MyEmbroideredGifts Blog

Let's start talking about Christmas

2011-10-10T19:53:00.007-05:00

I walked into our local Kohl's today to discover that they have put out their Christmas merchandise. I wasn't really ready for that. Now I know that most of my Christmas merchandise arrived over the last two months but I still wasn't ready to see it in the store. We haven't even made it to Halloween. Well, this started me thinking. Maybe it is time to start showcasing some of our Christmas merchandise. Here goes:
These cute Santa Snugglers would be a great idea for any child this Christmas. There is also a reindeer snuggler. These cute snugglers can be personalized with a name at no additional charge. They are super soft and easy to hug.
Also by the same company, the reindeer belly blanket. This blanket comes in a Santa version as well. This super soft belly blanket is perfect for baby to spend time on their belly. This blanket can be personalized with baby's name for an extra special Christmas keepsake. We also have a large variety of Christmas stockings. These cute gingham stockings some with a Santa or Snowman applique. The stocking can be personalized with a name in the white cuff area. Our final spotlight for today is the super cute Baby Gund Santa Coat. Wrap baby in warmth in this Santa coat or the Snowman coat (not pictured). What a cute way to keep baby warm. Well, I think that is all for today. Take a look at all the Christmas items on our website. Shop early because some popular items will sell out.

Behind the Glass by HeartStrings

2011-10-09T21:15:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to be offering to our customers HeartStrings Behind the Glass Pendants. These pretty necklaces have an added benefit. Twenty-five percent of the profits from this necklace are sent to Helping Honduras Kids' Orphanage. These are some beautiful necklaces. There are 23 different backgrounds, three fonts, four sizes, and three different casing colors. You can choose to have a monogram or a single initial to personalize the necklace. You can also choose to purchase a chain in one of four different lengths. These necklaces would make great Christmas gifts.

Mary Meyer Blankets and Wubbanubs

2011-08-06T20:07:00.006-05:00

We have so much new merchandise that needs to be added to the website. We are working hard to get everything up. For today, we have added some new items from Mary Meyer. We have some super cute new wubbanubs. In case you haven't seen them, wubbanubs are amazing. These cute stuffed animals are 6 inches and have a Soothee pacifier attached. Both of my nephews love their wubbanubs. They are easy for babies to hold on to since the animal is attached. For very young infants, t
he animal helps keep the pacifier near the baby because of the weight of the stuffed animal.

These are so cute and so well-designed. Everyone should try this great pacifier. But beware, you will want more than one if your child falls in love with a particular one.

Also from Mary Meyer, we have matching "lovie" blankets. These cute blankets are 17 inches square

and feature satin trim on the edge. They come with such cute animals in the center. The designs are refreshing and cute. The blankets can be personalized with baby's name for an extra-special keepsake.

Things are busy here with school starting this next week. We also have Christmas merchandise arriving every few days. We are always looking for new and different items and we have an amazing one coming up. You will have to check back to find out what it is. I am going back to working updating the website. More news to follow.

Today's favorite baby personalized baby gift

2011-08-04T21:46:00.003-05:00

It seems as each day passes, that there are phases we seem to cycle through. Every so often there seems to be run of a certain gift that is selling best. We have recently added some great new baby blankets that are a perfect size for that special "lovie" blanket or a burp cloth. These blankets measure 16 inches by 16 inches and are made of the softest terry velour I have ever felt. Each one features an accent border ribbon that fits perfectly with the main blanket color. They look amazing monogrammed in the ribbon accent color. I have made several of these today. The chocolate and orange or cadet blue and grassy green look so cute for boys. Also, really cute for today, was the hot pink blanket with the black and white zebra trim. Each of these turned out so cute. I would have a hard time choosing my favorite.

Last night was a restless night here in North Alabama. We had storms all through the night and woke this morning to so many downed trees. Many people in our area (about 30,000 was the last count I heard) were without power during the night. Thanks to our great local power company, most of those people have power restored tonight. So tonight I am thinking about all those people out there who once again are trying to clean up trees and damage after stormy weather. We had lots of trash and small limbs in our yard but nothing major. Looking forward to tomorrow and what will be the favorite baby gift of the day!

Way Too Long

2011-08-03T21:03:00.003-05:00

It has been way too long since I have posted to this blog. I am going to make an effort to post at least weekly starting today! We are working our way back around to the busy Christmas season. Believe it or not, we are already receiving our Christmas merchandise and it is 100 degrees outside here. We have been so busy I am not even sure where to start today. It has been a great summer relaxing with my family but staying busy with orders. Our most popular item this time of year is the towel wrap. We now have several varieties. The new colored wraps are so amazingly soft and come in four different sizes. As you may know, I am a mom to two boys, 13 (almost 14 in September) and 20. It has been so much fun to have my 20 year old home from college for the summer. He and his brother have so much fun together. I really can't believe my boys are this old now. It seems like only yesterday they were babies. One reason I love my embroidery business is that it allows me to arrange my schedule around their activities. Even now that they are older, there are things that I really don't want to miss.

Here in Alabama it is almost time for school to start back and I am not ready. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against school but I have really enjoyed our relaxing summer. School presents a time of much stricter schedules and bedtime routines. Things have to be much more organized to fit it all in the day. I am starting to work on my schedule so that I can fit some new adventures that I added this summer to my busy school schedule. One thing I added is an exercise routine. I broke down and bought a very nice treadmill and invested in a few exercise videos. Now that the boys are older, we turned an area that they used as a playroom into an exercise area. I am about two weeks into working out with a video for 20 minutes and then trying to walk/jog 1 to 2 miles each day. I hope to get worked up to 3 miles a day. I am determined to make sure there is time in my day for exercise. As I get older, I recognize the need to stay in shape (which is getting more difficult).

