A Flower In A Field

Happy Valentines Day ♥

2012-02-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Alright here is my very last Valentines day DIY post! This one is from ohcrafts.net and I've tested it and promise it's easy :)

2012-02-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

I know I missed a few days but hey I had company. My girls from the life group I lead came over for the weekend. So now here is the next DIY I found...It's from Chic Tags which happens to be a blog filled with wonderful crafts and party decorating ideas but since it's valentines day I chose to share this one.

It's cute, and easy to make. This is all you need: needle and thread (or sewing machine) and these..

Take two paper doilies and sew them up with just enough space left to fill it with your candy and once it's full you can finish your sewing and simple as that.. you have a sweet treat for a loved one :)

2012-02-08T14:57:00.001-05:00

Adorable valentines craft number two! This one is from Out of The Crayon Box and I thought I'd share it since like I mentioned in the last post...Valentines day is sneaking up fast! Again I'll just give a basic run down but for the full thing look at Jane's original post.

What she did was cut out some cardboard hearts and painted them with chalk board paint.

Made some paper rolls from an book to glue on the back...

and once it looks like this take some of those fun edged scissors and give it a little trim until you have...

This! I thought it was a fun idea.

I mentioned in the post above that I had some of the girls from my life group over...well one of them made this just using an old capri sun box, a spray can of chalk board paint, tape, and an old dictionary and it turned out adorable!

2012-02-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

Valentines day is sneaking up fast so I thought I would share some adorable tutorials through out the next couple of weeks... starting with this one from Whipper Berry.

Adorable right? It's simple to make...and in case you've never made your own crayons before I'm going to share a few pictures that the Whipper Berry girls posted but go take a look at their original post to get the full thing!

It says to simply bake them in the oven for 15 minutes at 300 degrees and after about 20 minutes to cool on the counter...presto!

You have yourself a beautiful set of fun valentine crayons!

I made these the other day with a flexible rubber ice tray I found at the dollar store that was originally made for making heart shaped ice cubes. They turned out great! Although my tray did melt a little it didn't affect the crayons and hey, you can't beat a dollar!

A Ruche Tutorial

2012-02-04T09:36:00.000-05:00

About this time two years ago Ruche posted a tutorial on how they make all of their artsy walls in photo shoots. I personally like the idea of the removable fabric wallpaper. So take a look and maybe get some inspiration :) Happy Saturday.

Smile. It's Friday.

2012-02-03T22:31:00.001-05:00

Guess what's happening next month...

2012-01-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

So I won't make you guess for to long. Next month is my birthday, Feb 24th to be exact and so I thought I would share a few things from my wish list with you..

The dancing bear postcard set from Etsy

Dot tights from Anthropologie

This lovely day planner from Ruche

T-strap shoes also from Ruche

Dinosaur stamps from Etsy...beats stickers anyday

Flats from American Eagle

Something for when I mysteriously get cuts...from Urban Outfitters

A sweet hat from Etsy

and some sweet shoes from Etsy

Meet Drew...

2012-01-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Now sadly Drew isnt mine but instead belongs to the owner of this sweet Etsy shop...

I did want to share some of the lovely pictures of her though...Enjoy!

2012-01-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

With all of these colds that are sneaking around I thought that I'd share this adorable card that I found on the Heartmade blog. Click the image to download it for free from her site.

2011-12-31T16:39:00.000-05:00

2011-12-27T14:24:00.000-05:00

Last minute gift ideas, wrappings, and party decorations anyone?

2011-12-20T00:19:00.000-05:00

I came across a fun site dedicated only to gift wrapping and a few little party decoration tips as well. Personally I think that the wrapping is part of the gift and hey if you wanna get a step above the rest in that secret santa or little holiday dinner....this is a pretty good site to keep up your sleeve.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-17T21:34:00.002-05:00

Come visit me?

2011-08-30T22:18:00.000-04:00

I'd love to see you stop by :)

2011-08-15T15:10:00.003-04:00

Smile.

2011-07-19T18:08:00.000-04:00

Etsy Love : Clever Apple

2011-07-12T11:40:00.000-04:00

If you want to sing out, sing out

2011-07-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

2011-07-02T21:47:00.000-04:00

2011-06-23T13:37:00.001-04:00

2011-06-11T15:51:00.002-04:00

Hello sweet dears,
I know it's been awhile so I wanted to stop in and do a quick post of goals for my wardrobe this summer. I think it's about time for a shopping trip...just maybe...

2011-05-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

2011-05-23T10:58:00.001-04:00

Congratulations! You've won the giveaway! Be expecting to hear from me soon.

