happy halloween!

Happy Halloween, my friends! I'm busy getting the next update of the magazine and website ready. I can't wait for you to see all the fun projects and new inspiredfriend feature.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning, bright and early. I'll announce the giveaway in the morning too!

Hope you're having a spooktacular Halloween!

gifts for the fairies...and other delights

I am so happy with these little cakes on tiny silver cake plates! They've been so much fun to make.

I was inspired to make them after seeing a ring that Julie Collings showed in her wonderful book, Pretty Little Felts. (The ring is available through her etsy shop...it's so sweet!)
I contacted Julie to ask if I could use her idea as inspiration for these sweet little cakes...she said yes and I've been making them ever since!

And just the thing to put out with your little fairy cake, an itty bitty tea set...

And the tiniest cup of coffee ever!

I've also been making little worlds in matchboxes...




And, finally! I made another Have Craft, Will Travel kit for you...






I've been working all day to photograph and put all this online! You can find all of this here.

Sugarville!

There are new properties available...

Including some newly constructed ones...





See them here.

amy, the spy

First of all, it's even more cloudy and grey now than it was this morning. It looks like we'll have to wait until tomorrow to take pictures of all this lovely stuff.

I met my friend Lorraine for lunch today. First we popped into Anthropologie.

Now you probably know that you're not allowed to take photos of the displays at Anthropologie. But when I was there last week with Hope I asked and they said that I could. Today I brought along my camera and asked again immediately. The nice girl who greeted us agreed. "Sure...why not..."

So just look at this fabulous installation of a doll house...

I think they've seen my basement...
And just look at little miss with her cake in the kitchen...
And I wanted to take more pictures...more, more, more...
But just then I was reprimanded. "No photos of the store!" said two tough and severe managers.
While Lorraine was in the dressing room, with the camera in my lap, I did stealthily take these pictures of the lovely things hanging from the ceiling...
Cardboard tubes, currogated cardboard finials, and tiny dowels bent to fit in holes in the cardboard tubes. Stuff like this ought to be shared and celebrated and blogged. It just has to.
I think I may have a future as a spy. Mrs. Polifax, look out!

the sun will come out...

today? I've got a whole bunch of stuff to show you but the sky is a little cloudy and I know the pictures will come out a bit flat. Hopefully the sun will make an appearance at some point today and I can snap the photos and show you.

Until then, I thought you might enjoy seeing my Christmas wishlist. I added it to the sidebar (you can also see it here)

I think I still have a few things to add. I went a little crazy...and no, I don't expect to get it all. :)

zombie in a jar swap

My swap partner, Lisa, sent me the sweetest little "zombie in a jar" for the swap. She's the cutest little black cat! Both Lisa and I agreed that we don't like the scarier parts of the holiday so we were a good match for the swap. Here's a birdseye view of the jar...I love those little flocked pumpkins!

Here's the jar that I sent her...

The body came from a little French lead figure that just happened to be headless.

I made a little pumpkin head from clay and glued it in place.

The other side of this tag reads "I caught you a goblin!"

And the rim of the jar lid is covered with a very vintage measuring tape.

Unfortunately, the whole thing came unglued and the poor guy suffered a broken nose on his way to Lisa's. I had debated filling the jar with shredded paper to prevent such a disaster but was afraid that the presentation wouldn't be as much fun for Lisa if she had to pick out the paper shreds just to see him.

Instead she had to perform surgery to replace his broken off nose. :(

Maybe he was trying to escape...the slippery little fella!

To see more zombie in a jars from the swap, click here.

monday?

I still have finishing touches to put on all the little things I'm making. I'll get them ready and put them in the store by monday morning. In the meantime, here's another preview.

making tiny worlds

I've been making glitter houses and other delights. And messes. I've been making those too.

The new Paper Source in Reston is fabulous. And so is the new Anthropologie right next door. My friend Hope and I had a delightful time just wandering around leisurely. I think we circled each store a dozen or more times. Then, once we'd worked up such an appetite from all those laps, we headed over to Jackson's for an amazing salad (and, while we waited, handcut fries). If you live in the DC area and you're cut of the same cloth as Hope and me, I recommend this same order of events.

Today I have some mundane tasks to tick off my list. If there is time later today, perhaps while Afternoon Tea keeps me company in the background, I will finish up this batch of goodies for you. Look for Sugarville houses, fairy cakes, and tiny matchbox worlds. Are you curious?

Meanwhile, it is officially afternoon (12:03 pm) and I'm still my pjs and robe. I spent the morning doing something I hate doing, making up all sorts of curses as I went along. The furnace broke and I had to clear away all the debris (and that's a nice word for it) that has filled the basement, rendering access to said furnace nearly impossible. There is a sign on the furnace from management (aka Rich) saying that if I don't keep the area near the furnace clear of boxes and stuff that I will burn the house down. I can't tell you how much I hate that sign. Almost as much as I hate clearing away those boxes, stacked to the ceiling. Today, embarrassed for the furnace repair man to see it, I tore the notice off in a huff and threw it in the trash, quite dramatically.

just a little bit better

Oh boy...those low days throw me for a loopdy loo. I'm back on track. Sad, sure. But more myself.

I'm busy making stuff to put on the store, hopefully next week. This house is one I made ages ago but it's one of my favorites and definitely in the direction that these little abodes are going.

