Leopard Baby All the Way!

Well I have finally taken the plunge and upgraded my Mac to the Leopard operating system. Guess what, the girl who normally isn't a fan of change is totally loving it. It is absolutely way better than the last one I had. Plus I spruced the memory up a bit to 2.5G and boy can my Mac fly. I totally feel like speed racer it makes me click through things so fast that I can barely stand the computer at work anymore.

Plus thanks to my Mac I have learned to install a hard drive, memory, and I had to do something else inside the thing too. So I am feeling like such a smart girl and so proud that I didn't have to pay a ton to take it somewhere for something that I can do.

Now you may be wondering why I decided all of a sudden to upgrade. Well this is really a silly answer, and I was planning on biting the bullet and spending the money next year but not this year. Well I got a bright and blue Ipod Nano for my birthday and it wouldn't work on my computer. I know! I was so upset, so instead of returning it minus the 10% fee for already opening it, I just pushed it up a couple of months ealier and I am so glad I did. Everything just works so much better now. Blogger before did not run so smoothly with the old system, I couldn't attach labels or spell check or anything. Now I can do it all again. Plus it has this great feature of always spell checking your stuff so you get that little red line underneath stuff. Totally Fabulous because I swear my fingers get ahead of my brain alot when I am typing and then I spell everything wrong.

In other news we had our first snowfall yesterday, with crazy whipping winds and it was freezing. Luckily nothing stuck but it is still freezing. Hopefully it will warm up a little for all of the trick or treaters this friday!

Until then!

Featured on Etsy Daily Email

Yippy my store was featured in Etsy Daily Finds Email and selected by none other than Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretarys Club. It was already awhile ago, yes I know I am always behind isn't that the truth lately.
I have to say I have been looking up to Jennifer for awhile now, she is such a hoot and such a succesful small business owner that it was an honor to be in this particular Etsy Finds.

Anyways hope everyone is having a nice Fall and getting ready for that Spooky holiday that is coming up!
I couldn't figure out how to add the email so I snuck a snippet in below.



"I've often wondered how Jennifer Perkins does it: original Austin Craft Mafia member, Naughty Secretary Club founder, DIY's Craft Lab host, and now, jewelry book author — she's been making her awesomely over-the-top, charm-encrusted designs since before cupcakes were kitsch. Well wonder no more, (at least for the jewelry) she's ready to spill her secret sources for some of the coolest baubles around. (I'll give you a hint: Etsy.)
...Ooh, and if you missed Friday's how-to with Jennifer, get your free Hanky Panky bracelet project download here.(Sorry I couldn't find the link but it is in her new book)
You would think that as a jewelry designer there would be a lot of beads in my world. (Ya, you would think.) Actually, I can't remember the last time I included a bead in my jewelry. That being the case, I am on the constant lookout for the perfect kitschy cutie that can be transformed into a piece of jewelry. Sometimes that is a piece of dollhouse furniture, other times it is a cupcake topper. When I was writing my new book, The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry, I knew I had to have the perfect supplies for wearable office-themed awesomeness and Etsy was the perfect place for me to start my search. I picked a few favorites that are used in 10 of the 50 fun projects you can find inside the book. Remember, there is nothing that says a jewelry designer is restricted to just beads. I live by the mantra that if it will sit still long enough, I will eventually find a way to make it into a piece of jewelry."

Crafted Together

I'll be in White Bear Lake Tommorow at the Crafted Together Show so stop on by and say hi. This is truly a fabulous event with a ton of indie designers. So you might even want to start your Christmas shopping a little early just so you have only the coolest gifts ever. In fact I will be unvieling some new Lost Treasure DIY Bracelet and Earring Kits & also some Bobby Pin and Ring Kits. Hope to see you there!

MEAN JEAN

Imagine forgetting where you parked your car.
Imagine not recognizing your own children.
Imagine losing your most precious memories.

The effects of Alzheimer’s are devastating to the person who has the disease—and to everyone who loves that person and is trying to help them hold the pieces of their lives together.

Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 5 million people in the U.S. The research being conducted to better understand and manage it is critical.

On Saturday, September 27, 2008, I will be walking in support of a wonderful woman who is close to my heart, Jean Kiernan, at the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk. She was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Please join us or feel free to donate to the cause.
For more information or to donate click here,

Now onto Mean Jean

Mean Jean really isn't so mean, she is just the best lady in the world. She is far from mean, but it all gives us a giggle to call her that plus she loves the name(it's based off of a book). Jean is one of those people that if you have met her she has left you feeling like you are the most important person in the world. She just has this gift of making you feel at ease. Words cannot describe how fabulous she really is, she just has the most golden caring heart!

Mean Jean is OH's mom, and even though she isn't my mother in law, I still love her like one. She is always so supportive of any and all of my artistic crazy endeavors, as well as a feisty thrift shopper like the rest of us. She adores a good deal! She is simply Jean who looks out for everyone! Well now it is my time to look out for Jean, to thank her for all of her fabulous qualities that make her unique.


Just imagine a world without Alzheimer's, doesn't that just sound so beautiful.

Also 20% of all sales from today through friday, from both of my etsy stores, Vintage Recreations & Vintage Nouveau Designs will be donated to the Memory Walk so if you have been thinking about purchasing anything now would be great time, you get something fabulous and you help a fabulous cause.

