*Happy Halloween!*

Happy Halloween! Quite pressed for time on the carving tonight...but one little Trick or Treater declared "it's ok! he isn't a scary one" so it's all good, man. (Seems he was not going for the treats at the houses with the SPOOKY pumpkins!)

Speaking of scary, early in the night's proceedings, a pair of tricksters ring the bell. Standing at the door is a pint-sized Superman and his pal Batman. Before the words "Trick or Treat!" were out....Superman suddenly turned tail and scurried for the stairs, his cape all aflutter! Without his treat! Batman explained "he is afraid of that CAT!" (I didn't realize Peanut was behind me for a tenth of a second when I opened the door.) I assured Superman that THE CAT! was very much more afraid of him (not a fan of the little people, our old kitty) and after a bit of reassuring, Batman and I were able to coax the Mini-Man of Steel over with a Hershey Bar. Perhaps we should rename Mr. Peanut Mr. Kryptonite!

Fall Fun

Ok--again....apologies for the poor photo quality (where IS that dang camera manual?) - but wanted to post this mini book I made to remember our Fall Fun (payment to my sweet assistant, Mikayla!)...AND the start of a SCRAPBOOK PAGE because I am IN LOVE with this paper....and I wish I had a better pic to show how COOL the glitter letters look. David--your pumpkin makes me *GRIN* - xxoo!

Desperately Seeking Susan's Fairy Godmother!

Wouldn't it be great to have a fairy godmother appear with her magic wand and "POOF" you have two tickets (gotta take a BFF!) to SILVER BELLA!? Who wants to go?

Forgot the UGG BOOTS LADY!

How cool are THESE? The saleslady in the shoe department at Nordstrom's was sporting these...seems she has a friend who airbrush paints her UGGS for her....$75 per pair (just to paint them...not sure what kind of discount the shoe department staff gets on the actual boots!) She said she has several pairs all painted up. Cool, eh? (Not sure you can tell in the pic, but they had bling rhinestones, too. Jazzy.) When I get old I am SO going to wear purple hats and crazy boots.

Sunday Funday

Fun day with my sister Jackie, niece Mikayla and nephew David.

1. Trip to pick up some pumpkins and then lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger.


2. Home to carve the pumpkins....
   
3. Quick trip to the mall - Nordstrom's, more specifically. This led to a new pair of UGGs and new winter coat for Miss Mikayla...and a demo at the MAC counter of eyelash primer...(which of course I had to buy after seeing the BAMBI-LIKE lashes it created.....and what is new mascara without a new pot of eye shadow...."Plum Dressing" - YUM-o.)

Fun day! Love you guys...cannot wait for our next shopping day/lunch at ZODIAC, Mikayla!! xoxo

More apron love....and a NEW! PINK! IRON!

First--my latest apron creation for my dear friend AIMEE... how about my artsy pics? You have no idea how many times I had to maneuver the folds to get the closeup shots with a STRAIGHT SEAM showing.... but my sewing motto is "STRAIGHT IS STRESSFUL" so to receive a gift of my sewing labors is to accept that philosophy. It's art, right? And I am perfect just the way I create, 'cause Donna D told me so. In person. More than once.

So back to my friend Aimee. We had another fun class together yesterday at MLPA....(thanks for the YUMMY ORANGE AND PINK BAG OF GOODIES, AIM!) Our class was a 5 hour Karen Russell lecture on Photography (or --"if you haven't read your manual yet, DO IT NOW.") Good grief that woman can TALK! Whew. I listened closely (even tho' I had the dinkiest lowest-grade camera in the room!!) and took good notes. Just in case I ever really DO decide to figure out how to USE my dinky camera. Or someday wake up with a burning desire to figure out what SLR means and then become obsessed with owning one. Because I really do want those fab-o pictures. I am just too dang lazy and impatient to figure out the whole camera thing. Really. Which is a handicap for the scrap booking hobby, I realize the conundrum. OH! And I WON THE DOOR PRIZE --ADOBE ELEMENTS!! Go me! So now...when I actually DO get a good photo I can use the DIGITAL BRUSHES I HAVE BEEN HOARDING!! yeahhhhh! (and no, I did not have to dance on the table to win it. But I think I may have ruptured the eardrum of the gal sitting next to me when I SHREIKED when my number was called! (Sorry about that, Amber! It isn't still bleeding, is it? I am kidding, people! I am not THAT loud!)

