little gifts...

i think i could spend all of my days making little gifts! this one is for a certain someone i met at market about a year ago, expecting her first baby... her nursery colors are sea foam, yellow and grey. right up my alley!! 

 LOL hope she love it!! ;D

i think us mothers know how important a little pillow can be to a nursery!! those babies start to weigh tons after 2 hours or so of holding them straight!! hahaha...

X, Heather

Guestbook Letter

Guestbooks are such a great idea to remind you of everyone that shared your special day with you, but sometimes books end up getting a put aside. Wouldn't it be so great if you use the guestbook even after the big day has come and gone?



This vintage letter guestbook we saw on Style Me Pretty would be such an awesometastic addition to any new home and a constant memory of your special day!

Photo By: Christina Carroll Photography 

What are some creative guestbook ideas from weddings you've been too?? 

Bridesmaids Hangers

The morning of the wedding you'll be hang-ing around getting your hair done, hang-ing around getting your makeup done, all while hang-ing out with your bridesmaids. This is why these hangers from Etsy are such a perfect gift for all of your bridesmaids for that morning when you're all hang-ing around and getting ready!

Do you guys not think these are so perfect for just hang-ing around?!?

holy books!

lots of time to listen to books over here with all the paper piecing!!

yeah... it's heaven, let's just keep it real!! :P

better go load another!! I am sooOOOOoo not done!! LOL

x, Heather

Winner!!

who says the first comment isn't ever the winner??!! not ME! That's who!!

congrats!!

quilterbell said...

My favourite is Amelia's spring delight!. I love what you have done with your quilt, very interesting the fabric on the background!!!!.

Pat Sloan will be contacting you soon to send you your prize!! :D

x, Heather

Vintage Spring Inspiration Board

Believe it or not, Spring  is rapidly approaching (We're not ready for it either- wasn't it just Christmas!?). As lovely as the winter weather was...well, as winter-y as Florida weather can get, Spring is such an inspiring month. The colors are so bright and happy that we simply couldn't resist creating an inspiration board that showcases how Spring can be a wonderful theme for your upcoming wedding!

Hair; Dresses; Ring; Table; Cupcakes; Birds; Lace Dress

The colors, the flowers, the vintage feel- we love it all!



Have you seen any wonderful vintagy-spring themed weddings lately?

Girls In The Garden Blog Hop!!

When Pat Sloan asks me to play, i always say... Yes!! not only because i adore her as a person, but i usually learn a new skill! This time it was applique' and i was more than impressed with the ease of her patterns!! (seriously, no joking... it was easy!)

She asked me to choose which one i wanted to do and i chose the Fall pattern

(Nicole's Autumn Pumpkin Patch), because it's my MOST favorite season in Portland!!

I really wanted to keep with Pat's pattern, but also lend an urban feel to it...

 i really love how it turned out

i also decided to use clear thread to applique' all of my raw edge pieces, hoping to keep the pattern more sleek and modern. i really lOVED the effect and it was easy enough to work with!

all in all, i think it turned out fabulous and i can't wait to hang it in my home during the fall to add an additional pop of art! :D

Want to play with Pat??.. well, just leave a comment here telling me which of her new patterns is you favorite and i just might draw your name on Sunday night!! one of you will win one of these adorable patterns (Pat's even gonna letcha chose which one too!! ) hahaha...

OOhhh... and these great women will all be keeping their Give-a-Ways open until Sunday too, so pop over there and check out their versions Pat's designs, while entering the contests!!

Feb 21 Michele of Quilting Gallery

Feb 22 Heather of Olive and Ollie

Feb 23 Dawn of Spring Water Designs

Feb 24 Amy of Amy's Creative Side

Feb 25 Heather of { House } of A La Mode Me!!

Don't forget to check these guys out too!! :D

Visit Fat Quarter Shop's blog for a giveaway and to purchase YOUR patterns!!

Visit Pat Sloan for her take each day as she shares HOW she designed "Girls in the Garden"!!

Visit Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. for all the cool designs they publish!!

see ya on Sunday Kids!! Have a wonderful weekend!!

x, Heather

Guests can be Animals

Your wedding day is an event that you want to be sure to share with all of your nearest and dearest, so why not include the original "man's best friend" and let some of your furrier friends attend?!


True, a plethora of pets may be a little much to handle, but these adorable photos show that sometimes, pooches are precious.

Via City Girl Weddings

Via Love and Lavender via Dottie Photography

Via 99wed

Via Off Beat Bride via Style Me Pretty

Clearly we're a little partial to dogs (shoutout to my own pooch, Bellini!), but you have to admit...it's a dog-gone cute idea. If you're not crazy about having your pet at your actual ceremony or reception, including them in your engagement photos is always an awesometastic alternative!


