HUGE sale!

{ shop sale now! }

in the upcoming months...there will be some changes to t&t...slight changes and some of which I haven't fully thought out...but I want to simplify a bit. Right now I offer about 800 products...I want to pair that down to a more manageable and less overwhelming number! I have been running my new year's sale for a few weeks now...once these goodies are gone they are gone. I am making room for new lines and lovelies that I have been wanting to add and some I have recently found! and also...so so grateful for this postponement and all of your support and voice getting there...

.............
hope you all have a lovely March and I will see you once I return...toodles friends! thank you so much again for the prayers for safe travels!!

welcome baby claire!

Our dear friends welcomed baby Claire yesterday afternoon and we got to meet and love on her today! ...just in the nick of time before I head out of town in a couple days. She is gorgeous, teeny tiny {all 6 lbs 13oz of her}, has more hair than her blonde headed sister did at that age, and has the cutest longest feet! ...and her momma...looks so fabulous and makes the whole process look so easy! {less than 24 hours and see how amazing she looks...my laboring hero!!}


There is something so special to spend time with a sweet family as they have just welcomed their newest member...and something so precious to love on a baby so fresh from God.


K's...thank you so much for letting us share in your special time! We are trying to squeeze in as much time with you as we can before ya'll head into practice this summer. We are so gonna miss you guys! Such a gorgeous family!!

...................................

PS...you ladies are fantastic! thank you so very much for your emails and comments full of recommendations!!! i knew i could count on you!!! thank you so much too for the prayers of safe travels!!

taking flight...

I will put back on my event planning hat next week and begin a 5 week straight whirlwind of events...one week at a time with a new city and state each week. My arms are going to get tired from flying! So needless to say, my little lovely blog is going to be so neglected until I land back home again.

In case I have a few seams of time to myself I would love to get travel tips, tourist must-see sights, gorgeous spots, and shopping suggestions on my following stops... Hartford, CT; San Diego, CA; Manchester, NH; and Annapolis, MD. So if you live/have lived or visited any of the above and would like to share some must-see/must-dos please share!!

I do have a few suggestions of my own for travel... I am by no means a pro at flying {of course, I might should be considered one come April!}, but with my most recent travels and the money crunch of the airlines...I have formed my own tips of the trade...

• bring an empty water bottle in your carry-on ...you can get through security since its empty, fill it at the water fountain in the terminal, avoid the overpriced drinks in the stores, and avoid the $2 charge for {unbottled} water in the air {was shocked to find this out on my last flight}!
• i'll be bringing my own nap ...in order to avoid the $5 usage charge from the ones the airlines provide!
• i find this works better than airb*rn
• i'll be traveling with a pashmina ...just as warm as a scarf and large enough to be an extra blanket in flight if needed...not to mention you'll be styling!
• bring a pair of socks in your purse if you are wearing sock-less shoes ...i ALWAYS do this so I don't have to go barefoot through security...gross!

any and all prayers for safe travels and good rest {i don't sleep well on the road!} are so very much appreciated!

ace of hearts...

hubby was in atlanta since mid last week. he made it back safe and sound yesterday and we celebrated valentine's again over a lovely candlelight dinner...topped off with strawberries for dessert...my favorite!! since we weren't together on v-day we "bookended" it. last weekend we went to b&n and out to dinner...the olive garden...another favorite. we both agreed it was our best experience there {well other than our first date} ...the service was excellent, the salad had fresh lettuce & just enough dressing, the breadsticks were perfectly cooked {not too brown}, and our typical dishes of ravioli & chicken parm were superb and smothered with cheese! delish!

hope everyone else had a lovely one with their love!

{ ps...a tutorial of how to make this card that i made for my ace of hearts can be found here... i then embellished it with my own touch of course, vintage ric rac! }

14 feb 2009

friendly skies...

