VIDEO?

Oh. My. Gosh. How long has this feature been on here? You mean, not only can I go crazy with pictures, but now I can go insane with this video thingie? Oh peoples, you are gonna see a different side of Nikki now! I'm so excited! OK, for my very first video it's Zoey at the last day of swim class a week ago. You are about to be bored for the next 22 seconds, like when your friend flips through a giant family photo album with you & you yawn with excitement. Humor me & we'll call this a test run, to see if it works & all. (But look at the boy behind her trying to "hurry" her up the ladder. He's so eager to jump off the board too, that you even see his little legs scurrying to the end of the plank waiting for her to swim out of the way so he can jump. What a punk! (just kidding!...kinda) Just know that 2 weeks earlier--in the shallow end--she was running out of the pool, scared of the water, with her swim instructor chasing after her!




Think of the possibilities! I could do crafty tutorials!! What about a "how-to" on making poisonous apple-acorn-berry stew? Silly dance videos? This is gonna be fun!

And I was tagged by Christine @ Bella Colle AND by Kara @ Innocent Charms. I'm great at being tagged, but not so great at being the taggER. It usually falls dead when it gets to me. Sorry, but it's true. I'll still play! (And please still love me after you see my list.) OK, I have to name 6 WEIRD THINGS ABOUT MYSELF...

1. I am fascinated by mannequin heads & I think they are very cool.

2. I once pretended to be Cinderella & called my daughter (Zoey) on the telephone to encourage her to pee-pee on the potty when she was being toilet trained.
3. When I was younger I remember trying to scare myself. I'd look in the mirror & try to make a scary enough face that it would frighten even me. It never worked.

4. When I was younger, I thought it would be fun to be an actress in the movies, just so I could kiss boys.

5. When I get someone calling me & it's a "wrong number", I pretend to be the person they were calling for & see how long I can get them to play along!

6. I can't roll my tongue. Or wiggle my ears. Or make armpit farts.

More posts to come later today!!

8 Random Things...

I'm so happy because my sweet little series of 6 cupcake greeting cards sold today! ALL of them to a customer in New Jersey. She was a first time Etsy customer & I am thrilled! YAY! I'm eager to create some more greeting cards using the same vintage early reader children's book. I've also got a neato vintage Peter Pan book waiting to be made into something fantastic!

AND, this is my 2nd time being tagged, so I'll just roll with it...

1. I mentioned that I stay up WAY late in my previous tag (in April), but I am a serious total night owl. I sometimes stay up until 2am. I love my alone time & doing what I want & this, sometimes, is my only time to get that!

2. I like kitties, but I don't have any pets. I do have a family with allergies. When I was younger I had an idea--because I liked kitties so much--to adopt a kitty, & then when it grew up to be a cat, I'd give it away & get another kitty & keep doing that so I'd always have kitties. Is that mean or what? You do realize I never went through with my plan & if I had attempted I'd only have been able to have one kitty, because I know I'd fall in love with a cat.

3. I was very shy growing up & would ALWAYS turn bright red at the littlest things! I got embarrassed very easy--even my ARMS would turn red! I pretty much just glowed.

4. I've always wanted to go on an African Safari.

5. I eat way too much ice cream. And my fave is anything chunky, nutty, & chocolatey!

6. I like strawberries. But anything made with strawberries is yucky to me. Such as: strawberry pie (bleck!), strawberry milkshakes (gag!), & strawberry jam (I'm gonna hurl!)...

7. The movie "Gremlins" scared the crap out of me as a pre-teen! I couldn't sleep well at night for the longest time. (Jaws messed up my love of the ocean.)

8. I would love to live in a big city (with the peaceful country nearby) in a "flat" or studio apartment. My hubby & I have decided we will do this when our kids are grown & out of the house. Only 15 more years to go!

Oh, & before I go---look what I got in the mail today!! I ordered these awesome 12 kitschy plastic roses from A. Bel Emporium. She packaged them so nicely & they arrived wrapped in sewing pattern paper! Very sweet! My kinda girl. Aren't they going to look fabulousy cheesy & wonderful on top of some cupcakes?! Check out her shop--she has more of these & other cupcake decor!!

