egg-tastic inspiration!

Easter is in 13 days and I have yet to begin anything except shopping for a few swaps. No Easter basket ideas for Andrew, no decoration, nothing! So I thought a bit of friendly inspiration from the lovely Martha Stewart would kick me into gear! The tree above is so darn cute.. I think I'll take Andrew out to find a couple cool branches and we will make eggs and decorate the tree together. He is definitely a young Martha-in-training and oh so creative haha! :)
These stenciled eggs in the cups might be the cutest things I've ever seen. :) I am just not sure if I am that precise- I might stick to just coloring the eggs haha!

The sweetest chocolate bunny in the world. If you are hosting Easter, this would make the perfect favor! And of course, it would be the perfect addition to any child's Easter basket! :)


What are you all planning for Easter?? Any fun tips or crafts you want to share?! Enjoy your week, xo!

a quick update!

Just a quick update before I head out for cocktails and a fun night with my sister and friend! :) To those of you who have signed up for the bright and happy swap, I have now closed signups and will be emailing partners out by Tuesday night. I have lots of things going on in the next few days, so I am giving myself a few days to get the partners done! If you don't hear from me by Tuesday night, email me! Hope you all are enjoying a fabulous weekend, xo!

paper flowers!

Another fabulous idea from the lovely Martha Stewart. I check her website all the time for fun little things to make, and I definitely wanted to share this one with you all. I want to make a TON of these flowers and put them everywhere. I just love them :) And of course, this is a fun one to do with the kiddos. I know Andrew will love it- he is a craft-a-holic just like his momma, yay! OK, here are the instructions for you...

Kids' Paper Flowers
Tools and Materials

Tissue paper

Crepe paper

Pipe cleaners

Floral tape

Pinking shears

Barrette

Basket

Ribbon

Hot-glue gun

1. Cut out five 4-inch squares of tissue paper; stack, and fold into quarters. Draw petal shapes along the two folded edges. Cut out shapes, and unfold.
2. Bend one end of a pipe cleaner to form a round nub. Use the other end to pierce a hole in the center of the stack of petals; pull it through to form a stem.
3. At the flower base, scrunch the petals closed so they resemble a loose pom-pom. Wrap floral tape around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem. Pull the layers of petals apart.
4. Cut out five 4-inch squares of tissue paper; stack, and fold into quarters. Draw a quarter circle along the two folded edges. Cut out shapes with pinking shears; unfold.
5. Bend one end of a pipe cleaner to form a round nub. Use the other end to pierce a hole in the center of the stack of petals; pull it through to form a stem.
6. At the flower base, scrunch the petals closed so they resemble a loose pom-pom. Wrap floral tape around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem. Pull the layers of petals apart.
7. Using two different colors and the pinking shears, cut two pieces of tissue (or crepe paper) into rectangles whose lengths are 6 inches and whose widths vary (ours were 2 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 inches). Center the smaller rectangle on top of the larger one, and fold, accordion-style.
8. Pinch the folds in the middle; hook the end of a pipe cleaner over them, and twist it. Fan out the paper until the ends meet. Lift up the small layer to form the daffodil center; trim with pinking shears. Wrap floral tape tightly around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem.
To fasten a paper flower to a barrette, cut the stem to the length of the barrette. Lay the stem along the barrette's top (the bottom of the stem should be at the barrette's opening). Starting at the top of the stem, attach the flower by wrapping with floral tape. If you choose to add a leaf, secure with the floral tape as you wrap the stem. Bend and adjust the flower so it covers the barrette.
To affix paper flowers to a basket, wrap the handle of the basket with ribbon; apply hot glue to the ends. Cut two same-size sheets of crepe paper; measure along the rim from handle to handle, and then measure basket height; adding 4 inches to each. Attach one sheet to the inside rim with glue, and drape over the outside, gathering it into the basket shape. Glue to the bottom. Repeat with the other sheet. Glue on paper flowers.

renegade craft fair!

I just happened upon this website and thought I would share it with you all. I know so many of you are super-talented and crafty, so this may be something you want to think about joining. It sounds like so much fun, even just to go to and check out! I am thinking about going to the LA show.. even though I would love to fly to New York or San Francisco and go instead hehe!! But I suppose the budget won't allow for that at the moment. :)

We are off to Coronado today to take a walk (Andrew will be scooter-ing, of course hehe.) and go to our favorite place for lunch! :) Again, I am feeling very blessed to live in Southern California. My attitude towards California has successfully turned itself around. I am now one of the people who can't imagine my life not living here. Yay!

So go check out the website and support handmade in yet another way.

And PS.

How cute are the graphics on that webpage??? Ah, I love it! :) xo!

welcome spring!

With spring in the air, I was in definite need of some new happy things! :) I thought I would share my fabulous finds with you all...

