Just Me and the Littlest Duckling

For the very first time, instead of having misty eyes and heart palpitations over the idea of my biggest duckling waddling away to kindergarten in three weeks, I am actually excited.

Gracie is going to thrive in kindergarten. She loves to learn, she loves arts and crafts... And, well, my boy-crazy five-year-old will be surrounded by a room of cute little boys, seven hours a day, five days a week, so I can only assume she'll be a happy clam.

But what makes me excited, is the fact that for the first time in her 3.5 years of life, it'll be just me and Annelie.

My kids aren't in preschool or day care, and are stuck together with me all day long. Add to that the fact that neither one of them has had any parent/child one-on-one time, and you can imagine just how sick of each other they are.

And if you can't imagine it, let me tell you - the kids are sick of each other. All they do is FIGHT.

As a special "farewell, you're off to kindergarten" treat, my hubs took Gracie away for a 2-day daddy-daughter road trip, leaving me and Annelie - who was diagnosed with mono last week - home alone in an effort to keep the rest of West Texas mono-free.

Did she mind? Why, no, she most certainly did not.
- Art whenever she wanted without Gracie saying her picture wasn't pretty.

- Sitting next to me, scribbling stories (or the letter A on repeat) in her brand new notebook, while I worked on my own book.

- Any show she wanted to watch on TV, without Gracie saying her choices were babyish (although Gracie loves Blue's Clues and Little Bear, so really, she's not one to talk)

- Mommy-playing-Barbies time, which usually never happens as I hate playing with toys (I know, I'm one of those no-fun mamas).

- And, the creme de la creme as far as Annelie was concerned: I handed over her very first Sharpie and a stack of fancy drawing paper, and let her go nuts with it.

Yup, folks, Tootsie and Grace is back in action, and in a few weeks, there will be some awesome new additions by my littlest Tootsie Pop.

There's something about the art of a three-year-old that is flat-out fantastic and now that Gracie's art is more sophisticated (um, and filled with pictures of Harry Potter or Justin Beaver - er, Bieber...), I haven't wanted to add any of her current work to Tootsie and Grace. But Annelie is an amazing artist and her illustrations will fit in our shop perfectly! Check out her latest, waiting to be colored in by me:
Yeah, I sort of think my kids are artistic geniuses. What can I say? I'm their mom. It's my job to think they are UNBELIEVABLE in all that they do.

Gracie can not wait to start kindergarten. Now that Annelie has discovered what life is like as an only child, she can't wait for Gracie to start kindergarten, either. And now that I remember what it is like having only one kid around me in the day... let me just say, next year will be BLISS.

Ahhhh... no more fighting all day, every day. I can't wait!

Happy weekend, folks!

xoxo,

The Marvelous Adventures of Muschka Mouse

Little Muschka lives in Princess Gracie's pocket and eats marshmallows. Together, the two of them go on many adventures, usually involving dragons (who seem frightening at first, but are very sweet at heart), mermaids (who take the princess/mouse duo down to the bottom of the sea in search for pirate's treasure - watch out for sharks!) and fairies (who like to eat marshmallows, just like Muschka).

I don't remember exactly when the Muschka Mouse stories began. I think Gracie was about two and a half... something like that. It was Will who started the mouse talk in our house. As long as I've known him, he's had this habit of taking a bite of EVERYTHING that he hands me, whether it is a slice of buttered toast, a cookie or a doughnut (yeah, I'm a seriously healthy eater, can you tell?).

"A little mouse took a bite," he always explains.

And so the stories of Muschka began. I think Muschka came into our lives as an explanation to Gracie, for why her snacks always have bite marks in them. Now, she just automatically says, "Look, Muschka took a bite!"

The other day (now, this is a sad story, so be warned... your eyes may just mist up), Gracie and I were sitting on the couch together, sketch books on our lap and pencils and Pink Pearl erasers in our hands. I was sketching out Miss Muschka for Gracie and was too absorbed in my own sketch to notice hers until I heard her suddenly burst into tears.

"Why are you crying?" I asked. She has never cried while sketching before... art usually makes her smile.

"My mouse doesn't look like yours!" she cried. "I don't know how to draw the ears!"

