Tuesday, June 30, 2009

what was she thinking?!!

I am hoping onto my TV soapbox this morning! What in the heck is Jillian from the Bachelorette doing???!!! She kept around WES?! He is such a fake, it makes me sick. And he's not even that cute. And that voice of his makes me angry. Ew! Anyone agree with me??!

Personally, I'd pick Reid. He is so darn CUTE! And I think Ed is pretty sexy and I have to admit I'm glad he's back! :) But Wes???? That girl needs her head checked haha!!

Who else has been watching the show?? Off to drop Andrew off for the second day of camp, he is just loving it!! :) xo!

Monday, June 29, 2009

this face...

...makes me so stinkin' happy. :) Is he the cutest little thing??? :) Wish Andrew luck for his first day of "Critter Camp" today! It's the first time he has been away from his family for the whole morning. Gotta ease him into that all-day kindergarten in August, ah! Enjoy a warm & relaxing Monday, xo!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

white party!

Last night, I got together with our "girl's group"! Every month, a group of us get together to have dinner, chat & see each other's houses! Last night, our friend Lauren hosted the dinner, having us all over for a gorgeous "all-white themed party"!!! SO fun... who knew white was such an all-around flattering color for everyone?! We all wore white, the appetizers, dinner, and dessert were all white.. including the yummy white pina coladas that Lauren made!! :) It was so much fun to have a theme like this!
Here is the AMAZING table that Lauren set for us... complete with a pretty white pot with lavendar in it at each place setting that we each got to take home! :) Thanks for hosting such a gorgeous evening Lauren, we all had so much fun! And we were missing a few of the girls from the group, so not everyone is in the top photo but we definitely missed them! Can't wait until next month's "black and white" party, yay! :)
Hope you are all enjoying a fun weekend, xo!

Friday, June 26, 2009

write it on a chalkboard!

I have been seeing chalkboards everywhere lately... and am absolutely loving the innovative ways they are popping up!! Long gone are the days of musty old green chalkboards lining the walls in schoolhouses... now chalkboards are artistic, whimsical, fun and so useful as well! Here are some of my favorite ways of using this traditional idea in new ways...
Etsy is full of super cute wall decals that are also chalkboards!! SO CUTE... I love the idea of sticking the decals on the walls- they are low-key, but still give the same effect as if you nailed up a chalkboard to your wall! :) This one can be found right here!
Have you noticed the mini chalkboard cups, mugs, wine glasses, jars, napkin rings, etc, etc, etc?? Andrew convinced us that he needed a glass with a small chalkboard on it from Pier One a few days ago. Such a good idea for parties or hostess gifts, as well as entertaining small children haha! :)

And one of my favorite ideas... use a little bit of chalkboard paint to use anywhere in your house! I love the bit of chalkboard on the door in this super cute room. But really, the possibilities are endless with this paint! A few years back, my mom painted her whole kitchen nook in chalkboard paint and it was amazing!! :)
Have any favorites lately with chalkboards?? Have you used them anywhere in your own house?! Hope you are all enjoying your week! xo!
And PS.
We made it through the fair last night with no broken legs!!! Woooo! Pictures will be up soon! :)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

to the fair again!

Tonight we are headed to the fair! A summer tradition here in San Diego, we always love to go out to the fair to eat, go on funny little rides, and see the animals. Andrew is at the perfect age to really enjoy himself this year. The photo above was taken last year when our family went to the county fair. SO much fun!
That is,
until this happened.....
A broken leg! :( Our summer last year was quite interesting, and our hopes for a pool-filled, outdoor, beachy summer were altered. Instead we spent the days playing on the computer, watching movies, having snacks and being cozy on the couch... all because of one of those crazy slides at the fair! Let me reassure you all that Andrew will not be on those slides this year. We will keep our fingers crossed that we acquire no broken bones tonight!!
In other shop related news, I am in need of getting some new items up and in the shop!! I recently finished and shipped a custom handmade greeting card order (above!) which I think turned out beautifully! Gotta grab a cup of coffee and get to work this morning before a fun evening at the fair! Hope you all are enjoying your week, xo! :)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

better than starbucks...

