Daydreaming Night Owl

Captive Camera

2013-05-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I are so connected.
It's like I can almost read her mind.

Okay Ella, I'll just take a picture of
my delicious fake-blackberry-sugar-water-juice.

All love though, really.
She's a fantastic girl.

It just, she's so still and captive while eating...
how can I resist?
Heehee.

Last day of school today!
Summer vacay officially starts now.

We're thinking about going to Michigan.
Maybe climb some trees, swim in a lake,
eat wild raspberries (which I'll photograph) and love on some family.
Are you making summer plans?

Rain Drain

2013-05-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've entered a Spoonflower contest.
This one is for wallpaper.
They're looking for something Mod, "influenced by the modernist subculture of the late 1950s and early 1960s".
Oh, and it's limited color...
We can use up to three colors with white or black as a fourth color.

I reworked a design I already had...
Yeah, that's supposed to be me, loving the rain.

Day

Night

From the Spoonflower mock-ups of what my wallpaper would look like :

The designs can also be printed on fabric
so I made my usual 20x20 pillow mock-ups too.

Ella and I like Day better (it's beachy-ish).
Sam and Tyler like Night.
Thanks to some Facebook help, I entered Day in the contest.
I'm pretty sure it starts on Thursday.
What do you think?
If you like this pattern, did I enter the right one?

Summer Hair

2013-05-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Summer.
100+ degrees.
Easiest way to keep Sam cool (besides vacations and AC) -
chop off all his hair!

His last haircut was deceiving, we thought he was getting used to the routine of regular cuts from Tyler.
Hahahahahahaha...little monkey....
What could have been a 5 minute buzz cut turned into a two hour bargaining debate.

He's on the living room floor (past his bedtime) enjoying a "nacho picnic" as his reward for finishing the cut. There was also some late 90's Yoshi video game playing going on. Win-win?

Sam Says #8

2013-05-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sam formed one of his blankets into the shape of a scorpion.
He was using his toy hand drum to drill holes into the scorpion.
Tyler: What's that thing?
Sam: It's my equipment spucker.
Me: Haha, what's a spucker?
Sam: It's a thing that spucks!
(Maybe he meant "inspects"?)

Mother's Day, Sam is in bed next to me as I eat my special breakfast.
Sam: Tomorrow will be Brother's Day so I can have breakfast in bed. I want turkey bacon.

Sculpting his playdough.
Me: What are you making?
Sam: It's a Michelinoceras. I'm about to perform an autopsy.

My Mother's Day lily bloomed so I showed it to the kids.
Sam: I need to eat that flower so my insides can be beautiful too.

Office Chair - Revived

2013-05-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

So much better.

My office/desk chair was in sad shape.
After a couple years of daily use, the cheapo fabric was falling apart.
It's not an expensive chair to begin with, I think we paid $100 bucks,
so it wasn't built to last a long time (in our house).

I didn't take a before pic,
I tore it apart when my camera lens was decapitated.

My chair looked like this, but not sticky leather.
Add a bunch of small holes and runs through the fabric too.
Oh, and the arms are different. So, not exactly identical...close.

I found the upholstery fabric at JoAnn's for $9.99/yd.
40% off coupon. Sweet.
(They have an app - coupons on your phone.)

The original fabric became a pattern for everything
that needed to be sewed. The arms and underside of the seat
were stapled and I didn't staple myself at all.

Big mess- that's me when I'm trying to make something pretty.
I had chair pieces all over the house.
All day, the sofas, our bed and the kitchen counters/table were mine.

After 3 yards of fabric + batting,
this little makeover cost just under $27.

I'm not loving the black parts though...
If it doesn't grow on me by the end of summer, I'll paint them white.
We're in the 100's (Phoenix), spray paint won't work until it cools down.

Ella needed a desk for her room, so I gave her mine.
While I'm living room shopping, I'll be checking out new desks too.

image source

Bye Bye Book Shelves

2013-05-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Seven years with books as the focal point of our living spaces.

We bought Expedit shelves when we lived in a downtown loft space.
They looked fantastic against the brick wall and bamboo floors.

You can kind of see them on the left.

When Sam was born, we went down to one income
and squeeeeezed into a tiny two bedroom apartment.
Man, we were jam-packed!
The shelves were nice for all sorts of storage,
even food, as we didn't have a pantry.

