Hang up the stockings....

It's time to decorate for Christmas!!

(These are now available in my Etsy shop too)

Look at the camera for mommy! Yeah Right.

How did I get both of my adorable children to look at the camera and smile for these shots??

"Nemo" took the picture.

No really, he did.

Well, technically he didn't but that's not what the kids thought! (Oh, we parents can be a sneaky bunch!)

The secret is balancing our little Nemo on top of the camera, setting the auto-timer, and then telling the kids to look at Nemo and smile so "he" can take the picture!

If mommy or daddy asked them to look and smile at the camera? It would be a no go.

Trust me....the pictures above would have had tears or the back of the kids heads. (Speaking from experience on this one.)

Now Nemo does a fine job with the auto timer set, but what about when MOMMY is behind the lens and Nemo is busy somewhere else??

Well, while breezing around Etsy creating a treasury, I found the most awesome "Look at the camera" solution ever!!!

It's a Lens Pet from Mandee Franee Designs on Etsy!!!

Isn't it just the cutest idea ever?!? And, it's perfect for anyone trying to photograph babies or children. I absolutely love it! They are too cute! Mandee Franee has many more designs in her shop! Go check it out...you might just find one that's perfect for your camera!

Brrrr it has gotten chilly!

I love this time of year....the leaves are falling like rain in my back yard, the air is crisp, and the temperature has finally cooled down after a long, hot GA summer. This is also the perfect time of year for chili. Here's my recipe (the original is by my friend Patty....I changed mine slightly):

1 lb. cooked Ground Turkey

1 can Bushes Magic chili starter

3 cans kidney beans (I use two light red and one dark red)

2 cans rotel

1 can diced tomatoes

chili powder to taste

1 small chopped onion (I cook it in the skillet a little with the turkey)

Then I just dump all of that into the crock pot, let it sit on low for 4-5 hours, and it's ready to go! I absolutely love it and it makes a lot so you can have it afterwards for leftovers.

Feel free to share your chili recipe too! Happy cooking!

Boy Bag Tags

Now available in my shop!

Head on over to Sweet Samantha to check them out!

I took the plunge....

And started a facebook fan page.....

Go to Facebook.com/SimplySweetSamantha and "like" my site today!

On my fan page you will be able to:

~Find more pictures!

~Interact with other "fans"

~Write on my wall and ask me questions

~Participate in special facebook contests

Come on over and check it out!!

Now in my Etsy store....

Some adorable looking burp cloths!

Check it out!

All of these cute cloths are now for sale at SweetSamantha!

Next up some burp cloths for boys! :o)

A cute clippy

I know a little girl who's going to look too cute with this in her hair!

Go check out Sauvigne23's shop for one like it and many more!!

Sweet Little Gift

This past weekend my little girl and her best friend both turned 3. The other mom and I were friends before the girls were born, and they were born on the same day at the same hospital delivered by the same doctor. They have literally been friends since the womb!

My daughter's little friend loves little things (think anything that fits in your hand) and mermaids. So when I found a pattern for these on Etsy....

I knew they would be the perfect gift!

So, I ordered the pattern from Gulf Coast Cottage, purchased the felt and thread, and got to work! Making both of the mermaids took about an hour and a half from start to finish (but it was my very first time making anything like this). The pattern was so easy to follow, and even provided pictures for those of us who need to "see" things (Um, me!).

These are not for sale and won't be in my shop because the patterns are for personal use only, but they do make excellent patterns for gifts. This is also a gift recommended for ages 4 and up, but I know the little girl I gave them to loves little things and is mature enough to play with them. Especially if you know a little one who has a love for mermaids! So go check out Gulf Coast Cottage's shop! There's more than just mermaids begging to be made!

Re-designing

I am in the process of re-designing my baby shoes. I started making baby shoes after my daughter (my youngest) was already out of crib shoes and into walking shoes. Well, since I haven't had a baby of my own to test them on, I haven't been able to get a real handle on how they fit. Well, after trying a few pairs on some borrowed baby feet (the best part was I got to enjoy the sweet baby too), I decided to re-work my design..... All in the name of finding the most comfortable design for sweet baby feet!

So, unfortunately for now that means that I am going to be taking all of the baby shoes out of my shop.

I have plans to try the new design on some baby feet this weekend. :o) Hopefully the new design will be just what I'm looking for and I'll be able to do a blog post and some new listings next week!

Announcing the winner of the giveaway....

And the winner of the cowl in the color of your choice

(chosen by the random number generator) is.......

Cindy Dukes!!

Congratulations Cindy!! I'll get in contact with you and let you know what to do next!

