more please!

off for a quick road trip to l.a. with joyful to pick up a few (or 55) more yards of this stuff. something big is in the works!

-lindsey

a birthday girly skirt

i made this little girly skirt for a sweet friend who was turning 2. i'm looking for any excuse to make another of these skirts! i still want to make an adult version of this, but just can't seem to find the time.

this skirt is being modeled by the only almost-2-year-old i had on hand - notice the man feet? i have another picture of him picking his nose while in the skirt, but posting this pic of him in a skirt is about all my husband can handle!

-lindsey

for today

i borrowed this idea from ali edwards - that girl is just too much. check her out, but only when you have a full day to spend browsing her archives.

outside my window... my garage is getting filled with someone else's boxes. hmmm... when can i tell you my big secret?

i am thinking... how am i going to get everything done on my list before we head up to oregon next week?

i am thankful for... God's provision - work, healthy family, supportive husband, wonderful friends. when things get so stressful i tend to forget about the things we do have, which are so so good, and really more than we even need.

from the kitchen... seriously? if you know me at all, i haven't been meal planning until, say 5 o'clock each night. even then, dinner has mostly consisted lately of pizza or leftovers. something's gotta give, right?

i am wearing... comfy sweats and a t-shirt (with a hole in the belly, of course). but i did take a shower and kind of do my hair, so i'm feeling good.

i am creating... posies to add to the TWELVE aprons i made yesterday!

i am going... house hunting for a friend. are you catching onto my secret yet?

i am reading... are you kidding me? i don't read much if it isn't on a computer. i know its terrible. i have high hopes to finish some of the home schooling books i started last summer.

i am hoping... that the kids keep playing happily all day (hey, i said hoping) and i can be really productive.

i am hearing... the 3 littles acting like dogs. the oldest is orchestrating their every move. i think there is more talking about what each of them is going to do than actual doing.

around the house... there are cheerios that the boy swept from his tray to the floor - a daily ritual to clear his tray when he decides he's done. so fun. and there are stacks and piles of works-in-progress screaming to get done beofre our trip next weekend.

one of my favorite things... waking up in the morning with a little warm cheek smushed against mine and a tiny arm wrapped around my neck. aaahhh... i hope that never ends!

a few plans for the rest of the week... make some sample products with some newly designed (not by me) fabrics, fill up the shop with more goodies, blow up/fill up the pool - pray for a day that is warm enough to get in it, have a garage sale this weekend (don't come - its all junk. really.)

a picture (or 3) to share...

-lindsey

just chillin'

what? doesn't every kid just hang out on the windowsill? it does have the best view.

now we have to look for daddy to come home from work. do you see him?

daddy's car! yay! he's home!
i don't know who's more excited at this time of day - me or the kids?

what is your favorite time of day?

-lindsey

limited edition posy pins: today's creative blog

kim, from today's creative blog, and i got together & came up with a fun idea: to have TCB limited edition posy pins! her blog is designed so beautifully - the perfect balance of classy and fun - so these posies are a reflection of that.

as of now, there are 20 sets available in my shop. each set comes with 3 posy pins, all are handmade, topped off with a coordinating covered button and finished in the back with a silver bar pin.

but if you can handle being patient, you can head on over to kim's blog and enter yourself in a giveaway to win a set for your very own! head on over, tell her i sent you, and good luck!

-lindsey

invite details

ahoy there, mateys!

these invites are for a baby shower i'm helping to throw for my best friend. the fabric/colors were inspired by the baby's bedding.

i started with the back paper, the brown scalloped piece. it was from a pack of invites i got at a huge discount at target a couple years back (i used a similar invite here). i topped it with a piece of white cardstock (walmart) and printed the invite detail directly onto it (font name: CAC Pinafore). i drew a template of the sail boat - half circle for boat, 2 triangle for sails - onto thin cardboard. i used the cardboard templates to set on the fabric and trace around with a water soluble fabric pen. i cut them out perfectly with meticulous care (ahem), and used a little double stick tape to stick the pieces to the paper. then i used brown thread in my sewing machine and did a zigzag stitch as the mast, and then used a blue thread in a straight stitch as a border around the perimeter of the card.

and did you notice my favorite detail of the card? you have to look very closely!

-lindsey

nautical shower invite

here's just a little peak at what kept me busy most of the day. i'll be back later to fill you in on the details!

-lindsey

updates

- my intent to be purposeful about planning things for the kids this summer is going well, so far. went to the drive-in last week. (my photography skills blow even me away! nearly professional caliber)


- a confession: remember way back when i convinced everyone to get the chore planning chart from motivated moms? i have yet to do it. not even once. that said, i still think its a brilliant idea and plan to do it. someday.
- going to oregon to visit someone special in a couple weeks
- silas is sleeping well in his bed (on the floor). no more crib for the boy who liked to climb out of it a little too much.
- still haven't watched tv, other than at friends' a teeny bit
- the kids only want to watch tv about once a day, and i only want them to watch it about once a day. progress.
- starting to plan silas' 2nd birthday party - maybe a trucker theme
- silas is growing a mustache for the summer


- dr. pepper addiction is growing, trying to stick to one a day
- still haven't started jogging again
- i have another baby shower to throw!
- lots of fun pretties in the shop



that's all i got, folks! its gonna be a looooong week...

