Chaotic Creation

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 6/22-6/28

2011-06-22T10:09:00.013-04:00

Harris Teeter is doing Super Double coupons from 6/22-6/28. They will double coupons that have up to a face value of $1.98.

I just returned from a trip there and this is my mini-haul. They were out of a few items that I wanted to get but I will check later this week to see if they are back in stock.

Total retail: $61.54

Total after VIC card savings: $40.07

Coupon total: $51.64

Total OOP (out of pocket): $11.16

82% SAVINGS!

I bought:

1 Hidden Valley Salad Kit- $2.79-.79 VIC Discount-$1.00 off coupon (doubled)= FREE

1 Coffeehouse International Delight Creamer-$2.49-0.62 VIC discount=$1.87-0.55 off coupon (doubled)= $0.77 per bottle

1 French's Spicy Mustard- $1.99-$0.75 coupon (doubled)= $.49 per bottle

1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce- $1.59-$0.55 coupon (doubled)= $0.49 per bottle

1 Marie Callender's Bakes- $6.49- $3.50 VIC discount= $2.99-$1.00 off coupon (DND)= $1.99

2 Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners- $1.50 on clearance- $1.00/2 coupon (doubled)= $0.50 per bottle

2 Blue Diamond Almonds-$3.49 each on B1G1= $1.75 each-$1.50/2 coupon (DND)= $1.00 per can

2 Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Sauces- $2.50 each-B1G1=$1.25 each -$1.00/2 coupon (doubled)=$.25 per bottle

2 John Frieda Full Repair Hair Foams-$6.69-20% VIC discount=$5.35 each- $5 off coupon=$.35 per bottle

1 Smuckers Jam- $2.99-0.99 VIC discount= $2.00-$0.55 off coupon (doubled)= $0.90 per jar

1 Garnier Shampoo- $3.79-1.00 VIC discount=$2.79-$1.00 off coupon (doubled)= $0.79 per bottle

1 Garnier Conditioner- $3.79-1.00 VIC discount=$2.79-$1.00 off coupon (doubled)= $0.79 per bottle

1 Colgate toothpaste (smaller)-$1.39-0.30 VIC Discount-$0.75 off coupon (doubled)= FREE

1 Colgate toothpaste (larger)-$1.99-$1.00 off coupon (doubled)=FREE

Wee Bit Wednesday (a day late!)

2011-05-05T15:09:00.000-04:00

{one} when was the last time you used a pay phone (if ever)?
I think it was when I was about 13 years old at Geneva Point Center up in New Hampshire. My family was participating in a church function and the only way to make outgoing calls back to my Dad at home was on a pay phone.

{two} did you ever fail a subject in school?
All the way through high school I never failed a class. Once I got to college though...lol, I failed a class on Primate Behavior. It was the worst class ever and I have no clue why I even decided to take it.

{three} where do you go to get your favorite hamburger/cheeseburger?
Five Guys!

{four} have you ever served jury duty?
No, but I really want to do it at least once.

{five} how old were you when you moved out of your parents’ house?
I was 21.

{six} what is your favorite color to wear?
Mostly teal or purple.

{seven} do you have a pair of shoes that you wear all the time?
Yup, ever since getting pregnant I have worn two pairs of shoes- my non-skid work shoes and my black Sketchers slipon sneakers.

{eight} do you enjoy talk radio?
Not in the slightest.

{nine} if you could turn one unhealthy food into a healthy one, what food would it be?
Fried food, especially chicken from Moseberth's. Yum!

{ten} who is the best speaker you’ve ever heard in person?
Hmmm, Joe Riddle at Wave Church in VA Beach.

ABC's of Me!

2011-05-01T08:42:00.004-04:00

Saw this on a bunch of blogs lately and of course I had to participate. :)

Age: 22
Bed Size: Queen
Chore you hate: Doing dishes especially since I leave them sitting in the kitchne for so long that they smell yucky.
Dogs: None at our apartment currently but my parents have a German Shephard named Frank Sinatra and a Pekingese named Chloe
Essential start of your day: Putting clothing on.
Favorite Color: Green, brown, purple and lots of teal/turquoise
Gold or silver: Silver.
Height: 5'2
Instruments I play (or have played): Only a recorder in elementary school
Job Title: Cashier
Kids: Little baby Riley who should be here in early July!
Live: Chesapeake, Va
Mom's Name: Carolyn
Nickname: Cait, Caity, Caitster, Charlie Brown
Overnight hospital stays: One coming up in early July... lol
Pet Peeve: When my hubby does chewing tobacco... :(
Quote from a movie: "If you're a bird, I'm a bird." -The Notebook
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: One sister
Time you wake up: Usually 4AM since I have work at 5AM most days of the week
Underwear: Comfy
Vegetables you dislike: Canned green peas
What makes you run late: Having to take a shower before going somewhere
X-rays you've had done: My ankle and chest
Yummy food you make: Cupcakes
Zoo animal: Monkeys!

30 Days of Me- Day 9

2011-05-01T06:33:00.002-04:00

Day 9- Something you are proud of in the past few days...

I am proud of myself for facing my apprehensions in regards to doing things alone. Ryan is always working at the fire station it seems and I am always home alone. A few weeks ago I signed up for a newborn care class at the hospital that we plan to deliver Riley at and of course the class was scheduled for days when Ryan had to work. I usually dislike doing things by myself and love it when Ryan is there to share in the experience with me but I had to attend this class regardless of whether he could come or not. I felt really awkward going to this type of class alone and assumed everyone thought the worst things about me, but by 5 minutes into it, I just didn't care anymore. It was more important for me to learn new things about taking care of Riley than to give a flying fart what some strangers thought of me.

