Vacation!!

Sorry for my recent disappearance; I've been super-busy with work, school-related stuff, and packing for vacation! My family and I are leaving tomorrow for Atlanta, and then I'm off to the Virgin Fest in Baltimore right afterward! I'm so excited, and I'm going to be so exhausted afterward.... oi!

So, again, I'm sorry for the absence, and I shall see you all when I return on the 5th!

Have a lovely 9 days!

♥

Furry, but still..... framed!

I decided these would look extra-sweet in white frames, so...

They're now in the shop!

Furry, But Still Pretty

Aren't they just the sweetest?! They're both a bit shy about their... unique qualities.... but for no reason! I think they're beautiful!

My, What Big Ears You Have!

Shy as a Fox

They'll be available in the shop very soon!

***

What else have I been up to? Well..... I got halfway through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. Its quite a long book, so I'm satisfied with this progress! I meant to finish the rest of it today before work at 4 o'clock this evening, but I really felt like drawing instead. Perhaps I'll take it to work with me to read on my breaks.

I'm super-excited about a couple of things: number one, Chris is coming home this evening for his interview with The Record Herald tomorrow. I am on pins and needles, waiting to see if he'll get this job! I am soooo hoping that he will, so he'll be in this area whilst I am finishing school! (Everyone keep your fingers crossed for him tomorrow!)

And number two, I just got an email from miss Heidi Kenney (some of you might know her as My Paper Crane), who happens to live in the same town as me (and whom I didn't know lived in the same town as me until recently, and whom I have never met, which is shocking, as its a very small town!). Anyway, she replied to an email I sent asking about a Crafter's Circle that is apparently held in our town once a month, which I have never heard of. She gave me the email address of the lady who organizes it, so of course I promptly asked for details! It would be wonderful to meet other crafty people in this area, especially a talent like Miss Heidi!

Shop Update, Part Deux

The Lollipop Topiary

I loved how my Peppermint Tree turned out yesterday, so I made a part deux - a Lollipop Topiary! Its already in the shop...go have a look!

I was playing around a bit with my fancy new paper-corner-punch. It has 3 different punches for the corners of paper, and they look like pretty lace. I pretty much love it. ♥

And now, because I'm jealous of everyone who currently has their nose stuck in a certain book, I'm going to read its predecessor (since I'm a bit behind, and have only read through #4, but seen the movie for #5, so we'll consider that 'caught up'!).

Off I go to read for the rest of the evening!

Happy Sunday to everyone!

*~*Shop Update*~*

Hooray! I'm finally updating the shop again!

I went to the craft store today (actually TWO craft stores!!), and loaded up on all sorts of new supplies, so as to bring you new goodies, such as these:

The totes won't be available in the shop for another couple of days... these are my first two, and I need to do some testing in the wash, etc. I am so super-excited about them! I love how they turned out. We'll keep our fingers crossed; and they should be in the shop by the middle of the week!

I'm also pondering whether I should add some sort of design around his neck... a crest, or a banner, or something... I'm open to suggestions! Or maybe you like it how it is? Leave me some comments and help me out!

***

I did a wee bit of painting tonight, and came up with this:

Little Peppermint Tree

I have been dreaming of this tree all day long, and it came out just perfect! I bought a bunch of these pretty little plaques today, so I'm thinking about doing a few more similar to this. I'll have a hard time saying goodbye to this one!

***

I have a few other things up my sleeve, but for now I have to go to sleep! Work is bright and early tomorrow, boo! But then I have all afternoon to whip up some more goodies for your viewing pleasure! ;)

♥

New stampy-goodness for packaging-sweetness!

How do you like that blog-title? ;)

I've been working on my packaging techniques lately, and decided that I need a decoration for prettying-up my packages. So, last night, I drew this:

He's the simplified version of my painting, Le Cirque du Mousie, and he is soon to be a rubber stamp, made by rubberstamps.net. I am super-excited!

Etsy Treasury Poster Contest Entry

There's my entry!

