luvinthemommyhood sponsor : : a healthier coffee

{image: peanut}

please don't forget to check out our lovely sponsor of luvinthemommyhood, they help keep the mommyhood running smoothly. contact michelle, who is an independent rep for organo gold coffee, for your order today. she's offering free shipping on your first order!

are you interested in advertising on luvinthemommyhood? we offer very reasonable rates (we know the economy is tight these days) and 3 month specials. contact shannon at luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca if you think you have a blog/website/business that you feel would be a great fit for luvinthemommyhood. we look forward to hearing from you!

age is of no importance unless you are a cheese...

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"age is of no importance unless you are a cheese" billie burke

it's my bday tommorrow and i'm hoping to be doing this:

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reading a love story....

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and then falling asleep...for a nap....hopefully.....

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then going for a mani/pedi...a very special treat from my baby sister.....

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followed by a romantic meal with my hubby.

wishing you all a wonderful and lovely weekend.

sewing, sewing, and more sewing

{image: craftapalooza}

i headed out very early yesterday morning to hit up fabricland's 50-70% member sale. i got some new goodies (finally a loop turner!), stood in several lines for a very long time, lost and found elmo (twice) and came out happy (with no little one tears) and with a few projects on the go. there won't be a fit friday in the mommyhood today due to my sewing frenzy - meaning no computer time, mixed in with a brand new potty training toddler (more on that later). sometimes i feel the need to just sew and yesterday was one of them.

here's what i'm up to:

* a new tutorial for the "newbie sewing series" - this is a fun one, perfect for summer!

* a dress for my best friend's daughters birthday - i'm making the enlarged version of the "itty bitty dress" from made by rae. i am loving the pattern and am almost done. it was my first time using piping and bias tape - quite the experience..haha. i will post pictures after the weekend.

* a dress for mackenzie - i need to use up some adorable owl material i have been scared to sew with. not sure which pattern to use, any suggestions for a great size 2 dress that's free?

* a dress for me - yes, this is the one that i am needing all that lovely pattern 9-1-1 help you all so lovingly gave me. i need to have "letter b" done in 2 weeks or so for our summer holiday.

* a wedding gift for some dear friends - can't say what that is on here because they may read it...wink wink.

* and a new tutorial for the "remake, repurpose, refashion" column on nouvelle mama. i luv this little project and hope you all will to. it's done, but i can't post it until next week - so stay tuned!

{image- laurie: : liquid paper}

what are you sewing right now? fill me in, i love hearing what you are all making at the moment!

new tutorials on the luvinthemommyhood radar

i spotted these tutorials yesterday and just couldn't wait until saturday to post them in the link luv roundup.

i am all over this leather necklace tutorial from cucumbersome! i am not a huge leather fan, but i do think the idea of refashioning an old second hand leather jacket into a few necklaces, it sounds fun and environmentally friendly.

i had been crossing my fingers that jessica from "happy together" (one of my fave blogs and an upcoming "mom in the mommyhood") was going to do a tutorial for this super cute ruffle top after she gave us a peek of the first one she made a week ago. i can't wait to make this!

pincushion ring from artnest for my bday!

my mom surprised me yesterday with a little pressie in the mail! it was the pin cushion ring that i have been pining for from artnest! i cannot even say how much i luv this ring. it is going to save me so much grief when sewing, especially since we have light colored carpet in our apartment and i am forever dropping and finding pins everywhere!!!! ignore my poor dry skinned hand and check out my lovely new yoga mat from lululemon that my hubby brought home for me the other night in the background - it's my fave color and so soft! i luv it - thanks hun!

thanks so much mom!!!! i adore it! you need to get yourself one too...wink wink. if you haven't seen artnest's shop yet, head on over. she also has a great little blog - go say hi for me :) up next i am crossing my fingers for her needlenest. so fabulous!

luvinthemommyhood is on tumblr!

{image via restart my heart}

luvinthemommyhood is on tumblr!

what's tumblr you might ask?

Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be.

i found myself having hoards of photos that were inspiring me and nowhere to put them. after looking around i decided to go with a tumblr account to keep a lovely little space filled with all the images that are inspiring me and that i think are just plain lovely.

come take a peek sometime or start your own tumblr and click "follow" to keep up with what new images i have posted.

calling all melrose place fans!

ok, this is funny - somewhat, and i'm not embarrassed to admit this - i am a die hard fan of melrose place. LUV IT! i have watched this gossip filled, over the top dramatic, crazy show since i was a teenager. i rewatched the first few seasons while stuck to the couch breastfeeding and am now on season 5 and can't wait for more.

i damn near fell off my couch tonight in excitement when i saw the ad on the CW network for the fall release of the new melrose place!!!! what do you guys think? are you excited for this? will you be watching? rumour is that ashlee simpson-wentz is in the cast, and some of all time fave stars will be rejoining for guest starring roles and maybe even permanent casting. was that sydney and dr. michael mancini in the sneak peek? you betcha and i couldn't be happier. now all they need is heather locklear, lisa rinna and some young stud muffins and i'm glued to the set.

are there any other melrose place fans out there? which star are you hoping makes a return appearance? come rejoice with me and let's all cross our fingers that it's a hellavu lot better than the new 90210.

link luv roundup

gorgeous photos on a blog i never get sick of staring at - concrete and honey

i fell instantly in love with "life in the fun lane" and haven't looked back since! the reno's of this couples new home along with their adorable little girl is lovely to the eye. you won't be disappointed, go take a peek. (via a room somewhere)

{image: noema (left) and my kitchen addiction (right)}

yummy! i love rhubarb and have been on the hunt for some new recipes to broaden my rhubarb collection. i'm going to try this rhubarb soda {via soulemama} and a cherry rhubarb crisp {via jenloveskev}.

{image via restart my heart}

i'm in the mood to do some serious bubble blowing with mackenzie! we love bubbles in our house.

lovely, lovely, free knitting patterns on petite purls - summer 2009. how cute is that lobster?

fun little scrapeeps for sale at skinnylaminx.
learn how to make this great little tin can flower pot (via one pretty thing).
this flip hexagon topper is going to be a great project for me to practice my blooming quilting skills. (via p.s. i quilt)
dress up any little ones lamp with this project from make it and love it.

how cool are these crayon rings? (via twig and thistle)

things i'm luving this week:
- 20 minute simple skirt tutorial and giveaway over on grosgrain!!!!
- diy your own birch table . (via craftzine)
- the new kindred summer wallpapers.
- this post on getting familiar with forward shoulder seams - so handy!
- this lovely desk makeover on "made by girl".
- makezine's father's day diy roundup.
- anything on the blog "pretty good", so lovely.
- make your own shampoo recipes for all hair types. (via craftzine)

happy linking!

ANNA magazine

i received the most wonderful bday present today...ohhh, la, la! yes, i am getting older - eek, saturday is my bday and i got an early surprise delivered to my door. i got gifted a subscription to the wonderful magazine ANNA.

where to begin describing this gorgeous mag to you...i don't even know where to start. it came all wrapped up with a great apron around the 4 issues i got today with a lovely handwritten gift card. i tried to take photos, but it didn't do it justice and i couldn't bear to post them. just trust me when i say this magazine feels and reads scrumptiously. it's eye candy and laid out divinely, plus the recipes are nice but not so nice you can't attempt them.

taken from the editor:

Inspired by a beautiful French picture book, a few Paris shopping bags and an Hermes scarf, we bring you our very special 10th issue, Beautiful.

Woven together with extraordinary recipes and a style only the French could impress. From heart-shaped lunches to chicken pot pie, from cooking lessons and one skillet suppers to a holiday after-party in my very own kitchen, with friends sharing stories and laughter, as only true friends can do.

I believe a magazine, like a photograph, should take you somewhere. I hope this issue will take you to wherever you allow it, whether it's the streets of Paris or into your kitchen, to cook up some fancy dishes to share with those you adore.

each issue of ANNA has a theme such as brilliance, wonderful, unforgettable and that is the title of the issue. along with that, each ANNA also has the following sections:

"what i have learned"
"make everyday special"
"traditions"
"everyday easy"
"sometimes beautiful things happen"

i am proud to say the magazine is canadian and can be found at your local chapters. if you want more info on this great mag check out their website at www.annamagazine.ca

a great big thank you to grandma judy and grandpa ken - love you guys and now it's time to go put some of these yummy recipes to use.

what's your favorite cooking magazine at the moment?

pillowcase to drawstring bag

i quickly sewed up these pillowcase drawstring bags the other day to try to contain some of mackenzie's huge pile of doll clothes. my mom saved all of my sister's and mines handmade doll clothes that my she and my nana painstakingly sewed and knitted over the years. they bring back such fond memories for me and i cherish the fact that now my little one gets to play with them, but what excites me even more is that i get to play with them again!

the bags were super easy to make. i took my dollar store find pillowcases and folded it in half cutting along the line. all you have to do then is simply sew up the seams and make a casing for your drawstring on the top (i have yarn in mine because i didn't have anything to use for the string, but i will be replacing it when i get to the store). voila! a pillowcase to a drawstring bag.