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-04-28T17:13:00.010-04:00

Found these questions as a part of Ashley's Wee Bit Wednesday post and I figured it would be fun to answer them.

1- have you ever been stuck in an elevator?
Nope, thank God. I would probably cry my eyes out if that happened.

2- have you ever ridden on an elephant?
Yup! I went to a circus in New Hampshire with my family when I was about 5 and I got to ride one there.

3- have you ever met a well known celebrity?
I met Richard Simmons, the workout guy, at the airport one time. It was awkward. Lol.

4- do you have any food allergies?
Nope. Good b/c I love food!

5- do you know how to sew?
Yes, and I wish I had more projects to make.

6- did you get an allowance when you were young?
Not consistently. It was an on and off kinda deal.

7- how often do you fill up your gas tank?
About one every week and a half bc I never actually fill it up anymore. It’s far too expensive these days. Thankfully I work 2 minutes from our apartment.

8- have you ever been stung by a jelly fish?
Yes, just last summer after jumping off my in-laws boat into the James River. It wasn’t as bad as I had expected but it sure didn’t feel good.

9- have you ever been robbed?
Nope.

10- what is the worst haircut you’ve ever had?
A chin length cut when I was about 16 years old. Never, ever again!

30 Days of Me-Day 8

2011-04-28T15:58:00.003-04:00

Day 8: Short Term goals for this month and why...

I guess I should actually do this for the month of May considering there are only a couple days left in April. So here goes..

Goals for May

1- Drink at least one more glass of water per day.

2- Try and clean the kitchen a little more often.

3- Make it to the end of the month without Riley making an appearance.

4- Get the rest of Riley's clothes washed and folded.

5- Read 2 books.

6- Blog at least 5 more entries.

7- Finish setting up Riley's nursery.

30 Days of Me- Day 7

2011-04-26T09:18:00.004-04:00

Wow, it sure has been a long time since I posted one of these. Things got kinda hectic since getting married, finding a new job and getting pregnant, but hopefully I will blog more soon.

Day 7- A picture of someone/something who has had the biggest impact on you...

I would have to say that my parents have had the biggest impact on my life so far considering the fact that I spent 20 years of my almost 23 years with them. They have been the most amazing, supportive people and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

29 weeks, 1 day!

2011-04-25T20:32:00.003-04:00

How far along: 29 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain: about 25 pounds- really wish it were less... :(

Stretch marks: same ones as before but a couple extra little ones on my hips

Sleep: pretty comfy when using a Snoogle pillow but lately my husband has been hogging the bed making it harder to stay asleep

Movement: I swear sometimes he is trying to break out! He moves like crazy and you can even see it from the outside. It is so weird to watch. lol.

Food cravings: still fruit of course!

What I miss: being able to get out of bed easily and being able to bend down without groaning.

Weekly Wisedom: I need to listen to my body and take it easy when I am feeling crampy and such.

Milestones: THIRD TRIMESTER, WOOHOO!!!

20 weeks, 5 days!

2011-02-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

How far along: 20 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: gained 15lbs. or so

Stretch marks: same ones on my boobs, now a few new ones on my hips

Sleep: Getting better but I still struggle once in awhile

Movement: He moves all the time practically now...lol

Food cravings: Fruit, salty things

Frustrations: People always asking "how are you feeling?"

What I miss: Sushi still, and not having back pain

Weekly Wisdom: Drink more water.

Milestones: Feeling him kick on the outside rather than just the inside

It's a Boy!

2011-02-04T09:58:00.003-05:00

Riley at 16 weeks, 1day from an ultrasound we did to find out his gender

How far along: 17 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: 8lbs. but it's hard to be sure b/c dr's office scales were crazy different each time.

Stretch marks: On my breasts and they are so PURPLE! Gah.....

Sleep: Depends on the night, sometimes I get plenty but other nights I can't even get 4 hours in.

Movement: I don't think I've felt the baby yet but I'm not sure...lol

Food cravings: Citrus fruits, grapes, brownies

Frustrations: Not fitting into bras, even new ones...

What I miss: Sushi!!!

Weekly Wisdom: Invest in Tums.

Milestones: Getting a baby belly

Surprise!

2011-01-08T22:47:00.001-05:00

Ryan and I are having a baby!!! :)

The Big Day!

2010-11-06T21:10:00.005-04:00

Still waiting on the professional pics to come in but here are a few family shots for now!

It was the best day of my life so far! I can't believe it has been 3 weeks already since this day. :)

30 Days of Me- Day 6

2010-10-03T12:11:00.003-04:00

My favorite superhero and why...umm, yeah I really don't like superheros in the traditional sense.

I love the everyday superheros that you can find fighting on the frontlines in our military, protecting the streets from crime, and keeping people and property safe from fires and emergencies.

I am marrying a career firefighter in less than 2 weeks and I cannot be more happy about it. I am so proud of the work he does day in and day out.

Haha...

2010-09-22T18:41:00.004-04:00

Wandered into the kitchen to put some dishes in the sink and look what I found...

30 Days of Me- Day 5

2010-09-22T10:14:00.001-04:00

http://neonshadows.tumblr.com/page/57

A picture of a place you have been... it's been quite awhile but I loved every moment of it.

