Fall - Homefront Team Blog Hop

The Homefront Team has asked for volunteers to jump in on a team-wide blog hop, and I am so IN!  This blog hop will feature a specified topic chosen by the wise leaders of the Homefront Team, I will blog about it down below, and share my fellow blog hop participants below the post.

The prompt for September 17th is: "What is your favorite Fall-time activity or memory?"

I LOVE Fall.  It has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember, and I'm not so sure why.  Could it be the earthy colors that emerge through the foliage?  Could it be the drop in temperature that warrants hoodies?  Could it be the fresh smell of apples and pumpkins?  I think it may be all of the above and MORE.

Narrowing it down to one favorite Fall activity is seriously a hard thing to do, because I love it all.  However, I don't know what our prompt will be for next month (and I think it may have something to do with the spooky celebration of October), I am forcing myself to focus on one thing.

Apples.

Yes, apples.  Have you ever been to an orchard to pick apples during the fall?  If not, DO IT, you are totally missing out.  I used to be one of those that would just buy a bag of apples and be satisfied (ok I still buy the bags sometimes, just to get the kids to eat them).  But once you bite into a fresh, crisp apple straight off a tree, your apple-loving-life will never be the same.

And depending on the orchard and the area of the country you live in, there are varieties to choose from.  So you may not think you like apples, but if you tried a different variety, you may find that you really do.  I don't like red delicious, but I LOVE Gala's and Pink Lady's.  And Granny Smiths are tasty, but they are best in an apple pie.  But if you still don't like eating an apple, there are always the yummy apple flavored things like hot cider and cider doughnuts - YUM!

So that's my love fest with Apples...and apple orchards in a nut shell.  I could go on for hours, but I won't, I have some packing to finish up for our upcoming move.  More on that in a later post!

Anyway, check out my fellow team member's blog posts about this same topic - I can't wait to see what they all have to say!

R2R Designs - http://r2rdesigns.com/news/
Simply Leilani - http://www.simplyleilani.com/blogs/news
Semi Sweet Charm - http://semisweetcharm.com/

Homefront Team - http://homefrontteam.blogspot.com/

I've been TREAUSURED

Thanks for featuring a Camelot's Treasures doll dress in your treasury PACIFICNWGLASS!

Falling into the Holidays

Falling into the holidays by ETSY TEAMS FELLOWSHIP SOCIETY Praise goes out to all of these Etsy Teams Captains and leaders that Volunteer So many hours of their time https://www.etsy.com/pages/fellowshipsociety

Malachite & Gold Chain 3 Strand Beaded Bracelet, MultiStrand Teal Beaded Bracelet, Gemstone Beaded Bracelet, 3 Strand Gemstone Bracelet BackAtTheOffice $35.00	Needle Felted White Squirrel Albino ClaudiaMarieFelt $50.00	4 oz Soy candle Beach Glass Mason Jar CaribbeanStyleDecor $9.00	Stoneware Mug - 10 oz. - Ceramic Mug - Dark Brown / Handmade wheel thrown pottery LomaPrietaPottery $24.00
Miniature Silver Octopus Earrings Richarme $8.00	Whiskey Tumbler Irish Coffee Cup Set of 2 in Green Stoneware Pottery GoldhawkPotteryEtc $25.00	Leaf Green Infinity Scarf DaydreamingGifts $20.00	Tandem Bike Magnet JodiLynnDoodles $6.00
Kitten Softie Kittie Cat Art Doll Cream Black Brown Grey Pink with Olive Green Accents and Red Collar OOAK MustHaveBeenTheCat $39.00	Necklace cluster of apatite, peridot with large sea blue chalcedony Necklace 1-34 CalicoJunoJewelry $80.00	FOB Wristlet key holder Choose a fabric print FransUniqueTreasures $5.50	I'm Always Here Sign, Unless I'm Gone Sign, Custom Wood Sign, Humor Sign, Cabin Sign, Lodge Decor TheLaughingCabin $8.95
Vintage Edgar Allan Poe old Book Print Page Raven Crow Eiffel Tower Halloween Crow French DreamyPapers $7.50	Claret Slouch Hat, Burgundy Hat, Crochet Beanie, Dark Red Slouch, Wool Crochet Hat, Rhubarb Beanie Hat, CreativeEndeavorsKS $45.00	American Girl Doll Clothes - Candy Cane Dress camelotstreasures $15.99	Yellow Peacock Pendant Necklace | peacock jewelry | yellow and blue SchulmanArts $15.00

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We Will Never Forget

Today marks the 13th anniversary of a tragic day in the US' history, and we still stand strong with pride.

