Handi Dandi Mommy

This Force Is Strong...

2011-08-25T19:24:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Gabriel and I went to a Star Wars themed birthday for a friend's daughter's 4th birthday. Gabriel and I were so excited so we kind of went all out.

I made Star Wars themed confetti cupcakes. Who doesn't love a confetti cupcake every now and then? I just loved the light saber cupcake picks from Amazon! I might buy some more just to make my own Star Wars cupcakes.

I've been wanting to make this recipe from the Star Wars Cookbook for a long time. Granted I don't actually OWN the Star Wars cookbook but these Tie Fighter Ties (get it?) are just Pillsbury breadsticks and mini hotdogs (or sausage, your choice!). I think they are so cute but would have preferred them fresh from the oven. I'll note that for next time. They're very easy to make and great for little fingers to hold (there was ketchup too, since that seems to be the preferred condiment for those under 10...and some over 10 too!)

Gabriel was so excited for the Star Wars party, he was planning his outfit for months! His Aunty B from Thrifty Goodness made him this awesome Yoda hat and he was all smiles when he finally got a chance to wear it!

My little Yoda was a little upset he had to use Darth Vader's red Light Saber but he got over it quick. This was his first birthday party so he wanted to check everything out!

Who knows what our next adventure will be?

Handi Dandi Mommy.

2011-06-09T20:02:00.003-04:00

On May 25, 2011 my life changed forever and I couldn't be happier about it. After 10+ torturous months of waiting, this beautiful little guy came into my world:

Gabriel Owen, 10lbs 3oz, 22.5"

I love him more than I ever dreamed was possible. Every once on a while I think I'm going to wake up and discover it was all a dream. I just have such a hard time believing he's real. That it's all real. I'm someone's mommy! And that someone is perfect in every way possible (of course!)

Of course being the Handi Dandi Mommy that I am, my perfect boy has already had his first photo shoot. You can't go wrong photographing babies, there's never a bad shot!

I wish I could be one of those mommy's that could stay home at least part time with my little man but those pesky bills see it another way. If only I was as successful a photographer as I am in my head or if I magically mastered my crafty endeavors. The only down side is that August day when I'll have to trust someone else with my sweet guy. All the more reason to enjoy every precious second until then!

Ready to Mail!

2011-01-30T14:04:00.004-05:00

I took part in my first swap in a long time. The Vintage Valentine's Day Corsage Swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps. The actual goodies will go out in the mail tomorrow so I can't reveal my creation yet but I figure it's ok to show it all package up and ready to go!

The item on the left says "Valentine" and the one on the right says "Sweet." I have to admit I'm a little rusty as it's been more time than I'd like to admit since I really got my creative juices flowing. I'm pretty pleased with the results and I can only hope my partner feels the same way.

Haven't decided if I'm going to tackle another swap any time soon, I think I need get my craftiness back with a little practice first so I don't stress out more than necessary! But this swap was definitely a lot of fun for me and reminded me how much I love designing and creating.

Can't wait to get my goodies too!!!

Wintery Spring Cleaning

2011-01-09T17:45:00.004-05:00

I've accepted the fact that it's finally time I dive into the room that's supposed to be my office and start sifting, sorting, and removing. While it's supposed to be my office we more commonly refer to it as the closet so this is no small task.

With the wee one arriving in just a few months (due May 19!) my office is being recreated in the basement so we can get a fancy walk in closet and the wee one can have a spiffy new nursery! My house is a small row home and is most literally busting at the seams with stuff! Hubby and I both have hobbies that involve collecting so much stuff.

With this in mind, I'll be thinning out my craft supplies (among other things). My craft supplies have already started arriving on my Etsy shop and hopefully I'll have more to add throughout the coming weeks.

So far I've started simple, I've posted a lot of 3 paper craft idea books and a really fantastic Creating Keepsakes family album scrapbook kit. Hopefully I'll actually get my bum into gear and really start adding more items!

When spring has sprung I hope to have a yard sale. I really love having yard sales, almost as much as I love going to yard sales! I have a feeling my yard sale will consist of a variety of bags and craft supplies. That's about it. I don't call it obsession, I call it passion :)

Hopefully this new organizational leaf will not only make room for the greatest giraffe-centric jungle/safari nursery but also to new and exciting crafting inspiration for the new year!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-06T11:49:00.003-05:00

I'm a really bad blogger. I'm pretty sure it just comes down to my insane laziness factor. I really do like to blog, I just never quite feel like putting in the time or effort. Shameful, I know. One day I hope to get better.

Exciting news on my end anyway, Hubby and I are expecting our first child in May! We're completely over the moon.

One of our more recent sonograms. Baby's quite a bit bigger now as this was 4 weeks ago already! We get to go in on the 22nd for the anatomy scan to find out what we're having. I'm pretty excited because I've been practically sitting on my hands to keep from buying anything!

More excitement. I love Christmas time. I just love the feeling and the magic that comes along with it. I am a big kid at heart so I get excited about every little thing. I'm finally in an office that also loves the holidays which is great since in my last full time position I worked with a bunch of Scrooges! Talk about a downer. I'm trying to make a lot of gifts this year to both save money and be a little more personal. I can't post photos of what I'm making yet since the people I've already made items for will most likely read this blog. But I promise to share after Christmas is through.

I can make gifts for women with no problem but I always struggle with coming up with ideas for the men in family. I can't knit or crochet so that takes out the hat/scarf/glove idea. Does anyone have any ideas for homemade gifts for guys? I am a photographer so I'm trying to come up with photo gifts for some of the guys. I'm practicing with night photography this year.

I took this photo in my parent's yard on Christmas Eve last year without the aid of a tripod. I love so much about it and am still disappointed I didn't have my tripod with me. I'm hoping the neighbors put their "pier tree" up again this year so I can try again a little better prepared!

I really have to get my bum in order or I'll never be ready by Christmas!

Hubby and I have been in a mad rush to get our over-cluttered house in order. The first step is allowing me to decorate for Christmas for the 1st time in 2 years. It's looking like I may just be able to do that this week! The next step is shifting everything around so we can start work on a nursery by early spring at the very latest. The amount of work is overwhelming and I'm limited on how I can help so needless to say I'm already in "panic mode!" I'm having a hard time seeing everything get done in time. Can you tell I'm a worrier?

How is everyones holiday season progressing? Made any good cookies? Bought any great gifts? Received any great gifts? What's your favorite part about the holidays?

Tick Tock Tick Tock

2010-04-20T21:22:00.002-04:00

What goes better with the gift of Peter Pan than your very own ticking crocodile? NOTHING, that's what! I went to the baby book shower on Saturday with my tea cakes and the 100th anniversary edition of Peter Pan. Having a hard time gifting just one item for a baby shower (or any shower or gift giving occasion actually) I went to my sister over at Thrifty Goodness and pretty much begged her to add a ticking crocodile to her menagerie of crocheted friends. So she most literally whipped one right up, complete with a bean (?) filled ping pong ball to make him properly tick.

Sadly these photos do not do my ticking friend justice. I should have taken a proper flipvideo record of his joyous rattling self but alas I thought of that too late.

The artwork in the book I found was beautiful. It was illustrated by the talent Michael Hague who has illustrated many other books, a lot of which (Peter Pan included!) I'd like to one day add to my collection.

That's it for now; I'm typing this during the commercials for the long awaited Madonna episode of Glee!

Tea cakes in the morning

2010-04-17T10:04:00.003-04:00

I found myself awake a couple hours earlier than expected this morning so I decided to try out my Martha Stewart tea cake pan as well as my Pampered Chef silicone floral cupcake pan for the baby shower I'm attending today for a friend with whom my husband and I both worked. I wasn't really sure what to make as the shower starts at 12:00pm and I wasn't necessarily asked to bring anything. But I learned from my mother not to go to someone's home empty handed. I decided on the tea cakes because they're fun, easy to make, and well, just really adorable! I figured they'd also fit in to pretty much any menu.

This shower has a unique theme: it's a book shower. Since my blog is attached to my Facebook, I can't yet share what book I've chosen but I hope the recipient is as excited about it as I am.

Being the creative thinker that I am, my gift has a little companion gift to go with which is simply fantastic if I do say so myself.

I will be sure to share some photos of the gifts after the shower. Have a great weekend!

Hello Old Friend

2010-04-11T00:42:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I actually remember I have a blog! My lack of follow through strikes again! But I've returned, at least for today. It's surprising what re-watching a new favorite of mine, Julie & Julia, can inspire me to do!

