Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping!

Muffin Tin Monday

2012-01-23T17:17:00.001-08:00

Muffin Tin Monday is one of the highlights of my week. I know I have said that before, but it is so true and worth repeating! I like that my girls enjoy it so much. It is a fun meal!
My Evie gets double the fun because I will make her a muffin tin meal twice on Monday. Once for lunch when she comes home from Kindergarten, and again for her and her older sister Lani for an afternoon snack (well, it is more like a small meal).

For their after school snack, they had a chicken spread and they used crackers and carrots for dipping. They also had strawberries and kiwis with a little melted milk chocolate for dipping, as well.

Evie had that same chicken spread, cheese and turkey triangles, star shaped toast, crackers, carrots, and grapes for lunch.

The small tins are always good for portion control, and they help me to see just what each of them like and what they don't.

Be sure to visit Michelle for her muffin tin meal and for the links to the other Muffin Tin Monday participants.

Workspace Wednesday

2012-01-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, look (or as my Addy would say, "Loo-! Loo-!")... The first Workspace Wednesday of the year. The thing about Workspace Wednesday is that I think about it every Wednesday, and even if I don't post anything, I am still motivated to tidy it up.
Believe it or not, this is after tidying up:

I'll tell you about the numerous stacks of books/magazines. I refuse to put those home decor magazines away 'til I look through them. It's one of my January goals! I also have a big stack of Close to My Heart idea books that I am going to be listing on eBay. I have way too many back idea books, and am going to be selling them in sets. I'll link to them here if I ever get them listed. Also... I just bought a stack of craft books from Selena at Apron Thrift Girl, and they just came in the mail. They were a great deal. I'm itching to sit around and flip through them.

Then, I am sorta reluctant about taking the new cupcake liners out of the original packaging 'cause they look so cute in there. Know what I mean?
Anything left to discuss??

I'm teasing... you had to have seen those Martha Stewart/Avery labels! A shipment of them just came in. I had read Elise's post where she linked to them and said that they came from Martha Stewart and Avery's new office line at Staples. They may not be vintage Dennison labels, my one true love, but they came at a much cheaper price tag, too. I'm a sell out; what can I tell you?

Happy, happy lady over here.

Maybe I should change my blog name to "Less Napping, Less Scrapping, More Shopping?"

Muffin Tin Monday: Vegetable Soup

2012-01-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hello there, friends. It's that time of the week again: Muffin Tin Monday. Just in case you're coming by for the first time, Muffin Tin Monday is a meal served in a muffin tin featured on Monday. (Pretty self-explanatory there, huh? ;) The idea of a muffin tin meal is to creatively serve a healthy meal to young eaters (who tend to be picky at times). I play along regularly. Click here to see more of my contributions.

For more FAQ regarding Muffin Tin Monday, visit Michelle, the hostess of Muffin Tin Monday, here. Also, visit Michelle here to see her muffin tin meal this week, and the contributions of the other participants.

I can really appreciate muffin tin meals when I have to serve up a meal my girls aren't going to like all that much. School-aged kids have a tendency to pick up all sorts of "fun" germs at school, so in efforts to get them hydrated and feel better, I make plenty of chicken soup. As you can imagine, they are pretty tired of it. This week, I made vegetable soup (with chicken broth) and served it up as pretty as I could to get them to eat it!

This was one of those weeks where they had to have chicken soup as my 8 year old got strep throat last week and the other two (5 and 2) have runny noses... I am happy they are starting to feel better though.

In other muffin tin meals news, I went to Pier One and found these adorable liners and picks:

I also collect sticky notes, and I found these playful ones there, too. I went gathering inspiration for home decor (it's on my list of January goals) and came out with these unexpected treasures. Gotta love that.

January Goals

2012-01-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am finally shaking the "new year lollygaging" that I mentioned in my last post. I'm finally getting back into a routine and feeling refreshed with new ideas, goals, and projects for 2012.

I usually make a goal list at the beginning of the year trying to accomplish a number of things before my next birthday. I recently updated last year's list of 28 things to do before I turn 29. Click here to see it. I made progress, but I realized that that which is important at the beginning of the year isn't always as important or relevant at the end. I enjoy making to-do lists SO MUCH that I was really struggling with not making a list this year as I had resolved to do. However, *cue in lights from heaven* I read Elise's January goals post, and realized that was the answer to my problem: monthly goals. I, too, will be featuring monthly goals and projects at the beginning of the month (or the middle like this time ;). I figure if I get 29 things done before my 30th birthday (yeah, it's a big year ;), then I will be satisfied.
Without further ado, my January goals:

Track my meals more faithfully and try a Weight Watchers' recipe.

Try a new smoothie recipe.

Gather home decor inspiration.

Sort through my embellishments.

Label my stamp collection bins.

Mail out the new Close to My Heart idea book.

Be back tomorrow with Muffin Tin Monday.

Muffin Tin Monday

2012-01-09T05:36:00.001-08:00

A week without posting, and it went by so quickly, too. I find myself dragging my feet at the beginning of every year. I think all the end of the year festivities throw off my routine. I have been reflecting on my goals, jotting down ideas and projects, and am getting ready to share them with you... when I am done lollygagging, of course. ;)
It is Muffin Tin Monday. It is one of the highlights of our week. My girls and I both enjoy a cute (and healthy!) muffin tin meal. I, often, take a picture and send it to my husband at work so he gets in on the fun, too.
This week for our meal, I made my favorite chicken salad spread and used several veggies and wheat crackers as dippers. I also included cinnmon applesauce with peanuts.

I found these sectional owl plates at the dollar bins at Target.

I thought about my muffin tin meals all weekend long. I purchased these plates, several cupcake liners (at the Dollar Store, Target, Michael's), and fun picks.

The next step is to organize all of these supplies. I will very likely go with 2 jars: one for my picks and one for my liners (like Jessica's and Elyse's). They will surely keep my kitchen happy all week long. :)
Be sure to visit Michelle at Muffin Tin Mom for her muffin tin meal and for the links to the other participants. Maybe you will play along this week? Let me know if you do. :)

Muffin Tin Monday: 2012

2012-01-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today is Muffin Tin Monday . I barely made it!

I put together a turkey and cheese sandwich with a variety of greens on whole wheat bread, grapes, mango pieces, banana slices, and strawberry yogurt with sprinkles.
Because this is our first Muffin Tin Monday of the year, I added toothpicks with "2012" stickers.

Be sure to visit Michelle at Muffin Tin Mom for her muffin tin meal and for the links to the submissions of the other participants.
Thank you for visiting! :)

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to the new year. I'm working on a list of ~~resolutions~~ goals, and will be sharing them with you soon.

I am continuing with my weekly Muffin Tin Monday and Workspace Wednesday themes this year. I hope you will come back tomorrow for Muffin Tin Monday.

See you soon!

Christmas Matchbox swap with Lilia

2011-12-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed Christmas crafting this year.
I was happy to swap Christmas matchboxes with Lilia from Flea Market Studio.

I have admired Lilia's style for years (seriously! years), so I was delighted to swap with her.
Lilia sent me an assortment of vintage Christmas treats.

She sent me pieces in an aqua and red color scheme. It's so pretty! and so different. I will have to decorate like that in Christmases to come.

I am still working on my December Daily, so some of these pretty papers and bits will be used in there.

I sent Lilia a playful box in traditional Christmas colors. I loved that color scheme this year!

I enjoyed putting this box together for Lilia, but it didn't feel like enough so I also made her a mini Santa paper bag album. You can see it above.

I also sent Lilia a small, decorative matchbox with a variety of vintage Dennison labels... similar the one I bought from Hope a few months ago. You can see the ones I sent above, as well.

I sent her 2 of the tiny books from my etsy shop, as well.

I have one swap left for the year, and I don't plan to sign up for much in 2012. I'm taking a little breather from swaps. I have other projects in mind for the coming year, and I am looking forward to sharing them with you. I love all of the current posts focusing on the new year, the resolutions, the organzation, etc. Be back soon with more.

A Christmas/Cupcake Petite Inspiration Box Swap for Lynn

2011-12-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

I looked at my last post and it has been a week since I've posted anything! So much can happen in 1 week... Christmas, for one. ;) How was yours, by the way?
I'll preface my Christmas with this... my littlest napper (she is 2) came down with her sister's stomach bug. You can imagine how miserable it was for her. I hated seeing her like that. She is feeling better now though. That is why I wasn't able to post anything. She wasn't quite herself for Christmas, but we made it through... it's that time of the year for colds, I guess.
Anywho, I need to catch up with my Christmas swaps before January is here, and I'm doing another "Christmas Goods Marked Down" post like last year. ;)
In my last post, I showed you the generous cupcake stash from Lynn. Remember?!

Lynn and I decided to go with a cupcake theme. Because it was Christmas time, I also threw some of that in there.

It was a fun one.

I got the idea for this felt cupcake on the box itself from a card I received some time ago in a swap. (I since made a book cover with that card. It was so cute!)
I also sent Lynn a Christmas Bake & Take Cupcake Kit I found at Target:

Lilia from Flea Market Studio and I also swapped Christmas petite inspiration boxes. I will be back tomorrow to share that. Thank you for coming by!
I do hope you had a very merry Christmas!

Cupcake Swap from Lynn and Button Floozies' Ornament Swap

2011-12-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hello there, friends! I enjoyed my birthday very much yesterday. Thank you so much for your lovely, birthday wishes. :)
Today I am catching up and sharing some of what I've received in current swaps. You may have noticed that there are few things I love more than a good swap. ;)
Lynn is another avid swapper. She and I decided to swap matchboxes with a cupcake theme.
Lynn sent me this package:

... and if you're thinkin', "Hey, Jessica! I don't think that fits in a matchbox." YOU'RE RIGHT! *chuckle* It doesn't! Lynn sent all of this along with pretties in a matchbox:

Talk about GENEROUS!!! As though that wasn't enough, Lynn asked if she could send along goodies from my girls...

I saved a few treats for their stockings, but they just had to use the crayons, markers, and Santa straws rightnow. :)
Lynn, I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you so much! Lynn LOVES to swap (and she is the friendliest blogger/swapper ever), so be sure to visit her here, and solicit a swap.
Seriously! :)
In other swappy news, I've been meaning to share the button ornaments I received from the Button Floozies' Christmas Ornament Swap.
I received this one from Pam at The Finderskeeper:
It's so cute! and you gotta love that glittery reindeer (I forgot to mention that I've been slowly recovering from my glitter phobia! I used some on my Snowman Sauna Mugs the other day. Did you notice?!)
The one below is from Kathleen:
Isn't it pretty? Kathleen also sent along a Christmas chipboard album... I wish I had a picture to show you!
The pretty bell ornament below is from Peggy at Day of the Lily:
I'm all about traditional Christmas colors this year (you know I go through phases), so I was delighted to receive this one from Peggy.

More swappy fun to come!

Muffin Tin Monday: Oh, Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends! :) Hooray for Muffin Tin Monday. One of my nappers is recovering from a stomach bug, so I had to keep it simple today:

noodle soup, a Christmas tree shaped sandwich, and pickles to go along with their sandwich.

Today is also my 29th birthday. :) My husband surprised me with a flower delivery at lunch time.

He also made some of his yummy jalapeno poppers before he left for work (at 5 am!) and left them in the oven for me to bake. He also picked up the latest version of Jane Eyre for my sisters and I to watch. Jennifer (my sister) and I have already seen it, but my sister Jasmine has not. Jasmine, if you remember, was on a mission trip in Peru. She was supposed to come back in January. Well... at least that's what she told us, but she surprised us all by coming back on Saturday. She knew the whole time that she would be back then, but had us all believing she would be back after Christmas. We are all so surprised and so happy that she is here before Christmas! :) So, we are about to watch Jane Eyre and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream. We will all have dinner together tonight. We are supposed to go out for dinner, but since my napper is still recovering we might bring it back here.
Be sure to check out Michelle's post here for her Muffin Tin Monday meal, and the submissions of other participants.

Be back soon!

Snowman Sauna Mug Tutorial on The Creative Patch

2011-12-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I posted a Snowman Sauna tutorial over on The Creative Patch today.

I am also giving one away, but you have to leave a comment on that post, so be sure to check it out!

