{ show and tell + a winner }

Annabelle picked our winner out of her little silver baby cup.

She hold is up for me to see but the winners name is upside down...

And by now you've probably realized that the show and tell I mentioned is of Annabelle's bedroom.

With it's apple green walls, her antique daisy light fixture, her vintage paper lanterns and her flower garden alphabet cards, it is the most decorated room in our house.

And not unlike her sweet little self, it is sparkly, bright and enchanting.

Oh and in case you were unable to read that tiny upside down writing on the little slip of paper,

June giveaway congratulations go to...Aminta!

{ a little bit longer }

**** EXTENDING THE GIVEAWAY UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING**** We are home after a most wonderful time with loved ones, new and old in Alaska, but must to run to ID and fetch that very dearly missed daughter of ours. See you then.

{ June Etsy Feature: Down Shadow Lane }

Jen has a wonderful little Etsy shop called Down Shadow Lane. And  her 15,000 + sales, make it a highly successful one at that. Jen sells fabric. Lot's of it. And by lots of it, I mean 57 pages ladies. I have gotten lost in the virtual aisles of her shop, on more than one occasion.  And her clearance section, remnant packs and bundles are really great! And she's agreed to do a fun summer giveaway here, for the bright + summery fat quarter bundle we put together that 's pictured below...we thought maybe it would add a fun splash of color to a summer sewing project or two.

And now for the lovely interview with our featured Etys shop keeper of the month:

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I'm married to a wonderful supportive husband and a stay at home mom to 3 kids (ages 13, 12 and 7) and I didn't start sewing until I was 30 years old. I hired a lady to come over and show me how to use a sewing machine and then I hired a girl from our church to come over and show me how to make a bag. I started making quilts right away (I loved straight stitches) and caught the bug then. I have always loved crafting and was crocheting when I was a little girl. My passions are still crochet and needle work of all kinds. I can't stand to sit in front of a t.v. without my hands making something so movies with the family are a big ordeal, first I have to gather some yarn or hoop and needlework or hand quilt something before we can start the movie.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

I started Down Shadow Lane Fabrics with a friend from church and she lives on Shadow Lane so that's where the name came from (my street name wasn't so cute). I run the shop alone now and it's been a full time job that I really love.We just added on a studio to our home and I have custom built selves and cutting table to make the process much faster. I like to call this my therapy room as well because it's my own little escape from the real world and I'm surround by wall to wall selves of fabric and color.

What advice do you have for those of us who are new to or interested in or already do sell on Etsy?

Etsy has been one of the best places for me to sell my fabrics, I haven't had any trouble or complaints about the site. I had my own .com web site but no traffic and with etsy I have tons of great returning customers but I also have tons of new etsy users as well. My advise to start selling is to find the right time of day to list your item. Know your customer base and think like they would (things like what time of day are they on browsing, are they stay at home mom's or are they at work searching the internet while the boss is away? LOL). The biggest and best piece of advise is in the pictures, the better the picture the more likely it will sell.

Do you have a favorite fabric designer or line?

 I have a few favorite designers but I will have to say that Denyse Schmidt is at the top. I was lucky enough to go to Connecticut and take a 5 hour quilting class from her at her studio and it was amazing (She's amazing). She showed us her Hope Valley line before it was released and she also showed us her amazing quilts. If you ever get the opportunity to take one of her classes it is worth every penny!!


What do you love best + least about selling on Etsy?

What I love about etsy is the traffic it brings to my shop, there's no way I could bring that much business to my own .com site. I also love how easy it is to list and up load a item. If I had one thing I wish they would add is the ability to search through my sold pages by the name of the fabric and not just the date.

Tell us what a perfect day in your life would look like?

A perfect day in my life would be to have all orders cut and shipped by 10 a.m. and then the rest of the day to browse flicker and be inspired to sew the night away! Oh yeah and my kids would be perfectly dressed, fed by their father and their rooms clean without me telling them to do it! (daydreaming)

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop/source for inspiration?

