lucky one

Miss Bessa is being featured in a giveaway that you definitely want to be part of! The lovely Miss Lucia over at lucia, etcetera has chosen so many gorgeous items for her 900 follower giveaway! Oh, what I would do for that many followers!

You can find the giveway at the button below, and be sure to follow Lucia as well.

it's a hit

I think my first post on this blog (which is really not that far back, considering I've hardly used this thing) was about making new pillows for this very couch... happy to say that my skills have improved and it looks much nicer this time around!

We HATED our cushions (the back ones). We tolerated them for a while and then finally just started taking them off completely and using the millions of pillows we have for "cushions" instead. Plus they were so ugly. The same green as the couch, but just... oversized and BLAH. Well... those big cushions, they just sat behind the couch for weeks and weeks until I finally got sick of stepping over them.

Did you know that Hancock Fabrics carries "everyday deals"? At the back of the apparel fabrics, you can find affordable knits and cottons. At the back of the store, they have precut fabric for $5... probably not much more than a yard. And! Behind the super fancy expensive upholstery fabric is their "everyday" upholstery fabric! $7/yard!!! Amazing, compared to the $30 a yard fabric I previously wanted. Probably not as great quality, but super affordable for me. I made four "cushions" for $21 total and I still have a bit of fabric left over. Luckily, my old cushions were filled with polyfil, so I was able to use that in the new cushions. I also made some new throw pillows using fabric scraps I had. All in all, brand new look for less than $30!

Enough talking - on to the pics!

Couch Before - (please excuse the jenga tower, this is literally the only picture I have of my couch, except for the other four with the same jenga tower ;))



And after -




































The quilted pillow is my favorite. Not going to lie, the first thing Rob said when he saw it was, "The throw pillows are really bright". But then, "I love the back pillows, and they're comfortable too". Success!!

Not my giveaway, but an awesome one!!

An awesome fellow blogger, Holly in Heels is giving away a gorgeous pair of shoes from Pour La Victoire!




Aren't they gorgeous?? Would love to wear them with an awesome pair of jeans or black dress.

Now go enter! And remember to read the rules!

--

proper update soon... been super busy with a lot of amazing things.

cheal

giveaway numero dos!

I am very excited to annouce another giveaway! This one is from a blogger friend, Style Tay 2 Zoe. She is giving away the Heather Gray Ruffle Scarf from Miss Bessa!! You know you want one... go on over and sign up to win!

PLEASE note the rules at the bottom of the post before you enter!



Good luck!!!

xx
cheal

giveaway!

Tomorrow night, I am sponsoring a giveaway for my brother, Dr. Matthew Roe. He is an Upper Cervical chiropractor with two offices - one in Winter Garden, FL and the other in downtown Orlando, FL. If you are not familiar with chiropractic care (and in particular, upper cervical), PLEASE check it out! It will change your life! > www.uppercervicalcare.com

Anyway - my bro is hosting a Ladies Night of Indulgence tomorrow (Friday, Feb 25th) night in Winter Garden! There will be "pampering, two-minute makeovers, massages, chocolates, thermal scanning, nutritional support, yoga sessions, delectable appetizers, wine tasting and much more"! How amazing does that sound? Who doesn't love to be pampered?

And I didn't even mention the best part... it's FREE! All you have to do is register through this website. www.uchcladiesnight.com.

And now - for the giveaway from Miss Bessa! You have a chance of winning one of these three items -

Lilac Ruffle Scarf



This scarf is SO soft and is really perfect for spring. It is light weight but will still keep that cool spring breeze at bay. It's beautiful!









Olive Lacework Ruffle Clutch



VERY pretty! Would be perfect for a beautiful spring date!




Optic Blossom Chic Ruffle Shopper



Inside are three pockets - one for a notepad for your shopping list, one for a pen and one for your coupons/calculator/cell phone/debit card/cash/etc. Good size and will even fit in your bag (except for those of you that carry tiny purses)!






If you aren't in the Orlando area and are craving the scarf or clutch, they can be purchased here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68561566/olive-lacework-ruffle-clutch
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68197877/ruffle-scarf-in-lilac


I hope that all of you ladies in the Orlando area can make it out to support my brother and UCHC!


Keep your eyes out for another giveaway from a fellow blogger and a giveaway from me when I reach 100 sales!

