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Is this not the finest piece of brocolli you’ve ever seen? I MADE that brocolli. And let me tell you, it was also the BEST piece of brocolli I have ever eaten. Adam doesn’t believe that the brocolli I picked from our garden, the brocolli that we grew ourselves, the brocolli that I watered by strategically positioning the sprinkler just-so for maximum garden coverage.
He thinks that this glorious piece of brocolli, tastes the same as grocery store brocolli.
He thinks that this brocolli tastes the same as grocery store brocolli that was grown who knows where, sprayed with who knows what, was picked who knows when, was packed into a wax coated carton, was tossed into a truck, and onto a conveyor belt, sat in the belly of a cargo plane, was tossed into another truck, sat in a warehouse, tossed into another truck, was manhandled by the produce department, manhandled by consumers, and sat in my fridge until I decided to use it?
In all fairness, Adam finally conceded that our brocolli did, he guess, taste better than grocery store brocolli. So there you have it. Our household has voted, and home grown brocolli does, in fact, taste better than mystery brocolli.
No real mystery there.
And if I may add, the salad was the only part of her that dinner Ellis ate.
This week, my crafting endeavors have been Ellis-centric. In part, it was need based, in part because I love to sew (when my machine is not jamming, which I discovered is mostly due to lame thread) and in part because I’m just plane nuts. The “nuts” part refers to the fact that I decided I “needed” to make a mini-quilt for Ellis to take on vacation with us next week. As in, we leave on Saturday. As in, I haven’t even started my to-do-before-we-leave-list nor my multiple need-to-pack-lists. Oh, and I’ve never made a quilt before.
But because we didn’t have a scorching hot week like the week before, it was a good excuse to spend lots of time indoors playing…and when it wasn’t raining, a little time outdoors, too. Honey took this picture of Belles and I at the Mendenhall Glacier this past Sunday.
This bib was crazy-cheap to make (gotta love the little projects!) and something I could actually start & finish in one sitting provided Ellis is napping. The pattern is modified from Amy Carol’s Bend the Rules Sewing, and if you’re familiar with Manda at Tree Fall, it should be pretty obvious where I get much of my inspiration from. And where does one draw the line for inspiration versus just plain stealing? My sincere apologies to Manda if I have overstepped.
I was so pumped for having FINISHED a project ~ two even! ~ and from having just finished sorting & organizing my fabrics that I couldn’t stop there. My mind started formulating color & fabric combinations & as soon as Ellis woke up from her morning nap, we were off to Joann’s. I picked up a set of square quilting templates, a rotary cutter, and hello? Why have I never purchased one before? That little baby made my life INFINITELY easier. At least in terms of sewing 
That evening I managed to get all my squares cut (seriously loving the rotary cutter) and put together my pattern. This actually came easier than I thought it would. It only took a couple tweaks to get the pattern the way I wanted it, and then a bit longer to fix my mis-placements. Around 11:30pm, I called it quits. Then all day yesterday, I could not. stop. thinking. about getting home to work on Ellis’ quilt! I was determined not to let this much needed burst of inspiration and motivation slip by.
Last night, I pieced together my squares & after laying out my rows, discovered only one mistake. After a short deliberation & virtually no anxiety (yay me!), I decided to leave it as is. I figured that after I added my alternating rows of off-white fabric, the mis-placement would be hardly noticeable, and more importantly, it’s good for me to be okay with producing something less than perfect. Ellis will love it and is she really going to care that there’s a green square where a red square should be?
I’m a little over half-way done with the front of the quilt, and barring any complications of either the sewing machine or of the toddler variety, I should be able to finish tonight. Am I being too optimistic? Maybe, but I really, really want to have this finished for our trip. Don’t ask me why, I’m just compelled to do so. I wanted Ellis to have a little lap quilt while we’re away, something from mama, something from home.
I foresee another quick trip to Joann’s this evening for batting & possibly the backing fabric as I’m not sure if I want to use something I already have or not. Maybe a nice chenille backing? Maybe something lighter?
Be sure to check back for the finished product!
