J o e y & A l e e t h e a - super cool handmade monster clothing and more! :D

Gone Sewing

J o e y & A l e e t h e a  will be back soon!

I've closed my shop to catch up on orders.  ~ Sandra ☮ ❤

In the meantime, come visit me on IG: instagram.com/joeyandaleethea

And view my sold designs here in my Etsy shop.

 

Happy New Year!

Oh, the retro geekiness...a 3D Printed Classic Mac Charging Dock for Apple Watches

I had lots of fun making this...it's a 3D Printed Apple Watch Charging Dock that looks exactly like a mini Apple Macintosh computer from 1984! Fits both sizes of Apple Watches. Want one of your own? It's available in my shop, in lots of different colors! :)

 

Veteran's Day Weekend SALE!! 20% OFF with code THANKOURVETS

Happy Veteran's Day! Joey & Aleethea is having a Veteran's Day SALE all weekend long, on all handmade and 3D printed items items in my shop, joeyandaleethea.com! Enter this code upon checkout THANKOURVETS and a 20% discount will be applied to your entire order. Happy shopping!

A sewing vacation...

My Etsy shop is in vacation mode as I sew and catch up on some orders. Be back someday soon!

The Seamstress Art by thepoppytree on Etsy.

Hello? It's me...

 

Yes, I'm back! After five years, I've opened up my Etsy shop again! This is all so super exciting for me, the hubbs and the kids too, of course! Which means I'm also back to blogging too...because somehow, somewhere, in the midst of homeschooling our 3 children, returning to college for a Bachelor's degree in Science, Mathematics and Technology with a concentration in Information Systems, coordinating a homeschool STEAM playgroup, and cooking, cleaning, and taking care of myself, husband, home, and family's needs (not in that order!), somehow I have carved out some time to sew and create designs, and post some of my handmade creations for my blog visitors to see. Woohoo!

A few sweet moments of quiet bloggy goodness in my sewing studio and makerspace is really good for the soul. So that's where I am right now, here in my home studio:

I have realized that I really miss writing and sharing my creations here on my blog, and also in my Etsy shop. The kids and I have been working on lots of new items, and bringing back some beloved classics too! So I'll be posting photos of handmade goodness that I create and sew, along with 3D printed designs straight from our 3D printer, which will all be available in my shop.

And if you're wondering where that baby of mine is, the one from my last post/last bloggy giveaway back in 2012, well...he's almost 4.5 years old now and that's him up there in a monster shirt that I made for his big brother Joey a bunch of years ago. Isn't he amazing?? :D

By the way, his big brother is now 10 years old. YES, TEN, and big sis is now 8, (*eight!*) and they are three of the most fantastic kiddos you could ever imagine. They continually amaze the hubbs and I on a daily basis, and we are so very thankful every day as we get to spend our days together and enjoy homeschooling. Nothing in the world compares to spending time with my babies, and I am thankful to God daily for this time together.

We have also added another few additions to our family over the past few years. Another German Shepherd Dog, who is so one beautiful, big awesome doggy. Then there's our uber fluffball, a French Angora Rabbit who is more like a kind little puppy than a bunny. She knows her name and comes running when she's called. It's very funny to see. I'll find a video of her to post someday soon. There's a photo of her way up there at the top of my blog's header image. Next to the throw back photo of me and the hubby.

And hmmm...I'm thinking pretty soon I'll have a Grand Re-Opening Monster Giveaway on my Facebook page! So be sure to go follow my Facebook page so that you'll be notified when the giveaway begins:  https://www.facebook.com/handmade.childrens.clothing.by.joeyandaleethea

And just in case you've forgotten where my super cutesie shop is, it's okay, it's been 5 years since it was open! Joey & Aleethea is here: http://joeyandaleethea.com

Off to sew now, I have an order to fulfill for a super cool Mama and her baby girl in the Netherlands! How awesome is that? I'm so excited about making it, and need to go create some handmade goodness now, so I'll post a photo of the super fun dress when it's done.

The world today needs a whole lot of happy, colorful, fun, creative goodness, and this is my way of sharing some of mine with you. So come back and visit whenever you can. We'll be here!

Peace and love.