So, if anyone is still out there, Hi! My name is Mandi and this is my blog. I enjoy crafts and photography and music. I work what feel liks 20 jobs some days! This includes my 'day job' in the education department of a real estate brokerage. I also do special event planning and photography. Not so long ago, about July of last year actually, Examiner.com felt I was a good enough writer to be hired as a Baltimore Concerts Writer so I do that as well. This basically means I get to go to concerts, usually for free, take pictures, and write about it afterwards. Almost like being paid to blog. Well except I don't get to ramble as much and I'm forced to make more sense than I ever do here. :)

With that being said, I also seriously enjoy crafting though my lack of follow through often attacks there as well. I've been working on jewelry again and would like to have my Etsy shop, Your Magical Events, start getting some hits and maybe even some sales one day! I used to make jewelry when I was in high school and I actually did ok if I do say so myself but for whatever reason I stopped. Well anyway I apparently missed it so I'm trying again, please tell me what you think :)

Just a few samples of what I've been working on...I haven't quite gotten around to taking photos of everything yet. There's so much cool stuff out there to work with and I've even found some fun vintage pieces to include as well. There's just something about beads that make me really happy haha. I haven't braved a bead store yet, I think I fear just a little too much for my pay check!

So that's what's happening with me. This time I'm making a fancy Firefox bookmark for the Blogger site so it will stare me in the face and force me to update!

Hurrah For The Red, White, And Blue!

2009-06-28T21:53:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my phenomenal swap partner Jane from Out Of The Crayon Box for the wonderful treats I received as a part of the Hurrah For The Red, White and Blue swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps. Lots of pics to share!

Here's a pic of a lot of the items! Including the very thoughtful peanut butter doggie treats that Chip, Pepper, and Teach all enjoyed.

The photo doesn't do it justice but this fun print make up a very cool bib-style apron as well as the yummy sour Jelly Bellies that hubby very much enjoyed. Treats for the hubby and the pups, check. EVERYTHING else is all mine :)

Cute shoulder tote and really cool potholder. Close ups to follow.

Here's a closeup of the bag so you can see the pretty fabric and some of the detail in the bag as well.

The fabric is all quilted together from the collection of red, white, and blue fabrics Jane had.

I know what you're thinking: "Who is that absolutely adorable girl in that photo on that pillow?" Well that adorable little girl would be me! What a fantastic treat to discover when I opened the box!

A Bakers Dozen of cupcake pics that I thoroughly plan to use on the 4th. Yummy cupcakes all around!

This cool frames was made from Coke and Diet coke cans. So adorable! I think I'm going to take a pic from the 4th this year to personalize it :)

So thanks again to Jane and Sweet Goodness Swaps for a super fun swap!

:: waves sheepishly ::

2009-06-13T16:06:00.003-04:00

Hi, my name is Mandi and I used to have a blog...well technically I still have a blog, several of them actually, I'm just not all that great at keeping up with them.

Over the last...who knows how long...I've reverted to my "old school" ways and re-immersed myself in some long-forgotten ways which would be my love for music and music photography. I've gotten quite a bit of grief for my recent choices because apparently there's an age limit on doing what I'm doing. Silly me, I had no idea!

It probably has something to do with the fact that a lot of the kids (yeah KIDS) in these bands I photograph are somewhere around 10 years my junior... But that's neither here nor there, I'm happy doing it, I'm hoping the right person (people) will see it one day and I'll finally have that chance to live my dream.

Here's a sample of my photography. I'm never happier "working" then when doing this "work."

But fear not friends, I haven't left my crafty ways behind. I'm just slightly dis-organized right now. The last project I did was back in November (GASP!) but it turned out better than I thought. My friend Candace and I are fans of this band called Honor Society. Well actually they're friends of hers but we're still fans. So I copied their logo and did a hand drawing of it on felt and embroidered it onto a pre-made tote bag. I then added her name to the top to give it a personal touch. It was pretty complicated with the fancy lettering and all the stripes but in the end I was very pleased. I'm supposed to make 2 more of these but this was more difficult than I had expected.

Now even though my last 'project' was way back in November, I've still been keeping busy with other crafty endeavours. I'm still cranking away at my event planning business and people are actually taking notice! I did a cool, FREE promotional event at Babies R Us that I was contacted about last minute, while I was shopping in NYC no less (let's remember I do not LIVE in NYC haha). Since it was so last minute, my mom and I worked for about 15 hours to get a presentation together. We made favors, big display posters, a gorgeous basket to give away, and built a candy bar for our table. It turned out GORGEOUS. People were drawn to it all day and kept complimenting everything. I hope that will lead to business; a lot of business cards and brochures were distributed.

This isn't a great sample of the table, I'm not sure which computer holds the rest of the pictures but it doesn't seem to be this one. There was a contest for nicest vendor display which I KNOW we would have one if Edible Arrangements hadn't been handing out chocolate covered strawberries :( Ah well, at least I know ours looked the best.

The shower umbrella in the photo is not the one we use for parties. That particular one has been in my family for nearly 40 years. My great-grandmother made it for my Aunt when she was pregnant with my cousin in 1971. That's what my mom tells me anyway. She covered a clear plastic umbrella with silk fabric and lace. It's held up nicely with just some minor updates and repair work over the years. We change the colors for every shower. We still use it for family/family friend showers.

I've started an email newsletter for my event planning biz and would be thrilled if you signed up for it! You can sign up right on my website! Please note that when you sign up you'll get a confirmation email that may come from me (mandi@yourmagicalevents.com) and it tends to find its way to people's spam folders so keep an eye out for it! The newsletter is full of fun party tips, recipes, and lots of fun ideas.

Right now I'm working on a huge party in August that will be for about 50 kids all ages up to 17! There's a lot of money available for this event so it's going to be a great time, we're renting carnival games and fooz ball tables and popcorn machines and there's going to be an ice cream sundae station! I will be running a craft station where the kids can make their own Venetian masks! Sure they're foam but they'll be able to wear them when they're finish! I'm decorating the party with a fun carnival theme that will feature tons of balloons. I'm trying to come up with some other ideas for decor, what do you think?

I swear I'm hoping to update this thing more often. I'd like to post one of my pics on here in each update because I'm really proud of them and I hope you enjoy them too!

How to be the Best at EVERYTHING

2008-08-20T10:54:00.002-04:00

On Today's installment of "How to be the BEST at EVERYTHING" I've decided to use "How to Explain why you are Late for School" in honor of school starting up shortly around the country.

HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE LATER FOR SCHOOL

by Juliana Foster

"It's always a good idea to have a few excuses up your sleeve should you ever be late for school (through no fault of your own, of course):

"I cam all the way to school before I realized I still had my pajamas on, and had to go home and change.

"When I got here my teacher wasn't in the classroom, so I went out looking for her.

"I was abducted by aliens for experimental purposes. I have been gone for 50 years, but fortunately in Earth time it was only an hour.

"I invented a time machine that took me forward to my college graduation. I saw that I will graduat magna cum laude, so I think I can take things easy from now on.

"I was helping Little Bo Peep find her sheep.

"I squeezed the toothpaste too hard, and spent all morning getting it back in the tube.

"My parents lost the key to my cage.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you why I'm late, The government has sworn me to secrecy.

"I'm not late, everyone else is early."

____________________________________________________

With that being shared, has anyone out there heard any excellent and creative excuses for being late? It doesn't have to be for school, work is good as well. Now that I'm kind of a member of the working force again, I'll need to brush up, haha.

_____________________________________________________

I got a chance to play with my newest toy, my brand new professional grade camera the Canon 40D and I must say it's unleashed a monster. I'm ready to get back full swing into photographing concerts and musicians. They just have so much passion and show so much emotion that so many people miss during live performances. I do have to figure out how to get photo passes and things because that was never something I had to deal with in the past. I'd like to do it the right way, rather than sneaking my camera into concerts and hoping I don't get caught.

I also have no shame in admitting that I'm a fangirl and I dig the Jonas Brothers. Apparently my inner child came out to rock and she's planted her feet because she's not going anywhere!

So maybe my camera wasn't supposed to be in the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on August 6, 2008 but somehow it found it's way in there anyway. I'm glad to know I still have a: the ability to sneak my camera into an concert venue and b: the eye for great music photography.

Anyway, I hope to add some photos to my new and improved photo website, Photographs by ALL, at some point during my crazy week. I'll keep you posted.

__________________________________________________
I also have great things in store for future posts! I have some great, cheap finds to share, some crafty creations, and a special surprise from my super thoughtful hubby.