Before 9/11/01, I remember hearing people reminiscence about the assassination of President Kennedy - of course I couldn't join in with those tales, because I wasn't even thought of in 1963, not even a twinkle in my father's eye.  Today, it's stories about where they were during this fateful event.  And I will never forget this day, even though I wasn't directly affected by it.

I was running a little late that morning, frequent bathroom breaks through the night while 5 months pregnant does that to a lady.  I hadn't turned on the news before I left, which isn't unusual, because I think a lot of news is just full of gossip and not always based on proven truth.  On the car ride to work, I had a CD in my stereo, so there wasn't even a broadcast on.  Everything seemed just like every other day.  When I got to work around 9 am, I just started working and nothing seemed out of the ordinary; all of my coworkers and I were gabbing about the every day stuff.  Then the manager came in about 30 minutes later, and he was all flustered talking about this horrible plane crash in New York City.  So we all turned on the tiny TV in the break room, and watched as they replayed endlessly the events of two planes flying into the World Trade Towers.  We were all glued to the newscast, as breaking news arrived that there had been another plane crash into the Pentagon.

I don't remember much of anything else that day, just the replaying of the those events.  Fortunately it was a slow day, so work wasn't horribly impacted, although had it been everyone would have understood.  On the ride from my first job to my second job, I tried to call my then husband, who had just a few days earlier been sent up to northern Virginia for some training exercises near Quantico (he was a US Marine), but all lines were busy.  I tried calling my in-laws, who lived up in that area, and again I received an "all lines are busy" tone - I figured so many people were trying to reach out to their loved ones that the phone lines were flooded.  About the middle of my shift, at the second job, I received a phone call from my husband, telling me that he was fine, and that they were coming home early due to this events.

As the days passed, bases were locked down; what used to take me 15 minutes to drive him to work on Camp Lejeune, ending up taking almost 2 hours.  Every 10th car in line was pulled out, and checked thoroughly.  IDs were checked at the gate (when they used to just wave you on if you had an authorized sticker).  Who knew if there was going to be another attack, and where it might be.  It was a scary time.

Do you want to share your memory of 9/11?  How did it affect you?

Hi....again

Wow, time has really flown this year, and I am having a hard time keeping up!

Here's a summary pick of all the outfits of the month thus far for 2014.

Other things going on - so many custom orders this summer!  Oh and I made some Anna and Elsa dresses, which pretty much sold out within a week of posting them in the shop!

I donated a few outfits to giveaways and charities, which is always fun :)

Oh and I finished some new character beanies for the shop - hoping they fly off the virtual shelves like they did last holiday season!  How cute are these?!  Which one is your favorite?

So that's my summer and really my year in a nutshell, thus far.  I'll try REALLY hard to get back into this blogging business...I seriously need an assistant to help me plan my day better :)

Ciao for now!

Guin

Summer Quilt Challenge

Ever since I started to sew, I've really wanted to tackle a BIG project that my family could use for years, and possible pass down from generations.  I never got anything like that, so I think it would be really cool to start a tradition.  And what better thing than a quilt to become our first family heirloom!

First, let me tell you that I'm TERRIFIED about making a quilt.  I've attempted a couple of times at making quilt squares and they never came out right.  That's the great thing about doll clothing, it's a little forgiving.  But on a quilt, it's noticeable if things don't line up just right.  And you have to use math.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE math, however whenever it comes to applying it to sewing, 2 + 2 never = 4 for me.

But, I'm going to overcome my fear and triumph my need to pass on a legacy with this summer quilt challenge.

