Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to all you creative souls. I have been inspired more than I ever imagined by the blogs I have found. I have met so many web friends the past few months with Today's Creative Blog.

I hope everyone has the Thanksgiving they all wish for. Eat the pie, don't worry about calories.

I should have my table set this evening, and the last few preparations done around the house.........cuz you know......all decorating fools always redecorate something the night before an event.

I am posting now, since I doubt I will have time or the mindset to feature a blog tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Cathy Zielske ~ Bits & Pieces

Cathy Zielske with Bits & Pieces. (oops, I forgot to add the link for the first 20 min of her post......sorry guys)
This woman makes me laugh.........out loud.........really. LOL! I'm not just typing that. She really does. And with all the sick prep work I'm doing for Thanksgiving, I really needed that today.Once again, I know so many of you already know about her blog, but there are so many that may not. I mean........ I know and she knows that "she's somebody", but I really must share her with others that may not know her. Others that may not read Simple Scrapbooks where she is the Creative Director. Another heavy hitter in the world of scrapbooking. It's funny, 3 people I have featured here all work for Simple Scrapbooks. I love that magazine. I didn't even realize they all work for the same mag until recently. Simple is good. I wonder if they have ever used my latest scrap technique.......only use what you can reach. That would be called Lazy Simple Scrapbooks, probably not a big seller, but it works for me.

What I love about Cathy is she really keeps this crazy industry, the scrapbooking industry in perspective. There is so much to her that has nothing to do with her craft. Sure her blog has a few layouts here and there, but mostly I go back for her witty personality and writing. The girl seriously gets me giggling a few times a week. I get her.

We both like Old Greg..........yes, we must both have odd sense of humors. It's kind of creepy the first time, but after that, it's pretty darn funny.She's a bit obsessed with a certain Neil Finn..........

Even when she's making this cute bags, her photos of Niel is close by.

Make sure you tell Cathy how you found her, if she's new to you. And have a good look around.......she's funny.

Would you look at this?! ME! Featured.........on Linda's site. Restyled home. I feel so silly.
Linda was a feature a few months ago. She always has great ideas for decorating on her site.

busy as a bee..

It's that time again. This weekend is when I go into full mode on getting the house ready for Thanksgiving. Shampooing carpets, washing slipcovers........etc....We host dinner and my in laws are the kind of people who have homes that are NEVER messy. Everything has a place, everything in it's place. I have fantasies of having a home like that. But would anyone else enjoy living in it? Would my son have fun playing with that over hanging feeling of "oh no, I better not make a mess?" I remember going to a neighbors house when I was in my early 20s. She had this huge home in the Irvington area of Portland. Beautiful historic area. I thought her house was amazing. Simple, decorated with kids art, simple furnishings, etc... She said to me "You either have a nice clean home, or you have children." What she didn't realize was that her house was nice, and I don't remember thinking it was dirty. So what if you have a cluster of blocks on the floor, or finger prints on the sliding glass door. My husbands mother is an amazing house keeper. I have to admit I get worked up wanting my house to be perfect when she visits, but I also remember him telling me a story about how his friends would tease him about growing up in a museum and that no one was allowed inside. They had to play on the porch. In defense of my MIL, she was living in an era that designated her value on her home and how she kept it. My husband also told me that if he wanted his house perfect at all times, he would have married a housekeeper.
Below is a normal day where Lucas and his friend have taken over the hallway with a "mess." But they at least cleaned this one up. Well, my planned little post has turned into a therapy session for me........but like all crafty decorators..........off I go to fuel my sickness.......... to fluff my nest and make it perfect..........even if for one day, Thanksgiving.
So what I really meant to say was, there may not be any new posts this weekend.

edited to add: SWEET SWEET MAN
My husband ran to our local Fred Meyer to pick up the shampoo for the rugs. I had asked him to pick up some floor revitalizer from Orange Glo too............I just got a call saying they didn't have it, but he would run to Target if I wanted him too. Isn't that sweet? This man does not do Target, let alone on a Saturday.........but he probably knew if he went it would cost a lot less.

Endless Possibilities ~ Kim Wheeler

Since my mind has been on Monograms, I couldn't help it. I had to share

Kim's Endless Possibilities blog with you.

She has some really cute Monograms painted on Canvas and has developed a small business doing so. She'll even do the whole name.

