I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at the Handmade Chicago show this Saturday at The Empty Bottle on Western!! I've got some new pieces and a new setup that I'm trying out! I'm really excited and I hope to see some familiar faces there ;)

So I will be attending a wedding this weekend and that's the only thing that's been on my mind this whole past week...getting ready takes a lot of work (even if you're just attending!). I thought I'd do this week's Friday Flickr Find on weddings...I hope to have a great time at this one!

Have a great weekend!!!

So our family has been all about puppies for the last month after my parents got a new golden retriever puppy named Jake! He's just the cutest little thing (see his picture here) and I thought I'd look at other pictures of doggies for this week's Friday Flickr Find. I just want to hug 'em all!!!

Thanks for the great comments this week and have a fabulous weekend everyone!

I came across this site the other day and my jaw kinda dropped open in disbelief...I knew it wasn't just me when I showed this to my boss. Same reaction from him! The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company offers homes from 65 to 774 square feet...yeah, you read that right. The thing about these little abodes is...I could totally see setting one of these babies up in the woods or along a lake somewhere for a fabulous little getaway! How adorable!?!?

This site is too addicting!

So...it's not technically Friday and it's been a loooooong time since I've done one of these!! I really have no excuse except for the fact that I've been doing three websites over the last month and haven't felt much like doing anything on the computer when I get home. That and I feel a lack of creative inspiration lately...must be going through a slump or something! Anyway, I thought I'd publish this Flickr Find today as it's rainy and dreary outside and has been all weekend. I've been collecting these photos over the last few months and felt like I finally had enough to do a posting. So the theme today is "Windows." I think you'll get the idea when you see the selections.

Hope you had a great weekend and stayed dry and safe, wherever you may be :)

So this past weekend I was again a participant at the Handmade Chicago booth at the Randolph Street Antique Market. The weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I couldn't have asked for better...sunny, not too much wind and definitely not too hot. My sister took some great photos of some of my pieces and I wanted to share them. I also tried a new set up for my table which I have to say worked out quite well. I've got a bunch of ideas rolling around in my head for new display ideas as well as new jewelry pieces for my next show in October. That show will again be with Handmade Chicago and will be held October 11Th at The Empty Bottle on Western. I'll post more info as soon as I get the details.

We had a better spot this time...toward the front of the tent!!

I made a new display for earrings which worked out fabulously! It was much easier to see all the earrings at a glance and I sold quite a few pairs!



Some close-ups of a few of my favorites!

The mussel shell bracelets (and earrings) were, again, a huge hit!

A few of my three-strand bracelets...

Everyone LOVED the colorful gift boxes...we sold quite a few!

I just had to share the pictures of my parent's new puppy!! His name is Jake and he's a Golden Retriever who is a little over three months old. He is the sweetest, most well-behaved little guy, (at the moment) is already house trained and can sit on command. He has his first "puppy socialization class" tonight and I can't wait to hear all about it! What do you think?!?!?!?

What he does best!




Don't you just wanna hug him?!?!?!?

After seeing this post from Melissa over at Off the Wall, I was inspired to post this fabulous kitchen (my favorite, in fact) that we did for a client who lives in a Georgian Style home in the Gold Coast. I absolutely LOVE the skylight and the floor as well as the cabinetry. If I could, I would move in tomorrow!!!

Yes, I know it seems like I've fallen of the face of the earth lately, I've just not felt like blogging. Sorry for my absence!

But I came across this today and wanted to share. One of my bloggy friends, Meg from Bode 22 was just published!!! Her fabulous Berry Vine Plate Clock was featured in the September 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens!!!!! Check it out, and also be sure to check out her fabulous Etsy shop and her blog. Congrats girl!!!!

If anyone is travelling to Chicago in the near future and wondering what to do, I highly recommend taking a little trip up to Andersonville to the shops on Clark. I met a friend there last weekend and we had fun perusing some really cute places for vintage furniture and clothing (and new items as well). I saw this great chair and fell in love...now if I just had a place to put it!!

I don't know about you, but we had some crazy weather around here Monday night!!! Actually, we've had quite a few bad storms this year which prompted me to do a collection of images on said subject. I'm sooo not a fan of thunderstorms, wind, toranadoes...well, you get the picture! We had a HUGE storm come through our area on Monday night which spanned over most of Chicago, the surrounding suburbs and northeast Indiana (near where my parents live and work). I'm thankful that all my friends and family made it through okay and avoided any serious damage (which is not the case in a few towns not to far from my parents and my sister!). I ended the set with a picture of a rainbow just as a reminder of God's promise and protection.

Hope you have a wonderful (and safe) weekend!

For some reason, I'm totally fascinated by the art photography of Liz Wolfe. Maybe it's the pretty pastels she seems to favor...or maybe it's the delicious looking candy she uses to create her landscapes. Either way...I'm in love with these photos and wanted to share them with you. Please check out her site for even more!

Liz hard at work!



















If you like what you see, check out Liz's shop to purchase her beautiful photos!!

