Collecting Cards

I'm a card collector (horder.... which ever term you prefer). I have been for awhile. Cards I, or my husband or kids, have received over the years, cards that I find in the store that I think are fun which I pick up and save for the coordinating occasion to occur. Cards I make, when the mood (rarely) strikes me. I repurposed an old recipe box just to hold them all... but its stuffed full and I need to move on to bigger and better storage devices... or just correspond more, either way I wont be buying any less cards anytime soon. I buy cards that I love, and I dont want to part with, which then leads me to buy another card, and so on, and so on..... anyways, you get the picture.

Etsy has been like dumping a massiave amount of fuel on an already long burning fire!!

I thought I'd share some of my favorite purchases :-)
(and because I'm lazy, and some of the cards are sent, I'm not re-taking the photos but rather using the ones in the etsy listings from which I purchased)

I LOVE Creative Paper Trail !!!!! All of her single cards are only $1.00, and she sells other wonderful goodies like tags and little embellishments that I personally love and use in my scrapbook. I buy so much stuff from her, so often that I bet she has my address memorized. Oh and I dont ever buy just one card at a time from this delightful etsy shop... but rather like 5-10!! .... I'm addicted I tell you! (could be worse... at least its not crack or something like that!)

photos courtesy of Creative Paper Trail

A new and WONDERFUL, I must add, find of mine is Vera June who makes the most whimsical cards ever! I seriously want to frame them and put them up on my walls as art I love them so much!!! Not to mention that she is a wonderfully delightful person.... as a customer as well as a seller, thats always the icing on the cake and always makes me want to come back for more. I know, with every single fiber of my being, that I will for sure be buying from her again and again and again.

photos courtesy of Vera June

I recently bought 2 cards (same design) from Vanessa Cavaco Designs and could not be more impressed. I'm so used to buying boy orientated things for my sons' that purchasing these sweet, girly cards was such a treat. Also an impulse buy, but boy am I glad I bought them because they are just stunning!! Anytime I need a girlie fix I know where to go!!!

photo courtesy of Vanessa Cavaco Designs

Last but certainly not least is this gorgeous card from ValleyKatDesigns. I acctually didnt even buy this card, but rather a print of the exact same image. (which is hung on my wall and shown in the picture from my blog post from a few days ago) She was gracious enough to send this stunning card along with the print, and still, a month later I cant bring myself to write in it. I just love it too much!

photo courtesy of ValleyKatDesigns
So..... does anyone wanna be pen pals?? ♥

Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night

Ok, I admit it. I'm slightly behind the rest of the world. I'm not techo-savvy by any means, although I can figure my way around a computer if need be. I dont really watch alot of TV. I dont own an iPod, because, well, I refuse to pay that much money to listen to music... well that and I'm a mom of two small boys, I have no use for anything that requires headphones. And I almost never get to the movies to see films. God bless DVD's~!

I picked up Across the Universe a few weeks ago and just the other night did my husband and I find the time when the kids were asleep and we weren't both totally exhausted to finally watch this DVD. Now, speaking as a girl who is pretty much irreverently caught up in the eras of the 1960's and the 1970's and also a musical freak (both in the beautiful lyrics mixed with roaring guitar licks sense and the singing and dancing on broadway sense) I LOVED every second of this movie!

The imagery is just stunning! Seriously, watch it! ... its a bit trippy, but thats a big part of the charm of it all. The cast is amazing, and so talented! I admit I was a bit put off when I thought of someone other that the Beatles singing the Beatles songs, but the instrumental re-working that was done of such classic songs is acctually quite brillant. Oh, and these people can sing! The whole thing is just done so beautifully. Its been a long time since I've seen a movie that I've really adored. Most of the crap that comes out today is such garbage, but I guess that's the irony of it all, huh?.... seeing as this movie was influenced by the sounds, people, and life of a different time.

I still maintain that I was born in the wrong decade.

Oh... and the guy who plays Jude.... HOT!!! .... always a selling point :-D

Blog Sponsers

Inspired by my wonderful friend Dancing Mooney I've decided to put a Project Wonderful ad box on my blog! (Yay!) So see that fancy schmancy box on the right side of the page... bid on an ad... with by the way are as low as 0 cents each! Yup, thats right, you can advertise for free if the spots are available! And get you and your etsy shop some exposure!

