New New New!

So I've had a lot of things on my plate lately, but finally managed to post a few new things in my shop. Here's a new blankie for some special little Schmooley to enjoy! Would make a lovely Christmas gift, and for the month of October you can have it shipped to you for only $1. I can also gift wrap it for FREE! What could be easier?

My new love...

Last week I ordered this bag from Bloomworks on Etsy. It arrived in a matter of days (seriously, it must've been a record shipment for the Post Office) and I am in LOVE with it! Never mind the fact that the print is one of my absolute favs, it's the best bag in the world. Lately I find when using bags with zippers, snaps, buttons, etc. the bag is always closed when I need to get into it, and have a Schmooley on one arm, Xavier on the other, and about a million other miscellaneous things in between. This of course makes it next to impossible to open the closure and get what I need (usually the keys to get in the car and unload above mentioned miscellaneous junk). This bag is perfect because it's deep enough you don't have to worry about stuff falling out, but there's no closure to deal with. Just reach in, and grab what you need! The 22"strap makes it the perfect length for a shortie like me. The bag is lined in a complimentary beige fabric, reversible, and there's a small pocket inside, done in the red wallflower print, that's perfect for your keys, cell phone, wallet, or whatever. I am done with carrying a purse and a diaper bag so for a long time now I've been searching for one that will do double duty, but not be too big and bulky. I've found it and I think you need one too :-) So go check out her shop and tell me what you think!

Now offering 50% off International Shipping!

That's right...in addition to items from my shop shipping to the U.S. for $1 this month, international customers can now take 50% off actual shipping costs! For most orders this works out to be $5.20, but you can convo me for a rate quote. Head over to Inspired by Schmooley on Etsy to check it out!

And don't forget to leave a comment here to be entered to win a FREE set of burp cloths, in your choice of lime, tangerine, or cherry dot print!

Don't these fabulous little treats look good enough to eat? These sweet felt sugar cookies are made by posieandme and can be found on Etsy. She also has some super cute felt hair clippies! You can view her shop by clicking HERE.

R E S P E C T

re·spect: to show regard or consideration for

What ever happened to respect? The more I look around, the less I see of it. Oh God, did I really just say that? I'm starting to sound like my Mammy. But really folks...when did our society become a place where it's apparently ok to purposely say hurtful things with the blatant intention of upsetting people? The more I think about this, the more I realize respect in general is just dead (and no, "dead" in this sense does not mean "cool").

When I was growing up my parents taught me respect. They taught me that it was ok to have my own opinions and defend my beliefs, but to also realize that other people's beliefs may be different from mine. And that it was ok to disagree, but to at least respect those beliefs. I have always tried to do just that. Growing up I was baptized and raised Lutheran. At a certain point in my life I realized that traditional religious beliefs were just not for me. I didn't, and still don't, really know what I believe in but I do feel that something greater is out there. Therefore I consider myself Agnostic and choose not to participate in any religious activities. I have never minded or disrespected other people's religious beliefs though. In fact not long ago I had a pastor knock on my door and invite me to join his congregation. I took the time to listen to his speech and thanked him before closing the door. He actually thanked me before he left and said most people just slam the door in his face. I don't agree with gay marriage. But my husband's Mother(s) is (are) gay, and have lived together for over 20 years. I lived with them for 3 1/2 years when Dathan and I first got married. Not one day that I've known them have I disrespected them for their choices, because they are choices they have made for themselves and just because I don't agree with them does not mean they're wrong.

Until today I can honestly say I don't think I've ever outright bashed anyone else's opinion. I am feeling guilty about it, but honestly I have had it up to here *holds hand above head about six inches* with people. Dathan put an idea in my head a long time ago about living in a cabin in the woods when it's just the two of us again. There was some argument at the time about how many acres of land we'd own. I figured between 5 - 10 would be plenty, but he wanted more like 100. Now I get it! If people are this disrespectful now, I can't imagine what this world will be like in another 25 years when we're ready for that cabin.

I'm not writing this to change anyone's mind about anything. But if everyone who reads this could show just a wee little bit of respect for someone today, maybe this world would be a better place.

