Matilda Jane Trunk show time!

So if you read my blog you are probably up to date on all the cute stuff (lol). Anyways...today I have 2 words for you...Matilda Jane. Ahhh...love it. Love Denise. Love it all. Her new Hotline spring/summer 2009 collection is starting tomorrow. I am having a trunk show at my home April 10th-12th...so if you are in the Phoenix area and interested in coming...email me...I will send you the particulars. If you are not in the Phoenix area...or you just cannot wait until April...then start shopping tomorrow. I am having a little online Trunkshow. It starts tomorrow March 1st (omg...can you believe it is March already!) it is only March 1st and 2nd. You go to the Matilda Jane site...check out the goods. Then email Christy Ingle (no I am Cristy Leonard...sorry to confuse you) but email Christy Ingle, or call her

Christy Ingle
Matilda Jane Clothing
Team Leader
Western Michigan Trunk Keeper
616.891.5153 Home
616.481.1535 Cell
christyi@matildajaneclothing.com

Tell her you are part of Cristy Leonard's trunk show and you can place your order through her.

Are you starting to get the impression that I am a clothing enabler? Ha. Well I am...but I only tell you about the stuff I truly love...and Matilda Jane...I truly love. Even the ladies! There is something about those big ruffles.

So go...now...check out the goods on the site...make your list and email Christy...remember it is only for 2 days...March 1st and 2nd, that is Sunday and Monday...

Inky Dink...love them!

I could not resist these shirts the other day. Psychobaby is a very cool site. And they have super fun items (and no I am not in their shop...just a happy shopper there). Anyways...if I had a boy...I would buy all the boys inky dink tees too...but since I only have girls...I stopped at 2 shirts. I will admit though...I totally blinged up the earrings on the Marilyn tee...yup...ours now have swarovski earrings...and a big ol rhinestone mole! Ha.

What you need today...

Ok...you must think I am a shopping fool. And I truly am not. But I like stuff. Who doesn't? I just like to share the stuff I like.

Apple tv...I like. I have no idea why it has taken us this long to get one. We have had our Mac for a couple years now. I still don't know half the stuff it does...but the half I do know...is coooool. And now it is even cooler.

It is a little box that sits on top of your tv and it syncs itself with your mac. So all your itunes...iphotos...movies...everything can now be seen on your TV. My kids LOVE it. They have this little obsession with Disneyland...ok...it is a serious obsession. So much so, that last week they watched the free Disneyland dvd that Disney sends out giving a tour of the park and the resorts... my kids watched it about 20 times. No joke. Maybe more. Anyways...my husband downloaded the free Disneyland podcasts from itunes and now...Disneyland all the time.

You can also rent movies from Apple TV...or tv shows. It is awesome. If you already have a mac...you are probably like a year ahead of me and discovered this a long time ago. But...if this one got away from you (like it did me) then run to the apple store and buy one. Actually just order one online because it is free shipping.

Shop Tough Cookies...

I added a new store in the past week or so. Tough Cookies in Sherman Oaks, California. All the stores I am in are so funky I want to visit them. This one look pretty good. And they even got a mention in the Kids Daily Candy yesterday (tell me you get the daily candy emails). Anyways...I think I have confused some of my customers with my Etsy store and my regular store...basically my Etsy store is where I am listing my one of a kind items...and some clearance items. My actual Paperlili store is where the real magic happens lol. Just jokes. I'm a mess...going to bed now. Nite!

this is the type of mom I was today...

I picked up my littlest one from kindergarten today and her teacher told me that she got in trouble today...and dropped her sun. This is the first time this year we have "dropped our sun"...which basically means you were told to stop doing something...probably a couple times...to which you did not stop...and voila, the lovely teacher has no choice but to "drop your sun" which is a pretty sun on the blackboard with your name on it and then it...drops. Lol. Anyways...my little chick was so upset (apparently she did not stop crying in class over it either) by the time I picked her up her whole day was shot so what did I do about it...I did her hair! Ha. She is girlie through and through and she likes to have her hair done. Now I will tell you right now...I SUCK at doing hair. Their hair, my hair...my dogs hair...all of it...we look like the bird nest family. And both my girls have very very long hair which I daily curse under my breath and fantasize what it would be like to chop it all off. Ahhh. Noone will let me.

