happy birthday to me!

I have been searching for just the right dressform for a good long time now and everywhere I look they are not only expensive, but they just have not been too exciting. Today I went out (my birthday none-the-less) bound and determined to find one, or at least hoping to find one. I did, I did, I did!!! Here she is... now I just need a name for her! I am even more excited because her sister is with my dear friend Jenny, so now we get to share the sisters. How fun!

xo~

more swap goodies and a class

Three, that's right THREE packages arrived today! I am sooooo excited! I know I cannot show anything yet and this is a true test of strength because these artists are just fabulous!! But I will give a peek of one of the packages... Thank you Julie B for the amazing packaging in a vintage cigar box!!! What a treat for sure! Here is a shot of that.

I cannot even express the thought that is put into this artwork and then the packaging of all the girls participating in this! The day of the "big reveal" is just too far away for me! I want to see it now!

More news is that I am getting ready to teach a class at a local Scrapbook Store!!! I am so excited about this new little avenue. The store is called "The Pink Pineapple" and the girls there are all so nice and welcoming, they make me feel right at home. We are going to do a Thanksgiving book full of vintage goodness. Here is a sneak peek at the back:

oh what fun this little class will be! I have to sign off for now, someone has to go check the mailbox for more goodies!

xo~

fire...

Today I finally rode my bicycle to work. I learned quickly that I should do this everyday, I need the exercise. My legs were letting me know just how long it had been since I took them to a decent gym workout and they were not going to let me forget it for even one moment of that short and sweet ride.

On the way home, I saw in the distance a fire burning. It was pretty large and far away but a strange site on a nice October afternoon ride home. The sky was filling up with smoke and I could actually see flames on top of a large hill in the distance.

We went on with our day and in the evening when I was driving home my little girl said with a scared twinge to her voice, "look Mommy!" As we approached the crest of the hill that looks down into the valley where we live and off into the horizon, we saw the fire glowing with darkness framing it. It was an amazing sight. A little scary, but amazing. The fire is burning in an area that is all open and fields so no property or people are compromised. The problem now is that they are trying to contain it before it gets worse.

Please say an extra little prayer for our firefighters fighting this and all those fires out there.

xo~

lookie-ookie!

I am so excited! Silver Bella is quickly approaching and goodies are popping out everywhere! To go with my crown necklace from Natalie Hansen I ordered this from Heather Ales!

you can get one too at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5005200

This is just too much fun!

xo~

fall is in the air... well, sort of...

Living in Southern California has its perks to be sure, but leaves little to be desired in the fall. Trees here are still green, people are still in shorts and flip-flops, but we do our best to make the season special. Today, as we do every year, we went to the pumpkin patch in search of "Mr. P."

Every year, we go there, stand very still in the pumpkin patch and listen to see if we can hear "Mr. P." calling us. We find the biggest pumpkin we can and hoist it into the wheelbarrow, tote him to the scales, guess the weight and somehow get it into the Pathfinder. Once we get it home, my husband and I struggling the whole way get him to his final destination on our front porch to sit until a few days before Halloween when we carve him. We didn't know if we were going to beat last years record, he was 117 lbs last year, but we did. This darn thing is 164lbs! No wonder the whole family had to help getting him into the wheelbarrow!

The kids love this tradition and I have to admit, my husband and I do too. October never arrives soon enough for us.

xo ~