Angie's Pieces of Flair

Rocket Memory Board Completed!

2012-01-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

So yeah, it's been a while. What can I say? A baby tends to keep a gal busy! Anyway, I finally got pics to complete the rocket memory board from my last post. The finished quilt is next up on the list. But without further ado, here are the memory board pics. I think it turned out really cute!

Over the Moon Baby Shower

2011-06-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

3 amigos--Vicki, Stacie (Mommy-to-be), and me

My friend Vicki and I have decided that we could go into business as party planners. That is, in addition to the bakery and gift shop that we are going to open. Winning the lottery or finding some generous financial backer would be essential to any of these businesses actually coming to fruition. I tried to talk Vicki into marrying a rich older man, but she didn't like the idea of that too well!

This past Sunday, we had the opportunity to plan a baby shower for our friend Stacie, who is expecting her 2nd baby, a boy who shall remain unnamed until birth, on July 15th. She chose bedding from DwellStudio for Target Space Baby Bedding Collection to decorate her nursery. That was all the inspiration we needed to start planning.

Everyone wanted to know where we got our ideas for the shower. Honestly, most of them came from reading blogs and finding bits and pieces of similarly themed parties that we liked and bringing all the elements together to make the shower that we wanted for Stacie. The activity and major decorating element were ideas that Vicki and I came up with ourselves though. We're not totally unoriginal!

The white circles on the rocket will be filled with photos of the family's faces after baby is born!

The guest book was a memory board that will be framed (and hopefully hung in baby's room). The focal point is a rocket surrounded by stars that all of the guests wrote their names on made by Becky of revelationart on Etsy. I sent her an extensive custom request based on a rocket item she had listed in her shop. She gladly accepted the challenge and went above and beyond on my request at a fantastic price. If you need any die cut work done, please go visit her shop! A starburst with the family name and year is in the corner of the board. The final touch will be 4 small pics of each member of the family to place in the white circles in the rocket. Obviously, this cannot be completed until Baby Boy Nelson actually arrives!

Here you can see the blank quilt squares we decorated. Make sure to mark out your seam allowances. We learned the hard way the first time around when people decorated right up to the edge! We used puffy paint and fabric markers both. Fabric markers are much less mess!

So many baby showers have a number of games, which can be fun, but when the guest list has a big age range and contains a variety of people from different backgrounds, games can sometimes make people uncomfortable. We chose an activity to entertain guests instead. With Stacie's first baby, we decorated quilt squares at the shower that were later sewn into a quilt for her daughter, Leah, to match her bedding. We didn't want Baby Boy Nelson to feel left out, so we decorated squares for him as well. Of course, a lot of guests say, "I'm not creative enough to do this." To that I say, "pffft". It doesn't have to be a work of art. Once some of the guests got going it inspired ideas throughout the room. Cute sayings for baby or just a kind sentiment are easy things to do with fabric paint pens or fabric paint. You can always suggest the theme of the party be incorporated too. The kids at the shower also had fun decorating squares, although it can get messy as the paint will NOT wash out of the fabric. If children will be participating, I recommend having aprons and disposable tablecloths or newspapers handy.

The major decorative element at this shower was the paper lantern solar system that was hung above the food table across the room. The paper lanterns were purchased at JustArtifacts.com and were very affordable. We tried to choose sizes and colors that would represent each planet and the sun too! And yes, we included Pluto even though I know it's not really a planet. We're old school like that! A few of the planets had foil wired star garland wrapped around them that was purchased at a local party supply shop. We used fishing line to hang them so they appeared to be suspended in midair above the table.

Here's the best shot of the cakepops and the other ultra cute cupcakes at the shower!

The centerpieces on the tables were done with a dish of solar system cake pops with a rocket for good measure. The cake pops were inserted into floral styrofoam pieces, surrounded by granulated sugar decorated with chocolate rocks edible candy purchased at the Wal*Marts. The idea for the solar system cake pops was seen at Neatorama. We modified ours a bit to make them our own. The Earth turned out fantastic! Some of the planets were finished off by applying edible luster dust which gave a really cool effect. If you are interested in learning more about how to make cake pops or balls, visit Bakerella's blog for tons of ideas. Believe me, if you make them once, you'll want them all the time. They are delicious!

Vicki did the cupcakes with a buttercream icing to match the green and blue color theme of the shower and used a Meri Meri cupcake decorating set for the papers and picks. Super cute and easy! Even the punch matched the theme, blue with white clouds, and was equally yummy.

The punch was so yummy, but definitely not figure-friendly!

The final touch for the shower was the favor of a Moon Pie (purchased at Cracker Barrel's gift shop) that Vicki made little fold over tags with a piece of clipart that stated "Thank you to the moon and back".

If you have internet access, ideas to have a fantastic party are right at your fingertips! I provided as many links as possible to help out if you want to plan a rocket or robot themed party for someone special!

Custom Toddler Quilt

2011-06-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

My friend asked me to make her 2-year-old a quilt with fabrics she chose from Moda's Frolic by Sandy Gervais line for her new "big girl" bed. I love to do custom quilts and don't get the opportunity very often (they are a bit time-consuming, so probably a good thing!) Since my quilting experience is limited, we decided on using charm packs to do the design layout. Mom chose the coordinating sashing, binding, and backing colors. The goal was to be girly without going pink and purple. I think this fabric line accomplished the goal beautifully!

Since doing my very first quilt, there has always been some type of applique, usually done as the quilt tag, but sometimes just for fun. It's kind of my signature now when doing a quilt. Here's a little secret...if you're not the perfect quilter (and who is?) appliques are a great way to cover up mistakes where things just don't match up perfectly or turn out like you expect them to. Yes, I know a seasoned quilter would probably cringe when reading this, but it's how I roll! And so far, the results have turned out super cute each time and add to the charm of the finished quilt. I think it makes them unique and special.

Ramona---Zombie Dog Extraordinaire

2011-05-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

This is the last pic I took of Ramona and one of the best.

**This blog post was actually written 8-31-10 and never published. Sadly, Ramona, zombie dog extraordinaire, had to be put to sleep just 4 short months later on 12-30-10 due to worsening health and being unable to use her back legs any longer. We miss her terribly, stenches and all. After re-reading the post though, I didn't have the heart NOT to publish it because it made me smile to read it again. Love you Mona!!

Our dog Ramona, has just a few health issues at her ripe old age of fourteen years. She is missing quite a few teeth from her years of misadventures with her dental health. She has the sugar-beetis and gets insulin twice a day. She has a narrow trachea that makes it difficult to breathe when she gets too excited (when you're a million years old...peeing can be exciting) This makes her snore like a freight train even when she's just "cat-napping", grunt when she's walking, and makes eating so taxing that she now sometimes lays in front of the dish to feed her piehole. In addition to her 2 daily shots, she gets a total of 4 pills. BUT WAIT!! If you call in the next 90 seconds, we'll throw in a quart of noxious dog gas that could make even the most heinous beg for mercy.

After taking all of this into consideration, my husband has decided that she is part zombie. Parts of her have died and the rest of her body just hasn't received the message yet. The first really dead part of her has been determined to be her underbelly. It is hairless and pinkish-grey. It has lumps, bumps, anomalies, scabs, dry skin that peels off in large sheets, superfluous nipples that have grown in since we got her....it's just gross. No doubt about it, it has died at some point along the way.

We also have a new call for her...not the regular whistle or tongue click...we just moan "BRAAAAAINS". She always comes a-runnin'. (Well, not really. She's all but deaf and has cataracts and can't see for shit.) Despite all these seemingly terrible things, we love her to death and would hate for anything truly terrible to happen to her.

iPod Randomness

2011-05-29T09:13:00.002-04:00

I won't claim this post was my idea. One of my fellow twitterers @karlerickson of Secondhand Karl posted it on his blog and I liked it so much I decided it had to be on my blog too. But I was at least nice and asked if it was okay before I stole it because I am unoriginal and uninspired at the moment. So anyway...here's the deal. I open my iPod list, hit shuffle and tell you my 1st 20 random songs that come up. Keep in mind that while I have edited my playlist, my husband added most of the songs to begin with because I am technologically challenged and generally lazy. I swear to God if Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' comes up in these 20 random songs, I will puke. I hate it. Jeff loaded it. I have unchecked it in my iTunes list, deleted it, had a Catholic priest come exorcise it from my iPod to no avail. It is evil. It keeps coming back!!! (I am also editing out all the lullaby music I added for the baybee because it does not represent my musical choices although it does rock the casbah because we're cool parents and don't pick no sissy lullabies!)

1. I Gave You All-Mumford & Sons (my new fave obsession)
2. Long Way Down-Guster
3. Other Side of the World-KT Tunstall
4. Modern Love-David Bowie
5. Assassin-Muse
6. Around the Way Girl-LL Cool J
7. First Love-Adele
8. Cosmic Girl-Jamiroquai
9. A Day in the Life-The Beatles (Love soundtrack...awesome show. Go see it!)
10. Tired-Adele
11. Unnatural Selection-Muse
12. Take a Walk-Edie Brickell
13. Viva La Vida-Coldplay
14. Life in Technicolor-Coldplay
15. I Am the Walrus-The Beatles (Love soundtrack)
16. The Story-Zee Avi
17. Hunter-Dido
18. Come Downstairs and Say Hello-Guster
19. We Never Change-Coldplay
20. Saturday-Josh Rouse

Bonus Track: Give it Away-Red Hot Chili Peppers

In conclusion, it looks like I have a very unoriginal taste based on this list, but my iPod shuffler is a dirty whore and likes to play the same artist incessantly. Don't judge me!!

Cole at 7 Weeks

2011-05-25T08:13:00.015-04:00

Not really sure what this face is all about, but it's funny!

