Hope you haven't been worried about where I disappeared to. I forgot to tell you before I left that I was heading out on a little buying trip. I have so many wonderful things to show you! I can't wait.
Today, I'm so busy getting heart boxes ready and out to those who ordered them. I'm really too busy even to post this but I'm getting so many emails from folks wondering why I haven't posted in nearly a week.
I just got the new shipment of boxes in so this morning I'm filling them just as fast as I can. Thank you everyone for your patience. If you have a question about your order and when you should expect it, just send me an inquiry. I'm shooting to get all caught up today but, in order to do so, I really need to get back to work!*
*Edited to remove content that was deemed hurtful and mean. I'm lots of things, but never mean.
I really love this sweet peg doll. I bought her a couple of weeks ago at the DC Big Flea.
She has only her underclothes but I like her that way. The circles that you see by her arm were the part of her underpinnings that created the bustle of her dress.
I went back to our new Whole Foods today. It's really amazing. We've had Whole Foods in our area for as long as I've lived here. But this new store is simply amazing. It's more a restaurant than a grocery store. Here's an article about it
I mostly just wandered up and down the aisles. I didn't make a grocery list. My only real goal was to get dinner for tonight (chicken stuffed with chevre, couscous with parmesan and pine nuts, steamed vegetables) and something for tomorrow's lunch at the Cottage. (shrimp salad and fresh tortillas to make a little wrap).
I still do love Wegman's and I'll probably do my regular shopping there still. But I have to admit I am wooed by this grand new store. I mean, puhleeze. Do I need to show you that cupcake again?
Oh, and get this. There's a high-tech wine tasting room. You put money on a card which you scan into a wine-dispensing machine. Select your tasting size and it will pour it into the glass for you. The tastings started at $1 each and went all the way up to $27! The $27 tasting comes from a bottle costing $290. Wouldn't that be a fun thing to do with friends?
This is a special birthday countdown set. It comes with a feather tree and a 14-day countdown cabinet, complete with decorations. What a fun birthday tradition this would make!
I love having toys like this barn around for when children visit. They'll love playing with this, for sure.
Just in time for Valentine's Day, this pudgie doll will make a sweet gift. So cute!
These two pieces are wonderful for displaying small collectibles...
Do you remember when I was inspired by Brocade Home's jars of eye candy?
The other day I spotted this huge fishbowl and knew immediately that I had to have it.
Unfortunately, when I put it in the trunk and even cushioned it with the pillows I'd also just purchased, I forgot to account for the arm hinge of the trunk. As I shut the trunk, there was an extrardinarily loud glass-breaking sound. I re-opened the trunk slowly and took the bagged broken beautiful thing back into the store. I didn't want to put the glass in a public trashcan and thought they'd dispose of it safely.
Both ladies behind the counter insisted that I either exchange it for the other one of the shelves or get my money back. I just couldn't feel good about that. I mean, I was the dummy who broke it. It didn't make sense for them to replace it...as tempting as that idea was. I wished that I could just rewind time and remember that part of the trunk.
Trying to put it behind us, mumbling something about it not being meant to be, etc. we went to grab some lunch. All through lunch I kept thinking about it. It was just a perfect piece...and only $20!
On our way home, impulsively, I told Rich to swing back by the store. I went back in and quickly bought another one.
I'm so glad I did. It'll be fun to fill with all sorts of fun things.
I've been tagged by Tracey for the weird game. I have to name 6 weird things about me (won't be a problem) and then tag 6 more people. It's a weird-fest!
6 Weird Things About Amy
1. I listen to 40's music almost exclusively. I love all the standards and I often sing along.
2. I love to eat uncooked oodles of noodles. I guess it's the carbs and the crunch? It's a problem, I know.
3. I usually call my nephew Seth (or he calls me) during the commercials on Sunday night while watching "America's Funniest Videos". We talk about which were our favorites. Hands down, our favorite thing to see is when someone loses their pants. If that happens, we call each other immediately and laugh.
4. I almost never make the same meal twice. There are some exceptions but I like trying new recipes (even for the same dish) much more than making the same thing over again.
5. I can't say the word "drawer" properly. I think my mouth is too big and the middle part gets lost in there somewhere. It ends up sounding something like "dra-a-a-a-er".
6. My email inbox currently has 28,801 emails in it. If you've ever emailed me, I probably still have it in my inbox. And I have a terrible problem responding to emails. After I read the message, if I don't reply immediately, I might forget completely. If this has happened to you, please don't take it personally. It's me. All me.
