Rosette Swap

SWAP PARTNER FROM HEAVEN

I just got my TWO BIG BOXES from my swap partner Caleen!   My friend Misti was here to witness and even join in on the masacre of the two postal boxes.  The swap was hosted by Jill at the Gypsy Brocante (check out my rosette button to see more of the swap)!  Thanks Jill!

There was every type of rosette imaginable!  I love the one in the middle here that looks to be cut from an old quilt.

Look at all the extra vintage jewelry pieces, laces, bag and trims!

This GORGEOUS "Bryanna" necklace is outstanding!

Crazy in love with this lace bag with all the rosettes and bling on the top:)

Check out this scarf she made too!  Leslie came over to see it all and I think she almost snuck off with it!


Thank you Caleen!  You are amazing and my heart is still pounding from your generosity!




BTW   The sad thing is that it was my Gabe's 7th birthday and he saw these boxes and thought they were all his! lol!  He made out like a bandit at his party though!

I sent my partner Lynn .....

a cuff 

 and a couple of brooches.

Ribbon embroidery

Practicing

I am practicing my stitches but am getting my ribbon too tight I think.  It keeps twisting.  It is not laying pretty on the fabric like in the pictures I am looking at for inspiration.  I am slowly but surely getting there.  Actually, slowly is what I should be doing to make sure the ribbons all lay right.  Anyhoo, it has been fun learning.

Birdie Sling

All By Myself!

I sewed this Amy Butler "Birdie Sling" bag without anyone showing me what to do yesterday!  Yes I did use my seam ripper SEVERAL times but still pulled it off:)  I read the pattern and figured it out!  Yea me! lol!

(OK I did call Leslie twice but it was just for a little guidance.  Thanks Natalie for teaching me this trick for disclaimers! ;)

Ribbon embroidery

Ribbon Embroidery 

 I am so loving trying to learn how to do ribbon embroidery:)  I have learned a few new little rosettes and realize that I still have a lot to learn!

The problem is that the ribbon is soooooo stinking expensive!  I need to learn to dye it myself.  All I need are more art projects! lol!

Sweet Marsha and Donna

Sweet Sweet Friends

Marsha at Sassy Mini Dolls has been a very sweet and caring blog friend.  We have fun emailing back and forth.  She was super sweet to me when my doggies died this summer and it was comforting to read her comments along with all my other blog friends.  She made me this GORGEOUS cuff with a beautiful vintage rhinestone  "L" (for Lulu my sweet doggie).  Thank you Marsha! I adore you! :)

Ok this is from my new friend Donna at Brynwood Needle Works.  I drooled all over her blog until I finally commented and then Donna emailed me instantly.  She has been encouraging and guiding me on my journey through embroidery:)  She sent me beautiful beads, amazing fabrics, needles, and dreamy ribbons.  Thank you Donna!  You are so sweet and thoughtful.  I can't wait to start creating with all these new goodies!

Recent Projects

A few things I have been working on:)

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I snatched up this sampler from Rebecca Ringquist when I saw it on a bunch of blogs.

I started it and got most of it done on our road trip to Colorado.  I just finished it on Friday evening when I had the house all to myself!  It was wonderful!!!:)

This is for a rosette swap I am in.  I used my hand died velvet ribbon that I got in San Diego at Paper Tales.  I love the ribbon and hated cutting it, but I think it looks great with it.

I put together the necklace from my French General Kit that I got for August.  It is very wine country:)

I am going to give this apron that I made in class to my mother in law today when we go to her lunch for August birthdays.  I hope she likes it!!!!

fair day

Blue Ribbons at the Fair!

Misti called me this morning while making her cake for the FFA fair auction and told me that I should enter a few of my embroidery projects.  However, I only had 30 minutes before the registration closed. I grabbed my Paperbella ezine sampler and my Richard Crawford tart.

 I called Leslie and told her that she needed to hurry and get her goodies up there too.  She brought her diaper bag, apron and egg plants.  She got blue ribbons on all of hers too.

Ok Leslie and I said that no one has to know that we were the only ones in our categories and almost everyone got a blue ribbon. lol!  We will have more competition when we go to county:)

Our Lulu

My Sweet Baby Girl Lulu

We will miss you.

It has been a tough summer for us.  If you remember, two months ago we put down our beautiful Australian Shepherd Jay Cee.  Well, this morning we put down my baby girl Lulu.  I can't find all my great pics of her on the computer so I am posting what we have.  She was 10 and my wedding gift from my hubby.  This has been such a sad summer for us.  

My poor Gabe is taking it the hardest.

I wrote a huge sad post for JayCee but I won't do that for Lu girl because it would be the same thing.  She was just my angel girl that we dressed up and pushed her around in Maranda's baby buggy at times:)  She thought she was a princess, and dog rules did not apply to her so there for we treated her that way.  She was a little lady.

I love you and miss you my "prettiest girl in the whole wide world."  (I always said this in that obnoxious talking to your sweet doggie voice:)

Family Vacation

Colorado Family Vacation

Colorado is always the most beautiful place on earth to me!  My parents took us every summer for vacation and every winter to ski.  It is truly two totally different Colorado's each season. My sister Stacie and her family went with mine to the Springs last week.  It was so much fun!  The kids had a ball fishing, hiking, exploring caves, swimming, eating, finding deer, going to museums , dancing, going to the zoo and room service!   Stacie and I had a great time chasing the kids while our hubbies went golfing three times!  Jerks ;)  It was so beautiful at Ryan's late Grandad's cabin which is now the Overholt's family cabin.  It was fun waking up to deer every morning.  After a few days, we went to the Broadmoor resort which was one of the nicest places we had ever been!  

Making a camp fire outside of my husband's family cabin.

 So nice to be chilly after frying in OK!

 How pretty is this cabin?!?!

 Touching a T Rex bone at the museum!!!

 Getting rained on!

 Two of my guys at the cookout.

 Fire, beer and bb guns!  How safe is this?!? lol!

 At the Broadmoor hotel :)

 Our Fancy Nancy room!  Our little diva loved it! :)

 Two spoiled kids in the cabana we rented for the afternoon.

 This was an amazing beach entry infinity pool that ran off to the lake.  Ahhhh!

 One of the views from the cabana.

 Heading out to a casual dinner.

This was the greatest thing to my kids.  ROOM SERVICE!  Their daddy spoiled them each night ordering cheese cake, brownies and ice cream.  They thought they were at the Tipton (Suite Life of Zach and Cody lol!).