Halloween

I have been itching to dig through the storage closet outside and pull out all the Fall and Halloween decorations for about a week now and lost my willpower today.  I drug out the Rubbermaid container full of orange and black and red and brown and took a big sigh of relief.  I am so excited to get started!

Yup, that is it.  All of the Fall decorations.  And a few St. Patrick's Day items as well.  Not a whole bunch.  But enough to make me smile :)  And enough to make the puppy curious. 

I think it took every ounce of self control she had to not take everything out of The Box of Goodies.  Oh my, this puppy makes me smile too :) 

The decorating has only gotten started.  The furniture polish and the glass cleaner came to join the party so I am off to give my house a good cleaning before I put up the rest.  I can't wait!!

September??

Is it really September already?  I just ended a phone call with the words "Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend!"  I am so looking forward to fall (as you may have read here) yet at the same time astonished.  It's September!  It feels like this year has flown by.  I hope everyone enjoys this special weekend and even if you have to Labor, end the day with a beer or margarita or meditation-whatever floats your boat.  Be safe! 

Phew!

Phew!  It took quite a while but the re-vamped Peace, Love and Roses is here! 

Out with the old, in with the new!  There are still a few things on clearance and I still have new items in the works so check back often!

The new line in the shop is all about comfort, sustainability, and color!  I have a huge obsession with reusable grocery bags.  I have a stack in my car at all times but they just aren't always cute.  I end up advertising for my grocery store instead of carrying around something that advertises who I am.  So, now I can AND I can share it with you!  These reusable tote bags are designed to go where you go.  They are all made of high quality, durable fabrics that will stand up to a rain storm or a carton of milk.  They are adorable and practical.  I carry one daily instead of a traditional purse and when I make an unexpected shopping trip I drop my purchase in the bag instead of using one more plastic bag.  I use the bag to carry my running shoes to the park before a jog, I carry my dog's treats when we go for a road trip and I always have a few extra on hand for my weekly trip to the grocery store.  The possibilities are endless!  Diaper bags, yoga class, farmers markets, textbooks, trick-or-treating, craft supplies, yarn and crochet hooks, lunch, clothes for the after-work-party, baby toys, beach days, laptops and ipads, notebooks and pens...I could go on and on!  Instead, I will let you choose the future for these bags.  Give them a good home, use them often, and enjoy!

Treasuries

Wow, I have been slacking!  I have been busy making them, and lucky enough to be featured in some but I haven't shared them with you!  Here are a few I was featured in...






And one made by yours truly...



On a side note: My apologies to my fellow bloggers out there... I have been reading your blogs but Google won't let me comment on them! Hopefully I will conquer this soon, y'all are producing some great stuff!

Fairytales and Daydreams

One of the lovely things about growing up is finding things that reminds me of my favorite fairy tales.  These make great gifts for any occasion - even the unbirthdays!

True love does conquer all -- especially when Prince Charming gets some sleep too. 

We're painting the roses red! But don't worry -- if there are a few white ones, nobody will lose their heads...

Extra bonus:  Everything in the shop is 40% off with coupon code 'backtoschool' 

5 AM

Did anyone else notice it?  Maybe I am going loony.  Maybe I was just up too early.  No, I swear I noticed something different this morning.  The sun didn't get up as early today!  You know what that means, right?  Fall is on the way!  Now, don't get upset.  I love summer too.  The beach and the pool and the margaritas and the suntan.  I love it all.  But nothing...nothing beats the crisp, fresh feeling of fall.  I know we have plenty of time and many hot days before fall is actually here but I got so excited this morning, I just had to share it with you. 

To celebrate the upcoming season AND the re-vamp of Peace, Love and Roses there is a big, big sale in the shop.  40% off everything!  Use coupon code 'backtoschool' to get the savings.  In the next few days I will be turning my little shop upside down and (with few exceptions) once an item is gone, it's gone.  So get it while it's hot! 

Get shopping!

Guilty Pleasures

If any of you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know that I did something very naughty last night.  Yup, I cheated on my Etsy shop.  Boy, did I feel guilty.  So you wanna know the dirty details?  Okay...you asked for it!

My wonderful fiance loves movies.  Loves 'em.  We literally have a 5 shelf bookcase stacked overflowing with DVDs.  So this man gets a day off yesterday and asks if we can watch a movie.  Please?  It's been so long! I got the Lincoln Lawyer...I think you'll like it!  Well, how can a girl say no to Matthew McConaughey? (sorry hunny!)  I can actually blame this whole situation on him (my fiance, not McConaughey) because he dares to say...  Are you working on a project?  Maybe you can bring it in here?  What a sweet guy, right?  Well, little did he know I would need a sewing machine for every project I'm working on.  So a little light bulb goes off in my head...My Blanket! 

