Something Blue...A Treasury

I created my first treasury on etsy and had a blast doing it! I called it Something Blue, in honor of my sister who is getting married this summer.

Here's a preview of the blueness.

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Still shopping for Mother's Day? I've put together a handy gift guide that just might lead you to the perfect thing.

Does your mom cook? Give her an apron.
Does your mom glam? Give her some jewels and a place to store them.
Does your mom sew? Give her a tufted pin cushion.
Does your mom write? Give her some floral notecards.
Does your mom style? Give her a clutch.
Does your mom funk? Give her a fluted record bowl.
Does your mom attract? Give her some bottlecap magnets.
Does your mom shop? Give her some {k}bucks (aka gift certificate) to {k}studio124.

Mother's Day Countdown Finale: Everyone's a Winner!

Winner!
Congratulations to Heather, the lucky winner of the Mother's Day Giveaway necklace!

Hey, but what did I win?
Oh, you entered the contest, but you're not Heather? Well lucky for you, too! You won a 24% off one item coupon from {k}studio124! All you have to do is shop and convo me what you want. I'll post a reserved listing just for you that reflects your discounted price!

Offer good through May 31. Happy shopping!

Mother's Day Countdown Day 5: Advice and Prayers

(Don't forget to comment on the giveaway post to win a beautiful necklace. Only 3 days left to enter!)

Years ago before I had my first baby, a group of my friends hosted a baby shower for me...pretty much all of which already had children.

I got some great advice from those gals.

Angie said: Trust your intuition. Some of the parents that do the best are the ones who don't read everything but listen to their hearts. You'll do great.

Jennifer said: Be flexible and maintain your sense of humor...whatever happens. All that artistic background, and she's bound to paint the walls with vaseline or something! Love her always!

Merritt said: Don't take it so seriously. Live every moment. Don't worry about spoiling your baby with too much love! Enjoy it!

Jenny said: As a new mom you may be unsure from time to time but trust your instincts and don't ever be hesitant to ask questions of any other mom. Also, know that a crying baby doesn't bother other moms! You will be wonderful! Please feel free to call me any time day or night!

Lisa said: Be sure to catch special moments with your camcorder. They grow up so fast, so you have to catch special milestones on tape like rolling over, smiling, crawling, walking, etc.

Melissa said: From time to time write down what they are doing, what they like/don't like, are saying--it's fun to look back on, and if you don't write it down, you might forget all the cute things they do!

These ladies are all great mothers in their own special way, and I've learned a tremendous amount from them (about mothering and lots more!) As I've watched them raise their children through the years, I must say, they have taken their own advice (and so have I)!

With my second baby came a different kind of shower. Not one where I was showered with gifts...but one where I was showered with prayers. A group of ladies I grew close to in a Bible study group hosted a prayer shower for me.

Most of these ladies are seasoned moms, and have more wisdom than I know what to do with! More than anything else, they know the importance of praying for your children, even before they are born. What a blessing that time was. Many prayers were said, many verses were shared, and much love was given to me and my unborn son. Here are a few excerpts from the prayers and verses shared at that shower.

"Our prayer is that your son will come to faith in Christ at an early age and that throughout his life he will 'grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' "

"Thank you, Father that you love children. Thank you for the ways you train us through children. Thank you that we learn more of who you are through children." (based on Mark 10:13-16)

"I pray out of your glorious riches you may strengthen this child with power through your Spirit in his inner being, so that Christ may dwell in this child's heart through faith. And I pray that he, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with his family and all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (based on Ephesians 3:16-18)

"What a privilege to pray for your family and especially for your new baby. The greatest blessings God has given us have been our wonderful children--each one unique and special. I am so excited for this blessing in your lives. Trust in the Lord and wait expectantly for He loves to bless you. The enclosed verses are what I pray for our grandchildren and you may enjoy using them too."

WOW! I feel blessed all over again just remembering it. It feels so safe to be covered in prayer...Amen!

