A Little of This & A Little of That

I can't tell you how long I've had the urge to sit down at the computer and catch up. It feels like months. But I must admit my desire to stay sane these days has overridden my desire to write. Sure there are times when juggling all the balls is doable. The kids get to school on time. I get in a good workout. I run my errands, make phone calls, ship orders, and on a good day, spend a few hours in the studio. But then there are those times when the schedule gets hectic and balls start dropping. Throw in a few extra soccer games, birthday parties, out of town guests - surprise! - and that balancing act is a distant memory. The last few weeks have been crazy. Not a bad crazy. Just busy and something had to give. Sadly, blogging has been one of the things I've had to put on the back burner. Unfortunately, things don't look any quieter over the next few weeks so this post will have to be short and to the point. I promise I'll have more to say and more time to say it in soon but for now here are a few photos of recent projects.

The bottles above and below are for an upcoming Holiday Soiree at Blissful Home. I just love the way they look en masse.





A difficult bottle to photograph but one of my favorites. The beautiful blue color of the glass coupled with the bleach white starfish makes me yearn for my beloved beach.




These 2 are already sold but I thought I'd share them anyhow. Don't worry - there's plenty more where that came from!



Switching gears a bit now. Here are a couple of windows that I've repurposed. The window titled "Foundation" was done last year but was recently uncovered in storage. I'll get it in the shop soon. No really, I will. And the window titled "Bloom" is a custom piece for an avid gardener. I hope she approves! And by the way, can I just tell you how hard it is to get a good shot of windows. Jeez, the reflections are enough to make me nuts!





That's it for now. Tomorrow it's a soccer game. A lunch date. A princess party for my birthday girl Rylie. Happy birthday princess! And then a private party with family. I just dropped a few more balls!

Have a great weekend. XXOXOO

Lots of Love

My goodness, there seems to be a whole lotta love out there these days! This week I have been tagged not once, but twice, with this lovely little award. Thank you NJ Tomboy and Divadeb - you girls made my week...no, my month. I am honored. XOXXO

Now for the rules.

1. The receiver can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other bloggers.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you mentioned.

And now for the fun part. These are the places I go on most mornings while I sip my coffee in solitude, to inspire, refuel, and connect. Of course, there are soooo many side trips along the way, but I always come back to these wonderful, creative, and talented women. Thank you girls for the many, many hours of inspiration and smiles! Keep it coming.

1. Kasey of Lola B Boutique
2. Donna of The Ribboned Crown
3. Heather of Pretty Petals
4. Analise of Sugar Sugar
5. Andrea of Vintage Bella Studio
6. Holly of Holly Doodle Designs
7. Karla of Karla's Cottage

I must now go and visit these girls to let them know they've all been bestowed with this happy gift. I have so many posts waiting in the wings but no time to sit and tend. I've been preparing for an event and it requires all of my time so the posts will have to wait a few more days. Hugs in the meantime.

Inspirational Day

Ever have one of those days that leave you so inspired that you kind of float for a day or two afterwords? I had one last weekend when I attended the Tinsel and Treasures folk art show in Danville. It was an intimate gathering of some very talented artists, each offering their own unique treasures. The photo above is from the amazing Donna O'Brien. I've blogged about her before, and have no doubt that I will blog about her again. Fortunately for my wallet (but unfortunately for my heart) Donna had practically sold out when we arrived. I did manage to snag this beautiful crown, however, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. Thank you Donna.



Another featured artist is my friend Ulla Milbrath. She's another one that continues to pop up on my blog and for good reason! Just when I think Ulla has outdone herself she does it again. And again. And again. Ulla my dear, you are scary good!



And then there's Connie Govea Stuart. Such an amazing talent and NO BLOG OR WEBSITE! You're killing me Connie. She teaches workshops, is connected to Somerset Life and Studio, has been published 45 times and did I say this already, NO BLOG OR WEBSITE! I don't mean to be selfish but come on....! Love her stuff.



My friend Sara told me about this store months ago and it defies description. The name of the store is Gardenseed and if you ever find yourself in downtown Danville, it is well worth the visit. Upon entering, the first thing that came to mind (after OMG! x@#*!) was Willy Wonka. It's one of my all time favorite movies so I mean that in the best possible way. My eyes didn't know where to look first. In every conceivable direction there was color and texture and merchandising marvels! It's one of those places that seeps into your pores and fills you up completely. Thank you Gardenseed for the magical experience. You have a fan for life!





And last but not least there is this little number I spotted driving around town. Need I say more?



May your week be just as magical as mine has been! XOXXO

Shop Update

Before my day gets going I thought I would do a quick post on some of the new items in my shop. The next few days are packed (OK, really, when aren't they packed?)so I knew it would be now or days from now. There are more new items waiting in the wings but I can only do so much in a day! Stay tuned girls, they're coming.....! Here's a really quick peek for now.


