Some sites that make me smile

Happy Monday, everyone!!! It's Elliot's birthday today! Want to see the cake I made him?

He loves Guido. We had a fun birthday party yesterday with family: lots of presents and food and attention, so it was a bit hard for him to go to school today.I'm currently knee-deep in pant pattern production, so I don't have much to show for myself, sewing-wise (except for piles of pant samples. Do you want to see those? Might be kind of boring...), but last night I found five minutes to read some blogs, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. I think these will make you smile!

Matsutake - Katie is a DIY queen who always, ALWAYS makes me laugh. I am always amazed with the projects she comes up with; the woman just made her own faux FIREPLACE, for crying out loud. Her assistant, Ms Norwood, is her cat. I am guaranteed to laugh until I cry whenever I read her blog.

The Selfish Seamstress - Elaine only sews if it's for herself, and her self-deprecating writing style is toootally funny. Meanwhile she's sharing free patterns and awesome garments she's made. The Kate Spade faux fur pullover knockoff is her latest (hilarious) freebie. Another one that gives me sideaches from laughter.

Joy the Baker - I think Joy is one of the happiest bloggers out there. She's big-time (huge audience, currently writing her second cookbook), but her voice is so authentic and down-to-earth, you feel like you're talking over coffee. I hardly ever have the time to make anything from cooking or food blogs, but the pictures are amazing, and it's a really enjoyable read.

Dinner, A Love Story - This blog is dedicated to making family dinner happen, a concept that we fully embrace at our house. I asked for the cookbook for my birthday after trying out a number of the online recipes and realizing they were becoming regulars in the dinner rotation. There are tons of great recipes on the site, and Jenny is an awesome writer to boot.

You and Mie - I absolutely must mention Cherie's blog because today is the first day of her Japanese Pattern Book series that goes on all this week. If you've ever wanted to sew from a Japanese pattern book, or don't even know what that means, be sure to check it out! Also: Cherie's little one is quite possibly the most adorable child you will ever lay eyes upon.OK, so what are your favorite places to visit online right now? Dish, dish!!!

Some other updates...

We're offering two new pattern bundles in the shop right now: the Charlie Dress and Tunic patterns together ($1 off), and both Flashback Tee patterns, sizes 12 mo -5 y and 6-14 y together, for 20% off! You can find them all in the pattern shop.