And now for my tags: Nina, Pam, Deb, Wendy, Ann & Linda. If you're tagged, you should identify 6 weird things about yourself and then tag 6 more bloggers. Be sure to let them know they're tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
I've been cleaning and moving things around from one room to another and generally having a wonderful weekend. I can't show you what I've done because I accidently left my camera at my friend's house on Friday. I'm lost without it.
These photos are from the Flor website. It's a wonderful revolutionary idea in floorcovering. They offer square tiles of carpet backed with a repositionable adhesive. You purchase as many or as little as you'd like of any of the many choices of designs and colors.
I want to use them somewhere in the house. Maybe the best place would be to make two runners for either side of the island in the kitchen.
The real fun will come when I decide which tiles to get. I really like the look of mixing patterns and solids.
And I think each runner will cost less than $100. Fabulous!
My biggest problem when I was four years old was that we never had enough shoeboxes. I was always so happy when anyone in the family got new shoes because it meant that I could finally make the thing that Captain Kangaroo made that day. Oh, but the day that he made a choo-choo and used 5 or 6 at once!
Enjoy this trip down memory lane. Especially the commercials.
I can see now why these sorts of commercials were so effective at giving me the gimmees!
I nearly fainted on the spot when I spied these fancy cupcakes! Last night, Rich and I ventured to the grand opening of the new grocery store in our neighborhood.
We first ate dinner in their little restaurant. I had a cheese plate and a salad (the salad was just $2!) It was a wonderful little dinner.
We weren't prepared for a full grocery shopping trip so after dinner we just poked around each section of the store. They had wonderful things at every turn. Exquisite and interesting flowers in the floral section. Fun and interesting selection in the produce section...including the tiniest lady apples (I bought a few to try!) There was a seafood station serving fresh seafood. Actually, there were stations set up in nearly every section, all set up to serve meals. It really could make grocery shopping more like an adventure. I'm loving it.
I can tell that they are taking quite a bit of inspiration from Wegman's. I think all of the grocery stores in the area are stepping up their game since they moved in the neighborhood. It's nice to see. Even the lousy Food Lion around the corner is completely renovating, reinventing, and even renaming itself. After I finish penning this post, I am going to make a cup of tea, start a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy one of those wonderful cupcakes. And then I'll probably be buzzing around on a sugar high for the remainder of the afternoon. I have a few things to add to the site so maybe that's how I'll spend that burst of energy.
I can't wait to go back to the new grocery store to do some real grocery shopping. I think I'll go around lunchtime and treat myself to some delicious little treat. Maybe that Swedish potato and cheese creation that they will make for you at the cheese station. Or maybe a crabcake from the seafood station.
These fantastic bits of eye candy are all pages from scrapbooks that Wendy made and sells on her ebay shop. She's done all the work...all you have to do is plug in your adorable photos, sweet stories and notes. Isn't that the best?
I'm bidding on the Valentine one with the thought that I could fill it up with photos of me and Rich, stories of our 13 years together (10 years married this year!), and our dreams for what tomorrow will bring. For a guy who (no kidding!) has a folder in his filing cabinet named "Amy" with every single card I've ever given him, including a love note penned on a cocktail napki
As I put this together, I hoped that you would like it as much as I do. And since I sold all that I had supplies to make in less than a day, I can see that you do. You don't know how happy that makes me.
I just made some phone calls, arranged for some deliveries, and can happily say that I will be able to make 20 more of these boxes!
I made a mistake when I put this item in the store. I indicated incorrectly in the inventory that I had only one in stock. If you tried to order one without luck, try again. It's all fixed now.
About half of the charm bracelets have been spoken for...the other half is sure to be claimed in a hurry.
I have more handmade signs to add. And I'm working on a Valentine cardmaking kit. Hopefully I'll have that up by midweek. It's sure to be a busy week!
Are you ready? I have a lot to show you. All new at my store Inspire Company.
New charm bracelets...
A sweet paper doll Valentine...
Wooden Valentine hearts made by a wonderful Amish family...
Wonderful little button collages...
And last, but not least...I've been working on this for a long while... It's a Valentine treat box, chock-full of eyecandy! Can you imagine a better Valentine gift for you or a crafting friend?
For Christmas, I gave Rich a book of card tricks. It has turned out to be as much a present for me.
