givin de tanks

I'm sitting in the lobby of the local community swimming pool in southern Utah where my niece is lifeguarding. They happen to have wifi so I can finally connect with the rest of the world. Yay! So happy Thanksgiving, two days late! We have been having a wonderful time with family, and I hope all of your Thanksgiving celebrations, wherever they were and whatever you did, was just as great. It has been awesome to have my 3 boys together with the rest of our family members for these few special days. Except this morning when I was abruptly woken up at the bottom of their hairy, stinky dog pile. Still, I have much to be thankful for. Just a few of the obvious:

• sunshine
• color
• family
• Christ
• friends
• flowers
• pets
• favorite smells
• my country
• music
• diet coke & ruffles :)
• design
• talents
• antiques
• projects
• service
• quilts
• faith
• all the little things I love so much... that really aren't little things❤

mirror, mirror

Remember the LOOK mirror in my entry way? It has undergone a few transformations already. Alas, it has just recently completed a huge metamorphosis! Look how wonderful the new version turned out! Using all black and white scrap book paper, and large plastic buttons, it sets a completely different tone - yet still remains interesting and unique and fun. I LOVE IT!

It wasn't hard to get all the candy wrappers and the rope off, but as you can see, I had some sanding to do to get the Mod Podge residue off, and try to make a smooth surface once again. 

I used my electric sander to get through the layers of Mod Podge, but it was rough on other areas. And little did I know I was a bit too careless with it - I actually sanded some of the mirror itself, which of course made some marks that will always show :( AARGH! This mirror has been through a lot, so some of the lumps and bumps refused to give in. After wiping it all down, I ended up spray painting the frame white once again, to make it as uniform as possible before starting the main part of my project. 

I am not usually much of a black & white person where decor is concerned, so this is a departure for me. Everyone knows I adore color, color, and more color :) But I also know that black and white rests the eye and gives it a place to focus, especially when using a lot of color. So I thought a black & white entry way might be a good effect in a home, particularly before introducing visitors to a lot of color.

I ended up choosing 6 or 7 different black and white patterns of scrap book paper that I liked, which was more than enough to cover the large frame. I wanted more than just a flat surface though, so this time I chose buttons as my textural element. That worked well because some of my papers resembled fabric, like houndstooth and damask. I wanted to keep it simple but I tend to like large accents, so I lucked out finding a package of black & white buttons, some of which were actually quite large. 

I basically cut the paper into a patchwork type pattern using my paper cutter. There was really no planning, other than making sure all the paper was equally divided and had a good balance. Similar to when I made this TRAY. I glued them to the frame with Mod Podge of course, and then coated the entire frame with Mod Podge when all of them were in place.  

I hot glued the buttons on, alternating black & white, large & small, where the edges and corners of the papers met.

I AM VERY HAPPY WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT! 

many thanks to ?

So as this week of gratitude begins, I will start off with many thanks to whoever sent me a mystery gift of some lovely stationary! It came from Segullah Press in Provo, Utah, and it looks as though they used vistaprint.com to have the stationary printed(?). But they did list the artist who painted the actual paintings - her copyright is on the back: Leslie M. W. Graff, and I found her website HERE! Her artwork is simply wonderful! 

Whoever sent this stationary with Leslie's artwork must have known it would really resonate with me... it's colorful and vibrant, it uses nature as a base, it includes geometric shapes, it's stationary of course... and did I mention it's full of gorgeous, saturated color!?! :) I do really love it - I just wish I could thank whoever sent it in person. So whoever you are, thank you! And let's all start this week out being grateful for something every single day. 

*Epilogue: my dear friend Joan 'fessed up :) Thank you my friend! I LOVE YOU ❤JOAN❤  

Be of Good Cheer

Cherry toes are Cheerful toes! Happy Friday and have a great weekend! :)

it's a wonder I'm semi-normal

So lately we've been watching some fun movies such as "Monsters Inc." and "Monsters vs. Aliens". I had never seen "Monsters vs. Aliens" and especially liked the character "Bob", the blue gel-like monster that reminded me a lot of Patrick Starfish of Sponge Bob Square Pants fame :) And "Monsters Inc." is a favorite of mine ("Kitty!") even though I had only seen it a few times. What a stupendous concept for a movie. I mean seriously, whoever thought up that whole concept was a complete genius. But enjoying the vast variety of monsters the artists created for that movie got me thinking.........

