Thank you!

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to a few of my favorite bloggers that left a comment on my last post. I was feeling a bit down because of the failed surrogacy, though I should have been (and still should be) thankful that it was found out now that she could not fulfill her end of the deal instead of later.

Parenting from My Point of View -- She is in need of summer cookout recipe ideas so please stop by and help her out!!

Family Treasures -- This is one of my favorite blogs ever. It has recently turned into a giveaway blog... but I have won lots of stuff so I definitely won't complain! :) She gives an extra entry for each of her other giveaways you enter, so that's always a plus. She's also working on losing weight. Lots going on with this blogger! Can't wait to read more about all of it.

All You Need is Love -- This blog is so cute. Love the layout. And her little doll at the end of her post reminds me of the good old days... I used to edit those dolls and play in a place called "The Palace" where you chatted with friends (who all made their own dolls). Even competed in "pageants" with the dolls. LOL I was 15 at the time. Embarrassing!

Frugal is a Green Journey -- Tree Huggin Momma was one of my first supporters.. always leaving nice comments and encouraging me to blog!! Please stop by her blog to give her some encouragement as well. Her latest blog entry makes me think she needs some!

The Floundering SAHM -- This woman left her career to be a SAHM. It's really interesting to read about her day to day SAHM adventures. :)

Today, we have a photo shoot for the tutus and pillowcase dresses. YAY!

Another giveaway

Sorry for all the posts, but here's another awesome set of giveaways on one of my favorite blogs ever.

http://kryssiruss.blogspot.com/2010/05/meridane-designs-review-and-giveaway.html

http://kryssiruss.blogspot.com/2010/05/stickeryou-review-and-giveaway.html

http://kryssiruss.blogspot.com/2010/05/inspired-by-finn-review-and-giveawy.html and you can visit Inspired by Finn as well if you click HERE -- I really really really wanna win this one!!

Weight loss bloggers

I am happy to announce the third and final winner of the Weight Loss Blogger Contest is Arya. Visit her at the button below.

This was her entry email:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be apart of the weight loss bloggers. I used to love my body. I never thought I was skinny but I was happy.

After I got married we started trying for our first child. shortly after I got pregnant & I gained about 35 lbs. after having my first I lost all of the gained weight and got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight (234 lbs) and kept it all off.

I got pregnant again with my 2nd child and gained another 35 lbs but after having him I lost the weight again and kept it off. Within about a month or so of having my second I was pregnant again, but when my husband was called to Iraq 22 weeks into my pregnancy I lost the baby & had to have a D&C. When my husband came home on R&R leave I got pregnant again but lost that one too, but I had 2 small boys and didn't have time to worry about things I couldn't change and focused on them and I managed during the almost 2 years hubby was gone, to keep off my weight and stay at my pre-pregnancy weight.

I got pregnant with my 3rd child right after he got back (with in days). I gained 30lbs with that pregnancy & shortly after having her I went on the Mirana birth control and gained another 30lbs on top of the baby weight I never lost. Found out that Mirana has the same hormones as the Depo shot and if I had known that I would never EVER have gone on it.

Fast forward to now, I am no longer on the mirana, my youngest is 4 and I have had 3 miscarriages in the past 7 months while trying to conceive our 4th child. I am still carrying the 60lbs of extra weight from my last baby and excess weight mirana packed on and due to stress of not being able to keep a baby inside me I gained another 11 lbs, bringing my actual weight to 305 pounds.

This is the heaviest I have ever been and I want to lose 71 lbs to get back to 234 pounds, the weight I was the happiest at. I would love to have a support network to share my success and failures as I try to lose this mound of weight. I hope that I get chosen but if not I will still continue to try to lose the weight and keep my self accountable. Although it would be much easier to be accountable if I had others that were watching...lol

I know life is a hard road and with this extra weight it's even harder. I want to be able to play with my kids like I used to be able to & I want to be happier with my body and be healthier and it's my goal this year to achieve weight loss & be the best me possible.





We hope to be able to encourage (and kick your butt, if need be) you along your journey! Let me know what I can do to help. Can't wait to get a prize package on its way to you! Stay in touch.

Don't forget to check in with our other weight loss bloggers. I will be doing a post once a week to let you know how they're doing. If for some reason they don't email me an update, I will just link to their blog post for that week.

Krystal

Crystal

Let's help keep them accountable!

How to Succeed on ETSY

I just made my first Etsy sale today. I will admit that, after seeing all of the amazing tutus on the website, I almost didn't join Etsy. However, after countless hours of looking over all of their tutus, I realized mine weren't the same.. so why not jump in?? I jumped in half-heartedly and that was my mistake. However, I plan on improving my shop 100% before summer starts. My tutus are unique in many ways, but my favorite difference is the ribbon waistbands. I know I really need to talk that up and let everyone know how awesome they are. That will be my first goal, to make everyone realize why ribbon is better! :) When making tutus with an elastic waistband, only about half the amount of tulle is used. I learned that when I started making them. I hated how UNfluffy they were, so I figured out a different way. :) So, my super fluffy, sturdy tutus, are worthy of etsy. It took me a while to realize that (especially after seeing the AMAZING photos some of these tutu women take).