Artisan Spotlight featuring Knitty Little Things AND a giveaway!

I really can't remember how I first found Knitty Little Things, but I do remember looking at Talie's shop and drinking in the rich colors of her fun knitted products. Looking at her shop led me to her twitter. From following her on twitter I learned that not only is she talented, but that she is friendly as well. I think you'll get a taste for her friendly personality in the interview below! Also, sweet Talie offered to do a giveaway for this post! Details after the interview!!

SweetSamantha: How long have you been knitting? How did you learn how to knit?

KnittyLittleThings: I only discovered knitting about five years ago. I had always wanted to learn how so when I found out one of my friends was pregnant, I seized the opportunity and taught myself. It wasn't easy, but in the last few years the Internet has exploded with how-to videos. Learning to knit is easier than ever! As a creative person, I think you dabble in several mediums until you find one that is you! For some people, it's sewing, or scrapbooking--for me, it's knitting. Love at first stitch!

SweetSamantha: What's your favorite thing to knit?

KnittyLittleThings: I love anything that's a challenge. New techniques are so fun to learn. Flowers and hats are fun and fast, but shawls and sweaters leave you with such a sense of accomplishment. I usually have about 4 projects going at a time on average; so whatever mood I'm in, I'm covered.

SweetSamantha: What's your favorite part of the creative process? (coming up with an idea, buying materials, creating the product, etc)

KnittyLittleThings: Coming up with the idea is my favorite part of the creative process. It can also be frustrating when you have so many ideas and not enough time. But the satisfaction that you get when the idea becomes a reality is priceless. It's amazing what you can do with a skein of yarn. The possibilities are endless.

SweetSamantha: What inspires you?

KnittyLittleThings: I am very inspired by nature. I love natural colors--the green of moss, the brown in bark, the grays of stones. We just returned from a vacation in Blue Ridge, GA and I can't tell you how inspired I am. I cannot wait to experiment with the colors I saw there. It was breathtaking. I'm getting ready to roll out new fall items and I think you'll see a lot of Blue Ridge inspiration there.

SweetSamantha: How did you come up with the name for your shop?

KnittyLittleThings: I had several ideas for shop names, but nothing that I thought was catchy enough. The name came last...I had items completed and pictures taken before I ever came up with it. Finally, when I was cataloging everything, I kept thinking "Pretty Little Things". That's when it hit me--Knitty Little Things was created!

And since Talie is soooo sweet, she's offered to go a giveaway for one of her soft, colorful cowls in the color of your choice!

Giveaway details:

The winner of the giveaway will receive one "pick your own color" cowl! (See colors available above)

You can enter the giveaway by commenting on this post, twittering (following Talie on twitter, following me on twitter, and/or tweeting about this post), and/or liking her facebook page. If you twitter or like her FB page, please come back and comment here so I know you did! I can't enter your name for the giveaway if I don't know you participated! So, you could enter the giveaway as many as 3 times!

The giveaway will be open until this Sunday (8-15-2010) at midnight! At that time I will randomly pick a winner and let everyone know Monday morning who won!! Good Luck! :o)



For any questions about Talie's products, please contact her at KnittyLittleThings on Etsy ot through her facebook fan page. She's more than willing to answer your questions!

Giveaway coming soon.....

I am working on a post coming soon that will also be a giveaway! Details to come tomorrow! :o)

Summer Sweetness

I having been craving sweet things this summer. A couple weeks ago I started making my own chocolate milkshakes and fell in love. They are so simple!

~Chocolate Milkshakes ~

You need:

A blender

Ice cream (vanilla or chocolate)

Ice

Milk

Chocolate syrup

Directions:

~Put about 1 to 1 1/2 cups ice in the bottom of the blender.

~Add 2-3 scoops of ice cream. (I use vanilla)

~Pour in 3/4 cups of milk (more milk will make it thinner, less milk thicker)

~Finally add chocolate syrup (as much as you want)

~Blend until smooth

~Enjoy!

And a couple of other bloggers I follow have apparently been on their own summer sweetness adventure!

Like these homemade ice cream sandwiches by Grace Violet.

and these homemade popsicles over at Chez Beeper Baby.

Seriously. Yummy. Treats.

So, what are you waiting for? Treat yourself to some summer sweetness!

Craft Space Decor

I would love to have my own crafting room. It's not going to happen right now, but one day I'd like a room to call my own. So for the day when I no longer have to sew at my dining table....here are some photos I like for my "one day" craft space. :o)

All three of these beautiful photos are from Freckles & Fairytales on Etsy. Maybe one day they'll grace the walls of my craft room! :o)

It's Christmas in July!