These are my new spring sandals! I am in LOVE with them. I have been on the lookout for some cute new sandals for spring and finally found them at Marshall's! For only $25! Wooooo! They are super comfy and cute and they are by Penny Loves Kenny- they are the ambrosia sandal in gold. You can find them here, but they are a bit more expensive online. LOVE THEM. And they make me feel perfectly spring-y!


Next on my spring agenda- nail polish!! I am a total nail biter, and now guess who has adopted my bad habit??? Yep, Andrew. SO, in an attempt to get him to stop chewing at his nails, we made a deal to both stop biting our nails together. I as little worried that he would ignore the pact and keep on biting, but it actually has worked like a charm! (That and I threatened him with the spicy bitter nail polish I would paint on his nails if he didn't stop hehe.) But in my own attempt to stop my habit, I decided to grab some new fun nail polish that will keep me from wanting to destroy my nails. YAY, it worked! And I found some fabulous nail polish in the process. Go to Walmart and check out the Rimmel London cosmetic line- they have a 60-second nail color that dries super quick and comes in some super cute shades. I bought the purple and blue ones you see in the photo above and am loving them. I usually wear neutral color clothing, being a tshirt and jeans girl, so I figure a flash of spring color on my nails is ok. :)


And while you are at Walmart.....
go check out the whole TWILIGHT section of merchandise!!!! AHHH I was flipping out!



They have super cute tshirts and tote bags, which I just had to purchase hehe. :) The one above is the Cullen crest tshirt which I almost bought and might have to go back for soon... but I decided on the "Team Edward" shirt below.

Actually, the tshirt in the photo isn't the one from Walmart, but the front logo is the same. The back of the shirt is blank though... I found this image on google. And the tote has the same Team Edward logo and says "twilight" on the reverse side. SO CUTE. :) And go pick up the Twilight DVD while you are at it- only $17 at Walmart! I've already bought and watched it- I forgot how much I loved it ah!!! Can't wait for New Moon... anyone notice I've already got the countdown going on my sidebar???

Happy Spring to you all, and let me know how you are welcoming in spring as well!! xo!

let her kick your butt. :)

My sister and I checked this workout DVD from the library a few weeks ago and have been religiously doing our "One Minute Workouts"!! Let me say, this lady will kick your butt. You answer a few questions about what you want to work out, what level you are at, and how many minutes you want to exercise for and the DVD comes up with a unique set of exercises for you (out of a huge database of over 100 minute workouts!) It is amazing, and I really feel SO much stronger in only a few weeks. Buy it here or, like I did, check it out from your library- you will be so glad you did! :)

I have been on Weight Watchers for a month now and have lost 5 percent of my body weight, woooooo! I have been eating healthier, finding yummy places to eat out and still stay on track, and I have been exercising lots. My neighborhood is right up the hill from a great park and playground that Andrew loves, and there are lots of hiking trails down to it, so it has been fun to explore, hike, and get lots of workouts done at the same time. Next on my list of goals?? Get running again! I live in a perfect neighborhood to run, with sidewalks and all, so I'll have to pop Andrew on his scooter and get running! :)

What do you all do to work out?!

Enjoy a healthy week, xo!

a new obsession.

Yes, the Razor scooter.

I kept telling Andrew that when we moved into our new house with sidewalks throughout our neighborhood that he could get a scooter. I have been looking and looking each time I go to Walmart or Target and.... no scooters. They never have them- what is that about?! So we were at Jamba Juice yesterday getting smoothies for lunch when I spied Sports Authority a few shops down. I told Andrew that we should check for a scooter there, and they had a TON of them! All different colors, and Andrew was in heaven! He chose the green one- fitting for St. Patrick's Day, right? I took him over to Target to get a helmet (which coincidentally is also green with a super cool snake on it!) and then we headed to the park to learn to ride. And he hasn't gotten off the scooter since!!! It is a new obsession- the scooter goes everywhere with him. In the car, in the backyard, in the front yard, into his room to go to sleep.... :) And he is already getting quite good at it! I'll have to snap some pictures of him riding around on it, it is adorable. I am so glad we bought something that is so very loved!

And in other news, there are some new spring-y things up in the shop! More things will up soon as well- I am working like a crazy person to get lots of crafting done! Pop over to the shop and see if anything strikes your fancy! :)

Have a happy St. Patrick's Day and enjoy something green today!!

do me a favor and take a peek!

at my sister's

brand new

etsy shop!!

My sister Mallory is a super talented art student and my mom and I have been after her to open a shop for so long. And I am proud to say it is now open! She is making wire wrapped jewelry and adorable hair accessories that you might not be able to live without!

