Saturday...what a day...

All I wanted to do this morning was have a nice little visit with my sis over a cup of pumpkin flavored something-or-other & then casually arrive home to finish packaging orders & mail them in a leisurely pace at the post office. We did have a relaxing time at my favorite local coffee shop. Yes, here's yet ANOTHER foot shot at Espresso World. Different shoes though. Anyway, my plans started off nicely.

This is what happened next: Car dies while driving home on a busy little street. Poo. But a nice stranger-man helped us push the car in a safe place & wouldn't ya know it--we left our cell phones at home. So, nice stranger-man helped us out again, after telling us a story about his grandma being stranded in the middle of nowhere, in the olden days, & then being rescued by a bunch of hippies with guns.Our original plan for rescue failed, so we had to run across the street for a payphone. I had to borrow a quarter from a waitress to use the payphone. How pathetic was that? I was so ill-prepared for this day. I did remember to bring my camera though!!! Do you know how many people stare at you when you're trying to take a picture with a payphone? Lots. Eventually the tow truck came.

The tow truck driver, funny enough, knows my sister by name & has become quite familiar with her jalopy car. Nice guy. I wanted to take a self portrait with all 3 of us---but I didn't want to weird him out too much. Why is it that the mechanic's family always has crappy cars?

But now the post office is closed & I can't mail my packages until Monday. Double poo.

On a happy productive note, guess who FINALLY finished all the owlies?!?!?! Some of these already have homes & the rest are being reserved for a certain approaching Holiday Bazaar.

Here's my latest, greatest, & newest owlie accessory: personalized tags! A customer asked me to make some for her 2 boys & I came up with these tags. I LOVE how they turned out, so I made one each for my girls. Their names are on the front & the year is on the back. Adorable or what?!

Because most of my 'Saturday Nikki Time' was spent with car troubles, I decided to treat myself to a stop at my favorite antique spot for some vintage treasures. I purchased a big bunch of belt buckles. I decorated some holiday packages last year with similar buckles, but now that it seems to be all the rage (or at least I'm seeing this idea everywhere), I grabbed LOTS more. This is how I'm planning on wrapping my gifts this year.

Here's a peek at my Blogger Ornament Exchange package wrapped up & ready to be sent. Brown & black toile paper tied off with vintage grey trim & a navy blue vintage buckle. It's not very holiday-ish, but it's still super cute!

Tomorrow in the late afternoon I'll have a tutorial ready for ya. It's something that'll be perfect for those traveling this holiday season!!

Another Fabulous Saturday!

I'm getting back into my little "Nikki time" routine on Saturdays & I must say....I LOVE Saturdays. Today I had a fun one indeed. To start off the day my sweet mom & I went to 'Antiques in the Park', which is a fun outdoor venue with a couple dozen vendors selling their sweet vintage treasures--& sometimes cheesy collectibles. I've gone for the past few years & I always bring my 20 bucks & find a bunch of cool little items. I picked up these 3 lonely children's teacups...& these WONDERFUL vintage buttons! I can't wait to make them into button rings--& other lovely handmade surprises!

I bought these vintage flash cards for 25cents each. I'm not sure what I'll do with them---probably display them somewhere.

I also picked up this vintage children's book for a bargain because it's missing its front & back cover & a few other pages. It'll be great for making into notecards!

Then my mom & I stopped by one of my favorite coffee spots. I sipped on a peach italian soda. Yum. It was hot outside. Very hot.
We also hopped over to "Art in the Park" which is a HUGE collection of vendors from all over the state (& surrounding states) selling their stuff by the river. This weekend is a busy one in our city as it's the weekend of the Hydroplane Boat Races that come ever year. I got to meet an Etsy gal--my first encounter with another Etsian! She & I are also on the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team (EWAET) & we're anxious to get together with other local Etsiers to have lunch, craft & get silly.

Sally sells skirts & aprons on her Etsy shop, but at the "Art in the Park" she was selling her other line of products--windows that she has turned into tables, shadowboxes, message boards, chalkboards, etc.

I guess I didn't have my thrifting appetite filled, so I ran over to Goodwill & found this AWESOME vintage globe lamp! A steal at $3.50. It is so cool. I have always thought it would be cool to have one. And now my dream has come true. Mr. WhiMSy love rolls his eyes when he sees me comin' home with my bags full of "crap" (as he calls it).

And now I'll show you my weirdest purchase of the day. It's a hamster wheel. I was drawn to that vintage blue color. Strange, I know. I don't have any pets either. But my girls are having a blast playing with it. I'll think of something unique to do with it.

After a day of shopping I came home & made those "cup" cakes that I mentioned on the previous post from Laura's blog. I must admit that my first attempt was a disaster--I forgot to add the sugar. My 2nd attempt wasn't any better--I added the sugar this time, but cooked it too long & it became a "cup" brick. I will try again tomorrow.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Monday Ramblings.

Spring is coming! Spring is coming! Oh, look at the beautiful buds & blossoms! The sad thing is that these are not even from my yard. THESE are....

...and I think they might be weeds. The girls picked them for me while we were out Sunday afternoon enjoying a spot of sunshine. Our front yard does not get a lot of daylight & near the house is a strip of dirt DYING for some flowers. I was told that our yard basically sucks for growing anything & that's why the strip of dirt has remained a strip of dirt for a long, long while. I've gotten a bug to prove the naysayers wrongs. I WILL grow something pretty! I WILL! I will.