Wow, talk about heartbreaking. She is three. I didn't expect her to become aware of her artistic capabilities for years yet! Luckily, I was able to calm her down and point to the little mouse head and instruct her to draw two circles. She did, easily, and then laughed at her picture when it was finished. I assured her that her Muschka was perfect. And it is - though that just might be a mother's love shining through my rose-tinted glasses as I gaze upon the perfection that is her picture.

But a part of me is sad, still, because Gracie's innocent little drawings are beginning to change. No longer does she pull out the marker and draw a large and simple, happy-faced critter. She now hunches over her sketch book and draws tiny and very detailed characters (usually rabbits in wedding dresses), with the ability of a 6-7 year old. She really is an amazing little artist... but I'm not sure just how many new illustrations will be added to Tootsie and Grace, as her work is too small and detailed now.

Ah, well it was fun while it lasted, and we did a lot of awesome illustrations together.
My own version of Muschka is finished and in the shop. Of all my illustrations, she is, of course, Gracie's favorite, as Gracie knows her very well as the little mouse who tucks up in her pocket eating marshmallows and nibbling at her toast.

And I expect the two of them will have many more marvelous adventures together, in the years to come.

Enjoy!
xoxo,

Many Happy Milestones and a Giveaway to Celebrate

I have been in a euphoric state lately. When I started Elegant Snobbery seven months ago, I had no expectations of success. I like my pictures and I enjoy drawing, but I had never before given myself a chance to become successful as an artist, and frankly, I was scared stiff! If it wasn't for the encouragement I got from my blog readers back in December, Elegant Snobbery would never have opened. But I did it. I took the plunge, I sucked up my courage and opened my shop.

A few weeks ago, I hit my first 100 sales and am still glowing! And if that wasn't enough, I discovered my Captain Monkeybones print on the Etsy Front Page (thank you Amanda aka This Old Hen House for the screen shot!) (and thank you Holly aka Winklepots for creating such a beautiful treasury and featuring my illustration!!). And if that wasn't enough, Tootsie and Grace hit its first 100 hearts.

Getting my shop seen and getting my work out there hasn't been a just sit back and relax kinda deal. I have been working hard for the last seven months, to promote my shops. I am an active member of two street teams (actually three, but I just joined the Trunkt Team this week), the Fabulous Artistic Moms and the Interior Design Team. I post in the Etsy forums, actively participate in the blogging community, sucked up my courage and sent my portofio over to Trunkt, have Project Wonderful ads on blogs far and wide, renew items in my shop frequently (which was a super smart tip from KJ aka The Dreamy Giraffe), and make sure to absorb every bit of business advice that the Etsy forums and Storque have to offer. And my new favorite Storque articles are the Quit Your Day Job features which are so inspiring.

I don't plan on quitting my day job, because being an at-home-mom means I get to be there to watch my girls grow and learn and I love them to bits if you can't already tell by the millions of blog posts devoted entirely to their cuteness. But I definitely strive to reach the level of success that will allow me to give the girls as many learning experiences as I possibly can, through a great preschool, travel and the ability to take them places like the zoo and museums whenever we want.

I officially feel like I've got my leg in the door, and if I continue to create and promote, I might just make it where I want to be. It feels fabulous!!


To celebrate my many happy milestones so far and the success that I know is in my future (I'm not talking psychic abilities here, I just feel it in my heart) I'm having a gift tag giveaway! My gift tags, which measure 3 x 3 and have a black satin ribbon tie in the corner, feature my illustrations and are rather adorable if I do say so myself. I'm giving away a set of 8 gift tags to two different winners (you read that right folks, there will be two winners this time) with the winner's choice of images - from either or both of my shops.

Entering this giveaway is easy. You only have to leave a comment on this blog post declaring your best piece of business advice. It could be something that has worked for your own indie business, or something that has worked for someone you know. Just be sure to shout it out for all to see! The winner will be announced on Friday the 15th of August, which is one week from today.

Please make sure I have a way to contact you!

Enjoy!
xoxo,

Custom Cuteness

Meet Mittens. No Gracie didn't draw this, but some of you may just recognize who did!

I was completely blown away a few weeks ago, when I took a look at Casserole's blog, to see a post about her collaboration with her four year old daughter, Liv. After being inspired by Tootsie and Grace and all the fun I have with Gracie, Anne (that would be Casserole) sat down with her daughter and the two of them created the cutest little stuffed kitty named Mittens, which Casserole blogged about here. The pattern was drawn by Liv, who also chose the fabrics and did the kitty stuffing.

