Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sale in The Striped Straw

A new sale has just started in The Striped Straw! From now until November 26th, you can save 20% on all pieces. Also, free shipping is still going on. Woo Hoo! See below for the coupon codes.

Stunning Blossom in Peacock Necklace

When you check out from my Shop, use coupon codes SAVE20 and FREESHIPPING. Please let me know if you have any problems using these coupons. Enjoy!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Ship Your Blossoms (and Poinsettias) for Free

Hello! Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away? This fall, and November especially, has zipped right on by. I've been busy adding new pieces to The Striped Straw. I've featured a few of them here. See more here

As you begin your holiday shopping, I have some very good news. First, I now accept credit cards and Etsy gift cards in my Shop. Paypal is also still an option. Yay! Second, for a limited time, there is free shipping in my Shop. Enter coupon code FREESHIPPING when you check out. Double Yay! 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!


Charcoal Blossom and Filigree Ring

Blossom Necklace in Ice Blue

Red Poinsettia Dangle Earrings

Flower Hair Pin in Marine Blue and Mango

Blossom Necklace in Charcoal


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Still Here. Still Creating. Still Busy. Still Blessed.

Hello! My sweet friend Tessie had an open house for The Striped Straw in August (thank you Tess!!!) and I have been busy making the custom orders below as a result of the open house. It was such a fun time and a blessing to spend that time with friends, new and old. I've been busily working on a few other custom orders as well as creating new items to restock my Shop. All in good time. I am determined to put first things first this year and give priority to my family and homeschooling. I have three little ones who won't be little forever and I want to give them, and my husband, the best of me. I did not excel at that last fall. As one of my Cs recently said, "No offense Mom, but last year was kind of a flop." And he was right. But God is good and His mercies are new everyday. Where I flop, God lifts up and redeems. So, here's to making good use of time, enjoying loved ones, and allowing creativity to blossom and flourish without taking over. Happy Saturday to you!





Monday, July 9, 2012

Checking In From Busytown

Hello!

It's been quite a while since I've been here. My apologies for being MIA. We've been really busy, mostly having fun, with another two weeks of crazy busy on the horizon. But more about that later. I'd love to catch up and hear how you're doing. Did you have a good 4th of July? We went to a parade in my hometown village with my mom-in-law and some families from our community group at church. It was fun, not too-too hot, and the rest of the day was pretty relaxing. And then on the 5th, a whole host of my loved ones on my dad's side came into town and we had a big family get-together in honor of my aunt and uncle's birthdays. It was so good to see everyone, chat as much as we could, and meet some of my cousins' children for the first time. With everyone living in separate states, we don't get together that often so it was a really special time.

The other big enchilada that's been keeping me busy is Vacation Bible School at our church. My husband and I have the privilege of helping direct VBS and it begins one week from today. Yikes! We spend months planning for VBS and then it's here before we know it. Kind of like running a marathon and then sprinting to the end. Actually, I'm feeling the pre-race jitters of excitement and a bit of nervousness. To keep from dwelling on that, I'm praying, first and foremost, and then staying busy.

One of my favorite projects that I do right before VBS is make t-shirts for our Core Committee. I usually put the VBS logo on the shirts and then draw or write something that reflects that person, often with some touches of humor that are obvious only to us as a team. The team now refers to the various things that are shared among us as t-shirt fodder. And that's about right. T-shirt fodder. All in good fun.

In my spare time, I've also made some new items for my Shop, with more to come. I've also been working on a number of custom orders, which is always a fun challenge. I'll see what I can post this week.

Some of the things I'm loving right now: homemade guacamole (with chips or as a spread for a lettuce wrap), refreshingly cooler weather + rain, and my middle C's perspective that swimming = vacation (when I mentioned we have plans to swim this week, he grinned and said, "we've had so many vacations this summer!")

I hope you're enjoying your summer. I'll hopefully be back sooner rather than later. Until then, take care!



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Orange and White

Orange and white stripes...one of my favorite combos right now. I just added these guys to my Shop...


I decided to add a fun detail to the back of these earrings thus the heart design. It's like a tatoo for your earrings. Next assignment: make a pair for myself. ASAP.



Blossom Necklace in Ice Blue


Introducing my latest Blossom Necklace. This one is in a favorite color of mine, Ice Blue. The necklace is 36" so a stylishly long necklace. I hope you enjoy it!

