Simple Little Things

That's what is on my mind and heart today. Just simple little things that bring a smile or giggle. All the stuff that makes the everyday ordinary into something extraordinary. 

Maybe it's spending time with a true friend, just hanging out and soaking up some summer sun...

Or perhaps it's something fresh picked; ripe and juicy and ready to top of some ice cream or make their way into a fresh pie...

An ice cold treat on a hot steamy day always makes my heart and taste buds smile...

A "sweet" little picture frame; altered simply with just a few key embellishments to make it pop...a cherished picture that speaks of love...



Yes, that's what is on my mind today. Simple things that often are taken for granted; gifts that are there for us each day to receive and treasure. Enjoy the simple today!

XOXO, Nik

There's a new guy in town...

...and he is the cutest thing you have ever seen; literally! Meet Radar, my dad's new little puppy. Is he not the most precious thing ever? Just look at that face!!

                                   

 He is a Brittany Spaniel; the third dog of this loving breed that my parents have been happy to raise. My dad is a big time hunter; pheasant, duck, deer, elk. Brittanies are fabulous hunting dogs and wonderful companions. And did I already mention that he is incredibly cute?

My parents asked the kiddos and I to puppy sit yesterday and of course I had to bring a little something for the new little guy. He was the inspiration for the puppy gift set project below. Now, my papers that I used are a couple years old. I have been hanging on to this puppy paper from the Basic Grey June Bug line; thinking maybe I needed to buy a puppy just so I could use this ultra cute paper for something. And now I had the perfect opportunity. 

I wanted a simple little card for my ma and pa, just to say congrats on their new little dude. The papers are all from the older Basic Grey line June Bug, craft paper from Archivers and the mini alpha stickers are from Glitz Design. All puppies need treats for good behavior so a goodie jar was in order. I love these glass jars that you can find at your local Target store. So versatile for all sorts of gift giving.

Next up, a little picture frame to hold a sweet pic of this little guy's cute furry face. I hand cut several of the puppies from the paper and adhered them with pop dots for dimension.

A little twine, some kraft paper, a couple bone buttons and paint and it was done!

And the scraps did not go to waste either. I put those to good use and made up a few puppy themed tags. You just never know when there might be another fur baby that will need a gift or two. 

That's all for tonight. I am off to call my parents to check on sweet Puppy Radar and see how he is adjusting to his new home. Thanks for visiting me!

XOXO, Nik

Happy Birthday America!

Well, I am a day late with this post, but we have had a busy weekend. Lots of sun, fireworks, family time, swim time and so much more. I love Independence Day, don't you?

I also love messing around and playing with simple photo editing on Picnik. I am sure most of you already know about this little editing site, but I felt like sharing a couple of pictures that I used their 4th of July features on. Above I added the fun little stars to Cole's picture. And below, I used the colorwash of red, white and blue for Desi's sparkler picture. The brackets are also from Picnik; so cute to frame a picture that way. Love it.

Don't get me wrong; I love the vibrant, patriotic colors of red, white and blue and how they majestically represent our country. But what fun it is to shabby them up a little every now and then. Just a little sepia here and there. Pretty, simple, nostalgic and oh so shabby - love that.



The 4th also brings about a whole new season of crafting possibilities. It is such a short time that we leave these kind of decorations up, so I had hoped to get started early. That didn't happen, so my red, white and blue will probably adorn the house all summer long because I love it so. 

I used a variety of product on these simple but pretty pinwheels. The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz's seasonal paper stack. His grungy style makes my heart sing and he is so clever at bringing us fantastic products to craft with. I cannot wait to see what he and Ranger have in store for us at CHA. The red polka dot paper is from Bo Bunny; love their double dot papers. The paint can is just from Home Depot; I filled it with floral foam and then topped it with shredded music paper. The "sticks" that the pinwheels sit atop of are simply pencils that I painted antique white and hot glued to the back of the pinwheels. I covered the hot glued area on the back with a punched scallop circle for a more finished look.

The little centers are mostly from K & Company's Americana line. I added some ink, silver stickles, and a flower or two made from an old farm journal magazine to complete my ensemble. The small flags were a dollar at Michaels and I soaked them in a tea dye to give them a more antique feel. A vintage button here, some tea stained lace there and voila! Might have to leave this little centerpiece on my kitchen table for another month or so. And maybe leave this hanging in the entryway a little longer too...

I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday and your work week goes quickly for you. Thanks for stopping by to see me today. 

XOXO, Nik

Enjoying Summer

Summer is here and I of course have been missing from blog land. No apologies from me though. My life is just busy with two little ones and working around my hubby's horrendous schedule. So, I just resolve to get here when I get here and that's that. But I do love coming and writing my thoughts down here; always therapeutic for me and makes me feel good inside to share some of my heart with you all. A huge thank you for all of your wishes and love you sent my way on Ellie's birthday. It was a very difficult day for me and my family; always will be.



With each season, come lots of memories. All good, wonderful, happy memories. So hard to think it has been over two years since I touched her face, heard her laugh, watched her play. Most days it still seems unreal. But, it is. Life is not filled with any promises; no guarantees. I am so , so thankful for the opportunity to be a mama; so happy that God has trusted me with his children to watch over them, teach them about Him. What a true gift I have been given.

Slowly but surely my little Etsy shop is coming along. Every now and then I get busy and craft up some little treausres to add to it. The shabby clothespins above are so sweet. Love how simplistic they are. My mom had given me a jar full of my grandma's buttons and to my delight many of them still had the thread in them. All worn and weathered and aged perfectly. Love how they look on the clothespins. So hope the new owner of these is enjoying them...

