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A Fond Farewell To My {Twenties}...

3/17/2015

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This week I'm entering a new decade! Not something that registers on the richter scale from impact, but a milestone nonetheless. The past year of discipling college students who are just beginning the same decade made me realize that my 20's were FULL. And somewhat unique to today's post-modern culture, but not without 10 years worth of memories and experiences that drip with God's outrageous grace.

So, to my Twenties: I bid you a fond farewell. In the 10 years that you gave me the title of "twenty-something", you also gave me a dog to raise (and give away), several (wonderful!) roommates, about a hundred jobs to get me through college, 9 residences (including a friend's basement and a double-wide trailer), and one slightly useless Bachelor's degree. 


You saw the disappearance of acne (though not until the late twenties, mind you), and the appearance of an entrepreneur hidden deep inside. You introduced me to love, turned me into a bride, and washed away the insecurities of adolescence with the affection of a man I never deserved. You saw me go from a wobbly baby believer to a woman confidently rooted in the acceptance, forgiveness and consuming love of Jesus.



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You were the decade of tiny apartments, tiny budgets, and a tiny body created within mine that gave me a new title: Mother. There were unaccepted applications, lost jobs, unmet expectations; but all were just guiding buoys leading the way to even sweeter joys. Somewhere in there I also lost my gallbladder. And I really hope my memory is just on a temporary hiatus & will return again soon. You tutored me with kindness instead of pain and fullness instead of loneliness. You gave me the dearest, deepest friendships I've ever known, with women who are more like soul-mates that bff's. You've given blessings that made evident the very real and wholly unearned goodness of my Father in heaven. No matter what the 'dirty thirties' bring, I will remember you as the decade that thrust me into the world, showed me my purpose and gave me the gifts to accomplish it.


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My dear twenties, you have been merciful to me. I entered as a clueless college student (and horribly dressed, now that I see the pictures), went through that newly-wed, super broke middle stage, and now I leave you 8.5 years into marriage, a Mama and a business owner, but still a dreamer. And even more aware of how far I still have to go. There are dreams of adopted children, Jesus-exalting church plants, new souls being won to the cause of Christ, and new depths to plumb in my journey with my Savior. I already look forward to making the memories that I'll reminisce over in another decade.

 Thank you, dear twenties. For teaching me courage. For the failures along with the successes, for the heartaches along with the overwhelming joys. I'm so so glad that I spent 90% of my twenties with the man I hope to spend the rest of my days with. Thank you for the wisdom that came from all of those 3,650 days; wisdom which is in large part due to the invaluable mentors that shaped a young heart, mind & life. 

With that, I leave you and join the "thirty-somethings..."
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Celebrating our ReLaunch with a HUGE Baby-Stuff {GIVEAWAY}!!

3/6/2015

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Ahhh, we're finally open for business!! From our final clothing clean-out sale in early February to today, we've been hard at work here at Hemmed In HQ. Canopy production went into high gear, the website got changed about a hundred times, we went all over town for several photoshoots and even filmed a short video. We're here at last. "Mama's Multitasker™", our 3-In-1 Canopy Accessory, is released into the world :)

And we couldn't be happier to celebrate that with you: our customers, friends, and supporters, with a GIVEAWAY!! But what's a celebration with only one shop giving away one product? Kind of low-key. And we wanted our Relaunch to be anything but low-key. So we've gathered together several of our FAVORITE handmade shops to make the party even bigger-and your giveaway prize even better.

I hand-picked each of these shops, because I can personally attest to each shop owner being someone whom I love to support, who's product is of incredibly high quality, and who's success I celebrate as much as my own. So please, take a look at their shops, read their stories, and show them some small-business love!
Here's what's up for grabs in our Relaunch Giveaway, a $225 Value!!

Hemmed In 
1 Canopy of Your Choice

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Pick from over 20 Styles! 
Boyish, Girly or Gender-Neutral

Bannor Toys
$20 Store Credit

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Handmade, customizable Wooden Toys, 
Teethers & Blocks 

Brandalion Boutique

$25 Store Credit

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Handmade Infant-Toddler Soft-Soled Shoes, cusomizeable

Gal-Pals

$20 Store Credit

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Handmade, beautifully-dressed Plush Dolls & Rattles

Carolyn Nealen Cloth
$25 Store Credit

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Handmade Infant Clothing, Hats & Teethers

Lucy Darling Shop
$30 Store Credit

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Hand-designed Baby's Book of 1st's, Infant Clothing Dividers

Phyllis Harris Designs
$25 Store Credit

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Hand-drawn & Painted Children's Artwork, Customizable 

Wash With Water
$20 Store Credit

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Organic Skincare line for Children & Infants

Now that you've been properly introduced, get yourself entered, and Good luck!
THANK YOU for celebrating Hemmed In's relaunch with us :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
* Terms & Conditions: Giveaway ends March 11, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to Residents of the US only, must be 18 years of age or older. Winner will be selected randomly via Rafflecopter.com and be notified by email. All entrants will be notified via email with winner announcement, plus consolation prize. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Wendy will send a canopy of your choice to you directly, and will email you the coupon codes to use for store credit at all other giveaway participants' shops. The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary. Facebook and Instagram are in no way associated with this giveaway.  By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to Wendy, owner of Hemmed In, alone.  She will not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.
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{Big Changes} at Hemmed In!

