Aiko Art

American Girl, Madame Alexander, Our Generation, & other 18" dolls

2011-12-27T11:33:00.003-06:00

Exciting new goodies to the shop! I've just started adding the new doll necklaces to match the chunky necklaces for girls. My 3 yo daughter loves them on her doll & now they come in the Doll & Me sets as well for the variety of handmade outfits! Check 'em out & let me know what colors you need for your sweet daughter & her doll! www.AikoArt.Etsy.com

$10,000 Holiday Bloggie Bash from Laura Winslow Photography

2011-11-28T20:29:00.002-06:00

Be sure to enter the $10,000 Holiday Bloggie Bash from Laura Winslow Photography...One winner takes all!!
http://laurawinslowphotography.com/blog/2011/11/21/10000-holiday-bloggie-bash-laura-winslow-photography/

M2M Necklaces

2011-08-06T10:06:00.008-05:00

Adventures in necklace making has allowed me to meet some wonderful women. First, I gotta give major thanks to Mrs. Emily over at Landojake Photography. Her work is stunning & her daughter is a perfect princess model. I love working with Emily & am so grateful for the hard work of her family.

Also excited to be teaming up with a variety of AMAZING clothing artists. I've been creating made 2 match designs to coordinate with a variety of outfits.
Please check these FABULOUS artists. They have one of a kind outfits that you'll fall in love with. I'll keep adding to the list as I have more pictures & links.
Thanks for being a fan of AikoArt!
Lola & Clementine

Cherry Branch Boutique

Corinna Couture
5lilmunchkins

Gooseberry Lane

New Chunky Necklaces for Little Girls, Tweens & Teenagers

2011-06-27T17:59:00.005-05:00

I'm always thinking of new products to add to the shop. I have so many beads & I enjoy having a diverse group of goodies to use them on. If you ever have any suggestions, as to new things to make or even color combinations, please send them my way.

Recently launched are the new necklaces that are chunky & funky for girls, tweens, teens & all in between. I've had women order them for their own use too.

Another new item is the baby bracelet/anklet. These look adorable on little ones & the response has been positive.

As always, thanks for stopping by. Just for reading the post & leaving me some sweet words in the comments, here is a coupon for YOU! Use coupon code: AikoArtRocks for 15% off your next order. Expires 10/2011

Boutique Girl's Bracelets

2011-05-31T20:50:00.003-05:00

Coming soon to my Etsy shop: Boutique Style Girl's Bracelets
I'm open to color suggestions, requests & ideas.
Prices for bracelets will range from $6 to $12.
Please "like" my facebook page for special offers & updates!

Growing Business & Gypsy Parties

2011-03-28T10:44:00.007-05:00

My aunt recently came to visit & I thought it would be a great idea to make her a necklace that she would like. In return, she insisted that she give me a gift. So I chose a new bead tower! I can never have too many towers. I have endless boxes of beads that are hard to access if not in those tiny little drawers. Here is a picture of it, still in it's package! (eh, um...please pardon the mess & makeshift curtain.)

I purchased mine online here at Blain's Farm & Fleet. It's made by Akro Mills & is perfect for beads. I'm so proud of it & think I should come up with a name for it ;)

Sunday was a great day. It was the first time this year that I have gone out to sell at the flea market. I'm super excited to report that my Sunday at Treasure City Flea Market, was the best it has ever been. I had the highest sales ever, out there. Here in Texas, I frequently peddle beads in person, as the Texas Bead Gypsy. Sometimes I sell my art when selling beads, but I usually keep that for my online Etsy shop, AikoArt. I enjoy selling beads & teaching jewelry making in person.

As the Texas Bead Gypsy, I also host jewelry making parties for all ages. Each host determines the location & time. Every class is at least 2-3 hours long, with a minimum of 4 students. Each student pays $25, which includes instructions & materials to make a boutique style necklace, bracelet & earrings. Once they complete their initial jewelry set, they are then eligible to create more necklaces for $10-$15 each, bracelets at $5 each & earrings at $3 each pair. This is a great bargain for those who; love to give unique gifts, want to learn something new or want to venture into selling handmade jewelry.

Gypsy Parties are great for birthdays, bachelorette parties, bridal parties, girl's night out, game nights, sleep overs as well as mom's groups. Color schemes may be customized for bridal parties. Tweens & as well as teenagers can create fun & original jewelry, in whatever size or color they choose.
If you are interested in hosting a Texas Bead Gypsy Party, please email me at saranevill {at!} yahoo dot com.

