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December 29 Looking Ahead 2012 is just around the corner and I'm looking forward to it. This year has been wonderful and to all of you who have supported me, I say "thank you from the bottom of my heart." This year was incredibly successful and with the work already scheduled for 2012, I'm looking forward to bigger and better things. I am so excited about what the year is going to bring. Even more though, I am extremely humbled by the friendship, love and support I've gotten from family and friends. There is no way that I can ever express how much I appreciate all you've done for me. And to my customers, thank you for your trust and faith in me to do your work, whether alterations or custom work. So many of you came through the door as a stranger and left as a friend. 2012 will see some changes to Especially From Karen. After the holidays, when all the decorations are down and put away for another year, we will be putting up the fixtures used at craft shows so that the merchandise can be displayed for those who aren't able to come to the craft shows or may want a gift in between craft shows. We're excited about this. Thank you to all of you. Have a safe and happy New Year. Karen September 27 Happy Fall
Where does the time go? I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote anything here. However, that could be considered a good thing because it means we've been incredibly busy.
Business was wonderful over the summer. There hasn't been any down time. After our busiest prom season ever, the wedding season kicked in. I've lost count of how many weddings I worked on. Now, we've added nursery decor and custom children's clothing to our list of "to-do's" over the next month. Nicole is working hard on some seasonal items for up-coming shows.
I hope you'll check out our craft show page and come by to visit us at one (or all) of the shows. We have a lot of new merchandise and are making more all the time. You never know what you might miss if you don't stop by.
Hopefully, everyone is ready for fall after a very hot, and in some places, wet summer and very hot and dry in others. I'm off to the Finger Lakes region in New York for a few days to relax, visit with friends, work on some spring ideas, oh yes, and go to dog shows and wineries. Nicole will be organizing our fabric and starting to pull what will be going to the Arts Festival at Auburn Road Winery on October 15 & 16.
Thank you everyone who has supported through the year. We couldn't do it without you.
Karen
May 21 Happy Spring Everyone! There's a lovely rain watering all the flowers and plants around my yard. My climbing roses have never looked as good as they do this year. When they're done blooming, I'm going to cut them back and hope that they bloom again. Two new rose bushes - a yellow one and a peach one - were added this year. My yard is looking really nice this year. Unfortunately, despite gloves, my hands and nails don't. In spite of spending time in the yard, I've been busier this spring than ever. Prom season was over the top this year! There aren't too many schools in the area that didn't have someone come through my studio. Weddings have also played a big part of my business this spring. There were mothers of 2 grooms who had me make their wedding day outfits. Right now, I'm in the midst of altering the bridesmaid dresses and a flower girl dress for a wedding on May 28th. I've already been contracted to make a bridesmaid dress for an August wedding, a wedding dress for a September wedding and a wedding dress for an October wedding. Two chairs and a hassock are awaiting slipcovers and I have another silk patchwork scarf to make. With all this work, we're still working hard on new merchandise for the fall and holiday craft shows. We have a show on May 28th at Cape May Elementary School in Cape May, NJ and then plan to be off for the summer. Then again, you never know what will come up that looks interesting so we may be out someplace to see you over the summer. In the meantime, we're working on Christmas trees and stockings, trick or treat bags and maybe a bat or two. Our fall and holiday show schedule isn't totally decided on yet but as soon as it is, we'll post it. Take some time to smell the roses, or zinnias, snapdragons or whatever you happen to favor. Enjoy spring and take some time for you!
Karen
January 24 Wedding Season I hope everyone had a good holiday season. We spent a good amount of time working on new ideas for spring and summer. You'll be seeing a number of new aprons in different styles. We are also going to be showing new children's clothing. Many of the styles will be one-of-a-kind.
Wedding season is already in full-swing. On the schedule now are weddings in February, August and October along with that of my Goddaughter in May. We love our brides.
Craft show dates will be posted soon. We look forward to seeing you. Karen
December 21 Christmas Wishes
With only a few days until Christmas, I want to take this opprportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. May you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends. As you celebrate, please take some time to remember those less fortunate and, if you're able, make a donation to your local food pantry, the Salvation Army or any service organization you choose. Then take a moment to give thanks for our soldiers and their families. Above all, remember the reason for the season and give thanks for all the blessings bestowed on you.
Thank you to all my clients and those who have given me encouragement during the year. You've made this a very successful year for me. Blessings to each and everyone of you.
