LUSH LIVING

I'M A LUCKY MOM

2009-05-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Look what my Jake gave to me on Mother's Day morning! A Chinese take-out container made to look like a watering can with some flower seeds inside! Love it. Also, he made a card for me with butterflies and glitter (Daddy helped)! Thank you, my little buddy.

And this is what my oldest boy, Sean, gave to me: A booklet consisting of four pages. On the front cover, Sean made the tulips so that they stand out. Beautiful work. And see the butterfly on the bottom right corner? It's a pin made of clay! Sean painted the butterfly and glued a pin on the back. I am so wearing this on my outfit to work. Thank you, sweet Sean!

Here's a close-up, albeit blurry, picture of the butterfly pin.

Here's the first page of the booklet. Sean chose the descriptive words and his teacher helped put it in poem format. Other pages include a bio of me, from Sean's point of view, and also 5 things Sean loves about me.

What a wonderful keepsake. I love it.

The boys also helped me prepare chocolate chip crescent rolls for breakfast, along with milk and yogurt. And Sean helped made a pork chop dinner for our family. What a fun day.

Daddy helped Sean make a card for me, also. Lots of glitter and hearts and butterflies and love.

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day, too.

Tidy Mom Giveaway

2009-05-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

There's a great giveaway over at http://tidymomof2.blogspot.com/ happening right now. A book by Karen Berg entitled "By the Book: How To Take Care of My Kids" is being offered. This book appears to be a must-have for any family. A place to store information about caring for your kids, be it for caregivers, baby-sitters, a nanny.

I could have used this type of binder/book with information about my kids and their schedules when I had my awful accident this past February where I ended up in the hospital for 6 days and 6 nights. How handy this would have been for those caring for my boys. I was able to direct things from the hospital because I was eventually coherent and conscious. It would have come in handy, too, in the weeks that followed when I had some memory loss due to the traumatic head injury.

If I don't win the giveaway, I'm still going to purchase the book. You never know when something will happen in a split second and change your life as you know it. I will be prepared should something come up again (I so hope nothing like what happened comes up again - please!)

Anyway, you have until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th, to leave a comment. Head on over to Tidy Mom now!

And have a fantastic weekend!

Friday Lovin'

2009-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Some trunk loving going on today. I'm just itching to go to a flea market or maybe hit some antique stores this weekend. I would love to find a trunk about the size of the one in the above picture.

I need to clean and organize my studio this weekend. Here are some pictures I found out there in blogland a while ago. I can't remember whose studio this is. I like it. And I'm lovin' the cute yellow tool box/tote and the window frame hung on the wall. Just a fun, cheery studio.

Another shot of said studio. Very inviting. Now I need to make mine just a tad more inviting. Making a path to find my desk would be a great start!

Have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to try to pay a visit to my favorite scrapbook store here in San Diego: Paper Tales. A girl's got to celebrate National Scrapbook Day/Weekend, right?

Hugs,

Tammy

Grey & Yellow

2009-04-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am so lovin' the yellow/grey combo that I am seeing everywhere I go, be it fabric, clothing, accessories, furniture, paint.

Some more fabric using the yellow and grey combo. I'm just loving these patterns, too.

Fabric: Daisy Janie's Textile Co. as featured on Decor8 a few weeks ago.

BICYCLE WEEKEND

2009-04-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

I think this weekend will be a good time to dust off our bikes and take them for a spin.

Should be a great weekend for a nice spin.

How fun it would be to bring our bikes to the ferry that leaves from Seaport Village and travels over to Coronado and then ride around Coronado on them. Hmmm, definitely on my list of things to do this summer with my boys.

CLOCKS

2009-04-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

The above picture is today's featured craft from Martha Stewart's Daily Craft. What a fun idea! I think I'll make one of these for the boys' room.

Oriental Trading Company has square and round clocks made of wood just waiting to be altered. I decorated one of their square clocks in a Christmas design for my mother-in-law to display this past Christmas and she loved it.

I love vintage alarm clocks. So fun to decorate with.

A nice combination of the vintage alarm clocks with vintage books and a mirror and a frame.

A fun clock. I also like the initial in the background. I have an large metal "N" from an old theatre's marquee. The "N" represents the beginning letter of my last name. I've had it for years and it's currently displayed in my living room.

Springtime daffodils and a cute square clock.

Various photos from Domino magazine's My Deco files and from Decor8.

Oh, by the way, Happy Earth Day! Have a great Wednesday!

