Everything Holley

My skincare routine

2010-06-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

So to help my sister figure out what order to use different products I'm posting my skincare routine.

In the morning:

1-My very first step is to check my face for blemishes and use my blemish extractor to address any that may have cropped up overnight. It is very important to clean your blemish extractor before and after each use to sanitize it so that you don't add to the problem of breakouts. I wipe mine down with rubbing alcohol before each use and after each use I wash it with warm water and an antibacterial soap.

2-Then I jump in the shower and at the end of my shower I wash my face with Pur Minerals Revitalizing Facial Wash using an Ecotools Sustainable Facial Buff. I usually do this in the shower. I think it smells like creamcicles, so yummy. Once a week, usually Friday morning, I use BeFine Exfoliating Cleanser instead for good exfoliating. If I've been sweating a lot from yard work or have been at the beach or feel like my face is a particularly greasy, grimy, or dirty I will forgo my Face Wash for this exfoliator. I apply the exfoliating cleanser using my fingers only. Be sure to pat your face dry with the towel, never rub.

3-My next step is to use a toner. Toners help clean off any residual make up or dirt that your cleanser may leave behind and it will close the pores you opened with the warmth of washing your face. The toner I use is BeFine Firming Toner and I apply it with a cotton round, using two spritzes. This toner is alcohol free so it's not drying and you still get that toner tingle but its from the ginger and witch hazel which also gives you that firming action.

4-Following the toner I apply my facial serum, Pur Mineral Be Firm. I squirt one pump on to my finger tips and blot over my face then gently smooth over my whole face.

5-The facial moisturizer is next. I use Pur Mineral Mineral Moisture Complex. I dab one finger pad into the moisturizer and blot over my face and gently smooth over my face. I get a second dab and apply it to my neck down onto my chest.

6-My last step is to use an eye cream. I apply a 'slight' pump of Pur Mineral Tone Up to my under eye area. By slight pump I mean I dispense about a large pin head amount onto my ring finger pad press it into the ring finger of my opposite hand then use each finger to dab the eye cream under each eye and on to the eye lid. Never rubbing only gently dabbing.

In the evening:

1-I clean off my make up and wash my face with a single Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber and Green Tea Baby Wipe. These are much cheaper then make up or facial wipes and don't leave a residue on your face. And they are so cooling on a hot day too!

2-I then use my toner like in step 3 above.

3-I keep my BeFine Night Cream in my night stand so I can apply a pea size amount to evenly to my face and neck.

4-I also keep my tube of Ulta Eye Cream in my night stand. I dab a small amount on to my ring finger and apply it as stated in step 6 above. Ulta changed the packaging on this eye cream for some reason so when it was on clearance I bought 3 tubs for about $3 each to stock up, since it regularly goes for $25 a tub!

5-Next I dab on a little Pur Minerals Mineral Lip Revival on to my lips.

6-Lastly I rub in some BeFine Rough Spot Lemon Balm on to my feet, elbows, knees, and hands pull on my Ecotools Eye Mask for some Zs.

Others:
There are a few other things I use regularly for facial and other skin care.
-Pur Minerals Happy Feet is a citrus foot lotion that really does make you feet happy, even Chuck loves this on his feet, but it's pretty pricey, luckily a little goes a long way.
-Chocolate Mud Mask, smells great and if you take the contents out of the pouch, put it in small container you'll get multiple use from one pouch. I always use a soft paint brush to apply my mud masks, less waste and more even, controlled coverage.
-Queen Helene Mint Julep Mud Masque, this is a refreshing mint mud mask that feels good and can also be used as a spot treatment to dry up blemishes. Don't use more then twice a week as it can be too drying.
-Queen Helene Grape Seed Peel Off Masque, a good peel off mask that I like to use once a week.
-Ecotools Body Buff, I use this buff with my body wash for good exfoliation on my arms, legs, etc.
-Dove Go Fresh Burst Body Wash, this is the body wash I am using currently I love this scent and like the same scent for my Body Spray.
-And yes I do use a Ped Egg on my feet, I wear wool socks and steel toed boots to work everyday and this means I often have rough calluses and a build up of dry skin especially on my heels;this has been the best way I have found for keeping my feet soft. I use it each weekend and follow it with Happy Feet from above.
-My tweezers of choice is my the one that came in my Ecotools sets. I have a smaller one and a standard size one that I really like.

Little Disclaimer:

This post is not sponsored by any of the products mentioned above.

Hair routine

2010-06-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

So a friend from work has been bugging me about my curly hair routine as she's curly-headed and loves the definition and shine of my curls. So I'll post it here complete with the products I use and thought Les would like to see this too.

First I must warn you, I know this sounds gross but I don't was my hair...Yeah I know, I know I do wash my hair but not in the conventional way. I only use shampoo once every 10 to 12 days. Yep That's right!

Shampooing:
So once every 10 to 12 days I use Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. I only use a small amount and try to limit it to my scalp only, rinse, and continue on with my daily routine below. (Approx $0.88 for the standard size and $1.24 for the family size)

Daily Routine:

1-I do what is called a conditioner wash or co-wash using Suave Refreshing Tangerine Conditioner (or Suave Tropical Coconut depending on my mood). To co-wash you apply the conditioner to your scalp with your finger tips and "scrub" like you are washing your hair with shampoo. I generally apply in three small "doses" for good coverage. I quarter size amount to my front hairline and temples, a quarter size amount to my crown, and a quarter size amount to my rear hairline and behind my ears. Rinse. (Same price as shampoo above)

2-Then I actually condition my hair with Suave Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner using about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons and combing it through with my fingers. This is a thicker, richer conditioner. Note that this is the ONLY time I ever comb or brush my hair, in the shower when there is conditioner in it. I leave this conditioner to "set" on my hair while I shave so about 2 to 3 minutes, then rinse using cooler water. Cooler water helps to seal the hair and keep moisture inside and smooth each hair to avoid frizziness. (Less than $3 for 32 oz)
3- Before I leave the shower I use my only styling product, Sebastian Potion 9 Lite I apply it while the hair is still dripping wet and never wring my hair out. Wringing you hair causes breakage and frizziness and breaks up the curls. The product is a wearable treatment and comes in a spray bottle. I spray it twice onto my wet hand and then rub between my hands and apply by scrunching my hair while my head is pointed downwards. ( 5oz for $12 to $15)

4-Immediately after step 3 I "plunk" or "plop" my hair in either a Curl-Ease towel (got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond for $15) or microfiber spa towel. See video below. I leave my hair wrapped like this while I get dressed and finish getting ready. Your hair wont be fully dry, but it does go a long way in jump starting the drying process. Try not to touch your hair once you remove the towel to avoid adding frizz. I have also slept with this on my head and woke with fully dry and supper cute curls. To help avoid the flattening that sometimes happens to the top of my hair I add two to three Scunci Vented Salon Clips (love these!) to the roots to hold them up and keep my hair from flattening while it finishes air drying.