Tomorrow will mark 7 weeks since we became parents in whirlwind fashion. Cole will be 8 weeks old on Monday. Last night, for the first time, he slept from 9pm-6am with a feeding at 2am. It was pure bliss! I also hope it's a sneak preview of good things to come.Cole's "Old Pappy" Great Grandfather Rosenwald with me and Cole in his James Dean outfit.

Most people have 9 months to prepare. We had 2 1/2 hours. Combine that with a baby who was less than happy for his 1st 6 weeks and things were difficult to accomplish. But with Cole's new-found fondness of napping, I finally feel like I have been able to accomplish some things around the house. I unpacked the last bag of donated baby items given to us by friends this morning. I still have a couple "piles" of things that are too advanced for Cole to use yet that I need to find homes for until they are needed, but everything else is finally put away.Cole looking all "cool dude" in his bucket hat and shades. Our first walk outside.

My favorite part now is that he likes to play. He can spend minutes (literally minutes!!) staring at his brightly colored toys dangling above him, kicking his legs and punching the air with wild abandon. He also has started smiling more. He smiles when we talk to him. He smiles when he gets picked up after a nap. He even smiles when we make hilariously funny jokes (not really, but he IS gifted!)Cole's big bro, Charlie Murphy, guards his little brother closely during naptime.

He is the cutest baby we could have wished for. As I thought about writing this post, I wondered how I would ever decide just which pictures to include in the post. Then I decided I would have to just choose a number and pick my favorite to fill the quota to keep it from being ridiculously filled with adorable baby pictures. So here are my top 5 pics of Cole in recent weeks....enjoy the cuteness!

Come on, who can resist this pitiful little face?

Cole's Arrival Story

2011-04-11T10:06:00.005-04:00

I mainly use this blog space to blog about my Etsy business and my craftiness with occasional personal entries interjected. (although I've been a terrible blogger over the past year!) So many of you don't know about our struggles with infertility. It just seemed a very emotional and private part of our lives that I didn't feel ready to share with the world. I'll spare everyone the details unless there is someone out there that has a burning desire to know the specifics. I'll just say that we tried to conceive by not preventing pregnancy since 2004, casually sought answers in 2006-2008, got tired of it and took a break for a while, and then really hit things hard with full infertility work-up and treatments starting in Nov. 2009 until Feb. 2011 with one failed pregnancy in Mar. 2010.

After the failed pregnancy in 2010, we sought information on adoption. We were ignorant. So we met with a social worker that helps families through the process by completing the home study and assisting with all the work that goes into adopting. It sounded like something that was definitely an option for us, and I felt good about it after the meeting. But the mom inside of me just wasn't ready to give up on the idea of being pregnant. So back to the treatments we went. Then in December of 2010, I did laparoscopic surgery thinking my issue was endometriosis and all would be right with the world after that. Well, it wasn't endometriosis and all did not magically become right with the world, which we discovered after 3 more agonizing months getting to know our reproductive endocrinologist on a first name basis. It was especially romantic when I was inseminated on Valentine's Day. It's just every girl's dream!

My breaking point was when my husband and I decided on one last try. An end point was in sight. Either it was going to happen or we moved into the adoption route. The thought was comforting in a way. I went in for my baseline ultrasound and had a large cyst in my ovary. The options I was given were to take a month off or go on birth control pills and try again in 2 weeks. I chose option 3. Put a fork in me, I was done. It was too hard emotionally to deal with month after month. So we talked about it and decided it was time to have our 2nd meeting for our home study (10 months after our initial visit). We had already done our fingerprinting for our FBI and state clearances and had our child abuse checks done. We were on the road!

We had meeting #2 on Saturday, Apr. 2nd (oddly enough, 1 year to the day of my miscarriage in 2010). We discussed all the possibilities, options, etc. We chose an agency, started making calls to ask questions, and working on our application. We told our friends and family what we were doing. We called to get references written. Jumping in with both feet. We wanted to get the process rolling as soon as possible. I was just finishing up our application for the agency on Thursday evening (Apr. 7th), putting it in a priority mail envelope, and was sitting at the computer typing a cover letter to let the agency know that our home study was nearly complete and would be following our application shortly................

and the phone rang. It was 10 pm. It was our social worker. She wanted to know if my husband was home and asked me to put him on another line so she could talk to us both. There was a baby. He needed a home and he needed it tonight!!! We were both shocked and overwhelmed. We have no children...we have no nursery, no crib, no diapers, NOTHING!! Yes, we wanted him. Bring on the noise, bring on the funk!

We spent the next 2 hours glued to the phone calling our parents, our friends, our employers, random people from the phone book, and customer service lines to tell them the good news. Jeff ran out to Wal*Mart to get some essentials to get us through. A little after midnight on April 8th, our son, Cole, arrived on our doorstep and he was perfect! We became parents in the blink of an eye. So from start to finish I guess you could say our process was 10 months. Truthfully though, from the time we decided to be "in it to win it" until our son was placed with us was a whopping 6 days!!!! What a ride!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-25T15:37:00.002-05:00

Happy Festivus, Christmas Eve, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, belated Happy Hanukkah, and any other holiday out there that anyone may celebrate!

Santa was very good to this chica this year! Very blessed for the family and friends in my life! I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy their time with family and friends.

Angie

My Coolest Handmade Gift Evah!

2010-12-21T14:30:00.006-05:00

This year I did not take a whole lot of time to devote to cross stitching, my very first crafting love. So when we went on vacation at the end of September, I treated myself to the cutest little pattern ever by magpienight on Etsy. If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that I love all things Golden Girls. It would stand to reason that a few of my friends do as well. My friend Stacie and I can equate any situation in real life to an episode of the Golden Girls. (Drives our husbands cRaZy!) It made sense that she would be the recipient of this fab handmade Christmas gift. Now don't worry...I've already given her the gift so I'm not ruining any surprises!

The pic above shows magpienight's Little Golden Girls as charted stitched on 28ct. linen over 2 threads and framed in a 5-inch wooden hoop backed with cardboard.
I had to put a personal inscription on the back with one of Stacie's favorite quotes. For all the fans out there, this was actually Dorothy speaking for God.The companion pieces was a creation of my own. I found a fat quarter of a matching fabric, cut a small pieces and backed it with a fusible lightweight interfacing. I then wrote out my phrase on a plain piece of paper in my own handwriting. I taped the plain paper with the phrase to a bright window and taped the fabric over top, tracing the phrase with a water soluble fabric pen. I then used embroidery thread to stitch the phrase and framed it in a 4-inch wooden hoop as well.

Thanks for reading!
Angie

Bad Blogger in 2010

2010-12-20T18:41:00.005-05:00

Yes, I will admit I have been a terrible blogger this year. On the flipside, I really put a lot of time and effort into my business, 15 Pieces of Flair. Not only did I list a ton of awesome things in my online shop at Etsy, I did my first 2 craft shows. Both were outdoors and both were longer than 1 day. That was one of my biggest goals for 2010 and both shows were a great success!
In addition to my crafting victories, there were some personal victories and sadly, some losses. And I also made a job change after 6 years at my old job. Granted my new job is doing the exact same thing as my old job, but I think any kind of job change can be stressful.

Ramona, our toothless dog that my husband has deemed a zombie-dog afflicted with the condition permafart (this is where her weakened B.H. constantly leaks smelly dog gas), is still plugging along.....barely. Charlie Murphy is becoming quite the distinguished gentleman with a bit of graying around his snout at the ripe old age of three. We also added a new member to our family this year in the form of a silver Subaru Outback that my husbands drives named "Big Sexy". If you haven't figured it out already, my husband can be a bit full of himself at times. ;) Love you honey!

Anyway, I am confined to home for these last few weeks of 2010 and have been looking around the web for "blogspiration" for my upcoming crafting season of 2011. I plan to post links to some of these fantabulous blogs as well as some great tutorials here in the next couple of weeks. There may also be some Christmas pictures sprinkled in for good measure!

Jubilee at Jackson's Mill

2010-08-02T20:00:00.002-04:00

I have been noticeably absent from the blogging world lately, but I do have good reason. I have been busy working away in my studio (aka. spare bedroom in the basement with no windows and butt-ass ugly wallpaper) preparing to do a huge craft show on Labor Day weekend. After the smashing success of my first show in May, I decided that I was insane enough to go for another round this year. If I didn't have to work full time, I would really like to do more of this type of thing, but 2 weekend-long shows this year while working full time has proven challenging enough. My husband loses his wife for at least the last four weeks before the event for the final push to get everything done. He's been very supportive through it all. He thinks that I will bring him fame and fortune someday....ummmmm....is he serious?! So for anyone that will be in the Weston, WV area anytime during Fri, Sat, Sun of Labor Day weekend, please stop by The Jubilee at Jackson's Mill to do some shopping, eat some great food, and see some awesome demonstrations (the bee beard guy freaks me out every time we've visited!)

Possible Party Ideas

2010-04-09T16:45:00.007-04:00

After planning many a party at the end of 2009, I couldn't imagine hosting anything at the beginning of this year. Now as the weather is improving and people are getting out and about, I am feeling more up to have some gatherings. There are a few party ideas that I've had in mind for a while. They aren't for specific events or holidays, just silly made up parties.