I love all the shops on etsy and I get so inspired by the craftsmanship there! I have recently found flicker (better late than never) and I can't seem to pull myself from there! I love browsing everyones favorites and I have started quilting and crocheting like crazy since I found it!! I also love to see some of my customers on there and all the great creations they have made with the fabrics they buy from me!! It's my new addiction!!

 

It was so nice of you Jen to do this interview and giveaway for us, thank you so much! And if you can't wait to win your own splash of summer f.q. bundle, you can certainly find one for purchase here.  To enter this giveaway is leave a comment at the end of this post, telling us what you'd like to make with this fabric, if you were to win it.
This giveaway will be open until a winner is announced on Wednesday morning, June 30th.  

*David, Jack and I are off to Alaska tomorrrow for four days.David's brother Jay is getting married to a wonderful beautiful girl this weekend and of David's 10 siblings, 8 are going to be there, as well as a half a dozen or so friends from ID/WA. I think that's a pretty amazing turnout and says a lot about how loved Jay is, especially since Alaska isn't exactly next door. Debs, Becca + Minta, you will be m.i.s.s.e.d greatly! I still feel like one of you girls should have had my ticket. Thanks for staying home with the new babies + kidlets. I promise to take lots of pictures.

{ the best thing }

Daddy dear, we pretty much think your the best thing since ( thick ) sliced bread  bacon.
Only way better. And we are excited to celebrate you today. And that starts with letting you sleep in, while Mommy is down in the kitchen whipping up a special breakfast. You aren't really into being doted on but we'll see what we can do to make today a little bit extra nice for you. Because you're the best and you deserve it, and not just today either but all the other 364 days of the year too.

( having the three of them in my line of vision, it's my favorite view )

Happy Father's Day to my babies Daddy, to the man of my dreams come true.

XOXO's,
Your little family

{ I love you, Dad }

" Her father never let a day pass without reminding them that all goodneess came from the Lord, all love, all beauty. And failure and fault instructed us in the will of God in the very fact of departing from it. Then there were grace and forgiveness to compensate, to put things right, and these werer the reatest goodness of God, after creation itself, aso far was we mortals can know. Her father's rapt delight in this belief put it beyond question, it it was so instrinisic to his nature, and they loved and enjoyed his nature, and laughed about it a little too. " 

Quoted from, Home by Marilynne Robinson

Happy Fathers Day!

{ there he goes }

Jack-Jack , you are adorable.

To watch in the last few weeks as you have taken off on your own two little feet, first to toddle across the room , and then around the whole house, has been such a joy. For a while there you had two black eyes and it looked like you had been in a war with the floor, because, well you had.  But your balance improves a little more every day and our faces light up in pride as we see yours light up and when you squeal it's as if you are saying, " hey guys, look what I can do." It's really sweet. We cheer and clap and you go for it!

We are loving these days with you. You are at such a fun + charming age. With that melty sweet as syrup grin of yours that you are always so quick to use...You'll do anything to get a laugh out of us, including banging your head against the wall, and more than once. You love to be tickled and held and wrestled and thrown up in the air...I love how you wrap your arms around me and hold on for dear life after I get you up out of your crib...and then come the three little pat-pat-pats on Mommy's back. Every time.

You are quite fond of saying uh-oh. My guess is that you say it close to a hundred times a day. And you always say it through your nose. Another favorite word is crack (long pause) er. You ask for a crack-er anytime you want food.  And it's so fitting too, because we call you Cracker-Jack.

I love all your boyish quirks. I love that you are my little all American boy.  I love that you are known for always being dirty and smudged in your overalls and bare feet. And stinky. And for always have a new gash or scratch of some sort...And I lets not forget your reputation for having a hefty appetite. Especially if the meal includes meat of any sort. Seriously some nights you eat for an hour straight.