A beach themed kit....


Bingo cards with seam binding and millinery flower...


A whimsical collaged fairy....


A view from behind....

Have a wonderful day! XOXXOO

Sweet Six Projects

I've been working on some of the projects from Sweet Six Studios and thought I'd share them with you. I've also posted the photos on Flickr if you want to check them out there as well. It's been alot of fun, not only creating the projects, but seeing all the different interpretations that all of you girls have come up with.



This is the decorated bath bottle by Natasha Burns. Finding the jar proved to be a bit of a challenge. I ended up going to one of those places that SCREAMS of mental health issues. You know what I'm talking about - a junk store that is sooooo packed with stuff that there are no discernible aisles, or you can't maneuver through them, or they end suddenly, or if you do find something you like it's buried so deep you don't dare try to retrieve it, etc. I'm sure they are in constant violation by the Fire Marshall. Anyhow, I found my jar without breaking anything or getting lost in a maze, but could not get out of there fast enough!

I tea stained the label that Natasha made for us, added some bling and voila - a bath jar is born! The bath salts are a lovely blend of vanilla, jasmine, and gardenia and smell like summertime in a bottle. (You can find these bath salts at my store if you're interested)





Heather Kowalski showed us how to make beautiful ribbon lanterns. Mine is made out of an oatmeal can - very easy and readily available. I would love to make a version of this and actually hard wire it for light. How gorgeous would that be in a romantic little nook?

I'm working on the adorable flower broach by Analise Sledd but haven't quite finished that one. Seriously, I could make dozens of these and stick them all over the place. Too fun!

I have orders to finish up tomorrow but will try and post some more Sweet Six photos soon. I'm also adding some more yummy items to the store so of course I'll give you guys a sneak peek of those too! Thanks for visiting and remember to say I love you ALOT today. Hugs to you all.

New Treasures

As anyone pursuing a creative path knows, there are many twists and turns in the journey. With nothing more than a gut hunch and a heap of faith as our guide, the heart pulls us in directions unknown, unfamiliar, and often unexpected. There are times along the way when not knowing is scary, when not knowing makes us yearn for the safety of specifics and guarantees. At those times we want to know what the end results look like BEFORE we leap. We want assurances that our choices are right. But the creative process doesn't always work that way. It requires faith in the unknown and, most importantly, faith in ourselves. It demands a willingness to let go of our expectations of how things "should" be and to trust in what lies ahead, despite our inability to see around the very next corner.

And why all this talk of faith and crazy twists and turns? Because my heart has been tugging and nudging, again, or for a while, and it's time I share with all of you the "what" of my creative pull. I'm not one for grand entrances, bright lights, or massive billboards. By nature I prefer quiet introductions, soft lights, and background stuff. However, what I've been doing over the last few months IS visual and does require an unveiling of sorts. Plus, I'm excited. Pure and simple. My "stuff", my leap of faith, roll up my sleeves, get in the studio and create stuff is also my business. The end result of all this heart tugging is my very own vintage-inspired gift line. So, it is with great pride that I offer to you a sampling of Mixing Whimsy's gift line. I hope you enjoy my creations as much as I have enjoyed making them. There are a few more pieces of the "collection" still in the works but this is a good representation to start. And let's be honest, if I waited until everything was finished before I officially launched the line, I'd be in a perpetual state of waiting. At some point, I just have to take the leap! I invite you to drop by the store and take a peak at Tinsel and Treasures to see what little gems await. Enjoy!

Embellished vintage glass bottles

Jewel encrusted starfish

Matchbox covered in vintage sheet music and buttons

Clothespin magnets covered in nautical charts and shells

Coasters covered in nautical charts

Beach Girl at Heart

I'm back from vacation but not quite back in my body - certainly not after sorting through these photos. I'm a beach girl at heart and at my happiest when I can throw on a pair of flip flops and head on out to the beach. I love these annual trips to the coast. It's a tradition that's been in my family since my Mother was a young girl and now I get to pass it on to my own children. The only negative? Ten days feels more like ten minutes and all too soon flip flops will be replaced by boots. As I sit on the beach watching the sunrise for the last time before heading home, I am accutely aware of the discrepancy between where I am and where I want to be. It's not that I don't appreciate the place I call home. Northern California wine country is world famous for good reason. It is absolutely stunning here. But, and for me this is a big but, it is not warm and balmy beach. It is not year-round flip flop weather and, like I said, that is when I am at my happiest. In a week or two I'll be back in my body and back in the groove of my life (a really, really good life) In the meantime, while I wait for reality and fantasy to land somewhere in the middle, I share with you the place and people that make my life a really, really good one!