THE SHABBY NEST GIVEAWAY

2009-04-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Wendy of The Shabby Nest, whom I've been following for a while now, is hosting a giveaway to celebrate her 200th post! Check out her blog and leave a comment to be entered into her giveaway for one of her great pillows: a Number Bolster Pillow or a Personalized Bolster Pillow. Also, if you're new to her blog, let her know you're new and then join her as a follower and you will be entered to win $30 of merchandise from her awesome Etsy store.

I'm the proud owner of one of Wendy's pillows, the one with the nest and eggs. I love it. Dang, I need to take a photo of it. It's presently on the bench in my hallway.

Now head on over to http://shabbynest.blogspot.com. What are you waiting for? You definitely won't be disappointed.

IMPERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL BLOG GIVEAWAY

2009-04-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Good morning and happy Monday!

Amanda at http://imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com/ is having a giveaway! Amanda just opened her Etsy shop and is celebrating the grand opening with a giveaway.

Check out her blog and her etsy store. I have my eye on one of her HOME blocks. Too cute!

Have a good one!

TRUNKS AND SUITCASES

2009-04-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love trunks. Big trunks, small trunks, medium-sized trunks, and suitcases, too. I love the huge trunk by the front door in the above picture.

I like the trunk in the picture below that is being used as a coffee table.

I love stacked suitcases/trunks, like in the photo below. I especially like the pink suitcase.

More stacking going on below.

Tomorrow I'll go around my house and take photos of my various trunks and suitcases and how I decorate with them.

Have a wonderful Saturday evening. I love weekends! :)

Spring Break Fun

2009-04-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Jake enjoying Balboa Park with his dad and his brother.

My monkey, Sean, just hangin' around! I love this T-shirt Sean has on. Both Sean and Jake got one for Christmas. It's a self-portrait by Jeff Hardy, one of their favorite wrestlers.

Here's another monkey. Are you sure this isn't the zoo?

Taking the dogs on a walk. This is our view of the lake.

And below is a picture of our sweet kitty, Noodle-Bobby. We adopted Noodle from the Humane Society a year and a half ago when he was a 1 1/2. He's been such a great addition to our family. We love him.
I took today off from work and we all headed to Sea World, along with Grandma Baker, Uncle Michael and cousin Breanna. Absolutely gorgeous day here in San Diego. Sunny, not too hot, just the right amount of coolness - lovely.

Ready for some weekend fun.

EASTER - THE LOOT

2009-04-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from Easter morning after the boys ran around, searching for the eggs that the bunny hid.

Mmmm....some eggs had candy in them and other eggs had $$$$$$! How exciting. I could see the adding machine working in their heads, adding up their loot and pondering how they were going to spend their treasure.

At the mall on Monday, Sean ended up purchasing a really cool "No Fear" Monster logo hat. He loves it. Jake purchased a couple Star Wars Storm Troopers, a "DC" shirt and a really cool "No Fear" big boy belt.

Have a wonderful day!

Varela Voyage giveaway

2009-04-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Kristal from http://varelavoyage.blogspot.com/ is having a giveaway: her beautiful signs.

I'm the proud owner of two of her signs. A "CREATE" sign and an "INSPIRE" sign. I have posted about her signs before on my blog and have more pictures.

To check out the "CREATE" sign, look at my March 19th post and March 9th posts. To check out the "INSPIRE" sign, take a look at my March 19th and March 7th posts.

Now hurry on over to her blog. You definitely won't be disappointed!

Easter Weekend - Sunday Morning

2009-04-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sean with his Easter basket on Sunday Morning. Sean is not an early morning person. He was still waking up when this photo was taken.

I think Jake loves his basket! Jake is such a fun, sweet animated little man.

Jake enjoying the egg hunt around the house.

Look! A smile. Sean started to wake up during the egg-citing egg hunt.

I'll post a couple more pictures tomorrow, Grandma Nielsen and Grandma Baker, of the boys' loot from their egg hunt.

Easter Weekend - Saturday Evening

2009-04-13T12:39:00.001-07:00

Saturday we colored and decorated our Easter eggs. We had an egg-citing time!

Jake presenting his egg-celent creations.

The Easter Bunny must have taken this picture when he left this basket for Sean.

And also this picture of Jake's basket.

Even Dad joined in on the Easter egg coloring egg-citement!

EASTER GREETINGS

2009-04-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone. I'll be spending the day with family, eating, laughing and hunting for eggs.

Living Room Daydreaming & A Rabbit

2009-04-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Love this sweet image of a bunny with his Easter greeting. I've purchased the eggs, the dye and the white vinegar in order to do some serious egg dying and decorating this weekend with my boys. I'm going to copy Martha Stewart and use a couple of my scrapbooking punches - a butterfly and a bird - to create silhouette designs on my Easter eggs.

