CONGRATULATIONS KIMBERLY!!!
please email me your address and i will get your spider web tags out to you ASAP!
this week's giveaway...
**set of 10 treat bags with tags**
if i get 10 or more entries this week, i will choose 2 winners!
i will post the question on thursday and pick a winner from the answers on saturday...i may be a little late posting the winner ;)
have a great monday!
~r
changed my mind...this week will be a set of 5 spider tags with rhinestones...
to enter, leave a comment telling me about your favorite halloween memory.
the more comments i get, the better the giveaways will be, so tell a friend! i hope to have a BIG giveaway by Christmas :)
i will have new items to show you tomorrow, but haven't been able to get the photos done yet...busy, busy, busy! you can always find more in my etsy shop!
have a wonderful evening and come see me saturday morning for the winner!
nighty, night!
~r
heidi is the winner of the giveaway! since there were only 2 entries, there was not much competition, but lets get some more people here next week!!!
next fridays giveaway will be...
SET OF 10 TREAT BAGS WITH TAGS AND EMBELLISHMENTS
you can find more in my etsy shop here.
the bags are not distressed like in the photo anymore. i found that it makes the bag too unstable so i have decided to leave them plain in order to keep the bags from becoming weak.
i will re-post the giveaway this coming week sometime.
tomorrow i will be sharing some photos from a recent day-trip to BODIE state park...
have a wonderful weekend!
~r
new things i have been working on...
for any of you out there tempted to make a childish remark about my bubbles..... GROW UP! geez! hahaha...
i will have them listed in my etsy shop tomorrow :)
ok, on to the giveaway...
leave me a comment telling me what kind of cake you would be, if you were a cake, and i will pick a winner on friday night...just before i go mimis (to bed, for those of you not schooled in mexican slang) i probably spelled that wrong anyway!
this is what you will win:
a set of 12 "eat me" cupcake picks for your halloween treats :) you can choose any ribbon color from my shop.
i'm so tired i can hardly stand it! so i will say nighty-night and sweet dreams!
~r
i have had a pretty busy week around the "studio". i have been working with a great customer on a bunch of special items for her wedding in the UK. these cones were born of a combination between party hats and confetti cones, which seem to be all the rage in wedding trends at the moment. i will probably offer a version of these in my shop soon....
this week, i FINALLY was able to make my own etsy treasury!!! for those of you who don't know what this is, it's a "treasury" of items you like on etsy that is posted for all to see. it has been very hard for me to get one as there are only a certain amount available at one time to be made. i got 2! in one day! oh joy :) it's the little things that make me happy!
you can see them here:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=135066
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c1eef46bd2f8eef86ff3c68/starlet-gone-to-paris
i am not sure how long they will be available to view, so check them out soon!
so, a few weeks ago, i photographed a "tutorial" of how i make my recycled pencil cans. i have been holding off on sharing with you because i was afraid that i would offend some of you with how easy it is..... that having been said, i have decided to share. i know that some of my friends out there are, {how shall i say this }, creatively impaired? you know who you are! so this is for you :P
i got these cans of cinnamon balls at the dollar store at christmas time. the can itself was worth the dollar to me!
so, find yourself some paper that you like to start. measure your can inside the metal lip {if it has one}, and around. add about 1/2 inch to the measurement around to allow for overlapping the paper.
trim your paper to the correct size to fit around the container. if your paper isn't long enough, either piece it together, or, try cutting it diagonally across so that you get a longer length. if you cut diagonally, try cutting a straight piece off of the corner first to give yourself a straight side to cut from.
once you have your piece cut, adhere it to the can. i used my handy-dandy ATG gun. it's a monster, but i love it!
make sure you have your paper lined up straight before you start wrapping it around the can or you may end up a little bit crooked at the end.
now just decorate however you like :) i used ribbon and pompom trim. my favorite adhesive for ribbons and fabrics is Fabri-Tac, but i did use my ATG gun for the ribbon around the edges. then i just used the Fabri-Tac to finish the edges.
ta-da! a cute little cup for your scissors, pencils and things.
i have already confessed my obsession with peonies, but i wanted to share this groupo de photos, of my beloved bloom. the colors changed from day to day...so super dee duper cool!
same flower over 4 days... how RAD is that?!?!?
TTFN, my friends!
~r
i had to try VERY hard to "keep calm and carry on", for some reason today. honestly, it wasn't much different than any other day. i was just having a hard time NOT feeling anxious. is there something wrong with me? perhaps... it was one of those days when i felt like i needed to get every unfinished project i have ever started, DONE...NOW...TODAY... needless to say, i have MANY unfinished projects that would take years to complete and not one of them got touched..... if anyone was worried, i have overcome my distress and i am doing just fine ;) a little rest in my favorite corner with a book, and all is well again :)
peonies...an obsession i will never get over. a bucket of peonies and a good book can't be beat :)
and now for some glitter...
something else i can never get enough of! these are some new tags i have in my shop..would be so pretty for a wedding or shower...
