Monday, Monday

It's a two cup of coffee day today. Cold and rainy after a BEAUTIFUL weekend in sunny eastern Oregon has me a little bummer out!

 Today is also a tough day in that we are taking little man to say goodbye to his birth mom. Today is her last visit and it's going to be hard and emotional. Makes me yearn for heaven where there will be no more pain, and no more sorrow. I could use your prayers as we're doing lots of preparation for all the lasts coming soon. We're so sad and yet we're expectant. God's got this. 

Here's a few new lovely burp cloths I listed in the shop this morning. I just about died when I saw this forest friends flannel!! It is so adorable and there is a boy and girl color way so you're good to go for any baby coming soon near you! 

 

So cute! Go check them out!

Flowers for spring

It's totally not Spring in the Northwest, in fact we awoke to snow!!! Here on the valley floor! It was so sunny on Monday, Tuesday was torrential rains and wind and today is snow!!! That is just so Oregon. But I'm feeling springy in my head anyway and I saw a daffodil the other day so that means Spring is on it's way! So I have a few new fabrics to choose from that are so girly and bright and cheerful they are perfect for this gray snowy day!I loaded them in the shop this afternoon and they are available to purchase now! There are three of each.

( I used the word "so" 5 times in that paragraph. So sorry!)

Pink Sunflower Diaper clutch

Green flower power diaper clutch

The diaper clutch was born out of embarrassment really. You can read my original story about them here. They are so handy to have in your purse, car, stroller or to leave at mom in laws house! That way you're never caught unprepared! 

The diaper clutch is designed to hold a travel case of wipes and up to a size 5 diaper. I usually keep three in mine and keep it in the car. Then I can stuff it in my purse when I don't want to drag in the whole diaper bag or I have backup diapers in the car that are clean and in tact!

Undercover

Okay, don't keep your Bible undercover, share it! But keep it clean and safe by slipping it into a sweet Bible cover! I have two new designs to show you today. So fun!

I'm calling this one "little bird", cause there's a little bird on it. Umm, yeah, I'm so creative, anyway....

I loooove this one. I'm tempted to keep it for myself! The little poppy like flowers at the bottom and wild color combos are awesome! 

Here's "green leaf", it's soft and woodsy and has a calming look to it. Another great color combo. Love.

Remember that all covers can be custom made to fit your Bible exactly. Send me a conversation through my etsy shop and I'll make it up to your measurements and then create a reserved listing for you in my shop for you to purchase! If the sample size (9.5x6.5) is just right for you, you can buy the listing in the shop and I'll send it right out to you! All orders take about a week. Thanks for checking it out and happy shopping!

New Product

Hello all! The sun is shining this morning!! Makes me oh so happy! Even though my feet are freezing here in my house! It still looks so bright and beautiful I can't help but smile! 

 I've added a few new Bible covers to my shop and thought I'd give you a peek!I'll be adding more Bible covers, fresh fabric choices for diaper clutches and new burp cloths too! So stay tuned this week to see the new spring items!

This first pattern may seem a little funky to you but it's a multi-patterned fabric and I had to cut it off somewhere. There is a different pattern choice from this fabric coming tomorrow too. Love the polka dots!

This bright and cheery orange floral is just what you need to get you through the winter and keep you in step with summer!

These Bible covers are made with laminated cotton, a wipable and durable fabric that will protect your Bible and provide a streamlined look without fussy zippers and bulky pockets! They are simple and beaututiful and made custom to fit your Bible! And you can buy them here!!

Getting ready to go!

 So we're leaving on Saturday for a looong car ride and I would love to have some insight into what you do for your kids on long car rides. My two are pretty good about riding in the car now but I'm wondering if I can come up with a few fresh ideas that are not electronic. My kids have listened to the Jonathan Park adventure series and The Chronicles of Narnia at least a hundred times. We could use a few recommendations for new books on CD. I'm excited to, we're finishing the Little House on the Prairie series and Ethan is already begging me to read "a Lot" on the way over. It's good times in the car and road trips can be just as much a part of the adventure as the destination.

