Southern Girl Florals

Break From Blog-Land

2009-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

I have taken a break from blog-land. First of all, blogger has been freaking out on me lately and it has gotten really annoying, and second, I have been crafting my butt off!

I have received so many custom requests from my Southern Girl Weddings site! I am very excited about my new venture and I love working with all 0f these lovely brides to be! In fact one of the brides that I worked with received her bridal hair piece in the mail and then blogged about it. She included pictures of her wearing the hair piece and everything! I have to be honest, it made me tear up a bit to see those pictures. No one has ever sent me pictures of them wearing one of my designs before and it really touched me. You can check out her post here.

I have also been adding more inventory to my shop. Here are some of my favorite bouquets:

Purple Peacock

Eat Drink and Be Married

Meant to Be

I hope that I will be able to balance my shop, my life and my blog, but if I am absent again for a while, you will know why!

Free Business Cards

2009-08-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Overnight Prints is offering 500 Business Cards for FREE. Yeah, that's right I said free! You only have to pay the shipping price which came out to be $9.86 for me.

They are one-sided business cards and you can even upload your own image. Here's what mine look like:

I am super excited and I can't wait to get them!

Featured on Etsy's "The Storque"

2009-08-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Southern Girl Weddings was featured on Etsy's Blog "The Storque". I am so excited!

Here is the bouquet that was featured:

It is truly one of my favorites. I love the magnolias and how realistic they look and feel.

This morning I noticed that I was getting an unusual amount of views and hearts, so I looked for a reason why and saw that sure enough I was featured. You can read the article here. It is a lovely article about weddings and even though I am already married, I just love looking at wedding pictures and finding inspiration for some of my bouquets!

Eclair Cake Recipe

2009-08-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a recipe that I made the other day. I found this Eclair Cake recipe on FoodNetwork.com. It is so delicious and easy to make!

Photo from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Frosting
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Butter the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Line with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

For frosting, blend together sugar and cocoa. Add butter and milk, mixing well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Cover cake with frosting and refrigerate for 24 hours.

i ♥ faces Giveaway

2009-08-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I definitely have a blog crush on i ♥ faces! The photography on there is amazing. There are some really talented photographers and I can spend all day looking at pictures! They are having a giveaway and wait for it, wait for it...

They are giving away Tamron 18-270mm VC zoom lens. This lens totally blows all of my lenses out of the water. It is crazy sweet and I would LOVE to win!

You all can enter the giveaway here.

Taking it for Granted

2009-08-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

You take water for granted until you don't have it - or at least I did! Due to the drought that has plagued this part of the country (Texas), the land has dried so much that it is contracting. Our soil here is mostly clay so anyone familiar with that knows that it causes the houses to shift which can be very damaging. Our house has moved so much this year that there is a gap that spans a couple of inches between our door jam and the top of the door! We were just talking about putting a soaker hose around the house to run at night to prevent the house from shifting too much and breaking any pipes. We are under a water restriction and any watering has to be done at night to conserve.

My husband wakes up this morning and goes to take his shower. He comes back into the bedroom and wakes me up asking if I had any water pressure when I showered last night. I tell him that it was normal. He said that he had absolutely no pressure and was worried that our nightmare had become a reality. When it was light enough to see outside, he went to check our meter to see if it was running indicating that we had a leak somewhere - thankfully it was not. One of our neighbors (who happens to be a fireman) saw him checking the meter and asked if we were having problems with our water pressure. Apparently they were too. He thought there might have been a fire in the neighborhood last night and they had to use the water so the levels were low.

I get up a couple hours later and have absolutely no water at all! I guess I had always taken it for granted that there would be running water whenever I needed it. Luckily we had bottled water which I used to wash my hands and brush my teeth with. I leave the house to go to work and the city has the road that I usually take to work blocked off. It turns out one of the water mains had broke because of the ground shifting. Thankfully they had it repaired by the time we got home from work. We desperately need rain.

Vote for Me!

2009-08-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

If you have some time, I would appreciate it if you would go vote for my photo in the Cat's Corner photography contest. Here is the link: http://amazoncat.blogspot.com/2009/08/competition-entries-time-to-vote.html.

My photo is #1.

Thank you!

Southern Girl Weddings

2009-08-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from the blog world for a while, and it is because I have been working on starting up a second Etsy shop! I am so excited.

Introducing:

Southern Girl Weddings

http://www.SouthernGirlWeddings.etsy.com

I already have five bouquets listed and I am hoping to get some boutonnieres, corsages and hair pieces done.

If you know of anyone getting married and in need of wedding flowers, direct them my way!

Autumn Wreaths on Etsy

2009-07-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have been working hard on getting my autumn wreaths listed in my Etsy shop.

The Gathering Season Wreath

Pumpkin Spice Wreath

Autumn Sunset Wreath

There are a lot of steps involved in listing an item.

The whole process starts when I shop for the materials for my wreath. Sometimes I go into the store with an idea already in my head and other times I pick up a flower and the idea for a wreath is there! I usually spend about an hour in the store perfecting my purchase, and I usually only buy the materials that I need for that particular wreath without buying any extra flowers.

Then I make the wreaths, which can take at least a couple of hours arranging, perfecting, gluing and making sure it looks exactly how I want it to look. This is when I put a girly movie on and get to work!

Then come the product photos - my house is way too dark to take the pictures inside, so I go outside. I have to take the pictures in the morning because I get the best light during that time. It also helps that I have a super-duper awesome camera at my disposal.

I perfect my product photos in Photoshop - cropping, enhancing and tweaking the colors a bit.

I also write out each description and add up the cost of the wreath.

Finally I can list it on Etsy and hope that it finds a good home.

It can be a long drawn out process which is why I am shocked that I have been able to get all of these autumn wreaths listed in this amount of time!

Poco Bueno 2009

2009-07-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy weekend for us. This past weekend was the Poco Bueno Fishing Tournament that is held every year in Port O'Connor, Texas - my husband's home town. This is the biggest fishing tournament on the Texas coast, and boats come from literally all over the country, by invitation, to participate. My husband has been working the weigh station for many years now - he told me how many, but I forgot, I'll have to ask him again! His Dad worked the weigh station before him and he was even the weigh master.

This was my second year to attend Poco. I travelled down to Port O'Connor on Saturday afternoon with my brother and his fiance. We got to see the inshore fish being brought in from 3:00-5:00, and then from 5:00-8:00 we got to see the offshore fish which include dolphin(AKA Dorado, not bottle-nose dolphin like Flipper), tuna, wahoo and blue marlin.

Since my husband works the weigh station, I get special privileges and get to sit about five feet away from the action, and get the best possible view (while everyone else has to stay behind the roped off area). I feel like a VIP!!! We got to see some big fish, ate some good barbecue and had a lot of fun. I will post some pictures later.

Peachy Keen

2009-07-14T10:09:00.001-07:00

Here's the latest addition to my Etsy shop.

The roses are from Hobby Lobby's new "Fresh Picked" silk flower line. The flowers in this line look so realistic that they really do look freshly picked. They are a little more on the pricey side, but I think they are well worth it! I am so in love with this line, check back often to see more arrangements and wreaths featuring "Fresh Picked" flowers.

Hidden

2009-07-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am entering in another Photo Contest at Cat's Corner. This time the theme is "Hidden". When I was browsing through my photos on my computer I came across this one and thought that it fit the theme perfectly!

This picture was taken October of last year at the Rocky Creek Corn Maze. There hadn't been much rain for the corn to grow, but it was still tall enough to where you couldn't really see over the top. This is my sister a few rows across from me, jumping up for the shot!

So head on over to Cat's Corner to enter your photo too! Submissions will close at midnight (GMT) Sunday July 19th; she will then open a poll to choose a winner.

Random Updates

2009-07-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy lately that I have totally neglected my blog! I have a lot of good news though.

First of all, we had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. My Mom's side of the family came down for the weekend and we got to visit, eat awesome food, play some sports and shoot fireworks! I was able to take a lot of great pictures, but I'll save those for another post.

I have three custom orders for wreaths and arrangements on my Etsy site! I am so very excited! I love custom orders. I went to Hobby Lobby today to pick up some of the flowers and vases. I will definitely post pictures of the finished designs for you to see.

There is a contest at Martha Stewart Weddings. They are asking people to share a photo of their handmade wedding decor. The winner will have their design featured on "The Martha Stewart Show". I have submitted my "Sweet Magnolia Bridal Hair Comb" already and I hope to make some wedding arrangements to submit as well. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and comment on my item HERE.

I think you have to be signed in to rate and comment on the items.

I have also submitted one of my wreaths in another contest on MarthaStewart.com. It is for the summer crafts contest. You can rate it and comment on it HERE.

And since I hate posts that don't have any pictures at all, here's a shot of a recent storm that brought rain that we desperately needed, and what happens to a yellow dog when she plays in the mud!

