A Giveaway...get your fannies over here! :)

Everyone loves a good giveaway....and everyone loves vintage/retro goodies.  I have up for grabs, a fabulous little retro kitchen clock, complete with a timer on the bottom!  I am definitely buying one of these for my own kitchen. 

My phone would thank me....its tired of being my watch I think.  This is not a good thing when you're baking and have dough all over your fingers, either.  There have been several times I went to answer the phone after baking up a storm, and spent an hour after picking dough out of my hair (and sometimes ear...ew).

Is that ear wax or cookie dough? Should I test it to find out??

MMMMM......cookie dough (Phew).

I spent a little over an hour looking at all the goodies from the store who is sponsoring the giveaway.  There were so many things I wanted to giveaway, but this little clock stuck out the most.  You should really check out their store though.  They have everything from pots and pans, to bedding, to outdoor furniture...even every type of stool you could think of...  Make sure to check them out, and a huge thank you to them for wanting to host a giveaway with Twig!

This just screams June Cleaver.

***In addition to the clock, I'm giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to Ruche as well!!!!***

The giveaway ends February 1st at midnight, so make sure to get your entries in soon!

TO ENTER:

-  Leave a comment on this post

-  Become a follower if you're not already!

  An extra point will go to those who:

- follow me on twitter

- Post about this giveaway on your blog... (this one gets you two extra points...help  spread the word! hehe).

Good Luck!

In other exciting news, I won my first giveaway!  A $75.00 gift certificate to this lovely lady's shop.  I'm going to have a hard time choosing.  Thanks to The Shabby Nest for hosting a wonderful giveaway!

Baby steps...

This weekend, I decided to get busy and finish the pillow I started over two weeks ago.  Two weeks!  This marks my first   second sewing venture! 

That first attempt, I got as far as cutting out the pieces, and then I decided it was too hard, so I bought fabric and Tanner stapled it to a piece of plywood and thus became our window seat cushion.........

Hey now, are you laughing at me?  Ok, I laughed at me too.  But..... we're all different  (haha)

Since my mom bought me a sewing machine for Christmas, however, I decided I should probably sew this one instead of breaking out the hot glue gun.

Oh how I wanted to break out the hot glue gun...

Anyway.

So this first pillow is my Valentines Day pillow.  I am selling it.  I needed at least one thing to sell so I could finally open up that Etsy shop I've been talking about.  So anyway, I know I'm rambling, but without further ado, the pillow, the store, and the completion of my "little resolution that could." 

Chasing Sunsets...

Ok so, I know its the middle of winter..and that is fueling a lot of my sunshine withdrawal...but I miss the 60 degree weather!!

When Tanner and I first got married, we would take Saturdays and use them to explore.  We had enough money to use up gas and drive all day if we wanted. 

Those were simpler times.

Times in which we were dependent on sunshine, good music, and a full tank of gas for our happiness....

Don't get me wrong, we still love those things, but its different now.  We have to think about how much that gallon of gas is going to cost...

Financial responsibility they call it. 

Well....Mr. Financial Responsibility, I have news for you.  I'm taking the initiative to simplify life.  To unburden myself from the power of financial struggles, debt, and neverending stress.

I'd like to look back on my life and see how much I was able to give of time and resources... 

 ....not how much time and resources I spent trying to keep up with things that are not going to matter in the end...

I'm ready for freedom.

So ready.

This smile is so different than the one I wear now.  It's so much more carefree and genuine, and that's what I want to get back to. 

I'm so thankful that God used the memory of a single afternoon to remind me of how important it is to remember that the life I lead is not for my own personal gain.  It's for His glory, and if I don't stop piling on the commitments and burdens of this world, it will be so hard to really live. 

I don't want to wake up one day and realize that I've wasted every breath on meaningless T-H-I-N-G-S.  

Thing :

                             –noun

                              A material object without life or consciousness; an inanimate object

From here on out, here's to leading a simple life.

"You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right, and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)."

Dear Pottery Barn..

I would really appreciate it if you'd stop flaunting yourself right in front of my eyes.  It's blinding, really.  I know you have every reason to flaunt, but unless I can afford you, I don't like looking at you. 

I don't appreciate the texture of that basket, or the beautiful colors staring me right in the face.  You've got my bank account worried, Pottery Barn.  He's been hurt before...

I won't even get started on the planks, because I'd actually like to get home on time tonight...

And how dare you exploit my love affair with numbers?!

I'm not even looking anymore...

Shame on me for wanting to peep in your drawers...

and I resent how you hide things so well....

I feel much better having all that off my chest, but, it still doesn't change the fact that I'd give up all my current furniture just to have you in my life.  *sigh*

Love always,   Jana.

