Skye Reve and Forty Toes Photography Giveaway

These are two people I just LOVE to pieces. I have been purchasing fabric from Skye Reve fabric both on Etsy and her online shop for the past 3 years. You will find amazing customer service, gorgeous fabric and super fast shipping....and a HUGE selection of fabrics both domestic and imported. She always packages her fabric beautifully and is incredibly helpful, thank you again!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/Skyerevefabrics7?sk=app_169505045786

My other fave person is Jennifer over at Forty Toes Photography, she has photographed several of my pieces, purchased items from me and has become an incredibly great friend to have! I just love you Jennifer! I am SO happy I was able to work with her and we were able to form such a wonderful friendship! She is an incredible photography and I SO wish I lived near her so she could photograph my own children! Go and check out her blog for all the details on this fantastic giveaway she is hosting for Skye Reve!

www.momof40toes.blogspot.com

Testers Wanted

It's that time again! I am looking for a few good testers for my brand new pattern. Here are the requirements, you must be able to meet ALL of the requirements"

1. You MUST be able to sew (this is an intermediate pattern as well)
2. You MUST supply all the materials to make said items
3. I MUST have at least 3 to 5 high resolution, nice pics returned to me no later than 2pm on Sunday Oct 9. They pictures do NOT have to be professional but nicely done so that they may be used in the listings and to advertise for Hailey Bugs Closet. By doing this you are agreeing to allow me to use your pictures in my business, this does not mean that all pictures will be used, however if yours is chosen you will be given credit as will your shop.
4. You MUST have the review filled out and returned to me as well.

testers will be chosen and the pattern will be emailed out tmrw on Sunday the 2nd...this pattern will take approx. 2 to 3 hours to sew (maybe less if you are speedy fast).  You will receive a final copy of the pattern once all changes have been made.

Sizes Needed:
18m
2t
3t
5t
7/8
9/10

Please leave your name and your email address below and the size you can test, if you are able to test more than one size let me know, if you are please let me know if you are willing to make multiple dresses. If you happen to be a professional photographer that is even better! Thanks so much ladies and Good Luck!

OH SO POSH Photography

I just want to say, I have been drooling over these AH-MAZING Photoshop actions for some time and I can now say I am the Proud owner of Bohemian Symphony Collection! YOU MUST check out Lidia's work over at Oh So Posh Photography. She is amazing, caring and so incredibly helpful. She has many videos walking you through her actions, she is always willing to give advice on your work and she is one of the NICEST people I have seen on Facebook! Check out her blog as well (link is included in the title above) as she has an incredible and inspiring story and a beautiful outlook on life!

Forever Maxi Dress Pattern

I just released my latest pattern and the reviews from testers has been stupendous! They all loved how easy it was to make. They thought it was great that from one pattern there were so many options! There are 3 different strap options. You can choose a cute little ruffle sleeve (which should be compliant with most school dress codes regarding widths) or you can do the ties at the shoulder. That is one of my fave options as I love to layer and this is super simple to layer over. You can also do it with halter ties as well. The testers were so happy at the size ranges available. This one goes up to a 9/10. I have modified it a bit for my oldest child as it is THAT versatile that a teen even likes the design. Then there are three hem options to boot and the best part...it can double as a maxi skirt as your child gets older. This option works best when the dress is made as a halter or with the ties.

I have personally been making these dresses for almost 3 years for my 2 girls. They both love them. With the age difference in my children my oldest prefers something simple and my youngest loves the ruffles and the twirl factor. There is something there for everyone! You can whip this one up in a little under an hour and a half and I plan on offering this in some DIY's as well. Thanks so much to all the testers I had who are now making up my new sewing circle on Facebook...they are an amazing bunch of women!

Little Lizard King Pattern Review

I recently had the privilege of testing a wonderful ruffle dress pattern from the extremely talented Little Lizard King on Etsy. I must say not only is this one of the most fun patterns I have had a chance to play with, it was SO easy, that it could be whipped up in about an hour or less. How perfect would this dress be for a party, wedding or back to school! We did layer it with a tee underneath for a fall look and paired it with some fun little boots. If you want to get this same look I suggest making the bodice once size larger to allow for room.

