Erika Cass Designs

Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T22:17:00.002-06:00

My New Year's resolution for 2009? To start blogging again. ;oD

Summer Hiatus

2008-07-16T16:03:00.003-05:00

I bet you've been wondering...."where has she gone, why isn't she blogging anymore??"...or maybe you're just having too much fun enjoying the summer with your family and couldn't care less...like us!! :oP

I'm on summer hiatus but will be back closer to the beginning of a new school year. I decided to spend more time with my family and hold off on any biz plans for a little while longer. :o)

See you soon!

Decoration Day

2008-05-30T10:20:00.004-05:00

In an event similar to ones involving countless Scout groups across the country this past weekend, many of our local Boy Scouts met at the Fort Sam Houston Cemetery for the annual Flags at Fort Sam in honor of Memorial Day.

The Memorial Day holiday takes place on the last Monday of May. This holiday commemorates United States service men and women who died in military service for their country. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name.

Boy Scouts were invited to participate with the placement of flags on the gravesites of veterans and their dependents. For Mr. Smarty Pants and 5 others from his Cub Scout Pack it was their first opportunity to participate and they all seemed to really enjoy it, even though it was very VERY hot that day!

I was surprised at how much they wanted to learn about the veterans; reading about where they were from, what conflict(s) they had been in, etc. A few of the cubs(brothers) had a great grandfather buried in the cemetery as well.

I'm so proud of Mr. Smarty Pants! :o)

Fairies, Tutus and Bows OH MY!

2008-05-27T09:23:00.006-05:00

I know I know, seems like ages since I posted last. I really need to catch up but for today at least I wanted to share a really fun and girly giveaway by Dawn of Pink with Sparkles:

I love fairies, tutus and bows and Bambina Ballerina has it all! Do you have a little princess who has tons of bows but no place to keep them? Then here is the ultimate girly accessory!

Want one of these gorgeous bowholders? Then head on over to Dawn's blog where she's giving away one $30 Gift Certificate to Bambina Ballerina AND one Bambina Ballerina bowholder! This giveaway ends May 29th at noon EST so enter soon and your little princess will thank you. :o)

Wordless Wednesday : Peek-a-boo...

2008-05-14T08:59:00.001-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Mommy Moment

2008-05-09T10:16:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite mommy moments. We didn't ask him to kiss my belly, he just did! He loves his twin sisters sooooooo much! :o)

Happy Mother's Day!

Check out other mommy moments here:

What Motherhood Means to Me

2008-05-01T16:07:00.005-05:00

This captured moment speaks volumes for me. Whenever I look at it I feel overjoyed, lonely and nostalgic all at once. This is my mom and I at my wedding in 2000. She had been diagnosed only 2 years earlier with Ovarian Cancer and was given grim statistics. She beat the odds and not only walked me down the aisle and gave me away at my wedding, but was able to be there to welcome her first and only grandchild that she ever knew a year later. She kept beating the odds until May 6th 2005. I am forever grateful for the extra time given to us.
3 months after she passed we found out we were pregnant with twins and I knew exactly who their guardian angel would be. When I found out I would be having daughters I knew I would name them both after my mom. If it were not for my own mom I would not be the mother, or even the woman, I am today.

This picture epitomizes motherhood for me, with all the joy and happiness AND the pain and sorrow that it comes with. I miss you mom.

What does motherhood mean to you?

Note: I couldn't get my scanner to work so I had to take a pic of a pic from my wedding album. I will update it with a better version if I ever get this darned scanner figured out!

Wordless Wednesday - Hello Elephant

2008-04-16T09:02:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Happy Birthday Sugar & Spice!

2008-04-15T11:51:00.007-05:00

The twins turned 2 on Sunday! We gave them presents including puzzles, a pillow, books and their very own twin baby dolls. My camera batteries died and we didn't have replacements so there's hardly any pics.

Then we went to the zoo. It was a gorgeous day! Real Spring weather which is so rare here. We didn't get very many pics at the Zoo either, even though we picked up some new batteries on the way.

Here's Mr. Smarty Pants striking his "I'm cool" pose. :o)

I rarely get pics of me & the girls together so we gave it a shot. Sugar & Spice just did not want to sit still for a pic and this was the only decent shot we got. I don't think you can tell how hard I'm trying to hold them still. LOL! All my makeup is gone too since it was at the end of the day.
*Note to self: Next time, take pics at the beginning of the day and right after applying makeup! :oP

Oh and did you notice my hair?? It's hard to tell but I cut it short! I just couldn't deal with it anymore. It may not look as good but it sure feels great!!

We'll have a little birthday celebration with a Disney Princess theme in 2 weeks when Memaw & Papaw come to visit. I figure next year we'll do the whole party with friends thing. :o)

Fabulous Flickr Fabric Finds

2008-04-11T12:21:00.003-05:00

Before I get to the fabric post, did anyone see the shocking American Idol results show last night? I was floored when Micheal Johns was voted off. Not only that, but Ryan was downright "unforgiving" in the way that he announced it. Not a great way to end the Idol Gives Back week imho. :o(

Ok, on to the fabric!! So I thought it would be fun today to highlight some really cool Flickr groups, including fabric manufacturers and fabric designers. Amazing things you crafty gals make with my fave fabrics! ;o)

Free Spirit Fabric(and Rowan)

Michael Miller Fanatics

Joel Dewberry Fabric

Freshcut and fabulous!(Heather Bailey)

Chocolate Lollipop(Anna Maria Horner)

Bohemian Beauties(Anna Maria Horner)

Ginger Blossom(Sandi Henderson)

Tina Givens Fabric

Denyse Schmidt Quilts

Sis Boom Sightings

Amy Butler Sew Inspiring Contest

Amy Butler Fans

Sugar & Spice are turning 2 this weekend(Two already? Wow!!) and while we're going to wait and have an "official" princess party when Memaw & Papaw come to visit in 2 weeks, we'll probably do something, like go to the zoo, since the weather is beautiful!! Hope everyone has a lovely wekend as well. :O)

My Baby Has Glasses

2008-04-10T10:01:00.004-05:00

Sugar finally got her glasses last night and today is her first official day to wear then since she went to bed an hour after receiving them last night. I have to say, so far so good. She has been great about keeping them on. I was surprised! I think it may be just because it's something new but I'm hoping that she recognizes that she can see so much better with them on. I do think that these frames are too small for her. I'm noticing indents on the bridge of her nose and her temples. I've tried adjusting a bit but I just think I will need to take her back to the Vision Center today and see about getting them adjusted or replaced. Yesterday I asked about when we would need to change them out due to her growth and they said they should be good for about 6 months but it's hard to imagine that being the case with a fast growing toddler! We'll see. So what do you think?

I'm trying to get used to her new look. I do think she looks pretty cute! :o) The glasses are pink and have a little bitty Tigger on each side of the frames. The case has Winnie the Pooh and Tigger on it which she recognized. When we got the glasses yesteday we all made a big fuss about how pretty she looked and and I even told her how at night the glasses would go "night night" in their sleeping case. This morning we "woke up" the glasses so she could wear them. hehehe. I think it's going to help alot to have rituals associated with the glasses.

I was reading some mom blogs last night after the American Idol Gives Back show (btw if you haven't already, donate, donate, donate!) and ran across a post about InfantSEE. I wish I had heard of this earlier. Not only does this website have excellent information about a baby's developing eyes but you can search for an eye doctor in your area that will evaluate your baby's vision for FREE! Yup you read correct, anyone who has a baby under 12 months of age can have them checked for free. NO insurance needed. Like most parents I didn't think much about getting my kids vision checked when they were babies at an eye doctor. I thought that the pediatrician was sufficient. I believe now that had I been more aware Sugar might have had her vision problem caught earlier. I didn't notice anything wrong with her eyes until her second year and even then I didn't trust what I was seeing. I thought it was a "trick of the eye"(no pun intended) until it started becoming more obvious and others noticed it too.
Amazingly when I did a search for participating InfantSEE Optometrists I found 13 doctors within 20 miles of us!
This program came about in 2005 after president Jimmy Carter spoke to a group of Optometrists about his two grandsons who have vision problems that could have been treated if their eyes had been checked as infants. They had the insurance and money to take the boys for eye care, but they lacked the awareness. So members of the American Optometric Association and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson joined forces to create InfantSEE.
Do yourself a favor and have your babies eyes checked, if only for your peace of mind.

Another website I stumbled upon this morning is Babies With Glasses. It's a site for parents, grandparents, other family members and friends of babies and young children with glasses, needing glasses, or with other visual challenges to share experiences and tips. There's an online community for everything isn't there! :o) It's nice to know I have support out there if I need it. Maybe I'll enter Sugar for Baby with Glasses of the Month! ;o)

Wordless Wednesday - Slip 'N Slide

2008-04-09T14:39:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fun in the Sun

2008-04-07T18:15:00.004-05:00

Where did Spring go?? As usual we had about a week of Spring and we're already on to hot humid Summer days. Gotta love Texas weather! :oP

We got the twins a pink plastic pool this weekend and they had their very own little "swim party" in the backyard. They love their evening bath so this was about a 1000 times better! LOL!

Fabulous Fabric Finds Pt. 3

2008-04-04T13:28:00.009-05:00

Today I wanted to highlight more wonderful fabric designers; some old faves and one soon-to-be new fave!

The first is another blogger and allaround crafty gal, Jennifer Paganelli. If you're unsure of the name than you'll probably recognize her fabric collections; Mod Girls, Girlfriends and Sis Boom Basics. Jennifer's newest offbeat and eclectic collection called Bell Bottom is inspired by the 70's. Lots of fun colors don't you think?

You can see alot more pics of this new collection on Jennifer's blog.

So remember that wonderful collection called Summer in the City by Urban Chiks that was so popular last year? Well, those vintage/modern gals have done it again! I love there latest line called Swell. It has all the perfect spring/summer colors and looks so wonderfully vintage. Anyone know when this was introduced? This collection happens to be inspired by the 40's. Hmmm, I'm seeing a trend here. :oP

I couldn't find any information on these "swell" chicks; no official site other than the page on Moda Fabrics, no blog...nothin! Anyone have the lowdown?

And last but not least is a new designer who will no doubt do quite well. Lila Tueller is a painter/crafter and now fabric designer who has her debut line Woodland Bloom coming out in May with Moda. Here's a sneak peek:

Visit Lila at her blog and let her know what you think.

Have a fun fabric-filled weekend! :o)

Updates on Life

2008-04-03T16:28:00.014-05:00

This has been a busier week than normal, which is the reason for the lack of blogging, so I thought I would update on some things that some of you may be wondering about.

Sugar's Strabismus:
Someone asked how Sugar's eye appt went. She had an appt a few weeks back and we found out that her "wall-eye" is due to farsightedness so she's getting glasses! Last week we went and tried on some frames(cute little pink ones) and we've been waiting on the lenses to come in so that we can pick them up. They were supposed to come in towards the end of this week. I have NO idea how I'm going to get her to keep them on. Anyone have any suggestions?? I thought about e-mailing Kate from Jon and Kate + 8 to see how she got Aaden to wear his. :o) Has anyone else ever e-mailed either Jon or Kate? Did they respond?

