mommy holly

CYBER MONDAY! :)

2011-11-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving,
and you know what that means.
It's Cyber Monday!
Online shopping's super deal day!
Of course my shop will be participating as well :)

Use the coupon code "FALALA" at checkout
to receive 30% off your ENTIRE purchase
from my shop!!

The coupon will be valid all day
today and tomorrow! {monday & tuesday!}

HAPPY cyber monday SHOPPING!
xo!

planning a barn wedding! :)

2011-11-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

In 124 days, this super adorable barn will be the site where I will be marrying the love of my life!!

So sorry to be so absent from this blog. Wedding planning, shop orders, and life itself has gotten in the way. But I am back and desperately wanting to share some of the gorgeous details that are in the works for our wedding!

First of all, the barn has been booked and I couldn't be more thrilled. We are working on a "rustic-barn-chic" wedding theme. No cowboy boots and bales of hay for this bride, but more-so along the lines of fancy fluffy dresses and tuxes, black and white color scheme with lots of apple green thrown in as well, and major pretty-ness.

I am loving the venue- it is the perfect mix of classic and rustic, and the apple green will go so well with the red barn.

I have been scouring Pinterest, searching for wedding ideas. Of course, knowing how awesome Pinterest is, I haven't been disappointed. Here are some of the photos that are driving my wedding style inspirations so far...

To see all of my wedding photo inspirations, visit my Pinterest boards here. :)
Stay tuned for a lot of wedding details to come!
This blog needs a pick-me-up, and I am excited to be back again!
Happy Monday!
xo!

ENGAGED!!! :)

2011-09-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been MIA from my blog again. So sorry!
But I have a good reason.

I am a bride-to-be!!!!!
My amazing boyfriend popped the question two weeks ago on the beach!
We are engaged
and I couldn't be happier!!

I think it is high time to share the news in the blog-world, right?
What was I thinking?! ;)
Stay tuned for wedding details galore.

Oh yes, and a special coupon in the shop this weekend for you all, too.
In celebration of my engagement,
use the coupon code BRIDE for 15% off any orders in the next few days.
Happy shopping to you from this super happy girl!!!
xo!

going batty.

2011-09-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Going batty from being busy lately?
Check!
Loving the little batty cutouts in the shop?
Double check!

Halloween is coming up quickly,
so make sure to place your orders for goodies soon!
These are all perfect for kids crafts, invitations, confetti,
etc, etc, etc.

Find spooky treats in the shop here:
1. Spooky Mix - Black Cardstock & Vintage Dictionary Bat Cutouts
2. Spooky Tree Cutouts
3. Vintage Dictionary Moon and Stars
4. Flying Black Bird Cutouts

As always, convo me if you need more than one pack of anything in the shop and I would be happy to post a custom listing for you. I adore custom orders! :)

Did you know that Halloween is just 46 days away?!
Costume ideas need to be though of asap.
Stay tuned. :)
xo!

bows, seahorses, and crabs.. oh my!

2011-08-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

LOTS of fun new items
just hit the shop this morning!!
Like these fantastic vintage dictionary bow cutouts...
my new favorite, for sure!
Bows are so girlie and cute!

Here are some other new vintage dictionary cutouts as well...

{vintage dictionary seahorse cutouts}

{vintage dictionary crab cutouts}

And some new gift & favor tags...

1. Brown Paper Bumble Bee Thank You Tags
2. Brown Paper Tags with a Matryoshka Doll Motif
3. The Perfect Birthday & Balloon Tags
4. Yummy Pink Ice Cream Cone Tags

And some more cutouts & supplies for any of your projects...

{white cardstock heart cutouts}

{white scalloped square cutouts}

My new favorite shape!! {swirly square cutouts}

{brown paper scalloped square tags}

{and remember, any of my designs can be made in other colors and cardstock papers as well. Just convo me for custom orders, and I would be more than happy to create something custom for you!}

Whew!
Lots of new things to pop in and check out!
And because I am feeling happy & generous this morning,
take 10% off any orders this week!
Use coupon code THANKS10 upon checkout.
Now go on and shop! :)
xo!

learn, listen, laugh.

2011-08-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

We have been back to school for just about three weeks.
I simply can't believe time flies by so quickly!
But at the same time, it was nice to get the back-to-school rush out of the way before the crowds hit the stores. Back to school is always such a fun time though, busy or not, and I always loved it when I was little, too. There is something about sharpened pencils, lined paper and picking out a new backpack that is totally magical. {Or is that just me?!}

Having a small child makes back to school even more magical, too. I think it is so extra special to make this time of year special, even if your kids aren't all too jazzed to start up the school routine again. {cough, cough, Andrew, cough, cough!} But throwing in some extra effort helps.. baking a batch of their favorite cookies, adding a cute note in the lunchboxes, sending favors to school, all these make this transition time back into school much nicer. Don't you think?
Here are some of my favorite ideas...

And of course, I leave you with a fun printable that you can cut out & tuck in your child's lunchbox any day. Learn, listen, and LAUGH. School has to be fun, too..right?! :)

Just right click the photo, save it to your computer, print it out on cardstock, and cut out. Easy peasy and fun to add in to make the day more special.

Happy back to school!
xo!

{all other photos via}

inspiration: paper lanterns.

2011-08-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you.

Want to play along?
Ever Thursday, I share my inspirations.
Share what inspires you.
I would love to see! :)

In the past few weeks and months, I have been inspired by:

wedding dresses!

bows!
tents!
the color yellow!
vintage carnivals!
balloons & ruffles!

This week, I am inspired by
paper lanterns!

{they always add a special something!}
I don't think there is a party or event that can't be jazzed up with a few inexpensive, yet effective paper lanterns. They are romantic, whimsical, bold, and eye-catching all at the same time.
Perfection, I tell you. :)

{swoon!}

Happy Thursday!
xo!

a fun market coming up soon?!

2011-08-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

FUN EVENT NEWS!
I will be joining other crafty Southern Californians on November 5th
for the

Bohemian Market's
Language Academy
Pre-Holiday Art & Craft Bazaar!

There will be lots more info to come, but I will be there selling lots of holiday goodies from noon to 4pm. I hope some of you can join me as vendors, and I hope many more of you will come by, shop a little, and say hello! :) Mark your calendars now! Pop over here for more info about the bazaar and how to become a vendor as well.

The San Diego Crafters for the Arts are dedicated to keeping art alive in our local schools, so this bazaar benefits the Language Academy directly. I adore this- I think art is an integral part of how we learn, how we live, and how we create- we simply cannot let that go to waste in our children's educations.

PS.
I know of one other crafty lady who will be joining me- my sister with her fantastic crowns, wands, and whimsical treats from her shop, Wendy Miracle.
xo!

we have a winner!

2011-08-16T17:37:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Donna! Email me and I will give you instructions on how to redeem your shop credit :) Thanks for entering the giveaway, everyone!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a fun announcement!
Mommy Holly is going to a market again very soon!
Details tomorrow. :)
xo!

happy weekend!

2011-08-13T12:36:00.001-07:00

on to second grade.

2011-08-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

My sweet little Andrew is already two weeks in to second grade.
Where does the time go?!
He was so excited in his new yellow tshirt with his new yellow shoes!
He has a fantastic teacher & his best friend is in his class.
We are happy to have a wonderful beginning to the school year!

Andrew & his proud mommy!! ;)

These little goofballs were so jazzed to be in the same class this year.
Best friends & happy guys, for sure! :)
Here's to a fantastic year in second grade!
xo!

PS.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway from yesterday! :)

what do you think?!

2011-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

The blog re-do is complete!
What do you think?
I am flipping out happy.
Being back to blogging feels so super.
I love to connect with people through this blog and am so happy that everything looks nice & fresh around here. :)

To celebrate, I am giving away a fun
shop credit
to a lucky someone!

Rules to enter?
Leave a comment & become a follower of this blog for one entry!
Separate entries if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter as well :)
Just leave me a comment and let me know.
I'll choose a winner on Monday!

Stay tuned tomorrow...
Andrew's first day of school photos!
And yes, he is already back in school. EEK!
xo!

i'm returning! :)

2011-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Summer was busy for us.
Seriously busy!
So my blog was totally forgotten about,
and I hope many of you will return soon
when my posting is back to it's regular glory!

AND
Mommy Holly is getting a major makeover!!!
The logos, the buttons, the colors, the shop!
Everything is getting a super-cute facelift!

SO...
stay tuned.
Please. :)
I promise it will be worth the wait.
xo!

PS.
And Happy August, yay!

inspiration: tents.

2011-06-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

wedding dresses!

bows!
the color yellow!
vintage carnivals!
balloons & ruffles!
I am working on items that I have made after being inspired by these things! Stay tuned for more of my creations.. I am so excited to share them with you. ;)

This week, I am inspired by
tents!

{they evoke such a summer happiness for me!}

Happy Thursday!
xo!

i'm baaaaack!

2011-06-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Where the heck have I been, you ask?!
Road tripping up through the Pacific Northwest!
My family is from Washington, so we took a little over a week to drive up there to visit family. It was quite an experience! Having never driven that far on my own before, I can successfully say that I drove my mom, Andrew and I over 3500 miles, eek! Long drive, but we went through some gorgeous areas.
Case in point:

Snow capped mountains in June?!
Nuts, says this Southern California girl. :)

Anyways, I am home now, busily working on orders until our next road trip up to Chico next week! This time it will be Andrew, myself and my sweet boyfriend, John. We will be driving up to visit his family over the Fourth of July weekend! SO exciting! :)

But for the next few days, orders are on the agenda...

Such as these darling 4-inch anchors I made for a super sweet customer. I love how they turned out! Convo me through if you need some of these- they should be up in the shop soon. :)

And of course, a couple of new things can be found in the shop as well....

Vintage Italian Dictionary Pages! SO amazing, and I was flipping out when I found these! :) Find them here.

And something I've been meaning to put in the shop forever... 3-inch bird cutouts made from vintage children's books! SO fun :) If you need another of my cutout shapes in the children's books, feel free to convo me as well. You know I love custom orders!