Fabulous Find on Etsy

While browsing my Etsy favs today, I remembered tagging this adorable little shirt. It's a limited edition fall leaves shirt made by 3tsnme. Absolutely adorable and custom made in sizes 3-6 months thru 4T. I definitely have to snag one of these for Schmooley. I'd get one for Xavier but sadly he's outgrown the toddler sizes :-( Since it feels absolutely NOTHING like fall here, weather wise, maybe this will get me in the fall spirit. You can view the listing by clicking HERE.

Schmooley Happenings

I havn't added anything new to my Etsy shop in awhile, mostly because I'm working a few custom orders, but also because I'm waiting for these to arrive...



Pink Jelly Bean Bonanza


Sparrows and Sunbursts


When Life Gives you Lemons...



Lots of Letters!



These fabrics will soon be available in blankets, burp cloths, bibs, and washcloths, as well as a super special secret I'm working on! Check back soon or visit my shop for updates!



In the meantime, scroll down a bit and make sure to enter October's giveaway for a set of burp cloths! The winner will have their choice of tangerine, lime, or cherry dot print from Amy Butler's Lotus line, backed with a soft absorbant terry cloth. Each one measures approximately 10" x 19" so they are large enough to soak up whatever your little Schmooley happens to throw your way. To be entered into the drawing just leave a comment here for me. Comments must be left before October 31st and winner will be announced on or around November 1st.


Also, in honor of my first month of selling on Etsy, all items will ship for $1 during the month of October. So get those orders in before October 31st! Custom orders are welcome. Promotional rate applies only to shipping in the U.S. I will gladly ship internationally for the exact cost of shipping. Head on over to the shop and check it out!

Ask the Army Wife

First and foremost I would like to say to the family of SGT Ronald Coffelt, you are in my heart today. I was in line at a drive thru for lunch and was behind a green van. There were two decals on the van that said "My Daddy died for your freedom" and "My husband died for your freedom" SGT Ronald Coffelt, 19 JUL 07. Talk about a reality check, especially after searching through the casualty list to find out more about him. Sounds like he was an outstanding husband, father, and soldier and will certainly be missed by all whose lives he touched. As an Army wife I am well aware of the fact thousands of soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice since the start of the war, but today it really hit home.


Speaking of Army life, I am going to start something new. I know of so many spouses who join the military community and are completely CLUELESS about the way things work, sometimes even months or years later. And really, who can blame them? Our soldiers all get to go through lengthy training to get all the information they need on how the military works and how to do their job. In our house we have tons of books, binders, and training manuals on everything from rank to first aid, but they're all designed for my husband, not me. Spouses, or dependents as we're referred to, don't get training manuals. Often times soldiers don't share information with their spouses because they simply don't realize how "in the dark" their spouses are. There are a ton of resources out there for spouses new the military but obviously many spouses aren't finding the information.

I've decided to start accepting questions from anyone who is wondering about Army life. I like to be prepared, so before my husband even talked to a recruiter I was researching, researching, researching, getting my hands on everything I could to learn about what we were about to get ourselves and our family into. I will try to answer every question as honestly and accurately as possible. Please understand I am only going to be sharing my personal experiences and information I have found. Everyone's military experience is different, policies vary from unit to unit, and I have limited knowledge of branches other then the Army. But I am hoping that spouses who are feeling left in the dark and/or spouses such as myself who are trying to prepare themselves, can learn and grow from my experience. Anything you want to know, from why his pay seems wonky to what the heck does XYZ acronym mean, just ask away! Questions may be sent to inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com. I will reply to each and every question, and post the questions and answers here on the blog. If you have a question about something you don't want shared on the blog I will still be happy to reply via e-mail.

Updating

It's been awhile since I updated here, but life has been insane with everything going on. It's finally sunk in that Dathan is gone, but life is back to a routine. I've been fortunate enough to hear from him a lot since he left, and I made my first sale on Etsy! Things are really starting to settle down a bit so I can start posting here on a regular basis. There are many new and exciting things happening both here in the Padgett household, as well as with Inspired by Schmooley!

I am doing a giveaway this month for a set of two burp cloths! You can view burp cloths I currently have for sale in my Etsy shop. The winner will have their choice of tangerine, lime, or cherry dot print from Amy Butler's Lotus line, and backed with a soft absorbant terry cloth. Each one measures approximately 10" x 19" so they are large enough to soak up whatever your little Schmooley happens to throw your way. To be entered into the drawing just leave a comment here for me. Comments must be left before October 31st and winner will be announced on or around November 1st.

