vol.25

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone stopping by today. :) Jaydon came down with a bad cold a couple days ago... I was worried it would spread to the rest of us by evening, so we had to cancel our halloween party. Oh well, such is life.... On the bight side,  I guess I already have decorations purchased for next Halloween. :)

My princess is super girl, and boy is she ever playing the part! She is standing with her hands on her hips, and her fist forward as she "fly's" :) Her daddy showed her a short clip ( on the computer) of the real super girl. I had completely forgot that she had blonde hair. I think I was confusing her with wonder woman. Trin was needless to say impressed, and even more excited about her costume. I finally quit hearing about her needing to be a princess, as she is every year! :)

Anyhow, I have some cleaning to do and some cookies to decorate, so I'll make this short!!

btw- thanks for all the comments on the progress of our home, I appreciate it! :)

Happy Halloween!!

Our home... some history

I dont think I have ever posted before pictures of the girls' room... or very many before pictures of the house at all... but believe you me... I definitely have them. To say this house was thrashed would be somewhat of an understatement. I can still remember standing in the front yard of the house, after a quick showing of the house. We had asked my parents to come along for a second opinion... and I can still hear my dad saying "it looks like a big job" He was sooo right, but we were MORE then determined to make this house work.

The house was built in 1892, and was loaded with character... but it had ended up as a bank foreclosure, and we purchased it through HUD so we got a really good deal on the home. We had just 3 weeks to make the house livable. We did all the work ourselves, only enlisting help from family and friends. Trin spent quite a bit of her time at Grandma's while I painted and did odd things during the day. At night Jaydon would come home and we would work on the house until 2-3:00 in the morning. She also spent some time with me watching a portable dvd player in this little play pen. :) She was such a good baby.

isnt she soo cute? :)

Here is a side by side of the room from a similar angle. The doors still need refinished. It took us a bunch of work, but we did get it done just in the nick of time. There are some things that still need finished. The kitchen for one... and the utility room, but I couldnt be happier with how everything else turned out.

Here is the bathroom before (after tearing up the old floor) Can you believe that trim?

and after... This really isnt the best picture, but you get the idea. ;)

Here is the girls' room again, their shoe cabinets finally installed. Along with the hooks from ikea. She has a few of these princess dresses, and they are always getting switched out. The artwork is by Trin, and hangs on a nail. This way I can switch out her new paintings without actually removing or touching the hanging frame. Love that! After months I can almost officially say her room is done. I say almost because we do still have (1) major task to accomplish... the restoration of those original hardwoord floors. We already have the stain, it is just a matter of finding the time.

Here is the wardrobe project I had posted about MONTHS ago. This picture shows the lines in place, and the birds where they were going to stay. :) It was actually super easy to get them applied. The hardest part was mapping out where exactly I wanted everything to go. I purchased these from one up designs on etsy. He was super nice to work with, and lengthened the lines a little for me at no additional charge. :) I was able to split the lines in half this way, and apply it as shown. :)

 Here is a close up of the birds on their hinged tape. :)

and at last the final project!!! I love how it turned out, a simple way to dress up an ikea wardrobe. The one you see here is the Odda Wardrobe I love it to pieces, it has a BUNCH of room inside, I'll have to take pictures. We set it up so that Journey has closet space on one side, and Trin on the other. :)

This last picture I thought was kinda neat. Mirrors also from Ikea. I believe they are labeled as the Krabb mirror.
 

I also jumped on the bandwagon, and organized Trinity's books by color. :) We'll see how long they stay that way... I'll try and post more before and afters, and also get in some more detailed shots of the room. :)

finally! New art!

This print was actually started back in august... but I couldnt seem to get it just right. Every now and then I have that problem with a particular print, but finally it turned out perfect! I dont generally use purple, so I wasnt sure how it would work out, but I am actually really happy with the end result! Its hard to believe that October is almost over, and this is only the second print I have finished... Of course I *have* photographed and listed a couple sets of christmas cards, and have designed quite a few stamps... so I guess October wasnt a bust after all. :)

what is everyone planning for halloween? We are having a "little party" over at our place. I am going to be putting together some treat bags for the kids, and I really should start on that tomorrow! I went into Michaels saturday night, and they had halloween stuff marked down by 70% already! I scored some really cute martha stewart decorations. :)

We also finally finished up Trinity's room. Well, almost. We still need to re-finish her hardwood floors, and repaint her bedroom door, but the last of the ikea stuff has been assembled and hung. I snapped some pictures today, maybe I can get them posted tomorrow. :)