For now, I am off to get some more work done and then take Andrew over to his best bud's house to swim and I get to chit-chat with my darling friend, Lynn. A fun summer day, for sure!
Happy Wednesday to all of you, xo!

love, boats, caterpillars, and a picnic. :)

2011-06-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day was such a relaxing day for us! We usually don't do the whole beach thing like so many people in Southern California, but we did decide to head out to a gorgeous park. My boyfriend John, Andrew, and I packed a delicious picnic and drove out to Irvine Regional Park to spend the day. :)

Andrew was a wonderful photographer, snapping photos of John and I! :)

Our little picnic site was on a shady little knoll right by the water's edge. A gorgeous place to sit & enjoy the day, and the perfect spot for the boys to hop over to the boats for a little cruise around the lake! :)

We were invaded by caterpillars, which Andrew thought was fantastic. {Ok... I did, too! Those little guys are too cute!}

Another fine photo from my short little photographer man. ;) Love!

A beautiful day, spent with my favorite people. :)
Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Memorial Day as well!
xo!

red white & blue.

2011-05-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

The days are flying by lately.
We have been busy, busy, busy.
My calendar is filling up!
Andrew has seven more school days {eeeek!} before summer and I can't believe it is already that time of year again. With that being said, the shop needs to stay on track for the upcoming holidays!

Here we go, summer....

Before you know it,
Fourth of July will be here!
Stock up on goodies to decorate, craft with, scatter across your party tables, or add to hostess gifts or favors. SO many cute uses for these red, white & blue anchors!!! :)

And don't forget about these darling patriotic star cutouts!!

Need more than one pack of anything??
Convo me to set up a custom listing
in any amount or different colors of my cutouts. :)
I love to do custom work!!

And a big reminder:
I will be out of town soon, so ALL orders placed between June 6th and June 20th will not be shipped out until after I return home. ALL orders placed before this weekend WILL be in the mail before I leave though, so shop this week!

Need a coupon as an incentive to get shopping?
Use the code FREESHIP1 upon checkout
to receive free shipping this week. :)
Shop now!
Enjoy!

Happy Tuesday! :)
xo!

my baby is 7???!!!

2011-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today my baby boy turns 7 years old.
Where did the last 7 years go, anyways?!
Time really does fly.

I am lucky to be the momma to such an amazing little man.
I am so proud of the person he is growing to be,
and he amazes me each and every day
with the funny things he says and does.

I love you, Andrew!
Happy birthday
to my very favorite child!
You make me smile every day. :)
Love, Mommy
xo!

PS.
Birthday party photos to come.
The party was a hit, let me tell you.
As you can see, Andrew totally enjoyed dressing up!
Stay tuned. :)

inspiration: balloons.

2011-05-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

wedding dresses!

bows!
the color yellow!
vintage carnivals!
& ruffles!
I am working on items that I have made after being inspired by these things! Stay tuned for more of my creations.. I am so excited to share them with you. ;)

This week, I am inspired by
balloons!
{in honor of Andrew's birthday party this saturday!}

Happy Thursday!
xo!

{all images via}

office essential.

2011-05-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here is another peek into my work space...

Being a stay-and-work-at-home mom,
having a calendar that is super organized helps me like crazy.
I adore my whiteboard calendar that hangs right next to my workspace in my office. It is large enough that I have plenty of space to write all over it. This is a photo of it when I re-do the calendar for the month, before I have scribbles all over the place and craziness planned for the month...

{Please ignore my huge pile of papers from Andrew's class... any other mommas have a ton of trouble throwing things away from the kid's school like me?? :) }

Having a calendar hanging on the wall like this not only helps me stay organized, but it helps Andrew when he can come in and see what the week is going to look like. He usually pencils in a few things for the month himself. :)

I found my calendar for six dollars at Walmart about six months ago... what a steal!! :) However, you can find a whole host of whiteboard calendars on Amazon here. Grab a pack of bright colored whiteboard pens to color code items on your calendar, and you are good to go! I feel like this area of my life is always organized. Thank goodness for that! :)

Off to run some birthday party errands...
come back tomorrow for my Inspiration post! :)
xo!

a few bucks of happy.

2011-05-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was living in a disorganized mess.
Inch by inch, things are looking up around my office!
I spent just a few dollars at Michael's and found some bright & happy things to spruce up my work area. A ladybug stapler was my favorite find for sure, a cute "hello kitty" notepad since I am always making lists, an adorable little personalized "h" note box full of itsy bitsy sized paper, and some snazzy farm animal pencils {that have yet to be sharpened!} round out my cute finds. Seriously, the pig pencils are amazingly adorable. :)

I am housing my pencils in my fantastic vintage beer mug from 1982 {my birth year, woot woot!} that I found while thrifting one day for about a quarter. I adore this shape of mug and one day want to drink all of my beverages, beer or non beer, from vintage beer mugs. Totally cute. :)

I am sneaking in time to organize and have been very happy with the result!
Organized and color coded paper, anyone?? :)

And if you would like a few dollars worth of happy as well,
check out some of my new items that hit the shop this morning!!

Eeeek, my new favorites cut out of vintage atlas pages... butterflies!

I can't tell you how long I have been meaning to get these plain kraft paper tags into the shop. Finally, here they are. :)

And the larger sized birds have flown in as well! Need these in another color? No problem, just send me a convo through Etsy and I'll make these in any color cardstock for you! :)

A few dollars can bring serious happiness to my day.
What is making you happy today?!
Now I am off to craft, craft, craft for Andrew's birthday party this Saturday!!
So much to do, let me tell you. :)
Happy Tuesday, xo!

happy friday! {& a printable!}

2011-05-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

So sorry I have been so absent from my blog lately!
Busy, busy, busy, I tell ya! :)

I made you a cute printable to say "hello" and "sorry, blogger friends!"...
{print in various sizes here!}
I came across this quote and adored it.
It is so very true.
Life is short.
Make yours a happy one.
Hope you all enjoy a beautiful {and super happy!} weekend!

And PS.
A very happy Mother's Day to all of you mommas out there!

xo!

up for grabs! :)

2011-05-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Pssst...
There is a fantastic giveaway over here today! :)

xo!

in search of ideas.

2011-04-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I shared with you some of my favorite photographs having to do with vintage carnivals. There was a method to the madness, and I'll tell you why.

In 26 days,

my baby boy turns 7!!!

{and yes, we are counting!}

That sounds SO much older than six, let me tell you.

But after many discussions with Andrew, the theme of his birthday party has been decided...

Andrew's Carnival!!

So now I am reaching out to all of you creative people who are surely full of fantastic ideas for me to incorporate into this backyard carnival of fun! We want to make it old fashioned and fun, with vintage games and silly prizes, popcorn and hot dogs, the boys wearing funky top hats and tossing ping pong balls into bowls of goldfish. {Yes, for real, there will be goldfish.}

So, I need your help!!

Ideas? Fun games to create? Decor items?

Let me have it, friends. Comment away!

I am in planning mode and need all the help I can get!

And PS.

Is this THE cutest cake in the world?!

Too bad we aren't having the theme be "superheroes"!

Or maybe it's a good thing....?

It will save me a bundle not having this cake made for my son. :)

Now I am off to throw a snazzy Easter party in Andrew's classroom...

I hope you all enjoy a fantastic Friday

& wonderful start to your holiday weekend!

xo!

inspiration: vintage carnivals & the circus.

2011-04-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share
what I created from these inspirations.

Want to play along?
Link up at the bottom of this post and share what inspires you.
I would love to see! :)
It can reflect my topic for the week, or use your own inspirations.
Use your inspiration photographs that week in a creative way,
and we will all share what we made the following week.
Fun, creative, and a bit of a challenge each week.

In the past few weeks, I have been inspired by:
wedding dresses!
bows!
the color yellow! & ruffles!
I am working on items that I have made after being inspired by these things! Stay tuned for more of my creations.. I am so excited to share them with you. ;)

This week, I am inspired by
vintage carnivals & the circus!

{i adore this quote... so beautiful!!}

And the idea of vintage carnivals remind me of the new movie coming out with Reese Witherspoon & Rob Pattinson....

Cannot wait to see Water For Elephants!! I haven't been this excited for a movie in quite some time! :)

Happy Thursday, xo!

Now link up and share your inspirations...

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

a spring giveaway & coupon! :)

2011-04-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

There is a fantastic giveaway going on

at Creation Corner today!

You could win a fun little pack of paper goodies from my shop that includes:

"bicycle make for two" gift tags

happy birdie gift tags

vintage music sheet bird cutouts

mellow yellow butterfly cutouts

And because I am feeling extra happy today,

I am offering a 15% discount code for the shop!

Use the code SPRING15 upon checkout. :)

Check out the Spring Fever series going on over here and enter to win!

And remember...

Tomorrow is Inspiration Day!

Are you playing along with me?! Share what inspires YOU. :)

Happy Wednesday, xo!

egg-tastic ideas.

2011-04-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Easter is just around the corner!

What are your plans and traditions for the holiday?

I want to share some fantastic photos that are making me want to dye Easter eggs, fill baskets with grass, craft up a storm and decorate for Sunday! {And all the while snacking on Reese's eggs and Cadbury cream eggs. Yum!} :)

{I adore these spray painted jelly jars with bunny motifs!}

{This would make an amazing centerpiece to your Easter brunch table!}

{I spy the perfect kids card craft to make this week. Andrew would love it!}

{Make each place setting a bit more special with a darling bunny-shaped sugar cookie!}

{Wonderful little floral arrangements using field flowers and eggs!}

{These bright little bunnies are oh-so-happy!}

{LOVE this grass leaf motif on the dyed Easter eggs! And this is the perfect way to use those cute little terra cotta pots that are only pennies at any garden or craft store!}

{This cake is the perfect amount of decoration... simple, yet festive! And wouldn't this be fun to let the kids do?}

{Glitter!!! Need I say more?!}

I hope all of these gorgeous photos

gave you a little Easter inspiration as well! :)

Happy Tuesday,

and stay tuned tomorrow

for a fantastic giveaway!!

xo!

{all photos via weheartit}

busy = unorganized.

2011-04-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

When I get busy,
things tend to get
very
disorganized in my life.

Case in point:
My office & studio...

Clutter, clutter, clutter.
Paper is shoved into my shelves,
my drawers won't stay closed,
and the orders are piling up.

This room needs a major re-haul very soon.
Spring cleaning is high on my list.
{My pending orders are on the to-do list first, of course.}
I need to play catch up and brighten my workspace though. I am thinking of making some cute wall art that will inspire me each day when I walk into my office, and I will share those ideas with you very soon. Cute things are in the works, for sure.

And speaking of cute things, could these butterflies get any cuter???

The "mellow yellow" color is available in the shop here!

And the "girlie pastels" have been listed for sale as well!

