Round Top- Spring 2010 Edition

Just look at this brisket sandwich on homemade bread.... it is worth the drive to Round Top alone!

My girlfriend Brandy and I drove to Round Top on Thursday morning. She is the first person to introduce me to the goodness and we just had the best time! We shop really well together- we want to spend about the same amount of time, have similiar taste and budgets, and talk frank about purchases that should or should not be made. If you've never been, it is seas of tents, sheds and RVs. It is NASCAR for women! The vendors set up shop for the week and just live there. This van was the vendors' home and their store front. They sold hand painted purses and shoes.

I loved the pink trailer with matching pink bike, pink table and pink ice chest!

I got some GREAT items this time around and didn't even spend all the cash I took! Look at these beads.... they remind me of Sprees candy. My cousin Keri always ate Sprees.

This full strand that I just need to place on beading wire was $17!

I also bought this painted clay necklace for $12.

This bowling pin picture frame is from one of my favorite vendors- isn't it darling? I like the height that it will give my mantle.

Both Brandy and I bought these bird feeders made from pie pans, mason jars and old plates. $15! Isn't it special?
Here are a few things we didn't buy: a giant Big Bird? Seriously?

Or waht about this one? I sent a picture like this to my husband and told him I had bought it for our yard and good thing we had brought Brandy's big SUV. It was April Fool's and he only bought it for a short time!

I love the colors of this old metal table. It would be so easy to recreate if you have one of these classic table and chairs on your patio. She was selling it for $850!

The shopping continues until Sunday and then comes back in October with Halloween and Christmas goodies.

Chocolate Bunny Love

Easter Blessing to all from Your Little Birdie and my little chocolate bunny, Abby Lu! I pray you all enjoy this beautiful day celebrating the love and life of Jesus Christ with your family, friends and the candy that comes with it!

Easter Basket

What do you get when you combine this and these... with this?

You get my daughter's Easter basket? Isn't it cute! It is from the same person who made her Halloween bucket. Now, I'm all set until she gets older and has an opinion about these things!
I chose the simple non-Easter pattern so that I can use this in her bathroom. It is a perfect match! I love the double usage! If you are interested in a whimsy tin, order early! Jamie gets super busy and her Easter deadline this year was in February. She is incredibly talented and does so many buckets. Order Halloween now!

We'll be filling her eggs this year with Goldfish and Craisins. She loves both of them and doesn't need candy just yet! I was in Dallas this week at a very high end toy store killing time and noticed they had lots of Easter baskets lying around with names on them. I asked what they were for.... they were for parents who called in with their CC and asked the store to fill baskets for them. It was sad. These were $200 baskets filled with toys. Toys there kids may not want, already have or could care less about. Am I the old fashioned Mom who fills the basket with plastic eggs of snacks or are these Moms too busy, too wealthy, or out of touch?

Organizing Tips

I try really hard to be organized and have a few ideas to share that have helped me. Hopefully, they'll give you some ideas.

1. Make a catch all bowl cute!

I don't mind my husbands "junk" out on the kitchen counter provided it is in one place. I have a series of bowls (star, Christmas bucket, pumpkin) that are used as his catch all bowl. Provided everything is in a bowl, I think it looks organized and can be on the counter. Finding cute bowls make it look like part of your decor. 2. Pantry doors can be useful! These came with our house and I love them. They are from the Container Store and this door holds all of our spices and oils. The other door has canned goods, baggies, foils, etc. Can you imagine how much extra space your shelves would have if those items were removed?
3. When I make my grocery list, I simultaneously make my meal list. For example, if I decide we are having tacos, I write down what I need for tacos on the grocery list (sorted by department, of course!) and then write tacos on my tall skinny notepad. If a meal is in a cookbook, I write the meal's name and then the cookbook and page below. If it is an index card recipe, I pull that out. The meal list and the corresponding recipe cards hang on our refrigerator with a magnetic "chip clip". It is easy to know what we have available, helps me remember to pull out meat in the busy morning, or lets me know when we are out of groceries!