Our silk furniture didn't survive the ~~apartment~~ toddler,
but the shelves did.
So we brought 'em to the house we're in now.

A couple weeks ago I lightened them with paint,
to try to make them less hulking and dominant.
But the paint was more of a bandaid than a fix.

Reassembled and randomly filled-
nope, no way, not what I was looking for.

I love them but...
I'm okay if I don't see our ~~mess~~ abundance of books all the live long day.

The shelves will be in storage until we move again.
The next place we go, we plan to have an art studio and the shelves will be perfect for supplies.

Now that they're gone I'm inspired to finish putting the room together.
I removed all the artwork and photos- right now, the room has two large sofas, a ridiculously huge flat screen (I also want to get rid of that but Tyler would freak) and the dresser that's waiting to be refinished.
It all feels so much lighter.
Much more intimate.
Clean-slate!
Time to start shopping again!
Oh, and thanks to YHL forums, I finally have a great lead on a rug.

Any DIYing happening at your place? Have you ever tried to make something better but really, it was never right to begin with?

Ella Says #5

2013-05-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Jason (Ella's Dad), Sam and I were treated to ear-candy + choreography
from 186 kids at the last choir concert of the school year.
(Tyler had a gig.)

The kids were, as usual, so much fun to watch!
The choir teacher was errrrrg....still a diva.
Spot light, tuxedo, talked for an hour- not kidding.

One of the kids even said (not to him),
"See Mr. XXX, this is why we can't have nice things!"
There was a lot of sighing and yawning from the audience.

I asked Ella if anyone ever says anything to him and her eyes grew wide-
NO WAY! He'd be so mad at us!

I guess it's not all Glee up in there.

Packed house.
The kids sang and danced their butts off.

After the concert, we made our way to Tyler's gig.

Jason had us dying laughing,
performing one of the concert songs in the parking lot
(including the moves).
Ahhhh, such a dork.
If I wasn't sitting, I would have fallen on the floor.

Sam and I hung out in the car
while Jason and Ella went in to check out Tyler's last song.

After they were done, Ella dorked out in the parking lot too.

Imagine she has a cowboy hat in her hand.
Video is from Jason's iPhone.

Ella Says is a once a month post,
where Ella gets to express her creativity with poetry, songs and drawings. This month she's showing off her dork side :)

Happy Day, Happy Lens

2013-05-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all who celebrated!

Mine was pretty chill.
Very much like last year...I'll take it!

Breakfast in bed.
Gorgeous fresh flowers.
A homemade macaroni card.
Cool presents.
Time alone and with the fam.
Awesome.

We tried to recreate one of my favorite pictures.

Last year:

This year:

Tickle fight and more natural light.
Man, I love those kids.

If you're wondering, yes...my camera has been fixed!

The part showed up.
I followed the youtube video (to repair a broken bayonet)
and cursed irrationally at the screen.
Total temper tantrum.
The screws are so tiny and I was getting frustrated.
I just wanted to chuck the whole thing and buy a new lens.

Lucky for me (and that lens), patient and thoughtful Tyler was home.
He calmed the situation,
went to the hardware store for jeweler's screwdrivers
(I was using the wrong kind)
and he fixed everything.
Thank you Tyler! mwah xo

How did you spend your weekend?
I know some of you got hit with more snow...in May.
Was anyone getting mad at gadgets and eating bagels in bed, like me?

Clean Puppy Love

2013-05-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

I gave Mu a shower and a blow dry.
Best workout of my life!

Maybe the shedding won't be as bad.

Yeah, right.
He's wearing a fur coat in the desert.
It's like the fur is jumping off his body and turning into dust bunny tumbleweeds just so it can blow across the kitchen floor...
and taunt me.

Good thing he's so cute.

She's pretty cute too.

I'm so happy Ella and Sam have such a sweet pooch to grow up with.
He loves them as much as they love him.

I always had pets growing up.
Little Guy was with me for much of my adult life.
I can't imagine being without furry
(or fishy/feathery/scaly/etc) family members.
Did you have pets as a kid?

Spooning with Dumbledore

2013-05-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

A big spoon makes everything fun!