Due Date Club Nursing Necklace Giveaway

2011-03-13T15:22:00.003-05:00

Due Date Club nursing necklace GIVEAWAY! Enter by going to AikoArt facebook page. Just "like" the AikoArt facebook page & enter Due Date club name under comments.
Drawing from Sunday March 13th thru Friday March 18th! Open to U.S. & all other countries!!!
Winner gets FREE nursing necklace of choice from Etsy Shop~

Nursing Necklace Giveaway!!!

2010-08-30T18:14:00.004-05:00

Want to WIN one of my nursing necklaces? Enter here

A look into my studio.....

2010-07-14T20:44:00.012-05:00

I have finally organized everything with anticipation of an up & coming very large order of beads. I'm thrilled since I have been waiting years to have enough space to accommodate my addiction.
Thought I would share with you my new creation space. Well, it's not entirely new, just new to it's current home. I've had the two on the left for several years. I just recently added the two on the right & wish I could add 5 more :o)
This is my working stock of beads & all of the extra inventory is stored in a cabinet or in file boxes. (Sorry, I didn't have time to take more artistic pictures since my little one is sick today. )

This is my bead storage organization system:

I love how these great organizers keep the dust off of the beads yet, I can see everything I have. These organizers are for bead storage in your studio & would not be appropriate for travel. They do however come with little dividers for each drawer. You can also order more dividers, if you need them. I would recommend, that if you have Swarovski, precious, or other art beads, to line each drawer with felt.

Stay tuned as I plan to open another Etsy shop to sell beads. I'm excited to share great inventory with others. There are times that I have a hard time locating a particular type of bead. So once I find what I've been searching for, I tend to buy all that I can. This leads to an abundance of fabulous beads!

Happy Beading!

2010-04-29T14:20:00.008-05:00

Do you need a unique gift for Mother's Day? Are you looking for a special Mother's Day gift for your grandmother? Have their old home movies transferred to DVD.
It's the perfect gift! Just gather anything from VHS to 8mm film.

Send it in or bring it into Video 7 Production company.

Serving both Cedar Creek Lake Area as well as the Heart of Central Texas, please stop by or call (254) 666-6100.

Not in the state of Texas, that's no problem. Just call for a quote & information on how to submit your movies. ~Mention this ad & receive 10% off your order~

Mother's Day Special

Mothers Day photo montage special for $99 + tax. Special includes up to 30 pictures prepared into a "Slide Show" with graphics, special effect transitions and set to music. We will provide royalty free music or you may provide us the digital copies (or CD) of the songs (up to two) of your choice. Please contact for details.

Video & Web Design Company 254-666-6100

Square Foot Garden April 2010

2010-04-19T13:52:00.008-05:00

I'm uber happy that I was able to transfer our garden to our new home. It looks so much more inviting in it's new resting place. I'm pleased to also say that I was able to score some MAJOR deals on plants at our local Ace Hardware store. There's not a final count but I know that there are over 70 plants & I only spent $22.

A cool trick to remember; when you purchase plants, be sure to look at the base of the plant. See if you are actually getting just one plant or a cluster of plants. I have found that the more expensive pots at home depot & lowe's, generally only have one plant. However, the less expensive ones at plant sales, Ace, neighborhood farmer's markets, often contain more than one plant per pot. Sometimes you can score 5 plants per pot. (Now that's a bargain!!!)

So here is the beginning of what I hope will be a very productive year. I have so many plants that I am going to plant the extra directly into the ground & see how they will do in this soil. Fingers crossed, I'll be able to till in the next couple of days. We've had tons of rain over the weekend & will NOT be able to till this soggy soil.

Paint, Paint & more Paint

2010-03-21T19:49:00.004-05:00

As most people, we wanted to save money when it came to painting the new house. We were thrilled since the house is so large, that we would get to paint many different, harmonious colors. We studied & planned our color pallet. We felt happy with our final, husband approved choices. So we ventured to our local Wal-mart & purchased the affordable Color Place paint.

The colors were perfect to the swatches. We dreamed of how it would make the rooms feel & how beautiful it would look on the walls. To our surprise, it was thin, runny & did not perform as we had hoped. We are left with thin paint on the walls, multiple layers that do not cover the previous color & paint that began to wipe off when we tried to clean it with water two weeks after painting. UGH! What would happen if one of the children colored with crayons on the wall?! We'd have to wash it off & actually RE-paint.......not good at all!!