I have a to do list a mile long and one of those things is getting new front tires put on our van today. Les Schwab is NOT my favorite place to hang out with three kids so I'm considering taking them on a walk down to the duck pond close by while we wait. It's a gorgeous day already and I think we would all prefer that to being cooped up inside a building that smells like tar. :)

I finished the laundry yesterday and I need to put it all away today. I hate putting away laundry. I also have some new things to put in the shop! I have one more bible cover pattern and some fourth of July banners too! Here's a sneak peek at the Bible cover made from fabric designed by the oh so famous Ty Pennington!

Yes, I know, how fabulous. The banners will be coming later today! Hurry and make any orders you're wanting because the shop will be closing on this Saturday until July third. Don't forget that all diaper clutches are on sale 15% off until the shop closes this Saturday!

lovely laminated Amy Butler fabric

 I seriously love this fabric. It is so modern and fresh and I adore the color scheme. Usually I'm not much of a navy girl, but this I love. I was afraid the print was to big to use as a bible cover when it arrived in the mail, but I think it worked out quite nicely!

 What do you all think? There are two more pattern choices coming this week and then I'll be out of town and the shop will be closed for a week.

Our little family is leaving on a mission trip together and I won't be asking the house sitter to check my shop and mail out orders. So if you want some goodies, come and get them!!!

I'll also have some 4th of July banners up and they will need to be purchased quickly if you want them in time for the 4th!  And don't forget, you can save 15% on all diaper clutches in the store this week. Use the coupon code " summer " at checkout. I'm making room for some new products when I get back from the trip. So hurry and pick out your pretties and order today!Click here to shop!

Mondayness

There are some jumbled thoughts rolling around in my head this morning and a confession I have to make so bear with me. Don't panic, the confession is really no big deal, just something I want to talk about really. Okay, we'll start with that. I totally fell off the weight watchers wagon this Saturday. I started out so good, I refused a donut from Cork's Donuts in the morning while we were checking out garage sales. That is a big deal because I LOOOOVE Cork's Donuts. If you're local and haven't tried them, go, eat and have a happy belly. On this occasion I decided to forgo the donut so I could celebrate Father's day the next day and not have used up extra points from my weekly allowance. We got home and I had a lean cuisine for lunch and then I made banana bread for Russ and his friends who came over to play games and help entertain a coworker who was here from Korea. 

This banana bread is delicious and addicting! It's the sour cream in the recipe that makes it so rich and wonderful. I had my kids watching a movie in my room and the baby was napping and I was all alone in the family room finishing a good book. It was bliss, the hot banana bread was calling to me and I decided I would enjoy one piece. I ate it and it was super good. Well the afternoon wore on and it was about 5pm, the kids and Russ had been eating tons of snacks and I had not. They were not hungry at all, I was starving. We needed to head to Walmart for some things so we just got ready to go without making any dinner. So what do I do? I grab two more pieces of banana bread off the plate and chow them on the way to Walmart! Then when we got home, I made easy and tasty chimichangas that are supposed to be "skinny"! I ate two and was so full and happy. Here's the thing though, I entered in both recipes yesterday to my account online and the banana bread is 8 points a slice and the chinichangas? 13 points each!!!!! Yeowzers! I used up 26 of my weekly allowance in one day!!! Good thing I didn't eat a donut too! Oh well, I still enjoyed my Chinese food with my dad yesterday and I just made up for it with popcorn for dinner. :) Very boring confession and I know that no one really cares, but I feel better now and it's my blog right?!

I got a new camera! It's nothing too fancy but it's new and takes MUCH better pictures than my really old one. This camera was also free which makes it even cooler! It's a Panasonic lumix pocket camera and fits in my purse wonderfully. Thanks to the one perk we get from Russ traveling for work, we redeemed a bunch of air miles and purchased a new camera! Did you know you can do that? How cool right? I will hopefully have more pictures for you now because I don't hate my camera!

