Swelling with Pride

*This is a little about me, not-so-much about anything to do with HankOrange :)

 

As I sat on the airplane last Sunday night, I found myself holding back tears.  It could be that I’m extra emotional, or maybe I was over-tired from a lack of sleep.   Call it emotions or call it sleep deprivation.  I choose to call it something else entirely; pride.  Or I suppose I could call it proud, or ‘in-awe-of ‘or anything that means ‘beyond-impressed’ (and, well, probably a little lack of sleep too!)!

 

I am not talking about being proud of myself.  I am talking about being proud of my younger brother. He impresses me.  He inspires me.  He can do what few others can.   He just run 26.2 miles.  That fact in itself is somewhat impressive, but that isn’t what inspires me.  Many people have run and will continue to run marathons.  I mean, he ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday with close to 45,000 other runners.  My brother, however, finished 106^th overall.  If you calculate his mile pace, he ran sub-6 minute miles (did I mention he ran TWENTY SIX miles at that pace?).  He wasn’t thrilled with his time and he was disappointed.  But, he should be impressed.  He should be proud.   If he isn’t going to be proud, then I will be proud for him! 

There is a feeling known as ‘runners high’ that a person can get after personally completing a long run workout.  I’ve had it, and it truly is a great feeling.  But I have a different (maybe better?!) ‘runner high’ right now.  I think I am ‘high’ on witnessing a runner.   I think I am literally ‘high’ with pride.  As great as a ‘runners high’ might be, the feeling of overwhelming pride I have when I think of my brother is pretty amazing!  ‘Swelling with pride’ might be a better description.  But, whatever you want to call it, one fact remains- I am one proud sister!

He is my brother.  He is a runner.  He is a FAST runner.  I couldn’t be more proud!  

At the race expo- day before the Chicago marathon

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

I have an on-going project that I’ve been working on for weeks now: nursery room décor.  A friend of mine asked me if I’d be willing to help create a special nursery for her new baby - I was thrilled to take on the project! 

She had found a ‘twinkle twinkle’ nursery set that she liked from Pottery Barn, but it had been discontinued!  Bad for her, good for HankOrange ;)  So, I took the ‘twinkle, twinkle little star’ theme and the color preference (neutral blue and yellow) and ran with it!  I immediately went to the fabric store and found some great fabrics with light blues and light yellows.  I sent a photo to my friend for ‘approval’ and, once I got approval, I started working… well, I started thinking about working!

She told me to just do what I think looks best.  For my perfectionist self, however, this type of control is both a blessing and a curse.  I have so many different ideas that I have a hard time narrowing them down to exactly what I want to do.  I think I spend more time ‘deciding’ what will look best than actually sewing! 

I want it to be PERFECT. 

I don’t want to let her down.  

In her defense, she is probably the easiest client I could ask for!   I think, even if she didn’t totally love what I made, she’d tell me she did.  I’ve emailed her with various ideas and thoughts and she is always (at least she seems that way!) happy with what I’ve come up with.   Guess we will have to wait until everything is totally complete to get her real feedback!

So far, I’ve completed a crib sheet- start with the simple things!  I’m almost done with the window valance, I just need to add a few ‘final’ touches.  I’m working on the crib bumper…which I’ve been doing for weeks!   You’d think a ‘simple’ bumper wouldn’t be too hard.  Well, it is.  Especially for this girl with a million different ideas on how to do it!  I also created a onesie with the ‘twinkle, twinkle’ theme and a set of burp cloths....

Twinkle Twinkle onesie

It's a girl!  So I made a 'girly' version too

Twinkle Twinkle Burp Cloths, set of three

I’m saving the quilt for last.  I don’t’ want it to be a ‘normal’ baby quilt that you’d get in a bedding set.  I mean, who uses those anyway?  I never did for my little man.   They seem to just be used as decoration.  So, I’m trying to create a blanket/quilt that has the ‘twinkle, twinkle’ theme yet is functional.   I want this blanket to be something she can use for baby in the crib, but also for other everyday events: tummy time and outings in the stroller and pic nics and… I could go on and on.  I want the blanket to be a ‘use everywhere for everything’ type blanket.  

I want her to be able to use it for years to come and for her new baby to love it! … what pressure?!  :)

More about operation “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” nursery set to come!  

Party Favors

I love to do custom orders.  

Some of my favorite creations have started in the form of a “can you make this for me?” request.  I’ve made aprons, custom bibs, personalized girls dresses, matching shirts for a ladies shopping trip, all sorts of custom birthday shirts, and the list goes on. 

But, I think one project will always stand out as a favorite of mine: sweatbands.  Twelve sweatbands for twelve boys attending an ‘extreme sports’ birthday party.  Each sweatband I personalized with a different name. What a cool party favor, right?  I was sort of tempted to make one for myself!

I think these turned out super fun!  

Happy Birthday Huck!

‘Tough Critic’

I think HankOrange has a decent track record with happy customers.  I try to listen to ‘clients’ and create exactly what they want and do so in a timely manner.  I aim to please. 