OH! And a few more goodies from yesterday. You know about my IRON and the YANKING OF THE CORD causing the "on/off on/off" funfest if you don't get the plug in just right? Well I asked the DH to please do his Ralph Nader bit and research the options for a replacement....gave him the "must haves" and he actually went to Bed Bath & Beyond with the 20% off coupon and bought me a NEW! PINK! IRON! How cute is that? Rowenta to boot!! Go me some more!

And lastly---while in Michael's buying some purple cardstock for some invitations---I just HAD to find something worthy to use the 50% off coupon that was expiring....so I bought a rotary cutting board for my sewing!!! Next coupon will be the good rotary cutter wheel like the quilt shop lady uses. Perhaps it will help with my straight lines issues! (Sorry for the crummy photo quality. As you can see, I still haven't read the camera manual!) And now I am off to the Pumpkin patch with Mikayla, David and Jackie! xxoo

Week 42 - Emily Art Deck Challenge - GRATEFUL

I am a few weeks behind again in the Art Deck challenge, but this week's came easily (mainly because I totally "scraplifted" Emily's idea!). The prompt was GRATEFUL and in keeping with Emily's suggestion, I have been jotting down something each day. So far this week:

SUN: Grateful for a day to create *heart* - Halloween costume for Mikayla & Sewing!

MON: So grateful for all my BFFs at work who make it all so much better.

TUES: Grateful for a surprise email from my mom : )

WED: Grateful for dinner date with Rob at Fioravanti (one of our favorite restaurants that we don't go to often!)

THUR: Grateful for Rob waiting for me at home at the end of the day - and today, with a SURPRISE (a Quilting magazine!)

Thanks for the great prompt, Emily! I am so grateful for you and your blog!

Lots more to be grateful for: for Rob leaving the porch light on for me on the nights I work late and it is DARK when I get home....for good books to read.....for lots of creative projects to work on.....for emails from sisters and friends.....for BFFs who listen patiently and lovingly....for nieces and nephews who make me smile and laugh with their stories and emails and text messages and phone calls and Facebook silliness...for good hair days when you really need them!.....for WEEKEND plans to look forward to.....for dinner plans with friends tomorrow night....for my cool new ORANGE cell phone with TEXTING KEYBOARD.....for a stack of fat quarters and fabrics waiting to become aprons!

Got Pincushions?

Seamstresses need pincushions, right? Who wants one? These are working in tandem with my apron obsession...I really do need one in every room. This one will sit on the end table next to my chair where I create/craft while hanging out with Rob (as opposed to hanging out in my corner of the basement). Loving the Bleeker Street fabric line....not sure I like the beads around the edge...(should I have used the velvet rickrack?)

*Trick or Treat!*

How clever is my niece, Miss Mikayla, with her Halloween costume idea? She is going to be a "Movie Theater Floor." She will dress in all black, and we made a "half-sandwichboard" (front only)....black foam core, adhered black sparkle felt squares for the "carpet;" along the edges are mini lights that you twist to turn on--they are supposed to last for 8 hours. Then the fun part---gluing down a popcorn box, candy boxes and "spilled" bits of gummy bears, Milk Duds, a wad of bubble gum (yes--it's real---I chewed and glued!) and SnowCaps. (The fresh popcorn still needs to be added to the popcorn container.) I think she got the idea from a magazine...she and her mom bought all the pieces and Mikayla and I put it together. Her brother David is going as JACK SPARROW. Arrrrrg! How cute does he look? They had a neighborhood parade today--so he was in full regalia.....(big sister did his makeup for him, he tells me!) I*love*HALLOWEEN!

(Note how TALL my 12 year old niece is compared to her shortie auntie!)

*For my baby sister*

Hope you like it, Nik! I am feeling like making a QUILT now....what do you think?

Love you, LaLa! (eek! don't show that closeup to the seamstresses in the family!! yikes...straight is STRESSFUL!)

Can we talk about this FABRIC?????

OK...where to start? First...the DRESS FORM PINCUSHION? How cute is that? And then...this FABRIC. Why are there no shops NEAR ME (like two steps outside of my front door, maybe? Or right next to Starbucks, perhaps? Come on...just how many times can I walk around JOANN FABRICS bemoaning the lack of GOOD FABRIC?)

So about this fabric. It's Heather Bailey's Freshcut(TM) for Free Spirit. And! And!...SHE IS GOING TO BE AT THE INSPIRED EVENT! Now I know I stumbled upon her blog at some point--or maybe a post somewhere about her studio -- which is DREAMY -- but I don't recall why I didn't learn more about her at the time. But now I have. And I am totally lusting after ALL! THIS! FABRIC! I am going to be on a MISSION THIS WEEKEND to hunt down a shop that carries it (because NO, I do not want to order online....I want is NOW)...thus far the two in my area listed on the website are no longer in biz (or at least their disconnected phones lead me to assume.)

