Notes from A Cottage Industry

Weekly words to live by.

It is the sweet simple things in life which are the real ones after all.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Baby shower Bingo.

You might remember that a couple of summers ago I helped with a Mama-to-bee themed baby shower for one of my daughters.

Now that very same daughter is hosting a baby shower with the Bee theme for a girlfriend and has asked for my help.

(You know she didn't even get her request out before I jumped on it.)

We still had the sweet little Mama-to-Bee banner and the beverage server, so I decided to add on to the Bee theme with a cute version of Bingo.

I designed the Bingo cards to be blank, and each guest will have a pencil to write in their words of choice. The idea is that, as the Mama-to-Bee opens her presents, each guest will mark off (or cover with an M & M) items they wrote down on their card. If they have written a word more than once, they may only cover up or mark off the wprd once for each time the item is received.

I think they turned out pretty sweet, and I have added them to my etsy shoppe, both on a printable format, and in hard copy.

I am in my happiest when I am creating, and this latest baby shower has got my head spinning.

Stay tuned for me bee-utiful items!

 

Weekly words to live by.

 

Together is where the magic lives.

This one loves (loves, loves, LOVES) books.

Oh, so very much.

He would almost rather read his books than play with his bulldozers and diggers, and cars.

Almost.

His Mama takes him to the wonderful library here in Vancouver, Washington, and he loves every minute of it.

He can't wait to go through each new book, page by page. (over and over, and over, again.

Mark Twain was right when he said, a good book is a good friend.

A long time in the making, but we're finally chillin' and grillin'.

And we've got the sign to prove it.

Way back in the summer of twenty-ten, I found part of an old headboard at the Goodwill Bins Outlet, and I just knew it would make a fabulous sign for me to use when I did Junk Shows.

I took it home and dolled it up. It was perfect for what I needed it to be at that point in time.

Time passed,and I haven't done a show in about three years. (How can that be?! Oooooh! That makes me rather miss doing shows....)

*sigh*

Sometime long ago, a year ago last February or March at least, an idea came to me. I would reinvent the sign to be something for my Rock n' Roll Buddy to have hanging above his big ol' barbecue on the back deck.

Maybe for Father's Day, 2013.

So I designed a cute banner to transfer to the board, using my cheesy PrintShop Program that I always use.

I was feeling pretty danged proud of my cleverness and creativity, and my incredible foresight to reinvent a portion of an old headboard not once, but twice.

I painted a coat of white paint over my "A Cottage Industry" logo.

Oh yeah, feelin' proud.

And then, a year went by.

And then, about three more months passed.

And the old portion of headboard sat there, patiently waiting for me to complete it's transformation.

And it sat there some more.

Father's Day was approaching, (again) and since he is a Dad, I thought I would go ahead and (finally) complete the clever sign for him (and for me, and all of our summertime barbecue guests) to enjoy.

So I got out the old portion of a headboard-turned-sign, and I printed my homemade banner pattern. I painted it on there, and within an hour, my work was done.

Sue-weeeet.

I think it turned out just right. (And I am feeling extra proud because it was free!) I just can't figure out....Why did it take me so long to get it done? (Do you do that? Get a project just far enough to almost see it's vision, and get sidetracked?)

Anyway.

I made a cutie-patootie tag and tied on there with a big ol' bow. I propped it up, just so, on the sofa, so when he came out on Father's Day morning early (we were heading out to a Mariner's Game) he couldn't miss it.

He liked it.

Very much.

He commented later that he realized this new sign must mean that we would be entertaining more this summer.

Great minds think alike, and all that.....I can almost smell the grill now.

Re-opening a door.

I know I have said this more than once, but life these days (for me, anyway) seems to be so busy, and so full, and it seems that there never are enough hours in the day to fit in everything I want to do.

In lots of ways, that is a good thing. To me it means I'm living life to its fullest, every day of my life.

(I keep telling my Rock n' Roll Buddy that sleep is over-rated.)

Anyway.

I've been working, little by little, on carving out a bigger sliver of time to focus on my crafty side; my booth case at Camas Antiques, and my etsy shop.

It's my own personal regroup and rejuvenate thing when I get through a full day at my grown-up job. While I enjoy what I do all day, there is little-to-no room for creativity within my job, and I have realized that I need that in my life.

