I {heart} Baking!

I really do. I love baking goodies, I eating the goodies. I love GIVING people the goodies!

Today, I get to bake. I've been REALLY GOOD about not baking lately (Pipers watching what he eats) and now, because Im helping throw a baby shower this weekend, i get to BAKE! Not just bake, bake CUPCAKES! AND break in my new Cupcake Tower! (Which I got, btw, for $12 at Joanns after a 40% off coupon. SCORE!)

Ill follow up with pics this weekend. Now, Im going to BAKE!!

Wordless Wednesday...Time to get ORGANIZED!

Im going to start a new "thang" on Wednesdays that I've seen on other blogs, and I enjoy it. I even look forward to it! Its "Wordless Wednesday!" Each Wednesday (that I remember, LOL!) I will post a picture or 2 having to do with what is going on in our lives at the time.

I have had my new desk down in my "studio" now for 2 weeks. Time to get it all organized! So during nap time today, I will be in my ((COLD)) basement, organizing, setting up my heaters, and creating a lovely studio to call my own! HURRAY!!!

In the weeks to come, Tiny Belles Boutique has our first tutu birthday party, a tutu/jewelry photo shoot with Stillpoint Photography, our website is in the hands of an AMAZING and capable designer, Becky Wilberding, and, on top of all that, I am helping throw my dear friend Marie a baby shower, and preparing for Gracie Pies FIRST BIRTHDAY!! (which, of course, is coming with all kinds of fun new product ideas!)

Well, this was hardly a "Wordless" post, was it? ;-)

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Today is the day...

I've noticed a theme in my life lately. I've been PROCRASTINATING!!! (imagine THAT!!) I have this HUGE long "to do" list, including hobbies and chores, just general everyday things I want to be doing or changing about myself. And it just keeps getting LONGER!! SO, I have decided today is the day. I will get up off my butt, and start checking things off my list!

First up, I am starting MY project 365! This is where I commit to taking a photo every day for a year, to document the life and times of the Piper family.

Next, I need to wash the windows! MAN they are gross! And the hard water stains from the sprinkler are going to be a PAIN!

And tonight when things cool down, I will play in the kitchen for awhile. Tis the season for zucchini bread, pumpkin loaf, and other yummy tasty things that make my house smell yummy and my tummy feel bloated! HA!!

Which brings me to going back to the gym...which has been missing me since MAY! (thats right, a summer of laziness!!)

In the meantime, here are some recent photos of my beautiful babes....






I think that, maybe, I don't completely suck at this photography thing!!

Project: CREATE!

It never really occurred to me that I'm a creative person. Other people have told me that I am, but I've never felt creative. I mean, I do my graphic design/scrapbooking stuff, but that's all cut and paste and drag and drop. I'm not hands on crafty. Until now! Turns out, I am creative!! (did you know?)

Now, here is where my A.D.D and my creativity make an UGLY union, and nothing ever gets done. For instance, here is a list of things (CREATIVE, crafty things) I want to do right now.

-make wooden signs. Sounds lame right? I could SO do this! And how cute are they? yeah, Ill let ya know when I make it to the LUMBER store...HA!

-make hand stamped jewelry. (I own this necklace. The Vintage Pearl is AMAZING! So simple and classy. My jewelry hero. Check Erin out!) Its surprisingly simple! I want to open up my own hand stamped jewelry store on Etsy, targeting mainly military spouses and families. GREAT project...and I am slowly collecting the supplies I will need...

-making my annual fall wreath. I love fall. A lot. I love the colors. I love the smells. I love the cooler weather. This will be happening sooner than later!!

-painting the coffee table. Its AWFUL!! I think its actually been chewed on! (Not sure by who or what, but it looks like it has tooth marks, I swear!) I have a great plan to prime it and either paint it DEEP chocolate brown or black. Then I have this image of either decoupaging or lacquering a damask pattern on top, almost like a table runner. Wouldn't that look cool? (I don't think Piper is sold, stay tuned) I'm hoping for this to actually happen next week, we shall see.

-Re staining the CUTE little end table I just acquired (read:STOLE!!) from the 2nd hand store down the road for a mere $15!! Should I strip and stain it or do it up to match the coffee table? (thoughts?)

