Springtime Plants...

Our dogwood tree.

I think it is finally safe to say that spring is here, along with April showers!  This time of year is the best in Northcrest.  The neighborhood comes alive with tons of flowering plants, especially famous for our plethora or azaleas and dogwood trees!  The mature, tree-lined streets are gorgeous and I never feel like I'm here in the city.  Here are just a few quick pictures of our yard right now...



Pink Camellia Bushes.



Some Azaleas and Camellias.  I would love to trim this area so it is not so overgrown, anyone have any tips?

We have so many projects lined up for spring...among them is working on a new mailbox and small planting bed underneath.  There is a lovely hydrangea bush by the mailbox and a nicely shaped boxwood so I am hoping to plant some color and texture below them next to our new mailbox.  We are also getting close to installing our Crestview Door Light Kit.  Can't wait to get it in and let go of the glass door (which sadly, and not unlike the carpet, Pizmo will really miss!).

*Anyone have tips on trimming roses?  We have a couple (very old) roses at the street and I would love to trim them to maximize their blooms.  I also need tips on trimming back and shaping some overgrown azaleas, hydrangea, and other flowering bushes!

On the Road, Again....Mid Mod Style!

Jeff and I have just returned from a mini-vacation roadtrip to Oklahoma City.  Why were you in Oklahoma you ask?

For this George Nelson exhibit, of course!

It was spectacular and well worth taking the trip.  Of course, we made a map of antique and junk stores, stopped and browsed bought along the way, checked out Route 66 for mid-century Googie signs, saw Oral Robert's mid-century modern marvel of a university, chatted with shop owners, dined inside a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome, and just enjoyed the open road.  We headed up to Tulsa to see the lovely mid-century modern neighborhood Lortondale, and might I add, it was a great place to call home.  Flat roofs and loving owners occupied most of the homes, and it was nice to compare and contrast Lortondale to Northcrest.  Here are a few teaser images to hold you over!

More coming soon!


p.s. Did you know what a mid-century hotbed Tulsa is?  Wow!  Mid-century around every turn!  We loved it!

Here it is....the Northcrest Tour of Lights!

I just posted some of the wonderful holiday lights around the neighborhood on Home Sweet Split Level....
Take a look!

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to All!

Merrry Kitschmas!

Here we are, on Christmas Eve eve, waiting for that guy in the red suit and hoping for a snowy white Christmas here in Atlanta!  Jeff, our good friend Brian, and myself are all going to saddle up in the car tonight, eat some bbq and do our annual "Northcrest Tour of Lights"!  Look for the results tomorrow on Home Sweet Split Level!  There are really some impressive houses in the 'hood, but Brian's probably takes the cake!  He prides himself on riding that line between over-the-top awesome fun, without being tacky.  It really is spectacular this year!  Here is sneak peek...

Oh don't worry, he has added more since this picture!



And, last but not least, here are our holiday decorations this year.  I swore I was going to pull out all the stops, but I just didn't have time with everything going on this year.  I am determined to stock up on some crafty holiday supplies for next year's handmade holiday when everything goes on sale.  I did make the wreath I had been dreaming of this year, and I may have squealed when the handmade vintage felt deer ornaments went perfectly with it.  We also usually get a real tree, which I adore, but we weren't in town much earlier this month so we pulled out our old college tree.  It is so tiny that I had to put it up on boxes for it to fill the space!  Oh well, it is really about the ornaments to me anyway!  I adore a good vintage ornament, and I picked up several new ones this year....we are going to have to get a bigger tree eventually because all my ornaments won't fit!

Improvised vintage Santa tree-topper.

Awesome wrapping paper from Target.

Holiday Tea crafting.

Holiday House.

Best attempt at a holiday dog portrait.

Have the happiest of holidays, all!

Loving...

Free photo apps for my Iphone!  I just downloaded the free version of tilt shift generator yesterday when I saw it on a great local blog Piewacket written by Lara Rossignol.  Lara is a very talented photographer who takes stunning pictures, so I trusted her suggestion and dowloaded it immediately.  It makes a dreamy blur vignette which is so lovely.  I also just jumped on the Instagram bandwagon (thanks to my friend and lovely blogger Lesley at Homemade Grits), which I like because you can upload photos directly to your Twitter, Facebook, and/or Flickr accounts.  It also keeps up with a live feed of your photos and friends that you "follow".  You simply take a photo, layer a filter over it, and upload.  Simple and fun.  Photoshop Mobile (free version) is always handy to do quick effects and touch ups on the go. 

Here are some recent photos I have taken with these apps:

Breaking News...

...in my world at least!  fattycakes has an official home on the internet now!  The robots are super-pumped to have a place to call home.  Check it out for all the latest news about fattycakes and where you will see us next!

Getting Crafty...

So, I am in full-on craft mode these days....working hard to build up an army of robots for my upcoming stint at the Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular. My newly organized art room is a holiday crafting wonderland (disaster) right now, as I stamp tags, cut felt, sew, and go through my inventory. I am also super excited to announce that fattycakes will also be at the Indie Craft Experience Pop-Up Shop in the Woodruff Arts Center for the holidays! I am very honored to be featured in such an amazing space along with some great company...there are so many wonderful artists that will be featured in the shop all season long! The Pop-Up Shop opens on infamous Black Friday (Nov. 26) so don't fight the mall crowds, come out and buy handmade from local artists! The shop runs from November 26 through December 30, so there is plenty of time to check it out! Here are a few things I'm cooking up in the craft oven right now...

Hope to see you out buying handmade soon!

Catching up...

Where did October go?  We have been super busy around here doing neighborhood fall things.  I took a quick trip to visit a good friend who is in law school in Montgomery, AL, then there was our Northcrest Neighborhood Yard Sale, and of course Halloween festivities!  Oh, and did I mention sewing an army of felt-bots to prep for fattycakes 2 day stint at the Indie Craft Experience?!  The Holidays are officially coming, and I can't believe it is November! 

While I try to catch up on life...here are some great Mid-Century gems that I saw in Montgomery.  It was a great place to find reasonably priced Mid-Century Modern items, especially lamps.  I brought home a few trinkets and a cool lamp, all for around $75!



Here is the lamp I brought home along with that white candy dish next to it.