Normal Mess

Snip, Snip Here, Snip, Snip There....

Yes, I said Normal Mess. This is proof that our silhouettes really are cut by us. I make such a mess, and then I leave it. Makes me feel like I have accomplished something. 

This latest mess is from our new custom personalized dog prints. They really are a lot of fun, like having our own kennel, so much fun naming them...and the best part is we don't have to go on "scoop" patrol....if you know what I mean.

Rainy Days... Don't get me down!

Call me crazy, but I love a good rainy day!  Something about the pitter patter of rain drops on the window makes me me want to cozy up at home.  That's today, my friends.  A lovely, summer, rainy day.  I clean,  I cook,  I snuggle.  SNUGGLE - Whaaaat!?  Yes I do!  Nothing like two sweet, cute as can be Shiba Inus at my side.  So cuddly.  So cute.  Shop Sister Lesley has designed a new line of Dog Prints, and she started with my beloved Shibas.  They are loyal, they are fierce, they love to cuddle.  How about your dog?? Check them out at the Shop Sister's etsy shop!

Mother's Day

Yep, Mother's Day is coming! Boy, time is flying by this year. April is almost over. We've been cleaning in our "shop"  (you know...the etsy shop) and have some new items stocked on the shelves. Wee sister made some awesome Karate/Tae Kwon Do prints with her silhouettes. How great to frame these and hang them in your child's room, each one printed with the color belt they have achieved, and their name with the date. Sooo cool.
 
Oops, already off the Mother subject. Our Mother isn't around anymore, but is certainly with us in spirit.  In her honor, I still peel the outer layer off of a stalk of celery before using...she had a a thing about that, I can still hear her scolding me..believe me, I don't want to make her mad now!! You also couldn't use the same kitchen towel to dry your hands and then use it for dishes...whoa Nellie, you could be in the doghouse for that one.  If you got her a cup of coffee, be sure you only gave her the yellow cup, even tho the white cups were exactly the same. I always thought she was a little eccentric about these things, but oddly enough, I find I have developed some odd ball rules myself. Couldn't possible be an age thing...could it?!?

You may find some of your parents habits annoying, but trust us, you will miss those scoldings when they are gone, so give your Mama a big hug and make sure you let her know how much you love her (even if she just wacked you on the back of the head for doing something stupid).    



American Jeans

A brief rant from a normally patient and happy Shop Sister: Is it really so much to ask for somebody to sell a pair of nice looking American made jeans?  Wow, I mean... Levis, Lucky Brand, llBeans, Lands End.... on and on.  I used to buy Lucky Brand because they were made in America.  Bought a couple pairs the other day... by the end of the day I had a red rash... husband said, "look at the label, maybe they don't make them in the USA anymore".  Sure enough... made in China.  Then I washed them, and those wrinkles they show where your leg bends... turned into puffs.  Yes, puffs... a half an inch high.  Really?  Oh so expensive jeans just got pitched.  I just don't get it. So I've been searching online for made in America women's jeans.  Well, first of all, if they aren't $300, they're still styled either for a teenager, or for the woman that belts her jeans just under her breasts... oiy.  I thought... of course... llBeans... made in Maine right?  Not so, not so.  I found a site (Diamond Gusset ) that bragged about their made in America jeans... Tennessee made... well, yes, but when I tried to buy my size, I got a message box that said: "Your chosen quantity is not available for ordering. Please come back and order later." So either they sell out quickly... or they were just taunting me!  What's a girl raised on jeans... supposed to do???? OK done ranting.  Don't worry, be happy! 

I Got the Blues...bla bla bla

Boy, I hate when I get into a funk like this.  What is my problem???? I am feeling bored, so I need to start a new project.  So, what I started this morning was really really really cleaning my bedroom,  I am tired of living with the dust bunnies, they are taking over my space and it is time for them to go to outside.
So, that helped my mood a tad.  Now you will never guess what my next project is to brighten my mood, this is a strange one...buy new underwear!!  TA DA!!  How funny is that.  So, tomorrow, when my hubby goes out of town, I am off to the mall, life is looking better;  have the house to myself, have a clean bedroom, have new underwear...and oh yes, one more thing.  New pencil/pen from the office store.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, lightens your load like a new pen/pencil and pad of paper.  True bliss.

And then I am off to my art room to paint, yes, I need to paint...in my new underwear... 

Here is what the Shop Sisters look like when wearing new underwear...HA!! See, we are happy happy happy happy!!

The Little World...

What is this fascination my family has with the little world? My mother's initials were E.L.F., our niece has the same initials, and she just had a baby with name of Aubrey, whose meaning translates to "Elf."  Our father made gorgeous doll furniture - now in the homes of many miniature collectors, and our parents helped establish the Cleveland Miniature society.  My mother had a ceramic elf collection, which she displayed on the mantle every Christmas, they are now divided amongst us siblings.
When I was a child, I made tiny houses, barns, horses, clothes and paper dolls, all out of cardboard. Was our family really pixies in a different life?!?!?
Our etsy shop has many prints of our silhouette cuttings, and now the latest is a wee smaller version of them, 2.5" x 3.5". They look so sweet, you can't stop touching them. Some are inspirational, and need to be on your desk, so you can be reminded of their message every day.

So, I was wondering...do mice really have beds made out of match box holders? You know, hidden behind the walls thru their mice hole...like you see in the cartoons? Who knows? I bet they do...    

Dads-gotta love 'em.

They come in all shapes and sizes, different temperments, different hobbies. Although our Dad never gave us horsey-back-rides, he had a great imagination and was great at making things for us to play with.  He actually made us a merry-go-round and a sliding board when we were kids, our sandbox was really a big old wooden row boat. And he made doll furniture, such beautiful doll furniture.  He wasn't a huggy-kissy kind of Dad, didn't like physical gestures of love, but we knew he loved us.  Funny, you pick and choose the parts of your parents habits and personalities that you want to be a part of who you are. My mother was always so crabby in the morning...no talking to her until she had a truck load of coffee in her. But good old Dad, he would come down the stairs in the morning and give her a loud "Good morning apple pie dumpling", with a big smile on his face, just to get her goat (and believe me...it got her goat.) Anyway, I decided at an early age, I was going to be like my father in the morning, ready for the day and not crabby!!!   We miss both our parents dearly, so be sure to make lots of good memories and give Dad a real big hug and kiss on Father's Day...whether he is a huggy-kissy kind of dad or not!!

Check out our shop for some sweet prints for Father's Day...The Shop Sisters