My favorite part of this pattern is being able to use that super fun ruffle fabric that is all the rage. You can find it here (www.rufflefabric.com) and because the fabric is usually 54" wide you will need less that a yard to whip this dress up!

This dress can be taylored to your desired length, and what is even better, ruffle fabric does'nt fray like woven cotten does so no need to hem! Just make sure to cut with your scissors and not a rotaty blade on this one.

Will I make this pattern again? MOST DEFINATELY! Not only was it fun and fast, my daughter was in heaven. Thank you Liz for sending me the fabric as well to try out your pattern. My bug fell in love with this dress the moment I showed it to her. The only thing I did differently was I had a stash of crochet flowers still floating around and I decided to add one to the bodice.....it was incredibly cute alone, or I am thinking some cute buttons too!

I own most of LLK's patterns and I can say this, they are all great, easy to read and follow and if you EVER need some extra help, she is just an email away! I have been fortunate enough to have developed a friendship with the owner Liz this past year and I can say she is one of the kindest, sweetest and BUSIEST ladies I know. She never ceases to amaze me and has been so kind as to mentor not only myself in my pattern making endeavors, but several others as well. Make sure to follow her on Facebook as well for special promotions and to stay up to date on new pattern releases!
www.facebook.com/littlelizardking . Let her know Hailey Bugs Closet sent ya, and dont forget to pick up a pattern or two from her! I will say her knot dress pattern is my FAVE go to pattern!

Forty Toes and DIY

Last week I was very honored when I was contacted by the talented Forty Toes Photography to purhcase one of my DIY kits, btw she did an AMAZING job at making the Little Country Girl dress dont you think?

So I asked her if she would be interested in trying her talented hands at making a new DIY kit I plan on releasing next week and she was excited. It is a mermaid themed ruffle dress, I love the bright colors and I think Jennifer and her adorable little model really just made this dress that much better! I cannot wait to make one for my little bug soon! Here is a sneek peek of that dress, it will be available both as a completed dress AND as a DIY kit, btw, wait until you see the retro old school dress I am planning next! I am super excited!



First Pattern Release AND DIY Kits

I am super excited to announce to you all that I have finally decided to release my first pattern. I was so nervous at first but the feedback has been incredibly positive. This is an easy to follow pattern, that has so many options to choose from. This is a great pattern to sell online and at craft fairs and also the perfect way to use up some of those scrap fabric pieces you have laying around!   I have decided to release my pillowcase dress pattern and my popular big boys 3d tie tee pattern as well! I have a few more patterns I am working on and hopefully in the next 6 weeks will have a total of 5 more patterns in the shop.

I have also decided to sell a few DIY sewing kits as well, now YOU can make a dress just like the ones I am selling in my shop for a fraction of the cost. The pieces will come to you precut for the size you need, you can even trace the pattern pieces and remake with other fabric you purchase as well. You will be emailed the instructions (there are no measurements sent with DIY) and the fabric will be cut and shipped within 48 hours.

button

here is my new super cute blog button......Whatcha think?

Craft Shows

Things have been SO crazy lately, with the 3 craft shows I have going on. The last show at Grogans Mill was a blast, sold more than I anticipated so I am BUSY BUSY  BUSY trying to replenish my inventory for the Panther Creek show on November 13th. You wont want to miss that one, even if you were at Grogans Mill there will be approx 40 to 50 NEW pieces of clothing added not to mention about 30 new hair items and I have replenished the beanies and new colors too! Holiday items will also be available! I cant wait to share.

