beautiful week...

before i realized my camera was on manual focus...and i like it...alot

my new chair..and hooray banner

...my cup is overflowing...there were so many things this week to love...

... my new chair that i purchased for my den....

...the sweet hooray banner that my sister made for me... but you can have one too if you like....just visit her etsy shop...

...designsponge debut...

...lunch with the girls...

...yummy homemade dinner with sweet friends...

...and to top it all off i have my hubs 40th birthday party at the studio tonight! can't think of a better way to end the week!

hope you all have a fun and safe weekend!

xo

tonight..

...if you are local, please take note of this fantastic felt duo and their show at plaza suite tonight....

...all of the new yellow elm fall line will be on display...

xo

before and after basics: furniture stripping

....make sure you head over to d*s today for my post on stripping furniture...i'm so excited about this new venture for knack!...

...have the best day friends...

xo

the best little store in amarillo...

great signage

the most fantastic little wheel tables

more wheel love

loved this display

pure goodness

love the welcome banner and the fabric sticks

 

 

... i totally loved this store that i discovered off route 66 in amarillo texas...the website is in the works but you can stop by kasey's blog ....it is a goodie....and if you are planning a trip to amarillo any time soon this gem of a store needs to be on your list!...

****

...p.s tomorrow is the first post on D*s....and it is all about stripping furniture...good times!

xo

cali love...

...i couldn't resist this one...because part of my heart will always be there...
... it is now hanging happily in my den...:)

{found in the lovely koko studios shop}

xo

skills and thrills...

...i'll fill you in on a little secret....

...i am not the world's best cook...but i wish that i was...and i'm trying really hard to cook healthier for the fam...urge them to try new things...experience fresh foods...

...and when i read some of my favorite food blogs like seven spoons...dollop...and heart of light to name a few...i am always so envious of the yummy recipes and the fantastic looking food...unlike my shriveled up messes...

...anyway, i decided to start small and buy all of the ingredients for the four of us to create our own pizzas...leaving room for creativity with things like bacon, pineapple and cilantro...

..would you believe my three crazy peeps made themselves plain old pepperoni pizzas?! {sheesh, i love them!}...i told them their pizzas were not worthy of a food shot {hee hee!}...but now that i think of it, that would have been hilarious!...... mine stuck out like a sore thumb!...

...on a tortilla {brushed with olive oil} add pineapple, cilantro, ham and just a touch of feta...

..in the end memories were made...{my almost 14 year old singing at the top of his lungs in his best "italian" as he sprinkled on his cheese}... the pizzas were yummy and we had fun making them together...i hope it will become a weekly thing...and the three peeps have promised to be more adventurous next time...maybe some bbq chicken? 

..i'll believe it when i see it!...

...hope you all have a wonderful start to your week today!...

xo

news flash...

my friend grace, owner and curator of the fantastic shop ...pink olive ...has a beautiful, brand spankin' new site...

head on over, check it out, and enjoy free shipping on purchases through july 31st...

congrats friend!

xo

meeting up with katherine...

...i was so glad that i got to meet up with miss katherine, the creative and ever so stylish lady behind making chicken salad and pretty zakka shop  ....

...she along with her sweet little man "h" met the hubs, kiddos and i in san fran for some burgers in the ferry building...

...i felt like we had known each other forever and we chatted and carried on for a few hours before we both had to go our separate ways.....but not before she handed me this awesome jar of cookies {you see her holding them above} for our trip....how fantastic is that?!....and there was the leather bow key chain treat too...

 ...i oogled and googled over her tat...which i found to be so beautiful....and then her boots had me salivating from the get go...{and yes it was that chilly in the city!}

...head on over and get to know this lady if you don't already....she's a complete gem...and i feel so lucky to have such a sweet friend...

have a great weekend!

xo

pure green living magazine...

 

...knack is so excited to be a part of the brand new pure green living magazine...please stop by and take a look...it is so well done...and there is photo inspiration galore...
...thank you celine!...

xo

travel treats...

little dinos that i got at the route 66 rock shop...:)

dino charm, and a sweet friend in cali got me the word tile...it just happens to say "knack"

my leather bow key chain from here 
by katherine

really great new books...i highly suggest

oh yes...one more book, and a stamp that says "original"...perfect

...just the right treats...

xo

finality..

at the midpoint of route 66 there was this truck that you could sign....so fantastic

lots of corn fields

great signage

leaning water tower

the penske way...and it worked like a charm

stopped at plenty of love's...figured the cute logo deserved a shout

a gas pump that i wanted to bring home with me

we almost got into trouble with these guys

never knew we grew so much rice in the united states! the rice fields were gorgeous

always crack up at how many times you see this sign in tn

we had rain for just a few minutes the very last day...it was so refreshing

...we are back as of last night, and we had such a memorable trip! it was such an interesting thing to drive across america... see the landscape change daily....see different kinds of people...how they live..where they work..and to relive history on route 66...which proved to be a favorite with signage and photo ops galore....but it also left me feeling a bit sad about the run down and closed up little towns....wish i had all the money in the world to get them up and running again...


i feel changed somehow by all that i experienced....and hope to hold on to the journey...
 ...it is almost weird to be home, i still feel like i will be heading out tomorrow to discover a new city... but it is  good to be home all at the same time...

...looking forward to catching up with you all...

xoxo

cadillac ranch....

 .....this was seriously one of my favorite memories of the trip.....so, so very fun, and they are just the coolest looking things ever.....i encourage you to do it if you are ever in amarillo texas....

xo

REcreate...

Hello Knack's friends! I am Fiona of Fee-AMore. I am happy to be guesting over here while Barb is out of town....

Perhaps you might or might not have heard of Katie Thompson of REcreate. I remembered i came across Katie Thompson quite sometime back and was absolutely amazed by her recreation of furniture, lighting and many other household accessories. Katie loves discovering the extra ordinary from the ordinary.

 

 

From old suitcases redesigned to become chairs, old broken kitchen scales recreated as clocks, dinnerware transformed to cake stands, milk bottles and china tea sets turned into lamps, are just some of her many amazing, lovely recreations. From old to new, useless to functional, Katie certainly gave them each a life with a function.

 

I absolutely enjoy Katie's style and her cutting edge interior design. I hope you do too! And thanks for having me over, Barb! 

40....

...never looked so good!...

...happy, happy birthday to my handsome hunk...

...i love you forever...

xo

7.15

*****

...route 66 wigwam hotel + twin arrows + painted desert...