...and much cheaper, too!! Here is my helpful hint to you today... I know with the economy being in a bind and money being huge issues for a lot of families, we are all trying to pinch pennies in various areas. One trouble area that I know I have saved is drinking coffee at home in the morning, instead of grabbing Starbucks. It took a little trial and error to find something I really liked, but I have finally mastered my at-home coffee bar and want to share the ideas with you as well! :)
BEST ground coffee that you can buy at your local store??? Dunkin Donuts! It is amazing! I buy one in the regular French Vanilla flavor, and one decaf in the Original Blend and then mix them together in a canister. I don't like to be hugely caffeinated in the mornings, so this works well for me. Then I add in my Sweet&Low, along with that yummy fat-free coffee creamer and OH YUM! And to top things off, invest in some super cute mugs that will make your at-home morning a much happier experience!! Then you will save lots of extra dollars and be cozy at home while sipping your yummy coffee! Here are a few of my current mug faves...
Buy vintage mugs like these from Etsy.. set of three mugs for $17.80!

Handmade "canary mug" from etsy.. $29
The "dirty mug" at Urban Outfitters.. $12

Anthropologie "number" mugs.. I can't find these anymore on the website, but they have a huge selection of cute mugs of course! And I did see these in the store recently! :)

Drink up at home and save! And if you are out and simply HAVE to stop for a cup of joe, go to McDonald's instead! Cheaper coffee and it is FABULOUS. A fave? McD's iced coffee with sugar-free vanilla syrup, yum!
What is YOUR favorite coffee??
xo! :)

Monday, June 22, 2009

burlap?! burlap!

I have always snubbed my nose at burlap- I have always thought of it as scratchy and weird, to be honest. However... Lately, I keep running into things on Etsy made out of burlap and am thinking it's pretty cool! Take these things for example...

I am in LOVE with this burlap coffee sack bag! Amazing, right?! Get one here!


What a cute idea- making a banner out of burlap like this one in coastline's etsy store! She is super talented and so sweet as well! :)

What would YOU make out of burlap?? I am thinking I want to try to find some old grain sacks and make a purse! :) Have a creative week, my friends! xo!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

happy father's day & giveaway winners!

Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day to you all!! I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing day with your dads, husbands, grandpas, etc... and a very Happy Father's Day to my super cool dad, along with Andrew's fab dad, Chris!! :)
...Here is a list of the winners from each day's giveaway this past week. Thank you for entering and taking time to comment, I so appreciate it! :)

(If you are a winner, email me your home address and I will pass on the info so you can receive your goodies!)


Tuesday's Paper Goodies
Winner: Tara


Thursday's Hair Clip
Winner: Laura


Saturday's Paper Goodies
Winner: Lisa Johnson

PS.
Remember that EVERYTHING in my shop is 30% off to blog readers only- and only until TONIGHT!!! :) xo!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #6!

Finally something from Mommy Holly herself, right??!! :) I am concluding my week of giveaways with two sets of super cute tags! Simply leave me a sweet comment and you will be in the drawing for both sets of tags! And as a huge thank you to all of my readers, I am offering 30% off EVERTHING in my shop until Sunday night only!! In the "message to seller" area, mention you read my blog and I will refund you 30% via paypal! Yay!

I want each and every one of you to know how truly special I feel that you all come to my blog every day to read about my life, my family & my work!! I am so very grateful to you all!!!

And PS.
You can still enter ALL of this week's giveaways until midnight TONITE.... and I am just going to draw winners tomorrow for EVERYTHING. Check back here to see if you won something tomorrow, yay!! :)

Friday, June 19, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #5!

