1.11

I had a friend growing up that would always say, "it's 11:11, make a wish!" The rules were you would close your eyes, make a wish and not look at the clock until you knew it was no longer 11:11 anymore. That is, if you wanted your wish to come true.

Now 11:11 has a different, even more magical appeal for me. The universe/God/angels/creator/higher power communicate through synchronicities one of which, is the repetition of the number 1. So when you happen to glance at the clock and it reads 11:11, or 1:11, or 3:11, I take it as a sign that you are on the right path, greater powers are sending you a little hello, as only they can, through little signs. Some examples that have wowed me are picking up my phone to text my sister-in-law and seeing the time stamp say 11:11. Or thinking about someone and the phone rings at 11:11 on the dot, seeing 1s on receipts you get, or on license plates, etc.

Does anyone else ever see 1s in their daily lives? The same can be said for any other numbers... the important part is to be open to receiving the little messages and noticing when it happens.

Why 1s? A billion websites can better explain the significance of the number one in terms of numerology. It's the master number. Seeing it often means you are embarking on a spiritual journey.
it's the sign of an awakening. I liked this excerpt from numerologist.com, " Repeating Number sequences like the number 1111, 1212 and even 911 are actually designed to catch your attention, to break the spell of the material matrix and to draw your attention into the divine and present moment. These Divine numbers are like prayers from above, requests for attention and intention."


Break the spell of the material matrix. Damn. 

It's also said that on days like January 11th, for example. 1/11, there are opportunities to make huge leaps of consciousness. There's some food for thought. What can we do to make that happen? 

Read this for more info on 1s.

Then watch for 1s. ✌

Making stuff

Is anyone watching Making It? Amy P and Nick O are ridiculously wonderful and the show is one of those few gems that you can watch with your kids without worrying something inappropriate will happen. Anyway there are some contestants that I just loveeeeee. The interior designer has the best taste (she's my favorite and i think she'll win) and the colors and whimsy of the paper crafting lady.... gahhhh. You should watch this show, its on hulu. It pairs nicely with sweatpants and white wine. This show reminds me of all of the things I love about The Great British Baking Show. It also reminds me of how much I love to craft. And troll etsy.

photo: newsweek

About 9 years ago, I had my first baby girl. I started making hairbows for her and really enjoyed the creativity it brought out of me. I had a surprisingly active Etsy shop and facebook page. Then I had my 2nd baby girl. I got super burned out and had such little time to craft.

Fast forward to now, 9 years later. I am feeling the itch to make things again. I think my dream etsy shop would contain some kids stuff, some mom stuff, some magical concoctions. Sooooo I've ordered some supplies and I'm ready to get cracking. I think this full moon will fill me with the energy I need to begin. Every full moon makes me start some kind of major project. My husband is such a sweet man-lol.

So stay tuned for some etsy goodness. I'm also going to try to write more. I'll post some sneak peaks on here soon :)

Intro to Tarot 101

Hello friends! 

I have been a busy little witch on my quest to better understand the world of Tarot. I have learned a ton and cannot wait to share some insights with ya'll. So let's start from the top.

I made a promise to myself to try to engage in a tarot activity every day. Either a quick and easy card of the day, a three card spread, or maybe something more, depending on how much time I have. I try to wake up early before the rest of the house starts moving. This time of day feels so quiet and therapeutic for me. I make a cup of coffee and sit and soak up the beautiful energy of the morning. If the weather is nice I sit outside at my back patio and listen to the birds and nature sounds to help get centered. Once I feel ready, I pick a spread. This can take some time and thought. A few examples of my favorite spreads are....

1 card spread:

• card of the day
• today's theme

3 card spreads: 

• past/present/future
• mind/body/spirit
• now/later/distant future
• you/them/us
• stop/ start/continue 
• you/what greets you today/outcome

I hold my cards for a bit and close my eyes, relax and envision the spread/questions I am asking. Then I shuffle. There are a few different methods of shuffling. I use whatever feels right. I kind of think of it as going on auto-pilot. I just do whatever my hands feel like doing. Then I cut the deck and choose from the top of the deck. As you flip the cards be sure to take notice of cards that are upright and cards that are reversed. This has a special meaning. Then, I sit and study the cards. What do I see in the pictures? What feelings are conveyed? How do the cards relate to each other? They oftentimes tell a story.. 