I flew back and forth to Connecticut {all in one day} for a meeting yesterday. It was a gorgeous day to be in the air! We actually got up into the high 50's yesterday {thanks in part to ya'lls prayers for sun shine my way!}.

It was a gorgeous morning! The ride back last night was much harsher and the turbulence couldn't be ignored. I had my eyes closed trying to talk my stomach into staying put when I glanced out the window...we were flying low and right over the Capital and Washington Memorial. It was so unexpected that I didn't have my camera near ready to snap a pic...instead I sat there in awe that is was so close...people pay for those views! DC is such a cool city to me...I remember being so impressed with its cleanliness and overwhelmed with the respect of the history of our country. Hopefully, hubby and I will visit while we are living so close. It was such a treat to my uneasy ride!

The ride from DC to Pittsburgh showed me that our turbulant landing in DC was lower on the scale. The flight was awful! Typical me...I hadn't checked the weather for the day and wasn't sure if that was snow or rain pouring down outside my window. The pilot came on several times and explained to us that a large unexpected storm was settled over Pittsburgh so we would be circling for a while before landing...oh lauzy!

By the time we safely landed I had my hands gripped to the barf bag! Turns out today...{I watched the weather this morning!} that last night's storm left thousands upon thousands without power and produced hurricane sized winds with some reporting winds of 92 mph...yes...I was just dancing around up there in it! I was so thankful to have power when I got home...after talking with my friend Meg...I realized it actually came back on about 5 minutes before I pulled in to my driveway{poor yorkie boys!}. Needless to say...I was so thankful! Hubby flew yesterday too and I'm so glad he was off the runway by the time all the weather started! {thank you so much for checking on me Meg!!}

next time...I will be checking the weather for warnings before taking to the air!

a pearl...

for valentine's my mom sent me the cutest little box wrapped up so sweetly...with a handmade embellishment of course! she made the medallion on top {don't you love the detail even on the edges!}...inspiration to pull out some favorite papers and get busy creating!

she let me open it early today {don't you love moms!}...and what a treat. and just as she always says..."i never met a pearl i didn't like!" i must agree!

thanks so much mom!!!

a surprise!...

I helped host a shower {with the lovely gals below} for precious friends this weekend...it was a surprise to the mommy-to-be! ...and I think we all pulled it off! We celebrated the upcoming birth of Meghan and Andy's 2nd baby girl {set to debut any day now}!

...we toasted to baby Claire with a "love" theme since she is due to arrive around heart's day!!


...ate lots of treats and sweets on baby Claire's behalf!

...showered the family with gifts!

...and sent them home with handwritten messages of congratulations and blessings!


I think its now time for baby claire to come on into the world...she has the cutest big sis waiting for her!!

movie request...

thank you so very much for the warm wishes ladies!!! ...they worked...it is a sun shiny day today and we are expecting a warm weekend...maybe in the 50s!!!! woohoo!!!

My netflix account is very low right now and I really could use your recommendations for flicks! So please bring em on...I'm up for anything...but I don't do scary movies!

Have a lovely weekend friends!

{ image borrowed from superstock.com }

winter blues...

I feel like I say it every year...but this year really is different {or maybe my tolerance is waning.} This southern, sun-loving girl is in serious need of the summer months! Cleveland may have gotten more snow inches while we were there, but Pittsburgh has been much colder in temps.

{ icicles so big i thought the yorkie boys might be harmed! }

I honestly don't remember what it feels like to have the sun on my arm or flip flops between my toes. I realized how winter hazed my mind is the other night when I was watching tv and they were walking around in sleeveless shirts and shorts down the sidewalk with the sun shining down...it looked so odd to me that they were half dressed!!! ...I then realized I hadn't seen anyone that "unbundled" walking outside in a long time!


the sun did peek out once last week and for a day this week...I almost took the boys for a walk in order to reacquaint myself with the sun again...until I remembered that all the salt on the sidewalks would be too harsh for their little paw pads. ...oh how I'm hoping that groundhog is wrong!


