Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

I'm sure many of you have noticed my major neglect of this sweet blog. And several weeks ago I told you all that I promised once I was able to share with you guys, you'd see that it was totally worth it. Well, today is the day that I finally get to share the reason for my absence. I'm excited to introduce my Pure and Noble family to my new baby... Fresh BiB.

The hubs and I have spent the past four months developing and producing Fresh BiB and mercy it has been a lot of work. But so worth it. What is Fresh BiB, you ask? Well, we're a monthly subscription to one-of-a-kind designer bibs. And you thought diapers were the only things you could get delivered monthly! ha ha ha

We're not just a bib though... Our bandana bibs are 100% cotton, reversible, made in the USA, have snap closures and come in a reusable container. Oh, and the fabric design/print is a surprise each month. You never know what you're gonna get! (We think mommies deserve a few fun surprises - mixed in with some high-fives and hugs - each month for all the hard work they do every day.)

I hope you guys will stop by and say "hi"; I'd love to hear your thoughts. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are and how much fun this has been to just get off the ground. Thank you all for hanging out and not dropping like flies while I've been gone. To show my deepest gratitude, I'd like to offer my Pure and Noble family a 20% discount for the rest of July. Check us out and enter promo code: FRAMILY20. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: T-shirt Bib

Pointing fingers isn't really my jam. So I'll skip the pointing and just say... there are knit bibs retailing for upwards of $25.00! Choke. Choke. Gasp. Gasp. Yes, they're organic, super soft and have great prints, but if you're anything like me, you can't afford that. Why not make your own knit bandana bibs? It's really easy and will take you less than 30 minutes to make two!

Here's what you'll need:

1 old t-shirt

scissors

marker or pencil

ruler

sewing machine

Serge your raw edges or finish with a zigzag stitch.

This is where it gets fun... feel free to embellish your bibs with fun stitches. I used a neon green thread to create a graphic element on one of the bibs I made.

Here's my proverbial beef with selling bibs that have serge finishes - they fray! Easily. For this very reason, I went back over my ends with a straight stitch, as seen below.

 Bam! you're done. Easy huh? And look at how cute...

Y'all, that's two bibs for 66 cents and about 30 minutes of my time. You just can't beat that kind of return. And if you're wondering what I'm doing with the rest of the t-shirt - think dust cloths and bathroom cloths to clean up my counters every couple of days. (So much better than using a towel or washcloth every time.) Waste not, want not. xo

Spring Market

I'm a big fan of public school, so when our PTA asked me to be a part of their Spring Market to help raise funds for their classes I was all in. My days and nights have consisted of sewing and crafting to get ready for the event. If you're in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area... come shop and say, "hi." I will have a lot of stuff that's in my Etsy shop and a bunch of new items as well. All of my bibs are discounted in hopes of clearing out some inventory. I'm strongly considering closing my Etsy shop... I just don't have the traffic and sales there that I did previously. Honestly, I just think there's too much product on there now and many shops get lost in the chaos.

A few of my new items include the owl mobiles seen above and new pillows like the reversible "Good Day/Night Night" one below.

For those of you wondering where I got the idea for my booth backdrop, take a look at the yarn backdrop seen over at Green Wedding Shoes. Amazing. I might do a tutorial on this soon because it would look awesome over a bed or crib and it's super easy.

Come see me and get some shopping done this Saturday at Wallace Elementary's Spring Market in Lake Highlands from 10am to 5pm. There's no entrance fee and there are a ton of great vendors. Until then, I'll be at Round Top with my sister... she's kidnapping me. xo

Baby Gear

Let's face it, when a new baby comes into the picture you need some gear. This especially applies if it's a first born. Since my friend Allison of Design from A to V is expecting her first, I thought it only appropriate for her to have a diaper bag worthy of more than just diapers. I mean, this lady is pretty hip so I can't have her toting diapers, burp clothes and organic baby food in just any old bag. I know Alli loves triangles; so I decided an ombre nod to this classic shape was in order.

Before delivering the bag to my sweet friend, I filled it with some essentials...

baby links - to chew, connect and to attach snacks and bottles to the stroller

organic baby wipes

lansinoh - a must for all nursing mommies and mothers of thumb suckers (I give this to all new mommies. It is a miracle ointment for all sorts of cracks and ouchies.)

babytalk magazine with tips for new mommies (you know, for all that downtime she'll have)

Do you have any gear that you give to all your first time mommy friends? xo

Around the House: Dream Nursery

What do teepees, tiny toes and gold triangles have in common? One very lucky little boy named Ryder. My sweet friend Allison, of Design from A to V, is expecting her first baby in just two short weeks. I love how excited new mommies get in preparation of meeting their little! A fave is the nesting portion. The nursery gets all the attention, even if the rest of the house is full of milk crates and bean bags. I'm not sayin' that's the case at the Vieger house, quite the opposite if you'll recall from her home tour, in fact, this designer went all out for her sweet boy.

This is a room I could sit in for hours! And once Ryder is here... I just might. Sorry Allison. i know I said I'd be coming to hang out with you, but Ryder and I will be chillin' here while I force you to go nap! Just a few short days until we meet this gift from the Lord.

Did you have a serious nesting phase when you were pregnant? xo

Established...

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My friend's sweet daughter Hannah got married a few weeks back and it was the sweetest little country flavored wedding I've attended. I've gotten to know Hannah's style pretty well over the years; she's a lot like her Dad, Texas artist Jon Flaming. If it's a touch country or patina, with a story attached to it...it's a win. I knew right away that I wanted to make Hannah and Preston a pillow for their new house that commemorated their special day.

Hagaman, est. 2012

Well, one thing led to another and one of her wedding attendees saw the pillow and asked me to make a couple for her as gifts...

I love making these special little gifts to commemorate wedding dates. So fun. Ohhh...how cool would it be to do this for a newborn?  Wouldn't one of these pillows look amazing in this nursery?

nursery via ...

So cool! Dang, this might be enough to make me want to have another baby...  If we're friends and you're expecting, you now know what you'll be receiving at your shower. xo

Harper Gets Her Pinwheel Mobile

I recently went down to my favorite Texas city, Austin, to get some baby lovin' and help my oldest and dearest friend decorate her sweet girl's room. Seeing as my house is overrun by boys, I was delighted to help and immerse myself all things girlie. So fun.

I found this little Christening gown in an old piece of salvaged furniture. So sweet.

I got baby snuggles, changed diapers, built shelving, and had a delish tex-i-tini with my homegirl. I got spit up on a ton and had to change one serious blowout, but who's counting?

Remember that mobile I told you I was making and that I'd show you how?  Well, it was for this sweet room. Harper's mommy's favorite color is cream. So I made the mobile as natural as possible while still trying to create something that would capture Harper's attention while laying in her crib. I think it turned out perfect.

love.

Using my new Paper and Craft book and the trusty tutorial from my friend Kim at Yellow Songbird, I completed 5 pinwheels in no time flat.

 

 

my squares are 5"x5"

1" wide muslin fabric strips to wrap around my embroidery hoop

here's Harper's view. I have never understood why manufactured mobiles cater to those outside the crib.

The entire project was so easy and fun to make.  Give it a go. xo