It’s a new era of time where instead of hoofing it over to a photographers studio, many sought after photographers are traveling to your town and coming directly to you! This is now the case with Lizzy Anne Photography, owned by Elizabeth Cranmer from Calgary.

Lizzy Anne Photography is set for May 23, 24, and 25th in Victoria BC – that’s right, she’s coming to the island!! Currently a few evening slots are available on those dates for family portraits, senior graduate pictures, or even portrait sessions. Have a baby you want photographed? Need business style photos? Just let her know and we can work out the details.

Liz has an incredible eye and is a true artist. You may find a plethora of work she has done on her blog here, as well as her portfolio available for viewing on her website.

To sign up for a photoshoot time, on location in Victoria area please visit this post on the Lizzy Anne blog and leave her a comment. If you have additional questions or requirements you can email to: Elizabeth@lizzyanne.com

Special Island Pricing:

Family sessions are $250 (disc can be purchased)
1-2 hour session on location.
Editing of images up to 75
Online Gallery to share with family and friends

Senior Graduate sessions are $250 including disc.
1-2 hour session on location
Editing of images up to 30
Online Gallery to share with friends and family
Disc/digital negative of images

Any other photoshoot themes can be arranged. Email for full details.

Mother’s Day is May 13th (ahem, Gents that means it’s right around the corner).

I’ve had a deliciously fun time collecting handmade gift ideas for the sweet Mom, Wife or super woman in your life. Here’s a few great ideas and I’ve included our GIFT to you, a FREE Mother’s Day Printable from Boutique Cafe and our friend Maggie at Honeysuckle Art. Enjoy honouring the beautiful Mom in your life.

Polymer Clay Decorative Handmade Pears – on Etsy by SkyeArt

Ipad case – padded with retro colorful measuring tape and pocket (don’t forget to buy her the iPad too for extra points!) – on Etsy by PinkOasis

Gorgeous Felt Flower brooch white poppy – on Etsy by Roltinica

Custom Family Tree Typography Art – on Etsy by Lesleygracedesigns

Boutique Cafe and Honeysuckle Art FREE Mother’s Day Printable in several sizes!! Get it FREE here >>

Guess what I have in my hot little hands? Why, it’s a copy of Patty Young’s new book Sewing Modkid Style of course!!

I happen to know Patty in real life and have featured her many times over the years on Boutique Cafe, so the experience of seeing her book come to fruition is an added thrill for me. However, even if I didn’t know my little firecracker of a friend, I would be racing to the bookstore or Amazon to snag myself a copy of Sewing Modkid Style – Modern Threads for the Cool Girl. That’s exactly what I’m going to recommend for you to do, but first I’m dying to share my thoughts on Patty’s first book.

When it first arrived I couldn’t wait to peruse the pages. Everything Patty touches is beautiful and I knew her book would be too! For her first foray into the book arena Patty focused on utilizing knits for girls. Some may think that working with knits would be daunting or difficult, but Patty takes you step by step along the way guiding you through the process and making it simple. You might wonder “why knits?” and the answer is simply that Patty is a Mom herself and believes that your children should look adorable but also be comfortable. Knits are the answer to “dressing the modern, active child.” These clothes will move with your children and allow them to romp, play and rule the world. Patty also understands how you don’t want to dress your children in clothes that are boring, knits allow you to showcase their style and sprinkle in some attitude in their clothing.

Inside the pages you’ll be guided through the process of identifying different knits and picking out the best quality for your precious projects. I personally loved chapter 1: guide to sewing with knits, with techniques, tools and hints on sewing with knits for the ultimate success.

You might be wondering how extensive the collection of patterns and projects is for this book, and Patty does not disappoint. You can bet on the maximum bang for your buck because everything is here from dresses, to pants, to shorts, to skirts, accessories and even a knit quilt!! I’m having a terrible time deciding which project I love the most, I honestly just want to get sewing. I will tell you that I will definitely be making up the Bloom dress, the leg warmers, the yoga pants and the quilt!

In the very front of the book (published by Wiley) is a darling pocket filled with your precious patterns. Obviously there are many patterns out there in the sewing world to choose from, but Patty’s patterns are easy to use and so well done! Can beginners use this book? You bet! Can people who are sewing stars use this book? Yes definitely!

What I love about Sewing Modkid Style is that it’s so perfectly Patty in every way, from the design elements, to the photos, to the patterns, to the fabrics, it all comes together in a beautiful cohesive book. Way to go Patty – this is a work of art! – Daria

Here’s our Mini-interview with Patty Young – I asked Patty a few fun questions and here are her replies:

1. Your book is called Sewing Modkid Style, can you tell us how you would describe your own personal style of clothing and fashion love?

Patty: My own personal style is all over the place. The remnants of a 90’s Goth Girl in me still loves black and gray with all of her heart, while the new, more confident, 21st-Century-Mom part of me gravitates towards bright colors and bold prints. As I looked at my closet this morning I saw pinks, reds, oranges, citrons and turqs amidst a whole lotta black and gray. Clean, modern lines, with not a lot of frill, is what I love in a silhouette.

