it's almost here....

on saturday...this saturday...in two days....is the:

here are some pics from our little space. i think i've mentioned that i am doing this with two of my girlfriends. anna makes cards and jandi makes the magnet boards and all the vinyl products. i love, love, love the way our space turned out. small? yes. but it's mighty!! :)

i've also made some cute chenille burp cloths and diaper changing kits, which are pictured on the shelf below:

if you live in the denver area come check us out. the address is on the top picture!!! :)

artful season

i would say i am in the middle of a very artful season. both literally and metaphorically. i am producing tons of stuff for the store where i will have a small booth space in. and then of course, there's my favorite season ever........FALL!!

i mean if you can't find art and beauty everytime you step outside, you're just not looking hard enough! it's everywhere - so inspirational to me! :)

dog therapy

i think everyone should own at least one dog. they really do make the world a better place to live. they soothe a troubled soul, are always there, don't expect much (an occasional petting), and talk about unconditional!! they are all about unconditional lovin'! i always liked dogs, but until i had one of my own i never fully appreciated their value. i will always be a dog owner.

this big guy is just a big 'ol love. he nuzzles into you with his head that is easily the size of my three year old! a lot of people are afraid of him. i really don't get that. sure he is big, and i guess size could be intimidating, but just look at that face. not a mean expression to be found!! i just don't get it. saint bernards are rescue dogs by nature. he burrows these little "nests" in our backyard. it's annoying, but kind of cute too, because he sleeps in them. he did it a lot in the hot summer months. it just goes to prove that dogs will do what their instinct tells them to do.

so that is my plea for the world. if everyone would just own a dog there would be a lot less strife and contention!! :)

something to thing about...

a life list. while reading ali edwards blog this morning she referenced making a life list, which made me curious, and had a link to this blog: http://coolpeopleiknow.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-have-life-list-if-no-read-this.html
basically it talks about making a list of 100 things you want to do in your lifetime. i have never done this, and am more than intrigued by the idea. i think it is something i am going to do. i invite y'all to do the same!! :)

in other news, fall is in full swing here at the cherry household. decorations are up, and my dinner menu has been reflecting the season. more pot roasts, soups, etc. and my favorite...more BAKING! specifically with pumpkin. i told you i have a love affair with this most delicious of vegetables. mmmm. i really only use pumpkin this time of year because any other time it feels wrong. like eating candy corn in the spring. just plain wrong. i really must get on the whole picture taking deal. i want to take some cool pics of fall! and everyday life too.

have a glorious fall thursday!!

such high hopes...

i did indeed have, and i believe promise (at least to myself) consistency with this blog. i have failed to live up to that...again. but i'm no quitter, so i will strengthen my resolve to blog more. i think it will be easier in such an inspiring season. FALL!!! i love fall with every fiber of my being. it's just so glorious and fragrant. the smell of the earth turning over to a new season. pumpkins. pumpkin seeds - something i hate sharing with the rest of the family. i mean, after all, i do all the stinkin' work gutting the things. shouldn't i, and i alone get to enjoy the "fruits" of my labor? yes. i think definitely yes. selfish of me? yep. but i'm okay with that. actually i do share. i put aside a tiny bowl of them for the rest of the family. then, of course, there is halloween. a holiday completly and totally dedicated to candy! man, who's brain child was that because they are bloody brilliant in my book! furthermore you ask total strangers for it. you don't even need to provide it for yourself!! love it.

here is a picture of noah in breckenridge...i think in the beginning of sept. he totally sat on this bench and looked at me like that. i promise, no prompting from mom whatsoever.


the rest of the bunch are also from breck. just random art that is scattered throughout the town square. art for the masses. i appreciate that immensely and therefore want to capture it with my camera to enjoy as i please.

and then the random bits of words or phrases i come across here and there. these too become immortalized through my lens - if only for me to enjoy.

here's wishing you instant inspiration whenever you may need it - we all do from time to time!!

lazy days of summer

i think yesterday was the first saturday, in quite a long time, that all we did was hang out around the house. and do, virtually nothing!! the kids played outside. my in-laws came over for a bit. we grilled for dinner. just a laid-back sort of day.




this little cutie is taylor. she lives across the street and makes noah's heart skip a beat. they are quite the adorable couple, and run to each other whenever one sees the other. man is it cute!

hope your weekend was laid-back and chill too!! :)

busy, busy, busy me!

i have been a busy gal........
making lots of jewelry, cards, and well, that's it! just lots of it! (well, lots for me anyway!) i think i mentioned that i did an open house with a friend of mine.? here are some of the pics from that. it was good. we got a small flow of traffic, and i sold a bit of my stuff. it was good. now i'm in the process of making more and perhaps selling it out of a store. we'll see! :)

motivationally handicapped

yep....that's me. a true, sincere, honest-to-goodness, LACK of motivation! to create anything, to read anything, to BLOG anything, to launder anything! (okay, so the laundry thing i've had to get over because apparently my family likes to wear clean underwear....go figure!) i've also had to push out of this .... muck, for lack of a better word. i had an open house last week and had to get tons of stuff ready for that. i did it. it was a push. so this picture of teddy is TOTALLY how i feel. like laying around like a big 'ol fluffy lump of lumpiness.



