Happy New Years eve!

Tomorrow will begin a new year and a new day. It's funny how certain holidays mean less to us as we get older. I remember staying up all night waiting for the ball to drop! Sleeping over a friends house and sneaking sips of champagne. Stuffing my self silly with h'orderves.

But now it all seems a bit silly. The New years fun has slipped away...but where did it go?

Today has been a bright and snowy day (one of my favorite kind of days). I always seem to get more work done when I am stuck inside. Oh and snow always makes me a little happier! Above is a sneak peek into one of the goodies I have been making. I am even more motivated by one of the gifts Santa left me...pinking sheers! Hurray! I have been asking (and too cheap to buy on my own) for pinking sheers forever! Oh and while I am sharing here are some more cozies that Santa left!

*These are Japanese inspired "Morigami"floral boots

from Sugar Shoes. They are comfy and warm!

*Yummy socks from Sock dreams!

These are of the rugby kind! I love them!

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Now I must scurry to the post and send off some packages! If I don't see you have a Happy New Year!

Cheers!!!

xo

Sugar high and day dreaming!

I hope everyone had fantastic Holiday fun! We did much baking and cooking and it was fun and yummy! I thought I would never say this but, there is to much candy/sweets in my house! Ugh! This if of my own fault and some family and friends. Here are some of the yummy treats I made!

*Homemade chocolate dipped marshmallows!*

*Homemade Linzer cookies*

Everything was delightful and sweet!

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Today I have been cleaning and in a weird way..I can't wait for Spring cleaning! It has been oddly warm and getting me into the mood for cleaning and painting. Well I best for now just straighten up and get to work on my shop! I hope to bring some new items to the shop soon, so stay tuned!

Cheers and have a cozy day!

xoxo

p.s.

(if you would like any recipes please just email me )

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Wow! What a whirl wind month this has been! Bust craftacular was amazing! I had so much fun and it was pleasure meeting so many people (customers, fellow etsians, etsy staff)! I am still trying to recover from the sleep deprivation that came with the craftacular, but it was worth it! I want to extend a huge thank you to all the ity-bity fans that made it a perfect and fun event! I have to say I was pretty nervous about what I was walking into. I had heard all of these horror stories involving tables, parking, and etc. Everything in my case when on with out a hitch! Thank you Bust!

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In other news..it snow like a billion feet here in PA! Ok, maybe not a billion but over a foot. So we have been stuck shoveling and making gingerbread houses all weekend. I guess being snowed in is not so bad after all :)

We have finished decking the halls in our cozy home. Even though our walls are only half painted I still think the tree looks good! Our tree theme color is red/green and kind of woodland. My Husband thinks we need more ornaments, but I like it a little sparse!
This is one of my favorite ornaments (that doesn't go with our theme). It is one of the only ornaments from my childhood. A delicate blown glass ballerina with sparkly Tu-tu! I have to say Christmas is one of my favorite holidays!
This year Christmas dinner with the family will be at our house! So I have been running around trying to get everything just right. Here is the menu I picked:

Apricot/mustard glazed ham

Au gratin potatoes

Glazed carrots

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Linzer cookies

Homemade marshmallows

Chocolate ganache cake

(if you would like any of these recipes just let me know!)

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I hope everyone has a magical Christmas and holiday season! I have many new ideas floating around in my head that I can't wait to share!

Cheers, Lisa

xoxoxox

Today is a sad day. Bettie Mae Page died at the age of 85. I was and still am a fan of Bettie page. All through my High school and college years I adored her. Being a curvy sort of girl I loved the embrace of the soft curves and hips of the pin-up girls of the 1950-60's. Bettie was real. She was any woman, She was you or me.******

This weekend is the Bust Craftacular so I will be very busy.

I will try to be more on top of the blog next week and give everyone updates.

Hope everyone is staying toasty!

xoxo

Last sale of the year!!

Come check out the shop and get some holidayshopping done! This will be the last sale for this year, so hurry and grab up some gifts!

xoxoxo

YAAAAAAAY!

I am so excited and over joyed! Ity-bity bags will be at Bust magazines holiday craftacular!! I was so worried I would not get in! I feverishly kept checking my email all of Friday! Finally word came Friday night that I was in!!! I am giddy like a school girl!

But I do have to say when Sunday rolled around I found my self having a little bit of a panic attack! Just thinking of all the work I have to do in order to get ready (in less than a month) for such a big show! A little over whelming! I guess I just have to take it one step at a time. Crossing my fingers for all of us crafty ladies to make a killing that day!

