Friday, September 30

impatient in the midwest

mr. man and i arrived in the midwest yesterday to enjoy sister time and (im)patiently await the arrival of baby brother. well, i'm awaiting the arrival. mr. man ditched us for wisconsin to enjoy him some live football.

sweet p's already given me a tour of the garden (while sampling parsley and dayel (basil)). and, as i type, the delicious smell of roasted garlic and tomatoes (from the garden) simmering on the stove is makin' me hun.gree.
and, making me wonder why the heck i never carved out a garden and planted anything. check out that pepper. hmmm...guess there's always next year!


while we're waiting, we'll visit the farmer's market, introduce mr. man to the farm, and who knew the bridges of madison county were around these parts? we're definitely goin' there!
we'll probably do some movie watchin' and i'm treating middle sissy to a pedicure - you think she can see her toes anymore? heck no!

y'all have a great weekend, and send good vibes to middle sissy to get baby brother outta there quick like. we're ready to meet that little stinker!

Wednesday, September 28

busy as a bee

and, that's a VERY good thing! here's a glimpse of the goods that have been churning out of the workshop lately. i like posts like this; they're little pick-me-ups for me and proof to mr. man that i am actually working all day (my tan tends to raise questions around here. pshaw!)

i'd also like to take this time to thank all of you, my three readers, for all your support. when you tell me things like 'you're the best' and 'the world sucked when you weren't doing this', it is like a jolt for the self-esteem. i know i say it all the time, but you'll NEVER, never, ever know how much y'all coming back time and time again means to me. i love ya, man!

ok, enough mushy gushy. behold the latest and greatest.

we've had weddin's
babies being born (can we talk about how cute this is?! mama painted this hooty-cute owl art for baby's room, and i knew it had to be his announcement! LOVE it!)
babies being celebrated (oh, just you wait til you see all this stuff come together!)
babies being welcomed
people on the move
goods to be sold
and gifts to be given (i sure hope the farmer isn't readin' this, cause this is what i'm tuckin' in my suitcase for his birfday. maybe one day i'll tell ya all about their farm. or, you could just go to his blog and read first-hand. yea, do that. i'd get everything wrong anyway)

Friday, September 23

i'm on a boat, y'all!

before the summer gets too far away from me, and, since it's supposed to be 79 today (!), i wanted to document our day on the boat. so that when it's cold and rainy, i can come reminisce about our coveted summers. and, bonus! you get to come along for the ride (bahahha). so excited, arentcha?!

we'd been throwin' around the idea of renting a boat for a few years, and this was the year we finally did it. and, it DID NOT disappoint. we rounded up some of the best pals and showed baby sister a great day!

captain mr. man gave us the tour of tours - space needle, gasworks, plenty of bridges, the soundgarden (yep, that's why they picked their name!), bill's house, paul's house (and his floating helipad - seriously! pardon me while i land my helicopter. in the middle of the lake.), seahawks training facility. phew - it was a packed day.

let's have a little look see:
man, we need to find some friends with a boat (or buy one ourselves), cause i could get used to that!

hope you all had a great summer, and are having an easier time easing into fall than i am. i guess it's time to break out the pumpkins and scarecrows!

cheers to the weekend!

Tuesday, September 20

picture this

i was just havin' a look see at recent blog posts, and i realized that in september, i haven't posted once about my designs. well, don't think that means i haven't been busy! now, let's remedy that.

call me a turtle. heck, call me a sloth, but i promise i'm adding items to the etsy shop. and, i'm here to show you the newest addition. these generated a ton of buzz at the summerfest in july, and when baby sister visited, she promptly added it to her must-have list.
it's a little desk calendar. isn't it cute?! it's packaged in a cd-sized case that flips out (not that flip out!) into a nifty little easel to display on your desk, counter, bedside table. for the fair, i made the calendar with only one image per month, but look, you can fit up to three per month!
all you do is send me the images, and i do the rest. i'll set it all up for you, then get your approval before i print away. of course, if you have specifics, we're all about that around here!
they're the perfect size for a stocking stuffer! and, great gifts for ANYONE on your list...particularly grandparents. you know memaw and papaw can't wait for a calendar full of your little rascal(s). (i can guarantee my mamacita's gonna want one.) or, how about the kiddos away at college to remind them of the lovely fam at home? your husband? kid's teachers? pics of your girl's trip for your BFF?

see - the possibilities are endless! and, at $20, they're a steal!

want one? or, how 'bout one for everyone?

alrighty then!! go here to get yours. (it's never too early to start holiday shopping!)

