lovely {blog awards}

i've gotten a few bloggy awards passed my way lately and it's time to share!

lauren elizabeth sent me this:

{share ten true things about yourself}

read my list here.

c.favorite vintage finds sent me this:

joey.big teeth and clouds sent me this:

thank you so much to my new bloggy friends for sending some love my way :)

and now i'm passing it on

the honest scrap award to:

brandi.not your average ordinary {always cute with great photos and finds}

kathryn.a nerd and a free spirit {a fellow young couple, the title says it all}

one lovely blog award to:

sarah.auburn street {my best friend and true lover of all things vintage}

caroline.salsa pie {adorable creative blog}

the heartfelt blogger award to:

joanne.the balancing act {great blog about life from a great friend of mine}

wendy.red boots {i love her 'letters to 16-year-old self me' series}

go check out these bloggers and send them a little love too!

still with my family

thanksgiving was wonderful! {as always}
i'm staying at my parents for a couple days and don't have my computer anymore so i'll have to share my family photos and stories a few days from now.

i hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
see you soon

my favorite thanksgiving story

my parents have always been planners. so when i was in 7th or 8th grade they decided it was time to update their wills. in order to do this, they talked to each me and my siblings {2 sisters, 1 brother} about what we would want left to us.

we were all together for thanksgiving that year as well {which doesn't usually happen} and i was talking to my older sister and said , "yeah, i talked to mom and dad about their will, and i told them i wasn't sure what i wanted, but i know i want that lamp"

big sister: "wait, what lamp?"

me: "you know, the one with the dancing lady and the colored glass"

big sis: "no way! i told them i want the lamp!"

then my brother walks in.

brother: "what are you guys talking about?"

big sis and i explain about how we both asked for the same lamp. to which he responds,

"well neither one of you are going to get it because that's the only thing i asked for!"

big sis: "i'm the oldest! i should get it!"

me: "oh yeah, well when did you talk to them, cause i asked for it first!"

brother: "i love it more than either of you, so i should get it!"

meanwhile my little sister has come in, and jumps in on the action:

"what?!? you mean you guys all want that lamp? cause i want it too!"

at this point we're all laughing hysterically, along with my parents.

i have no idea what it is about this lamp that we all love so much, but we really do. i'm sure my parents have had it for almost 40 years, so we all kinda grew up with it.

{marble base, bronze figurine, porceline face, hand blown glass in italy}

my mom's solution is to just break it so none of us can have it.

i wish everyone a wonderful thanksgiving, with lots of new stories to share!

my favorite holiday

for many many years now thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. i've often thought it was very under-appreciated, but i think that may partially be because, while i love it for all the traditional reasons, i have many of my own too.

{thanksgiving '07, sister.me.hubby}

my parents are salvation army officers {simplified, they are pastors and social workers put together} since the holidays are such a time for giving and charity you can imagine how busy my household gets. well, actually maybe not. i know the holidays are crazy for everyone, but in my house it was the most stressful time of the year {and not something we really looked forward to}. my dad dropped us off at school and came home after we went to bed so it's safe to say we saw him most on sundays when he was behind the pulpit. my parents were organizing volunteers, managing bell ringing, over-seeing christmas adoptions, angel tree gifts, food baskets, christmas parties for staff and volunteers, and much much more.

this is of course on top of traditional holiday extras such as orchestra.choir.chamber concerts and friends' holiday parties.

i lost my family during the holidays, and my sister and i usually lived off pizza rolls and frozen pot pies {which i can't complain about because i thoroughly enjoy}

so for me, thanksgiving is not just about what i'm thankful for, it's really about family. it was our family's last hurrah. our last home made meal for many weeks, or actually our last meal together for weeks. it was the weekend we actually got to enjoy the holiday spirit. the presents were all bought {there was no time for shopping after black friday} we always decorated the day after thanksgiving and if the tree didn't get up by saturday, it didn't make it up at all {and yes, that happened once or twice}. after that, it was just a marathon run to christmas day. yes, in my family we counted down the days until christmas for a very different reason!

so even though my parents' positions have changed and christmas doesn't bring as many stresses and obligations as before, and i've moved out of the house {but still eating pizza rolls and pot pies} thanksgiving will always have a very special place in my heart. it always reminds me that though i have many things to be thankful for, the one that out weights all of the others put together is family! i'm going home tomorrow to be with my parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and i can't wait!

what makes thanksgiving so special for you?

purse goodies!

