Inside the Paper Box

{"Winter" walk}

2012-01-24T01:26:00.005-05:00

Upon returning from Maryland for a long holiday, we discovered some BEAUTIFUL weather!! Cash & I took this walk about two weeks ago and the temp this day was about 70 degrees and as you can see, beautiful skies!! I want to go on record and say that this is not typical Texas winter weather! It does actually get cold here. No really! I wasn't living here last year, but there was snow!

It was the perfect day for a walk with the boy and some photography!

There has been a MISTLETOE INVASION here!!! Amongst all the dead, brown, lifeless trees are patches of beautiful, green, vibrant mistletoe! Is this happening all over the country? I didn't do any research on this or anything, but I am a little curious why it randomly grows from these dead trees?!?! We actually discovered this a year or two ago when we were here visiting. Quite the phenomenon,.... or maybe not?? Do you have mistletoe growing near you?

kiss kiss ;)

We were surrounded by all kinds of cool things. It's not the first time we've taken this walk, but it's always different and I always find new things. (for some reason I must have a slight obsession with moss??? Weird)

I was finally able to get a bit of lens flare in the picture above! I LOVE it! I have struggled trying to get pictures with flare,.... I guess it has to do with where the sun is in the sky??? Anyone have any tricks for getting lens flare?? It's just pretty!

Speaking of the SUN, I am so thankful for the longer days!

Big blue eyes is 8 months old! TODAY! It's seriously been an entire 8 months since this little guy was born?!?!? He is, no lie, the size of a 1 year old! Such a big boy!

At 8 Months Cash is:

STILL teething!!! When are those things going to come IN!?!?

Crawling at warp speed all over the house

LOVING his animals. Just the sight of them makes him giggle

A bit of a mama's boy

Sleeping straight through the ENTIRE NIGHT!! 11 WHOLE hours!

Pulling himself up to standing on chairs & ottomans

clapping!!

He is so much fun!! (and so much work) The light of my life!! I wish I could just go back to 8 months ago, just for a minute, and hold my little tiny baby boy again!

Please pay no attention to the skeleton jammies he wore on our warm "winter" walk.

Sewing,... yes, there has been a very little bit of sewing going on right now. Cash was sick for a while, I've been kind of lazy since the holidays, then I was sick. I am hoping to get back into the groove and have some new things for the shop soon. I am even planning on a couple paper items! You know, to go with the "paper" part of Paper Box Quilt Co. :) Stay Tuned.

XOXO

{Ryan, Natalie & Weston}

2012-01-19T01:28:00.004-05:00

Oh hi! :)

A couple weeks before the holidays I took some pictures of an old friend and her growing family! Natalie grew up next door to me in Texas, in fact, I used to BABYSIT HER! And now she's having a baby! I. Am. Old. Awesome.

OH, let's not forget Duncan & Lola, the pups!

Congrats to Ryan & Natalie and little baby Weston!

I mentioned that I had some holiday projects to post about, but I'm not entirely sure I took pictures of everything. So, here's the shortened run-down... New quilted stockings, handmade paper ornaments, lots of crocheting (it hits me every winter), old WIP's, new Etsy items, tactile baby blankets, a mini quilt... that's all I can think of for now. And even after all that (and even more new WIP's than I started with) the wish list of projects continues to grow. A car trash bag, tote bag, table runner, curtains, aprons, clothes,... and on, and on.....

And the husband wants me to fix pants and sleeves. Doesn't he know how BUSY I am???!! ;)

{Happy Holidays}

2011-12-28T20:05:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas!!! A few days late, but I hope it was merry nonetheless. We put up our decorations right after Thanksgiving and, well, never really finished. I still have a couple un-opened boxes in the garage :( BUT, I got some fun new stuff from TARGET! I love that place.

We have had a wonderful holiday this year! We spent the week before Christmas finishing projects and getting things out in the mail.

We hung out with my parents, brother and his family on Christmas Eve, did some baking, eating, gift exchanging, eating, napping, eating,...

Then we headed out early Christmas morning for Baltimore to spend some time with Tom's family. We'll be here hanging out until the new year. Can't believe it's almost 2012!!

I spent some time this season making us some new stockings. I used Camille's pattern, Merry and I absolutely LOVE how they turned out. I will be listing custom stockings in my Etsy shop year round, so if you want some new stockings, let me know, its never too late or early!

I'll be back soon to share some more holiday projects! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to the New Year! Yay for 2012!!

OH!! I almost FORGOT! My husband surprised me with the most beautiful early Christmas present the week before Christmas! A NEW CAR!!! YAY!! If you know me and have ridden in my car, you'll know that this is monumental! I LOVE my new wheels and so does Cash! YIPPIE! :)

XOXO

{Hello Dear Friends}

2011-12-13T01:12:00.003-05:00

Just checking in. It's crazy around here right now. We have a baby that is CRAWLING! Lots of sewing, shopping, wrapping, etc. etc. etc.

So many people talk about loving the hustle & bustle of the holiday season,... I have to say that all the rushing kind of stresses me out. SO, I am going to kick back for a bit with some hot chocolate and just relax, before I have to run out for some last minute gifts, finish stitching on WIPs, wrap the rest of the gifts, head out to the post office, get a couple custom orders done, chase my newly mobile infant, edit those family pictures, place some orders before its too late to receive before Christmas,.... oh geez,... I gotta go! ;)

Happy rushing.

{New Etsy Goodies}

2011-11-30T21:22:00.002-05:00

{Holiday Ruffle Pillow Cover}

{Carnival Pillow Cover}

{Gypsy Wild Thing Quilt}

So there you have it,.... get em while they're hot! ;)

See you soon!

{Get Your Shop On}

2011-11-11T12:57:00.002-05:00

Blue Ruffle Pillow Cover

New pillow styles in the SHOP!

Girly Ruffle Pillow Cover

Light Blue Sparkle Clothespins

Along with some new sparkly colors for clothespins.

Light Pink

Dottie Bunting

And of course some more bunting!

Red, White & Blue Bunting (SO original! Anyone have another name suggestion?)

That is all for now! I am headed out with my little guy to search for some good holiday fabric deals! What do you have planned for the weekend???

{5-ish Months}

2011-11-10T23:38:00.003-05:00

He was 5 months 20 days ago,.............

The picture above was taken a couple days ago. The one below was taken in Maryland about a month ago so neither is actually Cash at just 5 months.

At 5-ish months old, Cash is:

-Teething

-Loving Sophie the Giraffe (Thanks Santos fam!)

-Rolling front, back, sideways, upside-down, around and all over

-Weighing in at a hefty 17(ish) pounds!

-Smiling alllllll the time (when he isn't crying over those teeth!)

-Eating cereal, apples, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash

-NOT eating green beans

-Sleeping approx. 6-8 hours at night (THANK YOU!)

-A social butterfly

-Having a bit of separation anxiety

-TEETHING

He is the sweetest baby ever and I love him more and more everyday!

{More new Etsy items}

2011-11-08T00:06:00.003-05:00

I listed a couple of the buntings today! Strawberry Picnic and Sweetheart. These are the large sizes and measure approx. 7.5 feet end to end.

"Sweetheart"

When I realized I was using clothespins all the time for hanging quilts, pillow covers, fabric, bunting,... etc. for photo shoots, I decided they should be prettier. SO,... naturally I added GLITTER! Glitter makes everything awesome! These are also in the shop. They will come in gold, silver, light pink, light blue and turquoise.

This is SO fun! I have been a busy little bee the last couple days getting everything set up at Paper Box Quilt Co. and seeing that sparkle and ribbon is making me smile! GO! Tell all your friends!! I have a small milestone coming up here on my blog, so if you spread the word,... there might be a giveaway in the near future!! (especially since I missed my two year blogiversary,... even more reason for maybe a DOUBLE giveaway. It's been a while!)

{Etsy Grand Re-Opening & A NEW Name!!}

2011-11-06T18:09:00.003-05:00

I am super excited to announce the GRAND re-opening of my Etsy shop!!!! I decided to make a few changes over there,... first, I am no longer designing/selling jewelry. I have so much more fun with FABRIC! :) So I'll be selling my quilts, some pillow covers, bunting, little odds & ends and there WILL be a paper box here and there, after all that is where this all started, is it not? Second,... I have changed the name of my shop! What was previously Bella Gioielli (Italian for Beautiful Jewels) is now Paper Box Quilt Co. I realize that quilts have nothing to do with paper or boxes, but I'm sticking with it!

So, here you have it! My first 5 items at Paper Box Quilt Co.

(let me know what you think) (only if it's nice...) ;)

First up is "It's A Hoot" quilt.

This quilt was made in my (smoke free/pet friendly) studio by MOI!! Fabric is "It's A Hoot" by Momo for Moda Fabrics. It is so bright and cheery consisting of little birds, polka dots, pretty damask and funky florals in a mix of pink, aqua, red, yellow, green & lavender(ish/grey). Pretty perfect for a little girls room or to snuggle under on the couch.