The first one was an idea concocted with some close friends of ours to have a "redneck" dinner party. The party would involve each couple invited to bring the most redneck dish they could imagine to have a totally trashy junk food buffet. It could include things like Slim Jims roasted over the grill/fire, Frito chili pies fixed right in the mini Frito bags (an old Wal*Mart snack bar favorite!), a giant jar of pickles or pickled eggs....the possibilities are endless! This is still a fledgling idea though and any input would be fantastic. So warm up your comment-typing fingers and let the ideas fly! Note: I actually found a page with some great ideas while searching for an image for my blog post.
The second idea for a fabulously fun party is to have a Golden Girls-themed party. It would be girls only, obviously, and include watching episodes of the Golden Girls, trivia, cheesecake, sparehooven krispies (I need to come up with a recipe for this one), and would be perfect if held on the lanai. People could even come dressed as their favorite Golden Girl. This could be especially hilarious if your friends' little girls were also invited. An afternoon of moms, daughters, and friends having fun...what could be better?

Both are still just tiny ideas, but things that could prove to be very fun! Anyone out there have any other kooky party ideas? I'd love to hear them.

Challenging Custom Order

2010-01-10T10:54:00.006-05:00

One of my coworkers' children requested a sock monkey after seeing one of my previous orders. He decided that a drawing would be the best way to show me exactly how he imagined his monkey would look. I have included the drawing and what I came up with based on that. I think I came pretty close. I just hope it meets his expectations. I hear a 10-year-old can be hard to please! ;)

Diary Entry in Pencil Drawing. Enjoy!

2010-01-07T21:10:00.002-05:00

Click image to enlarge to view exquisite detail!

Devil Dog

2009-12-31T12:42:00.003-05:00

Charlie Murphy loves to snuggle down in any time he wants to take a nap. This particular evening, he chose to wriggle into the flap on our pillow sham making himself a true wiener in a bun. These pics are courtesy of Jeff as he thought it was too cute!
Have a safe and happy 2010 everyone!

2009 The Year of the Monkey

2009-12-21T16:39:00.012-05:00

Last year around this time, I was embarking on a journey to craft two sock monkeys for a coworker by request. Little did I know that one year later, I would have made 21 monkeys for various people at work. Here are some of the monkeys that have been adopted this year!

Frankenstein Cupcakes

2009-10-31T09:12:00.008-04:00

I first saw the Frankenstein cupcake idea in a magazine, but couldn't find it when the time came. I ended up peeking at a few pic of similar ideas on Flickr and decided to just wing it as I have done ice cream cone cupcakes in the past.

Here's what you need:
Package of ice cream cones- Tip--buy more than you need because some will likely be damaged!
Box cake mix- I used an orange and fudge mix special for Halloween
Ingredients called for on box- Usually water, vegetable oil, and eggs
Container of chocolate icing
Full size peanut butter cups
Black decorator's icing- I used Wilton's black icing in a tube that the tip is "supposed" to fit on!
A mini muffin pan

Step 1: Place 6 (or 12 if you have a big mini muffin pan) cones into your pan. Fill with prepared cake mix to just above where the cone widens.
My box called for the oven to be at 350 degrees and I found through trial and error that 15 minutes seemed to be the perfect baking time for my cupcakes. Your time may vary a bit, but you can always check by poking with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done!

Step 2: Place peanut butter cup on top when the come out of the oven immediately. They will melt a bit to stick onto the cupcake top.

Step 3: Decorate! Put chocolate icing around edges of peanut butter cups (or any other color you like). Push 2 candy corn in for the neck plugs (I guess that's what they are!) Draw a face with your choice of icing. Black was quick and easy for my purposes. If you don't have tips and bags for decorating, you can put your icing in a sandwich bag and cut a small corner off with kitchen scissors.

A few tips I discovered along the way. Don't make the night before because my candy corn got sticky and started to melt and fall out due to the moisture in the cake mix. Also, the fine detail in the icing decoration started to run. I would bake the cupcakes and do the basic icing the day before and decorate only a few hours prior to your party so they are looking their scariest!

Jeff Carves a Pumpkin

2009-10-31T09:01:00.006-04:00

Almost 3 weeks before Halloween this year, my husband says, "I know what I'm carving on my pumpkin." Now most years it's like pulling teeth to get him to agree to carve pumpkins with me. It is a Herculean task! He proudly flips his laptop around to show me a spiderman face carved into a pumpkin. I have to admit, it was pretty cool. I was just excited that he actually wanted to carve a pumpkin uncoerced! I wanted to try painting my pumpkin black to make it super creepy. I ended up carving a somewhat cute design, so I don't really know how creepy it turned out, but I was happy with the results. Here are our attempts at artful pumpkin carving for 2009.

A Game Day Birthday Celebration

2009-10-11T22:49:00.004-04:00

Jeff's 31st birthday fell on a Tuesday this year. It's a little hard to party on a Tuesday, so I planned a game day party for the weekend after to watch the WVU football game. The inspiration all started from a cake pan in the shape of the flying WV. I was busy attempting to be a good hostess so they aren't too many photos, but I'll share a few that I managed to snap.

I know he liked it, but just like a kid, he can never give a serious smile just a funny face!

Kitty Litter Cake

2009-09-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

This is a cake that I have made a few times now. It is met with laughter and resistance, but is truly delicious if you can get past its' looks. It is a great dessert for Halloween. This particular cake was made for an office party. No matter the occasion, it is sure to raise some eyebrows!

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 box German chocolate cake mix*
1 box White cake mix*
2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
Green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls
1 NEW Kitty litter pan
1 NEW Plastic kitty litter pan liner
1 NEW Pooper Scooper

*I prefer to use 2 butter or yellow cake mixes instead, but you may use whatever type of cake suits your taste.

Instructions

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooked to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. IMPORTANT: Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie Rolls; bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over the top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything-- This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat three Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

My first embroidery project

2009-09-09T22:00:00.002-04:00

I recently finished my first embroidery project. The pattern was a Sublime Stitching pattern. It turned out really cute and was a lot of fun! I guess I can't really say that I'm new to embroidery, but it was my first time trying an iron-on pattern like this one. I can see that there will be many more projects like this one in my future. I've been spying on some really cute patterns on Etsy.

End of Summer Fun

2009-09-08T21:11:00.009-04:00

Labor Day weekend was quite the whirlwind this year. It started off Saturday with a baby shower for my friend Stacy, then onto having a house full of guests that we carted off to our friends' house on the river for a cookout on Sunday, and ended on Labor Day with an early evening 30th birthday celebration for my friend Vicki. Talk about a fun-filled and exhausting weekend! Here are some highlights from the weekend.

Vic and Stacy...both mommies-to-be! Check out the finished farm animal cupcake display!

Connor enjoying the boat ride, a lot!

Teagan trying to keep warm with Jeff.

Vicki (aka. Vanna) displaying her gifts.

Mm..mm..mm..my Ramona! (The Early Years)

2009-08-24T22:02:00.004-04:00

Ramona came to live with Jeff and myself way back in the day in July of 1999. She was seen jumping from the window of a car in the Wal*Mart parking lot where I worked as a courtesy desk girl. It was hot and many customers expressed concerned for her saftey on the 90 degree+ day out on the pavement. Someone had purchased her a bottle of water and put the cap down for her to drink a bit. She seemed tame enough, so I picked her up and brought her inside and put her behind the desk to call animal control.

Since it was Friday, no one at animal control was available. I decided to take her home just until her owner called to claim her. As sweet as she was, I was certain that someone would call distraught over the fact that they had lost her. The call never came. We drove to the shelter with her in our car, but I was already in love. Ramona was meant to be a part of our family.

Fondant Fun

2009-08-23T15:57:00.005-04:00

I have never worked with fondant, but had always heard that it could be a bit tricky to work with. (I watch a lot of Ace of Cakes.) While I think this holds true for covering a cake and making it look nice and smooth, it's not true when it comes to making cute farm animals! My friend, Vicki, found a super cute blog called Blue Cupcake, that had a picture of an adorable farm animal cake/cupcake combo. We decided to try to recreate some of the farm animals for cupcakes for an upcoming baby shower we will be hosting. I had my doubts, but it was much easier than I had hoped. It was actually a lot of fun. Below are some close-ups of the sheep. I just love his curly wool! I don't think I could pick a favorite even if I had to. Stay tuned for pics of the shower in a few weeks!

July Design Challenge Results

2009-08-15T09:59:00.006-04:00

So I finally have the results of the design challenge that I did with Hillary, of Happy Hippy Jewelry on Etsy. It was our July design challenge (a little belated), and my first design challenge ever. Basically, we gave each other a theme and then let our imaginations run wild. Typically, this type of challenge is done in a large group with everyone using the same theme and then a winner is announced, but we modified a bit for just the 2 of us!

Hillary's theme that I chose was "Summer Romance," and this is what she came up with. I have to say that I love that the "couple" are in my 2 favorite colors....Let's Gooooo Mountaineers!

Here's what she had to say about it: "I really tried to represent the coming together and intertwining of two separate souls with the blue and yellow wire wrapped pendant. I added the pink and floral accents to emphasize the idea of romanticism and to add a little bit more of a "summery" feel." She elaborated more on her design process by saying this, "I made the pendant first and really wanted to represent two unique persons entangling themselves and falling in love. I couldn't decide if it was finished and even asked for advice from other crafters, who gave me some great suggestions. I discovered how well the pink went with the bright blue and yellow just playing around with different things. I played with several things and ultimately went with it because it helped soften the overall impact of the high contrast colors without making them "disappear". Pink is also a great color for romance and the floral beads looked appropriately "summery" to me. Ultimately, I think I ended up with something very romantic but unusual and unique, which is what i always strive for."