Doing a little daydreaming today. I have light-filled living rooms on the brain and also zebra design rugs!

I am so into yellow this spring. I love the above combo. I'm also loving a yellow and grey combo. And, again, my zebra design rug craving!

Oh, look! Another rug. Gorgeous.

And an image of one of my favorite living rooms. I just want to curl up on that couch and read my Stephen King novel. Maybe a nap, too! :) Daydreaming.....

Well, I must stop daydreaming and head on down to my courtroom for some work today.

Have a wonderful day.

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT FANS

2009-04-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures documenting our outing to see the fabulously toned and ripped bodies of the wrestlers from WWE's Raw and ECW.

My boys and their friend, all sporting their WWE t-shirt portraying wrestler John Cena.

Such great kiddos. And we had fun that night, too!

Weekend Fun with the Boys

2009-04-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of some weekend fun here in sunny San Diego. Jake on his "ATV".

Sean practicing his skateboarding.

This is my other dog, Dylan. He's a lab/chow mix. He will be 14 years old this October. I've been his mommy since he was 6 months old. Casper, the lab, was there, also. He can always be found running with the fastest moving object - either Sean, Jake or Me! Not Dylan anymore. Dylan is a slow, old man - and oh so sweet!

Sean in deep concentration, preparing for his next trick.

And my sweet Jakers!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Teacher Appreciation Part 3

2009-04-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

I made a few lanyards to donate to be used as door prizes for an upcoming Teacher Appreciation luncheon. These are designed to display I.D. badges in a fun, fashionable way.
The above is a black and silver design.

Again, the black and silver lanyard.

The above is a fun brown and black design.

A different lanyard - black and white.

A better shot of the brown and black design.

I have made a lot of these lanyards for ladies in the courthouse where I work. I use various lanyards to coordinate with my outfits.

Hope your weekend is a great one. I'm off to celebrate a birthday for one of Jake's classmates at Chuck E. Cheese.

Teacher Appreciation Part 2

2009-04-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

Another Teacher Appreciation door prize: An altered clipboard along with a vintage flashcard "bookmark".

I figured this clipboard could be used by a male or a female teacher, unlike my "girlie" journals :).

A little fluff of some black ribbon.

The above is a close-up of the buttons I used.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Teacher Appreciation door prizes. To be continued tomorrow.

TEACHER APPRECIATION - PART 1

2009-04-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

For Teacher Appreciation day at the end of April, I volunteered to buy some gift cards and to make some items to be given away as door prizes. This past weekend I made the above two journals and bookmarks.

I think this one is my favorite. I love the red, black and cream combo. And I love the Heidi Swapp velvet flower, too.

This journal looks so "Springy" with the orange epoxy embellishment on the front.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you what other items I've made for Teacher Appreciation week.

Projects

2009-03-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with a ton of various projects. The above is a wooden lighthouse that I painted and distressed. In the summer, I like to decorate using a beachy/cottage chic decor. This lighthouse will go perfectly with my little sailboats and sea shells and beach inspired decor.

This is a necklace and bracelet set that I made for my mother-in-law's birthday, which is this Thursday. You can click on each picture for a close-up view.

I used glass beads, some new, some vintage. These pictures don't do it justice. The green color is very pretty and soothing.

Hope she likes it!

Garland Swap

2009-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I participated in a fun garland swap through the Year of Color blog hosted by Artsymama. My partner is Julie.

I had a lot of fun decorating this garland for Julie. I used blacks, reds and creams.

I incorporated some vintage lace, vintage cards, vintage music sheets, vintage trims and ribbons.

I used a set of Tinkering Ink chipboard shapes. Great to work with. Very sturdy.

A couple of close-ups.

This will be going out in the mail today along with some of Julie's favorite candy - fruity candies.

Spring!

2009-03-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

I love Spring. I love daffodils. And it feels like Spring here in San Diego today. The sun is out and gorgeous, just a little bit of coolness in the air, blossoms are appearing. Just a beautiful day.

And it's Friday! Now, if it were only payday, too! Oh well, I'm healthy and so are my kiddos, so I'm happy.

Have a great Friday!

Happy Wednesday

2009-03-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Getting back into the swing of things after returning to work. I like the above layout from one of the design team members at Sassafrass. I'm going to make a layout that is similar to the one above for Sean "at eight" and Jake "at six". I usually make more of a "formal" layout using their school picture at each age and I like the idea of a "playful" layout utilizing their school pictures.