So if any of you would like to come meet me and shop for some of the best crafty shops around...come swing by The Bust Craftacular on Dec14 th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC!

Smooches and Hot cocoa for all of your support!

xoxoxoxo

Tis the season...

The holiday's are getting closer and closer! I find myself getting a wee bit stressed out about peoples gifts. Not only is it hard finding all the money to spend, but I find it harder to find the perfect gift! I search and search trying to find what I think the person will love. So because I am such a worry wort I try to find ways to ease the holiday headache!

Here are some things to remember..

1. You can't please everyone.

2. Remember to stop and get a snack.

3. If you can't find the item wanted, don't forget the old fall back..the gift card.

4. make wish lists! -Loads of sites now have this feature and it is really easy to compile a list of ideas.

5. Don't forget food. Sometimes it is a bonus to receive a dessert or meal at the holidays. For many this means a day off from cooking!

6. Gifts don't need to be big, or expensive. Sometimes the smallest, but thoughtful gift is the one most appreciated :)

Off I go to bake some lovely coffee cake! I am drooling already!

Hope your day is as sweet as cider!

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Hot coffee and a slice of raisin bread always helps me start the day off right :) I am probably what you would call a coffee addict. It is sad but it kills me to go one morning without coffee! Today it is pretty gloomy out and the cold of winter is starting to rear it's head. All of the pretty leaves are gone now and all that is left is the cold bare trees. The only thing good about all this is it starts the bubbling of Christmas cheer in my mind :)I have already started some of my Christmas shopping and have list of goodies I can't wait to purchase! It has been busy, busy around here with orders and the usually pre-Thanksgiving clatter. This year or family is in charge of all the sides and pies! Yum! So yesterday was a day of revisiting yum recipes!

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Also, last time I hinted at a new little yummy treat to make an appearance in the shop! Well one is already there! Introducing the "Yum Buttons"! Yum food brooches that I adore! I have so much fun making them! More Yum buttons will soon make the shop their home :) This little cupcake is sweet and perfect for a fuzzy sweater!

Time to start some work and put more coffee on! Hope you all have a cozy lovely day!

Cheers!

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So much going on....

I have been truly bad lately keeping up with the blog. First we all got sick with some kind of gross virus :( Then I had some large orders to take care of. I am still busy and over my head (like always) but I finally got to finish so much needed things!

I was so excited to here from Breezy of Needles and Pens! After much sewing and packaging I can happily say my little bags are no available at the Needles and Pens store in San Francisco! It is truly an honor to work with such talented people. I have also been hard at work with some projects I am doing with Lark books (I hope to share them soon !).

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Ok I am giddy about my new business cards! This is not a very good picture, but you get the idea!

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I also have been working on some new items soon that may make an appearance in the shop! These have been so much fun!

Well it is warm here today but rather gloomy. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then heavens to Betsy it will be Christmas! Well back to work I go!

Happy Friday my sweets!

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Burrrrr It's cold outside!

This was the scene from my backdoor yesterday morning. It was cold and cloudy! But today I awoke to snow! Can you believe it snow..In October no less. Today was suppose to be the twon Halloween parade, but no it has been cancelled. Hopefully we can rescedule for another day. I know what would make this day better...Pumpkin pie :) Pie makes everything better!

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I have been so terribly busy as of late. My Son's Birthday, Holidays approaching, orders to fill! What's a girl to do! I guess I should start asking Santa for some of his elves for Christmas this year! I am desperatly trying to have fun with it all and not stress myself out!
Oh and here is the family pumpkin! We tend to stick to the old school style of carving. I love a simple jackolantern on Halloween! After carvimg him we roasted his seeds for a yummy treat! Here is the quick recipe--->

Spray baking sheet with oil
place washed pumpkin seeds out on baking sheet
sprinkle with your favorite spices (I like old bay or red pepper)
place in the oven on 350 degrees for 20 mins
stir occasionally (so they don't stick, and get coated more with yummy goodness)

And there you have it! Yummy treat in minutes!
Have a warm and cozy day!
xoxoxo

I love the fall!

This time of year has to be my favorite time of year! I love the smell of leaves and earth. The colors of everything are so amazing and I find I feel the happiest. During the week we went on a school trip with my Sons pre-school. A trip to the local apple orchard yielded pumpkins and cider donuts! Yum! We had fun but plan to do some family pumpkin picking this weekend.

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I wanted to share some lovely items I picked up last week. I desperately was hunting for the perfect Wool plaid for a special book project, but was having no luck. Fortunately I stumbled on sewing geeks shop on Etsy and found the perfect plaid wool! It arrived in a lovely twine tied packaged and is marvelous!

