Dylan's Beachy Baby Shower

Loooooved the theme & color this baby shower I attended for a friend, Christina...and her 3rd baby on the way, Dylan. It was coral & beach-y with accents of burlap - just beautiful!  So of course when asked to do a diaper cake for the shower, I was SO excited...

This is definitely one of my favs to date, and was the tallest as well...being 5 tiers, compared to the typical 3 (and occasional 4):

front & back (with headbands & burp clothes pinned on)

The simplicity of the burlap table runners, sprinkled with seashells & starfish and a vase of beach sand was so perfect!! They even had adorrrable SAND-DOLLAR cookies!! love love love

The 4-tiered cupcake stand was handmade by the hostess' fiance - which turned out friggin AHmazing...next time I needs something like that, I will be callin him up to place an order for sure!!

So excited to meet Miss Dylan Gray - great name!!

First Street Fair Booth - What I learned...

Just realized I never posted this, after the Encinitas Street Fair in April! haha...(it's 7/12/13...but I'm post-dating!)

Wow.

Cannot believe it's over... kinda like a wedding... months & months of planning all for one day. One day that goes by in a blink of an eye. One day....and it's over. The day/night before, I literally was on ZERO amount of sleep, and an entirely too much caffeine - my heart was racing & I was going about 1500 miles a minute finishing last minute things!

I would've hoped to start this post with something more along the lines of "holy crap I just made 5 billion dollars!!!" - sadly, I did not.

BUT - it was an AHmazing experience, learned a lot of what I would do again...and what I would NOT do again. And it was definitely fun! I had sooooo many people come by my booth & express there well-wishes and/or how proud they were of me...so that felt tremendous and really lifted me up. So much love from so many...I just feel so blessed to have people (family, friends, co-workers) around me that support my love of sewing/crafting! I remember I kept thinking, "wow...I'm a VENDOR - finally....at the same street fair I grew up going to every year, I'm actually on the other side of it now!" I felt really grown up...which sounds odd saying, considering I'm 30 years old, haha!

So - first things first... Our BOOTH!

First apron I've made entirely from scratch...love how it turned out!

Though it was primarily "Custom from Calista" goodies, a portion of it was stocked full of gorgeous hair accessories from my friend Danielle, who owns "Poisies Handmade" - adorbs!

I was so overwhelmed that morning from a combo of annoyances... didn't get into bed until around midnight... missed my alarm by 45 min... then my (& James') bathroom outlets mysteriously decided to NOT work - causing my already panicked mind to freak out. And guess what? The outlets worked just fine the next day...how does that happen?!

We arrived around 6:15am & set up pretty quickly, having 4 people there made that part easy. But then once James left, I felt like my mind was shutting down on me and I couldn't think. I didn't know where I wanted things or how to place different items. I was a silent MESS! Then my friend/co-worker Melissa showed up in the nick of time...She took charge of product placement & made everything look so brilliantly organized....talk about a LIFESAVER!! I could never thank her enough!!

The weather was nice for set up, overcast & cool...and we had a spot just outside a Whole Foods and a brand new restaurant/bar...so I thought for sure that would bring a ton of people our way. Around mid-morning...I started wondering where the HECK everyone was at! I've been to this street fair I don't know how many times in my life (being an Encinitas native), and I know how packed it normally is. You can hardly walk since it's usually so congested with people strolling along, stopping to check out booths. So I knew something was off.

Turns out there was some other events happening that weekend, and maybe the weather turned everyone away. Our booth neighbor told us he's been doing street fairs since the 70's, and this was the first time he'd seen this particular fair so low in attendance. Lovely. So that explains why I didn't walk away with 5 billion dollars, haha!

Anyway, onto 'what I learned' from this whole street fair thing...here's my TOP 10:

1. Get enough SLEEP. I cannot stress this enough. I was so tired, running on fumes the days leading up to the street fair. By the time it was all over, I literally felt like all my life force had been sucked out of me.