Would you consider letting Fido in on the festivities?! If you did, would you send me some pictures, pretty please!

Bringing the Faraway Home: King's Mountain

(Alonzo Chappel, 1863, from Wikipedia)

I can think of three travel-related instances during my mid-to-late teens when I was jolted out of my zombie state and made to reconsider the life ahead of me. That’s not necessarily something expected on family road trips cross-country, but it happened nevertheless.

The first occurred at Kings Mountain National Military Park, the site of a pivotal Revolutionary War battle in which a number of my ancestors and their extended family had participated. The stillness of the forest, reminiscent of the past, and the unusual coolness of that summer morning gave the site an almost sacred aura that firmly impressed on my mind images of what had occurred centuries earlier. I gained a new respect and admiration for those who had risked and sacrificed their lives to protect their families and their community. However, in the end, that wasn’t what touched me the most.

At some point during that day, a park ranger happened to mention some recent visitors from Scotland. They were kin of Major Patrick Ferguson, the Royal officer who had led the Loyalists to defeat. These Fergusons had travelled across the Atlantic to pay their respects and lay flowers at his grave. Suddenly, I saw the dead man as they must have seen him: not as a stereotyped image of political oppression yanked out of an American History textbook, but as a family man who was just doing his job and whose body had been needlessly defiled at the hands of the Rebel Patriots.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad

A historian hundreds of years from now might try to pinpoint that day as when I first started on the path towards pacifism, but that would be incorrect. Yet it was the first time I clearly saw “the enemy” as a human rather than as a deranged, soulless, faceless monster, be him Muslim, Spanish, French, German, or Vietnamese.

A typical family vacation led to an unforgettable lesson, and I had not even left my home country. If anything, you could say I had returned to it. I had let down my guard, believing that I had perfect foresight regarding what I’d experience. Instead I had made myself vulnerable, and a shock to the system caused the walls of my secluded world to come crashing down. “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-36) has taken on a whole new meaning ever since.

Note: “Bringing the Faraway Home: King's Mountain” was originally posted as “Bringing the Faraway Home - Part 2” on Monday, March 21, 2011 on The Lady Traveller, my travel blog that has now been discontinued.

The Kissing Tree

Via Angel Navarro Photography

Who doesn't love clinking their glass with a fork or spoon (but seriously, I don't recommend a knife. I may or may not have witnessed a glass breakage incident once or twice from an over zealous guest) and watching the happily married couple stop what they're doing and give each other a quick smooch at the reception?



Well, the creative minds over at Style Me Pretty came up with a fun alternative to glass clinking. It's an adorable and interactive way to request a kiss from the bride and groom at the reception call a "Kissing Tree"

Via Style Me Pretty

Here's how it works: Guests pluck a kiss-marked match book off of the tree and hand it to the Master of Ceremonies, who reads aloud what the guest has to do in order to make the bride-groom kiss happen. The tasks can vary from trivia about the Bride and Groom, charades, singing a love song- get creative with it!



You can make this Kissing Tree yourself by following the instructions right here.



"The bride and groom sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage..."

...c'mon. We weren't the only ones thinking it!

Rose Cake

Buying a cake can be an expensive part of the wedding budget....so when I saw this gorgeous DIY cake of white roses from I Am Baker I just had to share!



This cake looks so simple to make and makes a serious statement! You can get all the steps on I Am Baker!

How awesometastic is this cake?!?

Would you give it a try? I am so tempted!

Tu-tu cute!

Flower girl dresses are such a blast to shop around for. Miniature anything is just adorable, especially when is frilly, full of weddingness and most importantly...made of tulle.



Tulle is just too fantastically precious for words and is guaranteed to make any flower girl feel like a princess (us grown-up princesses love it too, we can't deny it.). So, this new trend of tutus for flower girl dresses makes us SO excited. It is tu-tu-toooo cute!



Here are a few pictures we found that show exactly how adorable tutu flower girl outfits are:

Via Etsy

Via Etsy via Natalie K Photography

Via Janet Manuel Photography

The best part? They can be found in a ton of Etsy shops...or you can even make them by hand if you're feeling crafty! Youtube has some really great DIY Tulle Tutu videos... and yes, we have totally used them.



Would you say "I do!" to the tutu?

wanna be!

