New Invites Listed In Shop

I'm proud to finally introduce some new wedding invites into my Etsy shop.

Please take a look...and enjoy. I think they are quite fun!

.....

McCoy Wedding Invitation and Response Card

fun details of this invite include rivets and a perforated response card postcard

add another layer to include reception details or directions

customize your vellum wrap

Lehman Wedding Invitation and Response Card

layer your invite and wrap with a coordinating ribbon

beautiful flowers climb up the side of the card

customize your envelope liner to match

Keller Wedding Invitation and Response Card

hand cut criss cross folder with vellum wrap

open invitation to reveal the response card hidden inside

a closer look at the delicate branches

all the pieces of the invitation set

Hope you enjoy!

Basement Renovation: Week 5

This week was not so exciting for the basement. No major changes were made. But necessary things happened. Even if they were boring.

.

We had to call in the big guns for this project. The electric company. An electrician. An inspector. The electric company...again.

This week we moved our electric meter box around the corner of the house. This is important because we'd like to build a porch on, and it would have been in a bad location if it was not moved.

.

So the electric company came and shut off the power to the house. What's a girl to do with no power. I took a nap.

.

Here is the old meter in the old location.

Ladders were climbed. Wires were moved.

Here is the new box prior to the electric company coming back. It is in it's new location. You can sort of see where it used to be in the left part of the photo.

And to go with the new meter box, we got a new electric panel in the basement as well. It has been updated from a 100 amp to 200 amp so we have more circuits to work with. Our old box was mighty full. This work was done by a certified electrician. It looks so nice and neat now.

Finally, after nearly 12 hours without power the electric company finally came back to restore power. Our house got down to 50 degrees and everyone was a bit grumpy.

.

By the way, don't you hate it when you know the power is out and you still try to turn on lights or run the microwave. Am I the only one who does this?

The New CW Star

Yesterday I had the pleasure of assisting at a photo shoot with friend and photographer, Chris Keels. He was taking some promotional photos for Columbus' new CW Star, Annie.

Working with Annie and the whole experience in general was a great way to spend the afternoon.

I can't wait for another day in the studio and to see the images up around Columbus.

January Freebie Photo Shoot

One of my goals for 2010 is to take more photos. Better photos. I need the practice. I want crisp, clean images that I can be proud of and that people will enjoy seeing.

-

At the beginning of January I posted a proposition on my facebook page. Send me a message if you want a freebie photo shoot. I'll get practice...you'll get a facebook photo album. I got several interested friends within minutes.

-

This past Saturday I met up with my first freebie shoot "customers". It was a cold and foggy Ohio morning with a beautiful couple who loves their little 9 month old.

So...tell me what you think. Any comments/suggestions for a relative newbie.

Help At The Grocery Store

I've got a routine down. I plan out a weekly menu each Sunday evening and plan to cook 4 out of 7 days. The other 3 days I figure we'll eat leftovers, go to someones house, or eat out.

-

Then, I do my grocery shopping on Monday. If I plan correctly, I won't have to go back to the store the rest of the week. (That has not happened yet)

-

I do not like going to the grocery store without a list, and I prefer to have it broken down by sections in the store. That is where THE ULTIMATEST GROCERY LIST comes in handy. Print it out, check off what you need, and you are on your way.

Basement Renovation: Week 4

Wow! I can't believe it has been 4 weeks of work already. You just don't always realize how long things take and all the little things really do add up. Nothing is ever simple in home renovations.

This week we had access to a neighbors power washer and put it to good use. Those old basement walls were in need of a good cleaning. It also got rid of the mortar that was crumbly and would need replaced.

It only took a day to power wash the whole basement, so the next few days were spent closing up 2 windows on the back wall. These windows would have been in the future laundry room but we closed them up for several reasons.
1. There is no shortage of windows in this basement. We are still left with 7 down there.
2. We'd rather have the wall space for storage in the laundry room
3. These windows will eventually be underneath a screened in porch, therefore covered up anyway.