But seriously--you must see her blog. And I must have all this fabric.

And so to bed....to dream of pretty pretty princess projects!

Creative License Class with Donna Downey

Ok--real quick --posting these pics from Saturday's class for my sis and Aimee - will write more later - for now--lunch break is almost over (w o r k is a four-letter word.) Going to use this for my INSPIRED. event journal. LOVE THIS PINK AND ORANGE PAPER! (Redid the binding ribbon--the silk was too wobbly---used it to attach some WISHES on the inside front cover to hide the button closure stiches...) Front needs more BLING...but how gor-gee-ous is that PAPER? I would love a whole ROOM wallpapered in it!

Apron Addict

That's me. I want to make a drillion of these!! And I really want some Amy Butler *-- or Joel Dewberry fabric - but the instant gratification monster in me won out again today as I zipped over the JoAnn Fabrics to see if I could score some toile. No luck with the color I wanted, but I did learn that they carry Tracy Porter fabric! (and it was all on sale for 30% off. yippiee!) And thus, I give you "Apron, Take Two." (Just the middle and right pockets are Tracy Porter.) I added the velvet rickrack (attached with beads) . I think it needs more bling - I need to get my buttons out and jazz it up some more.

* Hey Aimee! Go to the Amy Butler site!! Manufactured purses available for purchase - 50% off special pre-holiday sale! Oh dear. We need these.

I *HEART* Aprons

OK...I bought the REDVELVET ART kit in MAY because I had! to! have! that! APRON! I have been wanting to make one ever since seeing the fabulolus Rebecca Sower's - how gorgeous is that?? So it has only taken 10 months to cross THAT ONE off my list (how do these chicks get SO MUCH DONE?) - and it was SO FUN. Started at 7:45 am...finished in about and hour and fifteen minutes (and that was with an iron that is on the fritz because - uh--should have listened to mom when she told us NOT TO YANK OUT THE PLUG BY PULLING THE CORD FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. Riiiiight--in theory--that is rationale. In my life? When I wake up late for work every other day? Who has time for that? OK....so lessoned learned.)

Back to my apron-loveliness. THANKS to the Red Velvet gals for cutting all the fabric and providing great instructions with photos--cause I really am not a seamstress. I like the IDEA of sewing....but I still have to refer to the dang manual to thread the machine. And of course there is the bobbin issue. So, yes...I am a spaz and my patience level is ZILCH. But I fumbled along and I am pretty happy with it (just please don't point out to me that the pink fabric is oriented the wrong way.) I will be sporting it at my class today at The Crop Room with DONNA DOWNEY. Go me!

Can we talk about the JOURNAL REVOLUTION again? And the FAUXLAROIDS?

...because I am so loving these! How cute is this picture of my SIL with her Pebbles hairdo?? She is turning FORTY this December (no way) and this is the front of the invite to the soiree. Yummy cardstock has a great metallic sheen - the color is called "pomegranate" but I think I'd call it raspberry. And the font? Why that is called "Brady Bunch" - and how groovy is that?! So loving the JOURNAL REVOLUTION book. Get it and JOIN THE ARMY!

Loving Daisies

Love daisies. Love my new Life is Good daisy bag. And I really love the new tv show Pushing Daisies. Kristen Chenoweth singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You" -- how fab is THAT? (And I now want a GREEN kitchen. The flooring in the piemaker's shop....YUM. Lovin' the green.)

{edited: Jack - speaking of green...I had that paint thing all wrong! The colors were Benjamin Moore's OLIVE BROWN and MEADOW VIEW}

Halloween * Bellaween

If only the WEATHER would realize I am READY FOR FALL. This 87 degrees and hazy hot and humid stuff is not what October is supposed to be all about. Bring on the chill....Halloween is just around the corner and I am LOVING the Somerset Studio September/October issue - especially the *Bellaween* art book and this DREAM IN COLOR collage by Julie Molina - OMG - how gorgeous is this?! Talk about inspired. I wish I didn't have to sleep - and I REALLY wish I didn't have to go to w o r k tomorrow (that wretched 4-letter word).

I AM GOING TO INSPIRED. ARTIST WORKSHOP!

I am so excited....I am going to Donna Downey's INSPIRED. ARTIST WORKSHOP. Thanks, Aimee for pointing out the payment plan option! I wish you were coming with me!

whooo-hoooo!!!