OMGosh... i am such a wanna be today!! hahaha... i can't help it!! when i see something that is too good to be true, i MUST try my hand at it! this time it was Tamiko's ( Patchwork Notes ) paper pieced pillow top! She makes it look so darling and she gives you the template to print out! can you say... win, win?? yeah... me too! LOL

mine's a bit brighter, but i lOVE all the color saturation... so, i'm good with that! ;) now, to finish her up and send her away ( she's a little gift for a friend )... i'll probably be making another soon though! It was just too quick, easy and a great design! :D

X, Heather

2012-02-19: Haute couture cape and some exciting news – Capa camel alta-costura e notícias excitantes

Hi dear readers and friends, you must be wondering why I’ve been MIA all this long… I have been absent from the blogosphere but it’s for the best of reasons… I am pregnant! I’m on the beginning my second trimester (week 16 and our baby is due to early August), and so far so good! So that’s it, my big secret unveiled! You can’t imagine how excited we all are about this! I also haven’t been sewing, no sewing mojo at all… And I haven’t been spending much time on the Internet either.

As to my outfit today, the cape is a gift from my very dear friend Paco (it’s his own design and creation) and you all can appreciate its details by clicking here. Paco explains some of the haute couture techniques he used, and also provides a link if any of you wishes to purchase the pattern. I was deeply moved by this gift and I will treasure it for life, THANK YOU PACO! The mink fur collar (it’s genuine) is vintage and was salvaged from a very old coat.

I don’t know when I will be posting again so please be patient.... I really need this break.Wishing you all the best, have a wonderful day!

Olá queridos leitores e amigos, já devem estar preocupados e a pensar porque será que tenho estado ausente tanto tempo, mas asseguro-vos que é pela melhor das razões: Estou grávida! Neste momento estamos no início do segundo trimestre (na 16ª semana e o nascimento prevê-se para início de Agosto), e até agora tudo vai bem. E então é este o grande segredo (agora já difícil de esconder). Não imaginam como estamos felizes! Não tenho costurado nada (a vontade desapareceu logo depois de engravidar) e também não consigo passar muito tempo na Internet.

Em relação ao meu coordenado de hoje, a capa é um presente do meu querido amigo Paco (desenhada e confeccionada por ele próprio) e podem apreciar os detalhes clicando aqui. O Paco explica algumas das técnicas de alta-costura que usou e também disponibiliza um link se algum de vós tiver interesse em adquirir o molde. Fiquei bastante comovida com este presente e vou estimá-lo para a vida, OBRIGADA PACO! A gola é vintage, de marta genuína e foi aproveitada de um casaco muito antigo.

Não sei quando voltarei a publicar, por isso tenham alguma paciência… Preciso mesmo deste tempinho para mim. Desejo-vos a todos tudo de melhor, tenham um óptimo dia!

a new friendship!

When Mark Cesarick asked if i wanted to play with his newest fabric line ( Cosmic Burst ) coming out this April... of course i said, "YES!". i lOVE making new friends and i lOVE fabric (maybe as much)!! hahaha...

So, i felt it only seemed right... that i make a design based off of a

{Friendship Star}. i added in some gorgeous Pendelton wool, Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn-Dyed Linen and hand stitching to showcase his warm colorway!! add THAT to the fact that i stuffed it with a lovely feather pillow and presto!... you've got one seriously, layered bundle of comfort!!

ps... the purple print in this line is a MUST BUY for anyone's stash... absolutely spot on, the perfect monochromatic purple! :D

Can you tell my boy toy's been out of town this week??? LOL

him gone = pillow party!!

thankfully, he'll be getting home tonight, because i really have to finish up some larger projects and my fingers are getting sore from all the embroidery! :P

X, Heather

Messages in the Sand

Here in Florida, even though it is February...it's already starting to heat up again. While a few more months of winter-weather would be fabulous, the sunny weather does provide a lot of opportunities for fun beachy pictures!



And what could be more fun that these awesometastic flip flops that imprint the message of your choice into the sand?!

Via Flipside Flipfops

What a great way to leave your mark and get some fun photos- they'd be adorable for Save the Dates!

This is one of those "Mannnn, I wish I had thought of that" things. Seriously, what a cool idea.

With that said, you can order some of your own from Flipside Flipflop Etsy Store!

Beautiful Barrel Cake

Simple cakes, Traditional cakes, cupcakes, Crazy cakes...let's be honest, we love them all. If it has the word "cake" anywhere in it, I'm totally a fan (except for salmon cakes, but we won't count that).


That is why when I saw this awesometastic and super artistic cake over at Cake Wrecks, I really did just have to share. It's seriously THE coolest.

Via Cake Wrecks via It's All About the Cake via thebecker

...Seriously, though. I still cannot get over how much this cake is the exact definition of fantastical. The details. The realistic-ness. I cannot even handle this much crafty-cool.

