Work Space Inspiration

I'm thrilled to finally be setting up a workspace in the corner of my bedroom. Now I can leave projects be instead of wasting half my work time (Gemma's nap time) taking out and putting away supplies to prevent our kitchen table from being overrun with craftiness. I've been keeping an eye out for pretty ways to organize my space and here are a few inspiring photos I've come across...

via Made By Girl

Danielle Thompson

Smile And Wave

elsie*cake

via Bliss

via Oh Happy Day!

Jordan Ferney @ Oh Happy Day!

Get Thrifty

This great print is from ashleyg

and a few of my recent treasure-hunting acquisitions:

Fortune Teller

Took that picture at Cargo yesterday. I went there in search of these:

Which I found. And also this:

The "miracle fish" told me and Jeremy that we're jealous and fickle but it failed to report this:

Looks like I've got my own "miracle fish".

To Do List

For this week:

-Start working out again (and quit with the vanilla tootsie rolls)

-Find the perfect retro tree

                                          (photo found here)

-Cut down our real Christmas tree (I realize that both are real... I mean living. At least until we take a saw to it.)

-back up all my pictures... I'm the worst and having nightmares of my computer crashing

-Practice guitar

Me on my 14th b-day with my best gift

-Go to craft store for supplies

-Go see this movie (I know, I'm such a dork)

Gemma's Pad

Today I took some pictures of Gemma's room. I keep getting asked if I did what I had planned in this post. See for yourself...

I stitched them together in Photoshop to make this slightly crazy perspective panorama. It kind of reminds me of a pinhole photo. (No, the furniture isn't tiny- they are 14 foot ceilings so from this perspective they just look miniature.) 

I painted her dresser and ric-racked her lampshade.

And closer up...

And closer still...

That hankie in need of ironing was my Grandma's. (Jean, from whom Gemma got her middle name. She also collected elephants and now Gemma has a small collection)

That baby doll was my most prized posession as a kid- I got her for my 2nd birthday and gave her the obvious name: Birthday Baby

I love this little picture. It's from a vintage card I got at my shower. The giver said she found it in her grandmother's old things. Precious.

A new take on a bookshelf/toy chest

An out-of-focus close-up on her bedding

Like the photo on her wall above? It can be purchased in my little shop any day of the week!

And quite possibly the coolest thing in Gemma's room (aside from the girl who lives there) is this painting. For my birthday my rad sister had this custom painting done of me and the wee babe. The artist is the super-cool, super-talented, super inspiring Elsie. You can follow her creative life on her blog or support her efforts to "take over the world and make it cute" while getting some cool stuff by shopping at her shop.

Weekend Snapshot

*Finally put finishing touches on Gemma's room

(see tomorrow's post for more where that came from)

*Did massive amounts of laundry

(seriously, I only have one child- how do you keep up with more?)

*Watched the Ducks lose to Stanford

(What the?)

*Ate way too many vanilla tootsie rolls

(I love/hate Dollar Tree for bringing the king sized version into my life. Midgies just don't cut it anymore)

*Took a nap with The Mr. after church

(Bless our child for being a sleepyhead) 

So Excited...

...for Christmas! 

The past 2 Christmases we were all packed to move. (Yes we have moved a ridiculous number of times) No decorating, no tree. 

This year we've not a move in sight and it's Gemma's first Christmas. I'm going all out. Here are a few of the crafts I'm itching to begin...

Felt Circle Garland

Cute Stockings and Garland

Stuffie Ornaments

Pom Pom Wreath and Garland

Quilled Snowflake

Lovely Little Prints

Stumbled upon FreyaArt's Shop and absolutely adore her work!

Here's one I want for Jeremy:

And one for Gemma:

And one just for fun:

How can one person's mind work in such a cute way?

Baby on the Brain

It recently occurred to me that I'm rapidly approaching my due date and have SO MUCH to do before our little gal arrives!!! We all know I have my priorities straight, so for the last 24 hours I've done little more than decorate the nursery. Virtually that is. I think I've got it mostly worked out... at least until I change my mind again. I'm about to order all this stuff online so speak now or forever hold your peace. Here is the crib... just the crib and none of the other stuff in this picture:
Here is the quilt I'm going to make along with the bumper and dust ruffle out of Heather Bailey's beautiful Pop Garden fabrics:
Here is the rocking chair:
And the sheepskin rug:
I'm soon to be receiving the dresser I used while growing up that my mom had used while she was growing up. Now it will be Little One's. I think I'm going to paint it a color similar to this: (picture from Rachel Denbow's home tour on Flickr. Check it out, her house is darling)
And then I'll put on some crystal drawer pulls and slap one of these cute decals on the front in orange or some equally cute color: (You also must check out byrdiegraphics on Etsy, they have fabulous designs!)
I also intend to make my own mobile composed entirely of brightly colored tissue paper poms: Sooooo pretty!

Congratulations!!!

I guess now you can't say you never win anything...

Nuestra Familia.

Congratulations to my sister's friend Ale!!!

Email me with your address and I'll send that calendar right over. (red rover, red rover)

carriestoddartphoto@gmail.com

Thanks to all who played! SO NICE to have your support!!!

In other news... Before my mom left town this past weekend she, my sis and I made our way over to House of Vintage. Here are some of my prizes:

would you believe $5?

ps- I know it's backwards, that's the nature of ttv photography. :)

These are vintage gym lockers. I am so excited to have found these babies because our new loft (we're moving in three weeks) has an entire wall of built in bookshelves. Super cool (there's a rolling ladder and everything) but super hard to fill. These will be a great because they can store my less-cute belongings and fill up some of that shelf space. Yay!

Same fan as above, I just kinda liked this picture.

Also, all morning I've been listening to this:

Sadly, he's not here but my daddy's Christmas album has definitely been on repeat. The sound of acoustic guitar takes me right home.