Also, in honor of my first month of selling on Etsy, all items will ship for $1 during the month of October. So get those orders in before October 31st! Custom orders are welcome. Promotional rate applies only to shipping in the U.S. I will gladly ship internationally for the exact cost of shipping. Head on over to the shop and check it out!

Eeeek! I did it!

Well I finally took the plunge and listed a few items on Etsy. Check them out at www.inspiredbyschmooley.etsy.com. For the month of October all item ship for $1.00 in honor of my 1st my month as a seller on Etsy. Promotional rate applies for shipping in the U.S. International orders are welcome, but will be charged actual shipping costs.

In addition to the promotional shipping rates I will also be doing a giveaway at the end of this month. Every purchase from the shop will earn one entry in the giveaway. What will the special item be...stay tuned to find out!

Why orange is my new favorite color

Sorry I havn't updated this in awhile but life has been crazy. Dathan left for Iraq on Monday night, with the Lump in tow, and we pretty much spent the whole weekend getting together the last minute things he needed and just spending quality time together as a family. He's only been gone a few days, but it's been an interesting few days to say the least.

My friends Samantha and Randy found a poor kitten wandering around outside their barracks the night Dathan left. What idiot would just leave a kitten there, with a kennel, food, and toys? I would've kept her but she did not like Gandalf (my senior fur baby) and well, I just didn't want those sharp little claws around Schmooley. There was an issue with a puppy following kids to Xavier's school that I won't even go into details about because I'll start crying again. Dathan's Mom was in the hospital as the result of a nasty stomach infection caused by prescription drug interactions. And Xavier, Schmooley and I are all sick with a wicked cold. That's the part that just makes it more interesting I guess :-)

So that's life as an Army wife, I know. Believe me I am not complaining because I would rather give up my husband here and there to live in a country where I can have all the freedoms I have, then to be together all the time and oppressed by some tyrant. And I'm glad there are men and women out there who serve because I could never do it. Sometimes I just need to let it out, and truthfully I find it funny that life is always pretty dull until it's time for him to go somewhere.

So on to why my new favorite color is orange :-) Well, last night Ms. Cadence decided 11pm was a good time to wake up, after she'd been sleeping a few short hours. She stayed awake until almost 4am this morning. I got to a point where I almost couldn't take it anymore. I hadn't heard from Dathan since he left, and truthfully I wasn't expecting to hear from him until after this weekend, but I thought if I could just hear his voice for a few minutes and know that he was safe I would feel so much better. And so I prayed, which is not something I ever do being Agnostic, but I did. I didn't pray to God, but I did pray. And my prayer was answered. Sitting there in my dark living room, with Kleenex stuffed up my nose and a cranky stuffy Schmooley on my lap, I saw the orange light on the phone light up, and I knew without even looking at the caller ID that it was him. And it was. Who else would call me at 2am? We only got a few minutes to talk, but I got what I needed. And that's why orange is my few favorite color.

Sharing Schmooley

One last thing before I go off to do a little more sewing, watch an episode of House Hunters (I'm an HGTV junkie), and finally go to bed...here are some pictures of Schmooley showing off her new winter coat/sweater that arrived today. It's made by Gap, and I purchased it from Ebay so it's at least a season or two old, but I love it! And she looks so adorable, I just had to share...

The sleeves really aren't too long, she just has this thing with pulling her hands up inside her sleeves :-)

Shop debut is coming soon!

The adorable little birdie over there <<<---------------is my new logo! Thanks to Joan from Bitsy Creations I now have a logo I'm in love with. Thank you Joan, for being so patient and for taking my ideas and input into consideration during the design process. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Guess the 3rd time is the charm. Hopefully my shop on Etsy will be up and running no later then the 15th of next month. I'm busy "creating" every spare second I get, which hasn't been a lot lately. I rethought my entire debut collection this morning and have decided to scale back a bit. I've just come to realize with the deployment coming up so soon I just won't have the time to go quite as grand as I wanted to :-( But I definitely want to be up and running in time for the holiday rush. I'll have more details soon, but during our grand opening you can expect giveaways and promotions galore!

