Bliss. Part II.

Look who's returned!


The prodigal camera has come home! I've been without a good point-and-shoot for a few months now, and it has really been hurting. (In case you don't remember the story, a brief summary: I'm a klutz. Camera was three months old. I dropped it when the lens was extended. I broke the lens track. Broken camera + self-made(done?) damage = sad, sad Katie.)

The delivery man made my day today, when he dropped this puppy off at the door. Canon fixed it, free of charge. Sounds a lot better than a $200 part to me! Hopefully this means a lean, mean, Etsy update in the near future!

Happy Thursday... and don't forget to enter the giveaway below!

100th Post - A Gift to You.

One hundred posts.

This is my one hundredth post. Sounds spectacular. Worthy of a spectacular post. To celebrate, even.

I've come up blank. Zilch. Nada. Nein.

So... I've come up with a solution. A spectacular solution. To celebrate, even.

I'm sending you happy mail. Yes, you. Happy mail makes me squeal, jump up and down, kick off my shoes, and sit down reverently to open it - and I can't wait to share that experience with you! If you leave a comment on this post - say hello, congratulate me, tell me a story, write me a poem, whatev - or send me an e-mail or Facebook message, I'll send you a wonderful package. A love letter, of sorts. Love, just because you're my readers. Letter, just because it will come in the mail. If you're a follower (which you can do right now) or if you send any friends to my blog, you'll get some extra love. And by love, I mean goodies.

Here are some dreamy mail shots to get you in the mood - think happy thoughts! You're getting happy mail!

(all photos via wehearit)

Eeeeeek - enjoy! I'll send you a message for your mailing address...

Etsy Feature: e.soule

I'm eager to share this week's Etsy feature with you!

I've had the shop "esoule" in my hearted folder for a long, long time. I adore the simple animal shots, with the darling vintage wallpaper in the background. I'm a sucker for weird animal photos - the less realistic or typical, the better. This shop certainly does the trick for me! Please take a peek at her Etsy shop for me - I know it will make you smile!

(All photos are from esoule)

Happy Wednesday!

Excitement, Coming Right Up.

Today's the day...

The day I reach one hundred posts.

Check back later for an exciting update!

Tune In

(via weheartit)

I chose Coldplay as this month's mixtape group. I hmmm'd and hawwww'd... and chose my top ten most favouritest songs for you to tune in to. I wish I could sit in your living room and daydream with you as you make your way through this mix. Enjoy!

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend in Review

An old photo I found lurking in my folders

This weekend I:

• Thrifted with friends - and was very selective in my purchases (go me!)
• Washed and dried all of my delicates
• Worked - only one day out of the weekend, though
• Dined with D and his mama
• Bowled with D and his mama - what a blast!
• Remembered the Lord
• Visited with my niece and nephews
• Watched episodes of old, fondly remembered shows (that weren't as great as we remembered, hahaha)
• Snuggled with my boy and my pup
• Scrapbooked and crafted (I'll give you a peek this week!)
• Read a new magazine
• Brainstormed blog and Etsy ideas!

I'm so excited to share some fun posts with you this week! I'm coming up on my 100th post, so we'll be celebrating all week long :)

Happy Monday!

Library Run

I thought that I would share my library finds with you :)

This week, I found:

• Before I Wake - Dee Henderson is my favourite Christian author, she is fantastic.
• Embroidered Effects - written by the creator of Sublime Stitching, it sounds great for beginners
• Eat Cheap but Eat Well - the better of the two cookbooks I found
• Sara`s Secrets - not the best cookbook ever, but I haven`t gotten very far
• Country Living, Sept. 2009 - one of my favourite magazines, they use a lot of thrifted stuff

I hope you have a great weekend - and...

Happy Friday!

DIY Time

I have another easy-breezy DIY project for you!

Are you like me - can't throw away any boxes that are in perfect shape? I've been saving shoe boxes from the same store (so they are the same style) to use for a project. I finally got around to it, and took some pics to share with you!

To start, you need a box, or two, or three - I love uneven numbers. The same style is preferable, but not necessary.


Other materials include scissors, packing tape, a bone folder (found at any crafts store - used to make super sharp creases), and wallpaper or wrapping paper. I bought this cute roll of vintage wallpaper at a thrift store a couple of months ago and I was saving it for the perfect project. It has old-school bicycles on it, and it's nice and neutral.


I didn't take step-by-step photos, but it's pretty easy. If the lid is attached to the box, start with the lid. If not, it's even easier. Wrap it one side at a time, and secure with tape on the inside of the box. I forgot to check how long it took me, but conveniently, when I was looking at the photos, I noticed the wall clock in the background :) It took about half an hour... just because I was anal about folds and creases. It should probably take much less time.