Any Twilight fans need this super fantastic necklace??!! :) She will even take custom orders and you can have your own name on a necklace. I've got my "holly" one that she made me for Christmas and it is so freakin' cute.
Here is one of her amazing pieces of "hair art"! (Recognize the model??? Yours truly haha!)

And the newest addition to her shop is this cute flower hair art! They are made from wool felt and you can either bobby pin them in your hair like she has shown in the pictures, or she will put them on a headband for you. Mallory is so darn talented and each piece really is made so well. She wraps them up beautifully and hopefully some of you will be lucky enough to be wearing some hair art or a funky wire necklace very soon! Go peek at her shop or her blog and say hello!! :) I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend! xo!

happiness..

...is being able to truly play in a backyard. Andrew is having so much fun running out to the backyard by himself.. while this may seem like a simple luxury, it is one that he hasn't had yet until this new house. In our old house, we had a pool and a big backyard that he could not go out to unless someone was with him. It wasn't a great backyard for exploring, playing, and digging. But with our new yard, Andrew has free range! He is absolutely loving it- he keeps his boots by the backdoor and heads out there when the mood strikes him. :)

His new favorite thing is to play "forest man" and sit in the tree on the left while "hunting wolves" (ie. chasing our dogs around with a plastic sword and binoculars hehe!) I love that he is able to really play like a child should. :)

AND

P.S...!!

The tooth fell out about a week ago, and I keep forgetting to update you all! I will post a photo soon of the toothless grin- he looks adorable! :) And for those of you who were inquiring, the tooth fairy's rate at our house turned out to be a half dollar! It went over very well with Andrew and he can't wait to lose another tooth hehe!

Enjoy a happy weekend! xo!

bright and happy swap!!

I don't know about you, but this time of the year I am in serious need of some bright and happy things around me! Yummy candles burning, cute pillows tossed on my bed, bright accessories worn, and so on! So I thought I would host a fun swap so we can all get a few new bright and happy things for ourselves! This will be a simple little swap, nothing too major.

You must send a happy candle in a scent that your partner enjoys, one or two cute pieces of jewelry that are bright and in a color your partner likes, and then toss in a few other bright and happy things that you know someone would LOVE... a yummy snack, a cute set of stationary, beautiful soaps, etc! Add in some special things that will bring happiness to anyone's day! These things are meant to be personal items- get to know your partner, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes and send things someone can enjoy on a bleak day when they need something bright to cheer them up!! :) Only bright and fun colors allowed, hehe! Make this swap enjoyable- it is so much fun to send a happy box to someone and then get one in return.

On to signups! If you would like to sign up to send a happy box, email me at hollyndevlin@gmail.com with the following questions filled out. I'll email you back a confirmation that I received your info- if you don't hear from me, it means I didn't get your questionnaire, so email me again! I will have signups open until March 27th, so get those emails in! Share the button, post a blog about it, and let's spread some bright and happy cheer at this cloudy and dull time of year!! :)

Name:

Address:

Email Address:
Blog Address:

Willing to swap internationally?:

Favorite bright and happy colors:

Favorite candle scents:

Favorite kind of jewelry:

Likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc... share something about yourself:

Partners will be sent out the weekend after signups close and you will have until April 17th to send your box out.

And PS.

Please only sign up if you are serious about sending a GREAT box- something your partner will truly enjoy, all wrapped up cute and something that you put time into making nice. Don't just toss things in a box- take the time to make it special :) All of the participants names will go on my blog sidebar, updated with when you send your swap boxes, so no flakers!!! Thanks and can't wait to swap again!! xo!

kindergarten already?!

What happened to this little baby???!!! Now he is going to be five years old in May, and starting kindergarten in the fall. Whew... time really does fly, doesn't it?!

OK, but now I have to bitch about kindergarten registration for a few. Since we just moved, I was looking into the schools near our house to get Andrew all signed up for school. Of course, a thousand forms need to be filled out, there are more shots to get, appointments to make, ugh. Lots and lots of work. BUT the part that peeves me the absolute most is that I come to find out that kindergarten is ALL DAY LONG. I mean, 8am to 3pm... all day long. Is it just me, or do you all find that a little weird??! Isn't that the year that little kids should be acclimating themselves to being at school, being away from their families for an extended period of time, and shouldn't it be half days?!

Maybe I am being naive in a world that is changing a ton, but for a child that has never been in preschool, I am having a huge problem with this. I went in to the district offices a few days ago to ask about a transfer somewhere else, and the lady working there told me that kindergarten was changed to all day at most of their schools because parents didn't want to pay for daycare. OMG. OK, I do understand that parents have to work, and daycares exist for a reason.... but... kindergarten is not daycare!!! AH I could go on all day long about this, but I really want to hear your opinions about this. Anyone with small kids go through this already?? Is the all day thing as bad as I think?! Help me out haha!

