Vacation...relaxing away from home.

Hi! I went quiet. And to be honest, I am so glad. I was really tired, stressed, and run down. A break, a serious break was needed.

I have enjoyed a zoo in Madison, parks, family time, playing at my parents home, and more. Mostly unplugged from the internet and being in the moment of time with my children and family members.

I have had the honor and privilege to watch my Mom work with both of my children. And see them flourish into excited learners!

She has encouraged Little Miss to write, and Little Monster to play and talk. 

We celebrated 4th of July with family and enjoyed beautiful weather. My husband and I failed to see the evenings fireworks display due to an accident at the near by park.

Our Little Monster fell off a park slide and gained a buckle break on his left wrist. He was a champ, barely crying, but acted far from normal. So off we went to the ER. He is recovering nicely and is due to have his blue cast off later on today.

And we have been excited to watch and learn about Grandma's(Mom's) caterpillar turning into a moth or butterfly. We are not sure which it will be as we found him in the backyard.

And lastly for now, we celebrated Little Miss' 4th birthday. She is grew up so fast. Her smile gets brighter everyday and she cheers this Momma's heart daily. We had cake and presents on the Saturday before her birthday with just Papa, Grandma, brother, and I. Then, we went out to Chucky Cheese for lunch the next afternoon.

Surprisingly, she had the honor to meet the main mouse and take a few photographs. He even handed out free tickets, to which, she was able to get the swirly straw she wanted. A very exciting and fun birthday, exactly what a 4 years needs.

Vacation...yes, it has been busy and almost a month long. But it has been refreshing, enjoyable, fun, and blessed. I still more to do on my list before I head home next week, not sure if I'll time to share the goings ons but I will update you when I return home for sure. Happy summer!

♥Kelly

With Doll my Heart

For the month of February, Ashley from Penelope's Eclectic Closet has a wonderful line of limited edition dolls available which will benefit charity. She's here as a guest to tell you all about it! Welcome Ashley!

When Stella was born, she had a small hole in her heart. The tiniest imperfection in an otherwise perfect newborn. We feel so fortunate! Her issue was minor. Just a tiny heart murmur needing a couple cardiologist appointments (At Primary Children’s hospital) during the first year of her life to monitor it. In Nov 2013 we got awesome news that her hole had closed and she was good as new! This isn’t even something that would affect her during the rest of her life. We’re so lucky and so grateful for the health of our kids!

February is National Heart Month, and Penelope’s Eclectic Closet will be celebrating by offering one limited-edition doll every day for the 28 days in February. These Heart dolls have the same charm as Penelope’s Eco Friendlies (dolls made from scraps of Penelope Original Dresses to keep extra bits and pieces out of landfills) but have a sweet little heart sewn to their chest! I'll be donating 20% of the proceeds from sales of these dolls to the wonderful folks at Primary Children's Hospital!

You can find Penelope's Eclectic Closet on Storenvy, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, or contact via email.

If you are interested in donating directly to Primary Children's Hospital, read more about it here.  
 

Thank you so much Ashley for sharing your 'heart' and the way you are helping out others with us! What a wonderful gift!

♥Kelly

'in your purse/pocket' & 'play'

11/15 #FMSPhotoaDay prompt 'in my purse/pocket' - well, I almost don't want to tell you what I have in my purse. But I am addicted. 

I love socks!!! So here is a photo of the little socks that are in my purse all the time. Are they not the cutest little socks!?!

And today's 11/16 #FMSPhotoaDay prompt is 'play' - and boy did we 'play' today!

 Here is a picture of the 'craft' table at todays crafting fun playdate!! It was so fun!

  

♥Kelly

 

M is for...

Today's #FMSPhotoaDay prompt is 'M is for..."

M is for Mother...making a difference in her children's lives. M is for morning time, where the sweet smiles make it bearable. M is for the 'maybe' of the day. M is for mattering to you spouse...but that is all deep and Meaningful.

So M is for... Monsters!!! Sock Monsters to be precise.

These sock monsters are eco-friendly and fun to play with. Each is made from random sock pieces, random ribbons, felt left overs, and mismatched button eyes. Each is a one of a kind and in no way ever made again. I love that!! So today go be a monster for the day!

♥Kelly

Oh What is the Mane attraction to a Sock Lion!?!

Hi. Do you remember this guy??

Well now I am going to share the mane part of my #socklions. Their mane. But first they get a face. I add two eyes, a cute little nose and a grinning mouth.

Look at those cute eyes and chubby cheeks! 

Here is what I start with when I start working on the lion's mane.

A huge pile of yarns...it takes anywhere from 22 to 30 knotted yarn bundles to form a completed mane. Each knot is hand stitched on one at a time to ensure they stay on through all sorts of play. Each mane is chosen with care and texture in  mind. I believe the mane makes each lion unique and special as the #child that plays with it. 

With the magic of technology, you miss all the hand-stitching work to see the finished sock lion. Do you think he is cute?? Now to think of his name...what would you name him??

EPIC shares from #Happyhandmade week 28

Hello again! Can you believe it - another week has zipped past! This weeks #happyhandmade shares are really REALLY EPIC in my book. There were so many amazing things but these three are by far my favorite! You can see all the rest: HERE as well as link up your our #handmade #product for #free #promotions! Again Thank you so much Daft Crafts for hosting this EPIC link up!

First, I love the EPIC-ness that is known as Lu and Ed. Her #monsters are EPIC every time I see them! She has these monster totes that are awesome for Halloween trick or treating and for carrying books to the library! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Second, totally EPIC fabric tutu from kadydiddesigns. It is Halloween adorable and perfect for any 'little monster' to wear and play in.

Third, everything she makes is EPIC. I love this Red Panda Kawaii Amigurumi by Mohu. It looks super soft, squish-able, and fun to play with.

These are only a few of the EPIC items in this weeks link up on Daft Crafts. And remember if you have a handmade online shop - you can link up too! ☺