Shop Talk: A Custom Piece

Just wanted to share the first custom piece created in the shop! My dear friend Ellen requested a monogramed 2x2 magnet using her wedding colors.

The funny thing is that her request came in the most wonderful way. See, with David gone on deployment, I basically have become a part of Ellen's family (and her husband David). So Ellen & David went out of town for about ten days and prepared the most wonderful scavenger hunt for me! Every day they were out of town I would get a letter that told me where to find a treasure. So for one of the days, some cash money was hidden under one of my supply boxes and instruction were left in the letter as to what she wanted. It's always fun to create specific ideas for others. I'm excited for the next custom order to come in!

Here are just a few pictures of the final product. 

Then I wrapped it up in a cute little box!

If you would like to make a custom order feel free to message me Over at The Shop! I'd love to make something specifically for you!

The shop is open!

Tulips&LaceStudio is open for business!

Here's a direct link to the shop. I made it easy for you!

I've listed the magnets that I've been working on and finally took the shop off of "vacation mode". Feel free to take a look at the pieces I've been working on. I'd love feedback either way! I'll be adding more pieces as they are created!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Also just realized I used about 3x the amount of exclamation points as I did periods. oh well.

Porch Rehab

It's been about two weeks since David's been out of the country and I've been trying to keep myself busy. David and I [mostly me… okay all me] have been talking about getting rocking chairs for the front porch it's just that I didn't want ones that I had to assemble myself but the ones that were pre-assembled cost an arm and a leg. So after searching for a while I checked out Lowe's to see what they had. Snatched up two chairs that were 25% off! Found a few other things on clearance at Target and had a little DIY project to re-paint the ceramic stool.

I've also been busy making mini paintings for my Etsy Shop: Tulips&Lace so look out for some new listings hopefully by the end of this week! It's on vacation mode for now until I post my new products.

Here are a few pictures below of the before and after. Also, funny story or maybe pathetic, you decide. I felt really awkward taking pictures of our house when there are always so many people outside in our neighborhood. So I set my alarm for 5:45 in the morning in order to take the "after" pictures before anyone was outside. Crazy? Yes. Worth it? Yes. I mean, the lighting is worth it in itself.

Here are the before shots

And after shots

The bird poop on the planter full of succulents adds the slightest touch of class.

Before you go any further I must tell you about one of the sweetest things anyone has every done for me. See, I really wanted to have an American flag in front of the house. I mean, we're a Marine Corps family. I bought everything I needed to have a fabulous flag and then attempted to drill into the post which holds up the porch roof. Come to find out its some stucco/cement thing and it was not going to happen. So I asked my friend Rachel if I could borrow her husband and if he could help me. He came over and then told me I would have to get a 4x4 fence post, paint it the color of the house, dig a hole, place it in the hole and then attach the flag to that. No biggie. 

Later that same day Rachel texted me and asked if her husband could come over and put my flag pole together. He bought a post, bought paint, painted it and then came over and dug a hole in the ground while Rachel and I chilled on the rocking chairs. The absolute sweetest. I can't thank them enough.

Now I just need to wait for it not to be 115 degrees outside [I'm not exaggerating] so I can actually use these lovely chairs. I'll probably be sitting in them during the evenings while reading Harry Potter.

Spring Break: Charleston

Yes, its summer. Yes, this is about spring break. At least its still the same year right?

Over spring break this year, while David was already in Arizona/California, I took a trip down to Charleston, South Carolina to visit my dear friend Christiana. I knew I wouldn't get a chance again anytime soon to visit Christiana let alone Charleston so I planned this trip! Drove down on a Friday night after school ended (I-95 was a TART) and got in around midnight or sometime after that.

Over the week, we saw sights around Charleston and were able to see some of the locations where THE NOTEBOOK was filmed. Yes, Ryan Gosling had walked those same streets. Swoon. You can find a list of the locations right here if you're ever in Charleston and love the Notebook. We first went to the American theater where Allie & Noah went the movies. Then we found High Cotton which was the restaurant where Allie & Lon were dining later in the movie.

Then we went to one of the most gorgeous places I had ever been to. Cypress Gardens. It was where they filmed the scene in The Notebook in which Noah & Allie go for a boat ride, swans surrounding them. In real life we had alligators instead of swans. Not as romantic, but you take what you can get. The photographs honestly don't do this place justice. I was speechless by the beauty around me.

 

They had the option to take a boat on your own and follow the white arrows around the swamp. We went under two bridges [and were quite the entertainers for some people walking over the bridges]. See, the bridges were low so we basically had to lie on our backs in the boat in order to not lose our heads get through. We spotted little baby alligators and lots of turtles.

