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! 

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! 

a shower for our baby girl...

Weekend before last a dear friend of mine threw a baby shower in honor of little sister's approaching arrival. I've been looking forward to Liz coordinating a shower for me since she offered back when Desmond was still a baby! She is incredibly talented in myriad ways, and throwing a party is surely one of them!

She also happens to be an artist {you may remember her from the Big Dandy Designs feature} and designed these gorgeous invites- the photo does not do them justice!

{I'm obsessed with this watercolored peony she did!}

Another wonderful friend, Amy (who has also been featured here!), offered to take care of the food for the day. Amy is also one talented lady, and she happens to be a chef so I knew I would be in good hands. She was so sweet to ask what I would want and asked again closer to the shower to cater to my current cravings. She even drove me to the shower, since she happens to be my neighbor. When we pulled up to Bramblefield and saw all the girly coral decorations in the garden she said "you're having a girl, I'm going to cry!" and I found myself feeling the same way. 

Everything was gorgeous and perfect. The weather was a bit hot but the wind helped with that and we made sure there was shade for those who really needed it. There was a ton of great food (thanks again Amy!), a gorgeous and delicious cake thanks to my mom, yummy drinks and pretty decor by Liz. Liz also put together games and a craft. Thanks also to Elly, Liz's daughter, for helping with preparations!

{Liz made the the wooden arrow art for our nursery!}

I can't get over how perfect this ruffled cake is, my mom is amazing! To the right are some family pictures. My sister Amanda + mom Tami at the top, my mother in law and my mom in the middle, and my sister in law Kristi, mother in law Debbie , and soon to be sister in law Vanessa at the bottom. Thanks to my mom and my sister in law, Kristi for taking photos!

I helped a bit with food before guests arrived and then went out to greet once they started to trickle in. After visiting some we started in on the wonderful food and I was able to catch up with friends and family who came from near and far. I was just so blessed to have so many women I love in the same place to celebrate baby girl with me!

The guests crafted hair accessories for little sister that I later voted on for a prize, they played bingo while I opened their numerous, adorable, and generous gifts, and a few other games after that. Liz had put together fantastic potted plants as decor + prizes. I even got to take one home!

Here I am with my amazing hostess friends, Liz + Amy...

{also, opening a darling dress my mom made and other gifts, and my great aunt Gladys measuring my belly as part of a game...you know, every pregnant gal's favorite part!}

{Ben's mom made this beautiful bear quilt to match the nursery colors}

I'm glad that I had two people taking pictures and they helped me remember to take the time out to get photos with as many guests as possible. I wish I got a picture with everyone! There were 5 pregnant ladies in attendance including myself, so I had to get a picture with all the mama's and their baby bumps...as well as with other gals of course.

{Left: friends from church, Asha and Monica; my sister in law, Kristi; my high school bestie, Lindsey + I. Right: My college roommate, Carina; my cousin Angela + her girls, and Lindsey + I again}

{Ben's grandma Helen + his mom Debbie, his aunt Lori, cousin Heather + her baby boy Otis}

{my mom + I with the cake, my aunt Deedee, and with my Grandma Rhea + mom}

I wished I could have visited more with everyone, things like this always go by in a blur like that. I'm extremely thankful to everyone who came and the wonderful gifts for our new addition. As things were wrapping up Ben + the boys came to say hello and pick me up of course. Once everything was cleared Liz + her husband Mark (who I also should thank for his hard work because their property is ALWAYS gorgeous!) turned on the sprinklers for the boys to run through. They had a blast and Liz + my mom even joined them. It was a delightful end to a fantastic day! 

Bear & Fox Designs: feature, review, + GIVEAWAY

I met Rianna of Bear & Fox Designs through her sister-in-law, Aimee of our last feature Crowned with Beauty. I got to know her better on a girl's weekend last month and now I get to introduce you all to her and her craft talents...

Where are you located + are you from there originally? 

We are located in the little town of Rogue River Oregon.  My husband and I are both from Southern Oregon and would love to stay in the area.

How did you come up with your shop name? 

The store was created for my two little boys, Ezekiel and Elias.  Zeke has always been our careful and observant bear, and Eli is our feisty fox.  We wanted a name that could grow with our designs, and our family.

How long have you had your shop?

We officially opened in November of 2012.  It has been a crazy, and amazing journey this past year.  We have grown the store and had amazing support from friends and family. 

What inspires you? 

Our inspiration is based on our lifestyle currently.  Eco friendly and budget friendly.  We strive to make things from re-purposed or eco materials.  I love designing things for boys, because basically there is not much offered out there.  I truly enjoy dressing my little men, and allowing them to have trendy fashions.  I want to be the kind of mom who allows them to be whoever they want, and inspire them to try new things, including new styles.

What is your favorite item in your shop?

 I think the boys Suspender/ Bow tie sets are my favorite product right now.  There are so many different styles and patterns to choose from.  They are super versatile , and I have really enjoyed designing them.

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies?  

