Red Velvet Elvis

Does three posts in one day make up for practically three weeks of no posts? ;)

I've been baking! I made my favorite cookies today....

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing. I could probably eat this whole spread of them! But alas, I can't. I have to save them for a Halloween party!

Just like Xmas morning

I had lured Chris into going to the local quilt shop for the first time in his life last night with the promise of Chipotle afterwards. Sneaky, I know.

Well little did I know that our quilt store has an awesome new addition- a scrap basket full of fabric scraps from their kits they make. I'm talking 8"x8" scraps for 10 cents... Talk dirty to me!

I'm pretty sure it was right about the time that my boyfriend rounded the corner to see me sitting cross-legged on the floor digging through a laundry basket of cut up fabric that he definately was ready to sign me into the looney bin.

I desperately tried to explain wonky and string and houses to him. And as I looked up wide-eyed and rambling, he had the best reaction I could have ever asked for. He plopped down right next to me and said "what colors are you looking for?"


What fun is Christmas morning without someone to share it with! :) (I should note, Chris has made it very clear that "while it was kinda cool, I don't want to go with you everytime you go" hehe)

Bon Voyage!

We've been in Miami since about noon yesterday. The warm weather is amazing, considering it's been in the 40's back home!





Behind our hotel is a marina. We sat out on one of the docks just enjoying the peace and quiet last night. It was so nice!

We board our ship in about an hour! I'm so excited, having never been on a cruise I don't know what to expect! I'm looking forward to all of our stops though: Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas,Grand Turk, San Juan and the most anticipated spot (where I'll be spending my 22nd birthday) St. Thomas!

I'll be back next week with lots of photos and good stories and a new passion for life! (doesn't that always happen when you get to enjoy some time away from the daily grind?!)

Bon voyage! See you in a week :)

Holy Cute!

I have to head off to a housewarming bash here shortly but wanted to share with you some of my finds at the antique stores the past week.





Metal kitchen canisters. One for flour, sugar and coffee. I love love love the typography on them!





A rather large box of ball canning jars. Is it just me or does anyone else want to put EVERYTHING in glass jars?!








(I've filled one with colored pencils and another with fabric scraps)


And lastly a hot pink & fuschia tablecloth. I have had a lusting for vintage tableclothed for about a year now. Now (like many of my Have To Have It things) I need to find the perfect use for it.





I also bought a set of 3 metal/wood drafting stools but sadly they haven't gotten their photograph taken yet. Soon!

I'm off to warm a house! Hopefully some packing and sewing will happen tonight! Have a rockin Sunday -Chels

Real job is getting in the way!

This is what I feel like lately! Completely torn. But more on that later. This poor guy was my bischon-poodle mix, Spencer's, favorite toy. He would carry it EVERYWHERE! That is until yesterday when my brother's dogs got ahold of it. Rest in pieces, Cookie!

I want to start up my crafting and start on the journey towards be able to do what I love for a living but it's so hard to make that transition. I spend my 8-4s in front of a computer designing artwork & ads for liquor brands. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but it's not what I yearn to do. I'm a hands-on kind of girl!

I love textures too much to be confined to a computer moniter!

Anyways, I need to get back to work just needed a moment to vent! How have you (did you) make the transition? Did you dive right in or are you taking baby steps? How do you balance everything?

End of the weekend Internet-ing

I hope you all had an awesome fall weekend! Mine was full of baking (chocolate cherry cupcakes and apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies - mmmm), sewing, football and relaxing! My favorite kind of weekends!

Now I'm veggin' in front of my computer finding all kinds of cute stuff that I need (yes, need. I know want is the correct term, but I promise you I need it!)

Numero Uno

Brooke's to die for illustrations that I've been drooling over -- and debating which one, or three I need! You can visit her blog or her Etsy store here to see the rest of her amazing illustrations. She even does commissions of women in their wedding dresses - what an awesome idea!

Numero Dos

Have you seen these Upcycled IBC Creme Soda bottle glasses by Yava Glass ?! I just want to sit in a porch swing & sip lemonade out of them all day long. Well maybe not today, it's a little chilly out. But in my mind it's a picture perfect scene! They do liquor bottles too, I have a set of their Absolut Vodka ones and they are really fun as flower vases! (Even better - the ones in the photo are on sale!)

Numero Tres

Cute flags, right.... but did you look closely? They're maps! I want these! I want theme for every party I ever host from here on out. I will have a closet full! They're kits made by Beppe Martha, a retired nurse. Mama mia, as if maps aren't enough of a sweet spot of mine, you gotta go hangin em from trees!

Ok, ok, I could go on for days but these are my top three. I've got to regain peace in this household. I'm dog-sitting my brother's two dogs this week and let me tell you, they are a handful. Poor Spencer is overwhelmed (my bischon-poodle mix) he's so mellow and just lays around and these dogs want to run and play and growl. What else would you expect from a boxer mix and an australian sheep dog mix?! Phew. I've totally taken for granted having a dog that I can just open the door and let him go out on his own and not worry about running off. I wasn't made for big dogs! Help!

It's a girl!

I wanted to give you the warning now - prepare for lots of pink and baby related posts, as I have a niece on the way! (Congrats big brother!)

I've been anxiously awaiting yesterday to find out whether I'd become a first-time aunt to a blue or a pink. And I'm SO excited to say the macaroni-with-a-heartbeat is a pink!

There she is, waving, probably to me because she already knows I will spoil her in the very near future! Truth be told, I don't know how they can recognize a boy from a girl. You could probably give me an ultrasound of a horse and I wouldn't know the difference. But I printed off a (better) ultrasound photo of her darling little head and body and have had it on my desk at work every since I found out at 8am yesterday!

I'm so excited for the new parents, they will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary this month and I know they will be great parents with a little one come February!

I'm a follower

I've done it. I've hopped on board the wonky wagon. I've been dreamin about wonky blocks for weeks now- I see em on everyones blogs & flickrs and I finally joined the in-crowd!

And for someone who's as much of a control freak as me, that's a big step. Cutting into fabric for a pattern is bad enough, but hackin up perfectly good strips and blocks. Phew. Stress me out! Took a good 10min to wonkify the first strip!!

But... Alas I prevailed. And I LOVE IT! Why haven't I been making these all along?! Next time a hip improv trend comes along can someone make sure I join a heck of a lot sooner?!





I honestly have no idea who designed my beautiful fabrics, they were a fat quarter bundle that I had purchased a few years ago when I first began quilting. The blues, purples, teals and grays seemed fitting for the rainy weather we had today though. (If you can help identify please do, I would love to get more!)

I'm off to chop and sew a few more with Bernie before calling it a night!

-Chels