Now if later in the day I need to refresh my girls I wet my hands and apply one spritz of potion 9 lite to my hair by scrunching it while I am bent over.

And that's about it!

This post is not sponsored by any of the products mentioned above.

I'm back!

2010-05-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

At LLH's constant urging I'm renewing my blogging and in hopes of improving communication with family and friends now that we have relocated to the south-east Florida region. So this is a quick new entry to get things rolling and I promise to follow up with a more in depth entry later tonight or tomorrow.

Isn't it werid...

2008-09-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't is werid what will set you off on a crying fit? I was re organizing our camping equiptment now that the camping season for us is over it was time to pack it up until next year so I pulled out an my old plastic trunk and went through some of my old gear that really has not seen the light of day since I packed it up post-Maine and what do I find?

Bet you can't guess that it is so I'll tell you. That is the top of my large backpack, the one I only use for long week trips. the top is removeable and can be used as a large fanny pack. See that fuzzy stuff on it? That would be hair, cat hair to be more exact. Yep that's Lewy's hair. I nearly burst into tears...

Amazing what can bring back a flood of memories...

RIP my dear fuzzy face. You and your gum rubbing, old-fat-man sitting, door knocking, pillow hogging self are greatly missed.

Why I have been MIA lately...

2008-09-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

First off, I was working out of town so much with my last job that I was hardly ever home so home time was spent catching up with the hubby and the four legged kids. Now that I'm not with that company and will be starting with a new company soon that is local only work so no more traveling! So that's good for Me the hubby and the pups.

Secondly, Miss Sally our sweetie pie red dog was a very sick pup. She went through a lot of vet issues and is finally 100% all better. Yep about 6 months and over $5,000 in vet bills later and she's tip top shape.

Thirdly, Carrie had the twins and they have had a few issues and since I was unemployed I was able to head up to Boone and help her out.

Forthly and lastly, I have been really getting into my sewing. I love making things for my neices and nefews. I'm also sewing lots of clothes for myself and have taken on some sewing and embrodery projects to help fund my sewing projects. I'm also making a point to plow throught these WIPs so I can clear out some of these projects that are half done and use up my stash so I can make room for more!!!!

Lambkin for Rachel

2008-09-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

In the process of making all these gifts for Lena I decided that her Mommy would like a little gift just for her and this vintage fabric I had in my stash is perfect for Rachel's personality. I hope she likes her. I was thinking of naming her Olga I don't know why but she looks like an Olga. Les, I'm sure will have a better suggestion!

Gifts for Lena

2008-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I've made a good dent in the items I'm making for Tony and Rachel's little boogernose.

Trip to Boone

2008-09-16T11:58:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Hiking Trip

2008-09-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

OK ok so I have been slack lately so here are some pics to show you what all has been going on lately...

2008-09-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

New Year's Miami Vice style.

"What?" Lucy and Sally playing king of the rock hiking in May

"I think I'm a parrot, now give me a cracker!!"

Resting at the water fall.

"What, you didn't want me to take over the blankest and the couch?"

Ok, Ok I have been slack

2007-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

So I have been slack or rather not really slack just so dag gum busy. I just landed a new job and am ramping myself up for the first day. I'm really looking forward to working with these guys. Lucy and Sally will be very disappointed that I won't be around at home as much your all now me, I'll make up for it with lots of spoiling and such! Perhaps I'll stop on my way home from my first day to get them a fun little toy!

Anyways so here's a few pics of what I've been up too.

Making Christmas cookies with Reagan and Mom.

Skeet shooting with Gasper and KY

Hanging at the park with Lucy and Sally

5 Things for December

2006-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

1-I have had this song stuck in my head since I first heard it.
Funny Bunny Song
2-I can't wait to get baking my gingerbread men. I'm very crazy and they must all be dresses/decorated the same as each other. I love the orderly fashion of adding all the eyes then all mouths, then all the buttons. Each feature is added in one long asembly line. The engineer in Chuck is so proud of my production.
3-I just put my Christmas sheets on the bed, now it's Christmas every time I go to sleep! Of course they are Holly sheets!
4-My neighbors and I are boycotting the stupid homeowners association rule of white lights only for outside decorations and are instead going a little naughty! But they are all white lights!
5-My favorite cold weather drink is a toss up between hot cocoa with buttershots and hot apple cider with captain morgan's spiced rum.

5 Things for November

2006-11-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

1-I'm one lucky girl! I got my new sewing machine for my birthday (Last month) thanks to Chuck and the parents. It's a Huskystar C20 and I've been sewing up a storm with my new toy! I'll be posting pics of it and some of my recent finished projects.

2-Chuck and I went to HC in Raleigh last weekend, it was fun, too bad we lost.

3-With my new machine comes other new toys! I got a walking foot and sewing will never be the same! Bring on the knits and stretch fabrics now baby. No more cursing out my machine everytime I stich up something stretching or multi layered! If you don't have one I highly recommend 'em!

4-I went as a geisha for halloween and sewed it all up on my own on the new toy. Evan added a fancy stitch to the cuffs and the sash. Chuck went as a pimp and I finished off his purchased outfit with a flash chain and pimp cup to match.

5-I can know knit and purl with the best! Knitting is so easy to me now that I'm ready to take on something more challenging then scarves and such. On to a light weight shell for spring. Since it will be spring by the time I can get to it! I have so much knitting and sewing for chrismas presents that I may not see outside my craft room until we leave for christmas with the folks! Good thing that I'm mostly knitting this year since it can be done in the car while we drive around to football games, thanksgiving and such.

I promise to post pics tomorrow night. Too busy lately to do much blogging, etc.

5 Things you may not know about me...

2006-10-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

1- I fell this weekend and bruised a few ribs, now I'm hurting! Thank goodness for modern medicine and high quality pain meds.

2-TOMMY'S COMING HOME! Yep Tommy (thanks to Gasper) is heading back to Chucktown and the Cain-heezy to join us for some birthday fun!

