Hey Girlies! Just popping in to say that I'm going to be taking a little blogging break. I'm pretty busy at the moment and rather than push myself any harder, I think I will step away for a bit. Don't worry- I'll be back!
Big hugs to all!
First, there is this one:
Miss Carmen is an official high school graduate now! Wowie! Look out World, here comes trouble! (yes, my hair is flying down 15th Street! Windstorm 2008 visited Sacramento last night!)
Second, there is Amy! This little darling is the second in my four part series, the Seasonal Birthday Princesses. If you recall, Amelia (below) was the first one. She represented Spring. Amy, with her tanned skin and sunny yellow gingham is the epitome of Summer. I love her yellow rose crown- Carmen said it's her favorite crown that I've made! Anywhooo, sweet Amy, the Summertime Birthday Princess is available now in my shop.
Third, the adorable Blondie from Vintage Primitives is hosting lots of fun giveaways in honor of her Blogiversary! Follow the link below to get in on the lovely goodies!
Remember "Pay It Forward"? I had so much fun making my little goodies. All but two of my six recipients will have received their item, and I will be mailing the last two today. But look what Amanda sent to me! I commented on her Pay It Forward post originally and then forgot all about it! I was so flabbergasted when all this beauty came in the mail for me! 
All the tiny pretties were packed in this amazing antique beaded purse. Isn't it the ultimate in sweet shabby chic? I love it so much!
And there are so many goodies that came with it! I have always wanted one of these ballerina cake toppers and now I have two! And those vintage wooden spools? That's seam binding wrapped around them! I love the way Amanda sealed them off with the tiny circles of art- so adorable. All the bits and bobs are amazing and I had no idea I would receive anything so fabulous! Thank you, thank you! Amanda, you brighten the blog world!
I've been having so much fun lately with my house! I love decorating and I love my home, but since having to work full-time, I haven't given my home nearly as much affection as I used to. Plus, I am easily discouraged by the messes!I picked up this cute little piano bench from the curb during community clean-up a few years ago. It was stained and very beat up. The upholstery was typical "hurculon" abstract gold and brown ugly. It's been out in my shed waiting and waiting! Well, a couple of weeks ago I was at Salvation Army and fell in love with this old metal file box. So vintage! It's dark olive drab on the outside and the inside is this pretty forties Nile Green. I just happened to have that color in my craft paints. I had barely enough to paint the piano bench. Then I reupholstered the top with this fabulous vintage barkcloth that I bought on ebay for ten buckaroos! I know! It was seven uncut yards! It's not the typical cabbage roses that everyone wants, but it is in the palette I love and already have in the living room. I plan on making some throw pillows with it too. Anyway, pretty cute, huh?
Plus, I wanted to show you my cute little Seth Thomas alarm clock I bought at Goodwill. I love it! I've always loved mantel clocks, but I don't have a mantel. This is perfectly sized for my end table. (The butler is waving hello, don't you know?)
I have a lot of other fun ideas for the living room- I just hope I can get to them all! This room has been challenging for me ever since we bought the new furniture and re-painted a couple of years ago. It's a big change for me to be so muted in my palette. I love cottage and I usually associate that with color combos like yellow and blue or pink and green or even kitschy turquoise and red. I think I'm really beginning to see how to make these colors work with a cottage eclectic style. Speaking of cottage eclectic, check this out:
It's rainy here today so you can't see how golden this really is. So pretty! Another ebay find. It's from the twenties and I love it so much! I was so lucky to already have a pillow form that fit perfectly. My children have been severely threatened if they even think about abusing this pillow!
So, I guess that's it. I will leave with one more pic. This is the owl that my father carved along with this ceramic Mission Carmel that I begged from my talented high school art teacher so long ago (thanks, Mr. Leenarts!) and Pointy Kitty. This is on top of my bookcase and it makes me smile when I look at it. I hope I will have more photos for you when the room is done.
(Doggone rain! Can't get a good shot!)Hugs to all!
Hi Girlies!
I wasn't going to mention that I have a new blog because it is about personal finance and frankly, I didn't think any of you would find it interesting!
But today I was trying to figure out why it's so hard for me to juggle everything. Why can't I get out of debt? Why can't I lose weight? Why can't I be more organized? Well, the result of my ponderings is a long blog post and I feel like it might be helpful to my crafty sisters. If you are so inclined, check it out and let me know what you think.
This sassy looking girl was going to her prom! This, unfortunately, was the best picture I could get! She went to the prom with two of her friends mostly because they wanted to go and they wanted her with them. She did not want a standard prom dress, but I think she looks very cute in this cherry print dress that I made for her graduation. I think it's the first time she's in a dress in a loooong time! 
She is definitely growing up! Since prom, she has also worn the dress to our annual May Birthday celebration at her auntie and uncle's house. Everyone was so impressed! They are all used to seeing her in grungy jeans and her grafitti-covered army jacket!
She even surprised me on Sunday when she dressed for our picnic in a little sleeveless tee and shorts! What a beauty my baby Carmen is.
Almost eighteen years ago she made a mommy out of me! I remember going to Mother's Day brunch when I was fully pregnant with her and I felt so proud to be one of the "mommies" along with Grandma, Aunt Denah and Mom. This year, we packed up a picnic and went to Crosswoods Park. Pretty standard looking park, right? There's the library on the left, the playground, the tennis court and just out of sight on the right hand side is the Community Center.
But when you turn around, this is the view:
And this is what you see when you look up:
This is a gorgeous little corner of Citrus Heights. Arcade Creek runs right through here and the place is full of beautiful old river oaks. I used to bring the children here all the time when they were little.
Eric and I made these amazing sandwiches. Here's the recipe, if you would like to try it. Please note- the bug is one of the guests, not one of the ingredients!
Eric poses handsomely, while his best friend Cody watches for seagulls. (LOL- no! There was a lot of grape tossing going on!)
That is my granddaughter Nicole there with Carmen. The two of them are best, best, best friends. Always have been.
It was a GREAT Mother's Day. Most years I try not to have any expectations and then I sit around and secretly wait (hope) to be feted. This year, I took the bull by the horns and planned a day that I knew I would enjoy and then I made it happen! Everyone had to do what I said and it was great. I hope all the mommies out there had a lovely day!
It's a little Hitty doll! I am making it out of Aves Apoxie Sculpt. I roughly shaped it and then when it dried, I started carving. I am loving her so far! I will post updates as I progress. 
