Another dress for Italy...

I did not make this dress.. It's literally one of those, "that old thing?" kind of dresses. I bought it a few years ago at (gasp) Rite Aid- just to wear as a cover up to the beach. But it occurred to me that it would be the perfect recipient of some Alexander Henry fabric I've been saving for years... And ruffles are now something I'm not afraid of anymore (for both sewing and wearing)... So the dress got a makeover in time to make it into the suitcase. Truth is, I wanted to bring along a red dress and have run out of sewing time. We leave tomorrow!

If it were up to me... Marie claire idees

My new issue of Marie Claire Idees arrived this week, just in time for me to get more excited about going abroad.  I cannot wait to go magazine shopping in Italy...

Look at these photos! I think I could live like this... ... J would reign me in for sure if he had a say... But if it were a girl's world...

(I do have one cabinet that's getting ready for a makeover - I'm thinking a little paint and Mod Podge will make it happen- plus it lives in my office, so I doubt I'd get any objections to it looking a little on the fem side)... Speaking of Mod Podge... (look for my collages candles at www.modpodgerocks.blogspot.com ... Lots of fun ideas over there, too...

Scrappy Wraps

So I was wearing a bracelet today that Tori gave me a few years ago and I decided to email her to ask where she got it.... turns out Michelle Gonzalez, (shell2@tmail.com) - a former employee of Tori's - makes these super cute "Scrappy Wraps". you know how I am about scrap saving... and if you can do it beautifully? oh, yeah...

So Michelle doesn't have an etsy site and she's getting married soon, I hear, but maybe if enough of us beg her - she'll get one set up soon!

Michelle did say that she'd love to be blogged about today, so I'm sure that means she'd be willing to make a cute bracelet for you.

(oh, and for a very different type of fabric DIY cuff, check out Anna Maria Horner's book, Seams to Me...)

I REALLY love Quilthome

I never win anything... so when I put my little "i love quilthome.com" banner at the bottom of my blogroll, I really meant it - the  store is phenomenal and they send out great coupons. I've been dancing around their cool shopping cart features and playing with color combos for a while, but just made my first purchase with them last week.  I've loved how you can search patterns by designer and they have the biggest selection. 

Anyhow - enough about them... I learned this morning in their newsletter that I won their giveaway! I'm super excited. More money to spend at www.quilthome.com.... now that's some real fun!!!!

THANK YOU, www.quilthome.com!

(I do indeed love you!)

C A T

Someday, definitely sooner than I hope, I will be cleaning up the house and I will NOT find little scraps of paper like this. Or books stapled together that say "A MOMM BOOOK" with images of little ice cream cones, princesses and snails. And that day, I will be glad I
blogged this. In the mess of my dining room table tonight, I found this. I love the Design Director. And I love her artwork.

Dress #2 - Brown and Green

So here is my second of a few dresses that I've made recently...

I also decided to include a peek into my studio for you.

Giveaway projects - Cheri's handiwork

Hooray!

I got my first pics tonight of something that someone made from their own piece of scrap heaven...

These pics are from Cheri. (I'm SO happy you loved the box, Cheri!)

Great News!

I have fun news to share...

1 - While I am in Italy, my sister, Victory, and my dear friend, Tori, have agreed to guest blog. The theme will be all Italian, in honor of my trip. I can't wait to see what they post.

2 - The collaged candles got some Dollar Store Craft love this week. Check out the fun blog -

there are always so many fun things to do at Dollar Store Crafts. I'm a beach glass collector, so I think I will be trying this one out soon, and I also LOVE using my washable swiffer refills made from a fleece baby blanket I bought at the dollar store.

3 - I've been a sewing fool! I seem to have gotten the idea that I need to parade around on my romantic vacation with a whole new wardrobe... and have been sewing dress after dress... I'm just loony. Will post some shots of the latest one later today.

4 - I've sold out of my scrap boxes! Wow. After 24 (maybe 25) flat rate boxes getting shipped out to you all - my scrap pile is down to 4 bags of scrap - no longer 10. I made sure each box was full to the brim with scraps (they weighed more than 5lbs each!)- and did m

y best to ensure that each one had a fun and exciting variety of good sized pieces so

people could have fun making things. I can't wait to see some of the creations made. If I am feeling the need to spend another week cutting, folding, shipping, etc... we may revisit that whole concept again. It sure was fun while it lasted. Thanks for taking part!

5 - one question. If I were to bring 1-2 of the following skirts for my trip to Italy... which would you suggest? And why? (just so you know, these 4 are the ones I wear most of all, though my closet boasts about 3 more)

The Original

But Seriously

Hollywood

Out & About

Ciao!

Viva Italia.

So in 10 days, I'm off to Italy. I simply cannot wait.

Want to hear something funny? I've got a few (unrelated) customers in Italy who have me bringing skirts to Italy to mail to them while I am in the country...  so if you are in Italy, reading this and wanting to get your hands on a Libby Dibby item... place your order in the next few days and I will bring it with me!

iPhone love

You all know how much I love my iPhone. I use it to blog from the playground, the coffee shop... everywhere I go. It makes my life so happy. So I decided to make my iPhone happy recently.

I made it a little case. Only the first one wasn't right. Neither was the second. Then I decided I was having too much fun making these and made up a whole batch of them. (None of them are good enough to sell with any confidence... if you want one, look up "phone wallet" on etsy, there are lots of cute and inexpensive ones there!)

Still, some of my friends (and sisters) are being gifted with these happy little deals.