Thirty-One Apron

**Edited to answer comment question**

I just love this apron I purchased and had customized from a company called Thirty-one. I really like kitchen aprons anyway. I have a couple that I have snagged at yard sales and such...I should show you those sometime!


(I feel like I am on "What I Wore Wednesday"!

Anyway, every since JJ and I got married, I have been wanting an apron that said "Mrs. Jones" across the front. Well, I have it! And I must say, it is C-U-T-E!



Do you wear an apron while cooking? While I have several, I almost never wear them. I should change that!!

Q/A from anonymous comment:
Question: "love the apron! i was thinking about ordering one from thirty-one myself! i can't decide whether i should purchase the adult size apron (hostess apron) or the lil hostess apron (i'm guessing its a smaller size for meant children). i'm tiny so its hard to know which one will fit best! just wondering which one you chose in this pic! thanks!"
Answer: This is the hostess apron. I would consider me average/athletic build but I am 6' tall. I haven't' seen the child's size in person, so I have no good comparisons. But, thank you for stopping by my blog!

The Nicest Things

I made this card for my friend, Lora for her birthday. I hope she loves it!!



The paper designer paper is from My Mind's Eye, and I love it!!!

Sympathy Cards

Not the funnest cards to make but I like the way these turned out. I must not take credit for the original design, for it came from Ruthie at rainbowkreations. Find her exact card by clinking the blog name.




I wasn't completely sure about the buttons so I tried some pearls:

Ahhh, I do love pearls!!


I like how they all came out slightly different. I am pretty random so I love stamps, like the Medallion that don't make me feel like I have to be super anal and aligned and all that jazz...yeah!

More Crop Cards

I had a few cards still from the CardMaker Crop in February that I forgot to show off. Remember, I had my Pamper Yourself Challenge for the Crop and I already showed you the other cards I made that weekend.

But, HERE are the cards I didn't show you.

Sadly, I can't remember what the challenge was for this one... Yikes! (If you played that challenge and you remember, leave me a comment please.)

This one was for a challenge called "Rock and Roll" you were suppose to use something to make some shoes look like... you guessed it! Blue Suede Shoes! I loved this challenge!! I made the "flock" by rubbing really sharp scissors along the edge of Stampin Up's super thick card stock. It was pretty messy with lots of fibers floating in the air but I love, love the finished product!

I cut the shoes and the dress form from my Cricut using the Forever Young Cartridge.

Embrace Your Inner Picasso!

I'm the hostess this week for the "Anything Goes" challenge at CardMaker Magazine's CardSwaps Board.

This is my challenge sample.

The challenge is to create your own designer or printed paper. I created the butterfly background paper using a stamp from SU's Branch Out Set.

I got the idea for the Tu-tu from Diane over at Rubber n' Rafters. She did a great job on her card and I knew I had to make one of my very own!!!


I didn't have the best of luck attaching the skirt...I ended up sewing it to the paper. It worked fine but I was hoping for a faster fix! I tried a Zig pen which never really dried properly and Tacky Tape (you know that stuff that looks red on the roll). The lace wouldn't stick to the Tape but that may have been because of the Zig pen.

I must say, I really like this card!! I have the Forever Young Cricut cartridge that will cut out the dress form which would make this card faster...I just need to figure out a better/faster way for attaching the skirt!

What would you do to efficiently attach the lace?

Elegant Lines...

Here's a card I made for my Sister's Bridal Shower this weekend. I hope she loves it!


I {big fat squishy heart} love those basic pearls from Stampin UP!

She says she stalks my blog but I bet she's pretty busy this week so here's hoping...fingers crossed!

Peg!! I thought I lost you.

Imagine my horror when I went to visit Peg last night and her listing was gone! GONE!! Ahhhhh! (You can read about my new house wanderings here.)

We had decided that I wouldn't call the realor until our home sold, or was at least on the market but... yep, you guessed it, I called her this morning.

(I didn't take this picture...it's horribly fuzzy, I know. I borrowed it from here.)

