Shades of Beige & Black Vintage Fashion Label Purse

Dear Blogger & Friends,

I have been MIA for almost 6 months.  I have been a bad blogger.  I have abandoned you all.  Please forgive me and stop by on occasion. 

My girls are 9 and 11 and are a lot of work - like Cathrynn promising that I'd make 5 flapper dresses for a dance-a-thon at school.  I did!  I feel like homework is a huge burden for ME.  Haha!  And dance, band and softball.  And school activities.  And their social lives!   

Not much new with me - I have been very creative, selling many of my pretties at LOOM! .  And painting and redecorating my house.  It was time.  My real-work took me to San Francisco this year which was an event!  The food and entertainment was fabulous and I shared my trip with awesome co-workers. 

I will be listing some special items on Etsy for the next couple weeks because they are handmade and that's what I love about the holidays - so I am sharing my love and creativity with you all.  This purse was just listed.

And I have been on a healthy mission.  Mainly for self-preservation and less about vanity.  I swear. I know several young (30-40!) year old women who are battling cancer.  I don't know why they are in their battles.  I would like to hide under my covers and not think about it.  But, instead I am trying to reevaluate and examine my choices and be a better role model for my daughters.  Eating healthier is easier that I thought, excercising...is just like I remember.   

So if I don't stop by again for another 6 months, I will leave you with my thought for the holiday season... HEALTH IS OUR GREATEST WEALTH! 

May you and yours enjoy the gift of good health this season!

Best regards, Kelley 

What to do?

It is a beautiful but cool morning.  I feel like I am wasting it.  Do you ever feel like that?  I'm vegging on the sofa.  It isn't a terrible thing - I've feed the kids, done the dishes.  Straightened stuff.  But not have a full to-do list with activities has me thrown...no softball, dance, sewing deadlines.  What to do?  I could certainly do laundry or some real cleaning but, I'm sitting here sipping tea and reading blogs and FB.  Is that okay?  I think it is... but it feels so wrong.  I think it is called relaxing...my girls will be bursting in any minute and needing to do somewhere... Where did they learn that? 

Just a random picture from a purse I made last year... 

Aqua, beige and taupe HYDRANGREA blossoms

 This looks so pretty and perfect with my furniture that I'm tempted to keep it!  I  handbeaded glass beads and fabric quality sequins to accent this stunning fabric.  Just listed on etsy, priced for hopefully a nice quick sale.  I will be finishing several more in the next week and will be listing them as wekk.  Cause I am on a hand-beading roll...

Thanks for stopping by.  I wish my pictures did it justice!

 I can really get into a groove with hand beading.  Very zen for me.  And a bit OCD. Once I start I hate to stop :)  This is a purse I just listed on Etsy.  It is as bright and fun as can be. 

 We are in the end of the school year fun - lots of softball, dance and school activities...

3 beading girls

My little girls are not so little.  Not surprising they have decided that I'm not the only one who can create beaded fabric pieces for projects.  They are quite deft with the super sharp and tiny beading needles (touch wood!) and I haven't entrusted them with the task of threading their own needles so I now have that thankless task for all of us.  Our most recent projects - I'm handbeading a mid century scrap of barkcloth with roses, Olivia choose the fun floal and Cathrynn went for the geometric.  They are having such fun and are so proud. It's a nice quiet moment and the TV isn't blaring and they aren't doing cartwheels and hitting each other.  I don't know their intentions but mine is going to be a pocket on a tote or purse, or pillow - something!

hand beading

It always make me laugh when I'm sewing away somewhere waiting for my kids and people ask me if I hem pants. Nope. I have my needle and thread out for purely creative purposes and am not interested in that type of thing. I get to play with really cool Loom fabrics and trim (love the chairs!) and then free-style bead whatever my heart desires. Love it!

What I don't love is when my desk looks like this after a really creative spell. Not to worry though - because I love to reorganize my crafty stuff almost as much as I like to buy it. Almost ;)

calling all Cow Girls!