My new obsession: fabric flower brooches!

When I see "brooches" I want to pronounce it like it's spelled but I'm pretty sure it's pronounced like "broaches," right??

I should just call them "pins."

Either way, these fabric flowers are addicting. I'm wearing one today and it just makes me feel....kicky!! {Here's me, TODAY, wearing it!}



I also bought more fabric to experiment with combinations. The one on the left is just FUN, then I'm going to use the polka dots for a set for a friend's daughter, probably for hair clips. Then I need some for Valentine's Day, of course!!



The three on the left below are a set called "Butterfly Garden," so I'm going to see how it looks with different fabrics in one flower. The argyle is for a friend who likes argyle, to go on her Valentine's Day card.



I'm so excited!!

Hi, my name is Tabitha....

...and I'm addicted to crafts.

Honestly? I just wanted an excuse to buy some of the cute fabric I see in my paper shopping excursions. This fabric caught my eye and I adore it.

This is the first of many of these fabric flower brooches!!



I sewed a pin to stiff felt then hot glued it to the back of the flower so it's not floppy.



I wore the above pin to Bunco last night and got compliments and feedback. We agreed--smaller would be better. I'm going to secure it to the felt better, too, to cut down on the floppiness. They loved it, though!

I actually made another one today, just a bit smaller. This one, I'll keep! I made a third--they just keep getting better--and it's going into the shop, attached to a card!



And here is
The Tutorial

My best tip is to hold it the way she's showing in the picture when you cut it, or you end up with a pile of scraps. Practice on paper or "junk fabric" first. Also, you do have to cut it almost all the way around, in an oval. Unfold it once and check the depth of your petals before you unfold it all the way. It's fun to experiment!!

I hope you'll try it, they're a blast!!!

Paper flower tutorial

By Dozi Design

Nope, these paper flowers were not my idea.

But I love them!!!

These would be fun for a variety of Valentine's Day craft projects!



Here's a link to

The Tutorial

I used double-sided paper cut into 4x4 squares. The polka dot paper is Valentine's Day, the other two are Amy Butler. I used a dab of hot glue to secure it underneath so it wouldn't unravel. I love how each one turned out slightly different! An imperfect spiral actually makes the flower more interesting! It will be fun to experiment with larger squares.



Here's how I used one of them. Any other ideas???

Coming soon!!

I'm excitedly improving my Etsy shop in 2010! I already added a Valentine's Day banner and avatar that I loooove.

And here are my newest papers to use for my decorative file folders!!

Mosaix



Wedding



Loooooooooove and Valentine's Day



Simply Sophie



Delightful



Petal Pop



Eye Candy



Cheery



Cute Pink



Look for them in
The Shop soon!

The Aftermath

My precious hubby has been working all day to put my IKEA bookcase up, install the ceiling fan in the guest/craft room and hang my new cross and avocado posters.

Me, you ask? Cleaning up THIS. The rest of the house is more of the same.

If the mess is any indication of the fun we had, you know ours was especially MERRY!



Now he's got his new Xbox 360 up and running and is happy as a clam. I've gotta start getting my books onto that bookcase now...

Merry Christmas!!!

This is us this year. Drew and me at 32, Andrew at 4 and Ethan at 6 months. This was at Ethan's baby dedication in November.



So Merry Christmas!!

This is just a quick family update so you know our latest and greatest!

Drew is in his second year at Baker Commodities and enjoys his job very much. He only has a 30-minute commute and never brings his work home with him. It's a blessing when you enjoy your work! He still serves as an elder at our church and enjoys his video games, reading, watching football, keeping up with politics and playing with the boys. Drew and I are both planning to start running in 2010 and hope to encourage each other in our efforts!

Us in November.



And Drew and the boys recently.



My year has largely been occupied with Ethan. We call him our redemption baby because he came home from the hospital on May 13, a year to the day that I miscarried in '08. God is good! Ethan Ryan was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21" long and his birth was remarkably "easy."



He's still measuring very tall but because he's so active, he's never been as chubby as Andrew was. He is an incredibly easy-going and cheerful baby and brings so much joy into our lives.



Ethan adores his big brother! He just cut his first tooth, is crawling and cruising and loves to chew on everything! He's a "morning person," and brings a smile to my face every morning when we wake up next to each other! We just can't imagine our lives without him.

At our visit with Santa at my friend Chrissy's house.



I'm still serving at church on the women's ministry team, the prayer team and the teaching team. I'm taking a break to do some studies of my own and will do my "How to Study the Bible" class again in the fall. I just hit 100 sales in my Etsy shop and hope to get it fully stocked in time for Valentine's Day. Drew's sister, Sarah, moved out after six years into a nearby home of her own and her former room is now my craft room/guest room. I'm looking forward to doing a lot of crafting in 2010!





I love hosting events (like Christmas dinner for the family, pictured below) and have a big Peter Pan-themed Valentine's Day tea party in the works! I want to really embrace my "Domestic Goddess side" in 2010!



Andrew is a typical 4-year-old and still obsessed with all things Thomas the Train. He loves to play in his sand box, trips to "Popcorn Target," doing artwork at his easel, watching videos and crafting with me. He loves hearing and telling stories, singing and dancing and wrestling with Drew. He always makes me smile and he loves making his baby brother laugh.



We enjoyed getting together with Drew's family the week of Thanksgiving and took all the kiddos to the Phoenix Zoo.



Our family also took a trip on the Verde Canyon Railway in November. Andrew even got a birthday cake on the train and the entire train car sang to him! It was marvelous!







Here's the boys at our neighborhod's annual Christmas party. We take this picture in the snow every year!



Here's us at our nephew's Cardinal's birthday party!



Drew and I feel incredibly blessed this year and have so much to be thankful for. Besides our home and our boys, we are blessed with loving families, wonderful friends, a terrific church home and so many other things. To God be the glory!

May you embrace the peace and love that only Jesus can bring during this Christmas season. Wishing you a prosperous and joyful 2010!

Lastly, Drew and I are both on Facebook so that's the best way to keep up with us and to see our latest pictures.

E-mail me if you need our address or phone numbers--please keep in touch!
tabandrew@hotmail.com

7 Random Things About Me

Thanks to

Shelly at My Lily Eden

for this post! :)

1. I kissed about 35 guys (only one of which was an actual "boyfriend) before I met my husband. Not only was my hubby my blond-haired, blue/green-eyed first kiss--our first kiss was on our wedding day, AFTER we became husband and wife!!

2. I make this weird noise when my throat itches, to "scratch it." Evidently this is a rare "talent" but my son can do it, too.

3. I have a weakness for sweets. I can easily do without a lot of foods but dessert is very hard for me to pass up. I love all types of candy, too. I'm especially fond of Snickers, Dove dark chocolate and M&Ms.

4. I feel my emotions in my belly. Even a "happy-excited" feeling gives me a tummy ache! I don't, however, get headaches very often.

5. I'm a gum chewer. And I blow bubbles. My son has never tried gum and doesn't really know what it is. When he sees packs of gum in the store, he asks for "bubbles."

6. I have a weakness for office supplies. I love fresh Sharpies, Post-It notes, notecards, pretty envelopes, nice pens...

7. I joke around a lot with people in public. My dad does this, too. Sometimes I'm ignored and sometimes people think I'm being rude but most of the time, it gets a laugh and lightens the situation...which is just enough encouragement for me to keep doing it!

So now you know! :)