So in our frustration, I called & spoke to the assistant manager of the Hewitt Wal-Mart. I asked her if we could return the used & unused paint, to exchange it for the Kilz brand. Kilz is suppose to have a one coat guarantee. She listened to me & nicely told us to bring it in with our receipts.
So we did.
We took our empty cans, along with the full & partial used cans back to the service desk. We then proceeded to the paint counter & had the paint remade in the Kilz brand. We purchased fewer cans since it is suppose to cover better & is almost twice the price.

My advice:
Purchase name brand paint from Home Depot or Lowe's when you want to paint your home. We purchased one can, that was an oops paint from Home Depot.
We paid $5 for a can that was usually $25 & it worked wonders. It was a beautiful color & covered with only minor touch ups.
Do NOT purchase Color Place paint from Wal-Mart!
Don't let price determine your paint selection. We now have to put in twice the work to have good paint. We wish we had started with the name brand from the beginning. We've wasted time & money. Hard lesson learned :)

Simply Superb Pecan Pie

2010-01-19T11:58:00.006-06:00

My great grandmother's recipe, for what I think is the best pecan pie recipe. I like chopped nuts the best but my mother prefers halved pecans. In Texas, we LOVE our pecans!

Simply Superb Pecan Pie by Grandma Lansford

1 Cup Sugar
6 Tbls melted butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 Heaping Tbls of Flour
1 Cup Pecans (halved or chopped)
1 9 inch deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs with sugar, corn syrup & butter. Brush small amount of this mixture onto crust. Add flour & vanilla to mix. Add pecans.
Pour into pie crust. I like to cover the edges of my crust with foil, to reduce over-browning. Bake at pie on cookie sheet at 400 for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees & bake for another 30-45 min or until knife inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Pie will settle as it cools. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a real treat. Enjoy!

Nursing Necklace Giveaway!

2009-10-23T20:38:00.004-05:00

Are you a breastfeeding Mama?!?
Does your little one come off the breast often?
Would your precious baby rather play than eat? :)

A nursing necklace may be just the trick to keep your little one focused.

Visit my Etsy shop to purchase one.

All nursing necklaces are under $10!

Want one for free?

Enter to win one of my nursing necklaces: Here

Thank you Jen for offering the giveaway~

Yeast Infection & cloth diapers

2009-09-26T22:30:00.014-05:00

*I'm wanting to share a new problem & solution that we have been having with our darling daughter. She developed a rash on her bottom & lower girl parts that was very concerning to me.
At first it looked a little like a burn but began to blister with very tiny bumps, was red & shiny in places & turned white on some of the edges of parts of the rash. K was very cranky & waking up in the night crying badly. She seemed miserable!
Being a nurse, I was very alarmed & thought I had done something to cause this. After all cloth diapering is different than disposable but it's certainly better. Right?

Of course cloth diapering is best!!! After much research, looking online & thru my nursing books, I discovered it was a yeast infection. It was a result of yeast in her stool & nothing I did wrong. I began by trying to use diaper rash creams before I knew what it was. BAD IDEA! It only fed the problem. The "rash" grew in size, spread & developed "lesion like" areas.
Whether she used cloth or disposable diapers, she would have likely had the problem. In fact, if she was using disposable it would have been much worse.

Once I knew for sure that it was a yeast infection, I switched to gentian violet. (A God send!) I used it faithfully for about 2 weeks along with a homemade wipe solution & cloth wipes. Granted some of my prefolds & cloth wipes are dyed with purple in places, but a small price to pay for a home remedy that REALLY works.

Trying to get rid of a yeast infection? Remember: when trying to treat yeast to be consistent, clean the area fully & don't give up. Stick to changing diapers every two hours, faithfully. Apply the gentian violet at least 2-3 times daily for as long as symptoms remain present. Try not to use disposable wipes as they can "help" the yeast grow. The wipe solution I made help make the yeast environment less favorable to growth.

The same treatment can be used if you have yeast on your skin, vagina, rectum, breasts, under breasts or on nipples. Many people have skin folds & along with heat, will develop a red rash in the folds. This is very often yeast as well. Keep the area dry. Do not use synthetic fibers on skin, only cotton. Keep area clean. If using gentian violet, note that it is VERY staining to bathtubs, counters, clothes & towels. It will however, work wonders in getting rid of the problem.