Workspace Wednesday

2011-12-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yay... It's Workspace Wednesday. I was able to tidy up a bit. It was looking overwhelmingly messy there for a minute. The kind of messy where you can see a layer for each of the last projects you were working on before you started the current project and current layer. Know what I mean? *shudder*

I am down to one layer and some breathing room now. I am working on a few matchboxes and a tutorial for The Creative Patch. I will be posting on Friday, so be sure to check it out! :)
I'm glad you came by today!

A Burlap Stocking, Shabby Paper Bag Album, and Rambling

2011-12-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

Remember the other day when I mentioned the pretty paper bag albums that my friend Rachel from Alice and Elsie has for sale in her etsy shop?I was waiting to tell you that I went ahead and bought this sweet, little bird paper bag album. (These are all of Rachel's pictures again. I "borrowed" them to share with you).
Rachel also sent me one of her burlap stockings:
and vintage Christmas tags:
Receiving this little package cheered me up so much. (Thank you, Rachel!) I came down with the flu at the end of last week and it lasted throughout the weekend. I needed some cheering! I had a blog post planned for last Friday and for yesterday's Muffin Tin Monday, but the days just flew on by. I've been trying VERY hard to post daily (at least on weekdays) because I appreciate regular posts from the blogs I frequent, so I am trying to practice that on my blog. Anyhow... don't you love how finicky blogger is with allowing comments. Sometimes I have to refresh my browser several times before I can get my words out there... ;) I'm already a lazy commenter as it is, so the blogger glitches do not help.
I will, hopefully, be back tomorrow with a Workspace Wednesday post. My space is a mess, so I better tidy up a bit before I share a picture with you! :D It has been cloudy and gloomy here in Southern California, so I don't know how the picture will turn out. We had some snow in higher elevations. It looked so wintry and pretty and like Christmas is right around the corner (oh wait, it is). Made me wish I didn't rely on Pandora to play some Michael Buble Christmas songs. (I should just buy his Christmas CD to play in my car is what I'm sayin'). My husband hung a little wreath on the front of our truck with a festive gift garland around it. Yeah, I'm one of those annoying "SUV-ers" right now. ;) I love it!
I better run along! I have to tidy up, grab a snack, pick up my daughter, mail out some packages, get dinner going, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with peppermint whipped cream with my family. :)

Tiny Books and Things for Apryl

2011-12-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

The other day I mentioned that in attempts to acquire more Moo cards (I love them), I asked Apryl if she would be willing to swap some of hers with me. She sent me this lovely bundle.
I sent her an assortment of things including:

2 of my tiny books (the French one and the Halloween one), distressed ruled cards (for her doll stories), a rubber stamp with vintage key image, and

an envelope book. (Julie presented her tutorial for an Artful Thursday one time. Cerri sent me 2 envelope books when we swapped some time ago. I've been hooked ever since. I've been collecting patterned envelopes and make the books when I can. I especially loved Cerri's Valentine's Day envelope book, and am thinking those would be sweet to make as Valentine's Day cards... Look at me getting ahead of myself! One holiday season at a time, please! ;)

The trinkets tin I shared the other day was also for Apyrl.

The Gypsy Heart altered book I shared the other day was also for Apryl:

I also sent along some marshmallow peeps for Apryl. They were the only things she requested. I love them, too, and was happy to buy some for her and for myself. :) Speaking of which, have you tried the latest peppermint bark marshmallow peeps? They're so good!
Anywho, that's it! We gotta trade again soon, Apryl! ;)

Workspace Wednesday

2011-12-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

A highlight to my Wednesdays is Workspace Wednesday. I know these weekly features are a little cheesy, but I love 'em! So, there you go. ;)

I am working on some Christmas crafting. I am making a December daily this year- yay! I've journaled most days, but I have to get the book together! I found this Martha Stewart Christmas stack, and I love it! I can't wait to use it in my December daily. I am also swapping with a few other ladies... so I've been working on that, as well. (I tend to bite off more than I can chew!) In addition, I was so inspired by Sasha's Christmas gift wrapping presents post that I am determined to enjoy wrapping this Christmas, and not waiting 'til the last minute to get it done.

See those cute snowmen behind my mess? Richard made those! He made them using storage jars! I love them! My mom bought them as a birthday present to me. :)
Richard featured a set of them in his house. He put a battery operated candle inside and lit them up:

They have to be the cutest set ever. Happy Wednesday! :)

Paper Bag Albums

2011-12-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi there! :) I am excited to be sharing these paper bag albums with you. My friend Rachel from Alice and Elsie made them. I was so happy when I saw them recently stocked in Rachel's etsy shop that I asked her if she would allow me to share the pictures of them with you. I love paper bag albums, and am especially delighted with Rachel's fabric paper bag albums.
It's not hard to see why.
She fills them with soft details and one of a kind embellishments.
I am picking one up for myself; how can I resist? If you want one for yourself, be sure to visit Rachel's etsy shop here.
It is brimming with treasures. :)

Muffin Tin Monday... with a Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer

2011-12-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today's Muffin Tin Monday meal featured that chocolate covered marshmallow reindeer:

I got the idea from Richard. (He was selling them, and I bought one, so I could make some, too. Mine didn't turn out as nicely as his, but you get the idea! I hope...)

My girls were thrilled with them. They had to eat "the healthy stuff" before they could eat the reindeer as it was a treat.

The "healthy stuff" included 1/2 a peanut butter and strawberry preserves sandwich (on whole wheat), vanilla yogurt, cheese cubes on reindeer picks, pear and oranges pieces.

I was so happy to have found these festive reindeer liners and picks at Jo-Ann's on sale. I used the liner for the yogurt (made for an easy clean-up).
Be sure to check out Michelle's post for her Muffin Tin Monday meal and the links to the other participants. For the rest of my Muffin Tin Monday meals, click here.
See you soon! :)

Snowmen Christmas Ornament Button Swap

2011-12-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to participate in the Button Floozies' Christmas Swap. When I was gathering inspiration for the swap, I came across this picture on Flickr, and decided that I would make 3 snowmen. Kat (the artist of the picture I linked to) was inspired by this project on Martha Stewart's site.
I like them, but I wasn't sure if you could tell what they were at first glance...
I hope so! I am itching to make a few more.
I sent them along in the Christmas gift boxes I shared the other day. I will be sharing the ones my partners sent me soon. :) Check out the links to the ornaments of the other participants here on the Button Floozies site.
Tomorrow is Muffin Tin Monday, so be sure to come back! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Festive Mini Gift Box Tutorial

2011-12-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Happy December! I made a few mini gift boxes inexpensively. I used the large matchboxes (just like the ones I use for the petite inspiration box swaps).
I gathered my materials: the matchboxes (of course), festive paper, decorative ribbon, a paper trimmer, adhesive, and scissors:
I started by cutting my papers to the length of a matchbox:
I used large glue dots (they're in my shop, but any quality adhesive will do), and lined the matchboxes with them.
I, then, stuck the festive paper on my matchboxes and cut off any excess paper.

I found some decorative ribbon to use on my boxes... I used to sneer at wired ribbon... until I realized the wire was removable. Now I've expanded my options! :)
I used this pretty, used-to-be-wired ribbon and tied it on my gift boxes:
With the remnant pieces of paper, I was able to decorate a few coffee-stained distressed shipping tags, and make gift tags:
And that's it! Pretty, inexpensive gift boxes with tags to put under your Christmas tree. :)

Happy Holidays, Neighbor class

2011-11-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

I went to another one of Richard's classes. As you know, I've gone to several. Richard is a local crafter who used to be a demonstrator for Stampin' Up (close your ears, Close to My Heart; I am still a consultant after all!). He is now on a different journey with his company Fun Stampers' Journey. He designs various stamps (browse his store here... this is one of my favorite stamps), and finds unique products and embellishments to share with his customers.

Just last night, I went to his Happy Holidays, Neighbor class.

I was drawn in by this pretty jar and tag (all of the pictures in this post are Richard's pictures):

I have a thing for whimsical jars! ;)
We also made a vintage inspired ornament:
I love crafting with dress forms.
We made 2 other gifts for our neighbors (the ladies and I taking the class chuckled about that. My neighbors are surely not receiving any of the pretty gifts. The class name should have been Happy Holidays, Self. Who's selfish?)
In addition, we made that pretty acrylic calendar below and prettily wrapped that tin below as well:
We also scored a freebie make and take tag: I just loved the class... even though...

... even though... I was peer pressured into using glitter. I, too, have a glitter phobia. ;) I do like the way it looks, but *oh, oh, oh* I hate it all over me. It's hardly worth finding glitter in between my toes and unmentionable areas. ;) I am trying to "get over it." I'll let you know how it goes.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to you! After a week of no school for my girls, I am looking forward to getting us back into a routine for a few weeks (until the next break in December... Yay-yay for breaks). We participated in Muffin Tin Monday today (for more of my meals, click here). It is a dreary fall day here in California. To bring in some cheer, I put together a caramel apple tin for each of my girls. It's a perfect, fall snack in my book.
We gathered some apples, caramel, and several nuts (peanuts, walnuts, and roasted sunflower seeds).
Then, we allowed the "wild rumpus" (aka dipping) to begin.

They were very tasty. (Yes, I had some, too). Be sure to check out Michelle's post for her Muffin Tin Monday meal and for several links to the other participants.

Felt Ornaments with Button Embellishments

2011-11-25T20:37:00.001-08:00

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. Because my aunt (my mom's sister) is visiting from Texas, we all got together at my cousin's house to celebrate first. Then, we went to my grandma's (my dad's mom's) house to celebrate some more over there. I'm stuffed to my limit is what I'm telling you. ;)
Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am ready to delve into Christmas crafting. I haven't always been much of a Christmas crafter, but I have been warming up to it within the past few years. I finished up some ornaments this afternoon. I made them for the Button Floozies' Christmas Ornament Swap, so I'll have to share them with you when my partners receive their ornament.
I put this mosaic together as I was gathering inspiration for my ornaments. I thought maybe it would inspire you too. They are such sweet, felt ornaments with lovely buttons as embellishments.

1. Heart Hangers Red and White, 2. Christmas tree, hearts & star, 3. tree3, 4. Ginger Bread Men Ornament
I hope you have a relaxing weekend! See you Monday! :D

Thanksgiving/Fall Cards

2011-11-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

I went to another one of Richard's card classes. I am always inspired by his intricate card designs. When I have a moment to craft, I usually don't opt to make a card (I'm not much of a card maker), but I gather inspiration from seeing and making cards.
We made several cards this last time. (I'll show you the others another day). Today I will be sharing a few Thanksgiving/Fall cards as they are appropriate to the season. ;)
This is one of the cards:

It is beautiful and folds in a fancy shmancy way. I don't know that I could even recreate it. (If I try and am successful, I'll be sure to show you!)
We also made this pumpkin card. You know how much I love pumpkin anything. :)

We made this one (below) last time, but it fits in today, so I'll show you again! :)

I'd love to see any Thanksgiving/Fall cards you have made. Link to your post or pictures below if you'd like.

See you soon!

Altered Trinkets Tin

2011-11-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hello there! I hope Monday is treating you well. I am enjoying another lazy Monday this week because my girls are off for Thanksgiving break. Yay-yay.

I'll have to keep these little busybodies occupied. They get restless when they're not in school. I know I've mentioned it before!

Well, I've gathered you here today to share a "Trinkets Tin" I put together.

I dusted off several of the tins I've collected over the years after being inspired by the Fall in Love with Buttons Swap, in which we decorated an Altoids tin and filled it with fall themed buttons.

I filled this tin with a few buttons in my favorite color scheme- black and white, pewter charms and other like trinkets.

I was thinking making one like this would be sweet in Christmas colors stuffed in the stocking of fellow crafter. :)

Before I go, be sure to check out Michelle's Muffin Tin Monday meals today. Michelle put together an adorable pilgrim inspired tin with little boats holding sandwiches. You just have to go see it and the contributions of the other participants. (I wasn't able to play along today).