-------

Because my computer is ~~misbehaving~~ dead,
I'm posting from Tyler's Mac.
Dipping my toes, getting my feet wet with a new system.
I grew up on PCs but Illustrator and Photoshop are definitely the jelly to Mac's peanut butter.

Some things seem bass-ackwards (totally a MidWest word- heard it growing up all the time), but I think I can get used to this.
Sorry PC, I'm dumping you.

Okay, so my PC quit on me- I was dumped.

Now I'm going to go date his hotter, younger brother Mac.

Still waiting on my lens part too.
I'm in a gadget stew.
Most likely I'm going to drop my phone in the mall fountain.
Everything in threes, right? Ha!

No computer, no camera, almost no phone....
maybe I'll watch Harry Potter again.
It's been awhile.

Computers and Birds

2013-05-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

We've been up to a bunch of stuff
and I'm in the middle of it all with no clothes...
I mean, no camera.
See, I feel nekkid without it!
Ella's last choir concert, Sam's testing results, the Expedit experiment, new furniture shopping,
(all stuff I'll catch you up on soon)
plus my computer is burning up again.

I'm waffling, I think I want to go Mac this time.
Fine, yeah, okay I'm hard on my computer.
I expect it to run huge programs at the same time.
And do it fast, damn it!
I'm told a Mac is probably better for me.

While waiting on the lens part to be delivered,
I've been using the zoooooom lens.
Whoa baby, I need mucho practice with this lens.
It sat in it's cute little pouch until my regular lens broke.

It's not super easy to use in the house-
so I take a lot of bird pictures...neighborhood wildlife - usually pigeons.

Pomegranates are getting big.

What do you use?
Mac, PC, tablet, abacus, fingers and toes?
Laptop, desktop or mountain top?
I wonder if there's a place I could say-
Hey, this is what I need to use it for- what's the best thing for me?
And by the way, do you have any chips and salsa?

Fragile

2013-05-06T08:20:00.002-07:00

I've had a lump in my throat since Saturday night.
The night Sam gained a lump on his head.

After a fun game of hot potato with a wash cloth,
After a good scrub,
where he was covered in bubbles and looked like a "unicorn fish"
(his words),
After the water drained,
as I was reaching for his towel...Sam jumped off the bath mat.

It was lightning fast.
He fell backward,
the bathmat crinkled like an accordian
and he hit the back of his head on the back of the tub.

My heart raced.
I couldn't breathe.
I watched everything happen, as if in slow motion.
For a split second I thought my child was gone.
Has that ever happened to you?

I lunged to catch him, we were only two feet apart.
But I missed.

Then he screamed.
And screamed and screamed.
As I held him, tears streaming from both of us,
I worried about further injury.
Brain swelling, head trauma...
my mind was out of control
while I tried to comfort him with hugs and kisses.
When he noticed I was crying he didn't understand my tears.
He started yelling at me,
telling me he was "going to leave and never come back".

He thought I was angry he fell.

A long talk....
I explained how I love him soooo much that I was sad he hurt his head.
He wrapped his arms around me again
and said he will "love me forever".
I held him for an hour.

He's okay.
It's been a few days.
He had a goose egg that's almost gone.
There was no vomiting, listlessness or strange behavior
(all of which are warning signs to immediately take someone to the ER if they've had a head injury).

He's acting like normal Sam.
Sweet, happy, sad, funny, angry, excited....all wonderful.

I still feel fragile.

Broken Lens

2013-05-03T08:15:00.001-07:00

Let's start with a chuckle...

Feeling good?
Okay, alllll aboard!

I'm waiting on a part to be delivered.
Either this is going to be a $6 fix or I have to buy an entire new lens.

With help from youtube,
I'll be able to put this back together in working order.
I hope.

We've been on a new adventure in parenting.
Sometimes it's stressful.
Like, when everything on the table is swept to the floor by my child.
Including my camera.
The ugly side of autism-
When I have to predict his next move and prepare.
When I have to hold him down so he doesn't hurt himself or others because he hasn't grasped how to properly express those feelings...yet.

It's our normal.
We're figuring it out.

All day-to-day adventures can be wonderful opportunities to learn and grow closer together.