This brings me to Heather Bailey. If you like buying beautiful fabrics I am sure you are very aware of Free Spirit and Heather Baileys line of beauties. But does she stop there? Noooo...she is also the genius behind Trash Ties...the answer to all my hair problems. Sooo cool. I saw on her blog this morning that she did a funky do for her daughter and then she posted the directions. I laughed when I saw them. Hello...check those out. But my sad little lady needed a pick me up...and so I dove in head (ha good one) first. Not half bad.

Heather lives here in Phoenix...well Gilbert, and I swear one day I will run into her and recognize her immediately and be to shy to tell her how she brightens my day. We'll see:)

remember these?

So I may be dating myself alot here...or you totally TOTALLY (yes I just said totally twice) remember these stickers! Man I loved these stickers. Did you collect stickers? (Do you think I am a super weirdo now?) I collected stickers. I loved them. And they would hold their smell forever. Yes...the smencil post reminded me of the smelly stickers. The funny thing is that last summer I was determined to hunt done some of these little beauties. And I did...I have lots of them now to sit and scratch to my hearts content...totally lost on my own two children...they could care less! They were by Trend stickers I think, the bubblegum one...the roller skate one...man I loved them all. Root beer! Ahhhhh...I wanna be a kid again (yes I have had a tough day, how can YOU tell?) I swear someone needs to bring back sticker collecting...in was cheap...it was fun...all the cool kids were doin it!

So if you are a child of the 70's and early 80's...do yourself a favor...just buy one...and when your day sucks like mine did today...close your eyes and scratch away! lol...unless of course that takes you back to a time of huge hair, suspenders and neon legwarmers (actually those were all me too and I STILL loved it!)

if you always have to be a step ahead...

I have such fond memories of growing up as a kid. We always were well dressed (hello, Espirit, Mexx, Triangle...and Guess because if you can believe it, we did not have Guess jeans in Canada so my mom would bring them back for my sister and I when she went on vacation...it was like contraband or something...we were cool or at least we thought so)...anyways, what I also remember was always having the best school supplies. Is there really anything more fun than new school supplies? And not only that...but having really cool supplies that just brought a smile to your face everytime you had to sharpen your pencil with your smurfette sharpener...or use your new pencil eraser that was shaped like a piece of bubbalicious? Actually that is the best part of one of the stores I am in called The Garage...it is in Scottsdale and it is beyond fun. Katie the owner is like a grown up kid...and by grown up I mean 5'10" brunette walking barbie...but never the less the girl is gooooood at what she does and that is to find every single fun thing you never knew you needed. The store is stocked with high end clothes but more importantly...it is stocked with fun trinkets...erasers...lip balms...everything has a candy theme. It is fabulous. When I was in there a couple weeks ago I picked up some of these Smencils...have you seen them? They are totally recycled pencils made from rolling paper and the best part is they smell..and they smell really really good. Bubble gum...cotton candy...need I say more? And apparently they are supposed to hold their smell for like 2 years! If we still have one around in 2 years trust me...I will be sniffin away.

So if you want to sprucen up your kids pencil box and just make them excited to go to school...at least for one day...get them these. They are fun. We only got the regular pencils but I see there are colored pencils available and now we need those...who knew???

More beautimous pictures...

Amy rocks doesn't she???

I am desperately trying to figure out how to redo my paperlili site. Sigh. And the longer I think about it the more confused I am getting myself. So if anyone out there in bloggerville has any good ideas for me...lay them on me.

Clearance Sale...

Where: my etsy shop

Why: because I cannot find my dogs anymore, I have so much inventory! Somethings gotta
give/go/disappear/self combust...and I really want to do some new stuff but I can't
because I don't have room to store it all

When: now

Until: it is gone gone gone...