You'll notice, its very similar to a treasury I made once before, with a few new things added here and there. I think its bea-u-ti-ful. :D

Yay! Good Things!

Well, I just talked to Chris, and he is coming home again for that interview on Tuesday. Hooray! And, it just so happens, that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week, I am off from work! Hip hip hooray!

In celebration of these good things, I bring you....

GOOD THINGS!!!

Oh Deer Hoodie by I'm Your Present

Everything in this girl's shop is absolutely adorable... almost too adorable... but I love it!

A Little Bird Told Me bookmark by Sleeping Forest Studios

I just discovered this shop today, and I am absolutely in love with these bookmarks! They have other designs, too, but this one is my favorite.

Sweetness Earrings by Bombalurina

There are matching necklaces, too. I could just die.

Dazzling Felted Bead Necklace by Lana de Flor
Felted, felted, felted! This shop is chock-full of awesome felted jewelry and accessories! I love the felted lily pins!

Captain Stuffin by Pink Snowflakes ♥♥♥

Honey Bee Queen cloth doll by Cristina's Treasures

Well, there you have it, folks! Lots and lots of fun things for you to look at! I was really trying to get a Treasury today, but to no avail. I think its because of that Treasury Poster contest they're having. Whatever. I haven't shared any Good Things in a while, so that's ok anyway.

I hope everyone has had a lovely day, and will sleep tight tonight!

♥

Oh Happy Day!

You know, the Bluebird of Happiness! ;)

Well! My day just improved radically! Chris called a few minutes ago to tell me that he's got an interview with my local newspaper! That was the whole reason he came home earlier this week: to apply in-person at my local newspaper, since a) they're hiring and b) he's graduating in December. We went on Monday, and they told him the position had been hired just 2 days before that. He was so disappointed! (So was I....in fact, I think I was even more disappointed! I really wanted him to move to this area after college, since I'm starting at a local college in the fall and will be here for the next couple of years!). So I've been super bummed-out, thinking that he'll end up taking a job at the other end of the country, and that will be it for us. But! I have new hope! The editor of the paper called him today and said that the woman who had been hired found a job closer to her home, and they'd like to interview Chris! We're both super-excited. I hopehopehope he gets the job!!! There's an apartment for rent right below and next door to 2 of my good friends, and it would just be perfect for him/us... he asked if I'd be moving in right away, but I think I'd like some time for him to get used to a job, and me to get used to school again, before moving in together.... its only 15 minutes from my parents house, anyway! Oh, listen to me, getting ahead of myself! First he needs to get the job! Silly me. :D

Since I was so happy, I got a bit inspired, and drew this sweet little card set:

♥♥♥♥♥

Elephants On Parade

I think this girl has elephants on the brain!

We went to Mister Ed's Elephant Museum yesterday. Mostly, its a candy/souvenier shop, but there is a little "elephant museum" in one part of the building... This Mr. Ed has been collecting things with elephants on it since the 60's, and he's got over 6,000 items on display. It was all fascinating, because there were antique toys, jewelry, and even a child's training toilet, with elephants on it.... the only problem I had was that there were no little plaques, or cards, or anything, to tell you about the items. Just shelves and shelves, filled with elephant memorabilia. But still a fun time.

You can see the rest of my pictures from Mister Ed's in my Flickr set.

So anyway, now Chris has gone back to State College. Since I've got quite a busy month ahead of me, I'm not sure when I'll get to see him again. That's really quite depressing. I have 3 days off from work coming up next week, but I'll have to make a doctor's appointment for one of those days so I can have my school physical (bleh), and I really shouldn't spend any money anyway since right after that I leave for vacation in Atlanta... the day after we come back from Atlanta, I have a 2-day concert to go to in Baltimore (VirginFest), and in the days right after that, I'll be house-sitting for some friends for about a week. And only about 2 weeks after that, school will start. And then who knows. How very depressing - it makes me very anxious, not knowing when I'll see Chris again. But I can take comfort in knowing that we've done it before. Most of our 3-year relationship has been long-distance-ish, only getting to see each other every couple of weeks, or in the most extreme times, every couple of months. I guess that's how it goes, when we're both in school, and have jobs, and everything else. At least he graduates in December.... but then - he's applied for jobs all over the country... California, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio. I could just strangle him, sometimes. ;) I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that he'll get the first call from my local newspaper, and not have a need to take interviews anywhere else. *fingers crossed*