Now where she has time, I don't know. She has 3 small children (twins and a single) with one on the way...........all under age 3! But if painting these pretties keeps her sane and home with her children, then for the love of God, go order one!

Very cute for a little princess room.
So we know she's talented with the alphabet..........but look!......she also decorates. She did a great tutorial........oh I love those..........on making this wreath below. Who couldn't use a beautiful wreath like that?

And she paints furniture! I LOVE THAT! So far, a tutorial on something crafty and a furniture re-do...........If I only had a margarita on my desk, I would be in hog heaven. And why don't I have one? Well, because tonight is the Family Fun Night at the school and it probably wouldn't look too well with a PTA board member having too much fun........if you catch my drift.

Didn't she do a FABULOUS job? I love it! LOVE IT!And look who has some pumpkin topiaries? We Kim's think alike. I should post another photo of mine. You can never get enough of pumpkin topiaries.

She has since moved from her home that had this kitchen. I'm a sucker for glass cabinets. Adorable kitchen. I love the apple idea across the window sill.Kim also has a personal blog that charts her busy life with her cute kids. Head over, take a peek.

Polka Dot Creations!

Poor Lisa Clarke........Polka Dot Creations..........I had meant to feature her awhile ago. I thought I featured her. I didn't believe her when she said she hadn't been featured when I asked her if I had sent her the featured blinkie code............DUH! I even had to look along my featured list, I could have bet $1 that I did feature her. But it's not there.

So, today is her day! Lisa is a Polymer clay artist. She makes all kinds of trinkets with this stuff. Talk about attention to detail. Lisa is a witty girl. I love all her comments. She's a crafty mom who keeps her children busy with cool crafts, cooking and whatever she can think of. I also love that she lives a "green life." She's way ahead of me, even though I'm an Oregonian. She's already taking her own canvas bags to the grocery. Good girl!

These earrings are to die for. Love those. Very original.And this necklace..........they kind of go together don't they?.....I must have subconsciously went on a little shopping trip. And a watch. What doesn't she make?

Barrettes? Yes, she makes those too.

Stunning necklace. And you all know by now that I'm a sucker for tutorials. She explains color........and how she puts them together. Very interesting. I love learning how people work. There is always something to learn.

Buttons! She makes buttons too. And you know what she does with them? I'll show you........later.

She has recently taken up sewing. She started off by making napkins because she said they were easy. I bet I could still make that hard. They now only use cloth napkins.......no more paper. Going green. (I'm still using paper.......bad girl)

She's been also making a skirt to match the holidays. Isn't that cute? What a great idea. I bet her kids love that.........except they won't realize just how much until they're 36.Remember the buttons? Well, she uses them on these scarves she's been making. I love her fabric combinations.

Her blog/website if FULL of information. Take your time. Tell her I'm sorry for not featuring her earlier.

And the Winner is..............

Marie Taylor!

Marie, please contact me. I need to know what monogram you would like. I will contact Deb over at Say it with Letters and have it sent to you asap.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! I am still checking out all your blogs if you have one. So much fun!

And thank you to everyone who has sent me a blog that you think I would like.

Kimono Reincarnate

I love that name. Kimono Reincarnate.

Melanie Gray Augustin.........say it again..........Melanie Gray Augustin.........rolls off the tongue doesn't it.

I am fascinated with her. She's from Australia living in Japan. She writes all about her life in Japan, all her traveling..........She loves Kimono fabric.

She makes pretty things with it. She sells some of the fabric on ebay. She's a genius!

If I were a seamstress, you bet your bottom dollar I would be getting some.
If you join her mailing list, you will be entered in a drawing for one of these bags. And if you refer anyone to sign up, your name is entered again. HINT HINT! My name is Kim from TCB........sounds like a rap song doesn't it.

She has two blogs. Kimono Reincarnate and My Life as a Gaijin Her other blog is equally fascinating, just not as crafty. It's fun to read about her daily happenings.

So go and tell Melanie hello, join her mailing list for a chance to win one of those amazing bags.

Canvas Works Floor Cloths

I about fell out of my chair........again, when I looked at her blog...........well, it wasn't the blog, but her talent that made me fall.
Canvas Works Floor Cloths

These floor cloths are amazing! So original. Not only is it an original "rug" but a piece of art. This one below is my FAVORITE! I could look at forever.
While at her blog I peeked around at her other sites. She has a tutorial on how to do one of these yourself. I can't imagine there would be enough swear words for me to do a project like that...........and I don't even curse.............I swear..........I mean I don't use bad language..........really I swear.........well you get the idea.And look how cute she is! Do you think Lisa dressed to match her work?


