Diaper cakes!!

I have made three, so far. I LOVE making them! But considering the awry disarray that has been my life for most of this past (school) year, I still have dreams and visions of how much more I can do!!

This first one here took me quite a while. It looks like a nursery (both floral and child-related) threw up on it. In my opinion. But it was so fun to decorate!!! This one was done in September.

And here we have diaper cake #2! I admit I was a bit rushed when I put this one together. Luckily I had the ribbon on hand and I think the colors went together nicely. It kept toppling in the car, though, and, unfortunately, the expectant mother thought the platter was a present and unwrapped it. Oops. Sorry, no pressie, just a free UPS Priority Mail box!! I think the diapers have lasted quite a long time, though! I made this one in November.

Yay, my most recent one. Can ya tell how I am losin' steam? It's not on purpose, though, I swear! I forgot and left most of the ribbon that I had originally intended to use at my apartment, when the diapers were here at my parents' house, but I think it turned out okay.

I am now officially out of diapers, though, and am on the hunt for another really good deal! I am hearing about some more friends having babies!

What's up with all these fertile peeps, eh?

Apartment pictures!!

Firstly - boohoo. I am not sure these pics give an adequate impression of what it's really like - but at least it's CLEAN!!! It's still totally in a work in progress ... and not nearly enough show homey, but it's comfortable enough, for now. These are the two main rooms that I can manage to keep relatively NEAT ... I didn't quite have time to take pics of the kitchen/ette and living room, yet ... besides, they are a study in squalor. That will have to be for next week!!

The room that I totally love!!! Best bed, best sheets, best bedding, ever!And the rocker was $15. And the ottoman was $6. Still can't get over it. Still, obviously, also, can't get around to putting together the dang armoire. Do you like my shower curtain drapes?? Haven't figured out if I want or need a valance, yet, really. I need to get my storage issues under control! It isn't totally and completely perfect yet (I doubt I will ever get around to putting anything on the walls), but it is a very pleasant start for me!

Simply Shabby Chic bedding, my favorite in the whole entire WORLD!

Also, I love having a matching lamp.

Yay! Bookshelf - from the bathroom line at Target. Random candlestick, picture frame from Goodwill, postcard of Nice, France, and mirror tray and vanity mirror - $3 at the outdoor antique market!

I am such an addict.

Hooray for the $7.50 HELLO KITTY alarm clock!!!

The first pics of the bathroom!! The bathroom, that I love, and that I love cleaning. Boy, do I love having a clean bathroom. And since I am only having to clean up after MYSELF, I dare say it's a lot easier!!!

Simply Shabby Chic Simply Shabby Chic Simply Shabby Chic!

It is a very long and narrow bathroom. Great light, especially in the mornings, as it pierces through the windows and blinds you, even with a valance/shade up. Whoo. Wake up, I say!

From left to right: random Target Christmas vanilla candles! And the little Simply Shabby Chic (Target, of course) floral arrangement that I loved but could only find one of!! The mirror vanity tray on the right was the very very FIRST thing I ever bought at the outdoor antique market. Whee. The seashell was from my mom for Christmas when I was a child. The tissue box was 75% off at a random Target and I am gutted that I cannot find the darn wastebasket that I KNOW I got at the same time! It's probably floating around in this house someplace, hidden. And the white birdcage ... TOTALLY Christmas Conservatory from like, 2005 or something! But I love it and I think it goes with everything so of course I use it.

I also spared all of y'alls and refrained from taking a picture of my TOILET - but that also has a white wire basket above it, also Target, but an older bathroom line, and I LOVE the Simply Shabby Chic saucer/plate shadow boxes that you can see hanging on the wall in the mirror! I've held on to those things for 3 years or something, just waiting to put them up.

Hee.

I think I am obsessively detail-oriented.

Anyway, I LOVE my bathroom.

Also, officially: my bedroom + my bathroom = death by estrogen poisoning!!

Hurrah.

A couple more tea-time pics!

Vintage Tea Leaf, part 5,439,017 (or so)

This is what happens when you snap a photo while others are totally unprepared. I have no idea why the picture is so darn yellow/orange. It's the camera or lack of flash, I think.

How cute are YOU??? They ordered a beautiful luncheon for two served on a pretty tray. I love how completely full and covered over the table is. P.S., that is totally my flowery flowered flower pitcher of lovely Casablanca (read: bergamot) iced green tea to the right, over there. I remembered later that I forgot to ask for it in a take-away cup. Rats!

Viva la tea cozy!
We foisted this wedding cake-ish gigantic monstrosity on both Andrea and Wendy. I find it quite charming, if faintly reminiscent of Miss Haversham. OK, so it also looks like a turban.

Don't let it topple!!!


Strike a pose - work it!! I was TRYING to tell her to jut those hips out a bit more ... but maybe she was distracted by the veil of lace that kept falling over her face.

Such a good sport!!

Neer Zeerand Insplanation

OK, so sometimes making fun of a Chinese accent is ostensibly *quite* amusing.

Translation: New Zealand Inspiration!

I just have to promote a plucky young couple's bloggeradoo:

Thems is nice folks!

Miss Cheri-berry has diligently and entertainingly put up some great pics of lovely gorgeous stupendous New Zealand. Such fun! I look at those pics and feel like the world is not overwhelmingly huge and distant anymore.

I see pics of that gorgeous place and remember to myself that I was THERE!!

And it was fun and I survived!

And I still have tons to post from last summer.

But I have lots to post from New Zealand also, so I suppose I'm not at a total and complete loss for blogging my little heart out.

Here we go.

For heaaaaaaven's saaaaaaaaaaaake.

1. I wanted to CLEAN like a maven since as soon as people left my apartment last week, it promptly frenzied all up into a gigarntic tuberous spoorifficus mess aginn.
2. I can't hardly get through the door without having to hop over stuff since I haven't put things away this entire week, what with being mondo aggravated and downright lazy. And sick. Or maybe it's allergies. I can't rightly tell but I would swear this is not what is generally considered normal.
3. Someone (new) is planning on coming to visit tomorrow!!! I cannot bear for another to witness the torrential disarray. Blech.

However, this evening I spent 4 hours in the ER with my mommy, who was having some issues this evening, so that put a wrench in the works, since I was FULLY preparing to clean most thoroughly and painfully this evening. Oh well. Life goes on.

That said, I also THUSLY didn't have a chance to take any more/additional pics since I wasn't there.

So it will have to wait.

I DIDN'T GET NO JACK DIDDLY DONE!! TONIGHT!! And I feel very frustrated.

And I found out today that I will be teaching summer school. I hope I survive, dagnabbit! But the summer school is by a Target that I don't hardly get to anymore, so guess where I'll be this summerrrrrrrr..

Not in Europe.

*pitiful bawling*