Did She Say FREE??

A few weeks ago, on a whim, I threw my name in the hat for the Etsy "Weekend Deals" post...

What the heck, think positively and all that stuff...




Well, I got an email from an Etsy admin yesterday afternoon...

That meant burning the midnight oil last night (and that's OK, because boy child's birthday sleepover was last night. I still went to bed before they did!)...tidying the shop, sweeping the floors, adjusting shipping info...

I looked like this by the time I went to bed last night...

But the great news...
These stickers were chosen to be one of the featured items for this weeks' "Weekend Deals" on Etsy....


In exchange for this lovely, free PR, I am running a sale....a pretty darn good sale...FREE (yes, she did say free) shipping all weekend long!
Anywhere I ship (which really is anywhere), the shipping's on me, if you order and pay this weekend (through 11:59 EST, August 16).


And if you are a fan of my FB page, make sure you head on over there....I've got a little bonus "thank you" for you!
Heck, even if you become a fan this weekend, you're still eligible ('cause I appreciate you too!). Check it out!


So I hope to have a busy weekend, printing all sorts of FREE shipping labels....

Until Next Time,

11? Already?

It was just yesterday that I was heading to the hospital in the sweltering Louisiana heat, very pregnant, two weeks overdue, extremely cranky.

Fast forward eleven years- today is my baby's birthday.We went to the Dollar Tree this morning to gather a few things that we had forgotten for his sleepover tonight...Groucho Glasses? Check....
Weird wiggly, googly-eyed creature? Check....Silly...errrr....Goofy String (this is the Dollar Tree- no brand names here) in every color? Check....
Birthday Cookie with butter cream icing, sprinkles and a message written by his big sister? Check....

So we're all set. Off to celebrate a birthday...

Until Next Time,

It's Not Just a Burger...

You Texas girls probably already know where I am going with this...

It's a Whataburger.
What....A.....Burger!


This is my last Texas post (we have been home almost a month, for crying out loud), but not one of our trips home would be complete without at least one meal here...a Texas institution, the McDonald's of the Lone Star State, home of the BEST ketchup anywhere (not sure why but it is gooood!)...There are very few Whataburgers on the "wrong" side of the state line (did a little research, they are actually in ten states now- say it isn't so!). We did frequent one very close to the border in LA -if I remember right- when Mr. Sunshine was stationed at Ft. Polk.

I think one of the minor reasons I enjoy Whataburger is their great colors and theming. Who doesn't love orange crush stripes with a slice of blue sky? And never was a paper bag more truthful: "Rarely do the fries make it all the way home".


When I was a girl, the old-school Whataburgers were drive-ins, triangle shaped buildings with the roof coming to a point. The first meal I remember eating at a fast food joint after we moved to Texas (that wasn't McDonald's) was- yes, you guessed it- at a What-a-Burger.
In high school, a good many lunches were a large order of fries, lots of that special ketchup and a large Diet Coke. What can I say, I was poor and I had a junk-tooth (but have never ever liked the taste of "real" coke- go figure).


Every time we travel home, a stop at Whataburger is usually our first and last meal in the state (unless we can last long enough to hit a Taco Cabana- Mr. Sunshine's fave). This trip was mid summer and Molly went along, so most meals were drive through (you don't leave a poochy in the car during Texas' 100+ degree summers), but a potty break was necessary for one of us this time. I stayed out in the truck with this sad face....

She was happy a few minutes later though, because, of course, Mr. Sunshine shared a few of these with her:
No fancy ketchup for the Molly though....that was all mine.

Until Next Time,

I admit it...

I ordered this book the day it came out....

I paid extra for overnight delivery....

It's Blogging for Bliss.

I am devouring it as I have time...kudos to you, Tara Frey! You've managed to create a beautiful how-to book. For all of the harried bloggers with short attention spans out here, I salute you!

And as a good student should, I am taking notes. But being the realistic gal that I usually am, I know I will never achieve the heights of some of the absolutely gorgeous blogs featured in the book.
Honestly, it's not really "me" anyway. I like things with worn edges, a little tattered and not so amazingly perfect (how am I doing?).
I will always write how I talk- lots of "..."s , a few typos that sneak through, and you can't even imagine how often I really want to add a smiley face after something I have written. I know, it's sad (a grown woman am I!)...but I really like an occasional (0; !

