No, Sweetie Darling, it’s not Lacroix BUT something much better. Yes, what you see before you is the COMPLETE series of Absolutely Fabulous. The “Absolutely Everything” collection includes 9 disc set of Series 1 to 5, plus the 2002 and 2004 Christmas Specials, and includes more than two and half hours of special features.

Dear Santa,

If you read this I would love to own this collection. I’ve been very good this year. Thanks!!

xoxoxo - Brandy

I’m going to latch onto Lynn’s lovely post about our site. It looks so shwanky… Oh la la!  We are currently working on fall but we also load up items weekly on our etsy site so check back often! Share with friends, family or anyone that just wants to take a peek! Okay, I’ll stop yelling at you know…. (I’m just so excited!)

HALLOWEEN!! Okay, it’s true… I’ll jump at the chance to make costumes or dress up. That is why I love Halloween so much. This year I had to come up with two costumes - one for work and one for a party.

For those who don’t know I’ve very lucky to work for a company that embraces Halloween and encourages every department to dress up and decorate. And no one is shy about it. I normally head the decoration planning, because I’m a bossy perfectionist that way but this year I kept my crown in storage and went with the flow. It was nice, due to our department change we were absorbed into the fellow creative team’s idea and there wasn’t much that had to be done. The theme was Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. I admit, I had to watch the movies to get an idea of what in the hell to dress up as. Again luckily I was just a Barter Town folk and didn’t have to plan too hard for my costume. The search began at the local second hand store. Since Barter Town was a crappy post-apocalypse town the costume details didn’t have to be perfect and looked better if they weren’t. The costume consisted of a large dress that was half black thermal and half crinkled linen, as you can imagine it was quite a show stopper, I can’t believe someone gave up such a gem!! I added extra flair with textured puff sleeves I got from this wonderful 80’s top. LOL The second layer was a nasty gray synthetic stretch top that I converted with the help of a tweed mini skirt zipper. I made a capelet-thing out of the left over skirt and wrist warmers out of the sleeves from the thermal dress. The best part was these weird magnifying glasses that added that special touch of wtf!! The base layer was a distressed long sleeve shirt and black pants. I also added details like bracelets, chains and a cool leather bag that acted as my trick or treat bag as I walked around taking candy!! I have to say it was one of the most comfy costumes I had worn in some time. Oh and I made a headband out of a elastic belt… actually pretty cool looking and if I wouldn’t get weird looks I’d add it into my regular rotation. LOL

Tina was pretty rad… and yes Mary DID drive with those glasses on. Goofball…

The thunderdome costume was nice… but the haunted hillbilly Halloween costume was the best!! My mom was in town for this party so we whipped up her a costume with the left over brain and bits from my costume. My theme was “hunter’s safety”. You know I love to dress up dead… I don’t know why, I just do. The costume consisted of a camo hat that I gave a faux bullet hole on the front and an exposed section in the back, to look as though my head had been blown out. Brains and blood everywhere. My little bro even got into the costume and gave me the idea of adding the buckshot element… of course he would know. I wore a long curly brown wig with Mary said freaked her out more than the hat because it looked good?? I’m not quite sure but it was funny. The hunting vest and shirt were found in a last minute shopping trip at the same second hand store I got my Mad Max pieces. It came together quite effortlessly! Of course I splattered blood on the clothing and my face for that extra detail, again the buckshot came into play. My mom’s costume was fun as she came up with the theme of her’s before she arrived. She was the “toilet seat horseshoe champion” who met her untimely fate with a nasty head gash!! The head gash was made of the left over brain from my hat and a great discount wig we got at Joanns. I made the brain a clip that glued to the hair and then painted around it with acrylic paint. The best component of her costume was a replica toilet seat complete with poo and blood stains!! How much more hillbilly can you get. This was the best costume in quite some time and now I have a couple options for next year’s zombie walk. **I will make next years zombie walk!!!!!!

Check out my mom before and after!! She’s such a good sport.

When looking at one of my fav sites for free crochet/knit patterns I found these amusing patterns to “teach your children about politics”.  The tiny tie is killing me!

** If you are super crafty you could alter these patterns to create finger puppets of family members or story book characters. So cute!!

McCain vs Obama (click the names for the free patterns from Lion Brand)

It all started with a 5 dollar gallon of “oops” paint (the unwanted paint you can get at any home improvement store on the cheap) which just so happened to be “very cherry” pink. I sat on this paint for some time, trying to decide a theme or color palette for my studio space. I toyed with the idea of a black, white and pink palette for a few until I went back home one weekend and found the most gorgeous vintage wall paper… Bright, bold and absolutely perfect. The colors were pink, lime and teal… all colors I’m very fond of and tend to gravitate towards. For people who know me, that’s an understatement.