-linds

patriotic posy hair clips

only a few sets left!
get these for your girls and a set of patriotic posy pins (almost gone!) for yourself.

-lindsey

something old, something new & a winner!

since we've been talking weddings and marriage around here, i thought i'd show you a great shower gift idea: hostess aprons with matching trimmed tea towels. there are only 2 matching sets left!

and now for the winner.......

Steph:
"We had our reception at my grandparents house which is on a beautiful farm and danced on the driveway. We now live in this house and my kids play on this exact driveway. That was almost 10 years ago and makes me smile every time I think about it. "

this was a tough decision, but this one was so sweet i couldn't not choose it! thank you all for playing and making me smile every time i read a new comment - so fun. when you get a chance, read through the comments for some sweet ideas.

and for my favorite detail of my wedding... hmm... that's a tough one. i must say i loved my dress, and still do. if sean and i were to get married (to each other) again, i would change nearly every other detail, but my dress would be the same. and it was custom made for only $500!!!

so, we're off to the library and fabric store, then a mid-day date for sean and i (YAY!!!!!).
talk soon.

-linds

petal pushers

introducing my newest creation: PETAL PUSHERS!!!

how fun are these?!
these super lush pins, full with layers and layers of petals are so fun to add to your accessory collection.
these currently come in 3 colors: punch, white & natural.

natural

punch

white


these would look great on a plain tank for the summer, pinned to a purse, or even secured to a hair elastic at the base of a ponytail.

go check out the shop for lots of new products, and look here for more updates!

-lindsey

giveaway: sugar plum invitations

did i say giveaway yesterday?

yes, yes i did.
so what's the deal? why did it take me so long?
that would be my computer that decided NOT to work for half of the day.
boo.
but thankfully tech support was able to help out.
yay.

on to the giveaway:

have you ever read the blog she walks in beauty? it is a wedding inspiration blog, but i read it all the time. the pictures are so lovely and becky puts together some amazing inspiration boards. i get lots of party ideas from her blog. seriously, go check it out, it'll add a little beauty in your everyday blog hopping routine.

but becky is not only a blogger, she owns a letterpress business called sugar plum invitations, focusing primarily on printing wedding invitations and business stationary.

here's a little info from becky:
"Letterpress gives a great textual impression, especially if combined with heavy cotton rag paper. It's a unique look and feel that other forms of printing can't match. Each piece is hand fed through one of our vintage Chandler & Price Craftsman Presses. We can make most Illustrator files and PDF files into custom plates from which we print from. We use the Pantone Color System for all our ink, so we can color match to most fabrics and paint swatches."

i want something in strawberry, orange and coral. and pool. and lime. yum.

sugar plum invitations is going to give away a set of 30 personalized note cards! to one of you! so all you have to do is leave me a comment to tell me your favorite detail about your wedding. if you're not married, tell me a detail you want in your wedding. this should be fun! i'll announce the winner in a few days and i'll come up with my favorite detail (or details), too!

-lindsey

***COMMENTS CLOSED! ANNOUNCING WINNER SOON!***

mari robeson home

the pleated poppy is now in a retail shop!
mari robeson home is a great local boutique in downtown arroyo grande,
and i am so proud to have my products displayed in her adorable shop!

going retail in a shop is a big - no HUGE - step for me. have you noticed how bare my shop has been? but i think its a good direction for me to be heading, to diversify my business and customer base. i'm really excited about it!

so, yes, my shop is a bit sparse. but not to fret, i have plenty of new products waiting for me to photograph them (today?) so i can add them to my shop.

so check back in my shop over the next few days. lots of fun things to come.

and go check out mari's blog and her other links. not only does she own a great shop, but primarily is a designer of homes and other beautiful things.

and come back tomorrow because i'm going to have a fun giveaway!

