Been a While!

It's already October, yet it still feels like we JUST moved! Minnesota is so lovely this time of year, and living in farm country during the harvest makes me so aware of how many wonderful blessings we have.

I am pleased to report that Hush Baby Toys continue to sell at the Mom and Pop Place in Neenah, WI. They are nearly sold out over there, and I have NONE in stock here at the moment! Can you believe it!? It's so exciting to say that, and it's really thrilling to find consignment checks in the mail every month.

Now that the weather is turning colder and I am spending more time inside, I expect to launch more Hush Baby Toys soon (with the next few months, at least). Keep a weather eye open, and you just might spot the new arrivals. I have some ideas for great new additions to the HBT line, but what about you? I want to hear from all of you! What would YOU like to see make an appearance in the Hush Baby Toy Shop?

Drop me a line in the comments box and let me know. I may just turn your idea into a toy!

Welcome Welcome Welcome

To the newest addition to the Hush Baby Toy line! Miss Hermione Hippo!

Now Hermione isn't named after an author, it's true, but it's surprisingly difficult to find an author that is in some way related to the hippo. Also, Hermione is a great name for a hippo, don't you think?

Anyway, Hermione is finally here, and you can find her in the Shop! Sorry it's taken so long to get the photos up. My sister-in-law did a great job with the pics, but lavender seems to be a really difficult color to photograph, especially on overcast days, so these pictures spent a little extra time on my computer while I edited them to make them look as good as Hermione looks in person (hippos can be very self-conscious, you know).

Check out the SHOP for more information about how to find Hermione waiting in YOUR mailbox!

Last Call to Enter

The GIVEAWAY CONTEST!

It is seven o'clock central time on July 9th, and I thought I would remind everyone out there who reads this blog that the GIVEAWAY CONTEST IS STILL GOING ON!

We have some great prizes, including your very own limited edition Hush Baby Toy. Would you like to win it? You know you would. Here's how you can:

Click the FOLLOW button or leave your email in the FOLLOW BY EMAIL to connect with this blog.

Tell your friends to do the same! Once they are following this blog, have them leave a comment on one of the posts telling me who recruited them.

Both the most recent follower AND the person who recruited them will win a prize! Hurry now to be in the running!
QUICK LIKE BUNNIES!


And speaking of bunnies, I have new toys done. True, none of them are bunnies, but they are just as adorable. When I get the photos taken and put up tomorrow, you will have proof that I do not lie.

Also, I have started the countdown for our big move back to Minnesota. Only a few more weeks to go! To be honest, I will be really sad to leave the area we live in now - everything is so convenient and safe and friendly, and with my husband's parents so close, we always have a lot of fun. Even so, I know our new home will be delightful, and can't even tell you how absolutely excited I am to be living in an actual house (right now the three of us all squish into an efficiency apartment that consists of one large room and a teeny tiny space that is not a legal bedroom because it has no windows. Our apartment is also in  a basement, so there is no natural light). What am I looking forward to the most? Having space to stretch out and play and SUNLIGHT! Bring it on! I can't wait for that. I probably won't be hanging curtains for a long time just because I will be revelling in the fact that we will no longer live like moles.

And on that note, I had best get back to work doing stuff that keeps me busy. Have a wonderful evening!

Follow by Email!

Hello and good afternoon to everyone out there! Hope your day is as lovely as mine is shaping up to be. This must be a quick post, as I have a little one getting all sticky while eating watermelon for lunch.

I just wanted to let you all know that you can now follow Hush Baby Toys via email! On the Right hand side of this blog, right next to the posts, you should be able to see a "Follow by Email" sign. Now I haven't tried it out yet, but I think you should be able to put your email address into that little box and hit enter and voila! You will get emails on updates.  This will be especially helpful for anyone participating in the contest (there are still only a lonely five followers. Hoping for at least a few more by the 10th). Now, instead of requiring a blogger or google account, you should be able to follow this blog regardless of what email you use.

And now I have a very sweet, very sticky baby to clean off, and we are out the door to play. Have a lovely day!

Just a quick hello!

Good morning, all of you out there in the inter-world. Hope your morning is going as well as mine.

Happy to report that my daughter is now back to sleeping through the night. She used to do this quite easily, but has recently gone through a phase where she'd be up a couple of times a night. My husband and I have really worked hard to get her on a set napping and eating schedule, and I'm glad to say it has paid off and carried over to her sleeping schedule too. She is now sleeping easily through the night almost every night. This means I am getting a much better sleep as well.

