You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby

My PeaOui

2011-04-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

So, one of the things that happened at the end of 2010 was that we sent our two kitties to live with my parents in California. Mella and PeaOui were happy apartment cats for lots of years, but after adding Olive to our family and some developing health concerns for PeaOui, it became clear to us that neither cats nor humans were happy with our close living quarters. (I won't even go into the money issues we were facing trying to care for PeaOui's diabietes, but that was also a major factor in our ultimate decision). My parent's generously offered to take our fury friends in. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make, but I knew they would be happier somewhere where they could go outside and be cats again, and I hoped that a new lifestyle might help PeaOui's health.

My brother took them on the 6-hour trip just before Christmas. They spent a week inside my Dad's studio to get used to their new home, and then they were able to go outside and explore the great outdoors, which they had not seen in nearly 7 years. My mom called to tell me they were having fun exploring the outside and basking in the sunshine from time to time.

About a month after we sent the kitties to California, my dad called to say that PeaOui's health had taken a turn for the worse. It seemed that the diabetes that we could never get under control had finally taken it's toll on her kidneys and she was going into renal failure. It was time to let her go. My wishes for a miraculous recovery did not pan out.

PeaOui was 11 years old. I had had her since she was 6 weeks old. She was Mella's daughter. I miss her tremendously and wish I had had all the money and time and resources in the world to make her healthy and happy. I was sad, but also relieved, that I was not with her in the end. And I hope Mella, who had never been apart from PeaOui, isn't too sad without her.

I love you PeaOui.

Blog? What's a Blog?

2011-01-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

It's been too long! A LOT has happened in the last 3 months. Too much to try and review here. So, I'm just going to skip over the holidays and the end of 2010 and go straight to the new year.

Here is our annual New Year family video.

Please to enjoy!

:) Cheers

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

This is just a little late, but better late than never!
O is a bit under the weather this week, but last weekend we finally made it to the pumpkin patch!

We had a great time and we got a little pumpkin for our pumpkin.

I'm not super big on Halloween, but we did get O a costume.

I think we've started a food theme with her so far. Dunno, if we'll keep it going again next year...perhaps...

:) Cheers

Time Heals All Wounds

2010-11-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the two-year anniversary of our best friend Eric's suicide. It is not a nice day. I still can't believe I have a friend who committed suicide. Seems like something out of an after-school special. But, no, it is true, and real, and painful.

I miss him everyday. We used to chat on-line from our respective work-places. The last email I had from him was on November 3, 2008. We had Thanksgiving with our friends every year instead of family. I was starting to plan what pies to bake. He liked pumpkin. I sent him this image.

He replied: "That is so perfect! Cheers, E"

I keep the email saved in a special folder. It is the last thing he ever said to me.

Eric had a lot of struggles in life. I knew this. We were there for him when he needed us. I wish he had needed us more. I hope he is no longer in pain. I hope he is at peace. It just sucks that he had to leave us behind.

:) Cheers

In the Middle

2010-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

I officially turned 35 on Saturday. I'm at the top of the hump of the 30s. But I have a feeling the ride down the other side on the way to 40 will be OK.

To celebrate my birthday we had planned a family trip to Portland to visit friends while W went to a coin show with his dad. Unfortunately, our friends got sick, so O and I stayed home. But the next day W had something up his sleeve. W is a wonderful man, but sometimes lacks something in the gift department. This year he out did himself. He planned a treasure-like hunt of events for me, ending in a great dinner with our friends and WITHOUT the baby! It was great. I got to hang with my best friend, eat and drink great food, and shop! It was great. Oh, did I say that already? It really was.

This week the weather is CRAPPY and COLD. I'm not physically or mentally prepared for winter. I still need some more fall. Winter just makes me want to sit in our condo, listen to the rain, and watch reality tv.

Halloween is this coming weekend and we have a great costume for O. Pictures will be posted! We never got to the pumpkin farm this year. It just never worked out and then the weather got bad. Oh well. Next year.

This is what O has been up to lately. She is growing leaps and bounds and learning things everyday.

Budding Artist

MMMMMM red

Getting her morning quotes

Fluffy Bunny

I guess that is all from the homefront.

Cheers :)

In the Year 35

2010-09-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Image from ETSY http://www.etsy.com/shop/finchandhawk?ref=seller_info

Inspired by this lovely gal at Making it Lovely, I have created my 35 in the year 35 list.

Nicole at Making it Lovely just turned thirty and she gave herself 6 months to complete 30 things before thirty. Amazingly, in addition to running her online business/website, expecting her second child, being a top blogger, and keeping an amazing home, she completed nearly all of her 30 items. (Her site is amazing, you should check it out!)

I have to be a little more realistic. I'm kinda lazy compared to her. I have a lot of things I'd like to do, but need more time to complete them. I'm turning thirty-five in October, so I thought I would try and come up with 35 things I could try and accomplish in the my 35th year. I'm having a bit of a mid-thirties crisis. It seems like a big number to me for some reason. I feel like I need to accomplish something concrete; move my (our) life forward. I think this list will help...If nothing else it will get a lot of things done around the house.

So with no further ado:

35 in the year 35

1. Finish painting the trim in living room and hallway

2. Paint bedroom

3. Get two new dressers for our bedroom (Give back antique dresser to Mom)

4. Paint afore mentioned dressers to match bedroom (green)

5. Clean and organize craft closet

6. Clean and organize hall closet

7. Paint and cover hall closet doors

8. Finish sewing curtains in bedrooms

9. Find linings for living room curtains and finish sewing them too

10. Replace air conditioner in living room

11. Install air conditioner in Olive’s room

12. Install ceiling fan in dining room

13. Install ceiling fan in Olive’s room

14. Paint bathrooms

15. New mirrors, light fixtures, towel racks in bathrooms

16. Replace all four doors in condo

17. Price and save money for new toilets, sinks, and flooring in bathrooms

18. Purge storage unit of all unused stuff

19. Start using my aerogarden again

20. Be a vendor in the Christmas Meet Your Maker with new product

21. Finish up surplus craft projects

22. Start embroidery pattern business

23. Make my Blog bigger and better

24. Spend a long weekend in a house on the beach

25. Take a romantic overnight trip with my husband and WITHOUT the baby

26. Get grocery spending down to $50/week

27. Pay off credit card

28. Start saving again

29. Carve Pumpkins

30. Decorate for Christmas

31. Make all Christmas gifts with stuff I already have (or with very minimal purchase)

32. Solve CD/record storage problem

33. FINALLY get fish for vintage blender fish bowls I made 4 years ago

34. Get sewing machine fixed

35. Be ready to work on kitchen in the year 36

Bonus Tracks:

Curb my addiction to lattes (iced or hot)

Write a children’s book

Start exercising regularly again

I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing.

:) Cheers

Steal This Blog!

2010-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have several hundred blogs in my Google Reader. I don't ever get around to reading them all, but there are a dozen or more that I read religiously!