The theme Hillary assigned to me was "weather." Here is what I came up with!
This is a 3-piece bath towel set that includes a full sized bath towel, a hand towel, and a washcloth. I first thought of using a cloud, sun, and raindrop. Those just didn't work well together. They weren't very much fun. Almost a little sad. So I picked the cutest of the three, the raindrop, and created around that. The umbrella and boots gave me the ability to add some color and interest into the project while still sticking to the theme. I have to say that the rain boots, I thought, were going to be a bit out of my comfort zone as far as getting them to look normal. It didn't take me too long to figure out how I wanted to attack them, and I think they turned out pretty stinkin' cute! This item is listed at my shop on Etsy, 15 Pieces of Flair.

There are 3 of us lined up to do another mini-challenge for August with a September 8th deadline. It will feature Hillary of Happy Hippy Jewelry, Liz of LiDDesigns, and me, Angie, of 15 Pieces of Flair. Our theme this time around will be the same for all 3 and will be....drumroll.......Hollywood Glam! I'm very excited about the prospect and will keep you all posted.

My First Ever Design Challenge

2009-08-03T21:45:00.002-04:00

On Etsy, they encourage you to become part of one of their teams. Each team has different requirements and functions differently. I chose, about a year ago, to become a member of the Retro Handmade team. It is designed for those who do throwbacks to retro-feel designs/items or even possibly use vintage items within their creations. There must be a handmade aspect to your shop, not just vintage or retro items.

A few months ago, we decided to start doing a monthly design challenge. I didn't participate in the first few, but was feeling plucky this month. Only one other person was feeling up to the challenge, so we decided to do our own mini challenge. My co-conspirator this month is Hillary from Hippybeads. She chose the theme "weather" for me to use. I chose "summer romance" as her theme. Our deadline is fast approaching, August 8th. I've created a design and have put the wheels into motion this evening. I'm very excited about my design. The item will be for sale in my shop upon completion.

Stay tuned to see what my partner and I have come up with!

The Shot Block

2009-07-09T21:52:00.010-04:00

Shortly after meeting Jeff in 1997, I was introduced to the shot block by his family. Some of you may be familiar with this party pleaser, but for those of you who are not, I will explain and provide instruction.

1. The first and most important part is the "puck & suck" stand that has been constructed to hold the enormous block of ice. There are 2 such contraptions in Jeff's family. One lives in Akron, OH, and the other in Charlotte, NC.
As you can see, it's construction is pretty simple. All it requires is a slope to get the alcohol of your choice down into your mouth. The step is not necessary, but is very handy, as most are not tall enough to comfortably pour without some vertical assistance.

2. The ice block. This requires massive feats of strength and also some further construction of a device to properly lift the ice. Please refer to photo. You must supply your own strong men for this step.3. Next, the tracks for the yummy beverages have to be cut out with a router. It is best to make a small reservoir at the top of both tracks and then use a gentle "squiggle" motion down to the bottom of the block. Otherwise alcohol will shoot down the block at top speed into your gullet with a high risk for chokage. This would be bad. Please follow the proper precautions when working with any and all power tools. Alcohol and power tools=fun...what?, I mean danger. Very bad! Please refer to photo #3.4. This is the fun step. 2 people step up to the bottom of the block, pucker up, and await their icy cool beverage to slide on down. Placing towels on nails on either side of the puck & suck stand is recommended for drippage. Please refer to the photos below to get a load of the action.5. Hygiene factor. "Everyone puts their lips on this ice? That's gross!" you say. Well to you, my friend, loosen up and have a few drinks. Life is short so enjoy it while it lasts.

As an added bonus, there was a large potato cannon at this year's party. I think the best part was that the name on the side was "Potato Delivery Systems". Quite a high-tech weapon in my opinion.

Me and My Crafty Mommy

2009-07-07T14:36:00.006-04:00

My creativity seems to go in spurts, or should I say during times when I'm not bogged down by other life committments. Well, over the 4th of July weekend, I had a few extra days off that led to some new and some tried-and-true recreations of previous designs I have done. I also received a box from my mom with her new-found addiction...crocheted bath poufs. I have to make fun of her though because when she first started making them she called them "pouf" like it rhymed with "woof". So of course, I teased her relentlessly about them, and we have to joke about it every time we refer to them. So here are some of my latest creations as well as my mom's "poufs"!

Photographic Hilarity

2009-07-03T22:02:00.004-04:00

Recently, my friend Vicki, pointed me in the direction of a fantastic site called awkwardfamilyphotos.com. They update it on almost a daily basis, so it really needs to bookmarked and checked frequently to get the most benefit from it. There have been a few pictures that have struck me, but one in particular today merited being reposted here. It is strikingly remarkable in regard to a picture of mine in my last blog post. Just take a look. A glimpse of the future perhaps?

Relay for Life 2009

2009-06-13T15:59:00.009-04:00

A group of us at work decided to have a team for the Relay for Life this year in Marion County. We named ourselves Aaron's Team to support our co-workers' son, Aaron Riley, who unfortunately passed away before the event after a short, tough battle with leukemia. It was the first year most of us had participated, or even attended the event. We chose to decorate in a circus-theme and had a bowling game, a ring toss, a fish pond, face painting, balloons, popcorn, peanuts, and glow necklaces for when it got dark. Malissa graciously agreed to dress up as a clown for the evening. I think she looked cute and not at all like a creepy clown.

We really didn't know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised that our tent was definitely a hit, and were kept busy the entire evening raising funds for the cancer society. We doubled what we had raised prior to the event in just a few hours exceeding our team's goal of $1000.
After the evening was drawing to a close, we decided to treat ourselves to some mustaches. I think we all look very distinguished....or something like that! Pictured are Miranda, Michelle (team captain), and myself!

Snuggies Are Fantabulous!

2009-05-05T22:01:00.004-04:00

This year for Easter I received from my loving, albeit smart-assed husband, a Snuggie. We have laughed at the commercials for hours on end as well as the remixed version on YouTube. I swore that I would never wear something so ridiculous looking, but as you can see I've had to eat my words. The weird thing is that it is actually a pretty cool little hybrid. Yeah, I realize it's just a backwards robe without a belt, but so what? The crafty part of my brain is already thinking of ways to improve upon this fantastic invention. The fleece is a bit on the thin side, and the sleeves are waaaay too long for me. JoAnn fabric just might need to watch out for large purchases of cute print fleeces in the near future with some snuggilicious Christmas gifts!

Don't Get Eliminated!!

2009-04-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

I love elimination dinners. I realize after all of my Vegas posts and now 2 elimination dinners, I probably look like I have a gambling problem, but we really don't do these things often. It's just been a banner year for gambling! Just in case anyone reading does have a gambling problem...please follow this link.For those of you that don't know what an elimination dinner is, let me explain. Usually only 200 tickets are sold for the event. You pay for your ticket which includes dinner and drinks for two. There is a board with all 200 ticket numbers posted and then throughout the evening numbers are drawn and....yep....eliminated! If you are the last number standing you win a major award. Going rate around here is $1000. Also included in the dinners are various other schemes to milk any extra dollars you have hanging around right out of your wallet. Tip boards (also called fish bowls in some places), 50/50 drawing, 200th ticket raffle, chances on donated prizes, really just about any gambling gig you can dream up can be run at these things. This most recent dinner was to benefit the local Lion's Club. My husband, Lion Jeff, is a member and I know it's for a good cause so I don't mind spending the extra dough!
The most fantastic prize of the evening, hands down, was the gift certificate that the Nelson's received in their prize pack from a raffle. I guess spell check doesn't pick up on things this hilarious! Apparently, there's a new gig in town. Not only is the restaurant name spelled incorrectly, but the name of the town is Sabraton.

Climbing the Slippery Rock

2009-04-03T16:30:00.000-04:00

We finally made it up to Slippery Rock to visit my little sis during her freshman year. It was a surprisingly quick and easy trip only taking us 2 hours on the interstate to get there. It made me feel a bit guilty that I hadn't taken the time to do it sooner. The campus is much like any other, although a bit more spread out. Their claim to fame seems to be their new residential dorm suites, which Courtney got lucky enough to get into.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sweet deal her and her roommate have there. I had to walk down the hall to use the bathroom that I shared with all the other girls on the floor. When someone brushed their teeth or flushed you got scalded by the steaming water. When I got sick at the end of my first semester and thought I had the flu, the thought of trudging down the hall to be sick in a disgusting toilet made me want to puke just thinking about it.

We went to lunch at a local bar called Ginger Hill Tavern. After that we went to the Grove City Outlets and did a little shopping. There was a great candy store there called Fuzziwigs that had all kinds of candy that I haven't seen in years. We spent more than a few pennies there stocking up on our faves.

Mixing Madness

2009-04-01T18:07:00.003-04:00

A few of my latest projects for my Etsy shop have been stand mixer covers. It might not be a hot "it" item, but it is something that is needed if you plan to leave your mixer setting out on the counter and don't plan to wash it weekly. It also fits in with my growing theme of household items in my shop.I had to search high and low when I wanted to purchase a cover for my beloved silver Kitchen Aid mixer. When I did finally find a store that had them in stock the only color choices were black and white. How boring! Well, now I have found a pattern by Random Revelations that has solved that dilemma. So far I have 2 for sale in my shop, but plan to do many more. I just think they are so fun! I want to make a zillion for my own mixer and "dress it" in different outfits. Yeah, I'm a little off if you haven't already figured that one out!