here they are, the bags i made early this week. they are going to t-la-re (and if they never sell then they'll go to my etsy shop)

corduroy slouchy bag

the colors are a little off, but i'm digging the brown.red mix

 clutch made from vintage ribbon {with yellow lining}

small houndstooth handbag with round studs

clutch with ric rac {with large snap closure and orange zipper}

patchwork tote, lined with vintage material

{with magnetic snap closure and interior zippered pocket}

psychedelic wristlet made from vintage material 

{with large snap and zippered pocket} 

so that's it for now. thanks for indulging me in my self-promotion

comments? critiques?

spoiled plans

well friends, nothing worked oyut as planned taday. between working last-minute and hubby coming home earyly, iwas not able to do many things on my list.

and now, hubby is writing a paper and watching the k-state.nebraska game on our nice big desktop and i am updating on his tinu laptop. really. one of those new really small laptops that are perfect for taking to calss and taking notes, but not so great for me (if you cant tell, i'm having trouble tyoping on the tiny keyboard)

also, i can't upload nmy photos onto it, or use my flickr account, so i have to wait to show you the bags i made earlier this week.

but it's all worth it to have josh home a little earyl! we ordered a large onion.tomato.pineapp.e pizza tonight and ate it all.

it was good. and i guess we were pretty hungry.

and i got a new bloggy layout :)

oz museum!

stopped by the oz museum yesterday and it was awesome! i think the photos speak for themselves (i took way too many so i tried to narrow it down a little)
$4 for students and you get to see all this:

hand beaded ruby slippers (hundreds and hundreds of swarovski crystals)

so much oz memorabilia! who doesn't want this tea set!?

the characters were surprising well done, and very realistic

i'm in love with these old stuffies. how cute! maybe some day i'll try to make my own

the most amazing handmade quilt. so much detail! it's incredible.

it is displayed in the museum's theater that shows the move 24/7

i do believe in spooks. i do believe in spooks. i do i do i do i do believe in spooks

it's good to be the wizard

in short, i would recommend it! everything is really well done, and very organized. and of course, lots and lots of kitch. and i love me some kitch!

side trip to wamego

i went to visit the doctor today in topeka and i actually enjoyed the drive a lot (a nice sunny day) driving through farm fields, and seeing old farm houses. then, on my way home i made a little side trip to wamego kansas. a tiny little town (of approx 5000 people) and it was adorable! i'm kinda in love with small town kansas.

the oz winery- next door to the oz museum!
(don't worry, i went in and took a ton of photos, but i'll post those later)

the old mill. already decorated for christmas. how quaint.

the wamego museum (next to the old mill) i didn't have time to check this one out, but it looks sweet.

and then, walking around downtown and checking out various antique stores and local shops, i came across the cutest store! it's full (to the brim) of purses and jewelry and i'm in love with the way it's decorated. hopefully this will give you the general idea:
new york fashion exchange

the second room- twall wallpaper? vintage black and white prints? i could live in there

don't forget to look up! i love these ceilings and matching chandeliers, understated but very chic

(sister.in.law, i bought your christmas present here :)

stay tuned for photos of the wizard of oz museum! (you won't be disappointed. probably)

today

...i took a break from my crazy sewing schedule to attend to everyday details that i have been pushing off since sunday (buying toothpaste, putting on clean clothes, going to work, you know, the usual). i don't plan on doing any more sewing until next week. i got six new bags made and i'm pretty happy with that (i'll be posting photos soon)

...i'm going to bed early because i'm exhausted! i still can't breath properly, and i get winded from doing normal shouldn't-be-such-a-big-deal things (taking the trash out, talking too much, walking up stairs, you know, the usual) but the good news is i'm going to topeka (state capitol, at least 45 minutes away) tomorrow to see an allergist.asthma specialist! yay for being normal again! i fully expect to return with a hand full of prescriptions and i'm praying the good doctor won't tell me we need to get rid of one or both kitties!