2. Make a LIST - a really super detailed one. I'm talking, down to "pens, tape, products, cash, etc". Check off everything the night before. And pack your car(s) up the night before as well. Here's MY LIST.

3. Have proper SIGNAGE. For everything... your biz name on a large & visible banner, product names/prices, etc. Super important. People want to be able to see things, and find info themselves, rather than asking "how much is this??".

4. Bring FOOD! I remember looking at other lists online, and thinking..."nah, there's tons of food at the street fair, I'll grab some yummy grub while I'm there". Nope. I only left my booth maybe 3 times to use the restroom at Whole Foods (& one time I bought a banana on my way out). And luckily, a sweet friend of mine brought me a sandwich, which I almost denied. So that was about the extent of my food intake for the entire day. Oh, and a butt load of coffee, yet again.

5. Enlist HELPERS! Super critical. You cannot do it all, seriously. One or 2 is good, depending on the size of your booth. I had one, and the girl I shared a booth with had one - space was a little tight!

6. SIT - at least a few times throughout the day. I did not. (except to pee! haha) Baaaaaaaad idea. I don't think I've ever been so exhausted (besides giving birth) in my life...and have NEVER felt the pain in my feet, as I did at the end of the day. Like I said earlier, I was running around like a mad woman the entire week prior, and the day before was on my feet crafting ALL day long. Then standing at the booth from 6:15am until 5pm... that'll do you in.

7. TALK to everyone that comes in your booth. Smile. Be personable. I had some great conversations & met so many nice people - I think that goes a long way when you're a vendor. No one wants to buy something from a grouchy person that barely speaks. Engage with them. Compliment something they're wearing. Show them around - they may see obvious items, but you may want to point out the less obvious as well.

8. Take CREDIT CARDS! I used the PayPal Here card reader & iPhone app. Both worked great! I loved that I could pre-load all of my products, along with photos & prices (either with or without tax included...I recommend adding tax into your costs so you don't have to fiddle with calculating tax on everything...especially for those paying with cash. Total life saver!

9. Do a detailed TRIAL RUN set up a week before. If I could do it over again I would've been more detailed in my trial set up. We set up the canopy & tables out on our cul-de-sac, just to get an idea of how long it'd take to put them all together - but I did NOT figure out where I wanted all my products to go and do a complete set up...that was a fail.

10. And finally...Don't Worry, be HAPPY!...just try not to stress yourself out  :-)

Here's a few other photos of our booth set up:

Cutest Baby Shower - EVER!

Baby showers have become more & more stylish over the years, especially with the explosion of Pinterest - people are FILLED to the brim with ideas on decorating everything from your house, to nursery, to weddings & parties.

I had a feeling while getting ready for this one that it'd be pretty special...even the location was amazing - tucked away in a little (and by little...I mean huge & exclusive) gated community that contained houses/mansions, which were nothing short of AHHHmazing. Living in San Diego, and right next door to RSF, I'm somewhat accustomed to seeing very nice homes, but as I drove through this particular area...my jaw was on the floor. I just wanted to know one thing.... "what do you people do for a living?!!!!" haha

Anyway, the actual shower was held in the local community room/center (that was flawless in itself), located right on this little lake, surrounded by beautiful homes & lush landscape. We couldn't have hoped for better weather - the whole day was stunning.

I arrived to find adorable shower decor in every inch of that place & being the person I am... took note of all the tiny details the hostess' put into it...I could tell they spent countless hours making everything to ensure it was perfect:

The glowing mamma-to-be {Christina} is a long time friend, who's husband actually used to share an apartment with James & I many years ago. They are high school sweethearts like us, so I love having that common bond with them. They also married in the same location we did - though entirely different theme & feel which was so fun!