Today I want to tell you about a blog you should be reading. A blog that I often wish was mine.

Candace at Sparkle Power combines the perfect amount of personal life, crafts, design, business, and great looking photography to give you a true sense of who she is and how she lives her life.

I must admit I'm just a little stalkery about her blog. It is one I always look for on my reader feed, and one that has inspired me to do many things. She is super crafty and has an amazing design sense.

I've purchased three prints from Sparkle Power's ETSY shop to put in Olive's room.

And another three prints from her husband Dylan's ETSY shop for our music nook in the living room.

And Candace's experience with swagbucks.com encouraged me to try it for myself. So far I have more than 2,200 swagbucks just by searching the internet and doing silly stuff online I would normally do. I'm going to trade them in for amazon.com dollars and buy supplies for my much, much neglected aerogarden.

Psst. (You can check out swagbucks yourself by using the little button here on my blog. If you do, use me as a referral and we¹ll both earn bucks just by dicking around on the internet!)

Finally, Candace is a mother of two beautiful little girls, and from what I can tell by reading her blog, a thoughtful, kind, and loving mother. But, also an honest one, who tells it like it is in good and bad times. As someone who is just learning this motherhood gig, it is so nice to read about the paths other moms have already forged.

So, check out Sparkle Power! I think it is worth it.

Cheers :)

Good Intentions

2010-09-12T15:19:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of good intentions these days. I make a lot of efforts, but can't seem to feel like I accomplish any one thing. So it goes for most working moms I know. I truly admire the ones that seem to have it together. Or maybe things are not quite what they seem?

Anyway, I want to start writing here again. It is fun to do and I want to be more serious about it. I have several hundred blogs in my google reader that I drool over on a daily basis and wonder "why can't I be a better blogger?"

So, here I am, trying to be a better blogger.

Olive turned one almost two weeks ago. Looking back on the last year I can't believe we made it out alive. Becoming a family has been one of the most intense experiences of my life. I can truly say it is both wonderful and awful at the same time (more wonderful than awful, but there are some truly awful things about it).

Motherhood has been a hard adjustment for me. And continues to befuddle me at times. Some days I don't know how I get from sun up to sun down, but I do. Other days it is effortless and fun even.

Olive is a wonderful little girl. I can say that now. She is a little girl. No longer a baby really. She is on the verge of walking. And talking will soon follow. Some days I look at her and can't believe that she is my baby. Everyday she surprises me with how smart she is. The other day I realized she had figured out how to open and close a drawer in the kitchen without getting her fingers in the way. It astounded me.

I haven't been too happy with my workplace lately. I don't think it has anything to do with the business itself. Just with me trying to find my place in this world after Olive. But, I'm starting to wonder if it is the life-long career I once thought it was. There are so many other things I want to pursue that if given time and effort (there is that word again) could become my occupation.

Crafts have really taken a back burner. I have had a few moments to do some new t-shirts to consign at CD World and some little hankies for the store in Alaska, but many of the projects I want to do just have to wait.

Anyway, I hope this is the first of many more entries in this much neglected little blog. Please follow me or leave an encouraging comment so I feel like others would like to hear what I have to say.

I'm trying, really I am.

:) Cheers

Otherwise occupied...

2010-07-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

We're busy this summer...

Beach Baby, Beach Baby

2010-05-25T15:27:00.001-07:00

On Mother's Day my wonderful husband took me to the coast for lunch and a visit to the beach. It just happened to be Olive's first time in the sand as well.

She LOVED it! I can't wait to take her again when it is warmer and less windy!

:) Cheers

YART Sale, YART Sale!

2010-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

What is a YART Sale?

Yard Sale + Art Sale = YART Sale!

My friends and I are having a YART Sale on June 5th and 6th. There will be a ton of really cool stuff there. All of us are cleaning out our closets and our studios and making it available to the public for some great prices.

If you are in the Eugene area please come on by and check it out!

:) Cheers

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

This is my first Mother's Day! But really, I think it should just be Women's Day...There are so many Aunties and Grandmas and Girlfriends that care for us all. We are blessed to have so many loving women in our lives, those with kids and those without.

Whether you birthed, adopted, foster, acquired, or generally just care and love others....Happy Mothers Day to You!!!!!

:) Cheers!

Playing

2010-04-24T13:36:00.001-07:00

Olive is learning to play on her own a bit...She has recently discovered the joys of emptying her toy box one toy at a time...It is too cute!

:) Cheers!

Swagbucks

2010-04-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about Sparkle Power's adventure with Swagbucks for some time, and now have decided to try it myself. It is free to set up an account and all you do is use the Swagbucks search engine when you surf the Internet and earn points. Then trade those points in for gift certificates and other things you might already spend money on. There are other ways to earn points by signing up for free things, taking surveys, or referring friends and family to use the site. I've started a separate email address to handle the junk mail I'll get from doing this stuff.

Anyway, if you want to give it a try, tell them I sent you by using this referral link: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/LuckyLisp

I'll let you know how it goes...hopefully it will just make all the time I already spend on the Internet more lucrative!!!

:) Cheers

My daughter...

2010-04-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

It still sounds weird to me when I say that... my daughter...

More Button Necklaces!

2010-04-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

A few more button necklaces in the shop! These are a little bit bigger and rockin!

Where has the time gone?

2010-03-31T17:23:00.001-07:00

7 Months Old Today!

Four Years Ago...

2010-03-26T08:29:00.001-07:00

I married the man of my dreams... and began the rest of my life.

Shop update, FINALLY

2010-03-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
I am FINALLY coming out of the fog maternity leave and babydom and able to think about crafting again!

So, I am clearing out a lot of stock to make room for new and exciting craft ideas I've had brewing for the last few months.

I've listed some necklace/brooch embroidered pieces that are super cute on my etsy site!

I love how you have the option to wear it as a necklace or as a brooch depending on your mood and outfit!

I have a few more of the necklace/brooch combos to list and some straight brooches/pins as well in varying sizes. I'll have those up later this week.

Check back soon for other hand-stitched goodies. I'm clearing out tons of back stock, so there will be all kinds of stuff from wall-hangings, to onesies, to blankets and much more!

Cheers :)

I can fly!

2010-02-18T10:57:00.001-08:00

I can fly!, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

Gimme a Hug

2010-02-12T09:07:00.001-08:00

Gimme a Hug, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

Blogging has totally dropped off the radar for me. As have crafts. I really hope to get back on the band wagon very soon for both, but for now, my priorities seem to be getting this little peanut to sleep (not a big sleeper), keeping my house from totally falling into chaos, getting our diabetic cat stabilized without spending thousands of dollars we don't have, and, oh, yeah, trying to do the job I get paid for full time....

All in all, things are going well in the Kennedy household. We had a rough January, with a little girl who decided that sleep is for loosers. It is getting better, thanks to a new KING size bed. She is sleeping with us now and it is working better for everyone. I guess we'll deal with getting her to sleep on her own later. Choose your battles eh?

