Our favorite craft project

 

Ten years ago I nurtured the idea to show off my handmade dolls and crafty creations, and so Craft E Magee was born. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into making many things over the years and am proud of all the things I've made. But of all the things I've ever created, I'm most proud to introduce you to my twin babies: A & S! 

I wanted a family of my own for so long, and it wasn't an easy road for J and I to get here, but these little babes were born in 2021 and we couldn't be happier. Being a twin parent is sure to keep me busy, but I am excited to get back to making things for these two. To start, I made some onesies, including the "Best Friends" ones pictured here. I've also got plans to make them each their own quilt, as I did with all my nieces and nephews, and of course, some dolls!

Family heirloom

One of these days I will get back to posting craft tutorials, but I wanted to share photos of a beautiful family heirloom that I now own. Recently my Grandmother made the difficult decision to sell my father's childhood home. Her new place is small, so she asked that the family come together and choose pieces that would mean something to each of us. I was able to select this antique display case that belonged to my Great Grandmother.

My husband and I decided to place the case in our living room and fill the inside with a bell that I purchased in the Czech Republic, some pottery we received for our wedding, and some other mementos from my grandmother. I just love that we are able to see all of these special items every day because of the prominence of the display case in our home.

The display case also has a functioning drawer at the bottom where I placed tablecloths, place mats, cloth napkins, and other items that I didn't have a place to put before! When we first opened the display case, I swore that I could smell my Great-Grandmother's home. It's funny how scent is so tied to memory! I will enjoy thinking of my Grandmother and Great Grandmother every time I look at this piece, which is my favorite part about family heirlooms! This piece will certainly be a much-loved item in our home for years to come.

Do you have a family heirloom that you love? Please share with me in the comments section!

Our Wedding

When J and I decided to get married we knew we wanted to have an intimate ceremony. That led us to exchanging our vows in front of only 12 people in our living room one Saturday afternoon in December.
We had just moved in to our new home two weeks before the wedding and after spending the summer renovating it. It was special for us to have such an easy ceremony in our own home.

We wanted to invite more of our friends and family to participate so we hosted a cake and punch celebration at the lodge at George Rogers Clark Park in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The lodge itself is pretty rustic, but with our theme and the amazing help of our awesome friend Julee (DIY Louisville), the space was truly transformed. We wanted to have a book/library themed wedding and Julee did not disappoint. 

Julee used our book theme with some beautiful jewel toned colors (blue, magenta, purple, and green) and splashes of gold to transform the space. She displayed frames with quotes along with stacks of books and also used small vases filled with flowers that we picked out from our local Kroger the day before. She even surprised us for the evening reception with a walkway lined with luminaries. I really wish I had more photos of all the amazing details!

We were also able to coordinate with the cake baker to use the same flowers on our cake that we used for my bouquet and the reception floral arrangements. 

Our cake was made by Erin of Sugarbites and each of the three layers had a different flavor, and they were all delicious! The cake had strawberry on top, bourbon chocolate in the middle, and Italian cream cake on the bottom, all with buttercream icing! Sooo good!

 I will definitely post more of the details soon, including our vows, and some of the special crafty things that we created for our big day! 

New year, new post!

Hello from the other side!!! I feel like I should queue up Adele's song "Hello" right now...

I was so excited on my last post (July 2015) about planning our wedding and all the potential craft projects I could share along the way, and here it is January 2016 and our wedding has come and gone! We were married in December 2015.

I even found a draft blog post I started in September with our save the date. Oops!!!

Happily, it was a beautiful day filled with so many wonderful people. Even my friend Julee from DIY Louisville was there, playing a big part in our special day as our official reception planner and decorator. She killed it with our book-themed wedding. I promise to post photos of the fabulous decor soon! For now, here are some newlywed shots.

Tying the knot!

2015 is turning into an amazing year for us because J and I are engaged and moving into a new home! You can expect to see a lot more home decorating projects on here soon as we are preparing to paint and install new flooring before we move. 

We haven't set a date for our wedding yet, but I'm so glad to be taking this next step after seven years of dating! I suppose there may be some crafty wedding projects on here now, too!

Summer has been going pretty well. Full of a lot of excitement with our new home and engagement, but also some snafus, like my nephew getting his first stitches in the emergency room! He celebrates his 8th birthday this month, which I can't believe. Time really does fly! 

It's been a good summer for movies. I took my nephew to see "The Avengers," "Jurassic World," and "Inside Out." My favorite was definitely "Inside Out." I had such an emotional response (like when I saw the movie "Up") but it had such a great message that ALL of the emotions are important. I think kids and adults could use that message.

In other news, I'm up to book 23 on my reading challenge. I hope to have read 40 books by the end of the year. The last book I read was "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr and it was really good. I definitely recommend it. It was one of the most interesting books I have read all year.

I hope to be getting back to blogging regularly, because I miss it! Happy Summer!

Soaking up the Sun

We are soaking up all of the summer sun and FUN over here! This time of year is truly so much fun, especially when I get to hang out with my nephew. It's his birthday week and we kicked it off with a bang by going to the Louisville Science Center, the Georgetown Drive-In, and swimming!







What fun summer activities are you doing? I'd love to get some ideas before my nephew goes back to school. What do you like to do?

