I've moved! And I'm FINALLY blogging again!!!

The last 2 weeks we were building the site I started diligently blogging, getting back in the habit. Man - I've missed writing like this! And now we're "on". It's very exciting over here.

Take a spin through the pages & learn a bit more about me & what I do. I've been a busy girl & have made a lot of changes since my last blog post in 2009.

Check back every day - I've come up with a format I really like incorporating some of the favorite themes from my previous blog followers:

SUNDAYS: SENSE-ational Sundays are BACK! I ran these for 2+ years, recording my top 5 "sense"-ational experiences each week. It's like a diary of my sensory world. My weekly favorites - what I see, hear, taste, touch & smell. If you're an aspiring blogger it's a GREAT writing exercise and really makes you pay attention to the little joys in your life.

MONDAYS: Yummy Mondays - every Monday will be food related. Recipes, cooking videos, gratuitous sugar, etc.

TUESDAYS: The Trendwatcher lives! I am still an avid trend tracker & wanted to include my forecasting tips and web trend links into a regular column. Tuesdays are a must for designers & indie artists.

WEDNESDAYS: What I Want Wednesdays -Each Wednesday I will window shop through etsy, sharing finds from talented independent artist by themes. We'll discover tons of great handmade artists together!

THURSDAYS: Well, I can't live every day by a formula - Thursdays are a wild card! I am including a Life & Laughs column for everything from redneck shenanigans to what I'm reading and more.

FRIDAYS: Button Business - Here is where I can recap what I've been working on the last week. New listings, online buying trends, upcoming shows, local shops, etc. It's a regular ManHandled-palooza. I like it, because I tend to talk about work a lot, and this really contains it when I write about other things.

SATURDAYS: My day of online rest. Unless there's something awesome going on (like tomorrow), I plan to go do something in the real world & stay off the computer. Get some sunshine, or sleep in, or go out - whatever you do HAVE FUN!

Alive...

This is the longest blogging break I have ever taken...

I am fine - I've just had family in the hospital, for well - a little over a month now. It's been hard to write about & hard to find the time to write. I can manage shorter updates, so I've been on facebook more when I've had time (Emily Hargis Adams).

I wanted to share a video I found recently that I love to give you a smile today...

The Potato Bar is Open!

Created with flickr slideshow.

I created 20 new kits for PolkaDotPotato for their fabulous .99 cent sale! Click here to shop the Potato Bar!

"Sense"-ational Sundays...

Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday & let me know - I'd love to read along!

I SEE: 20 new kits for the Potato Bar...
Ashley's launching another BIG "Potato Bar" sale later this week at www.polkadotpotato.com (all the kits are just .99!) It's my first one to participate in since I started Catch 52 & I was soooooooooo excited! I created TWENTY NEW KITS over the last week!!! I'll post them as soon as they go up...

I HEAR: Fraiser
Lately, with all the family stress I've been looking for something to make me laugh. I ran across an episode of Fraiser on cable and laughed myself SILLY! I loved this show...but now I find it funnier than ever! Think about it - one of the base story lines is of a man dealing with his dad & dog moving in & how they get along (apropot). found an episode guide online & realized a few people have uploaded ALL the old Fraiser episodes on to YouTube! So I've been listening to them while I've been working on my potato bar kits...

I TASTE: Pei Wei
This means Matt went out of town last weekend...I always go grab food from Pei Wei when he's gone. I really love it & he hasn't found anything on the menu he really likes...

I TOUCH: dog hair
Oh. my. Lord.
EVERYWHERE!!!

We're going to have her shaved down. Way. too. much. hair. in. my. house.

We are loving having a dog - but this is RIDICULOUS.

I SMELL: Figs & Leaves
I went to LUSH to get some soap to send to my cousin in Iraq...it's a good thing my local LUSH girls know me by sight. We had a catch up chat & they cut me some lovely samples. I let them choose for me & I have some wonderful new soaps to try.

