{just me}

A day off...for the kids...

Holidays, I do love them but they throw me off. I get the guilty feeling that my kids are bored and mom is working. Well that's what you get when your mom works from home. lol...So over the weekend was busy. Evan and I carved out all day saturday to go to ikea and home depot to plan our new kitchen remodel. YIKES, 6 hours at ikea on a saturday while they are having some free food event is pure chaos. NEVER EVER AGAIN will I go to IKEA on a weekend. I am not sure what we were thinking. My mom came over though and stayed with the kids all day so we could get it all done { i don't even know how anybody could get anything done at ikea with there kids as ours can no longer go in the "play" area}. So the kitchen is all planned out a little bit of ikea mixed with Martha Stewart's new kitchen line will create my prefect gathering area. Our kitchen is from the 1960's, now I LOVE that era just not my falling apart disgusting cabinets and gross laminate counter top. It all gets started about the 3rd week of march I am beyond excited. Other than that sunday came we stayed on track and went to church {2 weeks in a row} yaa hooo. Then came home and hung out, evan took the kids to the movies and I cleaned up the house a bit with no one here. NICE...I have to share something funny about church, It has been about a good year since we have been back and mostly we just wanted to get our life and our marriage and our children all back on track. Having a son I worry about Seth at times and last year he seemed to just act out and get super angry at his sister. Evan and I didn't like it one bit. So fast forward to the past few weeks where church has been back in his life and it's strange he is a different kid. Last night him and Lillie played for hours together in his room {rare}. But this is the story, so Evan took the kids to the movies and on the way there he hit like 10 red lights, then the next one was green and seth said "see GOD is great I was praying to him that we wouldn't get any more red lights and look the rest are all green" now mind you it could have been a timing issue with evans speed and the lights but to him it was magic. He came home and told me all about the lights, and how he needs his own bible. This kid the one that gives me so many tantrums was truly a awesome boy this past weekend and SO helpful. I am so grateful that he is listening to the Scriptures being read in class and I really hope it sinks in with him because where I live let's just say alot of the boys around here are turds...SO besides a pretty awesome weekend..today has been lazy for the kids and work for me. Here are some pictures of my day today...Boring let me tell you...

The FOLDER...yikes...paint colors,catalogs,estimates...and so on...You would think I would create something cute for the remodel..well I just might...as soon as I get a chance to clean up the insane scrap room..

Seth watching Mindcraft videos...his favorite game EVER...

oh dear...it's a disaster almost embarrassed to show you..but it is what it is...life is messy..I do plan on cleaning it tonight though...

Lillie just kicking back in her neon room..on her ipod touch..she just finished skateboarding and is waiting for her friend to go to souplantion...

and me...with my fancy anthro sweater on..with ugly sweats and a t-shirt and uggs..oh yea I'm looking good today...lol...{i am down 5 more lbs though} hoping to be in at least a 8 by chaw but most likely will stay a 10... :) better than a 22 that I was...

So I hope whatever you are doing on your "day off" that your having a creative good time.....

Happy New Year...