Each night as we're settling in for the night, Rich reads about a new trick in his book. While I'm brushing my teeth or washing my face or sorting laundry or one or two various other things I do before I actually get in bed, he's practicing the trick, rereading important points, preparing for me.
When I finally do get in bed, he tells me to take the top three cards, or to pick any card, or shuffle, or cut the deck. I solemnly obey, quietly taking note of that endearing twinkle in his eye.
After the trick is played, without really meaning for it to be a habit, I always say "Hey! How'd you do that?" And he just smiles, eyes a'twinklin. Oh, but do I love this man.
I was just minding my own business at the grocery store, collecting treats and necessities, veggies and lightbulbs, when a beautiful display of teas promising all sorts of fabulous things jumped into my path.
I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. I have to hide the phone during infomercials or else I'll be the proud new owner of everything they sell me. I'm gullible. I'm a sucker. So when a tea makes a range of promises from weight loss to regularity to clear skin, oh baby, I'm so there.
And the packaging! I think I did well by getting just 3, don't you?
Here's the link to see them all...Republic of Tea. And my grocery store is Wegmans Good golly, I love that place!
I have a project in the works that will claim probably 100 of these pink pom poms. I can think of assorted other projects they'll come in handy for but I think it's safe to say that I'll have an abundance of 'em for a long while.
Is anyone else suddenly hungry for Frankenberry Cereal.
I did, in fact, doddle at my two creative sources today.
First, at the scrapbook store, I browsed the aisles looking for beautiful papers. Ideas fluttered into my head and it was lovely just to be out and about.
As I was checking out, I was invited to create the "make and take" project...
It was instant creative gratification. I especially loved using ordinary coarse sandpaper to distress the edges of the patterned textured papers. I hadn't tried that before but I can't wait to apply that tecnique to some projects in the works.
When I have time (and even sometimes when I don't!) I walk nearly every aisle over at the craft store. I know that store by heart and I love finding new things...
Like these ribbons wound on little bobbins! They call them "Jam Ribbon" and display them with jars with the idea that you can fill jars with them. Talk about eye candy! If you have trouble finding the display in your store, look on every endcap. At my store they were in the floral department endcap.
I also picked up these sweet little Valentine tins...
They are for packaging the new batch of Valentine charm bracelets due to arrive this week. How's that for letting the cat out the bag? I can't wait to see them...and I know you are anxious too. The price will be a bit higher to reflect the increasing costs for Melissa to make them. I know you can appreciate how much work goes into them, let alone in finding all the little bits and bobs. She's a genius at it but good golly, it's bound to add up.
Do you remember when 100 was the highest number you knew? "I wish I had a hundred dollars" or, better yet, "I wish I had a hundred wishes!"
Well, then, here they are for you. One hundred wishes on a roll.
Keep your roll next to a mason jar and make a new tradition for your family. When anyone wants anything, and if they've been particularly good, maybe they get a chance for a wish to come true. They tear off a wish, write what it is they desire upon the back, and then place it in the jar.
And, then (this part is entirely up to you) when you are feeling generous and happy with the wisher's behavior, you can fish out a wish or two and go about making it come true.
A hundred wishes is too many for me today. But if I had just three wishes, here's what they'd be:
1. The mess that accumulated whilst I convalesced is magically sorted, straightened, vacuumed, tossed, and swept Bewitched style.
2. My cupboards are full of interesting ingredients to make fabulous dinners for the balance of the week.
3. I had the company of you to join me for a cup of tea, a cute little cake, and delicious conversation laced with plans for the one hundred wishes coming our way.
Get your wishes here and meet me for tea in an hour. I'll do my best to clean the hundred little messes all around but especially by the sofa.
I'm starting to feel like myself again. My head is still stuffy and my joints still stiff but I do believe I am on the mend.
I have dozens of little things to do today now that I'm feeling better. One of them is a trip to the craft store AND the scrapbooking store. I think I'll allow myself to get lost for a while in both.
I have so many new products on their way...some that I've made and others that I've found. They'll be drizzling in as these days come and go.
Here are two new things that are available now...
Available in five yummy polka-dotted colors, these tiny pocket albums make the most wonderful gifts, especially when you include your favorite snapshots when you present them. Or, tell me, my friend, wouldn't it be delightful to create a miniature scrapbook page highlighting your little dearies?
Now, isn't this a sweet alternative to the standard box of chocolates? This heart-shaped box comes outfitted with fun embellishments and supplies for creating papercrafts. Click here to order yours.
