paisley wallpaper

the end :: a new beginning

2010-07-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

the time has come to move on. it's been nearly 5 years since i started this blog, and it's time for a change. oh, don't worry, i'm not quitting, just moving! (to a self-hosted wordpress blog) yea!

head on over to the new site and check it out! there are a lot of great new features! the new home will also involve a few changes. while i’ll still be posting photos of the day as well as my other daily features, i really hope to introduce more crafty tutorials, before & after projects, and free downloads for all to enjoy.

oh, and don't forget to add our new site to your blog reader so you don't miss anything!

july 9, 2010 :: nighttime waves

2010-07-09T14:00:00.001-05:00

family friday :: campground visit

2010-07-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

over the long weekend we went to visit some friends at a campground near our home.

the boys had a blast. they enjoyed flying through the woods,

hanging out on the wood post barriers,

and walking on the beach.

and who can end a day without laying like a wet noodle on a wood post? not these boys!

july 8, 2010 :: shakes

2010-07-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

thrifted :: folded measuring stick

2010-07-08T09:07:00.000-05:00

this week's thrifty find is a folded measuring stick. i found this beauty at the same flea market as my tea box. it's actually from the same vendor! it was marked $15 but crossed out and marked down to $5. when the seller wouldn't budge on the price of the tea box i asked if he would throw the ruler in for free. when he said "yes", i was stoked!

not sure what it is about these old folding rulers, but they grab my attention every time i see one. i think it's the wood/metal combination along with the amazing old patina. this one unfolds to 72 inches!

fresh snapped photos :: a 40th anniversary costume party

2010-07-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

i had the outrageously amazing opportunity to shoot some photos at an event this weekend. it was a 40th anniversary costume party at the most gorgeous venue i've ever seen in my life. it felt like i was in italy, right here in wisconsin! crazy. the party was at a private residence that was built in an old quarry. the tall buildings you see are what used to be the old kilns for the quarry. i got to climb a very scary, wooden, spiral staircase up one of them and take some shots from the top. (you can see part of the old rail road tracks that used to haul the stone out of the quarry on the very top of the first photo) here are some of my favorites. you can see the rest here.

here are two of the 4 kilns all lined up making the property look like a castle.

i'm not really sure what's behind the curtain, but people were going in to try on costumes for the event. could have been a whole other room back there!

this is what i walked through to get to the very scary spiral staircase i mentioned above! that's the inside of one of the kilns.

one of my favorite things to photograph of the day was this fortune teller's wagon! love, love, love everything about this thing!

i somehow amazingly caught a rainbow in this shot. not sure how as it wasn't raining.

one of the rooms was filled with marionettes hanging from the ceiling. eerie and cool all at the same time. that same room held a secret little room that opened when you pulled the right book out of the bookshelf! seriously, this place was amazing!

i love the bare parasols with the ribbons blowing in the wind. such a beautiful and simple decoration.

more of my favorite wagon!

and here are the king and the queen of the evening. happily married 40 years.

you can go check out more of the venue and the other attendees' costumes here.

july 7, 2010 :: brothers

2010-07-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: stainy

2010-07-07T09:44:00.001-05:00

*the baby enjoying a few moments with a friend's buzz lightyear action figure.

we have another food-related that's what he said wednesday today. seems the baby is full of them lately!

last night we were having dinner that included beets from our CSA crop share. i warned the boys that they should be careful not to get them on their clothes because they would stain.

after taking forever to eat his dinner and being prompted to eat MANY times, the baby finally broke down and said he couldn't possibly eat his beets because they were "too stainy".

july 6, 2010 :: in the middle

2010-07-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

things i want tuesday :: crocheted necklace

2010-07-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

amazing crocheted necklace from lavenderfield just made it on my things i want list! :: $46

in other news :: holiday weekend

2010-07-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

i'm still enjoying a long holiday weekend today with some great friends, but i thought i'd leave you with a little eye candy! i enjoyed taking some photos of our little friend wren (daughter of mari at small for big). i also had my first paid for photo shoot this weekend! i'm eager to go through the hundreds of photos and start picking my faves. but for now, time for more holiday! see you all tomorrow.

photo of the day :: month in review :: june

2010-07-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

a couple days late, but here's the june photo of the day, month in review.

july 2, 2010 :: dandy delphinium

2010-07-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

family friday :: angry face

2010-07-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

definitely not the best quality photo in the world but too funny not to share. lately, every time the baby sees me with my camera he says: "take a picture of my angry face" and then begs to see it on the camera screen afterward. here's one of his best.