On to a different subject now, I watched a few movies yesterday. First, I watched The Triplets of Belleville. It was, to say the least, mesmerizing. Strange, no doubt, but I couldn't stop watching it! Its just not at all what you'd expect from an animated film... its very dark, and all hand-drawn, and so detailed! You just have to see it. Its fantastic!

I also watched Disney-Pixars' Ratatouille. Very cute! I wasn't really thrilled to see it, but it definitely exceeded my expectations! I will say, though - Disney films just don't feel like Disney films anymore. I was trying to figure out why, and then it hit me - no music! There are no song-and-dance numbers in Disney films anymore. Whatever happened to the big musical scenes, like there used to be? Think about it - all of the great Disney classics have great soundtracks, even going on to win awards. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas.... I could go on. But no more! It really makes a difference, to me, anyway.

Ok. I'm done complaining. Sorry for all the negative energy today! I'm just a bit sad today, and more than a little anxious about all of the things that will be happening in the near future. My life is coming to a crossroads, and I'm a bit nervous!

Caledonia

STA60010, originally uploaded by crackthesky17.

Well, we didn't go to Mr. Ed's yesterday.... they closed at 5:00, so we're going today (in just a few minutes, actually.... I need to get my butt moving!). Instead, we went to another park in our area, Renfrew. I actually haven't been there in a few years, and I forgot how lovely it is! They have an amazing old German Four-Square Garden, and it was just beautiful, and we had so much fun walking around for a few hours. I just uploaded a bunch of pictures to a set on my Flickr, so go check it out!

Oh, look! My Stuffed Cupcake has been featured on the Vintage Indie blog! Check it out!

Another enchanted day in the woods...

Well, I've been awful and lazy lately, so instead of being productive with my free time, I go walking in the woods with my favorite boy.

Wild rhodondendron

See the wild canary??

Twins!

It was just such a beautiful day today! We packed a picnic lunch (ok, it was leftover pizza, so?!), and walked on the trails, and took turns taking pictures (only 1 that Chris took turned out because he's used to big, fancy, professional cameras from school, and hasn't ever really used mine, but he really does take good pictures. ;) This is his version of this tree:

And here's my version of the same tree:

I think those 2 very different pictures of the same tree say a lot about both of us - his is very dark, and ethereal, and sort of "big-picture", and mine is super-detailed and bright. (Plus he took photojournalism classes, and I have absolutely no training in photography, so that might have something to do with it also!)

And now, I have some un-fun things to do, such as laundry and room-cleaning. Then I'm back down to Chris' house and maybe to Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum?? We want to do more fun things today... Hmm......

Its a Small World Afterall

in england, originally uploaded by peachcake.

Me, Fede, Bobby, Philipp, and Joe on our Senior Trip in 2003, in the same phone booth!

Go ahead, sing the theme song to that Disney ride.... its perfectly fitting for this post!

I was just looking at my friend Peachcake's photos on Flickr, when I realized I have almost the same picture as her, taken 4 years ago.

It got me thinking... isn't it a strange thing, that people who have never met before, stand in the exact same place years apart, and then become friends later? I guess its really not that strange, but when you think about it, it seems magical.... now that Peach and I are friends, to see that we have almost identical photographs taken years apart, its just amazing!

Done digging, and lots of pictures!

Since my last post was all words, here's one with all pictures.

To see the rest of my pictures of my garden (finished planting for now!), check out my Flickr.

I have dirt in my nose.