It's not simply something I like to do. It is much more than that. When I can sit at my laptop or my table in my craft room, and create something, I feel happy and inspired. I feel re-energized in a way that I can't fully express in written words.

Even after a bad day at work.

So, I'm expanding my crafty-horizons, and opening a new door for myself to create some extra special entertaining and packaging items.

(And since we all know just how much I love to entertain, even if it's just the two of us having a sofa picnic on a Tuesday night, the possibilities are endless...)

I am refreshing the look of my etsy shop, and will be including a new section to the roster. Instead of offering only Printables, I am now going to be offering themed and custom hard copy paper goods. (shipped directly from me in sweet lil' Camas, Washington)

If you stop by Camas Antiques this weekend (there is going to be a sidewalk sale!) you'll see more of my new papercraft ideas. You know I like to make every day special, and now I will be going further than ever to help inspire others to do the same.

That makes me happy too.

It's a win-win, don't you think?

Weekly words to live by.

Wooden placemats.

I have been meaning to share the incredibly fabulous wooden placemats my daughter made for Christmas. (We do a family secret Santa sort of gift swap, and I got them!)

She's quite the carpenter, and she said these were a snap to make. She simply cut two pieces of wood, and then glued them together with wood glue. (We saw the idea somewhere through Pinterest)

Then, if you like, you may use rubber stamps to put initials, or a fun word. I am planning on doing the word "eat".

(I will be sure and show them once I get them stamped.)

The great thing is that you can do a fun word on one side, and leave it plain on the other, so you have options.

You like this idea?

I do.

Number Eight.

Yes, it's another (long awaited, I am sure...yes?) completely Shameless Gramma Cupcake Brag Post.

(I am so very, very blessed!)

I managed to snap a few pictures of our newest family member last time I was at his home. (The natural lighting in their home is the best!)

He's a week shy of three months, and he's smiling, and cooing, and oh! He's discovered his hands...(he's gonna be a chatterbox like his big brother, I think.)

I plopped him down on the bed, and started talking to him, and he was trying his very best to talk back to me.

We had a moment, he and I.

Heaven on earth, for sure.

Here's my favorite photo of the day....

*sigh*

It's so good to be Gramma Cupcake.

 

Aloha.

Have you seen it?

That little counter on the sidebar over there? The one that reads "Countdown to KAUAI...ALOHA"?

Mmmm hmmm.

It seems that 2014 is going to be my year of travel.

Hawaii is my next travel destination.

(Squeeeeel!)

I get to go to Kauai in late July with my best friend since 5th grade.  Long days of sun, sand, girl-talk, and little umbrellas in our drinks.

I'm counting the days (as you can see by the counter over there on the sidebar...) and I am working on some fun little projects and surprises, for my gal-pal and for my Rock n' Roll Buddy for while I am away.

(You know how I love a project...and a deadline.)

I can hardly wait!

 

Weekly words to live by.

It's National Donut Day, people.

Did you know that?

I only just found out yesterday myself when a coworker at work alerted the team.

He's bringing in donuts from Portland's world famous Voodoo Donuts and was taking requests.

I said no thanks.

I shouldn't.

But thankyouverymuch anyway.

I mean, I couldn't.

No, really, I can't.

(I'm doing so well with my healthy eating, you know?)

It wouldn't be smart.

Or healthy.

**sigh**

He's bringing me a glazed one.

Craving summer.

It's June.

Already.

For some reason I didn't see that coming.

We spent a good portion of this past weekend prepping the backyard for summer.

Oh, how I have been craving summer.

My mind wanders to grilled suppers on the deck, flowers in weathered pots, windows open with my favorite peach wax burner scent wafting through the house.

Homemade coconut ice cream.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Prepping the backyard for summer. I got all of the cushions out for the patio furniture, and potted some flowers while my Rcok n' Roll Buddy power washed the deck and the patio firniture frames.

It looked great when we were finished, and we sat on the deck, enjoying the fruits of our labor.

I got my lights swagged from one large tree to the next, and when the sun set, we plugged them in.

Magical.

Are you craving summer where you live too?

 

 

Weekly words to live by.