I really have no idea what it would feel like to be THAT talented. I would LOVE one of these floor clothes. She has all kinds of styles.

They are just gorgeous. The below photo was one from her feature in Country Living Magazine! Yes, you read that right. COUNTRY LIVING! (april 2007)
OK, time to go and check her out. Don't forget to go to her regular site and click on Gallery. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you! ~ GIVE-AWAY

When I started this blog on April 9th...............I'm pretty sure it was April 9th. I had no idea how it would become such a hub of creative and kind people. I wish I could say that I planned and thought days and days on creating this blog, but really............it was thought of and had it's first post in all of about..........10 min.

Your comments and your excitement about finding new inspiration are all so enjoyable to me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Awhile back, Deb from Say it with Letters, sent this to me. I love the ribbon and that K! I can't wait to do something with it. THANK YOU!

I am giving away a monogram like my K...........but you can pick a different letter..........to anyone who leaves me a comment by Monday, Nov 12th by 5:30pm pacific time.

Say this in a quick and deep voice................."the give-away does not include the ribbon........sorry if the photo is misleading. The photo is of the gift Deb sent me........but the monogram is the style and size for the give-away."

Cherry's Jubilee

Cherry's Jubilee!
I met Cherry after she had found my personal blog. She invited me to join a Yahoo group full of wonderful creative ladies who love to decorate. In fact, that's how I found Jen, one of my earlier features.

Shortly after joining the yahoo group, Cherry started her own blog. I was so surprised that she is also another NW girl. She lives not too far from where I was raised. No wonder she's so nice.

She's got such a warm and inviting home. I have so much fun seeing how she puts things together. She also loves to paint furniture. And you all know by now, how I love painted furniture. She painted the bed above. And I do believe she has more pillows on her bed than I do. I'm gonna have to show that to my husband. He just doesn't get it. He says when you get married you lose your black leather couch and you gain lots of pillows on your bed that you don't use. Men........they just don't get it do they? :)

Another one of my weaknesses............a red door. I LOVE the style of this door, I love the color, I love the door knocker..........I love the bucket. Yep...........I love that door.This is what I love finding different blogs and learning how different people decorate. I would have never thought to collect these cool measuring sticks. I'm pretty sure my mother has a few of these. Another item I would have just past up.........but not now.

Cherry also does a bit with paper crafting. She has some really cool glittery items on her first page. You'll have to go check it out. Don't forget to tell how you found her. :) You don't want to make me cranky again. :) :)

Speaking of cranky. I've been toying around with a couple of ideas. Driving myself crazy. Anyone out there to Home Staging? I'd love to pick your brain. I'm interested in learning more about it.

Ali Edwards

I know, I know.........if you are a scrapper, then I'm sure you already know how fabulous Ali is.
Ali Edwards
I've been reading Ali's blog for a couple of years now. I have stayed away from featuring such an Icon in the industry but have come to realize that lots of Today's Creative Blog readers are not a part of the scrapbooking world and they really really should experience Ali.

She's a fellow NW girl.........no wonder I love her work so much. That certainly explains the green approach she take with life.........I'm sure she recycles......just like me! :) (us Oregonians........we're a crazy group......yea yea, I live in Washington now........but I'm only a few miles from the Oregon border) And I'm sure we have crossed paths many times when she's in the Portland area. I actually got to meet her once, and get my photo taken.....like every other scrapper at one of the CK conventions. (but it was with my girlfriends camera phone and she didn't know how to download her photos)

I love the simplicity and balance Ali has brought to the scrapbook world. She really brought us away from the cutesy splatter look into a world of design. She has taken us away from calling ourselves "scrapbookers" to encouraging us to call ourselves a "Life Artist." Love that.

Her work is so full of LIFE.........how she lives it........how she strives to be doing the right thing for her family, it's real. Her work is another example of originality........she is definitely not following anyone else's trends. She's such a brilliant artist.

Love this idea she did..........a collage of Christmas cards. I usually end up throwing all mine away........which doesn't feel very nice. I decided to save mine last year and scraplift this idea. Have I done it yet? NOPE! But I have the basket of cards ready when I am.