Sorry this was a little on the short side, I just wanted to stop by before I ran off for that evil work thing.

Have a great hump day!

I'm here. Where ever that is.

2008-07-29T12:21:00.004-04:00

Hey Gang,

I know I've been gone forever but I'm going to try to post again, although it may be only once a week or so. I haven't really been doing too much of anything at all. I've just been a little distracted.

My unemployment ran out but luckily I was able to get the emergency extension that was just put into effect so I have 13 more weeks. I have no idea what to do with myself, I obviously want my business to succeed but I can't rush it so I need to have work that will tide me over while I build my business. I can't settle on one business but luckily all of my interests are kind of related so it's not too crazy. I'm still focusing on Your Magical Events as my main business but I'm also trying to get back into my first love, music business photography. This will be a side project of mine that will hopefully bring my love for photography back.

I used to work for a radio station and I got to photograph some pretty cool bands and I got a lot of experience doing what I loved while I was there. They are dealing with a hiring freeze and no budget so they don't have access for me right now. They may be hiring a station photographer soon so maybe I'll get to do that. I'm in the process of getting all of my old negatives scanned in so I don't have many to share right now but I have this one...

I met a guy by the name of Gavin Degraw at one show and I had no idea who he was. He was just this really cool guy that was really down to earth and he posed like a goob for this photo. Now I love him and I can't imagine not listening to his music all the time, especially the bonus disc of his first album, Chariot Stripped.

My website for my music photography is the same as my website for my wedding and portraiture photography, two domains go to the same site. ALL Photography or Memories by Mandi

I want to take this time to give a huge swappy thanks to Kirsten at Preppy Pink Crocodile for my wonderful swap package from the Parasols, Polka Dots, and Pink Lemonade swap hosted by Sweet Goodness Swaps back in June. I haven't loaded my pics of my wonderful goodies yet but there are some pics of everything on her blog. It was such a treat to get this in the mail! And great crafty minds must think alike because we both did bags and we both lined said bags with parasol fabric. I promise I will load pics soon.

So other than trying to figure out what my calling is, I haven't been doing too much. I feel like I finally got what I called 'the poison' of my last job out of my system. All the employees were treated so bad there it was like they sucked out our souls. I'm not even kidding. So I am starting to feel a lot more like me than I have in a long time. Which probably has a little to do with me rediscovering my love of music photography. And I cut off my hair and got some fun new clothes to go with my rediscovery. Because while I was rediscovering me, I discovered Torrid, a trendy clothing shop for those of us who aren't quite a size 6.

This past weekend, I really identified with my inner child. In fact I let her out and that's where she's staying! At least for the time being. I went with two of my friends and my 11-year-old cousin Ally to Hershey Park, PA to go to the amusement park and see the Jonas Brothers in concert. We had such a great time! The park was fun, the company was awesome, and the concert was amazing; we saw Jonas Brothers, Avril Lavigne, and Demi Lovato (who is like a young Pat Benatar, I swear).

I call this shot, 'Shirt by Clandestine, Body by Milk Duds.' We were in chocolate world.

We kissed on the kissing tower...

spun on the tilt a whirl...

drooled over the giant hershey's kiss...

rode the rides....

anticipated a great show...

Donned our Chucks...

got 80s glamorous...

looked fantastic doing it....

and finally...

Rocked Out to an awesome show!!! It was such a fun weekend. And that was just Friday.

I will try to post a longer post later, I just wanted to touch base so people didn't think I fell off the face of the earth. I hope you have a great week!!

The 200

2008-06-10T20:59:00.004-04:00

I got this from My Crazy Lil' World and it originated at Neighbor Jane Payne and it looked fun so here it is, the 200 things list.

All you need to do is copy this list on your blog (or anywhere you prefer) and bold the things you've done. Sounds simple enough right? Pictures and comments on different activities would be fun too!

200 Things
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
(I wish!! haha, just kidding)

(I don't think they were actually fighting but it kind of looks like it...)

4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
(laying on the soccer field in college. for some reason the soccer field was in the woods. weird.)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
(even though it was a hill, I call it a mountain cuz it was high)
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
(we were in 8th grade and sang "Anything you want, you got it, Anything you need, you got it, Anything at all, you got it SPARROWS POINT MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE GOT IT! all the way up. We were so cool)
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
(Not due to lack of trying
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
My friend's baby was being baptised and it was the middle of mass....)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
(a trifecta no less, my first try, at preakness)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
(Thought technically they are mental health days)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
(this is debatable. I have a pretty vivid memory of it when I was really little but underpants were involved. the cute girly ruffly kind)
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
(I do that at the grocery store singing along to the muzak like it's my job)
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
(I'd love to see Poland or Italy or Ireland)
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
(though I think it was really more like 2am.)
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
(I wish! It's on my list)
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
(Does alphabetizing my CDs count? I have like 600)
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
(Um, who hasn't?)
49. Sung karaoke
(even when there is no machine.)
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
(we have one just 15 minutes from our house, we try to go at least once every year. They have triPPPle features for like $10)
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
(I'm working on that right now)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
(I've made brownies from scratch so I'm counting that)
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
(My dogs have, twice, and I made the costumes so....)
63. Got flowers for no reason
(I was the one buying them but yeah)
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
(Hubby laughed at me because I recently bought a box of 96 crayons and a barbie and a strawberry shortcake coloring book and just went to town!)
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
(Toes, several times)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
(Dramamine will do that to you. It was from Amsterdam to Newark. People said I ate and changed CDs on my player but I don't remember any of it. I was out in the middle of the security briefing)
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
(Didn't like it but I tried it.)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
(I'm assuming marriage counts)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
(I taught myself to crochet and I'm learning how to use a sewing machine right now. And I taught myself hand embroidery)
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
(Well I didn't do it directly but I've seen family members go in which is painful enough)
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
(This is technical, I worked for a radio station and was often used by the DJ to fill in breaks)
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
(I'd like to think so)
108. Brought out the worst in people
(I have a pretty vicious temper when provoked)
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
(Nightclubs anyway)
118. Played in a band
(It was a school band and I was in elementary school. I played the saxophone)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
(I think I do that all the time!)
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

(The local Rennaisance Festival. It was a little scary and a lot of stinky. My friend Laura is behind me. )
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
(The neighborhood where I grew up was the site of a battle from the War of 1812
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
(Once upon a time in Putt-Putt land.)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
(I LOVE roller skating! I went just recently to a roller rink and broke the truck on one of my skates that I've had since like 7th grade! Now I need new skates)

I'm in the pink top kind of in the middle. Yay roller skating!!!
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
(Does business class on Air Tran count?)
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
(I don't know about 5 star but it was pretty luxurious. The Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City made an error when booking my comp room. I wanted an adjoining room with my mom and ended up in this awesome suite. FOR FREE! It had two bathrooms, a bidet, a huge kind sized bed, TVs that popped out of the counter at a press of a button and a whirlpool tub! )
140. Flown in a helicopter
(An LAPD helicopter no less)
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
(Sometimes though I'm still not great at it)
145. Written a love-story
(Not published or anything but I finished it)
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
(It actually belonged to my aunt but I'm counting it anyway)
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
(Before I was laid off I carried my lunch in either a Pirates of the Caribbean or a Wolverine lunch box, depending on my mood)
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
(It wasn't a park bench but I've definitely fed ducks)
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
(Those fan letters paid off, even if the were form letters and 'stamped' autograph pictures)
166. Worn knickers
(This I can't be sure of but my mom was always putting me in something crazy)
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
(I only wish. And I only wish this about the winter olympics)
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
It all goes back to working at the radio station.
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
(A few times, it's my favorite)

(These are both from a swamp tour I took in New Orleans)
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
(I grew up on the water so we tried it once)
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
(Mine was through My Space)
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

I tag anyone who wants to have a little fun and share a little too!

20 Qestions

2008-06-09T23:59:00.002-04:00

I've joined the Parasols, Pink Lemonade, and Polka Dots Swap at Sweet Goodness Swaps and they asked me to play a little get to know you game for the fun of the swap so here goes...

