Shoe Crazy!

The night before Aspen was born, I stayed up until midnight conducting an experiment. You see, I had seen these astoundingly adorable shoes on an Etsy site (Gracious Mae - totally go check them out and buy some if you don't want to spend all the time experimenting like me!). I loved them all so much but couldn't decide which ones to get and couldn't afford to buy multiple pairs. So...I decided to try and make some myself. I found a free pattern online for baby booties which gave me a basic idea of how to compose a shoe. Then, I totally tweaked it and played around until I found something that seemed to work and that I liked. That night, though, I used scraps and only had enough for one shoe. Maybe it was then that Aspen thought "I better get on out into the world because my Momma is going CRAZY with all these crafts - I mean, who makes their own shoes?" So exactly 12 hours from the time I turned off the sewing machine and admired my work, she was born!

Obviously, I had to finish making a pair of shoes after she was born, since I only made one beforehand. For the first 7-8 weeks she was an all-night party animal. "The Nocturnal One." So, I made shoes (that's why I was excited about the late shift!)

And more shoes. I just finished these up last night. Don't worry - many of them are going to be shipped off as gifts. I know girls tend to have a fetish for shoes - but come on - no one needs this many! I'll have to admit the vintage black polka dots are my fave!! Now, I just have to find clothes to match her shoes :)

This is just funny. Sawyer kept admiring the shoes and kept stealing them off the table, where I was working, to try them on. He was utterly disappointed that they were too small. I only wish I had the camera on me when he was trying to squeeze his chubby toddler feet into these tiny dainty little shoes. So, to lift his spirits, I said "why don't we get out your flip flops?" He got them for Christmas and it's been too chilly to wear them (although I wear flip flops year round. I actually wore flip flops to the hospital when we went to have Aspen). I told him I didn't know how to make "boy shoes" or else I would make him some. I told him that boy shoes are more "cool" anyway. So he put these cute little flip flops on his cute little feet and walked around saying "cool." Um hmm!

Since Aspen will have her baby blessing at church this coming Sunday, I made her some blessing shoes. They will match the hand-me-down white cotton dress I fixed up with my own touch, and the matching headband that I made. It's not lacy and frilly or anything. Simple. Beautiful. That's more my style anyway. I can hardly wait to see how she looks all dressed up!

Okay, my random post is done. And I mean DONE. I am DONE with craft projects for a while. Probably most of the summer. I'd much rather be at the beach, anyway! Plus, I am going to start back at "work" next week, so all my free time will be for editing photos and ordering prints from my shoots. When the cool Autumn air hits again and we need to spend more time indoors - then I'll break out the sewing machine again and work on some holiday gifts. But until then - this is it!

PS: to my sisters, Rachel & Kaitlin, and my SIL, Erin -- expect some shoes and headbands in the mail next week sometime! Happy Un-birthday to Madison, Alyssa and Baby A, and Autumn!

PSS: I will probably still buy a pair from Gracious Mae. Probably a bigger size for next year. Really, for the time it takes to hand-make shoes, her price is a great deal! Buy some!!!