Off the Wall Expressions

We have been included in an Artfire Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:58:00 +0000

One of the features I love on Artfire is how easy it is to create a "Collection" (similar to a treasury on Etsy). Not only is it easy to create, it is also easy to share on Facebook, Twitter and your own website or blog. Another great seller featured our "Believe Definition" decal in a collection today along with many other great items from other wonderful sellers on Artfire. Here it is: "Inspiration From Above" by VisionsByVicki.

Inspiration From Above

Curated By: VisionsByVicki

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap

New Design - Nativity Manger Scene

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 00:12:00 +0000

Whew, what a weekend! Two dinners on Thanksgiving day. Then a little late Thursday night shopping for Delaney and I (her first Black Friday experience). At 4:00am on Friday I headed out again with Jodi and Angi for our annual Black Friday shopping day. I left the house in the dark and returned home in the dark. It was a long day! Saturday was fairly calm, and everyone slept in. Later in the day, Mick and I installed some vinyl at the church to advertise next weekend's one day Christmas Bible School. Today was Sunday school, church service, then a carry-in and 'hanging of the greens'. Delaney and I had to leave early for the start of club volleyball (she made the highest level team this year...more about that later I'm sure!). So all-in-all it was a great weekend....just super tired.....and facing a hectic week too....

I wanted to share the picture of our church with the vinyl installed on the window. I took the picture with my phone, so please forgive the poor quality.

Vinyl Nativity Scene.....with me in the background.

We decided to offer a version of the design in our shop just in time for Christmas!

New Nativity Manger Scene vinyl decal.

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend! We still have sales running in our shop on Etsy! Stop by and use coupon code: BFCM13 for Free Shipping on any order. All items in our 'crazy for kids' section are also for sale though tomorrow night.

Black Friday Shopping Tips 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 19:31:00 +0000

I know it's crazy, but I love Black Friday shopping. My two best friends; Jodi and Angi and I go every year. What sets us apart from the crazies is: We don't panic, we don't push or fight, we don't flip out if we can't find what we wanted and we have a PLAN! Of course everything has changed over the past few years, with stores opening on Thanksgiving (we won't be there!) and now with 'staggered sales' starting at various times. Seriously I find all of that too stressful and will not be THAT planned! We will stick with 'old school black friday shopping' and go about our day (Friday Only) and just have fun with the hope of coming home with a car load of deals!

Here are our tips for a successful day!

1. Leave at a reasonable time on Friday morning, after getting at least a few hours of sleep. This insures that you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving with your family and did not have to go to bed at 2:00 in the afternoon!

2. Do go to the stores opening at 5:00 or 6:00 am to get the best deals. Hit the stores that opened 'crazy' early, later in your day with the hope they have re-stocked.

3. Make a list of items you are hoping to purchase from sale flyers. Organize your list by store and what items you are wanting to find there. You will not be able to remember what sales you saw in what flyer, if you don't write it down! Don't try to search the flyers while in the store...you will be frustrated and others will be frustrated with you! Having a list will save you time and money. Stick to your list, to avoid impulse buys! If buying clothes...have all sizes on you list!

4. If going at opening, don't get a cart! The stores are 'grid-locked', crowded and nearly impossible to move under the best of circumstances. If you have a cart, you will be frustrated because you can't get to where you want to go! If you go later in the day, when the crowds have thinned, go ahead and get a cart. There will be abandoned carts left around the store!

5. Don't wear a coat! Coats are bulky and you will get hot in the store. You will then want to take it off, and you won't have anywhere to put it (see number 4). Wear a sweater or sweatshirt, and gloves and hat if necessary. Carry a purse or tote that goes over your shoulder, so your hands are 'free' and you don't accidentally set your purse down! Put your gloves or hat in your purse/tote.

6. Most stores have 'sale' items in unusual places in the store, because they are so 'overstocked' for the day. Don't waste time searching for the location of something you want....ASK a sales associate! They are there to help you! Some stores will actually have maps available to point to the deals. Don't forget to say Thanks!

7. If shopping with friends...split up to save time. Call each other on your cell phone to keep in touch! Shop smart....if everyone in your group wants the same item...only send one person to that area, they can pick-up two or three. If a person in your group doesn't need something in a particular store, they can go ahead to the check-out line, and hold your spot in line to save time! Check out lines frequently take up to 1 hour to get through, so it helps to save some time!

8. If you are the driver, drop off your friends at the door. They can wait in line or start shopping while you find a place to park. Give them your list if necessary, they can shop for you! When leaving the store, they can pay, while you go get the car. You may be parked very far away, so this saves some time.

9. Keep hydrated and eat a snack. Black Friday is a 'migraine-waiting-to-happen', so make sure to eat and drink! Have headache medicine in your purse or car!

10. Be prepared to walk...wear comfortable shoes!

11. Eat when others are still shopping. If shopping all night and you plan to eat out for breakfast, go before 7:00am or after 10:00. If eating out for lunch, shoot for eating around 11:00 or not until after 1:00 because the restaurants will be super crowded!

12. Eat a little chocolate! It always helps me to be in a better mood!

13. Be nice! We have rarely seen the crazy fights that you see on TV. Most people are courteous and in a good mood. Be especially nice to cashiers; they will have a rough day! Offer tips to any men in line near you....they tend to be a little clueless and overwhelmed!

14. DON'T bring your kids along! Even teenagers should stay home. They will hold you up, not want to shop where you want, and get tired quicker....plus if you are shopping for them, where will you hide the gifts? Bringing younger kids is just cruel. Leave them home with Dad, Grandma or that teenager who isn't allowed to go either!

15. Above all....just have fun! In past years we have laughed so hard we have nearly wet our pants! (fyi...use the bathroom frequently!).

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Black Friday!