I hope you enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Miss Mishievous

2011-11-18T13:19:00.001-08:00

I am delighted that I will be a "Guest Gardener" over at The Creative Patch in December. The Creative Patch is a blog about sharing beautiful ideas, growing inspiration, and nurturing creativity. Sheila (at Blessed and Distressed), Sarah (at My So Called Junky Life), and Heather (at Speckled Egg) founded this blog, and you can read more about it here.
I am going to share a tutorial in December, and I will be sure to let you know when I am posting there. (You can also go there now, and start following to keep up with the various tutorials to come!)

I'm gathering ideas for my tutorial. I thought about doing a little doll ornament tutorial. I have a favorite little doll in my workspace. I found her at my local scrapbook store a year or so ago, and happily added her as she is very, very sweet. There is a picture of her at the end of this post. This post isn't really about her though...

About a week ago, I thought, "Maybe I can make one like her?!" I got to work making a little doll just like her, but my new, little doll gave me so, so, so much trouble. She is very mischievous! First, I couldn't get my sewing machine to work properly. (Have I mentioned that I'm scared of my sewing machine?) I wanted her to have clean crisp edges like her sister... but that simply wouldn't do. So, I hand sewed most of her. (I hate hand sewing!)

You can see she is very rough around the edges. She just wouldn't sit still. No matter how much I begged and pleaded. "Miss Mischievous, p-p-p-p-please!"

There was no convincing her! Sure, she may look sweet, but she is so terribly stubborn.

I finally gave in, and let her have it her way. I stopped trying to make her what I wanted, and accepted her "flaws" and all. She is exactly as she should be. At least she has her older sister to keep her out of any serious mischief. ;)

I will not attempt to make another one! She is a handful all by herself! ;D

Gypsy Heart Altered Book

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I altered a vintage book. Finally. I've been itching to do this for some time, but there was something so daunting about altering a book. I kind of felt like I was ruining it.

But I like how it turned out.

I was inspired by the ones Rachel made for me.

I made this one for a friend. I will have to make one for myself now! :)

Workspace Wednesday

2011-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Welcome to Workspace Wednesday. :)
I've been working on deep cleaning my space. I could really relate to what Rachel said on her post about being more productive in a clean space. She said, "There's not better inspiration than being able to find your supplies...like your glue stick and scissors." *chuckle!*
I agree that I can be more productive in a clean space. :)
...This is part of the bookshelf right next to my desk. (Please excuse the poor quality of the picture!)

It houses many of my supplies and inspirational pieces. The first shelf holds my Stampington publications (my favorite magazines are Somerset Life, Sew Somerset, and Somerset Home), decorative tapes, tiny books in Bonne Maman jars including the one I received from Elyse, mini Moo cards (I love my growing collection!) from various artists (those are inside of the pin cushion I received from Julie for my first whimsy jar swap), the pin cushion I received from Apryl, double sided glue dots ... the storage boxes contain: any pretty packaging I have received (I keep them for inspiration), felt embellishments (mostly hearts), envelopes for making books (like Julie's), Whitman cards, and packaging materials (address labels, postage stamps... things like that).
I'll have to share the rest of the shelves with you another day. )That is, if you like looking through the mess of other crafters as much as I do).
Thank you for coming to visit! :)

Fall in Love with Buttons Swap for Jenny

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello there! This is the tin I put together for Jenny for the Fall in Love with Buttons Swap. Remember what she put together for me?

I've had that paper (the one decorating the outside of the tin) forever, and I'm glad I was able to finally use it on the perfect project. Do you hoard your pretty papers, too?

I filled Jenny's tin with a variety of Fall themed buttons...

That was the objective after all! ;)

I lined the bottom of the tin with one of my pumpkin tiny books. It fit the theme nicely.

Do you have anything you would like to get done before Fall is over? *Sigh* It's going by too quickly if you ask me!

Fall Jars (Teachers' Gifts)

2011-11-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

I am enjoying a lazy, Monday today. My husband is on duty; he took our girls to school today. (I usually do it. He is usually at work by this time). So, I have a moment to check in with you! Yay! :)
I thought I would take a moment to share the fall jars "we" made for my girls' teachers.

Inside of a jar, I layered pumpkin bread and cream cheese frosting. I tied striped grosgrain ribbon from Close to My Heart on each of them. Using Papertrey Ink's Friendship Jar stamp set (I used the new pint-sized summer set), I made little jar tags. I love this stamp set and all the filler sets so much. I love giving gifts in jars*, and these are the perfect accompaniment. :) They're so cute!
I'm already working on the Winter/holiday gift jars... I'm excited about 'em! I have sketches and everything! I've been sitting on the idea for months now. I can't wait to share them with you.
:)
Happy Monday to you!
*I'll admit when I saw Nikki's cute pumpkin loaves, I regretted not making those for my girls' teachers instead! *Chuckle*

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

In honor of Veterans Day, I went to dig up my tag book from my Red, White, and Blue Swap from a few years ago.

I keep some of the pretty things that I receive from swaps in a big box to sort through for inspiration. Yes, I said some! I don't keep everything... *gasp* Yes, it's true. I am often asked what I do with all of the things I receive. I haven't answered that question, but some of what I receive I keep...
and some of it...

well...

well, some of it...

Some of it, I regift.

*Cringe*

Yes, it's true.

I really do love to give- even more than I like to receive. I know some people say it and don't mean it, but I mean it!

Anywho, I had to sort through this BIG box to look for the book of tags:

See? I keep most of what I receive! I especially keep all of those books of tags that I've received over the years:

This is just some of 'em! There are loose tags in there, too! Geez puh-leeze (as my daughter would say), that's a lot of tags.

Well, I better run along.

Happy Veterans Day.

Fall in Love with Buttons Swap from Jenny

2011-11-10T13:21:00.001-08:00

Hello there! I have a fun, button tin to share with you today. :) Jenny from The Red Bulletin Board made this tin for me for the Fall in Love with Buttons Swap.

That distressed tag with stamped owl had me at hello.

Anything with buttons is sure to have me swooning.

I am a true, Button Floozy, after all.

I love them all! But...

especially these ones with the umbrellas imprinted on them. Just like the one Tabitha sent me!

Thank you so much, Jenny! The pumpkin spice soap was icing on the cake! Thank you!!! :D

Workspace Wednesday

2011-11-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

My work space is currently cluttered with a few things I've purchased within the past week. I have these buying spurts. Do you? I can go weeks even months without buying anything, and then all of a sudden, I just gotta have it all. Does that happen to you? (I was really, really good when I went to my local scrapbook store though and only spent $10. I am determined to use more of what I have and buy less. I have PLENTY. I bought a Halloween stamp. It was a pumpkin outline with a cute raven sitting on it. It was on sale because it was after Halloween. And, I bought a few of Tim Holtz's Dennison label look-a-likes. Have you seen those? I'm still on a label kick).
Well, I went to Collective Journey, my local scrapbook store. And by local, I mean about 45 minutes or so away. If you live nearby it is worth the trip. I love their selection, and their decor is always beautiful! And they have incredibly talented people teaching their classes. I took one not so long ago.

These are a few of the pictures I took while I was there.

I am one of *those bloggers* that asks permission to take pictures now to share on my blog.

I, honestly, wanted to take more pictures, but I was starting to feel silly. I guess I'm not at the point where I shamelessly take pictures for my bloggy friends. ;)
Soon. Soon.
It is a growing process.
Speaking of "those bloggers," I recognized another blogger while I was there: Kim Caldwell from Artistic Bliss. I was so starstruck. She's a blog celebrity! But again, I'm not at the point where I can shamelessly approach another blogger that I recognize, so I did not. I did email her after the fact though! (It's easy to hide behind an email... not so much in person). She's as nice as can be, and I regret not approaching her. (Even if just to take a closer look at one of her beautiful, signature totes! I have my eye on this one.)
I'll be sure to link back to this post when I can shamelessly take a picture, approach another blogger, and have a passerby snap a picture of the two of us together for you all to see. ;) I'm not there yet.
Happy Workspace Wednesday!

Red Queen Doll and other goodies from Apryl...

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I saw this post from Apryl. I loved her Moo cards. (I have a growing collection). I LOVE Apryl's as I love her work and her work is featured on each one.
I asked her if she would be willing to swap again with me so I could get my hands on one of her Moo cards. Remember what she sent me for The Nightmare Before Valentine's Day Swap and what I sent her?
Well, Apryl did not disappoint:

When Apryl told me that she was putting an Alice in Wonderland/playing cards theme together for me, I was delighted at the thought. I love it! Apryl sent me another doll. I love her heart for a mouth. See it? Just like the Red Queen. Apryl sent me chocolate wrapped in playing card paper (she actually sent me more than this, I just nibbled on a few before I took the picture), a vintage, playing card with buttons sewn on it, a vintage book (like I've never seen before! I was so happy to add it to my collection of vintage books), a lovely Alice in Wonderland badge,

and I can't have you forget about that Moo card. I LOVE it.
My new doll is sitting right next to Malice on my scrap desk.

Thank you so much, Apryl... I have to have the entire "Apryl Moo Card Collection," so I will be requesting we swap again soon. ;)

I will be sharing what I sent to Apryl soon. I am waiting for her to receive her package. I was late... per usual! eeek.

Halloween Tiny Book Winner...

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Those of you who were reading closely noticed that I said I would giveaway one of my Halloween tiny books.

The great and powerful random number generator chose...
Amy from Curly Q Mosaics. Yay! I'll get this in the mail right away, Amy! :)
Hope you have a great weekend, friends!

Whimsy Jar for Tabitha

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I shared the whimsy jar that Tabitha put together for me.
Today, I'll be sharing the one I made for her.

Tabitha is expecting a sweet, little baby soon, so I opted to make her a baby themed whimsy jar.

I topped it with my favorite flower. I use these often. :)

I filled it with baby embellishments in pales pinks and pale blues.

I took these pictures in bad lighting, which is why they didn't turn out so well...

but you get the idea.
I sent along some baby themed vintage ephemera along with the jar.

Several of the pieces were from a baby kit I bought from Cerri months ago (scroll to the bottom of that post too see the pictures).
So, there you have it! :)
I'm worried some of you missed something on the spooky, little books post a few posts ago! ;)
Be back soon.

Workspace Wednesday

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I do love seeing messy work spaces.

That's why I share mine on Wednesdays (when I remember). I'll be honest and tell you that sometimes I tidy up my workspace, but not this week. This is truly what my space looks like right now... bobby pins and all.
Be sure to read yesterday's Spooky, Little Books post. You might've missed something! ;)
I hope you're making a happy mess, too. :)

Spooky, Little Books

2011-11-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hello there. Happy belated Halloween to you. I've been itching to share these books I received for Terri's "Spooky" Little Book Swap with you.
I received the books some time ago, but I didn't tear right into the package because I wanted to enjoy each, little book while taking pictures to share with you. Well that time to "fully enjoy" them never came! Last night when I realized, "I *have* to post these. It's Halloween!" I tore right into them! I took hideous pictures last night, uploaded them with the intentions to post them last night for you to see. However, I was not happy with the quality of the pictures, so I took new pictures of the books themselves this morning, but there was no way to take pictures of them in their original, pretty packaging. Boo to my impatience. I'm telling you all of this because at the end of this post, you can see all the books wrapped in their original, pretty packaging, but the lighting is terrible, and I wish I had waited to tear into the package until today. I had already waited so long; why did I do that? Why, oh, why? Whatever to me and my impatience. ;)

On to the spooky, little books!

Above: top row from left to right, we have our hostess Terri Kolte, Valerie Myers, Michelle Geller. Bottom row from left to right, we have Jill Sibbald, Kris Coley, Terry Frias.

Above: top row from left to right, we have Terri Wilkerson, Cathy Gomes, Kandy Standridge. Bottom row from left to right, we have Lisa Stanton, Wendy Robrecht, Carina Karlson.

Above: top row from left to right, we have Maureen Kosewic, Julie Baxley, Stephanie Oyler. Bottom row from left to right, we have Wanda Clark, Wanda Clark (she made 2!), and the one I made.
So, there you have them.
Oh yes, this is all of them before I tore into the packaging:

Please excuse the TERRIBLE lighting.

If you're anything like me, you might start blog stalking the participants to see if they'll swap a tiny book with you. I did just that with a few of the first tiny book swap participants. I was so happy Suzanne provided a link to each participant (well, the ones who had them) as I missed out on that swap. Luckily, I was able to join Michelle's swap, but she, too, has a post with a link to each participant (again, those that have a link). See? I'm making it easy for you to blog stalk tiny book makers.