None of these things are really conducive to a beautiful, grown -up blog, are they? Sigh...But there's room out here for all sorts of bloggers: the beautiful, the clever, the adorable, the witty, the "total packages" that have it all. And me.

But I am doing a few simple things that Tara suggested...playing with photo frames and effects is one you may have noticed over the past few posts...it's a work in progress, but I will tweak it 'til I am satisfied. I do like a simple frame around the photos- they look a bit more finished, but some of the other effects just take too much time to do to every single picture that I include here. I suppose I could reduce the number of photos....on second thought....

And I have finally admitted that maybe some people may not share my taste in music. Or may not want to hear it when they visit. Every. Single. Time.


So I came up with my little helper here. Isn't she cute? Isn't she helpful? If you'd like her to help your readers too, feel free to right click and take her home with you....

And seriously, I hope I did not sound negative about Blogging for Bliss. So far, I love the book and have learned a ton. One of the things that I have learned is that I love to visit lush, frilly, gorgeous blogs (and admire their authors oh so much)... but I gotta be me. And I'm OK with that.

(0;

Until Next Time,

my {only} sunshine

I think I jinxed myself last night.... made this bright sunshine-y treasury.

L-O-V-E it! I even love the alternates (which, I may be the only one, but sometimes when I curate treasuries, the alternates can be difficult), so I included them in this screen shot. Give them some Etsy love, please!

Top row (L to R, every time):
*LemonsLittles
*blendastudio
*urbanbabybonnets
*yellowdogvintage

Second row:
*uniquedichroic
*moxy
*GemGourmet
*rumandrubies

Third Row:
*lbrodar
*farouche
*swanmountainsoaps
*lakenandlila

Fourth Row:
*sarap
*sissysoap
*sosovintage
*opart


But...I wake up this morning to such a gloomy day! It was even too dark to take pictures this morning...my little photo set-up is situated in an are that only on the darkest days is it too dark to get a decent shot...

So I will share some Target love in the meantime. Went to my fav-o-rite big box store yesterday. It had been awhile. I spent too much. Of course.


Doubly dangerous for me is this time of year at Target.
I always love their fun (and cheap) picks
for dorm rooms.

Had to have this very very cute pink lamp for my studio desk (boy child tried to talk me in to apple green and it was tempting, but girl child won this one with her vote for PINK). And it was only $7.99...I am happy.



Also picked up these very cute little tins, on clearance (yes!), in the dollar aisle. I love little buckets this size. They are so great to hold all sorts of little loose things. And I have little loose things everywhere. Organization is not my spec-i-al-ity.
Now that should elicit a comment from Mr.Sunshine...wait for it, 'cause I'm sure at least a snort is sure to follow from his general vicinity... note to the Mr: you better end it with "but I love you!" cause I love you too! (o;

Most of my Target money went to back to school necessities...yawn. But I thought you might like my little studio pick-me-ups...

Make sure you pay my treasury friends a visit...give 'em some Etsy love- they deserve it!

Until Next Time,

Hello, My Name Is...

...Stephanie, and...

I have a problem...

Remember Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the classic cartoon?
Remember the Island of Misfit Toys?

Seems my home has recently become the Island of Misfit Books...


I love to go antiquing.

Perhaps I should say I love to go JUNKING because honestly, I know absolutely nothing about true value of most of the stuff crammed into antique shops. If I like it and feel it's a fair price (fair price=how much is in my budget on any given day), I will buy it, no matter the condition. Yes, I am the sucker the dealers see coming...but I am usually a happy victim when I leave...

And lately, it seems, I can spend hours going through the stalls selling old texts.

The book above caught my attention because of the painting of this artistic woman. I only wish I looked a fraction as elegant when painting.

The rest of my recent score was more juvenile in nature...

This Little Golden Book, with its' missing clock hands, would be symbolic of both my love of misfits and my complete lack of time management skills when I am going through book stalls. My watch has no hands either when I am lost in piles of vintage paper....


Of course it had to come home with me...my favorite image is this sweet little girl in her pink swimsuit...