Today's blog is a little more about life and not as much about embroidery but I hope to blend both and post more often. If there are any embroidery topics out there you would like to see me discuss, please let me know. I love, love, love being able to add personalized embroidery to gifts for special people out there. It is such a joy to hear from some of those people and how much they enjoy their items.

Personalized Gifts for Christmas

2010-10-23T13:54:00.006-05:00

It is still really warm here in Northern Alabama. They say we may have storms on Sunday that will bring in some cooler weather. It is so hard to think about Christmas shopping when it is this warm. Both of my boys have promised to start making a Christmas list for me. They are older now (19 and 13) and it seems to get harder and more expensive to shop for them each year. I would love to say that I am an early shopper but normally I am running around at the last minute trying to finish up. My ideal Christmas shopping involves sitting in my comfy chair and shopping online. How about you?
We have some fun Christmas gifts in stock at MyEmbroideredGifts. We have the cutest plush mailbox from Baby Gund. The Been Good for Goodness Sake Letter Box is a cute corduroy mailbox that will make a great family keepsake. It measures 5in H x 6.5in W x 4in L. The corduroy mailbox opens and closes with touch and close fastener. Inside the mailbox is a red felt envelope and 20 pre-written letters to Santa. Year after year, your children can use this mailbox to deliver their letters to Santa. We have a super sweet My First Antlers Reindeer that would be a great plush gift for any child's first Christmas. We are thrilled to be carrying several new items from Lipstick Shades. The super cute melamine personalized plates would make a great gift for any season. There are some Christmas themed gifts and some for any time of year. We also carry personalized alu minum water bottles. Well, there are some great SEC football games going on so I think I will go check the scores. Have a great last week of October!

Christmas Items are Here!!

2010-10-17T19:43:00.007-05:00

Are you ready for Christmas? It has been so warm here in North Alabama that it is hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner. Have you started your shopping yet? I don't even have a list. I am so excited. We have found some amazing new Christmas items to offer you this year and all of our new Christmas merchandise in here. We have some great Christmas stockings that can be personalized. We have some supper cute reindeer snugglers. These are so sweet. They feature a cute reindeer head and then a beautiful red snuggler blanket. The Baby Gu nd First Chrismtas photo album has been redesigned this year and looks like a snowman face. We also have some super sweet First Christmas baby dolls.

We have added some great items to the sale listing so be sure you check those out as well. Nap Nanny is on sale for a limited time. We have some really nice Baby Gund minky blankets that are also on sale. Stock up for upcoming baby showers. We will be adding new things often so that we don't have so much to count for inventory! Help us and get a bargain at the same time. Sign up for our newsletter to get coupon offers!

Well, I hope to be a better blogger but I think that is all for tonight. We are looking into some great new towel wraps in some really cool colors. We will keep you posted!!

Happy Blankies are Here

2010-06-16T19:11:00.005-05:00

Well, I guess we can say that I have been terrible about blogging. I have been so busy with, well,... business, that I have failed to blog like I wanted. I am going to try to get better, hopefully. Our most popular item currently is out ribbon-trimmed towel wrap. The towel wraps are a great gift for any young lady going to college. They are definitely flying off the shelves. Remember we always offer a low flat-rate shipping of $5.95 for any size order!
Now for our biggest news of the day. We are so excited to be offering Happy Blankies to our customers. These amazing blankets are the idea of a cute young man named David Holdridge. He had a wonderful idea to combine two things his younger sister loved: stuffed animals and blankets. His entire family got behind his idea and Happy Blankies were born. David's mom Emily had another great idea, she wanted to give away a blanket to a child in need for each blanket bought. She established the "ONE to love, ONE to give". Through this program, when a blanket is purchased, it comes with a code you enter online allowing you to choose where another blanket will be donated. Check out this link to see more information on "ONE to love, ONE to give". The blankets come in four styles: Chase the Dog, Giggle the Pig, Stomp the Frog, and Tumble the Bear. There are three sizes.
At MyEmbroideredGifts.com, we offer custom embroidery on your blanket at no additional charge. Well, I am going to stop for tonight but we have several new products we are adding so I will blog about them soon.

What a Beautiful Day!

2010-02-20T18:05:00.006-06:00

Wow, what a beautiful day we had here in North Alabama today. After weeks of rain, snow, sleet and just cold weather and dreary skies, we have a beautiful day today. It is so great to see the sun and feel a little bit of warmth.
Today I wanted to talk about a great new product we have and add some pictures of embroidery on a product I have already talked about. We still have more great new products coming. I am having so much fun finding new baby gift ideas these days.
Our newest products are Di aper Clutches and Wipe Clutches. I wish there had been a product like this when my boys were young. My children are almost 7 years apart. There were so many times I needed to just grab a few diapers and some wipes and run out for an errand. I didn't need a great big diaper bag, just something small. The diaper clutch is perfect. This great Diaper Clutch holds a small supply of diapers on one side and a wipe case on the other. The case has a window perfect for dispensing wipes. We can personalize the top flap with a name or monogram at no additional charge. We have ten great fabrics to choose from. The diaper clutch is 10" x 7" and is 100% cotton. The diaper clutch is designed around the Huggies Disposable wipes refill pack but is compatible with most disposable soft pack wipes with hard top cover. (Brands: Huggies, Pampers, Kirklands, etc.) The Wipe Clutch is very similar be designed to only hold wipes. There are so many times that I wish I had a wipe on hand to clean something up. What a cute way to keep some wipes close at hand.
Now, we can't help but show off some really cute items we have done recently. The Lave ndar Lab Aroma Pillow from Cloud B looks amazing personalized with embroidery. We can't help but show off some pictures. These cute pillows are child size and come with a pillowcase that we embroider with a first name. I think you will like them as much as we do. They have a Lavendar scent sachet for a soothing smell.
I hear the dinner buzzer going off to pull the supper out of the oven. We hope to post often now as new products become available.

