Miller first thing Tuesday morning. Thank goodness I did. It turns out that Isaac, you had bronchitis AND an ear infection. Poor little guy. :( You seem to get everything going. It's been one thing right after another - especially since fall. Ryleigh, you checked out fine - you just have a cold...it hasn't gone into your lungs like your brother's. Thank goodness! So, we spent the rest of the day Tuesday and Wednesday just recovering. Thursday Ryleigh went back to school even though she was still a little congested and had a runny nose. You really wanted to go back to school. Especially when I told you that it was 'Children of the World' day and you would be 'visiting' Italy. When I picked you up from shool you were in good spirits - like you always are when I pick you up from school. I asked you what you had done at school and you told me that I would have to wait until we got home to see. I couldn't wait! We got home and you reached into your little school bag and pulled out a paper plate covered in red construction paper, yellow yarn, brown and red pom poms, and white buttons. I said 'OH! You made some spaghetti and meatballs!' But, you promptly informed me that it was NOT spaghetti and meatballs - it was a PIZZA! Of course....how could I be so silly?!?!? By Friday you were both feeling quite a bit better and were pretty much back to your normal selves. And its a good thing because Friday was a busy day! Friday morning Shelly and Chloe came over so that Shelly and I could try to get some scrapbooking done while you guys played with Chloe. You all had a good time and for the most part you did a very good job sharing. Poor Isaac, though...you don't stand a chance with those 2 girls around! Everything you touched one of them took away. Good thing you're so laid back and you take everything in stride. I guess you'll be good at sharing....since you don't have much of a choice with an older sister who is NOT good at sharing. Friday afternoon Andrea and Jonah came over to visit and play. We all had a good time and it was nice for Isaac to have another little boy close to his age to play with. Not to mention that Mommy appreciated having adult company for the day. :) Saturday morning we went grocery shopping and then headed over to Justin and Shelly's for the afternoon and evening. Once again, you guys had fun playing with 'Baby Chloe'. Its always fun to play at other people's houses with all the new and different toys! Isaac, you're quite a handful at other people's houses, tho. Wherever we go, no place seems to be 'Isaac-proof'. You get into cupboards, climb chairs, take things out of people's bath tubs....you name it. You keep us on our toes, for sure! And here it is Sunday again...we didn't do much today...hung out around the house. Ryleigh you were complaining of a belly ache this afternoon...saying you felt like you were going to throw up. You never did and ended up falling asleep on the couch for an hour or so and you've been fine ever since. I sure do hope we haven't brought home the flu again! That was NO fun! I love you kiddos!

Ryleigh: this is a 'city' that you built with blocks one night this week - you didn't want to pick it up at bed time, so we convinced you to take a picture of it and then we could pick it up. :)

Isaac and Jonah playing under my sewing table:

Hugs and Kisses!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Kids Sunday

2009-01-11T18:04:00.001-08:00

Well...here it is Sunday again ALREADY. And guess what....I have nothing prepared for this week's Dear Kid Sunday. So...turns out I'm really bad at this (yes, I am aware that I missed last week too). The past week was kind of a 'catch up' week where Josh went back to work and I tried to get caught up on business stuff and housework and tried to get the kids back on schedule. I know...bad excuse...sorry kids! I do have a few memories and random thoughts that I'd like to 'jot' down, however...

Sunday January 11, 2009

Dear Ry and I -

I'm sorry kiddos...I'm really not good at this - I forgot to write down our weeks adventures once again. But, we had a good week...mostly. Ryleigh, you've been such a good girl lately - being polite, trying really hard to be nice to your brother, and listening to Mommy and Daddy. I'm really proud of you and so glad that you're over the bratty stage that you went through a couple months ago. You're getting so big and you never cease to amaze me with the things that come out of your mouth. It just doesn't seem right when a 3 year old says words like 'gigantic' and responds to questions with 'actually...' or when you say things like 'Great solution Daddy!' like you did tonight. One day Nanni asked you what you had done one day and you said you didn't know. So, being silly, she asked you if you went skiing (you've never been skiing) and you said 'No...it wasn't the right temperature today'. That same day you were coloring and noticed some different coloring books pictured on the back of your book. You showed them to me and told me you wanted 2 of them. I told you that they looked nice but I wasn't sure where to get those 2 specific books. You very matter-of-factly told me that 'you get this one at Wal-Mart and you get this one at Target'. You crack me up! Sad thing is....you're probably right! LOL..You went back to school this week...you were really excited to see your friends after Christmas break. You brought some of your perler bead creations for show and tell and you gave each of your classmates one of them. I thought that was really sweet and thoughtful of you. And when I picked you up from school that day Miss Elaine commented on how happy you were that day. I'm sure it was because you got to experience the joy of giving. I was very proud of you!

Isaac - you're getting SO big and losing your 'baby' look. :( You're a terror...one of your new favorite activites is climbing up onto the coffee table and jumping off it. It's funny, but it scares me at the same time. We had to take away the little Dora couch that you use as your stool to get up onto the coffee table because you just wouldn't stop doing it and you kept getting braver - going from sliding off the table to standing up and JUMPING off. Crazy boy! You had your 15 month check-up on Monday. You hate going to the doctor's these days. As soon as we walk into the exam room you start crying and trying to escape. I'm not sure why....but, you weighed in at 24 lbs 12 oz and were 32 1/4"! What a big boy! Your weight is in the 50th percentile and your height is in the 75th percentile. The doctor said you looked great! On Wednesday you came down with a nasty cough and by Friday morning you had a fever of 103.2. :( We spent Friday and all weekend with one SICK little boy. You didn't want to do anything but have Mommy hold you on the couch which is SO unlike you. As much as I love snuggling with you, it breaks my heart to see you so sick. By today you were doing a little better, but still not my 'normal' little boy. Hopefully we're on the upswing now!

I love you both and I promise to try to do better with these letters!

Hugs and Kisses!!!

Love,
Mama

Diaper Giveaway Winner

2008-12-30T10:57:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Terra Jones who was the randomly selected winner of my Diaper Giveaway hosted by Momma in Flip Flops 2! Terra won a Bare Bottoms Boutique custom AIO cloth diaper! She chose a large diaper with red PUL, skulls and guitars flannel, and snap closures. Here's her completed diaper:

Let me know what you think, Terra! :)

Dear Kids Sunday

2008-12-28T09:24:00.001-08:00

Here it is Sunday again...I didn't do well preparing for this week's installment of Dear Kid Sunday. With all the hussle and bussle of the holiday, I didn't take the time to write down how our week went. So, here's just a few thoughts...

December 29th, 2008

Dear Ry Ry and Issey -

This past week we celebrated your 4th and 2nd Christmas'. The week was filled with holiday things like Ryleigh making Christmas cookies with Nanni, wrapping last minute gifts, and cleaning. And then the festivities began...Its amazing to think back to last year when Ryleigh was so much smaller and less excited about the holiday season and Isaac was just a newborn whom we propped up next to his stocking. And now this year I watched you, Ryleigh, become so much more curious about Santa, and so much more anxious and excited about Christmas. And Isaac, I watched you run around, undecorating the tree, and pulling bows of gifts that weren't yours. We had a very nice Christmas this year. Both of you were so good. Ryleigh, you were very patient in waiting until it was time to open presents, and you made sure you said thank you for each one - most of the time before you even opened it. This made me so proud of you. One of my favorite memories of you this Christmas is when you opened a hooded sweatshirt that I made for you. You were so gracious and telling me what a great job I did and that you loved it so much. It's as if you knew the time and love that I put into making it for you. I love you for that and appreciate that YOU appreciated it. Isaac, you really weren't that interested in opening presents this year. Mommy and Daddy opened most of them for you. You did enjoy playing with all the trucks you got, though. The thing I will remember the most about you this Christmas is just how adapting you are. With all the craziness that went on, and having your routine interrupted, you just kept on going with that adorable smile on your face the whole time. Never once did you get overwhelmed or cranky. You're such a happy little boy! You both got way too many gifts and we had to clean out your old toys to make room for the new ones. We'll be donating the old ones to a family who didn't have money to buy Christmas presents. Ryleigh - I know its hard for you to get rid of some of your old toys, but I hope you soon realize how lucky you are and that the season is about giving. We're trying very hard to instill that in both of you. I enjoyed you both tremendously this Christmas - you make the holidays so much more fun and meaningful then they were before you were born. I love you and hope you both had a great Christmas! I can't wait for next year!