3-It's official...I'm about to be old...my 30th birthday is on the 12th and with these bruised ribs I'm feeling pretty worn out.

4-Once again it's one of my favorite months! OCTOBER! Yes besides being my birthday month it's a month filled with great cheese horror films and everything Halloween. I love Halloween and hope I can finish my costume before Halloween!

5- Wine...I'm not usually a big wine drinker but on occasion I do enjoy a good bottle of muscadine wine. Last week while combining a business trip and a visit to my sister up in Myrtle Beach we did a wine tasting up in Little River and we discovered a great mulling spice mix for wine. We picked it up and plan on making it up warm for Thanksgiving....mmmmmm yummy! Here's a pic of me and Reagan at the Kiss Coffee House from that trip:

Our Anniversary

2006-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

We went camping a few weeks back in celebration of our 5 year Anniversary. Spent it up at our favorite campground, Mile High. The girls had a great time and it was nice and relaxing.

Cyndi's Wedding Cake

2006-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the wedding cake I did for our neice, Cyndi, on Chuck's side.

MGW logo search

2006-08-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well everyone who has ever come to a Marsh Grass Way party knows that we do it up right! Now we have decided to make up a logo for use on koozies and such... Please vote for the font you like best.
Thanks to fontfreak.com for the freeware fonts.

Tommy's Farewell Hoedown!

2006-08-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well the Hoedown was a blast and we not only had a great turnout topping over 60 people and we had about 90% participation in the theme. I think the photos speak for themselves. Except for the slip-n-slide! That's a whole story for some other time! Let's just say that we are all paying for that! There is a reason that they print a maximum age limit on the package. Ouch!

5 things you may not know about me...now featuring August!

2006-08-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

1-Chuck worked his little finger to the bone installing an extension to the tiny concrete pad at the back door. Now the girls and I have plenty of room getting in and out for those potty breaks!

2- Who says it's un-lady like to drink from the beer pitcher at a wedding, I say as long as you keep you pinky up and your legs crossed, go for it! By the way congrats to Andy and Wendy.

3-My knitting has so improved that I have decided to sew up a needle case to keep everything organized...I think I'll use some of the turtle fabric I used to make lasandri's bag.

4-I am in the process of pulling out a few things that I don't need anymore and will list it on eBay, and if it does out sell it's off to Mom's rummage sale later next month.

5-I will be wearing pig tails for the first time in years! In honor of tummy's farewell hoedown I'll be donning a cowboy hat, pigtails, cowboy boots and my favorite find, the perfect t-shirt!

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=&itemID=45258

July edition of 5 things you may not know about me

2006-07-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so better late then never!
1-I highlighted my hair for the first time ever! It came out very well! Hides the grey wonderfully!

2-We built trellises yesterday for the potted jasmine we have flanking he front door. It makes for a great smelling "welcome".

3-I'm an apron junkie, I'm collecting, buying, and making aprons. And yes I do wear them, I'd like to have one for every occasion. I'm currently working on an bunny print or Easter, cocktail print for those cocktail parties, and a wedding cake print for delivery and set up of the wedding cakes I do.

4-I don't like Cherrios at all! I also think it is cruel and unusual punishment for parents to feed them to their children.

5-Bacardi's new Melon rum makes and incredible pina colada. Try it I bet you'll like it.

I'm back and promise that I'll be posting more often

2006-07-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

OK so now that I am employed and have settled in to the house and the new job I have decided to spend more time for my self by doing the following:
-
-Keep up with my blog
-Finish my sewing projects, they are too numerous to list and my sister keeps adding to it! But I have a few pieces of fabric perfect for some great aprons so I'm going to do those first.
-Expand out of my simple scarf knitting into more advanced projects, lasandri is such an inspirational push for this!
-Finally finish up my craft room/home office, It's been set up in semi-functioning state for awhile now and I want it finished. That means paint, shelves, curtains and all the little touches. Since Chuck had just finished with his truck lifting and new rims/tires I'm due for the perfect space.

Update

2006-04-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Work has me hopping!

Chuck's still in Germany and will be back Sunday night. Hope he is bringing tons of yummy chocolates back!

I'll post pics of his escapades in Germany. But for now here's me and the neighbors from trivia Night this week:

5 things you may not know about me April!

2006-04-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

1-I finally got a great new job. I really like it and am having a really great time too.

2-Sally is in Puppy kindergarten now and is doing great especially since we all thought she was a little dopey and dense.

3-With my new job I'm redoing the whole office since I work from home. So the new desk arrived today and Chuck's going to help me put it together and add shelves to the walls above the door ways for displaying my NCSU memorabilia and my turtle and pez collections. Photos to follow!

4-I cut my hair short again

5-I planted all kinds of great flowers in my yard! I'm going to take pics this weekend so I'll post em up. Got some really great different looking plants too. Also I made the font door garden an all read and white garden in honor of the great and mighty NCSU Wolfpack!

The great Mountain Wedding Cake

2006-04-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ok Ok so I know I've been MIA for awhile! Sorry! I'll try to make it up soon.

First off the new job is going great I'll elaborate more in another post but I really want to post the pics of the wedding cake I did last week.

So here they are:

And here it is with the beautiful cake cover Chuck made for it. It was an outdoor wedding and I wanted to ensure the cake stayed bug free and if you have ever been to an outdoor wedding here in Charleston and seen the cake covered in dead nats you'd understand!

I don't think I did too bad either considering we lost water the night I was baking and had to run to the store for bottled water just to wash dishes and such so I could finish! There was a major water line break here that night and we were without water for about 12 hours or so.

I was tagged!

2006-01-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

My buddy Sandri tagged me for the the meme of 4. So here it goes...