Awesome Feedback

2009-07-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love getting feedback from my customers! I guess everyone does. It always gives me "the warm and fuzzies" to hear how happy they are when they receive their orders - I always save those emails that I get! I love to hear about how they opened the box and gasped because they loved the wreath so much, or to hear that the wreath matches the colors in their home so well! I just received a very sweet email from my latest customer and I just wanted to share my excitement with you!

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!

I know that I will be taking lots of pictures to share with you!

Brand New Awesomeness

2009-06-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have a brand new wreath in my shop and I can't get over how cute it is!

Maybe it's just me, but I love the colors in this one - it seems like they just pop! "Floral Circus" is another mini wreath which will fit nicely in a smaller space where some of my larger wreaths would not. The wreath measures 17 inches tall, 17 inches wide and 6 inches deep, so it is not really "mini", I just like the way that sounds!

It has the perfect summer time colors and can actually be displayed through fall since it features mostly oranges!

Got Milk?

2009-06-26T16:27:00.001-07:00

In order for us to keep our ag exemption on our thirty acres we ended up putting cows out there! I have wanted to take pictures of them for a while, but they are never near the fence whenever we got out there. And if you think I am going to trek out into the tall grass after my near fatal snake incident (okay so it wasn't near fatal - but it was really scary!), you are sadly mistaken! Luckily, the other day we went out to the land and they were hanging out right at the fence, so I was able to get some good shots! My niece, who turns five this year, named one of them "Princess" - how funny is that!

And yes, I know that these are not milking cows, but come on you have to admit that is a cute title! I just couldn't resist!

I've Been Featured

2009-06-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've been featured on Lilly Eve Designs!

Thank you so much Lilly Eve!

She has a lovely blog and she designs beautiful jewelry! Check her out!

Vote for Me!

2009-06-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Please head over to Cat's Corner to vote for my photograph in the photography challenge! All of the entries are truly beautiful; it is going to be a tough challenge!

Mine is Photo #4.

Here's the link: http://amazoncat.blogspot.com/2009/06/let-voting-begin.html

Thank you!

Another Giveaway

2009-06-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Head over to Darling Domestic to enter my latest giveaway!

Want to see what you could win?

Here it is...

Isn't it adorable!

Such a sweet pink daisy, yellow buds and green leaves all attached to a metal hair snap clip.

The giveaway ends on Thursday!

Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe Step-By-Step

2009-06-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

I had never eaten bread pudding before, but I have always wanted to try it. Whenever I buy a loaf of french bread to go with dinner, we can never finish the whole loaf and it ends up getting thrown away, which bothers me to no end!

I had a loaf of french bread that I bought to go with our chicken tetrazzini, and I decided that I would search for a tasty chocolate bread pudding recipe to try. Here's where I got the recipe from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Bread-Pudding-107889. It turned out to be really good! And guess what...I took pictures of the process!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces French bread with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk egg and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Cool chocolate custard 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add bread cubes and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips to custard and toss to coat.

Transfer to 1 1/2-quart-capacity shallow oval baking dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over mixture. Bake until custard thickens and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Serve warm.

Land of the Free Wreath

2009-06-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Check out the newest addition to my Etsy shop! Introducing "Land of the Free Wreath"...

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays! I love that it is in the summertime so that includes barbecues, beaches and fireworks - is there anything better! I also absolutely love the decorations! The red, white and blue splashed everywhere, the flags flying, and remembering why we are free, and those that sacrificed for our freedom makes me proud to live in this country!

I can't wait for Fourth of July!

This was my Grandma's favorite holiday as well. I remember when we were little, we would always spend the Fourth of July weekend at her house. My uncle would barbecue, and Grandma didn't mess around when it came to decorating. There would be huge tents set up behind her house with plenty of tables and chairs for the whole family and then some. She would decorate the tables with patriotic tablecloths complete with matching citronella candles (to keep the mosquitoes away), the dishes and tableware matched as well. And there were always too many flags to count! One of the adults would take us to the fireworks stand where the boys would go crazy and buy all kinds of fireworks. Once we got back to Grandma's house, they couldn't wait to set them off - and they would usually get yelled at for trying to fire at the dog or getting to close to the house! After dark, we would head over to the beach and watch our uncles set off the "special" fireworks. I have so many great memories of the Fourth of July that is probably why it is one of my favorites!

This year we have plans to go to my parents house where my Mom's side of the family will be joining us! I am very excited and I am sure there will be plenty of pictures taken to share with you!

Photography Challenge

2009-06-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have always been amazed by photography. I love when you can capture a spectacular image with one shot! We got our Canon Rebel XSI last October and I absolutely love it! I have been trying to learn all of the camera lingo and still much of it confuses me, but I guess I will will learn with time. AmazonCat over at Cat's Corner is having her very own photography challenge! I have never entered a photography challenge before, but I thought it might be fun - and I still consider myself a novice! Her theme is "On the Other Hand". Here is the photo that I am entering in the challenge.

This was taken at my husband's cousin's wedding in May 2009. This little boy whom I don't know came up to me and showed me a June-bug and wanted me to take a picture of it. He would not back up far enough for me to get his face in the picture and this is the shot I got. Then he ran off and I never got another picture of him - he was so cute!

** I only used "Auto Level" in Photoshop to get the colors right, but I did not alter this picture in any other way.

Our Houston Trip

2009-06-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my husband, his sister (M), her husband (D) and I went to Houston to see Glenn Beck's live comedy tour! I like to be informed about our government and what is going on in the world, but I do not watch news religiously (like my husband does) it is just too depressing for me. So I had an idea, but really didn't know what to expect from this comedy tour. Let me tell you it was hilarious! I was laughing the entire time, some parts almost to the point of tears!

Downtown Houston

We left for Houston Friday afternoon, and made it there just in time for work traffic, which I was expecting to be much worse than it actually was. The trip up there was filled with laughter thanks to my husband - the stand up comic (according to his sister). We made it to the hotel with a couple of hours to spare before the event so we decided to eat, change clothes and meet M&D down in the lobby. Oh yeah, our room was on the 20th floor - how cool!

M&D

Me and Hubby

The Verizon Wireless Theater, where the event was being held, was only about four blocks from the hotel. We weren't sure if they would let us have cameras in the theater, so we left them in the car - stupid! Everyone else had cameras and we didn't feel like walking all the way back to the car, so we didn't get any pictures!

We ended up getting back to the hotel around 10:45 that night and ordered some yummy room service right before they closed!

The pool on the roof of the hotel

That next morning we woke up and took part in the complimentary continental breakfast and then played a game of pool in the billiards room. It was too bad we didn't know about that room the night before, it would have made for a fun place to hang out! After breakfast, we went up to the roof level where the hotel swimming pool was. That was the only time we took pictures on the trip! We didn't end up swimming because we only had about an hour before check-out time, but we stuck our feet in the cool water!

Me pretending to shower

The water was cold at first - he didn't know I took this picture!

It ended up being a nice mini-getaway which I think we desperately needed! Thanks again M&D for inviting us!

Blog Giveaway at blueberryshoes

2009-06-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Check out the lovely giveaway over at blueberryshoes: http://mermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-first-blog-giveaway.html.

I just stumbled upon her blog and not only is it adorable, but she is having her first ever blog giveaway! The winner will receive a beautiful brooch handmade by her. Head over to her blog for more details on how to enter the giveaway.

Top Chef Masters

2009-06-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that Top Chef Masters premieres tonight!

I always enjoy watching the Top Chef Episodes on Bravo, and now that there are world renowned chefs battling for their own charities and for the title, it makes it even more intriguing! The challenges and some of the ingredients they use are creative to say the least and I always find myself hungry after watching each episode. My husband even likes watching Top Chef with me - and there are very few shows that we watch together. Anyways, 30 more minutes before it comes on, and I am giddy like a schoolgirl!

Last Chance for the Giveaway

2009-06-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Last day to enter the hair accessory giveaway at http://mustardseedbycarollai.blogspot.com/!! Hurry in for your chance to win a hair accessory of your choice from my shop.

Here's a little eye candy to inspire you to enter the giveaway:

The giveaway ends tonight!

Lovely Blog Award

2009-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have received the One Lovely Blog Award from both Chicy Creations and Expressions in Silk! How sweet is that!. Thank you so much and let me just say that you two have lovely blogs as well!

In my acceptance of this One Lovely Blog Award, I am posting the Rules of Blog Award acceptance:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

It is my honor to pass the One Lovely Blog Award to:

La Marquise Des Anges

Elegant Bloggery

Pampering Beki

My Journey Home

You all have lovely blogs and I enjoy your posts!

Another Hair Accessory Giveaway

2009-06-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have some awesome news...Carol over at mustardseed is featuring me on her blog! I will be giving away a hair accessory to one lucky winner!! For more information visit Carol at http://mustardseedbycarollai.blogspot.com/.

As for me, I will be leaving for Houston right after lunchtime for a mini-vacation! Have a great weekend!