Pattern is "Piece of Cake" by Thimble Blossoms. Finished squares measure approx. 7.5" and all feature a strip of a contrasting Hoot fabric & are framed by the super cute EGG shaped pink polka dots. Backing is matching pink "damask". It is all over machine quilted in a free motion meandering pattern with 100% polyester ivory thread.

Measures 63" x 71"

All fabrics used on "It's A Hoot" are 100% cotton, batting inside is also 100% cotton. Your quilt will come pre-washed, all crinkly and beautiful. To wash: machine wash on cold with color safe detergent, tumble dry on low. (I use Tide w color safe bleach/downey fabric softener combo).

"It's A Hoot" is ready to ship and ready to be loved for a very long time!

Next is "Baby Boy" Pillow Cover

Baby Boy throw pillow cover is made from the fabric line, Soliel by Annette Tatum for Westminster Fabrics. This sweet fabric mixes aqua, yellow, grey and orange with stripe, star, floral and puppy dog prints The patchwork front has been machine quilted in a straight line, grid pattern with 100% polyester blue & orange thread & backed with a coordinating pale blue solid fabric.

Pillow cover measures 18"x 18" and will fit nicely on a 18" pillow form. (pillow form is not included, but can be purchased at your local craft or hobby store).

All fabrics used on "Baby Boy" pillow cover" are 100% cotton, batting inside is also 100% cotton. Pillow covers will not come pre-washed. To wash: machine wash on cold with color safe detergent, hang or lay flat to dry. (I use Tide w color safe bleach/downey fabric softener combo).

"Baby Boy" is ready to ship and ready for your baby boy nursery!

And of course,... "Baby Girl" Pillow Cover

Baby Girl throw pillow cover is made from the fabric line, Soliel by Annette Tatum for Westminster Fabrics. This sweet fabric mixes pink, yellow, grey and orange with stripe, star, floral and puppy dog prints The patchwork front has been machine quilted in a straight line pattern with 100% polyester pink & orange thread & backed with a coordinating pale pink solid and pale pink check print.

Pillow cover measures 17"x 17" and will fit nicely on a 16" pillow form (shown). (pillow form is not included, but can be purchased at your local craft or hobby store).

All fabrics used on "Baby Girl" pillow cover are 100% cotton, batting inside is also 100% cotton. Pillow covers will not come pre-washed. To wash: machine wash on cold with color safe detergent, hang or lay flat to dry. (I use Tide w color safe bleach/downey fabric softener combo).

"Baby Girl" is ready to ship and ready for your baby girl nursery!

Finally I have the first two of a series of "Deconstructed NEST" Pillow Covers

Deconstructed NEST #1 is made from the fabric line, Nest by Tula Pink for Moda Fabrics. This funky fabric mixes pink, aqua, yellow, green and brown with bird, feather, egg and floral prints. The "braided" front has been machine quilted in a free motion meandering pattern with 100% polyester ivory thread & backed with a cheery pink print from the Nest line.

About 2 years ago I constructed this Nest braid as a quilt top,... it ended up terribly crooked. The top was perfect and the bottom swayed (to say the least) to the side. My BIG mistake is your fortune. I was able to cut apart the wonky quilt top and make several pillow covers out of it. (don't worry, none of the pillows ended up WONKY!) ;) This is the first in the "Deconstructed NEST" pillow collection. Stay tuned for more!

Pillow cover measures 20"x 20" and will fit perfectly on a 20" pillow form. (pillow form is not included, but can be purchased at your local craft or hobby store).

All fabrics used on "Deconstructed NEST #1" are 100% cotton, batting inside is also 100% cotton. Pillow covers will not come pre-washed. To wash: machine wash on cold with color safe detergent, hang or lay flat to dry. (I use Tide w color safe bleach/downey fabric softener combo).

"Deconstructed NEST #1" is ready to ship and ready to adorn a couch near you!

(#2,... same basic description, but it has been straight line quilted instead of stippled)

Remember THIS disaster??? Yeah,... now we have PILLOWS! :)

And there you have it! I will be posting new items regularly so keep checkin in!! Share it with ALL your friends! Thanks for all your support!

XOXO

{Happy Day}

2011-11-03T23:46:00.003-04:00

Nothing really interesting to share today but I thought I'd say hi. I took this picture the other day near where I live, on my way home from taking pictures of my Etsy items (yay). I kept seeing this super cute turquoise truck parked at this old fashioned gas station and, HELLO the red & aqua!!! Just perfect. I finally stopped to get a picture. Happy Day :)

I have real updates,.... a couple photo shoots, a 5 month old, some Etsy stuff, but I realized that I take WAY too many pictures and then can't narrow them down. Then I spend so long editing them,.... I need to come up with a new system. For now,... it's FRIDAY!!

See you soon! XOXO

{Happy First Birthday Will}

2011-10-30T16:41:00.005-04:00

Wow,... this has been a long time coming! I took these pictures at a first birthday party like 2 or 3 months ago! Falling behind much?? Have you seen any 5 month pictures yet?? No? Yeah.

Anyway, I digress, PARTY. WOW! Isn't it beautiful?? Right up my alley, from the COLOR (hello!) to the awesome 5 tier ombre cake to the candy "buffet", the BUNTING!,... I can go on and on! I was so lucky to photograph this party!

You might have noticed that I have kind of changed things up a little on my blog,... just a little. Lots of collages. So, I wanted to fit more pictures into my posts (as if I needed to put MORE pictures) without stringing them along,... one,... at,... a,... time. You know? I just have such a hard time narrowing them down. MORE pictures!!! :)

For instance,.... I took several angles of these treats,.... and I like them all, I couldn't decide, so here they ALL are!

Marshmallow pops, didn't have any, but HOW CUTE!? Banana whoopie pies (I ate two. To make up for not eating the marshmallow) Cake batter rice crispy treats?? YUM. YUM.

Everything was perfect. Down to the matching birthday outfit!!

CAKE SMASH!!!! (there is frosting on his leg,... I'd say that was a success!)

And to top it all off,.... cake-in-a-jar party favors! WHAAT?? I can't handle any more adorable-ness.

I hope you all had a great weekend! The weather here was BEAUTIFUL but it was still pretty lazy around here! Can't wait to take the little one out for some tricks and treats tomorrow! Pictures on that soon!

By the way,... it took me allllllllllll day to create this post, not entirely sure why. I fell asleep last night editing photos (at 8:30 I need to add, yes, 8:30. On a Saturday night. Lame). I worked on this post between a little sewing, a little grocery shopping, a semi-home-cooked dinner, some strained green beans which neither me nor Cash were too fond of, Scream 4 and Bridesmaids. Here I am finishing up over 24 hours later. Again, I don't know why. :)

XOXO

{A Pillow for Jess}

2011-10-29T03:11:00.005-04:00

I know you can only see a bit of this room, but don't you just love that purple?? And Audrey,... HELLO!? Plus, the bed is REALLY comfy!

Thanks Matt & Jess for letting us stay with you! Can't wait to do it again for Christmas time. (hopefully?) (Maybe we'll get snowed in again!!) :)

If you're interested in this ruffle pillow, you'll be able to find some similar ones in my Etsy shop soon!!

Happy weekend everyone! XOXO

{A Pillow For Dawn}

2011-10-27T17:21:00.004-04:00

My friend recently celebrated a birthday, so I made her a pillow cover!

front

back

When I finally re-open my Etsy shop, you'll be able to find pillow covers similar to this one in there!

Happy Birthday Dawn!

{It's Fall!}

2011-10-23T23:58:00.004-04:00

FINALLY! I thought the heat would NEVER end! We spent a few days in Maryland with family and friends last week. It was nice to see everyone and introduce Cash to some of his Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents,.... etc.

We spent a day at the pumpkin patch and saw:

Barns filled with little animals!

Cotton that I wanted to take right out of the ground and bring home with me.

Pumpkins, of course, and more animals.

Here we are!!

Cash loved being surrounded by all of his girls,... Aunts, Cousin and Grandmom.

Sweet baby snuggles for Aunt Veronica.

Cash was so good in Maryland! He enjoyed being a social butterfly and spending the night at his Aunt & Uncle's house!

We did have quite the disastrous flight home. Cash was wonderful, but a 3 hour flight turned into 7 hours when the nasty weather diverted us to Houston and we weren't allowed to get off the plane! UGH,... cramped, stale air, getting home after 2am,... Cash was a trooper. I was cranky as hell!

I also went out with my sister-in-law, a few weeks ago, to some markets. Pumpkins galore!!

That's all for now,... lots to catch up on though! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

{The State Fair of Texas}

2011-10-10T01:20:00.003-04:00

I spent the day at the Texas State Fair Friday with Cash and my sister-in-law. Believe it or not,... after living in Texas for about 20 years I NEVER went to the State Fair!!! Man was I missing out! I think I might plan on this being a yearly adventure. I didn't ride one ride, but the fried fair food consumption more than made up for that! Not to mention, some of the coolest pictures!! What is so magical about giant spinning wheels, flying swings, galloping horses on poles and hot dogs fried in cornbread batter???

This is "Big Tex" who is NOT magical but in fact extremely creepy. He is like a million feet tall and HIS MOUTH MOVES!! Ewe.

