Never too OLD or YOUNG

Never to OLD to stop learning and never to YOUNG to start.  :-)

Yesterday I learned how to knit.

I am a beginner people!  It is a work in progress (Please excuse the awful pic with the makeshift copy paper background).  This is what we call a FAIL! 

When I get farther along and it has more substance - like maybe it's big enough to use as a barbie blanket, then I will share again.  Until then wish me luck.  I have only stabbed my finger about 10 times!  Lol!

Painting with a TWIST!

Have you heard of Painting with a Twist?  If not you should totally check it out here.

My version of the Whimsey Tree

My friend T and I enjoyed the entire experience!  We even got to bring our own wine! Score! :-)

We were able to go last week and it is so much FUN!  Would love to do a couple of more classes: Paint your Pet, Monogram with Circles and Pumpkins.  I have never really painted a picture (art class in school doesn't count) prior to this.  So don't be surprised if I bust out with a painting every now and again.  I am thinking of painting a pumpkin pic on my own to display through the fall season.  I got lucky that my husband and brother-in-law ended up with a painting box - so I am off to see what I can find in that box! :-)

P.S. - I already have some canvases on hand (I had bought a few last year for some craft ideas I had but I can't share too much - you will see those in my Etsy shop soon).

Talented

Seriously – I have some of the most talented friends.  If you don’t believe me check this out:

1.        Swanky Baby Vintage

My friend H started this company from the ground up.  She is one of the most ambitious people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  She is fabulous and the clothing you see here – she designed.  I am not sure if talented even says enough.  Please check out her website.  You won’t be disappointed.

2.       Emmy Lane Boutique

Seriously cute designs.  My friend A just started her Etsy shop and I couldn’t be prouder of her.  Her creativeness has always been apparent (she is a former teacher after all) but it definitely exploded after the birth of her first child.  She always keeps me laughing and I love talking craft stuff with her.  She also has the cutest blog – so check her out!

3.       White Lace Designs

My friend B is a creative genius.  In fact, she even sat me down and walked me through everything Etsy two years ago.  She became so large it was time for a .com instead of Etsy.  Who can blame her – her baby stuff, wedding stuff and more is to die for.  In fact even her home is like walking into a catalog.  She could be an interior decorator for sure!  Be sure to look through her products and swoon!

Blessed to have these girls in my life!  Just wish I was half as creative as them. 

With the holiday’s right around the corner I thought you might want to check them out.  Enjoy!

I get it from my momma!

You always hear that when you get older you act more and more like your parents.  Which in some cases you have to take the bad with the good, right?  I am sure we all have parental traits we don’t want to surface…hopefully I am not the only person out there that thinks like this!  I want to talk about two things that definitely got passed down to me from my mom! 

1.        Antiquing/junking/thrifting

2.       Crafts

I grew up in a small town that didn’t have much to offer other than antique stores.  This made shopping trips with my mom so much fun!  Trying to find that buried treasure and at a good deal too.  That never changed with me – even throughout college I would make my way to surrounding small towns to go thrifting and I still love it! 

Just this past weekend my husband and I visited this place.  We came across the info for this antique mall in a magazine my husband bought to surprise me.  What can I say – he is the best!  1.  For buying a magazine he knew I would love and 2. For wanting to go to the antique mall with me.  There were a lot of treasures I would have loved to have but we are on a budget so we only came home with these:

The milk glass bowl is my fave.  I have always loved milk glass (just like my mother).  I am picky though when it comes to the pieces I like.  This bowl happened to be $4 with 50% off – Score!  We paid $2 for this beauty. 

Now on to crafts.  My mother and I did numerous crafts when I was younger.  Everything ranging from making: Christmas ornaments, hair clips/bows, jewelry, wreaths, sewing and decorating pine cones.  I loved it all!  This is one of the main reasons I host a Holiday Ornament Party every year (the second Saturday in December) – I have done this since 2006.  So this year will be my 6^th year!  My husband is hugely supportive of my love for crafts and even tells me I am craft collector.  Funny man! 

In the past few years I have taken some craft classes: pottery, fused glass, stained glass, precious metal clay etc.  Needless to say there is a whole lot more I would love to learn about: glass blowing, wood working etc.  I am currently getting back into a few things I really love like sewing.  I don’t have pictures of my old projects but do know that new stuff will be shown here soon…hopefully. 

I have big plans for getting my Etsy shop up and running.  Finally – only about two years in the making (name change, product change etc.)!  Seriously – I created my Etsy shop in July 2009 then changed my mind and created a new one in April 2011.  Will share my Etsy link soon.  Can’t wait to get back into crafting on a regular basis and having fun!

Thanks mom – for passing your love of antiquing and crafts on to me!  It really is a passion of mine and provides much needed stress relief!

Halloween is upon us

Don't know about you but we are so excited for Fall this year.  Absolutely love the fall; falling leaves, falling temperatures and anything involving a pumpkin.  I love seeing recipes for pumpkin bread, cupcakes, cookies etc. - It is already putting me in the baking mood. 

With fall rapidly approaching that means Halloween is near.  We  I love browsing through all the Halloween decor (I am sure my husband just puts up with it to make me happy) which means I find myself being drawn to those end caps at Ross and aisle's at Target.  I can't help it!  Just look at my Pinterest Halloween board.

Rummaging through some old photos I came across this cake I made with a friend 3 years ago.  We had so much fun.  The entire thing came about when we found these squishy rats at Harvey's Supermarket.  Then walking down the baking isle I saw the chocolate sprinkles and the idea for this cake was born:

So the tinted homemade icing (to give it the mold color), a toothpick to dig some tiny shallow holes and spread crumbs, to the chocolate sprinkles (rat poop) and then the squishy fake rats made this cake come together full circle.  Wickedly good for Halloween! 

What kind of Halloween treats are you making this year?

Back at it!

Hi!

Returning to blogging after a long 6 month hiatus.  New blog, new look (work in progress) and new ideas.  Have got tons to share as I slowly get back into blogging.  I have missed it so much and can't wait to start back crafting and cooking.  I am sure my husband will like the cooking part.  We have been busy adjusting to married life, moving and remodeling.  Still not unpacked in the new abode but hoping to be soon or else my OCD will be rampant. 

Be back soon...