Just wanted to drop by to say, hello, and that I have been digging in the dirt ALL. DAY. LONG. Really. All day. And not only my dirt - oh, no. Grandma and I went to a lady's house, where she advertised that she would sell 3 shovel-fulls of her lilies for only $10. So 3 shovel-fulls, we got. Three different varieties. She must have had 2o different varieties all around her house. They're so beautiful. I'll have to take some pictures tomorrow after I plant them. I also bought a Camelot Cream Foxglove. Yay! I love foxglove! I love all big, bright flowers. Hooray!

So, after it cooled down a bit this evening (it was soooo hot today!), I went out there and dug, dug, dug until my garden is about twice the size it was earlier today! Its so much easier to do when its a nice, breezy evening! I still have a bit of digging to do, on the other side of the old lilac bush. Oh! I started digging on that side, when it started getting dark this evening, and I found something wooden buried along the perimeter.... an old garden fence-border that was part of the old flower bed! I'm definitely going to clean it up and use it somewhere around my garden...

I have so many ideas for different gardens around the yard now! After I'm done planting the remainder of my current flower bed, I plan on making a butterfly garden in the backyard where there's already a bit of a hole dug where our first swimming pool was, years ago. Grandma has tons of milkweed, butterfly bush, and bee balm that we can put back there.... and we have a nice little sitting-area out under the old pine trees, where the hammock is - I'd like to plan some hostas around the pine trunks, and maybe a few shade-flowers around this one old stump we have out there....

Sorry I didn't take any pictures today - Too busy digging! I'm going to take some "before" pictures tomorrow while its too hot to be digging, and then you'll see exactly what I'm talking about as I'm describing all of these projects to you!

My Garden is A-Growin'!

It is growing, quite literally - I've been out digging last night and today, and widened my garden by about 2 feet. And I'm still not done!

I moved the 2 Hostas that Chris' mom gave me, and added 3 more that Grandma gave me yesterday, so I have a nice little row of Hostas under the lilac bush. Grandma planted a few portulacas at one end, and they've just started blooming these past few days. I have 2 new little garden sentinels, to keep out pesky gnomes, and I added little rock borders around my plants (mom says it reminds her of Blair Witch.... hmph!). I've been quite busy in my little garden yesterday and today! Oh! And I had a little visitor yesterday, which I got to see up close and personal (but unfortunately didn't have my camera on hand!). A tiny little hummingbird came and visited my Bee Balm twice yesterday, while I was right beside it! The first time it startled me, so I guess I jumped and scared it away. It came back later, and I heard it coming, so I sat very still.... and it sipped the nectar from my bee balm while I watched, motionless, only a foot away! Then, it saw me - and it actually came to inspect me! I don't know if maybe it saw its own reflection in my glasses, or what, but I was honestly scared it was going to attack my face. But it didn't, thank goodness! It flew at me and buzzed around my head for about a minute, and then I guess it was satisfied, because it darted off to the trumpet vine on the other side of the house. What an experience! Later, in the evening, I was eating dinner on the porch with my grandma, and we saw our little hummingbird sitting on a branch in the tree in the front yard. He buzzed around for a bit, then went back to his trumpet vine. I suspect he has a little nest in there....

bee balm

Little garden sentinels

Gardening has become a new fascination of mine.... I always thought I didn't possess the Green Thumb, but maybe I do? I hope! I have big plans for our yard, you see. We have quite a large yard, about 1 and a half acres, mostly just lawn. We rarely even go into the back parts of the yard, because there's nothing there. Just a tree or a bush scattered sparsely through the yard, with no rhyme or reason. What I would really like to do is have a walk-through garden, with a little pond (bigger than the one in the front garden), and a gazebo, like my mom has always dreamt of. Of course, its going to take me a few years to even get it going, but I think I can start this summer. Just little bits, here and there.... its going to be a cottage-style garden, not a perfectly-manicured landscape, by any means! So I suppose I'll be keeping you posted on that...