I Met Tracey and Tracey!

And it was great! Yesterday I treated myself with a drive up the block to Roseville to attend the 1st Roseville Antique Market. I knew the Tumbleweed Cotillion girls would be there and could not wait to meet them. Last year, when E and I separated, it was a post on Tracey's blog that led me to discover Getting Past Your Past and that blog has been the biggest help to me over the past nine months. It meant a lot to me to be able to tell Tracey about that.

Both of the Traceys are SO NICE! They are just so warm and kind- I wanted to sit down with them over coffee. I picked up a few little treasures from them, but they were already just about cleaned out! And it was only 10:30! Their stuff is so cute and the folks in Roseville seemed ready to buy. I picked up their adorable glitter clothespins, some sweet vintage seam binding, a tiny, glittery bouquet and a fab little photo of the Eiffel Tower that I had to add to my Paris bathroom.

The whole event was so great- I wish I had taken more pictures. I met Lisa Golightly too, who is enormously talented. In fact, she has just recently had some of her great designs licensed, so you'll be seeing more of her name, I'm sure. She was super nice too. She had the most amazing painting that she had done on canvas that combined decoupage, paint and resin that was stunning. I just found it here, but trust me when I say that it is even more cool in person.

The Tattered House is awesome! I can't believe how cool it is! They have great furniture, accessories, sea shells, crowns, soaps, etc. all housed in the sweetest little turquoise cottage. I can't believe I've never been there before. I will definitely be back- a great place for filling out my future coastal living room and a great place for gifts too.

My big find of the day was two king sized chenille bedspreads. Not fancy, just plain white. I'm going to turn them into slip covers for my couch. AFTER I get out of school for the summer, of course! I dreamt about chenille bedspreads Saturday night so I knew I would find them at the Market and sure enough, the very last vendor on the block had them. She let me have both for $35! I'm going to have custom-made chenille slipcovers for $35! (And a lot of elbow grease!)

Anyway, it was a wonderful morning. I wish I could have stayed and spent longer! I should have been at home working on my take-home math test that is due tonight and umm, yeah, still isn't done. *sigh* Maybe I can finish it on my lunch break.... Oh well, it was worth it!

Hugs to all!

Happy Easter!

I just had to show you Wendy's new Easter dress! I made this from a beautiful hankerchief given to me by Elaine Jackson in a doll swap four years ago. I hesitated over cutting into it, but it was just so perfect! I embroidered the little flowers on the front to match the original crochet edging. So pretty. She is a very happy girl now- this was her first new Easter dress in two years!

I hope you are all enjoying a blessed day. The kids and I will be taking dinner to my brother, Jonathan, tonight who is in the hospital, but coming home tomorrow. He was driving his little Honda scooter and got hit by a car! This was two weeks ago and it's been a really tough time for him. His left leg was broken in a really horrific way and they couldn't even put the plates and pins in until this past Thursday because there was so much swelling. There was so much damage due to road rash on the skin that they had to do a skin graft. Bless his heart, he has been so great through this. And, of course, we are just so thankful that it wasn't worse!

Yesterday, Kelly and I set this up for our six (!) kids so they could make these:I don't care how old these kids get, they still love to make Easter eggs! Actually, I have to qualify that last bit. Carmen was not here so it was five kids. She spent Spring Break in Colorado with her dear friend. She tried to ski and found out that she inherited the "no ski" gene! Sorry Carmen!

Well, I'm off to munch on jelly beans! Hugs out to all!

All I want is a room somewhere...

Wow! Isn't this gorgeous? Chris at Just Beachy did this. She did all that paneling herself and she even painted her doorbell mechanism to blend in. I love that attention to detail! Here is a post about how she extended her paneling up the wall to accomodate her growing children and here is another about how she pulled it all together. Brava, Chris! You are an inspiration!