Oh, guess what...I'm planning to be among the first customers tomorrow at the Grand Opening of the new Paper Source in Reston. I can't believe that there will really be a Paper Source just 20 minutes from my house. (Although I guess Alexandria and Georgetown aren't too much further, the hassle involved with going to either location keeps me away)

p.s.
If you are interested in joining the fun of Club Little House, I have just a few openings. Email me and let's talk about it.

p.p.s.
Heavens, no. I didn't make that wonderful little cupcake. I bought it at Whole Foods. It was so ooey gooey. In fact, Rich's first ooey gooey words after his first taste was "You're not going to believe it!" I have to admit that when I first tasted it, I wasn't sure what it was that I wasn't going to believe. But after my mouth was nearly glued shut by the ooey gooeyness of it all, I knew what he meant for me to not believe. Oh, and as if sin needs a bit of help, there was a glob of raspberry goo in the middle of it all.

daydreaming on aisle 5

The cupboards have been bare for weeks now, all except for stale cookies and crackers that are in the baby's cabinet. (I can't bear to toss them just yet.)

So I ventured this gloomy and drizzly afternoon to my grocery store. I found myself wandering the aisles for far too long, daydreaming and generally missing sweet baby.

I decided to make a simple and fresh, homey dinner tonight...pancetta and vegetables sauteed with shallots and then tossed with linguine and a bit of parmesan. And for dessert, a very pretty cupcake.

Hey, did you know that a picture of my sugarville houses is in this month's Country Living? How cool is that?

I'm working on making some to share with you, plus a whole lot of new stuff. Oh, and some "Have Craft, Will Travel" kits too. It's all part of the path to feeling better.

and the bunny slippers go to...

Beth! Oh happy day!

They are so happy to have a new home!

giveaway...

How would you like this pair of bunny slippers? (size 5-6) Just leave a comment (make sure to include your name) and you might just get them.

Drawing held tomorrow at 1 pm EST, results posted soon after.

inspiredfriend: Lilli Beck

I'm so happy to share with you the work of my inspiredfriend Lilli Beck. Click here.
I'm also so excited to share the projects of this issue of inspiredideas. The bunny slippers are my current all-time favorite. They turned out so cute that I find myself squealing at them, ever so slightly, whenever I see them.

time is flying...

I'm busy getting tomorrow's update ready...a new inspiredfriend...a new issue of inspiredideas. I just wanted to pop in to remind you to check back tomorrow morning for some fun.

Thank you everyone for your very encouraging words. Each day is just a little bit easier for me.

See you tomorrow, love!

the morning after...

I had a really low day yesterday. By the time Rich got home, I just collapsed into a tearful blubbering fit in his arms.

I had decided in the afternoon to make a photostory of Baby using all the photos we took while he was here, set to two of his favorite songs. I put the photos in chronological order...the first few pictures are of his birthday party, less than a week after his arrival.

Going through all of those pictures, and then having them come to life with the pans and zooms and all, was just a little bit too much for my broken heart. But then, after maybe the 12th time of watching the little show I was able to smile a little through my tears.

I know that he is where he's meant to be and that he will have a wonderful life ahead of him, full of love and care and guidance. My sadness is from missing him so much. And that sadness rests in my throat and aches whenever I swallow. Sometimes it makes my head buzz and my eyes sting out hot tears. I am at the brink of full out weeping at any moment.

This morning, fresh with promise, my eyes sprung open and I felt better. I awoke with a prayer on my lips. I'm asking God to help me out of that place where all this seems too much to bear and into a place of peace. If you talk to Him today, will you ask the same for everyone who's suffered a loss?

update

I've had a few inquiries about how we're adjusting. Everyday is getting just a little bit easier for me. But I asked Rich last night if the same were true for him and he said that it wasn't. The more time that passes, for him, the harder this is. We just miss him so much...every little bit of him. I wish I could hold him right now and read him a book or sing him a song and sneak a kiss right on the top of his sweet little head.

I caught you a goblin...

My zombie in a jar for Saucy's swap is on its way...here's a sneak peek. More photos will be posted on Oct. 25.

sitting still

I've been working like crazy making all sorts of things for Silver Bella swaps. I started making these tiny little sweet things for one of them and I couldn't stop! I'm itching to make more...I have an idea of something fun to do with them.

This weekend we went to my hometown for the annual Crab Carnival. It was great seeing friends and family. My sister Jennifer had a health scare last week. She's doing better but is out of work on bedrest for three weeks. She's the kind of person who can't sit still, especially if the carpet needs vacuuming or laundry put in the dryer, so it's going to be hard for her to sit still.

Me? I can sit and make little cakes for a whole day and then dream of making more.

Heidi Y. (and your daughter!)

Guess what, Heidi Y. (and your daughter!) You won the giveaway. I'll email you soon!

giveaway time!

Leave a comment below (be sure to leave your name) and you'll be entered into a drawing to win this fun little jean pocket purse with a vintage flower pin! It's perfect for fleamarketing, with just enough room for your cellphone, cash, and id.

Winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon. Good luck!

inspiredfriend: Cari Kraft

I'm so excited to present my sweet inspiredfriend Cari Kraft. Click here to see.

She's cooked up all sorts of tricks and treats to share, all with a spooky Halloween theme.

I still have just a little bit of work to do...one more witch canvas to put up (Somehow I missed photographing it the other day!) and I have to add how-tos for the last two projects. But I just couldn't hold you back a moment longer!

Enjoy!