Big Hugs and Kisses!!!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Kids Sunday

2008-12-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to keep me blogging regularly and record some of the precious, fleeting moments that I have with my kids, I've stolen an idea from Kelly of Macaroni and Glue (who stole it from someone else). It's called 'Dear Kid(s) Day'. My day will be Sunday - each Sunday I will post a letter to my children highlighting the week's activities, milestones, etc. So, here goes!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Dear Ryleigh and Isaac -
Well, we survived another crazy week!

On Monday morning we headed out to dance class. On the way Ryleigh and I had a wonderful conversation that covered just about everything. First we talked about how Christmas is only 10 days away and how you don't think Santa be coming to our house because you're not sure you were a very good girl this year. I told you we'd have to wait and see, but I thought he'd be coming to our house. You went on to say how you loved Reindeer and thought it was pretty cool to feed them at Santa's Village last week. Then you randomly switched up the conversation to say that 'Maybe next year, when you're 4, you'll like swimming lessons and you won't be scared and cry'. We'll have to see - I know you'll be so much bigger when you're 4! We arrived at dance class to find out that they still didn't have power from Thursday's ice storm and class was cancelled. We decided to go to the library for story time instead. We hadn't been to the library in so long because it conflicts with dance class. Mrs. Cole was happy to see you guys there and she couldn't believe how big Isaac had gotten. The theme at story time was Haunakkah and we sang Haunakkah songs, learned about dreidels, and painted a Star of David. Ryleigh enjoyed that part! Isaac enjoyed the star-shaped cookies that Mrs. Cole made for everybody. The rest of the day was pretty 'usual'. Ryleigh - you had a terrible melt-down at bath and bed time. You really need to take your naps!

Tuesday is preschool day for Ryleigh. You always have a good time at preschool even though I can never get information out of you about what you do. But, you did come home with a cute little paper horse that you made and a picture of an Easter basket with colored eggs that you cut out and glued on all by yourself. This was of course an exercise in cutting and pasting and learning about the oval shape. Afterall, it is Christmas time, not Easter. You also 'visited' Iran today - at least that's what I got from the paperwork that came home with you....you wouldn't talk about it. I really wish you'd talk to me more about school. While you were at school Isaac took a little nap. Poor baby...you haven't been feeling well. We took you to the doctors twice last week - you were running a fever and were diagnosed with double ear infections. I thought you were getting better, but you came down with a fever again Monday night. So, after Ryleigh got out of school we headed back to the doctors. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do for you...its a viral infection and just needs to run its course. I hope you're feeling better for Christmas!

Wednesday we stayed home for the day. It was snowing when we woke up and Ryleigh immediately wanted to go out and play in it. So we did. It took about 10 minutes to get everyone suited up in their winter gear. Ryleigh, you loved the snow. You made snow angels and 'belly angels'...which are apparently snow angels done on your belly. Isaac, you hated it. You could barely move in your snow pants and boots. You couldn't walk without falling over. You reminded me of Randy from 'A Christmas Story'. lol....you just kept falling on your butt and crying. Poor kid. So, unfortunately, we didn't stay out long. After we came in, we wrapped some gifts...Ryleigh was such a big helper with the tape. I decided not long into this project that wrapping is a project to be done after bed time. But, you had fun with it. You also helped me clean my room out a little bit today. We got some new bedroom furniture, so I had to clean out drawers, etc. You found some of my old jewelry which you thought was beautiful and we dressed you up in it. Isaac still wasn't feeling very good and after being up most of the night, he slept from 10:30-3:00!

Thursday is preschool day again and this Thursday was your Christmas party! Parents were invited to come back to school at 10:00 for 'lunch'. We brought a veggie platter and dip and there were lots of other goodies there as well. I was excited to see you in your school environment since I didn't get to go to your Autumn Party...Daddy went with you to that one. I watched you sit at the table and eat your lunch like you NEVER do at home. At home you're so restless at the table. Miss Elaine must really keep you in line! I think she should come live with us! Isaac got to go to the party as well. You were a handful, buddy. You kept climbing on the chairs to get into the food that was on the table and you were insistent on eating tomatoes which I don't like to give you because of your reflux. Miss Elaine gave each of you gift bags with a puzzle, a book, a coloring book, and some crayons in them. Ryleigh loved her gift and immediately opened the crayons and colored puppy pictures for everybody. The other bit of excitement for the day was that Isaac's 9th tooth popped through! YAY!

Friday...today we went to kindergym and guess who else came?!?! SANTA! Both of you were a little leary of Santa...you didn't want to sit in front of him with the other kids. Santa brought everybody gifts. Ryleigh got some little dollhouse type dolls and Isaac got a ball! You were both happy with your gifts. We came home and you both had naps. Ryleigh - this was your only nap this week! I basically had to lock you in your room, but you napped and it was soooo nice! I love you to pieces, but Mommy really looks forward to that break in the day. After nap we cuddled up on the couch and watched 'I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown'. Or at least we attempted to. Isaac - you didn't think sitting down for a whole hour was a good idea so you climbed and jumped all over me and annoyed your sister and laughed when she got mad at you. And to think you're only 14 months. lol...Daddy got home early today so you got to spend more time with him than you normally do at night and both of you really enjoyed that.

Saturday was the Goodheart Family Christmas Party at Grammie and Grampie's house. You both had a ball running around playing with your cousins, eating tons of food and waaaaay too much sugar! You also got gifts, of course. Ryleigh - you got a Doodle Pony, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, a new backpack, a sock monkey, and a little wooden basket that your cousin Chloe painted for you. Isaac - you got a set of 3 construction trucks, a Pooh bear stuffed animal, and a new really cool bath toy that I'm sure your sister give you a chance play with. After all the festivities, Ryleigh ended up sleeping at Grammies. You love it at Grammies - you practically live there. In fact, you told Grammie last time you stayed that you thought you should just live at Grammie's and just come stay at Mommy and Daddy's house once in a while to visit. It's funny and hurts my feelings at the same time. But, I understand...you sure do love Grammie!

Today has been a lazy day...we're getting a big snowstorm today. We're expecting over a foot of snow! So, we've just been hanging out inside all day. We've been in our pj's all day...we played Ryleigh's new Candy Land game. Mommy won and I was proud of you when you weren't sad that you lost. You can't wait to go out and play in the snow tomorrow!

Sorry...no pics to post this week...the monitor died on the desktop computer which is where all my pics are stored. But, its been a fun week and I love you guys to pieces! Looking forward to Christmas next week!

Love,
Mommy

Diaper Review and Giveaway

2008-12-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

I learned about this fabulous review blog through Twitter when Andrea - blog author of Momma In Flip Flops 2 - was hosting an event for Cloth Diaper Month in November. She had all kinds of reviews of cloth diapers and cloth diapering accessories, articles on cloth diapering, etc. I wanted to take part in the event, but learned about it a little too late. I contacted Andrea anyway and sent her one of my AIO diapers to review. The review was posted on her blog today along with a GIVEAWAY! You can win a CUSTOM AIO diaper! Please check it out and enter to win!

Thank you, Andrea, for reviewing my diaper and hosting this giveaway for me!

Click HERE to be directed to the review and giveaway.

New Consumer Product Safety Law - The End of Bare Bottoms Boutique?