And

Dancing with the Stars tonite! Did you all hear that Melissa from the Bachelor last week is going to be one of the "stars"??! Yay! She may have gotten dumped by gross old Jason, but she gets to dance, woo! :)

i feel quite lucky...

... to live in a place that looks like this.

I am able to drive down to La Jolla, take a walk, and enjoy something that is this beautiful almost year round. Whether or not it is a bit chilly like today, the sun is usually shining and the ocean is sparkling.
Walks are much more enjoyable when you can enjoy scenery like this, right? You can usually find me complaining about the hot weather here in San Diego, and wishing for more of a four season lifestyle.... however, I think I am going to rethink my attitude now. I live in a gorgeous place where lots of people come on vacation, enjoying the nice weather and the almost endless sun. So why should I be complaining about that?! I am going to start appreciating the city around me... and that begins with a beautiful walk along the beaches in La Jolla this afternoon! I should definitely be counting my blessings today.. and I hope each and every one of you is enjoying a beautiful Saturday as well. xo!

super sale!!

Mommy Holly

is having a super sale to make way for the spring debut of new cards and tags!!

50% off

everything

in

the shop!!

Buy up and pop in to see the new line very soon!

Thanks!

a gift.

Yesterday was a special day. In honor of what would have been Cora's first birthday, all of the Etsy shops that have been busily selling items and raising money, donated a huge gift to the playground fund. Huge.

Together, we were able to raise
$15,667.93

All I can say is WOW. It is amazing how much can be done when people work hard together for such a great cause. Thank you to anyone who helped us raise this money! :)

And PS.
YAYAYAY
to American Idol!
They definitely picked the right 4 wild card picks! I am super excited about next week's show, yay! :)

who's watching?!

Alright, so American Idol is back in my life again. My favorite time of year! :) Although, I wish my boyfriend David Cook would come back again soon hehe. So who is watching this season so far??? Who are your favorites? Let me enlighten you with my early faves thus far...

Adam Lambert. He is oh-so-cool with a fabulous voice. And, he is from San Diego! Cool! :)
Danny Gokey. He is super sweet and I just love his voice... so so so sad about his wife dying :( He deserves his spot in the Top 12- but what happened to his friend?! I loved that guy! They should be here together in my opinion.

Lil Rounds is the BOMB. She is an amazing singer, miles better than most people this past Tuesday. And she is so cute! And a mom of three, wow! :) I love the mommas on this show!


And now to the Wild Card choices- what three do you think will get in to the final 12???

And what in the WORLD possessed the judges to put this psychotic into another round of the show???? Is this some sort of a joke?!!! Tatiana, we have seen enough of you, my dear!

I am loving Matt Giraud and I am crossing my fingers that he makes it in tonight. I didn't like the Coldplay song he sang last week (am I the only one who hates that band?!!) but he is super cool with a nice voice.

And I love, love, love Megan!!! She is soooo cute with that pretty long hair! I don't even mind her tattoos- she is that cute!! And she is a mom! And I love her voice a ton. Let's hope she gets in tonite!! :)

What do you all think?! :) Am I obsessed enough with American Idol?! hehe!

an update and some venting!

First of all, let me apologize for being so absent here on my blog lately! I have been buried in things to do with moving, organizing, cleaning, yada yada yada. I'm back though, so expect my blog to come to life again haha! :)

Now onto business... and some serious venting. Who has been watching The Bachelor lately??? I am a total fan of the show and while I totally get that these relationships are usually short-lived, I still get an amazing amount of enjoyment watching them. :) BUT, I have to say that the latest Bachelor, Jason, the "handsome, single father" as he has been lovingly referred to all season... is SUCH A JERK. To propose to Melissa, then break up with her on TELEVISION??!!! UGH, I was pissed. Then, as if he wasn't already acting ridiculous, he then makes a play for the girl he dumped six weeks ago on the final show. And she falls for it!!!!!! Molly, watch out. He is going to "follow his heart" to another girl soon as well.... ew. ew. ew. He makes me want to vomit. OK, venting done!! :)
Soooo, I have found a new and fabulous find, thanks to my friend Bob, the Biggest Loser trainer. OK, he isn't really my friend, but I freaking love him and Jillian on that show. :) Go buy a bag of this yum-o broccoli with cheese sauce, toss it in the microwave for a few minutes, and voila! 45 calories! Woooo, easy and healthy, yay! :) I have been going to Weight Watchers these past two weeks and I feel so fabulous! I've lost 6.4 pounds, woo! I can't wait to weigh in again on Saturday! It's amazing that when you stop shoveling crap into your mouth, the pounds do drop off. What a concept. hehe :)
Enjoy your week, xo!