Just Beachy is one of my newest favorite blogs because she has a passion for coastal style, which is a look that I am loving lately. I used to be quite a snob about coastal style- I felt that if you didn't live near a coast, then you shouldn't fling it all over your house! But now that I am dreaming of a future on the coast, it's become my obsession! I love to be surrounded by images and objects of the beach that inspire me to keep moving forward.

I don't know where I'd ever find the time and resources to re-do my living room in the next couple of years, but if I could, I would definitely give it a beachy-vibe. Not outrageously done with seagulls and such all over the place, but just a comfortable, inviting room that gently references the sea. A soft soothing shade of ocean blue (like Chris's) on the walls, some natural sea grass baskets with shells in them and that's about it. Ahhh, wouldn't it be loverly?

Hugs to all!

How cute is this little guy? Click here to learn more about him and maybe help him too.

Happy Sunday!

Yoda and Buddy (he's sacked out on the floor next to the bed) and I are chill-axing this morning. I had to share this photo because this is how my bed looks now most of the time! School books and computer now occupy the blank side of the bed. I won't even show you the rest of the room! You can definitely tell there has been a bit of a sea change around here.

School is great! I love it so much! It's the other stuff (you know, the four-letter word that starts with a W and ends with a K) that gets very tiresome. Especially the receptionist job. That's the one that's swingshifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not that I'd be having a big social life or anything, but it would be nice to do a little housework!

Ah, well, I can't complain too much on that score either. My dear step-daughter Kelly is staying with us currently and she has really been a help to me. There is finally someone else in the house that knows how to do dishes!!!

I took the photo below a few weeks ago because I wanted to show off my new, old lamp. It's alabaster- ain't it pretty? Hurray for garage sales!

Here's a closer view, but sadly, I can't capture the "glow" of the alabaster. It's just so pretty. How do you like my little mermaid bendy doll? She was a custom order from Princess Nimble Thimble. Her name is Libby Oceana and she encourages me to remember my long term goal of life in Morro Bay when I get discouraged by all the work and study. Isn't she so cute?

Well, that's it for now- back to the chillaxin'! I'll have to leave for work soon enough! I wish you all a lovely day- whether it's football or NOT!

Greetings, Friends!

I finally had a minute to look through my photos from Christmas and just had to share this one. This is Christmas morning. My old brown sectional was in need of some creative concealments and I love how these bedspreads look. I really love how cute Yoda is in that spotlight of sun that is coming in the fanlight of the front door. Kitties know how to do things right, don't they?

It's been a tough week here. I can't go into details, but a dear family member is in the hospital, so prayers for my family are welcome. There has also been a bright spot, unexpectedly, but it's too soon to talk about that. We will see if the bright spot remains just that, like Yoda's spotlight, or if it grows into something more...

Wishing you all a lovely weekend with the people you love.

Weeeeee!

Next week my classes start! I've thriftily ordered all of my textbooks online, in advance and have saved myself over $100 by doing so, she said proudly. They're almost all here and everytime I open one, I get so excited. I mean, wouldn't you?

Uh, yeah, me either on that last one! How embarrassing to be taking pre-algebra too. Well....it's been a long time since I've done any math other than adding up yardages and calculating sale percentages! Carmen is going to take it with me so that should be fun- two arty girls trying to help each other with math. I don't even care- I'm just so excited. For me, this is better than Christmas.

Sometimes, I still try to talk myself out of this. I'll say things like, "But now I'll never have a social life." and "Really? You really want to spend your time selling window coverings to entitled rich ladies?" I still have to answer yes! Yes, I want this degree even if it only ends up being something that enriches my personal life. I can make a living cleaning houses if I have to- I've done it before. If I find that I don't like one particular way of making a living at interior design, I will find another way. Actually, what I'd really enjoy (I think) would be a sweet little storefront specializing in unique gift, party and home decor items, with services to match. If not that, then perhaps I will write about design or teach design. No matter what I do with my lil ol' AA, I know I'm going to enjoy the learning process. As far as a social life, I suppose that can wait a while.

Hugs to all!