Our latest collaboration...

Kara and I have been working hard on our latest collaboration...lol  Meet Amelia Earhart!  Formerly a Diet Coke bottle turned fifth grade biography project.  Now that is a new medium for you each to try!  Amelia will be headed to Mrs. Price's class tomorrow.

 

Here is my son's JFK from a few years back.  I'm not sure I like the way he's looking at Amelia.  I may have to separate these two tonight!  .....more junking and vintage goodies turned art projects soon! 

Let's catch up!

Hello, my friends.  It has been too long!  I'm slowly getting back to blogging after a challenging few weeks at work and home keeping up with everyone's busy schedules and deadlines. Let's catch up! Here's what we have been up to since the holidays.

My studio is back to normal after serving as your Christmas tree display and extra dining room for weeks! It took just as long to put it back together. It is in need of organization now. I found this little beauty above hidden away and longing to be used in a project. Isn't it fun to go through your stuff and "re-live" your finds and purchases?

This little suitcase is overflowing with ephemera.  I love the suitcase but time to get everything in there sorted and organized.  How do you store your paper?  I'm trying to think of categories. I may actually end up using this suitcase to store projects and switch the paper to a plastic divided container in the closet. So, studio back to normal. Time to organize and create.  As for the family...

 

Well, this little gal had some surgery recently to remove some lumps and bumps. Her recovery has included numerous vet trips, limited mobility and lots of TLC.  Not easy for a busy working mom, but she is worth it. She is doing great now.  One more set of stitches to come out this week!

Jack (who rarely makes an appearance here) finished a science project he's (and by he, I mean we...lol) been working on since Thanksgiving and took second in this category at the science fair.  Made all that hard work worth it!

And then there is Kara (who for the record hates this picture ) who I've been working with to study for the school spelling bee. She won last year and went on to county.  Well, those extra hours studying have paid off. She won the spelling bee for the second year in a row this week!  She's off to county again.

So, I've been focused on my family and their needs and deadlines. Work has been quite busy so I do look forward now to having the studio back as my getaway and stress free zone.  I have a little project in the works right now for Valentines Day.  I'll be sure to share this week! Hope you are well. I've missed you and look forward to visiting soon! Until then...xoxo

Remember my old tool box centerpiece?

Well, she got a quick makeover for Christmas!  I kept many of the same features including the mason jars and feathers. I added some evergreens, frosted fruits, pine cones and a touch of gold to match my chargers.

I think this shot is a bit closer.  It made for a beautiful table setting with very little work to change it out from Thanksgiving.  If you missed that post, go here.  I was also very happy with the new tablecloths that I found at TJ Maxx for $12 a piece.  I needed four of them so I was doing the happy dance.

Why four table cloths?  Well, we have a large family.  With 16 sitting for dinner, we set up another table in my studio!  Yes, the studio.  During the holidays, the studio displayed our tree and was our second dining area. It worked out great.  Just don't ask me what projects I have going right now...lol

That's my studio table against the wall holding all the presents.  Wondering why those presents aren't under the tree?  Well, maybe Shelby can explain....

Good thing these two are so darn cute.  Wishing you all a Happy New Year.  I'll be getting back into the blogging groove this week. And, once my studio is back in order, you'll see some new projects.  Until then...xoxo.

Santa's helpers trimming the tree

Jack and Kara helped put all of our favorite decorations on the tree this year.  Just like you and I, the kids love opening the boxes and finding their favorite ornaments from Christmas past.  Many were made with their own hands.

A few of you may have noticed that the tree is in my studio.  This room was our formal living room and always the home of our tree.  So, we moved a few things and slid over my studio table to create room.  I'll show you a full tree shot in my next post. For now, I need to keep an eye on these two "Santa's helpers" who are very interested in the ornaments and the tree.

Don't be fooled by those eyes.  These two can be trouble! That cute little white one ate a glass ornament a few years back on Christmas Eve.  In case you didn't know, a few cotton balls dipped in heavy cream or melted ice cream taste really good to a basset hound and on the way out, they pick up all the tiny pieces of glass! lol  I hope you don't have to test this method over the holidays!