Welcome to the fifth day of giveaways!! Tomorrow I will be wrapping things up with one more giveaway, but today you can win a super cute monogrammed bucket!! I actually won one not too long ago and LOVE it- I got an "A" for Andrew's room and he keeps all of his stickers and pens in it! :)
...Created by the talented Marta! .. These cute buckets are available to purchase in her shop! Here is a little bit about her...

"Hello! My name is Marta and I recently opened an Etsy Shop called Haus of Girls. I have just a few things in there now, but will hopefully get to add many more in the near future! I have so many fun ideas :) I recently entered the BLOG WORLD (http://www.hausofgirls.net/) and am loving documenting my crazy life as a sister, daughter, wife and MOMMY to three girls under the age of four! After working as a private investigator for five years after college (oh the stories!), I decided to stop working and raise my family. I knew I would regret it if I missed one day of their lives....you can never get them back. So now I am LOVING being home and tapping into the more creative side of me which I wasn't able to do as much in the past due to a hectic schedule. I love having a creative outlet. It is one of the most rewarding experiences! I would have never imagined how much I would enjoy creating things for my girls, as well as other children. The way their eyes light up when I hand them something I made just for them is priceless. Feel free to stop by my shop http://www.hausofgirls.etsy.com/ anytime as well as my new blog at http://www.hausofgirls.net/. Please let me know if you have ANY requests for anything. I am sure I can come up with something unique and special for you!

I will gladly donate one of my MINI MONOGRAMMED BUCKETS for a fun Giveaway in celebration of mommyholly's 300th blog post! These are personalized buckets with one letter in an adorable paper print! Great for random storage....I use one in my baby's room for all of her pacifiers! So nice to have them all in one place. Plus, there is nothing better than your child's initial and it matches her room too! How perfect! Other uses might be crayons, markers, hair accessories such as barrettes and clips or rubber bands, Polly Pockets or other little toys! I use one in my other daughter's room for her lotion and other nick knacks! I originally made these fun buckets as party favors for Sophie's birthday party. She handed them out to all the kids and I stuffed them full with candy, stickers and other goodies! So many of my friends requested that I make them for them, that I decided to add them to my shop!"

THANK YOU so much for offering a monogrammed bucket, Martaa!
Are you wondering how to win?!
Tell me what you would use your bucket for in your comment to me! :) It's that simple! And make sure to visit Marta's Etsy shop! Winner will be announced next Friday, so the giveaway is open until Thursday night! :)
Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway.... the last one!! xo!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #4!

This is day four of the "300th Post Giveaway Week"!! Yay, this has been so much fun and I am able to highlight some fabulous Etsy and online shops for you to poke around! :) Today's giveway?? A gorgeous red hairclip!
...Created by the lovely Tessa! .. Original and adorable hair accessories are available in her shop! Here is a little bit about her...

"I'm a freshly wed online student and am currently traveling the country with my husband for his job! At the moment, we reside in Kansas City, Missouri, and will be moving soon to Indianapolis, then Boston, then Long Island, Rhode Island, Laguna Beach....and so forth for the next five years or so. Perfect, because I love to travel! Most of my time is spent building up my budding business delica.tess.n by working on new designs, shopping, sewing, working on my website, or finding advertising opportunities. Then I do a little school on the side. I'm currently trying to find the best niche for me in the crafting world while I try to get my name out. I have a line of vintage inspired handmade baby clothing coming to my site soon as well as bridal hairpieces and mommy and me outfits! Check out my blog to see what I'm up to and where I am!"

THANK YOU so much for offering this adorable hair clip, Tessa!
Are you wondering how to win?!
Go visit Tessa's shop, delica.tess.n and tell me your favorite thing from her shop! Then come back here and leave me a comment! :) It's that simple! Winner will be announced next Thursday, so the giveaway is open until Wednesday night! :)
PS.
You can also be a facebook fan of Tessa's shop!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway.... xo!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #3!

Summer is here, so how about a fun accessory to brighten up your hair on these sunny days?! This headband might be yours- just keep reading to enter my next 300th Post Giveaway!! :)
...Created by my sister Mallory of the Etsy shop Wendy Miracle.. SO well-made and gorgeous! Here is a little bit about Mallory...

