The Cottage Mama Blog - Sewing. Cooking. Crafting.

Mar

The Handmade Business: My Story

One of my goals for this year was to share a little bit more insight into how to start and grow your handmade business. I realize that many of you reading are not interested in the least about starting a handmade business, but for those of you who are, I just want you to know that I am here to help you along the way. You can pretty much ask me anything.I've done a lot of hard work myself, but I've also had some very wonderful individuals that have provided me with information and guidance and I am happy to share what I've learned with you. I believe there is … continue reading

Mar

Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer ~ Review and $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

I jump at the chance to try Olay products because they never seem to disappoint. I have tried other brands of facial moisturizers in the past but I always end up coming back to my Olay. So when I was offered the chance to try the new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer, I said sign me up!I was so surprised when this product arrived, it really looks so cool. Granted, I don't generally purchase a product based on appearance, but this presentation really caught my eye. It looks like swirled moisturizer and foundation all in one. I couldn't … continue reading

Mar

From Grandma with Love ~ Orange Chevron Quilt

My mom (Grandma Jane) always seems to make the girls the perfect birthday presents and Savannah's 4th birthday was no exception. Mom told me she was working on something 'orange' for Miss S., but this lovely orange chevron quilt was a total surprise to everyone!Mom was inspired by this quilt from Red Pepper Quilts. The unique design is created by the placement of half-square triangles. This would be a really great project for someone that is just getting into quilting. The design is beautiful, yet the piecing is quite straight forward. There are so many … continue reading

Mar

Orange Themed 4th Birthday Party

Savannah's 4th birthday party was this past weekend and several months back she decided that she wanted an 'orange' themed party since her absolute favorite color is orange. When she first mentioned this theme, I was a little skeptical. I was thinking she would go for a princess or character themed party, but as we began planning the orange party, we all got really excited about the color-themed birthday celebration. Every year, I think that I'm going to keep it small, but one thing leads to another and I end up with 50+ people planning on attending our kids … continue reading

Mar

Riley Blake Designs: Embellished Hoodie Tutorial AND Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway

Today is my first 'Project Design Team' post for Riley Blake Designs. I'm sharing how to make this fun embellished hoodie from the new line 'Woodland Trails'. Come on over to the Riley Blake Designs blog for the full tutorial.(click HERE).And for even more fun, we are giving away a whole Fat Quarter Bundle of 'Woodland Trails'! This fat quarter bundle retails for around $80.00, so needless to say, it's a whole lot of fabric.'Woodland Trails' is absolutely adorable. The colors are so sweet and the design is whimsical and fun. There are many feminine prints, … continue reading

Mar

Savannah Rose ~ 4 Years Old

Today my oldest baby, Savannah Rose, turns 4 years old. I cannot believe it. I say it every year.........but, seriously, where did the time go?Everyone always says 'make sure you enjoy these years, they go by so fast'. And while that is very true, I honestly think each year gets better and better. Savannah is such a sweet little girl and just seems so grown up now in comparison to this time last year.Here are a bunch of things I would like my sweet girl to know about what she is like today........1. You love to make up your own songs.2. Rhyming is one of your … continue reading

Mar

March 2012 Giveaway Day

Our March Giveaway Day is finally here! This is something new we are trying here at The Cottage Home blog. We've got some wonderful prizes from our lovely blog sponsors. I think you are going to be very happy!Here's how this is going to work: I am listing all of the prizes that are available today. I have included a link underneath each prize that you can click on to enter each individual giveaway. Do not comment on this post to enter to win. You must click on the links below the prizes and enter each one separately. I thought about doing this as one giant … continue reading

Feb

A little of this and a little of that ~ Kids, Hats and Dresses

Life has been very busy around here and I've been meaning to share some pictures of the kids I took recently. These were taken a couple weeks ago. Caspian Finn is getting into that adorable chubby, smiley, almost 6 months phase and I could just eat him up. Of course I think he's just too cute, I'm sure I see him differently since I am his mama, but even as I look at his picture right here, I just want to snuggle this little guy.Here are some more pictures of Mr. Caspian at 5.5 months old:I ordered these hats for the kids for Christmas from my lovely blog … continue reading

Feb

Broom Love

You may think I have totally lost my mind with this post. A post about a broom, Lindsay, really? Well, that's what my mom thought when I called her and said, "I'm so excited for my new broom to arrive!" And as I just wrote that, I realized, that it does sound pretty strange........what has my life come to? I'm excited about a broom? Someone over here may need to get a life........Enough about my craziness, though, and let me tell you about my new broom. I have really been trying to live according to this William Morris quote since we entered 2012......."Have … continue reading

Feb

"I Spy" Fabric Matching Game ~ Tutorial

Here's a super-fun kids game tutorial for an I Spy Fabric Matching Game. Savannah Rose will be getting this game for her 4th birthday that is coming up on March 5th ~ I can't wait, I think she's going to love it! This year I have three sewing re*sew*lutions: 1) Use up my excessive amount of fabric scraps 2) Design and sew more boys clothing 3) Dabble in the world of quilting To start off 2012, I thought I would start at the top of the list and use some of the fabric scraps that have been invading my sewing studio. Since I typically design and sew … continue reading