Digital Heaven

Run, don't walk over to Rhonna Farrer's blog. She's giving away a granddaddy of a contest. You can pick 209 kits all for yourself. One of my goals this year is to learn to do some digi art & I'm such a fan of Rhonna. Crown, Swirl & Font HEAVEN. Go take a peek at her blog & tell her I sent you :)

Happy Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday! And to those of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! It's the last weekend before the holiday. Are you ready? By the time this is posted, we'll be enroute from Savannah, GA for Tampa, FL. Just a side note about Savannah. I'm in LOVE with Paula Deen. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to make it to her restaurant. I've been wanting to go for the last few years & we can never work it into our driving schedule.I'm showing a new necklace I'm working on. It's still a work in progress. I love the vintage shoe clip that has been turned into the perfect pendant. I plan on finishing the necklace with vintage chain & a lobster clasp for the top.
I was also a participant in Mommy Holly's Snowflakes & Sparkles swap. My partner is the awesome Shawnee. I got lots of fun stuff: a silicone snowflake baking pan (I used it the night I received it by request of my kids), some cute snowflake ornaments, yummy candles, fun craft supplies & the sweetest apron, that she made. It's on my trip with me. I'll be cooking Christmas dinner & this was too cute to leave at home. Thank you Shawnee for all my goodies & being my partner.
EDITED: I'm at the hotel & it's 12:46AM. I'll post my pics from the swap later in a new post. I can't access my photos. I need to download & edit them.

Happy Pink Saturday ~ Good News

I have some good news! Remember this post? I'm still being a little superstitious, but I received an email that one of my items will be published in Stampington's Marie Antoinette publication. I about fell over when I saw the email in my inbox. Here's a small sneaky peaky. I used pink metallic & chalk inks to alter the metal drawer backplate. I'll post the full picture when the magazine comes out. This new piece is a holiday gift for one of the boy's teachers. I'm almost done with the gifts for the teachers at school. I'm having so much fun with my Handmade Pledge. It's the guys in the family that I'll be scrambling for. I'm so pink & froufy, not much of a look for dudes!

Happy Pink Saturday! Go over to visit Beverly & see who else is celebrating Pink Saturday!

New Stuff

Just a quick post. I made some new things from my NEW craft spot. I have my very own corner. It's well lit & getting organized. Rick & I have been talking about hiring an organizer to help us claim back our house & get rid of all this random crap. I'll take some pics of my space soon, but here's a few jewelry pieces. I'll be adding them to my Lollishop on Monday :) I just couldn't wait to share the new stuff.

The Official Alford Cookie

Welcome to Scrappy Jessi's Cookie Swap! Please make sure you go over to check it out. There are 40 participants so there's gonna be some yummy cookies to make.

I learned how to make this recipe from my mother in law. It is an absolute favorite in the family. Also, I've learned you don't mess with the recipe, EVER. One time I made it with No Trans Fat Crisco, they tasted the same, but they didn't rise. They looked like crisps. Another time I was being lazy & used the food processor to mix the batter. My hubby hated it. The chips no longer existed. Those Alford men take these cookies seriously & you better have them for all major holidays including birthdays.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup
packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups
(12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ®
TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts, we don't do the nuts in our family, but it's part of the original recipe.

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Or until husband's nose says they are done.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Or hand directly to waiting husband, sons, brothers in law, & father in law. (I love you guys!)

Yea Yea Yea ♥ Open for Business ♥

Please come visit me at my NEW STORE! I'm excited to be a part of this new venture.

It's Been a Barbie Kinda Day

I spent Pink (Black) Friday making some pretties. The only shopping I did was at a JoAnn's Superstore. I also got a package of vintage & brass goodies I just bought so I had lots of fun stuff.

I've been waiting patiently to open my Lollishop. I pulled out my huge bead bag on wheels & started to play with some of my new things. I was in a Barbie mood. I'm thinking of having a Limited Edition collection of OOAK Barbie jewelry. I'm having too much fun. Some of these are works in progress, so I'll post the finished product. I finished the pink Barbie crystal necklace I started. I also finished a Christmas gift. One of several thousands I've planned to make. Okay, not quite thousands.

Get Ready for Lollishops! ~ Happy Pink Saturday

1. Stampington Submission, 2. Untitled, 3. Pink Floral Starburst, 4. Altered Vintage Key
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Yea! The day is here. Pink Friday & the opening of Lollishops! I am beyond excited about this new venture for me, for you & for all my Lolli friends! The website goes live on the biggest shopping day of the year. I'll be populating my store today, so I'll update this & let you know when I'm set up. The mosaic above is of my new work in the store. I have new packaging, new jewels & lots of new pink & not so pink things. Come take a peek!

EDITED: There are a few kinks to be worked out. It's a brand new website, so I'll keep you posted. I'm not on there yet, but quite a few of my friends are so go take a visit!

