Sometimes Santa Needs a Helper ... or Many!

True Story: On about September 24th I sent my sister a text message saying, "*cough, cough* CHRISTMAS LISTS! *cough, cough*..." To which she promptly responded, "*gag, gag* it's SEPTEMBER *gag, gag*..."

Well, okay then. But sometimes Santa could use a little bit of help! And it's not September anymore. Time to get cracking! And we're in luck! This year there are SO many holiday extravaganzas popping up on blogs ~ gift guides, giveaways, product reviews, holiday suggestions, you name it! To get in the holiday spirit I decided I would start a little Santa's Helper feature for the next several weeks and share with you some of the sites I am finding in my travels.

Here's One to Start Us Off:


Want to earn 10 EXTRA ENTRIES into this GIVEAWAY event?

Go to A Nation of Moms and pick up the code to post on your own blog for your 10 extra entries in this fabulous giveaway event.

If you use me as a referral, we both receive another 10 bonus entries!

Come back tomorrow and we'll see what Gussy has in store for us!

I Think I've Got a Problem!

I can't stay away from VistaPrint! I know you've heard of them, they're all over the web. I took advantage of one of their free product offers ~ the banner for our Buddy Walk, to be specific ~ and so I get emails with other offers from them pretty regularly.

Cute, huh?

For someone who loves personalized stationery products like me this becomes dangerous fast! They have so many options it's crazy. And, since I'm working to launch a new "business" {more details on that to come} I am all over their business building products.

Look familiar? Yep, that's my new header.

If you like personalized stationery and gifts (calendars, mugs, totes, etc.) or if you need business products, check them out. You may like them too.

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NOTE:: the links to VistaPrint above are referral links from their TellAPal program. You're my pals, right?

I Can't Believe I Did It!

When Janette said she and a few other teachers were dressing up for school today in a Wizard of Oz theme, I said, "Cool." When she said she was going to be dressing as Dorothy, I said, "Cute!" When she asked me to make her costume for her, I said, "Of course!"

Now have I ever made a Dorothy costume? Nope. Do I have a Dorothy pattern? Huh-uh. Did it ever occur to me that I have never sewn one single apparel item for someone over the age of 7? Not even for a second! Later that day it did, though, and suddenly I was questioning my sanity.

I got over it quick, though, and by the time we went shopping for materials I was looking forward to the challenge. I had an idea in my head of how Dorothy's dress should look so, armed with a measuring tape and our imaginations, we went from store to store buying what we thought we'd need to get it accomplished.

Back at home I took a few more rudimentary measurements and sent her on her way. A day or so later I popped in the Wizard of Oz {for inspiration, you know} and set about my task. All said it went together pretty easily, with just a few moments of cursing and panic in the 11th hour. Thankfully, my mom and sister stopped by that afternoon and kept me calm...and on task. {No A.D.D. tangents for me = Rare!}

A final fitting and a few last minute touches later and there you have it. A cute {if I do say so myself}, adult sized Dorothy costume, complete with Ruby Slippers (courtesy of spray adhesive and red glitter).

So What did [I] learn, Dorothy? A few things:

• Hey ~ I CAN make realistic looking clothing without a pattern! For kids AND adults!


• That shiny {silky, slippery} costume material? Hate it. From here on out, if I can't do it with a cotton fabric, I'm afraid I just can't do it.


• Measure everywhere ~ even if you think you don't need that measurement, chances are you will.


• and, last but not least, "if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!"

Buddy Walk 2010

Our first Buddy Walk was, in my opinion, a HUGE SUCCESS! It was way more elaborate than I ever could have imagined ~ there were bounce houses, rock climbing walls, DJ and dancing, and loads of families with their tents and picnics and SO MUCH FUN!

Papaw is now armed with many great ideas on how we will be able to WIN the next banner contest, and we are all very much looking forward to next year's walk. With the exception of the group shot, the Grandmas and Titi Nette effectively avoided the camera but I can assure you we all enjoyed ourselves very much.

Chickens? In Town?

I mean, it's not UNHEARD OF ~ at least not in Sebastopol, CA...

And after our time spent at the petting zoo at the Buddy Walk on Sunday

BUT ~

And truthfully, with our pooch I don't know if it's a good idea. He would drive me CRAZY barking at them, I think. And I don't know if it's even legal inside our city limits. But it would be cool to gather our own eggs...and I bet we'd save a bundle!

~More Buddy Walk pictures to come!~

I'm Actually Having Quite a Bit of Fun!

I've been sewing away making hats for all of Mari's Mad Hatters. Sadly, there are no top hats {or Wellingtons, if that's the term you prefer} in the bunch, but since the hats I have chosen to make go together really quickly I now have 6 of the 15 hats we need done. Take a look:

Fun Fact: Care to guess who HATES hats and refuses to keep one on her head?

"Who Me?" EXACTLY.

Oh well! Back to the sewing machine I go.

I Just Can't Stop Daydreaming!

That's nothing new really. Old news. I'm a dreamer. Always have been. But since I started my newest little venture I REALLY can't stop daydreaming! I have lots of work to do but when I come across a photo like this one ~

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Morey

I just get excited and my eyes start to glaze over as I start to imagine lots of happy places with all the beautiful fabrics. This is Pacific Tradewinds, the brand new {and VERY FIRST} fabric collection designed by Lucy Morey. Don't you love it? I do. And to celebrate her very first collection, Lucy is hosting a giveaway on her blog. Go over, tell her congratulations, tell her you love her line, [but don't enter the giveaway, ok? ...I REALLY want to win that! ;)] and get lost in your own daydreams about what you can create with her dream come true.

What Good's a Mad Hatter Without a Hat?

PHOTO CREDIT: Shimelle

I am scouring the web for hat patterns. Preferably several different hat patterns. And preferably ones that are quick sewing. I have two weeks from today to outfit our Hatters. Won't it be Mad if we show up to the walk with no hats?

Welcome to October!

Did you know October is

Down syndrome awareness month?

And do you know what is coming up two weeks from Sunday? Yep, that's right ~

the BUDDY WALK!

All of Mari's Mad Hatters are getting excited. {And I have A LOT of hats to make in the next two weeks. Hopefully I'll get them done. If not, we'll make do with whatever hats we can come up with.}

Wanna come join the fun? The Gold Coast Buddy Walk is coming up on October 17 ~ join our team or sponsor our walkers ...we'd LOVE to have you!

{thanks again to the Bovas for a super-cute picture of Mari to use for our Buddy Walk info!}

Some Days You Just Need to Stop and Listen:

PHOTO CREDIT: ulybug

1) “In his mind a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps” [Proverbs 16:9];

2) “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” [2 Corinthians 5:7]; and,

3) “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope.” [Jeremiah 29:11]

Yep; that's good enough for me!

(verses taken from the The New American Bible)