Shocking but true

I have recently begun to notice that the majority of things in my home that I truly love love are either thrifty finds, or things that I have made or refinished myself. Items like my turquoise coffee table, black buffet, or many a thrifty swan (ha ha). I do, however, have a few things in my home that are straight up retail (ok, some of them are actually "discount" retail, but still. Not thrifty or make-shift at all). There aren't many, but a few. First up is my I-love-it-so-much linen storage bench at the end of my bed. I got this bad boy at Ross Dress For Less about 6 months ago for $99 and I am smitten with it. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for and it is the perfect storage place for my purses and scarves. This was a one in a million find too because my sister really wanted one after she saw mine and after scouring every Ross in the tri-state area, we never could find another one :(

Look at those sassy nail heads. Yummy!

This little clock on my mantel is a brand spankin' new purchase from Marshall's (with a b-day gift card). It was $12.99 and it's even cuter in person. We desperately needed a clock in our living room, and I'm totally in love with this little guy (It's hard to tell, but it's a shabby light colored distressed kind of wood).

I got these sweet birds at Hobby Lobby almost 3 years ago. Us California folks don't get to have the lovely hobby lobby here, but I scored these sweet birds when I was in Iowa visiting my sister in law and her family. They definitely own my heart :)

Next up on the I-love-you-just-as-you-are list is this pretty display case that I bought when I was in college. I saved all my nickels and dimes and got it on super clearance at Pottery barn. It has been with me a long time and I love it.

Of course I love my ledge shelves that were wedding gifts (Pottery barn again).

And my sister got me this beauty from PIER 1 last year. SO big and SO pretty!

And last but certainly not least, my leopard print curtains in my kitchen. I bought these about a year and a half ago at JC Penny (their American Living collection) and they are seriously my fave! In person they have a great linen texture to them and at $35 per panel, they were a huge splurge because I needed 4 of them (I'm not a fancy curtain kind of gal, mine are usually from IKEA or WalMart).

So, there you have it. Although my thrifty finds and refinished items are the majority around here, I actually do have a few "straight off the rack" things that I love love love (not pictured are my trio of voluminous vases from Pottery barn and the Vintage looking print of the Eiffel Tower over my fireplace).

Please excuse this totally random post, I've been a busy running around lately and this is all I could come up with, ha ha.

Ode to Yo-yos

Ok. So, my brother that I love so much got me a Michael's gift card for my birthday. Yay! So, I used some of it to get these tools to make fabric yo-yos. Double Yay! I have purchased yo-yos in the past from various Etsy shops, but I thought I should give it a shot myself. A quick trip to Joann's for some fat quarters of pretty fabric and I have been a yo-yo makin' fool ever since. Seriously addicting. They take a little bit of time to make, but it's quiet, alone, napping kids yo-yo making time and it has been lovely. Seriously people, if you don't yo-yo, you really should :)

As you can see below, I have made some yo-yo hair clips and you will soon see them in my Etsy shop. I used some fun feathers and my grandma's vintage button collection to fancy them up a bit. As far as Etsy goes, I'm trying to keep the same colorful fun vibe in my shop while stocking a good variety of products. It's always "in progress" but I like where these little clips are taking the shop. Chic, vintage, one of a kind, and adorable (if I do say so myself, ha ha).

This little shabby chic one is my first-ever yo-yo so Hayden gets to keep it ;)

Keep a look out for these little guys in my shop. I'm sure there will be many a yo-yo makin' nap times in my future :) Happy Monday!

Crafting on Demand

Pacifier clip = ABSOLUTE NECESSITY! If you didn't already know this, I am a fan of the pacifier. It is because of the pacifier that I don't live in a padded room today (ha ha). Back in the day, pacifier clips were one of the main items in my Etsy shop. Over time, as my little ones got bigger and no longer let their pacifiers fall out of their mouths without warning in the grocery store (icky), I stopped focusing on them. As I've mentioned before, my friends and family members are my BEST customers. In order to keep this up, I must produce what they need (it's simple Economics 101 people). My friend needed a cute baby gift for a friend, so I got right to work. Making paci clips is a bit tedious (lots of steps), so it makes sense to make a bunch while you have all of your supplies out. It's sort of a 2-handed process, so I can't really do a tutorial, but if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them. You'll see these little guys popping up in my Etsy shop as I finish them. Pretty Princess :)

Circus Elephant :)

(The guitar, the lion, and the bird are already spoken for, but if you see one you would like, let me know) (We got rid of Noah's pacifier at the age of 2 and a half so he would be a BIG boy when his baby sister was born. I'll admit I was a bit embarrassed when Noah's new dentist could instantly tell that he had used it beyond the age of 2. oops. Ah well. )

A bit more on twins...