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Hello all!  No, I don't normally post recipes on my blog but these little biscotti turned out like little works of art! I love the green and red colors for the holidays, and trust me they taste delicious!  If you need a last minute recipe, this one will not disappoint. These will make great gifts for teachers, neighbors, family and friends too. Out of time to make your own cute gift bags and decorated containers?  Michael's has Martha Stewart holiday bags and treat boxes on sale for 40% off!  Hurry!  Here's the link to the recipe - go here! Thinking of you this week.  I hope it doesn't feel like a race to the finish line and that you can remember the reason for the season.  xoxo

Christmas party, games and great gifts!

Hello all! My friend Jodi hosted her annual Xmas party and gift swap this past weekend. I want to share some of the fun with you!  Here's a shot of my gifts wrapped and ready to go for Jodi, Kelley and Kim.

I got them each a necklace, which you can spot around their necks in our group shot below.  I had wrapped them in tissue and baker's twine. I stamped their initials on an old bakery receipt as a gift tag and added a cute bird ornament from Michael's to the packaging. I have a bunch of evergreens on hand to add to gift wrap and such. I seem to be reaching for it all the time these days. Love the touch it adds. Ready to see the great gifts they got for me? 

Love this PB pillow from Jodi! It is on my couch right now.  Thank you!

Kim gave us each one of these adorable altered spoons and a prim ornament. I have my spoon sitting in a cheese box with cookie cutters in the kitchen. Looks so cute!

Aren't these candy canes and this church ornament so sweet? Love the graphics from the old greeting card used to make the church. Just Precious! Kelley spoiled me with these and this cute little painted tart tin candle holder too.

Here we all are together. That's Kim, Kelley, me and Jodi.  I love these girls. They enjoy crafting and hunting for vintage junk just as much as I do. We are so lucky to have each other.  It gets better though...our husbands and our kids are also friends! Such a blessing.  Here's a shot of the kids having a wrapping contest - boys vs. girls. This is a hysterical game. We had to judge a winner.  They wrapped a team member!

 That's Jack on the left.  Cooper "got wrapped" and Kyle and Shane rounded out the team. Can you see the pick on top of Cooper's head?

 Here comes the girls entry. That is Sydney all wrapped up and Kara putting on the finishing touches. I didn't get a photo with Riley, there other creative team member. They had so much fun.

 

This is a great party game. I highly recommend it.  We had to call it a draw. We couldn't pick a winner. They were both way too good.  Hope you are having a joyful holiday and find time to spend with your friends and family. 

Mom and Dad's 50th

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 2nd.  My brother flew in and we planned a small dinner party for them with family and friends. 

My Dad took a picture of their wedding cake to the bakery and they recreated a smaller version for the occasion.  It came out great. My mom noticed right away and was very touched.  Did I mention it was also delicious?!

My brother and I (Yup, he is practicing for his daughter's wedding next year!) made centerpieces for the table using large mason jars and fresh flowers and evergreens. My mom carried a large bouquet of white mums and roses on her wedding day. Her bridesmaids carried white carnations.  We distressed some tags and added photocopied pics from the wedding day. We tied them on with a gold shear ribbon. She loved them!

Jack surprised us all with a toast to his grandparents, "To Grandmom and Pop Pop, this has been a long time coming."   lol  That kid is a piece of work.

Congrats, Mom and Dad.  As I said in my toast, "Thank you for setting such a great example for the rest of us to follow."  xoxo

Wordless White Wednesday

"See Shelby Run"

p.s. - I just couldn't resist!

Back from the beach!

I big puffy hearted our vacation to Anna Maria Island. We just returned today. I hope you have all had a great week too.  We spent the week playing in the surf and sand, fishing, flying kites and eating great food with close friends. 

 The sunsets from the house we rented were amazing.  I took pictures every single night from the deck and on the beach. Lucky for you I'm only sharing a few! lol

The kids found countless things to do in the surf and sand.  On the last night, they wrote their names in the sand to mark the end of our trip.  Did I mention the good food?  We ate out several nights and cooked a few favorites at home including a shrimp boil and steamed mussels (compliments of our friends Jeff and Jodi) -

What a relaxing trip. I hate to even think about work on Monday.  Our kids start school on August 15th too. Our summer is coming to an end but we'll have these memories forever.  Hope to share some gifts in the mail and new projects this week.  Stay tuned! xoxo