Quick owl coffee cup cozy

This is a great yarn stash project that only takes a day to stitch up! I'm up to the top cuff already. Just need to hunt for the perfect button eyes, in thinking yellow will accent the green tones nicely. Will post a photo of the finished product soon!

Adventures in Sashiko

One of my many "In Progress" projects.

A rainbow Sashiko pillow for out new couch we have yet to buy.

Decorating with Turtles

I have a love of turtles that began when I was a pre-teen and has never gone away. It possibly started earlier, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was my favorite cartoon after all, but it really didn't become an obsession until I was 12 or so. One fine summer I developed a crush on a camp councilor who was nick-named 'Turtle'. Ever since that summer I have always been searching for turtle trinkets, but I've had to ask my friends and family to stop buying me turtle memorabilia. There's only so many bobble head turtles from Mexico one person can own.

Every once in awhile I'll hop on Etsy and type 'turtle' into search box, today I searched the entire Vintage section to see what turtley things were available. This is what I found:

goodvintage :: Kitties and a Turtle
I actually just bought this! I couldn't help myself...
It's got so many things I love in one place:
kitties, turtles, and paint-by-number

TotallyOldSchool :: Vintage Classroom Poster Print
I want to frame this and hang it in our new bedroom.
And possible save it for when we have kids.

CrabappleVintage :: Vintage Embroidery Wall Hanging of Turtle
This is the happiest, most colorful, embroidered turtle I've ever seen!

theButterDish :: Turtle Chalkboard
I need this for my craftroom!

birdievalleyvintage :: Horsehair Fired Pottery Turtle
So sweet and understated.

shocreations :: Vintage Japanese Turtle Figurine Stand for Display
This would be perfect to put a potted plant on top of,
now how do I keep my kitties from eating said plant?

Socks in Progress

Toe-up socks that will never be finish!

Holiday Cheer

This is how I've felt all week...

I love the holidays, but the stress of buying the 'prefect gift' and making sure it's in the mail on time is never fun. Every year I tell myself I will do Christmas shopping in May or June or August, not November! And every year I fail to stay true to that promise. At least this year I have a good excuse: planning a wedding and honeymoon is time consuming! Maybe next year will be my year to be prepared and have the chance to truly enjoy the Holidays.... maybe...

An apple a day

VikDesign :: 2011 An Apple A Day letterpress calendar

This is such a clever idea! Encouraging eating an apple a day,
ensuring you get at least one of your five fruits and veggies everyday!

The darker version is custom, and more expensive,
but more visually pleasing.

The graphics are simple and clear:
pick an apple, peel the sticker and stick it to the calendar!

I want one!

Sick Day

I spent most of the weekend on the couch, with a nasty cold. I even took Monday off in hopes all I needed was extra rest. I'm still stuck with a sniffle, cough and feel as though I'm stuck in a fog, but I don't want to waste any more of my ETO (Earned Time Off) on being sick. I'm armed with a bottle of hand sanitizer, a box of Kleenex and a big bottle of water. I'm counting down the minutes until I can run home and be in my PJ's sipping a nice big mug of my new favorite tea:

Good Earth Tea :: Decaf Chai Tea
Unlike many other Chai tea's, this one is very subtle, exactly they way I like it!
And it's decaf, so I can sip it before going to bed guilt free!

AngelaIngram :: Tea Drinker's Sidekick
I need a mug like this, I'm always lacking a place to stash my used tea bag.
They usually end up on a piece of paper I find on the coffee table...

catfishcorner :: Ceramic Cat Dish
This is another cute alternative to my teabag issue.
He's welcoming my used teabag with open arms! Thank you Mr. Cute Kitty!

PillowsToDyeFor :: Solid Colored Organic Cotton Handkerchiefs
A couple years ago I took all the flannel scraps of fabric I had around the house
and sewed up a pile of hankies to keep in a drawer for future colds.
I'm so glad I did, they are so handy, and so much more gentle on the nose!

murdockdesign :: Linen Healthy Hanky
And these guys are so darn pretty! Definitely not your grandma's handkerchief!

