New Item!

Our variety tins will be added to our Etsy shop tonight. We have sold these in both our NY & Maryland booths, but this is the first time in our online shop. Each tin is a little grab bag of our discontinued designs. They contain 12-15 buttons of varying shapes, sizes & colors. Just a sample to get your creativity going! We will offer free shipping on all orders this weekend to celebrate!

Practically Perfect in Every Way

 

Well, here I am for what seems to be my annual New Year's post! Since my birthday is also New Year's Day, I feel that life dealt me a double whammy of introspection and resolution every year because I have to deal with the birthday resolutions and the new calendar year at the very same time.

This year I have really decided to be perfect because I simply can not decide on one resolution. Too much needs to be corrected and improved! Now, I realize that perfection is difficult to attain, but ya know... I'm getting older and there just doesn't seem to be any time left for screwing around!

I don't want to go into the explicit details of what perfect will mean. But it will be a work in progress for now...

The 2013 birthday celebration & New Year's celebration were at Liz's (every year). This year was a first-time pj brunch. It was so much fun and included lots of delicious food... And Belinis with fresh raspberries. Completely awesome all the way around, as you can see from the pic of my adorable kids (plus one).

Ok... If the whole perfect thing works out, I will see you within the week... If not maybe Easter? Happy 2013!!


Noël

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister!  I don't know who I would be without her.  She is the creative mastermind behind these buttons... shawl pins... all of it.  She is a caring, kind, patient person who tolerates all of my unfortunate craziness. 

We are celebrating her birthday in our shop on Etsy.  Use the coupon code BDAY15 and you will received 15% off your total order.  The coupon is good through August 25th (which just happens to be our mom's birthday. 

Liz is on the left in this photo with our older brother and our Grandpa.  I wonder if she'll like this photo?

What if they find out?

I struggle with the constant feeling of not measuring up... and I always worry about others finding out!  That's my biggest secret.  (maybe it's not as big a secret as I think...)  What if they find out that I don't know what I'm doing?  What if they find out that I can't juggle all the things on my plate?  What if they find out my house (life!) is a giant mess?  So, I am outing myself.  I can't keep up with my life, as hard as I try.  So what now?  Move on.

I love this whole KokoNoelle business... time spent on something with my sister, going to shows and meeting people especially.  I don't like the fear of being found out that it's another place where I don't know what I'm doing! 

So, today, I'm picking myself up again.  We took tons of shawl pin photos yesterday.  There will be much shop updating in the next 2 weeks and then on August 17th, a sale to celebrate Liz's birthday!!!

An unusual gift...

My youngest has just turned eight and he is one of those kids who is so easy to have around (if I do say so myself). He hardly complains and is pretty much happy all the time. This year, he got what I believe was the most unusual birthday gift ever... a pineapple. You would think that this would bring complaints, but that along with the pj's and socks from his grandparents were his favorite gifts! All he wanted to do with the pineapple was cut a door and put Sponge Bob inside. He thought I could scoop out the middle like a pumpkin & Bob could move right in. It didn't quite work that way, but I'm sure he will always talk about how Uncle Bob got him a pineapple!



Halloween was the usual fun & chaos rolled into one. This year, I had an M&M, a ladybug and Ron Weasley from Harry Potter. We have tons of candy... plenty for me to pinch and not be noticed!

Let's see if we can get this blog rolling again with a give-away. I have many shawl pins to upload to the Etsy store... and I really need to get cracking! Please check out our shop and leave a comment here on this post. Next Wednesday, November 16th, I will choose a random poster to win a shawl pin of their choice. Hopefully, that will help bring this place to life again!!



Have a great week! :)



Noel

NY Sheep & Wool

This year was a totally new experience for us in Rhinebeck. As much fun as it was to share in the Wardell Pottery booth, it was time for us to spread our wings and take a booth of our own. We applied last winter and NEVER thought we would actually get in... But fortunately, it was meant to be!

Our new booth was on the corner in C building and was everything we could have asked for... A inside, on the corner... amazing. It was super busy. Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by to see us. Your excitement meant so much to us. Sometimes it's difficult to remember why you keep making these things when so much time can pass before you interact with real people.

So, here I am writing again and a trying to keep up the excitement. Maryland Sheep & Wool seems too long to wait to see you all again!! Please stop back on Tuesday... I will be posting a give-away!