Can someone explain how this is possible??? A third of a man on a pole?? I have no idea. He said his grandchildren were working at Jack in The Box,... as antenna balls. :)

Seriously?? How do you think they do that. As if butter isn't unhealthy enough as it is. How about fried cheesecake, beer, pickles (yum), ice cream, oreos.... the list goes on, and on,... and on.

And of course,... the quilts. I was actually surprised, there weren't too many, BUT they were beautiful! I am actually considering entering one next year, IF I can get one done in time. Janome was also there with ALL their awesome machines! Wish I could have taken one home.

Anything fun happen in your weekend??

{Sewing}

2011-10-09T00:53:00.005-04:00

I have been doing a ton of it,... everyday!! Quilts, pillow covers, bunting,... I even made a little zipper pouch the other day. (I'll show you that soon)

Some things for me. Some things for the preparation of my Etsy re-opening.

Some things for testing,....

(I'm gonna test this some more) ;)

Six quilt tops and three pillow covers here. You may see some of these popping up in my Etsy shop soon.

This is a little sewing I did to spruce up our pretty boring bedroom decor. Chevron seems to be all the rage these days but I will tell you that I will probably never try zig zags this small again. I started with 3" squares and I'm not sure I really thought it through. SO many bunchy, bulky seams and tiny little HST's when all was said & done. It sure did turn out pretty though!

As soon as I finish some of these WIP's, I'll let you all see them! Promise.

Tomorrow,... pictures from the State Fair of Texas!

XOXO

{4 Months}

2011-10-02T11:20:00.002-04:00

Again,... missed the 4 month photo shoot. I know I'm going to regret that later. But these were taken a week ago when Cash and I joined my sister-in-law for some flea/thrift/art/antique/farmers market shopping fun. BIG smiles!!

{Hawaii}

2011-10-02T01:59:00.003-04:00

Me & the Mr. on Megan's wedding day

We're baaaaack!!!

Oh,... I guess that's old news. Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures from our trip to Hawaii!!

see that person waaaaay out there on the paddle board,...

I'm sad that my baby won't remember this trip, because it was so pretty.

Thanks, Megan, for being my friend.

{3 Months}

2011-09-30T00:19:00.004-04:00

LOOK at those baby blues!!! He is such a SWEET baby! He smiles at me when I say "hi" and we can get him to laugh at the craziest noises.

These pictures were taken in Hawaii, Cash was a little older than 3 months, but I forgot to do a 3 month photo shoot, so these should do. AND... since he is now 4 months, stay tuned for that post. :)

I love this guy,... probably even more tomorrow than today.

{Neptune Wild Thing}

2011-09-29T00:24:00.003-04:00

Do you remember this??? Well,... almost two years later, here it is in all its Wild Thing, Hawaii glory. :)

I actually brought this quilt with me (maybeeee along with another one) to Hawaii. That's right, I brought quilts with me to Hawaii. I actually finished the binding on this one on the plane ride out there so, on our way to the airport to head home, we stopped for a photo shoot. Why not?? :) It only took me two years to complete, for some reason,... I think it deserves a pretty view (which just so happens to be the view from the wedding we attended,.. uh,.. beautiful much???) I know what you're thinking,... "I've seen better" Yeah, me too.

Please excuse some of the color funkiness in these pictures. I had the white balance all wrong on my camera for every picture I took of this quilt and didn't have the guts to ask my husband to go back out on the golf course holding this pretty pink and blue quilt and start all over.

Anyway, I LOOOOOOOOVE it! It is definitely my favorite to date of those I have kept. It has a home right now on the back of my couch.

{A Quilt For Megan}

2011-09-09T01:01:00.003-04:00

Remember this "sneak peek" ??? Here it is!!! I used a tutorial over at Film In The Fridge to make this string quilt for Megan, my friend for 15 years, who just got married in Hawaii. It turned out SO beautiful that I am going to make another one! :)

I used mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics in purple, green and turquoise, and added some extras in there,... some dots, solids and even batiks!

The string quilt pattern was so much fun! I had a blast making it. Can't wait to get started on another string quilt.

Don't you just love how it feels to finish a quilt, wash it and pull it out of the dryer in all its crinkly-ness??? Perfect!

{My New, Old Machine}

2011-08-30T16:16:00.003-04:00

Well, that is just a lovely sight, no?

Let me tell you a little story of how I acquired this beauty.

When I was young, I used to both babysit for and go to church with a nice nice lady. Her family moved away and I recently re-connected with her on Facebook. I remember sewing with her and the other church ladies on Saturdays to make quilts for donation,... and making homemade ice cream too! :) Anyway, she mentioned that she had a few sewing machines that she never used and I offered to buy one from her.

"Life is too short" she told me and the next thing I knew I was in possession of a wonderful gift! You read that right! GIFT. She gave me this Bernina sewing machine just for no reason at all.

I have to be honest. I have had it for a really long time. It went to my mother's house when I was still living in Maryland and sat there for months until I came back to Texas. My two favorite features of this machine are the hands free foot lifter and the pedal tap needle-down. After using this machine, I wonder how I was ever sewing on anything else. I will save my first sewing machine because I have made a lot of beauties with that little Singer,... but I am loving my sweet gift and am even more eager to get sewing. I will cherish it and create on it in honor of such a sweet lady.

To say a little "Thank you" I whipped up this little mini wonky star quilt.

I hope to make a larger size quilt with these pretty little stars, they were fun and easy!

Friends, I am off to HAWAII for a week! Yes,... Hawaii,... you can be jealous, I would be ;) Looking forward to beautiful weather, some zip lining, swimming, beaches, and a super fun wedding. I will over load you with pictures when we get back.

XOXO

{Around The House}

2011-08-19T00:24:00.004-04:00

Just a couple pictures I snapped while I had my camera in my hand, light through the windows and a sleeping baby,....

Antique window in the living room

Potpourri in the dining room,... that stopped smelling like 3 years ago

Unfinished projects in the sewing room. I know you're all shocked.

Sonic beverage on the sewing table, reminding me of Camille,.... only this is a Diet Coke w/ cherry & chocolate, not Dr. Pepper. ;)

XOXO

{Bunting}

2011-08-17T15:36:00.003-04:00

I have been wanting to re-open my Etsy shop for a while now, only this time with lots of sewn goodies. There will probably be quilts of all sizes, possibly some small fabric items like magnets or pins, probably some of my paper patchwork boxes (not fabric, but sticking with the patchwork idea), and there will also be these sweet strands of bunting!!!

I'm kind of obsessed with bunting right now,... cutting and sewing up tons and tons of little triangles, just ask my family, they've all seen it, whether they care or just pretend to. I am currently making this super cute and increasingly popular accessory in three sizes, large (about 5" flags), mini (shown, about 2.5" flags) and micro (about 1" flags). I am SO excited to get tons more made and have my Etsy grand re-opening. Keep your eyes peeled for this happy little bunting at an Etsy shop near you.

Well,.... in my Etsy shop anyway :)

{2 Months}

2011-08-01T12:26:00.005-04:00

I can't believe this little guy is already two whole months!

Here is a whole slew of pictures to mark it!

Just love him!!!

Happy August! Hopefully with the ending of summer this heat wave will also be coming to an end,.... praying for some rain and some breezy days so I can take this little guy outside!

{My Men}

2011-07-14T00:52:00.001-04:00

I just love them so much!

Oops,... woke em up,...

{Piles & Piles}

2011-07-12T01:46:00.004-04:00

Of fabric!!

I have been sewing up a storm in my new art studio so therefore, lots of fabric piles:

Scraps,.... my husband sees trash,.... I see a photo opp! :)

(this is still sitting on my sewing table!)

Here we have two unfinished quilts. On top are squares for a quilt made with It's A Hoot by MoMo. Bottom is the "Wild Thing" quilt out of Tula Pink, Neptune I made,... what,... a year and a half ago?? I JUST started quilting it,.... tonight. Procrastinate much!

Here are some of the fabrics I am using on my super secret gift for a friend that I want to keep for myself.

Backing fabric for the string quilt,... and some of the little boy fabric underneath, not sure why.

So,... lots of stuff going on here in Texas! I even pulled out some charm packs I've had forever to see what I could whip up. Fun things coming ,.....

{My Texas Art Studio}

2011-07-10T15:30:00.004-04:00

This is my awesome new art studio, come on in! :)

Here is a previous post on my Maryland art studio,... this new one is much larger and much more beautiful. More art, creating and inspiration will flow in this room!

This is the TURQUOISE table where all the sewing is done. I have the table in the middle of the floor,... see I have a problem, 1) Sitting & sewing while facing the wall & 2) Sitting & sewing while my back is facing the door. Am I weird or alone in this? I feel like I want to leave the door open and see what's going on in the rest of the house.

This little shelf houses my wedding card "Tiffany" box, some antique cameras, some trim I bought for absolutely no reason other than how CUTE it is, a magnet board that will someday display some lovely inspiration and those sweet Ruby strips for a future string quilt.

You might recognize the cabinet and the door from our old dining room. They fit perfectly in this room!

