Match It Monday • Birthday Girl's Headband

Stella is turning one a week from today!  I decided to make her a matching head band for her tutu.  Did you see her tutu I shared last week?  If not, you can see it here.  Otherwise, it's beneath the wooden star in the picture below.

Big girl also got her first pair of tennis shoes yesterday from the same shoe store her daddy got his first pair.  She of course had to show them off today! 

 Shoes:  Stride Rite
Head Piece:  Snappee Turtle  

(tulle rosettes on a crocheted band)

The matching Snappee is really to go with her tutu, but it happened to match the outfit she already had on (and her cool new kicks!)

Thanks for joining us for Match It Monday!

~Eva  & Stella

Feature Friday • Snickering Bison

Stella is turning one on August 22nd!  Crazy to think how fast her first year has flown by!  Well I wanted to get a fun tutu for her to wear on her big day and of course for some fun pictures.

A friend of mine from my hometown, Stephanie Colson, has her own handmade business called Snickering Bison.  She makes these really cool crocheted monster hats.  I definitely want to get one for Stella for the winter, and I kinda want one for myself.  :)

Here are a couple of my favorites...

Mr. Monster hat

by Stephanie Colson
Snickering Bison

                                                                

Mr. Hootie hat

by Stephanie Colson
Snickering Bison

                                                                     

She crochets lots of other items, too.  When I was browsing her website, I saw that she also made tutus, and I knew I had to get one for Stella.  I contacted her last week, and she had it done in no time.  She was coming in the area for the weekend, so I got to meet up with her this past Saturday to pick it up.  It is SO stinkin' cute.  Stella loves how fluffy the tutu fits around her waist.

I can't wait to post more pics of Stella prancing around in her awesome new tutu!  Be sure to check out Steph's awesome handmade items at Snickering Bison!



Happy Friday,

Eva

Thankful Thursday • Linky Parties and Blog Buttons : Google It

I know.  Who doesn't love Google, right?  Well, I am the type of person who likes to self teach myself.  I like the fact that I don't have to go to a class with an instructor to hold me by the hand.  Although, I will admit that I could benefit from that for certain things, but I really like the fact that I can sit on my bed, couch or at the table on my lap top...and it's FREE!  Thanks to Google and it's wealth of tutorials and brilliant bloggers out there!

Since I am new to the craft blogging world, I have been prying around out in the blogosphere to see what I like and don't like.  What's everyone doing?  I want to make my blog more unique (without reinventing the wheel).  More my style.  I am no web designer, so I love that I can just type in to Google what I am looking to do and Voila!

For example, I wanted to make a button for my blog.  Did you notice it on my right side bar?  I also wanted to create the text box under it for those who want my button to put on their blog to be able to copy and paste the html code.  I came across this great tutorial on how to make a blog button at Oikology 101.

Why do I want a button for my blog?  I started participating in some linky parties, and I have been grabbing everyone else's buttons for their blogs, that I thought, "Hey!  Maybe someone will like my blog enough to grab my button!  Plus, I've said before I love buttons!  This is just a different kind of button, but cute all the same!

I am new to the linky party business, and I love the concept!  For those of you who don't know what a linky party is, I'm sure you could google "What is a linky party?"  Or I could just tell you :)  A linky party is where a blogger hosts a party called a linky party for other bloggers to contribute content their blog.  These other bloggers can post a picture with a link to their own blog post on the blogger's site that is hosting the party.  This gives exposure to these other bloggers' blogs.  In return for getting exposure, the other bloggers will "link back" to the party host's blog by adding the party host's button which has a link back to the party host's blog embedded in the html code of the button.  Why does all this matter?  1.  It gives the other bloggers exposure, and 2.  It helps the party host's blog's SEO (search engine optimization).

Back to why I'm thankful for Google.  Since I am new to the linky parties, I wanted to know, "Is there linky party etiquette?"  I saw that all the different linky parties had rules to follow for those participating, and one in particular said it was tacky to participate in more than one linky party for the same blog post.  Oops!  Guilty!  I wanted to see if that statement was common knowledge, so I googled "linky party etiquette."  I came across a fabulous analogy at the blog CrafterMinds that helped me understand much better!  The author relates a linky party to a dinner party.   Clever!

Linky parties are fun, especially when everyone follows directions and doesn't just link up on people's parties to show off their stuff and not visit anyone else's blogs that have linked up.  Plus it's a great way to meet other crafters, get inspired and find things I want to pin on Pinterest!  Check out all the linky parties I participate in.

With all that being said, I am thankful for Google for once again teaching me something new.  I'm sure I'll be thankful for Google a lot as I learn the in's and out's of craft blogging!


Thanks for reading,

Eva

WAWW • Crafter in the Making

When I was thinking of the different days of the week that I would have a themed post, I never really decided on one for Wednesday.   I was telling my sister what I was calling the other days, and she asked me "What about Wednesdays?"  That's when we came up with WAWW.  The What About Wednesday, Wednesday.  I am going to dedicate Wednesdays as my random day, where anything that catches my fancy will be shared with you all.

For our first WAWW, I just had to share my little crafter in the making.  My craft room is also our laundry room.  It's a pretty nice size room, so on one half sits the laundry machines and the other half sits a nice kitchen table with my 60" long sewing mat atop.  Also on top of it is one of those cube shelves which hold my fabrics, papers, and all sorts of other crafting supplies.  I would share a picture, but it is so NOT organized right now!  Sometimes I get working on more than one thing, that I don't have enough room on my table.  Hence, the reason my sewing machine was on the floor.

Stella loves to follow me into that room.  Tonight the first thing she was drawn to was my sewing machine, since it was so easily accessible.  This was too cute not to share!

Stella Rose would like to show us all how to thread a machine (or should I say UNTHREAD a machine)!

I love watching her use her cute little fingers.  She just loved pulling on that thread!  

It's like she was saying, "Mama, I'm going to be one year old in a couple weeks.  I think I'm ready for this kind of stuff!"  ;)  She is so much fun!  I love this age, but I do look forward to when I can really teach her how to sew and make other fun, crafty messes!  Dada will surely love that!  ;)

Best wishes,

Eva...& Stella Rose

Turtle Tuesday • New Snappee: The Linda

Miss Turtle would like to introduce a new Snappee to you all!  Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for another ANNOUNCEMENT!!

The Linda

A friend of mine from high school, Linda, got married this past weekend.  Unfortunately, we missed the ceremony, because I goofed on the time zone.  I thought where we were traveling to was an hour behind us, but it wasn't!  We were early to the reception, though.

I wish I could've taken more pictures, but we were too busy chasing our little munchkin around.  Stella was wearing her first pair of hard sole shoes, and she just loved the sound they made on the tile floor!  All she wanted to do was run around.  The reception was beautiful, and Linda even did mostly everything DIY.  The bridesmaids' dresses were cobalt blue, and they carried hot pink flower bouquets.  I loved the colors together!

Linda had mentioned her wedding colors on their wedding website prior to the wedding.  When I know what the wedding colors are going to be, I always love to make a matching card.  As I was making her card, I was inspired to create a new Snappee!  Since my snaps won't arrive until the end of the month, I decided to make it into a pin and attached it to the card.  I didn't have any pin backs, so I had to use a safety pin.

It was fun to make, and I love when something simple inspires me to create something new!


Miss Turtle would like to announce that all Snappees can now come in your choice of a pin, an alligator clip or magnetic snap!  There is now a drop down menu to choose from when shopping on the Facebook store front.


Toodles,

Miss Turtle
& Eva