update

I know I’ve been pretty sparse in my posting lately but it’s for good reason! I’ve been working on a few gifts lately so I can’t go posting pictures of them for all to see! That would ruin all the fun. BUT I will say that I’m almost done with them so once they are given I will be able to show them off here.

I haven’t been a total waste of space!

In other news, my sewing station has been all packed up for my moms house warming party this weekend I simply can not wait to get it all out next week and work on some projects. I’ve been over flowing with creative ideas lately that I’m thrilled to finally try. It should be good stuff.

So be patient and stay tuned my loves. I promise as soon as I can show you the goods I will! 

latest web discoveries

Lately I’ve been wanting to do nothing more than to spend time exploring the internet. I’m not really sure why.
But in my current online cravings I’ve come across some pretty sweet things!
The first site I found was Pinterest. Now at first glance I had trouble really seeing the different between Pinterest and Polyvore. Both seemed to be places where one could create collages of things that inspire them or pique their interest. Upon further investigation and some help from lovely facebook friends, I’ve come to really enjoy Pinterest. Even more than Polyvore. It’s more diverse. You can pin photos from more sites. I find myself using it more and more and really enjoying it. But at the start of using it, I kept seeing peoples great pictures and wondering how they happened to stumble across all of them! Which leads me to my next great find….
STUMBLE UPON. Oh man. I could use this site all day. It’s simple. Sign up (it’s freeeee). Choose some interests from their list of topics. Click the “stumble” button. Basically it will shoot awesome sites at you based on the interests you’ve chosen. It’s basically the bomb and I’m addicted. AND it’s a great way to find random videos, pictures, and blogs that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. It’s grand. Check it out.
Let’s talk about blogs baby! If you enjoy keeping up with blogs and have about a million of them bookmarked on your computer, let me introduce you to Bloglovin’. It’s a wonderful little place to keep tabs on all your favorite blogs, no matter what domain they’re from. It was so liberating when I was able to clean up my bookmarks by getting rid of all the blogs I had been keeping up with. Now they are all in one place where I can read them daily. It’s pretty much great.
AND last but not least, whilst in my stumblings I came across a gem of a website called Craft Gawker. I’m a HUGE crafter (see other blog: Craftiness is Happiness. told ya.)  so when I found this site it was like heaven to mine eyes. It’s a collection of DIY and crafting projects from all types of websites and blogs. There are SO many great ideas and how to’s that you can’t help but be inspired and want to try most of them! And what’s even better?? Maybe crafting isn’t your thing but food is? Or weddings perhaps? Or maybe even interior design? There’s a Gawker for that! In the top left corner of the craftgawker site there are links to foodgawker, dwellinggawker, and weddinggawker. Super totally cool awesomeness. basically.

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately. I highly encourage you to check out all and any of these sites. And let me know if you enjoy them as much as I do! And not to worry, I do take breaks from my interweb explorations to join the real world. I’m not a hermit just yet.

if you want to find me on Pinterest my account name is sarahashley13. 🙂

the best place on earth

or one of them anyways.

The Tree House.
That’s right, I said the Tree House. Back in high school I ran track with this great guy, Geoff, who just happened to have a man-made tree house out in the woods. Now when I say tree house, it’s not the Swiss Family Robinson type of tree house. Instead of being built in the trees, this cabin was built around the trees, more amongst them. What’s even more impressive is that Geoff’s dad and 2 brothers all built it themselves. Too cool.
Besides its architecture, it’s very much like a Swiss Family Robinson home. There are 2 hammocks, both of which hang over ledges (one outside, one inside), a swing that goes over the deck, a catwalk over the main level room, and a crows nest at the very top with a balcony. The heavy wooden doors have submarine port holes for windows. The inside is decorated with ornate objects from the family’s adventures around the country. Did I mention that the whole place has electricity?? So just in case taking in the nature isn’t enough, you can curl up, listen to some music, or watch tv, while you pop some popcorn. No big deal. Oh and there’s a pond as well, with a high dive AND a zip line, of course.

Can you see why I love this place so much??

My pictures can’t even begin to do it justice but I wasn’t sure that anyone would believe me otherwise. I’m so thankful to Geoff for sharing this place with me so many years ago and for letting me revisit it now. It’s such a wonderful escape from real life. And it’s so gorgeous in the winter time too. The wall sized windows behind the wood-burning stove just make for the perfect winter setting. It’s perfect.

1. a view from the deck. look closely and you’ll see the crows nest up above. 2. there’s a creek that runs below the cabin…like its own little gorge. 3. Geoff swinging on the swing. 4. the deck. behind that picnic table is a hammock. 5. the sunset from the high dive. 6. the catwalk.  7.the view from above the first floor 8. brother Jer playing us some tunes next to the stove.

wits end

I’m at the end of my rope. 
The 2 year old I nanny has done nothing but scream all day today. 
There is no pleasing her. 
Nothing I giver her is what she wants to eat. Nothing I say is what she wants to hear.
I can’t win. 
The screaming is unbearable. 
I’m ready to rip my hair out. 
ugh.

weddings

It’s that time of life. I look around and it seems as though every one of my friends is engaged and getting married. It’s a pretty crazy time and I couldn’t be happier for them. Especially my friends/room mates from college. They are some of the sweetest gals I know and it was so nice to see their relationships start and then flourish into marriages.
That being said, I can’t help but feel a sadness when my only window into their special day is through facebook. In their pictures I see all of our friends, having laughs again, enjoying just being together.  It’s like our time in college all over again. Only this time I got left out. I’ve met the guys, swooned over the rings, talked wedding details, and still I’m left out.
I don’t mean to sound like a selfish whiner and I’m not looking for any sort of apology. I would be more than understanding of their reasoning behind it. I guess most of my feeling this way has more to do with the fact that I clearly thought we were closer than we really are. It’s not a happy feeling regardless. It kinda makes me wonder how many other friends of mine I’m not as close to.

I think I just needed to get that off my chest.

Lately I feel like I have something to say.
But I don’t have a clue what it is.
Hopefully it will make it’s way out soon though. 
This is such an uneasy feeling.

PUMPKIN

Those of you who know me, know that I am totally and utterly obsessed with ALL THINGS PUMPKIN. I don’t really know how this love came about but I ain’t complaining one bit. I love the smell of pumpkin, the taste of pumpkin, even the cute shape of pumpkins! (I told  you I was obsessed)
Now with fall creeping up on us, my love of pumpkin is over-flowing. It’s the one time of year where my adoration is validated and entirely encouraged!  It’s also the time when all the other pumpkin-heads out there (yes pumpkin-heads. I just made that up. Use it.) come out of hiding and spread their love too.
While surfing the blog world today I was catching up on one of my favorites and was excited to see that she too is a pumpkin lover. And not only that, but she shared a recipe that I will soon be trying. It looks so good that I just had to share it. SO, head over to Pushups with Polish and check out The Everything Cookie. I think it’s safe to say that even if you don’t worship pumpkin as we do, you will still like these cookies. And if cookies aren’t your thing, it’s a great blog! 🙂

HAPPY PUMPKIN SEASON TO ALL!!