So, I've Been a Little Bit Busy!!!

Has it really been over a month since my last blog??? Ugh, that is totally unacceptable!!! However, I have a really good excuse why I have been MIA for the past couple of months!!!

I AM PREGNANT WITH TWINS!!!!!!!

These little guys have had me in quite a zombie state for some time now!! Most days I was barely able to sit up let alone sit at a desk to type a blog!!! So, I took a small but necessary break from the blogging world to rest and relax and grow a few babies!!!

I think this picture is absolutely the most precious thing!!! My husband and I are beyond thrilled to be expecting twins!! What an amazing adventure we are about to embark on as first time parents!!

I appreciate all of your patients while I have been taking my mini blog vacation. I can't promise daily blogs like before, but I will try to do better!!!!

New Projects a Show and a Store

I am gearing up for another craft show tomorrow! I have added a few new items and am hopeful they will be well recieved! This is a new show for SDG, I am excited to see how it goes!!



I am also super excited to announce that SDG products are going to be sold in a local shop!!! I am thrilled and flattered that the store owned took such a liking to my products! They should be in her store in the next few weeks or so!! YEAH!! Selling them in boutiques was kind of my long term goal! I am super excited to see that happening so soon!



The store owner also approached me with a special project, making large tote bags. YEESH!!! I have never made a tote bag to be honest. Sure, I can sew, but these are large and she needs 30!! But what an amazing challenge and a great project for me!! So, I am considering it. Searching for patterns and ideas to create these masterpieces!! Making 30 bags should keep me busy for a few days...or the entire summer!!! I'll be sure to keep you all posted on the progress! Should be interesting!!



And I can't blog without wishing all of you moms and soon to be moms a VERY Happy Mothers Day!!!! I know I owe SOOO much to my mom! She is amazing, smart, funny and beautiful!! Thank you mom for being so great!! I love you!!!



Happy Mothers Day!!!

Tracery Interiors

As I have mentioned about 100 times, I love Rosemary Beach Florida. It is such a beautiful and serene place to visit. Not to mention the home of one of my favorite design teams Tracery Interiors. Not only are they amazing designers, they also have a beautiful store! (And they write an inspiring blog! Busy busy!!) Their work is creative and coastal and amazing!! I can't say enough about it, they are very talented!!

I popped over to their blog this morning and saw some new displays they have right now in their store. UGH, I love them!! I feel like I could just walk in their store and live! So beautiful! Is that weird that I want to live in a store?? Oh well, I am sure you all have stores you would live in to?! Right??? Hello?? Anyway, if you have a moment, take a look at their website/blog. Just keep a tissue handy to wipe away the drool!!

Cool and Crisp

I must confess to you...white scares me!! Whenever I wear white pants, I get food on them. White carpet, I spill drinks. But I love it so! I love the look of a crisp white shirt in the summer. I really love the look of these crisp white walls, accessories and furniture. So fresh, it just screams cool and hip. But what really caught my eye are the pops of bright blue/turquoise. What a great way to compliment white and what a great color to use for summer!! Looks cool and that is always good on a hot summer day!!!

Open Shelving and Display in Kitchens

I try pretty hard to keep my kitchen and my cabinets clean and tidy. I TRY! I could not imagine having my dishes and all my cooking utensils on display all the time. However, I do really like the way it looks! Maybe it would give me more incentive to keep things orderly!

I love the thought of using brightly colored plates and bowls to add color and interest to a kitchen. Plus, if you have a unique collection of plates or mugs, etc. it would be such an easy way to display it for all to see!

I think for now, I will keep my white dishes tucked away in a cabinet! I don't think I am ready to commit to keeping things THAT organized!!!

Clever Idea!!!

Oh, I just love this idea!!! If you are like me, you have one or two glass domes and not a thing to put in them! Some days I struggle to come up with a creative ways to display items in my home. It really never occurred to me to use light bulbs in this way!!! But I am in love with the idea!!!!!

What are you struggling with in your home today???

Just Relaxing...

Picture courtesy of Hello!Self

I haven't blogged but once this week. Ugh, sorry, I was doing so well! I have been taking a much needed break, trying to relax, and just enjoy the days. I have been reading some good books, watching lots of reality television and going to lunch with my newly retired dad. The weather has been amazing and I have been sitting on my back porch enjoying lazy evenings watching my dog tangle himself up in the blooming flowers and watching my husband obsessively put fertilizer on our yard. I have been eating the best cookies, full of chocolate and ooey, gooey goodness and not working out! The past few weeks have been much needed. I am grateful that I was able to take this time and enjoy the simple things in life. It made me realize I need to do that more often! I hope you all are taking time to relax and enjoy something special this weekend!!! (I really hope it is a chocolate cookie!!!)