last week was my birthday. i am now 34. i don't feel 34. i don't think i look 34. but i am. 34. just 6 short years from 40. now that thought does freak me out a bit. i never thought i would be 40. i always thought i would be 20-something. isn't that always the case? we usually don't perceive the fact that our age is upon us. at least i don't. even with each passing birthday, i still don't. i can't figure out if that is a good thing, or a bad, denial-like thing. probably the latter.


these lovely flowers are from my hubby. i got lots of flowers this year. and bath stuff. hmm.. what does that mean? see, here i go again analyzing the heck out of everything. it's an issue i have. i love this picture because i got the word faith in there. not on purpose. just a happy accident. love those! but it speaks to me right now. big time!!!!

oh, and i FINALLY, after 33 years, received that coveted ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. i have seriously wanted one for as long as i can remember. inside was my favorite B&R flavor: mint chip. the cake was chocolate, which is not my fav. flavor cake, but the icing and roses on top were the lovliest shade of pink, so i was as happy as can be!!!!!!! :)

absense makes the heart grow fonder?

i wonder if that saying is true for blogs too? i have been absent from my blog for well over a month...for many different reasons. but i realized that i missed it. even if i'm only blogging for myself (which is kind of the case) it's worth it. it is therapeutic somehow. so i'm re-dedicating myself to this here blog. i'm going to focus a bit more on my art here. i'm making it a goal to post more of my creative endeavors, in hopes that it will motivate me to crank out a bit more in that area!! to say that i've been slacking is a major understatement. my motivation is nill right now. i'm digging deep to find some spark to get me going again, as i really hate to be in slumps!

in other news, i went to vegas at the end of july. it was an interesting trip because we didn't really do too many "vegasy" things. i won't go into it all now, but i will post a few pics from the trip. i can always find fun and funky things to take pictures of that make me smile...still to this day, and probably for a very long time will these pics make me smile. i'm quirky that way!

old vegas neon....i love, love, love it! i like to imagine what old vegas was like in it's glamourous glory days. when everything and everyone was shining and beautiful. makes me smile.

we did go to the m&m store. one of the highlights of my trip was purchasing several shades of pink m&m's. it was pure pink bliss and took me quite a while to bring myself to eating them. they are just too pretty. but the alure of milk chocolate gets me everytime!!

ah yes, and the wyn hotel. we didn't stay there, but did walk through it and spent the better part of an entire day there (long, long story.....) talk about glamour and beauty. this is truly where the beautiful people stay and play. this ginormous waterfall behind me was breathtaking. and the visual eye candy didn't stop....ever....it just kept getting better!!! my camera and i were very happy! :)

have a glorious wednesday.....and be on the lookout for a more artsy vibe on my blog! :) :)

boulder is.....

so cool....so hip.....so relaxed....so fresh....so ahh-breathe-in-that-fabulous-mountain-air....so college town....so FUN!!!
we took my mom here last week and had a blast. taking it all in. loving every single minute!

a few changes....

so you may have noticed the new look, blog name, etc. i started playing around with my blog and decided to change it to reflect my new business. i've also added links to my favorite blogs where i gather soooo much inspiration daily. man am i thankful for that! and, of course, a link to my etsy shop sits right on top. :) the new look is pleasing me to no end because i am NOT a techie kind of person. i love computers, and i do try, but HTML???? it sort of escapes me. i realize i don't have a huge following of peeps that read this little 'ol blog, but i look at it as my journal anyway, so it's all good! the smallest things make me seriously giddy (isn't that what life is all about anyway??)
in other news....my three year old had a very three year old kind of day yesterday. it started off with him sucking down some of the glade plug-in air freshener (the oil part). gasp! my panicked hubby called to me and said, get that packaging out of the trash and find out what it says about swallowing it!!! luckily, nothing specific about that. not that you should swallow it... then after saying a little prayer, i said, he needs to drink some milk. sigh. we got him all cleaned up and all was well again. then later that evening, he got a hold of a crayola marker and kind of went to town on the wall. mischievious little one, that one is! but he is adorable and sweet all at the same time. i am so thankful for my little pack of boys. thankful indeed!

just not enough time in the day!

man...i've been crankin' out stuff for my etsy site like crazy!! between that and my regular household & mommy "duties" i kind of feel like my head is spinning! however, i am loving it right now. love creating all these things. it's my passion. the selling part is kind of slow going, but i'm just hoping that will come. it's really just a huge leap of faith! :) so, if you feel so inclined, check out my site at: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5187626 and then, if you feel even MORE inclined....purchase to your hearts content :) :)
i'm all about handbags right now. this is my first one up on my site. she is called mary jane. isn't she adorable??? the fabric is vintage and i just love the combo of the polka dot with it. i want to keep it, but want to get my business going even more, so i am parting with her on my site.
i have even stitched my tag inside.....seeee......