I am a stay at home mommy and love my job!  I love the outdoors and anything that reminds me of the outdoors. Camping has been a great activity for my family for the past few years.  I love going on long runs with the stroller, and taking the boys to the park.  I also enjoy finding nasty old things and turning them into treasures.

Share an interesting fact about yourself. 

I am a true hippie at heart.

I would love to live in a cabin off the grid if i could, and live off the land.  One day i hope to live in the woods, with some little chickens and a lavender field.  I have also secretly always 

wanted to have dreadlocks (its always been my little secret) :)

What do you hope your future holds?

I hope that our business grows and allows my husband to work fully on the business from home.  I am thankful everyday that Bear and Fox Designs has provided for my family, and i pray that it continues to grow.  It has been the biggest blessing for my family, for my sweet little boys. 

__________________________________

Shandell's Review

Rianna sent a set of festive "Beau Ties" for my boys. I made her no promises that I would be able to get either to try them out, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were easy to get on and Desmond barely noticed his. Kai on the other hand is very picky about clothing, but he even tried one on for long enough to get a few photos. 

{dapper Des}

I loved that I could easily clip one to Malakai's T-shirt (pajama's no less) to snap a few funny photos of his forced smile and everlasting bed head. Somehow he still looked dressed up thanks to the red tie. Later he told me the green is his favorite, I'm holding on to hope that he might even wear it for Christmas, if just for a few more photos. 

Desmond and I had fun trying out a couple and taking photos. He didn't try to pull it off once. These little ties are just the right size for little guys. Something bigger or stiffer would likely poke and annoy. These didn't touch his face or neck at all, I didn't even have to button his shirt up all the way to put it on. A bow tie we have that went with an outfit we bought a while back fell off frequently, in these Desmond climbed and jumped and played as normal with no problems. 

Later Kai wanted in on the fun and I snapped this hilarious picture. The bow tie really makes each photo so much cuter. I am confident Desmond will be wearing these ties to our holiday gatherings this year. 

These are really well-made little accessories and I love the fun variety of fabrics that she offers them in, solids and patterns for every style. Such a simple and classic item. 

I'd highly recommend grabbing a set of these for the little boys in your life. They'd make a great Christmas gift! Order by Thursday, December 19th to ensure delivery by Christmas!  Currently $8 for one or buy the Christmas sets on sale for just $18!

__________________________________

GIVEAWAY!

Now for everyone's favorite part, a chance to win an adorable set of Beau Ties from Bear and Fox Designs! 

Des is excited for you!

Rianna is offering one reader of Breaking New Ground a set of Christmas Beau Ties, and $18 value. 

(do forgive me for not posting this in time for Christmas, the holidays have kept me busy and I've had some technical difficulties to boot, but trust me, you'll want your little man to wear these all year long!)

See the Rafflecopter form below to enter (if it's not showing, refresh the page)

>>>PLEASE be sure that you read the entry requirements carefully and complete all tasks before entering or your entries will be deleted. If you do not complete the 1st required entry, all entries will be void<<<

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway begins on Tuesday December 17, 2013 will end by Friday December 20th, 2013 12:00am PT. Contest open to US residents only. 

A winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter, the winner will be announced by blog post here and notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to reply to email or an alternate will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received a 3 pack of Beau Ties for the purpose of review, no other compensation was provided for this review. All opinions are my own.This is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Thankful on a Thursday: 500

Despite only working 1 part-time job now, instead of 2, things are busy as ever. With Ben's birthday yesterday, I was busy preparing his gifts and our night out. We went to a local theater that serves food and beverages in an intimate setting while you enjoy the movie. Ben loves movies, so I knew this would be the perfect spot to take him for his birthday date. We had a great time!

Now it's time to prepare for his party that's coming up this weekend. I've never actually thrown Ben a birthday party before. All five years that we've been together, we've just done something small with immediate family. I talked him into something different this year. I know birthday parties for adults are a little different, but it's a great reason to celebrate and have a bunch of friends and family over all at once, so why not?!

We're eagerly anticipating the arrival of 2 babies any day now. As I've mentioned, both my cousin Angela and one of my best friends, Jamie are due with their firsts on February 7th. I can't wait to snuggle their teensie little newborns!

I'm starting to think that life isn't going to slow down until I'm retirement age. I wish I was exaggerating! Still, we have many blessed reasons for being so busy and active and I'm thankful for that.

This week I'm also thankful for:

491. watching Malakai learn and be creative.

{miraculously no crayon was eaten in the creation of the above gift}

492. Giving gifts that make my husband smile like that. My goodness, he is handsome!

493. Being done with my taxes and looking forward to a nice refund!

494. God's provision in all things that we need, not just finances and human necessities but provision for needs at my job/church and in our family.

495. Having a job that is such a joy and an honor to do and that allows me to continue to stay home with my son, which has always been my ultimate dream job.

496. A boldness that I no doubt inherited from my parents. I have no problem making conversation with new people (thanks to my dad) and am not afraid of confrontation when I've been cheated at the check out line, on a medical bill, or what have you (thanks to my mom).