I also purchased this goat's milk lavender soap from butterflywisper it smells amazing! She also throw in some cute and always useful (and great smelling) almond,honey & oatmeal guest soaps!

Ok my lovelies that is all for today. I must scamper to the kitchen and whip up some Pumpkin pie for dessert (It was requested)! Have a lovely Wednesday and keep warm and cozy!

xo

Cool fall days bring the aroma of the best comfort foods! I know I am not the only one to enjoy all the yummy treats this time of year brings! Yesterday I decided to make some Veggie Chili for dinner. I love this dish so much that I have to pace my self from eating it all! I think chili is the perfect fall food. Beautiful colors, hearty flavor and a little heat!My veggie Chili recipe:

Ingredients:

Plum tomatoes

Kidney beans

black beans

cannelloni beans

2 TBS tomato paste

Meat/ meat substitute

Red onion

garlic

Salt & Pepper

Cumin

Red pepper

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First saute red onion, garlic, salt & pepper,cumin,tomato paste. After the onions have cooked a little add your meat/meat sub. Cook until meat is done.

Next in large pot or crock pot put all your beans and tomatoes. After about 20mins I add the meat/meat sub. Add some water to for desired consistency . Let cook for about 1 hour.

Dish out chili with a sprinkle of Colby cheese and some tortillas!

Yum!

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Now after eating all that yummy chili you will need a nap! So grab your sleep mask and sleepers and hit the hay :)

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

Eek! It is Monday again and another busy week begins. I had a lovely weekend filled with pumpkin pie and the smell of Autumn! I love the Fall! It has to be my favorite time of year. This Wednesday my Son's preschool is going apple picking and I can't wait! I hope they have cider donuts..ummmm yummy!

I did manage to get done a lot of sewing between family visits and pie eating :)

Hey I have been tagged! Twiddlestix's that little minx has tagged me :) So I guess I have to answer some questions. ahhh here its goes....

Here are my 7 random (probably not so weird)facts:

My husband I have been together since we both were in 9th grade.

I like pouring syrup and ketchup on my home fries.

I hate the summer.

I have 4 tattoos (guess where they are!).

I need the bed sheets tucked in at all times.

I have a straight cervical spine.

I prefer black and white movies.

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Have a great day everyone!

Cheers!

xo

Happy Tuesday!

It has been a crazy weekend and past week. I was waiting for my MRI results and feeling rather jittery! But I am glad to say nothing seems bad enough to kill me :P

I did manage to do some Antique shop snooping! I found a really awesome little local antique shop! It was filled with all kinds of goodies that I wish I could buy. I did scoop up these lovelies.

Starting clockwise from the top. The table cloth is from the 50's and is adorable! It has hand sewn little embroideries of cherries! I love it, even though I have no idea where I am going to put it? Next is this also handmade little pair of knickers! I think it is suppose to be a pot holder, but I am not sure. I personally think they will look lovely hanging in my studio :) And last this cute little book called "Whitie: the bunny who's wish came true" I love the illustrations and colors! And as you can see apparently I was on a red/white kick! HA!

Well I am off to do some much needed sewing. I have fallen behind due to all this health craziness! Stay cozy my loves and I will sneak back soon!

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Lovely to see you!

I know it has been forever and a day since my last post! I have been pretty bust around here with all kinds of family things and shop updates. September is always a little crazy at my house. This year my Son started pre-school which is so exciting! Last week we went on our family vacation to VA and tried to relax on the beach :)

Here is a beautiful early morning shot from out porch over looking the bay! After the hurricane left, we had beautiful weather for most of the week. We went to the beach, did some site seeing and ate lots of food. But now it's Monday and I am ready for a new week and to bring in the fall!

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On the way back from Va we stopped in Philly for a visit to the Zoo. My Son loved it and we had a truly wonderful day! Here is a cute fuzzy Gorilla who my Son made friends with !
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As far as shop news goes....I have added some new items over at Ity-bity Bags yesterday. The real news is I have re-opened "The Hollow Stump"! I am so excited (but crazy) that I can finally re-open. The Hollow Stump will carry a mix of Plush, Zines, Badges and more!

Ok. Back to orders, house cleaning, and a little painting for me! Have a lovely Monday sweets!

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Yay! September is finally here! So today I have a little Labor Day sale going on and I am adding scarves!!! Hope everyone is having a fun filled weekend! Fall is almost here and I am so excited!!

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Shoe mayhem!