...hubby made our first fire in our fireplace! very exciting! (he was way more into it than me, but coughing fits make me cranky, so you can't trust my reactions today)

you're now looking at a local artist

i've got such good news!
a local vintage shop here in manhattan is going to be selling my bags! wa hoo! excited noises!

i'm ridiculously excited and i've been sewing like a mad woman!
it has seriously become my new full-time job. i'm sewing 9-5 (or more like 10-6) at least for this week and i'm loving it even though hunching over the sewing machine is making my back hurt. (not that i'm complaining!)

anyway, i've got four bags done (since yesterday) but i'm not ready to post any photos yet.
so until then, you can check out my etsy shop
and i've been included in the kansas etsy team treasury- so cool (you can leave comments on this page)
and you can check out t-la-re, the store i'm soon to be featured in :) i wish you could all come visit and celebrate with me and see just how darn awesome this shop is (with or without my stuff in it)

i'm leaving you with my photo booth shoot of me and my favorite hat.
or as it's become, my "thinking" cap

i don't know why i love it so much. i may or may not have slept in it last night, too.

simple pleasures

i've been making mental lists again and i thought i'd share some of my life's simple pleasures

1) a good nights sleep

>
possibly one of life's best simple pleasures, no?

2)hot showers

>

i love taking nice (and i'm sorry to admit) long showers.

it's like a mini bubble bath. and who doesn't love a good hot bath?

3) smiles from strangers
>
one of my favorite things about kansas so far is how friendly everyone is!
one smile can really perk you up, and it reminds me to smile too :)


4)sense and sensibility

it's no secret that i love jane austen, and while this isn't my favorite book of hers, it is my favorite movie. emma thompson and kate winslet? amazing!
and i'm also in love with the new bbc version which is longer, giving you more to love.
is it weird that in my top 10 list of favorite movies i have two versions of the same book?

care to share some of the simple pleasures on your list too?

girlfriends

tonight is my first girl's night in manhattan (so excited!) and it's gotten me thinking about girlfriends.


me and my little sisser (the original girlfriend)

i always considered myself lucky because, while i did my fair share of dating, i never had my heart broken by a boy. not really. but by a girlfriend. that's happened to me more than once, and boy did my heart break into little pieces. how could it not? when you're close to someone as sisters, share you life's joys and heartaches- it's hard to understand when they turn their back on you.

our culture knows all about break-ups and how hard they are, but how many songs are written about the end of a friendship? how many movies are all about the heartache that comes with losing a girlfriend? there is no road map to overcoming that kind of loss (and betrayal). it feels pretty lonely.

high school girlfriends!

we all know the term "frenemy"- someone who is your friend, but deep down they're really your enemy. someone who secretly competes with you and doesn't have you're best interest at heart. i think it's so sad that girls have this competitive nature with each other. i find myself fighting off those competitive and petty impulses sometimes when i should really be supporting and encouraging!

college girlfriends and roommates (dressed in black after an orchestra concert)

does anyone else know what i'm talking about?

when i moved to michigan it took me years to open myself to becoming best friends with someone again. and it's sad. i've moved on now, and done a lot of healing, but it still hurts to look back on those friendships and see what i've lost. i still don't always know why. it's hard not to blame yourself (i still do) but i think i've learned how to be a true friend again, and i owe it all to my girlfriends! because even though i've been hurt before, they're still some of the most important people in my life and the girls that helped pick me up when i was down. i learned how to trust again.

so to all my girlfriends (you know who you are) today i am thankful for you and i miss you all dearly! know that i don't ever want to take you for granted.

(and we're still girlfriends even if we're family :)

vintage adventures

i went exploring in vintage manhattan today and it was great! so many little finds and places i want to spend the day exploring in. i have a million photos to show you (and even more i wish i had room for) better yet, come see me and we can explore together!

second thyme around

the grand ol trunk
this place is huge and organized. it's amazing :)
i love looking through trinkets

vintage patterns!
this little treasure reads "recommended for knits"
i may have laughed out loud.

the bookstore
did i mention that all three of these shops are right next to each other?
that's how we do it in kansas- economical!

every nook and cranny is filled with books, and it's so well organized

the music room

tons of old magazines and life magazines.
(the owner said this is all the life magazines they have left from boxes and boxes full.
they're a hot item)

a room full of vintage books. i love the bindings

here are the goodies i came home with
(just a couple small things)

i love the orange ribbon boarder featuring composer names
(and of course the whole stringed instrument thing)

vintage postcard of the jerfferson memorial and dogwood flowers (one of my favorites!)

the stamp says "mailed in the pentagon"
to libbie, from mable and walter.

i have more to share, but it deserves it's own post, so you'll just have to be patient!

it's like a sweater for your forehead

today i gave myself bangs.

boredom can be a very dangerous thing

oh, and did you notice my grammy's silk scarf?

