creative outlets

It's not too often I have time for hobbies (like this one, obviously) but when I'm motivated enough I'll find a way to get to something. Lately I've been really inspired by a few creative ladies I discovered through Instagram. It started with one really pretty wall hanging and suddenly I now follow half a dozen new people so I can ooh and aaw at all their pretty creations. (come follow me for more photos + a sneak peek at my new blog design!)

I turned to Pinterest to learn more about how to make my own woven wall hanging. I got distracted there for quite a while, was drawn into the world of macrame (next project for sure!), then came back to woven tapestries and zeroed in on two tutorials. I started with this post at Gathering Beauty, using her technique to create a "loom" from a picture frame, and I referred to another post at A Beautiful Mess for some of the different weaving techniques as I went. I don't intend to post my own tutorial, but wanted to share my first-try. 

photos by b.lovely photography 

I started small for two reasons: one being that I am impatient and wanted to finish it quickly, and second because I was limited by supplies, especially the size of frame I had for my quick DIY loom. 

The great thing about this project was the ability to work on it in small bits. Even better that it was small, I could set it down just about anywhere and it was fairly out of the way. I worked on it snuggled up on the couch watching "Tiny House Hunters" on HGtv with my family over a weekend, I worked on it during naps when I wanted to sit and relax, and I mostly worked on it in the evening when all the kiddos were in bed and Ben and I were settled in for the night. Overall it took me about 2 weeks of working on it every few days. 

I went for a blue/grey color scheme to reflect the winter weather we've been having and because I had a lot of varied textured yarns in that range of colors. It works well hung where my paper flower wreath was last spring, and our felt wreath hung over the holidays. 

Choosing the types of weaves to do and which colors and textures to pair together was probably the best part. The hardest part was making sure I stayed with the pattern once I got going and learning how to do something different than the basic over under pattern. 

I didn't particularly like the way you could see the thread on some of the blue parts at first, but now it's kind of grown on me, just more texture. The not-so-fun part was weaving/sewing in all the ends and typing it to the dowel to hang it up. 

When working on something new, I like to remind myself "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" which, if you're not familiar, is a quote from Myquillyn AKA The Nester. It applies to so many parts of life and is always true. 

I'm definitely planning on getting a larger loom soon and creating more, learning as I go. I see this little DIY quickly becoming a new creative outlet and hobby to enjoy.

Events: Spring Bazaar

Hey friends...I just wanted to let you local readers know of an upcoming event that is a definite must! I usually tag along to a few bazaars in the winter time around the holidays to shop and to sell some of my handmade items. This year I found a great opportunity in the Poppies and Petunias Spring Bazaar and  had to snag a table to share some handmade goodies. 

My mom's precious little dolls will be there in a variety of styles... you HAVE to come see them and snag one for your favorite little girl (or guy!). 

My aunt + I have been crocheting up a storm and will have a variety of items. My most popular has been these crochet baby toys. 100% cotton, no filling. Get them wet, freeze them, or use them as is and just throw them in the wash whenever needed! Super easy and very popular with teething babies! 

We'll have hats, headbands, spa items, spring scarves, and more. 

Everything would make great gifts, especially with mother's day around the corner! Click on the link above to check out the Facebook event page and see items from us and other sellers ahead of time! Hope to see you there! 

Linden & Lilah: feature, review + GIVEAWAY!

Hi friends...I'm so excited to introduce you to our latest featured handmade shop. Linden & Lilah is run by Amanda, a former college classmate of mine who I have reconnected with through social media over the last few years. Her son and Desmond are nearly the exact same age and have a lot in common.

Now for my favorite part of featuring artists and crafters, getting to know more about them and their creative process!

Where are you located + are you from there originally? 

I am currently located in Everett, WA. I am originally from California but I've also lived in Minnesota and Oregon. Washington has been my home for the past 9 years and once you've lived in Seattle, it's hard to imagine living anywhere else! 