Working from home is a struggle most days. Baby O takes up a lot of time and because she doesn't really sleep in long intervals, fitting it in during naps is pretty much not happening. But, I work for a great company and there is another mom with a little boy the same age who is doing the same, so somehow we are making it work. Eventually I want to be in the office more, but for now it is what it is.

Baby O is growing by leaps and bounds. She is rolling over and wants to sit up so badly. I need to get her one of those cool Bumbo seats so she can sit up on her own. She talks non stop and recently developed a high pitched screech that goes directly to my brain. It can be cute...sometimes...

So, my hope is to start blogging more and get some flippin crafting going! Oy! I miss stitchin...soon, very soon, I hope. I've got a million and ten ideas rattling around in my little head.

Cheers :)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

It has been a big year for our household. We survived pregnancy and labor and delivery and those first 6 crazy weeks of newborn-ness. Now we look forward to all the new and amazing things that await us in this next year.

A new decade--a new family!

:) Cheers

Long Time Gone...

2009-12-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hello All,
It's been awhile since I wrote on this blog. Things have been busy in our lives. I'm back to work now...no more vacation time or maternity leave. It's hard getting back into the swing of things at work and then coming home and getting back into mommy mode. I'm getting the hang of it though. Luckily our little girl takes a bottle like a champ and loves hanging out with her daddy,who watches her while I'm at work and then works late at his own job.

I haven't really had the brain capacity to get into Christmas too much yet, but here is a little gift bringing in the Holiday spirit for ya!

:) Cheers

Oh Olive my Olive

2009-11-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at a Halloween costume!

Vampire Girl

2009-10-31T10:45:00.001-07:00

032, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

See what I made! Computers are fun!

the many faces of olive

2009-10-31T09:19:00.001-07:00

the many faces of olive, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

Our little girl is so expressive! She is our little Funny Face!

8 weeks old

2009-10-29T13:30:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe our little girl is 8 weeks old already (that's 2 months for those of you who don't excel at math)! It seems like she was born just yesterday and that we have had her for our whole lives at the same time.

I won't lie, those first 6 weeks are HARD! There were times when I seriously thought I wasn't cut out for motherhood and I longed to go back to work full time and have my husband take over the majority of her care. We took a little longer than some to bond (I think our long hospital stay and her several nights in the ICU had something to do with that) but now she and I are in sync with one another and learning more about each other every day.

In the last couple of weeks little O has started to smile a lot. She seems to recognize us when she sees us, and she has started to put herself to sleep from time to time rather than having to be rocked and bounced constantly. All pretty great milestones in my book.

We have a lot ahead of us. My maternity leave is running out and I have to start working more soon. W is going to change is schedule in order to stay home with her on certain days/mornings so I can get into the office and back to my work family at least half time. It will be a juggling act, but hopefully we can make a go of it.

6 Weeks of Olive

2009-10-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

My last day of being pregnant...

2009-09-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

My coworkers threw my coworker Claire and me a baby shower on August 30th. Little did they know, but I had actually gone into very early labor early that morning. I kept it to myself and didn't say anything at the party. This was my last full day of being pregnant. By 8:56pm of the next day, my little Olive had arrived. She was early and I didn't feel prepared. Now, this day seems a million years away....

Introducing Olive!

2009-09-05T07:19:00.001-07:00

Introducing Olive!, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

Two weeks early and unexpected; 2 days in the NICU for breathing troubles; another 3 days in hospital for jaundice; finally home and happy!

The full labor and hospital story to come!

:) Cheers!

37 1/2 weeks or only 2 weeks (give or take) left until I become a mother

2009-08-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

She's almost here!

I can't believe it!

I'm not ready!

6 years ago today...

2009-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

I met the man I love.

Not Your Mother's Baby Shower

2009-08-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Let me just start off by saying I Loath Baby Showers! Loath, Hate, Despise, and whatever other words that express the same sentiments. Traditional baby showers are silly and contrived and tedious. So, when we found out we were having a baby nearly 9 months ago, I was bound and determined to make sure that we did NOT have a baby shower.

And we DIDN'T!!!!!

Instead, this weekend, we had a coed backyard bbq with all our lovely friends. There was food and drinks (although I couldn't partake...) AND, most importantly, no silly games, except the most ingenious pinata that was ever made! It was perfect. And all thanks to our 3 dearest friends who let us use their house and talents to entertain our friends.

The Pregnant Lady Pinata, complete with pink nipples and muff!

W got the first "wack" at her.

Then I had my turn.

After much effort, the kids attacked!

And what was left was a little W baby, complete with dark hair and square hip glasses.

What a lovely picture of motherhood eh?

:) Cheers!

6 More Weeks to Go!

2009-08-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

And then we will be a family!

Evidence

2009-07-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the proof that I once had a skinny face!!!!

THEN

NOW

I'm ready to loose the baby weight!!!!

Spoonflower Love!

2009-07-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am so NOT a designer, but the idea of designing and printing your own fabric has me a little obsessed lately. Spoonflower is a website that allows you to upload your own designs to be printed on fabric for your crafting needs. You can upload any jpg or tiff or other photo file and create your own custom fabric. Some of the examples from other users are AMAZING!

Here are a few ideas I've come up with just working with different fonts and my very rudimentary level of photoshop skills.

Vintage Flash Card Love

2009-07-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Every summer we go to Ashland, Oregon with W's Mom and take in the Shakespeare Festival. I have been doing it every summer (and sometimes fall) since I met W 6 years ago.

About 4 or so years ago, the cutest little shop called Prize popped up near the hotel we always stay at. It is a great mix of vintage and kitsch and retro. They always have the best selection of vintage flash cards there, and I've been known to pick up one or two nearly every time we visit.

You may remember these large poster size flash cards we decorated our kitchen with...

But I bought a series of smaller flashcards as well. I bought them with the intension of using them as embroidery patterns. And here, I know have something to show for my intensions.

(please excuse the terrible photos--the sun refuses to shine in the mornings these days)

I made these framed pieces using the flashcards as the embroidery patterns. I stitched them on raw linen and then framed them in these 5x5 wood frames I found in the Target dollar bin last year (for dollar bin items they are actually really nice--made of real wood with glass).

I really like the way they turned out. I am going to make some more wall art series with some of the other flashcards I got. I have a bunch more and am bound to get even more when we are in Ashland next week for this summer's trip! I can't wait!

:) Cheers

30 weeks of Bellys

2009-07-01T14:50:00.001-07:00

30 weeks of Bellys, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

I haven't been very dilligent about taking belly photos, but here is the evolution so far at 30 weeks. I can't believe I only have 10 weeks left (give or take). I'm so not prepared or ready. I hope I can do this!

:) Cheers

Mail Love!