For the past six months there have been so many things I’ve wanted to share. Little things like how I’d become obsessed with watching the Real Housewives of New York and then New Jersey. (man, those ladies sucked me in!) Or really incredible things like what it felt like the first time Ellis hugged me or said mama. Or how I look at her every. single. day and think how freaking amazing she is and oh my god how did I get so lucky to have a daughter as gorgeous & perfect as Ellis? Seriously. Have you seen her? And she loves to garden! What more could I ask for?
I hope that this post marks the end of my unintended blogging hiatus. That being said, one of the things I have looked forward to every day is reading Donna Downey’s blog. She’s actually one of the very first blogs I found and I wish I could remember what I Googled to make her name pop up, but there she was, and I think I read her entire archives in one, long sitting.
Donna is insanely creative and has allowed her art to evolve naturally over the years. I love her no-fear approach to art, how she can take ordinary bits & pieces and turn them into something beautiful, and how she inspires women to find their artist within.
The latest in her Campaign for Creativity is Inspiration Wednesdays where she encourages you to take a chance with your art. The whole notion of Inspiration Wednesdays goes much deeper than that, but in its simplist form, it’s just finding time to be creative because sometimes, its good for the soul. I’m expanding that to include writing one blog post per week, even if it’s just to post a photo because I’ve got LOTS of those.
Lately I’ve satisfied my creative urges with greeting cards: creativity born from necessity! Most recently have been Father’s Day and in my family, that’s no easy task. Husband, check. Dad, check. Step-dad, check. Father-in-law, check. I do feel badly that I didn’t have them made in time to send a hand-made card to my father-in-law, but his birthday’s in August, so I have a second chance where that’s concerned.
Anyhoo….here are this year’s Father’s Day cards. I generally use one or two or ten eyelets on any given project, but this time I tried to branch out & use some of the other embellishements I’m so fond of hoarding and not using. Like, what, I can’t buy more hinges?
(font is ddscript)
I felt the inside needed a little something extra, but all in all, I was really pleased with how it turned out.
With this card I had a very vague idea of what I wanted, which was lots of rough edges, and striped paper resembling a men’s shirt. And that was about it. After layering the striped paper with the green scrap and attaching the “happy father’s day” printed on vellum, it wasn’t quite enough. Enter the rustic wire! Now, this is where I pat myself on the back for actually using my supplies instead of the aforementioned hoarding. Adding a rough boarder of wire and attaching with the Tiny Attacher was exactly what it needed.
Next up was my mom’s birthday, and I made this little gem on my lunch break today. The day of her birthday. See, I knew last week that her birthday was on Tuesday, but that was last week, and by the time Tuesday rolled around, well, let just say it’s a good thing I noticed the birthday card on her counter this morning. I know, I’m a terrible, terrible daughter. 
And as you can see, I’m now a HUGE fan of the rustic wire. (and the tiny attacher) I was originally going to fashion a heart, but it started to resemble more of a balloon so I went with it. What did Bob Ross say? Happy accidents? The red & white paper is actually wrapping paper that I scooped up from Fred Meyer a while back, and the eyelets? Did I mention that I can’t make anything without eyelets? (font is ali edwards)
It feels good to create again, and it feels good to write again. Thanks, Donna, for offerring up this outlet and giving me the push I needed!
These are the fabrics I used for the nursery curtains. The red ticking I bought for crazy-cheap at WalMart, and the floral (Moda Summer In The City Strawberry Poppies) I bought last summer & only had one yard of. The striped fabric Jerusalem found in the sale pile at Joanne’s, and if I had seen it, I don’t think I would have looked twice. On it’s own, the wide stripes & pinks were a bit of a departure from what I would normally choose, and it had a circus-tent quality that I was unsure of. But Jerusalem convinced me we could make it work. 
Back at my house, she looked through my piles of fabric & chose the ticking & poppies as accents. After washing & drying the striped fabric, I loved the natural fray that resulted. Now, I’m not a great seamstress & can barely cut or sew a straight line, but I did have the good sense to sew a seam along the bottom to prevent it from fraying further the next time I wash them. Jerusalem also suggested using the back of the ticking rather than the front to give it a more vintage look. That is one clever gal.