Snow, Snow and More Snow

2010-02-15T21:55:00.006-06:00

Okay, it doesn't take much snow in Alabama to cause all kinds of problems. We missed a few days of school in January because we thought it might snow. I can't remember if we really had any snow or not. So now, we are making up a couple of days. Our first day to make up was a half-day tomorrow. Guess what? It has snowed (maybe an inch) but the big thing is there is ice on the roads. It has been so wet and now it is below freezing so our make-up snow day is now canceled. Oh well, I need to stay in and work on orders anyway. Maybe one day it will warm up and we can make up our snow days.
The days off have given us time to get some new products up on the website. With my dreams of warm weather, comes new Easter products. We are excited to have several new items. We have some precious plush coat s for infants. Gund has done a great job with their yearly My First Easter Basket Playset. It is so cute. The basket is about 3 inches by 3 inches. It has three cute plush rattles inside. These are limited in quantity and will sell quickly. Then there is our cute Baby Gund T-shirt Bunny. The bunny's shirt says "Somebunny Loves You" and can be personalized with a name to make this bunny an extra special keepsake.
We would love to personalize a bunny for you for someone special this Easter. Drop by and check out these and other new Easter products. Stay tuned for some other new products as well. Have ideas about new products you would like to see? Comment here and let us know! We love finding new baby gift ideas. By the way, I have a new nephew on the way. He will be here in March or April. I can't wait to have another great product tester to join Bennett.

Happy New Years!

2010-01-02T19:37:00.004-06:00

Where oh where did 2009 go? Do many changes at our house. I sent one son off for his freshman semester at University of Alabama. What a fall it was there. They are playing for the National Championship in football on January 7th. My son is not really interested in sports but you can't help but get a little caught up in all the excitement. I also accepted a full-time teaching position that began right after Thanksgiving. I have committed to teach in this capacity through May. We are still figuring the full-time thing out. I am so glad to be able to spend the day at my younger sons school. It is pretty cool to see him through the day. And then there is my business. We have fared pretty well this year overall. Despite a downturn in spending, people still have babies and still need baby gifts. We have added some great new products through the year and continue to look for new and exciting items. We recently received our shipment of the new Aroma Pillows from Cloud B. This great new product is so exciting. There are five animal choices taken from their other products. Each travel size pillow comes with an inner pillow, lavender sachet packet and a bamboo pillow case. We are able to embroider a child's name on the pillowcase to make it a unique gift. We are so excited about this product. We are also waiting on a shipment of Baby Dipper bowls. This bowl is truly amazing. It was designed by a mom who lives in the same town I do. It is such a great product and we cannot wait to get our supply. We are looking forward to seeing the new products from Baby Gund in a couple of days and will keep you posted about the exciting new items they have introduced. I think there will be some organic items. Okay, that is a quick update. I would like to say my New Year's Resolution is to post to this blog more faithfully. Maybe.....

New Bridal and Baby Gift Registry

2009-11-08T13:27:00.005-06:00

We are so excited to announce that MyEmbroideredGifts.com now has a bridal and baby gift registry. It is very simple to use and you can send your friends and family to look at the items you have registered. You set a login name and password which allows you to add items to the registry. You just go to the page of the item you want and you click the "add to registry" button. Your family and friends can search on your name and see all the items you have chosen. When someone purchases an item on your list, your list registers the purchase so that you will not receive duplicates. If you are getting married or expecting, please stop by and start a registry!

We are also excited to be part of BuyMomMade.org. We have pledged to "buy products that are created and sold by moms and encourage others to do the same." Drop by the website and make the pledge.

We are also marking down some items to great prices so drop by the "On Sale" page for prices as much as 75% off.

On the home front, we have survived a round of the flu with our youngest son and he seems to be recovering. I hope all of you are having a wonderful fall and avoiding the illness that seem to be making their way around. I hope you all have many things to be thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my amazing family and the chance to do what I really love and sew! Have a blessed week!

Exciting New Products

2009-10-12T19:39:00.006-05:00

We are so excited to have some amazing new products. Both items are designed by moms for moms to make life easier, better, and more manageable.
Our first item is the Nomie Car Seat Cover. This amazing car seat cover is the winner of the iparenting media award. I have never felt material as soft and cool as the material of this car seat. MyEmbroideredGifts.com is one of the few stores that will personalized your car seat cover at no additional charge. Have a name, monogram or just the last initial embroidered on the car seat for an extra special touch. How many times has your child suffered from carsickness, had a leaky messy diaper, spilled a drink or dropped crumbs in your
car seat? After a one of these mishaps, just slip off the car seat cover, throw it in the washing
machine and dryer, and you have just avoided hours of clean up time. One testimonial states "The material on the outside is soft and snuggly. The material in the middle wicks away wetness, and the material closest to the seat acts as a barrier to any liquids that dare try to soak into your backseat cushions. Instead of just being sandwiched together, all the layers are quilted to withstand washes." This is an amazing time saver. Keep your car seat looking like new!
The second new product is The Little Lasso. How many times has your child thrown their toy or cup down from their high chair or out of their stroller? This amazing product fits like an elastic "lasso" around most toys, cups, and bottles. It attaches with a C clip to the high chair or the stroller. Never play fetch again. There are some great fabric choices. This will be a great back saver. Don't order just one!
And don't forget our great personalized Christmas items!!