Sponsor Giveaway

2011-05-15T12:28:00.001-04:00

Charlotte from the Etsy shop SpiceGrove Designs has been so kind as to giveaway one of her cinnamon stick coasters. To enter is simple, just leave a comment below including your name and email. If you would like a second entry please visit Charlotte's shop and let me know what your favorite item is. I will pick a winner on the 21st.

Hello! I'm Charlotte, and I love finding and showing off the beauty that naturally occurs in this wonderful world God has given us. I enjoy repurposing/recycling items that no one has any use for anymore into something beautiful and one of a kind. Most of my designs include spices or natural items used in a unique way, most of the time adding a lovely scent to the design as well!!

I enjoy meeting people at craft fairs and art shows also!! Let me know if you are interested in where you can see my products in person. I always welcome feedback!! I am an army wife to a wonderfully supportive husband and mother of one sweet daughter and one oldish pup. All three are sources of daily inspiration in various crafts. In fact my 5 year old and I are currently teaming up to create some fun decor and accessories for your kids enjoyment!!

I love the Lord and this amazing life He’s blessed me with. I rely on His grace and mercy daily to try to be a more loving and compassionate person. I love how He has used this crafting experience to grow my faith and to tell others about His love.

What made you want to start an etsy shop?

I have been creating, designing and crafting my whole life. It first started as a way to make unique, one of a kind gifts for family and friends. Since my husband is Active Duty Military and we just moved again, Etsy was a great avenue to explore. I love designing unusual things out of the ‘ordinary.’ I get excited to find ‘useful’ items in a recycle bin or garage sale that no one wants and making them beautiful and useful again! I am excited to bring you my little store and items that have been lovingly made for you!

Where do you get most of your inspiration?

My faith and my family. They are the reason I get up every morning!!

I also love nature and the outdoors. I love going on ‘treasure’ hunts in the forest with my 5 year old and hearing about the world through her eyes and ears! My daughter loves sitting next to me with her own “creations” and giving me advice! I love the joy that can be found all around us! Music is another thing that moves me deeply. I was a professional musician for many years and my crafting is a seamless extension of that creativity.

What are a few links that were able to find you at?
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpiceGroveDesigns
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spicegrovedesigns
Twitter: @SpiceGroveDesig
Email: spicegrovedesigns@gmail.com
Website: spicegrovedesigns.com

Here are some testimonies from recent customers!

“Absolutely AMAZING! I love this. It is so fragrant and inviting. It is also very pretty and rustic, which I really like. Such a unique design and well made.” (purchased the coaster I’m giving away!)

"I can see early shopping all year for all the holidays for the one of a kind gifts & beautifully made!"

“Charlotte did a custom order for me and I was overjoyed with the results. I wanted three of her spiced letters, an "A", an "N", and an "&" sign to go in between. Charlotte didn't have any "&" signs so she went out of her way to visit stores and find one that fit perfectly. As she worked on the project she sent me pictures so I could see how it was coming along. She worked quickly, but without sacrificing quality, and she shipped my item promptly. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone!”

What are some of your short term and long term goals overall?

I suppose my short term goals would be to really get my Etsy shop noticed and going so that I can continue to work from home, while bringing beauty to people’s lives in unique ways. My long term goal would be to grow as a crafter and person and be able to use my profits to donate to others like World Vision.

2011-05-15T12:11:00.000-04:00

but this is what that home will look like...

there will be a beautiful garden...

a cozy kitchen that always has the faint smell of lemons in it...

a chalk board wall and a sliding door...

a tree house, maybe not this extravagant...

my art studio will look like this...

this...

and this...

there will be a fort in one room that's covered in stars much like the last one in this image...

I will have this chandelier...

and be surrounded by trees...

2011-05-13T15:29:00.000-04:00

2011-05-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

I just thought my lovely blog readers could use a little game or two of where's Waldo today...

2011-05-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

2011-04-19T16:01:00.000-04:00

Bloggers, I need some help. I'm so stumped with what to blog about, what to do with my Etsy shop and just basically everything. I need some inspiration.

2011-04-12T11:27:00.000-04:00

2011-04-11T15:20:00.000-04:00

I've been a little neglectful of you all and my blog but don't worry...I'll be posting again soon.

Sorry for the delay but here are the giveaway winners!!