1/26/2015

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I'm not sure how to write this blog post. It could be very in-depth, and likely too personal, or it could be straight-forward, factual and seemingly distant. I'll try to find a middle ground so that I don't lose any of you on account of TMI or TLI (Too Little Info, of course!) 
**If you're not one for details, scroll down to the end--there's a HUGE CLEAN-OUT SALE you won't want to miss with all the changes coming!

Over the past 2 years of designing & making clothing for Little Ladies, I've learned so, so much and grown in ways I could not have imagined. From all the intricacies of starting a business, to finding my passion for protecting the innocence of children through the clothing I design, it has been an unparalleled journey of discovery! I've been touched by the words of countless customers who have found my designs to be just what they were looking for, and I've had so much fun meeting you, seeing your Ladies in their Hemmed In clothes, and sending you package after package of "Little Lady goodness" :)    {THANK YOU for your support, encouragement and love!!}


I entered 2015 with so much excitement for the new Spring line, and plans to start hiring designers, seamstresses and interns. However, our family also entered 2015 with big, new endeavors on the horizon. Namely, an adoption and being part of a team that's planting a church in our new town. Two HUGELY exciting adventures, but also two very time-intensive adventures that we will need to be committed to for the long-haul.

It became increasingly obvious that the business and our personal lives were not congruent with one another.  We needed to SIMPLIFY!
 
However, Hemmed In is still a BIG part of our lives and, we believe, still has a lot to offer the world! It just needs to operate at a different capacity. 
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So, from here on out, Hemmed In will not be offering Little Lady's clothing collections. 

Instead, we will be turning our focus to exclusively producing our one-of-a-kind, 3-in-1 Infant Carseat Canopy Accessories. These have actually been one of our best selling items, even though it's just been an "on-the-side" item!

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I love that in narrowing our niche, the mission of Hemmed In is actually coming into even greater focus. 

I love that Hemmed In still serves Mamas with a product that is needed, useful and highly functional for her everyday life with Little Ones. 



I love that we've already built a strong base of loyal customers specific to this product that have bought Canopies for themselves, their friends, their coworkers, neighbors and are passionate enthusiasts in telling others about it! 
(*These are just a few of the new styles coming soon!)
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And I love that the verse that inspired Hemmed In's name some 3 years ago still fits so perfectly with the Canopies: 
Psalm 139:5 says:
Isn't that a perfect picture of what a canopy does, functionally? It goes behind, before and above, protecting your little one with a comforting cover. But big-picture, it shows us a glorious and ultimate comfort for not only our children, but our own lives as well. We are 'hemmed in' by God, and His loving protection is perfect. Even in the unknown that lies ahead of us personally and in business, I'm so comforted by His ever-present hands behind us, before us and upon us!!

I'm so grateful and so excited for where He is leading our family in this new season, and I'm grateful that Hemmed In still has a contribution to make to many other families. 
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So, the BIG SALE: we still have clothing and aprons and tote bags in the shop to move out! Starting in a couple of days, every clothing piece will be 40% off (I've NEVER gone this low!!) But if you want to get in on even more exclusive deals, join our VIP Club and you'll receive another 10% off coupon code. And of course, all orders Ship FREE :) You can get signed up through the form here, and watch for an email in the next couple days.
ALL SALES WILL BENEFIT OUR ADOPTION FUND. Which seems appropriate! Clothing made for Little Ladies going to support the adoption of a little one in need of a home. :) 



THANK YOU for sticking around, and for being a part of Hemmed In's story!!
"you hem me in, behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me."
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Hemmed In + Down Syndrome Awareness Month

10/27/2014

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October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and I almost missed it!! It's a month to spread awareness, advocacy and inclusion throughout our communities, and it's a cause I'm passionate about. 

Unfortunately, the fashion industry is one of exclusion more often than inclusion. Rarely do you see any model on a runway or in a product shoot who has special needs. I wanted Hemmed In to be different in that way, specifically.

Then I met Autumn; a local children's store owner who happens to be the grandmother of one of my Hemmed In models: a sweet, spunky little Lady who has Down Syndrome and a beautiful smile. (pictured above) 

Last year, Autumn spearheaded an inclusive Fashion Show with children from all over Denver who have Special Needs, and has big plans to continue it for years to come. I was there, I LOVED it, and I wrote all about it in the blog here.

