I got this stack of fabric last week, and it is destined for some more summer clothes for Creamie.  I am not exactly sure what yet, but I’m sure it will come to me.  Some more skirts and little peasant shirts are sure to be involved.  I used the Camera Plus app on my iphone, with the Diana toy camera effects layer.  I am starting to love my iphone camera apps, that’s for sure.

Last week I was a guest poster over at Amy is the Party for her summer blog party.  I shared a favorite summer time treat, Lime Pie Cakes  And not only did she have some awesome party tutorials and ideas (mini cupcake fondue, can I say more?), she is also having a giveaway for a free ad space if you are looking to advertise your business or blog.  I  think it’s a brilliant idea!  Go check out her ad giveaway here, or a giveaway for some of her adorable jewelry here.  And here is a list of all her wonderful summer party ideas!

Nothing nearly so exciting happened today.  Though I did go to church with my pink hair.  Only one person rolled their eyes at me.  Most people have been very complimentary, or they say nothing at all.  Which is fine, I don’t expect everyone to like it or approve or whatever.  But I was surprised at how much that one eye roll hurt.  I almost started to cry.   So do me a favor and in honor or pink week don’t roll your eyes at anyone for the rest of your life.

I drew a winner this morning for my Pink Week Giveaway and it’s Mrs. Moen!  An email should be waiting for you.  Thank you to everyone who played along and told me all about your favorite pink things.  Reading about your favorites is one of the best parts of Pink Week.

I’m making lists and collecting ideas for next year. I can’t wait to start working on Pink Week again!

I hope you are all having a great weekend.  I am off to bake my favorite pie for dinner and if I can convince Scott to take pictures while I cook I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.  See you soon.

It’s a beautiful Monday morning and even though I slept horribly (I should really never watch intense movies before bed) I was really happy to get up and leave the  creepy dreams behind.  Although somewhere in there I did dream that my dad asked me to show him how to make a quilt… Anyway, I have a pretty pink giveaway for one lucky reader.  It took me a long time to decide what to do this year, and finally yesterday afternoon I settled on this cute bunting.

It didn’t take very long to make at all, and I already have fabric scraps stacked up to make about 5 more.  It’s cute to work required ratio is in my favor for sure.  Anyway, the actual bunting part of this bunting is 8 feet long.  It is trimmed with stripey bias tape so it will drape smoothly if you hang it above a window, an archway or on the wall.  It has three extra feet of stripey ties on each end so you can adjust the length from 8 to 14 feet.

And because I can never resist the pink journals when I see them, this giveaway also includes one lined pink journal, a pink pen, my favorite color of pink nail polish and a cute plaid vinyl makeup bag to keep all your stuff in.

So here is the whole thing (minus the Christmas tree.   You wouldn’t believe how many times I had to go to Hobby Lobby to find this!  It has been living on top of my piano for a long time and I loved how it looked with the bunting. But I’m not giving it up!) To enter this giveaway leave me a comment telling me your favorite pink thing.  Is it ice cream? Flowers? Your favorite shirt? Anything as long as it’s pink!  I’ll close comments on Saturday night at midnight-ish, winner will be announced on Sunday June 26,2011.  Happy Pink Week!

Baby shoes, bags, purses, aprons, she’s got a TON of patterns!  And they are all free.  Go here.  You are welcome.

#1- The best way to battle winter doldrums is with pink boots.  Seriously.  Today is the last day to win this pair of pink rainboots from The Shoeologist.  But don’t go over there, these have my name all over them.

#2- My best friend is trying to win Christmas dresses for her four little girls.  (She was my partner in crime this summer for the Pinkalicious party.  She also moonlights as a princess.  She goes to birthday parties to make girl’s dreams come true, and earlier this year she planned a HUGE party for kids with incurable diseases.  She did it all through facebook.  She’s wonder woman!)  She is in the top five currently, and if you’d go help her out a little, that would be great.  If there is anyone in this world that deserves cute dresses for their children, it’s Linsey.  If you want to help her out, go to the Persnickety Clothing Company’s facebook page and like it.  And then leave a post on their wall saying Linsey Holley sent you.  At the end of their contest, the person who sent the most people over will win free clothes.  And her girls deserve it.  Really.

#3- My friend TraceyJay is starting a new project called Quilt Hope In.  It’s a new etsy shop for donated items to be sold to benefit Heartline Ministries, a group in Haiti that is serving women and children.   Nothing beats spreading cheer like helping those who truly truly have no one else.