Oh, I had a fabulous "Nikki Time" Saturday, as usual! I escaped to my favorite thrift shop: Value Village & scored a few GREAT items! Look at what I got! For just under 7 bucks, I got these 7 "Days of the Week" dishtowels. I don't know if they are vintage or not. Either way, they're definitely handmade. Even the seams on the sides are hand stitched. They are in excellent condition too. And they at least LOOK vintage. I have seen these in other places over the past few years & thought it would always be fun to own some. I'm so glad someone made them for me.

I always find fun vintage aprons & this one is going in the shop this week. It's in SUPER condition & it's pink & white with brown cross-stitched butterflies! Sweet! I also purchased a couple large fabric remnants that I can't wait to play with.

After "Nikki Time", I surprised the girls with our "Mini Spa Fun Day". They loved it! I had goodie bags for them filled with crafty things & girly things, we painted & played with clay, painted fingernails & toenails, I gave them foot massages, they helped prepare a spaghetti feast, we had a shopping spree at the dollar store, they took a giant bubble bath, & I prepared a special blackberry shortcake dessert. My 5 year old said, "Mom, I think I'm falling in love with you." (HAHA!) & both girls kept voicing their extreme happiness at what a fun day it was. I totally had kid overload by the end of the day. The photo of my toothless 3 year old looks like she's imitating Frankenstein, but she's really showing off her fancy nails. Weird kid. She must take after her....OH. Nevermind. I'm lucky if I get an unblurred picture of that one. She's a wiggler & a bouncer & a mover.


I was hoping for a drool-worthy picture of the dessert, but this will have to do. I don't even know if it's considered a "shortcake". It's just those store-bought dessert cups filled with berries & cool whip. Whatever it's called, the girls thought it was cool & that's all that matters really.

Over in the world of "WhiMSy love" I've got a batch of new Spring-a-licious vintage button rings available. Click on photo to be taken to 'Vintage Button Ring Boulevard'.

I'm finding myself all over the place--as usual--in the crafty sense. But, fabrics, & sewing & little projects involving material & needles & the like are making my heart pitter-patter at the moment. I don't have any specific project in mind, but just this little urgency to sew, sew, sew! I'm really teaching myself as I go, but I love the feeling I get when I complete a sewn project.

I'm also working on a new cupcake character. Here's a sketch peek...

Later my little "WhiMSY love"-ers! Oh, & Happy Saint Patty's Day!

Peace & Cupcakes,

Nikki

It's About Darn Time! (Nikki Time!)

I have been whining lately (not out loud, so is it REALLY considered "whining" then?) about my lack of Nikki Time. For the past two months Saturdays have been rolling around like they have been for years & I chose to stay holed up in my art studio every weekend makin' holiday gifts for family & Christmas goodies for the shop. But, the wee ones still manage to pry their lips through the crack in the door to make their demands & I can still hear them screaming & running around like a bunch of wild animals-----daddy downstairs watching football. It's been no true or real definition of "Nikki Time". So, with the Christmas holiday behind me... (I love you & all Christmas, but it's time for you to stuff yourself down in the basement with the washing machine & icky spiders)...I can NOW escape to the world outside & if you listened real close this weekend you probably heard me yell "FREEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOM!" & then I walked briskly to my super duper mini-van & peeled out down the street to do me some SHOPPING! (Really, I love my kidlets!)

I had SO MUCH FUN this weekend! I went to my favorite antique & thrifting spots in town & got some really sweet buttons for some new button rings coming to the shop this week (see the picture at the top of the page for a peek at some of them!), found another vintage apron to attack with a cupcake, snatched forks for fork easels, discovered some awesome vintage fabric, & also got a new (yet vintage inspired) curtain valance that I'm going to do something pretty clever with, some cocoa mugs for the girls, & other doo-dads.

I also bought this ADORABLE owl purse--a Christmas gift via a gift card!

I also FINALLY got a circular cutter thingie at JoAnn's. Amazingly, I've been cutting circles for my mini tag banners by hand. Well, I got an order for 2 large banners last week & I decided it was time to splurge! I can't wait to show you the banners. They are looking so cute! One says "Happy St. Patrick's Day" & the other says "Happy Birthday".

Oh, speaking of JoAnn's!!!!---I found the cutest little canvas pictures with pre-printed DESSERT designs on them in their dollar bargain bin! I thought the girls would like them for a Valentines treat. AND, I found these glittery gold letters for 50cents each! I got enough to spell "GIGGLE", "CUPCAKES" & "ZOEY". (Pazely already has letters to spell her name from a project I did when she was born.)

What else did I do this weekend? I browsed a bookstore... sipped a raspberry julius... walked leisurely from shop to shop... glared at OTHER mothers' children (not really) & had a much needed mommy break.

And my weekend was complete with a family gathering at IHOP. I secretly wished I had ordered the smiley-faced pancakes. I should have taken a picture AFTER my 3-year old Pazely was finished with them. Her naked pancake sat on the plate. I said to her, "Are you done? You sure sucked all the decorations off!" She said, "I just luuuuv frostin' & chocolate chips!"

Check out Saturday's blog entry !! I'm giving away SEVEN dessert themed bottlecaps to SEVEN random guests who leave a comment on that post! Drawing is Friday the 11th!

Don't forget to visit Laura's blog tomorrow for fantastic stuff to celebrate Letter Writing Week!