My gift set - coordinating necktie onesie, clip-on bowtie, & burp cloth - cannot WAIT to see baby Lucas rockin his new CfC gear:

As she opened my gift, she knew by looking at the front of the card that it was handmade...by me, haha! I'm such a sap, I totally cried writing on the back of it...remembering Kapri as a baby just brought tears to my eyes. It all goes so fast!

Along with the above baby gift set, I also made her a nursing cover from fabric that she'd seen in an Instagram pic and specially requested it a few weeks prior.

Congrats girl & thanks for having me at your out-of-this world, beachy baby shower!!! Can't wait to see how little L's first b-day party turns out! haha

March Madness {a recap}

It really was "March Madness" in & around the Mejia home, which left me with ZERO time to blog practically all month... blogging really does take time, but I enjoy it & love to capture all our memories in one place!

In addition to Kapri's weekly ballet classes (can't wait for the recital!!), here's a recap of the happenings in our lives during the last 5 weeks:

K's 3rd Dentist visit

She's doing much better now that she's been here 2 other times...still gets a little anxious when the first lay her down, but as long as I am there beside her, holding her little hand - she's all good. Doc says teeth are perfect (with the exception of the 1 she's missing)...so that's good news! I love that they have TV's in the ceilings and headphones, so the kids can just 'zone out' while getting their teeth checked out. My dentist has something like that too now (score for me!), except it's Netflix streaming in a pair of GLASSES!! Crazy how technology has advanced.

K's first train ride!

James, Kapri & I spent an afternoon together the last weekend in February down at Seaport Village. K & I had a mommy-daughter date there once before, which she remembers clearly... but this time we decided to take her down on the Coaster... she loved it! The whole ride down she kept waving & saying 'hi' to all the people OUTside of the train, too funny!

Two 'suspect' moles & stitches

Between Jan/Feb, my dermatologist removed/dug out 2 suspicious looking moles...first 'surgery' was to get one from the upper-most part of my inner thigh (OUCH)...with stitches in for 2 weeks. After that time was up, I went back in for stitch removal and to get the 2nd one removed from the middle of my back...and of course, another set of stitches. It all was brutal and so painful. The scar on my leg is about an inch, and the one on my back is more like 2.5" - so gross, but better safe than sorry.

Since then, I've canceled my tanning membership, which has been on hold for a year anyway, haha...but I only spray tan or use tanner at home now. Too scary to continue to fake'n'bake when you are a bit older, are a mamma, and realize how precious life is.

{{no pics, thank goodness - no one want's to see stitches & scars!}}

Baby Maddie's Baptism

After attending my first baptism for her older brother, Jack back in 2011 - it was baby Maddie's turn, who arrived into this world on Jan. 21st! I was asked to take pictures with the godmother's insanely profesh and by far THE heaviest camera ever, so that was fun!...though I didn't get many pics on my phone to document the occasion. She did wonderfully and slept most of the time....so glad we could be part of her special day!

I realized I didn't post about her arrival back in January...here are some cute pics of little Maddie when I visited her in the hospital...rockin her new Custom from Calista headbands!

And how presh is this... a side by side pic of when I visited each baby in the hospital - like brother, like sister huh?!

Baby Hadley's 1st Birthday!

We love birthdays...and Miss Hadley's 1st party was so adorable and all the kids had so much fun...I mean, how could you not with a jumpy in your backyard all day?? Hadley's outfit was the cutest thing I've ever seen... a full lace romper - I kinda want one for myself, LOL!

I especially loved the streamer/balloon/tissue pom poms hanging outside...it was so pretty!

I made Miss H her own embroidered Crayoll and 2 hair clips:

Our 15-Year Dating Anniversary - which I did actually find time to post about ;-)

St. Paddy's Day

Just hangin with friends, bbq'ing and letting the kids play on a huge greenbelt - love these afternoons!

Easter
Easter was split int two days - one day going to "EGGstravaganza" in Carlsbad - which was INSANELY busy & way too packed to be fun...(at least she got a pic with the Easter bunny, who she was "jumping" for joy to see!)...so we went back to a friends house, had a pot luck and did a mini-egg hunt for the kiddos.

