More flowers??

[photo from TwistStyle]

I know. I am obsessed with them, I just can't help myself.

I've been wanting a flower ring from TwistStyle for months and couldn't decide on a color...until now. The lovely lady who makes these beautiful rings just added yellow to the mix...and I couldn't be more excited. Even better, she is in the Richmond area so it shouldn't take too long to get to me. I can't wait!

Did I mention I am excited and I love it???

MaryEllen has loads of beautiful things in her Etsy shop - you really should check it out!

Alice Would Approve

After the caterpillar placed a hex on my not-quite 6 year old GE Profile washing machine we had the serviceman come pay a visit to see what was wrong with it. The prognosis was not good, the estimate to fix it cost more than I think we paid for the machine (or at least darn close)...so we decided to bite the bullet and start looking for a new machine. We settled on a SpeedQueen...I know what your thinking...never heard of it, right? The company has been around for 100 years, making only laundry equipment...and they make them rugged and tough, just like the"old days." I feel like an advertisement right now..

My new machine came today - woohoo! Perhaps I watched a little too much Brady Bunch growing up, but I must say this..all I could think about today while the delivery guys were setting up my beautiful new washing machine was Alice in her little blue shirt-dress and white half apron, happily doing laundry and making lovely meals for the Brady's. Why the Brady Bunch flashback? My lovely new washing machine (which I am naming Alice as a tribute) isn't one of those new-fangled-touch-button-digital display doo-hickies...nope, she's a beauty though. She looks plain and simple, and very "old school" - reminding me of the washing machine we had growing up. I ran several loads of laundry tonight (my attempt to get through the Mt. Everest size pile) and I am so pleased with it. I thought it may be louder than my old machine, but it's actually very quiet...more so than my old machine! Ok, enough with the laundry..boring, I know.

I received my Kraft Food & Family Summer 08 magazine on Saturday and made the most delicious Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon tonight.

(not my picture...this is from the magazine..but it looked like this!)

It was perfect and easy...Alice would approve of this too! You really must try it if you like Salmon.

We have two cookouts this weekend so I'm planning to try this Pizza Pasta Salad recipe - I'll let you know how it turns out!

Alice and I have more laundry to do...signing off!

Flowers Everywhere!

I love May. All of my pretty flowers in bloom, best of all the Peonies! It makes me sad that a flower so beautiful only blooms once a year and only lasts a few weeks. I have two peonies in my yard, though I think I'll be planting more since they are my favorite flower and they seem to like the sunny disposition of my yard. I usually don't like to cut my flowers, but for some reason I can't help myself with the peonies...I feel like I have to bring them inside so that I can enjoy them. Needless to say, right now I have them everywhere.

A bunch on the kitchen table..

Some on the windowsill (btw, so glad I can't bring myself to get rid of interesting glass bottles, even though R. teases me)...

And don't forget the bathroom...

I should probably have fresh cut flowers all of the time, for some reason it inspires me to clean...or maybe I just need a housekeeper.

I also got this lovely gift from my sweet baby T. for Mother's Day...he picked it out himself and it's beautiful!

And, last but not least...T.'s strawberries, which are doing really well! Must be all of the rain we've been having..

Fancy Nancy

I grew up a total and complete tomboy who wouldn't think of wearing a dress or a skirt...ever. I was never interested in makeup, or hair, or clothes...as is VERY evident in every single picture I am in as a child. Even in High School I was still a tomboy, involved in the Outdoors Club at school and mountain biking through the muddy trails alongside our beautiful James River.



So what the heck happened to me, when did I turn into Fancy Nancy? I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way (in my 20's I guess?) I started to LOVE dresses & skirts! Don't get me wrong, I'm still terribly tragic when it comes to hair and makeup...but whatever.... I totally want to be the girl in this fabric...

I think she is walking to the cafe where she will have a cup of Chai, and will then stop by the Farmer's Market for some fresh flowers and a loaf of bread..oui oui, sign me up! This bag is actually one of the custom orders from my trunk show..I hate to part with it - I think I have to make one for me!

It's late - I think I'm talking crazy. Good night!

Thank you Tiffany!!!

Yippee!! !!!!Woohoo!!!

I'm so excited today because I received my BTRS swap bag, and it is THE BAG that I have been admiring on Flikr in the BTRS Swap pool! I can't believe it, it's exactly the right fabric for me - I totally adore it! AND, to top it off, it was filled with fantastic crafty goodies...one of which is a flower press for drying flowers and I can't wait to use it! Also included was a quilt square that is comprised of all of my favorite colors - I think it wants to be the front of a pillowcase one day ;) Oh, Oh..and there were awesome vintage patterns, it's like my partner knew me! One pattern is for a very June Cleaver-esque belted shirt-dress - very me!! Here's a picture of my loot...

AND it turns out my partner lives in Columbus, Ga - where my Great Grandmother lived (where we visited and I ate bugs...but that's another story). Small world (it's a small town!).

I hope that my swap partner likes hers (picture below) as much as I do mine!

Arm Dangle and Caterpillars....

There is nothing in life that I love more than being a mom to my sweet T. He never fails to keep me entertained, and most of the time has no idea just how funny he is. Two funny stories from this week...

#1 - T. and I were sitting together on the couch the other day, catching up on a little Scooby Doo. Out of nowhere he looks at me, in all seriousness, and asks me this.. "Mommy, when you get old will you have arm dangle?" Of course I answered that I already do, sort of, and I assume that I will one day have "arm dangle." He said "I won't and Daddy won't because only women have arm dangle." Interesting fact from an almost 5 year old, don't you think?

#2 - I was doing the laundry on Sunday afternoon, when I spotted something about an inch long and black in the tub of the washer. I reach down, fully expecting lint or something like that but to my surprise it was a caterpillar! Yes, we drowned a caterpillar....and when I say we, I mean T. Apparently while collecting them the other day he decided that he would stick one in his pocket...and then forget about it. Nice huh? I will never reach into pockets without wondering what kind of critter may be living in there again. The caterpillar got back at us...the washer broke Sunday night.

Stuff for the Show...

Hello!

I've been busily trying to squeeze in crafting for the Strawberry Street Festival next weekend...thank goodness I have this weekend left to cram! I've finished half of the scrabble pendants, and not nearly enough flower pins. Looks like I'll be making flowers all week long! The scrabble tile pendants turned out super cute, they would make great birthday party favors or even gifts for girls...I wore my "K" pendant to work today and had lot's of people comment, so hopefully that's a good sign. We shall see!! Here is a not so great picture of a few of the pendants...



..and here is a "Fan Flower" - I'll have VT & UVA with me at the show, and of course regular Flower Pins as well....



Ok, got to finish bathing the child...