Chalkboard Calendar

Mr. Cherry and I make use of our phones and Google calendar to keep up with our daily appointments, meetings, and tasks. We love that they sink to each other and that we can access them on our phones, tablets, or computers. However, there is something about a physical calendar. I do make use of a planner, but the girls are getting to the point that they like to know what our days hold. I decided it was time to make a family calendar that everyone in the family could see and anticipate what is coming up in our month. 

We have had a framed chalkboard in our house for several years now that I use to write seasonal messages on. I decided that it would make an excellent family calendar. After a thorough cleaning, I used a ruler and white paint marker to make the boxes and write the days of the week at the top. I then used chalk markers to write in the month, numbers, and also the events for our month.

I hung the chalkboard in the dining room and am loving it. The girls often look at it while we eat and talk about upcoming and passed events. It works well to look ahead at how long it is until a certain special day. The only drawback is that I no longer have my chalkboard to decorate. (I am working on a solution for that, though.)

WIP {Work In Progress} Wednesday

The finished product!

Today I actually have a completed project to share with you. With the help of my mom, I was able to get a project completed in part of a day. (Who am I kidding, with little of my help, my mom finished this  for me!)

I forgot to take a picture before we started. I thought I would be able to find a picture, but I think I always cropped it out of pictures because I didn't like how it looked. No longer!

Ever since Peachy was a baby, we had a glider rocker that my parents handed down to us. And ever since we inherited that chair I have been meaning to recover it. The forest green upholstery fabric screamed the 90s. However, the project intimidated me and so, I never got it done.
Last I decided to look at the fabric store and see what I could find to finally put that chair out of its misery. It was meant to be, as I found an upholstery fabric that I really liked that happened to be on sale for less than $6/yd. I bought three yards and then texted my mom to see if she would be willing to help me out when they came the following weekend. (I will let you guess what her answer was?)
This was a very easy project as the cushions were attached with snaps. We decided to get rid of the old fabric, which only required ripping out three seems on the back cushion. We used the existing foam and created a pattern from it. We decided to go with a box type of construction.

I am thinking I might add a few covered buttons to the back to pull it tight and add some visual interest. Any guesses as to how long that project will languish on the to-do list?

We did have to do a little tweaking once it was all sewn up to fit the fabric a little to the foam. I am completely happy with the change. It is amazing what a change a little bit of fabric can make! (And lots of help from my mom.)

Up-Cycled Friends Update

 Over the past week I have been working on filling an order for a local store. I decided to try a new design that I have been thinking about for a while and created an Up-Cycled Moose Friend.

I love how they turned out. It is always rewarding seeing my ideas come to life. Like most creators, I have more ideas than time in my day.

(Especially since it is summer and the kids are all home and we are busy with activities and enjoying being outside.)

I also made some more bears out of a buffalo plaid shirt that I had thrifted. I have enough shirt left to make one or two more and then it will be all used up. I do however have back up stashed away. I scored an awesome red and black plaid vintage wool blanket. There will be lots of fabric there!

I have some other fun up-cycled friends in my shop. They make great unique gifts for young and old. I will make sure to update when I get some moose and lumber bears listed as well.

kiki b omi designs at Unglued Craft Fest 2015

Five years ago I was able to be a part of the first Unglued Craft Fest in Fargo, ND. At the time I had just started my business, kiki b omi designs, and had done a few smaller shows. I was actually scheduled to do a different show that weekend, but was chosen as a last minute replacement to Unglued and decided to give it a try instead. Boy, was that ever a great choice. The morning of that first fest found shoppers lined up down the block to buy the handmade items inside. It showed to the vendors and organizers that the indie craft scene in Fargo was ready! I found my little niche in that scene with that show and have loved being a part of it ever since. I was also able to sell at the third Unglued as well and then again this year at the fifth Unglued.

To say that these shows are well run is an understatement. The organizer, Ashley, is very thorough in her preparations and has an amazing team of helpers. They make sure that everyone, from the vendors, to the shoppers, to the staff all have an amazing weekend. The vibe of the show is so upbeat and happy, you can't be a part of it without a smile on your face.

