thank you!

A big thank you to Ellie & Melissa {otherwise known as The Baby Planners} for the kind words about their initial necklaces . . .


And to the editors at Cool Mom Picks. Visit for your chance to win a bel kai designs cherry blossom ring . . .

no more dishpan hands

Yes, I am a little late adding my new product to the shop . . . soon, soon. I have been busy this week getting ready for the show this weekend. And we have been busy as a family getting the house ready for baby. With soon to be four(!) people living and some guests staying through the next few months in our 900-some square foot house, it is absolutely necessary to get organized by finding a place for everything and making sure it all STAYS organized.


I am especially giddy today because it marks the end of nearly 10(!!!) years of marriage that I have been without a dishwasher. I always said that I would definitely get one before having a baby - it just seemed like one of those things that I would desperately want before having kids - and we never got one. But, my parents and sister surprised me last week by telling us that a dishwasher is our "baby gift" and we installed it today. I'm soooo very excited! I am hoping this turns into more cooking or at least, enjoyment of cooking. . . who wants to cook when you have to stand over a huge sink of dishes, pots and pans for another hour after you're done eating? I've been exaggerating with Lance all day today about how much this is going to change our lives . . . E will listen to everything I say, my hands will look younger, my whole house will be cleaner, the sun will shine brighter . . . :)

new product & mother's day orders

New designs making their way to the shop this weekend...


Mother's Day Orders are streaming in...the *LAST* day to order for Mother's Day (custom orders) is April 29th. Thank you!

vintage german glass buttons

Here are some of the buttons I picked up at the antique flea market last weekend...



...aren't they beautiful? They remind me of pretty glass doorknobs you see in old homes. They are made from vintage german glass and catch the light beautifully. I'm having fun with them and hope to add new limited edition pieces to the shop in the next few days.

belly pic

for those of you requesting a belly pic... (this will have to do - my face is looking wider by the minute) :)

a sunny day

I know most of you reading this {my loved ones in the Midwest...with the winter that won't end} won't feel sorry for me, but this week has been *HOT*!! It is a reminder of why I didn't want to be pregnant during the summer again - I didn't think I would have to deal with triple digit temperatures in April. Oh well. E and I made the best of it by spending the morning at one of our favorite beaches: playing in the sand, having a picnic lunch and splashing in the water.
I am spending nap-time by making chocolate chip scones, looking forward to tea with friends and fellow moms tomorrow morning. And, of course, my glass of ice water and lemons isn't far away. These pregnancy cravings are identical to what they were with E...I can't even begin to tell you how many lemons I have consumed over the past few months. And ice? Well, when we were leaving the beach today, I was unfolding "the plan" of what we were doing next to E and proceeded to tell him we were stopping at the store on the way home. And, he says "Ice, Mama?" :) Yes, that's because we are going to the store to get a FULL bag of ice every two days for me to chomp on. I've only met one other mama who has shared this craving. It's definitely keeping me cool this week, though!

weekend recap

We had a very full weekend...we wanted to go on one last getaway before bebe and decided on San Diego for two days to enjoy some time at SeaWorld, relaxing, eating yummy food and enjoying the beautiful weather & sunshine. We had a really nice time, but it sure was exhausting {especially for me}.

I always forget how much I love zoos and parks where you can see animals up close and personal. For me, it's a reminder of my Creator....His imagination and creativity astound me....and make me laugh. :) Flamingos are funny looking creatures, don't you think? Here are some photos of just a few of the animals we saw...


SeaWorld has a really fun area for little kids - complete with a few rides and song/dance from Sesame Street characters, which E loved! We played in the sand, ate cotton candy, had a nice lunch and went swimming when we got back to our hotel. Let me rephrase...we put E in the pool where he proceeded to scream and cry and cling to dada until we let him out. Guess he needs to get used to pools...

We took our time driving up the coast on our way home and made a little stop at a park in Solana Beach...

And, yes, I was there - but obviously the photographer. Plus...I'm taking up a lot of the photo these days. {No one wants to see that.} :)

Today, after church, E and I went to the Antique Flea Market held in Long Beach every month - on a search for...you guessed it...more antique and vintage findings for beautiful new things! We found some, but unfortunately, the heat won out and we went home earlier than I wanted to. It was *HOT* today and being almost 8 months pregnant with a fussy 2 year old wasn't my idea of a nice afternoon. I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Les Boutons

If you are wondering what I've been up to since giving you a glimpse of these . . .

First and foremost - let me tell you - I have recently been inspired by Susan Beal's recent book Button It Up and blog. The projects she has come up with using vintage buttons are so creative and beautiful - after the tiniest peek of her creations and ideas, I set out on my own adventure to local thrift and vintage stores to find old buttons that I could re-use to make *new* jewelry and accessories. Lucky for me, I live down the street from Retro Row and am already building up quite a stash of beautiful vintage finds. Also lucky for me is the fact that my sister {with her youngest nursing daughter in tow} was about to jet-set off to Paris for a 4-day rendezvous with her husband. Once I got over the jealousy, I set her on mission to find more buttons for me. I've heard stories of the Paris flea market and the bins of treasures you can uncover there. Not only did she make a trip to the flea market for me and bring a handful of beautiful and unique buttons {some vintage, some even handmade}, she also sent a box of chocolate truffles and a scarf. Thank you sis!