Goodnight all! I'm off to my muchly anticipated once-a-month "scrapbooking night" with some lady friends, (even though I don't scrapbook!) But I'll be working on the "cute little mini banner" I mentioned in a previous post. I'm sure I'll have it ready to show off tomorrow!!
**"Ugly Biz Card Contest" is still open for sign-ups until August 3rd!! Click HERE for the link & info!! We have 5 Etsy artists donating awesome prizes! And, 15 contestants so far! YAY!

Sesame Street Quiz

I just visited my blog buddy katydiddys & found that she had this Sesame Street quiz posted today. I thought it might be fun to do as well. And here are my results:

You Are Ernie

Playful and childlike, you are everyone's favorite friend - even if your goofy antics get annoying at times. You are usually feeling: Amused - you are very easily entertained You are famous for: Always making people smile. From your silly songs to your wild pranks, you keep things fun. How you live your life: With ease. Life is only difficult when your friends won't play with you!

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

A Morning at the Park...

I took my girls to the park the later part of this morning. I needed a break from craftiness. We needed to get out.

I'm finding it hard to juggle all the duties of a mom & wife & also the consuming passion I have for creating. If I could, I would craft all day. But I don't ever want my kids to resent what I do in terms of all the craftiness. I include them in every possible way. But I feel awful when I sit at the computer & my five year old says, "Mom, you like the computer a lot, don't you?"

I'm a lousy housekeeper. I'm not so great at cooking meals. But, I can craft with the best of 'em!

I'm learning to pick up a broom every once in a while. I'm learning to use the stove more & less of the microwave. I'm learning to prioritize, to organize, to get a flexible schedule planned out, so that I continue to be available for the little people in my life.

I'm learning to take more breaks & play.

YOWZA! It's the Sunday Featured Artist.....ME??!!

OK, I am a dweeb. I had an artist in mind to interview, but sent the questions too late & it's all my fault. Sorry folks! I do have great artists lined up to interview in the coming weeks.

But, as a subsitute, I'll interview......myself! Tacky, I know. I thought it was better than nothin', but maybe not? So here goes:

Where were you born, where are you from, where did you grow up, & where are you living now?

I was born in Renton, Washington. I was adopted as a baby & grew up in different parts of the U.S.: Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, North Carolina, & different parts of Washington-namely, Anacortes & Richland. As of now I reside in Richland, WA just a couple minutes from a lovely river & I love the small town feel here. (Although, my hubby & I have a dream to someday live in a big city, in a "flat" or studio apartment, when our kids are grown & on their own!)

What inspires you?

All sorts of things. Anything. Mostly just seeing things in silly ways, childish ways. My kids are great motivators for helping me keep a different view at life. Also, being surrounded by other artists at Etsy just gets me in that creative frame of mind.

How long have you been crafting?

Since I was a little, but I don't remember an exact age. I was always in love with fancy pens & papers & little cute artist-y things. And I always gave handmade gifts. My mom taught me to cross-stitch at about 11....I made skateboard stickers & had my brother walk around our apartment complex & sell them at 13...I remember making little boxes from posterboard covered in glue, fabric, & ribbons at 14....I got into stamp collecting & now use stamps in a lot of my crafting. (Soon to come to Etsy!) Gosh, I decoupaged, did paper mache, played with polymer clay....Those are jus a few examples. I was into everything! I loved trying all sorts of crafts. I couldn't stick to just one thing, & I still can't! Sometimes I think that one day I'll be forced to pick just one thing. I don't know if I could.

What is your favorite medium to work with?

I love pretty papers! And fabric! And buttons! Those, right now, are my favorite things. Oh yeah, & I really am getting into the whole "photography" thing. Just a bit. The picture up top is one I took from my birthday road trip in April.

Share about, or describe your favorite piece.

Gosh, they're all so wonderful, how can I pick just one? I'm TOTALLY joking! I would say my vintage button rings. The green & yellow button ring I call "Tiny Bubbles" is really fun! I've loved old buttons for a long time & use them in a lot of my crafty pieces. The rings are a fun accessory & make me smile! I where a giant light blue & white one around to attract potential customers! (You can see it in the last picture of the vintage button rings listings.)