So, as this past weekend approached, I was pumped to be making the trip back to Fargo. (Now that is saying something. Not everyone looks forward to visiting Fargo, much less smack int he middle of winter!) I arrived at the amazing Plains Art Museum for set up Friday around 11 am. I was a bit worried about being able to set up and unload on my own, but there were super friendly museum staff waiting to help unload my vehicle. By the time I parked and got up to the third floor my load was already at my booth waiting for me! I had two friends who helped me get my booth set. (The same wonderful staff was there to help load at the end. Winning!)
The Fest opens with a gala night on Friday. Shoppers pay to get in, but enjoy a drink ticket, catered snacks, and $5 to spend at any booth. The mood is set with live music and a bit of a fancier ambiance. The next day the fest is free with the first 100 shoppers receiving a swag bag.

Both days go by so fast. There is a constant stream of shoppers. And let me tell you, they make you feel great! I love it when people actually get the significance of handmade and unique products. Yes, they tend to cost more, but individual people spent time working with their hands to make each item. That is special to me and lots of the shoppers there share that feeling.
I was able to sneak away a few times to make purchases of my own. I found gifts for each of the kids, as well as several other family members. I would have loved to have brought home more, but I was trying to make the weekend profitable!
It was another great Unglued Craft Fest. I was so blessed to be a part of such an amazing event.

Unglued Craft Fest 2015

I received some super-d-duper exciting news last week. I found out that I would be a vendor at the upcoming Unglued Craft Fest!! This is the third Unglued that I have the privilege to be a part of and I am so pumped! You can read all about the fest here.
Unglued Craft Fest is an awesome indie craft fair in the middle of winter in Fargo, ND. The setting is amazing in the Plains Art Museum and the fest is just plain awesome.

You can read about my first Unglued experience here.

And my second experience here.
I am so excited to get going on my product for the show as well as my booth design. I will share my progress on here and of course a post on the fest. If you happen to be in the area, you really won't want to miss it!

Randomness

Greetings! I thought that today would be a great day for some ramblings. This is what is going on and on my mind this morning.
*Peachy had a few days off of school at the end of October. So did my niece and nephews across the state. We loaded up the car and drove the three hours to see them. My kids ADORE their older cousins and it is well placed adoration. Even though there is an age gap (my nephews are 11 and 10 and my niece is 8.5) they are so thoughtful and attentive to their cousins. It helps that they also love to create and explore. Two things right up my kids' alley. We spent the days hanging out while their parents were at work. On Halloween we did projects, made caramel corn, watched a movie, and finished up with trick or treating. We are so excited that we live close enough for great experiences like this now.

One of my nephews mentioned that he had read the book Swiss Family Robinson and would like to see the movie. I checked on Netflix and we were in luck. They helped Cream cover her head during the scary parts.

One project involved making pumpkins out of egg cartons. The great thing about older kids is that you give them the idea and they take it from there.

I won the cool aunt award for letting them eat caramel corn straight off the cooling paper for lunch.

*Peachy lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago. It was getting pretty wiggly and she got it out herself one day while sitting on the couch. The new one is already all the way through and she has another loose one next door. Her smile will sure look different when those big teeth come in.

*This little guy is having a rough go of it lately. He has gotten the stomach flu and a cold and is working on his upper teeth. All of these things are making it hard to get him to go to sleep and stay asleep. Poor guy. He is however a rolling machine these days, no crawling yet, but still very mobile.

*The Mr was out of town for business last week so I tackled the disaster toy area. It is much better now. I have a few more little things I want to do and then I will share the results. Unfortunately I couldn't find any fun thrifted items, so I ended up with this storage cube, but it works well and looks nice.

*I am having a blast creating again. I really just need that as a part of my life. The ideas have been flowing fast lately. Faster than I have time. But I am still getting some of creativity on. I will be opening the Etsy shop again today or tomorrow. I am just waiting for the right conditions to photograph.

*I joined a detox eating group and am on my last few days. I will share more next week, but it is going very well. I am amazed at the results and plan on continuing in a modified form. Amazing how changing your body fuel changes your everything!

*It took a severe turn toward winter here. Remember that light dusting I spoke of on Monday? Well we got more overnight and Peachy ended up having the day off. Then today on the way to school it was COLD! Time to haul out the lined leggings for sure.

I started typing this in the morning and it is now 4 pm. No wonder I find it hard to blog anymore! Hope your weeks are all going well! Take care, friends.

Gallery Art Pads

Recently while I Pinterest, I saw an awesome gallery wall in one of the room ideas I pinned. After clicking through to the blog post I found out about Me and My Big Idea Gallery Art Pads. (You can buy them through their site, or I ordered mine through JoAnn.com.) They are a large pad filled with various size prints that can be trimmed and framed or used in another way. I loved them all and when I was trying to decide which pad to order I couldn't. I liked them all. 