My Etsy store is bare, I hope to get some new stuff in soon, I have been busy taking custom requests and gearing up for the shows, the Panther Creek show is one of the largest in Montgomery County and there are hundreds of vendors there each year. I had a blast out there and was able to get a lot of one of a kind gifts for my family. Once again PuraVida Photography will be joining me and offering her great services for Christmas pictures or for any time. She will also be running specials for attendees of the show so hope you check her out! http://www.puravidapix.blogspot.com/

I will also be doing one more show in the Cypress area on Novemeber 20th, this one I will be doing with Luxy Lu's jewelry, super cute fun and funky cowgirl jewelry! There will be approx 70 vendors at this show, so if you are unable to make it out to Panther Creek definately join us there as well!

Week of Weeks

It has been one of those super busy weeks for me. Lots going on, everyone has been sick and lots and lots of orders, I want to thank you all by the way for supporting handmade. I am busy working on the dress samples to take a boutique down on The Waterway here. I am very excited about this. They are having an open house this weekend and asked to showcase some of my work. They will be taking orders and I may possibly be doing a little wholesale with them. They specialize in formal clothing rentals and sell childrens portrait clothing. This is very exciting and I was very honored when they contacted me about this a few weeks ago.

I have officially been accepted to two craft shows this fall/winter season and will be doing these shows with the very talented Puravida Photography. Both shows will be held in The Woodlands one in October the other in November. More details to come and I hope to see you there. Lots of fun new clothes, new fabrics and lots of hair goodies including the VERY popular crochet newsboy hats. I am still considering a third show in November in the Cypress area I was invited to so I will keep you updated on that show as well.

I have received several emails regarding my bare store. Please bear with me, with sick kiddos and this sample sale this weekend it has been rough. I am almost finished with the orders I have received since the weekend and I have several new items I cannot wait to share. I am very excited and will be taking pics very soon. Oh and YES, the socks are back!!! I was waiting until I got all my flowers in and they are here, I also have a few new decorative crochet sock items to showcase to you as well and will be introducing another new 2 new accessories that are a Hailey Bugs Closet exclusive.

Thanks again everyone for your support and I cannot wait to share with you. I will be hosting a giveaway VERY VERY soon so keep posted!

Part Time Diva

As many of you already know I have ordered the CUTEST Strawberry Shortcake hat EVER MADE for my little Hailey Bug. I am going to put together a Strawberry Shortcake costume for her for Halloween and she will be THRILLED! It is her fave character at the moment. I cannot wait to share.

I got the hat from the absolute cutest crochet shop on Etsy. Her name is Michelle and she is owner and designer of Part Time Diva http://www.etsy.com/shop/PartTimeDiva. She has AMAZING quality, I have already had the honor of being able to check out her apple and   pumpkin hats in person and my oldest daughter fell in love with her newsboys for older girls.

Are you looking for something adorable for this fall....you can have your families pictures done in matching pumpkin or apple hats. She makes these hats for all ages from babies to adults, how awesome is that. The quality is the best you will find. Her attention to detail and her customer service are some of the best I have experienced, and I order a lot on Etsy. Check her out if you are looking for something for yourself, someone in your family or for a very special gift. Most hats are between $15 and $20.....you cant beat that for a gorgeous custom made item!

My New LOVE!

I have a lot of patterns for dresses, however by far THIS is one of my faves. It is just as versatile as my pillowcase dresses, however without the ties so your little lady can dress herself! Yeah! I love the cap sleeves at the shoulders (these can be made smaller like a tank top if you prefer) and they are super soft, have lots of stretch for growth as does the bodice. There is plenty of room to layer long sleeve tees or a peasant top from my store under it and wear it with some leggings, tights, jeans or my soon to make a come back ruffle pants. ADORABLE! As most of you know I am all about getting a lot of use from my clothing and what is great is as your daughter outgrows the dress it makes a gorgeous babydoll top. I just finished up two more dresses today, one is Halloween themed and the other is another gorgeous print for my fall/winter lines. If you would like this made in a different fabric just check out my facebook page. I have over 150 prints to choose from. Let me know your main fabric choice and I will put something special together for you! Gorgeous photography provided for my PuraVida Photography. Thanks Kayla!