Don't get me wrong...winter is gorgeous...it simplifies everything and allows me to indulge in my obsession with my fireplace. But sunshine-need is in my DNA...I need it, I crave it, and vitamin c tablets aren't cutting it!


do all you winter gals raised in the snow have tips for this time of year...besides flying south?! ...or distracting myself with cleaning out the closets...{I've done that already}!

measuring love...

its all about love! this fun little fill in the blank site reminds me of an 80's sweater with all those hearts!! what do you love more than _____? { fyi: these aren't mine... }

{ image borrowed from...iloveyoumorethanblank.com }

no. six...

...its for the record books! it has been such an added treat to be in steeler country for the before, during, and aftermath of the newly crowned super bowl title! don't get me wrong...I am not a football fanatic nor do I own "the gear"...but these fans are truly die hard fans sporting jerseys in the middle of the summer and terrible towels hang from their porches year round...their support goes beyond and way before football season ever starts and is a constant during those harsh winter games...their excitement is infectious!!! we enjoyed the game with great friends and good food {thanks k's!!} ...of course...the native die hards weren't present...those fans watch the game in uninterrupted quiet and choose to party afterward!!

{ to give you a little taste of steeler country right now...this song has been swirling in my head since last week!... }

they went, we watched, they won...and this town in on fire with celebration!

pouring down snow...

it is pouring down snow today! it poured down snow yesterday. it iced over and poured down snow the day before yesterday. yes...indeed we are living in a winter wonderland.

...and this little yorkie is loving it {the other one...not so much}!!

save handmade...{updates!}

updates to this post...

{ image borrowed from hasenpfeffer }

no more domino!

just announced...no more domino! You see...I fell for domino when blueprint crashed...you might remember. For Christmas that year I got a 2 year subscription from my sil and bil...I still have a year left folks!!! Just gonna have to savor that last March issue!!

{ this is the cover of one of my favorite issues...i just love loved Drew's office! }

soup, salad, and sistas...

there are some days when you just need to pull out your fancy dishes, fluff up your table, whip up some warm soup, and have over some of your favorite girls {and one lucky little mister babe!} and chat the day away! today was one of those days and it was so good to catch up with girlfriends!!

{ image borrowed superstock.com }

oh momma!

I know I've mentioned it before...my mom sends me packages all the time. They are new things, old things, my things, her things, things for hubby, found things...anything! This all started years ago when we moved across state borders and 19 hours from home. She used to send us a package a week...I lie not...every week until Christmas. I can't tell you how unexpected and surprised I was with each one. It was exactly what I needed...no matter what the box contained. It was that she was thinking of me...and just a few days before this box was in her hands...now it was in mine. Somehow it made home feel closer. Then when the homesickness would begin to set in...another box would come. A lot of times I know its coming because she tells me...and most of the time I know whats in the box before I open it. Well...how she kept this one a secret...I know not!

The mother of all handbags has come to me...from who else than my dear own mother... yes, she indeed just blessed me with this little bundle!!! I was clueless as to what my package shipped straight from texas would hold...and baffled to find this amazing surprise...in addition to some trims, yarns, books, and other lovelies!

I have a "hard time" using my nicer.in.life things and don't buy them for myself. I don't like to know the value of things because they have their own value to me...I don't want it tainted with the $ sign. So...after starring at my new bag for a day {since it usually takes me until next season to use something new} I decided to pack her full, but not too full and make her my new friend...we are going to get along great!!

ahhh thanks so much mom!!! she's a beauty!

lovely made for lovely couples...

with the holidays behind us I can finally share some of the "lovelies I've made" since they have all been given to their respective newlyweds! I have been humbled, excited, and so thankful for all the plate orders I have received since launching HAV. I truly do enjoy making each one...so unique and never the same as the one before. Here is just a sampling of the latest ones...

