she blogs!

Have you ventured over to Martha's Blog? She blogs...or someone blogs for her! I venture over from time to time...but haven't since the holidays...I had some catching up to do. Then I came across this post and realized...my silver collection will never top Martha's!

Can you imagine having this kind of "reserves" on hand for anything and everything you might possibly one day might just need? This is enough pedestals to display a new dessert every day all year and then some!
Then this post took me back to my days working in the flower shop...I heart curly willow and never knew it grew so tall! No matter the arrangement...I always think it needs a touch of curly willow! It gives fresh flower arrangements just the right texture among the petals and dried arrangements the best panache!

...take a venture over...its fun to get a glimpse at the other side.

{ pictures borrowed from marthastewart.com }

made famous in a small town...

I was rushing around working on a custom order tonight between bites of leftover lasagna when I stopped in my tracks and my mouth drop opened...and my babbling began...my youngest brother was on national television {ABC news} with Presidential Candidate*, John McCain giving a speech on...well I didn't catch that part...right in front of him in Tyler, Texas! WHAT?!?! My fingers immediately began dialing to find out how in the world this was on my screen...and everyone else's for that matter!

My brother Dallas...Mr. cool-calm-and-collective...played it off beautifully...hey ash...what?...yea, I had a little field trip today...then busts out laughing! He too was WAY impressed. "It was one of the coolest experiences I've had in my life!" Yea, he was excited!! Rightly should be...he was invited onstage shortly before the town hall meeting began in front "of a thousand people Ash!" to be the backdrop of McCain's speech. What a surprise invite for a senior guy in high school who was just joking with his best friend..."how close do you think that I can get to the stage before the secret s*rvice men catch me?"...then not 30 seconds later...the big invite! I am so excited for him!

In searching for the pictures...I found the article for today...when else will you see Cleveland and my home town of Tyler, Texas in the same news article!

{ please note...this is in no way a political post... }

{ pictures borrowed from yahoophotos }

parade of our homes...

So many of you {sweet and lovely} readers have asked for more than my sneak peeks at my home. I am more than happy to open the curtains and invite you in...It got me to thinking though...I thought it would be fun to see yours too. No, I have manners and am not inviting myself over. I just thought it would be fun for all of those interested to participate in a parade of our homes!
So...tidy up your kitchen and fluff your pillows! All those interested I invite you to participate by showing us your home too...through your blog, flickr, etc. Just let us know we're invited by dropping a comment below. The parade begins on Monday...3.3.08. {I thought having the weekend would give time to fluff the house and take a photo shoot!} So spread the word on your blogs if you'd like and invite others to join us...the more the merrier!

can you imagine...

solid white trees {with partial white trunks}, bowing branches full of snow, icicles hanging from your rear view mirror, white slush against your tires, the crunch below your feet and snow past your ankles...

...tis where I live after snow all night and all day long...a winter wonder land!

tidbits about...me!

I have never been tagged...that all changed the day the lovely and amazingly talented Miss B* came over to comment!!! She has requested that I share 7 wonderful tidbits about myself... I am not good at "tidbiting" myself so it has taken me a little while...{and a pushing from Mrs. Diller to get on it!} I asked hubby to help me out with a few...

• For those that don't "know" me outside of the blog-o-sphere...I am a natural redhead. I get asked in amazement at least once a day {when I am out in the world outside of my normal routine of work and home} if my hair is real...umm yes! I do appreciate these compliments, but draw the line when the stranger asks to touch my hair.

• I am a natural born, wish I was still there, Texas gal living in Ohio.
• I am the firstborn of 4 {and only redhead} and was born on my due date...{not too early and not late...just how I seem to live my life!}
• I knew my husband was my soul mate after our first date and told my mother {to her amazement} so the next day.
  
