My Etsy Store is Now Open

Well, this has been one of my goals for a while and I have now posted my first project (the Garden Serenity Apron) on my Etsy store, A Richer Life at Etsy: Garden Serenity Apron. Whoever purchases the apron will also get some added goodies (in this case the oven mitts and hot pad) as a thankyou surprise.

For anyone not familiar with Etsy, it is an online store; you cannot post anything that is not homemade, so this is where you can get some top quality items and support independent crafters and artists. You can find my Etsy store by going to http://www.richerlife.etsy.com/ or by clicking on the Etsy button to the right. I am going to be posting a wide range of things on my store and am very excited about this! In the very near future, I will have some of my greeting cards, lunch totes, coffee cozies, aprons, children's clothes and clothes for 18" dolls (American Girle, Goetz, etc.). The children and doll clothes and most of the aprons will be my own patterns so I've been having fun doing this.

My Serenity Garden Apron Set

Well, I'm ready to start posting beginning items to my Etsy store this weekend. The first item that I'll be setting up is my Serenity Garden Apron set. The apron is a medium size and it has a matching set of oven mitts and a hot pad holder. I just fell in love with this fabric line and some of the sentiments on it...

"Nurture your garden, nurture your soul."

"Serenity... A cup of tea in the garden."

... and so many more.

I like pockets big enough to hold what I try to put in them so I make them nice and full.

Carolina Elizabeth designed the original oven mitt pattern and then I adjusted (very typical) it to use piping, one of my great loves. They are smaller than most oven mitts but very flexible—that means that they will work well in the microwave as well as in a conventional oven. I find that the standard size mitt is just too big for my comfort level pulling stuff out of the microwave. The hot pad holder is 6" square and just a nice place to put a hot dish.

An interesting week...

Well, it's been an interesting week, to say the least!
Saturday was the Deluxe independent crafters show at the state fairgrounds. I was able to go and was very excited to meet the girls from SheezKrafty and see their beautiful work... even spent a little money! I had fallen in love with their switchplates on their blog and like them even more in the real world!

Sunday was Mother's Day and I got a wonderful gift in hearing that my two grandchildren in Alabama will be here for the month of June. Now that is a gift! And we got to talk to the kids! I also heard from our kids, grandkids and greatgrand kids in South OKC. All in all, a wonderful day!

Monday night (of course with lots of work to do) my computer started acting up. It looked and acted like the left arrow key was stuck so I ran to the closest Wal-Mart and picked up a new wireless keyboard & mouse set. Got home... set it up... still a problem. The only way to shut it down was power then I couldn't get anything so into the shop the computer went. I got it back and was able to set it up last night.

About 10 minutes after turning it on, we took a power hit and it burned out the CPU. Yup, it's been a grand week! I hadn't really planned on a new computer but looks like the good Lord had other plans for me.

Well, as you can see, I'm up and running again and hope to put up some new items soon.

Photos from the Land Run re-enactment

Well, here are two proud great-grandmas! These photos were taken after Mackenzie's class did their re-enactment to celebrate the Oklahoma Land Run. All the kids in the class had their lunches and most had a blanket and they started off from the start line to select and stake their "claim" (in this case it was the "plot" they were going to eat their lunch). Madison (pink gingham outfit) is in pre-K this year and so her class did not run but we all trooped around the entire schoolyard, each of the grades in order. Then each grade lined up and ran to stake their lunch space. A lot of great fun and a wonderful way to teach state history. Mackenzie's dress, apron/pinafore and bonnet were made from reproduction patterns and fabrics. It was not the bright cheery prints and colors that she usually wears but was very typical of the children's clothes at the time. Last year many of the kids were in costume but this year, Mackenzie was the only one in full costume. A couple of the kids had on cowboy hats and neckerchiefs but that was about the extent of it. I was very proud that she would want to wear her outfit when the others were not costumed. We sure had fun and it was great that Janis and I were able to join Kenzie, Maddie, little sister Kenadie and momma Anna for a fun lunch outing--such a great break from the office!

Good morning!

Spring is here! and hear! I hear some birds singing and other chirping; the wind (ever-present in Oklahoma) is blowing so I hear the leaves rustling; it rained last night, I went to the car and a gust of wind emptied the rain from the leaves... on me. So I changed. But it is so nice out and we really have needed the rain so I just can't bring myself to complain. I love it when it has the decency to do the raining at night!

I've been working on many projects but my camera gave up on me so I haven't been able to show you anything recently. One of the things I can show you is two more of the zentangles I've done... I am having so MUCH fun doing these. I hope you enjoy. Have a good day, y'all!