the little things

Lately its been the little things, materialistically speaking, that have had me in a good mood. I definitely will say that "things" don't make me happy, but every now and then I come across something that brightens my day. It could be fresh flowers for the house or a new vintage find. 

Here are some of my favorite things right now...

My new beautiful, buttery, leather Valise Journal via Anthropologie. I chose the yellow because it makes me happy, but they also have a gorgeous teal/green color. 

Saltwater Sandals. I've always been a fan of this sandal, but never owned a pair (at least past the age of 5). After Chelsea (a lovely blogger I follow on Instagram) posted a few photos in her classic black Saltwaters I decided to buy a pair. They're SO comfy. I'm very happy with these shoes!

 Two vintage dresses I thrifted for Ella. Those polka dots really got me, and the red nautical buoys? C'mon now...too much.

Lastly I was so excited to find this buffalo check table cloth (which I also thrifted). It fits Ella's kids table perfectly.

Anything that you're fancying lately?

CHWH swap- what i sent

Here is a visual map of the goodies that I sent Lisa my partner for the Cold Hands Warm Hearts swap. I really thought about the things she said she liked and tried to include them. Paris, traveling, owls... I think I nailed a few. And yes, that white box is a surprise item from Anthropologie for Lisa. You'll have to check out her blog post what she receives it to see what special awesomeness is inside. 

What again?

1. Sleep Mask

2. Blue Eyelet Pasport Holder

3. Surprise item from Anthropologie 

(you'll have to check out her post to see what it is)

4. Ruffled Note Cards

5. Fingerless Gloves

6. Paris Notebook

7. Reversible Coffee Cup Cozy

8. Owl Pouch with Waterproof Lining

Come back soon where i'll be sharing what Lisa sent me! Yay!

cold hands warm hearts swap

I'm really excited to be participating in the Cold Hands Warm Hearts swap this year. It's a fun blogger gift exchange hosted by the lovely girls over at Sandy a la Mode and Much Love, Illy.

The Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap is a swap created to keep your hands warm as Winter approaches and the weather gets colder. It’s also a way for bloggers to make new friends across the blog-world. Doesn’t your heart get warm when you make new friends? Rules for the swap state that each package should include a pair of gloves and any other items you think your partner would like. You can never have too many pairs of cute gloves and who doesn’t love getting some extra unexpected goodies in their packages too? Most importantly the packages are made from the heart! 

I've been paired up with Lisa from the blog Like Rain Inspirations. She loves her husband Andrew, homemaking, traveling, Paris related things, girly things, fashion and vintage (a girl after my own heart)! Her blog is filled with lots of great photos of inspirations and fun ideas from around the web, check it out!

I've been having a lot of fun gathering my items for Lisa. I'm looking forward to mailing out her package this week. I'll share what I put together for her after she receives her package and i'll be sure to share what goodies I receive from Lisa. Can't wait!

Giveaway at keepin it thrifty

You're probably wondering why posts have been, well...absent as of lately. Our little family went camping! We're back now and i've been preparing a few great posts to share soon, so stay tuned for those.


Today I'm so excited to be a part of Andrea's Birthday Bash Giveaway Week! If you hop over to Keepin It Thrifty today you can enter to win a grab bag of goodies from the Abstract Grace shop. So head on over, check out Andrea's blog and enter! (**Giveaway will end on October 20-@ 12 noon EST**)

Online Fabric Guide

I get most of my fabric from a small handful of places. The majority I buy online, but when I can't wait (need it for a rush order, etc.) there are only two places around town I shop at. I just got two packages this week with beautiful fabrics in them, and I thought it would be fun to share exactly what I'm shopping for these days.

My favorite in the bunch is the Kokka Japanese Bear Friend Fabric. As soon as I opened it I kicked myself for not ordering more (and it was on sale, what was I thinking?!!!). It's just so adorable! The little bears, the girl, the apples, the colors...it's a great print! I've been thinking about what I'd like to use it for, but then I get sad thinking that I may run out. I have a feeling i'll be sitting on this 1/2 yard for a while mustering up the courage to actually use it.