Homemade Wipes Solution for Yeast Infection
(can be used for any yeast on skin)

3.5 cups of distilled water (boil water & let it cool, if no distilled)
2 Tablespoons of gentle baby wash
2 Tablespoons of Vinegar (apple cider or white)
2 or 3 drops of tea tree oil

Shake & store in container. Fill bottle with solution, i.e. a peri bottle. Squirt onto individual wipes as needed.

I do not moisten all of the wipes at once. It causes excess waste of solution. Sometimes, I need more solution to clean poo off & this allows me to dispense exactly what I need, when I need it. I continue to use this solution & am very pleased with the results as well as the frugality of it.

K is doing much better now & only has minor irritation at times. No more waking up screaming or crying when I change her diaper! ;)

*Always consult your physician, naturopath, chiropractor or practicing professional, if in doubt. This blog is only based on my personal experience as a human, mother & nurse.

Blog Birthday & the Swine Flu!

2009-09-24T14:34:00.004-05:00

Today is my one year blog birthday! I truly can't believe that one year has zoomed right by.
I'm blessed beyond words, loving being a Mama, concerned about finances with my husband's job loss & inspired to create more goodies for my Etsy shop.

This week:
I'm off this week from keeping my great nephew. He & our niece have been struck with the swine flu, H1N1!!! She is a kindergarten teacher with sickly students. So she went to the doctor on Monday once she started running a high fever. The swine flu the test came back inconclusive. They gave her Tamiflu & sent her home.

She's a breastfeeding mama & was very concerned that if she were to take the Tamiflu, she would NOT be able to breastfeed. I suggested to her that she not take it if she was concerned. My thought was that she was already exposed and sick. It may only reduce symptoms a little. So she decided not to take it & keep breastfeeding her son.

Well, "C" started to run fever as well. In fact, 103.7 degrees of fever. She was concerned that he had what she had, so off to the pediatrician. There they confirmed it was the swine flu. Happy little lark, he didn't seem to be feeling all that bad. They told her that because she keep breastfeeding; he did not have to be hospitalized for dehydration, his immune system was stronger & he was much healthier! I was thrilled to hear that breastfeeding saved the day!

"C" still has a fever but my niece is already getting better. I'm hoping that they both recover soon & life returns to normal for them. Her husband has a heart condition, so they have to be extra careful that he doesn't get any flu.

We are praying that we do not catch this yucky virus!
Just for those who are deathly worried about getting the swine flu;
Remember: The BEST prevention is HANDWASHING!!!
Sing"Happy Birthday" while you wash, to ensure that you washed long enough. The recommended time is 15 seconds to kill germs.

I'm off to post goodies to my shop........Be healthy, happy & hopeful!

Is Borax safe for cloth diapers?

2009-06-23T21:54:00.006-05:00

Is Borax Safe for Cloth Diapers?

I have a free recipe cloth diaper detergent in my Etsy shop. I sometimes get the question whether or not Borax is safe for cloth diapers. I wanted to shine some light on the subject:

Borax is hydrated sodium borate, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. It does not contain phosphates or chlorine.

My extensive research of reading numerous forums, blogs, articles & cloth diapering information has left me with the conclusion, that it is NOT proven that Borax breaks down fibers. I have spoken with cloth diapering veterans & they say they have not known this to be a problem either. I too have read that it causes breakdown but when looking for the cited articles or source of information, only leads to other people saying the same thing & citing back to the same people. I have not come across any specific scientific studies that prove it.

Borax is SAFE for cloth diapers!

My conclusion is, that excessive heat of the dryer plays a large factor in the elastic breakdown. I have not experienced any breakdown of elastic fibers in my cloth diapers by using this recipe nor have any of my customers.

If you are concerned about elastic breakdown, I would suggest that you hang dry any elastic you may be concerned about. Never try to stretch any elastic after it comes directly out of the dryer, as this can cause breakage. Only dry your cloth diapers, just until they are dry, on low-med heat per most cloth diaper instructions.

You can find other uses for borax at http://www.dialcorp.com/documents/borax.pdf

Warts on Children's hands

2009-06-08T18:40:00.007-05:00

Well, I wanted to share a neat story that I remembered today...

