WIP

I feel like my shop is schizo-- kind of all over the board in terms of products. Well, it's going to get even more so. I decided I wanted to design V's birthday invitations myself. Here is a little preview:

I only need like 5 invitations (we're just having family), and I'm going to have them professionally printed, so the rest will go in my shop with coordinating envelopes. To be continued...

Skinny Girl Land, Here I Come!

So I'm down 6.4. Girls, I have a long road ahead of me...but I'm on a roll...mmmmmmm, a nice buttery, greasy, chewy, warm....CRaP! Sorry. I'm on a melba toast.

Maybe I should get this? The perfect thing for my Wii Fitting, no??? :)

Happy weekending all!!! xo

I Like to Amuse Myself

I need a change. I'm currently in the process of replacing this line o' vintage hankies...

...with some new art/photography in vintage frames. Still accumulating both the art and the frames. This pretty picture just came in the mail today. It looks super delish in my existing kitschy cute frame up on the wall! It came in a series by James Spicer who is my new hero.

I also hit an estate sale today. I Facebooked that I was rifling through dead people's things on my lunch hour. Several high school classmates were like WTF? I ended up explaining, however, I did enjoy imagining their take on it-- me pillaging the pockets of a corpse that I happened upon, perhaps. Great insight on what they must think of me!!!

I picked up this adorable HG Toys puzzle-- all 50 pieces intact and included! Methinks it's going into the shop. Also snatched up a box o' plastic deer. How could I resist? My co-workers think I'm a nut.

Happy Hump Day! xo

Sometimes, I Feel Kinda Cool

Most of the time, I don't. But Ryan pointed out the article in the NY Times this weekend about hip Toronto hotels. We stayed at the Drake Hotel in 2005 when we visited, and it was pretttttty nifty. I was PG with Quinn and didn't feel all that well, and now I wish I would have appreciated it more.

Next time we go to Toronto, I want to stay at the Gladstone Hotel. Specifically in the Teen Queen room (right up my alley).

It had me at Ralph Macchio.

Ditto

Photo courtesy of Fred Flare & the dynamic duo of Something's Hiding in Here.

Spring Has (Officially) Sprung!

Happy 1st day of spring, everyone! I have been doing a bit of redecorating and spring cleaning in my craft room. My fabric was getting OOC!!! I am scared at how much I squirrel away when I finally DO learn to sew. Yeesh.

We're going to see Ryan's family tomorrow which will be nice. Q will be busting out her new and springy cropped coral polka dotted cardi, so I thought it only fitting she have a new barrette to go with (I love the round vintage button from Barbara and my friend Noreen gave me the hearts):

I've been rather schizo feeling lately. One minute I'm happy go lucky and crafting and making banana bread (in the oven as we speak), the other I'm feeling agitated and depressed. I've really been at a crossroads lately with some of my friends. Some I've pretty much cut ties with due to melodrama and just general weirdness (I'm too old for that shit). Others are still there, but I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around them, and I hate it. Hard to explain. I can guarantee, however, that if you are one of my IRL friends reading this, I'm NOT talking about you, so don't worry. I digress (sorry)...

You also may not have noticed that I have been remiss in posting any OSB updates. Yeahhhhh, I was kinda on sabbatical from weight loss measures, but I am back on track again. In fact, I just received my 10 lb ribbon from Weight Watchers today. This week alone, I lost 3 lbs, so yay me. :) I try to deny it, but the only thing that works for me is something that supplies the food (ie Nutrisystem). I really love the Wii Fit too. It's a little disconcerting to think that I probably will not reach my goal until the fall. I'm shooting for reaching my goal by November 20 which is my bro's bday (whoot) AND the opening of New Moon (heh).

I have a lottttt of weight to lose, but all I can do is keep trying and be happy thinking of the flowers coming up in my yard. Very soon these will be all along my side fence!

Happy weekending all!!! xo

Happy St. Pat's!

I'm sad to report that we were unable to capture Liam the Leprechaun. It appears that he may have fallen for the bait, fell through the trap door, but was able to escape from the trap. It apears he then ran from the trap to the window, lassoed the window and shimmied up the string. We found the telltale coins and string in the basement this morning. Yes, we like to eff with our 3 year old while we still can and make up some elaborate stuff in order to do so. It's fun.

I think she was secretly glad he had "escaped".

Hope you are all enjoying some green beer or at least Leprechaun in the Hood. That's a classic, right?

Get Ready, Liam Leprechaun...

We're gonna catch ya!!!

Q and I had fun crafting this leprechaun trap after she found mysterious chocolate coins strewn about the basement yesterday. She wants his whole stash!!!



We got the idea from this Family Fun site. Ours was a tad more hobo. We painted fake gold with the hopes he will fall down the trap door and say, "Blarney!". Ryan made the corned beef and cabbage last night, so thankfully the odor has finally dissipated. Yay!


Twerd Alert: I have a few things to report...

1. I found out that Esme's dad is one of my babysitter's teachers. Kinda funny.

2. I am buying the DVD this weekend from Target because they are the only one offering a free movie download for my iPhone. Yippee!

3. I am now currently obsessed with the smut-filled variation of Twilight called Wide Awake. I can't believe I'm reading fanfic. Gads. And listening to its soundtrack online too.