Are you jealous???

Look at what stopped me in my tracks yesterday in the strangest antique-y store. I had no idea where it was going to go...but I knew it had to go in my house. So now it sits on my kitchen counter waiting for a brave sole to hook it up to the light directly above my kitchen island. How cool is that! I love it. I tell you, just when I think I am a tad "to colorful" and that I should tone it down...this is what happens. Ha. But you know what...it makes me smile and thats the important part right? Who can say no to pink glass???

Little Miss Matched...

So my daughter wore her Valentines version of these tights on the big day and so many people asked me about them I thought "what! You have never heard of Little Missmatched?" So then it dawned on me that not everyone gets totally addicted to things like I do...and I do...I will be the first to admit it (yes...we have draws full of these socks...short ones, knee highs...we even have the jammies because they are stinkin cute!) And really...one can only wear something this super cute and funky for such a small amount of time...like until they are about 10 maybe. ANYWAYS...run do not walk to the Little Miss Matched site and then come back and tell me how much you just spent on socks! Ha. Bet you didn't think you needed socks today did ya...but you doooooo!

We even have the legwarmers...I told you I get addicted to things. I am just trying to turn you all into addicts with me so I am not alone.

And yes...we have the tights in this photo...and we have the socks...short and long of the crazy stripe version.

Ahhh to have the talent of some people...

So Toni Hamel is a multi talented woman...geesh. She makes me tired just keeping up with her facebook status...in which she is ALWAYS working on something new. She sews and designs AND she is a photographer to boot. These are photos of her lovely daughter that she sent me...how cute is little Fifi???

Thank you Toni!

The Shop is now open...

Okee Dokee...I listed a few new pcs in my Etsy shop. I decided to put them in my Etsy shop because generally my regular site is for items that other boutiques also sell. I have decided to carry the sweatshirts only in my shops for now as to sell them in the regular boutiques...they would have to be marked up too much.

I have also listed some odds and ends. So go...now...ch-ch-check it out :)

so here is the deal...

I have had so many people asking about the hats...the bracelets and the sweatshirts...I promised I would list them today...BUT...I have one more thing (actually a couple) new shirts that I want to try and I will list them as well, so trust me on this one...they are cute (at least I think so!) So bare with me, I promise I have the sweatshirts and the hats (the hats are one of a kind so each one is a little different, and they are a ladies hat, however if you crank up the back they fit a kiddiepoo/tween and up). OH...and those pants...those are ladies actually. They are a very thin jersey...so soft and comfy...I don't have any more of those but if you would like a pair...I can do some more. Of course it can say anything you want on them.

So please don't yell at me yet...I will have all the goods up soon...but right this second I am in creating mode...then I have to switch to camera mode. I PROMISE they will be up tomorrow.

Here is a sneak peek of what is coming with them...

trunk show sneak peek...

I don't do trunk shows very often...I think this is my third maybe. The fun thing about them is that you can try different things and see if they get a good response or not. So here are a couple items I am taking to the show tomorrow...I am soooo disorganized right now...and I missed taking my antihistamine medication at 9 am this morning(yes I have to take it at the same time every day or I forget...so 9am and 9 pm) but I was not home at 9 am this morning...forgot about it...did not take it until 2 and guess who is scratching like they have fleas now? Yay me.

Oh and yes...those are sweatshirts ala flashdance style for moms. They are soooo soft...like buttah.



so if any of these items are not big hits...hang on until Monday and there will be a fire sale on them on etsy! Eyeyeye. I need a nap.

If this doesn't make you buy a pair of leggings!