If you know me then you know I am not the typical girl. Most Women can't believe I only own 4 pairs of shoes, yes 4. I have my sneakers, heels, flip flops and winter boots. I am a comfort/minimalist type of person. But putting all those things a side, I still will oogle at a lovely pair of shoes :)

So to give you a taste of what's in store for Fall here are some of my favs!

(above) These beauties are reminiscent of the 1930's style shoe and I adore them! The colors are perfect and I love the eyelet and sheered border! They are made by Chie Mihara and cost a pretty penny and you can buy them over at Piperlime.

(Above) Now something more on the line of what I could actually wear without falling :) These flats by Sugar are called "birds nest" I love the colors and think they would look great with Jeans or a casual skirt! These puppies are very affordable and you can buy them at Dick's sporting goods!

Last but not least another pair of 1930's inspired shoes that are flooding the market this Fall! The rich brown leather and little laces are yummy! I can imagine these with an awesome pair of knee highs! These are made by Clarks and can be purchased through their website or Piperlime!

And to find some of those awesome knee highs...head on over to Sock Dreams! There selection is mind blowing!

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I am off to sew and tidy the house! A girls work is never done :)

Have a lovely Friday!

Dorm room woes.....

All you Mom's and Dad's out there don't fret! I bet you have a teen going to college this fall and have been overloaded with shopping list of "must haves"! Well not to worry! First things first. Throw out the school list, don't look at the box store circulars they are just filled with crap your kid does not need. So in an effort to help penny pinching parents and style savvy teens here is my basics for college living!

(above) Sheets. These are from Linens and things and cost 29.99-59.00 and come in assortment of colors. They are available in the xL dorm size too! As for the comforter...tell your kid to use the one off there bed (it will fit).

(below) Lamps. Most dorms do not come with lamps. I would buy either a table lamp or floor lamp. Don't spend a ton on some designer lamp that your kid and there buddies will just end up breaking. I picked this lamp that looks higher end, but really is from Target and is priced at $19.00! (below) Drawer liners. Ok, I know what your saying..Drawer liners? Yes. Your kid male/female will have to stick their clothes in a dorm dresser. God knows the last time anyone cleaned that dresser (or what they kept in it)! So unless you want your kid to smell like hash and Cheetos's I would invest in some liners or sachets pronto. These beauties are from Crabtree & Evelyn for $18.99.
(below)Rugs. This is obviously not on the top of the list, but I still would get one. Most dorms have tile floors and are very cold in the Winter. This Rug I found on Urban outfitters for only $28.00! I like the range of colors that would match anything!
Other essentials that every college student should have:
Waste paper basket
Laundry bag
Bath towels
Bath caddy basket
water proof flip-flops (for wearing in the shower)
Robe
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Everything else is unnecessary. I hope this post (rant) was helpful.
Cheers,
Lisa

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting lately, but the family has been trying to kick a bug! Your should I say everyone else kicked the bug but me :( I have been sick now since last Friday and only seem to be getting worse! Who gets a cold in summer anyway? Yuck! So anyway...Nothing new to really report but I have been shopping lately! So below you will find items I have recently purchased and love! Check them out!Here are all my lovely purchases starting with this amazing painting by Artist Harry Stooshinoff. I love it! It is titled: "into the valley" and it reminds me of the beautiful landscapes of upstate NY (even though he resides in Canada). Soon this beauty will be hanging in my living room! If you would like to purchase one of Harry's amazing pieces stop on over to his online shop Paintbox.
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I also recently purchased some awesome soap and lip balm from Volta for my friend Mandi's birthday (Happy Birthday Mandi!). It arrived and I was smitten! I really had to hold myself back from keeping the soap for myself :) The lavender & lemongrass smelled so yummy I wanted to eat it! I also loved how the lip balm came in a tin ( my friend and I have a weird fascination with little boxes). I will defiantly be back to this shop for holiday gifts!
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Alright this is kind of a funny purchase :) My son who is going to be 3yrs loves worms! He digs huge holes in our backyard and pulls out "wormies" and carries them around the yard! So when I saw handsewns super worm, I knew this was perfect for him (he loves superheros too)! I immediately emailed the lovely and sweet handsewn herself and asked for a custom order of three super wormies! To my surprise they were ready and waiting for my shopping cart the very next day! These little wormies make great gifts, prizes or even decor for any child!
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Ok that's all for today. I have to get some cold meds and a nice cup of tea brewing!

xoxoxoxo

Yay!