Ahhhh.....Spring!

Ahhhh.....Spring!!! It is so nice to have warmer weather and to actually feel like stepping outside of your house to go somewhere!! It feels good to have my newly polished toenails exposed in my flip flops, and to not have a huge coat on while driving. It is nice to sit out on the porch at night and not need a jacket, and to have sunlight until at least 8:30 pm! How amazing to see the bulb I planted in the fall finally bloom into a daffodil and the tree in front of our house bloom a beautiful soft pink flower. How funny it is to watch my husband OBSESS about our yard and picking weeds and fertilizing! And how sweet to have amazing family and friends to spend time with on these beautiful days!!

I have been taking some time off the past week. Sorry for the lack of blog posts, I have just been a little pre-occupied!!!

At Final Four practice with Mr. Peanut!! The only celebrity I saw that day!!!

This guy is pretty amazing and sweet. I have been trying to spend a lot of time with him lately, when he is not out in the yard!!!

This happened pretty much overnight! So beautiful!

This little man is the best company!!! Even when he sticks his tongue out at me!

Coastal Living

I LOVE the magazine Coastal Living and all things coastal!! After living in Florida for 3 years, I developed quite a fondness for coastal design. I wanted to share some pictures from the magazine that I think are great spaces!!! I hope you enjoy!! Happy Tuesday!!!!

Simple and Fabulous Kitchen

I recently came across this kitchen in an issue of House Beautiful. Don't you just LOVE those big windows!!!?? What a great place to cook in as well as entertain! The long bench seating would be great for a family dinner or a dinner party. I like how simple the colors are and how the decor is pretty minimal. What I really love are those green vases on the table!! Those are fabulous and just the right pop of color!!! I wonder where I could get my hands on those???!!!

Quick Pic

I had to show you this kitchen. Do you see the lockers in the corner on the wall?? How fabulous is that??? What a great and inventive idea for storage! Looks like they are using this for a pantry. I love how unique and clever this space is! Enjoy and happy Monday!!!

Phot courtesy of Little Green Notebook.

Very Chic Breakfast

Can you imagine how tasty breakfast would be in this little nook?? Oh, I can just imagine waking up to the smell of cinnamon rolls and coffee and sinking into those green pillows. (Not that this kind of thing EVER happens at my house, but a girl can dream!!!)

I love the color combo, so great for spring! And those wire chairs are so sweet! And that light!! OH!! It's too much!!!

Hope you are enjoying this fabulous Friday!!! Temps close to 80??? WHAT? Get outside and enjoy this weather!!!! I am off to watch a little NCAA basketball practice!! Enjoy!!!

Photo courtesy of COCOCOZY.

Coffee Anyone??

If you are like me, you LOVE coffee, and you love going out for coffee. It is one of my favorite things to do, grab a friend and head to the nearest coffee place and gab for hours!!

Wouldn't it be fun to "dress up" your cup?? Have a little something to make you and your coffee unique?? Wouldn't it be great to do your part for the environment and not use the cardboard holders??

How about a Coffee Koozie??

YES??!!!

The SDG Koozies are adjustable to fit either a large or small paper cup. They are lined to protect from the heat. And let's face it, they are so stinkin' cute!!

Coffee Koozies would make great gifts for your friends, coffee buddies, teacher gifts, Mothers day gifts, or just a treat for yourself!! Look for these cuties and more in the shop soon!!

And don't forget to follow SDG on Facebook and Twitter to keep up on all the new products and fun give aways!!!

WARDROBE!!!!

So...it is supposed to be like 80 degrees today!! WHAT? I feel so unprepared for this weather! I am still in "sweater and jeans season"!!! I have looked through my closet and feel that I just don't have what I need for this weather!! What is a girl to do??? Well, online shop of course!!!! HEHE!!! One of my favorite stores in Ann Taylor LOFT. LOVE IT! They usually have a great selection, plus, they have an AWESOME petite selection,which I need! I can always find something fun and fabulous at their store!

Today, I did a little online "window shopping" (we don't have one at our mall! can you believe that??) I found a few cute items that might need to make an appearance in my closet very soon!! (Just don't tell hubby!)

Where so you like to shop??? And, what items are in for this spring???

Why Is This So Hard?? UGH!

I always thought of myself as someone who is overly organized. I always know what time and where things are without looking at my calendar and I am always on time. My home is always clean and picked up (for the most part, I am human). I know where everything is and everything has a place. My personal life is always organized and working like a well oiled machine. Then I started a business.