Etsy Feature - ♥Leoa Design Studio♥

Etsy Feature: ♥Leoa Design Studio♥
Shop Name: Leoa Design Studio

What do you make? I am a painter and printmaker by trade. Currently, I make smaller scale mixed media pieces. Mostly acrylic, watercolor, and/or pencil on paper or canvas.

How did you first pick up your craft? I have been making art as far as I can remember. I graduated from art school with a BFA in 2001 and have in the last few years found my way back to creating on a full time basis.

What are you inspired by? I get a good deal of inspiration from my own life. The human condition and daily life are my biggest inspirations. I try to keep my eyes and mind open to everything. Sometimes I will be out for coffee and hear a fraction of a conversation and it will inspire a painting. Another thing that has served as a great inspiration is being a mother. I find myself looking to my family history and old photographs, which has lead to a new batch of paintings that I am currently working on.

Tell me about yourself: I graduated from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 2001 with a BFA in painting and printmaking. After graduation, I worked at a mutual fund company doing the least artistic thing I could possibly do. When I became pregnant with my son last year, I decided it was time to live my dream and be a full time artist. I run Leoa Design Studio out of my home doing freelance fine art, graphic design, and wedding album design. I still live in Milwaukee, WI with my son Elliot.

Other etsy shops you love:
Pistachio Press
VerreEncore
Wonderhorse
Jacksonswift

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? I think the best thing any artist/crafter can do is just follow their heart and intuition. Don't worry so much about what others are doing or what the new fads are. Just do what you love and it will happen. I am not sure who said this but I've always loved this quote, "Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." That "fire" will come across in the work that you do.

A Little Of Twist This, A Lot of My Living Room Walls

Easter is over, the house is a plastic egg filled mess, and I'm ready for Spring! Yup, that pretty much sums it all up!

I'm having a huge blowout sale at my Twist This etsy shop, trying to clear out old inventory to make way for some of the fun new earrings I've been working on... and so for a limited time I'm selling ALL of my earrings for only $5.00 each. Yep, you read right.... so go and buy em!

Speaking of Etsy, in the past few weeks I've bought some great new goodies and thought I'd share a few of them with you all and how I've put them to use in my home :-)

Top Print by: ValleyKatDesigns
Middle Print by: meArtDesign
Bottom Print by: atwhim

I just love how sweet these three little prints look stacked together, matted and framed! They just bring a whole new feel to my living room (and if I'd have photographed this a little better you'd see that they are beside a window and not just hung up on a stark white wall... but Gage's toys were stacked up and I was making an effort not to photograph the mess) Somehow these three different pieces, from three different artists, with three different perspectives, seem at home when displayed together.

Vinyl Wall Art by: Holly

This is probally the most I'll ever post of my boys pictures thanks to my horrific fear of having photos of my kids circulating the net (which is probally just my anxiety and really no big deal... but hey, I'm the mom!) but we recently got these photos done at the Picture People and the little birdies perched on the frames are just so sweet! Best $5.00 I've ever spent!

Happy Easter ♥

Happy Easter Everyone!... A Little Glimpse into the Wonderful World of Egg Dying at our house yesterday!

Looks nice right... what you dont see is the pink dye that Brayden accidentally spilled all over my dining room table (leaving it stained bright pink until ALOT of elbow grease was applied by my husband) and the smashed egg that kept Gage entertained for the hour or so while the rest of us colored and dyed our eggs that got smeared all over his highchair, the wall and the floor. All in the name of Easter memories I suppose. :-) Life is best unplanned!

Wishing you and yours an amazing holiday full of haphazardly fun ♥

Spring Has Sprung!

The first glimpse of spring has sprung in my yard!

It was so wonderful to see the sun shining today and to see these three little poseys growing out of the ground. I have a serious case of spring fever and its nice to have a bit of earthly, warm inspiration growing along side of my house.

Unfortunatly the weatherman says that tonight into tommorow we are supposed to get 5-8 inches of snow. :-(

But for today, its Spring!

Etsy Feature - ♥Peechy Keen♥

Etsy Feature - ♥Peechy Keen♥
Shop Name: Peachy Keen :) People have asked about why that name, and it's mostly just because I really like that phrase and I think it's cute!

