Chocolates for Breakfast

My tile was on TV!

2011-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

I was doing my usual DVR skipping through KSL STUDIO 5 to see if any segment caught my eye and I saw my tile...my Heaven tile sitting in this sweet little families home...kind of made me happy! (of course not happy that they would have cause to need it, but you know what I mean)

This is probably the tile (the one on the right) I make the most and seems to touch people's hearts when they have loved ones up in Heaven...whether it be a child, a spouse, a parent or a sibling. I loved this quote from the moment I heard it...although I tweeked the original quote because it said something about "the easiest way..." and I didn't bond with that sentiment. It is comforting to me to think that if my parents and little sister can't be here with me, that they are watching over me and not far away! Even more comforting is to know that someday we will be together again!

check it out http://studio5.ksl.com/ and then click on Angel Watch from the March 4th show.

WE BELIEVE!

2011-01-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints...I am a Mormon! I get to serve in the Young Womens' organization of our Church with girls 12 -18 years of age. Each year we have a new theme. Last year our theme was from the Bible in Joshua 1:9..."Be strong and of a good courage". This year our theme is our 13th Article of Faith:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men; in deed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul --- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

To remind the girls of what we are seeking after, we will be making these wood blocks in an upcoming craft night...

As the year goes on, we will probably add a couple of more blocks to our set. This particular picture of Christ was one painted by Carl Bloch (see quote on sidebar)...the other photo is of some of my beautiful young women!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2010-08-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

A dear friend just had her first child get married. The reception was held in their beautiful back yard and it was amazing! So many fun and creative touches that just made it delightful! I got to be a small part of it by putting some of her ideas into vinyl..With a beautiful couple like this,
everything else was just frosting on the cake!

The brides and grooms initials were on all the flower vases

A vintage french door with pictures of the beautiful couple framed in scalloped edged vinyl,
and in every other window the verse of
Shakespeare's Love Sonnet 16

The door had the full sonnet, but here are a few lines on this
shabby chic shelf hung by the gifts

The Grooms Cake (actually donuts) was served under
this vintage window...
"Let them eat cake!"

The lettering didn't show up very well in my picture so here is what it looked like on laying on my kitchen counter. This window was the father of the brides favorite thing!

I totally agree ...especially if it is CHOCOLATE CAKE!

KEEP CALM...

2010-08-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

My daughter introduced me to the "KEEP CALM" posters a couple of months ago and I fell in love with the whole idea! During WWII the British government came up with the original KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON poster with a crown logo at the head, as a way to bolster morale in crazy times http://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com/pages/history...50 years later, even more appropriate! You can find these themed posters all over now, for every interest and in every color. Naturally I had to figure out how to do it in vinyl. This now hangs in my kitchen...

And I wouldn't be surprised if a tribute to the original in vintage red shows up somewhere in my house...and maybe a KEEP CALM AND EAT MORE CHOCOLATE is a no brainer...just imagine the possibilities!?

Where Dreams Come True!

2010-07-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

This little princess (also known as my granddaughter) doesn't have to share her room with her little brother anymore. She can now totally give way to her inner Princess! The royal decorator (also known as her Mom) requested this on my recent visit...

Princess Adeline loves her "beautiful castle" and thinks that now her "dreams can come true"!...no joke, she actually said that?!

My Favorite Client So Far!

2010-06-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my oldest granddaughter called me up with a vinyl request...she had just acquired a "new to her" yard toy which she immediately deemed her "clubhouse"! Being my granddaughter her first thought was, "I need some vinyl to make it official!" So she grabbed her Mom's cell phone and made me an offer I couldn't refuse...no doubt about it, my favorite client thus far!She drove a hard bargain, but we fianally came to an agreement...all the vinyl she wanted for unlimited "snuggles"!

QUICK guest bathroom re-do...

2010-03-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not all that quick...but only because I couldn't lock in to just what I wanted to do?! Then I got hooked up with these Amy Butler hand towels (thanks Kara!)...

which finally got me in gear to what I wanted to do with the old window I found at the "junk" store...thank you Emily for the fun outing to Star Mill General Store in AF!

Look closely in the lower left pane to see the little birdie perched on the limb. Couldn't get a good picture of it, but it is my nod to the latest bird craze that is going around. I was debating whether or not to paint the window, but have decided to go with the "old charm" look and not! I used silver etched-look vinyl for the limb to create a subtle look.

I really can't believe I am putting orange in my house! I grew up with orange EVERYWHERE ...orange bedspreads, curtains, tablecoths, furniture, etc., etc., including orange shag carpet! It was great but it had worn out its welcome, but now I see it slowly creeping its way back into my life...Mom, you must be looking down from Heaven and smiling!

I am also all about re-purposing! Put a coat of paint on something rather than go buy something new, change up your room simply by putting furniture/accessories in different places or rooms, and see what you have in your cupboard that you can pull out...

Welcome back (out of the closet) little jade tree! The little bird next to it I found in the dollar section of TARGET...always and forever my happy place!