Mommy & Me Hydrangea Headbands

Here is another hair accessory in the Mommy & Me hair accessory line. Several more to come along with the matching mom skirts to go with any dress or tie I have in my shop. This elastic headband is all handmade by me with the softest stretchy elastic around. I have decorated the headbands with gorgeous real feel hydrangea flowers that are available in cream, pink, red and teal. These have been big sellers at my craft shows. It's about time mom's get to have great hair accessories like their little ones. I also have covered button clips and headbands along with covered button pony tail holders too. All of which both you and your little princess will want to share. I have beautiful fabric Kanzashi flowers and frayed fabric roses as well. I cant wait to show it all of to you!

Because of Brenna

I wanted to share with you an incredibly talented Etsy seller Because of Brenna. Click on the title and be directed to her seriously fabulous store full of incredibly fun party supplies. I am just dying for my younger two to go to school so we can meet a few friends and have a party. My favorite has to be Candy Shoppe! I am in love with the bright vibrant colors and cant get over how adorable those party favor bags are! She custom creates all of her items and just happens to be a Texan as well! I love the idea she has with her personlized banners and decorations of using them in your childs room as a decoration. Her pricing is great, her items are to die for.

 Check out her latest Halloween themed kit. The spooky spiderweb banner is definately something you will use year after year! The black chandelier decoration from this set can always be reused in a bedroom with a shabby chic theme or even another glamorous party like the spa kit she has available.

I love the fact her items are adorable, unique and can be boxed up and used for another birthday. She has boy themes, girlie themes, holidays and even themes that could be used for boys or girls. Please check out her Etsy store and see many more of her amazing creations,  www.etsy.com/shop/becauseofbrenna !

Crochet Flowers Sucess

Well the socks have been a hit! I am only able to take preorders at this time however I have several new colors coming and will be trying out another design as well. I am so excited to offer this exclusive item through my Etsy store. The back to school sale was such a huge sucess I am sure I will be running it again in the future along with another option that I will keep a secret for now!  If you are interested in preordering a pair of these send me a msg through etsy and we can set something up. I will have yellow, medium green, gray, dark purple, dark blue, orange and ivory all coming in along with the colors I currently offer!

Galpin Studios Cutest Baby Contest

Lots going on...I am STILL working on my fall line, I just finishd a new dress and I cannot wait to get this photographed and out there to you all. I am working on an item for an upcoming baby photo shoot and I just got back my pics from the baby girl photo shoot that Ampy did for me from Galpin Studios. If you are in the NY or CT areas you should check her out. I was lucky enough to judge her cutest baby contest and guess what she is hosting one more this month!

I will not only have the adorable boy bodysuits but I will be able to offer a sweet little ruffle bum bodysuit for your little princess complete with a rosette sash and monogrammed initial, look for it to be listed on Etsy in the next week. Do you like the sweet little headband our model is wearing....let me know I can make one for you too. These are part of the Mommy and Me collection I have been telling you all about. Keep watching, I am about finished up with a complete fall set of girls outfits and a matching moms skirt.

Galpin Studios is also VERY talented and makes the most adorable baby hats with gorgeous silk flowers.




Check out her etsy store www.etsy.com/shop/ampygalpin  for more selection. So many beautiful hats to choose from. Please contact Ampy in regards to pricing, sizing and availability. I think you will agree these are some of the most beautiful photo props. Even if you are unable to book a session with Ampy for your photographic needs you can order one of these hats and have your own portraits done. These are gorgeous on newborns and even bigger babies.

Crochet Items

Fall is coming fast...seems like just yesterday we were pulling out the shorts and tanks...ok it is SE TX so that was way back in March and granted we wont be feeling that chill in the air for several more months I know the rest of the country will be soon. I have been working on several new and fun items for the fall from clothes to accessories.

I have some awesome hand crocheted butterflies to add to some crochet newsboys and the ever so popular kufi beanie hats.....and my favorite new item are the crochet flower socks. I havent seen these before and I hope you like them as much as we do.