Catching Fire Inspired Gifts on Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 00:59:00 +0000

This past Sunday we saw Catching Fire as a family. It has been months since I have gone to the movies. I believe the last time was Ironman 3. There are very few movies that entice me to spend $8 for a ticket, plus concessions. Catching Fire is one of those movies in which I will spend the money to see, here are the reasons: 1. Everyone in my household has read the book series by Suzanne Collins. 2. It was my birthday weekend. 3. We have recently added two extra teenagers to our household simply because they need a better environment to live than what they had previously, and we went as a family. 4. Because of reason number three, we are extremely low on funds......so we went to the matinee.(still expensive, so it will not happen very often). 5. Everyone has a crush on Jennifer Lawrence!

The movie was great, and followed the book closely. It was dark, bleak and exciting, much like the second in the book series. This meant of course that I was emotional! I am seriously wondering if I can even see the third one....but I have nearly two years to ponder that. As we left the theater I heard a distraught teen girl exclaim, "How can I possibly wait two years to see the next movie?" Well I guess you re-read the books and watch The Hunger Games and Catching Fire over and over again on DVD! Maybe a few theme gifts from some great shops on Etsy wouldn't hurt either! Here are some of my favorites:

A Spark is Enough T-shirt by Caffeinated Creators

A great hand painted quote shirt from Catching Fire. Adult sizes in v-neck or crew are available.

Katniss Cowl Vest Knitting Pattern by Anaid Designs
I loved the vest Katniss wore in the movie! You can make your own with this pattern!

Hunger Games Full Skirt by Rooby Lane
This stunning skirt would be the perfect costume...or maybe to wear to work?

Archery Take Down Recurve Bow by ArcheryBows.
If you need to go into the arena like Katniss, you might need a bow!

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.

ROAR........New Dinosaur Skeleton Decals

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 01:17:00 +0000

Recently we made some Dinosaur Decals for a special customer. They are now listed in Off The Wall Expressions on Etsy, and soon in our Artfire shop. They are sold as a set and individually. So fun in a boys bedroom or playroom!

Dinosaur Skeleton and Footprints Set

Dinosaur Skull Vinyl Decal

Dinosaur Footprints Set Wall Decals

Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton Decal

Triceratops Skeleton Vinyl Decal

Stegosaurus Skeleton Vinyl Decal

Use this coupon code for 20% off at Off The Wall Expressions: PREBF2013

More than a year........oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 02:59:00 +0000

I can't really believe it been more than a year since I made a post on my blog. A lot has happened in that time. I have thought about by blog, wondering if I should post something, anything. My kids are wanting to post 'family stories' on a blog, so maybe soon that will be the motivation I need to work on this again. What prompted me to come to my blog today was NerdWallet.com. I scheduled a couple of coupons for our Etsy and Artfire shops and in order to be featured on their front page I need to put a widget on my blog. I figured 'why not', so I visited my own blog.....it's been a long time.....here is what I learned once I visited: 1. It's been over a year since I last posted. 2. I have on average over 100 visits to my blog per day even though I haven't posted anything in forever! 3. I have had over 80,000 total visits to my blog. 4. This is the BIG ONE......what in the world have I been thinking? If I am receiving that many views even when I'm not here.....What would happen if I showed back up? Soooo hopefully I am back! This may not be the best time for many reasons....but time will tell! In the meantime, I am working on getting our shops ready for the holidays!

Here are some coupon codes for you to use!

In our shop on Etsy:
FALL13 - For 10% off now through Nov.30
NW2013 - For 10% off now through Dec.31
BFCM13 - Free Shipping now through Dec. 3

In our shop on Artfire:
FSTG2013 - Free Shipping on orders placed on Thanksgiving Day
BFCM2013 - 20% off any order over $25 placed from 11/29 - 12/2
HOLIDAY2013 - Free Shipping from 12/3/13 - 1/3/14

Wouldn't it be fun to open a door leading to the North Pole?

So FYI.....writing a blog post is kinda' hard after a year!! Some stuff started to come back to me fairly quickly....like 'riding a bike' I guess.

Sincerely,

Fresh Peach Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Lately I have absolutely craved fresh food. I guess that just happens mid summer when produce is at peak. This Fresh Peach Pie is a family favorite, so I always try to make it a few times each summer. As you can see by the picture below, I've made this recipe many times (and that I am a messy cook!). I always make this pie with the Never Fail Pie Crust that is on the same page.

Never Fail Pie Crust
1 1/2 C. Flour
2 T. Sugar
2 T. Milk
1/2 C. Oil
1/2 t. Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork. Pat into a pie plate. Makes one 9" crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool.

The baked Never Fail Pie Crust!

It took about 5 peaches to fill the crust.

Fresh Peach Pie
3/4 C. Sugar
1 C. Water
2 T. Cornstarch
2 T. Light Corn Syrup
Dash of Salt

Combine above ingredients. Cook in the microwave until thickened and clear. (I cooked on high in 30 second intervals, stirring between, for a total of 1 1/2 minutes). Add 2-3 Tablespoons of PEACH jello. (I have never used sugar-free, so I don't know how it works in this recipe).
Peel and slice peaches. Fill baked pie crust with sliced peaches. Pour jello syrup over peaches and refrigerate. Top with whipped topping before serving.

Fill the crust with the sliced peaches.

The thickened sugar syrup.

Tada! The finished pie.

Serve with whipped cream!

Nashville - Part 2 - Eating Out...

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:35:00 +0000

Of course one of the best parts about any vacation is eating out in places you have never been before! Nashville, Indiana is fairly small and doesn't have a large selection of restaurants. I looked up several potential possibilities before leaving home, however a few were closed while we visited. Some appeared to be closed temporarily, and some permanently. We did eat at some old favorites, and local hang-outs though!

On our first night we ate at the Hob Nob Corner Restaurant, at the corner of Main Street and Van Buren. It is conveniently located right across the street from the visitors center. The Hob Nob is in a historical building that is very 'old timey' inside, which typically I love. The Hob Nob has old wood floors and a great counter, like in an old drug store. Unfortunately, it could use a little updating though. The floor has many holes that have been covered by sheet metal, and the bathroom door says 'knock before entering, lock doesn't always work', and the wallpaper was peeling in many places. The food however is fabulous! I had a tuna melt that was unique and tasted great. Mick had a Reuben, that he claimed was very good. The Hob Nob is known for it's Strawberry Shortcake, so we of course ordered one! I think it was the best Strawberry Shortcake I ever had! The 'biscuit' part is dense and filled with a strawberry cream! We split the order, and it was more than plenty for the two of us!