I have been reading articles a LOT lately, and wanted to pass them on. I know a lot of my blogger friends are fellow Etsians, so I'm hoping these will help. Many of you may have seen these already, but like I said I'm just getting into Etsy so please be patient. :D

Making the most of Etsy

WikiEtsy article

Very thorough helpful article

Newbie Tips

Selling FAQ

More newbie tips

Selling Tips from dyno

Writing Store Policies

Tips from an accountant

Small Businesses and Taxes

Etsy forum discussion, newbie tips

Selling checklist

Dos and Don'ts of self promotion

GREAT post

Reasons I'm not buying from you

Why haven't I sold anything?

Etsy Team Resources and How Tos

Also, I joined Link Referral today, and have already discovered a few great blogs. The few that come to mind that I'm now following are:

1 - SAHM of 3.. has a good coupon organizing post that hooked me!

2 - Thrifty is Nifty - has lots of coupons, freebies, etc. Not usually my cup of tea as far as blogs go, but I'm giving it a shot because I like the last few posts she's made. :)

and last but not least

3 - Six Flower Mom, a homeschooling, going green, babywearing, co-sleeping momma. I love reading blogs like this. Jealousy.

Plus,

Free Printable Child ID Kit here -- I'm sure there are more, but I found this one today and I think everyone should have one of these -- though I don't have any current ones. Maybe this weekend.

And if you don't feel like visiting allllllll of those links up there for Etsy tips, this ONE link will tell you everything you need to know. ETSY TIPS

Sick kid(s), can't sleep.

**Disclaimer: I'm going to talk about puke, so don't read it if you have a weak stomach like I do! lol**

So, Sapphire broke out with some insane rash tonight. Some type of hives or something, I don't know. It freaked me out at first, because they spread SO FAST (like from one splotch to her entire body being covered in like an hour).. she was itching and crying.. and it was just awful. But I put some anti-itch lotion on her and made her lay down for a little while, and she was fine. She actually got really hyper after she started to feel better.

My poor lil babies..



I told her to stand up straight and she put her arms to her side like a soldier haha.



Jenelle came home from school saying her stomach hurt. She fell asleep on the living room floor while we were waiting for the taffy to come to a boil. My mom came over to pick up her Girl Scout cookies, and Jenelle didn't move - which is VERY unlike her. She just kept laying there. I figured she was tired, so I let her sleep. She slept for two hours, right through dinner. She woke up saying she had to go the bathroom, but couldn't. I ran her a hot bath and let her soak. Then I hear Sapphire scream that Jenelle is hurt.. so I run to check on her and she is puking in the tub. Now, I've been a mom for 8 years.. and I've never had a kid puke in the tub. I have a terribly weak stomach. I almost lost it at that point.



The entire time, I was texting Rachel just keeping her updated on the home situation. She got worried, and came home from work early. I laid down with Jenelle while she dealt with the other two. She has thrown up about 8 times since 5PM or so. She has no fever, but has refused to eat anything. No idea what has caused this, but I'm making her drink gatorade every time she wakes up. Unfortunately, I can't sleep... I'm a worry-wort and I'm afraid she will be up, puking or something, and I'll be snoozing and won't be able to help her.

Rach cleaning stuff up... she is worse than I am, and has a really weak stomach!! LOL



So, here I am, online at 11:30PM, knowing darn good and well Grace is going to be bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7AM (or earlier). Sigh. Please keep Nell in your prayers, if you're the praying type. If not, any positive thoughts/vibes are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Stop by Jenelle's blog to send her nice thoughts!!


Linky love: SBB ... A blog for moms with boys (those are few and far between!) has tips and tidbits on easy cleaning! Check them out.

Jenelle started a blog. :)

To practice her writing, typing, and spelling, I let Jenelle (my oldest - she's 8) start a blog.

Here it is.

Don't worry, she types her blogs in notepad or writes them by hand - she is not online when blogging (though I do let her online at times)... and she will not be reading any comments until I approve them first. :) She just loves watching me blog and wanted to share her "stories" as well. Someone suggested printing her blog -- I think it'll be a cute book for her when she's older.

Cool Etsy Finds and other Noteworthy Blogs

Before I forget, and get into rambling about my Etsy finds, please check out Michelle's project.

This book is a collaboration of many artists who will through a single page translate the message of love. This is a “living' project. The more people that contribute the better it will be. As pages get sent in , you can watch as the book takes form.
Watch it grow at Your Art Is Love.

As a contributing artist, you become part of the story. You will be love's messenger.

My neighbor, Dana, is joining me on my no poo adventure. :) I'm also trying to talk her into doing a "Touring Tuesdays" with me... we have the SAME apartment so it would be really cool!! Stop by her page and talk her into it. ;)

And if you haven't started yet, you should be following Journey Through Japan. Lots of awesome pictures of Japan... and good descriptions of them along the way.