Mother's Day Countdown Day 4: Name That Mom

C'mon. You know you want to play. (answers below pic)

So--how'd you do? Wasn't that fun?

Know what's even funner? Winning something! Don't forget to leave a comment on the giveaway post to win a beautiful necklace. Only 4 days left to enter!


a. Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch
b. June Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver
c. Kate Gosselin of Jon & Kate + 8
d. Michelle Duggar of TLC's 19 Kids & Counting
e. Nadya Suleman "octomom"
f. Clair Huxtable of The Cosby Show
g. Florida Evans of Good Times
h. "Ma" of Little House on the Prairie

Mother's Day Countdown Day 3: Firstborn Feelings

(Don't forget to leave a comment on the giveaway post to win a beautiful necklace. Only 5 days left to enter!)

today i thought i'd share a couple of poems i wrote shortly after i had my firstborn. simple, raw emotion straight from the heart of a new mom.

birthday joy
---------------
inexpressible, indescribable
birthday joy

instant mother
instant father

two people;
behold, a third

tiny baby
BIG love

inexpressible, indescribable
birthday joy

~o0o~

sensing you
---------------
from thoughts of your face
to the first look in your eyes

from thoughts of your voice
to the first sound of your cry

from thoughts of your touch
to the first sense of your warmth

from thoughts of your life
to the first day of your birth

i sensed you loving me

when finally, my thoughts
became firsts.

~o0o~

Mother's Day Countdown Day 2: Minivans

(Don't forget to leave a comment on the giveaway post to win a beautiful necklace. Only 6 days left to enter!)

Before I had children, I did not understand the minivan phenomena that was taking over U.S. roads. All I knew is that I wanted to steer clear of minivans. I was one of those people that thought minivan drivers drove too fast and swerved too much. Whatever was going on inside of there scared me.

When I first had a baby, I realized right away that these little people take up a lot of space. Between the carseat, the stroller, the pack-n-play, diapers, bottles, bags, toys, snacks...my little Toyota Corolla just wasn't cutting it.

But I was still too cool for a minivan. I could mother just fine in a Toyota 4Runner. Which did well for me until baby #2.

More little people, more stuff.

So I finally took the plunge. I am now a minivan mom and proud of it. The conveniences minivans offer far outweigh the sacrifice of the cool factor. About this same time is when I realized what was really going on inside of a minivan. Moms are generally in a hurry (which is why they are driving too fast) and they are incredibly distracted by all the goings on of her little people (which is why they swerve too much.)

A couple of years ago I saw this video and laughed until I cried. If babies and minivans (or "vinivans" as my kids first called it) are in your future, beware. There is more truth to this video than most moms care to admit.

Mother's Day Countdown Day 1: GIVEAWAY!!!

I thought it would be fun to do a little countdown here on the blog as we get close to Mother's Day. Today I'm kicking off a week long series comprised of all things MOM including inspiration, trivia, funnies, a giveaway and the like.

Did I just say giveaway? I did! I did!

Yes! Let's kick it off with a giveaway! And just look at what you could win!!!! An 18" silver chain necklace with a 2.25" cross pendant amongst a beaded trio of black hematite, angle-cut clear acrylic and translucent pearls. Designed by {k}studio124 for some lucky lady out there!

To win, all you have to do is leave a sweet comment on this post about your mom by midnight CDT on Saturday, May 1, and I'll do a random drawing on Sunday, May 2 to select the winner. Be sure and leave your email address along with your comment so I can contact you when you win!

I will announce the winner here on the blog, one week from today. That's exactly one week before Mother's Day. That's in plenty of time for me to ship it to you if you plan to give it as a gift. (Or enough time to enjoy it before Mother's Day if you plan to keep it as a little gift to yourself!)

Be sure and check the shop all week for new product (including coordinating earrings for the giveaway)...and check back here on the blog every day this week for more mom-related fun!!

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage

Remember when you were little and you sang this little rhyme...