If we go back in time, maybe 2 or 3 years we could trace back my love of crochet.  I won't do that to you today, but expect to hear about the JWC, margaritas and crochet hooks sometime soon.  Back when I found this love of crochet I found this blog and I fell in love with Lucy, too.  Do you know her?  If not, you should.  Back in November she started working on a blanket and this photo inspired me:

All the colors and flowers and little tiny leaves and oh my oh my oh my.  I went on the hunt for a pattern, an idea, anything that could show me how I could make these little granny squares for my own blanket.  I searched high and low, I emailed every crocheting Auntie in my family and got lots of almosts but no just rights.  So I set to work and created a pattern of my very own.  It took months but in January I got this:

I was soooo proud!  But I had to keep going.  So this became these:

Bunches of flowers... 



Then, I was finally able to get the granny!  I turned those little flowers into a granny square!

Now, did I mention there were bunches of flowers?  260-ish.  So, needless to say, it was going to take me a while to turn these into a blanket.  Oh, I didn't know just how long it would take!  8 months later and I am still not even close to done.  That is why I got so excited when I thought about My Blanket!  I sat down in our comfy chair with all my tools and set to work. 

2 hours later some good progress was made.  Even thought I jumped out of that chair and ran to my craft room when it was over I really did enjoy every naughty minute of it.  No sewing machine, no spreadsheets, no promotions or Google Analytics.  Just me, my guy, and a few skeins of yarn.  Peace, Love and Yarn 

Fall 2011

I am so excited!  I have been working on a new Fall line for the shop and I am having so much fun with it.  I have been debating with myself:  to post pictures, or not to post pictures?  I don't think I will be able to hold out much longer!  The new line is going to consist of reusable tote bags for all occasions.  Grocery shopping, yoga class, classroom, weddings, or just for fun.  You can see the very beginning of the line here:

Stay tuned for more updates!

Treasury Lists

Check out these gorgeous Treasuries that I was featured in this week.  They showcase artists from all over Etsy and they just look pretty!

Hippie Ways

So, I mentioned to you that my 'hippie' ways get me in trouble in this part of the globe.  They have never got me into serious call-mom-for-bail-money trouble.  Then again, I'm not a card carrying member.  People have been calling me a 'hippie' for years now and I just smiled, and went along with it because, well, it wasn't an insult to me.  My parents were 'hippies' and they are pretty darn awesome so I was okay with being like them.  A little.

Now, when I say 'hippie' I don't mean I promote the use of psychedelic drugs, protested the Vietnam War  or attended Woodstock.  So just to set the record straight: I do try to meditate, could live most days without eating meat and think a well-timed flash of a peace sign to an accommodating driver on the road can cure road rage.  I think this world would be a better place if we rode our bikes more, spent more time seeing the colors in the trees and had respect for all people, even if they don't think the same way we do. 


Call me a hippie if you'd like.  Maybe I'm just a California Girl.

That likes to carry reusable bags in her car, just in case she stops to go shopping.  



And wears roses in her ears...

Hmm...Okay, maybe they are right!

What's with the peace and love?

Post Office Employee: “What’s Peace, Love and Roses?

Me: “It’s my shop”

POE: “What, do you like, make roses out of glass or something?”

Me: “Umm…something like that.  Only, out of fabric usually”

POE: “Well, what’s with the peace and love?  Is that what you put into it when you are making it?”

Me: *smiling*”Yes, sir.  That’s exactly right.”

The gentleman at the post office may not have known what was going on with Peace, Love and Roses like y’all are about to, but he got the gist of it. 

Hi, my name is Nicole and I am a California Girl who uprooted herself and moved to Virginia.  I am now a Southern Belle.  Well, still working on that part.  I try to remember to call people “sir” and “ma’am” instead of “dude” and “guys”.  “Y’all” has become a larger part of my vocabulary than I ever thought it would be and I am actually getting used to the Southern Gentlemen holding doors and calling me ma’am.  I still haven’t lost my hippie ways and sometimes that gets me into some trouble out here.  But you will hear all about that in time. 

I am mostly here to share one of my biggest passions with you: creating.  I love making things.  Scrapbooking was where it all began.  A simple assignment in high school to make a “Senior Scrapbook” turned into a passion for glitter, cardstock and hole punches.  I love to cook and bake and decorate my home and organize my home.  And then re-decorate.  And then organize it again.  More than all of that I love turning on some happy music and hiding out in my craft room.  My desk looks out the window and over the buildings to the river outside.  It is so…hmmm, what’s the right word?  Peaceful.  It is so peaceful in here.  I am also the owner/founder/resident crafter at my Etsy shop Peace, Love and Roses where you will see some of my creations.  So grab a margarita, take a look through my shop and enjoy.