WubbaNubs Pacifiers

2009-07-30T21:38:00.006-05:00

We are so excited to have added WubbaNub pacifiers to our store. My nephew Bennett is completely hooked on the green frog wubbanub. WubbaNubs were created by a mom just like you and me. After bringing home a new baby, mom and dad were getting no sleep. Pacifiers worked but wouldn't stay in the baby's mouth. Mom decided to sew a plush animal to baby's pacifier and WOW, more sleep! WubbaNubs have a Soothie™ medical grade, latex free pacifier that is BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free. The carefully weighted plush animal keeps the pacifier near baby's mouth. As baby grows, the bright colorful animals stimulate eye hand coordination and make it easy for baby to put the pacifier in their own mouth. Winners of many awards and receiving some great press, we are thrilled to be able to offer these wonderful products. Another one of Bennett's favorites is the Sleep Sheep. We hope these will be arriving any time now. The Sleep Sheep provides four great nature sounds to lull baby to sleep. We will be selling the regular size Sleep Sheep as well as the Sleep Sheep on the Go which is a smaller travel version. Also, coming is the Twilight Turtle. Don't tell Bennett but he will probably get one for Christmas. Twilight Turtle shows several choices of constellations with three color choices. This great nightlight makes the dark night much more comfortable for children. Drop by and check out these products. Thanks Bennett for being a great inspiration to your Aunt! I know these are great products because Bennett says so!
Well, school is just around the corner for us. We have about one week before we have to get back in a regular routine. Summer has been great, sleeping late, staying up late but we have to get back on a schedule. I also have to move my oldest son to college. Keep checking back to see the adventures of the store and also a mom sending her oldest of to college for the first time. It is an exciting and scary time. Thanks!

Is it HOT? or is it just me!

2009-06-26T08:51:00.004-05:00

Summer seems to be officially here in Alabama. With temperatures hovering very near 100 degrees, it is really unbearable to be out in the middle of the day. I had the bright idea that I wanted to clean up some flower beds on Monday. It really didn't feel so bad outside at 9 in the morning. I trudged off to Lowes and purchased some new cedar mulch, marigolds, some verigated greenery that I don't even know the name of, lantana (my grandmother always had that), and some gerber daisies. Then I saw the peonies (my grandmother had those too), followed by a bush called rose of sharon althea and a dwarf crepe myrtle. Putting down the new mulch and weeding the beds went well. Planting the marigolds and lantana was easy. Then I looked around at the larger pots of peonies, althea and crepe myrtle. What was I thinking??? The soil in our yard is hard. I remember once my husband and father-in-law planting some trees. My husband gets the shovel and the axe out of the garage. My father-in-law wondered why the axe---he realized why when they tried to dig. Thankfully my plan for these larger bushes was to put them in place of some others that had died. I did manage to dig holes deep enough to put the bushes in. It was very hard and I was very thankful that I had only purchased four larger plants. I have watered every day because we have had no rain and the almost 100 degree heat is rough on my plants. AHHHH summer in Alabama. Actually I wouldn't trade it.
In the shop, we are happy to have some great new plates and wall tiles from Little Worm and Company. The age plates are so cute. You can actually have your child's current age put in the center of the plate. The wall tiles are a new addition and would look great in any child's room. Another new addition is the first birthday doll from Gund. She is so sweet and plays Happy Birthday. We embroider the birthday girl's first name on the bottom of the dress and it is so sweet. These dolls sell out quickly and are currently on back order but are so cute I just had to mention them. Off to work some now (and not outside). I think I have done all the planting for now. I have enough to water at this point. Hopefully all of you are experiencing a great summer as well. I love this time of year when I have some extra special time with both my boys at home relaxing (or being bribed into service in the shipping department). Have a great rest of June!

Graduation - What a Mix of Emotions

2009-06-12T12:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, it is time to admit this to myself and everyone else....my oldest son graduated from high school. WOW! How hard that is to believe. Surely I am not old enough to have a child who is graduating. Surely it hasn't been 18 years since I gave birth to my 8 pound 15 ounce oldest child. What a joy the 18 years have been. What a handsome young man he has turned into. Graduation for me is such a mix of emotions. I am so proud of him!!! He has a scholarship to go to the University of Alabama. He is currently gone on a mission trip serving those who really need some help. He is a really awesome guitar player and could be famous someday! (He would love that sentence). I work at the school he attended. I had the joy of seeing him every day and even eating lunch with him and a group of friends from time to time. I had the awesome amazing joy of handing him his diploma. HOW VERY COOL IS THAT!! I also am realizing how quiet it can be around my house with just my 11 year old and myself. Well, congratulations to you young people who graduated this year. Just remember, your mom needs to hear from you from time to time. She loves you, is proud of you, is even thrilled to see you going on to college for an amazing life,....BUT she still needs to hear your voice every so often.
Things rock along at MyEmbroideredGifts.com. We are always on the lookout for amazing new gifts. At this time of year, I am especially looking at graduation gifts. Towel wraps continue to be a wonderful gift for girls. My son received money from many friends (which works well for someone always shopping for new guitar merchandise). Travel bags for girls or guys of all shapes and varieties come in handy also.
Such am amazing array of emotions, such amazing young people headed out to make the world a better place. Congratulations 2009 graduates of WCA!