The minute I found the wallpaper I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Hot pink was the main color with lime as an accent. I’d also bring in pops of teal, or “peacock” as it is now fashionably called, with the accessories and fabrics. The pink is an accent wall, with the rest of the room being bright white. (I haven’t got that far with the painting, the white is still in progress). My main mission was to get the multiple cluttered bookcases paired down enough to have all my personal crafting/painting bits on one wall shelf. Amazingly, I actually managed to do so. The wall storage was a shelving unit that Fred had in his studio back in the old apartment. He was nice enough to gift to me and let me paint it white to match the decor.  The long desk (not pictured) really made the studio super functional with out taking up too much space. Before what would take 3 desks to accomplish now just takes one. Because the desk is so long I can now just roll back and forth from the computer to sewing machine.Clamp task lighting helps as well.

I was super excited to get photos of progress up, but I’m no where near complete. I still need to complete the other side of the room including the new guest daybed with whimsical lime polka dot bedding and bright accent pillows. A guest space is a must, I thought I might be able to live with out it but it’s just not an option. I found a screaming deal on Craig’s list for a sleek retro 80’s daybed for only 75 dollars complete with trundle bed. I have a lot of sewing and decorating left to do this studio is finished, but so far I’m absolutely in love with it!

life is just whizzing by me! work is hectic (in a great way), new home, new car, 2GP, lack of sleep… it all adds up to the hours just rushing by HOWEVER it’s a blast at this current moment. So while I sum up what’s been going on with me in the past few months… here’s a tasty new design treat brought to you by the great folks at domino magazine.

It’s called Deco File and it’s just that. A handy online file that stores your design inspiration via images while sharing it with the world. I’ve had just as much fun adding my designs (yes in the form of mood boards) as I have browsing other deco files of fellow design enthusiasts. Have fun poking around… and just maybe you’ll create one for yourself.

domino deco file click on the pink folder

search for my deco file = user name : eddie_piehands

We’re new home owners?

Today Fred and I got the keys to our new home!! Should be exciting right but it wasn’t the idyllic “new home” turn key moment that I imagined… Instead of owning our home out right we are currently renting the home that we are buying because not all the paper work has been completed, we’re in a long line of other folks just like us not to mention that at the end of the month we’ll have no place to stay since we gave our notice at our current home. I want to just spew negative thoughts here however I feel if I do so I can never take them back thus having them out in the cosmos to come back to me at any point so… I’ll take a deep breath and keep the positive chi going. *Lynn should be proud of me.

The 5 dollar car is no longer

Today I got the news that my little white car is “totaled”. I took it to the auto body shop today and the dude didn’t even want to look at it. With the current state of the house being in limbo I may just be carless for a while. Good times, not to mention that I was almost done paying off my car… now I may have to get into another car with another payment. Could this be a blessing in disguise?

In my current mood, which is bitchy, I want to just have a hissy fit. So I ask all who read this please keep the positive thoughts / prayers going.  Right now I need them…

Down but not out, as I am being critiqued by my husband. Yes it still drives but never the less it’s not like it once was and driving on a doughnut is no fun. Neither is driving 30 mph in a 40 zone and getting flipped off, but I’m dealing. So here’s what happens (back story first so you get the title joke).

My boss has a huge ass truck, which she needs to run her property but she’s not always accurate with parking. One such occassion she almost took out my car but in her angst about parking she says “well if some one knew how to park their 5 dollar car…” and I look at her - laughing - “THAT’S MY CAR!!” That’s how my little car got it’s loving title.

As of yesterday… *sniff* she may be no more. I know that’s dramatic but I don’t know what is in store for my car. The damage is pretty significant to the back passenger door and tire. Fred was so sweet, he drove to meet me the minute I called and told him I was in a wreck.

As we were sitting in the parking lot of the AMPM (with the police) my tire began to deflate at a rapid rate. So when were released by the police with our reports in hand, Fred and I went to the in-laws to fix up the car. Steve -Fred’s dad - said that if the frame is damaged they’ll claim the car as a loss and total it. I’m torn between that being cool and that being a total drag as I love my car. We have a bond and I’m only about 1k away from paying it off. While Fred and his dad were changing the tire it began to pour and the massive collision left the door open at that top about 1 inch so Steve came up with a solution… however white trash… but solution none the less.

Nice huh? Don’t worry… I didn’t drive like that home.

It is true! Fred and I are weeks away from being official 1st time home owners!!!!!!!! The whole process went incredibly fast but it was an opportunity that we could not pass up. The time line goes as follows:

- Thursday: Friends Mary and Jenny (avid runners) run in town and pick me up flyers for houses for sale. Later that day we look on line on the John L Scott website for houses.

- Friday: Call realtor and mortgage broker and set up times to meet. Quick and painless…

- Saturday: Go out to see homes with the realtor. We viewed 3 houses… 1st one was a nightmare, 2nd one was okay but the 3rd one was just right. By noon we had signed papers for our new home.

- Sunday: Seller accepts our offer and were off to the next steps…

Now it’s just a waiting game to see if the seller’s bank approves the sale. There are special circumstances that requires the bank approve too. Now it’s all about waiting and packing boxes. Oh the joys of moving…