july 1, 2010 :: fantastic floral

2010-07-01T14:15:00.000-05:00

in other news :: home made laundry detergent recipe

2010-07-01T11:00:00.002-05:00

if you follow me on facebook or twitter, you may have heard me mention that i was going to attempt to make my own laundry detergent. i was shocked at the responses i got to my posts! everyone wanted to see how it turned out and try it themselves. i did two loads yesterday and things seemed to come out a.o.k. i didn't notice any residue or anything crazy on my clothes and they came out smelling clean. so, here's the recipe for the detergent i made:

this recipe makes a total of 10 gallons of liquid detergent (although, you only need a 5 gallon bucket, you'll see why later)

5 gallon bucket with cover (we got ours at home depot for about $3.00)
4 cups hot tap water
1 fels-naptha bar of soap
1 cup super washing soda (by arm & hammer)
1/2 cup borax

grate the bar of soap into the 4 cups of hot tap water over medium-low heat until it's completely dissolved. (this bar of soap is much harder than i expected. grating it took some time and a lot of muscle. next time i might chop into small chunks with a kitchen knife and then put in the food processor)

next, fill your 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water. pour melted soap & water mixture into bucket along with the washing soda and borax. stir until all powder is completely dissolved. finish by filling bucket to the top with more hot tap water. stir again, cover, and let sit overnight to cool.

once cooled, mix thoroughly and pour into a used laundry soap dispenser until 1/2 full. fill the remainder of the dispenser with water. shake to mix thoroughly. you will need to shake dispenser before each use as the detergent gels.

i didn't use any this time, but if you'd like you can add essential oils to make your detergent smell prettier. use approx. 20-30 drops per 5 gallon bucket.

for front loading washers use 1/4 cup per load
for top loading washers use 5/8 cup per load

as for price, this 10 gallon supply cost us approximately $5-$6 dollars. (that's including the bucket!!!) the fels bar cost approx $2. the borax was about $4. the washing soda cost about $3. the borax and washing soda came in big boxes and we only use between 1/2 and 1 cup for 10 gallons. we'll have enough of those two for about 10 more mixes! so the only thing we need to buy next time is the fels bar.

one thing to note, we had a really hard time finding the super washing soda. i would recommend calling around before you run out to get some. we tried 4 stores before coming home and calling around. so far we only found 2 places locally that carry it. you can always order it online, but it obviously increases the cost quite a bit because of shipping charges. even so, the box will last quite a long time and overall, not add a ton of cost to the mix.

i also found a recipe for fabric softener which i'll try as soon as my current sheets run out! i'll be sure to share if it works well.

thrifted :: kitchen canisters

2010-07-01T09:42:00.001-05:00

i scored these awesome kitchen canisters at the same estate sale where i bought my little chicks and our new chair. (as well as a million other items!) got these on day 2, so they were half off. SCORE!

june 30, 2010 :: cheesy

2010-06-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: headache

2010-06-30T08:59:00.001-05:00

lately, the baby hasn't been eating his dinner very good. it's not so much that he's being a picky eater, he's just distracted. he likes to do things like pull sandwiches apart and eat everything in the middle first....really, anything that will take him longer to eat his dinner. often, when being told to stop goofing around and eat his dinner, his favorite response has been: "but i'll get a headache if i eat it."

*enjoying a muffin father's day morning

june 29, 2010 :: in the wild

2010-06-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

things i want tuesday :: butterfly cuff

2010-06-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

how fantastic is this butterfly cuff? i love that it's not all bright and cheery like most butterfly jewelry....which is definitely not my style.

very reasonably priced at tangentine :: $55

june 28, 2010 :: in knots

2010-06-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

marzipan monday :: fin+roe letterpress lovelies

2010-06-28T09:00:00.003-05:00

with my mom's birthday coming up at the end of this week, i thought i'd take the opportunity to feature some of our great snarky & sassy letterpress birthday cards from fin+roe.

the greatest things about these cards are the unexpected greetings found inside. here are just a few....hopefully one tickles your fancy.

happy birthday :: i'd love to celebrate with you but i'm pretty sure there's an early bird buffet you want to get to.

happy birthday :: on the upside, grey goes with everything.

happy birthday :: in lieu of singing "happy birthday" we opted for a rousing chorus of "the final countdown"

happy, happy, birthday! :: congrats! you're one year closer to yelling at kids to get off your lawn.

birthday wishes :: mine include a pool boy, unlimited funds, and a guest house full of shoes. how about you?