~*~*~*~*~
17 years, 1 hour and 6 minutes ago, i gave birth to my 1st child! i have been blessed beyond belief to call myself her mama and i can not wait to see what God has in His plan for her next 17 years! on the other end, my youngest (4 year old, little buddy) drew his first potato person today! you know the ones with no neck or body and arms and legs coming out of its head...i am so proud :)
for anyone who was wondering about my cry for help with CSS...i went out and got me a handy-dandy "teach yourself CSS in 10 minutes" book...just in case you were burning with anticipation as to how i would solve that dilemma.. we will soon see if the book is worthy of it's title!
{pause to check on child who is yelling at 12:45am}
i am off to dream land now before i get no sleep at all tonight! more pictures and such tomorrow...
{sweet dreams}
~r
first of all...i have to share my excitement for this...
i can't wait!!!!!!!!
so, here's a peek at my desk at the moment... so many ideas, so little time in the day....
my days have been spent thinking of new ideas and designs. i have traded in my usual composition journal/ sketch books for a very large, artist pad in order to fit all of my ideas. last night, i kid you not, i was up at 1am, in bed, sketching away...my problem seems to be actually getting the ideas off of paper and made into tangible items. hmmm, looks like another resolution... speaking of resolutions and things to look forward to; big daddy and i have decided to have a date night at least once a month this year. i don't know if we will be able to, but we will try.
more to look forward to...
tomorrow, i vow, yes, vow, to put away the christmas decorations and finally send out those christmas cards. oh come on, like there isn't anyone out there who is in the same boat! oh yes, and let's not forget those sparkly valentine decorations just waiting to come out of hibernation to dazzle my windows and sprinkle their glittery goodness all over my floors...yippee! big daddy is so happy he will be home to join in the festivities. i will be sure to post photos of that!
another thing to look forward to in the new year... a new schedule. with all of the chaos my etsy shop has created in our household, i have decided to set a schedule, ideally 9am-3pm with a break from 12-1, to make it easier on little buddy during the day. with my etsy shop getting busier, my poor little guy is feeling a bit "jealous" of mama's paper, scissors and computer. i am looking forward to simplifying and getting back to the very reasons i stay home to begin with, which is to be a mama first.
i am hoping to turn my blog in a new direction this year as well. when i first started, i thought it would be a great way to keep family and friends updated on our family and to share ideas and projects i am working on through the year. i have tried various ideas throughout my first year or so and decided i would like to post more projects ideas, recipe's and how-to's this year. so many of you ask me how to make this or that and i would love to turn those questions into posts. so, please, if you have any suggestions or questions that you would like me to address in a post, let me know. i will need all the ideas i can get! as the blog grows, i will bring back giveaways and have some fun with contests, etc.
i am so excited to see what this year has in store! i can't wait to see what lies beyond the next turn... 1am again...see, not enough time in the day!
sleep well!
~r
this was me yesterday...
i have to be absolutely honest. i am having a BAD day.
3am: hubby is up taking ibuprofen for that nagging tooth ache he's had for a month..."what's wrong",says mama, "my tooth hurts so bad...mumble, mumble", says big daddy...and back to sleep for a couple of hours....
6:30am: up and at em' to make hubby's 4 sammy's for lunch....lovely stack of dishes waiting for me in the sink...must be those pesky trolls that sneak into my kitchen in the middle of the night for a midnight snack....
7:30 am: answer etsy emails, orders, etc. new listings...
12:40 pm: "oh ya, i forgot to fold the laundry i put in the dryer last night", says mama to herself....as mama opens the door to her prized front loading dryer, "!?#$?!?!$&, what the heck! thanks big daddy for forgetting to take that ENTIRE pack of strawberry trident gum out of your pocket before putting your jeans into the laundry basket...i REALLY appreciate it!"
12:42-2:00 pm: iPod in ears, drown out everything else and scrape away! oh the joys of being a homemaker!
1:45 pm: first born child enters laundry room with a frightened/cautious look on her face. "what's wrong", says mama. "um, well little buddy just wet his pants...BUT i took care of it already!" thankful mama breathes a sigh of relief that first born child has saved the day...or maybe mama was just taking a breath of fresh air after being inside the dryer for an hour...could be either....
2:10 pm: "i should blog", mama says to herself in a state of half dilerium, half drunken stupor brought on by the lemon scented fumes of lysol and the grotesque picture of mayonnaise, still etched in her head, used to clean her lovely dryer to prior sparkling condition...
and guess what? mama is absolutely, positively in a GREAT mood! ahhh, the power of music and blogging....mama's world is as it should be...
2 girls in their room with friend, hanging out...little buddy playing quietly {for the moment} in his room...first born listening contently to her iPod and texting away....
spoke too soon....small child screaming....be right back....
2:25 pm: another crisis defeated by....MAMA, domestic -wonder worker!