Twilight Oh My!

So I have been reading snippets about the book Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer now for oh about a year. Yes I am always so far behind everyone else, I like to make my own trails! I kept meaning to read it and then I saw I was number 550 on the waiting list for the library. That basically means that oh I won't be reading this until 2010. So I was surprised when I picked up my niece on Sunday morning for our Auntie and niece Flea Market run as she began telling me about this fabulous serries she was reading. She enjoyed it so much she was already on the fourth book and she had just started the serries last Sunday night. Yes my family loves to read, granted my niece is 12 and reading at a college level. Yep she is a smarty, plus she offered to even borrow me the books. Let's just put it this way we are all known to say pick up a book and not set it down until we are done, in fact Tal used to get into trouble while reading until the wee hours of the morning under her blankets with a flash light.

Anways I degress, so I started reading twilight late last night, I couldn't put it down, all of a sudden it is 2am and I know that monday is so going to be a crabby day for me! Needless to say I finished tonight. I just love the characters, Stephanie Meyer did such a fabulous job and this so means that I need to stop by my nieces tommorow and get the next book. I don't know if I can wait, let alone I am curious about the movie that is supposedly coming out, the characters just come alive in this book, I hope the movies lives up to it.

Happy Birthday Miller

Well today is a very special day, it's Miller's birthday! We have known each other since middle school and have been inseperable since. She truly is the worlds greatest friend, we have been through so much together and have always been there when the other has needed anything. So since it is Miller's birthday and our ten year reunion, plus I was banned from using any photos over 24 without her signature on them first, I thought I would share some photos of Miller and I in high school. The first photo is for our Senior Year Homecoming. God I used to love my cheerleading uniform and pom poms!

Miller and I were always known for our lovely photo birthday collages. In fact, each year we would go bigger and better. We had our most glamorous photos and some that neither of us ever wanted to share. For instance, my birthday is 2 weeks after Miller, well one year she apparently didn't like my choice of photos that I hung on our locker. So to get me back she went to Kinko's made about 1000 copies and lets say three out of the five photos were the least flattering ever, and proceeded to post them around the high school every where. Well you remember High school I was mortified and ready to kill her as I went from class to class ripping them down. Looking back now it is absolutley hilarous, especially her locker sign. Now I remember why she was upset, plus She just had to out do me.

These photos are from our Junior year, prom, Edgefest, and our trip to the DECA Conference. We won county for 2nd place if I remember correctly.


Last but not least we have one in our early 20's at Anoka's Halloween Parade with our adorable matching flower hats.

Anyways to get back on point, Happy Birthday to the most wonderful Gal I know. Here is to another year prettier, smarter, and another year of breaking hearts, using fake names, and creating total Chaos when we finally get out, well maybe not so much chaos anymore, but darn it we still have a good time! Happy Birthday and remember Miller your only 25!~ :) P.S. for those of you who don't know me I am the blonde tall one, not the gorgous short one, that would be Miller!

It Rained it Poured

Well I just finished up with the Edina Fall into the Arts Show last weekend. I must say it rained and poured and drizzled but man people, well true Minnesotans still came. Plus I have to share this, this is my third year and I made it into the park. Which for those of you that don't know is a big status thing among the artists. So whoo hoo! Plus the festival is set up among the prettiest park in Edina, Centenial Lakes.

Other than that, I also managed to injure myself, granted I was good and didn't get any blood on anything important. I guess you could say I am a procrastinator/ perfectionist! I decided a week before the show that I didn't like my displays it was time to change, and make a ton of new product that I had been playing with but with no shows all summer there was no rush right.

Well I was a good girl worked all day came home and got straight to business, until Wednesday, when I found out I was actually using OH's chisel as paint peeler, oops he wasn't so thrilled, I was asking him are you sure this is a chissel, as lo and behold chisseled right into my finger. Now this is not the worst of it, next OH decided if I wanted help then we better do it before the Twins game so I jump up all caffienated and peppy and run into my car antenae. Hmm you asking what does that matter? Well it's broke and instead of fixing it, I had OH pull it up so I could still listen to the radio, in doing this he left a very sharp edge. Now that sharp edge has been there for oh almost a year now, never jumped out and hurt me until stress time.

Yes I managed to remove the webbing between my ring finger and my pinky. I also learned that night that I do not handle wounds. Now I didn't need stiches but lets just say I could see things that in my opinion are not meant to be seen. So after not believein gOH that I didn't need stiches I called my father, ( Wise one of all things) to double check.

So my dad is telling me to describe it so I am staring out the gash and the hole, and all of a sudden I get a hot flash the room starts to spin. Hmm so not good at this point, but yes there is more! So I am able to get off the phone with dad and then make it to the bathroom before I heave anything left over from lunch.

You will all be glad to know after that I was fine, until friday when I caught my arm on it, this time OH bandaged it so I did not have to peak and yeah still no stiches and made it to the show with fabulous new displays, no blodd on them and my new table covers. Here are some pics in the rain, nothing special went more for a minimulistic look. Don't you just love the window earring displays and my chandeliar though. The windows were the cause of all of the holes I now have that are all conveniately on my left side. hey at least I am consistant right! Plus I figured you would rather see this than the wounds.


Until next time! Watch out for sharp metal objects!