 

memories of our German Shepherd Dog, Aleethea

Today I'm remembering our sweet German Shepherd Dog, Aleéthea, and want to share some memories of her through the years. I'll try to write as well as I can here, although I am for sure lacking sleep with a new baby in the house, plus homeschooling our 4 and 6 year old children. So as usual, much of what I write on thsis blog will probably be rambling on, but that's okay because it is therapeutic for me, and it's one of my creative outlets. Also, this season of life will not last forever, and I thank the Lord for all of it.

2004: We brought you home at 8wks old, just before my birthday in April. We named you Aleéthea, which means "truth" in Greek. Joe and I were engaged to be married, living in Orlando FL. We had just moved down to FL from NYC, and I had just returned to college full time. You and I would spend many mornings per week at the dog park and afternoons at the dog beach. That summer, five hurricanes hit our area in Florida. Five! They didn't phase you, though. You would go out back as if it were only drizzling outside. You would do your business as you looked up in the sky, batting your eyelashes as the rain hit your eyelids. We had to call you back before the screen door blew away. You would simply walk back inside the house, and shake off on the towel. You were so courageous.

By the time Autumn arrived, you knew over 30 commands/words in English, and also in Greek. You knew the names of all of your dozen or so toys in both languages. My bilingual pup, you were such a fast learner. You also knew hand commands, which allowed me to signal you from way at the other end of the dog park, and you would come racing back to me, with that funny dggy smiling face, letting me know you saw me -- from so far away, and knew I needed you to come to me. You were so intelligent, and learned so much so quickly. Joe and I could harldy keep up with you! I created a spreadsheet to hang on the fridge, which listed all the commands you knew, and their translations from English/Greek. Also when to use them. The spreadsheet helped Joe and I to keep track of your commands and the words you knew. Yep, had lots of free time on my hands those days...and I was so super happy to spend that time with you. My sweet wonderful friend and dog, Aleethea.

2005: You and I were at the dog park every other day together, and your favorite thing to do was runnnnnn! You would race your doggy friends across the park as I launched your most favorite toy, your red ball, as far as I could, and you would sprint to get it. You knew I was pregnant even before I did. When I was tired from studying, I would lay down to nap, and you started laying on the bed next to me, instead of your usual spot on the floor. After Joe had left for work in the morning, I would sleep in to begin school a few hours later. And I would always wake up next to you. It was the cutest and funniest thing. Well, you were right. You and I started spending even more time outdoors daily, and less time programming and writing code. We had more important things to take care of now. Joe and I and our sweet pup had a baby on the way!

2006: Our first baby Joey arrived, and you were gentle and kind and curious of his every move, from the day he came home and for years to follow. You were so protective of him, and loved walking with us through various parks and trails. Your favorite park was downtown Orlando, Lake Eola, where I would take you and Joey on the swan paddle boats across the lake. Joey in his carrier, and you sitting next to me, in a giant swan boat, paddling around. How fun! As the summer months went on, you would lay at my feet on the cold tiled floor in the a/c, while I taught myself how to sew on a sewing machine and serger. Once I learned how to sew baby clothing and accessories for Joey, I opened up an Etsy shop and named it after my two babies, and that's when Joey & Aleethea was launched.

2007: When our baby Joey was 16 months old, Joe and I were in the midst of packing for our upcoming return trip to Negril, Jamaica, where we had gotten married and honeymooned. In between packing, I was taking an afternoon nap and woke up to you laying next to me on the bed. Your head was resting on the pillow, and you were quietly staring at me. I kissed your nose and didn't think anything of it. I got up and continued packing. 2 weeks later, the pregnancy test was positive, and our second child Lily would arrive the following year. You once again you knew that I was pregnant before we did, with your sweet doggy ways and stares.

2008: Lily was born and you fell in love with this new baby of ours, first by sniffing her newborn hat, then flaring out your nostrils as you crawled closer to her and I as you met her for the first time. You followed her around as she crawled, and herded her back towards me.

2009: When Joey was 3yrs and Lily was 8 months old, we moved out of our lovely pink house in FL and into a beautiful rental home in NC. The landlord built a fence in the yard especially for you! Joe and I were thrilled to have a big fenced in yard for you, Joey, and Lily to run around and play.

