Being Brave.......

LOL!!!! Ok, I stepped out of my comfort zone yesterday and thought I would continue my "braveness" and share it with all of you. I guess sharing it is the part that really steps me out of my comfort zone. Anyway, I finished up the garden party skinny scarves I mentioned the other day. They are gorgeous! well, I think so anyway. ;)

And before I get them up on my website I have to have them modeled right? If you frequent my website or follow me here you'll know I usually model my stuff. Well, being 6 months pregnant I haven't been jumping in front of the camera to have my picture taken. (tee hee he) BUT thought I would give it a shot. To see if the photos didn't look too bad to use or if they did, go and call a friend to model the scarves for me! ha!

SO I did it and I am posting the photos for all to see. OY! Remember, this is the brave stepping out of my box step. ;) But hey, we can keep it real right? Tell me what ya think!!! Are the photos OK enough to use? or do they look to "maternity"?

One is the Garden Party skinny scarf and the other is Summer City. And speaking of my website, my makeover will be starting NEXT week!!! eek! I'm so excited!!!! If you've been holding back on purchasing something don't wait! My website will be down for a weeks soon, "under construction" before the big debut!

So really, tell me what ya think. I've noticed the hot trend in Hollywood this summer has been scarves and with Fall coming on we'll just be seeing more scarves! lucky us!!!

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Finishing up.....

Has it really been that long since I have posted on my blog???? wow! Time really does fly eh?

I've been busy "finishing up" summer I guess you could say. We only have a few short weeks left before school starts back up and there still is plenty of fun left to be had and done! Of course it hasn't been all fun and games around here. My sewing machine and scissors have been busy as well. Take a peek at my new love affair.


It's Garden Party fabric by Anna Maria Horner and honestly I couldn't pick a favorite! Everytime I *think* I have, I find another print or colorway that steals my heart away again! tee hee he. I thinks it's the boldness of the design and colors that is so perfect for the end of the summer and beginning of fall that has me all entranced in it's beauty. *sigh*............................... Can you tell I am just in love with it? I've been sewing it up all weekend into Skinny Scarves for my website but it's going to be very hard to part with. There are sooooo many different fabrics in each new scarf! Hopefully you will love it as much as I do! Thanks Anna for another GREAT fabric line!

I also have another tutorial in the works! I just need to get the photos edited first. But my daughter and I have been crafting up some fun on the side as well! Getting her room re-organized after summer and ready for back to school. You've seen her new bulletin board, well we made a magnet board too. And what's a magnet board without some custom made bubble magnets right? LOL...........Aren't these fabulous!? We used the Lotus paper pack from Amy Butler! Gorgeous! One of the fun parts was hearing my daughter say, "Mom. You have this fabric, and this one, and this one........ well you get the picture. ;) I linked my tutorial on how to make bubble fridge magnets of your own. Have a great day!

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Reduce, Reuse, Re-PURPOSE!

I haven't been yard sale-ing in a few years but I have certainly got my fix this summer! And it only took a few weeks! I found such good finds that I haven't felt the need to go out any more and search for a bargain. Plus a few items I have already purchased are still waiting for the "makeover". And hubby disapproves all my "treasures" sitting in the garage too long. Can't blame him for that. ;)

ANYWAY, the same weekend I bought the large cabinet, which I have re-done, I also bought all these little treasures.

I'm a sucker for old windows and frames and snatched up a huge pile for only $2.00. I completely *heart* the oval shaped one. I also love the blue round metal "ball". I'm not sure what it once was but I snatched it up like it was worth alot of money or something! LOL! I could use see the potential in it and the gal let me have it for .10 cents! My little guy said, "Oh cool! It's a planet!" The large bulletin board (in the background) has a GREAT ornate frame around it and was a steal for only $2.00. It wasn't constructed in the best possible way but couldn't pass on the price.

So I hoarded all my newly found treasures home and have slowly been incorporating them around my house. You've seen my chic cabinet now and it's been decorated with a few of the new finds.

nesting baskets

pottery vase

Black metal basket and "blue planet" metal ball

I took the bulletin board and gave it a light green "wash" to match my daugthers bedroom. Now it helps keep all the pictures she draws and school papers she wants to keep in one place.


There's still a few items to have their chance at a makeover and find new life but for now................I hope you find some inspiration in the everyday "treasures" you may have passed up!

Are you DIY-ing this summer? I'd love to know what you are up too as well!

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DIY kit Frenzy..............

