New zipper pouches in my shop!

I have been busy working on a fun new addition to my shop ... zipper pouches!

I love the mix of prints and mix of colors. I hope you do, too!

Zipper pouches available here.

It's official!

As of yesterday, we are officially on the waiting list for our new baby girl from Ethiopia!

Our new tent

What have I been up to, lately? Renovating my entire house (almost done, but the kitchen is still gutted), sewing (of course), and .... playing in our new tent. I was recently contacted by CSNstores.com and they sent me the Tee Pee playhouse from Pacific Play Tents. We have been loving it! Annie has so much fun with it, and I'm happy that she's so happy with it. She's been really into the idea of camping, lately, so this was perfect for her (and a great way to deflect the idea of actual camping ... yuck!!).



Here are some of its best features:
-It was super easy to put together. Maybe 5 minutes! That's a definite plus when there's a two-year-old (im)patiently waiting to play in her new tent.
-Once it's together, it's very sturdy. The poles are inset into each other so that they can't come apart easily and collapse. It has a wide base so it can't tip.
-It's a nice size to play in. Annie fits perfectly, and she has plenty of room to grow. I think the tent will be even more fun when her new sister will be able to join her in a few more years.
-Instead of the traditional one-door entry into the tent, there is main door and also a side door. Annie loves going in one and "surprising' me by coming out the other. Endless hours of entertainment.

The only drawback of the tent is that because it is so roomy, it does take up quite a bit of space. If we had a playroom, this wouldn't be an issue, of course, but we have a small, quaint house, so the tent is now the main feature of our living room. I knew this would be the case when I ordered the tent, though, and I was willing to sacrifice my floor space for Annie's enjoyment. I was happy to see how easy the tent is to assemble and un-assemble, so I can easily take it down when I need a break from it. And really, is my floor space really so important when I see how much Annie loves her own, private little nook? Take a look at this face and you'll see what the answer is!

Competition!

I am in the Etsy competition again this week! Yay! Please stop by and vote for my "Handbag with Bicycles in Blue" here.

I just found out that my "Summer in Marrakech" purse is in the Etsy "Colors you Beautiful" contest this week. Please stop by here and take a minute to vote! Thanks so much for your support! (I really appreciate it!)

Sew, Mama, Sew board member!

I have been working on it for the last few weeks, but my first post has finally just been published. For the next few months, I am the newest board member at Sew, Mama, Sew. Coming up for February: fat quarter month. Lots of great projects, lots of great resources, and a tutorial from me in a few weeks.

Click here to read my introductory post.

And be sure to check out the Sew, Mama, Sew blog!

Save Handmade for Kids!

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

*posted with permission from ChiChiboulie

Sewing hiatus

"Sewing hiatus" would be the optimistic way to say it. "Sewing machine is broken" is maybe more accurate. It's actually just the light bulb that is burned out, but it makes it too hard to see where my seams are going.

So until it gets replaced, I'm using the free time to make my blog as cute as possible. I think I have tried every available theme, so far, and I know I will make hundreds more changes over the next few weeks, but I'm happy with my (meager) start, so far!

My new world!

Hello everyone! I'm Jennifer. Welcome to my world!

Up until a year ago, I led a completely blog-free life. I was a middle-school French teacher with a great husband and a great hobby (sewing). I started a new life, though, when we adopted our beautiful daughter from Vietnam. I quit my job to stay home with her and I decided to turn my great hobby into a lifestyle -- I opened my Etsy shop to sell my handmade bags, purses, and baby items. I was suddenly immersed in the crafting world and the words "blog", "twitter", "flickr", "facebook" all became part of my everyday conversations (much to the surprise of my husband who USED to be the techie of the family!). I now run my computer all day long so I can learn all I can from the growing craft world. I read my favorite (long list of) blogs every day, and I have now decided to take the next step and create one of my own. I hope you enjoy taking a little peek into my crafty little world!