Little Lesiw's Blog

Closing For A Bit

2012-02-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

I know it's been forever since I last updated this thing, but I just wanted to make the official announcement that as of 2/1/12, I'll be closing the shop temporarily. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be opening up again, but I'll have those details posted on the FB page when the time comes.

Thanks so much!

have you heard about our Mini-SALES?

2011-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

hello?

anyone still around?

I know it's been quite some time since I last updated this thing. Life has been busy, new projects are under way, but I haven't forgotten about you all! In case you aren't on FB, I just started doing these 'Mini Sales' on Mondays. Basically, I pre-make items and have them for Sale on Monday mornings. Items are around 50% off and it INCLUDES free shipping (you just have to enter a shipping code).

Here's the 'rules' for tomorrow's SALE!

1) Items can be found on the website under the 'SALE' category. Prices are heavily discounted. (a link will be provided tomorrow)

2) Use code: FREESHIP to get free shipping in the US/Canada, or $4 off of International Shipping rates. (you MUST enter the code to receive the shipping discount as I will not be able to refund individual orders)

3) Please pay for your purchase at check out. Orders that are not paid for will be canceled and items will not be held.

4) The SALE will 'go live' at 11am PST. There will be a 'second release' at 7pm PST. Items that 'sell out' in the morning will be replenished for the evening release - although inventory amounts will be much smaller.

5) Quantities of ALL items are very limited - but ready to ship. If you purchase additional non-sale items, please expect an additional day for processing before shipping.

Thanks so much for taking part in these 'mini-sales'! You can expect more Interchangeable Headbands, Blooms, Baby Snap Sets, and some Halloween classics!

ONE DAY ONLY SALE!!!

2011-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

TODAY ONLY

(Friday, June 24th)

get select red/white/blue items

on sale at 50% off!
(look in our SALE category)

prices good for today ONLY

you can start shopping

HERE

(all orders placed today will ship on Monday)

* PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY

UNABLE TO SHIP TO CANADA DUE TO THE

POSTAL STRIKE. WE WILL UPDATE EVERYONE

WHEN THAT CHANGES *

SHIPPING UPDATE!

2011-06-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update for those waiting on their orders:

Orders made through 5/19 have been shipped

(unless you have an International address

I had a MAJOR issue with mailing

them and I will be contacting you shortly)

Orders after 5/19 will be shipped in the next day or two.

(please keep in mind that under 'service' I quote

7-10 business days for processing before delivery during my

sales as I get the highest traffic during that time)

I sincerely apologize for the delay,

but there were some major glitches with the new host system I'm

using and unfortunately it wasn't discovered until

the sale started and orders were coming in.

Also - my daughter has a really bad case of hives and we still

don't know the cause. So I've been dealing with a sick child

and my son has now caught some bug as well.

So that's what I've been dealing with - but I promise

that your orders will be arriving shortly ...

and with a small bonus to make up for it

(will help just a little?)

it's SALE time!!!

2011-05-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like I've been a bit MIA lately...

which actually, I have.

it's just been super busy in my neck of the woods.

but starting today - and running all week

you can now get 25% off your entire order!

so go to:

http://www.littlelesiw.com

and use the code:

ENJOY25

happy shopping!

The Shop is OPEN!

2011-03-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

I just finished stocking the shop

and it will stay open until

Sunday (3/3)

(I'll close it at midnight PST)

there are new headbands

blooms

and a daisy bloom trio.

also...

with any purchases of $30 or more

(before shipping)

one of these, will automatically be included:

please remember that I am the only one that hand sews each bloom.

so like always, please allow 10-14 days for processing

before shipping

but I'll ship it out as soon as it's ready.

also, I won't be able to accommodate any substitutions

but if you need larger quantities than what's listed,

just send me on convo on Etsy and I'll set up a listing for you.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Another Fabulous Find!

2011-02-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

okay, so now you all know that I love buying clothes for Claire.

so it was super fun to see that I got yet another package today!

this time it came from

MomiBoutique

I can't remember how I came across this shop, but I love the ruffle pants.

and the super, SUPER great thing about this shop is that

the owner customized the pants for me.

Remember how I was telling you about Claire's waist being super tiny?

well she made the length a 2T and the waist 12-18mos.

they fit perfectly!

