have you heard?

There is a fantastic
Handmade & Vintage Market
coming up next week!

Heather at Blessed Little Nest {she rocks, by the way!} is hosting this fun event in order for all of us blog readers to gear up for the holidays!! There will be awesome giveaways and discounts from some of our favorite online shops, so make sure to mark your calendars for this one. :)
I will be giving away a shop credit of $15!
Exciting stuff! :)
I can't wait!

PS.
I love how I can't walk across the room without my dog following me today. He is shaking in his boots- scared of the thunder! Yes, I said thunder. San Diego is having some freaky weather lately. Monday was 105 plus degrees and today we are having yummy thunderstorms. I feel like I am back in New York again! :)

And one more thing...
Follow Me Friday is tomorrow!
Are you playing along? :)
xo!

what i wore wednesday.

Lindsey at the Pleated Poppy had a super idea.

She decided to start documenting what she wore each week

in an effort to stop dressing in sweats all the time

and start paying attention to how she left the house.

I love this.

I've been meaning to participate for the longest time,

but haven't gotten it together to actually take photos!

Well here I am participating this week, yay!

Monday.

Taking Andrew to school and then headed to the {nice, cool, air conditioned} mall with my mom. :)

Dress: Target

Headband: Forever 21

Shoes: {my fave!} Marshalls

PS.

And Andrew is wearing some lovely Hanes underwear.

He had to be in on this before he got dressed.

Not sure he really gets what the whole WIWW deal is. :)

Friday.

Off to the Ryan Star concert downtown with my sister.

Sweater: Forever 21, very recently

Leather Skirt: Forever 21

White Tank: Target

Patterned Tights: Forever 21, very recently

Shoes: Marshalls {They are Aerosoles and amazingly comfy.}

I only took two pictures {fail!} but it's better than none.
I'll try to be better next week! :)

Want to play along?

Go visit Lindsey here!

xo!

i like paper.

Don't wait!
Pop over to the Queen Bee Market
to read my guest post for today! :)
{up on their blog at noon!}

It's all about using paper in unexpected ways.
Like, possibly... setting the table?
Yep. You'll want to go check it out, friends.

Andrew is off school today, so we are having a delightful day together. The school calls it a "professional growth day" for the staff. I call it "i-don't-have-to-get-dressed-super-early-and-drive-andrew-to-school day"... No alarm clocks? Holly's a happy camper. :)
xo!

sponsorship for some good.

Blogging is a powerful thing.
Mollie at Wild Olive asked this question of her sponsors:

What keeps you blogging?

This was my answer:
Blogging is my outlet. :) I can share, exhibit, teach, beautify, and befriend through my blog. I can tell stories, share photos, and keep a running online record of my life. And above all, it is my way to keep in contact with like-minded individuals- the community that bloggers have built is amazingly extensive and so beautiful! :)

This question got me thinking.
There is more that I could be doing through his blog.
No, I don't have a huge powerhouse blog.
No, I don't have thousands of followers and readers.
But I can make a difference.
She gave me the idea.
I loved how selfless it was.
And I want to do my part as well.

If you would like to be featured as a sponsor on my blog during the month of October, all of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude's Research Hospital. As a mother, I can only imagine if anything happened to my own child, and I feel that every single penny helps organizations like this. Each penny makes a difference, and together, bloggers can help alleviate even a small amount of pain for these families.

If you are interested in advertising
your blog or shop with me,
please email me at
hollyndevlin {at} gmail {dot} com
I'd love to hear from you. :)
xo!

PS.
Feel free to Twitter, facebook, blog, etc about this.
Spread the word for me, friends. :)

And...
If you haven't had a chance yet to read about my Homemade Halloween event, read this. I am still open to guest bloggers and giveaway participants! Email me about it for more details. :)

which one does not belong?

You simply can't figure out which square doesn't belong, can you? :)

I love my bins & storage area in the office.
Apparently, Mouse does too. :)
xo!

summer is SO not over.

