Spring Happiness

Although it's not as warm as I'd like, I'm just happy it's spring.

We definitely have way more dandelions than we'd like, but Annamarie likes to pick them


This is one thing that makes me really happy. I went over a year of hanging my diapers on a deck, since I didn't have a clothes line, and they would always fall off onto the ground. This is so much nicer!


We also have a swing that both Annamarie and I love to swing on


And because she's goofy, the many faces of Annamarie








Also, anyone know what this plant will be? We moved in right before snow fell, and whoever took care of the house last summer/fall chopped all the plants down so I have no idea what anything is. I'm also getting hostas everywhere I don't want them. At least those are easy to move.. There's three of these in a line along our shed, so I know it's something that was planted there. I know the picture isn't the best. But I'm really curious what they are.


Editing my post because I forgot this photo! I found this right off our deck yesterday, I was pretty excited! Googling online I'm not sure that it's a true 4 leaf clover, as some plants look similar but are more likely to have 4 leaves vs 3, but still, as a kid I always looked and never found one. So I'm saving it :)

Spaghetti with Garlic and Spinach Recipe

I haven't shared a recipe in some time, I'm trying to get back into making a few new recipes each week. I made this one last night, and although I was skeptical, it proved to be a winner.

Steve is always on me about eating healthy, and although I think cooking at home is healthier than eating out, I don't always strive for cooking healthy. But this one is, and it was tasty. The plus is that I generally have most of the ingredients on hand!

I got the recipe originally from here



Ingredients:

• Spaghetti noodles, enough to feed however many you need
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I always just keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge)
• salt to taste
• 1½ tbsp. parsley, minced (I just sprinkled some dried parsley in)
• ½ tbsp. lemon juice
• red pepper flakes to taste
• Spinach (I used about a whole bag)
• Parmesan (I just tossed in about a handful of grated parmesan)

1. Cook the spaghetti, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water when draining.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
3. Add the garlic and coarse salt, and saute, stirring frequently, until the garlic turns golden and starts to foam.
4. Add the spinach to the pan and saute, stirring, until it wilts, about 1 minute.
5. Toss the garlic-spinach mixture with the cooked spaghetti plus the additional olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes and enough reserved cooking water to help everything stick together.
6. Sprinkle in your parmesan and mix together, then serve.

A break from the dolly sweatshop

I'm in a dolly sweatshop today. I was up until 11:30 last night chatting with a customer on Etsy about a custom doll. The thing is, she needs it Wednesday. No, not next Wednesday, the day that's two days from now.

She was willing to pay overnight shipping and extra for me to rush the order. So I said yes. I'm just crazy like that. Or not. I just am flattered that someone would want my doll enough that they would pay extra for it.

She's turning out pretty cute, don't you think? That's her in the picture up there, she's supposed to be Asian.

I'm doing pretty well, as you can see, she just needs a dress. I've been at it since 9 am this morning. So this is my 2 minute break while I type this out and then put Annamarie down for her nap so I can work on the dress.

Then I also have to do one of my cheaper swaddle babies for the same customer. Those are pretty easy compared to a full doll, so I should be able to do this.

But my back hurts.

Following the crowd..

Guess I should be like one of the cool kids and finally join Bloglovin'.

So...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just a busy sewing weekend here, so nothing too exciting! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Procrastination

Is anyone else a procrastinator? I'm a major one. Always have been, I know it may not be the best part of my personality, but I don't know why I can't just focus on something that has to be done and just do it early.

Thankfully my leap over into the doll making world has been going fairly well. It's always hard switching over to something new from something you were successful at, because you never know if you'll fail. I don't sell a ton of stuff since my items are higher priced, but I do get sales every once in a while and since they are higher priced, it kind of makes up for the slower sales.

So, here I am with a number of large things to finish soon and I just can't focus. I have to sew two dragons for a fellow doll maker, I don't even have to finish them, I just have to sew them, half stuff and joint. Then I have to make a king (!!) sized blanket for a customer, half of that I'm dyeing the bamboo velour for. Ahhh! That's probably going to be 3 yards of fabric to dye just in case I screw up while sewing I don't want to have to re-dye a bunch. And then I have a few chinchilla orders that have come in. Oh, and 3 swim diapers too. Then I'm currently having conversations with two different customers about custom items. It's starting to add up.

So, here I have all this to do and what do I do? I sew something else completely new.