{ time to bribe the model again }

I matched the pants with a new Matilda Jane Tank Top

this is another MJ dress.

It actually comes with this little 'apron' that buttons on,

but I prefer it without.

and I matched it with MomiBoutique's

yellow ruffle pants.

Claire actually hates this dress and wanted it off.

and the last pair I got were these red & white striped ones.

I'm thinking this could be in the running for a 4th of July outfit

(although it's usually blazing hot here in the summer)

and just when I think she doesn't want to do this anymore ...

... she strikes a pose just to throw me off.

OH - but the best part was when I was taking pictures.

Claire says to me,

"Mom... I don't have a Bloom in my hair...

I always have a Bloom in my hair when I take pictures!"

Oh bless you my child.

BLESS YOU!

but whether she's serious or silly

I always love my baby girl!

*** I was not compensated for the 'review' on MomiBoutique, I just love her stuff! ***

You Know What I Love?

2011-02-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

I love when you open your door and there's a package waiting for you.

(granted, I paid for it, but it's still pretty fun)

Claire likes it too... as usually it means it's something for her.

One of the discount websites had Tea Clothing on sale,

so I thought it was a perfect time to stock up.

Unfortunately I was a bit off on guessing what size I should go with.

I know it can be hard to tell in photos, but Claire is super tiny.

She'll be 4 in April, and currently wears a 2T in dresses

... and 12-18 months in pants/skirts ...

I know that the Tea line can run small, so I thought instead of

getting a 2T, I should do a 3T... then I thought I'd save it for next

year, so I went with a 4T. Which obviously turned out WAY too big.

DARN.

BUT

the Pumpkin Spice Bloom works perfectly with this dress!

see that burnt orange-y color in the dress?

yeah... it's the same as the Bloom...

SCORE!

top it off with Claire being in a good mood?

even more fabulouser

(and yes, I know that's not a real word ... or is it?)

and see this headband?

this is a new headband that will be sold exclusively in the Outlet Shop

(which will be opening up again soon!)

and that's something we can all smile about - right?!

Adopted? Adopting? Know someone who is?

2011-02-22T23:33:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, back in October I traveled to South Korea where I met my son for the first time.

He's now been home for just over 4 months and he is doing beautifully. It's amazing to see how he fits in with our family and I honestly can't imagine life without him now. I feel like we're making great strides with our attachment (on both ends) and I'm just enjoying living our lives together.

When I went to Korea, a girlfriend I had met through an Adoption Forum that I'm a part of, joined me as my travel partner. She had been to Korea before, as she and her husband brought their son home in the beginning of 2010. Well, in a few months they will be going BACK to Korea - yet again - to bring home another son. I am SUPER excited for her.

As part of their fundraising efforts, they are selling THE COOLEST adoption T-shirts EVER. They come in many sizes (from child to adult) and some super cute colors.

If you'd like to own one of these yourself,

or gift it to a friend,

GO HERE

to start shopping!

What Goes with Green?

2011-02-22T00:59:00.000-08:00

since I have all these new green prints,

I figured that I better show how you can wear them

on days other than St. Patrick's.

so here we go.

BLOOM:
Avocado Large Dot
DRESS:
Carter's

I got this dress on clearance a while back and was drawn to the colors.
So the two-toned Bloom works perfectly with the two-toned flowers.

... but I actually prefer the Horizon Blue Bloom more ...

BLOOM:
Avocado Mini Dot
TANK TOP:
Gap

Again, the multi-colored leaves in the shirt
works really well with the Avocado Mini Dot Bloom
I think normally, most would automatically reach for something pink.
So the green is a fun little switch-up.

BLOOM:
Limeade Dot
SHIRT:
Old Navy

See that little bit of green on the shirt?
BOO-YAH!
(oh - and Old Navy - I don't love how you printed the label
on BOTH SIDES of the shirt... but maybe that's why I got it so cheap)

BLOOM:
Citron Rings
SHIRT:
Carter's

Again - one of those shirts that you would reach for something pink.
But there's just something about citron that makes it POP!

BLOOM:
Celery Mini Dot
SHIRT:
Matilda Jane

What works here is how subtle the colors are.
For me - that's perfection.

