Need a Sign?

Sometimes we just need a sign to steer us in the right direction. Am I right? Well here's your sign!! I've started up a new little hobby along with my partner in crime/bestie. We make signs. Signs of all kinds...

We're getting really excited because after a lot of hard work and time spent we are finally ready to start selling these happy little signs. We're having our, very first Insta sell this week, starting Monday morning (June 13th).  If you have a sec come check us out on Instagram @vintagefreshsignco! You might just find the sign your looking for.

Oh hey! Remember me?

Oh hey there fickle friends!! Remember that one time when I had a baby and said I'll see you in just a few? Bet you didn't know I meant a few YEARS!! 😂 Yeah. Neither did I. Many warned me that the third kid would rock my world and throw me off my game and sorts of crazy things. And I was all like, yeah sure, what's one more. And then. Well, my world was rocked. And tipped. And tossed. And flipped right upside down.

This little girl has been the most fun, wild, exciting adventure yet and I love her dearly and have appreciated this break from blogging to spend with her and my little family. But now, well she's five!! And I'm starting to panic because she starts kindergarten in the fall and will be leaving me home, all alone! All of the sudden I will be without a friend/sidekick/pal by my side all day long. I'm not quite sure just how I am feeling about it. So here I am. Begging you all to be my friend/sidekick/pal again. That is, if there is anyone still here??

I've got a new venture that I've recently started (remember when I told you i was fickle 😏) along with my cousin/bestie (who is also dealing with losing her kids to the public school system soon). To help ease ourselves into this next phase of our lives and just to plain old keep ourselves busy, we've started a small handmade wood sign business.

We're super excited to share what we've been working on, and even get an Etsy shop up and running soon. Much more on that to come (if you're super anxious and just can't wait you can check us out on Instagram @vintagefreshsignco ...there just might be a GIVEAWAY going on that you can enter to win a free sign).

But for now, just checking in hoping to reconnect with those who have hung in there with me all these years and perhaps find new friends out there in the land of blog. Leave us a comment, let us know you're there!! We'll be back soon. Promise this time for real. 😉

Enjoying It.

She finally came.

So I've spent the last few enjoying it...all of it!
I might be back at some point. 
We'll see.
It was hard to put her down long enough to type this.
Getting NOthing done!
Nothing at all.
Just...enjoying it.

YOU Can Make a QuiLt...I have proof.

I have wanted to attempt the quilt for quite some time now, but had absolutely no idea where to begin with one.  Really, no idea.  I was scared.  So I put it off.  Over and over again.  But with a new little one coming I was feeling inspired to give it a go...somehow.  I've come to learn that the Internet can 'teach' you to do pretty much anything.  So I logged on and I searched and searched until I finally came across this, a beginning quilting series from Diary of a Quilter...she made me believe.  She's got ALL the steps spelled out for you in black and white, from what supplies to start with all the way to binding your quilt...and she's so easy to follow!  I was actually excited to get going!

So I went through my scraps...I didn't want to go out and purchase a bunch of fabric, just in case things went amiss.  I knew I wanted to use different textures and patterns since I would be using this as a little tummy time mat for baby.  So I got creative and pulled out some knit, minky, and even a ruffled pillow sham that I had left over from the nursery pillows.

I cut the back off the sham...

Then cut my squares with my rotary cutter...I used 5 inch squares.

Then it was time to lay out my squares in the pattern I thought worked.

Then following the instructions from Diary of a Quilter I started piecing my quilt and made rows with my squares...

And ironed my seams...the iron will become your very best friend during this project!

Next I sewed my rows together.

And it started to look like something that resembled an actual quilt.  I added my borders and batting and backing and really started to get excited because there were now layers to my quilt.  But the excitement came to a screeching halt when I learned that I had to baste my quilt.  Huh!?  I had never heard of such a thing!  Who knew this step existed?  And that there was spray and special basting pins involved.  Well, I was on a roll and wasn't about to throw in the towel at this point, so even with being ill prepared and without proper equipment...I rolled on, with regular old safety pins.  And I'll tell you, they worked just fine. 

Okay, so this is where I started to get a little nervous.  It was time to actually quilt...that is to say, SeW.  Preferably in straight lines.  And because I was a little lazy (and really anxious to finish) I totally skipped a step and didn't draw lines to mark where to sew...such a rebel.  I just eyeballed my way through, and do you know, some of the lines actually lined up!

So at this point I am jumping up and down that I might actually see this thing through.  All there was left to do was finish with a little binding.  So I cut my strips and pinned...

And I FINISHED that quilt!

So there it is...PrOof.

Because if I can do it, YOU certainly can too!

Something for babY

For those of you who don't know, I'm getting ready to welcome my 3rd baby (first girL) in just about...well, any day now.  So as you can imagine there has been a lot of BabY on the BraIn as of late.  Especially once I realized (about a week ago) that I have not 'made' anything for her yet.  I also realized (about a week ago) that I was a little short in the blanket department...unless you count all the blue ones packed away in storage.  So in this instance what would any rational 9 month pregnant woman do...take herself to the local Target to purchase a few...probably.  But I'm a different kind of crazy and decided I would still try to make some instead.  So that I did. 