30 Days of Me- Day 4

2010-09-12T08:24:00.002-04:00

A Habit You Wish You Didn't Have...

I have such a bad habit of letting dirty dishes pile up in the sink for so long. It will get to the point where my fiance is tired of asking me to deal with them so he will just do it himself. I don't know why I have such an issue with getting them done especially since we have a dishwasher. Lol.

30 Days of Me- Day 3

2010-09-03T21:11:00.002-04:00

My sister, on the far right, is my best friend in the whole world. :)

Day 2

2010-09-02T15:23:00.002-04:00

Day 2- The Meaning Behind my Blog Name

Hmmmm... I guess it started in high school when I made a collage that I titled "The Chaos of High School", then I named my LiveJournal account "The Chaos of LIFE" and for some reason when I started my blog I kept with that theme. I figured my life was still chaos (in a good way) and I liked creating things more then I ever had before. It was initially named "Creative Chaos" but sadly I found out that the name was already taken by another well-known blogger. I changed it to Chaotic Creation to avoid confusion but I still feel like a copycat to this day...would it be too late to change it now? Lol.

30 Days of Me-Day 1

2010-09-01T08:35:00.003-04:00

So since I have been so bad at keeping up with blogging lately I have decided that participating in the ever so popular "30 Days of Me" would be a good way to get my blogging juices flowing.

Day One: Post a recent pic of yourself and share 15 facts about yourself.

Taken at my bridal shower early in August.

1. I decorate cakes for a living currently but really need to find a career in the field of psychology.

2. I am looking into going back to school for graduate classes.

3. My fiance is a firefighter for the city of Portsmouth, VA and absolutely loves his career.

4. We have 3 cats all under the age of 1: Paisley Jane, Whineybaby, and Meanieboy. They all desperately need to be spayed/neutered...hopefully next week.

5. There is a hurricane that may hit our coastline tomm night; we'll see. Bad weather makes me so nervous. I get all imaginative about the possible scenarios that could occur b/c of it.

6. I am addicted to vintage items and craft supplies.

7. Frontierville on Facebook is my new procrastination tool.

8. I love having pen pals and participating in swaps.

9. My wedding is in 45 days!

10. Etsy is my weakness.

11. I have recently started attending a church here somewhat regularly. It's Wave Church in VA Beach and I guess it's a popular mega-church associated with Hillsong...the pastor has bodyguards.

12. I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year yesterday and it was so yummy.

13. I am looking forward to married life with my hunny.

14. I am also looking forward to our honeymoon in Oct. We are going down to Orlando and have a date set up to visit Discovery Cove to swim with the dolphins....eeeeppp! So excited. :)

15. My favorite food is bread. lol.

Post #2 tomm!

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New Kitty Babies!!!

2010-06-16T11:06:00.004-04:00

2 months ago Ryan decided that we were going to be parents to 2 new fur babies! They were found outside his co-worker's beach house and his wife bottlefed them back to health.

This one is Whineybaby! :)

This one is Meanieboy! :)

And here are the 2 rascals together.

Paisley struggled with them at first but now you'd never know that they were ever not together. Here's a new pic of Miss Paisley.

I've Moved...

2010-06-10T19:52:00.001-04:00

to Virginia!

formspring.me

2010-02-24T07:21:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/cthalken

Happy Mail!

2010-02-11T19:23:00.009-05:00

Hey hey! Just felt like I had to share some awesome gifties I received recently. :)

Numero uno: I participated in a Craft Swap organized by Katie of Skunkboy Creatures. My partner was the awesome Jamie House of House of My Life Imagined. She sent me the coolest felted purse, some cute handmade tags, a pretty golden headband, crocheted flower and yummy candies. I love it all!

And of course, Paisley couldn't help getting involved...lol. :)

Numero dos: My January Happy Mail partner was the lovely Mandy of Miss Indie. She has the best knitted and crocheted wares. :) Here's a lookie at the great package she sent.

Anyone spy that gorgeous American Eagle scarf in there?! :)

Thanks a bunch ladies! :)

Kitten-pie!

2010-01-24T11:53:00.002-05:00

Hey hey! 2 weeks ago I got a new little kitten and named her Paisley. She seems to be about 8 weeks old or so. I went and picked her up the morning before I picked Ryan up from the airport. He fell in love with her instantly. Lol.

Giveaway Alert!

2009-12-29T08:57:00.002-05:00

Cute and crafty Katja, is having an awesome giveaway over at her blog to celebrate the end of the Christmas season.

You should really join in! :)

So Happy!

2009-12-04T10:18:00.002-05:00

Just so everyone knows...I'm now engaged! Ryan proposed to me at the airport on the 21st when I went go visit him. I am so excited! Our wedding is going to be October 16th, 2010.

November Goals Revisited!

2009-12-01T08:24:00.012-05:00

1) Get the funds pulled together to buy my hunny his new helmet for Christmas. Changed what I am getting him for Christmas...lol.

2) Make the ornaments for the swap. Done and sent on their way!

3) Find a lovely ornament for my secret swap partner. Also sent on its way.

4) Organize my crafty supplies.

5) Post on this blog at least once a week.

6) Figure out all my school work deadlines and such. Got all the November ones done, just gotta finish out the semester now.

7) Make a list of ideas for Christmas gifts.

Not too bad! Lol.

Yarn Creations

2009-11-10T20:40:00.004-05:00

Lately I have been buying up yarn like it's going out of style! lol. Excuse the horrid webcam photos but I forgot to buy batteries for my camera. Oops!