You can use these boxes to store just about anything. They're pretty enough to use in your living room, but I can't decide between my craft room or storage closet. They both need a little organizational love :) Give this project a shot, it's so easy - you could use them to put gifts in as well!

Happy Thursday!

Polyvore Loves

Welcome to the latest edition of Polyvore Loves!

I have four weddings to go to this summer, and I would like to be able to buy one dress, and wear it four different ways - with accessory and hairstyle changes.

To start with, I chose an adorable turquoise dress from Modcloth, and styled it in four unique ways - I would love to have this fantastic stash of accessories at my disposal!

Hope you enjoy the outfits - which one is your favourite...

Link Love

Just giving you a head`s up that next week is...

Should be lots of fun - go check out Danni`s site!

What's In My Bag?

It is time for another peek into my bag!



Today I am carrying:

• White handbag
• Red patent wallet
• Fabricville membership
• Work hours notebook
• Grocery list notebook from Heidi
• Rosebud Strawberry lip balm - the best!
• Clip that Daniel`s mom gave me today
• Pomegranate hand sanitizer
• Tylenol :)
• Hip granny glasses
• Lotion from one of the hotels that we stayed at in the fall
• Dove deod

Nothing too exciting this go-round... but here`s something exciting: I will be doing a regular bag post!

Happy Tuesday!

(Sorry about the backwards apostrophes - it happens once in a while on my keyboard... anyone know how to turn it off É (see, that`s my question mark :) )

Thrifted.

Welcome back - I hope you had a lovely weekend!

I thought that I'd share my latest thrifted finds with you today. I'd love to show you more often - both recently thrifted items, and just some favourite thrifted ones. Today's though, were just from last week...

Pretty black suede sandals - $5

The cutest silhouettes in the cutest frames - $3-4 for both

A set of pretty vintage pillowcases - $1 for the pair

Another Pyrex for my collection - $2.99

Didn't I hit it well? I've been extra selective lately - I am only bringing items in that I really love. The silhouettes are my favourite find, I think. I can't wait to hang them in my bedroom and show you!

Happy Monday!

DIY Time

It is high time that I share this project with you! Here's my chalkboard - I'm going to do a little show and tell DIY for you... that's do-it-yourself for you non-abbreviators. :)

This chalkboard can be used in your kitchen for grocery lists or menus, by the door for reminders, in your craft space for brainstorming, or in your bedroom for love notes :) Sky's the limit - but my chalkboard is for our kitchen.

To begin, take a thrifted picture frame, the more ornate the better. Even if you tend to lean towards clean lines, I promise you'll like the finished project when you use an ornate frame. Remove the backing and glass - the glass won't be used in our project - save for the future, or discard.

frame - before

In a well ventilated area (I went outside) lay your frame on newspaper. Spray your frame, taking good care of the nooks and crannies, with spray paint, preferably a gloss or a semi-gloss. I like Krylon, which you can buy at any big box store, such as Walmart or Canadian Tire. Follow the drying time instructions on your paint, and do a good three to four coats - you want to have a nice glossy finish.

frame - after

Now, take either your frame backing or a piece of plywood cut to size. Spray or paint with chalkboard paint - don't worry if the wood isn't smooth, after a coat or two, it will be :) I didn't get to photograph this step because it was kind of yucky out, but make sure to do this outside. Chalkboard paint is super strong. This also needs three or four coats.

Reattach or nail the two pieces together. This can be hung with a picture hanging kit from the dollar store, or your frame may already have something on the back. Place on your wall and enjoy!

final product

I hope you liked this little project!

Happy Thursday!

10 Things

(via weheartit)

Here are ten things that I'm enjoying tonight:

• Snuggling with my puppy
• Watching Glee with my darling
• Cuddling under a blanket
• Listening to Coldplay
• Wearing comfy clothes
• Hearing my hubby gaming
• Eating pepperoni and mushroom pizza
• Going through the Tim Horton's drive-thru for one timbit for Sage
• Chewing a new kind of gum
  
• Sleeping in a freshly made bed

Happy Wednesday!

Green, Too.

This topic is good enough for it's own post.

After reading this post on Heidi's blog, I did a bit more clicking. I discovered a great blog post to share with you:

Tutorial: Homemade Cleaning Products...

I have pretty intense allergies, and for the most part, mainstream "green" products just don't cut it. They're usually made by common manufacturers such as Clorox: how green can they be? There are a lot of harsh chemicals involved, don't let them kid you. Bad for your body, bad for the environment, and bad for your wallet.

I've been using vinegar and water to clean my mirrors and windows for a while - an old trick from my mama. I can't wait to give these recipes a go.