SO happy and spring-y, wouldn't you agree? :)
As always, convo me if you need more than one pack or different color schemes and I'd be happy to make some custom items for you.

Happy Friday, friends!
xo!

inspiration: ruffles.

2011-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share
what I created from these inspirations.

Want to play along?
Link up at the bottom of this post and share what inspires you.
I would love to see! :)
It can reflect my topic for the week, or use your own inspirations.
Use your inspiration photographs that week in a creative way,
and we will all share what we made the following week.
Fun, creative, and a bit of a challenge each week.

In the past few weeks, I have been inspired by:
wedding dresses
bows!
& the color yellow!
I am stockpiling my creations because I have been a busy girl.
Bear with me, you'll see what I have created sooner or later. ;)

This week, I am inspired by
ruffles!

Happy Thursday!
xo!

{images via weheartit}

Now link up your inspirations as well...

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

happy weekend.

2011-04-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

Spring break is in full force around here.

We are so enjoying Andrew's time off from school

and he has finally reached his "relaxed" state...

getting toys out and playing happily in his room, nice & calm.

I love this mood of his. :)

Little trips up to my boyfriend's house have rounded out a very nice week so far for us.

{And it's not even over yet! Another week of break is upon us!}

It makes me really look forward to summer as well!

Happy weekend, friends!

xo!

{photo via weheartit}

inspiration: yellow.

2011-04-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share

what I created from these inspirations.

Want to play along?
I'll be linking up your creations through inspiration very soon.
It's simple.
Use my inspiration photographs that week in a creative way,
and we will all share what we made.
Fun, creative, and a bit of a challenge each week.
Let me know in the comments if you are thinking of playing along!

In the past few weeks, I have been inspired by:
wedding dresses
& bows!
I am stockpiling my creations because I have been a busy girl.
Bear with me, you'll see what I have created sooner or later. ;)

This week, I am inspired by
the color yellow!

{this is quite possibly one of my favorite photos ever.}

Happy Thursday!
xo!

{photos via weheartit}

making music!

2011-04-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have been collecting vintage music sheets and music books for quite some time. I keep meaning to start in on them to cut out a whole line of my cutouts that are "music themed"! :) Finally, finally do I get around to it!

The music birds are the first to hit the store here!
If you would like any of my cutouts done in music sheet paper, convo me to let me know and I would be happy to make them for you. :) I think the large and small heart cutouts would be amazing in music sheets- perfect for a wedding with a couple who loves music!!

Mommy Holly has been quite busy lately as well...
lots of new things are in the works for the shop.

I have had a ton of custom orders for bright yellow flower cutouts- and how long has it taken me to actually list these little guys on their own?! :) Find them here!

I also have been swamped with custom orders lately, which I adore. I simply LOVE the way these jumbo heart tags turned out for an upcoming wedding. Remember to contact me if you need anything specific made and I would be more than happy to create something custom for you. :)

Happy Wednesday, xo!

maps & ModCloth!

2011-04-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Something very exciting happened around here a few days ago...
I was featured here on ModCloth!
I adore all of the items that I was featured with
and it is such an honor to be on that fabulous blog! :)
Yay for my vintage atlas birds!!!

I was inspired to go further with the vintage atlas cutouts and created these darling airplanes from old maps.. they are now in the shop here! :)

And because I am feeling extra happy & generous today,
I am giving away a pack of these fun little airplanes to one lucky reader!
Leave me a comment and you can get one chance to win for each of the following:

following this blog
following me on twitter
following Mommy Holly on facebook
letting me know your favorite vacation destination spot :)

Good luck and I'll announce the winner on Friday!
xo!

inspiration: wedding dresses.

2011-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share

what I created from these inspirations.

Want to play along?
I'll be linking up your creations through inspiration very soon.
It's simple.
Use my inspiration photographs that week in a creative way,
and we will all share what we made.
Fun, creative, and a bit of a challenge each week.
Let me know in the comments if you are thinking of playing along!

A few weeks ago, I blogged about bicycles as my inspiration.
Here is what I have created...

I adore these new "bicycles made for two" jumbo brown paper tags
that are now here in the shop!! Don't you?! :)

--------------------------------------

This week I am inspired by
wedding dresses!
We are headed out for the wedding of Andrew's "Auntie April" this weekend,
so I thought it was an appropriate topic for this week.
Andrew is the ring bearer,
so pictures will follow next week of course!

Note:
I'll combine my posts for bows and wedding dresses
next week to show you what I have made. :)

Onto the photographs....

Happy Thursday!
xo!

{images via weheartit}

sweet shoppe adventures.

2011-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sundays are always happy for me.
While my son has a day with his dad,
I venture up to Orange County where my boyfriend lives.
We always enjoy ourselves no matter what we are up to,
{being together with the man I love makes me a happy girl}
but this weekend we popped in and discovered a fun little place!

Powell's Sweet Shoppe is quite possibly the cutest candy store I have ever been in. Not only is it darling and bright and happy, but it is packed {I mean packed!!} with candy of all kinds. Lots of things you would never normally find make this place such a gem. I am always on the lookout for unusual candies, especially at this time of year when the Easter Bunny needs to make an appearance. :) I like to find things that my child hasn't seen a thousand times in the aisles at Target, and I am so excited to make a return visit next month to put together Andrew's Easter basket!

Places like this make me happy.
Vintage lunchboxes, posters, Willy Wonka songs playing...
the perfect trip to the candy store.
And of course, it helps to have a cute man at your side
buying you a gigantic peanut butter cup.
Yeah... He's pretty amazing. ;)

Find out if there is a Powell's near you here!
And make sure you fill your Easter baskets
with vintage-inspired candies and confections.

I need to remember...
The Easter Bunny doesn't shop at Target.
Find some more fab vintage candy goodies here. :)
Happy Monday!
xo!

PS.
Linking up to Life Made Lovely Monday today!
Check it out here!

inspiration: bows.

2011-03-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share

Happy Thursday!
xo!

{all photos via weheartit}

idol excitement!

2011-03-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE American Idol fan.
This year is no exception!
In my opinion, the show is better than ever.
Love the judges, love the contestants,
and I think it is seriously hard to pick a favorite.
But if I must,
here are my top picks as of now. :)

Lauren Alaina
She is the cutest thing ever. Seriously. I adore her country voice and think she is already amazing! Plus, the girl has nice hair. {Blonde on top, dark underneath??? Sounds familiar and lovely. ;) }

Casey Abrams
He is the funniest looking guy, but his voice is incredible. Plus, he is semi-local, being that he is from Idyllwild. Gotta root for that. :)

James Durbin
He is my fave among faves, for sure. If I have to pick an overall winner, James is it. I love his story, love his voice, and love his super cute face. He is so comfortable on the stage and I always feel like I am already watching a star!!

Pia Toscano
She is just so amazing- super strong voice and she is gorgeous. Bright career ahead of her? I think so! :)

Not that I don't like others,
but these are probably my stand out picks so far.
Who are your favorites?
Thoughts about the season so far?
Happy Wednesday!
xo!

easter goodies!

2011-03-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

New Easter goodies
have been added to the shop!

Stock up on tags and supplies for the holiday next month
and feel super prepared when the week of Easter comes along! :)
Let me know if you need to set up a custom order
and I'd be happy to help you!

{happy brown paper bunny rabbit cutouts}
These fabulous little bunnies would be darling for your kids to use in crafts and art, they would be great tied to an Easter gift or teacher's gift as well! :) So many uses for these little guys!

{brown paper tags - bunny silhouette}
Ah, I adore silhouettes, and nothing is cuter than this cute bunny on brown paper tags. Maybe the Easter bunny could write a little note on here for your kids?! :)

{sweet white Easter gift tags}
I love, love, love the motif on these tags. These will be what I use to wrap up Andrew's teacher gifts. {More on that soon.} :)

{brown paper tags - funky chicks}
Chicka, chicka, chicka. These sassy little birds need a place in your craft room, am I right?! :) I love these!

Happy Easter planning to you all!
I am planning some cute teacher gifts and kids crafts
that I will share with you very soon.
xo!

sugar jumbles.

2011-03-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

The rain has hit us in Southern California once again.
What happened to the warm springtime?! :)
I do love stormy weather though,
and am making the best of it by baking!

Sugar Jumbles are the easiest little cookies to make, and they are so delish. From the old Better Crocker Picture Cookbook that was first printed in 1950, these cookies can be made a million different ways. Here's the basic recipe, which I adore.

Sugar Jumbles
{from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook}

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix together thoroughly:
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and stir in:
1 1/8 cups sifted Flour
1/4 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until delicately browned (cookies should still be soft). Cool slightly then remove from baking sheet.

Simple, yummy, and perfect for a not-so-sunny day.
These are also perfect to whip up for an after-school snack for the little ones. :)
Happy Monday!
xo!

PS.
Participate in Life Made Lovely Monday!
These cookies are making my life more lovely for sure. :)
These, and a cup of coffee.
Yum.

happy friday!

2011-03-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

It has been beautiful here in Southern California this past week.
Sunny days,
blue skies,
and a touch of a warm spring
has arrived.
Makes me want to twirl around in a fluffy dress! :)
{Although I hear rain is imminent this weekend as well... hmmm.}
Hope you all enjoy a fantastic weekend!
xo!

let's do our part!

2011-03-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

The news coverage about Japan is making me so extremely sad.
I feel like there is so much to do there, and so much help to give,
yet I am feeling a little helpless myself.

So I am going to do my small part to help in whatever way I can!
That is why you will find brand new Easter greeting cards in the shop...
all proceeds will benefit Red Cross in the earthquake relief!!

These fun little bunnies are hopping in to help as well!
Again, all the proceeds to these listings will go straight to the Red Cross
to help out in the little way I can.

Please do a little benefit shopping...
we can all do a little something
that might add up to a big something in the end. :)
My little donation through these orders may give
a little more hope
to all of those people who are suffering,
and I am feeling pretty good about that.
We are so very fortunate, so it's nice to give what we can.

Hope
is faith
holding out its hand
in the dark.
~George Iles

xo!

peanut butter smooches.

2011-03-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

I needed to figure out a way to use up the leftover Valentine's Hershey kisses I had sitting in my pantry,
so Andrew and I decided to toss them on top of some easy peanut butter cookies!
This seriously is the easiest recipe ever created. :)
You've all seen a variation of this cookie, but here's my take on it...