Oh- and I was wondering how many of you spotted the new subscribe graphic in the top right corner of the blog? I was so proud of myself when I came up with that idea... and believe it or not I didnt hurt myself in the process. ;)

Holiday postcards

So, here they are! If you knew me when my etsy shop was SparksFly then you just may remember these postcards. :) I ordered 500 of them last year... so even though they were popular then... I still have some left! So, I decided to deeply discount these... at .50 cents a postcard. Not only will you save in the cost, but you will also save on shipping... since of course it costs a little less to mail a postcard as it does to mail a card. :)

They are double sided complete with lines to insure you fill these out according to the post office's specifications. I had intended on puttin these in our local art gallery... but like most of my ideas (that require approaching people) it never happened. :)

I did go in and speak with the owner once already, and I was supposed to return with more merchandise but it was waaay before I became pregnant, and life just seemed to get busier and busier. :) I would still love to go back in, I just need to set some time aside and make it a point to stop back in.

These postcards are available as a 20 pack or 50 pack. If you would like a larger quantity, just drop me a line. I'll be more then happy to create you a reserved listing.

a super sweet write up...

Morning everyone! I have a couple posts planned for today, my first post is somewhat of a thank you to two very sweet people. :)

First of all a great big thank you to Tess for giving me the idea and inspiration for the piece... "you only live once."

It is safe to say that it is one of my personal favorites, and has been pretty popular among you guys as well. :)

My second thank you is for Lori of Elvie studio. She chose vol25 as her inspiration this monday! :) She had only the sweetest things to say and it really really made me smile this morning. Thanks a bunch!

I am finding her blog to be a source of inspiration. I mean, how cute is this mixed media tic tac toe piece? I love it! :)

Well, thats it for now... I have some things I am needing to get done around the house, I'll try and pop in a little later for that second post. I just finished listing some more Christmas cards... postcards to be exact, and some of you who followed my blog before I became vol.25 may remember these from my previous shop "sparksfly" :)

Holiday Cards are here...

Hello everyone, did you have a good weekend? Ours was nice! Saturday night we went out for dinner at the Outback and it fulfilled two of my cravings, coconut shrimp, and alice spring chicken... yum! I am getting hungry just thinking about...

Anyhow, before I raid the fridge for a late night snack I thought I would let you all know that the Christmas cards are now in the shop.

Well, half of them are. See, my order came in. I ordered 250 of one design, and 250 of another design. The one design "let it snow" came in with an extra 50 cards... but I was completely missing "sweet tooth" I was definitely disappointed! A  quick call to my printing company, confirmed it... the other batch hadn't even been shipped yet. Oh well, I suppose I have an extra 50 cards out of the deal? So... rather then wait, I decided to go ahead and list the first design. I do plan to offer some in a split pack as well (with the 20 and 50 quantity)... so if you are having a hard time deciding between the two, hopefully that will simplify things. :)

I am offering them in quantities of 5, 20 and 50. If your hoping for another quantity, just let me know! I will gladly create you a reserved listing. Well, I am going to sign off for the night, you know where I am headed... ;)

Hosting another giveaway...

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you know I am hosting a giveaway over at "within the corners of my kitchen"

 We are giving away a free 8x10 print for simply commenting on her original post, letting her know which print you would choose, if chosen. :) How easy is that? You only have until Tuesday October 28th, to get your comment in before she chooses a name, so dont delay! :)

Remember to be eligible... you need to comment on her actual blog under the giveaway post found HERE

In other news- My Christmas cards are due to arrive today! I already have an idea of how I plan to photograph them, so *hopefully* it will not take too long to get them listed!

More big news!!

Hello! Well, I am finally making time to share with you that juicy little tidbit of information... I have been working on a big new project with a super nice lady named Emily. See, Emily owns stamping bella, an online stamping shop (as well as her own brick and mortar store) you can find here.