Over the past 3 years, I have run and operated a business from my home. I love it, I love being the boss and setting my own hours and being in charge. I love being the lead designer on all my projects and knowing that it is MY work. What I don't love is all the paperwork and all the files and random busy-work I have to keep up with. They don't teach you how to organize that stuff in college. They don't tell you about all the tax stuff you will have to keep up with and all the junk that you will have to mail and file. UGH! Not fun at all!! It doesn't help that I am completely and utterly scattered when it comes to organizing my work life. My office is neat and tidy, but I am not sure where anything is!

I feel like a fool. Shouldn't it be easy to stay on top of things? I am so organized in other areas of my life, why is this so hard? Why can't I stay on task?? What is wrong with me??
So, I've decided to make it my #1 "work goal". I WILL get organized! I am a smart person, I can do this!! And I am inviting all of you who feel unorganized to join me in my adventure!! If you are struggling to stay organized in some way, then let's get organized!!!

I found these blogs that I think will be a huge help to get me started. Lot's of great tips and ideas!! I actually really love organization, I just have a hard time doing it for myself!! (I love office supply stores, how can this be??)


www.penelopeloveslists.com, www.deliciouslyorganized.blogspot.com, www.blog.seejanework.com, www.bneato.blogspot.com, http://unclutterer.com

I would also LOVE to hear from any of you who have great ideas for organizing my work life. Any of you who work from home or just have organization down to a fine art. I would love to hear what you think!!


Ok, I am off to get started on my organizational journey!!! I'll keep you posted!

Are You Following Me???

Hi there!! I am soooo happy it is Friday!!! Looking forward to a relaxing weekend, getting my hair done and celebrating my Dad's birthday!! Each year I make my dad a special carrot cake from scratch! It is actually the only time I make it, and I gotta say, it is so tasty!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about the cream cheese frosting!! YUM!!!

Anyway, just wanted to pass along some super important info!!

Did you know S.D.G has a Facebook Fan page?? It's true!! By becoming a fan, you will be kept up to date on give aways, new products and the latest news about S.D.G!! Very exciting!!!! You can follow us here.

We are also on Twitter. Again, a great place to find out more about what we are up to, learn about give aways and other highly important information!!! HEHE!!! Check us out here.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! I am off to sew some goodies for the shop. Be sure to check the online shop often as new things will be listed!!!

Good For What???

I loose something in my purse on pretty much a daily basis. I can't find my phone, my keys, my gum. Each day presents a new challenge when I try to leave the house. My "winter" purse is somewhat large and very deep. I love this about my purse. However, I hate that I can't find things easily. My phone is ringing, but where is it?? UGH!!!! Very frustrating!! I know I am not alone in this frustration. I know many of you are reading this and shaking your head saying "yes, I feel the same way"!! This frustration was one of the many reasons that led me to make my ever so cute zipper pouches. I wanted to do my part to make this a better world!! HEHE!!!!


So, I tried out my bags and found that YES they will hold A LOT of "stuff"! Anything really that you can fit in your purse (within reason of course). They are great for coupons, which I am FOREVER loosing in my purse. (I do usually find them when I get home and don't need them anymore!!) The pouches make great make-up bags for your purse or for travel. You can use them to organize all the little items in your purse as well, phone, gum, pens. You will always know exactly where things are!

You will also notice a few new items below. Hopefully they will be listed soon in the shop. (Until then, if you are interested in any of them, please let me know!) The mini bags are such a great size and super cute. They are great for gift cards and credit cards, perfect size for those. They are really nice for jewelry to. Good for your purse or suitcase if traveling. Most small digital cameras fit inside, as do some cell phones. Speaking of cell phones...did you see my cute iPhone/iPod/call phone cases??? YEAH!!! These are pretty stinking cute and the perfect size for your purse (or to fit inside an SDG bag!!). Again, hoping to have these listed in the shop soon!!!

I could literally go on for hours about the great uses for an SDG bag!!! The possibilities are endless!! And if you are a crazy organizer like me, you will be in love!! Your purse will be so happy and clean!!!

What would you use an SDG bag for???

Dining Room Lighting

It is finally starting to look like someone lives in our house!! Whoo!!! This seems to have taken a long time to make decisions and get things done! But it is SOOOO worth it!!! We are really enjoying the "new" spaces in our home.

I wanted to show you the new light fixture we put up in the dining room. As you know, we recently made a trek to the Ballard Designs outlet in West Chester Ohio (LOVE IT). We purchased this lighting fixture with the outlet discount as well as an additional 40% off!! WOOHOO!! And we could finally replace the "thing" that was there when we moved in (see below).

It looks really beautiful at night (sorry for my daytime snapshots). And forgive me for not showing you the rest of the room, it was not quite ready for its close up yet!! It provides just the right amount of light for a fabulous dinner party!! I love the lantern style, exactly what I was looking for!!

BIG thanks to my awesome hubby!! Not only did he drive me to Ohio, shop with me and load all the purchases in the car, but he also hung the light!! THANK YOU!!!

