humbled and a couple of winners!

a m a z i n g l y.... humbled is how I feel after this celebration of my blog's big day! Thank you all so much for your kind words toward myself and my shared groups with my partner in crime... Kerri! We hoped more than anything that our efforts would produce an amazing community of creative individuals all supporting one another and their craft with positive vibes and attitudes.... it's a little more than humbling that so many of you felt that you were inspired by one another in participating in these unique groups. This was soooo our hope!!! You guys are my creative home... not only to be personally inspired but to share my ideas with!!!

Thanks!

during this past week... this is what has been happening behind the curtain....

Kerri and I started the { Media } chitchat Flickr group... and I must say... this group has had me cracking up and scared I might pee on my couch late at night reading the posts!! You guys kill me!!!...




then... cook book obsessions on the { Library } of a Book Worm ...



OOohhh and yay... I got a crazy Aqua fever and painted my kitchen this new fabulous Martha Stewart color... which needed a chandelier...??? What... it really did! ;)

then... of course more work on my dedication to Denyse Schmidt's ( bunch of squares ) gallery wall... wait to see the grey I added in! It's heaven!!!



Then the sewing... I had been drooling over the ( me + you ) quilt pattern FOREVER... and finally pulled that band aid off this week!!! Of course I couldn't help but to make it in my signature colors... aqua and tangerine... but then get this... my tribute to my most fav movie... The Life Aquatic.... has a horrid turn of events...

my husband is not feeling it! Can you believe it??? I felt like he called me fat! So, I'll be pulling all the tangerine out and keeping the still very swanky grey and aqua combination... but still... I could have murdered him! Messing with a woman's art is a deadly game! LOL



Then to top off my my week... my sweet baby Colin was feeling very punky and only wanted his Mama and Legos :( This combined with my dear friend Sarah's grandma's sudden departure left our Twilight sewing weekend to be postponed... though I'll miss Edward until we meet again... my thoughts and prayers are with Sarah and her family right now... :(



Now to my winners... although I can only pick two to win the fabrics... you are all winners to me!! ( yes, I know cheesy... but I'd be rambling to myself without you guys and I really appreciate you for not allowing me to be a loner! ) LOL

There were an amazing ( 569 ) enties ( blushing! )


Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

26
Timestamp: 2010-03-01 05:28:01 UTC

Valerie said...
Follower - I actually link to you from my blog, in my blogroll, so I can see at a glance if you've updated :)

and...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

322
Timestamp: 2010-03-01 05:32:03 UTC

Three Dancing Magpies said...
#2 Love all the groups you have started, but must say I am CRAZY for the Pillow Swap group- it is simply AWESOME!

Congrats ladies!!! I'll be emailing you soon!! :) Thanks and I'll be seeing you soon in the groups!!

XO, Heather

DIY Favors: Paper Cake Slice

We saw this posted on the How About Orange blog and loved this idea as a DIY project for wedding favors.  The paper cake slice is so adorable and perfect to fill with whatever candy or favor you want!  It is a great unique detail to add to any wedding.  You can even use different color paper to make different "flavored" cakes! 

Find the simple instructions at Paper Source Blog.

Alternative Headpieces

We are loving all the new trends in wedding headpieces!  Steering away from the classic tiara or real flowers, there are some very unique new fashions that may fit perfectly to your style.  From a bold, sassy, and vintage look with the birdcage vail, to a sweet, delicate, and whimsical look with a feathered headpiece, we love them all!  Which is your favorite?

The Birdcage Vail

The Silk Flower

The Feathered Headpiece

The Headband

All of these fabulous handmade creations can be found at Etsy.

Entertaining Tips: Food

Rule

Something easy, cheap and delicious your guests will go bonkers over.



Chicken Salad Cups



Buy Frozen Filo cups, and bake according to the package (8-10 minutes, I think) - let cool and fill with your favorite chicken salad, make the chicken the day before, or buy it pre-packaged.



Fill the cups about 10-20 minutes before your first guest is set to arrive.



Then sprinkle with your favorite fresh herb if you have some on hand, if not dried parsley will do just fine.

Deanna and Adam's Wedding!

Deanna and Adam's Keystone Heights wedding was so elegant, romantical and fun!  We started with the ceremony at Community Church, then headed over to the Keystone Women's Club for the reception to enjoy some fabulous food by Omi.  The day went so smoothly, even the thunderstorms cooperated!  Powers Photography got some really beautiful and classic shots of the day. 

How hot is this last picture of the night that Powers captured? Love.

Vendors:

Florist/Decor: Flower Petals

Caterer: Omi's Elegant Catering

Entertainment: TDC Entertainment

Photographer: Powers Photography

Cake: Janice Goetzman (family friend)

Transportation: AP Limo

Rentals: Party Time Rentals

Planning: MasterPiece Weddings

Glenda and Jake's Inspiration Board

The bright pinks and greens of this board are perfect for Glenda and Jake's Sweetwater wedding next spring.  It is going to be a gorgeous, whimsical, and super fun day! Thanks to Courtney in our office for putting this together!

Links: {kissing balls}{cocktails}{limes}{shoes}{favors}{bouquet}{balloons}{grass}{bouteinnere}{couple}

My Blog turned 1. It's Give-a-Way Time!

My blog is seriously one year old... crazy! That's about the only way to sum up the past year! I can honestly say my blog has followed hand in hand my adventures on Flickr, which has become a virtual social mecca for myself... and I'm pretty proud of my groups and humbled by all the members that participate in them ( blush )... I'm very grateful for all of my virtual friends who's taking this ride with me into some of the craziest ideas... like... The Designer - Fabric - Swappy - Poo, The Pillow Talk Swap, and the {bee} Imaginative virtual quilting bee!

