the end to soccer season--sunday showcase is back

One final, BIG, kick off by Miss Shelby.

Coming through the post game tunnel. That is her in the way back, the third green girl.

And the team, at our house, after the game for a little pool party celebration. How is this for 6 little pieces of cuteness?! They were lined up to get their trophies from Dave, who you can see holding one in the background.

And after a long absence, the return of the sunday showcase. Below are a list of current freebies and giveaways on the www. It takes so little time, and YOU could win. Seriously, I won something from House of 3 last week!

House of 3: Silver Bag
Imperfect: Zippered Pouch
Sew Mama Sew: huge list of blogs with fabric/sewing related giveaways
Blue Finch Studios: free downloadable card
Designer Digitals: weekly freebies that coordinate with the challenges
Sew Mama Sew: free fabric giveaway

Good luck and enjoy checking these sources out.

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making an impressive teacher's gift

for not alot of cash!!

(Ok, this is a complete knock off of the same post I made over at the Blue Finch Studios blog. I think it is good enough that it bears repeating here!)


Here, is a wrapped set of 5 YOUprint notecards. Mine are a variety, but you can certainly just buy one style and do the same thing. I used tulle I had to wrap them which I think is especially festive. You can buy this at your local craft store from a roll so it is the correct width, you just cut it like you would ribbon.

To take it up another notch, you can add a little tag from one of the sets. I punched a tiny hole in the corner, and attached the tag to the tulle with a small safety pin.

Invitation size envelopes are readily available at office supply stores, usually in white. For a colorful variety, check out an online vendor like Paper-Source. I found it was easier to attach the labels directly to each envelope in order to package them up neatly.

In the next day or so, I will show you a very fun, creative way to package up a set of gift tags. Thanks for reading.

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a very weird dream

I had the strangest dream last night about moving into this old apartment (formerly inhabited by a very old woman) and when I got there it was still full of her things (oh and I was alone, no family, a single girl, I was, in this dream). And the things were so appealing to me...like milk glass bowls and dishes, vintage sheets and pillowcases, really old furniture with lots of character, some begging to be re-finished. I woke up this morning nearly laughing b/c I think it stems from my new fondness for blogs that focus on vintage and me acquiring a taste for such things. I mean, I am the person who bought vintage sheet fat quarters on etsy afterall! Right after I woke up, it was all very vivid. But as they day wore on, I forgot about the dream.(photo from craftzine)

And then I ran across this photo and I tell you, this EXACT PRINT, was in my dream. Weird. I cannot even begin to interpret what this all could mean. I do know this much, I will be making a little pillowcase laundry bag :)

In other news....check out all the new etsy listings over there --------------------> from the Blue Finch Studios shop. You can get a freebie from the blog but I highly recommend purchasing a set that includes the labels. Printing on the sticker sheets is just plain fun! These would make awesome teachers' gifts. I can guarantee no one else will have the same gift and you will be the coolest mom in the school. GUARANTEED. Just print out a set of 4 or 6 or 8 and tie them up with a bow. Pin It

yum! and introducing Blue Finch Studios...

Grilled vegetables. Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Asparagus.

This is my second batch in one week. Last time I also did Red Peppers.

About 3-4 weeks ago, I attended a dinner at the Hilton in downtown Cincinnati. My fancy friend Jen was giving a speech and invited me as her guest. She did great! But let me get back to the food. The appetizer was a HUGE platter of roasted vegetables, garlic hummus and pita bread triangles. Can I just say this was likely the most tasty thing I had ever had from a hotel, catered event? I knew I had to recreate this at home and so...I did. You can grill up (or roast in the oven) a bunch of veggies, lightly coated in Olive Oil (and I have been adding Seasoned Salt) and they will keep for days. Yummy snacking and many lunches can follow.

Stay tuned tomorrow. I will have a link to the new Blue Finch Studios blog where you can download our first YouPrint freebie notecard. Not sure what a YouPrint card is? Read about it at the new, soon to expand, Blue Finch Studios etsy shop! You can also find that by clicking on the badge at the right. Who is Blue Finch Studios? Blue Finch Studios features the awesome creations of my forever friend, and former college roommate, Susan Young. We have teamed up to bring YouPrint to the world!! Sue is beyond creative. Check back frequently for many new innovative products and ideas.

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Blue Finch Studios

I am partnering with my ultra creative friend, Susan Young, to bring some new things to the blogging public. Heck, we are targeting the entire world wide web!
Last year, Susan, a graphic designer by trade, introduced a unique line of stationery: Wee Tidings. The product is excellent and the packaging is too cute to pass up! Our goal is to introduce a new line of products, but bring them to you in a new way...through pdf files you download straight to your own computer. What does that mean? Instead of ordering and waiting for a product to be delivered, you will download a file and be able to use it instantly (remember, I am a BIG FAN of instant gratification!). Not only that, you can use them over and over. Our ideas include cards, tags, calendars, bookmarks and we will not stop there. We also hope that the Blue Finch blog will become a resource for crafty and design ideas that Sue and I create in our everyday lives, plus those we find from other sites online.
Stay tuned to Little Birdie Secrets for a special giveaway the week of May 25th and the unveiling of some new ideas. In the meantime, check out the new Blue Finch Blog for updates and FREEBIES. Pin It