Simple Framed Art { frame a greeting card }

I love wall art. I love prints, I loved framed photos, I love metal or wood signage. Just love it.

 I always seem like I want to buy it.

But I've learned that restraint is important; for the wallet,

and also so your home doesn't end up looking a wall at TGI Friday's.

Here's the easy way I get my kicks: Greeting cards. Did you know standard greeting cards are 5x7"?  And as fun and artistic as they are these days, they happen to look great matted and framed. It's such a super, super simple way to refresh your decor. I change mine out seasonally and for holidays, or whenever I find something cute.

And to boot, it's totally inexpensive! I got this pretty little card for a BUCK at Michael's.

(Get it? Deer? Buck? Punny!)

The frame came with a mat. I found her on clearance at Target a couple of years ago.

Now go! Go browse those greeting cards!

Winding Down

Hi! Are you busy enjoying your summer?

Guess what?

My summer is almost over.

(Telling my kiddos that elicits dramatic groans.) I am knee-deep in backpacks and fresh pairs of shoes, and I couldn't be happier. Naturally, I think my kids are awesome and I love them to pieces, but you know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder and such.

We recently got back from our family trip to San Diego. (I was told that a getaway with the kids is called a trip. A getaway without the kids is a vacation. I'm still waiting for a vacation.) It started out great: we stayed on beautiful Coronado Island.

The kids had a blast riding boogie boards and splashing in the waves. There was a seal sighting. They collected shells.

Three full days and three amusement parks later, my youngest fella was pleading with us to leave SeaWorld... or begging me to take him to the van so he could take a nap. Oh my gosh.... is that remotely normal???

Not this kid of mine, though. He was over-the-moon the entire time.

God bless him. And the tween daughter really took one for the team at Legoland. Minimal eyerolling. I am so proud.

So, soon I hope to be back to serious stuff, like painting furniture and re-doing my kitchen table. If only the weather would cooperate. (106 degrees AND monsoon season humidity? Come on!)

In the meantime, I shall continue to visit my boys' "cushion houses" (We used to just make forts!) and try not to get mad when I see they ripped all the blankets and pillows off their beds to make them with.

Happy summering!

Hot and Fresh!

I did it. I finally got around to creating these fun, new hair pretties that I've had whirling in my mind the past couple of months!

Fun, right? Right now, I have them available on your choice of clip or headband (I love that they can be worn by practically any age.), but I'm thinking of offering them as a clip with interchangeable bands. Still working on perfecting that notion.

There is a GIVEAWAY for a $25 shop credit on my Facebook Page. Sound tempting? Check it out!

This morning I am chugging chamomile tea, trying to chase away my sore throat and general cold-yuckiness I've been battling for, oh.... forever now. Going to a rib fest to see KC and the Sunshine Band tonight with The Husband, woo! (Guess which one of us likes which of those two things, right?)

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

There's No Place Like Home (I suppose)

So, who has two thumbs and is definitely not moving to England?! -This Gal!-

Don't you feel sad for me? If you don't, that's ok. I had a pity party big enough for all of us. We found out last Thursday that The Husband's orders had been cancelled. We kind of had an inkling that it might happen, but it still felt like very bad news. I was very sad. No pretty little English house. No day trips to London. An even slimmer chance of befriending David and Victoria Beckham. 

sigh

But, que sera sera. It just wasn't part of the plan. Actually, all of my family are happy about it. And my friends, too. Except the one who felt emboldened by our international move and decided to let her husband look for a new job in another state -across the country- and now is moving herself, this summer. Sorry about that. Totally not my fault. Sad, though.

So, thankfully we don't have to get our house ready to rent (I was going to have to paint it all neutral. NEUTRAL, people!), I don't have to sell my beloved old mom-van, send our elderly dog to live with her grandparents, and most importantly, I can continue to enjoy all of my fun lamps (which wouldn't have worked in the UK)!

 

However, I do have a new Union Jack pillow that I've had to put away. It's not going to match anything in my Arizona house. Besides, any time I saw it I might feel compelled to gently weep.

Or not. It's pretty dang cute.

Clean up, clean up...

You know what my initial reaction was to finding out we're moving to England? (Well, aside from "OMG, maybe I'll run into Posh and Becks"!) 

I have so much stuff to get rid of!

I immediately hit up Craigslist and unloaded a couple of furniture items. Then I began to attempt to clean up my craft closet. I got about oh, a third into it, threw away some bits and bobs, organized some wrapping paper and then gave up. I still have a few months, after all. Anyway, I did determine that I MUST downsize my stock. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll even continue my hair accessory business once overseas...

So, in the everything must go spirit, my etsy shop is 50% off with coupon code LEAPYEAR! Help a sister out and go shopping, ok?

xoxo,