What do you make? I made pins out of felt basically and I embroider the designs. I really like to make cute things, and felt is so nice to work with. It's so versatile, and very easy to sew up. :)

How did you first pick up your craft? I've been embroidering since I was in highschool, or at least playing with different methods like cross-stitching and making friendship bracelets. Over the summer of 2007, I discovered felt, and started making a bunch of 'practice' items I guess and finding my groove with it. I ended up having like 20 of them just lying around, haha.

What are you inspired by? I am very influenced by the music I listen to. Often when I'm thinking of new ideas, I have my headphones in to give me inspiration. I really like cute things, but that is a pretty vague concept by itself. Cute and colourful. Maybe with some sweetness and spunk.

Tell me about yourself? My name is Emma, and I'm currently working on my undergraduate degree. I'm in my third year and just recently made a transition from a rural area to an urban city. It has been a bit mind boggling but a fun experience.

Other shops you love: Oooh I love a lot of people! I feel like the biggest window shopper ever with so many people and items hearted, but it's hard to resist. I love the felt food like Sweet Confections has - it makes me wish I was younger, or had a young kid so I could play with it! I really like Pug Notes because I have an obsession with pugs. I love Melbell's shop as well, especially the thought bubble barrettes!

Advice for fellow artists/crafters: I think the big thing is to be involved and don't be afraid to start up a shop here! It took me a lot of time to gain confidence in my skill, but I'm really glad I went for it. :)

Breathe A New Life

Yup, I changed my blog again! It was too busy and I needed something that reflected the kinda gal that I am!

Lately I've been toying with the idea of meshing my two etsy shops into one, which then sparked me to totally and completely neglect my Twist This shop because of my undecisiveness. So I decided to give it another go and list some new pieces of jewelry and change my banners to better incorporate both of my two shops and breathe a new life into my poor forgotten store.

I've been making earrings like a mad woman lately. I swear it for every pair that I make to sell I make a pair for me to keep. (Which is quite rare because even though I'm a huge crafter somehow I never seem to make anything for myself!) I really missed making jewelry and can't believe that I pushed it to the back burner for so long.

It feels as though I've re-connected with an old friend ♥

Poopy Pants Peeps

My oldest son Brayden and I had some Easter fun today! Now normally, I dont do Peeps. Too much marshmellow, and they get insta-hard literally 30 seconds after opening the package. But last year we discovered the pure choco-marsh-wonder that is Poopy Pants Peeps. (Yeah... I made up that snappy little name right there!) And I'm proud to say that the tradition has continued!
All you need for some marshmellow Easter yummy goodness is a package or 2 of Peeps. (Bunnies work better, but the chicks are fine too, we did both!) a bag of Wilton melting chocolates which I bought at Michaels, and some sprinkles! (And if your kiddos are involved, a whole lotta paper towels!)

Delicious! :-)

The Airport, Bill Clinton, And A Panini

For those of you that dont know, my husband works at our local airport fueling aircrafts and doing runway and airport maintenence. Now we live in a pretty small town, but on occasion we get a few big name people that fly in and out of here thanks to area events, the llocal PITT college branch campus shows, and the fact that we're about 25 miles away from the flight 93 Crash Site. Thanks to his job Mike, my husband, gets to rub elbows with alot of fancy-schmancy people that, believe me, he normally otherwise would not.

Well, yesterday we had a Hillary Clinton rally in town and who flew in you ask? Nope, not Hillary, but Bill sure did!

Now no what your politics are, being that close to a former president and a possiable future First husband is pretty cool.



Anyways, now on to the fun part of my story... After his Vote For Hillary Rally was over, off Bill went back into his fancy plane and flew away....


Usually when someone with a private plane comes into the airport they have it catered, and good old President Bill was no exception. But I suppose yesterday Bill and his crew weren't very hungry and didnt eat their lunches and gave them all to the company my husband works for. (Now mind you, its all men up there, who will eat just about anything that is given to them) And of course they gladly accepted. But I guess no one wanted former President Clintons plain Turkey Panini on Rye, so Mike, the awesome guy that he is, brought it home for me.