Of course I had to make the newly popular pom pom wreath...! The colors in the pic look wonky but in real life they look better. I used brown, white, aqua, royal blue, pumpkin, and blue grey. I have no idea why I chose those...lol. Oh well, I like the way it turned out.

I also made hand warmers with this awesome super bulky yarn I found at Jo-Ann. I want every color!!! (the one I used is teal) I didn't use a pattern, obviously, and this was my first attempt at anything besides a crocheted scarf. No wonder they look a little off... :)

Going to pick up multiple, FREE trash bags FULL of yarn from a Freecycler tomm morn! Yay!

November Goals

2009-11-02T21:34:00.003-05:00

So since everyone else is doing this I feel inspired to set a list of goals for the month of November.

1) Get the funds pulled together to buy my hunny his new helmet for Christmas.

2) Make the ornaments for the swap.

3) Find a lovely ornament for my secret swap partner.

4) Organize my crafty supplies.

5) Post on this blog at least once a week.

6) Figure out all my school work deadlines and such.

7) Make a list of ideas for Christmas gifts.

IKEA Trip

2009-10-30T10:59:00.003-04:00

Ikea is definitely one of my favorite stores on the planet. Their stuff is sooo cute and the prices are fab. On a recent trip there I bought some awesome new stuff. :)

Like these adorable pillows for my couch. They are covered in buttons! Gah, cutest graphics ever. :)

Oh, and this little lamp that has cherry blossoms all over it!

I also got new bedding, and dish towels, and fabric...love it all.

When I have my own house I want tons of stuff from IKEA.

Giveaway Alert!

2009-10-17T20:22:00.006-04:00

One of my absolute fave crafty girls, Ashley, is a having a great giveaway on her blog in celebration of her blogging b-day. She is giving away a whole box load a crafty love. Gah! :)

Don't deny it! You know you wanna win...

Jelly Roll Week!

2009-09-20T22:32:00.002-04:00

Just so ya know, the Missouri Star Quilt Company Cutting Table is having a great giveaway! The prize is a gorgeous jelly roll and they are having post about them all week long. Enjoy!

ETSY!!!

2009-09-03T12:38:00.001-04:00

I WILL BE UPDATING MY ETSY SHOP WITH MORE GOODIES TONIGHT (by 11PM EST)!

I am moving into an apartment so I need to destash a bit...lol.

Come check it out! :)

Woot!

2009-08-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

I am finally 21 today! Seemed like such a long time coming. :)

ETSY UPDATE!

2009-08-01T12:14:00.002-04:00

I just updated my Etsy store with new stuff! Check out the great prices here!

The Beach!!!

2009-07-08T21:50:00.006-04:00

Ryan, James and I went to the most amazing place in North Carolina! Corolla on the Outer Banks was so wonderful. There were so many gigantic beach houses that cost a few thousand to rent just for a week!

For those of you who watch (or watched before all the drama, lol) Jon and Kate Plus 8; this is the beach where they climbed the lighthouse, bought hermit crabs, and drove all over the beach finding wild horses.

We didn't climb the lighthouse or buy hermit crabs, but we did search for horses! We figured it would be way more fun to do it ourselves rather than pay $47 per person...! This was my view most of the trip...lol.

So worth it because then I was rewarded with these:

While on our horse adventure we encountered some "water holes" that were pretty hard to determine the depth of. On our way out in one direction we had to stop and get out to judge the water before figuring out how to cross it. We went around the furthest right side possible so it would be safe. Well, on the way back the boys decided it would be more fun to just roll up the windows and go right through the middle of that same, mysterious water hole at 30 mph. Not the best idea...

The water was about 3 feet deep and the bottom was this thick, black, nasty mucky mud. We had to climb out the sunroof and jump to the land. Wasn't an easy feat for my short legs. Thankfully, James flagged down some silly couple from Tennessee that just happened to have a Jeep that could pull us out! Such fun times! I can't wait to go back because I had a really great day with these two crazy guys. :)

Oh and we also spent a few hours in the ocean since the water was 77 DEGREES. I have never been in water that warm, and let me tell you, it was so great. No more 40 degree New England ocean water for me! Lol.

We're Going to the Zoo!

2009-07-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hello! I got back from my wonderful trip to see Ryan on Saturday. I was there for over a week and we did so much amazing stuff in that time.

We went to the Virginia Zoological Park in Norfolk. It was the greatest little zoo because it we so spread out over a ton of land that it didn't feel crowded at all. They had an awesome load of animals! :)

I fed this huge goat with big marble-like eyes! She was so gentle; she only used her tongue and lips to grab the food, never her teeth. :)

Loved this little prairie dog! The exhibit had those plastic domes where you could stand up in and looking into the prairie dog world. Pretty cool!

This elephant looked so perfect that it was hard to believe it was real!

We heard that there were baby lions born in May but we didn't get to see them. This must have been their dad; he was the only lion we saw.

Okay, this is kinda gross looking. It seemed like her legs were gonna snap at any second! Lol.

This little spider monkey was probably the best animal we saw all day! He was just chilling there and let us pose with him. He kept looking into our eyes like he was talking to us. Lol. So darling! Ryan wants one as a pet! Ummm, noooo....

More later today!

Finally...

2009-06-29T21:41:00.007-04:00

After what seems like a million hours the quilt that I was making for Ryan is DONE! I am so relieved, excited, and frustrated all at the same time over this event. It's great that it is done and I can move back to other crafts. I enjoyed making it, well at the time I kinda hated it for awhile, but I am happy to see it complete.