2009-06-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

The other day I received a super fun gift from my friend Jenny. I've blogged about Jenny before. She is a super talented paper cutting artist and specializes in hand cut silhouettes. She did a cutting of W that I ordered for our anniversary a couple years ago, and now she kindly did two of me.

I want to get the cats and then baby done and get them all framed together. Our little family all in profile. :)

Cheers :)

Super Fantastic Weekend!

2009-06-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey All,
lots has been happening, some good and some not good. Here though are some great pics of our Memorial Day Weekend we spent in Central Oregon with our very good friends. It was so much fun. Great Food, Great Friends, if only I had been able to drink some wine too......

Home Improvements

2009-05-26T10:28:00.001-07:00

We FINALLY finished painting and organizing what we are calling the "Officery." It is the shared room that will be both W's office space and the new baby's nursery. I had picked out the colors and purchased the paint and curtains long before we got pregnant, so I wasn't going to change them. But I think they turned out really well anyway.

This little corner is the only part of the nursery that is furnished and decorated now. We are getting a crib from some friends soon and that will occupy the wall opposite of this.

The windows let in a lot of light in the morning so I backed the curtains with blackout panels to help make it darker and also to keep it cooler in the summer. We're going to put an airconditioner in the low window to help with the air circulation in this room.

Keeping W's office space contained in these shelves and desk area is going to be a great feat, but I'm hoping we can make it work. Once baby is bigger W will have to make sure his stuff is all up high and out of reach.

The kitties love the morning sun in this room.
Now, onto our own bedroom!!!!!

Meet Your Maker Logo

2009-05-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I forgot to share with you that I won the Meet Your Maker logo contest!!!!
Here is my entry.

You will find the logo on the MYM website (which btw is all new and shiny) and also on t-shirts and other products Amy and Megan are making!

I'll be at the next show on June 5th!

Long Awaited Crafty Post

2009-05-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any crafty items on this blog in a long time.... Here are some embroidered button necklace/broaches that I have been working on. I'll be listing some of them on etsy soon.
I'll also be selling some of them at the next Meet Your Maker show on June 5th!!!

Future Bat Child?

2009-04-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

My creation, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

I couldn't resist. The 3D ultrasounds are cool, but they have some holes in them sometimes cause they don't render all the information properly. It looks like our little girl could be related to the Weekly World News and Report's Bat Child!!!!

It's a Girl!!!!

2009-04-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Introducing...Baby Girl Kennedy!!!! We can't wait to meet you sweety!

Record Store Day 2009!!!!

2009-04-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
The 2nd annual Record Store Day is taking place this Saturday! So get out to your local independent record store and get cool free stuff and support music!

If you're in Eugene, come down to CD World and see a free performance of the Squirrel Nut Zippers!!!!

Come help celebrate Record Store Day at CD WORLD on April 18th with a free live performance by the Squirrel Nut Zippers at 2:30. Pick up a ticket to their show later that night at the WOW Hall along with any number of the exclusive releases on CD and vinyl that will be available only at participating indie Record Shops starting April 18th!

Please come out and support record stores! We'll all be so sad if they disappear....

Friendly Weekend

2009-04-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Had a great weekend with W and our bestest friend Becky! It was relaxing and sunny and made me wish we had more time to spend in the mountains.

My Friend

2009-04-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today would have been my friend Eric's 42nd birthday. I say would have been because he has been missing with no trace of his where-abouts or what happened to him since November 8, 2008. We don't know what has happened to him, but it seems to have turned into criminal investigation involving a man he lived with in Portland.

Eric, W and I were like the three muskateers for the first 2 years W and I were together. We did everything together. We met nearly every Sunday for breakfast. We went out nearly every Wednesday for martini night. We watched his parrot. We had Thanksgiving together. He was our family.

Eric lived through some gnarly stuff in his life. But through all his troubles he was a loyal friend and a member of our extended family. We miss him very much and hope we have some resolution sooner rather than later.

Happy Birthday to my Fo Shizzle!

Eric, W, and I in better times. We love you Fo!

Three Years Ago Today...

2009-03-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

I married the most wonderful man...

Happy Anniversary Sweety! I love you!

Meet Your Maker is Back!!!!

2009-03-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Come out to downtown Eugene and check out the first Meet Your Maker indie craft show of 2009! It's at the Broadway Wine Bar from 5:00 to 8:00pm on First Friday, April 3rd! It is a great time and full of wonderful crafty goodness, including my embroidered goods! Hope to see you there...

baby bump progress....

2009-03-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have a million crafts to take photos of, but there hasn't been any sunlight to speak of these days (except today, when I'm at work and not at home, figures), so taking good pics hasn't been easy.

Instead I will bore you with pics of my baby bump progress.

7 weeks 10 weeks 14 weeks

SmartyPants now available at Bambini

2009-03-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

My embroidered onesies are now available at a local Eugene shop, Bambini.
I'm super excited to be a part of this great local business. If you have kids and live in the Eugene area and are not already familiar with this shop, go and check out one of their two locations. Or if you are looking for gift, there are tons of things that any expecting mom would love to have. I plan to have a registry there for sure.

I'm working on a bunch of new designs and products for the April Meet Your Maker show. It will be at the broadway wine market again on first friday! Be sure to check it out.

:) Cheers

New custom item in the shop

2009-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

I've got a new line of custom embroidered onesies in my ETSY shop! A full alphabet with matching animals. I think they are super cute! Choose which animal represents you best.

sneak peak

2009-02-26T12:07:00.001-08:00

here's a little sneak peak at an alphabet project I am undertaking....
I should have some more details shortly.
Any guesses on what I might be planning?

First Belly Shots

2009-02-26T11:40:00.001-08:00

The first of my belly shots--the grey dress is a bit deceiving...
This is at about 7 weeks pregnant
These are at about 10 weeks pregnant...again the grey dress makes it look a bit bigger than it really is.

Sorry for the poor quality photos--we don't get great light in our condo....

Remember I said there was a lot going on?

2009-02-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, the thing is, W and I have found out that we are going to be parents in September. We were waiting for our first appointment to make it public, but now after our first appointment and after hearing the little one's heartbeat, we are ready to tell the world!

For those of you who have never read my other blog, W and I have been "trying" for around 2 1/2 years with no hint of any success. Not feeling comfortable with any infertility treatments we had pretty much decided that we would not have children. And then BANG (so to speak) it just happened.

So far so good. I haven't had much morning sickness at all and my energy levels have been relatively good too. We have been overwhelmed with the love and support of all our friends and family so far. We know this kid will be truly loved by all members of our life.

So, that is the big news that I've been telling you I would write about later. I'm sure I'll have tons to write about during the course of the next 8 months, but I don't want this to turn into a pregnancy blog, so I'll try to keep crafty goodness coming as well.....

Cheers :)

Oh and we're pretty sure that we conceived this child the night of my work's ugly sweater Christmas party. I must admit I got totally hammered that night and parts of it are a blur, but I'm pretty convinced that it was the mustache that did the trick!