june 25, 2010 :: basking

2010-06-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

family friday :: father's day

2010-06-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

last weekend we enjoyed a fabulous day for father's day. we enjoyed a great breakfast at one of our favorite places in town. then we headed off to a air and vintage car show. we're not big car people, but i think we all enjoy the planes. here are some photos of our day.

they had a flight for life helicopter that the kids were able to crawl up into and get their photos taken. they, of course, thought it was the coolest thing ever. below are some of my favorite planes and cars from the day.

we also went to visit my parents the day before. the boys were grabbing fistfuls of mulberries from grandpa and papa's mulberry tree. they went back several times for more.

we also enjoyed toy story 3 as a family on father's day afternoon. we all enjoyed it and the boys cannot wait for it to come out on dvd.

june 24, 2010 :: waiting

2010-06-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

thrifted :: tea box

2010-06-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

i can't believe it's taken me this long to feature one of my favorite thrifted items of this year! i bought this lovely tea box over a month ago!

i am in complete love with the graphics on this box. from the wood grain patterned background to the the vivid colors of the flowers and the graphic moon label on the front....it's all fantastic!

this thrifty find broke the bank at a whopping $40! much, much more than i typically spend on any one item, but i just couldn't resist.

the inside of the box is completely lined in tin. while i loved he graphics on the outside, discovering the tin on the inside is what really put me over the edge.

i have a major obsession with boxes and drawers of any sort, so this definitely found the right home.

how about you? do you have collections? what are the things you can't resist when you come across them?

june 22, 2010 :: soaking up the sun

2010-06-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: a new pen pal

2010-06-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

this week's "that's what he said" is more of a "that's what he's doing." (if you can't live without a "that's what he said wednesday" post, stick with me until the end....i'll add a little something there)

a good paper friend of mine who also has little boys suggested that our oldest boys become pen pals. via our conversations on facebook and e-mail they sure seem like they have a lot in common, so we thought they'd enjoy writing to each other.

the little dude sent out his first letter yesterday. (to protect their identities, parts of the addresses/names have been removed) he sent it off in a big manila envelope full of things that he picked out for his new pal A.

he started off by writing a letter and introducing himself. since he's still so young, i wrote out a majority of the letter for him and just let him add in the major information. he finished it off with a smiley face made from ribbon and yarn. (he currently has a major obsession and you can find smiley faces just about everywhere on his artwork)

then, he picked out some stickers from his collection to send along as well. (unfortunately for little A., they're all halloween stickers.) sorry A.! he also wanted to send A. a paper airplane. i attempted to make one that wasn't up to code, so we had to wait for daddy to get home to make it "better". lastly, he drew a picture of him and A. sitting at tables in their separate homes drawing pictures for each other.

i'm really excited about this and so is the little dude. hopefully this can be the beginning of an ongoing friendship.

--------

and for those of you who are dying for a typical "that's what he said wednesday post", here's a little something i posted on facebook that got a few good laughs:

the other day, the little dude and the baby were eating lunch together. as they were eating i overheard the little dude explaining the life cycle of a grape to the baby. "see, grapes can do two things. they can either turn into grape jelly, or they can turn into raisins."

june 22, 2010 :: delightful dome

2010-06-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

things i want tuesday :: simpli jessi dolls

2010-06-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

ok, i'm not a doll person. not at all. but as soon as i saw these, they captured my heart. as a mother of boys i especially appreciate the fact that there are boy dolls as well.

seriously, the character in these dolls blows me over. they all seem to have such a personality of their own. i want one of each please!

i found the lot of dolls on trunkt but then followed a link over to her etsy shop where you can snatch one up for yourself.

simpli jessi :: $64

june 21, 2010 :: bountiful

2010-06-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

marzipan monday :: mindbloom

2010-06-21T09:48:00.001-05:00

today i'm going to introduce you to my new goal tracker. i use teuxdeux a lot, which i love for my workday to-do list, but for my everyday goals, i found mindbloom is really fun. yes, i'll admit, it's a little cheesy, but i find that the accountability is really working for me.

i'll give you a little rundown. basically you start with a little sapling. your goal is to keep your sapling alive and add new leaves to grow your sapling. you do this by completing your goals and adding new goals. if you complete your goals, your leaves turn more and more green. if you fall off your goals, they start to turn orange and brown. it's basically a fun way to keep accountable. i know that if i don't do my goals for the day that my poor little leaves are going to turn brown, and the competitive side of me won't let that happen.

you can see my tree there in the middle of the screen. i have several different branches which equate to different areas of my life such as work, leisure, and family. each little leaf is a goal in that area. so far this simple little program has been good at keeping me accountable.

wanna join me? let me know and i can send you an invite. we can help keep each other accountable through "snail mails" in the program and view each other's trees to see how we're doing. come join me!