Oh this cabinet (below). This stupid stupid cabinet. Remember when I told you we bought a cabinet that only came in black but I really like it and wanted to paint it white?? Well this is that cabinet. It looks great,... from a distance. Don't look too close or you might see what a big mess it really is.

So,... that's my new art studio. So far I have been much more productive in this room (even with the new baby) so expect lots of pretty posts. And there is a good chance I will reopen my Etsy shop with a new selection of items. Stay tuned,....

{The Quilt Asylum}

2011-07-09T01:38:00.004-04:00

My Sister-In-Law discovered this little quilt shop, Quilt Asylum, and I HAD to get there ASAP!

She sent me a picture of her fabric loot from her visit and I got soooo jealous,... so I went a few days later with my Mom and my little man (who was SO good) and got my own loot to make her jealous. :)

Kaffe Fassett

Momo

Tula Pink

You can see in the picture above that this shop makes fat quarters in EVERY fabric they carry!! Uhh,... brilliant I say!

Tula Pink Fat Quarters

Tula Pink Yardage

Strawberry Fields Fat Quarters

Oil Cloth

"Swoon" Store Sample

"Swoon" Store Sample in Tula Pink

If you're in McKinney, stop into Quilt Asylum, I dare you to walk out empty handed!

{Happy Fourth!}

2011-07-08T01:30:00.002-04:00

My brother-in-law and his wife came out from Maryland to visit last weekend. It was wonderful for Cash to meet his Aunt & Uncle.

We spent Saturday at Possum Kingdom with my friend Megan and her family for a little wedding celebration before the big day in HAWAII!!! YAY! I'M GOING TO HAWAII!! That reminds me,... I have to start working out....

Sweetest baby ever!

This is our first family portrait. I haven't really been ready to be photographed, but this seemed like an opportunity,... halfway disguised.

Cash LOVED to be outside!! It was a bit cooler at the lake than it is in the metroplex, with some wind and cloud coverage, or we would spend more time outside. Waiting,... waiting,.... waiting for Fall.

We spent Sunday at my parents house for a fish fry,... totally should have taken pictures of all. the. food!!! It was so good! Fried catfish, homemade fries and hush puppies,... coleslaw, cheesecake, watermelon,... oh my! I loved it all,... Cash? Not so much. :( Sorry buddy!

On the actual 4th, my husband and his brother went to the Rangers/Orioles game where they paid $85/ticket to watch their team lose,... sorry guys! And my sister-in-law and I hit up the movies for Water For Elephants. I loved it!! It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm not too sure on the accuracy, but it was still really good! Recommended. No fireworks were seen,... but I would still say it was a successfully festive weekend! Thanks Matt & Jess for flying all the way out here for some fun in the sun, thanks Matt, Holly, Dad & Mom for all the yummy food! Thanks Megan, Pat & Ken for hosting such a great time at the lake! Thank you Robert Pattinson for looking hot in WFE. :)

I hope you all had wonderful, safe holiday weekends too!

{Sneaky Peek}

2011-06-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

A gift,.... for a beautiful friend.

The problem I have with making gifts is that I love them so much, I usually want to keep them for myself. This one is shaping up that way too.

{Bath Time & Some Ruby}

2011-06-25T22:04:00.003-04:00

Cash seems to be a fan of bath time which makes me so happy. I mean,... check him out,... doesn't that face make YOU happy?!?!

I also recently won a giveaway over at Simplify by Camille. I received a rather large box of scraps from her most recent fabric line, Ruby.

You are looking at the makings of a future Ruby String Quilt. Perfect, right??

Let's take a closer look,....

What the,....

What a goober.

{1 Month}

2011-06-23T11:20:00.004-04:00

This baby bird is a month old,.... ALREADY!?!?

He is such a beautiful blessing for both me & the Mr. Needless to say, we have been pretty caught up in this perfect little baby boy with not a lot of time for much else, but I do have more updates coming,... i really do,... :)

This is his superhero pose. Cashman. He is going to grow up to be amazing!

I'm not totally awesome with words,... which is sad for a blogger,... but being this little guy's mom is the most beautiful and important thing I will ever do and he makes every minute of raging heartburn and every extra pound totally worth it :)

{He's Here!!!}

2011-05-27T22:39:00.007-04:00

Cash Thomas Lathroum
23 May 2011 • 6:06 PM
6 lbs. 4 oz. • 19 in.

In what is, as far as I can tell, the first guest post on Jessie's blog, I am overjoyed to announce Tom and Jessie's new addition.

I am Jessie's oldest brother, Matthew, and I am so happy for Jessie and Tom and glad that they decided to come back to Texas. Cash is sooooooo precious!!!!

Jessie, I love you so much and I wish you, Tom and Cash years and years of happiness. I know you will be such a great mother.

For all of the blog followers, don't worry, Jessie will be back with her great posts and better pictures.

{Better Late Than Never,..???}

2011-04-30T01:10:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter!!!

Funny story,... kinda. So, I bought these beautiful egg "wrappers" the last time I went to NYC from this super cute little Ukrainian store. I have been holding on to them for dear life this whole time waiting,.............. and waiting,......... for Easter.

I even packed them in the car when the Mr. and I drove here in February so I knew that they would be here for Easter egg decorating.

And then I lost them.

I was SO mad! It is actually pretty embarrassing how mad I was about these silly egg thingies. I had my Mom searching her house, I was searching mine,.... nothing.

Not until Easter day anyway. I walked into my parents house and went to a bag that I had left over there with some fabric and sewing supplies and VOILA!!! There they were. Now my Mom was mad,.... Mom: "Man! I could have totally been the hero!"

So here they are,... I just finished them up today, only 5 days after the Easter holiday. There was NO way I was going to wait to make these until next Easter. :) SO,... I hope you all had wonderful Easter holidays with your families. :)

{36.5 Weeks}

2011-04-30T00:35:00.002-04:00

Not much to say here but "Whoaaaaahh BELLY!" I am SO ready to meet my little guy! Just a few more weeks.

{Whatever You Do, DON'T Smile!}

2011-04-22T16:10:00.002-04:00

These beautiful children are my niece & nephew. We went out to a park/garden a couple weeks ago and it was like pulling teeth to get them to smile for the camera,... luckily, they are precious with or without smiles. :)

{Kristie, Rich & Lexi}

2011-04-21T00:50:00.003-04:00

Snuck in a last photo shoot before leaving Baltimore one last time.

This is Kristie, Rich and their pup, Lexi. It was a fun shoot, but don't be fooled by the beautiful sunshine, it was pretty chilly out still!

Folks, let me tell you, since we got back to Dallas three weeks ago, I have been majorly pregnant, surrounded by mess and boxes, no television, no internet, no vehicle. I apologize for yet another disappearance, but we just got internet hooked up yesterday! I missed all of you and I have a few catch up posts to do! Talk soon :)

{Bits & Pieces}

2011-03-31T13:44:00.003-04:00

Here are just a few of my favorite things I have either picked up or received as gifts for my little guy.

I ordered these gilded vintage "CASH" blocks from Cabin 7.

This is Sophie the Giraffe Teether that I received from my niece, Sofie, this past weekend at my Maryland baby shower!

And this bear belonged to my husband when he was little. My Mother-In-Law gave it to us for our little one! I love him. (side note: that cowboy hat was a gift from me to my husband on my first visit to Maryland after we met,.... I doubt he has ever worn it. It has resided in his parents basement since I gave it to him) :)

So, I spent the last seven days in Maryland getting the move underway. I took some pictures for friends, had a baby shower, a going away party, packers, movers, some sad feelings of leaving, happy feelings of Texas and a last look at our first little home. I will post more about it soon.

XOXO

{Nursery Inspiration Board}

2011-03-22T00:18:00.006-04:00

Inspired by the completely AWESOME Lay Baby Lay blog, I decided to make an inspiration board for Cash's nursery. These are some of the items and inspiration I am using to create the little man's fabulous room! Linkage below. (oh, and he has a fabulous refinished dresser/changing table that I couldn't find a picture of, but it's currently the only piece of furniture in his room! :) )

ZigZag Rug. Stork Print. Love Someone Print. Antique Gold Letters. Glass Lamp. Jenny Lind Crib. Upholstered Rocker. Keep Calm & Carry On Print. Bunting.

{A Tiny Quilt For My Boy}

2011-03-21T18:11:00.002-04:00

I made this tiny crib quilt for my little guy! I collected fabrics in aqua, lime green and grey (probably enough for like FIVE quilts) and used this pattern from the Moda Bake Shop.

I am pleased with the result but I think next time, I will photograph the quilt BEFORE I wash it. I mean,... I love the crinkly goodness here, but it makes it kind of difficult to see the piecing details.

So, I was going to have the bedding,... bumper and crib skirt custom made to match the quilt fabrics, but my mom talked me into letting ~~her~~ me make it. I think that my sewing skillz are just not good enough for something like this,... after all the mistakes and seam ripping, I'm thinking it's not worth it and might have someone else do it for our next child. :)

So this is the quilt with the bumper which is still not complete, and it definitely looks adorable, but like I said, not so easy for me. This is not the crib for the nursery either. This is at my parent's house. Cash's crib will be black. What do you think? Any readers hand make crib bedding and have any helpful tips? Right now I am trying to figure out how the heck I'm going to close the top of this bumper. I am seeing lots of hand stitching in my future.