SO, not to miss out on being a part of this support & awareness-raising month, I'm donating 10% of ALL SALES this week to the Proud To Be Me Fashion Show. 

Please Help us show our love & support by shopping!! 

Shop here on Hemmed In with Site-Wide FREE Shipping, and be a part of celebrating individuals with Down Syndrome!
(Like their FB page too) :) xo.

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Hemmed In {Fall/Winter 2014} Collection is live!

9/17/2014

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It's finally ready!! The Hemmed In Fall 2014 Collection has hit the shop, and just in time for those Christmas Card photoshoots :)  

I've been working all summer designing & sewing brand-new, beautiful items for every section of the shop. Just like you've come to expect, it's all meticulously handmade and stitched with pure love. Every package goes out with a FREE fabric rosette hair clip (no waste!) and I cover your Shipping. 

I was extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with 2 other Mom-owned, Handmade shops for the hair accessories that we styled the photoshoot outfits with.
Abbey of The Pleated Polkadot and Nikki of Southern Adoornments are as genuine as they are talented, and I wanted to keep every. single. piece they generously sent!! But I also want to share the love with you because you're going to want more of where that came from.
So I'm giving away 6 bows/headbands this week! 
--> Go check out our Facebook page to see all the details and get entered in the accessory giveaways.

I'm also incredibly thankful for crossing paths with Meghan Hof, the gifted and even more patient photographer behind the lens of these gorgeous photos. What most would describe as a chaotic hour-long meeting of toddlers and fast-paced outfit changes, she managed to capture childhood sweetness and spontaneity all while showing our products in clear detail. She's a gem to work with, so if you're in the Denver area, don't look anywhere else for your next photo session!

For family portraits, visit Meghan Hof Photography, for Weddings, visit Gathering Light Photography
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A 5th Birthday Party ... Somewhere Over The Rainbow

8/3/2014

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To be honest, when Little Lady requested a Rainbow-themed 5th Birthday party (months ago!), I was pretty stoked. The Rainbow allows for no-brainer decor, is easy to work with for games, and awesome for using up a lot of my fabric/sewing supplies laying around. 
It was a win/win all around, and turned out to be a ton of fun packed into 2 chaotic hours that left us all still groggy this morning!

So, here's the details, should you need inspiration for an all-things Rainbow party in your future...!

(Click on images to enlarge)
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The Food: aren't you supposed to eat a rainbow of produce everyday or something?! If that's true, then I think this spread would have been personal trainer approved. And certainly busy-Mom-approved, since it took about 20 minutes to put together. Sliced fruit and mostly straight-from-the-bag veggies in rainbow order and you can call it good.
Red: Strawberries & Cherry Tomatoes
Orange: Clementine Slices & Carrots
Yellow: Mango & Yellow Bell Pepper
Green: Kiwi & Sugar Snap Peas
Blue: Blueberries & Beet chips (kinda purple actually)

I also added hummus & colorful vegetable chips (I don't remember the brand name, but they're all root vegetables, so gluten free, naturally flavorful and awesome). Done and done.
A rainbow-colored assortment of Izze Sodas would have been fun, but I opted for budget-friendlier & non-sticky water. 
We had 2 dozen Cake pops in a rainbow (made by the lovely & talented Suga Me Sweet here in Denver) and a cake cut into a 5 with rainbow-patterned M&M's (the little ones can help with that job!). 
PS--good thing I didn't go into the cake-making business, even a little 6 year-old dude called me out on making the 5 look like an S. sheesh! The Games were at least a homerun...

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...KIDS' KITCHEN... National Lemonade Day Popsicles!!

6/4/2014

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Nothing says "summertime" like basking in the sun with an ice cold lemonade and drifting off with the clouds in dreamy thoughts..... And with National Lemonade Day being this weekend, June 7th, what better Kids' Kitchen recipe to share than a simple, but delicious, Lemonade popsicle?! (because nothing says "childhood" like drippy, sticky popsicles on a sunny day, right?!)

Get your little budding entrepreneurs busy in the kitchen for about 30 minutes and they'll have the best Lemonade Stand in the city! (Add an adorable Apron as a fitting uniform, and they'll sell out before you can yell "Popsicles For Sale"!!)

With 2 simple ingredients, and an inexpensive popsicle mold, you can be pleased knowing that their new favorite summer dessert won't break the bank, consume copious amounts of time, or be full of junk. But warning--they go quickly! Maybe you should get a couple popsicle molds to stock the freezer up...