Have you seen any cakes lately that have just blown your mind? 

my first attempt!

i've seen some of the COOLest foundation paper pieced blocks out there and have been a bit scared of trying them (like pee in my pants scared!), but for whatever reason.. i decided to jump in and try my first block yesterday...  ;)

and i gotta tell you... the shiz was pretty easy! i watched this tutorial on line

(i did use the ruler) and chose a pattern. i knew if i was going to spend the whole morning learning this new technique, it better be one bad ass pattern that would scream... Anthropologie at me, so i bought this one.

all in all... i think i may be adding these into my rotation of favorite projects!  you can find lots of eye candy here and here, if my Matroyshka Doll doesn't do it for you... trust me, it's an endless sea of fantastic choices!! ;D

hugh... now what should i try??... any ideas kids??

x, Heather

Do It Yourself Bustle

Via Wedding Bridal Blog

A train on your dress can be an
elegant touch to any bride’s wedding gown, but can also get in the way during
the reception while she’s trying to break it down on the dance floor! A simple
solution can be to bustle your gown, and you don’t have to pay the huge fee for
the seamstress. (what’s not to love?!) I've had two brides do, a DIY Bustle... if you feel up to it, here are the steps.


After many different experiences with bustles of all types,
I’ve found that Side, American, and French are the most popular (but any option
is a gorgeous one!). It really just depends on the gown and utilizing the style
that fits you best!


Here are some instructions for your basic bustle from Ehow:


1.      
Add three buttons to the back of your dress. The buttons will hold
the train of your dress up, creating a bustle. The buttons should match your
dress, and blend will with any embellishments. Pearls and beads will also work
well.



2.      
Sew the buttons on the back of your dress (at the waistline) with
your needle and thread. Sew a button at the center of your waistline, and one
on either side. The distance of the buttons will vary depending on your size.
But you want the buttons about an inch in from your sides.



3.      
Attach the three strips of material to the bottom of your dress.
When sewing, create little loops. To create a loop, sew both ends of a single
strip of material to the the underneath of the dress, leaving the middle
section loose. Sew one loop at the center of the dress and the other two on
either side. Once again, how far apart your make these loops will depend on the
length of your train. In general, the loops should be about an inch or two in
from the sides.



4.      
Lift the back of the train, and fit the middle loop over the
center button. Repeat with the left side, then right to finish the bustle



Make sure that you ask your seamstress which bustle is best for your dress- she has worked with a ton of different styles, so she will definitely have some great advice for you.



Good luck!



Have any of you tried a DIY Bustle?

Messages of Love and Cookies

Since it is Valentine's Day, we over at Masterpiece Weddings are filling our day with love-love-love, as much chocolate as allowed (which is a lot, trust me), the one's who fill our heart with joy, and these adorable Candy Heart imitation cookies brought to us by the always fabulous Williams-Sonoma.

via Williams-Sonoma

These cookies are not only completely delicious looking (they're not chocolate-covered, but we'll let it slide this time), but they are simple to create with help from this cookie cutter. Not only that, but they would be a great addition to any wedding reception!



I hope your day is as lovey-dovey as humanly possible!

OOoohh... deer!

clearly, i have a little affinity for deer right now! they just look swanky... so, i really can't help myself!! ;D he's so happy on my couch, i swear!!

( wink, wink )

OOOoohhh... and i finished up my Granny Squares!! this quilt will take me much longer to finish up, since i've decided to hand quilt it... but it deserves the respect i think! LOL

and i'll have PLENTY of TV programs to listen too while i do it too!! :P

now, i'm off to sew more binding... never ending, right!! hahaha...

X, Heather

DIY Lace Mason Jars

Mason jars give any reception a completely vintage and rustic feel. They're great for using as candle holders to light up a pathway, for holding beautiful bouquets, and for filling with lace and using as the most romantical wedding detail EVER.



Yep, you heard me. Filled with lace. We came across this little gem over at The Knotty Bride. How southern and sweet is this!

Via The Knotty Bride via Michaela Noelle Designs

How obsessed with this lovely-ness are you? It's so simple, yet just such a perfectly whimsical wedding detail.

Via Michaela Noelle Designs

Did we mention it's completely DIY? According to the creator of this adorableness, Michaela Noelle Designs, "All you need is: “spool of lace, tape, scissors, large mason jar, spray paint, paint brush, glitter accent paint, & a candle or flowers.” You can find instructions right here.



Are you lusting for this lace-filled jar? Let us know your thoughts!

Anniversary Book of Love

Don't you just love being reminded of all the ways your husband/boyfriend/finance loves you?? I know, everybody does! This alphabet book of love from the Twinery is a great way to show your man just how much you love him!

It's completely DIY so you can personalize it however your heart desires!

What are some sweet anniversary gifts/plans you've ever gotten or given on your anniversaries?