{creating myself}

taking a break...

mom & I are taking a little break

from the monotany of everyday life


& exploring the treasure coast.

see ya later!

[hi!] jacked.

I've always believed in a good prompt pickmeup when I'm in a blogging rut, which I've so obviously been experiencing over the past month or so. It's not that there are a lack of things to post about (at all!) It's just a mixture between being innundated with things to do (mainly the move) and also being overwhelmed with the amount of posting options that turns me off blogging. Enough about that.

The point before I was so insanely sidetracked with disclaimers (ewww I hate disclaimers) was that I jacked this prompt list from Lizzy and will therefore be sharing some personal info with you. & now I feel like it took me way too long to say that.

----

praying for: i'm more of a "goal setter and do-er" than a pray-er. But if I were to wish for work towards something, it would be better time management, more creative time, and more energy.
wearing: ripped jeans and an FSU hoodie. it's Sunday!

working on: a new blog layout with Amy

eating: turkey on whole wheat, mmm my fave.

dreaming of: riding a bicycle down a sidestreet in Florence with a Zac Efron look-alike. Did I just type that out loud?

realizing: moving isn't the worst thing in the world. it's like a test of strength.

impatiently waiting: for my new home to be unpacked and cleaned up

anticipating: going on vacation with my friends in may

loving: the view from my apartment terrace at sundown (see past post)

stalking: myself. I promise I'm not on the Charlie Sheen drug, I just like to do self-inventories to assure myself that I'm being the best me.
feeling: sad that my mom left to go back to NY after spending the week with me

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happy 14th birthday to michael & alexa.
you're the sweetest brother and sister a gal could ask for.

jingle balls 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I took my sister and her friend to Jingle Ball (which my crazy family immediately dubbed "Jingle Balls".





It was mostly for the kids, but I had fun testing out my new lens which I totally had to lie and smuggle through security. We were in a skybox nowhere near the stage, so I couldn't get a lot of great shots. I thought you might enjoy seeing them anyway :)


Selena Gomez (wow little girls are obsessed with her)


Kim Kardashian


This was probably my favorite act! I loved "Marry Me." You must download it!


I'm pretty sure that's B.O.B.

Katy Perry. I thought she was really beautiful.


Adam Lambert. wow he's weird.



Enrique. and the lucky *@%!# he sang to all night.



Surprise.. Pitbull! My fave! He looked really short.



Flo Rida. He got naked.

donna's sewing bee

On Monday nights, Mom goes to a sewing class with her friends. Of course, I can't attend. It would be a long commute each Monday from Florida to NY. But this week, I got to spend my night in a supercute studio with these supercrafty ladies! Everyone worked on different projects.. check it out!


[my mom]


[my cousin Kelsey]


[Kelsey's ornaments]


[Kelsey's cupcakes. She's a real Martha!]


[cousin Lori]




[I totally want to make this!]


[busy bees]




[hand stitched by one of the ladies!]




[a peek at my project]


[me, hard at play.]







I've been wanting to make this bunting for a long while, and finally got around to it! I cut circles, probably about 2 inches in diameter, and decorated them with tiny pearls, rhinestones, and circes cut out of glitter paper. My project didn't quite fit in with the others, but that's what was fun about it!

A Little Bit of Life...

Does anyone else love country music?  Yes'm, a city girl such as myself loves me some good ole' Kenny, TSwift, & A.J. :)

New York was fantastic as usual... got to see some family & friends, which is always wonderful.  I've been back a few days now, and dragged Mom along with me!  She's taking her vacation here until next Sunday. We plan on lots of beach time, cooking, and crafting!
I love life :)





I thought I would share a little bit more of my Summer of Love album... just about all elements used can be found in my I ♥ Thrifting kits.


The frame around the page (left) and the photo of my friend and I (right) was self-created with my sewing machine.


I grouped a bunch of elements from the Vintage kit on the page (right) and sewed a journaling frame for the opposite page (left).