The Puppies:
Well what can I say, they're getting bigger...and our backyard is not fit for human beings anymore. LOL! We're gonna work on that hopefully this weekend. I'm thinking about seperating a part of the yard and putting a fence around it...for the kids! That way they can have a sandbox, toys and poop free grass to play in. :oP Mr. Smarty Pants is playing with them alot more. Also the "boys" take them for walks. They really are sweet, but I'd like my backyard back now that spring is here. :o)

My Jewelry:
Yes I know this is supposed to be my biz blog. *sigh* Seems I can make lots of jewelry in my free time but can't get any pictures of them so no listings in my store. :o( After being sick, busy, etc etc, I finally had time to try taking decent pics again and of course the weather will not cooperate. Soooo after doing some research I am going to make my own light box this weekend so I can take pics whenever my little heart desires! I also need to do some reading up on my camera settings as I can't seem to get the closeups I used to. My spring collection is soooo late but will hopefully debut soon. Again, wish me luck on that.

Cub Scouts:
Lots happening with Mr. Smarty Pants Cub Scout pack. I got to take him to his first hockey game a few weeks ago. Our local hockey team had a Scout Night. Since I grew up watching hockey in LA(go Kings) I thought it only appropriate that I get to take him instead of Honey(who I introduced to Hockey when we lived in Dallas-go Stars). He seemed to enjoy it though he wished they had scored more. It was a low scoring game and a little boring at times so I'm glad it still held his attention. We've also been working on his Pinewood Derby car. The Derby is next week and is the 1st one for his pack. He just earned his Bobcat Patch and Tiger Cub Recognition Emblem plus 5 beads a couple nights ago and I'm also working on the packs website. Busy busy busy!

Fabulous Finds Friday:
Yes I am going to post part 3 of Fabulous Fabric Finds tomorrow. And yes, sadly, I missed posting about the Ginger Blossom launches on both ETSY and eBay the past couple of weeks. (I even bid and won some cute outfits for the girls!) You can still find listings on eBay and tons of listings on ETSY by searching for keyword "gingerblossom".

And since blog posts aren't nearly as much fun without pics, here ya go!

If I forgot anything I needed to update on just comment and let me know. ;o)

Remembering A Super Princess

2008-03-28T11:44:00.008-05:00

I had fully intended to update about what we've been up to lately and post the delayed pt. 3 of the Fabulous Fabric Friday series but this morning doing my usual blog rounds while drinking coffee I came across a new blog...which lead me to another blog...which lead me to cry for most of the morning then finally deciding on a completely different post for today.
Through a wonderful artists blog(who I'll post about another day) I found the blog of Sheye Rosemeyer Photography. She is an incredible photographer and also mommy to four who lost her beautiful 3 year old daughter Ava last year. It was a terrible accident and one that she has since devoted to preventing any other parents from going through. She has bravely kept blogging and inspiring with her words and amazing photographs. In the hopes of spreading more awareness I would like you to meet Ava:

You can click on the picture above to go to Ava's website which has links to both this postcard(web & printable versions) and her memorial site where you can learn more about this Super ~~Princess~~ Angel.

I'm seriously thinking about highlighting someone like Ava each month to help spread awareness. I already found another beautiful angel with a mission from reading Sheye's blog. We'll have to see if I can manage to do this. I'm really not that strong...

Wordless Wednesday : Sneaky Peek

2008-03-26T15:55:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T16:33:00.002-05:00

I know I'm a little late but, better late than never right? :o)

Unfortunately we all got sick, yet again, and of course it just had to be over spring break and Easter. *sigh* I really do hope now that Spring has arrived that our "plague" days are over once and for all. Though we ended up not being able to visit family or do much of anything else this past week we did get to participate in our neighborhoods very 1st annual Easter Egg Hunt and I think I got some cute shots of the kiddos. The weather was perfect that day.

As you can see I did redo my blog and ETSY store design. I rather like it! It reflects "me" more than any of the designs so far. Sadly I haven't gotten my jewelry photographed yet so still no listings in the store. I'm hoping to resolve that this week. Wish me luck!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I'll update more about our family goings on tomorrow. :o)

Wordless Wednesday : You want me to sit WHERE??

2008-03-12T16:21:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous Fabric Friday pt. 2

2008-03-07T15:41:00.012-06:00

Today I'm highlighting some very popular fabric designers who have inspired so many crafters, new and established! The first is probably the most famous and is why my own fabric obsession began.

I adore Amy Butler fabrics and patterns. And her website's fabulous too don't you think? I wish she had a blog. I still want to have a Little Daisy's flower nap pillow made for Sugar & Spice. I found the pattern online today so I'll probably order it and then see if I can find someone to make it for me. Any volunteers? :o)

Anyhoo, here's a sneak peek of Amy's new Spring 08 collection called Midwest Modern:

The collection will be out this April. To see the rest of the colorways click here!

The next designer became an instant favorite with his first 3 collections in 2007.

Surprisingly I don't have anything made with Joel Dewberry fabric! I really will have to rectify that. :oP His newest collection called Ginseng will be out this May. It looks beautiful! Here's a sneak peek:

To see the rest of the colorways in this collection click here! Once again he has a beautiful website but alas no blog.

Lastly, I wanted to share a fabric designer who is new to me but probably not to most of you sew crafty ladies. ;o) Her name is Tina Givens. She has a blog too. I had seen her chandelier fabric here and there but when I found her blog and saw this fabric colorway...

...I fell in LOVE! I can't wait for her new collection called Chloe's Imagination to come out this spring. It is soooo my style! Check out the other colorways in this collection on Tina's blog.

Stay tuned for more "fabric love"...next Friday! :o)

Wordless Wednesday : Easter Gift

2008-03-05T13:13:00.003-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Random Fun!

2008-03-04T16:15:00.003-06:00

I've been a "busy bee" this past weekend and have a number of jewelry pieces done. Yay me! Unfortunately I haven't been able to take pics yet. I'm hoping to get that done this week and then list them on ETSY this weekend. I'm very excited! It's a spring collection and I have to say I've been very inspired lately. I can't wait to show you! :o) I'll also be revamping the design of the store banner to reflect my new "style".

In the meantime, here's some random fun!

Why God Made Moms
(Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions)

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it's my sister who did it, not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

The above was in my Moms of Multiples group newsletter. I just had to share it. :o)

Fabulous Fabric Friday

2008-02-29T17:06:00.014-06:00

Today I wanted to highlight some exciting new and upcoming fabric collections for 2008.

First off, my absolute favourite fabric collection out right now is Ginger Blossom by Sandi Henderson.

If you haven't seen her debut collection or heard of Portabellopixie then you need to surf on over and read her blog. You'll be treated to beautiful and inspiring pictures, children's clothing designs, patterns, tutorials and of course her spring-inspired fabric!

I've already snagged a headband for myself that I saw when I was perusing pics in her Flickr group. It's made by Island Girl Bags on ETSY. Want one too? She has a few left, just click here.

Alas, no fabric yet for me. :o( If my local quilt shop doesn't order any than I'll need to shop online asap. I hear it's selling out fast! Congrats Sandi and Happy Birthday too! :o)

Next up is Anna Maria Horner, a multi-faceted designer who has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and already created two amazing fabric collections so far; Bohemian and Chocolate Lollipop.

Anna's newest fabric collection, Drawing Room, promises to be something quite different from her first two collections yet still has her distinctive design aesthetic. I can see this fabric used in a lot of home decor projects. To see a full preview of the fabrics and colorways in this upcoming collection click here! Anna's blog is another feast for the eyes isn't it?

I just discovered the designer Melissa Averinos and her blog Yummy Goods this week. I'm really loving her blog but even better just a couple of days ago she posted a preview of her debut fabric collection Sugar Snap!

I adore the colors and the interesting designs. I expect her collection will do very well. :o)

What do you think of these collections? Are there any new or upcoming collections you're really excited about?

Stay tuned for Fabulous Fabric Friday pt 2...next Friday of course. ;o)
*So many fabrics so little time*

Wordless Wednesday : The Good Life

2008-02-27T11:18:00.002-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Our Little Tiger Cub

2008-02-26T11:05:00.008-06:00

It's official, Mr. Smarty Pants is now a Cub Scout!
Actually I signed him up a few weeks ago but I just got his uniform yesterday. Before that he was wearing his Tiger Cub t-shirt to the meetings. He's been to two meetings so far and he gets more and more excited about it every day. I was worried he would lose interest but this seems to be a real winner. Go mom!

When I got the uniform yesterday I tried it on him and took a couple of pics. Doesn't he look cute? He didn't want to take it off either! I hadn't added the patches at that point.

I plan on making him a Cub Scout scrap book with pictures, activities, badges/awards earned, etc so I'm going to take pics at all of the cub scout meetings and events. I missed the first meeting since I was down with the flu but Honey was able to take him. He didn't bring the camera though. The second meeting I left my camera on the table so the next day we went outside and took pics of the activities they did.

That meeting was all about hearing. First the scouts learned about Sign Language and what it's like to not be able to hear. Mr. Smarty Pants was a quick study and learned how to sign his name. Take a look!

Next they made "telephones" out of cups and cord. Remember these? They worked very well and the scouts got a real kick out of communicating with each other.

Lastly they talked about what kinds of animals have very good, or in some cases, specialized hearing. The cubs were asked to name some of the animals and of course dogs and bats were thrown out there but then Mr. Smarty Pants chimed in with "Bald Eagle". I nearly fell out of my chair. That's my boy! :oP
After discussing animals they did another craft where they made better "ears" for hearing, but mostly they ended up using them as megaphones. LOL!

I can't wait to find out what we're doing at the meeting tonight. Mr. Smarty Pants got to wear his uniform to school today. He was soooo proud this morning! I should have gotten another pic!

So are you wondering about my enthusiam for scouting? The reason why I've decided to be his partner (most of the time) instead of Honey is that I was very involved in Campfire Girls when I was a kid. I was involved for at least 7 years, including the camp every summer. I started off as a Bluebird. I remember I just LOVED the idea of being a "bluebird".

Sadly, the Campfire Girls do not exist in the same form as I remembered it. There's been a number of changes through the years and the latest was the organization changing their website, name and logo(again). They're now called Camp Fire USA and the logo looks too modern in my opinion.

Here are the older logos that I'm familiar with for comparison:
(they just kept getting more and more modern looking)

When I was in CFG in the 70's to 80's they were just starting to have boys join. I remember very few boys at our summer camp. Did you know that Campfire Girls was created around the same time as Boy Scouts? It was meant to be the "sister" to scouts so to speak. You can read more about that here!

Alas Bluebirds no longer exist either. Now you become a Little Star when you join. I'm a nostalgic sort so even though I know change can be good I really do miss the past. Campfire Girls was such a BIG part of my life growing up. I need to dig up all the old pics I have of me in parades and selling candy....ahhhh the memories! Time to start rummaging through the boxes in the garage. I did come across my patch vest and my hat/beret last week. THAT was fun! Mr. Smarty Pants got a kick out of it too when I showed him the patches and what they were for. I will have to take a pic of my vest, hat and beads to show off. My mom had actually sewn on all of my CFG beads in beautiful patterns on the vest but during my college days I took them off to play with making jewelry. Stupid college kid! Oh well. Atleast I saved the vest and most of the beads.

