Yes, I'm still alive and kickin'

After not blogging for over a MONTH, I'm finally back with a new kitchen and a Seattle trip under my belt as well as tons of Spring ideas floating through my head.  I've taken a mental break from obsessing over furniture, display ideas, project plans, etc or the past couple months and I think that I really needed it.  My brain tends to latch on something and hang on to it like a terrier.  I do way more thinking, dreaming, and planning rather than doing, which I'm still trying to figure out how to get past...  Another reason for the long break is that we've been in flux at the Dobson house as to what and where our lives takes us and we've been in a mad rush to complete the zillions of unfinished projects in our house in case we need to sell.  The last big project (kitchen) is 90% finished and HOPEFULLY I can actually post some pictures up soon. 

But the terrier is back and ever since I got back from a trip to Seattle with Jon, Mom, and Gabby this last weekend, I've been making lists, going through tons of inspirational pictures, and generally back to my old obsessive self.  As a result, my house is dirtier and the dinners a bit pathetic due to me being completely absorbed in planning for Spring!  The last time that I've been to the Seattle area was SIX years ago (insert gasp here)!  Obviously I don't get out much, but I'm thinking we need a whole lot of what I saw in Seattle here in Spokane.  I know that I'm not the only one who thinks this way, but for some reason, boutiques are few and far between here and it makes me very sad.  For me, there is nothing better than to go out with a steaming latte and browse through adorable shops for hours.  I think I need to get over to Seattle more often and for those of you who live over there, be thankful for the bountiful cafes, shops, restaurants, and diverse city that you live in!  For those of you here in Spokane, let's be as supportive as we can to those great business that do exist here and give them our patronage. 

Storefront in Fremont area

Mom in Watson Kennedy's Pike Place shop

Lucca located in the Ballard Ave area

Inside Lucca

Ballard Ave. shops

Cupcake Royale in Ballard area (love this place!)

The iconic Pike Place Market and the first time that I've been there (insert more gasps!)

Santa Baby!

I am so excited to have finally received the picture of my girls with Santa Claus this year!  It is a tradition that we take the girls down to the local mall Santa every year to get their pictures taken.  This year we decided to support a local cause to help foster children and support a wonderful local cafe by having the pictures taken at Little Garden Cafe.  This cafe is my all-time favorite!  Located on NW Blvd, it is so homey and comfortable with a kid's play area and beautiful views of Audubon Park.

Summer (the baby) was by far the most enthusiastic about the picture!  Guess she's just a Santa Baby!

Birthday Craziness

Aahh December... Not only is it Christmas time, but two of my three girls have birthdays in December as well.  It is always an absolute crazy time of the year!  My poor girls wish that they could "change" their birthdays to be in the summer.  There seems to be more cute birthday party ideas for kids when the weather is nice, but we do our best and using a lot of pink makes it feel a bit more like summertime. 

In total, 8 dozen cupcakes were made in less than a week for all the parties.  Gabby had her third grade party with cupcakes, then Gabby's family birthday bash at Grandma's house, and another party with her best buds (and more cupcakes).   My mom made the adorable house cake for our little family party. She took a cake decorating class about 25 years ago, but she obviously remembered what she'd learned!

Lily also had a birthday party with pre-school friends and family. Lily loves kitties and tea parties, so we just combined the two and made kitty balloons and cupcakes and tea party games.

   

And I Said That I Wasn't Going to Decorate This Year...

When everyone was busily decorating their homes and Christmas trees the weekend after Thanksgiving, I announced, "I'm going to be a Scrooge this Christmas and not put up a tree!"  Now this came as a shock to my family as I was one of those kids relentlessly begging my mom to put up all holiday decorations way too early.  I loved setting up all the Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and other holiday decorations with my mom and am certain that this was an initial sign of the love of displays yet to come.  So, here I am now, ready to forget about the tree and simplify this year due to a scheduled surgery this month and the lack of artificial tree (my husband's allergic to the real ones) and no funds to buy and new one.  The artificial tree that we've been using over the years is at least 20 years old, falling apart, and the last straw was the mold growing on it from the box getting wet!  Of course, I had to be subjected to seeing my mom's beautiful tree and I made the big mistake in sitting down one morning with my cup of coffee and old Christmas edition of Country Living!  I couldn't stand it, I had to decorate...

I love to use burlap garland anywhere that I can!  I used this on the mantle along with the vertical garland on the Christmas tree.

My daughter, Gabby, knows how much I adore bird nests and is always finding them for me (after the eggs have hatched, of course!)

Tired of all the usual tree ornaments, I made ornaments out of vintage playing cards that also help my 3 year-old learn her numbers!

Under the Weather?

Our family has been hit particularly hard this Fall with various viruses and illnesses.  About a month ago, 3 of the 5 of us in our family had the H1N1 virus and this last week we all have shared a very nasty stomach bug which has left us all without much energy and a few pounds lighter.  I suppose with one child in public schools, another in pre-school, and the fact that we get never get a full-night's sleep as the baby gets up 2-3 times a night, we're just a pretty run-down lot that has been hit on all sides recently.  Luckily, Summer (4 months old) has been able to escape the H1N1 and had just a day of the stomach virus as she has been our main concern.  I suppose there is no better time in the year to hunker down, rest, relax, and focus on getting better.  I hope all of you and your families stay healthy and for those of you who are under the weather like us, I hope this virtual chicken soup makes you feel a bit better!

The Last Show for the Season

I had a great time at the Vintage Treasures Market at the Nine Mile Falls Elementary School yesterday.  I teamed up with Rustic Angel, A Little Something, and Jessica Cobb to sell our "wares" for our last show until next spring.  On one hand, it will be nice to slow down a little and have to some time to create while being holed up in the house during the winter months, but I absolutely love the shows as I get to meet the customers and all the other wonderful creative people out there!  It was amazing how many people that recognized Sophia's from the Farm Chicks show!  It really meant a lot to me since I wasn't able to participate in many shows after having the baby this past summer.  I love re-connecting with people and it never ceases to amaze me how small the world really is - or maybe how small Spokane really is!  I also had the chance to talk to quite a few of the incredible vendors there including Jamie from The Bizi Shop (she's such a sweetie!), Jennifer from Unexpected Neccessities, and Shari from Southern Charm.  Shari was gracious enough to give some tips on glass pendant making.  Her jewelry is out of this world and as I've just started experimenting with jewelry-making, I was a sponge.  It is always so nice to talk to others that have the same hobby and share experiences with one another. 

Vintage Finds and Handmade Treasures Market

I'm excited to be a part of the Nine Mile Falls Vintage Finds and Handmade Treasures Market this Saturday!  The show is organized by Jennifer and Kathy Walker, Unexpected Necessities

This mother and daughter team are so sweet!  I first met these gals when several of my neighbors and I were having yard sales and they stopped by.  I was working on a piece of furniture in my driveway with my garage door open and, of course, it was full of my "junk".  They had commented that their garages were in a similar state and we quickly learned that we were both vendors at the local Farm Chicks Show and share the same passion for "junkin".  Jennifer came to our Angel's Attic Show and invited us to attend their event this Saturday.  Rustic Angel, A Little Something, Sophia's, and Jessica Cobb will all be sharing a large booth together and we are excited to be able to do another show together before winter sets in.  Hope to see you all there!