It's Pink Saturday also. Make sure you go take a look at the participants over at Beverly's.

More Thanks

Thank You to Suzee Que for the ephemera

♥ Thankful for the opportunity to share this Thanksgiving in the states with my in-laws

♥ Thankful for our upcoming trip to Florida to celebrate Christmas with my family

♥ Thankful for my hubby who totally understands me & will still claim me as his wife :)

♥ Thankful for my crazy & cute little ones who keep me on my toes (& doubled over laughing)

♥ Thankful for the opportunity & means to be able to create

♥ Thankful for my friends, old & new & found again. Thankful for your love, support, honesty & inspiration.

♥ Thankful to live in this wonderful free country. Thankful for those who defend us.

♥ Thankful to have a place to call home, clothes on our backs, food on the table.

♥ Thankful for all life has to offer

I wish all my friends in blogland a very Happy Healthy & Safe Thanksgiving

Thankful

This little guy melts my heart. I was supposed to help him & his class for their Fall Feast today at school. I woke up this morning with the worst stomach ache & cramps. I've been sick on & off since Sunday & I was hoping I'd get better. I missed out on the Thanksgiving Feast with 120 little cuties today.

I'm supposed to be cooking for the family on Thanksgiving day, too. With the way I'm feeling today I may not be able to. Bummer! I love cooking the big dinner for Thanksgiving & Christmas. My mother in law taught me how to cook the big traditional dinner. We never had one growing up & I love being able to share this with family.

I'll post again on Thursday. I just wanted to share a picture of my cute little man.

Happy Pink Saturday ~ Pink Barbie Love

I have this new obsession with lockets & spiffying them up with something pretty or blingy. Well, here's both & she's pink & Barbie. It's still a work in progress. I think I'm going to change the Swarovski crystals to another color. (Rose instead of Fuchsia).
My new Lollishop will be opening this coming Friday, Black Friday, which I'm renaming to Pink Friday! If I can let go of this cutie, she'll be there. I'm so darn excited about this store. The artists are so talented & the camaraderie is wonderful. I've already found quite a few friends.
You can visit Beverly & take a look at all things pink. There have been over 100 participants the last few weeks. Happy Pink Saturday!

I’ve Been Tagged

I was tagged about 2 weeks ago from 2 good blog friends, Cindy & Tia. I did a little twist on the 6 random facts about myself. I've already done a few posts here & here. Go ahead & click on the links if you want a good laugh. I'm a little nutty, just a little. Well, I started assembling these stupid thoughts about our upcoming move. Here they are. Oh so me! I feel like I'm getting out of my funk & this list shows the old me is coming back.

Stupid Thoughts:

• What will I do without Target, Michaels, Barnes & Noble, <insert favorite store here>?
• How will I get Artful Blogging/Somerset Life/ every magazine Stampington publishes?
• What do I do when Basic Grey comes out with new 6x6 paper packs?
• What will happen with my new cell phone/Palm?
• Do they have estate sales there?
• Rats, how do I get to Silver Bella from there?
• Thank goodness I'm going to Art & Soul in Hampton, VA this Spring!!
• Where do I order sushi & shrimp tempura?
• OMG, WHAT ABOUT FOOTBALL SEASON????
• Is there cable there? How will I live without
• Seriously, how will I watch FSU football?
• I'm making myself a pink burkha with serious bling.
• It's gonna be really hot like Phoenix, but hotter. Maybe we'll be welcomed by a haboob, like we were when we first moved to Luke AFB.
• Is there some place I can get a pedicure since I'll be in flip flops the entire time? Or will flip flops melt?
• Will they ship my paints, glues, flammables, blowtorches?
• Will I have access to a laser color copier for my itty bitty swap backgrounds & digital collage sheets? Seriously, I need the toner!!
• I just checked Etsy, no one sells from my desert. I'll have to check Lollishops when it's live.
• There's no Chuck E Cheese there.
• I sure am gonna miss my memory foam mattress.
• Thank goodness I'll have an APO address so I can still go shopping on the web.

I'm tagging my sister, my hubby (who hasn't blogged in 3 months) & my friends Lori & Wendy!

Here are the official rules....

1. link to the person who tagged you

2. mention the rules

3. tell six quirky, yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself

4. tag six other bloggers by linking to them

5. go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged

Pink Saturday ~ Pink Lollishopping

I am so SUPER excited about Lollishops. This sweet shopping experience is the idea of Sadie. The beta opening is tomorrow. Please go visit & support these amazing artists. It's a wonderful place to uphold your Handmade Pledge. If you're interested in getting involved in the Lolli community, visit the Lollishop forum for artisans & shoppers. I won't be part of the beta opening; but I'll be there for the grand opening November 28.