It's Christmas....

.......In July!

Artisan Spotlight featuring Auntie Di's De-lites

Remember the something new and different I mentioned from a previous post?? It's here!

Don't you think it's interesting to people watch? I mean people are so interesting! I could sit and people watch for hours and I don't think they'd ever get boring. I also feel the same way about looking at items on Etsy. However, I often look at items on Etsy and wonder things like: "What's this person like?", "How do they come up with these ideas?", "What's their favorite product?" And that's when I got the idea for "Artisan Spotlight".

Artisan Spotlight is a new series I'm starting that will feature Etsy Sellers that I love. The idea is simple really.... I'll ask them a few questions, share with their answers with you, and highlight a few of their products!

And up first in "Artisan Spotlight" is Auntie Di's De-Lites. Actually Auntie Di has three shops....Auntie Di's De-Lites, Auntie's Card Shop, and The Tempting Tart. I have ordered items from both Auntie Di's De-Lites and The Tempting Tart, and I can tell you for sure that her candles and tarts DO NOT disappoint! I'll admit at first I was a little nervous purchasing candles on-line. I mean, aren't you supposed to go to a very smelly store and smell every candle before deciding on the one to take home??? So, I started out small and ordered a pack of tarts. I wasn't expecting it, but I fell in love! Her tarts were wonderful! I'm not sure if she remembers but I complimented her tarts in an Etsy chat room, and someone said, "If you think her tarts are wonderful you should try her candles!"

The first candle I tried was Hot Apple Pie (which also on sale this month b/c it's the "scent of the month"!!). One of the things I love about her candles are that they are made of soy wax. Soy candles burn longer, burn cleaner, and hold and throw scent better than paraffin candles (oh so true). Soy is also a highly renewable resource which helps our friend the farmer! The wicks in the candles are all cotton cored, so no worries about burning wicks with metal cores! Her 16 oz. candle also burns for 110+ hours! Not to mention she has great prices! They are awesome! But enough about what I have to say....what does she say?? See the interview below!

(psst...clicking on the pictures below will lead you to the item in her shop!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SweetSamantha: You have 3 wonderful shops! How do you manage your time between all 3? Have you ever accidentally posted a listing in the wrong shop? Because that's totally something I would do!

Auntie Di: I'll let you in on a little secret.....most of the time I'm flying by the seat of my pants!! I have 3 kids, a four legged child, and a soldier husband who is frequently not home, so lots of times I'm running Mock 5 with my hair on fire. If there wasn't some level of 'crazy' going on, it wouldn't be me! My general rule is processing in the order things are received. As for time to create, I do that when I get the chance to think a complete, coherent thought without "Moooooooooooom, he looked at me!" "Mom, I'm bored!" LOL Every once in a while I have an idea that makes me lose sleep at night, so I lock myself away in my workshop, and threaten life and limb for interruptions.

SweetSamantha: Your candles are to die for. My favorite is the Hot Apple Pie. Do you have a favorite scent?

Auntie Di: I love the Cinnamon Buns, it's always been my favorite, however, I have really never met a baked food scent that I didn't like! Most recently, this has been carrying over into fruity scents also.

Cinnamon Buns - Yum!

SweetSamantha: What's your favorite part of the creative process? (coming up with an idea, buying materials, creating the product, etc)

Auntie Di: I reach a stage of nirvana when I get to create uninterrupted. (Come to think of it, it hasn't happened any time recently!) Lots of my ideas come from the Food Network, so I do enjoy coming up with new ones, I always have it on in the background when I'm creating! Cook books, family recipes, magazines all have delicious treats in them that I often wonder to myself "I wonder how this would smell as a candle?"

SweetSamantha: You have excellent customer service. Would you care to share what you think is the best customer service advice?

Auntie Di: I am a firm believer that customer service is second only to an awesome product! My customers ARE my business, without them, where would I be? I try to be prompt, fair, and treat them well, much as I would like to be treated when I place an order, whether it be from an Etsy shop or a big box store. Sadly, I think many times companies really get away from that. I have promised myself that my customers will always come first, no matter how big I grow.

SweetSamantha: How did you come up with the names for your shops?

Auntie Di: I started my candle business 10 years ago. My niece was then 5. She decided that I should call myself 'Auntie Di's De-Lites'...and so it was. I started my paper shop next, so the natural progression was "Auntie's Card Shop". When I started my tart shop most recently though, I wanted something a little 'tongue in cheek', so I thought long and hard and came up with "The Tempting Tart".

