Cali College Visit

During our visit last week to California, we checked out the college Chloe would most like to attend. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a familiar place since my sister is a graduate, as well as my best friends Janice and Casey. I wish I had gone there! The weather was perfect and our tour guide was adorable. She sold Chloe completely on the central coast college experience. Now Chloe just has to get the grades! It's not an easy program to get into and she better get busy.

I've got more pictures to come. Lots of family and friend time, including some sad time as I helped my parents prepare for a move. After 48 years in the same house, it's time for an unexpected change.

A Good Day for Vintage

I lucked into some sweet finds at the local thrift store. Cute hats, including a white beaver-fur one with a beautiful rhinestone embellishment, a little silver brocade one with little grey velvet bows and rhinestones on the netting and an adorable little girl's blue flowered one. The train case is just what I want to use in a project like one I saw on Jane's Apron. I love her blog! The quilted satin covered box is perfect for sorting and storing little things on my work table. I like to collect ivory vases, usually in a matte finish, but this small one was so sweet, I couldn't pass it by. Also the little vintage auto vase was too cute to leave behind. Everything in the picture totaled less than $6.00. Score!

Military Ball

Chloe recently attended the ROTC Military Ball. It was kind of last minute and she barely knew her date, but she was excited to attend. The Ball is known to be better than prom, with more dancing. They are also served a very nice dinner. She had a dress, shoes and accessories ready, so prep was easy. We had a little issue with hair (next time, no matter how last minute, we WILL get an appointment to have a pro do it!!) but she made do with a sparkly headband and just went straight and glossy. I think her date had a great time, but was disappointed she wouldn't go out with him again. Apparently one of her friends has a crush on him, so she considers him "off limits." Aaah, teenage angst. He's really a very nice kid, very accomplished. This picture doesn't do him justice - he's much cuter in person. He brought Chloe home with a smile and walked her into the house at the end of the evening. Good manners are always a plus.


Just wanted to show a smiling picture of my daughter. Cheer tryouts start this week and there's been a lot of scowling and muttering after practices. Wish me luck!

Easter Basket Swap

This is one of the baskets I made for one of my partners in Miss Rhea's Basket Swap. I make the little bunny ornament, strung the silver bunny on a ribbon and wrapped some pretty french wired ribbon on a little paper egg. I found the cute chick from Seasons of Cannon Falls at a gift store nearby - I just love his crepe collar and glitter buttons.

I can't seem to upload my picture of the beautiful little basket Cari sent me, so I lifted one from her blog (thanks Cari). It was filled with Easter ephemera, including a playing card with bunnies on it that I just love. She also gifted me with some pretty pastel trim, a lovely bow pin and other goodies. I'm so happy to have such a cute addition to my Easter display.

Amour Swap - What I Sent

This was the Amour Valentine Swap package I sent to Bryanna. There were a few more little things in there, but I didn't get pictures of everything. She requested lavender as her color, so I used as much as I could in making the boxes and valentines. I included some thrifted heart jewelry and a little owl & pearl sweater keeper (because Bryanna mentioned she liked owls) along with a little kewpie figurine holding a "home sweet home" sign since Bryanna had recently moved to a new home. I love kewpies and thought I had seen some kewpie dolls in one of her older blog pictures.

Since Bryanna likes Alice in Wonderland, I made a little collage using images from one of my old books. It's kinda funky and different, not my usual style, but I was trying to be brave and experimental.

I also put a little valentine mouse by Jennifer Murphy (for Seasons of Cannon Falls) because it was just so adorable. Some glittered, feathered birds also made it in there, along with some vintage chenille pipe cleaners in luscious aqua and lavender in case she wants to do some crafting. There were some little bags of crafting bits, like porcelain doll faces and little flower stems.

I'm just happy the box FINALLY MADE IT TO HER!!!!

There was a huge glitch in the mailing process. I mailed my box on January 28, Priority shipping, with delivery confirmation. It arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 1 - with the wrong address. Two numbers had been transposed when Cathy gave me Bryanna's address and I hadn't verified with Bryanna before I mailed it. Mistake #1. Then, when I hadn't heard anything from Bryanna after a week, instead of emailing her and asking about it, I started telling myself she must have received it and hated everything in it. Talk about paranoid! Mistake #2. When Bryanna emailed me inquiring about when she might expect the package, I realized something was amiss. I had received her amazing box previously, so I checked the return address and discovered the aforementioned address mistake. I called the post office 800 number to find out what was up and they simply reported it as "Undeliverable as addressed." They told me it would be returned to me, but they couldn't tell me where it was. It had been over a week and it should have made it back to me. I filed a claim to open an investigation. The post office was to call me back within 2 days. After 2 days, no call. I called again. Sarah at the 800 number was condescending and almost rude when she told me that the day I initially reported the problem didn't count, and I would have to actually wait 4 days to expect a call. Mistake #3 - I should have gone up the supervisor ladder at that time. Four days later, no call. Finally on Thursday when I reached Lisa at the 800 number, she was very concerned and apologetic and gave me the consumer complaint number. When I reached Stephanie at that number, she was able to contact the Fayetteville post office, where my package was still sitting after all this time, and get it forwarded on to Bryanna WITHIN HOURS! I love Stephanie. It took my 2 - 3 day package over two weeks to get to her. I'm just so glad it did - I felt like a swap partner failure.

I think I'll use UPS next time.

Trashy Friends

One Gal's Trash is having a cool give away! Help her reach her goal for 500 followers on her 50th birthday and enter her giveaway too. The keys above are only part of her prize. She is one of my favorite bloggers, always sharing the best thrifted finds and funny stories. http://onegalstrash.blogspot.com/

Crafty Pod, I love you!

I recently won this amazing book from http://craftypod.com. Diane Gilliand (aka Sister Diane) generously hosted a give away of this mixed-media, fairytale picture book that is truly magical. I'm not sure I have the skills to make many of the projects featured, but it's very inspirational and challenging. Diane has also been featured in a book I recently checked out from the library called "1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse" by Garth Johnson. I only wish there were instructions for some of the projects. Most are really works of art, but some are definitely do-able.


Crafty Pod features lots of podcasts, tutorials and great blog advice. Check it out!