1. Full Day of Goodie Making, 2. Cards Pink Trees Main, 3. Jade/STS, 4. sweet house 3, 5. Pink Christmas Fabulous, 6. POSH PUNK BLING, 7. Vintage Inspired earrings, 8. Birthday Gift, 9. Joy, 10. Gigantic Sundaes on the Loose!, 11. Oh Deer! Candy Frame, 12. Pink Strawberries
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

My mosaic is a compilation of the works of my lollifriends. Please take a look at all of these talented artists work. It was quite fun to make this mosaic!

Make sure you also visit Beverly to see the list of all the Pink Saturday participants. WOW, there are 119 participants this week!

I'm slowly coming back to the land of the living after this & this. It's been a bit of a rough week in our house. Thanks to all my friends. You don't know how much your support means to me. I'm still working on contacting all of you personally. :)

Three Posts in One Day?

I need to get this Middle East assignment out of my head. I've had a headache for most of the day & I haven't even been crying like a baby (I would normally react this way). I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this.

This little package just made it's way out the door. I sent it here. Trying my hand at the getting my work published thingy again. It's what's inside the boxes that I'm hoping to get published. I packed them like I would an order. I know they're big into presentation, so any little pretty bit counts. I'm a little superstitious about sharing what's in there. When I hear either way, I'll post pictures of the actual items. Here's a few hints: it's jewelry & it's for the Marie Antoinette publication.
Josh is calm, but just when he's sleeping. I couldn't resist snapping this picture this morning. I thought he just looked so sweet & angelic. That's the only time those words are used to describe this little ball of energy!

The job of a superhero's mom is never done!

Please Come Join Me in This Crazy Life as a Military Wife ~ Freaking Out Part 2

Stop the presses. You know, whenever we've received the call about our next destination, I normally hesitate to tell the world right away. You never know when "they" just might change their mind. I really didn't think they would change their minds this time. There are only so many students here taking International Law & there are only so many spots. Well we've been moved. Take a gander at the map below. Not. Much. Better... Oh & here's your CIA link as I had in the previous post.

Freaking Out (Even After My Hubby Told Me Not To)

Here's our next stop. Everything is just beginning to sink in. I'll tell you how I feel in a couple of hours.

Back to the Land of the Living

Happy Pink Saturday! I missed everyone last week. Go visit Beverly to say hello & look at the list of participants. There have been well over 100 participants so there's lots of pink to take a look at!

I had a wonderful time at the craft show. There were people that reallly got me & that made me so happy :) Overall the show was slow but I made enough to cover all my costs. This was such a tremendous learning experience for me. I think I'm hooked. When I got home, I started looking for more shows to do in the spring.

For Pink Saturday, I wanted to show some of the photos I took of my booth. I was so in love with it. It just screams me. One of my friends (Hi Lori) said she knew it was my booth from the other side of the building.

I have a pink acrylic chandelier & I think next time I'm going to hang it from the middle of the tent. Someone from Flickr also suggest an area rug & I think that's a great idea. 1 Pepto rug coming right up. It's such a cute pink dream!

Just a Quick Hi

I'm in freak out mode for the craft show :) I'll be off line for most of the weekend, so have a good one. And to my Pink Saturday friends, I'll catch up with you during the upcoming week. I'm looking forward to seeing my Delaware friends. If you're in the area, please come visit me.

Happy Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday. Please visit Beverly & see who else is particpating. There are so many wonderful bloggers to meet.I've been a crafting fool, getting ready for this craft show. Between making more jewelry, making my props, prettying my packaging. My hubby & I laugh about how we never do anything the conventional or easy way. This craft show is no exception. I've been a spray painting fool & couldn't just buy my props. I had to make them. Ha ha! The frame & board is finally done. Yea! It's only taken me 3 posts to get it completed. You can see the progress here & here.

I also found these very cool rusty vintage lamp shade frames. I just about fell over at the estate sale last week when they said it was $1.50 for all of them. Aren't they cute? I spray painted them & plan on stacking them on a table. I painted some clothespins & plan to use those to attach my jewelry to the frames. Watch out, I'm dangerous with those spray paint cans. By the way, my hubby has cut me off spray painting on the porch at night.
Here are a couple more rings I've made. They are layered filigrees with vintage rhinestones. I'm in love & sometimes it's hard to part with the jewelry I've made, especially the pink ones! I'm working on inventorying & pricing. It's surprising how much I have.

By the way, that's my Allie & Zoe who wanted to get into the picture. My silly little pups!

Show & Tell Sunday ~ Vintage Bits

My internet is spotty so I'm making this post short & sweet before I lose it. There are quite a few pictures on my flickr account. I went to an estate sale on Saturday & could have bought half of the place. I found some jewelry bits & this tiny Channel perfume bottle. I found the jewelry a little too late. I probably would have come home with more. I got to the room & another lady had 2 baggies of jewels. I told my hubby I should have body checked her. Hee hee!

