You might be awesome if...

You have sent me something made of yarn in the past few weeks. Someone like Mindy from {In the Loop}, someone like Chelsea from {KnitCookies}, or someone like Joy from {whoopdwhoop}

I am awkwardly holding my fist on my chest because I am trying to show off two things at once. First, the fingerless gloves from {whoopdwhoop} Love swapping things instead of buying! The second is the totally awesome headband from Mindy over at In the Loop!! Mindy is the sweetest. Back during {headband week} I featured her awesome crochet flower headbands. I mentioned that they were just the kind that I meant to buy last winter. Well, being fabulously generous, Mindy sent me one! Thanks Mindy! Actually, she didn't send me one, she sent me TWO!!

(Awkward fist!) Seriously! I was tickled pink! (Notice I changed headbands) I LOVE these headbands. I have already worn them several times and they have done their job at keeping my ears warm. Not only that, they are ridiculously adorable. It's the kind of thing you put on just because it makes you feel fabulous. And man oh man can this women do a thing or two with yarn! Seriously, read her {blog} and be in awe of everything she does.

PS, they are even warmer worn together. ;)

Next up, some lovely knitted legwarmers from {KnitCookies} As soon as Chelsea listed this I knew I had to have them. I saved up a little and as soon as I had enough I ordered them.

Love them!! They are so warm and comfy and I love the yoga style sock. Keeps everything in place and isn't bulky inside my boots.

(Photoshoot goofs)

Has the mail lady brought you anything fun lately? (Mine's a mail lady, I guess if you have a mailman you can tell me if he brought you something too. :)

Snowdrift Designs review + read discount!

What is love?

(Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more)

No seriously. Love is the only word that will describe what I feel for my new headbands from {Snowdrift Designs} Actually, "adore" works too. Whichever way you slice the baloney, I am head over heels for these headbands!

This one is the {Glam Ruffle} The attention to detail is beautiful. It feels like each stitch is hand sewn with love. What's that? "Hand-sewn?" Not hot glued?

Yeah, for reals. Hand sewn. It's like Kirtley makes them just for you before you even know what you want. I love the texture of the muslin against the bright and blingly button, and the fold over elastic makes the most comfortable headband. And every thing is SO PRETTY!

Even the packaging is pretty! Her blog, {Ink Hotel}, is pretty. Her family is pretty! She just knows all about pretty things.

But you know what I love most about this headband? Do you see how I am wearing it?

HIPPIE STYLE. I have never worn a headband hippie style for more than 30 seconds before. I've always chickened out because I thought I couldn't pull it off, but the gorgeousness of this little number finally gave me the courage to try for a whole day! Now, I'm not 100% sure I can pull it off as well as someone like {Casey Wiegand} but I still had a ton of fun with it. I can't even tell you how many people said "Wow, I LOVE your headband" to me! People I didn't know, and every single one of the mother's I work with.

I tried it out both hippie style and "regular" style and though I was more comfortable with it regular style, I loved how it worked both ways. Don't listen to Cleo, she knows nothing about fashion. Or undying affection.

Aeris knows though. What a trooper. One day I'll have a cute baby to model things for me but for now, doesn't she do such a great job with the {Posy Headband}? She just takes my torture like a man!

 Oh I love my kitties. But from a blog called "Kitty Cats" and Airplanes what do you expect?

Speaking of Kitty Cats and Airplanes....did you know if you use code KITTYCATSANDAIRPLANE you can get a whopping 25% off your order from {Snowdrift Designs}! And her prices are already fantastic!

And she doesn't only have headbands!

{Mr. & Mrs. Pillow Covers}

{Ruffled Checkbook Cover}

{Project tote for the SHINE project}

I am impressed you made it this far. Congratulations, you get five best friend points! Now go on, shop your little heart out. 

1000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips review

Before I start, let me just say that I was not paid to write this review. No one sent me the book to review, no one asked me to share my opinions, I just borrowed this from the library, read it, and I'm telling you what I think.

{source}

I few weeks ago, I was browsing the sewing and crafting books at my local library. I pretty much get every book I read at the library, including all sewing and crafting books. I also buy a huge chunk of my books there, they sell children's books for 10 cents to a quarter. I've bought half my classroom library there. I freaking <3 the public library.

This book really caught my attention because I like to sew, but I still have TONS to learn. Out of 1,000 tips I knew I would find some very helpful  ideas in there.

