Embroidered States of Life

I couldn't think of what to get my friend for Christmas so I ended up making her a present.  These are the three states she has lived in and the hearts are where she lived in each state- Erie, Roanoke, and Birmingham. I had three perfect little 3x3 frames for each state to go into. 

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After I made the states above, I made another three for a friend to give her husband for Christmas/their anniversary.  She wanted one for where they got engaged, one where they got married (and live) and one for where they went on their honeymoon.  I thought that was such a cute idea! I found these great mini-canvases at Michael's to do them on.  

 

 

I ended up with an extra Alabama so I made a cute little Sweet Home Alabama canvas.  

I've got tons of other options to do these one such as small frames, larger frames and other canvases, as well as paper options.  I'm selling these on my Etsy store - check them out! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This Thanksgiving I stayed at my house and did my first Thanksgiving meal without my family.  I only had a couple people over so I didn't do a huge meal.  I ended up buying a HoneyBaked Ham, which is absolutely delicious, and I made butternut squash soup, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, cranberry jelly, and crescent rolls, with an apple pie for dessert. I thought it all turned out really well!!

I saw this cinnamon roll crust on theBerry and thought it would be perfect for an apple pie.  I cut each cinnamon roll in half and pressed them down on the bottom of a pie pan then filled it with regular apple pie filling that I made.  I covered it with a regular (pre-made) pie crust and cut a little turkey to put on top :) .

Here is a cheese, sausage and apple plate to eat with crackers during the day.  There is nothing better than cheddar cheese and Granny Smith apples!

 I made a butternut squash soup with cinnamon and nutmeg. It turned out really well!!

Halloween and Día de los Muertos

Here is the pumpkin I did this Halloween!!

This year for Halloween I went out with my girlfriends and dressed up as a Day of the Dead woman.  I painted my face and bedazzled my eyes.  I got a great dress for free! Don't mind my face in the last picture...from far away I have holes for eyes and a nose!  

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I love Dia de los Muertos art.  Here is some past art that I have done.

Berry Cool Site!

Today's Funky Site is theBERRY - an awesome, visual website with loads of great pictures, ideas, food and culture.  I recently ran into it and I now end up checking it multiple times a day eagerly awaiting Morning Coffee, Take a BERRY Break, the quick celeb catch ups, and everything else.  Here are some of the awesome things I've found on theBERRY....

Inspiration for my Halloween costume

 

Check out theBerry.com everyday for more great pictures, ideas and fun!!!

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  I work in a confidential domestic violence shelter and want to show my support to all the survivors and those who have helped them, as well as raise awareness about the seriousness of domestic violence.  1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence at one point in their lives.  It can also affect men, who oftentimes are embarrassed to come forth about their abuse.  There are resources out there for people who are experiencing domestic violence.  If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233(SAFE) or visit the National Network to End Domestic Violence's site.

Hoosier Cabinet

I got this amazing, vintage white Hoosier cabinet and am going to start working on getting it back into shape.  Luckily, it has pretty much everything it needs structurally (I have the two drawers not pictured).  This piece just needs some cleaning and repainting.  This piece dates back anywhere from the 1920s to 30s, but I think mine is closer to the 50s.

The rack is in fine condition, but the inside will need painting and the bottom will need to be replaced.  

This is the flour sifter with a built in metal flour container above . The sifter still works.

This is the remnants of a design that's on all of these doors.  

I'm going to be working on this soon with the help of Debbie, who is great with redoing furniture and with antiques. I'm excited to get this going!!