ICE

The first day of the Indie Craft Experience was a ton of fun. I have great booth neighbors, and Diament Jewelry was kind enough to bring this awesome bracelet that I saw in her etsy shop so I could buy it for June.

I was so excited to find something with June's name on it!

I expect tomorrow will be just as much fun as today. Maybe even more fun (for me), since I get to sleep a little later. There are so many talented vendors there. If you didn't make it to ICE today, you should definitely come tomorrow! It's from 11am-6pm at Ambient Plus studio in Atlanta. Click here for more info.

My booth, with the new display I have been working on. I think
it turned out pretty good!

It's Craft Fair Time

The Indie Craft Experience is next weekend! If you are in ATL, come check it out. It's at Ambient Plus Studio on June 2nd and 3rd. Click here for the details.

I'm so happy to be back in the swing of things. I haven't participated in a show in over a year. I couldn't imagine trying to set up a table, let alone sit at one all day, while I was 8 months pregnant, or when my daughter was only a few months old. It just wasn't feasible. Now that I have adjusted to life as a mommy, I'm ready to go. I built a pegboard stand to display my cards, sewed a new table cloth, and even have a few new card designs to show off.  This should be an exciting weekend!

Farewell Old Friend

I have been hoarding supplies ever since I found out that Gocco products were being discontinued. I still have a bit of ink, but my latest project (lunch box notes) used up the last 9 screens I had. Today, my Gocco machine burned its last screen. I'll still be using my machines to print, since I got my thermofax machine last Sunday, but it was a sad moment to flash a screen for the last time. It's the end of an era.

Happy Mother's Day

What a great day! This was my very first Mother's Day as a mommy. For the past several years, Mother's Day has been a bit depressing for me. I wanted to be a mommy so much, but it just didn't seem to be in the cards for me. Today, I was over the moon! I have a perfect little girl, and I got to celebrate how special our relationship is. I also got a pretty awesome card that she made (with a little help from my husband, since she is only 10 months old). The outside panels are her handprints, and when you stretch it out it says "I love you this much."

I'm so proud of them for making something crafty for me.  I took a trip to visit my sister earlier in the week, and I have to admit I was a little jealous of the Mother's Day crafts that her daughter made in day care. I was a little bit sad that I wouldn't have any handprint-smeared keepsakes unless I made them myself, and it would be a tad self-indulgent to force a baby to make me a Mother's Day present.

 Aside from the fact that Baby June and I both have colds, I got a bunch of stuff done today. I finished my new display for craft fairs, I ordered a photo book (why do those take so long to lay out?), I even managed to get some chores done, but most importantly I acquired a thermofax.  I cannot express my excitement to have what looks like a gigantic piece of crap in my possession.

This new-to-me machine is my solution to Gocco supplies being discontinued.  My latest project has used up the very last of the screens and bulbs that I have been hoarding, and I was stressing out about how I was going to continue printing new designs with no way to burn screens. I stumbled upon this beauty yesterday in a craigslist ad, and snatched it up. I can't wait to try it out!

Sneak Peek: Lunch Box Notes

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DIY Renovation: Bathroom Makeover Part 2

Putting it back together


Once we got the tile grouted and the trim caulked, it was time to paint. We primed and painted the walls with no problem, but when I started to paint the window trim (the only trim that was originally in the room) I noticed the paint that was already there was peeling up in places. It turns out that the window trim had been painted with oil based paint, and then later someone painted over it with latex paint.  That's a big no-no without using the right primer. 


My solution was to cover every inch on the trim with packing tape, and then rip it off, taking the top layer of latex paint off too. It was like waxing, but with paint. It worked pretty well, and I was able to prime the window trim with Zinsser 123 bullseye and finish up the room.  


Here are our after photos:

Bathrooms are one of the most expensive rooms to renovate.  We saved money by buying as much on clearance as we could, and not putting in that heated floor that my husband still reminds me to this day that he wanted.

Luckily for us (and not luckily for them), Linen-N-Things was going out of business when we started this project, so I had all of the decor under control for cheap. The tub, shower and sink faucets are in a finish that was being discontinued, antique pewter, so they were more than half off. It doesn't match the oil rubbed bronze that is in the rest of the house, but it looks cool. The sink and tall cabinet are from Ikea, also on sale. We had a coupon for a percentage off of our entire purchase at Lowes, so we bought all the tile and trim from there. I think the only thing we paid full price for was the mirror.

All in all, this was a probably the most difficult room in our renovation, but I think it turned out well, and it didn't break the bank.

The Lawnmower Man

My husband decided that he doesn't want to cut the grass anymore. Fine by me. I have always told him that I don't care if he doesn't want to do his share of the chores, he just has to pay someone else to pick up the slack because I'm not going to. I realize that may not cast me in the best light, but one person can only do so much. Everyone needs time to relax and do things they enjoy (like print cards and write crafty blogs).

So my wonderful husband found a man on craigslist to do the work. He told me that someone would be by on Monday, but that's about all the info I got. I was thrilled, because at that point my yard was just embarrassing. Around noon on Monday, there was a knock at the door. A man with a lawn mower and leaf blower asked me "Did you need your grass cut?"  Why yes I do! I got him a cup of ice water and he got to work on the front yard.  After about an hour, I brought him another cup of water. We started chatting about work that needs to be done in the yard and making small talk, when he said "I haven't seen Ricky today." Ricky lives across the street from me, and spends his free time drinking beer in his driveway. I thought, "This is odd, how does this man know Ricky?" So I asked him if he worked in my neighborhood often. As it turns out, he lives a few blocks away.  "How funny" I said "that my husband found you on craigslist and you live so close."

Here's the funny part. He wasn't the guy that my husband hired. He had been cutting a yard in my neighborhood, and saw that my yard was a mess too. He stopped to ask if I wanted him to cut it, and I said yes. I thought this was hilarious, because what are the chances that someone would knock on my door asking to do yard work at the exact same time that someone was supposed to show up to do the yard work? My husband didn't find it quite as amusing. He had to try to get in touch the the man he hired before he got to our house and found someone else doing his job. Everything worked out as far as I'm concerned. My grass is cut, and I don't have to be ashamed anymore. For a few weeks at least.