only 12 days in... :) I hope you all had a fabulous Holiday and New Year. Our family had a awesome Christmas and Evan and I celebrated anther New Year together. I will sum up 2011 as not my best year. It was just a rough year, but somehow Evan and I came out a little stronger in our marriage and my family a little bit more at peace at how this house really has to run everyday. Evan and I have been married almost 13 years,it's a long time and I am not the easiest one to be married to. Then you put kids and step-children into that mix and well it gets messy. It was a rough year for my 17 year old and I {caitlin} she is a senior this year and well let's just say she not a sweet little 5 year old anymore. We had some HUGE fights in 2011 they were not fun for anyone in our house. In the end though we made a peace offering {most of the problem is we are JUST alike} and I love her so much and just want her to be happy with herself and her life. She has a new boyfriend {he is 22} so that was a HUGE fight in 2011 but after getting to know him with out judging him by his age he is really a nice guy and makes her smile and at the end of the day it makes me smile. I hope it lasts cause now we really like him..lol. 2011 also brought my oldest daughter {danika} and our grandson {liam} back home. Well that got messy to. Having 2 more people in a house that is already tight quarters well let's just say it can get ugly. Not to mention 2 sisters living under the same rough again {DRAMA}. We made the choice as a family to let danika and liam move back in so she could get caught up financially the problem with that is I am a MOM..and well I like my house to be a certain way and run a certain way. That didn't happen. I do LOVE though having my little liam here but that also meant my POlkadot Whimsy suffered a bit I do hope I am able to dig it back out of the rubbish. I got so insanely behind, watching a toddler, cleaning house, making dinners, fighting with children and spouses..well that puts you behind. I could feel the anxiety of it all coming on in late october and by the 2nd week of november i was toast. So the holidays came and that was nuts and then they left that was great. other than that 2011 not being as awesome as I wish it was I will just be so amazling thankful for it all. 2012 is already showing to be a fantastic year {besides Evan getting horrible food poisoning on new years}. Early in december Evan and I had a LONG talk about our future and that there was no way were gonna have another 2011. So 2012 is right on track, he is my saint I know I have said that term before but he really really is. At times i get so angry and frustrated and rarly it is with him I just tend to put the blame on him because it is easier that way than admitting my own flaws. We decided on a plan together, and he told me some things I didn't want to hear but had to hear know what I mean. So here is our plan I am gonna share it with you. Eat dinners at home, keep a budget and stick to it, be with our kids and play with them go on bike rides, invest in our house and not so much on material things, LOVE OUR LIFE, be more understanding to everyone who lives under this roof, stop sleeping on the couch {my problem always has been I always fall asleep there} create a working schedule that works for the whole family and stick to it , try not to work so much on the weekends, CHURCH is our #1 priority with out it everything else is gonna fail and trust in it, create a calm environment for our family because there all growing so fast, travel more and create memories vs shopping more and creating debt, and finally if PDW fails accept it and move on. The last one is SO hard for me, but Evan has given life to PDW for one more year it is either make it or break it for PDW and I know I can get it back to where it used to be it is just gonna take all of the above. Also I like our new look on 2012 I feel like I have something to look forward to everyday. That also means I will be staying up to date on this blog...NICE...We have some big trips planned this year..one is our 13 year anniversary that we will be celebrated together at the cosmo in Las vegas and the 2nd one is ENGLAND for lillie's 13th b-day. I hope I didn't bore you with all this rambling but it is nice to chat with all of you again. What are some things you are changing for yourself or your family in 2012 please share I wanna hear. I am hoping to do some creating this weekend {it's not working it's fun}..Also here are some pictures of our christmas and a few from New Years as Evan and I celebrated again in Las Vegas with our dear friends brian and tricia....Oh on a side note 2011 was a great year for loosing weight..and in 2012 still loosing :)....almost there to the goal weight of 130...

Our Tree...

Caitlin's snowboard..and she got boots and bindings...

it was a lego christmas for Seth...

Lillie and her Barclay's League ball..she had a awesome christmas

Little Liam in his new tent...he LOVED christmas

I got Evan a new fancy monitor, what else do you get a computer geek..lol..

caitlin and her boyfriend mikey, he came dressed in holiday jammies so cute...

I got all my Martha Stewart kitchen stuff.. {did I tell you we are remodling the kitchen and I got all new beautiful appliances and a convection oven }....

at the Hard Rock Las Vegas, I Suprised Evan with Guns and Roses Tickets... :) Had to take a picture infront of my 2nd favorite man...

And..Finally Happy New Year....man i LOVE him!!!

 

Fresh Vintage Sizzix Blog Hop

I am SO thrilled to be a part of this blog hop. I have ALWAYS loved sizzix and have ALWAYS used there dies in almost all my projects. Owning a kit club {Polkadot Whimsy}, sizzix has allowed me to create fun custom creative yummies for our kits every month. I am always die cutting fabric...veneer...felt...pretty much you name it I have probally die cutted something out of it. So you ready to get started on some very inspiration blog hopping...I want to share with you 3 fun projects I have made using this FABULOUS Fresh Vintage Leaves Die.