Merry Christmas,
Karen
November 25 Blessings At this Thanksgiving holiday, I ask everyone to take time to reflect on the blessings they've received during the past year. While you're enjoying your holiday with family and friends, please remember the military families who are seperated on this holiday. Their sacrifice is too often not remembered. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful young men and women willing to serve and their families who wait at home. Please say a special prayer of Thanksgiving that they'll soon be reunited. As for me, I am so blessed with a wonderful family, great friends, terrific clients, health, the opportunity to do something I love and too much more to list here. Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen
November 4 True Blessings Happy fall everyone! It's certainly become much cooler in the mid-Atlantic Region. Yet, despite frost on the grass and car windows every morning, the Mums and Cosmos continue to bloom brightly.
Again this month, we have an article in the online publication Cumberland County Woman and for the first time in Salem County Woman. Please check these out online at www.cumberlandcountywoman.com and www.salemwoman.com They both feature a number of interesting articles.
We're still working hard getting ready for the craft shows. I hope some of you will be able to come out to see us at the Gloucester County 4-H Association craft show in Clayton, NJ on November 13 and at Lenape Regional High School on November 27.
New clients continue to call every week but even more gratifying are the calls from repeat clients. We want our clients to be pleased with the work we do and continue to come back. So, as we draw close to the time of year that we start to count our blessings and all we're thankful for, I want to thank all my clients. I am greatful for every one of you. And then there's my wonderful staff (really friends) to thank. Nicole keeps me organized, helps get everything done for the craft shows and is my "Googler Extraoridinaire." PJ helps with the packing and unpacking and lifting at the craft shows and fixes my canopy when the a leg gets crimped because the wind blew it over. Finally, I want to thank Randy who pushed and pushed until I let him set up my website, adds the new items and blog postings on it, helps with the craft shows and keeps a positive outlook when I don't. They all do so much more than I can ever list. They are true blessings helping me to do what I love.
Karen
September 22 Another Fall Wow, time sure flies! It used to go by so slowly. Or so it seemed anyway. Fall is upon us with winter not that far away. We have a lot of new fabric pumpkins. Some are soft, cozy flannel while others are an elegant patchwork of silk, suede and wool. New appliqued table runners add a festive touch to your holiday decorating.
Christmas too is bringing a number of new items. Stockings to decorate your mantel or fill with goodies are something we've added. Very elegant Christmas print stockings are trimmed with ribbons and antique lace for an elegant, vintage look. Tree skirts in a variety of prints are available to dress up under your tree before Santa arrives and after the gifts are opened.
Our Christmas sneak peek will be at the Dutch Neck Village Fall Festival on October 2. Please come out and visit us. If you can't come out to Dutch Neck, we'll be at the Elmer Harvest Festival on October 16. We'd love to see you. And don't forget that we now accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover for your convenience.
Karen
July 10 The Coast Guard What a great month it's been. More clients are calling for work all the time. Nicole and I delivered the privacy curtains (aka rack curtains) to the Coast Guard Station in Cape May. The crew of the Mako couldn't have been nicer to us. Her 4-year old daughter was with us and they were wonderful to her, even giving her a snack. We got a full tour with Addison getting the opportunity to sit in the seat where the cutter is piloted from. From the Coast Guard Station, we headed to Cape May Point to walk on the beach, collect shells, look for Cape May Diamonds (didn't find any) and get our feet wet in the surf. It was a great day! Despite the extreme heat, we've been working hard getting ready for the fall craft shows while thinking cool thoughts. A new selection of patchwork pillows has been added. New appliqued jackets are in the process along with some great children's clothing. Nicole and I are enjoying playing with all the fabrics, mixing and matching to get just the right look. We're looking forward to meeting you at the craft shows and displaying our new merchandise. Karen  The Coast Guard Cutter MAKO
