Hi

Hi friends!

I want to share a couple of things I worked on this week.

First a tote - I love this one. I'm still experimenting and this time I used pleats. =) Here she is - she's pink! And of course she has a couple of pockets - no tote would be complete without those!

Next is somewhat of a custom order - I like the way this pouch turned out and I hope it's owner will too!

I plan on working on a couple of wristlets and a larger tote bag/diaper bag next.

Hope you have a great Friday - don't work too hard - it's almost the weekend!!

~Amber

camera strap cover =)

I made myself a camera strap cover last night.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure how much I like it. I don't know if I chose the best colors. I'm not even sure if I like my little ruffle/pleated strip.

Here she is:

What do you think? I'll post pictures with her on the camera soon - I'm by no means presentable to be in a picture right now. ;)

~Amber

Etsy shop is open!!!

Hi! I'm so sorry I've been absent. I know I feel like I say that a lot but I want to announce that as of today the Etsy shop is officially open for business!

Please visit sewNAmber on Etsy.

I also wanted to announce that I will be offering 10% off through August 20 to celebrate the opening. Also the very first order receives a free zippered pouch that looks like this:

Here is a peek at what's in the shop:

There's more so I hope you check it out!

Thanks for looking and thanks for your support. Don't give up on me! =)

~Amber

Hi!

Ok - so I've been somewhat of a busy bee this week and planned on opening the Etsy shop on Friday BUT it has been cloudy 3 days straight and I haven't been able to photograph the goods. :( So, the Etsy shop opening will be a surprise one day this week or will be opening next weekend.

Even though I felt really busy this week I only accomplished maybe 35 - 40% of my to-do list. But I was able to get some stuff done. To be honest I haven't really felt well - I'm actually sitting here now on the couch not feeling well. :( But I wont bother you with that.

Stay tuned!

Xoxo,
Amber

A Giveaway

Head on over to For The Love Of Blogs and checkout the makeup bag I'm giving away!

Don't forget to check back - the Etsy shop will be open soon. ;)

Hope you're having a great Monday - I'm on vacation with a "to do" list planned everyday. I'm trying to spread it out so that I have time to relax every day too. Today I'm cleaning - trying to get the not-so-fun stuff over with first!!

Tomorrow I'm going to the fabric shop and Wednesday is sewing day which will probably carry over into Thursday.

What are you up to this week?

~Amber

A Tote is a Tote

So I've made a couple of totes and I want to share, of course! =)

The first one I made to take with me to camp - see here to read about camp.

It was the perfect size to carry the items I needed around without being too much and it was cute too!

This next one will be for sale in the Etsy shop if someone local doesn't scoop it up. ;P

It is just a bit bigger and has wider shoulder straps. It also has two pockets on the inside. I'm experimenting with what size I like most and what to embellish it with. The first one I made 2 yo-yo's and sewed them together with a little button and the second one I added a ruffle (the first ruffle I've ever attempted to make - woohoo).

I think I like totes! They are just so practical. I'm going to continue to experiment with different sizes and embellishments and will of course share them here.

I'm off of work next week - I have lots of plans on the to-do list. Of course, I'm going to be doing some sewing. I have plans of finishing up some inventory and finally opening the Etsy shop. You'll be the first to know. I can't wait!

Well, I need to finish this up stat because it's thundering and lightening here - you know I love storms but I don't want to be attached to the computer while it's happening - safety first! ;)

Hope you have had a glorious Friday!

~Amber

High on Life

I'm linking up for High on Life Thursday!



Today is my grandmother's 90th birthday. She is my mother's mother and the only grandmother I have had in my life for quite some time. My father's mother passed away when I was 6.

She's a tiny lady but she's been a very strong woman all of her life. She has outlived all of her siblings and still lives alone. I admire her will to be independent even as she weakens with age. I look back and I can remember both her 70th and 80th birthdays. I can't believe how old we are all getting! I'm the youngest grandchild on that side of the family. =)

Here are some pictures from her party this past weekend:

Still having my grandmother around makes me high on life!

~Amber

I'm alive!

