The Creative Life

Our First Craft Fair!

2011-05-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's over, now I have a sense of peace in my heart again. Sarah and I finished our very first craft fair yesterday. We had tons of fun and learned quite a bit. I thought I would share some pictures of our booth and a little bit of what our Friday and Saturday was like.

I don't know about where you're from but around here the Fall craft fair is the big one. It gets so crowded at all the venues that you basically have to stay in line to get from booth to booth. Considering that I didn't even know we had a craft fair in the Spring until Sarah asked me if I wanted to apply, I assumed it wouldn't be as busy. I assumed correctly. It was busy enough but not like we had hoped. I'm happy to say that we came out on top and we have enough inventory left to get us started for the Fall if we decide to go for it.

Sarah and I are both introverted so we aren't the type of crafters that finagled people into our booth. I hate being guilted into looking at items I'm not interested in. I'm not sure what the common courtesy is but I'm sure not a fan of being trapped into a conversation with someone. Instead we stayed out on the edges of our booth and greeted everyone who did come in to look. We offered assistance when needed and stayed out of the way the rest of the time. When I shop, I like to be left alone to carefully consider my purchases so that's what we tried to do for our customers.

I have a confession to make, we never did a practice set up for our booth. We're both procrastinators as I'm sure I've mentioned before in previous posts. I'll stop procrastinating when procrastination stops working for me! We even had to have Sarah's husband Curtis run to get another table cloth for our back table at the literal last minute. He arrived with it as the doors opened and we had it on the table in two seconds and ready to go.

This is what our booth looked like the first day.

My friend Kim who works at a Salon let me borrow a few of their practice heads to display headbands on. Our metal headbands were displayed on a multiple picture frame that I spray painted blue and removed the glass and backing from.

Aren't these flower clips adorable? They're so fun because you can wear them in your hair, on your shirt, on your shoes, on your bag, the possibilities are endless! Check Sarah's etsy out if you're interested in these little lovelies.

I brought this lovely lady the second day of the fair after we realized that people weren't really noticing Sarah's teething necklaces. I think she wore it well, don't you?

We did some rearranging on Saturday. I brought one more practice head in to display one of my bloom headbands on. What do you guys think of using heads for display? Creepy? Cute? A good idea so people see how the headbands are worn? Personally, I like them.

Here are a couple of my clutches. I'll be adding a few to my shop in the next couple of weeks.

Here's a couple more..

I thought this shadow box that I found at goodwill would be a cute display for my earrings. The earrings were pretty popular. I'll also be adding some of these to the shop.

We talked with a lot of lovely people who genuinely enjoyed our items as well as our booth as a whole. Our sweet friends came by to visit with us and purchase items, some even came both days. My friends are such a blessing to my life! I'm sad that I was too tired to attend the girls' night they were having Saturday evening but I'm so glad I got to see them anyway! :) <3

All in all the past couple of days have been really fun, and I have to say, doing this craft fair was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Happy Mother's day to my fellow moms!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

<3 Mandy

Love

2011-05-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

source

I just want to say that

I LOVE

all of the blogs I follow.

Behind every single one of them is a creative woman with wonderful ideas and a great heart.

So, that's all I have to say today.

<3 Mandy

Time Moves TOO Quickly

2011-05-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

{source}

FREAKING OUT.

I need more time. :-/

I'm setting up for my first craft fair Thursday evening. The fair is Friday and Saturday and I am not even close to ready. I'll have approximately 200 items and my goal was double that. And you know how when you see something you've made over and over again that you start to not really like it anymore because you're a perfectionist and you pick at it to death? Well, that's where I'm at right now. I'm a mixture of emotions: excited, scared, overwhelmed, helpless, happy, and nervous, all rolled into one.

I know that I'll do fine and even if things don't work out the way I had hoped at least I did it and I will have learned a few things along the way.

-Mandy

What I Wish I Wore Wednesday

2011-04-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the grey and yellow trend? I have and I simply adore it. I stumbled upon these adorable grey wedges at Ruche and was inspired to look for something to pair with them. I googled yellow dress, searched Forever 21, and this is what I came up with.