The end result was this adorable stuffed kitten. Now, I took a look at that cat and thought "aaaawwwww!" because seriously, how cute? But then I took a look at Liv's original drawing of Mittens and though... "AAAAWWWW"

... because seriously, how CUTE?

I've been wanting to add custom illustrations to Tootsie and Grace because, while Gracie's pictures are the cutest pictures on the planet (says her mother), other parents might just like their own kids artwork better. I can't blame them, of course!

Thus began my secret project (although Anne actually did know that something was up, as I asked for permission to steal pictures from her blog) of creating a custom illustration based on another child's work, just to see if I could. Frankly, I think this is one of my best illustrations to date. And doesn't Mittens look fabulous as a notecard?

And as a set of 8 gift tags?

And a scrap booking tag?

I sure do.

Coming soon to Tootsie and Grace: Custom Cuteness Illustrations featuring your own child's artwork. There will be two packages to choose from.

The Standard includes:

1 custom illustration
1 professional print (perfect for friends and family)
1 note card with coordinating envelope

The Deluxe includes:
1 custom Illustration
2 professional prints
1 3 x 5 in. scrap booking tag (perfect for a baby book, scrap book or as a gift tag)
1 note card with coordinating envelope
1 set of 8 gift tags, measuring 3 x 3 in.

All prints, cards and gift tags come come with a little bit of info about the illustration. And all prints are signed by me, with room for your own child's signature, as well. Everything is packaged beautifully as well as protected by clear cello sleeves.

So, Anne, you have a deluxe package in the mail and I REALLY hope you and Liv like it!!

Illustration Friday: Sour

Little Lilly Lemonade loves lemons. Especially when they are sprinkled with sugar. The tart citrus is perfect for a bright summer's day, and if things don't go her way... well Lilly can just make Lemonade! This vibrant picture is sunny and sweet and perfect for a cheerful room.

Here is my contribution for Illustration Friday. I'm ahead of my game this week, as I usually don't have anything to contribute until about Thursday... and then I only have half a day before the new topic is announced! But I was able to raid Tootsie and Grace to get little Lilly, and I think this illustration is perfect for the topic of Sour. Though, she is a little more sweet than sour, isn't she?

This 8 x 8 print is of a colored pencil and permanent marker illustration on Strathmore drawing paper. The design belongs to my three year old... and illustrated by me.

Here is Gracie hard at work. I love how she smiles when she draws! The sign of a true artist, finding joy in her work as she creates!

Although, I have to tell you a little secret... moments after Gracie drew this adorable little girl, she handed it to me and said, "Here Mom. I drew a pair of scissors."

I looked down at the paper and said, "Um... Gracie, this looks like a little girl." to which Gracie replied, "No, that is a pair of scissors with a happy face."

I used my artistic license to turn this pair of scissors with a happy face into little Lilly and her lemon. Gracie didn't mind. She loves this picture!

Tootsie and Grace: Back in Action and Better Than Ever

Well, Tootsie and Grace is back open for business, but this time around, I think it is a little bit better. Maybe that is just because I can't get enough of Gracie's ridiculously adorable drawings, or maybe because I don't have to slave over a sewing machine until 2 am just to finish an order... whatever it is, we are having a great time and Gracie is tickled pink to see her very own Etsy shop. She doesn't even mind that I vetoed "Strawberry Short" as the name of the shop.

You can find the link to our new shop HERE.

I opted to open a new shop rather than reopen my old Tootsie and Grace shop, as I didn't want people to see all the hand sewn baby items in my sold items and get confused or ask for custom sewing orders. I'm still taking a break from sewing unless it involves making cute stuff for my girls.

Be sure to come on over and say hello! And here is a peek at some of our latest pictures.


And here is the picture (which isn't in the shop) that we made for Will for Father's Day. I made sure to have him sporting his favorite pink tie and a fleur-de-lis, which is a symbol of Wales. Will was very happy with the picture, and was amazed by the likeness.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that the original design that Gracie created was of a hedgehog, not her father. Shhhh.... He'll never know!

Enjoy! And I hope these at least made you smile!

It Looks Like a 3 Year Old Drew That!!

Gracie and I have been collaborating on a new and very silly artistic venture, lately.

