Luke

Luke is a nutball! He is laughing so much and moving around. I have a feeling that he will be a very mobile child. He enjoys looking at the Christmas tree and grabbing the branches! We are eagerly anticipating Luke's first Christmas!

Uh, Oh

It looks as though I will not be able to sell my custom creations on Etsy or Ebay due to the new legislation passed and effective Feb 10, 2oo9! I am so sad as this has been a favorite pastime of mine. Here is some info that a fellow designer (Sew Cute Babe) posted on her blog:

As of February 10, 2009, ALL items sold in the United States that are meant for children 12 years and younger will be required to have third-party lead testing done by the manufacturer. This sounds great in theory, since we all want to protect our children. This law will only force small businesses to close (or operate illegally), when the problem lies with large companies making cheap items in foreign countries.

DO YOU BUY THESE ITEMS, OR VALUE THE ABILITY TO BUY THEM?
Then you need to e-mail or write your representatives today. If this legislation is not changed to offer some sort of clarification regarding handcrafting businesses in the US, then many if not most of the items I've discussed will no longer be available. No more wood cars crafted by a retired grandpa; no more children's handmade clothing and cloth diapers on Hyena Cart; not to mention Etsy and other sites that encourage us to buy handmade. I don't know if you feel the same way, but if I had to choose between a handmade item made by a work-at-home mom versus a "certified lead-free" item made in China and sold at Target, I'd choose the former.

DO YOU MAKE OR SELL THESE ITEMS?
If you own a small home-based business crafting these items, these requirements fall on YOU. You will be required to test each and every component of your items for sale, and label them with a batch number and date of manufacture. This includes thread, buttons, fabric, etc. If you do not comply, you will be in violation of federal law and could be subject to fines up to $100,000 PER ITEM - and even jail time. Any children's items made before this date that are not tested and certified lead-free are considered banned hazardous waste and cannot be sold after February 10, 2009. Even if you use materials such as fabric that were tested by their manufacturer not to contain lead, you must still have third-party testing done. This is obviously not an option for most artisan businesses! Please call or write your representatives regarding the new CPSIA legislation *that has already passed* and will be put into effect in February without any thought for the 'little guys'. We must act soon and get some changes made, or February 10 could mean the end of the "Buy Handmade" movement! Stand up for small businesses everywhere as this legislation affects each and every one of us, our businesses, our children and even our economy.

Let your representatives know that as much as we value keeping our children safe by testing items for lead, this is the WRONG way to accomplish that.I encourage you to read over the links below.
Contact your local representative via this link:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

You can read more about the CPSIA legislation at:

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.htmlhttp://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-what-must-be-tested/

Fun at the Museum!

We went to the Children's Museum this past Thursday and had a great time. Uncle Josh and Aunt Liv joined us. I ran into a friend from college and that was a blast talking to her. We saw Santa and Wyatt decided that he was not the real Santa because the "deer" were not there. Neither one of the kids would sit on his lap. Here are a few pics from that night! Enjoy!

The Holidays!!!!

It is an exciting time in the Penney household! Christmas decorating, shopping, and baking has begun! The kids are so excited this year and have discovered through the TV that Santa exists. Madeline and Wyatt love to redecorate the tree each morning- I can not believe that one teeny tiny branch will hold 6 large ornaments! We had a picture taken for our Christmas card- disaster! You will see why when you receive your card. Not only are we trying to get ready for the big day, but we are leaving for VACATION (WooHoo) on the 27th to Florida to visit Grandpa and Grandma Kemp! We are also going to WDW for 2 days!!! So much to do to prepare!!! I do not have any recent pics to post, but I will soon!

And Luke is rolling over! He is the HAPPIEST baby! I am so blessed to have 3 wonderful children. It is sad to see the time so pass so quickly...

The Thumbsucker

Luke is so cute! He has discovered his thumb! He does not take a pacifier so this is great news! I am glad that he can soothe himself. This is a first for me because my other two LOVED their pacifiers! He is the sweetest person. When he wakes up he is all smiles! What a treat every morning!

Check this out!

Click here to see the listings!

Halloween

We had a great time with the Ball family and the kids loved trick or treating or "trick or treaking" as Wyatt would say!

Our Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Daddy's little girl.

Mommy and the boys!