• I already have the names of our unborn children picked out...because, well, I am obsessed with names.
• Case in point...I have 2 yorkies who have bigger names then their 5 and 9 lb frames...Wilson Emory Taylor and Stanley Marshall
  
• I started my first business at 23 years old...Teacups and Tadpoles...and am currently working on my 2nd biggest venture {...to be revealed soon!}

Now for sharing...tag you are it girls...Lauren, Chelle, and Lisa!

*You should head on over to her lovely blog full of pretty procrastination that will leave you inspired!!! She is one of the brilliant designers that I met early on in my quest to find the most unique things for T&T. You can also find her beautiful designs here...

pulling spring along!

Every year...about January 1st I long for spring! This year is no exception...I still haven't put up my spring decor {...but there is always tomorrow!} Until then...I have continued to search and find spring goodies online...
I got an email today with exciting news on a custom J. Murphy bunny...adorable, but I will have to keep saving my pennies and stick to the reproductions for now! I love LOVE love her designs! I would love to have one of her beauties for each holiday...I only have Halloween thus far! Here is a reproduction that I think is just as absolutely precious!...and how sweet are these spring littles by Nicol Sayre... They were part of her 2007 collection...I don't know how I missed them!

packages wrapped up with string...

these are a few of my favorite things!

I LOVE getting packages in the mail. My mom {ok I admit...spoiled} me when we first moved from Texas to Ohio 3.5 years ago {not that I am counting}. I kid you NOT...there was a package every week at our doorstep. Sometimes they came on Tuesday, some days the surprise was on Monday...it was such a wonderful reminder of home and the encouragement to feel comfortable and "at home" even though so far away!
...

I stopped by my po box on the way home and was excited to see such a sweet surprise from her. It was a Valentine greeting full of chandelier stationery...she knows me too well! How sweet of her though...she knew I would EVENTUALLY make it to the post office and be oh so surprised to find a package full of sweet goodness!

Then I journeyed on home through the inches of snow to find another precious package...this one I knew was coming, but it is still just as exciting to open...see why! It too was even full of such sweet surprises! {thank you Andrea!!!}

I also got the soldering tool I have been waiting for...it is my extra set of hands...so now...I will begin soldering away so very soon! What a wonderful end to quite the hectic WEEK!
PS...to top off the week...we spent the evening catching up with lovely friends introducing them to this... {we LOVE this game!}

new merch!

There will be no dinner served on our living room table for a little while...it is currently filled with new merch for the shop! This line is one of my favorites...as I have mentioned before...I love fabric! ...and this line hits the spot with its mix of fabrics and ric rac! I love the way they use all different fabrics for their lunch totes, crayon rolls, art folios, and the newest addition to T&T...of carry all caddies!

I think these are such a cute bring along for church...holds crayons, paperdolls, books, cars, you name...whatever keeps the little ones quiet during the service! Oh...I am sure my mom will recall the service that I snuck in my "noisemaker" to church. {after she asked/told me to leave it in the car}..I pushed the button at just the right time for the whole service to hear my toy! So...maybe this carry-all caddy shouldn't carry the noisemakers to church...check bags upon entry!

gap girls...

Some people walk into your life, stay a little while and flood it with blessings...then they keep walking and you are forever touched.

"Every exit is an entry somewhere else" -Tom Stoppard

Heather, thank you for the laughter, the listening, and the memories...I pray you are walking on streets of gold today sweet friend!

too early for Easter?

So the Valetine's goodies and Easter treats share a storage box! It always means the same dilemma when I put up my hearts day glittered goodness...do I go ahead and bring out the Easter? Well...even though the snow has melted {for a day} it doesn't yet feel like spring around here. Not that spring ever feels like spring around here to this southern girl. It snowed last Easter...blizzard like conditions mind you!

So the question still stands...when does Easter come out...whether it feels like it outside or not! Until I can look on the calendar and find where Easter is this year to determine when it is "acceptable" I shall just stick to adoring the Easter goodies out there...