...

First up, this little set of colorful fabric coasters really caught my eye. Of course you could make your own fabric coasters.. but just look at these. Do you see how much sewing was involved? And if you know me at all, I. Do. Not. Sew.


Visit Projects by Jane to see more of her unique designs.

Next up, Digital Seams...



Though I make handmade soaps as well, these are just too darling to skip over.

Last but not least, these hand sawed plexi-glass flower earrings are the bomb!



Head on over to La Cravate Du Chien to see more of their creations!

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops? Besides mine, of course. :)

114 words

Speed test

Introducing... BOUTIQUE BOWS!! (And a giveaway!)

I just added the cutest bows ever to the website, so be sure to check them out! They are only $4.99 and there are a few designed to match some of the tutus we make. :)



Our Crisscross Allie Clips were featured on one of the best blogs ever today. Please check out Hairstyles for Girls.



Before I forget, the cute little blonde in my photos is not my daughter. She is our newest model, and belongs to Dana. If you're a mom, or a craft lover (especially knitting), following Dana's blog should be on your To-Do list.

Now, to the good stuff.. We are giving away your choice of one of our new bows!!

***PLEASE POST A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.***

***PLEASE leave a link so your entry can be verified (Link to FB post, twitter, etc. Links not required for some entries.)***

This giveaway ends on February 21st at 9PM Central Standard Time. The winner will be announced on February 22nd.

You have until February 21st @ 9PM EST to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to EVERYONE, even international contestants. Winner will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email after the giveaway close. The winner will then have 72 hours to claim their giveaway by email. If the winner does not claim their prize within their 72 hour period, a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory 1st entry: Visit Nellie Bug's and pick which NEW bow is your favorite. Leave a comment here telling us about it.

EXTRA ENTRIES (Leave a separate comment for each!):

+1 Follow our blog (Click over there, to the right.)

+1 Leave us a guestbook entry telling us what your princess would use our tutus for (pictures, dress-up, etc)

+1 Tweet about this giveaway (One entry each day, comment each time you retweet)

+1 Post to another social networking site about our giveaway - you can do this DAILY for extra entries (Cafemom, Myspace, etc)

+2 Friend us on Facebook and leave a comment on our wall.

+1 Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post on our site. (Up to 3 entries)

+3 Link to us in the sidebar of your blog.

+3 Heart our Etsy shop

Okay, so I hope the rules are clear -- if you have any questions just email us! tutus(at)nelliebugs(dot)com.

New Blogs I'm Following - swap-bot

I am in a blogger swap on swap-bot and just wanted to let everyone know I'm following 10 new blogs. Check them out when you get a chance. :)

http://artinflight.blogspot.com/

http://knitahat.blogspot.com/ -- was already following

http://simonesbutterfly.blogspot.com/

This one is on wordpress, not blogger, but I found it very interesting: Lists of 100

http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com/

http://bluehairedmary.blogspot.com/ -- couldn't find the "follow" button, but still commented

http://batmamma.blogspot.com/ - some of it's in Swedish

http://arielbouvier.blogspot.com/ -- could not find "follow" button, but still commented

http://aninfiniteatopose.blogspot.com/ -- I think I'm really going to like this blog...

http://onewomenshaven.blogspot.com/

http://onewomenshaven.blogspot.com/ -- Already addicted to this one. :)

My first award :)

Tina gave me a blog award -- thanks, Tina! I don't know that I have 15 favorite blogs to pass it on to, but I'll try.



Also, I'm working on a pretty big project that will hopefully be done by tomorrow. I will post pictures then! Hint: It involves chalkboard paint!

Blogs I heart, in no particular order:

The Muse Factory -- My favorite blog, & favorite blogger, ever. :)

Family Treasures -- My other absolute favorite blogger!! She blogs often, has a goals list that is fun to follow, and has a not-too-busy layout.

Chunky Dunk at Large -- Love the things she blogs about

The Floundering SAHM -- I love how honest she is.

Bye Bye Fat Pants -- I like her layout, her short blog posts, and I like how she doesn't give up even when she gains weight. (She is also one of my prize pack winners!!)

My Marriage Experiment -- Because I heart anyone who is open enough to share their marriage problems, and anyone who is strong enough to work on them rather than walking away.

Mommy of 1 and Counting -- This mom is awesome, she does tons of reviews/giveaways, and her little girl looked adorable in one of my tutus

Project Mommy, Wife, and More -- I like this blog because of the simple layout, and she blogs often.

The Traveling Fish -- Besides being cute, this girl is hilarious. :) I love reading her blog.

**Disclaimer: If I forgot to mention your blog, I'm sorry! I'm sick today and the kids aren't letting up at ALL. If I follow your blog, then you are someone I would give this award to. Feel free to take it for your blog!! Thank you for understanding!**