Then on Easter morning, we had my mother-in-law & her hubby over for a little brunch. I stuck with my go-to casserole that is just so easy to make & super yummy...it can't be passed up!

Then we took a few pics outside - so blessed to have such incredible weather!

For Easter dinner... banana pancakes - why not?!

Whew...I'm exhausted just reliving all of that!!

Showering Baby Miles...from miles away

SOOO super sad I couldn't make the trek up to NorCal today to celebrate a beautiful mamma-to-be... my "Bammie" and fellow lover of all things "crafty", Miss Kate:

Her 1st child/son Miles will be born in August...and I could NOT be more excited for her & her hubs! She was one of the first few people I told about my pregnancy when we used to work together. Since then she's moved up north, found a new great job...and just bought her first new amazeballs house - though I'd love to actually see the inside one day soon, haha!

Anyway - when I found that I wouldn't be able to make it for the shower, I knew I had to make some great gifts to send up with my sis-in-law to give her.

First up...Name blocks. She'd asked me recently how much I charge for a whole set of alphabet blocks. But I'd only made those once as a gift & never thought about prices really...so I gave her a rough estimate then made a mental note for a potential shower gift. I dug around and found she was doing greens/blues in the nursery, along with some plaid print...voila!! (note - if you move the "S" in front of the "M"..."SMILE"!!)

thought I'd use Kapri's artwork as a backdrop...a little fun?!

Then I totally stalked around on her Pinterest page and found this little guy on her 'to-do' list... so I whipped one up & named it "Scrappy the Elephant" softie...made purely from scraps of extra material I had laying around. I made a few teeny mistakes...so I'll have to make little Miles another (more fashionable) one after he's born ;-)

Next up: The Bowtie Ribbon Suspender Onesie!! 
So in love with this.  Kate had sent me a picture of a similar idea she'd found, and asked if I could replicate. **I'm always up for a little challenge**  So I asked her what colors... and this is the end result... Again, first time doing this one - so I've made some notes on areas to improve on next time around (especially with the proper use of dying fabric) :-\

In addition to all that - she had sent the shower invite, with the cutest message that basically said - instead of signing cards, buy a book & sign that... so I bought 2 (the one K picked out didn't have an area to write on). And while I was in Target, with Kapri patiently reading her own princess book... I picked up "Love You Forever" - and began to read.

NOTE: I must be the ONLY person/parent, who's NEVER heard or read this book ever before. Because after I bought it & told people about it - they totally knew it, had remembered it from their childhoods, etc. So - not sure where I missed that train. 

Ah well - point being: I cried. CRIED. In Target...in the middle of their tiny book section... fanning away my pathetic sappy tears with the book itself. I knew right then & there - THIS was the book I had to get her....especially since she's having a boy, and a boy is part of the book.

Inside the front cover - I typed a pretty lengthy letter to Miles, telling him what wonderful parents he had, and what he'll learn from them. And on the back cover - a sweet letter to mamma of course, and reference the "moments to cherish" from THIS post!

Then I threw in a little safari-themed burp cloth & some adorable bunny slippers - which K had gotten has a gift from a friend, but they were too small the day she received them. So I've kept them on hand for the moment I could pass them along:

Love you dearly Kate - hope your shower was everything you hoped for & much much more!! I'll start savin my pennies for a trip up to see you THREE when the time is right!! xoxo - BAM

Kate & Kapri - she's a natural mamma :-)

Sand Castles and Baby Toes

Kapri & I built a crazy big sand castle the other day at the park...I was actually sad to leave it - knowing full well that some rowdy kid or the annoying little dog (that shouldn't have been in the park to begin with), would soon destroy it. Two little boys even came over to admire if they could build too - I chuckled when one of them asked me where I got the water to build it!