{Vintage Fabric Patchwork Quilt}

2011-03-21T17:49:00.004-04:00

OH!! HI THERE!! :) Thought I fell off the planet did you?? Well, kinda,... a little, maybe? I've been moving, painting, visiting with family, furniture hunting (on a budget) and SEWING. :) This is a pretty little quilt I made just for the heck of it. It's made from a stack of charm squares that I won from a little giveaway on Miss Rose Hip's blog. If you haven't checked it out,... do, you won't regret it, her pictures and creations are so beautiful!

I went strictly patchwork with this one. After I had all the squares together it was a bit small so I hunted down some more (larger) vintage fabrics (sheets) from thrift stores for some sashing and backing. I like the result.

This is the first straight line quilting I have attempted since this debacle. I did draw out straight lines and used the walking foot and everything turned out just perfect.

Looks like a nice little picnic blanket doesn't it?? So,... I've been in Texas now for about 5ish weeks, the Mr. is still in Baltimore and I am about to meet up with him there this week to get our house packed up and headed out this way. He will be joining me here at the beginning of April when we will move into our temporary home here in DFW. (did I mention that he is doing the 23 hour drive AGAIN??? ALONE??? Well,... with TWO DOGS??? Good luck with that!) ;) I also have a couple photo shoots and a BABY SHOWER while I'm in Maryland! Yay! I wonder what kind of cool stuff my little guy is going to get! I can't wait to see my man and my friends and family in Baltimore again!

Stay tuned for a little baby boy quilt! :)

{23 Hours to Texas from Maryland}

2011-02-25T13:57:00.003-05:00

It's been a while huh?? So,.... two and a half weeks ago Tom and I made the 23 hour journey from Maryland to Texas! Needless to say, the trip back to Texas was WAY less torturous than the trip from Texas to Maryland almost 5 years ago. I don't think I ever explained this story, so,..... we hired movers to load, move and unload my stuff in MD. They turned out to be uber shady and showed up like THREE DAYS late! We turned them away when they tried to charge us double what we were quoted AND tried to tell us that it would take over 30 days before my stuff would be delivered. We got a UHaul, loaded it up pretty late in the afternoon and Tom took off in the UHaul with me behind him in my car with my little kitty Chance. I Don't remember exactly how long it took, but I'm thinking like 3 or 4 days,.... in June,.... with no AC in the UHaul (poor Tom). It was miserable.

This time was a little better planned. We loaded my car with essentials I might need over the next six weeks, i.e. clothes, undies, socks,... fabric, sewing machine, baby items, plants, our fancy dishes, cake plates,..... you know, the IMPORTANT stuff ;) Then we took off early in the morning on a Saturday with our kitties Cecilia and Audrey. These pictures are of Audrey, she was pretty confident in the car and posted herself up as our Co-Pilot for a good portion of the ride.

When she wasn't looking out for traffic jams, she was perfectly happy sleeping in the sun on top of the mounds of "very important stuff" I PROMISE Cece was in there too, she wasn't quite as sure about the ride as Audrey was, but she made it and she is perfectly happy in Texas.

Tom did all the driving (thank goodness) and I got to relax and sew while he "blue steel'd" for pictures. How many Hexagons do you think you can sew on a 23ish hour car ride,..... well, I didn't exactly count, but it's a LOT! :) Progress was moving quickly on the hexagon quilt I started a million years ago.

Anyway, we made it! After stopping Saturday night in Nashville, sneaking our kitties into the hotel and spending some time in the AWESOME hotel bar (drinking water), we got to Texas Sunday night,.... right on time! I have been here living with my parents and kitties for almost three weeks and Tom headed back to MD the day after we got here to get our house, things and work ready to go! Our house is leased (which is a little bittersweet), we have found a temporary home here in DFW, we have movers (of the NON-sketchy variety) coming at the end of the month to pack, load and deliver our belongings AND the BEST part is that the pooches are still in MD which makes Cece (and me) quite happy for now. :)

I have been working on Cash Monkey's crib quilt,.... slowly, but surely,... and I will post some peeks later of what I have so far. I literally hunted down enough fabric for like FIVE quilts,... but I'll start with the one for now.

I am on my way out for a nice walk in this BEAUTIFUL Texas weather!

xoxo

{24 Weeks}

2011-02-04T15:46:00.002-05:00

24 Weeks along and after a rather large, completely yummy croque madame for lunch,... here is my little guy! Growing like a weed!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Next week, our journey to Texas begins!

{Little Man Cameron}

2011-02-01T19:50:00.003-05:00

OMG!!! LOOK at that FACE! I just love photographing newborns!

This is Cameron, he's about a month old!

He was so sweet to photograph. I can't WAIT to take pictures of my baby boy! I just know I am going to end up with hundreds and hundreds of pictures of him! (I have already gotten like eleventy hats for that little guy!)

For hats like the ones in these pictures, you can go to Etsy. Teddy hat from Studio514 and the elf hat is from MadAboutColour and comes in every color you can think of!

{Kitty Crayons???}

2011-01-28T14:03:00.002-05:00

Look at these cute little kitty crayons I received from my wonderful friend, Megan!! Aren't they just so cute!?!?!

(Crayons from KittyBabyLove on etsy)

{A Giveaway from Camille}

2011-01-17T18:21:00.003-05:00

There is a rumor going around that Camille is doing an awesome giveaway over on her blog. I was reluctant to post about it in hopes that no one would notice it and I would end up the big winner. BUT I decided to be a good person and let everyone know about it. (That and if I posted it on my blog, I got an extra entry). So,... go check it out! It's a good one, you won't be sorry ;)

{Holiday Baking}

2011-01-13T11:24:00.003-05:00

I know this post is slightly overdue,.... but better late than never right? I just had to share these pictures. My Mom and I did some holiday baking when I went home for Christmas. I think we got a little too ambitious,.... I was only home for 4 days and we had what seemed like hundreds of cookies that we wanted to make!

This is the dough for Spritz that I died green and red,..... and then we never made. :)

Check out this OLD cookbook that my Mom has! I photographed this page because I remember it from my childhood. I always thought those Galaxy Cookies were sooooo neat looking and always wanted to make them, but we never did. I guess we will have to get on that, just for fun one day.

We were also going to make these Rosettes,.... never did. :)

This is the making of Rozki. Super Secret Recipe,.... sorry.

And these are Date Filled Cookies. YUM.

It appears that I never took any pictures of the actual baked cookies. Not sure what happened there, sorry about that, but you can imagine what these turned out like,.... yup, DELICIOUS.

{We're Having A,....}

2011-01-12T15:53:00.003-05:00

BOY!!!!!

So I made cupcakes! :) Aren't they adorable? I have already spent way too much time online searching for the perfect fabric for his room. Can't wait to meet this little guy! :)

{Little Man Parker}

2011-01-12T11:44:00.004-05:00

This little man is Parker. Isn't he sooo cute?? I did pictures with a friend of mine and her family for some Christmas gifts a month or so ago and Parker was a great subject!

Right in the middle of the shoot, he fell fast asleep on the rug on the floor. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. After his little power nap we were able to get some more fabulous smiles.

Congrats on your beautiful little boy Jen & Pete! :)

{A Holiday Photo Shoot with Miss Madison}

2010-12-31T13:39:00.003-05:00

Did everyone have a beautiful holiday??? Mine was great! BUSY but fun! My husband and I went to Texas for a few days to hang out with my family and headed back to Maryland on Christmas day to hang out with Tom's family. While we were in Texas, I managed to fit in a photo shoot with Madison and Megan.

Let me tell you something,... this girl might end up a model. She is 7 and a complete natural. She came up with poses I never thought she would! :)

Megan wanted to give Kyle pictures of his daughter for Christmas, so we scheduled this last minute shoot for the 23rd, headed over to Mimi's for breakfast while editing as many pictures as fast as possible. I believe Megan took the pictures for one hour developing and got them framed and wrapped just in time.

These turned out great, I hope Kyle loved them.

a cute little outtake :)

{Crushing On Etsy}

2010-12-26T20:25:00.002-05:00

Embroidery by merriweathercouncil.

Antique Pin Cushion by sadieolive.

Vintage Buttons by allthingswhite.

Dot Garland by thisneckofthewoods.

Embroidered Coasters by Waterrose.

Hearstrngs Paper Chain by MaisyandAlice.

{Fabric Christmas Ornaments}

2010-12-24T20:57:00.003-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This year, for Christmas I made ornaments! I knew I wanted to do something a little different for most of my gifts, so I searched high and low for just the right handmade ornament. I found the tutorial over at the Knitty Gritty Thoughts blog.

This tutorial was really easy to follow and I think the outcome is a fabulous little artichoke looking Christmas ornament.

I sent some of these off to my friends in different parts of the country in their favorite colors, I gave some to my coworkers and I gave them to my family. I hope everyone loved them because I loved making them!

"Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night"

{Little Miss Camryn}

2010-11-29T19:43:00.002-05:00

I snapped some pictures of Miss Camryn while she played around the Inner Harbor. Isn't she adorable!?!? She had so much fun playing and I had fun catching it on film. Kids are my favorite subject for sure!!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend!

{Little Miss Madison}

2010-11-28T11:07:00.003-05:00

Madison was a wonderful subject for some sweet pictures. She was very smily and she loved to eat her adorable purple tutu!

{John + Erika = Engaged}

2010-11-23T18:52:00.004-05:00

Congrats John & Erika! The photo shoot was FUN!!

{Cath Kidston in the USA?!?!?!?!}

2010-11-17T20:29:00.006-05:00

CathKidstonUSA

I know I have been kinda MIA lately,... but I didn't fall off the planet!!! How did I not know Cath Kidston has new shipping to the US!?!?! I am sooooo happy right now! My cart is filling up as we speak,.... this could be bad,.... real bad. (Please don't tell my husband).

{Gummy Bear}

2010-11-12T18:30:00.001-05:00

We're having a baby!!! (Which happens to look like a little gummy bear!)

{Locks Of Love}

2010-11-06T23:52:00.004-04:00

It was time for a CHANGE!!!

My hair had not been cut since March (the last time I went to Texas) and it had grown all the way to my waist. I made my hair appointment when I knew I was going home and was SO ready for this big cut.

Believe it or not, my brother met me out for my hair appointment so he could take pictures for me!!! Thanks Matt!!!

This pony tail that I'm holding up is about 11 ish inches. I decided before I went that if I was planning on cutting off my hair, I was going to donate it, and I believe Locks of Love requirement is like 10 inches,.... so there you have it.

Chop Chop

Snip Snip

And,... ta da!!

I am loving my new shorter hair. The cut didn't really phase me much, I was just ready to get it CUT!!! My 11 inch pony tail will go out in the mail next week.

{Henry & Ruby Turn 2!!}

2010-11-06T23:32:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing sweet twins Henry & Ruby's 2nd birthday party at a pumpkin patch!! It was adorable! The weather was perfect and the kids were great!

Henry was SO excited about that Owl cupcake. He just loved the eyes,.... which were Junior Mints. Well,... he liked them until he chewed them, then I guess wasn't such a fan of the mint part. :)

Ruby & her sweet little pig tails.

Henry & his cupcake with the missing eyes.

These are a couple of the kids from the party.

I had a lot of fun in the beautiful weather this day. Thanks for letting me come to the party Henry & Ruby!

{Ethan}

2010-11-06T22:52:00.004-04:00

Okay, okay,.... I KNOW!!! I really have no excuse for my absence, really. Just lost track of things for a bit. I could blame it on the "winter blues" but we aren't so far into the "winter" yet that I don't think that would really fly. So,... here I am now and I have a few things to catch up on. Unfortunately, none of them are craft related, mostly just photography and a little trip home to Texas,.... but I will try not to disappoint if you will forgive me for falling off the planet for a little while. :)

This little guy is Ethan. His mom works with me and we ran out for a quick photo shoot a few weeks ago. Isn't he just an adorable little man!?!?!

He didn't love this little fall set up and this is really the only picture I got of him sitting in the chair. I would love to try this again because it's just so stinking cute!!! These pictures were taken in the same park as Amy & Arek's pictures, just in a different area.

There is a little garden near the park entrance that we played in for a while too in some Ravens gear.

Stay tuned,... I have some lost time to make up for :)

{Amy & Arek get Engaged}

2010-10-11T20:18:00.003-04:00

I spent some time with my friends Amy & Arek a few weeks ago taking some pictures to celebrate their engagement and I think they turned out really adorable.

We went to Patapsco State Park and went all over taking pictures. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and just a blast taking pictures.

Amy & Arek are getting married In October, 2011 and I am excited to be a part of their big day! Can't wait! Congrats guys!

{Hi}

2010-10-06T17:57:00.004-04:00

Behind the scenes at Megan & Kyle's photo shoot (and no I didn't have to go to the bathroom) ;)

Just dropping in to say hello,.... I'll be back, just takin a little break. See you in a few more days!

{Deep Creek}

2010-09-25T23:00:00.009-04:00

Heading into the mountains

Last weekend the husband and I drove out to Deep Creek Lake to spend some time with some of his friends from college. I had never been there before, and it was beautiful!

In the country.

Corn :)

I'm actually pretty impressed with this picture. We were in the car going probably like 100 knowing my husband, and without a flash, I was able to get a nice focused image. (not that it wasn't bright enough)

Hi! :)

-cue dueling banjos-

It's not like I haven't ever seen NATURE... but it's been a while since I've seen it like this. We live in the city and rarely even leave. It was beautiful!

Yet another picture of my feet which my husband would say are pretty ugly. I have "finger toes". :) They are really long. Anyway, back to what this picture is really about... the MOSS! So at the house we were staying, you walk into the "backyard" and down to the water,... the whole area was covered in moss and acorns. It looked fake, like there should be fairies and gnomes hopping around sprinkling glittery dust and making things grow. :)

Moss

More moss

You get the point

Just a neat picture taken from a hammock.

Hi Tom. :)

The sparkly lake

Fall is beginning

While it doesn't get quite 30 degrees here in the city at night yet, I believe it did in the mountains. We ended the evening with a nice warm fire.

Well,... the men ended the evening trying to climb a branch-less tree with bare feet. Men......

{Battery Park}

2010-09-18T11:14:00.003-04:00

{Chinatown}

2010-09-16T23:00:00.003-04:00

{Carnegie Deli, NYC}

2010-09-12T23:54:00.004-04:00

I was considering leaving this wordless and letting the pictures speak for themselves,...but alas, I do think an explanation is in order here.

While in NYC, we stopped for lunch at Carnegie Deli. Okay, okay, we didn't exactly "stop in". We had to wait in a really long line to eat there, but I'd say after the angry old ladies in front of us stepped out of line, it was well worth it. :)

We received this lovely assortment of pickles for a pre-lunch munchie. Hmmm,... not really sure about these. Notice, there are a few in there that were bitten, and returned to the plate.

This is MY sandwich. I know what you're thinking, but rest assured, these people called it a sandwich. Corned Beef on rye with swiss, coleslaw and dressing to be exact. I think this was actually intended for like three lunches or maybe three people.

But no, I managed to finish mostly all of my sandwich all on my own! (minus a slice or two of the beef).

When you eat here with four people, you will be seated at a 6 person table where they will also seat a party of two. Yeah, FAMILY STYLE! :)

We were all completely amazed by this ridiculously HUGE food! This is an egg sandwich that one of our neighbors dined on. (looking so scrumptious, I might give that a try next time,... once I'm hungry again).

And this was also one of our neighbors sammies. Or, whatever you like to call this. (later a BLT went walking by and had like 2 lbs of bacon,.... I'm from Texas,... not EVERYTHING is bigger there).

Oh, after we totally gorged ourselves on pickles and giant, mutant sandwiches we proceeded to stretch our bellies further with DESSERT. WHAT?!?!?!

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESE CAKE!! (duh)

and a little chocolate mousse and cherries thrown in there too!

It didn't stand a chance.

It's a new week people. (wish it was a new weekend). ;)

{Remembering...}

2010-09-11T10:51:00.004-04:00

...those that lost their lives, those they left behind and those that continue to fight for our beautiful country.

{The Big Apple}

2010-09-08T19:43:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, Me, Tom, Megan & Kyle woke up at the break of dawn, grabbed some very large coffees and hopped on the 7:20am Mega Bus into New York City. About three hours, coffee that we had to ditch before actually getting on the bus, sitting with strangers and nearly an entire iPod battery later,... we were in The Big Apple.

*LOVE*

Street Vendors

City Street Signs

sKyLiNeS

Falun Dafa

Cool Build,....

wait,... Falun Dafa????

Yes, that's right, 法輪大法. They were right in the middle of the streets too! Interesting city that NY is. :) I did get a pamphlet about it, but it was in Chinese, and I can't read Chinese so I'm not entirely sure why they were in the middle of the streets, but I think it has something to do with 真, 善 & 忍.

{Megan & Kyle}

2010-09-07T22:06:00.008-04:00

One of my friends from Texas came out to visit for the holiday weekend and I'd say it was a major success! We went to NYC for a day, had brunch, a BBQ, a Maryland Labor Day Crab Feast and to throw a slight glitch in things, we had near stitches. Just minutes before the crab feast was to begin, I sliced open my right pointer finger on a broken wine glass. We glued that baby closed and the feast commenced. I managed to keep Old Bay out of my wound, I'd say that's a win! (it's pretty sore today though) :)

Anyway, we also managed to fit in a last minute photo shoot with Megan and her boyfriend, Kyle. They were GREAT! Just LOOK at these pictures! I feel like these should be an ad for cologne or something! Naturals I tell you!

Thanks for coming to visit us Megan & Kyle, we had a BLAST!! Let's do it again soon!

I have a TON of pictures from this weekend to post, so keep checking in! NYC will be divided among several posts, too many pictures to fit in one post on one day!