Newest member of the Padget family

Look what arrived on my doorstep today! I was so excited I actually hugged the mailman, which I'm sure confirmed his suspicions about my mental state, but I was just THAT excited!

What are these little creatures you ask? They're Lumplings! What are Lumplings you ask? Lumplings are the sweetest handmade dolls, made by the wonderful Amy of Amy Rue. I was lucky enough to be able to adopt Bravo when the new herd was ready to go last week, and because she's a super special lady, Amy was also kind enough to send along a pint size Lump for Dathan to take to Iraq with him. I am so happy, as is Dathan, that this little guy will be his companion over in the sandbox. I have assured Amy he will be perfectly safe in Dathan's care, and I will make sure I keep you updated on their journey together over there. If you want to know more about Amy Rue and the Lumplings click HERE. She also has some fantastic handmade and vintage items in her shop that are truely one-of-a-kind. Thank you Amy for being so wonderful and generous!

A little updating

Well it's been a busy weekend and already a busy week...and it's only Monday. Our ant situation is now finally under control. There were a few projects this weekend that needed to be tackled. First and foremost was a yard sale. We moved into this house over the summer and ever since the move I've been putting together a pile of unwanted/unneeded items for a yard sale. The pile started to take over the living room, and this was the second to last weekend Dathan will be around to supervise the kiddos, so I had a yard sale Saturday.



The day started off with a woman who showed up 45 minutes before the sale was scheduled to start. We had a huge thunderstorm and a power outage the night before so I didn't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning. That and the fact that I'm not used to waking up to an alarm clock made it extra hard to drag my butt out of bed the morning of the sale. Then this woman shows up and starts asking the price of everything since I hadn't tagged any items yet. I was half asleep and giving her prices way below what I was going to price things at anyway and she wanted to haggle. Sorry lady, but I don't do a darn thing in the morning until I've had at least one cup of coffee. She went on and on about how she needed to buy things cheap for an Air Force wife whose husband is only and E-3 and they have 10 kids and he's deployed, yadda yadda yadda. I'm familiar with how the pay system works since it was only a few years ago my soldier was an E-3. But there are resources out there for lower enlisted families in need of household items and sorry, but I'm not letting go of a 12 pc. Pfaltzgraff set for $1.00.



There were customers who were chatty and friendly, those who scowled and seemed to think I should be damned for not having any lawn tools for sale, those who didn't speak English, and those who spoke proper English so well they also tended to turn up their noses and made me wonder why they weren't off shopping at Macy's. But my most memorable customer of the day was an older gentleman. Dathan belonged to a book club when we got married and one month when he neglected to return the postcard of the month's featured books we received an unwanted copy of "101 Greatest Sexual Positions." I honestly never glanced at it, or put it on my bookshelf for that matter (not because I'm prude, but because that's not something I want my parents looking at and wondering about when they come to visit), so it was put out at the yard sale. Anyway, the older gentleman browsed through the book for quite some time before he turned to me and offered a dime for it. I was charging $1.00 for hardback books but quite honestly just wanted him and the book gone so I accepted his offer. He then began to peruse the baby section where I had several unopened bottles of baby lotion and powder. His final purchase included the book, "101 Greatest Sexual Positions", a two pack of baby powder, and a bottle of baby lotion. Oh did Dathan have his friends rolling on the floor with laughter at work today, while I'm still cringing from the memory. The best part was he was carrying his money in one of those purple velvet bags you get with Crown Royal, and he kept offering me a dime for everything he picked up. I figured he was just carrying around a bag of change, and I wanted him gone, so I kept agreeing. When it came time to cough up the cash he pulled a wad of bills out of that bag so thick I'm surprised they even fit in there. Talk about getting suckered.



Other then my yard sale/creepy weird people magnet event, we did some home improvements this weekend. My proceeds went towards a new console table and mirror for our entryway, and mums for the front porch. I also got a plastic garden fence that looks like wrought iron from a distance that was on sale at Lowe's for $3. I was super psyched since I've been looking for something like this to be part of my Halloween decor (I'm the crazy Halloween lady on my street and have been thinking about my theme for this year since June!) and I couldn't pass it up at $3. Xavier had such a wonderful time helping me transplant the mums into pots. Of course now that I bought plants it's getting chilly. I hope the first frost holds out for at least a few weeks. I'll post some pics tomorrow of our improvements.