2008-12-14T06:11:00.001-08:00

For those who don't already know there is a new law going into effect on February 10, 2009. The law is known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and it requires all products intended for children under the age of 12 to be tested for lead and phthalates by an approved third party lab. Not only must the raw materials used to make the products be tested, but also all components of a finished product must be tested as well. And all variations of that product must also be tested. From what I understand the testing can run anywhere from $100-$500 per test and there aren't anywhere near enough approved labs to handle the volume of testing that this law requires. So, what does all this mean? Well....it means a lot of small businesses like mine will be shutting down. There is no exclusion for small manufacturers or people who work out of their homes. For those people who make small batches of a certain product or who make one-of-a-kind items, it just is not financially feasible to comply with these testing standards. For instance, basically each one of my diapers would need to be tested unless I were to make every single one of them exactly the same. If I use a different color fabric, a different color snap, or anything of the sort, it would need to be retested. Spending hundreds of dollars to test a diaper that retails for $15 is just not feasible. So, small manufacturers like myself have other choice than to go out of business...well, unless you choose not to comply with the law. But, penalties are $100,000 per violation so I don't know many small manufacturers who would risk it for that much. Even big companies are in a panic about this law. This law WILL have grave consequences. Thousands of small mom-and-pop shops will be put out of business. And for those who do survive...lets face it - someone is going to have to pick up the expense of all this testing and more than likely it will be the consumer. So, children's products will be more expensive and harder to find. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm all about safety when it comes to children's products. I don't want my children's products to contain unsafe levels of lead and/or phthalates. But, fabric and clothing (unless painted on or embellished) pose very little risk of containing dangerous lead levels. The law needs to be targeted at items that actually pose a threat of containing lead and phthalates. And the testing needs to be less expensive and more accessible so that so that so many people aren't put out of business by this law. And is it really necessary to have the raw materials AND the finished products tested? Think about it...no more WAHM cloth diapers, OOAK clothing, wooden toys, furniture...it makes me sad. I have written my Senators and Congressmen and would urge everyone else to do the same. There is also a petition that you can sign. We need to flood Congress with communication and get them to realize the ramifications of this law for small business people. I applaud their attempts to make products safer for our children, but this law is too vague and not targeted where it should be. Here are some links:
Senate:
http://www.senate.gov/
House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov/
Petition - PLEASE at least sign this petition!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA?e

What I've been up to....

2008-12-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

If anybody actually reads my blog, they've probably been wondering why my posts have been so few and far between lately. So, I thought I'd post a little bit about what I've been up to lately. In between the normal everyday child rearing and keeping up with the house, here's what's been going on. We had a great, quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. Just Josh and I, the kids, and my mother-in-law. We watched the parade, had the traditional Thanksgiving feast, and then fell asleep on the couch watching Christmas Vacation. It was nice! My mom and I got up early on Black Friday and got to Jo-Ann's at 6 when they opened. It was craziness, but we got some fabulous deals! Then we headed home just to have my house torn apart. The floors in almost the entire downstairs of my house were replaced. It looks fabulous, but what a pain! Trying to keep the kids out of all the mess was quite a task! The floors were finished by Saturday night and then Sunday morning we were out getting our Christmas tree. Ever since then I've spent a good part of my day trying to keep Isaac from un-decorating the tree. I believe the ornament casualty count is up to 7 now. But, here are a few pics of the tree.

My Christmas Card Photo:

I've also been sewing like a mad-lady trying to get Christmas gifts made. I've tried to make as many gifts as I can this year, so I feel like an elf in Santa's workshop. Here are a few of the gifts that will be under my tree this year.

The kids have both had a cold for over two weeks. Isaac has a double ear infection, and I've been diagnosed with costochondritis. So, hopefully we're all better by Christmas! And finally...we took the kids to Santa's Village for the first time on Sunday. It was freezing, but they had a blast! Here are a few pics:

Sorry this post is so long! I'm almost done with Christmas gifts and then I plan to be back in full-force - blogging, marketing, making new products...stay tuned!

FAM-Made Holiday Gift Guide 2008

2008-12-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

My fabulous fellow Fammies have come up with yet another great promo! The FAM-Made Holiday Gift Guide kicked off today and will run until December 12th. Check out the Fam Blog every day for themed gift guides and special sales, offers, and promos from participating FAM shops! Here's a schedule of the next 12 days' gift guides and specials. Be sure to check the FAM Blog daily for the beautiful gift guides and for lists of shops that are participating in that day's special!

December 1 - Gift Guide: Ornaments and Holiday Decor
Special: Link the FAM Gift Guide to your blog and receive an entry for the FAM
Bucks drawing.

December 2 - Gift Guide: Invitations and Greeting Cards
Special: Free Gift Tag with purchase

December 3 - Gift Guide: Boy
Special: Free Gift Wrapped item

December 4 - Gift Guide: Girl
Special: 1st customer of the day will get ...(what the shop picks)

December 5 - Gift Guide: Baby/Toddler
Special: 10% off purchase

December 6 - Gift Guide: Teen
Special: Discounted shipping

December 7 - Gift Guide: For Her
Special: Purchase from a participating FAM shop, and be entered in a drawing to
have your Etsy Shop featured on the FAM Blog. **BONUS Special** The
first 12 customers (that are sellers) to purchase from a shop listed below
and post a transaction link in this thread will be featured in a FAM
Customer Appreciation Treasury.

December 8 - Gift Guide: For Him
Special: Coupon for future purchase in shop (at discretion of each shop)

December 9 - Gift Guide: Jewelry
Special: Look for the item with a hidden "Secret" in each participating shop
for a super special discount on that item! Hurry, secrets go fast!

December 10 - Gift Guide: Sweet Treats
Special: Link FAM-made Gift Guide to your blog and get 10% off every purchase
that day from participating shops.

December 11 - Gift Guide: Housewares
Special: Mystery freebie in package

December 12 - Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers
Special: BOGO 1/2 off

Now get shopping! :)

Black Friday Sale!!!!

2008-11-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Bare Bottoms Boutique is having a Black Friday Sale! That's right...sleep in, avoid the long lines, and get some adorable gear for your baby's bum at GREAT prices! All day Friday, November 28, 2008 - Buy any item and get any second item (of equal or lesser value) 50% off! Applies to both custom and instock items. Excludes diaper packages. All diaper packages will be 15% off. Please place your order and then wait for a revised invoice with your discounted total. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping to all!

Warning - Not for those with a weak stomach!

2008-11-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

So, I'm assuming most of those who sew have knicked their finger more than once in the sewing machine. I've done it countless times myself. But, I took it to the next level on Tuesday. And trust me, it isn't an enviable level. I've been sewing like crazy lately...trying to get Christmas gifts made and continue adding new items to my shop along with keeping up with custom orders and trades. So, when I dropped my daughter off at preschool on Tuesday, I rushed home and got started sewing. Honestly, I don't recall exactly what happened, but here is what I DO remember: I was topstitching some flannel backed satin and it wasn't feeding well. I apparently got my fingers a little too close. I hit my left ring finger and immediately pulled it back to find thread sticking out of my nail. I had to pull pretty hard to get the thread out and of course it stung a bit. Then I looked at the needle and noticed that not only was it bent all out of shape, but it was also broken. So, I start looking around for the head of the needle. It didn't take me long to realize that it was IN my finger. Yup, that's right - it went through my nail, bone, and broke off in my finger. I started to panic...tried calling my husband at work, of course I couldn't get a hold of him. I'm calling him, emailing him, paging him...nothing. Irritated that I really need him and I can't get a hold of him, I just send an email saying 'I need to go to the hospital, call me'. That was it. Luckily my mom works only 15 minutes away from my house, so I got my mom to come and get me and take me to a quick-care facility. I had to have x-rays, a tetnus shot, and then they had to make a small incision in the back side of my finger to remove the needle. The doctor was having quite a hard time getting it out...he had to cauterize my nail (don't ask me why) and finally call in an orthopedic surgeon to come in and get it out (he got it out first try). All the while all I can think about is I wish I could turn my cell phone on because I'm sure Josh has gotten my email by now and is freaking out and I really need to call Ryleigh's preschool teacher to tell her that it will be my mom picking Ryleigh up from school today. Finally, I got to turn my phone on. Poor Josh had been driving around to every hospital known to man looking for me. lol...Then they cleaned up my wounds and sent me on my way - without pain meds, by the way. Thank god Josh had some pain meds left from when he threw his back out last winter because once the novicaine wore off it was QUITE painful! By yesterday, though, it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. My arm was killing me where I had the tetnus shot, though! But, I was able to go without pain meds. My nail is in rough shape. Warning - some graphic pics coming up. Here's what my finger looked like about 36 hours after:
Entrance Wound:

Exit Wound (definitely the less painful of the 2):
I was able to keep myself away from my sewing machine for about 24 hours. Its feeling much better today. Hope I never do that again! :)

And the winner is...drumroll please.....