When I was really little I had a monster. The one you see here. It may look cute to you because it's pink and fluffy, but you have to believe me when I say it was NOT cute. It was terrifying! All it consisted of was a large head about the size of a basketball, with flat, floppy feet coming out of the bottom. Just a head. Of fur and eyeballs. I admit my drawing is kind of lame. It's a fair likeness except it's not terrifying enough and I think it's eyes were actually bigger. And yes, they were really bloodshot like that! AND they weren't flat - they were huge plastic orb-like eyes the size of tennis balls! 

My monster sat on a shelf next to other stuffed animals up high in my room across from my bed. I was literally only 4 or 5. Yeah. Where this thing came from I have no idea, but somehow my grandmother pops into my head. So perhaps she had something to do with it. I'm thinking she did. Which would make sense. And that's all I'll say about that. I never thought about my monster too much during the day. But night time was a different story. As it always is when you're a kid. It would sit up there and stare at me with those EYES. With those stupid bloodshot menacing eyes. And I would lay awake half the night to make sure it was still sitting up there on the shelf. 


Now my kids of course, upon hearing this story, immediately asked me why I never said anything to my mom about it! And you know, all I could think of was the SKA (standard kid answer): I don't know.

The End 

coziness continued

Okay, okay - I just couldn't help it. I got carried away by all the cozy goodness of my last post and my mind started spinning, and my fingers started searching, and you know what happens after that. But come on - how cute is this little hand knit mug cozy!? It's from Wayside Violet's Shop on Etsy of course. And it's seriously so adorable I think I could keep drinking from it all the day long.
I was looking for regular hand knit scarves - really I was - but you guys know how I love things that are different from the norm. When I came across this leafy button scarf from Bright Light's Shop I was totally entranced! (I refuse to use the term 'smitten' because it's the new overused buzzword and I hate it) And she has other really unique creations too!
Those of you who know me all-too-well know that my life revolves around my dogs :) So I couldn't resist throwing something cozy in for our little furry friends. Here we have a softer-than-soft pet nest blankie made of minky material from Your Lovey Boutique. Cat or dog, if your baby loves to burrow and be oh-so-cozy, this is oh-so-adorable :)
Now, I'm trying really, REEEELY hard not to play favorites here people, but seriously... are these lidded mugs not the MOST DARLING THINGS YOU'VE EVER SEEN!?!?! Sheesh, I nearly had a come-apart when I laid eyes on them. They're hand made from Karen Goldberg 1's Shop, which is a must-see because her pottery is simply FABU!!!
Oooooooh, so soft, so cozy, so lovely anywhere in your house! What is more comforting than chenille!? This 16x16 pillow cover is in my personal "favorites" list. It comes from Vintage Home's Shop and it's just simply dreamy. Take a peek - she's gearing up for the holidays too!
And last but certainly not least (especially for those of us who can't seem to get enough of felt - and I mean real felt, not the stupid fabric store felt), here is a simple die cut wool felt coaster set from Filz Felt's Shop. So very understated, so very useful, so very cool.

So happy Monday and have another cozy day!

Etsy apparatus

So all this talk about straws, and diet Coke, and cold drinks, and even the thought of warm drinks coming up right around the corner for the holidays... got me thinking. Because sometimes I actually do that. Think about hand made things that I can attach to my *brrr* cold vintage Coke glass that freezes my hands. Or my nice, warm cup of cocoa, to keep it's contents warm. Ahhh. And that means I turn to Etsy, of course :)

So here is a teeny tiny smattering - just the very most tip of the iceberg, if you will - of offerings I found waiting there. And I was only looking for hand-knit! There was a literal plethora of all kinds of hand made holders in all kinds of fabrics and patterns just waiting for your cups!

Awww, just look at the little guy above :) Love him! A hand-knit, pea green CUP HOLDER that can keep it's collar as is, or flip it up for a taller cup! Dual purpose! Cool! I mean warm!
Okay, and how adorable is this one! This seller calls her holders "CUP CUDDLERS" and I love how this one is multi-colored. And you all know how much I go for color, color, color!
And I had to add this little PINK one because it was too cute :) This seller even makes knit holders for apples & packs of gum! Which just cracked me up!

Now......... all this hand-knit goodness got me thinking of even MORE hand-knit goodness and hand-WARMING goodness, so I continued my search even further. Being the computer keyboard typing genius that I am (just go with it) I need my fingers at all times of the day and night. But my hands are usually cold. So I've always kind of wanted some of those neato-bandito fingerless gloves. Which, I've learned, are also called hand-warmers, wrist-warmers, and a variation of other glove/mitten/fingerless/warming descriptions. Look at some of the cool ones I found below - again, just a very small example of the amazing offerings out there!

These beautiful aqua fingerless gloves are from seller NEW MOON who came up with her own pattern to make this lovely style. I think they're very chic - perhaps not as warm as some of the others, but I still loved them at first sight.