Btw, if anyone is an alumni of the Campfire Girls from the San Fernando Valley area in CA and/or went to Camp Yallani from about 75' to 82' please give me a shout. Oh and if you were a camp counselor then too I would love to hear from you. I had a favorite counselor my first year at Yallani that used to carve animals out of soap. I think I was about 6. I absolutely adored her! I was extremely sad to leave camp that summer. I couldn't find any info on Camp Yallani when I Googled it and also looked it up in the Camp Fire USA directory to no avail. I'm guessing the camp no longer exists. I would love to know what happened to it. I really do have to dig up all those pics and do a post dedicated to my old Campfire days. Won't that be fun? Oh come on, indulge me.

Anyway if you're interested in getting your kids into any of these "camping/service" type of organizations here's a list of links so you can check them out:

Boy Scouts of America

Girl Scouts of America

Campfire USA

American Heritage Girls

Do you know any other organizations to add? Leave a link in the comments.

WO-HE-LO! :o)

Puppies Are Sooo Cute...

2008-02-21T17:32:00.007-06:00

...when they're small!

When we first got the puppies they were so cute and itty-bitty...but now they're frankly getting to be a BIG hassle. I really hate to say that as I'm an animal lover but Honey and I had talked for a couple of years now about not being tempted into getting any new pets. We did really good until last month when a friend of ours offered one of their puppies for free.

Some background:
Mr. Smarty Pants has wanted a puppy for quite some time now and has been very specific about what kind he wants. When he was 2 years old he had a pretty bad fall and I got him a stuffed chocolate lab toy as a comfort gift after leaving the ER. He named him Brownie and it has been his favorite "buddy" ever since. He's always said that someday he wants a real "Brownie". We had two(very old I might add) Pomeranians, rented a house with no backyard, and we knew we would be having more babies in the future and felt it wouldn't be a good idea to get a puppy any time soon. I also thought he should be older and more responsible before taking on a pet of his own.
Ok, so fast forward to the present. We have our own home(our first) which we moved into a little over 2 years ago, both poms have passed away, the babies are now toddlers and we're being offered a chocolate lab for free by a friend. How could we say no?

What was NOT given much thought to in this decision:
Cost. Training. Mr. Smarty Pants is really not an outdoorsy-type and has other "issues"(I'll save that for another post) that might make taking care of a dog not a good idea right now. Puppies pee in the house!!! This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine! The Poms lived for 16 & 18 years and peed all the time in our rental houses, especially as they got older. I cut baby diapers for the dogs to wear. Seriously! Guess who always had to clean any messes? Ummm yah, that would be me! Sooooo, I'm taking care of a house that frankly is too big for just little ole me to keep up with, twin toddlers entering the "Terrible Two's" stage, a hyper 6 1/2 year old with behavioral issues, and now I'm supposed to take care of, train, feed, clean up after, give attention to, a puppy! On top of that when we go to see these "conspiracies against otherwise sane adults"...um...I mean puppies, we end up getting 2!! What?? Honestly, I have NO idea how that happened. I think my brain got left behind at the house. I really do love animals, especially baby animals. *violin strings in the background* Besides, if you place any type of temptation in front of me...let's just say the results are usually predictable. My family is completely no help to me whatsoever in these matters. Normally they encourage bad behavior. I don't buy soda, cookies, cake, ice cream, etc, when I do the grocery shopping. Honey inevitably brings something "bad" into the house when he does the shopping and if it's in the house I'm completely and utterly defenseless. *sigh*

Soooo Honey drags me and all three kiddos out to see these adorable "temptations" and then everybody gangs up on me. "Awwww, these two are sooo cute together" (We're told the smallest ones, brother and sister, are the runts of the group and bonded with each other as the others picked on them.) "I don't think they should be parted"..."Aww couldn't we get them both?" so I say(drumroll please), "OK!"
Brain? Braaaaiiin?? Where are you??????

I'll admit at first everything went great and Mr. Smarty Pants loved playing with the puppies. They were adorable and cuddled up with us and were quiet and SMALL. Now, they're getting big, chewing on everything, barking and whining all the time and Mr. Smarty Pants has lost pretty much all interest in playing with them, let alone taking care of them. It doesn't help that the girls are kind of scared of them. Especially Sugar since there was a little biting incident the first day we brought them home.

I have no time to train them or give them much attention and of course no one else is training them or taking care of them. Our backyard is wayyyy too small for 2 large untrained dogs, who like to pee on the cement patio instead of the grass, oh and in the house too if we let them in(why do I always get the pee dogs??) and now the girls can't play outside because the puppies jump up and knock them over and generally terrorize them. These dogs are not even full grown yet. I'm afraid for my patio furniture. Did I mention that they are big on chewing things?

So in the spirit of nostalgia I thought I would post some pics of the puppies the first day we got them.

I know I'll eventually look back on all of this and laugh and the puppies will probably turn out to be exceptionally good dogs but right now?...I'm kinda losin my mind! :oP

Have a great weekend!

I HATE the flu!

2008-02-16T09:14:00.008-06:00

So literally a day after my last post my girls and I came down with the flu! Apparently the same flu that's been in the news lately and this year's flu shot didn't cover. Yah, the same flu shot we got this last fall. *sigh*
It was horrible! I was in bed for 3 days with a 102 fever. I felt sooo bad!! The girls weren't much better. Spice was hit harder and according to Honey she just laid around on the couch with a bottle of water. She would rub her head and say "Ouch. Hurts!". Poor baby. :o( Sugar had awful diarrhea which Honey had to deal with(snicker). We're finally on the mend with just some mild sinus drainage and a slight cough.
Let me just warn anyone who is going to go to a doctors office with kids when the kids aren't actually sick...DON'T DO IT! We actually went last Tuesday to get a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for Sugar who appears to have Exotropia Strabismus, or in more common terms "Wall Eye". There were tons of sick kids in the office. I know that's where we got it! It sucks too since we were just getting over another little bug and last weekend was absolutely gorgeous weather. This weekend so far? Eh, not so much. Oh well, that's life right? :o)

So we're gonna try and relax and enjoy this weekend. I'll post again on Monday...hopefully. LOL! ;o)

Still Here.....

2008-02-07T12:03:00.000-06:00

Sort of! :oP
I can't believe it's been soooo long since my last post. Suffice it to say with holiday traveling and visitors, sickness, and other personal family goings-on I needed to take a break from the "cyber world". I've now gone through all of my e-mail(ugh, over 100 unopened messages) and finally updated my blog decor. Bet you were tired of seeing Christmas! I have lots to post about but I'll start my 1st one tomorrow since it took me all morning to get my blog design updated. :o)

For now, say hello to our new set of twins!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T19:31:00.001-06:00

Santa! Who Is He Anyway?

2007-12-06T13:54:00.000-06:00

The Legend of Santa Claus

The character we know as Santa Claus, is a blend of many different cultures, customs, legends and mythological creatures. His earliest ancestors date back to a time when the earth was ruled by sky-riding gods. But much of his legend is based on the life of St. Nicholas, a fourth century bishop from Patara, in what is now Turkey.

The mythological characters of Odin, Thor and Saturn gave us the basis for many of Santa's distinctive characteristics. St. Nicholas' appearance was transformed into the image of the fat, jolly winter spirit reminiscent of the ancient Nordic/Teutonic god Odin.

The basis for the Christian Era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas. The Orthodox Church raised St. Nicholas to a position of great esteem. The Roman Catholic Church honoured Nicholas as one who helped children and the poor. St. Nicholas became the patron of children and seafarers. His feast day is December 6, and was commemorated with an annual feast which eventually marked the beginning of the Medieval Christmas.

St. Nicholas was legendary for his kindness and generosity and was a champion of children and the needy. Through his benevolence we find the two basic principles of the holiday spirit - giving to others and helping the less fortunate - as well as the tradition of hanging stockings by the chimney. According to one legend, there were three Italian maidens whose father had lost his fortune. The three maidens were to wed, but their father couls not afford the dowries that were necessary. When St, Nicholas heard of this, he went to their home late one night and tossed three bags of gold down the chimney. The bags miracously landed in each of the sisters stockings, that were hung by the fire to dry. A variation of this story, is that as each girl was to wed, he anonymously tossed a bag into an open window. This may have been used as a way of explaining how Santa Claus delivers gifts to homes that have no chimney.

After the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, the veneration of Catholic saints was banned. But people did not want to give up their annual visits from the gift-giving saint, and they did not want to forget the purpose of the holiday. In some countries the festivities of St. Nicholas Day were merged with Christmas celebrations. St. Nicholas underwent a transformation into a new, non-religious form, but he retained his generous spirit.

In Germany, he appeared as Weihnachtsmann, in England as Father Christmas, and in France as Pere Noel. In areas where St. Nicholas was still seen as a gift-giver, he developed a host of other characters as helpers. Two of his most famous helpers were Knecht Ruprecht and the Belsnickle. Depending on the location, they were either helpers or St. Nicholas himself, but in all cases they were fearsome characters. It was not only their duty to reward good children but also to punish naughty ones.

Knecht Ruprecht, meaning Servant Rupert, was also known by other names, such as Black Peter, so called because he delivered presents down the chimney for St. Nicholas and became blackened from the soot. In some places the image of St. Nicholas merged with Knecht Ruprecht to form Ru Klaus, meaning Rough Nicholas, so named because of his rugged appearance; Aschen Klaus, meaning Ash Nicholas because he carried a sack of ashes and a bundle of switches; and Pelznickle, meaning Furry Nicholas, referring to his fur-clad appearance. The Pelznickle was also known as the Rider of the White Horse, which was one of the names given to the Nordic god Odin. This name indicates the northern influence in these legends, and shows that the debased god was still alive in the folk beliefs that had been suppressed by Christianity.

Not all of St. Nicholas' companions were frightening. In fact, the Christkindl, meaning Christ Child, was thought to accompany him in many countries. Often seen as a fair-haired young girl, this angelic figure was sometimes the gift-giver also.

Immigrants to the New World brought along their beliefs and customs: Scandinavians brought their gift-giving elves and Germans brought Belsnickle and Christkindlein (and their decorated tree). The American Santa Claus figure received his name from the Dutch. During the 1600s the Dutch introduced Sinterklaas. Many of the English speaking children mispronounced the name as Santy Claus. After many years of this mispronunciation, Sinterklaas became anglicized into Santa Claus.

In 1808, the American author Washington Irving created a new version of the old St. Nicholas. In his History of New York, Irving gave the first detailed description of the Dutch St. Nicholas. He described the arrival of the saint on horseback, this one rode over the treetops in a horse drawn wagon, dropping gifts down the chimney. He also described Santa as a Dutchman who smoked a long stemmed pipe, wore baggy breeches and a broad brimmed hat.

The Dutch-American Santa Claus achieved full Americanization in 1823 in a poem 'A Visit from St. Nick' (The Night Before Christmas) by Clement C. Moore. His poem gave an Arctic flavor to Santa Claus's image. He substituted eight tiny reindeer and a sleigh for the horse and wagon. He included such details as Santa's wink, nod, laugh and the myth by which the 'jolly old elf' returns up the chimney. It is Moore's description that we think of today: "He had a broad face, and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly."