Husband is not a bricklayer by profession. Heck, he's never even done a job like this before. He made some calls, did some research and felt ready to tackle it regardless.

In the end, I think it looks great. The outside brick all matches up and the inside will be covered with drywall, so I think this is a win!

Next week...we're working on electrical.

Strange Things

Sometimes the husband does strange things.

.

I'm working away on the computer in the office.

.

I head downstairs to grab a glass of water.

.

This is what I find in the living room.

Strange things happening around here

.

By the way, my house looks a little sad without Christmas decorations.

.

And I need a rug for this room.

.

And I wish that "someone" would close the cabinet doors when they are done.

.

And we don't normally keep a pillow in a tray on the coffee table. Only on special occasions.

Basement Renovation: Week 3

Week 3 of our basement renovation has arrived. As you can recall from Week 2, a royal dusty mess was made. The dust has now settled and what we are left with is a gaping hole in the floor.

New pipes will go into those gaping holes that will allow us to connect a new sink!! toilet!! and shower!! in our brand new basement bathroom. Awesome!

While the hubby was getting all the pipes situated in their proper locations, I was shoveling many pounds of rocks into the basement via the basement windows. 1200 pounds of rocks. Yeah, I'm strong.

Once the pipes were down, the rocks went on top, on the sides, and all around.

While the rocks settled, we rented a cement mixer from Home Depot and got busy mixing bag after bag of cement. Look how quickly hubby works...he's just a blur.

Hubs mixed and then threw shovelfuls of cement into the pits. I did the business of leveling things out and it went pretty well. A couple of spots will need sanded smooth once everything hardens up. We even wrote our names in the cement for future homeowners to see.

Up next, power washing the walls!

Handmade/Homemade Challenge: Sister-in-law's Birthday

One of my goals for Twenty-Ten is to buy handmade or make homemade gifts for birthdays and such. I plan to utilize Etsy as much as possible and also try my hand at more sewing/crafting/etc.

My first opportunity was yesterday for my sister in law's birthday. I went with Koukla Mou Designs on Etsy for some super cute and dainty fresh water pearl earrings. They are beautiful, wrapped up ready to gift, and shipped super fast.

Up next in January, a baby shower (for twins) and my sister's birthday.

................

Care to join me in the handmade/homemade challenge? I'd love to know some of the gifts you are finding and making. Leave a comment!

Soups On

I'm cold. It's snowy. I need some soup.

Does anyone have any fail proof, delicious soup recipes that you'd care to share.

Send me your best, your favorite, your warmest, your loveliest to gandm2007@gmail.com

My frozen fingers and toes thank you in advance.

-

image from here. made it last night. even better tonight.

Puzzled

Do you stick it out and finish it...or put it away?

Basement Renovation: Week 2

Week 2 of the basement renovation has come and gone. Know what else is gone...the wood paneled walls in the basement. Hip Hip Hurray! After that a couple of punks made a big dusty mess of the place while bringing up some of the concrete floor.

Big holes in the floor means access to the pipes. We're taking that nasty toilet stall out and installing a brand spankin' new full bathroom in the basement. It won't be in the same corner, so new pipes were called for.

In this corner will be a lovely laundry room. The toilet will be gone, the windows bricked up, the sink moved to the other side of the room, the giant hole filled with beautiful new concrete. I can't wait.

Another view of the mess. No one better track that mud up into the rest of the house.

Over where cute husband is standing (on the right) will be the location for the new bathroom. Next up, we'll fill those big ugly holes with new rocks and concrete and power wash the heck out of those grungy walls.

Calendar Download: January 2010

Do you need a new calendar page to start the year.

Here is one that I have come up with to share with all of you.

Click the image above to download a January calendar page.

Social Networking For The New Year

I may have neglected my little shop over the past few months, but I'm ready to step it up a notch in the New Year. Visit On A Limb and buy homemade.

Follow me on Twitter!
Be the first to find out about sales and giveaways when you become my Facebook friend!