Here is the finished product, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out. I love the three patterns together, and I love them up against the Plume Bleu paint. I also love the impact floor-length curtains make in a room. In my head, I imagined all sorts of colors going with this paint color, and I hoped I was right. Turns out, I was.
Love the chandelier? I do. I saw it in Pottery Barn, and my mom bought it for her granddaughter. Aren’t I lucky? I absolutely fell in love with the pink gingham shades. I wanted touches of pink in the room, but I didn’t want it to look like a pink explosion, and I think I’m achieving that nicely.
The baby-girl’s room isn’t finished, but it’s coming along. Especially since a very short time ago, it looked like this:
Today I had my weekly baby appointment. At previous appointments, despite my insanely-swollen feet & ankles, my blood pressure has been fine so my doctor wasn’t concerned with preeclampsia. Last week, I was having headaches and spots in my vision, so they ran some blood work, which turned out fine. This week, my blood pressure was elevated and my urine was registering protein, so the doctor is still thinking preeclampsia is a possibility, and to be completely honest, I’m not even sure what that is.
At any rate, I go back on Friday to have my blood pressure tested again. I really hope they don’t mention the words “bed rest” because I am not wasting my leave on bed rest. I’d prefer they’d induce labor, which I’m not thrilled about either. I’d rather my body go into labor when it was ready to, but if given the choice of bed rest or being induced, induce me.
Now: the not so cute:
Isn’t this just about the ugliest foot you’ve ever seen?? You’d think I’d be embarrassed by it, but the truth is, I am oddly compelled to show off my swollenness. Honey said it’s a good thing he doesn’t have a foot fetish otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same room as me. Not that he enjoys sleeping in the same room with me as it is with my trucker-like snoring.
This evening we were sitting on our front deck, enjoying the simple act of sitting outdoors in short sleeves & no jacket. Our neighbor Nathan stopped by, and while Adam was on the phone with his brother Rob in California who had just finished watching Expedition Alaska on the Discovery Channel, featuring the Mendenhall Glacier where Adam guides in the summer (hi Rob!), Nathan & I were discussing the births of his 2 kids. After commenting on how “puffy” my feet looked, Nathan asked if he could touch it. I think he may have a foot fetish.
Yesterday I was quite convinced I was coming down with a cold. My sinuses were bothering me more than usual, I felt like my throat was closing up, and I felt light-headed. This morning, thankfully, I am feeling better. Still having sinus troubles, but no more so than every day the past 2 months. I refuse to be sick for Christmas!
I have been hearing commercials on the radio that on Friday, Santa will be making the rounds through the main streets of downtown, and up into the residential neighborhoods ~ on a fire engine! It reminded me of when Adam & I lived downtown and we witnessed this for ourselves. We stood outside on the sidewalk, and couldn’t help but smile at the sounds of all the children screaming SANTA! SANTA! SANTA! SANTA’S COMING! IT’S SANTAAAAA!! A total explosion of enthusiasm. Truly priceless, and I’d forgotten all about it until yesterday.
I’m nearly done with my holiday shopping, but still have a few things to purchase, and a few things that should be arriving this week via Mr. UPS. I was so far ahead of the game the last week of November/first week of December, and then I don’t know what happened. I am waiting to wrap presents until Monday, which I just found out I have off. Yippee! I plan on watching all the Christmas movies I have yet to watch, and have myself a little wrapping party.
I recently bought a tag-maker kit (made by Making Memories) for about $17, normally priced at $46. I couldn’t exactly pass that up, now could I? No, I didn’t think so. I made all the tags for the gifts mailed to my in-laws, and while it takes a bit more time than using the pre-made gift tags one can buy in pack that will last about 7 years, it definitely personalized our gifts. I like to be known for my handmade things, even if the recipient didn’t know they were handmade.
Besides holiday gifts, I’m finding all sorts of uses for my tag-maker, and plan on tagging the hell out of all my baskets that hold my crafting supplies.