 I have been taking some custom orders form my etsy shop and I just love it! It makes me so happy to make something to suit someone exactly. If you want to have something that I don't have listed just shoot me an email and we'll work together to get it just how you want it!  conniealibby@gmail.com

Oh other great news!!!! I have six diaper clutches available and I'd love to clear them out to make room for some summer patterns! So I'm having a sale on diaper clutches this week! 15% off with the coupon code "summer" at checkout. This code it only good for diaper clutches and only until Sunday. If you've been wanting one, snatch it up while it's on sale!  These make excellent baby shower gifts and are the perfect item for someone with an older infant too! They're so great for on the go diaper changes and super convenient when you don't need the whole diaper bag! Go to the shop and take a peak!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend celebrating your Fathers! I just love my Dad so much and had a great time watching my kids honor their own dad all day. I'll post more on that tomorrow! Happy Monday all!

Bible/Book covers

 So, these are finally available in my etsy shop. I've been working super hard to get this project off the ground and a nice selection available. I have only made them one size for now, fitting a 6.5 x 9.5 bible. But if you have a smaller or bigger Bible or any other book that needs a sturdy cover, please don't hesitate to make a custom order. I am happy to make any size that you need in any of the patterns I have available. Just send me a conversation from my etsy shop, or email me directly (conniealibby@gmail.com) and give me the specifics! I love to do custom orders to suit your needs so don't be shy!!

This lovely new pattern is Amy Butler laminated cotton and it's so pretty and girly!! I have another Amy Butler fabric choice showcasing later this week so stay tuned. You may be wondering why I don't just show you all the final projects at once. The answer has two parts, one is that I kinda love the suspense, and the other is that it keeps my shop fresh and at the front of the search pack, among the millions of etsy shops, when I list items regularly and not all at once. So there you have it, sorry if that's inconvenient! 

These Bible covers are such a great alternative to the bulky Bible covers of yesteryear. These are streamlined and sleek, not taking up extra room or adding bulk to the already packed arms of most of us mommies! Also you have the added benefit of being able to wipe them clean. The laminated cotton is a very durable and flexible fabric that gives an allstar performance as a Bible cover. 

The covers are fully lined with a coordinating cotton fabric and are held closed by a vintage button and elastic loop. So beautiful and yet so practical! So if you're in the market for a fun, fresh Bible cover, run over to my shop and snatch one up for yourself! (And maybe a friend, sister and mom too!)

They're Listed!

The Bible covers are in the shop! Click here to go see them! 

Have fun shopping and check back all this week for even more design choices!

Wait for it......

Coming later today!!! Laminated cotton bible covers! 

 I'll be listing two patterns today and more to come! I'll post again when they're actually in the shop. Thanks for your patience, I've been feeling uncreative and slow lately, but I think I'm back in the groove now.

This weekend was glorious with my Dad's 70th birthday BBQ bash at my parents and a fun surprise BBQ with friends after church yesterday. The weather was hot and sunny and the fellowship was priceless. My parents planted silver dollars and half dollars in the woods and the kids got to go on a treasure hunt with my Dad's new metal detector. They had so much fun! My kids can't stop counting their money. So fun. 

The only dark spot is that my Grandpa is in the hospital, he had a surgery and now has pneumonia. We're praying and visiting and trusting in God's plan. He will be 90 years old in a few months! Isn't that amazing, and yesterday he and my Grandma celebrated 65 years of marriage!!! Sad that it was in a hospital room but all their children and their spouses were there and it was a special moment anyway. 

Pray with me for comfort and healing!

Pennant banners!

I have another new item to show you! I made a couple of custom orders and have decided to put these into the shop. They are banners, perfect for holiday's or just for fun! So far I've made a few for baby nurseries, a birthday and a patriotic welcome home. But the possibilities are endless! I'm planning on a few that say SPRING and some fourth of July that say freedom, liberty and such. Right now I don't have any to list in the shop because I have orders that will need to be done first. But in the next week or so I'll have some spring banners up for grabs. 

 Speaking of orders...I love them!! If you have a saying or color combo you'd like me to make up for you I would be happy to accommodate! You can email me at conniealibby@gmail.com or convo me on my etsy shop and we can work out the details! 

 These banners are made from quality fabric and are stabilized with interfacing. They are finished with a secure zigzag stitch and can have several different things hold them all together, such as: ribbon, ric rac or bias tape. Each one has a different look and all are so cute! Hope you like them! 

What would you like your banner to say?