Man I love the internet...through it I have met the coolest people. Think about it...how did our mothers make friends? There was no internet. There were no computers...unless you count our Atari...and if you do, my mother was good friends with pacman...that woman could be anyone at that game. Anyways...as usual, I digress. My point is...I have met some of the most talented photographers across the US. It makes me sigh and wish WISH that I was better at taking photos...and wish I had more lenses actually...because my lord am I in love with the new one I got for xmas. So that brings me to tonight...Amy Headington of Images of Grace Photography in Texas took a few shots for me...I pray there are more to come because honestly I cannot tell you how exciting it is to get a new email and it be fabulous photos like these! Amy is the coolest chick. She originally emailed me because she read one of my blog posts about my addiction to Juicy "stretchy" pants and well...she and I seem to have alot in common. Anyways...I bet you have seen Amy's work as she is the photographer behind alot of Oopsy Daisy pettiskirt photos ( her beautiful daughter is the model in many of them) and I am lucky enough now to have a couple photos as well. I really wanted a fantastic photo for the front page of my site...as I need to work on my site and well..the opening boutique graphic needs to go. Amy nailed it. Now I just need to figure out how to change my site! AHHHHG.

Thank you Amy!

Ok..I just reread this poorly written post...and why would I want to be a better photographer...if I were...then I wouldn't meet all these fabulous women that inspire me! What the heck was I thinking?

ps...since I cannot make up my mind which one of these beauties to put on the front page...please share you choice in the comments for me!

pps...$10 says my own Peyton will think that is her sitting on the fence...lol...it isn't obviously...it is Rene (Amy's assistant) daughter Peyton...I tell you...you would not believe how beautiful these girls are...not only do they have cute legs and feet :)

and a Happy Valentines day to you too...

So from these photos you may think that I have nothing but time on my hands...when quite honestly it is the opposite. And so...instead of getting a zillion valentines cards for my kids to write each name on I decided to go the other way...and we hand dipped some pretzels and then slapped some ready made stickers on the package. Voila. Looks like we put alot of effort into it and actually it was a breeeeeeeze. Then no worries about leaving some poor childs name off the list...since we didn't even look at the lists. Boom...everyone gets one. I am allll about making things easier. Seriously. These were less work than the normal Valentines...and easier to look at!

So I wish you all a very Happy Valentines day. Me...I will be spending it with my children since my husband has to work because some people decided Valentines Day would be a good day to get married at the golf course. Duh. Who gets married on Valentines day...that is just asking for trouble in the future isn't it? Never the less...they picked that day and since he is the General Manager of the course...he gets to be there in case something dreadful goes wrong...like it dawns on the bride that Valentines day is a stupid day to get married!

(disclaimer...if you happened to get married on Valentines day...then my deepest apologies and I hope you have a wonderful anniversary tomorrow...! I am sure it was a lovely day...yikes)

This is just a very sweet bag...India Rose

Just a pretty little bag.

omg...someone STOP me...its a pink phone...PINK

I once read somewhere about Betsy Johnsons house...and that every house she lives in...she paints it pink. She listed THE pink, as she said she had tried every color and found the ultimate pink. I think it was a Sherwin Williams shade, but I don't remember what one. Never the less...this phone is so adorable. I have no idea where one would put it...but as a photo on my blog...thats a good start for now! Just so we can all stare at it for a couple days.

these are so cute...retro ice bags...come on...who doesn't need one of these...

I say this as I am icing my EXTREMLY swollen lip. Ha. Last night it was the top lip, tonight is the bottom. Words cannot express HOW swollen my lip it. Apparently just another allergic reaction to my daily life. Sigh...anyways...without going on about my allergy issues...just check out these retro ice bags. I think I need one...but what one?

just some valentine's fun...

In honor of the cheesy holiday (do we even call it a holiday??? I personally just use it as an excuse to make cupcakes and those ready bake pillsbury heart cookies)...here are a few fun things I have found on the web...like these cute candy heart decorations...or these or this cute poster, or this cute card. So much fun etsy is. A total time sucker...but it is like strolling through your favorite shop...at midnight...lol.