Speaking of handmade things, here is the holiday card that I sent out this year. Between my family, Adam’s family, and the handful of friends that I send cards to, I send out about 60 each year. This particular card was a multi-step process that took several evenings to finish. But, it’s probably my favorite Christmas card I’ve made yet, so it was worth it. You probably can’t see it, but the red & white paper have little gold flecks in them, which I just love.
I had fully intended on making loads of extra cards so I could list them on my shoppe, but I drastically underestimated the time it would take to make them. I did take 3 sets of 5 cards to The Creating Place to consign, and as of last week, one pack had sold. Maybe the last-minute-shoppers will snatch up the other 2 packs…and maybe next year I’ll start making them in June so I actually have some to list. Oh, wait, I’ll have a newborn then ~ who am I kidding?!
This week I received a very special package from the very special Manda. It was my first overseas package, and I probably stared at the envelope & its par avion royal mail stamps for a good five minutes before actually opening it. Honey even commented that I was just as intrigued by the packaging than its contents. He really does know me so well.
I wish I could show you what was inside the package, but I can’t. I received two items; one for myself and one for my mom, so if I show & tell, it will spoil the surprise. Upon receipt of my _________, I instantly felt as if I were now a part of a very special club: those who know & appreciate Manda McGrory and the wonderful things she creates. Really, I can’t say enough about her & how much I love her designs. She says she never uses a pattern, which is further proof of her creativity. Her color combinations are too pretty for words ~ oh, to have access to her fabric collection!
Okay, so don’t judge me or think I’m totally weird, but I will forever associate the holidays with soap operas. That right, I said, soap operas. I think the reason being is because when I was on Christmas break in high school, I often spent my afternoons watching All my Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital. For many many years, we didn’t have cable, and when you don’t have cable, you get one fuzzy channel that is a combination of ABC and NBC. This meant that the only shows available to me were the soaps. The soaps were filled with pretty people, with perfect hair and perfect makeup, and they were always going to a holiday ball. And I (foolishly) wished I could be like them, with a perfectly scripted life. Now I know better, although I do sometimes wish I came with a script.
Throughout this post, I have included photos of some of my favorite Christmas ornaments. (I could do a separate post on just my ornaments, but I really don’t see that happening between now & Tuesday). My mom has purchased my brother & I an ornament every year since birth, although she says we’re too old now & has cut us off. I will speak on behalf of Bucky & I and say that while we may understand her sentiment, we most certainly do not think we are too old to receive our annual ornament from mom. Just throwing that out there, mom….:)
I usually purchase an ornament each year for Adam & I; something to symbolize our past year together. Last year was this house ornament because we bought our first house (insert “duh” here). And that reminds me, I haven’t bought our ornament for this year. Nothing terribly eventful has happened except for that I left my hellish, stress & anxiety inducing job for a one where I’m not treated like crap on a daily basis, and that I got knocked up. But since the baby won’t be born until next year, it doesn’t seem right to mark that event in this year. Do they make ornaments in the shape of a tiny little pregnancy test??
Happy Holidays, everyone! May all of your holiday wishes come true.Oh, let’s see….what’s been going on…..
Friday night Honey & I attended a banquet & auction for S.A.I.L., a non-profit providing assistance for people with disabilities. I used to work for them & still volunteer for occasionally at their fundraising events. Anyway, I had a couple dresses that were a little too big that I thought I would have no trouble fitting into. HA! Shocking that I was surprised that an extra 15 pounds makes that big of a difference, isn’t it? Ummm, yeah….
So I squeezed into the lesser of the tighter two dresses, and with my favorite black sweater from Anthropologie, it didn’t look too bad. Plus, have I mentioned (this week) that I have cleavage now?
We arrived at the banquet, were shown to our table, sat & visited with some friends for a minute, and since we arrived 30 minutes late, we got there just in time for dinner being served. Being pregnant & starving, I waited only an obligatory minute or so before we made our way to the fast-forming buffet line. And here’s where I experienced another pregnancy-first: when I stood up, my tights rolled down my belly like a little old lady with knee-high stockings rolled down at the top, you know?
I’m sure there will be many more pregnancy-firsts, but this one took me by surprise.
