happy happy!

however you celebrate today {or don’t}, have a happy one. i’ll be stuffing my face and sharing stories with my family.

don’t you love this image? get the free printable here from the lovely lemon squeezy.

brown paper packages tied up with string…

this is my favorite part of the holidays! wrapping up gifts to make them look all pretty. the gifts inside….meh, but the wrapping? the best.

just kidding, the inside’s good, too. but after you spent all that time looking for or making that special gift for that special someone, you want the presentation to stand up to the goods. if you’re looking for loads of good ideas, check out my pinterest board dedicated to the wrapping of loveliness. and while you’re on pinterest, check out the other great ideas!

and of course, check out these sweet free printable tags, all rounded up for you by the lovely ez of creature comforts!

dear spine…

dear spine,

i am so sorry for making you do two craft shows on saturday. i also apologize for making you help set up the christmas tree on monday night {yes, we’re way behind the times at our house}. i especially apologize for whatever stretch i did that seems to have sent you into full-on freak-out mode. i’m hoping that after our day in bed and the muscle relaxants, we can get back to a happier time, when we worked together without too much pain.

sincerely,

amy

want this cool vintage anatomy print? get it at paper gangster prints.

a new store

let me introduce you to the beginnings of a brand new store…{not so sweet} sadie. yes, it’s named after our old  beagle. and yes, it’s just as sassy.

it’s not all up there yet, but soon you’ll see some jewelry that might remind you of some of the funner stuff i used to make. and as you can see, there will also be vintage lovelies. some of them i’ve just cleaned up, and some of them i’ve amped up. you know all that thrift store shopping i’ve been doing? it’s all to bring you these fabulous finds, primarily from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

there’s a focus on kitsch, and i seem to have a fondness for roosters and mushrooms. so look for all kinds of fun stuff coming soon.

last week

i have to tell you about last week only because it was so unbelievably bad. i mean it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. and what are friends for if you can’t share with them, right?

i think i'll just stay in bed

exhibit a: food poisoning from nachos.

i can’t decide which is worse, that i got food poisoning {which involved the usual unpleasantries} or that it was from one of the world’s best. foods. ever. suffice it to say, it was a very bad thing.

exhibit 2: my computer died.

not just “wasn’t working” but snap/crackle/pop/fizzle won’t-even-turn-on dead. that topped the food poisoning, especially because we’re in the middle of the busiest shopping season of the year and, ya know, i run an online business. {shameless self-promotion!} no good.

exhibit c: our dogs got out and one didn’t make it home.

terrible! horrible! but in short order it put the other two things in perspective.

{did i mention that this all occurred within a 7 day period? i could’ve taken it over a month, but not all in one week. especially with a craft fair at the end of the week to prepare for.}

the good news: all’s well

other than the food poisoning and its lovely impact, all is right with the world again. our boy lucky is back home with us. and *somehow* that laptop? was under warranty. {no way, right?! that never happens.} so that $600 repair will be done for f-r-e-e.

thanks for letting me share. i feel so much better now.

alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by judith viorst. illustrations by ray cruz.

words fail me

i should be working, but i have to share this with you. there are no words for this fabulous etsy shop, which puts subversive cross stitch–a long time favorite of mine–to shame. it’s twisted, it’s hilarious, and it’s hand-crafted.

happy holidays from steotch!

meet steotch, a store you simply must go check out. there’s something for everyone, so long as they have a sense of humor. there’s something for the kids who love i can haz cheeseburgers. there’s a little something for lady gaga fans with small children who want to decorate the nursery with something inspirational. why there’s even a pattern for the urban gardener who also likes to cross stitch.

go check out steotch’s flickr page for judge judy, battlestar galactica, and house. again, no words.

for realz

holiday secrets: gift giving

this weekend while i was at a craft fair, i overheard someone say–very downtroddenly–that they were looking for “the perfect gift”. i’ve heard people talk about this rare creature before as if it exists somewhere out there, and can only be found through exhaustive search efforts. the elusive perfect gift deserves its own nature show for how much it’s hunted.

here’s the deal: there is no one perfect gift that will make someone happy//be the best gift ever//get her to forgive you//trump all other gifts//make him love you//{and all those other things we imagine will be achieved when we finally present this perfect gift}. instead there are several thoughtful ways to show you love someone. and remember: this person you’re buying the gift for? they’ll never see all the things you didn’t choose. they’ll never know. in other words, it’s going to be okay.

and you don’t have to go overboard, either. i’ve been to family gatherings where there were more presents than room under the tree and i’ve also been to gatherings where there was a small gift exchange. both gatherings were equally fun.

that’s it, that’s all i’m going to say about it. because it’s really that simple.

seriously, where is that gift?

holiday secrets: decorations

it’s after thanksgiving, which means you’ve got your entire house covered in lights and inflatable santas in the front yard, right? everyone in our neighborhood does, which is cool if you’re into it, but if you don’t looove it, don’t tax yourself {or the power grid}.

really, you don't have to go all out

if you want to know the secret to getting all those lights put up? hire people. in our town there are several business that rip people off specialize in holiday light installation.

wanna know another secret? you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. even if you’ve done this every single year since forever, you can opt out. those piles of the animatronic masses will stay snug in their boxes. feel free to change your mind next year, but if you’re overwhelmed by this monumental task? give yourself a break.

personally, i like a few lights outside, like these adorable diy christmas trees, made from tomato cages and lights. you could even wrap garland around it to give it a fir-y look during the day. {these could go inside of course, but i’m planning on doing three in the front yard…just as soon as we tear out the dying tomato plants in the back yard.}

in terms of other decorations, i think about places that people will be. i like to welcome guests with a wreath on the front door, like this simple one.

then i scatter a few decorations throughout the house, including the tree {which i personally love, decorated with ornaments collected through the years. no theme trees for me. it’s topped with my handmade owl tree topper, never fully finished but oh well.} hint: if your house looks like the north pole, that’s not a few decorations. i’m talking a swag on the hearth, candles, and a few unexpected touches, like candy canes in a glass.

and you know me, i like to put flowers in the places my guests will visit, like the bathroom and guest room. poinsettias top my list this time of year because a.) they’re cheap and b.) they last forever. {they are extremely toxic to pets and children, so keep ’em out of reach of anyone likely to chew on the leaves.}

oh look, you’re done. now remember to keep those appointments with yourself!