One More Furniture Make-Over!

At our home for the past few weeks we have been doing some re-organization. Every semester before school starts, I get this sort of pre-semester "nesting" phase. My poor husband has to just sit and listen while I tell him the BIG plan I have for REorganizing our home...again. I have to say I scored when I married McHubs...he is ALWAYS willing to accommodate my bi-annual demands for fixing things around the house (while not trying to roll his eyes at me too often...at least when I'm not looking)!

This semester was no different, I got a kick for moving rooms/things around my house and redoing my entire craft room and the Mr.'s office. This I will admit is a temporary move but even so I got excited and he jumped on board so there you have it...my reason for yet another furnishing revamp. These pieces I bought for $25 a pop!

I recall sending one of my bfs a text one morning, asking her if I should get them (these pieces are HUGE, and I really didn't want to tell the Mr. to drive down and pick them up in our truck). The minute "Y" received the picture she responded "heck yeah"...you HAVE to get them." Twist my arm, sister...I pulled the tags off those puppies before someone else moved in on them! I sheepishly got home, batted my eyelashes at my husband, and asked him to go pick up a little something for me at the store! Two trips later these puppies were in my garage, and I was STOKED!!!

So I just spent the last few weeks off and on painting them. I have been working on a few projects for my daughters school, but my sewing A.D.D kicked in and I just had to stop and do some painting! Let's just say these two pieces left no painting momentum in me, and I'll probably go on a painting hiatus for a while (...or not!). I love the way they came out. I love the color! Now, I can use these to store all my sewing goodies. Maybe if I have any energy left I'll reveal in a later post the finished room.

Thank Yous and Some 411!

First and foremost, I want to thank you ALL for your interest in k.a.i-y.a! Really, I never knew there would be SO much interest. I am humbled by the amount of people that check out my blog daily and post or email me with nice comments. Again, thank you!

I've had a great time sewing, creating and spending a lot of time with my little muse and friends this summer. I'm sad that summer is over and I'm officially back to school. It's exciting because after this semester I can close THIS chapter in my book of school. But, it's also sad because I had SO much free time to sew...I'm now reorganizing to handle the business and my commitment to my final 16 credits this semester.

I never knew this whole process was going to be so time consuming. There are so many factors that go into play when starting a small sewing business and keeping up with a blog. When there is no store to personally go look at an item you have to ensure that the people looking at your blog can get a very detailed idea of what you're selling. That's not always easy to do over a computer. I feel like we're getting better at it though. I'm practicing with my new awesome camera McHubs bought me and hopefully my sweet photographer skills will kick in some day soon :) Suggestions on angles are welcome!

As you can imagine, I was totally unprepared for any of this. Starting something is VERY exciting but as time goes on you start discovering the things that work and don't work to everyone's advantage. So with that said, I made a few changes to the blog.

The first one is I changed my purchasing button to a "add to cart" button. There were many emails from people wanting to know how to order more than one item more easily. Since I am still trying to learn the ropes I decided this might be an easier way to do it. I also added a "view cart" button on the right hand side. These changes I'm hoping will make ordering easier for all of you.

When you purchase anything through PayPal, you do have to sign up for the site (it's free and allows you to pay with multiple forms of payment, even checks I believe). When you purchase anything through my website, I get an email from PayPal notifying me of your payment. This is the easiest way for me to get an order actually. If using the buttons at the bottom of each post is not working for you, feel free to go ahead and email me your order and specify the name, size and quantity of the items that you want. I will then send you an invoice through PayPal. Once payment is received, I will notify you of the time it will take me to get your order shipped.

Another change I made was including combo pricing for items that I notice are almost always ordered together (skirts/shorts and shirts). Just another way to show my appreciation :)

Thanks again for your business, and if you have any questions about these changes, just let me know. I want to make sure I get things done and out to you as soon as possible and this way will be best for me to keep track of things.

xoxo!
Marcy

The Baby Gift Bundle

Babies are sprouting everywhere. I find myself talking to people that know of someone who is pregnant or just had a baby. I have a few friends that are currently pregnant or just had a baby. The funny thing is that most of these NEW mommies are having boys. Hubs and I laugh that IF and when we FINALLY decide to have another, we'll end up with another girl (not that I would mind because I love having my girl) but with all the boys being born in our midst it would be our "luck" to have another girl :) Because baby showers appear to be happening weekly, requests for cute homemade items are coming in. My cousin just suggested I make her something for a friend's baby and coincidently I already had something in the works.

