Tomorrow will be fun!

Why, you ask? Because tomorrow is when I'm updating my shop with some lovely art quilts. I hope you like them as much as I do! Visit me at my Etsy shop Wednesday, April 29 at 9pm EST. I'll be the one with the quilts. ;)

Need

Have you ever SEEN such cuteness?!? They're a tad expensive but I seriously do need them. And the fact that the color is Ketchup makes them even better. I'm having a yard sale this weekend - guess where some of the profits are going?

Oh, I could just squeal!

Let me first say that if I don't win this giveaway, I will most certainly be buying some prints from the lovely Tollipop! I adore her blog - how have I not seen it before?!? It is hilarious - I mean, really, laugh-out-loud funny. Her stories are deeeelightful - and I'm off right now to peruse her archives. Go over there right now and have a look around - I promise you'll love it!

So I've been....

So I've been quite the prolific sewer during the last week or so. I've cut out 4 bags to sew, made an Indygo Junction Tribeca Tunic, an Easter skirt for Delaney, and 3 kidlets. Oh, and 4 wallhangings. I've been in a groove - don't you love it when that hapens?!

First up - the tunic. I was a little apprehensive about this pattern, thinking that maybe it would be too frumpy for me. I love the tunic style, though, so I thought I'd give it a try. I made the size medium, and I must say that I love it. It fits perfectly and was so super easy to make. And fast! It cut out and sewed up so quickly! I'll definitely make it again, but with a deeper v in the yoke. I also wish I would have chosen a smaller print for the yoke and contrasting bands, but oh, well. I found some earrings at Target that match it perfectly, and I have some great Ann Taylor off-white linen capris to wear it with.

We go to estate sales almost every Saturday - it's our little family ritual in the spring and summer. We hop in the car - kids still in their pj's - grab some breakfast, and cruise around town. It's a fun way to see old houses and find some treasures. I came across this gorgeous tablecloth a few weeks ago for $6 and I couldn't pass it up. It has the most amazing emboidery on it, especially on the corners, and I knew it would be great incorporated into Delaney's Easter outfit. I didn't use the corners on her skirt so I have to figure out what to do with them. Any suggestions?

I used some Michael Miller bias trim, and let me tell you - it is SO nice. It's silky and smooth and sews on so easily. I also used the last little bit of my Amy Butler Lime Full Moon Polka Dots - that has to be one of my favorite fabrics of all time - it just matches everything!

Delaney had this pink cardigan that was missing a button so I just went with it - I took off the other buttons and sewed on mismatched buttons in yummy candy colors. She loved looking at all the different colors and shapes - and it looked adorable!

I haven't lined the kidlets yet, so no pictures of them. I forgot to buy the cotton webbing for the handles, but once I finish them I'll upload pics. Hmmm....what else.....I'm excited to finish up some pillows and bind my wallhangings - I'm hoping for a shop update sometime in the next week or so.

That's all I've got, friends! Mwah!

Recovering from a cold. Sitting here with a box of tissues, a fresh cup of coffee, and wearing my favorite LLBean cardigan. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? But I do have makeup on, though. I went to the MAC counter this past weekend and got some much-needed goodies. I brought home some loose mineral foundation, some blush, Viva Glam lipstick, and lipglass. I'm definitely going back for more - the makeup artist was super knowledgable, so sweet, and took me out of my comfort zone to try some new colors. I think I'll get some pressed powder and a couple more glosses next time I go.

I ordered the kids' Easter gifts from Amazon this morning (Tinkerbell & Kung Fu Panda) and slipped in a little book for myself, too. I found a copy of Quick & Easy Slipcovers at Books-a-Million the other day and lo and behold, the first pattern was for a slipper chair slipcover! Sold! (I had to order it from Amazon, though, because it kills me to pay full price at a chain bookstore.) It looks like a great book, so we'll see how it goes.

I had a couple of comments/emails about my butcher block countertops. They are from IKEA - actually, our cabinets are from IKEA, too. Let me tell you, I LOVE them. I actually use them - I set hot pots/dishes on them, use them as a cutting board (not for meat, just fruits and veggies) and generally abuse them. They were unfinished for the first two years that we lived here and did just fine. A few weeks ago we sanded them down and put 5 coats of this sealer on them and they look wonderful. We should have done it long ago, but it's kind of a pain. You have to open the windows and you can't use the countertops for 72 hours. Josh and I have decided that all future kitchens that we build/remodel will have butcher block instead of pricey stone - it is beautiful, cheap, and we would much rather have one of these tables instead of a slab of granite. ;)

And I'm coveting one of these old subway directories - I LOVE them. Maybe one will make its way into our next house.

