the loveliest bloom

snowed in!

2008-12-09T09:31:00.001-08:00

today is a snow day for all the kiddies in the neighborhood, but for me too! my work is closed due to all the snow and dangerous driving. so today i plan on doing productive things like:

1. working on jill's christmas quilt
2. making pages for my december daily album
3. watching a cheery x-mas movie while doing said crafty things
4. remembering how wonderful yesterday was with scott :)
5. reading more "Chasing Harry Winston"

okay so i lied....i only plan on doing SOME productive things ;)

christmas to-do list

2008-12-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

finish quilt for jill for x-mas gift exchange
bake christmas cookies with mom
buy scott's x-mas gift
make felt star garland
make soft trees and/or sequined trees
repaint stackable snowman
wrap presents already purchased
send x-mas cards
stay on track with ali edwards december daily album
watch the family stone (for the 3rd time in a row) and elf to get into the x-mas spirit!

p.s-it's snowing here again today and it's the good kind that sticks to all the branches :)

16 random things about me

2008-11-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

1. i cannot live without diet dr pepper
2. i hate all flourescent lighting
3. i love getting my hair done-but don't want the stylists to talk to me..i need my "me" time to be quiet lol
4. i always have my toenails painted hot pink, orange or plum
5. i'm in love with autumn: pumpkins, corn mazes, changing leaves, and the return of scarf weather
6. i am obsessed with all things wedding related, and my bf knows this, and still loves me! (i call it research for my job lol!) *for those of you that don't know i sell wedding photography*
7. i call my puppy chloe pumpkin noodle....don't ask me why
8. i am disappointed in the presidential election results
9. i know every FRIENDS and Sex & the City episode by memory and often relate my own experiences in life to specific episodes (i mostly thank julie and my gamma phi pink ladies for this ability!)
10. i want to be a mom soon
11. if i could wear flip flops year round i would -sneakers suck
12. i used to tell people i hated sushi without ever trying it...turns out-i really like it :)
13. i have a hard time saying "i'm sorry"
14. i am incredibly stubborn
15. i love being a godmother
16. i am addicted to digital scrapbooking after years of being a "paper-only" kinda gal

if you want to play along, put your 16 random things in the comments section so we can all learn something new about you!

"i came home to a kitchen full of poo-water"

2008-10-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

LOL. has to be the funniest quote from grey's anatomy tonight. my schedule has been crazy busy and i've been making infinite calls and emails for the last 4 days and will most likely continue for the next week, but i'm glad that work has picked up again :)

i've been slacking on posting my book club reviews and recommendations and have finished the first of the twilight series. i'm hooked, but need more money to buy the rest of the series. it is such an interesting twist on the traditional love story and the author's descriptions are so amazing!

i've been doing a TON of digital scrapping lately, some old pictures, some new, using mostly ali edwards digital brushes, layouts but also a lot of great freebies i found on ikeagoddess' website. here's some of the new layouts:

i'm really looking forward to saturday afternoon....scott and i are *tentatively* planning on going on another fall festivities date: corn maze, pumpkin patch, gourds, baked pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin carving. he knows what a sucker i am for this season! i'm just keeping my fingers crossed that i don't get called in to work on saturday afternoon!

hope everyone has a nice weekend :)

some design work and a giveaway!

2008-09-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

just a few 8x8" layouts i did for some guest design work for the paper pixie next month using her awesome tags :) i also made a mini book as well, which i'll post soon.

today was such a lazy day. i'm away from scott for the weekend & it's strange as i've become so used to seeing him every day. first time i didn't get a goodnight kiss in months.

i spent the majority of my day creating my own {today you} book out of the ali edwards template which i LOVE. sometimes it's so nice to be able to put together an entire scrapbook in a day-i'll post pics of this once it's complete---i can't wait to print this!

prepare yourself for some mild excitement..............i went to best buy today to buy the memory card for the new camera i [know] that i am getting for christmas--a canon digital rebel xs!!! hello happiness :) like i said...MILD excitement. i am aware that it's only mid-september.

and NOW FOR THE EXCITING NEWS.......i would love to do a giveaway for my 50th post, so all you lurkers out there----it's time to speak up! this is my 47th post so it's happening soon, but details to follow!

have a happy sunday,time for me to read and fall asleep with a good book :)

happy, relaxed & rejuvenated

2008-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

my beautiful goddaughter eden. such a personality on this one. i recently edited these photos for a scrapbook i am making as a keepsake for her when she gets older. i just love the candid style photos you are able to capture with a child as your subject. i stumbled across this site and purchased these awesome ali edwards photoshop brushes. i can't wait til christmas when i get a nice digital slr for better pictures for scrapbooking and can purchase more fun elements from designer digitals!!!

finished up 2 more quilts but have yet to post them up in the shop. spent the day with the bf (he was off from work today) and painted our boards for the bag toss games we made for us and my parents. had such a wonderful relaxing and *fun* weekend up in door county with the family and bf. 3 solid hours of catch phrase and a sore tummy from laughing so hard, beautiful weather and lots and lots of memories.

i wish there was more summer left so i could go back up and enjoy the cottage again.

definitely next summer.

shop update!

