so if my new friends nina and ryan don’t make you wanna move to LA i don’t know what will.  seriously. um today was a flippin’ fabulous thanksgiving eve day!  my bosses are fantastic and gave us a 5 day weekend and so i finally explored more parts of la LA land.  i explored silver lake and los feliz and glendale and somewhere by forest lawn grove and all sorts of ten freeway shenanigans.  lurvvvvely.  and i FINALLY visited homecshop with friend nina.  throughout my day-off-t0-end-all-days-off i got everything i need to have a happy homemade kitschy christmas…i’m talking i am ready to felt and jewel and embroider and flock and cupcake-bake and all the pompoms and kitsy-kaboodles are sprawled all over my bed.

OH!  how could i forget–i visited my first 99CENTS store too which i will now call magic land of eternal chotchkies!. i can’t even begin to describe all the treasures i found and OH WAIT i will tomorrow!  on! a! video! blog!  soooo many treats i cannot even wait to bestow on my unlucky friends and family!

and have i mentioned lately how badly i would like to get some kitschy minx?  (‘cuz is halloween and this shiz scurrry).

and yes, pro-est of all nails i do bow to thee in respect.

AND FINALLY, YES I AM STILL DROOOOLING OVER TARINA TARANTINO‘S STURFF.

She has been my favorite jewelry designer for some time now.  (although there will always be a place of amazingness for jennifer behr’s headbands) and i am going gaga for headbands right now–total headband phase–i think i have about 9 now (the wrap-around kind).  also been scouting for my perfect, 80’s vintage plastic charm necklace on ebay.  remember those?  wish i’d saved my neon yellow one from childhood which charms like sunglasses, a hot dog, an ice cream cone, toothpaste, record, all sorts of crazy fun.  also gaga for gaga’s bad romance video.  can’t watch it enough.

thanks to my new friend sara for teaching me the ways of polyvore. i lurveee it!  i think polyvore and i will be posting on sundays, now known as fashion smashion sundays.

this week… FASHION SMASHION PRESENTS ‘YELLOW LA’.

‘yellow la’ is my current lust–if i could style myself or my alter ego leighton meester, here’s some of my dreamings that i wish i could own:

1. afford
2. wear since they don’t make high heels like that in kids’ sizes.

affectionately, here is my dreamboard for ‘yellow LA’.  this is my ‘right now’ wish i could be wearing…

(double click on it to see it bigger)

Oh Eric Mathew

Oh Eric Mathew.

How I wish you lived in Seattle.

Because Rosie’s coming July 1st on her Crafty Tour.

And we could show her we are the Ross & Rosie: Next Generation.

Except we both like boys.  Pitch us a show, write us a play.

Oh Eric Mathew come to Seattle that day.

(And PS. it’s a Tuesday, a workday, how do I justify?! 

Anyone wanna go with me if Eric Mathew declines? :))

Thankfully, my Valentines Day card line sold really well at Portage Bay Goods and they have graciously asked me to do a Mother’s Day card line.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity!  So, next week, this line will debut there.  I have designed several styles of Mother’s Day cards (samples below) that will be available.  Please stop by and check them out!  I am ever thankful for your support.  They will retail for $6.50.

Portage Bay Goods is located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.  And as always, if you want to order a set or are in need of any kind of greeting card, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me through my website.

Love You Mom Flower with block transfer, felt applique flower and button.

(See more samples below)…

Thank You Mom Sparkle card with three small rhinestones.

Thank You Mom Flower card with felt applique flower and button.

Love You Mom with pewter fastenator and white grosgrain ribbon.

Love You Mom Lace with paper lace trim, felt applique flower and button.

Portage Bay Goods is going to be carrying my Valentines cards, they should be available for purchase early next week. Portage Bay Goods is located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. I’m so excited–my first time having them sold in a store. There are several styles, blank inside–simple for any kind of “love note”–not just romantic. :) Stop by and check them out. If you want to order a set or are in need of any kind of greeting card, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me through my website.

 I just wanted to share a little information about my design services to new readers of my blog.  So pardon the commercial interruption, old faithful friends.  I’ve posted a small sampling of my work below, I primarily focus on wedding invitations and birth announcements.  Feel free to email me with questions or further information, to do so click here.

For more information about me or my pricing click here.

so basically, joann fabrics in ballard is the stupidest store ever.  i know that sounds immature, but i’m serious.

so i went there for 3 things.