4 jobs that you have had in your lifetime
* Trail Crew Leader-I built and worked on hiking trails in Baxter State Park in Maine and worked on the search and rescue team
* Video Store Assistant Manager- I hired all my friends and got paid to hang out with them, play video games, and watch movies
* Shoes salesman- The worst 6 months of my life! I hate other people's feet!
* Gourmet Cookware/Kitchenware Shop- I loved working there: yummy food, learning great techniques, discounts on everything for the kitchen, I love to cook.
4 movies that you could watch over and over
* Old cheesy horror movies- Halloweens and Nightmare on Elm Streets are my favorite or anything with Zombies
* Breakfast at Tiffanys or anything with AH
* Clerks! If you every worked at a video store you will love this one, or anything by Kevin Smith
* Anything with Carey Grant or Jimmy Stewart
4 places that you have lived (in order, omitting most current places of residence)
* Wellington, OH
* Mebane, NC
* Raleigh, NC
* Millinocket, ME
4 TV shows that you love to watch
* CSI the original only- I love to critique their poor laboratory techniques
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer-sucker even for the re-runs, I LOVE SPIKE!
*LOST
* Inside the actor's studio
4 places that you have been on vacation
* Orlando, FL
* The Bay of Fundy, Canada
* Mount Mitchell State Park, NC-Where my husand and I got engaged
* Chatham, MA
4 websites that you visit daily
* monster.com-the job search is still on
* yahoo
* charleston.net-for local news and the local job listings
* imdb.com- for any good movie buff
4 of your favorite foods
* chocolate anything!
* steak
* anything with caramel
* Italian food
4 places that you would rather be right now
* Maine
* working!
* hiking with my hubby and pups
* lounging in my parents pool with them, my husband, the pups, and a few dozen umbrella drinks!
4 bloggers who you are tagging
* Leslie
* Liquid Paper
* Poohza
* that's really all I know for bloggers except Sandri who tagged me!

Christmas 2005

2006-01-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

We had our housewarming just before Christmas and it was a blast. Lance also enjoyed a little post party cuddle with Lucy.

We got our first christmas tree for the house and as per usual Chuck picked a huge tree!

We spent Christmas with Norma and Mamaw this year. The girls were good sports about dressing up to enertain us all. don't they look thrilled?

And then we were off to Mom and Dad's to spend some time with them and todrop the girls off with them so we could head to the Car Care Bowl game and some New Year's festivities in Charlotte. We stayed with B McD (THANKS AGAIN B!) and had a great time there. GO STATE!

Now we are finally home and in the mist of packing up the Christmas decorations here. Wish me luck in the job search!

Five things you may not know about me...

2006-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

1. Yep I'm still looking for a job, not 100% discouraged yet but really looking forward to getting back to work. Chuck says I need to as well since he thinks I'm spending too much time alone with the dogs. Plus he says I've begun talking to myself and it's disturbing to him.

2. I'm back on the wagon of the South Beach Diet after falling of the wagon over the holidays. It's been really good for me, I lost 12 pounds in the first two weeks and even with the cheating during the holidays I have not gained it back. It's part of my whole refresh myself for this new life change.

3. I'm taking longer daily walks with my dogs each day to not only to get them out and exercised but to help me clear my mind and help me reflect with out the TV, radio. computer, people.

4. I have not sewed for myself in weeks my poor machine must be so lonely. I may have to sew something this weekend just for me. Perhaps those new pot holders I've been meaning to sew since last year.

5. I'm designing a coffee table/ottoman for my livingroom. It will add extra seating, a place for drinks,etc when sitting on the loveseat, and storage since I'm designing it to be deep and on wheels for easy movement. The tray dad made me would be perfect on top of it as a place for drinks to safely rest.

Five things you may not know about me...

2005-12-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

The December edition...See I told you I would get better at keeping up!

1-our team won the bar crusade this weekend! Photos to follow I'm sure!

2-I refuse to watch the live action version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", it's wrong on two fronts, fist Jim Carey often annoys me rather then entertains me, and secondly I don't think anyone should try to mess with perfection, and the original is perfection!

3-Speaking of Christmas movies God Bless the ABC Family channel for their 25 days of Christmas! I love all of the classics and make it a point to load up on as many of them as possible! Thank goodness Chuck loves them too!

4-My Christmas decorations are mostly Holly items, Our last name is Holley after all but I love decorating up the house in boughs of holly!

5-I just got my first pair of snow pants since I was a kid! This year when we go for Skiji Chuck is going to show me how to ski. I even got some goggles! It's exciting since I usually just hang back at the cottage and drink by the fire until everyone else gets back.

Five things you may not know about me...

2005-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

OK so I'm really late posting this month's installment! The job hunt is very time consuming right now!

So here we go!

1-When I'm sick, like I am now, I crave good chocolate.
2-I'm so excited about Christmas I can't hardly wait to decorate up the house. I've spent the day deciding what decorations would go where.
3-I'm watching a movie I have not seen in a million years, Heavy Metal. Cheesy movies are my weakness! God bless Starz!
4-I'm getting so cabin feverish that I actually baked homemade dog biscuits today! Yeah might be time for a new job!
5-I have this grey wool sweater that my husband bought me that is so soft and cuddly that it always makes me feel warm and cozy. Like getting a Chuck hug whenever I wear it.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

So we headed up to my Mom and Dad's place for Thanksgiving I joined everyone there, a full house! Leslie and her hubby Jay were there with the boys, Travis and Deacon. Carrie and Casey with Baby Reagan. Grammie rode down with Aunt Joyce and Uncle Jim. Of course Chuck and I were there with the girls. Lucy and Sally were trained on their new transmitter collars and did very well.

We went to the NC State game on Saturday and had a blast. I even ran into my old roommate Courtney.

Oh and Chuck and Mikey are in charge of planning this years SKIJI it's the 10th annual trip so please join us for this momentous occasion! I'll be designing up a new t-shirt for the event and will have the link for purchasing up soon! Proceeds from the t-shit sales will be donated FIJI! Hope to see you there! Leave a comment here or email Mikey or Chucky for additional information!

Taste of Charleston

2005-10-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday we attended the annual Taste of Charleston at Boone Hall Plantation. It was very warm but we had a great time with our friends Jen and Todd and of course there little boogernose Claire. Doesn't Chuck look like a natural with Claire?

As promised the second floor...

2005-10-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

5 things you may not know about me...

2005-10-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

October's installment...

1-i have over 200 cookie cutters, yep i counted them as i packed them

2-i'm allergic to shellfish, but love crab

3-i'm a sucker for desert wines

4-i'm starting to feel a little more free with each item I throw away while packing

5-I can;t wait to get sewing for our new place

Want to take a tour?

2005-10-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

The carpet and vinyl is down! Just a few more things like the screen on the porch and touch ups and minor items left on the list then we'll be moving in!
Check out this video it's tour of the first floor. I ran out of memory so I'll take more video of the rest of the house soon.

Me and my niece

2005-10-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is me with my sweet little niece Reagan and her favorite buddy bunny. I taught her a very valuable skill last weekend. Yep one of those skills you can't navigate the sea of life without...