Here is an example of cards working together to tell a story. Say you pull these guys:

In the 7 of swords you see a guy (flamboyantly lol) stealing a bunch of swords. You can see in the background, that there is a camp or people/soldiers and he is sort of tip toeing away with an armload checking to see if anyone notices. So, this card represents being sneaky or acting in a way that isn't really forthright and honest. Then the judgment card is this angel/godlike character blowing the freakin'.... I don't know..... karma horn. It basically depicts the final judgement, where things land on the right and wrong spectrum. So, put them together and it gives a message like, if you try to get away with something sneaky right now, you will get caught. Or possibly, someone in your life is doing something wrong; will you call them on it? Something to that affect. 

So it's been quite a while that I've been practicing with the tarot and I'm really just scratching the surface. I love that I'm beginning to get an immediate response/feeling when I turn a card over. I find it so exciting to read for others. I tend to get the same cards over and over for myself. I'll leave you with one of my favorite tarot memes...

So, who else here reads tarot?! Comment below with your favorite spreads. I love learning new ones <3

Card of the Day. DO IT

It can be a little daunting, starting any new hobby when you feel like a total newb. Even though I've had readings and messed around with my deck before, I still felt unsure of where to start. My girl, Kelly, who is my total tarot-card-loving inspiration, introduced me to the Tarot! app. I don't know how I feel about an electronic deck. The whole song and dance of the cards, in my opinion, is the shuffle/ask a question/cut the deck/choose cards and I'm not sure how that translates to an app. But it's only $1.99 so I thought why not. What I LOVE about the app, is the "card of the day" feature. I always check my card of the day and see what it says. It'll give you a brief description of the card as well. This is really helping me learn how to recognize the cards and get a little understanding of what they mean.

There are a lot of cards. 78 to be exact. And it would be unrealistic to learn all the meaning right off the bat. This is a great way to dip your toe into the tarot world. I've read that its recommended that you keep a journal to remember what cards you get, what they mean, and what ones seem to come up often for you. My friend Kelly and I agree that we seem to keep getting the same cards over and over while other cards never come up for us.

One thing I try to remember with my card of the day draw, this card doesn't determine what kind of day I'm going to have. I'm the only one in my life with that much power. 💃💃 This could be one minute part of the day, a fleeting thought, a person that I come into contact with, etc. So I try not to get too bent out of shape if I get an icky looking card. (my LEAST favorite card is the tower card.) But I'm not going to lie, I love when I draw my favorite card, the ten of cups. I mean how freaking cute is this card? You can't help but smile.

The Tower card represents: Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation (which isn't always indicative of a bad thing. But when I see the picture on the card I just DON'T like it.)

The ten of cups represents: Harmony, marriage, happiness, alignment (and when I draw this card, I feel warm and fuzzy. The lovey dovey couple and flipping adorable children dancing. I love this one.)

I get the card meanings from the Tarot! app or from Biddytarot.com

Go pull your card of the day! Tell me what you get and if it made sense to you. I'd seriously love to hear. <3

TAROT for beginners

Many years ago, my incredible, very open minded mom, bought me a beginner tarot starter kit from the impulse section in line at Barnes and Noble bookstore. It came bundled in a tiny square box and included a deck, a book of card descriptions and a cart layout sheet. It traveled with me from home, to my college dorm room, my first apartment, my first house with my new husband and finally my current home. And I haven't lost it, which is pretty impressive for this unorganized gal. So, here's my first deck....

It was a great starter deck. I absolutely had a lot of luck with these cards. One particular reading for a friend on that powerful solar eclipse day. (CHILLS for days) But the cards were small, the pictures on the cards were not very descriptive, and the description book is brief. I will keep it to lend to friends that are interested in learning or for my kiddos some day. I have a sentimental feeling towards it. But it's definitely time for some big girl cards. 

Here is my pretty new deck......

Every time I see this picture, the song "Isn't she Lovely" by Stevie Wonder plays in my head. I've done some research on how to choose the right deck. There are so many choices out there and it can be overwhelming. The most traditional and commonly used deck is the Rider Waite deck. In my opinion it is a great deck to choose if you are getting to know and understand tarot. The pictures are clear and descriptive as opposed to some other decks I've seen. So I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the Rider Waite tarot set. I hate to be basic, but this felt right for me. When I opened the box, I was happily surprised by the beautiful starry pattern on the backs of the cards and the deep blue background. These really speak to me. Which, I think, is a real meet-cute and a great way to start this relationship with my cards. <3 

The chakra stones are from my lovely soul sister-in-law. She is a fellow witchy woman who shares my passion in all things spiritual. She got them from a local shop called Dragonfly Designs and they are gorgeous. 