I've gotten a few requests lately about my plans for Club Little House. I'm giving it lots of thought and am trying to decide if/when we'll have another installment. The last one encountered lots of problems and left me feeling not as joyous about it. But maybe I'm ready to give it a try again.
Okay, off to my errands. Thanks so much for your get-well wishes. They were good medicine.
I'm imagining that we have a tiny little spot of land near a mountain lake. And on that tiny little spot of land, we have the tiniest little house.
We sit there, he in his chair, me in mine. We're each reading something wildly interesting. I'm sipping my hot tea from the cutest little cup. The ice tinkles in his sweating glass of soda. We turn pages at the same time, look up and exchange smiles.
Later we'll picnic outside, lazily enjoying a buffet of cheeses and pates, olives and pickles, fresh fruit and tiny cakes. I'll watch the clouds...did you see that elephant jump through the ringmaster's hoop? He'll work on a new cardtrick to dazzle me.
Birds and frogs serenade us. A fish jumps in the lake and makes a small splash. The bugs do not bite. The grass carpet is soft underneath and we don't bother with shoes. Flowers fragrance the air.
We are fabulously comfortable, happy to the core.
Isn't that the loveliest little dream?
These little houses are designed by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. You can purchase the plans and built it yourself. Or, if you live near them in Sebastopol, CA, you can have them build it and then transport it to you at the rate of $4/mile.
Tell me...isn't this the most stunning umbrella you've ever seen? You may recognize it from my Christmas wish list. Well, now it is available for purchase at Inspire Co.
It's available with three different canopy color and three colored handle choices. My personal favorite is pink with a garnet handle.
Very early Wednesday morning my sisters and I met the Keystone 640 in Parkesburg. It was nearly full of commuters but we were fortunate to get seats together. All that changed when the train lost power, eventually stopped just outside of Philadelphia, and was backed into the station.
Luckily a train from Washington was due in soon and we were told to board it to continue our trip to New York. Since this new train was already nearly full when all of the passengers from our broken down train boarded, the train was completely full. We went through car after car trying to find 3 seats at least close together. I spied something even better...three seats that were all together that were nearly free. One of the four seats together was occupied by a sleeping young woman. The seat adjacent to her was occupied by her purse. The seat across from her was occupied by her bare feet. I quickly took the empty seat, just as fast as if I were in the winning round of musical chairs.
I'd hoped that my plopping down would rouse Sleeping Beauty. No such luck. So I leaned over and said (with every bit of assertiveness I could muster) "Miss? The train is full and you need to move your feet from this seat". I could have sworn she twitched. I do think she heard me. I looked up to see that Jennifer found a seat next to a busy commuter click-click-clicking away at her laptop. And Jessica was heading back toward me. She took one look at Sleeping Beauty and then Sleeping Beauty's large purse and she squeezed herself in next to it.
Luckily before we knew it we were approaching the Big City.
We walked from Pennsylvania Station straight to Rockefeller Station to get a peak at the Today's Show. We were just a little late to be included in the televised cheering crowd but we did get to see the tail end of the show first hand.
Afterwards we took a tour of the NBC studios. The tour included the studios of NBC Nightly News, Conan O'Brien and Saturday Night Live. The most remarkable thing about these studios is how absolutely tiny they are. They were originally built as radio studios. Somehow NBC has managed to use camera tricks to make the spaces seem bigger. For instance, after Conan does his little dance in the beginning and greets Max, he always pretends to shout across the room. In reality they are less than 5 feet from each other. They have a camera on Conan and another on Max, which never ever pan out to show the two together.
We learned tons of other tidbits and fun things. I definitely recommend this tour for you next time you visit the city. But I don't recommend afterward that you ask the geeky guy working in the NBC store for an idea of where to go for a "nice lunch". "Nice lunch" to the geeky guy surely means something different since he sent us to Mars. Yes, the planet. There's a crazy themed restaurant which pretends to be the planet Mars in every way, including a spaceship which delivers you to your table (out of order), Marsians who will refer to you as Earthlings, and out-of-this-world bad food. Unless you have a little one who would enjoy such things, stay away from Mars. It is definitely not the place for 3 thirty-something women to have a "nice lunch". We should have just gone with our dream, Four Seasons. Right?
After lunch, we made our way up Broadway for the highlight of the day...The Color Purple! When we arrived at the theatre and found a line already forming around the block, we decided to join the queue. Once they started seating, the line moved quickly and before we knew it we were sitting in our very good seats. We still had a bit of time before the curtain rose so I treated us all to Bailey's laced Cafe Mocha's. Mmmm. Mmmmm.
