Feeling the Love In March

I was really flattered to be featured as blog of the month in March's issue of SEW magazine. Each issue this month comes with a free Simplicity pattern for a fun cocktail dress and the magazine is full of fun tutorials and resources. This magazine has a really young, fresh vibe to it with beautiful photography and modern projects. I recommend picking one up next time you happen to be at a major bookstore.

Danielle of Sometimes Sweet has been running a blog feature called Mama Said that shares experience and advice from her mama friends. I've enjoyed reading every one of them and was happy to be included in Volume 5 of Mama Said! I love knowing that we're all moving through motherhood with our own challenges but we still share so many of the same. High five to all the mamas (and mamas to be) out there!

My neighbor, Rachel, texted me yesterday to ask if I'd seen the nursery from her home tour on my blog on OhDeedoh yet. I hadn't! Thanks, OhDeedoh, for the shout out from both of the Rachels!

Just this morning Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl posted parts of an interview she did with Amanda Oaks of Kind Over Matter and myself on creating with kids. All work-at-home or working moms know it's a challenge to balance family life with work but I truly love getting to be at home with my kids while contributing to our budget. Head over here to see the full article.

There's been talk of salt water sandals and spring weather on Twitter this afternoon! Do you have Spring Fever yet?

xoxo,
Rachel

Welcome to February!

I've got TWO new DIY's over at Danielle Thompson's blog this week that you'll want to bookmark if you like to use fabric backdrops in your photos. Go see what I made out of these rods and hooks and then find yourself some felt and a staple gun! Danielle has been hosting some fantastically creative people lately with freebies and all kinds of eye candy so take a look and scroll down a bit.

My arrow garland made it onto OhDeedoh in a Valentine roundup last week! There are a host of fantastic Valentine themed projects floating around the interwebs but here are a few of my favorite!

20 Handmade Valentines in 20 Days


Mer Mag's Handmade Valentines which I saw via Aesthetic Outburst.

Martha always has something for us.

It was also fun to see the quilt I made for Modern Patchwork in one of Ashley's posts as a backdrop for photos (second photo down). I told Ashley that as soon as I started working on that project I knew it was meant to be hers when it was done. I was more than happy to pass along a quilt knowing it would be well-loved and well-used!

Have you ever had that experience with something you intended to make? Someday, when the kids are grown and I have a little more time on my hands, I plan on making a quilt for each of the special people in my life. Yes, this is the plan.

I've added the Modern Patchwork button to the sidebar for easy access to the post with all of the information on it. It's been great to hear back from excited customers and I can't wait to see some finished projects! You can purchase Modern Patchwork here through PayPal or here through the RVA website if you'd like to pay with a card.

We've got quite the snow day on our hands so I plan on baking lots of biscuits, making sure our laundry is caught up, and possibly thinking about shoveling the sidewalk just for the thrill of it. Being a California girl, I've never shoveled a sidewalk before. Yes, I like to live on the wild side.

The kids are having dance party #1 of the day to burn off some energy and I'm enjoying my second cup of coffee. What are you doing on this glorious first day of February?

xoxo,
Rachel

A Little Bit of Happy News!

When I was invited to contribute to this quarter's issue of Artful Blogging a few months ago I had to read the e-mail twice to make sure I wasn't making it up in my head! I've kind of had a secret wish to make it onto the pages of Artful Blogging since they first started showcasing some of my favorite blogs in 2007 and to make things even sweeter, Ruby's little mug made the cover!

I got a little more serious than I usually get in this space as I reflected back on what blogging meant to me. It's been quite the wild ride these last three plus years and blogging has played a major role in the way my family's story has been shared and how it has developed.

It's been a place of inspiration and a way to share my favorite ideas. It's challenged my creativity, introduced me to some fantastic women, and taught me how to crochet a granny square (among other things)!

It's afforded me the built-in community I've needed during these sometimes lonely years at home with little ones and shown me how to be a better mom. It's affirmed and encouraged me in times of self-doubt when one or both kids were causing me to question our parenting methods and allowed me to feel okay about things when I realized I wasn't the only mama who occasionally used bribery to get her son in the bath.

Blogging has not only documented our lives these last few years, it's allowed me to be at home with my children while contributing to my family's financial needs. Like so many other bloggers, it's been a platform for sharing new product, introducing online classes and e-courses, and featuring sponsors that have chosen to advertise with Smile and Wave. It's the best kind of job!

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to reflect and share how much blogging has meant to me these last few years but mostly I'd love to thank you, my fantastically supportive and loyal readers. Your comments, shared stories, and general presence have meant the world to me and made this place pretty special. It wouldn't be the same without you!

xoxo,
Rachel

ADDED: I have had a number of people ask where to purchase this issue and I'm not 100% but I think all major bookstores carry it (Barnes & Noble, etc.) Can anyone who has seen it there confirm this? You can also subscribe on their website. See links above. Thank you for all of the sweet words! It means a lot!

BUST Magazine Feature!

I don't know why I haven't already posted about this because it has been one of the most exciting pieces of press I've ever received. I was contacted by BUST magazine earlier this year to share photos of my home in their Homegirl column and was kind of beside myself that they were interested! I sent in some self-portraits and we did a phone interview and then I kind of forgot about it until my copy came in the mail last month. It was pretty thrilling!

Anyway, it was fun to get to share photos of our home in printed form. Thank you to BUST for the unique opportunity and to all of you who shared your congrats through twitter comments! And a special thank you to Danielle for sending me an extra copy that showed up at her doorstep to replace the one Ruby practiced her shredding skills with. Now I'll have one to show my teenage daughter when she's old enough to think I'm so 2010. Ha!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Today was the day Brett and I first met after English 101 on our second day of college classes Freshman year. That was ten years ago! Brett surprised me again this year with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a trip to the new cupcake shop downtown. I think the fact that he celebrates that day every year when I usually don't remember is pretty fantastic. Thanks, love!