"I'm a girl living in Southern California, currently attending San Diego State as a Studio Arts major... and I love it! I love working on a variety of projects, and my current obsession is wearing cute flair in my hair! I love making adorable yet functional things that I can actually use or wear on a daily basis. For Holly's 300th post I'm giving away a very summery headband with pink and white felted flowers, for you or your little one!"

THANK YOU so much for offering this amazing headband, Mallory!
Are you wondering how to win?!
Go visit Wendy Miracle on Etsy and tell me your favorite thing from her shop! Then come back here and leave me a comment! :) It's that simple! Winner will be announced next Wednesday, so the giveaway is open until Tuesday night! :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway.... xo!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #2!

Onto Day two of my giveaway week! Celebrating 300 posts is just so much fun, and you can win so many cute things!! :) Who will win these fabulous paper goodies?!

...Created by Diana of the successful Etsy shop Matdi123.. SO cute! Here is a little bit about Diana...

"Hello! I'm Diana from the Etsy shop Not Your Everyday Cards. I am a wife and the mother of two young boys. I started making cards a year or two ago and LOVE it! My family and friends seemed to enjoy my creations so on a whim, I decided to open an Etsy shop and here I am!
Since opening the shop with just cards, I have since started making embellishments, magnets, gift tags and paper flowers. I also sell a few stamps and other paper supplies. I really just love making anything with paper and love making my items bright, colorful and cheerful. My Etsy shop has grown by leaps and bounds in the year and a half that I have been selling. I'm so pleased when someone enjoys my creations and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to get great feedback! In upcoming news, I am having a 'Christmas in July' sale starting July 1st and running for the whole month. I'll have lots of seasonal cards, tags, and other fun supplies. So come by and take a peek!"

THANK YOU so much for offering these lovely paper items, Diana!
Are you wondering how to win?!
Go visit Matdi123 on Etsy and tell me your favorite thing from her shop! Then come back here and leave me a comment! :) It's that simple! Winner will be announced next Tuesday, so the giveaway is open until Monday night! :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway.... xo!

Monday, June 15, 2009

300th Post Giveaway Day #1!

Can it be possible that I have been blogging for 300 POSTS?!! Amazingly enough, yes! And I want to celebrate by hosting a fabulously big giveaway week!! Let's admit it, we all love giveaways, right?! And I have collaborated with some fabulously creative girls and they are offering wonderful giveaway prizes for all of my readers! :)
Onto Day One's giveaway....
Want to win these beautiful butterfly earring from Polka Dot Moon?! They are created by the very talented Denise... read a little bit about her! :)

"I’m a stay-at-home mom of 2 with a passion for all things creative. I love paper, fabrics, making jewelry, scrapbooking and card making. I’ve been creating things for as long as I can remember and even had a successful one person Stained Glass business where I designed and created night lights. I’ve had my Etsy shop for 2 years, but had a small hiatus right after my 1st year due to a sweet surprise; our little girl! She is now resident of what was my creative space. I currently work out of our bedroom and someday dream of having a tiny space to call my studio. My little shop allows me my creative outlet and to shop my favorite place.....Etsy! Come take a peek at my shop and peek into my world on my blog!"

THANK YOU so much for offering these gorgeous earrings, Denise...
Are you wondering how to win?!
Go visit Polka Dot Moon and tell me your favorite thing from her shop! Then come back here and leave me a comment! :) It's that simple! Winner will be announced next Monday, so the giveaway is open until Sunday night! :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway.... xo!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

ryan star!

