Last Show of the Season

Indiana folks, come see us today!

We're at the Hoosier Road Elementary Holiday Bazaar from 8am-noon!

(located at Hoosier Road Elementary, Fishers, IN)

Here's a little glimpse of what we'll have on hand!

Lots of dresses, pants and tops!

And of course my little monsters!

Unable to attend?  You can always browse our etsy shop, or email me for a custom order!

Scraptastic Little Monsters

Like most crazy crafties, I have one seriously overflowing scrap bin.  

Yesterday I decided to take a wee break from making dresses and whip up a few of these darling little dudes.

  

The inspiration came from my super crafty friend Barbie, who also happens to have a scrap habit!

There are so many fun textures for a little one to check out, bumpy corduroy, soft minky, sturdy denim....oh, and all those fun ribbons too!

These little guys will taking a little road trip with me to my last show of the season tomorrow.  

Come see us at the Hoosier Road Elementary Holiday Bazaar at Hoosier Road Elementary in Fishers, IN.  We'll be there from 8am-noon!  

Bitty is HERE! And she needs diapers!

Yep, Santa is bringing a Bitty Baby to the Peanut this year, and she arrived on our doorstep yesterday.  

She's darling, with dark brown hair and blue eyes just like this little girl.

A little mommy can't be without her accessories for her baby.  Since the Peanut insists on diapering everything these days, including her sock monkey, I thought that some handmade tiny cloth diapers for Bitty would be a hit!  

I found this tutorial by skiptomylou.  In no time, I had a sweet trio of diapers for Bitty.  

They'll be the perfect stocking stuffer!

Vintage Button Cuff Bracelet {a tutoral}

I have a confession to make.  I dearly love to shop at art fairs and craft shows.  This is in general a good thing, except when your business involves exhibiting at these shows.  It can sometimes be tough to keep money in my pocket!

My neighbors at a recent craft show were selling these sweet little packages of vintage buttons.  Oh how I have such a love of vintage buttons!  At $2 per bundle these were a steal!

It didn't take long to decide how to put these little guys to use.  A sweet shopper came up to my booth and had on the most fantastic button cuff bracelet.  I promptly decided that I needed to make one of my own!

First, I started off with 1.5" wide black elastic.  I cut several pieces to fit comfortably around my wrist.

I looped them and stitched the ends together with a wide zigzag stitch.  This created the cuff.

I then dumped all of my lovely buttons into a bin and went to town with my needle and black thread.

Here is the finished product!

A one-of-a-kind vintage button cuff bracelet!  These would make such a sweet gift for teachers, sitters, friends and neighbors this holiday.  This little gem will be going to my mom!

Hoosier Artisan Boutique

I'm so sorry that it's been so long since my last post!  With three shows this month, I've been working away in the LP "sweat shop" in preparation.

Today we'll be at our Lois Pearl booth at the 3rd Annual Hoosier Artisan Boutique!  Over 50 Indiana artisans and craftspeople will be on hand at the Hamilton Country 4-H Fairgrounds.  It's a wonderful way to support local artists, and find some one of a kind Christmas gifts!

We hope to see you there, and promise to get back to more crafting and cooking later this week!  

Mami Pajaro

Sometimes in life you meet a person and instantly feel the warmth of their sweet soul.  That's Kathleen.  She is infinitely generous, has such a kind heart, and is one of the most talented crafty people I have ever met.  She has that brilliant gift of looking at something old in a new way.

She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to refinishing furniture, and helped me with several wonderful pieces.  I promise to share pics of those soon.

What I'm most excited about is that Kathleen has decided to share her crafty gifts with the world!  She is taking part in her first crafty show this weekend and I am so thrilled for her!  I have my favorite pieces already picked out!

Look at the BEAUTIFUL sign she created for her business!

The sign is three dimensional, with a real fabric flower and real branches.

These vintage painted frames contain lovely quotes printed on linen.  It gives the piece a unique texture.  Wouldn't these be a perfect Christmas gift?

Kathleen transforms reclaimed wood pallets into art.  

Here are a few samples of her creations.

The tree would be perfect next to a front door or fireplace.

And my most favorite of all her creations, my new Lois Pearl sign!  

I have had a fascination with vintage buttons since I was small.  Their use on this sign is just perfect.  

If you are in the Indy area, stop by to check out Kathleen's creations at the following shows.

  HollyDaze Boutique,  Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, November 12th, 10:00am-4:00pm

Hoosier Artisan Boutique,  Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, November 26th, 10:00am-5:00pm

(Lois Pearl will be there too!)

What I Love Wednesday {Etsy Coupons}

Handmade items make the most lovely gifts.  

Just in time for holiday shopping, I discovered this website!

It's full of coupon codes that can be used for purchases made on etsy.  What a great way to save a few dollars, and find some new artisans too!

Happy shopping!

Happy Birthday Evy Lois!

Today my little peanut turns 2!

She is sweet.

She is sassy.

She is a snuggler.

She loves her brother and her puppies.

She's crafty like her mama.

She's patient like her daddy.

She'll always be my baby girl!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

If you still have a pumpkin that hasn't been carved,  dig and and clean the seeds.  These are a fantastic spicy snack!

Step 1.  Remove the seeds from your pumpkin, and clean then under running water.
Step 2.  Pat the seeds dry with a paper towel, or allow them to air-dry a bit.
Step 3.  Coat the seeds in melted butter (2-3 T.)
Step 4.  Mix in 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 tsp. chili powder, a dash of season salt, and some cracked black pepper.

