NEW OBSESSION: LUSH

LUSH!

I think I am in love . . . my mom had told me about LUSH and given me one of their news-catalogs, but I didn't think much of them . . . but on a quick side trip in Seattle, I discovered their shop right next to where we'd gone out to eat. It's a Canadian company and they use all natural ingredients. While in Edmonton I got to make a trip to another store. I wish I had more time and money to check out all their products, but these are some of my favorites so far.

1. DREAMTIME BATH MELT -- It's my new bath favorite. I break some of the bar off into my bath and it smells so good (lavender). Perfect for before bed!

2. DREAM CREAM -- Again, huge fan of lavender. This has got to be the most luxurious cream I've bought, it's so rich and smooth.

3. AMBROSIA -- I didn't buy a whole bottle, but the wonderful lady at the store gave me a sample to take home. It's a super lightweight shaving cream.

4. TRICHOMANIA SHAMPOO -- I haven't tried their shampoos yet, but they are solid! Some of them smell a little different, so I've been hesitant to try the, but this one is coconut, maybe it's the one!

INSPIRED BY . . . .WIPE OFF BOARD

from makeandtakes.com via Little Birdie Secrets -- I want to make one!

WANT IT: UNCOMMON CASE & PRINTS BY YELLENA

I have neither an Iphone or my own Ipod Touch. . .but if I'm craving this case from Uncommon

And after visiting the Etsy shop of the artist who designed the case, I wouldn't mind a couple of prints too!

FINISHED: TWEED/SILK SCARF PURSE

Well, the pattern is called that anyways. . . pretty sure my fabric from JoAnn's is not tweed, nor is the scarf that I got at Target, but it looks pretty good! I made it for someone else, but I'm a little in love with it -- I'll have to make myself another. The pattern is from the perfect handmade bag (recycle and reuse to make 35 beautiful totes, purses and more).

FINISHED: OATMEAL PULLOVER

I found this pattern through SouleMama and fell in love with it right away. The pattern by Jane Richmond and you can purchase the pattern at her Etsy shop.

Rather than using a more expensive yarn, I found a similar weight at Michael's for $4/skein. I was a little nervous about how much I'd end up using since the skeins weren't the same size, so I bought 8 and ended up using 5 (hoping that I can return what I didn't use!). After looking up a couple knitting abbreviations it was quite easy to do. It's knit from the top down, so it doesn't require seaming pieces together at the end.

Next time I may decide to make the body a little longer, and the sleeves a little longer with a bigger section of ribbing on them (like on the bottom). Can't wait for some cooler weather so I can wear it!

YUM: BEIGNET

World Market is right up there on my list of favorite places to shop. Discovered a beignet mix there on a more recent trip that is super easy to whip up and then devour! Traditionally they are covered with powdered sugar, but I did some up with cinnamon/sugar too : )

IN PROGRESS: MY FIRST SWEATER

IN PROGRESS: LUCY BLANKET

CRAZY BUSY SUMMER

Gee. . It's been awhile . . . this is what I've been up to this summer and hope that the next 4 weeks have lots more sunshine and fun!

Floating the Madison River --- 3 hours on the river with a ice cold Mike's. .. perfect Saturday afternoon

Visiting Alaska --- Sitka, Haines, everywhere in between

An Afternoon at Pike's Place Market in Seattle ---

Edmonton, Canada --- to see my brother who is there over the summer, lots of shopping and some fun at the waterpark

Summer nights in downtown Bozeman --- Music on Main, Bite of Bozeman, and just because

IT'S GOOD TO WATER YOUR PLANTS

This is the plant that makes it look like I have some idea of what I'm doing . .. the other one, not so much. .. maybe you'll see that one if I can bring it back to life!

WHAT SHALL WE DO TODAY: PAPER CHAINS

Not too long ago, I brought the kids that I nanny over to my house for the day. Every now and then it changes things up a bit for them. . .and I can catch up on laundry! This particular day was a very rainy day and the 6 year old didn't have school. My mom sent me this great little book with fun kids projects. I should have been better prepared with supplies . . .so we just did the easiest one - paper chains.

I'm a paper junkie and so many big sets of paper have sheets that I don't really like too much or there's things that I really won't ever use that much of. So. . .we raided my paper stash and cut lots of strips and went to town with the stapler. There were several breaks to play with other things, but over the day we made our paper chain 75+ feet. I think it will make a nice addition to their play room.

KANZASHI IN BLOOM + ETSY SEARCH

This looks like a lot of fun and is now on my wishlist!

ESTY SHOP PETALMIX:
Hair accessories and brooch pins are a modern twist on the Japanese art of tsumami kanzashi. Each petal is hand cut hand folded from beautiful high quality fabrics.

ESTY SHOP ANGHARAD:
I make all my items at home using a combination of fabrics, some designer and vintage. This shop is basically an outlet for the things I make as I can't resist buying beautiful fabrics and need to put them to use instead of hoarding them!

BABY "K"

Customized Baby Shower Gift

- "Onesies" for Baby "K"
- Pacifier clips
- Burp clothes

DIY: REFINISHED COFFEE TABLES

BEFORE:Here's the story.

Chad's mom was moving to Bozeman and we went out to look for furniture for her new place. He found an ad in the paper for a loveseat for $100 so we went to take a look. It was pretty much brand new and gorgeous and our style. The older woman selling it said she liked us so much that she'd give it to use for $75. We bought it, for us!, thinking we could get the matching sofa and give his mom our old furniture.

I was able to track down the store where she bought it from, but the series had been discontinued. After a little looking, I found the same exact style set in leather (the loveseat we bought is a suede-microfiber kinda fabric). About a year ago, along with buying the sofa, we got a matching chair. . .and about a month ago decided to buy the small ottoman to go with the chair. .it's here, just have to go back to Great Falls to pick it up!

Nice, new furniture of course spurred a whole redecorating of the living room. Kept the same lamps, found a new rug. .. and still had the coffee tables, which we really liked but the finish of the bases were a little bit industrial for the warmer feeling that was starting to happen. Chad is great at coming up with ideas for my decorating and craft dilemmas and suggested painting the bases - perfect!

Rust-Oleum makes a spray paint that has is brown with a hammered look when it's done drying. It took about $20 for 3 cans and tada - new tables. They came apart super easy, the paint was easy to use, it dried quickly and they look great.

AFTER:

SCD: SPRING FLOWERS AT SHOEFLY

Well, technically they're dogwood blossoms, and I'm not sure what season they bloom . . .but it's spring, and they're new and now at ShoeFly!