One of you doesn't have to blog stalk me for one of my spooky, tiny books. Leave a comment on this post, and I will draw a name this Friday and send one to you. I love spreading the tiny book love. :)

Happy November!

We have a winner...

2011-10-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

The great and powerful Random Number Generator has chosen a winner for this Pumpkin Paper Pocket Giveaway.

There were a total of 34 comments, but 2 were repeats, which makes 32 entries:

Number 17 is Denise from Count it *all JOY!! I will be emailing you, Denise. :)

Some fabulous pumpkin recipes were left as entries for the giveaway. Be sure to check them out. I am itching to make the pumpkin mousse recipe that Denise included.

I hope you'll come back soon. :)

Whimsy Jar from Tabitha

2011-10-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hello there. I'm gathering you here today to share the whimsy jar that my friend Tabitha from Creative Wings Boutique made for me.

I mentioned some of my whimsy jar likes to Tabitha, and she did not disappoint!

Shades of pink, shades of yellow, shades of blue came together nicely in this pretty, girlie whimsy jar.

Tabitha included my favorite supplies: "vintage" and "new" buttons...

Did you get a good look at the button with the umbrella on it?! I love that one!

Tabitha also included vintage ribbons, lace, and a pretty handkerchief:

And! She included a pretty, inspiration kit outside of the jar:

with lots of treasures!

Tabitha, you shouldn't have, but I'm so glad you did. :)

Tomorrow, I will announce the winner of the pumpkin pocket giveaway. There's one more day to sign up! Hurry. :)

"Spooky" Halloween Tiny Book

2011-10-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have lots to share. Everything got put on hold (naturally) after this. The memorial service was beautiful and heart breaking all at the same time. I'm still grieving along with the family, but I think I will have to learn to live with the feeling. It is just so sad, and rather than ignore the sad, I think I will learn from it and learn to live with it. I think God wants me to. Thank you for sticking with me, and for your warm comments.
...
There is still time to sign up for the "pumpkin" giveaway. I wanted to give the Button Floozies a chance to win (I am a contributor there. See my posts here).
Anywho...
I made a spooky, tiny book for Terri's "Spooky" little book swap. For the swap, we were to make a collage, copy it, and make several tiny books for the participants (just in case you're new here and don't know about tiny books yet. Be sure to check out Julie's tutorial if you would like to make one of your own!).

Now that I've received all of the tiny books from the participants (I'll be sharing those soon!), I can share the book with you.
Part of the reason I love making these tiny books so much is that I get to keep the original.

Selfish?

I'll admit that I am willing to use my favorite supplies on these tiny books because I know they will be staying with me.

Fine. I'll admit it. It's selfish. :)
Well, this is the cover (page 1):

This is the first layout (pages 2 and 3):

This is the second layout (pages 4 and 5):

This is the third layout (pages 6 and 7):

This is the back cover and final page (page 8):

I put this tiny book in my shop for those of you that would like to buy one (you can see it copied and folded there, too,). Remember, though, if you want to swap one of my tiny books (or any one in my shop) for one of yours, I would be delighted to swap with you. I can't get enough of these tiny books. The other day I was looking through them, and I thought, "I'm like a 12 year old boy with a beloved baseball card collection." hee.
More soon. :)

2011-10-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

- C.S. Lewis

Easing the Pain...

2011-10-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you so, so much for your prayers and kind thoughts.

My heart is bleeding for the loss of my friends' daughter. I can only imagine the pain that they feel, and I want to help them. I want to ease the pain... I don't know if I can ,but I remember the wise words of James 2:15,16 "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?"

I think that my friends must need comfort, friendship, a shoulder to cry on.

And above all, my heartfelt prayers.

As an aside, I want to share with you that when I had promised myself I would post more often by committing to post at least 5 times a week, I realized that would mean being transparent with you. My days aren't always filled with crafting (wouldn't that be nice?), they are filled with real life. So, I decided that I would share my real life and the real me with you. I will continue to post "pretty" things, of course, but from time to time, I will also be posting that which is in my heart. This is a crafty blog, but this blog is also about my life's journey.

Thank you for reading, friends. I teared up reading many of your comments. They were food for my soul.

Unanswered Prayers?

2011-10-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last night we prayed in the hospital with friends of ours from church for their 2 year old daughter, diagnosed with leukemia this week, and not expected to live through the night. She passed away very early this morning.

We prayed for healing. Was it desperate and illogical to ask for a miracle when the doctors had said she wasn't expected to live through the night? Foolish to be hopeful?

I am finite. God is infinite. I choose to trust Him even though I don't understand.

Yes, this post is about pumpkins. Why do you ask?

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin after pumpkin post... I hope you're not tired of them! :)
I showed you the box I sent Stevie the other day. Well, this is the box Stevie sent to me.

Stevie and I had originally agreed to swap a box with both pumpkins and owls when I realized I had too much pumpkin things I wanted to include, so I should limit it to that. Stevie still sent me some owl goodies, and I'm so glad! They are so, so cute! It's been a while since I've crafted with owls. Maybe this will get me motivated in that direction.
Here's a peek of the inside of the box:

And this is a sideview:

Inside of the box, Stevie included:

several vintage pumpkin images, pumpkin charms and owl charms, a pumpkin tag ornament, owl appliques, an owl stamp, and pumpkin scented hand sanitizer.
As though that didn't have me jumping up and down in pumpkin inspired bliss, Stevie still sent more outside of the box like this pretty muslin baggie:

with a pretty Jack-o-lantern ornament inside:

Stevie also sent me a pretty fabric pumpkin that she made:

Thank you so much, Stevie, for all the pretty pumpkin and owl goodness. :)

Don't forget about the giveaway! Scroll down for details! :)

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-10-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

It is Muffin Tin Monday today. Be sure to check out Michelle's blog this week for her Muffin Tin Meal and the meals of other participants. She links to them at the bottom of her post.
Our Muffin Tin Muffin meal for today was a kid-friendly Mexican dish. I made potato and carrot taquitos with sour cream, homemade salsa, and guacamole. (The taquitos are VERY easy to make. Boil a potato or two and a carrot or two- depending on how many nappers you have. Salt the water generously. When they are tender, take them out of the water and mash them together with a little bit of shredded cheese. Then, take your warm tortillas, fill them with the potato-carrot mixture. Roll up the tortillas and lightly fry them until crispy. In efforts to keep this dish on the healthier side, I did not deep fry them though that's how it's typically prepared).

I also made "Spanish rice" (it is commonly referred to as Spanish rice though it is Mexican) with corn. (The rice is usually fried, but I opted not to fry it. It's still tasty. For 1 1/2 cups of rice, take 1/2 a cup of rice, 1 cup of water,1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 bouillon cube or use chicken stock instead of water and bouillon if you have it, and 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce. Bring them all to boil together, add about 1/4 cup of corn kernels, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer covered for 10 minutes or so).

I used spider cupcake liners today for the sauces. Aren't they cute?
Did you happen to notice the new Muffin Tin Monday button on my side bar? Such a cute, little button! And since we are on this topic, I've been meaning to tell you that all of the buttons and pictures on my side bar are links. So, if you see something that catches your eye, click away! :)

In other news, I've been trying to post more regularly, and I hope to stick with it. I appreciate when my favorite bloggers post often, so I am trying to post often for those of you who check in with me. I do love it when you come by! :)

I'll be sharing what Stevie sent me for our pumpkin swap tomorrow. Speaking of pumpkins... don't forget about my little, pumpkin kit giveaway. Scroll down for more details.

Pumpkin Paper Pocket Giveaway

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

~~[Edit: I've extended the sign up date until October 28th. Sign up while you can! :)]~~
Sign ups now closed. Thank you for playing along!

Hello there, friends! Here is the pumpkin giveaway I promised!

Inside of a handmade pumpkin patterned paper pocket (say that 3 times fast), I put one of my pumpkin tiny books and several brown, green, and orange embellishments, which include some remnant pieces of vintage papers for you to play with. The Moo card I am including has this picture (one of my favorites) on the front. I am also sending along some goodies that are not pictured here like some striped orange grosgrain ribbon with a sweet, little, owl charm attached; some pumpkin spice votive candles; and a $5 gift card to Starbucks so the winner can pick up a seasonal, fall, pumpkin treat. I suggest a pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin muffin, but this, this, this, or this is also good. ;)
To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your favorite pumpkin recipe. Secret family recipes would be best. ;) Just kidding- I don't want to make grandma mad.
I will draw a name next Friday, which is October ~~21st~~ 28th.
International friends are welcome. Also, you don't have to have a blog to enter this giveaway, but please leave an email address for me to contact you if you don't.
Sign ups now closed.

Happy fall! :)

Pumpkin Tiny Book

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I made a pumpkin tiny book a few weeks ago when the pumpkin giddiness hit me hard. I think I've had more pumpkin lattes than I'd care to admit. I've nibbled on a few pumpkin muffins, ONE slice of pumpkin loaf, and ONE pumpkin scone from Starbucks. Not all at the same time, but still. Fall didn't start all that long ago. You do the math! ;) Who's consuming alotta pumpkin products? Is it me? I guess, I feel that if I don't enjoy it now it will pass me by and I will miss fall- I could REALLY relate to what my friend Mary said about "missing fall."

Anywho! I came here to share my pumpkin tiny book with you. I enjoyed putting this one together.

I don't know if Julie realized the impact her tiny book tutorial was going to have on me!

I love 'em! And, I can't get enough. Will you believe I already have 2 others to share with you? And! I have some ideas for a few more that I want to put together! I had intended to make 12 this past year as one of my goals for 28 things to do before I turn 29. I don't have quite as many done as I would have liked... I will be 29 in December. EEEk... We'll see how many I will be able to cross off of the list!

Well, this is the front cover of the tiny book (page 1):

This is the first layout (pages 2 and 3):

This is the second layout (pages 4 and 5):

This is the third layout (pages 6 and 7):

This is the back cover of the tiny book (page 8):

I put the tiny books (copies of the original collage) in my etsy shop. See them copied and folded here.
Of course, I am always happy to swap tiny books! This one or any one in my shop for one of yours. I sell them for those that don't have the time or inclination to swap. :)

Tomorrow, I will be hosting a little giveaway on my blog. One of my pumpkin tiny books and a few other embellishments. See you soon!

Workspace Wednesday/Giveaway Sneak...

2011-10-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

I came back to show you my workspace as I am, indeed, sharing my new, pumpkin tiny book with you tomorrow (the very one I included in Stevie's pumpkin themed box). I will also be stocking my etsy shop with them later tonight or some time tomorrow as the nappers allow.

I am also working on the giveaway for Friday. I will be including several of the embellishments you see above.

I love messy, yet productive workspaces. :)

Pumpkin Themed Petite Inspiration Box

2011-10-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

Today, I'm sharing with you the swap portion of the pumpkinloveitis sickness I mentioned yesterday. It's quite contagious, so beware. ;)

I put together a pumpkin themed petite inspiration box for my friend Stevie.
I decorated a matchbox with pumpkin and fall patterned paper and my favorite orange striped grosgrain ribbon:
Inside of the box, I included more of the striped ribbon for Stevie, pumpkin tags, pumpkin spice votive candles, a pumpkin rubber stamp, a pumpkin tiny book (I'll be sharing pictures tomorrow), a gift card to Starbucks, so Stevie could pick up a pumpkin spice latte or blended pumpkin frappuccino or their pumpkin cream cheese muffin with candied pumpkin seeds or maybe their pumpkin scone or a slice of their pumpkin loaf. She has options is what I'm telling you. ;)
This is their pumpkin muffin below:
Inside, I also included a small matchbox with festive buttons:
Outside of the box, I also sent a fun, pumpkin pocket with seasonal , pumpkin chocolate:
and a "Harvest" pumpkin hanging:
I was able to scratch that pumpkinloveitis itch I get. It's one of the symptoms. ;)
Tomorrow? The tiny book! Come back to see it. On Friday, the giveaway...