This all started about 2 months ago, when I was repairing some small holes in a cute quilt I purchased at the Brimfield Antique Show, and Ryan decided to ask me if I would make him a quilt. Being the crazy chick that I am I said "yes" even though I never really had made one before or anything. Eeeekkk.
A few mistakes, some ripped out seams, and following the wrong measurements later, I cranked out what I would call a quilt. Lol.

To the experienced quilter, this thing looks like crap.
To anyone standing within 1 foot, this thing looks like crap.
To me, it's decent, sort of, and will have to suffice.
To Ryan, it better look darn awesome! I am delivering it to him when I get there on Thursday.

I swore up and down while making this that I would never, ever make another one ever again. Now, I'm not so sure; granted it won't be for a good, long while though.

Here is the major issue with the quilt that I didn't really catch on to until it was 99% done...it's too small. I used the "recommended size" as suggested on a website, only to realize that that was actually the measurement of a twin mattress rather than the size needed for said mattress. Honestly, the moment I stuck it on my bed to see how it looked I bawled my eyes out for a good 5 minutes. I was so angry at myself for not taking the time to check this source and to not notice for so long. Oh well, Ryan said he loves it regardless...I guess that should be all that matters.

It's far from perfect but I tried really hard. I am okay with this attempt and will just have to redeem myself in the future.

Preview

2009-06-29T11:42:00.002-04:00

Here is a tiny preview of what I will be posting about tonight... See you then!

Hmmm...What's Up Next?

2009-06-28T20:00:00.007-04:00

Ooooohhh, it's the Majestic Feathers Tag Swap hosted by Jenny! Really wonderfully talented ladies got together for this and we cranked out some fab tags for each other. Here it is in all it's glory:

This one is mine!

Here is Dawn's!

This is Marian's!

This one was made by Sherry!

Angela made this!

This one is by Leslie!

Mary Ann made this!

This one was created by Jessica!

Wendy made this!

This one is Kimberly's!

Molly made this one!

And last, but not least, Jenny's!

Boston Bound

2009-06-26T08:30:00.011-04:00

I downloaded all the pictures off my camera and found so many that I forgot I ever took! I figure the easiest way to post all this is to go in the order they would have gone in had I been posting regularly. Lol.

Let's start with all the way back at the end of April; Ryan flew up here to Massachusetts to visit.

Oh wait, considering I don't blog enough many of you are wondering "Who is she talking about?" Ryan is my boyfriend that I have been with for the past 6 months. I used to go to high school with him when I lived in Virginia 5 years ago. I knew him kinda well back then but wasn't really all that interested in him as someone I wanted to date. Granted that was 5 years ago! Lol. Well, we reconnected back in January over Facebook and here we are now. He lives in Virginia still because he is a career firefighter with the city of Portsmouth. Yay for long distance relationships!

Ok, now that's out of the way I can move on. :) Ryan flew up for 6 days and we jam packed them with as much stuff as we could.

The only day we took pictures though was the day we went into Boston. The weather was amazing so we had lots of fun stuff to choose from.

Right Now...

2009-06-25T09:51:00.002-04:00

Saw this on Holly's blog and I just couldn't resist. I know everyone's been doing this lately!

Outside My Window: at work is a lady on her 3rd floor balcony watering her plants with a pink watering can.

I Am Thinking About: my final exam in my Summer class- Oceanography- what a waste of time!

I Am Thankful: for my boyfriend and my family.

From The Kitchen: nothing, really. I had a bunch of pasta dishes while my family was out of town though. A bit sick of them...lol. I mean the pasta, not my family!

I Am Wearing: black jeans from PacSun (the only brand my silly,sensitive self can tolerate), a bright blue tank from Forever 21 that only cost like $3.50 (love that store!), and a pink short sleeved American Eagle hoodie that I got on sale a year ago.

I Am Creating: Happy Mail presents and FRIENDS swaps. I just finished Ryan's firefighter quilt (pics soon, I swear!)

I Am Going: TO VIRGINIA NEXT THURSDAY FOR A WEEK TO SEE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, RYAN!!! WOOT!

Around The House: cat hair, fabric scraps, and empty juice boxes (I'm addicted to the Juicy Juice Strawberry Banana ones, lol)

One of My Favorite Things: the beach and I haven't been yet this year. Hopefully going to the Outer Banks in North Carolina when I go visit Ryan.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week: crafting of course, no yard sales though b/c I need to save my $ for once, and heading down to my Grandmother's house in Connecticut to show her the quilt and spend some time together.

Woohoo!

2009-06-24T23:35:00.002-04:00

In case you can't tell (which I highly doubt, lol), I have a new blog design, thanks to the amazing Jenny Fowler! She is such a sweetie! Thanks girly!

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile but since I have a pretty blog now I feel a lot more motivated to post more often. Once the rain finally stops I will take pictures of all my newest finds- including loads of vintage fabric, books, and the like. I also have swap pictures to post too! It's hard to take decent pics in such ucky weather though.

Revamp

2009-06-01T11:19:00.002-04:00

I really am in need of a blog renovation. The format I have currently is bothering me seriously beause it looks so amatuer-ish.

Anyone have any suggestions on who could do it for me??? I know there are so many great artists and web designers out there.

Help! :)

Reposting this!!! Free Gift!

2009-05-13T15:56:00.002-04:00

I signed up to do the Pay It Forward swap on Wanda's blog awhile back.