This one was the first I've tried & I must admit - my skin feels FABULOUS...Seriously if you have a LUSH in your area - go & ask for some samples. Try this one & porridge soap (great for your face) for starters. I'm so excited to try my other new samples...there's nothing like a long hot shower to relax!

On My Desk Fridays...

Inspired by one of my favorite sites, On My Desk, I have decided to share a photo of whatever is on my desk {whether it's art in progress or a gigantic mess} every Friday. This week it's...

A little jewelery repair (one of my flower cabochon rings) sitting on top of my "reference" calendar I use for working on Catch 52. I am doing so much calendar art I always keep a reference out these days so I don't get confused. I am a little surprised at how long this random piece of paper has actually stayed on my desk...

So, what's on your desk? Post a link & let me know if you're playing along - I'd love to look at your desk too! Or just hop on and say hi. I know you're reading...

Try this at home...

You know I am addicted to etsy.com. Not only are they an amazing community to shop in & sell on - they have weekly how-to tutorials, an online magazine, free virtual classes, a resource guide, a message board & SO MUCH MORE!

This week's how to video really got my attention because not only do I have everything to do this at home (well - I'm subbing felt for batting, but it's close enough) - I'm betting if you're a scrapper you do to. So try this fun decor project sometime soon - I know I will! *Click here* for the written instructions if you need them.

"Sense"-ational Sundays...

Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday & let me know - I'd love to read along!

I SEE: Costco

We broke down & got a Costco membership. We've been analyzing our grocery spending & realized we had a lot of recurring expenses that we could cut down by buying a few items in bulk. It was an adventure. We didn't go bonkers buying stuff either.

I HEAR: a drill
We put up a waterbed in the guest room this week. We weren't that sure of what we were doing and as a result had to start over twice before we did it right. I kept hearing the whirring of Matt's drill as we unassembled and reassembled. Anyway - it's done now and my dad's finally more comfortable. You wouldn't recognize our guest bedroom. It's actualy a bedroom...

I TASTE: Matt's grilled cheese
My husband makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world. His trick is that he makes them "inside out". He "grills" one side of the bread, then flips and adds the cheese then does the outside so both sides of the bread are crispy...he made them for me & my dad & Martha this weekend.

I TOUCH: Lady, our new fur-baby!

This was a surprise. We've adopted one of my parents dogs & brought it home with us permanently. A lot of you know I am generally anti-pet. Those of you who've known me when I've had pets know its because I have a hard time losing them. I love this dog. Matt REALLY loves this dog. It was his decision...we brought our new baby home last night. It's really quite fun.

I SMELL: Coffee
I've been drinking coffee almost every day. I'm trying to adjust to my new lifestyle of waking up earlier. It's taking A LOT of coffee...lol.

On My Desk FRIDAYS...

Inspired by one of my favorite sites, On My Desk, I have decided to share a photo of whatever is on my desk {whether it's art in progress or a gigantic mess} every Friday. This week it's...



A LOT of papers & notes for some upcoming classes I'll be teaching at GASC in Arlington. True to Luxe - all the projects will probably end up as a collaborations - but since but I had to get descriptions & teaser photos turned in today I had to wing it a little bit. We have some AMAZING releases coming up that I want to incorporate too - it's so hard to do a sample photo when the product you want to use doesn't exist yet! :)

So that's what I'm working on. Class descriptions & sign ups go up next week. They're going to be A TON of fun and I'm really looking forward to teaching locally! The last several years GASC has always been opposite a CKU or Scrap-a-Ganza, so I've only taught at 1 in the last 8 years. Which is CRAZY since it's the largest consumer convention in the US and it's in my own backyard!

So, what's on your desk? Post a link & let me know if you're playing along - I'd love to look at your desk too! Or just hop on and say hi. I know you're reading...

"Sense"-ational Sundays...

Once again a day late & a dollar short and another skipped Friday...
We've been having some serious stuff going on this week. There's just no other explanation for it.

Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday & let me know - I'd love to read along!