2008-11-14T03:58:00.000-08:00

JAYME! There were 47 entrants. All names were written on a piece of paper and placed in a bowl.

Then mixed...and tossed....

Then I had Ryleigh choose a name from the bowl.

And she picked Jayme!

Jayme, if you're reading this, I'll be trying to contact you to get your order. However, I don't believe I have your email, so feel free to contact me at: barebottomsboutique@yahoo.com. A big huge THANKS to all of you who entered!

Ditto Daddy Gear Grand Opening - GIVEAWAY!!!

2008-11-05T10:41:00.001-08:00

For those of you who don't already know, I'm now an Official Ditto Daddy Licensee!

If you don't already know about Ditto Daddy, you definitely need to make your way over to the Ditto Daddy site to check out all the great patterns available including training boxers, briefs, diaper access pj's, and cloth bum onesies. And now, you'll be able to shop for all these fabulous Ditto Daddy products in one place! How convenient! All the Ditto Daddy licensees are teaming up to bring you Ditto Daddy Gear - your one stop shop for pre-made Ditto Daddy items. Of course, you'll still be able to purchase the patterns from the original Ditto Daddy site to make yourself if you so choose. :)

Ditto Daddy Gear will be having its Grand Opening on Friday, November 7th at noon. You can preview some of the items that will be for sale now. Please check it out!!! There are even FFS lottos you can enter there as well! To celebrate, I thought I'd do a blog giveaway! Follow the directions below and your name will be entered into a drawing to win a CUSTOM Ditto Daddy Cloth Bum Onesie. That's right - custom-made!!!! You choose the size (NB-24mo/2T), fabric, sleeve length, and whether you'd like snaps at the neck or not. Here are some samples of Cloth Bum Onesies that I've done:

To enter the drawing:

1. Go to Ditto Daddy Gear www.hyenacart.com/dittodaddygear

2. Check out some of the items that will be for sale and choose your favorite - please, your favorite does NOT have to be one of MY items. Feel free to pick from any of the wonderful shops - what you choose for a favorite has no impact on whether you win or not - it is a random drawing.

3. Come back to this blog post and post a comment telling me what your favorite item is and why (doesn't need to be a book - a short answer will qualify) :) Make sure you leave an email, or some way to contact you in case you win. OR send an email to: barebottomsboutique@yahoo.com with the same info. Enter 'Giveaway' in the subject line.

4. Want an extra entry???? Post about this giveaway on your own blog and leave me a comment with a link to the post.

The drawing will take place one week from the Grand Opening of Ditto Daddy Gear - November 14th, 2008. You may continue to enter until 11/13/08. Make sure you check back to see who the lucky winner is!!!

YAY for Organization!!!

2008-11-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I had a pretty decent set-up for my crafting needs. I had a nice little corner in our finished basement dedicated to both my sewing and scrapbooking needs. I had drawers, shelves, cabinets, a closet...I was in good shape! I mean, yeah, of course everyone has that picture in their mind of their dream crafting space, but I was very content with my little corner in the basement. That is until my mother-in-law moved in with us a couple months ago and what was our familyroom, office, and my crafting center was turned into her little 'apartment'. So, what's a woman to do??? The only other room in the house that was not really 'used' was the diningroom. So, my diningroom is now my office and sewing room. My scrapbooking stuff is now in bins and boxes, but that's a whole different story. My major focus now is sewing....so, anyway...I went from an area with a built-in desk that spanned 2 walls, built-in cabinets, shelves, and drawers, and a closet to....NOTHING in the way of storage. And since 90% of the furniture that I used in the basement was built-in, it wasn't something I could just move up into the diningroom. So, as you can imagine, I had quite a mess. I had Josh build me a cutting table with some big drawers to store fabric in. But, it wasn't nearly enough. I had so much stuff crammed EVERYWHERE that whenever I needed something, I'd have to dig through it and it ended up a huge mess very quickly. Here...let me show you. :)

Here's the cutting table and an old desk that I pulled out of the basement for my sewing machine.

Now, I know what you're thinking....that's not bad at all, right??? Well, that's because you haven't seen the inside of the drawers yet. lol...Top drawer (and, yes, the entire drawer was in the same kind of disarray - it wasn't just the top layer):

Bottom Drawer - same story...a big mass of tangled fabric, oh, and don't forget the elastic mixed in there, too!

And how about the drawers in the desk....well...here's a sample of that - all my Aplix tangled beyond recognition...don't ask me where the end of it is.

And what's worse is what I forgot to take pictures of....the piles of fabric to the left of the cutting table and against the opposite wall. There simply was not enough room for it all. So, I put Josh to work again! I had him buy some pegboard to hang above the desk so that I could move my thread and some of my other tools and notions up onto the wall freeing up space on the desk for the serger which in turn freed up space on the cutting table for the snap press. Then, I had him build shelves up to the ceiling to hold more fabric and notions. Then I organized everything! I wrapped all my elastic around little cardboard pieces and put them in bins, all my aplix is now neatly wrapped around a rod above the cutting table, and MOST of my fabric is now visible, and easily accessible. I used some pieces of mdf to wrap my fabric around - like little bolts that you'd see at the fabric store. I'm quite happy with the result! It's been so much easier and quicker to get things done! No, its not perfect, and no, its still not my dream sewing space, but it sure is an improvement!!! :)

Boy am I thankful to have such a handy husband! :)

Grand Re-Opening!!!!

2008-10-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

After 2 months of being down for re-modeling, the Bare Bottoms Boutique website is finally back up and running! I'm absolutely thrilled with the new design - created by Dionne of Studio Chic Design. We had quite a bit of trouble getting the template to work correctly through my hosting provider, but I was able to find a WAHMShoppes expert to help out. BIG thanks to Lori of Scrapless Creations!!! So, everybody, go check out it out!!!! To celebrate the new site, I'm having a Grand Re-Opening special - 15% off ALL orders from now until November 9, 2008! Just enter coupon code: REOPEN at check-out. And stay tuned - I'm planning a blog give-away very soon!

My First Pink Fig Creation

2008-10-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the look-out for adorable new things to make for my kids. So, when I stumbled across Pink Fig Patterns, I was in heaven! Pink Fig Patterns is owned and operated by Chelsea, stay-at-home mother of 4 with a knack for making adorable sewing patterns for little girls! She also has an Etsy shop where she sells designer fabric and patterns (including her own). I was anxiously awaiting the release of one of her new patterns this fall - the patchwork skirt and t-shirt.

I bought it from her Etsy Shop and couldn't wait to sew up an adorable outfit for Ryleigh! I had some Timeless Treasures fabric that I bought a while back that I thought might make a cute patchwork skirt, so I figured I'd give it a try even though it wasn't as girly as I would have liked. Here's the end result:

Pretty cute if I must say so myself! The pattern was very well written and easy to follow. I've since purchased 3 more of Chelsea's patterns and I can't wait for these 2 new ones to come out this winter:Thanks Chelsea for making such adorable patterns!!!! Chelsea's links:

www.pinkfigfabrics.etsy.com

www.pinkfig.typepad.com

www.vintagechic.typepad.com

www.vintagechicboutique.etsy.com

Happy First Birthday Baby Boy!

