18
Sep, 12Friendly Letters
If you’re like me, you have friends and family spread out all over the place. Technology has made it so much easier to stay connected, but there’s something special about communicating through a handwritten note. I love emails and texts as much as the next person, but I really love opening my mailbox to find a lovely handwritten “just because” letter. It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! I not only appreciate the content from the heart, but I also love to see what card or paper was chosen and there’s something just so magical about seeing pen on paper… I can’t explain it. My mom lives about 10 minutes away and she sends me little “just because” letters every so often and it makes me so happy! She’s been doing this since I moved to College and has since continued the tradition. So, you don’t even have to be far away to share that experience.
I inherited my grandma’s vintage greeting cards, and thought that I’d share them with my loved ones. So, a couple of weeks ago I started writing little notes to family and friends to see how they’re doing and what adventures lay ahead. It’s nice to surprise someone once in a while, even if it’s with something little. Have you written a letter recently? ♥R
04
Sep, 12Labor Day Weekend
We played it pretty easy this last Labor Day weekend by hanging around the house, going out to eat, watching movies and spending a day up in Estes Park, CO with the pups. It was so much fun and here are a few photos of our lovely holiday.
Tucker’s howling for the stick to be thrown…
He ended up bringing back a tree…
Frankie’s a bit scared of the water.
I hope you had a lovely weekend. Welcome back to the working world. ♥R
30
Aug, 12Welcoming Fall
As you already know, I love Fall and all that it has to offer. It’s been really hot here in Colorado so I’m welcoming Fall in a big way! I’ve been up to my ears in fabric, lace, ribbon and paint as I prep for my two (possibly three) Fall/Winter craft shows. I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on and I also have some fun Fall DIY’s to share with you as well. Oh, and I have a couple of new series to add to the blog, so that’s pretty exciting.
In addition to that, I feel like I have a lot that I want/need to do before Fall actually arrives. I’d like to vacuum out the cars, tidy up the garage and make another donation drop-off. What pre-Fall plans do you have? ♥R
13
Aug, 12Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
It wasn’t until recently that I started to really want to wear more accessories. I mean, I’ve always worn earrings, because, as my mom has always told me, “they brighten your face.” And I agree! I’ve also always worn my “nice” jewelry that has sentimental value to me. Like the necklace Ron gave me for Valentine’s one year, or the jewelry my parents gave me for birthdays. Those are all my favorites and I wear those all of the time, but I’m talking about playful accessories that you buy for yourself just for looks and fun. I’ve never been into lots of pieces at once, but recently I’ve been having a lot of fun layering necklaces and mixing in funky rings just because I can. I went through my jewelry boxes and found all sorts of old costume pieces that I forgot I even had!! Jackpot! It’s such a great feeling to find an old piece of jewelry from 198? that you used to wear as a kid. So special. As a creative, I like to think of myself as a very visual person, so I’m sort of surprised that I didn’t notice (or really care) how a few key accessories could really pull an outfit together. Accessories help polish a look, and if done right, can take a blah outfit to the next level. It took me how long to realize this?! I mean, I’ve seen other people do it and have thought, “that looks nice” but never thought more about it after that. So, now I’m on the lookout for fun and unique pieces and I can’t wait to see what I find next! What’s your favorite accessory? ♥R
10
Aug, 124 years down
Yesterday when I opened up my purse to find my keys, I found the sweetest “i love you” card paired with some cute bracelets! Yesterday was our 4 year wedding anni, but I didn’t expect that surprise. When I opened the card and began reading the first line of Ron’ note to me, tears just started to well up and it was over from there. It took me a lot longer than it should have to read the card all the way through, because I couldn’t see through the blur of happy tears. Ron is such a sweet man and I’m thankful to have found him. My new favorite quote of the year is from Ron: “It’s been a fantastic 4 years of marriage and nearly a decade of friendship.” That’s what he messaged me on FB. So great with words.
We finished the day off with a romantic dinner and a movie. It was a great day overall. ♥R
09
Aug, 12Busting At The Seams
When the Mr. and I bought our first home back in 2006, it was a huge 3 bedroom and 3 bath home with a cute little yard. It was perfect! We moved from our 450 sq ft college apartment into our home with plenty of room to grow, and grow we did! Now we feel like we’ve already outgrown it and we don’t even have littles yet! How did this happen? How did we acquire so much stuff? To be honest, I’m very sentimental and I know that I like to hold onto things for the memories, but this isn’t the only reason why our space is filling up. If I buy something that I need at the time and I don’t have room for it long-term, I have a hard time getting rid of it, because I think that I may need it again one day. Then I’ll have to buy it all over again. I can’t help it, it’s just the way that I think. I don’t like to be wasteful if I can help it.
The fact that I like to dabble in all things crafty really puts a strain on my tiny studio space. My studio is busting at the seams, so I had to move my sewing table to our reading nook in our bedroom! Bad, I know. Now we definitly don’t have room for future littles, in this house. There’s just no way.