Later in the week, or earlier [can't remember] we attempted to go to the beach but it was freezing and windy. So we ended up staying there for only about 20 minutes or so. We also went to this amazing little Italian place downtown and had some amazing tortellini. The place was called Bocci's and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Off the beaten path, so not many people were there which was nice. I highly recommend going there for a bite.

One evening while my partner in crime was working her tail off at Starbucks, I ventured out on my own in attempts to find a cozy coffee shop where I could read and sip on a delicious concoction. Instead I ended up at one of the most interesting "bars" [I guess you could call it that] ever. I walked in and everyone stared at me. It was a place full of regulars and I stuck out like a sore thumb. I had already committed so I couldn't just turn around and walk out. Sitting down at the bar, I asked for a drink menu and I ordered a latte to go. [Wasn't trying to be in there any longer than I needed to be.]

Huge thing I forgot to mention was the population at the bar. All of them were middle-aged, no, they were probably retired.

Anyway, I got my drink and decided to stick it out and people watch at the bar. Quite entertaining and one of my favorite hobbies. Soon an older man walked in and takes the seat right next to me. He was on a first name basis with the bartender. We start chatting and he had to be filthy rich because his house was on the Battery aka right on the water and an extremely historic part of Charleston. It was definitely a tale to tell Christiana later.

End of story. Main idea: visit Charleston if you ever get the chance.

Stephanie

Oh heeeey there.

So it seems as though it's been about a year and a half since I've been on here. whoops. Life happens. Over time, I'll post more things in detail but here's a quick recap since December of 2011.

Bachelorette festivities, Bridal showers,Wedding, Finished my first year of teaching, Honeymoon Cruise, David started TBS at Quantico, Started my second year of teaching, bought a truck, went to a Ravens game, first Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Richmond, First Christmas as a Married Couple, David moved to Yuma, Arizona/29 Palms, California, went to a few Caps games, Spring Break in Charleston, Finished my Second Year of teaching, cross-country road trip to Arizona, Living with my hubby once again. Phew. That's a lot.

Just a few photographs to re-cap some of it all.

 

 

 

Yeah, that's me on the Left as a purple bear. I'm cool like that with my 1st graders.

Melissa Barrick Photography

I'm on a boat.

 

USMC Birthday Ball in Richmond

Visiting Cypress Gardens in Charleston where the boat & swan scene from the Notebook was filmed.

Trip across America.

Join me in my adventure as David & I settle into our new home in Yuma. I've been blessed with a job here at the local Middle School (a story for another time) & I'm sure there will be loads of hysterical moments to share when I start in August.

Stephanie

A Day in the Life: Student Work

Just on here to share some wonderful photos of my student's work. It's been kind of crazy this past week and weekend with the whirlwind of finding out service selection and then finding out that the woman who worked at the Country Club we're having the reception at no longer works there. And we haven't been contacted by the new person who works there. Trying to figure that out and get everything else done.


Anyway, enjoy some of my student's work!

Let me know if you want to hear the lessons behind these products! Happy Monday & enjoy your week!

Marine Corps Ground!!!

Well the title kind of says it all, doesn't it? Not really, there's a lot more to it than that.

[link]

Here's how it went down:
This is what I know. After lunch today David went back to his company's ward room and they were each given envelopes, one by one. In their envelopes were tiny strips of paper that had their selection typed out on it. Meanwhile while he was waiting to pull the paper out of his envelope, I was getting ready for Kindergarten to come in for class. We were painting again today - aka a mess!

I knew I couldn't talk to him until after school and I told him I wanted to hear his voice tell me rather than read a text message. So I waited and waited. I'm sure my students in the last couple of classes were a little crazy because I was nervous and getting anxious. After my 2nd grade class left and dismissal began I just started to clean paintbrushes. (PS I feel like cleaning paintbrushes is ALL I do anymore!) Then a fellow teacher (she's been a long term sub for a while, is getting married in May & her fiance will be in the Marine Corps) stopped by and gave me this "well, what happened?" look. I told her I didn't know and then paced back and forth, deciding if I should call David even though my student helpers were still in my classroom. I called - no answer. Back to cleaning paintbrushes.

Eventually I got through & David said "well, I have no hair on my head" which meant he got MC GROUND! I actually freaked for a little when he started saying "I have no..." but I wasn't patient enough to wait for the rest of his sentence.


What MC Ground means:
1. I know we will still be living in Virginia for a little while longer while he goes to TBS in Quantico.
2. I will be marrying a man in a black & white uniform instead of an all white uniform.
3. I need to learn the ranks in MC terms because they are different than the ranks in Navy terms. (Not like I knew the Navy ones anyway.)
4. I need to buy some Marine paraphernalia aka hit up the Mid Store.
5. Other states we could eventually end up in would include North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Georgia, Hawaii & there's a Satellite Base in Florida.
6. David should always be ripped (major +)

Semper Fi