2008-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

1 year ago today...October 5, 2007, my baby boy was born. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms for the first time, looking into his beautiful blue eyes and wondering what life had in store for him. On the other hand, its almost impossible to imagine what life was like before he joined our family. He has brought us all so much love and joy and has made our family complete. Before I had Ryleigh I never knew such a love existed. But, before I had Isaac I never knew that it was possible for my heart to hold so much love for more than one person at the same time. But it does, and it did instantly. And while I love them both equally, the bond I have between each of them is so different. They each hold a part of my heart. I thought you all might enjoy watching a little slideshow that I put together for Isaac's first birthday. I've done this every year since Ryleigh was born....a way to celebrate each passing year and appreciate how they've grown and changed over the course of the year. I hope as they get older they will cherish them as I do. Enjoy! :)

Happy Birthday Isaac! I love you!

Angel...or Devil???

2008-10-04T08:44:00.001-07:00

I love Halloween! In fact, I'd go so far as to say its my favorite 'holiday' - if you want to call it a holiday. I loved it as a kid and I love it even more now that I HAVE kids. I love dressing them up in adorable little costumes. What's more, I love making costumes for my kids! Ryleigh's was a mere 5 weeks old her first Halloween and that was before I started sewing. So, she was dressed asTigger - one of my favorite characters. We didn't go trick-or-treating...we just stayed home and passed out candy - but it was fun just the same.

The following year I MADE my first Halloween costume. And its my favorite to-date. Ryleigh was 13 months old and she went trick-or-treating for the first time as a duck. How cute is she?!?!?!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to make the kids' costumes last year. I was pregnant with Isaac and put on bedrest at the beginning of September and remained on bedrest until he was born on October 5th. Needless to say, while at home adjusting to life as a Mommy of 2, making Halloween costumes was not high on my priority list. So, Isaac was dressed in the same Halloween costume that Ryleigh wore her 1st Halloween and Ryleigh dressed as Pooh. A very fitting costume for her...anyone who knows Ryleigh knows she doesn't go far with her beloved Pooh Bear lovey. Her second birthday party was Pooh themed...she just loves Pooh and loved dressing as him for Halloween. And I loved that their costumes coordinated. :)

That brings us to this year - Ryleigh's 4th Halloween and Isaac's 2nd. I really wanted to dress them as Pebbles and Bamm Bamm. We called Isaac Bamm Bamm for a while because he was constantly banging his hands, or anything else he could hold, on tables, walls, you name it. But, as it came time to start thinking about creating the costumes, I had a hard time trying to come up with a way to 'winterize' Pebbles and Bamm Bamm costumes. So, then I contemplated Dennis the Menace and Margaret - but figured people might not 'get it'. So, I decided on a devil (Isaac) and a 'Devil in Disguise' (Ryleigh) - think angel costume with a horns coming out of the halo and a devil's tail peeking out the back of the dress. The idea suits them both perfectly! :) So, I got to work. I made Isaac's first because I figured it would be easier. Here he is - my handsome little devil:

This picture was taken before the snaps were added to the back, but its the only pic of the tail that I have. :)
Then I moved on to Ryleigh's costume...I started with the 'angel' part of it and this is what I got:

Now how could I attach horns and a devil's tail to something so precious and cute??? So, she's now going to be just an angel. A far cry for her...but, she'll have to pretend. ;-)

It's Official - My Baby Girl is Growing Up!

2008-10-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...I haven't blogged in forever, so I have a lot of catching up to do. There's been a lot going on in my life lately, so expect a bunch of catch-up blog posts from me in the next week or so. :) Now, on to my story...

September 23, 2005 - The day my life changed forever...the day I experienced every emotion known to man...the day I became a Mommy for the first time.

I never knew such a love existed, or how a person can be overwhelmed with joy yet terrified at the same time (and more recently how you could love someone so much yet at the same time want to chuck them out the window...lol). As the saying goes - I never knew what it was like to have my heart walking around outside my body. And then my precious baby girl was born and she changed all that. She's brought me so much love, joy, pain, fear, and PRIDE. And now she's growing up. She turned 3 last week...MY GOD how the time has flown! It seems like just yesterday I was carrying her around inside me...then on my hip...and now she's a walking, talking, independant 3 year old who is going-on at least 13. Not only did she just turn 3 - a big enough milestone - but she also started preschool last month, and soccer, and dance class. She's got more of a life than I do! I feel like her personal chauffeur. But, she's doing great with school - she absolutely loves it. She had one rough day where the teacher said she didn't want to play and was following her around whining for me. But, other than that I've gotten nothing but good reports. Here she is on her first day:

Soccer is a bit of a challenge. It's a program run almost entirely of volunteer coaches. The pee wee league had 50+ kids sign up. Of those 100 (give or take) parents, only 4 volunteered to help coach. So.....Josh and I are coaching Ryleigh's soccer team. It's tough! Picture 15 3 and 4 year olds with about 30 second attention spans, all with a soccer ball running around and attempting to be coached by 2 volunteer parents who never even played the game themselves. Lets just say the first few practices were very interesting. ;-) And, our kid is the worst on the team - lol. She rolled around and cried the entire first practice and every practice since then has made no attempt to follow Coach Mommy and Daddy's instructions. I don't think she was quite ready for soccer....she's also the youngest on the team. We should have waited until next year. Oh well...

And, then there's dance. She really enjoys dance class, but again...has a little trouble following directions. However, most of the other kids in her class seem to have the same problem. lol...she'll be having a recital in June. I can't wait to see how she does! It'll be adorable no matter what, I'm sure. I think they'll be doing a 'Good Ship Lollipop' number. How sweet! I can't wait to see the costumes! :)

We celebrated Ryleigh's 3rd birthday twice. Once on her actual birthday - just a small gathering with the immediate family. I let her pick out what she wanted for her birthday dinner and dessert....chicken nuggets and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Mmmmmm....lol. And then she got to open her gifts from us. Then, on Saturday the 27th we had a big birthday party for her and her baby brother who will be 1 on the 5th of October.

OH...and how could I forget to mention the birthday t-shirt that I made for her! Doesn't she look happy about it?!?!?!? Happy 3rd Birthday, Ryleigh! I love you baby girl!

*Bracelet in this pic made by Melanie from Whimsical Creations: http://www.melaniescrafts.etsy.com/

Exciting Changes for Bare Bottoms Boutique!

2008-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I just wanted to take a minute to post a quick update on a lot of exciting changes that will be taking place for Bare Bottoms Boutique. First of all, our products - mainly cloth diapering products - will soon be available at a Blessed Baby Boutique in Farmington, Maine. Blessed Baby is a shop stocked with wares made mostly (but not entirely) by work-at-home moms, and geared towards natural parenting (cloth diapers, slings, natural soaps, nursing covers, wooden toys, etc). I've been offered consignment deals in the past, but I've turned them all down. However, Heidi's shop and the idea behind it really appeals to me and I'm very excited and honored that she has offered to sell my products!

Selling in a different venue has also given me an opportunity to work on my product packaging. What do you all think???

I am also now a licensed seller of Ditto Daddy products. I have loved the looks of these products since I first laid eyes on them and I'm thrilled to have been given the opportunity to make and sell them for all of you to enjoy. Keep checking back to see some of these great items stocked in my shop very soon (hopefully! ;-))

Other exciting changes to keep an eye out for include diapers with snap closures (the same great product with snaps instead of aplix) and a new web design! So, stay tuned...we've got some exciting changes ahead!

I Made a Mei Tai and I LOVE it!!!