This paprika color is FAB and these hand warmers are called "SCROOGIES"! How cute! This seller though, not only has her "Scroogies" line, but a vast array of all kinds of other types and styles of gloves as well - patterned, etc. One of the largest selections I've seen! Wonderful!
Look at THESE! With vintage buttons even! I thought these were simply stunning! This seller had several lovely pairs with variations of this style - I would definitely love a pair of these :)

I hope you enjoyed my little foray into All Things Cozy today! They were all surprisingly affordable and fun to browse - check them out! :)

it takes a thief

~ Wendy's ~

"Hi. I'm Megan, and I steal straws."

You all know I'm a diet Coke fiend, and a vast majority of you know I have specific straw requirements with which to enjoy said diet Coke. In fact, I once went so far as to make a poster titled 'the Laws of Straws' with examples and definitions of different kinds of straws - both the best of the best, and the banes of my existence. And if I can ever figure out the right way to photograph the infernal thing, I will get it on here. Believe me, I've tried. But I digress.

~ local Shell station ~

Suffice it to say, I am of the camp that loves a wide, thick, hearty straw for maximum sipping pleasure. Or in other words, to get as much diet Coke into my veins as quickly as possible. I am not of the camp - and you know who you are - that likes a thin, tiny straw, with which to take a thin, tiny sip of miniscule proportion to savor. Or the side sippers who hold their straw in the side of their mouth. Luckily for you, I won't mention any names of people from these strange, various camps. Katie Larsen. Bob French.

~ McDonald's (the straw gold standard) ~

Alas, my love for diet Coke and straws has gone deep enough to delve into the dark side I'm afraid. It all began quite innocently when years ago McDonald's had a summer deal - something like a 64oz. drink for .75 cents or some miraculous price like that. Needless to say, I frequented that drive-thru. And began to love their straws. I also realized I was not the only one that loved their diet Coke or their straws. Hence, my affection for perfect straws was born, and I have been on the hunt ever since.

~ 7-11 ~

So when I find a straw I like... I grab a handful. Sometimes a small, polite handful depending on what kind of territory I'm in. Sometimes a huge handful depending on how sassy I feel at the moment or how desperate I am for straws. When the supply at home starts running low, I start cruising with ill intent. And of course I've convinced myself that this is just fine. That I've spent so much money on their diet Cokes over the years that a handful of straws is like my little thank you for keeping them in business. Yeah.

But I do feel much better for having confessed. I am a straw stealer. I hope you can live with that.

snowflake quilt & freaky Santa

This past weekend, the local antiques mall had their annual fall sale, and I scored 2 items I totally love. One of them obviously requires a bit of explanation. So please don't hide in a closet or run away just yet. Hang tight for a bit...
The first item is this adorable snowflake cross stitch quilt. I've never purchased a cross stitch quilt, but this one was stitched impeccably, and the main body of the quilt was hand quilted as well. I loved the snowflake design, and blue & white is a popular combination so it's often hard to find. Add to that the fact that there were no stains or holes, it was in excellent condition, and it was on sale for less than $75 and I did the happy dance right then and there! I am so excited to have it to add to my collection! I can't wait to wrap myself in it and drink some hot cocoa :)
Now, I'm aware that this little Santa is a bit freaky looking. He scares my kids. But to me, he brings back everything that was happy about Christmas growing up. My family had one exactly like him, only about twice his size. I've never seen another one like ours, so I was absolutely flabbergasted when I caught this one looking at me through a display case. I had asked my mother for ours many years ago when my boys were little, and she had said no... and for years now, all our family Christmas things lay crushed and forgotten somewhere in her garage. I have no idea what condition that old Santa would be in if I ever did find him. So to be able to purchase this little Santa was like purchasing a portion of my childhood that I have missed for a very long time. See? Neat story = not so freaky :)

actually hip

~ Julian Casablancas ~

So last Thursday on the Apartment Therapy blog, New York contributer Annie Werbler wrote a great little blurb about Julian Casablancas coming out with his first solo album entitled Phrazes for the Young. She actually wrote it somewhat apologetically, being that AT is basically a design blog... but she adores Julian Casablancas so much she just couldn't help herself. I admire such passion. And I'm always on the lookout for new music to reach down into the depths of my tie dye world and pull me up into the present. And his photo alone was enough to intrigue me. So I gave Phrazes for the Young a listen. I was instantly surprised. And instantly pleased.