The other fabrics I just scooped up on sale as additions to my fabric collection. I rarely buy fabrics that are full price unless I LOVE them and know that they will sell out fast.

These are some of my favorite places on the web to buy fabrics:

Sew, Mama, Sew!
Fabricworm
Girl Charlee Fabrics 
Hawthorne Threads

Around town I shop at:

Beverly's Fabrics
Joann's Fabrics

I was just introduced to Girl Charlee Fabrics from Rebeka at Artsy-Crafty-Babe. She mentioned using them for the first time and liking the shop, so after reading her post I headed over to the site to check it out. That's where I scooped up the Kokka Bear fabric and the Baby Nay Stripes (in the sale section). Good recommendation Rebeka! Thanks!

Am I missing any other great fabric sites? Where are you buying your fabric from these days? Please share!

{find a friend friday - link up! week 11}

Welcome back to week 11 of Find a Friend Friday. Last week I had so much fun browsing through all your super cute Easter decorations.

Today Alissa and I are so excited to introduce you all to Kristen from Rock-A-Bow. Not only are her bow tie headbands to die for, she's also a super awesome WAHM of 2 wee ones. If you're looking for something to jazz up any outfit, be sure to check out her store.

1.Tell us about yourself.

Hi everyone. I'm Kristen from Rock-A-Bow. I am a wife, a mommy of two adorable babies and a full blown Jesus freak. I am slightly addicted to coffee, fabric and all things handmade. When I'm not playing with my babies or sewing, you can most likely find me at church or blogging. I'm pretty simple...

2. Tell us a little about your shop.

Rock-A-Bow was inspired by my little girl Rhiannon and her best bud Anberlyn. It was originally a bow and tutu company with the idea of making little girls happy. After having a baby boy and learning to sew, Rock-A-Bow has become so much more. I am constantly trying to think of new and fun things to create. 

3. How did your shop name come to be?

Well...like I just mentioned, Rock-A-Bow was a bow and tutu company and it was targeted at babies and toddlers. The original idea was a play on words Rock-A-Bow baby, you know like Rock-A-Bye. As things changed and we grew, baby was dropped and now we are simply Rock-A-Bow.

4. What got you started with your craft,and selling your items?

Let's face it, being a mommy of a little girl gets pricey. Especially when you have a bald baby girl. So I started making bows for my own little girl. I was always being asked where I got them so a friend and I decided to put our cute bows out there for others to buy. Rock-A-Bow was a way for me to potentially stay home with my babies, a way for me to make my stay at home mommy dream come true. Although I still have to work part time from home, Rock-A-Bow is growing and will soon be the only "work" I have to do.

5. Favorite part of your day?

Without a doubt my favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning. Which is odd. I am NOT a morning person. But around 8:30 every morning Talon (baby boy) wakes up and we play for about 15 minutes before Rhi (my 2 year old girl) wakes up and we all snuggle and play in bed for about an hour. It is pure joy every morning. 

6. What food or food group would you refuse to live without?

Caffeine. That's a food group right? Both chocolate and coffee make me one happy momma. Although, I love me some carbs. Pasta, bread, you name it, I love it. Can you all tell that I am NOT a healthy eater? I should work on that.

7. Where can we find you?

You can find me on Big Cartel at www.rockabow.bigcartel.com

Twitter handle @rockabow

Blog- www.rockabow.blogspot.com

and Facebook www.facebook.com/rockabowbaby

This week we hope you'll link up and say hello. We'd love to see what you're working on this week. It can be a DIY, a tutorial, a craft or even a post about yourself.

Party ends on Monday, Happy Linking!

