i've been a busy bee!

Cards, cards, and more cards!!!

Lots of new items in the shop,

so please sneak a peek!

the "brillante" weblog award!

My lovely mom, Heidi, awarded me with this fun blog award and I keep forgetting to post about it! Given for "brilliant photos and text," I am feeling quite humbled, of course!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, momma... I so appreciate it and I feel quite honored!!! :)

And here are the rules ...

Put the logo on your blog...

Add a link to the person who awarded you.

Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

Add links to those blogs on yours.

Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I have been thinking about which blogs inspire me with creativity and photography, and so..... Here are the fabulous girls that I have nominated!

**drumroll please!**

1. {this is glamorous} ... surprise, surprise!! This is only the most beautiful blog you will ever come across... what amazing photos, inspiration, and design! This blog makes me swoon every time I visit. One of my all-time faves, of course! And I want to thank Ms. Glam herself for providing me with an endless supply of pretty pictures should I need them haha!

2. Crystal at Little Bit Funky ... A blog I adore, what a talented and creative momma to one adorable little boy!!! It is always a joy to visit your blog and etsy shop!!

3. Cece from All Dolled Up! ... what a fabulous blog and a fabulous girl!!! Cece makes me want to do everything vintage. You inspire me, missy!!! :)

4. Melissa from The Inspired Room ... the most amazing interiors and tips for flawless decorating!! Such gorgeous photos and I am in love with the "drive-bys" she does! It makes me want to grab my camera and drive through some amazing local neighborhoods.... which I just might do one of these days, Melissa! :)

5. Cream Puffs in Venice ... only the yummiest blog around!! Whenever you feel hungry, pop into this amazing recipe blog to feel as if you have just had a treat!!! Truly delicious recipes paired with perfect photos... yum, yum, yum! I totally internet-stalk this blog.

6. Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist ... the most imaginative blog! She is such a unique and whimsical artist... love, love, love this "wonderland" of creativity!!!

7. And last, but certainly not least, my MOM! I know she gave me this award and technically doesn't need to give out the award again haha... I am kind of screwing up with the "rules" here! BUT, I love her blog... love, love, love it! She always posts such fantastic photos, along with lovely text... maybe even a rhyme tossed in here and there!!! So she definitely gets my award for creativity throughout her blog.... love you, Mamma-cita!!!!

And PS. That top photo is purely for the purpose of making my blog look pretty. Who made that ugly award button, anyways???? Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of a "pretty" blog?! Eek. :) I took the flag photo when I lived in upstate New York. It was the front of our house there and I have always LOVED this picture!! :) xo!

a work in progress!

Just a quick update before I head downstairs to catch up on some shows! :) I have been so busy lately doing different swaps and keep meaning to post pictures of some of them. I participated in a card swap recently and send out these retro-looking Christmas cards that I absolutely adore!

I used Amy Butler paper, gold stamps and white buttons for a "snowy" look and I think they turned out really cute. I made a couple extra and they will be available in the shop, so take a peek!

I have also been cleaning and re-organizing like a crazy girl, so here is a quick snapshot of a cute corned in my bedroom! This is the table next to my bed and I just love how it turned out. Still need to make a tablecloth for it, but that is a project for an entirely different day!

The black and white photo is one my sister took and surprised me with a couple Mother's Days ago... Andrew and I sitting in front of a fountain at Balboa Park here in San Diego, one of my favorite places AND pictures! :)

Here is a better look at the whole table... and of course, my super-cool poster I snagged from Abercrombie & Fitch when I worked there a few years ago! That may never leave my room haha! :)

And an update on Andrew... he is doing much better, his leg is feeling good and he has to have the cast on for another 4 weeks. Let's cross our fingers that it heals up nicely so he can get it off right on schedule... then it's in the pool we go haha!

**Remember that my 100th post is coming up soon.. giveaways will be happening, yay!

i fell off my pink cloud with a thud..

"I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.."

-Elizabeth Taylor

“Pink is the color of romance

and a friend tells me that

the girl with the pink dress at the party

is the one who is selected for each dance.”

"A woman should be pink and cuddly for a man."

-Jayne Mansfield

Hope you are all enjoying a fantastic Pink Saturday! xo!

work, work, work!

What a breathtaking room....

simple and luxurious, yet so cozy!