As with most of the autism posts, I'm hoping for insight from those in similar situations while also letting them know they're not alone.
All kids are different, we all have our ups and downs.
It's okay.
It's okay to be stressed and worried.
It's okay to be proud and happy.
As long as there's always love.

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain.”
―Vivian Greene

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Whew, let's bring this downtown train back up the mountain!

I have the sixth winner from giveaway week!
Woohoo!
A "magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces from Jupiter Designs goes to:
Michele L.
Yay! Congrats!
(Please check your email.)

Don't forget, there's still time to enter the remaining giveaways...
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous signed ~~art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
Good luck!

Primer and Paint and a Pig, Oh My!

2013-05-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Remember when we didn't have Pinterest?
When our bookmarks tab was overflowing and disorganized and random?
I bookmarked how to paint laminate furniture waaaay back then (calm down Angel, it was only three years ago) because I knew, one day, I'd tackle our hulking brownish-black Expedit shelves.

Heh, speaking of disorganized.

All this week I've been avoiding the heat while priming and painting.
It's been 100 degrees lately - so my mornings are booked!
Oh, and this isn't an ad - just thought I'd share what products I used.

I went into Ace Hardware with my Zinsser primer knowledge from 2010.
The acest of Ace Hardware guys showed me something better.
Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3
No sanding - which is great because sanding laminate would suck...all sorts of glues and polymers in the air, no thanks.
Also, this primer is meant to adhere to laminate like a newborn baby kangaroo to a teat.
NEVER coming off.

Using an ultra smooth, high density foam roller
I spent some time priming...

and waiting...

and waiting.
It dries fast, within an hour, but the directions say to apply between 50-90 degrees. Because I apply super thin coats and the desert heat waits for no one, it took two days to prime.

The paint - Behr Premium Plus satin enamel. Low odor, zero VOC.
Little Dipper is the color. Tyler thinks it looks white.
It's a very pale blue.

Top left, pretty right?

If you call me this morning, sorry friend, can't answer.
I'm outside, kneeling on the pavement with paint in my hair.
Making sure the last coat is super smooth.

I can't wait to get this bad boy back together and styled.
My absolute favorite household purchase was made last week...he's waiting patiently to get his own shelf.
I've already smooched him a million times. Maybe.

Hopefully everything is all together next week so I can share the "After" and properly introduce you to my pig.

What's up at your place?
Are you snowed in or hot like me?
That kind of came out wrong, but you know what I mean.
I can't believe some of you are still getting snow in MAY!
Crazy.
Hey, paint anything lately?

------

I have the fifth winner from giveaway week!
A gorgeous beaded bracelet from Reggie's Creations goes to:
Kate G.
Yay! Congrats!
(Please check your email.)

Don't forget, there's still time to enter the remaining giveaways...
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous signed ~~art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
Good luck!

(color image)

May Plank Challenge

2013-05-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

(click to make larger, right-click and save)

Happy May!
Are you ready for another challenge?
How about planks?
Choose to do the easy-ish or the hard times.

What's a plank?

Nah, I kid.
Brooke Burke and Autumn Calabrese demonstrate them really well here:

They look deceptively easy but whoa...serious core workout!
If you'd like, we can keep each other encouraged on my FB page.

There's already an awesome group of women that have joined the challenge on my personal page but I'd like to involve any of you who might be interested too!

Thanks to my super athletic friend Paige (the girl runs marathons in her sleep) for finding this specific challenge! I tried to find the original post and/or the person who came up with this routine but was unsuccessful. If you know who designed this routine, please let me know so I can credit her/him.

The April Squat Challenge was fun!
I definitely notice a huge difference in my leg strength and my butt.
I had some knee trouble and took a few extra rest days though.
Although there won't be 300 squats a day - I'll definitely keep them in my routine. Ha! Squats are addicting!
Thanks to Stephanie, Sarah, Stacey, Michele, Julie and Erica for the motivation and support!

So, who's excited?

No, not you Beebs.
Anyone else want to do the Plank Challenge with me?

------

I have the third and fourth winners from giveaway week!
A super soft shirt from Paper Clouds Apparel goes to:
Christa R.
and Melissa M.
Yay! Congrats!
(Please check your email.)

Don't forget, there's still time to enter the remaining giveaways...
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous signed ~~art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
Good luck!