What did everyone else do for the long Labor Day weekend???

{A Bib For Sofie}

2010-09-02T22:51:00.005-04:00

At my sister-in-laws baby shower, she received this pack of like 10 bibs. Very basic, terry cloth bibs. About 5 of them had holiday prints on them and the other 5 were solid, no print. I stole them to jazz up for the upcoming baby. I had to wait quite a while (even though I KNEW it was going to be a girl!), but I think I came up with something pretty cute!!

This is just the first one that I've completed. I just cut these little petals out of charm squares with steam-a-seam on the back, adhere with the iron, then I just did a little bit of simple stitching to fancy it up (and reinforce). Cute huh??? I'm off to get working on the rest. I'll be sure to share when I'm done.

Any FAB Labor Day plans??? What's everyone got going on??? It's going to be a fun weekend here in the Lathroum house! We are having visitors from Texas, Megan & Kyle. Saturday we will be spending in NYC (what a fun picture taking opportunity!). Sunday we plan to run around town taking pictures of the love birds and just goofin around before heading to a BBQ Sunday night. Monday,... well, we are having a CRAB FEAST with a group of great people. I. Can't. Wait.

XOXO

{Happy Birthday Lucy}

2010-08-31T22:44:00.005-04:00

Amy & I went to a party for a friend & co-workers, mothers 60th birthday and I took a TON of pictures. Here is a sampling of still life. Oh, and a kid with some killer dance moves. Oh, and a pig,... a BBQ'd one, so if you are gonna feel sorry for that little piggy and get grossed out, don't look further.

(So, this little guy was FULL of sweet dance moves. He totally NAILED this,... wave, break dance, handstand move thing-y)

{What I'm Listening To}

2010-08-22T11:44:00.008-04:00

I am LOVING my newest discovery of this beautiful violinist, David Garrett. I could watch him play for hours. Hopefully I will get to see him perform someday. Enjoy & Happy Sunday!!

{My Art Space}

2010-08-18T17:58:00.006-04:00

So, bare with me, this is kind of an ongoing process. This is my art room. I would be lying if I said this is where all the magic happens. This is where PART of the magic happens. If I can be working on a project that I can take to the couch or sit on the bed and do, I'm there. This is where the sewing and storage goes down.

I bought this table on Craigslist for $100 and got to work painting right over the ugly country blue legs and oak top. I know what you're thinking,... it's awesome. You're right, it is, thank you! It's the perfect spot for my sewing to happen.

A few weeks ago I added a little red table lamp, wonderful black & white toile-ish chair and these wall shelves for some storage. It's coming together.

Since our house is uber tiny, this room also doubles as a closet/office. Since this used to be a guest room, everything blended a little nicer, but instead of storing my husbands clothes in the dirt ~~dungeon~~ basement I decided he could keep that dresser. ;) On the wall that I am shooting from is currently a leaning shelf/desk that will be moving to the other side of the dresser. Along this new empty wall will go a new piece from Ikea. It is black at the moment, but I'm working on making it white. What piece of furniture ONLY comes in RED or BLACK?? Only Ikea. It's really hit or miss there sometimes. It's insane to paint a perfectly good, brand new piece of furniture right?? Well, I'm gonna let you in on a secret. It's a good one, so please don't spread it around,.... I"M CRAZY. That's what I do, potentially ruin brand new furniture. I LOVE it.

Poor, poor Cecilia. She HATES our new dog Jack and has been hating our other cat Audrey since we got her,.... A YEAR AGO!! Cece has become the upstairs cat and Audrey the downstairs cat. Since the arrival of Jack, Cece ONLY stays in the art room. It's the only place she can go where Jack can't get to her and serve her up for dinner. She's good company though, when she's not trying to lay on the quilt that I'm stippling or the fabric I'm cutting.

I'm about to go cut into that lovely pile of most delicious fabric while you all are wishing you were too. ;) This is soon to be/currently ongoing/one of like I'd say 34 WIP's hexagon quilt. :)

XOXO -Jessie

{Dirty Blonde}

2010-08-17T23:24:00.003-04:00

My latest author, Lisa Scottoline, has done it again in Dirty Blonde. In this book a newly appointed Federal Judge, Cate Fante, finds herself in the middle of law, scandal, murder and sex. It's a great read, I definitely recommend it. I think I will try Daddy's Girl next. Share your latest reads, any recommendations??? Let me know, I'm always open to something new!! (or old, whatever)

Are you people having a good week?? I just have to tell you that along with the TWO afghans I am currently working on (and running out of yarn for) I am also working on like three quilts, some hexagons, some dishcloths, a paper box,..... what is wrong with me? I get bored working on the same thing for too long, then have to work on something else and go back to the original project later. Does anyone else have like eleventy projects in the works at once?? Anyway, I hope to show you some pictures, maybe it will motivate me to actually finish one of them. ;)

{On The Hook(s)}

2010-08-12T23:05:00.005-04:00

HI PEOPLE!! Oh how I have missed you. I've been BURIED under mounds and mounds of yarn!! I have just managed to dig myself out (and its a darn good thing, it was hot hot HOT in there!) But, hot or not, aren't they just beautiful!?!?!?

I have to tell you folks, this (these) are my first attempts at a full afghan and I think it is going rather well! I started the uber colorful one a few weeks ago using this Ripple Afghan Pattern. So far, so good! I got the yarn at a local craft store, it's called "Full O Sheep" (100% Wool) and believe it or not, its made by Red Heart. I just literally bought every color it came in and there is absolutely NO method to the madness, complete random stripes.

When I brought the started afghan into work to show a couple of my crafty friends, one of my other friends that has ZERO interest in crochet, eyed it up and asked me to make a custom BROWNS afghan. Now, my husband,... he isn't so thrilled that there is Brown's afghaning going on in his Ravens household. I have to keep it under cover here when I work on it if I want to keep my crocheting fingers. ;)

(please excuse some of the CrAzY colors going on in these pictures. Does anyone else find it hard to photograph yarn in artificial light?)

{Over The Weekend}

2010-08-10T23:40:00.002-04:00

The Mr. and I went to a wedding in Philadelphia and had a GREAT time! I didn't actually get any great shots of PEOPLE,... but what can you do?? I got these couple shots of the hotel chandeliers. :) Cool right? I think I might want to print the one above.

Yum. (above) Yum. (below) Hee hee.

I have a few projects going on right now, some crochet, some paper, some sewing,... I'll get pictures up soon folks! Love ya, mean it.

{HELP!! I NEED this rug!!}

2010-08-04T20:39:00.007-04:00

Photo from DecorPad

Guys!!!! I NEED your help! I have been drooling over this black & white striped rug for months! I keep seeing it in pictures in my Internet searches but never can figure out where to get one! I HAVE seen the IKEA Stockholm rug, and that IS a backup plan. But what I'm looking for are these solid, wide, rugby style stripes. The IKEA rug is a little different than what I'm looking for. I need a large area size, like 8x11 ish. HELP!!!! Please please please email or send me links for any of these rugs that you can find!

Photo from DecorPad

Photo from Freshome

Photo from HomeDesignFind

I really like this black & white chevron rug too, so that is also an option! I love you guys, you are the best, thanks for your help. (am I obsessing??? I AM obsessing, but I'm okay with that)

Photo from Fashionable Interiors

{Sweet Sofia}

2010-08-03T00:11:00.004-04:00

This is my niece, Sofia,.... do I really need to say anything at all????

Sweetest little baby girl!!! And just look at that little swirl! We LOVE the swirl!! What a beautiful addition to our family. I am already totally in love with her! (she is the proud owner of the Rainforest Quilt!!)

{Look Again}

2010-07-31T12:38:00.002-04:00

I recently read Look Again by Lisa Scottoline which was suggested by my mom. It was GREAT. It opens up with Ellen finding a "Have you seen this child" postcard in the mail and the resemblance between the missing boy and Ellen's adopted son, Will, makes her question the secrets behind the closed adoption. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a new read. I am about to move on to another of her books, "Dirty Blonde". Mom says it's fantastic, I'll keep you posted. Happy weekend!!

{Simply-A-Bloom Quilt}

2010-07-21T22:42:00.004-04:00

Well Ladies (and Gentleman??), I'm not really sure what I was waiting for to show you my most recent completed quilt. It's been done since my trip to the beach,.... remember?

So, here you have it! I made this using the pattern by Miss Bloom and Simple Abundance fabric by Bonnie & Camille. Can you stand it??? Honestly people, this is really the first quilt I've made for myself to keep (excluding my very first ever quilt,.... ever).

I LOVE it! It has been on my bed, on the Tide Point Deck for July Fourth fireworks, on the hill for Flicks on the Hill. It's just perfect!

My next to complete is the Wild Thing quilt I started,.... even before this one was started I believe!