1. What is your favorite Summer Drink(s)?
I guess I should get more creative than water with lime. I like light, refreshing citrus drinks and citrus pop like Sierra Mist. I also love Margaritas (regular and fruity frozen with sugar) and pina coladas.
2. What is your favorite Summer Activity?
I love amusement parks and going to the pool on a hot day or taking the puppies out to the park if the weather isn't too hot.
3. If you could spend a lazy afternoon reading, what would be in your hands?
I've read it several times before but probably Harry Potter, although I did just enjoy reading a Nora Roberts series (Blue Dahlia) so maybe I'll try her again.
4. What is your favorite type of craft/art medium?
I love paper crafts like scrapbooking, stamping, and card making but I've been getting into sewing and embroidery lately.
5. What is one art/craft supply you absolutely have been dying to have or try?
There are so many. I don't know much about craft supplies outside of the paper craft realm so I'll stick to that. I'd love to try the crop o dile, the big, fancy sizzix, and using chalk when I do stamping instead of ink.
6. What are your favorite colors in our 'rainbow sherbet' theme? Pink, lime green, yellow, orange, aqua (or blue)?
I love the pink and lime green combo but I love aqua. I have to admit I love most colors, especially bright summery ones but I think aqua (blue) would be my favorite out of the choices.
7. What is your favorite sweet treat?
What isn't! I like tropical skittles, and smooth milk chocolate like cadbury and dove promises. And I love Lindor truffles.
8. Are there any craft or art supplies you would NOT be interested in receiving?
Hmmm....I don't really know of too many supplies but I guess since I don't do much with painting I wouldn't want to receive paint supplies. But then again who know what I may try next!
9. What is your favorite song today?
I can never pick one. I love that song Bubbly by Colbie Caillet and Lucky by Jason Mraz and (oddly enough) Colbie Caillet. My little playlist on the blog is a good representation of the music I like. Also my other playlist on my pirate's log on my space is a representation of some of the more rockin stuff
10. How do you 'pamper' yourself during the hot summer days?
When it's in the budget I love to get pedicures!
11. Do you have any kidlets or pets?
Three Dogs (Brussels Griffons), Chip, Pepper, and Teach.
12. What is your best potluck dish for summer get togethers?
Cheesecake or apple pie
13. If you could take a summer vacation anywhere, where would it be?
To an all inclusive, couples only resort. I'd take any of the Sandals resorts.
14. Describe your decorating style. Does that say anything about your personality?
I can't describe my decorating style. I do know that I am far from shabby chic. My decorating definitely says lots about my personality; I have movie posters (Lord of the Rings mainly) framed for the living room as well as a big framed picture of Yoda (we love Yoda here. But then my dining room is green and dark red (maroon-ish) and has a grape/wine theme going on with it. I usually get inspired by one piece and go kind of nuts.
15. What are your initials?
ALL like the detergent
16. Why do you like to join swaps?
I like to meet and/or learn more about people and see their creativity and style.
17. You have 25 dollars to spend just on you for a little treat. What do you buy? ((you can list more than one thing)
Another toughie....maybe a new CD (because I still buy CDs) or a DVD. Or maybe I'd go to the movies or get a pedicure.
18. What's one craft supply or art supply you absolutely can not live without?
Just one? Probably my paper cutter because I can't cut straight to save my life. Although I'm a little Cricut obsessed too.
19. Who's the last person you hugged?
Ryan, my hubby.
20. What's your favorite number and why?
Well 6 is my bday. Although 99 is always the number I have on jerseys (not that I play sports but I used it for powder puff football in high school and on my Anaheim Ducks Hockey jersey). I don't actually know why.

What a week

2008-06-09T16:24:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, going to the movies can just be scary. What was supposed to be a reward for making it through a craptacular week end up being just a little frightening when I found this in the middle of the theater lobby.

And while I can be pretty scary, I'm talking about that big, scary thing behind me. And I thought you didn't want to see ME when I was angry. Big mistake ticking this guy off.

I won't bore you with all the details of my crappy week so I'll try to sum it up. Let's see, I got the sever run-around regarding a debt consolidation loan I'd been dreaming about since I got the debt in the first place. And this wasn't one of those 'get rid of all your credit cards' loans which always worry me because I wouldn't have credit back up for emergency. This loan should have been through my bank, but the run-around was ridiculous: They couldn't give me the amount I requested (apparently my debt was too high to get a debt consolidation loan. who knew?) and the interest they offered was 10% higher than the "best available" and I had to make the decision right that second which meant not discussing it with my hubby. So I did make my decision right away and it was that they were crazy and I was taking my business elsewhere. Since it was a personal loan, my bank uses an external company for it as opposed to doing home equity loans or something along those lines. I think that was why it was so annoying because I was practically dealing with a credit card company. Ugh....

On Wednesday, when I was coming back from one of my myriad doctor's visits regarding my knee, there was a police barricade making it REALLY difficult to get home (mind you I was only gone for about 20-25 minutes and there was no police when I left). I was detoured all over the place and for some reason, my street was the only one you could get to that was behind the barricade. You'd think that was lucky until I found out there was a fully armed swat team 1 block over. Um....can you say YIKES!!! I still don't know all the details but I'm going to try to get it out of my neighbors, they have family on the block that was calling them with the info as they figured it out....So back to the detour, while I was all over the place trying to get home, I was at a stop sign waiting to turn left to go home and there was a girl in front of me already turning left that I guess couldn't get to her block so she decided to back up and turn around. But guess what? I was still behind her so she backed right into me!! YAY! A big hole in my bumper!! Luckily Geico handled it smoothly and quickly and I even got a rental car. So that was nice.

Now the loan we applied for was not only to consolidate debt but also to pay for our new roof that's likely to cost us $3000 and to get our poor tree taken down in our front yard. There were other things that added some insult to injury but that was the gist of my week. I'm glad it's a new one anyway.

On to some happier things; during my week of craziness, I relaxed in the evening by trying out another crocheted project. I didn't use a pattern since I really just wanted to work on the stitching so I figure a baby-sized blanket would be a good project to try out without needing a pattern. I'm pretty happy with the results:

I even tried a little Picot edging around it. All of the yarn came from my sister, luckily it all matched! While the blank is intended for a baby, furrier four legged creatures appreciate it as well.

While you may not recognize him in his super need for a haircut, this is my favorite Ewok Teach getting all snuggly warm. You can click to enlarge the pic and see his cute little teefers and his black lips that give him that Ewok appearance.

Last night I spent the evening going through the manual of the 'it's new to me' sewing machine I picked up at the thrift store for $30. Here are the promised pics of the machine:

Nothing had me too confused so I went ahead and tried my first sewing machine project since middle school. I made a pillow using two cute bandanas from Walmart ($1 each!!). This has been a project I've wanted to do for a while but it would have been quite a lot of hand sewing so I passed. Here's how it turned out.

This is the side I consider 'the front' with the bigger button fitting right in the middle of the little 'target' design.

Rather than using the same bandana for both sides I went for a flower print in the same color. I am calling this 'the back'

Here is a close up of the front with it's pretty pink button. The button also came from Walmart in a big bag of buttons they sell for $1.50.

Now if I could only get over my hatred of cutting fabric (can't cut straight to save my life!!!), we'd be good to go.

I think Christmas in June might be coming soon to really cheer me up! Enjoy your week!

Catching Up...

2008-06-02T11:44:00.008-04:00

Hello my friends in blog land, hope all is well! Sorry it's been so long since my last post; between back-to-back parties, home repairs, and then finding myself with a horrible summer cold, I've been a little distracted. Hopefully I'll now be able to catch up on everything. I wanted to share some of the party stuff I've been doing plus some of the other more fun stuff I've been up to.

The baby shower I was planning went over very well, everybody had a great time and was really impressed with all the work that went into it. I was very glad for that and I think I may have even scored some business from the party so yay! People loved the diaper cake, especially the guest of honor who said she will have a hard time taking it apart. Here is the sea of favors which were little flannel diapers filled with yummy candy, you can click on the photo to go to my website and see a slideshow from the shower:

We also had my parent's annual luau on May 25 (their actual anniversary) but I don't have all the pictures I want to share yet so I promise to post some fun pics of the day's activities as soon I get some more. I will share this with you so you can be good and excited for the arrival of the pics. There was a FAN DANCE!!

So you know if a party involves a fan dance, the rest of it must have been exciting!!

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Let me just take a moment to share that I got to do what has become a regular occurance in my life over the last ten years or so....

I went to see Duran Duran! And they were just as awesome as always! That's John Taylor on the left and might I add that he is still as dreamy as always. They're celebrating their 30th year as a band this year as I of course had to help celebrate! I love them, I could see them once a month if it wasn't so expensive. I figure they just need to hire me as like their photographer or something so I can see all their shows for free.