First up...a cute and VERY simple gift idea, just think of all the cute stuff you can put in there.

Gather Supplies....

I am using the Leaves DIE of course..plus some very cheap plastic containers from the dollar tree and part of our October kit and of course...my EPIPHANY CRAFTS TOOLS....

so cover the plastic container with mod podge....

Wrap it all around with your color choice of yarn. I also placed a fall doilie on the bottom..

Using my ornament die for a circle...Cut our your fabric..

Mod podge the top and sides and place the fabric onto the lid. Mod podge the top of the fabric, I clipped around the edge of the circle so I could fold it down. set aside to dry.

let dry...

now comes the fun part using the leaves die....layer your materials I am using 2 different colors of wool felt and some lace. now die cut them out...

see....so pretty....now layer which ones you would like..

and go stitch them together...

adorable..

using the epiphany round 14..I made my own custom Apple epoxy...place your epoxy into our vintage setting..

lid should be all dry, now wrap your fabric tape around it...I LOVE FABRIC TAPE.. ;)

All ready to put all together and fill with gift cards..or treats...

I just hot glued the leaves to the top of the lid, and then placed a vintage fabric yo yo onto the leaves and then finished it off with our cute epiphany custom epoxy...

Ready for a few more goodies with the Leaves die....

Using our NEW SCALLOPED tool I punched out one of the label phrases.

i LOVE it..

using some fall fabric I die cutted some more leaves and then put them through my zyron sticker maker...

see a super cute gift card holder..and can you tell the scalloped custom epoxy is pop dotted up...

and to seal your cute package shut..just use the fabric leave sticker...

OK...so now here is a special surprise..next week I am teaching at CKU. I love all the different ways this die can be used..not just for fall or holidays..take a look at one of my album inserts for my "be silly" album track class...

I just layered a TON of tissue paper in various colors and then randomly stitched them onto the top of the album insert..it is one of my favorite pages in the album...

 

I hope you have a fantastic day hopping...Thank you SO much for stopping by....

Be sure you click the {hop forward} link below...There is lots of inspiration out there today...

 

Sizzix Fresh Vintage
[ Hop back ] [ Hop forward ]

Weight Loss...

Before I go there, I want to give a couple of our Scrapfest Class kits away...to..

Oh my gosh!!That's a hard pick..right now im loving the Crate Paper Random collection!!

Posted by: christy | September 27, 2011 at 11:50 AM

I'd have to go with all of them but if you make me pick right now I'm loving banners.

Posted by: Doreen | September 28, 2011 at 08:38 AM

Thank you SO much girls just send me your info to michele@polkadotwhimsy.com 

Now onto a LONG time battle...Up until my mid 20's I NEVER struggled with weight, EVER. I was always a constant 110-120 max. Then after having Lillie it was much slower coming off, then seth well that was close to impossible. Over the years I have tried all sorts of "stuff" from weight watchers to jenny craig. For me what I know works is exercise and portion control and eating and choosing the right foods to fuel my body. So let's jump forward to earlier this year. During spring break we took the kids to Big Bear for a fun filled week, it was the last weekend of the lifts being open and a very freak snow storm came through. The kids have been bugging Evan for years to learn to snowboard. Finally he caved and we all went on the mountain gear in hand and a teacher to show us all how to do it {evan}. Evan of course is a great snowboarder, Caitlin,lillie and seth picked it up right away NO PROBLEMS. Well me on the other hand couldn't even get her self up on the board when I fell, not only did I have no muscle in my legs to get me up but I was also trying to get 207lbs off the ground. Needless to say I walked down the mountain in tears and headed back to the cabin to do what I do best SCRAPBOOK. My snowboarding days where done before they even began. I was sad, I wanted to be on that mountain snowboarding I wanted to hang with my kids and my husband but unfortunately fat took over. So let's fast forward again to about 6 months ago. I was DONE with being FAT! I was DONE with my favorite jeans starting to be so tight it was uncomfortable. Most of all though I was done with myself and this muffin top I had created over the years for simply being lazy. So I made a appointment with a weight loss doctor. Now some may think this is the "easy" way out well I am going to tell you it ISN'T in any way EASY! I have the BEST doctor in the world he has not only helped but he has changed the way I look at food and that is the core puzzle piece. We all can take pills or drink shakes but it is learning to control what goes in your mouth and the amount you put in there. It is taking a brisk walk everyday even if it's only 10 minutes. So for me it is yogurt in the morning, followed by a healthy snack, onto a protein filled lunch and then anther small snack and finally a portion controlled dinner. I also know this, I will be on that darn snowboard this winter and I will never again put on the size 18 clothes because the 10's are fitting WAY better. :) Hopefully by snowboarding season I will be in a 6, that is my GOAL 125-130 I have about 25 more to go. One more thing can I just say I never viewed myself as "fat" ever. It wasn't until that number on the scale that I was like NO WAY that's so wrong. It wasn't..lol...So anyway I came across a few photos and to me they show success...I am proud of myself...also what works for me may not work for you...but I wanted to share this small story and let you know if you are struggling with your own weight that it is never to late to get healthy!!!

