After this post I won't be admitting when I truly unpacked and put out my halloween decor, but in now mid-October I feel it safe enough to share with you...in case you wanted a peek inside and because I promised weeks ago, but it just took me a while to get around to taking pics {which...please excuse some of them...I think my camera is dying...eekk!}
...come on in for a closer look...
and even a few new things this year...
Somehow my glittered pumpkins from last year never made the move from Cleveland so I'll have to get them next time we are there. In the meantime Mom sent me all the goodies to make some more this year!! The pictures don't really capture how much they sparkle. I decided to add a little punch this time and added our initial with glitzy glitter!
made this little pumpkin man this year and used some old pages from a book...his reverse side is a black cat...
...with our vintage mantle in our bedroom this year I carried a little fall goodness on into there too...
thanks so much for the glittered pumpkin goodness mom!!!
16 October 2008
such spooky sites...
13 October 2008
a festival in the woods...
hello friends! I hope you have all had a lovely last week or so. I have enjoyed my blogging break and my to-do list appreciated it...however, I did miss you friends!
We headed into Ohio this weekend...and really just barely across the border to a festival of sorts out in the middle of the woods. The drive was more than gorgeous and I explained to hubby yet again..."God doesn't make these colors in Texas"...we even decided hands down that the leaves are more vibrant here than even in Cleveland...
It was majority "country" style {so my credit card wasn't tempted}, but there was great food, lots of live music, artisans creating their wares on sight, and a few booths that I really enjoyed. Plus...when else and where else will you ever be in the middle of the woods with thousands of people! So since most of you won't be able to go I hope you enjoy this little tour of sorts through the "Christmas in the Woods" fair in Columbiana, Ohio....
It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. A canopy of trees covered all the hustle and bustle of {way too many} shoppers. {I think their article in CL most certainly helped with the many who flocked to see such a sight!} ...
...there was plenty of fun foods and homemade goodies to choose from... we enjoyed this sweet kettle corn and picked up some handmade dips from 2 sweet ladies...
...live music from traditional instruments to modern vocals...different turns through the trees and paths brought different sights and sounds...
and unique booths...
here were my 2 favorites... {I think hubby liked the tasting ones best and the blacksmith who had lovely ironwork}... I heart these silver wind chimes!!
a wagon full of ADORABLE pumpkins...
...and these pumpkin pillows remind me of some my mom has made...
...and on our way out of their little town we stopped at this Hot Dog Shoppe we spotted on the way in...have you ever seen such a thing? {we hadn't}
and as you can imagine...this southern gal is obsessed with the views and glowing landscape of our autumn... {click on image for larger view and you'll agree!}
03 October 2008
a little surprise...
{not returning just yet...this is just me peeking in with a little surprise!}
I received the latest issue of domino magazine and saw their snippet for their new book so rightly named "domino : the book of decorating". I was excited to see part of a picture from one of the pages of a room I stumbled across a while back and just love {see below}...I knew then with domino on the cover and this pretty pic inside that it has to be a good read and learn!
Well...Miss B {an a-lister in my world} was able to attend the sure-to-be-a-hit launch party of the book and has a little surprise to share...she is giving away a copy of said good book to one lucky reader. Yes...I realize this lowers my chances of winning by inviting you over {Miss B said I could}, but I feel it only fair and well...as I have said before...Miss B's blog is a haute hoot! You might click over there and never click back...
have a lovely weekend friends!
{ top image borrowed from ?...see this is why I don't share my inspiration pics...I can't remember where I found the older ones that landed on my harddrive, but since it is out in domino's book I can give them credit without fear of being slapped on the hand for borrowing and admiring this image of this gorgeous room }
01 October 2008
ponchos & more...
I've been working on updating T&T and yet my to-do list is still growing. My newest addition are these adorable ponchos!! I love love love them and so do my customers...they snatch them up so fast every fall...this year there are some new styles that mommies are sure to swoon over! You can find a few more updates here... and here {LOVE the new mommy-to-be tales kit}... and some new precious growth charts here...
... oh yes, and finally the art section is updated! here are a just a few of my new favorites...
{ i think this one is so whimsically-precious...i mean who wouldn't want a monkey driving a hot air balloon and a bow-headed elephant with bright balloons in their room or playroom! }
so...despite the fact that these are fabulous marks off of my to-do list...I must really take some time to devote to the handful of projects I'm in the middle of. So I'll be going away for a short while in order to concentrate on my projects at hand, but I promise to return with pictures of my halloween decor and even a bit of news...
until then...have a lovely my sweets!
