Today, We Close!

Today at 10am CST we will officially be home owners. We will have the keys in our hands and the papers signed and it will be ours. We will own. a. house. Like real adults! Woo! :-)

I can hardly contain my excitement!

Wishlist Wednesday - House of Mouse

I have admired the AMAZING creativity behind Anna's little mice for a while now. She sells her little guys at House of Mouse and does such a good job with the characters she creates. I want 12 of them. ;-)
[Frodo Baggins, Mr. & Mrs. Mouse, Yoda]

I guess if I had to pick one I would like the Vincent Van Gogh Mouse. (Lookie! He has a missing ear!) Ideally though, I would have a collection of about 12 of these guys, all hanging out on a shelf. :-)
Anna also holds monthly giveaways on her blog for a mouse of your choice! This month's giveaway ends soon, so go enter for a chance to win one of these guys! (See all her creations on Flickr... whoa, that's a lot of cute mice!)


Wishlist Wednesday posts are meant to introduce my readers to cool products and support Etsy Shops or Authors I believe in. All opinions are mine. I am never asked to write about any of these products and I am not compensated for my post. It's all just good stuff I want to share with you. :-)

A Golden Birthday!

My Sister-in-Law's Birthday is today. This is not just ANY birthday though... today is her Golden Birthday! She turns 27 on the 27th. Also, 27 is her super lucky number!

I remember having dinner with her last year on her birthday and that she said next year is going to be amazing for her because she'll be 27!

Well, I think it's pretty amazing what she is going to be doing when she's 27. You see, 2 months from today is her due date! She is going to have a little girl (making me an aunt for the first time!!!!) I don't think I can think of a better way to spend your 27th year of life. :-D

Love you Amanda! Have a fabulous day!

Loving Right Now -- Keys!

I am loving keys as embellishments lately. Is it a trend that's been around for a while that I just missed? Or are they getting more popular? I don't know, but I love them either way.

Below are a few keys to use on your scrapbook pages or home decor projects. I know for sure that some of these will be included in the Printer's Tray I will be decorating for my living room!


{Set of 3 Keys in Antique Silver: 7Gypsies}

{Miniature Keys in 3 Different Designs: 7Gypsies}

{Life's Journey Keys: K & Company}

{Black and White Metal Keys: Making Memories}

{Idea-ology Word Keys: Tim Holtz}

Flying Day!

This is what I'm doing today! Red Bull's Flug Tag (German translation: Flying Day) is today!

When I heard this event was coming to the Twin Cities, I automatically thought "I. Am. So. There." Teams construct man-powered flying machines that they propel (among with themselves) off a 30ft high platform into the water. How could that NOT be amazing?



The coolest part to me is that the teams construct everything themselves. They are CRAFTY! Crafty, and then destructive, in a big/amazing/entertaining way. I can't not have fun at this event. Photos to come, of course! :-)

Have a great weekend everyone!!! Any fun plans?

Movin' on up!

So, a couple weekends ago Jason and I bought a house. Yup. A house. With a roof and a floor and everything.

It's a townhouse not far from where we live now. I am most excited about getting to paint (we've lived in apartments for the past 6 years and haven't been allowed to paint.) Also, the master bathroom has an amazing Whirlpool tub that I can't wait to soak in. I will also (get ready for this...) HAVE MY OWN CRAFT ROOM! A room, all of my own, with a closet and a door!

So, not that I really have a great excuse, but life has been hectic lately and the blog has taken a hit for it. I feel like I haven't been putting in the effort that I really want to here. It happens. Life is crazy sometimes. You know that because you are, you know, living right now. At least, I think you are... if there are any ghosts or zombies reading by blog please let me know by leaving a comment. :-)

Holy tangent Batman! Anyway, some of my time online lately has been spent on interior design sites looking to see what I want to do with our new home. It's so much fun to see people with a passion for making their home reflect who they are. I would love for mine to have a similar feel.

These are just a handful of inspiring spaces I have found:

[left to right and top to bottom]
I love the tropical feel of this bathroom. I really want mine to be an oasis. {via Design Sponge}
Love the mixed pillows here. I wish I could pull that off. Maybe I will try. :-) {via decor8}
Would love my guest room to look like an inviting vacation spot. Love these colors. {via decor8}
Love the look of these frames. Would love to put them in a hallway! {via Design Sponge}
The books in the corner in this room. Love love love. I know I have enough books to make this happen!!! {via Design Sponge}
All the white in this workspace is inspiring to me. Like a blank slate? So inviting. {via decor8}

Inspirational Links

A while ago I participated in a chat hosted by Designer Digitals celebrating their quarterly sale. I LOVE Designer Digitals and love that they give an opportunity to save on their products and chat with their amazing designers (Ali Edwards and Cathy Zielske, just to name a couple!)

During Ali's chat she gave out some links of inspirational blogs and websites, and asked participants to do the same. Some are just beautiful, some are total eye candy, and some reach into your creative mind and pull out idea after idea. They are all good stuff. Enjoy!