My big score were these metal "thingys" in a baggie. I had no idea what they were. I just knew I liked them. I didn't even open the bag to figure it out. They were scrolly rusty things & I was sold. These are going to be great jewelry components. I've already bent one of the pieces, inked it up & put a clear finishing coat on it. Hopefully, I'll finish it later on today & photograph it.

Make sure to go visit the Show & Tell group on flickr. It's total eye candy. Special thanks to our hostesses with the mostestes, Cerri & Cindy.

Busy Pink Saturday

Hi everyone & Happy Pink Saturday. I've had so many new visitors & met some new friends from Beverly's Pink Saturday. Go visit Beverly & take a peek at all the participants. Over the last few weeks there have been over 100 participants. Pink Heaven! 1. Vintage Prom Dress WIP, 2. valentineclip collection feb2008, 3. MomsDayCard1 May2008, 4. MomsDayCard2 May2008

I've been wanting to try & make a mosaic with my flickr pictures. For the longest time I thought someone was hiding the link to make these cute mosaics. How could everyone else make them except me? Well, here it is. This is the first mosaic I've made. I used some of my pink collaged artwork from cards & embellished clothes pins. I thought I'd show some of my older work for some of the newer visitors.

I'm hoping to go to an estate sale today & tomorrow. I'm still looking for unique props to merchandise my jewelry for the craft show. I went to my first estate sale 2 weeks ago & got an incredible find. Look at this beauty of a dictionary. It was still around on Monday for the 75% off sale. I had to contain my excitement when I found it.

I received my packaging order for the craft show. I'm busy prettying them up. I can't just give someone a plain box. It's not in me! I got natural craft brown boxes, pink bags & tulle in a bunch of colors. I'm hoping people like it. I also ordered another batch of MOO cards. I love these things & can't imagine life before them. Even some of my older crappier pictures look cute on this card.

New Store ~ Yea

I was just accepted to the new Lollishops store. This is the brainchild of the ultra-talented Sadie of Sadie Lou Who. I get to be a part of "the froufrou friendly market place". How fun is that! The website has a beta opening Nov 15th & the full blown opening is Nov 28th. (Alright, don't quote me on the dates. I'm going off memory, which isn't quite so sharp anymore. I read it somewhere & don't remember.) I kept reading about this new shop & just kept thinking about it. I was having the "It's juried. Do you think you'll be accepted?" Last night I thought, "Just do it. You don't know if you don't put yourself out there." I got my acceptance email today. :) Happy dance! This got me thinking to the year I've had. Since it's the last quarter of the year, I start thinking about what goals I achieved & what do I need to start looking at for next year. Where do I want to be next year & what do I need to do to get there? Yea, I'm a list maker, palm planner type girl. I am truly blessed for all the opportunities that have come to me personally & artistically.

Another Crafty Day

Just a quick post of some new things in the works. I bought a bunch of these vintage keys awhile back. Shortly after that, I got a metal stamping set & the light bulb went off when I got the keys. I think I see a new obsession coming on. The funny thing is I can't spell so I spell the word 20 times before I stamp it out. Not reallly something I can erase. Ha ha! I dumped a few more pictures here.

Laundry is calling so I better go!

Happy Pink Saturday~More New Jewelry

I just got back from a craft night with the girls. (That's my mess above). It was a craft till you drop (Drop being midnight for us old folks). I did my jewelry for the show & completed another batch of cool stuff. I have a couple of new pink ones to show for today. The pictures aren't great, as I just took them in the dark. I'll make sure to post better pictures later on today after soccer with the boys. I also finished the frame project I started last week. I need to take that picture, too, so check back.

Remember to visit Beverly, our wonderful host, to see who else is participating this week. I just love Pink Saturday!

REVISIONS:

Here are the pictures I promised. The background is an adorable window panel I got from Target. I'm going to use it as a table cloth for my display. It's pink damask with chandeliers. I was squealing with delight when I saw it.

Also is the frame I promised with the corkboard & some jewelry on it. I'm not loving it yet. I need to find a simple patterned fabric for the background. I don't want it to compete with the jewelry.

Anyways, here are the steps to make your own jewelry holder/display.

• Supplies: frames, spray paint (primer & color of choice), cork by the roll, decorative fabric/paper or stencils
  
• Buy a frame, any frame... cheap (Wal-Mart, Dollar Store, Goodwill). Take all the guts out (glass, backing)
  
• Prime the surface. This comes in super easy spray paint. My frames were originally black, so it took a few coats to get the coverage I wanted.
  
• Select the color you want to color your frame & spray away! I love the glossy look so that's what I picked. If you can only find matte, you can use a clear glossy coat to finish.
  
• Buy cork by the roll (available at home improvement stores Lowes & Home Depot). I traced the backing to get the measurment of the cork. Place the cork on the backing & put them back in place. Ta Da :)