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I've had some fun and successful thrifting adventures which is luck since our favorite thrift shop has made a habit out of raising their prices to the ridiculous level (you know like $10 for a pair of used men's shorts when you could probably find them new for that price. Or charging $2 for things with Dollar Tree labels on them). But sometimes you get lucky. They have colored tags that are half price everyday and 1/3 off everything on Saturdays (it used to be 1/2 off everything but you take what you can get). I usually have my best luck on Friday's because that's when I tend to find the most tags in the color that match the 1/2 off deal. But one brave Saturday when I didn't have to work due to a rain out, I went to the 1/3 off sale when it opened. They still had the colored tags at 1/2 off too so I was just having a ball!

I found this adorable fabric for 1/2 off, I don't know what I'll do with it but it reminded me of sheets I had when I was little so I just couldn't resist. I love the little animals.

I also got this fabric for 1/2 off (both fabrics were probably $1.50 each as they always tend to be $3 regular). This pic isn't great, you can't really see the brown in the zig zag stripe but I really liked it.

And I got these super adorable curtains. I will be stowing them away for some day as my kitchen windows don't quite work for them right now. I love them thought and they were a whole dollar so I couldn't leave without them.

Some more of the fun finds have found their way onto my ebay store. I put a link on the side bar for my ebay store if you are interested. I'm going to try to add goodies to it regularly so please check back regularly.

I also bought a sewing machine! I don't have any pics of it yet, I got it at the thrift store for $30. It's a Singer and the book was included and it says it's from 1988. So it's a little old but we plugged it in at the thrift store and everything worked the way it was supposed to. I haven't gotten to try it out yet for real but I think it will be ok. The sewing maching was in a box with several little boxes of goodies like little sewing kits and buttons and lots of notions. I can't wait to try it out. I did have a sewing machine but it belonged to my great-grandmother and I found it just a wee bit intimidating as she was a seamtress. My mom thinks I'll be able to learn a little easier on the one I got. Hopefully my high school Home Economics skills will come rushing back.

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I have this sweet little stool I got from a friend when she moved out of the dorms when we were in college. It's a small folding stool with a black vinyl top and it's from Target. I used it as a night table for the rest of college and after that I used it for when I photographed weddings. Unfortunately, the vinyl got old and the hot car didn't help so I found myself facing this:

My poor, cute, little stool was destroyed and useless. So I decide to try to recover it. The original vinyl was stapled on but since I don't have a staple gun I had to try glue. I mean I've glued fabric in the past and it stuck and this cushion is screwed in place which should further help it to stay in place so I figure I might as well give it a try. I used some really cute fabric I got from Jenn and I ironed some vinyl on it thanks to an idea from Christy at Mama Said Sew and I came up with this:

Sure it's not perfect but it's usable again so I'll take it! After all I have to photograph a wedding this month and the bride may need to sit down!

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So that's all I have for now! I hope everyone enjoy's their week!

Be afraid! Be PREPARED!

2008-05-15T23:40:00.006-04:00

WARNING!!: This post may contain images of my darling hubby that are a little frightening for young eyes. Don't say I didn't warn you.

ZOMBIE: (Zom'be) n. also ZOM-BIES pl. 1. An animated corpse that feeds on living human flesh. 2. A voodoo spell that raises the dead. 3. A Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves or acts in a daze "like a zombie" [a word of West African origin]

For today's special post, I've brought in the help of one of my hubby's (seen above, it's too late for him I'm afraid) favorite guide books. Unfortunately he got it a little too late.

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead is your guide to surviving in case of a zombie uprising. Hopefully this book and my handi, ever-present Girls Book by Juliana Foster will help you survive in a zombie infested world. Again folks, my comments are in red.

First, The Girls Book: [imagine a funny drawing of two girls running away from a zombie. One girl is grinning evilly while the other is screaming. The grinning girl is running fastest. She's not a very good friend I think.] "Zombies are known as the "living dead" because they are dead people whose bodies have been mysteriously revived (ooooh mysteriously) It is fairly easy to spot zombies because, although they look a lot like normal people, their flesh is a rotten green color because they are decaying. (don't you people ever listen to Mulder? They're GRAY! Not green...oh wait) They tend to stumble around as if dazed, moaning and groaning. The terrifying thing about zombies, however, is that they will pursue you relentlessly and are hard to stop.

"If you hear on the TV or radio news of a zombie invasion, you need to act fast. Zombies multiply very quickly. If a zombie bites or scratches someone, their victim will soon mutate into a zombie, too. Sadly, there is no cure - once a zombie. So it is essential to get to safety as quickly as possible.

"Choose a secure place to hide out. First check the news broadcasts regularly to find out which areas are zombie hot spots and which are less dangerous. You'll need plenty of food and water. A supermarket makes an ideal base. (yeah! looting!!) Lock all doors and windows, and pile heavy objects against them for extra security. However, make sure you have an emergency exit if zombies do get into the building.

"If you need to venture out for supplies, dress in bite-proof clothing at all times. Full biker's leathers are perfect. Failing that, go for lots of layers.

"If you find yourself in the middle of a crowd of walking dead, pretend to be one of them. Tilt your head to one side, drool, and moan. Hold your arms out in front of you and stare straight ahead. Try to limp slowly right through the pack. (because it's THRILLER...) If they spot you, run for it. Zombies are slow moving and stupid. (some folks will fake it easier than others) If you changes directions frequently, create diversion (such as overturning chairs), and scream - it will completely confuse them. (but be careful acting like a zombie, Michael Jackson tried it once and look what happened to him)

(let the good cast of Shaun of the Dead show you how it's done)

"Don't waste your energy fighting, because zombies are hard to kill (mainly because they are already dead). you can destroy them by cutting off their heads or crushing their brains. Some zombies will die if you burn their bodies, but individual body parts have been known to keep moving even after they have been cut off.

"If you have no choice but to stand and fight a zombie, always check your body carefully for bite marks afterward."

I don't know how helpful the girls book was so I offer you an excerpt from The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks so you are at least properly equipped with adequate supplies:

"Preparation Part II: SUPPLIES...Stockpiling for a siege must be undertaken. There is no telling how long it will take for help to arrive. There is no telling if help ever will. Always be prepared for a long siege. Never assume a quick rescue (look at the people on Lost for goodness sake!)

"A. Weapons - Whereas in the field you must travel light to maintain mobility, in your home (or base) you have the luxury of storing and maintaining a plethora (ooh, a big 50¢ word!) of weapons. This does not mean filling your home with any capricious instrument of destruction. Each home arsenal should include:

Rifle, 500 rounds
Shotgun, twelve-gauge, 250 shells
Pistol, .45 caliber, 250 rounds
Silencer (rifle)
Silencer (pistol)
Heavy crossbow (in lieu of silencers), 150 bolts
Telescopic sigh (rifle)
Night-vision scope (rifle)
Laser sight (rifle)
Laser sight (pistol)
Katana sword
Wakizashi or other short bladed sword
Two knives with smooth, six- to eight-inch blades
Hand hatchet

"(Note: This list applies to a single individual. Numbers should be adjusted depending on the number of people in the group.)

"B. Equipment - Now that all weapons have bee chosen, consider what equipment is necessary for your maintenance and perhaps even survival. In the short run, standard disaster-survival kits will suffice. Any longer, and the material below will be necessary. Common household items such as clothing, toilet paper, etc., are assumed to be kept on hand in reasonable quantities.

Water, three quarts per day, for cooking and washing
Hand-pumped water filter
Four replacement filters
Cistern for collecting rain water
Iodine and/or purification tablets
Canned food, three cans per day (preferable to dried goods in that they contain some water)
Two portable electric stoves
Advanced medical kit (must include field-surgery implements and antibiotics)
Bicycle-powered electric generator
Gasoline generator (to be used only in emergencies) (aka
when your bicycle peddler gets taken by the zombies)
Twenty gallons of gasoline
Rechargeable, battery powered short-wave radio
Two battery-powered flashlights
Two rechargeable, battery powered electric lamps
Two rechargeable, battery powered and/or solar powered radios
Appropriate reinforcement materials, including lumber, bricks, mortar, etc.
Extensive tool kit, including sledgehammer, ax, handsaw, etc.
Lime and/or bleaching powder in sufficient supply to maintain latrine
One high-powered telescope (80x-100x) with spare lenses and cleaning equipment
Fifteen emergency flares
Thirty-five chemical light sticks
Five fire extinguishers
Two sets of earplugs
Spare parts for all aforementioned machinery and user's manuals
Extensive library of manuals, including a general disaster manual

(Did you notice he never said we actually needed batteries? Should I have listed that among my necessities when I got the TP and underpants?)

"(Note: As with weapons, personal items such as food, water, and medicine must be multiplied for the number of people in your group)"

Well hopefully this guide will at least have you down with the basics if you do ever find yourself in the midst of a zombie attack.

