this just in...

Wow, wow, wow!

Head over to this awesome blog to read what she had to say about moi!

I'm loving the love...

xo

Got some sewing done today and some more designing! I'll list these on etsy a bit later if time allows.

I've been pulled in every direction today...I'm stealing away to post this while R and her friend are digging out the insides of pumpkins...I'll regret this later).

So, the dragons are inspired by C and tattoos (something we both love :) He really likes the design and has been bugging me for awhile to do something more boyish...I'm not a truck, train, ball type of gal so dragons it is! I've got another one in the machine right now that has the coolest fabric EVER! You'll see that one later.

The Russian dolls are a continuation of my apron skirt design...I just love the fabric and have always been a big fan of the Matryoshka's for as long as I can remember.

I've got to pick out something from my shop to use as a give away on the Fabulous Fun Finds blog...any suggestions?

Okay...I have a feeling...a BAD feeling there are pumpkin guts all over my kitchen floor so I'm signing out...

Today's Sparklies:

• I'm so grateful I didn't die during my workout at the gym cause it sure felt like I was going to.
• The sun shone for a whole five minutes this afternoon.
• I'm going to make these delicious chocolate treats in a bit...if they turn out, I'll post the recipe :)
• The Shield is on tonight, Dexter started Sunday, Entourage is picking up...when does Big Love and Brotherhood start? (we're cable junkies...can you tell?)

xo

back in business but...

RAN OUT OF LIGHT!!!

Thankfully I took this picture this afternoon, outside...the three other tee's that I photographed tonight S.u.C.k.E.d!!!! I'll snap them when I get home from the gym and post them tomorrow. I've done a dragon series and would love to be able to do some tee's with Chinese symbols...The first one I tried didn't come out as well as I would have liked so I'm going to keep working at it.

Natasha, your tee is done!!! I'll get that out to you either tomorrow or Weds :)

Today's Sparklies:

• Got some sewing done!
• Made a yummy vegetable fried rice for dinner.
• I love Fall and the trees around here are AMAZING!! (photo to come).
• I found three small snack size m&m bags in S's room and ate all three 10 minutes before dinner to satisfy my chocolate craving :O....shhhhh, don't tell!
• Looking forward to my cardio class in the morning!

night! xo

The party went off without a hitch and boy am I glad it's over! I'd much rather pay to have it done somewhere and not have to deal with the mess, planning, the mess, timing, the mess, entertaining, the mess and THE mess!

We started off with the scavenger hunt and quickly went out to do the pinata while there was a brief let up in the rain. Came back in and made fairy wands and fairy houses...Presents were next, then cake, then musical chairs! Z was a perfect hostess and so cute and polite while opening up her gifts. R said she wanted her next birthday party done at home but I'm thinking I can sway her in time :)

Sparklies:

• Had a nice date last night!
• Daddy took R and Z to the movies and S took a good nap so I designed three tee's today! (N, yours is one of them)
• My friend Deb asked me if I wanted to do a craft fair with her on October 11th...I'm doing it!!
• Hung the pom poms in the girls rooms and they look awesome in there!!!
• Tomorrow is Monday...a week full of promise.

xo

bits from the past couple o' days...

I just love this guy and hate to think of him getting smashed just to get to the treats inside...is it bad if I let them grab handfuls out of his back so I can use him as a decoration in the girls room?

oh and miss R put the blinders on his eyes...she's so cute!

I just love my chandelier...don't you? It's the one thing I had to bring from our first house...very understated.

N, I tried really hard to make them look like yours but yours are SO much nicer :)

my version of the Martha Stewart pom pom...had I known it was going to take as long as it did I would have come up with another idea...pretty though!

a scavenger hunt inside...NOT what I had in mind...arghhhh.

this is what I did today...cake not in the pic and not finished yet.

the fairy herself.

Z is an amazing architect for fairy houses.

does she look like a roller derby girl or what? she's definitely a p.u.n.k but in a really good R way.

So, for the past few days I've been without my creative outlet and I'm starting to go crAZy!! I can't wait for Sunday so I can dig everything back out. I'm showcasing this weekend on etsy so go to the children's section and you'll see one of my designs :)

I'll take as many pictures as I can tomorrow and one of the cake when it's finished. I'm decorating it with fresh pansies so I'm waiting for those touches to be added in the morning. The weather couldn't be any worse for our little shin dig so we're going to have to make the best of it!

Sparklies:

• Finished the pom poms...my fingers are killing me though I feel proud of myself for doing them without the kit...I hand cut, folded, wired, separated and hung each little ditty!
• Made the caramel apples which in the past have been a nightmare to make...today, it was a breeze!
• Z aced both her vocabulary test and her science test at school!
• Date night tomorrow and I can't wait!
• Took the girls to the pool this afternoon for a quick swim.
• S is already asleep!!!

....and on that note, goodnight!

xo

note: I can't seem to do anything about the spacing on this post...it's driving me crazy too!!!

50 hearts!

Wow! I feel like I've been given a great big hug...THANK YOU!

