tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72380968186800830602024-03-13T12:30:52.840-04:00fruitpantsJessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-45998493444660860852014-08-01T16:44:00.000-04:002014-08-01T16:44:00.495-04:00Mama Makes Milk, Mama Needs Energy! Today is a very strange day for me... My normal days consist of working a full time job (50+ hours) from home and taking care of my 2 year old (very active) toddler and my new baby. I am nursing, and this baby wants to eat ALL THE TIME!! Which I love, because she has amazing baby rolls that my first baby never developed, but it also takes a lot out of me. My days are so full and so busy that I don't have time to brush my teeth so a blog post is definitely out of question, but today my older sis is watching my toddler and I can't believe how much more time I have on my hands!<br />
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I have been able to:</h3>
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<li>Drink not one, but TWO cups of HOT coffee!</li>
<li>Complete an insane amount of work</li>
<li>Write this blog post</li>
<li>Miss my toddler like crazy....</li>
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In all of my excitement about things I had time for, I forgot to eat... Usually my meals are my toddler's scraps, but with no toddler to cook for, or clean up after, eating slipped my mind. Until I got the major shakes, and felt like a jittery mess. SOLUTION: Mama's Milk Power Oatmeal!<br />
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Mama's Milk Power Oatmeal</h3>
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1 Cup - Old Fashioned All Natural Oats - Cook as directed</div>
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-- mix in 1 or more of the following items --</div>
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1 Tsp - Peanut Butter - Crunchy or Creamy</div>
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1 Tsp - Coconut Oil</div>
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1 Tsp - Nutella or Chocolate Chips </div>
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Add a side of fresh fruit of your choice for good measure :) The hot oatmeal melts the mix-ins and makes a delicious creamy bowl of protein and grain goodness to boost energy and milk supply!</div>
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A few hours after eating this, I felt an increase in my milk supply, instantly I felt more energy which lasted through the rest of the day, and my shakes were gone within 15 minutes. </div>
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What do you like to mix into your oatmeal?</div>
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Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-8856856463419744832013-04-17T18:15:00.003-04:002013-04-17T23:43:35.184-04:00Spring has SprungSpring may have finally have sprung in Michigan! My poor baby girl has cabin fever!! She wants to be outside every waking moment but since I have to work (way too much) we only make it outside for short spurts and lately there has been nothing but cold wet days keeping us in. We finally had a warmish sunny day last week so I finished my work as quickly as I could and took my little bug out for a walk before dinner, she loves running through the yard and exploring her surroundings. We walked through the lovely landscaping that was set up by the previous owner of my house but has received a few installments over the years by us.<br />
When I was pregnant my husband and I dug up a ton of bulbs from my great aunt Helen's house, she is an amazing gardener and wanted to share some of her overflow. Last year they didn't do much, a quick bloom and then dead, and being the delinquent gardener that I am, I left all of the dead blooms and stems to rot on the ground over the winter. So as I am pointing things out to my little one, I decided to pull off all of the debris from last year. Underneath was new growth, strong vibrant little buds poking up, searching for the sunshine.<br />
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Growing up in the greenhouse business, it was not a surprise for me to see this, I expected it, but my 16 month old looked at me surprised, as if she was asking me "what is that mom?" I explained to her that each year these flowers grow, then they go to sleep underground for the winter and wake up again when the weather is warm. Not that she understood anything I was saying, but it ended up being symbolic to me. It was a reminder that even when things seem dark and dim and dreary, there is something good happening under the surface. There is new life ready to emerge. It actually reminded me of when I met my husband. When we first met, I was a blooming happy flower, full of life and energy. When my dad got sick, I began to wilt, and after his death, I felt like I died too. I was covered in my dead leaves and searching for the sunshine. My husband brought spring to me, he cleaned off the dead debris and helped me see the sun and eventually to bloom again. I know it was not easy for him, but he stuck it out, and never gave up. I am so grateful to have found such a wonderful man, and now to have such a wonderful family.<br />