2. Was it fun for your daughters and husband to be included in the making of this book?

Patty: This was definitely a family project. My girls are so used to modeling for me that I’m sure they didn’t see much of a difference between this project and previous ones (pattern covers, catalogs, website, etc.) except maybe that there were more models involved, which was definitely more fun for them. My dear hubby, as I mentioned in my acknowledgments, pretty much took over and ran the household while I worked on this book and I will be forever grateful.

3. What did you learn about writing a book that you didn’t know before?

Patty: I learned that I can let go of my OCD/control freak tendencies and let others help. I was so used to being a one-woman-shop that I didn’t think I could ever let go of some of that control. But I learned quickly that when you’re working on a time-consuming project like this one, while still managing a whole company and trying to be a good mom and wife, you have to let others help you. It was liberating and refreshing!

4. Will you create patterns for women in the future? Please!

Patty: The future of women’s patterns for MODKID is still uncertain. Although our previous women’s pattern got a very warm reception from our fans, they are definitely not our best sellers. A recent report ran by Jon showed that girls’ clothing patterns outsold women’s clothing, purses and accessories by a large margin. This is not to say that we will never do them again (never say never, right?), because we still have some wonderful prototypes floating around the studio that beg to be made into patterns… but it definitely won’t be our focus anytime soon.

5. If you could say anything to your fans and supporters right now, what would you tell them?

Patty: That I definitely wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for their love and support. I so enjoy reading their comments and emails and I gain so much experience from constructive criticism. I live for looking at their photos on my Flickr groups and when I see shares on FaceBook or Twitter, my heart swells with pride and joy. Thank you so much for all of your support!

***GIVEAWAY: Win a Copy of Sewing Modkid Style!
The wonderful people at Wiley are giving one of our lucky Boutique Cafe readers a copy of Patty Young’s new book Sewing Modkid Style!! Aren’t you excited?!

*To enter, leave a comment telling us why you want to sew with Patty’s new book, Sewing Modkid Style

Additional entries: You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:
• “Like” Boutique Cafe on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
• Mention this giveaway on Twitter (with @BoutiqueCafe and @pattyyoung in the tweet) and leave a comment with the URL.
• Jump up and down yelling “I NEED This Book!!” and email us a photo of you doing it to: boutiquecafe@gmail.com

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: May 5th (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Follow the Blog Tour:

Monday, April 2: Wiley Craft Blog

Wed., April 4: A Sewing Journal

Friday, April 6: Pink Chalk Studio

Monday, April 9: Melanie Dramatic

Wed., April 11: Stop Staring and Start Sewing

Friday, April 13: Generation Q

Monday, April 16: Lil Blue Boo

Wed., April 18: True Up

Friday, April 20: Paige Hill

Monday, April 23: Boutique Café

Wed., April 25: The Long Thread

Friday, April 27th, 2012: Sew Pretty Dresses

Monday, April 30: Prudent Baby

Wed., May 2: Our Busy Little Bunch

Friday, May 4: Fat Quarterly

Monday, May 7: Making It Fun

Wed., May 9: MODKID blog

PHOTO ENTRIES:

Gyl of Rhembein Photography sent in a few pictures of herself jumping up and down shouting “I NEED THIS BOOK!!”, I seriously LOVE that she chose to enter in such a fun way. I was laughing and loving this entry. Good luck Gyl.

I’d be giddy to have more photo entries – just do it!

*************WINNER UPDATE*****************
Well believe it or not, our winner is Gillian by random generator! Her comment that won this giveaway was:

“I would love to win this book and sew with it because (a) it is impossible to find in Canada – as you know Daria, ordering online is our only hope… OR WINNING IT!! and (b) I have always ONLY sewn my own creations and I would love to try some of Patty’s, having always been a fan.
~gillian”
Congratulations Gillian! And thank you to everyone for your support and participation on our Website, Facebook and Twitter. I have some new giveaways coming up soon so keep coming back, I want you all to win!

Oh the dilemma! I have not had an easy week, my emotions ranging from anticipation to bummerville, knowing that I would be attending the Cold Play concert in Vancouver with my son and my husband but missing SNAP! The Conference. The Cold Play concert was a Christmas gift to our oldest son this year, and we splurged to get VIP passes with seats on the floor. My only hangup has been having to miss out on what sounds like the BEST conference of my lifetime…SNAP!

SNAP! The Conference was to target the best in modern handmade, contemporary craft, mind blowing events and DIY - right up my alley! The added bonus was that SNAP! was being held in Utah, a place that many of my nearest and dearest call home. @emihill and @brassyapple were both there, and tweeting all weekend, go read their tweets! I would have loved the opportunity to network with all of the attendees, and I hear everyone was dressed so uber-cute too!

In all seriousness, I feel so blessed that I was able to share the experience of Cold Play with the guys I love so much. Especially that my teenage son was so thrilled to be at a cool concert with his old parents. What a great kid! Being right next to the stage and having Chris Martin within a foot of me was pretty great too, he sang his heart out! It was undoubtedly the BEST concert I’ve ever attended. We danced, sang, screamed, laughed, and had confetti from the gigantic confetti canons all over us.

