Spun Cotton Heads

Thanks to a tip from an Instagram pal, Heidi and I were recently able to snag a huge lot of cake toppers and decorations from an online estate auction, including all the great old spun cotton heads you see here.  Heidi drove past Lancaster to pick up our lot and some other lots she won, because I wasn't able to get off work, and then we sorted and split everything up.  We are always talking about finding a large amount of these adorable vintage heads, but I didn't imagine that we would actually be so lucky!  I can't wait to make things with these cuties, but for now, they look pretty darn sweet sitting in my craft room!

De Leon Springs

Last Wednesday, I flew to Florida to spend some time with my brother and to go to Camp Tumbleweeds.  I was so so glad to spend some time with my brother.  We don't get to see each other nearly enough and he is one of my absolute favorite people!  My flight didn't get in until the evening, so we ate dinner and caught up a bit.  Before coming, my brother had mentioned a restaurant where you make your own pancakes.  Obviously I was going to be up for that!  So Thursday morning, we made the brief drive to De Leon Springs State Park, as in Ponce De Leon.  Remember him from history class?  There is an actual springs there that looked quite refreshing and a gorgeous lake for fishing and boating, but we were not there to swim or fish. We were there for pancakes!  Beside the springs, there is an old sugar mill that has been turned into a restaurant.  There are grills on each table, along with cooking spray and several different syrups.  When you order pancakes, the waitress brings out pitchers of batter and any additions you'd like (I added bananas!) and you get right to cooking!  It was so fun and the pancakes were delicious!  You even cook your own eggs, if you order those, and you can eat all the pancakes you are able to cook.  I was stuffed after only two banana pancakes and an order of bacon, one of the few things they cook for you.  We walked around the park to let all the yummy food settle and then set off.  I'll share the rest of our day together in a later post!

July's Kawaii Box

I was extra pleased with this month's Kawaii Box!  Everything was so bright and cheery, such fun to open! There wasn't a single item that I didn't love, but i especially loved the little dog stick markers and the hot pink bag.  I've never tried Hi-Chew candies, but I've seen them online.  I really liked the gummy texture and the peach flavor was quite lovely.  I've already paid for next month's box and have begun to anticipate my surprise package of goodies!

Just A Few Changes

Hello there!  You may notice that a few things are different around here, namely my blog's name and URL. I've cleaned things up a bit too and added some tabs to the top of the page, including my shop, which is closed for the moment.  Can you tell I'm in a revamping sort of mood?!  Content-wise, my blog will be the same, but I thought it would make more sense to have everything be a bit more cohesive.  I'm always open to feedback, so let me know what you think!

No Words, Just Sweet Memories

Is this a midlife crisis?!

Okay, I don't really think I'm having a midlife crisis.  I'm not even middle-aged yet!  Catchy title, though, right?  I am, however, at a time when I am starting to think about changes in my life and stepping outside of my comfort zone more often.  I love the work I do and the population I serve, but lately there is something lacking.  There are some frustrations that are out of my control and while I remain positive as much as possible, they sometimes wear me down.  That brings me to an idea that's been floating around in my mind for a very long time, but has recently become somewhat more frequent.  Do I want to return to school?  I certainly have never decided that I was finished with school, but lately I think about it much more often.  I was so frustrated with the outcome of a client's case recently that I just pretty much got determined that I have to go to law school.  I need to be able to do more.  I think I do a damn good job helping my clients, but as an advocate, there is only so much I can do for them.  I know it sounds completely naive, but I want to save the world.  Yes, that's totally naive, but I believe it.  I think I have a better chance of doing that with a law degree, but the thought of working full time, caring for two busy boys, maintaining this new business I love, and going to school is a bit overwhelming.  I've started looking into the Law School Admission Test and schools in the area, but I'm not sure if this is going to be a near future kind of thing.  It's a big step and one I want to take eventually, but I think I should start small.

I have my outlets, of course, when the frustrations do get heavy, and crafting has become one of the main outlets.  As I continue making and selling, I think about my little shop becoming something bigger.  I never want it to be a career, but I would love to pay extra on student loans or take my family on a nice vacation or even do some repairs around this old house.  I've even been thinking about trying to sell at some craft shows. It's getting easier to dedicate time to myself, as my boys grow older.  I have this great group of creative friends and the very best friend who has really inspired me to rediscover my love of creating and helped me grow in that area.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned stepping outside of my comfort zone.  I am preparing to do that next week and really what started as a post about this, has turned into a pretty wordy rambling.  Gosh it feels good to get it out, though!  My actual start to this journey of change/discovery/who the hell knows begins with a retreat to Florida at Camp Tumbleweeds.  I will be spending a weekend far away from home camping with a group of strangers.  It is both the most anxiety-inducing and exhilarating thing I've done in a long time!