(originally introduced to this site by taylor at maryjanes and galoshes)

in other news :: happy father's day :: part II

2010-06-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

and a very happy father's day to my own dad, the best 4-wheeler ride-giver on the planet.

in other news :: happy father's day!

2010-06-20T08:06:00.001-05:00

happy father's day to the hottest 80's porn star i know!

*photo taken at an "80's prom" themed party we attended back in may.

june 18, 2010 :: hidden beauty

2010-06-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

fresh snapped photos :: my very first photo shoot

2010-06-18T11:00:00.001-05:00

last night i met one of my good friends, kate, down at the lake for my very first photo shoot. she's having a baby any day now and asked if i would take some pregnancy photos for her. i was so nervous and excited all at once. it's one thing to take photos of my kids....if they don't turn out, i can take more tomorrow. however, when it's a scheduled event like this, if they don't turn out, there's not really a second chance.

this photo was actually a happy accident. it wasn't planned, but when i saw it, i moved quickly to capture it before anyone moved! my friend's hubby was just watching the boys while i took photos of her and they were in the perfect spot to snap in the background. i love how sometimes the things that are the least planned turn out to be my favorites.

we took a few full-family shots as well since everyone was all dressed up and looking nice. kate and i actually met when we were both pregnant with our oldest boys. they were born 6 days apart! her second boy is a little older than my baby, so when we get together it's a house full of rambunctious boys! to top it off, the little one waiting to be born is another boy! (apparently we like sticking with what we know best!)

she also asked for a photo of the two handsome boys together. her oldest is completely opposite of my little dude when it comes to taking photos. we had to pry a smile out of him while my little dude strikes a pose as soon as he sees me with a camera in hand! i like this photo because it looks a little more casual and not so posed.

kate and her hubby karl sharing a sweet moment together in the sand.

another unplanned photo that i like. once again, karl was trying to keep the boys contained while kate and i took individual photos. in my book, there's nothing sweeter than father/child photos.

there are more photos from the shoot on my flickr site. feel free to check them out if you'd like to see more.

family friday :: pom-pon garland

2010-06-18T09:00:00.007-05:00

if you follow me on twitter or facebook, you may remember me talking about teaching my little dude how to make yarn pom-pons. he literally spent 4 straight hours making them once i taught him how. a project i thought i was going to be doing myself was almost entirely finished by my 5 year old!

here's what i ended up doing with all the pom-pons he made. we made 3 different sized pom-pons in 6 different colors. when they were done i strung them on yarn.

once they were all strung, i hung them up with small nails around 2 walls in the boys' new shared room. i have a few more left that i want to hang from their new (used) bunk beds. once the bunks are spruced up, i'll share some photos of the entire room.

june 17, 2010 :: fallen

2010-06-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

thrifted :: bingo ball

2010-06-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

i found this vintage bingo ball at a thrift shop a couple weeks ago. in case you don't know what a bingo ball is, it's where you put all the numbers for bingo. the caller spins it around and the next number comes out of the little rotating cup.

i found the bingo ball and immediately knew what i wanted to do with it. i brought it home and made it the perfect home for my grandfather's childhood marbles.

what would you put in a bingo ball if you found one?

june 16, 2010 :: in the clover

2010-06-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: the planets

2010-06-16T09:39:00.001-05:00

we're big fans of they might be giants in this house. their kid's music is so much better than all of the others that make you want to gouge your eyes out with spoons. i love hearing the kids' renditions of their songs. here's the little dude (with his new super-short summer haircut) singing a portion of their how many planets song. (not sure what's up with his pronunciation of uranus....usually he says it right!)

june 15, 2010 :: one layer at a time

2010-06-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

download :: father's day card

2010-06-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

it may be a little late to order your father's day cards online, but how about downloading your very own customizable card right here, right now!

i've designed a downloadable father's day card for you that allows you to customize the text to say anything you'd like! here's the front!

and here's what the whole thing looks like when laid flat.

all you need to do is go to this link and click on "download". (you'll have to sign up for a free account if you don't already have one) open up your file in adobe acrobat reader (which is free if you don't have it), and click on the text to edit it. type in anything you'd like and then print it off on your home printer! cut it out, fold it in half and you're all set!