How CUTE is she with all her sass!?! Her crown seems to make her stance justified! And these...well I already scooped up a few of these to adorn my spring cupcakes!

found + recover + love

yes...we have too much furniture {some say}, yes...we are out of room {I admit}, however, this has never kept me from passing up a great find! This one doesn't have a fancy story that involves a rain, hail, and snow storm and a few cinnamon rolls...but it was a great find nonetheless!

It paid to get up before 8:00am on a Saturday...I had to do some logistics with my previous car in finalizing the sale and stop by the bank to let them know how they had thoroughly messed up my account. I was up so early I hit the big TJ M*xx as the manager was unlocking the doors! I headed home ready for lunch when typically I would be in my pjs working on my first cup of coffee.
I found her in the front yard...head down in the snow. I turned her right side up and saw it...her demise. It looks like her previous owner attempted to refinish her...they fought hard with the top...must not have had the right materials for removing the layers of paint, gave into the frustration, and literally kicked her to the curb...my find...and I will show her some tlc!

happy hearts day...

wishing all of you ladies a happy valentines day with your loves!

just a few of the happy hearts day goodies I whipped up...

{ love using these crown tickets dripped in silver glass glitter!
...and well...
I put vintage buttons on just about everything! }

{ top image borrowed from oldpostcards.com }

oh snow!

SNOW, snow, SNOW...everywhere! Hubby and I fought this today to...

...get this little beauty in the mail in time for a special shower for the bride-to-be!

... P.S. ...

Jane & Clarke...I hope you gals are loving every minute of sunny {and warm} Hawaii {and thinking of this frozen southern belle}! { so excited to see your pics up...beauties as always Jane! }

{ last pic borrowed from the uber-talented-with-a-camera Jane }

entrepreneurs...and their dreams

I got the latest issue of Country Living in the mail this week...not to downplay any of the others, but CL is by far my favorite magazine...if we are ranking! {see below post for proof that I do more than read magazines!} This issue is one of the best! It is chalked full of inspiring ladies who had a dream...or a thought...and "turned their passion into paychecks"! I was inspired by many, recognized a few, and was down right excited to find their wares!

No.1...Chandi. This very talented LA lady makes beautiful chandeliers...I should say exquisite! Her beauties are gorgeous! Check them out for yourself here...divine!!! Her advice: "the little imperfections give them life".

I recognized No.6 immediately...I sell her creative games on T&T. They are my favorite children's games with creative flair! I mean...who else encourages your children to be polite little piggies! Her advice: "you have an idea and it feels right, you can just do it".

McMaster & Storm...This precious Ohio store was featured you can find it "on the way to nowhere and out of the way from everywhere"! I "mapquested" and its still several hours from me...I will just have to wait until they open their web store, until then, I will be inspired through their blog!

PS...how LOVELY is this kitchen!?

{ top 2 images borrowed from countryliving.com }

accounting...

The not-so-lovely side of business ...accounting! I just am not a number cruncher and can't seem to "get" quickb**ks. I should have sat down and studied it a long time ago...instead it was on my list to "get around to". Well now {a year later} tax time is upon us and my super sweet and helpful FIL is graciously doing my taxes for T&T. Oh how I really don't want to overwork him and completely humiliate myself with my lack of knowledge of the program. I have been working on this all day in hopes that I get it done sometime relatively soon...as in for this tax season!

I am thinking of going back to the method I used my first year in business...an excel spreadsheet!

To top it off...the company hosting T&T has decided to "migrate onto a new platform" {fancy lingo for "upgrade"}...
me: will there be any problems or will it be a smooth transition?
tech: {that I waited 62 minutes to speak to} your website will be unviewable to users until you enable your script once the transition has occurred
me: so until I manually enable my script {huh?} I will not be up and running and you can't tell me exactly when this will occur?
tech: yes m'am...in the next 24 hours

Oh lauzy! It was then...I headed for a piece of white chocolate and smiled with a thank you very much in hopes that when my site goes down...because of upgrades...that I will know how to fix it...or else I will be on hold for another 62 minutes+! See...no upgrades and excel spreadsheets...I am ok living in the "stone-age"! Man...that makes me sound set in my ways!