{find a friend friday - link up! week 10}

Hi Friends! This Easter weekend I hope you are taking the time to reflect on all the amazing things that God's doing in your life. Today marks a big change in history. One where one man, one single.human.man sacrificed himself so that he could bridge the gap between him and his father. That separation came through a death on a cross and then and then three days later a glorious reunion in Heaven. Being a mother I often find myself wondering how a parent even survives through that kind of loss, yet I read about it on blogs all the time. I'm truly honored and amazed that they have chosen to be Jesus with skin on by sharing their loss, their story.... their journey with us. May God be the glory in your life today and always. God is good!

Thanks for joining us for Week 10 of Find a Friend Friday, Alissa and I are so glad you stopped by.

Alissa and I have met so many amazing people and even though we say that every week, we truly mean it. Today we'd like you to meet Jana from

Jana has an amazing heart!! And her shoppe is filled with all kinds of eye candy.

I hope you'll stick around because she'll be back in the next couple of weeks to share her story as part of Alissa's Be Ready, Be Prepared, Be Molded Series. You can read part one and part two here and here.


1.Tell us about yourself.

My name is Jana and I blog over at Giggles, Glitz & Glam as well as Thirty-One:10! I am happily married to Cody and we have two adorable but obnoxious dogs. Mikey, the black lab/border collie mix and Abby, the boxer. I work full-time for a non-profit organization called Christian Life Ministries and I am head over the Orphan Department. We are highly active in our church and with our home group. I have to say, we've got it pretty good!!

2. Tell us a little about your shop.

Giggles, Glitz & Glam was created because I decided I wanted to make tutu headbands and matching tutus. My nieces were my guinea pigs and after making the first set I was madly in love which is just how my shop developed!
 

3. How did your shop name come to be?

I started blogging as To Dabble in Design, but when I started making tutus I knew it was time to come up with a new blog title and business name. I really thought long and hard as I wanted it to be something I could grow into. The word Giggles popped in my mind and I wanted it somewhere in my name, but wasn't really sure. I kept playing with different words until I landed on Giggles, Glitz & Glam. I think it describes perfectly my shop and I think it allows room for growth. I figure if I started to make things for boys and mom then it could be Giggles for boys, Glitz for girls and Glam for moms. Sorry dads, but I've got nothing for you! :)
 

4. What got you started with your craft,and selling your items?

Two adorable nieces. Okay, that's only partially true. I started making pillowcase dresses for the Pillowcase Project and fell in love with sewing and the crafty world. I dreamed of a day when I would be a stay-at-home mom and wondered how I could contribute financially to my family without having to work. I walked through a store one day and saw these adorable tulle headbands. My niece desperately needed one, but I wasn't about to pay for it! I made my first headband and before long I realized it needed a tutu to match. And now it's history!!
 

5. Favorite part of your day?

When we go to bed at night. Cody scratches my back while he prays over us, our families and our future. I'll admit I don't always manage to stay awake, but it's the most cherished part of my day.
 

6. What food or food group would you refuse to live without?

MEXICAN FOOD. Life would not be life at all if it did not exist. Although to many of you, our mexican foods may be very different. We eat tex-mex around here and it's SOOO good!! Mmm!

7. Where can we find you?

http://gigglesglitzandglam.blogspot.com
http://thirtyone10.blogspot.com
http://gigglesglitzandglam.etsy.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/giggleglitzglam

Now let's get linking! This week we'd love to see what you're working on. It can be an Easter craft, a tutorial, interior decor, DIY project or your own store and blog. We love it all. There are no rules, but if you love what you see I hope you'll follow Alissa, Jana and myself!

Linky party ends on Monday night. 

{find a friend friday - link up! week 9}

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a great week, mine has been busy, busy busy! I've had a bachelorette night, hosted a wedding shower, appointments, shop orders, post office runs, housecleaning, gosh the list goes on and on... :) Anyways, the week really slipped by me and guess where we are now? Find A Friend Friday! Yay! Today were excited to introduce you to Jacqui, read on for more about her adorable handmade business...

Welcome to week 8 of Find a Friend Friday. We're so excited you're joining Alissa and I. We hope you'll link up and tell your friends to link up too.