So, I know I've been away for awhile. It has been a busy few weeks. Last week my husband and I were in Panama City Beach @ BigStuf camp. It is an amazing youth camp with a bit of leader training mixed in. Purrrrfect! =) Yep, I'm thinking that's what the cats would say!

This was our second year going. It is an exhausting week but well worth it. We live in NC so the bus ride is LONG but it is just such an amazing experience and so far from what I remember camp being like as a youth!

The beach:

The band is amazing - it looks much like a concert in there:

The OLD people play a little volleyball vs the young peeps:

or maybe they just stand around - which may be the reason they lost. ;P

And one of the coolest things - baptism in the ocean:

Yep, it was a good week! I promise I will be back this week if not tomorrow. =)

~Amber

"And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive"

A quick update...

I will be MIA for a few days more BUT I will be back. See ya soon!!

~Amber

Father's Day and a new do

Hello friends!

I bet you are all spending time with your husbands or fathers today - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! =)
I want to give a shout-out to all the dads doing what dads do best. I think it is so easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of life and we forget to acknowledge how much the men in our lives contribute, so go dads!

A little over a week ago I received a pretty serious haircut! I love it! I feel so much lighter now! I have pretty much had long hair all of my life so this is a big difference for me. You know you gotta live a little. I just usually have trouble with the short hair because I have really thick hair and a round face. Tell me what you think, if you dare. =)

Before:

After:

And I have now been to two photography classes. I'm still feeling a little bit overwhelmed and have only been able to practice one time but I'm posting a couple of pictures I took a few days ago. I promise that my photography will get better. I mean it can only get better - I don't see how it could get any worse. ;P

I'm working on some small zipped pouches and a new tote bag. I'll share soon!

~Amber

wristlet/clutch and a blog award!

Well I've been needing to take a couple of pics of a wristlet/clutch that I made over a week ago and the best time I could find to do it. Well after dark and in unnatural light. Go figure! But I feel like sharing now and I guess I'm not a good planner. Please forgive me!

Here SHE is:

And then there's Boots. My child that I wish would move out and get his own apartment where he can clean up after himself. Please excuse the laundry basket in the background - this is real life folks! =)

And I was awarded the Sunshine Award by the awesome Jessica @ you are my color! I am truly honored and highly recommend you go check out her blog! I just love her humor! Thanks Jessica!




The rules for the Sunshine Award are:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Tell us something about yourself.
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers.
4. And let them know you awarded them!

Something you probably don't know about me is I have 12 toes! No I'm totally just kidding. I'm kind of having trouble coming up with something here. I'm kind of an open book so it's hard for me to believe that I can't think of anything. I will go along with something Jessica mentioned and say that I have two tattoos. I got my first one 3 days after I turned 18. :)

Alright let the nominations begin:

Katina @ Peaceful Divas
Heather @ Some Kind of Wonderful
Anna Joy @ The Joy Cottage
Renae @ Oliver's Inspired Mama
Anna @ Don't Mind Me I'm Discombobulated

Ok so I'm only nominating 5 =)

Hope you guys have had a fabulous Monday - I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it is almost over!!!

~Amber

High on Life Thursday

I'm linking up today - usually I have trouble finding time on Thursdays to post but I'm making time today to join this very inspiring linkup.



This past Sunday my husband participated in a sprint triathlon. He has participated in a couple in the past 2 years but this was the first one that I actually went to. I was so impressed with the people of all ages that came out that day to do the race. I loved the attitudes that were being expressed. Everyone was encouraging and motivating. Of course I was a little on the tired side since we got up way before the sun but I tried to soak it all up. And what I loved most about it - EVERYONE finished!

I'm so proud of my husband and impressed by his passion to be healthy and that was what so much of the triathlon was about. It didn't matter how you looked or what size you were or where you had begun - what mattered was that you got out there and did it. I'm truly inspired!