things i want tuesday :: kid's art

2010-06-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

via the lovely world of twitter, i found an amazing local (to me) artist. kim haller of kilsook makes amazingly cute/adorable/sweet-tastic artwork that i want to plaster my boys' room with. here are a couple of my favorites.

check out her shop and buy some!

june 14, 2010 :: layers

2010-06-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

marzipan monday :: father's day cards

2010-06-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

father's day is coming up this weekend. we have a bunch of great cards (including an option for step-fathers). time's running out, but if you order today, we'll be sure to get them out to you in time for the weekend!

these are just a few examples of what we have. check out the father's day section for all our available options!

june 11, 2010 :: open

2010-06-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

before & after :: planner

2010-06-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

i hear the question "how did you think of that?" a lot. or, "if i only had your eye for things."

i think sometimes people get too caught up in what something looks like now instead of looking at things for what they can be. so many times, the things i get the most compliments on, are the things i pick up at a garage sale for next to nothing and transform. i think it's mostly because i'm someone who's good at seeing the potential in something. i'm good at ignoring the horrible paint job or the tiny hole that could be repaired and instead look at the "bones" of the item. does it have good form? is it well made? would it look better just by changing the color? these things are so easy to change and can make such a huge difference.

i've shown you a few of my more involved transformations, but i thought i'd start to share with you some of the really quick and simple things you can do to everyday items to make them fit your needs. (without taking a lot of time or breaking the bank!)

for example, the other day i had to head to the office supply store to get a new small planner for my purse. as i looked through the stacks and stacks of horribly designed planners i started to get frustrated. it seemed that if the cover was nice, the inside was horrid. if the inside looked nice, the cover was awful. i settled for the one where i liked the inside the best since that's the part you can't really change. i decided i would alter the covers when i got home.

here are the supplies i used:

my simple planner on the left with the plain grey cover.
a ruler
a rotary cutter (or scissors, xacto knife)
super 77 (i highly recommend this spray glue. other glue may work, but this glue is sure to hold!)
whatever you want to cover your object with. don't get hung up on this part. i printed out a pattern i designed but if you don't have the ability to do that, think outside the box. use a page from a magazine, book, fabric, etc. there are a million places online to download other people's designs, often for free! (please make sure you have the right to download other's deigns. just because it's on the internet doesn't mean everyone has the rights to it!)

start by measuring the cover of your book and cut your paper to the size required. i made mine a little smaller than the cover itself i also quickly rounded the corners of my paper with a scissors to match the cover. once your covering is cut to size, simply spray with the spray glue and press to adhere. voila! you're done!

the whole project probably took 15 minute to complete and that includes taking photos along the way. super simple, quick, and easy! and now instead of a plain vinyl cover, i have a customized planner that's sure to get comments when i whip it out of my purse.

fresh snapped photos :: update

2010-06-10T20:58:00.000-05:00

i'm very excited about having my shop back up and filled with photos again! here are just a few of the photos available in my shop right now!

june 10, 2010 :: almost there

2010-06-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

thrifted :: vintage ceramic doll

2010-06-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

check out this little cutie i found last friday! she's made of ceramic and captured my heart even though i'm not typically a doll person. at all. i just love everything about her.

if anyone knows anything about her, feel free to let me know!

i paid more for her than i usually would, but she was at an estate sale rather than a garage sale which makes a difference in pricing. she came home with me for $10.

june 09, 2010 :: bowing

2010-06-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

june 08, 2010 :: royal petal

2010-06-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

things i want tuesday :: swarovski crystal ring

2010-06-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

how amazing is this vintage swarovski crystal ring? i think it would look amazing on my finger. (hint! hint!)

jorgensenstudio :: $46

june 07, 2010 :: cilia

2010-06-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

marzipan monday :: print in store program

2010-06-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

i mentioned an exciting new project i'm involved in back in april. the print in store program from a fresh bunch was launched at the national stationery show last month and was a huge success. i thought i'd share just a couple of my designs that will be included in the launch of this program in just a few short days!

june 04, 2010 :: ready to burst

2010-06-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

family friday :: first fire of the year

2010-06-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

last friday while i was out doing my usual thrifting, i came across something we had been looking for since last summer....a fire pit! sure, we could have bought a new one, but knowing that i searched for one and ended up scoring it for $10 makes it even more fabulous! $10 for a fire pit! can you hear my excitement? so during the long holiday weekend, we enjoyed our first family fire on our patio.

we started out with some good old-fashioned hot dogs over the fire on bamboo sticks. the boys gobbled them up before we could even get ours made.

after dogs, we moved on to roasting some marshmallows for s'mores. i cannot even begin to tell you how excited the boys were about this.