2011-04-08T13:59:00.002-04:00

Oh and there us a wonderful giveaway going on at julie ann art so be sure to check it out!! (click image above)

Your Lucky Day Giveaway

2011-04-01T20:44:00.007-04:00

I'm hosting a giveaway here at my blog that has five wonderful artists in it. The reason? I'm celebrating this blog recently hitting 100 followers so please take a look at what we have to give away, click here to get information on extra entries and please click the items image to get information on it, the store it comes from, and the artist. The only rules are that you must be a follower of my blog and you have to leave a comment that includes your email address to enter. I'll be picking a winner April 7th so good luck!

back home.

2011-03-30T12:22:00.000-04:00

Hello my dear readers,
Yes I'm back home from Tennessee and after seeing family for a few days, eating ice cream at midnight, laughing till we almost pee'd and helping to host a baby shower... I've had a lot of emails to catch up on haha, but I'm planning something fun for all of my followers. I'm going to be hosting a giveaway on April 1st to celebrate my blog recently hitting 100 followers and I'll have six wonderful artist joining in! I'll give you all a heads up though on how to get extra entries...
You will get 2 extra entries if you have this button on your blog linking to My Lovely Little Suitcase:

You can also receive two extra entries by blogging about this giveaway.

And you will get 1 extra entry if you are a follower of an artist's blog:

You can also receive 4 extra entries if you purchase an item from one of the shops between Wed March 30th and Wed April 6th:

(yes this does also include my shop because I'll be giving away something as well)

(although Dori does not have an Etsy shop she is selling her photography on her blog and all profits are going towards her sweet sponsor child) (Yes this also counts as 4 extra entries)

Alright, so you all have some time to gather up extra entries before this giveaway even starts and I suggest you get right on it cause we'll be having some great prizes! Oh and one last thing...you have to be a follower of my blog to enter because remember this is to celebrate recently hitting 100 followers! Good luck!

Road Trip!

2011-03-24T19:11:00.002-04:00

I'll need to say good bye for a few days... I'm going on a road trip, an adventure, to a baby shower for people that I don't know but I'll get so see some family who I haven't seen in a while and so it will be fun. Be good while I'm gone. I'll see you again soon! Oh wait, one last thing before I leave!

Amanda from the sweet shop Oscar & Ollie is celebrating her shops first birthday! Shes offering a coupon code that's for 20% off her entire shop including custom orders! So be sure to go take a peek at her shop here and remember to put in the code ANNIVERSARY when you purchase!

2011-03-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

I went out to my grandmothers farm this past weekend and thought I would share with you the photo shoot we had. The pictures got a little fuzzy when I put them on blogger but all well, you can still see them.

Yes the horse is trying to lick my stomach again...every photo shoot she does this.

2011-03-22T15:05:00.000-04:00

giveaway winner!

2011-03-21T18:40:00.000-04:00

Congrats Sasha!

You have won these beautiful earrings from The Rusty Schwinn!

You'll be hearing from me soon!

sponsor giveaway! (all new posts will be under this one)

2011-03-16T19:18:00.002-04:00

I have another beautiful giveaway from one of my sponsors. She has chosen to giveaway her Love Bird Earrings. She describes these as being for a the soft, subtle gal who still likes to turn heads.

The image you see above is how they come packaged, very beautiful. Here is how to enter:

1 entry: by commenting on this post (please leave a name and Email address)
1 entry: if you follow the Simply Freckled blog
1 entry: to "like" the rusty schwinn facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rusty-Schwinn/195463960473422

I'll be picking a winner Monday the 21st!
Now let's get to know the artist a little bit better...

1. What made you want to start an Etsy shop?
I currently work full-time at Prana, a rock-climbing and yoga apparel company. It is a great job with fantastic people but I needed something more creative and I desperately want to work from home in my workshop, drinking tea, listening to birds chirping outside. My Esty shop started as an accident. I was walking through the marketing deparment and saw some cool paper-bag style envelopes. I asked the gals who made them and they said they bought it off Etsy. I said, "I could totally make those, why do you buy them from me?". The rest is history. I never did make envelopes but did find the creative platform I was looking for.

2. Is there a story behind what you sell?
The Rusty Schwinn represents the bohemian-beachy lifestyle that I love living in San Diego, California. My scarves and earrings are bold and will entice the goddess out of any woman. You literally feel like a different gal when you throw this stuff on. I've seen it with my own eyes. A woman will put on a pair of feather earrings and will suddenly stand up taller, fix her poise and confidently walk around. Pure transformation.

3. Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
That little voice called intuition that keeps telling me to "go for it!"

4. Do you have a blog? If so can you share the link and tell us a bit about it?
Yes I have a blog. It's called Simply Freckled. I chose not to give it the name of my shop because the blog is also about my life outside of my shop.

5. Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
I am a devoted practitioner of self-development. It is the most important investment you can ever make in your life. Thank you for reading.