A couple random notes

Here's a peak into my head for today....

Ethan kept making fun of the jelly jars, but I think they are cute.

Last night I hosted a belated Mother's day dinner for my mom in law. We had a turkey dinner. It was delicious and not at all weird that it was May and we were eating turkey. I think it's a little silly that I have a yummy turkey sitting in my freezer and I only think to eat it for Thanksgiving. My husband's family are gems and we had a super time sitting around the table and enjoying a meal while we chatted and laughed. I also induldged in one of Rachel's brownies which leads me to my next thought.

Russ and I have taken the thirty day shred challenge with Jillian Micheals in hopes to fit into some of my spring clothes. Me, not Russ, he doesn't wear my clothes. Although I do have a pretty hilarious picture of him wearing a pair of my shorts and a tiny tee shirt when we were first married. I hated that he could fit my clothes at all! But he was so skinny back then! Not so much anymore, I keep him well  fed. Hence the shred. Russ woke me up this morning to work out and I was mad. Sometimes I'm not such a morning person. But that's okay, I got over it and worked out furiously and then apologized for my grumpiness. He forgave me with a kiss, what a guy! He probably won't forgive me for talking about him wearing my clothes though! OOPS!

Ethan wove that little wreath while up in a tree in the sunshine. Had to include it in the decor.

Speaking of getting up early, my baby has been waking up earlier and earlier. Week before last he slept until 9:30am! Now it's moved up to about 5:30 or 6am! Not cool! We moved him back to his own room and I just let him talk to himself this morning and he went back to sleep. How do you have kids share a room? I think it's hard. Sometimes it goes fine and then other times really not. He wakes up so happy, just babbling softly in his bed, but it wakes Ethan up and he is a little like me when he gets woken up early. Not pretty.

Yesterday was glorious! The weather was perfect. I opened every window, my kids played outside almost all day. When family came, all the kids went in to the back yard and the girls were playing tag and the boys were tossing the football and they were making all this happy noise. It made my heart fly. I'm bummed that it's supposed to rain today.

 

I am ordering some laminated cotton to crank out some bible covers to add to the shop. I'm so excited about this new product. Once I get them in, I think I'll probably be ready to get a final product done with the boy bags. They have required a lot of fiddling and I want them to be cool and useful. I've tried several designs and I just had to keep playing with it. Thanks for being patient, I know several of you are waiting to see those bags, I haven't forgotten the boys!

Lastly, what is up with adults getting wrinkles, gray hair and zits all at the same time!!! I thought I was done with that stage of the game. I guess I'll add zit cream to the list of beauty products needed to keep me presentable. I'm thankful that I can keep some perspective when it comes to appearance and remember that it's the condition of the heart that really matters, not my face and abs, thank goodness. And with that, I am going to head to the couch with my coffee and work out my heart and mind by soaking in the words of my great savior! Happy Tuesday!

Pretties

I listed a few new products last night in the shop. 

 

Perfect for a baby shower gift! 

 

Or maybe a special mom you know?

 Go check it out! Don't be shy! Esty is so full of fun inspiration and beautiful gifts!

Other random thoughts this Thursday....

I went around most of the morning yesterday thinking it was Thursday. On Tuesday night I kept thinking the next day was Thursday, I told my son he had soccer the next day and he looked at me funny. I dropped my kids off at their TUESDAY night activities at church and then proceeded to tell my sis in law that I had things planned for the next day, but no, those aren't until today, the real Thursday. Weird, my psyche was convinced, thank you Erin for setting me straight!

I do love parsnips. Jen was wondering if I really use them in my pot roast recipe from yesterday. I really do. I was not so sure about parsnips before I went to England to visit my brother and sister in law when they lived there. 

That's Rachel, my niece Hope and me in Exeter. We just finished touring a cathedral and the boys were off breaking into secret gardens.

 Rachel, my sil, made us amazing English meals and I found that I rather like the sweet snap of a parsnip. It's a little earthy, and oh so yunmmy roasted in your oven with carrots and a little olive oil!

