Hello new world! 

It's official, my site has launched and it looks amazing, thanks to my awesome friend Josiah! There are so many new features and neat little things, so please explore! This will be the last post you see on this blog, but don't fret!  You can find me at my new blog....simply hellolidy.com or you can click the Bonjour and Hello banner above. 


Don't go anywhere, I would love to hear from all of you....feel free to comment on upcoming posts, that way I know you found the new site too! 


Love to you all, thank you for being such faithful followers during this time here! 

xoxo

Illustrated Portrait

While in one of my classes at school, I sat by a very talented young lady. She was and is an amazingly talented artist, which I strongly advice you to check her out on facebook or her online portfolio! I'm sure she would kill me to see this post, but I had to support another design students work in some way!!! 

I am a huge fan of Rifle Paper Co. I am particularly in love with these Christmas cards, they are so unique and wonderful! I can't really afford to spend that kind of money on our cards this year, so we did the regular picture card thing! I asked my friend if she would mind drawing our portrait based on a picture I had given her. I was thinking I might try to replicate it, which I did not end up doing. Perhaps next year! I did get my cute portrait drawn and decided to use it as part of our decor! I love it, it's so cute and quirky! 

Thanks Priscilla for being so sweet, it was a pleasure having class with you this year! 

xoxo

I had the pleasure of having a friend come over for her first lessons in sewing the other day. We put some tea on and drank at least five cups each. We skipped all the boring stuff and went straight to the good part,  which would be my first mistake! Nonetheless, it was so much fun. She did a fine job, considering it was her first encounter with a sewing machine. They can be very intimidating if you've never sewed before. We decided to do something festive and fun, so stockings seemed pretty simple. We enjoyed our tea and laughed every step of the way!  After a couple minutes she got comfortable and managed to finish her first project. I was crippled by laughter when she held up her finished product...a perfect little stocking.....which looked more like a golf club cover. It was fantastic! After adding some nice designs, she was very proud of her finished product!!

Perhaps my teaching skills aren't very good, but I documented our little craft session anyway! You better believe we will be doing this again sometime real soon! This is one of my favorite things to do (besides hitting up flea markets), you are always guaranteed to have a great time! 

xoxo

The other day I had a friend over so we could catch up, do a little crafting and eat some yummy baking! It all sounded so wonderful, but it didn't exactly go as planned! I underestimated how much time we would need for our craft and I couldn't find a lot of my crafting tools...ANYWHERE!!! It's been that long! My baking didn't turn out so perfect either...trial run I suppose!! All in all, the company was wonderful and it was a good excuse to have a girl date on a cool and windy day! The girls and I use to have craft night once a month, but everyone (including myself) got busy busy!! I think it's time I start putting some extra time aside for some good girl time again. I forgot how much fun it can be!

Crafty Friend: Kelly 

Craft of choice: Banner

Materials: Burlap, yarn and hot glue guns

Treat: Pumpkin Scones and Coffee

Listening to: Foster the People

This project was SO easy! We decided to do a very neutral banner. This way we could create something that could be used throughout the year and not just for one particular holiday. It saves you time, money and work! It also leaves you more time to do other fun projects! Like making a second banner if you so choose! The plan is to create removable letters (or other fancy components...such as flowers, ruffles etc.) and spell out different things for different holidays. I am still not done figuring it out, so if and when I ever do I will update you on that! 

For now, the banner still looks cute as it is! Sometimes keeping it simple really does pay off! 

xoxo

I've been pinning Thanksgiving crafts for a couple months now, I just love to create my own decor for the holidays! Not only is it cheaper, but it's a lot more fun! I have a mild obsession with burlap this year. It's simple, clean and great for all sorts of things. 

I have been collecting some ideas for Thanksgiving (and Christmas, of course). I love the vintage feel of burlap and it's neutral qualities. Of course, I was so excited I had to share it with some friends! So, this week I'm gonna craft it up with some of my fellow crafty gals and put some of these ideas to the test! I will be sure to show you what we come up with...depending on how easy (or difficult) the projects are, we may make a few things! 

Here are some of the ideas I am dying to try!

DIY Thanksgiving Turkey! 

Ruffled Table Runner

Of course, a festive wreath

A lovely Banner

Can't wait for Christmas! Burlap tree skirt!

Fun advent Calendar

When it comes to burlap, the sky is the limit!

xoxo

Giveaway results...

First I want to thank Sophie from Paper Lilies and French Toast as well as Lilybelly for making this giveaway possible! Keep up the wonderful work with your blog and adorable Etsy shop! Be sure to check out her blog and shop for some cute ideas and more handmade lovelies! 

The winner for the Valentines Day giveaway goes to...

 Kelly from Life In The Fast Lane! 

Congrats! Please email me to claim your prize :) 

xoxo

Busy Busy, Like a Bee

Well, I am officially in the full swing of things. Classes have picked up, assignments, projects, quizzes...you name it! Not to mention every day life at home. Now I know why they recommend you finish school before marriage and babies (although we don't have any yet). It's crazy and something always gets neglected. Right now, my home is not the home I want it to me. Its tidy,  but it needs a good cleaning. I don't think I've cooked in over a week and my poor husband has to put up with it all. But he is a sweetheart and thank God he doesn't have high expectations! 