She is the Creative Editor for CK magazine. Here is her latest book below. Such a dream job. Her job takes her all over the world, but her heart is never far from her darling little boy Simon who was diagnosed with Autism. Her and her husband (who is very active in politics as a State Rep) are so brave to share their family journey with so many people. It's nothing short of inspirational. They work so hard to help Simon navigate this world that can be so confusing. I love this book she created to help him have a successful trip to Disney World.Now this is a project I can do. What a great idea for the holidays. I can see making a few teacher gifts in my future.

And you gotta love a girl who can stand up and show you her creative mess! I mean come on.........who really has a clean creative space ALL THE TIME? How creative would that be?Go visit Ali, and take your time exploring her site. She's got lots of nooks and crannies to find. I think you'll fall in love with who she is.........and you'll enjoy her work too.

Going for Greatness

Ah ha! You thought I wasn't going to be able to post today didn't you? I'm surprising myself actually. I just got home from a school sponsored movie night. The Bee.......really really cute movie. I'm full of greasy popcorn, overloaded on their monster size diet coke...........

So....today, I chose Gabi! Going for Greatness! My dear friend Gabi. I've known Gabi in cyberspace for at least 3 or 4 yrs. I met her on a message board, then followed her to another where we were both on the Design team.

I picked Gabi today because I just find her so darn interesting. She is full of surprises. Not only can she scrap well.........and there's not nearly enough of her layouts on her blog.............her and her Doctor husband are WWll history buffs. They are working on opening up their own museum. They do re-enactments. They are crazy interesting people.

They also use their love of WWll to have a little fun at Halloween.

I love Gabi for her love of life. You can tell she doesn't care a flying fig what someone might think of her. She is true. She trudges forward striving to light her own fire, to be the best mom she can possibly think of and seems to have such an open heart.

I love this old chair..........because of the shabby look. She loves it because of the history.....wondering who sat in that chair. Doesn't that place a more interesting spin on our old painted furniture we're finding? And look at her house! What a great place. (like I've been there.........but I know she would let me stay if I was in the area) She has some photos on her blog of the finished patio in the back.

She was even close to John Denver. She's interesting.......... I'm just tellin ya.

For just all scrap inspiration, she and a few others have a fun blog called ScrapDragons. Lots of layouts from many different people. Original ideas.

So, for something new, go check out Gabi.

Mrs. Jones!

Me and Mrs. Jones.........I couldn't resist.

OK, I hope you're prepared gasp a little. Heather has lots and lots of wonderful things on her blog. I had to stop myself grabbing photos to use. She is so resourceful. She's another blogger I'm sure we'd be fast friends if she lived next door. We'd probably have our own painting furniture business.

She even paints pumpkins. Doesn't this look awesome? If I remember right, she had this in a birdbath first, then moved it indoors. This is giving me some ideas for my Thanksgiving centerpiece right now. Can you imagine this in the center, then a trail of the smaller ones with fall-ish garland.......a few nuts here and there........candles......Can't wait.

Speaking of table settings! She posted this below yesterday. SHE SPRAY PAINTED THAT CHARGER PLATE WITH CHALK BOARD PAINT! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but things like that make me a little excited. I am thinking about doing that too..........or I might go with a creamy color and distress them. But I love the idea of writing the name. Here's an example of one of her "projects"............ Even I would have passed this baby up. But wait..........

Helloooo....... cute little chair!

More more more! WOWZA! You know how I LOVE before and after shots. They make my heart skip a beat.And this brilliant idea! I have been wanting to do something like this in my laundry room. The wrapping paper rods. If I could make room in my scraproom, I would put it there. Switching gears..........

Not only can she decorate and paint furniture..........That Mrs. Jones can throw a party. Apparently it's all about the details. And I keep thinking that if I throw a cake on the table with a few candles, a few balloons, I'm doing good. :)

I love the Latrine sign. And the present area. Looks like such a fun party for a little guy. Heck, it looks like a fun party for me.
And what I love the most about this party, is that everything looks do-able.......for a fairly crafty person. It's just having the ideas is my problem. Using old pallets for a fort..........brilliant!
So when you get a chance, head over to see Mrs. Jones........Heather......and the rest of her great photos! I stopped myself with 11 photos, but there are so many more.
She also has two cute Corgi's! Have I told anyone lately that I want a corgi? I do...........but my husband doesn't. :)

Want it?