Strawberry Shortcake at the Hob Nob Corner Restaurant!

One of our favorite places to eat while in Nashville was Big Woods Pizza Co. They specialize in pizza and artisan beers, brewed by Big Woods Brewery, which is located across the street. Big Woods Pizza Co. is an affordable, fun, family friendly place to hang out. We tried Emily's Garden Pizza, which was amazing! The bread sticks are also wonderful. Mick did sample some of the beers, and liked the 'Cat Tail Wheat' the best. We also ate at the Brewery, but it is much smaller so therefore crowded. We had to share a table with other couples, that we didn't know and it was loud. We enjoyed Big Woods Pizza much better.

By far the most unique place to eat in Brown County, is the Story Inn! This restaurant/inn is what is left of a long forgotten ghost town, that did not survive the Great Depression and development of state and national parks. At one time Story, Indiana was a thriving small town, then the road that runs though it was closed and the town couldn't survive. Eventually someone had the idea to make 'story' a resort town of sorts. You can now eat in the restaurant (pictured above....really!) or stay in one of many rooms/cottages on the property. All are unique, many with hot tubs (some made out of old horse troughs!) The rooms do not have tv's or phones (your cell phones will not work either!) or wifi! It is rumored that there may be ghosts on the property. We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and it was fabulous. I had an omelet with bacon and spinach. The produce, meat and eggs come from local farms. Breakfast and lunch are affordable, but dinner is quite expensive and requires a reservation. Inside the dining room is decorated like an old general store, and is interesting to walk around and look at all the old advertising cans and other items on the shelves.

On our way home we went to Columbus, Indiana, which is about 15 minutes from Nashville. After driving around town looking at beautiful homes and amazing art, we ate lunch at Zaharakos! Zaharakos is an amazing, historical ice cream parlor/museum and a 'must-see' if you are ever in or near Columbus, Indiana! I am ashamed to admit, that we never stopped her before on our many trips to Louisville, but we will from now on! I am sure no other place exists with such an impressive collection of oak and marble counters, Tiffany lamps and vintage Soda Fountains in the world! This place is truly amazing and in pristine condition! But the best part.....is the ice cream sundaes! I also had a chocolate coke with a Paper Straw! So cool! Do not miss Zaharakos! It is number one on the list of 50 Things Every Hoosier Must Do in Indiana and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

Some good eatin' in Southern Indiana!

Brown County-Nashville part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Mick and I got away for a few days while the kids were both at Epworth Forest (church camp) in North Webster, In. This was the first time we have gotten away by ourselves in a long time! We only ventured about 2 1/2 hours away to Brown County, Indiana to the town of Nashville.

Not wanting to stay in a tradional hotel (there are not many available in that area anyway!) I searched for Bed and Breakfast's, Cottages, etc. Then I stumbled upon Virginia's Garden, an adorable guest suite, right in town!

Owned by Kathleen and Dennis, Virginia's Garden, is named for Katheen's Mom. Immediately I fell in love with the garden entrance to the guest suite! It was creative, colorful and relaxing.

It was nice to sit on the patio while reading or playing on the computer (the suite has Wifi). We also sipped some Cranberry Apple Wine from The Brown County Winery. During the time we were there Brown County was experiencing record heat and one of the worst droughts in history, so we didn't sit on the patio until late in the evening due to the heat! The suite of course has air conditioning!

Due to Kathleen's diligent watering of her plants they look fabulous, despite the heat and drought.

Inside Kathleen and Dennis have done a wonderful job creating this cute guest suite. It is very clean, and adorably decorated with wicker, antiques, and art. (Some paintings that Dennis paints hang on the walls!).

Vintage quilts are on the bed and are used as wall hangings too! Kathleen always has cookies, chocolates, lemon water and small vases of fresh flowers throughout the suite for the guests! There is a small microwave and refridgerator to use also. This suite sleeps up to four with a pull out sofa.

Virginia's Garden has a parking spot for guests, which is in walking distance from most shops and restuarants in town. We only drove our car a few times, otherwise we were able to walk.

Our stay at Virginia's Garden was a very needed relaxing get-away!

Some Awesome Graduation Gifts!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Mick and I are on a mini vacation in Nashville, Indiana in Brown County. We will be married 25 years in a couple of weeks, and this is where we came on our Honeymoon way-back-when. Today we are hitting all the amazing shops in downtown Nashville. I will post pictures sometime soon.

But for today I am going to show a few pics of some awesome graduation gifts that Jacob received.

This fabulous t-shirt quilt was made by Mick's Aunt Kathy (Jacob's great aunt). She has taken over the family quilting responsibilities since Great Grandma Esther has 'retired' from making them. The picture doesn't show how amazing this quilt really is....it was the 'talk' of the party! Aunt Kathy told us a year ago that she was going to make it, and to start gathering shirts. It has 25 t-shirts! 8 play/musical shirts, along with many soccer shirts, SADD shirts, and many others with Jesus in the center of it all!!

This cute framed gift was from my cousin Brenda. I'm betting she found this idea on Pinterest! Jacob has not broken the glass yet!

We are not sure who this creative gift came from, but it is a fun way to give cash!

Since we had so many graduations to attend this year, we went with a quick and affordable idea to give cash. This is the front of the candy bar.

This is the back of the candy bar, with a 'slot' cut to slide in the money. Mick designed this candy bar wrapper with a place to add the recipient's name. We carried the candy bars around in a cooler to all the open houses that we attended, so they wouldn't melt!! You can purchase candy bar wrappers from www.Shindigz.com

Have a great day!