Day at the Apple Orchard

I love how Wyatt decided he did not want to be the pig!

Wyatt jumping off the hill!

Posing for mommy!

We went to the apple orchard and had a great time picking and eating apples. I made Amish apple crisp...yummy!

Designing in Black and White....and a little RED!

Here is my new listing for the Bijou and Co "Designing in Black and White". Red is my favorite color and this set is probably my new favorite. Madeline did a great job taking pictures and I give all the credit to Fruit Snacks!!! I was in a funk and thanks to my best friend and fabric advisor LaNae for the therapeutic trip to the fabric store!

Go Tigers!!!

Wyatt has been playing flag football at the Y. He had his first game yesterday and it was a hoot to watch! The kids are still trying to figure out where they are supposed to run. Grandpa Kemp and Uncle Scott came to the game. They were in town for Ellie's memorial service. The Tigers won by one point. GO TIGERS!!!

In Memory of Ellie

My dear grandma Ellie passed away last week. She was a great woman and she will be missed! She truly fostered my love of reading and always knew of a good book that I should read. Here is her obituary.

Wyatt and the Bike

We bought Wyatt his first bike! He loves it and calls it his "motorbike". We have been taking daily walks to the school down the street to ride in the parking lot. Madeline usually pushes her baby stroller with a naked baby.

The Coat

LaNae gave Madeline a winter coat that had been Evie's. Madeline is obsessed with it! It is 80 degrees today and Maddie insists on wearing this coat completely zipped with the hood on! What a nut! She is so sweet though. We were watching the movie "Maid of Honor" and eating popcorn and I gave her a hug because she was so cute (this is with the coat on of course) and she said, "Thank you Mama". It made me tear up because really I should thank her. A child's love is like no other and the most forgiving too.

Bijou & Co Christmas Charity Launch

There are many holiday traditions around the world -- but all celebrate in the spirit of giving. That is why the designers at Bijou & Co. are most excited to announce our newest launch, Christmas Around the World.

Reaching across countries, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Children's Hospital. So you know that your bid goes beyond the custom -- it's helping to heal a child. And, after all, what better Christmas gift can you give, than the gift of hope? Bid early. Bid often. Make a difference.

Beginning on September 9th, search BijouCo on eBay!Here is just a small peek at the many festive outfits and accessories that you will find as we journey to Christmas Around the World!

Christmas Sneak Peek!

Here is a sneak peek of my newest set, Christmas Mittens!

WooHoo Wyatt!!!

Wyatt decided that he was a big boy and "no more diapers". Last night he stayed dry all night! Fingers crossed that dry nights will continue! Mommy is proud of her boy!!!

Meow!

My newest listings for the Cat vs Dog launch!

Luke is 8 weeks old!

The time is going by too fast! Here are some pictures taken this morning (please excuse Madeline's bed head). Luke now weighs 12.4 pounds and is 22 inches long. He is starting to talk and it is so cute. He loves his brother and sister!

Tuesdays

I love Tuesdays!!! Every Tuesday my sister Olivia comes over for three hours to watch Wyatt and Madeline. They love her and always have a good time. I run out of the door as fast as I can! If it is just Luke and I we usually run errands (read shopping). Our favorite stops are usually Jo Ann Fabrics and Target. If Matt is off we hang out with him and have a nice dinner. Last night Matt, Luke and I went downtown and ate at Champps and stoped at Steak N Shake for a shake. When we came home it was close to bedtime so we threw the kids in bed and watched a movie. It was a fun "date" night!

Just Listed!

This is my puppy custom for the "Cat vs Dog" Bijou and Co launch.

My Kiddos

I have three children. Wyatt is 3.7, Madeline just turned two this week, and Luke is almost 2 months old.

There is never a dull moment in the Penney household! As I am typing this Wyatt just dumped a container of Nesquick powder all over himself and the kitchen floor. I think that I will have a special "Fear the Silence" section of the blog.

Why I started a blog

When I was in college I had to keep a journal during my journey through teacher education and when I was a teacher I wrote often in the classroom. I miss the reflective thoughts that come through journaling and I love that a blog is the modern version of a journal. I think that this will help me find a piece of me that I feel has been lost throughout the numerous loads of laundry, dirty diapers and dishes.