Peanut Butter Smooches

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 bag of Hershey's chocolate kisses

Stir together peanut butter, sugar, and the egg in a medium bowl until blended and creamy. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes. When you remove the cookies from the oven, add a chocolate kiss to the center!
That's it?! Yep, it is seriously that easy.

Happy baking, and happy eating! :)
xo!

funny bunnies. :)

2011-03-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

These cute little chubsters have popped up in my shop!
Wouldn't these look adorable tied onto your child's Easter basket?
Or used as Easter favor or gift tags?!
I can't stand how cute that little bunny is.
Let me know if you need more than three tags
and I'd be happy to post a custom listing for you! :)

Happy Wednesday!
Now I am off to have a fun dinner date
with a certain handsome six-year old man. ;)
See you here tomorrow for a yummy and easy recipe!
xo!

a change of plans.

2011-02-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

The inspiration post will have to wait until next Thursday.
There was a slight change of plans as of yesterday evening.

Andrew got his first set of stitches!!
He was riding his bike in the neighborhood and crashed into a palm tree.
Sounds not-so-bad?
Well...
the sharp pointy palm tree leaves seriously sliced into Andrew's cheek!!
Enough that an urgent trip to the emergency room was in order!
So off we went...

Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!
This had to hurt.
Poor little Andrew was so brave,
and sat for hours in the emergency room
waiting for someone to stitch him up.

Eventually someone came to the rescue!

Andrew thought he was going to be fully put to sleep for the procedure,
so he was shocked when he learned this was an awake sort of thing. :)
He did wonderfully though, so so brave!!!

And seven blue stitches later....

...here is my little boy!!
His new nickname is "Stitch."
I've been using it, and he thinks it is quite funny.
He is in no pain, on some antibiotics to curb any infections,
and is in very happy spirits that he gets a few days off from school.
His only concern is looking in the mirror.
That is not jazzed about.
We will avoid all mirrors for a while... :)

We told Andrew to tell his friends that a werewolf attacked him.
The palm tree story is cute,
but the wound looks pretty animal-like to me.
:)

So I hope everyone else is staying well and not enduring any ER trips.
We will be safely relaxing today, no crazy palm tree bike rides for us.
Happy Thursday!!
xo!

sweet & happy.

2011-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

I love when Andrew is quietly crafting.
So sweet and he is so darn happy with a few markers, a bit of paper, and stickers.
I love to snag up some of those dollar goodies at Michael's or JoAnn's to keep on hand for afternoons that we need a little craft time. Andrew loves to be surprised by these goodies, too! Perfect idea for rainy days when momma needs to clean the house as well! ;)

That face is just the sweetest, right?!
Andrew, be still my heart.
Love, love, love. :)

And here is another sweet little item to hit the shop...

I adore these brown paper cardstock heart cutouts! :)
SO many ways to use these...
you might need a pack or two in your crafting collection.
I know Mr. Andrew already snagged some from my office. :)

Happy crafting, and stay tuned tomorrow for my inspiration post!
{Did you make anything inspired by bicycles this week? I did!! Can't wait to share!}
xo!

personalize it. :)

2011-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Another sweet addition to the personalized collection in the shop! :)
These would be SO cute for a number of things...

weddings

anniversary parties

save the dates

envelope confetti

bridal showers

or...
You can personalize it with one initial as well for baby showers or birthdays!
Anything you can think up would be so much fun! :)

Find them here.
Convo me for custom orders, I would love to help you out!

OK, back to work for me...
I've got a billion orders to catch up on!
Happy Tuesday!
xo!

inspiration: bicycles.

2011-02-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share
what I created from these inspirations.

Want to play along?
I'll be linking up your creations through inspiration very soon.
It's simple.
Use my inspiration photographs that week in a creative way,
and we will all share what we made.
Fun, creative, and a bit of a challenge each week.
Let me know in the comments if you are thinking of playing along!

Last week, I blogged about the inspiration of rainbows.
Here's what I decided to make....

{bright rainbow umbrella cutouts!}

{bright rainbow butterfly cutouts!}

-------------------------------------------------------

Up next for week number two's theme:
Bicycles.
I adore the shape and colors of vintage bicycles.
The idea of using a bicycle as transportation
makes me happy and it seems so romantic.
I think they are gorgeous.
Is that just me?? :)

Enjoy my inspirations...
and create something from this.
...and what inspires you this week?

{motorbike print on rome street map found here}

happy thursday!
xo!

{all images found via weheartit}

fancy coconut cake!

2011-02-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are alive and well around my house at this time of year.
This past weekend we threw a birthday party for my grandma,
and today is my sweet boyfriend's birthday!
{Happy birthday, babycakes!!!}

Which in turn means that there is
a lot of birthday cake around the house as well. :)
{Hey, I am not complaining!}

I am a huge fan of baking cakes from the box, thank you Mrs. Crocker. :) But for the party this past weekend, I wanted to jazz up the white cake and frosting deal and make it a little more special.

Fancy Coconut Cake

What You'll Need:
1 Box Better Crocker White Cake Mix
2 Cans White Frosting
1 Bag of fluffy Coconut

Bake the cake as directed on the box, with one exception. I have learned from my mom to substitute olive oil for vegetable oil. It makes the cake super moist and delish! After the cake is baked and cooled, frost it completely. This does not have to be an award winning frosting job, since you will be covering the entire thing with coconut.

After it is all covered in lots of frosting, take small handfuls of the coconut and gently press it all the way around the edges of the cake, being careful to cover the whole surface, sides and all. After it is covered, go around the edges and clean it up to make it all look pretty. Easy, right? And the cake looks much more impressive than the time it took to whip it up!

Happy cake eating to you all!
I am off to bake another one for the boyfriend! :)
{Did I mention I love birthdays?!}
xo!

happy hearts day! :)

2011-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!
Hope you all have a day filled with love. :)
I feel so lucky to share this year with
my super darling little Andrew,
my amazing boyfriend John,
and I am so thankful to have a life filled with lots of love.
I wish that for you all as well!
extra xo's for you today!!

{image via weheartit}

inspiration: rainbows.

2011-02-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

I am a hugely visual person.
Photographs inspire me on a daily basis.
I would love to share my inspirations with you,
and then the following week I will share
what I created from these inspirations.

Up first for week number one?
Rainbows!
The colors are spectacular, whether muted or bright.
Rainbows are everywhere, whether literal or not.

Enjoy my inspirations...
and what inspires you this week?

{tissue paper pom poms found here}

{photograph print found here}

I look forward to next week when I will share more
inspiration,
creativity,
and ideas! :)
xo!

{unless otherwise stated, all images found via weheartit.}

happy monday & a winner! :)

2011-01-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!
Around my house, Monday morning brings a lot of stress to my life. After the weekend and a very happy Andrew, it is back to setting an alarm, getting up to get dressed and ready for the day, feeding breakfast to a very grumpy 6 year old, and selling the idea of school to him as well. It is a constant battle to get out the door on time and get Andrew to school, of which he is not a huge fan of lately.

But... then when I come home to a quiet house, Mondays seem so peaceful to me. A cup or two of coffee greets me warmly and starts my morning off right. Then the idea that I have until 2:30 in the afternoon to calmly wrap up orders from the shop, work on new items, clean up... that makes me actually like Mondays. And then of course, when school is out, Andrew has a brand new and bright attitude and is so happy to be headed home with me.

How are your Mondays?!
Please tell me I'm not the only one that fights to get going each week! :)

And for one lucky person,
this Monday is off to a fun start as well.
The winner of the Mommy Holly giveaway from last week is....
YOU.
Email me your address and I'll pop your bird notecards in the mail to you asap!

A very happy Monday to you all!
xo!

image via weheart it and altered by me.

happy birthday, sissy.

2011-01-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

"Happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn

Happy birthday
to my
talented
wonderful
gorgeous
sweet
creative
caring
lovely
sister!

I love you lots and lots.
:)
xo!

so close.

2011-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

I have almost hit 1500 sales in my shop!!

Who will receive the special free goodies?!
This time around, it is a super fab little package of paper products!
You seriously don't want to miss it. :)

Only two sales to go.
Ready..
Set..
Shop!
xo!

a little monday giveaway! :)

2011-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share a new line of products that I have been working on for my shop! I am going to be offering many different customized hang tags for weddings, parties, gift tags, or even for use on your own products if you run a shop as well. These can be customized however you'd like and you can order as many as you might need!

I adore this darling heart tag, and think these would be absolutely perfect to use at Valentine's Day for your own personal gifts, or used at a wedding on your favors. They add a little extra touch of handmade that is so personal and sweet. Convo me through Etsy for custom orders and I would be happy to help you out! :)

And in honor of these new fun and fabulous tags, I am going to be sending one lucky reader a pack of flat notecards with a sweet birdie hand stamped on them, complete with one of my new heart tags! :)

Want to win?
Just leave a comment on this post
and I'll announce the winner on Friday.
Easy, peasy! :)
Happy Monday, friends!!
xo!

momentous!!

2011-01-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

My child slept all.night.long.
without waking up and coughing!!!!!
This is a very happy day for this momma. :)

Oh yeah.
And I have a date tonight with my fab boyfriend
who I haven't seen since Sunday.

Like I said....
Happy, happy, happy.

I hope you all enjoy the very happiest of Fridays as well!
xo!

so, what did you think?

2011-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Where are my American Idol peeps at??! :)
What did you think of the premiere last night?

Here's my take...

I love American Idol, therefore I will watch no matter who is judging.
{I *think*. Unless it was someone like Glenn Close, who I totally despise. I know that would never happen in a million years, but just had to throw it out there.}

I am not in total love with this stage of the competition, but I do love when the good singers are weeded out from the freaky people, so I will patiently endure the tryouts for a few weeks.

Steven Tyler's small eyes really scare me, but he does seem nice and he entertained me with his snazzy voice.

Randy. Dawg. Enough said.

I love J. Lo's hair. And whatever kind of lip gloss she is wearing. She is so darn pretty. I adore all her movies, so I am hopping on the J.Lo bandwagon as of now.

And what did you all think?!

PS.
Remember that there is a sweet little sale going on in my shop for those of you who have the secret code. Use the code "SWEET10" to receive 10% off until Sunday.
Happy day, friends!
xo!

all stocked up! :)

2011-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

The new year has been busy, busy around here!
Andrew went back to school for a week,
we had lots of playdates, events, and birthday parties to go to,
and now he has caught a yucky pneumonia-like cold
and is home being pumped with antibiotics.
Poor little thing.
So work is being fit in sporatically
around playing nurse to a sweet little boy. :)
But here are the things that have finally been added to the shop....
I am SO excited about all of this! :)

happy heart confetti in sassy valentine colors!

all you need is love heart shaped tags
and
sweet XO tags

the bird & flower confetti has a newly debuted color... aqua!!

kiss me, kiss me! add these cuties to your valentine gifts! :)

lots of amazing greeting cards, take a peek! :)

MORE will be added in the next few days!
As always, contact me if you are looking for something specific,
as I adore custom orders & creating something special for my customers!

