Tag-er-Riffic!

I was tagged today by Julia B. at Marmalade Kiss AND by Sue at My Home WellingtonTown a while back so I guess before I leave for vacay, I'll leave you with random reading material...

1. What was I doing ten years ago?

Let's see...it was 1998. I was 23 & living in Scottsdale, Arizona with my parents. (Long story, don't ask.) I had met Mr. WhiMSy love (who wasn't "Mr. WhiMSy love" yet) 2 months prior, so we were hanging out every single day (until we married 10 months later). It was a super fun time in my life--hanging with my favorite guy in the whole world, chillin' by the pool, enjoying relaxing days, tan & fit, living a really sweet life.

2. 5 things on my to do list for today...

1-PACK!

2-Finish laundry!

3-Clean the house!

4-See my baby twin nieces in the hospital!

5-Make some skullie & cupcake tees for my niece & nephew that we'll see in Arizona.

3. Snacks I enjoy...

Ice cream, watermelon, italian sodas, lime & chile flavored almonds...just to name a few.

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire...

I think I would do the usual things most people would do: Pay off all my family's bills/debts, buy new homes & cars for my fam, pay off all my debts, etc, donate to a charity, travel, save lots...& then I'd start my own brick & mortar WhiMSy love store, open a little deli (something Mr. WhiMSy love has always wanted to do), roller skate every day, start a sticker collection, & hire a maid, chef & personal trainer!

5. Places I've lived...

Anacortes & Richland WASHINGTON, St. Petersburg FLORIDA, Luling LOUISIANA, Fayetteville NORTH CAROLINA, Virgina Beach VIRGINIA, Scottsdale & Phoenix ARIZONA, Quebec CANADA.

6. Six jobs I've had...

1-A bagger at a grocery store (my first real job)

2-Then, I advanced to CHECKER!

3-Oh gosh, I worked at McDonald's AND Burger King.

4-Guest clerk at a hotel

5-I managed a little pottery painting studio--SUPER fun!

6-My last job was as a floral designer & then I became a full-time mommy.

7. Seven Random Facts About Me...

1-I have always thought it would be fun to be on a game-show. (My faves were 'Price is Right' or 'Wheel of Fortune'. But now I'm thinking 'Deal or No Deal'.)

2-My hubby & I are on the cover of a book. (No, not a Harlequin Romance...)

3-Have you ever been to a P.F. Chang's restaurant? Well, my cousin & I once tried to climb one of the horse statues that sit outside the restaurant late one night. We needed a ladder- they're too tall.

4-I love watermelon flavored candies & orange, purple, yellow & green jellybeans, Reese's Pieces & peanut butter cups.

5-One of my favorite songs of all time is by George Michael--One More Try. Mmm...I love it!

6-A dream of mine is to someday go to The World's Longest Yard Sale. It spans over 4 states, beginning in Kentucky & ending in Alabama, & includes 450 miles of scenic backroads FILLED with an on-going yard sale heaven!

7-"The Gremlins" movie messed me up as a kid. I have never been so scared in the dark as that time in my life.

Ta-ta my little WhiMSy love-ers! I'll miss you tons but see you soon!

I Love Me a Chocolate Milk Moustache

I'm busy packing & gathering all the necessary traveling items for our trip. Ugh. I'll be a hectic mama today. My one favorite tip for traveling with kids is to bring along a couple new toys that the kiddos have never seen or played with--all wrapped up pretty to occupy a couple hours of travel time. I got the girls each a mini Etch-a-Sketch & some other little toys.
And MY favorite item to bring along on any trip is....crafty stuff, of course!! I'm not sure what I'll bring, but I'm gonna stuff a bag full of random fun crafty bits to play with along the trip AND while I'm poolside, sunbathing. OOooooh, I'm getting excited now! VACAY here I COME!!!!!!
But guess what I get to do tonight? I get to see my newly born twin nieces!! They were born Wednesday & are just over 4 pounds. My brother is a proud daddy of 3 now. I haven't seen them yet so I'm pretty excited!! This proud auntie might have to post some annoying family photos later on.
Okay, back to packing....

Hair's Looking at You!

So, I told the hair-extraordinaire guy to go wild & do whatever he wanted. It's not a HUGE change. But, I look so shiny & stylish for a change. This is the only time I'll ever get it looking this good. If only I had a tiny guy with fancy hair scissors I could carry around in my pocket all the time...

And besides my pale, pale arms & big ole badonka-donk, the shirt looks pretty good! This is my newly reconstructed tee & I love it! I'm excited about making some more. The photographer was my 5 year old daughter. Pretty good there, girl!

