Giving Thanks.... Being Thankful

Several times this year I have written off  the topic of sewing and posted about being blessed, being tired, being behind. Basically about being a mommy, a mommy who just happens to sew.   This past Thanksgiving has been especially important and special to me for several reasons.

I started a new job in November.  I said goodbye to corporate life at FedEx and a brutal travel schedule.  I said goodbye to projects that drag on, seemingly without end, because of politics and in-fighting. I said goodbye to annual reviews and constantly having to prove my existence over the next guy. But, I also said goodbye to friends that I spent long hours with working late nights in the hub.  Friends, I will miss very much.  How can you forget Chicago, the sort that goes on for 12 hours and stumbling on a little place called Eli's cheesecake that changed the way I will forever see cheesecake. And finding out that big, manly Illya is scared of heights.  Fort Worth, Texas for a week in August is brutal especially on an airport runway. I will honestly never look at a FedEx plane flying overhead the same way again. And I'm thankful to not have to ride on them again.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving, I found out a dear old family friend had taken his life.  He was depressed over heath and money issues and I wish I could have done something about it.   I was truly saddened for his loss and couldn't help but feel for his beautiful family this holiday season.  You will be missed Little Joe. I'm thankful to know you.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, my dear beautiful little Dylan turned 3.  Not really anything to devote a whole blog to but in my mind this baby is getting so old and big and grown up that I want to grab him and hug him and squeeze him and never let him go.  My baby is three,  I'm thankful God gave you to me.

This holiday season, I am going to focus on Giving Thanks more than just beautiful Fall day in November.  I'm Giving Thanks for my new job with better hours and a better, more defined position. I'm Giving Thanks for my family. They are a mess and try my patience like you couldn't believe but these two boys are the best thing that have ever happened to me.  My husband is a go with the flow fella, not to quick to get things done, and doesn't have a sense of urgency that I seem to have.  I am thankful we met and fell in love 20 years ago.

Give Thanks this Holiday season.

Too Much, Too Fast, not enough outlets.......

I heard someone make this statement the other day and I just had to borrow it for a post title.  It's one of those statements that,well, you frankly just get.  I mean I knew exactly what this person was trying to say.  Like you, my days are crazy.  Full time corporate job, two active crazy boys (ages 5 & 2 1/2), part-time at home sewing business,  gym (sometimes) & LAUNDRY.... Sometimes I'm a blur when I come in the door after work.  Often times I work through lunch to get caught up or I'm running errands during lunch trying not to run out of ketchup at home!  I did that once - never again.  It's almost too much! 

The start of Kindergarten is just about to break my heart. I can't believe my sweet little Reece 

is starting Kindergarten this year.  What I wouldn't give to have just one more year of pre-school and fun filled days with Ms. Victoria.  I am going to cry, actually I already have (several times) and I am right now while typing this post.  I have agonized over starting him now or waiting for one more year.  I've read the books about outliers and red-shirting.  I have talked with numerous other mommies and teachers about boys and summer birthdays.  There are great arguments for both sides.  I just couldn't find a good enough reason to keep him back other than it just doesn't "feel" right.  Conversations happen and numerous days have past and it still just doesn't feel right. I want him to learn confidence in his own way and not have it forced sown his throat.  I want him to feel like he belongs not try so hard to fit in that he is not comfortable.  I want to give him every opportunity to succeed in life without having to fight being the youngest in the class. This is all happening too fast! 

I am involved in so many topics of conversation and streams of thought that sometimes I find it difficult to get out of my car after work.  I sit in the driveway and recap the day...."did I eat lunch?, what about that report, did I pay the pre-school tuition, what's for dinner that won't take too much time, do I have sewing orders to complete?....."  Then I am awakened out of "sleep mode" to the kicks on my backseat, "mommy my day to get out of the car first.....! What are you waiting for???" My travel time (6.5 miles ) from school home is my down time -  sad but true.  In that time, I try to talk to my two boys about their day.  Did everyone have nice hands? How was your lunch?  Mean while cell phones are alerting me to reminders for everything from get milk to that dreaded "Low battery" indicator window on the phone. I am plugged in all the time.  I hate to admit it but I am.  You come in my house at any given point in time (please ignore the mess) and any given number of things are "charging" - cameras, video batteries, cell phones, IPads.....there strewn about like a Best Buy. We just don't have enough outlets - or maybe we have too much stuff?