I needed to have this reminder and this moment of clarity, I have been feeling buried lately, and I am again on a journey searching for the sunshine. I think that we all go through times when we need someone or something to remove the dead leaves and help us reach the sun. I am hoping my sunshine will find me soon and in the meantime I will do my best to shine for others who might need a hand. There is something wonderful ahead for all of us and in all situations, we just need to clear the way so that we can find it and it can find us! Happy Spring!<br />
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<br />Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-47949293793084862022012-10-24T20:12:00.000-04:002013-04-17T23:44:31.279-04:00Giveaway #2<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay here it is, super simple!!! All you have to do is LIKE my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fruitpants" target="_blank">facebook page</a>. Leave a comment on the contest post telling me what your favorite animal is. On Sunday, October 28th, I will draw one lucky winner to receive an awesome custom fruitpants creation themed around their favorite animal. </div>
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You will earn 1 entry by leaving your favorite animal comment on the facebook contest post and you can earn 3 additional entries by clicking the share button on the contest post and sharing the contest post on your wall, in a group, or on a friend's wall. Share as many times as you want to earn more entries into the contest!!</div>
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Good luck everyone, I have some REALLY awesome ideas in mind for the lucky winner!!<br />
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Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-15079977352402377432012-10-05T19:14:00.000-04:002013-04-17T23:45:08.312-04:00Things I'm Learning as a New Mom<ul>
<li>Actual baby's breath smells so much sweeter than baby's breath the flower</li>
<li>Real tears on baby's face can quickly bring real tears to mom's face </li>
<li>The phrase "I would die for that" actually means something now </li>
<li>Hot coffee is a major luxury as it is either,</li>
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<li>cold before you get a chance to drink it or </li>
<li>it gets knocked over and you spend the rest of the morning cleaning it up</li>
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<li>As hard as any other jobs were, they are nothing compared to being a mom</li>
<li>Outlet covers are not just baby proof</li>
<li>Babies really can learn to use the potty </li>
<li>Cloth diapering, breastfeeding and making your own baby food is possible, I'm continually amazed thinking about how much time and money we have saved just by doing these 3 things </li>
<li>A baby sleeping on you actually can melt your heart</li>
<li>You don't have to give up who you are to be a mom but it probably will change you for the better anyway</li>
<li>Even though there is "new and improved" everything, sometimes doing things the "old fashioned" way is still better</li>
<li>Your baby still loves you and thinks you are beautiful no matter what you look like</li>
<li>Also, when you are holding a cute baby it doesn't matter what you look like because nobody is looking at you</li>
<li>Power cords, cell phones, remotes and kitchen utensils are way more fun to play with than expensive toys</li>
<li>Your greatest accomplishments in life are mere specs compared to the incredible human you have created</li>
<li>As frustrated and tired and worn out as you might feel, you know you would never trade it and imaging life before baby seems impossible</li>
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That's just a few of the things I have learned so far, I am sure that there is more to come, and for the first time ever I am enjoying school, babies are great teachers :)<br />
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Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-53957184208590169232012-10-02T18:26:00.001-04:002013-04-17T23:46:07.389-04:00300 for my 30th!Well I turned 30 last week... I am not sad about it, I feel so lucky to have an amazing baby, husband, family, job, friends and of course all of the little pieces of wonderfulness that I have collected along the way! My husband told me to never be sad about aging because there are many people who are not given the opportunity (he heard this famous quote somewhere) and he is so right! So I decided to celebrate 30 by doing a giveaway!<br />
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Working full-time and being a full-time mama to a very busy little girl does not give me much free time AKA "<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/fruitpants?ref=si_shop" target="_blank">fruitpants time</a>". However, sewing is something that I love to do, it relaxes my mind, it makes me feel productive, it calms my stress and overall is a great way for me to spend 20 minutes or so a few nights a week and maybe a little more on the weekends. So I have decided that I need to keep fruitpants as a part of my life, even if its a very small, whenever I have time to squeeze it in kind of thing. And in an effort to spread the fruitpants sunshine to more people, I am doing a giveaway!<br />