{ images borrowed from superstock.com }

magazine obsessed?

So I can't say I have a "problem" per say...I just really enjoy magazines...really good magazines full of lovely eye candy to send my imagination soaring and my creative juices pumping! I have found another...a catalog actually! ...Tracey Porter...
I first noticed her line in her dishes many years ago. Then I noticed them at Target and in the last 6 months or so I stumbled across her gem of a catalog! Her catalogs are full of wonderful things and precious pictures of she and her family full of 4 little boys! I think she might be just as obsessed with chandilers as I am...they are flooding her catalog...so divine!!

I came across these shoes...I think I could live in these!
She has a blog too... head on over...be inspired!

{ all images borrowed from tracyporter.com }

hello domino...

I have found a "replacement" for Blueprint {BP}... I had too! I couldn't leave a void in my mailbox! My SIL and BIL got me a subscription to Domino for Christmas when she found out BP was no more! I was so excited to try it and it was the other mag I took with me on my travels last weekend...only fair right... say a final farewell to one while welcoming in another!

I must say I found lots of goodies, inspiration, and learned a thing or 2!

I must share with you the "learned" jewels and reminders in my new read! Manners...no I don't think you are manner-less or even need a brush up, but I wouldn't be a dear friend if I didn't let you in on a few manners I didn't even know and one or 2 I forgot!


speaking of good eats and entertaining... how cool are these stainless-steel {sterling-looking} skewers?

I was excited to see this chic shelf-liner...now I won't be tempted to take the black and white damask I currently have on our shelves {and can no longer find} with me when we move out one day!

All in all I'd say Domino made a good first impression...I hope I was minding my manners!

{ last 2 images borrowed from dominomag.com }

farewell Blueprint...

I can't let the final issue of Blueprint slip away without sharing with you my favorite pages of this mag! I took the last issue on my travels last weekend so that I could study each page...I thought of my readers and HAD to share this with you when I came across it!

Its not too often that you "think" of it before Martha! Well...I have to brag and say I have on this one...maybe I learned enough from Blueprint in the short time we were friends and this student has surpassed the teacher...I doubt it, but please let me share! :)

I came across an article of organizing in style! Look how precious with the baubles organized in teacups and saucers...too cute! The article shows other examples of creative ways to organize and store your bling. I thought of my jewels and how I organize them {see below}... I guess Martha and I were on the same page!

so...farewell Blueprint I'm glad we met...even if for a short while.

{ top 2 images borrowed from marthastewart.com/blueprint }

wish away!

I have met some wonderful souls in the blog-o-sphere and through T&T. My uber creative and awe inspiring friend Andrea is one of them! She has re-opened her doors since the birth of her 2nd little tadpole last fall. She has a precious web boutique...One Hundred Wishes. She invites you in today... so head on over and wish away!
I wasn't able to wander through until this evening...and sooo much has already sold out! Many congrats Andrea!!! I have my eye on so many things that I must narrow down my list of wishes!

{ picture borrowed from One Hundred Wishes }

"sequence" of events

Didn't mean to run away...yikes! I didn't expect to get scolded for skipping town unannounced! I am back now and came home to a wonderful treat yesterday...hubby and my other little yorkie boy! They landed Friday from the warm south and we shouldn't have to spend anymore time a part during this last leg of school. It was such a treat to have him home! We spent the day together...you can't beat jammies, pizza, a movie, and game night!!!

Sequence...We played this game constantly over Christmas! You can play it with 2 players or a whole table full! My brother introduced it to us and I highly recommend picking it up at your local Target too. Whats our current score...well I won 2 out of 3 lastnight, but who's keeping count!