Etc..

I spent most of a rainy Sunday trying to figure out how to incorporate fabric into necklaces. After wasting a huge amount of time dorking around with translucent Sculpey (translation: translucent does NOT mean transparent), my friend Sara came to the rescue. She had a whole bag of thin balsa wood shapes. Slapped some decoupage glue on those suckers and *voila!* instant pendants. I drilled a small hole at the top and coated the whole piece in glossy acrylic sealer. Sometimes you have to struggle before finding the easy way to do things. It sucks. Anybody need a half-used brick of translucent Sculpey?

The winner of my itsy bitsy giveaway is Pink Petunia Designs! Please e-mail me your address and I will get the little pouch on its way. (Or maybe I'll see you at the meeting on Thurs.?) Check out her blog--especially her lengthy discussion on the perils and tribulations of buying jeans. So true.

What? It's only two o'clock? Is anybody else out there ready for Happy Hour? Seeing this on Poppytalk made me want to start some heavy drinking. Cheers!

typewriter #2

So you don't think I'm all high and mighty after my recent clean-out, I needed to show you this. This is the second typewriter I've bought in a month. What is wrong with me? I'm happily perusing the thrift store appliance aisle (which has like twenty quesadilla and sandwich makers--what is with that?) and come across the cutest little typewriter in its own travel case. It's sweet and chubby and just had to come home with me. To add to the nostalgia factor, inside the case was the former owner's (I assume) resume for food service work going back to 1976 when he "MADED SURE THAT ALL MEATS GOING INTO THE MEAT DRAWERS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR". I really hope he got the job he was applying for. I picture him setting off to find incredible success and never needing the typewriter again.

It's manual, so the little hand in the picture can't really press the keys hard enough to make an imprint. Which means they get the other electric one all to themselves. Everyone wins. Right, hub?

happy weekend.

dumping the baggage...

I started out by trying to fit something into the closet yesterday. An image of myself appeared in my head--cramming yet another thing into an already exploding, closet doors-off-the-track space. That's it! Six and a half bags later, it still looks the same when closed, but now I have no fear of things burying me when I open it. I don't consider myself a hoarder, but I am very aggressive about reusing things. It was nice to let go and give myself permission to donate it instead. I like the rule of thumb that if you haven't used or needed it in a year, then you won't miss it. Hasta pasta old pillowforms, third generation hand-me-down kid's clothes and miscellaneous ugly fabric.

I was having a grouchy morning until Claire called for a trip to the JoAnn supah-stah. A fun, quick trip that lifted my spirits. And put more crap back in my closets. Ah well, that's the circle of life around here. It's new, exciting crap.

I am still doing a mommy "badge of honor" giveaway. Send me your most humiliating/degrading/unbelievable mommy (or daddy!) moment and I'll put you in for a random drawing for some cute stuff to put in your life. Just picture this little zippy filled with fun..

wee shop update + mom stuff

A few little purses have finally made it into the shop...dragging their handles behind them. It had been so long since I had listed on etsy that I was a little rusty. And the pictures aren't nearly as lovely as I had hoped. But they're in there, waiting for some little hands to carry them and fill them with shiny, tiny bits and baubles.

When I was in the shower this morning (I have such profound moments standing in the steam by myself), I was thinking about the things I have done as a mother I would have never expected (i.e. proof I have become on of "those" mothers I used to sneer at). The ever-growing list includes:

• rip open boxes of unpaid snacks in order to make it through the store
• drive around for hours when they fall asleep in the car so I can hear myself think
• let them play/slobber/chew on various essential belongings like my cell phone, keys, wallet
• nearly wreck the car trying to find the pacifier/toy/crayon/book that's fallen
• jump out of the shower to fix the t.v. channel
• allow for discussion of various topics while I am using the bathroom
• fix someone's toy while I am using the bathroom
• mediate disagreements while I am using the bathroom

It's not what you think. I don't really spend THAT much time using the bathroom. They just have radar for needing me right at that precise moment. My point is that I would do it all again--shamelessly.

What's the greatest length you have gone to as a mother or father? Leave a comment and I'll randomly pick someone for a little goodie bag next week.

Valentines, three day weekends + more!

I hope you all had an especially sweet Valentine's Day. I made two little purses for my girls and tucked in a small box of Jelly Bellys for each of them. I had an ulterior motive--next to chocolate, they are my favorite candies. And since the hub graced me with a pound of See's, I have the best of both worlds! Or worst, if you have a sweet tooth and no will power like myself. I'm debating taping the chocolate box shut until after dinner.

It's Friday! Three days! So full of possibilities! It tempts me to write a to-do list, but then I realized there are really too many things *to-do*. Blah. That's no fun. So I am making a "little joy" list for the weekend instead:

Enjoy an entire cup of coffee in one sitting (I usually wander off and forget it some where)
Go for a drive in my happy lemon convertible
Watch a sunset
Read a magazine cover to cover
Make something with my girls
Kick this cold once and for all

There we go. That seems pretty reasonable, no?

Today is the last day to submit your entry in the pillowcase challenge! My entry is below--a handy little re-usable shopping bag. The hub gave it a trial run at the local co-op (how great is that--my man shopping with a floral pillowcase bag!?) and it got a thumbs-up. I will post a tut/pattern here soon.