1. grosgrain ribbon in dark brown
2.  brown roll of paper (like paper bags, but a whole roll of it)
3. taper candles and candle holders, which i was informed were 50% off.

and the employees were the smuggest (not a word i realize) most annoying ever.

so first, i find the ribbon but can’t reach the brown so i ask this lady who works there for help and she gives me the most socially awkward stare, like assuming i can just levitate up there and get it myself if i only use my go-go-gadget legs.

then i ask her what happened to the rest of the candles.  this location used to have a couple of aisles of candles which were more on the affordable side and they had glass plates for the votives and bigger candles and candleholders for the tapers.  this time they had this crappy aisle of candles, most of them more expensive but smelling gross and none of the glass plates.  she stares at me blankly and just goes, “uh we don’t have that anymore”.  i was kind of annoyed since they are 50% off supposedly at the other locations.

then i walk around and i’m looking in the section i remember the rolls of brown paper is and i ask some asenine question like “do you have brown paper anymore” and this girl who can’t be older than 19 gives me a smug look and says “i don’t know what you’re talking about we’ve never had rolls of brown newsprint before”.

ok lady, i am thinking, i’m lying.  i’ve come here 5 times before for the brown newsprint, and you think i just made it up.

so then i make it up to the counter and grab a flyer to get the freakin’ 50% off my one item with my couple spools of ribbon.  so i see they are having 50% off starting today on the wood block letters like mandy was telling me about.  i figure i’ll buy a few to send to my rockette friends for christmas, i’ll just decoupage their initial or something. 

so i go back toward the aisle these are supposedly at, on my way, grabbing the mod-podge and the foam brushes when i find that they only have 2 of these letters, (like as in 2 items total) 1 A and 1 Y.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
i think this store is possessed!

i am feeling punk’d at this point, so irritated by the whole thing.  one of these days i’ll go to the one up north and hopefully they will redeem my faith in a decent craft store.

I’ve posted some new baby announcement samples on here, check it out.   If you know anyone needing design work, particularly invitations or announcements, I’d greatly appreciate your referral…

My dear friend Rachelle who chatters away at Magpie Girl has bestowed upon me the first ever “Small is Beautiful Award” for my blog. 

In a nutshell, my blog is about…

• life as a little person, no really, i’m 4′1″, sometimes fitting in to both worlds sometimes feeling totally alone.

• life as a striving and sometimes employed professional actress.

• life as employed in other professions when i’m not performing, and yes, i enjoy those seasons too…some of which include full-time ministry.

• life as a barely published still aspiring writer, public speaker and girl who still has to summon courage to bare myself in another audition.

• life as a broadway enthusiast, pop-culture ‘princess’, hollywood watcher.

• life as a paradox (not really, only to some) between a career in hollywood and my faith, wanting to know who this  jesus is.  my dad calls me a liberal, rachelle calls me normal. :)

• life as a scrappy-artsy-craftsy girl who also dabbles in reality tv, cosmetology, vintage decor and fashion.

• life as a huge kristin chenoweth fan, person obsessed with grey’s anatomy, viewer of the view (but loving it formerly with rosie) and who thinks jen garner is the cutest mom ever.

• life as a girl who can’t wait to be a mom but also still somehow manages to find life in the public eye appealing.

• life of a girl who yearns for justice rather than politically correctness and for god to stand in the gap, mother her and say “yes sweet baby” like marilyn calls her.

• life of a girl in relationships that fill her life with beauty, and sometimes confusion.

First of all, I want to say shalom! to anyone discovering my little blog from hers, I hope you come over and hang out often! 

To my friends who’ve been reading for awhile now, thank you! for all your support, humor and love!

For more information about my design venture, please visit my site at hopesprouts or contact me by email @ hopesproutsdesigns[at]yahoo[dot]com.

Love you!

A Monster’s “Ask”

In honor of Rachelle’s daughter Cate Shalom’s 7th birthday, please watch this video of this darling 4 year-old who would later appear on the Ellen Show because of this video her mama captured.

Cate also coined the word “distwackted” and I so am. 

A lot of transitions going on in my life right now–the ever swinging revolving door moving me along.  I’ll explain more later as things firm up, as I don’t want to jinx them.

I’m so enjoying the sunshine–especially being able to leave my window open at night so the screen can let all that fresh air in.  I love a summer breeze!