 Jacqui from Craftee McGee is an amazing lady! Her store is filled with absolutely adorable goodies too. Here are just a few:

So cute, right?! I hope you enjoy getting to know Jacqui as much as I have.

1.Tell us about yourself.

I am a wife to my best friend, mama to our super spoiled yellow lab, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and follower of Jesus. I am a "church lady" by day- secretary, treasurer, web designer and everything else our little church needs- and craftee mcgee by night! I love to cook & bake, read, crochet and explore the northwoods with Brandon & Maddie. We recently left the suburbs of Chicago to move to northern Wisconsin and we are loving our new, quiet life in the woods.  

2. Tell us a little about your shop.

My shop contains jewelry and accessories that will add a unique twist to your everyday outfits. My "Craft ADD" is noticeable in the shop! I can't settle on just one medium or process so the shop has a little bit of everything! I offer everything from simple charm earrings to felt headbands to floral statement necklaces. I'm hoping to add some of my crocheted items soon. Many of the items are created from vintage jewelry or fabric. I love taking something old or discarded and giving it a new life! 

Also, for the month of April I will be donating 20% of all sales to the American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan. 

3. How did your shop name come to be?

I wanted to choose a name that wouldn't limit me to just one product. Since I love to use so many different crafty mediums, a name like Jewelry by Jacqui just wouldn't do :) Friends had started calling me Craftee McGee and it just sounded right. I changed the usual 'y' on crafty to double ee's and here we are! 

4. What got you started with your craft,and selling your items?

I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. I started with jewelry when I was pretty young. I used to have a bead loom that used seed beads to make bookmarks. I got bored with the loom so I swiped my dad's fishing line and used the seed beads to make a daisy choker and ring set. I sold a few at our school's craft fair in 5th grade and I've been hooked on jewelry ever since! {and I still have my dad's fishing line- sorry dad!} 

5. Favorite part of your day?

Either drinking my morning cup of coffee or the moment I hear the garage door go up and Brandon walks in smelling like a woodshop after a long day of construction work. {i love that smell!}

6. What food or food group would you refuse to live without? 

Dark chocolate & coffee!

7. Where can we find you?

stop by and visit me!

blog: http://crafteemcgee.com

shop: http://crafteemcgee.etsy.com

facebook: http://facebook.com/crafteemcgee 

twitter: @crafteemcgee


Jacqui has offered to give all my readers a 20% discount to her store. A-mazing! Use the code findafriend20 at checkout. Code is only good for 1 week so hurry!

Now that you've met Jacqui, we'd love to have the chance to meet you. Believe it or not we do look through all the blogs who link up. We love meeting new people!! You can link you your blog, store, Twitter.... it's totally up to you! Fun, fun, fun!

Linky Party Rules:

There are no rules, just link up and hopefully you'll hop around, meet some new people and leave some love on their blog.

Party ends on Monday! Happy Linking.

{find a friend friday - link up!}

Welcome to week #4 of Find a Friend Friday. Alissa at Rags To Stitches and I are so excited you're here! I'm so sorry we haven't linked up in while. I promise you'll find us here every Friday from now on. So link up and tell your friends to link up too. 

Today I'm so excited to introduce you to

Mandie @

You have to check out her blog and her shop, it's filled with all sorts of eye candy decor for you and your home. All the colors she uses are amazing

1.Tell us about yourself.

I'm a girl that loves fabric, coffee, my camera, and my husband, Gabe. I moved from the midwest almost 5 years ago when we got married to New Mexico where Gabe has lived his entire life, and I'm now spoiled by the (mostly) mild winters and beautiful mountains.

2. Tell us a little about your shop.

I sell accessories for you & your home! Cute little pouches for your purse, wristlet clutches, hot pads, and cute little coasters for your coffee table! I enjoy mix & matching fabrics to make something unique & one-of-a-kind.

3. How did your shop name come to be?

One night while laying in bed, it just came to me. I got up right away and registered it with etsy because I thought it was that fab & didn't want anyone else to take it! I didn't even open my shop up for over a year after I named it!