30 September 2008
the search : a couch
So...hubby and I have been wanting and looking for a new couch. We need a bigger one that his legs don't hang off of. I really don't hate our couch and realized last night that getting a new one means finding a home for the old one...that will have to mean sending off an undressed couch then because my mom recovered it for us when we got married and I found myself not willing to part with the red she worked so hard to dress it up in. Maybe this means I'm not ready for a new one...or maybe it means I have a hard time letting go even if it means an "upgrade" case in point...my new car...I missed my old 1992 honda for months!
Well...we looked a little when we first moved and decided that mom would help us with the final decision when she came over the summer...well plans changed a bit with her visit and so I forgot about wanting a new couch. Until a few weeks ago hubby and I decided we should start looking again...we covered all the stores we knew about in town searching for the couch...problem this time...I knew EXACTLY what I wanted. I have dreamed it up in my head and am now on the hunt for it.
Problem is...usually when I dream things up in my head and don't find them my mom can usually make it...for example my guest room dust ruffle {eeekk...that I still need to take pics of to share!} problem here...mom doesn't make couches. goodness!
Friends...last night I found 2 couches that each have bones like the couch from my dreams...
problem now...it is way more than I am willing to pay....gonna have to keep dreaming! I actually found the manufacturer by accident today...maybe I can find a dealer locally and at least stop by and have a seat...and I can study its dimensions since I might talk mom into learning how to make a couch!
29 September 2008
happy christmas and merry fall...
had a little surprise day on friday... after I took hubby to the airport and planned to pick him up in time for dinner... plans changed... after a delayed flight and several hours of waiting he canceled his trip and I had picked him back up and was home by 10:00am! It was such a surprise treat to get to spend the day together!
We had been talking about getting bikes for a while now. Growing up my siblings and I rode up and down our street every night and we lived in such a neat part of Cleveland on the water that I had always wanted a bike there too. It just wasn't feasible or convenient in an apartment.
We decided to do Christmas early this year and get each other bikes while the weather was still nice and the ground not yet frozen. Friday surprised us to be a perfect day to go bike shopping! Hubby got a red one and I got a pink one...fitting!
We have been enjoying our presents and took them on a trail at the bottom of our hill {mountain...it is no hill like I have ever known} on Sunday. These trails supposedly connect all the way to DC...gonna work up to that of course. I surely don't think that we {ok...I} am up for this challenge yet...I think the 5 miles we rode was a good start. I am still learning about some muscle {can't remember what hubby called it} that I never knew I had!
the color in the leaves is really peeking out strong...they don't yet all seem to be on the same page on the burst, but some are ahead and shining alone in their glory...I just love this time of year here!
{ ps: stanley thanks you all for your comments, songs, messages, and well wishes...he got a new bone and a graham cracker...he had a good day! }
28 September 2008
two...
happy birthday my loving little yorkie boy!its only your second time to have a birthday...
because you are only two...
today.
two years full of licks and snuggles!
26 September 2008
our road...
God and I had a little talk this morning...actually it was more listening on my part with a lump in my throat. I was driving back from taking hubby to the airport and it was still pitch black outside. {I know...you are impressed I am up before the sun and operating safely a moving vehicle!...I was armed with a cup of coffee!} I was trying to distract myself from worrying about his flight and prayer of his safety. I have come to really dislike flying {or anyone I know flying} and am bothered by the reliance we still have on it since we are living so far from home. As I followed the signs home I was again so amazed that we are living here. I chuckled thinking how this would never have been a chapter I would have thought to write for my life...I was the homebody...I would have never found myself living this far from home. I quickly thanked God for being the author of my life and for sustaining me through these changes and continuing to be faithful when I didn't feel I showed the same consistency to Him especially living in Cleveland.
I began thinking about when we lived in Cleveland and the times He felt so far away. Days that I knew He was there, but I didn't have words to speak. Times that I had questions and "wait" seemed to always be the answer. Moments when I knew in my soul we where exactly where we were supposed to be, but my heart didn't understand. Cleveland was a time and a place like nothing I had ever known. I was just talking with Dallas last night about the seasons in life where God feels so close and then the times where He feels the furthest. I told Dallas that these are times I believe He hasn't left us, but has backed away a bit and is testing and teaching us. That doesn't mean I don't regret those times that He seemed far...but I know that even then He was teaching me and allowing me to search my soul for His guidance.
I switched off the yapping radio hosts who managed to disrupt my thoughts for some tunes so I could have some noise, but still chat with God without the distraction of their random conversation. This song by Caedmon's Call came on...
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By now I was driving through my little town...my most common route. I was passing the post office and looked over...and up in the hills sat a McMansion! It was still pitch black out and the mansion had all these lights shining up it. I was shocked to see it there. I travel this route all the time and have never seen this huge house before. Then it hit me...I never look past the trees. It took darkness for me to see through the trees into the light and onto the house. A lump formed in my throat as I felt God speaking just to me...in His own way in my rambling way of seeing Him in the little things...to me. You see I shouldn't see the darkness as a regret...or time wasted...it has allowed me to see Him even deeper...to look past the weeds and into the light.