Fun Busy Week

I am kinda sorta on vacation this week. My wonderful mother flew out and surprised my kids on Saturday and are having a blast hanging out and playing with their grandma. We had round one of the fall line photo shoot and I cant wait to share more with all of you! I am loving all the pics from Pura Vida Pix. She does AMAZING work, thanks again Kayla! We have a new model as well and let me tell you, that girl can work the camera!

Just finished photographing my fun new fall accessory....hope you all love them as much as I do! The feedback from those who have them has been great! I cant wait to share! Plus I am expanding the mommy and me line of hair accessories to include coordinating skirts for mom! These are beautiful and comfortable and the perfect thing to wear with your little princess for all those special occasions, church or just any day!

My oldest daughter just got her braces this morning and she looks absolutely adorable. I love them. She has them in pink and black....now why is it when I was a kid and had mine they didnt have cool colors? When  my 2 year saw them he said he wants braces too! LOL!

Tonight we are taking some pics of my mom with her grandbabies and then tomorrow off to one of our favorite places to walk around. It has been hotter than sin here lately so we will be heading out in the early morning. Wish us luck! I have a small craft fair I am sending some product to with my friend Kayla on Saturday in the Willis area. I cant wait!

Organizing

I have been organizing every weekend for the past two months....

My craft supplies were growing out of control. I had more fabric than I could squeeze into the bins and the organized color coded bin system just wasnt working out like I had hoped. I was in desperate need of a craft room overhaul. I had tubs under my sewing table as well just overflowing with tons and tons of delicious fabric I was dying to use and just couldnt find. One day in the fabric store I thought wouldnt it be wonderful to be able to see all of my stuff like this, then it hit me why not.

All fabric was photographed so I could display it on Facebook for my fans to see for custom requests, that was a job in and of itself and I had some help from my good friend Kayla at PuraVida Photography. Check her out, she does gorgeous work and not just on fabric lol, http://www.puravidapix.com/. Then I needed to make mini bolts and find some shelves large enough to contain it all. I needed some additional plastic tubs to sort and organize things like hats, felt and applique pieces as well as smaller fabric pieces.  After getting it all on the shelf I realized these tubs needed to be labeled so I wasnt digging through them trying to find just what I wanted.

My girls were amazing and such big helps during this overhaul. My oldest helped make mini bolts and my youngest would had them to me and the fabric too. My oldest daughter took to wrapping the bolts and organizing them by color. It was a big job and there was NO WAY I could have done this without my wonderful girls! Thank you both! Of course I still had more fabric coming in and it all needed to be photographed and wrapped. Well last night we finally finished. I was so please with the end result. I even have all my shirt blanks hanging up and organized by size and my finished products as well, although I am in need of one more rack or at least one with two tiers as I dont think another rolling rack will fit. Thank you to Kayla and my kiddos for helping me get this done, and this includes my little man as well for hanging out with mommy and making her smile through it all. So what do you think?

Blogs I Love

I love to save money, really who doesnt. I follow a couple of excellent blogs about just this that are great for my pocket book however inspiring as well. I love love love www.moneysavingmom.com. She is inspirational with all she has been able to do and accomplish, like purchasing a home recently with cash. She tells her story on her blog as well of how she and her husband went from living on nothing to where they are today and 100% debt free. Along the way she will let you know about some amazing coupons and deals out there. She is on Facebook too! I picked up a Didj for my daughters birthday for $29 last month because of a notification on Facebook and SAVED $69 on it! Yeah me!

Another great page is out of LA, it is www.mybatonrougemommy.com. She has a lot of information for everyone and if you are in the LA area she has lots of hot spots there too!

www.coupongal.net is another great source for printable coupons as well and a plethora of information. If you know any that you really like please let me know!

Little Guys

Yesterday I told you the top selling girl items, so in case you are trying to figure out what to get your little guy this year here are the hottest trends I am seeing in my shop to date for the little men in your life.

The number one selling boys item is the rocket ship shirt and shorts set. The tees can be purchased seperately. This was great to wear for the 4th like my little man however versatile enough that it could be worn all year. I love this set!