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth...

2009-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Yet...
No, things have been crazy around these parts. There are a lot of things going on, that I PROMISE I will fill you in on soon, when I have more time to write. For now, here are a few things I recently made to order. I think the beet onesie may be the most interesting custom order I've ever done, but frankly, I think it looks really great.
More soon...I promise!

This super cutie is my little nephew. I miss him so much!

Happy Day!

2009-01-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

My whole office toasted with champagne and apple cider this morning!

Cheers!

Updates and More

2009-01-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
It has been a busy beginning of January. I didn't feel like I recovered from the holidays until well after the first of January. In fact I still feel like I am recovering in some respects.

I've been making lots of plans for crafts this year. We'll see what happens. I always have big plans and lots of ideas, but rarely follow through on all of them....not enough time in a day to do everything I want I guess.

Last year I had two opportunities to consign my work. My husband consigned a bunch of my music themed onesies at the record store he manages, CD World. So far I've sold 6 there and have plans to make more music themed onesies to sell there.

Then in November I was contacted by a boutique in Anchorage, Alaska, Bella Boutique. They saw my embroidered hankies on ETSY and contacted me about consigning some of those. I sent up 8 and so far have sold 3. I was so flattered to be contacted randomly like that. Made me feel so great.

I hope I can continue to sell some of my wares at these lovely establishments and possibly add a few more to the list.

I plan on doing the Meet Your Maker shows again when they start back up as well. And I want to really concentrate on adding new and exciting stuff to my ETSY site.

Anyway, I've got lots in store for the new year. I can't reveal it all right now. But check back in the next weeks and months for lots of crafty goodness and many more surprises!

Cheers :)

Year in Craft 2008

2009-01-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

Year in Craft 2008, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

It was a rather fruitful craft year. Here's hoping for many new and crafty things for the next! I'm currently making a list of all the crafty things I want to do for 2009. Hopefully lots of things you will enjoy!

So Long 2008

2008-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everybody! We don't have any big plans to ring in the New Year tonight. I have a feeling we will be asleep before midnight. Here is a review of our year! It was a good one!

Feb: We bought a condo with a rocking view!

March/April: We went to Santa Monica and Vegas!

Summer: A new haircut, visit with our nephews in Sisters, visit with family in Redding

Fall: Eugene Celebration, Autumn Ashland Trip

Winter: Reading Curious George to our little friend visiting from NY and Holiday Wishes from the 80's!

Merry Christmas!!!! Happy Holidays!!!!!

2008-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

We took the concept of an ugly Christmas sweater contest a little overboard perhaps. The doughnut tree was inspired by a blog post about vintage Christmas trees from CraftyPod
One of my coworkers built it! I may use it for a real Christmas tree now that the donuts are gone.

Snow Day!

2008-12-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

It doesn't snow much here in the Willamette Valley, but when it does, Mother Nature usually gives us a good show. We awoke this morning to about 3 or more inches of really dry, light powder. It is beautiful. And cold and wet.

That is why I declared a snow day and decided to stay in our cozy condo and work from home today. Plus, I'm not very skilled at winter driving and neither is 95% of the drivers here in Eugene, so I don't even want to risk it.

View from our condo:

I did see some people riding their bikes in this snow:

We really aren't very outdoorsy, but we ventured out enough to uncover the car and start it up and snap a photo. We might walk around downtown later in the afternoon.Unfortunately it is supposed to drop down into the teens and freeze tonight, so instead of snow it will be a thick sheet of ice tomorrow. Fun!

Christmas in a small space and on a small budget

2008-12-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

So, we live in a small condo. Not much room for a big tree and lots of decorations. We are also feeling the pinch of the economy (and unexpected vet bills this month), so I didn't really want to spend a lot of money on decorations anyway. So, I tried to add a festive spirit around the house with what we already have.

We bought a wreath from our friends pre-school fundraiser again this year. It turned out to be a nice place to hang some of our ornaments.

This is what I thought up with the rest of our Christmas ornaments and decorations and some silver ribbon. Not bad if I do say so myself.

It's not much, but it adds a little bit of holiday cheer to our little place.....

Christmas Ideas

2008-12-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

I am NOT yet into thinking about Christmas, but I would like to highly encourage you to buy local and buy handmade if at all possible. It's just better.

Here are some of my current faves from ETSY to whet your appetite.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
luckylisp

Christmas Cats

2008-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, I don't have kids, or a small dog that requires sweaters. That being said, I sometimes try to dress up my cats. Yes, yes I do.

Last Christmas I just had to get this super cute reindeer outfit for them. Each cat reacted a little bit differently when I put it on her.

Can you tell which cat is smarter?

Tv Cat

2008-12-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

So, my baby is feeling much better ($500 later) and is eating and scratching and whining again.

Here is an old video of her watching a nature program about fish. She likes to watch tv. Especially nature programs about fish and birds. But sometimes she just watches regular ole tv with us.

My sick baby...

2008-12-04T09:56:00.001-08:00

My baby is sick. She has a vet appointment today at 1:30. I hope she starts to feel better soon. I love her so!

[update] Still a very sick kitty. Initial tests didn't show anything wrong. She is now back at the vet for more testing. Possible intestinal obstruction!!!! Little sweety. eventhough she is as sick as a "dog" she snuggled up in bed with me last night to keep warm.
Get well soon my love!

[update] My furry baby is doing much better. She is starting to act like her old self, eating, cleaning herself, scratching on the furniture. It was a little scary there for a bit, but she seems to be recovering. A couple more days of rest under her blue blanket and eating chicken baby food and we hope she will be 100% better.

Art around every corner!

2008-12-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Just want to let you know about the many exciting holiday arts and crafts events happening in Downtown Eugene this Friday!!!

I will be attending my third Meet Your Maker craft show this friday from 5:00 to 8:00 at the Broadway Wine Bar. We had a great turnout last month and I think this one will be even better. You could probably get all of your holiday shopping done just there if you wanted to. Lots and lots of great things for sale. If you can't make it check out the sellers online shops to see what you are missing and maybe order a couple of things online!

Also! Two of my bestest friends are participating in an art show at the Jacobs Gallery that opens this Friday! I've seen some of the pieces and they are AMAZING and for sale! The show opening of Tiny Treasures at
the Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center in Eugene, a show loosely based
on the artist trading card (ATC) phenomenon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards ). The most
important ATC feature for this show is size: all art pieces are
limited to 2.5" x 3.5". There are 30-plus artists featured in the
show. The opening is Friday December 5, from 5:30 - 8:30. The show runs
through the end of the month.

While you're at it, look for the Downtown Merchant's Association
Holiday Parties. Many stores (including gorgeous Passionflower, at 128
E. Broadway) will be open late and feature food, drink, and music.

Also happening downtown that night is the monthly First Friday Artwalk. It is a fun festive Friday
in Eugene, truly one of the best community events of the year. Help us
prove that downtown is a vibrant, growing destination!