It's the end of September
and summer is in full swing around here.
100 plus degrees.
No air conditioning.
So gross.

So...
The weekend called for some major cooling off. :)





It must be nice to be six and run around in your undies.
Hope you all had a lovely {and cooler} weekend, as well. :)

PS.
A fantastic Mommy Holly giveaway
is going on over here with the Queen Bee girls! :)
xo!

follow me friday. :)

First order of business this evening:
Blogger was acting up these past few days and my blog wasn't loading. Anyone been have trouble seeing the main part of my blog? Hopefully I am fixing it, but I am in need of the weekend to make it picture perfect again. So bear with me while thinks look a little wonky around here. :)

Secondly, I thought it would be fun to start a fun blogging event each Friday. I love snapping photos wherever I am, and I especially love taking photos of my shoes & feet wherever I am. Something about where I am walking that captures a nice photo and memory. {Plus, I like my shoes. :) } So the idea is to take a few photos of where you have been each week- keep track of the week via photos. Then post them on Fridays so you can document them!

Link up in the comments if you'd like to play along, and you can even plan on it for next week as well. Maybe soon I'll do some sort of linky-deal, but for now we will keep it simple in the comment section.

Now follow me....

Walking to the Pinkalicious play, decked out in a fluffy lace skirt, black tights and sassy black heels. Totally Mondo-style. :)

I have finally decided to jump back into exercising and eating right. On a walk in my neighborhood. Feels good to be doing the right thing again, instead of eating like crap all the time. :)

A quick trip to Ikea rounds out my week. My mom and I picked up a few good items there today. Gotta love a good deal! :)

What did you do this week? :)

And remember to snap some photos of your own this week and visit again next Friday!
I'll be back on Monday with some fun autumn projects and photos. I've got a kid's Halloween party in the works and I am dying to share some of my ideas and finds with you! Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Now it's off to get some dinner and get ready for Ryan Star tonight!!!

Can you tell I'm excited??? :)
xo!

tonight!!!!!!

Tonight I'll be all dolled up downtown, watching this talented man sing.
Love!
If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with Ryan Star.
Just read this post of mine.
I'm so so so excited. :)
xo!

47 days...

...until Harry Potter!!!
This series of books and movies has been a huge part of my life for the past decade {has it been that long?!} and I can't wait to watch the last book unfold on the movie screen. Here is the third and final trailer for the movie that comes out in November!

I literally cannot wait.
I wish Andrew was old enough to come with me to see it. :)
He adores Harry just like I do.
{Need I remind you of his costume last year?}
OK, ok, I'll remind you...

And I just now realized that last year at this time,
I was a totally crappy blogger.
No Halloween photos?
No pictures of Andrew's Halloween party?
I was too busy finishing up my last semester of college.
I'll be posting photos soon of all of that fall goodness very soon.
I feel the need to share. :)

OK, enough procrastination.
I've got about a thousand orders that need to go out today.
I'll just watch the trailer one more time.
{Anyone else as excited as I am??!!}
Happy Thursday, friends!
xo!

clean is happy.

Yesterday was a day to get life back in order.
Cleaning, organizing, sheets washed, you name it.
Andrew was with his dad, so my day was super productive.

So I thought I'd share with you some photos of one of my favorite places in my house.
My bedroom bookcase is stocked with things I love.
Books, photos, decor items, etc...
I like to surround myself with pretty things,
while at the same time keeping things useful for storage and safekeeping.

Aside from my lopsided lampshade, I adore the way it has turned out.
I didn't worry about it being perfect or being super chic, but these are all things I love, that mean something in my life, and that keep me organized as well. The basket on the top shelf contains random little things- extra camera and ipod cords, pens, loose change, little things Andrew gives me, and so on. The jewelry box to the right {from my momma!} houses my most special jewelry and trinkets.


