Life Lately

Well, I don't have a ton of pictures to show for it, but the last 2 weeks have been super busy! My parents have been in town and we've had a lot of family things going on as well.

Two weeks ago, Jesse's cousin got married and we got a short break from the rain so they could enjoy a beautiful outdoor wedding. (sorry, no photos!) And we got to hang out outside for the first time in a while. There was music, food and games and lots of fun!

Last Wednesday my mom and I had a girl's day just the two of us in the city. We had lunch, got our nails done and did a little shopping. Then went out for dinner with a couple of friends. It was Margarita night at Mexican :)

This past weekend, my cousin got married. (again, no photos!)

And we also went to a car auction. We went to a preview on Friday, then the actual auction on Sunday. I've always wanted an original Bronco and there was a really nice one up for bid. Unfortunately it went for about twice what I wanted to pay for it, but it was still fun getting in on the thrill of the bidding!

Now life is calming down for a bit and I'm getting back into my work routine. Hopefully that means a little better blogging routine as well!

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Cute Couple Award

My grandparents...married for over 64 years and still as cute as ever! My grandpa always takes a picture looking admiringly at my grandma :)

New Art for the Studio

I've been looking for a special piece for my studio for quite some time now. I wanted a horizontal piece in a fairly large size to fit above my sink and between my cabinets. I spend quite a bit of time at the sink and that boring dead space needed filled!

In my search for the perfect piece, I found that vertical pieces are apparently more on trend right now. I had a very hard time finding larger horizontal pieces. And after talking with my mom, she also mentioned that it would be nice to have a place to hang my hand towels as well. That lead me to searching for a whole new piece, but I only found pieces for bathrooms or actual kitchens. There's no cooking going on here...lol :)

So what's a girl to do...make her own! I originally thought I wanted a piece with an inspirational saying, but couldn't decide on a design. Then I stumbled across this site and used the tree as inspiration.

I took a plain MDF plaque and sprayed it with white paint. The pink border actually happened as an afterthought because the white wasn't covering the edges well. So I taped off the sides and added pink acrylic paint with a brush. I love how the pink border helps it pop!

Then I engraved a tree design on the plaque. I realize not everyone has a laser sitting around, so this step could be done with paint, a vinyl sticker or even cut paper.

Once the tree was engraved, I drilled the holes for the knobs. I wanted to make sure the buttons didn't get in the way of where the knobs would go. Then I laid out all the buttons before gluing each one down.

 I just love how the piece adds color to my "kitchen" area and gives me a place to hang hand towels. And I love even more that I got to create it myself. I don't take the time nearly as often to create things for myself and this fun piece got me out of my normal creating zone!

Father's Day Preview

Mother's Day may have just been last weekend, but as business owners, it's never too early to start planning ahead for the next holiday. Father's Day will be here before we know it and I'm determined to be ahead of the game this year!

Last year I had this beer mug available and this year I'm expanding the selection to pint glasses and pilsner glasses as well.

I've also relisted these Dad's Kitchen & Grill Master cutting boards, which are perfect for Father's Day.

Last year I designed some wood cards, but never got around to making samples and getting them listed in the shop...ugh! This year I'm on top of my game and have 3 cards made and photographed! I'm working on getting everything listed this week/weekend.

Have you started prepping your shop for Father's Day?

Have any other ideas for my shop?

Bridal Shower Gifts

On Saturday I attended my cousin's bridal shower. As with most showers I attend, I always like to make a special gift for the bride-to-be. One of my go-to gifts is always a cutting board. But I wanted something extra to put with her gift and had some new items that I hadn't had a chance to engrave yet. It was the perfect opportunity to do some new engraving!

I just love these fun colored spatulas! They're sure to brighten up any kitchen and can be personalized any way you like. I put my cousin's name on these.

I also engraved a bamboo spoon with her name on it as well. I do have some spoons listed in my shop already, but I like these bamboo spoons because they're more durable and sure to last much longer. While the other spoons make fun gifts for display, these spoons are more for actual use. And with the engraving on the handle, there is no worry about getting the engraved area dirty.

(coming to the shop soon)

It's always so fun to watch someone open their gifts :) And everyone at the shower loved them!

It Runs in the Family

Welcome my mom to the Etsy family! She sells vintage and antique items in her Aunt Ronae's Treasures shop.

 

When my mom first told me last fall that she would be opening her shop, I warned her that it could take awhile to make her first sale. I wanted her to know that there were a lot of sellers and it takes awhile for Google to pickup your listings. Wouldn't you know it, she sold an item her first day open!

She loves going to auctions and estate sales looking for unique items to share in her shop, like this Royal Typewriter. Complete with the manual and a cute cover!

She also has several doilies like this one with the Angels. Many of these belonged to my great grandmother and were found preserved in her cedar chest.

So if you're in the market for some neat vintage or antique items, stop by and see my mom's shop :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Dinner is Served

Mmmm...Wine and fresh morels! Not very healthy, but mighty tasty :)