In 1863, a German immigrant, Thomas Nast, gave a visual image of the jolly gift-giver that was to become widely accepted. He depicted a rotound Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s until the 1880s. When Nast was asked to illustrate Moore's verse for a children's book, he showed us a softer, kinder Santa who was still old but less stern than the ecclesiastical bishop St. Nicholas. He dressed this elfin figure in red and endowed him with human characteristics. Nast added such details as Santa's workshop at the North Pole and Santa's list of good and bad children.

In 1931, artist Haddon Sundblom added the final touches to Santa's modern image and the legend. On billboards and advertisements for Coca Cola, Sundblom featured a portly, grandfatherly figure with human proportions and a ruddy complexion. The elf of Moor'es poem was replaced with a human sized, exhuberant, twinkle-eyed Santa Claus.

In the modern version of the Santa Claus legend, only Santa's toy shop workers are elves. There is also a ninth reindeer - Rudolph - who has a shiny red noes, who was introduced in 1939 by Montgomery Ward.

There is no going back, no untangling: Santa Claus was Sinterklaas; Sinterklaas was St. Nicholas. The giving and receiving of gifts turned into an integral part of the season when Sinterklaas was anglicized to Santa Claus, and the two became one in the popular legend, a symbol of the generosity of the Christmas Spirits.

Courtesy of Santa Claus: A Legend in the Making

Wordless Wednesday - All I want for Christmas is...

2007-12-05T18:45:00.001-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Wordless Wednesday - Thanksgiving 06

2007-11-21T08:47:00.001-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous Apron Finds Friday

2007-11-16T17:28:00.000-06:00

Yes I know, posting late in the day seems to be becoming a trend. *sigh*

Anyhoo, today is all about aprons! :o) Have you noticed how much aprons have come back in style? It's not just for us "vintage apron fanatics" anymore. It's become soooo "tres chic"! I've always liked aprons myself. I have some vintage ones including one that is made out of a flour sack and hangs in my pantry. Hmmm, guess I should have taken a pic? :oP

So without further ado, here are some of my favourite new apron designers.

Heavenly Hostess has so many wonderful apron designs from halter to cocktail to gardening, you just have to check them out! Here is one of my faves which happens to be a gardening apron, however I don't have a garden and I'd buy it anyway. :o)

Sommer Designs doesn't have as many choices but what she does have is simple, classic and fresh. I find it hard to choose a favorite since most of her aprons are made from my favourite designer fabrics!

Another apron designer I love is Megan of Creative Outlet Designs! I've been coveting her cherry polkadot apron for some time now. Drool!

And last but not least is Carolyn's Kitchen. Carolyn West(as seen in Adorn) offers vintage-inspired aprons and matching glove sets. How fun is that! Don't miss the giveaway to win this fun Dorothy apron & glove set over at The Apronista!

Other places to find hip handmade aprons are ETSY & eBay. Have fun and have a fantastic weekend! :o)

7 Random Things..Betty..and ah..aH..AHHH-CHOOO!

2007-11-15T10:51:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's true...I'm sick AGAIN! Can someone please stop the ride, I want to get off! *sigh* I took Sugar & Spice to a gym where they have Tot Time on Fridays. This was the 1st time for us so of course we got sick. Ugh! Luckily Mr. Smarty Pants who catches colds at the drop of a hat and was still recovering from the last one did not pick up this particular bug. *whew* Maybe his immunities are finally starting to kick in?? I certainly hope so. I think mine are pretty much gone for good. At least we'll all be well for Thanksgiving. *crosses fingers* :o)

Ok so on to the 7 Random Things about me. I know I've been tagged before but hey I'm sure I can think of more things right? *wink*

I was tagged this time by Megan of Creative Outlet Designs. (I was actually tagged like a week ago but, ya know, sickness and all......)

Here's the rules you must abide by if you're tagged:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

So here goes:
1. I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl. And yes, I was in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov. *swoon*

2. I like fantasy art, especially fairies! One of my fave fairy artists is Amy Brown.

3. My fave coffee flavor is peppermint mocha, or some variation of mint and chocolate anyway. yum!

4. In college I dated a number of musicians, in particular guitar players, and I bought my own electric guitar and tried to learn to play myself. In case your wondering, I do not play or own a guitar anymore. :oP

5. I'm claustrophobic. Nuff said!

6. I'm a "closet" photographer, I just need a better camera. Not that mine is bad...

7. During my twin pregnancy I was really into poker, especially Texas Hold'em. I played an XBox poker game alot when I was bedridden but I haven't touched it since.

So now I'm tagging 7 others:

Michele of MJD Boutique
Ellie of Little Wanda Crafts
Karyn of Fat Orange Cat
Susan of My Sweet Imaginations
Ari of The Happy Cactus
Anjee of BabyBluebonnets Boutique
Pam of Sew Gracious

Have fun gals! :o)

So speaking of Megan, it's time to welcome Flat Boutique Betty!

This is Megan's newest project. Flat Betty is her alter ego that will travel the world raising money for wonderful charities and organizations plus meeting lots of new friends and having amazing adventures on the way!

Are you a Betty???? Do you strive to make a difference - however big or small - and look for the beauty in others? If so - embrace your inner Betty and snag one too!

You will even be entered to win a skinny scarf from Creative Outlet Designs done with the Summer in the City fabrics!

Stay tuned for Fabulous Finds Friday. :o)

Fabulous PINK Finds Friday

2007-11-09T17:39:00.000-06:00

I know it's a little late for Fabulous Finds today but hey, better late than never right?

Christmas is right around the corner and I wanted to highlight all of the girly-girl toys out there now. I sooo love the color pink and to see a classic toy turned pink just tickles me....well PINK! :o)

Toys R Us has what they call the PINKtacular Collection. You can only get these at Toys R Us...or maybe eBay. *wink*

For babies there's the classic Fisher-Price Corn Popper. What baby or toddler doesn't love this toy? It's always laying around the floor of just about any toy store you visit. Now you can get a pink one for your little girly-girl.

Fisher-Price Little People are another one of those universally-loved toys and now the classic school bus and airplane are, you guessed it, pink!

Anyone else have one of those Lil' Snoopy dogs or Chatter Phones when you were a toddler? Here they are made just for our girly-girls. And you can't beat the prices too!

How about pink for the preschoolers? I loved Lite-Brite when I was a kid. Of course mine wasn't pink. ;o)

Boys aren't the only ones who like to pretend to mow the lawn. Here's an adorable pink bubble mower for your girly tomboy.

Here's some fun games for the older girls. How about a new "twist" on an old classic. *snicker*

Check out the Pink Boutique Edition of Monopoly. I don't think the guys will want to play this one. Isn't it all about the shopping? *wink*

So have fun this Christmas and get your PINK on! :o)

Wordless Wednesday - What IS that??

2007-11-07T20:55:00.000-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous Giveaway Friday

2007-11-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

And the winner is.......

Congratulations Angie of Scrapnmoms Moments! You've won a pair of handmade earrings made by little ole me. I used a random number generator I found online to get the number 9 and Angie was the 9th comment left on my Trick or Treat? post.

Thank you to everyone who visited on Halloween! It was a lot of fun visiting everyone's festive blogs. We'll definitely have to do it again next year! :o)

I had really wanted to post pics yesterday but was so worn out by all the activities whilst being sick this past week that I was just too darned tired! I'm feeling better today and am looking forward to getting some extra sleep this weekend. Anyhoo, here are some fun pics from Halloween night of our little trick or treaters in action.

And here's our house decorated on Halloween night!
As you can see I didn't finish the pumpkin after all. :oP

I'm going to bring back Fabulous Finds Friday next week so stay tuned! :o)

Trick or Treat?

2007-10-31T16:56:00.000-05:00

No tricks here today, just yummy treats! :o) For any festive visitors who stop by this post and comment you'll be entered to win a pair of handmade earrings by little ole me. I'll draw one name from the comments on Friday November 2nd. I just love the holidays!

In a couple of hours we'll be taking the kiddos trick or treating. This will be Sugar & Spice's first time! They're going as a flower & butterfly. Awwww. :o)
Of course Mr. Smarty Pants is going as, what else, an army soldier. No surprise there, eh?

So we started carving our pumpkin last night but unfortunately ran into a bit of a snag. Mr. Smarty Pants wanted a pirate ship like on the package(see pic below) but half way through both the teeny-weenie, and quite delicate imo, saws that came with this kit broke! Sooooo, I still need to finish it...somehow. Not sure if that's going to happen at this point since Honey still isn't home from work, but here's what we have so far....

We did have alot of fun doing this Halloween craft.
Can you tell which one's supposed to be me? :oP

Lastly, we made roasted pumpkin seeds. Mmmmm, yummy!

*~* Sugar & Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds *~*

Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F(120 degrees C). Spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for about 30-45 minutes, until a nice golden brown hue. In a large bowl stir together 2 tablespoons of the white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and then set aside. Heat the oil & butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts. Pour the seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar mix and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Hope everyone has a BOOtiful Halloween! :o)

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T11:29:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Feeling festive today and want to share it with other bloggers?
Then join the fun at the Halloween Blog Party!!

Resistance.Is.Futile....

2007-10-30T15:40:00.001-05:00

Aggghhhhhhhh! Run away, run away!!!!!

Seriously, I have a very hard time resisting temptation. I don't generally buy candy, cookies, cake, soda....ok pretty much anything to do with sweets because I KNOW I'll eat it if it's in the house.
Honey bought bags & bags of candy last night to hand out to the trick or treaters (hopefully) coming tomorrow night. Now all of this "temptation" is calling to me. I swear I can hear it saying, "eat me...eat me...."

Yes I admit it, I've had about five already. :o(
It's even harder to resist when I'm sick since all I wanna do is reach for comfort food...er...um...candy?

The only one who wants the candy more than me? THE CANDY MONSTER!

Halloween night can't get here fast enough. Take my candy, please!

Pumpkin Patch 07

2007-10-29T17:22:00.002-05:00

So even though I've been sick as a dog....again...we braved the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. I loaded myself up with Dayquil, told Honey we were going "no matter what" and we drove the 45 minutes it takes to get to the beautiful Love Creek Apple Orchard which is hosting their annual Pumpkin Patch. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, and that's not easy to come by in Texas. :o)
Here are some highlights from the day:

This lone beauty was the last apple of the season in the whole orchard. I took this shot when we were on the hayride. Doesn't it look tempting?
I really wanted to pick it! *snicker*

Sugar would have walked all day if we'd let her. She had her own ideas about where she wanted to go too. Thankfully there were alot of distractions to slow her down.

Spice really wanted to hug & squeeze this baby chicken.

Of course we had to take some yummy kettle corn home with us. Doesn't it look scrumptious? As you can see we don't have alot left. :o) Tonight or tomorrow night we'll be carving that pumpkin in the pic.

Anyone else visit a Pumpkin Patch this October?
Is it an annual tradition?

Boys Will Be Boys!