Easter is coming faster than I realize

2009-03-23T20:36:00.007-05:00

Well, I have been a terrible blogger. If anyone is still following my blog, thank you. School has been incredibly busy, life in general has been busy. Last week was spring break for our schools here. I went with 3 other adults and 10 students to Baldwin Louisiana and worked at UMCOR (Uni ted Methodist Committee on Relief) packaging relief supplies. If you ever have a chance to do this, it is amazing. I worked a good bit of the time in the sewing room (where else would I be) serging book bags that they package school supplies in. It was such rewarding yet relaxing work. This was the fourth year that my son and I have done this and it always amazes me how much the youth enjoy this trip. They work so hard. In the past, we have gone as a part of their school year but I was really amazed that they were willing to go during their spring break this year. What an amazing blessing to help people. We always meet the neatest people from all over the United States while we are there. We always eat some great Cajun seafood. It was wonderful.
But, that week is over and it is time to get back to work. We have added a new feature to the website. We now have Flash Sequence Banners at the top of the page thanks to Solid Cactus. I think they look really cool. Let me know what you think. My 11 year old has spent time working to help me design some great banners for Easter. Yes, Easter is quickly approaching. Now is the time to get those Easter baskets and Easter bunnies. The basket this year from Gund is really cute but unfortunately cannot be personalized. Drop by and take a look at all the bunnies and baskets. We have some precious doll bunnies that can be personalized with a name on the front of their dresses.
Time to call it a night here and get ready for another. I really hope to update this blog more frequently. Check back and see if I can manage to do that.

Modern Mom Challenge Week 1

2009-01-05T14:17:00.002-06:00

I have joined with lots of other moms out there to take on the Modern Mom Challenge. I really believe this can make 2009 a great year. I have a few goals for this time:
1. I didn't really gain any weight over Christmas (you ask how that could happen) because I was so sick but I do need to be more careful in what I eat. Cut down on fast food (I am always eating and working at lunch so I eat bad stuff) and eat healthier food. Take the time to fix a lunch that is healthy. Take time to eat lunch and savor it.
2. Exercise regularly (or at all). I need to find something to do here at home that I can do regularly and maybe enjoy. I enjoyed Pilates at the gym and I have some DVD's so maybe I should break open those wrappers and give it a try. I would also like to find a good Zumba workout.
3. MAKE TIME FOR ME!! After being sick for a week, I really think this is going to be important. I think my illness was made worse by being worn down and stressed out. I need to enjoy more movies with my kids, more reading, in general more relaxing time when I am not contemplating the next great things I am going to add to the website or how I am going to get everything in tomorrow's mail.
So, let's see how it goes. I hope to keep you posted each week as we progess through this journey. I look forward to taking this journey with lots of other cyber-friend moms and see what we all accomplish as we cheer each other on.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:59:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year! I cannot believe we are beginning 2009. This is the year my oldest child will graduate from high school and possibly go away from home to college. We have been on one college visit and have an interview trip to make later this month. It is so funny that my non-sportsminded child (if that is a word) is looking at The Univeristy Of Alabama. You can only understand this comment if you have lived in or near the state of Alabama. My goal is that he find the place he can get a quality degree and be happy. This is a huge prayer request for the year.
How is this year starting off for you? It is a bit rocky for me. We travelled to visit with family on Christmas day. The van broke down 15 miles from my parents. They came and picked us up. We paid a premium fee to have our van towed on to my mom and dad's house. Merry Christmas. Thankfully my dad and husband were able to get parts the next day and fix it themselves. I began having fever and chills Christmas night but wanted to write it off as just a cold. NO SUCH LUCK! I began throwing up the next morning and ended up in urgent care getting meds to stop the puking. Several days go by in a blur now. In fact, most of my visit with family goes by in a haze of fever and medicine that kept me knocked out. I missed some precious time with my beautiful nephew Bennett because I really didn't want to make anyone else sick. After returning home, I have gotten a massive dose of antibiotics and am feeling TONS better. I still am having an issue with a tooth that seems to have also been a part of all this....more on that Monday when I can see the dentist. Maybe God thinks I needed more rest than I was willing to get. I certainly got some rest. I hate being sick and this has been the worst I have seen in many many years. Thanks mom and family for nursing me and taking care of me, I know it certainly wasn't fun.
Did you eat your blackeyed peas today? I certainly did!! After the past week, I am shooting for anything lucky I can get. Well, it is time to start thinking about getting new products online. Valentine's has already arrived and Easter will soon be arriving. There are some exciting things in the works. We are also looking at some new baby gift products that are really precious. For now, I am sitting in the recliner watching Bugs Bunny with my 11 year old. Rest is good, that is my lesson for the week. Take time to relax, enjoy family and rest!! Life passes quickly...... much to quickly! Have a great New Year!

Thank you for a great year!