(image from Pirates of the Caribbean)

Dehydration Love

2013-04-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes.
It's already 102 degrees outside.
Time to break out the all-day-chug-chug-chug water bottle.

Dehydrated Angel? Bad.
Dehydrated fruit? Ohmygosh, so yummy.

We finally bought a dehydrator.
And let me tell ya, I was happy.
Until it showed up.
Cutie UPS man delivered it to our door-
I took one look at the box and thought,
Crap, what did I do?
The thing has 6 tiers of dehydration availability.
It's huge and it just looked like too much more work.

Fine.
I sliced up a bunch of stuff, tossed it on the trays and plugged it in.

It's not as bad as I imagined.
Super easy and fast clean up.
And we're all completely addicted to everything that comes out of the miracle machine.

So far I've only made dried fruit.
Up next - veggie chips.
Eventually...maybe...I don't know...salmon jerky?
Although he's never tasted it, Sam keeps requesting salmon jerky.

Right now, when you walk in our house
it smells like a kool-aid dream party.
Sweet, sweet fruit and cotton candy fluff.
1000x better than Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Blossom dolls.
Remember those dolls? I think I sniffed all the smell off of mine.
I possibly, might have tried to eat them...

Can you imagine if I dried salmon?
I think the neighbors would hate me and all the stray cats would become
my new best friends.

Not all fruit is gorgeous when dehydrated.
Pineapple is pretty.
Strawberries are fashion stars with their own stylists and entourage.
Apples look like old people.
Bananas...errrr...without all the preservatives they use in store-bought banana chips, they're not winning any beauty contests.

All of it tastes incredible.
Do you have a dehydrator?
Any good "recipes" you want to pass my way?
What's your favorite thing to dry?

--------

I have the second winner from giveaway week!
An autographed Jessica Swift Art Print goes to:
Kelly T.
Yay! Congrats!
(Please check your email.)

Don't forget, there's still time to enter the remaining giveaways...
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
Good luck!

Earth Day 2013

2013-04-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo.
There was an amazing welcoming committee at the front gate.

We watched an animal show with a hawk, a porcupine and a tortoise.
The carpenter bees weren't part of the show but they definitely got the most attention.

The blur? That's the kid sitting in front of me.
Pretty sure he didn't see anything but bees.

Because it was an Earth Day celebration,
the Zoo released 35,000 ladybugs into their garden.
I know, it looks like some of them are dead.
They're not....I poked 'em to make sure.

Turns out it was another day of bugs.

We didn't spend much time with the animals.
It was hot and there was an assortment of Earth Day activities to do.
Including milking a weird fake cow. Moooooo.

And cooling off in the splash pad.

How did you spend Earth Day?

--------

I have the first winner from giveaway week!
An autographed Young House Love book
and a yard of my Scroll Flowers fabric goes to:
Sarah H.
Yay! Congrats!
(Please check your email.)

What a crazy fun week!
Did you like reading about incredible people and what they're up to?
I hope you entered all the giveaways!
If not, you still have a little bit of time....
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win a gorgeous signed ~~art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!

Jenean Morrison Giveaway

2013-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week!

Jenean Morrison is a surface designer and painter from Memphis, TN.
She’s also the sweetest person on the planet.
For real. Sweet, genuine and honest.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who knows her
(in real life or online) who thinks differently.
Not only is she nice, she's extraordinarily talented.

I first discovered Jenean through her gorgeous fabrics and
fell instantly in love with her work.
She has ten collections with Free Spirit Fabric.
Her newest collection, Beechwood Park comes out in May 2013.
She creates the most mesmerizing, beautiful, intricate designs.
Besides fabric, you can find her work on stationary, rugs, gift wrap, repositionable wallpaper, iPhone cases, journals, notebooks, lamps, water bottles, paintings…and more!

Jenean has been featured twice in New American Paintings.
Her exciting and stylish paintings are found in many private and corporate collections, as well as Las Vegas casinos and resorts (the Mirage, the Bellagio and the Aria).

Stunning, right?
Such whimsy and style.

She was also involved with making Memphis even more beautiful! Collaborating with the Downtown Memphis Commission, she hung 10 art pieces in the windows of an empty building.
So cool. Every city should do this...imagine how happy people would be to see this amazing eye-candy on their commute to work.