Have a great weekend!



patterns of life
spawned by habit, broken up
by dappled sunlight

Oooh...my tummy

The cupcake party on Sunday was filled with laughter, food, sweets and punch. I was feeling particularly girly so I made this champagne punch (champagne optional...well, not for me, of course). I was amazed at the vast array of cupcakes that arrived at my table. Six wonderful gals and six totally different recipes. Perfect. We are still eating cupcakes around here and each time I take a (rather large, gaping) bite out of one, I think about the person who made it. Corny, I know. But tomorrow's the corniest day of the year, so I guess I'm just getting warmed up.

I especially enjoyed looking at my loot from the craft goodie bags I had people bring and exchange. I spread them all out on my sewing table, just like a kid after trick-or-treating. I haven't felt like that in quite a while--just giddy. Maybe it was the sugar, but I don't care. Thanks, ladies.


Their blogs are just as creative and diverse as their cupcakes--so pay them a visit!
Missy
Tamie
Melissa
Claire
Amy

Tamie has a free crochet pattern for the little hearts she brought us on her blog. Perfect last-minute valentines. I'm off to try and get some good pictures of my little purses which didn't make it into the shop on Monday like I planned. I might just go take some cold medicine and lie down instead. All this linking has made me tired. Happy Wednesday!

Lazy Saturday

Wow, how fast a week goes by. At least I don't have to title my post tgif (again). I'm making a batch of cupcakes from here for my swap tomorrow. Claire has already told us the tasty treats she's bringing. We are going to positively eat ourselves silly. You will find us tomorrow afternoon splayed out on the living room floor with frosting smeared all over our very contented faces. My recipe of choice? Because I'm not in the running (just hosting) the contest for best-tasting and best-decorated, I can reveal it to you. Black bottomed peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I wanted something that was just as bad for you as a peanut butter cup. The dough was essentially peanut butter, brown sugar, cream and butter with a little flower thrown in...ohh lordy, as my Grandmother would say. We'll see how they taste. Right now they're still goopy in the middle even after the recipe said they should be done. Tricky little suckers. I love how you can see me and my purple bathrobe in the bowl. Why, yes, it is almost noon.


Found these little salad/treat sized plates at Ikea last week. On clearance for 50 cents each. They had boxes and boxes of them (and matching bowls, which weren't as cute, in my opinion). Had to resist the urge to buy six or eight...I just got two--one for each of the little sweeties in my life. There's something so fun about having dishes for all the various holidays. I don't remember a Christmas without my mom's Spode or Easters without egg cups filled with tiny jelly beans.

Speaking of egg cups, I nearly peed myself with excitement (you think I'm joking?) when I saw that Alicia had posted her tea towel designs as a free PDF. I love 'em all. I have resisted the urge to print those suckers out and start on them. It would be much more fun than the housecleaning and laundry and mommy-intervention I have to do today.

A sneek peak at some little girl's purses I'll be putting in the shop on Monday. They are really simple, each with a vintage button + elastic closure. Perfect for toting around whatever strikes their fancy. (My little one is currently into rocks. Like, can't pass up any one rock. Takes us twenty minutes to get the oldest to school in the mornings.)


happy saturday
our pleased cat rolls in warmth
on her side, smiling

You're not going crazy...it is different

I am obsessed over changing up my blog banner and font colors. I could make a new one every day. I am kind of shy (some, namely the hub might even call me antisocial), so it's easier for me to change up my blog than actually blog. Loser. I know. But he married me anyways.

The banner background is courtesy of metremade. (Okay--it WAS. I couldn't get the resolution right and then I found this other image..and well..there I go, switching it around again!) Such wonderful patterns. I want to eat them all. And piknik.com--who didn't tell me about this place sooner? Hello? All the time I spent making myself loco trying to cut and paste and fumbling my stupid self around Photoshop could have been spent eating bon-bons and having foot massages. Take your pics--add frames, shadows, text--whatevah. Super easy and free. Someday I pledge to learn the real deal. Just not now. And if I wait long enough, I won't have to...see, procrastination can really pay off.

Now, back to my life of leisure. And sarcasm.

tgif

I realize that I title all my Friday posts "tgif". Not creative. But when Friday finally comes, I really am thanking God (or some omnipotent spiritual being)--every single time. I know a lot of you must feel the same. Unless you're one of those unfortunate ones who has to work on the weekends (or never gets a break). Then maybe you're doing your happy dance on another day. I remember working retail (for more years than I would like to admit) and having to work long days on the weekend and having my time off be some random day during the week. It was surreal--like, hey, the world doesn't stop on MY day off?



I'm doing a happy dance because I got not one, but *two* wonderful little packages this week. First, thank you thank you to Mary Ann over at A Very Mary Design for last week's giveaway. I cannot remember the last time I won something. Such a beautiful handblown pendant with a great story, too. I like just holding it and rolling it around in my hand. Yes, I am strange. Don't ask me to show you my "worry stone" collection of smooth rocks that I have amassed. Because I will. And you will regret asking.



My mom sent me some Clover Pocket Templates--apparently they were on Martha a while back, but I never seem to catch her show. She's my designated I-saw-this-on-Martha-and-you-just-have-to-have-it person. It's nice having my own personal shopper. And these ribbon balls from JoAnns. Man, I am a complete sucker for packaging. They are the grown up version of those bouncy balls in vending machines you always begged your parents for. So worth throwing a fit over.

Today we have sunshine! Hoping it stays that way through the weekend. We're running a 10K on Sunday, which would be so sad and soggy in rain. Don't worry, I'm not one of those crazy skinny runner types. After I run, I'm eating Superbowl food until I explode. It's all about balance.

these chirpy sweeties
just joined our nest--Huckle and Finn
welcome, little birdies!