2008-12-23T20:35:00.002-06:00

This is the time of year to reflect, maybe rest, and plan. I enjoy so much the work I do. I love picking out great quality products. I love the fun of helping people pick a great unique gift that they are so excited to give. I love working right next to my children's playroom upstairs. There are just so many things I really love about what I do. It is always nice for it to be profitable as well. October was a slow month, in fact a scary month. I had loads of new Christmas merchandise and sales were slow!! November and December were good and for me the year has ended on a postive note. I am thrilled to have had a few good months. I am even more thrilled to be taking a much deserved (at least I think so) break for about a week. I appreciate that I have found something that I enjoy, something that allows me to express myself creatively.
Okay, during my relaxing time, I am working on a Christmas stocking for my 11 year old. When my 17 year old was born I cross-stitched this elaborate stocking. Really good idea, right? NO!!!! Then along came my now 11 year old. I had two children, I started working part-time, the internet became popular (I am looking for anything I can blame), I started my embroidery business.....all of these things seem to have prevented me from working on the stocking for my 11 year old that would compare with his brother's. This poor stocking has travelled on every family trip and is still so far from being done. I pulled out the stocking today and was bragging about the fact that I was really working on it. Here is my 11 year old son's take on this entire process. "Mom, it is like the Great Wall of China". To which my reply was "What?" "Mom, it took thousands of years and lots of people died before they finished it." I quickly assured him that so far no one has died all the while thinking "but you might!" Isn't it great what kids can say! Really no harm done, we have all had a great laugh about the new name for the stocking and I am more determined than ever to work on it.
On that note, I am going to finish up this entry and go stitch a stocking. I wish for each of you a very Blessed holiday season. Whatever your plans, I pray for you wonderful time with family, and a time to reflect on the year. I hope someone out there reads this blog entry and gets a good laugh from the stocking now fondly referred to as "the Great Wall of China". I will let you know when it is done :)

New Exciting Product - Gabrielle's Fleece

2008-10-25T20:57:00.003-05:00

I don't usually spend a blog post talking about one particular product but I am so excited about this one. I was contacted by the sweetest Grandmother who hand knits blankets. Let me just say they are incredibly beautiful. These blankets are a gift that anyone would cherish but they also include the sweetest framed set of 7 prayers that relate to the blanket. This is truly an heirloom gift that will be passed down for generations. I am so excited that I was contacted to add this product to my website. If you are looking for a baby gift, this is it!

Okay, can you believe that October is almost over? We had homecoming week at school this week. What a fun time we had!! BUT, it is time to settle down and get back to work. The time changes next weekend and we have a fall festival on Saturday. We are quickly approaching the amazingly busy holiday season and it is hard to believe another year has passed. Time is slipping away as my oldest is almost half-way through his senior year. There are days that I am so ready to see him graduate and then there are days that I know I am not ready for this. It seems like only yesterday I was holding him and praying he would sleep for more than 3 hours at at time. How quickly the time passes. He has grown into a handsome, intelligent young man and it is a wonderful sight.

Well, I should get back to my embroidery work. There are still a few other new items that we are adding to the website so check in and see what we have. Shop for Christmas before those items are all gone. Baby's First Stockings are moving quickly!!

Where did September go?

2008-10-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

September came and went and it seems like I missed it completely. I know I really didn't. My youngest son turned 11 during the month. We had a small group of boys over for the day and it was great. My birthday was at the end of the month but I am not going to tell you my age :) School is in full swing and teaching 5 classes seems to be so much more than when I was teaching 4 last year.

This is also the time of year to prepare my business for Christmas. Christmas stock has arrived, it has been added to the website and we are ready to go! I have some great orders for shirts from school. I opened the door to embroider staff shirts and band shirts and choir shirts... the thing I didn't realize is that everyone would want their shirts at the same time!! Well, it is fall break here is Alabama and guess what? I am spending my relaxing break embroidering shirts every minute of every day. I am NOT complaining but just describing one aspect of running your own business. Sometimes, if you want the big jobs, you have to sacrifice some precious time to get the work done.

Well, I have two hungry boys and piles of shirts so that is all for today's blog. Maybe I will post a few times in October and not have the month completely vanish!

Much too busy - Not enough time

2008-08-24T16:12:00.006-05:00

Okay, It has been much too long since my last post. School has started back and I teach part-time. Wow, has it taken me a couple of weeks to even begin to get things under control. School is good and I really enjoy the students, work is busy but I love it too. The website is busy and trying to keep up with both has really been a job :) I am a fanatic about getting papers graded and back to the students the next day. I am also a fanatic about getting orders that come in on the website out within 24 to 48 hours. Well, begin a fanatic about both of these things proves to make lots of work for me. I just know that if I don't stay up with everything, I will get buried because it never stops.

Well, enough whining about why I haven't posted. I was very proud to participate (at least by giving away a prize) in blogging for blood cancer. I am looking forward to hearing from the winner and being able to personalize a satineesnugs for them. We have some great new items that arrived in the last couple of weeks also. We have the funniest musical for Halloween. It is called Howton and Pumpkin Bumpkin. The owl, Howton sings the verse for Monster Mash. He is followed by the pumpkin singing the backup vocals on the chorus. It is incredibly cute. You can go to youtube to see it actually sing. We also have four new items in the Baby Beginnings line. This line is brown and creme and very classic looking. We have two new smaller hubbybuddies, a lamb and a bear. We also have two new plush items, again a lamb and a bear. Well, there are orders to fill and papers to grade and tests to make out. So, for this week, that is all. Hopefully I will do a better job of posting within the week. Have a great week!