Bacon Cheeseburger w/ a side of ranch

DeLuxe Bar & Grill :: Burgerama!

Every Wednesday, burgers and fries just $4.99 with purchase of beverage.
I always order the Peppered bacon cheese burger, with a side of ranch dressing.
Yummmmmm... so delicious!

The Hamburger Bed
I want to make a Hamburger Bed so bad! I've got a sewing machine,
and lots of Joann's coupons. All I'd need is a round mattress and bed frame...
I'm pretty sure I could make this happen...

suzannemade :: Cheeseburger Necklace
Rockin' the burger bling!

feltlikeit :: The Cheeseburger Pillow
So comfy, so tasty!

newyorkcouture :: Limited Edition New York Couture BURGER Skirt
Everyone needs a Burger Skirt!

Plus Size Dresses

As any plus size girl knows, buying a dress can be a royal pain in the ass. I often go to Lane Bryant or Torrid to try and find something to wear and am usually disappointed. I find that Lane Bryant trends tend to appeal to middle aged women, while Torrid is focused on a teens audience. Of course, being in my mid-twenties, I'm stuck in the middle, either looking like I'm still in high school, or already have kids in high school. Not sexy, no thank you! I know I'm on a journey to get fit and healthy, so I can hopefully get out of this frustrating shopping cycle and start shopping in regular stores again. But to be practical, it will be awhile (1 year? 2 years?) until that day comes, so in the mean time, I'd like to dress cute!

Jibri :: Plus Size Pale Yellow Spring Dress
This Etsy shop makes dresses up to size 24, and they are gorgeous!
All are handmade and you can contact the seller for special sizing requests.
This one would be prefect for Spring time.

Jibri :: Plus Size Aviator Sleeved Wrap Dress w/ side pockets
Wrap around dresses are so flattering on me,
and this one comes in a variety of colors.
Oh! And it has pockets! I think all dresses should have pockets...

IGIGI :: Swirls and Circles Dress
"Sexy, Sophisticated Plus Size Clothing in sizes 12-32"
This online store has a wide variety of dresses,
and while most are a little pricey, I think their quality allows for a good investment.
And they have a sale section too, which this one is from:

IGIGI :: Jackie 2-in-1 Dress
This looks like a great staple to have in your closet,
you can flip down the cuffs & turn the belt around for an all black dress,
or have the blue exposed like the photo shows, very cute!

IGIGI :: Christelle Wedding Dress
I wish I had discovered this site while I was shopping for my wedding dress.
This one is under $200 and is DARLING!
I kinda want to buy it just because...

Soap!

While my husband and I were honeymooning in Paris, we found this amazing little boutique that sold as many flavors of soap as you can dream up! Here's a photo of the 'wall of soap':

My favorite scent was 'lait' or milk, it's what I'm currently using when I shower and I will be so sad when I use it all. The chances of me finding a bar of soap as wonderful as this one are slim to none, but I can sure try!

CottageGardenTherapi :: 6 Big 4oz Bars of Milk and Honey Soap
We may have a winner here, and it's a great deal:
$25 for 6 bars of soap! You can't beat that with a stick!
And I love the directions: "GET DIRTY, MAKE SUDS, GET DIRTY, REPEAT!"

BonnieBath :: Celtic Sea Soap Gift Set with Bowl, Dish,
and Crochet Washcloth for Him or Her
This would make an amazing gift! I love the bowl in comes in too!

SpookyGrrrl :: Berries and Cream Soy Milk and Oatmeal
Skull and Crossbones Soap Set
The punk-rock girl in me is in love with this!
I used to collect anything and everything that had skull and crossbones on it,
especially if it was pink and smelled yummy.

JBSoaps :: Button Goats Milk Soap
Buttons! I love buttons!

LoveLeeSoaps :: Milk and Honey Gnome Soap
Who wouldn't want to wash themselves with a little gnome who smells like milk & honey?!
These guys are too cute for words!