Graduation Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:40:00 +0000

We have attended nearly 20 Graduation Open Houses this month! Some have been small indoor affairs, while other have been large outdoor parties. We have eaten pulled pork, grilled chicken, small sandwiches, meatballs, chip and dip, cheese and crackers, salads, and lots and lots of cake! When planning Jacob and Jordan's Open House, we asked the boys what type of party they wanted, and what they wanted to eat. The answer that two eighteen year old boys gave..."We don't care." Great. It was decided however that we would have the party outside at our church, since we were concerned about enough room to park everyone, and the only thing the boys admitted that they wanted at the party was Mexican food and red velvet cake. Well at least we had a place to start!

We planned enough food for around 250 (we only got enough cake for 175, because not everyone eats cake!). We did not have much left! The party was mostly outside, and we put up a large canvas tent with six 8' tables inside. We displayed the boys memorabilia inside the church, so it wouldn't blow away. I intended to take lots of pictures, but the guests arrived so quickly and steadily, that we could barely keep up with refilling the food, so not many pictures were taken. Delaney did get a few and I will share some of those. For future reference, I will hire someone to help with refilling food and taking pictures.

For the food we bought nearly everything at Gordon Food Service, with most of it being already prepared. We had soft tacos, nachos, taco meat, fajita chicken, refried beans, nacho cheese sauce and all the standard taco 'fixins'. We were able to purchase already seasoned meat, that just needed heated in roasters or slow cookers. We kept the tortillas warm in an electric skillet (on low) wrapped in a kitchen towel. The toppings: onion, tomato, lettuce and cheese was already chopped or shredded for us! We put all the cold items in bowls sitting in ice water. I made frozen fruit slush cups, by taking already frozen fruit, quickly adding thawed limeade (with amount of water called for on can) and a squirt of honey, then scooping the fruit into plastic cups and placing back into the freezer. To serve, we placed the fruit cups on ice, and they thawed to a slushie consistancy. One of the smartest things we did was to serve only bottled water! Instead of making tea and lemonade, we bought many varieties of drink packets that the guests could add to their water. All we had to worry about was keeping the bottles of water cold in two large plastic tubs! Tip: Hang kitchen towels in the rope handles on the tubs for guests to 'dry' off the wet bottles. Display the drink mix packets in bowls, cups or baskets.

For the decorations: On the guest tables we covered them with plastic table covers then arranged photos over the covers. We then covered the photos with clear plastic from Menards, so the guests could see the photos while they ate, but the photos would be safe. I made quick, easy and cheap photo centerpieces out of tin cans, scrapbook paper, some wire and decorative rock.

Quick instructions: Use an empty, clean tin can and wrap it with scrapbook paper (I just used tape to secure). Fill with decorative rocks or pebbles. Using pliers wrap wire into a spiral photo holder.

Tuck the wire photo holders into the pebbles. Add some decorative ribbon and paper shred to hide the rocks if you wish. Put photos in the wire photo holders.

We displayed Jake's memorabilla on a cardboard trifold display and on tables. Mick also did a video display of photos on his computer screen, that played throughout the day. By far the best decoration though was the 'standees' we ordered from Shindigz! This photo below is not of the real Jacob, but of a lifesized cardboard image of Jacob! Amazing huh? We had one each made of Jacob and Jordan and they were the hit of the party!

The 'real' Jacob with the 'fake' Jordan!

We saw numerous guests start to talk to the 'fake' graduates, before they realized they weren't real!

WARNING: Once you bring the full sized 'standee' back home, be careful where you put it in your home, because they have the potential to scare the daylights out of you! My family thinks it's funny to put 'Jacob' behind doors, so I am startled when I walk unsuspecting into a room! Our dog, Parker is terrified of 'Jacob'! lol!

Soon I will show some unique gifts Jacob recieved.

I'm Back....for now at least......

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 02:53:00 +0000

I have thought about this blog a thousand times since I last posted on January 3, nearly six months ago. I have wanted to post something, anything, so many times. Blogs take time, creativity, and organization. Unfortunately I was in short supply in these. What supply I did possess, went to other more pressing tasks. As time passed, I didn't know how to get back here. I didn't know where to start. I thought maybe I could do a simple post to explain my absence, but then what? Did I really have time to focus on this blog? Did I want too? I still don't have the answers, but this blog haunts me. I don't want to completely ditch it, but I don't know if I can keep up on it, the business and life. My plan: read up on some simple blog planning and try to work my way back to writing on a semi-regular basis. (Disclaimer: the plan is subject to change!).

I certainly did not plan for our past six months to be so busy, which is where some of the problem lies...we didn't plan for the busyness, but you can't plan for what you didn't fully expect.

Here is a rundown of my last six months....

January - Six two-day volleyball tourneys for Delaney in 8 weeks! Five were out-of-state, all involved hotel stays and long drives. We would pack on Friday, leave very early on Saturday, sit on bleachers for two days and return home late Sunday. While we were gone, vinyl orders seemed to pour in, so we were in 'catch-up' mode for days! January proved to by our biggest month for sales ever.....until.......

February - Yes, February then became our biggest sales month. Volleyball continued for Delaney, she also started track and was practicing for Academic team meets. Jacob started practice for his final high school production "Once Upon a Mattress" as King. No family member was home at the same time, someone needed picked up from practice constantly, and orders were continuing at an amazing pace. During this time I also was still keeping up with my New Year's resolution to exercise....a lot...everyday for at least an hour. I felt fabulous, like a Superhero, but the time it took was taking its toll on other areas. Then....on February 27, my mother-in-law was in a serious car accident. She hit a pick-up truck as the driver ran a stop sign. He fled the scene leaving my MIL and his girlfriend passenger both hurt. He was later tracked down by police dogs. The vehicle he was driving wasn't his, and he and the vehicle owner have no insurance. Of course. My MIL broke both her legs. Her left femur was broken, and needed surgery. The right leg was much worse, and for a few scary hours, it didn't appear that she would keep it. It has been nearly four months, and she is in a wheelchair and awaiting another surgery to repair bone that will not heal properly. She spent three months in rehab, and will most likely go back after her next surgery. She missed Jacob's graduation, and had to leave early from his open house due to severe swelling in her leg. She is happy to be in her own home with her husband, but it is unclear if she will ever walk again.

