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Oh Christmas Tree Hell

December 11, 2015January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

RIP to my Christmas Tree: 11/29/15- 12/9/15.

Tis the season for all hell to break loose. My Christmas tree + I had a good run… for about 10 days. I’m not going to lie… she was majestic.

I had a nice Wednesday evening tee’d up: I was watching the Scream Queens finale, addressing my Christmas cards + relaxing. Boo Radley was passed out under the tree on my luxurious Nicole Miller faux-fur tree skirt. It happened all so sudden. The tree was standing and then it wasn’t. I totally admit I blamed it all on Boo Radley + even offered him up on Facebook for the taking. I confess: it was a rash accusation + I have already apologized to him. For the record, the tree was already leaning… Boo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I desperately tried to get the tree back up. Jessica (5’tall) vs Christmas Tree (6’tall). The tree won. It fell twice. During the first fall, 2 ornaments broke… it’s ok they were your typical basic ornaments.During the second fall there were more casualties.

RIP to the following ornaments:

My beloved Patience Brewster Peace on Earth ornament. There’s peace no more.
A Bloomingdale’s fairy carrying her little brown bag. I got her on one of my annual NYC trips with my mom.
One of my squirrels. I have several squirrel ornaments so this one wasn’t as sentimental as the others, but still it was a casualty.
A silver acorn. This one wasn’t sentimental either. I guess the squirrel + the acorn are together again.

After a good cry session I pulled myself together and stripped the tree of the ornaments + lights and took that sucker outside.

Fast-forward to today. I thought to myself, “Hey, when life hands you lemons, paint that shit gold!” I Googled how to make your own wreath… I was totes going to up cycle my tree. I spent a solid hour clipping the branches off the tree, gathering them in bunches and adhering them to the wire frame.

The result? A Martha Stewart fail. When all else fails, pop open the wine.

If anyone needs 3/4 of a Christmas Tree, let me know… I can hook you up.

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It’s Been Awhile… Part 1

November 23, 2014November 23, 2014 alittlebitsquirrely

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve blogged. So long in fact I’m going to attempt to recap what all has happened in the last year. I’m going to start with New Years Eve… here it goes!

Who wouldn’t want to bring in 2014 with The Avett Brothers? This past NYE I decided it was time to say adios to the bar scene and go see my favorite band in Charlotte, NC. The evening turned out to be more amazing than ever. My Charlotte friends were able to score box seats for the show. I was in heaven. I ended up selling my tickets on Craigslist… that was my first Craisglist transaction ever and I didn’t end up on Dateline, score!

Shovels + Rope (another band I adore) opened the show.

Right after Shovels + Rope left the stage one of the mirror balls fell onto the stage. Thankfully no one was on stage!

The Avett Brothers (you can see where the mirror ball fell)

I pretty much had a perma-smile on my face during the entire show nor did I move from my seat. I ended out the year on a high note seeing The Avett Brothers perform.

Stay tuned for more posts that features a recap of 2014! I hope to get ahead before December hits!

xoxo

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The Coyote Thistle: Contest

May 20, 2013 alittlebitsquirrely

Who wouldn’t want to get fresh flowers delivered?! Y’all should enter!

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A Mother’s Day Quilt

May 17, 2013January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

I certainly know how to make my mom cry! This Mother’s Day I gave my mom the quilt I had Megan from A Crafty Handful finish from some of my grandmother’s quilt squares. Even when I met Megan at Starbucks to pick up the finished quilt I got chills and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up a bit. She did an AMAZING job on the quilt and surpassed my expectations.

When I gave the quilt to her, this is what she focused on:

I’m almost hesitant to show the video of her opening her Mother’s Day gift because I honestly hate the way I sound on camera. Yes, I know I have a crazy southern accent and I still haven’t embraced it at the age of 31. I’ll confess I was hoping my voice wouldn’t be heard in the video, but it was. I apologize. Since it was such a special/ thoughtful gift I’ve decided to show y’all the video (the condensed version).

Here are some more pictures I took of the big day:

I managed to capture her reaction when I told her the quilt was made from Nanny’s squares.

quilt2 — Mom is still crying + holding onto her quilt

quilt3 — Mom (no more tears & all smiles) with her beautiful quilt!

quilt5 — Watch out Anthropologie… y’all have some competition!

xoxo

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I Tumble For Ya

April 29, 2013January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

When I was in Jacksonville, FL I bought these amazing vintage aluminum/ metal tumblers. I have been so busy, I haven’t had the time to figure out what to do with them. Not only do I adore the colors , but I LOVE the scratches on the tumblers… it gives them so much character!