If you love Today's Creative Blog, then you MUST have one of these posted on your blog! I've had several requests, so if I've missed you, please let me know.

If you don't have one yet, just email me at Krjdemmon@comcast.net and I'll send you the code. It's easy to add to your site!

Shannon from Eight Crazy designed this one.

Here's a quicky.........

not a full feature, but I wanted to share these FREE DIGI GRAPHICS over at Sandras! I love them. I have no idea how to create these, but would love to learn. I save so many free graphics in hopes that someday I will just wake up knowing all there is to know about my PhotoShop Elements. I would love to do something with these for Thanksgiving.......placecards perhaps?

it really is red

Between Halloween, writing the PTA Newsletter, and my son breaking his first bone...............his little toe.........how's that for being dramatic? But between all that plus my classes, I can't believe my last post was Tuesday night. Yikes. I had planned on doing one this afternoon after my hair appt, but sitting in that chair waiting to get my grey colored, I decided I wanted to be red.........not brown with lots of blond..........so there went my extra time this afternoon...........getting my hair colored, cut and STRAIGHTENED.......the curls will be back once I wash it.
Here's Me! After teaching two classes and no make-up....and the hair looks much more red than the photo. Not alot of sunshine in the bathroom..........I'm usually cuter than this. :)


So, maybe.........maybe........I might be able to squeeze a post out later. We'll see. If not, look for one tomorrow.

Shabby Miss Jenn

If you're a Digital scrapbooker..........a digi girl, then this site is not new to you. You probably own bits and pieces of Miss Jenn.
Shabby Miss Jen........ If anyone can sway me to digital scrapbooking it would be her (and Sande Krieger.)

Her digi designs look like paper to me. I have to look at her layouts and remind myself that they are indeed digital. I think that's a compliment to digi designers........isn't it?

Miss Jenn designs all these fabulous amazing kits...........and she has a large design team. She's got it goin on.......... I would love to be that talented with the computer. Designing elements? WOW! I would totally love that. But I would probably have to at least figure out my Photoshop Elements 4.0 first. I even bought the book PhotoShop for Dummies and it's still too complicated.

But Jen also has a tutorial section. I am SO there! I bet she explains things in terms I can understand. It's not surprising that she's published in some of the best scrapbook magazines out there..........She's such a show off........... :) You know I'm just jealous, she really does deserve it. She makes it look so easy.................. I mean look at it below. So cute!More cuteness!

I couldn't resist another photo of a pink dresser! Is that not the sweetest piece of furniture? And it's distressed. Love!

She also did this little bench! The girls got vision. And look at the way she stages her shots? Beautiful. That shabby watering can is the perfect companion for this stool.

And this! THIS! I LOVE this button storage box. Character...........that pretty much sums up Shabby Miss Jen.........lots and lots of character.


This is something she used to plan a trip. The whole look is so appealing. The vintage border, the large flower on the left, the ribbons and topped off with a strawberry. I think.........I think this was her list for planning her trip to Oregon. Seaside! I am only a little over an hour away. I'm sure we would have had dinner had she known I was so close. :)

First of all, that shabby pink distressed item really really should be mine. Perfect plate to go with it.

Miss Jenn is well rounded in her talents. She designs of kick butt digi kits.........she's an awesome business woman.......she got an eye for droolable (it's a new word) shabby decor. Once again, though..........she really needs to show us more of her home........inside and out. Don't be shy Miss Jenn. We really would love to sneak a peek.

Go check her out. There are several links to other parts of her. Enjoy. Don't forget to tell her I sent you. :)

Happy Halloween everyone!

the joy of...........

I get home today, open up my email and I get the sweetest comment from Joy. She loves my blog! (blushing)
I click on her blog to check in and I am loving what I see. I already had her in my future feature file, so it was an easy pick today! EASY PEASY! She totally deserves some Creative Blog Love. It always helps to schmooze me.......... :)

Joy is the queen of finding the best junk. Look at all this stuff. I admire people who can look at these treasures and then actually have a plan for them. I haven't gotten there yet. I'm good with furniture, and paper, but not junk..........yet.
These two creations she just did today. And she stayed in her jammies past 11am! Can you imagine? I've never done that, have you? he he he...........You can see all the junk parts on her blog.........first page. It's amazing really that she created these beauties..........not that she's not talented........it's because she IS talented and I would never have seen the connection between the materials........the mixing, the matching. You can find these in her shop. The Hope Jar.