2007-10-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've noticed I haven't been posting much lately. I've been focusing on family and holiday plans coming up but I'm ready to start getting back to the blogging world. Hopefully I'll keep it up. :oP
Again, thank you to everyone who has commented the last few weeks. I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you all as usual but I will try and visit as many of you as I can very soon. :o)

So my "boys" dug out the military strategy board game Risk a couple of weekends ago and Honey has been teaching Mr. Smarty Pants how to play. Our little "soldier" is obessed with anything military right now, especially the Army! He wears anything with camouflage, wants camouflage bedding, games, toys, etc for Christmas, is going to be an Army man for Halloween and plays military strategy games on his computer. And yes, he is only 6! He's very smart, hence the nickname, and can play PC games that Honey plays. They play Starcraft together too(a space war strategy game). It boggles my mind, since he couldn't really read too well when he first started playing these, that he knows about everything in the game, including things Honey didn't know even though he's played the game for years!

So anyway, getting back to Risk, I took a few shots the first time they played and thought I'd share.

I was lucky enough to find a vintage world globe for Mr. Smarty Pants at Goodwill a week ago. I went to drop off things we were donating but decided to take a peek and see if I could find any fun treasures. To my surprise this awesome globe was tagged at only $4! The base was loose but that was so easy to tighten. I think it might be from the 70's? Anyone know? Mr. Smarty Pants has been wanting one ever since falling in love with Pawpaw's antique globe so I just had to pick it up for him. What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween Memories

2007-10-24T17:51:00.001-05:00

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Wordless Wednesday - Spoooky!

2007-10-17T16:24:00.001-05:00

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Wordless Wednesday - A Walk in the Park

2007-10-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fresh Start

2007-10-06T17:57:00.001-05:00

I want to thank everyone who has wished me well and also sent encouragement my way about the biz. While I am feeling better(finally), I'm still not 100% and really need to make a new doc appt to get some testing done. Something just has't been quite right with me for the past year or so. Pretty much since giving birth to the twins.
My mom passed away 2 years ago from ovarian cancer and all my family on my moms side has had some form of cancer so I have to be really vigilant. I felt I was having symptoms that were a lot like my mom so I went to my OB to check it out a few months ago. She did an ultrasound among other things and then told me that she thinks that I'm dealing with IBS. Ugh! She gave me a prescrip for a med that I was only on for a week when I had to stop due to a "24 hour" headache side effect. I just couldn't take it! I get headaches & migraines anyway and having one that won't go away was just not gonna cut it. The side effect ended up actually being a blessing in disguise because it turned out that this drug was taken off the market about a month after I tried it. My OB said I needed to go to a GI doc and I have to admit I still haven't made the appt. Denial maybe?

So this past few weeks I've given alot of thought to what I want to do with my biz. While I love making jewelry it isn't selling and I've been itching to learn new crafts plus do something with my drawing. I was really inspired by Sandi of Portabellopixie since she recently went from boutique clothing designer to fabric designer. I've become a fabric addict, I used to want to be a fashion designer and I've loved to draw since I was a kid so I've been seriously thinking about giving fabric design a try. I really want to focus all my attention on it so will not sell childrens jewelry on eBay & ETSY anymore. I'll still make jewels for my girls of course. :o) To feed my need to bead I may make earrings to sell on ETSY. As far as eBay goes I will still list antiques & collectibles from my moms estate and resell the kiddos clothes & gear. I have also been playing around with custom photo invitations for awhile now so I may still try a listing and see how that goes on eBay. So those are my biz plans, at the moment anyway...it could always change again. :oP

I wanted to point out to any swap-bot swappers checking out my blog that pics of swaps are posted on my Flickr account whenever I receive a package or when my packages are received by my partners so you can check them out here if you like. I haven't posted pics on my blog since the bead swap so thought I'd better point that out to any curious swappers lurking here. teehee. I joined a bunch of swaps on swap-bot.com(it's really addicting) after the bead swap but after the last 3 current ones are finished I'm most likely not going to join any more until after the holidays. I have lots of shopping to do for family & friends and we have family coming to town plus we'll be going out of town and need to really save our money. I definitely love swapping though so I won't be quitting altogether, you can count on that! :o)

It's time to put the girls to bed but I plan to blog again tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend! Honey is actually off work for 3 days straight! We're very excited to have him around and Mr. Smarty Pants has lots of games, movies, etc planned with his daddy. :o)

Thursday Blursday

2007-09-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Uggghhh! I am sick sick sick! Mr. Smarty Pants got sick last week, we even took him to acute care on Sunday. The inlaws came to visit and we had to keep him away from papaw because he's very susceptible to infections. Then the girls got sick and, last but not least, me. Today has been the worst! Sucks too because Honey is never here due to his "lovely" job. I'm starting to really get this "single-mom-thing" down....except today. Uggghhh! I wasn't too bad the past few days, just really tired, but this afternoon.....ugghhhhh!

I'm feeling depressed too. :o( I feel like giving up the jewelry biz again. My jewelry just doesn't sell. Not even for charity! :o(
I have to give a huge thank you to Anjee of babybluebonnets(who won) and princess*bunny*02 for bidding on the Cafe Paris set. I thought it might go at $9.95 and I had really hoped to donate more to the charity so thank you very much gals!
Oh and yes I have tried ETSY, no luck there either. :o( It's probably just because I feel so "craptacular" but I've been feeling pretty discouraged lately. Hopefully I'll feel better soon.

Ok time to go lie down on the floor and let the girls whack me with their toys. I'm so pathetic today! *sigh*

Wordless Wednesday - A Pirate's Life For Me!

2007-09-19T12:43:00.000-05:00

Ahoy ye scurvy rats, today be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

And don't ye be fergettin Wordless Wednesday!

Fabulous Charity Finds Friday

2007-09-14T11:19:00.001-05:00

These next 2 months are all about charity & awareness!

On Monday the Boutique Angels Charity group on eBay began their 3rd quarter charity auctions and this time it is a BYOC(Bring Your Own Charity) event. I listed my 1st auction yesterday in support of The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation and in honor of Scarlett who is a young lady who has Leukemia & Li Fraumeni Syndrome. Please check out Scarlett's blog to learn more about her.
I will be listing a few more auctions sometime this weekend. I do have the inlaws coming into town so if I'm not able to list more now then next week for sure. 100% of the profits go to Starlight Starbright.

Next week I will also be listing an auction in support of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. My mother passed away 2 years ago from Ovarian Cancer so this is near and dear to my heart.

Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the boutique eBay group Designing for a Cure BCA will be starting their annual charity auctions in honor of a little girl named Kayla who has stage 4-S neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer. Look for auctions to support the National Breast Cancer Foundations and CureSearch in honor of Kayla.

Here are a couple of auctions for the Boutique Angels. Pleae come take a look! We'll be listing next week as well.

This fall set by paintedbutterflystudio is sooo pretty and has handpainted accents! Wow!

Here's my own auction listing. It's not fall-themed but it is ohhh so pretty! This necklace & bracelet set called Cafe Paris was inspired by french cafe's.

Wordless Wednesday - Missing You

2007-09-12T17:55:00.001-05:00

This is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
For information about Ovarian Cancer click here!

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous BOOtique Finds Saturday

2007-09-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

So sorry for posting this on Saturday instead of Friday. Like I said, it's been one of those weeks! *sigh* Ok so here goes my Halloween Bootique finds!!
Btw, have I mentioned that I love anything vintage or vintage-inspired? You'll see that a lot of these picks have that feel to them whether intended or not. I also like fairies & flowers. :o)

The first finds are from eBay:

I adore these gorgeous pieces from sweetteaboutique. She has 3 auctions offering different items from this vintage inspired Halloween collection from applique to jewelry. LOVE it!

To me this seasonal tutu by creampuff*couture stands out among the rest because of the vintage-style rose & ribbon embellishment. Nicely done!

While flyfishing18flyfishing has many beautiful costumes, this one really stood out to me because of the pretty cream & white colors. Such a sweet fairy model too! :o)

Of course you have to have some bootiful hair accessories too right? Both ellasalley and chimankin have some sweet clippies that will complete that Halloween vintage look.

These next finds are from ETSY:

Here's something for mom by ericabstudios. Gotta love pony-o's!

How cute is this witch hat pin by VintagePoppy? Sooo cute!

I just love this pumpkin flower hat by lullabylamb and if I thought my girls would wear a hat I'd get 2! Maybe next year. Oh she's on eBay too. :o)

Lastly, if you haven't been to Micheals to check out their fall Halloween decor you need to go soon! Most of the new decor is vintage-inspired. I already bought a door hanger for my office/craft room but I'm definitely going back to get more.

Have a great weekend! It's starting to actually feel like fall may be just around the corner. :o)

Yup, Still Here!

2007-09-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to say....yup I'm still alive and kicking! :oP
This week has been filled with some family ups and downs and now I'll have to play some catchup with everything else. Can you believe I missed a Wordless Wednesday??
Anyhoo, I will resume tomorrow with Fabulous Finds Friday. I love Halloween so can't miss sharing some fun & spoooooky stuff I found!

This week was also supposed to be all about charities and cause awareness but that will have to wait until next week when I can devote more time to it. This weekend I'll be working on a number of designs to list for charity auctions this month. On Monday the 10th one of the eBay charity auction groups I'm in will start their annual auctions so I need to be ready! I'll try and post a Saturday Sneak Peak this weekend of some of the new designs. :o)

Btw, I'm listing clothing & baby gear resells from my kids closets so take a look at my auctions; you might see something you like!

Fabulous Euro Finds Friday

2007-08-31T17:23:00.000-05:00

Today is all about Euro fashion! Yes I know summer is almost over, but I just love the bright Euro-inspired colors and wanted to highlight some great finds on both ETSY & eBay. Besides, it still feels like summer where we are and probably will until January or February. LOL! :o)

Here are some amazing Euro children's outfits and accessories for both child & adult I found on eBay.

This gorgeous set is by babyblubonnets. I think it has a faintly asian feel to it as well.

I found this fantastic hoodie set by gigglez-n-grinz. Euro-style hoodie sets are oh so hip right now!

Next up, gotta have a hip handbag right? So here is a fabulous Euro-inspired tote by prettyinpink320. Check out her scarves too.

On to ETSY where I found some lovely Euro accessories.

The first find is this really pretty pillow for a girls room made by vanessaandcompany.

I also adore these clippies made by adourcouture.

This Euro-colored flower by pamperingbeki would look great on a denim jacket or purse.

And last but not least is my very own Euro bling. A beautiful Swarovski crystal fringe bracelet made with those bright trademark Euro colors. These pictures really don't do it justice. Oh and it's on sale too so go check it out! :oP

Next week it will be all about Halloween BOOtique!! I just LOVE Halloween. This year will be so much fun since it's the first time my girls will go trick or treating! :o)

Thursday Treasures & Tags

2007-08-30T09:41:00.000-05:00

I snagged my 2nd Treasury on ETSY today! This one is called Don't be Koi. teehee. I try to think of unique and pretty ideas. Hope this one is a hit! Just click on the pic below to go to my Treasury. :o)

So I've been tagged again....twice! :oP
The first one who tagged me is Susan of Sweet Imaginations. Check out her amazing artwork when you visit her(and you must visit). She's so talented!