And when all else fails, follow the lead of the stars of Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and behead those pesky zombies with crappy albums (yes real vinyl records) that somehow made their way into your otherwise excellent collection:

[looking through Shaun's LPs for suitable records to throw at two approaching zombies]

Ed: 'Purple Rain'?

Shaun: No.

Ed: 'Sign o' the Times'?

Shaun: Definitely not.

Ed: The 'Batman' soundtrack?

Shaun: Throw it.

Ed: 'Dire Straits'?

Shaun: Throw it.

Ed: Ooh, 'Stone Roses'.

Shaun: Um, No.

Ed: 'Second Coming'.

Shaun: I like it!

Ed: Ahhh! 'Sade'.

Shaun: Yeah, but that's Liz's!

Ed: Yeah, but she did dump you.

Shaun: Oh!

I know it's my favorite romantic comedy. with zombies.

That concludes today's lesson class, I hope you've learned something as there may be a pop quiz next week!

You can have your cake...

2008-05-13T11:22:00.004-04:00

But I wouldn't eat it too.

The baby shower I've been working on is coming up this weekend so I've been working on a lot of last minute stuff. Since it is a baby shower I knew I had to at least try a diaper cake and I'm pretty pleased with the end results:

I found the pretty "It's a Girl" ribbon in the $1 ribbon bin at Michaels. I did end up using three spools of it though. Most of the toys and add ons cost around $1 except the doll on the top which I think was $5 at Walmart. I would have preferred a stuffed bear or something but it's kind of crazy how hard they are to find when you don't want to spend $10 or more. I think my diaper total was 55, I bought the BJs off brand diapers and there's more where that came from! Mom-to-be can make excellent use of her diaper cake!

I still have to finish the favors, center pieces and die-cut some letters for a banner my mom is creating but I'm not stressed yet. I also have to make a final decision on the required shower games. I am definitely doing gift bingo because I think it gets people involved with the whole gift opening experience. I love it when people get all competitive with it in the hopes they will get to go home with the big $1 prize! I'm not sure what else I will do; does anyone out there know of games that are fun for baby showers? I know I don't want to do something like 'measure mom-to-be's belly' because it is a co-ed shower (not by my suggestion!) and that might be uncomfortable. It's harder than it sounds to find cheap, co-ed prizes! I usually get things like lotions, chocolates, cutesy notepads, etc. and I put them all unwrapped into a basket for the guests to choose from.

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On a different note, I decided to start searching for things to sell on ebay. If you'd like to check out some of my fun finds and other goodies, you can go to 'my world' on Ebay for my username, yourmagicalevents. I have a few of my finds on there now including:

This pretty Pyrex divided casserole from the golden acorn pattern

and these cute Mickey Mouse ear steins

I also have a cookbook and goodies from the LA Weightloss catalog, and I just posted new, unopened DVDs; Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3 and Transformers. I have other things to put up, including more Pyrex and some vintage Samsonite pieces, so if you think you may be interested, please visit my auctions!

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Since I know there are a lot of dreamers out there that became doers, I wanted to make sure you knew about the contest on the Martha Stewart website. It's called, oddly enough, the Dreamers into Doers contest, and it's especially for people who turned their hobby into a budding business. From the website: "Have you turned a favorite hobby into a budding business or nonprofit program? If so, you could win up to $10,000 as part of Martha Stewart Living's second annual Dreamers into Doers Awards --and appear on "The Martha Stewart Show"!" Go to the link above Dreamers! You can also nominate your own dreamer.

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If you like vintage table cloths (and I mean really, who doesn't??) you should make your way over to The Misadventures of Mama and Jack and enter her new giveaway. She is giving away a vintage table cloth everyday until her birthday Wednesday. Check out her blog today!

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So many of you seemed to enjoy my excerpts from The Girls Book so this week I will be bringing you, due to popular demand, How to cope if zombies attack.

Until next time...

How to be the Best at EVERYTHING

2008-05-07T00:35:00.002-04:00

So for Christmas my mom bought me this supercool book called "The Daring Book for Girls"

Now this book is intended for tweens and teens but I think it's fantastic. I wish it would have been out when I was that age but I think I actually appreciate it more now than I did then. It not only teaches you first aid basics and math tricks, it also includes women in history lessons, like Queens of the Ancient World.

Since I loved this book so much, when I saw its sister book "The Girls Book: How to be the Best at Everything" I just had to pick it up.

With that being said, I've decided to share a bit of this wonderful book with blog land. Though I do encourage you to buy these books for yourselves (The daring book is about $17 and the best at everything is $10, both at Amazon) because I think they're great for girls of all ages. [My notes are in red]

First the disclaimer from the author Juliana Foster:

"The publisher and author disclaim any liability for accidents that may occur as a result of information given in this book. To be the best at everything you'll need to use your best common sense at all times: Always wear appropriate safety gear, stay within the law and local rules, don't hesitate to ask an adult for assistance, and be considerate of other people.....BEAT THE REST, BE THE BEST."

With that being said, I bring you

"HOW TO CROSS NIAGARA FALLS ON A TIGHT ROPE"

"The Great Blondin was known as the greatest daredevil ever to cross Niagara Falls. He Didn't just walk across the tightrope, he rode a bike, performed a backward somersault, pushed a wheelbarro, carried his manager, and cooked an omelette halfway across.

"Here's how you can gain the title 'Greatest Daredevil' [which considering Ben Affleck wasn't that great in that movie, won't be too hard to accomplish]

"First get someone you trust to set your tightrope up across the Falls. It must be really, really tight. Next make a will (just in case the stunt goes wrong) and take off your shoes and socks. Stand at one end, take a deep breath, and put your right foot diagonally across the rope with your toes pointing outward to the right. The rope will probably start to wobble but try not to worry.

"Keeping your left foot on the ground, bend your right knee and start to push down on your right foot, so that it takes most of your weight. Now lift your left foot slightly off the ground, using your arms to keep yourself balanced. Stay in that position until the rope stops wobbling, then place your left foot on the rope in front of your right foot, pointing outward to the left. Start walking.

"Keep an eye out for things that might knock you off course such as big birds or helicopters full of tourists [or worse, helicopters full of Ben Afflecks!], and mentally prepare yourself to cross the rope. The quicker you walk, the easier it will be to keep your balance, so just look straight ahead and go for it."

I hope you enjoyed today's lesson, gang, next week we might try "How to cope if zombies attack" or "how to survive in a horror movie." We might even try something serious like "How to travel with just one bag" or "How to make your own lip gloss."

I swear I don't know the writers of either book but they would also make excellent gifts.

40 years and a thank you

2008-05-05T22:13:00.002-04:00

On May 25, 1968 my parents were married and 40 years later, their children threw them a party to celebrate!

On Saturday, May 3 we had a surprise party to celebrate my parents anniversary. We would have held it on their anniversary (which falls on a Sunday and Memorial Day weekend) but it is the day of my mother's annual luau so we decided to have it a few weeks early so they wouldn't see it coming. And it worked, they had no clue!!

Surprised Mom (on the right)

Surprised Dad (obviously on the left)

My Aunt Pam (in the pink in both shots) was generous enough to let us use her home for the party. I do live in the house where their wedding celebration was held but it is a wreck and my Aunt Pam also has more room. It was really nice of her to let us use her house. It was a really great party and I'm not just saying that because I was in charge of it either!

I took this photo of the orginal cake table (in what is now my dining room) and used it for inspiration for the party

I was lucky enough to have their original cake topper at my house since I used it at my wedding. I had a new wedding cake made to celebrate their 40th anniversary. While my parents were on vacation in Las Vegas, I snuck into their house and snatch my mom's veil for her to wear. It is in one of the pics above.

Here is a close up of the beautiful cake:

I wrapped the pretty "silver" plasticware in black napkins and used pics of my mom and dad to make tags to attach.

My sister made favors to match

I know my mama had a good time doing lemon drop shooters with the girls

and enjoying her "40 1's" for the next Vegas trip

It was a wonderful party and we were so glad we could surprise them. That is of course the most difficult part of the planning but it is so worth it when you see their surprised faces.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad, here's to many, many more decades of love!

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I participated in the I Love Paris in the Springtime Swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps and my partner was Lolly. And boy did I get a great swap partner!

Look at all of these wonderful goodies! What a fun box to receive in the mail. There's note cards, bath salts, fairy dust glitter, embroidery floss, little ballerina, scrapbook embellishments, mini cupcake post its, and so much more!!!

