May Projects

Here are just a few of the projects I whipped up this past month. :)

This is a magnet board with several hooks, that a customer requested to display her jewelry on. I love the colors in this one.

These are some lace & button bracelets that I made for my niece and I to wear for Memorial Day. They were such a hit, I will definitely be making more.

Small, lighthouse cork board for my Mother-in-law. She wanted one that she could use in her RV. The colors are so classic, and I love that some Michigan lighthouses are visible. :)

I am such a huge fan of bright, bold colors and patterns. This fabric is to die for & the deep purple board is gorgeous. The jeweled detail along the bottom adds just the right touch. This cork board will look great in any room.

Red and black are my favorite colors, and they look so classy together. The pattern in the fabric is so classic, and paired with a bold color and the glittery black trim, it is just stunning. Another gorgeous cork board.

The retro colors and fabric in this cork board are so fun and funky. I can see this in a kitchen, or dorm room, or really anywhere. I just love this one.

Handcut & handpainted with embellishments. This decorative wall art with hanging pegs is so cute and full of whimsy. Would look great in a girl's room or nursery. The combination of the pink & green is so popular right now, and I love it.

Wine and wine related items are so popular right now. This is the third wine themed cork/magnet board I have made this month. The rich colors in this fabric are gorgeous, and the matching cork tacks are just too cute.

Pinterest Addict

For those of you who are not on Pinterest, I am so sorry. For those of you who are. Hello, my name is Teena, and I have a Pinterest addiction. (insert chorus of "Hi Teena's" here)
Pinterest is a place where you create boards for everything you could ever fathom and 'pin' things to them. Sounds simple and almost silly, right? WRONG! It's pure genius! Have you ever wanted a giant cork board where you can pin every recipe you would like to try? Or maybe a place to store pics that make you laugh, or inspire you to work out? Planning a wedding or a party & need a spot to not only find great ideas, but save them too? PINTEREST IS IT!
Whatever brilliant mind (It had to be a woman.) created this magical, wonderful world... I bow to your superb wisdom. If Pinterest was a religion, I would be baptized in its glory. It is a slice of birthday cake, wrapped in a hot caramel sundae, dipped in sprinkles with a side of bacon and cookies. It is pure, unadulterated joy. I login and in seconds I am laughing, crying, starving and ready to run a marathon. No other website has the ability to not only suck me in so deeply, but to do it for such incredible lengths of time. There is a phenomenon that occurs the moment you log in to Pinterest. Time no longer makes sense. I call it the Pinterest wormhole. A wrinkle in time, if you will. I start pinning, and before I know it hours have passed. Hours that felt like mere moments. But what joyus, blessed hours they are. It's like a peaceful cocoon of pleasure that wraps around your brain and makes you feel creative, beautiful, smart, funny and a little out of shape but inspired to change.
Then something happens...
You log off and realize that your clothes are hideous, your house is in desperate need of redecorating, you do not have any of the ingredients to be a master chef, your abs look more like a gallon jug than a 6 pack and your children have been waiting for lunch for several hours. The pinning high is gone... It's like a switch has been flipped and suddenly this amazing life you have created on imaginary boards isn't really real. (Although the craving for dessert somehow manages to linger much longer than the inspiration to work out does...) So what do you do? How do you get that feeling back?
You log back in and start pinning. This is the vicious Pinterest cycle. Sadly, there is not yet a 12 step program for this, though I imagine many of us could use it.
If I find one, I'll be sure to repin it...

My Gnomily

I thought it was time for an update on my gnome family (Gnomily) since they have been going through many changes as of late. Last we talked, Hank had been dating the lovely Willow and things were going great. So great in fact, that they decided to bring a new life into it. They were blessed with a precious little girl, and they couldn't be happier. Her name is Narnia Alice.

Isn't she adorable? Well things were going so well with the new baby, and life in general, Hank & Willow couldn't be happier. Then Hank got a surprise visit from his younger brother Hannibal (Hanni) who needed a place to stay for awhile.

Hanni is a true charcter. He is younger than Hank by a few years, and has always looked up to his big brother. But Hanni is a bit of a rebel. He loves to drink, smoke cigars, and party til the wee hours of the night. He has a big heart, and wouldn't hurt a flea, but he tends to get into mischief that he needs Hank to bail him out of. So, Hank & Willow decided it might be a good idea if he stayed with them for the time being, so they can keep an eye on him. So far so good... Things were going so well that Hank & Willow decided it was time to tie the knot. Being the modern couple that they are, it didn't matter to them that they had a baby first, but since they want to continue to add to their family, they thought it best to make it legal.

So they had a small, private ceremony and were hitched. It was a beautiful affair and the happy couple looked radiant. Of course, Willow was glowing for more reason than one. As it turned out, she was expecting gnomie #2. So shortly after the wedding, they welcomed a new little guy into their lives.

Meet Tolkien. A healthy, bouncing baby boy. The Gnomily was so excited to welcome its newest member. Hank, Willow & Narnia Alice were thrilled and Uncle Hanni couldn't wait to take his new nephew out to help him pick up chicks. The Gnomily was so happy, that Willow's father decided it was time to move in with his daughter and start relishing his role as a Grandpa.

 So Papa Birch came to stay. Willow is so glad her Dad is here, and loves to sit and watch him read to his grandgnomies. He is a very wise and peaceful old gnome, and the rest of the Gnomily is pleased to have him here as well. So after many changes and additions, my little Gnomily is all settled in and enjoying life. Things are going great, though living quarters are starting to get a bit snug, so a new home might be in the works very soon. But for now, they are all very content. Life in Gnomeville is just swell...

So as of now, you are all caught up. But you just never know what will happen...