4. What got you started with your craft and selling your items?

I began sewing in February of 2010 when I needed a hobby. I'd collected fabric for a while before that, but had no use for it, so figured that sewing would be a good thing to try. In July I signed up for a craft show that took place in October, and a week after the show, I officially opened up my shop. moxiemandie has now been around for a few months & I'm having such a fun time watching it grow & evolve- even in just the last 6 months! It's amazing what a little time and experience does to a small business!

5. Favorite part of your day?

My favorite part of the day is when my husband gets home from work. I work days, and he works nights, so it's wonderful at the end of the day to see his face!

6. What food or food group would you refuse to live without?

Dairy! I know it's not the best for you, but yumm! I  love cheese, milk, and especially ice cream!

7. Where can we find you?

my shop: moxiemandie

my blog: mandie's mumblings

my twitter: mandiegirl

My Facebook Page: moxiemandie

Here are just some of the awesomeness in her store. Go check it out!! Mandie has also offered to give my readers FREE SHIPPING on your order. Just use the coupon code RAGS2STITCHES

{Paisley Garden Coasters}

{Ruffled Notecards} - Eek! need me some of these!

{Sunny Quilted Hot Pad}

{Custom Gathered Clutch}

{Ruffled Raw Wristlet Clutch}

Now for the Linky Party Rules:

1. Follow Rags to Stitches, Abstract Grace and MoxieMandie

2. Leave us some love if you want us to follow you back

3. Meet some new friends!!

This party ends on Monday so don't forget to link up and tell your friends to link up too!

{link up!}

I'm bad, really bad. At being a dedicated blogger that is. I am constantly with my head deep in a handful of projects, but it seems I always forget to take pictures along the way. Then, discouraged that i'm not keeping up I throw any effort to blog about it to the wayside. Shame on me.

I've also been telling myself that I'm going to be better at self promotion. Linking up with other blogs, and working on boosting my friend/follower count. If only I had an extra 2 hours in the day. Sigh...

Well, i'm going to start taking baby steps in the right direction (gotta start somewhere, right?). I'll start by sharing this. Its a Welcome Wednesday "link-up" party hosted by Take It From Me. I'm participating, and I hope you do too! Here's how to "link up"!!!


If you want to be a part of Welcome Wednesday, just follow these 5 simple steps:

1. Follow the Welcome Wednesday Host (Take It From Me) as well as the 2 Spotlighted Blogs of the Week. (These will make up the top three slots on the Linky)

2. Link up your blog name and URL with our Linky. (You only need to add your info once for it to be seen on all the blog hops)

3. Grab our Welcome Wednesday button and include it in a post about the event on your blog.

4. Go to as many blogs on the MckLinky as you want and Follow them. Be sure to tell them you are from Welcome Wednesday!

5. Be sure to Follow back any followers you have gained from our Welcome Wednesday event!

Head on over and join in!

{feelin' the holiday season}

Just wanted to share our family Christmas tree. It's sans the tree topper since the husband and I decided the one we'd previously been using just wasn't cutting it anymore. We're still on the lookout for a new one. (Anyone with recommendations for a new one, leave a comment/link below!)

Anyways, it's nice to have up in the house. Tonight i'm off to a fellow blogger's house this evening for a 'girls night out'. Well, its kinda 'girls night in' since we'll be sipping coffee and eating yummy goodies all while wrapping our presents without our kiddos. Ahh, the joys of a quiet evening among the company of adults. I'm looking forward to it! Hope everyone has a great rest of their weekend!

{abstract grace: for the holidays! and a giveaway!}

Here are some new items sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! Quantities are limited, so get them while you can. I ship next day on most my items, and often ship same day if ordered before 12pm.

And...we're doing another giveaway with Rags To Stitches. Alissa is doing 14 days of giveaways on her blog, and i'll be participating starting TODAY!!! So, head on over to Rags to Stitches Boutique for all the info on how to enter and to see what awesome items from Abstract Grace you can win.