I’ve been doing really well though (that’s a relative statement haha) at going through my supplies and donating what I don’t use to a local art foundation that works with at risk youth. It feels good to share and to clear a bit of breathing room. One day I hope to spread out my creative space a bit more, but until then, I’ll keep making room as I go. ♥R
**Oh and today is our 4 year wedding anni, so I’ll share a sweet little story later…
07
Aug, 12So Many Things + Not Enough Time
This past week I’ve been busy filling orders, writing down all of my creative ideas and attending lots of family and friend events. It’s been crazy! August has always been a busy month for us over here, so I knew this was coming, but sheesh. It’s extremely important to me that I keep a happy and healthy balance between Chickiedee and my personal life. I don’t ever want to be that girl who pushes all of her family and friends to the side so that I can focus on work and work alone. So to keep that balance, I have to work hard at managing my time, because there just isn’t enough of it in a day.
I’m a huge multitasker, and although I’m not always the best at it, it’s a very important part of my time management. I like to know that I can get two things done at once and not have to let anything fall through the cracks. For example, I love putting in a load of laundry while I sew or talking on the phone while I clean. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something B I G. With that said, I know when not to multitask, as well. Certain things need my undivided attention, like a birthday party for a loved one, or a rush order that needs to get out ASAP. Managing my time and doing it well is something that I’m always going to have to think about, and that’s okay, because I’m doing what I love and it’s worth it. Even if I have to pull a few all nighters to get it all done, I will.
On that note, I’ve been filling up my idea books like crazy!!! I have so many fun projects to share for the Fall. I’m motivated to work on a few of them this week as I prepare for the best season of the year. Ahhh… I just love Fall. ♥R
03
Aug, 12It’s A Reunion
This weekend is my High School Reunion and I can’t believe how quickly it came. I’m pretty excited to see all of the people who I still talk to and hang with as well as some people who I haven’t seen in years. I think class reunions are a bit different these days than what our parents and grandparents experienced due to technology, specifically Facebook. Facebook makes it so much easier to keep in touch even when you’re worlds apart. You can peek at what your friends are doing and read their updates anytime, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem like it’s been so long.
One thing that makes me a bit sad it that one of my best friends isn’t going to be able to make it to the reunion. She just had surgery, so she’s at home with her hubby and two kitties as she heals. I promised to take photos though to share with her, this way she won’t miss it all. Feel better lady!
Have you had your class reunion or do you have one coming up? If so, tell me about it! ♥r
30
Jul, 12Thinking About Fall
Fall is my absolute favorite season (and not just because it’s my Birthday Season – but it helps!) and lately it seems like that’s all I can think about. I love Summer too, but since our boat has been in the shop for so long, I think that’s why I’m thinking so much about what to make and do this Fall. It’s been sad that we haven’t spent almost every weekend at the lake like we used to, but the shop can’t seem to figure out the issue. So we are left to find other ways to occupy our time, hahaha.
Fall is beautiful here in Colorado, and if you’ve never seen the trees change here, add it to your bucket list, because it’s breathtaking. People come from all over to the mountains to see the spectacle, and I think it’s just as beautiful in our own neighborhood. I love the cool chill in the air paired with gloomy days where I can bundle up in one of my many pea coats and a cup of hot coco. Bliss. Another favorite part of Fall is Halloween! One of my absolute favorite holidays! This is where my sketchbook is bursting at the seams, because I have filled it with many fun DIY projects to share. I can’t wait! Since I won’t be doing any craft shows this August and September, I’ll be working on those and I’m pretty excited!
This past Saturday night, Meghan, from Pleasantly Plump Knits, and I had a craft night together. We had such a great time each making a tote out of scrap fabric. We ended up chatting more than sewing, and we are finding out that we have a lot in common. I “met” Meghan back in December of last year on Instagram and found out that she was moving to Colorado with her hubby and two puggies. Once she moved and got settled we met up for coffee + tea (at Starbucks of course) and immediately hit it off! It was like I had known her for a long time and we just chatted about everything. Since then, we’ve found out that our husbands have a lot in common, too, which makes it even better! In fact, the fellas had a game night together while we crafted on Saturday. So cute.
Meghan and I chatted about Fall and some projects that we’d like to work on, which inspired me even more. I can’t wait for her to see the trees change, it’s truly beautiful. But until then, I’ll soak up as much sun as I can and hope that our boat is fixed in time to go out at least once on the lake before Fall. ♥rl
11
Jul, 12inspired
Daydreaming is a wonderful thing and I do it a lot! I’ve been so inspired these past couple of days that I’ve been in constant daydream mode, seriously. I’m filling up my sketchbook so quickly that I’m about ready to start a new one (which I’m extremely excited about by the way, because my brother bought me a new one with little birdies on it!) You know when I’m in major daydream mode when I don’t have any music, TV, or anything on as I move about the studio, house or wherever I am. It can be sort of dangerous having this much inspiration running through my head, because I don’t remember what I was doing while in such deep thought… kind of scary! I’m just soaking it all in right now and prepping for the Summer Horseshoe Market this Saturday. It’s going to be a fun day with my mom and hopefully I’ll see some of you there.
I’ve also been inspired outside of the studio, too! Secret – I’m the only one in my family that doesn’t have a pastry or culinary bone in my body, but I love to try new recipes! They don’t always turn out as intended, but I have fun and I’m learning. This past week, however, I surprised myself and actually turned out three great recipes that even looked somewhat like the photographs! Nice, right?! I feel like I want to be a master of all things creative and I won’t stop until I get there. So, I’m riding this welcomed wave of inspiration and I’ll see where it takes me next.
What inspires you? Does it send you into deep thought leaving you almost exhausted at the end? Yup! Me too! Have a great night and I’ll see you tomorrow! ♥r