The ants go marching

Last week I found a pile of fire ants in my laundry. Gross, I know, but also a sad fact about living in this part of the country. I called our housing office and they said they'd get the exterminator out within 72 hours. In the meantime they offered me some bait, which I promptly put in the garbage after my darling Schmooley almost had it in her mouth about a dozen times in the first 15 minutes. I'm still waiting on that exterminator. I used spray in front of the doors, inside and out, as a precaution and decided my idea must've worked since it's been a day or two since I've seen any ants in the house. WRONG.



Tonight Dathan put his pajama pants on and about 10 seconds later he stripped them off and started dancing around slapping his legs. I happened to be feeding Schmooley her nightcap (just a nice bottle of milk, in case you're thinking I'm one of those mothers) and could only hear the slapping and dancing, but I imagine it must've been quite a scene. Apparently his pajama pants, which I'm forever telling him not to leave on the floor, must've reminded the ants of their hills outside and they took up residence. He has I don't know how many bites on his legs, poor man. I guess I'm going back to get more bait tomorrow until the exterminator decides to show up. The funniest part of this ant thing is that I've found them in every single room except my kitchen. Wouldn't that be the logical place for them to head? I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, thinking about ants crawling all over me, I just know it :-(

Want to laugh?

Whether or not you have kids, you have to check out this blog by Dawn, a Mom of six. I was up until 2am reading this blog, trying not to let my laughter wake up the entire house. Anyone who knows me will tell you that it takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud. Not that I don't think a lot of things are funny, but I have a really annoying mad-woman snorting type of laugh :-) and I just don't laugh out loud often. This blog had me rolling on the floor! I only have two Schmoolies of my own, but I could totally relate to almost everything this woman was saying. I know I'll be reading it daily from now on and it surely will help me get through the times I want to hang the kids by their toes while Dathan is gone.

So Tweet!

I said I'd be sharing some of my favorite finds from the web, and here's one of my absolute favorites! This "So Tweet...Sweet Pink Sparrows Lounge Set" is made by DillyBopDesigns on Etsy. Made with beautiful Alexander Henry fabric, the set can be custom made in sizes 3 - 6 months to 10. I've been eyeing this set for a few weeks now and come payday I am definitely ordering one for Schmooley! It would be perfect for those days when we're just bumming around the house, although this set is is so cute I'd take her out in it. She also has sets for boys in her Etsy shop.

Have something nifty you want to share with me? Send an e-mail to inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

And so it begins...

Well here we are, two weeks away from Dathan leaving AGAIN. This time he's headed back to the big sandbox. I've decided to start keeping a blog while he's gone because there's so much I want to accomplish during this deployment and I figure this is a good place to keep track of it all. Aside from trying to save what's left of my sanity and take care of the kids, I'm starting a business. Crazy, I know, but it's been brewing in my mind since last year and at least it'll keep me busy during the next 15 lonely months.

So what started this crazy idea? Well shortly after Schmooley (AKA my daughter Cadence) was born, I decided I needed to have a shopping cart cover. Not because I'm germaphobic, but because I wanted something super plush between her wobbly head and the shopping cart. I shopped around and found the kind I wanted was selling for $80 or more and just couldn't justify spending that amount. So instead I convinced Dathan to let me spend $100 on a sewing machine, and I don't even want to think about how much on fabric and what-not, and I created one. Instant hit with family and friends!

Things just took off from there...burpies, bibs, painted wall letters, hair accessories, blankies, you name it, I was sewing it into the wee hours of the morning. You see, I have been creative ever since anyone who knows me can remember. I sewed, drew, painted, played with clay, and aspired to be the "starving artist" type all throughout my childhood (well, after I got over my ambitions to be a trapeze artist for Ringling Brothers) and well into my high school years. Circumstances in my life pushed me in another direction after school and it was sort of like someone just put a stopper in my bottle of creative juice. After Schmooley came into my life the bottle broke open and I havn't been able to stop since!

Aside from sewing, painting, and crafting I have an obsession with http://www.etsy.com/ (where you will soon be able to see my handcrafted goodies...more on the shop debut coming soon!) and finding unique and charming goods on the Internet. You will see many of them featured in my blog and if you have any suggestions or want to share a nifty product with me, shoot me an e-mail inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com More to come soon!