Abbey Hill...because I keep meaning to

before I forget...here are 2 of my goodies from Abbey Hill...my Malibu Barbie business card holder and my extremely cool blinged out bike bell that I am too afraid to put on my bike because I don't want it to get icky and dusty...even though I love my bike like a third child.

ok...I just checked out the new electra bikes...I have the daisy with all the Petro Zillia fun stuff...BUT...look at the new ones...the OM...it should be renamed the OMG...I could honestly collect those bikes like people collect cars...I love them that much. Bikes and makeup...make me a happy girl.

why? because I am grumpy and I needed it ok

This is on its way to me. A little Valentine's gift to myself...from...uh...my dogs. Plus I used to have a Stila paint can and I have no idea what happened to it. They are just cute on my counter holding my brushes...or maybe I need them on my work table holding my tools. Hmmm. Not sure...all I know is that I needed it. I actually need them all because I love me some barbie...and Stila just makes fun stuff. Maybe I need to send this to Abbey Hill so she can bling it out a little for me. Oh...I forgot...I need to take a picture of my cute business card holder (among other extremely cute items) that Abbey sent me. Anyways...today Sephora got my money. Hey don't laugh...its a good thing I stopped at just the Barbie can...well and I needed some new Bare Minerals mineral veil. Do you use Bare Minerals? If not..you are soooo missing out. That stuff is a miracle worker. My point is...because I am a SUCKER for cute packaging and anything that reminds me of my childhood (thus the Malibu Barbie) that I was THIS close to buying the Smurfette stuff as well...then I stopped myself and realized I don't really think Blue lips is my thing.

Oh I just realized I posted the pics in the wrong order so you probably thought I went the smurfette route first...sorry about that.

If you ever see Jessica Simpson wearing this...tell me...lol

I totally forgot to ever post this. A couple months ago I apparently sabotaged the Dallas Cowboy's by making these three scarves...rushing them to the ladies (yes...#9 is for Jessica) and then well...they lost that game and were out of the playoffs. Yikes. Never the less...I thought the scarves came out pretty cute!

And for the record...poor Jessica...the chick is getting way to picked on these days. Could she be any prettier? The girl is short...hello...if she gained 2 pounds it would look like 10 on well...me...which it does right now...ahhhhg.

I need to quit thinking about it. Anyways...these were the scarves for some of the Cowboys' wives. Perhaps if they had won...there would be more scarves to be made! Heres hoping I don't have the same effect on the Phoenix Suns.

my iced coffee is calling me...

...so the next few days will be alot of fun...NOT. I have one kid home sick from school, I am in charge of my mom and dad's three dogs while they are out of town (plus my 2), my husband has to work all day/night and weekend AND...I am cuttin carbs left and right! HELP. Actually, you probably don't want to help as I will be in one #$% of a mood. I am getting down to the wire as I need to make a bunch of stuff for a trunk show next weekend...AND...I kinda forgot about Valentine's day (oops) AND...my husbands birthday is the following week. So. Can I please have a few more things crunching down on me right now?

Anyways I am off to the store with my sick kid (yup...I am THAT mom today) but I need some meds for her, a couple more things for the Valentines that we made for her class and her sisters class, because apparently I could not just buy ready made ones this year. Nope. But lets me honest here...I really am going out because lunch today is a large McDonalds sugar free vanilla iced coffee. Mmmmm. I can taste it now. Gotta go.

If anyone has any ideas for my husband for either valentines day or his birthday...please help! I am not sure a blinged out pair of leggings would cut it for him. Ha.

Help...I LOVE these...

Man I love funny original ideas. Not like that stupid blanket with arms on the tv I keep seeing. You know the one. The Snuggle...or snuggly...something like that. Ya...those dudes are laughing all the way to the bank, 4 million sold so far and at $19 a pop...HUH...you do the math...whaaaaa! ANYWAYS...these are funny. These I like. Original simple packaging and well...just funny. They start the phrase with Help I...and you finish it. Genius. The ideas are endless of what I would put on a tee...and since my mind is literally at its end somedays...I may not be bright enough to even come up with a catchy phrase. So give me some ideas. Put it in the comment...or ideas of what you would write. Maybe mine should be Help...I need a green tea frappy! Yup...thats it. The bandaids and pain meds are pretty funny too.