2008-09-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

hi hi hi :)

just finished a BIG shop update: new rag quilts, and LOTS of fun throw pillows, plus more to come over the next few days. let's just say i was VERY busy sewing during the olympics!

anyways, thought i'd give you a sneak peek, but if you want more pics or info, head on over to my shop!

i was up suuuuuuppper late last night (think 2:30am) editing some pictures of my goddaughter eden (the cutie patootie pictured above) for a scrapbook i am making. pictures coming soon!

easy mini purse album

2008-08-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

i promised to follow-up with the images of my creation a few weeks ago and i have really been slacking. so i totally lifted this idea from HERE and i am so thrilled with the way the finished product turned out, and i LOOOOOVE having it handy when people ask to see pictures, it's so cute and tiny :)

one of my favorite pages below: used majority love, elsie daisy line (the one about pets)

so much has happened since i last wrote....i went camping (for the FIRST TIME!!!) for a weekend in the upper peninsula of michigan for what our friends dub "powell fest" and i had a blast! right on lake superior, beautiful views, yummy grilled corn and lots of cornhole and laughter :) and chloe loved it too! she was dirty as heck when we left...her white coat tinted an orangey-red from the iron deposits. the trip back was fun too-TONS of antique stores and flea markets with some super cool finds, but no room in the suv to fit it :(

making another addition to lisa's book club is dan brown's angels and demons. while i will admit, this book was a slow-mover in the beginning 150 pages or so (which usually IRKS me big time) i have to see it was *completely* worth it. this book totally took me by surprise (which i LOVE) more than once. if you read the davinci code and thought THAT was good, this is BETTER. BY A LANDSLIDE. so go read it!

anyone have a favorite summer read or just a great recommendation??

so many things to be excited about!

2008-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

WOW. i just keep thinking it while i drool over this gal's new online store. and i just spent almost $200 on her new fabrics. yikes! but seriously, you must check it out, be you a sewer, quilter or scrapbooker, she's got something for everyone! and her store is just beautiful.

my grandma comes home today from boston! she's been gone for 2 months and i'm used to seeing her once a week, so i am excited to give her a big hug and hear all about her trip. oh yea...she's 82!

this upcoming weekend, scott and i are going camping with gobs of friends and it will be my first camping trip.....EVER. i am nervous, excited and and anxious all at the same time, but i think it will be a lot of fun-and we're taking chloe!!!

i made a cute purse scrapbook last week, got the idea from here. i highly recommend that everyone make one, it only took me an hour or so to print all the pictures and put it all together and the book only cost $3 from target! i'll post my version tomorrow once i take pictures.

today i had a short lil gmail chat with this gal-and she told me the package of goodies i won in her giveaway is on it's way to wisconsin from canada! yippee! LA is so sweet :)

and lastly, i am anxiously awaiting the opening of rachel's new vintage/flea finds shop. she has such a great eye for this stuff!

a recent etsy purchase from elsie:

happy monday everyone :)

things i love

2008-07-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

i had so much fun making this, thanks for the link LA :) click to enlarge

4th of July weekend wrap-up

2008-07-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

our holiday weekend was jam-packed full of activities and fun, first we went to summerfest (again) but this time just walk around the shop vendors and eat yummy food and listen to music. and i had my first charicature done! scott and i did it together and it turned out SO good!! the picture below you can see my face is already done and scott is getting drawn. i'll post the whole drawing tomorrow for laughs :)

then we went with scott's relatives to the germantown parade and we took chloe and she did so well, we even took a little family portrait :) after two days of activity, bbqs, fireworks and too many roasted cashews, we were exhausted!

and this is the finished wedding quilt i made for our friends who were married in may...i thought it was about time i posted it, you can see the beginning stages of the quilt here:

happy tuesday everyone :)

lisa's book club...

2008-07-02T13:26:00.001-07:00

okay i know i stole that from oprah, but i couldn't think of anything original.

i love reading. getting lost in a book with my wild imagination and vivid imagery can hardly beat much else (well you know BESIDES sewing and scrapping) but still, one of my great loves.

throughout the summer, i will inevitably get a LOT of reading done, so why not share with you my great reads and hopefully we can have a little book chat :)

a great suspenseful, murder, detective, who-dunnit book that i finished this morning was:

this book was fantastic. ESPECIALLY the 2nd half, i couldn't stop turning pages, i had to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next (i love books that can evoke this!!) to the point where i promised scott i would stop reading at the bottom of the page and 4 pages later (lol) he is like, "i know you didnt just flip ANOTHER page!!!" haha...we had to be somewhere and i just kept reading, he isn't an angry person or anything :)

so enjoy if you decide to take me up on my book recommendation, and i'm open to book recommendations too!

what's your favorite summer read (past or present) ???