And because I am feeling super sweet and happy today,
having just finished two delicious cups of hot coffee,
enjoy 10% off in my shop!
Use the coupon code "SWEET10" at checkout.
{I am loving etsy coupon codes, yay!}
Discount will be active until Sunday night, so shop away!
xo!

the first of many...

2011-01-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

...new items to pop up in the shop!
Lots of Valentine's items are coming as well,
and I couldn't be more excited!! :)

sweet cupid cutouts found here!

Now I am off to enjoy Andrew's last few days of holiday break! Back to the grind of getting up early and heading to school on Monday... Three weeks fly by, don't they?
Happy Friday, friends!!
xo!

resolutions.

2011-01-05T08:25:00.001-08:00

{image from one of my favorite etsy shops... erinjaneshop!}

In an attempt to keep me on track this year, I am tossing some of my New Year's resolutions out into blog-world!! Hopefully that will keep me accountable. :)

Work out. Eat right. The usual... everything that goes along with that. :)

Expand my Etsy shop! Lots of new items will be popping up over there very soon. Such plans, my friends!!! Don't worry, I'll keep you all very informed. :)

Blog. More and more.

Create. Take the time to make gifts, try new projects, re-design around the house. Use my imagination.

Cultivate friendships. Really take time out to spend with friends.

Read more books. I've got a million on my to-read-list, but haven't cracked a cover in quite some time!

Stay organized. I am going into 2011 with a fairly clean slate and am hoping to keep myself on track.

Save money. Don't spend on silly stuff. Enough said. :)

Cook more. Bake more. Try to get some delish recipes under my belt. And of course, share them with you. :)

And above all...
Spend some serious time with those I love.
This year is going to be simply beautiful, I can feel it. :)
xo!

buh-bye, 2010.

2011-01-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Goodbye to 2010,
and hello to a brand new year!
Here is my past year in photos...

January...

February...

March...

April...

May...

June...

July...

August...

{an abnormally warm} September...

October...

November...

December...

I am welcoming in 2011 with a very happy heart.
I am wishing each and every one of you a coming year that is beautiful, good, rewarding, fulfilling, blessed, and above all, happy. :)

OH! And PS.
One of my many new years resolutions is to get back into the daily swing of blogging. I promise you'll be seeing more of me around here. :)
xo!

a date with the christmas tree.

2010-12-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

First of all, I have to apologize to all of you. I have barely been around, and I didn't mean to completely abandon my blog. A few things have been happening around here that have been taking up my time, and I think it is high time to share!

Number One... The shop has been busy! I am finally caught up on all of my current orders and would love for you to keep shopping. Order turnarounds will be very quick since I know that you all are needing things super quickly this holiday season, so shop now! The 1300th customer will receive some fab freebies in the mail, let me tell you! :) I'm almost there, eek! Maybe you need some cute gift tags for your presents? Maybe something to add in for a hostess gift at a holiday party? Or maybe some cute confetti to add to your Christmas cards? The shop's got it all. Go peek. :)

Number Two... It's the holiday season!!! Need I say more? What isn't going on at this time of year? Shopping for Christmas gifts, stringing up holiday lights, mailing out Christmas cards, planning a party for Andrew's class. Whew! I'm tired just thinking of all of this. More on the holidays in a moment....

And of course, Number Three... I have been wanting to spend an inordinate amount of time with my new boyfriend! Yes, you heard me right! I am now dating a new & super fantastic man and I am happy, happy, happy. I guess my blog comes second to that. :)

So now you all know where I've been and I promise I'll try to be around more. I love my blog, I love my readers, and I love to share ideas, inspiration, and what I've been up to. So thank you for sticking around and popping in to say hi when you do. It means a lot to me. :)

OK, like I said, more on Christmas now!
I have a date
with my Christmas tree
penciled in for Thursday.
We are going to pick out a tree that evening and start decorating it and I couldn't be more excited! Before decorating the tree however, I always think it is fun to take a look at some decor inspiration. Here goes....

The most adorable little tabletop tree. I adore trees this size. Easier to decorate, but still so festive and fun! This one is from that talented lady named Martha. :) I also am so in love with the tiny little trees lining the windows. So super cute!

I am not a hugely pink kind of girl, but this screams happiness to me! I love the iridescent glass ornaments on the tree and I think it looks like one big piece of candy. Love! {Also from Ms. Stewart!}

I do happen to think that Christmas is a time to incorporate all colors. If you toss on every ornament you have on a tree, it looks amazing. The reason for the season is not to make a color statement, and I think this tree looks fun and whimsical.
{From Country Living!}

Then again, the simplicity of this color palette is totally oozing charm as well. I adore the pillow mish-mash on the couch and love how sparse the tree is. And of course, I am a total sucker for anything paper-chain. Maybe I should get Andrew on that project?? :)
{Country Living, again!}

And finally, my favorite picture for this year. I love, love, love this!!! Everything is so happy in this picture from Country Living... from the flowers on the table that are not classically "Christmas," to the bright and cheery Christmas tree, to the eclectic mix of chairs at the dining table, and the most perfect chandelier ever, this is how I want Christmas to feel at my home.

Special.
Not perfect, but so special.
That's what the holidays are all about. :)
Happy decorating, my friends!
xo!

a perfect stocking stuffer!

2010-11-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

Just added to the shop...
gift certificates for the holiday season! :)

If you know someone who loves cards, gift tags, wrapping presents, creating, scrapbooking, paper crafts, etc etc etc.... this might be a perfect option to tuck in with their gift! :) Let the recipient choose what they'd like in the quiet coziness of their home after the craziness of the holidays!

Shop for them here!

And by the way...
Almost to 1300 sales in the shop, as well!
Lucky number 1300 will receive some yummy paper goodie freebies, for sure!
Will it be you?!

PS.
So sorry I have been absent around here.
Please forgive me.
I've been a happy & busy bee, let me assure you. :)
xo!

christmas cards...!

2010-11-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.
Tomorrow!!!?!!!
That means that this weekend kicks off the holiday season!
{Can it really be this time of year already?!}
I am in serious need of figuring out my Christmas cards for the upcoming season as well, so maybe you all could weigh in and help. :)

Shutterfly is amazing.
And yes, I know I run a shop full of handmade and super-unique greeting cards and I could whip some up for myself as well... but, that's not how I usually work. I like a photo Christmas card. {Am I being disloyal to my Etsy shop right now???!!} :) And when figuring out a holiday photo card, I turn to Shutterfly! I adore Shutterfly. I love the photo books and have used them for myself and my own photo storage, as well as for teacher gifts! SO cute.

But now I need help in the Christmas card department....
these are my faves so far. :)

1. bright colored lights christmas card

SO unbelievably cute. This card is one of my favorites- it evokes so much happiness and spirit!

2. holly and jolly christmas card

I love sharing more than one photo, and this is the perfect card to create those photo memories! :)

3. sweet and retro christmas card

The soft green makes this card so adorable. I love the swirly font and the retro feel of it is so super cute!

4. bright and merry christmas card

LOVE the colors. It is classic, but still young and modern.

5. merry zigzag christmas card

I adore this one. It definitely tops my list at the moment. I love the colors and the zig-zag provides a cute and whimsical touch!

6. berry merry photo christmas card

ADORE this. Maybe it is the addition of the "holly" berries that I like??? :)

And of course, these holiday themed address labels are too cute as well.
I think I may have to snag a few of these, too.
On the top is the gift address label.
And on the bottom is goodwill to all label.

So perfect to add on to the holiday cards!

So help me out, friends.

Which is your favorite card??

I am having a hard time deciding on which one Andrew and I will be sending out!

And...

If you are a blogger, go visit here to get 50 free cards from Shutterfly.

Amazing deal, right?

Happy Wednesday,

and a very happy Thanksgiving weekend to you all!

xo!

PS.

Mommy Holly is having a Black Friday sale!

FREE shipping to anyone who uses the code "blackfriday" in the message to seller area through Friday. :) Pay like usual and I'll refund you via paypal as soon as I can!

the holidays are upon us!

2010-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

And what better time to unveil some holiday items I've been working on! Some of you might have caught glimpses of these things at the Queen Bee Market, but for those of you who missed it, the shop is brimming with new things for Christmas! :)

eat, drink, be merry tags! {my current faves!!} :)

candy cane stripes holiday greeting cards!

sweet be merry gift tags!

funky and bright holiday greeting card!

As always, convo me through Etsy if you'd like to place a custom order or need more quantities of any listings like the holiday tags, brown paper tags, or my line of vintage dictionary cutouts. These little reindeer are the best-sellers at the moment, and are flying out of the shop like crazy! I haven't been able to stop making these, and it makes me so happy that lots of holiday reindeer cutouts are out and about in the crafty world now! :)

Please go visit the shop! :)
It would seriously make my day.
xo!

the queen bee. :)

2010-11-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Wait.
The Queen Bee is over???!
I can hardly believe it.
It is just like Christmas.
You work so hard for it, anticipate it, and then all of a sudden, you are on the other side!
It was so much fun.
Lots and lots of late nights and hard work, but so much fun. :)

My booth, in all of it's holiday themed glory! :)

I will be listing the new holiday cards in the shop, as well as some new tag motifs today and in the next few days as well. I was so tired after the event, that I had to take a few days to recuperate! :)

LOVE how everything turned out though, and was so happy to share again in the Queen Bee crazy fun!!

I didn't get a chance to snap photos of all of the beautiful booths. And I mean, seriously BEAUTIFUL. Everything was magical and gorgeous and I wanted to buy everything. Here are some of the photos that I did manage to get. :)

Wendy Miracle - my sister's booth, full of whimsical children's items! :)

Mallory at her booth! :)

Heidi Devlin Design- my talented momma! :)

White Apple Threads - amazing bags & tshirts! :)

Joy's Hope. Who doesn't love Julie and her amazing booth?! :)

Whippy Cake, home of the cutest hair accessories ever. :)

An overview photo of the Queen Bee Market.
There is so much happiness in handmade. :)
Don't you think?

Thanks, Queen Bees.
I can hardly wait until May. :)
xo!

PS.
My shop is almost to 1200 sales.
Free goodies to that customer,
so hop over to the shop and take a peek! :)
Who doesn't love free things?!
I thought so. :)

only days away.

2010-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

The time is finally here.
And if you live in my house,
you would most definitely know it. :)
We are busy, busy, busy with
Queen Bee Market prep!!

I am so excited to share with you the newest items to my shop, but am trying to keep my {secret telling} mouth shut so that the items can be a complete surprise at the market! Let me just say, I am oh-so-happy with the way things are turning out.

Are you going to be visiting me
at the Queen Bee Market?!
I hope so! :)

You have two days to shop this time around as well...
Friday, November 12th from 4pm to 9pm
and
Saturday, November 13th from 9am to 4pm
Let me know if you are planning on stopping in!
I will be out and about and around my booth quite a lot,
so I hope to meet lots of you. Come say hello! :)

And if you are not coming to the Queen Bee, {tear!}
new items will be posted in my shop on Monday.
Very exciting stuff, let me tell you. :)

OK, it's back to work for me and happy week, friends!
xo!

The blog in which I go on and on about Halloween. :)

2010-11-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Where have I been???
Yeah. I've been really busy.
As in, really, really, really busy.
Halloween took over my life for over a week and I needed a break. :)
But now I'm ready to share what I've been up to with all of you!

Up first was Andrew's Halloween party at our house.
I decorated and baked and set up lots of crafts for them.
It was extra fun! :)

They were so appreciative and all had such a good time. :)

I adore this 99-cent store find. Glittered black skeleton? Awesome. :)

The kids made lots of crafts and were able to play and eat and play some more. Happiness to the six-year olds, for sure! :)

Then came Halloween.
We had so much fun carving pumpkins.
Andrew just couldn't figure out why the age limit was 12 on the carving tools, since he is such an expert. :)

And of course, the highlight of Halloween? Costumes!!
{Forgive the slightly blurry photo- we were much too excited for trick or treating to sit still for many pictures!}

Andrew was a "dragon-slayer"/"knight"/"ogre"!
Yes, we got a lot of odd comments asking "What are you?!"
I made the costume, and Andrew was so happy, so that's all that matters. :)

We had lots of festive fun.
And now I am so tired of Halloween.
And tired in general.
And I need to get ready for this.
So if you don't hear much from me, consider yourself warned! :)
Happy week, friends!
xo!

a trip to the pumpkin patch.

2010-10-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Halloween is in 6 days.
Six days!!
And luckily, between everything that has been keeping us quite busy, we did fit in a trip to the pumpkin patch. And for those of us who live in Southern California, the gray and cloudy weather has made it the perfect time to celebrate fall. {As opposed to the beastly heat of other years!}

Bates Nut Farm is the perfect place to enjoy the autumn season. A huge patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins, lots of farm animals to feed, and a darling little shop to stock up on candy and goodies for the season. It was such a treat, as it is every year, and we are so in Halloween mode. Now we've just got to get these pumpkins carved for Sunday!
{Oh yeah, and I need to finish Andrew's costume, eek!}

Back to work, back to work.
Happy Halloween week, friends!
xo!

what i wore wednesday.

2010-10-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

So I admit, I've been bad about taking photos.
I've been busy, which has gotten the best of me in some areas.
However, I've snapped a few in the past two weeks that I will share with you! :)
{PS. Do you follow along with The Pleated Poppy's fun Wednesday feature? Go here to find out more.}

Sweater: Urban Outfitters
Tank Top: Walmart
Jeans: Jolt jeggings, Nordstrom
Shoes: Minnetonka Boots {amazing, I love them!}

Sweater: Target
Top: Walmart {It's a Miley tshirt, love it!}
Jeans: Jolt Jeggings from Nordstrom
Shoes: Old Navy Flips Flops
Headband: Allora Handmade! :)

And of course, Andrew is wearing an cozy shirt from Walmart and pants are from Old Navy last year. :)

Top: JC Penney {It was $1.97, woo!}
Jeans: JC Penney Jeggings
Shoes: Steve Madden Flats
Watch: Walmart
AND newly bleached hair, woo! So long, crazy dark roots!

Happy Wednesday!
Now I am off to work in Andrew's class and then decorate for his Halloween party at our house this Friday after school, eek! Lots to do, lots to do!
xo!

skipping rocks.

2010-10-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

We went for a day trip up to Idyllwild, California last week
and it was so beautiful there.
On the way home, we stopped to skip rocks at the most beautiful lake.

It was one of those days that the light was just right,
and even though I was snapping photos with my phone,
I adore what I captured.
{And notice another missing tooth?!}

It was a perfect time of day. :)

Happy Tuesday, friends.
xo!

happy birthday to me!

2010-10-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am twenty-eight years old.
{I like even numbers, so this age seems quite nice.}

On the agenda today for the birthday girl?
Lots of birthday hugs and kisses from Andrew.
Lunch with momma at my favorite cafe in Coronado.
Cake.
Cake.
Cake.
Feelin' special. :)

Tomorrow I will be celebrating with dinner & presents, since I have a very busy family this year! :) Andrew wasn't too happy about waiting a day to open gifts, but I am a big girl and can handle it. After all, I am twenty-eight. :) And on Saturday, my sister and I are headed downtown San Diego to shop, drink fancy cocktails, dress up, and stay the night in a funky little historic hotel!

Birthdays are the best.
Happy 28 to me!
xo!

{image via}

winners!

2010-10-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

With the help of random.org, here are the winners from this past week!!
{Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday. We went to another showing of Pinkalicious!}

Mommy Holly
$15 Shop Credit
Winner: Dixon Family

The Pleated Poppy
$25 Shop Credit
Winner: Jocelyn

Good Day Shop
Halloween Card
Winner: mianpian.net

Bringing Up Burns
Haute Ruffle Tanks
Winner #1: Polka Dot Moon
Winner #2: Heather - AFD Jewelry

Too Silly Sisters
Posh Posie Necklace
Winner: im zoe

Haus of Girls
12 month Pumpkin Onesie
Winner: LMShunk

Wild Olive
Printable Pattern & Banner
Winner: mysteryhistorymom

Congrats to you all!!
Email me to claim your prizes, yay!! :)
{ hollyndevlin [at] gmail DOT com }
Happy Sunday!
xo!

{Now it's back to work for me. I've got a slammin' Halloween costume to sew. More details soon. :) }

Homemade Halloween... A Giveaway from Wild Olive! :)

2010-10-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with today's giveaway! {And it's the last of the week, eek!}

I discovered Mollie's blog recently and immediately was hooked. She makes the most adorable embroidery patterns and offers them in her shop in printable form.. so easy and convenient!! :)

This is how Mollie describes herself...
"I'm Mollie, a graphic designer who loves to create. Making doodles into crafty projects is a favorite pastime, and I love sharing them with others. Find more about my creative pursuits at wildolive.blogspot.com!"

Today, Mollie is offering two printables for you all!! A super cute printable banner to add to your Halloween decor...

And the most delish embroidery pattern ever!

Want to win?! Here's how:
1. Visit Wild Olive and become a follower! :)
2. Visit the shop and tell me your favorite thing.

Good luck!! Winner will be announced tomorrow along with all the other giveaways as well. Have you missed some?? Read my previous posts, friends! You won't want to miss a single thing. :)

And of course,
thank you ALL
for reading along with me this week for the
Homemade Halloween special!!!
I have had the best time. Thanks to all the guest bloggers and giveaway-girls!!! You all ROCK. I've got lots of fun posts planned for next week as well, but I might be writing about something besides Halloween, who knows! :)
Happy weekend, xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post & Giveaway from Haus of Girls! :)

2010-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our last guest post comes from the fab Marta from Haus of Girls!! :) She is teaching us how to make an adorable Halloween banner. I am thinking I'll need to whip one of these up before Andrew's Halloween party, right? And of course, pop back over at noon for the last giveaway as well! xoxox Holly

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Hello to all you Mommy Holly fans! My name is Marta and I am stopping in from Haus of Girls where I can be found documenting my crazy life as a Midwestern Momma of three girls.

I am a fabric stalking, antique loving, diet coke chugging, treadmill running, daycare providing, pig tail making, sporty spice type of girl who has recently tapped into my creative side. I taught myself how to sew and make almost anything I see. I now create, sew, and make things on a daily basis. Today, I am so very excited to share a super fun and easy project that I did a few weeks ago.An easy (no sew option) Halloween Bunting.
Boo! Enjoy and please let me know if you make one of your own.I'd love to see your fabulous creations!

And in honor of Halloween, I would love to give away one of my "Polka Dot Pumpkin" tees that I currently have in my etsy shop. I have a size 12 month onesie all ready to go to a new home! Thank you and good luck!

Last Sunday it was rainy and yucky outside so I decided to make the most of our day stuck inside and create something fun to add to our Halloween decor.

Using random scraps I already had lying around the house, I whipped up a Halloween bunting for our front door.
Nothing fancy.
Just simple and cute.

Our black front door makes for the perfect backdrop for some spooktacular orange fun and I’m sure yours would too.

Take advantage of your next rainy day and make one for yourself.
Here’s what you do.

Grab two different fabrics. One for the “flags” and one for the letters.

Measure out your three triangles for the flags.
I made mine approximately 6 inches across and 7 inches long.
(I am not precise. Ever. I eyeball everything and it always works out fine. Perfection is not the goal, but more of the act of creating!)

Cut out three flags.

Iron them and re-cut any parts that look crazy.

While ironing, glance up at your fave family picture from last year and ponder when you can get them taken again this year.

Next, take your letter fabric and cut out a little bit smaller size of strong heat and bond.

Iron the heat and bond onto the wrong side of your letter fabric.
Easy peasy.

Next, trace your letters.
You can easily do this by printing off your choice of letters, cutting them out and using that as a template.
Trace the letters BACKWARDS onto your heat and bond paper that you ironed onto the fabric.

Cut out your letters.

Then you should have something spooktacular like this.
Boo!

Lay the letters down onto your flags where you want them.

Then iron.
Remember, I’m all about simplicity.

End result.
No sewing required!

Finally, I pinned the flags reversed and upside down on top of a striped ribbon. I found it worked well to line the flags up with the bottom stripe.
I’m all about finding tricks to make sure I sew in a straight line.

Here it is pinned ready to be sewn.