the little dude got the first one off the fire and his face thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. he loves getting into his food. i love this particular photo because you can just see the enjoyment on his face. (sorry to the little dude, this was the only photo i had that didn't have major glare in his glasses. they're a major pain when photographing him.)

while the little dude was working on eating his s'more, daddy tried to help the baby roast his first marshmallow. if you look real close, you can see it didn't end well. i had to take over the roasting from that point on.

watching the baby devour his s'more was a sight to be seen.

there's just something about watching a little kid dig into a special treat.

it's the small things in life that they remember. nothing makes me happier than watching my kids enjoy something new.

finally, just showing off my roasting skills. i'm definitely the roasting queen in this household.

june 03, 2010 :: pure petals

2010-06-03T14:00:00.001-05:00

thrifted :: vintage baby bird

2010-06-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

i usually don't buy toys for myself when thrifting. if i buy toys, they're for my kids. when i came across this little guy i just couldn't pass him up!

i am so in love with the simple graphic forms and overall shape of this toy. it's just so classically beautiful.

plus, when you wobble him, he makes a lovely chiming sound. and with a price tag of .25, i had to bring him home! a small price for such grand inspiration.

june 02, 2010 :: royal spike

2010-06-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

in other news :: storytelling for creative biz success

2010-06-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

although i no longer contribute to the scoutie girl blog, i still believe in tara and her business goals. i supported her first e-book, and wanted to introduce you to a new book she's releasing: storytelling for creative biz success.

i was able to peruse the introduction and second chapter of this book. this particular chapter is full of great info on how to write a great "about page". and, this isn't just for people with blogs, your about page could be on your business website, facebook page, linked-in, really, the possibilities are endless!

and as a little bonus, when i got to the end of the chapter, my own personal "about page" from my business website was listed as one of tara's favorites! what a nice little surprise!

if you're someone who struggles with writing about yourself, (hello, raising my hand!) i suggest ordering tara's book. she's an amazing writer who writes for everyday people. it's easy to read and follow along without having to go back and re-read a million times like some other business advice books. plus, tara's offering a pre-order special that's good until this friday, june 4th. if you order your book by then, tara will personally review & give email feedback on the "about page" assignment. that's a HUGE value!

just click here or on the "storytelling for creative biz success" image in my sidebar and it will take you right to the ordering page for her book.

and if you haven't already read her first book, i suggest getting that one as well.

that's what he said wednesday :: where does tuna come from?

2010-06-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

last weekend the hubby made a tuna salad for the boys for lunch. since i'm not a fan of tuna and never make it for myself, it was the first time either boy really had tuna.

luckily both boys gobbled it up. after they had eaten it, the hubby asked them where they thought tuna came from.

after a long pause and some gear-turning, the little dude questioned: "from a tunacorn?"

june 01, 2010 :: slipping through the cracks

2010-06-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

things i want tuesday :: kinies

2010-06-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

i never thought i'd say this but i think i may have found a cool fanny pack! how cute are these ruffle versions of the old 80's pack? how adorable?

i think this would be a perfect option for my thrifting ventures....garage sales, flea markets, etc. where sometimes space is tight and you definitely want your hands free.

and the option to throw it over your shoulder if you want is just an added bonus!

kinies :: $48

fresh snapped photos :: update

2010-05-31T22:11:00.000-05:00

fantastic news! after a little bit of a hiatus, we're beginning to upload some new photos to fresh snapped photos on etsy! the hubby is once again taking over this task and has uploaded three new photos. we'll continue to add a few new ones each day until all the photos i've selected are all available for purchase.

if you'd like to get regular updates of what's been posted, become a fan of fresh snapped photos' facebook page, or follow me on twitter.

as always, if you'd like to purchase a photo you've seen here that you don't see in the shop, just shoot me an e-mail and i'll set you up!

photo of the day :: month in review :: may

2010-05-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

may 31, 2010 :: s'more please

2010-05-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

may 28, 2010 :: pure joy

2010-05-28T13:29:00.002-05:00

family friday :: pbs

2010-05-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

this week, our first family pet passed away. when the little dude was nearly three years old we got him a blue beta fish. we let him pick a name, and since he was obsessed with curious george on pbs, he chose to name his fish pbs. (sometimes affectionately referring to him as pbskids dot org) it was the first experience with death for both of our boys.