M.I.A

2008-07-01T08:15:00.001-07:00

i have been soo M.I.A. recently but have plans to change that! i had the best day yesterday for so many reasons -which is awesome because the day before was a bummer :( but the icing on the cake was winning this gal's 2 year blog-aversary giveaway! i had a meeting last night at starbucks and afterwards i was checking my email and thought i'd see if LA had drawn the winner yet, so i put my earphones in my laptop (they always play the music REALLY loud at night so you can't hear) and what do you know?!?! she pulled my name!

totally.made.my.day.

i've been sewing again, i'm half way through a crib quilt which will be a beauty once it's finished, and i am aching to scrapboook soon, i have so many ideas that i want to create!!

and to be random, some of my recent favorite pics:

lol-my 23rd birthday party, you had to be there!

scott & i at a friend's wedding

my new favorite wedding pic from work!

arizona.

2008-06-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

arizona was absolutely beautiful.
my flight home was cancelled due to the freak flash flooding WI was experiencing.
i met up with a favorite friend of my mine from many years ago who moved away.
and laughed. A LOT.
i tried sushi...and i LOVED it.
went to the funniest karaoke bar EVER.
i saw the grand canyon for the first time.
i looked for elk for over 40 miles. no luck. maybe next time.
scott and i are seriously thinking about packing up and moving there next spring.
arizona pictures to come!

i love this day.

2008-05-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

i love this day.
today i turned 23.

and i actually *feel* like i got older.

i still get as excited as i did when i was a little kid for this day each year.

for some reason, my birthday is a BIG deal.
and i woke up to an absolutely beautiful day...70 degrees, sunshine, and a blossoming tree outside my window.

i got myself a few things (as a gift to myself...lol!) like this and this and am SO inspired!!

the table and chairs are finally finished and i have to pat myself on the back for how great the set turned out:

chloe had her surgery on wednesday for bob barker's sake, and though she was hurtin real bad when we first brought her home, she is back to her old self, trying to run and play against doctor's orders. she fills my heart with so much joy.

stopped by the fabric store to pick up more fabric since i ran out of it yesterday while working on the wedding quilt i posted about a while back. on my way home i drove past this OLD farm that i pass almost everyday on my way to scott's. it looks desserted, never any animals or people, the barn is run down and there are old tires in the fields, but today as i was coming up the hill, it took my breath away when i saw this:

so you see...i love this day.

scott has planned an "old school" birthday party for me tonight. Dinner just the two of us, then joining all our friends at the bowling alley for an old fashioned grade school bowling birthday party (only there will be beer involved). it will be fantastic and i can't wait. he is so wonderful to me.

i'm off to enjoy the sunshine :)

i'm out of hiding...

2008-05-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

i know i've been m.i.a. lately, but for good reason! work has been busy with peak wedding season now in swing so i've been meeting with lots of brides and super awesome couples. i truly love my job.

i've also been busy with random projects (if i have an ounce of free time) and lots of family events (arrival of baby eden from china, the baptism of my goddaughter, friends in from green bay, and a brewers game squeezed into the mix).

i've been slowly working on refinishing an antique kitchen table and chairs and taking something really horrid and dated and turning into a cheerful modern dining set. here is what it looked like before

and now....

i stained the table a dark walnut and painted the chairs a fabulous paprika and am *in love* with how they turned out. i did recover the hideous seats with a fun imperfect bright stripe fabric with mustard yellows and plum colors but forgot to take a picture! once the table is sealed i will take a final picture of the whole set together and finished. but waaaay better than the original, right?!

i also wanted to recommend a book that i think everyone should read as it continually blows me away. i am about 100 pages from the end and i keep thinking about how sad i will be when i finish it! (i know, strange) the author of this book captures what it is to be a female growing up so well it's hard to believe it's written by a man!!!

well, off to continue working on my numerous unfinished projects (wedding quilt, work stuff, staining table legs and poly-ing entire table)! i think i might need to create myself a list and get things done this weekend LA-style!

how i know you love me

2008-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

sometimes it's the littlest things that make me realize how much you really do love me.

you gave me my own internet hook-up at your new townhouse because you know how ocd i am about checking my email for work ( i work from home)
you think i'm still the most beautiful girl without makeup on and in your sweats
you always kiss me goodnight
you love my family
you gave me my own nightstand! complete with tiny dish to hold my earrings, bobbypins,etc.
you let me try new recipes out for you (so far they've all been good!)

just a few things that remind me of how lucky i really am to have found you.

an additional note: i had "The View" on in the background this morning while on my computer and Sarah Jessica Parker was the guest and she said something i've said myself. everyone should date the wrong people and appreciate the heartbreak because it only makes you appreciate and realize when you've found that one person you'd like to spend the better part of your life with. this is so true with scott and i. we met a year before we started dating and i dated a few people during that time and though they were some of the *worst* relationships i've ever been in, it makes me realize that i needed those bad relationships to make me see how wonderful a good man can really be. i continually remind myself how lucky i am to have scott.

what are some of the silly little reasons that make you realize how much someone loves you, or vice versa?

the brewers are back!