Grey wedges from Ruche

Anthropologie- blogged about here.

Forever 21

Oh and two of the blogs I follow are doing a Ruche giveaway today, go check them out and enter to win! Selective Potential & Down and Out Chic.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

-Mandy

The Clutch

2011-04-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided I've about had it with making headbands so I came up with a little clutch design. I've only made one clutch before and I followed the same steps when it came to putting it together but mine is a bit bigger (the dimensions are completely different), the outside piece isn't ruffled but the panel is and I didn't include a divider as I didn't think it served much of a purpose. I also squared the bottom corners so it seems to have more room and can stand up on it's own. Also, mine has a handle.

I'll have a limited supply of these at the craft fair. I hope they sell!

I think I'll move the panel up a little on the next one.

I'm hoping to make some canvas clutches, and possibly some iphone holders as well!

Please let me know what you think!

The Camera is on Manual. EEK!

2011-04-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we planted a little garden in pots. We planted herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and flowers. I was so excited about it that when I found this tutorial on Little Miss Momma's blog I decided I would use my beloved potted plants as subjects to practice my camera skills on. I have little to no camera skills...just thought I should mention that. I used my Canon Rebel, in case you we're wondering. :)

such pretty herbs :)

I need mint for my new love of mojitos! I'll be making strawberry ones as soon as those little berries are ready. :)

mint, cilantro, and sweet basil

I love hanging baskets.

mmm! Strawberries! You can't see it but there is a tiny little one in the back that's already turning red.

And here's Noah playing with his new bowling set.

haha! Love this face!

I wasn't too concerned with composition at this point. I was practicing getting the color and the white balance right. I didn't even know I could adjust the white balance on my camera until I discovered this tutorial! Now instead of cold blue hued photos I can have warm colorful photos. :) I'm excited to learn even more about my camera and take lots of awesome photos. I'll keep documenting as I gain more knowledge! Cheers to being able to take our cameras off auto and onto manual!!

So now that I'm going to be using my camera a lot more I think I'll be making some really cute camera strap covers as a new crafting adventure. Maybe a couple will even end up in the ol' shop.

If you're a little rusty when it comes to photography I challenge you to check out the tutorial I mentioned, practice, blog about it, and share a link in the comment section below!

-Mandy

Can I get a break?

2011-04-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've been making headbands in my spare time nonstop the past few weeks. I dream about them, I can't fall asleep because of them, I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about them, I'm tired. It's official, I think I've burned myself out. I'm taking a break after the craft fair and not making anything craft related for a week. When that week is up I'm going to make the bag I bought a pattern for weeks ago as a gift to myself. Then, on to more crafting adventures. I need a little variety though, not just hair accessories, but bags, kitchen towels, and definitely more crochet items. The possibilities are endless!

Here's another sneak peak of the items I've been working on.

Ivory Chiffon Flower Bobbies:

Could be worn by a bride or bridal party.

And to change the subject...because I love to do that...

Have you ever shopped at your local Goodwill? I haven't been since high school but I went the other day hoping to find some decor for our booth and I actually found quite a few awesome things! They had a boutique section where I found two beautiful Fossil dresses but they were both size Large. :( But on the bright side I found a brand new, still in the package wine bottle opener! Score! We've been using our broken one for uh...years.

I found this mirror to use on my table at the craft fair. I'm going to spray paint it ivory and then use my friend Samantha's leftover charcoal antique gloss on the crevices. This is a horrible picture! The mirror is really ugly too but I'm hoping the paint will pretty it up a bit.

I decided on this color for the mirror. I've never spray painted anything before...EEK!

I also found a shadow box that I failed to take a picture of to display my earrings in at the show.

Oh and I found this little guy hanging out in a random spot...and I had to have him. I gave him to my husband and he loved it.

Isn't he cute and strange? My grandmother told me that she has a friend who collects owls. Apparently they're good luck if you're the superstitious type.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Mandy

This Week...