The black circles is actually a Prima patterned paper- I used a small circle punch and misted them with red glimmer mist. I used my sewing machine to adhere them- love that!


I cut two journaling boxes out of the blue patterned paper with an exacto knife and wrote behind it...


Long live the days of Polaroid :)


I cut the "Movies" title out of the sticky-backed woodgrain paper in the kit.



Just one more thing... any shop orders placed over the past couple weeks were shipped last Friday, so they should have probably arrived at their new homes.  Custom orders will go out in the next couple days. Thank you so much!
love, Amy

I've sure missed home.

I've been in New York for almost two weeks now and I feel like I just got here. So much love, laughter, fun. Almost too much for one's own good. :)



a few shots (no pun intended) of what it looks like to be home...













I gotta get back here soon.

Today is going to be fantastic... I can feel it.

I've been waiting for today for quite some time... I'm headed to my great-aunt's with the rest of my family to have a craft night. I'll be working on my quilt (hopefully finishing it!!) and probably some art journaling or drawing/painting.  My great-aunt Nuny is an amazing quilter.. like, award winning. Maybe I could get a few photos of her stuff tonight to share with you.

I also made beautiful AND delicious cupcakes, because what's a celebration without cupcakes?
Now I'm going to draft this post and take myself and my cupcakes outside Mom's house (AKA on the streets of New York) to see if I could capture some photographs...












Okay I'm back. Yum, right?!



Whatever your plans were/are, I hope your weekend is swell.

I'll be checking in often because while I'm on vacation, I'm still working (which means painting, designing, emailing, drawing...)  It's my favorite kind of vacation.

xo.

Polaroid Rescue Mission.

We already know about my obsession with polaroids, right?


*Sigh*
If only the film didn't cost the price of a kidney.

Makes me sad.
Luckily, the instax film is a little less expensive, super cute sized, and totally worth it.

Here's some more of what I've done with it.

The One With All of the Crochet.

I figure any post featuring a bunch of crochet will be lovely, no? Even if I am quite the amateur.  I actually kind of taught myself, with a lot of practice (this is my only advice.)  Anyway, I promised to share some of what I’ve been working on.


Here are some scarves + cowls I made.















… we later used Mom’s scarf as some tree trim. :)



This is one of my favorites… a handmade headband.  I was afraid that because it was tied in the back, it wouldn’t stay on Megan’s head all day.  But it looked beautiful and stayed perfectly in place for the several hours we were together.  I will be offering these in my etsy shop later this week. :)



Here’s a camera case I made for my cousin Pinky…





...and an iPod sleeve I made for my little sister.  She will certainly be the only girl in the eighth grade with this particular case.





This is my discombobulated granny square.  Which is obviously not a granny square. I guess I should really work on these.



That’s all she wrote crocheted.
She I now have carpal tunnel.


I better start working on Christmas 2010... :)

theee chelsea market.

I was born and raised in new york, but for some reason I’ve never made my way over to the Chelsea Market.  The other day, Mom, our friend Lisa, and myself took a day trip, and let me tell you, it was incredible!  So beautiful and inspiring… a mix between old fashioned architecture and modern typography + decor.  Here are some photos I took whilst falling in love. :)

(these are cookies!) i die over the i "gingerbread man" NY one.


this is a tree... made of cd's!!

last night was a hoot.

new years is one of my very favorite holidays.
resolutions, dreams, expectations, goals, promises, excitement... it's so beautiful!

if you want a place to record your goals, be sure to download the goal sheet i shared yesterday. i am still working on mine, because i've been too busy enjoying the holiday and having a lot of fun. case in point:






and my personal favorite...



ha! if you follow me on facebook or twitter, you know that my family reads like a who's who of the jersey shore. and i love them.

i dream that you all had a safe + happy new year's eve.
and i dream that 2010 exceeds your resolutions + expectations.

you can do it!

it's definitely christmas around these parts.

boxes everywhere, cookies baked, mom mumbling under her breath about how far behind she is with holiday prep (right now), nuni using a ruler to draw sketch lines on her christmas card envelopes, ensuring that the names + addresses are perfectly straight, we're snowed in (yay blizzard 09).. i would be happy about this but we missed our family holiday party today. :(
we just put up the tree and strung the christmas lights. we were watching CMT, but then i started singing this lovely tune instead. it makes me giggle every time.

speaking of gorgeous christmas lights:


via





(i love this town.)