2008-04-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

baseball season is in full swing again and scott and i celebrated by attending the brewers opening day game last friday and what a game indeed!! here's a cute pic i snapped of us as the game wrapped up. Notice the sweet sausage race hat that scott gave me :)

I also used the remainder of my saturday night to work on the final pages of my mini-book about scott and me. i love how this turned out...and i'm glad i eased myself back into scrapbooking with something small, not nearly as intimidating. here are the final pages to the book-still need to decorate the outside of the album though.....

i've taken up a new project to work on now that it's spring (or possibly an overload of late nights and hgtv)-refinishing an old kitchen table and chairs (4) and bring them back to life in a super cute and fun way! my inspiration comes a la' "FRIENDS"-my favorite show, my brother laughs at me because he knows whenever he visits there will be a dvd of friends playing somewhere in the house. but back to the subject! i plan on sanding the table and staining in a dark brown, and then painting the chairs a color-i'm thinking cranberry and reupholstering the fabrics in a really great dahlia upholstery fabric with great mustards and burnt orange flowers i saw at my local craft store. i'll try to remember to take before pics so you all can be amazed at the finished product lol!

it's raining horribly here today...rain makes me restless...tomorrow is predicted to be sunny...i could use some sunshine to snap me out of my blahs. it's late. must rest. need to save up my energy for table sanding tomorrow :)

i heart fabric

2008-03-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

i logged some late night hours into "the sweatshop" last night, but i had no other choice....i find it really hard to tap into my creative flow during daylight! does anyone else feel that way??? or does the cheese stand alone? i've got tons of fabrics coming in, all of which are slowly enveloping the chair that they currently reside on, loads of unfinished projects, and new projects, so it seemed inevitable that i was going to be down there all night. let's just say i went to sleep when the sun was coming up and kids were getting on the school bus! lol...so i thought i'd share some of the fruits of my labor BUT blogger is being weird and not letting me upload my pics, so those will come when i'm able to upload, but until then...

just a sampling of my growing fabric stash-it's like a giant candy dish for the creative mind :)

i can breathe again

2008-03-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

and what a relief! the worst part about being sick is not being able to breathe! after a very long 5 days of horrible cold, fevers, etc. i finally feel like myself again. work has been extremely busy-this week i have 11 meetings! yowza...hopefully all sales too! i really wanted to use this past weekend to work on new things for my etsy shop and to start preparing for craft shows this summer, but my cold wore me down so i didn't get much done. i will be shipping these yummy custom order pillow covers out today to christine:
so much to do today, but already i just want to take a nap...

confirm meetings with brides
mail rsvp for andrea's wedding
troubleshoot computer session w/ san fran office
feel guilty (only for a moment!) for buying the entire new emma line from love, elsie
ship pillow orders from etsy (2)
quick cell phone chat w/ scott to see how packing is going-moving in 1 week & only 10 minutes from my house!!!! (way better than the hour presently)
meeting @ 6:00pm
hopefully have enough energy for sewing & scrapbooking fun!

see...i told you i should just take a nap....that list is tiring in itself! happy tuesday :)

back to my roots

2008-03-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

lol...after thinking, that title could easily be referring to the desperate need for a dye job! but alas, its referring to how great it felt to finally scrap again. it's been MONTHS! so i was feeling a bit intimidated, so i started small. i bought this cute maya road chipboard album to document me & scott's wonderful 8 months so far (truth be told-he wanted some scrapbook love!) using all my love,elsie goods i've been hoarding and some heidi swapp chipboard and queen &co sticky felt, i am loving the result. here's a few pages:

i got this all done in one night, before i came down with the nasty bug that's been floating around town. but the rest of time has been spent having coffee with brides and engaged couples talking wedding photography or sewing up these pretties for christina! i absolutely *loved* this fabric combination and will definitely use my scraps to their best potential, but i thought i'd share the love and let you all see the fruits of my labor :)

sorry for the semi-blurry picture! so what's everyone's plans for this weekend??? i'll be a busy gal this weekend and would love to live vicariously through your fun :)

just enjoying it while it lasts

2008-03-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

so i'll start this post by knocking on wood, but i've been having a great few weeks. things with my etsy shop are doing well, i've been working on a fun custom order for christina of 5 pillows, and am in the process of researching craft fairs for the summer where fellow etsian sassystitchdesign and myself will be sharing a booth! i am incredibly excited :) once the pillows are finished, i will definitely be working on stocking up the shop again...i've playfully coined my sewing space "the sweatshop" due to the ridiculously long periods of time i spend sewing into the wee hours of the morning....yet i love every minute of it.

i also have to tell you guys about a great etsy purchase i made recently from handgrown pottery, etsy seller lgbrinkley. i can't stop gushing over this adorable lil dish. the colors and texture are so incredibly earthy and it's a perfect place to put your rings or earrings before bedtime. i'm actually most excited to use it for my wedding rings once i get married because it's the *perfect* size! (lol...clearly i get excited easily!) check out her shop-her stuff rocks! i'm thinking mother's day is right around the corner.... :)