And here’s your token cute-pet photo. Adam fell asleep on the couch Sunday night with the cats. That would be Riley-cat on Adam’s belly, and the fat, black blob on the cushion is Mendy. Porter couldn’t leave them be & had to come for some kitty-lovin’. He was actually being quite gentle with Riley. He so wants to play with the cats but hasn’t figured out that he’s too big & obnoxious for that to happen. They just look at him like, DUDE, what are you thinking?? We’re small!!
I’ve been crafting a bit, but not nearly as much as I’d like. There’s never enough time in the day, is there? This notebook was a custom order for my mom, and I just love the retro holiday paper. I wish I had bought more than 4 sheets of it. I think this is one of my favorite creations; there’s nothing about it that I don’t like. Usually I can pick apart my designs & find a flaw or two, but not with this one! I love that I finally used the tiny holly leaf buttons that I’ve had for a few years now. I’m trying really hard to be good & not buy loads of crafting supplies until I start using up what I have, but with so many cute things out there, it’s not always easy! Please tell me I’m not alone in rationalizing not-necessary craft purchases. Lastly, I’ve got a question for all the mamas out there. Next week, Honey & I have our next OB appointment. It’s the one where they’d do the genetic testing, if we were inclined to do so. My feelings are to pass on the testing, that I have enough to worry about as it is without worrying about false-positives. I’d much prefer to go on believing my baby is perfectly healthy. Honey wants to do the testing because he used to work with disabled youths, and if our baby has anything wrong (I hate to even use that word) with it, he wants to know so we can be prepared. My mom has a cousin who has an autistic son, and that’s the closest relative I have with any form of disabilities, mental or physically. Our doctor said that’s far enough away from me that we don’t really have anything to worry about. She said they also test for spina bifida, but I’ve been taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid since before I got pregnant, and I know that’s supposed to be a big factor in preventing that.
So, I’m curious what your thoughts are. Did you have the testing done? Did any of you have false positives? Did you & your spouses disagree on whether or not to do the testing? Adam said if I don’t want to have it done, we won’t have it done, but I’m still considering it for his sake. I just really don’t want to spend the next 6 months worrying about something else, you know?
Just in time for back-to-school, I’ve finished up some notebooks suitable for sale, and they’re currently available on my etsy shop! Also newsworthy for me is that Angie of the Creating Place is carrying my notebooks on consignment. I told Honey I was going to make us millionaires, one notebook at a time, & he humored me like a good husband. Honestly, though, I am still wondering if people will buy them. I mean, I think they’re totally cute, but underneath it all, they’re still just composition notebooks & anyone can make their own if they were so inclined.
They’re all made with high-quality scrapbook paper, and I’ve done away with the glue gun, so no more glue globs! Needless to say, construction has improved about a thousand percent since my giveaway.
I’m currently “testing” a mini, and after being tossed about in my purse, it’s still in perfect shape. I think I love the minis best ~ they’re the perfect size to throw in my purse to keep track of all those thoughts that would be lost if not written down right that very second.
In other news, Adam is in the (very) early stages of attempting to buy into the company he works for. We met with Trevor at Wells Fargo yesterday to get some loan information, and Adam’s going to meet with his boss Chuck to get some concrete numbers as all discussion thus far have been hypothetical.
The SBA loan dictates that Honey acquire one shop in its entirety, not buy shares of the whole company, which is what he would prefer. Chuck owns 2 print shops & 1 sign shop, so Adam would likely take over the print shop in the valley. I’m trying to be optimistic about this new endeavor, but we’re not talking small change here. We’re talking $300,000. To people who just borrowed approximately $220,000 for their house a year ago. Holy anxiety. If we were actually approved for that kind of money, everything would be on the line, including our house because Wells Fargo would have a 2nd mortgage.
I love seeing Honey so excited about something, though. It’s like he’s a whole new person. A person who is secure with himself & his abilities to achieve something great in life. He hasn’t once said “I can’t do this”, and for Honey, that’s HUGE! He, like me, gets frustrated easier than most & if something doesn’t come easily to him, he tends to give up rather than keep trying. Luckily for him, he’s good at most things he tries.
Logically, I don’t see how we could possibly do this because we have zero cash for the down payment, but I have an odd feeling that this is going to happen.