I love the idea behind the cool collection of Bike Furniture by designer Andy Gregg!!! Talk about functional art that is great for the environment! Andy has taken old, run down bikes and created furniture pieces using the wheels, frames, handlebars and anything else he can come up with...I LOVE the outcome!! I'm not much of a bike rider (something about riding on the city streets with cars whizzing past doesn't sit well with me) but I have a group of friends who are obsessed with biking and fixing up old bikes. Wonder what they would think of these pieces!

I love a good book and, today I've discovered that I love a good photo of a book as well. I've been reading like a maniac this summer (and so have my Mom and Sister) so I thought this week I would focus on books. These are just a few of the photos I was coming across (unfortunately, most of the best I was finding I couldn't blog!!!). Thanks for all your great comments this week and I hope you all have a truly wonderful weekend!! See ya!

After seeing this post by Diana from Please Sir...I was reminded of a site that I came across a while back. I'm in total agreement with Diana about the haunting beauty of an abandoned building or place and that's why I love Dark Passage. A collection of photos taken by "urban archaeologists," this site provides a documentation of architectural decay. I'm captivated by the poignancy in these photos and I thought I'd share a collection of my favorites...

I came across these fun flickr images yesterday while browsing and I immediately fell in love. Not only is the artwork super-fun, the photos are fabulous!! Makes me want to color my coffee cup every morning :)

I have to say...I think this is my most favorite of the many Friday Flickr Finds that I have done!! I can't get enough of the beautiful lighthouse pictures I've been finding on Flickr...absolutely amazing shots! I think there is something so beautiful about a lighthouse, to look up to the top from inside and imagine all the fishing boats that have been guided by such a little light...and to think of the lighthouse keeper who tended the light throughout the night. Love it!!

Have a fabulously wonderful weekend everyone!!!

So, I'm back from vacation...sorry for the long absence but it usually takes a while to get into the swing of things when I've been gone! I'm happy to say that I had a delightful time while away and thought I'd share some pictures with you all...(they're probably not that interesting...just bear with me)!!

We stayed at a rental beach house with a private section of beach...it's not the nicest place on earth but it's cozy and we always have a great them there! Here was the view from the back deck



And here is a view looking down the beach...my nephew and his grandma are walking away...



The kids had a great time, we played at the beach, built some sandcastles (or tried to build some) and went to the zoo. Here are a few of the pictures we took at the Michigan City zoo:


It was super hot that day...I felt so bad for this poor reindeer!




The otter tank had a clear glass or acrylic tube running through it that the kids could crawl through. The otters would swim underneath and on top of you...it was pretty neat (and a big hit with the kids!)


We climbed up to the top of a super tall observation tower...by the time we reached the top, I thought I was seriously going to have a heart attack!


but the view was pretty nice...



and we had fun!!


Of course, we couldn't go to the beach without taking a trip to New Buffalo, Michigan for some Redamack's (best burgers ever!!!!!)


and a perfect ending to the week...Oinks Ice Cream! The whole place is literally covered in pigs (no real one's, of course!). Don't ask me what pigs have to do with ice-cream...it works for this place though!



That's pretty much it...it was kind of nice not having internet the whole week, but I promise I will be back to my regular posting (or as close to it as possible)!!

Okay, as some of you know, I love to dance, and, even more, I love to watch people who can actually dance! My sister and I are totally addicted to the show So You Think You Can Dance...here are a few of my most favorite dances from the past few seasons. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

My sister-in-law posted this a while back and I find it both funny and a little wrong, but mostly funny...Warning: Not for the easily offended!

I'm totally addicted to Ghost Hunters and have been able to watch it on youtube since I don't have cable. This is a video I came across while searching and couldn't stop laughing...just watch and you'll hopefully see why!

Since I'm at the beach this week, I decided to share my favorite youtube videos with you all. I'm going to post one (or a few if they share a theme) every day. Hope it isn't too boring :)

This cracks me up every time!!!

So today, I decided to do the Friday Flickr Find a little bit differently after I saw this fun little game on Ivey Handcrafted. I used the Mosaic Maker to put together a combination of photos culled using a random grouping of questions. Here are my answers:

1. Jen 2. Ice Cream 3. Illiana 4. Green 5. Christian Bale 6. Margarita 7. Santorini 8. Cake 9. Mommy 10. Sleep 11. Ambitious 12. JLC Studio

Try it for yourselves!!
The rules are as follows:
Type the answers to the following questions into Flickr search.
Using only the first page, pick one image.
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fds mosaic maker.

1. what is your first name?
2. what is your favorite food?
3. where did you go to high school?
4. what is your favorite colour?
5. who is your celebrity crush?
6. favorite drink?
7. dream destination?
8. favorite dessert?
9. what you want to be when you grow up?
10. what do you love most in life?
11. one word to describe you?
12. your Flickr name?

Don't forget to give credit!! 1. “Circled” (detail), 2007, paper, by Jen Stark, 2. Good News Ice Cream!, 3. Number 1, 4. Green on Green, 5. Christian Bale, 6. Ritas, 7. OIA, handmade houses, 8. Cake, 9. baby SATs: mommy is to Eve..., 10. Her Art of Sleep, 11. green up, 12. My Pretty Sister!

Yes, I know I didn't post this on Friday but I had these all ready to go...I was just enjoying myself too much away from my computer, as I hope most of you were ;) Hope you had a great 4th...God Bless America!!!