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Author: Elizabeth Smillie

Hello there! I'm Elizabeth. Welcome to my website and blog space. All the products in my little shop are hand crafted and stem from my desire to provide creative and high quality products that make people feel lovely. I believe the little moments of life matter, every day should be celebrated, and that the beauty all around us is a gift from the Creator to be enjoyed. I'm married to a wonderful guy who happens to be my greatest cheerleader and best friend, mama to three little ones and currently reside in the heartland of America.
thankful for …

thankful for …

… you!

And so many other things :)

This year has been so crammed full of blessings! And even when things don’t seem to be blessings, this year I’ve been learning that having a thankful heart helps to change my perception of them, helps me to see them as gifts in their own way. Because no matter what, God is good. He is many other things as well, but along with them all He is good. And so faithful.

And so this Thanksgiving I’m most thankful for His faithfulness. Blessings to you and your loved ones as you celebrate this Thanksgiving and the many blessings you enjoy!

<3 (and don’t forget to come back Monday for the coupon code!)

her own blankie {and burp cloths, too!}

her own blankie {and burp cloths, too!}

I’ve made up a baby blanket for both Emma Grace and Ian using the Scallop Quilt “pattern” from Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol, and so of course I wanted to make one for Baby, too. :)

I’ve been making up the “just for her” things in shades of gray and pink, and was able to find some lovely polka dot gray quilting flannel and pink and gray paisley cotton at JoAnn. I love how they complement each other, sweet and feminine without being too babyish.

I machine quilted a few of the center paisleys to provide a bit more definition. I love how it looks …. maybe I should quilt a few more of them? :)

Now, after having 2 babies, we have plenty of burp cloths. But there were some fabric scraps left over from the blankie …. and I had a few plain diapers left …. and Baby #3 needs to have something special, too, right?

This vintage lace was a gift from one of my lovely customers – who just happens to live in France. :) Fun!
I sewed it over some gray grosgrain, which I then layered over some pink satin to get the look I was going after.

And there you have it – a bit of a layette for Baby.

Remember to stop by the Facebook page next Monday morning to get the sale code!

And have a lovely, relaxing Thanksgiving!

<3

more knitting for Baby – a cuddly cocoon

more knitting for Baby – a cuddly cocoon

So, the up side of Baby delaying is that I’ve been able to get some of the things I had planned for her finished. :) Such as this sweet Baby Bunting:

Button Up Baby Wrap Pattern | the Path Less Traveled

Specs: Button-Up Baby Wrap, free Ravelry pattern
size 19 needles
triple ply yarn
The yarn is similar to Bamboo & Ewe and quite yummy. :)
A pair of vintage buttons – they seem to be similar to Bakelite, but I’m really not sure what their made of. Fun though!

Knitting for Baby - a cuddly cocoon | the Path Less Traveled
Knitting for Baby - a cuddly cocoon | the Path Less Traveled

And there you have it! It was a quick knit, and fun to see it make up. My first project on needles this large, too!

And remember to stop by the facebook page early Monday morning to get the coupon code for 30% off of the shop!

<3

weekly shop update

weekly shop update

So, I’ve been trying to blog a bit more regularly here (have you noticed ;D?) and part of that has been keeping you updated on shop happenings once a week (-ish). :) So ….. this week there are a few things to cover!

The first is …….. next Monday (as in, a week from today) is Cyber Monday! (can you believe it’s here already?!) And I’m having a bit of a sale for you! I’m going to try to make it a bit more fun than just having a standard sale though – there will be a time sensitive coupon code. And it will only be on my Facebook page. (but I’ll alert you on Twitter and here, too, just in case you miss this)

From 7am ’till noon EST you’ll have a chance to use the code to get 30% off of your order (maybe the best sale I’ve ever had!) and from noon until midnight you can get free shipping. Pretty great!

And the second bit of news is ….

… there is a new item in the shop! Or actually, a new package of items :)

We’re now offering the 12 Months of Decorative Joy – a collection of gorgeous garland for each month of the year! I’m now offering the 12 months of gorgeous garlands collection! This is a set of 12 different garlands, each 10 feet long (for a whopping total of 120 feet!), that are in a variety of themes to span your year of decorating and celebrations.