Here are the rules in case you haven't seen this:The first 3 people who leave me a comment on this post only saying you want to play by "paying it forward" will receive a handmade item from me sometime in the next 3 months. Just one day, out of the blue, at no cost to you, a special something will arrive in your mailbox. Won't this be a great way to make your day?!!FOR FREE!!!The catch is that you must choose to participate in this round robin of giving... by giving yourself and posting the "Pay It Forward Challenge" on your blog. (But, make sure to leave some type of contact info-email so I can get a hold of you for the address...)

COME ON AND SIGN UP PLEASE!!! I still have no one who wants to do this. Honestly, if it comes down to it I am just going to have to pick 3 people who I have addresses from already from before. LOL.

I just can't stop

2009-05-06T19:28:00.001-04:00

Oy, I joined another swap!!! :)

Majestic Feathers Tag Swap

2009-04-26T16:00:00.003-04:00

How could I resist getting involved in another tag swap, especially one that Jenny Fowler is hosting. Easy... I can't!!! Lol.

I got started on the tags backgrounds for these tags and the Sweet Sentiments one. I think I was doing it just to procrastinate since I have 4 papers and a project to do within these last 8 days of classes...

Sweet Sentiments Tag Swap

2009-03-25T18:24:00.002-04:00

I love SwapDex!!! It lead me to this oh-so-cute tag book swap hosted by Mary Ann. I am so excited to be a part of this.

Pay It Forward

2009-03-22T22:47:00.002-04:00

I signed up to do the Pay It Forward swap on Wanda's blog today.

Here are the rules in case you haven't seen this:

The first 3 people who leave me a comment on this post only saying you want to play by "paying it forward" will receive a handmade item from me sometime in the next 3 months. Just one day, out of the blue, at no cost to you, a special something will arrive in your mailbox. Won't this be a great way to make your day?!!

FOR FREE!!!

The catch is that you must choose to participate in this round robin of giving... by giving yourself and posting the "Pay It Forward Challenge" on your blog. (But, make sure to leave some type of contact info-email so I can get a hold of you for the address...)

I was Tagged...

2009-03-20T08:20:00.003-04:00

So Wanda tagged me with this little task to do. I have to go to my sixth photo folder and post the sixth picture in that folder. Let's see....

Oh boy...I took this picture back in January because I was trying to get a shot of my new highlights and new haircut to send to my boyfriend. This pic looks like it belongs on MySpace...lol.

Thanks for tagging me Wanda! I tag Jenny, Heidi, Megan, Sandy, Karla, and Robin.

OWOH Giveaway Winner!

2009-03-17T18:46:00.003-04:00

Much to my surprise I won two giveaways from the One World, One Heart blog giveaway event. My first prize was this darling little house ornament from Carla of http://collagecat.typepad.com.

And from Mary Kadry I won a great box full of supplies that I am soooo excited about!!!
Look how pretty!

Thank you both so much for your generosity. I can not wait to participate again next year and find even more great blogs to explore.

Puppy Love Tag Book

2009-02-21T08:53:00.010-05:00

I was invited by Karla Nathan to participate in her Puppy Love tag swap awhile back and recently received the finished product back from her. Every tag I got was so beautifully done and I am very honored to have such great work in my collection now. Thank you all so much for the hard work you put into each tag

This is how my package arrived. It was very pretty and had great goodies on top that I can't wait to use in my projects.

Karla bound all the tag books together and added cute little extras like flowers and a red plastic Scottie.

Karla handmade about 60 covers for the tag books. Look how gorgeous! All those little tiny hearts are hand drawn and hand painted!!!

This amazing 3-D tag was made by Andrea Tarling of vintagebellastudio

.
The back is just as pretty and detailed as the front.

Karoline Simmons also made a 3-D tag. Aren't these kids the most darling!

Mahala made her tag so texturally interesting and the colors are my favorite combination.

OOOH! When I saw Cheryl post about these tags on her blog, I started wishing very hard that I would be one of the lucky 6 to get one and I WAS!!!

Kana used the prettiest flocked paper for her background.

She also used one of my favorite pictures on the backside. How romantic!

Look at these details: she glued confetti sized dog bones to the baker's twine. How delicate!

And last but not least was this beauty made by Debe Leone. That stamp on the back is very pretty; I would love to find it somewhere.

Thank you all so much once again! I love this book so much I can't bear to hide it away until next Valentine's season...

I Am So Sorry!!!

2009-02-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

I know, I know...I said I would pick a winner on Friday night but I didn't. I was so wrapped up in all the awesome things my BF had planned for us and didn't have access to a computer. Please accept my apologies and to help convey them I also drew a number for a second, smaller giftie!

First Giveaway Box goes to:

"Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-02-18 03:07:19 UTC"

That would be....Robin of ThriftyMissPriss!

2nd Giveaway goes to:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-02-18 03:12:35 UTC

Jenny Fowler of Fated Follies!!!

I swear that next time I do a giveaway I will stick to my schedule better! Oh well, it was a learning experience....

2009-02-12T23:08:00.002-05:00

Alrighty! That's all folks! I will be picking a giveaway winner randomly tomm. evening. Most likely have my bf put the comments in his brand new firefighter helmet (that he would love to marry, in fact) and I will post the winner on Sat. morn.

Since there were so few comments, ya'll have a great chance in winning. 1 in 7, woohoo! Lol.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Puppy Love #2 and a Giveaway!

