An Autumn Give-Away, Etsy-style!!

I am excited. SO excited. I would even go so far as to say that I am quite thrilled!

For one thing, today was a pleasant 80-something degrees. Tomorrow, it is supposed to be in the 70's. When I went for a walk this morning I could hear leaves crunching beneath my feet. I had hot tea with my breakfast this morning, for the first time in a while. And when I drove down the street this afternoon I couldn't help but notice that certain trees were starting to turn lovely shades of orange and red. You know what this means, folks. FALL! It is finally and at long-last arrived, and my little heart is happy and glad to welcome it.

If you have been reading my blog for a little while, you know that around this time of year I get into a mood... a blissful, happy, dreamy, let's-all-wear-sweaters-and-drink-tea-and-cuddle-on-the-couch-all-day sort of mood. I can't help it... I just LOVE fall and everything that comes with it.

This year, I am passing on my love of all things autumn to all of you, in the form of a give-away!! And really, I could not be more excited about this particular give-away, because I am able to feature the Etsy shops of some of the girls I know and love, whether it be through blogging or otherwise. Oh, I am SO glad I can do this, because really, these ladies are all not only incredibly talented, but also super-sweet and totally loveable.

And now, let's take a peek at the wonderful things up for grabs, shall we??


Leafy felt wallet, mustard with teal leaves by yourwishcake. Also known as Kerri, or One of the Loveliest People Ever. I'll be honest, it was when I saw her brand-new batch of adorable fall-colored wallets that I knew I had to have a give-away-- the colors are so cheery and wonderful!


Silver nature leaf cut-out earrings by oh, hello friend. This little lady has done amazingly well in the Etsy world, and no wonder. Not only do I want everything listed in her shop, but Danni also happens to be a true sweetie. With these beautiful earrings of hers, you can have leaves under your feet AND on your ears!


Embroidered felt coffee-sleeve cozy by Joyful Star. (It looks like this one, but in blue and brown instead.) Ashley is pretty much a doll in every way. I've never had the privilege of meeting her in real life (just like many of these girls), but I'm sure that if I did I would love her even more. Everyone needs to wrap their hands around a good cup of coffee or tea when the weather turns cold-- and with this cute lil' cozy, that starbucks treat will be even more fun to drink.


Yellow and gray leafy hair pin by Pinned Up. Yay, more leaves! Could there be anything more autumn-ish? This adorable little one comes to us from Miss Alyssa, who is a dear girl with a definite eye for the crafty and domestic.


Red Posy Hair Clip by Little Lovelies. The ever-fabulous Morgan from Mrs. Priss has put together a shop full of very lovely indeed accessories for ladies both small and large, and I wish I could own them all, for myself and my little ladies. Also, this girl is a complete sweetheart, so there's that, too. This particular clip caught my eye because of the beautiful red color... just like an autumn tree.


Home Sweet Home Print by tankandtink. Have you become accquainted with Molly June?? Because if not, you really should. She is pure sunshine and will definitely brighten your day. I really love this print of hers, because when cool weather and early dusk rolls around each year, there is nothing I yearn for more than home and all its comforts and blessings.

Be sure to check out these girls, and especially their Etsy shops. You never know what other treasures you will find, for all of them are simply full to the brim with lovely things!

In addition to this package of Etsy goodness, there is also a bonus give-away of a $10 Starbucks gift card.

Because there is nothing better than a Starbucks on a cold day (it's definitely one of my favorite things). So, that means there will be TWO special winners! Get your happy-dances ready, friends.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by October 8th, 2009. Tell me your favorite thing about fall if you wish-- I would love to hear how you celebrate and enjoy this beautiful season. If you so desire, you can blog about this give-away, and I'll give you an extra entry! Just leave me a second comment with the link to your post.

A big huge thank-you to all you Etsy girls, I am so grateful to be doing this giveaway. And thank you to all of you, my friends, for making things like this so fun. :)

I wish you all a most blissful and cozy, colorful and leaf-crunching, delightful autumn!

a-thrifting we will go

If you know me at all, you know how giddy and excited and happy a great bargain makes me. You know that I very rarely, if ever, purchase ANYTHING full-price. Some may say I am cheap. I prefer to call it "frugally creative".

You may also know that I adore a good project, and an opportunity to take something that was old and ugly and make it unique and pretty is a call I can hardly resist.