2008-08-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

When it comes to baby wearing, I didn't have much experience before Isaac came along. Ryleigh wasn't the baby wearing type. My little Miss Independent would rather be in a stroller than strapped to my back. We had a Snuggli with her, and we used it....periodically...more to say we did than for actual need. Here she is at 6 months...one of the 2 pics that we have of her in the Snuggli - the other was taken the same day (she was a chunk, huh???? lol).

And then there's Isaac...my needy, but oh-so cuddly and lovable baby. He was (and still is) a baby-wearing baby if there ever was one. As an infant, he required holding full-time. He spent the first couple weeks in one of the two pouch slings that I made. Here he is at 11 days old...nestled in the sling.

That worked great for a while...but, lets just say that my babies don't stay little for very long. So, it wasn't long before my back couldn't take it any more. So, I switched to the Snuggli for a while until he got a little older.

Then, I tried using the sling different ways, but I didn't like how limited that one arm was. Part of the reason I wanted to wear it was so that I could hold him AND get something done at the same time. So, only being able to use one arm wasn't helping any. Hence, we reverted back to the Snuggli for awhile. Then he just got too big...again, the back wasn't handling the front-carrying too well. So, I've been without a carryer for a couple months now. He's old enough to sit in shopping carts on his own, so I didn't think it would be too much of a problem...it certainly wasn't worth buying a new carrier especially since we aren't planning on having any more babies. Then I came across a pattern (by Sew Liberated/Montessori by Hand) for a Mei Tai carrier.

Of course I had heard of mei tai carriers, but considering that I didn't really use a carrier much with Ryleigh, I never thought about buying one. I couldn't afford one, anyway. I figured the pouches that I made would be sufficient. But, I loved the looks of the pattern I saw and the idea of making one myself. So, I bought it and couldn't wait to sew it up! I spent this afternoon making and I absolutely LOVE everything about it! It was a cinch to sew, it came out great, its comfortable, and Isaac loves it! And it even folds all up into a little pouch. It's going to make my life so much easier!!! Its exactly what I've needed for him! I've spent the rest of this evening wondering why I didn't do this sooner?!?!?!

Excuse the bad hair and makeup in that last pic...its been a rough week. :) I would highly reccommend this type of carrier - at least for back carrying. I haven't even tried it for front or hip carrying yet, so I can't comment on that. :) If you want to sew one yourself, I would reccommend the Sew Liberated pattern - its great! You can check them out at: http://www.sewliberated.com/

Pink Fig Fabric Giveaway!

2008-08-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

All you fabric-aholics like me will LOVE this! Chelsea Andersen of Pink Fig Fabrics/Vintage Chic is giving away a 4 yard sample pack of Heather Bailey's Pop Garden line! This is a gorgeous fabric line and I'm dying to get my hands on some of it! I happened to run across this giveaway on Chelsea's blog while looking at her adorable boutique clothing patterns. I can't wait to get my hands of some of those either! :) She's got a new one due out in October that I'm super excited about. Check it out:

If you're looking for fabric, adorable boutique clothing patterns, or want to enter Chelsea's giveaway - go visit her at any of the following links:

http://www.pinkfig.typepad.com/

http://www.vintagechic.typepad.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5606849

He's Got Teeth and He Knows How to Use Them!

2008-08-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

And so, we've reached another milestone with Isaac...he got his first two teeth! After several months of teething and being miserable, the first one popped through on July 8th...just a couple days after turning 9 months. The second one made its appearance 3 weeks later on July 29th (Daddy's birthday).

While I'm happy he's finally getting his teeth, everything else is suffering. This kid chews on everything...toys, furniture, my fingers....you name it! Here he is taking a bite out of the chair I use while sewing.

Now the occassional nibble on my furniture doesn't really bother me. I mean, afterall, our furniture is not the best to start with. But, the beautiful crib that I so carefully picked out for him during my pregnancy has taken a beating! Look at this...in less than a month's time...

Ryleigh used her crib for 2.5 years and it isn't even half as bad as that! Obviously...something needed to be done. I got tired of going to get him out of his crib to find him covered in black paint chips. That can't be healthy! There's a woman on my FAM team on Etsy that makes quilted crib rail guards for just this purpose. Her name is Amy and you can check out her shop at: http://www.newenglandquilter.etsy.com/. She makes lots of wonderful items - go check it out! I seriously contemplated ordering one from her, and even spoke to her about it. But, with a little nudging from her, I decided to take on the task by myself. She urged me to try it on my own not because she didn't want to do it for me, but because she's a wonderful woman and didn't want me to have to wait the time, or spend the money when she knew I could do it myself. She pointed me to a great tutorial that she posted on her blog. So...I decided to give it a try. I decided that I wanted this to be a quick project which didn't require me to make any trips to the fabric store. So, I didn't end up following Amy's tutorial precisely, but reading it sure did help me on my journey! I remembered that I had a bunch of blue and white fleece left over from when I made a Boppy cover for Isaac. So, I dug that out, did some measuring, sewed two layers of it together, added some snaps, and voila! Here's my very simplified and not-as-pretty version of a crib rail cover.

As you can see, Isaac is happy with the results. Now hopefully he doesn't move on to a different area of the crib to satisfy his need to chew. I see a crib completely covered in fleece in my future!

Have a little beaver of your own and need a crib rail cover? Go visit Amy! http://www.newenglandquilter.etsy.com/. Or, if you know how to sew - go read her tutorial!

Apples and Pears Bib and Burp Cloth Set

2008-08-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

I love making burp cloths! They are simple, but cute and very functional! The first one I ever made was for Isaac....that wasn't that long ago, but boy have I come a long way since then! It may not be the best looking burp cloth, but its still my favorite to use with him! Since then, I've tried many different fabric combinations....terry cloth, flannel, minkee, cotton wovens...I love them all! But, my favorite part is finding different, adorable ways to embellish or personalize them.

Here is my latest set - and my favorite to date! This is a luxurious set made with designer Alexander Henry Apples and Pears fabric and pastel pink minkee. It's so soft against baby's skin - and absorbent to boot! I appliqued two pears and an apple on the burp cloth and I just love how it came out!

Here's a link to the listing on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13959031

Kelly - You're Amazing!!!

2008-07-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

Okay...I just have to brag on Kelly a little bit. Some of you are probably wondering....who's Kelly??? Kelly is a FAM - that's a Fabulous Artistic Mom. She's the owner of Klymyshyn Designs - where you can find 'Uniquely Handcrafted Wearables'. And, let me tell you, her work is incredible! I've already ordered 2 items from her shop - both for Isaac. hehehe...hey - they're birthday gifts! :) The first was this adorable felted football. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it and had to get it! And for those of you who know Isaac, you know that soft is GOOD. lol...not to mention it'll be the perfect size for his little hands (well, okay, they're kinda big for a little boy, but...) .

And while this football I'm sure is amazing, what I REALLY need to brag about is this custom order hat she just did for me. I've been drooling over some brimmed knit hats(or are they crocheted?...sorry, not my area of expertise, but they're created with yarn, anyway...lol) that I've seen around Etsy. I can just see Isaac's chubby little face smiling from under the brim and I've been wanting to get him one. Kelly didn't have the particular design that I was looking for in her shop, but I thought I'd ask if she could make one. I've seen some of the amazing patterns she's come up with. Not only did she make me one, but she did it to coordinate with Isaac's winter coat AND she did it in record time. We finalized the details of the order around 6:30pm last night, and I had a picture of it waiting in my in-box at 7:00am this morning. The message was time-stamped 10:56pm. AMAZING!!!! And look how cute it is!!!

Here is Isaac's winter coat

Now how cute is that going to be with this hat?!?!?

Thank you Kelly!!!! Everyone - go visit Kelly's shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=95259

Weekly Sellers Showcase: Mommalies

2008-07-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

So, I'm stepping outside of Etsy for this weeks showcase, but I think you'll agree that the products are just as fabulous as those available on Etsy. This week's showcase is Mommailes:

What are Mommalies? Well, its a term coined by Kristin Tully (owner and creator), to describe all of “Mom’s most celebrated sayings you’ll never forget and will continue to use even though you swore you wouldn’t!” You know....like 'wait til your father gets home!', or 'Because I said so!'.