The past month, I have felt a wave of change coming on. I don't know what it means. It seems a lot of doors are closing, but I'm just waiting for more to open. I think my husband feels it too. We are excited to see what takes place this year. Could be small, could be big, could be nothing. Either way, it's still a positive thing. 


That's my thought for the day. 


Also, don't forget to check out paper lilies & french toast. We are still waiting for more of you to enter our Valentine's giveaway, which ends this Monday (Jan.31st)...there are some REALLY cute pendants you can choose from for FREE. Let's not be crazy people! These two are my personal favorite, but there are more in her Etsy shop to goggle over!

Love to you all, hope you have a great Thursday. Weeks almost over!

xoxo

Valentines giveaway - LiliBelly

Hello and Bonjour along with Paper Lilies and French Toast present:

A More Creative Cupid

As Valentine’s Day approaches, you are probably looking for a special gift to express to someone how much you love and appreciate them. While jewelry is a classic Valentine’s Day gift, these handmade pieces are far from cliché.

Key to My Heart, $30
“I am drawn to this piece because it has a romantic, vintage look,” said Samantha Bischof, owner of TheAdornedArticle. The necklace’s sterling silver key and sparkling black stone create a Valentine gift that is truly one of a kind. “Besides,” she added, “it’s made of black spinel, my favorite stone right now!”
Find it at TheAdornedArticle on Etsy.com

My Sentiment Exactly, $21
If you are looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that bestows the ultimate compliment, look no further. This hand‐embroidered pendant features a teapot singing “Hot” and is suspended from a waxed string. The pendant comes ready to present in its own cute, felt pouch.
Find it at LiliBelly on Etsy.com

Fools Rush In, $35
These gorgeous pyrite earrings are one‐of‐a‐kind pieces that are sure to impress your Valentine. The concave briolettes are suspended from twisted sterling silver ear‐wires. They are for the Valentine that appreciates owning unique, handmade items.
Find it at TheAdornedArticle on Etsy.com

Keep Me In Stitches, $21
This fun, heart with thread, button and needle is surrounded by a bright red embroidery hoop. Whether your Valentine loves to sew or just loves handmade items, this necklace is sure to be a hit. “Even when it is not being worn, it makes a cute little home accessory,” said Sophie Gabias‐Moffat of LiliBelly.
Find it at LiliBelly at Etsy.com

Pure Love, $70
This gorgeous crystal quartz piece is breathtaking. As unique as she is, your Valentine will love wearing this gemstone close to her heart, suspended from a sterling silver and black spinel chain.
Find it at TheAdornedArticle on Etsy.com

To enter, here is what you need to do:

3 chances to win!

( COMMENT TO WIN )

Simply visit LilyBelly and leave a comment on my page

with your favorite pendant from LiliBelly's Etsy shop.

( +1 EXTRA ENTRY )
Visit Paper Lilies & French Toast Facebook page and make it a favorite. 

Come back & comment with the link!

( +1 MORE EXTRA ENTRY )

Visit  Paper Lilies & French Toast  and leave a comment regarding this giveaway under her press release post. 

Giveaway ends on monday, January 31, 2011 at 8am, pst

If you like what you see, please feel free to follow 

Bonjour and Hello! I always welcome new followers! 

xoxo

Craft Night Success

Well, it was a long night of crafting fun! The girls and I had a good time with our lovely project and were all very happy with the end result! We gabbed over coffee, hot cider and fresh baked cookies. We exchanged stories and laughed hard...can't expect anything less with these gals. It was nice being able to unload and rest knowing that you had a group of good friends to be with. Here are a few pictures of our fun night together:

...my fellow crafty friends

Getting ready for the task ahead

Working ever so hard, poor Kelly took 1 1/2 to finish her tree. She's a bit of a perfectionist! 

This was a very tedious project, but it goes quick when you have girls to chat with

Done! 

And done!

The aftermath....

The girls had a lot of options to choose from: white, black, metallic gold and silver, plus glitter galore! 

A little treat to take home! Thanks girls for making this craft night a success! Can't wait for January!

xoxo

Enough already

So, I've been talking a lot about Vintage Peach the last few weeks. It's kind of been my primary state of mind in the creative realm. Today, however, I decided it's time to get on to other things! Of course, I haven't had the time to do fun projects and crafts...but my other little crafty friends sure have! I thought I would talk about some other blogs you might want to check out...I do what I can to help friends out when it comes to the blogging world. It's hard when you are just starting out. You feel like you've been talking to yourself more than anything. It can get discouraging to say the least. So, if I can help direct people their way, I will! 


I feel so blessed to have so many gifted friends! One of them is Paper Lilies & French Toast. I have known this girl for some time now! She has always captured my creative attention with the wonderful things she comes up with. Not only that, but she is the cutest French Canadian and I have always wanted to be in her shoes. If you browse her blog, you will find all sorts of cute stuff! I especially love her entry for the Spoonflower contest for wallpaper by only using scanned nature items! Gotta check it out! Here are some pictures of projects she has been working on...quilting anybody? 

Also, check out Life in the Fast Lane. Not only do I work with this gal, but we have shared many ideas regarding awesome crafts and projects! Just the other day, we had coffee and did a little embroidery hoop art. We might have even hit up the craft store soon after! She is full of great ideas and motivates me to try new things! She is such a sweetheart! Here are some of her projects...

Hope you enjoyed seeing some more crafty blogs! You can never have enough friends who share the same passions and hobbies! 

xoxo