How did you come up with your shop name? 

Linden & Lilah are the names of my children. 


How long have you had your shop?  

I started working on L&L a year ago. My Etsy shop has only been open since October 2014. 

What inspires you?
Imperfection! I struggle with perfectionism and often have let my fear of failing hold me back. What I love about L&L is that the beauty of hand carving and individually stamping each item, I can't have perfection. It forces me to embrace imperfection and makes me love each variation. 

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

Currently my favorite item is the organic dijon feather dress. It is a special item because it's the only dress I've made and it is just so pretty!  

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies? 

My main job is being a wife and mother, that takes up most of my time! I dabble in blogging, I love cooking and since having children, I have loved throwing fun parties.
Share an interesting fact about yourself. 

I am fascinated with child birth and someday when I am finished having babies of my own I would love to be certified as a doula and childbirth educator. 

What do you hope your future holds?
My hopes for L&L- We are in the process of listing our first home for sale and I dream of a space in our next home where I can have a dedicated studio to work in. Currently I draw and carve my stamps on my dining table after the kids have gone to bed. 

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Shandell's Review

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Amanda sent us an arrows onesie in pomegranate. This onesie is perfection for my little Aurelia. The color is a coral variation, which is one of my favorites for baby girl right now. If you recall from our nursery and baby shower for her, we had chosen an arrow theme inspired by Psalm 127: 3, 4 so this onesie was the perfect choice for our little girl. 

The fabric is soft and comfortable, the print is sturdy but not rough, and the design is really professional. Every time Aurelia wears this onesie we get a lot of compliments and inquires as to where it came from (I should start carrying business cards for Linden & Lilah!).

I would definitely recommend snagging any of these precious clothes from Linden & Lilah for your favorite little ones or parents-to-be! 

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GIVEAWAY!

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Amanda has generously offered one reader of Breaking New Ground one already made onesie of their choice from Linden & Lilah. Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter entry form below and be sure to verify your entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest begins Monday April 6th and is open until midnight Sunday April 12th. A winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced here and notified by email at the address associated with their Rafflecopter entries. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the email to claim their prize or an alternate will be chose.

Interested in seeing your product featured here, see the PR + Disclosures tab and contact Breaking New Ground by email to be considered. Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Questions, concerns, comments unrelated to the nature of this giveaway can be left on other generic posts or emailed to Breaking New Ground. 

More from "BnG Handmade"

I decided to create a little "shop name" even though I'm not opening up an Etsy shop or anything that official. I wanted to have something in place in case I went there in the future, but mostly to give shoppers a way to contact me if they wanted to order something special or contact me after the Bazaars had passed. So I went with something simple and tagged my items with "BnG handmade" referencing my blog name so that everything is streamline with contact info and page information.

My handmade inventory is almost all up in Salem until Thanksgiving, but my aunt Deedee and mom,  Tami, had a bunch of goodies at the annual Country Holiday Bazaars out in Veneta this past weekend. My mom's handmade dolls are also up for individual sale, just contact me and we can work out the details. 

This weekend my crochet items and hand painted signs will be added to their inventory at Thurston High School choir's annual holiday bazaar. Come by between 10am-6pm on Black Friday or 10am-5pm on Saturday the 29th. If you can't make it but want information or to special order something, again, just shoot me an email and I can answer any questions you might have!

Thanks to all of you who visited the Bazaars and supported us by making even a small purchase! 

Christmas Bazaars + Craft Fairs

Today + tomorrow Ben's aunt Lori, my mom + I will have a table of handmade items at a Holiday Bazaar in Salem.

 

If you're in the area, I'd encourage you to stop by and check it out! Say hi to Lori for me, she'll be heading up the table both days. Here are some of the things I'll have there-

Sticking with it...