Speaking of The Hope Jar........ She's got all kinds of stuff there for us creative decorating people. Very reasonable finds. Old buttons, vintage paper..........go go go.
Now this fine piece of furniture really caught my eye. Can you imagine having this in your own craft space? I would LOVE it! I would marry it. Just think of all the stuff you could store in there. And to have drink mixin's so close......... that room must be heaven.
Adorable clip boards..........wouldn't this be cute hung on the wall for notes and such? I also noticed these in her shop.
This is where Joy needs to throw me a bone. Look at that kitchen! Come on....... I need to see photos of the kitchen without all your loving family covering it up. Yes, yes, I know you love them, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind hanging out in the living room for a moment. There is also a photo of her children sporting their Halloween costumes on her blog and you can see just a glimpse of what looks like a fabulous hutch or something. It's creamy, distressed............she really needs to stop being selfish with her furniture.

When you get a chance.........after leaving me a comment of course.........go check out Joy's creations. I will never look at junk the same. Don't forget to show her some love........she's so sweet, we wouldn't want to hurt her feelings. :)

If you love Today's Creative Blog......I have a blinkie for you too. Just email me for the code so you can add it to your blog! You can see it to the right. The green and blue one. Krjdemmon@comcast.net

We will Always Have Paris

We will Always have Paris....
This girl is a scrap deal know it all! She lives scrapbooking with gusto! If you want to know where the deals are or what the new lines are........just read her blog.

She also has some serious paper craft eye candy. I love this paper cake displayed on a cake stand. Great option instead of flowers or some other decorative item.......especially for a scrap room/studio.

Could you just DIE!? A pink desk! I say PAINT YOUR FURNITURE! It's so cute. More photos of her crafty space where she makes it all happen. She proclaims to be a Bazzill and Basic Grey Junkie! I believe her. I need her to come organize my paper. She has the BESTEST idea for storing stamps. The BEST! She gets these frames shown below.......
And places her stamps inside........then places them inside these shelves that she shows on her blog how to make. The whole tutorial is on her blog in the Aug Archives. Genius! And she makes some pretty stuff too...........

I love that she keeps us updated with coupon news, sales, etc...... I'm glad someone is willing to save us some money.

Head over and see all her wonderful ideas! Don't forget to leave her a wonderful comment! :)

Click HERE

Random-ness

Blog list ~ It's not complete. I still have another 20-30 blogs to re-post. When I added my fancy background, it erased my link list. So if you're supposed to be on there and you don't see your name.......you didn't suddenly become non-creative to me. I'm working on it bit by bit.

SPANKING~ tisk tisk **standing with hands on my hips**.........I was just over visiting Cynthia's blog and Ellen's blog. My last two features. I love to see if featured bloggers mention their feature. Love that! I also love to see how many comments they receive. Guess how many comments they received from the most fabulous Creative Blog readers? Ellen received ONE and Cynthia received ZERO............bend over girls.

No new Feature today~ Since you're not going to leave them comments...........Just teasing....... :) Remember it's hell Thursday.....plus I've eaten 2 reese's and 2 kitkat bite size bars. Eating that after teaching all day, before eating protein is a sure way to get a headache. Plus I need to go watch last week's survivor before my perfect son gets home, so we can watch it all together tonight. I would possibly have time later, but we also have our parent/teacher conference this evening.

Let's see........what other boring tidbits of my life can I tell you about? Hmmm.....couples bunco tomorrow......shopping with Treva tomorrow. Oh you can check her blog out. She has finally updated it........and she's just plain crazy. You can see her dancing the robot with my son on my personal blog........and below. And my kitchen is a disaster. This was after the Trunk show of Jane's handbags and Treva's jewelery. FUN night.

My new handbags........Love this red one! It's like my mango one.And this new one. It's the one I'm sporting this week. I am so hip. You can buy these bags HERE because Jane doesn't have a blog or etsy shop.........YET!

And I was tagged. 8 random wierd things about me.

1. I can't drink soda out of a can.

2. I can't stand overhead lighting........ewwww

3. I don't like music on blogs........but if I like the song, I will listen to the song first, then turn down my speakers so I can read.

