It's the little things...

I just had my first Stampin' Up workshop.  A huge thanks to mommy-dearest for hosting said event.  We made a fabulous little birthday card using the cupcake set in the Occasions catalog.  It came out pretty good.  I've got some work to do, but had some requests for kits & stamp camps, so look forward to those coming soon!!!  We've had a TON going on this week.  We had Employee Appreciation Day at work Monday.  Following that, we met up at the house.  Every time I walk in there, I get so excited.  God was so good to us in giving us that house.  It's pretty amazing.  Not even lying.  That boy closed on the condo today and HOPEFULLY we'll close on the new house tomorrow, which means this entire weekend will be spent moving him in.  After June, I don't want to go through the moving process again.  Now, that's not likely to happen, but a girl can dream right??? :) We picked out a new fridge, washer and dryer this week.  I know its super boring to most, but I was REALLY excited about it.  I can't wait till they put them in on Saturday!!!  We have been so busy lately it's not taking much for me to get excited!

Well... I thought I'd just give a brief update... more to come the beginning of next week- after all this moving stuff is over.  I guess I better get to packing up the book case, since that's getting moved this weekend too.  No more procrastinating for me... 

Have a FABULOUS weekend everyone!!!  

Flower pin/barrette

Ok, so I've been super busy the last week or so.  It's not looking like its going to lighten up any in the next couple of weeks, but I was able to fit in making this fabulous flower pin/hair bow.  Can you guess where the fabric came from???  It's scraps from the wedding wreath!  The deal was I found my flower girl this cute inexpensive (compared to most) dress online for the wedding.  It's a white dress with a black satin sash.  Well, she needed some sort of turquoise to tie it in with the other girls.  So, I had the idea to make her a flower pin to put on it.  Originally, I had planned on making one of my flower pins that I sell in our store, but felt like it needed to be something a little different.  This is what I came up with:

Sorry the photo is a little off center.  Isn't it cute though????  I should have taken photos along the way, but trying to take pictures of some things by myself just wasn't working.  I'll give a brief tutorial without them.

You will need the following items:

Sizzix Big Shot

Flower Die

Fabric of choice

Felt

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun

Pin

Hair Barrette

Matches or Lighter (dependent on fabric)

I started out by using my Sizzix Big Shot.  The Big Shot might be my newest favorite tool.  I used one of the flower dies then cut out several of the flowers using the die.  If you don't have a Big Shot, you can make a template on a piece of paper then trace it on your fabric.  I wish I could tell you how many to cut, but it really depends on how big you want your flower.  You will also need to cut out a small circle of felt.  The size of the felt will determine how big your flower will be.  You will then use the same technique that I used when making my heart wreaths.  You kinda just roll the flower till it makes a rosette of sorts.  I trimmed of the bottom of the rosette so it was flat.  I placed hot glue on the bottom of it and placed it around the edge of the pin.  Once I had done the edges of the circle, I filled in the center.  I just added rosettes till it looked the way I wanted it too.  I glued the pin & the hair barrette to the back of it making it versatile, so that my favorite 7 year old can wear it both on the dress & later in her hair.
Now, you might be wondering where the matches come in.  The satin fabric I used frays easily.  As much as I love a good frayed flower pin, my wedding is a bit dressier of an affair, I needed to keep the flower from fraying.  So, I used the matches to burn the edges.  It worked out really well, even leaving a bit of a black rim around it, matching perfectly!!!

I sure hope she likes it as much as I do!!!

Headband Swap!!!

A few weeks ago, my friend Malea sent me the link to Danielle @ Take Heart's blog because she was hosting a headband swap.  We've been REALLY into headbands lately, so I thought it sounded like a fun idea.  I got paired up with Melissa @ Mel V Designs (check out her blog- its AWESOME).  I was so pumped about getting this headband:

Thanks again Melissa!!!!  I love it!!! I've worn it to work & to church already!!! 

Inspired by My Love Story :)

It's February.  The month of LOVE.  What a great month to share a love story... especially my own.  This is a long post... Just warning you... My side of it is very different from that boy's (my memory went back a little further... hehe).