Hi friends, I'm back! I've thought a lot about it and I really don't want to let go of blogging just because of what happened a couple weeks ago. So, I'm here and I'll be posting a little more depending on how often I get a little time to tap something out and throw a few photos in. Speaking of, due to aforementioned incident I will be ramping up security on my page. Annoyingly it means bigger bolder watermarks on all my photos, but I will still post photos. For now my Instagram will remain private, but feel free to request me. This will help me keep track of who has access to what I post there. I will be posting fewer photos on the Facebook page due to it's public nature, but I will still be sharing there so be sure to "like" it to get updates. 

As you can likely imagine, or possibly relate to, life with 3 kids is very busy! We went through a lot of changes all at once over the last couple months with Malakai starting Kindergarten and then Aurelia joining us just 3 days later. Ben had a week off of work and then I felt sort of thrown in to a new and very busy routine. Getting Kai to school daily proves to be exhausting and Desmond decided to stop napping completely a week later. How fun for everyone! 

{there are THREE watermarks on this photo, some are harder to find than others, just one way I'm increasing security here to protect my family from another incident of stolen identity}

Desmond turned 3 earlier this month, so our kiddos are 5, 3 and 8 weeks old as of today. Time is FLYING by us and I feel like all I can do is keep our heads above water. I know things will calm (somewhat) and even out a bit soon, but we are heading into the holidays so it can't last long!

This year I'm participating in a few Christmas Bazaars to make a little extra money and gauge interest in some of my handmade items. I will not be opening a shop anytime soon but I have done a little branding in case I decide to go that route in the future. For now, it's all informal so that I can be protective of my time. I hope to sell pre made items at the bazaars and possibly drum up some custom orders as well. I'll post dates and locations of the Bazaars that I'll have items at on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out there and then come look for my work under "BnG handmade". 

That's it for now. I will be back to share some updates on what we've been up to as a family and how the kiddos have grown. Keep an eye out for more giveaways coming as well. Thanks for taking time to check in with our little corner of the internet. 

coming up...

So "40 Bags in 40 Days" is technically over, but we are still catching up on some areas that we missed or need the extra attention. I actually printed a 2nd progress chart without the dates so I could plan those things out for the next month or so. I do plan on posting a follow up when it's all finished...well as finished as it gets anyway. Decluttering is never a "one and done" deal around here. I have a feeling it's that way for most people.

I also got some questions recently about my last post and some things I shared on instagram relating to cold brew Thai tea. I'll put together a post on my method of cold brewing, it's pretty simple but I do it slightly different than others so I'll share that soon!

I'm also due for a pregnancy update. I've been scouring the internet for adorable ideas for our sweet little girl's room and we are getting pretty close. We're planning on gray walls but there are hundreds of shades and tones of gray so that has been a process of it's own! We are heading out to register tomorrow, I'm so giddy to be able to shop in the girls' section!

I haven't updated on the boys and what they've been up to for far too long. I'll make sure to do that soon as well. They are busy as ever, which is primarily what keeps me from blogging. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I have some other fun tutorials that I've been working on since Christmas (whoops!) that are on the artsy/crafty side. I've been dabbling in sewing again but I'm nowhere near having the ability to teach anyone else much more than threading the needle...with an automatic threader. 

Easter has come + gone and we had a very full and very fun weekend, so that'll hopefully make it's way onto the blog as well. 

I'll make sure to get this space updated on all those things when I find a free moment. 

Happy Friday! 

DIY disposable tea bags- a quick tutorial

A series of events brought me to finding myself in need for a good way to steep loose-leaf tea. Prior to discovering a Thai tea that I HAD to have (I LOVE Thai iced tea) we didn't keep loose-leaf tea in the house. We mostly drink coffee and buy bags of our favorite varieties. Thus, I don't have a tea strainer/diffuser/thingy for my newly acquired tea.

First, I brewed it per the recommendations by mixing the tea straight into the hot water and then filtering through a coffee filter in a mesh strainer. This is similar to how I finish making a cold brewed coffee. It worked okay but takes a while for just one cup. So I googled DIY tea strainer and found a few tutorials that I adapted to make my own tea bags. It's pretty quick and easy but I only had time today to make 4 of them. 

