Sweet Friends ~n~ Sweet Shakes

I recently spent a "springy" day with one of my good friends, Courtney and her adorable son Cooper. It was a perfect afternoon. We went to Thomasville, GA which sports an adorable little downtown full of shops and restaurants. Here are some picks of these two special people.

Cooper loved the milkshakes from Izzo's Soda Fountain. I'd go back just for the retro atmosphere! Isn't it adorable?

Happy Halloween!

Here are few Halloween pictures with me and my sister. Don't you just love the groovy curtains in this first one? It looks like I may have been eating pumpkin seeds before they were toasted. Yum!

I used to love the cheep and gaudy paper decorations that we hung around the house for each holiday. It made the house so festive! (I think my sister loves her pretty princess makeup or she is just giddy from too much candy). Hope your day is crazy fun!

A Treasury for Mamma

I created a treasury inspired by my Grandmother who collects paperweights and bricks. She quilts, carves wooden animals, and grows delicious tomatoes. She works the daily crossword, frequents garage sales and bakes delicious pies. She is a Texas girl that loves to travel. I want to be just like her!

Mamma and Pampa's Yard

Last summer I was visiting my Grandparents in Texas. Their home is full of such wonderful memories. There are many things about that house that I cherish, so I was inspired to take some pictures.

My Mamma will be moving to an assisted living home very soon. So I decided to take those pictures and do something special with them. I am creating some books for her (and for me) with the help of shutterfly. Here are some of the pictures that will be included in the book, "Mamma and Pampa's Yard":

4 Simple Goals

So much has been going on the last few weeks. My husband just returned from a trip to Rwanda last week after a very sad and tragic event. While he was away from me, I did a lot of thinking. Even before he left, I was kind of going through some stuff, we both have been actually. Good stuff. The kind of thoughts and ideas that make you realize what is most important. Priorities, values, all those important life issues...we have been mulling over a lot lately. That is why I felt compelled to join in the 4 Simple Goals (before 2011....) group started by Elise Flannigan. I love her idea of making the goals positive and life enriching.

Here are my 4 goals:

1. Sew/Craft for pure pleasure at least once a month for me or my home...not just for my shops. I tend to try to keep up with making my "personal markets" fresh and new sometimes to the detriment of crafting for fun. Sewing is just a hobby for me. I have a job that keeps me really busy. Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to market and sell my wares that I lose the love of the craft.

2. Stretch everyday. Pilates, yoga, or just a good reaching for the toes. I get so stiff everyday and always feel good if I take some time to just breath deep and strrrreeetch!

3. Take a trip each month to St. Marks to see what has changed. St. Marks Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful swampy area close to home where the ocean meets the river. Complete with a lighthouse, alligator sightings, and amazing Dr. Suess-like foliage. This place is unlike any other. I always feel more alive and inspired after visiting this piece of the earth.

4. Call my sister more often. We are both a bit introverted and she is a very busy mother of three. In the last few months she has been a rock-solid friend. I love her so much and need to be proactive in keeping up with her life. Erin I am sorry, but I am going to be bugging you a bit more often.

Wish me luck in keeping my goals! Thanks Elise for the inspiration!

Texas Road Trippin'

I finally am ready to share some pictures of our trip to Texas. Many of you know that while I live in Florida, Texas is my home. After a few days in New Orleans, our road trip took us home. Home to open fields and beautiful blue skies...except for the Hurricane. We started our trip in Galveston where we met my parents and my sister's family just in time for Hurricane Alex. Though it was not anything like they got in south Texas, it kept us from spending our days laying out on the beach.

We went to NASA instead where there were demonstrations, movies, and hands on fun for the kids.

The clouds finally broke as we left the coast and we went on to visit Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.

It was a great trip and I had the best time visiting with family; finally seeing my grandparents after way too long. Notice the photo behind them; their wedding picture.

We had great food the whole time...nothing beats Texas BBQ.

I loved spending time with my niece and nephews:

Natalie, who was difficult to take pictures of because she either made a face or hid.

Andrew, who took "hours" to decide what to spend his money on (there were just too many choices).

James, who learned how to sew like his aunt Krissy!

I also made a side trip to Oklahoma to catch up with my best friends. I want to share a few of those pictures with you later.

Jason and I had fun together despite the rain and busy schedule. We have really learned how to do road trips together. Some how driving across the country has a way of bringing two people closer. Though we were sick of the car we came away from the trip happy and renewed.

Thanks, Texas!

African Clutch Designed by....

I have created a new listing for my shop. A simple little clutch made with fabulous fabric that the customer gets to choose. The fun part about it (besides picking your own fabric) is that I am going to take 50% of the proceeds from each bag and give it to a charity that is near and dear to my heart.

Some of you may already know that my husband has been spending a good part of his summer for the last three years, in Rwanda. It all started with research for his dissertation, but it has become more than just that. It has been life changing. I was able to join him in Rwanda the summer of '08. While we were there we made so many amazing friends. One of the special souls that we had the privilege of meeting was Pastor David. Pastor David is one of those people that really makes an impression. He is a very gentle spirit with a huge heart. He has taken on many projects to try and improve the lives of others in his community. For example, he has an after school program for children, grows a very large garden to help sustain and support his neighbors, and he runs a program that teaches widows the art of tailoring so that they can learn a skill that will allow them to be self-sufficient and care for their families. He does this with kindness and compassion without seeking anything in return.

Pastor David telling a story to his little neighbors.

Pastor David showing off his beautiful garden.

The women in Rwanda wear these stunning clothes created with African Wax-Print fabric. You see the fabric everywhere on the streets in Butare. It adds pops of color to the already beautiful landscape. While I was there I bought some fabric and my husband has also brought me back fabric from his trips. I now have a nice collection of this fabric.

Women from the tailoring class dressed in the beautiful prints.

I decided to use the fabric I have collected to raise a little money for Pastor David and his sewing school. So each time one of my custom bags sells, I will "sock away" 1/2 of it to send off to Pastor David. Here are some of the choices of fabrics that I have (I am hoping that Jason will get me a few more when he returns from his trip this year):

I am not sure how much money I will raise with this little endeavor, but I know that each penny helps. If you know someone who might like a little African bag, pass the word on. Thanks friends! :)

Happy Father's Day!

Dad, It was hard to find pictures of you for this post because there were not a lot of pictures with you in them. You were always behind the camera, taking the pictures...just like you have always been in my life. You have been there behind the scenes giving me your love, support, and direction. You helped me grow up with security and confidence. You are such a good man, with a quiet, loving heart. I love all these old pictures of you. They are such happy memories of my wonderful dad! I love you!