I taught her how to give the thumbs up and double thumbs up gesters. And to top it off I added a enthousatic "Yeah!". We had fun crusing the antique mall yelling "Yeah!" and giving each other the thumbs up!

Yep an invaluable skill that will server well in life, oh and it's slightly annoying and loud but that's just a bonus! I know her parents are thrilled with this new skil!

Last weekend

2005-09-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well we all got together at Mom and Dad's last weekend and it was great! Here's some pics of the festivities!

For more see Les's Blog at
www.everythingleslie.blogspot.com

Construction update

2005-09-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the front with our new driveway and palm tree! You can see that the palm is right outside our bedroom window which will provide privacy once it leafs out.

Green Purse

2005-09-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

The purse I recieved from the green purse swap, I'll post the one I made once my talented partner recieves!

Well my friend got here purse so here is the one I made her.

At least we've got her started on the good stuff.

2005-09-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here is little Claire enjoying a tastey treat!

Scottish games...

2005-09-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

The scottish games where great this past saturday. Thanks toLogan and his clan tent for being such great hostesses.

I love trees

2005-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely group of goodies from my friend Tinygoatstacker. She made me a fabulous tree print tote (I'll use it for shopping, I don't like to use plastic bags), a leaf choker and earrings, a book full of tree bookmarks, a cute little hand made leaf of yarn (I'm going to add a pin to the back and add it to a purse or pin it on my shirt).

Five things you may not know about me

2005-09-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

For September:

1- I love the sound of wind-chimes at night.
2- Centipedes give me the creeps, I think they move so unnaturally!
3- I can't wait for fall so I can have fresh candy corn.
4- I love that peeps have become available year round, no more waiting to Easter, just the next holiday!
5- All animal shaped treats should be eaten head first, it really is the only humane way, quick and painless! Especially gummy bears and animal crackers.

Construction Update

2005-09-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

The front now with siding windows and doors!

Next is the Back, note Chuck's workshop and our screened in porch. They were installing the hot water heater the day we were there.

Then the walk in closet of the Master Bedroom complete with a Chuck! The drywall is up and electric oulets and swtiches are in!

Me in my kitchen, was taken from the living room so you see the breakfast bar and the dining room. And you see all the doors and trim work is there awaiting installation!

All in all things are moving along great! We can not wait!

Bunnies are too cute!

2005-09-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

OH I'm so in love with these

http://www.angryalien.com/0804/jawsbunnies.asp
you must click on the bunnie at the end...too cute!

all the rest...
http://www.angryalien.com/

Lucy and Sally Are So Lucky!

2005-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

So I did a little sewing for a friend's dog in exchange for some knitting for my pups. She really blew my expectations away!

What I sent (not pictured is a purple fleece scarf with a daisy applique). Yes this is a kimono complete with sash and wig! Also included is a leash, pearl necklace, scarf,and bandana.

Here's what she made, two multi colored sweaters, one orange sweater, one grey sweater with chenille trim, a felted worm and a felted flower.

The orange sweater is imakite's own design. I love it! I might have to get her to make two of this design for Mom's min pins

Constructuion update

2005-08-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on 09Aug05 and there was plumbing in too! The garden tub in the master bathroom is looking more and more like a great idea! We are going to go by there tomorrow morning and get a more up to date picture.

Lucy and Sally are pinned!

2005-08-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

These are the pins of my min pins that a fellow craftster made for me. The likeness is scary! They are so cute and I love how she really captured their personalities! And they are about 1/2 an inch tall! Made on a standard sewing pin!

If you are interested she has her shop open with a few pins and more to come! She really does have a talent to the wee!
http://liquidpaper.typepad.com/mod_dots/

Five things you may not know about me

2005-08-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

Now for the August installment of this topic...

1] I love the way my husband smells when he's all sweaty.

2] I want to learn how to knit just so I can knit cute sweaters for my pups!

3] I'm looking forward to moving for many reasons but perhaps the most odd reason is my love of organizing and packing! I can't wait to get everything in order and lined up just so, and I'll finally have enough space to do it right!

4] We still have not put our wedding photos in an album and we are going on our fourth anniversary!

5] I worked at Baxter State Park for two summers and I loved it! Check it out in my links list.

Construction Update

2005-07-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Some new photos of our place. The second floor is up next comes the roof!

In exchange...

2005-07-29T02:39:00.000-07:00

These are the items I made for Sandra my knitting partner who knitted my the hats, dog toy, and scarf.

A large tote bag with a removeable scarf and tons of pockets, a pencil pouch lined in turtle fabric, a wallet with a shrinky-dinks button of her pup. All items are patterns I created.

Our New Place is Taking Shape...

2005-07-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

The slab has been poured and the walls are going up! That's me in the half bath and other shots of the progress being made! It's so exciting that I dance a jig in honor of it all.

It was like Christmas!

2005-07-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today it was so much like Christmas I could hardly believe it! First off check out the post below to see the progress they are making on our new place, secondly I got goodies from two different swaps.

This bag came from highway16 it is a great bag that will leave my hands free for dealing with Lucy and Sally. The hat and scarf came from Sandra. She's a wonderful knitter! She knitted up a tug toy for the girls too. They've been playing with Chuck all evening!

Pink Lemonade Apron for "Tie One On"

2005-07-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here is my submission for the "Tie One On" Apron Showcase(http://angrychicken.typepad.com/tieoneon/vintage_aprons/index.html). I'm really proud of how my embroidery came out. Especially the ice cubes.

Details: Fully lined with a ribbon waist band and ties. The glass was done by layering the following in this order starting with the bottom: sheer metallic fabric, yellow cotton, one ice cube, a layer of pink tulle, ice cube, pink tulle, ice cube and lemon slice, then pink tulle, mint sprig and an ice cube, then pink tulle, and lastly clear vinyl. Clear vinyl was used to give the illusion of glass for well the glass, but as a bonus is protect the tulle from catching on everything and snagging. The ice cube fabric was this sheer silver fabric I found awhile back in the remnant bin, $0.25 for a full yard!

I really like it and I think I'll get some great use out of it entertaining during the summers at our new place.

Claire's sporting her bib

2005-07-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is my friend's sweet little Claire. She's showing off her giraffe bib I mad her. It's a pink and yellow giraffe print flannel on the front and a white flannel backing for super absorbency! Teething can be a drooly experience after all! This is the same sweetie that received that green/red/black quilt I posted a little while back.