Welcome to the world little ones!

Goodness I have a lot of friends having little ones lately.  Lots and lots of sweet little babies being brought into our world.  I am so appreciative to all my friends that call on me to make gifts and clothing for their special occasions. I love making these cute adorable hugable squeezable outfits and sets.  Your mommies and grandmommys and aunts really love you!

Satisfaction...Appreciation....Pride

Well...I've had one of those "milestone" birthdays and I'm just not liking it! Not one bit. I can't change the aging process but I can take satisfaction in the fact that time stops for no one (except for that crazy Joan Rivers loon) and that we are all growing older together. Thankfully, I have my health and the ability, albeit not always the will, to exercise regularly and eat right.  Darn you Exeline's Pizza, a good dry chardonnay and Fudge Stripe cookies!

For my birthday, my sweet husband pulled one over on me and had my mom and my 86 year old grandmother "Graneane" show up at our annual family beach vacation in Gulf Shores, AL.  After the shock of them showing up, on our doorstep totally  unexpected wore off, I realized that there were four more hands to help retrieve juice boxes, make sandwiches and hand out cookies! Score one for mommy getting to read a book! 

A little later in the evening as we had gathered for a nice dinner together, it dawned on me that my mom and I had never been on a vacation together. Now, I'm not counting the too many gymnastics meets or cheerleading competitions, I mean a vacation to the beach or to a theme park.  Not that she didn't want to or didn't care but more like being a single mom working sometimes multiple jobs, we just didn't have the means to do so.  Tough choices had to be made and over the years, I have really begun to  appreciate more and more the sacrifices she made for me.   Not so ironically, very much like I make for my two boys today. Hopefully in 25 years they will appreciate me as much as I appreciate my mother for everything she did. 

I have great genes!

I am so blessed to have had the opportunities I've enjoyed in life.  Loving mother and family. Wonderfully supportive husband and two beautiful boys. I have a mediocre level of artistic talent - just enough to be dangerous. I paint, I sew, I build things.  Over the years, my determination, studying, patience and practice have paid off pretty well for my sewing hobby/business.  I love it and I love making things for my friends.  I take so much pride in seeing those birthday photos of your little boys and girls in their special day shirts or wearing a personalized crab shirt in the family beach portrait. It means a lot to me that my work is being recorded in your memory albums for years to reflect and remember.

Dylan aka "Sweet Bottom" (above) is a great model if you have a high speed camera!

This weekend...More sewing photos and a blog about taking shortcuts in some designs.........I promise no more monologues.

Being an "in the moment mommy....."

I read this article recently about being an "in the moment mommy" and I want that!  Between the stressers of daily life and the grind of work, "mommy" at the end of the day, is more like "having a moment".  I have a found a passion for this sewing stuff and have been fortunate to be able to do it in addition to my other responsibilities. As I have mentioned multiple times before it is my creative outlet for stress.  I love making gifts for people to give and love seeing those memories being made. And I have made some great new friends along the way!


As I approach another birthday and re-read the email that came a few days ago about PreK4 graduation for my sweet little Reece, I realize more and more just how important being that "in the moment mommy" is.  Tears well up and I get that thick choking feeling every time I think about this milestone, the graduation not the birthday (well maybe a little of both).  I so want to be this mommy for my own mental well being as well as for my two boys.  


This post is not about sewing. Not that anyone really read this to begin with. It's about professing to seek out a balance and strike a chord of personal fulfillment.  This is the mommy I want.  It's about finding that job that fills my heart and soul not just my wallet. It's about being the person that I know I can be inside and being a good friend to those around me. Finally, it's about showing my boys just how much a mommy's love really is.  This is the "in the moment mommy" I want to be.  

Refresh, Renew and bring on Spring!!