Yeah. I gobbled Bill Clintons Panini! (Please excuse the horrid pic of me as it was 12:30 am)


(Trust me, this whole situation was MUCH funnier at 12:30 am)

John and Kate Plus 8

I'm not a huge television watcher. With 2 little boys I find myself pretty busy most days and when the television is turned on its usually on Nickelodeon or a DVD of Thomas the Tank Engine. But lately after the kiddos are asleep and my day is starting to come to a close and I find myself alone and trying to unwind and relax before my husband gets home from his job where he works the late shift I've somehow managed to get myself utterly and totally addicted to watching TLC.

Now I thought life with 2 little boys ages 5 and 1 was pretty crazy, but holy cow did I re-evaluate that assupmtion of my own life when I first saw John and Kate Plus 8, which has now become my weekly Monday night ritual. Well that and a bowl of popcorn or some other wonderfully delicious junkfood!

I feel like I should know these people, they are just down to earth, and somehow (god bless them!) are managing not only to survive but be amazing parents to 8 small children. John and Kate acctually remind me of Mike and myself with their joking and sweet interactions.

Anyways, I was doing laundry this afternoon, after a morning of my 5 year old, Brayden, being sick. He's had a gastro-intestional virus for a few weeks now, that his pediatrician says just has to run its course (which can last for around 6 weeks!!) and is slowly starting to get better, but is still pretty sick. Anyways, as you can imagine the laundry was quite, um, gross. And as I held my breath and threw the sick clothing into the washing machine I couldnt help but giggle thinking about Kate Gosselin last week on the tv in my living room cleaning up the same sick laundry from the flu outbreak at her house... only 8 times over!

I am just amazed by them. They really do it on their own, with the love and support from their family and friends. It is chaotic at times but this family is organized and has a plan, and it's working. I only have 2 kids, and heck, most times I'm just flying by the seat of my pants! The best part is the kids who are just adorable, and so charismatic in their own sweet individual ways. In an age of mind-numbing brainless television, this is a REAL family that I welcome not only in my living room every week, but also in my heart.

Eeep! I've Been Tagged!

Eeep! I've been tagged! Thanks to ara133photography for passing this fun little game on to me! (I'm seriously addicted to these kinda things!)

Ok, so here goes, 7 random facts about myself:

1) Sometimes I long to be uprooted. I partially grew up in the city and miss the sights, the sounds and the smells of it. I like the hustle and bustle of everyday city life and would love to experience living life outside of small town Pennsylvania. And even though my husband said that if moving was what I wanted to do we could, I know that I would be way to frightened to ever leave our support system.

2) I'm a sporadic insomniac. I go through weeks at a time where I just catch two or three hours of sleep a night followed by a week or two of normal sleeping. Sleep is overrated, lifes too short to sleep through it!

3) I've seen every single episode ever made of Beverly Hills 90210.

4) If I go to sleep at night while wearing socks I'll wake up sick the next morning. Acctually I hate the feeling of anything on my feet at all and I'll only wear socks when I'm going out in the winter, any other time I'm either in flip flops or barefoot. I attribute that to growing up in Va Beach.

5) I drink so much Black Chai tea I think its pulsating through my veins.

6) I havent taken a bath in well over 2 years. I dont feel clean after I take baths, something about that whole sitting in my own filth thing kinda creeps me out. I prefer showers.

7) I got busted shoplifting when I was 13 years old. The stolen item.... *drum roll please* a 49 cent highlighter. (I acctually had $10 in my pocket at the time) luckily the store manager took pity on me and just called my mom.

Yup, so the verdicts in, I'm a nutcase!

I'm going to cheat on this game too, because I'm not going to tag anyone, but seriously, you should all do this, because its FUN and gives everyone a little insight into your idiosyncrisies, kinda a glimse at the mad genius behind the craft!! ♥

Belly Laughs

I found this article somewhere a long time ago and I really enjoyed it. While I was cleaning out some of the files on my computer today I came across it, had a good smile, and thought that I would share.

Belly Laughs

As children, we laugh hundreds of times each day, delighted by the newness of living. When we reach adulthood, however, we tend to not allow ourselves to let go in a good belly laugh. Inviting laughter back into our lives is simply a matter of making the conscious decision to laugh. Though most of us are incited to laugh only when exposed to humor or the unexpected, each of us is capable of laughing at will. A laugh that comes from the belly carries with it the same positive effects whether prompted by a funny joke or consciously willed into existence. When our laughter comes from the core of our being, it permeates every cell in our physical selves, beginning in the center and radiating outward, until we are not merely belly laughing but rather body laughing.

