Anna Maria Horner

My Mamacita sent me this website www.AnnaMariaHorner.com and I love it.  It is so "Anthropologie....ish".  She has the most beautiful fabric patterns.  These are two of my favorites from her "Drawing Room" collection.  I am so impressed by artist that can work in different mediums.  She creates fabric prints, writes books, paints, has a linen collection, writes a blog and so much more.   On top of all that she has 6 {that's right 6!!!} children.    Her blog is great too.  It is bursting with color.  Which always gets my attention.


xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
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SBD's enters LBB/Dharma Trading Co Design Challenge!

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Boyd and I am so excited to be blogging on LLB! I don’t have a blog of my own (one of these days), but am obsessed with reading different craft blogs! There are so many talented and generous (sharing ALL they create) Mama's out there. One of my favorite project blogs is Lil Blue Boo. I have learned so much from Ashley and have never even met her! Her tutorials and patterns have encouraged me to take my sewing to the next level and to try new things.

January first she introduced the LBB/Dharma Trading Co. Design Challenge to all of her readers. I knew I had to enter…how fun! I have had a blast experimenting with her patterns. If you haven’t entered you should. There are a few days left to submit. Here are three of my submissions.
Chicken Nuggets Inspired Bubble Dress
With this dress I used the Recycled T-Shirt Halter/Tie Back Pattern and added a bubble skirt.

What a strange name for a dress…huh?

The dress was inspired NOT from the food chicken nuggets, but the goldfish. My daughter chose to name her 4 goldfish “Chicken Nuggets.” Thus the dress with old T-shirts, fabric from This and That from Japan and Recycled T-Shirt Halter/Tie Back Pattern was created. Sometimes I wish I could be inside that little head of hers!

I also used the Recycled T-Shirt Halter/Tie Back Pattern for the Mermaid Sea dress. I added ruffles all the way down pattern piece C. Other Materials Used:

Idye tie-dye in chartreuse and turquoise, white knit fabric, cotton printed fabric, rhinestones, Mermaid cut from Michael Miller Sea Beauties and Pellon interfacing. I love the softness of the dress. I may have to make one for myself!

I think this one is my favorite. I love turning something old into something new!

I used LBB Recycled T-Shirt Ruffle Skirt/Skort pattern. I took one of my husband’s old golf shirts (it had a hole in it) and turned it into an outfit for my lil golfer!

Thanks LBB and Dharma Trading Company for giving me and many others the opportunity to think outside the box and “challenge” ourselves. It’s been fun!

Guest Blogger Sarah Boyd of Sarah Boyd Designs

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
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Happy V-Day Love, Lily and Claire

This was our Valentine's Day card this year.  Hope everyone has a great LOVE filled holiday weekend!

xoxo, Lily's Laundry

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com

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That's Amore.

Valentine's day reminds me of Itailian food and Italian food reminds me of pizza.   We have pizza night with the family often and it  is so much fun.   It's an easy way to bond while making dinner.  Even little hands can participate which makes it a good learning experience too.  Since everyone in the family has different taste, we let everyone make their own.  To start I get the delicious dough (pre-made  at Trader Joe's, its the best), I  buy the sauce, I cut up different toppings (put them into bowls) and I get different unique cheeses.

I love fresh Mozzarella, Gorgonzola and Feta.  You can also do goat and sheep's milk, if anyone has a cow's milk allergy.

If you like a white pizza buy alfredo sauce instead of marinara or try BBQ sauce ;)

For toppings a few of my favorite are artichokes, spinach, black olives, prosciutto or ham,  pineapple, fresh basil, shredded chicken, fresh tomatoes... the options are endless...

Don't forget the wine!!!

A Williams-Sonoma has a great pizza cookbook.

This is also great for having people over!  What a fun conversation piece ;)

 

Happy Valentine's Day

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Tickled Pink Designz.

I started LLB by first sewing and making cute little appliqued tees for Lily in 2006.  People loved them and I thought I could make a little business out of it while doing something creative and still staying at home.   I wanted to sell them on a website and at that point did not know about www.Etsy.com.  So after trail and error and lots of research online I found Tabatha at Tickled Pink Designz.  We have been working together now for 3 years and she is great. 

Let me introduce her to you!

LLB: Tabatha how did you get interested in graphic design?
TH: Unlike most designers I didn't play with crayons as a kid, I didn't draw, and I never had any interest in doing this until after I graduated. I married right out of high school and we decided should do something that would allow me to stay at home with the kids.
I started off selling adult toys, I searched for a very long time to find a web designer who was affordable for me and still produced a descent looking website. I was unsuccessful.
So I started playing around with my own website, I ordered dreamweaver and
 fireworks and just a ton of online tutorials. I was so happy that I had designed my very own website and I loved the entire process of it. From there I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was mostly self taught and I decided a little school wouldn't hurt me. I started online classes and received my Bachelors in Graphic Design a few years later and didn't turn back.

LLB:Where do you come up with your creative ideas?
TH:I think this is the hardest part of my job, coming up with good ideas. I visit other websites and sometimes just go out for a walk or drive.  You would not believe some of the ideas I have gotten just driving around town. In my car it is always quiet and all I have time to
do is think. In my home it's very hard to do that because of my 2 little boys running around all day.

LLB:Do you work on a PC or a Mac?
TH:A Mac. I did have a PC when I first started but over the years I constructed my own little motto, "Once you go Mac you never go back."

LLB:What is your favorite thing about what you do?
TH:I absolutely love helping other women owned small businesses succeed.  The entire reason I started Tickled Pink was to provide affordable and good looking websites to women who were trying to support their families. I am so thrilled that after 5 years I am still living by that same moral.