So, given my love of these two things, you should find it no surprise that a good thrift store makes my little heart go pitter-patter. I LOVE thrift stores. Everytime I step inside one I can't help but think "the hunt is on!" And when I walk away from that store having found exactly the thing I needed (even if I didn't know it) for a ridiculously cheap price, it is a heady victory that leaves me with what I can only refer to as a bargain hunter's high. Who needs drugs? I've got THRIFT STORES, baby!

Well, in the past month or so, I have been so blessed as to enjoy many such victories in my thrift store excursions. It all started when we were in Denver visiting my family, and my mom and sisters and I decided to make a Goodwill trip. Lydia really wanted to find a desk for her room (which she did, a VERY cute one for $10!). Seeing as how we were over 1000 miles from home with a van full of luggage and kids, I really had no intention of buying anything for myself. And then, I saw it. A chair. THE chair.

The price tag read $14.99. It was in perfect condition, other than a slight fading of the upholstery. It was clean. And cushy. And SO CUTE. I knew I had to have it. I did stop to wonder for a brief moment if my husband would kill me for purchasing a CHAIR when we were halfway across the country... but it was a very brief moment. So, I pulled the tag to take to the cashier, already so excited at my wonderful find.

And then, oh wonder, she told me that all furniture was half-off that day (seriously? Why don't any of OUR Goodwills have sales like that??). Which brought my chair to a grand total of a little over $8. EIGHT DOLLARS! That's euphoria right there, people.

It now sits in our living room, and my plan is to paint the dark wood a light blue, just to lighten it up a bit and bring out some of the color in the fabric. If you look at the back of the chair, where it's not as faded, you can see that there are some really beautiful colors in there.

I love the spindle detail of the legs, and have a feeling you'll be able to see it even better once it's painted.


On that same shopping trip, I also came across this grand bowl for only $4.99:

This is one of those things I needed and didn't even know it. I've since used my beautiful bowl all the time, for lots of different things. The shape and color is so perfect.

After this wonderful (and very exciting) thrifting experience, I was left wanting MORE. So, a few weeks ago, my dear bestie Jessica and I headed downtown for a kid-free, therapeutic afternoon of shopping at some of our local thrift stores. Our good friend Stacie (who is a thrift-store aficionado), had tipped us off to a couple places we'd never been, and we couldn't wait to see what was in store! Well, they did not disappoint. At the first one, I found a pair of very chic barely-worn shoes...

and this adorable teal jar...

...among some other fun finds that weren't as picture-worthy (a few games and books, baskets, etc.).

The next place we went seriously looked like a hole-in-the-wall, and I was a bit dubious as to what we would be able to find there. Turns out that yes, it was most definitely a place filled with a fair amount of dirty old junk and extrememly out-dated ugly clothes... but, with a fair amount of digging, there were LOTS of treasures to find. Also, everything was incredibly super cheap, so when we did find something, it was extra exciting.

Behold, my treasures:
REAL leather boots, exactly my size, exactly the kind I've been wanting for fall. $3.


Retro dishes. 50 cents for the big plates, 25 cents for the small. (there was only one good big plate, so I use it as a platter, but I got 7 little ones.)


This was my favorite find of the day. A vintage (probably from the 60's or 70's, judging by the tag) dress! I love the colors and the stripes, and it fits me just right. The price? One dollar!

And look... pockets! I adore a dress with pockets.


Thank you, thrift stores, for being so good to me and my wallet. I will always love you without fail and most passionately.

What about all of you? Have you had any good finds lately? Do tell!!

Happy Autumn(ish)

today's artwork, with a little message for you all from Emma and Annabelle

It's 107 degrees here today.

Blerg.

Someone forgot to tell Bakersfield we're supposed to be saying goodbye to summer.

Oh well... happy autumn, anyway!! :)

Six months!!

Yes, it's true, folks. This tiny little creature

has grown and changed, in a mere blink of an eye, into

a 6-month old little girl!! Half-way to a year. 6 months away from turning ONE.

I knew this day would come. But I certainly didn't realize it would come so QUICKLY!

(If you need me, I'll be in the bedroom, sobbing hysterically into a teeny-tiny little onesie.)

So, what is our Rosalie up to at 6 months old?

She sits up by herself like a little pro, and plays with her toys quite happily.

