Let the baking continue...

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I am still baking up a storm and really enjoying it too! So, what's on the dessert menu for tonight? Gingerbread men! Homemade gingerbread men decked out in their proper attire of icing and special design. YummO!


Here's a photo of my last batch (batches!!) of cookies I made for my friends. All packaged up and looking pretty next to the tree. Oh how I LOVE this time of year!

Check out that paper lace too. Isn't it fabulous!! Umm...I'm sorry, but I LOVE paper lace and I just adore the way the boxes turned out.

Lastly, here is my mess. My daily mess as I fill orders. Thank you, thank you to my customers for giving me the chance to have this good mess. ;)


I hope y'all are having a fabulous week!
{...and baking lots of cookies too!}

Baking for friends...

My holiday tradition of baking cookies {a secret family recipe} for my friends is keeping me busy today!

144 cookies to be exact! I'm in the "flurry" of all of the baking & packaging & wrapping as I type. ...and I finally mailed my Christmas cards today! phew...just in time.

Next on the list...

Homemade Marshmallows! Thanks to my new candy thermometer, (shipped overnight by my Mama who wanted to make sure they turn out just right) I will be able to "perfect" the soft fluffy goodness that will melt into our coco this Christmas.

Learning to balance & good habits too

I'm starting my resolutions early this year
and practicing yoga every day.

I didn't mean for it to be a "resolution" but that's kind of what it ended up becoming for me and I am ready to fulfill my personal challenge.

So far it's only been 3 days in a row and I must say that I thoroughly love it! I am looking forward to it. All the new stretches and poses I'm learning and breathing techniques...I'm beginning to realize what all the hype was about. Yoga is my new favorite good habit and I plan on doing it every day.

{Now I just need to master the pose shown above. Balance. It's all about balance this coming up year.}

Beloved December

A favorite time of year has begun and you know what that means. Holiday and seasonal decorating!

{images courtesy of Martha.}

I'm really loving the "doily snowflakes" hanging in the window below...

I've been on a hunt to track down as many white vintage doilies I can find. They will be heavily starched and hung in the window by thread. If we can't have real snow in South Carolina then we might as well have vintage snow! Don't you agree? ;)

{Welcome December and I am HAPPY you're here.}

A free lip gloss just for you!!

Plant Love Lip Gloss...A fabulous & exclusive offer from Puresha!!

Remember when I told you about Puresha, right here? Well, they are being extra generous and are offering my readers a FREE Plant Love Lip Gloss with every $50 purchase at their shop. Ummm....is this fabulous or what??!!

Plant Love Lip Gloss is packed full of all natural ingredients such as Grape seed oil and Apricot wax. The earth friendly packaging is eco-certified, entirely recyclable and produced in a mill that has no carbon footprint. Now, that's something to get excited about!

Here are the fabulous details...

*Spend over £30 ($50) and receive a FREE Plant Love Lip Gloss worth £12 ($20).(while stocks last.)

*The code for the free lip gloss is: lovegloss

*This offer is good for Lula Boutique readers until December 7, 2009.

*Choose your lip gloss color here (8 colors to choose from)and email Sara at sara@puresha.com to let her know.

Thanks for the fabulous offer Puresha! Now I'm off to do some "Cyber Monday" shopping...

Thanksgiving 2009

We hosted our very first Thanksgiving dinner

this year and it was simply wonderful!

We gave thanks with our out of town guests and loved ones while enjoying delicious food and lots of pumpkin pie & hot apple cider.

Oh how I love pumpkin pie with cider!

{father-in-law playing guitar and my sister on the ukulele.}

My musically inclined family entertained us with a guitar & ukulele duo. Mainly playing The Beatles and Cat Stevens.

Lovely. Simply lovely.

Hoping your weekend was a lovely one too. :)

PURESHA {Eco-Chic Beauty}

I am thrilled to announce that my line of jewelry is now being sold at one of the most fabulous shops! Let me introduce to you,

PURESHA "Eco-Chic Beauty", located in the UK!!! I am in LOVE with this shop and I am convinced that you will too! You must check it out if you love trying new beauty items such as...

MAKE-UP

SKINCARE
BATH AND BODY
PERFUME
CANDLES

{just to name a few}

and now JEWELRY!! Yay for that!

Oh, and did I mention that it's all

organic and eco-friendly??? Yes!! Even better, I say!

So, if you have a second or two, please do check it out. This shop is like a breath of fresh air!

{PS...I adore this lipstick and believe I must have it.}

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Harvest & Apple Pie

{I've returned from my 3 month break! It was an unintentional "break" actually. Maybe this time I will post a little more frequently...like a couple times a week instead of a couple times a year! My little ol' blog is in need of a good dose of attention, don't you agree? So, here it goes...}

A quick post to start and all I can say is APPLE PIE!! It's in the forecast for today and this weekend. So, I need to get peeling, coring, and baking ASAP!

Harvest: AliciaBock

dwell in possibility...

Sometimes I have to remind myself (even force myself) to take a break and truly relax. Even for just 20 minutes.


I have found that writing my thoughts in a journal can be like a mental detox, if you will. ;) It gives me a chance to write down all of my ideas, feelings, passions, fears, dreams...what I'm most grateful for in my life...I just write. Sometimes I write until my hand hurts from writing so much.