After

Before

Craft Show Re-Cap

We had such a great time at the craft show we did this past weekend!! I think it was a huge success, we sold some items and we got our first show under our belts. I feel a lot better going into the next show for sure!

The only bad part was the building we were in!! Obviously, you can see from the pictures that the "decor" (or lack there of) was not really my style!! HEHE!! It was sort of a lodge feel. And, it was FREEZING (in the building, not outside). So that made for somewhat of a long day on my end.

Overall, it was fun and I received a lot of wonderful feedback from customers. I also got a lot of requests for various items that I don't currently make. So, if any of you have ideas of items you would like to see in the shop, please let me know!

NERVOUS!!!

I have a confession...I am nervous! This Saturday is my FIRST real craft fair. I am actually doing a craft fair! AHH!!! I am totally prepared with all my bags and goodies and my display items. However, mentally, I am a wreck! It is a big deal for me to put myself out there in this way.

I am an interior designer, I have been for 10 years. I went to college for it, I have studied and practiced design for so long. It is what I know, it is my comfort zone. I design everyday, so what am I doing making bags, let alone selling them??? What am I doing here???

Sewing started out as a hobby, a way to pass time and a way to cut the stress I was feeling. I could sew and totally go into a zone and hours would pass and I would forget all the things that I was stressed out about. Before I knew it, I went from sewing pillows to bags. LOT'S of cute little zippered bags. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the little creations. I was fully aware that people sell things like this everyday. I search on etsy for hours sometimes looking at all the cute little pouches. I am a devoted Vera Bradley bag carrier. I know that women (and some men) carry these zipper pouches everyday.

I started thinking about selling them. It made me nervous. It made me excited at the thought of starting another small business. But could I do it? Could I maintain my interior design business and all my clients while sewing and selling my little creations? Could I really put myself out there and let people see what I was making?? Could I really do that???

Yes!!

And so I did. It happened very quickly. My amazing husband helped me design my website and that was that. I was making and selling zippered pouches and other objects of goodness!! (You'll see them soon enough.) Soon, I signed up to do a craft show.

I have had a great response to my bags so far, and I have sold quite a few to date. But a craft show??? That makes me really nervous. All my items out on display for people to see and touch and look closely at!! Will they like them?? Will they want to carry them?? Will people see how much I love making them??? I guess we will see on Saturday!!!

I was also really nervous to start this business. I worry that I won't be taken seriously and that my interior design business will suffer. I am still learning the right balance between the two. So far, I am doing quite well balancing my time between the two. And I see future growth for both, which is really exciting for me to watch!!

I am nervous, I can't lie. I love what I am doing right now and I believe in my product. I am still learning and growing and developing my unique style. It will change and evolve as my business grows.

I am excited for my craft show this weekend, even though I am nervous. I know it will be great fun and a success no matter what. This is completely out of my comfort zone, and so this is a huge accomplishment for me!!


I hope that if any of you have suggestions for new styles or new ideas, you will let me know!! I love feedback and constructive criticism and would appreciate any and all you have to give me!!!

The Wait is Over!!!!!!

That's right people, I HAVE FURNITURE!!!!! (Well, I had furniture in the rest of the house, just not this room!!!) We finally made a decision and bought a sofa!! And chairs and an ottoman, a table and lamps! I am still in complete shock when I walk past this room! I want to sit in it all day and just look at it!! And it is NOT finished YET! I still need to add the "fluff" to the room and make it all "purty"!!! But I can at least sit in the room now and that feels amazing!!!

We actually ended up buying the sofa at a local furniture store, right off the floor! I wasn't planning to do that, but when we saw it we knew that it was perfect for the space.

The chairs are the real shocker of the room. I never planned to get leather, let alone swivel club chairs, but they work and they fit the space perfectly. (And they are super cute and cozy!) The chairs are from Gradin Road. The ottoman, also from Gradin Road is my favorite thing! We have no animal print in our house (besides Oliver's coat) and it is just the right pop of fun! The tables are also from Gradin Road. Lamps are from the Ballard Designs outlet and Pier One. The table lamps are a design selection by the husband, I think he did a pretty good job!!

We still have a HUGE mirror to hang somewhere and artwork to find and window treatments to select and electric cords to hide. But the major step is over!! Now it feels like a real grown up house! I have to say, this room is completely different from anything we have in our home. It is a complete departure from my normal style, and I love it!!!!

Tuesday Eye Candy

I found these pictures in my "love" file and unfortunately, I have no idea who the designer is!!! I would love to be able to tell you more about them, but I failed to write who it was! Whoopsie!!! I guess for today, we can just look and drool over these amazing spaces!!

And, if anyone knows who the designer is, please let me know!!!