4. I used to swim in a ditch on our farm.

5. I have a crooked tooth on the bottom that allows me to whistle a cool whistle. When I had braces, and they became straight.......I lost my whistle. I lost my retainer and my tooth is crooked again. Yeah!

6. I have over 50 cousins..........and I'm not close with any.

7. Steve PreFontaine used babysit me.

8. I have two B.S. degree's (that I didn't need) :)

Come Sit Awhile

COME SIT AWHILE
Cynthia has a cute and fun little blog. I think I may have met my soul sister when it comes to doting on our sons. I connected with her right away. She has one son and I have one son..... Mothers of only's, being boys........some people may think we over do it. But I have a feeling she's in my camp on this one. WE DON'T CARE. Our sons are adorable and that's that! :)



This photo below caught my eye.......can you guess why? Yes, yes he is adorable, and he's cleaning.........but look at that wire tiered basket! And that rooster!

This was one of those photos where you feel like a peeping Tom. You know you do it. At night while driving or walking you try your hardest to get a glimpse into someone home.........not to see people, but decor. Halloween is coming. That's the perfect time to get a little decor peeping in. When they open the door to give out the candy.....that's your chance.

Look at this little guys room. What a great boys room. So cute! That distressed RED bed is so perfect.And she scraps. Love the bold simple look. What a cute topic to scrap. Love those small moments that make us laugh.

I absolutely love this shadow box Monogram made out of colored pencils! My mind is already burnin on how I am going to make this. I think she should do a tutorial, don't you? And couldn't you do this with crayons? What a great way to recycle all those broken crayons.

Her other crafty talents are these stamped jewelery pieces. She sells them and it looks like she has one featured for the month. Wouldn't these make a great Christmas Present for the Mom inlaw? Then her kitchen is nice. I love white creamy cabinets. Would love to see more of her home. What I really want to know is...........Does she really cook in those pots and pans? Talk about incentive to get them really clean afterwards. Beautiful. I want some. I bet food just taste better.........even if it's Kraft mac & cheeseHead on over and see COME SIT AWHILE..................after you leave me a comment first! :)

Ellen

Ellen Crimi -Trent

Don't you love it when things work out so perfectly? When things are right where you need them to be at the right moment?

That's how I felt today after arriving home and needing to post a blog for all you creative hungry souls. As some of you know, I have a "future feature file" I plop any blog I find fun, inspiring, and amazing in to.

Well today, I open my email and see an email from Ellen telling me how much she loves my blogs..........oh stop.......really......tell me more......... :) She included her blog and Holy Moly girlfriends..........this girl and what she does is so interesting.

Ellen is a designer, an artist and most importantly a Mom. She makes her living or is it she lives to make.......isn't that how we all are? She makes her living designing designs and products for department stores! We have all seen her designs! JoAnne's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Fred Meyer's to name a few. At first look, this curio may look like a decorating theme gone bad........but she designed ALL that stuff! Can you imagine walking down the isle of Target......yes she designs for them too.......and seeing YOUR design? I would probably do a cartwheel right there.........and believe it or not, it wouldn't be the first time I've done a cartwheel in a store. I haven't done one in a store since I turned 46...........but if my designs were all over, I would do one.........really.

She also wants to paint this curio white.......she's not a dark wood person. Her husband doesn't want her to paint it. I say paint it! Wait til he goes out of town..........paint it. I'm not a dark wood person either. What do you say girls? PAINT IT!

I was just in Fred Meyer yesterday (a NW one stop shopping store) shopping for a few essentials..........like chocolate... and I saw these balls..........THESE BALLS! Aren't they cute? Little did I know that I would meet the woman in blogland today who designed those faces. How odd is that?! I can't wait til I go back to the store and casually say loud enough for bystanders to hear..."oh, there's Ellen's designs, she emailed me today........that Ellen, she is so talented."Here's some baby fabric she designed for JoAnne's.

And because she's a good mom, she must design something around the house for the upcoming holiday. I love this. I had this idea to paint some twigs..........mine are still not painted and in the garage........she actually painted hers and did something with them. Scroll down..........it gets better.SEE! How cool is that?!And you all know how I LOVE a tutorial! LOVE THEM! Did I say that loud enough?

I am quite intrigued with Ellen. I find it so interesting how she makes her living. I hope she shares more details in her blog.

I need to go Ellenize my home with some new decor.