Memories

I love memories. I love pictures. I love that pictures can capture memories for us.

When I made our wedding album over a year ago, I took it to church to show some of our friends, so they could see our wedding pictures. Within a couple weeks two separate women came to me and asked if I could do albums for them, and how much would I charge?

When I finished the first album the recipient was so happy that she insisted I make business cards she could share with her friends.

And my entrepreneur juices started to flow. 

Well, let's just say I'm not a very good business woman, and the whole idea didn't take flight. 

But in the last three months or so my husband and I have been talking.... I want to stay home, but want to stay busy. We don't "need" me to work to live comfortably, but as long as our family can function healthily and happily, why shouldn't I find a little something to bring in some extra dough - even something for me to do and to enjoy? "Tent making," "home business," call it whatever you want.

A lot of it is still in the works. We have lots of transitions quickly approaching us, and this is one of the ideas we will be working on over the course of this year.

A home-based, family-operated business with a theme revolving around photographs and memories. Something to help one cherish the days gone by, if you will.

We have lots of different ideas. Lots of different avenues we want to venture down. We know we shouldn't bite off more than we can chew, so we want to start slow and small.... 

But back to the albums.

I enjoy every minute spent creatively piecing together picture after picture -  organizing and styling, choosing themes and colors. The albums are beautiful keepsakes once printed, and the finished results have always exceeded our expectations.

So, my request for you, friends, is to spread the word! 

Who do you know that has a stack (or box) of pictures to be organized and displayed in a beautiful album? Who has recently been married and wants something to do with her favorite wedding photos - all 800 of them? Who likes to give especially sentimental gifts? Who likes to brag about their grandkids? 

Do you know anyone who might want an album? Maybe you're a photographer who hands your clients a cd of their photos - why not suggest a beautiful album as well? 

The pictures can be digital or hard copy prints. Old or as recent as last weekend's skiing trip. My last project I used pictures that were dated back to 1917!

Like I said earlier, this venture will be slow-moving. We're getting ready for a baby, and other transitions we'll tell you about later. But even baby steps can get us somewhere.

If you're interested, or know anyone who might be, will you send them over this way? They can contact me through email here.

Here is a virtual preview of my latest album, so that you have an idea of what I'm talking about, as well.

Alice L. Hixon by Ashlee Wells | Make Your Own Book

Blessings and Love,
Ashlee

Our 2nd Christmas Tree

We didn't wait as long this year to get our Christmas Tree. In fact, when we decided we would be staying in Charlotte for Thanksgiving someone (can't remember if it was Daniel, or me) suggested we get our Christmas tree on Friday (a week ago). Score!

It was after 5pm when we finally headed out, so pictures were pretty much pointless with the point and shoot. I didn't even bother. Besides, true confession: We bought it at Wal-mart! Not that exciting, right? It is a locally grown tree, though, so I feel a little better about it. At least it won't die in two weeks. :-P

It's absolutely adorable. We tossed around the idea of a full-sized tree, rather briefly. It was Daniel who actually insisted on a small one, again. We just loved our Christmas tree last year! Plus, they were half the price. More $$ to spend on presents - or dog food.

Ain't it adorable? :-D

Last year Daniel bought some ornaments for me to help cover the branches. This year, I made a few special ones to add to our collection.

I started with these globes from Michael's. I found 3 in the as-is clearance for like $3 total, because one globe was missing.

I knew I wanted to use one for our wedding invitation. I still had not had our invitation framed, and had actually thrown it out, expecting not to use it for anything. I saw a suggestion on Pinterest, though, to stuff a wedding invitation inside one of these globes, and I loved the idea. I'm thinking it will be our "1st Christmas" ornament that we didn't have until our 2nd Christmas. :-P

The possibilities are endless. I might spruce all of these up with some glitter, ribbon and other pretty accessories eventually, but for now, I'm still pretty happy with them. :)

The one below contains roses from our first date, with a slip of paper that has the date of our first date on it.