I do, however, have one VERY tough client.  His name is Henry.  He is my son.   The kid doesn’t like anything I make for him.  We have had countless ‘disputes’ over him wearing something I’ve made for him. Why do I bother arguing with a three year old? 

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard him say “I NOT LIKE THAT.”  I’ve gotten to the point that I almost count on him saying it.  Fine Henry!  Be that way!  Other people like what I make and I don’t care if you do!  But, lets be honest, I do care.  I probably care too much.  I let a three-year-old dictate whether or not my creations are a success.   

I had basically given up on ever getting him to willingly wear something I’ve made.  Until now!   Monster shirts!  Who knew?  He loves the monster shirts!  

You can imagine my excitement when I started working on the monster shirts and, when little-mister-critic saw what I was working on, he said “Mommy I want one!  I want a monster shirt!”  I almost fell out of my chair.  I honestly thought he wouldn’t wear it, that tomorrow he’d have a different opinion of the shirt and want nothing to do with it. 

I was wrong.  He loves it!  L-O-V-E-S his monster shirt!  Might even become (dare I jinx myself?) his new favorite shirt!  
 

I think the key to his love for the shirt doesn’t have as much to do with the monster, but rather the fact that he ‘helped’ me create the monster.  He told me where the eyes should go and where horns should be placed.   He just informed me that the monster needed a tooth… which we will add soon. 

He likes the shirt because he played a part in creating it.  
I like the shirt because he played a part in creating it.  
And, I like the shirt because it caused my toughest critic to become my biggest fan!   

"Hank Monster"- My biggest fan!

HankOrange Featured!

HankOrange is featured on blog!  But, not just any blog.  In Through The Outdoor blog!

Kisha (the mastermind behind this blog) is a friend, a mother, and totally real and honest on her blog.  She is also unbelievably complimentary of HankOrange!

In her words, Kisha describes her blog as "More than just a mommy blog, In Through The Out Door is the go-to website for anyone looking for fun giveaways, product reviews, humor writing, beauty tips, and parenting advice...there is something for everyone at kishafloren.com"

Not only does 'In Through The Out Door' feature HankOrange, but together we are doing a give-away.  AND,  Kisha is sweetening it up a bit by adding a $25 gift card to the winner!  Check it out!  

“Peace, Love, Sweets"

Most of my ‘working hours’ come after my little man is in bed at night.  Some nights I get a lot accomplished, and other nights I just veg and think about all the things I should be getting accomplished!  I probably have the latter type of nights more often than I’d like to admit, but it is during those ‘thinking’ times that I come up with new ideas.  

This ‘peace and love’ idea was born that way.   

 

 

It started with a simple heart shape.  I am a big fan of the saying “live, love, laugh,” in fact, I sign many of my personal letters “love and laughter” which I think is a good summary of who I am: lots of love and I love to laugh!  But ‘laughter’ isn’t really a shape that I can cut out of fabric.  So I thought about other things I like, and, for anyone who really knows me, they know I have a love (well, ‘addiction’ might be a better description!) for sweets!   Cupcake was a simple shape I could make.  But, two shapes didn’t look quite right, so I added the ‘peace’ sign and the “Peace, Love, Sweets” shirt was born!

Simple things is life, right?!

 

"Peace, Love, Sweets" girls shirt- for sale at HankOrange.com

 

I’m actually really pleased with the way it turned out!  I’m hoping others like it as much as I do.  I just might have to come up with other ‘sweets’ to create as well... ice cream and cakes might be soon to follow! 

Fabric Addict

Hi, my name is Amy and I'm addicted to fabric.

Fabric makes me happy.  Walking into a fabric store and seeing bolts of fabric lined wall-to-wall has a strange effect on me.  I feel like myself.  I feel refreshed.  I feel calm.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the rows and rows of brilliant colors with all sorts of shapes and designs and patterns.  It is a good overwhelmed; an excited overwhelmed; a ‘bring-it-on-and-let-me-get-creative’ overwhelmed.

I could spend hours looking at and feeling the fabrics and dreaming up all the things I could create with the beautiful colors and textures before me.  

I have a hard time walking out of a fabric store empty handed (unless, of course, that fabric store is a big ‘box’ store where the line is always long and the customer service is less than mediocre…okay, off the soap box now!)

I realize I have an addiction.  I am addicted to fabric.  This isn’t a necessarily a bad thing.  My love for fabric has allowed me to sew beautiful things for others and myself.  It has allowed me to use my imagination to combine various patterns and shapes and textures to create new things.  It has allowed me to have an ‘escape’ from the realities of the day and get ‘lost’ in using my creative side. 

My addiction has also, however, created an abundance of  “this will be great for something” fabrics that I buy and keep piling up.  I have a vast assortment of colors and designs in my ‘collection’ to choose from when I start something new.  I have piles of scrapes of all shapes and sizes. 

I could sew for months (if only I’d be so lucky to have so much free time!) with the fabric I have!

This is both good and bad.  Inevitably, I start a project intending to use a particular fabric, I discover I don’t have enough to make what I would like, and I head off to the fabric store to buy more.  To add to my collection.  To feed my addiction.  To allow myself, once again, to take a small break from reality and get lost in the land of fabric.