Here are some shots of my evolving craft room. The only money I’ve spent thus far have been paint & supplies. Several months ago, I did purchase the acrylic paper trays, but everything else I already owned. Or inherited from my grandparents. Or took from my mother.
The furniture is concentrated on the one side because I’ve got a gorgeous antique bed that belonged to my grandmother that will eventually be placed in this room. I’m totally putting my horse before the cart (or is it the other way around?) by trying to contain everything that does not belong in our living room, bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom into this one room so I don’t have to juggle too much when & if we get to make a baby room. My grandma’s bed is a 3/4 size (smaller than a full but bigger than a twin) so it’s not exactly feasible as a guest bed for full-size people. It would, however, make the perfect for an afternoon nap, or for a little daughter.
I like my desk placement ~ near the window so I get good light & have a nice view, and also facing the door so no one can sneak up on me. I’d love to have a larger project table with more room to spread out, but once I get the bed in the room, I don’t think there will be space for a larger table. Oh, and I’m missing a sewing station, too.
The tv is not even plugged in yet, & I don’t plan on running cable to the room, but I would like to get a cheap little dvd player. I’m currently watching movies on my laptop, but that of course hinders being able to use the laptop at the same time. I’ve had that tv since I was about 16, one of my first “major” purchases. The lamp, which will eventually get a facelift, was purchased for $3 at the annual community garage sale a few years back.
In my attempt to contain my belongings & to downsize the amount of crap I don’t use & don’t need, I look at every item & analyze whether or not it’s useful, sentimental, or if I really might need it someday. If it doesn’t fit into one of those categories, or if I can’t find a logical place for it to live, it goes in the giveaway pile. I am one of those people that believes everything should have a place, so not having my home organized after 11 months is crazy-making.
Feel free to oooh & aaaah over my supply shelf organization, though! Also still a work in progress, and once I get the shelving hung, I’ll know better where stuff will live. I almost prefer that I’ve waited so long to put this room together because now I know how I want to use the room, what works in terms of furniture & storage & making things I use easily accessable. If it’s a pain in the ass to put away my supplies, I guarantee they will wind up in a pile somewhere.
This shelf has 4 baskets: one holds glues & adhesives, one holds paints & markers, one holds miscellaneous tools, and the 4th holds random bits.
The wicker-drawer-thingy has paper scraps & card stock I’ve already folded for card-making. The wooden paper tray has my 8 1/2 x 11 paper, and the acrylic paper trays have my 12 x 12 paper. Watch me try to organize my 12 x 12 paper ~ solids & printed ~ into 10 slots. No easy task.
Ummm, red & white string? Check! When I first saw it being used in The French Inspired Home, I thought, I MUST HAVE RED & WHITE STRIPED STRING! Recently, I did a google search on red & white string, and saw a link to Tilda’s Bake Shop in a comment on Posie’s blog. At Tilda’s you can get this giant spool of perfect red & white striped string for like, $12. Of course, I paid about that much in shipping, too, but I didn’t mind. Jane’s Apron also had a post about what looks to be the same spool of string. Who knew there were so many people who loved red & white striped string?
This is my first project created in my craft room, and I have to say, it was really nice to have a space of my own, to not drag everything out into the living room to work at the dining table, and then have to drag everything back into my craft room when I’m done. Maybe instead of thinking I’d rather do my crafting in the living room to be near Honey, what I really need is more time to myself. Plus, it obviously saves time not dragging my supplies through the house & reduces the “mess” anxiety because I don’t have piles of paper & adhesives covering the dining table. 
They’re a set of blank-inside greeting cards for my MIL’s birthday. There are 2 varieties, 4 of each, with red envelopes. The card was handmade & distressed ~ my first attempt with my new distressing kit. The card is simple, but I like it.
German raspberries, one of my most favorite candies!
My journals are going to Jen at the Cottage Nest & to Lazylol ~ all the way in the UK! If you are not familiar with Lazylol’s blog, take a look! I did, & instantly fell in love with her photos. I can’t wait to sit down & read her posts.