BLOOM:
Grass
DRESS:
Old Navy

One reason I like the Grass Bloom with this dress is that it shows up
nicely on Claire's dark hair. If I'm going to accessorize, I try and
pick a color that is not 'dominate' (well, I'm sure I do sometimes, but usually
I go for something less 'noticeable') and if my child had blonde hair
I would have immediately gone for the brown. But my child does not have blonde hair,
so we will go with the green. I'm not sure if you can see it, but the blue color
also has a darker shade of blue that outlines some of the prints.
I'd go with that color too.
(if I had it on hand... which I don't... but maybe I should)

have any photos of how YOU like to wear our Blooms?
email them to: blog@ littlelesiw.com

St. Patty Promotion!

2011-02-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

HEY!

who's in the mood for some greens stuff?
(sorry, I'm not referring to cash-ola)

St. Patrick's Day is coming soon, so now's the time to stock up!

if you go to my retail site:

www.littlelesiw.com

and click on 'collections' you'll see a category called

'Holiday'

click on that, and you'll see 'St. Patrick's Day'

and there will be a nice selection of Blooms that are on sale.

YES - on SALE!
50% off to be exact!

actually just click here to

START SHOPPING

These prices will only last until Friday (2/25) at midnight PST

so that I can be sure to get them to you before the big day.

and on a totally random note,

I finally got my new Matilda Jane order in!

which much to the chagrin of my daughter,

called for another mini photo-shoot.

this darling top is actually a dress

(but I bought a smaller size ON PURPOSE so I could use it as shirt)

I think it looks super duper cute.

oh - and I used a pink gingham bloom to coordinate.

shirt:

Matilda Jane

jeans:

GAP

shoes:

GAP

the sun will be out this week

and I got more goodies from MJ

so expect a few more of these posts this week

(consider yourself warned!)

it's that time again ...

2011-02-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

... time for another Holiday!

So St. Patrick's Day isn't as huge as say ... Christmas ...

but it's still fun to dress up for it, right?

(or if you're like me you're still afraid that you're going to get pinched)

Last night I started thinking about what I wanted to do

and of course what fabric I wanted to buy.

And I basically just came up with the conclusion

that anything green would work just fine.

So off to the fabric store I went and picked up a few goodies.

after I made one, I got my little model ready to take some photos.

can you tell how excited she is?

(anyone else notice the slight snarl she has going on?)

Here's a close up of one of the Blooms that will be available

{the progression}
she did smile at one point.

but of course we just HAD to take a picture of her band aid before continuing

... aaaaaaaaaaand we almost fell off the counter ...

apparently she's in the zone

so this is as good as it's going to get.

But at least you get an idea of what's to come, right?

I'll have all the purchasing information available on Monday
(and you'll LOVE the prices - I promise!)

oh ... and I think it's time to re-open the Outlet again ...

how does that sound?

DRESS:
FaithWorks4U

Did You Enter?

2011-02-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

As I posted on FB yesterday,

I discovered that one of my favorite Etsy Shops was having a Give-A-Way.

wanna see the cute little number that's up for grabs?

(and it's the dress, not the super adorable girl)

But before you read any further,

go enter the FREE Give-A-Way
(it ends TONIGHT - 2/17 - at midnight MST)

HERE

(be sure to leave a comment under the photo - then share it!)

I 'found' the Bitsy Bear Etsy Shop back in the fall

when I was perusing through Etsy looking for cute dresses for Claire.

When I came across this shop I nearly freaked out.

The designs were SOOOO super cute.

and totally original

So I totally wanted in on the action.

here is Miss Claire sportin' her Halloween dress.

and here's her Christmas dress

I want to mention that these dresses are SUPER well made.

They are finished beautifully and look like they

could easily be found in any high end boutique or department store.

Oh - and I must mention, I did pick up one more goodie:

and I can't WAIT for it to arrive!

So that's how I came across the Give-A-Way.

I'm not receiving any kind of compensation for this review.

I really just love this Shop so much.

(and the owner was super great to work with!)

so go enter - you just leave a comment!

and 'like' her page as well - it's the nice thing to do.

and if you win. I'm going to be SUPER jealous.

Meet My Little Lesiw

2011-02-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

So I thought it was about time that I introduced you all to the inspiration behind Little Lesiw Accessories.

This is my daughter Claire:

Who obviously was NOT in the mood to have her picture taken today. But I've been wanting to do some posts that are just about accessorizing your outfits, so that was the plan for today.