2011-04-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

This week marks the first week into the last month until my first craft fair! I'm super nervous, I'm not even half way done with my inventory and we (my friend Sarah and I are sharing a booth) have no idea how our booth is going to look. So far we have three tables and a promise from my husband for a wall to be built.

So what have I been doing this week? Making lots and lots of headbands, placing last minute supply orders, and running to the fabric store for Spring colors!

So here are some rough pictures (taken with the ol' iphone4, please forgive me...) of some new items!

These flowers are so fun to make but they are a little time consuming.

The blue button on this one came from my Grandma's button box. :)

I plan to make a lot more Razorback themed headbands like this one...after all it's RAZORBACK NATION!

Just look how fun and cute these tiny Rosette earrings are. :)

And subject change.....

I can't just work the whole time! I am a stay at home mom with a 14 month old so of course we must go on adventures. Our favorite place to go every week is Granny's house. We take the radio flyer wagon and go for walks around the neighborhood.

Granny and Noah

Noah likes to carry sticks, and brooms, and golf clubs, pretty much anything that is long and narrow. haha!

And in other Noah news:
He has learned to climb onto the furniture. Lord, help me. Amen.

That's my week in a nutshell. Would love to hear how your week has gone! Have you gone on any exciting crafting adventures?

Be sure to look for a giveaway in the near future. I mentioned on twitter last week that I would have one up this week but I've been super busy so instead of promising a date I'll just say it'll be soon.

Hope you have a spectacular weekend!

-Mandy

Time Flies...

2011-03-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

I was looking on iPhoto today and found some really great pictures of Noah when he was just crawling around 5 months. It got me thinking about how time just flies by. It feels like Dallas and I were married just a few weeks ago but we will have been married 4 years on April 14th! And I can't believe Noah is 14 months old! Wasn't he just born yesterday?

aww my little toothless man!

excited and crawling at a wee five months old

he has teeth in this one so he must be at least 6 months here.

This is a current one of Noah (14 months old!) with his Papa.

Here's an oldie of Dallas and I at Josh and Natalie's wedding, over 5 years ago. We look like babies!

I'm so thankful for the way pictures can capture time and you can almost feel just exactly what you were feeling at that moment. I've been super blessed these past four years, it feels like I live in a dream most of the time. :) Isn't it fun to look at old pictures and reminisce?

-Mandy

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

2011-03-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are going on a little weekend trip to St. Louis soon. We're going with two other couples who are some of our best friends so of course I'm super excited about it. We're going to take in a Cardinal's game while we're there and who knows what else.

You know what that means...time to go shopping....but on the cheap so I'm looking at Forever21 RIGHT NOW.

1) What to wear to the game...

I love this I hope our local shop has it!
only $12.80

2) What to wear while we're wandering around town.

I'm a sucker for white peasant tops

love this striped cardi

3) for a night on the town...

So MANY CHOICES!

And I'll probably never find any of these in the actual store hah! I'm sure I'll find some great things though.

On a completely different note, I'm hoping to get a little giveaway up in the next few days and a sneak peak on what I've been working on lately. Keep your eyes peeled! And have a great week!

xoxo

Mandy

SALE SALE SALE in the ol' shopparoo

2011-03-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

That's right, you read it correctly, I'm having a SALE. 25% OFF EVERYTHING! I want to get rid of all inventory so that I can start fresh with brand new items after the Craft Fair I'm participating in this Spring. This sale is for this week only March 23-March 30, so get it while you can! Anything that doesn't sell by the date of the craft fair will be going with me and won't be returning to the shop. So get to shoppin!!

This is just a few of the must have items that are 25% OFF!! You just can't beat it!

On your mark, get set, SHOP!

These lovely photos, as well as the photo in my banner, were taken by the lovely Anna Corn. She is the best photographer. Ever. The end. Don't believe me? Check out her Flickr and her website.

Spring Moss Wreath

2011-03-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

I was definitely inspired by the tutorials I found yesterday. I was hoping to come up with a thrifty wreath like number two. I spent around $30 which isn't too bad compared to spending $70 for one that is pre-made. I was surprised to spend as much as I did as the flowers were half off; luckily. Oh well! I'm still feeling good about it. So let me walk you through what I did...