How to get rid of warts?

A couple of years ago, a cousin of mine was 7 years old & lived on a ranch. She often worked with all of the livestock & was very active. As many children do, she developed warts all over her hands.
Of course, these warts were caused by a virus but they became embarrassing for her. Her full palms were covered & she was made fun of at school. The medicine over the counter for warts was not effective, so her mother took her to a dermatologist. The dermatologist stated that the 7 year old would need surgery in the hospital, to remove the top layer of skin to remove the warts. Her mother was mortified!

Not only was the child going to have to have general anesthesia, she would have a long recovery, not be able to play on the ranch & risk infection. The surgery would also cost anywhere from $1500 to $2000.

In desperate searching for alternatives, & waiting to raise the money to have the surgery, they decided to buy some Dial Complete hand wash. There was no reason her mother bought it specifically, except that it was on sale. She needed something for the kids bathroom.

The little girl started washing her hands three times daily. They noticed that the warts started to disappear. Within 6 weeks, the warts were gone.

They contacted Dial to let them know what a money saving, surgery alternative the hand wash had become. My cousin figured they had spent around $12, at most, on the wash & would gladly have bought $100 worth. Dial would not comment on the results but said they would certainly pass it to the people in the company who needed to know.

Hope you never have children that experience this problem but if you do, try the Dial Complete hand wash to rid of the warts on your children's hands or feet. It can't hurt & only keeps them cleaner.

Bubbles!

2009-05-13T00:21:00.006-05:00

Bubbles.....simple, yet beautiful. My mother says, "Bubbles bring people together!"
I laugh but there's something to that.

I recently purchased some lovely bubbles for a dollar at Wal-mart. They are the ones hanging up in the package with the big wand. The come in different colors: pink, yellow, orange, green, blue.
At first, I was blowing bubbles with my nephew for fun at a garage sale. Then, I noticed that the new package of bubbles was so colorful & the bubbles seemed to have a sort of "thickness" to them. I decided to go on a bubble quest to find the very best bubbles. After purchasing various packages, only one had the same quality. The only other one was the lovely 32oz dollar general brand that is $1. They are suppose to be scented with cotton candy, sour apple & some other flavor, I can't remember. (Truthfully, they stink to me but they are indeed the quality I was searching.)

I began by blowing bubbles while I had some down time outside of my parents studio. The studio is on a busy through fare & people were braking to see the "bubble show." I couldn't believe it. They were actually slowing down because of the bubbles.

I decided to take my bubble blowing to another level; the drive thru. There we sat, my mother, my daughter & I, waiting for our drinks at happy hour at Dairy Queen. A long line of fellow happy hour visitors sat in their cars as well. I rolled down my window & began to blow. Suddenly, I noticed the children in the cars ahead of ours, had taken off the seat belts & were pressing their faces against the glass to watch. Then the windows were rolled down & the children were hanging out to get a peek. The lady in the Honda in front of us, gave me the two thumbs up! Such a simple thing, blowing bubbles. I felt delighted that I could make people happy & the time go by for just a few minutes.

So go out & get some bubbles. Some say, "take time to smell the roses."
I say, "take time to blow some bubbles." :)

Delightful new adventure

2009-04-17T23:52:00.002-05:00

My life is filled with goodness! I am constantly learning something new or embarking on a new adventure. Recently, I have become passionate about cloth diapering. I speak to every stranger I can about it & gladly offer what I know. I savor every bit of info I can regarding cloth diapering. There is so much to learn & cloth diapering is a world in itself.

Unfortunately, we have no resources here in Waco, Texas for cding. You would have to drive to Dallas or Austin for cloth diapering supplies.
But not for long.....
I am thrilled to announce that I am the "Heart of Texas" Hip Green Baby Representative. I service the Waco, Temple, Hamilton, Kileen, Ft Hood, Hamilton, Corsicana, Hillsboro & surrounding cities.

I will be offering cloth diapering classes beginning in mid to late May here in Waco. Please contact me if you are interested in attending a class or hosting a home cloth diapering party.
Visit my direct Hip Green link to purchase your cloth diapering needs. Feel free to suggest items you may not see. I would love to hear what type of class schedule you'd like to see.
Submit questions & I'll find answers!
Looking forward to hearing from you all,
~Sara

2009-02-24T11:37:00.001-06:00

I stumbled across some great websites today. I wanted to quickly share one.
Please visit this website for a Mei Tai baby wrap giveaway. Today is the deadline!

