a few of my favorite things...

little ant design.

The newest addition to my google reader.  A fun entertaining blog full of brilliant ideas!

flora and henri.

Oh the absolute sweetness that spills from this store.  The essential tops are reasonably priced, some of the other items a bit expensive but all so exquisite.  Just browsing through the pictures is fantastically fun.

fall boots.

Happy October friends!  This month is a happy one indeed.  Fall clothes are being unpacked today.  Warm sweaters, scarves, tights, and boots.  I love a good pair of boots.  Currently, I have been lusting after these beauties.  They are pretty and practical.  No problems chasing after the wee one's in these.  The only problem I foresee is that price tag.  Ouch.  What do you love about fall?

ambajam.

Sometimes I just want to dress my boys in something other than the "norm".  I will admit that because they are little guys I usually put them in a tee shirt and shorts.  That's the way they like it, so I comply.  But every once in a while I like to switch it up a bit and try something new.  Ambajam offers that something new.

 

Full of bright colors, fun animals and plush materials; your little guy or gal will stand out from the crowd. 
Comfy cords.
Scrumptiously soft jackets.
One of a kind blankets and quilts.
I can't help but be attracted to the eye popping color.  It is completely fun and completely cheery!  The clothing is soft and did great when I ran it through the wash.  The only thing I would change is that I would add backing to the applique to insure it is super soft.  But other than that I absolutely love the concept.  I also love their "story", ahem, I mean "bedtime story".  Check it out!

paddywax candles GIVEAWAY.

Ahhhh....fall is most certainly in the air.  Crisp mornings, falling leaves, snuggling back into our homes after a long summer.  I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am that it is fall and that I get to share this fabulous candle company with you today!  Whenever this favorite season of mine rolls around I like to feather my nest a little.  Buy new pillows, spruce up a room or two and DEFINITELY purchase some great smelling candles for the home. Paddywax Candles really are the best.  Made in the USA with all natural oil fragrances, soy based inks, and recycled paper, Paddywax is not only beautiful to look at and smell, but they are also earth friendly.  Can it be better?  Well today, yes it can!  Paddywax has offered you lovely readers a chance at winning TWO of their most popular candles!  The winner will receive a candle from the ECO line and a candle from the CLASSIC line.  I love my Paddywax candles and I know you will too.  They are long burning [60 hours!] and they are pure eye candy.  I am a sucker for great packaging, and trust me, Paddywax has it. 

Follow the giveaway rules below, and hurry, I'm sure you're ready to do a little feathering too!

*leave one comment with your name and email [that is how you will be contacted]
*contest expires Thursday, October 2 at midnight (CST)
*one random winner will be announced Friday, October 3
*the winner will be contacted by email

Winners

It's me (Carly) again.  I decided to announce the winners tonight before I go to bed.

I decided to pick two winners, since the winner of the photo edit wanted a different card than the first winner.  So both will win their cards, plus a photo edit if they so choose.

Winner #1 - Amber who chose design #1.

Winner #2 - Gwen who chose design #4.

Thanks for playing!  Please email me at chucklesandgrins(at)gmail(dot)com for more information about your prizes.

thanks carly.

A big thanks to Carly for stopping by this week and sharing all her favorites!  I know I had a lot of fun reading her posts.  Hopefully we can have you back again to share even more.  Happy weekend everyone!!

Make It Work

Anyone else out there love Project Runway?  Such a great show, especially if you love any kind of design and especially if you love to sew.  I get so anxious to hear about the newest challenges they are given.  To be honest, I am waiting for the "children's/babies" clothing challenge.  I mean, think about it - many power house fashion designers now have a line of children's clothing.  Let's get on it Heidi and Tim!

I love thinking up cute designs for Farrah outfits.  Every once in a while I will hurry and grab a pen and paper if a design comes to me, just so I won't lose it.  I'm not really a pattern person in any way shape or form. I may use bits and pieces of a printed pattern, but that is it.  To be honest, I don't follow the sewing language.  I just end up getting frustrated and saying, "I'm just going to do this my way".  I would also love to sew some things for my self, but would love one of these first.

I love the elegance of it.  Most of the dress forms you see now are so blah and business-like.  Give me something that is functional and pretty to look at too!  This lovely is actually from Pottery Barn Teen.  It is a little pricey, but nothing compared to what other boring dress forms are going for.  Thanks for the tip about this beaut Cass, you're the best.

I love Project Runway, I love designing, I love sewing, I love using my creativity, I love my family, I love blogging, and I have loved sharing some of that with all of you.

Thanks for the invite Molly!  Have a great weekend everyone.  Oh, and I will have Molly announce the winner of the holiday card/photo edit Saturday morning.

magpie collections.

Am currently loving these two beauties from magpie collections.

 

PS, I Love You

That's PS as in Photoshop. I started my love affair with Photoshop about 6 years ago, when I first found the program. I was working at a job where I had a lot of down time. During those slow moments I would explore my desktop and the programs that were on it. My computer at work had Adobe Photoshop Business Edition, but I rarely used it for business purposes. I decided the best way to learn the program was to just explore all the buttons and menus. I quickly fell in love. A few years after that I found myself once again in a job with some down time, plus Photoshop loaded on my computer (this time Adobe Photoshop Elements). I discovered new features that I hadn't found with the other edition. When I quit that job, I decided I needed to have a Photoshop program of my very own. I hopped on Amazon and ordered me the latest version of PS Elements, which at the time was 4.0. I still have that PS program today and it is perfect for my needs. Yes, I'll admit I lust after the newest and greatest full version of Photoshop, but for now my little Elements version is just right.

There may be some of you out there who are not familiar with Photoshop. It is basically a program that let's you edit digital files (photos), create digital files, do graphic design, do digital illustrations, you name it! I use this program each and every day for my little graphic design business. I use it just as much or more for my personal digital photo editing. Have you ever seen the difference a little Photoshop editing can do to an otherwise murky digital photo? I use a simple point and shoot camera for my picture taking needs, but people are often surprised because of the way my photos look after I edit them in PS.

You may think it sounds too intimidating, but it really isn't that difficult - in fact I find it really entertaining. Adobe often has free trials of their software so go check out their site. Remember, you don't need the big expensive version. You can usually pick up the latest PS Elements for under $100.

I use PS to create logo designs and blog/web designs for my customers, but it can also be used to create personalized photo cards and invitations. I have done several different cards for family members and friends. The holidays are just around the corner, so I am sure many of you are thinking about what to do for your holiday cards. Wouldn't it be nice to create your OWN card rather than use a pre-designed mass produced card from Walmart or Costco? You can do it in PS! Want to see some designs I whipped up? Here are just a few:

#1

#2

#3

#4

Cool right? Want one of these designs for YOUR holiday cards this year? If so, leave a comment indicating which one you would like (1-4). I will draw a winner tomorrow evening (Friday)

Don't have funds to have your family photo taken by a professional photographer? Have a snapshot of your family that needs a little Photoshop lovin'? We can do that too. If you would like me to give your family photo a little TLC in PS, leave a comment and I will draw a winner tomorrow evening (Friday) as well.

Try Photoshop today, you will be hooked!