Good Quality Time

Happy Monday!


Hope everyone had a great weekend!


My weekend was pretty low key. The hubby and I decided to stay in on Friday night and make buffalo wings with homemade chunky blue cheese dressing, instead of going out to buy it! It ended up being a FAB idea because was saved money and the wings w/ blue cheese was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! That was the first time I've even attempted to make a salad dressing from scratch and we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome! I definitely recommend the recipes and will post them both soon! We were able to spend some quality time cooking together and enjoy the yummy results! Two thumbs up!!


On Saturday I tried to hit some thrift stores for some inspiration, but unfortunately the list of stores I found online, must have been really outdated. I guess I should have called the stores first to see if they were open, but of course I didn't and proceeded to drive to 2 stores that were no longer there and 1 that only had second hand clothes and jewelry. I was looking for more product and didn't find it. Hmmm...I'm going to have to research my next trip a lot better. Does anyone know of any great thrift stores in NY, there has to be tons!? Preferably within the 5 boroughs or LI??


I'm also happy that I was able to fit some creating time in this weekend and I was very happy with the results. Sometimes when I finish a project, I feel like it's not as great as it "could" be, but I guess that's just me being hard on myself. A trait I've always had since I can remember. Not good, but working on it. I need to learn to just create and be happy with the end result. One day...


I wanted to share a recent Friends card that I made using the Studio Calico kit- Granny's Cupboard from May. Take a look;

Supplies; Textured card stock- Bazzil; Patterned paper- C-thru Ruler Company & The Girl's Paperie;

 Transparency- Hambly; Title- Dymo Letratag; Flower stamp- Studio Calico; Ribbon- Other;

Rhinestones- Other; Decorative brads- Pink Paislee; Distressing ink- Ranger Tim Holtz

For this card, I inked the edges of patterned paper and then stamped a flower image onto it. I drew some stitch lines in the form of stems and leaves with a thin black marker pen and then glued rhinestones to the center of the flower stamps to create a floral bunch. I placed lace on the bottom edge of  the patterned paper as a decorative border. For the title I inked the edges of another square piece of patterned paper, placing it diagonally with decorative brads. Then I used a decorative transparency with textured card stock placed behind the transparency and typed the word "Friends" using my Dymo Letratag and placed it between the textured card stock and transparency. I then punched small holes along the top part of the patterned paper (about every 1/2") and threaded a twill ribbon through making knots on both ends to hold it in place. Finally I adhered the whole piece of patterned paper to the actual card to create a clean finish and no mess on the inside.

That's it for today, I'm on my way to work for an hour and then headed to Ohio on business until tomorrow night. Have a great Monday! Until next time-

Summer Camp is here!!

I have to share my excitement with you because my new Studio Calico scrapbooking kit- Summer Camp arrived this past Friday which means it was the BEST day of the week! I love when I get my new collection because it is sooo inspiring and gets me in the creative mood! It's colorful and full of fun goodies!! I love Studio Calico, they are so great at coordinating the whole collection to be cohesive yet fun and full of surprises! If you haven't experienced a Studio Calico kit, you definitely should, it's worth it!

I receive a new kit at the beginning of every month and have one whole draw from one of the organizers in my craft space dedicated to them. I usually take everything out of the package and admire it for a while, thinking of all the possibilities and creations, then I put the whole kit in a big zip loc bag and label the kit name and date. This helps me stay organized and keeps each kit together with all it's components so that I always know what I'm using for each project. These zip loc bags are so convenient and cheap! They are sold in the paper goods section of every store and measure 14 3/8"x 16" which is big enough to hold all of your 12x12 papers and embellishments. Hefty even has a diagram on the back of the box displaying the uses for these plastic bags, which includes protecting photo albums and to store crafts. What do you use to store your scrapbooking kits?

 

Love You Forever

Now this post is going to feel a little like fall, a little pumpkin spice, a little apple streusel, reminds me of all the things I love about the change of seasons.

This card is titled "I Promis to Love You Forever", the colors and design create elegance and sophistication. Accents of pearls give it just enough texture and pop. The solid cardstock mixed with a herringbone print is also a great touch to add interest and the stitching creats that homespun look. With the fall season just around the corner, this spicy color palette is sure to stir some delicious creations!

Supplies; Cardstock-Bazzill; Ribbon-Cosmo Cricket; Border Embellishment-Cosmo Cricket;

Patterned Paper-Studio Calico; Pearl Flourish-Want 2 Scrap; Pearl Embellishments- Recollections

My Space

Being creative has become a part of life for me, since before I can remember. I've been drawing, coloring, etc...from a very young age. Art classes were my favorite in grade school and my schedule was always packed full of them! Art is my passion and creating is my heart. Life isn't full filling for me, if I'm not being creative. I've always said that in order to truly be happy, you must do something everyday that makes you happy (or try anyway) and that happiness for me is creating something new, something beautiful, and something that may be inspirational to others. I also love gathering inspiration from other creative people, the world is full of them and the internet has helped us all connect in some type of way. When I am creating, I am truly in my element!

One of the most important parts of creating, is having ample space to do so. As of right now, the hubby and I are living in a one bedroom apartment, so space is very limited...BUT rest assure that I have carved my little sanctuary out of 3/8's of the living room :-). For now, it's my little piece of heaven. Recently I've been trying to get more organized and keep things neat, (we all know how awful it is trying to be creative and inspired in a big mess) so I've been more diligent about organizing things in a way that I can keep them neat and make it easier for clean up after a new project. I wanted to share a few pictures of my space with all of you, I hope you enjoy and please note that this is only the beginning, hopefully sooner than later we will be on to a bigger and better space, where I can really have my own sanctuary (like a WHOLE room) :-)...nevertheless, I'm grateful for what I've been blessed with thus far! Enjoy;

full view from living room

                 work table                                                           extra work space

storage                                                              desk

What I like most about my space right now is that I share it with my husband so usually we are still together while doing the things we both love to do because I know once I get to have my own crafting room, we will rarely see each other... :-/

What do you love most about your special space??

A Time to Remember

This past Sunday, August 1st was a very special day for Chris and I, it was our first wedding anniversary! It's hard to believe that a year and 2 days ago I was walking down the isle, we were ready to change our lives forever...

It was an amazing day, one that we will never forget. Coincidentally, we finally received all of our wedding photos/album from our big day this past Saturday, and it was a very welcomed anniversary present! The album is gorgeous, all the pictures are so stunning! Here are a couple of my favorites from the ceremony;

I felt like a princess and Chris was my prince charming of course! We couldn't have asked for better weather or a smoother experience. Everything was PERFECT!

Now exactly a year from today we left for our honeymoon in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It was so beautiful and relaxing, we had an amazing time. We rode ATV's around the countryside, took a ride over to Nicaragua for a day for some great sight seeing, visited one of the area's most active Volcanoes, also took a hike in the rain forest and a dip in the hot springs. I wish we were heading back there again...if only we could rewind a year, but of course all good things must come to an end...until our next much needed vacation that is. Here are some snap shots of us at the airport in Miami waiting for our connection to Costa Rica and also when we first arrived in CR;

Here's to a happy, healthy and long life together babe! :-) I love you more than words.