(image courtesy of lgbrinkley)

the new job is working out great! i really believe in this company and everything it has to offer and it's a great way for me to get into the wedding industry. i've been a *very* busy girl.

i thought i'd leave you with a few pictures from this weekend's bowling night, and a recent picture of my lovely westie pup chloe-she's gotten 2 lbs bigger and a *lot* shaggier :) such a sweetheart....hope everyone has a great day!

super*productive

2008-02-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

last night i spent 8 hours straight in a my craft space (it's nowhere near a studio...just a giant table with complete with sewing machine, cutting mat and *loads* of fabric stacked on the back of the couch with a great view of the tv where dreamgirls has been playing straight for like 2 weeks---it's the best music to sing to while sewing and crafting!) anyhoo....sewed til 4am yesterday morning and made 4 pillows, another pillow top, and am half finished with a quilt top. WHICH MEANS....lots of new pretties added to my etsy shop! yay! my goodies will also be featured in the etsy main showcase today which i am really excited about :)

in other great news...i am off to chicago this weekend for training for my new job! i will be working as a wedding photography consultant and i am *very* excited to be working in this industry.

valentine's day was awesome...scott made me this amazing photo montage dvd to music of our entire 7 months together and then we went out to this great authentic mexican restaurant for dinner and an amazing traditional mexican band. i also made scott's gift and made him a banana cream pie, his favorite which we had after we saw definitely, maybe (cute, but long). overall, a really *lovely* holiday.

i'll leave you with some new pretties!
*SOLD* kaleidoscope pom pom throw quilt

*SOLD* ultra mod quilted patchwork pillow

raspberry lemon quilted pillow

*SOLD*pink birdie quilted pillow

summer vacation quilted pillow

i love them as a grouping :)

and quilted patchwork greeting cards

it's been a while

2008-01-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

i know it's been a while since i've posted last, but things have been pretty busy. lots of interviews, helping scott take care of the puppy over at his house as much as possible, and spending lots of time quilting. but i've made 3 quilts in the last month and have another big denyse schmidt quilt top (stay tuned of for the finished product) all assembled and sewn up just waiting for the backing/batting. so here's a lil taste of what i've been creating...as always, available for purchase in my shop!

i've been a busy little bee lately...

2008-01-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

now that the holidays are over and i've been able to recuperate, i've been hard at work making new things for my shop! for starters, my parents gave me this *fantastic* gift to make sewing just that much more fun:

and look at what yummy things i've been able to whip up since! all items are for sale HERE.

patchwork log cabin pillow made of amy butler fabrics from the lotus line

whimsical fruit super absorbent kitchen towel made of alexander henry fabrics.

i've also got 2 more baby quilts nearly finished and ready to go into the shop within the next few days so check back within a few days for some sneak peeks :)

i'll leave you with a few fun pictures from my holiday weekend!

lookie what i got!

2007-12-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

my fantastic boyfriend spoiled me with this *adorable* graduation/x-mas gift!!!

her name is chloe and she is a west highland terrier and is sooo sweet. i already love her so much!

now that i've graduated, i have more time for crafting while i job hunt. i've got quite a few projects started that i can't wait to finish and put in the shop so check back often for updates! i'm going to be trying a new craft too!! embroidery is really catching my eye these days. if you search it on flickr some really *amazing* stuff comes up and i'm really loving the younger, fresher look to embroidery. happy tuesday :)

winter wonderland here in wisco!

2007-12-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

so wisconsin has been under a winter storm advisory-ice storm watch since 3am today...turned out we never got the ice they predicted, just HEAPS and HEAPS of giant snowflakes...all day....the university was closed today (yippeeee!!!) which i meant i got some things done around the house. did some more unpacking, some laundry, and finished this vintage-inspired yummy quilt:

i backed it with this awesome mint green chenille that is *so* cuddly and warm. available for purchase here.

annual christmas cookie bake

2007-12-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

13 hours of cookie baking & decorating and suprisingly i am still alive :) one of the fun (at first! lol) family traditions that started when i was a little girl. though the group shrunk to only my mom and myself this year, i always remember making cookies for an entired day with my grandma, mom and aunts, sneaking cookies and sugar! thought i would give you something to drool over ;) what fun christmas traditions do you guys do?

looking for a gift that is sure to wow?!

2007-12-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

if you want a gift that will make that person really love you this christmas-head over to this website: Scott's Puppy Palace for the prettiest pups ever! definitely a gift they'll remember for years :) i know i've been wishing for a pup this x-mas!!!

thanksgiving re-coop

2007-11-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

hope everyone had a fantastic and full-tummy thanksgiving! i know i did...it was to great to see all the relatives that i only get to see a few times a year. my aunt and uncle helped me spruce up my resume so i can start sending it out in insane mass quantities.

onto other fun things...this weekend i finished my quilt top for my baby pinwheel quilt, and i am really loving it.

today is scott and my 4 month anniversary and he treated me to the movie august rush because i've been begging to see it since the first preview. everyone MUST GO SEE THIS MOVIE. it was incredible! i loved every minute of it and the music & story gave me the chills.

this movie just makes my wanting to learn the cello even stronger...i've wanted to play since the 4th grade, but focused on piano and voice instead. today was a pretty lazy day...after the movie i came home and had dinner with my family, took a little nap-per-roo and worked on my quilt while watching elf with will ferrell...its hard to sew and laugh at the same time!

yum.