Blooming Treasure

2009-06-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

I have been so focused on making my hair accessories that my wreaths and arrangements have kind of fallen by the wayside! I guess just because it takes much longer to create the wreaths and arrangements and I am all about the instant gratification that is involved when making the hair clips!

The other day I decided to go to Hobby Lobby and check out the floral department. Oddly enough, they had some vases on clearance, so I picked out three of them and found the perfect flowers for the arrangements. I also bought materials to make a lovely Fourth of July wreath!

Here is the first arrangement I created -- "Blooming Treaure". I am in love with it! You can find it here in my Etsy shop.

I still need to photograph the other arrangements and the wreath, but I will post them here as soon as I get pictures.

My Sweet Girl

2009-06-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet girl Izzy. She is almost two years old, and it seems like just yesterday she was a puppy. You don't realize how much of a miracle this picture is - the dog does not sit still for anything. She also tries to jump up and get whatever it is that is in your hand, but I decided to brave it and try to get some pictures of her.

It has been so long since I have taken any pictures of her! We got Izzy right after my first dog died at only 8 months old. She was going into the vet's for a routine spaying and never came back. She had to be put back under anesthesia after the surgery due to some complications and then suffered kidney failure and passed away. I was so upset; my husband offered to get me another puppy, but I was still grieving and decided to wait awhile before getting another one. I waited a couple of months and then took him up on his offer. I was checking our local paper for puppies and then came across an ad for some Labrador puppies. Izzy was the only yellow lab they had, the rest were black labs. She was so tiny and adorable - I fell in love right away! She is such a sweet and lively dog, and she always makes me laugh!

Turkey Wraps

2009-06-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

We found these awesome tortillas at Target, so for lunch today I made turkey wraps.

I just had to take a picture of them since they turned out to be so pretty (and delicious). I just used the spinach and herb tortillas and then spread some onion and chive flavored cream cheese over that and added shaved turkey breast, sliced Monterrey-jack cheese, tomato and lettuce, and wrapped it all up! It goes perfect with a nice little fruit salad too!

Oh yeah, an update from the last post: we went back to the land the next day, but there was no sign of the snake so I couldn't get a picture, and thank goodness we haven't seen any alive out there since then!

Quite a Scare

2009-05-28T20:57:00.001-07:00

I just got the CR@P scared out of me!!! Let me explain.

My husband and I were out at our land in the country transplanting some grass. He was doing all of the work so I asked if he would mind if I walked along the fence to check for dewberries. Due to the drought last year, we weren't expecting many berries, but I still thought there might be some there.

So I decided to hike over to the back fence, about 600 feet back from where my husband was. He told me to take a piece of rebar with me just in case I encountered a snake. I made it all the way to the back fence and nothing, absolutely no berries in sight, so I decided to trek back. When I made it back to where my husband was, he said he still had some more work to do, so I told him that I would check the front fence. I had seen a few berries on the front fence last weekend, but they were still green then. I tossed the piece of rebar thinking that there was nothing to worry about and made the 300 feet hike over to the front fence.

There is a dirt pathway where the electrical company trenched to place the underground electricity. Apparently they didn't pack it down after they trenched it and after a heavy rain at the beginning of the year, some sections of the middle part of the pathway had caved in.

I was walking along the side of the pathway and got to the fence. I had just started to look for berries and was sweeping my bucket along the vines and all of a sudden I heard a noise that I had never heard in person before - a rattle - two feet away from me, coiled and ready to strike was a huge rattlesnake! It all happened so fast, one minute I had the bucket in hand and before I knew it, I had screamed, thrown the bucket at the angry rattlesnake (in hindsight, probably not a good move), and jumped back as far as my legs would allow. The snake was huge and it sounded so angry! I was freaking out and running as fast as I could. My husband had heard my scream (it must have been loud too because he was upwind of me and heard it). He looked so worried as he ran up to me. I was trying to yell that I had not been bitten, but I don't think he could hear me (upwind remember). I met him about halfway and told him that it was a rattlesnake. He ran back to where he was to get the shovel as I tried not to hyperventilate.

Let me explain something too, although I live in the city now and this story is really making me sound like a city-girl, I was born and raised in the country. But the only rattlesnakes I had ever seen were the ones that had already had their heads shot off by my Dad! This was the first one I had come across that had almost bit me.

Anyways, so he got back with the shovel and we started walking along the dirt pathway (the one that I was telling you about earlier) and he was telling me that we really need to watch out since it had partially caved in, that would be the perfect den for a snake. Not as soon as those words came out of his mouth, I heard that dreadful noise again! Yes, another rattlesnake! This one slithered back under the dirt path, but we could still see its body. He didn't want to try to get it out, so he called my Dad to bring his gun. Dad made it out there and got the snake, and so we went over to see if the other one was still there - the one I threw the bucket at. Unfortunately it wasn't there anymore. What is really scary is that I had passed the second snake when I was going out to find the berries and then I passed it again when I was running away from the first snake and it was only the third time that I was going past it, when it made its presence known.

I just know that I am going to have rattlesnake nightmares tonight!

We are going to go back out to the land tomorrow so he can get some more work done, and if the snake that no longer has a head is still out there, I will take some pictures so you can see. Oh yeah, and we both agreed next time we take a trip out to the land, we are going to bring the gun and the camera!

Another Fun Custom Order

2009-05-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

I received a request for a custom hair accessory the other day! I was so excited because I have yet to sell one of my hair clips (I'm not counting the ones I have sold to family and friends). The customer needed a hair clip to match her graduation dress and she loves my hair clips, but none of the colors were just right for the dress she is going to be wearing. She ended up sending me pictures of the dress and I created a custom design just for her!

I am very happy with the way it turned out! I just love custom orders because I love collaborating with the customer and creating a design I might not have even thought of without their insight!

Bridal Hair Pieces

2009-05-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have two new bridal hair combs in my Etsy shop! The first one features two creamy white magnolia blossoms and bright green leaves. It has got to be my favorite hairpiece in my shop right now! It has a sort of vintage feel to it that I just love!

The second hairpiece features three bright white gladiola flowers with light green centers. With its crisp white color, this design would look gorgeous with any hair color, and it would be perfect for a spring or summer wedding!

I will be adding more bridal hair pieces soon, so check back often!

My Weekend

2009-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we travelled to my husband's hometown of Port O'Connor, Texas for his cousin's wedding.

They had hired violinists to play all of the beautiful wedding and mass music.

This is my husband and I outside of the church.

One of my husband's cousins and her family.

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law - aren't they cute (she totally doesn't know I took this picture - it was a quick candid shot!)

Another one of my husband's cousin's two kids - so cute with their blond hair and blue eyes!

The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was held in a massive white tent on the beach. In the forecast was rain, but miraculously the rain passed just north of us leaving nothing but cool, perfect weather for an outdoor wedding.

As we approached the tent, tiki-torches lined the way to the entrance. The cake was a four tier creamy white masterpiece complete golden sand dollars. The grooms cake was in the shape of a crab - so cute!

The table arrangements were stunning, consisting of orchids, hydrangea and bells of Ireland, to name a few of the flowers. The caterers had prepared roast beef, shrimp, couscous, a green bean and squash medley, and a baby spinach and strawberry salad.

After dinner, we all danced the night away! The band was amazing - SkyRocket from Austin, Texas.

And finally to see the bride and groom off, we stood outside the tent with glowing sparklers! It was by far one of the best weddings I have attended!

***By the way, I just figured out how to link to view larger pictures - okay so my husband figured it out and told me what to do. So you can click on each picture for a larger view!

Birthday Party Pictures

2009-05-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

I finally have pictures of my birthday party. My parents actually had a joint birthday party for my sister and I on Saturday (her birthday was on May 7th). It was a lot of fun. They barbecued steaks and we had baked potatoes, pinto beans and a salad! My Mom also made two angel pies which were delicious! The food was great and the company was even better! We sat outside visiting and I got to snap some great shots with my camera - have I told you that I love it!

My brother and his fiancee.

The awesome steaks!

My sister and her boyfriend.

My sweet husband!

Under Construction

2009-05-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you click on my blog and it looks all wonky, it is because I am playing with new backgrounds. And new potential followers, please don't decide not to follow me because my blog looks a bit crazy right now - it is nornally all in order. I just want something a little more bright. I promise I will change the text color when I have settled on a background that I like (and it will all match). I hate when the colors don't match!

Thanks for being patient with me and my need for change!

It's My Birthday!

2009-05-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today is my 25th birthday!!! It's too bad I have to go into work today, but maybe when I get home I will have some sales to greet me!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Feathers, Feathers and more Feathers

2009-05-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail the other day...

Okay I know that a bag of guinea feathers is not the most exciting thing in the world, but they are just so bright and colorful! I am going to design some new floral hair clips using these feathers and I am super excited to get started! I will post the new designs as soon as I finish them!