Viva Las Vegas--Part III

2009-03-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

This will be my last Las Vegas post...awwww! If you've been following my previous posts, you may have asked yourself if we actually did any gambling and your answer is, YES! We had fun playing little bits here and there. We would lose a little, win a little, nothing big. Then the last evening we were there, Jeff finally hit on his number 8 playing roulette and won about $200. We figured we just about broke even as far as what we spent on gambling. We didn't go to win, we went to have a good time and that was accomplished.
We did A LOT of walking while we were there. Taking a cab anywhere, even a few blocks, was a minimum of $10, so we used the feet God gave us and pounded a little pavement. For lazy people like ourselves this was quite the task. It did give us a great opportunity to take pics here and there and all over Vegas. Sigfried and Roy's tiger tried to attack me while walking on the strip one day.We stayed at the Paris hotel and casino and it was beautiful inside and out. It features a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower, if you really want to call it that and a large replica of a hot air balloon. The restaurants and shops inside and made to look like the streets of Paris with the ceiling painted like the sky. It was a really cool atmosphere and felt very relaxed.We ate at a lot of great places; the little patisserie in the hotel; La Brassiere, where Jeff experienced a Kobe beef burger for the first time; the ESPN zone; and Stack at the Mirage. The one place we ate that we did NOT enjoy was Ah Sin in our hotel. It was supposed to be great sushi/Japanese steak house. We did enjoy the sushi we had, but the service was terrible, the atmosphere was hot and noisy, and the main courses really weren't great. We entertained ourselves instead by coming up with a fictional character whom we named Soy Frog. I know, original!

Viva Las Vegas--Part II

2009-03-30T16:50:00.010-04:00

For part two of my Vegas series, I decided to feature my favorite hotel/casino we visited, the Bellagio. While I have seen all of the Ocean's movies, this is not why I loved the Bellagio so much. It was simply gorgeous! It is also home to a Tiffany's, which is any girls' favorite store. The fountains out front "perform" every 15 minutes from 8pm to sometime around midnight, and every half hour or hour during the day. We saw a show during the day, which was nice, but nothing compared to how beautiful it is at night. The show was just starting in the picture above.The decor inside the hotel was unlike any other we visited while in Vegas. The picture above has to be one of my favorites that I took during the whole trip. They are floral umbrellas suspended from a domed ceiling along the halls leading to the lobby. The picture below is what the view behind the check-in desk looks like.Just beyond the lobby and check-in desk was a huge indoor garden area. The floral scent was intoxicating. There were various water fountains, hundreds of tulips and spring flowers in bloom, a zen garden, an all-glass greenhouse that contained all sorts of flowers and butterflies fluttering around. There were also sculptural pieces using flowers, like the snail photo below.Jeff had to take a stab at his take on an artful photo. I think he did a pretty good job with the unusual lighting that was being cast onto this patch of cosmos.I commented that the next time we go to Vegas, I definitely want to stay at the Bellagio. I'm sure it's not cheap based on its' enormity and beauty, but I'd sacrifice some other luxuries for a chance to stay at this gorgeous establishment.

Viva Las Vegas--Part I

2009-03-23T22:00:00.010-04:00

Jeff and I took our first trip to Las Vegas this year at the beginning of March. It was absolute sensory overload! So much so, that I don't think I can even cover it in just one blog post, so prepare yourself for a Vegas series. Not to mention that I took tons of cool photos that must be shared. I have never been in a place where there was so much to see and do!

Jeff had originally wanted the trip to be a surprise, but he is historically a horrible secret-keeper, so before the day arrived, he had given in and let me "guess" where we were going. It wasn't hard to guess since we had both said we'd like to make Vegas one of our next trips. He did maintain that he had a surprise planned, which turned out to be the Cirque du Soleil show "Love" featuring the music of the Beatles. If you ever make it to Vegas, and have the means, definitely see a show.

We also got to tour the Bodies Exhibition at the Luxor, which I thought was really interesting. I think Jeff could have done without seeing fully preserved skinned humans in various poses, but it was a truly educational and unique experience. I would not recommend this activity for the weak of heart, or more particularly, stomach.

The other show/exhibit we attended was the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. This activity would be great for all ages from baby to gramps. There were all sorts of aquatic life to watch. They give each person a handheld listening device and each exhibit had a number that you entered that explained what types of fish/mammals you were looking at and a little bit about them. It was nice not having to stop and read a placard at each tank. It allowed us to just enjoy watching while learning a little bit too. The high points for me at the Shark Reef were the room that had the jellyfish tank and the touching pool, and the final shipwreck underwater room to view the sharks. The jellyfish were just indescribably beautiful and graceful, although they did not photograph well. The touching pool looked like a lot of fun for the kids. I did reach in and pet a stingray and then wondered what to do with my wet hand. Thankfully they had some hand sanitizer and papertowels available. The underwater viewing room was a little trippy, especially for anyone who has watched the scene in Jaws where the shark busts through the underwater glass walkway, but it was all good. We managed to escape unscathed!

Chickity China the Chocolate Bunny

2009-02-18T20:17:00.004-05:00

Here is my latest tasty, yet non-edible creation. This was fashioned from a pair of "magic gloves" into an adorable chocolate bunny. He is my newest listing in my shop. I'm very ready for nicer weather; a chance to get outside and do some digging in the ground. I can only tolerate rain, wind, sleet, and snow for so long!

A First

2009-02-17T17:00:00.002-05:00

I had a bit of a shock today when I arrived home in my email. After a weekend of creativity, I had posted my 3 newest towel designs on Etsy with 2 of them featuring designs of something that resembled a beloved Easter treat made of white squishy fluff covered in colored sugar in the shape of a woodland creature (see pic in post below). This email stated that Etsy had been contacted by an individual regarding these 2 aforementioned items and due to copyright infringement, they were removed from the site. I searched for other similar items on Etsy the night I listed, and there were a few items that featured these yummy treats, but all of those listings were gone today! How rude! I never in a million years would have thought that something that has been around for so long would cause such a stir. I guess I thought wrong!

A Spring in My Step

2009-02-15T15:48:00.006-05:00

Valentine's day has flown past! I hope everyone had a great day with their sweetie. Mine got me a gorgeous onyx-tipped crucifix on a silver chain. It definitely was quite the surprise. I got him a rockin' tie from Cyberoptix Tie Lab on Etsy. Their tag line is "Ties That Don't Suck" and I'll tell you that that is certainly true. With Jeff's new job at the university, he has cause to look dashing each and every day, but I felt this would remind people that he is still a young 30something. I spent part of the day working on some new creations for the spring/Easter season. Marshmallow peeps are for most people a love/hate relationship. I personally don't like to eat them, but they are quite adorable, which is why they are featured on 2 of my newest towels. I also had a need to make some little chickees with funky hair-dos. I think I have accomplished that with this towel, but I'm thinking that each and every one that I do is going to have to have different coifs. I'm thinking an Elvis hair, bald on top with hair on the sides...you get the idea.

Winter Blah Time

2009-02-08T15:07:00.008-05:00

This time of year is always kind of blah for me. Believe me I'm very thankful for the 60 degree weather we're having today, but I'll be glad when we don't have to worry about ice and snow for a while. So I thought I'd post some random photos that I've been hanging onto just because I like them.

Saturday night bowling with the Audia's and the Cochran's.
This is Grandma Shepard with her granddog, Charlie Murphy in his super cool Old Navy fleece pullover. It has tiny grey pine trees on it!
I am sad to admit that the people depicted here are indeed my family. What can I say? They're some wicked loyal Steelers fans! My brother, Mark, sister, Courtney, husband, Jeff, and stepdaddy, Steve.
This last photo was taken during the celebration of the 1st anniversary of Leah Nelson's birth. 3 adults in a love seat=LOTS 'O' LOVE!

All This Talky Talky!

2009-02-03T20:50:00.006-05:00

Valentine's Day is only a few short weeks away. I decided that I needed something fun and frou frou for my Etsy shop, so I came up with an idea for 3 sets of custom conversation hearts. The first set I did was the Flirty set. But what if you want something a little more risque than just flirty? Hence my Naughty set. Lastly, for those who may be faint of heart and not able to handle the Naughty or even the Flirty, the Romance set. I do believe that these will be the last of my Valentine ventures. Now onto spring and Easter! They are just around the corner.

My Lack of Bloggy Wonderment

2009-01-25T22:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, I have been noticeably absent in the blogging world lately, but there have been some stressing issues in my life. I blogged about my experience briefly with my bout of appedicitis back in the middle of December. Then the holidays descended upon us all, which is a "get out of blog free card" in my book. The holidays lasted longer than normal due to my illness and having to reschedule Christmas with my family out of town.

After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I planned on things getting back to normal, but my grandmother unexpectedly had to have a quadruple bypass. That ended up going very poorly and, very sadly, she passed away on January 15th. I spent the first three weekends in January traveling back and forth between WV and PA to be with my family during that difficult time.

While all of the medical issues with my grandmother were going on, my husband's grandmother was also in the hospital. She had a stroke back in November and was in a nursing home/rehabilitation center. She went into the hospital on January 5th for respiratory problems, was diagnosed about a week later with colon cancer, and had a bowel resection that was thought to be successful. This Friday, however, she had to go back into surgery where her bowel had come apart at the incision and is currently totally out of it on a ventilator in the ICU. We're not really sure what is going to happen with this situation, but she has been through a lot. We'll just keep praying that whatever is best for her is what happens.

Christmas Cubicle Decorating Contest

2009-01-07T18:43:00.026-05:00

I am sad that I did not get to post this much earlier in the season, but alas, my damned appendix had to go rogue and make things difficult. I figure that anyone that has to stare at lovely cubicle walls all day should appreciate the pics even if they are a bit late.

In order to spruce up our spaces this year and take away a bit of the monotony, I decided to sponsor a cubicle decorating contest. I really just wanted people to go crazy and over the top for a little friendly competition. I typed up some rules and a sign-up sheet in November listing 3 possible categories to enter into:
1. Great Griswold Christmas Cubicle.
2. Funky and Festive Christmas Cubicle.
3. Classy Christmas Cubicle (for those who couldn't handle the glare and funk!).

