Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Wordless Wednesday ~ April Fool!

In honor of April Fool's Day, Dixie chose "April Fool" as this week's topic. To learn more about Wordless Wednesday, visit Dixie's blog here.















Have a fabulous day!

~ Heather

Favorite Thing of the Week ~ May Arts Ribbon

I have done a lot of searching online for ribbon over the past six months, and if I had to be honest, I would say that I’m not 100% satisfied with the ribbon I’ve been using for my garters. Don’t get me wrong ~ the quality of the ribbon I use now is decent, the price of the ribbon is affordable enough that I am able to sell my garters at a reasonable price and still make a profit, and the ribbon works up well and makes beautiful garters. But I have still been left wanting more…

We were at the small craft store in our hometown this weekend, and I caught myself drooling over their inventory of ribbon available for purchase by the yard. I noticed a website address on the spool, and had looked it up and registered as a wholesale customer by the time we got home. The company is May Arts, and if you are a ribbon fanatic (Ashley @ The Domestic Fashionista and Amanda @ Imperfectly Beautiful, this means you!), you have to check out their gorgeous ribbon! It is by far my favorite thing of the week! I have been dying to place an order since Saturday morning when I got my confirmation of registration, but am trying to be responsible as resources are tight with our upcoming move and I won’t have time to make anything with the beautiful ribbon until May anyway. So until then, I will continue to drool over their wonderful selection, and share a few of my favorites with all of you!


Have a wonderful Tuesday!

~Heather

Monday, March 30, 2009

Friend Makin’ Mondays ~ Things I Can’t Live Without

Kasey’s back for another Friend Makin’ Monday ~ this week, we’re sharing ten things we can’t live without. Without further ado, here are mine!

1. High Heels. At 5’ ½”, I need all the help I can get in the height department. I wear high heels almost every day. They make my legs look so long and lean, plus they create awesome calf definition!




2. Chocolate. I don’t think I’ve gone a day without it in years. I am officially a chocoholic.



3. My Ipod. I love music and books ~ my Ipod provides me with both in my quiet little office. I bet I have it playing no less than 8 hours every day. I love love love listening to audiobooks.

4. Diorshow Mascara. My eyelashes are long but very light. This mascara just makes them pop ~ I rarely leave the house without it.
5. DVR/TiVo. I’ve used both TiVo and the DVR provided by the cable company. Talk about life changing! No more wasting precious time watching commercials! No more setting up the VCR to tape my favorite shows every week! I can’t imagine watching television without my TiVo!

6. Victoria’s Secret PINK sweatpants. The second I walk in the door every night, I change out of my work clothes and throw on a pair of my comfy PINK sweatpants. I’m definitely a lounge~wear type of girl, and these are cute and cozy.


7. A magnifying mirror. A must~have for eyebrow plucking and makeup application.


8. Meat. I just don’t understand vegetarianism. I can’t live without meat ~ chicken, beef, pork, turkey. I’m not picky! I need my protein!


9. My cell phone. Dear Boyfriend and I text no less than 20 times throughout the work day. Our cell phones give us a nice little way to stay in touch while we’re apart. Plus I can check my email and Facebook from my phone, and play Sudoku and Tetris!


10. Toilet paper. No drip drying for me! Toilet paper is definitely a must~have!


Visit Kasey's blog and join in the fun!

~Heather

Friday, March 27, 2009

More Temptation...

My coworkers must have missed the memo that I can't take any more yummy food temptation ~ today they brought in rice krispie treats, raspberry bread, and ham and cream cheese rolls. I'm not strong enough to resist!

Fabulous Finds Friday ~ March 27th

First off, I want to apologize for the absence of last week’s Fabulous Finds Friday post ~ I caught the bug that’s been going around the office and I was S~I~C~K. But I’m back this week, and have some super fabulous finds to share!