This darling little calendar was a Christmas gift from a friend at a party last year. I love the simplicity of it and am not looking forward to 2011 when I'll have to retire it. :)


I keep my favorite books, magazines and photos on these shelves, along with the random vintage postcard as well. :)


A sign from this lovely lady rounds out another shelf of books {twilight saga alert!} and my sister made me the ceramic bowls I keep some other jewelry tucked away in. I keep things I wear a lot here- my watch, everyday earrings and rings, and I also spy a fab little zippered pouch from this talented girl! :)


A funky vintage vase {which does need a flower or two, I'll admit!} and another of my favorite photos rounds out the shelves. And of course, the Happy Potter books. Love. Love love love. {I am actually just now noticing a small Pokemon sticker on one of my HP books, too. Wonder who is responsible for that??? :) }

Simple.
Happy.
Organized.
And yes, so clean. :)
Happy Monday to you all!!
xo!

mondo love.

Who's watching Project Runway this season?
I have a major fashion-crush on Mondo.

He makes me want to wear black tights with fluffy dresses every day.
{Tights are going to be my new fall staple. :) }


For real, I love him.
I want to keep him in my pocket. :)
And his outfits? Hilarious. Mondo love, people.

And I am oh-so-excited for tonight!
We are headed to the San Diego Junior Theatre's performance of
Pinkalicious!
My talented sister is the costume designer for the show, and she did an amazing job. I'm talking... dancing pink cupcakes, pink crayons, pink princess skirts, pink tuxedo jackets, tap dancing doctors and nurses, and a complete musical version of the adorable story... the works. I can't wait!! The shows sold out completely and they are doing another encore performance as well!!
{I am totally tooting my sister's horn here... toot toot!!! :) }

What are you up to this weekend?
Happy Friday to you all!
xo!

excited to share this with you!

I am super busy filling orders for my shop, but I wanted to take some time out to share something very exciting with you all! :)



I am going to be hosting a super fun week-long event next month!
I adore Halloween.
And I adore handmade.
So I thought I'd put the two together and see what we can come up with!

I will be featuring guest bloggers who will share with you crafts, projects, ideas, recipes, and more! I will also be posting some of my favorite Halloween ideas & tips with you as well. And of course, what event is complete without a fabulous array of giveaways and goodies??!! I will be offering some fab giveaways leading up to this fun week as well!

I am in the process of lining up all of my guest bloggers for the week of October 11th to the 15th, so email me if you are interested in being a part of this fantastic week! :)
Email: hollyndevlin {at} gmail {dot} com

Happy Thursday to you all, xo!
{Now I've got to get myself back to work on orders. It's etsy, etsy, etsy this afternoon. :) }

there's a skeleton in my closet.

Or more specifically,
there is a skeleton in my shopping cart. :)



I got a lot of stares yesterday at WalMart.
But for nine bucks, I figured this little guy
can have a primo ride to the car.

And in case you were wondering,
I sat him in the back of my car and strapped the seatbelt around him.
Yes, I did. :)

Andrew was ecstatic when I picked him up an hour later
with a new friend sitting next to him. :)
I love Halloween.
xo!

today...

Today, I..
..worked in the kindergarten class and thanked my lucky stars that I have a well-behaved child. Sometimes I wonder who is parenting these children?

Today, I..
..was wishing for cooler weather. Eighty-five degrees in "fall" is making me sweat. I need some rainclouds, people.

Today, I..
..gave a supreme amount of thought to the topic of Halloween costumes. If I had a ton of patience, I might make myself this. And Alice in Wonderland is topping my list at the moment, too. Andrew's still up in the air.

Today, I..
..took Andrew on a yogurt date after school. He finished his "strive for 25" last night and I promised him a treat. It was delish. :)

Today, I..
..got relatively nothing done on my to-do list. No orders out. No work done. No cleaning up my crazy messy workspace. Tomorrow's another day, I'm telling myself.


