ohh, the busy summer

*** found this on Anne Taintor's site - LOVE it!

how does this happen? I fear for the worst at the end of May when I have to be the entertainment coordinator for the summer for a 7 year old. Now today, there are so few days left of vacation it's sad! We've been really busy this summer - not sure with what! We have had lots of fun though!

I did manage to get roped into a massive project at my church. I know, how do you say no?? but I have to learn.
It involves re- decorating 9 huge classrooms - window treatments, painting furniture, miscellaneous decorating. The mind boggles. I just purchased 21 yards of fabric to make window treatments. I supposedly have the help of 2 elderly ladies in the sewing circle, but frankly, it will probably be all me. I think the "young renegade" sewers like me scare them a bit. My wrist still doesn't work from spraying 5, yes 5 full cans of spa blue paint onto 1960's metal cabinets. After we peeled off the wood toned contact paper. It was gorgeous! (I kid)
The deadline is Sept for the beginning kick off of church school. Wrong all this swearing when it's church...
I also made 2 more of those handbags from the other day - one for my mom and one for a girlfriend. Also placed my order for a cool tervis tumbler from http://mpmdesigns.blogspot.com/ for same friend. Her bday is in Oct and I like to organize ahead of time.
And another cute item I am sending off to PVE for a wonderful job she did on the illustrations. Hope she loves it! My sewing machine is also crabby - sense a theme here? and I hate bringing it for repair - it's usually some older guy that doesn't LISTEN to me - he thinks he knows. Ahem - I am on that machine 24/7 - I think I-I-I know what's wrong - you, Mr. Certified repair guy, just need to make the repair. Wow, I am cranky today.
Anyway - good always comes from good - you MUST check out www.wordle.net. Fun doesn't begin to describe. Tried to give you an example, but couldn't get my crabby computer to cooperate. Oh, not, it's ME that won't cooperate. You also have the option of plugging in your own words. Think family names, descriptions, etc - makes great gift-y ideas! Thinking Christmas...
Off to my parent's pool hoping the chlorine might get rid of the poison ivy I have in between my b**bs. Don't go there - I have NO clue how that happened but holy cow!! irritating and annoying. gross.

Handbag Love

LOVE the lining

So, I dreamed of this bag a few weeks ago. I had attended Jennifer Paganelli's awesome shopping experience - watch for it - it comes again in the fall! - and gotten a few yards of fabric and a bag of odds and ends. That bag turned out not to be just odds and ends, but bigger pieces mixed in. So - I LOVE black - favorite color ever - but sometimes I like to throw in the punch of lime, pink, orange, chocolate or purple - I have to be seriously in the mood. Plus, I hate handbags. One more stupid thing to keep track of. I know - sacrilege -esp. since the husband spent 8 years of his life working for Coach Leatherware - don't hate me. He did slightly convert me, but more succeeded in raising my taste level and expectations. Now, nothing less than a $350 handbag will do. And really, purses are for lips, so it's a HANDBAG...
Anyway, the fabrics were taunting me, so - here's my pattern -

look, I make the patterns myself when the mood strikes. So what if it was reading the morning paper. don't judge, it's how I function. Hmm, wonder if I have ADHD?
So, back to the handbag. Don't tell Birdie I swiped the lime green intended to be her new skirt. All the fabrics are Jen's - different seasons, but I LOVE the way it looks together. Tried the Pellon version of Timtex - it's iron on and didn't like that, but the weight was decent. You all know Timex is no longer?? If you see it, swipe it up before it's gone from the stores.
I added the magnetic closure under the tab and a small bow. That will get swapped for a big bow later on, but really? I needed it for tonight. Gotta hit the showers, I just beat the tar out of my treadmill for a couple miles.
Have fuN!
C-ya!

P.S. - Oh, Jen, I need more fabric!!! Birdie is beating it up the stairs to investigate the skirt progress - quick, lock the door!

charge it!!!

So ladies, get out your credit cards, tell your husband you are going out for awhile and go hide by your computer and shop away!

There isn't nearly enough monogramming in the world (I LOVE it!!) and FREE shipping until July 30! Wha hoo!!http://mpmdesigns.blogspot.com/ and this
http://www.preppypapergirl.blogspot.com/ site will help with my paper addiction, surely. At least a good start! Check out The Pink Clutch blog http://thepinkclutch.blogspot.com/ too - it's terrifically funny!
Two very talented ladies - enjoy!
C-ya!

psyched!

