molly is four today

happy birthday sweet girl!  Your sensitivity, love for others, and free spirit make me smile.    You are a peacemaker, a loyal friend and will forever be our sweet molly. 

So They Say

I spotted this {amazing} quote (and print!) on Paloma's blog this morning.

I'm on deadline (always) and this was just what I needed to see.

Even though I've been writing published articles for nearly a decade, they still always seem impossible to finish when they are nearly finished. Yet I've never looked back and said 'that was impossible.' Of course I haven't - who has?!

How encouraging to think once it's done, it's done!

I can't wait to be able to feel like that about our house. Right now completing it feels like such an impossibility. Even though we moved in two months ago, it is still so undone (and I do not mean like I want it to be draperies-in-every-room done, I mean it's still no-drawer pulls-,-bathroom-sinks-or-a-laundry-room undone).

I know it's coming though. And when it does, I may even have to hang this print somewhere (I think I even know the spot... it just doesn't exist yet *le sigh*)!

How Cute Is...

Sarah?!

Waaay back in November at our show, Sarah was looking for a Christmas gift for her husband. She didn't see what she wanted but described it to me and it just happened that we did have just what she needed (see - it never hurts to ask. Sometimes it even helps!)

She purchased the large frame from us and had the mat cut herself (to accommodate the many pictures she wanted to use).

When she presented the completed project to her husband on Christmas morning he was pleased and surprised - perfect!

the classics

I will turn 30 at the end of this year and among the many things I hope to do between now and then is read quite a few classic novels. Some I've read before, many I've not.

My book club is afraid I am trying to hijack the group and convert us to an exclusively classics-reading ensmble (they're right, I totally am).
With the cold, cold weather that just won't stop comes my aching desire to just stay in...

curl up with a book (or two)...

and waste the weekend away...

Classic by aflow featuring a gothic clothing

oh and book clubbers - if any of you are reading - you can expect the announcement of my next selection to come in the form of one of these killer sweatshirts. you just think i'm kidding.

Lay Baby Lay

Have you seen Joni's latest project (we're obsessed with her. we know)?! It's a new blog (and I mean 'new' as in 'additional', not as in 'replacement')! And it is oh so cute - with the most perfect name, i might add!

She has a new babe (who is a.dor.able) and with that came a newfound infatuation with ... pretty much all. things. baby, soooo she created this new site as an outlet for her new faves (there is even pics of her {precious} nursery and a how-to of one of its darling elements!).
And we are thrilled because, you see, as far as we can tell, Joni can do no wrong.

I think you'll agree.

fairy tea party favors, food, & a confession

which first…okay confession :)  So many of you ask me how i have time for all this.  Well here’s the sad truth – i don’t anymore!  And I’m afraid all the crafting for birthday parties is coming to a slow end.  One of the reasons I used to do it was for the craft activities for the kids…they loved helping with all of it!  And i used to actually have patience when a whole cupcake mix was dumped on the floor – no problem!  we have nothing else to do let’s start over.  But as homework, dance, laundry, dinner, baths  (yes to all of those that know me all too well, i am actually into bathing them now..sometimes daily), S&J, and just life pile up now there is no time for error so i find myself waiting until kids go to bed or maybe one child is up to get started on the birthday food, decorations, etc.

The second reason i put so much effort into these birthday parties is to be able to throw the party they (okay I) want without breaking the bank.  that reason is still in place so the crafting and baking continues…

The third reason is for the kids (shouldn’t this be the first?! – i am confessing though)… there is nothing like seeing their faces when they see the party for the first time (because while in a perfect world they would help me get it all ready but instead i ship them to their grandmother’s for the day – that may sound like a convenience but it’s a confession – i wish it was easy and fun to let them help me) allowing the party to be completely ready, decorations, food, etc. before they see it.

Having said all that and truly believing that it has to slow down a bit, I know that I’m not capable of sending out quick and easy invitations or spending top dollar for thumbprint cookies…so we will see.  I won’t kill myself over it but there eventually has to be a happy medium.   So onto the (waytoomuchtimespentonthese) favors & food…

thumbprint cookies: perfectly imperfect as usual (i quadrupled the recipe)

• 1/4 c packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c shortening
• 1/4 c butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 c all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven 350.  Beat brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla, egg yolk with electric mixer on medium speed.  Stir in flour and salt.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Pres thumb into center of each cookie to make indentation (don’t press all the way to the pan).  Bake 10 min. or until light brown.  Let cool and fill the indention with icing (recipe below)

icing:

• 1 c confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk (i just pour milk in a little bit at a time until i get the consistency i want and it seems to be more than 2 teaspoons)
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
• food coloring

Stir together confectioners’ sugar & milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and extract until smooth and glossy.  Add food coloring. 