I'm in a facebook group called Spam a Lot, and each month they have a weekend where sellers can post items for sale either auction style of buy it now. Many times they're items that you don't get other times.

So, here's one of the items I'll be selling. It's a Moses basket for dolls.

This is my boy one, I still am going to make a girl one. I made up the pattern as I went along, and I'm actually really pleased with how it turned out. That's how I like to sew, just make up a pattern and wing it. Of course many times then things don't work out, but when it does, it's extra satisfying.







I absolutely love that fabric on the outside of it. It's the cutest little bunnies and bears in cars and airplanes and hot air balloons. If I had a boy I'd make something out of it for him!

So I'm procrastinating. I have to finish the swim diapers this weekend for sure. Hopefully I can get some sewing time in this weekend.

I could sew at night after Annamarie is in bed, but instead I watch shows online. ha! Anyone else watch Call the Midwives on PBS? That's my new show, and I'm hooked. If had more of an outgoing personality and could handle blood well, I would totally become either a doula or a labor and delivery nurse.

Anyways, hope you all have a great weekend, I'll be sewing!

Five Favorites

Lately I've been struggling with finding time to blog, and actually feeling like writing something interesting, so why not join up in something like this link up?

1.

With summer coming finally here in Minnesota, I'm looking at swimsuits again. Being a DD since having Annamarie, swimsuits are hard to find. And I don't like looking like some old lady either.

Last year I found a great website that has sizes in DD and up, and sometimes you can find some for really reasonable. I mean, in the past I've bought suits from Victoria's Secret since they carry bra sized suits, but those were $100+!

So now I shop at Fig Leaves. Maybe not all of them are suitable for those who like to dress more modestly, but they have some nice ones, and I really like the two I have from them already.

This one is an outlet one so they don't have my size, but if they did I would get it! Maybe I am getting old, but I love florals...

2.

Maybe I'll just make this the early summer edition haha! Anyways, yesterday it was 90 degrees out (what?!) so we set up Annamarie's pool. I'm watching her cousin again today, so at least now they have something to entertain themselves with. Annamarie is good at entertaining herself (like I am and was) but her cousin, not so much and it's hard for me to handle. I like a child who can entertain themselves!

So, anyways, here is Annamarie's pool, I got it last year and we love it! I bought this one on Amazon. It's blow hole sprays out water too!

Here's a picture from last year :)

3.

I need to get a picture of this, but our huge tree in our back yard already had a rope on it for a swing, and I wanted something that Annamarie would grow with, and the plus is that with this style, I can swing on it too! ;)

So we got her a disc swing, she loves it, and she's at the bottom age of using it, so she'll get years of use out of it. We got the Little Tikes one.

4.

I love these cups! I bought some for Steve and I, and also for my sister. I love mason jars, but these have straws and are plastic. I think they're perfect for drinking out of outside, I always fear a bee getting into my drink (I seriously hate bees)

And they're cute. I got them at Walmart.

5.

Maybe I'm copying Colleen, but since I'm talking summer, I love rash guard swimsuits for Annamarie. I love that she can wear them as a regular shirt for when we go someplace like the local nature center that has a water part for kids, and that they cover her from the sun. I really love this one from Crazy8.

Recently

I haven't shared a video in quite some time, so I took one yesterday for fun. Here Annamarie shows off two of the songs she knows. Extra points if you figure them out! ;)



Can you see our dead front lawn in the video? Yeah? Well, let's just thank some awful, huge, disgusting grubs for that. So last night while it was drizzling out, Steve and I dug up the front yard. We killed grubs as we saw them, and then sprinkled down some new grass seed. We're going to get grub killer, but the seed wasn't taking on the dead grass, hopefully now that it's all muddy new grass will grow.

In doll news, today is the last day to enter a free doll on my facebook page! Go here to enter if you haven't already, and if you have, you can get one more entry by sharing the photo.

If you follow my page on facebook you've already seen these, but I just wanted to share here for those who aren't on facebook.

This week I made two more baby dolls. This one was a custom for a customer.


And then I made this little boy. He has a magnetic pacifier. I love him so! These babies are weighted with a glass bead, so this little boy is just under 2lbs. It's like carrying around a preemie baby. He'll be for sale on Friday.


And that's that. Going to visit my parents this weekend, so that should be fun. Hope you all have a great weekend!