Here is a couple of pictures from the race:

Here is my husband goofing off posing with his bike. =)

What's on my mind Wednesday

What's on my mind:

- JFK - I'm addicted to researching the JFK assassination. I really wish I could turn my brain off. I don't know why I'm so interested but I just can't turn away. It's like watching The Real Housewives. I go back and forth with what I believe whether it being that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or if there is another conspiracy invovled. I'm not researching this to get in a debate with anyone - I'm just gaining some personal knowledge about something that puzzles me so. I have finished two books and I'm moving on to the next one. You can find the books I'm reading here. =)

- Photography - I'm taking a class Saturday to learn how to setup my nice new Nikon to use it effectively. Right now I'm pretty much using it on automatic but I want to REALLY learn how to use it. I can't wait!

- Running - I was somewhat of a runner for a while but have completely lost it. I had actually gotten up to running 5 miles at one time but I sprained my ankle. I continued running on my ankle and ended up having to halt all exercise as I had no range of motion in my ankle and I had to let it heal. I ran a few times after it healed but I just never got back into to it and that makes me sad because I'm going to have to start from what seems like square one again. The weather is somewhat of a hold-back right now because it is so hot but it's only going to get worse. I just need to do it!!! I'm also currently still doing a heavy-lifting program and that has dominated all of my workout time lately. :(

Well that's the scoop on me. I know exciting, right? ;)

~Amber

Hoo Are You?

1. How often do you wash your vehicle? Not often enough!!!

2. When riding in a car with someone who usually drives, them or you? Them!

3. How many states have you traveled to or through? hmmm - let me think hard about this one. I believe it is 12 - possibly more.

4. What kind of music do you listen to the most? I don't think there is one the most. I really enjoy contemorary Christian, good old pop, I like oldies. The only thing I really don't listen to much is country.

5. Do you prefer the window down or air conditioning? Up until this past summer I would have said window down - I've turned into a wimp!

Check back soon - I will be posting some pics of a wristlet and also a couple of pics from a triathalon that my husband participated in this past Sunday!

So tell me - Hoo Are You?







~Amber

Fill in the blank Friday

It's Friday! I'm linking up again for Fill in the Blank Friday!

1. I love animals because they keep me company. I would be so lonely without my pets. I love how loyal they are.


2. A time that mama knew best was when she told me hanging out with an older friend was a bad idea. She was right! That chick tried to drag me into trouble with a capital T.

3. My first kiss went a little like this yuck, I don't think I can even talk about this, lol.


4. My celebrity crush is Vin Diesel - I love his muscles and confidence.



5. My splurge of choice is probably food - you gotta eat and I hate to shop so I don't buy a lot of stuff that way.

6. My biggest accomplishment is my relationship with my husband. He's so very important to me.


7. My dance jam of choice is I don't think I could choose just one song - I like to put on my own personal show to some MJ songs in the living room. ;P

Happy Friday!
That yard sale I talked about a few weeks ago - well it didn't happen but it really is going to happen tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend!
~Amber

What's on my mind Wednesday

Hola friends!

It's been a week - gosh, where has the time gone?

Well I would say we've been crazy busy and in some ways we have but we were very lazy for the first half of the weekend. Friday there was a bad storm in our town. Our power did not go out at the time of the storm but it went out that night and was out for several hours right when it got dark so there was nothing to do but go to bed! We were very lazy Saturday and didn't emerge from our haze until Sunday in time to go out to eat with our family which was GREAT!

I spent Memorial day with family too and it was great also!

Ok so - What's on my mind:

1 - I think I may be afraid of the dark - I've never been before but more and more lately my motto is "Nothing good happens in the dark." Now I know this isn't true but when it gets dark I just want to get in and pray I make it through the night. So what's with my drama - I don't know. I think my JFK research may be playing a part. And as you can imagine, when the power was out and it was pitch-black dark in the hood I was a little bit uncomfortable. You know I was peeking out the window and scanning for shadows. Spooky!

2 - Hair, hair everywhere - All three of my animals have long hair. Man, do we know how to pick them. I'm just kidding - I wouldn't trade any of them - well most days I wouldn't. How do you control all of this hair? I'm starting to brush them more but this time of year is just out of control. Even I'm shedding everywhere! Sometimes I wonder why we have animals but then I remember I just love them and would be so sad without their companionship. I can't imagine not having at least one furry pet.