I'm supposed to be a stressed out wreck at the moment, as we move very very soon (we got an apartment, by the way... yes!!), but in the last few days, I've been having too much fun to stress. There is too much laughter that comes with a new picture...

I have always wanted to take Gracie's beyond adorable scribbles and turn them into super cute illustrated works of art. I've finally done it, and I must say that I'm in love with them. It might just be a mother's love, but I wanted to share them anyway.

I love watching kids draw happy pictures. They always seem to smile, while they are drawing the happy faces. I taught art for 4th and 5th graders for four summers back when I was in college, and the kids were always so happy while they were drawing. I just love it!

Gracie's pictures are done with a Sharpie permanent black marker on drawing paper. When she is finished, she passes them over to me and starts a new one. "Here Mommy. You can color it in now." she says.

Sometimes, her pictures are... uncolorable. Like when she decides to smash polkadots all over the place or shower the picture in random lines. Hey -- no artist is perfect. Not even my three year old.

But she creates the perfect canvas for me! My illustrations are done right on top of hers, using Prismacolor colored pencils. The letters are scrapbooking rub-on transfers.

I'm planning on letting Gracie open up that Etsy shop she has been talking about for the last couple of months. A nice Mom and Daughter collaboration. I'm not calling it Strawberry Short, though. I already have everything needed for a shop called Tootsie and Grace (some of you might actually remember my shop before Elegant Snobbery was born). The funny thing is, my mom always called me Toots growing up. Granted, it was usually said like this: "Get your butt in here, Toots, and clean up your mess." Or "Hurry up, Toots. The car is halfway out the driveway" Stuff like that. I think Tootsie and Grace is appropriate.

I'm not expecting big things. We are just having a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can at least make someone smile from these bold, bright, and very cheerful happy faces.

A Work In Progress

I'm not sure how my shop looks to other people, but to me, it is a complete work in progress. I am excited to finally get my rear in gear with my grand visions for Tootsie and Grace, and hopefully it will show soon! Of course, I should have started before the holiday season, but... I got a little excited and jumped into making as many things as I could with as many fabrics as I could get my hands on!!!

When I first began designing Tootsie and Grace, I had planned on creating entire collections of baby items, each with a theme. I wanted there to be bib sets, security blankets and wash cloths, note cards and scrapbooking embellishments, tea cakes and soft baby books, as well as prints and original paintings to coordinate. Instead, I began making a mishmash of things, as well as trying to sell off the nursery canvases I had painted last winter, before I even started planning my shop.

I am finally starting to work on my collections and am going to be taking some of my paintings to a printer on Monday to have them professionally photographed and printed. YAY!! I am so excited. My next step: making my coordinating baby items beginning with bib sets and baby blankets.

I am finishing up a small collection of Christmas items called First Noel and am going to add them to my shop next week (after I finish my never ending list of tasks which include finishing the mural I am painting for Gracie's friend, making two custom bib sets, as well as eight tea cake and party plate sets. EIGHT!!! That is a lot of embroidery knot sprinkles!) . Then I am going to get to work on The Fairytale Collection, which is made from the GORGEOUS and sadly discontinued fabrics from Amy Butler's Ginger Bliss and Temple Flowers collections.

I will also soon have the Ooh La La Paris Collection completed (if I can only convince my husband that the $14.00 a yard Japanese import fabric featuring sweet little cafes and Parisian shops is a necessity, not a whim). You can see the first attempt at sketching out my artwork, which I will hopefully transfer from the sketch book to drawing paper this weekend.

Then I need to bust my behind on getting my boy collection finished. I can't decide if I should first do the Under the Big Top Collection which is vintage circus themed, or my Small Samurai Collection. What do you think?

Too much fun!!

Hopefully, before too long, my shop will no longer be a work in progress!

My tootsiegrace Space

I have seen a few work spaces of other Etsy artists, and thought it would be fun to show my "shop," aka the dining room of our very small apartment. My husband is a legend for letting me claim the entire dining room (well, sometimes the table is cleared off so we can eat there, but more often than not we have a picnic in the living room--its cozy that way!).

I love all things crafty. So does Gracie who is making herself a Barbie dress out of my Heather Bailey's Freshcut squares.

But I love that she feels comfortable crafting for herself and it is great that she always wants to get her hands on beautiful crafts of her own. Right now we are working on her actually asking first, but its all baby steps, isn't it?