Start on your first letter, mine was the “b,” and sew your way down towards the last “o” until all three flags are sewn on. (If you don’t sew, just hot glue the flags on! Even easier!)

String your fabulousness across your front door welcoming Halloween with a hint of homemade creativity.

Spooky!

Halloween countdown: 16 days.
Crazy.

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Thank you so much Marta!! :)

If you would like to enter to win the adorable 12 month onesie, leave a comment on this post! For an extra entry, follow Marta's blog! Or visit her cute Etsy shop and let me know what you love the most!! :) Winner will be announced tomorrow!

See you all at noon! :) xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post from Blessed Little Nest! :)

2010-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello again friends, and happy Friday!
Today is the last day of my Homemade Halloween week!
I have had such fun, and am walking away from this week with so many fabulous ideas for the coming weeks to prepare for a spooky and handmade holiday! :) I am so happy to share with you another few guest posts for the week from Heather at Blessed Little Nest, Marta from Haus of Girls at ten o'clock, and come back at noon for the last gorgeous giveaway from Wild Olive! All winners will be announced tomorrow, so good luck!!
xoxox Holly

PS.

If you are looking for the Follow Me Friday post, it's here. Link up- and we will be back to normal next week! :)
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Hi there Mommy Holly readers!

My name is Heather from Blessed Little Nest and I am

so excited to be hanging out with you guys today.

I adore Holly, and her love of Halloween and paper
completely inspired this easy DIY project.

...Supplies...

Vintage book pages
Straw wreath
Stapler
Scissors
Sewing Pins
Wide ribbon for hanging
Embroidery Floss or Twine (yarn would work, too)
Random Bits for Embellishments- buttons, tags, etc.

1. I used pages from a vintage book and cut then into sections
that were 2" wide. Then I folded them in half.
2. Next I cut the folded paper into 1" sections.
3. With the fold of the paper in my hand, I cut the corners off
the other end so I could create a triangle. I made eleven.
4. Then I slid my string into the fold of the triangles and used
the stapler to secure them. I placed mine about an inch apart.
Tada! You just created mini vintage paper buntings!!

Use your pins to attach the bunting to your wreath.

Add a loop of ribbon for hanging and embellish as you like.
I decided to add orange buttons to my pins and jazzed up my office
tag with a little black marker and a hand cut pumpkin.

Simple. Graphic. Festive.

Thank you so much for having me over Holly!
I loved being a part of this fun week.

follow me friday.

2010-10-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week.

I mean, a freakishly busy week.

Lots of orders.

Halloween costumes to make.

Parties to plan.

Errands to run.

Volunteering at school.

You get the picture. :)

So my Follow Me Fridays photos got left in the dust.

Only two photos were taken this week, both on the same day.

But it was a fantastic day, so I am sharing anyways. :)

I snapped these photos with my phone last Friday when we took a little day trip up to Idyllwild. It was seriously beautiful there. A bit on the chilly side, but still bright and clear. A perfect day for a little mountain air. :) The photo on the left is when we stopped by a big lake and took some pictures {more to come!} and the one on the right is in the middle of town while we were shopping. I even got some Christmas shopping done for Andrew at a darling little store. :)

What did you do this week?

Can we follow you as well? :)

Grab the button, link up and now it's time for the conclusion on my Homemade Halloween week, so please check back all day today!!

xo! :)

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Homemade Halloween... A Giveaway from Too Silly Sisters! :)

2010-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today's giveaway is so super cute!

Lori from Too Silly Sisters has made a necklace especially for the Homemade Halloween event! I have one of Lori's button bracelets from her darling shop and I adore it. She makes beautiful jewelry and is a seriously delightful person! :)

This is how Lori describes herself...
"I am a home schooling Mom that loves the Lord, my precious family, ice cold Pepsi, chips and salsa, photography, eating veggies from my garden, staying up late watching movies, handmade quilts, laughing till I cry, creating jewelry, having my hair brushed, margaritas, the beach, and not camping. :) "

Want to enter to win this fun Trick Or Treat Posh Posie Necklace?

Here's how:

1. Visit Two Silly Sisters and let me know your favorite item!

2. Pay Lori a visit to her blog and become a follower!

3. Let me know in the comments on this post what you are planning on dressing up as for Halloween this year! Or possibly what you are dressing your kids up as? I love to hear new ideas for costumes! :)

And guess what else?
Lori is offering 20% off your purchase in her store until October 19th! Mention you are a reader of Mommy Holly in the message to seller section :) Yay!

Good luck- a winner will be announced on Saturday, along with the other giveaway winners as well. Here are links to the open giveaways that you might have missed:

Mommy Holly

The Pleated Poppy

Good Day Shop

Happy Thursday, friends!

See you tomorrow morning for another fun guest post from Heather at Blessed Little Nest and the last day of a Homemade Halloween! xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post & Giveaway from Bringing Up Burns! :)

2010-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning, blog friends! Welcome to another day of handmade fabulousness!! Today we have a super fun tutorial from Erin at Bringing Up Burns who is so creative! :) And make sure to enter her giveaway... details at the end of the post! Another giveaway will be today at noon, don't miss it!
xoxox Holly
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Hello fellow Mommy Holly readers!

I'm Erin from Bringing Up Burns.

When I'm not busy "bringing up" my goblins, I love to create, sew, bake, blog, run and read. I also gather ruffles and twirl rosettes to fill my shop, Haute Blue B, with fabulousness.

Today, I'm going to show you how to make one of my most popular items.

A Haute Ruffle Tank...with a Haunted twist!

You'll need:

One tank top

Two 1/8 yard pieces of Chiffon (Halloween themed if you want!)

sewing machine & accessories

Take your first piece of Chiffon and cut it into a 3 inch wide strip the length of the fabric (usually 54 inches)

Take your second piece of Chiffon and cut it into a 2 inch wide strip.

Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length.

And the tightest tension!

Place the 2 inch strip on top of the 3 inch strip so that one edge matches up. Fold the raw end under.

Begin sewing down the right side about an inch in from the edge. Remember to back stitch when you start!

As you stitch, the tight tension and long stitch length should work to automatically ruffle up your two layers of chiffon nice and neat!

Continue down the length of the fabrics until you are almost to the bottom end.

Again, fold under the raw end, and then finish stitching, remembering to back stitch when you are done!

Adjust your stitch length and tension back to normal and then stitch your ruffle to your tank. I like to add it to one shoulder and a little down the neckline. Try to stitch right over the gathering stitch. You'll probably have to go slow and stop and start a bit to keep the ruffle from bunching up!

Super cute! Easy! Festive! and Fun!

You can use the same technique to make ruffles out of light weight cotton too!

As long as your fabric is not to heavy, it should ruffle easily.

Here's another example of a tank I made using cotton ruffles and some Rolled Rosettes!

So...What do you think of the Haute Ruffle Tank? I'm quite taken with the Haunted Twist.

Since my girls are too big for these tanks, I'd love to give them away to Mommy Holly readers! Do you know a little size 2T-4T someone who would look cute in these tanks? Let Holly know in the comments and she'll pick two winners. I'll mail them ASAP so your goblin can be HAUTE this Halloween!

Happy Haunting!

~Erin
-----------------------------------------

Thank you for a fab tutorial, Erin!! I want to make a pile of these tanks for myself! :) Like Erin said, if you'd like to be entered to win one of these fun tanks, leave a comment on this post.
You can get some extra entries, as well! Here's how:
1. Visit Erin's blog here and become a follower!
2. Follow her on Twitter.
3. Visit her shop here and tell me your favorite item! {The Sassafras shoe is the cutest, seriously!}

Good luck, good luck to all of you!!
Winners will be announced on Saturday! :)
See you at noon, xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post & Giveaway from Good Day Shop! :)

2010-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our first guest post is from my fabulous blog-friend and crafter Teresa! Please enjoy this darling Halloween craft and tune in at noon for another post! :) And of course, you can still enter the giveaway for spreading the word about the Homemade Halloween event! Now, onto the homemade fun....!!
xo!- Holly
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Hi fellow Mommy Holly readers!

I'm Teresa from It's A Good Day.

I am so excited to share a fun paper craft with

you as part of Holly's Homemade Halloween.

This Bibbity Bobbity Boo Pop-Up Card is

perfectly whimsical, fun and not too spooky.

Want to make your own?

Oh good. I thought you might.

Here's what you'll need:

(or use what you've got!)

black card stock (or skinny tri-fold card)

orange card stock

coordinating scrapbook paper

coordinating ribbon

googly eye embellishment

Mommy Holly's Orange Trees

craft glue stick

glue gun

distressing ink

circle & tag paper punches

And here's how you do it:

#1 Print "bibbity bobbity boo" on orange card stock.

#2 Place orange paper inside black folded card so

that the "bibbity bobbity" is the only part you see.

I had some long, skinny tri-fold cards left over from

another project so I used these. You can also use

black card stock and fold/cut so it fits the orange card.

Then trim the just above where the orange card lays.

It becomes like a sleeve for the orange card.

#3 To make the orange card "pop" cut a thin strip of

card stock (about 4-5 inches long) and fold in a Z shape,

then glue down the bottom edge like shown above in #3.

Your placement needs to be just as shown above with

the top fold facing to the bottom of the card...this will

ensure your orange card pulls UP and OUT.

#4 With your orange card flush with the bottom edge

of the black card, glue the top of the strip to the back

of the orange card (like shown above in #4). You should be

able to pull the orange card UP and OUT once attached.

#5 & #6 Add fun embellishments!

I added an orange polka dot ribbon at the

top and loosely attached it around to the back of

the card (don't wrap too tight or your orange card

won't have enough room to pull out). I also used

one of Holly's awesome orange polka-dot

tree cutouts (get yours here!) and my circle

punch and a coordinating paper for a moon.

I printed "Happy Halloween" on white card stock

and used my tag punch for the message.

It's threaded with a fat orange ribbon with a fun

googly eye glued on top. I distressed the edge of

the tag to make it look old and worn.

The last thing I did was attach a loop of ribbon

to the top of the orange card as a "pull tab."

(In case anyone cares, the font I used

on both pieces of the card is Pharmacy.)

And here's the final result:

What friend, niece/nephew, teacher, neighbor

wouldn't LOVE to get this in his or her mailbox?!

I hope you enjoy making this card. The style can

really be used for all holidays and occasions.

Have fun with your own Handmade Halloween!

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Thank you, Teresa! I seriously adore this card.
And guess what?
She is giving one away to one of you lucky readers!!