This wall clock was featured on http://www.decor8.blogspot.com/. I keep returning to this picture. I really like this idea. You could change out the frames each season or for holidays. Very creative.

I like this living room. It looks so inviting. I'm also a fan of empty frames on a wall that are of various sizes, shapes, texture and design.

Love the above image from Domino magazine. Just a fun, cozy little nook. I have the exact same birdcage that I purchased from an antique store a year ago. Love birdcages. And I love glass cloches like the one displayed on the above table.

I have been wanting a zebra design rug for a long time. I just don't have the extra funds for that type of purchase. I love the pop of turquoise in this living room.

I'll be back tomorrow with pictures of a garland that I completed last night. I'm in a garland swap hosted by Artsymama on her "Year of Color III" blog.

Hope everyone's week is going great! Half-way to the weekend. Woo-hoo!

THE BOYS

2009-03-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with my peeps this weekend.

We went to the movies today and saw "Race to Witch Mountain." Very entertaining.

I know, it's hard to tell the difference between The Rock's physique and my son Sean's physique.

Can you see Casper, the lab, behind Sean? He's never very far from us.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Spring Bling & Fluffing Part 3

2009-03-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

A few more pictures of my Easter decor. A corner of my living room.

The "CREATE" sign was an Etsy purchase, www.gratefultulip.etsy.com. I purchased the mercury candlesticks after Christmas.

These pretty patchwork fabric eggs were purchased this year from Sweetwater Scrapbooking located in beautiful Colorado.

I think that about does it for my Easter decor this year. Thanks for the party Rhoda!

Check out Part 2 and Part 1 below this post.

Spring Bling & Fluffing Part 2

2009-03-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

There's a Spring fluffing party going on over at http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com. Go check out over 75 different blog posts featuring some pretty Spring decor.
The above picture is a sweet bunny I've had for 18 years. He's holding one of the paper mache eggs that I altered this year. I love utilizing a glass cloche.

I found this wonderfully chippy table and chairs a couple years ago at my favorite La Mesa antique store. The chenille bunny was made for me about 20 years ago. And the bunny on the right is my son Sean's first bunny ever, brought by the Easter bunny 7 years ago when Sean was 1 1/2 years old.

A couple other Easter goodies on the dining room table.

Check the post below for Part 1 of Easter decor.

Spring Bling & Fluffing Part 1

2009-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Started decorating for Spring and Easter. I purchased the basket with eggs from JoAnn's last year after Easter for a great bargain. The cherry blossoms and vase come from Michael's. The shabby chic lantern comes from a wonderful shop over on Coronado called "The Attic". The shabby chic style posts were a find on Ebay a couple of years ago. And I can't, for the life of me, remember where I purchased that mirror. I've had it for many, many years.

The glass jar is from Target and the eggs inside are from Michael's. I love the subdued colors of the eggs. I purchased the vintage birdcage from one of my favorite antique stores in downtown La Mesa. The dove is a Dollar Tree find that I spray painted a glossy white. The sweet bunnies in the little alcove or cutout I've had since I was 18 years old! I guess that makes them vintage, doesn't it?!?!?

The paper mache house that I altered and decorated this year. Wrapped some scrapbook paper around the candles and added an Easter embellishment, put some glittery eggs in a silver tray and had an instant display/tablescape. The bunny standing on top of the box came from Michael's last year, on clearance after Easter. The print in the frame is from Roben-Marie's Etsy store.

The above picture shows the egg garland I made this year. I added Easter candy goodies to a few of my many glass apothocary jars. I placed a gift box in the shape of a cake on top of a cake platter that I purchased from Target. I think the blue cake-shaped gift box came from Target, too, last year. My "inspire" sign from http://www.gratefultulip.etsy.com/ purchased this year.

A close-up of the cake plate and round gift box. The glitter eggs came from Dollar Tree. I just took them off their little wooden skewers. I found the two orange frames from the dollar section at Michael's a couple of weeks ago.

More Easter decor pictures tomorrow! Have a wonderful day.

A Room With A View

2009-03-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

This is a view off of my upper balcony. What a gorgeous evening last night. Temperatures have been really comfortable. Not too hot, not too cold.

After a good rainy season, the lake fills up nicely. I love that it's staying lighter longer in the evenings.