Cloth Diaper Laundry Soap Recipe

2009-02-08T20:06:00.014-06:00

I finally got around to actually making it! I made some new laundry soap for both my cloth diapering needs as well as our family laundry. It was easy, fast & inexpensive. All traits I was looking for.

After a ridiculous amount of hours searching for the perfect recipe for soap/detergent, I discovered the best bet was to make one & try it for myself. There is a wealth of information that I gratefully came across. However vast, it became more conflicting the more I read.
I have read that; borax is bad for cloth diapers, good for cloth diapers, doesn't make a difference, makes all the difference. I read that soap such as Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Zote, Castie,& Sunlight is both bad due to buildup and great for cleaning action. Although after much thought, I voted to leave it out of my CD recipe.

I was using All Free & Clear for my cd needs. I noticed & read that I must have been using too much detergent, as the diapers started smelling like a wet dog. Yes, it was yucky smelling! I was using such a small amount that I thought was appropriate. Upon my stinky discovery, I knew I had to do something quick. I have never had this problem with our clothes before so this was new to me.
It only took ONE soap free, detergent free soak, hot wash & double cold rinse to get the odor out. Some people use 6+ hot washes....but I escaped the "never ending soak, wash, rinse till it smells better" cycle.

I have a top loading washing machine by Maytag that is only 4 years old. The appliance repair guy just visited to do a checkup & says my washer is in tip-top condition with years of life left.
I explained that I cd & he says my washer is great for those heavy duty needs.

This recipe, as well as the Family recipe, has been approved for HE washers.
Both are low sudsing as required for the HE brands.
Be sure to use the appropriate amount of laundry detergent or soap if you decide to venture to the homemade side of laundering.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe for Cloth Diapers:
(Powdered, 3 minutes to make)
If you desire a fragrance, add two drops of your choice of essential oil to the water before adding diapers

2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda!)
2 cups of Oxygen cleaning powder, such as Oxyclean (I used Sun brand from walmart)

Mix well. Use 1 Tablespoon (15ml) for small loads & 2 Tablespoons (30ml) for large loads.
Store in recycled, air tight containers.

The Borax, 4lb 12 oz, cost around $3, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, 55 oz $2.50 & Sun brand oxycleaner 30 oz $1.96. I had more than enough to make multiple batches of this recipe & decided to make my family laundry detergent with some of the extra.

Everyday Family Laundry Soap Detergent Powder Recipe (10 minutes to make)
Add 2 drops of essential oil for fragrance to water before adding clothes
1 bar finely grated Fels-Naptha Soap (you may use other bar soaps such as Ivory, Castile, Zote)
1 cup of Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup of Oxygen cleaner powder, such as Oxyclean

Mix all ingredients well. It will look like yellow & white granules. Use 1 tablespoon for light, small loads & 2 tablespoons for large loads.
Store in recycled, air tight containers.

The cost addition for this recipe was for the Fels bar, $1.29. I searched all over town, Waco Texas, & finally found the Fels Bar. It was located at the Keith's Ace Hardware (254-666-2520) across town, in Hewitt. I called before I loaded up the baby & they knew what I was talking about & how much it cost. I was so glad! None of the stores, HEB, Wal-Mart, Brookshires, Sam's knew what I was talking about or where to get it. I had been looking for it for a while.
The man who helped me said he keeps it stocked & can get it any time. He also said there are 7 Keith's Ace Hardware & they can have some transferred to any of the other stores for those of you who live elsewhere. I bought 5 bars, to save on gas. I figure they should last me a couple of years. :)

For grating my Fels-Naptha, I used my Pampered Chef grater that looks like the kind they use at an Italian restaurant to grate parmeasen cheese. I do not use the fine grating blade much & figured if I did, it is ok because I'm grating SOAP. Lots of rinsing of the blade was involved.

I used Mason Jars with lids to store my completed detergent. I wrote on a piece of paper the instructions & taped it to both the inner lid & outer ring with one piece of tape.
I had some measuring spoons that I no longer use & put a tablespoon next to my jar in my laundry room.

So far, so good. I am pleased with the washing & will keep you updated on the results. Feel free to ask questions. I will do all I can to answer them. If you live outside of the states & need a conversion recipe for the metric system, let me know.