{image: jek in the box}

as much as we love these doll clothes we have tons of them and they simply were not working being stored in a plastic bin so i thought i would try out these little bags and see how they go. i originally intended to hang these from this nifty ikea hook wall mount thingie i have, but then realized that due to the sheer amount of doll clothes that were laid all out and folded on the floor, there was no way that these bags were going to hang at all. so right now the bags are in the plastic bin until i brainstorm another place for them, or another way to get the doll clothes off the floor (my daughter's room does not have a lot of space for more storage). we live in a 2 bedroom apartment so there is no play room and we try to keep her toy area to a minimum in the living room, even though it seems to grow more and more everyday like a large consumer monster. sometimes i wonder where it all comes from. surely we didn't buy all that?


do any of you have tips or solutions for doll clothes storage? i had thought of a cute vintage suitcase, etc, but i really need to keep it off the floor for now. i would love some tips! make sure to stay tuned in the next week or so, we have a new "remake, repurpose, refashion" coming up, a new tutorial for the "newbie sewing series" and a new "moms in the mommyhood" - lots of good things to look forward to!

p.s. - sorry the pics are not the greatest, my house was covered in doll clothes and all the cute ones had mackenzie in them, but she was only in a diaper and i didn't feel comfy posting those at her age on the net.

sneak peek - our weekend

waterpark fun....

dinner out...see a resemblance anyone??

luvin the baseball.....

how was your weekend?

grosgrain giveaway - hopscotch camisole

i can't seem to keep up with all the fabulous giveaways on grosgrain lately. wowsa! these little hopscotch camisoles were to cute to pass up. consider this my entry! lovely and i'll take red please :)

what giveaways have you been entering lately?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

vintage t-shirt pillow - earlybvintage
lemonball baseball, green apple coach leather w/pink stitches - lemonball
homerun baseball soap - sunbasilgarden
fabric coffee sleeve baseball - what'supyoursleeve

A baseball park is the one place where a man's wife doesn't mind his getting excited over somebody else's curves. ~Brendan Francis

vintage baseball bib and burp cloth set - sugarchicbaby
12-24 months child's newsboy cap - castlegate
nursery art print - barkingbirdart
batter up spring training baseball charm necklace - shadesongs

hey batter, batter, batter........take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the show....ok, ok, i'm done. i've got baseball on the brain since getting my new glove and figured why the heck not do an etsy monday in the mommyhood on baseball? i was pleasantly surprised to find a plethora of unique and fun baseball paraphernalia from handmade hats and jewelry to paintings and soap. with father's day just around the corner there is no shortage of gifts for dad's with a love of this wonderful sport.

luvinthemommyhood sponsor : : a healthier coffee

tired of drinking 4 cups of coffee a day? overtired? if you're like me you probably need a healthier coffee alternative.

check out luvinthemommyhood's newest neighbour - michelle martin, who is a independent representative of our fave new coffee organo gold. this coffee is so yummy and to top it off, it's healthy for you! click here to find out more about this fabulous coffee. word is around the mommyhood that it does wonders for allergies during this time of year - you can't beat that!

p.s. michelle is donating almost all her proceeds this month to the victoria general hospital's pediatric icu. she is also offering free shipping for your first order. give her a call or send her an email, she's a sweetheart :)

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link luv roundup

longing for the days i could do this and not fret about breaking my bed.

you know i can't resist a yummy recipe to post and this one for carrot cakey cookie doesn't look like it will disappoint. yum, yum in my tum, tum as my daughter would say. {via lovely morning}

one of my everyday reads "heart of light" shows us how to make a pretty ruffle headband.

kate has a great tute for a reversible water bottle holder over on curiositys.

the hairdresser in me is loving the flickr group braid wednesdays - stunning! {image: simple moth}

my new fave tea towel line! so adorable and fresh, made with environmentally friendly inks, recycled paper, and natural and organic fabrics! check out slidesideways on etsy & their blog "united we slide" - love it!