Recently, Jenean was interviewed by Monica Lee
of Smart Creative Women.
I urge you to check this out-
She's fun and honest.
She answers questions about the surface design world,
her artwork, her COLORING BOOK,
some of the trials she's been through and all about how she was affected
by Seth Godin's quote, to "Pick yourself".
What an inspiring woman!

For more on Jenean Morrison and/or where to get her products,
please take a look at her website and Facebook page.

------

Now it's your turn for a chance to WIN
an autographed coloring book from Jenean Morrison!

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm so sorry to international viewers,
all the giveaways are only open to US residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the other giveaways from this week!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous ~~signed art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations and a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces from Jupiter Designs!~~
All photos are from Jenean's website and Facebook page.

Jupiter Designs Giveaway

2013-04-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week! Day Five!

Today's giveaway comes from Jupiter Designs.
Owned and operated by Cassandra Midkiff.
Cassie is a homeschooler, collage and altered artist, photographer-
total sweetheart - an all around interesting and creative person.
She, her fiance and her beautiful daughter live out in the country in
Mississippi with their two cats, Phoenix and Shady.

(Cassie and I went to college together. I completely adore her.)

Angel:
Please tell us a little bit about your work.
Cassandra:
I create whimsical collages and dark paintings. I’ve also recently started taking photos, portraits of people in the area and hope to continue to do so.

Angel:
Where does the inspiration for your work come from?
Cassandra:
Inspiration has always come directly from my emotions. I am a very emotional person and tend to feel everything deeply and passionately which makes itself apparent in my work.

Angel:
When you're not creating, where can we usually find you?
Cassandra:
I love going to thrift stores/garage sales and digging through discarded treasure or what most people refer to as junk. I have quite the collection of dream pets and vintage small plastic toy animals/ skeletons. Another hobby is taking photos of abandoned buildings with my fiancé.

Angel:
Where can we find your work?
Cassandra:
My Etsy shop, Jupiter Designs or follow me on my Jupiter Designs or Cassandra Midkiff Photography Facebook pages.

---Thanks Cassie!---

Now it's your turn to WIN!
Jupiter Designs is giving away two very cute 1" square necklaces,
one is a tiny hand cut collage, the other is a watercolor.
Plus a 4" ornament with a beautiful mermaid collage!
All are pictured above.

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm so sorry to international viewers,
all the giveaways are only open to US residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the other giveaways from this week!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous ~~signed art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
All images from Cassandra Midkiff

Reggie's Creations Giveaway

2013-04-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week! Day four!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Regina Couture.
Jewelry designer and owner of Reggie's Creations.

Here she is with her sweet pooch, Buster.
Awwww, love.

Regina creates the most stunning bracelets,
using carefully selected Czech beads (her favorite)
and many other brands, types and styles of beads.

Gorgeous, right? She's really talented.
I love how each bracelet is so intricate, yet subtle.
All can easily be worn for a special night out, or with jeans and a tee.

Angel:
How did you get into making and selling jewelery?
Regina:
I started making jewelry over 10 years ago as gifts and auction pieces for various events. After receiving so many wonderful compliments on my bracelet designs and realizing I truly enjoyed creating them, I decided to start selling my pieces. I launched my Etsy Store this past November.

Angel:
Do you create jewelry full-time?
Regina:
Even though I would love to just make jewelry to support myself, it is a hobby. I have spent the last 15 years as an employee of the County of Cheboygan, Michigan.
I have been contemplating being in a craft show, so currently I am working on making enough pieces to participate. It is a pretty big goal, as some of my pieces take over 10 hours to create...if only I had more hands!

Angel:
Other than work, what do you do when you're not creating beautiful bracelets?
Regina:
Spoiling the love of my life, my 3-year old fur baby Buster.
I enjoy cooking, baking, reading, traveling, making various crafts, gardening and spending time with my family and friends. My 5-year old niece is the other twinkle in my eye. I enjoy and cherish every moment I spend with her.
I am a HUGE Nascar fan {Dale Jr all the way}, as well as Detroit Red Wings and Tigers fan, so most evenings you will find me viewing sports while working on my newest creation.
Live. Laugh. Love. Bead.