I realized from a few of your comments that you didn't even know I was a twin. Well, it is such a HUGE part of who I am, I thought I would show you a few more pictures (& some recent ones too). This first one is a classic in our family. My sweet mom doin' it up twin style. Ha ha. I can not imagine this. Yikes!

Here's my sister and I in December at Disneyland (I'm in the brown jacket)

Here is us at one of our best friend Catherine's b-day party (the beautiful blondie) in Palm Springs. I'm sitting down in the front left and my sis is behind me. The other 2 pretty girls in the picture are Susie & Kimi, our other 2 besties :)Being a twin isn't anything that anyone else can ever understand. Even if you have very close relationships with your siblings, it still can't compare to twin-hood. We are one in the same. Sure we have our differences (all growing up, I was the opinionated bratty one and she was the sweet pushover...although this is definitely no longer the case, ha ha), but we can be together doing anything and it is as if we are walking around and hanging around with ourselves...sorry that's confusing. Basically, we can always be together, without interruption, and always be at peace and happy. I know her as well as I know myself. We have a crazy connection and it has played a big role in the woman I am today. Anyway, just thought I would share these more recent pictures to tie in with my b-day post from yesterday.

T minus one day until Friday :) xo

32.

Today is my b-day. I am 32 years old. Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :) My sweet sweet hubby made a marvelous breakfast for my twin sis and I (Crepes, YUM, my fave). It was a delicious way to start my day :)

For lunch...homemade birthday cake. Mmmmmmm.

My sis and I are another year older and wiser. We have SO many fun memories from the past, and so many more to make in the future. 32 years ago today, my mom was going in to labor 7 weeks early with her identical twin girls. She was flown in a helicopter as I was crowning so she could deliver us at a hospital that had a neonatal intensive care unit. We were early and little and they weren't sure if we would be ok. As luck would have it, we came out perfectly healthy and all was well. Even as brand new babies, we were already putting our sweet mama through the ringer. Not much has changed, ha ha!

(even as babies, my butt was bigger than hers. grrrrr).

Can you read our shirts?? I'm in blue and it says "I'm Ali, she's Lisa." My parents had fun switching the shirts and playing tricks on people. Goofy parents ;)

Happy birthday sister! You are my best friend & I love you dearly (even if my butt is bigger)! Cheers!! Now let's go to the mall :)

Oh yeah - and I'm guest blogging over at Cassie's today, yay! Go over and check it out to see how I use metallics in my home.

Yarn Wreaths & Thrifty Finds

Yarn Wreaths = a LOVE/HATE relationship. I finally finished embellishing my two wreaths and with only one minor glue gun burn on my finger, I think they came out pretty cute. I had a few oops along the way (& trust me when I tell you, once you hot glue something on to a yarn wreath, it's pretty much there to stay). Well people, here they are in all their glory:

This first one is now living in my kitchen. Like? Like. You know how I love initials :)

Here's the big picture for you. A bit asymmetrical, but I think it works ok.

The second one ended up in Hayden's room. All of our walls in our house are beige except in Hayden's room where they are a light pink. The cream wreath blended in too much in the rest of the house, so I girlified it for baby girl's room (& yes I am one of those people that think leopard print is a neutral).

Silk flowers, pearl brads, & a giant cameo. Yummy!

Subtle. Girly. Pretty.

Now on to my recent thrifty find favorite - my 2 pint jug. Isn't it awesome!?!?

I got it for $3 and am in love with it :)

And at this point, I may as well call it swanning, not thrifting. Every time I go out, I find one (or more) of these little guys and I can't leave them in the store (correction, I CAN leave the ones with the porcelain flowers wearing straw hats in the store, I'm not a total swan loon). I have already found places for most of them, and the larger one made it's way to my Etsy shop. I feel a bit guilty selling him, but he will be more appreciated in a home that is un-swanned. Ha ha! Happy Day people!

Serenity NOW.

First - let me just say that you "yarn wreath" people are NUTTY! "Sure, I'll make a couple yarn wreaths. Should be easy enough, tons of people have made them." UM. Ca-razy!!! It's definitely not hard to do, but it's totally tedious and takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I will most likely NOT make yarn wreaths again.

From this.....

To this.....(DON'T ask)

To this.......Now what?? Hmmmmm. Givin' it some thought (and icing the claw that is my hand - ha ha). Reveal to come soon. I'm lusting after the ones in this post. We'll see!

For Japan with LOVE

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This morning...

This is NOT good.