friday link love.

yay for friday!

i have some new favorite blogs i've been reading... thought i would share them here as well.

ish and chi is bright, pretty and just fun to look at.

pretty handy girl is another new favorite. she tackles tons of diy projects...

it's good to be home kind of scares me (in a good way!) seeing pictures of their house while their floors are being refinished makes me thankful (at the moment) of our carpet/tile flooring.

life in the fun lane is also a new to me blog. her style is awesome, just a little too 'bright white' for me. i admire those that can decorate a blank canvas like that... i just don't think i can do it successfully!

i know there are others, but they get mixed in with the old on my reader.

these 'vintage' internet ads are pretty hilarious. can you imagine? found on design mom.

pretty handy girl turns this craigslist bedframe into a bench. turned out super-cute! and as long as you could find a bed pretty cheaply!

i know type in interior design has been ragged on as of late... but as a graphic designer, i don't think i will ever get tired of it. that's why i love these diy plaster letters, found on poppytalk.

i'm liking this diy sunburst mirror... though i would probably shorten the branches substantially. i've really been wanting a round mirror in our bedroom lately... maybe this is it? found on isabella & max rooms.

oven s'mores. need i say more? our best bites.

really great tips from centsational girl on decorating a rental. (aka white walls and less than desirable flooring) not that i have to worry about that right now, but these are all great tips nonetheless.

mrs. q had a really great post on the evil that is poptart. can i confess? we still buy them from time to time, even though i know they are bad for me.

i'm considering entering my kitchen in this canadian house & home design contest. it's really the only room that feels 'finished' in our home. found on decor8.

sigh...

yesterday, i found the perfect headboard on craigslist. for $25. i had dreams... what color would i paint it? should i just stain it darker to match our nightstands? the possibilities.

and then i found out it had already sold days earlier. why don't people delete their ads once an item has sold? they get irritated when people keep calling/emailing about something... you would think they would remove their ad a little sooner. but i digress.

anyway, d really liked it (surprise! usually he doesn't like stuff like this. maybe i've just worn him down...) so i might see if my fil can cutout something similar that i could just paint. or glue fancy paper all over...

and while i would really love to build an upholstered headboard, i want this to be really cheap since we have so many other things we need to do around the house. unfortunately, foam is not very cheap and i'm having a hard time deciding what kind of fabric i would want to use. so... i'm thinking either find one (haven't been too successful with that) or cut one out of wood...

lillie is 1!

i guess i should mention that our little puppy is 1 today! we were not her first 'parents,' but the folks we got her from had two very small children and didn't have the time to spare for a new puppy. we took her home about 6 months ago and she is a completely different dog nowadays. while she is still really rambunctious, we're hoping she'll calm down even more as she gets older. happy birthday lillie!

books?

a few books. i know, i know... i said no more books. but these were easy peasy and i am enjoying not working with brides directly (sad, but i get tired of folks changing their minds after i've ordered their paper).

my mom mentioned something to me the other day. she told me the next house we live in, i'd better make sure i have a big window with nice light so i could keep taking my 'product' photos.

she's right, you know. that's a very beautiful thing about this house - i get the best light in my kitchen, and the green walls just warm everything up perfectly.

is it sad that i'm already ready for the weekend again? things are just... not happy this week. and i'm ready to take that honeymoon we never got to go on... but i feel like that day is probably ages away from now.

friday link love.

can't believe it's friday! ready to get some things done this weekend... though we just got the newest season of dexter and i'm about halfway through it, so i'll probably have my eyes glued on that for some time too.

we'll be having dinner with an out of town friend tonight, excited about that!

and two of my favorite people had birthdays this week - my dad and my friend rachel.

ready for some links?

this diy brooch bouquet on blushink is gorgeous. wish i had found this before i got married!

love these tips on watering your garden from going home to roost. especially love that painted rain barrel. i've wanted to make one these last several years, i just don't know that we get enough rain to warrant one!

this rick-rack baby blanket on prudent baby is really cute. i guess i need to get my act together and sew some up... it seems like friends everywhere are pregnant!

some tips on best lenses for wedding photography on the mansurovs. they always have great reviews and advice!

design*sponge had some great before and afters this week...

tutu time.

the weekend was spent cleaning out a closet (well, my side, anyway!), planting monkey grass and yarrow, and attending a little girl's first birthday party. can you guess what i made her?

a sweet little tutu! it's probably a little big on her right now (but she has a cute blue one that fits anyway) but she'll grow into this one soon, no doubt. i also wanted to make sure she had a fun accessory too!

if any of you are wondering, there are tons of tutorials on new sew tutus out there. I modeled mine after this one found on designmom. i was going to make one with purple and white tulle, and then found this one with colored ribbons added in. so cute and easy to make!

friday link love.

ready for the weekend! i've got lots of things i want to accomplish... now i just have to get motivated! it seems i always have big plans and then just put them off... i'm going to try and not let that happen this time! a few things i'd like to tackle...

plant some monkey grass in the front yard. it seems all the rain we've gotten this summer has made the bermuda grass go crazy. it's trying to take over my little boxwood bushes and i'm not too happy about that. hoping the monkey grass will keep it at bay.

finish painting the doors in our bedroom. yep, still not done yet. but i'm tired of staring at paint cans in our bedroom, so i'm going to finish that one asap.

general organizing. there is stuff in some closets i haven't seen since we moved in. must mean i really don't need it, huh? i've got to get rid of some of my 'stuff.'