Pumpkinloveitis

2011-10-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

I, too, have pumpkinloveitis (coined by Sasha). I wish I had a minute to tell you all about it, but I have to go light a pumpkin candle and get some laundry done. (Does it ever end?) I wanted to stop by to show you a quick picture of my tiny book and to tell you that I have some pumpkin goodness coming your way soon.
Think tiny books.
Think swaps.
Think baked goods.
Think giveaway.
Be back real soon. :)

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-10-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was so inspired by Michelle's Muffin Tin Monday post today that I was determined to play along! I, honestly, didn't have any plans to participate today (I hadn't even thought of it truth be told!) but her post was just too cute!
Inspired by her Halloween post, I put together this little meal for my girls today.
Peanut butter and jelly jack-o-lantern (raisin eyes, nose, and mouth), trail mix, banana slices, and chocolate banana milkshake (1/2 cup of chocolate soy milk and 1 frozen banana blended for 2 kid servings) topped with whipped cream and leaf sprinkles.
Be sure to visit Michelle here for the rest of adorable the MTM submissions. :) For more of my MTM meals, click here.
Happy day to you!

Layered Jello-Poke Cupcakes

2011-09-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

My girls are literally napping.

Well.

2 of 'em. 1 is still in school.

But still! 2 little nappers? It's as rare as a lunar eclipse.

:) Because I had a minute to myself, after grinning from ear to ear up and down the house just looking around excitedly thinking, "What can I do with a whole minute to myself?!" I thought I would share these cupcakes I made for a special someone's birthday. My daughter turned 8 years old!

I make layered jello-poke cupcakes, which I would like to share pictures of with you. ;) The other day I shared some banana muffins that I layered with cream cheese and preserves. after seeing Elizabeth's birthday cupcake jars. I had fancied the thought of making birthday cupcake jars for my daughter to share with her classmates on her birthday. Then, I realized, "Backspace. Delete that. Jars for 3rd graders?!" Horrendous idea, indeed.

But then?!

Nikki at Whimsy Love in all of her creative genius presented these cupcakes in plastic cups.
Perfect solution!

I decided to go with jello-poke cake. Have you tried it? You simply must! It is a very moist cake and definitely a kid friendly cake.

Here is my informal recipe: After baking several cupcakes using yellow cake mix, I allowed the cupcakes to cool completely.

Then, I placed a cupcake in each cup and poked holes generously over each cupcake with a wooden skewer (a fork would work, too).

Then, I used my prepared strawberry jello mixture and spooned a teaspoon or two of the prepared jello mixture onto each cupcake.

Then, I added some vanilla frosting and sprinkles on top of those cupcakes.

After that, I placed another cupcake on top of the frosted cupcake and again poked the cupcake and added some of more jello mixture to that cupcake.

Finally, I frosted all the cupcakes, added sprinkles, and allowed them to cool in the refrigerator for several hours.

What resulted was happiness in a plastic cup.

My daughter was grinning when she walked out of class. She had a few cups left over, so she asked if she could give some to her friends. You never saw cupcakes go so fast. :)

Whimsy Jar swap

2011-09-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there, friends. How are you? Keeping up with the hustle and bustle of life?

Me, too.

I'm happy that you would stop by and spend a minute with me. :)

Heather from Speckled Egg and I swapped whimsy jars. We sent them along with our daughter's swap packages. It's funny; we didn't even agree to swap anything with each other when we were arranging for our daughters to swap over the summer- we just did. And, we both sent each other whimsy jars. And we both sent the same color palette. It's just too funny.

I just love what Heather sent me.
Such pretty items in such a pretty, vintage jar:
I sent her the jar below:
The outside was decorated like the ones my daughters sent for her daughters.I did enjoy our swap so much. Thank you, Heather. I am often asked where I find the time to swap.

I make time.

I believe we make time to do the things that we love. We prioritize what we will. In order to swap, I often sacrifice other things in my life- like doing laundry. I'm sorry there are no clean socks this week. Sandals it is. ;)

It is to keep balance in my life that I craft and that I swap. I need some me time, so that I can have the patience and kindness to do all of that which is required from me like the laundry *bleh* and to clean up what feels like was the exact same mess from yesterday.

When I have pretty pictures to share, a mess is often nearby....

This is me sacrificing tidying up my scrap desk to blog and share these swap pictures with you. We make time for that which is important. :)

Come again soon!

Summer Break Swap

2011-09-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that Heather's girls and my girls swapped over summer break. We swapped those sweet, whimsy jars and a small box of treats for each of them. I don't know about Heather, but this was my way of keeping my girls entertained! :)
I love the way that Heather and her girls wrapped the presents:
My girls were thrilled with their swap treasures:I got giddy and girlie as they opened up each treasure as though I was receiving them myself:These are the pictures of what my girls sent to each of their partners:They loved personalizing the boxes by stamping on them:Sending or receiving- it didn't matter, we were all girlishly excited and giddy about this swap:
This was my girls' first swap, and I know it was a huge success because they're asking what we'll be swapping next. :)

Whimsy Jar Swap (A Kid Version)

2011-09-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

You don't have to look far to see how much I love whimsy jars. I've been hooked ever since that first one with Julie a while ago. Heather's girls and my girls swapped whimsy jars and other treats over the summer. These are the jars that Heather's girls sent my girls.
I was lucky to pry the jars out of my daughter's hands long enough to take these pictures for you (on my dirty table cloth):
And I can understand why they didn't want to let them go. They're such sweet jars:
These are the jars that my girls sent:
Heather's girls liked the colors pink and red, so we they went with that color scheme for each of them:
We They loved making the treasure catcher for them. "They" got the idea from Nikki.
I'll be back to show you the rest of the goodies soon. :)

Wedding Photos

2011-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

My family and I went to a pretty wedding.
I wanted to share a few of the pictures with you...
I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

Air Mail Art Swap

2011-09-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share the pretty envelope that Michelle made for me for our Air Mail Art Swap. When Michelle posted pictures of her air mail collection, I picked myself up off the floor and drooled over the pictures some more. She has such a great collection!
I have a bunch of vintage air mail envelopes with their original letters, a few labels, and that's about it! I'm keeping my eyes peeled to see if I can find more air mail goodies after doing this swap! :)
Michelle made me this beautiful envelope (this is the front): (and the back):
Isn't it beautiful?!
I had made Michelle this box first, but when I accepted that it was lost (it was taking way too long!), I made her another one. Then when it made its way to her (yay!), I already had another one made for her, so she got two of a very similar box.
I'm glad they look a little different though! :) I liked the second one a little more actually:
This is the box from other angles:There's something about that red, white, and blue color scheme that gets me. :)
Thank you, Michelle, for swapping with me!

Before I run along, Tabitha, one of my bloggy friends, told me that sometimes it is difficult to comment on my blog, and sometimes not all of the posts appear. Do you ever have that problem? If so, please leave me a comment (if you can), and if you can't, feel free to email me at jessrodarte(at)verizon(dot)net. Thank you in advance!

Fall in Love with Buttons: the Swap

2011-09-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

I had to post again today and tell you about this button swap hosted by my new friend Laurie on the Button Floozies blog. She is the new Button Floozy blog administrator.

For those of you who don't know, I am one of the contributors to the Button Floozies blog. To see all of my posts, click here.

(This is Laurie's picture above). The idea of the swap is to alter an Altoids tin, fill it with Fall-themed buttons, and send it off to your partner. Of course, you will get a fabulous little tin yourself in return filled with buttons! Check out the details here.

Ledgers and Rambling

2011-09-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

I spent a portion of the day sorting through my ephemera collection. I am working on a tiny book for Terri's "Spooky" Little Book Swap, so I was looking for some pieces fitting that theme. I didn't find much, and it's probably because I'm so disorganized! I finally added the new bits of ephemera from my Spring swap to my ~~wacky~~ unique way of organizing my ephemera (yeah! just now in the beginning of Fall). I have lots of favorite collections including vintage letters with those airmail envelopes (that's why I was so psyched about the swap with Michelle! Speaking of which, she finally received that lost, little box! *sigh of relief* but I still sent her another one because I was worried the first one would never get to her. And because I had it all ready to go, I sent it to her when she told me she got the first one. *ha!* So, I'll be sharing what she sent me and what I sent her soon!)
Okay... what was I saying? Oh yes, I have lots of favorite collections: vintage letters, book pages, music sheets, dictionary pages, flashcards, Bingo cards, "cutesie" (playful/whimsical/girlie)ephemera, playing cards, Dennison labels (to name a few), and...
...and ledgers:

*swoon* for the love of ledgers! Ledgers are some of my favorite pieces in my ephemera collection. By ledgers, I mean anything with lines as I group ledgers, receipts, tally sheets, etc. all together.
I love 'em! Anywho! I have to run along! My little one is napping, and I want to see how much "scrapping" I can get done. ;) I really should change the name of my blog to "Kids Napping? I'm Blog Hopping, Etsy Browsing, Sitting Around Enjoying the Quiet Time 'cause It's Not Gonna Last Too Long," but it doesn't have the same ring to it.
Be back soon!

On a quiet, Saturday afternoon

2011-09-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

there are tiny books in happy piles...

which are all in my etsy shop. :)

Fall Crafting

2011-09-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

I have a thing for Fall crafting. I've mentioned it before. I especially love making pumpkin bread (or muffins) in the Fall and making cute pumpkin tags to go along with them.
My collection of pumpkin stamps has been growing. I love 'em! I'm telling you. Nikki's posts on making pumpkin bread for her daughters' teachers always inspire me! Can't wait to see if she does it this year!

Pumpkins and owls seem to go swimmingly together. My sister made this adorable owl card using Stampin' Ups' owl punch. I'm so borrowing it. Super cute! AnyWHOOOO... I'm not trying to rush summer along or anything! Not like this heat will let me forget what time of year it is anyway! ;)

Pasta Ponza and Rambling about Recipes

2011-09-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Happy September! Being that it is later in the year, I have started thinking about my list of 28 things to do before I turn 29 in December! Oh goodness. The time always gets the better of me.

Well, I have crossed off a few things. Look here.

One of my goals was to try 2 new recipes a month... I don't think I've done that as much as I would have liked, but I have tried a few new recipes, so yay for that. It's easier with little ones to stick with what is tried and true (but mostly, with what's liked), but I think it's important to introduce them to new flavors, so I try to do a little of that!

I've been trying to think of new recipes that I've introduced my family to this year... I can't think of many, but I will share with you those that I do remember.

Let's see...
Earlier in the year, I made a buffalo chicken dip for super bowl weekend. That was very yummy! Maybe I'll get it together, and make it for labor day weekend. Don't hold your breath though! ;)

Then, my sister in law introduced me to a pasta salad recipe similar to this one (minus the pepperoni). So, so good!

Then, I made that lemon bundt cake (super good!) that one time.

I also got a homemade book of recipes from Kerri that I will be using soon! I think that I thought of that because of the bundt cake. Kerri included a key lime pie recipe that I'm itching to try.

I do love to bake! I made those jam filled cupcakes that one time.

I made roasted carrot soup one time, too! (I am thinking out loud here, so excuse my excitement). I just remembered! That was so good! And super easy!

I made pizza paninis some time this year, and that was tasty and so easy (and obviously a hit with my girls!).

I tried shepherd's pie another time (not good. My husband was nice and said he liked it, but when I think of shepherd's pie, I think light and creamy, not red colored and watery. *gag*).

I made ratatouille one time with the lots and lots of squash that was given to us. That was okay.

I've experimented with various versions of my breakfast smoothie. Peach smoothie one time... Pineapple coconut smoothie another... Strawberry banana most often though.

Last week, I tried oven fried chicken (a recipe I found on Weight Watchers). It was tasty!

I made chicken fajitas another time, as well.

My husband and I made spinach-chicken breast rolls. We'll have to make that one again! We eat alotta chicken around here I just realized!

Some of our regular meals have been upgraded... That counts, too, right?! ha! I've been adding honey mustard to my regular turkey and cheese sandwich (that's really good).

I added squash to our spaghetti sauce another time (simple and healthy).

Anywho!! All of this to tell you that with one of the books my husband bought me for Christmas (nice guy that he is):

I made Giada's Pasta Ponza:
I omitted the capers as a). I didn't have any on hand, and b). I *just know* my daughter would have asked, "Um... mom? What's this green stuff in the otherwise delicious pasta dinner?"

