Hard to believe it’s that time of year again!

Here are a few of my favorite items to help get the school year off to a great start.

Check out these reusable snack bags by Uldeyrth. So adorable and perfect for packing in the lunchbox.

How fun are these “I’ll get you my pretty poppy longstockings”? by Poppyswickedgarden

Don’t you love this paper airplane zipper pouch by MontclairMade?

I recently discovered  Soyoungmother and I adore their whole line of lunch boxs, cooler bags and lifestyle bags.

Don’t forget to get your kids off on the right foot with a good breakfast. Lots of easy, kid friendly ideas from Martha.

Wishing you much luck as you get back to it.

Enjoy the last bit of summer and have a wonderful labour day weekend!

We’re heading to Victoria BC for a visit! This is my home town, and I can’t wait to get back since it’s been 3 years. I’m so excited to show the kids where they were born and know they will have a blast!

We will be partially closing our shop until July 20th. Our ready to ship items will  be available and we’ll still be around to answer any questions.

kind of dreading the air plane trip since it’s just me and my 3 kids, but I figure with a little lot of sugar products, we will survive.

and yes, it is this amazing…

Father’s day is just around the corner!  It’s often hard to know what to get him, so we’ve put together a list of interesting ideas.

Time

There is no better gift than the gift of time.  Here’s a fun book that caught my eye.

Card

A great card goes a long way. Some fun ones over at Happytimesco.

Wallet/Tie

Here’s a fun twist on the classic Tie gift. A necktie wallet. This wallet is made from a reconstructed vintage necktie and a retired wool suit. Many other designs available at prix-prix.

Soap (?)

Definitely an unexpected gift for dad…soap!  This kind, however will sure to win him over. There is a whole section of ‘beer and manly soaps’ over at Beautifulsoaps.

Food

Some unusual treats are available at cacaobakery.  How about some scotch cupcakes, or, better yet (or not) a Bacon and beer brownie.

Picture

Update that picture frame on his desk to something cool and modern like this solid walnut wood frame from Black Elm he’s sure to get comments on.

Handmade

How about something handmade?

Here’s an idea- just a piece of construction paper with a random (Martha Stewart) magazine subscription card taped to it.

This was the gift that was made and proudly presented by our (then) 3 year old son last year. It was a good laugh, memory and best of all, Dad felt loved by his son.

No matter what you give Dad this year, it doesn’t matter, as long as he is made to feel loved and appreciated!

Enjoy your Father’s day!

Not sure what to do with your old clothes chucked out while doing your spring cleaning? Well, here are a few ideas from Artist Derick Melander .

Curious to know more about these crazy sculptures? click here

Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

As you may know, I love upcycling clothes.

I recently pulled a pair of jeans from my closet that I wasn’t wearing. I cut them and hemmed them to make a pair of shorts for myself.

I do this all the time, for myself, and for my kids.  When their pants get too short and/or worn out in the knees, yet still fit around the waist,  I turn them into shorts. Such an easy project, and excellent way to save a few bucks.

I was just about to toss the cut off leg bottoms, when it occurred to me that perhaps they could be used as well.

I cut each leg to make 2 squares. I sewed each side, put in an elastic waist, and a new skirt for Isabella was born!

So, one pair of unused jeans turned into 2 very usable pieces just in time for summer!

Choosing your own fabric for our party dress, or our (new) sundress is lots of fun yet frustrating at the same time.  There are just so many choices!

Here are some that have recently caught my eye.

Kathy Hall – Coffee Buzz

black and white

0r. white and black

Hoodie -Mustard Circle Pot Print

Andrea Victoria – My Minds Eye – Petals – Fuchsia

Park Slope circles and Stems

Carolyn Gavin – Wild Thyme -Thyme Flowers

Alexander Henry – Willow Collection,

Willow Grove

These are just a few of the (too) many wonderful options available at Uberstitch. What catches your eye?  please share, we’d love to know!

If you love lots of free handmade stuff (25 to be exact) then we’ve got some great news for you!

Red pajamas, as well as 24 other amazing companies, are participating in a huge giveaway for Mothers day!  We’re excited to give away our retro coveralls.

You need to enter.

Go to the Laura Winslow photography blog, scroll through the participating goodies and leave a comment stating the one that caught your eye!

that’s it.

go and win.

I’ve been wanting to try sewing with knits for a long time now, but just never got around to it.  I discovered a stitch on my machine that is specific for sewing knits, so I thought I’d give it a go.  I’m so thrilled with the ease of it and excited with the results.  We love soft jerseys and are flooded with ideas!

Here is our first item for our shop.  I love the fresh blues and feel of this soft jersey.  A simple dress for everyday, with an added ruffle detail around the arms.

Isabella came home from school and discovered it hanging up.  She couldn’t get it on fast enough and wanted to model it immediately.  Of course I needed to take advantage of her enthusiasm.

She loves it.  I actually caught her kissing it.

If you love it too,  it’s now available in our shop.

A little girl from Texas is turning 5 years old.

This is her party dress.

Her mom contacted us in search of the perfect dress to go with her Queen of hearts party theme.  What a fun party theme! This is the print we found, and I think it’s just perfect for her special day.

Speaking of birthdays,  I just purchased this gift for a 6 year old birthday girl last week.  It’s a creative stencil set. You can mix and match head shapes, features, whiskers and snouts.  So cute,  I almost want it for myself.

This set is from Uncommon goods.  I love this shop for its unusual gift ideas.  I am a huge fan of online shopping.  I just can’t say enough about it.  No hassle, no kids, just me in my pajamas, a few clicks and this gift was shipped right to my door.  All that for only 15.00.  I may never go to a mall again.

“Should not have assumed 6 year old daughter, Isabella, would be ok with just wearing one of her dresses already in her closet for Easter. No, she desperately wants an Easter dress. I was just informed of this, 3 days before, preferably one with eggs on it.”

If you follow us on facebook, you may have read that status update.

Thought I’d follow up with the rest of the story…

I didn’t have time to order fabric, had nothing on hand, and just didn’t feel like shopping. Fortunately, I rediscovered an old dress of mine I had in my  closet.  I got it for a few bucks and wore it a couple of times only to decide I didn’t really like it on me after all.   I thought, however, that it would be perfect for Isabella.  It was actually an easy alteration. I adjusted the straps, took in the sides, chopped off the bottom,  sewed on the ruffle, and sighed a great sigh of relief!

Easter morning I woke up at 6 am to a crashing noise.  It was Isabella getting her dress down from high up in her closet. She was ready to see what the Easter bunny left for her in the living room, but didn’t want to begin her hunt without her dress on.  (who would?)

We had a great day filled with warm sunshine and a fun family gathering.

Isabella was so pleased and proud to wear her Easter dress, even without the eggs on it.