June 25 Now accepting credit cards! Wow, have I been busy! The Coast Guard Station in Cape May, NJ placed an order for privacy curtains for one of their boats (ships?). I never know when a boat becomes a ship. We're hoping to deliver the curtains in the next week or so and take some pictures while we're at it. A client came out today with fabric and material for a chipmunk costume. Another project we're involved in right now is making clothing for a pair of 1948 Campbell Kids dolls. I'm in the process of investigating the material right now to try to find the same type that was used then. My big news is that I'm now accepting credit cards. You'll be able to call the tool-free number for phone orders. We'll also use it at the craft shows or when picking up your work in person. It was the next logical step to help grow my business. I hope that everyone will like this new convenience and take advantage of it. Karen
April 25 First craft show Saturday, May 1 will be our first outside craft show of the year. Please keep your fingers crossed that the weather is good. Nicole will be running our exhibit. Please come out to say, "hi" to her and see our new merchandise. Work has really been keeping us busy. We've gotten a lot of new clients and some amazing projects. We just finished making a slipcover for a loveseat and now have a riding habit to make. And of course, there are still all the alterations to be done. I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring. My Iris are blooming as are my Coral Bells. The biggest surprise has been my rose bushes. They are absolutely full of buds and one has decided to bloom! What a lovely surprise! Enjoy the wonderful spring weather! Karen
March 15 Spring is around the corner What a winter this has been! The snow seemed to never end. I know that for many of you around the country, this is normal. But here in New Jersey, it's far from normal. Now though we're seeing the first vestiges of spring. All my bulbs are beginning to poke their leaves above the ground and I'm even seeing some hints of green around my day lilies. Welcome Spring! The first craft show of the season is just around the corner. We'll be at Lenape High School on March 20. Please come by and say "hello". We have a number of new items of childrens' clothing as well as some really unique aprons. Last year was the best year Especially From Karen has had and this year has started off amazingly well. There aren't words to describe how appreciative I am. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. Nicole and I look forward to a wonderful year seeing our established clients and meeting new ones. Karen
September 13 Fall is finally here. Well, maybe not according to the calendar but certainly a stop at the garden center with the brightly colored mums and pumpkins says it's fall. Children have gone back to school and people are starting to think about the holidays. At Especially From Karen, we've been working hard on new ideas for the holidays as well as finishing up all the wedding sewing. This summer has been the busiest yet for weddings and I still have one to finish. We plan to attend three craft shows this fall. October 3 is Pet-A-Palooza at the Cumberland County S.P.C.A. in Vineland, NJ. Buster, an alumnus of the S.P.C.A., will be attending with us. We hope to encourage people to adopt shelter dogs. Next will be the Elmer Harvest Festival in Elmer, NJ on October 17. There are always a lot of activities for the entire family - antique cars, wagon rides and music as well as a lot of food. Finally, we'll be at Lenape High School on November 28. It's a great place to do some Christmas shopping for one-of-a-kind gifts and sure to be a lot of fun. I hope that some of you will have a chance to stop by at the shows and support the organizations sponsoring the shows.
Karen
July 29 I had the pleasure of making a christening outfit for a baby boy who will be christened on August 2nd. The material for the outfit came from his grandmothers wedding gown. The outfit will be handed down through the family along with a christening gown yet to be made. These will truly be a family heirlooms. Karen
July 18 I just answered a very important question, "how do I preserve a wedding dress". Many brides simply put their gown in a cedar chest or a garment bag thinking that will preserve it. Some will even have it dry cleaned first. Sadly, a few years down the road they want to show the gown to a friend and low and behold, they find it has discolored or worst, the fabric has broken down!
If you want to properly preserve your beautiful gown I would suggest the following procedure. Take your gown to a dry cleaner who does wedding gown preservation. I want to caution you here, many will say they can do the job for you and will even clean it but after doing so, they just put it in a box! So make sure they do the following.
It should be packed in "acid-free" tissue paper and stored in a "conservators box". Why? Because it WILL protect and preserve your gown for many many years! Also be sure you request that the box doesn't have a cellophane window for obvious reasons.
If you are having difficulty with finding one, call a bridal salon for recommendations on where you can have it done.
All of us want to preserve our beautiful treasure. So I hope you will follow the proper procedure to make sure your gown stays in the condition it was when you first put it on, on one of the most special days of your life! Of course I won't guarantee it will fit!