March - March would become our biggest sales month yet. Volleyball comes to an end the same weekend that track meets start. Track and play practice continue. Delaney turns 15. Jacob fills out scholarships with gusto (this means with me standing over him with a big stick!!) Filling out scholarships is a huge undertaking that felt like a full time job to Jacob and I. I know why so many seniors don't do it.....it is hard and extremely time consuming! Of course, when completing them you have no idea if you will receive any. Personally I think students should just put their names in a hat for a drawing. It would be easier and less stressful! We heard horror stories of students filling out 50 or more and receiving none! Jacob filled out around 25. I prayed.

April - Still a bigger month in sales! We were thrilled and overwhelmed at the same time! We went on our first ever (and most likely last) Spring Break trip to Daytona Beach Florida. While it was fun (we went with dear friends) and warm, the drive there from Indiana was exhausting. We felt that half our trip was in the car! Next time, we will fly! On our drive home we stopped in Atlanta. We ate at Sonny's BBQ, The Varsity, toured The World of Coke-Cola and saw "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" by Stephen King and John Mellencamp at the Alliance Theatre. I would love to visit Atlanta again! When we returned from Spring Break 2012, we were buried in orders! I worked day and night (Mick at night) to catch up! Towards the end of the month Jake turned 18, and was in his last high school production, his 9th! In retrospect, I must say that I feel Jacob's involvement in school productions was one of the best influences of his life so far. Being in the plays/musicals was such a positive experience for him and many others. School productions proved to be better at 'team-building' than any sport could ever be (although soccer was good to him too). Jacob is positive, outgoing and extremely confident, and I feel this is due largely to him being involved in school productions.

May - A sight slow down in sales. This is expected as we head into summer and we need a little slow down! May was a crazy month (even more than the previous!) with lots of end of school/senior activities. Jake's last prom's (he went to two), he won 'prom prince', he was also the dead kid in a SADD car accident (I could not bring myself to attend!), Baccalaureate, and awards night. Awards night went well, with Jacob winning 5 scholarships to date. Did the hard work filling out scholarships pay off? You bet! To date we owe less than $2000 for this upcoming school year and we nor Jacob will need a loan! He is off to a good start on next year too, with three scholarships being renewable! Jake will be attending Manchester ~~College~~ University in the fall. Yes, the name changed. Due to many new positive changes at Manchester, they have decided to change from a college to a university (July 1). There is some controversy about this, but I believe it will be fine. Track ends for Delaney, and it was bittersweet. Our girls team wins conference for the first time in many years and the boys win for the 5th time in a row! Delaney does earn her varsity letter, but the year was rough for her. She just didn't enjoy it much and struggled to find the race for her in high school. It remains to be seen if she will do track next year. In the meantime....volleyball has started again!

June - June 8, Jacob graduates with honors in the Whitko class of 2012! I did not cry....much! We were so proud of him and the 127 other students we have had the pleasure to watch grow for 12+ years! On June 12, Jake and I went to Manchester College for orientation. Wow, not sure I am ready for this! His classes for fall and January term are chosen. He is majoring in English and hopes to be a journalist/writer. June 16: Jacob and Jordan's Open House. We had Jake's open house with a friend, and held it at our church. Thank goodness we made that decision....we had over 250 guests! I don't know where we would have parked everyone at our house. For food, we decided on a taco/nacho bar, since both boys love mexican food. It was somewhat easy, but we should have hired help to refill roasters and bowls! I was so tired afterwards! I think the last time I was that tired was when I delivered the kids! I'm not sure at this time if Delaney will even get a party!! Also this month (so far) we have attended at least 17 other open houses, and have sent numerous other gifts to ones we couldn't attend (Jacob of course, has attended many more than us). You wouldn't think going to open houses would be so tiring (and expensive!), but they are! Eating all that cake is a big job! On that note....since the return from Spring Break, I gained back 8 of the 12 pounds I had lost! I guess the stress and busyness took it's toll! This Monday (and every day since, including today when the temp hit 104 degrees!) I have hit the gym, and the track, and My Fitness Pal, so hopefully I will be watching the scale go back down soon!

The Family....still smiling after a crazy but awesome six months!

Honorable Mentions: The engine blew in the truck. The dryer, dishwasher and pool pump motor all broke, and now the washing machine is not automatically going into the spin cycle. Yay.

That in a nutshell is our past six months! (I think it took me like 6 hours to write this!). In the past week, things have slowed down slightly in our lives and I have had a little time to think/breath! Okay, the breathing is a little difficult since it is 104 degrees!

Hopefully in the next few days I will post some pictures of some awesome graduation gifts that Jacob received and some decorations that we did for the party. We are also headed to Nashville, Indiana in Brown County next week, and surely I will have plenty to show and tell from there!

I hope I am back to blog.....we'll see.

It's a New Year....better get myself together.

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:26:00 +0000

It is a new year. The holidays are over. My mind is still spinning. Unfortunately we did not have a relaxing holiday season, we haven't for several years. Somehow, due to a series of events, we are unbelievably busy at Christmas time. This is partly due to the business (that's a good thing). But the biggest reason for the busyness/stress is due to many family members moving away over the years, and then when they 'come-home-for-Christmas' we end up doing all the hosting!(that's a bad thing). I really tried to simplify things this year, and that didn't really work out......so I have come to the conclusion that we cannot host any parties next year. It simply is someone Else's turn.

So I am behind, and need to 'get myself together'. Mick and the kids went back to work/school today....and I am trying to catch-up (and not be overwhelmed!). One positive: we got a membership at the new pool/fitness center in N. Manchester (the old one was torn down a few years ago due to a structural problem). We worked out frequently during the last two weeks, and I am hopeful we will keep it up! I went today by myself and worked out for an hour and a half! (I rock!). The Christmas decorations are still up, the business needs lots of attention, tax info needs gathered so Jake can file the FAFSA, and he needs to apply for countless scholarships, and volleyball tourneys start for Delaney next weekend. I guess one thing at a time....I am working on several 'to-do' lists!