Have a blessed day!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't this little guy the cutest? I've been a faithful follower of Anna-Marie Still's blog. Go check it out. That's her little guy in the above picture. She's a Stampin' Up demonstrator with a ton of awesome ideas.
http://annamariestill.typepad.com/my_weblog/
And Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN
Sure, a little bit o' Heaven fell from out of the sky one day and nestled on the ocean in a spot so far away. And the angels found it, sure it looked so sweet and fair. They said, "Suppose we leave it, for it looks so peaceful there!" So they sprinkled it with star dust, just to make the shamrocks grow. 'Tis the only place you'll find them, no matter where you go. Then they dotted it with silver to make its lakes so grand, and when they had it finished, they called it Ireland.

Saint Patrick was said to have used the three-leafed shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity. He explained in his sermons that the clover represented how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all separate parts of a single entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day, March 17.
Saint PatrickBorn: AD 385 ~ Died: AD 461

St. Patrick's Day Goodies

2009-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

My youngest son, Jake, and I put together a St. Patty's Day treat for his classmates. We used chocolate gold coins and shamrocks from See's Candy. I used the Top Note diecut from Stampin' Up, along with three of their punches: scallop, circle and a label punch (I can't think of the name of the label punch right now). We added a sparkly shamrock and voila - a fun treat to eat.

Today is my first day back to work after my injury on 2/12/09. Feels great to be back. I missed all of my co-workers.

What do you have planned for St. Patty's Day?

A SPRING CANVAS OR TWO

2009-03-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

I created a couple of canvasses the other day to help usher in Springtime. I was inspired by www.mylilyeden.blogspot.com. Remember to click on the picture to enlarge. You will be able to see the fabric detail better.

Here's a smaller canvas. I painted each canvas using Apple Basket acrylic paint in "Soft Blue". I used scrapbook paper for the hills and some fabric for the house and flowers and birds. I then used corrugated cardboard for the tree trunk and flower stems. Also, a little bit of Stickles glitter glue and some buttons.

Whoa. That color does not look right. I need a better camera to show the colors better.

Okay. I'm ready for Spring, how about you?

My Crafting Buddy

2009-03-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

My youngest son, Jake, is my crafting buddy. He's a budding artist. He loves to draw, paint and make crafty projects. As I was making and decorating my eggs, Jake wanted to make a couple of his own. Here are some pictures of his Easter egg designs.

Great job, Jake!

More Eggs

2009-03-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

Lots of egg decorating going on to make four garlands.

I love this owl in the middle of a crocheted flower. I have a thing for owls! :) You can click on the pictures for a close-up view.

Fun Springtime colors.

The egg on the left in the picture above was decorated using part of a vintage postcard.

And again, in the picture above, the egg on the top left was decorated using a vintage die-cut rabbit. I love his little bunny face. The bottom right was decorated using some vintage pom-pom trim.

Happy Friday the 13th :)

More Crafting

2009-03-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

The above is a picture of the garland I made for the Easter egg garland swap that I'm participating in. Click on the pictures for a close-up view.

The above picture shows a garland that I made for our home.

This is a paper mache house that I decorated with some fun Springtime papers and embellishments and vintage pom-pom trim.

Another view of the house.

I'll post close-ups of the eggs that I decorated for the garlands tomorrow. I ended up making four garlands: one for me, one for the swap, one for my mother-in-law and one for a neighbor lady. They're really fun to decorate.

Paper Mache Eggs

2009-03-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to make some altered eggs using paper mache eggs, vintage music sheets, vintage wallpaper, handmade paper and some pretty scrapbook paper.

It was messy, but fun.

I added some glass glitter to a few of the eggs.

And brought out my favorite Easter egg cups to display them.

Happy Wednesday. I got the doctor's okay to return to work this coming Monday. Each day I can feel my strength returning. I'm ready to get back to the courthouse. I miss all the drama! Plus, I love my job. :)

A Valentine Mobile

2009-03-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is a Valentine mobile that I made from a project kit offered by www.Scarletlime.com. It was a lot of fun to make. Even though Valentine's day has come and gone, I'm having trouble taking this mobile down.

Here's another angle.

And another. It was fun using various pictures of my favorite Valentines - my boys.

Last shot. I will be taking this down tomorrow to make room for Spring time and Easter decorations.

Random Act of Kindness

2009-03-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

I was the lucky recipient of an RAK compliments of www.artrageousafternoon.blogspot.com. I love this house hanger with a frame for a picture.

I recognized the paper she used as the same paper that I had used on a wall hanging with a picture of my boys. I love that paper.

Here's a close-up of the project that I had completed this past January. One of my very favorite pictures of my boys together.

www.artrageousafternoon.blogspot.com is hosting an egg garland swap. I just put the finishing touches on my eggs last night. I'll take pictures and post them later today or tomorrow. I completed 21 eggs. They're so much fun to decorate.