I had a few people ask about my method when I instagrammed the process earlier today so I took pictures and decided to share the process here. 

Items needed:

• loose leaf tea (1 tsp per bag fits best)
• round paper coffee filters 
• scissors
• cotton string/yarn 
• stapler + staples

See below the photo for the steps....

1. Take 1 coffee filter and cut into 2 rectangles by cutting in half and then cutting the rounded edges straight. 
2. Fold in half "hamburger style" (anyone? anyone?...) to create a crease. Put 1/2 teaspoon tea on each side of this crease. 
3. Fold the long edges over the tea.
4. Then place your finger on the crease and bring the two ends together. 
5. place the end of your string at the top and fold one corner over, then place the other end of string and fold the other corner over it- creating a point. 
6. Fold the point over then bring the string up and staple the string to the tea bag securing it shut. 

Don't forget to find a little helper to untie your moccasins and drive trucks around the kitchen...it's crucial to the process...

{oh, hello to baby sister too}

I brewed mine and then put it on ice. I'm wondering now if I could cold brew this like my coffee. I'm just following the directions the Thai tea came with...

Tah-dah! Quick and easy, but also pretty messy (only because I tried putting in too much tea the first time.). Enjoy! 

Let's Play Catch Up {December 2012}

Hi. I'm Shandell. I blog here sometimes. Remember me?

Oy. It's been a long time since I've sat down and updated {again} and there is a lot to talk about...hence the not having time to blog about it.

Well- last time I posted we were smack dab in the middle of a very hectic schedule. Ben had 3+ weeks of intense practice every night for the drama at church. It didn't take long for us to figure out that when you start doing more to further the kingdom of God, that the enemy attacks. He tried hard and we were down for a bit, but we got back up. Des suddenly wouldn't go to sleep for me, but once Ben got home and held him he would be out in less than 10 minutes. We had sickness throughout the house, and I broke my toe one night just when Ben was about to leave. Amidst all that I was left to prepare for Christmas on my own. I found joy in knowing that God had good planned through it all and in the end, at least 12 people decided to walk with Jesus because of the message conveyed through the drama.

Early in the month we actually made time to go get our tree at a farm, see the fire truck light parade go by a few blocks away, and prepare for and attend a cookie exchange.

{tree farm!}

{firetruck light parade}

{a sampling of my holiday projects}

In just one month Malakai got a new bed, his first desk, and a lit Christmas tree in his room. A lot of "firsts" for this guy. He was just a "little" excited.

On December 18th we had a pretty decent snow. It was a bit wet, but it stuck and looked beautiful for about 8 hours. Kai made his first snowball, which he promptly threw at me. Then subsequent others that he threw at his brother. We also made our 1st snowman together (last year I ended up making it all on my own). Desmond loved stomping around in the snow and found himself a puddle to play in. boys. 

We had a staff Christmas lunch at the church, a small group dinner that we hosted, welcomed a few new babies, and then we started Christmas celebrations early on the 22nd with Ben's side of the family.

{Pottorf Family Christmas}

Christmas Eve Malakai helped make cookies for Santa for the first time. We wrote him a letter as well. That night we usually attend the candlelight service at church but Desmond had a nasty cold so we had a quite evening. Christmas day we went 3 different places, Des was coughing so hard that day he puked 4 times (twice on me), the next day it was still so bad Ben stayed home (we were up all night). Then we had a couple days to prepare for the next round of Christmas celebrations.

{Christmas Eve Traditions: new jammies, cookies for Santa, story with daddy}

{Christmas morning stockings, Christmas evening with family}

The 29th was my birthday and on our way to a family outing Ben planned, Kai got car sick...once again, it was on me. The night of the 30th we had immediate families over for dinner to celebrate my birthday, that night Ben got sick...thankfully NOT on me. He was up all night getting sick and I was up with the boys half the night because their routine with daddy was thrown off. Even still, I enjoyed my birthday and we got through it.