Summer, Summer, Summer time!

I can't believe that the month of June is almost over! Of all the summers I've lived through, this one is the fastest one I can remember. I hope that you are taking the time to enjoy some of it. I know that some of the best times I have during the summer are with my friends and family, especially my nephew C!


In fact, we have been enjoying some pool time, reading books for the library's summer reading program, crafting, planning for his summer birthday bash, and just having fun!

I just love hanging out and laughing with my goofy side-kick! I cannot believe that he will soon be turning 6 years old! Just like the summer, it's going so fast. He finished kindergarten and will be in 1st grade this Fall. I'm so amazed by everything he has learned: math, reading and even writing already!
 
Be sure to enjoy the good times with the ones you love. I know that I will. Oh, and make time for the relaxing stuff too, like pool yoga! 

If you're looking for a fun and creative Summer activity, check out the free printable coloring book I made last year.

Louisville Bloggers Recap

One week ago Emily of The Em Dash and Julee of DIY Louisville hosted a Louisville Bloggers Night at The Hanger. It was the first time for a Louisville blogger meet up, and it was lots of fun!

I enjoyed taking photos at the photo booth!

 

Julee even took some photos with me. She's my crafty partner in crime for sure!

Do we look like we're having fun, because we were! My favorite part was getting to meet so many new people. I never knew of all the bloggers from Louisville!

The Hanger was a fun space for the event too. It's a great handmade boutique right off Bardstown Road in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville.

Emily and Julee also put together a yummy spread of snacks and treats!

They also gave away the coolest swag bags! 

I was proud to be a part of the swag bags that they gave away to all the guests, providing some sweet button earrings for the guests to enjoy! Each bag included some cool local swag and coupons. Other sponsors included Good Garbage, Miss Happy Pink, Lindsay Lou Jewelry, MoMo's Creations, Revelry, and more.

Thanks to all the new bloggers who came out, to the sponsors, and the wonderful hosts: Em Dash, DIY Louisville, and The Hanger!

Father's Day Craft Video

I was so happy to be able to bring my nephew on to TV with me last week to make a Father's Day craft! We made the wood burned boxes with WDRB in the Morning anchor Candyce.  

I think despite being very nervous, my nephew did a great job, and it was a fun experience!

Check out the video of our segment below:

I teach crafts on WDRB in the Morning every other Wednesday. I will be on air again on Wednesday, June 19 making a summer craft. To learn more about my craft appearances, follow me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CraftEMagee!

Free Craft was a success!

Thanks to all the awesome people who came out to make the free craft with me during Friday's Trolley Hop event at Block Party Handmade Boutique!

It was a fun time and I got to meet so many new people. South Fourth Street was hopping that night, for sure!

I loved seeing all of the finished products, each one awesome, and somehow unique! It's so cool to see how each person creates the same craft, but they each look a little different from each other.

To see more photos of the event, check out the album on my facebook page.

Kindergarten graduate!

Today was a special day for the Magee family because my little nephew C had his kindergarten graduation ceremony! He is growing up so quickly. It's hard to remember the tiny baby he once was!
 
The collage below combines a photo I took in August 2012, right before my nephew started school, and a photo today from his graduation. He looks more serious and grown up today. In the first photo he was being very silly!


I am so proud of this smart and talented little boy who I love so much and am so thankful to be a part of his life.

Family Time

I hope that you enjoyed the holiday weekend and took the time to tell the special people in your life that you love them!


I had a great Mother's Day with my mom! 


We had brunch with the family and I think my mom really enjoyed it.


I know that in my own life, my parents have always got my back. Us kids try to make Mother's Day and Father's Day special times for them. After all, they are our #1 fans!

Craft E Magee on WDRB!

I had the opportunity to share the Valentine's Day cards and heart shaped crayons on the local morning show a few weeks ago. If you live in Louisville, be sure to tune in to WDRB in the Morning again this Wednesday, February 6, when I will be on again sharing a Valentine's Day decoration!

Julee from DIY Louisville made some great t-shirts with freezer paper stencils on the same show last time, and will be on again this Wednesday making a fun heart shaped tote for Valentine's Day cards or candy. It's a great craft to do with the kiddos!

I feel very fortunate that WDRB in the Morning has allowed us to craft on air, and I am excited to say that they have offered the segments to Julee and I every other Wednesday! We have some great crafts planned, so be sure to watch my Facebook page for details every other week.

My New Year's Resolutions

I usually do not make New Year's resolutions. I don't know if it's because I fear that I won't be able to stick to them, or if it's because I am already a compulsive list maker, and really don't need one more list to keep track of. However, I love the idea of setting and accomplishing goals that help you live life to the fullest. I am going to try to focus on these ten things in 2013, because I know they will make me a happier, healthier person.
1. Make more dolls (and other crafty products to liven up my etsy shop)!
2. Read as many books as possible.
3. Take more walks.
4. Focus on my photography (365 project!)
5. Get involved with local volunteer organizations.
6. Blog more.
7. Choose nutritious foods.
8. Organize my craft room and paperwork. 
9. Remember to draw, write, sing, and just be creative.
10. Take time to relax and spend good quality time with those I love.