Hi, My name is Kimberly...

... And I'm an addict.  Some people have problems with alcohol, or drugs, or gambling, or pornography, or food, or any number of serious issues.  Not me.  I'm addicted to fabric.  I can't stop myself!  I've actually banned myself from Joann's (at least until next weekend when they're having another sale...).

You're probably laughing at me right now.  But just look!  Remember these..

And these?

And the green damask, pink and white diamonds, super sweet little cupcakes, and yellow and white gingham that I don't have photos of?

"That's not soooooo bad" you might be thinking... but just wait.  I bought all of these on Friday night...

There are 13 different fabrics.  Thirteen!  I may or may not have gone a little nuts.  But they were all on sale...  And I already have them washed and ironed... And I'm going to use them to make super fabulously cute clutches...  that I really hope people will buy...
Remember my contest?  You NEED to enter so I can figure out what to call my new business and get started selling things!  I know more than 2 people read my blog... or at least I THINK more than 2 people read my blog...  Go enter.  You know you want to.

I Give Bribes

I REALLY need your help, and by "your" I mean all of you.  Yes, all of you!  Remember the fabulous clutches that I've been making?  Well I've decided to start selling them.  I am going to create an etsy store, but the trouble is I don't really have a name for my store/business!
Soooooo, here's where you come in.  I know I have some pretty darn creative cats out there who read my blog, and whether you are a follower or you just blog stalk me, this is your chance to have a part of something great!  I'm going to hold a contest to help me name my business... how super fun and exciting is that?  Okay, maybe it's only fun and exiting for me.  But to help it be more fun and exciting for you too, I'm going to BRIBE you to help me... your very own, handmade, specially designed just for you clutch!
The sky is the limit here people.  And to help provide you with some inspiration, here is a shot (a pretty crappy one, I must say) of my latest creation, which is causing quite a stir in the 'fee.

Please excuse the difference in color... these photos were taken at two different times, the top one with a flash and the bottom detail shot in bright sunlight.

I spent an obscene amount of money on some FABULOUS new fabrics and fun little embellishments for more clutches, so I'm eager to get my shop going and make me some money!  C'mon everybody!  Let's put our thinking caps on and give me suggestions.

Here are the details of this contest:

• Each name for my shop/business counts as one entry
• There is no limit to how many entries you can submit
• Each entry must be left in a separate comment, preferably with an explanation as to why you chose the name
• The winner will be chosen in two weeks, on SUNDAY APRIL 10th. 
• Entries must be received no later than 2 PM, California time on April 10, 2011 to be considered for this contest

Ready... Set... GO!!!

Husband

I have a really amazing husband.

 I don't think I say it enough.  And that amazing husband of mine finished school on Thursday.

I am so proud of him.  It has not been an easy road.  The road has actually been filled with potholes and flat tires and stalling and hardness.

But through it all, he kept plugging along, moving forward despite the hardness, and now, he is done.  **Insert HUGE sigh of relief here**  He starts work as a civil engineer on Tuesday.  My heart is so full of gratitude that the Lord saw fit to bless me with such an incredible man as my eternal companion.  He is so patient with me (most of the time), makes me laugh, knows how to get me to stop acting like my mother, is a worthy priesthood holder, will be a wonderful father, would go to the moon and back for me, and works his butt off so we can have a nice things someday.  I couldn't ask for a better man for me. Who else could put up with this face for almost four years?

  I can't wait for our journey to continue to the next phase in our life together, whatever that next phase may be.  I can't wait to buy our first home and start a family.  I can't wait for more adventures, more laughs, more love, and just being together forever

By the way, it is perfectly acceptable to be jealous that those last four pictures were taken in Ireland.

My Cousin Is Cool.

I have really cool cousins.  One of those really cool cousins is hosting a pretty sweet giveaway HERE.  You should check it out and enter to win... on second thought, I want to win, so maybe you shouldn't...