Overall, we had 7 entries (it's a small office), and Miranda came up with the fantastic idea of getting a Dundee-type award for the prizes. We used a local trophy shop and had 3 small trophies made, which unfortunately, I did not take pictures of. The shop did a fantastic job on them though. I have mine (I won the Classy Christmas Cubicle award) proudly displayed on my desk for all to view and lust after. I was hoping that having them displayed prominently would encourage a bit more fierce competition in '09.

*Top photo-Dwight's Cubicle
*2 photos to right-Bobbie's Cubicle and winner of the Great Griswold Christmas Cubicle 2008!
*4th photo down on left-Miranda's Cubicle and winner of the Festive & Funky Christmas Cubicle 2008!
*5th photo down on left-Michelle's Cubicle/Desk Area and my personal favorite
*6th photo down on left-Melinda's Cubicle
*Photo below-Cindi's Cubicle...and she made fun of me for having too much time on my hands!
*Missing-photo of Angie's Cubicle winner of Classy Christmas Cubicle 2008! I am searching for a photo as I think someone in the office has to have one. I was laid up in the hospital at the time of judging and photo shoot.

Bring on 2009!

2008-12-29T20:35:00.004-05:00

Earlier in the year, I posted about giving 2008 a stink eye due to all of the crappy events that had occurred. Little did I know that I was only jinxing myself by posting that back in.....June?, I believe. 2008 continued on the path that it had set for itself during the 1st few months, going out with a bang on December 14th, when I required an emergency appendectomy spending 5 days in the local hospital. Not a great Christmas gift, if you ask me, but at least I won't have to worry about my appendix every again as long as I live.

So for 2009, I have decided a few things.

I will not have any unnecessary surgical procedures requiring time off of work. Total time off work in '08 was 6 weeks. Four when I had my foot nearly chopped off for a plantar wart issue, and then 2 for the appendix going rogue.

I am going to continue to move toward my goal of being more healthful by renewing my motivation in my Weight Watchers group and being more active.

I am not going to dwell on negative situations or people and strive to be happy with my life and my choices every day.

Okay, so I realize this is a super serious, semi-sappy post, but everyone is entitled to one once in a while right? I should be posting very soon with some fantastic Christmas and New Year's pics.

Fuzzy Candy Canes

2008-12-09T22:14:00.008-05:00

I found an awesome tutorial for felted candy canes at the feltcafe blog. I have been wanting to try to make felted items for a while, but just hadn't found quite the right project to inspire me to do so. Everything I saw just looked a little too over my head as far a beginner for felting went. This tutorial looked to be right up my alley ,and the perfect chance to make little package embellishments for the all the wrapping for the holidays.

After some searching on Etsy, I found 2 sellers to purchase small amounts of wool roving from to get started. I purchased my white wool roving from 7 Yaks Designs and a crimson pink roving from Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I was able to pick up all of the supplies needed for a little bit of nothing.

The process was very easy and only took me about 15 minutes to make 3 candy canes. I think if you wanted to produce a ton of them, it would not take very long at all. I've included a few pics, although I admit, they aren't the greatest. I may try a felted heart outline for the upcoming Valentine's holiday using the same materials and technique and tie a ribbon to use as a valentine's ornament. Happy crafting!

Sock Monkey Sock Hop

2008-12-09T17:22:00.007-05:00

I know that I may be in the minority, but I have never owned a sock monkey. I vaguely remember my great grandma having one at her house that I may have played with many moons ago. One of my coworkers had asked if I could make some "funky" sock monkeys for her 2 boys for Christmas. I found a great online tutorial at Craftbits.com that was super informative and easy to follow. I figured I had to be able to do it when I started to read all the comments about kids and people who had no sewing experience whatsoever having great results with the instructions. I found the perfect socks at Target. Three pairs of knee high socks for $6.99. I chose the most traditional looking pair for my first attempt which I show here in this post. Sock monkey #2 is still being formulated in my secret lab. I think he will be much funkier than his older brother.

Vintage Reindeer Display

2008-12-08T17:19:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago while doing my daily cruising at Etsy, I came across these fantastically altered vintage flocked reindeer (seen in 1st pic to right) from Magpie Ethel's shop. After inquiring if she planned on having anymore available, I happened upon two of the unadorned treasures at one of my local antique shops, Fairmont Avenue Antiques, in Fairmont, WV for a very meager $3.oo each! (seen in pic to left)
I quickly snatched them up and set off to beglittering their antlers and hooves. It was a very easy process using Martha Stewart's glitter and glue that I picked up at Wal*Mart for about $6 if I recall correctly. It was a very easy process that took only about 15 minutes to complete both reindeer. So next I had to decide how I was going to display my fabulous new "flamboyant" deer as my husband put it. Little did he know that there was much more to come! I ended up ordering a couple of adorable handmade pink bottlebrush trees from Magpie Ethel's shop as well. She graciously offered to make necklaces for my deer to make them as sassy as the ones she had done. I found the last piece of my vintage puzzle at another local antique shop, Sweet Memories, also in Fairmont, WV....a set of 5 pink glass ball ornaments. I took a strand of white lights and laid a blanket of glittery snow over it, at the advice of a good friend. Also you can see our ceramic lighted Christmas tree in the background that we purchased in Gatlinburg, TN last year at their giant craft show.

Christmas is A-comin'!

2008-11-04T17:05:00.003-05:00

I arrived home from work today to find that my lovely beer mug stocking had sold. I absolutely adored the idea of it, and loved the finished product even more. I held off on making multiples because who needs 10 beer mug stockings? Actually, who DOESN'T need 10 beer mug stockings? But I digress, the first one has finally sold. As soon as I finish up my first wholesale order for a shop in NY state, I will set off to make many more mugs of beer for your walls, or mantel, or wherever you may want a mug of icy cold deliciousness!

Craft Magazine's Blog Rocks!

2008-10-31T18:04:00.004-04:00

I have to say that Craftzine is the rockingest website for crafty ideas out there! I actually found it via another great blog that I read, homemade by jill. If I go for a few days without checking it out, I am absolutely flooded by awesome pictures and tons of ideas that I would love to try, like this shaped book tutorial at Cheeky Magpie. There just aren't enough hours in the day to even look at all of the cool crafty things people are doing these days, let alone actually making them! Trick or treat was okay last night. We had about 45 kids come to the house. We actually have some candy left over, which is not what I was hoping for! Ramona was a good sport and wore her pig costume for a brief period. She was a hit with the kids and their parents. She did, however, look totally and utterly humiliated! Her second picture is the most perfect "stink eye" from a dog I've ever seen!

Adult Halloween Parties = FUN!

2008-10-26T21:08:00.012-04:00

The past three years have brought out much creativity and laughter amongst our group of friends in the form of the adult Halloween party. The locale changes every year so there are some fresh faces and a new perspective on the theme, but the core group remains the same. The year the Audia's hosted and used a 'Through the Decades' theme. Their living room was done in 70s style, the bathroom in 60s, the dining room (with tons of delicious treats!) in 80s with plenty of cool toys to admire and play with, and the kitchen in 50s. The guests had the choice of wearing clothes from a specific decade or dressing as a character or item that was able to be dated for a particular decade. Jeff and I took it one step further and dressed up as a decade! We went as 'The 80s'. We were getting ready to embark on a cruise, as you may be able to tell from the photos. Jeff's pants were only 2 sizes too small, and I couldn't decide if I was more Barbara Bush or Rose Nylund. What do you think? Well, we had a great time eating, playing games, and just being together!

Turning 30

2008-10-25T08:16:00.019-04:00

On the 23rd of this month, I turned 30. I never imagined myself to be someone who would be bothered by age until I got closer to my first "non-fun" milestone birthday. Sixteen, eighteen, twenty-one...all of those are fun and exciting. What's fun about 30? I know that 30 isn't old by any stretch of the imagination, but it does mean that I am getting older. I did have a great day and celebrated in style eating at a local Italian joint with a group of friends and then hanging out at the house watching the Mountaineers beat Auburn (yea!) and eating cake. I got a new digital camera, which was much appreciated as our current one was limping along. On a hilarious note, I received a GT Xpress 101 cooker by Cathy Mitchell. If you haven't seen the infomercial, I highly recommend it. It will mesmerize you! It comes with a recipe book containing...you guessed it...101 recipes. And a nylon spatula to remove all of the culinary delights you create! I have informed all of our friends that the next dinner will be cooked exclusively on my GT Xpress 101.

Halloween Craftiness

2008-10-19T09:36:00.008-04:00

Granted it may be a little late to be thinking about making Halloween crafts, but I couldn't resist when I saw this because it's so simple. It also led me to another great blog at Skip to My Lou. These adorable pumpkin and ghost votive holders would take virtually no time at all and would be great projects to do with you kids too. They are made using baby food jars, Mod Podge, black construction paper, and crepe and tissue paper. How easy is that? If anyone tries these and wants to post pics, that would be fantastic. I can so picture these sitting along your walk or driveway to light the way for all the little ghouls and princesses coming for your treats on Halloween night!

Our house is a very, very, very fine house!

2008-10-16T17:16:00.006-04:00

Fall always seems to fly by so quickly, probably because it is my favorite time of year. I always want to get the decorations out just a bit earlier than I should, but thankfully my husband keeps me somewhat in check with that and I return the favor when he pushes to get out Christmas decor before Thanksgiving rolls around. Shopping for Halloween candy is always fun. We just need to place it strategically or buy it at the last minute so that we don't eat most of it ourselves. We decided we didn't want to be a one of the houses that gave out crappy candy, so we get the good stuff....chocolate! We have averaged around 40-70 trick-or-treaters in the five Halloweens that we have lived in this neighborhood. I think that it's the perfect number. I hear stories of people elsewhere that get into the hundreds and have to turn off their light when they run out of candy. Last year we actually had some left that we had to get rid of! The highlight is definitely seeing what our next door neighbors are going to dress as to go along with their 6 year old son. We've had Dad as batman (secretly my favorite year) and another year as Scooby Doo in a full-on costume. I hear this year the son will be Harry Potter and Dad will either be Hagrid or Dumbledore, but whatever he chooses, I'm sure he will go all out in the costume department!