And I did! I learned so many new things I honestly felt like I became a better sewer just by reading the book. But I also found a lot of totally irrelavent submissions. Irrelevant to me, that is. There were entire pages and sections of this book that had nothing to do with me and my interests.

• How to organize your patterns effectively (oh, all 6 of them?)
• Customizing your dress form (But I LOVE my invisble, non existant dress form)
• Courtoure French finishes (gazuntite!)
• How to indentify hand sewing needles (uh, you mean there isn't just big and small?)

And other things like that. I don't think I will ever need to know how to sew like a chic French designer, because I only sew as a hobby. On the flip side, I learned a ton of new things that will help in my everyday sewing adventures.

• Discipline instable fabric
• Finding your inspiration
• Trouble free darts
• Clever button ideas

And really a lot more. There was a lot of really fantastic stuff crammed into this book. However, I wouldn't shell out the $20 for it unless you are someone who sews for a living. A hobbyist sewer, like myself, can benefit from this book, but not enough to justify the price tag. Borrow it form the library, and focus on the sections that apply to you. This might be a good book to help push you into the range of a more experienced sewer!

So what's the in simple terms?
If you sew professionaly: buy it and gobble it up.
Hobbyists: check it out from the library.

Giger Snaps review + giveaway and discount! {NOW CLOSED!}

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Thanks for entering! 

You're going to love today's giveaway. Not only is it something you want, you could actually tell your hubby that it's something you NEED too! (love sneakiness like that :D)

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Hi.  I'm Ginger

from over at  Ginger Snaps Crafts.

It's a place to share ideas I've found, &

inspire you to create along with me.

I'm a wife to one awesome guy &

a busy mom of

5 wild & crazy kiddos.

I love to blog, garden,

craft, organize

& most of all be with my family.

I "met" Amie through whoopdwhoop.

I swapped her for one of her

cute button bracelets.

(Love it!)

Thank you so much, Amie,

for having me over on your blog today.

Spring is my favorite season!

One of the reasons is all

the spring cleaning going on.

Something about opening the windows & 

packing up all the winter clothes

just makes you feel good inside.

You know, once you've got

everything tidied up

& organized you're going to

need a way to label things!

I've got just the thing for you! :)

Up for grabs today is

a set of 6 fancy rectangle chalkboard labels.

Use these for labeling:

toy bins, canisters,

storage bins, gift tags & jars

....just about anywhere in your

house that needs a little more organization. :)

 

You can use both regular chalk
or chalk markers on these labels.

Labels measure approximately
2 inches by 4 inches.

Chalkboard vinyl is a thick vinyl

with a sticky back.
It can be wiped
off with a damp cloth,

& written on again & again.
Once applied though it
can not be repositioned.

The vinyl must be placed on a

clean, dry, smooth surface.

Ready to Get Organized?

You must be a follower of Kitty Cats & Airplanes to enter.

To enter (mandatory):

1. Go check out my blog, Ginger Snap Crafts,  become a follower & then come back here and tell me what you would use these labels for.

For extra entries (in seperate comments please!):

2.  Visit my etsy shop, Ginger Snaps.  Heart my shop & then come back here telling me that you did.

3. Get an extra entry for adding my button for Ginger Snap Crafts to your blog .  (Look for it on the left hand side of my blog!) Then leave a comment telling me you did. :)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog! Leave a link in your comment. :)

Now for one more beautiful deal!

Use the code KITTYCATS for

10% off anything from my shop!

Good luck, everyone! :)
Thanks again, Amie!
This giveaway will be open for one week. (May 5th)

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Ginger sent me a set of these exact same labels to review. I was so thrilled, I'd been dying to try some of these! And they are just as amazing as I hoped they would be.

Reviewing these fantastic labels finally pushed me to organize all my buttons! (Into not one, but FIVE different containers!) The directions she included were easy to follow and I didn't have to reread them!

And they came all nice and pretty too!

I just transfered the vinyl to the transfer tape using a gift card.

Peeled off the paper.

Transferred to my little plastic organizer.

And labeled! I love that I can now tell which container holds my new buttons, my vintage buttons, my "interesting" buttons and so on. No more opening the lid to see what's inside! And I LOVE the chalkboard aspect to the labels, because you know what was in these containers before? Beads. And before that? Hardware. And knowing myself, in a few months there will be something else in there and I can just wipe off the label and write a new one. Bliss.