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I want to reach 300 likes on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fruitpants" target="_blank">facebook page</a> for my 30th birthday! So for my first giveaway (that's right, there will be more to come) I am teaming up with my friend Desirae from <a href="http://www.goingwiththelastingers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Going with the Flow</a> and we are giving away a 3 pack of Baby Leg Warmers from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/fruitpants?ref=si_shop" target="_blank">fruitpants</a>! This giveaway will begin on Wednesday, October 3rd!!! Be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.goingwiththelastingers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Going with the Flow blog</a> and also the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/goingwiththeflowblog" target="_blank">facebook page</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fruitpants" target="_blank">fruitpants facebook page</a> for all of the details! We are excited and wish you luck!!!<br />
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Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-88232617104216229472012-08-29T13:00:00.001-04:002012-08-29T13:01:07.497-04:00Allen's Naturally and The Green House Giveaway!I have been cloth diapering for 9 months now and I still love it! We use <a href="https://www.allensnaturally.com/">Allen's Naturally</a> detergent which is made in Michigan, it is great for the environment, and the wallet! Still using the same gallon jug 9 months later and maybe only about half of it is gone!! Right now over at <a href="http://thegreenhouseboutique.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-giveaway-allens-naturally.html">The Green House</a>, they are giving away a gallon jug to a lucky winner!!! Go check out their <a href="http://thegreenhouseboutique.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-giveaway-allens-naturally.html">blog</a> for a chance to enter to win and read the outstanding review for this awesome detergent. Do you have a cloth diapering detergent that you love? Leave me a comment to tell me about it!Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-57226479612910292542012-08-16T21:24:00.000-04:002012-08-16T21:32:42.806-04:00ObiMama and Sustain.able Sprouts GiveawaysI posted awhile back about how to make your own "woven" wrap and stretchy wrap; well what if you could make your own Mei Tai? Well you can!!! There are a million wonderful tutorials on the web, and maybe someday I will find the time to make one and post about it. But.... in no way could I achieve the beauty that <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/ObiMama/114682561887532">ObiMama</a> can create. These are the most amazing Mei Tai carriers I have ever seen! Sustain.able Sprouts has been giving away prizes all week and the next giveaway is an ObiMama purchasing slot. If you are as in love with these carriers as I am, check out Sustain.able Sprouts <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sustainablesprouts">facebook page</a> for all the details and check out all of the other great things in their shop while you are there! These are just a few examples of ObiMamas amazing work:<br />
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<br />Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-74576850067916166302012-05-23T23:19:00.000-04:002013-04-17T18:31:28.748-04:00DIY Stretchy and Woven Baby WrapI had a baby in November and could not stop cuddling her! A friend made me a stretchy wrap, similar to a Moby, which was awesome for wearing my little monkey around the house and when we went out. She and I both loved it!<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UpkgssMhCY/T71y3gBd7LI/AAAAAAAAAG0/A78zqXRQ9VU/s1600/carry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UpkgssMhCY/T71y3gBd7LI/AAAAAAAAAG0/A78zqXRQ9VU/s320/carry.jpg" width="240" /></a>This wrap is made out of 5 yards of jersey interlock fabric which you can buy at just about any fabric store. With jersey fabrics you don't even have to hem the edges, they curl up and don't fray! How easy is that?! So you buy 5 yards (more if you are on the fluffier side) of jersey knit or similar stretchy fabric, cut it in half lengthwise, and <b><i>BOOM</i></b> two stretchy wraps, one for you and one for a friend! :) Such an easy and inexpensive way to own a baby wrap that you will love and it makes a great baby shower gift!<br />
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But... she got bigger and heavier and squirmier and the wrap became less and less supportive. That is when I discovered the world of woven wraps!! I went to my local baby wearing group and tried out all kinds of wonderful woven wraps, it was like my stretchy wrap in that it was a long piece of fabric but unlike my stretchy, I could wear her on my front, on my back, in many different kinds of positions and carries and the best part, she didn't sag, she felt light and comfortable and supported! This was a way that I could continue to carry her well into toddler-hood! Downside, woven wraps are very expensive because they are made of premium woven materials intended for the purpose of babywearing. So I thought, if I can make a stretchy why not a woven? After collecting tons of advice and tips from veteran DIY babywearers I went to the fabric store again in search of a 6 yards of sturdy 100% linen, which was pricey but still much cheaper than buying a "real wrap" especially after my coupons :) But the material was boring white, so I decided to spice it up with tie dye.<br />