I think she loves that she can be a part of what her sisters are doing in this way. Sometimes I'll set her in Emma and Annabelle's room while they play around her. As long as they're right there, she's perfectly content. She definitely just wants to be "one of the girls".

And the feeling is definitely mutual-- her sisters LOVE her in a really wonderful way. They are always excited to see her, to hold her, to try to make her laugh, to talk to her. There's nothing I love better than the sight of my three girls interacting and loving on each other.

Around month 4, we completely switched over to cloth diapers (with a lot of help and advice from friends Lisa and Kourtni).

I have to say, I have not regretted that decision once. I love not having go out to buy diapers all the time, I love the way they look and feel on her, I love not throwing money away every time we change her... I even kind of love doing the laundry. I know, that sounds crazy, but I've got my method and system down, and it's actually really enjoyable, with a great sense of accomplishment when all those diapers are fresh and clean again.


Rosalie-roo still LOVES bath-time, especially now that she can sit up. Bathtime is one of our very favorite things!


She is an incredibly smiley and happy baby, always ready with a sweet smile as she looks at you with those big brown eyes.

Of course, when she gives us looks like this, I can't help but swoop her up and give her millions of kisses. Seriously, I don't think I've ever simply HAD to kiss a baby this much. I can't even explain it... it's like every time I look at her I'm simply overcome with how CUTE she is in every way. So I kiss her, and I rub her head, and I nibble on her thighs and hands and cheeks and toes. Oh, those chubby thighs and hands and cheeks and toes!


It looks like we will have a crawler on our hands very shortly, as she is getting up on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth merrily. Honestly, I don't think SHE can wait to be on the go, chasing after her sisters and getting into everything. As for ME... well, I'm excited, but also a bit nervous. A baby who crawls?! Does this mean I can't do craft projects on the living room floor anymore? ;)


Most recently, we've introduced her to rice cereal, her very first solid food.

This was her very first taste of it, and while she may look unsure in this picture, she has since decided that she LOVES her cereal and gobbles it up faster than I can spoon it into her mouth.


One of the things I love most about her age right now is how she interacts with others. Her babbling has taken on definite sounds (ba, da, etc.) almost like she's REALLY trying to say something, and she will often reach out a hand to touch someone's mouth, cheek, or nose as they talk to her.

This, needless to say, completely and totally melts my heart into a big ol' puddle of love-flavored goo. And so does this:


The passage of time, especially when it comes to children, is a bitter-sweet thing. One the one hand, you can't wait to watch them grow and change and see what they will be like as they turn one, two, three. You rejoice in every new phase and each new thing learned, and are grateful for every day that passes. But, on the other hand, you want to grab time and stop it so you can hold onto exactly who they are right now, in this very moment. You want to savor and drink in each nook and cranny of their sweet little person, every nuance of their personality, and make them stay just that perfect and adorable forever. But, since time stops for no one, and newborns must grow into 6-month olds, and 6-month-olds into one-year-olds, I will just do my best to cherish all that I can while the days fly by. And thankfully, I have been given an ideal place from which to watch this little one grow.



I get to be her mommy.






I get to be a mommy to all three of these lovely little girls. And somedays, I can hardly believe that God chose ME to receive these children. I am so, so blessed.

And so very grateful.

{simply scrumptious} Brownies and a Blondie

These brownies will definitely fill your craving for something sweet, chocolatey, rich, and gooey. And, there's good news! I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine... so, hey, they're practically good for you! Health food! Right... right??

okay, so maybe not, but they're so decadent and yummy you won't actually care.


Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownies

3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cherry preserves*
1/3 cup water
5 tbsp butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray (or, simply grease the pan really well-- I didn't use parchment paper and it was ok).
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine preserves, water, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Add preserves mixture to flour mixture; stir well. Add egg and egg white. Stir until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

*you can actually use any preserves you would like. I didn't have any cherry preserves on hand, but I did have blackberry, so I put that in instead. It was so good! I really want to try these with orange marmalade or raspberry... mmmm.

And while we're on the subject of things that are simply scrumptious, I would have to say that a blonde little girl in Pippi-like braids definitely falls into that category.

This was the first time I'd tried doing her hair in "pigtail braids"... I immediately fell in LOVE with how they stick out.



That's it for now! In my opinion, you should all go make some brownies. Because, you know, that's pretty much always a good thing.