And here's and intersteing fact about you, at 13 months you have already been on three big plane rides ( HI, CA. and (next week) AK.) That's farther than Mommy had gone in the first 25+ years of her life.

Thank you little son, for all the ways you light up our days. As the saying goes..." Some people are so much sunshine ( and silliness) to the square inch." You most certainly fall into that category, my sweet boy. We thank Jesus every day for adding you to our family and we dearly love to watch you change and grow.

Ever Your,
Mommy, who loves you

{ we have a winner...}

Nikki, Annabelle picked your name!

Now all you have to do is pick something out from Chouettes and let me know what it is and I will pass that information, along with your address to Lily. Thanks for playing everyone and thank you Lily for your lovely generosity. 

Stay tuned for another great giveaway, is coming soon.

Just a few things.

We are busy and having the most wonderful time with our steady stream of company, for the last almost week now. But for those of you who weren't able to join us for the Farm Chicks show this weekend, we missed you, we really, really did...here is a little recap of the much anticipated and talked of event...

  Farm Chicks ( or if you prefer Farm Babes, that's what one of my funny brother-in-laws called it, and another one calls it Farmer Chicks...and Annabelle she calls it Hay Chicks ) is eye-candy overload with enough inspiraiton and creativity to get me through until next year...a heaven on earth of sorts for lovers of all things old and vintage...I am just sorry that I have no pretty pictures to share. It was spectaular ladies. The creativity that the vendors put into their own individual spaces, with their own colors scheme, look, style, flare and unqiue ashtetic was astounding.

The company was lovely, so much fun to wander up and down the asiles with friends, and gasp and point some pretty thing out and oohhh and aahh and over the never ending supply of sweet + lovely things... And my friends Courtney and Becca who were vendors in the show... let me just say they could not have done more beautifully with their booths. They both really shined. You girls are such a inspiration to me. 

*Big thanks to David and Mike for entertaining the littles so Nikki and I could slip away two days in a row. We came home with a Farm Chicks glow and our arms full of treasures and I just couldn't go to sleep that night, my mind was too busy decorating and filling my own Farm Chicks space? Who knows, stranger things have happened, right.


Oh and I am adding links as a post script to some lovely post chalk full of photos of the show. For your own peek at Farm Chick goodness take a little looksie here,  here, here, here, here + here.

And don't forget, if you haven't already...today is the last day to get in on the giveaway for the favorite + darling item of your choice from  Chouettes.

{ Treasures Found }

I am so happy to tell you all about this new little venture on my blog. This post begins a regular monthly giveaway around here,  featuring some favorite Etsy artists of mine...Ones you don't necessarily read about on all the "big" blogs. Not yet, at least.

   Etsy has become really big. Head-spinningly so. There are little shops tucked away here and there in (to use an Annabelle word)  the "humongous" vastness of Etsy . For whatever reason these shops  aren't immediately visible on the front page. And it's a shame but these wonderful little shops tend to only surface after a  little treasure hunt. The other day while browsing the nooks and crannies of Etsy , I happened upon  Chouettes,  a most delightful little gem of a jewelry shop. 

Lily's vintage inspired, candy colored pieces are both playful + exquisite...Her shop Chouettes is just brimming with bright and lovely earrings, cameo necklaces and rings...And she's graciously agreed to send the winner of this giveaway any one of the beautiful pieces in her shop.

Here is the fascinating interview she agreed to do for us:

We would love to know a little more about you:

 My name is Lily and I live in a port town in the city of Los Angeles. I have many interests, including anything vintage, French culture, English culture, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures, animals, knitting, jewelry making, film, art, and music.

How did you get into jewelry design?


  My interest in jewelry design was stimulated years ago as I was observing my friend's four year old daughter making a beautiful beaded necklace made with colorful African glass beads. When I was in college, I started making very colorful tribal necklaces made with antique Middle Eastern and African coins and beads for myself and for my friends. I have always loved vintage costume jewelry and started designing and making vintage jewelry last year.