2010: The year you learned how to dock dive! I often took you swimming at the man-made lake in NC. You had so much fun jumping off of the dock, and swimming up to the shore. This was also the year we brought Souvláki home, our new 10wk old German Shepherd pup. You tolerated our new puppy, with all of her puppy ways, and taught her so many things that I saw you accomplish every day together. You were a Mama to her. Joe and I and the kids took you both to so many parks and playgrounds, and you walked with Souvláki on a double leash, helping me to her learn how to heel and walk calmly.

2011: The year we moved back to NY! I was so happy to take you and Souvlaki to play at the parks and places in my old neighborhood, the parks I used to play in as a kid with Angel, my childhood German Shepherd Dog. At the end of this year, you passed away at just 7.5 years young, very energetic, very full of life, and nowhere near your time to go. In a matter of months you went from one instance of lethargy in the summer, to that morning in December when you went from playing the night before, to dying in the morning. My heart aches just thinking of how sudden and unexpected it all ended. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas, and my belly was huge, we were all so sad and heartbroken, and it took a lot of getting used to, to know you were no longer a part of our lives.

2012: I was still crushed as this year began without you. I wish you could have met our new baby, our third child Georgie who was born just a couple of months after you died. But even though you never met him, I do know that he heard you barking while in utero many times. I know Georgie has heard your name many times before, because I would whistle and call your name to call you. I know because I felt his kicks in response. And so that makes me smile, because he knew of you, even before he was born.

I still miss you, and I miss our days playing together. We all miss you, so very much. We keep your memory alive by talking about you, remembering you, drawing pictures of you, and talking about all the wonderful times we've shared together. You are forever our beautiful, sweet, ferocious and protective, loving girl, Aleethea.

02/03/04 - 12/06/11

guess my baby's birthday and win a HANDMADE MONSTER SHIRT GIVEAWAY!!! :D

 

Update: Well everyone, here I am...Tuesday 2/7/12 8:30pm EST and I'm officially 5 days past my due date! We're still awaiting our baby boy who is apparently on his own little schedule. :) In order to have a winner for this sweet giveaway, I want all of you to have another shot at guessing the birthday of our little guy! So come on back to my blog -- and just comment again with a different date. And if you haven't yet taken a guess, then stop on by and let's keep this party going! Here's some new info for you guys: As of this evening, I'm 2cm dilated and 95% effaced. Woohoo!!! :D

 

We're all anxiously waiting for our "Baby 2012" to arrive. I'm due in 5 days, and cannot wait to meet him.

The Hubbs Joe has spent many nights fixing up lots of things around the house, making it more comfy for us all. He's also gotten all of the remaining boxes unpacked from our move, thank goodness. Every room in our home is now box-free!! (umm...except for those dozen or so boxes that we're hiding upstairs in his office...but we won't talk about those, mmkayy?)

My wonderful Doula Helen is on call, and my awesome Midwife Barbara will be ready at the birthing center, along with the tub for our planned water birth. These area exciting times!

The baby's nursery awaits. Joey and Lily await their little brother's arrival. Our pup Souvlaki naps at my feet, and won't leave my side - even more so than usual. Gosh how I wish Aleethea were here too.

The super cutesie and tiny little newborn sized Ankle Biters lounge pants are hanging in his closet, the handmade newborn monster onesies and necktie shirts await, the sweet little colorful handpainted onesie from his patient big sister Lily, some art for his walls made by big brother Joey, a cozy little sleep sack for him to travel home in, and the crib bedding I made is (almost) all ready to be enjoyed. I keep sewing more and more things for him. Maybe if I stop sewing, then he'll get here already! :)

Wanna guess our baby's birthday? Cool, because it's giveaway time!!!!!!!!!

It's time for some FUN! If you can correctly guess what day my baby boy will arrive, then I'll make you a little something awesome; either a monster onesie or monster shirt, handmade by me, especially for you. Woohoo!!

Ready to guess? Need some more info?

- our son Joey was born 3 days past his due date

- our daughter Lily was born 4 days past her due date

- my official due date is Thursday 02/02/12

- I've had very strong Braxton Hicks contractions every night like clockwork for all of January

- as of three days ago, I'm 1cm dilated.

