A Sneak Peek....behind the scenes

This is one of my favorite places in the house....I get tons of natural light.  Can you find Ruby Anne in this picture? I will give you a hint...she's wearing a red bow.

A little note from Ruby,
1) Come  "LIKE" our Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl  

2) POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus. For fast and easy purchase visit our Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu

See you soon,

Shawna and Ruby Anne

A little bit about myself

   

Let me take some time and introduce myself.  I am the biggest gift giver I have ever met.  To support my habit, I have found making my girlfriends gifts more rewarding then if I went out and bought something.  Very few of my girlfriends actually have girls, so the bow-ties are a very handy gift.  Every little man needs a bow-tie.  
It all began one night we girls got together for book-club.  It ended up doubling as a surprise baby shower for Lacy, my friend.  I was tight on money and needed something to give her.  I couldn't go empty handed. For the first time ever, I made bow-ties.  They turned out to be a smash.  All the girls LOVED them.  She took a picture and posted it to Facebook;  I instantly had requests. And that was my beginning. 
My beginnings were very humble.  I look back fondly at what I learned. I was a very frustrated, inner cityish teenager who's parents didn't really want me to work while attending High School.  The FFA gave me focus and direction and foundation for what would become my entrepreneurial life. When I was a kid, I had a FFA (Future Farmers of America) project.  I raised market hogs.  Smelly and curious critters. My parents loaned me the money to buy my first pig and it was also the last loan I took from them.  I walked my “Pigtunia”, fed and mucked stalls. Throughout this experience, I gained knowledge on how to keep records, manage my time and money. I took my  income from the hogs, all 3 of them, to open a dog breeding business. I was 17 years old when Katy, my black Labrador came to live with us.  This dog business not only paid for my car & gas, but my college education.  These are the skills I hope to share with my daughter, Ruby one day.  
Ruby has a love for shoes, handbags and photographs.  If your shoes go missing, you know where they are.  Handbags are a close second.  Ruby is a girlie girl.  She may pull out her hair bows, but she will always have cute shoes on, with a handbag dragging behind her.  Making bow-ties will also help Ruby's passion for fashion.  In the coming years, I hope she will learn to appreciate fashion, design and hopefully photography.  Perhaps one day she will study these disciplines in college, if that's her passion.  Who am I to hold her back? 

How do I make a bow-tie?

Going to the local fabric store is my time away from home.  It's my little 3 hour break and it's  Ruby's  special time to play with Poppy. I am sure ice cream is a part of the meal plan.  Sometimes I meet with a girlfriend while I shop.  When I select my fabrics, first, I think, “what would I want to wear?”  or  “What's cool?” Second, I plan for Holidays, Special Occasions and look for something special or trendy to work with. Each piece of fabric I hand select with love and can visualize how it will be worn.  Finally, I bring home my finds and set them up on my cutting and ironing table. I get on my phone and call my girlfriend, Janet, just to show her what I  found and to share in my excitement. 
Once I bring my fabrics home, I play with my family.  Ruby and her Poppy usually have missed me terribly and need some playtime.  So we head to the swings at the park or we play on the floor in the playroom. Once everyone is content, I begin at the Cutting & Ironing Table with music flowing softly.  I cut out the sizes of bows I want and decide to layer the bows.  I iron every bow which makes sewing and folding easier.   If the right song comes on, Ruby and I  take a break and bust a move. 
Then I head off to the kitchen where my second station and sewing machine is assembled for easy access.  I am often in the kitchen feeding Ruby snacks, so this works out great.  This counter is a little lower then a typical counter for my “short friends” like Ruby.  I try to keep healthy snacks stocked.  She had Broccoli for breakfast today. Yum, right? She rearranges my spice cabinet to keep things spicy while I keep the pedal to the floor.  My favorite stitch is the zig-zag.  
Once I am finished sewing my bow-ties, I take them to the “Folding Table”.  Here I fold the bows into accordion bow-ties and wrap them with coordination middle pieces of fabric.  I secure the center pieces with a dollop of glue.  I trim away any access threads and give the bow a final “fluff” with a little spray of starch they are done.  At this point the bow is ready for a neck-strap or clip and ready to be shipped for your enjoyment.  I hope this gives you a little insight to how Ruby's Bows for Beaus are created. 