That is what I am after for my own bedroom! I have had a few busy days of cleaning and organizing.... and I'm still not done! My bedroom is in a state of turmoil right now since I am cleaning out everything. Andrew has been patiently been playing while I work... toys, crafts, painting and his new favorite thing, his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, have all kept him very content! :) I just wanted to pop onto the computer to post a small update and then I am off once again.... We have to take Andrew down to Children's Hospital again today for another appointment to check his broken leg. He has been doing much better and has been hobbling around on his cast, whether or not he is supposed to... :) Anyways, wish us luck!

PS. I want to get some new cards up in the shop this week, so make sure to check back! More Halloween cards, as well as a new line of Christmas paper good, yay! AND, my 100th post is rapidly approaching and I am planning a wonderfully fun celebration that you won't want to miss!!! (Hint hint.... my first giveaway!!)

tag!

A few things are going on today.. first of all, the Shades of Inspiration color for the week on Sadie Olive is double trouble... pink and green!! And also I got tagged... twice!! Since I can't stand posts with no pictures, I thought I would roll the two into one blog. :)

Here are the rules for this tag:

1. link back to the person who tagged you. (Two lovely ladies, Beverly and Britt!)

2. post these rules on your blog.

3. share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. tag people at the end of your entry.

I agree with Bevery in that these things aren't exactly unimportant.... but just random things about me. :)

-I am a vegetarian. I wish I could transition myself into being a vegan, but it is a lot harder than it seems. I first became a vegetarian for health reasons, but it is now much more about the fact that these poor animals suffer for our own selfish eating habits... yuck. I think I need to break out my vegan cookbooks and get with the program!

-I love sorting and doing laundry, but hate putting it away. I think that is why I have baskets of laundry sitting in my room at this exact moment.

-I used to spend all my spare time quilting when I lived in New York. Something about the snow outside, combined with living way out in the country, made it possible to spend a lot of time sewing. Since I've moved back to San Diego, I have barely worked on it, which I think it kind of sad.

-I have an obsession with really long hair at the moment. Think "Serena-Van-der-Woodsen-from-Gossip-Girl" hair. I secretly wish my hair looked just like hers.

-I loveeee musicals... any movie or show where they spontaneously break into song is so awesome. Rent and Hairspray are two of my favorites, and this Friday, Mamma Mia opens!!!!!!!! :)

-I am taking a second human anatomy course this fall, and I will be dissecting human cadavers all semester, woo! It might seem weird to be excited about something like that, but I can't wait. :)

OK, now to tag some other lovely people and then head upstairs to clean and organize for the rest of the afternoon!!!

1. Amy from Amy & Jeff... she is super sweet and was paired with me in a swap... she also has such a great blog!

2. Colleen from Party of 5 ... she used to babysit me when I was little and is such a sweet momma to her three kiddos!

3. Maie from Jimaie.marie... what an awesome mom to two adorable little boys. :)

my "cuckoo" obsession!

I loveeeeeeee cuckoo clocks.

My grandma has had one in her house for a long time and I was always so fascinated when every hour, on the hour, the bells would ring and the little birdie would pop out to greet me! It seems like such a magical thing, and I have always loved them.

I came across an article somewhere (And forgive me, I can't remember what magazine!) where they took vintage cuckoo clocks, the not-so-pretty ones, and spray painted them all one color. So you could still have the ornate clock, but without the wood and primary color decoration! Monochromatic cuckoo clocks, who knew?!

And I am officially obsessed.

I did a google search for cuckoo clocks and actually found a lot of images, even a few that have a "modern" spin!

From Etsy, a very chic take on a very old-fashioned idea. I actually have a clock by decoylab, and LOVE it. Given to me for Mother's Day by Andrew and his dad, it is still sitting on my desk awaiting a proper home! :)

Ah! How awesome! A perfect example of the "monochromatic" clock I saw created in some magazine. :)

And another! Pink! Maybe I should have saved this one for next week's Pink Saturday??? ;)

And a truly magical little "room"... capturing the essence of the clock!

Now it is off to the pool to enjoy a lazy little afternoon while Andrew is with his dad. It is so nice to have one day off from the little broken-leg patient! Now I will be all refreshed to hang out with him all week again. :)

Hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend! xo!

paris in "pink" <3!

Paris in Pink!!!

Can it get any more breathtaking??