{for my birthday- a pegboard for my kitchen, a necklace Kai made, boots I can't wear, and snuggles with my boys- yes Kai is asleep.}

Yesterday, New Year's Eve, we had our final Christmas gathering. Ben stayed home sick, and I took the boys for a bit. They faded fast so we left early and we were all in bed before midnight.

Today we all took it easy as Ben is still recovering from his stomach flu, and we are praying that nobody else in the house gets it next.

Needless to say, I fell behind in just about everything. House work (especially after the broken toe), Christmas prep, my part-time job at the church. I guess you could say my "resolution" for 2013 is to catch up! Now that most of our big events are out of the way I feel like I can breath and start to pick up the pieces (literally!).

I honestly feel so incredibly blessed. When I had hurt my foot I had family come over a few nights and help me with the boys while Ben was at play practice. Between Christmas and my birthday, we were showered with gifts. Not just material things, but gifts of presence and love as well.

2012 surely made itself known in our family's history books and I'm looking forward to the blessings and lessons that 2013 will hold for us.

open house baby shower

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of co-hosting a baby shower for my dear friends Jamie + Jacob. We did a co-ed open  house at their home. It was so sweet to see them showing off the finished nursery to all of their guests through out the day.

The three of us (mama + the hostesses) each made a soup for the guests, there were also breads + cheeses, punch, and cupcakes!

I made signs for the food and the one above for the entrance. I had painted the frames black for our previous kitchen, but there's no room here. So I just painted chalkboard paint on the cardboard inserts they came with and wrote what I needed on each sign. I left the two large ones as part of my gift.

I also threw together the pom-poms the night before. I grabbed tissue paper I had that matched their nursery decor. Erin, the other hostess, brought streamers in the exact same color. Perfect.

{I didn't get a good shot without my reflection}

Erin had the idea of writing notes to the couple and the baby for a keepsake. She brought some decorative branches to hang them on and I made the cards. It turned out really well!

{Carina writing her note. She, Jamie, + I had all been roommates throughout college}

People came in about three waves throughout the day and gifts were opened about 3 different times as well. The open house format had me confused in theory, but in practice it worked really well. With the size of the guest list, it really helped make the gathering feel small + intimate. A traditional shower with all guests arriving at once would have been overwhelming, especially for Jamie.

{Jamie + Jacob with their guests}

 Jamie and her best friend from high school are due 2 days apart, so we had to get a photo of them together. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of me with Jamie, they're on Erin's camera. I'll have to post them once I get them from her. 

I was so glad that they were able to relax and enjoy the day. Although, we all had to tell Jamie to stop working/setting up/cleaning and relax several times. She's full on NESTING. Baby is due February 7th, so we could meet their little guy any day now!

{my favorite shot from the entire day}

more crafty DIY projects

I haven't traded baking for crafting, I've been doing both! I haven't made things by hand in a very long time. Long before Malakai was born I busied myself with a lot of other things. I think Christmas inspired me to bring my creative side back out.

Last week I made a couple of tissue paper pom-poms. One I hung up in our room + the other is mini-sized for a gift embellishment. These things are my new obsession.

{never mind our messy bedroom}

Then while I was out picking up stocking stuffers I came across a foam circle for making a wreath. I've been wanting a yarn wreath so I googled instructions + found this adorable blog. 

Mine is much smaller than these, and I didn't use any batting to make it fluffy. Everything else I used I already had. I wrapped it with black yarn (while watching The Sing-Off),  then a red ribbon.

 I added on a foam plumeria flower from our wedding cake (sent to us from one of my aunties in Hawaii). Since I pinned on the ribbon + flower, I can change what it looks like easily.

The next thing I make I won't be able to blog about until after Christmas because it's a gift that I don't want to spoil!