The personalized dragon set also sold as a tee only if you prefer is the number two item this year. This can be made with the smoke and no name or no smoke at all. I know my kids loved the new Disney movie How to Tame Your Dragon and this was the perfect shirt to go with it!

Tie tees were very popular and they were the 3rd most popular boy item I had so far this year. I have even started an amazing new 3d tie that actually hangs down just like dad's and there is a baby version on a onesie with "suspenders.

The shark tee is very popular with little guys and their mom's alike. My son wore his to a recent trip to Galveston and we received several compliments. These can be personalized at no extra charge. Unfortunately I am out of navy blue tees I do have royal blue at this time.

Finally the 5th most popular boy item for Hailey Bugs Closet to date are the tees with appliqued numbers. I have done several with the cow print to match the sister dress that is available. These are done by hand and then they are stitched onto the tee. You can choose the color of tee you want and the fabric. I can also do these with an initial that is in a circle as well. These are great for birthdays!

I look forward to creating and designing lots of new boy items this year. They have been a huge success since I added them in January and my little loves the fact he gets cute outfits made by mom like his sister. Check out my Facebook fan page for an entire list of over 130 different applique designs I have available. If you are looking for something you dont see on my page let me know, I work closely with several digitizers and I have had several custom items made as well.

Trends

I thought I would share with you the trends I have notice amoungst Hailey Bugs Closet clients in case you are having a difficult time deciding on what to pick out for that little prince or princess in your life.

For girls the pillowcase dress is STILL my number one seller, it must be because of the versatilty of this piece of clothing and the ability to wear it year round. There was a huge change in the most popular fabric choice, last year the Zebra pillowcase dress was the best seller and this year it is still an animal print, however it is the cow print. It can be done in any color ribbon you choose but red and pink are HOT!

The hummingbird print is high on the list as well for most popular prints and it too outranked the zebra dress, this was the most popular as a halter dress or as a halter shirt and bloomer short combo.

The third most popular item for me this year has been the ruffle butt bloomers. I must say I have been partial to these myself and the hottest one has been the zebra print combo that was SO hot in pillowcase dresses last year. You cant go wrong with hot pink and zebra striped paired with polka dots!

My fourth best seller is the lobster dress. There was a limited supply of this fabric and it is now sold out but it was perfect if you were planning a trip to the beach or for a lobster or crab feed. Hailey Bug has always received so many compliments and we wore it to the beach here in Galveston!

Last years hot dress is this years number 5 but still one of my favorites. This one has been popular for all age groups from babies up to 8 years old. This is the one dress I keep enough fabric around all year for. As most of you know, if I sell out of something that is it and that design is gone. Thanks again to all of my fans for your support over the past year and half, it means a lot to me!

Check back tomorrow for the top three Hailey Bugs Closet trends for boy!

Traditions

As a kid growing up we had a couple of traditions and I look back at them fondly, as a parent I wanted to have traditions my kids look back on when they have their own children and smile as well. We have several traditions in our house, and since moving away from our families we even instilled a few more. Like letting the kiddos pick their favorite place to eat out on their birthdays, going to the local park for the Easter egg hunt, a pot of chili ready to go before we head out on Halloween (although in TX it is still hot this time of year but we still hold this tradition) a new ornament each Christmas Eve for each of the kids to hang on the tree that will be theirs when they move out, and of course going to the pool and heading out for fireworks on the 4th. We usually do the home town parade but with the remnants of hurrican Alex still dumpping rain like crazy we had to skip this on Saturday this year.

I look forward to many more memories created with my children who are my three little muses and make my life worthwhile. Of course I had to make a cute little 4th of July outfit for the younger ones, heck I would have made something for my oldest however she is very picky about what she will wear and clothes by her dear old mom are no longer "cool" although she does like my new hair accessories line designed for moms and kids. I hope you all had a wonderful July 4th as well and I want to say thank you to all of those in the armed forces past and present who have fought for our freedom and liberty!