Here's the (finally) finished spring shelf. I'm really happy with it - the angel was swiped from my mom and is made from old barn wood, the "w" is metal, really heavy, and really old, the polka-dot "w" used to be silver and shabby chic and got a new life with some paint, the wallhanging you've seen already, and then there's my new Jennifer Lanne painting. Ahhhh....I l.o.v.e. it. I actually ordered another one of her paintings yesterday and I'm searching for the perfect home for it.

I grabbed this sweet little rusty metal basket from my mom's house last weekend - it's always so much fun poking around her garage, finding new treasures. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, and I'm still not, but for right now it's housing my new painting and some fresh flowers and just making me happy.

And here's the kitchen! It really wasn't too bad - we painted one day and took a couple of days to put the tile up. I grouted the tile during the day, between naptimes and snacks, and then we sealed the butcher block counters - 5 times. They had to be sanded first, since they have had 2 years of abuse, then we sealed them with this sort of mineral oil sealer - and they look fantastic!! I am SO pleased with them - we should have done this a long time ago.

Oh, and here's a new pillow I made - I'm working on a few series of pillows to put in my shop and this was my prototype. I decided to even up the crosses a little more so this one's mine to keep!

And I had the brilliant idea to slipcover our living room chairs. They're only 2 years old but I'm already tired of the upholstery. I should know better than to buy something patterned. It's a stripe, a really pretty stripe, actually, but I want a blank slate. I'm thinking of using a natural canvas, something I can wash and bleach. A lot.

Boy, that was a picture-heavy post, huh? Wish me luck with the slipcovering - I've never attempted it before and am totally flying blind. Any tips?

Have a great evening, and, dare I say it, Monday morning! :)

Should be painting

We're finishing up the kitchen painting tonight and I've hit the wall. I'm sitting here at the island while Josh paints the last little bit. Love that man. It's so bright and fresh - like a ripe pear. It's amazing what a new color can do to a space! Now I'm super excited to see the tile go up. We're doing glossy white subway tile and hopefullys starting on it tomorrow.

My friend Chris & I decided to do the Pumpkin Festival this year. I had planned on doing it last year and realized what an enormous amount of work it involved, so I'm thinking that starting 8 months ahead of time and with two people it shouldn't be bad at all. We're brainstorming so hard about things to make that I think neither of us is getting much other thinking done. I'm surprised I haven't tried to feed the kids clay and paint for breakfast yet. ;) And check out this gorgeous crocheted throw with Amy Butler patchwork that Chris made - it's up for sale in her new Etsy shop, Mabel+Lola (those are the names of her kids' fairies!)

I finished Dawson's quilt about a month ago and kept forgetting to take pictures of it. This is the first quilt I've done with hand-stitched binding and let me tell you, I'm hooked! I'll never machine-sew sandwiched binding again. It is so relaxing to do and looks wonderful.

Here's a little preview of my spring shelf. I made this wall-hanging a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of those projects that just clicked, you know? I was planning on making a table runner inspired by this Anthropologie pillow, with a sort of leafy vine connected with embroidery. I was cutting out the leaves and stacking them up to iron on when I saw an unintentional pattern emerging - and it really reminded me of Orla Kiely! I knew immediately what direction I wanted to take - a fresh take on her trademark pattern - a little more laid-back and using my favorite vintage fabrics. This piece feels so much like spring to me - bright, comfortable, and fresh. I received my Jennifer Lanne painting today (I bought it using my birthday money & it is incredible!!) and I'm going to take a picture of the completed shelf to share with you later this week.

And here's a sweet vintage children's rocker I got a couple of years ago for $5. It's sitting on top of a bookcase and I planned on putting a fern in it, but I'm kind of liking our wedding picture and letterpress blocks right now. Look at those kids. Who would've thought 8 years and 3 kids later I would love him even more....It's amazing, really, how you think you know everything about the one you love, the one you are marrying, when you've just touched the surface.

Now that I've gagged you with the sappiness!, go listen to this - it's my favorite song of the week! I hope you have a fantastic Saturday evening....