a new love

I used to use tinyurl. (please, no comments on the horridness of that sentence)

Now I've found http://bit.ly/

I am in love!

Hello, tracking!!!!!

A few of my favorite things....

Viva Las Vegas!

I returned from Las Vegas last night...

a bit sunburnt--itchy back but lovely pool time!

a bit full--might never eat again but oh-so-many glorious gastronomic memories!

a bit poor--not really a big spender but i adore penny poker and nickel slots!


And now, a bit (a lot!) happy: I just sold *Ooh La La*



Perfect, really, since my best friend and I stayed at Paris! Las Vegas. This is some of my favorite fabric from my stash. It is out of print now, so I carefully horde it. JBW, you are one lucky girl to snatch this up!

I have some of this fabric in a pink background--I need to get sewing!!!

Enjoy your Friday!

Summertime and the living....

the living is GOOD.

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon at my parents' house--not too hot and Mom is scooping homemade ice cream. And I'm contemplating getting this little beauty.

I purchased another fantastic original painting (below) from this talented young artist the other day and I ADORE IT!!!

Visit Barabajagal's shop on etsy.com or her website ! I promise you'll love what you find!!

kitchen creations

Blair? Serena? Are you shopping today? Have I something for your kitchen!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28325054

*The Prep Kitchen* features that vintage ribbon I posted about the other day. Preppy, fun, fabulous....






http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28326032
*Lazy Suzan* is a fun retro-styled patchwork dish towel. It's huge! Can double-duty as an apron if you tie it around your waist!

Sewing, photographing, and selling!

Today was a busy day of designing, sewing, lunching, gossiping, and selling. :)

I'm still having issues with the quality of pictures I'm taking here at the parentals' house. I did end up listing one set of hand towels today but I'm not sure I'm going to list any others until I'm home to photograph them. We'll see.

A happy surprise after dinner: *Amy's Tattoo* sold. This bag is one of my funkier bags--I adore it and am kind of sad to see it go!

But then I see that "sold" sign and think--go free, little bag, to travel the world with strangers who like handmade items! :)

vintage ribbon = new designs

At my parents' house this week for my mom's birthday. Last night my mom destashed tons of vintage ribbon and trims for my use. (It's hard to swallow that some of the ribbons in her stash were left from my old hairbows....I'm sorry; I just can't be vintage...Can I?)

I used some fabulously preppy green and navy and white ribbons to make "The Preppy Kitchen" dish towels. I'm so in love with them. They might not make it to my etsy shop. And I have to figure out how to photograph them while I'm here--won't be like my little setup at home. I'm not sure there's a great place for me to do it--not as much natural light here and I don't know where I'm going to find a neutral background.

Oh well, I'll figure something out. :)

Now, it's back to making more one-of-a-kind goodies!

Back to School!

It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner. I still have a few glorious weeks of vacation left, but I remember gearing up about this time (quite a few years ago) to head to school up north. A big move. A big change. A big deal.

:)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28131813

Here's my back-to-school promo. Custom designed bags for girls and guys. (I promise I can make a fabulous non-feminine bag for your laundry!)

School spirit
Greek life
Great design!

new creation

I made this last night....FOR ME!

Hooray!



I had some great Valori Wells fabric in my stash (I remember watching her mom on TV when I was little and thinking--I'd never quilt with my mom....oh, how the mighty have fallen!). This is Olive Rose--so cute and modern but also with a nice sense of history to it.

I constructed this baby with french seams for extra durability....and because it's a lovely way to finish the product. And I adorned it with a simple white satin ribbon, but.....

I couldn't resist embellishing it with my initial. :)

Here are some more views:








(just to give you an idea about how small it folds--can't wait to put this in my suitcase....hmmm, where shall I go? Brazil? France? Vegas? Oh, the possibilities are endless!)

bouncing around

I feel as though I exist in a bubble. I live in a bubble, create in a bubble, write this blog in a bubble....just throwing thoughts around and the only person they bounce back to is me.

Maybe that's a vacuum--I was never really all that scientifically minded.

And, by the way, happy 40th anniversary of the moon walk (the official NASA one...not the MJ one--RIP).

You know when I was growing up and I'd see the footage of the moonwalk on TV, I'd think something along the lines of woah, that was soooooo long ago. Mom and Dad are sooooo old. Now I think....hmmm, that's wasn't so very much before I was born.

Oh the bubble of youth...and the blogosphere.

first feature then create!

So I was able to channel my insomnia into something exciting this morning as I watched the sun start to come through my window...

My first treasury:
*And she was....
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=71544

My very first treasury feature!!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=71480

I'm so honored!

It's a lovely treasury featuring items that inspire "Aqua Dreams."

Thanks to msjewelrydesign for including me!

*bottom row middle*

It's like picking a favorite child...

I don't have children of my own, so I can't completely understand the magnitude of that state. But I do have some practice with children (i.e. years of baby sitting for the same family, two precious nieces, and countless daily interactions with other people's children at work) on which to base this observation: it's impossible.

I thought, for my first official post (note: there is a more-or-less "testing123" post that preceeds this one), to show my favorite recent project and write a little about my process and about the final product. But going through the twenty-eight some odd items I've created for my etsy site (I've been a buuuuuusy little bee!) and making a list is proving a bit difficult.

Oooh, this is cute! And, I love the trim on that!! And, oh my goodness, how clever am I? These thoughts circulate round in the old noggin as I scroll through my pictures. (I'm terribly modest, yes?)

So I've decided to post something that isn't my favorite (of course that doesn't mean that I'm not fond of it). I've decided to post the item that I am most proud of: my FIRST custom order.

A young woman on the verge of nuptial bliss requested I create five travel-size laundry bags for her bridesmaids based off of the *Park Avenue Princess* bag. I sewed like a maniac and proudly took them to USPS first thing Saturday morning.

I had a lot of fun knowing I was creating a teeeeeeny little part of the happiness surrounding her big day. And I had even more fun creating a little surprise gift for her and packaging it all up. The whole event--from first convo about the special request to walking up to the counter at the local Post Office--was quite liberating!

Who knew selling things could be this awesome?!

The week for getting started...

i seem to be quite the busy e-bee this week--starting my own etsy shop and now a blog. what's next facebook? :)