2007-11-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

thats all. i had been drooling over these and now they are finally in my hands :) i can't wait to make new pretties with these fabrics...i wish i didnt have to start preparing thanksgiving food on wednesday and could sew instead lol! but i promised mom the extra hands and help since i took an interest in cooking. i'm in charge of desserts, so nothing too complicated here. but i am *very* excited that more of my relatives will get to meet scott on thanksgiving.

if you're looking for cute, inexpensive gift ideas...

2007-11-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

go check out your nearest michael's art & crafts! i stopped in there on saturday to pick up a frame for one of scott's memorabilia posters, and found this *perfect* scrap tote to fit all my stuff and its easy to move with me wherever i decide to scrapbook!and then i found these *adorable* notebooks/journals for only $1....they are fantastic and fashionable-i am in LOVE with houndstooth and scroll print right now-i just ordered some fabric like these prints too, can't wait to create with it!i also thought you could use this as a scrapbook and just alter the pages for a different page size to challenge your creativity....i think that will be one of my holiday projects perhaps :)

moving day is fast approaching!

2007-11-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

so i have these little rituals. and sometimes i get behind on them because i am too overwhelmed with school, my internship, job hunting, visits to my parents and scott and naps (lol-those really aren't overwhelming but are much needed after everything i do all week). so i JUST sat down and created my calendar for the rest of november/beginning of december and wow. i will be moved out of my apartment in 16 days. SIXTEEN DAYS! omigod...i need to seriously start packing because i have tons of stuff hoarded into my little apartment. i did make my first attempt at taking things back home and have gotten all my dishes (minus my cocktail/wine glasses) back home, along with some picture frames and my quilting/crafting library. i think it's the stuff in my bedroom that is making my cringe at the idea of packing. especially because i know it just leads to unpacking....my next UNFAVORITE thing to do. now add onto that six papers that have to be written in that short time frame, plus a massive edit/refining of my final senior advertising/public relations campaign, and trying to find a job and you've got one tired gal. so i'll leave you with some pictures from my apartment that will no longer be mine in a mere 16 days.

pretty new things.

2007-11-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

beautiful modern midnight & lime colored baby rag quilt made from amy butler's gorgeous fabrics-just added to my etsy shop!

and this too....love, elsie accordian style mini-book! perfect gift for that someone you care about!

such a great day :)

2007-10-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

so far, i have had the best day...
1. my media health class gets out 20 minutes early-that NEVER happens
2. i get my media health paper and midterm back-100% and 94% on my midterm! awesome.
3. have 3 hours to get some paper crafting in (since the sewing machine is in the shop)
4. sold my *first* quilt on etsy! so exciting!
5. already have 5 people interested in the apartment

i called my mom right after the 4th good thing happened, because i had to share it with someone lol! here's to hoping things stay on the right track :) i applied for my first job yesterday night, send good thoughts my way!

i'll leave you with a picture from my impromptu girls night halloween!

no halloween fun for me :(

2007-10-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

sadly, i'm kinda bummed out....my fun halloween plans for scott and i to go to chicago have fallen through, so now scott is working friday and saturday and i'll most likely end up going to pleasant prairie shopping with my mom (which isn't so bad, but i was looking forward to dressing up, etc.)

in other news, things with my roommate have gotten overly tense and i have decided that it's time for me to move out. with my graduating in a month and looking for a full-time job, i think it's better for me anyway to move away from the east side "college" area and start somewhere where i can concentrate on getting my professional life started and begin looking for a new apartment (my 1st one bedroom!) but i'm grateful that my parents are letting me move back in for a few months to save some $$$.

plus that means i'll access to the sewing machine 24/7!!! this makes me VERY happy :) i've been whipping up a few of these pretties on the machine recently....
just added this one to the shop today, and will be updating the shop again after the weekend...i definitely be adding another pillow and a baby quilt. lately this is the one activity that really calms my mind. i've been incredibly stressed out with all the work i have been doing for my PR event (which is now over) and my internship, not to mention the tense-roommate situation, that it's nice to just sit and tune it all out and create something pretty out of my stress & anxiety.

fall fun :)

2007-10-17T02:38:00.001-07:00

my 1st corn maze...cut in the theme of charlotte's web, the aerial shots were so cool! scott did such an awesome job planning this whole day for me-such a sweetie. even though everything didnt work out (not getting into the haunted house or getting to carve pumpkins....yet) we are going to a haunted bar maze in chicago on the 26th and are carving pumpkins this friday while we celebrate an early sweetest day.
getting so excited to see across the universe!!! i love when people rework the beatles songs...like i will always love the movie i am sam, because they use the songs to strike this emotional chord in such a cool way.

anyways...it's job hunting, quilting and homeworking for me this weekend while scott's at the badger game. i'll leave you with a few more cute pics from our fall fun :)

juicy...

