Renaissance Ribbons

When I first heard that Anna Maria Horner was coming out with her own ribbons, I think it would go without saying that I was super excited. Then when I found out that Renaissance Ribbons would be producing them, I was even more excited. I would probably consider RR to be the Cadillac, the Rolls Royce, if you will, of the ribbon world. The quality is oh so divine... and I mean divine, not to mention the range of patterns and colors that they offer. Take a look at these scrumptious beauties...

These ribbons coordinate so perfectly with Anna's LouLouThi collection, and I suspect that there might be several that will work with her upcoming collection. (keeping my fingers crossed that it is released this spring) So, are you already dreaming of projects accented with these luscious trimmings? I know I am.

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A Little Color

I've been kicking around a certain project now for the last several months, and now I finally feel like I am coming into the home stretch. Working with color, as it should be very obvious, is a passion of mine. But I have to admit that when it comes to really fine details, it is not the easiest thing.

One could not imagine how many million shades of blue there are, or green, and, and, and. One slide too many towards yellow and one could end up with a really ugly pea soup green. Slide a little too far to the blue side and one ends up with a boring mint color that reminds one of funny tasting candy in a retirement home. But it looks like things are getting narrowed down and the end is now in sight. Now that the hard part is over, it still looks like a little more waiting until the final product lands on my desk. But as I guess they say... good things come to those who wait, right?

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Just Popping In

We've not even come into March yet, and already I am thinking about what projects I have in mind for our show in June. Wanna little sneak peek? I had actually started this around the same time that I was working on the fun, but practical shopping totes. It's a slight variation with a little less basic form and a little more feminine shape... I'm sure you recognize the Anna Maria Horner fabrics.

I guess I have so much that I would like to accomplish before then, and the ideas for projects are darting around in my head like ping pong balls in a final duel, so it should be interesting to see which ones win out. I know I'm not the only one... so, how do you decide which sewing projects you want to work on first, and which ones have to take the back seat?

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It Only Took Five

My husband and I had only been dating for one month the first time that he sent me flowers. When the doorbell rang and a big bouquet was presented to me, I said to myself... "I'm going to marry that guy!" Well, it took a little more than flowers to get me to agree, but let's just say that they helped.

Throughout the years I've gotten lots of flowers from my husband, but they have always been missing one thing... my favorite flower. It has kind of been a running joke with us, and I have told my husband multiple times that when he brings the bouquet which includes my favorite flower, that I would let him know.

Yesterday, my guy finally hit it... a bouquet for Valentine's Day which included my favorite flower... the simple, sweet, and yet cheerful DAISY.

... and it only took five years for him to find it. Smile.

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Weekend Project

I had originally started working on this project to enter a contest featuring tutorials for gifts to send to that "special someone" or for "love-themed" events such as weddings and engagement parties.

BUT... sometimes projects flop and just don't work out as you had them planned... you too? So my "Valentine's card" is a result of combining what didn't work out with a little bit of paper. I love mixed media projects and especially combining fabric and paper.

Valentine's Day is a really big day in the States, and while it seems to be working its way over to Germany, it is not as popular here. I have to admit that I never really was the biggest fan of Valentine's Day... especially during my single days. It was always a big slap in the face that I didn't have anyone on the biggest day of love. But now that I am married, my guy is relatively unfamiliar with the holiday and if I want flowers I have to tell him so. Sigh... what's a girl to do?

But I still wanted to share what could be a super easy project for the weekend... cut out a couple fabric shaped hearts, glue them on, outline them with a black marker, add a sweet charm, and write a special message to your love... for any time of the year. Happy weekend creating!

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Aufgepeppt!

Do you have a room in your house that every time you're in it, you only leave with a sigh and a headshake thinking "wow, is that ever a dull and boring room!"... but find that the even more frustrating part of it is that you have no idea what to do to fix it?

I guess this is how I have felt about our bathroom since the day we moved in (which is now going on four years!). As with all house renovations, it is about deciding what is most important on the remodeling list and what can I live with until I have the money to do something about it. Bathroom redo's are not cheap and since our "inherited" bathroom was clean and in good condition, we decided to just live with it. But I have always hated how dull and boring it was, and having angled walls and tiles from floor to ceiling did not leave very much room for adding any "pretties".

But now that my hubby has a little bit slower season with work, you can only imagine how many things he has on his "honey-do" list... and all it took was a simple shelf...

...and a framed print from an artist that I adore. A sweet present from a dear friend of mine. ( I told you a long time ago that I would show you what else Juliette sent me for our "Craft It Forward" action... here it is, an air-dry white clay ornament that she made. For me, "faith" is not just a word that I only think about at Christmas time)

... and we've needed a new clock ever since the little guy wanted to see if our old one could actually float. A simple touch of green with a favorite pretty flowered mirror.

... and of course I couldn't leave out a little touch of fabric with a couple bright and cheerful pinwheels.

... done. A simple, yet attractive accent wall and we said bye-bye to boring. I even got a confirmation from the little one when he noticed the new shelf the following day and let me know that he liked it with an "ohhhhh."

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Garden of Delights

Despite the fact that fact that the first tulips have arrived in the flower shops, it is hard to think that spring or summer could be on the way with the kind of cold that we are having. But it is the hope that winter will not last forever that gives spring part of its magic.

The new fabric collection "Garden of Delights" by Jules Davis for Blend fabrics is just the kind of collection that can instantly carry one to a warm summer day in the garden. With garden friends like squirrels, hummingbirds, and dragonflies, Jules fabrics hold a certain element of whimsy, but with elegant lines.

I'm really excited to whip up a few things with this garden friends filled collection. I have a few projects in mind...

... like this practical garden apron.

...or maybe adding a pretty little touch of color to my boring rubber garden boots.

So, are you ready for spring too?

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