Custom Tent

I just finished this custom tent last weekend and I have to say it's probably my favorite tent yet. I had this color scheme in mind a while ago and when someone contacted me about doing a tent for their daughters room with a similar color scheme I knew this would come out great. What makes this even more one-of-a-kind is the use of 3 different vintage fabrics...which is a double edge sword, because I love the look but I can't duplicate it since I'm almost out of the pink stripes. Also, this is the first tent I've sold with the new and improved 1 hook system! Yay! {See that one hook from the ceiling--not 5! So much better...} I have to admit, I'm a little jealous that this tent is going to hang in someone else's house, but I'm glad they love it just as much as I do.

If you're interested in a custom tent please contact me through my etsy shop asap for a Christmas time order.

Favorite New Moisturizer

I have used and loved Burts Bee's products for a long time now. To me I feel they're a step up from supermarket brands, but a step down from expensive department store brands. Additionally I'm a sucker for natural products. My favorite BB moisturizer is a product I've been using for a long time, but I was always wondering when they were going to make one with spf...well the wait is over. Their radiance day lotion with spf 15 is the perfect day time moisturizer--at least for my skin. It does the job, but it's light so it still works well with my makeup. Go on line and find out where BB's products are sold near you. {Tip: if you can find this product at Target, I'm pretty sure it's going to be the cheapest.}

Her Highness

Still dressing up daily as Cinderella, Beanie kicked her imaginary world up a notch today.

Cinderella: Where's my necklace?

Me: It's upstairs.

Cinderella: Will you go get it?

Me: Not until after we finish lunch.

Cinderella: {with a devilish smile spreading across her face} OK...Stepmother.

Yummy Fabric

Since deciding to take an upholstery class I've been hunting for fabrics high and low...I came across these beauties. I'm. In. Love. Too expensive for a chair, however I really want to use one of these in a smaller project.

The company is

Ink & Spindle

{hand printed textiles.}

You can stop drooling now.

{seriously that's gross}

Over the Weekend

We scored the following items while thrift store shopping this weekend...

side table

set of chairs*

and a rocker for the princess

Quite a successful trip--and all from one store!

I'm all about getting pieces with 'potential' these days. Every time I go thrifting all I can think about is reupholstering all these amazing pieces and how awesome they'd look. I've actually become a little obsessed with the idea. So I think I'm going to take an upholstery class this winter and actually recover one {and eventually both} of the living room chairs! I'd also love to re-do Beanie's little rocker as well. I'm very excited at the prospect of learning to reupholster. When you're on a fixed budget but still want a one-of-a-kind look in your home, thrifting/antiquing is the way to go. If you can re-finish them after that, even better. I'll keep you posted on any refinishing work!

*after purchasing these chairs I woke up at 4 in the morning dreaming about bedbugs--a somewhat new phenomenon in Cincy. I couldn't go back to sleep until I crept downstairs with a flashlight and checked the chairs thoroughly for the little critters. I think we're safe {knock on wood}.

A Good Grief

Molly and I met through our blogs a few years ago. She knew my husband in college and we were both new moms of adorable little girls. I lived in New York at the time and she wanted to live in New York--we were a good match. We checked each others blogs periodically and left comments here and there. Shortly after Mother's Day in 2008 I sat down to the computer and I remember feeling a very strong pull to check Molly's blog {I don't think I've ever mentioned that to her}. I checked her blog to discover that her daughter Lucy had been in an accident and was in the hospital. A couple days later Lucy would be taken off of life support and Molly and her husband Vic's lives would change forever.

Since that day I along with thousands of others, have followed Molly's journey as she grieves, remembers, celebrates, and embraces her life and the loss of Lucy. There is no easy way to experience and endure the loss of your child, but Molly has shared her heart through this painful journey and in the process has become a person who personifies hope, resilience and yes even joy, for many of us her devoted readers.

Molly's latest accomplishment is her new website A Good Grief. A place where others who have suffered loss can come to read, share and deal with grief where they know they won't be alone. Personally I think this is going to be huge. This is so needed--in a world where computers have replaced people and isolation is a common feeling, people need to know they're not alone... especially when dealing with something as overwhelming as grief. Molly will be the main writer for the blog, but will have guest writers galore including NieNie and Cjane themselves. I'm telling you...this is going to be big.

Please take a minute to look over A Good Grief. Read Molly's story {tissues in hand} and check out her cause {inspiring!}.

Good job Molly.

You have no idea how much I love and look up to you my fake internet friend.

Shop Update

I finally got some new fabric magnets in the shop. Get 'em while they're hot.

{I'm also working on a custom tent for Christmas--if anyone else is interested I have time to take 1-2 more custom orders before Christmas...just convo me on etsy!}