This photo to me when I saw it showed me WOW...you have lost weight, because I am my own worst critic..but I must say all my photos from SCRAPFEST { which you will have to come back tomorrow and read my whole post about that fantastic event} are my favorite by far because I can see the person I was wanting to be...now I am not all that yet comfortable in my own skin...but it's getting better.....

I hope all of you have a fantastic THURSDAY...and if you have a weight loss story or any yummy recipes PLEASE leave me a comment with the link I would love to read them...

 

a BUSY BEE..

That's me! It has felt so great to be so busy lately. I mean I am always busy, but lately it has been more creative busyness. I recently got back from the Mall Of America for scrapfest. I went for Epiphany Crafts. I got to teach my fun class and demo and hang out and meet so many new wonderful friends. I was so WOWED by the fact that still so many people had not used our tool. So it was just great to see them so excited and run into archivers to buy them all. I cant even begin to explain how proud I am of these two..Brian and Tricia. I am EVER SO GRATEFUL to still be on there team and still be creating with a fabulous product. I appreciate so much all the great creative stuff that comes my way. From teaching forever ago at the scrapbook oasis..to the lil davis days..for my PDW..and still being able to create for epiphany. This past weekend I flew out to Las vegas and met up with T..{that what i call Tricia}..helped packed up from the IU event and then we headed out to the cosmo to celebrate her birthday. We had so much fun and ended the night seeing Steel Panther play. Then got home and texted back and fourth while HSN was on showing the new Epiphany tools...AWESOME i tell you...Do you have a friend like that..a friend that at any moment you can call..It's kinda funny in more ways than one she is my boss when I am representing epiphany {which i so respect} but then as soon as the Epiphany stuff is over we are just best friends...and I LOVE that...So while I have been gone...it's gets a little nutty around here because I am really good at running this household i will say so myself..So now that I am back it has been constant catch up..bills...cleaning...making menus..grocery shopping..laundry...just lots of house stuff...then all the PDW stuff...kits to kit...orders to ship...creative work to be done...speaking of creative work i got to do a few things for HSN...for Epiphany Crafts..it was a little hard for me because I am NOT a simple scrapper..{we all know that}..i like to put the kitchen sink on my layouts and projects..but when it is for Epiphany it is so specific to just showcase the "product" and not everyone elses product on the page...so here are the projects I did using the new scalloped shape and the new square and star...

I used the stars and scallops on the alphabet wall hanging..

made a fun birthday grab bag...using the star...

more stars...i LOVE the stars...and our September PDW main kit...

this one has the scallops...the square charm and epoxy which i punched the business card logo for the charm...and then used our small 14 round and my index prints for the border...

more stars and the sqaure charm...i JUST LOVE THE TOOLS....and wait till you see the NEW shapes....he he he he..

 

so those were for HSN....and this was my class I taught for MOA scrapfest...