• Oh Joy
• Shutter Sisters
• The Visual Dictionary
• Found Magazine
• Wendolonia
• Celebrate Creativity
• The Art of Non-Conformity
• A Few Things from My Life
• How About Orange
• Zen Family Habits
• Design Sponge

Wishlist Wednesday - Chrysanthemum Earrings

A simple pair of beautiful earrings. I have seen these before in all different colors, but when I saw the dark purple I knew I just had to feature them! Aren't they adorable?

You can find these and many more colors at the Woops Etsy Shop. Just $6.50 for one pair! So classy, so fun... get a pair to match every outfit (I think that's what I'm going to do!)


Wishlist Wednesday posts are meant to introduce my readers to cool products and support Etsy Shops or Authors I believe in. All opinions are mine. I am never asked to write about any of these products and I am not compensated for my post. It's all just good stuff I want to share with you. :-)

CSN Stores Giveaway!!!

Have you guys heard the buzz about CSN Stores yet?

Maybe you are looking for some new furniture? There are a bunch of platform beds available, perfect for a guest room! Maybe you would like a new patio set to enjoy for the rest of the summer? Maybe you are just like me and you are moving into a new home and need a BUNCH of different things!

CSN Stores offers over 200 online stores for you to find exactly what you're looking for. A few categories include kids + baby, pets, outdoor, health + fitness, furniture, home decor, and more.

CSN Stores has been nice enough to offer a $70 gift certificate to one lucky All Sam's Idea reader! Yup, you heard me right... $70 to spend on anything you want in CSN's 200+ Stores!

How to enter:
- MANDATORY: Visit CSN Stores and come back and leave a comment letting me know what you would spend your $70 on. (You don't have to commit to anything right now, just go shopping for now. :-)

Bonus entries:
- Blog about this giveaway! (Leave another comment linking to your blog post!)
- Tweet about this giveaway using this text (or something similar) and come back here and comment to let me know you did:

All Sam's Idea is hosting a giveaway where you could win a $70 gift card to CSN Stores! http://tinyurl.com/25aop79 @sampiette @csnstores

That's it! 3 ways to enter, leave one comment for each! The giveaway will close at 11:59pm CST on Saturday, July 31st and I will choose one winner shortly after!

And, just to get you thinking about all the good stuff you could get, here are just a handful of things that I picked out that I could definitely spend a $70 shopping spree on:

Wood Hammock Set, Ruby Red Wine Glasses, Damask Printed Yoga Mat Bag, Cornershelf in Dark Walnut Veneer, White Board Set, Wall Mounted Wine Bottle Holder

Good luck!!!


Disclaimer: I did not receive any product or payment for this post. I'd like to thank CSN Stores for sponsoring this giveaway for my readers.

Today

I did this little exercise about a year ago and thought that it would be fun to do it again to see how things have changed. I found, some things have changed a lot, and some not at all. So cool to be able to look back on. :-)
__________________________________

FOR TODAY
July 20th, 2010

Outside my window... It's a little overcast. I feel like I haven't sat and just watched a thunder + lightning storm all summer. That needs to happen soon.

I am thinking... That there is SO MUCH packing to do! How do we have so much stuff? I'm not looking forward to packing up my craft room. Paper is heavy and boxes fill up fast!

I am thankful for... Productive weekends with Jason. Texts in the middle of the day from friends. Good books. Raspberries.

From the kitchen... Whatever I can find. Haha. I do have 30 bottles of wine in there though. Kristen and I made wine when she visited in May and Erin and I went and bottled it when she was here a couple weeks ago. Blackberry Merlot. YUM!

I am wearing... Jeans and a frumpy looking shirt. I wore it for a bit yesterday too and Jason said I was cute. Love him for saying that when I feel NOT CUTE AT ALL. :-)

I am creating... Not much lately. Projects are hard to start when I feel like taking things out just means I have to pick things back up to pack them into boxes! I did make a card and another something for a friend. I'll have pictures as soon as I can post them for sure.

I am going... To Massachusetts & Vermont in August, to California in September, and to Colorado in October. And those are the ones I know about. :-) I LOVE TRAVELING SO MUCH.

I am reading... The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon which is the 5th book in the series. I have been reading these books since Christmas and have enjoyed them so much. I am completely attached to the characters and I really want the best for them. I also just ordered this book that I'm really excited about getting and playing with.

I am hoping... That I actually get to sleep tonight. I had such a hard time falling asleep last night and I was just SO uncomfortable. That can not become a habit. I am one of those people who is CRANKY if I don't get enough sleep! (Some of you may know this from personal experience. Haha.)

I am hearing... Gilmore Girls on TV, the AC blowing, someone banging something or running like an elephant down a hallway or something (I can't wait to move out of this building. People are so loud.)

Around the house... There are boxes EVERYWHERE! I am going to get really sick of cardboard really fast I think. It's good though, we are making good progress.

One of my favorite things... Lemonade. A cold glass of lemonade in the summertime is just so wonderful.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Working and purging and packing and crossing things off my to do list. I feel like I have been neglecting things lately (including this blog! Ah!) and I have to get a handle on things soon. Otherwise, things like working out, eating healthy, creative fun, and all those things that get pushed to the back burner get neglected and then I'm not happy anymore.

