...by PJ's away....gone....adios....siyanara...(i should really try spell checking those....too lazy? perhaps).

Don't worry....I'll be back :) January 3rd I'll be home sweet home, ...by PJ and all. Just taking one of those very needed holidays. Having a first year teacher as a husband and a VERY busy 11.5 month old munchkin...things have been a tad nuts. Oh, not to mention this whole ...by PJ thing. Ah, who am I kidding ...I LIVE FOR BUSY-NESS!

Now...I'm going to attempt at relaxing for the next few days. This consists of finishing making Christmas gifts, wrapping them, getting things ready for Linus' 1st birthday, packing for Brooks and the Dominican, getting family pictures, blah blah blah, this, and that. Alright........had to get that off my chest.

May you have a rather MERRY Chirstmas...one that is filled with many blessings. So many that they are hard to count.

God Bless  ♥

it IS a good day. Despite the snow....and cold....but there is NO wind for once! Gotta love Southern Alberta.

Just wanted to let you all know that the last day I will be taking orders for ...by PJ items (before Christmas) is December 16th. So, get those orders in fast!!!

I will be coming to Brooks sometime around December 20th (for a week). So, if you would like to avoid all those shipping prices then QUICK...ORDER!!!!!!

...by PJ will re-open January 2nd as I will be away with my husbands family in the Dominican!!!! (no amount of exclamation marks can express my excitement)

Since I've been rather boring on my blog lately here are some tutorials I have been following to make Christmas presents of all sorts...some GREAT ideas from some incredibly talented women out there. :)


Ric Rac 1 hr Bag Tutorial
Cozy Car Caddy Tutorial
Oven Mitt Tutorial


That's all I can show you right now...I may have given out a few of my Christmas present secrets already. I was always taught to share. Enjoy, and let me know if you make any of these fab. things.

ETSY!!!!!

If you haven't checked out or even heard of Etsy, you MUST go see it! All items handmade...how great is that? I've come across some incredible items...but also some, questionable ones...

I'm mentioning Etsy because the ...by PJ shop is now up and running! You now have 2 options for shopping w/ ...by PJ (facebook & etsy). Etsy makes things a little easier. ;)

Also, I am now accepting Paypal for purchases...that also makes things easier.

Well...here's your chance...go check out ...by PJ on Etsy!!

It's been a while since I've posted last...almost half a month...what have I been busy with you ask???

CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!!! This year I have decided to sew/glue/assemble almost all of my Christmas gifts...only "almost all" because I have found it very difficult to figure out how to make one of those Leapfrog fridge magnet toys. One day perhaps..... ??

Hope you are all doing well. If you're new to ...by PJ the BEST place to see all of my items for sale are on my Facebook page... check it out here ----> ...by PJ

Speaking of Christmas gifts I have found that Huggable Hoods (both big and small) are big sellers for presents for any kiddo (big or small). Babe Barrettes are also perfect as stocking stuffers. If you're interested in ordering email me at pjdejong@live.com or, like I said before...check me out on Facebook.

Okay, so H is for many things...but in this case it's for Huge Huggable Hoods! That's right, they got even bigger. These hooded towels can fit kids ages "brand spankin' new" to "Mom, maybe I'm too old for this towel" (aka 11/12).

My ever so compliant son is sporting his new Huge Huggable Hood...


The price remains the same for HUGE Huggable Hoods as regular sized ones...$25.
They can come in pretty much any color you'd like...just ask!

enjoy your day :)

Alright, so if you've been taught/had your child taught by my mom (Mrs. Bruce @ Brooks Preschool), then you know that song from the title.

As soon as Halloween is over I get SUPER excited for the Christmas season. This year since I'm not writing papers and exams and "studying" (it's incredible) I can actually focus on fun things to make for Christmas decorations. I've been searching all over the interweb for great ideas....here are some awesome links to fun and simple Christmas decor...

♥ The Long Thread Winter Crafts
♥ The Purl Bee Molly's Star Ornaments
♥ The Red Thread Christmas Tutorials

That should be good enough for now.
I took some of those ideas and made some fun things of my own...here she (they) be.


From The Long Thread (which i love). Made from old fleece sweaters, wire, and styrofoam stars.
Tutorial...here--> Fabric Trees
Using twine/hemp from the $store, styrofoam balls, fabric dye, and a glue gun these fun and "ikea-like" balls were made.

Tutorial is ..... HERE--> V & Co. Pottery Barn Looking Decorative Balls Tutorial

I love felt...felt felt felt.
Using felt, thread & needle, some polyfill, and a few cute buttons (can't go without them), these stocking tree ornaments were made.

