a special OCTOBER giveaway...

... because it's the start of my favorite season. although, i'd like it much better if it actually looked and felt like fall. this is when i really hate living in the freakin' desert. would it be weird if i bought some fake fall -like leaves and just sprinkled them all over my front lawn?


so, every year i order one of these yummy treats from Williams Sonoma:

Halloween Caramel Apple

seriously the most delish caramel apple EVER. and guess what? i want to share! yep... if you leave me a comment telling me what your favorite fall tradtion is, i will enter your name into a drawing and the winner will get to share in the joyous delight of this most delicious treat (don't worry... nuts are optional. ahem). 

so... drop me a line by october 15th. i will draw on the 16th. wheeeeeeeeeee!

have you seen the new fall pottery barn catalog?  i would so love to recreate this in my entryway. *swoon*

i'm hoping to get to "fall-ify" my house in the next few days. i add one new holiday handmade decor item every year. the new one is in progress and i'm crossing my fingers it turns out as cute as it is in my head. i'll be sure to share it if it does. heh. this was last year's project:

(awwww... lookit my little corduroy punkins. i LOVE those suckers!)

in other news... the new challenge is up over at simply ArTistiC! jenny tucker presented us with a fun "Alice in Wonderland" flower challenge and omgoodness... you must see what our GD and the other ArTCees whipped up for this one. super cute. 

here's the ATC i made for this challenge:

come play along! there's plenty of time to get one in for this challenge. the deadline is october 15th. and you can win fun prizes and trade with other ATCers. that's the best part. :)

here's wishing you a happy october and start to the holiday season!

don't forget to leave me a blurb! don't you want a chance at a yummy caramel apple? ;)

xo

i've got some updating to do...

... on my poor, neglected little blog. but let's not call blog protective services just yet. i've been visiting behind the scenes. remember that whole blog makeover thing i mentioned oh... 6-7 months ago? still working on it. yep. and i've not wanted to post anything until it's all pretty and stuff. but i've come to the realization that it will most likely NOT be done until... next year. *sigh* ah well... little by little, i suppose.


so, i just want to do a quick update on things i've crafted, like more little art pieces  for "simply ArTistiC"! ok, if you haven't been over there yet, you must. it's the most fun i've had and the most inspired i've been in a long time and i owe it to the fabulous group of designers & their challenges, and to those that are participating in said challenges. and then there's the swapping of said fabulous cards. there are some amazing ATC artists out there. just saying.


we've had 4 challenges so far & here's what i've done for them (card #1 is in the post down below):

For Sasha's challenge - Card #2/Vintage Alice

For Erin's challenge - Card #3/Queen of Hearts

For Christina's challenge - Card #4/Gothic Queen

Card #4 challenge just went up today so there's PLENTY of time to get in on that fun. we have some pretty fantastic guest designers for this one too! go take a peek! and then make a little art. 

and a quick update on things up & coming:

* a kitchen makeover

* some fall-ish type crafty goodness

* a final count (and perhaps some new photos... finally!) of pounds & inches lost this year. woohoo!

* a potential bizz involving two of my favorite things. well, one of them is not a "thing" per say. aaaaaand that's all i'm gonna say about that.

happy wednesday!

xo

it's up! it's up!

the little "project" i've been working on for the past few months is finally up! 

in case you haven't seen or heard about it yet, this is my baby. our baby. i say "our" because without the fabulous group of women & artists that i was able (and lucky enough) to talk into this little adventure, it surely would not be as fabulous! so for the

gajillionth time...

THANK YOU heatherstaceysashaerinjennychristinamariemandykaylee

stephanieangeladebeedaniellepattyrhi! :)

the joint is called:

http://www.simplyatc.com/

and as the description says - it's a challenge AND a swap blog for creators and lovers of Artist Trading Cards.

why did i create a challenge & swap blog for ATC's? 

1. i LOVE making ATCs. love. 

2. there  isn't a whole lot of inspiration out there for this medium. even less in the form of a challenge blog. but there should be because these little works of art are so fun to make and perfect for those who don't have alot of time but still want to work the creative mojo. like me. ;)

3. i like a good ATC swap (you should see all the ATCs i have collected over the past 3 years!), but what i don't like is having to make multiple cards (most often identical because again, who has time to make 20+ unique cards?) in such a short period of time. plus the shipping of these cards is kind of a pain. well, maybe just for me. but still...

i liked the idea of swapping one-on-one with another artist and obtaining a set of cards over a longer period of time - thus the swapping portion of "simply ArTistiC" was born! yay!

our first challenge has been posted and there is still plenty of time to play along! get over there and check out the prompt, as well as the fabulous ATCs made by our creative team (the ArTCees) and our so inspiring guest designer, tara anderson.

here's what i made for card #1 of our "alice in wonderland" set:

the red one is up for trading! i have fallen in love with the blue one so i may have to keep that for myself. :)

so there it is. i'm beyond thrilled to finally have gotten this going and i can't wait to see everyone's creations, but i think the most exciting part (at least for me) is finding out who will be swapping with who. it'll be different with every challenge, so it's sort of like... christmas. twice a month! wheeeeeee!

now, i can focus on some other projects - like revamping this blog and a little redecorating of the house. well, i can once the girls are back in school... which isn't too far off. just a couple of weeks of summer vacation left. wow... did that fly!

xo

it's almost time...