You will receive one of each of:
– Snowflake Garland ( http://www.etsy.com/listing/91745386/snowflake-garland-10-feet-long)
– Romantic Red with a Single White Heart Garland (like this but in a 10 foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/85495701/romantic-paper-hearts-garland-red-with-a)
– St. Patrick’s Day Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93773728/st-patricks-day-garland-clover-shamrocks)
– Rabbits and Vintage Flowers Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/94843948/rabbits-and-vintage-flowers-bunny)
– Paper Lace Garland ( http://www.etsy.com/listing/69693850/paper-lace-garland-10-feet-long)
– Patriotic Stars Garland (like this but a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75402152/stars-garland-red-white-and-blue)
– White Fabric Scallop Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/76165008/white-fabric-scallop-garland-8)
– Yellow Fabric Scallop Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/106121494/yellow-scallop-garland-12-lemon-fabric)
– Thanksgiving Paper Circles Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/112261762/thanksgiving-paper-circles-garland)
– Pumpkin Paper Doily Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81643305/pumpkin-paper-doily-garland
– Christmas Paper Circles Garlands (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/64038578/paper-circles-garland-red-crimson-white)
– Twinkle Stars Garland (like this but in a 10-foot length: http://www.etsy.com/listing/99419170/twinkle-stars-garland-glitter-stars-and)

Combined, they will provide you with a piece of garland or bunting for just about every occasion during the year!

And one of the best things about this set? Buying this collection gives a savings of almost 20% over buying the garlands individually (I know, wow!).

There you have it – two announcements. And how I wish that “Baby is here!” was topping the list :D All in His timing though….

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Monday at the beginning of your Thanksgiving week! Anyone have super scrumptious plans? I’d love to hear about them!

<3

Emma Grace’s Christmas dress (last year’s version :D)

Emma Grace’s Christmas dress (last year’s version :D)

 Do any of you remember the dress that I made Em for Christmas 2010? It was so sweet that I decided to use the same pattern for last years’ dress as well. :)

I had a large batch of gorgeous antique lace from my great aunt, and wanted to showcase it in this dress. It was so beautiful that I didn’t want any florals or prints to compete with it, and chose a soft gray material.

The peasant pattern was, once again, super simple to work up. The most complicated part was adding the lace! In fact, so simple that I made it the afternoon of a Christmas party we were going to (and for which Em didn’t have an outfit for – problem solved!).

To keep the focus on the lace, I just used a few pieces around the hem and the sleeves. They’re so delicate and lovely!

It’s a sweet dress that looks darling on her, and I’m kind of sad that it doesn’t fit anymore. But, now I get to make another! :)

mmm, homemade granola

mmm, homemade granola

Yep, Baby Girl still hasn’t arrived.  Which means that I’m really nesting now. Baking. Sewing. Knitting. (but not cleaning – somehow I haven’t had a burning desire to get my 6-day-overdue belly bent over to clean things …)
And yesterday? I made granola. (and a few other things :D)

 (this recipe is from a woman in my MOPS group – thank you Cathy! I tweaked it just a bit)

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup nuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup raisins (I used a mix of craisins and raisins)
2 1/2 cups oatmeal

  • combine sugar, honey and oil in a saucepan and cook until sugar melts and begins to boil. Add vanilla and cinnamon, remove from heat.
  • combine oats, coconut, nuts and raisins in a large bowl. Add sugar mixture, and stir until oats are well coated. 
  • Cover a jellyroll pan with foil (for easy cleanup) and spread oat mixture evenly in pan.
  • bake at 325 for 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Once it’s cooled, you could also stir in other things – chocolate chips, perhaps?
 

And I also finally got around to making curtains for our kitchen window :)

Two Cute Boutique

Two Cute Boutique

Have you heard of the Etsy shop Two Cute Boutique?

Last week she contacted me asking if I’d like to trade a couple of garlands for a crocheted hat … and once I saw her shop I knew I had to say yes! It’s just adorable!

She made up a cotton newborn size hat for Baby, including a detachable flower and headband so that I can mix and match with her different little outfits. So sweet!
If you’d like to get one (or more?) for your own little sweetheart you can find a gorgeous selection at this link here – enjoy!

<3

new items in the shop :)

new items in the shop :)

Happy Monday everyone!

To kick off the week I’ve got some new things in the shop to show you …. more bags!
This time I had a bunch of fun styling some baby boy and girl themed ones. :)

It was fun to pull together all the baby things I’ve got in the shop right now – banners, “BABY” cupcake toppers and “IT’S A BOY/IT’S A GIRL” ones, too!

But all those extras weren’t the focus of these photos, nope! The reason for these were the new pink and blue sets of bags – aren’t they just so sweet?!

I hope you love them just as much as I do :D

have a wonderful Monday, and a wonderful week, too!

xo

rainy day fun

rainy day fun

I love Pinterest, but you know that by now :)
One of the wonderful things about it is that it’s an endless source of ideas for things to do with your kids when you run out of ideas (and here I thought I was pretty creative – some of these mommies are amazing!).

I found this idea for our afternoon’s “craft” one day just before I was about to make dinner, and the little ones were enthralled. They were so excited to get started that they forgot that mommy might need “help” over at the stove (the intended result – yay!). And then they asked to do it again an hour later! And they asked again the next day, and the next day. Good thing we buy our vinegar and baking soda in bulk : )

 The original instructions mention using eye droppers and food coloring along with the vinegar and baking soda. And that she would recommend larger dishes than the plates she used. So, we did!