And so now as I read all the blog posts, tweets and Facebook updates about the SNAP! conference and all you talented gals were able to learn together, I will take comfort in my amazing evening with Cold Play. I vow to be at SNAP! next time!

My hats off to @Taunitweets, the founder of SNAP! The Conference. Well done Tauni, I’ve heard nothing short of RAVE reviews. You deserve Cold Play tickets my friend!
XOXO - Daria

Follow me on Twitter @boutiquecafe

While many of you will be indulging in the the “fabulousness” (I know it’s not a word, but oh well) of SNAP! The Conference this weekend, I’ll be attending a Cold Play concert with my hubby and my oldest son. I’m so excited to see this concert after all it is Cold Play, but I’m also bummed that I’m missing out on seeing so many of my dear blog and boutique friends in Utah. I know it’s going to be a phenomenal event, and I will be thinking of all of you.

Happily, our Emily is attending and will be there at SNAP! – just watch for the gorgeous gal in the cutest shoes! This is her! Can’t wait to hear the scoop on SNAP!

XO - Daria

Yes you read that correctly! For the past several weeks or so we’ve been dealing with a fuel spill that occurred at our home. We currently rent a home right on the ocean’s edge, it’s an older home with a furnace that runs on oil. Little did we know that while my in laws would be visiting our family, we would run out of heat! I called a company to come and refill our tank, but something incredibly horrible happened and the technician spilt fuel all over our front concrete patio. Not only that but the oil started to leak into the house in our laundry room. This all happened when we had Nathan’s parents, and several other extended family members visiting! Horrible.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling diesel fuel before, you know it’s crazy strong smelling and seeps into everything! We spent some time as a cramped family at a local hotel while air scrubbers worked 24/7 to make our home liveable again. We are back in our home but the long and tedious work of reclaiming the land is now being done. This means jackhammering out loads of concrete patio, digging out huge trenches in front of our home, and now “under pinning” the house to reinforce the digging that has to occur UNDER the house. Finally once all of that is done (and that is weeks away), they will tear out the concrete and lino floor in our laundry room and the wall that was soaked with diesel as it all poured in.

I have been working my way through our laundry that we unfortunate enough to be in that room when the fuel leak happened, it’s tough to get the smell of diesel out. I have felt SO sick from it, it’s been a nightmare. I’ve found the best solution for the odor problem is washing them with baking soda, Tide and a bit of Dawn dish detergent. This seems to be the best concoction thus far.

In any case, that is the lovely situation we find ourselves in. Yet I want to convey how lucky we feel that we are back in our home, and things will be taken care of. We feel blessed to live here on this beautiful island, and we have so many kind friends who have cared for us over the past weeks as we’ve dealt with this mess. Lucky to know we have so many to lean on!

So that’s the scoop from my end of things – just wanted to share with you! XO Daria

I’ve been spending alot of time recently on Pinterest (who isn’t? Honestly!) searching out ideas for our family’s Easter celebrations. Now with Easter weekend sneaking up on us in just a few days, I wanted to share a few of my “Fave finds” including some projects and special touches to make your Easter magical and meaningful.

I hope you enjoy and will follow my boards on Pinterest, I love sharing what I love with you and I also truly enjoying seeing what each of you is interested in and working on. If you’d like me to follow your boards on Pinterest be sure to leave me your linky.

Hippity Hoppity Easter’s On It’s Way >>

**As an added bonus: Remember that DIY Owl’s Nest Tutorial I made back in Dec of 2010? Well you can also make those cute and easy nests for Easter and use them in a ton of ways to add a special touch to your Easter baskets or your Easter table. You could make smaller nests and set one at each place on your table for Easter dinner filled with a treat, a message or a beautiful colored egg. Here’s the original tutorial for making my nests, enjoy! Since it was originally put together for Christmas, you’ll have to use your wonderful imaginations and visualize some eggs and bunnies.

PS - My amazing friend Megan at Brassy Apple has her own Nest Tutorial here as well>>

If you have a great tutorial of your own that you’d like to share, look no further than the Make it Monday link up on Brassy Apple! OODLES of great DIY and crafty tutorials, share and you just might win a prize too.

Brassy Apple makes Mondays the BEST day of the week!

Introducing the worldwide launch of Summerlove, the latest collection from designer Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics.

The Summerlove Collection captures beauty and innocence with its vintage-inspired prints and evokes the spirit of young and carefree romantic adventures. With a palette that mixes sun-kissed warm tones with a splash of aqua, you will definitely get swept away by this collection. We love Pat Bravo, she is so talented!

FREE:
To download Summerlove’s free quilt pattern “Sandcastles” (shown in the video), go to http://goo.gl/yMz5u

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, it’s time to find adorable treasure for the day of Green & Clover.

On Etsy you can find well over 6,000 current items for children’s St. Patricks Day delight including clothing, accessories and more. Etsy is a great place to shop and support the handmade and boutique community – We {HEART} Handmade!!

Click to discover the perfect St. Patrick’s Day gifts and clothing for your kids here>>