- Groundhog Day is also February 2nd...will we see my baby??? hehe.

- my beloved dog's birthday is February 3rd, the Hubbs Joe thinks the baby will be born on Aleethea's bday

- my nephew's birthday is also February 3rd

- Superbowl Sunday is February 5th...and I do NOT want to be anywhere but HOME to watch it...so I will need to do everything in my power to either have this baby on his due date in order to get back home in time for the Superbowl...or, hold my labor off until Monday, at least. haha.

So that's pretty much everything. Now your guess is as good as mine!

Sometime shortly after our new babe arrives, I'll let you know via my blog (which also updates my Facebook page), to annouce our baby boy's arrival. I will contact the winner directly for their address, and since we'll have a newborn in the house, I probably won't get to sewing the prize until March.

Here I am with my belly, so you can sort of see who needs to come out and have a birthday. And don't laugh at my funny hat!:

 

 

:D

Here's how to win:

First, go and pick your favorite item from my Etsy shop, Joey & Aleethea's sold items here, or you can also pick your favorite item from my Facebook photos here.

Then come back here to by blog and comment here to let me know the following:

1) what's your favorite item from Joey & Aleethea?

2) what date do you think our baby will be born?

3) if you win (WHEN you win!) which monster would you prefer -- Vasilis, Limoni, or Daphne?

4) what size would you like? (available up to size 24mos as a onesie, and 2T thru 10 as a t-shirt)

5) your email address

 

Giveaway ends whenever my baby arrives.

Only 1 entry per person.

Open to US and International commenters too.

 

This is so exciting, isn't it? Have fun everyone...I hope YOU win!!! :D

 

 

 

Aquarius baby

 

I've been having some fun reading up on the type of personality and characteristics my baby boy will posses, as an Aquarius aka the Water Bearer. Wikipedia has some interesting info re: Aquarius in Greek Mythology. And here's an article I found describing Aquarius babies:

January 20 - February 18

"Your Aquarian baby will be outwardly calm, relaxed and delightful and grandparents in particular will dote on your baby. From an early age Aquarians are quick thinkers who will want to analyse everything and everyone. An Aquarian child will often be totally unpredictable and come up with with lots of ideas; and she will also be sensitive and intuitive. You may find your child will rebel against commands and rules, but if you leave her to think things through she will normally come to a sensible conclusion on her own. Young Aquarians like to have many friends, although few will be very close, and will be generous towards them. Parents should watch out for the typical Aquarian absent-mindedness which may seem strange in one so young.

An Aquarian child will be full of energy and will be constantly on the go and needs plenty of opportunity to make discoveries. Your child will thrive in a peaceful, calm, harmonious environment. These children are sensitive to any underlying tensions, so if you have to argue with a partner or other family member, try to do so out of earshot of your child. Aquarian children can often look more confident than they feel and so they will need genuine encouragement and praise from their parents.

Young Aquarians should be encouraged to think logically and practically. Their minds are always working quickly, sometimes too quickly so they often get in a muddle.

The typical Aquarian child is very healthy."

source: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Personality-Traits-of-an-Aquarius-Baby&id=13485

RIP Aleethea: how our beloved dog died, and how we're coping

When I called Joe and the kids at 6:45am on Tuesday 12/6/11, I had left the house 15 minutes ago, and was just a few blocks away from the Emergency Vet. I knew Aleethea had already passed away, but the kids didn't yet know.

Just a little over an hour before...it was so early in the morning, and still dark out. It was raining. Joey and Lily had just woken up since they heard me already awake, and I told them Aleethea wasn't feeling well...but I had no idea she was as sick as she was. Soonafter they saw me crying while laying down on the floor next to Aleethea, and Souvlaki was laying down next to us too...as if Souvlaki knew what was happening right before our eyes. I started to get dressed and ready to go. Within moments Aleethea was very, very weak, and she couldn't stand up. Moments later her breathing was labored, her gums were grayish, then a minute later they were blue.

I told the kids Aleethea is not in any pain, but she had suddenly become very sick, and I'm going to have to take her to the Emergency Vet.

But I knew Aleethea only had a few minutes left to live, and wouldn't make it to the vet 15 minutes away. I had seen her life slip away in the moments prior.