Ok so this tag is the Middle Name Game and here are the rules:
"Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog."

My Middle Name is: Christine

C - COFFEE I LOVE coffee!!
H - HAIR I hate my frizzy curly hair.
R - RED For many years I dyed my hair red. Haven't for a few years now but I do have natural reddish highlights.
I - IPOD I have an iPod mini and I LOVE it.
S - SUSHI is my favorite food.
T - TWINS I have beautiful twin daughters. :o)
I - IMAGINATION I've always had a vivid imagination and I still get scared in the dark when I'm alone.
N - NOUVEAU I'm a big fan of art nouveau.
E - ERIKA My first name is Erika :oP (Yah I know, but hey I have a long name!)

So because of my long name I've decided to once again break the rules. I do that alot, huh? I'm only going to tag one person using the first letter of my middle name. Sooooo.....
I tag Megan of Creative Outlet Designs! :o)

The 2nd person who tagged me is Ellie of LittleWanda Crafts. However, since I've done this meme already, and just recently, I'm going to refer my readers to that post and not tag anyone else. Gosh I know, I'm being kind of a bummer today huh? Sorry about that. :o(
Have lots to do so I'll be back tomorrow with Fabulous Finds Friday!

Wordless Wednesday - Mommy's Girls

2007-08-29T12:13:00.001-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here and here!

Back to School

2007-08-27T22:48:00.002-05:00

Today Mr. Smarty Pants(my son) went back to school for his 2nd year. He was very excited! It's a brand new (just been built) school and one of his friends who lives on the street behind us is also in his class. He wore an appliqued shirt I bought for him, carried a new Pirates of the Carribean backpack & lunch tote and wore matching Pirates sneakers. He was smiling from ear to ear(I would imagine all day long). Here's some fun pics. :o)

Isn't this shirt cute? It was made by littledressmaker on eBay. If you knew my son, you would agree that this shirt is perfect for him. He loved it(my future "Jim Carey" comedian)! LOL!

Fabulous Finds Friday

2007-08-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Today is all about fabulous eBay boutique finds! :o)

I don't know if anyone has seen the new designer launch on eBay called Indelible but it began yesterday and consists of some of the most talented children's boutique designers on eBay. The idea behind Indelible(great name huh?) is boutique designs inspired by the newest fabric "guru" Joel Dewberry. Most of the clothing & some of the accessories have been made with his amazing & indelible fabric collections including Aviary, Manzanita & Chestnut Hill but there are also accessories inspired by and m2m as well.
So I thought I would highlight some of my favorite indelible designs. Enjoy! :o)

I love everything in this collaborative collection by nzbug, that*funky*boutique and lollipopjewels.

I think this set by willarie is wonderful! It's unique & sophisticated.

I just adore this beautiful tote purse by pinklemonadeboutique.

To find all of the incredible creations in this launch just search, what else, indelible boutique"! :o)

Another fantastic fabric launch that started earlier this week on eBay is The Chocolate Lollipop Launch by the boutique group TheChicks. These designs were inspired by the ultra-hip fabric designer Anna Maria Horner and her Chocolate Lollipop fabric line. Here are some of my faves. :o)

If I could get these birthday oalls by *mimisgirls* for my twins party next year I would snap them up in a heartbeat! So original!

I love this hip euro mix & match set by flowers*and*butterflies.

And yes, another great bag. Just call me bag-a-holic! teehee. This one is by boutiquenutmegdesigns.

Another recent launch on eBay is by a brand new boutique group called Anthology Inc. The group may be new but the designers are not. They are some of the best on eBay. Here's one of my fave designs by sweetfeetboutique to give you an idea of what this group has to offer.

To search for all of the amazing designs in this group just use the search term anthologyinc.

Happy eBaying! :o)

Thursday Tags

2007-08-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Yup, I'm finally going to post my tag stuff. :o)

First off I've been tagged by Ann of Beadiful Things.
The rules of the game: list 6 weird things about yourself and then tag a further 6 bloggers (by going to their blog and telling them to check out your blog post related to this) to keep the momentum going. List your 6 tagged bloggers at the bottom of your post.

So...here they are:

1. I don't know how to ride a bike...um yeah, seriously!

2. I don't know how to whistle...yup once again, seriously!

3. I can't snap my fingers...I know, I know, I'm pretty pathetic. :oP

4. I have flat feet and spend most of my days wearing flip-flops even though I adore high heels. *sigh*

5. I like to play MMORPG's like Everquest(1 & 2) & World of Warcraft, though I stopped playing since having my twins. Um and yes, I did play Dungeons & Dragons(dice & all) when I was a kid...with the boys, teehee.

6. I used to love comic books(X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, Silver Surfer...) and still have 100+ boxed in my garage. I'm going to give them all to my son when he gets a little older. He already thinks I'm pretty cool....

Before I scare some of you off, you would really never know the last 2 if you met me. I'm very girly, stylish, like to shop, get coffee with the gals...all that stuff. That's why these are listed in the weird list after all. :o)

So the next person who's tagged me is Anjee of Baby Blubonnets Boutique. This is that useless info meme so I guess I have to share MORE useless info. :oP
The Rules:“Each person links to the person who tagged them. Then each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those peoples’ sites and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.”

1. I never graduated from College. :o(

2. I used to want to be an archeaologist while in college.

3. I used to be a computer technical support analyst for Microsoft and Compaq.

4. I'm half Irish.

5. My nickname was Sparky in High School(a bit hyper maybe??)

6. My 1st stepfather worked for Disney when I was a kid living in CA & I got to go to Disneyland free ALL the time(ahhh, those were the days).

7. I used to love to fly in airplanes ever since I was a kid but after a very scary flying incident about 5 years ago, I'm now super-terrified to fly.

8. I like Thai iced tea(yummy!)

Okie dokie, now I'm going to "cheat"(hehe) and tag just 4 blog buddies and they can pick whichever list they would like to do. :o)

Drumroll please....

The Happy Cactus

Bone Marrow Pop~Tarts

Marvellous Mouse Designs

Pink Lemonade Boutique

I'll notify you gals later but right now I'm off to get ready for the "meet the teacher night" at my ds's new school. He starts on Monday. :o)

Wordless Wednesday - Static Electricity

2007-08-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous Finds Friday

2007-08-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know, I want to make peacocks the next big bird trend soooo I made my 1st Treasury on ETSY this morning called Pretty in Peacock. I've been trying to snag a Treasury for over a week now! It's harder than I thought. I finally got one today and now everyone's having trouble connecting to the ETSY Treasury. Figures! :oP

Here's a screenshot and link to the Treasury. Let me know what you think of my finds!
(if you can connect that is)

Btw if anyone knows how to get a good shot of the entire list let me know. I see people with Treasury pics on their blogs all the time so there must be some kind of secret that I just can't figure out!

Thanks for the comments about the momma cat & kittens. I looked for them today but couldn't see any sign. I'm really hoping they're ok. The good news is so far it seems to have stopped raining. I thought it was going to rain all day today but maybe we've gotten lucky. :o)

Bet your wondering about that tag I'm supposed to do? We're going out of town today for the weekend so it will just haveto wait until Monday. So sorry but I promise I'll get to it. Really I will!

Bleeding Heart

2007-08-16T14:50:00.001-05:00

My heart is just sick right now! It's raining cats & dogs here today due to Tropical Depression Erin on the coast of TX and I mean it is POURING! So I'm upstairs hanging with the kiddos in the game room and I hear this strange sound...it sounds like a bird to me but there's something kind of plaintive about it. I get close to the window and really listen. That's when it dawns on me....THAT'S A KITTEN!!
So I shove my feet into some boots(unfortunately not rain boots *sigh*) plop a hat on my head, run downstairs, then outside and around to the side of our house(getting completely soaked I might add). There I see a soaking wet momma cat and 2 itty bitty kittens. Ok they looked more like drowned rats, the poor things. I don't know what that cat was thinking but they were in a terrible spot...no covering, a small lake fast filling up with more water and those cute little scraggly things were certainly going to drown if they stayed there much longer! So....I had to rescue them, right??
Of course this wild momma cat hisses and runs away as soon as I pick them up. So I get in the house, wrap them in a towel and dry them off, then run to the back and lay them outside under the covered patio in the towel so momma can hopefully hear them and come to the back too. I bring out some bowls of food & water for momma just in case. At this point the kittens are quiet since they're all dry, warm and safe now so I pick one up and have it "mew" for a little while hoping to coax the momma cat back. I finally just go inside and keep looking out the back patio door to see if they're ok. After about an hour I peek out and notice one of them is gone! Oh noooo!!!! I go outside and can't see it anywhere, or the momma cat for that matter. So I go back inside, since I need to get the girls sippy cups, and after a couple of minutes I check again only to see that the other kitten is gone! I run outside and I can see the momma carrying the baby kitten off in the distance along the top of a fence line. Mind you it is STILL a torrential down pour. My heart just drops! Those poor little kittens. :o(

I'm really having a hard time imagining they will be ok but I really do hope so! I was happy to see that the momma cat ate the food and drank some water so hopefully that will help her. I'm praying she found a dry place to keep them safe and warm until the rain passes. I was so close to taking the kittens back inside but was torn since I didn't want to seperate them from their momma. Of course my dh thinks I am a complete "bleeding heart" when it comes to animals and children and when I first called to tell him about the kittens he said, "so we've adopted 2 kittens now right?" Sheesh!

I was tagged the other day and was planning on posting my answers but that will have to wait till later when I calm down a bit.

So I'm curious dear readers, what would you have done??

Wordless Wednesday - My Wedding Bouquet

2007-08-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

FFF Challenge - Lip SMACKERS!

2007-08-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

Amelia has issued her new Fashion Forward Friday Challenge this week - Lip SMACKERS! :o) The challenge is to show off my kisser(teehee) and blog about my fave lip color.

My fave lip color/gloss that I have in my bag is Burts Bee's Raisin Lip Shimmer. I love these, not only because they're all natural and good for you, but they taste and feel sooo wonderful! It seriously feels like a mini spa treatment for your lips every time you put it on. And you can put it on over & over & over...

Up next, this gloss in my bag is purely sweet indulgence on my part. I have the Creme Brulee flavor Tutti Dolci lip gloss from Bath & Body Works(they don't appear to sell these anymore). It's shimmery on and tastes soooo yummy BUT...get this...your NOT supposed to eat it! It even has a warning on the back of the tube. Sheesh! So why do they make it taste so darn good then?!!

And last but not least, "good ole" flavored Chapstick. I have the classic cherry flavor right now and keep it in my bathroom.

Mmmmm, I'm hungry now! I think I'm gonna go have a bowl of ice cream before bed. :D

My 1st Treasury!

2007-08-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

Yayy! I made my 1st ETSY Treasury! :o) Granted I asked to be in it and it will change in a few hours but.....yayyy I'm in my 1st ETSY Treasury! teehee. :o)

More Bird Finds Monday

2007-08-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

Ok I took the weekend off. teehee. :o) So here are more bird finds including owls; thank you Erin for the suggestion! ;o) I did a search for owls and they are truly everywhere, but let's start with birds shall we...