---Thanks Regina!---

You can find more of Regina's exquisite jewelry in her Etsy shop,
Reggie's Creations,
or on her Facebook page.

Now it's your turn to WIN one of Reggie's Creations!
Regina made a special bracelet just for the winner of this giveaway.

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm so sorry to international viewers,
all the giveaways are only open to US residents.

Giveaway now closed.
See the winner below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the other giveaways from this week!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous ~~signed art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
All images from Reggie's Creations and her Facebook page.

Paper Clouds Apparel Giveaway

2013-04-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week! Day three baby!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Robert Thornton.
The CEO and Founder of a fantastic company, Paper Clouds Apparel.
(You may recognize him from the photo shoot
my family did with his company last week.)

You also have an opportunity to WIN a Paper Clouds Apparel shirt!

Angel:
Hey Robert, will you please explain what Paper Clouds Apparel is all about?

Robert:
Paper Clouds Apparel raises funds for special needs schools and organizations while showcasing the artistic talents of those with special needs. We take a piece of art an individual with special needs has created and transfer that art to our super soft shirts, 8" x 10" prints and greeting cards.
We sell those products on our website, www.papercloudsapparel.com and 50% of the proceeds go to the special needs school/organization of the person that created the art.

Every two weeks we team up with a different cause and sell new products!

In addition to the 50% we give away, Paper Clouds Apparel also hires individuals with special needs to package ALL our shirts. Creating jobs for some people that have a hard time finding work.
93% of all individuals with special needs of working age are unemployed. Buy a shirt, create a job!

My goal is for Paper Clouds Apparel to raise hope, awareness and create tons of work for those in the special needs community. I want to give these amazing individuals an opportunity to showcase their talents and gain appreciation and self esteem that they might have been lacking previously.

Angel:
What an amazing company!
How were you inspired to start Paper Clouds Apparel?

Robert:
The inspiration behind Paper Clouds Apparel began with a drawing hanging on my mothers refrigerator. My mother is a bus driver for children with special needs and a little girl on her route would draw during her ride to school. She often gave these drawings to my mother upon arriving at school. When I saw her art I was mesmerized by it. Searching for a way to give back, I thought the drawing would look great on a shirt and be a fantastic medium for me to raise money for special needs causes.

I have now made it my life's mission to make Paper Clouds Apparel a huge success and help millions every year. I know people will get on board and help these amazing individuals if we can get our mission to the masses.

Angel:
Where can we find Paper Clouds Apparel?

Robert:
Take a peek at our website and let me know what you think!
We also can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
If anyone has questions or comments you can reach me at papercloudsapparel@gmail.com.
I would love to hear from you.
Hopefully you will open your hearts and your wallets to some of our amazing special needs schools and organizations that need our help. Thank you all so much..

----Thanks Robert!----

Now it's your turn for a chance to WIN!
Robert is giving away two shirts to two lucky entrants.

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm so sorry to international viewers,
all the giveaways are only open to US residents.

Giveaway now closed.
See the winner below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget- you can enter each day this week!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a gorgeous ~~signed art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
All images from PCA Facebook page.

Jessica Swift Print Giveaway

2013-04-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week!

Todays giveaway comes from a hugely popular
and talented artist, pattern designer and writer.
Jessica Swift.
Here she is in Oaxaca- so pretty!

Jessica Swift is inspiring, positive and realistic.
Her sensitivity to the human condition is...well, it's magnetic.
She's someone who trusts her intuition while honoring
that negative inner voice we all sometimes have.
Often, on her blog, you can find her internal struggles,
challenges, solutions and successes.

Everything feels familiar, so relateable.
Although you may not be in the same situation,
it's easy to understand what she's talking about.

Jessica soaks in her atmosphere,
her place at that moment,
takes steps to figure out what feels right,
and breathes out creativity and love.

"I believe that HAPPINESS is like food, sunshine + water.
It’s not frivolous — it’s mandatory.
An undeniable human right.
We need it. We deserve it.
And we can find — and create it — in limitless ways.

For me, happiness isn’t usually about cupcakes,
balloons + manic cartwheels across the lawn.
Most of the time, it’s an experience of stillness + simple contentment.
I find happiness in those moments when my mind stops chattering +
nattering, and I simply feel OK with what I’ve got …
OK with what I’m creating …
OK with who I am." - Jessica Swift, from her website.

