hooray! alex - owner and operator of hello bluebird featured my wedding banners in an ad in berks county living - the wedding addition!  awwww it's such a wonderfully bright and beautiful little ad - i couldn't be happier. (it even says my name!) so much thanks to alex and her lovely shop out there in west reading for being such an awesome spread the love supporter! xoxoxoxoxox

hey hey - i switched up some colors on my classic home love print as a limited time special from now until valentine's day!  hopefully i'll have some sweet new designs and maple veneer postcards up there soon, too! xoxoxoxo

sheesh! it's been crazy around here for me since the new year! all that hustling in 09 is really catching up with me...  2010 is really starting off to be so great for my little business!

however, i'm never too busy to help a friend or honor the appreciated... 

{above: poster/flyer made for a local friend who's about to battle cancer with no health insurance.  just another reason kutztown is my favorite place to live – when a fellow friend is in need... people come out of the woodwork.  so, if you're in the area come on out and see the big lebowski on the 15th! and below: shirley sacks (the sweetest little lady who owned and operated crewel world for the last 30-some years) is retiring and regretfully closing-up-shop so, the people have come together to honor her with a certificate of appreciation... made by little ol' me!

here we go again! first things first, thank you so much to all that nominated me! alas, now it's time to actually vote for me... i know - it's all kinda crazy! oh well, it's worth a try. this time it's much easier (just go to the link above and scroll down to the S's, find Spread the Love and click to vote! only one vote per computer!) lots of love to all my fans and wonderful support group out there. even if i don't come close to winning i know that 1). i LOVE to do what i'm doing, and 2). i LOVE the people i get to meet whilst doing it. and that's more than enough for me! xoxoxoxoxox

i just followed a heart to a wonderful surprise... virginia kraljevic posted my new print on her blog! this is such a lovely complement since virginia herself is such a super awesome illustrator! check out her shop and one of my favorites below...

{doodle puff - 8 x 10 print - only $22}

so i watched beautiful losers and am now totally in love (just like everyone else) with margaret kilgallen... i've never really had such a complete and honest connection with an artist... where i see myself so clearly in their work. and i think that's what she did to everyone. it's not just inspiration. it's personal reflection. and it's amazing.

oooooo... so, karen of skylark studio just tipped me off to the poppies! looks like poppytalk is having a fun, lighthearted award ceremony given in honor of all us handmade craft lovers! check it out here for more info... and then of course if you're feeling my shop or even blog – give me a little vote starting jan. 14 - 20th! xoxoxoxoxoxox

i'm so excited! one of my new projects for 2010 is to illustrate some of my favorite photos of our ancestors...  keegan's grandma is so diligent at researching their genealogy and has collected lots of information to pass down. a couple years back while visiting her in indiana keegan scanned in dozens of the antique family photos she has tracked down over the years. starting with my favorites i'm trying to make paintings and illustrations inspired by them all...

{my first painting inspired by keegan's great, great, great grandmother on his mother side. 

she's such an inspiring dutch beauty!}

{so, inspired by her dress and face i made a small series called the three dutch sisters... 

it's so fun to imagine this world of women!}

i'm about to put these prints up for sale at the shop. 

not sure if anyone will be interested (especially since they're 

much more enjoyable in person) but i'll give it a go! xoxoxoxo

i am soooo happy with the earrings i got for xmas! my wonderful mother-in-law gave me these gold feathers by tenthings and now i'm wearing them all the time! 

just some little decorating spots i've updated around this crazy old house...

{above: beautiful wicker chair found and kept by my father-in-law. he's got a great eye for furniture and always pops out of the dumpster with something good!}

{above: i'm really loving this hankie banner! just good old hankies put to use - without having to cut or stitch!}

{above: my favorite parts about this house are melding the old and new. all three of these items were favorites when i was a child}

{above: these 4 little wood-carved sailors have been with us forever! finding them the perfect spot took a lot of trial and error}

hope this helps inspire you for some easy little decorating updates in 2010! xoxoxoxoxox

such a beautiful treasury for the new year! light and happy – just like my intentions for 2010... much thanks to namolio (who makes the beauties below) for this lovely treasury! xoxoxoxox

{linen pincushion - $13.50 with limited time 20% discount! so cute!}