Julian is the lead singer of the Strokes - a band I don't care for so very much - but he definitely has his own thing going for him with his solo music. I'm not much of a music critic - in fact, I'm lousy - but Julian's voice has depth and meaning, his songs are all diverse styles of genres, each with it's own very catchy edge, and his instrumentation is complex but never too much so that it overshadows the simplicity of his voice or the fun in his songs. There. That's about the best I can do. Luckily for you, I have a link where you can stream the whole album ---------> RIGHT HERE. Then you can hear it for yourself and hopefully enjoy it too. And purchase it. And enjoy it more.

This Is It

A few nights ago we went and saw "Michael Jackson's This Is It" - the behind the scenes footage of what would have been his upcoming return to the stage and 50 sold out concerts in London. And just from the practice footage that we were able to see, what a concert it would have been! Epic performances - the kind that history is made of. But as we all know, Michael tragically died at age 50, just 8 days before those historic concerts were to begin. And so, the reason for the film - to give his family and friends and fans a magical glimpse of who he is, and what would have been.

I felt that the movie was very well done. They didn't make it pathetic or sad. No one was trying to manipulate my emotions, or make more or less of anything. It was what it was - intense practice sessions edited together, mistakes and all. There was a lot of hard work going on among this incredible team of professionals, and some great moments of laughter, love, and prayer. And the highlight of course was Michael. His unbelievable quest for perfection regarding his music and every detail. His astonishing talent with dancing and the way his body moves like he is almost otherworldly. But we've always known that a lot of Michael was otherworldly.

My eyes welled up as soon as the film began. I grew up listening to the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, I was always enamored by his amazing talent, saddened by his odd life, and heartbroken when he passed away on the brink of something that could have been so great for him and for the world. Such a loss of a tender-hearted, mixed-up, talented musical genius. So watching "This Is It", I enjoyed very much, seeing him interact with his singers and dancers and directors. What did shock me was how thin he was - did no one see this? He wasn't his usual tall, skinny self. He was literally skin and bones - skeletal. His hands and his head actually looked out of proportion to his body. That was frightening to see. His warm smile was genuine however, and he is always such a mixture of little boy, and perfectionist musician, and fierce performer. It's simply incredible to watch. I loved the arrangements of all the songs of course, and his new song about saving the world and loving each other. What I probably loved most was seeing him on stage at age 50, dancing as if he were ageless. That dancing groove ran through every fiber of his body. His dancers were the cream of the crop and probably 30 years younger than him, but he was still out there grooving and moving and showing them what to do. That was awesome. He was still the Dancing Machine. It will be a great way to remember him.

Halloween

A report on the Walker Family Halloween :) First off, above is an *adorable* chocolate bar with a handmade wrapper that my friend Rochelle made. You may recognize Rochelle's name because she's had her cute things make their way onto my blog several times in the past!
Matthew's junior high was allowed to dress up, so of course he layered himself in just about every piece of official army issue gear he owns! Which happens to be quite a lot!
I used to have mixed feelings about Matthew's strong penchant toward the armed forces. And that's putting it mildly. And putting it in words I can use on a family-friendly site. How a peace-loving, tie dyed, anti-war mother such as I, gave birth to a son who eats, sleeps and breathes military, and thinks nothing of fighting in the infantry on the front lines... I have absolutely no clue whatsoever.
But as you can see, Matthew is anything but cavalier about it. He takes it very seriously. Where I thought perhaps it would fade over the years, his interest in all things military has only increased. You have to have respect for that kind of dedication. And of course any mother would be proud her child wants to serve their country. So it still frightens me - a lot - but I have laid off. Matthew is who he is - and I love the person he is.

There's the smile that lights up my world :)

And how nice of him to demonstrate his camouflage skills.

Ah, here we have Davy and his girlfriend Val - who made the best Wonder Woman EVER! Plus... check out her AWESOME boots! YEAH! And Davy is Nick 13, the lead singer for the Band Tiger Army. I know. It's okay if you don't get it. But he did look spot on amazing.

Are they just too cute or WHAT!

OH! And how *adorable* is this photo!

Liammmmmmm!!! Liam came to join them in his totally brilliant costume - that he made himself - portraying Brandon Flowers from the Killers (more commonly known as B-Flo) as the Spaceman. Liam, you totally rock!!!
So first they went to trick-or-treat in Beverly Hills, which they said was a lot of fun.
And then they went to Hollywood to experience all the Halloween... festivities? oddities? freaks? fun? Yeah, I think some of all of that... and everything in between. The boys said Val got a lot of attention as Wonder Woman. Hmmm... YA THINK???

As my CA boys were having fun here, my college boy Daniel was up in Utah playing the role of Severus Snape (of Harry Potter fame) in a large cast of Hogwarts characters HERE!

I hope everyone had a terrific Halloween! My dogs took off with my burrito and massacred it. I'm still traumatized.