How Are You Feeling Today?

Our church has started a photo project.

The challenge is to demonstrate how you're feeling at a given moment in time using photography and text. The point is to use these artistic glimpses into each others worlds to offer a little more intimacy or understanding amongst ourselves. So far, I have only written down my feelings on paper. There is a pic on our church's blog of someone's bare stomach with the word 'FAT' written in lipstick. I love it. I was too chicken to do that one!
It reminds us that we aren't the only ones. I think it can serve to validate things and draw us out to focus on others.


So, if you're up for sharing, take your picture and send us the link. I'd love to know.

Shop Update

The shop has been updated with these goodies.

I got my DT box of Jack & Abby last night and was so eager to bust into it. I usually shy away from the chipboard minis because it takes a little more commitment to finish them but I couldn't stay away from this little house shape. I really love the chipboard frames and buttons in this line. I can't wait to find some time to finish a few more!

Newish Layouts

These are my latest LO's. The first two are using Lola from Love, Elsie. The last is from the September Paper Kit from our kit club.

Here are some of my favorite things these days.

Cabin + Cub
Pear Threads
Urban Outfitters: Urban Renewal

Photo Album Project Kit

Here's my take on this project. It was so fun working with the chipboard buttons and soft charms from the Jack and Abby collection. I think I'm making more of these for Christmas presents this year!!!

September Project Kit ~ Altered Photo Album

'My Soft Landing Place'

Use this home-themed album to display pics of your 'soft landing place' by taking pics of favorite corners in your home or to make mini scrap pages of what you want your home to look like someday. No matter what you do with the inside, you can be sure that the outside will look lovely! Check out what Jacqueline Yeo did with our kit! See more pics here.

Get your kit here.

Sept. Kit Sneak Peek

Check here for a little more info.
This boy is looking so grown up these days.

This boy is my favorite. He brought me a non-fat, Pumpkin Spice Mocha home from work this afternoon. Here's what it said...
I'm working through this book right now. I've been wanting to read it for so long but it felt wrong to buy it. HA! So we've borrowed it from our local library.
In a lot of ways, living on a slim budget makes the concept of 'going without' easy but I know I'm a product of my consumer driven environment. I want to be more resourceful rather than just thrifty. I think there is a difference.
I read this article from the Times and laughed because I've been that person digging through piles of 'junk' looking for a treasure. Once I drove to every corner flower shop the night of Mother's Day and pulled hundreds of red roses out of their dumpsters. I wrapped them up in bunches of newspaper and took them to church the next morning to pass out to the mom's I knew. In college we would walk the halls of the freshman girl's dorms once they had all moved out. I remember finding a softball glove, a nice sleeping bag and a computer desk one year. When we were apt. managers in Seattle, we would have our pick of whatever people left behind when they moved out. We furnished our apt. with so many of their unique pieces! I love the thrill of the hunt.
(edited: I forgot! Brett actually bought it off of half.com as a belated b-day gift. So, we did spend the money!)

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, sent these in the mail! Thanks for letting me use them, Brittany!
I'd love to hear your treasure hunting stories. Or, if you've read the book, tell us your thoughts. Thanks for looking!

New Pretties

These are on their way to Springfield, MO to join Elsie and Emma's creations at the Cider Days booth this weekend. If you're local to Springfield, go say hello!
More blank books...

Patchwork Fabric Cards


Patchwork scarf made from my dad's old suit jackets, flannel from the discount bin at Wal-Mart and my favorite colors right now. More of these to come!


See the rest here.

In the P.M. when all is quiet but my iBook

I feel like making these.

Ready for a chill in the air and warm colors on the Earth.

Listening to 'The Reminder' from Feist because she's lovely.

Feeling piled on top of.

Trying to enjoy the process.

Wanting great changes to come quickly and learning to wait where I am.

Knowing my morning coffee will be with milk and sugar because I forgot creamer again.

Easing in to my reorganized workspace.

Wondering if this online community knows the large part it plays in my creative journey.

(Counting the days until Grey's Anatomy!)

Needing to be stronger in myself.

Enjoying my sweet melancholy tonight.


Back in a few days with something to show for. Write me a haiku or something pretty.

Happy Grandparent's Day!

If yours are still around, show them some love today.

