what i needed today

henry has a new friend

i had planned on posting more about TCC today (sort of like stretching out your birthday for as long as possible- then maybe it won't end...) but instead i just thought i'd send you over here to read the words i REALLY needed today.
when my house is a mess and my mom is coming to town in a few hours.
when i wonder why i ever bother to get my boys dressed since immediately after they run outside and find a baby pool full of rain water and decide to go swimming. in their clothes.
when i doubt myself and my abilities to pull off everything i have committed to.
when i haven't showered and it's almost noon.
yeah. days like today, i really need another supermom to help me realize that it's ok.
thanks canela!

the one where i go on and on about my skinny jeans

me with the adorable julia of j-jewels

i'm not usually one to care {that} much about what i'm wearing.

i'm not usually one to rave about clothes.

but seriously, (SERIOUSLY!) if you are in the market for a new pair of jeans that will knock your socks off

(that's right! knock 'em right off! do i sound like billy mays?)

your search is over.

ever heard of miraclebody?

i'd heard of their swimsuits, and the miracles those babies can perform. but jeans? miracle body jeans?

you had me at "look 10 lbs. lighter in 10 seconds"

um, yes please! where do i sign?!

my sister and i were each given a pair of jeans to review while we were at TCC.

i might just sleep in them now.

and order them in every style.

i have a strange body shape. grateful that God gave me a body, but sometimes i think he had a sense of humor when he made mine. 

most pants just plain old don't fit. in fact, when i went to place my order for my "miracle" i was pretty skeptical about these fitting either.

you could say i lacked faith.

but oh, dear me do they fit.

showing off my jeans AND fabulous calendar with the much ado about you girls. more on that later.

if you have a little bit of a middle (or have ever been pregnant, let's just leave it at that)

you have to check these out. 

they are soooo comfortable and yet somehow are not pajamas or sweats!

didn't even know that was possible.

the rise is high enough to suck it all in and make you feel confident, but not so high or tight that you feel claustrophobic or like you are wearing mom jeans.

please tell me you don't have mom jeans.

so, just trust me on this. YOU NEED THEM.

amen.

the one where i go on and on about that one conference i went to.

leigh standley, curly girl design

ok, i know you don't want to hear every last detail about a conference i went to and i know you don't want to hear how lucky i am that somehow we pulled it off to be able to go, etc. etc.
i know you don't want to hear me gush about the amazing girls i met or how cool it was to meet the pioneer woman or how awesome it was to sell out of bracelets AND necklaces and have people begging for more. (though that was pretty awesome.)
but guess what? i'm gonna gush. just a little bit. and i might just break it into a few posts. i have that much to say.
i have to.
it's part of my nature. talking a lot, that is.
(a part that i can not deny.)
plus, i feel like a good portion of you readers were part of the reason i was able to go. and don't i owe you that much to tell you all about it?
{part one}the market:
i spent most of my time in the handmade market at the creative connection. since there was no centralized checkout (like we have at the queen bee market, ahem.) someone had to be at the booth at all times.

it was a huge challenge trying to figure out how to build a booth that showcased my products, but could fit in a suitcase. it wasn't perfect, but it looked pretty good for what we had to work with. thank you husband for the pvc pipe puzzle that somehow turned into a sign holder thing. phew.

the banner was definitely my favorite part. and yes, my friends - i traced and cut out the felt lettering BY HAND. i'm old school like that. and slightly stupid. that's beside the point. it looked sweet.

it's always a guessing game on what will sell and what will flop. i usually sell more bobbies and headbands than anything, but at the creative connection it was all about necklaces and bracelets. it was so fun to sell to the conference participants and then see my work all over the place for the next 3 or 4 days.


these rosette bracelets were a hit. a few of the staff members from TCC bought them on the first night and wore them all week - great publicity for me! just wish i'd made more!

sitting at the booth for 4 days was a bit of a pain and it wasn't exactly high traffic, but i was lucky enough to have a booth right next to close friends and spend the long days laughing and bonding with them. more about them later.


here are their cute booths: lindsey from the pleated poppy-

maggie from gussy sews-
.

lisa of lisa leonard designs

emmy and megan with much ado about you

and a few other booths i loved:

 

     digs

     lollibags

j-jewels designs

i didn't take nearly as many pictures as i should have. there was so much to look at! but my favorite part about the market was the friends i made.

didn't that just get you excited for the queen bee market? just over 8 weeks away! (oh boy, lots to do, lots to do!)

to be continued...

you guys, i'm so happy.

my little booth right next to my sister from another mister

do you ever have those moments in life where you feel so blessed?
where you don't know how it happened, but you are in the right place at the right time to change your life and your heart?
where the stars align and you feel so sure that God is looking out for you and knows every desire of your heart?
where just the right people come into your life and tell you just what you need to hear?

cute kami, sweet sis, me, and little gus gus

this weekend has been that for me.
i wish i could figure out how to write in words how much a few days away with my sister and the meeting of some new amazing friends (sisters as well, really) has lifted me up. but i just can't even begin. i'm just so grateful. those of you who helped me get here, thank you. you have no idea.
hopefully when i get home i'll be able to properly express how i'm feeling and help you understand just what i'm talking about, but just know i'm supremely happy right now. i miss my boys (hubs included) so much, but i'm glad to say mama is coming back a better woman.
AND, icing on the cake? Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman put pictures of my necklaces on her blog last night. serious.
serious.
holy moly.

all my bags are packed

 here

well, sorta.

turns out taking a booth on the road, or the plane for that matter, isn't as easy as it once sounded. i am so excited to hop on that plane (BY MYSELF... did i mention i'm flying sans kiddos?!?) tomorrow bright and early (actually more like dark and early) to head to the wonderful land of TCC.

i would love to find a minute here and there to blog about my adventures in Minnesota, but i'm not about to make any promises! so, miss me?

now, let's hope there is room for clothes in those 2 ginormous suitcases that are already stuffed to the gills full of, you know, a craft show.

anyone mind if i show up nekkid?

wish me luck!

chantilly lace and a pretty face

i don't go shopping very often, but i was surprised to see lace EVERYWHERE when my mom took me on a little shopping trip in san diego. i know, where have i been? anyhow, now i've got lace on the brain:

accessories:

here

here

here

here

if I remember right, miss emily sparks had something like this cuff at the last queen bee market!

here

clothes:

here

here

here

paperie:

here

here

and my latest creations, introducing the lacy cuff:

all made from vintage laces

yummy, yummy romance in a bracelet.

my personal fave

which i may or may not keep for myself. sorry.

lacy cuffs making their fancy debut at TCC!

need new business cards?

how about a chance to win some from U-Printing, one of our awesome Queen Bee Market sponsors?
don't miss it!
how cute are my sister's?

in honor of labor day...

i am laboring the day away!
i am a busy little bee today because the countdown is on for the creative connection!
never heard of it?
well, where have you been?
my sis and i are so excited to be a part of this amazing conference centered around creative women entrepreneurs (with the likes of amy butler, heather bailey, and the pioneer woman... hello!!!) and also to participate in the handmade market. this will be the biggest market i've ever done, and i'm all nervous with excitement and anticipation. i'm introducing a few new products there, and bringing bazillions of the old standbys too.
plus, i get to meet gussy. in the flesh. yeoww!
want a sneak peek at what i've been up to?
i am over the moon about my new banner i made:

i know, i'm so predictable... my favorite color combo, of course!

a few new goodies:

yo yo's and pearls? be. still. my. heart.

and enough rosettes to make a girl weak in the knees:

introducing a few new colors (blush, eggplant, navy, etc!)

are you coming to TCC? will you come say hi to me? 

happy weekend!

happy weekend, my friends!
want a sneak peak into the allora-licious house? zebra rugs, gallery walls, etc?
am posting today about my favorite DIY moments over at one of my favorite blogs - IS.LY

be sure to check it out and leave me some love.
and have a fabulous long weekend!

oh, mindy gledhill.. you kill me.

didn't know it was possible for mindy to capture a music video as sublimely beautiful as her voice.

she did. for reals.



i sort of want to be her right now.
congrats, mindy!

P.S. If you'd like to share this on your blog or FB, just copy and paste this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWRHBHDVlQ
P.P.S. If you want to buy her album (every song as good as the last, seriously.) you can here.