the chocolate zebra: September 2011

I haven't posted very much this week but I have been cranking out lots of new stuff, so hopefully I'll get them on here soon. The good news is that I have my bigger embroidery machine back from the repair shop. The bad news is that the problem it was having is a weakness with that model and it's not really fixable. Perfect. At least the technician shared my total frustration with it. As he was explaining the issue to me, his friend came up to the counter and said to me, "I heard words come out of his mouth while he was working on that machine I've never heard him say before. He was really upset." Now I feel responsible for the delinquency of the nice repairman too. I hope he and my machine never have to cross paths again.

It's the first day of Fall!! I plan to pull out my pumpkins and fall decor this weekend and decorate the house for my favorite season. I also hope to enjoy my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year. The eternal summer of 2011 is finally over.

Baby Boy Gift Set

This gift set was a little intimidating to work on. The customer ordered it for her very first grandbaby and I wanted it to be extra special for her. I'm so honored she asked me to create some personalized items for her sweet Rylan. Enjoy grandmotherhood, Judy!

The Cutest Robot You've Ever Seen

I love this little guy, with his springy arms and legs and adorable underbite! He doesn't have a home yet, so if you're interested in this onesie (size 3-6 months) let me know by commenting on this post or emailing me and I'll send him on his way to you. Robot onesie - $15

Pumpkins

I wish I were posting these pictures while sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte, wearing a fleece sweatshirt and enjoying a chilly nip in the air. Instead, it looks like today we're going to officially break the record for most triple-degree days this summer (sigh...). I think fall will arrive someday, though, so I'm showcasing some new pumpkin designs I have. Each design comes in 2 sizes so they can be applied to a onesie or to a larger t-shirt. I also have a fun candy corn applique I had planned to debut as well, but my primary embroidery machine is still MIA. It doesn't sound good.

Orders are starting to pile up again, so my turnaround time is a little longer, around 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, unless I've told you otherwise. I also have several emails I need to respond to, so hopefully I'll get to those today.

Come on, Mr Sewing Machine Technician, please call me!

Gray and Pink Burp Set

I like the eclectic mix of these fabrics together. Modern and fun but still feminine. I have a new thing for gray and pink. I love gray in a baby girl's room paired with pastel pink, as a sweater to throw on with almost any other color, or as an unexpected patterned wallpaper in a pantry. Can you tell I've been browsing Pinterest? Head on over there if you've got about 7 or 8 hours to kill.

We moved our old computer upstairs and replaced it with a new one in the office. It's been a logistical challenge to get to all my photos and embroidery files since they're all upstairs. I'm dreading having to track down the software and downloaded programs to transfer them to the new computer, but I'm sure it will be worth it when they're all in one place. On top of that, my embroidery machine that the optimistic service man promised would be ready in "4 or 5 days" is still being held hostage at the repair shop 3 WEEKS later. I've already called twice and been told rather brusquely, "We'll get to it as fast as we can, hon" so I hate to pull out my mean voice and express my frustration. My old machine serves as a backup, but I'm limited in the designs I can use with it. Surely today I'll get the call...

I'm loving these cooler temps! I'm tempted to go ahead and pull out my fall decor and start burning my favorite Spiced Pumpkin candle. Is it too early?

Y'all have a great weekend!

We're Getting Organized

** I fixed the link that wasn't working. Sorry for the confusion (and thanks, Holly!).

Something about starting a new school year has put me into an organizational frenzy. I am purging drawers and closets, buying cute color-coordinated baskets and labeling everything within reach. One of my favorite blogs to peruse for inspiration is this one, although I'm a little too realistic to ever achieve her level of organizational nirvana. On Saturday we took a family field trip to IKEA. The last time we ventured into that behemoth of a store I left with nothing but the beginnings of a panic attack. Way too much stuff to look at! This time, I went in armed with my dog-eared IKEA catalog, a list of wanted/needed items and a gift card. Much more manageable. I was able to quickly find my first few items and enjoy browsing in earnest. When the inevitable grumblings from the 3 less-than-enthusiastic shoppers in our party began, Tye very graciously whisked them away to enjoy lunch off-property and I finished up my shopping. They came back just in time to help me with the heavy lifting and we were done! Almost everything I found was for my craft/sewing room and I love the new tidiness and organization it provides! It's not quite show-ready, but it's getting close.

The pantry was the next area to see some rearranging and editing. All those labels facing the same way make me happy but a little paranoid (ever see Sleeping with the Enemy?). The clear plastic containers make it much easier to see when we're running low on an item so I can restock. We're big cereal eaters around here, so those pourable containers are more kid-friendly than the cereal boxes and sacks that we usually contend with.

Ava is my little neat freak. Seriously, she didn't sleep in her room last night because we are in the middle of rearranging/cleaning it out and she couldn't sleep with it all "chaotic" like that. When she saw my pantry project her little heart leaped with joy! She saw some room for improvement, however, and decided to step in. Those cereal canisters needed to be labeled, we agreed (I had already printed some from here), but if we purchase a different cereal than what is labeled, that just messes up the system, and it's wasteful to keep making new adhesive labels each time. What to do? She promptly pulled the old cereal boxes out of the trash, clipped off the logo, and made her own recycled labeling system. Now we can all sleep at night.