...or should I refer to him as my imaginary boyfriend????!!! :) A few years ago, I was first introduced to Ryan Star on the show RockStar, an American-Idol-ish show to find the next rock singer. SO good, let me tell you hehe. :) Anyways, he didn't win, but my sister and I developed an enormous obsession with Ryan Star! (I actually can't believe I've never blogged about this before??? haha!) Right after his stint on RockStar, he went on a mini tour and came to San Diego... and Mallory and I got to meet him!! Of course, we blabbed something stupid about how much we loved him and then begged him to take a picture with us... which of course, he was more than happy to do hehe!! (The picture above is me with dark hair on the left, weird!!!) And by the way, this picture is still the background on my computer haha! Obsession, I told ya! :)

Anyways, his first CD was amazing and his music is beautiful, and he is now coming out with a second CD soon as well. He is on tour right now with David Cook (my other boyfriend, omg!) and he got a chance to be interviewed on CNN! So I felt it was my girlfriend-ly duty to share it all with you and make you a huge, fantastically obsessed fan like me. So do me a huge favor and go watch the video here. Then peek at his music, you will LOVE it. :) xo!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

baby birds!

I just want to share with you all how talented my momma is!! She has been busily working on these amazing "Baby Bird Blankets" for her Etsy shop, Baby People! I think they are just the cutest things in the world, and so practical for a new baby. They make the perfect gift and of course, the perfect thing to buy for yourselves and your sweet little one!
Green floral- this would be perfect for a new baby boy! :)

One of my favorites- this chicky blanket is to die for!! :)

And this red floral one with three baby bird appliques... so darn vintage-looking and darling! Go take a peek at Baby People, you will love everything! xo!

Friday, June 12, 2009

busy, busy!

I've got lots of projects lined up for myself on the very near horizon... I am in the mood to pretty up my bedroom, which means pillows are being made! I have busy at work on a large custom order for my shop which is finally done and now I am trying to get the shop ultra-stocked! I've been scouting out vintage papers and bits to do some special new things with in the shop as well, which I am super excited about. I am planning a "Christmas in July" sale to be very spectacular and I can't wait to share it all with you. I am planning a GREAT GIVEAWAY week beginning Monday in celebration of my 300th post! Busy, busy, busy... right?! :) Whew- but I'm loving it. This is what I want to be doing right now. I feel blessed to be able to create things and love having an outlet to do so!
Soooo, here is the adorable new fabric I picked up at our local Yardage Town. They have such funky, different fabrics and I fell in love with both of these. One is a retro "suburban" neighborhood print, complete with barbecue grills and campers! AH, so cute! The other is a European village scene print which I totally adore! Can't wait to create some things out of these... I am still trying to decide what to use them for. Any ideas?! :)

And here are some new little goodies in the shop...
...cute and bright "you rock" tags!! Love these! :)

...and two adorable vintage-inspired scalloped tags!

And don't forget that
EVERYTHING
in the shop is
20% off
until June 14th in honor of the YART sale... do your shopping now while it is ALL on sale! :)

I hope you all are having productive and creative weeks.... what is on your to-do list lately?! xo!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

easy & yummy recipe - "tomato tart"!

Yummmmm...
I could eat this delish Tomato Tart every day of the week, hands down. Originally, my mom found the recipe from Martha Stewart. OK... I love Martha and all, but I despise her long and too detailed recipes. I am the kind of girl who will cook occasionally, and when I do, it better be easy and quick. I am a no fuss cook in the kitchen for sure! And to top things off, I wanted to take Martha's idea and switch it up a bit to make the recipe super Weight Watchers friendly. (Anyone out there counting points like me?? A quarter of this pie is only 7 points. Pretty yum-o and healthy dinner!) So if you want to reference the original recipe, here it is. Now onto my modification. I'll start with the recipe I use and then show you how I go about making it easy...
Holly's Tomato Tart
(Makes One Pie)
Ingredients:
One store-bought frozen pie shell (deep dish or regular is fine)
2/3 cup fontina cheese, grated
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and then prep your ingredients. I always bake two pies at once, so if you are like me, you will need to double the ingredients to do both. This pie is fabulous as leftovers, so I figure, why not?! :) Plus, those pie crusts usually come in a double pack. Cool!
I slice up all of my tomatos so they are ready to use, along with grating my cheese and placing it into 1/3 cup containers.
Place both your pie crusts on a baking sheet so they are easy to pop into the oven. Spread the 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard all over the frozen crusts, up the sides of the pie as well. Sprinkle half your grated cheese over the bottom of the pie shell.
Then arrange your tomato slices all around the pie shell in a pretty way- doesn't have to be perfect but try to make it as even as possible! Then once all the tomatos are layed into the pie shell, sprinkle the rest of the cheese, along with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Finish off with a swirl of olive oil over the top! I like to cover both pies with a piece of foil so the pie crust doesn't get too burnt. And then just pop them in the oven for about 45 or so minutes. You will know they are done when the tomatos are soft and the top of the pie is golden brown and melty!