June 27 The wedding was wonderful! It rained earlier in the day but except for one brief and very hard shower, there was no rain. The girls were "piped" in by a bagpiper. The girls came down from the house to the tent, the bridesmaids clustered around Lori so Stephen couldn't see her as the bagpiper played. He played the "Wedding March" for Lori to walk to. After the ceremony, the sun came out although the ground was still very wet. I think my lovely silver shoes are ruined. Still, we had a wonderful time and the kids are very happy. It was fun to see their friends from high school all grown-up. I told the kids I wish them as many blessings as rain drops that fell on Saturday. Now I'm back to sewing for the July and August weddings. And of course, getting ready for fall and winter. Karen
June 13 The time is getting shorter until my son's wedding - next Saturday! We've had the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. All the bridesmaids' dresses have been altered and so has the mother-of-the-bride's dress. The bride's gown has been altered and now has to be bustled. Yes, I'm the mother-of-the-groom but I'm sewing for the bride. It's a very exciting time. Once Stephen and Lori's wedding is over, I have two more weddings to sew for this summer and one already scheduled for 2010. I'm having such a wonderful time sewing for all these young ladies. I know that it's not officially summer yet but I'm already looking forward to fall. There will be some new items available that I think you'll like. Then, before you know it, Christmas will be here. I think you'll like the new merchandise I'll be showing for Christmas and winter, in general. Have a good weekend and take some time to do something just for you! Karen
May 18 I finally got another dress. I really loved my first dress but it really was made to wear in the winter. So, my mother and I went shopping on Saturday and I found another dress. While in Macy's we visited the Ester Lauder counter because they had one of their customer events on applying and deciding on the right makeup. Well, we now know what makeup to wear and as a bonus, we can call the local Macy's and have our makeup applied the day of the wedding! Take care for now, Karen
May 11 Hi Everyone! Do any of you ever experience what I did yesterday? I was at the bridal shower for my son's fiancee and all of a sudden reality set in that they're getting married. The date has been set for several months, the caterer chosen, and gowns purchased. I've made the arrangements for the rehersal dinner and ordered and sent invitations. Yesterday, when long-time friends were congratulating me, it suddenly all became very real. The shower was very nice and the kids received a lot of nice gifts. As a side note, everyone is keeping me so busy that I bought a dress to wear to the wedding rather than make one (although I did buy fabric). I just decided that I needed to alleviate some pressure. My mother and I went shopping to find a dress for her. I tried on one dress, fell in love with it and bought it. Any of you who may be in the midst of getting ready for a wedding, whether your's or your child's, enjoy! Karen April 2 What is It? What do you think this is? Any idea? It's something I'm using to make something else. The weather seems to be getting nicer but slowly. My Daffodils are starting to bloom and the Forsythia is getting brighter every day. A squirrel or rabbit seems to be eating the Tulip leaves. If anyone has a suggestion how to stop the "grazing," I'd appreciate it. More shortalls and sundresses are coming so I hope you'll keep checking back. For those of you who have daughters who don't like sundresses, there will be some shortalls for girls too. I hope those of you dealing with the floods in ND and MN are safe and seeing the water starting to recede. To everyone, have a good weekend and if you can, take some time from chores to enjoy the spring weather. Karen
March 21
Thank you
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contacted me after visiting my web site. It's very gratifying when I'm so new to this. I hope my work will continue to please you. The gingham outfit for little girls was added today and denim shortalls for little boys will be added next week. I plan to add something very special within the next month. It's something I've never seen anywhere else. There are also some new home decor items coming soon. I have a lot of ideas and have been working on patterns and choosing fabric to bring them to fruition. Again, thank you for your positive comments and support. I appreciate every single one. Karen
March 03
What's New
Hi Friends! With all the snow the past few days, it seems that I should be thinking about Christmas instead of spring and summer. However, since we know that spring and summer will be here soon despite the snow, I've been working on some darling gingham shorts and tops outfits for little girls and shortalls for the boys in your life. We have big news in the family. My older son, Stephen, is getting married in June. This follows the wedding of my best friend's daughter in December. Catherine needed a jacket of matching lace to go with her gown made so I'll be including a picture of the one I made for her soon. With weddings come bridal showers. For Catherine's shower, I made fabric bags out of a Christmas print which were filled with goodies. They will be shown on the site and can be ordered in fabric to coordinate with your wedding colors or any colors you wish for you to fill. They can also be used for a baby showers. There are plenty of other ideas in the design stage and I hope you'll like what I'll be showing you. Karen
March 02
Adding FAQ and new pictures this weekend!
Hi, I will be adding a FAQ webpage this weekend and also new photos and items. I hope the FAQ page will answer many of you questions. Please come back soon for these new updates. Karen
February 25
Just getting started!
Hi, This is Karen and I hope you are enjoying my website! It's only been up for a short time and I am constantly making changes and adding new items. This past weekend I was able to set up purchasing my items through Paypal. I also added some exciting children's clothes which I hope you will look at. When I have time I plan on offering a "FAQ" page which I hope will answer some of you questions. Karen
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