So please stop by the Meet Your Makers, Jacobs Gallery, Passionflower, and all of the
other amazing stops along the way.

Let's prove that Downtown is the place to find Unique Eugene!!!! Just stop by to say hi and taste some wine if nothing else!

Keep these on your radar

2008-11-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

There are several events coming up that you should keep on your radar, and they both occur on Friday, December 5th, so hopefully you can plan ahead and make it to all of them.

1. The third Meet Your Maker craft show/faire that yours truly is participating in is happening at the Broadway Wine Bar from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. I'm trying to get some holiday themed stuff ready, but we'll see....But it is the perfect place to find some holiday goodness.

2. Two of my very good friends, Becky and Claire, are in a show at the Jacobs Gallery (this website is terribly out of date and does not have the show details yet) that invited 30 artists to make ATC (artist trading cards) pieces. I've seen Becky's and they are AMAZING. Claire is a professional artist, so I know her pieces will be phenomenal as well. I believe the opening is from 5:00 to 8:00pm. All the pieces are for sale, so it will be another place to pick up a special something for that special someone.

3. Also, the stores downtown will be having their Christmas open house parties for First Friday They will all be open later and will have goodies and drinks and lots of things to buy! My aformentioned friend Becky works at a great downtown shop called PassionFlower. It is a beautiful shop and I dare you to find something you can't live without. They always put on a great party for the December holiday party.

So, get yourself out and about in Downtown Eugene on December 5th! You have no excuses.

Friendly Blogs Part 2

2008-11-18T16:09:00.001-08:00

Ok, so here is another installment of my Friendly Blogs!

Today I want to tell you about my dear friend over at Jenny Lee Folwer.

Funnily enough, Jenny is actually my husband's high school sweet heart. They have remained good friends over the years and I gained her as a friend when W and I married (lucky me).

Jenny makes the most amazing paper cuttings and silhouettes. She made one of W for me that I gave him for our second anniversary.

She free cuts them with scissors from observing a photo of the person. Amazing? Yes!

I love just about everything she does. She uses some very creative materials for her work sometimes--feathers, bark, leaves, etc. Check out her ETSY shop!

Beyond being a talented crafter with unending energy, she is also an amazing mom of two and runs a small little farm in NY state (farm in my mind being anything with more than two cats--she has goats and chickens).

Cheers :)

Awesome Giveaways on the Blogosphere!!!

2008-11-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, as I mentioned before, I read ALOT of blogs. Most are crafty blogs, and they are always giving away amazing things to their readers.

I won two giveaways so far this year. One from the lovely heatherhalesdesigns and another from sweetjessie!

I want to tell you about a couple of giveaways that are happening right now on two amazing blogs/websites.

The first is at Indie Fixx, which is an amazing and resoursful crafty blog as well as an incredible indie handmade goods shop.
Check out their Autumn Cornucopia Giveaway which ends today! While you are there check out the shop and read the blog. You are bound to find something you cannot live without or need to make right away!

The second fantabulous giveaway is at another crafty blog and indie storefront. Modish is having the November November Giveaway. You can enter to win really awesome prizes now until the 16th! There are two ways to win, so click on over there and check it out. Also, look at the amazing indie handcrafted stuff they have!

OK, so get out there and read blogs and enter giveaways! It is your duty!

:) Cheers

Friendly Blogs

2008-11-11T15:00:00.001-08:00

I have so many blogs that I read now my Google Reader is overflowing with goodness. I decided I should try and share some of the goodness with others (those tiny few of you who read this little thing).

So, here is my first blog share.

I was so pleased to see that my new friend over at la petite vie blogged about the little acorn covered button pin I gave her for her 30th birthday. It matched an embroidered hankie she bought from me at my first meet your maker event in October.

(Photo via la petite vie)

Not only is this gal one of the organizers and founders of the new upstart Meet Your Maker indie craft show, but she also makes heavenly, all natural bath and body products and cleaning products. I bought the all purpose cleaner and LOVE IT!!! She is also the mother of one of the cutest little girls and a super fun girl to hang out with.

So, go on over to her blog and say hello. Maybe even check out her ETSY site or look to see when the next Meet Your Maker event is (December 5th) and help spread the word.

Cheers!

Shoppe Update!

2008-11-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I just listed all the onesies I have in my ETSY shop!

Last night I did my second Meet Your Maker event and sold two onesies! It was great fun. A good crowd. People are definitely starting to think about Christmas gifts. I'm going to do the December one too (on December 5th at the same place). So if you are around come on down!

:) Cheers

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

We had people over last night to either toast champagne or cry in our beers. I'm so elated this morning that we got to do the former rather than the later!

We live in a blue part of a blue state. But we were all watching the numbers as they came in and at 8:04pm pacific time the whole west coast of the political map simultaneously turned blue and the networks called it for Obama and we all cheered and cried. I'll never forget it.

I imagine this is how so many people felt when JFK was elected in 1960. A sense of hope. A sense that the youth matter in this country. A sense that things are going to change. A sense that anyone can make a difference.

Yes, yes we can.

Fall trip to Ashland

2008-10-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a lovely weekend trip to Ashland, Oregon. We saw two plays, looked around in shops, ate way too much great food, and enjoyed two of the best fall days I can remember in a long time. We walked around in Lithia Park, which a kind gentleman told us is celebrating its 100th birthday this year and was designed by the same park designer that created Golden Gate park in San Francisco. If you've never been to Lithia Park or Ashland, you are really missing a gem of Oregon and the West Coast. I love it there.

And during our walk we ran across a number of these guys, eating some breakfast in the morning sunshine along the creek. They were beautiful and not at all afraid of all the passers-by.

Fall Colors from Our Window

2008-10-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

I love our view!

Biz Trip to Santa Monica

2008-10-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

I had to go to Santa Monica again for work and W tagged along. It is already fall here in Oregon, so we were not prepared for 100 degree weather in LA! Even at the beach it was hot. But we had a good time despite the heat, and I got some good work done too.

Santa Monica is nice, but there are sooooo many people there. We were so happy to get back to Oregon. The moment we got off the plane we relished in the empty airport and clean air, and we headed straight for Laughing Planet for some good hippie food. It was heaven.

My First Craft Show

2008-10-04T11:32:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody,
here are a few pics from my first craft show! It was great fun and I did sell a few things, but most importantly I met great gals and got ideas for what I should do in the future. Come out for the next Meet Your Maker event (hopefully in November or December--I'll let you know!).

More summer fruit and veg porn

2008-09-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love love love summer and fall for all the veggies that are around. This summer was exceptionally good here in the NW. I usually end up at all 3 farmer's markets during the week and also visit the farm stand that is just down the road from my work as well. I think I have a bit of a fruit and veg problem. They are all so pretty. I get blinded by all the colors and smells and start just buying everything that looks good. Only problem is that we rarely can eat all the veggies I want to buy. So, I have to reign myself in and only buy what we can eat.