The Breakfast of the Birds

I admit it, some of these books I bought just because I liked the cover. This is the first example. It's such a cheerful blue color, accented by cherry red...it made me smile and that was reason enough to bring it home...


More birds and kids...

Mrs. Leslie's Books for Little Children The Robin Redbreast Series

None of these books were in ideal condition, but this one needs more attention than most.

Still trying to figure out how to get that....musitness...to go away. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is that through Google-ing, one can find the best way to do just about anything.

"Mr. and Mrs. Robin were deeply pained by Dick's bad conduct."

Can you imagine telling your child that their behavior "deeply pained" you (I cannot)?
How genteel...


I think the oldest book I found is this primary geography school book.

It's full of wonderful illustrations like these...
and my favorite map...

Not because the focal point is my home state....look a little higher, where Oklahoma should be...that there's Indian Territory...


And last but not least, this picture word book had me at hello...
The colors, the subject matter, the stripes...I was sold at first glance, didn't care what was inside (which is not quite as whimsical and allot less colorful)...

I heart cherry eating giraffes in BK crowns!

And what's not to love about a cute li'l fluffy bunny?

I'm such a sucker for the cuteness!

Believe it or not, there are even more books I collected on this trip...but they will have to wait for another day...

Until Next Time...

I'm so excited!

Tooting one's own horn isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but honestly, this kind of thing doesn't happen every day (not for me anyway)...

I am so excited and thrilled and flattered about this I just have to share!

My simple little Salt and Pepper Tags were picked by Country Living Magazine editor Katie Woolsey when Etsy's Storque asked her to be a guest curator.

Exciting in itself, for sure, but earlier this morning, when I did my daily run through Google Analytics, I see "countryliving.com" as a referring site to my shop...

Click here to see the slideshow on the CL website....

I am definitely not used to this kind of attention, so please forgive me while I act like a complete Yahoo...carry on...

P.S. There are some really nifty choices in Katie's story...Lots of shops I wasn't familiar with, but I have been a big fan of Yeehaw Industries for quite awhile. Their election posters last fall were the funniest things I have seen in a LONG time!

Oh well, back to the usual Manic Monday...Have a great day!!

Until Next time,

The Forever House....

Happy Tuesday, fellow bloghoppers!

Many thanks to all for the overwhelming well-wishes and kudos sent to Mr. Sunshine since his return last week. Your kindness is one of the many reasons I love this little handmade online community we're all citizens of...

One thing I did very little of during Mr. Sunshine's deployment was to just sit down and start to paint....whatever came to mind....

There was a time when painting was ALL I did....

That started with his first deployment in 2004.

In between then and now, there was a move or two (or three), some health problems for both me and Mr. Sunshine (and a few other family members), the loss of my Father, and a second deployment . Major creative mojo killers taken individually, let alone racked up, one on top of the other in quick succession.

So it has been a long time since I just sat down and exhaled, releasing everything- the tension, obligations, the pressure to make something with selling it in mind- and just creating for me, myself and I...

I have always, always, been fascinated with houses.

I paint them often. Cute little cottages, folk art inspired saltbox houses, houses for critters (barns), houses for worship (chapels). I think every painter has a favorite subject, like winsome little girls with big eyes, still life florals, whimsical animals, and on and on. Mine is houses.

We moved often when I was a child, and each new house was an adventure, a new start. Maybe it was the new color I got to paint my room every time we moved, I honestly don't know...but moving did not bother me that much...


As an adult, I have lived in many, many houses...not so much of an adventure anymore and new starts are over-rated, specially when you have teens who don't consider this lifestyle exciting.

Some houses I have loved, others I have loathed. But each has contributed at least one tick (some positive, some negative) to my mental check list of what the "forever house" (the one we move into after Mr. Sunshine retires from the military and hopefully NEVER leave again) will, and maybe more importantly, will not have. I pity the poor Realtor who has to deal with me in a few years...

Anyway, I sat down last night and just painted. When I did, of course what naturally came out of the brushes was this wee little purple house.

I sketched a series of three small canvases, all featuring (of course) a house or two, connected by the yellow brick road you see above....

A happy, simple little painting....
this is what happens when I exhale...

How about you?
What is your "happy, just for you" crafting groove?
I would love to read all about it....

Until Next Time,