We fly out in one more day!!!! :D Soon I will be a wife!!

Didn't I say I was leaving for a while?

Here I am, already blogging after making a post only TODAY about not blogging.. but I had a thought I just had to write down.

An old friend messaged me tonight. We chatted for a bit, and I realized while I was filling them in on everything that had happened in my life since we last spoke that I have sure done a heck of a lot this past year.

First, we moved 5166 km (3210 miles for Americans) across the country. Matt was going home, I was going very far from home. Thank god that my mother moved out too, saying I couldn't take her grandchild hostage. Next, we had a baby! A baby that arrived 6 days early no less, when all of our belongings had arrived late. I came home to boxes, and lots of them. And now we are about to get married, 5166km from where we live.

So I have deduced that I am indeed crazy. And that I should probably give myself a little more credit for everything I have somehow pulled off this year, and the person that I have become.

And now I'll stop being sassy and really not blog anymore until October!!

Hello Dear Readers :)

Ahhh, this post is *so* hard for me to write :( I have to take a short break from this blog - but I promise I will be back! I have been really sick, and am so stressed out, worrying about a blog isn't something I should be doing. Mentally I have just been feeling terrible.. all of the wedding stuff is really getting to me. I think I cried for an hour yesterday. Anyways - the point of this post is to say that I will be back posting regularly at the beginning of October (you never know - I may sneak in occasional posts before then) and *hoping* to launch my etsy store by the end of October.

I am so sad about this... the blog finally has a decent amount of readers and I know it will decline so much from me taking a break. I've been working so hard to get people interested in this blog and the Paper*Cakes store that this feels like such a big loss. Ah well :) Real life comes first... I'm getting married and I should be excited about that!!

If you want me to email you when I am back to posting, please reply and leave me your email. If you aren't comfortable leaving your email out in public, my email is spikernub@hotmail.com.

So check back in October. I am planning a big re-launch with a new blog layout and maybe a contest or two! If that isn't moivation to keep reading I don't know what is ;P

Squee!!!!!

A new friend from Flickr, Creative Breathing, made me this goooooorgeous ornament for my craft room. Isn't it amazing?! Look at those tiny little bluebirds.. wow. She even used my favorite colors, and we just "met" last night. What a sweet, wonderful woman :) Go check out her photostream here, she has some great shots of things she has made, and her cute whimsical craft room.

Currently Lusting..

A filing cabinet. I have too much paperwork now to be contained in my little accordian file! Plus I want to organize things like paper scraps, and inspirational magazine clippings in something too (maybe I could get binders for that - that means I'm lusting binders too).



Curtain rods? A bit odd, I know, but Martha Stewart talked about how to make a canopy bed out of curtain rods and panels and now I want to do it like nobody's business!! So I need four curtain rods, and 8 panels... $$$ :(



A cute end table for my entryway in progress that I blogged about yesterday. Something with a drawer or two and possibly a low shelf. Ideally, like this one.



Bookcases! I want one to go in the hall closet and one to go in the studio closet. I desperately need more storage.. have been trying to get them on freecycle and though a bunch of bookcases have been listed lately, I keep missing them. I suck at freecycle!



Vintage pink and blue Pyrex. It's so cute.. why don't they make designs like this anymore?? *swoon*

And lusting many more things, but I don't have the time to post about evvvverrrything - you'd be here for years reading just this one post, lol! :) I am off to the DR. today and he had better figure out what the heck is wrong with me and fix it damn quick because this girl needs to get married and not be sick!

Photo Wednesday? lol

I had to bribe Matt to give me the laptop by promising to talk about the Blue Jays on my blog, so - here you go Matt ;)

The blue jays have won ten consecutive games in a row and he thinks they might have a chance to make it into the playoffs. They are his favorite team, so he's naturally very excited about this prospect.

Now onto the fun stuff - Photos!! I took a bunch of photos today (finally). I was even able to make a small paper craft now that my space is a bit tidier, and I cleaned up my supplies after I was done. I really wanted to just leave them on the desk, but I am commited to trying to keep the studio tidy now. Enough chatter, let's see the pictures :)


Some polymer clay buttons I have on the go. I've developed a good system and can make them pretty quickly. I hope to paint some nice designs on them and then glaze them and offer packages in the Paper*Cakes etsy shop.


The little craft I spoke about earlier.. just a little tag. I had this pre-made tag in a drawer, and just worked off of the blue background color. It seems boy themed, maybe for a birthday gift for a little boy or a shower gift for a mom expecting a boy. The back is completely finished and professional, with a place to write. The tag itself is oversized, so it can be used as a card/tag in one.


Lastly.. I've been working on a little 'entryway' station. It's actually on a wall in my living room (the stairs are behind) just before the entrance to the kitchen. (When you walk into our home, you basially walk into the living room. We have a teeny townhouse.) I wanted to create a little nook where people could sit and put on shoes, while having jackets and bags handy. I found the boards with hooks in them at a discount store for $2.99 each and painted them red. My hope is to make a cushion for the bench, get a little end table to sit where the laundry basket is in the photos, and maybe hang a few pictures above the rows of hooks. For now it works :)

Click HERE to visit my flickr account and see a few more detail shots and additional projects. I have also been uploading flea market finds and a few shots of Jude.

