a place for everything...

for those of you that may not know - i just recently did an out of state move. and when i say recently, i mean 6 months ago (but those are all just minor details, so who's really keeping time?). back in may, i had the task of packing up my sewing room. my lovely sewing room that my sweet husband renovated and added just for me. he thinks i am special. :) and for that, i loves him. well, i mastered the task of packing it all away in a matter of a day and was done with it. it went much easier than i had planned. 

now, 6 months later - i had the task of unpacking my sewing room. it did NOT go as easy or quick as i had planned. you see, one would think it would have been one of the first things to unpack since i do love it all so, but that was not the case. mostly because we didn't have space for it, and mostly because i didn't want my precious fabric covered in sheet rock and wood floor dust. upon a month of moving in, we took on an upstairs renovation that was a total gut job and took about 3 months. now we have a beautiful upstairs which houses both of the kids and all of their stuff (which is way more than one would ever think, and i still have some "stuff" in boxes in the basement which i think will just be donated at this point in time...we certainly haven't misssed it!). so, that cleared up some space for my "temporary sewing room." and by temporary, i mean for a few years. i bet yall are slowly catching on to how i define time periods. :) i started unpacking last week and just finished today and if i can sum it all up in one sentence...here we go,

i never, ever, ever, ever, ever need to buy more fabric. 

hilary, if you see my name on a paypal invoice...i need you to be a good friend and intervene. ummkay?

oh my word. you see, not only did i unpack, but i changed up how i wanted my fabric organized. i no longer had the awesome shelves to keep it bolted like i did, so i found some awesome old peach crates (twist my arm to go junking and use byron's drill to construct something i can place on casters) and decided i would use fabric organizers instead. however, i almost fell out of my sewing chair (not to be confused with falling off a rocker) when i saw how expensive the fabric organizers ran. so instead, i took advantage of an over-abundance of empty cardboard boxes and set out to the daunting task of cutting over 100 9" x 12" rectangles to house my fabric. a few blisters and very, very dry hands later it worked. then, came the task of un-bolting it all to re-bolt. now, a few days into this project (yes, i said a few days) i realized that i had an over-abundance of fabric. it was out of control. but at the same time, it was SO exciting to me to see all the gorgeous fabric i had been hoarding collecting over the years. have i ever mentioned how much i love fabric?

well, i finally finished this morning. i never imagined it would take as much time as it did, but i also wanted it to be perfectly organized unlike my sewing room at the last house. i think i did a pretty good job, now let's just see how long it takes to mess it all up. :)

my very first clementine (yep, #1) watching over my stash to make sure those few OOPs that i am hoarding collecting stay in their place. :)

casters, old wood and linen...these are a few of my favorite things!

 

oh buttons, how i love thee and little red cottage who keeps me supplied. 

ps - can you believe that i think i even missed those darned ginghers? not privy on the reputation of these things? read all about them here, and only give them nice looks. trust me. 

what do you think? this sweet face was sure happy to help. :)

 

cyber monday sale!

while on holiday...i really, really enjoyed shopping some black friday sales on patterns today. i really, really (really, really, really) wanted to enjoy some black friday fabric sales too - but i was a good girl. it was hard, but i held strong. :)

while shopping and reading up on everyone's sales - i realized that BG needed to participate as well. i knew today wouldn't work, mostly because the hubby and i had DIY projects up to our ears to work on and i knew better than to distract myself with the etsy store. so instead, i decided to participate in cyber monday sales for all of you fabulous ladies that will be surfing the net on monday scoring some deals and steals.

so, on monday november 26th (which also happens to be my dad's birthday, happy birthday dad!) i will open the shop WITH a coupon code. rock on, right? i will be closing it back down at midnight so i can get back to holiday and getting my house in order (i mean really, i moved 6 months ago these boxes need to GO). but, enjoy shopping and instant downloads! the coupon code will not be valid on bundles, so i will be deactivating those for the sale.

hope to see you on monday! use the code CYBER25 to enjoy 25% off your total order. yippee hooray!

