Top 10 Lap Desk Uses

Early last month we got our first shipment of lap desks in. They come in a variety of patterns but one of my favorite things about them is that they are super light weight. We adorn them with a cute vinyl monogram or name and send them on their way. 

Here are our top 10 uses for our monogrammed lap desks:

10. Folding paper. Do you make your own note cards? Origami?

9. Writing

8. Homework

7. Grading Papers

6. Cutting Coupons

5. Craft Projects

4. Dorm Life

3. Portable desk for kids on road trips (cup holder is the perfect place for markers & crayons)

2. To compliment the iPad or other tablet device. (Holiday Gadget Article)

1. To prevent toasted leg syndrome! (Good Morning America Story )

I'd love to hear how you'd use one!

Make It Monday--Tutu Cute!

Most girls enjoy a little glitter and frill and our little 2 year old is no different. She has enjoyed twirling around the house for quite sometime pretending to be a ballerina. Not too long ago she put on one of my old petticoat slips, (you know, one of those slips that went under your Sunday Dress to make it stick straight out with ruffles galore!) and thought she had made herself a tutu. Well, the slip is too big, and just not ballerina-enough, so I thought I'd buy her a tutu. I saw some at a big box store, but they were surprisingly expensive. I thought it couldn't be too hard to make one, so I googled it and found some instructions for a no-sew tutu. Here are a couple of great links I found with good pictures and instructions.

• http://www.gophotography.com/tutu/
• http://www.makethemyourself.com/tutu.html

I decided to do a two colored tutu, so ordered 2 spools of tulle  (1 spool of new pink and 1 spool of pink)from my favorite ribbon supplier, Ribbon And Bows Oh My! at $2.75 each. I already had some elastic here, so I ended up only spending $5.50. (I had a free shipping coupon, so I didn't even have to pay shipping!) When the tulle arrived, it literally took about 15 minutes to cut it to length and tie it to the elastic. Viola! An inexpensive tutu to provide our little girly girl hours of twirling entertainment...Tutu cute!

And we have a winner!!!

Congratulations Liz Garland, you are our winner of the monogrammed market tote! Thank you to all who entered! It was wonderful to hear how you all would use or already use a market tote. Since everyone couldn't win, I've put all our market totes 20% Off this week.

May Monogrammed Market Tote Giveaway

Are you ready for summer? Do you have something fun to lug all your stuff with you? This month, we're excited to give away one of our monogrammed market totes just time time for the busy summer season. Whether you are headed to the ballpark, to the grocery store, the park, local farmer's market, the pool or beach, I'm sure you can find a good use for a market tote.

How to Win: Look around StitchesByApril.com and leave a comment letting me know your favorite market tote and how you would use it. Each of the following will give you an extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

-Post about this giveaway on your blog, or facebook profile linking back to Notes from Stitches By April.
-Subscribe to our monthly e-mail newsletter or let me know that you already subscribe
-Become a Blog follower
-Become a Facebook fan of Stitches By April here or let me know you are already a fan.

Last day to enter is Monday, May 31 and we'll choose a winner Tuesday, June 1 using random.org. We will e-mail you to let you know you won. Winner must respond within 48 hours of the winning e-mail. Thanks so much for reading!

Buy 2, Get 1 Free...NEW Monogrammed Pens

The newest addition to our monogrammed accessory line is our Monogrammed Pens. I had a customer contact me a couple of weeks ago about selling them and I researched them and decided to add them to our product line. (Thanks Kendra!) These chubby little ergonomic pens are great for writing, but they are also fun, cute and make simple personal gifts for teachers, graduates, girl friends, co-workers, etc. They can be paired with a matching stainless steel water bottle, or new fabric key fob for a great gift set.

Now through May 21st we are running a special on our new pens. BUY 2, Get 1 FREE. All you have to do is add all 3 pens (you choose the fabric insert, font, and thread color) to your cart and enter FREEPEN as your voucher code at checkout.

Free Shipping April 14-15!

Got your taxes on the brain??? Since 1955, April 15th is the day that all taxes are due to our federal and state governments; this day has become know as Tax Day. Well, in honor of tax day, get free shipping on all orders Wednesday, April 14th and Thursday, April 15th. No need for any special codes, the shipping will be deducted automatically at checkout.  (Combine this with the 10% off April discount announced below, and you've got yourself a great deal!!!)

Water Bottle Give Away Winner!!!