See?
Isnt' she fantastic?

Today you can enter to win a signed 8.5"x11" print from her shop.
She has dozens to choose from.

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm so sorry to international viewers,
the giveaways are only open to US residents.

Giveaway now closed.
See the winner below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget- you can enter each day this week!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter for a chance to win an ~~autographed Young House Love book and a yard of my fabric~~, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!

All images are from Jessica Swift's website.

Young House Love Book and Fabric Giveaway

2013-04-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

As a way to say Thank You to some people I admire,
as well as some friends (that I also admire)
AND to celebrate my blog redesign,
I'm holding giveaways all this week!
Monday through Saturday will feature a new giveaway.
Come back each day for your chance to win!

Today, I'd like you to have a chance to win an autographed book.
You probably already read Young House Love's DIY blog.
If not, I dare you...try not to love them!
It's impossible.
Sherry and John Petersik are endearing, hilarious and sincere.
I look forward to reading about their family adventures each day.

Inspired by Clara Conversations (such a sweetheart),
I started Sam Says and Ella Says as a way to share and remember
more about who they are.
(The Grandparents especially LOVE those posts!)

Young House Love:
243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love
has been named a New York Times Bestseller,
a Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, and an Amazon Book Of The Year!

But that's not all.
You also have a chance to win one yard of my Scroll Flowers Fabric.
Your choice, Bold or Sweet.

Good luck!
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
I'm sorry to international viewers,
the giveaways are only open to US residents.

Giveaway now closed.
See the winner below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
You still have a chance to WIN!
ALL GIVEAWAYS NOW CLOSED.
Enter to win a gorgeous signed ~~art print~~ from Jessica Swift, a ~~super soft shirt~~ from Paper Clouds Apparel, a ~~stunning beaded bracelet~~ from Reggie's Creations, a ~~"magical" mermaid collage and two necklaces~~ from Jupiter Designs and an ~~autographed coloring book~~ from Jenean Morrison!
Young House Love image source

Fabric8 Contest

2013-04-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

Spoonflower and Robert Kaufman Fabrics
have teamed up to host a Fabric8 contest.

"Fabric8 is an annual contest
to discover eight bold, modern fabric collections
from designers the world has yet to hear from."
-from the Spoonflower website

This year the theme is Geek Chic.
Oh, well as my third grade picture clearly shows,
I have the geek part down.

Still working on that chic bit!
At least my head eventually grew big enough for those chompers.
Eh, almost big enough.

Although I don't have anything to enter yet,
I thought I'd pass this on to you.
It's an open contest.
The prize is huge - a contract with Robert Kaufman Fabrics,
$1000 advance against royalties and a Wacom tablet.
Anyone can enter.
For more details, check out the Fabric8 website.
Entries are due by April 23rd...
which means I will be attempting mine on Monday
when the kids are in school.

I have a few geeky chic-y ideas brewing.

If you need a little inspiration,
There's a Pinterest board dedicated to the contest too.

So what do you think?
Are you going to enter?

The Buns Are Rising

2013-04-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm half way through the April Squat Challenge!
There's some pretty awesome things happening to my body.
For real, you have to try this challenge.
My rear end is looking fine.
And my legs look and feel so much stronger.

I'm thinking about this summer.
I might be strutting my stuff like this dude...

One not so good thing...
I woke up two days ago with a wonky knee.
Not super painful, just "old" feeling.
Like I'd twisted it in my sleep.
If I have a squat injury...ahahahaaahaaa, that's just sounds so funny.

Yesterdays walk with Mu-
Here's my attempt at some monochrome.

Some of them are okay.
And I think some of them are boring.
But it's fun to practice!
We're still trying to figure out when I can take photography classes.
Trying to work around a musicians random schedule isn't easy.
Maybe I'll do one online?
I think I really need some hands on though-
someone in my face yelling at me Drill Sergeant style
so I can learn to be speedy with settings.

Are you following along with the Squat Challenge?
Are your buns firming, moving upward?
Is it weird that I'm asking you about your butt?
I'll post my final results in a couple weeks.
No worries though, I don't plan to flash my cheeks at you.