How cool to pop on line to check in at pve design and see the house she recently illustrated for us! She even blogged about my red door. It was in addition to the surprise redo for my sweet husband. I hadn't had a chance to ask her if it was ok to blog about, but figured we are a go!! She did an amazing rendition of it - the details were so great. She even got the little curvy drops in my living room window treatments. He couldn't believe how great it was. Getting it framed next week - wanted the husband to at the very least get to choose that, since I commandeered the whole bedroom re-do. I feel like a superstar! Thanks Patricia! omg, and can we talk about the one she did of Birdie?!?

http://pvedesign.blogspot.com/

THE plastic bag

THE is capitalized for a reason. really. best shopping bag ever. I made this out of 4 plastic shopping bags. I found a tutorial on etsy one day, stumbled across it and felt compelled to try it. I have since made a pile of these crazy things. The Target ones are really cool too - the dots are a really cool design feature. I have been using them for about 6 months now for all of my shopping - grocery, target, hardware store, fabric store. They hold a lot more than it's original bag and they are very strong. Only supplies you need - 4 plastic bags, iron, parchment paper, handle materials.

I was inspired to pop this on line because I have been a lurker on http://beachbungalow8.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html for awhile now and she's got some really great ideas. She tossed this idea around on here site and wondered if anyone had tried them. Well, I DID! I even had a little class at my home one night for a bunch of ladies in my volunteer group - they loved them and they have contagiously all made more as well.

I like that they have saved my from using hundreds of bags so far - I've done the math and it's really true! - and they are cool and sturdy. I love when a trend is good for the environment and serves double duty as a craft! Let me know if you need info - I can talk you through construction and give you some great tips on sewing one up for yourself!

finito and salad

The ugly before:

The awesome after:

and yes, that is the very same corner of the room!

What a great surprise. The husband was totally shocked! He just stood in awe and looked around the room speechless! Birdie and I were very tired, but very happy with the results. She seems to think the beautiful new bed was hers! Well deserved on his part and my favorite thing is a spot for ALL of our clothing and my new silk drapes. Found a great fabric that's both liner and bump in one and it was terrific to work with. The room is a soft putty color with an ocean grey ceiling. It's soft and soothing and quiet feeling. We LOVE it!

Sad the project is over, but off to additional fun things - a new dress for Birdie and some cute new bags for me...

And a yummy salad recipe - sort of a combination of yumminess(is that even a word? but I KNOW you know what I mean!). A great combo of salty/sweet.

Delish Salad

Baby spinach leaves,washed

feta broken up (not crumbles, too little)

diced watermelon

sliced red grapes

grilled chicken breast

a citrus vinaigrette (either make your own or I love Newman's Lime Vinaigrette)

Enjoy!

C-ya!

The big surprise!!

** I'll post pics later, I need sleep!!!
For several months, my 7 year old and I have been keeping a HUGE secret from my husband. It's actually pretty hilarious that I think I've told everyone and she has told not a soul! What a good girl. Now we tell all!
Here's the stealth scoop - my very giving and kind husband has volunteered a few summers with Appalachia Service Project. If your aren't familiar with it, think Habitat for Humanity, but on existing homes in some of our poorer areas of the country. He doesn't talk about it much, but I know he is very moved by being involved. He leaves for 9 days - we miss him so, but we have lots of work to do!! So, back to the surprise - I cooked up a scheme in January or February to make over our bedroom while he is away. How cool?! Since I handle the family finances, he was none the wiser. I started furniture shopping and finally found the perfect things back in March - it's now sitting on a truck and the attempt is to get it delivered this week. Furniture companies are none too reliable - there are way too many variables to get this moving, so to speak. BUT... when you share a super secret surprise with the girls in the office, they can't help but step in and try to help out. We'll see.
My little one and I have picked out paint, fabric for window treatments, lighting, bedding. You name it, we did it. I even hooked up with Patricia from PVE design (see "inspiring minds want to know" to check out her talent!) I sent her a photo of our house and she did an AMAZING watercolor of it.
The whole thing was to really show my husband how great he is and he so deserved this. We have built a loving home together. He works hard and has set a wonderful example to our daughter. We had my old high school hand-me-down furniture from when I moved into my brother's old room, no headboard, cute but cheap-o night tables I refinished. You know the drill - the kid gets the beautiful new furniture and we get, well, yuck - topped off with horrible yellow walls.
I have been working really hard since Saturday am when he pulled out to make this happen. I am just about finished painting and next have to deal with straightening the room out and cleaning the carpet. Birdie and I sewed the drapes last week together - yummy silk dupioni.
Wish us luck that the furniture arrives and we can pull of this great surprise for a very deserving husband.