SoChick Product Review by RellasBellas {The Audrey Handbag}

Jen, over at Sincerely Jen, was a doll to review the newest addition to the SoChick Shop last week.  Swing by her blog to see what she had to say!  Thank you, Jen, for such wonderful words and I'm thrilled that you are loving the Audrey Handbag!

Also, a SoChick Newsletter will be heading out later this week... have you subscribed? Check the right sidebar to sign up!

(Hint: Huge savings on Fabric and Holiday Gift Ideas!)

XxOo~ Melissa

Product Review & A GiveAway! [MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software]

**UPDATE: I HAVE EXTENDED THIS GIVEAWAY TILL 11:59PM EST FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd***

It has been a long weekend and were are still without power from Hurricane Irene, but so fortunate that our home is free of major damage as well as my Dad's house on the coast.  Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by Irene, all along the east coast.

I am so happy to bring you this GiveAway today, especially after this weekend's events!

As the Mommy of two little chickies, I have tons and tons of photos, as you can imagine.  Being in the digital age, a lot of my daughters' pictures are stored on disks that I always say I am going to print so that I may, one day, put them in a scrapbook.  Unfortunately, the idea of scrapbooking is a little daunting to me as I worry about all of the supplies I'd need to buy just to get started and the time involved.  I love to sew and can justify my fabric stash, but have a hard time justifying all of the cute accessories for scrapbooking... go figure, right? 

Imagine my surprise, and delight, when I was offered the opportunity to try Digital Scrapbooking Software by www.MyMemories.com!  I will admit that I was skeptical at first... "When am I going to have time to learn this software?", "After learning how to use the software, how long will it take to make anything that looks decent?"... no worries, this program is SO Easy!!

After downloading the MyMemories Suite Software directly from their site I was able to start building my digital scrapbook:

The software comes pre-loaded with templates and you literally drag and drop your photos into the pre-designed template.  But Wait, you can also add elements to an existing template from their online shop or print the page you have made and add your own flair with traditional scrapbooking supplies!

I also have used the software to make the product photo collage from last week's post:

Here's the best part... I am Giving Away one version of the MyMemories Suite Scrapbooking Software to One lucky SoChick! reader!! (Valued at $39.95!)

Mandatory Entry:

*Visit www.MyMemories.com and come back here to leave a comment about your favorite digital scrapbooking kit.

Additional Entries (leave one comment for each!)

*Follow MyMemories Blog
*Like MyMemories on Facebook
*Follow MyMemories on Twitter

This GiveAway will be open until Friday, September 2nd at 11:59pmEST... I will draw a winner with Random.org.

**Can't wait till Friday?! Head over to www.MyMemories.com and use this unique coupon code STMMMS4748 to Save $10 on your purchase of the MyMemories Suite Software (V.2) and $10 on your MyMemories store purchase (A $20 Savings!!)...  P.S. Their kits are so reasonably priced, this code will be a steal!

Good Luck!!

XxOo~ Melissa

My Singer Futura CE-150 [ A Sewing/Embroidery Machine Review ]

I'd like to introduce you to my partner in crime sewing stitches.

Source: joann.com via Melissa on Pinterest

This here's the Singer Futura CE-150.  She's a sewing/embroidery combo machine, and I love her to pieces... so much so that I've not named her... I simply just refer to her as "her" or "my Singer".  I know, way loving, right? Well, she's not complained... much.

Lets start with the nitty gritty's about this stitchin' gal, then I'll tell you why I ♥ her.

Specs: 17 x 11 x 12 inches ; 41 pounds


- All-in-one Sewing and Embroidery Machine, with 24 built-in stitches (plus 2 automatic one-step buttonhole stitches... though I've yet to use this awesome feature)

- Self threading needle and drop-in bobbin -Yay, easy!


- 13 adjustable needle positions, plus drop feed for ease of creative topstitching and free motion stitching (a nice perk for those who quilt... i'm getting there)

-120 pre-programmed embroidery designs and 5 fonts... but reads most home embroidery designs... and I have TONS!

- 2 embroidery hoops

-Included 7 snap-on (easy!) presser feet. (My fav. being the satin stitch and seam guide feet.. woot!)


- Add on packages are available which lend more creativity to the embroidery with AutoPunch (convert images into designs), Photo-Stitch (create designs from a photograph), and CrossStitch (make designs look like they've been cross stitched onto fabric)

I've seen this machine priced for sale anywhere from $450-$600.  I would recommend waiting for a sale OR seeing if you can get any Add-on packages free-with-purchase... just to get the most bang for your buck.

You may be thinking "Whoa, Six hundred bucks!?", but really, that's inexpensive for a quality starter Emrboidery/Sewing machine... AND, if you wait for a sale on Joanns.com, you'll come out on top.

With all of that out of the way, let me tell you more about my Singer Futura CE-150:

 I was lucky enough to receive mine as a gift about 2 Christmas' ago... before then I was using my Grandmother's 1970's Brother to sew my bags :-)

  I use my machine just about every day for general sewing of handbags and accessories... I have done quite a bit of embroidery with it as well, which is apparent in this previous post.  I love how easy it is to use, thread, clean, etc.  It's also fairly easy to switch between sewing and embroidery by sliding off the sewing base and on with the embroidery unit... just remember to drop the feed, adjust tension, and change the presser foot.  Really, once you learn the routine, it's not difficult... I have messed up many a time by trying to move too quickly and have forgotten to lower the feed... Oops!

  I've also made a quilt with my machine and I enjoy doing applique and general embroidery.

'nuff said.

My most favorite feature of my Singer Futura CE-150 would be the different presser foot attachments and the ease of switching them out.  A simple snap-on, snap-off feature is what makes it so easy.  I also love the seam-guide foot.. which I recently learned about (in the past 6 months)! I'll show you a picture and explain more about that in another post.

With all of the positives about this gal, I will admit there are a few quirks that get me... namely that she beeps at me when the thread tension is not just so, and sometimes during embroidery when she has a hard time picking up the bobbin thread.  This could all be very frustrating when I have a deadline, but as I just said they are "quirks"... in other words, I know about them and try to accommodate so as not to stress myself out too much. No use getting myself in a tizzy for something I know may happen. *wink*


As efficient as this little machine is for me, sometime's I am more efficient... or too effeicient, as I have had her bite my finger a time or two... OUCH!  Note to self: Keep fingers away from the machinery. ;-)


When all is said and done, I am really pleased with my Singer Futura CE-150.  She has been to perfect little partner in stitches for my young business and has grown with me from the onset of my handbag sewing/fabric addiction.  I would like to *one day*, upgrade to a metal framed sewing machine (my old Brother is a metal framed work horse) and use my Futura for embroidery most of the time.  I think though, that would be for more efficiency on my part... how sweet it would be to have two machines going in my studio... *woot!*


What kind of sewing or embroidery machine do you have? What do you love/hate most about it?  Share with my by leaving a comment! :-)


Now, here's that little surprise I mentioned yesterday...   New Mini Totes in the shop and...

♥ A Sale! ♥

What a great way to celebrate the first day of Summer, right?!

Head on over to my Shop to enjoy 20% off your purchase!

Code good through tomorrow at 12pm EST.

Always $5 shipping on orders over $40!

Have a great day!

XxOo~ Melissa