Kristin ha takes these phrases, adds some humorous artwork of frazzled moms, and puts it all on t-shirts. I heard about Mommalies on MaineMoms.com...Kristin is a local mom and entrepeneur. As soon as I saw her shirts I knew I wanted to feature them here and get the word out! I can just see myself wearing one of her shirts on one of 'those days'. As Kristin so perfectly states it on her website: "We’ve learned that discipline takes consistency, but when that fails, what do we do? Put a little humor in it!!!" I think every mom needs one of these shirts! I haven't gotten mine yet, but I think I'm going to get the 'Wait til your father gets home!' one. Kristin is also accepting ideas for more Mommalies shirts...some of my suggestions include: 'I'll give you something to cry about!', 'What do you live in a barn???', 'If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too???', 'Back when I was a kid...' lol...What Mommalies do all of you use?

Make sure you go check out the Mommalies site and order one of these fabulous t-shirts!

www.mommalies.com

25 Years...That's a LONG Time!

2008-07-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Step-Dad, Tom, just celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary on July 2nd. What an amazing milestone!

July 2, 1983

With the divorce rates in this country, its amazing that people even bother to get married any more. Gone are the days when marriages lasted a lifetime. Instead we live in a world where blended families, and single-parent families are the norm. This is not to say that my Mom and Tom didn't contribute to the staggering divorce rate...they both made their mistakes before they found each other. But, to have pulled a family together from two broken ones and to have kept it together for 25 years...that's quite an achievement! Josh and I will be married for 5 years this October, so I now know the hard work and dedication that a marriage requires. And in celebrating their 25th, it only makes me think, wonder, and dream of what our lives will be like when we celebrate our 25th anniversary, and what life has in store for us for the next 20 years preceeding that day. The year will be 2028...We'll be 49 (OMG!), Ryleigh will be 23, and Isaac will be 21...what will be doing? Where will be living? What will our kids be doing? Will we have grandchildren? It's so fun to think and wonder....but, back to the present...I hosted a big anniversary party for my Mom and Tom on July 12th. We rented a hall, had a catered dinner, dj, and tons of fun! It was an honor to me to be able to honor them and the wonderful acheivement they have made in their lives. It was just a small thank-you to all they have done for us over the years. Here's to 25 more, Mom & Dad!

Here are a few photos from the event.

Little Stinker!!!!!

2008-07-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Warning: You may not want to read this if you're just sitting down to enjoy your lunch.

What is it about poo that children find so fascinating? I considered myself lucky that I had no poop 'incidents' with Ryleigh until after her second birthday when she (her words) 'tooted and a poop came out' in the tub. That is until Isaac came along and decided to make up for his sister's lack of fecal exploration. It all started on Monday when Buzzy (our 4.5 year old Pug) had some stomach issues. I'm sure he must have eaten something that he shouldn't have - he's known to do that, but I have no idea what it was. Whatever his ailment, it caused him to poo uncontrollably (although it was not diarrhea). Anyway....after just letting him inside, he apparently still had to go and did so by the back door without my knowledge. That is until I see Isaac sitting there very happily squishing a dog turd. The smell alone was making me gag, nevermind the thought of my son playing in fresh dog poo! So, I'm screeching from disgust, Isaac is totally freaked out because I'm screeching and running him under water, and Ryleigh was like a broken record asking what happened. I was totally grossed out for the day. Needless to say, that wasn't the end of his antics. Later that day, after coming in from outside, I put Isaac down to play and went about my business. He immediately heads towards the bathroom - his favorite place - loves the toilet. I didn't think anything of it - my house is pretty child-proof. That is until I realized that Ryleigh had used the bathroom last - by herself. She's still learning the whole 'going-potty-on-her-own' thing. We have a little step-stool that we put in front of the toilet and a seat that fits into the hole of the toilet to make it smaller for little potty-training bums. It's a great contraption, really, except for the fact that you can't close the toilet seat with it on. And, Ryleigh tends to forget to flush the toilet. So, once I realize this, I go running in to check on him and sure enough....he had fished a bunch of toilet paper out of the toilet and ate it. He had the evidence running down his chubby little belly. GROSSSSSS! I'd like to say that that was enough disgusting-ness for one week, but oh no....fast forward to this morning. A little background info: I still put Isaac in a disposable diaper at night because he still wakes up to eat twice and therefore pees a ton at night and I'm too lazy to change his diaper in the middle of the night. But, the rest of the time he's in cloth diapers and for those who cloth diaper, you know that its easiest to have the diaper pail by the toilet so you can dump the poo and then throw the diaper into the pail. Therefore, we do not have a diaper pail in his room. Anyway...so, when I got him out of bed this morning he had a poopy diaper. Of course, I changed him like I always do when he first wakes up. I then wrap the diaper up in itself, and toss it on the floor to be thrown in the trash later. Welllllllll....about an hour or so later I take the kids upstairs to pick up, make beds, get them dressed, etc. They were both playing in Isaac's room and I went into our bedroom to make the bed. Pretty soon Ryleigh comes running into our room and very excitedly says 'Isaac's got a poop!' A little perplexed, I ask 'Isaac pooped?' and she says 'NO - Isaac dumped his poop out of his diaper!' I think I was running before she even finished her sentence. I get into his room and there he is - diaper unwrapped, poop all squished in his hands, and like slow motion his hand was going towards his mouth. I screamed, grabbed him, and once again we go through the 'Mommy screaming, Isaac's confused, and Ryleigh's repeated question routine' of getting him cleaned up. It was sooooo gross. THEN (as if that wasn't enough, right?) after lunch, I put him down for his afternoon nap. It was really hot in the upstairs of our house today, so I put a fan in his room to try to keep him cool while he slept. Well, apparently the fan noise kept me from being able to hear over the monitor that he was awake. I went up when I thought he had just woken up, but apparently he had been awake for a while because I found him sitting naked in his crib, the diaper was thrown on the floor, his crib mobile was completely down and dismantled, and he was just so proud of himself. Luckily there was no poop involved in this little incident. I can only imagine what that scene would have looked like! I ran to get the camera, but the pics didn't come out too great. Here's my son in all his glory...lol. Little stinker!!!! I hope I haven't grossed any of you out too badly.

Weekly Etsy Shop Showcase: Bundles of Joy

2008-07-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Bundles of Joy is run by Cindy Joy, wife and stay-at-home mommy of two little boys, Gabriel and Ethan. With a background in both accounting and fashion design, Cindy has created a wonderful Etsy shop selling high quality, one of a kind baby gifts. I was lucky enough to 'meet' Cindy (if that's what you will call conversing online) through the Etsy FAM group. During one of FAM's weekly 'Take 10 Tuesday' sales, I found 2 of Cindy's 'secret' items which entitled me to buy them for only ONE dollar each plus shipping! And they're such fabulous items that I felt bad paying such a small price for them. Take a look at what I got!

This is one of Cindy's many beautifully crafted and color-coordinated stroller blankets. This particular blanket is minkee on one side and flannel on the other, but you can find other fabric combos in her shop! And she also takes custom blanket orders. Can you believe I only had to pay $1 for this?????

I also got this sweet onesie with an appliqued stegosaurus picture on the front that was masterfully created by her 7 year old son, Gabriel. I love how she's getting her boys involved in her work and teaching them the lessons about earning and saving money. Gabriel receives $3 for each onesie with his artwork on it that his mommy sells. He gets to put $1 in his piggy bank for now and $2 into a college savings. Way to go, Cindy!

And here's that stegosaurus (although Ryleigh insists that it is a 'butterfly turtle' - sorry Gabriel!) onesie on one ADORABLE little model ;-)

Here are some of my other favorite items from Cindy's shop:

Cindy is making some exciting new changes to her product line as well. So, if you're ever looking for a fabulous blanket or a unique onesie for one of the bundles of joy in your life, go visit Cindy at Bundles of Joy! Here is a little interview I held with Cindy followed by her links:

-What inspires your work?