Christmas Personalized Gifts have arrived

2008-08-03T15:47:00.005-05:00

Okay, well I am not crazy but those of us who carry gift items are receiving our Christmas stock. I guess maybe I should be patient and wait to tell you all about them but I CAN'T. I am so excited about the items we have to offer this Christmas. First let me begin blogging today with reason to shop now and online. First of all, the stock we have received will sell quickly and when it is gone ....well, it is gone. Second, save on gas!!! Shop online. Third, avoid crowds. Now for some reason this one appeals to me the most. In Alabama we have something called the "tax free weekend" to help parents buying back to school items. I went out with my kids yesterday...I hated every minute. It was crowded and there were several items that the stores were sold out of. So, I am now doing my school clothing shopping online!!

Well, I should really stop venting about crowded shopping and tell you about some of the new Christmas items. We have the always popular Baby's First Christmas Photo Album. If you know someone who has a new baby, this is a great gift. The album is personalized on the back with baby's name and is great to hold those special First Christmas pictures. We also have a great selection of Christmas stockings. We have Baby's First Christmas stockings that feature a cute white teddy bear rattle. We also have the Winter Cuddlers Christmas Stockings with your choice of a reindeer, penquin, or polar bear. These are beautiful stockings and would work for any child's stocking no matter the age. The cute plush animals play "Jingle Bells". To go along with these stockings we have some wonderful new Winter Cuddlers Pullstring Musicals. They come in your choice of the same three plush animals and play "Brahms Lullabye" when pulled down. We also have some great stockings for older children or adults. Most of our stockings can be personalized with a name.

Well, I am sure there are more things I could blog about but I will hold those until later. Please check my blog list for other great friends I have found who have some great blogs as well. And remember shop early.

School starts back this week so be careful and have a great week!

The weeks fly by - school is about to start

2008-07-26T11:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I seem to always be a day later getting my blog posted. Where does the time go? I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new Christmas merchandise (yes, you read that right). It is time to begin setting up the Christmas shopping pages on the website. Wow, here in Madison, Alabama it is reaching 98, 99 , 100 some days and I am thinking about Christmas. As soon as we get the new pages set up, I will post a blog.
This week my new accomplishment was to join twitter. My space, name, whatever you call it is http://twitter.com/sewsweet Please feel free to hop in and follow me. I am really still trying to figure this out but I am following some great people.
Also, let's talk about some new blogs I found that really are great. First, and I believe this author is from just down the road in Birmingham Alabama, The Frugal Mom. She has great tips and recently has posted some really good deals. The latest is for Starbucks coffee. The next great site is Shake the Salt which is having a great launch party with tons of prizes. One more here is Gifts4Kids which has some great gift ideas. I am finding so many great places to browse and read. I hope you are too. I am also finding it hard to get the work done that I need to because I am enjoying other websites far too much.
Well, school is about to start and things will be even crazier. I will have a Senior (which I am sure I am not old enough to have) and a 5th grader. I know what a span. It will be an exciting year for both since my 5th grader is on a campus where they move to a new school after this year (so he is sort of an elementary senior also). We have done the big Senior portrait event which went very well but ate up several of my paychecks. There are so many exciting events for the year.
Guess I should go sew as the orders pile up. Have a great Saturday!

Busy Week and School is Almost Here

2008-07-18T09:17:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been a busy week here for me. We travelled to Mississippi to have a belated 4th of July picnic with family. I was able to spend some really great time with my precious nephew Bennett. He will be one tomorrow. Happy Birthday Bennett!! We saw family that we only have a chance to visit with about once a year. It was definitely a good time.

So what new product can I highlight for you today? Well, I thougth one of our cute baby dolls might be fun. At Myembroideredgifts we work hard to find some great quality sibling gifts. I think it is so important to acknowledge siblings when the new baby arrives. We have three new baby dolls from Gund that have been added recently. They are all precious. One of my favorites is Kristen. She is about 13 inches tall and is dressed in the cutest pink courdoroy jumper with a butterfly applique. She has cute blonde pigtails and is extremely huggable. There is also a brunette doll Kiana who is dressed in purple with a cute heart applique. If you need a baby doll for a younger child then My First Dolly is perfect. She is a great soft baby doll in a cute pink outfit. Any little girl would love these dolls. They are perfect girly colors and so soft.

Well, we are embarking on an exiting year at my house. My oldest son is a Senior! I am excited but sad. Maybe some of you other mothers out there understand this. We went this week to have senior pictures made. They turned out great! It is hard to believe my first baby has gotten this big so fast. For all you moms of younger children, time goes by fast! Enjoy! I know there are many exciting adventures ahead during this year. I am so fortunate to work part-time at the school my children attend. I just see them from time to time but it is great to share that part of their lives with them. I especially look forward to being around as senior year goes by in a blur.

Well, there are orders and housework to attend to. Today is a little slower day which is great since the other days this week have been jam packed. Enjoy a few more weeks of summer. It is almost over!

Time to Sew

2008-07-09T19:34:00.003-05:00

I always try to start off with a great personalized gift idea. The idea for this week is one of my favorite new items from Baby Gund. Snoodles Activity Puppy is one of my favorite gifts for boys. This has got to be one of the cutest puppies around. We personalize the ear of the puppy with a name to make it extra special. Any little boy would love to see his name on the cute puppy.