So, I used a coupon and ordered them all. Ha! The great thing is, I am sure I will use many of them throughout our house, but I also plan on giving them as gifts. That is what I did with these three prints. I looked through all of the pads and selected three prints that I knew my friend would enjoy.

 I framed them with frames I purchased at Kohls. I love how they turned out, and so did my friend.

Framed Initial Art and a Small Room Re-Do

When we un-bunked the beds in the girls' room and moved Cream to one of the them, I did a little redecorating as well. Part of the new plan was staging, and part of it was simply done because it was time for something new. (You can see what the room looked like when Cream was born here.)

We kept the walls the same light aqua and brown that we painted before Peachy was born. Peachy kept the quilt I made for her when she switched to a big girl bed. I picked up a similar quilt for Cream from Kohls. I made each of the girls a new pillowcase. (In fact I was working on them until right before the photographer came to take pictures for the real estate listing. Because, you know, that would make all the difference!) And then I finished off each of their beds with some handmade softies that we already had.

I wanted something to go above each of the beds and had the idea to frame their initials. I picked up the standard wooden letters from Hobby Lobby and painted the edges white. Then I covered the tops with fabric using Heat and Bond. (Each of the flower fabrics is from JoAnn Fabric.) I had thought about adding a few coats of Modge Podge on top of the fabric, but haven't done that yet. I stuck them to the wall with Command Strips and added two old frames I had around them. It was an easy project and I really like how it turned out. I finished the look by hanging a printed canvass I had picked up at Hobby Lobby. (On clearance for the win!)

Up Cycled Animals

In this post I will describe some of the process that goes into the up-cycled friends available in my Etsy shop, kiki b omi designs. You can see the friends that are currently available in my shop.
A few years ago I was applying to enter a totally awesome craft fair here in the area. It is a coveted fair to get into with a very indie vibe. I knew that I would need something special in order to make the cut and get a booth. And that is when my line of up-cycled stuffed animals were born! When I come across used clothing, whether from my closet, a garage sale, or a thrift store, I often see the potential for a new creation. For example, when I found a rust colored plaid shirt, I knew it would be perfect for a fox.

I paired it with a vintage handkerchief I had on hand and Gloria the Fox was born. I have been hanging onto a pink chenille bedspread for years. Recently I got brave and cut into it to make some of my up-cycled pigs.

This is Compass. I made him for a custom order. The customer wanted brown and teal for the shirt and tie. I just so happened to have a brown and teal plaid skirt that I was going to get rid of that I knew would make the perfect shirt for the fair hog.

And just like that, we have ourselves a fun and unique newly up-cycled friend! Since the customer already had a name in mind, I didn't have to come up with a name for this one, but that really is one of my favorite parts of the creation process. Each friend comes with a perfectly selected name to match their personalities.

Sometimes the choice is obvious, like this camo puppy names Hunter. Other times it takes a little more creative thinking on my part.

I don't always know where the names come from, like this gingham cutie named Domino. But usually it just comes to me and seems to fit. I love making each of my creations unique. There is something so fulfilling about creating individual items rather than mass producing.

Eventually you end up with an awesome cast of characters like these!

A Pajama Party for Peachy

Me, my mom, and the kids all pajama-ed up for the party!

This last Thursday we were able to celebrate Peachy's birthday with our friends. This year we decided on a pajama themed party. Everyone wore their jammies and we ate breakfast!
I started by ordering these invitations from ellieoh designs on etsy. I just had them printed as a 4 by 6 photo.

I decorated with sun and moon printables that I found around the internet. You can check them out on my Pinterest Pajama Party board. I also cut out some sun shapes with my Silhouette. I used large ones to put under the plates to look like the sun.  I also gathered up all of the night time books that we had and set them out around the house.

I draped a sheet over the table and added a pillow to make it look like a bed. I already had our chalk board decorated with You Are My Sunshine, so I added a number 5 and surrounded it with pictures of Peachy.

For activities we did coloring sheets, musical pillows, and a donut walk. In place of a cake we stacked up donuts on a plate and topped them with candles.

To thank our guests for coming, we gave out mini cereals in a bowl with a spoon.

We all had a lot of fun. It was a pretty easy party to throw together, which is always a bonus. (Plus I had the help of my trusty assistant, my mom!)