4. I'm very excited at the possibility of Juan Antonio Bayona directing Eclipse! You may remember that I love his film, The Orphanage-- second best horror movie (thriller?) of all time in my book.

5. Have you seen Robert Pattinson in GQ???? GAHHHHH!!! I want to go to there...

Cotton Candy

Some very Springy, Eastery, and sticky sweet pics to brighten up your Friday! Top to bottom, left to right:

1. Robin's Egg Dress by SarahSeven

2. Vintage Mirabeau Cocoa Bath Box of Art Goodies by Leesiebella

3. The Bake Off print by Tollipop

4. Birdhouse Tags by CatnipStudioToo

5. Shoes photo from The Cherry Blossom Girl through Apartment Therapy (which was the inspiration for this post!!! So lovely).

6. Dahlia print by PhotoVita

7. Paris in Pink tissue pouch by Chet & Dot

8. Set of 2 Vintage Pink and Aqua Leaf Glasses by Little Acorn Vintage

9. Jonquil Jelly Bean by Chet & Dot (I so lurve Jenn!!! I am also a huge Robot Candy fan).

xoo all!

Lost Blathering

After tonight's episode of Lost, I wonder what the frig people think when they are just tuning in or are trying to figure out what the eff is going on. Personally, I lu-huvvvvv the show.

And I've mentioned before my obsession with Josh Holloway. Tonight's ep was particularly indulgent in that regard. I just want to run my hand through that greasy hair of his. Ahhhhhh.

The big highlight of tonight's ep included *SPOILER!!!* poor Juliet yet again getting Kate's sloppy seconds and the birth of a baby who I think is going to be someone important or who we already know??? Hmmmmm. Also, the appearance by Kevin Rankin who played one of the meathead Dharma dudes at the beginning. Kevin Rankin played Lucien on one of my favorite all time shows, Undeclared.

I've been reading Lostpedia for the past hour or so, and now I'm obsessed. It's fun to read all the crazy stuff I didn't remember from previous episodes. My fave bit o' trivia: Carrie Preston who plays Arlene from True Blood was in one episode as Benjamin's mother (remember, she died during childbirth?). She and Michael Emerson (who plays Ben) are married in real life! I love finding weird things like that. Ok, off to bed.

Sweets for the Sweets!

I tried my hand at candy making for the first time in 8 years. In 2001, I made 125 white chocolate wedding cakes with raspberry flavoring in my tiny apartment kitchen that didn't even have a full-sized fridge or oven. I had my technique down pat by the end.

I have had this vintage button candy mold from Amanda for awhile and finally whipped up a batch to include in my Etsy orders.

I kinda forgot I shouldn't overfill the molds. There is a nice ring around the edges of all my "buttons". Eh, they still taste good. So Angela in Chicago, these are on their way (with your key fob, of course).

Viv's Nursery

Deanna from The Baby Gardner has perfect timing. I was literally *just* going through V's baby book making a mental note of all the pictures I had to add (including pics of her room). Then I read Deanna's call for pics of vintage spaces for her Eye Candy Giveaway. I emailed her off some pics, and V's nursery was featured today. And for participating, look at what I received in the mail Saturday! What a lovely surprise.

If you haven't seen The Baby Gardner blog or shop, click around. Such adorable stuff!!! Thanks, Deanna! We're honored. Mwah.

Lazy Crafting

Truth be told, I have a pretty big fabric stash. I love fabric. I love handmade. Why don't I sew? One simple answer. I am realllllly freaking lazy. And I'm impatient. And I mess up stuff and get frustrated really easily.

Even with crafting, I enjoy coming up with the ideas. Not so much the hands-on making part of it. Every once in awhile, I come up with a good excuse to use my fabric. Take today for example.

We had our eye on this really nifty television stand for our basement, but it's now discontinued.

It was a little more than I wanted to spend too at $450 after shipping. I would have loved to have bought a vintage mid-century credenza, but we had a problem with the weight and length of vintage getting it in our house. Plus, the ones I found were more than $450.

We settled on this generic but economic and plain tv stand from Target ($179.99):

And this is what I did to it today! Forgive my pics. I cannot, for the life of me, get a good picture down there.

The rolling doors come out and the glass comes out kind of like a picture frame. I had a yard of Erin Michaels for Moda Lush fabric in woodgrain. I cut the fabric leaving about 2" on all 4 sides. I wrapped the fabric around the glass like wrapping a package securing it to the glass with packing tape (see? Lazy). Popped the glass back in the doors and the doors back onto the stand. Voila!

If you try this at home, just be sure your remote can reach the equipment behind the fabric. Mine had no prob.

I feel like I've seen someone else do this but probably with way more thought put into it and with a more perfect and finished method. Sarah, perhaps? She always does the most wonderful sprucing. This way is the lazy way.

Here are some more pics of the illustrious basement. It's coming along nicely.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Ours was nice and relaxing. Oh, and speaking of lazy, I didn't apply to Craft Revival. I'm a little sad, but I know I would be having to force myself to make stuff (not in a good way). It will actually be fun to just go and shop my brains out. Doesn't help that my Etsy shop is super slowwwwww this month (and last, for that matter!).

xo!