Edward Scissorhands

Oh my gosh! I almost forgot---I'm getting my hair cut tonight! That's MAJOR for me. I have no idea what my hair will look like. I'm just letting the pros do what they want. YIKES! I'll definitely do a "before" & "after" shot! Why am I making such a big deal about this? For some reason I've always gotten super nervous getting my hair cut--so it hardly ever gets cut. I relate the same nerves I get at the hair salon with the same nerves I get at the dentist. For reals.

My Newest Creations!

I've gone T-shirt crazy!! My friend, Charelle, came over this week & we went for a thrift store run for some tees. We got into reconstruction mode & had some fun! Charelle models this AWESOME tee we made. It can actually be worn front or backwards & it looks super cute!
Our guide in this process was the book titled "Generation T 108 ways to transform a T-shirt" by Megan Nicolay. I've had that book for a couple years & am just now FINALLY getting into it.

Here's the front view. Do you like my pink cowgirl hat? Yeehaw! I would show you MY t-shirt but it's still a work-in-progress.

But I WILL show you my latest button beauties. One vintage button bouquet was made in soft shades of blues, pinks, yellows & white....
...& one in silver & purples.

Gosh, just a couple more posts left before I leave for vacay. How I will function without my Etsy & without my blog is hard to imagine. But, I've done it before & I know it'll be good to take a break-- Come back refreshed, renewed, full of energy & new ideas, burnt to a crisp from the hot Arizona sun. It's all good.

Summer Fun, Here We Come!

The girls & I are celebrating the end of a school year & the beginning of summer break--even though it's not OFFICIALLY summer yet. Preschool is over this year for my wee ones. We are now on our own to come up with ways to make the summer fun. And first on the agenda is paper umbrellas in our breakfast milk. These are not just for fancy drinks anymore. No sirree Bob.

BBQ Fun!

I LOVE a good BBQ. And yesterday Mr. WhiMSy love & I had some friends over for some good eats & giggles. I was in charge of the burger making, so I thought I'd mix things up a bit. These were the CUTEST burgers EVER!!!

I have had so much fun with the stickers my blog buddy Sue sent me. I made these adorable notecards. I am keeping one set & selling the others in my shop. (Arriving later today!)



There are also lots more buttons in the shop! I made this really neato set of buttons from my vintage stamp collection. It's a rainbow of button fun!!


Happy BBQ-ing!!

Kitty Cat Party!

I've been on the prowl (har har) for kitty themed items that would be perfect for my wee daughter's upcoming 4th birthday party. And my button making obsession has come at the right time. I've been making kitty buttons from images found in vintage books from the thrift store. These will be some of the little gifties that I'll toss in the guests goodie bags.

I'm planning on making some more things for the party, but I couldn't resist purchasing a few handmade items...

I found these ADORABLE mice---made from all sorts of random fabric, string, & ribbon bits---from spidercamp. I ordered 10 but they sent me 13. I don't know if it was a mistake. But I'm not giving them back. It was a really cool surprise. These will be a SUPER addition to the kids' goodie bags.

And then I purchased my very first ACEO from time2cr8. (ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions & Originals". They are 2.5" x 3.5".) I plan on framing it for the birthday girl. The reason I am so in love with this print is--not only does it have a CAT on it (purrrfect for the party!), but the little girl is wearing my daughter's favorite color AND her two front teeth are missing. My wee one had an accident a year ago & her two front teeth are now invisible. This picture just totally reminds me of her. I also asked the artist to create some small tags from this image to tie onto each of the goodie bags. Each child will leave the party with their own piece of tiny art!

The party will be an odd mix of "Cat Theme/Water Theme" since it'll be super hot by the time her b-day rolls around at the end of June & we don't want the party guests passing out or melting. The kids will be able to have some water fun in the backyard: slip-n-slide, water balloons, etc. And cats hate water so that is kinda funny.

I LOVE planning my kid's birthday parties. I like to plan as far ahead as I can. As their special days gets closer & closer I'm constantly asking my girls what kind of party they want. They're always changing their minds so eventually I have to get pretty firm & let them know the party planning fairy needs answers FAST--or else!!! I'm just glad my soon-to-be 4 year old didn't stick with her original request of an "eyeball" party. Who knows where that even came from. She says weird stuff all the time. Cats are SO much cuter than eyeballs.

Oh, but she did specifically request mini kitty cat pinwheels on her cupcakes. Yes ma'am.

Button Happy!