I have a kit here up for grabs...all you have to do is leave a comment and let me know what your favorite paper crafting product is...and I will choose a name tomorrow....sound good...and to all my NEW friends I met at scrapfest THANK YOU for taking the class.....and I am so glad you LOVED IT!!!

 

A Lucky Girl!!

I feel so LUCKY at times. I have a fun creative business Polkadot Whismy, I have 4 beautiful kids and a grand baby and I have the MOST supportive husband EVER! I can get pretty cranky at times {well most of the time} and quickly overwhelmed were I am sitting in a pool of tears. Running a business from your home is NEVER easy especially when you have kids and a whole family life to still run. We are one busy family and always on the go mostly to the next soccer field LOL. For the past 12 years of our marriage though evan has supported everything I have done. From running a successful home daycare in our home to traveling and living on a air plane for Lil Davis Designs and all the way to Polkadot whimsy. When times get slow with PDW he always sits there and suggest different ways to pick it back up and is always willing to drive me to any estate sale or downtown L.A. to shop for PDW. Evan is the one that hand dyes all the buttons for PDW and sometimes he even cuts all the trims and fabric pieces. I often ask my self how I got so darn lucky. We are not a prefect married couple we have our issues but we are LUCKY to be such a great team with lot's of love. This past weekend he drove our daughter and her friend and I to downtown L.A. for some school shopping and when we were done we went over to the grove for dinner. After dinner we went walking around and there is a anthropolagie there so of course I had to go in and see it. While I was in there he went across to forever 21 to check on the girls and I guess he was looking at stuff {he always has his eyes open for anything creative to show me for PDW} and he found me this. A sweet 2.80 necklace because he said she looked like Whimsy {our PDW logo} I was trying not to cry. I am not sure of many husbands that will look at that kind of stuff and to see my logo in the mix of all of it let's me know that he cares and loves me so very much and for that i am SO SO SO LUCKY!!! Do you have a partner that sometimes just does things and you thank your lucky stars to have them in your life??? Thanks for letting me share I just thought she was so adorable and wanted you all to see it. Now I need a different chain though..off to etsy..

Hello Tuesday..

Good Morning Friends,

Finally ALL the kids are back in school, thankfully. I LOVE this time of year, it is my favorite time to decorate and get re-organized. We did though have a VERY stressful first week of school in the HILL household. Lillie was feeling under the weather but she went anyway on the 1st day. By the 2nd day she trooped on through and then came home went to make something to eat and burned herself really bad on her hand and wrist. Anyone who knows lillie knows that she is a goalie so her hands to her are SUPER important. So we wrapped it and iced it and as of today it looks so much better. SO scary though to hear your kid scream like that I don't think i will ever forget that scream. Thursday though she was sick and had a fever and all so let's hope this week starts off much better than last week!!! We had a busy weekend though I took Caitlin and her friend to downtown L.A. for some school shopping {i always new caitlin would love all the clothes} and then Evan re-did the backyard and planted grass I cannot wait to have a nice backyard to hang out in. Other than that it was just cleaning and organizing. I leave next week for Scrapfest in MN for Epiphany and I am really excited about going I feel like I havent taught anything forever. Also our PDW kits went live and I created some fun stuff with them i LOVE my little kit club it's so much fun. So I also started a little project I cannot wait to share the finished project with you it's really cute and it is for my scraproom...Well I hope you all had a fantastic long weekend and have a GREAT Tuesday!!!

secret project...LOT'S of fabric strips

and fencing from home depot...

my 7th grader...

my 4th grader...

and my senior...

a fun little mini I did with our add on kit...

 

Kids...