Finally... :) This one is self-explanatory. This is our "2nd Year" ornament. The papers inside have the due date, and some of our favorite Bible verses about children.

O! And the stockings are up, too. :)

Are you in the Christmas spirit?? I am! So excited to get baking and shopping for the most wonderful time of the year!

Little Red Shelf

I found this junky little shelf in the dumpster back in the fall. It was exactly what we needed by the front door for our keys, green bags and flip flips. I found it so useful it's taken me nearly six months to finally get it refinished! Of course I forgot to take a before picture... It had sat out in the rain for several days - I'm guessing, because the stain was nearly completely gone, and there were water bubbles under the wood. This made it especially easy to sand down. I got some pretty red paint from Wal-Mart and voila!

I had forgotten about my little shelf and vase of flowers Monday when I came home from work. As soon as I opened the front door I couldn't help but smile! Hopefully soon, I'll be able to put fresh flowers on the shelf once my wildflowers and zinnas bloom (which they are slowly but surely!)

One of my favorite things is the space on the bottom of shelf for a basket. We put our outgoing mail, keys, and anything else we need when we're leaving the house.

Happy Mother's Day

Pretty centerpiece for Mother's Day. Inspired by this blog. I would have grown the grass if I had had time, but for a last minute project, I think this works. 

Pillows

One thing about living in a temporary apartment is that it really is a work in progress... always. One room I am still not satisfied with is our bedroom. My imagination pictures something much more fresh and delicate. Perhaps you remember the furniture redo back in January? That was certainly a step in the right direction. I also stumbled across this pillow from an acquaintance's blog, and was inspired.

So, last Friday on my day off I hit Goodwill and bought a pile of white linens - cream colored bedsheets, organic cotton; off-white flannel pillowcase; sheer valence; white embroidered valence; cream muslin curtain with ruffle. I had some cream colored lace at home that I threw into the bunch, and I also picked up some scraps at Wal-mart of a thin white cotton, and a tannish linen for less than a dollar total. I bought  three good-sized pillows at Goodwill (and disinfected them thoroughly), and used some stuffing I already had. Altogether I spent almost $15.

lace with lace rosettes

The rosettes were fun to make, and super easy. I took a strip of fabric, tucked the ends in and then circled    the fabric around the center, pinning as I went. The lace ones I only tacked to the pillow, but for the heavy linen and cotton I stitched the rosettes together as individual pieces and then tacked them to the pillow so that they would be more secure.

ruffled curtain

This pillow really made itself. I loved the curtain as a scrap of fabric, hated the curtain as what it was intended. I didn't play around with it long, before the ruffle fell diagonally down the center. 

Underneath this pillow and the following two are the pillows I bought. Because they were dark in color I had to cover them first with the sheet.

pillow covered in the bed sheets, with rosettes of assorted materials

Two of the pillows I got were the same size, so I made my pillows similar in look. I love the lace rosettes.

The two "matching pillows" were my variety on the inspiration. I love the array of materials. My middle, pointer fingers and right hand thumb are numb from sticking a needle into the stiff pillow over and over.

Embroidered valence - simple and sweet

This pillow was a snap. All I had to do was stitch three ends of the valence together and slide the pillow in.

Ta-Da!

Furniture

I had a 5-day weekend last week, which chiseled a perfect space in my calendar for some time thrifting with my favorite bargain hunter, Lydia Grace, and refinishing/painting our bedroom furniture. The thrifting finds were mostly in the clothing department, so no pictures. But, I am rather excited about the results of the painting project. The pictures do not capture the color quiet right, but our room is pulling together just in time for the end of our lease in April. :)

Voila! :) White is happy. I even hung up a white valence that I found on clearance at Wal-mart.

We've also added some new pieces to other parts of the house. One item, a gorgeous knotted pine tv hutch was generously given to us by some friends-of-friends. The other, a black antique-looking shelf I found in the dumpster pile-- because it was missing a door! Well, I just yanked that door off, and spray painted the naked wood.

We have a mis-matched home, but I love it. Eventually it'll all pull together well.