This is a set of 8 buttons made from a vintage children's book of Winnie the Pooh & Friends. There is....Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga & a wee bit of Roo. It's the first set I've ever packaged up to sell at WhiMSy love. I love how they turned out. I'm a crafty girl obsessed now.
The button pile is growing. I can't stop. I don't want to stop. It is the funnest thing in the world!

Jumpin' For Skirty Joy!

Here's a skirt I made from a sheet I received as part of the Summer Skirt Sheet Swap. I actually made something wearable--AND I wore it! I've got a few more sheet pieces to play with & I'm super excited about how easy it is to sew--especially with the awesome help of THIS TUTORIAL. You rock Lisa!

This picture is actually a self-portrait. I had the camera set up on a picnic bench on TOP of a picnic table in my backyard & the self-timer set for 10 seconds. When I was ready to take a picture, I'd set up the camera, run to the backporch, count to 10 & JUMP! I cannot tell you how many times I jumped up to get JUST the right shot. What you don't see are the beads of sweat forming on my brow. HAHA! Oh, & Mr. WhiMSy love came outside as I was doing my jumpy photo shoot & he had the weirdest look on his face: amused yet confused. He should be used to this stuff by now. Seriously.

TWIN GIFTIES

I'm going to my sis-in-law's baby shower this afternoon & wanted to show off the gifties I'm giving. Last night I made these onesies for the twin girls. Cupcakes--of course, right?! I LOVE how they turned out!

My brother has been referring to the babies as "thing 1" & "thing 2". The babies are not yet born & he isn't telling ANYONE the names they've chosen. So, I thought it would be fun to get them this awesome bag from Gato Negro. It is so perfect, I can't believe it!!

OK, I'm off to wrap up the gifties!!!

Crafty Dilemma

I got these signs from one of my gal pals & she said they were from a grocery store that was shutting down. She just GAVE them to me. I think they are quite fun & cool but what should I do with them? My favorites are "Cake Mixes", "Candy", "Ice Cream" & "Canned Meats". They are made of wood, about 16" long & 2 1/2" tall. The vinyl-like lettering is on both sides of the sign. Give me your best ideas! (There may be a prize in your future.)




I had a little thrifty fun this week & picked up this sweet turlte. It is totally vintage & handmade--my two favoritest things! It is a little dirty, but I'm not sure how to clean it up.


The little hat on its head is my favorite. I love the felt embellishments too!


Look how my girls & I spent our day!!!! Those are water balloons. And we got wet, wet, wet! It was the second super hot day of the week & they were out in their cute little swim suits pulling out wet wedgies as they chased each other around.




I'm starting to think more about our family vacay to Arizona. I'm starting to think about how stinkin' hot it'll be. And how I can't wait to sew up my new skirts this weekend! We leave May 31st & return June 6th. I recently purchased some super cute purple luggage. The luggage I.D. tag is from one of my wee ones.

A Sewing Project Ahead...

I received my sheet pieces from the Summer Skirt Sheet Swap!! I am so excited (& a bit nervous!) to sew up some skirts. It's the first time I'll have ever sewn something wearable! (Well, there was that one time my mom taught me & my older cousin to sew a skirt when I was 13- but that doesn't count because it was so ugly I didn't wear it.) I can't wait for this project though. It's perfect timing for my trip to the heat of Arizona in less than 3 weeks!!!! I'll let you know how my sewing party goes....

Crafty Kits

I've had fun sharing about the crafty-ness I teach each month at my MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) meetings. And this month is a little different. It's the last meeting of the season & it's always a busy one--lots to talk about, lots to do, not always time for a craft. So, last year was the first time I created a "take home" craft & it was a hit! I made a "Bag-of-Tags" for each mom. The kits were filled with paper bits, tags, string, ribbon, glitter, jewels, stickers, letters, etc.--enough stuff to make 8-10 giftie tags. They were so fun to put together & I think the moms loved them!

This year we'll be taking home birdhouse kits. They were purchased from Oriental Trading Company. I think they're just garden or yard decorations, not for real live bird dwelling. These sorts of kits are AWESOME for craftin' with yer kidlets too. There are a variety of very inexpensive crafty kits sold at JoAnne's Fabrics, Michaels, Walmart, etc. & the reason they are AWESOME is because you can be as simple or as extravagant as you want when creating- you can add your own flavor. These really are "blank canvases".

I painted my birdhouse in multi-colored pastel shades & then added decorative scrapbook paper to the front. And then there are fabulous touches of glitter & jewels!