Tonight, I..
..am drinking tea and using an inordinate amount of kleenex. I think I've caught the back-to-school cold that's going around. Boo-hoo.

Tonight, I..
..had a heart-to-heart conversation with Andrew while he was in the shower. Being the mother of a boy who doesn't divulge details about his day readily, I accept these moments whole-heartedly when they arrive. He wanted to chat, and I wanted to listen. :)

Tonight, I..
..am getting in my cozy sweats, turning on some yummy new television that I have taped. Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and Life Unexpected. The perfect night to be under the weather. :)

Tonight, I..
..am wondering what the blog-world was up to today. I wasn't at my computer today and feel like I missed a day chatting with friends. What did today bring for you? :)

And one more thing...

Please? :)
xo!

{images via here}

antiquing in Orange.

For years, my mom, sister, & I have loved driving up to Orange County to visit the quaint city of Orange to go antiquing. We adore it. The cute little town circle, the darling shops, the routine of it. And yes, we have a routine. :) And yesterday was no exception!

We park behind our favorite shop, Country Roads. Then we walk over to grab a coffee and pastry at Starbucks {it used to be Diedrich's coffee, with a lot more ambiance, boo!} Then we head out, coffees in hand, to find neat treasures to take home with us.

{my sister & me!}


{Momma & sis!}


{Me & my mom!}

Halfway through the day, we then walk over to lunch at Watson's Drugstore, famous for their delish diner food and the fact that "That Thing You Do" was filmed there! :) Then we hit up a couple more of our top stores to see what else we can find before heading back down to San Diego.

Routine is important on our days to Orange.
You can't mess with it.
It's worked for us for years.

But I have to say, yesterday was sort of a miss. Yes, we kept to the routine. But not one of us found anything to buy. We had cash at the ready, had expected to do some shopping, and nothing. We turned up empty handed. Oh well. There's always next time.

And for now,
I'll stick to the local thrift stores.
Much cheaper anyways. :)

What did you do this weekend?
Happy Monday!
xo!

never forget.

September 11th, 2001
Nine years ago, a horrific tragedy occurred in our nation.
Let this day be one of remembrance.
We should never forget.

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew."
- President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

the latest craze.

Silly bands.
The biggest rage for the six-year-old set.
{Not quite sure why. :) }
But apparently they are the coolest.
Andrew will be very happy to see the new bag of them waiting for him after school! :)
Anyone else have kids obsessed with these?!
Happy Friday!
xo!

an incentive for learning.

I have a child who is definitely smart and bright in the learning department. He reads very well and understands things like crazy. I love him for that, and I am always so proud of him. But... it is a struggle to get him to school sometimes, which makes me so frustrated.
Why can't he love school?
Why can't he wake up in the morning
and be extra-excited to learn in his classroom?
However, the reality is that it is a huge problem sometimes.

His excuse?
"School is so so SO boring, Mommy!"

And he is right.
Public schools seem to cater so much to the kids who need more and more help {which I can't say is necessarily a bad thing!} that the kids who are independent and able to work on their own get tossed aside and lost in the shuffle. They are given homework that is so easy that Andrew can barely face it. I can't blame him. Being bored is so not a good feeling when you are six.

So I came up with an idea.
If the schools aren't going to push him,
the responsibility falls upon my shoulders.
I know my child and I know what he is capable of.
And I found an amazing website to help me. :)

You can print out countless {free!} worksheets at your child's level. This is helpful if you are looking to push your child further, or even if they need work in certain areas as well. {ie. Andrew's handwriting possibly??? :) } Spelling, alphabet, addition, science, reading comprehension, book reports, you name it. It's all on there. Every level, for every child. And you know what? Andrew adores it. It doesn't seem like work to him, it seems challenging and fun. That is what I want him to feel about learning... FUN.