She's a real cutie with soooo much hair!

A Blue Reversible Bag

2005-07-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

I made this bag to swap with a friend for a bag she'll make me. She got her's the other day and mine is on the way here.

I drafted up the pattern myself. Four pockets on the inside, two on the out side, but it is reversible. The blue fabric is a dyed cotton and the tan is a narrow rib cord.

The snake is a "Purse Guard Snake" that protects your stuff from others. See they reach in your purse and scream,"Ahh! A Snake!" He's made of felt with button and glass bead eyes.

Good bye Ranger...

2005-07-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Well the ranger drove off today to it's new owner I think Chuck almost cried but he and Mikey made a first refusal agreement on it, which put Chuck at ease a little.

It has been a great truck and we have a lot of fond memories with it.

Construction Update

2005-07-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of what our place looked like today! We met with the builder for the pre-construction meeting and he told us that concrete was going to be tomorrow or Friday depending on weather. Then framing is to follow! I can't wait to have a real kitchen to get some serious cooking and baking done!

Digital camera has a new cozy home...

2005-07-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

When I finally got a chance to take and post a picture of the case I made for our digital camera. The lining is a grey waterproof rip-stop fabric and the shell is a Wolfpack red corduroy fabric. The trim is black fleece and I added a grommet to accommodate the cord handle of the camera so it will double as the case handle. It's just large enough to accommodate the camera the computer cable and a set of back-up batteries. Each of which has a their own mini grey waterproof rip-stop cinch top bag. There is an iron on batting between the fabrics for added cushion to keep it safe from bumps and drops.
I drafted this pattern myself.

I Love Horror Flicks

2005-07-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

So one of the things my husband and I have in common is our great love of horror flicks, thank goodness for both of us. We love the cheesy ones and the good hair standing up on the back of your neck ones too. So thins weekend we went to check out the latest installment of the J Horror films, Dark Water. It was really very good. No blood and guts but good suspense and excellent film making for the feel!

I got me thinking about having a horror movie review once we get into our new place. Perhaps like the first or second weekend of October having a three movie showing of some of our favorites for a select group of film fan friends. Complete with gory foods and all.

Score

2005-07-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

I just won these on an ebay auction for about $5.00 with shipping. They are embrodiered cotton vintage cocktail napkins (5) and wine glass coaster/stem skirts (6). I can't wait to use them this Christmas! I love how dainty and prissy they are, they will look great with the holly dinnerware I have. I just love hollies!

Now I've taken an interest in the Lefton Green Holly cermics, they are cute and I've decided they would intergratewell into my holiday collection. Maybe I'll start to collect it one piece at a time.
Here's a link to the Replacements Ltd page with pics of the different pieces
www.replacements.com/webquote/lefgrh.htm?s1=ink&15070&

My progress this weekend...

2005-07-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Make a top with the orange knit fabric
I got it cut out and about 75% finished, I just need to finish the trim around the neck and then I'll be done!
Make a beach cover up with the pink knit fabric
I can't decide on a style for it yet, so I'm sketching up some ideas this week and will tackle this one when I return from Seattle.
Make a top with the brown silk
Finished! I'll post it as soon as I get a chance to take a pic.
Make a skirt from the brown striped fabric to go with the orange knit top
Finished this one on Friday after work. Worn it out for drinks at Poe's Tavern got some great compliments on it from our server!
Make a skirt from the blue cotton rip stop
None
Make a khaki skirt from chuck's old shorts
Trying to figure out how best to work this one out. I'll have to shorten the pocket linings since they are soooo long.
Make blue purse for blue purse swap
Just about finished, I don't want to post too many details on this one since I don't want to spoil the surprise for my partner.
Make purse for knit/sew swap
I need about 1/2 a yard more of some of the trim to finish!
Make a new brow eyelet wrap skirt
None
Make an apron from cake fabric
Got my pattern worked out and made up. Putting this one on hold until after my swaps are finished.
Make an apron from cocktail fabric
same as cake apron.
Make a camera case for digital camera
Pattern drafted and I'm cutting this one out tonight to finish it so my camera can safely go to Seattle with me.
Finish drink bag by adding handle
Done, pics soon
Make Keeta's shopping cart seat cover
Post Seattle project
Make Carrie's gift shopping cart seat cover
Post Seattle project
Finish brown stripe shirt
Trying to finish this one up for Seattle as well, it's cut out and begging to be sewn up this week
Patch Chuck's shorts
Done, those shorts are so tread barren that this may be the last possible patching I can do!
Make a purse out of the green placemat
Trying to figure out the best handle for this guy, it may take some serious thought...
Finish pillowcase skirt
Requires something, a great trim perhaps...hmmm maybe I'll find something great in a shop in Seattle
Finish green paisley skirt
Whoa this is too big and will have to be taken in perhaps with a pair of darts in the back. I didn't use a pattern on this one.
Make shirt from green stripy fabric
Waiting to see if how the pattern for the orange top comes out, I may use the same pattern
Make tan eyelet wrap top
Drew is the dimensions for the pattern I'll draft the pattern when I get back
Make a backpack style purse
Searched on line to find just the right shape and working on the interior ideas, I love my current bag but with no interior pockets it's very frustrating when all the things I need fall to the bottom and I have to dig for everything all the time. ebag.com Has some great interior shots of bags so I'm using those as inspiration for how I want to do the inside of my bag.

So all in all I got 4 projects done and will finish up two more tonight, so I consider this weekend a success. I really consider it a success since I also got my craft area all cleaned up and all my fabric re organized and I realized man I forgot I had this fabric, and what was I planning on doing with it! I'm making up a swatch pad so I can remind myself of the fabric I have so I can be motivated to finish and have it on hand when shopping for thread, and other trims/notions. A big store I found was this great pile of sheer prints I had for making more scarf bags like Nicole's bag. One of them was a black with cherry print that will make a fun bag for summer nights! I hope to have 3 more, other then the ones I'm wrapping up tonight, done before I leave Saturday.

Need a skirt?

