made

As part of the Twinery Design Team I get to create simple projects using a rainbow of beautiful twine.
This is a sweet fabric garland that would be perfectly pretty blowing in the summer breeze across a sunny window. The full post on how I made it is over on the The Twinery Blog today!


I'm also featuring a how-to on a mini recipe album that I designed as part of a team of fellow bloggers.
We joined our creative forces to put together tutorials on each of our blogs that will all be put into an
ebook that will be available for purchase at the end of the series. My tutorial for the recipe album with
all the details is here.

Happy Handmaking!

{6.28 to 6.29}
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found

a splash of pinkish yellowy orange

saltwater, sand and sunshine

matching dresses and giggles

the past

{6.24 to 6.27}
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cheesecake

from a sweet family owned homemade bakery

. . . for two
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lunchtime

New prints in the shop today! Super cute photographs of vintage wedding cake toppers that can also be customized for anniversary or wedding gifts.

Enter the code "justmarried" to receive a 15% discount on any item in the shop through Friday, June 24th.
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tea please

My sister Kadee will be taking her big exam tomorrow. The one a future doctor takes between second and third year, it only determines mostly your whole future as a doctor.

In the family we have each gotten the privilege to assist her with food, cleaning, and kitty entertainment
during her long days of studying. In exchange we are promised personal medical advice and care forever.

My final job for this leg is to pack a healthy filling nontiring energizing lunch to be eaten on a break. Amidst the grapes, carrot, bit 'o honeys, trail mix and chicken and avocado sandwich will be her Tazo Iced Green Tea. It is a new obsession for us. Ever since the lady in front of me at the grocery store raved about it so much so that I had to go back the next day to get some to try for myself...the lady was right.

Tucked inside is a card I made for good luck and love and you are brilliant and you are enough and rest now...all in one. By tomorrow evening she will begin her long weekend of "summer break" before third
year begins on Monday.

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sunshine tuna

Tuna will fight all the others to get this place in the afternoon. 

Things I like that you might like, too...

 firstly, a pretty giveaway from Marie Bee
 then there is this new tutorial ebook series I'm taking part in
 also, an etsy shop with an abundance of style

. . . and tomorrow is the first day of summer!!! 

Happy Monday!
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for dad

an apricot pie made from fresh fallen fruit, sugar, butter and lots of love

Happy Father's Day Dad!! xo
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toppers

These ones on the right were my favorites, notice the groom has no pants!
...

My mom's friend Elaine collects vintage wedding cake toppers along with vintage wall pockets, pottery and candy jars. Pam and I were treated to apple fritters (thanks to Elaine's sweet husband) and an afternoon of photographs and stories. Looking forward to adding some lovey dovey prints to the shop.
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bittersweet

Yesterday I watched my nephew walk across the stage with his fellow eighth graders as he went through the ceremony of being promoted to high school. He was fresh faced and just as sweet as ever with newly pierced ears and a shy smile.

He'll be playing at the local fair in a few weeks with his band and practicing lacrosse all summer long. If only he knew how very special this time is between middle school and high school, if only one could capture in a jar the carefreeness and confidence that radiates from a fourteen year old.

There is no hurry to grow up, be patient, savor the comfort of your family and friends. It is a brief moment and you'll have plenty of time to drive, go to college, work and become who you always dreamt you'd be.

chocolate peanut butter surprise cookies

Later I thought my own eighth grade promotion, I remember the adorable blue Guess dress I wore, the carnations each of us received from the principal, how happy I felt and having lunch with my family at a
local Italian restaurant. Oh to have that summer back...three months when time stopped.

{6.16 to 6.17}
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r o a r !

a dinosaur arrived in the mail today

he was ferocious and bumpy

a prehistoric plant grew from his back...

he jumped out of a cloud from inside a box...packaged with perfect care

Kadee's birthday gift arrived!! These little guys are in such high demand that she had to wait until after the big day and Plaid Pigeon is taking a tiny break to catch up on their monstrous amount of fabulous dinosaur orders.
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made

                        new packaging for custom pendants, sending off two sweet ones today...

                      chocolate chip muffins, little itty bitty chocolate chips that is and lots of 'em

{6.13 to 6.14}
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have yourself . . .

. . . a lazy little sunday

yawn.

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pam

My sister Pam asked me to take some portraits for her website and future situations when someone asks
for a photo of her. She is an artist in every single way from hand drawn sketches to web design (<---a site she recently designed) and it was quite nice to have such a relaxing shoot. It doesn't get any easier than your very own sister who photographs beautifully and laughs and chats with you the whole time. I loved it, we could've been there all day. xo
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achoo

Jell-O made with orange juice, Case told me that's how his mom used to make it for him. He caught a bug
and stayed home from work so I indulged him with Jell-O, chicken soup and his Star Wars pillowcase.

Remember those old bananas I had? I tried out this Martha recipe in a pie dish instead of a rectangular one,
and renamed it Brown Sugar Banana Cake it just looked and sounded prettier that way.

sneak peek of a project I'm working on with fellow Etsians...

{6.09 to 6.10}
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the sweet stuff

packing a brown bag lunch for Case to take to work
watering the tiny green tomatoes that are multiplying overnight
the nice people at Jamba who know my name and exactly what I like
giggling with a friend over her good news
picking up Hermie from Mom's, all cuddly and full of kisses
catching up on The Daily Show
fresh lemon curd with whipped cream
wedding season orders to complete
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ooh la la

Taking home a new apron after photographing adorable apron after adorable apron for Lisa from
Sassy Chef Aprons . . . wonderful, I love it! Now to bake something with the old bananas in the fridge.


The photographs from our Holland trip are finally collected into a little book I made this weekend . . .
wishing I had made one of these for all the trips I've been on.

mmmmm . . . watermelon for breakfast, yes please

{6.05 to 6.07}

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kadee-did

Happy Birthday to my sister Kadee! She is preparing for a big exam that medical students take between their second and third year, it is pretty serious because she has taken a vow of studying until the big test. We get to see her if we bring Sprinkles cupcakes or offer to do the dishes.

Her life is about to change in a big way, not just because she is going to begin that third year toward doctorhood but because she's getting one of these tonight!

Kadee collects quotes the way some may collect seashells or buttons. They are on her fridge, shelves, mirrors, computer desktop, inside books, under the bed...this one was on the back of driving directions she wrote out for me one day, then later she wondered why I had her quote on my fridge.

Well, I found it inspiring for one but more importantly because I had a little bit of her right there with me everyday when I go to get my orange juice and I love that.


After a long day of studying we get to celebrate with her! We will eat tuna and noodles, sing, eat chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, watch her open presents, maybe go in the spa...wrap her up in comfort before she must leave to sleep then study some more.

Oh how I love her. 
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tickle tickle

I disturbed the Hermie Monster this afternoon.
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