Instant pick-me-up

So have you ever gone to the site http://www.faceinhole.com/?  You should.  Right now.

Guaranteed to point your day in the right direction...

No matter what mood you're in...

Because lets face it...who doesn't enjoy seeing their husband as Rambo?!

Or this guy....bahahaa

I love my life. 

I'm thinking about storage...

And I'm thinking about it a lot.  I want non-traditional storage, but I want it to be practical 'cause I have a lot of junk to hide.  And I want it to look quirky, vintage, cute, farmhousey... (is that a word?) ;)  Anyway, thought I'd bring you along on the little visual journey I took this morning :)

These are so cute, but Pottery Barn, why must they be so expensive?  Why not use this?

Hi there, similarly shaped legs!  My what nice storage space you have!  Maybe if I just trim your hips down a bit and introduce you to Miss Can-of-blue-spraypaint, I'd have a very similar table! (SO now I'm on the hunt for a typewriter table haha)

Oh and look at these beauties!  Magazines?  Crafty tidbits? Undergarments, perhaps? 

Or towels!! 

These would be good for towels too I think.

And of course, we should look to Martha for some cute storage ideas...vintage planters? Martha, you've really outdone yourself...

And I would need an older one of these, but this one's out in the garage now...

I can has ladder?!?! 

SORRY....train of though officially left the station...

couldn't resist. ;)

And how cute is this?!  Hanging beside your clawfoot tub....towels, natural sponges, wine bottle...heee just kidding.

So in my bathroom, I have a closet very similar to this one.  I think I might just put some beadboard (by me I mean hubby) in the back and possibly take the doors off.  Of course that means I have to be more organized...so maybe the doors will stay on ;)

I love the idea of using an old vintage dress form for all of my necklaces, scarves, and even belts!

So anyway, my creative juices are flowing now.  What are some other cute storage ideas?  Don't hold out, ladies.  It's not nice. ;) 

Dear Gus..

I love you.  I really do, and to think that you're a father now...it just blows my mind. 

When I first met you, I think my heart stopped, and oh...how I knew you belonged with us. 

You were a perfect fit from the very start. 

But my purpose for this little ditty (if you will) is to tell you how close to the verge of death you are. 

Uh-huh...yes...you, mister.

Oh Romeo...

Where for art thy appreciation for Valentines Day?! 

No, seriously Romeo, I understand that you think its all so the founder of Hallmark can drive a very nice car and eat bon-bons all day, but I still love it.  And the chocolate.  Oh..the chocolate. 

Just kidding, Mr. Tanner always does really amazing things for Valentines Day.  Last year, I came home to this:

All of the food was prepared by him (and covered since I was about 45 minutes late coming home, oops haha)  And he dressed up the candle holders.  Everything crafty, he made.  Be still, my heart.

He can still show me where things are in Joanns when I'm lost...

The tall cylinder is a covered, decorated pringles can filled with 100 reasons why he loves me.  I keep it on my nightstand, and I usually reach in and pull one out to read every night.  He is the best.  In fact, maybe I should let you in on a few other reasons why...

-  He lets me pile up my socks at the end of the bed, even though he hates it.  He calls it my sock garden.

-  In the morning, he makes sure my car is started, warmed up, and all the snow and ice is off of it.  Every     morning.

-  Not only does he encourage me to keep creating, but he HELPS me to create.  Thats huge to me.

-  He is the best listener I know

-  It doesn't matter if I wear makeup or not, pjs or not, zits or not, he always compliments me and sincerely means it.

-  We can laugh about things like confusing our dogs with noises...

-  He doesn't get mad at me when I break the glass globe on a pendant light it took him 2 hours to install

-  If a huge football game is on, and I come in the room, he lets me know we can change the channel if I'm not interested in watching. 

-   He never belittles me

-  He washes dishes as much as I do

-  He comes up with baby names too

He even lets me decorate the house any way I want for V-day.  The only banned decorations in our house are Easter decorations (which is just a long standing joke between us).  He draws the line at creepy bunnies who hide eggs. Which is kind of weird if you think about it.  

Valentines Day is always hard for me, because what do you get a guy?  Besides the obvious stuff, I'd like to do something really creative and fun for him.  What do you ladies do? 

I always try to find really random greeting cards to give him, like last year, I found one that had a little picture of an ice cube melting in the sun, and it said "Even if I was this piece of ice, and you were the sun, I would stay out all day long."  We love those kinds of cards.

Speaking of, what crafty items are you guys making this year?  Here are a few inspirations of mine...

Such cute little crafts!  Stay tuned for an Esty store grand opening celebration!

(This would mark one resolution down, and a few more to go!!)

**All images from Flickr**