So I showed them that if they dug deep enough, they'd get to the perfect, moist sand that you need...then they made their own 'next door' to ours. Naturally, we also made a little road to get from one castle to the other. ;-)

A few days later - I was so excited to meet baby Raya (the 1st daughter of my wedding planner...who we made this diaper cake for). She was only 2 weeks old and just precious. Listening to Lynn's birth story was beautiful & made me reflect on my own...especially since Kapri's 3rd birthday is right around the corner.

This newborn age is so surreal for a first time mom. Your life is changed in one single day...you've never been so exhausted in. your. LIFE. You don't go one single second without thinking of your new mini-me and his/her well-being. Yet you've never felt so incredibly in love...so depended on...so happy.

Love sleepy babies with their sweet smell and their teeny hands/feet:

All the ladies:

Baby Shower Gift Set

This past Saturday I was unable to attend my neighbor's baby shower/sprinkle (baby #2) - but I was able to find some time to make this cute gift set & drop it off just before the party started.

I purchased little birdie fabric (to match her nursery theme), to make an initial onesie with, so what better to pair with an outfit, than matching itty bitty shoes?!

Baby shoes were definitely something I hadn't made before (attempted, but never finished)...something quick & cute - obviously... and these "Modern Baby Booties" from the Tao of Craft - were perfect!

Since this was my first attempt at making these, I know I have a bit to improve on - trail & error. The tutorial is a bit cryptic. For instance:

• It doesn't direct on which shoes (left or right) you're working with... the soles should match up correctly to the top part of the shoes - not sure if mine did perfectly because you're working mostly while it's inside out...it's confusing. 
• And the velcro strap...it should be identified as to which side to place it on for each shoe (left & right)...otherwise you may end up with the strap securing so they end up on the INsides of the shoe....no bueno...they should be on the OUTsides. 
• Also, the strap is SO small/narrow...then when you sew it into a tube (inside-out), then try to flip it right-side out, it's pretty hard to accomplish (I re-did this about 3 times to get it right!)...I used a chop-stick to help flip it!

Maybe I'll make another pair or two, while keeping track of my steps so that I can make my own tutorial, haha!

Then I found this fabric with birds on it and it literally screamed at me: "put me on a burp cloth!!!" - so I listened & did just that. It's beautiful. Definitely completed my gift 'set':

The little card is also handmade. I saw this adorable bird scrapbook paper and this pre-cut square paper, and knew they'd be a match. So I cut the bird to fit against the pre-cut piece, then glued them together. For the middle/text area, I cut out a smaller square from the top/pink part of the bird paper ...then sewed a little design on another piece & glued that on. This was actually cheaper than buying a store-bought baby shower card... less expensive, cuter, & one-of-a-kind - you can't beat that!

Ribbon Pillow for Baby Hadley

How many babies LOVE tags?? I know Kapri did when she was young...she was obsessed with any little tag or ribbon hanging off of a toy or blanket.

So when I went to visit my good friend Niki yesterday, to meet her 2nd child, Baby Hadley...I thought this would be a perfect little gift (along with a TON of yummy food from Pat & Oscars!):

I just cut a ton of ribbon strips, all about 6" or so, took a square of fabric and a square of terry cloth - sewed it all together, stuffed it with some polyfill & voila!!

It's soft, brightly colored for stimulation and super portable! This little guy only took me about 30 minutes to whip up, which was fantastic because I was extremely short on time. In retrospect, I should've embroidered on name on it...but, like I said...short on time!

It even matches all the fabric yo-yo flowers I made for Niki/Hadley's nursery a few weeks ago! {her 1st shower here & 2nd 'sprinkle' here}

And here are a few pics of Miss Hadley in all her newborn baby cuteness:

Cannot believe how different but similar Hadley looks compared to her big brother Pierce... that was almost exactly 2 yrs ago that I visited baby Pierce!!

And a precious moment with mamma admiring her sleepy little girl!

Love ya Ritchison fam...thank you for letting me snuggle with you new 'girly' addition!! xoxo