Next up, readings...... 

i'm back, baby.

Hello internets! It's been a while. Since my last post, I've had another child, traveled around a bit and have learned a few things. I have been feeling the pull to write and explore some new paths. So here I am.

Looking back through my old posts reminds me how much I used to craft and how much enjoyment my girls and I got from it. I need to try to get back to that and carve out some time to let my brain play a little from time to time. My next project will be something with the sewing machine I think.

My new current obsession is responding to the constant call of connecting on a spiritual level to the universe/myself and/religion. I was raised Catholic and I believe in God/Creator/Great Spirit. I still go to church quite often and I want my daughters to have a foundation of faith. But I know, personally, that I connect on a deeper spiritual level through meditation and connecting with the other side. So, my journey right now is exploring this path. Seeing what I can learn. Seeing how this connects me to God, to others, to myself.

So, long story short. It's gonna get a little witchy up in here. Stones, tarot cards, white light, meditation, shit. is. getting. real. ;)

My Latest Obsession

I have been bitten by the crochet bug and I. am. loving. it. So here are some of the new items in my etsy shop that I have been working on..

Booties and hair bows... eep! I cannot wait to send some booties to my bestie who is having her 1st baby in a few weeks :) These are perfect gifts!

 They are available in my etsy shop, Lake Will.

And coffee cozies! to keep my 1/2 hot chocolate 1/2 coffee warm til the last drop.

and these little babies that the girls wear all the time ya know for "valemtimes day" ;)

and lots more to follow.... I have to go tend to my nutso kids that are jumping off the furniture. Have a beautiful day!!

DIY Baby Doll Sleeping Bag

DIY Baby Doll Sleeping Bag

This DIY project is super EASY and FREE! It's something fun to do on a snowy day in with the kiddos.

Here is the pair of old pajama pants I wanted to use for something. Look at the cute moose.. mooses. the plural of moose is moose right? 

Find some babies that need sleeping bags. These are two of our favorites. Line em up on the legs to see how long you need the "bag" to be. And chop.

Cut this kind of shape. I'm aiming to have a sleeping bag part to tuck baby into and a pillow part at the top. Hem all edges if you are fancy. I didn't because I was planning on rolling the top part and sewing it closed. 

 Flip inside out and sew bottom closed. Turn right side out. Here is where I forgot to take pics of the stuffing so I will explain. Fold edges of top flap in as if you were hemming it. Toss some fluff or extra fabric scraps into pillow part to make it squishy and pillowy. Roll about 2 times and sew closed. 

Insert baby. Pat yourself on the back. 

That baby looks mad cozy.

The verdict: the girls friggin loved it! I think they are fascinated with anything that passes through the sewing machine. I ran out of time and only made one and they fought over it like crazy. So... success? So, if you have two little ones, then you better make two sleeping bags. 

DIY Refashioned sweater throw pillow

I love to sew but I seem to pick projects that are a little too advanced for my meager sewing skills. I am also the kind of gal that wants to do a project and be done. I have very little patience for all-day projects that take too much time and attention. Here is an EASY sewing project I did from things I had laying around. 

Old Sweater into New Throw Pillow

So, I had this really nice thick knit sweater that I had gotten as a gift but it never fit quite right. It sat around for a while until I decided to refashion it into a cozy pillow. 

Here's said sweater. I think the thick knit will work better for that cozy look....

Here is the pillow I want to re-cover. Although you could just create a new pillow with a bag of stuffing from the craft store or from old pillows.

Now turn the sweater inside out and dress your pillow and tell her she looks pretty. 

Then chop off the arms and neckline. And try not to feel guilty about chopping up a perfectly good sweater. 

Get an idea of what kind of shape you will need to sew. This was pretty easy here because the pillow was the same size as the body of the sweater. 

Now slip out the pillow and pin it like crazy to keep the shape you need to sew. (I pinned the front opening just to keep the shape intact although I didn't plan on sewing the front opening together. I was going to use that as the opening to get the pillow in and out.) 

 Hmmmmm doesn't look very square here. But sew it as straight as you can using a zig zag stitch. My setting was #3.

Then I sewed on the button the sweater came with by hand, in retrospect I would have maybe just hot glued that sucker on. 

TADA! (ignore the dirty couch. those kids and their darn Gogurts.)