I froze the thumbprint cookies too (after adding icing and letting it harden a bit – it worked well for me last tea party.)

mini cupcakes (notice the reuse of cupcake liners) I buy the cupcake mix in a box (duncan hines this time) and put these in freezer bags and freeze until the day of the party.  And I will ice them with store bought icing … go me!

favors – fairy wings & wands (just pictures for now)

 

 

 

and I had a fun idea for fairy dust but in my new attempt to not spend ridiculous amounts of time on things I am scrapping it (i think, maybe)

happy week!

what the world has come to ;)

sneak peeks

We are working on some S&J products and wanted to give you a little hint of what’s to come!

 

 

how cute is….

margaret?!

Margaret’s mom and dad (Catherine & Chris) are friends from college…i love seeing old friends’ babies and I hope to meet her in person one day! 

Catherine & Chris had quite the journey with their sweet Margaret’s early arrival into this world so that healthy and happy smile is worth a million bucks!

We are so happy you love your book bin and frames Margaret and thanks for sharing Catherine!

Pleasingly PINK

As I mentioned last year, I am really. into. pink.

The latest piece of pink to catch my eye are the sofas in Ann Mashburn's home.

I hate to lust but...


how can i help myself?!




(the chairs in her shop are not too shabby either)

 

image source (+ here) (two great articles, actually - not just image sources)

book bin for sale!

oh the coveted book bin we can’t seem to keep in stock…how  we love you!  And we have one available now!  First come first serve – up on inventory page soon but I just wanted to offer a few more photos of it here

check out some other posts about the book bin here, here, and here and stay tuned for a friday feature of one in a customer’s house coming up soon!!

and if you wait a few minutes after i post this (some of you are so quick!) I will have it here on the inventory page with pricing info.

fairy tea party invitations

There really is not much of a “how to” on these sweet invites….the pictures really do the talking.

Info changed to protect us against all you 4 year old party crashers out there :) 

But I will let you know a couple of supplies i used:

• purple feathery looking string was found at Michael’s and it’s actually yarn :)
• cupcake hole punch is from that same michael’s…and is Martha Stewart’s
• the rest is just paper, a printer, and tape (for paper behind cupcake punchouts) and hot glue gun (for the yarn)

   

 

 

happy week!

how cute is….

this bathroom :) 

When we moved in our house a few years ago we had to add a guest bathroom…it is small but gets the job done.  It has taken me 3 years to get it looking the way I like!  Here it is!

S&J frames the perfect finisher!

 

photography in the frames by….

• smitten (top photo + one furthest to left of MJ)
• christine hall (middle bottom of sweet molly)
• shanna scott (right bottom of mills at 1)

apologies to you talented ladies that my pictures (of your pictures) don’t do them justice!

video living :: nyc edition

I pretty much always want to be in New York. And when I am there it flies by. So this video is sort of like being there.


NYC - Mindrelic Timelapse from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

found on Refinery

paper spirals

another birthday party is under way!  Molly is turning 4 and having a fairy tea party with her bestie – Presley

These two girls are as different as night and day but they both love a girly tea party :)

In this post: paper spirals (not sure what else to call them!)  As I said before – Arre gave me the idea by attaching a much smaller version to my birthday present (she is an expert at creative gift wrapping)…so here are my directions!  They are easy and make a big statement!

I started with a 12x12 piece of paper

fold it into a triangle

and then again into a smaller trainge

start cutting on the side that is folded (not the open side that you can see above) but do stop about an inch away from the bottom

i made my cuts 1” wide…but I needed them to be “sturdy” since (hopefully) they will be hanging in trees..they are fun and more delicate looking at 1/2” wide

keep cutting

 

open it up

take the inside corners curl them in to reach each other and tape (or hot glue like i did)

flip the paper over and do it again with the next layer

keep flipping over and gluing (or taping) alternating sides until you finish

 

voila!

 

 

stay tuned for invitations!

brrrrrrrr

it is cold outside to say the least

An ice storm hit last night so we are staying inside (schools cancelled!) and arre is stuck in another city! Hopefully she is safely travelling home by now while we try to keep warm.  

An ice day is a perfect day to get some things tackled!  We will be working on these….(for molly’s birthday)

So fun aren’t they?  Thank you to Arre for the idea – she attached a much smaller version to my birthday present (wish I had a pic!)  Hopefully they will be hanging in trees (weather permitting) for her fairy tea party (more on this later!) 

Stay warm!

Sunday of wood

My Sunday was spent doing this:

but I am so very thankful to my husband and a forklift or my day would’ve never ended.  Also I had to sneak pictures because that very helpful husband was also not really into stopping to take pictures while we carried/looked for/and drove wood through the biggest mud pit i have ever seen :)  but i got the pictures because it still makes me smile to think of what will come out just a pile of a wood – and hopefully it does you too!

2 of my favorites:

  

Have a wonderful week!

papier mache project

how lovely are these little trays?



i can't wait to try one (or seven).

h a p p y  ♥  w e e k e n d

thanks for the tip, Jenny