2011-03-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

Well my room re-do is coming together slowly but surely, we have been painting my wardrobe today and then making it look vintage. I promise to post real pictures soon but it's not finished yet. I still haven't decided on a wall color but I do have new bedding and I've also cleaned a lot of clothes and just random junk out of my room which is great. I promise I'll keep you updates on this!

This is one of my door pulls I got for my wardrobe, I grabbed them from Anthropologie.

One last thing...
So it turns out that someone took how I've felt for the past two nights and made it into an 11 minute cartoon. I was watching this at 1:30 last night. Enjoy.

2011-03-14T18:42:00.000-04:00

giveaway winner!!

2011-03-14T16:18:00.000-04:00

congratulations Ashley you have won the giveaway from The Dishcloth Shoppe! Your welcome to contact either me through Email or the owner of the shop through Etsy convo to give us your shipping address and your choice of anything from her shop!

smilemoreplease@windstream.net

My lovely Little Suitcase is now mobile!

2011-03-12T16:01:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to announce that I have created my beautiful blog in app form. It's very simple to get, on your mobile phone or ipod simply open up your internet browser and type in this address http://mippin.com/app/suitcase It will take you to the mobile version of my blog and will give you the option to add the app icon to your phones home page!

sponsor giveaway!

2011-03-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

I have a sponsor giveaway for you from The Dishcloth Shoppe. The lovely miss Deon is so kind as to offer your choice of anything in her shop! All you need to do is stop by her Etsy shop and pick out your favorite item then come back here to leave me a comment with your name, email and your favorite item, it's as simple as that. I'll be picking a winner on Monday March 14th!

Now I'm sure you would love to get to know the owner of this shop so we took the time and did a little interview so please enjoy.

1. What made you want to start an Etsy shop selling handmade dishcloths?
It started as a way of saving money here at home. I was finding that the store bought cloths I had were wearing out very quickly. So, I picked up some cotton and started making them for myself. Once I started telling friends about them, how wonderful they are, how long they last and generally raving about them (aren't I modest? LOL!) they started asking me to make some for them. Well, they told their friends and soon I was making a lot of them for people I didn't even know! Once I realized just how much people loved what I was making, I decided to bring them to Etsy to sell even more. It's become a wonderful supplementary income for my family. :)

2. Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
I try very hard to be as eco-conscious as I can. As a family we do everything we can to reduce our waste, our water use, our gas, etc. By using these cloths, we are not only saving money, which is always a good thing, we are also reducing waste since they last so much longer than store bought. Add to that the fact that they are made from natural fibres, every cloth I sell or use myself is one less man made item that is throwing pollution into the air. Imagine the difference if I could get everyone to start using my cloths? :)

3. Do you have a blog? If so can you share the link and tell us a bit about it?
I do! thedishclothshoppe.blogspot.com/ It's my little place to talk about myself, my shop, things I find that I like on the internet and post great little tutorials for everyone.

4. Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
Not that I can think of. I just like to tell everyone that no matter what you do in life, always stay true to yourself. If you do that, you'll never go wrong.

2011-03-07T13:11:00.000-05:00

Well I'm finally happy with my blog the last design I just couldn't get happy with but I've finally figured it out. What do you think? I'm still working on the sidebar, buttons and such. I got a new sponsor she owns an Etsy shop where she sells handmade dishcloths you should go take a look and be expecting a giveaway here from her soon. If your interested in being a sponsor I charge $2.00 for a month long sponsorship with a button or $5.00 if you include a giveaway and interview just leave me a comment here if your interested.

One day...

2011-03-07T10:15:00.001-05:00

One day this will be my house...

My tree...

My bike...

My backyard...

My tub...

My garden filled with hydrangeas and peonies...

My rat...although I have one now, I'm sure she would eat her teddy bear if she had one.

My piano...that I will know how to play...

My bunny...

and my library although I don't read...

The inside of my home will be this store...

This will be one of my jobs...oh and I almost forgot transportation...

there we go haha just think about it...no gas money needed.

Etsy update!

2011-03-04T13:52:00.002-05:00

I've been working hard to build my Etsy shop. I made a new banner...

Added new items... (view full shop to see all items)

Ordered some business cards from us.moo.com with a deal from Etsy I was able to get 50 cards for free plus $6 shipping (great deal)...

Got sponsor spots here...

and here...

and even joined a couple of teams as well as made my own! Your welcome to join...in fact I would love for you to.

Wish me luck...

Little Miss Willa

2011-03-03T09:27:00.001-05:00

I put together a new treasury. Please feel free to take a look and leave me a comment here.