Please, do tell us the meaning behind your shop name?

The word "Chouettes" (noun, feminine, plural) means "owls" in French. It also means, "brilliant", "great", "smashing", and "Nice" (adjective form used when describing a person). The selection of the word "Chouettes" for my Etsy shop reflects my love of owls and love of the French language. I wanted a simple, monosyllabic word for my shop that reflects my interests, and I thought "chouettes" would be the perfect. Just in case you are wondering, "Chouettes" is pronounced "shwet" (you do not pronounce the "s").

What inspires you?

  I am inspired my many things, including nature (rainbows, animals, plants, flowers), art, anything vintage (especially images of vintage circuses and carnivals), and other vintage jewelry artists.


What's your simplest pleasure?


  My simplest pleasure in spending time with animals. I love all animals and enjoy observing them, feeding them, and taking care of them. I have many pets and feed many stray animals.

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop/source of inspiration?

  My favorite Etsy shop and source of inspiration is called HeyYoYo. HeyYoYo sells vintage popcorn bags, cute striped and polka dot cupcake liners, vintage striped paper straws, and many other super colorful vintage and vintage inspired items.

 

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment with the name or a description of your favorite piece from Chouettes . 

Winner will be sent the one piece of her choice from Lily's beautiful shop. Isn't that so generous of her? Thank you Lily. Also, she mentioned that she is planning to add new items to her shop in the near future.

I'll leave you with my personal favorite:

 

( this super cute polka dot pair, but then as most of you know already, I have a crippling weakness for polka dots...in fact this happy little pair is already on it's way to my mail box and I am planning my " Farm Chicks outfit " around it... )

This giveaway ends a week from today, on Wednesday June 16. 
Winner will be announced first thing Thursday morning.

{ F.C. Frenzy }

Farm Chicks is just a hop skip and a couple days away.
It's my first time. And I am really excited to go shopping with her + her , her and her. At her booth and her booth, before I look anywhere else. Hoping to bump into this lovely lady while wandering the blissful .
And really glad + excited and that this sweet friend is able to fly in with her suitcases spilling over with vintage crafting goodness.
 Also, David and I are delighted to be having dear friends of ours come from clear across the state to spend the weekend with us and attend this much talked about and anticipated event. While we girls are at the show, the men have plans to go out in the woods and do something he-manly while we girls enjoy scenes from the vintage/domestic enthusiasts heaven on earth. 
The following is a list of what I aim to have my eye out for at the show:1.)  A galvanized wash tub: especially since I already have the perfect little squish-able, toe-headed boy to sit on top of it...

2.)  Vintage drinking tumblers, covered in a bright primary print, or polka dots
3.)  A bright + cheerful solid colored pitcher
4.)  Various Frames to paint and chalk board
5.)  Assortment of plates + prints for the dining room
6.)  Whatever strikes my fancy (within budget of course )

6.)  Most of all I want to take home inspiration and DIY ideas galore.

I will end this post with you a picture, for your inspiration.
I am currently really in love with this color palette.

                                          { Image source }

Quote from this mornings sermon.

"The sin underlying all other other sin is not finding joy in Jesus."

This morning in church, those words hit me hard, and resonated. And they have stuck with me throughout the day. 

Also, I wanted to share with you two blog posts that are penetrating my soul this week. You can find them here and here.



" We die daily. Happy those who daily come to life as well. "

-George MacDonald

{ Settling In }

( image source )

Things are happening around here.


There is a picket fence being built in the back yard. And it's really lovely
We finalized on the exterior paint colors for the house. And we couldn't be happier with our pick.
The floor for my craft room is being installed as I type.It's a pretty fleshy pink marmolium with tiny black specks and silver sparkles in it. Reminds me of a worn out ballet slipper. Annabelle is enamored with it.
Next up, paint the craft room a soft, springy, vintagey green.