I made an astonishing amount of food over the past three weeks, and the fridge is full of leftovers to prove it! My favorite recipe of the season was one I created (more or less), so I decided to share it!

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Chocolate Wafers or Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies
I got the candy cane sandwich cookies from Aldi's. They are a seasonal item.
1/3 c. Butter-melted
Hot Fudge Topping
Candy Crunch-Red and Green Peppermint
From The Country Kitchen
Chocolate Ice Cream-softened
Peppermint Ice Cream-softened
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 C. Powdered Sugar.

Gather the ingredients.

Place chocolate wafers or peppermint sandwich cookies in food processor. Process until you have 2 cups fine crumbs. (I used a mix of wafers and cookies, but all peppermint cookies would be the best!).

Add the melted butter, and stir. The crumbs should be wet, and clump together.

Using your finger tips, press the crumb mixture in the bottom and sides of a pie plate to form the crust.

Spread the softened chocolate ice cream inside the cookie crust. Fill about half-way up.

Pour the hot fudge topping over the chocolate ice cream. I softened the topping in the microwave slightly first. Spread over the ice cream.

Sprinkle with Candy Crunch. Put in freezer for one hour or until firm.

Take frozen pie from freezer and spread softened peppermint ice cream on top. Place back in freezer.

To make the whipped topping: Mix the heavy cream with the powdered sugar with a mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. (note: in the picture the whipped cream has not yet reached stiff peaks). For best results make sure the bowl and beaters are ice cold (put them in the freezer) before starting.

Spread whipped cream on top of pie and sprinkle with more candy crunch. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for one hour or more.

In the time it has taken me to finish this blog post (while waiting on photos to load), I have taken down one Christmas tree! Yeah me! Only one more tree and 20+ boxes of other decor to go!

How was your holidays? Restful or stressful?

My Top Ten Favorite Christmas Books for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:13:00 +0000

My cousin Brenda recently posted on Facebook that she had numbered all of her children's Christmas books (using her Cricut) to do a 'countdown' to Chrismas by reading a book each night. (Yes, Brenda..I stole your picture from FB!).

I see several that we have in our own collection!

This reminded me of something similar I did with my kids when they were little. I wrote down the title of each Christmas book that we own on little slips of paper and then put the slips into a jar. Each night the kids would pull a slip of paper out of the jar, and I would read that book aloud to them. As they became readers, they started to do some of the reading to us. Eventually we had so many Christmas books (35) that the countdown started quite early. A few of the books have several stories in them, so we just chose our favorites out of each one of those. The kids are past wanting to do the Christmas countdown. (I would do it until they were old and grey if they would let me!) We still get the books out of the attic each year and display them in a large basket....and we each have our favorites!

Here are my favs!

First let me say...as I started to search for pictures of these books, I was amazed how many are out of print or have changed in some way (like the covers or size). I actually have several first editions! I believe all of these books (except four) are availble in some form from Amazon.

10. Olive, the Other Reindeer.

9. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies.

8. Who is Coming To Our House?

Out of print. Available new (as high as $135!) and used in various places online.

7. The Polar Express

6. Arthur's Christmas

This is the version we have: Notice Arthur's face is long...it changed after the cartoon aired on TV

5. Jacob's Gift

Out of print.

4. The Crippled Lamb

3. How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

2. The Night Before Christmas

Ours is the Little Golden Book edition. Out of Print. (1975, I must have gotten it at a garage sale.)

And my favorite is:

1. The Very Best Christmas Present.

Out of Print. Find new (for as much as $235!) and used in various places online.

My Grandma gave this book to Jacob for Christmas when he was 18 months old. Grandma passed away in 2000.

Old Mr. Floogle ends up with a stray cat for a few days, but is desperate to get rid of it because 'he just doesn't like cats'. The cat keeps coming back. Eventually he sends the cat to the North Pole....and it doesn't come back. Mr. Floogle dreams about the cat, realizing just how much he misses it. On Chrismas Eve, Santa brings the cat back to Mr. Floogle, who almost says 'I just don't like cats'....but then exclaims..Yes-yes! It is my cat! I'm not sure why exactly...but this is the family favorite!

Honorable Mention:

It's A Wonderful Life for Kids

Written by Jimmy Hawkins who played Tommy Bailey in the 1946 classic It's A Wonderful Life. He wrote this to commerate the 60th anniversary of the movie.

Out of Print.

'It's a Wonderful Life' is my favorite movie, and I collect anything related to the movie. I will talk more about that soon!

What are your favorite children books for Christmas?

A Little Holiday Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:02:00 +0000

Christmas can be stressful. Sometimes you just gotta' laugh!

lol....

Ornament Wreath - Disaster.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:06:00 +0000

So it has been more than a week since I've written a blog post....and I was doing so well. Life got in the way....lots and lots of vinyl orders (can't complain about that!), Christmas decorating (took the better part of three days!), errands, cooking, shopping.....and repairing an Ornament Wreath!!

I originally showed off this Ornament Wreath (a beauty she was.....) a couple of weeks ago:

Then while shopping on Black Friday, I got a phone call. Mick asks "What kind of mood are you in?" I knew with that question bad news was coming! "Delaney broke your wreath and is very upset.....send her a text to tell her it is okay." WHAT!!!? I did send the text, which was difficult but necessary! It was probably a good thing I wasn't home at the time. Apparently she was cleaning and accidentally bumped the wreath and it crashed onto the wood floor. She and Jake cleaned it up (with instructions to BE CAREFUL...and don't get cut!)

This is what was left of my beautiful wreath:

Delaney was very upset and I decided to not re-make the wreath....which upset her more! So to stop the bawling of a fourteen year old, I agreed to re-due the wreath. The dilemma: not enough red and gold ornaments and I did not want to buy new ones! So my friend Angi went to one Goodwill Store and I to another and soon I had enough ornaments to complete yet another wreath! I took apart the existing wreath, salvaged what I could, reshaped the wire hanger....and started over!