I'm really into owls right now...in fact, my daughters room is decorated with owls so I figured sticking with an owl theme would be fun and current.

The bib is made with 100% cotton chenille on one side and sandwiched with multiple layers of high absorbant 100% birdseye cotton (one of the most absorbant cottons out there). The owl applique is designed with multiple cotton pieces meticulously pieced together to add to the uniqueness of the design. This bib is durable and double sided.

Cost: $18

The Burp Cloth is made of 100% organic birdseye cotton and an appliqued owl was stitched onto the top layer of accent fabric.

Cost: $8

The changing pad is made with 100% chenille cotton on one side and brown and blue minky fabric on the other. The pocket could be used to store your baby wipes and diapers and it fully folds and fastens with a botton to fit a diaper bag. There is also an owl applique who's pieces were cut out individually and then pieced onto the changing pad.

Cost: $35

Now for my favorite item...the lovey blanket. These blankets are great baby soothers. The idea is that the babies mom is to sleep with this blanket for a few days before the baby is born and then to give this blanket to the baby to sooth him/her (because the mom's scent is on it). This blanket has an owl head and owl wings pieced onto the actual blanket. All pieces and details were cut individually and stitched separately to add to the uniqueness of the piece.It is made with both brown and blue minky fabric and is sooooo soft, I would keep it for myself to sleep with on those nights my hubs is out of town :)

$30

All fabrics have been washed with dye/scent free detergent and preshrunk to ensure the shape and design of all items.


I can also have the child's name embroidered at $3 per item.

I will offer a bundle price of $75 plus $5 for the whole set to be embroidered.

Please email if you are interested in any of these items individually or as a bundle. I will also be making girls sets and a unisex set for those mamas who want to be surprised :)

Birthday Requests!

In a few weeks, a very special girl (my goddaughter) will be turning 5! When her mom called to ask me to make her the "ice cream scoop" skirt and "portrait shirt", I immediately jumped at the opportunity. When she mentioned that it was going to be Little Mermaid themed, I couldn't tell you how happy I was!! For one, it's pretty much one of THE best Disney movies (next to Beauty and the Beast) and when I think of The Little Mermaid, I think of turquoise and red (and we all know how much I love that combination)!! It's really hard to photograph outfits without the person they are made for wearing them. I couldn't exactly use my usual model so I worked with what I had.

Oh, wait?? Did I not mention my goddaughter had a little brother?? She sure does....and he is freaking ADORABLE. So there was NO way I wasn't going to make something for him as well. I think it's adorable when little brothers and sisters coordinate each other...especially on special occasions. So here is your first look at some of the things I'll be making for boys. The cargo shorts (Bermudas) have tons of details on them. They're top stitched throughout, have side pockets and a cargo pocket on the side. I decided to keep the elastic solely on the back to give it a more "grown-up" look.

The fabric combination for the shorts was used strictly to keep with the Little Mermaid theme. I will be posting other fabric combinations for these shorts in the next few days. If you do like this fabric combination, I can simply make some just like these.

I'll be posting pictures of these outfits once the birthday girl and her brother get them in California!

Cargo Shorts (Bermudas): Infants-Size 6
Cost: $45

Shirts: Infants-Size 6
Cost: $25

As a Set: Infants- Size 6
Cost: $59.00

taking a break...well, not really!

I decided last weekend to take a break from sewing. I'm helping a friend with some curtains for her school and I just needed to work on something else. I've been working more on painting these past few days and this is one of the projects I worked in between a few other things I have going on.