LLB:What do you think is the best way to promote a website?
TH:This is a tough one because there are so many ways to do this. I would  have to say the absolute best is SEO (search engine optimization). If you have quality content on your website the search engines will
find you and therefore you will have more customers :)

LLB:What advice would you give website owners or bloggers to grow their followings?
TH:Social network like crazy! Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc etc. There are so many social networks out there today and by having a business page and getting your fans you can have website and blog followers too. On the social networking site post coupons or contents just for your fans/followers. You also need to post quality content. I know this keeps coming up but it is extremely important! Make sure what you are posting on your blog or website is informative and interesting tothe reader. Don't write it for the search engines, write it for your customers.

LLB:What do you do in Stuttgart, AR on a Friday night?
TH:Hahaha. Ok, before I answer this you have to understand a little more about my town. We have all of 10,000 people (no i didn't forget a zero). We don't have a Target, Walgreens or whatever else the big cities have. We have one, yes one, WalMart. There are only a handful of places to go on a Friday night and half of that, the kids/ teenagers take over so it's either the Movies or to The Refuge (a bar) and during duck season you can't even get into the bar. So, you ask me what do I do on Friday nights? I mainly stay home and spend time with my family. Sometimes I get a wild hair and we drive the hour over to Mississippi to go the Casinos, now that is fun!

 Follow Tabatha on Facebook!





xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

UK Dress Now Avaliable at LLB!

Another custom reversible  game day dress by SBD's.   Super cute for all of you University of Kentucky Wildcat Fans.  Available at LLB for $65.www.lilyslaundryboutique.com


xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

An Old, New Favorite Thing.

I know this brush has been around for 100 plus years (since 1885 to be exact) and I have always wanted one.  My cousin growing up had one and her hair was always so pretty.  With my hair being so long it is a nightmare to brush.

Lisa had one in Dallas and I become obsessed.  I came right home and ordered one...

It is SOOOOO AWESOME!!!  Lily wanted me to sit in bed last night and just brush her hair.  So sweet!

Just for that its worth every penny.

Ordered through www.Upromise.com so at least I could feel good about saving for girl's college education!

MASON PEARSON Large Style Bristle & Nylon Popular Hair Brush with Cleaner (Model: BN1)

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
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Oviedo, Florida

My dad sent me this video of the town I grew up in called Oviedo.  I wanted to post it because they did a really good job (plus our family's company Nelson and Company is a sponsor ;)).  My family still lives here and the community is rich in Floridian history.


To learn more about Oviedo, FL check out www.OviedoTraditons.com


Oviedo Traditons website's " goal is to give citizens in Oviedo and the surrounding communities a place to look for interesting tidbits about Oviedo, its history, and its traditions."











xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

We planted a garden.

Lily, Claire, Eve and  I planted a garden.  It was so much fun.  Lily was a great help.  She wants to go out there every day to "see if it growed." Kids are so cute.  Here are some pic's. 

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
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The Big D!

Dallas!

A bunch of my fellow Alpha Delta Pi's from The University of Florida
live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  It is a place I have always wanted to go.

Lisa my BFF picked me up and our first stop (so I could check it off my bucket list) was the flagship Neiman-Marcus in downtown Dallas. I was in heaven.  The store was beautiful and I was not disappointed. Everyone was so sweet, with lots of good ole' Texas hospitality.

The guy in the shoe department said "Honey, just try on as many shoes as you would like.  I am not busy." Ummm...that could get a girl in trouble... I didn't shoe shop but  I did get the girls their Easter dresses.

Thanks to Lisa we got rooms at Hotel ZaZa.  So we went back there and checked in, and had a martini at the bar to catch up.

We meet up with our other girlfriends for dinner and drinks at Victor Tango's.  Which was a great suggestion from my friend Tiffany. VT has a great vibe, lots of young people (which is always fun for me because I live in a retirement area) and good tapas.  We all had so much fun hanging out and catching up.  Later that night we went to this hip lounge called Candle Room.  Super chill, fire place, couches and the DJ was awesome.

The next day we lounged around at the hotel (this is such a luxury for me having two little ones) and then went  shopping at NorthPark Center. WOW! Might have been some of the best shopping ever.  Anything you wanted/needed could be found in this mall.  It was Awesome.  I think I am the last person in the world to know that JCrew makes kids clothes call CrewCuts.  Everything is so cute!  I went a little crazy for Lily.  Everything is ruffled, sequined and sparkles.  I loved it! 





 (Lily in her new clothes!)

Later that night my friend Jenny was so great and got us tickets to the Mavericks game.  It was fun...we spent most of our time in the bar...that's what happens when you haven't seen good friends in a while you lose track of time...
We went to dinner at Ocean Prime.  It was just what we needed a good steak, great service and cool ambiance.  All the waiters had on white jackets.  There website calls it "The Modern American Supper Club." Couldn't have said it better myself.

Sunday my flight didn't leave till late so we went to Lucky's where I are Waffles and Chicken Fried Chicken! Yup you read me right Waffles and Chicken Fried Chicken.  I had never heard of such a thing until I got to Dallas.  I guess it's their thing.  It was on every menu.  So I did as the Dallasions do and I ordered me some Waffles and Chicken. It might have been the best meal I have ever eaten.  I had to take a picture just because it was so interesting.  It comes with gravy!

Then we tried to find GWB's house.  He lives in Preston Hollow.  This area is gorgeous! This is as close as we could get.  Surprised Secret Service didn't get us. LOL.  It was on serious lock down ;)  Then went to Highland Park Village, for more great shopping.

I absolutely loved this city.  I came home and told Big Wally that I would move there in a heart beat.  I think we might try and go back in the fall together and see the Redskins (Wally's Fav Team) play the Cowboys in their new famous stadium {wink wink that's how I sold it at least!}

...fixed all my spelling mistakes, I think?!?!? ahhh....never ending :)

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
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