Here is the new wreath:

Delaney likes this one better than the original....thank goodness!

(This wreath is 'super-duper-double-wired' to the wreath hanger!!!)

Black Friday Shopping Tips - Revisited 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:59:00 +0000

The past two years I have posted Black Friday Shopping Tips. I have been Black Friday shopping with friends for years and we have a 'routine'.....well we Had a routine. This year changes all that, and I am not particularly happy about it! This year the stores are just simply opening too early for us. Last year we attempted to be in our first store around 1:00 am, but by 1:00 pm when we were driving home, I could barely stay awake! (Not good since I am the driver!). Now this year stores are opening as early as 9:00 pm on Thursday night....and we simply can not go that early and still hope to shop at the stores that do not open until 6:00 am on Friday. So I guess some stores will not be getting our business....and we will miss out on some deals. Luckily none of us are looking for that big electronic item that requires us to stand in line for hours! We are however looking for many smaller items that I fear will be picked over or out of stock by the time we make it in the stores. So for my kids who are requesting dvd's, books, games and music...I will most likely be purchasing their gifts via Amazon!

We have not made our shopping plan yet, but we have decided to not adapt to the new opening times, so I appreciate that JC Penney, Sears, Meijers, Menards, and JoAnn's have decided to stay with a more reasonable opening time.

Here are my new Revised Black Friday Shopping Tips:

If you are planning on going to stores at the new Crazy Opening Times see my old tips: Here.

If you still love the idea of Black Friday shopping, but have decided to have a fun but not exhausting day, here are my new tips!

1. Leave at a reasonable time on Friday morning, after getting at least a few hours of sleep. This insures that you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving with your family and not had to go to bed at 2:00 in the afternoon!

2. Do go to the stores opening at 5:00 or 6:00 am to get the best deals. Hit the stores that opened 'crazy' earlier, later in your day with the hope they have re-stocked.

4. Don't wear a coat! Coats are bulky and you will get hot in the store. You will then want to take it off, and you won't have anywhere to put it! Wear a sweater or sweatshirt, and gloves and hat if necessary. Carry a purse or tote that goes over your shoulder, so your hands are 'free' and you don't accidentally set your purse down! Put your gloves or hat in your purse/tote.

5. If going at opening, don't get a cart! The stores are 'grid-locked' and nearly impossible to move under the best of circumstances. If you have a cart, you will be frustrated because you can't get to where you want to go! If you go later in the day, when the crowds have thinned, go ahead and get a cart.

7. If shopping with friends...split up to save time. Call each other on your cell phone to keep in touch! Shop smart....if everyone in your group wants the same item...only send one person to that area, they can pick-up two or three. If a person in your group doesn't need something in a particular store, they can go ahead to the check-out line, and hold your spot to save time! Check out lines frequently take up to 1 hour to get through, so it helps to save some time!

9. Keep hydrated and eat a snack. Black Friday is a 'migrane-waiting-to-happen', so make sure to eat and drink! Have headache medicine in your purse or car!

10. Be prepared to walk...wear comfortable shoes!

11. Have Fun! Be courteous! Help others find things they are looking for. Don't push! Don't curse! Be extra nice to store employees!

*We will be offering Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales in all of our shops!*

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Follow our blog and use this coupon code on Etsy for an additional 15% off! BFCMblog11

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For additional sales please visit our Facebook page!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe, fun Black Friday!!

Tuesday Tutorial - We Are Owls 'knock-off' scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I pinned a scarf on Pinterest. The scarf is designed by We Are Owls, which designs amazing cashmere scarfs. This is the scarf I pinned:

At over $200, I would never be able to purchase this scarf! But I thought I could make my own version with Sharpie markers and some fabric. Here is my creation that cost less than $1.00!

I started with some knit fabric that I bought at the local thrift store for $0.75. It is a nice ivory parchment color. The fabric piece is huge, so I can make more scarves (or something else!). I washed the fabric.

I cut a 'scarf' 7" X 72". I could not find any size demensions on the We Are Owls website, so I guessed. Later I found an online shop that sells 'We Are Owls' scarves, and realized that the sizes are much larger (34" X 84"). I might make a wider one soon!

The fabric wants to slip and slide when writing on it with Sharpies. To solve this I rolled out some spare vinyl application tape and layed the fabric piece on the sticky side of the tape (see pic), this worked great! I realize most people may not have application tape, so contact paper should work just as well. Another option would be to use spray adhesive on card board to temporarily 'stick' the fabric to while you write on it.

Start writing with a Sharpie permanent marker. I used fine and ultra fine tip black markers. I wrote various quotes on my scarf, but you could write a poem or anything else you wish.

After I was finished with the quotes, I ironed the back of the scarf to help 'set' the writing. Since it is permanent marker and I don't plan on washing the scarf often, the writing should not fade. Sharpie now has fabric markers, that write like a brush and do not bleed. I may try this next time!

The finished scarf.....pretty good for less than $1!

Three for Thursday - Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Woohoo, Thanksgiving is one week away!

Great food, a four day weekend, the kids are out of school, Black Friday, fun with friends (and some family...lol!).

Get ready for Thanksgiving and check out these 'turkey' items I found on Etsy today!

This is the most adorable tshirt to wear to Grandma's house on Thanksgiving! Get 'everyone is thankful for me' in infant or toddler sizes, by Witty Bitty.

Everyone loves sugar cookies for Christmas....but how about Turkey Sugar Cookies for Thanksgiving? These Gobble cookies by just crumbs can be made in several flavors including brown sugar and spice!

Have you ever brined a turkey? Soaking a turkey (or chicken) in brine before roasting, will result in the best tasting turkey you have ever tasted! This fabulous Turkey Brine Spice Kit by CraigsMarket includes all the spices, herbs and kosher salt, and instructions you need! Try brining and be amazed!