More blossom necklaces and other little pretties here.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A Sweet Birthday

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Walnut Pecan Crust

Today was a big day in our home because it was my husband's birthday. My husband is gentle and kind and thoughtful and godly and fun. I just love him. He's had some really tough days at work lately so I wanted to really make his day extra special. He requested cheesecake for his birthday so I happily honored that request. To my immense relief, the cheesecake turned out well. See the recipe below. My 3Cs were so excited that it was daddy's birthday. They each made him an original something special out of Legos. Our littlest C made a little restaurant with two people eating enchiladas. Cute, no? (Can you tell we live in the Southwest where chile is practically ground up and put in a baby's bottle?) Our middle C made a boat and a jet...so boyishly fun. And our oldest C made his daddy a Lego ipad. So cool. He worked on it for hours and was so excited to give it to his daddy. All of their creations were a big hit. I framed a few of my husband's recent photos (he has a great eye for photography) and got him a few other little things. My mom-in-law joined us for dinner and we had a nice time together. It's my prayer that our love would wash away some of the stress and exhaustion he feels from his 12 hour work days. We love you!

Lego ipad


For the (gluten free) cheesecake recipe...

Friday, June 22, 2012

Pretty Pairing

I love tote bags. They're fun and functional. My real trouble with them is that they're so easy to throw things into that I don't always get around to clearing them out. It gets a bit grub down at the bottom. But then it's time to just shop for a new one, right? (kidding) But whether I really need a new one or not, I'd still like to grab this tote and pair it with these earrings






Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Brick Floors

The details in this gorgeous German home have my heart all aflutter...









In addition to loving the soothing white interior, the brick floors reminded me of my hometown village of Corrales. Many of the adobe homes have red brick floors as does the library. The bricks give such a timeless feel to a space. Love it! And who isn't tempted to play with that gigantic chess set? Weapons in the hands of my 3Cs, no doubt, but tempting nonetheless.

*Via one of my all time favorites, Bliss.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Post-Vacation Smoothies



Hello! We've been out on a little vacation and family get-together. We attended a surprise birthday party for my aunt over the weekend. The get-together wasn't a surprise but the fact that it was for my aunt and a month ahead of her birthday was a surprise and a lovely one at that. My mom has three sisters and the sisters planned a great party with yummy food, summery decorations and a slideshow of the guest of honor . Another big hit was the jib jab card that my cousin put together. Hilarious. My 3Cs love their cousins, big and small, and had their fill of wrestling around with the grown cousins and swimming in the hotel pool with their little cousins. Father's Day was celebrated in there and then it was time to head home. So, what is one to serve hungry husband and kids for breakfast after being gone all weekend? Why chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies of course! Yes, I winged it but they were tasty. Here's what I did...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
1 very ripe banana
3/4 cup of chocolate chips, melted
Couple of tablespoons of natural peanut butter stirred into melted chocolate
Vanilla almond milk
Crushed Ice
Melt chocolate chips in microwave and stir in peanut butter. Add ice, almond milk, banana, and chocolate peanut butter to the blender and blend away. Serves 4.


Not bad in a pinch. And now off to the grocery store.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Get your Glossy On

Introducing a new style to my Shop...




These pieces have a fun glossy and dimensional look to them. They're really fun to create and I can't wait to make more. The charcoal and white are no longer available but I'm sure they'll be back in the Shop soon along with other colors. Do you like?

Making Memories

Hello! Hope your weekend was lovely. Our dear, dear friends have been in town over the weekend and we've had a great time with them. We did a day trip to Bandelier National Monument, which was really cool. We also picnicked in Los Alamos and visited the Bradbury Science Museum that showcases the history and current research of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The highlights of our time with our friends were, of course, the time we got to talk and catch up and the fact that our kids played together like they had last seen each other yesterday instead of a year ago. It's so sweet. We so wished we could spend more time together. But I'm grateful for the time we do have. We have a dream of one day living on the same street together. Doing ministry together. Playing tennis together on into our 80s. Here's to making memories with good friends and hopes that your summer will bring loved ones your way.




Thursday, June 7, 2012

Geometric Charcoal & White Dangle Earrings

One of my favorite color combinations is charcoal gray and white. Here's one pair I've recently added to my Shop...

Geometric Charcoal & White Dangle Earrings

The geometric design is inlaid and topped with a matte finish. They were fun to make and I'm itching to get back to the "studio", (aka any available nook or corner I can hijack for my crafting.) I'm close to adding some other new styles soon. So excited about it! Stay tuned...