I have an appointment today for the little baby and something fun planned tonight too. Full day ahead, I better get my kiddos away from the TV and get school work finished. I've been the schoolwork Nazi this week because we basically lost two weeks from Easter vacation and me being so sick last week. Now we're really not going to finish as early as I had hoped, but still on schedule for normal school. I just  feel a little crazy with the nice weather finally appearing and having to stay inside and finish schoolwork! Come on Summer break, come faster!

Hello world!

 I feel like I'm back to reality today! Whew! After Easter week and the amazing performance that God pulled together at our church I figured I'd just need a few days to catch up. Fast forward to today and a whole week went by where I barely accomplished anything and had to fight hard against a nasty cold! I'm feeling more normal (whatever that is) today and so back to reality it is. School is hard to get back into after two crazy weeks of neglect and my house, let's just not think about that shall we! However amidst all the wild, sickly, adventures we've had, I managed to put up the new

zippy pouches into my shop. 

So go check it out! They are cute and practical, the perfect combination! What do you think of them? What would you use them for?

pssst....

I just listed another half pint bag into my Etsy shop! Go take a look! It's my favorite one I've made so far. This week I'll be working on zippered pouches and the boy bags! I'll get you some photos as soon as I can. Also, don't forget you get free shipping this week until Friday! There's also a giveaway in the works with details to come on Thursday! So much fun!!!

I'm just going to throw it out there that my whole family is participating in our church Easter program this year. It's a giant drama with full choir, costumes and a huge set! There are lots of rehearsals happening the next two weeks and we're going to get worn out! God is good and he will do the work in us but just keep that in mind as I'm struggling to keep up with my newly opened shop also! You all have been so encouraging and I'm thrilled to tell you that Friday when I opened the shop I got my first two orders ever!!! Thank you so much!

Shop open for buisness!!!

Okay, this is the big moment, The baglady by design etsy shop is finally open! I've loaded just a sampling of the goodies I have made in today and will continue to list new items every day or so for the next week. So keep checking back for fresh products!

I have created a special shipping promo code for the first week the shop is open to get you free shipping as well. Just type in "opennow" into the promo code area at checkout and your shipping is FREE! If you live local then you can convo me and I will be happy to meet and deliver items purchased as well. Go right now and check it out!!!! 

Happy shopping!!

Esty News!

Hi. It's been a bit of a rough week. I wanted to open my Etsy shop on Monday but that didn't happen. Everyday since I've been trying to find the time to sit sown and load it full of  goodies. However, my sick son, a court hearing for our baby, an all day grocery excursion and multiple evening commitments have left me behind. But today is the day! I will have new items up in the shop today and the grand opening tomorrow! To begin with there will be a few of each item and then I'll load new pieces every day or so after until I have all my stock up for sale. Then, I'll continue to create and load those as they come off production. So if you don't see something you like right away then keep checking back, there will always be new items coming up for sale! 

Two more things: the link to my shop is bagladybydesign.etsy.com Just click on the link and it'll take you right to my shop and then you can bookmark it in your favorites if you like! 

The other thing is some of you with boys are feeling left out! Do not dismay! I'm working up some boy type bags too and I'll have them up as soon as they are ready. Girls always get the majority of sewing projects it seems, but I don't want to leave boys out! :) 

Thanks for your support and encouragement on the blog and on Facebook! It means so much to me and helps me to persevere through weeks like this one! It's my pleasure to be creating for all of you! I'll be announcing the official opening here and also on my Facebook page, you can be a fan of Bagladybydesign and get more updates and features too.

Half Pint Bags

So yesterday I visited my mom all day and by the time I got home I didn't have time to photograph these little cuties so I had to wait until today! 

These bags are so perfect for little girls to tote all their goodies around in. 

 They are lined with a row of pocket on each side with two pencil pockets, and smaller and larger ones for a little pack of tissue, lip gloss, a tiny notepad or stickers, and maybe a brush.

 

My daughter uses hers to carry her bible to church and has all the above listed supplies ready to go in case of emergency. 

Younger girls will just love to stuff it full of treasures to bring with them everywhere they go. They make a wonderful gift for a birthday or Christmas or just because! 

 Do you have a little girl in your life who needs a stylin' way to stash her stuff? These will be in my etsy shop too! Coming soon!