New Photos

It's been quite a while since I've done a photo shoot, and I've been feeling kind of rusty.  So when my sister called me up and demanded that we do a photo shoot, I excitedly agreed with her, and these are the results.

Which ones are your favorites?  I think mine just might be the one with her leaning against the graffiti wall with her leg propped up.  I dunno... There's just something about it...

And the Winner Is...

I took these names,

Put them in this hat,

Closed my eyes,

Reached into the hat,

And pulled out a winner!!  Congrats Annette!  You are the proud new owner of a super cute new apron!  Use it well, and eat an extra cookie for me (since I'm on weight watchers and cookies are too many points for me to eat...)  Just email me or message me on Facebook with your address so I can send it off!

For Natalee

I was recently enlisted to make one of my clutches big enough to fit diapers and wipes, hence my latest creation!  I REALLY love the way it turned out, and if I hadn't already told her about it, I might just keep it for myself!  Just kidding Nat, I'm still giving it to you!  It's big enough to fit a travel pack of wipes, and 2-3 diapers (the smaller the pack of wipes, the more diapers you can fit!)  Now all that's left is to set up a play date so I can deliver it to her!

Ps... Don't forget about my amazing, one of a kind apron giveaway!  There are only 1.5 more days left to enter!  Giveaway will officially close at 2:30 on Sunday... after I get home from church and change my clothes, giving you a few extra hours to have your friends enter too!

They're HEEEEERRRRREEEEEE!!

Giveaway! *CLOSED*

I am having a giveaway.  Aren't you excited?  I know I'm excited for one of the three people who read my blog to win this apron.
I am giving one lucky reader this apron:

I made it.  With my hands.  And my sewing machine.  With lots of help from my seam ripper.  I love the way it turned out, just not on me.  Unfortunately, the awesome polar bear pj pants are NOT included in the giveaway.  I know, I'm sorry.  It really is unfortunate, but look on the bright side... you just might win the awesome apron I made!  It may or may not be a little rough around the edges, but give me a break!  It was my first try at sewing an apron with the most vague pattern I've ever had the privilege to use.
TO ENTER:
Leave a comment on this post telling me what goodie you would make while wearing this apron.  Easy as pie!  Or brownies... or cookies... or cake... You get the idea.  Oh, and you get an extra entry if you leave the recipe for the yummy baked good.

This giveaway will close on SUNDAY MARCH 12!  Good luck!

Whoopieeeee!

I think whoopie pies are my new favorite...

I made them for my young women when I taught my first lesson last week to bribe them to like me... I mean... as an extra special treat to impress them... I mean... because they're yummy?  Okay, maybe a little  bit of all of those things...

I made them from scratch.  It's okay to be impressed.

***RECIPE***

Photo Booth Fun

Remember those photo booth props I wanted to make?  Well, I made them!  My mom and I threw my sister a surprise birthday party a few weeks ago and I took the opportunity to set up a photo booth!  

It was a huge hit!  Everybody had a blast taking their own pictures using my newest gadget, a wireless remote for my camera!  Yay!

Here's just one photo strip (of yours truly... and I actually had a hard time finding 4 photos of myself... I don't take many pictures of myself these days because of all the weight I've put on in the past couple of months).  The props looked awesome and I've already been promised a couple of photo booth gigs for graduation parties and whatnot.  

Super Cute Clutch

 A few weeks ago I made these super cute clutch purses.  I had so much fun making them and experimenting with fabric combinations that I thought I would share.  When I make the next round of them (trust me, I love them so much I will definitely be making more!) I am going to experiment with a little handle or strap of some kind.  I "test drove" them on a couple of outings, and they hold all of the essentials, they just need a little wrist strap or something.  We'll see what I come up with :)

Green zebra fabric with stripe fabric.  Lined with hot pink.

Green damask print with lemon strip.  Lined with yellow and white gingham.

Pink and white polka dot with pear and apple strip.  Lined with yellow and white gingham.

Inside of one of the clutches.  This particular one has a single card holder pocket, which can hold about 6 cards.  Inside each clutch is also a divider to keep things a bit more organized.