Of course for every good news, the universe must balance itself with a little bad news. In this case the bad news is that I have managed to injure my knee. At some point last week while I was visiting my folks in Minnesota, I did something to my knee, and I'm still in a lot of pain. I was pretty active while I was there, so I'm not sure what exactly I did, but a week and a half later, I am wondering at what point I need to see a doctor.

But enough of that. In other news, I dropped off four new toys at the Mom and Pop Place in Neenah, WI. We'll see if they sell like the last four did. FINGERS CROSSED!

There also may be a contest and giveaway in the near future. It will depend on things. Keep an eye out!

But right now the baby is sitting in her seat eating a good morning snack, so I had better go. Overandout!

Good morning, Starshine!

Hello hello, on this lovely, though rainy morning. I'm not usually a big fan of clouds and rain and cold, but as I sit here in the quiet of an early morning house, with my coffee in hand and Ziggy Stardust playing on my computer, while the baby is sound asleep for her morning nap, I can't help but feel that life as we know it is very very good. This feeling is helped by the fact that I am wearing one of my favorite shirts from before I was pregnant and a pair of size 4 jeans, thinking I could probably go down at least a size because I have finally lost all my baby weight. Only ten pounds of married weight to lose before I am back to my college size. And that was a good size, if I might say so myself.

As many of you know, I am out of town this week. We were over in Minnesota for my brother-in-law's wedding, and I have to say it was BEAUTIFUL. It was held in a historic church in a very historic town with the reception in a historic hotel (all very historical). Everything was small and elegant and absolutely perfect, and I couldn't be happier for the new couple. The staff at the hotel was far and away the absolute best staff I have ever encountered in any customer service field ever. They were so helpful and friendly and kind to us, and absolutely doted on our baby girl. Any parents out there know that many places can be downright rude to people with babies, because they don't want to deal with the extra work that comes along with a baby. This staff truly would have gone out of their way to do just about anything for you, so I am definitely going to use my blog power to throw a shoutout to them. If any of you get around to Minnesota, and are looking for a fantastic weekend escape, the Palmer House in Sauk Center is the place to be. On top of the fantastic service and charming surroundings, it is also a historical point of interest for any bibliophiles out there, as Sinclair Lewis did a lot of his writing in the Palmer House. It's also supposed to be haunted, but having a healthy dose of skepticism in my veins, I didn't happen to have any sort of paranormal experiences.

Our hotel room had fantastic light, which allowed me the chance to get some really great pictures of the newest toy I've been working on. In the next few days, you will notice some changes to the shop. The GALLERY will change names, and be called STORE or SHOP, or something like it. There will still be a GALLERY button, but it will take you to pictures of other Hush Baby Toys available in brick and mortor stores. This will let you browse all Hush Baby Toys, in case you were curious what is available in stores and not in the online shop.

Hope that makes sense. If I haven't explained it well enough, I'm sure when the changes take effect, you will be able to grasp what I mean.

Until later, I have an ear I need to finish knitting before the baby wakes up from her nap. Overandout!

DAISY, DAISY,

Here she is! The newest addition to my shop. My cousin has a bunny named Daisy, and even though I didn't intend to create an homage, once I finished this adorable little bunny I just couldn't think of a more perfect name. Check out the GALLERY to see her side by side with Kipling and learn more about ordering. Daisy and Kipling stand about 8" tall, and are perfect for tiny hands to cuddle. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law is out for the day, so I was stuck taking photos myself, and even though they aren't as wonderful as hers, they aren't bad.

Click on the image to enlarge

Commenting

First things first: GO CHECK OUT THE GALLERY!

Nothing has changed, but you still shouldn't miss what's there. It will also be growing, so come back this afternoon and check it out again.

A few days ago I said I was having trouble leaving comments on other blogs. Well, I'm still having trouble, and it has resulted in me having to email the bloggers to tell them I love their blog and ask them to follow mine. I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure that I'm coming off like a spammer. Hopefully the people I have emailed will understand that I really, truly do love their blogs and I really, truly am having trouble telling them in a more normal way.

Other than that, I do believe I promised a new toy up in the gallery today, didn't I? And you shall have it! As soon as the baby wakes up from her morning nap and we all get up and around, we will be heading over to my in-law's house, where my very awesome and talented sister-in-law will work her photo-skills on the newest Hush Baby Toy.

I don't want to give too much away, because I'd like it to be a grand surprise, but....it will be adorbs. Also, she will be named Daisy. Take that where your mind will. You shall soon see.