Once the seeds are coated, spread them on a pan lined in parchment.  Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes until the seeds are nicely roasted.

These spicy little treats are perfect for warming up on a cold fall day!

Handmade Halloween

I love Halloween.  In my book it marks the start of the Fall season, my personal favorite!

I lucked out this year, and the kiddos chose costumes that were super simple to put together.

Nate is in love with the Busy Town books, and insisted on being a "worker".

We already had the hat (left over from Hill's ADM days), shirt, and shoes.  The Bug helped me whip up a tool belt from leftover brown felt and he was all set!

The Peanut was a little fairy.  I love an excuse to make a tutu.

Along with the tutu, I made a hair bow, pin for her shirt, and a wand using pencils and ribbon.  We already had the fairy wings (from the Dollar Store), so her entire outfit only cost $5!

I hope that you had a Happy Halloween!

Coupon Code!

Time to get a head start on your holiday shopping!  Use this coupon code in my Etsy shop for 25% off!

FALL25

Several new dresses have been listed, including this darling pink and chocolate number being modeled by Miss E Lo!

{Coupon code FALL25 good through 10/31/11}

Scarf Weather!

One of the best things about Fall's cooler days is that I get to break out my favorite scarves!  I'm forever cold, and few things warm me up like a lovely scarf.

I often get questions about how I tie my scarves.  A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across this great video.  If you love scarves, it's worth the 4.5 minutes!

Rainy Days and a Skirt

We knew that after the warm dry weather of August, rain and cooler temps would eventually hit Indiana.

Well, they're here!  And it's cold, and rainy, and windy.

Perfect weather for hibernating in my "sweat shop".

I've been trying to decide what to dress the kiddos in for our upcoming family pictures.  This little skirt is a definite contender.



I used the free apron skirt tutorial on Lil Blue Boo.  It would be perfect for beginners!

Here's a quick peek at my help for the day too.  Miss Nessarose found the coziest place in the house to nap, the scrap basket.



What is this fall's weather inspiring you to create?

Happy Birthday Bug!

Where have the last 4 years gone?

He started off as my snuggle bug.

Then he grew into a rolly, polly, silly bug.

And now he's my daring, crazy, inquisitive, hilarious bug!

Happy Happy 4th Birthday Nate-n-bug!

What I Love Wednesday: Frangipani!

I slipped away from the house for a quick 2 hours of "mommy time" this weekend, and of course, used that time to check out a crafty show!  While I was there, I had the pleasure of meeting Tracy Land, the owner and founder of Frangipani Body Products.  She was so bubbly and kind, I just had to try her products out!  I was certainly not disappointed!

I walked away with the Shea Butter Softening Lotion.



My hands are the worst in the fall and winter.  They get so dry from tons of washing, and they frequently crack.  I've been using the softening lotion for a few days now and already notice a huge difference!  An added bonus is that it smells delightfully fresh and just a bit floral.  I love it!

Frangipani products are available online, and in a few retail stores around the Indy area.  They have several sample skincare kits so you get to try several products at once.  They would be the perfect stocking stuffer!

I was in no way compensated to create this blog post.  I was simply thrilled to discover Frangipani, and wanted to share my great new find with you!

Homemade Rotel

It feels a bit like we're behaving like squirrels around here, storing up food for the winter!  After freezing enough applesauce to get us through the year, it was time to get to work on tomatoes!

My dad tried had a new variety of peppers in his garden this year, Anaheim Chilis.  They have a great smoky pepper taste.  Think a jalapeno but not quite as sharp.  We've been enjoying grilling them and using them as toppings for burgers.  I know when Janauary comes, I'll be craving a nice warm pepper.  So, why not try throwing a few in with our canned tomotoes?  Think homemade Rotel!

We started by washing our tomatoes.

And then blanching them in boiling water, just until the skins began to break open.

Once the skins break open, the tomatoes go straight into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

The tomatoes are then peeled, hulled, and quartered before being packed into the jars along with the Annaheim Peppers.

Ignore the paint on Hillbilly's arms and hands.  He'd been painting fences at the county fairgrounds all day.

After the jars are packed, they go into the pressure cooker.  Just consult your pressure cooker instruction booklet for tomato canning times.

Later this week, I'll be sharing my favorite chili recipe.  Our tomatoes and peppers will be a perfect addition to this favorite crockpot recipe!

Peanut Butter Nutella Rice Crispie Treats

I told myself that I was making these for the kids.

That they would appreciate my hard work.

Then it was time to be honest.

I made these for ME!

2T. butter
4c. mini marshmallows
1/2c. peanut butter
1/2c. Nutella
6c. Rice Krispies Cereal

Melt butter on low heat.  Stir in marshmallows, peanut butter, and Nutella.  Stir over low heat until melted and combined.  Add cereal.  Stir until combined.  Press mixture into greased 13"x9" pan and pat down gently.  Allow to cool.  Cut a BIG square for yourself and enjoy!

Soup Week at Hanging on by a Thread

My great friend Kimberlee is featuring soup all this week on her blog, Hanging on by a Thread.  What a great way to get in the mood for fall!

Friday, she will be having a virtual chili cookoff.  What fun!  I'll be sure to share my favorite chili recipe both here and on her blog.

What's your favorite soup recipe?