It's Official!

2008-10-13T20:17:00.005-04:00

After having my Etsy shop open since April, I have finally moved into the real world and fashioned myself an actual business card! I have not really promoted much amongst my friends and family due to the fact that I didn't feel professional enough. Well, watch out baby because here I come. I also just recently had my first request for a large order based on merchandise I had listed in my shop. And I've sold a few items within the past month. Things are definitely looking up for me. When I started out, I decided it was just for fun and if it ever turned into anything more that would be fabulous. I'm still a long way off from it turning into anything more, but it's still an exciting prospect. It'd be nice to have enough income from my craftiness to cut back my hours at my day job by one day a week. That is my ultimate goal at this time.

Charlie Murphy!!!

2008-10-11T16:05:00.007-04:00

Meet the newest addition to the family...Charlie Murphy! Charlie just had his first birthday and is a miniature dachshund that needed to find a good home where his owners had more time to pay attention to him. Although, I worry about our other dog, Ramona's, mental health at the ripe old age of 12, I'm hoping that she and Charlie can come to some sort of agreement. Charlie kisses on the mouth, unlike Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman' as seen in the picture. Charlie likes to shower me with kisses after a long hard day at work. Ramona and Charlie have actually both sat with me on the couch on 2 separate occasions now without growls or barks. Charlie's true last name from his previous owner was Murphy, and if you have ever watched Chappelle's show, you surely understand why we will continue to call him Charlie Murphy. Murphy will just be his middle name now. Ramona will be dressing this Halloween as a "puppy hog" in a pig costume, and Charlie will be going as a vampire if he fits into the costume. I'll be sure to post pics of that for all to enjoy.

Day at the Museum

2008-08-30T11:05:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday, Jeff and I decided to do something new and different. While I have been to a variety of museums over the years having grown up so close to Washington D.C. and all of the Smithsonian museums, I had never been to any art museums. We made the trek up to Pittsburgh to go the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History. We spent about 3 hours just wandering around and taking it all in. We got to see Monet's Waterlilies, which was huge. We saw some drawings by Picasso, a Gustav Klimt, and I found a new painting that I really by Signac shown above. I have always loved Georges Seurat and this reminded me a lot of his "Sunday Afternoon". It wasn't all intellectual though. We did goof off a little in the natural history side. I froze off my tatas in a fake igloo. And Jeff had to fend off a polar bear who thought I looked like a tasty 'lil Eskimo.

My New Monster Friends!

2008-08-07T15:46:00.006-04:00

I've finished up some original designs for a couple of Halloween cuties this week for my Etsy shop. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out....so I'd like to introduce to you Grace the Goofy Spider and Frankie the Frightful Bat. They've both had a rough start in life and are hoping to find their way to stardom. More Halloween is being planned...how I just have to get crackin'!

Candy Corn Crazy!!!

2008-08-04T22:16:00.013-04:00

Once again I have started to be creative. I never really stopped, just took about a 6-week vacation from it. Now I have so many cool ideas, I can't keep up with myself! My 3 latest creations were all candy corn themed. Now here's the weird part...I hate candy corn! Love the look of it, hate the taste of it. But alas, I know that it is a well-loved Halloween tradition and that was enough to inspire me. I know that someone out there who is in love with candy corn will also love these adorable little creations!

80s Nostalgia

2008-06-17T17:06:00.010-04:00

For some reason, I have been terribly nostalgic lately. I'm not one for the overly sentimental, so I'm quite perplexed as to what is going on to make me feel this way. I have been searching for images of childhood cartoons and toys that I remember on the internet. I felt sad that I hadn't held onto more of these "collector's items". It's not that I have a desire to have them to sell for a profit. I think about wanting them to pass along to any future child or just for my own selfish comfort of knowing that there are around still. Maybe it has something to do with seeing my friend after 11 years. Maybe it's my birthday looming with the big 3-0 ahead. Maybe it's not having any children yet when I thought that surely I would have children at this point in my life. Who knows? I do know that if anyone has a white popple (with the yellow hair that looks like a furry boiled egg when it's all rolled up) that I'd love to talk to you about a lucrative deal.

Paper Bag Scrapbook Project

2008-06-15T00:33:00.020-04:00

Back in May I blogged about working on my first paper bag scrapbook project. I finished it a few weeks back, but couldn't post the pics due to the fact that it was a gift for my sister's graduation. I almost forgot that I had given it to her, and that I can now share the pictures with everyone! I was really pleased with the results. I just hope she enjoys it and turns it into something even more special. You should be able to click on the pics if you need a closer view. All the papers used were from Cosmo Cricket's "Wanted" and "Love Notes" lines and the embellishments came from various sources.

On a totally separate note, I am so in love with Cold Play's new song Viva la Vida. Their album comes out on Tuesday, and I can't wait!

#1 This is the front cover of the book. The little metal tag says "explore." #2 Pages 1 and 2 #3 Pages 3 and 4 #4 Pages 5 and 6 #5 Pages 7 and 8 #6 Pages 9 and 10 #7 Pages 11 and 12 #8 Pages 13 and 14 #9 Back cover of book

It's A Bird, It's A Plane...No It's A Bird Mobile!

2008-06-14T13:16:00.006-04:00

While searching for even more cool projects, I rediscovered this one that I had seen a few weeks back and forgotten about. I really want to make this Bird Mobile by Spool. It has a free pattern.

Inspiring Projects

2008-06-14T10:42:00.010-04:00

In a continued effort to get inspired for creating more items for my etsy shop, I have been perusing the internet to find fantastic projects. These aren't really things that I plan to make and sell, just things that I think may put a little spark back underneath me. Hopefully you will find something exciting and useful as well. The first are these fantastic Mason Jar Lights from a Design*Sponge reader Whitney Gaylord. Against my husband's desire for a super modern decor, I just can't help myself from being enamored with the primitive style. These simple lights fit the bill perfectly. It is a project that is a bit more geared for someone who has some handy-man skills, but as nice as these look, it will definitely be worth the effort.

Next, is this very cute Tape Measure Pouch that Jodie of ricracsews has created. The instructions look a bit daunting at first, but after reading through them it appears that anyone that is slightly more advanced than just a beginning seamstress should be able to figure it out as they go. I don't consider myself much further than maybe slightly more than beginner when it comes to machine sewing. I have found that pattern instructions always look like Greek until you actually start putting the project together. Having the pieces in front of you and being able to play with them makes all the difference in making heads or tails of the instructions.

Etsy Eye Candy

2008-06-12T21:36:00.007-04:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
15PiecesofFlair.etsy.com

I could not think of anything profound to post today, and I really need to start feeling my creative side again, so I thought posting some prettys from Etsy might help. These are just some of the things I had saved in my favorites or items from my favorite sellers. I really want to buy the pink dress, but alas, it is too small and would not fit at any point in the near future. I hope that someone loves it and buys it soon, to take away the torture of knowing that it will never be mine. I did actually get out some fabric and start planning my next "from scratch" project. I seem to like those the best, but they take a lot of planning. I find it easy to dream things up and difficult to make them come to life. I'm sure I'm not alone in that habit. I always seem to find that once I get started it doesn't end up being as hard as I had imagined it to be. That initial step is just a doozy!

2008...Here's a Stink Eye in Your Honor!

2008-06-10T21:13:00.007-04:00

2007 was a rough year for sure, but I held out hope that 2008 had great things in store for me. Let me tell you, 2008 must hold a grudge for me bad-mouthing its' buddy '07. My computer, David Bowie, officially died on May 2nd and the hassle-free, (ahem...), fantastical extended warranty that was purchased through Circuit City has been anything but. It's June 10th and I still have no functioning computer or suitable replacement. Both cable boxes decided to take a vacation together leaving one TV unwatchable and the other with a naked DVR list (tragic, I know). My car, Ron Burgandy, aka. Ron the Tucson, decided he needed some medical attention. Problem is, I can't be without a car, so it involved procuring a rental. Enterprise Rent-A-Car was less than prepared to provide me the car I reserved, trying to get me to drive a Toyota Tundra. I am petite. I do not drive monstrous trucks! 2 hours later I was 20 miles down the road at the next closest Enterprise providing all my info again to be put into a lovely, (ahem...), Dodge Caliber. In the midst of the brutal heat-wave at an uncharacteristically early time of year, our trusty AC unit decided that it wanted to crap out at 1:30 in the morning. Of course, heating and cooling specialists have been inundated with calls and the earliest appointment we can get is a mere 4 days away. I just keep seeing precious dollars fly out the door at an alarming rate. Every time I think, "Now what?" I am sure to find out. I'm sorry 2007 and 2008. I love you both and hope that you will forgive me! And Friday the 13th...I love you too!

Old friends, Great Times

2008-06-09T21:05:00.004-04:00

After 11 years, I finally met up with a great friend from high school this weekend. We spent countless hours on the phone, laughing and sharing stories of our teenage angst, traveled to far away places (Phoenix, AZ, and Montreal, Canada are far away when you're only 16 or 17 years old!) partaking in musical adventures, and went to senior prom together. Definitely times that are not easily forgotten. Even though we had talked sporadically throughout the years, we had, like many people, lost touch and really did not know much of what the other was doing in life. It's easy to talk about getting together and a whole other story to actually do so. I have to say that I was more than a little nervous to see this person that I felt I knew so well after all this time. I discovered that it only takes a few short moment to get over those "Oh my God, I haven't seen you in so long" jitters and merely hours to catch up on what is most important to each of us before we felt like we were right back where we had been all those years ago. Makes me wonder why we waited so long to meet up again. I know one thing for certain. I won't be waiting another 11 years to meet up with my friend again. It's really important to take a break from the everyday "stuff" we get caught up in and enjoy our friends and family.