So, on a side note.... my husband sensed that I have been a bit busy and stressed out recently and told me I needed to take a day off and spend it at the SPA!!!! For REAL! NO,... I'm not kidding! This Friday, I am taking a personal day just to relax, no husband, no friends, no animals, no plans, no crafting, no work... just me and my SPA DAY!!! I canNOT wait. Rest assured, I will be back to let you know all about it and how relaxed I feel after. :)

XOXO Jessie

{It Was a Baby Kind of Day}

2010-07-18T21:33:00.005-04:00

OH MY GOSH!!!! How cute is this tiny little baby!?!?! This is Avery and her parents are friends of mine and my husbands, so I was thrilled when they asked me to take some pictures of their baby girl.

Avery is a preemie and these pictures were taken AFTER she gained two whole pounds!! I had so much fun taking pictures of her! Once we got her content and I had the camera ready to go, it was very easy to get the perfect shot. I think babies have just become my favorite subject. Which just so happens to be a bit of a coincidence since I just became an Aunt to sweet little Sophia!!!!!

I held her today and fell right in love. I cannot WAIT to take her picture!! What a perfect little girl!!

{I Forgot About My Garden!}

2010-07-14T00:59:00.005-04:00

My husband and I worked on our yard a few weeks ago and I completely forgot that I walked around taking pictures of everything to share with you!

Our little hydrangea. I never saw these growing in Texas but they are EVERYWHERE here. Come to think of it, they were growing like crazy in South Carolina too!

These awesome bubble-y, float-y pond plants are new and just totally cool right?? You just drop them right in the water and they float around and are supposed to get HUGE. You can also see some of our fish very faintly in the back there.

The homeowner before us was very unique with the decorating and the backyard was filled with all kinds of nick knacks, garden statues, pots, things hanging on the fence,... etc. This little pirate ship was left behind and resides on the fence above the pond and, well, I thought it was pretty cute.

This is a little teeny tiny strawberry! About the size of a dime. Okay, it's not a REAL strawberry, you can't eat it, but it sure does look cute growing in my garden.

We worked on the front yard too. :)

Whaaat??? That IS my front yard.

{A Wedding Box for Emilie}

2010-07-11T13:18:00.006-04:00

A friend of mine at work approached me recently and asked if I would make a paper box for a friend of hers that had just gotten married in France. I love making custom boxes so I jumped on it. She gave me a bag filled with invitations, save-the-dates, programs, menus among other paper items from Emilie's wedding.

The original idea was to use the paper items as inspiration for making the box and that she would include all of those items in the box for the bride to keep. The more I looked at each item, the more I thought it would be even cooler to actually incorporate them into MAKING the box. Somehow, someway this flower idea popped into my head and I am LOVING the outcome!

I cut parts from everything in the bag to make this awesome looking flower that just about covers the entire top of the box. I even used the ribbons that were holding the programs together. I am actually thinking about doing this with all my leftover paper items from my wedding.

I also cut some cute parts out into squares that I used around the sides. LOVE this little square from the menu.

So, I have been thinking a lot lately about my Etsy shop and how neglectful I have been with it. The truth is that I haven't made jewelry in a really long time. I have been into so many other things and my Etsy shop has just suffered while I have been crocheting, sewing,... etc. My idea is to kind of diversify my shop by adding items other than just the jewelry. My first new item is to be one of these custom wedding boxes. What do you think? Do you think buyers would be interested in something like this? I thought, the buyer can mail their paper items to be incorporated in the box to me, and I will come up with a design based on what I receive. Of course, I could also add just any of my paper boxes, but thought this was extra unique and would be a good start. Let me know your feedback.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

{Coming Soon: CSN Stores Item Review}

2010-07-10T12:25:00.004-04:00

So, do you remember this super fun GIVEAWAY!?!?! Well CSN stores has given me the opportunity to review one of their MANY MANY items! Let me tell you, it was really hard to decide on just one item, but I think I have picked something really good!!! CSN Stores has over 200 different stores to choose from and over 1 million items, including beautiful dining room tables, outdoor furniture, and accessories for the little fur baby (and the not so furry baby) in your life! And I happen to have my eye on this super cute laptop bag (in the perfect color!).

I can't wait to show you what I chose to review from CSN Stores... so stay tuned!

{South Carolina Vacation - Part 2}

2010-07-06T19:28:00.010-04:00

Yes,... another one of THESE crazy picture posts. See, and the thing is that I pick pictures that are virtually the same, but in MY mind, they are so so different and I can't choose. I'm a dork,... I'm aware.

Back to the topic at hand. I did mention that my mom and I did quite a bit of crafting while we were at the beach so let me quickly run through what went down.

Below: Dining room turned sewing room.

Remember this quilt post? Well, I just got around to quilting it at the beach. Talk about PUTTING THINGS OFF. (I'm beginning to see a trend with that......)

So, "Simply-A-Bloom" (from Roslyn of Bloom) was basted...

Stippled...

and stippled some more.

Remember this quilt post? I finally finished piecing the "Wild Thing" quilt top. (pattern from Camille of Thimble Blossoms) It too was basted, but not stippled.

Below: Craft Hope dish cloths in the making.

You might recognize those yummy colored cloths below :) (and yes, we did watch The Holiday, its my all time FAVORITE movie! Probably seen it about 100 times,... "totally brill")

Mom decided to get back into crochet and lent a helping hand with some Craft Hope dish cloths as well. (below)

This is the mess that we made,.... and continued to grow throughout the week. Lovely right??

Yummy, Yummy dish cloths.

And, as if I didn't already have enough projects started,.... I got sucked into the Hexagon trend!! I actually really really enjoy hand sewing/stitching/embroidery so I decided to give these little Hexa-squares a try. (my husband made that word up :) These hexies are ALLLLL the rage on the crafty inter-webs,.... and so adorable, I couldn't resist.

Everyone is right too, they are very addicting, and a lot of fun.

The NINE (turned ten) hour drive home was the perfect time to finish hand-stitching the binding on the Bloom quilt...

(finished!!!!!)

AND there was even some time leftover for some hexa-squaring. PERFECT little travel project.

So, there you have it. ONE completed quilt (which I will post about later). One basted quilt, one NEW quilt project started,... yeah. And one Craft Hope project almost completed. It was a great, productive, and still relaxing trip. I wouldn't have been able to get so much done with my quilts if I didn't have my mom there to help me! Thanks Mom!

{Happy 4th of July}

2010-07-05T11:44:00.005-04:00

Okay, okay, it's the 5th, I know,.... so I'm a little late, what's new? (just ask any of my friends and family when they receive their Birthday cards,.... IF they receive them. Ooops)

Anyway, that's a whole other story. We went down to the water for the fireworks this year and spent several hours hanging out with family, friends, food, wine, and,... of course,... fireworks.

As you can see, I haven't quite figured out how to photograph fireworks, but what can you do?? Just to give you an idea, I took about 40 pictures of the fireworks and these few turned out the best,... yikes! In real life, they were beautiful. :)

I thought the picture below was just pretty cool. We were on a deck on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and there are these built in misters with lights which all the kids were in Heaven with. I snapped a picture of it and just thought it turned out neat. (No editing was done)

I hope everyone had a fun & safe Fourth of July with friends family and good food. (It's MONDAY and I'm off work!!!!)

{South Carolina Vacation - Part 1}

2010-07-03T11:09:00.010-04:00

Okay,.... I really love blog posts with tons of pictures and I'm even guilty of sometimes skipping over the story and just looking at the pictures. But I don't like it when I can't pick a reasonable number of pictures for my own posts, so I'm also guilty of the occasional picture overload. I'll try to keep the commentary short on this one. ;)

My husband and I met up with my parents at a beach house in South Carolina for a week of relaxation. We spent a bit of time at the beach every day, some time at the house sewing and watching movies, a little time shopping and a lot of time eating.

I love the picture above and that cute little girl in the background.

My Guy.

My Dad.

I was like a kid at the beach. Every so often the waves would bring in these little tiny clam-ish creatures by the hundreds. They would scatter all over the sand and once the water washed away, they would dig themselves into the sand. It was fun to watch them all wiggle their way into the ground. If I were to collect them from the beach and bring them home (which I didn't) they would have opened up like the ones in this picture that I found on the deck of the beach house,... little butterfly clams. Cute.

Of course, we built a sand castle,... well, kind of. It's one of those drippy sand creations. Turned out pretty cool, it even had its own pond. :)

Under Armour, at the beach.

Beautiful sunset from the house porch. So fun, so relaxing, so great to see my parents. Have any of you ever been to South Carolina beaches?? We were near Myrtle Beach. Do any of you have any exciting summer vacation plans???

Like I said, there was some creating going on at the beach house. Sewing, quilting, crocheting and an overload of movies. It. Was. Perfect.

Stay tuned for South Carolina Vacation, Part 2.

{Blogiversary GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!!}

2010-07-01T20:00:00.006-04:00

Congratulations to bldrnrpdx with the number 4 comment, who said.....

"A year ago I was starting to plan my wedding & honeymoon (which happened at the end of this spring). I was enjoying my summer break from work, working in my fruit & veg garden (as I am this year), and enjoying having some extra time for snuggling with my kitties & my guy."

bldrnrpdx, email me with your shipping information so I can get your prizes out in the mail!!! (And congrats on your recent wedding!) Thanks to everyone that commented and for sharing all your stories!

Stay tuned for pictures from our beach trip!