Little Bit

While at Anthropologie in New York in November, I picked up three mercury glass votives.  I have been wanting to decorate a bottle just a bit so this was a good place to start.  The kind and generous Allison from Dishy Vintage shared a HUGE stash of vintage laces in a blog giveaway recently so I used that as background and made a rosette from music paper and added some glitter to the edges.  I think rosettes are one of my favorite things.  On Saturday I had a chance to stop at the Sunshine Resale shop in Bellaire and they had 25% off jewelry so I picked up a few pieces including this rhinestone cluster, which was part of an earring.  I don't have much jewelry in my stash, but this stuff was $3/pair so I thought that was fair.  I added some pale pink seam binding and called it done.  Its in the kitchen now, holding sugar.  One down, two to go. 

I'm in the process of changing jobs - something that happened quickly and from out of the blue.  But a nice shade of blue, that is for sure.  I start Dec 29th.  I've been at the same place for five years and boy, I've been riding the roller coaster of emotions.  Especially when you have worked in your industry for 30+ years and have no children, your work is pretty darn important.  Or at least you think it is!  At our Christmas party this year, our President made mention of the various departments and said some very kind and nice things about me.  It made my heart sing.  And still has for days later.  It is so nice to be appreciated, even if it is as you are walking out the door.  I'm so looking forward to CHANGE in 2011.  I'm giving up familiarity, not to mention some great business trips but who knows what will replace them.  I can't wait to see.

Round and Round

Lots of news happening on Northampton.  I finished two projects - whoo hooo!  Wanna see? 

We started these last weekend on Black Friday during the scrapathon at my house and I finished during the week.  You can see my map one turned out slightly different than the original creation, which was perfect.  I'm not perfect and I didn't make "good" cones.  Learn from me, people.  I debated on the white one whether to add little bits of bling in the middle and decided to leave them as it.  You could easily glitter/mica flake the edges...  You can also make them from paper.  For the map wreath I started with a cardboard circle and the white wreath was a twig wreath from Hob Lob and I had a flannel remnant so I used that.  Improvise, thats what I say!  I stapled the map cones to the cardboard and flattened them but that looked dumb so I stuck tissue paper inside the cones.  The airmail stamp came from the Graphics Fairy. 

Have you heard the news?  Rachel is moving to Round Top...its true!  According to Cote de Texas she bought this house and will be redoing it.  What are the chances of staying in the abode?  Thinking slim.  none.  but fun to dream!

After a sweet visit with my Mother, that hopefully will include a haircut, I'm going to be making Cream of Cilantro soup, which is one of her favorites.  Its a very simple soup (and you don't have to chop the leaves, just throw them in the blender sans stems.  I love it and the weather is perfect soup weather.  I don't have my recipe book, someone who shall remain nameless packed it up with their stuff last weekend and so I'm resorting to online recipes, which I am thinking is the same one.  And I'm cranky from battling a cold/sinus/sore throat bug even though I've stayed home 3 days and babied it.  Can you tell?

While the soup is simmering, I'm hoping to make a few Christmas blocks ala Miz Juney... My last stop at Home Depot on a Monday night yielded 25 blocks from a $1 remnant.  No joke. 

I know I still have New York details to spill.  One of my favorite things from the shopping on Saturday was these dolls that Molly Nay purchased (one) at Bergdorf Goodman. OH The Inspiration!  I have found a couple of heads/feet in Glenflora and now I'm searching for the perfect vessels for the body or maybe a rhinestone lipstick case... Such fun.