Another evening went by while Willa sat by the meadow playing with flowers. There came a fox, small like her dreams and brown like her little flower. He said "Oh my dear will you come with me to spend a night in the woods? Just leave this old life and come join the mice here for a night in the woods. Your mother won't miss you, the flowers may miss you but my dear the woods are so kind, please come with me now before we run out of time to spend our night in the woods".

2011-03-02T17:02:00.000-05:00

Hello my dear
I realize it's been awhile since we have talked but I have good reasons for it. Let's start my explaining at Thursday the 24th. It was my birthday, my 18th birthday to be exact. I spent my day at work but got to leave about 3 hours early and did a dinner (Italian) and a movie (Sixteen Candles) with my family. Friday the 25th, it was my last day of work the school closed their doors due to money trouble and so yes I am out of work and looking for money but I'm trying to grow my web design business (take a look at my new website here) as well as grow my Etsy shop (more about this later) and also sell the piles and piles of childrens clothes and what not that I've been meaning to put on ebay and in consignment sales for a long time now. Anyways...so Friday night I packed my bags and went to a church camp with 2,100 middle schoolers (yes you heard me) I only had 12 girls in my care personally but after a weekend of chasing them around an outdoor mall, staying up till crazy times at night, bloody noses, holes in the wall, and a clam chowder incident it was good to come home Sunday. I got home around 11:00 I think? and we were having my birthday party at 2:00 (see pictures below)

I got my first car! Isnt she pretty? A silver Volvo hatch back with leather seats and everything, year 2001. (I gotta find a job)

My lovely friends and family who came to the party.

and that was my weekend. I'm spending my week getting those piles of clothing in the basement washed and ready to sell and giving my Etsy shop a little makeover. I'm going to be adding lots of new items very soon (sneak peek picture below) and I'm planning on improving my pictures and going over my profile and descriptions and I think I may of heard about somewhere to get free business cards but we'll see maybe I'll buy some sponsor spots on blogs as well. We'll see.

It was wonderful talking to you again. The weather has been beautiful here I hope it's the same for you. I'd love to hear about your week...

2011-02-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

Hello my loves,
It's been awhile. How are you? The other day I went off and did a little photo shoot with my friend Hannah after work and I thought I would be so kind as to share a couple of the pictures. You can view her Flickr here.

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2011-02-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few pictures from last weekend that Liv and I spent on our grandparents farm.

We made some lovely terrariums.

Rose was for some reason obsessed with my belly.

Rose and Winnie

room re-do

2011-02-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

I'm looking at some paint colors for my room...I'm really liking Harmonious and Vintage Mauve by Behr. I really want to go for the look in the picture below but with some color on my wall (I only have one true wall since my room is a loft) I would really love to go with shabby creams, lots of fun pillows, rough blacks, warm browns and a touch of vintage blue that is drowned in vintage cameras, old books, unique pieces, and a glow in the dark mini solar system. I might post a picture of what my room looks like now (once I clean it) but who knows...

I'm also really loving these dresser knobs from Anthropologie. and well...all of these beautiful paintings I have discovered on Etsy.

Arian

The Poppy Tree

Collage-O-Rama

2011-01-30T22:50:00.000-05:00

Hello sweet lovies,
The cold weather finally broke this weekend, so we had a gorgeous day today. I spent the weekend out on my grandmothers farm and we did a little cookie baking and terrarium making. You wouldn't believe how many people came out of hibernation over the weekend. I didn't know so many people lived here and it seemed everyone was craving new clothes and ice cream, personally I was craving a bike ride but didn't get a chance to fulfill this craving. If you read the post below you know that I've been sick, well I'm happy to say I feel much better now. I think it was The Princess Bride that healed me. Are there any fans of The Airborne Toxic Event out there? I've been missing out, just heard of them tonight so instead of packing a lunch for work tomorrow and washing my hair I'm listening to them and doing a bit of blogging. I've been looking for new music lately so please leave me some of your favorite bands. I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to reading other blogs and I still haven't finished my blog makeover, I was in the mood for something new. I've also been brainstorming about a room makeover but those thoughts have been floating around for awhile now. Well I hope you all are having a lovely night and have a happy Monday.
Much love, Lane

2011-01-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

Well my lovely blog readers, I'm home sick for a couple days...I caught a stomach bug so I'm chilling on the couch and watching The Princess Bride. I was warned that this was going to happen if I worked at a school. I hope you all are staying healthy, it seems that everyone has been sick lately...