(finding the perfect place to bury his beloved fish)

when we first told the little dude he sort of just brushed it off like it was no big deal. knowing him like we do, we knew that wasn't the end of it. we followed-up with him and told him it was ok to be sad. as soon as he heard those words he broke down and cried. we asked him if he would like to bury him outside which he didn't really understand. since he has no experience with death he didn't understand why we would bury his fish in the ground. after explaining it, we went outside and he searched for the perfect place to bury pbs.

he finally decided that we would bury him right next to the newly planted sunflower seeds "so he can have plenty of shade from the flowers". doesn't it make your heart melt? so daddy and the little dude dug a little hole for pbs.

we all gathered around and we asked the little dude if he wanted to say something nice about pbs. he wasn't really sure what to say, so i suggested he could talk about what a good pet he had been and how much he would miss him. in the end, he decided to just say "i love you pbs."

we marked the spot with a rock from pbs' fish tank so that the kids could go visit him whenever they wanted. i heard him tell daddy later that night: "i'm going to say good morning and good night to pbs every single day."

may 27, 2010 :: wish in waiting

2010-05-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

thrifted :: things to fill my type drawer

2010-05-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

one of my 101 in 1001 goals is to fill my vintage type drawer with fun little items. i went to a HUGE flea market the day before i left for the national stationery show.

here are all my treasures from the flea market. i found a lot of little goodies. it was hard trying to find inexpensive little things. i tried to keep each item in the $2 range because when you have a million little spaces to fill, the cost adds up quickly.

i got the 2 buck/reindeer on the top for $4 for the pair. they're about a millimeter too big to fit in the largest hole. darn. but i think they look just as cute on top. i found some great copper and wood type. i got a few individual pieces like a clown face, and a unicorn and then some individual letters to spell out "fin" and "roe". i found some hand cast lead toy soldiers, a cow, two little white ceramic birds, and a few other farm animals. looks like i have quite the little animal theme going. it's fun to start seeing it come together.

i also bought this super heavy, i assume it's lead, horse. she's so lovely and has an amazing patina. i believe she was once covered completely in a copper finish that you can see on her head and rear legs. i also believe she may have had a real hair tail, or some other sort of attached tail as it's now gone. she's a little too big to fit in my drawer spaces, but she's found a home right next to the drawer and keeps the other animals company.

may 26, 2010 :: standing tall

2010-05-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: dr. protection

2010-05-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

as much as i talk about this little man being such a crazy maniac, he can really be the most lovie-dovie little guy. it's not uncommon for him to ask: "mommy, can i be your lover", meaning that he wants to come on the couch with me and cuddle on my lap. if i'm feeling under the weather he'll say: "it's ok mommy, i'm going to feel you better", and he'll come and give me a big hug.

he was never a particularly cuddly baby, but he's going though a phase now to make up for it. (and i'm going to take what i can get!)

the week before i left for the stationery show, the little dude had a really horrible cough that lasted for a good week. at one point the baby turns to me with concern and says:

"mommy, we need to take finley to a dr. to protect his cough."

may 25, 2010 :: in the sunshine

2010-05-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

things i want tuesday :: floppy bunny

2010-05-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

this bunny and his floppy ears are just about the cutest thing ever! i'm sure either one of my boys would give this guy lots of lovin' xmoonbloom :: $40

may 24, 2010 :: under the blossoms

2010-05-24T14:00:00.001-05:00

marzipan monday :: stationery show 2010

2010-05-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

last week i was away at the national stationery show for a few days. i can't really remember which number this is for me. i think it's somewhere around #7 or so. this year was different for me than in the past. because of all the changes i've made in my business over the past year, i didn't actually have anything to display in a booth of my own. now that my greeting cards are with a distributor and my fin+roe line is available through the english paper company as citrus & clover, i'm no longer in charge of sales of any of my products! i thought it would be a relief, which it was partly, but it's also a little nerve wracking to hand everything over! luckily i think i'm in pretty good hands in both scenarios!

this was my pretty little corner of the whitney english booth where citrus & clover made it's official debut. i love the framed magnet displays where all of the printed samples were hung.

and here's the album itself. i'm so excited to get it into retailers hands and get their feedback.

i spent much of my time at the show with my friends from a fresh bunch. (please excuse the horrible shots, i was working with limited camera capabilities & bad, bad lighting!) our booth was put together in less than a week which just blows my mind! jenny from hen and barley press was a miracle worker!

a fresh bunch had an amazing response to a great new program we're offering called the print in store program. this program allows retailers to print our great designs right in their store. immediate gratification. above are a few shots of some of the different designs we had on display for the retailers to see in person. below, are some of the designs i'm going to be offering.

