We tend to do things a little on the sloowwww side.... it's taken us years to finally have our big family we've prayed for. Our family is growing a tad more this spring 2016, and we couldn't be more excited about it! It's another GIRL. Hooray for 3 girls!! I never had a sister, so I'm "tickled pink" for my girls. Brother will continue to stand unique, as the only "Biggie Lil Bro" in the family... and he's just fine with that... for now at least ;-) Stay tuned for more HBA related updates, in the meantime I thought HBA fans would enjoy sharing in our happy news.
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This year's PYL brand backpacks and lunch-bags are in-stock and ready to order. Since this is a very popular brand for embroidery professionals, I wanted to be certain that Handmade By Amanda offers unique and quality embroidery designs. I've come up with a few sample designs, as shown below, of potential monogramming options for these backpacks and lunch-bags. If you have a unique design idea, I'm always happy to coordinate a custom design request. Or if you prefer the fonts shown as pictured, those are also available for monogramming. Let me know if you have any ordering questions.
Life around our tiny Texas home has certainly increased in excitement. Our 3rd child "EK" arrived, March 13, 2014, with great flair and exuberance. Let's just say she was in quite a bit of a hurry, and was born AT HOME. Nope, not what you're thinking, it was NOT a planned home birth. My husband delivered her. Yep, you read that correct, my husband, not a doctor, "caught her". An emergency delivery at home, that SHOULD have been a closely monitored VBAC in a hospital. I will spare you the long details... essentially I had an extremely intense and painful rapid "active labor", we couldn't make it to the hospital. I wouldn't say I "got off easy" with an intensely rapid labor, this was FAR from that. My doctor later said, "IF, you would have tried to get to a hospital you would have had her either while driving, or on the side of the road - I'm SO happy y'all didn't", as he chuckles. We were extraordinarily blessed with a natural birth, a healthy baby, and a healthy Mommy. I'd been preparing and praying for a VBAC for months, and we even trained with a Doula. Everything happened so quickly the day shes was born, that the Doula didn't even have time to get to us. As my 3rd birth, this all came as quite a shock to us. Let's just say EVERY child and birth is SO different. Don't ever rely on previous birth experiences. We named her Ellison Kay, after her Great great Grandmother "Ellie", and also after her Grandmother "Kay". We call her Ellison. "Ellis" or "Ellie" are suitable nicknames we think. She is quite the little drama queen. She's settled in nicely to our family and big siblings are elated to have her around. As summer is in full swing, I am trying my best to juggle life with 3 kids and still keep my Etsy shop going. It's all starting to fall into place, but the housework.... err, not so much. But it's one day at a time. Soon the big kids will be back in school, and I can tackle all those organization tasks that have been looming. Been searching on Fabric.com for weeks now for fabrics to use in baby girl's nursery - on items that I can sew. I know better that bumpers are cute, just not safe - so I want to sew just the basic linens: dust ruffle (1), changing pad covers (2), & crib sheet (2 or 3). Finally, think I've settled on a few of the fabrics in the Dena Designs line called Kumari Garden, which are increasingly harder and harder to find. Might be buying some yardage on Etsy.com at this point. Saw a few easy DIY personal touches, a few examples are pictured below, that I would enjoy doing myself. The lampshade transformation for sure, totally up for that. The wooden cross, most certainly right up my alley - I have LOTS of wooden crosses in my overstock inventory, may even do a double stacked croos - combination of decoupage fabric and hand-painting. Would love to hear ideas on DIY projects for a nursery. Leave a comment if you have a link to a project, or tutorial of a DIY blog to share. Thanks! We had been hoping and praying that one day our family would grow. Our family of 4 IS changing to 5! She's arriving in March 2014! The kids are super excited to have a little sister on the way. Most of the summer I was very sick during my 1st trimester, and the baby gave us quite a scare of her own. My plans to release new HBA designs this summer were put on the back burner, so I could focus on my health and the baby. I did have to source out some help for my summer orders, but that was a seamless process - which made me wonder WHY I haven't enlisted more help before?! DUH? I've gotten my feet back under me. The baby and I we're both healthy and doing well now. I've started back the school year in my preschool classroom, so far that is going very normally. I feel so very blessed to have this new addition and anticipating getting her nursery/room setup for her in the near future. More fun news to come... Hooray! Finally the type of bags and accessories I've been searching for to offer my customers. All pictured items are part of a new line of products I'm offering my customers starting in May 2013. All PYL brand items can be found in the catalog located HERE. Pricing is listed in the catalog. In a rush for a last minute gift? No problem, personalized orders can be shipped typically within 2 business days.
Do you ever have that moment where you wish you would have know now, what you didn't know before? (I'm applying this to my sewing life, but this can be held true with ANY part of our lives.) Well, seems like I always pause for moments like this lately, while staring at an oddly worded clothing pattern, or determining greatest stretch side of a swimsuit fabric, or a broken needle for the "umpteenth" time. I am constantly learning more new and innovative ways to sew, applique, and embroider. I need a local place/shop to go that could just demonstrate or teach how a sewing technique is done, but nothing like that really exists. There is a resurgence in handmade and homemade... a whole new generation of sewers and "Do It Yourselvers" are being "born" with the advent of Pinterest, Etsy, and Craftsy. As a crafty, artistic, designer person - i love, love, love to see that more people are turning away from Big Box stores and made in China products, and turning back to Made In America , made at home, and "Mom & Pop shops". So, here it is, plain and simple... My Dream is one day open a "Sewing Studio". A "sewing studio" that teaches to all ages, but especially targeted for the younger generations (mid 20's-early 40's)... ya know the ones that didn't take Home Economics in high school. *ahem-wink* The "Sewing Studio" would be a place to go to get modern, fun & fresh designer fabrics, a place to offer a variety of sewing & crafting classes, such as:
We live in the suburbs of Dallas/Fort Worth - and nearby there is plenty of options for open retail space... but if I build it, would they come? Would this type of studio interest you? |
AuthorOwner, Designer, Seamstress, Applique Diva, & Monogram Ma'am. Archives
December 2015
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