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Trio of Two-Wheeler Art

My 3Cs love to ride their bikes. I enjoy riding too and my husband is a true cyclist. But since it's warming up right now, I'd rather sit and look at cool bicycle prints rather than sweat it out in the middle of the day on a bike. Terrible, I know. Anyhoo, I'm loving this little trio of bicycle prints. 




Beauty is in the Street by Bianca Gomez (love!)
Banana Seater from oohmoon (a favorite!)

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Sail into June

Isn't Scout Creative's June calendar awesome? I want to hop aboard this cute little boat and go on an adventure. To create your own sailboat, click here for the free download.


Mint Mania

Despite my love for mint, I haven't been able to get my hands on any until recently. And now I'm having a bit of mint mania in my Shop. Here's a sneak peek. Check out more here.

Heart Hair Pins in Mint & White

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Mediterranean Colors

Here's a look at my current packaging for my Shop. I'm loving this combination of blue, yellow and tan.  It feels like summer to me with a nod to Mediterranean influences.




And speaking of Mediterranean colors, here are some earrings I made as a custom order to match a necklace in my Shop.


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

A Summer Bouquet

I've been filling bits of time here and there on some new pieces and new concepts. Sadly, I don't yet have much to show for my work. But I did manage to pop this little bouquet in my Shop just in time for summer. Mango, Green Apple, Pink. I'm suddenly craving some sorbet.

Little Bloom Hair Pins

3 Little Treasures

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. We had a pretty low-key weekend due to work schedules but I always appreciate down time. My husband and I did get away for a date night (we saw Men in Black 3 - funny!) and then had a nice visit with two of my aunts. Our 3Cs were non-stop entertainment and chatter. Another unexpected highlight was taking a long walk with my oldest C yesterday. We had a lovely talk about nothing in particular and just enjoyed some mom and son time together.
Our hearts were also saddened this weekend with the passing of my sister-in-law's mother. She was a lovely woman who will be greatly missed. Taking time to savor moments with my own boys is definitely on my heart and mind. Aren't they awesome?



May your week be filled with memorable times with your special ones.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Pretty Pairing

Good morning! Here's a beautiful little clutch that I think would make a fun pair with my Heart Hair Pins in Neon Pink and Gold. Also, another look with a clutch and neon pairing.



More heart hair pins here.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I Heart the Little Moments

I added a little glam to this glass vanilla bottle and I plan to fill it with little sprigs from the garden.

Life has smoothed out a bit and we're sailing into summer. Unhurried mornings. Lots of time outside. Bike rides. Time to breathe. As my margin of free time has increased in these last couple of days, I find myself noting and taking pleasure, and sometimes finding humor, in the little things. I've loved seeing my oldest son's heart for God and for other people shining forth lately. I've also gotten a kick out of him discovering that if we comb and spray his hair in the morning, his hair will look good all day long. I think it's a small admission that Mom may know a thing or two. I've also loved seeing my boys re-discover the freedom of wearing flip flops because I think their little bare feet are so cute. At the same time, those little toes can pack a wallop that stinks up an entire room. My middle C grudgingly went to wash his feet before bed last night and came back flip flopping with a sheepish grin on his face because he had to acknowledge the absolute necessity of washing his feet. Funny. And again, perhaps a small nod towards Mom and Dad knowing what they're talking about. I've loved seeing our two oldest boys learning to play the piano with their Ma K (my mom-in-law.) They each played a duet with her yesterday and that was really cool. Before my oldest son played, my mom-in-law warned me that her part was written in a chord that didn't sound good so the duet wasn't going to sound great. They played and I heard what she meant; it was a bit discordant. But as soon as they finished, my youngest C said, "That was awkward." Funny boy. He's got a quick wit and he keeps us entertained. He'll sometimes call me "mi rosa", "my rose" in English. He started doing it again yesterday, and I love it. A sweet sentiment but it's really all in his delivery. He bends his body over in half and then comes up and flings his arms up the air as he says, "mi rosa!" Adorable, funny and utterly unique. Yes, these are the little moments that fill my heart and my life.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Sea and Sun

When I saw this summer house in Sicily, I just had to take a moment to soak it in. 




Ahh...that's better. My mind needed a little trip to this place of cerulean waters and white washed walls.  I love the cheerful pops of blue and yellow, the gorgeous tile everywhere, the furniture that looks like it's been beautifully soaked in history, and that dreamy bedroom. I can almost feel the warmth of the sun and a gentle sea breeze. Soothing to my soul. More loveliness here.

Images by adriano bacchela via 79 ideas.