4. Be creative- think about uses for items beyond their original intended use. This shoe rack makes a great craft holder. My friend Alison taught me about this! It holds paint, brushes, fabric rolling cutter, tulles, ric rac and pom pom rolls, shipping tape, extra wood blocks and more! The large scissor bucket is for plants and the small thumb tack holder is an ice cream dish. I love their colors, size and shape.

These small suitcases from Land of Nod hold rubber stamps and inks.

I also have hat boxes filled with ribbons, candy dishes holding small hair bows, old soda crates storing magazines, and Rubbermaid drawers filled with spice packets, drink mixes and sauce starters. Don't be afraid to roam outside the first department and see what you can find.

I'll leave you with a funny quote from a Hallmark magnet-

Turns out their is no prize for alphabetizing your spices.

Oh so funny, but true!

April 2010 Free Desktop Calendar

Another new month? They just keep on coming ;) Click on the picture above to enlarge it and then right click and save as desktop background. A full calendar at your fingertips!

I'm off to Round Top shopping today- can't wait! I'll share my finds tomorrow!

Birthday Present

Today is my 34th birthday! I love celebrating and try to extend the birthday love as long as possible. I used to count down from January 1! I think it comes from sharing my birthday with my sister who is 4 years younger. We both enjoy sharing a birthday more now than as kids. Four years is just a little too far apart to have a joint party. I have one big birthday wish- 100 followers! Can you help? If you read the blog and aren't a follower, just press the follow me button on the left column and help me make my birthday wish come true! If I hit 100 before April 1, I'll have a treat in store for my followers!

Thank you, Pioneer Woman!

My new recipe to try out this grocery store cycle, was the Apple Dumplings from Pioneer Woman. Once again, she did not disappoint.

These were simple ingredients, easy directions and the results look and taste much fancier than they really are! Kids would love helping to make these- wrapping crescent rolls around the apples and pouring in the secret ingredient! Photo from PW also!

Free Custom Easter Cards for All

I love digital scrap booking and created 3 Easter cards just for Your Little Birdie readers! Just email me @ annajenk@yahoo.com with your card choice, the name for the card and a picture!

If you'd like a card for your friends or family, they are 4x6 and can be printed as normal photos would be at your local grocery or drugstore. Or, as a JPEG file, you can just post it on your blog on Easter morning to send blessings to your friends and family.

One simple request, for your free card, just give the blog a little love- add Your Little Birdie to your blog roll, blog about this giveaway, add yourself as a follower, or tweet about it! Easy!

Card #1- Eggcellent

#2- Chocolate Bunny

#3- Chickadee

Once I have your order, I'll be sure to return your card in a just a few days!

Commander in Chic

Love this new grey brown purple color from Sally Hansen! I read that grey brown shades of polish are the color for this season along with navy blue. I am wearing it now and honestly love it! I am pale and freckly, so I don't normally do dark polish, but made an exception. With three thin coats, it looks great. No basecoat or topcoat needed. Here is a full review and the new color line from a stylish blogger. I want to try PLUM LUCK next!

Advanced Steam A Seam

This past weekend my Mom and I took my Steam-a-Seam addiction to a whole new level- mixing fabrics, using various threads, adding buttons and ric rac. My daughter Abby Lu has some cute new onesies for Spring and Summer!

This is Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba which Abby loves. She saw this shirt for the first time, smiled real big and gave Foofa a kiss. I saw this on etsy and decided to make my own. She ended up being our favorite! This flower is lots of fun and will match Abby's lime green leggings. Pair it with hot pink jellies and we have one CUTE girl on our hands!
I found this ric-rac at Jo Ann Fabrics. It is iron on and made with stitching around the edges to look sewn on. Since my Mom and her sewing machine were visiting, we added the middle stitch for good measure!

I love little birdies/chicks and this one will be great with her turquoise pettiskirt for Easter weekend. So stinkin' cute in Amy Butler's fabrics.


Our last onesie spelled her name! I love butter yellow fabrics!

And, last but not least, we cut off a onesie and made a dress for Abby. I love these little dresses and trying something new each time we make them. We added the little bib detail and lace trim. This will be sweet in photos!

If you search applique onesie on etsy, you'll find lots of inspiration to make your own onesies and dresses. Don't worry if you don't have a sewing machine, you can make these without that extra step!