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March 2008

March 28, 2008

Digging in the Archives

Happy Friday.  Today, if all goes as planned, I will be visiting Shamu and his friends.  Since I've been goofing off all week, I don't have anything new stitched up to share with you. I decided to go digging in the archives.  It was lots of fun to browse through pictures I haven't looked at lately.  I pulled out a few pictures of bags from days gone by. I've been making custom-order bags for a few years now.  There were more pictures to choose from than I thought!  It feels kinda wierd to just put my stuff out there for all to see.  I'm going to do it anyway!  I hope you enjoy my selection...

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XOXO,

Cassie

March 25, 2008

Something's Up!

My banner has disappeared.  At least it has from the computer I am using.  Can any of you see my banner?  I am not at home to fix this problem.  For now I will have to leave it.  Oh well.  If you are new to my blog, just imagine a spanky YOU GO GIRL banner up top.  Thanks for stopping by~Cassie

It's a Bird Thing

Maybe it's because I haven't seen a robin yet this year.  Maybe it's because I have a bird thingy going on and I didn't know it.  Whatever the cause, the last several bags I've made seem to have birds on them somewhere.  There's the two bags I posted about here.  And now these three.

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Even my doodle stitching has a little birdie in it!

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Yep, I must be needing to see my little spring friends. Come home, little robins, come home....

*****NO WAY!!...I took a break while I was writing to go for a refreshing run. Guess what?  I saw Little Robin Red Breast.  He was sitting in a wet snow-covered bush wondering why the heck he came home so soon.  But he's here.  What a great day!!

Thanks for clicking in to my blog.

Later friends,

Cassie

P.S.  Just so you're not confused... Right now, I am, in fact, on vacation with my family like I said I would be.   I wrote this post before I left home (March 21).  On the day it publishes, I should be soaking in the sun surrounded by people I love!!  Ah....

March 22, 2008

Pins and Needles

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Here are the fruits of my first embroidery project.  My whipstitch is a bit wonky, but, oh well!  I spend a lot of time each week waiting for my girls at their various after-school activities.  Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray has changed my outlook on waiting! Suddenly, I don't mind waiting so much.  I can create in the car during piano lessons. I can create at the dance studio while I wait for someone to finish up. I can create anywhere...Woohoo!  Hats off to handwork!  I am a fan.  I'm also glad that my pins and needles have a spanky new place to rest.

Speaking of pins and needles.  We are on pins and needles at this house.  Waiting, waiting, waiting with eager anticipation.  We leave on Monday for a little vacation.  Our first stop is Yuma, AZ.  After a few days there, we will go on to San Diego, CA. I'm looking forward to some sunshine and a hug from my mom and dad.

Thanks for clicking to my blog.  I've written some posts to publish while I am gone. I hope you will come back soon.  Your comments make me giddy!!

Later friends,

Cassie

March 19, 2008

Bits and Pieces

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Here are a few more bits and pieces of my work room redo.  The blue drawers are a find from Michael's.  Not real attractive when I found them, but hey, they were only five bucks apiece.  Could I really go wrong?  After I removed the hardware (the little handles were screwed on with the cutest, little, teeny, tiny screws), I slapped on a couple coats of cream acrylic paint, a couple coats of blue paint, let it dry, did a little sanding, and sprayed on a seal coat.  Done.  In one evening, I had little drawers that were functional and fun!  This is actually two sets of drawers stacked up.

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Next I have a picture of the valance I mentioned in my last post.  As you can see from the picture, my craft room is in the basement.  My sewing machine is right under the window.  Shelves of love are right beside the window.  Some day my middle daughter will claim this as her bedroom, but for now it is mine.  I'm not sure where I will go when she is ready to move down.  We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!  By the way, it is really hard to photograph a window.

About a year ago, we finally did a major remodel of our home after seven years of planning and saving! I am just now getting to the decorating projects that need to be done.  I agonize over every decision because it seems so permanent. I want to be in LOVE with things that are going to be around a long time.  It takes me quite a while to find just the right thing when there has to be LOVE.  Anyhoo, I seem to be finding the LOVE lately.  As a result, a lot of my current projects seem to be home dec related.  I typically sew bags, clothes, book covers and other fun stuff.  I am enjoying the change, but I might need to do a 'just for fun' project pretty soon.

