bits of sunshine

Giveaway!

This week I have been celebrating the restocking of my shop!

Thank you all for your very kind words and for your ideas and input.  It's so helpful to know what others see.  I have the items here, so I know exactly what they look like.  But you need to see it through the computer . . . Thanks for helping me know how to show them better.

I will be following up on some of your suggestions over the next few days. 
I will add measurements for the planters and the crib cover.
I am also going to take pictures of the the changing pads and some of the baby blankets with a sweet baby I know.  And, over the next week or two, I will be adding some more things to the shop.  Vintage goodies and made by me goodies.  I'm going thrifting today, so who knows what might find its way home with me . . .   :)

And now, on to the giveaway! 
The sets of cards brought the most comments.
Lots of love for the string of beads.

The beads (which can be seen in my banner and on my little bitsofsunshine cards and on the banner in my etsy shop and this set of cards) belong to my friend Elissa.  They hang by the window in her crafting area, and when I was visiting her in March, I caught the sun shining through them just so, and photographed them.  The colorful beads with the sun shining through just seemed to fit so well with my Bits of Sunshine.  So, I've been using them all over the place.

Well.  I had no idea that there was a story behind this lovely string.  Until Elissa commented this week, " Would you like the story behind the beads? "  And I replied, "yes, please tell me."  And she said, "I got those beads as a gift from my family before I left for Japan. {When I was pregnant with Maddie, Elissa taught English in Japan for a year through a program called JET.}  We were at my grandma's apt. and my aunt brought out a box of beads and a string. She asked that everyone pick a bead, tell me what it meant to them (wishes, advice, goodbyes, prayers, etc.) I still have the list of what each bead meant in a journal somewhere. It was a neat and a conveniently small way to carry my family with me. And they are quite cheery." 

That is so cool! I love that!
And I love that string of beads!
So pretty. And even prettier
knowing that it is a string full
of love.

Think of all the ways you could adapt this bead stringing!  When a loved one or best friend goes off to college, a new job, a new house . . . endless possibilites, right?

And for you, all my dear readers, I'm going to give away one set of the Pretty Bits cards and one set of the Sara's Flower cards. 

Just leave a comment.  I'll close the comments on Saturday evening and announce the winner late Saturday night.

Good luck!  And happy weekend to all of you!

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I'm going to close the comments and randomly choose the winner on Sunday afternoon instead.  Good night.

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And the WINNERS are ::

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2009-08-17 01:28:45 UTC

And I'm laughing . . .   Hello Elissa!  :)  You get a set of Pretty Bits with your beads.  :)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

14

Timestamp: 2009-08-17 01:34:11 UTC

And Itto . . . You get a set of Sara's Flower cards!  I need you to email me your address.  Thanks.

This was fun!  Thanks for all your lovely comments this week!

Vintage Baby Blankets - 1,2,3.

1) 
 
This little yellow and white flannel blanket is printed with sweet bunnies and bears and ponies and ducks and balloons and flowers.

I believe that it is two receiving blankets layered together, and it is bound with a satin blanket binding.

The blanket is in excellent shape - no tears or holes - and is oh-so-soft from being washed and loved. The binding has that worn to complete softness feeling and look, but is still completely intact.

This blanket is just waiting to be wrapped around a new baby.

It measures 33 x 33 inches.

2)

So pretty
So soft
So ready to be wrapped around
a sweet, sleepy baby

35 x 38 inches

3)
 
This crib cover belonged to my Grandma.
It is made of chenille and is so soft and clean.
There are no holes or even slight wearing.
This lovely piece was very well cared for over the past 60 years.
I have no place to display it, and the storks and bunnies are just begging to be used to cover the bed of a wee one.

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Find these cozies in my shop.
And tell me what you think of them here.

Tomorrow is giveaway day!

Vintage Planters = Baby Congratulations

For those of you who are my age (late 20's, early 30's), do you know if your Mom ever received something like this

with a potted plant in it, as a congratulations gift?

I know that my mom received at least a few of these.  (There are four of us.)  In fact, this one

was given to my mom when my brother was born, 27 years ago.  I guess that makes it an antique!  It's more than 25 years old! 

This sweet mug, was in a box of planters I found at a rummage sale.  I don't know that it has ever been used.  It is in perfect condition.  It would be so sweet with a happy little plant, or a fresh bouquet tucked inside!

This little bootie is also in pristine condition!  And it is the perfect size to hold cotton swabs!  Or flowers of some sort.  I'm thinking about lacing it with a ribbon, instead of the lace . . . white, pink, or blue; what do you think?

This little piggy wants to visit your house . . .   :)  She's very sweet and shy.  She would love to hold a plant, or an array of sweet lotion and ointment for baby's soft skin.  She's also very clean and in excellent shape!

All these planters are in my shop!

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Day three.  And of course,  I would love your feedback today.  What do you like about the item.  What might improve the item.  I am looking forward to having your input and ideas!  Remember, on Friday, I am going to give away one item from my shop.  Feedback from you will help me choose what I am going to give away!

Photo Postcards (Two Fun Sets)

Pretty Bits ::

This is a set of 3 postcards with envelopes - for sale in my shop.

The set includes one of each of these cards.
I chose these three photos because each one is bits and sunshine.  :)

Sara's Flower ::

My friend Sara took this picture - mmmmm.  I love it.

This set includes 3 prints of this image with white envelopes.

Because Sara and her husband are working at a youth camp this summer,
as volunteer director and music leaders, I will be passing 50% of the
sales from the Sara's Flower sets on to them.  They don't know this, and I
would love to surprise them in a week or so with a gift of money and a set
of postcards.  Help me surprise them?