Congratulations to April (tutucuteandco)! You are the winner of the Monogrammed Stainless Steel Water Bottle!

You should have received an email with further information on collecting your prize. Thanks to all who entered! It was fun seeing all your comments! Stay tuned for the next give away, scheduled for the first week of May! :)

10% Off April Discount

There are many spring occasions ahead like Administrative Professionals Day (April 21), National Teacher's Day (May 4), Mother's Day (May 9), Graduations, Weddings, new baby arrivals and birthdays. Get a jump start on your spring shopping and save!

Save 10% Off your next purchase of $25 or more by entering BLOOM as your voucher code at checkout. Offer ends 4/30/2010.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Product Spotlight--Aprons for Kids

I'm pretty new to blogging, and I'm trying to be more consistent so I thought a fun way to feed the blog would be to spotlight different products. (If you can think of other things you'd like to see on this blog, please let me know...like I said, I'm new the blogging world and any input would be much appreciated!)

Last week a customer called to ask a question about our Jr. Chef aprons which prompted me to re-stock our supply of aprons and update the product listing to make it easier to place an order. When ordering, I found out my supplier now offers hot pink. So now the Jr. Chef Aprons come in an array of cute colors: apple green, hot pink, pink, black, royal blue, white and denim. Jr. Chef Aprons fit most 4-9 year olds. With this size of apron, we have 2 different styles: The Embroidered Jr. Chef Apron (pictured top right) and the Appliqued Initial Jr. Chef Apron (pictured top left).

For the smaller tikes, we have the Embroidered Child's Apron, which fits most toddler to preschool ages. You have the option to add embroidered designs to the aprons to fit the personality of the child. There are so many options. If you need help putting together a cute apron for your little chef or crafter, please e-mail me. I'm always glad to help!

A chef apron isn't complete without a chef hat! Right now we have adjustable chef hats available in pink, black, apple green and royal blue. (White is on backorder.)

(Special thanks to our 2 year old, Zoe Grace, for being my little model.)

Water Bottle Give Away!!!

The beautiful Spring weather makes me want to get outside and get active! As the weather warms up, it's so important that we stay hydrated. I've been trying to drink more water myself and I thought it would be a great time to give away one of our Monogrammed Stainless Steel Water Bottles. I take my water bottle to the gym and use it mostly when on the go. (It fits nicely in my van's cup holder.) It holds 17 ounces of the beverage of your choice and keeps in nice and cool due to the insulation. The really neat thing about these bottles is that they can easily switch to a warm beverage holder for your coffee or tea by switching the lid. Two bottles in one!

Giveaway: Stitches By April is offering one of our readers a free Stainless Steel Monogrammed Water Bottle, personalized for you!! You choose the fabric insert and monogram and we'll make it just for you and ship it to you.

How to Win: Look around StitchesByApril.com and leave a comment letting me know your favorite new Spring product.
Each of the following will give you an extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

-Post about this giveaway on your blog, linking back to Notes from Stitches By April.
-Leave a comment on a Non-Giveaway post and let me know which post
-Subscribe to our monthly e-mail newsletter
-Become a Blog follower
-Become a Facebook fan of Stitches By April here or let me know you are already a fan.

The winner will be chosen Tuesday, April 13th  at random and we will e-mail you to let you know you won. Winner must respond within 48 hours of the winning e-mail. Thanks so much for reading!

SPRING is Here!

I love the changes that Spring brings...warmer weather, longer days, singing birds, flowering trees, green grass, tulips and daffodils. Fall and Spring are my favorite times of the year to be outside working in the yard enjoying God's amazing creation! With the change in season comes warm-weather clothes and bright vibrant colors. This season we have many new Spring items with a punch of color to introduce to you. Check out our home page for an overview. Leave a comment and let us know which new Spring product you like most. Wanna save on your Spring shopping? Enter SPRING as your voucher code at checkout and save $5 Off your purchase of $30 or more. Enjoy the coupon now through April 5, 2010. (Picture credit irishviews.com)

Snowed In...Sale

Here in the Raleigh area, we are experiencing some "significant snow" this weekend, so why not celebrate? Our boys have had a blast sledding down hills and Zoe Grace just wants to eat it. Since we'll be spending most of the weekend indoors, you might be too! Wanna good deal? Save 15% Off  your entire order when you enter SNOW as your voucher code at checkout! Sale good now through Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at midnight. (Great opportunity to take advantage of the new Spring stuff I've recently added!)