I am letting my self go ahead and think about decorating the rooms and walls of this gorgeous big old house.
Because it looks like we are going to be here for a little while at least.
Long enough too make it just a little more us...so I am dreaming up some pretty finishing touches + projects. Here's a little wish list I have put together so far of prospective ideas and inspiration...







Wanting to maybe do something curtainish with this sweet little quilt bock in my craft room

                                                   ( image source )

Loving this little color scheme...

Crushing on this pair of wellies from Target...and a pair for Anniebelles so we can match.

.

I like this Anthropologie Bedskirt

I Really want to frame this print and this print of hers.

Silhouettes for above the mantel.

Tutorial for the Anthropologie ruffled shower curtain.

Also, I am ready and motivated to re-stock my Etsy shop to try and earn money for these big-ticket items:

1.) a cordless drill ( because today is David's birthday )
2.) a sewing machine ( because so many of my projects can't be started without one 
3.) a bbq ( for you know who fathers day...shhh. )
4.) a camera, I have my sights set on a Canon Rebel right now. ( and it's killing me not to be able to take pictures of the kids and the house progress, and the  )
5.) a bicycle ( because we already have the perfect trailer to tow the kids behind in. )

 

  And I really, really want to plant a flowing red quince bush in my back yard. And I have visons of bright zinnias and pots overflowing with nasturtiums in our yard this summer. And oh I wish you could see/smell the purple lilac bush that is showing off in my back yard. You can smell it half a block away...and even on chilly days I can't help myself, I have to open my windows up, hoping we might just catch a waft of the bliss inducing perfume .

  Ambitious, I know.  It's just that  am still so blown away and inspired by this splendid old house. It's truly a dream to get to call this place home. And I am happy about and so thankful for the space and beauty for entertaining the house provides. In the coming months we hope to be throwing a Very Merry Unbirthday Party, a shower for this precious Mommy of a sweet baby boy to be, both of who I am, who we all are... quite taken with, and a House Warming Party once we are finished with the majority of the house and yard. Also, I am so excited I can hardly stand it, for the Farm Chicks Show, and the friends it will bring out.

  Annabelle just ran in to tell me that Daddy's  happy birthday movie is over. They were watching Popeye. It's really funny and cute to peek in on them watching cartoons together. It's time for our happy birthday to daddy marshmallow roast out in the back yard.  We discovered this week that they now make flavored marshmallows...and we have been looking forward ever since we put those two bags of fluffy goodness in out shopping basket,  to getting to try strawberry and carmel + vanilla flavored marshmallows. Care to join us?

{ looking back on 7 years }

     Love, you are lovely

You have put the stars to shame

I have lost my senses and you're the one to blame

Bluer than the sky above, closer than my skin

Tonight our love begins

Now we are dancing

We spin like falling leaves

Hold me tighter darling

I never want to leave

As we move across the floor it starts to sink in

Tonight our love begins

You are mine beloved

I am yours to keep

Take my heart forever

You have captured me

God is singing over us, we hear it in the wind

Tonight our love begins

-J.J. Heller

This is one of the miracles of love: It gives a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted.
C.S. Lewis

  Our anniversary came and went. (insert a nice long sigh of happiness here) And we had a lovely picnic among the lilacs, thanks to the housecleaning/babysitting/ angel/auntie that frequents our home.  Reminiscing over the last seven love-filled years, pouring over the scrapbook that I made for David that included blog posts...pictures...and our notes and cards to each other. We came came home with our heads in the clouds...uncertain how, because it's truly been although not always easy, that sweet...and with a  deep longing to top the last seven years, in the next seven. Our hearts cry, is that You Jesus would continue deepen our love and our marriage and that in our home and that we would daily bring You glory + delight.

  David gave me more of her music as a gift for our anniversary...and this song so perfectly describes what I feel for this man that I am so dearly in love with. 

{ Image by the amazing artist: Nikki McClure }