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So, day two, item two.  I would love your feedback today.  What do you like about the item.  What might improve the item.  Would you use the item for yourself or as a gift.  I am looking forward to having your input and ideas!

Thanks to those of you who gave suggestions for my changing pad.  I'm going to finish one with a binding.  And I'm going to take pictures of some of the baby items with a real baby!  For size, scale and cuteness!  If you didn't give me an opinion on yesterday's item, please do so!  Remember, on Friday, I am going to give away one item from my shop.  Feedback from you will help me choose what I am going to give away!

Bits of Sunshine Shop on Etsy

My shop has re-opened!

Visit me here to see what I am currently offering.

It has been really fun to get things ready to go into the shop!  And I have a few more items ready to be sewn together and posted in the shop.

On Friday, some of my things were included in Heather's giveaway.  She said such nice things about me!  And she took such lovely photos of the things I had made and found and sent to her!  Thank you, Heather!

{She has another giveaway going on right now!}

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I am really excited about my shop!  I love to sew.  I love to share what I have sewn.  I also love to rummage and thrift.  And sometimes I find things that are just too pretty or quirky or fun to leave behind.  And I love to share those things, too!

Because my shop is called "Bits of Sunshine" I can offer all sorts of bits of this and that - all in one place!  Things that make me smile.  Things that I hope make you smile, too. 

I am also excited about the possibility that a regularly stocked shop could mean an extra bit of income (some more grocery money, a bit of thrifting for my family and home money).  Because being at home with my kiddos is so very important to me.  And because feeding my family and keeping them warm and comfortable is really my most important, and most loved job. 

This week, each day, I am going to tell you about one item in my shop.
I would love your feedback each day.  What do you like about the item.  What might improve the item.  Would you use the item for yourself or as a gift.  I am looking forward to having your input and ideas!

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My mom gave me the really cute baby animal flannel and I had the yellow, left over from the back of this quilt.  I thought that it would make a very cute double sided blanket.  But there was a hole, right in the middle of the animal fabric.  So, I got to thinking.  I had this soft mattress pad, many times washed, that the elastic was shot on.  I thought, hmmm.  Cute flannel + soft mattress pad + more flannel = changing pad! 

Or!  What about those babies who just wet through everything at night, no matter what.  Wouldn't this make a great extra layer underneath of them?  To save the mattress in whatever bed baby is sleeping in. 

(The colors are a wee bit brighter in real life.)
I know I would have used one of these when my kiddos were small.
I have two of these pads in my shop.
They each measure about 18 x 27 inches and roll up nicely to tuck into a diaper bag for diaper changes away or into a basket for at-home diaper changes.

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Let me know what you think!

And remember, on Friday, I am going to give away one item from my shop. 
Feedback from you will help me choose what I am going to give away!

Today is the Day!

The day I've been working hard for.
And sneak-peeking about.
For a while now.

Today, I am featured over on beauty that moves for Heather's First Friday Giveaway!  You must pop over and sign up!  Because the giveaway is a really fun collaboration between Heather and me.  Beauty that Moves and Bits of Sunshine.  Beauty and Bits.  Bits of Beauty - just for you! 

Remember this ::

And how about one of these ::

(the Maddie-Top, not the Maddie-girl . . . )
And a few other surprises from me, and some lovely things from Heather.
Get on over there and sign up!

Also.  Drum roll, please.  Dun-DA-da-Dun!  I have reopened my etsy shop! 
You can see some of my offerings on my sidebar.  And you can click over to my shop to see what other bits of sunshine I've collected and made for you!

Starting on Monday, I will be featuring one item each day on my blog, telling you all about it, and asking for your feedback on my offerings.

I'll also be working on keeping my little shop stocked with all sorts of goodies!  I have more ideas!  And some more fun things cut out, ready to be sewn!

And come back next Friday, as I will be offering a giveaway of (at least) one of the items in my shop.  By the end of the week, I'll know which items are your favorites.  *wink, wink*

Enjoy your Friday! 

Lake Superior

last Friday
we left home
with our two kiddos
and five from our church youth group

the five big kids had never seen Lake Superior before
so, the drive into Duluth was really fun for me
with fresh eyes in the car
(it's a beautiful drive anyway)
we drove up to Enger Tower

and looked down at the park

and the lift-bridge

we drove further up the shore
to Palisade Head (300 feet above the water)

we set up camp a few miles north of Grand Marais
right on the lake shore

Ben and I cooked supper
while the kids explored the beach
 

they went way down the shore

something about that big lake
and the unending sky
brought the kids
to a great realization of the Creator
they brought a spirit
of worship
and mindfulness
to our campsite on the beach

we also visited Grand Marais

climbed up the light house
climbed around on the rocks
and ate a skizzle
at World's Best Donuts

we hiked to Devil's Kettle

someone got a little tired on the stairs

after all, there were only about 260 of them . . .
on Sunday morning
we had a worship service on the shore
"this is a great church," said Isaac
and we finished our North Shore visit
with a stop at Temperance Falls
 

and watched the river run into Lake Superior

before our very long drive home
 

What's Coming . . .

on Friday . . . you'll get to know all about this little pile . . . plus some other goodies . . . what fun this is going to be!

Shoot.

Those pictures will have to come another day.  That was supposed to be a short and easy post before our very fun, very full weekend . . .

I have quite the list of things to do today, so if I don't make it back to tell you about the weekend later today, I will tomorrow.  Here is a little taste of it ::

Wishing you all a bit of sunshine or two!