497. An amazing group of girl friends, most of whom need to live closer than the two hour drive that separates us.

498. a healthy household. None of us has been sick for quite some time now and I'm praying it stays that way.

499. photos and the camera that I wish was mine with which to take them.

500. the ability to express my gratitude in this public forum consistently for the last 50 weeks!

What about you? If you had to pick one thing from your week to give thanks for, what would it be?

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}

Thankful on a Thursday: the loot

This is the last of my birthday posts, for those of you getting sick of it. I was actually going to combine this with my last post, but it would have been entirely too lengthy.

We were surely blessed over the holidays with thoughtful + useful gifts from our family. Having a birthday just 4 days after Christmas isn't as bad as it may sound. I have a lot of people asking me if it was a bummer growing up. My only complaints were Christmas wrapping or themed gifts, not having my friends around (especially in college) because of the break, and combination gifts. 

The perks of having my birthday smack dab between Christmas + New Year are pretty good though. While I used to be bummed about combo gifts, it often allows for something a bit nicer than usual. Being right after Christmas I also get asked what was missed from my wish list and then get a 2nd chance at it for my birthday. For the gift givers who are brave enough to shop just after Christmas, they can get some good deals on birthday gifts. 

Now that I'm older, I don't really mind the things I used to. I even thought I didn't want a party, but Ben really wanted to throw one for my golden birthday. I'm so glad he did. We had a great time filling our house up with family + friends. 

I was also blessed by some very thoughtful gifts. One friend is going to take me out to lunch, which I'm really looking forward to. Another gave me a beautiful card with pretty magnet. One of my aunts (who is more like a sister) brought me a beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers. They are still lovely and fragrant a week later!

{stargazer lilies + red roses}

I also got something I didn't even know I wanted! My parents gave me my first ever leather handbag. 

I've always wanted a red purse (it's my favorite color) but never expected to get something this nice! Genuine leather, Tignanello (tea-nay-nello) designer handbag people! I must admit, I had never even heard of this brand before, but since receiving it I've found it's a popular one.

Here are some of the other thoughtful gifts I received for my 29th on the 29th...

{a planning calendar, Mary Kay products, Red Letter Words wall art, a lovely red pashmina}

I'm so thankful for...

451. loving + generous family and friends.

452. a week with a few less obligations than the previous ones.

453. Ben's mom for not only watching Kai so I could put in some office hours, but for letting me use her car to get there.

454. nursery volunteers at our church. they truly love the kids and are so sacrificial of their time + energy!

455. quiet evening chats with Ben. Last night we researched SUV's together even though there's no way we will be able to afford a second car anytime soon.

456. watching my son fall asleep. 

457. steady and enjoyable jobs.

458. Malakai's love for music. He's been singing + dancing a lot these days. 

459. the one car that we do have.

460. our (usually) quiet neighborhood. 

What are you thankful for this week?

29th

My golden birthday was the 29th of December and I've finally found some time to sit down and tell you  all about it!

On the 28th as we were going to bed I started to feel achey and had a bad case of the chills. I had a slight fever of 99.1 and felt pretty awful. I haven't had a fever for over 6 years! At 2am Malakai woke up with teething pain (no fever, thank goodness!) and my fever had jumped to 100.1 and Ben was at 99.5 degrees. I was sure we'd have to cancel all our plans for the next couple of days. We woke up late feeling achey but our fevers were gone and never came back.

Ben made us pancakes for my birthday breakfast. While he was cooking I decided to check my email and saw a tweet he had just sent linking to his blog. He had written this story for my birthday. It was very sweet and of course I teared up while reading it. Then he handed me our notebook that we write letters in back + forth (something we started while we were dating back in 2006!) he had written me a note for my birthday. I noticed that some of the letters were darker than others. He had hidden a message in it!

I figured it out quickly and the message revealed what our plans were for the afternoon. He was taking me to La Perla, a pizzeria we had always wanted to go to. It's run by the same owners of one of our favorite restaurants, Bepe & Gianni's. We got a bit of a late start, but at 1:30pm Ben's parents came to hang out while Malakai napped so we could go out.

We had a wonderful relaxed lunch. It was nice to get out just the two of us (it had been a while) and the food was awesome!

As we got in the car Ben told me to check my jacket pocket. In it was this clue...

and before I knew it we were off on a scavenger hunt! We went to the chapel at our alma mater where we first met. 

From there the next clue took us to Autzen Stadium, where we had gone to a football game on the day we found out we were expecting Malakai. 

Next was our first apartment together, which was my apartment that we lived in for a few short weeks before moving into a house.

 After that the clues took us to the starbucks drive thru where I had to use the internet to find out next clue, which took us back home.

All along the way the clues told me about my birthday gifts. One was an itunes download of my choice, another was some downtime while Ben de-clutters the house, and another Starbucks drink. The last gift was in our trunk and it was Chalk Ink markers for my chalkboard!

The whole day was very unexpected. I felt so special and was really proud of Ben for keeping it all from me for so long!