thanks again ladies, love you all and hope your holidays are and were full of love, family and good food (oh, and wagging doggy tails in anticipation of doggy plates).

love, 

the girl behind BG and brownie and goose. :)

exciting times for BG

so, in case you are wondering how my holiday is going - oh my word. it is fab. just as byron predicted, i have NOT gotten bored but instead have had the most fun tinkering in all my projects around the house. i have painted furniture, made curtains, painted rooms, found trouble in antique stores, hung curtain rods in plaster which is not for the faint at heart, unpacked some items to decorate rooms, found more trouble in antique stores, distressed some furniture, planned some new designs, and did i mention finding trouble in antique stores?

i heart junk. and it hearts me. i just have to convince my husband. it is kinda like dogs. in my opinion...there is no such thing as too many. but then again, i've always been a bit of an extremist. ;)

anyways - back to focusing on the exciting news. 

years and years ago, when i was getting my feet wet with the beginnings of brownie-goose i went looking for help, opinions, advice, etc. from those already in the business of children's clothing. i contacted over 8 companies, and i only heard back from 1. and this wasn't just an email, this was a sweet girl who i knew was up to her eyeballs in her business and didn't have much spare time - and she said, "i'd love to help. please call me, let's chat. here is my number." i was floored. considering no one else was willing to help, and here was someone who obviously knew the game well offering to talk to me on the phone and help me out.

she was sweet and awesome and i was forever grateful that she was there for me, and most importantly...HONEST with me. for those of you in the world of children's clothing - you get it. it is not an easy world to be in. it is demanding, it is stressful, ever-changing and wild. don't get me wrong - i love it, but she was open and honest with me from the get go and warned me of the craziness of the world of kid's clothes.

anyways, imagine my surprise years later when she contacted me about using my designs in her clothing line. floored, actually is what it was. if i was a baboon, i would have climbed to the top of a tree and beat my chest and screamed over the jungle in celebration. instead, i did a little shaking of my booty celebratory dance on my kitchen floor. i mean, it is pretty similar to the whole baboon thing if you think of it. ;)

so, i was hush-hush and tight-lipped about it which you all know is NOT one of my strong points. i am the queen of sneaks. i cannot keep secrets. well, i did this time. :)

blessed be the name is featuring BG patterns in her collection this spring. oh my golly-gee-whillies. this momma bear is proud. BBTN is celebrating 10 years of being in the business, that is crazy awesome. and i am super excited to be a part of the collaboration. i just might go shake my booty again. 

so, head on over to her website and her blog to find more details. help her celebrate her anniversary too, she'd like that. i just know.

ps - while still on holiday - i have decided to have a cyber monday sale in which i will open the shop WITH a coupon code. did you just shake your booty? i saw you. more details will come on the blog later, i still have to figure them out. :)

anniversarys and holidays and boredom, oh my!

confession: i don't really know how to organize this post. it is quite ironic that i don't considering i have been writing it in my head for about a week now. but then again, the whole memory thing and neurons firing appropriately are not my strong points anymore. :)

BG is coming up on a big anniversary. 4 years. doesn't sound huge, but for those of you that run your own business and spend every waking minute pouring your heart and soul into it, answering emails, taking care of PR, putting out fires, balancing budgets, etc., you get it. i am so very proud of where my sweet, little hobby turned business is after 4 years. i feel i have grown immensely as a designer and i have made so many more friends through this process than i ever could have imagined! i have learned so much more about sewing and everything involved, designing, drafting, graphics, etc. than i ever thought possible. it has been a ride, let me tell you.

so, on that note...i think i can say that i have worked hard. very, very hard to be where i am right now. and, since i am all about rewarding positive behavior - i am going to finally reward myself. i am giving myself a holiday. a big, fat, 2 month long holiday. call it a break, call it a vacation, call it what you want - but my friend mira that lives in the netherlands calls it holiday and every time she says it, i smile. it just sounds like such a lovely thing to take, so yes please....holiday, party of 1 sign me up.

it is no secret that i have been struggling with balance lately. i just recently blogged about it and in the past few months i have talked with many friends, my poor sweet husband who is blue in the face about hearing about BG, and God who knows way more about BG than i do at this point. i don't have a good answer, but a holiday seemed to be the general consensus of the group. it sounds great to me, although i did have one concern. and i voiced it to my husband and this is about how it went down...

byron - what is keeping you from taking a break?

amy - honestly, my biggest fear is that i am going to get bored.

byron - (with a smirk, a giggle and maybe even a snort thrown in there) amy, in the many years i have known you i have never seen you bored, although i would absolutely love to see you bored.