I am so thankful for these moments when God whispers and you can feel the wind in your soul!
25 September 2008
orange and tasty!
I got "lost" on the internet a couple weeks ago and stumbled across {can't remember from where} the work of the obviously talented Amy Atlas. Don't you just love the orange! I am so in love with orange this time of year and can't wait until the leaves start popping shades of it {they are so close!}.
I am a sucker {pun intended!} for details and so appreciate when others indulge in the little elements too! What a fun job...and a great job Amy does! I mean...how does she not just eat it all up! For a bit more eye candy... i l.o.v.e. this!
Speaking of a job I want...check out this! I would love love love to have her assignments!
p.s. : if you too heart those precious suckers...you can find them from the super sweet {again pun intended} Andrea here...
{ images borrowed from amyatlas.com and edited a bit my moi }
24 September 2008
sista sista...
I must devote a post on this little ol'e blog to my dear old o'le sis. She is {soon.to.be} the proud owner of her first home {...yea!!!} and just started a fabulous new job {moving up the ladder and skipped a few rungs along the way!}. Lots of changes, challenges, and celebrations for this gal!
Well...in an effort to stay in constant design mode without rearranging my house weekly I have {so excitedly!} volunteered to help her with her new casa...she took me up on it! Now decorating via email and phone is no easy task, but I am sooo up for it and already have a few design thoughts up my sleeve {she will have a chandi over that sink if I have to learn to install it myself}...ok so maybe even 19 hours away I will have a bit of a strong opinion in this design challenge!
She is off to a great start though and I am having fun sifting through fabrics! She surprised my inbox with this fabulous find...{yep...she went shopping for fleas} I am so glad she took the time to polish and clean up her new treasures...I am pleading for possession of the little silver compote on top...{maybe this little tribute of a post will help!}
See...my mom taught us well..."always lean on your sister...she is your first and forever friend". We do... Krystal can/and always has been able to wonders with an outfit and I enjoy the interior design side of creating. We are each learning from the other though and maybe by the time we are old and grey {no...I think I will always be redheaded...anyways maybe for another post} we will have balanced out!
{ bottom pic taken by krystal...on an angle of course...she says i photograph on an angle...no comment! }
thank you!
you ladies are fabulous and I pic-ed this flower just for you!!! thank you so much for rushing in with comments and suggestions! I went for a walk yesterday {to the yorkies enjoyment!} and actually began yawning at 8:15pm! I know it will take a few days and probably at least a week, but I think I am off to a great start!
23 September 2008
help!!! any & all advice needed...
I need your advice, methods, creative juices, prayers, habits, counting techniques, thoughts, recommendations...all of the above on...s.l.e.e.p.
A little background...since we have moved my sleep schedule is off...way off! Since July I have only had one week that I was able to get on a schedule and get to bed before 11:30pm/12:00am. {do you know how many months that is!!!} That nice little week was accompanied by the Olympics the following week and my schedule went south! I haven't been able to get back on one since! {although I don't know if one week even counts at this point} I can't seem to stop working and get to bed. {make note...I am have become a horrible night-driving boss!} Now...I do still get my hours in of 8.5-9 hours of sleep...but they aren't the hours I want!!! I would ideally like to be in bed by 10pm and up at 7am. I tried fighting my body last week into getting up early hoping that it would force me to bed on time that night...didn't work...I fought a migraine all day! I don't really want to go the tylen*l pm route because messing with meds also messes with my headaches. I just don't understand why my body seems to demand late nights! I just can't seem to quit working and get downstairs to bed...
Here are the facts...
...yes I have one cup of coffee {most mornings}
...no I don't have more than one cup
...no I don't have any coffee after 11:30am
...I have tried washing the sheets more often
...I have tried adding more pillows
...I have tried sleeping with pillow in different positions {hubby gets a kick out of this theory!}
...stanley begins crying for bed around 11pm or so and I distract him for 45min or so to get a bit more work in
...yes I have tea in the afternoons
...no I don't have it past 5pm
...we do not eat a late dinner {usually}
...I do "get up" early to see hubby off {depending on the day}
...I fall back asleep with no problem
...I have counted sheep
...I can hear the silence if I listen hard enough
...we use a ceiling fan on high
...I pray, but it turns to rambling thoughts {although I don't think God cares if its fragmented}
...I toss
...I turn
I am at a loss...do I just give in to my body and become "ok" with being a night owl? If this is what it means for a baby to have its days and nights mixed up I am going to be a pro at that hurdle!
{ image borrowed from superstock.com }