Anyway, on top of this is my Cathy Zielske workshop, during which, for the next month, I will be creating a scrapbook all about ME (YAY!! I LOVE ME!!!) Ill post progress.

I've always had this feeling. This feeling I cant exactly explain, but basically, I know that I could build my own Mini Empire sitting right here in this spot on my couch. I know I could. So I'm exploring all the ways I could possibly make that happen. Right now, my thoughts drift towards the aforementioned craftiness and my love for graphic design. And now, as the winter months close in, I figure if I can keep myself (and the kids) busy with projects and creativity, we will ALL be happy!

Lets see where it takes me!
XOXO

My Favorite Things...

A friend of mine recently blogged that the sunshine in summer seemed to motivate her in her everyday life. I have been feeling similarly! Organizing, cleaning, gardening, working out, planning activities for the kids and the family, joining the Womens Ministry at the church...etc. I've been kind of all over the place lately. So today, one of the things I decided today I was going to become more vigilant about is blogging the things I think of every day. I know my fellow mommies read, and family, and I know how much I love it you all share your thoughts and ideas with me, SO I will finally begin doing the same!!

I was cleaning my kitchen sink today, and the idea occurred to me to start sharing my favorite things. This may change daily from my kids habits to my favorite cleaning supplies, but all of these things are valuable, right??!!

Anyway, while cleaning rust (and God knows what else) stains off my sink today, I was thinking about how much I love my Magic Erasers. And, as anyone who knows me would realize, I am CHEAP so I always buy the store brand (usually Target) but MAN those things rock!!! Here are some of the family wide calamities I have solved with this MIRACLE (yeah, I said it) product:

-Ashlynn coloring an ENTIRE tile on our all tile floor bright red with her crayons. Took it all of, grout and all!
-Shoe scuff marks on the floor. Enough said.
-the NASTY grime that collects in the texture of the bottom of the bathtub. I HATE that! And no amount of bleach cleanser and scrubbing takes that off. And the ring around the bathtub. And the GROUT in the bathtub. Pretty much the entire bathroom.
-Scuffs on furniture from moving.
-Dirty SHOES!!

the list goes on...but let it be said...the MAGIC ERASER-DEFIANTLY one of my favorite things!

Project: Organization!

For the first time in a few weeks now, the weather is less than perfect, so, I am on an organization SPREE!! Its begun with my photos, and now has moved into the kitchen!! I dont know about you, but I LOVE Better Homes and Gardens!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! (this was the first clue I got that Im getting OLD!) I will occasionally tear out recipes, helpful articles, pretty pictures...so I made myself a BHG cook book!! I am going to make a cover graphic and some section dividers. Im kinda proud of myself! ;-)


Im onto the office next. Id love to have a spot to go and hide away to work on my graphics or scrapbook or read if I want, and I know it would be nice for Piper to have a place to study that is chaos everywhere!

Now, onto birthday party invitations for a little girl I know who is about to turn 4!! I cant believe my baby is almost 4!! And my baby brother turned 18 and graduated HIGH SCHOOL!! What a week...Much more later, I am sure!! XOXO

To LEARN or NOT to LEARN...

So yesterday, I started the ball rolling to go back to school. I want to study Graphic Design. I really enjoy it, and would LOVE to be able to learn more and apply it to building my own business so I can stay home with my girls AND earn some extra money. I see SO many ambitious mommies out there, starting their own businesses, building web sites, designing all kinds of graphics for everything from the digital scrapbooking elements to blogs to custom websites for businesses.

My BABY brother is 18 and attending the Falls in September, studying Graphics. I am SO proud of him, but SO jealous! So I decided to see what FAFSA would give me to go back. It isnt official yet, but they estimate that I'd get a full ride! THAT was a definite check in the PRO column. Plus we would get a little extra to help pay for daycare for the girls. Another check in the PRO column. Ash will be in preschool 3 days a week next year, and she will be the first to tell you that she would WAY rather be at school with kids that home with me most days, but the biggest check in my CON column right now is leaving Gracie before she is a year old. I was spoiled with Ash in that I stayed home with her until she was about 14 months old, and I really feel strongly about the importance of that. So Im in the midst of making phone calls and trying to sort it all out. Id really love to go back, at least part time, but it may have to wait, you know?

Advice? Thoughts? Encouragement? Stay tuned for the decision!!