2007-10-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

so this was a total labor of love. i designed the quilt top myself, and some of the pieces were so small and frustrating to work with, but i *love* the end result...i would totally make this pattern again, only maybe on a larger scale to save my sanity :) just put it in the shop this morning!

so next week thursday, my mom is hosting an open house for a woman in our neighborhood who suffering from breast cancer. she works for arbonne international and will be donating 15% of all her sales and $25 for every show booked to the woman's benefit and to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. So I thought I'd pitch in to! I'll have my quilts there and will donate 15% of my sales as well. And as you can tell....i really love pink, its in all my quilts, so it fits with the theme of the open house.

Tonight I am cooking dinner for Scott and watching Grey's Anatomy before i have to go to work (bleh...cocktailing til 2am). I can't wait to see what is gonna happen...even though i'm pretty mad at meredith for messing with mcdreamy's emotions AGAIN. c'mon...addison is gone now!

sneak peek!

2007-10-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

this yumminess just went into the shop tonight! wish i had a baby girl....it's so fabulously feminine and modern and *whimsical*

it feels so good to be creating again...with school and work, i definitely miss my time for art. tonight i made the *coolest* mini book with all the love,elsie goodies i have been hoarding since i bought them months ago...check back for pics soon :)

scott and i finally made plans to do our "autumn festivities" as i like to call them....this saturday is devoted to our date at the pumpkin farm complete with hay rides, picking pumpkins from the giant patch, crazy corn mazes (my 1st!!!) and then goin back home, carving our pumpkins and baking pumpkin seeds together with all the crazy new recipes i got from the newspaper. yum!

we also decided that this halloween would be spent in chicago with all my old gamma phi girls who i miss dearly, plus it will give scott a chance to meet *more* of my fantastic friends from out of state. still no costumes yet tho....any ideas?!?

i <3 pumpkin farms

2007-10-06T10:19:00.001-07:00

i love autumn. the changing vibrant colored leaves, pumpkin farms, sweaters & scarves with no jackets, hot chocolate(Martha Stewart Magazine-feb07). how cute is that marshmallow detailing? i might have to do this for scott on sweetest day! lol...anyways, i just really REALLY love fall and everything that comes with it.

i am itching to finish a bunch of projects that i've been working on for my etsy shop....such cute stuff! (sometimes i have a hard time parting with handmade things...i think its genetic, my dad is the same way). so keep posted...and check the shop in about a week!

my senior PR campaigns class is really keeping me busy this semester. SO MUCH TO DO. this weekend i am slaving over a huge tri-fold stand for press tabling, custom water bottle labels with our clients logo on, name tags, and i have to compile my entire groups 20-page draft. did i mention i am NOT a fan of vista's microsoft word-i HATE it. it ruins my day. so i am off to try and get most of this done before tomorrow because i get to spend the day with scott :) i will be heading to my parents house to do all of this, because i have to take care of this lil furbaby while my parents are at pumpkin fest in door county(i'm so *jealous*)

i still can't believe it!

2007-09-28T09:41:00.001-07:00

guess who suprised me last night by showing up on my doorstep?!

lol...this picture makes me laugh. i couldn't believe he drove all that way just to see me! (he said he couldn't wait a whole week which i found supercute). scott seriously is the best. and who could resist those giant dimples?! little piece of advice...any guy who thinks you are just as beautiful in your comfy sweats and your hair all messy and imperfect really *loves* you. he hopped right in bed along side me and we watched the season premiere of grey's anatomy together. wow. can't wait to see what this season will bring!!!!

a good day.

2007-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

today has turned out to be a really good day. the dreaded presentation this morning went SOOOOOOO well! everyone loved our iPhone advertising campaign which was a huge stress off my mind. in the end, it was *ton* of work for only a week's time, but i'm glad we were the first group to go and get it out of the way before the semester really picks up.

second good news today: i got the internship!!! smiling from ear to ear over here :) i can't wait to get started on this experience. the boutique/studio is so *freaking* adorable. my boss is giving me a lot of creative freedom with this project so i will get a lot of great experience and meet a lot of people in the business at the fashion shows. if you're ever in the milwaukee area...check em out ess elle style studio. they have some really cute stuff and are always coming up with some really unique ideas for the customers' shopping experience.

can't wait for grey's anatomy premiere tonight!!! :) have a happy thursday!

yes. i'm procrastinating....