So I decided to go with the Smooch Bloom first. My favorite thing about this Bloom is that the fabric print is actually a two-toned Hot Pink print. To me, this can be used as a 'neutral'. As long as the hot pink color that you're wearing is 'relatively close' to the shade in the Bloom you're good. Simple as that.

This Bloom is also attached to our 'hard' Interchangeable Headbands (I know, I so need to come up with a better name for it). I know the color is looking all wonky in these pictures, but it was super overcast today so the lighting was super bad in my house. But at least you get an idea of how it looks.

T-Shirt:

Target

Bubble Skirt:

Target

I love the little pops of color on the skirt - I think it makes it super fun. Normally I would have shoes as well, but since it was already a struggle to get these few shots, I figured I should quit while I was ahead.

I'll be posting more of these little ditties as I think it's fun to give ideas of how to match your Blooms! Do you have a photo of an outfit you love? Send it to us at blog@littlelesiw.com and maybe you'll see it here!

And the WINNER is ...

2011-02-11T00:40:00.000-08:00

I have SOOOOOOOOO loved reading about all your treats!

many of them as I love as well, so I'm glad I'm not alone in that.

but there can only be one winner:

who would be:

Juli G

I LOVE chocolate-covered pretzels :)

so Juli - please send your contact info to:

blog@littlelesiw.com

*** I also wanted to point out that there were only 178 comments used

because there was a comment that went through twice ***

thanks everyone for playing!

who knows ... there could be another one coming soon!

Good Things Come in Small Packages

2011-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

right now my daughter is in this phase where she loves all things miniature.

she carries them in her pockets, a purse, or tightly in her fists.

sometimes I can find it rather annoying as she hates to set them down,

but when she does, she'll leave these little piles in random places.

but if I'm being honest, I actually like miniature things too.

there's just something super cute about seeing an item made smaller.

that's kind of how my Bitty Blooms came about.

I made the 'regular' size - and then wanted to see them smaller.

(our Mini Dot Bitty Bloom Collection)

so for this Give-A-Way, one commentor

will receive the entire Mini Dot Bitty Bloom Collection.

sound good?

here's how you can win:

since we still have a few days before the Holiday of Love

tell me about your favorite

SWEET TREAT

if you know me, you know I love treats.

and I don't discriminate - I love salty AND sweet.

so what would have if you wanted a little (or big) treat?

(as for me, I'm on a cinnamon kick right now - so I choose cinnamon bears)

*** one entry per person please ***

*** leave an individual comment - no 'replies' or it won't be counted ***

*** I'll use random.org to pick the winner ***

*** COMMENTS WILL CLOSE THURSDAY (2/10/11) @ MIDNIGHT PST ***

And The WINNER Is?????

2011-02-04T00:22:00.001-08:00

EM
who chose
The Woman In Me--Shania Twain

so please email me your shipping info to:

blog@littlelesiw.com

I used random.org to pick the winner
but I'm not sure how to do 'screen shots' so
if anyone wants to give me some tips
on how to do that - that would be awesome!

I have to say - it was soooooooo fun reading all of the responses from everyone! And yes, I did read every single comment. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. If I'm being honest - I think I loved just about every song, but here are the few (well, kinda many) that really stood out to me. You guys are funny. Seriously!

lynchss

I'm kind of embarrased to say that I actually love many

of the songs listed here. My favorite is

'Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon

(you and me both, lynchss... you and me both)

LizK & Cndmorrison051207

'Nothing Compares to 2 U' by Sinead O'Connor

(I remember the first time I saw this video... I totally cried!)

SusanPincus

I personally don't think it's a cheesy song,

but since you're making me walk down 80's memory lane --

Oh L'Amour by Erasure.

(I.LOVE.ERASURE!!!)

ValerieHartman

i'll make love to you - Boys II Men

(one of my all time favorite songs to sing along to... and get really into it)

LawBelle

'Say You, Say Me'

(say a few more pronouns, naturally...)

(um... I laughed SO HARD when I read this - NO JOKE!)

4dogs
Oh, nothing says I love you quite like
"I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd

(HILARIOUS. And were they not the ugliest boy band EVER?!)