-lindsey

come on to my house, my house a' come on

i can't tell you how many times i want to title a blog post a line from a song or a song title. silly me.

wanna go on a little tour of my house? i can't promise that we'll get through it very soon. as i clean a room i'll take some pics, then do a little (big) post. so we'll get through the house over the next year, maybe ;)


here's my kitchen. the only reason its clean is because i had to take some pictures of it for an interview. seriously, thats the only reason. unless i'm entertaining, it usually looks like this.

the kitchen was a huge challenge in designing and building this house. we had so many obstacles to work around and so many things i was a brat and insisted on. overall, i love my kitchen. i was super anal when we were designing it - i literally made a list of everything i had in my kitchen (bowls, cups, mixer...) and wanted them to be stored in the most logical places for ease of use. example: allthe utensils i use for cooking are in the top drawer next to the stove, while all the utensils i use for prepping food are in the top drawer in the island, where we prep all our food.

the really tall cabinets to the right of the fridge are our pantry. it has a few deep drawers that slide out and some higher deep shelves. then the little door to the right of them, under the upper cabinets is a coffee station. every moring my husband just slides out the coffee maker and when he's done i slide it back in. the mugs are in the cabinet just above and the coffee canister is on the counter next to the little door. i try to be logical.

all the appliances are from a sears warehouse - that's where they send all the floor models that have slight dings and knock a huge chunk off the price. so it all has little dings, but everyday wear and tear has produced its own set of imperfections, so i don't mind them.

the cabinets are custom, only because the space had such size restrictions that we couldn't order pre-fab cabs to fit. that was a nightmare. the cabinet guy ended up m.i.a. halfway through the job. no fun. they are made from paint grade wood and the hardware is from here. the latches are really pricey, so even now, after 2 1/2 years of living here, we still have a number of cabinets without latches or handles.

the wall color in here is the same as the rest of the great room - restoration hardware's silver sage, color matched and mixed by home depot.

the countertop is called caesar stone and the color is concrete. we had originally wanted to do a concrete countertop, but after mixed reviews decided on this. most of the caesar stone color choices only came in a gloss finish, but we really wanted something matte. this, thankfully, was one of the few colors that came in the matte finish. and it wears great! any scratch or stain can be sanded out with automobile grade sandpaper, and daily clean up is done with the scratchy side of a sponge and windex.

the counter is never this clean. never. for the picture i moved the piles to another counter.

for the sink counter we added about 4 extra inches to the depth. i know at the time i had a compelling reason for this, but i can't remember why now. but i still like it. except when i have to open or close the windows - its too far to reach.

the backsplash is made from subway tiles. they are a really beautiful tile with a hand glazed look. we never would have gone for anything but the cheapy tile, but our new neighbor owns a tile store and gave us a deal. and my husband's cousin was our tile guy. love it.

and see that little white box at the end of the counter? thats supposed to collect the odds and ends that gather there. but best of all is the phone next to the box. see any cords or phone wires going to the outlet on the wall? that's because we had the countertop installers drill a tiny hole for the phone cords to go directly under the counter, where we had the electricians install a jack and outlet behind the baskets.

here's where all our everyday dishes are. its nice and close to the dishwasher, but not so close that the open dishwasher gets in the way. the glass on the cabinets is called seeded glass. it has a little bit of an antique look to it with tiny little bubbles. the drawers on top of the counter hold bottles, paper napkins, and cloth napkins. the top cabinets hold my cake plates.

our sink was one of the things i was insistant on. the deep single bowl was a must and makes washing dishes so much easier than a divided sink. and when the babes are little, it makes bathing them really easy. the faucet was a steal from lowes - i think it was just over $100! the 2 dispensers next to the faucet are for hand soap and dish soap. although its not in the pic, next to the soap i always have a bowl of hand towels to dry hands and wipe up spills, which are way too frequent around here!

these baskets are here for a couple reasons: 1 - the break up the monotony of white cabinets, and 2 - to have a psace to dump the things we want hidden. although, in theory, this is a good idea, they realy hold junk we haven't gone through in months and all our other stuff just piles on the counter above. i really need to work on a better "drop zone" system.

this is probably my favorite part of the kitchen - my island. the butcher block counter is used constantly - we cut right on it (other than meat). the sink to the right was a last minute thought that i at first was opposed to. i thought it made the island look unbalanced. i am so thankful for it now! when we are prepping food, the scraps just get wiped right into the sink and there is a little button onthe counter next to the faucet that is the garbage disposal - its called an air stop.

the big center drawers hold: 1- prep utensils (knives, wisks...), 2- mixing bowls, and 3- baking dishes and cookie cutters. the other drawers are false fronts because of the things on th eother sides of the island.

i love having the microwave below the counter, mostly because its out of sight for the most part and not taking up counter space. the drawer below holds all the tupperware type stuff, and the tall cabinet to the left is our trash. it just slides right out.

the cubbies on either side of the island here are supposed to hold wine bottles, but because mr. destructo is still in the it-would-be-really-dangerous-and-stupid-to-have-wine-bottles-at-eye-level stage, we're holding off for another year. or 2. the stools were a christmas gift from my parents and are from ikea. even the broken one in the middle. in front of them is more shallow storage under the counter.

some of my favorite memories are of the whole family (extended) gathered around the island, prepping food for a holiday meal or helping with a birthday party. the kids love to race around the island. sean loves to work at the island on his computer. i'd say i love to cook in here, but i'm just not that great of a cook.

thanks for stopping by! hopefully i'll have another room to show you soon!

-lindsey