A New Necklace

 Look at the pretty necklace Charlotte and Lulu gave me for Christmas!   

It starts with amazing packaging (because Packaging is Everything!)

The attention to detail is wonderful! Mustard gold paper, a bit of white ribbon, 

and a golden circle decorate the kraft paper box...which is stamped with the shop logo. 

Then there's a piece of gray, gold, and white paper tucked inside the box.  

It all coordinates so nicely!

The gift itself is so sweet....a tiny, hand embroidered necklace!

A little bouquet of flowers!

Excellent choice Charlotte and Lulu! 

You know what Gramma likes!! 

The background fabric in the photos is actually a beautiful scarf from 

Mandy, Katie, and Mark....they know what I like too!

This pretty, little necklace has inspired me to get busy and make something...anything!!  How about you? Do you need a little inspiration to get going in 2015?
I'm linking up with Elizabeth & Co. today.  There's lots of inspiration happening over there!

  

Quick Craft

I picked this up after Christmas last year...maybe from Target, I really can't remember.  It's been hanging on a knob every since I brought it home.  I need to keep the inspiration in plain sight!

These would be so simple to create...a small (maybe 5 inches) circle of wire, some sparkly garland, and a bit of ribbon for a pretty bow.  Put it all together and you have the perfect spot to nestle a tiny house ornament....cute gift idea, don't you think!!

The House Is Done....

Remember this blog post?

Well look what shipped today!!!

I am so excited!

Now I just need to keep it a surprise until Christmas.

(which, by the way, is 100 days from now!)

I'll share it with you again, once it's in a frame!

Bill's Christmas Gift...The Hawthorne House

Bill doesn't read my blog, so I think it's safe to share my plans for his Christmas gift.  Is it only me...or are gifts for men really hard to buy?  Bill is especially hard to buy for...he doesn't really want a lot of stuff (he thinks I collect enough stuff for the both of us!), and he really doesn't have any hobbies.  He loves to read...but I don't love to only buy books for him!

Wouldn't you know it....that it would be "the land of blog" that came to the rescue! For several years I have followed a blog called With Pencil and Pen...it's written by an artist...Katherine Thomas.  I love her work...it amazes me. The things she can do with colored pencils absolutely amaze me! Her pen and ink drawings are stunning. I just really love all her work!!

A couple years ago Katherine started selling pen and ink drawings, on old envelopes, in her Etsy shop called PostMarkArt.  Last year, on a trip to Michigan, I took a photo of one of Bill's boyhood homes..."The Hawthorne House".  Shortly afterwards I was reading Katherine's blog and it occurred to me that she might be able to use my (not very good phone photo) to create a PostMarkArt piece for Bill. I sent her the photo and she said it would work as a reference photo! She said she could start it this Fall...perfect timing for a Christmas gift!!

Earlier this year we made another trip to Michigan and I was able to get a couple more photos of the "Hawthorne House".  Not an easy feat since no one we visit lives anywhere near this place. Luckily Bill was in a reminiscing mood and didn't mind taking a drive. Mandy was traveling with us and she had never seen the house, so there was my excuse to visit it again. 

Just this past week, Katherine sent me some photos of envelopes she had available...they were all very nice, but I kind of had my heart set on something more personal. I dug around in some of that "stuff" I tend to save and found Bill's old stamp collection. I found a "first day cover" that I'm hoping Katherine will be able to use for the drawing of the "Hawthorne House".

I like that Bill's name is on this envelope. It's addressed to his second childhood home. This photo is of "The Hawthorne House"...it  was his first childhood home.  I think everything will tie together nicely!  I also think he'll really like this gift!

Here's a look at some of the PostMArkArt Katherine has done...I made a collage of four of her custom home portraits...I know "The Hawthorne House" will be equally wonderful! 

I've got my eye on the American Flag on the School Desk piece!

Katherine Thomas...links to her work and information about commissioning it. 

Orange Peels

Have a look at the cute little angel my sister gave me for Christmas.  The dress, hat and shoes are made out of dried orange peels.  I think the 'big smile' is my favorite part.

 

I did a bit of 'googling' and found this website.  I'm not sure if this is where she found it...but the 'big smile' is the same!!

I did a bit more 'googling' and found another website.  'Peel Pals'  look very similar to my little angel...but the hair and wings are different.  I LOVE the tiny feather wings on mine!  

 

I don't think I'll ever look at an orange in

quite the same way again!

 

 

Presents

 Aren't surprise gifts the best!?

Look at the awesome pillow Katie bought for me. 

She thought I needed it....she was right!

So my very first Christmas decoration is on display.

It'll be several days before anymore Christmas decorating happens.

I'm hoping to begin on Friday.

When do you decorate for Christmas?

 

\

See those blocks? 
That was a little gift I bought for myself.

ME and WE.

They are my initials and Bill's initials.

We have the same middle initial - 'E'.

Now aren't you glad you got this bit of information today!



A Bright, Little Squirrel

 

Mandy is not the only one who got a gift this past weekend.  I received a very sweet gift from my oldest daughter Katie.  She gave me this very cute squirrel night light!  I'm not sure where she got it...but if you search for "Woodland Squirrel Night Light", you'll find that it's available at several places online.  It comes with little disc batteries.  In fact, this one came with four of them!