Whew! The fabric has been flying around here! After my latest women's DIY kits flew out of here, the requests have come pouring in for more. Then I also realized that for some, Summer is almost over. Back to School time is here again! (and all too soon! )

So may I introduce to you - Sweet Tangerine!

A "Shaggy Mosaic" DIY kit created for Girls & Women! Enjoy the fresh colors of the season with over 10 fabrics combined to create this richly colored set. Shades of orange, red, yellow and brown with a hint of pink, green and blue. Perfect for now AND to transition into the Fall and Back to School Season. Buy one for you, your daughter or both!

If Back to School is on your mind, then give her the hottest pair of jeans around! I've created 2 versions of my girls High School Musical themed DIY kits. They are sure to be her favorite pair and make her the envy of her friends! Infused with color, pattern and extra custom cut applique letters and Troy's Basketball number, the possibilities are endless to what you can design!



And as always - quantities are limited! If you like it, snatch it before it GONE for good!! To see all my kits click here.

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Hat attack

I have been getting more deeply and deeply attached to hats as the summer wears on, they create shade, keep your face, neck, scalp and sometimes even shoulders from getting sunburned and as an added bonus you get to look like a french gardener just stepped out of a Monet or Mary Cassat.

Wide brimmed straw hats are about the easiest thing to find at thrift or vintage stores and they are always cheap cheap cheap. This one had little silver stars hot glued all over it, unfortunately i didn't get a before photo because i couldn't wait to pick them all off, i did it on the subway home! Straw hats at thrift stores are normally covered with junky plastic flowers or worse, so you need to just focus on shape and quality of straw.

This one had some horizontal rips that are easily sewn closed with a good strong embroidery thread, like my favorite from Purl.

Oddly enough, straw hats are easy to resize. I have a big head and vintage hats are normally give me a headache because they're so tight. With a straw hat, all you need to do to make it bigger is to gingerly remove the inner band if there is one, get the hat wet and then pull it down on you head while wet. Straw is very flexible and will stretch to your head shape relatively quickly, within about 20 min. Then you can stuff it with newspaper or plastic bags and let it dry overnight. I love 100% silk ribbons and shopping for them always makes me feel like Elizabeth Bennett in "Pride and Prejudice". To dress up my custom fitted hat, I cut a length of silk ribbon from Tinsel Trading (they are having an amazing sale, if you live in the city you must go now!) and tightly wrapped it around the crown of the hat, taking care to snuggly tack at the center back and around the bottom so the ribbon won't slip.Make a "fake bow" and attach over the back seam.


Not always do I want to be a french gardener, however (okay, i think i always want to be a french gardener, but sometimes i want to wear less girlie hats).

I found a straw newsboy hat that reminds me of Mickie Rooney in my favorite kid's movie, National Velvet. I collect horse show ribbons and had a broken one so i though I'd give it a go.

Oh they make me swoon.



I got this one at an antique store, you can't find big lots of them on ebay all the time. The back had separated off and I wasn't crazy about the center button, plus it is really big and not exactly useful.

I attached a vintage brass dog's head to the center as a homage to my dear old Puck, plus I think it's cute because rosettes are such horse things, it's unexpected to find a dog in the center.



Now I just need to find a shady tree and eat a turkey sandwich with a big old glass of ice tea wearing my newly cute hats, one for me, one for my sister and life will be good.

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Noteworthy........

When I find something great I have a hard time keeping it to myself! Please indulge me for a moment while I share a few definately noteworthy blogs and a FAB giveaway too!!

First for all, for all you mommies entertaining your kiddos this summer - here's a BLOG to the rescue to fresh fun ideas for your to infuse into your hot summer days!

Craft Crow - WOW! She makes several posts a day usually and has ideas for all ages. It's definately worth a click to go and see all the ideas she pulls together!


Here's a few of my recent favorites: Historical Paper doll - must try this!











Felt Food - too cute!














and if you want to make real food with them try these - pancake cups! Great to impress summer guests too! ;)













another good blog is Fun 4 Mommies - Be sure to check through her archives to find more great proejcts!

Are you are Mommy of girls??? She Does Hair is a GREAT blog for the latest, best and the good ol' standbys of girls hairdos! And they help you step by step to create the same look for your little princess too!



















And lastly, the GIVEAWAY!!!!!! This is a RUN don't walk over to the Old Red Barn Co. blog. She is giving away a gorgeous quilt made with Sandi's Ginger Blossom Fabrics. OH! It's so gorgeous! Perfect for you or as a gift!!! Enjoy your clickin' Thursday!

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Hot hot heat.