10 days until we leave for the wedding...

..and unfortunately, I'm sicker than ever. Starting to freak out a bit, but I finally got an appointment with my family dr. so I hope he can fix me! I'm in a lot of pain, which sucks. Due to the afforementioned, not much has been going on here at chez Ling. On Sunday, PEI caught the tail end of tropical storm Hannah and it resulted in about 3 inches (90 mm) of rain.

Took a quick trip to the flea market and picked up a couple things I'll post photos of later. I also managed to do a bit of yard-saling and took a trip to value village, so I have a few things to post. The most awesome find was a big pile of special edition Martha Stewart livings - like the holiday ones and decorating issues - all for $0.25 yay! Have also been working on my little entry way and progressing nicely... must catch up on taking photos!!

I am getting excited for the Alberta trip/Wedding, but I am soooooooooooo tired of all of the planning. I am starting to feel slightly regretful, wishing I had taken the money spent on the wedding and gone away on a trip or something and just eloped. So, I really hope the wedding is worth everything. A lot of money and sweat equity has gone into this one day, and to end up looking back and regretting it would really suck. Here's hoping everything is amazing :)

I took some pictures of the invites the other day.. so I'm going to close this post up by sharing them:




There are a few more images on my Flickr Photostream

Operation Studiop Cleanup: Day Two

Here are some photos of the Studio.. coming along nicely but I still have a long, long way to go.



Remember this table? It was once covered with a stack of paper so high it was unuseable. There were boxes and totes piled next to it in the entryway, which have since been removed. A few knick nacks remain, which will need to be removed before the sewing machine and paper cutter can return to their rightful homes. However, it is nice to be able to walk into the room without fear of tripping or breaking something (my neck!).



I re-installed the cupboard door. This makes a huge difference in the room already, being able to close the door on the mess inside. All of the patterned paper from the table was put into the rack where it belongs. Scraps were put into a little tray on the desk. I found the rest of the fabric to make the curtain for the other side, but currently have no more double sided carpet tape so I can't put it up just yet. Right now I am just focusing on cleaning anyways - prettyness will come later!



Next to the cupboard lives my Making Memories carousel, which has had a makeover. I took out everything I don't need close at hand to make room for the essentials. Various glues, paintbrushes, tools, pens, and watercolor pencils hang out here. Before, everything was willy nilly inside of it and now it is easy to turn and grab what I need.



Whoa. Whoa. Yes, that is a clean worksurface. I have a desk again!



And finally, the shelves. Looking a bit more tidy but still have a ways to go. I need to find a better place for all of the wood pieces and I would like to get more of the pink photoboxes (they're IKEA) when I'm in Alberta.

Today is especially rainy here in PEI, we're catching the tail end of tropical storm Hannah. At least gray and yucky days usually make the best cleaning days! I hope to get a bit more done soon.

Just popping in

Good News: I cleaned my desk last night. I now have a useable work surface.

Bad News: I still have a kidney infection.

Even Worse News: I am having what I believe is an allergic reaction to my medication and feel like icky crap, and can't get off the couch :(

Epiphany..

So, last night I stumbled across a few articles about starting up an etsy shop and I realized there were a lot of things I hadn't thought of. SO, I contacted a web designer and am hoping to get a professionally designed site/shop. I know when *I* shop etsy, I usually favorite shops that have the look of a brand... so I need to develop my brand. Not going to give away any secrets but the plan I have will be pretty good I think :D I'm also planning on really working on my studio and making it a great place to be, because as a customer myself I am always very interested in the creative workspaces of the people I buy from. Anyways, that brings me to this:



That is one shot of my very, very messy craft room. That is actually the entry door... I have to do some quick manuevering to get in here without stepping on something or breaking my neck. With baby and Wedding and life in general, it just is not a focus. Things get shoved in here when I just don't want to deal with them, and look what it has become! So my plan is to overhaul this room, armed with an organization book and the ideas I have in my head for the perfect 'Chelsea' space. I plan on documenting the process with photos as I do. Here are a bunch of shots I took last night. I had actually already cleaned the desk somewhat at this point.. believe it or not.



This is a chandelier I purchased at a Home Hardware garage sale for $15 and the spraypaint I plan to use on it. I half opened it, and then left it all in the middle of the floor.



A shot of part of my cabinet and paper rack. The door fell off of the cabinet months ago and I never did fix it. I started to put up 'curtains' on the doors to make them pretty, and only did one.



This table is supposed to be where the sewing machine and paper cutter live. The paper cutter is currently downstairs on the kitchen table, because I couldn't use it here any longer. Random paper scraps, completed scrapbook layouts, and other things clutter the table. Usually I stick things here from the doorway that I mean to clean up and put away later, but that doesn't happen.



This is a little letter writing desk next to the computer desk. Isn't too badly messy right now, just a few things on top that don't belong. Like a trivia game, bathing suit, and curling iron. Hideous green blinds that came with our apartment.