Thank you thank you thank you to all of my customers {& friends!} who ordered these for lovely couples {and the several that I didn't get pics snapped of since I finished them during my camera-less days!} ...I so enjoyed making them!

free make-up ladies!

not sure if you've heard... but they are giving away free make-up ladies! I headed out yesterday and got my free lovely product with just the sign of my name...no receipts, coupons, or min. purchase needed. I don't know about each state and city, but I thought I would pass this little gem along so you can at least check it out and see if your town is giving away the goods until next week too!

a new day...

thank you mr. president...for serving our country well, keeping her borders safe, and for allowing your last 8 years to belong to us. your family's dedication to this country is unquestionable and may history reward you favorably! i'm a bit jealous of you today...you got to move home...home to texas! its ok though...you did have a few years more outside the border than we have. i hope you relish your retirement and catch up on time with your lovely wife...she was the ultimate example of a first lady...class, style, and such a pleasant demeanor.

a new family occupies the white house tonight...and it doesn't matter whether i voted for him or not...for today...he is now the president of my country. and on day 1 of this new administration...i hope his dreams continue to come true and that he does become one of the greatest men in our history as he wishes...because even though he has won his place there...may he work hard for the accolades that history is waiting to write in the books about him...may our country become better for it...not because we have a new president, but because they have been inspired to help make something of their dreams and not wait for them to come true!

{ ps : mrs. obama...your dress tonight...gorgeous!! and i do believe that you made all the dreams of this man come true...yet again! }

{recap} : mistletoe & magic...long overdue

When I was home for Christmas I was able to get all of my M&M pictures since the CD I had copied in November was messed up and holding my pictures hostage!...so finally...I have my M&M week to share! Therefore, this will be a very long post...just warning!
...................

What a fun, overwhelming, lots of standing, good eating, fun selling, new faces meeting, old friends hugging, talkety talk great week! By all accounts the week was a hit!!

{ set-up }

mom, my mil, and ms. rebecca getting the booth ready for show! I am so thankful for the help from all of them and I think we had fun "hard at work" too!!I made my price tags...big, easy to see, full of quirky yet pertinent info, and surround by crepe paper ruffles of course!


{ the show }


{ our booth }

mom made this t&t banner for my part of the booth...such a sweet surprise!!!!

new uses for an old time favorite!!!

yes...most certainly we had fun!

baby jack...one happy little customer so excited about his new baby legs!


{ dear friends }
It was such a wonderful and an unexpected joy to see, run into, hug, and catch up with so many wonderful friends and meet some of you too! Thank you for coming by to say hi!

finally got to meet dainty miss zoe... her momma and I go back to our school days and I was so excited to sneak in some time with the little miss during a long day of set-up!

ms. su introduced my sickly self to emergen-c this week! you are a life saver ma'am!! it was such a treat to see you and erica during "booth breaks"...as always!

I learned everything I know about dried and fresh flowers from steve!!! He was the floral designer at the flower shop I worked at during college...and my wedding planning days! He did all of the flowers for our wedding...love him and don't think I have seen him since that lovely day in june!

I was so excited to catch up with kelsey and jane! kelsey {my sister's oldest friend after me!} was in town all the way from lubbock so its not often at all that she and I touch down in tyler at the same time!!

our sweet little miss kensi kay! getting ready for her jingle dance no. ...she did great and most certainly remembered to smile!

and surely not the least... booth mates! a wonderful week spent with old friends and new!

As you can see it was a very busy and fun week! I was so thankful to have my mom...she housed, inventoried, and received shipments for all of my products prior to and was at my side all week...especially after I got sick on day 1 of the show, but I was grateful to make it through set-up! I am also full of thanks to Ms. Rebecca...for being a fantastic booth mate in addition to constant friend and for providing so many of the display pieces...I would have never been able to house, ship, and purchase everything myself! It was a huge help seeing as I'm not a local.

It was a wonderful way to ring in the Christmas season!!!