Friday, September 16

it's alive

y'all, rosita designs on etsy lives. ok, i know there are only four items in there right now, but it's a work-in-progress! and, if you think i feel like i just ran a marathon, you are right! setting up shops is hard work - who knew there were so many nitty gritty deets you have to cover? shipping policies, shop policies, five images, a snazzy description, pricing, a header, tags, details, details, details.

so, tell your friends, family, neighbors, everyone! then bookmark it, favorite it, add me to your circle, whatevs. i'm truckin' along, so check back frequently. (you know i'll add a handy dandy link over there to the right for you to clicky-click on.) big plans, peeps - invites, announcements, and gifts coming soon.

thanks for all the support and encouragement - i wouldn't be anywhere without you, my three readers! muah - love ya to the moon and back!

now, go shoppin'!

Tuesday, September 13

summer bookworm

there's nothin' like a good book, and this summer, i tossed aside my magazines, and read, read, read. seriously - check out the pile of magazines i'm neglecting. whoa, looks like some are more neglected than others!
i'm sorry to say, some of the books i read weren't my favorites, but i'll tell ya about those later. if you're a bookworm like me, here are a few i read and loved.
THE HEART MENDER by andy andrews
it's non-fiction, a genre i'm not usually a fan of, but i was happily surprised. that maybe might be because of the love story wrapped up in all the historical info! 'a story of second chances', it was just what i needed to read when i read it. it's a very heartfelt story, with world war ii history that will most likely shock you (it did me!)
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by garth stein
told from the dog's perspective, this book may have you tearing up from the get go. it's set in seattle, so it was fun to read about local places. it's a tragic story sure to stir up tons of emotion (remember, crying from the get go). have to say, i coulda done without much of the formula 51 info. if you embarrass about crying in public, you'll wanna save this one for the bedside table!
HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by jamie ford
set in seattle in the 1940s, it was interesting to read what seattle might've been like back then. another history lesson for me - the story weaves back and forth from past to present to tell the story of love and loss felt during the world war ii japanese internment camps. you might want to keep tissues handy for this one too.

you didn't think i was gonna keep it all heavy, did you? after those heart wrenchers, i had to have some light reading to balance it all out.
DEXTER SERIES by jeff lindsay
if you aren't addicted to dexter yet, get thee to netflix. now, it's not for the faint of heart, but you'll be surprised at just how loveable darkly dreaming dexter is. the series only pulled story lines from the first book, but the books do not disappoint. i'm (im)patiently waiting to finish reading the series. be prepared for graphic blood and gore, but also laugh-out-loud moments. and, go - get the first 5 seasons; season 6 starts soon!
SOOKIE STACKHOUSE SERIES by charlaine harris
ok, i'll admit, i was NOT going to read these. and, cheat on my beloved twilight? oh.no. but, then my best gal, carrie, read them and we started the first season of true blood, so i caved. no restraint - i do love a good (or bad) vampire story. and, HELLO! let's just say these are twilight's naughty older sister. (wink, wink) quick reads (i hope so, there are 11!) full of vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, fairies, the like.
EVERNIGHT SERIES by claudia gray
another vampire series? why yes, yes it is. ok, let me be honest here. i really liked the first two books in this series, but was sorely disappointed in the third and fourth (afterlife) books. it's a cutesy romance between vampire and human, with twists and turns galore, but i really wish the author had gone a different direction. if you read them, let's discuss!

ok, now for the not-so-favorites (i guess we could technically say that last one there could half be on this list!).
LITTLE BEE by Chris Cleave
this is the story of an african girl, little bee, and an english woman, and how they came to meet on an african beach. i loved this book until i got to about the middle. when i thought the author was going left, he went right, and then later, when i thought he'd go right, he went left. if you don't need your stories wrapped up in pretty little bows, you may like this book. personally, i relish happy endings. (supposedly being made into a nicole kidman movie, so we'll see.)
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE by jonathan safran foer
i'm straddling the fence a little on this one. i REALLY wanted to like this book, and parts of it are very good, but in the end, i was left wanting more. this is a heart wrencher, for sure, but i didn't tear up much (way weird for me). the story of a boy whose family is touched by both the sadness of nazi germany and september 11th, it was grueling to see what losing a parent in the towers might've looked like. i wanted to read it since the 10 year anniversary was coming up. you may like it - i certainly wanted to. (also, being made into a movie - starring sandra bullock and tom hanks).

did y'all read this summer too? if so, what'd you read - i do love a good book (if you couldn't already tell)? baby sister put together her list a few weeks ago (there may be some overlapping going on!) check out my last reading list in case you haven't read these yet.

post edit: apparently middle sissy wasn't too happy i left her recommendations off the link list. sorry, sister! send some of your readers my way!