There were all sorts of cute organza bags filled with gifts including one filled with the most beautiful buttons:

And the sweet in this swap will last forever, isn't it adorable?

Beautiful tags, fabric, and floss!

The fairy dust glitter is at the top of a pretty sachet and there's a little notepad keychain (which i plan to put to much needed use!) and a cute little dish and a vintage playing card.

Check out this cool vintage French hotel brochure.

So many cute things! I love them all.

I love this travel journal, it is beautifully handmade and now I need to travel to Paris to be able to use it properly!

Look at all these wonderful Paris embellishments. Just one more reason I need to make my way to Paris.

Thank you so much Lolly, you were a fantastic swap partner!

I admit I forgot to photograph most of my swap stuff before I mailed it but I'm sure Lolly will have some shots on her blog when it is posted. I did photograph one item I sent which was one of my handmade items. I made this Paris tote bag

This was my first attempt at attaching handles and I think it turned out pretty cute.

I traced the Eiffel Tower onto tracing paper and then onto the felt and embroidered it with 6-strand floss. I did the same for the "Paris" wording.

I used sparkly glitter felt as the closure and the pocket.

I put the pocket inside the bag which was lined with flannel polka dotted fabric I found in the $1 fabric at Wal Mart!

This was such a fun swap, I can't wait to do another one.

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What is everyone out in the "blogosphere" working on?

What I've Been Up To...

2008-04-21T22:57:00.002-04:00

Well I can promise you that I've at least been productive while I've been absent from the blogs. I want to share some of my recent crafting endeavours.

I'm working on a baby shower for my new business, Your Magical Events, this is the first I will be paid for. I don't know what I'll be paid for it but I'll be paid something and that's all that matters. We've decided that a garden theme would be nice as the mom-to-be is expecting a little girl. I still have many weeks until the party but I've already completed wrapping the plastic ware for 'instant decoration.'

The colors, if you couldn't guess, are pink and green. I thought it was nice for a baby girl and for a garden party. We'll have all sorts of tissue paper flowers showing up in all of the decor, especially the centerpieces:

Target has galvanized buckets in their $1 section that are the perfect size for little bouquet centerpieces. The tissue paper flowers are plain pink, plain green, and pink and green together. I attached the flowers to dowel stick and stuck them in foam. Now I just need to find a way to get the foam to stick to the buckets. I tried mounting squares with no luck and now I'm going to try hot glue. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'd love some advice, I'm at a loss!

In a form of shameless self-promotion, I've made what will be a second favor for the shower:

I left the tag blurred out intentionally as the last name of the parents is on there. The poem reads

Please plant these seeds

and watch them bloom

just like baby [name]

who will be here soon.

There are wildflower seeds in the envelope and a card in the back of the little baggie with planting instructions. The shameless self promotion comes from my business card that is printed on the back of the poem :-) I have to get the word out somehow after all.

I haven't finished the favors yet, but I will share them when they are completed.

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My mom mentioned last week that she wanted a jewelry roll up for her trip to Vegas (that she is on right now, lucky!) and the hubby thought I should try to make one for her. I wasn't really sure about what one looked like as I hadn't seen one in ages but I took that challenge and this is what I came up with:

It is felt (of course!) and I used some 'girly things' ribbon that says things like princess, fabulous, sweet, etc.

The felt is lined with this super cool fabric I got from Jenn, it was the perfect touch to my funky jewelry roll up. I put pockets down the right side for earrings, rings, or even barrettes (which is what I'd use them for!)

When you flip the flap up, you find cute polka dotted felt surrounding where I embroidered the words 'Girly Things' to match the ribbon I used. I embroidered it in green to match the green in the fabric. I put four pockets in that will hold necklaces.

Above the pockets, I put little button tabs (the one on the left is open) to hold the top of the necklace chains so they don't get tangled up. I was going to use velcro, but velcro doesn't always agree with felt so I thought buttons would be cuter and a little easier to work with.

All in all I think it turned out pretty cute and my mom fit all of her jewelry in it without it becoming bulky so it does the job for which it was intended. Next time I think I'd make it a little smaller. This one is very big.

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So I went to the thrift store today, all I need for the Paris in the Springtime Swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps is my thrifted item. Well I'm not all that great at thrifting as some of you know. I was hoping to get to a couple flea markets because I usually have better luck with those but my new job has unfortunately kept me from one of my favorite parts of Spring. So anyway, I went to the thrift store for my thrifted item and had NO LUCK finding something for the swap but I still have a few more days so I have faith something will show up.

I did find some cute things at the thrift shop though and I wanted to share some of my goodies with you:

I found this adorable root beer fabric, I don't know what I'll do with it but it was too cute to leave in the store

Isn't it just the cutest? I got that for $2 along with this cute pink and black striped fabric

They were both 1/2 off for blue tag day.

My sister usually buys these linen towels so she may just end up with this one, I wasn't sure what I'd do with it, but it was cute for $1

It's the bicentennial towel, so everyone put your best foot forward, be sure not to flip your wig, and celebrate!

I got this cute little red polka dot travel roll up bag for 50¢!

I love it's shiny satin lining

I found these really cute dishtowels that may find their way into a swap one day

I got three of them for 50¢.

Also in the linens section, I got four of these really adorable 'tea party' napkins for $1.50

Not sure what I'll do with these yet but they were just really too cute to leave behind.

I did splurge a little with this last purchase, but not by much. It was $5, which I think is high for the thrift store but I was in the market for a jewelry box and this is a nice vintage one that was in pretty good condition.

I love the red on the inside, it's so rich and the condition is great! It's a little worn in the center section but otherwise, it's great.

I'm working on some other parties, including a first birthday for a little girl whose photograph I took just this evening.

Madison is turning 1 in August and is celebrating with a garden party for One Special Girl. Madi is the daughter of a friend I've had since first grade so I'm really glad to be a part of her 1st birthday celebration. We're definitely going to have the guests (mainly the little ones) get their own flower pot where they will get to plant their own seed or flower. The children will also be able to decorate their own foam visors. I'm thinking of making flower crowns for the little girls to wear and bug eyes and antenna for the little boys to wear. So the girls will be the garden and the boys will be the bugs, sounds about right to me! I'd love to hear some of your ideas if you have any. The ages of the children vary and I think there are about 15 children total.

In between all my fun crafty adventures, I'm trying to get my new business off the ground. I have lots of ideas but I don't know where to begin. Right now, hubby and I are trying to decide if we're going to open Your Magical Events as a brick and mortar store from the beginning or just start as an internet store. Though I guess the internet part has already started, hopefully party and favor kits will soon be available for sale on the site.

Have a great week!!

Another Birthday and other Joy

2008-04-01T12:41:00.002-04:00

I want to thank you for all the birthday wishes for Teachums, he was very excited to get so much love! I can't celebrate my pups bday without wishing the hubby a wonderful bday. His birthday was Sunday, the 30th and we went out to celebrate on Saturday. He was so exciting about celebrating that he came downstairs like this:

Complete with a button shirt, blazer, and even dress shoes! I tried to explain that he was a little over dressed for the hotdog place and the movies but he was so excited he couldn't be swayed. It's amazing what a Chicago style hotdog could do to a man.

He looked so handsome, I'm glad he had a wonderful birthday full of his favorite things! We even celebrated his real birthday with an Indiana Jones marathon and breakfast for lunch! Happy Birthday Ryan, love you!

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I was so excited yesterday to get the fun giveaway I won from Jenn Maruska Design! I won all the goodies featured here for her big 200th blog post giveaway and she even sent me a ton of fabric to add to my growing collection! What a generous giveaway! I will be picking special recipients to maybe one day, if they're lucky, receive a 90210 gift tag. Thanks so much Jenn! I love everything.

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I was also excited to find that Wayfarer received her giveaway goodies from my Ribbon Giveaway, you can see all the fun stuff she got by going here. I'm so glad she liked her little box of ribbon and other goodies!

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So I was lucky enough to travel to the UK in September/October of last year. I was a little bummed I never shared it on my blog so I'm hoping you won't mind if I share a little of the trip now. I'll let you know well in advance that I am sorry but this will again be a picture heavy post. I'm a photographer though so I deserve an excuse!

So I will first tell you how we go to go to England; my hubby works for Games Workshop with is an English-based company. When you've worked for GW for 10 years, as he had just this past June, they send you (and your guest, aka ME) to their UK Headquarters for a big black tie gala. The UK headquarters has a bar and restaurant on site just to give you an idea of how huge it really is.

So hubby was super excited about the headquarter tour including the 5' replica of the Mordor castle from Lord of the Rings.