I was so anxious to eat the pasta when it was done, that I forgot to take a picture! See? I'm not good at this sharing recipe stuff. I rushed to eat it, and it was very good, by the way.

But I did remember to take a picture of the tomatoes before they roasted. See:

Aren't they pretty? Let's see if I can add a few more recipes before the year is up... Have any recipes you'd like to share? Please do!

Art Journals and Dennison Labels

2011-08-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've always been an art journaler, I just didn't know that's what it was. I had journals, and I would save receipts, tickets, and other modern ephemera to glue into my journals. My favorite journal is the one I made when I first started dating my husband. He gave me a journal as a gift one day when we were dating, and I wrote down EVERYTHING we did together. Got a coke at the mall? Saved the straw wrapper.

Oh, to be a girl with a big crush... ;)

Well, for several years, I stopped journaling and focused more so on scrapbooking. The scrapbooks became more about the pictures and I stopped collecting modern ephemera. That makes me sad! I really like ephemera! Old and modern! I realized that I still want to "scrapbook" but with art journals as my medium. That's more me. I stopped scrapbooking in memory books as time went on because now I realize that it's not me, and I don't really like doing that as much as I like journaling.

So, recently, I started noticing art journals out there in the blog world, and I love the journals that commemorate the journaler's life. Aha! That's just what I want to do! Pick up where I left off years ago with a better idea of my crafting style, and the supplies I like to use.

Speaking of favorite journaling supplies, I've come into the world of Dennison labels recently, and oh how they make me happy. I had seen them before here and there, but really hadn't held one in my hand until I got a little packet of them for Cristina's Very Vintage Christmas Ephemera Swap. My friend Michelle from Hold Dear sent them to all the participants:
I loved them!
So, I had to have more... I bought 2 Dennison kits from Michelle's shop:
I originally talked about them here. And just recently, I bought Michelle's Little Bits collection in her shop. For my journals, of course!

As I get my journals together, I will be sure to share a page or two. Thanks for visiting!!

Morning Tea with Kerri

2011-08-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kerri and I had breakfast together today. It was so nice! I brought yogurt with granola and Kerri had tea prepared for us. Kerri was using this pot as a vase:
Isn't that pretty?
We had blooming tea, which I hadn't had before, but now I'm a big fan!
It was so tasty and so lovely!
I'm game for the next tea party, Kerri!

Muffin Tin Monday (MTM)

2011-08-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

If I'm gonna stick with any weekly event, this is the one! My girls love it. :)
This week: star shaped quesadillas, tomato & broccoli veggie kabobs with ranch dipping, and peanut butter on vanilla wafers. For more of my MTM meals, click here.
Be sure to check out Michelle's blog (the MTM originator) for other MTM entries this week. If you're interested in featuring MTM on your blog, check out her FAQ page, too.
Come back soon, friends!

Altered Banana Muffin Jars

2011-08-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me (who have been reading for a while) know I make banana muffins like they're going out of style. We buy bananas (a lot) they are a favorite of mine and an easy go to healthy snack for my daughters. Once in a while a few will go brown and guess what? I make banana muffins (a lot is what I'm trying to tell you). Well, that and pumpkin muffins when the season is right.

I made these muffins using this recipe. (Really good recipe). Then I layered the muffin tops, raspberry preserves, and cream cheese in jars. We are taking them on a picnic today. I got the idea from Elizabeth at Dear Lizzy.

I also had a nibble or two of a muffin top with raspberry preserves and cream cheese.

Jillian, who?

P.S. I got a new app on my phone that makes the pictures look vintage. So fun! :)

Muffin Tin Monday (on Tuesday... ;)

2011-08-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Build your own sandwich...wheat bread slices, turkey lunch meat, pickles, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and mustard (on the side).
Even my little one got in on the action:

I like to make healthy eating fun for my girls. Be sure to look here on Michelle's blog for more Muffin Tin Monday submissions.

Also, since we're on this subject of healthy eating, look here to see how she packs her kids' lunches! Gotta love her creativity! :)
Thanks for visiting!

Shall we catch up?

2011-08-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

I’m sure that you could tell that summer break this year was very busy as my posts have been lacking these past few months! However, I blinked, and summer break is over.

Just like that.

I’m happy to report there were a few trips to the library, to market night, to the beach (the one that we love),
to the mall, to the park… and yes, there were a few lazy days involving some TV watching. Gotta have those, right? (At least, to keep me sane!)

My girls are in school and doing well.
Lani is in 3rd grade and Evie is in Kindergarten. I can keep my Addy for a few more years. Yay. She’s almost 2. :) I was thinking about how Lani started Kindergarten what seems like yesterday. I remember the principal saying that there would be a lot of tears, but mostly from the parents. ha. He said there would be a support group in the parking lot for the parents after we dropped off our children. Ha again… He repeated his joke this year, and I realized that the time just flew on by. Apparently, I blink too much.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I am enjoying the quiet time. Their little busybodies needed a creative teacher to keep them happily occupied. I’m a tired mama of 3. There is such tremendous patience involved in person volunteering to have a class filled with 25+ children. I’ve volunteered in their classes, and at the end of the day, I’m anxiously looking for the door. ;)

But really. Wow.

*Inhale.* So, yes. I have some quiet time to myself. Addy is with me, of course, but there’s nothing like only having 1 little busybody as opposed to 3! So, what am I up to?

Getting off of the weight gain train. I’ve gained 5 pounds of the 30 I had lost.
No doubt due to indulgences this summer like this calzone my hubby and I shared:
I’m making changes though!

For starters, I dusted off this smoothie book
and am tweaking the recipes to spice up my regular smoothie breakfast routine.
I’m having a peach smoothie this week. (1 cup of frozen peaches, ½ cup light soy milk, ½ cup peach nectar, 4 oz. light peach yogurt). Yum! Last week I had a pineapple coconut smoothie all week. So yummy.

I got a Weight Watchers app on my new phone. (It’s so fancy). That should help, too.

My Weight Watchers partner Jasmine (who also happens to be my sister and my very good friend ;) went on a 6 month mission trip.

I miss her. And my waist misses her, too.

She would motivate me to work out, too. We used the same videos to help us exercise: Turbo Jam’s Fat Blaster and Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Last week I worked out 3 times. The count for this week is 1. Woo! Somebody bottle up some energy to work out and ship it out to me.

As far as getting my creative on, it’s been so sporadic.

I made a petite box for Michelle for our mail art swap. (I will be showing you pictures of the lovely mail art she sent me- that deserves its own post). The one I made her is lost in the mail. Don’t you love that? I’m going to be making her another, but this is a picture of what the original looked like.

My girls and I are still working on the swap with Heather’s girls. Had I mentioned it? We made a whimsy jar for each of them and stuffed a small box with treasures for each of them, as well. We just have to gift wrap and they’ll be done.

I’ve been journaling a bit. I started keeping a prayer journal. I’d show it to you, but it’s pretty boring at the time. I have plans to up its prettiness. ;)

I’m trying to think- what is on my scrappy desk? I know… a big mess! The sad thing is that it is mess that isn’t even craft related.

So, I have to clean that up before I start the next project. I’m in journal mode, so I’ll probably work on making my “regular” journal pretty, too. In the meantime, I’ve been gathering inspiration for my journals. I'll be posting about that soon.

Not sure if that’s more or less than what you wanted to know ;) but there it is. Ha. :)

I wanted to throw this out before I go. I am a flake when it comes to email correspondence. And it is unintentional. I mean to get back to comments left, messages sent to me, questions asked, and sometimes I do. Hooray! But sometimes, I don’t. I respond to all comments and answer all questions in my head though.

Not funny? ;)

I appreciate you for sticking with me especially if I’ve unwittingly snubbed you. Please excuse my frazzled, mama of 3 brain.

I’m sure that you’re all lining up to leave me a comment now. ;) Hope you’re having a good one!

Workspace Wednesday

2011-07-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey there, friends! It's Workspace Wednesday today. I snapped a picture for you to see. I even have a recipe for dinner sitting on my scrappy desk. See it? Tex-Mex chili. The other day I mentioned that I was working on something for Michelle- that's what's up with all the vintage air mail goodies.

...I've had a day full of inspiration after inspiration! It's so nice to have days like that. I haven't gone grocery shopping, so I've had to make due with what's in my pantry and fridge already. You know what I mean? That ever happen to you? Well, there were several overripe bananas in my fruit basket, and I announced to my girls that we were going to make banana muffins for brunch (they woke up late today). As they were making the muffins (they did most of it all on their own!), I found a loaf of slightly stale french bread, and had heard somewhere that stale bread is perfect for French toast. So, I used the bread, and made French toast. I also made tiny egg and cheese sandwiches. It was a sweet, little brunch and my girls loved that they helped prepare it all. I did take a picture, but it didn't come out very pretty. ;D

Then, guess what? I started an art journal! Yay!! I wrote in there like mad today, and I'm so pleased with it! Why I didn't start sooner is what I want to know.

Now, if I could only get inspired to do the laundry.

It's not White Wednesday though this would be a good submission...

2011-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in Kathleen at Faded Charm's weekly White Wednesday posts (although I love looking), but the box I'm showing you today goes well with that theme.
I swapped boxes with my friend Jan recently. She sent me a beautiful package. If you don't remember, look here.
I put together a box in a neutral color palette: white, creams, and light shades of brown (like I said, perfect for White Wednesday. ;)
I included vintage lace, distressed tags stamped with a vintage key image, buttons, glittery paper roses, a vintage brooch, beads, and my French-inspired tiny book.It was fun putting it together for Jan.
If she likes it almost as much as I love the one she made for me, then I'm happy. :) We'll have to do it again soon, Jan! ;D
Thank you for coming by for a visit today.

Strawberry Box and Strawberry Tiny Book

2011-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, hi! Secondly, I don't know that I can ever catch up with the July 2011 in Photos project. Thirdly, this is the box that I made for Stevie, and is the real reason I brought you here today. :) (You have to see the box that Stevie made for me if you haven't seen it already. It's berry sweet. :) I decorated Stevie's matchbox simply with strawberry patterned paper, green polka-dotted tape, and a vintage inspired "strawberries" flashcard (it's becoming my favorite way to wrap things- look here to see what I mean).
Inside of the box, I included some strawberry or strawberry-inspired (meaning they had a red border) vintage and modern labels; red, green, and strawberry buttons; red and green trims/ribbons; a strawberry rubber stamp; strawberry lip gloss: a strawberry patterned ribbon and studded charm:
and a tiny book.
Here it is below:
from different angles:
'cause I'm obsessed with tiny books. ;)
You can have your very own tiny book, too. Look here in my etsy shop (even if you're not going to buy it- you can see what it looks like copied and folded there).
Before I run along, I have to tell you that the strawberry girl in my book- which I also used for my Jack Skellington swap- and the little strawberry sticker used on the back cover of the book were made by Marina Collings. I love her work.
As for swaps, I'm working on a few. Heather's girls and my girls are swapping treats. I'm more excited than they are, truth be told. Michelle and I are swapping vintage air mail inspired art. Isn't that fun?! I'm a little intimidated 'cause have you seen Michelle's vintage air mail collection? Good golly!
I'm hoping to host another whimsy jar swap soon, but... one person flaked on the last swap and I've been meaning to make it up to the ladies that were in her group. I don't feel comfortable hosting another one until I make it up to them!
Okay, really going now... I hope you're having a lovely day!