The boys wanted to be pushed around in a laundry basket last night when they got home from school. Sometimes it's the simple little things that entertain them!

Bedrooms and a CREATE sign

2009-03-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm wanting to update my bedroom decor. I've just started looking around for ideas. I'm leaning toward a black and white and red or a black and white and pink theme.

This bedding is from the Martha Stewart line.

Black and white and pink looks so soothing.

Here is a picture of a "CREATE" sign custom order that I placed with www.gratefultulip.etsy.com. In an earlier post of mine, I blogged about the "inspire" sign that I had purchased from her. I LOVE these signs. You can sit them anywhere or hang them up. Kristal does a great job. I'm going to put this "CREATE" sign in my office/art studio.

Happy Monday to everyone!

Inspire Me

2009-03-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

I love my new "inspire" sign that I ordered from www.gratefultulip.etsy.com. Kristal is the owner of that shop and she did a great job. Check out her etsy shop and see what inspires you. She will take custom orders, too. I'm thinking I need a "create" sign for my office.

A Stampin' Up Challenge

2009-03-06T21:26:00.001-08:00

My Stampin' Up demonstrator, Jenn, at www.stamp-n-scrapwithJenn.blogspot.com, had a challenge on her blog yesterday using squares on a layout. This Halloween page utilizes nine squares. Thanks for the fun challenge, Jenn.

Close-up of the top left square.

A couple more squares.

It's hip to be square (oh, no, I didn't just type that, did I?)

Loft Life

2009-03-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

For years I've had a fantasy of living in a loft. I think this 2,700 square foot loft would fit the bill just fine! :)

These photos are from Loft Life Magazine. The above is the art studio portion of the loft.

Oh, don't even get me started on this bedroom portion. Lovely.

Great dining area. Perfect for parties.

Daydreaming today!

HOW TO TRAP A LEPRECHAUN

2009-03-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

My oldest son, Sean, has an assignment this month. Each third grader is required to plan, devise, build and write an essay on "How to Trap A Leprechaun." Sean decided to go with a planter theme to showcase his plan to catch a Leprechaun. He planted some greenery, made a pathway out of rocks, used an archway with a bell at the beginning of the path and a wheelbarrow with a pot of gold at the end of the path. Above that pot of gold is the trap. An Irish looking shot glass attached to a stick, ready to trap a Leprechaun!

Here's a close-up of the trap and the wheelbarrow. Sean stuck a muscle man on the pathway until we can find a suitable Leprechaun ;)

Of course, my first grader, Jake, wanted to make his own planter and trap, too. Jake used different greenery and put gold coins to the left of the path with a similar trap above those gold coins.

Jake drew and colored his own Leprechaun, glued him on a popsicle stick and stuck him by the gold coins, ready for capture!

The boys and I had fun creating these little imaginative works of art.

Fun At The Park

2009-03-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

The boys and I went to the park yesterday. Sean had fun on the monkey bars. Jake was playing with his new ball (my camera battery died as I was taking a picture of Jake).

This is Casper, my sweet yellow lab. Even he got worn out after a little hike/walk we went on. It was a gorgeous day here in San Diego. It felt great getting out of the house and getting some much needed fresh air.

Design your own T-shirt

2009-03-01T21:33:00.001-08:00

Over on www.designmom.com is featured a fun concept: design your own t-shirt from www.poloppo.com.

The kit comes with everything you need: paper, markers, clear instructions, and a pre-paid envelope. You put your little artist to work. Mail in their drawing. And a couple of weeks later you get back a t-shirt featuring their very own masterpiece.

How cool is that? I think this will make a fun Easter basket surprise for my two guys, and possibly one for mom, too! ;)

Color Inspiration

2009-02-28T20:29:00.001-08:00

I am loving the color orange right now. Check out the above picture from the Domino My Deco files. Love the window coverings. I love the room, too.

The next three pictures are from www.inspireinspire.co.uk. I am lovin' orange and turquoise. Yummy!

Before I saw these pictures today, I was doing a little antique/thrift shopping and I found a small flower vase in this turquoise color. Hmmmm, I think I need to find me some orange items, too. :)

Have a great rest of the weekend!

sfgirlbybay and Fireplace Mantels

2009-02-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

I've been a daily reader of www.sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com for a long time. I love this blog. Wonderful inspiration. And I've been in love with San Francisco for many, many years. I have visited that beautiful city many times and could see myself living there. Love it. My dad loved that city, too. Anyway, today's post on sfgirlbybay's blog is about fireplace mantels. She chose some beautiful examples of mantels from Domino Magazine's "My Deco Files." These four pictures were my favorites.