Keltom2
Hero - Enrique Iglesias

(I had a love affair with Enrique when this album came out.
I still think it's one of the best ones out there. Every single song
is a winner is my book!)

Jhiett71
'Making Love Out of Nothing at All' by Air Supply
(well, pretty much anything by Air Supply is cheesy)

(true dat, true dat - but nothing makes me SMILE like Air Supply)

So THANK YOU to everyone for playing along!!!

and if you didn't win - don't feel bad ...

... I'm thinking another Give-A-Way is about to happen again soon ...

It's the Month of LOVE

2011-02-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

I'm actually having a hard time believing that we're already in February. What happened? Was there some type of time warp - because it certainly feels that way to me.

But regardless of how we got here, we're here. So we might as well celebrate it! I'll be the first to say that we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day in our house. Okay, let me rephrase that, my husband and I don't go out to dinner on Valentine's Day. I, for one, hate going anywhere where there's too many people. (like I even hate going out to dinner on Friday or Saturday nights because I hate crowds... not because I'm shy, but because I hate to wait.) We do exchange gifts, or rather, I get gifts. My husband told me shortly after we got married that Valentine's Day was more of a 'girl holiday' and that I didn't need to get him anything on that day, but he'll still get me stuff. (I know, I sooooo married the perfect guy, right?!) So what that actually means is that I get chocolate, maybe some flowers and a card without a signature. The card thing is kind of a on-going joke with my husband. He used to work at CVS (before it was CVS where we live) and he would always pick up cards for me there. But he would forget to sign it in the car, and then when he would walk in the door he'd see me, so he'd just hand it over. At first I found it kind of annoying, but now I think it is so endearing. He has a fantastical sense of humor and always gets the perfect card. Speaking of which, my birthday card from this past year came from Hallmark's Ebony Collection. For a good time - go check those out.

But I digress ...

What I'm actually trying to post about today is that I'm having a Give-A-Way. Part of the reason why is because I appreciate my customers, part of it is because I had some major shipping issues (which are now resolved), and part of it is because I love cheesy love songs.

So here's how it'll work:

All you gotta do is leave a comment

with your favorite cheesy love song.

that's it.

I'll pick one winner at random

(so that way no-one will feel like they chose a lame song)

comments will close on

Thursday, February 3rd at midnight (PST)

I'll announce the winner on Friday.

OH - and here's what you'll win:

Red Dot Headband, Aqua Dot Headband & a Lavender Headband

these are NOT available on my website

(so that makes it kind of cool - right?)

so start listing your songs! I need to make a new mix tape.

Love Scenes (revisited)

2011-01-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

February is just around the corner, so in honor of the Month of Love, I decided to re-post one of my favorite posts (from my personal blog) that no-one seemed to read. Which that fact totally doesn't hurt my feelings as I actually love this post because I love re-living every moment that I wrote about (I'm a dork that way).

So enjoy 'Love Scenes' and I hope you share your own with me as well!

So I'm supposed to be reading my book for Book Club. I hear it's a 'heavy' one... ugh. That already makes me tired. I tend to be more for the light-hearted-fiction. You know, like romantic comedies in book form. Although I do love me some 'period pieces'. Actually, I think it's more like 'anything with a great love scene'. And in regards to 'love scenes' - I'm not talking about 'adult situations'. I'm talking about those moments where characters have an interchange involving confessing their love with such passion and angst that you feel it right through the pages. Or maybe it's a tender moment, where the honesty that passes between the two is so simple and pure that you find your eyes are suddenly watering. And it's not just books where this happens to me... but movies as well. So in true procrastinating form, instead of reading my Book Club book, I'm going to list 5 of my favorite 'love scenes'.

Scene #1:

The Notebook

I saw the movie, and yes, it makes me cry, but the Book made me bawl.

You know the part where Noah (as the old man)

sneaks down to Allie's room at the very end?

Well in the book he had a stroke, and not a heart attack.

So he had to drag half of himself

(since he had partial paralysis) to her room.

Finish it off with them falling asleep together - forever - and you've got

one heck of a love scene.

Scene #2

Pride & Prejudice

Sadly, I have not read the book. But it's on the 'to do' list.

But in the movie... when Mr. Darcy is walking
through the morning mist... and he stumbles over his words
as he tells Lizzy that he loves her

(which I think it was 3 times - no?)