4:55: oh crap! i forgot to mail the christmas cards again...yes, i said "christmas cards"...better late than never!
12:45 am: went to bed after playing "rock band" with my girls for a few hours! very fun...mama's got skills...not really, but it's fun to pretend :)
ok, all joking and sarcasm aside, yes today has been yesterday was quite...eventful. but as usual, when all is said and done, i wouldn't have it any other way...."lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, love-ly day..." iPod on head, remember?
♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫
now for some nice stuff...
i promised a friend i would post pictures of my christmas decorations so here we go...
this is going to come as a complete shock to anyone who knows me, but this year, not only did i skip the over 7 foot tall tree, but, {drum roll, please} i put up a "faux" tree! yes, believe it. i did the unthinkable. and just for your information, calling it a "faux" tree does make me feel better. little buddy helped of course...
yet another shocker....i actually did not color coordinate the tree....this may be too much for some of you to handle...but i have to tell the truth...
my quaint, little,{ lop-sided} "faux" tree atop my favorite vintage metal desk and me behind the camera being blinded by the light from my humungous {is that even how you spell that?} windows...
another one of the 4 christmas trees i put up this year...oops, did i forget to mention that? well, yep, i put up 4... this one happens to be the "disney" tree, which little buddy seems to be rearranging every 5 minutes...
this year, we also managed to make a "shortbread" house, i don't like gingerbread, decorated by my daughter with the help of a friend,
and this one, REAL gingerbread, was made by my soon-to-be pastry chef, daughter, in culinary arts class...
my little "jengo phet" and no, he is not throwing up gang signs...he calls this his "jengo pose",
over the past year there have been lots of changes. some i am ready for, others, i am not. little buddy finally got potty trained...very ready for that one! for christmas, "santa" brought him a "big boy bed", the kind you put the crib mattress into. you know, the kind some smart person made up just for moms like me who are not willing to realize that their baby is really not a baby anymore, but if i don't actually put him in a regular size bed, i can pretend just a little bit longer...yep, you know the kind of bed i'm talking about... my etsy business has taken off beyond anything i ever imagined... the kids have had triumphs and failures in school and in life, but all for a greater purpose and with lessons learned.
there have been trials {raising 2 teenage girls has it's ups and downs} and there have been blessings... and trials WITH blessings! there has also been an abundance of joy. i am looking forward to this new year with excitement, wonder and a little bit of anxiety, to be honest...i can't wait to see what GOD has in store for me and my family. i am ready to take on whatever comes my way with an open heart and mind and to, most of all,
"find joy in the trials AND blessings of life!"
thank you so much for hanging in there with me and my random posts, regular posts, late posts, no posts....let's just say, erratic posting habits! i hope this year brings me a plethora {he, he, i like that word} of inspiration that i can pass on to you through my blog.
*** random picture of my mama and my "little sis". just brings a giggle, so i thought i'd share!***
have a Sparklie, Happy New Year and God Bless!!
~r
i have been getting so much love from my fellow bloggers lately, {check out the link above} thank you so much for the exposure and the kind words! i hope you are all having a wonderful time, party planning and preparing for christmas and the new year.
i will have some holiday ideas and crafty tidbits coming in the next week or so, so hang in there with me as my etsy business is keeping me very busy and i haven't been able to blog much lately.
blessings and winter white sparkles to you all!
~r
catching....
snowflakes....
on my tongue....
simple joys of childhood....
it always amazes me how God's timing is so perfect. the holidays come at just the right time to satisfy my cravings to bake, re-decorate and snuggle by the fire. every year, around october, i start to settle in and prepare for the chilly weather to come. my internal "clock" starts to tell me it's time for baking and cooking meals that take all day to prepare. the kids comment on how they "love this time of year because the house always smells like something yummy is cooking in the kitchen". as a family, we all gravitate to the living room and the warm fire; the girls doing homework or watching holiday specials on t.v., crocheting (not big daddy, of course!), playing games or legos with little buddy or just chatting about how our days went. it is such a wonderful time of year that God has given us. it's like His way of telling us to slow down a bit and enjoy each other and the blessings He has given.
during the past thanksgiving week, i have been very blessed with visits from great friends, family and a wonderful step-daughter.
one of our traditions at thanksgiving is to make paper bag turkey! my secret to a perfect turkey...learned from my ex-mother-in-law {is that even a word?} anyway, paper bags, that's the secret!
yep, wrap that puppy up and let er' bake for a bit and voile....
the perfect turkey! no basting no nuthin' ! be sure to allow your teenage daughter to suck out all the juices for the gravy so that, you too, can have a beautiful shot like this one, of the lovely faces made while sucking said juices from the bird ;)
this year we also made our own centerpieces out of hominy cans { i made a TON of pozole for a church function a week before} we crammed 17 people into our little dining room. not too bad, huh?
i had some time to add new designs to my etsy shop as well, so here are a few peeks at what's in the shop:
i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay healthy throughout this wonderful season!
God bless :)
~r
