Altered Sudoku Tile Pendants

I created these for a vintage themed pendant swap!

Cinderella Charm Swap

I chose to do a key themed charm for my contribution to the Cinderella Charm Swap over on Two Peas. I'm excited to get them back and see what the other girls created!

Yo-Yo Bracelets- Finished Product!

Stick pins

These are just a few of the many stick pins I've been working on!

Altered wooden thread spools

I made these for a swap I'm hosting over on Two Peas. I was so thrilled with them that I made a couple extras to incude in some other swaps I'm participating in! The bottom photo shows the ones I monogrammed with each girl's initial.

Postcards from Paris Tag Swap

This is the tag I created for the June tag swap Arlene is hosting on her blog, butterflykisseswithlove.blogspot.com. The theme was postcards from Paris and the challenge was to use a collage technique. This is my first time participating in one of her swaps. I hope all the girls enjoy my tags! I can't wait to see all the beautiful tags I'll be getting in return :)

An up close view of the handmade beaded charms I incorporated.

A little Sneak Peek!

I finally finished sewing all of the yo-yos that I need to make my yo-yo bracelets for a a swap I'm hosting over on Two Peas! I am not by any means a seamstress and thought I would never get them all sewn, but here they are!

She's all tuckered out!

Roxie has had quite an eventful past few days! First, she managed to hurt her little leg jumping off the bed. Thankfully, after some extra TLC and a couple baby aspirin she was back to her continuous tail wagging and happy as could be :)

Then, today she got to go for a car ride! She loves going for a ride! You say the word and she can't get out the door and to the car fast enough.  However, I neglected to mention our destination because she does not always tolerate the vet's office as well as I would like her to. We pulled into the parking lot and she gave me one of her little, "Hey, you tricked me!" kind of looks. You know the one, those beautiful brown eyes sad as can be and her tail tucked under her bucket :( 

What she did next will probably never happen again and I must say I was one proud Mommy. She hopped right out of the car, walked nicely in to the vet's office without a single snarl or bark and hopped up on the scale. She waited her turn nicely in the jam packed lobby among all the other dogs and even several carriers with cats in them. She only sniffed one cat carrier and then sat down next to it. Once it was our turn they took us in to an exam room and I put Roxie up on the table. As the tech went to get the shot she needed, I attempted to muzzle her. Before I could get it adjusted properly, the vet came in, pinched her scruff up, gave her the shot and was out of the office before Roxie even knew what was going on!

I couldn't believe it! My sassy little dog behaved like a little lady the entire trip! Of course she was rewarded with her very own small vanilla shake, which she promptly gobbled in a not so lady-like fashion. HeHe :)

This is her getting ready for bed tonight after all of her adventures. Of course, even though it was a long day, she still  has to have her head on her pillow and the covers just right before she can finally lay down...

One benefit of it being way too hot for my liking...

Is that the flowers are all in full bloom and I am loving it! I can't wait to put some annuals in to make the flower beds complete!

Clematis (below)

Tea Cup Roses (above)

Upcycled Rosette Brooches

 I'm a little embarrassed to admit I still have every single formal gown I wore to my High School dances (Homecoming, Winter Formal, Prom, etc..). I paid way too much money for them and wore them all of one time. Truthfully, I did have a friend who was the same size as me and borrowed a few, but still, that only amounts to two wearings per dress at the very most. Ugh. What a waste!

So after all these years of hanging on to it, I finally found another use for the dress I wore to Homecoming my freshman year of High School. I cut all the layers for the rosettes from the satin and still have a good amount left for another project. I'm tickled pink that I was able to upcycle something and give it a brand new purpose! The pearls in the center are from a necklace I got at a local antique shop. The clasp was broken, so I got a ton of real pearls for only $4! Score!

I hope the girls over on Two Peas in my "5 Things Accessories Swap" are as thrilled with them as I am :)

My first attempt at paper roses

I've been eyeing  this style of flowers on Etsy for some time now and finally decided I was going to make an attempt to produce some. For a first try, I think they turned out pretty stinkin' cute! On the next batch, I'm going to trim the tips of the cones a little more so they aren't quite so dimensional.

Mixed Media Embellishments

These handmade embellishments are for a swap my friend Anna is hosting over on Two Peas. These in particular are for the Black group :)
Papers are from Moxxie, DCWV, and American Crafts.

These little gems are for the Pink group :)
Papers are from TPC Studios.

One tough cookie!

This rhododendron is one tough cookie! It's been barely hanging on for the past few summers and I was afraid it might now have made it through the winter. To my surprise, it's still hanging in there and has blossomed already this spring!

I also captured nature taking its course on my peonies! I detest ants, but can tolerate them just long enough for them to make my favorite flowers bloom!

Speaking of flowers...

This pictures is from a few days ago. The clematis is now in full bloom and is absolutely gorgeous!

I was a little nervous about bringing home one of Grandma Sally's beloved violets. I am proud to announce that my diligence in taking care of them since February has paid off! Not only is it in bloom, but it looks as if there are more buds that will be blossoming within the next couple weeks. I've done my very best for the plant, but I like to think the flowers are little blessings from Grandma Sally to let me know she's watching over me :)

If you know me, you know I always have something to say. Ask me my opinion and you'll get far more than you ever wanted to know. Ask me a question and I can surely turn it into a twenty minute dissertation on the exact opposite of the original subject. I like to talk. Chit chat. You know... ramble aimlessly and hope someone is intrigued enough to follow along.

I am unsure if the exact path that this blog will take, but I can assure you of one thing. You never know what you might come across. I'm the kind of girl who is full of opinions and not afraid to voice them. I'm also the kind of girl that wears flip flops year round. Would you like to know why? I like to wiggle my toes, that's why! I'm also an artsy craftsy kind of girl. I like to create. I like to feel my creativity flow through my fingers into many mediums and enjoy whatever may come of it. It may not be exactly what I had intended, but few things in life actually turn out the way we originally intended. These experiences help us to grow, and to learn, and to keep on creating. I love the color pink. It makes me happy. It makes me smile. What more could a girl ask for?