What do you do when you're not bein' all crafty?

I love being silly with my girls, & thrifting, going to yard sales, blogging, & reading creative magazines & books.

What are some of your favorite things?

A few things I love.... the color pink, cupcakes & the 1940's & anything vintage, old toys, avocados, Etsy, peanut butter, Jesus, ice cream, my family, polka dots, sidewalk chalk, laughter.

What one thing did you believe as a child, that as an adult you now realize was silly?

Well, one time I remember searching in the desert beside our house looking for 'smurfs' with a friend. We never found any....

How much time do you spend on your craft?

I opened "WhiMSy love" Feb 28, 2007, but didn't start filling the shop with goodies until the last day of March! Now, I craft whenever I can! I craft when my kids are eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I create when they're in their bedroom for naptime or "quiet" time. I make stuff when they're poopin' on the toilet. I love to sit outside on beautiful days & watch them play while I get all crafty. And, at night is finally...mommy time. I stay up late crafting & blogging & checking out Etsy-ville.

What were some of your most recent purchases from other Etsy artists?

Oh, I just bought a gift certificate from Epicurious Market for one of her cupcake wax melts to give to a cupcake swap buddy.

I found a sweet little vintage daisy charm from lovely bits.

And, I bought a postcard of an old truck from bella arte by bella jean to frame & give to my dad.

Use three words to describe yourself.

Silly, friendly, creative.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given on pursuing your craftiness?

Well, I can't think of any particular person who's given me advice. I mean, my parents & family are always saying nice things. I think I just keep telling myself to "Go for it! What have you got to lose?" And, I really feel like I'm becoming who I was meant to be as I'm discovering more of my artsy insides. I the neatest thing being surrounded by people that are just like me--with creative spirits & crafty passions.

What are your goals or dreams in regards to your art?

I would love to be able to help "bring home the bacon". I would love Etsy to be successful, & who knows where it could go from there. Someday I thought it would be fun to volunteer at helping kids do artsy craftsy stuff. Get all messy & creative, ya know?

What else would you like people to know about you?

I love to laugh & be silly & have fun. I love creating stuff SOOOOO much. I love all the great people I've met through Etsy & my blog & I can't wait to see where my handmade adventure takes me!!

MOTHER'S DAY GREETINGS!!!

Mother's Day is an especially special day for me. Not only because I think it is so cool to be celebrated as a mom, but because I was adopted. Every year as this day approaches I feel supremely blessed to have my mother. I feel fortunate to have grown up with a woman that loves God, loves her family, & did the best she knew how to raise a family that does the same.
I try to imagine what life would be like without my mom, growing up somewhere else, someplace different. I can't. And every year I struggle with coming up with the most beautiful, perfect words of admiration & respect for my mom--& I can't.
Mom, never will I find the likes of you in another...
I love you. Always have. Always will.

I guess "I'm IT!" (I've been tagged...)

I must admit, when I read the comment in my post that said, "By the way, you're IT!" I thought that meant, "You're the stuff, you're "the bomb", etc. Guess not. What a dork I am!

The rules are that I must list 10 random things about myself & then tag someone else on their blog, & the circle continues & goes on & on & on.....

1. I once balanced a hockey stick on my nose for 8 seconds.

2. Some kid in 5th grade gave me the nickname "skinny stars". (What does that even mean?)

3. I like to stay up WAY late, & do everything--& sometimes nothing.

4. I love to sing & sometimes imagine I'm a lounge singer. In a classy joint, of course.

5. I once wanted to work at Seaworld. I think sea creatures are so neato.

6. I'm adopted.

7. When I was younger, I read on a small piece of paper hidden in my baby book that I was "caucasian". I didn't know what that meant, so for a little while I thought I was from some African tribe. (You can stop laughing now.)

8. I was once a floral designer, one of my favorite jobs.

9. If I was not allowed to be creative, I think a part of me would die.

10. I have 2 little girls, & they are the best part of me.