Berry Sweet Swap

2011-07-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to tell you about the July 2011 in Photos project! I'm so behind! It's almost funny except it's not... ha. My family and I were away for the weekend spending time with my husband's parents because they are visiting from out of state, and that really threw off my picture taking project. I hope I can get back into the swing of things before the month just flies on by...
I am here today to share the petite inspiration strawberry themed box Stevie from My Art Canvas made for me. Stevie has to be the sweetest person ever putting up with me. I suggested swapping, I assigned the due date, and I was late sending her box out to her; whereas, she was right on time.
a lovely, fabric-covered petite box...with all sorts of treasures including:strawberry labels, a strawberry charm, strawberry recipe cards, strawberry appliques, strawberry ribbons, a strawberry tiny book, buttons, flowers, fabric die-cuts.
Stevie, thank you for a sweet box!! :)

July in Photos: Days 4, 5, and 6

2011-07-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

The days got away from me as you can see! On Day 4, which was the 4th of July, we were to post a red, white, and blue photo. I had intentions to take lots of pictures at the Freedom Festival we were supposed to go to, but on our way there this year, it started raining really hard. We were stuck in traffic right by the park when the police started directing traffic out of there. People who were already in the park had to hike back to their cars, and swim through all the flooding. They weren't really swimming, but you know what I mean! It was a sight to see: all kinds of people, some with small children and babies, ice chests, some in teeny tiny clothing all at the mercy of the terrible rain. So, to make a long story even longer ;) I wasn't able to take a picture at the Freedom Festival (I always seem to have trouble taking pictures there!), so I am recycling this card I made last year or so for a CTMH class. We were still able to watch the fireworks in a neighboring city. It was an odd 4th of July this year at my house!
Day 5 (yesterday), we were supposed to post a picture of what's in our fridge. I looked in there yesterday, horrified by the thought. I felt as though I was being asked to share a picture of my underwear drawer. It was just way too revealing. It was so messy in my fridge! So, I spent, like, 3 hours cleaning it yesterday. And if that's not revealing as to how dirty it was, I don't know what is. Without further ado, I present to you, ~~my underwear drawer~~ my refrigerator:It still feels slightly revealing. Go ahead- look at it, pore over it, and ask me why I have 2 bottles of mustard, what I use chipotle spread for, what in the Tupperware with the blue lid, why I forgot to clean that spot by the peanut butter... go ahead! ;)
Moving on, Day 6 (today) is supposed to be something sweet. I wanted to post a picture of my kidlets little feet all together (nothing like sweet, little baby feet), but it would have taken me 3 hours to clean their dirty toesies walking around lazily, aimlessly, and barefoot during our lazy summer. ha...
So, I snapped a quick pic of a slice of carrot cake I'm in the middle of eating, which was left over from our funky 4th of July celebration: Look at all that cream cheese frosting. Sweet, to be sure! :)
There. I'm all caught up now! I'll be back tomorrow with Day 7 (hopefully!). The topic is bold, bright colors. Fun! Check out the July 2011 in Photos photostream here.
... I'm hoping you've forgotten about the fridge by now. ;)

July 2011 in Photos: Day 3

2011-07-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

The topic is where I went today.
My sister moved out of her apartment, so we went to help her move out the rest of her things- mostly big furniture and the last bit of her things. Afterwards, when we were headed home, we all stopped at Tortas Sinaloa for a late lunch. By us all, I mean my 2 sisters, my brother, my dad, my sister's boyfriend, my daughters, my husband, and me. (I have another brother, but he is in Hawaii on vacation, and my mom had to work today).
I took a picture of our lunch (again, using the camera in my phone). I had a torta (like a panini) with grilled beef, Mexican cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and red salsa. I also ordered a pineapple coconut shake.
It was tasty! :)
Day 4's topic is red, white, and blue. Again, you can find the list of topics here, and the July 2011 in Photos photostream here. Be back tomorrow!

July 2011 in Photos: Day 2

2011-07-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

It's Day 2 of July 2011 in Photos, but as I already said that in the title, repeating it is definitely redundant. ;)
Today's topic is something you're passionate about, and I am passionate about vintage Dennison labels. Here are my latest finds:
I can't get enough!
You may know as I talk about them often. (What was I saying about being redundant? ha!)
I am also passionate about vintage Whitman cards, but Natalea said we can only choose 1 photo for the Flickr group...
I snapped a picture just for you all to see though. Don't tell Natalea! ;)

Day 3's topic is: where you went today. (Now, I'll have to think of somewhere fun to go... ;)
You can find the list of topics here.

Please excuse my blurry photos. I had to take these with my phone's camera 'cause my regular camera's battery is dead.

July 2011 in Photos: Day 1

2011-07-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am participating in Natalea's challenge: July 2011 in Photos. Day 1's topic is Your Breakfast. I had a strawberry banana smoothie today. I still have a smoothie regularly for breakfast.
This one has about 3/4 cup of strawberries, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of light strawberry yogurt, juice from 1 orange, and 1/2 cup of light soy milk.
I'll be back tomorrow with tomorrow's topic: something you're passionate about.
I hope you'll play along, too!
PS. The winner of my Spring ephemera giveaway is Amy at Curly Q Mosaics. :)

Petite Box from Jan

2011-06-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Because my friend Jan and I are addicted to making these petite inspiration box swaps, we decided to go ahead and swap some. (Heather suggested a break for the summer, but I, for one, am much too addicted. I was getting pretty moody, snapping at helpless victims, even breaking out in night sweats. How about you, Jan? ;)
Jan sent me one of the prettiest boxes I've ever received! See for yourself!
I told Jan I loved the pink and blue color scheme, and she surprised me with a box just like that:
Jan included my favorite supplies: a small jar full of buttons,

a tiny book,ribbons and trims, an owl charm (see it?), a rubber stamp, floral trim, vintage embellishments, and more pretty buttons:

Thank you so much, Jan! I can sleep well for a while...

My box is on its way to Jan. When she gets it, I will post what I sent her.

Don't forget about this post! I'm afraid some of you missed the little giveaway at the end! ;)

Silhouettes and Workspace Wednesday

2011-06-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Instead of cleaning up my workspace like I should be doing (there's a peek of my mess in the last picture for Workspace Wednesday)... I'm thinking about silhouettes...

Some time ago, I made these Dick and Jane tags for a swap:
I had lots of fun making these, but as I glanced over the post about these, I was really loving the back of them more than the front: 'Cause of the pretty silhouette images.

You know what's bad? That I don't even know what book I got those images from. At least I remembered they were from a vintage book!

So, I've been gathering inspiration from Flickr, other bloggers, etsy shops (anywhere really) for my next silhouette project. ;)

I can always count on Cerri and Cristina:
These are the links to the Flickr pictures above:
1. The dream, 2. Vintage paper sacks, 3. Pretties from Carola, 4. Silhouette swap
I'll let you know if I come across any others. It's quickly becoming my favorite search...

Stomach my mess if you can: I better get to it! Happy Workspace Wednesday!

Spring Ephemera Swap

2011-06-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share the packets I received from each participant for the Very Vintage Spring Ephemera Swap I hosted. I received so many wonderful contributions from the lovely participants. I was able to take a picture of each of the packages as they arrived, and I hope you will allow me to share them with you! Each one is so unique and so pretty!

I love how they all looked distributed and assorted for each participant (look here), but today I will be showing you what each participant sent for me to distribute.

Heather from Speckled Egg sent these packets:
She filled the packets with a botany flash card, dictionary pages, wallpaper pieces, tickets, paper lace, satin millinery leaves, an embroidered fabric remnant and buttons.

Michelle from Hold Dear made these packets for each participant:
She filled each packet with vintage tickets and colorful clothing tags.

Cristina from Born to Fly made a sewn pocket using pages from a vintage botany book:
She filled each pocket with book pages, aqua paper lace, a flash card, a sweet playing card, and a Whitman card.

Laurie from Indulge Your Shelf sent these packets:
She filled the packets with text pages, dictionary pages, wallpaper, grocery tickets, playing cards, parchment paper, game pieces, button cards, greeting cards, and buttons to name a few!

Michelle from Inspiration Everywhere sent a bundle of ephemera:
She included retro fabric, book pages, a retro image, and lace.

Michelle & Ashley from The Tattered Cottage sent an assortment of ephemera for each participant:
They included a recipe page, postcards, black and white photos, stamps, thrift tokens, buttons, and postage stamps.

Renee from The Chateau of Remnants sent packets of crinkled sheet music:
She filled each one with buttons, wrapping paper pieces, tags, and game pieces.

Karen from Recycled Rita filled a packet for each participant :
with botany pages, foreign book pages, a bird playing card, millinery, and sweet lace.

Gretchen from Amanda's Baskets sent baggies:
of wrapping paper remnants, flash cards, and postcards for each participant.

Karen Hess from Karen's Monday Musings sent these packets:
filled with embroidered ribbon or crepe paper, buttons, and a Dennison label for each participant.

Teresa from Fox Hollow Tales sent a baggie for each participant:
She filled each one with lace or ribbon and an embellishment (like a charm).

Jenni from The Vintage Songbird sent an assortment of music sheets and botany textbook pages:

Lisa from Happily Scrappin' Today decorated a manila folder for each participant and filled it with several pieces of ephemera:
like Bingo cards, dictionary pages, flash cards, ledgers, sheet music, book pages, French pages, buttons, labels... to name a few!

Cassie from For the Art of It sent an assortment of ephemera for each participant:
She included book pages, sheet music, receipts, grocery book and tickets, and playing cards.

Kelly from Dreaming of Vintage sent an assortment of botany pages, as well (perfect for Spring-inspired crafting):

I sent these packets:

Each packet had an old Mother Goose page, a Bingo card, Whitman cards, and ledgers for each participant.

I was floored by the generosity of each participant for this swap! Some of them even sent me extra gifts. I am going to have so much fun adding my new ephemera pieces to my collections and using them for future projects. :)

PS. I have an extra packet that I made for the swap. (The one in the last picture). If you would like it, let me know in the comments. I will draw a random person on Friday, July 1st. :D

Tiny Books; Huge Obsession*

2011-06-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished making copies of the latest tiny book I made. Here are some of the supplies I used:
I'll be sharing the book itself soon. :) I hope you're having a splendid Sunday.

*The obsession with tiny books continues...

Another tiny book... I can't get enough!

2011-06-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

This Summer has started off in a very busy way for me. How about you? I've been trying to keep my girls busy because they are not used to this laissez-faire attitude about life. (I don't think they'll appreciate it until adolescence. ;) I happen to like it, but they're sort of expecting me to entertain them every minute of every day. ha! You mean you don't want to peruse blogs and browse on etsy with me?

Oh... interesting... ;)
So, to keep them happy, I am copying Nikki's idea of keeping a Summer diary (again) by doing a fun activity with them once a day (Monday through Friday- let's not get crazy) and keeping some sort of schedule for the Summer. My oldest daughter (she's 7) was relieved to see that I had a schedule up on a whiteboard. We just started that yesterday. I scooped them up, used a coupon, and bought a magnetic whiteboard at Michael's to put on our fridge. They watched way too much TV last week, and I had to kick them out of relying on the TV for entertainment. I told them they could pick one show to watch and we would schedule it in. It's working out nicely! They seem to like rules. Who knew?

Anywho, I'm finding time to swap and blog when I can. I have to stay entertained, too! Hello. :) So, I'm thrilled to finally be sharing the pictures of the tiny book I made for Michelle's tiny book swap. I received the happy bundle last week and just about died. They are so cute! I will be sharing pictures of those soon.

So, this is the McDonald's-inspired tiny book I made. ha! It really wasn't inspired by McDonald's, but it was inspired by the color scheme red and yellow. The picture of the tiny books all together makes me so happy. Heart after happy heart.
I ordered a bunch of Moo cards right before I mailed these out, and I used a picture of the tiny book itself:

So, onto the tiny book!This is the cover of the tiny book:
I used some of my favorite supplies for this tiny book. For example, on the cover- I finally used my favorite heart button given to me by my friend Rachel for our pocket swap last year. I used yellow tatted lace, a Dennison label, and my favorite little birdie sticker.
Then, on the first layout...
I used a fun Whitman "Hearts" card, another Dennison label, more tatted lace, and fun yellow buttons.
On the second layout...
I used a felt heart (I love it!), another Dennison label, dictionary paper with a "lollipop" header, and a vintage red and white striped card.
On the third layout...
I used another felt heart, another Dennison label, more playful buttons, red sheet music, and a vintage card with a silhouette of children holding balloons. Does it get any sweeter?
Finally, on the back cover...
I used a yellow ledger, another Dennison label (I LOVE them right now), and a favorite doll sticker.
I enjoyed using several favorite found pieces from my collection in this tiny book.
I've listed it in my etsy shop here if you want to pick one up, too.

:D

Spring Ephemera Swap... Pretty Mess?

