magazine monday: christmas ideas, 2010

this is one of the bazillion

special editions that
better homes & gardens
does during the year...

often they are kind-of
hit & miss for ideas
but this one is bursting with sweet stuff...

a lot of them use ordinary craft items to
make super cute things...

popsicle sticks:

felt...

repurposed sweaters...
(the stockings)

a screen door...
(sooooo cute)

shoes as goodie bags
& old fashioned cross stitch...

buttons, yarn & more felt...
(obviously inspired by the incomparable princess lasertron :)

pipe cleaners...

& a little more felt...


& my favorite:
clay...

sculpey is on sale at jo-ann's this week
i'm going to stock up so we can
have a snowman making party in november...
i just love these wee sweeties :)

time to get started on holiday projects...
it's the most wonderful time of the year
:)

curlie girlie...

so
i was waiting to tell you about my new job
(new within the last 6 months)
i just wanted to be sure that it was going to stick
(& hopefully i haven't jinxed it now...)

this new fun job is that
i get to write blog entries for different companies...
it's very fun :)
the company i write for the most is
ouidad, which makes hair products for curly haired girls & guys
(hello! perfect for me :)

my latest assignment was to do an entry
about a celebrity who has curly hair
(my choice!)

do you need three guesses?
how about a hint?
or just a picture of who it actually is...

so the focus was on 'glee'
& the main curls on the show come from mr. shue, of course...

the title of the post is
"Don't Stop Believing" in Ouidad's Power To Make Curly Hair Beautiful'
the whole thing is on their blog now
& i'm pretty excited about it!

my other entries have been fun to do, too
(scarlet johansson in iron man 2 & taylor swift, among others)
but this one was the closest to my heart
so i wanted to share <3

ps first picture is a lamp!
love it.
perfect for a salon :)

pps & if you're in the market for curly hair products
check out ouidad!
(i don't get a commission if you do order
just the satisfaction of knowing that i helped you find
something for your curls :)

magazine monday: small, autumn 2010

cool & cute...

small is an awesome online magazine

their photo shoots are so fun

they highlight different artists

(loooove the 'heart hair' on the right!)


& do lots of interviews

they have really adorable ads

(laura siebert photography)

(mama k's aromatic play clay)

their also do really cool shoots
(& not always super kiddie)

they put together great collections

& fun 'kid on the street' spreads

& the neat thing?
it's free!
sign up here for
a big dose of small style

(i just made that up...
i'm always available for tag line consultation :)

:)

a sense of wonder: september 2010

*taste*
caramel apple spice...



















it says fall to me :)

*smell*
the harvest scented candles
(& non-candles)
are out & burning
(or not burning)...

*sight*

watching: all the new episodes!

parenthood

gossip girl

modern family

apprentice

survivor
the amazing race
& of course

glee

reading:

an interview with gwenyth
in entertainment weekly
about her new movie where
she plays a guitar playing country singer:

How are your guitar skills now?
Can you hold your own on stage?
"Uh...you know. More or less.
My husband* says I'm better than Bono,
worse than the Edge."

uh...you know.
that's craaaaazy...
if i was answering that question it would go:
"My husband** says I'm better than
the kindergartners,
worse than the 4th graders"

* chris martin, the lead singer of coldplay
**brian, teacher of 5th graders

seeing:
people in summer clothes...
trying to get that one last wear before
the rain starts...

*touch/feel*

those crunchy leaves under my feet
(& in the car
& ground into the carpet)

*hearing*

music actually made in 2010...

(disclaimer:
the lyrics to these songs are not
exactly kid friendly....
or people-who-who-don't-like-
swearing-or-or-inappropriate-references-
in-their-music
friendly...
but if you're a swearing, inappropriate adult,
these are for you! :)

lady gaga
(thank you, glee)

eminiem
(thank you wendy & the vma's)




& that billionaire song that was on glee last week

(apparently the tv is now my radio)

***extra sense*****

(fashion sense, that is)

fall fashion!
i heart sweater weather...







i loooove this one
from faith21
(it's plus size, even...
imagine!)




anthropology has
so many cute sweaters
(big surprise :)
&
no plus sizes
(no surprise
but
(& i've talked to many girls about this)
if they did, they would sell like crazy!)










another
anthro...


&
this sweater dress is so great
(stinking target won't let me post a picture
even though i would totally link back to them)

viva sweater weather!