I love this pillow by joom on ETSY. She has alot of hip bird-themed goodies and it was hard picking a fave.

Here's a gorgeous custom boutique girls outfit made by April of allforthekidds on eBay.

Kristin of spirited*style has listed another Tweet Tweet Happy Hobo on eBay. It's similar to the one I purchased and blogged about last month. I use mine all the time! :o)

I bought 2 of these sweet bird shirts for the girls(for next summer) at Old Navy. They were on sale and I just couldn't pass them up.

And now for the owls...

How darn cute is this owl bag?! Tinkybelle has 3 shops on ETSY but Hoooooooot is definitely my favorite.

Check out this "funky" custom boutique girls outfit made by Angie of that*funky*boutique on eBay. The auction ends soon!

There are lots of hair pretties with owls, especially on ETSY, but I'll just post one. These are owl fabric-covered button bobby pins made by Sarah of SweetSparrow on ETSY.

Amber of cherry*tea on eBay just listed this fun owl backpack. What a unique look for back to school!

And last but certainly not least, here's an adorable soldered/fabric owl bracelet by Erin herself(thevintagepearl on both ETSY & eBay). :o)

So with all these birds on the brain I was thinking about peacocks. Ya know they're really beautiful birds! Anyone up for making peacocks the next big bird trend....

Fabulous "Bird" Finds Friday

2007-08-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yup, I'm finally posting my favorite bird finds. Sorry about the wait. :oP

So my guess is most of you have noticed a lot of bird-themed items have become popular lately including, fabric, jewelry, clothing, etc. Well, I have definitely been drawn to birds lately myself. I find I'm faving bird-themed items on ETSY alot. Sooo, here are some of my fave bird things on ETSY & eBay.
I received my bird sunhat from Tara on eBay and I really love it! It keeps me so much cooler out in this TX heat than I realized it would. I guess I need to wear hats more often. :oP I've already gotten a number of compliments on it.

I purchased this sweet sweet bird doorhanger for the twins room from Hazel of BlossomHill on ETSY. Isn't it precious? :o)

I have completely fallen in love with this vintage-style art nouveau necklace by Jody of 1ofmykind on ETSY and am waiting until it gets listed again and I have more "me money". All of her jewelry is amazing but I'm just drawn to this one for some reason. It's gorgeous!!

I just found this adorable bird stuffie by cornflakegirl on ETSY today actually. Sooo darn cute don't you think?

Take a look at these great bird coasters from P.D.A. Collection on ETSY.

Ok so stay tuned for Part 2 of fabulous bird finds, hopefully tomorrow. :o)

Wordless Wednesday - Sweet Nostalgia

2007-08-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Tuesday Treasures

2007-08-07T16:31:00.000-05:00

So I signed up for my first swap on Swap-Bot a few weeks ago. Anyone else done swaps on this site?? The 1st swap I joined was a bead swap...of course! hehe. Basically it was a destash swap where we exchange beads we already have on hand.
I had 2 partners I sent beads to and I received 2. I waited for the 2nd to arrive(yesterday) before posting the pics here. Soooo...here they are.

The 1st was from "Nana in Paris"(France that is). Yup, my first came all the way from France. How exciting! :o) Here's a pic:

My 2nd was from "BethAnne" who also has a blog. Here's a pic:

Most of these beads I can't use for any jewelry that I sell but the plastic and vintage pearl beads I can use in some costume jewelry for the girls so that will be fun!
Unfortunately I didn't take pics of the "good mail" I sent to my partners but I'm hoping they'll post pics when they receive them. I sent the beads inside colored tissue paper in round aluminum tins decorated with ric-rac, stickers and leaf-shaped tags. It was so much fun! I really hope my partners enjoy their packages as much as I enjoyed putting them together. :o)

I signed up for my 2nd swap today called "Just Stuff". teehee. Should be fun! :o)

I listed an autumn-themed bracelet yesterday for the ALTB Fall Harvest launch. I ws a little late listing but better late than never, right?

I'll be listing more jewelry either tonight or tomorrow on eBay.
I also listed a vintage pewter lion pendant necklace on ETSY.

I know I promised a post about bird finds last week but I think I'll save that for Friday. ;o)

Fabulous Tag Friday

2007-08-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged! Twice! :o)

First I was tagged for "The Tag of Fours" by Carole so here goes:

Four Jobs I Have Had:
waitress(in a Chinese restaurant)
law office receptionist
Microsoft tech support
web design project coordinator

Four Films I Can Watch Over & Over:
Gone with the Wind
Practical Magic
Brigadoon
Excalibur

Four Places I have lived:
Van Nuys, CA
Waxahachie, TX
Tucson, AZ
Denton, TX

Four Favorite TV shows:
Lost
Heroes
Project Runway
ER

Four Favorite Foods:
Sushi
Thai food
artichokes
chocolate truffles

Four Websites I visit every day:
Ebay
ETSY
Blogger
Typepad

Four Places I Would Love To Be:
the beach
treasure hunting(i.e. thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales...)
the movies
in bed(sleeping, duh!)

Four Favorite Colors:
pink
green(apple and jadeite being my faves)
lavender
robins egg blue

Four Names You Love But Would/Could Not Use For Your Child:
Scarlett
Galadriel
Hermione
Wallace

That was fun, thank you Carole. :o) Ok so I'm going to tag....Michele!

And speaking of Michele(teehee)...she tagged me for this meme:

The Rules:
“Each person links to the person who tagged them. Then each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those peoples’ sites and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.”

(Ok I'm already going to bend the rules as I really don't have 8 people I can tag soooo I'll just tag 1 person. Well maybe that's more then bending the rules...)

1. I hate my hair! It's really frizzy/curly and I want to get it straightened using that Japanese thermal straightening technique but it's pretty darned expensive.

2. I'm an only child and I wish I could have had sisters and brothers to grow up with.

3. I've loved Sushi for as long as I can remember and I actually really liked octopus when I was little but I definitely don't like it now. Yech!

4. I only like one type of white wine called Gewürztraminer because it's sweet and fizzy but it's not sparkling wine. All red wines are ok though. :o)

5. I like to play computer games, especially MMORPG's, which makes me a hero in my son's eyes. I imagine most anyone reading this has absolutely NO idea what MMORPG means. LOL!

6. I've never broken a bone in my life.

7. I've never had a cavity either. *crosses fingers*

8. I adore roses, gardenias and hydrangeas but have none of them in my yard! *sigh*

So I'm gonna tag....Linda! Have fun. :o)

That's it for me today. It's my birthday so dh should be coming home earlier than usual and we're going to have ice cream and rent a movie. Then hopefully I'll get to sleep in tomorrow!! :o)
I do have stuff to list on eBay and ETSY but I think it can wait a day or two...

Thoughts & Prayers....

2007-08-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

Being pretty much MIA for the past week & a half I had planned on posting quite a bit but with what happened in Minneapolis I'm thinking of others today and sending my thoughts & prayers to all of the people involved in this tragedy and to those family members who still haven't heard from their missing loved ones...I can only imagine what that must be like.
It is truly scary to think that there are some 80,000 other bridges across the US that had the same rating (or worse) than this particular bridge. :o(

Wordless Wednesday - Rainy Days

2007-07-25T11:51:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

Fabulous Friday

2007-07-20T11:28:00.001-05:00

Usually this would be Fabulous Finds Friday but we're leaving this evening to visit family for the weekend and there's lots to be done before we leave so this is really a catchup post from this past week. :o)

I didn't participate in the BoutiqueCafe FFF this week as I haven't had the chance to take a pic in one of the only 2 hats that I own, plus I would be embarrassed to show those off anyway. I did just buy this fabulous sunhat from taradome on eBay:

I can't wait to receive it! Check out the bird fabric she used. It's from Moda's Summer in the City by UrbanChiks. Tara makes gorgeous things doesn't she?
I've definitely noticed an attraction to cool bird things lately. I think I'll blog about all the bird finds I've fallen in love with next week. You can also see some of them in my ETSY Faves.

So I've been trying to finish this bracelet design I started last week but something always seems to get in the way. I bought some Freshcut fabric(finally) last week from a quilt store that's right across from our neighborhood. It was my first time visiting and loved it. Super sweet ladies! Can't wait to go back and get more fabric. Anyhoo, I also bought a fabric button kit and began this design:

Some of the other things I'm planning on adding are freshwater pearls and possibly Bali daisy spacers on the flowers. Oh and you can't see them in the pic, but on the other side of the lucite flowers are round crystal-cut rose quartz gemstones. Hopefully I'll get this bracelet finished up and photographed properly next week so I can list it.
Let me know your opinions on this design and if you think it shouldn't have anything else added, what should be added, etc. That blue crystal btw is just a placeholder for another crystal in the correct color scheme, I had just misplaced it at the time of the pic. hehe. :oP

If anyone was wondering about the Wordless Wednesday pic this week, that is a pic of my twin girls all time favorite place to be....under my desk! Especially when I'm working. For some reason it is the "Holy Grail" of places to get to in the room. They get so excited when they overcome my leg blocking moves and make it under "there". What the fascination is I'm not sure. Then of course they have to get to all those wire goodies hanging from above! LOL!

Well that's it for me. I have lots to do while the girls nap. Have a fairy lovely weekend. :o)

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-18T13:42:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!

New(ish) Auction Listings

2007-07-17T21:02:00.002-05:00

So I haven't posted in almost a week and now I'm trying to play catchup!
Last Wednesday my dh took the day off to take care of the girls while my ds and I had some quality time together. I took him to see the Harry Potter movie which we both really enjoyed! Actually I thought he would be bored since there was a lot of storyline to cover and little real action until near the end. My son is just 6 so he needs lots of "POW" "ZAP" "ZOWIE"...kwim? Anyhoo, so in the car on our way back home I asked him what he thought of the movie and he said in dead seriousness, really slow and drawn out, "awwwwwesommmmme"! Whew! Then we had a little discussion about how everyone has tendancies to be both good & bad and it's the choices we make in life that matter, etc etc. This kid is 6???? Then he started making fart jokes in Patrick's voice from Spongebob Squarepants. Yup, he's 6!
Beginning around Wednesday going into Thursday the kiddos and I started to feel under the weather and I also got a bit depressed myself. Luckily it didn't last too long and we're all doing much better now. I was finally motivated to start working on some jewelry designs Sunday evening and am slowly getting things photographed(could someone turn off the sprinklers over Texas??) and listed on ebay & ETSY. I actually have 5 things listed on ETSY now. :o)
I've listed 2 new(ish) auctions for the Bellaluna BTS Launch and one for TheOasis Bon Appetit launch.
I really love how the set turned out for Bon Appetit. The pics turned out great too! She's the better subject of the twins right now but it still isn't easy. When it's not raining it is very hot & humid outside, plus the girls are always on the move so it's a chore getting either of them to sit still for any length of time. And then there's that dreaded "bow/clippie on the head" thing they started recently. They just hate anything placed on their heads right now and it's very frustrating! So after you look at the pics just imagine me sweating my butt off in humid 90 degree heat putting the bow on her head then trying to snap a pic(or 2) that I can't see in the camera viewer(stupid Sun) then grab the bow out of her mouth after she's ripped it off her head and then put her back on the trike to do it allll over again. Whoo, it is truly tiring!