Ahh... now that's a beautiful love scene.

Scene # 3

Titanic

(So I guess I officially moved from Books to Movies)

Okay, so I LOVE the part where the boat has sunk and

Rose is lying on the headboard.

Jack is telling her that she has to live

and do all the things she's dreamed out.

Considering he was about 90% frozen, that was one hot love scene.

*and just for the record - I don't think women were crazy
about Leonardo... they were all crazy about Jack Dawson.
I mean, who wouldn't want a man who sees
all the 'good' that's inside you and loves you for the person

that you have yet to personally discover!

Scene #4

Anne of Green Gables

um... heck yeah I had to include this movie!

It's only one of the best made-for-TV-films OF ALL TIMES.

Anyway, there are many wonderful moments in this treasure trove

of love scenes, but one of my absolute favorites might actually be in

Anne of Avonlea. It's when Anne goes to the wedding and
Gilbert follows her into the stable area. She has just heard

Josie Pie making fun of her for being

a bridesmaid again and she's trying to leave the wedding.

Gilbert follows her, and then proposes.

She says no, they go back and forth, and then the part that

absolutely kills me is when in one last final effort,

Gilbert looks Anne in the eyes,

and desperately whispers, 'please say yes'.

ugh... my heart hurts just thinking about it...

this love scene is a force to be reckoned with.

Scene #5

Becoming Jane

This movie is one long love scene.

Not only is it a super dramatic tale of unrequited love,

but it made me love Anne Hathaway (I wasn't a fan before)

and made me REALLY love James McAvoy.

The part that is the most intense love scene for me, is when

Jane realizes that Tom's family truly depends on him for survival.

She knows that the 'right' thing to do is to not runaway with him,

even though her heart says she must. So when they are at a carriage

stop and Jane decides to go back, and Tom is begging her not to, and

keeps asking her, 'but do you love me?' over and over...

that leaves me absolutely no choice but to 'ugly cry'...

... and ugly cry did I ever! I'm talking nose running, face swollen and weird noises .

You know what I'm talking about ... it's when you're crying really hard,

and you know you're going to make a loud

sobbing noise if your mouth is open so you keep it shut by shoving

your blanket over your mouth to stop any sound waves from leaving.

But then the pressure from the sobs backs up because you're kind of holding your breath,

so all of the sudden this weird explosion of spit, tears, and air bursts out ...

which if anyone wasn't looking at you at that point, they certainly are now...

and as you draw in a big breath of air

(in reaction to the huge exhale that just happened)

you kind of make this weird gasping sound

that is a cross between a goat dying and a fog horn.

or is that just me?

Anyway, those are my picks for fabulous love scenes. What are yours? I'd love to know... and maybe I can procrastinate a bit more and check out your picks, vs reading for Book Club.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

2011-01-24T00:07:00.000-08:00

I know this is so late in coming, but now that I finally finished all the orders and I'm looking at the huge pile of boxes and padded envelopes in my kitchen, I have some time to share a bit of what's on my mind.

... first and foremost ...

THANK YOU

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate every order that comes in every time I open up my shop. I have not forgotten how each of you have contributed to bringing home the sweet little boy who is currently sleeping upstairs in his crib. And now you all have yet again, contributed to another child coming home to their family.

Adoption is something that has become near and dear to my heart. I was adopted when I was baby and honestly, I never gave much thought to it. I never 'set out' to adopt, or had this 'feeling' or 'desire' from a young age that it was something I was meant to do. But after I got married, it turned out I was one of those women who just didn't get pregnant as easily as others have. So adoption became a natural choice for my husband and I. We have been blessed with two wonderful children because of adoption. And I am truly grateful for them.

As it has turned out, my cousin is also one of those women. Going through this journey together has definitely strengthen our relationship and I treasure my friendship with her. Because we're the same age, we have experienced many of life's milestones at the same time ... we even got married a month apart from each other! So needless to say, I cannot wait for her to become a mother.

Adoption is not cheap. It often baffles me that 'anyone' can get pregnant, but to adopt you have to turn over 3 years of financial statements, fill out pages and pages of personal questionnaires, be married for 'x' amount of years (and in some cases you cannot have a 'divorce' on your record), have background checks for the states you've lived in and by the FBI, show proof of life insurance policies and have 3-5 friends fill out personal references for you. And that's not everything ...