Stay tuned for more...

Urban Exploration For Scaredy-Cats

If you've been a reader for awhile, you may remember me posting previously about these sad old cabins.  I got totally spooked the last time I tried to photograph them and ended up running back to the car.  I'm not very brave when I'm alone in the quiet woods!  This time, I got slightly closer and had it in my mind that I was going to go inside at least one of these cabins.  No sudden noises to spook me this time, but I just couldn't bring myself to go inside alone.  I grew up watching scary movies.  I know what can happen in a seemingly empty and quiet cabin in the woods!  In the end, I decided to admire these forgotten old buildings from a safe distance.  I'm sad knowing that these buildings will eventually crumble and fall, so I like visiting them every so often, even if it is from afar!

July Crafternoon

This month's crafternoon came only a few weeks after June's, so it felt like they were extra close together. That was alright, though, since they were related to each other.  Last month we dyed yarn and this month we learned (or attempted to learn) how to knit and crochet.  We started by spinning our yarn into a lovely neat little ball.  You can see the fancy little contraption we used in the photos below!  I'll be totally honest, this was the only part I could manage to do and enjoy.  We started out trying to knit.  Trying is really the operative word here, because I just could not seem to get it.  I'm going to blame it on a combination of my left-handedness and my bad attitude about the whole thing!  Next up was crocheting.  I'd love to show off some amazing finished scarf, but I did two awkward rows and called it quits.  I guess I won't be crowned master of all crafts anytime soon, but at least I can say I tried.  And I have some pretty pastel colored yarn to likely use for some craft projects using glue.  That's much more my level!

Shop Crush - Gumdrop Glamour

I talk about my love for Instagram fairly often and all the great people I've met through something as simple as sharing photos.  The super talented gal behind Gumdrop Glamour, Floralba Gomez, is one of those people.  Her jewelry is right up my alley.  It's kitschy, super kawaii, and all so fun!  Here are a few of my favorites currently available in her shop-

That Blythe necklace is my absolute favorite, but it's all seriously adorable!  Head to Gumdrop Glamour to get your own great piece of jewelry!

June Crafternoon

I have to admit that I don't know the first thing about yarn or knitting or anything else related to the two, so I wasn't super excited about this month's activity of dying  wool yarn.  It ended up being a really neat process, though, and I think I want to dye more!  Using just Kool-Aid, food coloring, and vinegar, we got some seriously beautiful results  I'm actually looking forward to learning how to knit or crochet at this month's crafternoon, so I can put my yarn to good use!

The two yarns on the right are mine.  I managed to get my hands clean after the event, but my nails still have a bit of green!  Did I mention that it was also a pie party?!  I made a pistachio pudding pie with a toasted coconut crust and a mocha frappe pie.  Both were pretty darn delicious!

Look at that amazing array of delicious pies!!!

Working Towards My Cute Quota

Musical Monday

I watch way more children's shows than I care to admit and some of them are seriously annoying, but I have a soft spot for Yo Gabba Gabba.  They always have great music on the show and this is one of my favorites!

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow Americans.  I know this has really become a day of barbecues and fireworks, but it's important to reflect on how hard our founding fathers worked and fought for us to enjoy the lives we have today.  Our country isn't perfect, but she's pretty darn good!

June Kawaii Box

I am such a sucker for getting goodies in the mail, so I especially love all the various monthly subscription boxes out there.  My love started years ago with The Sampler, a great little surprise box of handmade items that sadly no longer exists.  I've had one of the makeup subscription boxes too and that was fun, but I got bored with receiving so many perfume samples and moisturizers.  Some of the boxes out there now are a little pricey, so I tend to shy away from them now.  I recently found the perfect subscription box for me, though, Kawaii Box.  It's under $20 and each month's box contains 10-12 items from Japan and Korea, so I thought I'd give it a try!  Here's June's box-

Not too shabby!  I have decided to give this month's box a try too.  I'm pretty happy with most of the items, although I don't think I will use the jeweled cellphone sticker and there was a mustache ring that I will likely pass on to my niece.  The stickers are super cute, though, and I really love the kokeshi pen and octopus plush.  Do any of you subscribe to any great monthly boxes?

Benny's Birthday Adventure

At the end of last month, my little guy turned three!  We celebrated by heading to Idlewild Park, a must for anyone in the area with young children.  My in-laws came along and brought two of our nephews and we brought along one of our nieces.  Despite some rain and lots of fog in the morning, we had a perfect day and everyone had a blast.  I'm saving my favorite part of the park for another post!  The entire park was really lovely, though.  There were rides for all ages, lots of delicious treats, and some of the Benny's favorite things-trains, Thomas, and donuts!