From that first song that filled the air until the tear-filled standing ovation was rewarded with a perfect encore and all in between, the show was absolutely wonderful. It breaks your heart and then mends it. And it makes you happy to be alive, to be.
"I think it pisses God off when folks walk past the color purple in a field and don't notice it."
With tear stained faces and feeling so happy to have experienced this perfect musical and with only a few hours of our day left to enjoy, we headed out to the noisy streets. We thought it would be fun to have a frozen hot chocolate after the show. But after walking blocks and blocks, we found a two-hour wait outside Serendipity. In hindsight, we really should've taken a taxi back to Times Square.
Instead we wound our way through Madison and Park Avenues, back down Broadway for blocks and blocks. As we walked, we pointed out the sites and talked. We decided that the we would love nothing better than some wonderful sushi. We found a few places but I pushed on saying we should try to find a place closer to the station since we were running out of time. About 6 blocks away we found a cute little sushi place and placed our order. We miscalculated how much time it would take and ended up running full force through the streets to make our train in time, laughing all the way. In fact, once when Jennifer was nearly driven down by a cab and yelled at the cabby (she's a quick study!), Jessica had to stop running, she was laughing so hard!
We were so tired by the time we finally landed, all together, on the return train. We quickly gobbled up our sushi, continued to laugh and talk and other things sisters do without even thinking. Just outside of Philadelphia, mysteriously close to where our morning train hit trouble, the train lost power and eventually stopped. Uh oh.
Over the loudspeaker we heard the unnerving announcement that they would try to "jerry-rig" a temporary fix to get us into the station. The brake-line had been punctured. After almost an hour wait, the train started up. The same voice announced that they had found a branch that they were able to plug the line with. That doesn't induce much confidence, does it?
We made it home safely (and with a good story to tell). The best gift of the day was spending time with my sisters, just my sisters. They've known me all my life, these two. We know the good, the bad, and the uglies. I love them both and I'm lucky to have them.
Well, I'm being treated for the flu. Plus I have an ear infection. Can you believe it?
I had a good night's sleep last night and, with the help of Tamiflu, I think I'll be on the mend soon. In the meantime, I'll be planted here on the sofa with a box of tissues, some hot tea, and a whole bunch of attention from my sweetie.
Speaking of which, last night he asked if there was anything in particular I wanted for dinner. My appetite is not affected by this illness...I'm ravenous most of the time. So I answered that I had a hankering for a dish that I'd had a few weeks ago at a restaurant. This sweet man who does not cook found the recipe in a cookbook, went to the store for ingredients, and prepared with love (and a little bit of swearing and a whole lot of mess) the most wonderful little meal. Curious to know what it was? Kentucky Hot Brown.
How in the world can I stay sick for long with such great care? Oh, I love this man.
My friend, I'm feeling so sick. I woke up in the middle of the night with my joints all stuck in position. Every part of me aches. Especially my ears and jaw. I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon. Let's hope they send me home with an arsenal to nip this in the bud.
I have so much to tell you about. When I'm feeling up to it, I'll post a full report of what happens when three sisters take NYC. It's a tale that's going to take a lot of energy to tell.
Here we are at the beginning of a new year, 2007. Here's hoping it's a wonderful year for you, full of happy surprises, wonderment, and love.
Instead of making promises for changes that I don't really intend to make, I am going to make a proclamation. I declare that this is going to be a great year. Really wonderful things are coming for me this year. I'm ready for them. I will recognize them when I see them. I won't push them away with fear or negativity. I will graciously accept all of the good coming my way. And I will look for the message that each challenge presents.
So here we go. A New Year full of gifts and surprises and love. May the Lord give us the eyes to recognize the good in each day, every minute.
she's a heart maker
I've been cleaning and moving things around from one room to another and generally having a wonderful weekend. I can't show you what I've done because I accidently left my camera at my friend's house on Friday. I'm lost without it. 
These photos are from the 
I want to use them somewhere in the house. Maybe the best place would be to make two runners for either side of the island in the kitchen. 
I'm daydreaming today. 
Later we'll picnic outside, lazily enjoying a buffet of cheeses and pates, olives and pickles, fresh fruit and tiny cakes. I'll watch the clouds...did you see that elephant jump through the ringmaster's hoop? He'll work on a new cardtrick to dazzle me. 