Here are some crafty kit ideas:

-Grab a few inexpensive crafty kits & stash 'em away for a lazy summer day or a creative weekend of projects.

-These are really simple gifts that kids can make & give to teachers, friends, grandparents, etc.

-I know Easter has passed & Christmas is a long while away, but I love putting crafty kits in my girls' baskets & stockings.

-These kits are a great way for kid's to be introduced to crafty things without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated.

-Crafty kits are fun to do at slumber parties or sleepovers!

-Whatever your specialty, you can show it off with these type of crafty kits: beading, stamping, painting, scrapbooking, etc.

Books & Gifties

My book art, awesomely titled "Writing on the Wall" has been keeping me a bit busy--which I am SO excited about! I love these pieces & think they are uber cool.



Look what I got recently from my "uber cool" friend, Tia. These are silicone cupcake molds. First of all, I've never used silicone baking accessories before & secondly I've never had a cupcake in the shape of hot, sexy lips. AWESOME! I can't wait to bake some girly-girl cupcakes!!

And look what my mom got me for a sweet little Mother's Day giftie. I've been eyeing these candles at Fred Meyer (of all places?!). They are called "Tiny Temptations" & they are all cupcake scented. The scent I chose is "happy birthday vanilla" & it even has real sprinkles on top! And wowzers! It smells delicious & I can't believe how quickly it made my house smell so yummy. Seriously, when no one is looking I'm gonna lick it. There were 4 other scents: blueberry vanilla, creamy orange frosted, rich creamy chocolate & white buttercream.
Oh, look! I found the online source for purchasing this candle HERE--& they have 4 other scents too. Woohoo! OK. That was my infomercial for the day.

I'll be back later to show what craft I'm "teaching" for my last MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) meeting of the season.

Happy Mommies Day!

I know I'm a little late, but I saw this cute goose family down at the river this morning celebrating Mother's Day & had to wish you all a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY too!!

Teamwork!

I am so excited to announce that I am now a member of the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team!! This week the team became official & the president of this team is an Etsy chik, Hayley of beepbeephello, who lives in my same city. We've never met, but we plan for our paths to cross soon. Sweet! I'm so excited to soon be able to kick it crafty style with other Etsy people, glean from their crafty & Etsy knowledge, participate in shows (I never have before!) & ask all the bazillion questions I have as far as the bizness side of it all! I'm excited for all the awesomely fun things that are ahead for my team & for my Etsy shop! Yahoo for teamwork!

Just wanted to share. That's all.

**The "I {heart} ETSY" pendant is handmade by FreeSouthJersey.

HANDMADE

I've had this idea for a while--the "HANDMADE" rings. Not necessarily to sell, but to just support the whole handmade cause. I'm also working on something that is kind of a big deal to me so I need your help.
I'd like you to vote on your favorite picture. There are 4 of them. Just leave a comment with your favorite snapshot. I can't decide.
But let me tell you the "look" I'm going for. I am a complete dork. I want the photo to look that way. Although I do have my crafty thug face on, I don't want it to look mean or turn people away. I don't want the picture to say, "I can totally strangle you with a ball of yarn." But rather, "I can craft up a mean pinwheel." Get it?
If you think all the photos are crappy, you can say that too. I love the saturated color & distorted exposure. So, vote on!

Oh, & last weekend I passed the "200 sales" mark! WHOOPEEEE!

Hello on a Tuesday!

I got gifties! I got gifties!!! Sue, a New Zealand blog buddy at My Home Wellingtontown, sent me some surprise goodies. Just because. Isn't that the best?
This adorable handmade piece was a thrifted find.

And THEN, Sue spoke my language. She sent the cutest cupcake socks & seriously, the most fun cupcake stickers I've ever seen in my whole life. It's so hard to use them when they are so cute. I'm thinking of making up a bunch of giftie tags with some of 'em. Thanks Sue! You rock crafty friend!

And look who's been a busy little worker!! This weekend was my best weekend yet! I partially credit it to my Etsy front page fame & to Mother's Day coming very soon.

At the last minute I realized I didn't have any freebies for my packages, so I came up with vintage button flowers. Each order in the month of May will receive a sweet button flower, complete with felt leaf.

I was able to get some more photos this weekend of my "Writing on the Wall" book art. This one is in the shop.

The girls & I are going to watch Mr. WhiMSy love tonight at his first softball game with the league he just joined. He hasn't done anything like this for years & he said he'll just be happy if he hits the ball. I don't care if he makes a hit or not. I'm just excited to see him in his uniform.

All I can say is.....sizzle.