Noël

Rumpelstiltskin

I feel a bit like Rumpelstiltskin. Sometimes real life is so much more demanding then you plan and as much as I love to hide in my computer... it just doesn't happen! :)

We are still here... still making buttons and shawl pins. We have just recently been placed in our own booth in Rhinebeck! I can hardle believe it. Needless to say, we are SO excited. We are working away making sure we are full to the brim next weekend!

I just sent off my email to join in the fun with Ravelry Bingo. If you are going, be sure to join in the fun. We will be donating a shawl pin as a prize also.

We would love you to stop by our booth. We will be in Building C this year. Hope to see you!

Just to share...

Have you every taken some time over at the blog of Cathy Zielske? If you are a scrapbooker, you must know who she is! If you are not take a stroll over there just to take it all it. This is definitely not a one-topic blog. Today, I was reading this post and loved it. I just had to share.

Little Stinker

I apologize to everyone who may have seen the last post about my "sad news". I am perfectly fine... except for the stinker who hacked my Facebook page and then my email accounts... and hijacked my blog! Some people need better things to do with their time! All is back to normal now (as normal as I get anyway!).

I LOVE these Valentine tags and wish I could squeeze in some time to make them. How about you? Hop over to Jenny's blog to check them out and follow her great tutorial to make some of your own... :) Happy Valentine's Day!

Fished My Wish!

I fished my wish today and got to stay home for a snow day. I really LOVE my day job (not just my button job). I do, but I am so tired with all there is to do in my full, happy life. So, while I thought it would be a catch up day... laundry, housework, taking down the Christmas tree, etc., it really was mostly hanging out and piddling around.

I have to say how much I LOVE blogs. I love to read, I love to people watch, I love to craft & create... and the best of all of that can be found in blogs. I have really misssed this past time since starting returning to regular work back in the fall. There are so many insights and inspirations to be found out there in the big, big world. So, here's a run-down of some things I was lucky enough to stumble on today...

I think these soap pops are adorable. The directions are all here on this cute little blog: Greenbean's Crafterole. Truth be told, I will most likely never find the time to make these... I know my kids would love 'em, so I just surf longingly.

Another blog that I love to visit is Tara Whitney's. I feel like her posts are so honest and I love to see all her amazing photographs. Sometimes it's comforting when you feel other people's lives are as scattered as your own, and yet they are ok.



I am itching for something to knit right now, and this may just be it! It is a free pattern by MegMarie. If you knit, maybe you could try it too... if you don't knit, I suggest felting something. I just erases all your mistakes. I love felted patterns.





BUT... there's always this too. I love nests... they are so cozy. So a FELTED nest. Now we talkin. Liv created & finished several of these. I am jealous... you should definitely go take a peek. Those of you who may know me in real life, know that I will probably start but not complete any of these projects. How sad. Maybe "complete" should be my word for 2011?

So have I bored you to tears yet? These were the highlights of my day... a nice change. :)

Hoping...

I'm hoping for a snow day on Wednesday... wearing my pj's inside out, flushing ice cubes down the toilet and putting a spoon under my pillow. Any other helpful suggestions?

A Delicious Start...

If only all of 2011 was going to be this yummy! Here's to another attempt at keeping up this blog. I have missed it, but was honestly feeling like life was a bit too mundane to bore everyone with it! Thank you for checking in on me and thank you to Kerri for your sweet comment!

I am a new year's baby so my year always starts with a party... what more could I ask for? Cake number one is above... Wegmans Ultimate Chocolate Cake which was followed by cake number 2... red velvet!

Happy 2011!

PS. My annual attempt at one little word continues. Maybe this year, I'll decide on one. :)

PPS. I have figured out how to post from my phone... maybe that will improve my consistency?

It's Tuesday...

and I really just wish I had not promised to blog because I can not think of one interesting thing to say. Isn't that always the way...

BUT I think I am totally off the hook, as Amy has posted the AMAZING holiday issue of Inspired Ideas!! Go check it out! :)

Rhinebeck 2010

Long time no blogging… catching up & moving on. J

Rhinebeck was fabulous, again! We were so busy… got to meet lots of people, sold tons of buttons. It's always so much fun to see other people respond to your work so positively. It really keeps us going because often the months in between shows can make you forget why you started this in the first place. Our big hit was the new shawl pins that Liz designed. We sold so many and I am having so much fun wearing them myself (an added bonus).

