Attention Fabric Lovers...

Oh, danger.   DANGER!!!  Oh, the danger of reading other creative people's blogs.  Lindsey over at The Pleated Poppy has just introduced her readers to Hawthorne Threads - an online fabric (and more!) shop that has taken my breath away with its darling factor.  Oh!  I am so in love.

I won't bother to re-invent the wheel but instead will send you over to Lindsey herself to sell you on why the shop is so great.  It's worth a look.

One thing she doesn't mention, however, is their incredible selection of patterns.  Amy Butler, why oh why must you tempt me with your darling patterns?  Now I have to learn to sew FOR REAL!

Book Review: The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

This was a great book.  I love all books set in the Depression era.  It makes me want to do my dishes by hand.  This particular book also made me want to take up quilting again...it's been a while.  It was entertaining and kept me guessing until the very end.  If you're looking for that boost of charity that makes you want to serve others, pick it up.  You'll feel sisterly in no time.

Evolution of a Craft Room: Part One

I'm cheating on my kitchen.  Seriously, I was in there yesterday to make dinner and had to say to it, "Hello, old friend!  I've missed you!"  The other lover?  My new craft room.  Or office.  Or croffice, as we have been calling it. 

We have been madly involved with making our former guest room into a real, live, place for the lady.  Our former "croffice" is now the new guest room, and both spaces are so much happier now.  I debated about whether or not to wait on posting and make it a "big reveal," but in reality I'm too excited about the little changes happening to be patient.

Weekend One:  I wish I had done a better job of taking "before" pictures, but here is the one I do have of the room, just before we Peter painted:

Just imagine a treadmill stuffed in there, a table with a t.v. and LOTS of crafting supplies piled on the bed.  That's how you would catch this room on any day of the week.  We sold the treadmill & t.v. on craigslist, tried five different "tiffany blue" patches on the wall, and came up with this:

EXACTLY the color I was looking for - Benjamin Moore's "Waterfall."  I didn't have a Tiffany's box to compare, but if my memory serves me correct, it's a perfect match. 

Weekend Two:  Find & install my girlie chandelier.  I found it at Home Depot and it had everything I was looking for - a white antique finish, crystals, and the ability to hold 60 watt bulbs.  I think every lady needs one of these somewhere in her home - especially if she does not have girls!

Peter painstakingly made my dream of crown molding come true.  I wanted something simple, and this was perfect.  And we learned that we need to invest in an electric miter saw for any future projects :).

I found these faux red tulips on clearance at Wal-Mart yesterday and knew they belonged in here.  My overall color scheme will be the Tiffany Blue with black, white, and red accents.  This purchase confirmed my vision of splashes of red!

Peter also put shelves up in the closet - but I'll post pictures on that when I am done organizing...and oh yes, it will involve me getting mean with a clearanced-out label maker I found at Target!