Don't forget to check out the new(ish) listings in the right column. :o)

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here!
For this neat letter word program click here! :o)

Back to School & Bon Appetit

2007-07-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

Today has been kind of crazy with two eBay group launches beginning and the eBay groups community forums being completely overhauled...and not in a good way I might add. :o(
A lot of boutique groups are trying to decide whether or not to move. One has already made the jump. I don't like the new forums myself, but honestly I'm wondering if we shouldn't just give it a chance. If we all up and move some will go to MSN, some to Yahoo, etc, etc. We'll be scattered all across the net! Anyhoo, I'm anxiously waiting to see what happens. *sigh*

Ok back to the group launches which is so much more fun, right?
The first is a Back to School Guest Launch with the group Boutique BellaLuna. I've listed my 1st auction which is a primary color ABC-themed bracelet that matches nicely with all those Michael Miller Dick & Jane clothes & accessories. That fabric line is just toooo darn cute! I have another matching bracelet I'm planning to list that will actually use the Dick & Jane fabric. Yippeee! Plus I'll be listing a few other goodies so keep checking these auctions.

The 2nd is TheOasis Boutique Bon Appetit guest launch! I bet you can guess what the theme is for this one. :oP Again I have a few things I'm planning to list. My Saturday sneak peek was one of them. *wink* Today I listed a watermelon bracelet. For me summer and watermelons just go hand in hand....especially in July! :o)

Don't forget, I have some fabulous earrings that will be ending tomorrow! *hint, hint*

Fashion Forward Friday Challenge

2007-07-09T16:46:00.000-05:00

Amelia has issued her latest Fashion Forward Friday challenge on show #64 podcast on Boutiquecafe.com. She wants to see our chic ponytails and our favorite hair accessory finds on ETSY!

So this is my very first FFF Challenge. Yayyy! But....I found it a lot harder than I thought to take a picture of myself. Ugh! Plus I was just a teensy-weensy too self-conscience to take it outside where the good lighting is. *shrug* But....here it is anyway. :o)

As you may know my new passion is fabric headbands so of course my updo is using one of my new headbands(this one from eBay) and adding a side ponytail using a gold pony-o that I've had for years. I have so much hair that I have to find interesting ways to keep it out of my face. teehee.

Finding cute hair accessories on ETSY is easy peasy but I decided I wanted to challenge myself and find all crystal hair "pretties". I think I've really found some cool ones. Take a look!

The first fun "pretties" are Swarovski Hair Snaps! These are so neat. They add a bit of sparkle to any updo. You can get lots of different colors plus they have Variety Snap Packs. What a neat idea! Wish I had thought of that. :o)
So next up I found these amazing crystal cherry blossom hair pins! Aren't they beautiful? I love the color combo on these.
Last but not least, every mommy deserves her very own tiara right?

Ok I know it's not very practical, but I just couldn't resist. It's soooooo pretty! :o) I would buy it.....if I had lots of extra "me money"! teehee.

Sneak Peek Saturday

2007-07-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

So here's the sneak peek I promised. This design will be part of an upcoming eBay design launch. It was m2m another designers set. Doesn't look like it will be modeled with that set but I'll try and have one of my own little models wear it for some pics(if it doesn't rain and they don't eat it).

Hope your weekend has been a good one so far! No rain for us today so I'm happy. :o)
My dh took our "Transformers-obsessed" son to see the movie today at the IMax. I hear it's really good! Can't wait to find out the reviews from my "boys".

Fabulous Finds Friday

2007-07-06T20:14:00.000-05:00

Ok I'm finally getting back to my fabric finds. :o) We had family here last weekend(Friday through Monday actually) and after that I was busy getting some designs done to list on ETSY and eBay. The rain has made photographing things very tough. I'm sure you've heard about all the rain in Texas! Ugh!
Anyhoo, on to the "fabulous finds"! I was really excited to receive my 2 tote bags I purchased from eBay recently. Along with my new found fabric fetish, I have been nurturing a longtime bag obsession. I looooove bags/totes/etc and now of course I'm searching for any covered in gorgeous fabrics, especially if they're by my fave fabric designers(that list seems to be growing at a rapid pace).
So on one of my recent searches for totes on eBay this Happy Hobo by Kristin of Spirited*Style really caught my eye.

I like all of her Happy Hobo's but this one I just had to have! Alas, I was outbid....but, lucky for me she sent a 2nd chance offer. Whoohoo! I received my Happy Hobo(you'll definitely remember the name won't you!) on Wednesday and used it the very next day to go shopping at Micheal's...with the matching zipper clutch, id holder and key fob from ETSY of course. :o) The Happy Hobo(overused yet?) is a great size, not too big and not too small. I love the added touch of the zipper dangles. I really want to order one of her custom Hobo's and have it done with the Freshcut fabric. Ooooh I can just picture it now! But, that will have to wait until I have more "me money" to spend. *sigh*

So I just received the 2nd tote in the mail today and I have to say I was floored when I opened the box. This one is from Mary of sweetpea-totes.

I know, I know, I should have read the dimensions on the auction but for some reason in my minds eye I just pictured it smaller. It is sooo nice and large and simply gorgeous! I can't wait to use it. I have my eye on another bag of hers listed right now but just can't get it. I wish it was closer to Christmas. Any of my family & friends that are shopping early for me and are possibly(doubtfully) reading my blog, here's the link!(just click on the pic) *wink*

Awwww! Don't they look so sweet together? I think I'm "in love"! :o)

Another unique fabric find on eBay was this necklace & pony-o set by Michele of michelesjewelry or MJD Boutique.
I think this is pretty unique myself. Atleast I haven't seen anything like this before. Yes this set was made for a child but I bought it for myself. :o) When I received the set I just added an extender chain to the necklace, easy-peasy! The neat thing is that when my girls get a little older they can wear it as intended. I'm already planning on getting a matching/coordinating set so they can wear them together. I tried it on one of the girls and it does look so darn cute. They just like to pull at & eat anything I put on them like jewelry, hats, etc. Keeping bows on them is a chore, let me tell ya!
So anyhoo, I love how Michele wire-wrapped the ends of the cords and made the clasp herself. I had already purchased some hot pink faux suede cord and some polymer clay bottle cap pendants by Mei of bycreations, or B&Y Creations, to make necklaces for my nieces for their birthdays but was going to use the normal crimp ends. After seeing this I decided to do the same technique and they turned out great. Thanks Michele. :o) The girls really loved them too! I also gave them some girly-girl Webkinz. Here's some fun pics:

I've listed a few things on eBay so please take a look at the links to your right. I'll be posting a sneak peek of one of my new bracelets that I'll be listing soon for an upcoming eBay design launch so stay tuned! Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-04T10:40:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless click here!

Fabulous Finds Continued...

2007-06-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

Ahhh! The twins have gone to sleep, my ds is playing in Webkinz World and I finally have a quiet moment to continue my blogging. :o)
So today I opened the mailbox to find a plethora of packages. Sweet, my ETSY goodies have arrived! When I started opening everything up I realized I needed to take some quick pics to show the wonderful packaging and "extras" that were sent. It's been raining all day and the lighting is terrible in my house so you'll have to excuse the poor quality but at least you can see my "booty" :o)

The package from LaneDesigns, that has the envelope and zippered pouch wrapped in yellow ribbon, was such a surprise! There were extra free gifts including matching Michael Miller Carnival Bloom fabric keychain and card holder! Amazing! Is she psychic? I was seriously debating getting both of these items. I was tickled pink to say the least and the handwritten note on pretty stationary was a sweet touch as well. I'm even keeping the lovely ribbons she tied everything with. Here's a pic of what she sent!

In the twine-wrapped tissue paper was this lovely French country style apron repurposed from tea towels from FreemanHouse. Looks great on and also hanging in my kitchen! She included a nice handwritten note too. She also makes herbal wraps that I'm coveting at the moment.

The adorable fabric/felt flower pins are from AndreaBaker. Sooo cute! I got these to pin on my girls clothing, hats, bowbands, etc but I may use them on my purses, hats & scarves as well. teehee. :o) I'm hoping she'll make more of these. She also makes totes, id cards and aprons.

As you can see I also received my fantabulous new car litter bag from AllysonHill! Love it! Can't wait to use it. She also included free a sweet fabric button(how did she know about my new fabric fetish?) and a little notepad with a vintage art nouveau-style picture plus her website URL. Smart girl! I love her biz card too. I think it's my favorite that I've seen from any seller. :o)

Lastly I recieved another headband made with Amy Butler fabric. This one was a quick purchase/ship from eBay so that I can wear it for the 4th of July bash at the lake this weekend. Please don't rain! *doing a little anti-rain dance*

There's one more goody on the way from an ETSY seller, a pocket mirror, and a number of customs purchased/won from eBay which I'm really excited to blog about but I see that it is quite late once again and I really do need some sleep! So more fabulous finds tomorrow I promise. Stay tuned....

My 1st "official" Blog Post

2007-06-27T21:59:00.000-05:00

Ok so it's not really my 1st post, just my 1st on Blogger. :o)
Ahem! So for my "1st" post I thought I would share some of the wonderful purchases I've made lately on the newly discovered ETSY. Yes, I did say that I just discovered ETSY. I know, I know, where the heck have I been, right?? Not on ETSY apparently and I have to say if I stay there too long I'll buy way too much. I happened to have some extra money this month to splurge for myself soooo I did just that! Ok so here goes.....
Some of my 1st searches were for Amy Butler & Heather Bailey fabric items and boy did I hit the Jackpot! Have I mentioned that I've recently become a fabric fanatic? Oh, no I guess not! teehee. Well, my favorites are pretty much anything from Amy Butler and the Freshcut line from Heather Bailey( that's her only line so far). So I'm attracted to anything made with these fabrics. I mean ANYTHING! Things I don't need anything, "they're so pretty" anything. For instance; pin cushions! Um, I don't even own a sewing machine? Not that I don't want to...ok that's another story....soooo let's get to the show & tell. :o)
My very first purchase was a headband from ModernCharm. I'm wearing it now as I type. I have no earthly idea what I did before these headbands but I can't live without them now and have ordered more from other sellers as well on both eBay and ETSY. You HAVE to get one if you haven't already!

I found the seller MamadamaDesigns who makes all sorts of fabric goodies. I got a checkbook cover, ipod case & flashdrive holder keychain in Lime Lotus. I also love my Starbucks cappucino, frappucino and latte's so I just HAD to have this cup cuddler in Blue Lotus. (Can't be too matchy-matchy, right?)

Next up a stop at AllysonHill. She's also on my blog list. She makes the coolest car litter bags in my favorite prints, of course. I got one in Freshcut - Cabbage Rose. It will look so stylin in my minivan and hopefully will keep the "litter" down to a minimum. With 3 kiddos that's pretty hard to do!

That's enough for today. I started this blog much too late and now I'm pooped! so I'll get some shut-eye and continue tomorrow with more goodies from both ETSY and eBay. :o)