Come check us out and "LIKE" our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl 
POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus. For fast and easy purchase visit our Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu

See you soon,
Shawna and Ruby Anne

Sword Fights, 11teen and Tiger Bear hopping honey

Our final trip for the Summer of 2014 started out with a mini family reunion.  My Great Uncle Bob turned 100 years old.  He drove himself to and from his own party.  I am kicking myself for not photographing it. My Pops turned 80 years old....It's just hard to imagine where all the time went.  I still think my Pops would hop on a Sea Doo if he had the chance like he did 15 years ago. My young cousins can't imagine that and they don't get to experience his youthfulness he once was. Toys were important back then, now it's people and relationships.

It began with an 8 hour car ride to Laguna before meeting up with my mom and dad. This girl was a really good sitting by herself in the backseat.  She hammed it up for the camera.

 Grammy kissing and kissing Ruby Anne's cheeks.  It was great to see them, before heading off to be with my sister.

Uncle Allen and Christine along with their pooches Pancho and Emma took us for a 4 mile run.  It was hot and the fat just dripped off of us. This was Saturday...


MONDAY: It was a beautiful 47 degrees in Anchorage....

.
Ruby Anne has on layers....William is standing up in his stroller...a blur as usual.

 Ruby Anne enjoying the chaos.  She's fitting in really nicely.

 William told me how to spell his name, letter by letter.  I was really getting tired, so I quite.

 These chalk pictures just prove that it didn't rain....for a few days at least.

 A little smile from William.

 Scary face from Lincoln.

 This was Ruby's entertainment before dinner was served.  And then off to bath and bed they went.  We looked forward to our sister and girlie time.

 The boys are fast asleep or pretending to while we partied upstairs.

 Isn't Allyson the cutest? OHHHH I love her little cheeks.  The big poofy bow was made by yours truly. Every girl should have a few feathers in her accessories.

 Rain in paradise.....but it didn't stop these two boys from playing and fighting and doing what boys do best.  William went down the slide and splashed himself into a puddle of water.  He proceeded to take off all his clothes.  He thought he didn't need any one, but his raincoat.  Meanwhile, the girls just slept bundled up in their strollers.  Smart things.

Bouncing Bears....Need I say more....

 Picking up the Daddies

 The Zoo.....

Lincoln peeking at us thru a moose face.

   We had such a great time in Anchorage it was really hard to say good bye. The last time I saw my sister was over a year ago at my cousin, Lindsey's wedding and that was only for a few hours. So, we had a lot to cover including a pregnancy and baby Allyson Rae Townsend. Her cheeks were to fat and squishy, so I just slobbered all over her.   The boys treated Ruby Anne very well.  I was surprised to Ruby didn't get clobbered a bit more. She seemed like such a docile little angel, easy come, easy go.  However, she learned how to scream and eye poke just to maintain her space or to get what she wanted. Those poor boys ran when they saw her coming with her finger pointed out and exclaiming "EYE, EYE".  LOL

    On our 8 hour trip home from we made a stop at Barvofarms.com for cheese samples...umm what a great place to stop for a bathroom break or to stretch your legs.  Its off the 99 heading north towards Sacramento.

Happy Birthday to my little sister!!

Happy Birthday Sista!!

That's Glacier Park without it's glacier.  It was there when I was a kid and like Frosty, it's gone. 

Pumpkin Seed

Giant Orange dots with a hint of green

Dear Friends,
Come check us out and "LIKE" our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl 
POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus. For fast and easy purchase visit our Etsy shopat: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu

See you soon,
Shawna and Ruby Anne

Harvest Bowties by Ruby Anne

Orange Harvest Bowtie

Here Ruby Anne is wearing the felt orange chevron bowtie on 100% cotton polka-dot fabric, held together with green mini polka-dot.  We used a medal alligator clip which hooks around the shirt's top button.  This, I found is more comfortable then the clips used in the store because they "don't choke" your kid.  Some kids have reported, they "feel choked" because of the location of the clip hitting them in the throat. 

A special invitation from Ruby,
Come check us out and "LIKE" our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl
POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus. For fast and easy purchase visit our Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu

See you soon,
Shawna and Ruby Anne

Green Harvest Bowtie

Dear Friends,
Come check us out and "LIKE" our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl 
POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus. For fast and easy purchase visit our Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu

See you soon,
Shawna and Ruby Anne

Clifford, The Big Red Dog Bowtie

A special invitation from Ruby,
Come check us out and "LIKE" our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/rubysbowsforbeaus?ref=hl 
POST a picture of your little man in a bowtie to enter in our monthly contest for your chance to win a bowtie from Ruby's Bows for Beaus.  For fast and easy purchase thru our Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubysBowsforBeaus?ref=hdr_shop_menu
See you soon,
Shawna and Ruby Anne