house·warm·ing \'haus-wor-ming\
noun: a party to celebrate the taking possession of a house or premises

You may have noticed the new look of my blog. Well, those who know me well know that was not entirely my doing. Recently, I was thrilled to discover the newest venture by one of my creative idols. Heidi Swapp along with Rhonna Farrer and Janet Hopkins have created House of 3 Design District- an online boutique of their digital artwork, printables and more. What an awesome idea - particularly for those of us too techno timid to try some of these creative effects on our own! I've already purchased several printables along with the new blog couture you see here. And only these gals would be clever enough to come up with the term: blog couture-I love it!

House of 3 is celebrating with a housewarming party this weekend. Check out their boutique HERE and see all the exciting projects and tutorials they've launched and join in on the fun. I'll be working on some of these throughout the week and will try to post when finished. Can't wait to get started!

Best wishes to the "ladies of the house" as they embark on this journey together. Only in a techno-savvy world could they do so from the comfort of their homes literally worlds away from one another. Rock on, ladies!

P.S. I'll be trying on some other blog couture later in the week. Let me know which one(s) you like best. Just curious!

que sera sera

Whatever will be, will be."

Can you hear her singing? Who, you ask?

Well Doris Day, of course!

One of my favorite pop icons-the voice, the hair, and that smile. Oh, that we could all have that sunny disposition day in and day out. Seems no matter what happened-she just kept smiling and rolling with the punches!

In my role as a teaching assistant working with kids with special needs, I have had to learn to embrace change, to stifle my inner control freak and to adopt a sunny disposition day in and day out-or at least as much as possible. Although I love my new job, it has been hard work (for me) learning to say, 'whatever will be, will be'. But I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn to do so. Here are a few lessons I'm learning by going with the flow...

• A smile is a gift anyone can give.


• There is joy in giving of yourself.


• Be prepared and be willing when the opportunity arises.


• Trust your instincts.


• Be the change you want to see in the world around you.

Now, if I could only learn to go with the flow more at home!

Que Sera Sera!

Happiness Is...

Yes. Happiness to this boy is a donut. Truthfully, whether it's on his birthday or not! We got a group hug out of this one this morning. Having lots of fun celebratng today- plenty of happiness to go around. :)

SK8R BOY

This boy melts my heart. I can hardly believe in just a few short days he will turn 11 years old. The time is passing so quickly. I'm grateful for photos that allow us to freeze time if only for an instant.

More to come of this skater boy as we've already driven passed the skate park twice today and visited the skate shop for stickers for his helmet and a stocking cap. He can hardly wait for warmer weather and is already learning the lingo. Off to buy pads so he can try out on his new board. So fun!

happy valentine's day

I'm having a "lovely" day - hope you are, too!

Feelin' the Love

How's your week going? Are you feelin' the love yet? I'm feverishly attempting to get all my valentines made for our party day at school tomorrow. Just some simple things - or so I thought when I decided to make them! :)



I have admired the paper garlands that Pam Garrison has been making for awhile now. Originally inspired by a display at Anthropologie, she is teaching a couple classes on how to make them out of unbleached coffee filters. I know, sounds crazy doesn't it? But trust me-they are very pretty when mixed with vintage sewing patterns and music and other vintage papers. Pam recently shared on her blog a little bit about the garlands she has made using cupcake liners. Yes, cupcake liners! Here's one I've been working on. Just a little valentine fun - I mixed in pages from an old school workbook that was predominantly printed in pinks and reds.






And speaking of feelin' the love - Abraham Lincoln is getting his share today on the bicentennial of his birthday. We love Abe at our house and if you haven't paid a visit to the presidential museum and library in Springfield, IL, I encourage you to do so. It is captivating!



Today, more than ever before we can see the influence of Abraham Lincoln and his ideals on our country. What a moving scene on inauguration day to see him overlooking the festivities as the first African American president was sworn in on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.



One of my most favorite things about Lincoln are his quotes. Here are some of my favorites:

All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.

And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.

Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Whatever you are, be a good one.

Good stuff. Thank you, Mr. Lincoln. Happy 200th Birthday!

Sweet Nothings

Seems I'm running in circles this week and accomplishing very little. Energized by the warm weather we had again today, I did manage to gain some ground catching up on errands and picking up & straightening. Hey, sometimes it's the little things! Still, so far alot of thinkin' about valentines, but not a whole lot of doin'. In honor of my progress or lack there of, here are a few sweet nothings . :)

This is a bracelet I made from a Red Lead EZ kit using faux resin. So simple and fun to wear keeping me in the Valentine spirit all week long. Check out their WEBSITE to shop 24-7 or visit their shop in person to fall in love with them. Love these gals!

If you are looking for some inexpensive ideas for Valentine's treats check out Heather Bullard's BLOG for some inspiration. BTW, has anyone seen Strawberry Milkshake WHOPPERS? I can't seem to find them anywhere!

Love these stamps (again from Red Lead) and the unassuming library card pockets. Fillin' these up with little treats and a valentine for my coworkers. Fun, fun, fun!

Finally, I love this new ad from Dior. Yummy candy colors and of course the City of Love is

tres magnifique for Valentine's Day!

I'm off to bed to rest up and give it a whirl tomorrow. Sweet Dreams!

Love In Any Language

An impromptu stop at Helzberg Jewelers over the weekend yielded my newest collection. I particularly liked the pins in other languages. See the blue one in Hebrew? The one in French is of course my favorite and I have plans to share the one in Russian with one of the teachers at school. Besides being just plain charming, the I Am Loved® pin actually has quite a history.

According to the Helzberg website, over forty years ago Barnett Helzberg, Jr., had just proposed to his girlfriend. Exhilarated by his engagement, he decided that everyone should experience the joy of feeling loved. So he created the I Am Loved® button as a way for people to express their feelings--even if they weren't quite ready to deliver a diamond ring. What Mr. Helzberg realized was that even the smallest gift, given in the right spirit, can have an enormous impact.

Love itself is such a gift. I think it is one of the universal necessities of life. The smallest token of love or friendship can make such a difference. Everyone wants and needs to feel loved so take time this week to demonstrate a gesture of love. Say a kind word, let someone ahead of you in line, say "thank you", make your own valentines for your children or spouse, give a hug.

"Remember, no act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted." -Aesop





Happy Monday!

i {heart} valentine's day

Valentine's Day is one of my most favorite holidays. I love everything about it-cupids, lacey hearts, palest of pinks and velvety burgundy, exchanging tokens of affection, whispering sweet nothings, nibbling chocolate. I love it all! Inspired by all things love, I'm looking forward to a week filled with all things valentine.





Check back throughout the week to see sweet somethings I plan to make for my friends and loved ones. Hoping to top it off on Saturday with a yummy dinner for my wonderful husband and a cozy night cuddled on the couch watching a romantic movie. Just the way we like it!



Here's a peek at a card I'm working on for my sweetheart. The Springlike temps and pamg inspired this. Oh, and Ewan McGregor's lines from Moulin Rouge! ;)


I hope your week is filled with love. After all, love is a many splendored thing.