Here are a few views of the luscious bounty we have partaken of this season.

I'm a WINNER!

2008-09-18T11:30:00.001-07:00

I enter free give-aways all the time, but I never seem to have my number picked.

Until Today!

Today the lovely lady over at Heather Hales Designs emailed me to let me know that I won a lovely vintage pillowcase tote bag! Yayyyyyyy! I'm so excited.

Not only are all the things she makes beautiful beyond belief, but this creation in particular has a special place in my heart. The vintage pillow cases that she has been using in her designs of late remind me so fondly of my dear grandma and her linen closet. I've been thinking of my grandma a lot lately. She just had her 90th birthday this summer. She is suffering from some dementia lately as well and I only get to see her a couple times a year, so she no longer always remembers who I am. I loved her home filled with sewing and cookies when I was a kid. She was a true product of the 50s and the quintesential homemaker.

Thanks Heather for the lovely, lovely gift and these sweet memories that are coming along with it! I'll take some pics of me with it when it comes in the mail so you can all see how great I look with it (he he he).

***added to 10/4/08
Here I am with my wonderful prize!

My First Craft Faire!

2008-09-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody!

I'm so excited! I'm going to be in my very first craft faire in less than 4 weeks! I've got to craft my ass off between now and then.

Meet Your Maker is a new start up indie craft show here in Eugene. W and I went to the last one and it turns out that W went to high school with one of the organizers. W has also been getting involved in the DNA (Downtown Neighborhood Association) and in an effort to start bringing more people and new events to Downtown Eugene he has partnered with the Meet Your Maker gals to bring the event downtown for First Friday on October 3rd.

I'm really excited to be involved with this. It has been a dream of mine to get involved in the crafty community for years. I have so many great ideas for crafty cocktail hours, cool, indie craft supply stores, and non-tie-died handmade goods for our generation of diy-ers.

So anyway, I'm excited.
Check back for more as I get closer and closer to "C-Day"! I hope I make it...

*Post Script*
I've been meaning to post this also, but now that the election is nearer and nearer, here it is...

Crafters can support Obama by purchasing t-shirts and button from this CafePress Shop by Julieree with this ultra cool logo. She gives a certain portion of the proceeds to Obama!

Been gone awhile....

2008-09-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, summer has been busy. Work has been busy. Life has been busy. I've been concentrating on the condo more lately. I'm full of excuses I guess.

So, Here we are at the beginning of September. It already feels like fall here in the Northwest. We didn't have much of a summer this year. I love fall though and I'm hoping we have a really nice, long one.

I've got a lot of crafty ideas buzzing around in my little head. I'm working on a few projects for various relations. I will take pics as soon as I am done with them.

I guess that is all for now. Sorry, not so exciting these days.....

Embroidery Music Video!!!!!

2008-08-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Architecture in Helsinki

This is awesome!

Most recent projects

2008-08-19T10:33:00.001-07:00

Just a few things I've been doing. I have lots more to blog about, but I'm super busy these days at work. Stay tuned for more!

Long, hot summer

2008-08-13T09:42:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I just realized that it has been nearly a month since my last post....What have I been up to?
We'll not a lot really. We've had family visiting and work has been gearing up for our annual fall craziness, but other than that, not really much of anything.

The weather has been phenomenal! Low 80s and high 70s. But alas, all good things must come to an end. It is predicted to be in the upper 90s and may even hit 100 this week. Ugh. Our air-conditioner is out of commission until we can get an electrician to fix the plug, so that sucks even worse. I've got a pretty ingenious system of fans going, but it is hard to combat the heat when it gets this hot. Luckily we'll be at the coast this weekend.

Anyway, here are some of the things that are making me happy this summer! I can't get enough of them. I must be spending $40/week on berries alone this summer. I think all that wet weather we had made them sweeter or something. They are out of this world.

I hope to have some more crafty things soon. I have been doing little projects here and there, but really want to concentrate on doing some new things soon.

Keep Cool!

Ain't these a kick in the pants?

2008-08-13T09:32:00.001-07:00

vintage iron ons for bell bottoms, originally uploaded by lucky lisp.

Here's a little something I found a couple of weeks ago at a vintage shop.
They are iron-ons for decorating your bell-bottoms!
They are really interesting. They are like big sheets of iron-on patch material--you know, the kind your mom used to use to patch your jeans or the elbows of jackets. They are totally flourescent in color and most totally groovy in design. My favorite detail is the bunny-rabbit sitting under the tree. Check out my Flickr account for pictures of the full pages.

Choices Choices Choices

2008-07-17T16:05:00.001-07:00

Curtian Choices
Originally uploaded by lucky lisp

I'm picking out curtains for the condo. I've narrowed it down to 6 fabrics from Urban Outfitters.

The top one I think is my final choice for the living room. I've been looking at it for awhile, and I just love the details.

The second is my number one pick for the second bedroom/office. I'm imagining it against blue walls. This color pallette is very influenced from Wes Anderson's last movie, The Darjeeling Limited, where the blues and oranges and greens of India were burned into my brain.

The third choice is my new favorite for the master bedroom.

The fourth and fifth choices are the same pattern but in different colors. I think I like the green best. This is my second choice for the master bedroom.

The sixth pattern is something I just can't let go. There is something about it that intrigues me. I could see using it in either of the bedrooms. Would it go with yellow walls? That is my other paint color choice for the office.

Oh, so many beautiful fabrics and only 3 rooms with curtains!
What do you guys think?

Hot Fun in the Sun

2008-07-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

We were away this weekend in my hometown, Redding , CA, to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. It was very hot there. While we were there we all drove up to Burney Falls for a picnic. It was a nice family weekend, although we did spend most of it in the car.

New Tea Towels at Aunt Martha's

2008-07-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Look! Aunt Martha's has new vintage style tea towels! And they are on sale too! I think they are pretty cute.

I should get into embroidering tea towels more.

Weekend Accomplishments

2008-07-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

We had a great Fourth Weekend. We stayed in on the night of the 4th cause we wanted to see if we could see the fireworks from our 8th story condo. And boy could we. Not only could we see Eugene's fireworks display down by the river, but we could also see about 6 other fireworks displays in surrounding little towns. It was really really cool. We tried to take pictures, but it is REALLY hard to take pictures of fireworks with a little point and shoot camera. These were the best ones.

Accomplished some, but not all of my list....

1. Strawberry freezer jam (finished last night)
2. 3 embroidered onesies for friends who have friends who are having babies (3/4 done on one, not started on the other two yet)
3. finish painting the hallway and touch up areas (finished this one as I was writing this)
4. buy a drill and wall shelves and hang them in living room (nope)
5. buy white trim paint--start trim painting (nope)
6. buy chalkboard paint--paint cupboard doors (nope)
7. attend friend's art opening (tried, but she was not there...)
8. attend friends' concert (flaked)
9. prepare finished onesies for consignment (nope)
10. misc. craft project--candle holders, frame posters, friends' wedding present, etc. (nope)
11. get car tuned up and ready for CA trip next weekend (done)
12. blog new crafting projects (nope)

Here are some other things I did accomplish this weekend:
1. Got started on 3 embroidered onesies

2. Went thrift shopping with my friend and got this beautiful embroidered pillow cover and several cute embroidery patterns

3. I bought this awesome retro floor lamp at Target

4. I used some of my new Hambly Hand Silk Screened Rub-ons to decorate some vases (more to come in another blog soon)

5. and I swear my tomatoes grew like 3 inches

All in all, not a bad weekend.
Hope yours was productive too!

Summer Days...but Ahhh Oh Those Summer Nights....

2008-07-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here in the Northwest. And when I say finally, I mean FINALLY! Up until a couple of weeks ago, it was still grey, cool, and rainy here. Heck it was still snowing in the mountains at the beginning of June, and there is still snow in many of the campgrounds this weekend. So, sun and 80 and 90 degree weather feels great to me!

But with summer comes an urge to do everything under the sun and then some. I don't know if it is the extra hours of light or the warm weather or what, but I always feel like I'm running at full speed during the summer with a project list 5 miles long.

So, here is what I hope to accomplish on my 4 day weekend this week.
1. Strawberry freezer jam
2. 3 embroidered onesies for friends who have friends who are having babies
3. finish painting the hallway and touch up areas (finished this one as I was writing this)
4. buy a drill and wall shelves and hang them in living room
5. buy white trim paint--start trim painting
6. buy chalkboard paint--paint cupboard doors
7. attend friend's art opening
8. attend friends' concert
9. prepare finished onesies for consignment
10. misc. craft project--candle holders, frame posters, friends' wedding present, etc.
11. get car tuned up and ready for CA trip next weekend
12. blog new crafting projects

It's a long list....tune in to see what gets done...if anything...

In other summer news...Farmers market is in full bloom 3 days a week and I'm loving it! I've got a serious fresh vegetable addiction....

Also, I'm growing cherry tomatoes in my Aerogarden now! I can't wait to have fresh tomatoes on my kitchen counter. How cool is that?

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Another Find...

2008-07-02T06:51:00.001-07:00

This time Flickr helped me find this one....another embroidery pattern site that I didn't know about before...

So many patterns, so little embroidery time...

I've got a few little projects going on that I hope to have pictures of very soon! Happy Hump Day!

Google suggests....

2008-06-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Look what Gmail just suggested for me....pretty good suggestion.

How does it know me so well?

A little creepy if you think about it.... :)

****update****
I just picked out the first patterns I want to get from this site!!!!

Feeling Stitchy Banner Contest

2008-06-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

So, I finished my entry into the Feeling Stitchy Banner Contest.

I think it turned out ok. I have been obsessing with my vintage flashcards lately, so I fashioned the banner after one of them. I was hoping the flowered background on the fabric wouldn't show up so much when I scanned it, but oh well. I am going to try and take better pictures of it later tonight or tomorrow morning when the light is good.

Anyway, I'm mostly proud of myself for accomplishing something within a deadline. I've had trouble sticking to commitments lately, so finishing this in time made me smile.

I'm loving all the other entries too! Everyone is so clever, and what beautiful stitching as well! Good luck everyone! Thanks to Floresita for organizing the contest too! I love that we can interact with one another like this! :)

Grand Opening!

2008-06-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!!! Pimp Stitch is open for business! I know where my paycheck is going this week :)

Summer has started....FINALLY!!!!

2008-06-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

As those of you who live in the Northwest know, We had the LONGEST, FLIPPING Winter EVER!!! It was cold and snowing through Memorial Day weekend. It has been grey and cloudy for months and months. Our flowers and gardens and fruit trees were utterly stalled by the cool weather (so much so that our local CSA farm says that tree fruit does not look good this year). But FINALLY, FINALLY, the sun is poking its shy little face out from behind those grey clouds, and we are seeing the light once again.

Thank you sun for finally coming out. I missed you so.....

To coincide with the beginning of summer, we are on our first of many weekend trips with family. This weekend we are in Ashland with W's mom and her husband. We go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every year with them and it is truly a fun experience. Ashland is a great little town with lots of character and lots of culture. The plays are fantastic and the restaurants even better. We always stay in this quaint little hotel up above the shops on Main Street, the Columbia. Right next to the hotel is this awesome little shop called Prize that is a wonderful blend of vintage and new. It has a totally unique style that I wish I could emulate. Lithia Park is beautiful and a great place for an early morning walk where you might run into deer and other wildlife. We saw a great play and even had time to take in the Sex and the City movie in the evening.

At Prize, I poured over all the vintage flashcards, posters, and other educational ephemera the owners have collected and decided to get some for myself.

I got these small flashcards thinking I would use the images as embroidery patterns first and then find some kind of other project to do with them. Here are three that I picked up.

Then I got these larger posters to frame and decorate our kitchen with. I think they are so cool.

I have some more of the smaller flashcards that I'll share with you later.

All in all a great weekend and glad to be home now. :)

Lost Fans?

2008-06-12T10:25:00.001-07:00

Lost numbers tshirt for 12 month old
Originally uploaded by lucky lisp

W and I are totally hooked on Lost. We've been watching it on DVD, so we are not caught up with the 4th season yet (DON'T GIVE ME ANY SPOILERS), but we are going to try and catch up over the summer if they rerun it so we can watch the 5th season with everyone else.

I made this for some friends who are also Lost fans. They commissioned it for their own friend's little one. I think it turned out pretty well. Was pretty easy to do once I found the right font.

I think I might do a whole series of t-shirts for tv junkies.
Anyone into Battle Star Galactica (another show we are watching on DVD--only on the 2nd season so far though)? How about a t-shirt that says "I'm Frackin' Cute" or "Cutest Cylon Ever"?

What other tv shows would make good t-shirts?

Mini Moo

2008-06-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Lookie, Lookie what I got in the mail today. My little minicards from Moo came!
I have a million ideas for what I could do with these minicards from Moo, but I started with just making some little tags for my embroidery goods on ETSY. I'm very pleased. They are just so cute.

Next I want to make some with some pictures on them.
I also want to try out the stickers. I think my little nephews would get a kick out of a sticker book where the stickers are all pictures of our family members.

More Free Goodies from Pimp Stitch

2008-06-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Another cutie pie embroidery pattern form Pimp Stitch in anticipation of their website launch at the end of June... I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

I'm super excited to have another source for new, modern, hip embroidery patterns. As much as love my vintage ones, modernizing embroidery has been a life long dream of mine. And with the awesome new designers out there embracing embroidery, it is finally coming true!!!! Speaking for those of us who like to embroidery, but can't draw, We Salute You! :)