Okay...it's a baby milestone in my etsy venture but it counts...it means I have some fans out there!

I've been totally neglecting my designing in favor of some good old fashioned home maintenance. As much as I love seeing the changes in my house I HATE not fueling my creative desires....SO, I slipped in one more treat before having to 'pack up my office'...HA...I mean (my dining room) so that I can get set up for Z's b'day party this weekend.

I just love the way this valance came out...love the birds, love the fabric, love the flour sack material...love, love, LOVE!

Notice to the left of the window some fancy artwork by my ladies :) They made those tiles at the art school they go to during the summer...they look perfect there!

Todays Sparklies:

• finished my valance...it took so long to sew!
• feeling incredibly inspired to design which is great since I really haven't this past week.
• I'm pretty organized for the party this weekend only I think it's going to rain...we'll cross that bridge if we have to.
• looking forward to having a date with my honey Saturday night.
• I've got a new blogger friend and she seems super sweet!
• reached the 50 heart milestone.
• it was a beautiful day.

xo

I absolutely love the way these shots came out from last Halloween. Of course while taking them I was cursing my camera because I clearly couldn't see the magic the little LCD screen didn't portray. Can you see the 'ghosts' or as we have lovingly termed the 'fairies' following R and leading Z? I've blown up the top one and still haven't gotten a frame to put it in...a must do for the week! I'm already pulling out Fall and Halloween decorations and can't wait to really do it up...my style...which means understated but festive :)

I can't seem to get ahead this week! I still haven't done a darn thing creatively and it's really starting to get me down! Actually, I have been doing some crafty stuff but it's all for Z's 8th b'day party this weekend! I still have a ton to do but so far this is what the plan is (in case you care or you're just nosy)

Z's party plan from 2-4pm

• Fairy scavenger hunt leading to a festive pinata.


• Before doing the hunt each girlie will pick out wings and a skirt so that they are in proper fairy attire.


• The hunt includes these items: seashell, caramel apple, emerald stone, feathery pen, acorn, gourd, butterfly, frog and snake.


• After the hunt each girlie will make their own flower wand with ribbons.


• Cake will be homemade marble with chocolate frosting.


• For snacks Z wanted mozzarella sticks (gag...okay, they're good but I'll be buying the Friday's brand in the freezer section...no WAY am I actually preparing them)
• Make your own sundaes but I'm not sure necessary.


• I'm hoping for decorations I'll be able to figure out how to make the flower pom poms that N has.


• If time allows we'll do musical chairs to the Jonas Brothers...Z loves them and they're harmless :)

Sparklies

• Made a homemade spinach and feta calzone for dinner...yeah, no meat!


• The girls were really good at Target today.


• The weather today was just perfect!


• Got my prints from the black apple today and I LOVE them!


• Got a bag of fabric scraps today too and they're super duper!


• Didn't get a ton done around the house but I just don't care!


• Looking forward to the gym tomorrow!

xo

how do you like them apples...

took a trip to butternut today and stocked up on our first batch of apples for the season...they were plentiful and super delicious! the weather was great and except for a little bit of ol'lady whining from R (my knee hurts, my ankle hurts, i can't walk...yadda, yadda, yadda)...we had a fun day.

why is it every time i go to butternut i can't seem to put the brakes on when picking fruit? i always need to get just one more apple, one more pint of blueberries, one more everything!!! why????

what did you do today?

sparklies:

• cousin Scott surprised us with a visit this morning.
• mom came up and we went apple picking.
• i made a really yummy dish for dinner tonight and despite there being anchovy in the sauce C loved it and didn't notice ;)
• tomorrow is monday with a new week full of promise.
• Z finished her project and was so sensitive about using moss because she didn't want to hurt the earth...LOVE HER!
• saw three yellow and two white fairies at the orchard.

goals for the week:

• go to three classes at the gym.
• design, design, design.
• make a valance curtain for the kitchen and downstairs bathroom.

xoxo

while daddie was trimming out one of our new doors and mommie was painting the side of our house (that's been three different colors for...oh, going on three years now). the girls got busy with their own messy project. this kept them busy for over an hour which was a pleasant surprise considering their attention span doesn't usually last that long...paint and glitter or no paint and glitter. i really love the top one that R did...it is SO her :) S's well, it's a nice glittery mess which is exactly how she is in real life...sweet girl. Z was busy at her BFF's so no artwork from her today!

sparklies:

• got half of the side of our house painted...just waiting for staging to be put up so i can finish it.
• virtually no sisterly spats today...which is both nice and uncommon.
• had a great time with friends last night.
• i think i killed all the fruit flies....ewwwww!

finally able to capture my little cafe curtain...don't know why i didn't think to take it at night before!

xo

whewww....

it's been a crazy couple of days!

i've been on this cleaning kick for about a week now and these past two days have been no exception. we've talked about making S's room Z's room and moving R to the top bunk and S into the bottom bunk. being the control freak i am everything must be done before the actual move. meaning: i want to paint Z's new room, have the furniture we've been storing in the basement painted, swap out the girls clothes and toys and redecorate. C brought the furniture to his friends cabinet shop this morning to be professionally painted (thank you for this...takes a ton of work off my shoulders!)...so, at least one thing can get checked of my long to-do list!