Now, what is up for this week. With school out and a little more time on my hands, I have actually been sewing for myself. Okay, no gasps of horror or amazement out there. I hit the local Hancocks store on July 4th because Simplicity patterns were 5 for $5. Just a hint for any would be seamstresses out there, if you have a Hancocks watch for the days when patterns are on sale. I purchased several patterns but I have been working on a pattern from Project Runway. Another hint to any would be seamstresses, you should not start with this type pattern. I have been sewing since I was a little girl and this pattern makes sense to me but the way in which the directions are arranged would be difficult for a sewing novice. Don't get me wrong, I love the pattern and my dress is going to be really hip, I just think that there is a little less direction than most beginners need. Anyway, it has been great to break away and do a little something for myself. It has fueled my creative juices and I have thouroughly enjoyed it. I hope each of you will have a chance this week to do a little something for yourself too.

New sites I have found

2008-07-03T13:23:00.003-05:00

Well, let me say first Happy Fourth a day early! Hopefully you will all have a chance to take a break and enjoy family.

I was thinking about what great product to spotlight for you this week and decided that graduation gifts might be a good one. Even though we have really just passed through that time of year, it might help some of you next year. I really have two favorite gifts to give. Girls have always been easy to choose for. I think every young lady enjoys a cute towel wrap. Whether they are going away to college or staying home, this gift is a one-size fits most and you just can't seem to go wrong. At MyEmbroideredGifts.com we offer a plain white towel wrap or ribbon trimmed towel wraps that can be personalized with name or initials. Now for the guys, that has really been my struggle. I have a son who will graduate next year and I really gave some thought to what he might like. Money is always an option but if you want something more personal let me suggest a personalized travel set. Whether they are travelling back and forth to college or just taking occasional trips, this travel set makes a great gift.

Now, on a different note. I want to tell you about a few great sites I have found for moms to network with each other. We all need to vent or share or just read others comments on issues we face. One great new site is http://www.newbaby.com/ . It really is designed for, of course, new moms but they have some great features. "NewBaby.com is a safe, secure and free site where moms can create, share and learn with video. You will find mom produced videos as well as corporate product infomercials and expert solution Vcasts. For those of you with the desire to Vlog, it's easy to do with your webcam or Flip camera and fun too! My favorite feature of Newbaby.com is the Family Video Gallery. Here you can upload videos and choose to mark them "private" or "public" and share them with select friends and family. Imagine! You can now sit with your child in front of a webcam, tape a conversation and share it with Grandma on another coast and store it for a long time in a safe, secure place for FREE! You can also customize our video widget and have your videos feed into your Blog." Also try http://www.citymommy.com/ , they offer about 8 different options for the area you live. Be aware it is invitation only but "mommy" will get you in. You can get information that is specific to your area about events, shopping, all sorts of things. Well, maybe I have taken up enough time for this week. I hope you will check out these great new sites!

Benefits of working from home

2008-06-26T09:02:00.003-05:00

Well, today is one of those days when you remember what some of the benefits of working from home are. I have a sick child who needs to see the pediatrician and a sick car who needs to see the mechanic. So, I got up early and did some embroidery and I am working in between trips. But isn't it great to be able to squeeze in some work around other things. It isn't easy and I may be up late tonight but I am available to go and do the things that really must be done today.

So on another note, I just got some of the cutest plush animals in yesterday. I have been selling Lovies from Komet Creations for some time and they are very popular. Komet Creations has introduces a new plush line of animals that can be embroidered on the belly. It is the coolest thing. The have a zippered middle section and you can remove the stuffing. I ordered some just to see what I thought. They are precious. I really will have to embroider one for my nephew's first birthday. They come in two sizes and several styles. Currently, we have puppies and bears. Both are adorable.

Well, it is almost time to run to the pediatricians so that is all for today. Just a busy, hectic day in the life of a work-at-home mom. Best wishes to my fellow moms out there!

It's time to blog

2008-06-18T20:55:00.006-05:00

Well, It seems it is time to start a blog. I hope each of you who reads this blog will draw some useful information from it. We hope to spotlight new products in the personalized gift area as well as discuss some of the joys and hardships of being a work-at-home mom. Today's blog I want to introduce some amazing new products from Baby Gund. Beginning in January, Baby Gund opened up several new lines that were perfect for those of us who love to personalize with embroidery. One of the newest and hottest items to come from the groups released in January is the Huggybuddy. This precious blanket animal would be perfect for a cuddly security blanket. There is a cute animal head (with embroidered eyes for safety) with a soft plush and satin body. Satin seems to be such a comforting texture for babies. The huggybuddy comes in a variety of styles. There are lambs, frogs, puppies, cows, kitties, ducks, and even more. See the ones we carry at MyEmbroideredGifts.com.

Why should you choose a personalized baby gift? How special does it make you feel to have something with your name on it? It also shows that you, the gift giver, spent some time planning out your purchase. Personalized gifts just seem more well, personal. You can put initials, a first name, a full name. You pick how you want it to look. Well, it is time to go work on some more embroidery. Summer is proving to be a juggling act for sure. With a 17 year old and a 10 year old at home from school, the juggling of the activites they want to take part in and my work schedule has proved to be interesting. BUT, you know what, I wouldn't change a thing. I love being here with my boys and if it means staying up a little later after they go to bed, well, it is worth it. My 10 year old and I were able to spend a great morning looking at Dinosaurs in the Huntsville Botanical Gardens today. And it was great! Watch for more to come!