My entryway was in need of a serious makeover, needless to say I've been on a mission to find the perfect piece of furniture to replace my old entryway table and this is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I LOVE the way it came out!! I remain surprised at how my style/preferences have changed...I do love clean lines but funky/antique/vintage/rustic distressed touches are starting to be my look of choice for my home decor (for pretty much everything, actually). I'm sure there is a more official term for what I've described above...for now, I'll call it funky! I painted every piece in the pictures except for the sign and the books. The big frame was an old picture that I completely painted over, then I painted right over the glass with chalkboard paint. I'm waiting a few days for the chalkboard paint to settle in order to write a very 'welcoming' greeting right on it. I also went ahead and made some state stencils to add to the other two frames...one for California and one for New Jersey, the home states for me and my hubs (the pictures don't do it justice, maybe I'll post a close up later).

XO- M

The "Damask Play" Dress

I find it interesting how my style is always evolving...not just for me but for my daughter and for the things I'm inspired to sew. I find that trying to recreate something for my daughter that I myself would love to wear is so much more exciting than whipping her up something that is very kid-like and just plain safe. However, there are times when I do enjoy seeing my daughter wear something I totally couldn't pull off...but that looks adorable on her. Lately I have been gravitating more towards a more 60's/70's type feel for her dresses. I try and incorporate that not only when I make the pattern, but when I think of the fabric. I'm very addicted to vintage patterns and find inspiration in pictures that are popping up everywhere online.

The dress top is a soft brown and cream cotton with a damask pattern. The top is fully lined, and the bottom is a soft pink voile cotton that allows for a flowy comfortable feel.

I think the awesome iphone app used on the last two pictures makes the outfit appear even more vintage...adding a nostalgic feeling to the overall look.

Cost: $50
Sizes: Infants-5T

The "3-Tiered Knit" Dress

Knit fabrics are quickly becoming some of my favorite to work with! I found this particular one in NYC a few trips back and had to whip something up for Miss K from it! I created a multi-tiered skirt portion for the bottom of the dress, and decided on keeping the edges raw which to me add to the beauty of working with this type of fabric.

I have a limited amount of this particular fabric but have other beautiful knits to work from.

Cost: $48
Sizes: Infants-5T

The "Tea Party" Outfit

We JUST got back from an amazing vacation...which explains why I've been so MIA lately (I will post more on that later).

On our recent trip up North my mother-in-law set up a tea party for her granddaughters. I immediately took the opportunity to whip them up a little something to wear for the lavish occasion, that included, by the way REAL totally fancy china and tea...along with vegan chocolate chip cookies made from scratch by my m-i-l and the girls, and smoothies to top it all off! The girls had a blast wearing their tea party hats and hitting my in-laws' ginormous backyard for a little goofing around right afterwards! I guess running off some of that sugar was exactly what Miss K needed just before hitting our much delayed airplane later on that night!

I grew up very close to my cousin K who lives all the way in California. When we were little our grandmother used to dress us up exactly the same...even though we looked nothing alike. Now, we have daughters about the same age, and when we get them together a couple of times a year there is always a matching outfit to go with the trip! I guess looking back at those coordinating outfits I can understand where our grandmother was coming from...we might as well have been sisters so coordinating outfits was exactly what we needed!

For this outfit I needed to pass on the tradition to Z as Kaiya and her are only a month or so apart. I proceeded to make them little outfits with matching fabric and just switched the design around. They loved prancing around in them!

Cost: $45.00 (shirt and skirt)
Sizes: Infants-Size 7

On another note I can't wait to show you the eye-candy I picked up in NYC's fashion district! My brain is dizzy with inspiration that is still housed in my luggage...both for girls AND boys. Stay tuned!

The "Black & White" Knit Dress

Those of you who know me know that I don't love dressing my daughter in full pink/purple/or any color that to me is too girly. While little Miss K does love her some purple (and at times I have to budge and make exceptions), she’s totally easy about just going with what I put on her. She’s usually even more easy-going if she knows I’m making her a dress…so for her, that’s typically my outfit of choice.