While blog~hopping this week, I ran across MckMama’s blog, My Charming Kids, and I have to say that I am officially hooked. MckMama is an amazing photographer, so her posts are full of beautiful pictures of her four children, and she is a great writer, making her posts not only fun to look at but also fun to read. This has been a particularly rough week for her ~ her youngest son, Stellan, who was diagnosed with heart failure in the womb but was successfully treated before delivery, is back in the hospital with a rapid heart rate that the doctors can’t seem to get to slow down. If you haven’t already, visit MckMama’s blog, fall in love with her and her adorable children, and join in the prayers from Stellan. For frequent updates on Stellan's condition and what the doctors are doing to help him, follow MckMama on Twitter.



During my blog visiting, I also came across a link to a man's photo journal of the last years he spent with his elderly father who had no short~term memory. It takes a bit to work your way through the whole page butit is well worth it. An amazing and touching story. Thanks, Le Love, for sharing this with us!


I am a big juice fan, but tend to shy away from it because it can be so high in calories. But we discovered Ocean Spray’s Light Cran~Pomegranate Juice at the grocery store this week and I’m hooked! At only 40 calories a serving, it’s a great low-cal alternative to their regular juice selections. And it’s delicious! You can barely taste the bitterness of the cranberries ~ they seem to have found just the right blend of cran and pom to make it extra pleasing to the palate. It’s fabulous!


Anyone who’s read my blog a few times knows that I’m over the moon about the new puppy we’ll be bringing home later this spring. They probably also know that if left to my own devices, I will treat the pup more like a baby than a dog and end up with one misbehaved, spoiled (but incredibly well~loved) Papillon. In an effort to avoid this, my dear boyfriend suggested that we start watching The Dog Whisperer. I promptly set up the DVR to record any upcoming episodes (lucky for us, they had a marathon last Friday). We’ve watched three or four episodes so far and the verdict is in ~ Cesar Millan is amazing! He can transform the most ill~behaved, vicious dog into the perfect pet. He encourages owners to be the “pack leader” and to give their dogs these three things (in this order) every day: exercise, discipline, affection. I am already feeling more confident in my dog~parenting skills after watching just a few episodes. Definitely a must~see for any dog owner!


I have long been a fan of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
~ they have amazing prices and a selection of beads that is second to none. If you are a bead fan like me, you simply have to check them out and get signed up for their weekly email mailers. And they’ll send you a 500 page bead catalog that could keep any bead lover content for hours. This week, one of their mailers introduced these fabulous Swarovski crystal beads ~ I can’t wait to get some to adorn my garters with. At $3.35 for 10 beads, you can’t go wrong!

My department at works loves to celebrate birthdays. We have a tradition of bringing a cake in for the person whose birthday is after yours, and lately that has spread into bringing treats to enjoy throughout the day in addition to the yummy cake. We had a birthday on Monday, and one of my co~workers brought in the most delicious bean dip. I begged her for the recipe so I could include it in this post, and here it is!(Note: the dip is equally delicious cold or warm.)

Ingredients:
1 can refried beans
1 lb taco meat (ground beef w/taco seasoning and water
8 oz (or so) sour cream
1 cup (or so) shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 chopped green onions
1 chopped tomato
1 full-size can of olives, sliced

Layer the beans, taco meat, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and add the onions, tomato, and olives. Enjoy!

So start praying for Stellan, make some delicous bean dip to share with your family, and have a good weekend!

~Heather

Thursday, March 26, 2009

We Found a House!

I just got a call from the property manager who showed us a wonderful house last week; we put in our application on Thursday and we got it! We sign the lease on Monday and will start moving in on April 20th! This is a huge relief for me ~ I was starting to worry that we would be homeless on May 1st and have to move in with my parents!

I will post pictures of the house on Monday ~ it's an older home and is just as cute as can be! The thing I love most about it is that it's a three bedroom (plus a bonus room, which we'll set up as an exercise room), so we'll each get our own room in addition to the one we'll share. Nate's making his room a man cave, and mine will, of course, be a sewing room!

So so happy!

~Heather

Temptation...

Ruthie, my wonderful coworker who we all love to death (and who treated us with a box of delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts yesterday) brought in this tray of yummy goodness this morning. Doesn't she know I will be in a bikini in Vegas in three weeks and have no power to resist the scrumptious blend of two of my favorite foods ~ chocolate and berries?!? I best be scheduling an extra half hour on the elliptical tonight!



And yes, they are as delicious as they look!