Check out some of her products below!! (p.s. I realize I posted a lot of food scents, but those are just my favorite! She has a wide variety of scents that anyone would love!)

From Auntie Di's De-lites:

Hot Apple Pie - 16 oz. (Scent of the month - On sale through July)

Vanilla Smoothie - 8 oz.

Cucumbers and Melons - 8 oz.

From The Tempting Tart:
Apple Brown Betty Tarts

Almond Coconut Cookie Tarts

Creme Brulee Tarts


And last but not least, From Auntie's Card Shop:

Orange Creamsicle gift tags

Feeling Fishy Get Well Card

You're a Peach Thank you cards

And that wraps up my very first Artisan Spotlight! I highly recommend checking out the products that Auntie Di has to offer....I promise you will not be disappointed! Thanks so much Auntie Di for being such a gem to work with!!

Little Dresses

Below is one of my favorite dress patterns..... Why? Because. It's. Simple! All of these are dresses I made last year. I have yet to make one this year, and I really don't know why *ahem*. It might be because we moved and had boxes everywhere for a while; or because my sewing machine was packed away and had to be found; or because I went through a little period of time where I wanted to sew, but I just couldn't bring myself to drag out all of my materials. In this case, "all of the above" would be a correct answer. Moving put me into a little bit of a sewing (or not sewing) funk.... digging my materials out of boxes, sorting things, trying to re-organize....I just wasn't up to the task for a while. However, NOW I am ready....I'm energized...I'm excited. I want to make new things....and put new twists on old things. I want to really give my shop a GO. So....there are a few things I'm going to be doing differently, but you'll just have to stay tuned to check it out.....

But until then, here are the sweet little dresses I adore.... (I also adore the sweet girl wearing them)....

This last one is actually longer than the intended length (which is supposed to be just below the knee)....I made it so it would fit her this year too, and it does. :o)

Home Sweet Home

I love looking around Etsy. My favorite part is looking not only at the items, but also the photography that's used to capture the beauty of a product. As I was looking around today, I found several items that were beautiful and also reminded me of the feelings of home....feelings like comfort, familiarity, warmth, and heart. So, I grouped the items together and made my second treasury titled, "Home Sweet Home". I hope you'll go check it out and let me know what you think!

So Nice

I just love it when people are nice, don't you? Last week I received an Etsy order for my hot pink zebra print pillow (it is by far my MOST popular pillow!), and the customer who purchased it could not have been nicer! She really made me feel great about my shop and my work. I am so thankful for all of my customers, and I sincerely appreciate your words of encouragement! You guys rock!!

Would anyone else like to share something nice that happened to them? Tell me in the comments section!! I love to hear from you!

Something Sweet

Lately I have been craving pie.... Pie designs, Pie shapes, and especially the sweet potato pie from Kroger with whipped cream of course! So I did what anyone else would do... I created a treasury at Etsy of some favorite "pie" things! These items are Sweet as Pie (and their creators are pretty sweet too)! So go check out the sweetest things that have caught my eye lately!

Mission Trip to Ethiopia

Hello friends!! I wanted to let everyone know that from now until Sept 1 all money from my crafting projects/ SweetSamantha store will be going towards funding my mission trip to Ethiopia. I have the awesome opportunity of going with 8 other individuals from our church during Sept 17-25 on a mission trip to Ethiopia. From the moment I heard about the trip I felt God calling me to go, and I accepted the calling dependent upon Him to supply the way. Needless to say, I am incredibly excited!!

I also wanted you to know that even if you're not able to contribute to the trip financially....I am asking even more for your prayers. Prayers that I will be able to raise all the funding to pay for the trip, prayers that we will have safe travel, prayers that everyone in our group stays healthy for the duration of the trip, and most of all....prayers that we would be able to share the gospel vividly and clearly and that people would be open and accepting to it.....that the lives of those people would be forever changed because they accepted Christ.

Thank you all for your support! I could not do this without you!!

My shop is open but....

Unpacking these bad boys is slowing down my sewing! Actually it's halted my sewing for right now. I finally unpacked my sewing materials, but I have yet to get everything set up the way I want it. Hopefully I'll be back to sewing soon!

Shop is closed for a while

Hi all! I am closing my shop for a little while due to moving. We aren't moving far, but still the process of packing and moving leaves little time for sewing! Not to mention that my precious machine, fabrics, and threads will have to be packed away too. No worries! SweetSamantha will re-open soon when the moving is done and my machine is unpacked!

New shoes in my shop!

Now in my shop....new baby shoes!

Seriously....they are so adorable!