My favorite flower of all time is in full bloom here. I cut an armful on Sunday and filled vases and urns with lovely fluffy peonies. Glad I did, too, since the heavy rains have destroyed the remainder of the blossoms outside.
I do a blog post on peonies every year, and I never ever tire of them, their fragrance or the way they photograph so beautifully.
Just a little bit of beauty I wanted to share with you today!
Sofia is the pickiest little eater. But we did recently discover that she likes hummus, when I left the container on the edge of the kitchen table, a little too close to her high chair.
My initial reaction was to grab the container and start cleaning her up, but then we started laughing and realized she was having a good old time digging in. So, I let her have a bit more fun.
And we discovered a food that she will actually eat!
I found these adorable fabric dolls last year and had to get them for Sofia, though it will be a few years before she plays with them. I finally finished cutting them out and wanted to share with you the details and how-to's.
It's a paper doll concept, but with fabric. The fabric (with the dolls and clothing printed on it, as shown below) is sold by the yard, like any other fabric.
I cut out each doll, and then ironed a double-sided stiff fusible interfacing to the back, and then I ironed a plain cotton fabric to the back of that, to finish them off. This makes the dolls stiff and easier to play with.
Don't you love their vintage undergarments?
Then -this is the fun part- I cut out the clothing and ironed each piece to double-sided Wonder Under, then ironed felt to the back side of the Wonder Under. The felt grabs on to the dolls better so the clothes cling a bit, like a felt board. Here are all my pieces cut and finished.
You can also buy yardage of just additional clothing (shown below). One yard of fabric gives you lots of clothing and accessories.
I cut off the tabs because you can't really fold them over the dolls anyway. But wouldn't the clothes be cute framed and hanging on the wall in a little girl's room?
Now it's time to play dress up!
Mario colored this precious picture for me, and was so excited when he gave it to me. Aren't these the best kind of presents? I have a box full of his handmade treasures I will never part with. It's sweet to think about what goes through his little mind as he's drawing a picture. His favorite shirt at the moment is a red one, that he would wear all week long, and sleep in if I let him. The fact that he put me in a pink dress cracks me up, and my crazy hairdo is not too far off from reality! I love the happy clouds and sun (wearing sunglasses of course) and trees. Observing the innocence, wonder and happiness of childhood is one of
the greatest gifts of motherhood.
I hope all of the mamas out there have a Happy Mother's Day!!!
April showers surely brought the May flowers around here. I tucked some Lily of the Valley from the garden into my boot as I did some gardening the other day, and could smell the sweet fragrance with every step.
It feels so good to be digging in the dirt again, with Spring so full of promise and sun, sun, sunshine!
The Country Living article has brought a lot of questions, and I am happy to answer them! I thought it may be easier to answer them here on my blog, since most of the questions are similar.
I also wanted to mention that the resources listed in the article are not the resources I gave to the editors. Since this was the "bargain issue", they wanted to show how the bookmarks can be made very inexpensively, and they chose to list different sources than the ones I provided them. It seems to have caused a bit of confusion, so below you will find my personal list of resources.
*I use primarily vintage jewelry pieces for the baubles on the bookmarks, along with gemstones, Czech glass beads, old pearls and new & old cabochons. Many of the pieces are found at flea markets and antique shops. Local bead shops and Etsy are great resources for gemstones and other beads. Search Etsty for tons of cabochons.
*The velvets I use are from my own stash, gathered over time. You can buy a narrow 3/8" velvet in many colors through Raffit Ribbons. Some craft stores also sell velvet ribbon, and of course there is always Etsy. Also, try your local scrapbook store for a variety of velvet widths and colors.
*I purchase the silver and gold ribbon clamps from Jewelry Supply. They come in three widths, which should be matched up exactly to the width of your ribbon. They are 3/8", 1/2" and 5/8". Jump rings in various finishes can be found at any craft store or bead shop.
I hope this helps, and if you still a question or two, please do send me an email!
If you'd rather buy one from my Shopette, I have made a few more that I will have listed this coming week. {pictured above}
Thanks so much for your interest and emails!
We spent Easter out of town, with family, and had a wonderful holiday weekend. It was Sofia's first Easter, and I kept reminding myself that she has no clue what Easter even is....so there was no need for a fancy basket. So, she got a book and a soft bunny and a few marshmallow bunnies. She enjoyed chewing on all items equally as far as I can tell!
We managed to get one family picure where we are all sort of looking at the camera and no one is crying or pouting, so I thought I'd share it. I hope you had a happy Easter too!
Wishing you a very Happy Easter......with family, friends and marzipan & chocolate eggs!
So, today I turn 35. And it's funny because sometimes I still feel 16. Heck, sometimes I still feel 6. Do we ever really change? With each passing year, we grow and learn, of course, but the core of who we are is so solid. Deep down we always remain the same person with the same needs, hopes, desires, fears, sensitivities and loves.
And each year holds nearly infinite possibilities. We have no idea what is really in store for us in the next 365 days! That is a bit scary, and very exciting at the same time! I am making a promise to myself to remember to LIVE each day this year with passion, gratitude and kindness. With so much to be thankful for, life is just too short to settle for anything less!
Thanks so VERY much for your gracious comments, messages and emails about the new site! I'm so happy you like it. It was the perfect way to kick off my 35th year!
With Love (and balloons and cake), Andrea
I'm so glad you stopped by, and I want to welcome you to the fresh new look of Everyday Beauty. My friend Hope did beautiful, clean and detailed design work for me, as she always does, and I am tickled....well, pink! I've been wanting a site that combines my shop, blog, photos, and other little bits of my life, which is the reason why www.andreasingarella.com was created.
There are some new jewels in The Shopette and a new collection of Prize Ribbon Rosettes as well. Simply click "Shopette" in the menu bar above to take a peek.
Please note that all new orders will begin shipping on May 4th.
Some of the Bookmark Baubles featured in the Country Living article are also for sale.
One more thing...I am happy to be shipping internationally once again! I have missed my international friends and customers, and will now ship to Canada, Europe and Australia through First Class International mail (which will keep the rates lower for you).
Thanks so much for your support and excitement. It's always such a joy to hear from you and share pieces of my world with you!
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