 

Recently I had a little tea staining party and decided to dye some felt. Love the results! This is the most awesome felt; just love it. It's from Papertrey Ink. This is the vintage cream color. They have all sorts of colors available. So many things you can do with it. These little posies just kinda came together. I used a scrap of old Daisy D's paper and punched the circles using Martha Stewart's medallion punch. A little ink on the edes and the topped each with a vintage button. So sweet. You can find these in my Etsy shop too.

Both my kiddos celebrated their birthdays in late May. Cole turned 3 and Desi is now 6. They are growing up so fast; so wuickly right before my eyes. Desi finished her first full year of school; she is a recent kindergarten graduate. I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished this past year. Learning to read and do math, all of the music and art projects. So fascinating to me how a young mind learns and grows. 

Summer is in full swing and the flowers are gorgeous. Oh how I love my flower garden; my precious memory garden dedicated to Ellie. Keep them bloomin', sweet pea....

That's all for now. I'll be back. Don't know when. Maybe soon...

XOXO, Nik

8 Candles

 Today 8 candles burn brightly in a window on a cold, windy Minnesota day. A reminder of a life that began and ended too early, but cast a ray of sunshine upon any who stepped onto her path...

Today a little brother savors a brownie for breakfast in honor of his big sister; his big blue eyes a beautiful reminder of her....

Today a little sister dresses head to toe in her sister's clothes so that she may be as close to her as posssible. She writes notes and draws rainbow hearts in an effort to send her love up to Heaven....

Today a treasured dollie sits upon a shelf dressed in blue and waiting to be held and played with again...

Today signs of spring emerge and we are reminded of becoming new again; love is born and rises....

Today a little girl dreams in fields of yellow flowers with Jesus...

Today a head full of strawberry colored tresses smiles her heart out and skips along the hills of Heaven...

Today in Heaven blue eyes twinkle brightly and dance with each giggle...

Today a Mama remembers the moments a baby girl came into her life

 and made her a mother for the first time...

Today a Daddy's arms long to be filled with a little girl's hug

as he remembers holding her through thick and thin....

Happy 8th Birthday Ellie Rose! I hope you can hear us celebrating here on earth as we remember you with laughs, tears, Johnny Cash songs and root beer floats. Our hearts are heavy, but joyful as we know that one day, one glorious day, we will all be together again. Love you, sweet pea.

"I thank my God everytime I remember you." Philippians 1:3

XOXO, Mama

Happy Sweethearts Day!

Just a quick little post before I head out the door. Had to come and wish you all a Happy, Happy Valentine's Day! And I had to share these gorgeous roses that my sweet pea Ellie sent to me. Breathtakingly gorgeous, don't you agree?

I am quite sure that Heaven is overflowing with beauty this very moment.... 

                                           

Miss you like crazy Ellie Belle. Spread some love today; give a hug, a smile, a kiss, a kind gesture. You never know who's heart you could touch.

XOXO, Nik

February Loves

Ahhh, the love month. What could be better than an entire day devoted to hearts, chocolate and sweet nothings? Each month brings a new beginning, a new chapter. How lucky we are to have a fresh start each and every day. Makes my heart all warm and toasty inside...

 What makes your heart skip a beat? What simple little love do you indulge in? Is it a someone? A something? A taste? A smell? Breathing in all each day has to bring us can sometimes be difficult, but so so necessary to sustain happiness. Joy is abundant.

 I love pretty romantic Valentine paper. Every January after all the Christmas things have been placed away, I swoon over all the pinks, reds and hearts that make their way to shops for us to enjoy for such a short time. I am always utterly amazed at how pretty paper can be. This year my favorite is the Echo Park "Be Mine" collection. Hot pink, vintage cream, black, soft pinks and grays all mixed together with a Paris theme - be still my swelling heart! The "Be Mine" collection simply exudes romance.

The possibilities are endless of the pretties you can create. I opted to decorate some little heart boxes and embellish them with paper flowers, another love of mine. Using the Tim Holtz "Tattered Florals" die I cut out several flowers, inked and lightly distressed them. I stacked them atop each other and used a toothpick and pencil to curl the edges. Just adore making paper flowers - a total addiction.

Can't wait to fill these up with some sweets for some very special people. Hope they will cherish these little treasures as much as I cherish them.

Ever spend a day doing something you love and basking in glow of it? That was me last week. I love the look of tea stained tags, fabric, lace, papers. The aroma that fills the house after a few hours of hand dyeing all sorts of things with tea is delicious.

Oh the thrill of opening the oven after 20 minutes on a low setting to see that worn, caramel looking color wash over what was once very plain parcel tags! So yummy...

I think I spent almost 3 hours tea dyeing all sorts of things and then another hour or two creating some little pretties for my Etsy shop. I have not been the best at adding items, but that is changing. You will find these there...

And these too. I love tags, don't you? the perfect compliment to any package is a sweet little handmade tag. Almost makes the packaging better than the gift itself. The little house and scalloped circle were made using the "Love Lives Here" dies from PaperTrey Ink. These dies have stamps to match and they were inspired by one of my favorite designers, Melissa Phillips. Aren't they sweet? Again, endless possibilities.

That's all for today my friends. Seek out your passions today and May your little hearts be filled with gladness, hope, faith and most of all LOVE.

XOXO, Nik