Being a California girl at heart, I don’t believe in the whole “no white before Memorial Day” mumbo jumbo. To me, white is a precious hue…it should be worn year-round. Yes, even in the winter for you northerners (go ahead, roll your eyes, whatever). So now that I live in a state much like California that is sunny almost year round, white continues to be plastered on some of my little one’s clothing.

When I went to California in March, I dragged poor McHubbers and the little one up to my old stomping grounds…the LA Fashion District (especially the places I frequented back in fashion school). Wow…I had forgotten how incredibly amazing it is to go up there!!! I was in HEAVEN…I mean, it’s like NYC but warmer and with Mexican taco trucks on every corner...which, by the way, smelled awesome.

I picked up the white knit fabric at one of my favorite shops up there, and made this little number. I liked the slight stretch of the knit and is very comfortable, I also lined it with a with cotton voile fabric. The knit has a lace/vintage type pattern to it, which to me made it even more beautiful. I attached black lace to the hem and a thin black sash to the top to allow for tying in the back. I love the way it looks with black Chucks too. I suppose if it was paired with a cute pair of sandals or mary-janes, it could be suitable for a fancier occasion.

Cost: $58
Sizes: Infants-5T

I'm in a "Turquoise and Red State of Mind" Maxi Dress!

I've been in love with red FOREVER...it's ONE of my favorite colors. However, over the past few years I'm totally diggin' turquoise...I mean, I painted the outdoor furniture I made turquoise if that gives you any indication of how much I LOVE THE COLOR! The best part about it is that it looks amazing on anyone, really...tan or not tanned.

Anyhoo, I was going through my massive fabric stash and came upon a few yards of fabric that I have been hoarding for a few years. I bought the red fabric in NYC when I lived up north on one of my bazillion fabric shopping escapades before we moved, and was saving it for, you know, just the "right" outfit! Well guess what...that "right" outfit came to me and I just had to get right on it and start cutting into it!

I am in love with maxi dresses (In fact, I'm in the works of making one for myself...but that's a story for another post). And I knew my little muse would look amazing in one, so I got to work and came up with this little number.

I proceeded to use part of the paisley pattern on the red fabric and hand-beaded around it, adding a little more turquoise to the mix. I hand shirred the back for a more comfortable fit, and voila! The red is a flowy voile type of fabric and the blue is cotton, both super comfortable! Kaiya LOVED it...even if it had no purple on it!

Sizes: Infants-Size 7
Cost: $73

Shout Outs!!

I have to give a shout out to my girl Y for being so extremely awesome and making my cool new logo, the awesomeness that now houses the name of my blog/brand!!! She claimed she's not creative...I say whatevs...if this isn't an indication of how creative and awesome she is, you might need to check her out here and here. I'm L O V I N G my new logo, and can't possibly thank you enough! Despite the fact you no longer live across the street, and we can no longer partake in NWA (and all the other awesome things we did together with you and that crazy hubs of yours), I love you and miss you daily!!!

The "Ice Cream Scoop Skirt" and "Self Portrait" Shirt

Like most little girls I know, my daughter loves to play dress up. So much so, that she doesn't have a problem leaving the house wearing her tutu or Cinderella dress. Me, being the mom that doesn't totally love when her daughter walks out the door in full princess garb, had to come up with a plan to allow her to express her "princess" ultra-ego while at the same time rockin' an outfit that isn't totally see-through and not to mention borderline hideous! With the help of my very opinionated daughter I came up with this. She picked the tulle (I was going to go for a totally different material) and the colors and I just let the colors and textures inspire me. Pair this little number with the "Self Portrait" shirt and you've got a whole new version of dress-up...the kind you won't be secretly embarrassed to allow her to wear in public.

Even Princesses can make silly faces :)

The best part was, she "WUVED IT" and immediately requested another...SCORE!

Skirt Sizes: Infants-5T
Cost: $55

Shirt Sizes: Infants- Size 7
Cost: $20-$25

Sizes

Infants $20.00 All Other Sizes $25.00

The Ice Cream Skirt and Shirt Set
Size: Infants-Size 7
Cost: $70.00