We're BAAaack!

We had an amazing time with family and friends in Ohio/Kentucky celebrating "Thanksmas" (we're not going home for Christmas this year so we combined the holidays.) You just can't beat holidays in the country with people you love but don't get to see often enough.

"My (actually my grandparents') Old Kentucky Home..."



Sporting my nearly 6 months pregnant belly.


My sister trying out new recipes for the Thanksgiving feast!


Storytime with great-grandpa.


Sigh..I miss family.

"Across The River In Ohio..."


Our recycled Christmas wrapping-- sewn Whole Food bags and old wallpaper samples found in my grandpa's garage


More family (and a new haircut: )


And, just like the Pilgrims probably did on their first Thanksmas, we celebrated with the traditional Sock Monkey Making Party. Some dollar store socks, needle & thread, and a good ole' American sock monkey spirit is all you need to incorporate this tradition into your family celebrations.



Great family, great food, great fun...couldn't ask for anything more : )

Think Like A 2-year-old

I love that anything and everything is a toy to my 2-year-old. With his birthday and Christmas coming up, I really think he just needs a box with his own can opener, old newspaper, tape, small casters, cardboard rolls, bed sheet, and tape measure. That's what he ends up playing with anyways.


Tonight in Hudson's mind, my old green metal cash box was an alligator who liked to feed on couch cushions, the smear of paint on his leg was a pickle, and he brought down Darth Vader and his troops with a bike pump. I just now went in to check on him in bed and found him snoring away with a tiny helicopter, 2 water guns, a plastic saw, a plastic medieval shield, and cookie monster huddled around him...wonder what he's dreaming about.

Painting, Sewing, and Reduced Prices!

We leave for Ohio tomorrow night to celebrate Thanksgiving and (at the same time) Christmas with family. And our goal of making most of our Christmas presents has kept us up til the wee hours of the night every night this week. It's a labor of love : )

We've been experimenting with fabric paints and bleach. Here are some "trial runs" on some of Hudson's old shirts.


Hudson is also still hard at work on his Christmas presents.

Though he's been taking plenty of egg nog breaks.


I'll have to show you finished products after Thanksgiving (don't want to spoil anything for the fam.)

Also, my printer sent lots of extra Christmas Cards by mistake and told me just to keep them! So I've reduced my prices in the shop. Make sure to stop in and get your cards!

For Your "Little Prince"

Just added this to the shop this evening! You can customize it with any name, perfect for a little boy's room.

I'm trying to get as much ready for my first craft fair this weekend as possible. I've never done a craft fair so if anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it!

These Caught My Eye...

You know you've found a good Etsy shop when you find yourself taking the time to look closely at each item in the store, even if the list goes on for pages. Here are three lovely jewelers who caught my eye during my search for stand-out work to feature in my blog.

The Empty Nest's vintage typewriter jewelry is what first caught my eye in its currently 17 pages (!) of items for sale. Second was the variety of items offered. From stone faucets to pocket mirrors Lisa achieves variety without sacrificing quality.







When I asked her what she liked most about her work she answered, "It is a definite creative outlet for me. The best thing I like about making my whimsical pieces are the comments I hear from customers about their purchases. It really does make me smile when they tell me how their purchase was the perfect gift for that special person in their life, either being a family member, friend, or something for themself."

Next on my list is That Jewelry Girl. There is something so regal about the jewelry she designs I wonder if I'm worthy of wearing something as Victorian-chic as her pieces. Each item is so unique it's hard to pick which photos to share here.





What does she want people who come across her shop to know about her?

"That I'm just a girl doing what she loves! Also, that every single piece of my jewelry is made with love and utmost care."

Equally as stunning is Ophelia's Jewels.




"I like feeling of starting out with a mix of beads and wire that have no shape or form on their own, and then creating something out of them that surprises me. That doesn't happen all the time, but I love it when it does! The process of creating jewelry is also very relaxing for me. It makes me focus on something that's not traditional work, which can be a very good thing!"

Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer my questions and to create such beautiful work :)

Playin' Catch Up

The show opened Saturday and, though there was still glue drying on the set when the curtain opened, the whole thing went fairly smoothly. Any locals should try to go and see it this coming weekend or next.

We're doing a lot of our family Christmas celebration in Ohio during Thanksgiving since we won't be flying home in December. And since we committed to making the majority of our gifts and their packaging this year, our living and dining room have quickly become a frenzy of fabric, paint, glue, yarn, and recycled materials. Here are some sneak peaks.


Plus I've got a lot of catch up to do on a few freelance graphic design jobs.
Annd, I'll be doing my first craft fair this Saturday with a another local Etsian.
Shew! No rest for the weary (or the mothers of toddlers)!

Extra! Extra!

You know you've arrived when your name is in (tiny, tiny) print in the (small, local) newspaper ; ) You can read the article about my set and the show online.

With less than 24 hours til opening, I'm gearing up for a loong night!