Lazylol, I got your e-mail from your blog so I’ll contact you for your mailing address. Jen, I didn’t see your e-mail on your site, so please contact me at tracygottschlich@gmail.com with your mailing address. Thanks for playing my game!
And I had 6 whole comments waiting for me this morning, which just made my day. Thanks everyone so much for your sweet comments. I started this blog to journal my life, even the silly little bits, and to feel more connected to my friends & family since I suck so horribly at keeping in touch with them.
Not only do I feel like I am able to be a part of their lives & show them a glimpse of mine, but I’ve found that there is a wealth of like-minded women out there who have formed a virtual community. Women who love to make things, and who can make things out of anything! Women who love to make their home something special & a true reflection of themselves. Women who freely share their ideas. Women who have bad days & sad days just like me. Women who have left their day jobs to pursue what they really love, and that gives HOPE to the rest of us!
I have always loved to see how others live (if I walk by your house & your curtains are open, I will look!) so this just brings it to a whole new level. Thank you for giving me a peeksy into your lives & for taking an interest in mine.
TG
To the first 2 people who comment, I will send one of these 2 notebooks. And since there are only about 3 of you who read me on a regular basis, your odds are really good!
I made these, and a few others, that I planned on putting on my etsy shop. Then I chatted with Angie, owner of The Creating Place. After I lamented over the spots on my notebooks where the glue gun got away from me, she was kind enough to give me some advice on adhesives & techniques. I have all these ideas in my head (sadly, most are already being sold on etsy ~ sigh) but what I see in my head doesn’t always materialize in real life. In real life, there are glue globs, and poorly-cut felt flowers because a.) when I bought them, I thought they were stickers & now I have to cut them, and b.) I was cutting them late at night in a dimly lit room.
So, I’m not quite ready to sell my wares yet, but I will gladly give them away to 2 people kind enough to continue reading my nonsense! I do love how these notebooks turned out. Lately I’ve been really drawn to reds & blues, especially blues with a hint of turquoise. I think it started when Honey bought me The French Inspired Home for Christmas, and I fell in love with Kaari’s Plume Bleu.
PS, I’m waiting for them to manufacture the mossy-green paint in their bedroom photo, which Jon says they hope to have out soon. Yeah, I’m on a first name basis with Kaari & Jon. I exchanged e-mails with them a while back regarding some paint samples I ordered. I was so damn excited that I got an e-mail from the real, live Kaari, that Honey teased she was my new best friend & we could surely stay at their house the next time we vacationed in California.
More recently, I e-mailed them to see what in the heck happened to their paint line as it had disappeared from their website. Rest assured, their beautiful paints have returned. Even better, is that when I told Jon my kitchen/dining room is painted in their Boulette & Lily Pad colors & that I loved what a happy color combination they made, he asked if I had pictures. Pictures!! Jon of freakin’ French General wants to see photos of my kitchen! Can you imagine? That Jon & Kaari are still “real” people, who care about their customers is so great to me. Needless to say, that has kicked my butt into gear to finish the space so I can send photos & post some here as well.
ANYWAY! Talk about digressing!
Notebooks!
The Joy notebook was made with a scrap of my fancy wrapping paper that was too small to really do anything with. I say fancy because it was ridiculously expensive, but when the kids come ’round selling gift wrap every fall, I’m a total sucker. Plus, it’s really good quality wrapping paper! So, I save it for special occasions and for people who I think will appreciate it. Except now I’ve taken to scanning the gift table when I arrive at an event & am subsequently disappointed when someone else has brought a gift in my fancy wrapping paper. The nerve!
This notebook I am keeping for myself because even though I really love the paisley & the red polka dot ribbon, it has too many mistakes for me to even give the thing away. I am finding that it’s very hard, and perhaps impossible, to be a perfectionist & a crafter. Can the two co-exist?
This notebook I made for my brother’s fiance, the mother of his baby, Michelle. She picked this paper from a couple choices because she said it looked like cherry blossoms. I think this was one of my favorites.
This sweet little journal was one of my firsts, made for my mama so she could write & escape from some of the craziness from the past year. Can you tell I like rik-rak & buttons?
See, I really DO make stuff!