Laughter has been a part of the human mode of expression since before evolution granted us the art of speech. Through it, we connected with allies while demonstrating our connection with people we didn't know. In the present, laughter allows us to enjoy positive shared experiences with strangers and loved ones alike. Yet solitary laughter carries with it its own slew of benefits. An energetic and enthusiastic bout of whole-body laughter exercises the muscles, the lungs, and the mind in equal measure, leaving us feeling relaxed and content. When we laugh heartily at life's ridiculousness instead of responding irritably, our focus shifts. Anger, stress, guilt, and sadness no longer wield any influence over us, and we are empowered to make light of what we originally feared. Laughter also opens our hearts, letting love and light in, changing our perspective, and enabling us to fix our attention on what is positive in our lives.

It is easy to laugh when we feel good, but it is when the world appears dim that we most need laughter in our lives. Our laughter then resonates through our hearts, filling the empty spaces with pure, unadulterated joy. We regain our footing in the moment and remember that no sorrow is powerful enough to rob us of our inborn happiness. When we understand that uninhibited laughter is the food of the soul, nourishing us from within, we know instinctively that life is worthwhile.

Go on laugh You know you want to

One Hundred!

Yahoo!! Today I hit 100 sales in my This Old Hen House store~! Well... acctually I broke 100 and at the moment I have 101 sales. What a huge milestone for me! I never imagined in a million trillion years that when I started this little business of mine, this store in particular, in mid-Oct, that it would ever be this successful, this fast! This whole thing started off as a bit of a hobby of mine, as a way to do something strictly for me, which, as a stay at home mom, was not something I was used to doing. But its turned into so much more than that! I've made so many amazing and supportive friends! I'm having a blast doing something that I love and Im having a love affair with paper and beads while doing it! Thank you to everyone who has supported me thoughout this whole crazy little ride of mine!

Its time to celebrate!

Dreaming BIG

It seems with the daily hustle and bustle of my daily life, being a wife and a mom, and constantly devoting everything I am to everyone around me, (without complaint I might add, never any complaint, I love my guys >

1. I've always wanted to live in a flat in NYC... in a high rise with a doorman who wears a fancy uniform. Oh and I'd have some swanky job at the Times too.

2. I want my mothers speghetti sauce recipe! (She's full blooded Italian and makes one mean pot of speghetti sauce but refuses to give up her secret recipie)

3. I want to solve a great mystery and unlock an earth shattering secret, a la DiVinci Code

4. I want to pen the great American novel and do it despite having dropped out of college.... Who needs a creative writing degree to write anyways?!

5. I want to lose 100 pounds! .... tommorow!

6. For once, I'd like to lose all inhibition and be reckless for one night

7. I want to own a Jack Russel Terrier and name him Pepito

8. I want to run in the Boston Marathon, and finish

9. I want to find a cure for AIDS and distribute it around the world, Free of charge of course

10. I want to live in the 1970's for a week

11. I want to build a time machine to make number ten plausable

12. I want one more "family" camping trip at Shawnee

13. I want to sit and have an omlette and tea with my Nana one more time

14. I want to discuss politics with John Lennon

15. I want to sing the lead in a broadway musical (Preferably Mimi from Rent)

16. I want to parasail over the Atlantic Ocean

17. I want to design and build a house from the ground up and set it in the middle of nowhere on a huge chunk of land

18. I want to travel to Brazil and see the Christ the Redeemer statue

19. I want to find the fountain to youth so I never have to die. That way I'll never miss a milestone in my childrens lives.

20. I want to be blissfully happy

Farm Living Is The Life For Me

My husband and I took a little mini-vacation ... an overnighter sans kiddos this weekend to Lancaster, Pa and I thought I would share the AMAZING photos. We originally went there for the awesome outlets, which are oddly enough right in the heart of Amish country, but found ourselves driving through the country and looking at all of the farms and browsing small furniture and artisan shops rather than just all out shopping in our originally planned mass merchandising extravaganza. And boy did we RELAX. It was seriously amazing and nice to get away from everything and everyone for a few days ♥