New Favs

Just put this up in the shop.

I wish there was a magic button to stop time and sew awhile. I find it so relaxing sometimes. Unfortunately, when there are deadlines and requirements, which are financially fabulous, I usually start working on a new project that I've been thinking about for awhile. I found these blank books at a local craft store and removed the softcover. I rebound them with chipboard, covered them in this great fabric, and restrung them with waxed linen cord. The enclosed paper is thick and feels lineny. They measure about 6 1/2" x 4 1/2". They feel great in my hand.

These are inspiring me as of late.

These Etsy shops are on my favs list.

* karen hilton designs
* maidenlove
* john w. golden
* kirinco

Have a good weekend. See you on Monday!

In Honor of Fashion Week

Create your own sassy smock out of a pleated skirt and a few strips of fabric. You can fix this up in a matter of minutes and then change it back when you need a skirt again.

You'll need a skirt that fits slightly above your chest, a strip of fabric that measures 3" x 45" and two strips that measure 2" x 18" (or whatever your measurement is from above your chest to your shoulder blades), as well as two large safety pins and two smaller safety pins.
Attach one end of the shorter strip to the front of your skirt using one of the large safety pins. Repeat with the other strip.
Attach the opposite end on the inside lining of the back of the skirt so that it lines up with where you attached it on the front. Repeat with other strip.
Tie your sash around your waist and show off your new smock! If you're ready to make it permanent, hand or machine stitch the straps in place on the back. Be sure to line up your seam with another seam or use neat stitching in a coordinating color to add detail.

What we're drinking these mornings...

I love being married to a man who knows his coffee.

I love this mug. I bought it for Brett one Christmas from the Grounds For Change website. They are made in Thailand by men who get paid fair wages for their work. Well, four years later, I found the same mug in the Fair Trade tent at a Mennonite Festival in town. I had to buy its match.

I put this pretty girl in the shop today. She's been sitting in my finished pile for a few weeks going unnoticed. She measures about 46" x 43".
These will be joining her on the 5th in the A.M.
Happy Wednesday!

Mini from RVKC Sept. Kit

Cover... I love this little brass heart charm.


I used the Hambly overlay to partially cover the journaling on the next page. I attached some fabric and a star with staples to make a little badge. Then I added masking tape and used the mini alphas to spell 'US'. I journaled on the next page so that the word 'US' was included.

I took these pics with Brett on my birthday. We got our order wrong because we couldn't tell when the booth was taking the pic but it worked out once I thought of the idea with the pic of the three of us. That one was taken on Sebastian's first birthday. Its the only one in town that I know of. The journaling reads, "Hello! One day we found out...Sometimes 1+1=3." Pick up your own kit here.

I'm going to be updating the shop with more of these portfolios on Tuesday morning. If you're interested in one and can't get to them in time, keep checking back. I've got plenty of fabric for most of these. Thanks for the support!

If you hate videos of other people's children, look away...

Well, I'm having a hard time with the inbedding process so if you're still interested and have a soft spot for iBooks or sweet little boys named Sebastian, try this.
Thanks for the quick response to those portfolios! They were gone by this afternoon! I've got another batch thats almost ready so I'll be posting about it when they are going up. You girls are the best.

What can I say!!!

I really enjoyed the birthday attention. Thanks to everyone who posted encouraging me to enjoy indulging in some cake. It totally took any guilt away from having two of these! Thanks mom for baking them. Thanks Cheryl and Jamie for the fun cupcake picks!

We enjoyed ourselves immensely yesterday. Sebastian let us all sleep in like a good boy does on his Momma's birthday. We got to work out and had a friend from our church over for coffee. After the boy's nap we went thrifting for a Polaroid camera. We went home with some other fun things but no camera. The search continues! Then came dinner at the Elephant Bar with my family who we left Sebastian with so we could go watch 'Becoming Jane'. Then cupcakes at home! It was, in all, a terrific day.

I got my swap partner's package that afternoon and it was full of fun goodies from France. Brett bought me Sabrina Ward-Harrison's last book. I got a package from my friend, Katy, full of fun bracelets and a gift card. I felt very celebrated. I tried to only check your comments every few hours but they were all individual gifts themselves. Thanks Brett and Elsie for the shout out.

I've posted a few portfolios here. More to come...