I SEE: Clutter & Order
We had a MAJOR project this week. My dad has come to stay with us for a couple of months so we decided to buckle down and turn our crap-collector/spare bedroom into a real live guest room & totally livable space. If you've been to my house, you know what a daunting task that was. Matt & I managed a complete transformation in 2 days. I feel like I worked out for about 20 hours straight. Even my hair hurts.

I HEAR: the Back to the Future Trilogy

I tend to listen to DVDs when I'm working on the computer @ home. The more familiar the better since I can "see" them in my mind & don't have to concentrate on it at all to enjoy it & know what's going on. The Back to the Future movies are great for this kind of thing and were the discs on the desk this week...

I TASTE: Triscuts
I'm going through a triscut phase right now...I don't know why. They're my favorite thing to munch on.

I TOUCH: Upholstery fabric
I bought fabric & "made" and hung curtains this weekend (is it "making" curtains when you figure out how to rig them without sewing anything????).

I SMELL: Tim Horton's English Toffee Coffee
I must say THANK GOD for Vicki Boutin who sends me my Tim-fix whenever I ask her to. I LOVE this coffee & since there's no Tims anywhere NEAR my end of the country I am eternally grateful to my personal coffee exporter. :)

...for the Scrap-Shopaholics!

It's like a big fabulous shopping week!!! I'm feeling more than a little shopaholic inspired, what with the sale at ManHandled, this amazing deal from Luxe and a promo coming up on Friday at TheBookie!

We're offering a once in a LUXE-time opportunity for you to stock up on ribbon! We're offering 3 yards for $1 or you can buy an ENTIRE 20 yd spool for ONLY $5 (all sizes). OK - let me spell it out for you...cheaper than wholesale. This special is so amazing we can only run it for a limited time - until the end of the month! So take a look & see what ribbons you need today. All of out gorgeous grosgrains are garment grade - washable & as perfect for sewing as they are for paper projects! *CLICK HERE for your RIBBON FANTASY come true*

Stimulating the economy one button at a time...

We figured it was the "American" thing to do...so we passed our own economic stimulus package, just for ManHandled!

As long as you're in the U.S.A. we're offering free shipping on all of our buttons sets this week - no minimums, no strings attached!

*CLICK HERE* to browse the button mania!

"Sense"-ational Sundays...

Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday & let me know - I'd love to read along!

I SEE: My new favorite Catch 52 design

I designed my favorite kit so far for Catch 2 last week. I designed it to make printable birthday/anniversary calendars as gifts. You can also break up all the components and use them on scrapbook pages - the titles can even work in blog headers. I called it Street Smarts since it had a real graffiti feel.

I HEAR: Dogs
I spent the week at my dad's house & had a lot of up close & personal time with his 2 dogs. I woke up a few nights to one or the other standing on my bed looking at me, trying to figure out what the heck-o I was doing there. Curly killed a pillow while I was there. I mean he KILLED the pillow. WOW. It looked like a snowstorm.

I TASTE: Pam's Pork Chops
Pam introduced me to a new recipe she tried recently & loved. I've cooked it myself now too & am convinced it will be one of my new go-to easy staples that everyone loves & that I'll usually have everything on hand.

• brown pork chops in a deep skillet - season with salt and pepper (do not worry about cooking all the way through, just get a nice color)
• remove pork chops and deglaze skillet with a bottle or can of beer
• add a bottle of barbecue sauce, a bunch of thinly sliced onions & some chopped garlic
• place pork chops back in skillet
• simmer (covered) 1-2 hours
• serve over white rice

Oh wow. You will be blown away - sooooooo tender and good. And your house will smell wonderful!

I TOUCH: American cheese
I've been a little bored with lunches lately, so I decided to make pimento cheese for next week - so I did a lot of shredding today! Matt likes "old school" pimento cheese - it's so easy it's almost criminal:

• shred a 1/2 lb+ block of white American cheese
• shred a 1/2 lb+ block of yellow American cheese (just get these unsliced in a block from your deli counter)
• dump in 2 little jars of diced pimentos & juice
• add plenty of miracle whip - stir

That's it. Personally I like to mix in cheddar & add black pepper & a couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce - but it's good either way. So superior to what you buy in the tub - you may never go back!

