4th of July Creative Endeavor

I spotted these coin rolls a while back & purchased them thinking

they were quirky for other uses than just "rolling coins"

Wal-mart carries bags of each coin increment so you can choose the

colors you like best. I love the red 1 cent & blue 5 cent.

They are cheap, a dollar or two a bag for many rolls in each.

{Let's make a 4th of July garland}

I then used my cute cupcake liners purchased from

specialty online bake supply shops. These are

pink/cream & red/cream.

I found 1" grosgrain ribbon in my stash and tied a knot on

one end leaving an ample length to string my goodies.

I flattened out the cupcake liners, poked a hole in the middle and put three liners together:

red, pink, red liners

next, red coin roll,

then pink, red, pink liners

then strung a blue coin roll & so on.

Keep stringing until you have desired length.

I haven't finished a complete garland yet so I

decided Mrs. dress form needed a quirky collar.

Why not? She looks festive for any party this 4th.
The coin rolls almost look "fire cracker-ish"!

Happy 4th of July dear friends.

What are your plans this coming weekend?

Curious Sofa {Less Than Serious Surroundings}

Dyed ribbon from Curious Sofa & books, may I recommend.......

*The New Eighteenth- Century Style, ummm this books leaves me speechless. the end.

*Lost Crafts, thatched roof anyone? Me, me!

Petite glittered trophy, I'm swooning!

Wrapped package of maps, sorry I'm enjoying the wrapping!

I enjoyed this store, you know I like a store when I go around the perimeter

about 100 times. That I did!

I also stopped at an antique mall on the way home

Artichoke Annie's {outside Columbia, MO right off I-70} and it was a good stop!

Thanks to Deb's shop girls for giving me the heads up.

I'm kicking myself for not buying a few things, but

husband+two small boys+ 1 million more miles to go="your 15 minutes are up"!

Cherries off our tree, that cute package & vintage linen

Lost Crafts book & spool of vintage unused pink crochet string. This string

will be perfect for tags that will be at the Country Living Fair.

Oh, dear we must get busy, Darcy!

Love, love original packaging!

I was feeling spunky and decided "why not?"

put this bag on the wall......

there are no rules in decorating, right?

Deb's shop girls tucked two bags together

to hold all my heavy books+goodies {yes, I supported the 3/50 project & all in one shop} and yippee another bag to recycle.....

on our bedroom door.

I tell ya the girl on the bag seems to say

"I'm peeking in on ya......have you started your chores yet?"

Then she replies with those eyes....."get busy"..........

gotta go the vacation laundry pile erupted.......

Vacation + Cute

this gal is too cute..........case in point: scallops!

cute Etsy shop by Polly Danger

Hand covered buttons! & bias tape!

*we'll be out of town until Saturday the 27th of June.

orders that are placed will ship when we get back.

we'll be checking e-mails........

Summer Curiosities for You.........

Vintage swans.........

{New goodies online, go to the bottom of our peek page, click - click here}

Air mail paper

Summer vintage bouquet

Crafting goodness

Nautical Shapes

Alma Mater Kit

Circles shapes

Petite French-y lanterns

A petite department strore basket

Thread cones

Country Living Fair 2009

Yes, we'll be at the Country Living Fair 2009

Theme:

Habadashary, 5 & dime with a carnival twist

{because if you know us we generally can't make up our minds!}

& of course if you arrive at the tent, we might even have a totally different theme!

We'll make sure to have a grand selection and the tent will be decked out in McMaster & Storm style.....

We have already been in touch with some that want to go

out to eat together in the evening......

The place: NorthStar in the Short North with Jeni's Icecream afterwards!

Contact us if you want to eat with the gang: mcmasterandstorm@embarqmail.com

We'll see ya there!

Love,

Kara + Darcy

Another Shout Out..........

Attention all Brick & Mortar Shop Girls {& guys too}

Abby of The Blissful has a unique thing going on.......

to show you how to "shopkeep"

Open to 100 shop owners, this private blog, A Boutique Industry, will be very helpful to those of you who need support

and want to learn.

She also is having a very fun "Indie Girl" event so check that out here.

She is an amazing writer & one bus-y shop girl!

Rah, Rah, Rah {a shout out}

See that girl in the shades?

Well she's a friend {met through the Country Living Fair}.........

She calls Kara to say "hello" every now & then......

Kara even calls her every now & then.........

{oh, the other gals are friends too! Bethie & Jeanne}

We've been through the happenings at the shows

from crowds of people where you can't get out of your booth too pee.

{no, kidding Country Living Fair 2008}

&

through the hurricane winds of Country Living Fair 2009

*and the square dancers*

{sorry folks the square dancers are a inside joke,

you had to be there to understand! Only the Farm Chicks & the girls in that picture get this "fond memory"}

Any-hoo, she is a doll and lives in this cute, quaint 100 year old home in St. Charles

Illinois. Close to metropolis, Target, Anthropologie, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Ikea, blah, blah, blah.........

ok, you get the picture! Darcy & I live smack- dab in the middle of a field.

Darcy lives closer to civilization than Kara.

We think Kasey just opens that cute garage door and wow, there's Starbucks with Marcy

serving her a Venti Latte.

Last week Kara rang Kasey {ok, she does have a cell phone!}

"Have you seen the new Country Living, yet?"

"Noooooooo, says Kasey"....... {sighing, Kara is pretty sure she was}

"Well, mine came & you're indeed in there!"

Finally, Kara in the middle of nowhere gets a glossy copy before

Kasey in suburbia!

While Kara's on the phone with Kasey, Kasey is typing on the computer

then tells me seconds later she's marching through the doors

of Barnes & Noble to see if Country Living is there {it's not}.

Hummmmph, Kara just spots a John Deere Tractor in her view.

The closest Barnes & Noble from Kara's house is 45 minutes away.

Kara hasn't been there in years.

Anyway congrats & hugs to you!

Love,

Kara + Darcy

Chubba-Wubba Baby Zach

{Zach 4 months}

& ta-da he sleeps through the night!

Outside a Farmhouse Window

View from upstairs......reflecting on the past weeks......

it has been lovely taking a break. We are waiting on the "changes" to happen and is not happening as fast as we would like it to. Everything takes time and we need just to sit tight...............

Here's what has been happening from the inside view & the outside view of our life........

Carriage rides at the park...........

Our inspiration for these flower baskets.....these petite c. 1930's crepe paper flowers.......

Darcy made larger crepe paper flowers using inspiration from the petite 1930's bouquet & mixed crepe flowers from Martha Stewart's kit.............

Sweet "prize" brooches........

Packing lots of orders this past week...........

Oh, this fabric! Can 7.5 yards really make a dress for Darcy & Kara? We'll need to phone before we go on an outing together, as wearing the same fabric would be un-cool!

Spending time with children..........

Not a care in the world...........

Outside the office window.....

What is your view today?......................