2011-01-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

2011-01-15T21:02:00.000-05:00

I'm playing around with a blog makeover so excuse my mess

2011-01-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

Can someone please put all of these beautiful photos into a blender and turn them into my bedroom?

Thank you my dear.

snow update...

2011-01-13T21:53:00.001-05:00

Were still covered...today was the first day we've been anywhere. My dad spent the morning digging the car out and we went a little craft supply shopping just to get out of the house. These pictures are from yesterday. The snow isn't going anywhere but since I work at a school I haven't had to work all week

(Liv gets a little evil when it comes to snow ball fights she likes to aim right for your face)

Mr. Cool

2011-01-10T17:48:00.000-05:00

2011-01-10T14:30:00.001-05:00

Snow snow everywhere! We have never had this much! Heres a little sneak peak at what we have going on here, I'll post some more pictures later. My little sister and I are working on a snowman so I'll be sure to post a picture of him.

Let me share a little story of what happened this morning between me and our dog Scout...

Liv and I did some sledding this fine snowy morning, I got my sled, went down our little hill, hit the bottom just fine and dandy then here comes Scout full speed right...she decided 'oh look Lane! Let me jump on the back of her head...so end of story is...I face planted right into the snow.

Now we chill out indoors and drink some apple cider before heading out to finish our awesome snowman.

2011-01-10T00:26:00.001-05:00

Well my loves, somethings happening in my little town haha
The news has been warning use of the 2nd worst blizzard that's ever hit our little town so all day everywhere you go all anyone is talking about is all the snow and ice that will be coming ha. The grocery stores have been wiped out and now everyones in bed crossing their fingers that their power won't go out. Were expecting I think about 7 inches of snow? I think that's what I heard as well as a lot of ice. I know that for a lot of people that's nothing but for us...we hardly ever get enough snow to even make a snowman. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow. It's Midnight now, I just looked out the window and its beautiful outside, there's a blanket of snow accross our whole yard. So cross your fingers that our power won't go out haha and I hope you all are keeping warm!
Much love, Lane

2011-01-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

2011-01-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

Gnocchi with sage/butter sauce

2011-01-02T12:01:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting this...I made this on Thursday but did not get around to posting it until now. Enjoy!

10 oz potatoes (about 4 potatoes)

3 1/2 oz of plain flour

1 egg lightly beaten

salt and pepper

for the sauce

2 oz of butter

1 clove of garlic, peeled

8 fresh sage leaves

to serve

grated Parmesan

Preparation

1 Place the potatoes, with their skins on, in a  suitably sized saucepan,  almost cover with boiling water, add some  salt, then put a lid on and  simmer for 20-25 minutes, until tender.    2  Drain well and, holding them in your hand with a tea cloth, quickly  pare  off the skins using a potato peeler. Then place the potatoes in a  large  bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a slow speed, start to  break the  potatoes up, then increase the speed and gradually whisk  until smooth and  fluffy. Now let them cool.    3 Add the sifted flour  to the potatoes, along with half the beaten egg,  season lightly and,  using a fork, bring the mixture together.    4 Using your hands, knead  the mixture lightly to a soft dough - you may  need to add a tsp or so  more of the egg if it is a little dry. Now transfer  the mixture to a  slightly floured surface, flour your hands and divide it  into quarters.  Now roll each quarter into a sausage shape approximately  1"/2.5cm in  diameter, then cut it, on the diagonal, into 1"/2.5cm pieces,  placing  them on a tray or plate as they are cut. Cover with clingfilm and  chill  for at least       30    mins, longer wont matter.    5 Using a fork  with the prongs facing upwards, press the fork down on to  one side of  each gnocchi so that it leaves a row of ridges on each one. At  the same  time, ease them into crescent shapes. The ridges are there to  absorb  the sauce. Cover and chill the gnocchi again until you are ready to   cook them.    6 To cook the gnocchi: Firstly bring a large, shallow pan  of approximately  6 pints/3.5 litres of water to a simmer and put the  serving dish in a low  oven to warm through.    7 Then drop the gnocchi  into the water and cook for about 3 minutes; they  will start to float  to the surface after about 2 minutes, but they need 3  altogether. When  they are ready, remove the gnocchi with a draining spoon  and transfer  them to a warm serving dish.    8 To serve, melt the butter with the  garlic over a gentle heat until the  garlic turns nut brown in colour -  about 1 minute.    9 Next add the sage leaves and allow the butter to  froth while the sage  leaves turn crisp - about 30 seconds - then spoon  the butter mixture over  the warm gnocchi. Sprinkle half the Parmesan  over and serve the rest  separately.