2009-02-08T13:33:00.003-05:00

So, I know I said that I would post pictures of the last 3 tags for Karla's Puppy Love Tag Swap but I forgot to take pics. I was in such a hurry to get them done and out the door that it didn't even cross my mind. Oh well, maybe I will find out who has them in their tag book and I can snag a pic from them.

Also, I just realized that I have been blogging (not very well) for a year as of yesterday! Therefore, I feel a giveaway is in order. I don't have pics just yet but I will pull together a great assortment of ephemera, buttons, papers, trinkets, bits, baubles, etc. Spread the word!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment on THIS post and I will close comments on Thursday night at 10:00 EST. On Friday, I am flying down to Virginia to spend Valentine's Day with my BF and I will have him pick a number for me Sat. morn. I will post to let the winner know. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you. Haha, I just realized that this is my first giveaway ever! Too funny.

Puppy Love #1

2009-01-28T20:45:00.004-05:00

I am participating in the fabulous Karla Nathan's Puppy love tag swap! She is such a sweetheart. Can't wait to see the great tags that everyone will be turning out.

These are the 3 tags (out of 6) that I have done so far. Gotta get on it and crank out the last 3 to make sure I meet the deadline.

And in other news...I am also taking part in Emily's 52Q art journal challenge. I have never really done any art journaling before so this is a great start for me. So far, I LOVE it!

Ice Ice Baby

2008-12-15T12:09:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday night we had the most awful ice storm here in MA. So many people lost power and many don't have it back yet. Tree limbs were falling everywhere and power lines and poles snapped left and right. Driving to Target on Saturday I saw a car parked in a driveway with a huge tree smashed through its roof. :(

I think it's weird that something so pretty can be so insanely destructive.

Hopefully everyone will get their lights and heat back soon!

Twilight and Thanksgiving Plans

2008-11-24T22:48:00.002-05:00

Okay, I admit that I saw Twilight. :) Most people love it just because of the books (and I did read the 1st one about 4 years ago), but I LOVED this movie because it was so great. The storyline was awesome, the actors were superb, and the whole thing was just so romantic. It was the 1st movie I have seen in awhile that didn't have to stoop down to sophomoric vulgarity just to amuse the audience. I was pleasantly surprised. The music was beautiful and I plan on buying the soundtrack for once.

Okay, enough ranting about this super hyped up movie. :)

I am leaving to go back to Nebraska (land of Silver Bella) on Wednesday to visit family for Thanksgiving. Should be a fun time at the airport! I expect that this adventure will be interesting because I have not spent a holiday with this side of the family since I was in 2nd grade (12 years ago) and I don't really know what to expect. Oh well, I'm always up for excitement. I promise to take lots of pictures (of what, I don't know, since I will be in the Boonies) to make up for the lack of Silver Bella photos (even though they are not comparable).

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig...

2008-11-19T17:00:00.004-05:00

I’m back from Silver Bella in Omaha and it was by far the most amazing time of my life so far. I felt so at home with everyone; especially my roommates, Heidi and Jenny. Spending time with those two was by far the best part of the trip. They both were so sweet and fun.

I dragged my camera all the way there and back but I did not take a single picture of anything so I am snagging 1 of Heidi’s.

My roomies- Jenny Fowler and Heidi Gordon with awesome Karla Nathan

Vendor Night was fabulous! I spent an arm and a leg but it was well worth it since stuff like that is hard to come by out here. As annoying as I may have been I couldn’t pass up Karla Nathan’s booth and Wanda Clark’s booth and had to hit them up multiple times. Thank goodness they were so patient with me!

I took some great classes with top notch teachers. Carolyn Peeler was awesome and her projects were simple to do yet really, really pretty. Jenni Bowlin was a sweetheart and really personable. Kim Kwan was the loudest person ever but so incredibly hilarious and generous. And last but not least, Charlotte Lyons was great as a teacher and entertaining as she regaled us with stories of Mary Engelbreit and herself. (I’ll post pictures of my projects later.)

Thanks to all the great instructors for the wonderful classes. Thanks to Teresa McFayden for organizing this great event (and to all her helpers).

Silver Sister Stash Swap

2008-11-05T17:06:00.000-05:00

So I am just going to be lazy and not write too much but these are the Silver Sister Stash Swap packages. These 9 women were so amazing and they put in such hard work to make this a great success. Thank you all!

Heather Ales
Julie Baxley
Natalea Kandefer
Michele Witchell
Marian Ballog
Stephanie G. Hirschberg
Michele Geller
Stephanie Oyler
Jana Perenchio

New Additions

2008-10-27T18:56:00.003-04:00

Since my last post I have bought a new computer, which I LOVE! It is so great to just stick my memory card of pictures directly into my comp instead of plugging in cables and such. It is so much faster than my old one.
Also, we got a puppy! Her name is Chloe and she is a 5 month old Pekingese. Yes, those are her teeth (she has an underbite)!

I saw alot of my blogging pals had participated in the Sweet Six Studio thingie and their pictures inspired me to try my hand at lanterns. I like the way it came out! Although my sister says that it looks like a jellyfish. Lol.
Michaels has these paper mache houses on clearance for 99 cents so I snagged a few. It was a great way to use up a good deal of the white buttons I have. Didn't make a dent in them at all though! Oh well!

Stay tuned for pictures of my Silver Sister Stash Swap that I hosted for Silver Bellas. I took pics tonight but still have more to take and I wouldn't want to ruin any surprises for the other Bellas.