 

hmmmmm...while i am almost always right (duh), he does have a point. i won't get bored, and even if i come close i am sure i can find something to dive into. we crafters tend to not play nice-nice with idle time. :)

 

so, what this means to all of you fabulous customers - i will keep my shop open this week so that you can grab any pattern that you may feel you will need over the next 2 months (if you are like me, this puts me in panic mode and i feel the need to get everything, you know...just in case, haha). i will close shop on sunday, october 28th...exactly one week from today. in the 2 months that i am on holiday (still smiling), i will be checking emails maybe once a week or so - so i am not completely falling off the face of the earth, just being extra shady. :) i would say to think of it as a maternity leave without the baby, but us moms know that maternity leave is the EXACT opposite of a vacay!

 

in the meantime, i hope you ladies have the best holidays with your families. i cannot even begin to imagine the cuteness that will be going on over halloween, thanksgiving and christmas. keep sharing all of your creations on facebook because honestly, that is one of my fave ways to end the day...looking at all of your fabulousness and those adorable kiddos!

 

so, here's to holiday and getting bored and spending every waking moment not on BG, but on my sweet family. happy, happy aniversary BG. it's been 4 crazy awesome years!

 

LOVE my brownie geese!

 

xoxo - the girl behind BG

 

meet henry and henrietta

okay - before i cause any more confusion, let's just get this out there in the open. the henry and henrietta pants are the SAME pattern. the reason i decided to split the name was because of my little tow-headed fireball. one day i told her i was making her some fun pants. she asked what they were called. i said, oh the henry pants. and this is what followed: "oh, okay. well, i don't want to wear any pants that are called a boy's name."

so, to avoid all future meltdowns, to her they were the henrietta pants. i just kinda figured there were more fireballs out there that may refuse to wear henry pants - so i made them both gender friendly. :)

now, to meet those notorious pants.

over and again you ladies have asked me for more boy patterns. i try my hardest, but my noggin doesn't work as well when it comes to those boys. however, when designing daydream believer in my head i envisioned a slim-fitting pant with a flat front, elastic back, flared legs and suspenders. i was DYING to have some suspenders. and after many bad words, muslins thrown across the sewing room and then into the trash, the henry pant was born.

but, a certain someone couldn't just stop there. i had to keep going. add more details, more options and of course, make them unisex since i thought that would be a great cost-effective answer for a momma with both boys and girls. so, i kept at it and about 50 pages later (haha, not that long...but pretty darn close) i had instructions written out for the henry/henrietta pant with many, many options to make them your own. 

like suspenders? great. 

 

don't? well, then that is just fine too! 

 

want a welted pocket? GO FOR IT, it isn't as hard as you think. promise! (ps - there are instructions included for a welt pocket with or without button)

how about a cute button-tab front? sure thing my dearys.

ps - check out that adorable blouse. all courtesy of a gorgeous pattern by the brilliant ladies of violette field threads. seriously, you might need it. if not that one, i am sure they have something else you need. especially if you and i define wants and needs similar. ;)

you cannot go wrong with this pant. ever. 

i even included in the 459 page instructional booklet (hehe) an inseam chart so that you have a sort of GUIDE to help you decide sizes. 

oh yeah, AND i have a secret to tell. for those of you that asked for a pants edition of the summer sailors...guess what? yep, here you go. :) fooled you didn't i?

and now, i am going to knock your socks off. just because BG and HB play so well together, we have teamed up again. up to no good, hilary and i have decided to do another buy this pattern and get a discount code for her shop. because you realize, fabric and patterns go hand in hand, right?