3 - Heat wave - It is hot, hot, hot here. It has been in the mid-90's or higher all week with no end in sight. Just walking to the mailbox is tough. I can't imagine being someone who has to work outside. I'm so thankful for air conditioning! Even the animals are tired from the heat. They just lay down under the fan. And they're inside in the air with me! Poor babies!

Hope you're finding a way to stay cool!

~Amber

What's on my mind Wednesday

1 - Tornados - my heart breaks for the people who have been affected by the destructive weather this year. I cannot even imagine how their lives are changing in just a few seconds. A lose of a home, vehicle, job, family members, maybe even what seems like your whole town. I'm sending big big prayers up for these families.

2 - John F Kennedy - so I mentioned on Friday that I had been reading "The Kennedy Detail." Well I finished it last night. O my, I've had a lot of emotions with this book. I think it was a great book and it helped me to really put in to perspective how security was done back in that time period. This book is written by the secret service agents who protected JFK and "failed." It was a good book and I would recommend.

So JFK was assassinated nearly 50 years ago and it was 20 years before I was born and it has affected me deeply this past week. I'm starting to think I may be paranoid. I mean it has really had me scared! I've had trouble falling asleep. I know my husband thinks I'm a whacko! But I'm going to continue on with my reading/research - I'm now starting "The Echo from Dealey Plaza." This book is also written by a secret service agent who opposes the information in "The Kennedy Detail." I'm only a couple of chapters in but I find it very intriguing. There are still so many questions. I think that's why I find it so scary. I mean the same thing happens to me when I watch "48 Hours Mystery" - I go to bed scared. The mystery part of stuff just scares me to death! Am I alone in this?

Once I finish "The Echo from Dealey Plaza" I'm going to read "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters." And then "Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK"

Alright, well those are the things that are dominating my thoughts on this Wednesday. We're getting closer to Friday! Hope you have a good one!

~Amber

HOO Are You?

I ran across a cute little blog hop "Hoo Are You" so I'm linking up!






1. What is your favorite thing cooked on the bbq? I would say chicken!

2. How do you celebrate Memorial Day? I don't have a very good answer for this - usually just hanging out with my husband. Maybe we need to start a new tradition? Especially since we were a military fam.

3. Do you like your handwriting? It depends on if I'm trying to be neat. My signature is worse than a doctor's. I don't even know if you could identify what letters my first and last name start with. BUT if I'm trying to be neat I think it's ok.

4. Do you still have your tonsils? Sure do!

5. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes! I'm very anal about my shoes and how tight they are. I tie them repeatedly at the gym. OCD, much? So there's no way I could take them off leaving them tied and be ok with how they felt when I slipped my foot back in! I like 'em tight!

~Amber

I sewed something!!

The good news is I finished my ipad design and finished sewing her but the bad news - well she's a about a half-inch too short. :( Learning experience, right? I even measured for her to be a little bit on the large size but I'll have to try again.

Here she is:

I don't envision her as a loser though. I believe she will come in handy for some great purpose. Maybe an electronics case. Say you're at the lake or the pool and you put your phone and a point and shoot camera and a couple accessories and call it a day. Or I think she may hold a couple of diapers and maybe some wipes. Or maybe the smaller Kindle or Nook. Or maybe you want to use her to hold a book. She's still a cool kind of chic wristlet to me.

I made the "ipad case" with a wristlet type strap because well, I'm clumsy and I figured it may me nice to provide a little extra protection against drops. You see you'll place your wrist through the strap and then grab ahold of your very expensive ipad. =) I will make one at the correct size soon.

And then there's my finished quilt top. She's come a long ways and she's got a ways to go before she becomes a completed quilt. Yep, I like taking things slow it seems.

Here she is, a "friendship star" design:

Thank you to my husband for holding her up for me!

And finally my beautiful lantana flowers getting ready to burst out with color and my Lucky Ducky puppy!

Hope you're having a great Sunday!

"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others." JFK