My house didn't have a fireplace and this past Thanksgiving, I purchased a faux fireplace and mantel. I am so, so happy I did. Not only is the "fire" cozy, but the mantel is a great place to decorate. These examples have given me a few ideas for updating my mantel look.

Take a moment and check out www.sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com. You'll be glad you did.

Have a great day!

Lola B Boutique Giveaway

2009-02-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

There's a giveaway on www.lolabboutique.blogspot.com. She's inviting you to list what inspires you. I loved taking a moment and thinking about what exactly inspires me. This invite gave me a moment to think about things in my life and all that I am grateful for. She has a lovely blog, too.

Petite Marie Print I Won

2009-02-25T16:28:00.001-08:00

This is the beautiful print that I won from http://www.pinkglitterfae.blogspot.com/. Isn't she beautiful? The print is entitled "Petite Marie." Thank you so much, Betty, for your generous giveaway. Check out her Etsy store, http://www.pinkglitterfae.etsy.com/. There are some beautiful prints in her shop. I also love her blog.

I hope everyone is having a great day!

I Love Etsy

2009-02-24T22:17:00.001-08:00

I just came across this etsy store, Wiyomu Jewelry, www.wiyomu.etsy.com, and fell in love with this necklace. The Sherbet Layer Locket. Loved it so much that I had to purchase it! I look at this necklace and it says "Spring" to me.

I have a new sundress for the summer - coral and white. I think this necklace will go perfectly with that dress.

Check out her Etsy store. Wiyomu Jewelry has many tempting jewelry items.

A BOOK REPORT & SOME TOOLS FOR RECOVERY

2009-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

My oldest son, Sean, gave a book report yesterday. He used some figures that he and I drew and that he colored. The title of the story Sean chose to do his report on was "The Knife In The Watermelon", one of Encyclopedia Brown's mystery stories. So Sean made a watermelon out of clay and then painted it green and added some black lines. We put magnets on the back of everything and used a cookie sheet as a display board. Sean had his report memorized and did a great job.

Today, Sean's brother, Jake, took this same story board to his first grade class and gave the same book report. Jake had been listening to his brother prepare for his report for about three weeks now and Jake knew the story inside and out, too. Jake did a great job in front of his classmates, too. This was not an assignment for Jake, just something he wanted to share with his class.

Here's a close-up of the watermelon with a "knife" stuck in it. Also pictured is a money box that was broken into by the thief.

I'm still home recovering from my fall. Tools for recovery: Some great new magazines, "Artful Blogging", "Where Women Create", and the last issue of "County Home" magazine.

And some hot green tea in my new Orla Kiely mug, an English designer who has a new line at Target. With my yellow lab, Casper, sitting right next to me, I can't help but recover quickly!

Have a great day!

Stampin' Up Projects

2009-02-23T15:22:00.001-08:00

This is the banner that I made the other night at a Stampin' Up Big Shot die cut machine class. Can't wait to order this banner die cut so that I can make more banners. Easy and fun.

This is a little goodie box made with the Big Shot die cut machine. Super easy. Fold it into a box, use one small strip of adhesive and fill with goodies.

Here is a card using the Top Note die cut. Very versatile die. Also, the flower is made with a die cut that leaves a texture or impression.

And this is a picture frame using vinyl, stamping on it, and then heat embossing the image. Stick it to the glass and voila! a fun addition to a picture.

I joined a stamp club last November and I have been enjoying all the technique classes and stamp camp nights. Lots of fun. You can find out more from my Stampin' Up demonstrator. Check the right side of my blog under Stamp-n-Scrap with Jenn.

Beautiful patina

2009-02-22T21:54:00.001-08:00

What is it about a worn, chippy item, aged to a beautiful patina that makes my heart flutter so? I love furniture, items, people with a story and history. I found this great weighing scale on ebay recently. I love it. Fits in nicely with my other decor. Hope your weekend was fun and relaxing. I enjoyed mine with my boys and dogs. We didn't do much as I'm still recovering. However, I was able to attend a Stampin' Up class using the Big Shot die cut machine and I made some fun items. I'll post pictures tomorrow. I especially love the "FAMILY" banner that I made.

I won I won

2009-02-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

Above are some photos of two different mini albums that I made for my mom and for my mother-in-law. All they have to do is add photos and they'll have a finished scrapbook to enjoy.