We met back in 2007 or 2008 at the gym at church.  I was there working out with a friend.  I can remember her introducing me to him and her telling him I sing.  He said, "Well, sing."  I was like, "Now?" I mean seriously, we were in the weight room in the gym. He said, "Yes." I said, "No."  And that was the end of that. haha...
Fast forward to 2009.  I had joined the church choir in order to be in their Easter production, but was bound and determined to quit after that.  I didn't want to get too involved in church things yet, so I was trying to slowly work my way in.  Easter week, we were having all of our final rehearsals before production and I suddenly just noticed him.  I mean, seriously noticed that boy sitting at the piano.  I thought to myself, "He sure is cute."  I had my eye on him that week.  Watched how he handled several scenarios and I was impressed.  But then I realized, we don't hang out with any of the same people.  At all.  Monday, I was in the gym and my friend was complimenting him on his musical talents during the production.  Next thing I know, he's talking to ME.  I told him I probably wasn't coming back to choir.  I had just been there to be in "The Healer".  He was like, "Give it one more try.  I promise you'll have fun."  So, I did.  And, I had a blast.  Next thing I knew, I wrote on his facebook wall telling him he was right.  This resulted in him Facebook chatting me a response.  I'm pretty sure we chatted for 2 hours that night.  This continued off and on throughout April & May.  I invited him to a party at my house which he didn't make it to, but he had asked me to join him and a couple of his students to dinner at PF Chang's and to see MacBeth (he was playing for it.)  I was pretty pumped. I dressed up in a black dress and everything.  We all had such a good time.  After the show, we went to get ice cream at Sonic.  I think we all laughed non-stop.  Monday morning, we both headed middle school camp as counselors.  It was really neat to see him work with the students.  I had gotten really stressed one day with my group of girls and in return it made me sick.  That night he prayed over me and I can't explain it, but it was at that moment I knew he was the one.  The odd thing was, we weren't even dating.  As time continued on, he asked me to be a sponsor in SWAT (Student Worship Arts Team).  We began participating in more and more events together.  The beginning of January 2010, he sent me a text and asked if he could take me to dinner for my birthday.  My birthday happened to be on a Wednesday, so we had choir before we could go to dinner.  I was pretty excited all day.  On my way to church that night, he sent me a text asking me if I would come by his office before going to choir.  There he presented me with 49 hot pink roses and a gift card to Little Rosie's.  Then he told me we'd be going to Chili's for dinner.  It was there at Chili's that he basically asked me to be his girlfriend.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! (I'd been jokingly asking for one for my birthday for years...)
As time went by, we grew closer and spent a lot more time together.  By July, we were goofing off looking at houses. (Not uncommon...) We found this amazing house on a beautiful lake. A week or so later, we went back.  We fell in love with it.  We were standing in that house and he says, "Des, I need to ask you a question."  I was like, uh-oh.  haha... He never did ask a question, but began talking about how the best time for us to get married would be the summer of 2011.  I was so not expecting that. haha...

August 15 was planned to be like any other Sunday.  I went to church and sang with the choir.  Matt made faces at me from the piano.  Ate lunch with the fam then headed to home to get my house ready to show.  I was pretty excited about SWAT starting back.  I sure have missed seeing all of those kids on a weekly basis.  It was during SWAT that things took a bit of a change...
I helped register new students then sat in the rehearsal for a little while.  I sang on praise team that evening so I had to leave early for rehearsal, which normally isn't a big deal, but Matt requested me to come back in around 5:50 for sponsor prayer time.  I thought that was odd, but he is always trying new things, so I just let it go.  I made it back in the room right at 5:50 and he asked me to get all the sponsors in the room.  So, we lined up in the front of the room.  Matt asked Jess to pray over the sponsors, but asked the kids not to leave because he had one more announcement.  After the prayer, Matt says, "You kids know I love you right?"  After some loud screams from the kids, Matt goes, "Well there is someone in this place right now who I love more than you guys.  And I need to ask her a question."  The kids were all SCREAMING!  I am stunned.  Matt turned and looked at me and said "Are you surprised?"  The next thing I know, he is down on one knee.  He takes my hand and tells the kids to be quiet.  He says "I have loved you since the day I met you and God knew that we would be together. I am just so thankful that you are in my life.  Will you marry me?"  Then, he asked me if he could kiss me.  So, we had our first kiss in front of everyone.  It was a perfect night.  One I'll remember forever.  We even have video (which I probably shouldn't mention how many times I have watched it).  I am so grateful God brought him into my life.

 

And that Ladies & Gentleman is our love story... I think I'm a pretty lucky girl!

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life!!!  I can't wait for June 18!  I love you so much!

 

Valentine's Frame- Love is a Blessing

I have been working on this Valentine's Day frame for the last couple of weeks.  I ran across a similar one on a blog (I wish I could remember which one it was).  Just the picture alone got the wheels turning in my head. 

I chose to use a hodge podge of items I had laying around my scrapbook room to clean it out & make this as cheaply as possible.

Let's face the facts.  I'm marrying a musician.  My life is now filled with concerts, rehearsals, etc.  I love it.  But now, if it's got music notes I'm drawn to it.  So, I cut down a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper.  I then cut it down to fit inside a frame I found at the Dollar Tree.  I painted the frame with acrylic paint due to the fact that it has been way to cold for spray painting.  I handmade the rosette flowers that went on the outside using lace, sheer & cotton fabrics (and yes, it is music note fabric). 

For the wording, I used my beloved Cricut and chose the Simply Sweet font.  I cut the hearts out with the same font cartridge. 

This frame really was easy to make.  I just had too many projects started at one time.  Being home with an ear infection, let me get a couple things done while resting up.  Total cost was probably $3.  I love inexpensive projects.  :)

We're OPEN!!!

I am very happy to report that as of today, Tuesday, February 1, Desilea Boutique, has officially opened!!!  Malea and I have been working on this for several months.  Actually, I think we've played around with it for a couple of years.  :)  We are both VERY excited to be opening this store.  Stay tuned for giveaways, so make sure you become a follower on my blog or like us on Facebook!

Check out Desilea Boutique on etsy today!