Life, the universe and everything! Seriously, I draw inspiration from the world around me, my children, my strong background in art history, and my years of creating costumes. I am also inspired by the need to have things be both functional and beautiful. I firmly believe that things can be pleasing to the eye and easy to use.-What are your favorite materials to work with?My favorite things to work with for children's things are cotton, minky, fur, and imagination. Over my design life, my favorite things have changed with my current focus. There was costuming, when my favorite things to work with were steel bones, silks and bazillions of yards of trim. Then there was the interior design phase with wallpaper, wool rugs and loads of color. Then wedding dresses - back to silk, bones and trim. Now, simpler is better. I'm pretty sure that the next time you check, one of my favorites will be fusible web.

-In general, what is your favorite type of item to work on?

Something with visual interest and wonderful texture. I can't stand working with things that are not nice to the touch. Baby things have to be soft - luxurious is even better. I like working on fussy details. Though you couldn't much tell it from my shop, I like working without a machine. Handwork is very relaxing to me.

-What is your favorite item from your shop?

This shirt is my favorite: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10657226 though I might be influenced by the sweet model wearing it. I just love the beautiful mix of colors in the butterfly and the way you can tell Gabriel had fun getting his fingers in the paint while he was painting it. Ask me again next week, and you'll get a different answer.

-What is your favorite item that you have purchased from another Etsy seller?

Oh, you are going to get me in so much trouble! I love everything I've bought on etsy and everything that I have suggested to my husband that he buy for me. My current favorite is this bracelet and matching earrings from <http://wildlifer78.etsy.com>: http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=8968781. It is just a beautiful set and a true testament to the incestuous nature of etsy, which is part of what I like about it. One etsy artist made the central lamp work bead. Another etsy artist made the polymer clay accent beads. http://wildlifer78.etsy.com/ put the whole thing together with her own flair and additional accents and then another etsy artist - me - purchased the whole thing! The set even has an element of the custom nature of etsy in it, since I requested that wildlifer78 make earrings to match the bracelet, which she gladly did on the day I initially made the request. Yes, I would have to say that one purchase neatly wraps up all the things t!hat are cool about etsy. You deal directly with the artist. No gallery is taking 50% or more of the purchase price. People work together cooperatively to make things that are unique and interesting. Custom work is embraced rather than discouraged. You get what you want and the artist is happy to send it to you.

Etsy Shop: http://www.cindyjoy.etsy.com/

Blog: http://cindyjoy.blogspot.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7829213@N03/

Our First Etsy Sales!

2008-07-02T16:57:00.001-07:00

About a month after opening and stocking our Etsy shop, we finally got our first sale! YAY! I say 'finally', but from what I understand it takes many people a lot longer than a month to get their first sale. Okay, okay, so I had to let my first item go at 50% off, but it was worth it! FAM has a sale every Tuesday (or maybe its every other Tuesday...guess I should check on that). They call it 'Take 10 Tuesday' (T10T) and members of the FAM team can hold sales in their shops from 5:00pm - Midnight. The shop owner can customize their sale to fit their shop. Most people do 10% off....hence the name 'Take 10 Tuesday'. :) We also have a fun little 'secret' game where we hide the code T10T in one of our listings or photos. Whoever finds the secret item can buy it at a deep discount (again, decided on by the shop owner). Well, my secret item of the week was our black with pink polka-dots nursing cover. Leah of Michon Designs was the lucky shopper (also a member of FAM) who got my secret item! I was so excited to get our first sale on Etsy! And then today, less than 24 hours later, we got our first full-price Etsy sale from someone I've never met. Someone purchased a set of 6 of our hemp doublers. How cool is that??? Here are our first Etsy sales:

THANK YOU for both of your orders!!!!

I Took the Handmade Pledge!

2008-06-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly new to Etsy and had never heard of it before being introduced by a friend. I have found so much incredible talent there! It's unbelievable! Whenever I want to buy something, I search Etsy first. So, when I came across the 'Handmade Pledge' - I didn't hesitate to sign right up! For those who haven't heard of it, it's a pledge to 'buy handmade this holiday season and request that others do the same for you'. After seeing the work available on Etsy and other handmade shops, I'd much rather support these artisans than to buy a commercially mass-produced item. And I'd be honored to be the owner of something from one of these talented artists. So....for all of you out there who are just DYING to buy me a gift - please search Etsy! :) And if you'd like to sign the pledge yourself, the link is below. You don't have to make and sell handmade items to sign - you just need to pledge to buy HANDMADE!!!!!

http://www.buyhandmade.org/page/2/21151

And to make things even easier for those wanting to buy handmade...I'll be showcasing some of the amazing work of some of the amazing people that I've met through a couple of different Etsy groups that I am a member of. I'll be showcasing a different shop owner every week.

Welcome to the Bare Bottoms Boutique Blog

2008-06-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, here we are...Bare Bottoms Boutique now has a blog! I'm new to the world of blogging and can't guarantee my blogging proficiency. But, stick with me - I'm sure it will be a fun and interesting ride!

I thought I'd start out by putting a bit of face behind the Bare Bottoms Boutique name - or at least one of the faces. I'm only half of the Bare Bottoms Boutique team. The other half consists of my best friend, Shannon. I'll let her do her own introduction. I'm Jenn - wife to a wonderful man, my high school sweetheart, Josh. We've been together for 12 years and married for almost 5. I'm also the mother to two beautiful children - they are the inspiration for my work. Ryleigh who was born in September of 2005, and Isaac who was born 2 years and 12 days later in October of 2007 (yes, that's his bum starring in our logo). Here they are - my beautiful children:

Ryleigh Isabelle

Isaac Joshua

And, me with my beautiful children:

I've been a stay-at-home mom for almost three years now, and while I'd love to say that its the best job ever and I would never want to do anything else....trust me - I have my days! Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to stay home with my children and watch them grow, nurture and teach them, and know what's going on in their lives every day. But, there's only so much one can take of the crying, whining, back-talking, and down right meanness of a very mature and difficult 2.5 year old who is trying to assert her independance and make it known that she does not like the new addition to the family before wondering 'what am I doing?????' And not only 'what am I doing', but 'what am I doing wrong?!?!?!' That's where sewing and our newly developed business comes in. It's a reprieve for me - a way to get away from it all and focus on something other than the constant guilt and self-questioning that goes along with mommy-hood. And yet, even in my need for a 'reprieve' I'm drawn back to my kids in that most (if not all) my crafting revolves around them - especially my sewing. I love making anything for my children. When Ryleigh was a baby, I made her adorable little outfits and hats. Then Isaac was born and for some reason I got sucked into the 'green' movement. There's nothing like having two children to give you the inspiration and motivation to improve the world they live in. So, in my attempts at 'going green', I reluctantly converted to cloth diapering. I did a bunch of research, bought a bunch of cloth diapering fabric, and got started making my diaper stash. Every cloth diaper that has ever covered Isaac's bum was made by myself. And everyone who saw them was amazed. Even Josh is into now and trust me - THAT'S saying something! After several very flattering 'you should sell those!' comments, and a little convincing by Shannon, we decided to give it a go. We started out with just a small amount of local advertising - craigslist, fliers hung up around town on public bulletin boards, etc. We got a surprisingly good response and hence the Bare Bottoms Boutique website was launched. We also opened an Etsy shop where we have yet to make a sale, but we're not giving up! Here are some of my favorite items from our shops.

Of course...our custom made diapers!

Cloth Wipes

Personalized Bib and Burp Sets

Nursing Covers

Be sure to check out ALL we have to offer! We're so much more than cloth diapering supplies! You can check out our website at: http://www.barebottomsboutique.com/ and our Etsy shop at: http://www.barebottomsboutique.etsy.com/.