 

Here it is in a corner of my new craft space.  Looking right at home!  Thank you Katie ~ I love it!

 

Happy Tuesday!!

 

 



Another Birthday Blessing or Do Something Creative Everyday



I haven't had much time at all to do anything creative, and it's making me cranky.  It's been this way for months, it's making me really cranky!  When I saw these journal pages on Pinterest I thought this would be a neat way to be a little creative everyday. 

I also thought...."maybe I'll start this in January!"  After all journals usually begin at the beginning of the year....right?? 
But I think my family might be ready for cranky me to go away!

Fortunately some of them start with July!  My friend Tisha found one and gave it to me for my birthday last month, and...so far so good!  I'm managing to be a little bit creative each day!

This image is originally from a magazine called
Somerset Life. My very favorite publication!!
"Do Something Creative Everyday"

Thank you for the journal Tisha! I love a nice chevron pattern!

Here's what I have so far.  I'm hoping to get a bit more creative as time goes on.

No words necessary!

1st entry ~ I'm a night person...but I REALLY want to be a morning person. 
It's so hard to change. But I'm trying!

Remember this post?  Well that finally happened...last night!  More about it in a future post.

 

 

Once I get settled into my new space, and get back to creating on a bigger scale,

I think I will continue to "Do Something Creative Everyday". 

It's nice...and it helps me get over my crankies!!

 

 

 



A Perfect Gift

Surely I'm not the only one who buys "a perfect gift"

without having a clue who it's going to be given to.

 



That's what I did when I saw this adorable container.  The words "with gratitude" and the sweet image caught my eye.  I actually thought, "I don't care what's inside it, I love the packaging that much!

 

So I bought it...a couple months ago. 

It's been sitting on my dresser ever since.

Well, yesterday I gifted it to someone....Me!

Yes, I decided that I loved the packaging

so much that I wanted to keep it.

I loved what was inside too! 

Amazing Grace perfumed shampoo, bath & shower gel.

It smells so pretty and so clean, and it looks perfect in my guest room.

It actually was "a perfect gift"!!

Speaking of perfect gifts...look what else I added to the guest room.  WISH! This wish was a gift from my dear friend Gail.  Actually it was the card that came with the gift she sent.  She ALWAYS finds the best cards.  I popped this one in a frame...gotta love instant art!!

 



A Special Gift

As I mentioned in this post, my mom has a total of 40 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Remembering all those birthdays can be tough...so to make that a little easier, my nephew's wife made her a very special gift for Mother's Day!

 

Isn't this awesome!? Birth dates at a glance.  My mom likes to say she's "not accepting anymore May, June, or July birthdays.  An April birthday would be nice though! 

 

 

 

Bernadette was inspired by this post on Pinterest,

I just love this idea...cute and practical all rolled into one!

 

Wonderful gift Bernadette!!!  I know she loves it!

 

 

Christmas Gift

This pin is one of my favorite gifts from this Christmas.  Bill bought it for me...I just love it!

The little wool house and tree are so sweet, and I love the stitching on the roof! 

 

The beading along the edges is beautifully done, and the door and window are perfectly stitched. My favorite part of the pin is the tiny flowers growing on either side of the door.

 

When it arrived I believe there was some discussion betwen my husband and daughter about the size of it..."maybe it's too large" they thought.  I think the size is wonderful...the pin is about the size of a business card.  When I'm not wearing it, it can be a tiny bit of wall art!

 

The workmanship is so lovely...right down to the little wooly clouds.  The artist's name is Jill and her Etsy shop is called Fiberlucious.   She made a really sweet pincushion that I liked as well....too cute!

 

 

Thanks Bill....I'm wearing it to work this week!!!

Christmas Shopping on Etsy

I did a bit of shopping this past week....90% was on the computer.  Between Kohls, Amazon and Etsy, I've been able to get most of my shopping done. Here's a few things I bought on Etsy.  I must admit that the little red truck was for me.  It's a new Christmas decoration...I show off a picture of it soon!  Anyone else doing a lot of shopping online? 

I love the hustle and bustle of the stores this time of year.  But I just don't seem to have the time to actually get out and shop.  So handmade and online will be the theme for my gift giving this Christmas!

 

Vintage by Kanina's Shop

 Michelle Palmer's Shop

Gus and Lulu's Shop

Gift Ideas

I found some fun gift ideas while browsing through my Pinterest boards last night. These are definitely going on my gift giving list for this Christmas.  Now I just need to do a little more creating and a little less planning. 
Links for each cute gift idea are listed at the end of this post.

 

 



Ponytail Holders   Picture Ornaments  Travel Lego  Starry Nights  Heat Packs

 

A Gift For Me....

...From Me!  I picked up this cute little jar at Anthropologie the weekend we went to The Color Run.  I love it.  I'm not sure what I'm going to put in it. But as soon as I decide I'll be writing "it" on the little black chalkboard.  How cute is that! A chalkboard on a jar!

 

 

I love the shape of the chalkboard!

 

 

I love that the jar is black and white!

 

 

Maybe I'll store chalk in the jar!

 

 

I love everything about this cute little jar.  But you know what I love the most?

I love the green lid!!