I hope you enjoy these great 'turkey' items....Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Christmas Ornament Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:39:00 +0000

There are about 1 billion Ornament Wreaths on the Internet and Pinterest, so I figured it would be easy to make one....and it is...more or less!

I found a few different ways to make an Ornament Wreath, but decided on the 'wire-hanger' method. My wreath used about 75 regular sized ornaments and 30 mini ornaments. The other method is to use a foam or straw wreath form. This method needs 100+ regular sized ornaments and 50+ smaller sized ornaments depending on how full you want the wreath.

This is what I started with. I bought four boxes of red ornaments at the local thrift store for $2.00. I had the gold ornaments in the the white box already in the attic, and I bought the rest from Dollar General for under $6.00. My total cost was under $8.00!

You will also need a wire hanger and a hot glue gun.

Shape the wire hanger like this. Then un-twist the hanger part.

Glue all the metal tops on the ornaments. Don't forget this step! If you don't the ornaments will pop off when you are making the wreath. I had to re-glue several...so use plenty of glue the first time!

Start 'stringing' them on the wire.

At first it will not look like much......but keep adding Chrismas ornaments until it is 'stuffed'. This is a little difficult at this point, because the ornaments want to move around the wire. This would have been a good time to have three hands! Trying to add ornaments and hold the wire ends is kind of hard, and I was worried I would let an end slip and my ornaments would fall off. Ask a friend (or husband or kid) for help!

Eventually your wire will be full! I added the mini ornaments with the glue gun afterwards. The ornaments still have a tendency to 'shift' on the wire, so I hot glued 'here and there' to hold the ornaments tight. Twist the ends of the wire hanger back together. (You might need pliers and an extra hand again!)

Add a bow to the wire hanger and hang it up! Stand back and say 'Wow'!

Veteran's Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:27:00 +0000

Thank You!

Three For Thursday - Fall Wreaths

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:20:00 +0000

I have been admiring some wonderful fall wreaths today! Here are a few of my favorites:

This Beautiful Fall Wreath by Horns Home and Garden features chinese lanterns and fall leaves of yellow and pale green on a grapevine base. I love the rustic look!

This great Straw Hat Wreath is made with silk autumn leaves and pumpkin accents. Perfect for Fall.....beautiful at your Thanksgiving dinner! Love that bow! Made by Debbi of Our Home To Yours.

This unique Fall Wreath with Felt Flowers is handmade by A and N Design. A 12" grapevine wicker base decorated with various felt flowers in beautiful fall colors.

Upcycled T-shirt Scarf - Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:29:00 +0000

I intended to have this scarf finished and this post done yesterday, but this week has been a crazy one with a sick daughter, three doctor appointments, a sport awards night, etc....so better late than never....again.....

Upcycled T-Shirt Scarf!

I bought these two t-shirts a few weeks ago in the $.95 bin at Goodwill. They still had the tags on them, but nobody in my house wanted to wear them (I was counting on that!). I knew they were destined to be a scarf.

First I cut off the hem. I then measured the t-shirt and decided to cut rows horizontally 5" wide.

This is what I had after I cut the 5" rows. I then cut out the side seams so I had two layers of fabric in each row. I would use the fronts of the t-shirts for the front of the scarf and the backs for the back of the scarf.

I then cut the rows into rectangles. My rectangles measured 5" high x 6 1/2" wide. Your rectangles (or squares) will vary depending on how wide your shirts are....just make sure to make them ALL the same size!

This is what I had to work with....so I laid them out on a long work table and 'lined' them up the way I wanted the scarf to look. Really think about how you want the scarf to look when you wear it. I wanted the scarf to be similar on each end, and any 'writing' to be readable (not upside down), so plan very carefully! I used all the 'decorative' pieces for the front of the scarf and the 'plain' pieces for the back. Put your pieces in order in a pile. Sew pieces right-sides together in the order you have planned. Once all the pieces were sewn together, I ironed all the seams flat open.

After all the pieces are sewn and ironed, this is how the front and back parts of the scarf looked. Sew the front and back (right sides together), leaving an opening somewhere to turn the scarf right side out when finished. After sewing clip the corners.

After sewing...reverse the scarf through the opening. Use your finger to push the corners out. Iron the whole scarf again, and sew up the opening.

Ta-da! The finished scarf!

Friday Finds - Come Sail Away

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:25:00 +0000

Come Sail Away

Curated By: Offthewallexp...

ArtFire.com

Unique Gifts

Note: This collection made it to the Artfire Daily Collection email today!!

Three For Thursday - Anchor's Aweigh

noreply@blogger.com (Tina - Off The Wall Expressions) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Ahoy! This weekend is the fall play at Whitko High School. They are performing Anchor's Aweigh, and Jacob is Captain Creeg (lead). This is the last Fall Play of his high school acting career, with only the Spring Musical to go next May. Like everything else so far of his Senior year, this will be bittersweet. I always love to see him act, but the end is coming (although he is hoping to act in college). It has been a very big year for him so far; Captain of the first ever sanctioned Whitko Boy's Soccer team, Homecoming King and now the lead in the play. He is flying high! Me?.....I'm riding a roller coaster! Lots of ups and downs, but mostly I'm enjoying it!

Jacob as Captain Creeg. Apparently for $1 you can have your picture taken with the Captain before boarding the ship!

Keeping with the nautical theme.....my Three For Thursday will be Anchor's Aweigh!

This Ship's Wheel Pillow is hand painted by Crabby Chris is perfect for indoor/outdoor nautical decor! Crabby Chris has an amazing selection of hand painted pillows, so go check it out!

I seriously wish I had these Nautical Earrings-Anchor Cameos to wear tomorrow night! Made by Robin Hood Couture, these earrings are $20.00 and is the last pair!!

Apparently there was a little drama behind the drama last night at play practice...there always is! For anyone who has ever done theatre, you know things get crazy as opening night nears! Since 'Keep Calm' items are so popular, I thought this 'Keep Calm and Sail On' print would be fitting! By Keep Calm Arsenal.

Come Sail Away........