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First cut your fabric in half lengthwise again creating 2 wraps. Wash your fabric, don't dry, lay it out damp on a garbage bag cut down the sides and opened up to make it as long as possible. I wanted to do star-bursts down the center so I started at one end, pulled the fabric from the middle up like what you do when you pull your pony tail through and wrap a rubber band around it.<br />
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Do this all the way to the other end. Then I did the same thing on both sides of the middle pulling the fabric up and wrapping a rubber band around each bunch. The bunches on the sides are lined up in between the middle bunches so that they are staggered. You can do all kinds of tie dye patterns, just have fun with whatever you choose to do.<br />
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Prepare your dye according to the directions. I used Dylon fabric dye with tie dye squirt bottles that I had from another tie dye project.<br />
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*TIP* Use a "safe" dye because baby will chew on your wrap at some point. The better the dye the better the final product and safer for baby!</div>
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I dyed all of the middle bunches with red and all of the outer bunches with blue. Then I wrapped the fabric up with the garbage bag, taping it closed and left it overnight. The longer you leave it, the more the dye should take. The next day I removed all of the rubber bands, and rinsed it in cold water, then washed it according to the dye packet instructions.<br />
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After your wrap has been been washed and dried, you will need to hem the edges so that they don't fray. You can make your wrap a regular rectangle or you can taper the ends to shape it like a parallelogram. I just fold and hand press the edges as I feed it through the sewing machine but if you have more patience you can fold and iron the edges to give a nice clean finish before sewing. I did a zig zag stitch all the way around and then added a small square piece of fabric, like a tag, as a middle marker to the top and bottom of the wrap. New wraps take a lot of breaking in to make them easy to use, so I braided an un-braided this wrap like crazy, here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtrfKLxZL4Q">video</a> on braiding your woven wrap.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished wrap braided to break in fabric</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9JQoOQIrhk/T72TduGcjjI/AAAAAAAAAIs/hVtUnsF7QMA/s1600/wrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9JQoOQIrhk/T72TduGcjjI/AAAAAAAAAIs/hVtUnsF7QMA/s320/wrap.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished wrap after being un-braided</td></tr>
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After my wrap was broken in a bit, I used it for front carries for awhile until I felt comfortable using it for back carries, and each time I use it, the wrap becomes more and more fluffy and easy to use and baby loves it more every day!<br />
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The length of fabric that you will need depends on your size and what types of carries you want to use it for. I purchased 6 yards of fabric for this project which for me was more than enough for any type of carry. I recently made a wrap with 5 yards of fabric and that is perfect for me. 5 yards of fabric is about 4.6 meters which is a typical size 6 woven wrap. If you are petite, you could get away with a size 5 wrap which is 4.2 meters or a little over 4.5 yards. <br />
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If you are making your own wrap be sure to buy good quality fabric, and use safe dyes. Then enjoy them while snuggling your little one from squishy new baby to big kid!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 yard 100% linen hand dyed wrap</td></tr>
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Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-64849824839500668202011-03-16T23:56:00.005-04:002011-03-17T15:29:10.266-04:00What a great day!I hope that you had a great day too! Why did I have such a great day? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1152278623" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G6Q-fpwRe24/TYGG9YPLPcI/AAAAAAAAAEY/k2pwmZlW4p4/s200/rings.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>Well... today I received my Trio Linked Rings that I won from the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AraneidaStudios">Araneida Studios</a> Etsy Giveaway! Very cool ring, I feel so lucky to have won such a unique and fun piece of jewelry! It came packaged in a beautiful box, super fast shipping and it was great getting to know Elisabeth from Araneida Studios, its obvious that she loves what she creates, and she created a perfect ring for me!! Thank you so much Elisabeth!<br />