i have to say that it was one of my most exciting shows ever! even though i didn't have a booth of my very own, i had many extraordinary things happening all at the same time. i'm so excited to see what the rest of the year has to offer! i have a feeling it's going to be a big year for changes in my company!

may 21, 2010 :: fuel

2010-05-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

may 20, 2010 :: wireframe

2010-05-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

may 19, 2010 :: black beauties

2010-05-20T12:26:00.000-05:00

may 18, 2010 :: nest

2010-05-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

may 17, 2010 :: shattered

2010-05-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

alive

2010-05-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

sorry i've disappeared. i'm in new york at the national stationery show and was too busy to write a post letting you all know i'd be gone for a few days! i'm coming back tomorrow, but it might take a few days to get back into the swing of things! see you all soon!

may 14, 2010 :: dancing ladies

2010-05-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

family friday :: wings

2010-05-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

who would have known that some cardboard, string, and 5 minutes could make me mother of the year? i seriously spent 5 minutes making these wings for the boys and they can't get enough of them. (and i apologize for the horrible quality photos this morning....)

they're really good for flying around the house.

and who knew, they're even good for sitting and watching a morning cartoon!

if they continue being such a hit, i may just make some nicer versions. i'm thinking cardboard framework but covered in batting and fabric as they do pose a little hazard when the boys aren't watching where their wings are going!

get some cardboard today and make yourself mother of the year in your own house!

may 13, 2010 :: fruit blossom

2010-05-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

thrifted :: mosaic glass chicks

2010-05-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

one of my goals for my 101 in 1001 project is to find things to fill my vintage type drawer that i got for my birthday last year. the first objects to find their home in the drawer are these adorable little rooster/chick pair. (they're teeny-tiny...only about an inch tall) i found them at the amazing mid-century modern estate sale that we went to a few weeks back. i bought them on the first day which means i paid full price - something i don't typically do at estate sales since the prices are a little higher than my typical garage sale finds. i bought the pair for $6.00....way above my normal thrifty budget. still, i loved them so much, i couldn't pass them by.

scoutie girl feature :: a fond farewell

2010-05-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

my final scoutie girl post is live. check it out.

may 12, 2010 :: petal perfection

2010-05-12T14:00:00.001-05:00

that's what he said wednesday :: smelly sticks

2010-05-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

sometimes kids say stuff that no matter how hard you try you'll never figure out, it will just never happen. yesterday was one of those occasions.

upon bringing the baby downstairs after his nap, we sat and cuddled under a blanket on the couch. he immediately started sniffing the air as if he could smell something he didn't like, and proclaimed: "i smell stinky sticks outside."

may 11, 2010 :: lilac glow

2010-05-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

things i want tuesday :: laptop skin

2010-05-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

i've seen a lot of laptop skins over the years, but this one might actually make me pull the trigger!
karvt :: $35

may 10, 2010 :: weathered home

2010-05-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

in other news :: play money on designing moms

2010-05-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

i have a new post on designing moms! check it out!

marzipan monday :: website revamp

2010-05-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

it's been awhile since i revamped my website. i figured since i have made so many changes as of late, that my website needed to reflect that. now my homepage features all three of my brands with links to information about each. (including a new page for citrus & clover!)

you can find all the stores in which our products are sold in the u.s., links to online retailers, and, if you're a retailer, you can download our current fin+roe and marzipan inc. catalogs!

and, a big shout out to my friend hailey who helped me come up with my fabulous tagline on our new homepage.

my mother's day

2010-05-09T20:45:00.000-05:00

my mother's day in pictures:

at our favorite local coffee shop for mother's day breakfast. i rarely get photos of myself with my boys since i'm always the one behind the camera. i made a point to have the hubby take a photo of us today.

the little dude and daddy paged through a big book about the universe while we waited for our food to arrive. i think that kid is officially smarter than me.

daddy reads the baby a book while i try to capture the day in photos.

my delicious french toast. i almost forgot to take a photo until i was already half way done!

and the boys enjoyed big bowls of yogurt and granola. they scooped it up like candy. it's one of their favorite breakfasts at home as well.

after brunch we made our way to my favorite place on the planet....my parents' house. we chilled the entire day and ate entirely too much food. you'll be seeing some of the photos from their house throughout the week in my photo of the day posts.

to the best

2010-05-08T22:30:00.000-05:00

happy mother's day. i love you.

and to all my mommy friends, and those who hope to someday be mommies, a happy mother's day to you as well.

may 07, 2010 :: peppermint

2010-05-07T13:34:00.000-05:00