I awoke this morning to find out that my tote is ready for voting on the craftster 350 challenge front page! How exciting! I looked through all the wonderful submissions by all the different people! You must go check it out! Everyone came up with such unique items! Some of the t-shirt designs are outstanding! So here are some of the pics of the tote I made for the contest! (cross your fingers for me!)

"We are not alone"

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Up close shot of removable Earth zip pouch and critter appliques!
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My favorite part of the whole bag! Mr.Whale eating krill! Yummy!

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! It is pretty cool here and I am really enjoying it! Thanks again for all your support!
Stay sweet!
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Welcome to my jumbled brain!

Everyday I have so many new ideas that I have notebooks thrown around my house filled with all kinds of sketches and ramblings. My Husband says I have craft ADD. So here I am ready to show you some of my handy work this week. I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I have been busy :)

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Here is my newest addition to the shop! Presenting ....Little Luchador thumb wrestlers! ha! I love them! I even whipped up some funky packaging for them! I can't wait to make more of these little guys!

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I have been on a major plush kick this last week! I made a boat full of plushies that are all ready for the upcoming holiday season! This is Marco the bunny (I thought he looked kind of Euro-hip) he made an appearance in the shop earlier this week! Ok lovelies back to work I go!
Have a cozy week !

Hi everyone! It's Monday again and even though I will miss the weekend (sleeping in and big breakfast!) There is a whole new week to look ahead too!

I have been so busy lately with the house and the shop that my poor little bloggy has been forgotten :( So I made an extra effort today to stop by and make a post!

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Today seemed like a good day for some awesome finds that I am swooning over! Oh if I had money to spend..the damage I would do :)

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This adorable and naughty bookplate makes me smile! I love it! I think any book lover would really enjoy these as a gift! This one is called "Don't be a blowhole" by onegoodbumblebee!

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I saw these great bags on Etsy's front age this morning! They are perfect for avocados or other delicate veggies! You get a set of 4 for $20! You can beat that price! So go check out GoodKarma's shop for these awesome bags and other Eco friendly products!
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Ok, I saved this lovey for last! I am beyond pining for this amazing drum lampshade by MasseyandRoger! For one thing they have bunches of awesome budgie themed items, and second they have amazing shades! I love this budgie design and it come in white, aqua, and yellow! How cool would this look over your bed, or dining room table!

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Alright that is enough drooling and wanting for one day! My tummy is asking for lunch and the sunshine is calling my name! Have a yummy Monday everyone!

Tuesday.....

Well it is Tuesday and I hope the rest of the week fares better. It has already been a long and tedious week! My son stepped on a screw yesterday, smashed his nose (which is now bleeding), and I feel like my stomach is on fire!! Ugh! When things get bad, boy do they get ugly! So I am now hoping that the rest of the week is injury and sickness free days and filled with some sunshine and good food! Now enough whining!

I did manage between all of this to get some work done. I hope to get a lot more sewing and other craftiness done this weekend. It has been hard lately with all the renovation of the house, plus lazy days of summer. I am just day dreaming of vacation in September and then all the fun Fall will bring (apple picking, pumpkin picking). Fall and Winter are my favorite times of year! This year should be especially fun because my Son is going to be 3 and now knows who Santa is!!!

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Here is another bean sprout bag that I added to the shop today! It has a little Earth on black and white polka-dot fabric! I love how the white dots look like stars on the black background! I have been busy lately with all kinds of surprise that I hope to share soon( maybe 1 or 2 of somethings that start with the letter B and ends with the letter K!)!

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Below is some lovely little finds from the weekend! I got 4 pieces of lovely fabric that soon shall be pouches and other fun things! I also got some yummy colored felt and embroidery thread (which is always hard to come by around these parts?). I can't wait to start using some of these! Ideas are always spinning in my head, it is finding the time to do them that is the problem :)

Ok lovelies..I hope everyone Else's week is off to a better start than mine :)

Enjoy your lemonade and ice cream before the summer ends!

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Happy Friday!

Yay! It is finally Friday! This week felt really long and I could not wait until it was the weekend! I plan on trying to get some work done to day, but you never know what mishaps you may encounter. As of right now my house is without running water. So main broke and here I sit..waiting. Ugh.

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Today I would like to share some of my favorite blogs that I visit almost daily! All of these Artist/Bloggers always have fun and interesting things to say! So get that glass of lemonade and start reading some blogs!

My Cozy little Whimsy nook

Inside a Black Apple

Kitty Genius

angry chicken

The Small Object

decor8

small stump

Design*Sponge

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Have a lovely weekend everyone!

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