Oh, and by the way, the hair clips class I taught went really well. There were nine people that showed up and I think they really enjoyed it! The hostesses (okay my sister-in-law and cousin-in-law) told me that if I ever wanted to demonstrate how to make the floral hair clips again, I was more than welcome!

Teaching a Class

2009-05-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law has invited me to teach how to make my floral hair accessories at her monthly scrapbooking class!

I am so excited. The class is tonight and tomorrow night!

Last Christmas I taught a wreath making class for seven people and it turned out to be so much fun! I'll have to keep you updated on how this one turns out!

Book Sale

2009-05-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

I love reading books! I love to escape deep into another world, one so different from my own. Four times out of the year our local library hosts a book sale that runs a whole week - and I am in heaven! All of the books on sale are donated. They have paperbacks on sale for $.50, hardbacks for $1 and then "special books" (usually the newly released books) for a little more. The prices are unbelievably low which is why I usually end up with 50 or so books after the week is up!

My Mom and I always go together. The book sale started yesterday and I was able to meet my Mom up there after work! I ended up purchasing five books yesterday - I probably would have bought more, but I was so tired from work that I wasn't putting 100% into searching. I'm going to try to go one more time during the week and then definitely on Saturday.

Saturdays are the last day of the sale and they kind of want to get rid of the books that didn't sell during the week, so you can buy one of their "Friends of the Library" book bags for like $5 and fill it up with as many books as you can shove in there for only $1!!! How awesome is that?! You can dump your books in your car and come back as many times as you want filling the bag up for only $1. I bought one of the bags a couple years ago, so I just take it along with me on Saturday!

Simple Elegance

2009-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of my favorite hair accessories! I love the simplicity of the three dogwood blossoms and the swirly grasses add just the right amount of whimsical charm. It is attached to a metal hair clip. I have one just like this that I made for myself and I wear it everywhere because it literally goes with everything! I will wear it to go grocery shopping or on a dinner date with my husband - it is so very versatile.

You can find this lovely floral embellishment and more like it HERE in my shop!

Black Forest Cake Recipe

2009-04-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

My husband and I love this cake. The combination of chocolate and cherries is divine and it looks so fancy (like you spent the whole day making it), but in reality it is pretty easy to make!

Here's my recipe:

Black Forest Cake

2-20 oz. cans cherry pie filling
2-9 inch chocolate cake layers, baked and cooled
3 cups Cool Whip
1 can vanilla frosting

Split each cake layer in half, so you end up with four layers. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1 cup of the Cool Whip; top with ¾ cup of the cherry topping. Top with second cake layer, 1 cup Cool Whip and ¾ cup of cherry topping; top with third cake layer. Frost cake sides with the vanilla frosting; with the remaining frosting, place into a pastry bag fitted with a star pipe. Pipe around top and bottom edges of the cake. Spoon the remaining cherry topping over the top of the cake. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Getting the Big Picture

2009-04-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or do other people like seeing products on a model? I would rather seeing clothes, jewelry, hair accessories, etc. that I am going to potentially buy, on actual people. Even if the dimensions are listed, it still doesn't beat having that visual image proportion-wise. You can see the big picture and imagine how it will look on you as well.

Most of my hair accessories are pictured by themselves because I don't want to wait until my sister comes into town, or have to transport them anywhere to have a "photo shoot" just to list them. I want to get them listed as soon as I can. During the week, whenever my husband comes home from work, he is usually exhausted and I know the last thing he wants to do is play "photographer".

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24012458

http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/

Well today we didn't have anything planned, so I asked in my sweetest voice possible if he would mind snapping a few shots - he agreed! I pulled my hair up and grabbed a couple of my floral combs. Now my husband is wonderful when it comes to the camera, but nothing is ever right when it comes to my obsessive-compulsive need for perfect pictures. I felt so bad for him (and kept apologizing) when he ended up snapping over 50 pictures! He really did a great job and I am so thankful that he put up with me! Here are the shots that I added to two of my current listings. I didn't want to subject him to any further torture - we'll save the other floral accessories for another day!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23763803

http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/

Happy Etsy Day

2009-04-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Etsy Day everyone!

If you do not know what Etsy is please check it out: http://www.Etsy.com. It is a worldwide handmade marketplace. You can find just about everything you need from handmade designer jewelry to handcrafted soaps. It is THE place to buy and sell everything handmade! There are really some wonderful shops there and the customer service you receive when you purchase an item is outstanding!

Spread the word around; tell everyone about it!

The ABC's of Me

2009-04-20T12:56:00.001-07:00

I came across this post on another blog and since I am too tired after getting off of work today to write anything meaningful, I decided to just post this!

A is for Age:- 24

B is for Beer of choice:- Probably Dos Equis or Shiner Bock

C is for what you Can't wait for right now:- A little bit of time to read Twilight

D is for your Dog's name- Izzy

E is for Eggs - how do you like them?:- Scrambled with shredded cheese and Picante sauce on top

F is for Favorite TV show at the moment:- LOST

G is for Guy:- My husband

H is for Home town:- Victoria, TX

I is for Instrument you play:- My voice (the only instrument God made!!)

J is for favorite Juice:- Cran-apple

K is for kids:- none yet

L is for Last food you ate:- Krispy Kreme doughnut (our rep brought them to work today!)

M is for Marriage: -Married February 2006

N is for Name:- Lindsay
O is for Over night hospital stays:- Only staying with family, never me in the hospital

P is for People you can't live with out:- My family

Q is for favorite Quote:- Dance like no one is watching.

R is for biggest Regret:- Not spending more time with my Grandma before she died.

S is for Something most people would be surprised to learn about you:- I worry about everything. Everyone always tells me that I am so cool and collected, but on the inside I am freaking out! I guess I hide it well.

T is for Time you woke up today:- 4:15am (our earliest surgery day)

U is for UFO's - do you believe in them?:- nope

V is for Veggie you love:- green beans

W is for Worst habit:- procrastination

X is for X-rays you have had:- dislocated wrist and elbow, bruised tailbone

Y is for Yummy food you've had today:- Grilled chicken sandwich and my Krispy Kreme doughnut

Z is for Zodiac sign: Taurus

Adorable Earrings

2009-04-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

Jacaranda Designs is hosting a lovely giveaway on her blog right now. The earrings that she's giving away are so adorable - they are little "Blue Egg Birds Nest Earrings"! Check out her giveaway here: http://jacarandagal.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-giveaway-time-again.html and leave your comment for a chance to win!

Enchanted Evening

2009-04-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Check out my newest listing in my Etsy shop! I want to keep it for myself! I just love the colors. It would be perfect to wear at a wedding or other fancy event!

To see more of these accessories visit http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/.

Easter on the Coast

2009-04-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter! We spent the weekend with hubby's parents. It was such a nice visit. Easter at his Grandma's house is insane! His dad comes from a huge family, so on any given holiday there are probably fifty or more people at his Grandma's house - and Easter is no exception! There are so many people that they have to divide everyone up into age groups for hunting eggs! There is always wonderful company and food. It was supposed to be overcast and raining on Easter Sunday, but the weather turned out to be gorgeous - very warm and sunny! Here are some pictures that I snapped amongst the chaos!

Patiently awaiting the egg hunt.

Searching for more eggs.

Now it's the adults turn!

Nothing in there.

Yes, they bury the eggs too! I told you they were hardcore!

Pay It Forward Giveaway

2009-04-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was checking all of my favorite blogs last night and Linda B posted a "Pay It Forward Giveaway" on her blog for the first three that replied and guess what...I was one of the first three!!

So...I am continuing the Pay It Forward here on my blog!

Here are the Rules:
1. Be one of the first three bloggers to "follow" my blog and leave a comment at the end of this post, which entitles you to one of the handmade hair accessories that I design.

2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who "follow" you and leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift you send can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love

5. If you are not one of the Top Three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Please start your own 'Pay It Forward chain', and encourage your blogging friends to do the same.

And, I would be most pleased if you could just join in the fun!!

Leave your comments now!! And remember to include your email address so that I will be able to contact you!!

Air Show

2009-04-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was so much fun! Okay, I know that it is already Friday of the next week, but I have been busy. We had the local air show (which is nothing exciting, in fact I did not even know that our small town even had an air show until this year, so it is not like the "Blue Angels" flyovers or anything like that). My uncle is a pilot and this year he was aksed to fly his plane to our little air show, and he let my family take a private tour!! He was so excited to be able to show us his plane.

This is my uncle and my aunt standing near the plane (I don't know the other pilot or that other guy in the baseball cap.)

This is my Mom and I.

This is my husband and I on the plane.

From left to right this is my brother, my sister and my sister's boyfriend.