so, if you purchase the henry/henrietta pant in the first three days of debut (so either on wednesday, thursday or friday) i will email you a discount code to get 10% off your purchase at HBfabrics. sweetness. total sweetness. she just happened to test the henry for me and check out her little cutie sporting some suspenders. it really is the coolest to sport the 'spenders, the girl behind BG has been sporting them a while (read here). word.

oh, and another thing - since my last blog post about running on empty i am sure you have seen how well i have shaded out. i told yall i was good at that. i have really enjoyed it. but also, i invested in a program that sends you your patterns immediately for instant download. it has been working fantabulously and i think i may love it as much as yall do! however, it doesn't work on bundle patterns, so, if you buy a bundle - i still have to email those out separately. but, just FYI - your henry/henrietta has the possibility of being in your hands within 5 minutes of purchase. wahoooooo!

so, don't hesitate - tomorrow morning when i drag myself out of bed at noon (wait, i was having a fabulous daydream just then of catching up on sleep) i will make the pattern live in my etsy store. i will email you within 24 hours of purchase the code to HBfabrics which will be good through the weekend. what a rocking start to hump day!

peace out geese!

running on empty

do your floors look like this?

do you have piles of laundry heaped in the hallways on top of the cardboard the contractors put down that also happens to be covered in a layer of dog fur? not to mention un-painted walls...

is your laundry basket not even closing because there is so much in it?

what about the dust? if you left corningware on top of your buffet for a few weeks would this happen when you removed it?

phew. me either. goodness, for a while there i was about to think i was a terrible housekeeper! but, thankfully those pictures are of my boss's house. this one is at her house too, she obviously wouldn't pass the white glove test.

 

tisk, tisk.

while we are on the subject of how AWFUL of a housekeeper my boss is,  let's also talk about what a slave driver she is. ugh. she sets unreasonable goals for me, she expects me to be perfect and gets crazy upset and disappointed in me when i am not, i think most of the time she forgets that i am just ONE person who also happens to have a family with young children and a husband that keeps long hours. she expects me to be able to function on just a few hours of sleep. she also expects me to be able to work my tail off for her but also keep house too. did i mention she doesn't even pay well? cheese louise, she can be a real pain in my arse some most all of the time.

well, while it is all fun and games to talk bad about my boss and how she is an absolute lunatic with crazy demands and expectations with no room for remembering that people are human, let's also be real.

i am self-employed.

ouch. i am my own worst critic/nightmare. i am that lady. i am that lady that sometimes want to make bad faces behind her back, call her ugly names, talk bad about her to my co-workers, and recently...want to walk up to her, put my hands on my hips and tell her i am sick and tired of her shiznit and quit. right then and there. 

i'd be terribly dishonest if i told you this was the first time. but then again, you ladies probably know that already. i was emailing back and forth with a girl that just started her own business of making these fabulous pony tail holders the other day and she was telling me how she hadn't gone to bed before midnight in weeks and was trying her hardest to be able to find a balance in it all. it dawned on me then that with 4 years under my belt, i should be able to have words of wisdom for her since i should have that balance down. but guess what, i didn't have one good piece of advice that i follow to give her. shame on me.

the majority of my issue is that i am not a quitter. i tend to be one of the stubbornest mules there ever was. hee-haw. as much as i thought this past week about taking down my etsy page, deactivating my facebook, and telling BG sayonara, etc i never did it. it was very tempting. especially on the days that i was literally S.T. Rugglin' trying to keep my head above water. but i am still here and am about to make attempt number 1,593,441 of figuring out a balance.

my graphic designer (who also moonlights as a fabulous friend of mine and genius) told me that i needed to set reasonable goals for myself. like 1 new pattern every 3 months. that way i wouldn't feel so rushed and pushed to have it perfect right then and there. and you know what, i think she is on to something. that will be goal #1. never again will i debut new patterns back to back to back. i am surprised my family is still speaking to me. not to mention my beloved pink compass that got thrown across the room and stomped on in a moment of temper tantrums.