have you seen this bedroom makeover yet? oh yeah, wait a second, it was on design sponge...of course you have :) i couldn't resist posting it though, so check it out again, so fabulous. jen did this with a drawing projected onto the wall in a weekend when her hubby was away. while you are ooohing and ahhhing over her creative wall makeover make sure to check out her blog which is equally as fabulous "jenlovesken".

learn how to make a pillow from your fave sweater from "my mama made it" who was featured here this week :)

i've been enjoying the book "sweet booties", it's filled with some great little patterns! yep, patterns, that's right, more patterns for me to try to figure out...arggghh..it will be worth it in the end. thanks for all of your guy's help! i will be trying all your tips and emailing for help i'm sure :P

i've been looking for a tute to make myself some of these totes made out of t-shirts. so fun and way more original than all the generic cloth bags out there. click over to leethal for the tute.

i'm thinking this sweater "anhinga" by norah gaughan is going to be just perfect for those chilly summer nights and even better for the fall. don't you think this would be a great maternity convert? berroco has been releasing some great patterns lately! remember the juliana wrap - it's still on my ever growing to knit list.

enjoy your weekend and don't forget to brighten your day with the bright side project. they've got a fancy new look, go take a peek and add some sunshine to your day, then check out this twirly skirt pattern that i'm adding to my "to sew" list and finally, i've been toying with the idea of playing around with elastic thread and almost feel brave enough to do it after reading this post from craftzine - i figure it's time to start living dangerously!

weekend wishes

hoping your weekend is filled with wonderful wishes on dandelions and stars.......

{images: via around the bend}

fit friday in the mommyhood - what's your workout playlist?

{image: desiree delgado}

struggling to find a good workout playlist?

i am a music junkie and luv a good playlist. i think a playlist that's perfect for your workout and the type of exercise you are doing can help make a world of a difference to your fitness experience and aide in making it a more enjoyable experience, especially on those days where you just can't bear the idea of dragging your cute butt off the couch - and damn, that couch is comfy!

{image: rogilde}

ok, i admit it, i also enjoy a good sneak peek into other people's playlists. i find new faves, remember old ones and all in all have fun finding new artists and songs to workout to. so let's all motivate each other, keep our workout music fresh and allow each other a sneak peek into our very own workout playlists.

{image: cracking jokes}

so...what's your workout playlist? take a break, sip your coffee, grab your ipod and leave a comment with your fave songs to work out to and next week i'll compile them into a brand spankin new playlist with my songs too! feeling stuck for inspiration, click here for fitness mags sampling from 2008. whooeee! fun, fun, fun!

and a 1, and a 2, and a 3.....list away, ladies....list away...that's it...keep moving those fingers....great job! remember...your're worth it and you deserve it.

pretty ditty pattern release!

these pretties come at a time when i am struggling with patterns but jamie of "pretty ditty" promises to provide a lot of illustrations and visual instructions - those i know i can definitely use! they look gorgeous and the pretty ditty blog is one of my fave daily reads. congrats jamie, can't wait to try them! click here for the link.


do you have a pattern you can't wait to start sewing? leave a comment below - we love to see what you're making!

yippee! it's summer 09 knitty time!!!!

a little bit of summer.....

a little bit of winter.....

makes a new knitty issue!

summer 09 is up and ready for you to get those needles rockin!!! click here to start knitting!

don't you just love knitty time?

pattern 911!!!

do you see the look of fear in my child's eye? she is hiding under the table from my rantings with a set of pattern directions!!!

help! calling all sewers! i need some assistance - pattern 911!!! i am a newbie sewer and recently picked up 2 patterns the other week and have been completely stumped by them. i don't have anyone to show me the proper procedures when it comes to pattern reading and all the other stressful things that seem to come along with these symbol filled, brain numbing instructions! i feel like crying! now i know why i had never sewn before, talk about overwhelmed! i have been finding it so rewarding to learn the ropes of the sewing world by winging it and sewing garments from my imagination or using my own clothes as a template that i thought trying a pattern would be fun for a change. boy was i wrong.

i don't want to give up completely though, does anyone out there know of a great website or book that could help me through the situation? any classes in the victoria, bc area? i am stumped, i need some direction or the pattern's are going out the window and i'll just wing it. anyone wanna help a girl out?