:)

sblog: the tools don't matter, the story does...

i used to scrapbook
oh, did i used to scrapbook
(you can see some of it here, if you're so inclined)
& i loved it
loved it so much
but
i haven't scrapbooked
in the literal 'paper & glue'
sense for a long time...

not because i don't like it
just because life goes in so many different directions
(usually all at once)
& right now
the road to traditional scrapbooking has a detour sign on it...
blogging has become my scrapbooking
memories
pictures
words
the only thing missing is the glue :)

one of my favorite modern day philosophers
stacy julian
is known for saying (in regards to scrapbooking):
'it all counts'**
everything you are writing down
no matter where you are writing (or typing) it,
everything & every way you are taking photos,
facebook,
twitter,
backs of envelopes...
it all counts!

i love what rachel briggs said on her blog:
I am expressing my version of events of my life.
(this entire post is really great)

just because i haven't sat down with my
supplies doesn't mean i don't have
things to say
things to remember
things to be excited about...

but within the blogging format
i have held myself back:
'i waited too long to post about going to the county fair
& now it's been three weeks...
it's too late to post about it!'
i put that on myself
& now i'm ready to break away from it...

stacy
(& many, many other scrapbookers)
also talks about the idea
that you don't need to scrapbook in chronological order...
a trip to the park with the kiddos last week one day
& my high school senior trip the next...
& when i scrapbooked
i was all about that...

& so decided to call what i'm doing a sblog
a combo of scrapbook & blog...
rules:
none
just tell whichever story i want to
whenever i want to...
i'm going to label it with the date the event happened
because that seems logical :)
but beyond that i'm just going to get my stories down

i'm super excited about this
because boy, do i have some stories!
triathalons
& parties
& that aforementioned fair...
things from this year
& things from years ago...

the tools don't matter, the story does...

i need this...
for my family
& for me...

rules?
what rules?

:)

** one of the places stacy has said this is
on the paperclipping roundtable podcast...
this podcast is so wonderful
even for a non-practicing scrapbooker such as myself...
love it!

:)

dream dresses...

it's my favorite color combo
(yellow & grey)!
& polka dots!
& great collar!
& fun tights!

i can totally see miss m

in the cute ruffles on the little girlie dress...
maybe with some leggings
we have some dress length rules around here...

my dress isn't in my size
or my budget...
but i like to
dream big dreams
(or small ones
if i want to fit into a dress such as this :)

dresses by princess lasertron
she's the one who does the awesome
button bouquets
that i would totally get if we had another wedding...


she has lots of other dresses
soooo cute!

:)

gleeking out...

one of my little mash-ups was featured in
a treasury on etsy...
so super cool!
& it's a glee treasury so double super cool!

it was compiled by the paper punch...
(which has adorable tags & cards, by the way)
thank you so much!

:)

the last night...

before school starts....

we had such a fun summer in our driveway...

Q & miss m looooove our neighbors...

so cute!

:)

magazine monday: schoolhouse & sparkles

country living, october 2010

this home
in an old schoolhouse!
oh, i loooove it!*
i love the idea of school so much...
actually going to school
not so much :)

that top picture is a bench made from an old pommel horse!
this is the sort of thing that makes me so happy...
who would think of that?
& of course it makes the perfect bench...
love it...

next shot...
i adore the giant blackboards on the walls...


check out the bedside table...

an old school desk!
so genius...
i love the idea of having
a little seat next to the bed...
not sure why you need one
but i love it...

check out this yellow, yellow YELLOW kitchen
i'm not that brave
but i always love to see a giant chalkboard
& this girl's dress is too cute...


this next house is just adorable
it's like 1000 square feet
& seems to me that every foot is too cool...
i love the grey walls
& check this kitchen island


the little bar on the side is part of a mantle
& that refrigerator!
gorgeous...

& my favorite!
this room in the basement...


it's a wine cellar/dining room!
i love how the wine bottles are displayed...
those boxes are awesome...

i love magazines so much!
they are little presents in my mailbox
& at barnes & noble
& costco
& sometimes i find
an old one under the bed
& it's a present all over again...

:)


*i have a secret dream of opening
a business in an old schoolhouse...
i have it all planned out in my head:
vintage class photos lining the walls,
collections of lunchboxes,
a cafe in the cafeteria,
a spa in the nurses office,
bookstore in the library...
anyone out there with the desire to fund my dream?
let me know...

;)

thanQ....

after a week of
'miss m touched my legos!'
& 'why do i have to do EVERYTHING?!'
& 'can i have another snack?'
& 'but i'm still hungry!'
& 'i'm going to run away!'

finding this on the refrigerator
was quite sweet...


i'm almost sad that school starts on tuesday...
almost.

:)

heart broken...

one of my very best friend's dad died yesterday
& i am so sad for her
& so heart broken
& so helpless
& so not-knowing-what-to-do for her

except i do know
because i remember
when my mom died...

so i will call her
& i will text her every day
& tell her i'm so sad for her
& that it's heart breaking
& 'how can i help?'
& 'what can i do for you?'
& 'he was such a great guy'
& 'i love you'
& i will not forget
& not say nothing...

because even though it was 13 years ago
i remember...

♥