back to school special

can you believe it is almost time for kids to go back to school?
it seems like summer just started!
we have a great special for you! we thought it would be so cute for kids to go back to school in a girly tee or boy tee with their name on it and introduce themselves to their new teacher.



then we thought how cute would it be if they brought a large tote bag for their teacher? so that is when we knew we needed to have a special! purchase $45 or more and receive a free large tote bag for your child's teacher!



you MUST add the tote to your cart (this does NOT count towards your $45).
the tote bag can be found HERE

and use coupon code "backtoschool08"

the tote does not come with the ribbon pictured. instead, it will be purchased to match the threads you choose and it will be striped!

also, please let me know your child's first day of school so I can be sure to have the order to you by then!

this special is valid for only 4 days! july 31st, august 1st, august 2nd, and august 3rd so tell a friend and don't miss it!!

first grade

I can't believe it. my best friend's little girl grace is about to start first grade! I still remember when brooke was pregnant and I saw her a few days before grace was born. when she turned around and I saw her belly, my jaw dropped.


one of the fun things about starting first grade is you bring your lunch! and if you are grace that means you get sweet notes in your lunch box everyday from your parents! so gracie is getting this lunch box for her big day!


we love you gracie!

miracle?

the night before we left for our mini-vacation our air conditioner started making a grinding noise. we didn't think too much of it as the air was working. so as soon as we left it started acting up. my mother-in-law babysat her grandkids in a house that was reaching 89 degrees. we felt horrible. the day we returned we called our a/c guy out. it was 88 in our house and so sticky. he is one of those honest a/c guys and I knew it the first time I met him because he sat on the floor and played with our dogs for about 10 minutes. he came out, surveyed the damage and let us know it would be $850 to fix it. whatever I said. I don't get too upset about things like that. it happens and is part of home ownership. so after he left we set the air on 78 to see if it would work, left for dinner, came home and our air was on 78. it has worked every since. hopefully the a/c was just having a bad few days and has since recovered.


this picture has nothing to do with this post but I hate posts without pictures.

$1.50 cheesecake

today and today only you can buy a piece of cheesecake from the cheesecake factory for $1.50 (you have to dine-in though). they are celebrating their 30th anniversary and are selling a slice for the price it cost in 1978. YUM

new bedding

while we were in kansas city we were in an area that not only had pottery barn but pottery barn kids. I love going in that store and dreaming about nurseries and babies! they have this new bedding set that I love, love, love. I have wanted to do all the nursery in homemade goods but after seeing this set I might reconsider!



this would be a perfect match to the luna lou blanket
I have been saving for baby #1


my mother-in-law said last night that she had her friend had a weird feeling that this might be the month. keep your fingers crossed!

cottage living 10 best neighborhoods

I forgot to mention that on our trip we stopped by this house.

photography: Michael Hanson

it was in the july/august issue of cottage living's
10 best neighborhoods for 2008. it was fun to find the house. the street was really pretty and it was so close to downtown. you can walk to everything in kansas city and I LOVED that!

kansas city

we are back and what an AWESOME trip it was. kansas city is awesome. lots of hills, brick buildings and really friendly people.


it is historic


TONS to do









lots of fun places to eat


I had bry ask the guy if their potato salad had meat in it. laughing, the guy said, MEAT?! (we were at a TRUE barbecue place and that is pretty much all they had). good thing it didn't because it was SO good.

one of the greatest things about kansas city is they are a "green" city. this was the first thing I saw when we got off the plane in kansas city


you've gotta love that!

exciting day

today was good. I received a proof of my new tag.
not exactly the right colors but you get the idea.


I wish I had these because today I received a call from a client in beverly hills for an order for a celebrity. so so so excited. she said I am not to add it to my press page, etc and I understand. I am really not into that but I still think it is really cool since it is being delivered to her on monday as she ordered the gift basket for her baby girl.
she will be receiving these goods:


maybe, just maybe, she will be wearing my outfit while out and about.

on another note, these sweet diaper covers were added to the site recently


I need to make a pair for my nephew who is about ready to walk!

have a great weekend! my husband and I are headed to kansas city! we are so excited to getaway! the bags are packed, the dogs are sad but will be happy when their grandma comes to see them tomorrow!

back again

this might just work. a rental. they take dogs. however many. YAHOO!

we'll miss you sophia!

estelle getty
july 25 1923-july 23 2008


thanks for all of the laughs!

do you hear me

SCREAMING?

today all the paperwork needed to send to the lender was nicely organized and paper clipped together (I even bought cute paperclips) ready to send. so excited. then about 5 p.m. I received an email stating that fannie mae has put restrictions on people who are trying to obtain a 2nd home loan while renting their current home.

check out how ridiculous these terms are:
*must have 30% equity in current home & a current appraisal
*6 months reserved payments for new and existing home

oh yes, and if you can't meet those requirements (seriously, who could?) then you can try this:
*use a non-occupying co-signer to help with additional income.

yeah right! I would NEVER ask anyone to cosign on a HOUSE for us.

so it looks like we will be in florida for
a bit until this market crisis is fixed.


frequent flyer miles here we come!

it is the sunshine state

but NOT the friendly state.
I think florida has rude and angry people that reside here. it is probably the heat. being from the midwest, people are just laid back and friendly. tonight while I was playing ball at the park with santos and stewart a lady was riding on her bike with her 2 kids behind her. she said loudly, when they chase behind you be sure you kick them. then she yelled, your dogs are supposed to be on a leash. I responded, they aren't hurting you. she then said, you are breaking the law!

indiana can't come soon enough!

total excitement

so I have been trying to brand tiny sprouts a bit more. I have never been one to buy clothing with a designer name printed all over it (except in the 7th grade when GUESS was big). however, these past few months finding people copying my designs and ideas, I decided that I needed to do something subtle on my products. normally I iron in labels into my clothing. this is a timely process and the labels eventually come out. I found these IRON ON WOVEN labels for my clothing. they are AWESOME. I am so so so excited to add this to my clothing. it won't be for about 6 weeks as production and ordering take a bit. so once I receive my new tags I will then ship a garment to my photographer and have her take a picture of someone wearing it. just had to share my exciting news!

music

I have been wanting to get one of these lately for the kitchen.


just a radio that mounts under the cabinet. I think they are pretty 80's but they remind me of growing up. we had a cassette one and I remember my mom baking lots of cookies and pies around the holidays while listening to music. I have been into baking cookies lately (and eating, of course) and moved a radio into the kitchen. so whether it is in this kitchen or our next, I will be stylin' up my kitchen with an under-counter radio.

i like it a lot

I already wrote about this house but I L-O-V-E this house. that rooftop deck is so cool and I would love to have my tiny sprouts office in that room and leave the door open so sophie can lay out there all day.

circa 1910, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, 1 car garage, unfinished basement.
no fireplace though.