Every day since receiving the package in the mail from her, I go over to my plate - full of buttons - running them through my hands and wonder what to make with which ones - and sad that there are so few! I grow quite attached to one-of-a-kind buttons and beads, it is often hard for me to even want to use them in a piece of jewelry to sell since I would love to keep them all as my own. :)

I have been busy creating and here is a snapshot of what I have made so far ::


You can find them for sale here.

You may have noticed the new button on the right hand column of my blog - "one-of-a-kind jewelry" - well, it is just that! There are times I run across beads or findings that come in limited supply, but I just can't pass them up. So, the jewelry you will find there is truly limited. Lucky for you! It's kinda fun that it didn't come from Target and you won't see others walking around with the same piece. When it's gone, it's gone - so if you see something you like, you may not want to wait. Just saying...

more easter fun

Although it's a gloomy day, we had a lovely time with many friends today at a local park, playing, snacking and running around in another easter egg hunt. It was a perfect excuse for my favorite "nest" cupcakes... white cake mix, whipped vanilla frosting, toasted coconut and topped with eggs. Yum!!!


* Really going to try and post new product this weekend. Check back!! *

Mother's Day Event

I am participating in a local Mother's Day Event next month . . . here are the deets ::



If you live in the Long Beach area, stop by, we'd love to see you! Sip some wine while viewing artwork of Lisa Dawson, shop {with discounts!} the fine goods at The Kids are Alright and The Outfit. You can also see some of my recent work firsthand and place orders for last minute personalized Mother's Day necklaces.

** By the way, this would be a great flyer to print out and accidentally leave out for husband to see {heck, you probably should just tape it to his forehead...he won't miss it there} since this is a perfect opportunity for him to shop LOCAL, save money and find the *perfect* gift for you for Mother's Day. I'm just saying... **

easter party {#1}

Yesterday, we went to our first easter party this week {out of 3!} and we had so much fun! The decorations were beautiful, the food was really great and the kids enjoyed themselves with an Easter egg hunt, a craft and decorating sugar cookies. Thanks Rachael {party planner extraordinaire}!

** Note the picture of E with his hand in his pocket {so GQ}...he is, all of the sudden, fascinated with pockets and anytime he is wearing pants that the pocket is easy to get into...that's where you'll find his hand. :) **

my sprinkle

My dear friends held a sprinkle for me and baby over the weekend. It was small and intimate and it included good friends, really yummy food {including cupcakes...my friends know me well!}, prayer for baby on the way and conversation with no interruptions! :) A great way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon, I think! This pregnancy is flying by and I can hardly believe I only have 8 weeks left. Since this is my 2nd and another boy, I don't need much this time around, but I am so appreciative of my friends for taking the time to celebrate baby boy with me!

three dollars

I enjoyed an unexpected afternoon out all by myself today - - Lance is under the weather and ended up taking the day off - - so I went out during E's nap today to walk some, enjoy the sunshine and browse some local shops. I decided to splurge on myself and spent $3 on a chocolate peanut butter cupcake from here and it was pretty much heaven. I was convinced that it was the best $3 I had spent all day...until....


...I stopped into a local thrift & vintage shop to look for buttons and other odds & ends that I can make *new* again and I spotted this old fire truck as soon as I stepped in the door. E is currently obsessed with sirens {much to our chagrin} :) and I thought it was worth taking a look at. Well, it was only two dollars and fifty cents and let's see...I've been home for about 2 hours with zero interruptions - E is b-u-s-y! I think that's one of the best things about little kids -- you can spend so little and make such a difference in their day. He is so happy! He keeps saying "thank you mama" - melts my heart. It always renews my faith and patience for buying thrift when I find a great deal - - but unfortunately, that's not always the case - - it's definitely hit and miss. So, now I'm thinking that the best $3 that I spent today was most definitely the firetruck...as good as that cupcake was. Have a great weekend!

{I'm working on new pieces constructed from vintage & handmade buttons straight from my sisters' recent visit to Paris...I may have them up next week...keep checking back...I can hardly wait!}

daddy days

We have been enjoying three days of having Lance around with nothing on the calendar, other than having fun and getting things done around the house in preparation for baby #2. We've been super successful at both. :)


Yesterday, we had a picnic in Corona del Mar and then went on to Fashion Island in Newport Beach for a little shopping - - one of the things on my agenda was to stop into babystyle - - another casualty from the downturn in the economy. Sad! Such a cute store and they have all sorts of great sales - if you happen to live near one of the few still open, you should visit for great deals!