{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.

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

I spy daffodils...

I spy cherry blossoms...

I spy sunshine- intermittent, albeit...

{I SPY SPRING!}

            For whatever reason when Spring makes it's sluggish entrance I get the bug to start making fruity desserts. Perhaps it's in anticipation for the summer berries that are just around the corner. So today I'm switching my lovely focus to FOOD. These are my top 5 favorite fruit deserts. 

Pinterest peeps, be sure to pin these bad boys to your "recipes to try board" :)

{1} Pear Crisp

photo & recipe cred: The Pioneer Woman

served with salted caramel gelato= perfection

{2} Award Winning Peaches & Cream Pie

Find this recipe on allrecipes.com 

This has been a staple desert in my life for almost 6 years now.

I found it tastes best when made with cling peaches you buy in jars.

{3} Blackberry Cobbler

made by yours truly & also seen in my "Make It Work Kitchen" post
find the recipe here

Freeze those yummy berries from the Farmer's Market

& you can make this all year long.

{4} Blueberry Cream Dessert

photo & recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

People always want this recipe- 'nuf said.

{5} Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars

picture & recipe courtesy of BHG

Oh rhubarb...you're so underappreciated.

I'm thankful that my mom introduced us to how amazing strawberry rhubarb pie & jam is at a very young age. It's in season NOW so jump on it.

And with that I hope you all are recovering from your Easter-candy-induced-sugar coma quite well.

cheers,

*lucy. 

{Swimming in a Sea of Lovely}

About a year ago I decided on a brand for my crafty creations: Sea of Lovely. 

{Read about my inspiration for the name here.} 

Last week my vision came alive & Sea of Lovely labels were born.

My first label sewn into product!

supply roll-up cases: for makeup brushes, art supplies, etc.

Art credit goes to my baby sis, Jenna!!

cheers,

*lucy.