+all via

as for me, i've written but not yet sent my cards. i've made some, but not all, of my gifts. i mailed a stack of orders this morning, but am still taking/making orders to ship monday. i've not yet wrapped anything, but have a good idea in my mind. and i'm furiously sketching ideas for my winter shop update- i'm in love with one of the items. let's just say it encompasses several of my favorite things including polaroids and glitter. lovee.


where are you on your holiday planning?

about me: the basics.

i'm a pretty open person, but i feel like i don't share a lot on here, personality-wise. i thought i would start journaling a little bit more about me- here's what i call the basics.

who:  i am 23 years old. i come from a big italian family and i love my friends. i like to make pretty things. i like movies, music, and dancing. this is who i am.



what:  i teach at a high school. i'm a server at a sports bar. i run an online business. i am finishing my masters in mental health counseling. this is what i do.



where:  i was born + raised in new york, and i moved to south florida eight years ago. i went to florida state (go seminoles!), and now i go to florida atlantic. this is where i live.




when: 3.5 years ago. and loving, growing, and learning from it more every day. this is when i started blogging.  you can see my old archives here or here.



why:  because it makes me happy. it defines me. it brings me peace + fulfillment. it allows me to be creative, meet people, and make stuff (my very favorite). this is why i do what i do.

this is how i interpreted the Question Words- feel free to interpret them however you'd like, and then link me up!
oh! and also feel free to ask me anything you would like to know, in the comments. i'll answer pretty much anything. :)

you asked, i answer.

does that seem like a strange name for a wish*list post? it's a running joke in my family that i create a massive wish list each christmas, and it's usually finished weeks in advance. it's not a serious list, it usually has a ton of items, most of which i don't expect to receive. this year, i didn't send a list to anyone because my mom santa is buying me a package at the salon where i will promptly have all body hair removed, beginning 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. also, i have so many blessings, most of which could never be an item on any wishlist, and all of which i am grateful for.

however, in the spirit of a fun post, planning for the holiday season, + entertaining myself, my family, and my readers, here it is. christmas wish*list, amy-style.

a supercool bed frame for my plain ole' matress + frame.

and while we're at it, we might as well decorate the bed with a purty one of these. (promise i won't paint on it, mom.)

and some stuff from this shop too. (wow.)

this dress, or anything ruche. (i've mentioned this dress + site before. there are always coupon codes to save 10 or 15%. google "ruche coupon codes".

i've been eyeing this sweater for a very long time. :)

this poster, i've been wanting for QUITE a while!

a  subscription to this tiny kit club.

this kit and lots more from rva. i love it all! :)

this print from my favorite etsy shop.

• some great training sneakers- i really don't know which ones to get but mine either fall apart with each step or are murderous to the foot.
• any one of these beautiful etsy finds here at one of my favorite shops. petal pushers,
• a massive registry at amazon, because "books, film + movies" are the new "toys".
• art supplies, yarn, paints, lace, paintbrushes.
• more time in a day.
• and i would be ridiculously happy with a gift card to anthropologie, urban outfitters, forever 21, aldo, amazon, massage envy, paper source.... you get the idea.

wow. that was fun. and time-consuming. but really fun.

i hope you got some good gift ideas for yourself. :)

xo, A

tuesday thankful.

i've loved reading everyone's "thirty thankful" over the past few weeks. i wish i had jumped on earlier, but i've really been trying to think lately- really appreciate, and take in the season. it's been really beautiful here. :)

which is a great transition into my first tuesday thankful.