Want to win?? Here's how:
1. Visit Good Day Shop and tell me your favorite item!
2. Become a follower of Teresa's blog here!
3. Follow her on Twitter!
4. Become a fan of Good Day Shop on Facebook!
5. Leave me a comment on this post letting me know your favorite Halloween candy! {I'm a sucker for treats!} :)

Good luck, and I will announce the winner on Saturday, along with the winners of the other giveaways! :) Have you missed any?
Current Giveaways:
Mommy Holly {$15 Shop Credit}
The Pleated Poppy {$25 Shop Credit}

Happy Wednesday! :)
xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Simple How-to! :)

2010-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what you can do with some dollar store finds and some black spray paint.
I found these candlesticks at the local 99cent store, and immediately bought them.
I loved the shape, but hated the color.

For Andrew's Halloween party that I am throwing next week, I wanted all of the decor to be black and glittery and magical. There was no room for tacky creamish-yellow skulls at all. :)

So, a can of glossy black spray paint became my new best friend!!

And voila!

Now, I seriously love these.
I can't get enough of them!

With a little vision and creativity, you can change the drabbest of decorations into something you love. Find funky pieces at a thrift store, a dollar store, or at a craft store like Michael's. Maybe it isn't perfect yet, but use your imagination and spray paint it one solid color. Simple, homemade makeover and so super easy! :)

I can't wait to use these candlesticks on the table for Andrew and his friends.
Little boys think skulls are fantastic. :)

Are you loving the Homemade Halloween week?
I know I am!
Tune in tomorrow morning for the cutest of crafts & a giveaway from Teresa!
xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post from Real Moms Eat Food! :)

2010-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second day of my Homemade Halloween event! I am having so much fun with this, and am excited to share with you the next guest blogger for today, Beth from Real Moms Love To Eat. She has cooked up a spooky snack that any kid would flip over! Read on, friends! I will see you again this afternoon for another post {from yours truly!} featuring a simple Halloween decor makeover tutorial. Don't miss it! :)
xo-Holly

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This post is by Beth Aldrich, author of the upcoming book, Real Moms Love to Eat (Penguin Books, NAL, 2011) and Certified Healthy Lifestyle-Green Living Expert and mother of three hungry boys! Visit Real Moms Love to Eat here!

Serving Up Haunted Dogs, Real Moms Style!

This real mom loves to eat healthy, delicious food. But sometimes salads and reduction sauces just don’t kick it with my three hungry sons, so I’ve come up with a few kid-friendly options over the years. Last week, my third grade co-room parent asked me to come up with some cute, nutritious ideas for our classroom Halloween party. I couldn’t resist the urge to suggest one of my own childhood favorites, protein-packed, organic Haunted Dogs!

Remember Sunday morning pancakes and pigs in a blanket? Well, take that concept and think scary mummies with blood-red eyes (or even yellow zombie eyes) and BOO! You have yourself an all-in-one Halloween meal. Go for organic wieners—the little goblins and princesses won't miss the carcinogenic nitrates found in conventional hot dogs. And if you’ve got any vegetarians in your bunch, there are always Lightlife’s Tofu Pups, which are made with organic soy.

Haunted Dogs
Serves as many as you like!

Ingredients:

Ready-to-bake crescent rolls

Organic hot dogs (I like Applegate Farms dogs)

Ketchup

Mustard

Cloves

Directions:

Roll each organic hot dog with one or two crescent rolls ready-to-bake dough (enough to cover entire “dog” leaving only the end of the top and tip of the bottom showing through the dough).

Bake each Haunted Dog according to package directions. When finished cooking, take dogs out of the oven to cool a bit, then add dots for eyes using either two mini cloves or dots made from ketchup or mustard.

As you can see, the recipe is super easy, and my kids absolutely love it. Sometimes the simple things are what make kid-friendly holidays the most memorable. I remember working for hours on an elaborate cake with a graveyard scene, and the kids tore into it in seconds, not realizing all of the hard work that went into it. So now, with a few years of experience under my belt, I’ve learned that less is best, as long as it tastes good and the plates are colorful.

Happy Halloween Meal Planning!

Homemade Halloween... A Giveaway from The Pleated Poppy! :)

2010-10-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today's giveaway is so super exciting!

Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy, one of my favorite handmade shops & fellow Queen Bee, is generously giving away a $25 shop credit to her shop!

This is how Lindsey describes herself...
"hi ! i'm lindsey cheney. i am married to an incredibly supportive husband and am mom to 3 littles, 6 and under. my days are full of sewing, home schooling, crafting, snuggling, avoiding the laundry, sneaking bites of chocolate, and wondering "is it naptime yet?". "

Want to enter to win the $25 shop credit?!

Here's how:

1. Visit The Pleated Poppy and let me know your favorite item!

2. Pay Lindsey a visit to her blog and become a follower!

3. Let me know in the comments on this post what your favorite part of Halloween is. :)

Good luck- a winner will be announced on Saturday, along with the week's other giveaway winners as well. Did you miss the Mommy Holly giveaway? There is still time to enter if you share the news of the Homemade Halloween event! :)

Happy Monday, friends!

See you tomorrow morning for another fun and delish guest post & recipe from Beth at Real Moms Love to Eat!! xo!

Homemade Halloween... A Guest Post from Sumo's Sweet Stuff! :)

2010-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning, and welcome to my Homemade Halloween week!
We will be celebrating the happiness of the handmade this week through guest posts, crafts, tutorials, ideas, recipes, and even lots of giveaways!! Let's get to it!

Our first guest post is from the wonderfully crafty Sumo! Please enjoy this darling Halloween craft and tune in at noon for another post! :) And of course, you can still enter the giveaway for spreading the word about the Homemade Halloween event! And tune in at noon today for another fab giveaway! Now, onto the homemade fun....!!

xo!- Holly
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Hello everyone!

I'm so excited to be guest blogging here today! I know I'm in some great company with the other guest bloggers lined up for the week!

I'm Sumo, from Sumo's Sweet Stuff!

My real name is Summer, but my husband nicknamed me Sumo when we were dating. (Should I be offended?) Now he's got all of my family, as well as lots of our friends, calling me Sumo. I think Aunt Sumo sounds pretty great, don't you? I live in Utah with my husband, and our two beautiful daughters - Reece & Remi!

Growing up, I never used to be all that domestic or crafty, so I think no one is more surprised than my mom at how I've ended up where I am today! I started Sumo's Sweet Stuff last May as a place to keep some of my crafting projects so that my personal blog wasn't overrun with them. Somehow, that developed into a place to host giveaways, share tutorials, share recipes, and feature fellow bloggers' ideas and blogs! I also use my blog to promote my etsy shop, so if you're ever in the market for some baby girl accessories, come on over! Every Monday is Market Yourself Monday, where you can link up your latest projects, and visit other blogs to get some inspiration!

Today I'm going to be sharing a tutorial with you for how to embellish your kids' Halloween shirts with bat wings!

After my daughter Remi was born this past March, I made her a butterfly wing onesie.

I thought it would be fun to put a Halloween spin on that idea: bat wings!

Last year I purchased Halloween shirts from Target during the post-Halloween clearance sale for super cheap. I had thought about getting them new shirts to put the bat wings on, but then I figured their Halloween shirts would actually be perfect!

What you need:

- shirt/onesie

- fabric

- heat and bond (if you are putting wings flat on the shirt)

- interfacing (if you are putting wings that hang off the shirt)

- wing template (I looked at some pictures online and free handed mine)

- iron

- sewing machine/accessories

We'll start off with Reece's shirt. I wanted her wings to hang off of her shirt since she is mobile and can (obviously) sit, stand, and walk on her own (unlike the little Remster.)

Start off by tracing your template on the interfacing. You're going to need two.

Next you'll want to trace your template on your fabric. You're going to need four wings total since you'll be having a front and back. I cut a bit outside of the template so that my interfacing would fit in between the layers easily.

Take your interfacing and iron it on to two of your wings.

Next you'll want to sew the top layer of your wings on to your interfaced wings.

After that, iron down small folds on your wings. This is where you're going to sew the wings on to the shirt.

Take your shirt and measure the width. Place a pin where the middle of the shirt is. This is where you'll sew your wings.

Pin your wings on to the shirt.

Sew the wings on to the shirt and you've got your little bat ready to go!

I did a different option for Remi. I just wanted her wings to be flat on her onesie.

You'll want to iron on some heat and bond to a piece of your fabric. (I didn't take a picture of this step for some reason!)

Trace your wing template on to your paper side of the heat and bond and cut out your wings.

Take your tape measure and find the middle of your onesie.

Take the paper backing off of your wings and place them on the onesie where you want them to go.

Iron them on.

Sew around the edges.

And your other little bat is ready to go!

Cute, fun, unique Halloween shirts!

And even cuter when on your sweet little ones!

If you have a little guy, a fun way to do the wings would be to have them extend from under his arm to his side (does that make sense?) Maybe that would seem more boy-ish.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Enjoy turning your little ones into bats!

Come visit me at Sumo's Sweet Stuff anytime for more tutorials, recipes, and ideas!

follow me friday.

2010-10-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, friends! :)

Here is a peek at my week...

What is Follow Me Friday?

It's a day where we can recap our week, and follow where we have been. It is a way to document your "going-ons" for the week in a fun way! My blog serves as a sort of journal to me in some ways, that I can look back on from time to time, and this helps me to see what my weekly life has been like. :) Want to play along? Grab the button above, start documenting your feet to see where you have been.

{The linky tool is up- join me!}

San Diego has had such snuggly weather lately, and I love it! And with Andrew off of school this week, there have been plenty of days in pajamas and slippers, lazily drinking coffee, crafting and playing inside. :) I adore cloudy, rainy, chilly days.

And even though it was raining on Monday, we decided to take a walk over at the nearby lake. The weather isn't stopping me! :)

What a beautiful place to be on a blustery day! We are lucky enough to have such an amazing place to walk near our house and it is even better on cold days. Andrew rode his scooter and we got very wet, but we came home to snuggle again late in the afternoon. Total heaven! :)

And of course, nothing says autumn like a trip to the pumpkin patch! Again, since Andrew is off school, it was the perfect time to go- no crowds, a lovely batch of pumpkins waiting for us, and it was a calm & relaxing time there! :) More photos to come...!

So go ahead and link up if you'd like us to follow you throughout your week! :) Or you can snap some photos this week and join me next Friday as well!

Happy weekend, xo!