Manual Mode

2009-04-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have had my camera since October 2008. It is a Canon Rebel XSI and I love it! I am just starting to really get the hang of it now though. I have ventured outside of the automatic settings and have started using some manual features. There is still so much that I have yet to learn, but what I have picked up so far has been very fun! I was practicing with some of my new designs. So here you go:

To see more of these designs visit http://www.SouthernGirlFlorals.etsy.com

My Busy Week

2009-04-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

My week back to work has been a busy one so far! I have totally neglected my shop and my blog! Monday I got home after a 10 hour workday and crashed on the couch, woke up at 8:00, moved to the bedroom and was completely out until the next morning! Yesterday I had a little time to just chill out and came up with a great idea...okay actually the great idea came to me on Sunday, but I didn't do anything about it until yesterday.

I love working with silk flowers and I wanted to kind of mix it up and design something different, something that I have never done before. So I went to the store and bought different hair clips and combs and bought some gorgeous flowers and started designing some floral hair accessories!! I am super excited about this new venture and I think these first designs are pretty awesome.

Please tell me what you think about them! I don't have them listed in my shop yet (due to the increased work load!) but hopefully I will get them listed soon!

Oh and by the way, the fisrt picture is my sad attempt of a self portrait, not my best! For the other two, I waited until my husband got home from work and he took those - they look much better than the first!

Hello Yellow Sunshine

2009-03-27T12:55:00.001-07:00

I bought these little woven baskets a long time ago because they were on clearance and I knew I would use them. I put them away and totally forgot about them! It wasn't until I was sorting through the mess that I call my workroom that I found them again. I really wanted to list something new in my shop, but I didn't have time to go to Hobby Lobby to get new materials, so I pulled out all of my flower stash and started crafting. I was able to create this Hello Yellow Sunshine Basket out of flowers I already had. The basket is flat on the back side, so you can hang it on your front door or set it on a table against the wall!

You can find the Hello Yellow Sunshine Basket and more wreaths and arrangements in my Etsy shop here: http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/

I love it when everything works out!

Blog Slacking

2009-03-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I have just been a total slacker! Okay, not really a total slacker, but just when it comes to my blog. Last week was spring break - that's right I had the whole week off of work! It was a constructive week for me though. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought supplies to make a couple of wreaths, I finished one spring arrangement (that hopefully I can get photographed and listed on Etsy). I re-shot a lot of my wreath pictures. I got them a lot clearer and shot them at different angles for a more artsy look. I finally dug up my flower beds and planted the heck out of them, and they look gorgeous by the way! And then this weekend we went out and planted trees at our land - there are absolutely no trees on the thirty acres and the wind is killer out there! All in all it was a pretty productive week!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

New Mini Wreath

2009-03-19T17:07:00.001-07:00

I finally went out and took some pictures of the new Mini wreath - Lime Sherbet which can be found in my Etsy shop! Isn't it so cute! The dimensions of the wreath are 16inches x 16inches x 5inches, so it is not itty-bitty, but compared to some of the gigantic wreaths in my collection it is pretty small.

Even Nature Thinks They're Real

2009-03-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

My wreaths are so realistic that even nature thinks they are real flowers! I was trying to re-take some pictures of one of my wreaths and this wasp landed right on the wreath. I hate bees and wasps and I have been stung a couple of times before - not fun! I wanted to get the thing off so I could finish taking the pictures. I was not going to swat at it because I knew that would just make it mad. I kind of shook the wreath and it flew at me and then landed on the wreath again! My dog was on the other side of the fence and she had just realized that I was outside at this point. She started freaking out, digging and barking because I was freaking out. I shook the wreath again. The wasp flew right at me and I ran, but luckily it just decided to fly off without stinging me - whew! After that I backed into the grapevines behind me and thought that something was stinging me and freaked out again! Hopefully my neighbors weren't outside watching this fiasco. It turns out the pictures didn't even come out that great. It is too bright right now, so I will probably wait a while before I try that again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

My first treasury!

2009-03-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

I got my first Etsy treasury on Saturday! I could not believe it!

For those of you who do not know what a treasury is, you can check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-make-a-treasury-the-nuts-and-bolts-688/.

I decided to create one featuring my fellow Design Style Guide Team members. The theme I chose was "Dusk till Dawn".

I am very proud of the way it came out.

And four of my team members items that I had listed there sold! It was probably because they are awesome items to begin with, but I like to think that it was because they were in my treasury!

Design Style Guide Team

2009-03-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news to share. I have been asked to be a member of the Design Style Guide Team! I am thrilled. They emailed me and told me that they love my designs and they think I would be an asset to the team! They have their own website here: http://designstyleguide.net/ which caters to the interior designers, decorators and home stagers. I have two of my wreaths listed there already!

New Line of Wreaths

2009-03-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of designing a new line of wreaths - mini wreaths. Okay so they are not that mini, but compared to some of my giants, they are pretty small. I already have one finished and I had planned on posting some pictures of it here on my blog, but the weather today is not cooperating with me. It is overcast and drizzly and it does not look like it will let up anytime soon! I am not complaining though because we have desperately needed rain for a long time, and even though it is not a complete downpour, any little bit helps! I hope to have pictures of my "Mini" this weekend or next week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

A Taste of the Tropics

2009-03-11T08:07:00.001-07:00

There is a new wreath in my shop - A Taste of the Tropics.

This is the first tropical wreath I have ever made and I am so happy with the way it turned out.

We live probably 30-45 minutes from the coast and I love the beach! When I was younger, we would stay at my grandma's house over the weekend. She lived right on the coast and a few years ago she even bought a beach house. The kind up on stilts that was so close to the water that it even had it's own dock. She had a way with decorating. She was one of my biggest inspirations. I am sure she drew her style from some of the places she had lived - Hawaii, Florida, California, Aruba, Venezuela. Her style was tropical and eclectic with so many bright colors; she was a lady not afraid of color!

I love the island style and decor; the relaxing sense like you're on a never-ending vacation. There are some gorgeous houses built along the coast and I can just picture my wreath on one of their front doors.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

We were outside yesterday evening watering the lawn and hoping that it would rain soon. I honestly do not remember the last time it rained, but that is beside the point. I still have yet to clean up our flower beds, and they look pretty horrendous. I was scoping out my flower beds and trying to decide what I was going to be adding this year and I noticed a single Gerbera daisy poking up from the weeds and mulch around it.

Gerbera daisies are my favorite flowers; they are just so cheerful and bright! I ran inside the house, grabbed the camera, and I snapped these shots before the sun went down!

Etsy Cookbook from javajesspublishing

2009-03-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the Promotions Forums on Etsy last night and came across an awesome project that javajesspublishing has going on right now.

She is collecting recipes for an Etsy Cookbook. How cool is that?! She will be using 25 Appetizer/Side Dish recipes, 25 Main Dish recipes and 25 Dessert recipes, and she still has plenty of spaces available.

You can read all about it here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6066857.

Not only do you get free promotion, she is also going to send each Etsian that she features a FREE pdf ebook version of the cookbook, so everyone help out and submit those recipes!

I submitted my Black Forest Cake recipe and let me tell you it is yummy! I can't wait to see all of the other recipes in the cookbook.

To Be, or Not To Be...

2009-03-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

I have a poll going right now, so please take a moment to vote. I am trying to decide whether or not to add music to my blog. Music is a huge part of my life. I took choir classes all throughout junior high and high school; I have sung the National Anthem at two local football games and one basketball game. Music is a source of inspiration for me; a good song can give you comfort, or it can completely turn a bad day around. There are two blogs that I follow that have music on them. Sometimes I open up those blogs just to hear the songs! I just don't know if music is a turn off for some people. So I would love to hear your opinions - vote, vote, vote!

And don't forget to set your clocks ahead (for those of you in the US who follow daylight savings time).

Lovely in Lavender

2009-03-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

Spring time is here (in South Texas at least)! I am so ready for the warm weather - I am a summer time girl. I just love when the sun is shinning and all the plants are starting to bloom. The colors of spring come alive; it is like a fresh start for the year.

I designed a brand new spring time wreath that I have just recently listed in my Etsy shop.

Introducing...

Lovely in Lavender

The combination of purple and yellow is one of my all time favorite color combinations for spring. The wreath features purple ranunculus and yellow irises.

Those of you who are still a bit chilly, I hope that looking at this wreath will bring you some warmth! Have a great weekend!

Creating Your Own Business Cards

2009-03-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

Let me start off with saying that this is going to be a pretty long post so I apoligize if it is boring to some. I just wanted to share some of my knowledge with you. Why pay for someone to make business cards for you if you have the talent and technology right at your fingertips? I am in no way an expert when it comes to Adobe Photoshop. I will be the first to admit it. I know that there is probably a more "professional" way of creating your own business cards, but I just wanted to share with you what works best for me!

You will need:

Blank sheets of business cards (I use Avery)
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Word
Printer

Open up Adobe Photoshop and go to File and select New. Under Document Size change the width to 3.5 inches and the height to 2 inches. Change the resolution to 300 pixels/inch. You can also name the window “Business Card” if you like, and then select OK.