The work area/non computer area of the desk. I actually cleaned this up a LOT before this photo was taken last night (it was mid cleaning that I thought photos of all this were necessary). I painted and installed all the shelves myself. If you click on the bigger image, you can get a better view of the pretty trim I added onto the bottom of the shelves.



Another shot of the entry way/floor.



More desk, from another view. Now you can see the top of the doorless cabinet. At least the cabinet itself is not overly messy, it makes tidying much easier.



And finally, the closet. The things on the top shelf are oozinator squirt guns (youtube the commercial, you will laugh/possibly be disgusted) that we found for $2 at superstore a couple years ago and have been saving ever since for the most opportune moment. It is difficult to find situations where shooting ooze and people/things is appropriate. :P

It's super embarassing for me to reveal this terrible mess, but I figure if it helps other people organize their studios, or even provides anyone with entertainment it will be worth it. Plus I think it will be a great motivator for me to GET IT DONE!! :) The original goal was to open my etsy store by October to get in on the Christmas market. Now I'm not sure that will happen, but I still want to try and get as much done as I can by then.

The plan for today is to find the floor at the very least. I shall update with more photos of my progress tomorrow!

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Portobello Caps

So, I make a buffalo chicken dip that is a real crowd pleaser, it has went over well every party I have served it it. In fact, I have caught people scraping the crock pot clean in the middle of the night after making it before, lol. Anyways, I decided to try it as a mushroom stuffing... and it was awesome!! Here's the recipe: (sorry I didn't take pictures)

Ingredients:

*Mushrooms - large for stuffing
(I use portobellos but white mushrooms are really good too!)
*Cream Cheese
*Sour Cream
*Salt and Pepper
*Buffalo Sauce
*1 Chicken Breast
*Onion
*Butter
*Garlic

-First, put your chicken in the oven to cook. I like to top mine with salt and pepper, and buffalo sauce. It's up to you how you like to cook it.

-While the chicken is cooking, clean your mushrooms and remove the stems. I like to peel a little bit of the insides away from the edges to make room for stuffing.

-In a frying pan, add chopped onion to taste, some garlic, and enough butter to saute them with lots left over in the pan. Turn the pan to medium heat. Cook the onions and garlic until soft, but not completely cooked. Once cooked, strain out the onions and garlic and put into a bowl.

-Put the mushroom caps in the pan with the butter. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove. Place on cookie sheet.

-Mix sour cream, salt, cream cheese, and buffalo sauce in a bowl. I never measure, I just mix until I get my desired consistency for the amount I'm making. More sour cream makes a thinner mixture, good for dipping.

-Once chicken is cooked, shred it and mix it into the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. I like to use two forks and then squish it with (clean) hands. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps. Top with a little splash of buffalo sauce, and pop the cookie sheet into the oven. Cook 15-20 minutes or until you think they're done.

-Enjoy really yummy mushrooms!!

I normally make this dip in a crock pot set on `keep warm` and serve with crackers or vegetables. It's quite simple, but really delicious. You can make it in large or small batches, and it will keep for a few days. You just have to re-heat it :) The texture of the shredded chicken really makes this dish, so make sure to shred and not chop! Enjoy!

24 days until nuptuals

So last night, I guess I realized I have been having some wedding jitters. After spilling all to Matt a big sense of relief washed over me. I never thought *I* would be the one to have wedding nervousness, we have a baby together for cripes sakes! Very early in our relationship I knew that someday we would get married, I even told my mother that the first time she met him. He said he is't nervous at all, so it seems like things are opposite of how they should be? Is it opposite day?? I'm going to put my pants on backwards!

As a side note, I just found THIS SITE and am creeped out. I didn't make this or submit to it, and.. the date is wrong. Weird.

Anyways, Matt has a day off for the first time in forever... I am not going to fritter it away by hiding out on the internet all day. See ya's!



PS: don't forget I have the little shoutout box thing.. it feels lonely and sad. It is making this face :( If it continues to get underused I shall have to remove it and then it will be making this face :'(

I really need to stop looking at etsy so much...

Check out this fabulous little etsy shop I just stumbled upon. Nest pretty things, by Tamar. I found her blog via a link posted at Chez Larson (which is my new fave blog, btw). She has the most precious whisical and feminine items for sale.

Operation: Pampering

Matt's mom took jude to visit OmaMa today, so I have the house to myself. I have rented the following movies:





Purchased the following magazines:





And am eating this chocolate:




And playing on flickr!

Help!

I need an after baby pick-me-up. I hardly ever put time into myself anymore, half the time I don't even have time to shave my legs and very rarely to style my hair. Often I feel dumpy or old, and I'm only 22! I hate that my body has changed so much.. I weigh less than I did pre-pregnancy but nothing is in the same place and all of my clothing looks different. I know all of this is common/normal with pregnancy and becoming a mother, but that doesn't make it any easier :P Jude is 5 months old now and I'm starting to remember that there is life outside my house and my baby.


So, I need some suggestions on how to start feeling better about myself.. and back to "me".