Well I have 4 of them ranging in age from 20 down to 8...3 girls 1 boy plus 1 sweet little grandbaby {liam}. So today I wanna talk about Lillie...Lillie is my tomboy in the house {caitlin is so girlie} she likes shopping in the boy sections and cannot stand frilly clothes. Wears jeans everyday with either a soccer shirt or a flannel or a t-shirt with a wise crack comment on it. Lillie though is also SO different from my other 3 and this is why. Somehow this child of mine got both sides of the brain. So extremely smart {in advanced classes} and so athletic {a goalie for a competitive soccer team and a great team leader } and so CREATIVE..{yup that comes from me i like to think}. When lillie isn't on a soccer field she is quietly in her room creating something. She has always scrapbooked, but lately she has got into painting and mixed media art. It amazes me to see sometimes what she comes up with. She uses anything old to anything new. I recently told her about a magazine submission for cricut. Well she went to town and created a fun canvas using a few different cricut cartridges..adorable. So are your kids creative do they do something that just amazes you. I am so proud of Lillie and as she enters into 7th grade next week I know that she is well grounded in herself and I hope that she continues to make all the right choices...Happy Thursday every one....

my neon green goalie...

her own mini gallery in her room..{i love how she signs everything}

a sweet canvas...

the one using all her cricut stuff...

 

 

Collections...

So as a crafter I think I am a collector by nature. I have always loved collectingand creating. When I was little I had 320 cabbage patch kids {i know insane right} but in my defense I was a only child and my parents whole wide world. Then as a teenager it was boots, I think I had close to 200 pairs all styles and in EVERY COLOR. Then in my early twenties as a young mom my kitchen became obsessed with cows. It was cow mania in my house, man that was a funny collection. Then jumping into my 30's it has been everything anthropolagie and anything flea market find. I have also created a mini me collector in lillie she collects all sorts of stuff. My favorite would have to be all her candy wrappers she covers buttons with them it's so cute. So today I thought I would share a few collections in my studio. FABRIC, yes I am obsessed with fabric {especially if it's vintage} for me it is like pattern paper there all just so pretty. It makes me really want to sew better so i can use it up. So when I came across this cabinet at a flea market I knew I had to have it. I re-painted the front with some pink chalkboard paint so I can doodle on it and stored all my fabric in it. It all fits so nicely. Then there is my typewriter obsession. Not just any typewriter will do either. It has to be cool, different, and colorful. This past weekend I scored big time not only did it fall into my personal categories but it TYPES IN CURSIVE!!! I was so giddy, and the lady was like wow I didn't even notice that it did that {i was hoping she wasn't going to raise the price} so for 25.00 I took home anther royal while evan rolled his eyes. It is a pretty rare one to find a safari royal that types cursive. So what do you collect? I always watch the show hoarders and instead of looking down on them for where they have gotten in there life I always wish I could be digging threw all there old crap..lol...Have a happy wednesday everyone and please link up your collections I would love to see them...{i do have many more collections I just might be on hoarders myself one day}...

mm a WHOLE huge trash bag filled with 1920's-40's fabric squares I got at the flea market

such a great cabinet...i love chalkboard paint..

love it...

my 1st typewriter i got...

my 2nd..this was the deal of the day a while back..ready...3.00 at a estate garale sale!!!

and my newest one...and it types cursive...

remember I wanna see your collections....

Hello Out There...

So I promise I am back for good this time. The blog is all updated and re-designed and I LOVE it!!! I hope you will love it to and my daily misc ramblings. So to jump right back in to things I will share with you a few pictures from last week. We went on a little vacation to Palm Desert. Vacations are getting harder and harder to take with all the soccer lillie plays, but this one was close and she didn't have any tournaments so it all worked out. We had such a blast hanging out together as a family. No work {well i worked a little} and LOT'S of pool time in the 110 degree weather, which i LOVE. This resort was amazing it is called Rancho Las Palmas and it has the BEST kid pool ever. They have a lazy river, two water slides and a mini beach. They also have a large pool and a adult only pool {which evan and I never got to go to..lol}. Our room walked right out to the kids pool so it was perfect. I cannot wait to go back! So I hope your week is going great and have any of your kids gone back to school yet??? Ours goes back next week. I am happy and sad about it. I think mostly sad because the daily grind starts back up again no more sleeping in and staying up late. Well here are a few pictures from last week...Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Evan and I.. I love the fact that I never had to do my hair....awesome!!

my little mini me...

seriously those legs if they get any longer I don't know what we will do..lillie grew so much this summer...

Katie and I being silly at the restaurant...it was nice to have her be a nice teenager and hang out with her...