For my business cards, I used a picture of one of my wreaths from my computer. If you would like to select an image from your computer to use, click Open and then select your image. This will open your image in a separate window in Photoshop.

This is the picture that I used. I wanted to get rid of the door and brick in the background.

To remove any background from your image that you don’t want seen on your business card, select the Eraser Tool from the toolbar on the left. You can adjust the size of the Eraser brush using the toolbar located at the top of your computer screen.

When you have erased the background of your image, select Filter and then Extract. Using the highlighter tool, trace around the edges of the area to be retained.

Then click the Paint Bucket located at the upper left hand side of the screen. This will select the Paint Bucket. You need to click inside the image in order to fill it. Once you have the image highlighted and filled and you are satisfied, click OK in the upper right hand corner. The image should now be cut out with a gray checkered background behind it.

Use the Rectangular Marquee tool located in the toolbar to the left side of your screen to select the entire image. Then go to Edit and select Copy.

Select your window labeled “Business Card” and go to Edit and select Paste. I always change the percentage in the bottom left hand corner of the window to 300%, so I have a bigger view of the image. The image will appear blurry in this zoomed in view.

Once you paste the image, it will be much bigger than the window, so go to Edit and select Free Transform; this will let you make the image smaller. When adjusting the size of the image remember to hold down the shift key the entire time, otherwise the dimensions of the image will not be proportionate. You can also move the image to where you want it on the business card.

When you are happy with the size and location of your image hit the Enter key.

Now you can change the background color or add text to your business card.

To add text, go to Layer, then New and select Layer.

Select the Horizontal Type Tool and then click on the “Business Card” window where you want your text to be and type in your text. You can move around your text at anytime by selecting the Move Tool located in the toolbar to the left of the screen. You can change the font, size and style of the text with the toolbar located at the top of the screen. Just highlight the text by dragging the mouse over it and then you can make any changes.

Change the percentage of the window back to 100% so you can see the actual size of the business card to make sure the text is legible. When you are happy with the look of your business card go to file and save.

Open Microsoft Word and go to Mailings and then select Labels. Click on the Options tab, and then select the corresponding template for the labels you have purchased. The labels I use require the 8371 template. Once selected click OK and then click New Document.

You will see a page with the outlines of the business cards. Be sure to save your document.

Mouse over the first box on the page and hit the backspace button this will remove any spaces from the box.

Go to Insert and then Picture and find the Photoshop document that you saved on your computer and click Insert. Repeat until all of the boxes contain your business card image.

Insert your sheet of labels in the printer and click print. Be sure to print only one sheet at a time since the labels sheets are thicker than regular paper.

Follow the instructions printed on the labels to separate the business cards.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-03-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Kreativ Blogger Award

I received an awesome award from a very awesome lady, Elizabear.

Thank you so much Elizabear and the whole Bear Bunch!

Here are the rules:

List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won!

You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard letting the whole wide world know you are KReATIV!

1. I love my husband. He is truly my soul mate! We have been married for three years and I am so very glad we found each other. He is supportive, loving, and hilarious; he can always make me laugh!

2. I love making my wreaths. It is so calming to sit down with a whole bunch of flowers and create an original design. I especially love when someone else loves my wreaths too! To think that not only are my wreaths all over this country, but one is at a home on a completely different continent, is the best feeling ever!

3. I love going to the beach with the warm sun and cool waves, nothing is more peaceful. I grew up going to the beach with my family. I could stay out there all day just relaxing and taking it easy!

4. I love birthday parties, and I'm not talking about my own. I love other people's birthdays and giving them gifts!

5. I love my dog, Izzy. She is so silly and usually completely hyperactive, but she can also be so sweet. When she was little I would let her sit in my lap and she would always fall asleep, and now she still tries to sit in my lap (she is an 80 pound yellow lab!)

6. I love watching romantic comedies. My favorites right now are 50 First Dates, Pride and Prejudice, Dan in Real Life and The Family Stone.

7. I love my family's annual football trip. We take a trip to a different city each year to go to a professional football game. It is always Hugh and I, my parents, and my Aunt and Uncle that travel together and we have a blast!

I pass this award on to:

Akane Designs

JPATPURSES

Mere's Lair

Jacaranda Designs

PamperingBeki

The Craft Begins

Parallax Photo

Another Custom Design

2009-03-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of my co-workers saw the "Watermelon Delight" wreath that I had made and she fell in love with it. She wanted a pink and yellow spring wreath to display on her front door. So I told her that I could make the same kind of style as the other wreath and just substitute the green flowers for yellow ones.

I brought the wreath up to work yesterday, and she was blown away! She has probably ordered about five wreaths from me before, but she always gets so excited about each one. It always makes me feel so ecstatic!

100 Hearts

2009-03-01T19:15:00.001-08:00

I know to some of you this may not mean much, but for me it is a big Etsy milestone! I looked on my shop's favorites page and saw that I have 100 people that "heart" me! Woohoo!

Bit-O-Luck

2009-03-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Since it is the beginning of March, I feel that it is appropriate to post my newest creation - the "Bit-O-Luck" St. Patrick's Day wreath. I finished this wreath just this morning and I have just listed it in my Etsy shop.

I think it is so cute! It features the classic green colors of the Irish inspired holiday plus a little gold thrown in for kicks!

I love the sign in the middle; it reads: "Irish Luck". Every-other letter in the title is raised and it also has a cute four leaf clover right in the middle of the sign.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

A Wonderful Day

2009-02-26T07:44:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took the day off from my computer as it was my husband and my third year wedding anniversary. It just happened that I didn't have to go into work and he ended up taking the day off. It was so nice getting to spend the day together. We agreed that we were not going to buy anything for each other (we are saving up to build our dream house hopefully within the year), but he made me a special dinner. He barbecued shrimp shish-kabobs - they were wonderful, and he is so sweet! It has been such a wonderful three years so far and we are looking forward to many more!

What's In a Name

2009-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

Usually after I finish a wreath, I come up with a clever name for it. The names describe the wreaths and give them a sort of personality or individuality. Sometimes the names just pop into my head, but other times I really have to think of one. This time I was trying to think of a name for a completely different wreath and this name popped into my head - You Had Me At Yellow. This was the first time that I had actually come up with a name for a wreath that hadn't even been created yet. I knew that I had to make a yellow, cute springtime wreath to fit this clever name. Here is what I created; an oval shaped wreath filled with bright yellows and accented with cool blues.

Watermelon Delight

2009-02-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. I just thought I would post one of my latest creations for your viewing pleasure!

One of my local customers contacted me and requested a custom design. She said she wanted a pink and green wreath and that she wanted it to look very "feminine". I told her that I had been wanting to make a pink and green wreath ever since I started on the spring designs for this year. Anyways, this is what I came up with.

She said that the door she wanted to hang it on was small so instead of my typical oval wreath, she wanted a smaller round one. I love this ribbon that I found. The pink, red and green polka dots match the flowers perfectly!

I always try to come up with clever names for each wreath that I make and this particular one reminded me of a watermelon with the various pinks and lime greens - hence the name Watermelon Delight. I know I say this about all of the wreaths, but this one might just be my favorite!

I'm International

2009-02-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

I'm officially international! I made my first international sale last week (I sold a wreath to a customer in Ireland!) and I am super excited about it. If someone would have told me last year that I would be shipping my wreaths to a different country, I would have thought they were crazy.

I was sort of intimidated by the whole idea of selling and shipping internationally; unsure of what the cost would be and what customs forms needed to be filled out. Tuesday morning I took the package to the Post Office and was able to find the correct forms to fill out. I parked myself in the corner and began filling in all the specific details in the customs form. I finished the forms and made my way to the long line. It always seems like no matter what part of the day it is, there is always a long line at the Post Office. When I finally got to the desk, the clerk took the package, stamped it a couple of times, weighed it, asked if I wanted insurance (uh, yeah!) and that was it! I don't know what I was expecting, but I never thought it would be that easy!

It is just a shame that my wreaths have to be packaged in big boxes which drives the price of shipping up, especially shipping outside of the US. It ended up costing $50 to send it. But if customers are willing to pay for shipping costs, I am happy to ship wherever!

The Lemonade Award

2009-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I won the Lemonade Award!

http://www.rusticcandles.blogspot.com/ has given me the Lemonade Award!

Thanks Rustic Candles!

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 - 10 blogs that show great Gratitude and/or Attitude.
3. Be sure to list and link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Nominate your favorites and link to your post.