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The {Raincoat} :: A Quintessential Childhood Accessory

5/19/2014

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I love this pattern, I love this fabric, and I love the finished product!! In fact, I loved it all so much, I made another one, just for one lucky Little Lady out there! (more on that below...)

A Raincoat really is a childhood memory-maker. Just putting one on, it beckons little wearers to venture out in the rain, jump in puddles, and, as my Little Lady puts it-"go adventuring"! Before I had even sewn on the buttons, we were out stomping through streams and playing in a little forest. The very next day the rain came, and we went running out to make good use of it again! (This time with the buttons-which helped keep its utilitarian purposes actually useful!)

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...Kids' Kitchen... Our Secret To Amazing Cookies

4/28/2014

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Mmmmmm, soft, gooey, chocolatey cookies fresh from the oven. It brings back some sweet memories, does it not?! (Ok, so that's not quite a Nestle-commercial-quality picture, but I promise, the taste is right up there with any of the best of 'em!)

Little Lady requested that we make our neighbors cookies on her "Nani Decides Day" a couple weeks ago, and when I said we should make our "Secret" Chocolate chip Recipe, she quickly rebuked: "Keeping secrets isn't kind, Mama. You should tell 'em!"

Touche, Little Lady, touche. And while every kid I know loves to make cookies (and more importantly, test the dough), I thought I'd take her well-worded advice and share our "secrets" to a delicious batch of cookies with you & your little Sous Chefs :)

Honestly, like the good ol' "Friends" episode of cookie baking, we really just make some substitutions to Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe found right on the chocolate chip package. So, here's our version, with perfect results every time!

"Secret" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat (or White Whole Wheat) Flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 2/3 Cup Coconut Oil (no need to soften, using it in solid form is fine)
  • 3/4 Cup Turbinado Sugar (Sugar In The Raw)
  • 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Large Eggs (if dough is too dry, add another one!)
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chunks** (they're sooo much better than chocolate chips, I promise!!)

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
  2. Beat Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar, Raw Sugar and Vanilla Extract together in mixing bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until creamy.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda and Salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, mix in the Chocolate Chunks.
  4. Spoon rounded dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for *8* minutes (no more, no less!)
  • KIDS JOBS: All the pouring, egg-breaking, and spooning of dough is all them! With the help of a full-coverage apron, they can get as into it as they like :)
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They stay soft for days, and the extra chocolatey-chunk-ness is addicting-beware! 
TIP: roll dough into balls and freeze in a bag for later. Just throw in the oven at 375* fully frozen, bake for 9 minutes and serve fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies for last minute guests :)
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...Kids Kitchen... Baked Cinnamon & Sugar Chips with Fruit Salsa

3/25/2014

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PictureRecipe Credit: "Simply Colorado"; 1989
Spring has arrived, and that means summer is right around the corner! I really have a love/hate feeling towards Spring because it can be such a tease-especially here in Colorado. We can be in tank tops having a picnic on the porch one day and under 2 feet of snow the next. Quite literally. I wish I was exaggerating. *Sigh.* 
Buuut, I'm a sucker for sun and warmth, so at the first sign of it last week we started making cool summer food like we were going to a pool party. 

Summertime to me means lots and lots of colorful, juicy, in-season fruit. And the perfect pairing with that luscious fruit is a big 'ol bag of Cinnamon & Sugar Pita Chips! Just between you & me, I could eat a whole bag of Stacy's Pita Chips in a day. Eeek. Hopefully these will tame that a bit-they're just as crunchy & sweet. But way cheaper. And, I'm hoping, at least a bit healthier.

My little Lady loved this "activity" the whole way through. Loved every step of the recipe and she loved the tasty end result. Enjoy!

MATERIALS

  • ​1 Children's Apron
  • Basting Brush (or spray bottle)
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Fruit Salsa

1. KIDS JOB: Finely chop all fruit and mix together in large bowl. 
2. KIDS JOB: Using a potato masher, "smash" fruit till juice starts flowing. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 20 (4" square each) Wonton Skins (found in produce section, near mushrooms usually)
  • Water
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar (we used Turbinado sugar)
  • Variety of Fruit, finely chopped (Strawberries, Kiwis, Mangos, Raspberries, Blueberries...whatever sounds good!)
  1. Preheat oven to 350*. Cut wonton skins in halves by making 1 diagonal cut thru the center. (or for smaller chips, make 2 diagonal cuts, making each square into quarters.)
  2. KIDS JOB: Arrange wonton skins in a single layer on ungreased cookie sheets; spray or brush lightly with water (try to go easy with the water, too much makes them stick when baked and the sugar go all gooey)
  3. KIDS JOB: Combine cinnamon & sugar; sprinkle evenly over wet wonton skins.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool on baking sheet then remove. 
  5. Serve with fresh fruit salsa & store in airtight container (if you have any left!)

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