Fall Candy

Orit Dotan – vintage buttons and beads from Israel

Are these not the yummiest vintage buttons you’ve ever seen! Almost like candy…

The buttons above are from the same shop - gorgeous on a handmade purse or dress!

Please check out this shop on Etsy. I've made purchases from this shop - wonderful products and fast delivery considering the distance.

Star Wars - Chase on Endor

Photo and legos by our Lego Designer, Jake

A boy and his tabby

Hi - Emily, the adorable tabby here!

My mom changed our blog heading which is a picture of Jake, our Lego designer drawing pictures of me when I was a kitten, and he was a preschooler.

I'm so adorable...don't you think so?!

What my mom finds when it's time to get up for school

What you get when you wake us up - a mad face tabby!

A more pleasant mood after coming in from the outside (the balcony)

Old Fashion Glamour

What I wouldn't do to be able to wear this dress, and have a place to wear it. I was looking up vintage cocktail dresses when I ran across this beauty--just stunning!

Some days I wonder why I don't dress up more--lack of time or motivation? One of my grandmothers use to wear dresses daily, and always with a brooch or piece of jewelry, hose and sensible shoes, and she raised 3 boys! Yes, times have changed, but I'd like to believe that we can get back to that place again, as least some of time.

Visit this Etsy shop for more dresses to dream about...

Rococo Vintage on Etsy

From the same delightful shop - I call this the "Sexy Secretary" dress - very understated, conservative enough for work, yet a sexy cut to accent your curves and show-off well toned arms!

This dress - obviously "Sweet Sixteen" party dress:

July 4th picnic dress:

The 60's Teen Party dress:

Your "Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley" playsuit:

OK, I need to stop because I love just too many dresses in this shop, but here is one last one. "The Belle of the Ball" prom dress.







Monsters in the closet...

If your parents told you monsters don't live in the closet or under the bed - they lied. Some kids have never seen these monsters, but too many have. You would think most of the kids would be scared, and they are - a little bit, but more often they are braver than any knight in shining armor. One monster is actually a very large family with crazy names; like acute lymphoblastic leukemia, neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma - but they all have the same last name, CANCER. Children are facing this cancer monster as if it's a fire-breathing dragon (for real), and they have more courage in their fragile bodies than you have in your little finger. So please, give them some weapons to help them fight off these monsters.

Regardless of which group you pick to help kill these monsters, please join the battle and keep kids safe from monsters!

Beading for Birthdays

Necklaces added to our shop for $22.00 with $15.00 going to fight childhood cancer!!  We donate to MiracleKids Triathlon (Miracles for Mitch Foundation) and St. Baldricks Foundation.

MiracleKids Triathlon



On Saturday, August 4th my 12 year old son, Jake Knudson (Emily's BFF) is participating in his third triathlon, the MiracleKids Triathlon, a fundraiser of children with cancer.

We are trying to raise $1,000.00 and our shop Crafting for a Cause by Tubs, Tabbies and Trains featuring items with the net proceeds going to the MiracleKids Triathlon. If you see this and would like to donate, go to the Triathlon site, select donate, participant and find my son.  Thank you!

This is my son's 1st triathlon, at 10 years old!

He participates in memory of my dad, in honor of my sister,

and one of Mitch's All-Stars, a child fighting cancer.

We've lost 9 kids since last year's triathlon,

so please join our fight against cancer!