So-and-so and so-and-so, sitting in a tree.
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love, then comes marriage.
Then comes a baby in the baby carriage.
Sucking their thumb, wetting their pants...
(I can't remember the last line, can you?)

That childhood memory was the inspiration behind this bridal shower invitation that I designed...which just happens to be for my sister!

Yay for Kara!

Three Little Onesies

A precious baby boy was added to my family this year, and I just had to make him something!

So I asked his mama what she could use for him.

"Onesies." she said without hesitation. "Long sleeved, 3-6 months. I love elephants and think it would be so cute to have one with an elephant that has a different colored ear."

She had obviously put some thought into this already. I love these little assignments!

But I couldn't do just one, come on! In addition to what she asked for, I whipped up a couple more...one with his initial and one with a tie on it. I did all three embellishments in the rag technique using fabric from Jubilee Homespun. I was thrilled with the result! And, as you can tell, so was he :-)

Okay, who wants a onesie?!?!?

New Toy in the Shop!

So last night was a first for me. I made my first purchase on Craig's List.

Wanna know what it was???? You do? Oh, goodie, because I couldn't stand not telling you!

Here's a picture of it.



Do you know what it is?
You don't?
Well, it's a heat press of course!!! And I already put it to good use.

I had a stack of adorable rhinestone motifs on hand from Jubilee Rhinestones, and this one raised its hand and said, "Pick me! Pick me!"

So I did...and a short time later...voila! I had this cutie pie t-shirt that I can't wait to give to my daughter! Oh I'm sorry, you wanted it for your daughter? Don't worry, with a toy like this, I can make one for your daughter too!!



Oh, visions of things to come...

p.s. Jesus loves you, too!

Just 24 Shopping Days Left Until Mother's Day

Becoming a mother was possibly the most eye opening thing that's ever happened to me.

Did you know we've been officially celebrating Mother's Day in the US since 1914? A day we set aside to spoil our moms with lots of love often expressed by no required cooking, no required chores, lots of good behavior, bouquets of beautiful flowers and little handmade gifts.

Looking for a way to honor your mom with something handmade but you're not so crafty yourself? Check out the totally random creativity in my shop and keep checking the blog for new product announcements and a week long Mother's Day Countdown with a GIVEAWAY!

Wooohoooo!

(The picture is one my mom took of our shadows at my daughter's first soccer game a couple of weeks ago!)

FREE SHIPPING FRIDAY!!

As promised, one day during Namesake Week would have free shipping all day!

Well--today's the day! Goooooooo shop!!

All Buyers Eligible to Win, January 24-31

exterior made of ribbed felt in gray. interior lined with a gorgeous cotton floral fabric in warm earth tone colors. brown grosgrain ribbon handle. embellished with a chic flower made of same interior fabric, golden felt petals and a black sparkly center. snap closure. carry it as a clutch, use the handle as a wristlet. either way, it's stunning. 8.5" wide x 4.5 high. pocket is 4" deep.

gotta have it? go shop!! i will announce the winner both here and on facebook on february 1.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kstudio124

p.s. phone, honda, lipstick and cash not included ;-)

It's Namesake Week!

You have found yourself here during the first Annual Namesake Week: January 24-31!

So, what is Namesake Week you ask yourself?

Well, the 124 in my shop name represents my birthday...January 24. So for my birthday, I want to give you a gift!

During Namesake Week, January 24-31:
1. New product will be revealed all week long. See the holiday section for Valentine's related items.
2. All Christmas items will be 50% off! (Check out the bargain basement section.)
3. Shipping on every item will be $1.24, with the exception of one day when I will announce FREE SHIPPING across the board! Stay in the know on my Facebook fan page (kstudio124).
4. Every buyer will be entered into a random drawing to win a fabulous one-of-a-kind clutch from {k}studio124! See the pretty pictures?

Thanks for stopping in...happy shopping to you...and happy birthday to me!

{k}

mail: kstudio124@gmail.com
shop: www.etsy.com/shop/kstudio124
fan: search for kstudio124 on Facebook
blog: kstudio124.blogspot.com