The house is still available, it's just off the market for a bit I guess. Last I checked, it had been on realtor.com for nearly 500 days so maybe they are just taking a break!

Wishes for my New Home... I'll call her Peg.

I follow a girl called MeganDVD on a blog called Beauty in the Attempt. She's house hunting (check here, and here for a few) and it got me to thinking... I should make a Wish List for my new home. I am a first time home buyer; JJ had our house when we met. When he was 21, he bought the first house he was shown...turns out he did pretty well. Let's just say we both would like to do a little shopping this time.

Anyway, I decided to call my new home Peg (because she doesn't have to be fancy except through my mind's eye) and here are some of the wishes I have for her and I.

1. Split bedroom floor plan (the kid's room away from ours...away from the living space)
2. A front porch
3. A mantle. Note, I didn't say a fireplace... that would be ok, but the mantle is what I wish
4. A bigger kitchen to make my JJ happy
5. Outdoor living space or the potential for such
6. JJ would like an outbuilding/shed...or we could just have the space for such building to ensue
7. I would like for my main entry for guests/front door to not open right into our family room (I guess that means I would like a foyer of sorts)
8. My kitchen/everyday dining area to be where the main TV doesn't bother us from sitting and chatting.

What do you think? If you were shopping for a new house, what would be on the TOP of your list.

And... I have a favorite...all picked out...but it's a leap because it needs some serious love!!!

Cooper's Third Birthday

Today would have been Cooper's third birthday; this is his second birthday in Heaven.

While our hearts are still broken, what a joy it is to know that there is a God in Heaven and he knows and loves each one of us if we will let him. In honor of Cooper, I made his Momma, my BFF Leslie, this card.



I punched out the head and added some 3-D dots for height.

I also frayed the end of the twill tape...sort of had to because I forgot to add it before I secured the front and I could only get one side lose enough to get the tape down...Improvise!!

They Send You Off To College, Try To Gain A Little Knowledge-- All You Want To Do Is....

Anybody know the Jimmy Buffett lyrics that follow?

Well, it doesn't really matter because this really isn't about Jimmy (sorry old friend).

Where am I going with this?
Oh right, sorry. Focus Laura!

Ok....

Well, I want off to college (several years ago... but whatever!) bought books, read a few of them, graduated, still had books... don't really read most of them anymore. So, what do you do with that book case full of big fat text books about Occupational Therapy for Children?? (I guess I should tell you that I would rather scoop hog poop than be the therapist for small children. I like children. I happen to love my sweet niece very much and can't wait for her sibling to arrive. I happen to think that somehow, JJ and I will be awesome parents, God will help us. But I like adult patients. That's it.)

Focus...

So, while touring homes for dressed up for Christmas, I saw some really cool books (where was my camera??). They were covered with scrapbook paper, similar to how the St. Andrews kids used to have to cover their text books in grade school. And it got me thinking...

I have always wanted a taller lamp at my entry way...but I like the bones of my old one...it just needs to be taller...

So, down to the bookcase I go and find these beauties!


I had this coordinating vintage-inspired print paper from another project I thought up a few years ago and never accomplished.


I busted out the Mod Podge and got to work!

I used a sponge paint brush to apply a coating of Mod Podge to the front of the book.

Those brown scrapers from Pampered Chef came in pretty handy to push out air bubbles.

Then, it was really a lot like wrapping a present...smooth out the paper, make sure all the edges are covered and rounded off and looking nice.

Here:

I cut the paper a little close but I think it is ok. I am not sure anal and if it gets to bugging me, I think I will just ink the edge to hide that blinding yellow.

I used these to boost my lamp by the front door so the mirror looks like it belongs rather than floating above everything else. :)


That waif-y looking stuff sticking out of the top book is waxed paper...waiting for the glue to dry. I guess I just couldn't wait any longer! :)

(Disclaimer: I took these photos awhile ago...I don't really still have out a pretty bowl full of old Christmas bulbs. Promise.)