We bought the house in 2003 and started on a journey of renovation that, I hate to admit, continues today. At this point, I never imagined the need for a permanent sewing space but that was way before 4 little grabby hands get into everything you own. This was me trying in vain to cover up the lime and aqua vinyl wallpaper that was attached to the walls in our attic.

After a few years of sewing in another old outdated spare bedroom, we finally got around to
work on bringing the upstairs into this century. Cay you say Goodbye purple and blue Berber and old dark paneling and Hello wood floors and new paint. The birth of a child brings on a whole new world of opportunities. Where the upstairs was once going to be a place "to hang out with an awesome kegarator watching football games" has turned into "Play Land" with comfortable soft seating, reading nooks and great fun colors. The traveling sewing room gets displaced again. I move from a spare small bedroom to the attic (above).

My husband bought me this awesome sewing machine for Christmas in 2006 and from it I have discovered all kinds of new and wonderful talents I never knew I had. This Christmas he bought me a TV for the sewing room. His claim "if your going to be spending so much time in there..." It was a wonderful thought and he was being really sweet. Honestly I enjoy the quiet of my sewing space. This is what happened next. Since we had to move the table to hang the TV and wires and cabling and why don't we......

• add a craft work area and more storage


• Recover that old dirty table and make some new legs for it


• Get a nice cabinet that I can store all my blank shirts and fabrics in


• Make room under the table for out of season stuff like tote bags and beach towels.

Another shot of the "before" that I have been working with for about 5 years.

After of the same section with this wonderful storage cabinet, thread racks, and a place to really get some work done. Thanks Honey for all your hard work.

If you need me - I'll be sewing.........

Falling behind, springing ahead......trying to keep up!

Un-Seasonably warm winter, earlier "Spring forward" time change, lots of remodeling up in the sewing room and two little boys who want to be active all the time have kept me from updating the blog as often as I had ever intended. I have to learn to stop apologizing publically for things that only I see as personal shortfalls! Anyway.....The sewing room is as done as I can get it right now with my workload backing up. You can see awesome pictures of the before and afters here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.339927876052172.80737.140636292647999&type=3 Thanks hubby for all the hard work!

I try to always update the latest sewing project or customer order on my Facebook Page here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sweet-Bottom-Sewing-Company/140636292647999
Honestly, it is where I get most of my customer questions and where most of my orders come from. Probably because I keep it updated, huh, makes sense doesn't it. Anyway it is easier to upload and organize photos albums and send out messages to all my friends and customers.

What does all this mean to you- nothing probably. To me, I'm behind and trying to get caught up as will always be the case I suspect. I have tons of Applique designs on Facebook to browse through and if you still don't find anything you like drop me a note and I will work to find you something special.

Happy Spring everyone and thanks for a wonderful first year @SweetBottomSewing theBlog.

Love is in the Air

Sweets for the sweetheart. Treats for your sweet, however you want to share a little love now is the time to do it. I like to spread the love around our house with little hidden notes to the boys telling them to have a great day and how I will be thinking of them. What else are mommies for?

These sweet hearts with bows are a matching set for a grandmother / granddaughter and I think they turned out beautifully! Boys shouldn't get left out this time of year either. We have special boys themed valentine designs just for you. Try Stitch with a Valentine or the Valentine wagon.

I have been taking this sewing down time to clean and re-arrange the sewing space to make for more function and less chaos. The effort and hard work is paying off and I am thrilled with all the new storage and a clean fresh worktable. Yes it is still and attic and always will be but it is my creative space and I am making it my own! Spring is right around the corner and depending on where you live you might be getting Spring Fever already with this crazy weather. Start thinking ahead for Easter and Spring designs. Based on the the excellent response to the lined easter baskets last year, I am trying to get a supply in early. Stay tuned.....

Happy 2012 Everyone!

I have done some amazing and fun projects this fall and winter and can't wait to show them off. During my break from work, I have been diligently re-organizing my FaceBook page albums to make them easier to browse and navigate. "The Blog" will be next! I plan to arrange the designs into seasonal and holiday groupings so that you can quickly find just the right design for your special little one's special occasion.

Thank you for making 2011 an amazing year for me! I couldn't do it without you.