20-30 minutes. bike. pool. water. shade. journal. reflection.
I leave feeling rejuvenated and with a sense of direction and fresh ideas. Extremely grounded and energetic but with purpose and peace in my heart. "Dwell in possibility"...so my journal says...

...and that's what I shall do.

{~Hoping your weekend is a good one!}

A July tradition in Charleston.

Calling all Portland Girls!

Get in style this summer...

For those of you who live in or near Portland, Oregon...you are "oh so lucky" if you ask me! Portland is a beautiful city for so many reasons but one fabulous reason is that you get to shop at Frumoasa Boutique for the latest fashions and super girly attire!

Lucky you!!

Right now, I am in love with all of their handbags...love love love!

and lastly, here's a little glimpse of some of my new jewelry designs you can find at Frumoasa Boutique too...Have a fabulous weekend and a Happy Fourth of July!

June 30, 1981

28 years today!

Who wouldn't want goggles for their 5'TH birthday?!

My 6'TH Birthday back in 1987...Mom decorated with streamers and 90 balloons to be exact. :)

Oh the memories...

Hoping your day was special too.

Cheers!

"Run like the wind Bear"

He was a part of the family and he will be missed. "Run like the wind Bear" is what we called him. The first time Bear-Bear set paw on Folly Beach in Charleston, South Carolina, he took off and ran...he ran like the wind down the open beach to the waters edge. He was a free spirit and a wonderful friend.

Susie & Bear-Bear.

Christmas walk on Edisto Beach 2008.

My sister Susie adopted Bear-Bear at a Farmer's Market in Delaware (2 hours from home) when she was 15 years old. She immediately fell head over heels in love with the funny little guy and didn't think twice about spending all of her babysitting money right then and there (and without asking for my parents permission.) Bear had quite a few adventures with Susie during that first year of his life. My parents, who were hesitant at first, eventually grew to love him as well and Bear-Bear soon became a loving member of the family and a great companion dog.
Me & Bear-Bear just 6 days ago back home in Maryland.

Today is a sad day for my family as Bear-Bear left us early this morning.

Bear-Bear

February 14, 1999-June 27, 2009.

Goodbye my friend; you will always have a huge place in my heart and

I will always love you dearly.

xoxo

Hello!

I'm back and I'm a brunette!!

We just returned from our wonderful vacation visiting our family and are now unpacking and getting settled in. I'm also getting use to my new brunette locks! I thought it would be fun to change my hair color up a bit. Hmmmn...I hope it's not true that blonde's have more fun...I will soon find out. ;)

I'll post photos of our trip on Monday. My sister and her boyfriend are coming over in an hour and I have to get dinner together and make this place fancy FAST!

Thank you ALL so much for your well wishes while we were away! Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend...the last beautiful June weekend of the year...

Taking a Holiday...

There is a time: Yvette Inufio

I'm taking a holiday and will be back next week to share lots of photos and to re-open my shop!

Cheers and have a fabulous week! :)

Maryland Traditions & Thunderstorms

This weekend was a lovely one if you ask me!

We had a Maryland treat right here in Charleston, SC! Steamed blue crabs and ice cold beer! It doesn't get much better than that! (If you are from Maryland or that region...You know exactly what I'm talking about!)

After our feast this happened...

...and it was awesome!

...and then we ran inside to take shelter from the downpour and lightning that filled our beautiful Charleston sky.

So we watched from the patio instead. :)

I must have this dress!!

Grosgrain: SHABBY APPLE Marseilles Dress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Isn't this dress fabulous!!!??? I do believe I HAVE to have it as one of my summer dresses! My fingers are crossed that I win this fab dress! Oh please please please...

Lula tags and Fabulous customers!

I must say, I have the most fabulous customers!

Seriously, they're just ALL fabulous!

Alright, first things first... I wanted to share my new jewelry cards and tags. As some of you may already know,
I'm always coming up with new ways to package my jewelry so it arrives all pretty and such and so my customers are extra *extra* happy when they get a package from me. :)

{you may remember these tags I made a while back--and still use.}

Here they are..*New shop tags*
for Lula Boutique:

So back to my fabulous customers! Well...Here's another quick photo of a pair of earrings all ready to be shipped to a fabulous customer.

OK, by now you're probably thinking "how do you know she's so fabulous?" Well, she's a fellow blogger, repeat customer and she has her own fabulous line of organic facial care products and cosmetics which you can find at her shop, KZM FACIAL CARE BOUTIQUE. I'm really digging the organic part too!

Her divine shop has been featured everywhere including Martha Stewart's Body+Soul Magazine. Now that's fabulous, no?!

{By the way:I just adore that magazine!}

Here's a peek at some products from
KZM FACIAL CARE BOUTIQUE:

Thanks to all of my FABULOUS customers!! You really are fabulous!! XO

Basko lazy days...

I definitely didn't have a lazy day today but Basko sure did! 

{Soon, I'll have photos to share of new designs I've been working on for the shop and more...}

Cheers! 

Love what you do...

As I worked in my studio yesterday this feeling came over me....and I felt these words ever so powerfully.

...and I became grateful.

...and then I made this...

and this...

and this...

and this too...

...and many more that will be added to the shop this week!

{I hope you're loving what you do today.}