seriously. use this person.

I've been thinking about a new banner and etsy package for a long time. My sweet little house served me well, but the shop took a turn to the funky side and my banner needed a facelift. And boy did it get one. Let me introduce you to the new LGH.

Renee Thompson at thompsondesigns.etsy.com - she is professional, nice, and (clearly) SO talented! And she designed that green background. Seriously.

Books

I don't know how, we never managed to get a library card. Probably because I love a good trip to Borders and usually come out with whatever I "needed." But my friend Melissa reminded me by her excellent example that the library is there to be a service and, in the current reevaluation of our lifestyle, I was happy to gather the little chicks up and head to our local branch.

Elise walked out with 5 books and I am re-reading (in ALL my spare time) In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. I loved that book the first time and have 3 weeks to love it again, so I better hurry!

Here's one of my favorite pictures maybe of all time. Elise is a growing girl.

** The free giveaway is 5 days away **

drunkencows

Look. at this.

You really have to look at her website and her etsy shop. She says she paints these "fast." Can you imagine possessing that kind of talent? How do you harness it in without having a paintbrush in your hand the whole entire day? AND she has 3 kids.

This may be the inspiration for a quilt-of-a-kind one day. Truly. After the other 15 quilts that I'm dying to get started on...

this worked

Tallcloverfarm's strategy works. This morning most of the peaches were perfect.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

The first little giveaway :)

Who wants a personalized beach towel? This is a 5' thin towel (pink with orange trim, too cute) and I'll put your name or initials on it in this GORGEOUS Waltzing Matilda print if you win. And ship it for free :)

To enter,

1. follow my blog (if you want to)

2. that's it.

Then comment and tell me you did it so I can contact you when the winner is picked next Tuesday, August 4th.

the joy of a peach

Kate brought me some peaches on their way up from ATL Saturday. Very nice. I am ready to enjoy them but the feeling is not mutual so I was looking for ways to ripen them other than the paper bag, which always leaves them mushy.

Here's what I discovered from this great food blog straight from the Washington coast.

Place them stem down on a cotton or linen towel, not touching. Cover with another linen or cotton towel and wait a few days. Then enjoy.

a new shirt and a pretty breakfast

Saw these shirts at Target (if shirts were easier to keep in stock - colors, sizes) I would totally do these in the shop. I love having the whole name on a shirt - it feels more personal than an initial and it's just cute. too cute. (If you have a shirt and want to mail it to me, convo or email me and I'll put the name on there.)

Maybe she just waited to show off her new shirt before she started walking...she's walking everywhere today!

. . .

At breakfast, Laine's eggs looked pretty on her placemat. The girls got these from The Land of Nod for Christmas. There's some dang adorable things in there.

A Little Bit Boring

It hit me today. This blog is boring. I need to include fun stuff that people are interested in, so here it is.

But before we start, I have a question. Truly. How do people have the time to raise small children, sew, sell, clean, cook, buy, and blog the right way?? I need a lesson. But I'll try.

What better day to start than today, when my 19 month old took her first steps?! We (and her awesome physical therapist, Keri) have been working with her since she wasn't standing at 12 months to gain strength in her lower body and confidence to get the walking done. So here she is, at her great grandmother's house (yay!) as clear as my phone would do it.

Very exciting. And we're so glad it happened on a visit to Stuart's grandmothers. Great memories to have from there.

Lovin' this Lovie

So I got the David Walker Rocket fabrics in. They were cute when they got here but they're even cuter all put together and finished. Can you get over this lovie?

I love the big initial (again)

the back:

And put it with this burp cloth set and you have a pretty great gift...

Another New Blanket

I LOVE this blanket! Ignore the safety pins (I'm not quite done) but look at this! I thought of this idea for something simple to do and this summer quilt (lined with 2 layers of thin, soft cotton) is the perfect weight. Perfect. I'm excited about this one. But next time I might do white instead of pink on the front, it is very pink.

A New Blanket

We've been busy filling tons of orders for burp cloths especially (yay! - These are just plain cute.) Ashley, who gave me the inspiration to do a simple, clean, soft burp cloth, also ordered a blanket for a friend. You might see more of these in the shop. It was fun to make and it's nice and full and perfect for a little baby to lie and gaze at the stars (or ceiling). Plus, a tie for transportation makes it easy and parent friendly. I hope her friend loves it and I think she will.

For the Grandparents

My friend Randy Kate always helps me think of the greatest things. The first ever name burp cloth was done for her, and she wanted to give these to her parents (with their grandparent names) as a thank you for beach time. What grandparent wouldn't use these towels proudly?

AND, take a look at her fabrics. This is new for the towels and I really love the purple with this more adult pink.