2007-09-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

i'm sick of typing this freaking paper.

all i want to do is pass out and be able to sleep in.
sadly, none of this is going to happen.
i will most likely get only 5 hours of sleep tonight.

i still have no idea what i am going to wear to my interview tomorrow.

i'm not even stressing about it. weird.

i love to make lists when completely unnecessary

on a completely different topic...i thought i would share some of my most recent scrapbook layouts that i accomplished (haha...as in this summer recent!) i secretly can't wait for graduation because it means my crafts won't have to take the back burner anymore and i can just do what makes me happy:)

and this yumminess is in my shop...on *SALE* for only $10! it looks great in a black frame with a black & white photo-something unique for yourself or for a wedding gift <3

happy hump day :)

2007-09-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

i can't believe it's already wednesday....it seems like i just got back from the gloriousness that was this past weekend up in green bay (anyone follow football?!) i got to witness history in the making as brett favre tied dan marino's record! pretty cool for my first nfl packers football game. here's a picture of me and scott in lambeau field:
alright, i have to vent for just a minute....i'm working on a group project for my senior capstone requirement in order to graduate this december. i'm in a group with satan in female form. i'm convinced. she is out to get me....or at least cause me to have a mental breakdown. i'll spare you all the details, but let's just say i will be 1,000 times happier after tomorrow morning's presentation is over. and then i have an interview for an internship. so wish me luck! to offset some of the wicked stress i was feeling overwhelmed by, i watched me some dancing with the stars (guilty pleasure! hehe) and bought some photobooth albums and a tote from Leigh-Ann over at FreckledNest :) pictures to be posted once i get my hands on these yummy goodies!

green bay here we come!

2007-09-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

i am so *freaking* excited for this weekend! scott is taking me to my very first green bay packers game :) i know...born and raised in wisconsin and finally attending my FIRST game @ 22 years old. going to sporting events/games with scott is the best..his enthusiasm is so contagious and it just makes the experience so much more memorable. we'll be going up saturday to spend the day with his old college roommates, then getting up early to tailgate with his younger brother and his girlfriend. go packers!!!

and monday my car is FINALLY going to the shop to get fixed after the accident i was in on the highway....my poor car needs some TLC baaaaad. hope everyone has a great weekend :)

rough start

2007-09-10T21:58:00.001-07:00

so my final semester of college is not getting off to the best start :(

i already feel like *really* behind and its only like 3 days into classes. my late night job has already caused me to oversleep and miss a day of class...not to mention my having to miss an entire day of classes due to fighting my speeding ticket in city court (booo!). i so wanted this semester to be the one that wouldn't stress me out and not give me high blood pressure. here's to hoping things turn around quickly for the better and everything turns out alright.

this past weekend, scott and i attended the Mount Mary Starving Artists Festival. W-O-W. i am so glad that scott's aunt patti invited us to this. this festival was *huge*. original paintings, prints, pottery, blown glass, jewelry, scultpure, batik, you name it...it was probably there. i ended up buying this daniel lager original beauty...

...for only $100!!! his normal selling price is around $500. this painting just makes me so happy and it reminds me of a great day with scott. this weekend we are tackling the Holy Hill Craft Fair...i can't wait to see what great things i will find there :)

it's been raining all day here, which means that scott didn't have to work! yay! (he's a carpenter) so we spent our whole afternoon bumming around the house in sweats and watched Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. what an inspiring movie. i left scott to spend the evening with my parents and am so close to finishing my first quilt!! the end is near!! here's the beginning stages of my quilt.......and here's the finished product! :) i'm in love with my first quilting creation.

and so it begins....

2007-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I have always been the kind of girl that loves to write things down, a place to work out all the idea I have going on in my head. I want this blog to be a place where I can express and share my thoughts, my creativity, my life, and everything in between.

With the intent of my blog out in the open, I suppose I should let you know a big about myself. I am 22 finishing up my public relations degree in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I can’t wait to be finished with college. My dream job in wedding planning and event coordination. I am constantly daydreaming about how much my life is about to change after graduation…I will probably miss napping the most. I am obsessed with decorating, wedding websites, shows, and Martha stewart magazines, and love a good dose of celebrity gossip. I love to create. Period. scrapbooking, painting, and recently have learned how to quilt and am *in love* with the sewing machine. I’ve already asked for one for a Christmas gift! I have to thank Rachel Denbow of Red Velvet Art for the intrigue into the quilting world. How quickly I have been sucked into the process of choosing the lush and vibrant fabrics, prints, designs, etc. My favorite fabrics hail from the genius that is Heather Bailey and Amy Butler. I am really enjoying this newfound desire to be domestic (and my boyfriend finds it cute too! He gets just as excited about my projects as I do, which just makes him all the more charming to me <3>

Though I have been through plenty of downs, and a few ups these past months, I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful to have found my boyfriend Scott. We are so in love and I have never been happier. I know we will have a beautiful future together and we have my best friend/Scott’s cousin Monica to thank for introducing us. We attended Scott’s friend Scooter’s wedding this past Friday and guess who caught the garter?! I will forever be a hopeless romantic and was so freakin excited about him catching that thing! Haha. But the bride threw the bouqet into a wall…soo….by default, all his buddies made me dance with Scott like I had actually caught it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!