fresh floorcloths...

i am so excited to have 2 new floorcloths in my shop!  i was hoping to have them online a little sooner, but, well, that just didn't happen. 'tis life sometimes.  they are up and available at the lime loft now though. yay!

a lovely 'worn' red & yellow floorcloth!

green polka dots. need i say more?

and let me just say, this crazy warm weather in the midwest is making it hard to concentrate.  i just want to go outside, sit on the front porch swing, and say "hi" to everyone walking by with their dogs!  which reminds me... our cute dog went to get a 'haircut' yesterday..

before... (and yes, he does have one blue eye and one brown eye)

and after... haha... they did leave a lot around his face,
so he looks a little lionish when he isn't looking up at me
like he is in trouble.

ah, now that feels better!  he loves it when he comes home from the groomer with his short military haircut. and there is A LOT less fur floating around the house, too. bonus!

happy wednesday

~ julie

in the kitchen... sort of

i am cheating just a little... i did not make anything in the kitchen on saturday.  we spent the day at the st. patrick's day parade in columbus and then hung out with some friends afterwards.  but, i did just returned from a quick visit to my parents' "snowbird" home outside of brandenton, florida.  i know, i know... tough life, right?  it was great fun to see my mom & dad, but a bonus was the fact that 3 of my nieces came to visit, too! they are so beautiful!

3 nieces & their grandmom! loveliness!!

we found lots to do including an afternoon trip to the beach, a picnic on snead island, and then my mom & i also made a small road trip to goodson farms strawberry market the morning before i left to come home!

if you are near sun city, florida... you must go here!

ooooooooooh, my! i couldn't believe how many strawberries there were to both purchase (if only i could have carried them on the plane!!)..

don't you just want to reach in here, pick up a strawberry, and take a bite?

..and piled on top of our shortcake & sundae!

strawberry shortcake for me. strawberry sundae for my mom.
we couldn't eat it all!

the weather was wonderful, but then again... i think it was pretty fabulous in most of the u.s. this past week, too.


i can't wait for june and the strawberry season here in ohio!  with the way the weather is going right now though, they might be arriving in may.  and i am not complaining about that. not one bit!

happy monday!

~ julie

'sew what you love' review

back in november, i talked about a new book that was coming out in december... sew what you love by tanya whelan.  life was busy, and i just this week was able to check the book out at my local library.  this is a great plan if you don't mind being on a waiting list sometimes.  it gives you a chance to look over the book and decide if you need your own copy or if it is not something you would really use.

sew what you love has lots of cute projects!

sew what you love is a book full of a variety of projects from skirts to baby blocks.  it is a great book for quick projects to keep you motivated and smiling at your accomplishments.  none of the designs look to difficult, so if you are a pro... this might not be a book for you, but if you are a beginner or intermediate then it is a perfect book.  the pictures are beautiful, and, of course, the fabrics are lovely. and... there are patterns included for the projects, too. yay!

sweet pincushion!

do you like the little pin cushion i made yesterday evening?  i really needed one, but had put it off for whatever reason.  and, just like i mentioned earlier, i needed a little motivation. i needed to complete a project after being away from my studio for almost a week! this was a perfect way to get back into the swing of things.

there are several other projects from the book which i hope to tackle in the next few weeks.  remember... check out sew what you love at your local library or find it on amazon as well.

happy friday!

~ julie

uncluttering feels good!

in the bootcamp class i am participating in for creative businesses, i began and completed 2 classes: "the 3-step clutter-free formula" and "taking back your space."  both were much needed classes.  cleaning, uncluttering, and organizing my studio.  mayi (our instructor extraordinaire) had such great suggestions and guidance.  and without further ado...

the befores:

lots of paint that took up LOTS of space under my work table.
i bought the metal shelf (white one in pick) and was able to stack & reduce the
space all the cans took up.

ok, lots of stuff packed under there with no particular 'rhyme or reason.'
not a pretty site, is it?

and the afters: 

moved in a bookshelf to organize my fabric 'collection'
for all my sewing projects

the paint is now condensed into one corner of my table.

sorry about the lighting on this one... but can you see that i purchased two large
plastic bins (with wheels) and got rid of a lot of 'crap' that had accumulated?!

i still need to find the proper screws for attaching my clear plastic container for the pretty folders i purchased (at hobby lobby) to keep my paperwork a little more organized. 

aren't these files cute? and the clear plastic container lets their beauty show. 

it is amazing how much more room i have now.  and how much more relaxing it is when i come into the studio without all the mess laying around. 

finished updated, reorganized, cleaned studio.
that feels so much better!

ahhhhh, this is nice.  let me just say that this is needed in the rest of my house as well.  but that will have to wait until another week.  maybe spring cleaning 2012? 

are you an organized person? what makes you feel good in your 'space'? 

~ julie

ps.  the new martha stewart line of organizational items at staples is lovely.  just sayin'.