it's yummy, no? :)

Pink Tumbleweed

that is the name of my newly "launched" business! i have set up an Etsy shop:http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5187626
this is a place i will sell my jewelry, cards, and possibly a few sewn goodies. right now there is just some of my jewelry. i have been toying with the idea of doing this for a reeeeaaaallly long time...so i'm due!



these fun pieces aren't in my shop - yet. they probably will be, but specific letters may be in limited supply. these are actual scrabble letters from old scrabble games i have gotten at thrift stores. one of them is from 1956! isn't that neat-o?! i had hubby drill the holes for me, which will probably be a task he will not want to continue, especially if i make a high quantity of these.


the bracelet may or may not make it's way into my shop. i can't see doing peoples names because most people have names that are longer than 3 letters. it could get complicated. however, i may just do initials, or something. not sure yet. i love these. they are so going to be adorning my arm and neck for quite some time!!!!

Apron love!

as promised, here are some pics of my first feeble attempts at apron-making. there are a few things i would do differently next time (like not make the 2nd one so long). but, without a pattern, it's not bad. and i WILL use them. especially the first one. i made it with the purpose of being a craft/scrapping apron. many little pockets (which my hands are sort of demonstrating) to put my tools in. i love the fabric of the pockets, and you can't see it, but the inside is lined with pink gingham!! pink gingham....can you even stand the cuteness of that??!!

i also decided to mark off my boys room....define their territory. i think it turned out pretty cool looking, and they love it, so all is right with the world.

and finally, my new family home evening board which i made in our wards super saturday. i adore it, as do my kids, and it has in fact generated some new-found excitement for family home evening! cool!!

garage photo shoot

i did my first garage photo shoot yesterday....LOVE the results!! in the many books on photography that i have read, they recommend using your garage to take great pictures...due to the indirect lighting. so i set up a sheet (over our dog kennel!) and clicked away. i got some of my favorite shots to date!!! have a looksie...

and then there is this little gem:

in my thrifting adventures i came across a book: The New Book of Everyday Etiquette. Published in 1946. love it! what a great study on how our culture has changed so very drastically. for the better or worse, you decide. one thing i'm sure of, life was SO much simpler then. way so much simpler!

i have an obessesion with vintage aprons, or just impossibly adorable ones. and i wear them whenever i cook, yes i do! lately i've been reading blogs dedicated to these fabric gems. so today i decided i could definitely manage to make one myself. and i did. i'll post the results tomorrow. (haven't photographed it yet) when i showed my husband he laughed and said i was funny. why? what's so funny, i asked. he said i always get these creative impulses and act on them immediately. it's true. kind of compulsive thing, really. but it yields some great things, so i'm okay with it!!! :)

faith

i don't talk a lot about religion or my faith on this blog. not sure why, really. it is such a HUGE part of my life. if i haven't said it before, i am a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints (mormon). i don't always BE everything i should...but i do have a strong testimony of the gospel that i embrace. it fills me to the very core, and is totally unwavering. i believe in jesus christ and that he is my savior.
lately i have felt a huge spiritual influence in my life. in many different forms. like an angel that reminds me of my faith. {wow, as i sit to write all this i now know why i haven't before...it's really hard. really personal.} nevertheless something i feel compelled to write about. i feel it's such an important part of me and therefore should be included on my blog. also it (faith) is a subject that can never be talked/written/blogged about too much. it just always bears repeating because surely there is someone (if not yourself) that needs to hear it. and so i am thankful for my faith. thankful for the gospel of jesus christ. i am thankful for prayer and a God that listens to my prayers. just thankful!!

this is a scene from my kitchen window sill. i have angels scattered all about my house. i think to remind me to look up every now and then! :)

a few layouts that speak volumes!

i've been scrapping some pics of my world. not just the people in my world, but the THINGS in my world too. i love to look back on certain periods in my life and see how i lived. sort of an archaolgical documentation of me!

contents...

one of the other blogs i read suggested dumping out your purse and photographing it. i loved this idea because it really gives such an accurate snapshot of your life at THAT particular moment. as a woman, and a MOM we live out of our purse, most of the time. so this is mine, well, actually this photo is a couple months old, but the contents haven't changed much.

purse contents:

snacks for hungry kiddos

a craft project noah made in primary (sunday school)

make-up bag (mostly full of lipgloss)

more random lipgloss (stray from the make-up bag)

ipod nano and headphones

pen

medication

diaper and wipes

kleenex

wallet

that's about all i need to survive away from home. essentials. as i said the contents really don't vary all that much. i'm hoping one of these days SOON i will be without the diapers. but potty training is a whole other post in and of itself!!! ugh!

take a look in your purse and notice how much it says about you, your life, your stage of life, etc. it is really pretty cool! :)