Here are some pics of items from the new Holiday line available here:

Candy Cane Korker Bow Clip

 HoHoHo & Noel Jingle Bell Holiday Hair Clips (Shown in Green)

 HoHoHo & Noel Jingle Bell Holiday Hair Clips (Shown in Silver)

 Holly Jolly Polka Dot Korker Bow Clip

 Plaid & Gold Korker Bow Clip

 Plaid & Stripes Button Bow Clips

Happy Holidays!

{thanksgiving give-a-way! Once Upon A Cupcake...}

Just thought i'd share this giveaway hosted by Once Upon a Cupcake...head on over for your chance to win a dozen Thanksgiving themed cupcake toppers! Click here...

{we have a winner!}

The winner was just announced for the AG giveaway hosted by Rags To Stitches Boutique. I'll let R2S announce it, so head on over and click here to see if it was you! Thanks to everyone who entered. Keep an eye out for other giveaways, we'll be doing one again soon!

On another note, southern California is warm. We're still in the upper 80's here and I am LOOOONGING for some fall like weather. September, please lead to fall. I'm over this heat! Doesn't this photo just make you want cool weather and rain boots?

credit

{giveaway!}

Some fun and exciting news for you all! Abstract Grace has teamed up with the fabulous blog Rags To Stitches Boutique for AG's first ever giveaway! Rags To Stitches Boutique is hosting the giveaway for us so be sure to check out all the lovely things there have over there as well. The giveaway runs Today {9/8} thru next Tuesday {9/14}. There are a variety of ways to enter and the winner gets a set of personalized name bead hair clips made by yours truly! Head on over to Rags To Stitches Boutique for all the details! Good Luck!

You could win these....{personalized of course!}

{Changing Directions...}

I've been going back and forth about this for a very long time. What exactly is Abstract Grace??? I'm referring to the blog, and it's focus specifically. I originally started the blog because everyone I knew kept telling me that I needed to share my work with others. At that time I had quite the blog-roll going (it has since tripled in length), and I was such a fan of the blogs I was reading daily and the "blogosphere" that I knew it was a perfect outlet for sharing my ideas and work.

Most people that read my blog or know me in real life say I need to sell the items I make, which spawned my Etsy shop. Well...I soon found that grad school and full time work keeps me soooo busy that a new adventure such as a small business on Etsy was just not practical. I have yet to put a single item in there (so sad), and I have grand plans for that to change very soon. (I say that now but we'll see if it really happens once the little one arrives.)

Back to the focus of this entry...I get such joy out of reading the "lifestyle/design" blogs. You know...ones like this , and this, oh...and this one. All fabulous examples of crafty women who share their projects along with their lives. I think that I like this format better than "craft-only" focused blogs. I'm not sure why anyone would want or care about my life, but for some reason I feel that Abstract Grace would benefit from a slight shift in focus.

So...I'll start slowly. Adding pics and posts about my daily life. My personal likes and dislikes. Things I love. Blogs I love. Fashion. Makeup. Design. Life.....we'll see where it takes us!

{Projects: Wipes Case}

Ok, by far my favorite tutorial is this next one. Maybe I like it so much because it's more for mom than for baby. Poopy diapers are not exactly a glamorous part of parenthood (maybe when it's your own baby you don't mind so much, i've still got 4 months until I know...) but with a wipes clutch like the one I'm about to show you I can't imagine it being that bad--until you get poop on it. Ew.

The wipes clutch is getting to be a rather popular item as of late. They are just too cute, and very non-babyesq. Great for on the go, and looking good. I know a lot of crafters and etsy-ers making these and selling them (maybe one day i'll even put some in my store and you can save yourself the hassle of making your own, even though it is very easy to do).

Again, I'll save myself the hassle and post a link to an already fabulous tutorial from homemadebyjill. I've made several myself and they are EASY to do! And don't worry if your sewing challenged, it is a no-sew project. Don't wait, make one soon. Your sanity after 6+ diaper changes a day will appreciate it!