OKAY! I chose my wedding dress yesterday. I know I said in a previous post that I already had it picked out, but I slept on it for a little while and decided to keep shopping. This dress... I DIE! It's amazing. AMAZING. I feel so happy, excited, beautiful and GIDDY in this dress. All smiles (which, if you know me, you know I'm hardly ever all smiles). Can NOT wait to find my perfect "something blue" shoes!!!

The only sad part is I was not allowed to take pictures of it since I did not purchase it yesterday. It is made by a private designer so I am not able to find it online either. Sigh. I just want to daydream and stare at it all day long.


Stay tuned - some awesome giveaways coming up. One for a special group of people in Orlando and another for the rest of y'all. I'll let you know when they start ASAP!

until then...

xoxo
cheal

aroma therapy

It is supposed to be 63 degrees out today. SIXTY-THREE!!!! Which means instead of staying inside and sewing (because it is not the weekend in this house!) in nice warm pajamas and slippers, I will be outside... washing my car!!! My poor Focus doesn't get enough attention.

The "heatwave" (this Floridian? still freakin' cold!) probably also means that I won't be wearing my favorite yellow and gray striped ruffle scarf. I sold one this week and I had just enough to make one more scarf. I've been contemplating listing the last one on my etsy, but I am kind of in love with it. I think I need to keep it for myself!!!

Since it feels a bit like Spring today, I have something new for you. I am a bit obsessed with Patty Young's Sanctuary Collection. So far, I have only ordered two shirtings that have been used for scarves but I am dying to get my hands on the rest of the collection. It is just beautiful and will definitely put you in the mood for some warmer (tropical) weather!!

Here you go:




And you can find the listing here!


Hope you all enjoy your abnormally warm winter days!

scissor runner

My daughter (3yo) didn't want to go to the park today. I've come to the conclusion that she either a) doesn't feel good or b) is always trying to prove me wrong. Probably the latter since she seems to be a-okay!

Since we were staying inside on this incredibly gorgeous Thursday afternoon, we decided to get a little crafty in the form of Valentine's Day. We cut dozens of paper hearts (from scrapbooking paper that I probably should have used by now for an actual SCRAPBOOK, but that can't possibly be at the top of my priority list) and strung ribbon through them to make garland for the fireplace and staircase. We also put some up on the doors around the house. It's very lovey-dovey in here now!! Haley LOVES them and will probably think I'm evil when it comes time to take them down (just like Christmas).

My favorites of them all are pictured below (on the fireplace) -

They match the colors of the living room perfectly.

I have a few things in the works for Miss Bessa that are going to be very exciting coming up! Can't wait to share all of it with you... but it has to wait!

Until then.

m

Homelife

Haley has decided this week that it's a great idea to wake up around 6am. Not cool. I don't typically function completely until at least 8am. Today we (Haley and I) managed to be up and out of the house before 9:30. Haley was even fed! That never happens in this house. Rob works nights so we typically spend the mornings/early afternoons at home with him before he leaves for work.

Well... after a night of sketching and reading home magazines, I just had to get out of the house first thing this morning and get things to decorate my house, starting with pillows in the living room. I ended up making all (9) of them today. They add such a pop of color to the room. We just need a few more things here and there.

I have to say... it is so nice to be up and out before 10am. Especially shopping... nobody shops that early. It is so peaceful!! I have to do this more often.

Can't wait to finish decorating.

the most wonderful time of the year

It's starting to scare me how smart Haley is. I expect her to grow up fast (she just turned three) ... but still. She left her "Ruffy" (most loved stuffed animal puppy, ever) at home today while we went to make Christmas cookies with family. She wanted to bring cookies home for Ruffy and everything. On the way home I suggested that maybe Ruffy was hanging out with Zeus (our german shepherd). She laughed and immediately said, "No, Mommy... Ruffy doesn't walk. He is just pretend." All while asking me about the spedometer and gas light.

Awesome. I never thought being a parent would be the most amazing thing in the world. It so is.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We are making a gingerbread house tomorrow, finally! Haley can't wait. I can't wait for Christmas morning with her. Santa is bringing some pretty cool stuff.

13 days

I finished designing my first handbag last night!!!! It feels so good to do something that I actually care about and am proud of in the end. Not to say that designing for children wasn't rewarding. Just... boring. Anything I ever made for a baby wasn't something that I wanted to show off to the world. So happy to have finally made the decision to switch gears in my shop.

That being said, I am beyond excited to design several more things before I debut the "line" at the start of the new year. I am probably the most modest person in the world, so to say that I am so proud of what I've designed (me, proud of myself - ha!) is saying something. Designing for kids was a great stepping stone for me but I have to say that I am glad to put it behind me.