For lack of any unique ideas this week and due to my extreme fatigue tonite, I am posting another pink "city"! Last week I posted about London, and this week it will be Paris.... another city I am just dying to visit! I guess I had so many choices when I was trying to choose a destination for my "dream vacation" that I am now trying to get through them all. I'm just incorporating pink into all of these wonderful locations! :)

I helped throw a baby shower for a good friend tonite, so I am dead tired. It was such a beautiful party though, and Deena, the mom-to-be, looks radiant and is going to be such an awesome mommy!!! So I am posting my Pink Saturday post at 1am... just got home and I know I won't be up early to post it tomorrow! ;)

Be sure to visit Beverly and pop in on all the other pink ladies, always so much fun!!!! :) xoxoxo!

new items in the shop!

A few new thing are up in the shop! I am so excited to finally be selling some things and I love creating new cards and tags!! I do have a huge sale section in my shop to clear the way for some new items. Go pop in and take a peek!!

PS. Andrew's doctor appointment went well yesterday.. we were in and out of there in less than half an hour, record time for a hospital!! Andrew got his cast tightened and he channged the color to GREEN! The nurse told him that it is his "Hulk" cast, which he very much appreciated! Thanks for all your well-wishes! xo!!

my "indoor" summer! :)

The past few days have been full of playing Legos, finger paints, and lots of workbooks and coloring for Andrew. He is getting used to coming downstairs in the morning to turn on a good little show and eat breakfast on the couch. (That might be his favorite part, meals from his cozy little "nest" on the couch haha!) We are getting used to being inside more often than not these past few days, which actually does have its advantages. Before the broken leg, Andrew and I were swimming at least once a day, and spending the majority of time outside, so this really has been an adjustment for not just him, but me as well! So while he is happily building Lego structures on his lap, I am reading! Lots and lots and lots. I'm just about done with my 9th book of the summer and am loving it. Lots of girly, chick-lit, total fluff, and it is so fun! :) I will be starting the Narnia series soon though. Has anyone read them??? I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and the idea of a series or a succession of books makes me so excited. My mom and I went to see the newest Narnia movie and oh. my. gosssssshhhh. it was good!!!!!!!

I am off to sleep early tonite... we have an appointment at Children's Hospital tomorrow to get Andrew's cast tightened, so I will keep everyone updated. Thanks for all the sweet comments from all of you, he really is doing well and we are getting into the swing of things.

A special thanks to the wonderful Beverly, who sent an awesome package of goodies to Mr. Broken Leg, which he was thoroughly enjoying!!! You re the best, Beverly, thank you so much!!!! xo!

OK everyone.... Any more book recommendations for my indoor summer??? ;)

white tea party!

Welcome to my

... "white tea party"...

enjoy a lovely cup of mint tea

and choose your favorite cupcake!

I decided on a beautiful all-white color scheme because I just could not figure out what color to do! White is always a safe choice! ;) And oh-so-summery as well! Enjoy the lovely photos!

This will be a short post because of Andrew and his time-consuming broken leg... thank you to all of you who have posted such sweet comments and emailed me about it.. he is doing much better, his spirits are up and he is definitely getting used to the cast. He is figuring out what he can and can't do and is making the best of it. We have watched a lot of TV, done a lot of computer games, and I actually have gotten a lot of reading done in between helping him around the house. On to my 8th book of summer, yay! So, keep up the well-wishes and I will keep everyone posted on his progress with this crazy broken leg.

And please pop over to Jan's to see the rest of her tea party participants! Thanks for hosting, Jan! I will be by to visit all of you! xo!

a "pink" london!

I have always wanted to visit

London

...so here are some beautiful photos

for Beverly's Pink Saturday

that are making me feel

as though I just flew to London!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July yesterday.. we took Andrew to see fireworks and had a lovely time! I have the whole day to myself, since my little broken leg mister Andrew is with his dad all day. I will try to pop in to all of you pink ladies today and say hi! xo!

...and the bad.

We took Andrew to the fair two nights ago and he was having SO much fun, but on the last ride, one of those big slides in the kid's area, Andrew ended up hurting his leg really badly when he was coming down. The EMTs at the fair checked out his leg for about two seconds and said he was fine, but I had a hunch something else was wrong. We thought it was partly due to how tired he was and waited until the next morning to do anything major about it, but when he woke up he was crying about his leg hurting so bad. So yesterday my mom and I took him to his pediatrician, got X-rays, and then we were then sent all the way down to Children's Hospital to see an orthopedic specialist! It turns out that he has a tibial fracture right below his knee on the tibia bone. It is a fracture that goes right into the growth plate in his leg, so it is a pretty serious break and we will have to have X-rays every six months for the foreseeable future in order to make sure this fracture isn't affecting how he is growing at all. Andrew now has a HUGE orange cast on his leg, all the way up his thigh, so he will be immobilized for six weeks. WOW. I sure didn't think a broken leg would be part of our summer plans....