I started out with a straw wreath and hot glued spanish moss all over it. I decided not to use the smaller package of light green moss, it didn't look how I thought it would.

Then I cut the ends of the flowers off of the stems and placed them around the wreath different ways until I decided on a combination that I liked. As you can see I used butterflies like tutorial number three. :)

I glued them down and....viola! Finished!

I'm happy with it but it isn't as eye catching from the street as I was hoping it would be. We live and we learn right? This is only the second wreath I've ever made. I'm excited to make one this summer with bigger flowers and more vibrant colors, most likely on a grapevine wreath (The gluing of the moss was very time consuming!!!! Way more than I thought it would be).

On a side note: this is the first day of Spring! What are your plans on this most beautiful day? I already completed my goal for the day so I guess that means I get to play now! Well, I can hear Noah jabbering in his crib, I better go get the little man.

<edit>

I learned from Sarah that I need floral spray to ensure the moss stays on! If you decide to make a moss wreath, invest in some floral spray. :)

Spring Wreath Ideas

2011-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've talked my husband into taking me to Hobby Lobby today to get supplies to make a Spring wreath for our front door. Aren't I lucky? I just love wreaths and Spring! I can't wait for everything to be in bloom. I decided to search for a few tutorials to inspire me. So, let me share them with you. :)

1. This first tutorial is from Sunshine and Carousels.

What you need for this project is

-straw or foam wreath

-colorful cupcake liners

-yarn

-matt modge podge

-needle and thread

While this wreath is absolutely adorable it's not what I'm looking for. I had to share it with you because of the unique items used to make it. I never would have thought to use cupcake liners on a wreath! How creative!

2. This inspiring tutorial is from Centsible Savings (love the blog name!).

This blogger saw a wreath in Michaels that she absolutely loved but it was extremely pricey; at $69.99, so she took a few pictures of it and decided she could create her own version of it. Well, she did and she spent a mere $10.98! She grabbed the grapevine wreath at goodwill and didn't glue the flowers down so the wreath is reusable! Very green. :)

3. Ok now we're getting closer to where I'm wanting to go. This wreath tutorial is from A Diamond in the Suff.

I love moss wreaths at the moment. I suppose they are really 'in' because in my searches I found a few tutorials on how to make a plain moss wreath that were Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn inspired. I don't want just a plain ol' wreath! I need some pizazz like this one. She used a grapevine wreath, a few different kinds of mosses, butterflies, (that she painted) and some bird's nests. I really like the ethereal look.

4. Oh my goodness I am drooling! This wreath was made by Stephanie Lynn on Under the Table and Dreaming.

Is this not absolutely stunningly gorgeous?! Does anyone agree with me that this would be perfect for a wedding? Definitely so! I must share this with my bestie who is getting married this summer. Perhaps she'll want one or two and I'll get to make them. I'm not sure if I like it for my front door for two reasons, 1: it's a little too dressy for my taste; 2: TIME CONSUMING! She hand rolled all of the flowers from recycled book pages. Don't get me wrong, I would love to spend hours making this because it would be totally worth it BUT I'm needing a quick fix for my door asap. :)

I'm having a love affair with this wreath...I'll probably make one anyway....

p.s. this picture was on her site as well, I'm sure you would just do the same thing but glue the rolled flowers to a styrofoam ball. Again, gorgeous for a wedding.

Okay, I think I'm done for now. I'll let you all know what I come up with when I have finished.

-Mandy

Future Home Inspirations

2011-03-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

I love this old abandoned house. I might sneak some more pictures of it. Yes, I took this picture while driving by. I love the big long porch and the columns. Big square columns with brick on the bottom are kinda my thing. I might like it just for them. Nah, the whole thing is cute and cozy! :) I can picture us on a porch like this on a summer night with friends, a pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade, and mason jars full of fireflies that our kids have caught. We'd talk late into the evening about the stars and all of God's glory.