And I want to give him an incentive.
We found this chart,
but it just wasn't cute enough for my liking.
So I made a new one to use:



For every worksheet he completes, he gets a sticker on the chart. I don't make him do them at all, he just has a whole stack of them printed out and ready for when he feels like doing one. At the end of 25 worksheets, we get to go on a Mommy-Andrew ice cream date. He loves this. He loves to be challenged and work towards something. And I am happy he is pushing himself to learn more. :)
Go ahead and snag the reward chart for yourself and use it in any number of ways for your kids. Name an incentive for them and they can work towards it.
Works like a charm. :)

A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.
And with every day, I am keeping my fingers crossed that school becomes less of a chore and more of a reward for him as well. :)
xo!

an elephant stepped on andrew!

For real!!


Ok, ok, I'm only teasing.
The up side of going to the zoo in the evening is that there are way less people.
And way more time for taking goofy staged photos at the Elephant Odyssey. :)


There is nothing dramatic about my child at all, right? :)

We have season passes to the zoo,
so we can go for a few hours,
pack our dinner,
and not feel like we have to stay
all day long
like the San Diego tourists.

And because it's been so warm lately,
a nighttime trip to the zoo was
exactly what was in order for Andrew and I. :)


Happy summer-ish evenings in a sky-ride gondola
make me happy with this little face at my side. :)


Enjoy these last few days of summer. :)
Fall is rapidly approaching, &
the holidays are going to be here before we know it.

Squeeze out every drop of sunshine and warmth that you can.
Run through the sprinklers one last time.
Pour an icy glass of lemonade.
Finish up any lingering summer "to-do's."
I know we will be in the next few weeks.
xo! :)

these are changing my life.

In an effort to save money
and be frugal with the things I buy,
I do not get my nails done.
I adore having perfectly pretty nails though,
and usually am oh-so-tempted when I walk by the nail salon
on my way to JoAnn's & Michael's.
{Sneaky product placement, nail ladies, so darn sneaky.}

I also do not have the patience I'd like to,
so painting my own nails is somewhat of a struggle for me.
Waiting for them to dry is total agony
and I always seems to smudge a finger or two.
I also hate that the "at-home" manicure has chipped and cracked within a day or two.
All that hard work for nothing??!

Enter in the best nail polish solution
I've come across so far.



This line of nail color is amaze-balls. Seriously.
Here's why:
1. It's cheap! {think two or so bucks at WalMart}
2. It comes in a dizzying array of gorgeous colors! {I am partial to Cherry Red!}
3. It goes on so smoothly and perfectly in two quick coats.
4. It lasts and lasts and lasts!!!

Then wait about two minutes and slap on a quick coat of this:

It dries fairly quickly and makes your nails look
shiny & freshly manicured by a professional!
The combination of these two products is unmatched in my opinion,
and I didn't have to spend oodles of money to get my nails done.

My nails are going on a week now.
They still look slammin'!
Hardly a chip.
I'm in love.
And I love being cheap. :)
xo!

winner, winner, veggie dinner!

OK, first for the winner.
Then the vegetarian dinner. :)
{Do you love the rhymes? I thought so!}

According to random.org,
the winner of the $10 shop credit to Mommy Holly is...
you!
Congrats!!!
{Order like usual and you can apply the $10 credit to your order in the "message to seller" area. Must be used in one order & can include shipping. If you go over the $10, I'll invoice you asap!}

Now for my favorite vegetarian dinner that I will be making for Labor Day this evening... technically, it is a vegan recipe that I adapted to make my life easier. I need some real cheese in my life, people. :)

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:
12 oz. vegetarian burger crumbles (such as Yves or Smart Ground brands)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 15.5-oz. cans enchilada sauce
{I use the Trader Joe's sauce- it is to die for good}
18 corn tortillas
2 15.5-oz. cans pinto beans, drained
2 cups shredded cheese
{The mexican blend is yummy!}
1 4.5-oz. can diced green chilies
{You can opt out of these if you want to- I usually do have with them, half without for Andrew who is especially anti-spicy-foods. It is plenty spicy without these!}
2 cups Fritos corn chips, finely crushed
{Use any kind of yummy chip for the topping- Fritos, Doritos, etc. I use the Trader Joe's Nacho Cheese Chips and is is oh-so-good.}