A few weeks back emily found me while browsing etsy, and contacted me about participating in a new (passion) venture of her own... "SCRAPPING bella" (you can see her blog post about the new adventure HERE) There were a few things that needed coordinated and some specifics needed worked out, since I am now being represented by an agent...  but my agent, Joan was super easy to work through, and the project is now well underway. My collection has been labeled "vol25 by Jessica Rose" and 10 of those stamps have been released into stamping bella. My collection is available HERE: :) See the shiny new logo for packaging, graphics etc.? :)

When Emily told me her plans for her new online scrapbooking shop, I knew I really wanted to participate. She has lots in store for her new shop... and I am looking forward to being a part of it! I am not sure how much I can share with you all (just yet) so I am going to be safe, and keep a tight lid on the subject. I CAN tell you though, Emily seems very motivated in anything she does, and she doesnt officially launch anything until she really has something "to write home about" :) We have a BUNCH of shiny new images waiting to be put to rubber. I compare emily to a squirrel (even though she seems to hate them) stockpiling on images, and currently she has a pile large enough to last her a COUPLE winters. :) If you ever feel there is a shortage of journaling blocks available for scrapbooking, then you are going to really enjoy scrapping bella. ;) I'll be giving you updates on the progress of the new shop, she has an estimated opening date of Dec. 1st. Lets hope!

Collaborating with Emily has been super stress free. Our taste seems to be in line with one another, she gives me an idea, I sketch it out... and 9 times out of ten, she thinks it is perfect. So, that has been a huge time saver on my part.

Do you have stamp ideas you would love to add to your collection? If so, drop me a description here in the comments section. I'll run it by Emily and see if we cant get that particular stamp added to the collection... that is unless of course she already has something similar in the shop now! ;)

Well, thats my juicy news... and one of the reasons the blog has been getting a tad neglected. My house and family for some odd reason get put before "THE blog" ;) I hope everyone is enjoying the nice fall weather!!

5 years together!

Happy Anniversary to us! Yep! On saturday, Jaydon and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. For those who may not know our story, here it is: We met in Grand junction Colorado at a mutual friends BBQ. Since I had to fly back to Washington two days after meeting him, we talked on the phone ALOT... he flew out 2 weeks later and spent a week here in Washington. He asked me to marry him on July 3rd. Just three short weeks after meeting each other. We had a 3 month long engagement, and tied the knot on October 18th 2003! We both felt that if we knew we were meant for each other why wait? We have our differences, but are perfect for each other. We kind of balance each other out.


He wanted to carry me down the aisle, and warned me at the rehearsal... I wasnt sure if it was good that he warned me or not. :) It was good in the sense that we were able to practice, but bad cause it was one more thing I worried about all night clear up until the point I was actually walking down the aisle. "What if you drop me, or my dress gets caught?" After it was all said and done, I was glad we did it. It helped add a little something extra at the end. Oh- and another little tid-bit you may think is completely odd (but you would just have to know Jaydon) our walk out song was "his cheeseburger" a love song by the veggie tales. :) Completely random (Uh-Oh, I seem to be picking that phrase up from my sister in-law... Shaela I love you, but your the random queen! ;)



So, we had a nice quiet evening at home. Something came up with family, so were not able to take our trip to Seattle this time, but we are hoping to sometime this spring. :) Dinner plans will hopefully come next weekend, when it will be more convenient to leave the girls with my parents! Things are kind of getting busy around here. Mom and dad have purchased property, and are just beginning to start the foundation on their new house. Tomorrow in fact Jaydon, dad, and my brother-in-law will be starting it. :) Mom and dad are planning a tuscany styled home. We have soo many gorgeous wineries in our area, and they are taking inspiration from the stucco styled buildings. My dad is a framer, carpenter, and also an architect, so they have some creative plans for the house, that are super neat! I'll be posting about those plans another day though. ;)

Its late, the house is quiet and I think I have exhausted my me time for the night... I'll try and be back tomorrow with that big news I keep teasing you about!

Free holiday tags

Hello!

I *think* I just may have finally figured out how to bring you all some long awaited free download-able goodies! So, it took some severe googling, and a little digging in my brain to remember how to create a pdf (had to remind myself originally to introduce the new embroidery patterns into the shop last week)  but creating the pdf was the easy part... the hard part seemed making it actually available to download via the net.

Here's hoping the link provided and the whole process works for you! Please be sure and let me know if you have any problems!

So... the first fun project I have for you, is these super sweet holiday tags featuring lyrics from "let it snow," one of my favorite songs. :) You should be able to download the tags HERE. I find these to coordinate perfectly with these tags:

These other tags will be available for sale in the shop hopefully by thursday afternoon! :) See... they work really well together.

Well, I know it feels like Fall just started... BUT... one can never prepare for Christmas too early... at least I dont *think* so. :)

I have many many more things planned for you in the way of download-able freebies... recipe cards, coloring pages, bunches of stuff, so stay in touch!

Oh- and I'll be back tomorrow with the super good news I told you about... although I think some of you already know by now! ;)