My sweet husband brought my kids to Rhinebeck this time, so they had a chance to see what a fiber show is like. I'm not sure it was exciting for them as it was for me…

Aside from the "working" part of the trip, there is always so much fun. Of course, it's great to have a weekend away with my sister. Nothing is better then that familiar feeling of being together. Friday night, we had an amazing dinner at Miss Lucy's in Saugerties. I love it there. It has a great quirky atmosphere and the food is awesome. I had a squash soup, a turkey pot pie and a chocolate bread pudding… so, so good. Every. Single. Bite. I should have taken photos, but I haven't yet gotten over my need to be completely invisible whenever possible. After that it was a required visit to Lucky Chocolates with the adorable tree full of wishes. Adorable… I took a photos, but not a very good one. J Monday we took a quick trip through Otisville where my grandparents used to live… past the house, visit the grave, etc. I know not everyone feels this one, but I love those visits to the past. Somehow, it keeps it all real in my mind otherwise I forget and I hate that. I even try to play people's voices in my head… just so I don't forget. My own quirk… I know.

Next week, Amy will release the holiday edition of Inspire magazine. I can't wait! Her projects are always so fun, even when I don't get to complete them I LOVE the eye candy. We are sponsoring this edition of the ezine and are so excited to be a part of it again.

This week's goal is blogging Tuesday and Friday, so I hope you'll stop back. Happy Halloween!!

And the winner is...

Suzie Buttons. Congratulations! Thank you for entering, ladies. :)

This weekend at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, I'll be a square for Ravelry's Rhinebeck Bingo! I am too excited!!

I am completely imperfect and truth be told, I'm not ok with that yet... but I'm trying. Another blog I have come across in my cyber travels and have found great inspiration and support from is Brene Brown. I am *still* reading her book, I Thought It Was Just Me. I just feel like every word she writes and speaks resonates with me and my experience in life. I definitely recommend you check it out when you have some time... there is so much to soak in there. Right now, she is hosting a "perfect protest". I love it... even if I am not whole-heartedly there YET.

My protest is demonstrating my imperfection... right here... for everyone to see. I was supposed to post this give away yesterday, but here I am: a day late & a dollar short. Sorry anyone out there waiting on me.

Tonight's give away will be 5 small buttons or 3 medium buttons of the winner's choosing. Visit our website http://www.kokonoelle.com/ and then come back here & leave a comment to let me know which buttons you love the best. I will draw a winner Tuesday afternoon 2:00 p.m. EST. Good Luck everyone! Thanks for entering in spite of my imperfection...

Short & Sweet



Lucky number 7 was drawn at Random.org  ... Congratulations Lori Diane! 

Thank you to everyone who entered!  Stop back again on Thursday when I will post another drawing... the celebration will keep going until our trip to Rhinebeck for the New York Sheep & Wool Festival on October 15th.

peace. love. knit.

Wow! The week has just flown past me. I'm trying to strike a new balance between all of the pieces of my life... and it's taking time. I'm trying to be patient with myself, but so far, I'm not succeeding. The Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival was great. Such a beautiful area of the country! I would really love to take a vacation there... just to explore. It seems so peaceful.

On to this week's (late) give away. Last weekend, we had the "big reveal" of our new shawl pins. I think they are a great addition to our buttons and everyone who stopped by the booth seemed to like them, too. I hope YOU like it... if you would like to win this shawl pin, please leave a comment. I'll draw a name on Tuesday (October 5th) at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Have a great, relaxing weekend!!!

Pre-show Crazy!

I am definitely pre-show crazy! My last-minute personality is not doing me any favors this week! Thank you so much to everyone who joined in on our give away. We've decided (ok, I've decided because I did not discuss this with anyone else) to continue doing one give away each week until the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, so please come back next Tuesday. I'll be giving away one of the new shawl pins we will introduce this week at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival.

Today's winner is valeriehart (comment #18)!

I will try to post photos from SVFF over the weekend. Have a great weekend! Hope to see you all next week. :)

Inspired Ideas

I have blogged about Amy Powers' blog before (here). I have been following her blog for a long time and I love it... lots of inspiration and a REAL person that shows through in all of her entries. You just feel like you know her. She has created a beautiful (FREE) online magazine. It is filled with amazing ideas and tons of inspiration! We are so excited to be a one of the sponsors of this issue! To celebrate in style, we are hosting a give away!

If you want the chance to win the buttons above, make a comment on this post and I will draw a winner on Thursday, September 23rd at 9 a.m. EST.

Now, please jump over to Amy's blog for a visit and to check out her Inspired Ideas magazine. (Did I mention it's FREE??) You will love it!!