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a small bowl, combine the burger crumbles and taco seasoning and set aside.
• Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with oil.
• In layers, spread a generous amount of enchilada sauce, 6 corn tortillas, 2 cans of pinto beans, a third of the shredded cheese, half the can of green chilies, lots more enchilada sauce, 6 more tortillas, all the seasoned burger crumbles, another third of the cheese, the remaining green chilies, more enchilada sauce, then the final 6 tortillas, more enchilada sauce, and the rest of the cheese. Cover in foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil, top the entire casserole with the crushed chips, and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Serve it with some fresh berries to offset the spicy taste
and you've got a super yummy dinner.
And it was extra-easy.
PS.
If picky-eater Andrew will eat it, so will your kids. :)

Wishing a safe,
fun,
sunny
& Happy Labor Day
to you all!
xo!

getting to know you.

It's an "under the sea" themed Sunday
with MannLand5's "Getting to Know You" feature!
Here are some of my current Etsy faves with this beach-y theme..

1. Seahorse Place Cards
2. Red Striped Decorative Bolster Pillow
3. Red Seashell Earrings
4. Green Beach Tote with Sand Dollar Accent

1. Do you like seafood?
Not especially. I will eat the occasional salmon, but that's where I draw the line.

2. Are mermaids hot?
Totally! I always pretended I was Ariel when I was little & swimming in the pool. Actually, come to think of it, I might still do that. :)

3. Have you swam in the ocean?
But of course! Hello... I live in San Diego! {Although, getting in past my thighs nowadays is so very unrealistic. I hate the fact that there are things swimming beneath me in the water. Freaks. Me. Out.}

4. If you got stung by a jellyfish, would you let a stranger pee on you?
Uh, who is this stranger? Because if it's Chandler Bing, I might entertain the idea if it hurt bad enough. :) {Friends trivia, anyone?}

5. Have you ever pee'd in the ocean?
Nooooooooooo. {I mean, yes. :) }

6. Can you make a cute fish face? (Show a pic..if you want)
I'm making a fish face right now. I think it looks kinda ridiculous. But it's effectively fishy, so yes! :)

7. When you see the lobster tank at the grocery store do you just have this overwhelming urge to set them free or cook them up?
Set them free, set them free!!

8. Are you afraid of sharks?
For real, who isn't?

Go over here to play along.
Let me know if you do, I'd love to visit you! :)
Happy Sunday, xo!

PS.
Today is the last day to enter the giveaway!
I'll pick a winner tomorrow!
Stay tuned. :)

busy bee! {& a giveaway!}

This week has been serious craziness.
I came off of the weekend expecting to relax and unwind after the room re-do, but the little shop has been crazy, nutso busy. I am so very thankful, but also have been working nonstop! Add in a new volunteer day with Andrew's kindergarten teacher from last year {she has zero parent help!}, spending lots of time with Andrew and of course, sleeping, and there has been little time for anything else. :)

Here are some yummy little things I've been working on...

A custom order from a fab customer has turned out so amazing!
She is throwing a surprise birthday party and needed some paper goods to add in a little personal touch to the decor of the party. I adore these "sandwich picks" and want to throw a party and make some for myself. :)

And because I am feeling lucky to be busy and working hard for all of my fantastic customers, I want to say thank you and offer up a $10 shop credit for one lucky winner! :)
{must be redeemed all at once, and cannot be used on custom orders.}

Simply leave a comment and say hello and you'll be entered to win.
I'll give you an extra entry if you tweet, facebook, blog, etc, etc about it.
I'll pick a winner via random.org on Monday!
Thanks, friends. :)
Now it's back to work for me....
xo!