Friday, September 9

How Pinteresting

ok, i'm sure you've all jumped on the pinterest bandwagon already. but, if you haven't, allow me to lure you to the darkside. 
pinterest is your personal online bulletin board to 'pin' anything - ANYTHING - you see as you're trottin' around the interwebs. (or you can just click around pinterest and repin all the cute things there, whichever!) you can make as many boards as you want, and pin as much as you want, and it's the.most.ADDICTING.thing.ever. ever.

look, you can pin ideas for your house:
for your tummy:
and, for your biz:
my favorite part might be the searching. you can just type in, say, oh, i don't know, robert pattinson. what? and, look at all the lovely goodness you get.
so, come on. follow me. i'll follow you. all the cool kids are doing it. you just let me know, and i'll send you an invitation!

but, don't say i didn't warn ya!

Tuesday, September 6

I Do Love a Bargain

i'm back to tell you all about the flea market we went to a few weeks ago, and show you all the loot we bought! i was sooo excited, because i've never been to a flea market. i mean, i've been to the fremont sunday market, but i don't think it's the same thing...

the market wasn't HUGE, but it was more than enough for us to sift through, and by the end, we were hot, thirsty and famished! from what i could tell from my flea market experience (none), the prices were pretty darn reasonable, too.
we loved all the textures, colors and vintage finds. there were loads and loads that i wish i could've taken home with me, too. from stacks and stacks of vintage fabric to baskets and baskets of mismatched buttons. and, then there were the boxes and boxes of costume jewelry. i wanted it all!
i had to restrain myself from bringing home all the letters we found. i maybe might have a sickness. look at them all. bah!!!
of course, we ran into zany too. anyone rockin' the dead animal decor vibe? this woulda been the place for you (it's a scaredy cat - quick, name that movie):
let's take a look at the ones that got away. (a moment of silence, please)
more letters, just of the framed variety. i want that EAT pic in my kitchen rill, rill bad. i'm thinking about DIY'ing somethin'.
can you just taste the delicious cornbread that these cast iron skillets would produce? and, in the shape of a corn cob? i die. why, oh why didn't i buy one? oh right, they were way more than $20 each! i like cornbread, but not that much.
i'm still kicking myself for not skipping home with this cute-as-can-be inbox. kick. kick. kick.
swoon. i let my mom give my pops's old typewriter away without snatching it up. not sure what i was thinking. seeing these was like a trip down memory lane - i used to press all the keys at once, and then have to pull them apart one by one.
i wanted everything in this booth. and, i woulda put everything in this picture together in the same room. the colors, the textures, the layering. the pear pic, the yummy pillows, the basket, and that to-die-for bowl. how cute would it be as a bird bath?!

now, wanna see the loot? are you even still with me? here 'tis. and, all of it came home with us for about $60!
to those of you who guessed the yellow cart from this post, how do you know me so well?? i walked past that thing twice, but i had to have it - even did some haggling for it! cause, i do love a bargain! check out that loot! jewelry, home decor, workshop decor. and, baby sister is a big fan of that bird trend.
i actually rocked one of my necklaces today:
i'm also thinkin' hard about what i want to do with these items for the workshop. shelves? drawers? wall displays? stay tuned.
now, for the cart. that little ray of sunshine. i bought her intending to paint her something boring like black or silver, but i'm lovin' old yeller. and, she matches some of the table tiles and crosses in the dining room.

y'all aren't surprised to find out that we'll be using her as a means to get our happy hour on, are ya? yea, no big surprise there! check her out all dolled up:
no, i did not stage her just to take this picture (i totally did). i just didn't want y'all to have to imagine what she'd look like as a bar cart. let's get a little closer:
she's so imperfectly perfect. i can't believe i even thought about painting her. heck, she'll bring me sunshine on all our cloudy (rainy) days.

as we can see, it's really a good thing flea market's aren't that frequent (or, at least that i don't know about them). i'm sure when baby sister helped us clear out the basement, she didn't mean for us to just fill it right back up!

so, what do y'all think? ever been to a flea market? scored an awesome deal on some sweet loot? do tell.