I need parameters when I'm learning a new thing.  I need a schedule, and a deadline.  I need to be held accountable.  I need a short timeline.  I need variety.  Or things sometimes have a way of not getting done.  So I have set up this challenge to HOPEFULLY be no-fail, and you can help hold me accountable!

Here's the dealio: from June 1st through August 31st, I will be making 50 different 12 inch squares for my first ever Queen Size Quilt, and finishing it up.  (I'll write about how I came up with that figure in another post, with links how you can figure out to do your own).  I think that 92 day deadline will be good, that means I have a little over a day to make each square, and the rest of the time to squander trying to figure out sashing, quilting and binding.  Every day (or every other day) I will post the "square of the day", a tutorial how I made it (or where I found a tutorial for it).  I will be getting inspiration and patterns from searching the internet and Pinterest - here's my board if you want to follow it :)

Follow Camelot's Treasures's board Quilt Summer Challenge on Pinterest.

You are more than welcome to follow along.  And if you do, please feel free to share your progress; I'd love to see how it's coming along for you.

Anyway, that's all for now.  I have a few things on the cutting table waiting to be sewn up and shipped to a fabulous doll!  Stay tuned for the progress of this challenge :)

Ciao!

Guin

American Girl Doll Summer Wardrobe Giveaway

You've been waiting for it and the time has arrived for our third American Girl Doll Handcrafted Wardrobe Giveaway. This time the contributors have outdone themselves and created an incredible summer wardrobe. You are going to love it!! This fabulous giveaway is brought to you by the following co-hosts, sponsors, & contributors~

1. Diana of Diana Rambles - Diana aka FreeStyleMama, the coordinator of this giveaway, is a self-described creative crafty mama of 3 who blogs about food, crafts, family & fun. She also is a blog designer & seamstress.
2. Amy of SewsNBows - Amy is a fabric hoarder and sewing pattern collector who enjoys sewing children's clothing and accessories. Her beautiful creations are showcased on her blog.
3. Millie & Kristina of 2 Crochet Hooks - Millie and Kristina, a Mother and Daughter team of Fiber Crafters, Entrepreneurs and Environmentally Concerned Parents. Blogging about Crochet, Crafts, Recycling, and Fun!
4. Stephanie of The Tip Toe Fairy - Stephanie is a stay-at-home mommy to 3.  She blogs about crafting, cupcakes, book reviews, and more.
5. KC of The Real Thing with the Coake Family - KC is a stay at home mom of two cuties who are 11 and 7. She blogs at The Real Thing with the Coake Family which is about living the creative life with her family, while keeping it real along the way.
6. Debbie of Heartbeats~ Soul Stains - Debbie is a wife, mother of 7 and a nurse that has survived many obstacles. She share stories about her life living in controlled chaos.
7. Janell of Saving you Dinero - Janell is a stay-at-home mom and blogger at Saving You Dinero, a blog dedicated to "saving you time and money, from kitchen to store and so much more." Janell enjoys baking, shopping online, and saving money by scouring the internet for the best deals and coupon codes.
8. Lynn of Turnips 2 Tangerines - Turnips 2 Tangerines is Lynn's Little Kitchen in the Big Woods of Northern WI is where she shares with you, her family tested and approved recipes, kitchen tips and many adventures traveling throughout Wisconsin.
9. Emily of Naptime Creations - Emily is an adventure loving mom who lives in Hong Kong with her husband and two boys. When she's not with her family or friends you can find her sewing, cooking, taking photos and blogging.
10. Jenny of Learning and Growing the Piwi Way - Jenny is a proud wife and mama who enjoys blogging about teaching her kids, the books she reads and food. With another job relocation always just over the horizon most of the projects she writes about are an attempt to distract her from packing.
11. Laura of Laura Kelly's INKlings - Laura Kelly is a licensed artist and creative project designer in addition to being the resident dyesigner for the Rit Studio and an inaugural member of The Sharpie Squad.  She blogs her journey with hopes of inspiring and stimulating creativity in others.
12. Stephanie of A Geek in Glasses - Stephanie loves all things Vintage and crafty and her house shows it. She just got AG Doll Molly McIntire for Christmas because she wants to have a Victory Garden and loves all things 1940's!!!
13. Lisa of Crazy Adventures in Parenting - Lisa Douglas is an Army wife raising seven kids sharing humorous parental war-stories, yummy homemade family-friendly recipes, craft tutorials, hilarious family videos, and much more at CrazyAdventuresinParenting.com. Lisa's on a journey to savor every "small" moment, finding the humor in the joy in everything (even diapers and laundry).
14. Char of Doll Diaries - Char is the founder and blogger at Doll Diaries where girls of all ages are inspired to create, play and share doll related activities. She is excited for the second summer of Camp Doll Diaries - a free, online summer camp with new themed activities for girls of all ages each day.
15. Ayelet of The Graceful Rose - Ayelet is the owner of The Graceful Rose shop, is a wife and mama to two adorable girls. Her blog is a bit about her daily life, with tips and tricks that she's learned along the way.
16. Anna of Doll It Up - Anna shares projects and inspiration to sew, craft and create for dolls. From easy to advanced projects come and create, repurpose and PLAY!
17. Rachel & Donna of Once Upon a Sewing Machine - The sewing machine has always been a place for us to come together as mother and daughter team. It is a place where we can brainstorm, laugh, cry, catch up after being apart and share new projects.
18. Michelle of Crafty Little Me - Michelle is wife and mother to two cats and one playful pup. Her site is a way for her to document and share her passion for big projects, events, etc., and more importantly, planning and organizing these things and seeing everything come together in the end.