{edit}

When I showed my husband this picture and asked him if he liked it he seemed offended at the idea. I think he assumed I like the house in it's current condition. I thought I should clarify that although I see potential in this house, I don't want it! I can however romanticize the idea of what it might look like with some TLC, in my head and it comes pretty close to what my dream home might look like plus a billion updates and a ton of square footage. I like that I can see beauty where others can't.

Making it Ours.

2011-03-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

I live in a quiet little neighborhood that's fairly new and isn't quite finished, it's in a standstill due to the economy; lots of empty lots and a few foundations that haven't been built upon. This is our first home, I loved it when we first walked in and I still do it's just not what I've been dreaming of. This is definitely not our final home but while we are here we want to make it the best it can be for us.

There are a few changes we plan to make in the next couple of years (I'm hoping in just one year)
1. Back deck expansion. We have a wooden deck that I really don't see the point of. You literally walk out onto it just to go down the steps into the back yard. We want to expand out so that we can actually use it and enjoy it rather than just pass over it.
2. Hardwood floors (at least in the living room and hallway). Carpet is just gross. Especially if you have pets. All it does is trap dirt and germs. Yuck.
3. New front door or paint the one we have a different color.
4. Front porch. At the moment it is pretty much non-existant. We do however have a rather large flower bed that we plan on downsizing by turning part of it into a small porch, large enough for a couple chairs or bench and a small table.

I've been looking at different front door ideas via google.

I used photovisi to make an inspiration board. I like all of these doors for different reasons, shape color, windows, etc.

Of course our shutters will have to change as well. Right now our front door and shutters are both a dark grey or at least they're supposed to be. The sun has bleached the shutters to a light grey. I have to say I'm most excited about the changes to the front of our house at the moment. It will look totally different! Now we just have to find the look that we both like.

Here you can see a little bit of our door behind Noah.

...And our non-existent porch. Off to the right is where we will add a small one.

That's all for now. I'll be posting more of my little dreams in the near future.

-Mandy

Best Blueberry Muffins EVER!

2011-02-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love muffins, but I never can seem to find a home-made recipe that I like more than the store bought boxed muffin mixes. Well, I'm here to say that I have found "the one." The thing that gets me about them is their texture. They're moist and fluffy where most home-made recipes are dense and on the dry side. Needless to say this recipe stole my heart.

Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

Fresh out of the oven...

The Stand Alone

Oh, it found a friend and they clothed themselves in butter. :)

Ok, here's the recipe (out of a Woman's Day magazine...March 2011)

Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

Active: 15 min Total: 35 min

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk

1 large egg beaten

6 oz fresh blueberries (1 & 1/2 cups)

1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12- cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar; make a well in the center.

3.) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts, swirl the pan until the butter begins to brown and smell nutty, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat.

4.) Pour the butter, milk and egg into the well of flour and stir to combine (a few lumps in the batter are okay- don't over mix); fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups; sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool before unmolding.

per serving: 213 calories, 4 G Protein, 30 G Car. 1 G Fiber, 9 G Fat (5 G Sat. Fat), 40 MG Chol. 188 MG SOD

Hard Work & Patience

2011-02-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

I love making things. My favorite parts are picking out what to use and the finished product. The in between part can be at times tedious and mundane (for a beginner like me). My LEAST favorite part of a sewing project is cutting out the various pieces...it makes me want to SCREAM! I feel similar to how a child feels about waiting to get home from the toy store to play with their new toy. I don't want to wait to get home to put the batteries in! I want it now! In the car!!!! However, as I'm moving along in the process and I begin to see the silver lining I am overwhelmed with satisfaction.

Anyway, today I used my Granny's Singer that's approximately 54 years old! That's over twice as old as me!! And it works fabulously, a lot better than my $75 machine that's loud and bouncy. It's beautiful...that's my grandma getting it set up for me. She's so sweet. :)

Here are the fabrics I chose from Hobby Lobby.

And here's the clutch! I added a handle to mine to make it a wristlet. :) It's unzipped in this picture. I should've zipped it up but I was in a rush.