Then the kids saw Joe carrying Aleethea and rushing out to put her in the car. I told the kids Dad will stay with them, and they will sit and have breakfast together. After I left, Joe and the kids prayed for Aleethea, to not be in any pain.

When I was on the phone with them, I told Joey and Lily to get their crayons and paper. I told them if they wanted to, they could draw a picture of Aleethea, and draw a picture about how they remember their dog. Also, if they had to say goodbye to her, what would they want Aleethea to know.

When I returned home at 8am, Joe and I had to sit down and tell the kids that our sweet puppy Aleethea had died. After a little while and lots of tears, the kids showed me their art.

This is what Lily drew:

Lily described the drawing she made:

"That's a rainbow.
And the big blue is home.
The little blue is the doctor's.
Aleethea walked over the rainbow."

This is what Joey drew:

Then Joey described his drawing:

"I knew Aleethea loved me.
Thats how I remember Aleethea,
on the grass, playing,
under the blue shining sky."

Children are simply amazing.

After I told them what to expect at the vet's office, we all drove to the emergency vet where they knew they would see Aleethea laying down on the vet's table, with her blanket over her, her face showing and her eyes closed. We brought Souvlaki with us too. It was our time to say our final goodbye, pray together next to her, and pet our Aleethea for the very last time.

We returned home. Joe and I spent the day with the kids, and no one went to work or school. We talked about why Aleethea died, and what the vet said, and how she died. They watched the movie "All Dogs Go To Heaven". They painted quietly that day. We talked about how important it is for them to draw, and write, and talk, and express their feelings.

We talked about how she will always be with us, and how she will always be remembered in our hearts and minds. We discussed how to remember her, and how to talk about what we remember about her. We answered lots of the kids' questions, and talked about how it's ok to be sad. We also talked about how their sadness might make them feel angry. We talked about how to express that anger and sadness. We talked about how they're going to see Mama and Dada cry over Aleethea, and we'll all need lots of hugs and understanding and compassion, because we are very, very sad for now. and how they won't be sad all the time.

We talked about how it's ok to be happy and sometimes forget your sadness, and always remember to play. We talked about how they could tell everyone they know about Aleethea, and that she died and is now in heaven.

We talked about how their other puppy Souvlaki is still here, and needs lots of extra love these days too. Souvlaki lost her best doggy friend and also who she saw as her "Mama". We talked about how lucky we are to still have a dog in our lives, and we should always let Souvlaki know how much we love her.

Throughout the day, we told each other of our favorite memories of Aleethea, and we looked at lots of pictures of Aleethea. We held each other through tears. We cried alone, we cried together.

We also went out to buy the book "Dog Heaven" for our bedtime story. Our first bedtime in 7 1/2 years without Aleethea. Our young beautiful energetic dog now sleeps and plays in heaven.

It all just happened so quickly that morning. Aleethea wasn't supposed to die. She was healthy. She was so energetic. She never showed signs of slowing down. She never showed signs of being ill. She was supposed to live long. She was supposed to have an old age. We just moved back to NY. She was supposed to play in the NY snow this winter. She was supposed to have another Christmas with us.

What happened to my sweet and energetic dog, my loving pup of just 7 years young??

Aleethea died of a Spleenic Mass, aka Hemangiosarcoma (HSA). Some refer to it as Spleen Cancer, and it's known as the Silent Killer. It is a terribly sudden death, and often very unexpected. Her abdomen was filled with blood. She had a tumor in her spleen near her heart.

It's called the Silent Killer because there are hardly any noticeable symptoms which would lead you to believe death was imminent, until it is already too late. Even if we would’ve rushed Aleethea into the vet weeks earlier when the tumor probably began to grow, she would’ve needed emergency surgery to remove her spleen.  Even with spleen removal surgery, dogs would then require chemotherapy and have some painful days. And after the surgery, a dog would generally only live a max of 1 to 3 more months. To read more about this awful Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), see this article - warning there are graphic photos involved.

The day after Aleethea died was Wednesday, and Joey and Lily returned to Kindergarten and Preschool. They each carried a photo of Aleethea with them, and a note for their teacher informing them of their loss. The kids told their friends at school about what happened to their dog, and they received many hugs.

