My Absolutely Adorable Little Niece

My sister sent me the absolute cutest pictures of my little niece Madeline yesterday. Plus it doesn't hurt that she is completely adorable with her big blue eyes and head full of hair. She is bigger and cuter in every picture that I see of her. It does make me sad though that I am so far away from them and only get to see little Maddie (that has become her family nickname) in pictures. But hopefully I'll get to see her this summer!

The pictures though say a lot about Maddie. In every photo of her she is alert, eyes wide open, expressive and happy. I think she is going to be a very smart little girl. And I do think that my sister will get her wish of knowing what a little her will be like! I hope she's ready for that! ;) My sister and brother-in-law are doing a wonderful job in being new parents though, and I don't think Maddie could really ask for better ones.

It was the photos that made me want to write this post, so I thought I would share two of them (with my sister's consent of course)...



This one is one of Maddie in the bathing suite that my mom knitted for her. My mom told me that when she saw the photo she got tears in her eyes... She is such a proud grammy!

And here is one of Maddie wearing the headband that I made for her to go with the necklace that I made my sister for her first Mother's Day. She is just too cute!!

This brings me to the end of this entry. I have to get back to my nanny job and also finish up a frame for my mother that she requested for a photo of Maddie. I hope you have a fabulous day and that wherever you are it's cooler then it is here in PA today... the high 80's and humid... fun ;) Here's wishing you a cool day!

~Jennifer :)

It's Monday... and all is well :)

So this past Saturday I showed my wares at the Trenton Ave Arts Festival and it was a great experience, I even made a profit this time... hahaha. The show was huge, the biggest one I have been to yet. Tons of people, lots of music and a lot of fun... even if it was a long tiring day.

The night before, with the help of 8yr old Jonny, I was able to pack everything into the subaru. It was a tight fit, but with the creative suggestions from Jonny, I was able to make everything fit... even the all important table that I actually forgot about and had to pack up Saturday morning... hahaha :)

Saturday morning I woke up early, printed off directions and left with my boyfriend John in the car with me. I had really no idea where this show was in the city and neither did John, so it was good that I printed off the directions since both of our phone GPS navs couldn't get a single. We arrived safely though and set up the tent and all my wares in the right space (we double checked several times... hahaha). Everything looked good, even if the sign was a tad crooked and the shelves leaned a little due to the very uneven cobble stone road we were on.


For this show I had gotten a folding pegboard display wall to hang my mirrors and hooks on. It looked good... and then a gust of wind came up and blew it down. I think I might have let out a scream when it happened but I'm not sure... hahaha. I ran over and slowly started to lift up the display. In my mind all I saw was all the glass and mirrors shattered on the road. But as I lift the display I saw that nothing was broken or damaged beyond repair. I was so amazed and relieved!! The other crafters and vendors around me were such a help in giving me string to use to tie the display to the tent and picking up everything that fell, and to them I am so so grateful. I was even more grateful when it happened again... Yes, it happened again even though it was tied in place. The string was that really slippery kind and I think with the breeze rocking the display back and forth it just loosened the knots enough to give out when a stronger breeze came along. But again, nothing was damaged and everyone around really helped me out.

By the end of the show I had sold 5 items and actually turned a profit... first time that has happened... hahaha :) So to me, it was a very successful outing. And the breakdown of the display and tent went very quickly. I really couldn't have asked for more :)

Sunday was spent not doing a whole lot... hahahaha. My feet needed some rest after standing for 8 hours straight and I just needed to relax and sleep a little. Sleep is always good... hahahaha.

I've included a couple of pics of the booth along with the leaning shelves... hahahaha. I hope you have a smooth Monday and great week!

~Jennifer :)

Tomorrow is the art show... YIKES!!

So the Trenton Ave Arts Festival is tomorrow... and I am NERVOUS!! This will be the first big outdoor show that I have done where it will actually be nice weather and people should be there... and according to reviews, it's a lot of people that should be there... hahaha. The other reason I am nervous is that the show is on a Saturday. I have only done shows that were on Sundays, which gave me all day the Saturday before to pack and get ready and make sure I have everything. This time though I have to do all the packing and getting ready today (Friday) and do my job as a nanny. That adds up to a lot of stuff that needs to get done today and hopefully my time management skills kick in at some point during the day... hahahaha. Maybe I'll try to make a game out of packing the car... do you think an 8yr old boy will fall for that? hahahaha I might have to resort to good old bribery.

If you are wondering how I would be able to pack up a car with my items while I am at work as a nanny, let me clear that up for you... I am a live in nanny. So everything is already here at the house that I work at. That makes it a little easier to get everything done, but I still need to make sure that all my job responsibilities are done first and that the kids are happy and entertained. I'm actually pretty lucky to work for the family that I do. They have been very supportive of me on this new adventure into crafting and going to shows. They even let me use the "nanny" car to transport my things to shows since there is NO WAY I would be able to fit it all into my own little car.

So, with all that said (and it wasn't much... hahaha) I am off to do laundry, clean dishes, tidy up the living room, finish 2 pieces for the show, pack a little, run some errands, drive the older girl to crew practice and figure out a game/project for Jonny for after school (just found out a minute ago he is having a friend come home with him for a playdate... stress level just went up by 2... hahah). And now that I just wrote out that list... I have a lot to get done in the next few hours :) Have a happy, happy Friday!!

~Jennifer :)

Trenton Ave Arts Festival... Only 5 Days Away...