I found the fabric at Hobby Lobby.  Love it.  Also love the so very cozy minky...but must say it's a beast to sew!

I wanted to add a little something extra and turned this once felt flower Easter garland (also Hobby Lobby) into a little embellishment.

, 

I probably should have prefaced this post by saying (and I know I've said it before...many times) I don't sew.  Never have had a lesson (unless you count me sitting on my grandma's lap at the age of 7 'helping' her sew up a few pillowcases).  I don't know the terms, don't know how to use a pattern, I'm really not quite sure if I even thread my sewing machine correctly...I'm totally winging it!  But nevertheless.  I don't think baby's even gonna notice.  What she will remember (hopefully) is that the blanket that she dragged around for years and years when she was little was made with love...crooked lines and all. 

Now call me cocky, but I finished the blanket and just couldn't stop myself.  I still had a bit of fabric left so I made a few burpies to match... which, by the way, turned out to be trickier than the blanket for what ever reason?!  It's a learning process...one that I may or may not ever tackle.

So the moral of the story for today is...go for it!  Try something new.  Something you might not have clue how to begin.  Make some mistakes.  Then try it again.  So what if the lines aren't 'PerfeCt'. That doesn't stop me.  And it shouldn't stop you either!

Stay tuned for my next installment...'CraZy Pregnant Lady That Doesn't Sew Makes a QuiLt'.  Ha!  Just the thoughts of it makes me laugh!!

Shabby Apple WiNneR!



And the LuCkY winner is...

...Brianne...

Oh! I'm so jealous.  I cannot wait to be back in normal clothes again.

So sick of wearing the same 3 maternity shirts and elastic pants!

Okay Brianne, I don't have a way to get in touch with you...so you have until the end of tomorrow to get back with me.  After that, the dress is back up for grabs!

.......................

Huge thanks to Shabby Apple for the giveaway!

Our PLaYrOoM

Remember clear back...oh, about a year ago...when I said I was working on sprucing up our playroom?  A YEAR ago! Where does this time go?  Well, with all of the spring cleaning (nesting) going on around here I was able to clean up enough to get a few pictures of the 'finished' room...still not where I would like it to be, but it will do for now.

The entire purpose of this room is to provide a place for my kids and all of their mess  toys.  This room is a bit separate from the rest of the house, it's a bonus room above our garage.  I love that they have their space to play and make their messes and (the best part) if I don't want to, I don't have to go up there and see that mess.  Out of sight, out of mind...I can choose to ignore it completely.

One of my favorite things in this room are my Ikea shelves.  They are the perfect place to store lots of stuff and help keep things looking organized and clean.  The big canvas storage bins work great to hide all the little nic-naks that need a place to be...they also are great to incorporate the colors of the room.  I found these at Walmart and Target.

When we painted, I knew I wanted to put chalkboard paint somewhere in the room.  We decided on doing a strip on the back wall...

I finally finished the ABC canvases that I talked about here.

Another good (cheap) storage solution: garbage cans.  I found the blue garbage cans on the bottom shelf below at Target for $2.50 each.  They're hard plastic and sturdy enough to handle my boys.

I found these paper mache letters at Joann's and covered them with scrapbook paper.

Also, talked about these owl canvases here.

And that's it.  Our playroom...on a good day. 

Believe me, it never looks like this!  Usually the carpet is not visible.



Shabby Apple {Giveaway!}...just in time for SpRiNG

I was totally ticked off when I woke up this morning and saw SnOw on the ground outside my door!  Where are you spring?  I'm dying for a little sunshine, green grass and lemonade!  Anybody else with me? 

Well, let's see if we can't lift the spirits a bit with a little (actually I would call this BiG) spring giveaway. 

How would you like to WIN this dress?

 Shabby Apple 

has offered to giveaway this dress

(perfect for spring and a little lemonade sipping, I must say)

to one lucky fiCkLe piCkLe follower.

To enter, here's what you need to do...

1.  If you're not already a follower of the fiCkLe piCkLe, now's the time to become one!

2.  "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a comment saying you did so.

3. Finally, you must be a resident of the U.S.

And that's it.

After that go to Shabby Apple's website and check out the rest of the great women's dresses. 

They've got everything you'll need for spring...and then some.

And if you hurry, fiCkLe piCkLe readers can get 10% off anything on their website when you use the code ficklepickle10off at checkout.

I can't get enough of the South Pacific Line...

I'm also loving their new Roamin' Holiday line...makes me want to take a holiday myself.

       

And did you know they have Maternity!? 

So wish I would have known this before the 37th week of pregnancy!!

I'll be back on Sunday to pick a winner...good luck!