A picture to share... A moment of relaxation from the weekend:

Products I Love

Some of you may or may not know that I work in a scrapbooking store. This is both amazing for my creativity (so much inspiration!) and bad for my wallet (so much inspiration!) Haha.

Every so often I come across a line of products or a tool that I just LOVE... L-O-V-E... love! Below are three products I am loving right now that are currently in the store. :-)

Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl Line

I could come up with about 1,000 reasons why I love this line. It is SO cute! I LOVE to sew and this line is just perfect for those who have multiple hobbies (ah-hem, me) or if you wanted to make an album for someone who sews!

Bo Bunny's Peacock Lane

Love the colors in this line. It's all purple and awesomeness. It reminds me of my sister who LOVES purple. They do a really good job combining purple and teal and it just looks so much like summer to me.
October Afternoon's Road Map Line

This is just a great travel line. I love all their flashcards and this line is no exception (perfect if you are a fan of divided page protectors!) Also, one of the papers in this line is actually a map of Minnesota! This may be a coincidence, or it may be because they are a local company, (Apple Valley, MN) but either way, it pretty awesome to me. :-)

Are there any products out there right now that you just love? You know, the ones that you saw and thought "wow, now I believe in love at first sight!" :-)

Giveaway Winners!

I had a total of 95 comments on my 500th Blog Post Giveaway!!! WOO! You guys are awesome! I never thought that, when I started this little blog, that I would get that many comments on a post... ever! :-) I love my readers.

So, now on to the winners! The comments, chosen at random, are:

That means that the winner of the clutch is Amber who said:
#90 - Oh congrats! I would LOVE the zippered clutch but all are great!
(Amber left a link to her Etsy Shop as well and it looks SO cool! Definitely check out her art!)

The winner of Photo Freedom is Amy who said:
#15 - So hard to pick a favorite, but I NEED the Photo Freedom book. I'm so bummed it's out of print!
(Amy, I'm so glad you were picked to get Stacy's book! I know you will NOT be disappointed!)

And, the winner of Snippets is Maria who said:
#8 - Congrats! I would love the clutch!
(Sorry Maria, I went in order as far as choosing the prizes... I hope you like Snippets anyway!)

I hope you all love your prizes! I have emailed you to congratulate you and get your addresses!

Wishlist Wednesday - Spoon + Cherry Print

I originally saw this print highlighted on the Handmade MN blog and instantly fell in love with it.

It's a print of a paper cutting of the famous Spoon + Cherry Sculpture in Minneapolis. I love that sculpture and I love the look of this print. If you are a local (or hold a special place in your heart for the Twin Cities) then you should definitely take a look around the Linden Leaf Etsy Shop. Other favorites of mine include one of Target Field and the Stone Arch Bridge.


Wishlist Wednesday posts are meant to introduce my readers to cool products and support Etsy Shops or Authors I believe in. All opinions are mine. I am never asked to write about any of these products and I am not compensated for my post. It's all just good stuff I want to share with you. :-)

Boarding Passes

A little while ago Leah posted a Thanks to Boarding Passes.

I immediately thought to myself, "I do that too!" So I went and grabbed a book that I know I had already read off the shelf and opened it up. Check out all the boarding passes I found!


I thought it was kind of funny that the first book I picked up had 4 different boarding passes in it's pages. :-)

Also, it happened to be a Sookie book and the new season of True Blood is basically amazing so far. I'm so glad HBO is doing such a good job bringing these books to life. The show is much different in some ways, but it's still just so good. Amiright?

I am also pretty much in love with this poster... it's just so great. Not really this blog appropriate though, so click over to see. :-)

Wishlist Wednesday - The Vintage Pearl

Another installment of Wishlist Wednesday for you! A perfect item to showcase on my wedding anniversary, which just happens to be today. :-)

I have been a fan of Erin's work for a while. She creates amazing jewelry at The Vintage Pearl and this necklace titles "Come Fly with Me" is no exception. I am a huge fan of personalized items and hers are just so special. (Jason bought me this necklace with lyrics of our wedding song stamped onto it... love it.)

Erin also has a blog where she posts photos of her adorable children as well as new product peeks, coupon codes, and giveaways! Definitely check it out!


Wishlist Wednesday posts are meant to introduce my readers to cool products and support Etsy Shops or Authors I believe in. All opinions are mine. I am never asked to write about any of these products and I am not compensated for my post. It's all just good stuff I want to share with you. :-)

July 4, 2010

[Fireworks display at Target.]

"Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small part of it!"
- Apu, The Simpsons

Wishing you all a fun and safe day celebrating!

Creativity Boot Camp - Day 7 & 8

Note: I got a little behind with Creativity Boot Camp but that's ok. I'm still going to complete the project because what I have completed so far I have really enjoyed. :-)

A female cardinal outside our living room window.
Word inspiration of the day: Fly

Journaling prompt: Set aside roughly 45 minutes to yourselves to sit down and complete three full notebook pages of stream of consciousness writing. Don't think about what you should write…just write. Once you’re done, throw them out. I do not want you to go back and read these pages…ever. They are merely an emptying. Enjoy.

Done and done. Here's my photographic proof. :-)