It's Monday and my second big arts and crafts show is this coming Saturday... and Saturday seems to be approaching faster then normal. Even though this is my second big show, it's going to feel like my first. The Malvern Blooms show was my first, but with the bad weather and small turn out, it wasn't that big. The weather for the Trenton Ave. show is suppose to be nice, and they have had huge turnouts the last few years, so even though this is my second large outdoor show, it'll probably end up feeling like my first.

Before the last few shows, I felt the need to make a ton of items to build up my stock and to have items to show that were not on my website. With this coming show, however, I don't feel the need to do that since there was such a small turn out at the last couple of shows, my inventory is still at a good level. I'm still working on some new pieces for the show though... I just can't go without anything new... hahaha :)

So since I am not acting like a mad beaver working on frames or home decor pieces, I feel a little more relaxed with this show coming up. The kids I nanny for aren't seeing as much paint on my hands. And I am a little calmer around them... which I am sure they appreciate... hahahaha :) And since I am not making one project after another, I think I'll be able to be a little more prepared for the show... I'll have my items marked with prices before the show, they'll be better organized in their boxes, best of all, I'll be less frazzled... hahaha :)


The youngest boy I look after, Jonny (8), has been asking, on the verge of begging, to come to the show with me and help. He wants to sell my items for me, because in his words "I'm an excellent sales person Jenn, you need me to come!" hahahaha... He even told me that he wanted to walk around the show with one of my pieces to try to sale it... of course I told him that would not be safe or a good idea at all... but I still thought it was very sweet of him. Even though Jonny won't be at the show with me (it is my day off from watching him... hahaha), he will have a presence there, he has designed one of the gift tag sets which he is very proud of. He is even more excited by the fact that if those tags sale he gets the money from them. So for him, I do hope those tags sale this coming Saturday.

With all that said, I am off now to do a little nannying and to work on some magazine holders. Have a fabulous Monday and enjoy the little things in life!

~Jennifer :)

Flowers Always Bring a Smile

It is a gloomy, wet Wednesday here in Haverford, so I thought I would bring a little bit of color. As I mentioned in my last entry, the children that I nanny for were going to plant 4 flower pots for their mom for Mother's Day. This has become a tradition over the past 5 or 6 years that I have been with this family. In those years, I think it has rained on most of the Fridays before Mother's Day, and let me tell you, trying to empty out pots and then plant the flowers in soil turning to mud is a tad difficult, and well, a little more messy... hahahaha. But this year on this past Friday the weather was gorgeous! No rain. No wind. Just sunshine and warmth. So planting the flowers was a breeze.

When the youngest boy got home he was excited to go out and get a little dirty planting the flowers. He pulled the bags of potting soil to the pots. He picked out which flowers he wanting going in each pot. He arranged the flowers around the Hibiscus trees, rose tree and one rose bush the way he wanted them. And then it was time to plant. We planted the trees, then put the flowers in around them, then filled it all in with the dirt. He was so very proud of the his job and knew his mom was going to love all the flowers.


I normally get to see the mom's reaction to the flowers and what the kids have done. This year, though, she got home late and I had left a little early to go with my boyfriend to see his parents for the weekend. So I had no idea if she was pleased with the outcome.

When I got back Sunday night, I stopped in to wish the mom a happy Mother's Day. She was all smiles! She told me she loved the pots and the rose tree especially. She had actually thought that we weren't planting the pots for her this year since she had not heard anything about it. So she was extremely surprised to find the pots filled with flowers and the fountain running (I had cleaned that out earlier on Friday). She loved the colors, but she especially loved the work and thought that her children put into picking and planting all the flowers. (Okay, so the two older ones, 17 and 14, didn't help plant anything, but they did give input into the colors of the flowers and what kinds... hahahaha).

As for my gifts that I made my Mom and sister for Mother's Day, I don't know what they thought of them yet. I kind of mailed them late... part of the life of a nanny is running out of time to do your own errands... hahahaha.

Okay, that is all for this early Wednesday morning. To brighten up the gloom of the day I have included a couple of pics from Friday after the little boy was done planting his mother's flowers for her. I hope they brighten up your day and bring a smile to you.

Have an absolutely wonderful day and know that anything is possible if you only believe!

~Jennifer :)

Mother's Day Projects...

This weekend is Mother's Day, it's also my sister's first Mother's Day. Nicole has only been a mom for a few months, but I can already tell she is going to be a great one... maybe even as great as our own mother. This year instead of sending my mom flowers or making something that she has seen before I decided to do something different.

This year I have decided to make my mom and my sister Nicole necklaces. I have recently become obsessed with making my own fabric flowers, so I thought I would use them in the necklaces for my mom and sister and also my boyfriend's mother. I am not sure they will wear the necklaces, but it's the thought that counts right? hahahaha I think they, being the necklaces, turned out really nice, in fact I would wear them myself if I were to keep them.

After making these gifts, I now know why some of the pieces I see on Etsy are so expensive... they take forever to make and can really add up in price when buying the supplies. And it's because of that that I think I'll stick to my frames and collages :)

As for the kids that I nanny for, they are doing flower pots for their mother for Mother's Day. I was out this morning getting the flowers and ended up finding a gorgeous rose tree that I know the mom will love! And the kids will have a lot of fun planting all the flowers today after school. I wish I had a photo to post of the pots, maybe tonight I'll have some.

Well, I think that's it for now. I have some photos of the necklaces I made this past week, let me know what you think :) Have a fabulous Friday and an absolutely wonderful weekend and Mother's Day!!

~Jennifer :)