But while all of that can be frustrating and time consuming, the end result is what matters. So thank you again for contributing in making my cousin's dream of becoming a Mom a reality. And I just know that she will be the most incredible mom ever.

And you can be sure that you will all know when she becomes a Mom, as you'll be able to hear my happy screams of joy ... even over the internet.

And We're OFF!!!

2011-01-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

Or rather 'on'. Or 'open'. Or 'whatever'

{ha ha ha ha ha}

I just stocked the Shop with some new goodies.

Oh - and keep in mind some of the new 'Prints'

are in VERY limited quantities.

Dots, all Headbands, and Bow Ties

have a ton of stock - so no worries about those.

Also - I wanted to explain something else.

I am the only one who makes the Blooms.

My husband will help me cut & heat seal ribbon

so I can line clips, but basically

EVERYTHING ELSE

is done by me.

That's why I quote a longer processing time.

I've been trying to pre-make part of the Blooms to help

ease the workload, but there will still be more that I'll have to make.

I promise to be working as quickly as I can so I can ship as fast as I can

but know that if it does take the actual full 5-7 business days,

its because I got a ton of orders.

Anyway - I hope you like the new additions to the shop

and we'll stay open until late Monday evening.

HAPPY SHOPPING

THANK YOU

for contributing to this Adoption Fundraiser.

Are You Ready?!

2011-01-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

So here's the low down:

The Outlet Shop will be opening on

Saturday, January 15th

and will stay open through

Monday, January 17th

Late in the evening on the 17th I'll be closing the shop again.

Why you ask?

well, let's just say that before the month ends

your KID will have the opportunity to

get super cute Valentines Day Blooms

at a STEAL of a price.

You'll have to be quick though

supplies will be VERY limited and once they're gone ...

... they'll be gone ...

But be sure to spread the word about our

Adoption Fundraiser

that will be taking place this weekend.

It's super easy - whatever you buy, a large

percentage will be donated.

Easy as Pie.

(which actually sounds delicious right now)

Sneak Peek...

2011-01-02T13:20:00.001-08:00

here's a little glimpse of some of the new Blooms I'm working on:

see anything you like?

The Outlet will be Re-Opening Soon! (and here's how it'll work)

2011-01-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

I'm currently working on getting things ready so I can reopen my 'Outlet Store' (the etsy shop). But there will be a few changes this time around.

From now on, the Outlet will have separate items from my 'Retail Store'. For business purposes, I need to do that. So you'll have to go to the different shops to get particular items. But don't worry - there will be some kind of 'coupon code' available for discounts at the Retail Store floating around - I promise.

But ... since the shops will be separate - that means I can have more fun with the Outlet Store. For instance - I'll be listing LIMITED QUANTITIES of new Blooms that you won't be able to find anywhere else. And once they're gone - THEY'RE GONE. Not only will this give you more selection, it'll also help feed my fabric buying craving. Instead of buying fabric by the bolt, I'll be buying it by the YARD.

I also plan on having many Give-A-Ways (translation: free stuff) every MONTH. So be sure to become a fan on my Facebook page as that's where I'll be announcing what they are (and how you can play) on there.

And lastly - when I reopen, I'll also be launching a fundraiser. As many of you know, my husband and I just brought home our son from South Korea. So adoption is something that is near and dear to my heart. My cousin (who is also one of my best friends) is in the process of adopting as well. While she is not adopting from South Korea, her adoption is very costly as well. So I am so excited to be able to do this for her.

There will be many items listed at some steal-of-a-deal pricing - so if you have any gifts to get for the upcoming year - this will be the time to do it! (plus - you'll be helping someone become a mother for the first time ... after many years of waiting).

So there you have it! That's the plan for 2011 so far ... and there will be much more coming as the year progresses.

Hope your New Years is off to a lovely start!

A New Year = A New Start

2010-12-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

and ... we're back!

well, almost.

with 2011 approaching in just a few days

I decided to wipe out the blog

and start totally and completely over.

2010 was an interesting year.

there was the good

and there was the not so good.

but I'm really looking forward to 2011.

I'm so happy to say that the adoption of our

son from South Korea has gone amazing well.

He is happy, adjusting, and fits in perfectly.

so with that, here's the new little man in my life:

See you all next year!