2011-06-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was chuckling about my friend Elyse's Pretty Messy post today on her blog Cottage. Sometimes I like pretty messes, and sometimes I'm pulling my hair out wishing the messes would just go away. ha!
When I was knee-deep organizing the Spring Ephemera Swap packages for the lovely participants, I'll admit I felt like running up and down my street screaming, "Would somebody please remove that mess off of my table??"
... but now that it's all said and done, and the packages are happily on their way to the participants' mailboxes, I can look back at the mess...

and call it a pretty one.

It didn't feel like it at the time though!

Dare I wish you what Elyse wished her followers at the end of her post???

...I'll say this- if you have the stamina for it, "happy mess-making!" ;)

Working on...

2011-06-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

and thinking about...those tiny books coming in the mail soon... :)

Fries, anyone?

2011-05-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

For the tiny book I was to make for Michelle's tiny book swap, I decided to go with a red and yellow color scheme. I'm going to show you the entire book another day, but here is the cover of it:
Part of the reason I decided to got with a red and yellow color scheme is that I really wanted to use an old vintage "Hearts" Whitman card like the one below and lots of Dennison labels.
As I was putting the tiny book together looking for some red and yellow ephemera, I thought, "Hey, these are McDonald's colors!" I'm thinking that maybe I was craving a cheeseburger and fries. Mmmm.....
I sent my books to Michelle along with a whimsy jar for her as a gift for being a wonderful hostess. I sent one of those Bonne Maman jelly jars filled with red and yellow treats for her. How about a milkshake with that tiny book? ;)

2011-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Today is the last day to sign up for the Very Vintage Spring Ephemera Swap. I'd love you have you play along! There are a few spots left.

I've had a few questions about whether each participant is to send packets or individual pieces of ephemera. I am only asking that you send a single piece of vintage Spring-inspired ephemera: a sheet of music, a page or two from an old book, a flash card, a photo, vintage labels, a bingo card, a few buttons, some lace or trim, a greeting card, receipts, playing cards, letters, ledgers, millinery, etc. BUT! I will not object to you sending a packet of goodies. Maybe you want to send a combination of ephemera: a sheet of ledger and a flash card, a letter and some lace, a greeting card and a few buttons, a receipt and a photo, etc.; that would be GREAT, too! It is up to you.

In fact, I am only asking you send 1 piece of vintage ephemera, but if you would like to include a modern vintage-inspired treasure along with your original, true vintage ephemera, that would be fun, too.

The idea is that for some of your ephemera tucked away in your stash, you will get a big stash of ephemera to add to your collection.

Also, you can send pieces of ephemera that are good neutral colors for our Spring projects- like light shades of blue, pink, green, purple, yellow, white, or cream. For example, if you have a booklet of vintage blue receipts, one receipt for each participant would definitely work!

So, really? What are you waiting for? ;) Feel free to sign up here.

Petite Inspiration Boxes Coming Out of My Ears

2011-05-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're clueless as to how much I love these petite boxes. I don't talk about them every other post or anything. ;) I got such a sweet package a few days ago from my partner Cassie. It's one of the sweetest packages I've received. Do I say that about every package? I just love 'em all so much! :) Really though, this is one of the sweetest!!
Cassie sent me all kinds of treasures:
... I was thrilled with all of these strawberry goodies:
especially the labels(!!):
and that pretty, blingy ring:
What girl doesn't like bling?
Thank you, Cassie! Truly, one of the prettiest boxes ever!
You're on time to join the spring ephemera swap, but there are only a few spots left!

Very Vintage Spring Ephemera Swap SWAP FULL

2011-05-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

**Swap is now full!**

Hello friends! I'm already missing Spring even before it is over! How about you?

Celebrate these last few weeks of Spring with me with a Spring-inspired swap. What could be more delicious? ;)
I am hosting a Very Vintage Spring Ephemera Swap just like the Very Vintage Christmas Ephemera Swap hosted by Cristina a few months ago. With her permission (and participation! :), I am presenting this swap to you in hopes that you will play along with us!
For this swap, you will choose no more than 25 pieces Spring or Spring-inspired true vintage ephemera, and mail them to me along with shipping costs ($7) to distribute among the participants.

(Edit: There was some confusion here. I meant that there can be no more than 25 participants. You can put a few pieces of ephemera together for each participant if you would like- little packets if you will- that's what I'm doing! I just meant that there would be no more than 25 participants. You are not limited to how many pieces of ephemera you want to send to each person).

I'm thinking pastel pinks, pastel blues, pastel greens, pastel yellows; flowers; birds; trees; butterflies; ladybugs; etc. The ephemera must be true vintage- 70's or earlier. Also, try to keep your ephemera the same or similar for all of the participants.

Ideas include: sheet music, greeting cards, text paper, letters, lace, millinery, wallpaper, buttons, flashcards, ledgers, stick pins, receipts, etc.

Send your ephemera to me by June 1st, and I will ship them out to you by June 6th.

If you would like to play along, please let me know by leaving a comment here and by sending me an email to {jessrodarte(at)verizon(dot)net} with your name, blog URL (**you have to have a frequently updated blog or Flickr to participate**), and your mailing address.

Feel free to grab the button and spread the word.

Thank you for indulging me! ;)

Sign ups end May 27th or until we reach the limit of 25 people.

Petite Inspiration Box Swap: Spring Edition (Sent to Cassie)

2011-05-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

I never get enough of these petite inspiration box swaps. Tiny boxes of inspiration can never go wrong! :) This is the box I put together for my partner Cassie at For the Art of It for Heather's current Spring-inspired petite inspiration box swap. (The box that Cassie sent me is the most beautiful box ever, so you have to come back to see that one. You really, really do!)
Some of the things Cassie mentioned she liked included the green and brown color combination, birds, and polka dots, so I decided to go with that at a starting point.
I covered Cassie's box using vintage dictionary paper, polka-dotted brown ribbon, and a Cavallini image of a bird (I love Cavallini stationary):
I also covered a mini matchbox to put in Cassie's box with dictionary paper and filled it with rustic treasures for Cassie:I filled the rest of Cassie's box with other fun treasures: buttons (of course!), ribbon, a rubber stamp, distressed tags, a bird tag kit, an envelope ephemera book (like the ones Cerri made for me some time ago), and one of Rachel's tiny bird books. Again, it went so well with this theme!I had fun with this one! I've mentioned that green is not one of my favorite colors, but it grew on me after this swap.
I will be sharing what Cassie sent for me next. You *really* don't want to miss that one!

Petite Inspiration Box Swap: Spring Edition (Sent to Lisa)

2011-05-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! How's Friday treating you? I am having a lovely day I'll tell you. Having good days is all about perspective because there's nothing different about today that should make it a better day than yesterday. (I was a little grumpy yesterday). I even dropped my bird cage today, had her flapping around all freaked out in my living room, had to vacuum up her bird seeds, and coax her back into her cage. That could have really gotten me in a bad mood, but not today!! I'm rolling with the punches today. You know how some days you just don't even have the energy to be in a good mood. Some days are just blah. Right??
Well. Anyway!
I have a funny story to share with you before I get into what I sent to my partner Lisa for Heather's petite inspiration box swap. I've mentioned that my husband and I try to make it a point to have a date night every week. Like most couples with young children we don't have tons of money (or energy!) to spend every week. Last night, we were able to get our daughters to bed early. We were both in our pajamas ready to go to bed even. He and I were both feeling like we were missing a golden opportunity here to spend time together with a little quiet time. (3 little girls can make it loud around here). So, we sort of looked at each other thinking, "What do you want to do? You be the creative one!" Well, I said, "How about if you put 3 things we can do down on a piece of paper and I'll do the same and then we have to do whatever is drawn." He drew "Take a quiz," which was one of my choices obviously, so we took an online quiz with 50 questions and also wrote down what we thought the other would say, and tally up our points. It was fun! We got a little competitive though! :) One of the questions was, "Do you collect anything? If so, what?" I wrote down paper crafting supplies, and he wrote down buttons for me. I sort of looked at him and said, "Buttons?" He said, "Jessica. You have jars and jars of buttons color-coded even. You collect buttons." Hee! I do! I gave him half a point because that is not exactly what I wrote down. I won by 2 points I think. :)
I do collect buttons! I love 'em! That's why they're always included in my petite inspiration box swaps. Do you think my partners mind my obsession??
Lisa mentioned that some of her likes include French-inspired, pink, and shabby. Easy! That's what I decided to go with for her.
I included buttons (I know. You're surprised.), lace, pink paper roses, one of Rachel's tiny books (it went so well with the theme and I had two of them 'cause I won this), a very petite matchbox with pretty beads, and a gift tag kit.
I covered Lisa's matchbox with French text, shabby wallpaper, a painted scalloped bookplate, sparklies, and a paper rose.

I'm glad you liked it Lisa! :)

Next up? Cassie's box!

See you soon!

Petite Inspiration Box Swap: Spring Edition (Received from Lisa)

2011-05-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Do you think my title could be any longer? It seems I gotta have an all-encompassing title. ;)
I am delighted to share the box that my partner Lisa from Happily Scrappin' Today made for me for Heather's current inspiration box swap.
Lisa decorated the box with some of my favorite paper! Remember the paper bag album I made a while ago? It's the same flocked, pretty paper!

Lisa included several lovely embellishments for me:

buttons (yay!), tickets, trims, crepe paper, paper treats, and chipboard tags...

She even included some treasures outside of the box! I especially like those vintage number cards. Thank you so much, Lisa!! :)

I hope I will be able to share what I sent Lisa and my other partner Cassie soon. I haven't heard from them whether they received their boxes yet, and I don't want spoil the fun of receiving them first.

Anywho, what are you up to friends? I'm doing well. That stomach flu made my stomach weird for a few days, but things are lookin' up now. I think I passed the flu along to my sister. Eeeesh. Sorry, Jen!

I finished up Sense and Sensibility for my Romantic Literature class. It's so good. I thouroughly enjoyed our class discussion. Have you read it? We have to write a 2 page response after all of our readings, and I think 2 pages wasn't enough for this time around. I wrote about what makes Jane Austen so appealing to a modern audience. It is an interesting question! You know she wasn't as popular during her time as she is now? After I had finished the reading the book, I indulged myself by watching the movie with Emma Thompson. I had watched it years ago before reading the book, and when I read the book I couldn't help picturing the actors in the movie as the characters in the novel. I was kind of irked thinking what would I have really pictured had I not seen the movie first. (Although the actors were good choices for the characters, I think. That's not what I'm frustrated about though.) We are reading Pride and Prejudice this week. I think 10 pages wouldn't be enough for that response! It is one of my favorite novels.

Another of my favorites is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Have any of you seen the new movie, yet? I read the book years ago for a Victorian Literature class, and I think I'll reread it before I watch the movie. ;) This summer I have big plans to read the rest of Austen's novels that we are not reading for class that I haven't read like Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park. I'll throw some Jane Eyre in there for fun, too, and then watch the new movie. I am so enjoying all of this reading. I'll tell you; it's been a really long time since I've indulged in some reading! I haven't been scrapping as much when the kidlets are napping. :)

Giveaway Winners

2011-05-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my being a day late! I got the stomach flu yesterday morning, and lemme tell you: it was not pretty. Kids napping? I'm feeling crappy. It's classy all day every day around here...

Anywho! I'm feeling better today. My husband let me sleep the day away yesterday while he watched our little ones. I like him. He's a nice guy. ;)

On to the moment I'm super excited about: the giveaway winners!

First up, Suesue at Lagniappe. Suesue participated long ago in my Red, White, and Blue Tag Swap. I loved the tags she made, and I am so glad that she has still stuck around and has been reading my blog. Thank you, Suesue! :)

Next, Cerri at Little Pink Studio. Cerri and I became friends a few months ago. Remember our "playful/whimsical/girlie/pinks/yellows/possibly shades of white/maybe pastels" swap a few months ago? Look here! It was one of my very favorites! :D

Last but not least, Cristina at Born to Fly. I was not joking around when I said I was stalking Julie's Tiny Book Swap participants. I participated in Cristina's Very Vintage Christmas Ephemera Swap, and after that, I asked her if she would be willing to swap tiny books with me. I was ecstatic that she agreed and sent me one of her pretty books.

So, there you have the winners. :) I will be sending these packets out to them soon. I will be sharing some of the petite inspiration box swaps (sent and received) soon. I hope you are having a lovely weekend. Come back soon. :)