so, i've been slacking BIG TIME on my plum treats! i just can't create comfortably when i know there's a mounting mess growing around me. i'm definitely feeling like getting back into the swing of things. i've been going back and forth with the idea of doing a craft fair or not. i did them a couple of years ago but that was when i was peddling SOMEONE else's things. the whole thing ended up leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth so that's why i hesitate. i know this time around i'd feel differently i'm just SO nervous!

okay, today's sparklies:

• got a ton cleaned and organized this morning.
• picked up mums and a couple of pumpkins after dropping the girls at school.
• had a nice time at the park after school.
• fall is definitely here.
• going out with friends tonight and introducing them to my current fave: brazo.
  

todays sparklies:

• had a great workout at the gym...love that cardio party!
• finished the apron skirt...and it screams CUTENESS!
• played at the school for over two hours...love the Fall weather.
• feeling lucky to be so inspired to create.
• found some great fairy crafts for Z's party.
• put the mounting pile of clothes in my room a.w.a.y!
• started designing natasha's tee :)

xo

who knew...

front

back

the endless possibilities of a flour sack!

how cute is the little apron skirt i just made?

this on the heels of making an adorable cafe curtain that i just can't seem to photograph well enough to publish.

i'm picturing this over a pair of jeans, leggings or as an addition to a flouncy skirt.

would you buy it?

is it cute enough?

i think it is and i would!

let me know your thoughts...i just think it's so sweet!

xo

today's goodies...

got busy with the designing on these yesterday and finally got them sewn today.

not sure what happened with the monkey shot...definite re shoot tomorrow.

sparklies:

• finished sewing the above tees
• received the cutest fabric from one of my faves over at etsy: sweetflavor and can't wait to play!
• talked to my girl Lisa whom i haven't been able to see in awhile
• the breeze was extra comforting today
• didn't have to cook dinner due to the excess in enchiladas last night
• got to have a coffee at starbucks while S had a danish and vanilla milk :)

xo

two years ago...

today this photo was taken...R has grown up so much but still has that sassy little attitude only a child with her name should have :)

sparklies:

i've got three designs waiting in the wings to get sewn...i'll post them tomorrow.

i made the cutest little cafe curtain for S's room today...after hanging it and taking it down again i realized it would make a really cute skirt if i put a pretty satin ribbon through it. i'm going to make a shorter one tomorrow and see if Z will wear it over a pair of jeans...trend setter!

i took the toy boxes that were in the girls closets out and re-organized their stuff...AGAIN!

i made enchiladas for dinner tonight despite the fact that i really used up my time today by designing.

thankfully my freezer is stocked with baked goods because that is ALL i'm craving...

night y'all!

xo

okay...so i've started my collection of treats from the black apple and i couldn't be any more excited about it! yes, i bought the the pic below AND the one above! i know just where i'm putting them and it's NOT going to be in the girls rooms. not sure why exactly this artist has me 'in love' but she does! maybe it's the big eyes, the sassy attitude...they're just F.U.N!

today's sparklies:

• the yard sale is over and we made about $100...plus it was pretty painless :)
• did a quick shop at the grocery store with R and stopped to get a starbucks...yum!
• no need to make dinner tonight, we're taking the kids to chucky cheese.
• saw some neighbors we don't see often and had some laughs.
• bought two prints from the black apple.
• got a huge box of fabric scraps from lassiegirl and as always...THEY ROCK!

have a great rest of the day!

xo

today's sparklies...

LoVe this and going to get it...for sure! you can find it here at the black apple : one of my most favorite etsy shops. i'd own everything she has to offer if i could...baby steps :)

everyday i'm going to attempt to post things i'm grateful for that day.
i'm going to call them sparklies because...well, it's just such a magical word!

• we made it out the door this morning with almost no stress involved and time to spare.
• i had another sale today from a lovely lady from Indiana...she bought two of my treats!
• i got my new labels in the mail...phewwww, just in time.
• i'm feeling relatively organized for tomorrows neighborhood yard sale...oh joy.
• my Canadian friend listed me on her blog under her '50 links to check out' post :)
• s's halloween costume that i listed on ebay is already up to $40 and has 2 days left!!! (i only paid $26 for it on babystyle last year:)
• i started a wall hanging that i'm going to just love and will post when finished...a new treat idea for the store.

today's cuties...

not too much time today with the girls having only a half day and a school picnic at 5... but i was able to whip these cuties up in between wiping noses and packing a dinner.

r was back at school and has her first kindergarten friend coming over to play tomorrow.

z ran the mile at school today and according to my friend deb who happened to see her while running, said she was doing it with a smile...phew!

s still has a runny, runny nose but her spirits are back to silly.

i'm waiting patiently for my second batch of labels to arrive...i can't believe i've gone through 90 already!!! i'm also waiting for some yummy scraps from lassiegirl...soon i hope!

okay, off to get everyone ready...we have to leave in 45 minutes!

xo