It's been a fun ride and I hope that with this next year... I can express my deep love of fabric and design through more personal handmade treasures for my family and friends. Plus, always keeping it real to you about who I am!

Fun facts about my blog & Flickr -

Kerri and I make every group together :)

My Admin Groups:

{ Designer } - Fabric - Swappy - Poo
Designer - Fabric - Swappy - Poo { tips }
Wonderfully { Wonky } Improv Quilts & Blocks!!
The { Munki Munki } Quilt a Long and Swaps
{ Bee } Imaginative
The Pillow Talk { Swap }
Flea Market Fancy { Freaks }
The Sweet { Aqua } Tangerine
The land of { gnomes and mushrooms}
For the love of { Little Red }
Quilts & Blocks ~ Sashed in { White }
{ Linen } with Prints - a Modern combination
{ Library } of a book worm

The total members of participation in these groups... is above 2000 as of today.

I always change my blog roll... I like linking to new blogs & friends!

Sometimes... Flickr groups can become very political and I have received many a nasty FM regarding my ethical stands on certain sensitive subjects, However... I still agree... to disagree with love!

I've also received some of the most thoughtful gifts from both my blog and Flickr friends... gift's I won't soon forget!


In the end... I really have fun doing both! And it's been wonderful meeting new people and gazing at their art... I hope people will continue to support me and my ideas!

Now... to the fun part for you... my most dearest of virtual friends...

for my friends with boys!

A Lightning Bug FQ set

Two Munki Munki leg panels in Farmers Market & Buses

An aqua Mendocino FQ set

and for all my friends with girls... these fat quarter sets are for you!

A FQ set of Blush Mendocino

and a collection of Lightning Bugs and West Hill

The guidlines!

To celebrate my past year... I would love a { one word } expression from you: of how my blog, Flickr life, or a personal experience with me has made you feel... and please keep it real ;)

for a second entry... be a follower!

for a third... tell me which one(s) of my Flickr groups is your favorite that you're a member of!

and for a fourth entry... blog about this give-a-way ( but be wary to leave me the link... I will be verifying it! )

I will keep this give-a-way open until Sunday the 28th of February at 9:00 pm PST.

and there will be two winners... good luck!

Please include a way to contact you too!!!
Thanks for an exciting year!
XO, Heather

Friday Funday!

You need to be able to fit a little bit of fun in, no matter what you are doing. And during a wedding while we were prepping the music, I grabbed a microphone rose and starting singing....

The question is, what was I singing. If you guess it right, you win a prize!

Leave your guess in the comments section.



Oh, and yes, I sing with my eyes closed....



Thanks to Power's Photography for sneaking these hysterical images.

Jennifer and Jason's Inspiration Board

Jennifer and Jason's wedding is going to be a classic evening to remember.  The royal blue and ivory color palette provides the perfect feel of simple elegance.  How beautiful is this board that Courtney in our office put together for them?

Links: {cake}{bouquet}{flowers}{shoes}{socks}{bridesmaid}{tarts}{rings}{hairpiece}

Entertaining Tips: Food

Rule

Make sure you have enough food. Sounds easy right, but for some reason my Grandmother always over made food, and my other family members never had enough.



So how do you plan accordingly?



First what time is your party, if it's prime meal time you'll need to plan for more food, if it's inbetween meal times, a bit less.



On average plan on 5 pieces of food per person, per hour. For a cocktail party... if you are serving stuffed dates, assume people will either love or hate them, so maybe 3 per person.



Know your audience, is it a dessert reception or a full on dinner party... all of those things will make a difference.



First and foremost, always have food available when your guests arrive... pretzels, veggies, roasted potato's something.

Wip wednesday, thursday, friday... EVERYday!

I'm on to my next embroidery for my Hoop Up Stitchin group! and... I'm LOVing the look of this one... I sure hope it comes out the way I'm wanting it too!!







I also just finished John's block for our { bee } Imaginative virtual quilting bee!





Then I HAaad to pick up some more fabric for up coming "who knows" projects... like I have enough fabric, right???!!







Which has left me snipping this monster rag quilt for the shop!! I may not be able to type for a while after this!! LOL...

XO, Heather

April and James's Inspiration Board

We are so excited for April and James's wedding this September!  We are loving the pinks, purples, and greens together to create a bright, fun, and elegant wedding!

Links: {bouquet}{drinks}{boutonniere}{fan}{table}{lanterns}

The Calypso Star Quilt - Finished!

Yay! First quilt of the year finished... and yes, I know I'm slower then some... but good lord... I can't possibly keep up with the masters!! LOL... I really loved the way this version of a wonky star turned out... bright and wonky... is a great combo for the darling little girl this is off too!



I did have quite a pause here... I couldn't decide which way I wanted to quilt this one... I was hoping to emphasize the ocean features knowing I didn't use traditional ocean colors...





So, I chose to quilt waves through it... I'm loving the effect! :)



I was also very excited by Kate's package arriving this week... I think both packs that I purchased complemented each other very well! Thanks my dear!!

Any whoo... off to start my second stage in my Cathedral Windows tutorial ( if you want to call it that ) ;)

XO, Heather

Joanne and Jay's Inspiration Board

Joanne and Jay's beach wedding is going to be absolutely gorgeous with the sunshine yellows and touches of navy.  We figured with all of this dreadful weather lately, what better than a bright super fun wedding to cheer you up?

Links: {name cards}{drinks}{boutonniere}{bridesmaids}{shoes}{cake}{bouquet}{place setting}

Nautical Inspiration

We think that this nautical themed inspiration board that Courtney in our office made is super fun.  All of the tiny details are just perfect! 

Love. Love. Love.

Links: {cake}{shoes}{groom}{invitations}{sparklers}{flowers}{bridesmaid}{dessert shots}{silverwear}{rings}{candle}