Here are my nominees:

1. http://mereslair.blogspot.com/

2. http://jacarandagal.blogspot.com/

3. http://acaciafigg.blogspot.com/

4. http://kauai-artist.blogspot.com/

5. http://diamondaj.blogspot.com/

6. http://aloquin.blogspot.com/

Time Well Spent

2009-02-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

It was muggy and raining outside this morning - the perfect day for staying inside to craft! My Mom called me (she has been fighting a cold for about two weeks now and finally felt bad enough to stay home from work) and was wondering what I was doing for the day. I normally work Wednesdays, but I had the day off today. So I told her that I had bought all the supplies to make a wreath for a local customer yesterday, but I didn't have any time to make it, so that is what I planned on doing. I never get to spend time with her during the week, so I packed up all my tools and supplies and headed over to her house. I was excited to show her the flowers and ribbon I had purchased for this wreath. She is one of my biggest fans and she always loves seeing the new items. When I finally got to her house, I unloaded my car, which took three or four trips, and set up my area in the living room. We decided to watch The Bourne Ultimatum which she had never seen before (I know - I couldn't believe it either!). I started the wreath as soon as the movie started and finished it right around the end of the movie! It was great getting to visit with my Mom - just the two of us! And the wreath turned out gorgeous. I haven't taken pictures of it yet, but as soon as I do, I'll get them posted on here for everyone to see. Other than the fact that she was sick, today turned out to be a great day!

A Glimpse of the Artist

2009-02-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

I always find it fascinating to see the artist behind the many different crafts that I come across. I think it makes it that much more special to get a glimpse of the actual person who creates those lovely pieces. So I have decided to dedicate a post to showing all of you (whoever reads this) who I am.

I never get tired of making my wreaths. I discover something different with each one. None of this would have been possible without the love and support from my husband. I have been married for three years (this month) to the most wonderful man in the world! It has gone by so fast but at the same time it feels as if I have known him forever. When I am near him, a smile or laugh is never very far away! He is truly my best friend and I am so thankful for him.

We have a yellow lab, Izzy, who is a year old and just as hyper as ever.

I own hundreds of books, but I feel like I don’t have enough time in the day to sit down and actually read. I am currently reading “The Historian” which is suspenseful and adventurous but I probably haven’t picked it up in weeks!

My favorite show on TV is Scrubs and since they play reruns of the older episodes I watch that show all the time – it is hilarious! And I can probably recite just about every episode from memory, but it never gets old!

I am a Texas girl through and through. I grew up on a farm (cows, horses, ducks, pigs, chickens - the whole shebang!) and then my family moved into the city when I was nine. My husband and I bought some land out in the country about a year ago and we are planning to move back hopefully within the next year. I love the peace and quiet that comes with living in the country and I am so very excited to be building our dream house!

I will now end this rant (if anyone is even still reading) with my favorite quote of all time by William Purkey:
Dance like no one is watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like no one is listening, Live like it's heaven on earth.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to have a special Valentine's Day post so I asked some Etsians a few Valentine's questions and here's what they have to say.

HelenesDreams creates handcrafted jewelry including gorgeous necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

http://www.helenesdreams.etsy.com/

What is your favorite romantic movie?

Lately, I love Princess Diaries..#2 of course.

What is your favorite love quote/poem?

"True love is to be set free, it will come back if it is meant to be."

Do you prefer chocolates or roses?

chocolate

Do you have a special Valentine's Day memory?

Every Valentines Day we have a yummy breakfast, we make chocolate covered strawberries AND in the evening my husband go out to eat a very nice expensive dinner and go dancing or to a movie. The later seems to be what we do most of the time..as we have grown older!

What is the most romantic gift you have received for Valentine's Day?

He gave me a bracelet that says "Meet you at top..the clouds of high..pacific trail!"

CraftyCollegeGirls creates lovely handmade soaps, candles and knits.

http://www.craftycollegegirls.etsy.com/

What is your favorite romantic movie?

My favorite love movie is Love Actually.

What is your favorite love quote/poem?

Favorite quote is "All you need is love."

Do you prefer chocolates or roses?

Chocolate is awesome, but roses make me smile so...both.

Do you have a special Valentine's Day memory?

My best Valentines memory was when I was a little girl and my daddy gave me flowers :)

What is the most romantic gift you have received for Valentine's Day?

The most romantic gift I have received for valentines day is a cross necklace from Tiffanies.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:55:00.001-08:00

I wanted to have a special Valentine's Day post so I asked some Etsians a few Valentine's questions and here's what they have to say.

Fashiongreentbags uses different items from T-shirts to skirts to create fantastic totes, giftbags and handbags.

http://www.fashiongreentbags.etsy.com/

What is your favorite romantic movie?

Love Actually

What is your favorite love quote/poem?
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's Day?

Do you prefer chocolates or roses?
Chocolate

Do you have a special Valentine's Day memory?
My first Valentine's Day with my husband. I was so happy. He's the BEST Valentine's gift in the world!

Jodieflowers has a fun shop where she sells adorable colorful patches and bugs.

http://www.jodieflowers.etsy.com/

What is your favorite romantic movie?

Great Expectations & What Dreams May Come

What is your favorite love quote/poem?

I Remember You As You Were byPablo Neruda:

I remember you as you were in the last Autumn. You were the grey beret and the still heart. In your eyes the flames of the twilight fought on. And the leaves fell in the water of your soul. Clasping my arms like a climbing plant the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow and at peace. Bonfire of awe in which my thirst was burning. Sweet blue hyacinth twisted over my soul. I feel your eyes traveling, and the autumn is far off: grey beret, voice of a bird, heart like a house towards which my deep longings migrated and my kesses fell, happy as embers.Sky from a ship. Feild from the hills: Your membor is made of light, of smoke, of a still pond! Beyond your eyes, farther on, the envenings were blazing. Dry autumn leaves revolved in your soul.

Do you prefer chocolates or roses?

both!

Do you have a special Valentine's Day memory?

I loved making the Valentine mail boxes out of shoe boxes as a child. I loved getting and recieving little love notes!

What is the most romantic gift you have received for Valentine's Day?

Actually it was this Valentine's Day! I received a bunny vase from Felicia Nilson at maidofclay.etsy.com. My husband always buys me great art for Valentine's Day. All my Valentine's Day Art gifts have hearts on them, so I remember that they were for Valentine's Day.

ThePoint's Etsy shop is filled with beautiful needlecraft, fabric arts and recycled goodies.

http://www.thepoint.etsy.com/

My favorite romantic movie? Moulin Rogue (I love Ewan in this movie - his eyes are so twinkly)

My favorite love quote/poem?
I'm going to change this to a song (if that is ok), because i love the lyrics:
Crush, by the Dave Matthews Bandhere is an excerpt of the song:"Crush meCome on, oh yeah It's crazy I'm thinking Just knowing that the world is roundI'm Here I'm dancing on the ground Am I right side up or upside downIs this real or am I dreaming Lovely lady I will treat you sweetly Adore you I mean you crush me, oh It's times like these When my faith I feel And I know how I love you"it sounds much better and romantic when he is signing it, but I think you get the idea

Do you prefer chocolates or roses?
I love roses - they last longer! my fave flower is a gerbera daisy though!

What is the most romantic gift you have received for Valentine's Day?
My first Valentine's Day with my hubby. He drove 5 hours to visit me!

...more questions and answers to come!

Sassy Roosters

2009-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

I have a special sale in my Etsy shop right now. I just listed these two fabulous wreaths this morning. I found these two sassy rooster signs in Hobby Lobby last week and ended up making two different oval "French Country" inspired wreaths with them.

Early to Rise - Rooster Wreath

Morning on the Farm - Rooster Wreath

If you buy them together, you get $10 off your total purchase price! I made them together; I think they look amazing together and they need a home together also! Please see the item descriptions for more information. And check out the rest of my shop while you're at it!

Birthday Gift for Mom

2009-02-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

I found this artist - Caged Bird Sings - on Etsy last month and I have been eyeing her pieces ever since then, trying to come up with a valid excuse to purchase one! And then it hit me - my Mom's birthday is coming up! I know that she would love to hang this at her new house which isn't exactly finished yet, but will be pretty darn soon. Her birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I have not given it to her yet. And no I'm not afraid she will see it here because she does not have high-speed internet where they are right now and therefore she never gets online.

Wanna know what it is...

Ta-Dah!

Isn't it gorgeous! I just love all of the colors in this wind chime. It is made of stained glass and it sounds so pretty blowing in the wind. Check out her Etsy shop (www.CagedBirdSings.Etsy.com); she has so many chimes to choose from. It took me four days to decide on which one to buy because they are all so gorgeous! I am going to have to buy one to hang up at my new house also.

Pocketful of Posies

2009-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

It's official I have spring FEVER! Here is my latest wreath. This one was created for a co-worker. She told me that she wanted something pink and yellow and "springy" for her Mom. I saw this cute wooden bird welcome sign in the store and built the wreath around it! I am very happy with the way this one turned out. Now I just need to get some spring wreaths made up to have in my Etsy shop!

Ready for Spring

2009-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

I am totally ready for springtime! I was shopping at Hobby Lobby today buying supplies for two more wreath orders and noticed in the first few isles that they have Easter stuff! I absolutely love decorating Easter wreaths. I have so much fun using the pastel colors, the bunnies and the painted eggs. Unfortunately I was over my budget and did not pick up any Easter items yet. I try to limit myself each time I go to Hobby Lobby - otherwise I would go crazy!