He was also excited about the black tie gala to honor him and 125 other employees from around the globe. I was excited about the excuse to get dressed up!

I was also excited about getting a perfectly poured Guinness from the GW bar. They even put it in a Guinness pint glass. No wonder I'm smiling so big!

And I got the hottest (and tallest!) date in town!

This is what I was most excited about:

GW UK is located in Nottingham, home of my favorite hero, Robin Hood!

Sure he may not be real (well I'm not sure I'm willing to accept that yet but I'll try) but he's still a fantastic hero! He even got his own statue! Yay Robin Hood!

There's not much left of Nottingham castle but when there was a moat, rumor has it that it went right through there. Now, unfortunately, it is all full of trash! Some people are just so disrespectful.

This is about it for Nottingham Castle, the gateway to get through the huge wall that ran around the castle. Robin Hood had to sneak his way through this gate many a times!

This is the mansion house that was built when Nottingham castle was destroyed. It now holds a museum with a special exhibit on the great BBC show, ROBIN HOOD! If you have never seen this version of Robin Hood, you should check it out (it comes on BBC America too), it is my favorite version by far. It probably helps that I consider Jonas Armstrong, who plays Robin himself, pretty decent eye candy! From what I've figured out, season 2 of the series starts April 26, 2008 at 9:00pm (it doesn't say which time zone that is so check local listings). I feel like I've been waiting for it forever!

A trip to Nottingham wouldn't be complete without a trip to The Trip, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem that is. Established in 1189AD, Trip is the oldest Inn in England. It is actually built into the wall of Nottingham castle. The ceiling is centuries old castle wall so guard your beer and food or you may be enjoying ceiling too. It's the price you pay for drinking at the oldest Inn in England I guess.

There were ladybugs all over the place in Nottingham so I felt obligated to photograph at least one (or five!) and here he is!

This is the view from the top of the hill at Nottingham castle. See that grey building in the top right corner of the pic? The one that doesn't really fit in with its surroundings? That would be the GW home office, well a little part of it anyway :-)

Of course I couldn't leave without posing with my hero!

I love Friar Tuck too! I just had to rub his head for luck!

When we were off to London, hubby just had to go to the Imperial War Museum. It was all he talked about from the time we found out the date for the trip. I liked it because it was free, my favorite cost for things!

We went to Covent Gardens where I discovered that UK GW shops are way cuter than the US shops. There was a great little string band playing right outside their door, that's what everyone was looking at.

My mandatory shot in front of the Tower Bridge (while standing at the Tower of London, no less!)

I braved my fear of heights to view the sites of London from the famous London Eye. At something like 430+ feet high, it was just a little intimidating.

So that was a brief trip through my super fun trip to the UK. If I get to go again (and hopefully I will!) I hope to be able to stay longer and see Ireland!

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for suffering through my nostalgia!

Have a super fun day!

My Favorite Ewok's Big Day!

2008-03-27T12:39:00.004-04:00

So I know that one day I'll have kids and I'll fawn all over them. But until that day I will continue to fawn all over my dogs, all three of them. And I'll probably still continue to fawn all over them then too, they'll just have to learn to share...

So today I wanted to wish my favorite Ewok, Teach, a big special Happy Birthday!

He, just like his brother and sister Chip and Pepper, is a Brussels Griffon.

He is six years old today!

He's so patient with me and lets me make him a special, scary monster!

It's possible he has better hair than me as well as the ability to grow a fantastic beard!

He likes to make friends with dogs that are the same color as him.

He gets all sorts of shiny and platinum blonde when he gets groomed

He looks all sorts of precious in black and white.

This is my favorite picture of the three of them, Teach, Chip, and Pepper all sharing a chair.

This is more typical, Chip and Pepper are alert and Teach is just sleepy.

This one is just funny, Pepper, Chip, and Teach in their snow sweaters. The middle sweater was knitted by my sis.

He looks a little bit like a surfer which makes him super cool.

Let's not forget that he was a pretty darn good show dog.

And he used to be red.

Look how much he liked the judges.

Go, Teach, go!

Happy Birthday Teachems, I hope you have liverwurst wishes and chase the bunny dreams!

FELT up

2008-03-25T10:30:00.002-04:00

As it turns out, I not only created a felt monster pencil case, I just plain created a felt monster. And that would be me.

Before I start sharing my latest creations, I want to thank everyone again for the wonderful comments and entering my giveaway. I also want to congratulate Wayfarer again for winning the ribbon giveaway!

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I went to the Village Thrift Store again on Friday morning searching for more fabric to use as linings for future creations. The village thrift always has a few tag colors that are 50% off for the day but normally if you go and the colors are blue, pink, and green, (as it was on Friday) all the tags you come across are yellow. You never find half off stuff there anymore and everything is always expensive. But on Friday, it was so different, I found four different fabrics and three out of the four were blue tagged and therefore HALF OFF! And everything behind their showcase was half off on Friday too. They're cleaning house, I think.

I bought a few other things at the thrift on Friday, but I haven't photographed those yet. I will try to share them later this week. I want to share my new fabrics today.

Some of these are from Walmart and some are from the thrift store. The first three and the adorable butterfly fabric are all my thrift store finds.

The green plaid and the snoopy print both cost me $1.50, the snowflake with the sledding penguins was $1. The butterfly fabric was the only one that wasn't half off and I spent $2 for it. The blue plaid and the yellow/orange print fabric was $1/yard and the polka dot was $2/yard, they all came from Walmart.

I also got some great containers for my felt and fabric while at the Walmart. I wasn't sure if they would work but they really turned out great.

Now I can actually see what I have when I'm starting a project. I use the green container for the felt squares of which I have a ton! Some haven't made it in there yet.

I created another project in my wonderful felt project book. I doctored it up a bit and "made it my own" as Randy Jackson would say.

It's supposed to be a makeup bag but I think it could be used for lots of things. It has a zipper to hold all of your goodies safe. I used the apple template in my felt book but I decided to try the embroidering myself. I wrote "apples" in permanent marker first and went over it twice with red embroidery floss.

I also chose to line it since felt isn't the sturdiest of fabrics. The fabric I used is really soft flannel.

I was so pleased with how apples turned out that I decided to kind of make up something myself.

This is what I came up with:

I added 50% to the size of apples and added a velcro closure instead of a zipper.

I lined this one as well this time with some adorable flowered fabric I found at the thrift store.

I forgot to take the seam into consideration when I made the flap for closing it so it's a little wide but I think it looks ok like that. I went a little nuts once I started and decided to pad the back and put some lavender in the padding so it's scented. I had planned this bag to be a travel bag for a tween girl; perhaps to hold a swim suit or even her first training bra. But my cousin eyed it up on Easter and it may end up belonging to her. She's going to be 22 this year. So I guess it's great for girls of all ages!

My husband paints miniature soldiers for his hobby and his career so he had asked for a paint brush holder. I came up with this prototype.

He's pretty pleased with it but I have to clean it up a little and add some plastic inside the closure flap so the bristles don't get damaged. Once I come up with a better design, I will probably start putting them in our Etsy shop, with both girl and boy designs. The shop has been empty for a while and I think it needs a little attention.

Here is my WIP, I'm thrilled with this one and it will definitely go in the shop upon its completion.

The felt I used for the closure is actually glittered so it's pretty cute. I am planning to add buttons to keep this one closed.

I embroidered Beautiful and the butterfly which I did kind of free hand. With the exception of some improperly sized wings, I think he's pretty cute.

I of course had to use the adorable butterfly fabric to line this one. This bag is also meant to be a travel bag, but I'm sure it can double as all sorts of other things. This one is not scented.

So as you can see I was quite busy over the weekend! I couldn't stop a project some days until I was finished. I found myself staying up until 2am some nights just to see it completed! I hope you like everything! I can't wait to create more fun projects to share!

And the Winner Is...

2008-03-24T22:55:00.003-04:00

I know you all must be sitting by your computer waiting for me to announce the winner of my first ever giveaway!

First I wanted to thank everyone for their incredibly kind words towards my felt experiments. I hope to share more pics with you tomorrow.

I was thrilled to see so many comments for my blog, 34 total, that was great! I used this site that I found on a google search to choose my magical number. The random number it chose was comment #6! And after I counted 6 comments down I discovered the winner was

Wayfarer

Congrats, Wayfarer! You can grab my email from my profile to email me. I just need you to email me your address and I will send your ribbon goody pack on its way!

Thanks again to everyone who commented, that gave me confidence to have another giveaway one day :-)