I absolutely adore these.  What do you think?  Next step: experiment with size.  I'm thinking a little bit longer and maybe a bit deeper.  Add a handle, and maybe some more do-dad's on the inside.
My next clutch is going to be made out of these:

I found this dinosaur print and fell in love!  The dinosaurs will probably be the main body of the clutch, with the green stripe fabric as the stripe, and the orange for the lining.  I don't usually like orange, but this one is really cool.  I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but it has this really "pattern" that make the fabric look like it has a texture that make me think of... well... dinosaurs!  Can one of my friend please have a baby boy so I can make a diaper clutch or something for them using this fabric?

Baked Ziti

This is one of our favorite meals.  It's pretty much spaghetti, but better.

Baked Ziti

• One Box Rigatoni Pasta
• One pound ground beef (you can use ground turkey to make it a little more healthy)
• One jar of your favorite pasta sauce (Personally, I like Rinaldi Traditional Sauce)
• Lots of mozzarella cheese (I used almost all of a 16oz bag because I love cheese)

1.  Brown ground beef in a large skillet
2.  Prepare pasta according to directions on box.  I usually leave my noodles al dente since you are going to bake them with all the fixings which will make them cook more, and nobody likes a mushy noodle.
3.  Once noodles are cooked and drained, put them back in the big pot you cooked them in.  Gently stir in Sauce, ground beef, and 3/4 of the cheese so you don't break the noodles
4.  Pour noodle mixture into 9x13 baking dish and top with the remaining cheese
5.  Bake at 375 until the cheese on the top is melted (usually about 10-15 minutes.
6.  *optional*  I usually turn the broiler on for a few minutes to get the cheese on top a little brown and crunchy because I think it makes it even more yummy!

And there you have it!  I usually serve it with salad and some yummy vegetables (our favs are broccoli or zucchini) and it lasts us like 4 meals!  We love leftovers.  It's also nice because you can make it ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven a few minutes before you're ready to eat.

On Top of the World

Look out Utah!  HERE I COME!!!!!!  Okay, so maybe not right now, or next month, or the month after, or the one after that, or even the one after that one, but the one after that?  HERE I COME!!!!!  For those of you keeping track, that's August.  August 31 to be exact.
I will be in Utah mid day 8/31 thru late in the day 9/5.
Okay, I'm sure you all have questions at this point (you probably don't, but just indulge me).  Here are what I think will be the most frequently asked questions in regard to my Utah trip:

1.  AHHHHHH!!!! OMG.  When are you coming? {Wednesday 8/31, though I will be unavailable for hanging out that day.}
2.  How long are you staying? {5 whole days!  I leave on Monday in the afternoon}
3. Can I pretty please hang out with you while you are here?  {OF COURSE!!!}

The last, and most important question (why are you coming?) deserves it's own paragraph.  It may seem silly to some, but lets just say I'm using it as an excuse to take a road trip to see all of my dearest friends, some who I haven't seen in over 6 years.

That's right folks.  DEF LEPPARD!  With special guest Heart.  I am psyched out of my ever-loving mind to go to this show.  Why go to ALL THE WAY to Utah to see the show?  Well, the next closet one was in San Francisco, I really wanted to go, and (most importantly) it gave me the perfect excuse to come visit Ashley, Shalayne, Caitlin, and Annette, and all my other Utah friends!!
Want to know another fun thing about this trip?  I'm going to the show with my old friend Scott, who actually took me to my very first concert ever, which also happened to be a Def Leppard show!  Yay!
Sooooo.... Utah friends!  I know that the weekend I'm coming is Labor Day weekend, but pretty pretty pretty please, with a cherry on top and everything, don't go out of town!  I really want to see you, and I would really appreciate someone letting me crash at their house, or better yet, multiple someones so I can couch hop through all my favorite people's homes.  I can't wait to see everyone!
I will leave you today with some photographs taken the last time I saw Def Leppard when I had the bombest seats ever at the edge of the stage.