I just found out I won a giveaway on Pinkglitterfae Art. I won the beautiful "Petite Marie" print. I will post a picture of it when I receive it. Check out her blog. Very beautiful art and fun blog posts.

I'm off to rest my beautiful, swollen black eye. :)

M.I.A.

2009-02-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

I've been M.I.A. for a week. I passed out while walking my dogs and landed on the right side of my face, breaking my orbital floor requiring that a titanium plate be put in to hold my eye in the proper place. Very painful. I was in the hospital for four days and four nights. I'm very happy to be back home. Missed my kids and my dogs so much. And there's nothing like the comfort of one's own bed - and the comfort of not having to drag an IV with you every time you visit the restroom!

Anyway, here are some photos that I love showing the work of stylist Eva Lindh.

Enjoy!

A Dress Garland & Teacher Valentine Gifts

2009-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

The above is a dress garland that I made using a template from www.artrageousafternoon.blogspot.com . I just joined her latest swap, making Easter eggs using her template. Can't wait to get started on that! Check out her blog for details.

The boys helped make Valentine mailboxes for their teachers. The mailbox is stuffed with chocolate kisses and Dove heart-shaped chocolates.

Seven-Day Giveaway

2009-02-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Check out this new blog that I've come across and will now be following. My Lily Eden is featuring different etsy sellers and there is a giveaway each day. She's on the fourth day right now. Awesome etsy sellers have been featured. I'm thinking of purchasing some of the items. Anyway, her blog is: mylilyeden.blogspot.com. Hurry on over and check it out! You'll be glad you did. :)

Scrappy Jessi giveaway

2009-02-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Go check out scrappyjessi.blogspot.com. She has an awesome Valentine's giveaway going on. I love her blog. She's just so darn cute and she also has a great shop, too. If you love vintage, Barbie, pink, fun, girly stuff, check her out!

A Visit From The Tooth Fairy

2009-02-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Jake lost his first tooth last Saturday while bowling and another one this past Thursday during the night. Both bottom teeth are out. We have a little stuffed tooth with a pocket in the back that holds the tooth for the tooth fairy. When the tooth fairy takes the tooth to give to momma, she leaves money in the pocket. Jake would not let anyone touch his loose tooth. He said, "When the tooth's ready, it'll come out!"

Year of color swap

2009-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the goodies I received from my swap partner, Lisa. She chose items in my current favorite color scheme: chocolate chip brown and blue. What a thoughtful swap partner. And she's very talented, too. She made the sweet pin cushion and sachet pillow and felted wool coasters. I also love the stamps and stamp pad - gorgeous color! Cute little birds and pretty ribbon and some candy to top it all off! Thanks Lisa! I love everything.

Chilly night tradition

2009-02-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

The boys and I have a chilly night tradition: yummy hot cocoa with a treat, in this instance, sugar and cinnamon toast, and some fun card games.

Domino magazine going away

2009-02-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

I am so sad to see Domino magazine leaving. Above are a couple of my favorite pictures from past issues.

Sidetracked by life!

2009-02-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Starting the new year with a blog post after being consumed by my job and the activities of my children.

I signed up for a great online group - Year of Color III hosted by Artsymama. Just finished a fun swap. I'll post a picture of what I received from swap partner tomorrow.

Still working in court but in a different dept. Luckily, not as much "outside, after hour, extra work" in this dept. Leaves me with more time to play with my kiddos and to create.

Yesterday, I completed a heart-shaped chipboard scrapbook album to give to my mother-in-law for Valentine's Day. I'm finishing up another Valentine-themed scrapbook to give to my mom. I'll remember to bring my camera into my office so that I can post pictures.

Peace out.

No time to create!

2006-10-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! What a week. I've been reporting in a three-day prelim. Totally consumed by work! Double homicide case. And no time to create! What a shame. Taking part of tomorrow off to grocery shop and hopefully settle into my art studio to do something creative. Too much serious stuff this week. Looking forward to an artsy outlet. My youngest son's birthday party is this weekend. A Halloween Carnival to attend on Saturday and the party at the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday. Love my boys, love Halloween, love lots of fall fun!

2006-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Just having fun trying this new blog thing. I should be creating. I'm just playing on the computer.

Finally, my own blog!

2006-10-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 14, 2006: I've been wanting to start my own blog. Here it is. Tomorrow is my oldest son's 6th birthday. He has been in my life for 6 years! Not counting when I was carrying him, of course. I love him so much. What a blessing. SpongeBob party at a pumpkin patch tomorrow. Baby brother so excited, too. Loves his big bubba. Off to create some journals. I have orders coming in for Christmas. Gotta go.