Happy Anniversary!!

Its been a year today since my fiance and I started dating again, and what a wonderful, crazy, stressful, amazing and inspiring year it has been!

This time last year I was on a plane flying to Austin, tx, where my fiance was living at the time. I spent a week there, and had the best time of my life! I loved the culture and the fun spirit of Austin, and all the FAB food!!

But the best part was spending time with Mike (check out his blog here) , meeting all of his friends and seeing where he worked, lived, and hung out :D

Now a year later, hes moved back here to Florida, and pretty much spent every waking minute (besides our time at work) with me and my kids. We've just bought a house, and are working on getting settled.

So what do you give to the most awesome man ever, who has everything? Unfortunately this year, not much. I decided to make him a little something, and sneak it in his laptop bag while he was showering :D This was my first real attempt at hand-sewn felt, and I think he turned out pretty cute!

Home hair cuts :D

So last night, my oldest son came to me and told me he wanted a Mohawk. His hair was getting long again, and its to think he was super hot all the time (yay for Florida summers.).

So after a squeal of delight from me, I propped him up on the bathroom counter, got out the fiances beard trimmer, and started trimming.

It took forever! His hair is so thick that just trimming it was a total ordeal. We were both very happy with how it turned out though :D

Tutorial: Wearing your baby, a DIY Baby Sling

I finally made my sling! I've had the fabric sitting around since I found out I was pregnant with my youngest, and now that hes 2, I figured it was time to make it (while he was still small enough to use it! lol)

For me personally, it not only lets me be more hands free, but it helps my back, posture and my oh-so-tired arms when I have to carry around my little Zach (AKA the Pit).

Now granted, my little guy is now a big 2 yr old, but there are those occasions when we're walking around a lot and dont have the stroller, these things are an absolute life saver.

Cleaning jewelry with toothpaste

No, you didnt read the title wrong. I said you can clean your lovelies with regular old toothpaste (and I normally use an old toothbrush as well!).

I decided the other day to (finally!) clean out and organize my jewelry box. Its huge, has lots of drawers, and frankly, was so jam packed with stuff that it wouldnt even close!

So as I was going through, I noticed that some of my lovely silver jewelry was starting to turn (i.e. oxidize or turn black). It reminded me of a trick that my mom and grandma swore by. Take regular old toothpaste (I used colgate :D) and smear it on the blackened surface, then rub vigorously! I used one of my sons old toothbrushes that we'd replaced (and for some reason was still floating around the house lol)

Do you ever wonder if you're TOO crafty?

As I look around our new home, I have nothing but potential design ideas running through my head. But occasionally I sit and wonder.... am I trying to do too much?

I can't help it!

Everywhere I look I think..."I could paint X on that" or "I could add Y to that and make it AWESOME!", But when does it get to be too much?

For me, it's when I find several half-finished little projects laying around.

I try to finish one before I start the next, but if an idea is just too tempting, i cant help but want to jump right on it while the creative juices are flowing!

I guess you could call it the "Ooh, Shiny!" syndrome. Or maybe I have ADD or something. I find something that's new and exciting, and the things that I'm working on suddenly lose interest.

Feeling Royal... Purple that is

Im just in a purple kind of mood today. Of course, if you havent already noticed, im in a purple kind of mood almost every day, but today its a little more then normal. 

Im feeling it from the top of my head:

(super sparkley purple headband)

To the soles of my feet:

(My fab purple plaid heels. and yes, those really are my legs, and that is a real tattoo,

 one of many)

So ive decided to share some of the purple love. Here are a couple of purple drenched pics that i totally loved:

I love the mix of shades, and the flowers are gorgeous! via

I totally dig the textured wall coverings, the the way the yellow plate pops via

 

Great idea for leftover bottle tops! (its an earring holder) via

I love anything to do with round paper lanterns via

Arent these just to die for?! via

Super detailed crochet (maybe i'll get this good someday) via

What colors inspire you? 

GG

For Zach... (how far I've come...)

Wow. Today my littlest-little guy turns 2. For our family, today is a day of celebration (and loud, annoying gifts), but for me personally, it’s a day of reflection.

It’s been an eventful 2 years. Frankly, I’ve lost a lot. A father figure (cancer), a husband (divorce), and an internal organ (emergency gallbladder removal). I’ve had to move back in with my mother (which was awesome, cause she’s awesome. But it still wasn’t "fun", none the less). I’ve had to deal with the court system and debt collectors. I’ve even had a mini-nervous breakdown.

But everything I’ve gained through the past 2 years have been so amazing, so wonderful, that all of the bad things don’t seem that bad. I’ve reclaimed my life. I’ve found the freedom and support that I was missing for so many years. I’ve been able to hang out with my mom, brother, uncle and grandma as much as I want. I’ve learned new things, and rekindled old loves. And with my new-found love I’ve been able to settle down into a new home, and a life style that suits us and our family. I’ve got the creative juices flowing again, and now I not only have an outlet to BE creative, but I’ve got a partner to be creative WITH! He really has been my inspiration.