2005-07-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

I have a friend that asked me to make her a skirt like one I had already made. It is made from a light weight dark brown cotton eyelite. It ties at the left hand side. I lined the back panel for modesty but the two side panels are unlined since they over lap and the lining was not needed. It is unhemmed currently since I was going to hem it to her desired length. She then flaked and does not want it now that it is finished and so here I am with a skirt that is slightly too small for me and no $ for my hard work. So I present it to you in blog land...if anyone would like to trade me for something they have made in return for this item leave me a comment. I'll hem it for you to the length you want or you can do it yourself.
Photo:

Demensions:
11 inches across the top, wrapped
34 inches across the top, unwrapped
25 inches long, unhemmed
It's really cute and I love my version of this but I don't need two and as I said it's too small for me anyways.

A few recent sewing projects...

2005-07-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

I sewed up this tank for the fourth of July using Simplicity It's So Easy pattern # 4676 and added a tie at the bodice to make it more fitted and I also lengthened it for my long torsal and added a detail of the same fabric to the neck line. It's a great soft rayon that is so soft and light.

This skirt I made also for the forth of July using New Look pattern #6843 View D. It has a zipper in the back and two darts in the back. I skipped the front and one set of darts in the back for that more low rise look and a flat front. It's a stiff, really dark denim. I like the wrinkly look to it but it can be ironed for a more tailored look. It's part of my anti shorts, yeah skirts summer.

My second skirt I sewed up tonight using no pattern and winging it. It took me about twenty minutes. It has a slight A line to it and a grosgrain ribbon drawstring. The fabric is a fun stretchy material that has three of my four favorite colors in it. Blue, Brown, and Rusty Orange. I have the perfect rust orange knit fabric I'm going to use to make a matching top from and It'll make a cute outfit for that Seattle conference. I have enough of this fabric leftover to make a light jacket out of if I have time. It was only $1.00 a yard so I think a jacket and skirt for $2.50 is a steal!

Close up of the fabric

OK so many WIP so little time...

2005-07-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

I just sat down and listed out the sewing/craft projects I have in progress right now and the list is 23 items long! These are things that need repair, finishing, or are already cut out awaiting time to sew them! I'm going to be doing some major sewing this weekend! Too hot here to do much outside anyways and it looks like we may be getting some rain this weekend from the hurricane too. I'll also be getting the guest room semi presentable for Mikey since he's coming down next weekend week to pick up the Ranger. I leave on Saturday next weekend for a conference in Seattle and will hopefully get to see Vera and Carey since Portland is not too far them there. So I would like to have some of these tops finished to take with me. I'm also going to take some pictures of the items I've sewn so far so I can share them here.

Any ways here is my list of projects to attempt to tackle:
Make a top with the orange knit fabric
Make a beach cover up with the pink knit fabric
Make a top with the brown silk
Make a skirt from the brown striped fabric to go with the orange knit top (Done see above)
Make a skirt from the blue cotton rip stop
Make a khaki skirt from chuck's old shorts.
Make blue purse for blue purse swap
Make purse for knit/sew swap
Make a new brow eyelet wrap skirt
Make an apron from cake fabric
Make an apron from cocktail fabric
Make a camera case for digital camera
Finish drink bag by adding handle
Make Keeta's shopping cart seat cover
Make Carrie's gift shopping cart seat cover
Finish brown stripe shirt
Patch Chuck's shorts
Make a purse out of the green placemat
Finish pillowcase skirt
Finish green paisley skirt
Make shirt from green stripy fabric
Make tan eyelet wrap top
Make a backpack style purse

Whew that's a long list! My goal is to get at least 5 done this weekend.

Five things you may not know about me

2005-07-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I would make this subject a monthly installment to my Blog. So here are five things that you may not know about me.

1-I don't like peas, I mean I hate them. I know hate is a strong word but they are yucky!
2-I think that peanut butter and chocolate are awesome separate but together they are gross!
3-The sound of change jingling is a pocket stocks me in my tracks since it reminds me of my grandfather who always jingled is pocket change and pill box as a habit. I makes me smile since I take it as a sign he's still watching out for me.
4-I love to watch mountains not move for hours on end!
5-I'm a sucker for Muscadine grape wine, the smell of it reminds me of my great grandfather.

More on our new place...

2005-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of our new place taking form, concrete forms to be exact!

Also apparently they can't decide on a street name! So once again it has changed to...

If the rain will hold out for a while perhaps they'll finally get the concrete poured by the end of next week.

We sold the Ranger, don't worry Chuck won't cry. We sold it to Mikey so he'll still be able to visit it and drive it on occasion. We wanted it after his jeep, Grandpa, caught on fire Friday! Good to know it'll be staying in the family!

Recent obsession

2005-06-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been eyeing some of those retro/vintage table linens and kitchen linens and I would like to have some. I think some great tea towels in blues and greens would be great for my kitchen in the new place and I'm on the look out for some great table cloths...

I saw these one on eBay and they are so great!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39453&item=7332879930&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189730387&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189730598&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189956133&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189959546&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39453&item=7333209868&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189394597&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39453&item=7333325471&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6190205244&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6190244886&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6190178230&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189836682&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6189523590&fromMakeTrack=true
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189251220&rd=1

I'm also on the look out for retro/vintage Holly themed holiday liniens like this or similar...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6190217282&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189963430&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6190318055&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189792206&rd=1
Mostfavorite one I've seen for Christmas:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3639&item=6189209619&rd=1

Thanks for letting me ramble. I guess I'll have to start hitting my local yards ales and resell shops to find some, but the ones around here are overpriced and don't carry much. If you have something you think I'll like let me know and I can set up a trade or something!

Join the digital crowd...

2005-06-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well we went and bought ourselves a digital camera. So you'll be seeing more pictures of us and everything else.

We found out that our street name has changed from Harbor Lane to Pine Harbor Lane, evidently there was a conflict.

Chuck's gearing up for his big 3-0 birthday and if your in town we are meeting for drinks with everyone at the Blind Tiger downtown.

Tony and Michele's Wedding

2005-06-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we attend Tony and Michele's wedding. Everything was beautiful and Michele's dress was lovely!

I made their wedding cake and groom's cake for them. Check them out
Here's the Wedding Cake and a close up of the top tier.

Tier sizes: (top to bottom) 7"-12"-18"It was a white chocolate cake with a fresh made raspberry and white chocolate filling and a french vanilla buttercream icing. The cake was decorated with tiny key limes, pears, plums, purple grapes, twigs, apple leaves, lime leaves, and hyperbium berries. The cake is sitting on a custom made wooden lazy susan. My father turned it down on his new lathe out of Peruvian walnut to get just the right color. Here's a pic of the lazy susan without the cake.

