Organization..What?

Two days in a row? Don't fall over. I'll make this quick.

I received these today. January at the Market focuses on you and your home. You know-after you take the Christmas tree down, your house just feels blah and so do you. My original intention was for these to be with the pretty office supplies to help you organize bills, photos, and whatever miscellaneous crap accumulates at your desk.

Then, an aha went off in my head after I found a necklace while I was looking for tape in my junk drawer.

The perfect jewelry organizer. I tacked this to the wall in my closet and now I can see what I have. It's made of wire so the little curly frame bends to accomodate for the chunky bracelets and the rings open really wide for the big baubles.

The reoccurring theme of pearls, charm necklaces, rhinestones, and beads. I really need to branch out one of these days.

One more unrelated picture---scraps of textured wallpaper? Yeah, it makes the prettiest wrapping paper.

Disbelievers and Freaks on a Whim

Christmas is over-I have a food, snow, and cooped up in the house hangover that I've been nursing with a needle, some fabric, and a little bit of fire.

Google Reader has been overflowing with blog goodness from all the "crafties" I adore--their projects and handmade gifts, the glitter, the bling. I couldn't stand it. These few days off would never come...Ah, but yes, they did.

My reward for wrapping all the presents was to allow myself the time to make these. Tutuorial here (yes, fire is involved.) These are so much better than pulling artificial flowers apart--you get to pick the color and the shape.. You get to play regular old Mother Nature for these.

I added tulle in between the layers of some of mine and of course, not complete in my world without some vintage bling for the middles.

I had a hard time parting with this rhinestone button. I often wonder what the original garment looked like that this was salvaged from.

The green looks sage in these photos--in the real world, it's a vibrant silky lime color.

I've been a sucker for rosettes on anything for the last year or so--if there are flowers, it automatically visits my closet.

I am fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) to have some very close family (Sarah, this is you) and friends who- I'll just say it-think I am the biggest freak ever. (A freak in the most loving way, but still...)

They are just people who need to have a reason for things. They have no use for "pretty" without a purpose. Things cannot just "be"-they must have function.

I, on the other hand, have purchased dish soap for the fragrance, really gross salsa because it had a cool label, pounds of paper just because I loved the design, and a magazine subscription for a magazine written entirely in French (which I don't speak) strictly for the pictures. Yes, you can say it, f-r-e-a-k.

Well, for my loving sister who was sporting a Kum & Go sweatshirt (apparently, this is a gas station chain in Iowa) and reluctantly, my flower pin for good measure this Christmas AND my practical friend who just needs minor usage inspiration-a bit of help....

Yes, that's the First Lady sporting a flower pin, and the lovely Sarah Jessica Parker. JCrew also believes me and so does Anthropologie. These are definitely not "matronly"---(Sarah's word, not mine) little sister. Where did I come from?

If the flowers weren't bad enough, you can about imagine what Sarah would think if she saw these? I actually spent time "glittering" clothespins.

The uses are many--to hold your wishes. (Be careful what you use it on...)

A book marker? (Is that one word or two?)

A magnet to hold a favorite photo?

Pretty can have function or just be--it's possible. It's also possible that I may have a small freakish problem with aesthetics.

See you soon at the Market-wearing and believing in pretty.

A Christmas Tour....

I've been so busy running here and there-getting the shop ready for December sales, that I got a very late start decorating my own house. So much that the Christmas tree sat un-ornamented until very recently.

As always, we hang all the oraments we have collected throughout the years--not matchy-matchy, not professionally coordinated, not full of glamour and glitz. To anyone else's eyes, it looks like a cluster of junk, a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs. But to me, our lives are hanging in this 9' artifical pine.

A few of my favorites....

This first year we moved to this little town.....

...we left that little town.

Litte Miss trecked her way across Europe, brought her mama back a momento.

Little Mister's kindergarten ornament, love this lumpy little thing.

Our first Mexican vacation with the kids.

There are a ton more but I won't bore you with my sentimentality. Agh, where do the years go?

If you have a free moment, you too, can have a book wreath. Made from an old book (or a new one if you must..) and some styrofoam.

Ran across this tutorial out in blogland (Living with Lindsay) and was compelled to give it a shot. The texture it adds is amazing and it looks great pinned in the middle of our entryway mirror. (Yes, Urban Market shoppers--this was hanging in the shop this December.) Easy peasy, give it a shot.

Have a blessed holiday season--enjoy the magic.

Inspired by the Banner

I love the shop, but I also love creating. The shop has "trumped" creating on more than one occassion but sometimes, well, it just takes over. These little ornaments were inspired by my blog banner. The little boy is my favorite. I have a picture of little mister with the same expression. Have you heard of the Graphics Fairy? The vintage kids are hers.

I am also loving the color scheme--what is it with these colors?

They remind me of my childhood, I guess.

Prairie Dawn, from Sesame Street; a blue winter coat that wasn't a hand-me-down; pink Rocky doll's dress, and Big Bird's eyes.

Speaking of Prairie Dawn-I was looking for a picture (she was much brighter on a 1970's television) and found this--I had no idea she was so cool.

Prairie represents more than the "girly-girls," as she is versatile and creative, not princessy and sparkly.Prairie Dawn was a proud, hard-working girl before it was politically correct to include them. Prairie is a mature voice of wisdom (and freak outs) on Sesame Street, a child with determination and a hard-working attitude. Prairie Dawn knows what she wants, and she's ready to grab it.

Cheap and Easy

To me, there is nothing like a blank piece of paper, a new sharpened pencil, and a mind full of ideas to write down and mull over.

Here's a cheap and easy, but oh so la la la gift for a teacher, a co-worker, a sister, a girlfriend, a budding entreprenuer or for any creative freak who loves pretty things and needs to sort out her thoughts by writing them down. (Ahem.....)

So your supply list (which cost me all of $5) my guess is that you'll have most of the stuff in your junk drawer;

-some paper (the thinner the better); a favorite stamp set {mine are from Cavallini and available at the shop if you love them} (or your own handwriting/artwork), some pencils, a few embellishments, some tape and a tin can.

1.) Rip sheets of paper roughly 1.5" x 4", leave the straight edge of the top and bottom of the sheet in tact. It will make it easier to line up the paper with the eraser if you have a straight edge to work with.

2.) Stamp your strips of paper, or draw, or write a message on your paper. I found that the designs are more legible if you stamp them with the design running the length of the 4" strip.

3.) Tape the back of all 4 sides of your paper--make sure the edges are completely covered in adhesive. Run a strip down the middle for good measure.

4.) Place your pencil on the adhesived side of the paper. Line up the bottom of the metal of the eraser with the straight edge of the pencil.

5.) Simply roll the paper around the pencil.

I hot glued little embellishments that I found in the wedding aisle at Micheal's. You could use ribbon or leave them sans froo-froo. They look great either way.

Now, just cut a piece of paper the width of your tin can, tape the paper to the can. Embellish as you like.


Done. Cheap and Easy. I'm going to put these in the shop so if you'd rather just purchase, they'll be there.
Next open dates are Thursday 12/10 from 10-5pm, Friday 12/11 and Saturday 12/12 from 10-6.
Happy Creating!