moms are the best

and crafty moms are even better!
this weekend i came home with tons of goodies. i raided my mom's crafty storage and anything i asked for was mine!
let me show you:

tons of buttons

piles of ribbon, piping, lace, bias tape and ric rak

zippers galore

gromets, studs, snaps, buckles and other various embelishments

and then it gets better!
my big sister left me tons of scrapbooking stuff.
tons.

specialty scissors, extra large shape punches, cutting blades, star flower and oval guides of all sizes, corner punches, acid free markers, paper cutters, boxes of double-stick tape refills and photo corners

packages of 12"by12" papers (double-sided) 12"by12" cardstock, tons of stickers, labels, velum, ect. and a satchel to hold them all in. seriously, this photo does no justice to the amount of goodies!

not pictured:
piles of fabric (mostly vintage), 2 dresses my mom made in college (read: vintage, homemade, awesome!)
many spools of thread and bobbins

and:
vintage necklaces, silk scarves and brooches from grandma

needless to say, christmas came early for this girl.

about a mouse

i had an amazing weekend.

one of those weekends where every moment is good.

hubby and i went to a poetry reading at a local art gallery on friday night, then headed to omaha for some time with my family on saturday. and even though we were only there for 24 hours it was wonderful!

so much laughing my stomach still hurts.

josh was doing homework most of our time there,

but we got to spend some quality time together on the trip there and back.

i love traveling with him because i can call a three hour car-ride "quality time" and he makes it seem so much shorter! i'm so glad that after 2 years of dating and 3 years of marriage we can still talk for hours.

anyway, one of my favorite stories from the weekend involves my dad.

background: my dad loves christmas lights, and takes great pride in his yearly (very classy and beautiful) displays.

he also has a terrible habit of breaking things (such as ribs, ankles, and heads) and falling off ladders.

exhibit a: one year (when i was around 8) he was putting up decorations, fell of the ladder onto the fence post and broke several ribs.

exhibit b: last year he was putting up decorations at the office and fell off the ladder, badly sprained his wrist and was very disoriented for hours.

this year my mom called to tell me that he fell off the ladder. again. and broke something. again.

it was a mouse.

he fell on a mouse and killed it.

only my dad.

i love him :)

(putting up more lights with both feet safely and firmly planted on the ground)

"it's just so subtle it's like japanese soup" - tim gunn

my best bloggy friend, and real life soul mate sarah awarded me with the sugar doll award!

my first award ever, and it's so intimidating! i'm pretty sure i don't deserve it,
but are the required 10 things about myself:

1: i would rather spend an evening at the opera than the movie theater

2: i could eat breakfast food all the time. in fact, i would prefer to.
(although along those same lines, having dessert for breakfast is the best!)

3: i love being married! and i don't care how codependent it makes me sound but
my life would be boring without hubby



4: i hate my hair. i hate fixing my hair. i hate washing my hair. it's all boring.

5: no matter how unmaterialistic i try to be, i always want a new pair of shoes. always.
(scarf tied oxfords from anthropologie)


6: i secretly wish i could dance really well. like fred astair and beyonce.



7: i go to hobby lobby and see things i need, not things i want

8: even though i own (love and adore) both of my kitties, i still consider myself a dog person at heart.



9: thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it always means time with great food and family. the best combo ever! (closely followed by chocolate and peanut butter)

10: i want to grow up to be like a woman from my church in michigan, but she doesn't know
(cute, crafty, award-winning crafty, stay at home mom, and did i mention adorable?)

so now i'm passing it on to:
joanne at the balancing act

grand opening!

my shop is open!

i'm so excited!

what do you think? thoughts? ideas? dislikes? likes?

i really want to know what everyone thinks.
what is your favorite?
what do you think needs work?

oh, and tell your friends :)

this is the way i clean the house

it's no secret that i love musicals. i grew up with them.
and cleaning the house is one of my favorite times to indulge in the addiction because:

1) josh isn't home so i can blast the music as loud as i want (loud!)

2) it makes me feel like the perfect 50's wife
(i don't really know why)


3) i often break into dance, which always makes cleaning more fun

here's just a few of my favorite tunes i just can't live without.
watch a couple. it's guaranteed to make you smile :)

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

comfy, but dorky

i may or may not have gone to the fabric store, the bank and the library today
dressed like this:

favorite socks, favorite shoes, jeans rolled up

and my favorite hat. ever.
it's my equivalent of a security blanket and i wear it whenever i'm not feeling great. like today.
which seems to be becoming a chronic problem. i blame the asthma.
it really sucks, not getting enough air :(