swooning...

Oh the sweetest most thoughtful surprise landed in my snail.mailbox yesterday...with my name all over it!

The ever thoughtful creative friend of mine Miss B of the sure to soon make national attention Bella Bella Co. sent me the most divine feels like velvet stationery adorned with my name in the most beautiful calligraphy by the talented Ms. Danae Hernandez. Such sweetness!

I was so excited and swooning over such loveliness that I wanted to call Miss B to squeal with delight in her ear...I haven't her number so I must resort to thanking her with snail mail the best old fashioned kind. What stationery do you send a note of heartfelt thanks with to the extraordinaire herself? ...I'm hoping her own is acceptable because I surely can't send her my own handmade...that would be embarrassing!

...and just in case the front left you any doubt that she made it "expressly for me" check out her thoughtfulness continued on the back...oh so lovely sweet! Thank you so much Miss B for making sure I am sending out my handwrittens in high style!

Now because you are my friends and I know you have fallen in love with her talent too...get your fingers clicking to her site and get you some good old fashioned correspondence from the talented gal before she sells exclusively to some fancy paper shop leaving commoners to only swoon at her work in catalogs! Plus...every gal likes snail mail...I have a dear friend {yes ma'am you birdie...} who sends me the sweetest notes in the mail at times just because and the most recent to wish me & the doctor the sweetest of halloweens!

the little big things...

Why is it...there are little big things that I can't seem to remember...

...like feeding Stanley. It wasn't enough to force me to start remembering when a few weeks ago I mistakenly ran out of dog food which forced them on a strict carrot diet for a day and a half. Instead I forgot to fill the bowl this time and Stanley's rumbling stomach kept us up all night...although instead of thinking hunger pains I thought he must be getting sick and kept getting up to take him outside...it wasn't until hubby suggested {in his half slumber} maybe he's hungry that a sinking feeling hit and I then found myself sitting on the kitchen floor at 4:30am with Stanley munching food like he's never tasted it before. Please don't call pet protective services...I bathe him {weekly}, get his nails clipped {and accompany him to the back so he won't be scared}, take him on walks, let him have half my chair all day while I work {he sits behind me now}, and keep him warm with proper clothing {see below}, but for.whatever.reason I can't seem to remember to feed the yorkie boy! {This has never been a problem with Wilson because he demand his food.}

My mom suggested the above solution {out of hope it would work and she doesn't have to become the foster parent} and so I'm trying it...so...please...don't ask why this is on my fridge if you are over at my house...lets just call this the only time we must discuss this little big thing. and I'll get better. honest I will.

such spooky sites...

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!!!

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!}

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 }

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!

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!

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! }

two...

happy birthday my loving little yorkie boy!

stanley marshall you are two today...
its only your second time to have a birthday...
because you are only two...
today.
two years full of licks and snuggles!