New and Cute Towels

2008-06-01T10:44:00.005-04:00

Good morning and happy June everyone! Hard to believe that much of the year has flown by already. I was actually crafty yesterday and got a few items ready for my shop. I wanted to share them. I think I am done doing the towels for now until some start selling. Today I will be working on a custom order for some cool, funky bandanas, and I'd like to get started on my aprons. I have material picked out to do 2, so hopefully I'll have those done in the next week or so to get them up. I had an idea for a really cute bunny toy this week, but it's going to take a lot of work to plan and actually get a pattern done. I'm starting to see holiday fabric in all the fabric shops I frequent online. I think they're trying to give me that nudge to start planning some of my holiday items. I know that it's necessary. It just doesn't feel right to be thinking about Christmas on June 1st! I am still anxiously awaiting my first sale in my shop. I've had 1 trade and 2 orders through Alchemy that I bid on and won, but none that truly came from people browsing my shop. I'm getting a little antsy since it's been about 6 weeks now. I feel that it's coming soon though with the addition of more items. I'm hoping by the end of June to have enough to be over onto page 2 of my shop. Okay, enough shop talk. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

The Death Of David Bowie

2008-05-29T16:57:00.007-04:00

One of the first shops I stumbled upon and hearted on Etsy was Whipped Creamations by seller pinkkrystals. I was drawn in initally by her "Say Cheeseburger" Purse, but once I entered the shop, I discovered that the cute factor was insane! In addition to specially made ice cream sundaes, there were food-inspired wristlet purses, and adorable crocheted play food for your little ones to enjoy. I seem to be fascinated with faux food and it seems that a lot of other Etsians are sharing that same fascination. I hope you enjoy perusing Whipped Creamations as much as I have!

On a personal note, my computer was pronounced dead last night by our repair tech. RIP David Bowie 2006-2008. Yeah, I'm weird. I named my computer. Anyway, today I call the warranty company to request replacement since they have been unable to repair it since the 2nd of May with 3 repair attempts. I could not believe my ears when they informed me that my computer had to be "down" 30 days (it's now been 27) in order for them to approve replacement. Now mind you, there is nothing else they can do to attempt to repair it, but they are making me wait an additional 3 days until they even start to consider replacing it. When I told them this was simply unacceptable, I was told in a courteous and professional manner that it didn't matter that I was unhappy, I just had to suck it! When I inquired how long it would take after my additional 3-day waiting period to be approved, they told me it usually takes 5 days to find a comparable replacement and then another 5 to arrange for shipping. So essentially, I'm out for at least another 2 weeks....6 weeks total since it fell ill. I am happy that I don't have to pay to buy a new computer, but very unhappy with the promptness of repair provided by the policy that I paid sweet, sweet dollars to purchase to protect myself! Aaarrrgh!

Homes Sweet Homes

2008-05-28T17:14:00.013-04:00

I haven't had anything tremendously exciting to blog about in my personal life, so I decided it was time to start featuring some of the things I love about Etsy. Today, I have chosen polkadot studio by user mdemag. These little mini polka dot houses made out of polymer clay and painted are absolutely adorable! The shop features original brightly colored prints, a funky house collage, and multiple designs of wood block houses similar to these clay ones. All are very original and different and could surely lend a little flair to any decor. Because it is all about the flair!

Paisley Baby Quilt

2008-05-22T14:54:00.007-04:00

Well, after not being able to find the appropriate materials to finish this last week in time for the gift I needed, I have finally finished my baby quilt. I decided to list it in my Etsy shop. It was my first adventure in machine quilting and took me a lot longer than it should have, but overall, I am happy with the way it turned out. I did the binding on the machine as well, which I know isn't the "proper" way to do it, but I kind of like the way it looks. I have come to appreciate things not looking perfect in every way. I think it lends personality and charm to the items that you create, makes them special.

On a side note, I am watching Rachel Ray on TV and Minnie Driver is the musical guest. Since when does Minnie Driver sing? I am so tired of people thinking that they are recording artists just because they are famous. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johanssen, etc., etc., etc. They all end up sounding terrible, not selling albums, and then years from now they will be on a show on MTV or VH1 entitled, "What Were They Thinking?" ie. Bruce Willis. Okay, I'm getting off my high horse now. Have a great day!

Psychic Friends Network

2008-05-18T16:46:00.005-04:00

Today I went to have my first ever reading by a psychic with my friend, Vicki, and her mother-in-law, Joanie. I was very excited and had been anticipating the visit since Vicki called to tell me she had scheduled us appointments over a week ago. I had heard from a trusted co-worker that she had had a reading done by the same lady and had been told some things that rang eerily true with her and very specific. She is a very level-headed person and admitted it was just for fun. She had been skeptical. As the time drew near though, I began to get a little nervous. What if she told me something that I really didn't want to hear?

Joanie, the biggest skeptic of our group, went first and after 40 minutes came up the stairs with a smile. She had been impressed with the woman's insight and ability to pinpoint some specific occurrences. Vicki and I followed after and both had good experiences. Neither of us were blown away by the information given, but agreed that she had said a few things that were specific enough to be a little creepy. I quickly realized that the better the reading was, that I probably wasn't going to want to discuss it freely. Truly you are talking about questions that you probably only ask yourself and can't or won't discuss with others. After all 3 of us had our readings completed, we got in the car to leave and I posed the question, "So, would you ever have a reading done again?" We all agreed that it wasn't something to be done on a regular basis, but that it might be fun to make it an annual tradition. Maybe in a year's time some of our predictions will have revealed themselves to be true! If any of my predictions come true, I'll be sure to let you know!

Amazing Cakes!

2008-05-15T17:09:00.002-04:00

So we had a little going away/baby shower party at work today for one of my coworkers. My friend, Vicki, made the cake for us and everyone loved it! I keep telling her she could go into business, but for now it's just her hobby. I did have a few people ask for her contact info. in case they needed a cake. She did a beehive cake for the occasion, which was absolutely adorable. I just had to post a few pics here for all to see to share the cuteness.

Tonight is the season finale of The Office! I can't wait for Jim to propose to Pam....it's gonna be fantastic. I will probably cry, which I know is pretty stupid since it's a sitcom, but I couldn't help it when Jim first kissed her at the end of the 1st season. I got verklempt! I just wish every week was an hour long episode and that it was on year-round.

SARS Spurs Creativity

2008-05-14T20:49:00.011-04:00

So I've been home for the past 2 days sick, the first of which I was truly "down and out" as evidenced by not being able to complete any fun/crafty tasks. Putting larger dents in the couch cushions was all I accomplished on day #1. Apparently, I have contracted SARS from my friend's baby that we visited last week. She has also given it to her father. If only I had worn my Peter Sarsgaard SARS guard, I would not be in this predicament.

Day #2 showed some improvement, and I continued working on a quilted baby blanket for a friend at work, as well as my first paper bag scrapbook. I really needed to complete the baby blanket for tomorrow which was a realistic goal, until I made the trip to Jo-Ann's only to find that they had no quilt binding in a color or quantity that I could use. I really wish there was more than one supplier for that type of stuff here. It's so frustrating that my craftiness depends on a Jo-Ann's store that is poorly stocked. So I'm not quite sure what will become of the baby blanket as this friend is moving out of town after finishing out this week at work. I guess I'll just be really prepared the next time a friend is having a baby. The paper bag scrapbook is coming along quite nicely. I plan on posting some pictures of it after I get some of the details finished.

Recently I have been finding really cool projects that I would like to try on other blogs, so I'm going to start posting links here to share with you and to keep a list for myself to remember too. The first project I found was through the Craft magazine website, but linked to DaciaRay.com and is a tutorial for Linen Pear Sachets.

Hope you enjoy the link!

Rock Band Victory Will Be Mine!

2008-05-10T12:40:00.003-04:00

As if I don't have anything better to do on a Saturday (really I don't), I have just successfully completed the first set of Rock Bank on hard difficulty. To me, this is quite an accomplishment. In my career of Guitar Hero/Rock Band, I have been too uncoordinated to slide my fingers to be able to use that tricky orange button. Well, move over guitar rock gods, I've figured it out! While I am not proficient in the use of said orange button, I am certain that my speed and agility will be shooting off the charts in a very short period of time.

I know that my picture today has nothing to do with my post, but I thought my poor, fading tulips needed one last glorious moment to shine after today's rain. They are the last of my springtime flowers left in the yard.

The Inaugural Address & Attack of the Ants

2008-05-08T22:00:00.003-04:00

I thought that maybe 2008 was going to be the year that we finally staved off the annoying little ants that descend upon us each spring. Oh no, I was wrong! It starts out innocently enough. One ant by the faucet, one on the windowsill. Even after spotting only a half dozen ants I called my husband, who was on his way to get some groceries, and told him "We need ant bait!" Within 2 hours of the first sighting, a mass of baits were placed anxiously awaiting unsuspecting ants. They don't seem to be so unsuspecting this year though. The whole army is collecting on the ceiling above the sink planning their strategy. I didn't see what they could possibly find on the ceiling that was so interesting, but then my husband said that they were probably just looking for Lionel Richie. It makes perfect sense....ants with a love of great 80s music! I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens next.