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Here is another one of my recent projects. Did I mention that it is hard to photograph a window?  These are the curtains I made for the girls' bedroom.  Four of my girls share a giant room.  As part of the remodel, we took out a wall between two existing rooms to make a large room for the triplets.  Paige, my middle daughter who is eventually going to steal my room, is sharing in with the triplets for now.

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Finally, some lamps.  These lamp bases are from Target.  I fell in love with them. Remember, that's how I know when something is right for the house...LOVE (giggle).  I purchased inexpensive shades.  A little fabric, some spray adhesive, and viola!...custom lamp shades.

We are trying to get ready to go on a Spring Break getaway.  We will be visiting my parents.  It's hard to pack for the girls. In our neck of the woods, we are still wearing sweaters and long pants. We need to take shorts and flip-flops. I couldn't find many summer clothes from last year that still fit the girls. I've already made one trip to Old Navy, but I think I will have to go again.  Thankfully, Old Navy has summer clothes for sale. That's lucky considering we won't be wearing summer clothes here for a couple of months.  I am not a clothes shopper. This is a trying experience for me.  On the bright side,  the girls should be outfitted for summer when it gets here.  Yay!!

Four of my five daughters have a birthday the week we get back. I am trying to prepare for this, as well. It feels busy like Christmas season around here.  Easter fun, vacation plans, birthday excitement...Yeehaw!  I hope to post one more time before we go, but if not, Happy Easter, friends.

~Cassie

March 17, 2008

Shelves of Love

The ball started rolling when I decided to raise my cutting table by placing an upside down flower pot under each table leg.  The results were good for my back but unsightly to look at. I decided the table needed a skirt.  A few yards of fabric and a little time was all it took to make the table look lovely. But we all know what happens when you change one little thing in a room.  Suddenly everything needs a lift. My supply desk looked hideous, my chair looked tired, and my ironing board looked pitiful.  Not for long, though.

Supply desk before...

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Supply desk after...

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It's amazing what some fabric, a little spray paint, and some time can do.  My desk got an overhaul, the ironing board has a new cover (Can you see it on the right side of the 'after' picture?), there's a valance in the window, and a pink "embellishment center" on the wall that holds all my beads and baubles and what-nots. I can't forget to mention the newly stiched slipcover for my old and comfy chair.

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After all these changes, Lady Laundry Basket was not cutting it as a proper home for my fabric friends.  Enter the Shelves of Love ( bells ringing, harps playing, angel's singing...).

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These truly are Shelves of Love. Here's why:

1.I love this shelf unit.  Color. Style. Everything. What makes it special, though, is that my true love gave it to me on the day that celebrates love, Valentine's Day. 

2.The shelves are full of fabric I love. I'm not sure I have the art of fabric sorting and folding down to a science but I like it anyway.

3.I love having my fabrics in front of my eyes when I am designing.  I come up with things I never would have thought of if my fabrics were still stored in the sad little laundry basket they used to reside in.

You could say that my new shelves are Love from my love that I filled with love on the day of love. Does it get any better?

March 04, 2008

Chicks Rule (Urban Chicks, that is)!

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After see how busy Lisa has been over at the Pink Lemonade Boutique, I was inspired to whip up a few bags I had on order. I just finished these two bags using fabric from Urban Chicks (or Chiks...I've seen it both ways??).  I don't know where I was when the Summer In the City  fabric line came out, but I missed it.  I didn't fall in love with it until it was hard to find.  I was very lucky to get two yards of the blue birds on brown from a seller on ebay (The brown in my picture looks kind of dark.  In real life, it is a lovely chocolate brown).  I also scored 15 different Summer In the City half-yard cuts from a different seller on ebay.  Yeah!  Old hat to some, I'm sure.  Very exciting to me.  LOVE THE BIRDS!  Swell_2

Urban Chicks new line, Swell, is...well...swell.  It's a little taste of spring.  As more snow falls outside my window at this very moment, I am very hungry for a taste of spring.  I'm particularly fond of the pink-flowered fabric that I used for the center band on this purse.   See the birds hidden in the vines?  Clever. Don't you think?

Later friends,

Cassie