The Adventure of Cloth Diapering Begins

2009-01-23T23:02:00.006-06:00

Cloth Diapering. Yes, I finally started it on January 16th. I am so excited as my friend, Rachel, has been offering so much information to help me along. I find myself shopping online for all sorts of items. Cloth diapering is not as bad as people perceive it to be. I get comments like, "ooohh, are you sure? Doesn't that involve dunking in the toliet?" I quickly & excitedly tell them, "no." Then I go on to tell them how wonderful it is, how easy it is & affordable.

I have found that I am disappointed with the lack of cloth diapering resources in our town of Waco, TX. There is no diaper service, no cloth diaper store, no one in the retail stores to ask & no cds in resale shops. I have simply found the gerber cloth diapers, however, no gerber covers.
Ironically, how does one expect to cloth diaper if they do not have a cover? I'm sure people would be turned off by cloth diapering if they thought the baby stays wet & gets everything wet & poopy without a cover.
I hope to see some better resources in the near future. Maybe with all the "green" talk, Waco will come up with something. The nearest cloth diapering locations are either in Austin or the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So for now, the wonderful world wide web shall meet my cd needs.

I have found since starting my cd adventure, that my darling Kinsley is better at alerting me when she is wet. After doing some research, this is common & often leads to earlier potty training. (I am so thankful to Rachel for making it easy for me to always ask questions & she offers info on everything she knows. She's so great!)

So here are some pictures of our first day to begin cloth diapering. The Mandarin wrap you see is a Wonder Wrap purchased from the terrific online store of http://www.hip-green-baby.com/
You will get all the help you need as I did when I place my order. I was impressed with the quality of products, the special attention Krisiti gave me & the speed of shipment.

Also, the cute legging you see are the ones I learned to make with a free online tutorial. Kinsley is much to long for the pant of her size. She tends to look like she has capris on when she should be wearing long pants. Since I don't sew much, so it took me a little longer to learn how to do it. However, now I am able to sew them with confidence & offer suggestions, advice & where to buy materials.

I'm off to bed. Breastfeeding fulltime, my husband is out of town & helping my mother with twin nephews, today is exhausting.
To all a good night!

Ready, Set, Here we go.....

2008-12-10T23:54:00.004-06:00

So I am working on several projects all at once. I find that there is no real balance of things sometimes. I am delighted that I have a show coming up this Saturday at the Burleson High School from 9am to 4pm. My fingers have been dancing on the keyboard all day, getting my Etsy shop spruced up with new products. www.AikoArt.Etsy.com
The lighting was just right today for product photos.
I accomplished all I had set out to do on Etsy today. It's not quite midnight yet.

My project for tomorrow will be to complete some more baby leg warmers aka babylegs. I don't even sew that often & they turned out great. You can find a great tutorial on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyhopes/237396880/in/set-72157594274454468/
Step by step tutorial & much cheaper than the likes of Baby Legs. I am thrilled, as my little one is so tall, her pants are all too short. These little jewels make diaper changes easy & her legs stay warm all day. Target had the best selection of knee high adult socks. Currently this week, 3 pair for $5.99 vs. the brand name costing at least $11.99 a pair.

Pictures to follow soon

The Beginning of a New Day

2008-12-02T02:06:00.000-06:00

It's really early in the morning or some would say really late at night.....2:07am. My family is sleeping as I begin the ever so popular Blogging episode/chapter of my life. My birthday is coming up this Friday & I feel this is a great way to kick things off for me.

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, confidant & friend to so many. My stay at home adventure began in August & I am loving every minute of it. I must say time is flying & I feel like I lose my grip at times. I realize the house will never be the same as it was, don't be in a hurry with a baby, talk to my Mama every chance I get & love my husband with every ounce of my being. He is my Rock & supports us with all of his heart.

My blessings are many. My tribulations, few. I reflect on what surrounds me & decide that I can't really say, I want for much. I do however look forward to my favorite restaurant, Texas de Brazil. Thanks to the lovely email I received, two of us can eat for the price of one. That excites me.

Thru my blog, I visualize: helping others where I can, offering tips/advice/thoughts, challenging the every day to a little creativity, providing Optimism & making new friends to add to the extraordinary amount I am blessed to have.

So thus, I shall devote what time I have to Blogging when I can. In the mean time, please visit & support my little Etsy shop at www.AikoArt.Etsy.com

Love to you All,
~Sara