Sonnet of SohoSonnet Creative Living   Becky of Plushie Patterns
Allison of Dream a Little Bigger   Lizzy of The Muddle-Headed Momma
Lindsay of My Creative Days   Harriet of Posh on a Budget
 Lisa of Chronically Content   Carmody of Paper & Fox

FreeStyleMama - Hawaiian Collection & Embroidered Tote Bag
Naptime Creations - Mushroom Outfit   Doll Diaries - T-shirt & Pajamas
Laura Kelly's INKlings - Patriotic Outfit   SewsNBows - Pet Set & Outfit
Darlin Girl Creations - Snoopy Outfit   Tickie's Treasures - Vintage Outfit
123 Mulberry Street - Outfit & Hat   A Bee Line - Beez Shoes
Jazzy Doll Duds - Romper Outfit   Karen Mom of 3 - Floral Outfit
  Gina's Craft Corner - 4 Bags   Aunt Sissy Originals - Patriotic Outfit
Once Upon a Sewing Machine - 2 Outfits   2 Crochet Hooks - Bedding Set
  GiGi's Doll Creations - Patriotic Outfit   Jessie's Girl Clothing - Polo Outfit 
Pickled Okra - Reversible Outfit   Meatloaf and Melodrama - Flower Outfit
Doll It Up - Tutu Set   The Graceful Rose - 2 Dresses
Cats Meow - Floral Dress   The Real Thing with the Coake Family - Dress Form
The Tip Toe Fairy - Skirt Set   Camelot's Treasures - Shorts Outfit

Enter the giveaway using the Giveaway Tools entry form below.

18+ yrs, US & Canada Only. Official Rules at bottom of the entry form.
Bonus entries unlocked after required entry.
The more entries, the better chance you have of winning.

Entry-Form

This giveaway was coordinated by Diana of Diana Rambles.

Summer Time Giveaway Donation

Wow...it's been awhile since I have been on this blog.  I mean to keep updating this blog, but things keep coming up.  Like moving.  Or an overbundance of snow days.  Or custom orders.  Or distracti- look squirrel!

Anyway here I am trying again...and this time with news of an AWESOME giveaway that I have donated to.  Oh yeah, when I say awesome...I mean all sorts of awesome like $595 worth of summertime goodies for your doll awesome.  Here's what Camelot's Treasures has donated - isn't it cute?  I particularly love the peachy tulips!

I'm Felicity and I know it...

Stay tuned for details on how YOU can enter to win this fabulous giveaway, and receive this pretty stylish outfit from me.

Ciao for now!

~ G