While the kids were at school, I now had hours to grieve without worrying about my kids...and I went numb. I could hardly breathe. I was walking around in a foggy haze. There are only two things getting me out of bed and eating food thru the day...one is my husband taking such good care of me and his kids. The other is because of this baby boy that I'm carrying inside.

Today I'm 32 weeks pregnant, and I am absolutely heartbroken over my first baby, Aleethea Faith.

NC dock diving, dog training, doggie daycare, and more dog friendly links ^..^__~

As the owner of two large breed dogs, I keep a list of pet and dog-friendly destinations all over the world. Pet-friendly hotels, dog-friendly vacation home rentals, dog-friendly restaurants and outdoor dining in NC, US and Worldwide.

The website I use for Pet-Friendly hotels and vacation home rentals for US destinations is called Pet-Friendly Travel: http://petfriendlytravel.com

When travelling out of the United States, the website I found to be the most helpful for Worldwide destinations is Dog Friendly. It's super useful for searching the City by City guides to find dog-friendly beaches, dog parks, outdoor dog-friendly dining and restaurants, as well as campgrounds all over the world.

Over the past 2 and a half years of living in Durham, NC, my 2 German Shepherds and I enjoyed meeting and having fun with some wonderful dog owners and their furry friends. We've also of course frequented some local pet-friendly businesses in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill who have gone the extra mile for our family and dogs on many occasions. Now that we're moving out of NC, I wanted to share these resources which I highly recommend to any local dog owners in in the Triangle Area.

The Teamworks dog pond in Youngsville NC is where Aleethea, Souvlaki and I had so much darn fun this summer!! It is where Aleethea jumped off a dock for the very first time ever, and also where Souvlaki learned to swim! We've spent lots of hot summer mornings at the dog pond, then when we arrived home my dogs would drop to the floor and be knocked out in a deep sleep for hours! The owner of Teamworks is a professional Dog Trainer of many, many years, whose credentials are astounding. Michele is also the author of The Sentry Dog, a book about "territorial aggression, a common dog behavior problem. Dogs that bark at people or other dogs through windows, doors, and beyond fences..." Michele is amazing, a wonderful person and we have so many great memories of her and days enjoying her property with my GSDs. Michele and the Teamworks facility is rated "The Best of Raleigh"  in Dog Training in 2009, 2010 & 2011.

If you live in the NC Triangle area, and you have an aggressive dog, who you absolutely love and want the best for -- please look Michele up. She will work wonders with you and your fur baby.

There is also a new dog-friendly facility opening up in the Durham-RTP area called Lap It Up which is soon to be an indoor "canine swim (and activity) center. A year round water playground for your dog, so you can hang out for the day, an evening, or just squeeze in a few moments to get the energy out." to enhance "the human/animal bond through controlled activities and games..."  It will feature "a maze that you and your dog can use and many other fun activities". My energetic GSDs and I were anticipating this facility's opening all year long. I was so looking forward to taking Aleethea & Souvlaki to the Grand Opening! My plan was to wait for the perfect cold and rainy day to take my pool-loving furry beasts for some fun and games, play in the giant maze together, and for some swimtime too. It would've been hilarious and such fun, I'm sure. According to their website, Lap It Up is scheduled to open this Fall (but we're relocating very soon). See their Facebook page for contact info. Although the facility isn't open yet - they truly sound to be planning a fantastic place to hang out and play with your beloved K9s. So I hope you go check it out, and have fun for all of us!!

******************

And before I go, I want to share with you some more doggy links that I've found very useful over the years. Some are local businesses who have gone the extra mile for us on many occasions - and I highly recommend them, and also some very helpful dog resources on the web:

ASPCA's Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs

Pet-Friendly Hotels in Raleigh

Professional Dog Training (group/private), dog swimming pond: http://teamworksdogtraining.com

Local Dog Events (various local counties): http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9connections

Outdoor Group Playtime for Dogs (daycare), and non-crated overnite boarding: http://sunnyacres.com

Natural dog foods and treats: http://unleashedmutt.com

Goodbye and I wish you all the best!

 

With love, our GSDs. ^..^__~  ^..^__~  ^..^__~

 

 

destinations - hotels, vacation homes, restaurants in NC, US and Worldwide