2010-12-26T12:18:00.001-05:00

            My Life List  

                  ● love

● be loved

● find happiness

● keep going

● dream

● find the shoes that this

girl wore in the photo above.

2010-12-24T20:13:00.002-05:00

well my loves it's almost Christmas! We just have a few more hours to wait. Who else is spending these last few hours wrapping gifts, finding forgotten gifts and remembering everything that you forgot to buy??

2010-12-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hello my loves. I've got a giveaway for you! I'm giving away one of my handmade journals over at miss polly's blog and I do believe that it's ending soon so if you haven't entered yet... click here

2010-12-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

Today is a day filled with mail... I'm making Christmas cards (as seen above) as well as Christmas packages aaannnddd I've got an Etsy sale to mail out. What is your day filled with today?

beautiful videos from beautiful minds...

2010-12-17T16:19:00.004-05:00

I have a new addition to my blog. I'm going to start sharing my favorite videos with you all. I found this one today and I fell in love...enjoy ♥

Just another lovely song by Misty I thought I would share as well.

2010-12-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Oh fudge! It's time for a holiday treat! I hope everyone is keeping warm this holiday season? Maybe sitting by the fire with some hot chocolate? Maybe wishing that you had a recipe for some 5 minute fudge? Well here it is! Enjoy!

❅   1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels
❄   9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels
❆   1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
❄   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
❅   1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves
❆   8-inch pan, lightly greased with softened butter

Directions

Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until chips are melted and milk combined. Stir in vanilla and remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and stir in immediately.(or put them on top like I did)

Spoon fudge into pan.

The fudge will set up almost immediately. Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a long way.

2010-12-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

I know were cutting it a little close to Christmas but would anyone be interested in doing a Christmas card swap? If you think that would be just dandy then send me an email (smilemoreplease@windstream.net) and I'll send you the address of one lovely blogger. Just fill this out in the email you send me so that you will receive a card as well :)

Your blog address:

Your home address:

Your name:

Your favorite Christmas dessert: just for fun ;)

2010-12-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

It's snowing! The first real snow of the season, and I must say

I'm pretty excited. It's beautiful

❅ ❄ ❆ ❅ ❄

2010-12-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

2010-12-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

I know it's Tuesday but I'm going to go ahead and tell you my what's cookin' feature is being moved to Thursday. I picked up a new job and Wednesday is one of my days to be working so, I'll be back with a yummy recipe this Thursday :)

2010-12-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

Guess What?!?!

2010-12-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

I got an early x-mas gift from the grandparents. Heres a hint...I can take pictures with it...some examples...

figure it out yet? I got a Mac! It's pretty exciting...so thanks to the grandparents <3

2010-11-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

I wish I could play the piano, I don't have patience to learn though...

2010-11-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

Happy black Friday! I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm having a 10% off sale now through Monday on both of my Etsy shops!

2010-11-24T14:04:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is tomorrow so there is going to be a lot of cooking both today and tomorrow. Today we cooked up some baked macaroni and cheese, eggs for my dad, and some chocolaty desert. Tomorrow were planning on making some salad, broccoli, rolls and of course the heavenly hash. What's heavenly hash you ask? Well it's a big bowl full of fruit that's drowned in lots and lots of whip topping. I decided I would leave you with a recipe for some very very yummy looking raspberry lemonade....I haven't made this, Ive actually never tried making a drink before. 

Sweet Raspberry Lemonade

 adapted from Simply Recipes

1 cup sugar, for a less sweet lemonade, take the sugar down to 3/4 cup

1 cup water to make the simple syrup

1 cup fresh lemon juice

4 cups cold water

2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup raspberry sauce, depending on how much raspberry you like

Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add  4 cups of cold  water, more or less to the desired strength.  Add the prepared raspberry  sauce and stir to combine.  Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the  lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight  lemon juice to it.

Serve over ice.

Serves 6.

Easy Raspberry Sauce

1/2 of a 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed

1 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons water

 Place the thawed  raspberries in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade  attachment.  Add sugar and water and mix until the raspberries form a  smooth puree.  Transfer raspberry puree to a fine mesh strainer fit over  a bowl.  Press the puree through the strainer, until only the raspberry  seeds and a bit of pulp remain the the strainer, and a beautiful  raspberry sauce is all that’s in the bowl. 

2010-11-23T15:35:00.003-05:00

Well loves, it's a rainy day here in my town...
hows it looking out your window?

2010-11-20T12:33:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share with you the most amazing looking deserts ever...I saw these pictures at this blog

2010-11-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

2010-11-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't made this one yet but I know what I'm doing later this week...

Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes:

from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
a scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or use a handheld beater and beat on slow speed until the mixture is a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half of the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side or the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Just a few minutes. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin tins, dividing between the 12 cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache:

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Put chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan. Pour cream evenly over chocolate. Let stand for one minute to soften, then stir until smooth. If frosting is too loose to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, frosting will continue to thicken as it stands.
Top vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache, slightly sweetened whipped cream, slivered almonds and a cherry.
Serve immediately.

2010-11-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

"Be you. Find you. Be happy with that."

My latest adventure...

2010-11-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

I went on a hiking trip this weekend.

The leaves were gorgeous!

What I'm wearing on this lovely Fall day...

2010-11-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Dress~ I got the dress yesterday at francesca's for $38

Tights~ well, I couldn't find mine so I got these for free this morning in my mother's closet

2010-11-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

I saw this picture of a childrens room in an Email I got from Etsy. Isnt it gorgeous? I want it for myself.

2010-11-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

Some of you know that I've been working to start my own web design business and well, I finally came up with a name! I've built a few blogs and websites and it's really time that I got myself a business name. You can look at my site here, it's more of a blog lay out. I'm also working to create an Etsy shop to go along with this so I'll keep you updated.

2010-11-10T16:34:00.001-05:00

So my plan for this week is I'm going to make some veggie burgers, not from scratch because they intimidate me but get them from the freezer section... I'm also planning to make my own fries, (recipe from last weeks what's cookin' because I didn't end up using it.) and some kind of yummy salad but I need a good recipe for one. Do you have any ideas for a drop dead delicious salad??

2010-11-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

We have added two new members to our Blythe family!

and here is the most exciting part... we got them for only $12 each! If your a Blythe fan then you better go over to your Walmart (yes, Walmart) right now because who knows how long they will last.

You will find them in the toys with the littlest pet shop items, they have teamed up with Blythe to bring back these adorable dolls. There are four different Blythes to choose from and they all come with their own pet. I can't post pictures of the other options but go on over to walmart.com and search the littlest pet shop to take a look.

This is our little family. They are all petite Blythes. We found two of course at walmart, the other two are from Ebay.

These are my two.

Etsy shops that have made it to my Christmas wish list...

2010-11-09T20:10:00.001-05:00

2010-11-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to pop in to say hello. How are you? I've been brain storming lately for some fun things to do on my blog this holiday season. It might just be me but my blog has felt a little dull lately. If you have any ideas for some fun things then please do share. My first idea is in the post just below, free sponsorship for a week. I'd love to help advertise some shops this holiday season and also some lovely blogs. My second idea, I was thinking about a Christmas card swap. I saw a blogger do this for Valentines day and I thought I would change it up a bit and do it on my blog. What do you think?

2010-11-08T13:23:00.007-05:00

Well, there are 48 days until Christmas and I thought I would give all of you lovely bloggers and Etsy sellers a little Christmas present that your welcome to use any time between today and the end of December. I'm offering one week of free sponsorship on my blog and all I ask in return is that you do a little blog post about it on your blog. Your welcome to advertise either your blog or your Etsy shop. I know that us Etsy sellers could really use some free advertising especially around the holiday season. Just leave me a comment telling me if you want to advertise your shop or your blog and I'll work the rest of it out. If you would like to sponsor for longer than a week then it's not a problem, I charge two dollars for a sponsorship spot that will last for one month or you can choose for me to host a giveaway on my blog from you and that will cost ya five dollars for one month. Feel free to email me if you have questions or if you would like to do a giveaway smilemoreplease@windstream.net I would also love to see this little gift get spread around (hint hint)*

2010-11-07T16:16:00.002-05:00

Hey loves, sorry it's been so long since my last post and this is going to be a short one. Here are a couple photos from Halloween that I had promised to show you. Liv was a bumble bee and I was Mary Poppins.

2010-11-04T20:04:00.003-04:00

I did a guest post over at The Perfect Pear. You should go over to her blog and check it out, she has a little blogger party going on.

2010-11-03T16:43:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm not feeling to good today...I'm afraid there won't be any yummy recipes today, probably just mac n cheese in a box.

2010-11-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

2010-10-31T15:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! My Halloween day is filled with cake in the shape of a pumpkin, giant homegrown sweet potatoes, crafting, and the Munsters and my night is going to be filled with trick or treating, costumes, pet siting, and a haunted corn maze. I'd love to know what your Halloween plans are!

Doesn't the sweet potato look like a goose? We want to put eyes on it

This is our living room right now, this whole mess is just art/craft supplies