So, go do something good.  Do good for yourself and win some boots.  Do good for Linsey and help her get four Christmas dresses, and do good for the world with a quilt.

[ image from Martha Stewart, found via weheartit ]

Anyway the winner was number 9, TraceyJay.  Your hot chocolate is on the way!  Thanks for those of you who entered, it was nice to read a whole bunch of your favorite things about Winter.  Unfortunately, all the beautiful snow that was here last Sunday is melted.  Bummer.  I’ll be back later today with another Handmade Christmas post.  After I take a nap and recover a bit from yesterday.  See you soon.

[ image via weheartit ]

And one of my favorite things to do on snowy days like today is to curl up on the couch with a giant sized mug of hot chocolate and watch the snow fall.  It is my very favorite ways to spend snowy days.  Creamie is right on track to love it too.  She sat in the window with me and watched for a half an hour this morning.  And that’s pretty good for a one year old.  Anyway, to celebrate this perfect day I’m going to send you a surprise.  Well, one of you.  And, OK, its not a real surprise, because I’m going to tell you what it is first.  But don’t ruin my moment.

One of the great things about winter is the excuse to have hot chocolate before, after, and/or with every meal.  I’m not a tea or coffee person, but I LOVE hot chocolate.  Like, with a ridiculous passion.  But I’m picky.  I only like one brand, and it is absolutely not the stuff you get at Starbucks.  Bleh.  Stephen’s is a company that was founded in Utah a little over 12 years ago.  And since the first time I tasted it, I was in love.  They have a dozen different flavors, and I’ll send your choice of cocoa mix.  I think I’ve tried almost all of them.

To enter leave me a comment telling me which flavor you’d like and your favorite thing about winter.  And if you truly can’t think of anything, tell me one thing you are grateful for.  I’ll close the comments on Friday December 3rd and randomly pick a winner on Saturday the 4th.  Happy Snow Day everyone!  [UPDATE: GIVEAWAY CLOSED!]

Here are the flavors: Dark Chocolate*, White Chocolate*, Milk Chocolate* (I always have this one hand), No Sugar Added Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Cinnamon, Mint Truffle*, Dulce de Leche Caramel*, Candy Cane Cocoa, French Vanilla*, Italian Amaretto, Chocolate Marshmallow,  Mint Chocolate Marshmallow, Peanut Butter Cup, Roasted Hazelnut*, Raspberry Cocoa*,  Raspberry Cheesecake, or Pumpkin Spice* (not a favorite).   Or if you are not into Hot Chocolate, there is also Citrus and Spice Wassail* and Apple Cinnamon Cider* which are divine.  I’ve put a star next to all the one’s that I’ve tried.

She’s been posting a daily accounting of her footwear on facebook for a while. (I secretly have called that project “feetbook”.) But now she’s started a new blog dedicated to the “science”of shoes.  (It’s totally a real science and no she did not make that up.)  And what better to balance out some nerdy science stuff than some pretty foot candy!

Seriously, she has some of the best taste in shoes.  I have been on the borrowing end many times.  One of the awesome things about being an identical twin is having identically sized feet.

So to start things off right on her new blog she is having a giveaway for this amazingly perfect pair of mustardy snakeskin heels from Zappos. (You’ll be winning a new pair, not one from her closet.)

They are going to turn my fall wardrobe from Meh to Mwah!  You know, when I win them.  Go enter her contest, check out her new blog, and then add it to your reader.  She’ll be having more and more contests to win more and more shoes.  And, she’s my sister so the more shoes she can add to her closet the better it will be for me.  Speaking of, I need to go “shopping” for the perfect shoes for Halloween.  And I’m sure they are in her closet.

PS. Creamie made her first appearance on The Shoeologist a few days ago.  I’m sure she’ll be a scientist when she grows up too.

[ Image from Raven at Oversewn.  And yes, she's giving away a sewing machine!  A cute one! ]

And besides the machine, she is giving away lots of other prizes too.  Yards and yards of prizes.  I am dying!  Go check it out, and donate your lunch money for a good cause.  Her raffle is open until the end of August.

To celebrate all her hard work she is giving away one of her new larger patterns over on her blog.  I’d tell you to go check it out, but I really don’t want any competition.  So don’t click this link : o)