Until then, I really ought to get working on the other toy that I want to finish today for the shop in town.

I mentioned also in an earlier post that I am leaving town tomorrow to visit my parents and to go to my brother-in-law's wedding. I'm not sure how this will affect updates, but we'll find out. I will not be posting anything new for sale, since I kind of hope to use the week to work on some stuff for the Mom and Pop Place, since they are out of stock and would like more.

Until later!

Productive!

I love that feeling at the end of the day when you stretch out in bed and know that you've actually accomplished something. It's even nicer when you have your own bedroom in which to do it. Let me explain...

Because of a small snag that left my husband and I jobless, eight months pregnant (me, not the husband), and at the end of our lease, we moved in with my in-laws about a year ago. My husband and I packed most of our stuff into a storage unit and shoved the rest of our life into a teeny tiny guest room in his parents' house. After our daughter was born, that teeny-tiny room got even teeny-tinier, as we were now sharing it with a baby and all the necessary accessories. In January or February, my husband was able to find a job that allowed us to move out into an apartment of our own. Sounds great, right?

Well...sort of. The apartment is nice. It would be perfect for one person or maybe even two. But not a family of three. You see, it's essentially a studio apartment. It is one large room (in a basement with no natural light), with one small, windowless adjoining room that is not a legal bedroom. Until now, we had our computers and our television in this small adjoining room, and once again the three of us and all of our stuff was cohabitating one room. This worked until our daughter realized that she had the power to keep the rest of us up all night long, and things have had to change.

SO we rearranged furniture! My husband and I are chancing it in the windowless room (we keep the doors open, at least) and for the first time in over a year, I am enjoying the feeling of having a bedroom that is mostly just a bedroom - though it is also part office for my hubby. It is so nice. So very, very nice. In fact, I am writing this as my daughter sleeps in the other room and I am stretched out in my own bed, typing without fear of waking her up.

As well as moving the furniture around, I also managed to do the laundry today! Woohoo! And I have two toys that are on the verge of being finished. Since I am being so productive, I think I might continue my streak and throw on some Scrubs while I finish one of the toys. Then I shall brush my teeth and go to bed knowing that I have worked hard and accomplished a lot.

And really, that feeling brings the best dreams.

Overandout!

Work Day

Hello all!

A lot has happened so far this week (it's hard to believe it's only Wednesday).

First off, my husband and I have been working hard to get out baby onto a solid schedule, to help her nap during the day and sleep at night (she doesn't seem to think she's a napper). Anyway, it's been going pretty well so far. She's been taking pretty consistent naps, which has given me some free time to do some good work on more toys, which hopefully will be up on the site before too long.

Today I am over at the in-laws' house, borrowing my mom-in-law's sewing machine because mine is still packed away in storage. I have used up my store of lavender making sachets, so I should be good for a little while. Unfortunately, the baby is having a hard time taking a nap this afternoon. Why, you ask? Because Mouse, her HBT, has gone missing. That's right! Put out an APB for a little lavender mouse. Fun to snuggle, likes baby kisses, and answers to Mouse.

 The good news is that we didn't take Mouse out of the house yesterday. The bad news is that means that Mouse is lost somewhere in our apartment. I'm sure he (she?) will turn up eventually, but in the mean time, it's awfully hard to get to sleep when your snuggle buddy is out there all alone, possibly cold and hungry. Poor Mouse. Come home soon.

In case you were wondering what I am working on, I will say that I am working on two toys at a time here, but they won't both appear in the gallery with Kipling, since I am trying to restock at the Mom and Pop Place at the same time. Keep an eye out!


Just another FYI for those of you out there in the interworld. I will be out of town next week for my brother-in-law's wedding. I'm not sure yet how this will affect posting, but I just wanted to let you know.

Until next time, blog fans, I think the baby is finally quieting down.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Did you notice them? Probably not, because nobody follows this blog yet =P

The look of the blog has changed dramatically, and it was all relatively painless - upload your artwork as files to the blog and it pretty much does the rest. Neat, huh?

In case you're wondering, the picture at the header is my daughter snuggling Mouse, the first HBT I ever made. Mouse has become an essential part of bedtime.

The bonus to this blogs for dummies aproach to customization is that I am not only finished, but pleased with the result of my efforts just in time for bed.

And now as I get ready, I am reminded that in the chaos of chasing a very grouchy and very squirrely baby, I neglected to brush my teeth this morning. Ick.