Last Minute Getaway!

School started this week but last week I was fortunate to spend an entire week at the beach. There was hiking and reading and eating and family and all the things that make a week long vacation perfect. The weather was beautiful the entire time (which if you know anything about the Oregon coast is a miracle in itself).

Cascade Head Trail was amazing. It was perfectly long and ended in an amazing view that was viewed from a high coastal meadow.

I have visited the Yaquina Head lighthouse several times but never knew there were so many trails around it to explore. All the trails are short but make up for it in spectacular views. The clear weather also provided some pretty sweet views of the resident whales that live in the bay.

And finally Beaver Creek state park was super different and interesting. At the trail head there was a sign that stated there had been bear and cougar sightings over the summer which was a little intimidating. The trail starts out on a marsh that is inaccessible in the winter because it is covered in water. It felt a little eerie to walk over squishy marsh grass that is surrounded by water. The hiking trails began after the marsh and wound through the forest and all over a small hill/mountain. It was challenging as well as beautiful. Next time I would love to rent kayaks and paddle through the marsh.

It was a perfect end to the summer and now the hectic school season has begun!

Mingle Magazine Giveaway!

Hey everyone! Just want to let you know that my blog was selected to host a giveaway for a brand new magazine from Stampington & Company called Mingle. Look for it coming soon!

Living Room Painting.

I have been spending the last week painting my living room. I don't know why it took me so long to finally do this project because it turned out to be super simple and quick. Not to mention I LOVE how fresh and new it is. I hated the old color, a dingy yellow, and am so happy with my bright blue walls. The only real hiccup was that I had planned to do the trim in white but the white was too bright. I then tried vanilla and it was still too white. Finally the third time was the charm and I settled on antique white which looks awesome. Unfortunately the pictures really aren't doing the blue color justice but here are some photos!

Before

After

Doll Show Aftermath

The doll show was a success! Well, at least my most successful show. No matter how much of a success it was there are of course BeBes that didn't find homes so I have just listed them on etsy in my shop.

My Mom and I headed out yesterday morning at 5:30 am and coasted in and out of Portland smoothly. It turns out our table was text to an AWEsome artist I had never met before. My Mom and I were both smitten by her work. Her business name is Marca, check her out! She even gave me some free passes to Faerieworlds Harvest Celebration where she will be exhibiting. I have never been to Faerieworlds (and really have had no desire to go) but I would love to see her work again. I definitely won't let the passes go to waste.

The kits and teaching stuff I was so stressed out about finishing turned out ok but was kind of a flop at the show. I did hand out a couple of my sheets and sold a kit. I ended up doing a kit for making a very, very basic plush pumpkin. The kit was intended to be more of an explanation of my plush design process using the pumpkin as a simple example of how to make a pattern. I think people were confused on how the demo worked at my table and maybe weren't interested in sewing skills. I'm not sure if I am going to list these kits in my shop but I might.

After the show we high tailed it home so I could attempt to be at part of a friend's wedding. The ceremony was at 6:30 and I cruised in at around 7:00 which was just about perfect considering I left Portland at 4:15. I was glad I made it but also exhausted by the end of the night after getting up at 4 am. Overall a great day!

Doll Show Preparations Final

Well I am about hit the hay because I will be rising at 4:00 am tomorrow to head to the doll show. At the last minute I finally got my kits done as well as one more big baby. I would like to say more but I am so sleeepy. I hope you will enjoy the photos.

Doll Show Preparations Part 2

Well everybody is tagged and packed. I always do a trial run at my Mom's house to get an idea of how my table is going to look and what I need to bring. I was so worried about not having enough dolls that it was a pleasant surprise that I think I will have more than enough. I snapped a few quick pictures so you can see who will be there and a couple new faces too.

I have one more big OOAK doll to finish as well as the kits for the teaching part I will be participating in. Sure I can do all that tomorrow! Nothing like the last minute! Stay tuned...