I bought a cheap canvas from the $store (they get alot of service from me) and had some scrap brown fabric. I cut the trees out along w/ some red & drk green circles (for Christmas lights) then fabric glued it all down. This took some time, but its simple and "earthy" I suppose.









Once again...felt. Literally, felt circles of different sizes (and colors if you please), and my sewing machine. Easy peasy lemon squeezy (if you can run a sewing machine).




And last (but of course not least), a gift. I did not make this cool wreath....my incredible sister did!! She said all she did was cut the fabric into "leaf" shapes, dipped them into a white glue & water mixture, let them dry, then stapled it all together. It's super cute, AND light...so you don't have to worry about hanging a heavy wreath up indoors (if you do worry). Thanks again Heather!


Even though I have made these decorations I made a deal with my husband that I wouldn't put them up until Advent starts (November 29). Here's to a couple more weeks.

Well, that's all for today. Back to a few more Christmas decor crafts, then onto Christmas GIFTS!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am for those. My niece and nephew are going to get some fun little items this year (as long as they like handmade things).

Just to let you know...

Babe Barrettes have a brand spanking new LOWER price. Instead of $5/pair they are now $3/pair for plain ones and $3.50/pair for ones with a little somethin' somethin'.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!! and Happy Birthday Scotty!!! (my brother in law) What a great guy :)

The other day I found a t-shirt that was given to my son as a baby shower gift. I simply L♥VE this shirt...the only thing is, it's winter soon and the t-shirt fits him now. As an Albertan I know there is no way my little guy can go without always wearing a sweater over this tee. I could simply put a long sleeved onesie underneath...that looks great! However, sometimes things can get a bit bulky with all the layers. Then it hit me...arm warmers!!!

So, I made a pair of navy blue ones...plain so my husband wouldn't completely disagree with me when I put them on our son. Thankfully he didn't, he actually thought they were handy! This was when I knew that I needed to make them for ...by PJ.

Here they are, Stubby Stockings for $10 a pair! Keep your babes arms and legs warm in this chilly weather without all that bulk. They are 12 inches long, can scrunch up for infants and can stretch out for 4-5 year olds. Keep your eyes on my Facebook page for more styles!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the BCHS Craft Fair this Saturday! The sale was a HUGE success...for more than just ...by PJ!

I'm proud to introduce more ...by PJ items for sale! PJ's Prints and Swanky Swaddlers are now available to order online. ENJOY!!!

I'm heading out to Brooks, AB in a few hours so I figured I would write this "reminder blog" for all of you now since I'll be away for a day or so.

SATURDAY (aka tomorrow) NOVEMBER 7th from 9am - 4pm at the Brooks Composite High School ...by PJ will be attending the HUGE annual craft fair!

There are a few new items I will be "testing"... Swanky Swaddlers, PJ's Prints (printed tshirts/onesies), and new colors of Fabric Flowers. I have new fabrics on Huggable Hoods and Booby Buffers as well. Get them while their hot!     :) 

...with Tonic Living an online Fabric/Sewn Products store from Toronto. A lot of the fabrics they sell are retro inspired...a way to win my heart. They sell great Michael Miller fabrics along with another fav Robert Kaufman. Since these guys are solely online they don't have to worry about store expenses, therefore...HELLO cheaper designer fabrics!

I do most of my fabric shopping in Calgary...and I'm sure I still will. But when I'm looking for something funky or just plain awesome then I'm ordering through Tonic.

I ♥ Tonic Living. Okay, so maybe I'm a little obsessed. Here are some sneak peeks of some new fabrics I ordered.
Can't wait to get them!!

Halloween was great. A big first for our son, the gnome.

Even though we only went around our neighborhood Linus managed to fill his treat bag....which his awesome Auntie Heather made for him :) He enjoyed a few suckers, but my husband and I got the rest.....oh the joys of having a little one.















Now it is time to really focus on the upcoming BCHS Craft Fair in Brooks, AB.
...by PJ will be introducing a new item....Swanky Swaddlers.

Call me incapable, but I always had a hard time swaddling my little one with receiving blankets...they had to be just the right size and shape. I was given a swaddling wrap as a gift and LOVED it. One thing led to the next and wahlah, a Swanky Swaddler appeared (okay so it involved a sewing machine, fabric and a lot of patience). They are designed to place the baby into a "pouch" and wrap two "arms" around their tops. Swaddled safe and sound.

Come check out ...by PJ and other talented crafters at the craft fair November 7th from 9-4 at the Brooks Composite High School in Brooks, AB.