Apple and Pumpkin Picking

2008-10-01T16:51:00.003-04:00

After I picked my sister up from school today I took her out to Marshall Farms for a little bonding time. She begrudgingly let me bring my camera along. lol. I had to bribe her with Jonas Brothers music and the promise that these pics would not end up on Facebook.

Roomie Swap!

2008-09-29T01:15:00.002-04:00

Finished up the two packages for the swap with my Silver Bella roomies.

Been really busy lately, working my tail off at CVS (6 days in a row this week) and trying to keep up with all my classes. I basically have no social life currently. Oh well...

Silver Sisters Stash Swap!

2008-09-22T09:56:00.003-04:00

My packages for the Silver Sister Stash Swap are complete! Yay!

They turned out exactly how I wanted them too. Can't wait for everyone else's to start rolling in so I can get the final packages put together to send back to the gals! Natalea has already sent hers in and it is GORGEOUS!

Here are the tiniest sneak peeks I can offer of my swap packages! Don't want to give too much away!

So the craziest thing happened today...

2008-09-13T18:41:00.010-04:00

I was scanning through the classifieds of the paper this morning planning out my yard sale/garage sale route, and I found one that said "crafts." I was hesitant because "crafts" usually mean just crap and I didn't want to drive 15+ mins. to come away empty handed. Well, I pulled up to this cute house and started perusing the goods. I saw the table filled with amazing craft stuff and was so happy that I had decided to come out to this sale. The owner and I were chatting and she mentioned that she sells ribbons, trims, vintage stuff and the like online. As I was picking out more goodies she ran into the house. When she came out she handed me her business card and you should have seen me squeal! It was Heather of Speckled Egg!!!

I had no idea that she lived in MA, much less only 15 minutes from my house. She must have thought I was a total kook. But we got on the topic of Silver Bella and she gave me a great deal on her stuff. I came home (and mounted all my fab ArtChix stamps) and decided that I needed more of her craft supplies. I drove all the way back out to her house (and brought a MooCard this time) to snag what I could. She had nothing but amazing things to say about Silver Bella and now I am even more hyped up for Nov. than I was before. Oh, if only she could come along too! :(
Here are some pics of my great deals at Heather's:

A box of over 50 dress forms!!! These may come in handy for my Silver Bella swap.

Cutest little monkeys on parade atop giraffes!

So pretty!

Hmm... Silver. Makes me excited for Nov. these days just hearing the word silver.

Well, today was so incredible and I hope to be getting together with Heather in the future.

Brimfield Antique Show

2008-09-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

By far the craziest antique show I have ever been to. Great deals all over the place. I went on the opening day and on the closing day and spent quite a bit both days.

My mom with a display of beautiful garden statuaries.

Antique vendors as far as the eye can see for over a mile!

Bought this piece made from vintage materials at a cute vendor.

I can't wait to go back next year!!!

Catching Up...

2008-08-29T18:17:00.006-04:00

Just bought a memory card reader for my computer because I misplaced my digital camera cables. Now I can finally show off all my great buys and new artwork.

I made this college for my now ex-boyfriend awhile ago. His father died 19 years ago and this college represents my ex and his longing for understanding.

Got these amazing vintage Christmas decorations at a benefit tag sale. Going to be great for pre-Silver Bella swaps and the like.

Bought these old canning jars for a steal at a local flea market. 20 of them for $1.50!

So I am getting up at the crack of dawn to hit up yard sales and a great, inexpensive flea market the next town over in the morning. I am planning on going to the Brimfield Antique fair next Tuesday but maybe I should save the money for Silver Bella stuff instead. We'll see.

I will be staying with two amazing gals at Silver Bella this Nov. -Jenny Fowler and Heidi Gordon have graciously shared their room with me and I cannot thank them enough. I'll be putting together some thank you goodies for the both of them for sure.

Silver Bella!!!

2008-07-21T23:10:00.002-04:00

I have decided to attend Silver Bella! It's expensive but worth every cent.

Oooh, and even better, today I won homemade bath salts from my favorite blogger/treasure hunter/artist ever, Karla Nathan! http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/
Such a great person and I want to meet her at Silver Bella in Nov. and buy up oodles of her creations!!!

slightly bored

2008-07-09T20:07:00.001-04:00

You Are 1: The Reformer

You're a responsible person - with a clear sense of right and wrong.

High standards are important to you, and you do everything to meet them.

You are your own worst critic, feeling ashamed if you're not perfect.

You have uncompromising integrity, and people expect you to be fair.

At Your Best: You are hopeful, honest, and inspiring. You bring out the best in humanity.

At Your Worst: You are intolerant, judgmental, and picky.

Your Fixation: Resentment

Your Primary Fear: Being corrupt.

Your Primary Desire: To be good.

Other Number 1's: Al Gore, Martha Stewart, Gandhi, Celene Dion, and Spock from Star Trek.

What Number Are You?

More ATC's

2008-02-27T20:15:00.001-05:00

Some ATC's

2008-02-23T12:12:00.001-05:00

A UMass Winter

2008-02-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

Bottlecap Magnets

2008-02-18T19:19:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's Maybelline...

2008-02-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

Made this ornament from a vintage Maybelline ad.

A Little Birdie Told me....

2008-02-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

The border is made of feathers.

Kancamangus Hwy Ornament

2008-02-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places is the White Mountains.

New Blogger

2008-02-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

Just created a blog because I was so inspired to share my artwork with people but since I can't bear to give it away, I thought a blog was perfect.