 I noticed that the opening down the center was gaping a bit too much for my liking so I hot glued it shut. What do you think?! I love her. She's so pretty and cozy looking. And she was free! 

Thanks for visiting! Happy crafting!

Dear Husband, Here is my Christmas Wish List.

Here is a list of things I wish my husband would get me. 

I love him. He is great at many many things. Buying Christmas gifts for his wife is not one of them. I am a cool mom-on-the-go or at least that's what the minivan commercials tell me. Here is what I would like:

           (pic from Kohls.com)

(pic from Victoriassecret.com)

       (pic from Aerie)

1. A new gym bag. Wanna know what I use now for my 3 times a week workouts? No, well I'll tell you anyway. An old, gold... yep, golden yellow LLbean duffle that I "inherited" when my sister moved away to college in oh 1998. I would suck it up and use it without whining but the damn thing slips off my shoulder when I am sherpa-ing my children to the proper classrooms in the morning. Think sporting goods store or department store.

                                                                 

2. Cute PJs. In the immortal words of Miranda Hobbes.... "The jig is up, I have a child." I don't want lingerie right now. The word neglige just creeps me out. Chances are pretty good that my pajamas will see child urine or vommit before the night is through. Nothing super low cut so I can avoid the whole 'girls gone wild' thing at 6:30am when the 4 year old wakes me up. But alas, they must be cute. A matching tank top and shorts/pants set is what I want. Think Victoria's Secret or Target.

          

3. Undies. We call em undies. or underoonies if we're feeling sassy. Now again let's not put the cart in front of the horse here. Nothing that laces up the butt or is any material besides cotton.... and dear sweet baby Jesus, no thongs. This isn't spring break in Cabo. I am a mother of two small children. I do a lot of bending over and picking things up all day. (I love a boyshort cut.) But I do get a kick out of seeing the pairs you pick out. And when I wear them I think of you. See how cute I am? I think the Target Gillian O'Malley brand is great and my other favorites are the 7 for 26.50 deal at Aerie.

                                                             

(pic from Mommy's Time Out)

  (pic from camping-gear-outlet.com)

                                                                                         (pic from Anthropologie.com)

4. Wine. I love you, my dear, sweet husband. Wine helps me remember that at the end of a long day. Pick out something fun we can share together. Does this come in a larger size?

                                                                           

5. A good water bottle. I hoard these little mofos and still manage to lose them all. Make sure it won't leak. It should be semi cute as well. I like the Nalgene ones. This will be a good excuse for you to go to the sporting goods store.

6. Anthropologie. Anything from this store. I am not kidding. It's my happy place. Their home items are really great. Like all of their wall hooks. Is it weird how much I love funky wall hooks? Don't answer that.

        (photo from Zappos.com)

(photo from Etsy.com shop Gertie Baxter)

(photo from stayathomeartist.com)

7. Hunter wellies. Any color. Any shape. Anytime. Anywhere. They make my heart happy. And make me feel cool like Adele when I saw "wellies." Find them at zappos.com.

8. Anything handmade. I'm talking ETSY.com here. A nice cozy hand knit infinity scarf would be awesome. The love is in the details. 

9. Gift card to my hair salon/nail salon/spa. Then maybe I won't feel as guilty dropping that insane amount of money next time I get my hurr and brows managed. This is a great one too because it shows that you care enough to know where I go and who does my hair. And bonus points if my stylist catches you buying the gift card. Now I'm that client with the adorable husband. Awww.

10. A homemade book of coupons from you. Such a classic. It never goes out of style. I would take "one free back rub" or "one night out to a movie of your choice" with you over any of these other great things. Make them funny and creative and maybe a little, dare I say, sexy? And don't put an expiration date on them. 

newest creations

Hi there old friends and new! I recently dropped off some bows and business cards to Sips Coffee Shop in Rochester, NY so I may have a little more traffic on the old blog. 

I hope you are all doing well. I hope you have more Christmas shopping done than I do. I am such a procrastinator, it's not even funny. I also happen to have a husband who is impossible to shop for. ugg. i digress. 

So here are the pretties I have been working on recently. One of my dear friends asked me to make something froggy....

cutie pies, right? 

And then I had these fun flower buttons I was dying to use so I made these clippies that are so bright, fun and happy and they remind me of my sassy little niece...

the darcy clippies. they make me happy :) 

As always, email me or comment below for any orders or questions.

Happy holiday preparedness time!