Pardon the sub~par picture ~ the camera on my phone is not the best! :o)

UPDATE: Cheryl, an equally wonderful and well~loved coworker, just brought in a crockpot full of meatballs! The powers that be must be against me and my quest to be bikini~ready for Vegas!


ANOTHER UPDATE: Cheryl just put out barbeque pork. What is going on today?!? All of my favorite foods have come out to tempt me!!!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Favorite Thing of the Week ~ My New Tattoo!

Last Christmas, Nate and I decided that instead of buying presents for each other, we would take a mini~vacation to Vancouver, B.C. We had also been contemplating new tattoos, so we each agreed to purchase a tattoo for the other. It took us awhile to decide what we wanted, and we finally made our way to the tattoo shop last week. I brought in this picture to show the artist (who for reasons known only to himself goes by the name “Saw Blade”)…

And this is what he came up with!


(I will take a better picture in the next few days ~ I took this one with my phone shortly after I got the tattoo. Right now it's in its crusty, flaky stage, and is afraid of the camera...)

I L~O~V~E it! It’s is exactly what I didn’t know I always wanted! It is perfect, and I can’t wait to go back to Saw Blade for my next tattoo. I’m thinking of musical notes winding down my side… We'll see!

~Heather

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Wordless Wednesday ~ Kisses

Instead of giving us a topic for Wordless Wednesday this week, Dixie has made it "Blogger's Choice." I've been feeling romantic lately, so I decided to make "Kisses" my topic.










To view more Wordless Wednesday posts or to join in the fun, stop in and see Dixie!

Have a wonderful day!

~Heather

Monday, March 23, 2009

Taking a Little Vacation… Kinda…

As I mentioned several weeks ago, I’ve been contemplating what to do with my garter business during the craziness that is approaching in April. I feel like I’ve been going going going for months now, and the idea that things are only going to get worse next month had me more than a little stressed. I know it’s a horrible time to close up my Etsy shop for a month, particularly with wedding season upon us, but ultimately my sanity is more important than missed sales.

While I’ll miss the extra money that my little business brings in, especially as Moving Day (and all the expenses that accompany it) approaches, I feel good about my decision to put my shop “on vacation.” I have a few orders to finish up tonight (plus a garter set for my childhood best friend who’s getting married in several weeks) and then I’m done! If I have any free time in between packing, cleaning, and working overtime over the next month, I’m hoping to work on making a pin cushion caddy…



And maybe some ribbon roses...

And one or two hair fascinators...


And also some ring pillows...



I don't think I have to worry about being bored in April!

Friend Makin' Mondays ~ Blessings

This week for Friend Makin' Mondays (hosted by Kasey at All That is Good), we are sharing the things we are thankful for. A month or so ago, my favorite thing of the week was blessings, so rather than retype all the things I am blessed with, I'm just going to direct you to my original post. Here it is!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Monday!

~Heather

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Great Puppy Search of ‘08~’09 ~ Mama is Expecting!

I know everyone probably thinks I’m really silly for blogging so much about a puppy that hasn’t even been born yet, but I can’t help it! I. AM. EXCITED!!! I’ve wanted a puppy for so long now, and things are finally coming together for that to happen ~ I’ve decided on the breed I want, we’re moving to a new place that will allow pups, and the puppy (who I have pre~named “Daisy”) is on her way! I spoke to the breeder today, and the female she just bred is starting to show. Even more exciting is the fact that my dear boyfriend is also starting to join in on the puppy anticipation ~ although I know he would never admit it, I think he’s looking forward to Daisy joining our little household. If all goes as planned, we should be able to bring our girl home sometime in June.

Here are a few pictures of Papillon pups around eight weeks old ~ this could be what Daisy will look like when we get her!



Aren’t they adorable?!?

I am too too excited!

~Heather

Wordless Wednesdays ~ Dance

It's Wednesday once again, and that means time for Wordless Wednesday! The theme for this is "Dance". I'm oh so excited about it ~ dancing is one of my favorite things in the world!


Here are some pictures of my favorite styles of dance!
















To join in the fun or view more Wordless Wednesdays posts, visit Dixie's blog!

~Heather