{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

     My oh my, where have I been?! Two words: GRAD SCHOOL.  Therefore, NO time for crafting- let along blogging... BOO!  So last week, while finishing my last paper of the quarter, I broke down & had to sew.  Now I'm in full on Handmade Holiday mode!  In addition, I realized that being back in school makes me even more excited for Christmas and winter break.

So here are my {5 Lovely Things} on this Monday eve.

{1. My Sister's Chic Mommy Tote}

aka: diaper bag

the glowing mama-2-be & her snazzy diaper bag!

{2. Bring on the Treats}

I found this yummy recipe on EverydayFood.  

It's everything a cookie should be: airy, minty, buttery, with just a bit of chocolate!

photo cred: Everyday Food

{3. Fabric Ornaments}

I threw this pattern from Sew It All in my "to do" binder last holiday season & 

decided I would actually use it this year. These "Have A Ball" ornaments are 

super sweet & kid friendly!

{4. 101 Handmade Ornaments}

Get in on the handmade holiday spirit courtesy of everythingetsy.com

am especially excited to try this tutorial
by jessica jane!!

{5. The Giving Spirit}

Check out glassbaby & use the code "rivkin" & 10% of your purchase 

goes to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, 

which is a program very near to my heart.

photo cred: glassbaby

salute!

*lucy

{Wednesdays with Willis}

Not a bad way to start this foggy autumnal morning: chai in hand, the pup relaxing on his bed- with the occasional sigh about no longer being allowed on the bed- & I get to gush about being an auntie!!

due to his inability to share sleeping space
 he has been banished to his own bed

Not long ago my sister surprised the whole family by telling us her & the hubby are expecting a new addition in January.  How she kept it in the vault for the first trimester I'll never know!  Although I'm "Auntie M" to many of my friends' kiddos this will be my first nephew biologically :)  And with that comes a whole whirlwind of "auntie duties" like throwing a baby shower!!

To-Do List:

1. She needs a handcrafted gift- check.

Click here for this free diaper bag tutorial

Monday night I finished the bag but can only give you a tiny glimpse 

as I want the final project to be a surprise...

Yes, it's a lot of pink for someone who's
expecting a boy but this mama-2-be loves her pink! 

2. Order Invites- done.

Again, only a preview ;)

3. Shower Favors- done.

Found this great idea on Pinterest &
obviously we'll have many shades of blue nail polish

4. Decorative Banner- check.

Still a work in progress but thanks to Martha Stewart's letter templates it's easy-cheesy!

Now all that's left are finalizing decor & menus with the grammy-2-be...

Happy Hump Day.

cheers,

*lucy.

{Wednesdays with Willis}

Oh dear, it's been over a month since I've posted! Shame.On.Me. 

Last Wednesday was the Fourth & we took the BF's boat on it's maiden voyage-

 with Willis. 

Let's just say that Will's favorite part was when we got back to the dock...

On all those other Wednesdays off since my last post I've been sewing like crazy.

Meet Owlie, Owlivia & Owlfred

A very happy dad- his baby girl will be sporting his team :)

Baby Sis in her B-day Gift

Meet the Sea of Lovely "Signature Market Tote"

More details to follow soon...

And today is no different. I've been experimenting with appliques.

All the while Prince Willis watches from his thrown...

cheers,

*lucy.

{Wednesdays with Willis}

I may need to rethink this title; "Wednesdays with Willis & Janey" is really more appropriate. Janey is how I lovingly refer to my sewing machine. The last few months have been so crazy- lots of orders for Sea of Lovely & they just keep coming in! With that being said, sewing has been my second job. Here is what I've been up to on my days off while Willis lays around sighing because 100% of my attention is not on him.

bibs, bibs, bibs! 

and more bibs...

and bibs with matching burp cloths

And last but not least...

Stacy's new beach tote!!

find the tutorial for this sweet summer accessory here

perfect for her trip to Mazatlan!!

I hope this post finds you well on hump day :)

Time to take this huffy pup on a walk.

cheers,

*lucy.

  

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

Wait for it...this is going to be a HOOT!

Ok, yes, I'm a cornball but I've officially finished 5 owls!!

They're all so sweet & different!

Next I'm going to embark on making elephant & whale plushies :)

toodles,

*lucy.

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

 

What I'm Most Proud of Accomplishing Prior to the BIG 3-0

      As many of you probably recall I made a "30 Before 30" list last year...well I'm officially 30 now- it feels great btw. Here are the 5 loveliest things I'm most proud of accomplishing from that list!

{1} Visit New Zealand: tick!

(in NZ they say "tick it off your list" instead of "check")

     Since my dear friend, Sarah, returned to her homeland over four years ago I had wanted to visit NZ. Last fall I was at the gym stretching when I got a Travelzoo email alert that flights were on sale. Right then & there I knew I had to pull the trigger-- & what a great decision it was to do so.  It was fantastic to meet her growing family & explore the land of Kiwis land with my favorite travel buddy (aka: the boyfriend).

{2} Develop Sea of Lovely Branding

     Thanks to my artsy sister, Jenna, the Sea of Lovely logo was born.  And after much fine-tuning-- & cursing at WORD while formatting labels-- I developed a labeling process that I'm quite proud of.

{3} See My Family More Often

My sisters & I all live in different states while mom & pop are still in the Motherland 

(aka: MT). I cherish the fact that I was able to make Thanksgiving dinner for my parents- barring the minor turkey mishap- & spend Christmas under the same roof 

with the entire Lechner clan.

Turkey Day weekend

Christmas Day chaos at the cabin

Mom & Dad came for my Dirty 30!

{4} Give Only Handmade Gifts

While I didn't finish my plans for handmade 2011 Christmas gifts I can report significant strides since the turn of 2012.  Sea of Lovely gifts are out in full force!

Look Whoooooo's 1?
Baby Adele & her new "Owlivia" 

{5} Live 5 Minutes from Work

While going through some significant life changes in 2011 I also found my 

beloved vintage apartment. Very few things make me happier than being able to 

run home at lunch to say hi to my Willis :)

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

5 Reasons to Own a Willis!

He's my buddy through thick & thin, is always excited to see me come home & 

pretty much the most awesome dog ever. 

{1. Low Maintenance}

He't not finicky & doesn't require a comfy bed.
A wall to lean on is perfectly suitable.

{2. Perfect Model}

he makes my handmade goods look even better :)

{3.More Photoshoots}

How can you not love a pup that would pose like this?

{4. Pet Therapy}

Whether you've broken your ankle or simply had a crappy day at work
how can this face not instantly cheer you up?

{5. His Contortionist Cuddling Abilities}

just give him enough room to snuggle & he'll make it work

I hope these snaps make your day like they do mine.

cheers,

*lucy.