in my kitchen

my hubby, alan, and i spent much of last year renovating our little house. you know, since alan was in graduate school, i was raking in a stellar salary as a montessori teacher, and we were (surprise!) expecting a baby, we figured it was a good time to rip out some walls...heck, why not the whole kitchen...

well, it was without a doubt a bit insane, but well worth it. do you like our new kitchen?

just kidding, i wish. however, this kitchen could be yours, southeasterners....did you hear that in just a few days ikea charlotte will open its doors?? i am already plotting my first purchases...

but i guess i shouldn't sell myself short. we were actually very happy with our kitchen renovation. here is a peek at what we did...

before




after



{i know the lighting in these pictures is way off. i am too impatient to wait until the warmer light of mid-day, and i also blame it on my crapola little camera. yes, i am still shopping around for my upgrade...}

we gutted the whole thing, so ev-er-y-thing was replaced: floor, cabinets, appliances, windows, the whole shebang. but our favorite part of the kitchen is our countertops. we designed them and had them custom made out of recycled glass. they are a mixture of blue, brown, and clear glass, as well as oyster shells.


we collected the blue glass ourselves, which mostly came from wine bottles from the vineyard where we got married. i know, aw.

seems so simple...

i hope my friends around the bloggo universe don't mind if i borrow from their talents tonight...

{sidenote: this is what i do at night after the baby goes to bed and my dear hubby cooks dinner (and i'm not just painting a pretty picture here; he actually does cook the dinner on most nights. and he's really good at it. i am a lucky girl. there is a downside though. the man can cook, but he cannot clean. oh well. it's not so bad scrubbing dishes when you have a nice, satisfied tummy.) anyway...so each night i peruse a myriad of design-y, crafty blogs and websites, getting inspired by all the creativity out there. dreaming of how awesome this idea or that is, and how cute it would look in my home. then i get off the computer and feel drained from staring at the screen, wondering how all these people simply find the time. and yes, i am aware that there is an obvious culprit - and solution - to my time management problem, and it's staring right at me as i type this...}

in any case, i thought i'd share with you some valentine projects that are so, so simple that i really don't have any excuse that i'm just sitting here posting the pics instead of getting off my arse and actually creating them myself...

{heart garland from mayamade}

{heart tea bags from martha}

{homemade marshmallows from nienie}

so organized

welcome, friends, to the transformation of my embroidery floss stash...

 

 

thanks, mom, for the nifty little binder thingie!

 

 

it makes me happy, and surprisingly relaxed. it's the little things.

thank you

in the spirit of acknowledging milestones, i have just realized that it has now been 6 months since i started my lil' business. quite a bit has transpired during that time, including~

...changing the name of my business from oliver. to oliver.handmade, mainly due to the latter being slightly more descriptive (and more successful in a google search!)

...participating in my first 2 craft shows and introducing my line at a local boutique

...changing my onesie source several times, and will likely continue to do so until i find the right affordable, quality, and ethically sound wholesale vendor - not an easy task. any suggestions?

...fulfilling almost 60 etsy orders and perhaps as many private orders (i should know a number...perhaps tackling my bookeeping skills will be on the 1 year list of accomplishments...)

...and most recently, making the dive into the world of designer fabrics:

 

most of the fabric that i use comes from discount bins and thrift shops...and these remain my preferred source, as i love the thrill of finding a great deal or repurposing an awesome shirt or bedsheet. but i just couldn't resist these fabrics - and i got the whole batch for just 13 bucks at this lovely little shop.

starting my own business has been an unexpected adventure and i'm excited to see what the future holds for oliver.handmade. this could not have been possible without the support of all of you, so as a valentine's day treat, i am offering free shipping on all orders, now through feb. 13. to take advantage, don't place your order through etsy but rather take a look at my shop and then convo (through etsy), email me, or leave a comment here with your order.

thanks sooooo much, y'all! and have a marvelous weekend!

10 months

my baby girl olivia irene

on this day when you are turning 10 months old

(which your mama can't believe)

here are 10 things you are loving right now...

{1} cheese. given a selection of delectable food items on your tray, you always gobble down all the cheese first. you are your mama's baby.

{2} pointing at and attempting to say (some verson of) dada, mama, dog, woof, ball, and baby.

{3} pointing at everything else and pronouncing, "ah-da!"

{4} giving kisses. with mouth wide open.

{5} your doggie, who now may finally love you too, even if it is solely based on the fact that you are now a (messy) finger food eater.

{6} going for walks. except when the sun is in your eyes. you hate that.

{7} music - any and all. and dancing. you already have much better rhythm than either of your parents!

{8} exploring the corners of your home, moving at warp speed on all fours from room to room, pulling up to stand on ev-er-y-thing...all accompanied with squeals of excitement.

{9} waving hi and bye, miss america-style. you love new people, and new places too. your travel-addicted parents say...phew!

{10} every speck of dirt found, every book opened, every game of peekaboo played...you love life itself and you continually reintroduce your mama and papa to all its small thrills and wonders.

i love you, my baby girl!

pretty

valentine's day is right around the corner and to start the countdown, i have the sweetest card shop for you to check out!

whether you want to slip a little love note under your honey's pillow or you want to tell your mom how awesome she is, what better way than with a one-of-a-kind, earth friendly card. re: by leah couch features handmade paper goods made with recycled and reclaimed materials.

aren't these just the cutest?

not to mention, the artist is pretty much totally rad.

beach day

 

i have been missing the beach.

we live only 15 minutes from three glorious beaches, yet it had been months since we had been there.

it is winter. life is busy, days are filled with routine, motivation tends to be slack.

but every once in a while a beautiful sunday slides on in, reminding you of what lies ahead, and you have to take advantage.

i hope a little bit of your sunday stays with you all throughout this week.

{i know the pittsburgh fans will! and the springsteen groupies! oh, how i love the boss...}