Life has been so good to me this year. Unbelievable. Sometimes I'm living a fairytale. Truly. To say that I am grateful is a tremendous understatement.

Side note - did you know that a child never tires of asking for something that they really want? It's amazing, really, the persistence of a three year old. I wish I wanted anything everyday as much as my 3yo wants chocolate milk. Crisis averted, for the time being. Having her hang candy canes on the Christmas tree... so what if they are all on the same branch.

I am so crazy busy. I can't believe I'm even sitting down to blog. That being said, I am going to have a booth at the East Cobb Market this Saturday, November 20th! It is just now hitting me what I got myself into! Don't get me wrong - I am stoked to be part of it. However, there is just so much more that goes into a show than what goes into an online shop! I am staying up into all hours of the night trying to get as many things completed as I can so I have PLENTY of options!! I'm not sure I am going to get as much done as I hoped.

Unfortunately Robert's weekend falls on Thursday and Friday this week which means I have the rest of today to finish most of my projects! It's not his fault... I try to spend as much time with him as I can when he is off. I don't see him much throughout the rest of his work weeks.

I have written too much already... time to do something productive!!! Wish me luck!

And come by and see me on Saturday if you're in the area!!

East Cobb Market
2500 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta (across from Sprayberry HS)
www.eastcobbmarket.com

I broke my computer two weeks ago. Which has a little bit to do with why I haven't posted... in months. I was right in my first post when I said I wouldn't be able to find time for this. Well - I would, if I had a computer in the wee hours of the morning, that is.

Since my last post, my sister and brother in law were married, my daughter turned THREE and I have started planning my own wedding. I am not overwhelmed at all... where is that sarc mark when I need it???

I found and fell in LOVE with my wedding dress, which I would post here if I weren't afraid Robert would see. It's gorgeous, more beautiful that I could have imagined. I also finally found a little inspiration last night in the form of peacock feathers. Am loving those colors together - especially for a fall wedding. I want it to be very unique and vintage looking but also chic and up-to-date. Eclectic, just like me! Ha!

I promise more (interesting) updates very soon.

Completely Overwhelmed

How do you people do it?! I must have terrible time management skills. I can't figure out how people actually sew/craft/paint/design/etc, take photos, list items, make treasuries and blog and still find time to do other things like... take care of kids, dishes, vacuum... get out of the house!! How do you people eat (healthy)? Haha!! I am sure I will get the hang of it. I know I am just starting up and have so many things to do, and on top of that I am moving this weekend!! However, I must say, right now I am pretty overwhelmed by all of it. Don't be surprised if I only blog in the wee hours of the morning!!

In other not so exciting news, I am dying to watch the season finale of The Bachelorette. I know, lame, but I'm kind of addicted to it! I have to wait for my honey though, I sucked him in and now he can't miss an episode! Love it.

Did I mention we're moving? I kind of can't wait! The moving part sucks, but I am so excited to be back on the other side of Atlanta... finally! So many new things are happening for us in the next few months. Not to mention I start work on Friday! How weird. It has been almost a year since I quit my last job. I'm looking forward to it (especially since I won't be waiting tables, yay), but possibly just another thing to add to the list that already overwhelms me!

You have no idea how much I would love just an hour to sit and read a book every day (preferably not after 10pm)! It probably sounds absurd that a "stay at home" mom can be so busy and not quite manage any time that she has but man... it's definitely not easy. Maybe I have it all wrong.

I am finally finished listing 14 new items on etsy tonight!! Check them out. =)

this place will be so beautiful

I've taken a break from sewing the last couple of days to focus on all things computer related, from managing my shop to joining forum discussions (or trying to, my gosh, I can't keep up!) to creating this blog. It has been well over five years since I have regularly written a blog. I have to admit that I am completely lost and am not as computer savvy as I once was! Please bear with me.

I'm reflecting on the "blogger" that I used to be and the one that I might be now. More music, less language. More toddler time, less complaining. More laughing, good times, crafting, love, Atlanta. Yes, I now live in the city that I dreamed about day in and day out. And I've yet to explore it (let alone through my eyes and not my daughter's). So hopefully there will be some of that in here too.

And I'll be frank. There will be times that I (not so shamelessly) promote my slow-growing business. But I promise I won't bombard you with post after post about it. That's not really my style, nor do I want it to be.

I just want to find all of the beautiful things about life and my life and hopefully share them with you.

micheal