I used to love hand painting flower pots and have kept some of my favorites, like the little alligator. You can also see one of my favorite books, Amy Butler's InStyle pattern book. It was that book which started my whole sewing frenzy. I still have not made anything. I don't know how to read a pattern yet, so I just design all my own stuff for the time being.


I love shopping on Etsy and you can see a few of the things I have bought lurking about. You can find the little blue pin cushion I bought from Sabrina's Creations at http://www.sabrinacreations.etsy.com tucked in next to a bin of fabric, my sewing box and some varnish. Sabrina asked me the other day if I use it.... You bet!

Here is Jimmy. Poor little guy hasn't been created yet from these Original Rockford red heel socks which I bought from TerBear at http://www.terbearco.etsy.com It is so sad seeing him like this! Good thing he will have a happy little smile soon.

I have about five or so bins of fabric like these. I am seriously addicted. I haven't even used a lot of them yet!


I bought these sweet little baby powder scented goat's milk soaps from A Breath of French Air at http://www.abreathoffrenchair.etsy.com. I am going to be introducing washcloths made from all of my beautiful fabrics soon, and am including two of these little rubber ducky soaps with each order. They smell just like a freshly powdered baby, which I just love. I gave one of them to Gracie and she spent about forty-five minutes compulsively washing her hands. But she loved it!!

I hope you enjoy my shop! I certainly love creating in it!

One Lump or Two?

I love tea.

I come from a tea drinking family and have always looked forward to a sweet and milky cup with a scone, cookie or cake (Bakewell Tarts or chocolate Digestive biscuit when I am in England). My husband is British and believe it or not, I am the one who drinks the most tea in our house. Will usually has a cup on the weekend, I like to have a couple of cups a day.

Gracie had her first tea party with me when she was eighteen months old. She just flipped over her little cup and the plate of tiny cookies just for her. Tea time has been a tradition of ours ever since. Gracie doesn’t like to drink milk unless it is chocolate milk, vanilla milk, or strawberry milk, so slipping it in her tea is a good way for me to make sure she is drinking enough.

To celebrate our love for teatime, I have just added Tea Cakes and Party Plates to Tootsie and Grace. No tea party will be quite as sweet without these sweet as sugar cakes covered in sprinkles and a bright red cherry! They are perfect for hours of creative play.

Each set comes with:
Four play tea cakes and four shabby rag plates

They are made from flannel in Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla and Banana Crème. The sprinkles are made from knotted embroidery floss (you wont have to worry about beads falling off) and the cherry button on top has been sewn on as well as glued on the underside using a kid friendly glue.

This set also features the gorgeous designer fabrics in the Chocolate Lollipop collection by Anna Maria Horner for Freespirit. The prints are bright and fun and add a touch of whimsy to the sweet treats.

Love Chocolate Lollipops and want to see more? Check out my previous blog titled Chocolate Lollipops.

I would like to feature some other Etsy sellers who love their tea time, too!

The first shop I would like to feature is Tabitha Emma for Kids from Australia. I just flipped out over the darling little purses, especially this cup of tea with tea bag and the little teapot. All the bags are shaped like sweet treats such as ice cream sundaes, cake slices with sprinkles and frosting covered cupcakes.

You can find these sweet bags at http://www.tabidesigns.etsy.com

The next shop I would like to feature is Mulberry Muse a shop specializing in gorgeous cards and gift packaging (also from Australia!) I love everything in this shop! All the tags and cards are so girly and swirly chic with lots of pink and black. Very sophisticated, very fun. These tea pot and cupcake gift tags fit in perfectly with my tea party theme today! The holidays are just around the corner. Wouldn’t these tags be the perfect adornment to a gift of tea treats for a friend?

You can find this shop at http://www.mulberrymuse.etsy.com! Take you time looking around, because there are so many sweet things to see!

Are you looking to have tea party of your own, but you are missing your main ingredient? You can find specialty teas at Lilith’s Apothecary right on Etsy! This shop specializes in herbal products to aid your mind, body and spirit. I think this Bright Mornings Herbal tea blend looks delicious! You can also find detoxifying teas, as well as relaxation tea. You can find this shop at http://www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com and be sure to return your containers. That will give you a nice discount!

Enjoy your tea time, and don’t forget the cakes!