here are some links from my week... not too much:

these tiramisu cupcakes on cupcake project sound divine. surely i can find some reason to make them?

this post on cumbersome about debranding the bathroom and using natural products is interesting. i've been a natural soap convert for over a year now, have switched to just using handmade makeup and (store bought) eyeliner, and i've considered switching to baking soda for my 'shampoo'... maybe after this next bottle runs out...

this diy purse organizer is pretty cool. there are some purses i never use simply because it is a bottomless pit and stuff gets lost. thanks fresh crush!

this anniversary box is a neat idea. i could see this being a great gift from a bridesmaid or relative. found on givers log.

design sponge had some great diy projects this week: a denim cutoff winebag and a cheap custom curtain rod.

really considering taking this home ec class... i've never really learned how to sew properly and sometimes i'm scared of my machine... anyway, i have until sunday to sign-up!

a book for chloe.

here's a book i made for sweet little chloe, who turns one this month! i also have a few other surprises for her this weekend... but i'm waiting to post those pictures. chloe's mom is super creative, so i can't wait to see what all she puts in here!

we decided on a post binding so that she can add and remove pages as need be. this will also allow her to expand the book if she wants to make it bigger.

i hope she likes it! this was my first time using book cloth (the dark brown stuff on the binding edge) and i love the way it turned out. i'm hoping it will make the spine more durable as well.

i'm ready for the weekend! and hoping i don't get sick... woke up with a sore throat this morning. i have plans that involve monkey grass and a weed-eater... and i'm playing photographer for chloe's bday party this sunday, so i'm sure i'll need my strength!

gocco or no?

i hate to even post this... but i thought it couldn't hurt. i'm considering selling my gocco printer. ouch, i know. i wanted one so badly... found one, bought it and have not used it at all. don't we all make these crafting mistakes? i know this isn't the only thing i thought i would use a ton, but haven't. i would like to hang on to it, but don't really see the point if i'm never going to use it... it's just taking up precious space and i could use the money on something else!

so... if you are interested in purchasing mine (it's a B6), shoot me an email at paperlustbooks@gmail.com. i will check my kit and put a list up of everything that's included, because i bought a few things after i purchased the printer. it's plenty to get you started, and then some!

why am i posting this here? i hate to reopen shop on etsy just to sell this thing, and i really hate ebay... though i may be forced to go that route if need be. i might also try my local craigslist...

friday link love.

i'm glad this week is over, but i've got tons of stuff to do at the house. with a sick husband and a sick doggie, i'm not sure how much will actually get done! hopefully i can work in the yard some, maybe finish painting the doors in our bedroom and work on my office.

here are some links from my week:

make it and love it has a great tutorial that would work for little girls or big ones. this will go on my list of 'need to do' when i get my office in order and can actually use my sewing machine!

young house love has a great post on cloth diapers. it's shocking to see how much they spent on disposables the first 9 weeks (until their baby was big enough to fit the cloth ones) compared to the cloth diapers that will last until she's potty trained...

i have dreams of making my own rain barrels... just can't find any cheap plastic ones on craigslist right now... keeping this post from freshcrush for the future.

loving this headboard (made from an old door) on design*sponge. the bench redo is pretty cute too...

this reader home makeover featured on desire to inspire is really something! i don't know if i could ever buy a home that started out like theirs did... ours certainly wasn't perfect, but it had a lot going for it before we moved in!

for anyone interested in photography, this shoot-a-long over at givers log is very helpful. instead of being too technical, it's worded in a way us non-pros will understand!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

ethan | 5 weeks | canyon, texas

as promised, a few of the photos from this last weekend. i am loving my new lens, and i really enjoy taking pictures of the little ones. you know, as long as they don't wear me out too much! this little guy is so sweet, and i can't wait to take more photos as he grows older!

how sweet is that? this has to be one of my favorite pictures, ever. to see my brother holding his little baby just melts my heart.

i even snapped a few of their two doggies. harley is a sweet little guy who 'purrs' when you pet him. he's so cute and he's little ethan's guard dog.

this is chloe. i don't think she liked me taking pictures of her... but she sure did make some cute faces!

and... if you're wondering... i am by no means starting a photography business. i have quite a bit on my plate right now, but i do love taking pictures and want to get better. i am going to start watermarking all the photos i post here because i think it's more professional and i like to get the credit when someone sees one of my pictures. selfish? perhaps.

however, i am happy to get all the practice i can to better my skills. so if you are needing portraits done or photos for any reason and live in the lubbock area, just send me an email. and fyi: i won't shoot weddings or any other major event.

happy monday.

i am sure i'm not the only one who has had a stressful and busy summer! it feels like it is finally slowing down a little bit, and for that i am thankful. i had the honor of taking some more photos for my family this past weekend. little ethan is now 5 weeks old! this is one of my favorites from the shoot - my brother's college ring was so big, we were afraid to put it on his foot! i'll post more as i get them edited. my brother couldn't believe i took almost 200 pictures... but that's the beauty of digital. take a bunch of pictures and you up the chances of having more usable photographs.

i'll be creating some announcements for them soon as well! i've been eyeing these silhouette machines... this would be perfect to make little cutouts of his name to go in the envelope or something... but with all the big purchases we've made this summer (car... camera lenses... etc) i just can't justify purchasing one. do any of you have one? do you absolutely love it? i'm going to put it on my someday list...