Before we got the "broken leg" news... Andrew hasn't been able to put weight on his leg since he hurt it, so he was tooling around in a wheelchair all day yesterday. He hated it at first, but got used to the idea pretty quick when he realized that he could move himself around in it. We will be going to rent a wheelchair for him tomorrow so that he can still go places with us and try to get a change of scenery once in a while. Believe me, it is very difficult to carry around a 45-pound child with a full leg cast! Thank goodness for wheelchairs, woo!

And now, behold the massive orange leg cast!

A very sad Andrew right before we left the hospital... he has muttered "I hate my cast.." about a million times in the past 24 hours, but it seems he is getting a bit more used to it as the day goes on. I do feel sorry for him though... It is hard for a very active 4-year old who loves to swim and play outside in the dirt... to be in a cast for over six weeks is going to get interesting...

Any good ideas for fun things to do for him???

On a happier note, I hope you all enjoy a relaxing Fourth of July and can celebrate and see some fireworks! Enjoy this fun day with your family! I hope Andrew is feeling up to driving down to see some fireworks later... he would so enjoy that, even with an immobilized little leg!! :) xo!

the good....

I just got around to uploading all of my pictures from the past week or two. Believe me, life has been crazy around our house! I will get to sharing it all with you, but I have to divide my pictures up in two sections first... the "good" and the "bad"! You will understand why in my next blog! On to the "good" pictures first...... We took Andrew to the Wild Animal Park with some kids and parents from the playgroup. He had so much fun and was actually interacting with the other kids... a huge milestone if you know my anti-social son!! ;) The top picture is Andrew and his dad feeding the lorikeets...
The lorikeets landed right on Andrew, and although surprised at first, he was loving it! Those birdies were hungry!
Little Andrew peeking out into the "wild" on the safari through the park... see the animals in the distance?! :) So fun!

Then we went to the county fair two nights ago, which was so much fun for the most part!

Andrew posing in front of a funny, fat piggy! They kept snorting at Andrew and I think he was a bit startled!! :)
Andrew made a new friend... this sweet cow kept coming over wanting Andrew to pet his head.. of course, my little animal lover was calling the cow "honey" in no time, petting him and becoming fast friends with a big brown beef cow. May I say.... at that moment, I was so ecstatic to be a vegetarian.
Andrew was getting into the rides, having a ball on the bumber boats, the "fun houses," all sorts of rides! He is a perfect age to start enjoying the fair like this!
Even I was having a "wild" time on the truck ride with Andrew! Thanks to my sister, for snapping this oh-so-flattering photo. ;)

The end of the fair is where our fun night went wayyyy downhill. I'll fully explain in the next blog.....

flags and the fourth of july <3 !!

I want to first of all wish everyone a safe, sunny and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend! I know we will be having a low-key day, swimming and being outside, and then going to see fireworks in the evening. I am so looking forward to it! :) I also wanted to post some flag pictures that amaze me... Kari and Kijsa are hosting a "flag" party, so check it out! Those girls are always thinking up cute things to post about.. thanks to both of them for inspiring this post today!

All of my pictures today have something to do with my favorite place, New York City, and of course, FLAGS as well!! :) The top picture is the fantastic St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is located across the street from Rockefeller Center. What a gorgeously ornate building, and the addition of the small flag in the corner of the picture adds so much to it... this is truly one of my favorite photos that I have ever come across!

The sun peeking through the sky-high buildings and the row of flags that show support for our country...
The flag-flying fronts of beautiful old brownstones.... what I wouldn't give to live there haha!!
And one of my favorite modern artists, Jasper Johns, completed this piece that now hangs in the NYC Museum of Modern Art. I have been there once and desperately need to go back... modern art is one of my favorite genres, and to see these pieces in front of you is truly amazing. :)

Also, a quick "thank you" to ALL of you who visited my tea party! I so appreciate all of the sweet comments you left, and I had so much fun participating in that awesomely fantastic party!!! :) xo!!