A close up, I love the gathered part. So cute. So feminine.

And here's the inside. Complete with two card slots and a divider. Perfect, all I ever need are my keys, phone, DL, debit card, and of course lip gloss. I was using my phone to take the picture so it couldn't be in the photo...

And I'm going to make one for my friend Sarah with these materials...just because. :o)

Here's a link to the tutorial that I used, it's awesome, I recommend it.

So fun! If you sew, definitely check it out.

To conclude, hard work and patience pays. In my case, I gained a cute lil clutch that I'll be happy to use AND I'll love when people ask where I got it because I will get to say, "I made it!"

On the Spot Potato Soup Recipe

2011-02-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes that you can definitely make your own. I don't have exact measurements but I do have approximations. You should know I did this on a whim & didn't even know what we were going to have for dinner. I'm also no Pioneer Woman; the photos are from my iphone and are of poor quality. So, let me take you on this simple yet satisfying adventure.

1. First, you need two potatoes. I like the simple baking potatoes. Peel them and chop them to the consistency that you like. I left mine in inch or so chunks. We like it chunky.

2. Put the chunks in a pot and cover with water. Boil for 15 minutes or so just until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork easily.

3. Drain most of the water out, you'll need to leave a little bit. Now you need a can of chicken broth (you could really use any kind of broth) and a can of evaporated milk. I could literally drink a can of it, delicious. Add the whole can of broth to the pan but only a little less than half of the evaporated milk.

4. Time to season it up! This is where you will need to taste as you go. I never measure. A little garlic salt, (I just shake it for a few seconds over the pan), a little parsley (several good shakes), and a little onion powder (don't over do it). Don't be afraid!! Use your taste buds as a guide. Heck you can even branch out and add different kinds of seasonings. I just prefer these three.

5. Butter. DO NOT forget the butter. Approximately two & a half tablespoons...or more...you can't go wrong here.

6. You'll want to let this boil for a little while, about 10 minutes or so and then let it simmer for a few minutes to steam some of the liquid out and let the flavors mix. Let it get thick but not too thick or you'll have mashed potatoes instead of soup. (I like to mash the potatoes up just a LITTLE bit with a potato masher...just a little.)

7. While you're waiting for your soup to perfect get your toppings ready! We like turkey bacon. ALOT. And we like it crispy. We just put a couple paper towels on a plate and put one layer of bacon on top of that, throw it in the microwave for a few minutes until they're nice and crispy.

8. Cheese, need I say more?

9. Self explanatory. Taste your soup before you add salt, especially if you use garlic salt. The garlic salt and the broth may have made it salty enough. I cannot stress enough to you the importance of letting your taste buds be your guide. :)

10. When your soup is to the consistency of your desires dip some up and top it with your favorites.

11. ENJOY!!!

*Recipe was made for two, if you are feeding more you may need to multiply the approximations. :o)

Snowpocalypse 2011!!!

2011-02-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

I woke up to 20 + inches of snow, a record for our area I hear, as we haven't had this much snowfall in one day since 1918. I haven't checked this statement yet but I believe it. We're up to about 24 inches and counting! The snow isn't expected to let up until the early evening.

Words can't describe what I'm about to share with you. You just have to see it for yourself.

Wasn't that precious??? That was our dogs Lily (the beagle) and Gunner (the sheltie) when they went out to potty this morning.

This is outside my front door. Don't worry! Noah and I will shovel it!

(haha our faces were shadowed in this photo before I edited it...that's why it's not so good.)

Looking out the window into my backyard. The snow is almost as high as half the fence.

On the deck...after Dallas shoveled it off...

Paths that the dogs/Dallas made in the snow. They're much deeper than they look.

I wish Noah and I had clothes to play in the snow!!! We're going to go play on the porch for a minute. He's really interested in it. :)

And the Winner is...

2011-02-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

Time to announce the winner of the Valentine Giveaway!

& The winner is.... dun dun dunnnnnn....

Alyssa Stas!

Congratulations!!!

Thank you all for participating.