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ALSO... fruitpants was featured in this awesome <a href="http://byhandgiveaways.blogspot.com/2011/03/window-showcase-0316.html?showComment=1300331247578#c4164167565745278897">Window Showcase</a> by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AulaniPhotography">Aulani Photography</a>! The <a href="http://www.byhandgiveaways.blogspot.com/">By Hand Giveaways Blog</a> is updated regularly with all of the best handmade giveaways found around the web. I was thinking about doing a fruitpants giveaway. What do you think, should I go for it?Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-72286601064068962742011-02-24T11:59:00.000-05:002011-02-24T11:59:48.659-05:00Yarn Wreath GiveawayCheck out this awesome <a href="http://unepetiteplume.blogspot.com/2011/02/heartfelt-yarn-wreaths-giveaway.html">Yarn Wreath Giveaway</a> giveaway! What a beautiful addition to your home or to give as a unique gift! Check out her etsy shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartfeltYarnWreaths">Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths</a> to see all of her beautiful creations!<br />
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Good Luck everyone!Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-69321743239890895162011-02-21T23:30:00.000-05:002011-02-21T23:30:27.688-05:00Etsy TreasuriesHello, I have been asked by a few people, "what is an Etsy treasury?" so I wanted to share a little explanation with you :)<br />
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Etsy treasuries are a collection of items found on Etsy. Anyone can create a treasury, and its a fun way to show others your interests and showcase Etsy talent. Most treasuries have a theme and the creator of the treasury finds the most beautiful items on Etsy to fit into their particular theme. I feel so honored that fruitpants has been chosen to be in several treasuries!!! Below are links to some of the most recent treasuries that others have featured me in. <br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d62e70f3e5c8eefe15b45f1/spring-is-in-the-air">Spring is in the Air </a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5fd62ad8388eef7c83e13f/i-hope-you-enjoy-it">I Hope You Enjoy It </a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5fc91df1ad6d91164d377c/fuchsia-clouds-and-cherry-pink-flowers">Fuchsia Clouds and Cherry Pink Flowers, Red Hearts, February the month of Love</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5c0e688e956d9125dffdd2/spring-could-that-be-you-knocking">Spring could that be you knocking</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5bf605949c8eef9b0dd48a/a-few-of-my-favorite-things">A few of my favorite things</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5bf4611e256d91b455c13c/its-all-about-touch">It's all about TOUCH</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5b50991af56d915ac0a0e0/spring-green">Spring Green</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5a8fddf3e06d9135be4f03/fresh-moods">Fresh Moods</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d582c25af336d91fb984c8a/pretty-pink-thingsy-by-people">Pretty Pink Things</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d568a9e18d36d91148ca9a7/finds-from-michigan">Finds From Michigan</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d54356441748eef74484931/when-you-miss-the-winter-colors">When you miss the winter colors</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d52f33b99e48eefe4e5fe45/come-on-sunshine-and-blue-skies">Come on sunshine and blue skies</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d51400253628eefc58bddec/touch-of-time">Touch of Time</a><br />
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Here are some treasuries that I have created recently :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5ca14511de6d91f78501e4/eye-of-the-beholder?index=0">Eye of the Beholder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d599b45eb266d91efcf3362/windows-are-rolled-down?index=1">Windows are Rolled Down</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5490dfb0826d918041f506/rosey-cheeks-and-warm-hearts?index=2">Rosy Cheeks and Warm Hearts</a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d438865b1a26d91ada0a5b4/lighthouse-love?index=4">Lighthouse Love</a><br />
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Treasuries can move toward the front page of Etsy by receiving a lot of "clicks" this happens when viewers click on the featured items in the treasury, views and comments are also counted. The more popular a treasury becomes, the more likely those featured shops will be discovered and sales will be made :) so if you ever see a link to a treasury, click on it and check out the beautiful items featured, its a great way to see the marvelous creations available on Etsy and help those shops gain exposure. Feel free to share these links too, you never know who might find that one-of-a-kind item they have been searching for!Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-68766925098880654422010-12-10T12:21:00.000-05:002010-12-10T12:24:27.381-05:00Emilie's BagMy friend Emilie asked me if I could make her a bag out of some of her favorite old clothes. She gave me 2 t-shirts and a tennis dress. She wanted her personal items to be on the inside of the bag and the outside to be black, and she wanted to have "Citius, Altius, Fortius" embroidered on the inside of the strap. so I put my thinking cap on and started creating. This is the final product!