• the beautiful, breezy florida weather
• this week home with my family to kick off the holiday season- starting tonight!
• the readers who have been commenting these past couple of days. i really appreciate it, and i love reading each and every comment and chatting with all of you! thank you so much.
• friends like kara. not only is kara a huge sweetheart and one of the most inspiring people i have ever known, but she is reallyreally helpful. you can thank her for the fact that i've posted my new blog banner, which i've been attempting for approximately two months now. look for some other changes, coming soon.
• bridesmaid dress shopping on saturday with megan + the other girls
• etsy and typepad. two veryveryvery cool sites that have changed my life.
• my family. they are so incredible, and make my visits home ridiculously exciting every single time.
• pencil + paper.

i'll be back with way more of these...
i am blessed beyond measure.

here are some other blogger's thankful thirties that i love:

• elise
• jamie
• janel
• vee (she's having a week full of giveaways, too!) you may see something from peace, love, + cupcakes over there. :)

if you've been participating in this project, please link your site in the comments so i can check it out!

today was amazing!!!

today was my first private art show. my lovely friends at tanrific allowed me to use their space for the day and i set up camp. i have a ton of pictures... i'll upload them tomorrow. my MOM flew from new york to surprise me for the day... is that the most amazing news ever? i'll never get over it or the feeling that i got when i saw her face... i am incredibly blessed.

i feel like i've been hit over the head by the hard anodized gourmet pot that's on QVC right now.
must.
sleep.

i love you. :)

hello, handmade holidays.

i recognize that a lot of my crafty friends are participating in handmade holidays this year. i would love any links you could share re: this topic!  to me, handmade holidays isn't just about making presents and decorations. it's about spending less + enjoying more.  recognizing + appreciating the good in this season. not giving in to the stress, the commercialism, the chaos.  i really strive to remember this throughout each holiday season, and really take in the things that mean the most to me...

(my very favorite of all.)

ideas are churning. unfortunately, i'm at work when i should be in my studio.

and such is the story of my life.

hello, beautiful.
how is your week going?

mine is wonderful. i've been working a lot, which i love to complain about, but i'm actually grateful for the opportunity.  i always feel so warm + inspired at this time of year... fall + winter are my absolute faves.  wanna know what else is my fave? my mom's packages. they are the best ever.

 

 


sorry for the artificial lighting, it's superlate here!

seriously? she gets better with time.
can you even stand that owl mug? (it's from homegoods).
how about that paper bat and tiny pumpkin candle (from my grandma) ??
thank you so much, mama.

tomorrow i'll be back with some special photos of the fall decor in my home- so cozy ♥ .

this is how you know it's fall in my studio.

hello, little sister. i miss you!




and here are a few peeks of paintings exclusive to my new project:

how anyone still uses a PC is beyond me.

i've had my first problem with macbaby.

apparently i charge the battery too much (whaa?) and they don't last forever. so i need a new battery. luckily, we mom purchased applecare so they are sending it to me this week. yay!

• i purchased my thanksgiving tickets yesterday: leaving tuesday, coming back monday. so far, so good. i love going home.
• every time i visit my family and it's time to fly back to florida, i wonder if i'm making the right choice. i'm not entirely sure this is the place for me. actually, i don't really believe that at all- never have.
• need more tattoos
• contemplating my career choices- thinking of putting myself out there into education + psychology fields. i know i haven't finished school yet, but i think i'm ready.
• need to take out my polaroid soon
• road trip this weekend to visit the twins in tampa. 4 hours in a car with uncle farrell and GG.. oh boy.
• love: without a trace, house, the closer, grey's, secret life, svu.
• haven't yet had time to love: glee, mercy, hawthorne, fringe, the mentalist, the vampire diaries, gossip girl, lincoln heights, raising the bar. any word of whether i MUST dvr ALL of these shows? or do some of them suck?
• miss: