every little thing

Chow Chow

 

I was thinking that my blog is kinda drab these days. Stale.  Boring.  While pondering the ways I could drum up some action over here, I couldn't help noticing that other bloggers seem to really respond favorably to photos and posts about family pets.  (People like adorable animals, go figure?)  Since we don't really have a live-in pet a the moment (Sydney is still on loan to my brother,) Charlie is the closest living pet relative we have.  We adopted him 10-ish years ago, when we lived in Idaho.  He lived in California also, before settling here on the East Coast, staying briefly with Mike and I in our first apartment and finally settling in with my mom.   I guess their isn't much to say about him really, except that he's awesome.  And I saved him from the terrible fate of being named "Peanut Butter" by my little sister.  It took a while, but once I had everyone calling him "Charlie," she eventually gave up.  Now we sometimes call him Chow Chow, or even just "Chow."  Not sure why.  Anyway, feast your eyes on the preciously adorable kittyness.

Ahh.  Now to sit back and watch my blog stats skyrocket...

Summer Lovin'

 

No Friday's Hero post today, sorry.  I had one in mind, but  then I found myself completely distracted by the ENORMOUS number of yard and estate sales that are on for this weekend!  Hot dog!  It's finally open season!  I like to use the online classifieds to scope out the sales in advance, you locals can find it here.  Just use the drop-down menu to select a city, but don't forget to check out the Estate Sales, too.  Of course, if you may want to cross-reference this with your Saturday paper, too (God forbid you miss a single sale!)  If all goes well, I should have some exiting finds to post about on Monday.

So what do the photos of trashy, romance novels have to do with all of this (you may be asking yourself)?  Well, I can't really explain that right now because I broke my serger a few weeks ago. I know, I was so pissed.  But, there a two things that give me hope: A.  I saw the piece that broke off, so it looks like the repair should be pretty simple, and B:  the repairman said the machine is worth $600 and I paid only $90 for it (sweet.)  The fact that it is still in the shop going on 2 weeks now is dampening my spirits a little, but I'm trying not to worry.  You see, I have this great project I want to start that involves these juicy paperbacks, and I need the serger to make it all happen.  Are you intrigued yet?  Too bad, you'll just have to wait.

Here's to a steamy and tawdry weekend, everyone!

Love (and other indoor sports,)
~Amanda

Sea & Garden

Friday was beautiful , so we went to the beach.  We played baseball, and read books and swam (just a little, brrrr!)  The construction work on the new pier brought to the surface large lumps of beautiful, smooth clay.  (We think it was clay....it looked  and smelled like clay.)  Not brave enough to slather it on our faces as a beauty mask, but perfect for making pinch-pots and shell "fossils."

Fun, and educational and free.  Ah, nature, how we adore you.  You even provide us with confetti, in the form of old roses ready for dead-heading. 

   

Hope you all had a peaceful weekend, too~

 

It's a Zoo Around Here

Even the meercat was looking at me like, "What are you doing here?  Don't you have a craft show this Sunday?!?"  Seriously though, it was a lovely afternoon at the zoo today.  I made a promise/mission statement this year that I would not let my work+business stuff dominate my life, even when it's 'crunch time', like the week before a craft show, and add to that a surprising flurry of business at both my vintage and supply shop these last few day, too.  I am always grateful (and often even amazed) that I sell anything at all, but keeping perspective can be hard.  My instinct is to pack every order immediately, list more items, research for new products, make new handmade things, etc.  But, as the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And it is very true.  Finding that elusive balance that everyone talks about seems like a pipe dream most of the time, but I have to keep trying, right?

We thought it very strange that the peacock was just hanging out in rafters of the barn area like that, but I guess they are allowed to just roam about the zoo on their own, because later we saw this same bird wandering into the Men's Room next to the reptile gallery.

If you haven't guessed already, this is turning into the obligatory - I'm too busy to blog this week so here I am blogging about how I'm too busy to be blogging - blog post. I'll be back soon though, I promise.  This Friday's Hero post will be replaced with a Friend-of-the-Blog coupon for the Bada-Bing in Richmond this Sunday.  So if you're local, planning on going to the show, and you like free stuff, you may want to check back here Friday!

Bye for now.

 

Stuck in the middle with you

Long time, no post.  Sorry about that.  Things are moving along nicely around here, and I feel like I have lots of stories to tell, but none of them are complete yet.  I have lots of beginnings, even a few middles, but no endings.  Ah, this sounds like it's headed for a metaphor, but don't worry, I'll derail before we hit that station!  I hate to leave you all with just a bunch of teasers (I'm such an impatient person myself and it drives me bonkers to be left hanging.)  Let's just say, that my sister is stumbling along a little adventure of her own, that I'm excited to be observing, and may even involve a little expedition to the Big Apple soon, to help formulate the ending.  Have I peaked your interest?  Let me just tell you this, fellow thrfiters and junk pile diggers:  Keep your eyes open!  You never know what you may find out there, lost treasures are all around us. 

Oh, and the photo up there.  I made the cupcake pin cushion a few months ago from the Betz White tutorial that she did for the Martha Stewart Show last year.  The cheeky cupcake pick?  It's part of a line of handmade decorations I'm developing for the  Emporium.  I've been working on them for ages now, and the ending is in sight ( I think.)  I was going for a "Alice in Wonderland" feel when I made this one,  but you could interpret the message any way you like ;)

All the Rage

*First, I have to take a little side-bar here and do a "Thank You" speech.  I don't know what most people would consider "success" in the small on line business world.  I'm not sure how the little shops I run in my corner of the Internet would rate in the big scheme of things.  I do know though, that when I'm packing orders, and seeing the same names and familiar people over and over....it's very humbling.  So many repeat customers, I can hardly believe it.  Thank you.  I'm so grateful to able to do this, I can't really express it in words.  Being at home, doing something on my own and not completely failing at it.   Pretty amazing.  I also realize that a lot of my customers probably don't read my blog, so I have been brainstorming some special "thank you" gifts to add to outgoing orders.  I have some pretty good ideas, hopefully I'll have them ready in a few weeks. 

Alright, enough of the sap.  On to some photos of recent completed (or almost completed) projects:

I found a very pretty, vintage book with loads of flower illustrations, perfect for card and tag making.

 

Why not?  Everyone else is doing it.   I still think the circles should be a bit closer together, but when I do that they just look too cluttered to me.  Also, this picture isn't very good, you can't really see the scale of the space (the room has very tall ceilings.)

I've been saving that vintage pom pom trim just for these pillows.  Can you see that the curtains above are polka dotted?  I'm quite happy how this all turned out.  I assume that you are supposed to sew the band of trim inside the seam, but I liked it better having it on the outside, I thought it was more visually appealing.  (and they are my pillows, so I can make  them however I want, so there.)

Not even March yet and I'm already talking garden.  I can't help it, I'm so ready to get my hands in the dirt this year.  My 2006 garden was fabulous.  Last year?  Let's just say that I'm not the best multitasker.  I was completely over-scheduled with my business stuff, and the garden was severely neglected.  I don't think you could even call it a garden, it was more of a wildlife refuge.  NOT THIS YEAR.  And I'll say it again, NOT THIS YEAR!  I missed it so much, I can't let that happen again.  Mike made me these super neato cold frames out of old, salvaged windows we found on the side of the road.  Guess what's going in there in a few weeks?  Spinach and lettuce.  Oh yeah.  Maybe a few radishes, just because.   I can't wait.

Max is feeling much better this week.  I'm almost caught up with the laundry.  It will be Yard Sale season again soon.  Tom Petty is touring this Summer.