*I used this Random Name Generator in case y'all were wondering. :o)

Valentine Give-away!

2011-02-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a give away?! I do! And I want to give a little something to you. From my hands to yours. I've come up with a Valentine theme for you.

I've included a sweet little fabric bow barrette.

A heart shaped barrette/brooch

And a set of heart-shape sticky notes

All together you get...

Okay, for the rules!

*1. You must "like" my facebook page.

*2. Leave a comment on this post with your name and e-mail address.

3. For an extra entry tweet about this little give away. (leave a separate comment on this post with your twitter name so I can see your tweet)

4. For yet another entry, make a facebook status about this give away. (leave a separate comment letting me know you did this)

*The first two rules are mandatory! The third and fourth are OPTIONAL.

Altogether you have the chance for four entries. So get busy!!!

Don't forget to FOLLOW my blog. :o)

The winner will be announced Monday by 6.pm.

Good luck!!

**you must be a resident of the United States for this give away.

*** Post-it/3M is NOT sponsoring this giveaway.

Giddyup!

2011-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

My little man is turning 1 Saturday (though the party is on Sunday, and I'm regretting the time I chose as he is usually asleep at 3 pm)! I can't believe it! I'm such a procrastinator so I'm finally sitting down to document everything I'm doing to get ready for the party. I thought I would share some pictures of what I've done so far, yet there is SO much left to do.

What we're going to wear.....

My shirt is from Banana Republic that I happened to get on CRAZY sale for basically 20 buckaroos...oh yes!

I looooove love the ruffles.

These boots...Ariat...got them for 30 bucks because I posted a facebook status asking where I could get cheap boots, it just so happened a friend from high school had a pair in her garage sale pile. What a blessing!!

Here is Noah's Birthday Banner in progress, I have a few more triangles to sew on.

Oh! And the invite (i made it on gimp)! With the address blurred of course.

This is what I've been working on today....

thank you tags for the bags that will contain the cookies cut from these magnificent cowboy cookie cutters!!!!

Well, that's all for now. I'm also making cupcakes and a horseshoe shaped cake but I'll save the pictures of those for the next post which will be pictures of the actual party. I'm so excited. It's going to be so cute, and fun!!!

In love

2011-01-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

Photo taken by Anna Corn

I am in love with my little man who is almost 1, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Look at how unbelievably beautiful he is. I have GOT to start working on his birthday party! Eek! January 29th...I'm slacking.

Love this next photo by Anna Corn, especially Noah's cheese face.

Anyway, I started my etsy shop, Cattails Studio, in November last year and I've been blessed to have 3 sales so far to some very dear friends. I love making things, especially pretty things! Especially pretty hair accessories! Like this one...it's very pretty on.

photo by: Katherine Ann Longron

Photo by: Katherine Ann Longron

My friend Sarah and I have applied for our very first craft fair in the Spring. We're praying continually that we get in! It will be fun and a great experience for us. Here are a couple new designs...

That's all for now. I'm in love with my life right now. I'm so blessed. Praise God for all his glory.

Better Late than Never

2010-11-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

Finally, some pictures from our Corn Maze excursion. :) Enjoy!

Samantha and I taking pictures. :)

He's excited!

We went to our local corn maze; as far as I know it was new this year. I've never been through one before but apparently they're supposed to give you a map to follow (which we didn't get). We creepily followed the family in front of us but I think we made it unnoticed. :)

Fabric Flowers Really Get Me Excited!

2010-11-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

I get excited about the littlest things lately! Tomorrow I'm going to get materials to make fabric flowers. I found a bunch of awesome tutorials on Tip Junkie. The pictures above are from the site. They're so adorable! I can't wait! A side note: I started this blog thinking I would make a lot of items for boys after I was disappointed to find the craft fairs were lacking (I have one boy). Alas, it seems as though we need to add a little girl to the family because I just can't help myself with the girly crafts. Not to worry, I still have a few things in mind for the grimier of the sexes. :)

I still haven't pulled the corn maze photos from my camera. I'll get them posted someday. Bye for now.