... to reveal this little "project" i've dreamt of and made a reality - with the help of some of my favorite girls, whom also happen to be incredibly crafty & creative. i couldn't be more excited about the team that's in place for this venture and i can't wait to see them rock it out! 


i don't want to say too much yet, except that it combines 3 of my favorite things:


1. inspiration and the freedom to create based only on artistic interpretation
2. one of my favorite forms of art - ATC's (like this set i made recently for a dear friend)

3. swapping these little goodies with fellow ATC'ers (BUT... without having to make 2165436 at once!)
every set of cards will be one-of-a kind. FABULOUS.


sound interesting? 
august 1st... that's the day. 
i'm soooooooooooo excited! :)


xo

a little bit of arting...

with some delightful buttons from kittyrobot.

when the super cool jodie leigh asked if i would guest design for the kittyrobot blog, i was THRILLED! i've been a fan since i got my first set of kittyrobot buttons (the adorable tiny owls) in a SIStv collection oh... 2+ years ago. and being the hoarder that i am, they still sit in their tiny little package... lookin' all cute n' stuff. only because i have yet to find that perfect project that will allow me to admire them on a daily basis. :)

i'd been making a list of all the lovelies i had been wanting to order... from sweet little cupcakes to teeny teacups to buttons that made me think of donuts (yes. donuts. they have sprinkles!) - so when i opened the special package of goodies she sent me, i was giddy because most of them were on my list. wheeeeeeeeeeee!

here's what i made:

#1 - a puffy frame. because well, that's what i do. ;) i used the yummy bling cupcake buttons in this piece, but i have to tell you... the picture just doesn't do them justice. you can't really tell here, but the frosting part of cupcakes has some glimmer & sparkle to it! so.delicious.

#2 - hoops. and cages. these were inspired, first - by a project that the crazy talented kerry lynn yeary created for her alameda project kit class over at kenner road (which i was lucky enough snag before they sold out!) and second - by the pretty romance rose button that jodie sent. the color lent itself perfectly to the BG birdcage patterned paper i had been hoarding forEVER. i knew i was saving it for a reason. ;)

#3 - holy crap... an actual layout! i've been wanting to scrap this photo of my little niece dressed up as a princess for the longest time (omg she's so cute!) and as soon as i saw the dollface fabric buttons (the red-haired doll is wearing a tiara!), i knew they'd be perfect for this project. it just so happened that the color combinations in my jenni bowlin april kit was meant for this project too... along with some heather bailey fabric scraps. and some dear lizzy crocheted cuties. and some beads. and some stickles sparkle. and a stitched title ala amy tangerine. :)





thanks again to jodie & ayesha for letting me play with some kittyrobot goodies! i'll be ordering some more lovelies soon.

i had a great time creating these projects. this was just the push i needed to get the mojo flowing again and i'm hoping it'll continue... especially with the upcoming "project" i have planned. stay tuned. :)

happy wednesday!
xo

losing my jiggly parts...

for all the pretty dresses...like this one:

Primula Dress

and this one:

Oratory Dress

oh. and for my health too. ;) but those dresses... *swoon*

6 weeks ago, i started "the angie makeover" - the one where i lose some poundage, because lemme tell you, i was piling them pounds on. and feeling it - i had zero energy, i was bloaty & gassy (it happens. don't judge.), and had consistent heartburn & acid reflux with every meal i ate, no matter what it was. not to mention, i just wasn't feeling like my best self. i know when i get that feeling, that it's time to do something about it.

i started this journey at the perfect time. turns out, i was at very high risk for diabetes, which i figured because it runs in my family. and... my blood work showed complications with my gallbladder, which explained the bloating and painful indigestion. YIKES!

so, last saturday marked the last day of phase 1 of my HCG diet (no more injections! hooray!) and the day that i tallied up total losses. are you ready for this? drum roll please............

23 POUNDS and 25 1/4 INCHES LOST in 6 weeks!!

i admit i was a tad disappointed that i only lost 23 lbs. during this phase. i knew i would be, only because i had set my expectations waaaay too high after reading the success stories of others on this particular diet (ugh. i despise that word.) and i had relied upon that number on the damn scale too much, like i knew i would... even though i knew better. which is why i also despise scales. unfortch, i have to make it my friend for the time being.

anyway, after taking measurements and seeing the total inches lost, i was more than satisfied. i lost a total of 6 inches around my waist alone! and 5 around my hips. totally noticeable because all of my jeans are now falling off my ass. and i'm looking like a fool. with my pants on the ground.

sadly, i also lost 2 inches around my chest (meaning - a cup size. or 2.) MY BAZONGAS! where have they gone?! stupid fat. wanh wanh. i shan't complain, though.

i'm now in the last 6 weeks of the "protocol" - where i get to slowly add in the good fats (helloooooo guacamole) and carbs/sugar. so far i've managed to drop another pound. i will say that after 6 weeks of minimal food/calorie intake, i was a bit hesitant to add more to my servings. my appetite still has not returned to normal. i'm happy to ride with it, but WHAT.THE.HELL.