Things are looking up.

a small kitchen, more carbs, and some chemistry

Ok, so I'm sort of over the thrifted curtain in my kitchen window.  It just doesn't go in there, never really did.  The kitchen and cabinets are all white, white, white.  I think the curtain needs a lot more charm and color.  I must add that to my to-do/to-make list.  Did I mention that I have the smallest kitchen ever?  I like to whine about it sometimes.  Wha wha, poor me.   But, look at the sweet little valentine banner that totally makes up for it!!  Super-cuteness from the NICE shop.  Love it so, and Caitlin is such a doll-face.

Not a lot to report on this fine, sunny day today.   Feels like full-on Spring out there, a balmy 65 degrees at least, and I'm finding that to be terribly distracting.  Oh, I did make more pretzels last night, and thanks to my kitchen aid dough attachment, they were the best ever.

A double batch, and they're all gone.  I did take a bunch over to the Craft Mafia meeting last night, and that was lots of fun as always.  Plenty of ho-hum stuff for me to do today; bank, post office, laundry.  I get to put the laundry outside on the line though, and that makes the chore just a bit more tolerable. 

And, here is a small sneak-peek of the spring-easter lovelies I am getting together for the Emporium:

Yes, I finally have the  fluted, scallopy baking cups that are so dreamy, and I'm also very happy with the packaging I found for the sanding sugar.  They are almost like little  plastic test-tubes (and yes, I know the label pictured  has the wrong color on it...it's just a test-run.)  If all goes well, I should have these goodies up and running by Wednesday, at the latest.  I know, I'm pushing Easter and V-Day isn't even here yet, but I'm trying to plan ahead, keep up....it's not easy.   You gotta play the game (at least, that's what they tell me.)

It's Monday!  (We can make, just think positive.)

   

Another Weekend Adventure

I finally admitted  that I lost our rechargeable battery charger and bought a new one,  so there will be more pictures and postings soon!  I'm still playing catch-up with the orders from the  Emporium Valentine's update,  and I'm almost done.    Thanks so much for all the miniature-love!    

Current  background noise  while packing orders?  Law and Order reruns.  How long has that show been totally awesome?!?  Wow.  I could so be an SVU investigator, (ha ha, yeah right.)   

Misadventure

There were no apples left, so we picked muscadine grapes instead.

   

After all, we had gotten all dressed up.

And it was a beautiful day.

And muscadines are so very delicious.

Who needs apples, anyway?

Amazing Old Movie Alert, *Part Deux

This is most definitely one of those movies that will make you say, "Why do I even bother watching modern movies anymore?"   I stumbled upon this one on Netflix this week, and I have to stress, I am NOT paid to sponsor Netflix, I SWEAR!  I just really love them so much and they have changed the way I watch movies.  This particular movie is on their "instant view" list, so if you are a netflix member you can go watch it on your computer right-this-very-second.  Who doesn't love that kind of instant gratification? 

I am so very deeply in love with this movie right now.  I could watch it over and over.  Apparently, it's an MGM classic, but I had never heard of it before.  I don't want to describe the plot for fear of ruining the story, but I think I could really recommend it to just about anyone who is into old movies.  Leslie Caron is so gorgeous, and is just  absolutely perfect for the role of a young orphan who is adopted by a traveling carnival.  The male romantic leads are equally dashing, and there is even a small, supporting role played by the fantastic Zsa Zsa Gabor.   

Here is a small clip I found over at the youtube, but please note:  the clip is a tad misleading, as this movie is NOT a musical, by any means.  (There are two choreographed dream sequences, but that's it.  Not that I have anything against musicals, I'm just sayin'....)

   

Did you detect the hint of excitement and wanting in the yound puppeteers eyes at the end of this scene?  But, what about Lili's childish attachment to Marcus the Magician and confirmed playboy?!  Ah, my friends, you shall have to see the movie for yourselves to learn the fate of poor Lili! 

Ok, I'm going to pack orders and watch this movie again, (sigh!)   Hopefully my instant viewing minutes don't run out!   Happy Thursday everyone, and thank you so much for all the great comments and congratulations on my HUGE TV debut...haha.  I love you guys.