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJc5N0r0aI/AAAAAAAAACw/Q46LKF8RKOI/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJc5N0r0aI/AAAAAAAAACw/Q46LKF8RKOI/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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The black parts are made from a pair of shiny textured dance pants, the gray parts are made from a shrunken wool skirt, the inside of the strap is from Emilie's tennis dress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJdCvrLfzI/AAAAAAAAAC4/PZ4L79ieHTY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJdCvrLfzI/AAAAAAAAAC4/PZ4L79ieHTY/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I used Emilie's cute pink t-shirt as a large inside pocket and then installed a ruby snap to help keep the pocket closed, the white fabric behind the pocket is part of the tennis dress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJc9tD6DgI/AAAAAAAAAC0/1ASzucT-8GM/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TQJc9tD6DgI/AAAAAAAAAC0/1ASzucT-8GM/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The star fabric on the inside flap is from a cute apron! The little alligator pocket is made from 3 different pieces of Emilie's tennis dress, and the blue pocket is made from her Nike tennis t-shirt. I used the neck of the shirt to give the pocket a unique look!Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-45695668335641381482010-10-12T13:56:00.000-04:002010-10-12T13:56:01.135-04:00First Craft Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eODBt5zXSKI/TLSatYgJ_pI/AAAAAAAAACQ/1z_Uvfzga4Y/s1600/butterfly+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, we did it! Our first ever craft show, the Appleumpkin Festival in Tecumseh. It was really fun and I definitely learned a lot! My sister-in law Rayleen sold 5 of her adorable Halloween costumes and a ton of hair clippies, and I sold 14 purses and some bracelets. So it was a pretty good weekend! The best part was on Saturday when Ava came to visit her mommy at the craft show and modeled some of the costumes! She was so cute, people were stopping and waiting to see her and taking pictures on their cell phones lol! I am sure Ava is all over the internet now. She also modeled one of my purses for a little bit. She is such a sweet, beautiful girl! I just love being an aunt!! I have the best nephews and niece and I can't wait for more to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava modeling the purple butterfly</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava modeling a fruitpants purse</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr align="justify"><td>I don't think this was the best show for fruitpants, but it did help me to realize what kinds of shows I would like to do in the future as well as which ones to avoid. I would love to do more craft shows and try different display techniques and I really hope that in the next year or two, I can add more items to the fruitpants lineup, I would love to start making skirts and have some quilts to display, and who knows what else, maybe my famous t-shirt pillows lol! I have a lot of ideas in my head, its just a matter of finding time to make them a reality. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and encouraged me to do this, its really fun and I think that I am getting better and better each time :)</td><td><br />
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</tbody></table>Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-68728134663204325602010-10-01T15:04:00.000-04:002010-10-01T15:04:19.055-04:00Appleumpkin Festival 1 week away!!Well, only one week to go before the Appleumpkin Festival, I have 19 bags made, I have ideas for about 5 more, and I want to put together some cute kids bags, so hopefully I will be close to 25-30 bags before the festival. I am very nervous and excited about it! I hope that people like the bags!!! I will be posting new pictures to the fruitpants facebook page soon. :)Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238096818680083060.post-87749032065660262532010-08-27T13:32:00.000-04:002010-08-27T13:32:31.742-04:00Getting StartedI have been crafting for a long time but I am just now getting serious about it! I will be selling my handmade bags and purses at the Appleumpkin Festival in Tecumseh on October 9th and 10th. I am nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. I have a lot of work to do since I literally only have 1 purse made to sell at this point. I get some sort of creative block when I know that I <i>have</i> to make something for someone else. When I just make bags for fun or for myself its like no big deal, I can whip it out in no time. But when I have to make it for someone else it is much more difficult for me to get motivated.<br />
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I always feel like my creations are not good enough or need something fixed or something is wrong with it, I am very good at finding flaws in my work. But I just have to think positive and know that the flaws are part of the fun. Most of my bags are made from upcycled materials. I get a lot of fabric from clothes so the pieces are not perfect shapes to begin with, everything needs a creative flare to make it work and sometimes that leaves imperfections. But I love getting a second use out of materials and making earth friendly bags! And the best part is, all of the bags end up being completely one of a kind, funky and original. Jessica @ fruitpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12205675533485091637noreply@blogger.com1