The groom's cake was a chocolate and vanilla marbled cake with my famous fudge filling. The top tier is an 8" round, cut into a wedge shape to better display Tony's company logo, sitting on top of a 12" square.

Chocolates

2005-06-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

These are some cute little bridal treats I made. Each chocolate contains a raspberry fudge filling. The boxes are of my doing too. If I remember correctly I made about 25-30 of these. They looked so cute lined up!

Our little camera hog!

2005-06-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Isn't Lucy just too cute? I'm entering these two pics of her into a contest.

Claire's Quilt

2005-06-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt for a friend of mine for her new baby. It's about 27" square. The perfect size for sitting and playing on. I made one for Carrie's Reagan too but I don't have a photo of that one. Perhaps she can take one for me and I'll post it.
Front

Back

LOST withdrawal

2005-06-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm going through a little LOST withdrawal already and was doing some surfing and came up with this neat site with some hidden extra stuff on it. Have fun playing on it and the stuff is supposed to change around from day to day as well.

http://oceanic-air.com/

I'm such a loser but since LOST is the first show I've really gotten into since Buffy went off the air! Hey but since I only really watch CSI (to critique their bad laboratory technique) and LOST I don't see too much of a "loser" image haunting me!

If you have not seen this show rent the first season or catch the re-runs on TV before the new season starts. It's really interesting.

Shopping Cat Seat Cover

2005-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here's one of those shopping cart seat covers I've been making lately. This one was for someone that Mom works with...

It's lined on the inside with a super soft Batik flannel and the outside is a fushia denim. It includes a matching flannel blanket that has a loop on it so you can attach it to one of the toy loops and a matching squeaker heart shaped toy with a loop on it too.

This is the included stuff sack bag I made to use for storing the cover. It slings over a shoulder comfortably.

Nicole's Traveling Bag

2005-06-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Nicole is one of our good friends who has recently moved to Germany. In honor of her great trip I sewed up a traveling bag and some traveling gear to make her a Traveling Kit. The kit all fit inside the bag with plenty of extra room for more stuff. The kit included the pictured blanket, eyepatch, book mark (all three made by me) and pen, address book traveling journal, book, tissues, chapstick and some of those premoistened Olay wash cloths for freshening up once you arrive.

What do you think?

Memorial Day Hiking and Camping in NC

2005-06-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Thought you'd like to see a few pics from the camping trip we took Memorial Day weekend.

We had a great time the girls enjoied the hiking and Sally loved running throught the tall grass! Lucy on the other hand was not a fan of the tall grass, it would throw her off since the grass blocked her view of the trail, so when the grass was in the trail she would step to the side and follow Chuck instead of leading all of us!

The other roll of film has the great views from our camping site so when that gets back I'll post those wonderful views.

Amber's Wedding Cake

2005-06-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

Here is that cheesecake wedding cake I did a few weeks ago. It is plain cheesecake with buttercream icing and white chocolate sea shells and brown sugar sand.

We have a street name!

2005-06-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well we officially have a paved street at our new place and it has a name!

We will be living on Harbor Lane. I know what you are thinking...great another "H". But I love H's and this is just another sign that we are meant to be there.

I'll be getting the pics from this weekend and the weddings back this weekend so I hope to have them up on here before Monday.

Here's a map of the the part of the Peninsula we are going to be in. The portion in the upper left hand corner that has "Future Development" printed on it is were our townhouse will be. There's a pond in the center of that space now and we are on the lower road of that section on the side that backs the wetland towards the already built townhouses.

Baking and Sewing like a mad woman

2005-05-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well I had a cheesecake wedding cake this past weekend and it went over very well. The bride is a co-worker of mine. I'll post a pic as soon as they get developed.

I'm also sewing up some shopping cart seat covers like I made for Carrie, J Hill, and JS. Carrie wanted one for her MIL and a friend and Mom wants one for a coworker of hers. I'll get some pics of those up when they are finished before I mail them out to them.

We are getting ready to head up to the mountains this weekend to do a little camping with the pups up at our favorite little campground, Mile High Campground. Wonderful views and great place. I'll post some pics of that too when we get back. The girls are looking forward to doing some hiking! And Chuck could use the rest!

Oh and they had the road at our new pad tarred yesterday so they are most likely paving it today. Why do I have to wait so long! I want to move in now and get out of our tiny apartment!

I go today to get my annual "it's too hot for long hair" haircut! I've let it get down to my mid back this winter and now I want it gone and to feel the breeze on the back of my neck!

One last thing...
Carrie and I are working on a wedding present for Leslie. A shark theamed crazy quilt so if you have some shark item to contribute send it on!

Mom's Birthday!

2005-05-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Carrie, Casey, Reagan, Chuck, Mom, Dad, Lucy, Sally and I all went up to Gary's place in Roxboro to visit with everyone while Mom and Dad were house hunting. It was also Mom's birthday so we had a great time. And as you can see Reagan and Sally are great friends! Then again who can resist the softness that is Sally's ears. Both pups did great with her.

Charleston Pet Fest 2005

2005-04-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

On April 23rd we worked the IMPS (Internet Miniature Pinscher Service) booth at the Charleston Pet Fest 2005. IMPS works to rescue Miniature Pinschers all over the US and we volunteer with the NC/SC chapter.

It was a long day and Lucy and Sally did great. They were so tuckered out from the big day! I think we got our name out there and talked to a lot of people who seem interested in the breed.

The link to IMPS is below:
http://www.minpinrescue.org/

And if you like Lucy and Sally's Tees you can purchase them from the IMPS site for your dog too. The proceeds go to help IMPS pay for the vet/care costs of the foster pups.

Some of Dad's art is showing...

2005-04-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's showing here at least but that should count for something right? Dad has been producing some really gorgeous bowls lately and is moving up to more complicated items now that he has his new larger lathe. I'll post more pictures of his handiwork as he produces it. Keep an eye out for the really beautiful wedding cake stand he is making for one of the wedding cakes I'm doing for one of our friends.

Our New Pad!

2005-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the Elevation Rendering, floorplan, and a pic of our lot. We are very excited and can't wait to get in!

Welcome!

2005-04-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Chuck and I plan on using this BLOG to keep everyone up-to-date on everything that's happening in the world of the Holley's.

Check back here for updates on the construction of our new pad.

Check back here for updates on the girls, Lucy and Sally are always into something new and crazy.

Check back here for posts on my newest craft, sewing, baking project. I hope to include some how-tos and lots of photos.