I SMELL: Brown Sugar Soap

I've been using up some of my smaller bars of soap & rediscovered one I really liked - brown sugar. It was one of my etsy finds. I really recommend it if you're in the mood for a little indulgence!

No Sunday? No Friday? Where am I?

It's been a very weird week. I've been staying with my dad while my stepmom's been in the hospital...quite frankly blogging has been pretty low on the priority list this week. We don't have much of a prognosis yet - but a less than 24 hour observation period going in has turned into a week of tests...

I'll get back in the swing of my regular blogging as soon as I can.

In the meantime - there's enough in this link to amuse you for a week!!! *CLICK HERE for Etsy's How To Valentine Round Up* Excellent for last minute valentine ideas for stuff to make. And talk about great things to make! Ashley's done an AMAZING freebie - I've seen these in person & they're to DIE FOR! *CLICK HERE for a FREE download for Ashley's Valentine Lollipop Cards*

So - go check it all out & if you're a praying person include my family on your list. Thanks & hope to get an update out soon!

On My Desk FRIDAYS...

Inspired by one of my favorite sites, On My Desk, I have decided to share a photo of whatever is on my desk {whether it's art in progress or a gigantic mess} every Thursday - but now I've moved it to Friday - so I could do better! This week it's...

...let's see. A new Neil Gaiman book, a box of little colored note papers (my personal soft spot! I love to write on them, unfortunately I lose the papers a lot - but I keep using them so...oh well) & a cup of sharpies. The cup is particularly cool - Meg mod-poged it with some of my fabric. Very chic. I was supposed to photograph it for her upcoming etsy site...but I kind of stole it, so I guess I have to pay her now. Oh well.

So, what's on your desk? Post a link & let me know if you're playing along - I'd love to look at your desk too! Or just hop on and say hi. I know you're reading. :)

"Sense"-ational Sundays...

Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday & let me know - I'd love to read along!

I SEE: Ice

We had an "ice event" last week - it wouldn't have meant much if we lived somewhere that got cold on a regular basis, but it was enough to shut down the city for a couple of days. I took the opportunity to get some designing done & do a serious tidying up around the house.

I HEAR: Neil Gaman
Yum...I decided to finally take one of Meg's recommendations & start reading some Gaiman this week. I had some credits stacked up through audible.com and when I found out he narrates his own books I downloaded Coraline & The Graveyard Book. WOW. They are SO entertaining! Coraline is relatively short - so I've listened to it a few times now & The Graveyard Book once (it was fantastic!). I downloaded Neverwhere for my next one & the Megster loaned me a paperback version of Good Omens.

I TASTE: Applesauce

I had a drawer full of different varieties of apples from the coop the last few weeks & decided to make applesauce this week. It smells so good when it's cooking...

I TOUCH: Carmex

I am utterly addicted. I've written about it before, but it is true - especially this time of year. I LOVE MY CARMEX!!!!

I SMELL: Garlic
If you've ever been to Pappasito's you've probably tasted their garlic butter they serve with their fajitas. It's Matt's favorite thing...I think he would put it on everything if he could get away with it. Anyway - I figured out how to make & he is soooooooo happy!

Dice (or grate or press) 1 whole head of garlic. Yep, that's a lot of garlic. Lightly salt it and saute it in a little olive oil. Do not let it brown - you want it sweet. Add butter - you want the mix to be about half butter/half evoo. Bring it to a boil. Whip it until it's a little frothy on top. Great with fajitas instead of sour cream & cheese, amazing on steaks, good on veggies too.

But, man your house will smell garlic-y - but unless you're having vampires for dinner, you should be OK.

***a note about On My Desk Thursdays***
I've had a change in schedule & Thursdays have apparently become impossible for me - so I'm moving my "On My Desk" feature to Fridays. I'll resume next week.