5 weeks ago, this lovely little candy dish was filled to the brim with scrumptious hersheys kisses. (i didn't eat them all. i swear!) and it took everything.i.had to not dump the entire contents of said candy dish into my piehole, wrappers and all. everytime i walked by, it caught my eye. eventually, i had to go over to it, lift the lid, get a good whiff and then promptly walk away. btw, i am the only one who thinks hersheys kisses smell like cheese? anyway... now, i see chocolate and i feel nothing. NOTHING. it sorta makes me feel dead inside. heh.

* so... am i glad i did this? - absolutely. i needed to do something that would yield fast results so as to not lose my motivation. also, i've learned how to cook with real food! yay me! it's amazing how wonderful fresh produce, organic meats and spices can taste. :)

* would i do this again? - now having done it once, knowing what to expect, and knowing that i do have the willpower necessary to take this on... yes. but only with the understanding that this should not become a "quick fix". because it isn't.

* would i recommend this? - i certainly don't want to be an advocate for HCG, but i would recommend it with these 3 conditions:

- that it only be used as a jump start to weight loss & a healthier lifestyle (where it concerns food & exercise).

- that it be done with extreme determination and willpower. you'll need it. and it's required.

- that it be medically supervised and customized to your needs and your body. HCG is readily available out there in cyberland (and cheaper), but i dared not take that chance.

so tell me... would you ever consider such a ridiculous diet? ;)

with this makeover underway, i can now focus on the others i had planned for this year - my blog & little home re-decorating. and even an extra little fun & creative something. and with more energy! :D more on this later...

happy weekend!

xo

ROAD TRiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiP...

so... a couple of saturdays ago, i woke up (at noon o'clock) and thought "hey, i feel like driving 2 hours up to Sedona to eat some guacamole from my fave mexican restaurant!"

random and spontaneous? yes. my husband thought so too as i shook, slapped & tickled him awake. other thoughts crossed his mind... but i won't go into all that.

i figured since it was the start of spring break for the girls and well, we really couldn't afford to go anywhere other than the movie theater that week, this could be a little mini vacay for them. and good for us to get outta the house. as a family. just the four of us. together. yep. so... off we went. (after stopping at the 'bucks for some snacks and a dark cherry mocha. yum.)
the best part of living up in north phoenix and minutes away from the freeway is that escaping from the city is relatively easy and doesn't take us as long to get to places. like i said, sedona is only about a 2 hour drive for us. less if chris drives. awesome.

i just got around to editing some of the photos i took with my fanceh Rebel T1i. and thank GOD i remembered to take the memory card out of my laptop and put it back into the camera. ahem. someday i hope to be able to take fantastical photos naturally without having to photoshop the hell outta them, but for now... gotta do what i gotta do.

this is the patio of our favorite mexican restaurant (with the best margaritas & guac) in Sedona, El Rincon, located in the beautiful Tlaquepaque shopping plaza/courtyard. it was a bit too chilly to sit outside, hence the lack of diners out there, but aren't the colors so warm and festive? love it.

the shopping plaza itself is made up of 2 gorgeous courtyards with lovely fountains, tiled and cobblestoned floors, luscious green plants and vines... makes me wish i lived there. i want my entire house to be covered in vines like this.

the kid + grapevine donkeys. or burros. is there a difference? whatever. super cute. i wonder how my HOA would react to having wicker donkeys in my front yard...

i took a couple... few... several pictures of the family in front of this fountain but clearly, they'd had enough about halfway through. the look on their faces pretty much says it all. (it's the price they pay for have a scrappy mama/wife. someday they'll thank me. or have me committed.)

so, we parked in front of this tree and while we were securing some stuff in the car, the girls discovered this carving and said "hey! it's A for angie plus C for chris! this parking spot was meant to be!" seriously. how perfect is that? awwww...

blue sky, red rocks, and a smidgen of snow. can you see it?

and this is what happens when the snow melts - waterfalls. we saw several of these scattered about in the mountains... kind of a rare sight in Sedona. we've had a crazy winter/spring, y'all.

took a drive to Oak Creek Canyon - man, that creek (or "crik" as chris calls it) was raging!

our final stop before heading back home was the Dairy Queen in Oak Creek Canyon, but before getting our tasty blizzards, the girls wanted to buy a little something from the "tourist traps" set up in the parking lot... which was totally fine because it was all beautifully handmade. :)

so... that was our kick off to spring break. even though there was a little bit of bitching & moaning in the beginning to the nonsensical suggestion to take a road trip, everyone agreed in the end that it was an excellent idea. *pats self on back*

what did you do (or what are your plans) for spring break?

xo