Enjoy, and...

Happy Tuesday!

Giving

I hope you had a lovely weekend! I had a really nice set of days off - I cleaned, relaxed, visited, and got to go thrifting!

One of my favourite things to do is to give things to people I love. It can be home-made or store-bought, simple or elaborate, just as long as I know they will enjoy it and it will make their heart glad. I got to give two gifts this past week - and both gifts were received, so I can share them with you!

The first item is a fabric banner/bunting that I made for one of my besties, Kel. I tried to incorporate soft, dreamy colours - and all of the fabric is vintage! It was my first sewing experience without using a set pattern or set of instructions. Here's a peek at our new kitchen and mirror, too :) :


The second gift that I got to give was a bench and set of throw pillows. It is both of my parents' birthdays this weekend (Mom - 17th, Dad -18th, wierd, eh?) and we gave them a mutual present. They are redoing their kitchen/living room, and Mom wants to use a lot of white with some hits of colour. When this bench came in at work, I got one of my co-workers to put it on hold for me as soon as it came out of the box! I found the matching pillows at Wicker Emporium. When we took it up to Mom and Dad on Saturday, Mom had tears in her eyes, she was so excited. It made me smile on the inside and outside :) :


Is there anything that thrills your heart that you get to do for others? Do you have a special knack or preference?

Happy Monday!

Etsy Feature: CraftyFolk

I have a super cute shop for you to check out over the weekend: CraftyFolk.

CraftyFolk have dreamy colours, witty illustrations, and awesome accessories. All of their products are adorable, but you know how I love typewriters... and they have a yellow brooch! Here's a shot of it:


Careful while browsing - I know you'll find something you love! Enjoy!

Pre-Weekend Bliss

(Found via Flickr)

I'm so excited that the weekend is here! I've got some serious plans:

• I bought my parents' birthday present today, so we're going to take it to them tomorrow - I'll share a picture once they've seen it.
• I have the supplies for two fun projects - one for home, and one for me.
• I'm going to make a menu and buy the ingredients - it's time to save time, money, and calories.
• I thrifted a couple of fun organization pieces that will help me with my open storage.

Here's a list of some things I'd like to share with you:

• A pretty song
• A yummy meal
• A beautiful dress
• An easy pattern
• A tiny apartment
• A whole sites of ingenious DIYs
• A dreamy shop

Happy Friday!

Polyvore Loves

I've got a special request this week. This edition of Polyvore Loves is for Jacalyn, my sweet work pal. Here's her dilemma:

Jacalyn needs an outfit for her niece's christening. She's petite, with brown hair, brown eyes, and nice olive-y skin. I wanted to help her find an outfit that didn't include her go-to colours, purple and brown. Although they both look fantastic on her, I wanted to steer her in a different direction. Jewel tones look great on her, so I chose a pretty cobalt blue - check out Jacalyn's chic look:

Enjoy - and Happy Thursday!

Moving Forward

Okay, I'll admit it. I've had a change of heart.

Last year, I was all about the closed storage. Stacks of pretty boxes, suitcase, baskets, bins, the works. I thought that the more tidy and streamlined, the better.

I was wrong.

I'm tired of forgetting about cute belts. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are all rolled into neat little balls, in neat little rows, in a neat little vintage suitcase. I'm going to wear a belt when it's hanging from a peg, organized by colour.

I'm tired of forgetting about luscious scarves. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are all folded into neat little squares, in neat little piles, in a neat little woven basket. I'm going to wear a scarf when it's draped and knotted over a hanger, organized by length.

I'm tired of forgetting about adorable hair accessories. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are stacked together, in neat little groups, in a neat little leather case. I'm going to wear a hair accessory when it's hanging from the lip of a vase, organized by style.

I'm ready to change. I'm willing to open up the suitcases, baskets, and leather cases. I acknowledge that there are going to be nails, and racks, and hangers everywhere. I know that I won't have a place for everything, and everything in it's place.

I realize that things are going to get a little messy - and I can't wait to embrace it.

(all images via weheartit)

Happy Wednesday!

Craftacular Tuesday

I haven't shared any scrapbook pages in a while... so I took a few outside to take some shots of. Don't mind my washed out colour: old camera, direct sunlight, etc., etc.: you know the drill. Here they are:











I did these pages as part of my Shimelle class. It was a lot of fun using up bits and bobbins of my supplies. I love making "something out of nothing"... saving packaging, ribbon scraps, clothing tags, safety pins, you name it. It feels so much more rewarding to use up all of your bits instead of taking yet another trip to the craft store, as fun as it may be. Give it a shot: you don't need to scrapbook - make a card, a recipe file, a bookmark. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Happy Tuesday!