goal #2 is to work on researching a new site that offers instant downloads for patterns via etsy. i think if i could have those patterns automatically emailed out, i would find that extra time wonderful in the balancing act. 

goal #3 is my fave, and one i am very good at, just ask my friends. being a shady lady. when i am shady, i tend to get lots more done. i am too easily distracted by facebook, crafty blogs, fabric sales, etc. 

goal #4 is something that is hard to do for any momma, not just one that runs a business too. make more time for ME. i want to do the things i enjoy without feeling guilty because i am not putting that extra time into BG. if i want to take the few hours that both kids are in school to take a book or magazine up to the coffee shop, drink some java and just sit - i need to do that. or, go buy shoes. or just go and wander target and try my hardest not to find trouble. instead, i spend that "me" time drafting, stressing, pdf-ing, stressing, etc. 

if i had a dime for each time i "rebalanced" myself with brownie-goose, i could probably pay to hire someone to figure it out for me. i do really well sometimes, and then i just get off track and fall victim to my crazy-alpha female design side. i like her, in small doses - but she can be very overbearing at times. this last time i wanted to poke out her eyeballs. when i made the decision to grade for larger sizes, i made the investment of purchasing standardized charts to use in addition to my measurement charts to make sure i was good to go. i had NO clue going into it how much more work, stress, figuring, etc it would add to the drafting phase. and even worse, the changes i have to make after i get them back from testing. you see, before - all the sizes i published i had tested them out myself on my collections. i am sort of driving blind with these larger sizes and they've been kicking my boootay in all honesty!

so, over the next week or so i will be starting this new balancing act. i got up this morning, put on my big girl panties (and my cleaning gloves, i mean...gross - you saw my house) and am going to turn the tables on my boss. it is time to let the dog wag the tail!

thanks for sticking by me through all of my moments, good and bad. thanks for being patient and understanding. thanks for being there. and most of all - i need to thank you in advance for holding me to my new goals! i put on my facebook over the weekend how there would be no new debuts this week. that hasn't changed. i have the henry/henrietta pant at the testers and the new/revised hattie at the testers as well, so be on the lookout for those maybe next week?? it all depends on how well i am doing at ruling my boss. :)

celebrating the brownie in brownie-goose

so, for all of you that know the girl behind BG, you know that she loves her labradors more than she loves most people. yep, it is the truth. my doggies are my heart - and tomorrow my sweet brown boy, my first baby, turns 11. i cannot hardly believe it. he is my best bud in the whole wide, my side-kick and partner in crime. he even walked me down the aisle. oh how i love my brown dog.

so, to celebrate his birthday, along with doggie birthday cake (yep, i am that girl) i will also be hosting a FLASH SALE in my etsy store! it will run from 12:00 am EST on september 16 until 11:59 pm EST on the 16th. your code is FLASH25 for 25% off your purchase. eeeeeeks!

the bundles are not included in the sale since they are already discounted, so i will have those listings inactive while the sale runs. 

but, for some of the best news so far, my newest pattern will debut tomorrow during the sale. i am super excited to debut betsy's dress - a dress that had me head over in no time!

this twist on a peasant dress is right up BG's ally. you may recognize her - yep, betsy and nelle are sisters - you've got that sweet ruffled neckline on both, but one with flutter angel sleeves and the other with belled longer sleeves you can finish off with lace or ruffles. methinks you cannot live without it. not to mention it comes in sizes 6-12 months all the way to 12! holy junkaroos. :)

the betsy looks fab on her own, but pair her with tights and boots and you just might fall off your chair. or your rocker, in my case. :) for a fabulous pattern that comes together in no time and makes a huge fashion statement - girls, go get you a betsy's dress! 

just look at the beauty that came from the testers!

 photo and dress courtesy of hearthmade creations - this girl ROCKS some BG patterns!

 photo and dress courtesy of saflower photography - this is a girl after my own heart, she photographs with her labrador. :)

 photo and dress courtesy of sweet birdie & co. her fabrics and attention to detail slay me, as always!

photo and dress courtesy of handmade by autumn. i'd kill for that fabric!