The day of dressing up our kids, grandkids, or even ourselves to look cute, ridiculous, or scary has come...mmmmm candy.

The best part of having an infant is that they don't have a say in what you dress them as....that being said, this year our 10 month old son is going dressed as a lawn gnome. Pictures WILL be posted this evening!!

I figured....it's Halloween...it's a happy day...let's celebrate even more!

So, ...by PJ is HAVING A SALE!! Today and tomorrow (November 1st) all ...by PJ skull n' crossbone items (babe barrettes and sucky straps) are 25% off!!!

Also, if you place an order TODAY you get 15% off you're entire purchase!!! Email me @ pjdejong@live.com or send me a message via Facebook.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Let's keep our kids safe...don't forget that reflective tape ;)

Just for fun these past few months I've been buying plain shirts and onesies for my son and then decorated them using stencils that I've made and fabric paint. This is such a simple way to jazz up a plain tee. 


Not only have they been new things for my son to wear, but they have been great gifts! For my nieces first birthday I made her one with a horse. My new cousin and godson are also getting shirts for their birthdays. I even made one for myself and my sister. My poor family....all they are going to get for presents in the next few years is stuff I made. 


I may even bring a few to the BCHS Craft Fair in Brooks on November 7th...just to see how they do :) 

It's my godson's 2nd birthday soon, so I snooped around on Etsy and The Long Thread for gift ideas. I wanted to make him something along with buying him a few books. I found this cute stuffed monster on Revoluzzza.com so I figured I would make him one. As usual, I made a tester one for my son Linus.

If you're feeling crafty and can somewhat sew, here is the link if you like ---> Make a RevoluzZzionary Monster.


Here is the process and end product. My son is 10 months and carries his monster (which we named Monster Max) everywhere now. Just a fun little project on the side. If you're feeling crafty, give it a try!

This being the first Halloween in our new place (an actual house...with a door step....no elevators and high rises) I'm super excited about decorating.

...by PJ has a full line of items listed on Facebook. It seems to be the easiest way to post pictures of items that I create and sell, so why not?

You can check it out right... HERE!
                                   

After a lot of preparation the Okotoks Mom to Mom sale was a great success! ...by PJ items were a hit with a lot of local people who had not seen them yet.
Thanks to everyone who helped me set up and get ready for it. You know who you are ;)

Now I'm preparing for another sale. This one is in Brooks, AB at the Brooks Composite High School. The 16th Annual Christmas Capers Country Fair (that's a mouth full) is on November 7th from 9am - 4pm. Come check it out if you're around Brooks. There will be all sorts of handmade goods at the sale...great for the ever waited for Christmas season.

We'll see if any more sales come up before Christmas. If you have any ideas for "local" sales (Southern Alberta) drop me a line. :)

So, my mother in law has always had this bucket of buttons. I love buttons...so I sifted through the bucket and found some great ones. Unique little flower buttons, big fat buttons, old leather buttons...all sorts. I needed to put those buttons to use.

I have decorated a couple ...by PJ items with buttons. Babe Barrettes can come with a little button to "quietly" jazz things up (if you're not into the big flowers/jewels), and the NEW Fabric Hip Heads can also sport a button or two.

On October 17, 2009 from 9am-2pm I will be selling ...by PJ items at the Okotoks Mom to Mom Sale. The sale is at the Okotoks Community Center in...you guessed it, Okotoks, AB.

There will be great deals on ...by PJ stuff! Babe Barrettes 2 for $9, Sucky Straps 2 for $12, and the list goes on. I will also be putting together gift sets with great deals, fabulous for Baby Showers.

If you're in the area, come check it out. The sale is going to have incredible deals on baby items of all kinds.

...by PJ on FacebookI have been adding little doo-dads to Hip Heads (child head wraps). The newest creation ...by PJ is the Hip Head with a clip on Gerber Daisy.

Welcome!

Becoming a new mom, I couldn't get over how simple items could make life so much easier with a little one. Straps to hold soothers, nursing covers, hooded towels, they all made sense to me as a mom. That is why ...by PJ was created. Every parent appreciates handy things...the cute part is just the cherry on top.

...by PJ creates simple items such as Sucky Straps - so babies soother doesn't hit the floor, Babe Barrettes - to keep that fine hair stylish, Booby Buffers - so you can nurse in public and in style...the list goes on. Here are some samples of my work. You can view more at ...by PJ at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124503528686. 

Thanks for coming to visit. I would also like to thank all the people who have encouraged and supported me through launching this little "hobby" of mine. I honestly could not have done it without a lot of my friends and family...especially my patient husband while visiting craft/fabric stores.