Today I had the most lovely, lovely day with Ginny Branch. She's got some amazing photos of the adventure that she'll post in a few days, so I'll not spoil the surprise but when i got home I was so inconceivably hot.

So happy my mother gave me this amazingly strong, industrial hunter fan from maybe the 30's? It's quiet and oh so refreshing, I can't believe I've spent 6 whole summers in the city with no A.C. or fan. Ouch. So glad the self induced suffering is over.

While I'm in sweet summer time mode, here's a glimpse of my recent trip to a neat butterfly conservatory while visiting home. These chrysalis' look like little glass lanterns, so beautiful.

Now i haven't always been very excited by butterflies, but it was lovely to be able to get so close and see so many. They are just so delicate and feminine.

As Ginny and I discussed today, it's so wonderful to finally accept summer as a season that has so much to offer if you can just grit your teeth and not wilt in the sun.

I normally dread the sky high heat index all year long, but it is SO lovely when you can slow down and do summer right.

Farmers market fruit, butterflies, big straw hats, freckles, orangina and a big, beautiful, strong fan.

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Baby Talk.......

It has been really fun to receive fun emails from you being excited about my upcoming little bundle and wishing me well with my pregnancy - thank you! I am now 6 months along and feeling good - tired - but good. :) I'll take tired over nausea ANY day. I snapped a quick photo of me - glamorous I know, LOL! - to show off my belly to y'all.

Because we choose to wait and be surprised to find out what we are having, I haven't really bought anything for the baby yet BUT I did come across the cutest onesie for a girl! I couldn't resist buying it.

It caught my eye at the store in the baby section because of it's color. It's black! I'm not sure I've seen a black onesie before. The store only had 1 on the rack and it is newborn size but it has the cutest saying on it - "This is my little black dress!" Oh! too adorable to pass up! and if you follow my blog or know me at all you KNOW black is one of my favorite colors!!!!!

So now it hangs in the closet patiently waiting to find out if I will actually get to use it for my own baby or if it will quickly get put into a gift bag and delivered to someone else in the event I have a boy. ;)

I would love to also purchase THESE if I knew I was having a little girl, and several pairs too! It's been so long since I have purchased baby stuff and they have come out with some really CUTE and SMART items since my last baby!

The baby heels are just the CUTEST thing for a girly girl don't you think??? Would LOVE a pair of Brooke and Elle for sure and then to be sensible I would have to throw in a pair of "She's a little lady" too because black goes with everything!

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New LG 22-Inch LCD USB Monitor With DisplayLink Technology

LG announced this week the availability of its L226WU-PF 22in LCD monitor with integrated DisplayLink technology.

The monitor features DisplayLink’s DL-160 circuit board, which makes it possible to add up to six extra displays via a USB 2.0 connection, technology that made its first appearance in the 20in L206WU.

“We’re thrilled that LG is rapidly expanding its line of USB connected displays in partnership with DisplayLink,” said Hamid Farzaneh, president and chief executive at DisplayLink. In-Stat research projects that USB network displays will exceed 26 million units and 40 million units in 2010 and in 2011 respectively, and LG is among the key forward-thinking display companies leading this major paradigm shift.”

The L226WU-PF features 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, a 5:000:1 dynamic and 1,000:1 native contrast ratio and a claimed two millisecond response time for grey-to-grey movement of pixels. The display is also equipped with a standard D-Sub and digital DVI connections.

Availability has been confirmed for Europe but pricing had not been confirmed at time of writing.

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Longwood Gardens

My darling older sister, Michelle, is visiting from LA and it is so wonderful to have some much needed sister bonding time. This shamelessly cute photo is from my ALL TIME favorite garden and second favorite place on earth, Longwood Gardens. I'm little one with the big ol' hairbow, some things never change.

Longwood was Pierre Du Pont's summer playground dating from 1906. Fountains, topiaries, castles, conservatories, little girl's total fantasy. I spent my birthday last week exploring the old stomping grounds again.
Alice in Wonderland much?

The waterlilies are just astounding. Longwood is like living in a Monet.

This is a section of Du Pont's house. I am such a sucker for ivy on brick and i adore how this is so wild but very maintained.

Yes, this is what i want my living room to look like.

Just your average castle turret and waterfall combo.

An amazing little boy playing in the fountains. My poor mom and dad had to drag Michelle and I out of these things after hours of fun.

Some sections of Longwood feel like Versailles and some the Petit Trianon. Good thing I am obsessed with Marie Antoinette. Read this book years ago and have since been smitten.

What a good place to spend a birthday. Hip hip hurray!

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