After looking up the brand (Bascal, an Italian company), I discovered they were popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Out of curiosity, I went to my trusty eBay to see how much they were worth… apparently they range from $4.99 to $50. Ummm…. can someone call up Lara Spencer for me? (That’s a Flea Market Flip reference for those of y’all that aren’t familiar) and can you also put in a good word for me to be on Flea Market Flip?

cups2 — Love, love, love the vintage/ retro feel of these tumblers

Here’s my dilemma: what should I do with these tumblers? I definitely don’t want to drink out of them, but would rather display them. So far the only idea I can come up with is to plant some small flowers or herbs in them, BUT the downfall is that there’s no way to drain the water unless I drill holes in the bottom and I have a confession: I have no green thumb. So it might be back to the drawing board for me!

I’m open for any suggestions!

xoxo

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My Heart is in Boston

April 17, 2013 alittlebitsquirrely

I was hoping I’d never have to see another terrorist attack unfold like on 9/11. Unfortunately I was wrong. I was attending the Digital Marketing for Business conference here in Raleigh when my co-worker showed me a “tweet” about an explosion at the Boston Marathon. My heart sank into my stomach and it was impossible for me to focus on the seminar. Running through my mind were the family + friends up in Boston, some of which were running in the marathon and others that lived there. Thankfully everyone I knew was safe, but not everyone was lucky. Three families lost loved ones yesterday… an 8 year old boy, a 29 year old woman, and a grad student at Boston University lost their lives. Several others lost their limbs. A senseless act.

One thing that always prevails is the human spirit. Seeing the runners + spectators run to the aid of those injured was remarkable. Watching the news and hearing the stories first hand from witnesses seems surreal. Hearing a mother try to put into words her grief for losing her daughter was heartbreaking.

My thoughts + prayers are with Boston, you’re resilient and you’ll overcome this horrific tragedy.

xoxo

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Trimming the Edges

April 4, 2013January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

Looks like the quilt I’m having worked on for my mom is coming along!

Megan has been doing an outstanding job preserving my grandmother’s squares for the quilt she is putting together. Not much has to be done with the squares itself, except for tidying up the edges. Out of all the quilts my grandmother has made, this one will have a white rectangle in each square with a different pattern outlining each rectangle. Most of her other squares usually contain 4-5 different patterns, so this one will be very unique (not to mention the patterns are vintage, which I LOVE). I wouldn’t be surprised if I try to take it from my mom after I give it to her!

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Pieces From the Past

March 28, 2013January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

So I was going through my old closet at my parent’s house and discovered a random bag of fabric. Upon further investigating, I found several quilt squares my grandmother had made. Immediately I knew I had to find someone to finish her quilt, if I didn’t then all the squares she had made would continue to just sit in the bag. If I knew anything about sewing I would attempt to do it myself, but knowing me I’d sew my arm to the table with the sewing machine. I should look into a sewing class.

Note to self: learn to sew and quilt.

I don’t know about y’all, but it was hard finding a local quilter that met within my budget. Thankfully one of my good friends has a sorority sister who does quilting and after looking at her work I knew she’d be perfect for the job!

photo(2) — Quilt squares my grandmother made + now I’m planning to surprise my mom with a complete quilt!

I love how vintage the fabric is and I want to say my grandmother started working on making the squares in the late 80’s or 90’s. This is one project I’m super excited about and Megan (the quilter) will be sending me pictures along the way which I’ll post. If y’all are looking for someone local in the Raleigh area to make a quilt using existing squares or even a custom quilt you need to contact Megan at A Crafty Handful.

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Bonjour!!

January 20, 2013 alittlebitsquirrely

Finally! My blog is up & running… for the most part. WordPress is all new to me & why not start off 2013 by teaching myself how to use it without buying one of those “WordPress For Dummies” books.

After a couple requests from a few friends, I decided to start my own blog. The main feature of my blog will be about all my favorite places here in Raleigh as well as new discoveries. I’m not big into chain restaurants or big box shops, I like to root for the underdog and the hidden gems. Ok… I’ll admit it, Bojangles is my one exception when it comes to chains, but I’m sure many of you will agree with me!

I also plan to share my personal stories along the way as well. It takes a lot to embarass me so what better way to share my awkwardness through a blog! Maybe The Bachelor will get their hands on this and finally cast me as the 5ft witty gal that is a part-time klutz. *Fingers crossed!*

Thank you to everyone for your support!

P.S. I’d like to give a special shout out to my pal, Heather Albertson for creating my fabulous logo! She’s a very talented gal, so please be sure to check out her website (Heather A Design) if you’re looking for a great graphic designer.