Handmade & Homegrown

Yesterday was the first craft fair sponsored by The Looking Glass!

Handmade & Homegrown was so much fun!  We had a great day!

I learned a hard lesson though about outdoor shows 

when a gust of wind knocked over my shutter doors! 

 

My neighbor vendor saw it happening, 

but there was nothing she could do to stop it from going down.

Fortunately nothing was damaged (except my nerves!).  

What a great community I am a part of in the crafting world! 

 

My neighbors helped me pick everything up and zip tie the shutters to the canopy.

I was rattled, but was able to get everything back together pretty quickly.

 The rest of the day went great!

I loved the booth set up!  

Seeing your vision come to light is pretty amazing!

 We even had some people trying to buy our display pieces...

pretty awesome!

 

Everything tied together so well...

I think we've really found our set up now!

The best part about the display pieces is that, 

for the most part, they are decorations from the house!

Pretty bags on a coat rack from my sister 

and a fun apron on one of my best yard sale finds ever!

 So another show is in the books!

It is so much work...but the fun we have is totally worth it!

If you see something you like head to Amy's Monkeys online shop!

If you're local go check out The Looking Glass!

Busy Bee

Hello!  

So life has been crazy busy...

I know everyone is busy...definitely is the season!

My busy has been prepping for the Handmade & Homegrown Craft Fair this Saturday!

The Looking Glass is hosting the event and it looks like it is going to be great!

Amy's Monkeys will be there with lots of new goodies!

Would you like a peek at all the busy-ness 

that has become my life for the last few weeks?!?

(If you follow me on Instagram you've seen some of these...)

I decided I needed a visual reminder/helper to get all the aprons I had cut completed.

It totally worked on this visual girl.

18 aprons finished in 12 days...not bad for being in my classroom too!

A sneak peek of all your apron choices!

Since I had time...Crayon rolls are restocked!

 My display background is getting a much needed update too...

bye-bye Putty hello Ocean Mist!

 I finally got to transform the sheets I had been using for the tables 

into beautiful fitted coverings!  

So much more professional!

 After all the prep work was done I was able to start playing with my displays!

So thankful for a hubby that finds me great treasures from the neighbor's junk pile! 

Saturday can't get here soon enough! 

 I'm so excited to share all the goodies I've been working on the past month!

 

I'll be adding anything I have left from the fair to the online shop, 

so stay tuned if you're not local!

Happy Makeover

Believe it or not, sometimes I sew for me!

I know, shocker!

This happy makeover came about because I didn't really want to spend $40 (or more) 

on a new basket for the living room afgans.  I already had some baskets 

that didn't have a job anymore, so I started plotting.

A little spray paint and a new liner and that dark old basket 

could fit quite nicely in the living room.

Let me say it took a lot of spray paint to cover that dark stain.  

I covered it with white and almond as a base and then layered the yellow.  

I went through a few almost empty cans and then bought 

one more can of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch in Sun Yellow (my favorite brand of spray paint) 

to finish it off.  I still have a bunch left, so more projects will see the yellow!

After I got the paint finished up I used the old liner as a pattern to make the new cheerful liner!

I didn't have quite enough of the main fabric to do the entire liner, 

so I used a scrap to make the base. 

Happy accident I say!

Rather than making ties I went through my ribbon stash and found this darling gingham.  

Just the right touch!

So for maybe $10 I was able to get a "new" basket exactly the color and style I wanted!

Not too shabby!

*Rust-Oleum Spray paint is my favorite, but this is not a sponsored or affiliate post.  

However, if Rust-Oleum ever wants to send me paint I would gladly take it! :)

How I Work

Everyone has a process they use to get things done.

Ever since I really started focusing on Amy's Monkeys I have adjusted 

how I go about getting the most out of my limited amount of time.  

I don't have all day to get things done, so the time I have must be used efficiently.

I really embrace the Henry Ford assembly line philosophy.

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

I have a few steps I use to keep things going smoothly and as organized as possible.

This is how I piece together my zipper pouches.

 

First, I pair all the fabrics for my creations...seriously the most fun part of creating!

 

Then, I iron, measure, and cut all the combinations and interfacing.
Next, I iron all the interfacing onto the outside prints. 

 

After that, it's all about the ruffles!

Now, it's time to get the ruffles and tags attached.

 

Show time...

zipper, iron, top stitch, repeat, stitch all around, add gusset, flip out-side-right, 

stitch closed, smile at the new zipper pouch!

 Rinse and repeat until your to-do pile is gone and your product pile is overflowing!

Assembly line production has really streamlined how I get things done!

It's all about tackling projects in chunks.  Feeling that sense of accomplishment helps 

keep you going when you're tired and just want to quit!  

Trust me I know that feeling!

I'm not sure my process will help anyone, but it really does make a huge difference!

a thought for the day...

Sprucing Things Up

I spent a little extra time at The Looking Glass last week 

and spruced up the Amy's Monkeys space a bit.

The shop owner has such a great eye for merchandising...

I have learned so much!

Anyway, the entire shop has a fresh look for the new year and I love it!

Having a permanent space is so different than the weekend boutiques.

You have time to tweak and fluff and move things around.

 

It really is a lot of fun! 

In the end that's what it is really all about!

 

On Being Brave

Yesterday I was brave with something that most people would probably think is silly...

yesterday I wore leggings and riding boots together for the first time.

Here's why that was me being brave...

I am scared to death of fitted clothes because this gal has gained wait that just won't come off.

I don't know if it's the going to be 39 body, or a health issue, or life has been crazy, but the weight is there.

I finally decided I'd make it work after a little prodding from a great friend.

I see cute people in all kinds of sizes every day.

What's to say I can't rock it too?!?

Nothing...because I did.

I felt cute and comfortable all day.

Trendy and stylish.

A hot mom.

Yup, that was how I felt.

The weight is bugging me and a doctor's appointment next week will hopefully help me get some answers.

Until then I'm going to enjoy my new super sale boots, my jeans that set in the closet for a year, and my scarf collection because everyone needs to feel cute!

Enjoy your Friday loves!