It should look like this when it's all done.... YUM!!!! I would let the tarts sit out and cool for about 20 minutes so that the pie can set. But then... dive in- it will be amazingly good! xo!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

yart sale!

What does
art
plus
yard sales
make?!
YART sale, of course!
Etsy is hosting it's second annual Yart Sale and in honor of that,
ALL ITEMS
in my shop will be
20% off!!
(June 10th until June 14th only!)
Please pop over to Mommy Holly and place an order... pay like usual and I will refund you 20% back thru PayPal, yay! Happy Yart Sale-ing!! xo!

back in action!

Whew, I so needed a break.
A break from blogging, a break from the crafting, a break from daily routine. And I got it- the ultimate relaxing weekend in Palm Springs was perfect for all of us. It was a chance to completely relax without having to be obligated to do something... to clean, to work, to do schoolwork, to be at appointments or kid's lessons.... it was just what I needed.
The view from our room...

My sister Mallory and I out by the pool! :)

The family... my parents, sister, and of course, Andrew & I! :)

Andrew & me splashing around in the pool... he had the BEST time and started sobbing when we had to leave. I loved our vacation, it was the perfect trip to take with a five-year old! :)

And now I am back and fully ready to get back into the swing of things! Back to getting my Etsy shop back in order and stocked full of cute things, like this new card...
...and of course, back to my sweet little blog and all of you lovely friends here! :) Now I am off to create some more things and work on a custom order before taking Andrew to karate this afternoon! Back into the swing of being home, right? And I can truly say, even though I miss that gorgeous poolside in Palm Springs, I am more than happy to be home!

Friday, June 5, 2009

a giveaway and a vacation!!

Want to win these fun little tidbits from Mommy Holly?!
Simple! ...Go visit my lovely friend Jessica at
to enter!! :)
Thanks so much, Jessica!!!

And since we are off to
Palm Springs
until Monday, the blog will be taking a small break until next week. I hope you all have a fantastic time this weekend and be sure to enjoy the sunshine & outdoors!!!
xoxox

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

my mom is sweet!


My sweet momma was at Target and bought me this little Tracy Feith dress (although the picture is kinda crappy!) - and I LOVE it so much!!! Target always has the cutest things, and this line especially is simply amazing. Go peek at it before it all sells out- you will love it all, yay!!! I guess I know what I will be wearing to the Hungry Girl event tonite! :) Lots of pictures will be taken! Thanks, mom!!! xo!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

super new items & a big sale!

Hoot, hoot!
New items are flying around the shop!
Like those amazingly fantastic owl tags in red or black! They might be my favorite tags yet! :)
Or possibly some yummy cupcake tags for birthdays, favors, or simply for yourself?! They are available in pink or green!

My summer-y and fresh "hello sunshine" card! LOVE the paper used on this card as well...!

AND
I have added lots of listings to my
50 PERCENT OFF
SALE SECTION!!

These little birdies found themselves at a super price!
Please feel free to
shop,
shop,
shop!

And remember, I always love custom orders and welcome you to contact me if you need any special paper products made!! :)

PS.
Did you notice my new premade etsy shop banners as well?? So cute and super reasonably priced in order to make your shop a little more personal! :) xo!
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