okay - time out from betsy fabulousness. time to talk hattie.

for those that know me, you know my perfectionism and how i really, really, really always like to be right. well, i goofed and let 2 mistakes go out on the hattie pattern and to say i have beat myself up about this would be an understatement. i mean, i cried. big fat tears with snorting and snot running straight down my splotchy face. big cry. i was so upset with myself for missing those mistakes. but, thankfully i have some super awesome customers that held my hands through it and told me that all would be right in the world again soon. so, in my big moment of anger with myself  - i also realized something else. well, a few things actually. but maybe one doesn't count because i already KNEW that my BG girls are the best girls in the world and i swanny if you ladies didn't stand by me and be as loyal and awesome as you are, i wouldn't still be doing this but so many of you have become my friends and companions and you mean the world to me. i am uber lucky. and i also realized something that if i could bear the pain of a tatoo i need to have it permanently tatoo'd somewhere that i can see it everyday. SLOW DOWN AMY. i have a lot going on right now and i sometimes don't like to remember that or take it into consideration that i am about to run myself into the ground if i keep up like this. i always smile and remember the lyrics to my most fave buffett song that "i must confess, i can use some rest. i can't run at this pace very long. yes it's quite insane, i think it hurts the brain." and yes it does. so, i really do need to slow it down and stop pushing myself to the cliff!

so, in that regards, i will not have hattie back in the shop tomorrow for the sale. i am sorry yall, but i really want to get this pattern right before i release it again. PLUS, while i had it on the table redrafting my mistakes, i graded it up to a size 12 - so now i need  to have those larger sizes tested too before i send it to you ladies again. so, for those that have already bought a hattie, you should have an email about how to make revisions if you need to do so before the new one gets released. let me know if you haven't gotten that email because that is also the list i will be using to send out the new pattern when it is available. i hope you all understand this and know that i am VERY upset that it wont be in the shop tomorrow, but i really, really am mortified that it wasn't right the first time and now really want to make up for it and not have this as a repeat!!

wordy blog, wordy blog, wordy blog.

but, what you need to take away from this blog is a SALE TOMORROW when my shop opens back up and a NEW PATTERN. yay!

once again, the sale starts at 12:00 am EST on september 16th and runs until 11:59 pm EST that night in honor of my brown doggy's birthday. your code is FLASH25 for 25% off your purchase. also - please note on flash sale days it gets caaaaaarazy. so, i will email the patterns out to you in 24 hours, promise! but just be patient as it gets a little wild. :) and you know i have those 2 tow-headed hooligans on top of it all making it just a bit more chaotic. haha.

thanks again ladies - you rock as always and i am off to finish up scanning the new hattie and then to finish up the henry/henrietta for the testers!

oh sweet hattie!

i have a few designs that take my breath away each and every time that i look at them. no matter how many times.

the hattie is for shizzle one of those designs.

this dress brought me to tears at the drafting table a little over a year ago. i walked away from it numerous times with many 4-letters behind me swearing i was quitting it. but, it never left me alone. it would haunt me in my dreams and i would be right back at it the next morning. and finally, one day it just worked and i think i went a few minutes without breathing.

i love everything about this design. i love the ruffled neck with a pleated front...

i really love the gathered sleeves with the buttons on the tabs. you know me, i am a sucker for a button.

i adore the short length. i know not everyone agrees with me here, but i love a short dress on a little girl. can you tell i am a huge fan of the brady bunch and the fashion of that time period?

well, it has finally made itself to pdf form so that all of you can create the sweet hattie as well. and i decided to draft it tunic length as well, because i honestly cannot stand how stinking adorable it looks over some skinny jeans. 

as soon as i publish this blog, she will be in the etsy shop. for sale. for you. i hope you love her. i certainly do. and so does lou...don't let that sassy face fool you.

now, for a little more info about what i have been up to. yall, i swanny i haven't stopped in 2 weeks. i have been busting it with patterns and pdfs and tutorials and measurements, etc. i have decided to finally start to include larger sizes and honestly the drafting is kicking my tail. i have been pouring over measurements, sweating under my arms and holding my mouth just right hoping that my insane collection of sizes is working out well. i was a bit humbled to find one day that MY inseam was only a few inches from that of a 12 year old. ouch.