I am in there so much I bet the employees practically know me by name. Today one of the ladies that works the floral counter was stocking some flowers. I passed by her with a basket overflowing with flowers, and she said "You're in here quite a bit." I replied with a sort of embarrassed "Yes ma'am." to which she replied "I bet you have a lot of flowers in your house." - you have NO idea!

Garden Party

2009-01-31T14:30:00.000-08:00

One of my co-workers had seen a wreath that I displayed up at work a couple of weeks ago and she told me that she would love for me to make her another wreath. She bought a lovely magnolia wreath from me last year and she was saying that she wanted a "springtime" wreath. She was going to be having a party at her house in February and she needed a colorful wreath to put on her door. Usually when someone asks for a special order I always tell them to give me specifics (i.e. shape, color, any ribbon, any sign or ornaments, etc), but all she wanted was lots of color! I want the customer to be completely happy with their wreath and I want it to look like they had it pictured in their head, but it's always fun to have complete creative freedom as well!

So I headed off to the craft store after work and I was very excited to see that they had their new shipment of spring flowers on display - I was in heaven to say the least! I made my way through the floral section picking up stem by stem and imagining in my head what this was going to look like. Then off to the ribbon isle to pick the perfect match for the purple/yellow explosion of flowers to be! I found this gorgeous purple to pink faded ribbon and held it up to the flowers. It was perfect. The weird thing is they have the same ribbon all the time, the selection never really changes, but I discover new rolls each time. I had never seen this ribbon before, but it has always been there. I have just never needed it, so I don't even see it; I go into the store with selective blinders on!

Anyways, I paid for everything and finally got home. I couldn't wait to start putting this one together. With some wreaths, it takes me a while and no matter what I do or how I arrange them, I can't seem to get them just right. That was not the case with this wreath - it all went together like clock-work! I had a hard time parting with this one. I pictured what it would look like on the front door of our new house (that we haven't even started to build yet), but then I thought to myself I can always make another one just for me!

I took the wreath up to work the next day and everyone loved it. My co-worker was very excited and she took a whole stack of business cards from me to hand out to her guests at the party! Hopefully I will get some new customers soon!

Faith, Hope and Love

2009-01-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Here are the cross arrangements and the wreath that I was talking about in a previous post. They are the ones that I am donating to CuteframesbyK's project - for the Hospice patients and families. I decided to do a set of cross arrangements - the "Faith, Hope and Love crosses".

The "Faith Cross" combines the black metal cross with bright red roses and rich greenery and it spans 21 inches tall, 15 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Out of the three crosses to me this one appears strong and bold so I decided that it should be the "Faith Cross". The simple definition of faith is believing without proof, and you have to be strong to believe without having proof.

This is the "Hope Cross". The delicate white flowers are entwined around the brown metal cross. This arrangement measures 19 inches tall, 15 inches wide and 4 inches deep. The colors of this wreath are so peaceful and I thought that this seemed like the perfect cross for Hope. Hope is defined as the desire and search for a future good; it is difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.

And finally the "Love Cross". A single pink peony and various pink berries lay across a brown metal cross. This arrangement measures 20 inches tall, 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Aside from the colors of this arrangement being pink, I decided that this should be the Love cross because the shape of the cross at each end looks to me like a heart. The heart is a recognizable symbol of love. God tells us that we are supposed to love one another.

I have also made the "Faith in God" wreath. I saw this sign at the craft store and knew that it would be perfect for the middle of the wreath. The sign reads "Great strength comes from faith in God". I also wanted the colors of the wreath to be very bright and cheerful. I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

Business As Usual

2009-01-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

The girls at work go crazy over any wreaths that I bring up there. When I brought one of the new Valentine's wreaths up to work, my supervisor loved it so much that she wanted me to make her one that was similar, but round instead of oval. So I created this lovely beauty!

I brought it up to work this morning and - you won't believe it - I got two more orders from a couple of the other girls!!! I'm going to have a very busy weekend! Woohoo!

For a Good Cause

2009-01-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

I received a message from CuteframesbyK (a fellow Etsian) the other day. She has a wonderful project that she is working on where she is sending bereavement baskets and prayer blankets to patients and family members of patients in Hospice care. She contacted me and asked if I would be willing to donate some of my wreaths or arrangements.

Of course I said yes, not only is this a noble cause, but it is something that is very close to my heart. My Grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer June 2007 and she passed away May 2008. She had bought an Easter wreath from me the beginning of 2008 and she hung it up right above her TV so she could stare at it all day. She said that it was so cheerful! My Grandma also had hospice workers care for her the last week she was alive and they were absolutely wonderful!

CuteframesbyK thank you so much for including me in your very special project. I feel very honored and I am glad that I can contribute something to brighten someone else's day!

You can read more about the project here on her blog:

http://creativeladies.blogspot.com/

I will post the wreaths and arrangements on my blog after I get them made up!

WANTED: More Hours in a Day

2009-01-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, I feel like I never have enough time to blog, let alone do anything else! I have a part-time job, I am currently making wreaths and some arrangements, I have orders for three wreaths (that is a very good thing though!) - I have materials spread out everywhere - I am starting a new workout routine, and I have to cook and clean! Where does the day go? If I didn't have such a wonderful and supportive husband I don't know what I would do!

Okay enough complaints! The next post won't be so negative. I just needed to vent!

Eat Your Heart Out!

2009-01-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

I know that Valentine's Day is still a month away, but since I have been making Valentine's wreaths for about a month already I figured I would start posting the wreaths that I have made so far. Enjoy!

The inspiration for this first wreath came from the heart-shaped sign in the middle. I saw it in a store and knew that I had to create a wreath based on that sign - it was just too cute to pass up!

I found the sign for this wreath when I was in Hobby Lobby. It wasn't even in the same area as the Valentine decorations, but the message was perfect! It reads "All Because Two People In Love".

When I was walking through the floral department in Hobby Lobby one day, I saw these anthurium flowers! I thought that they resembled hearts and knew that I wanted to create a tropical Valentine's wreath using them.

Finally, I found this "LOVE" sign in the Valentine's section of the store and knew that I wanted to make a sweet, delicate looking wreath.

Love Is In The Air

2009-01-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Great news! My boss is letting me display a wreath up at work in the waiting area in hopes that one of the customers or other employees might buy it! He loves the wreaths and thinks that they are just gorgeous! At Christmas time, he bought one to give away as a raffle prize at our employee Christmas meeting.

So I have had this wreath up there since the beginning of the week. I was hopeful that it would sell, but I didn't know if people would realize that it was for sale. Well, just this morning one of the customers loved it so much that she decided to buy it! I am so excited! It is one of my favorite Valentine's Day wreaths.

Nature's Palette

2009-01-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce the newest creation to add to my floral collection -- Nature's Palette. I found this vase at Hobby Lobby and thought it was so beautiful! I got home with no flowers at all; partly because the floral stems were not on sale last week and partly because I had spent a chunk of change on the four other vases that I had bought - but that is a different story! So I get home and look through my floral inventory which is limited. I was not expecting to find anything that would match at all, and too my amazement I had every single stem in the picture, even the bright yellow magnolia stems! I was so excited and just had to start making the arrangement right away. And voila! Here is what I came up with.

To see more pictures of this arrangement and others check out http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/.

To add to my enjoyment today, I made my first sale on Etsy! I know I have already made sales on eBay, but this is different. This is a place where no one really knows about me yet and I do not have that rapport with my customers like I do on eBay. I hope that this is a sign of things to come!

Looking Back

2009-01-11T12:44:00.001-08:00

Okay so today I'm just not feeling motivated at all to start any new wreaths! So, I have decided to just list a few of my favorites here for your viewing pleasure! In no particular order...

Fall Fiesta Wreath

A Heartfelt Welcome Wreath

A Summer in Tuscany Wreath

One Nation, Under God

Yuletide Treasure Wreath

In with the New

2009-01-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Wow! My first blog post which I think is fitting at the first of the year! In my blog I am planning on focusing most of my attention on my designs and creations. So let me start out by telling you a little about me.

Making artificial wreaths and arrangements is truly my passion! I have been creating wreaths, swags and floral arrangements for family and friends, and they have always urged me to share my creations with others, so I am giving it a shot!

Let me start off with some New Year's Resolutions (or maybe just New Year's Thoughts) for my wreath making endeavor:

1. I want to buy a map and put a pushpin in each place I have shipped a wreath! Just knowing that something that I have made is half way across the country is the greatest feeling in the world!
So far:

Ohio
South Carolina
Virginia
Mississippi
Texas

2. I want to push myself to fill up my Etsy shop with a huge variety of arrangements.

By the way: check out http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/

3. I want to promote my butt off and get my name out there!

4. I really want this economy to turn around, but I guess that is more of a wish than anything.

5. I want to enjoy every moment!