but, to be honest - i cannot keep this pace going. i am exhausted and my brain isn't functioning at full capacity. i mean, think about today - i almost FORGOT to publish hattie. oh my. so, what i plan to do is shut down the etsy shop on thursday of this week for a bit so that i can play double-time with the patterns. i have a special little brown doggy (the brownie of BG)

 

 that turns 11 on the 16th, and i think we all know that i LOVE to celebrate a birthday with a little flash sale. and since technically a flash sale is not planned - that is all the info i can give you about that for now. ;)

again - ladies, i am blown away by the pictures of your creations you send me. i love to see what spin you put on my patterns. it seriously puts a big ole smile on my face. keep it up!

so, hattie getting published, etsy shop closing thursday and in the meantime...someone else you may know turns 33. just a hint, here she is throwing her hands in the air and LOVING life. 

 

peace out my brownie geese.

BG + HB = BFF 4-eva

okay, i know that title is so nerdy and dorky - but after the turn of events this afternoon, anything is humorous to me. plus, we all know i am a dork like that anyways. :)

our upstairs renovation started today, and since we are living in the house while the reno goes on we have made a small area in the basement that is about 400 square feet temporary living space. what this means is that most of everything my family of 4 people, 2 labradors and a kitty cat, does is in this space. hope we love each other. close quarters for sure.

well, today has been a bit hectic getting everyone settled into the basement. the day started off pooey as i was chastised in the carpool line when i broke a rule i didn't know existed (i may be awesome (hehe), but i am not much of a rule-breaker, well...not anymore at least), and then i come home to my sweet brown dog not feeling well and limping and being all pitiful. then, nash decided to strike nap time and once i got lou home from school we discovered a leak in the 400 square feet of "safe space" that we have (on brand new flooring) and trying to deal with that and screaming kids at the beginning of suicide hour...well, let's just say that i'm spent. it's about beer-thirty.

okay - off the pitty potty for me. ain't nobody got time for that! instead, let's learn about the new pattern hitting the shops tomorrow and a fun fabric deal with HBfabrics!

after many, many, many requests and inquiring minds...the Lily Ruffler will be released in my etsy shop tomorrow.

this ruffler is probably one of my faves ever. it puts a little spin on the old double ruffle pants and gives you the option of adding trim and even another fabric to peek out from behind that top curved ruffle. the cut is slimmer than the sleepy jeans - since with the ruffly-ness (dear spell check, yes that IS a word. sincerely, the girl behind BG) you need slimmer lines. trust me. we cannot be having these girls looking all frumpified! oh, and what would a BG pattern be without buttons? and better yet - i drafted this pattern for capri and pant length. so the hardest part is deciding which length you wanty. :)

so, while that is awesome news - i haven't even gotten to the best part yet.

if you buy the Lily Ruffler in the first 3 days - you will get a coupon code good for 10% off your purchase at HBfabrics. and better yet - hilary just got a TON of new fabrics this weekend. on top of all the other awesomeness in her shop - she just got more of the robert kaufman chambrays that you see used on many, many pieces of BG. i love to sew with his chambrays - you cannot beat them with a stick! she has the royal (i've used these for the summer sailors on the dock of the bay, the limited edition lolas on the daydream believer, all my denim rufflers), black (this was the ever-popular sleepy jean fabric) and drumroll....MOCHA. girls, this mocha is dying to be a Lily. she told me so. and don't EVEN get me started on the yarn dyed linen. oooooooooh my darlin. and oh smacks, i just saw she restocked the robert kaufman metro living line. danger fabriholics!

so come on ladies...the early bird gets the worm. get the lily ruffler before midnight on thursday and reward yourself with some new fabric! the coupon code will be emailed to you with the pattern and hilary gets a list of the purchasers, so no code sharing please!

enabeler, yes....bad influence, always. sorry ladies. ;)