FRAME IT!

2010-02-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a few months (again!) so I'm right on schedule for a new post! Here is a fun idea, make a picture collection on your wall using vinyl frames...

Put your pictures up with rolled tape underneath or photo corners for a fun look. The pictures will be easily removed to put up newer, more current photos...which is especially nice if the photos are of children who change almost as you blink!

Don't have a headboard? Fake it with vinyl!

Check out the frame on the left side. That is one of those Disneyland momentos that got put away and recently rediscovered...now re-invented in a bigger frame (an old frame with a new paint job), with some scrapbook paper behind it, and a fun vinyl frame on top of it! The chocolate water color was done by my son...hmmm, I think I need a piece of chocolate now!!

Merry "huff puff" Christmas!

2009-12-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

We are halfway thru December but I feel like it should still be March!? This year has and is flying by! I hope to be a bit more current on posts next year...tho' making no promises. Here are a couple of things I have done lately...another "Where's Baby?" for my newest grandchild "Eliza"...

I did fabric ties this time (as opposed to velcro attachments) and trimmed it with BIG rick rack to match her quilt...

My daughter came up with this idea for decorating her Christmas mantle. I like how the quote is placed off to the right rather than centered...the new "big sister" is pretty excited about it all!

What's for "D"?

2009-09-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

More often than not, around our house "what's for D or dessert?" are chocolate chip cookies. Warm and gooey just out of the oven! My daughter decided to put up the recipe for chocolate chip cookies on the wall of her new kitchen. Naturally this meant we had to make some!!!

TREES...not for birds only!

2009-09-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

I just got back from almost 4 weeks of "grandma heaven"...it was delightful chaos! For weeks prior, my daughter and I planned via email what she wanted to do to her "new to them" older home. The biggest project was my little granddaughter's great big bedroom with very empty walls. It is now filled with big trees and little birdies and a little girl that loves it!

A proper tree wouldn't be complete without a birdhouse...right!?

I had lots of help putting up the vinyl and it turned out great because of it...or is it despite of it?!

CFB Favorites of 2009

2009-08-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

I recently tuned in to a Rachel Ray Show and they shared some of the BHG (Better Homes and Gardens) favorite products from 50,000 voters. Naturally I needed to check out some of these products. It got me thinking about what are some of my favorite products that I discovered this year? Here are some of my favorites:

1) Howard's Restore-A-Finish
Makes old water stained wood cupboards (like under the sink and around dishwasher) look like new...quick and easy! Available at Home Depot in 3 wood toned colors.

2) Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pad/like Mr. Clean "Magic Eraser"
Works amazing on scuff marks on linoleum and woodwork...where was this when my kids were little?! Supposed to be good on tile too, but I haven't tried that yet.

3) The Ped Egg
I saw it in a human lab test on a local news show and since I have a problem with dry, cracky heels decided to try it...love it! Available at Bed, Bath and Beyond (next time you get one of their coupons, use it for this) or also available at Target

4) Utah Truffle Bar
(of course my list would have to include CHOCOLATE!)
Unfortunately I have become addicted to these. I particularly like the Premium Almond flavor. I am such a chocolate snob, but this is a good quality chocolate bar for under a dollar! Best buy at Macey's grocery store...sorry to those of you who live outside Utah!

5) WEIMAN Stainless Steel Wipes
Quick and easy clean for stainless steel appliances. Available at Target.

What are your favorite products...please share!

If HARRODS can do it, so can I!

2009-08-08T12:04:00.001-07:00

I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that TARGET has had their school supplies on sale for a month...I'm ready for summer to begin, not end?! I really hate how the stores are always two seasons ahead and you can never buy what you need at the time you need it!? That said, I apologize for my hypocritical-ness here and post a HALLOWEEN decoration! My husband told me this morning that HARRODS of London already has their Christmas decorations on display...so if they can do Christmas, I can surely do Halloween!

My friend brought this idea to me for a Ladies Night activity in the fall. We tweeked it up and this is what we came up with. It could be hung on a door or displayed on an easel. (Any resemblance to the occupant of this house, is purely coincidental!)

Like GRANDMAS, like GRANDDAUGHTER!

2009-08-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have a beautiful dark haired daughter who looks nothing like me, but has repeatedly reminded us of both of her grandmothers in their younger years...coloring, dark eyes, noses, etc! I have been talking about how fun it would be to have pictures of all of them together, and I finally did it for her birthday last month.

Mandi, you are a "blessing of heaven and my heart"! We may not look alike, but our passion for chocolate runs deep!

G is for GRATEFUL!

2009-07-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

The economy stinks, life can be hard, and at times, terribly unfair! However, there are many things to be grateful for at the same time; wonderful things all around us that we tend to overlook or take for granted, or that just get overshadowed by the JUNK. My sweet Mom used to always say, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade!" and "It is always darkest before the dawn." My Dad was equally positive and had many health challenges before he passed away...in my book, he had a lot he could complain about, but never did! Instead he would always end our conversations with," I've lived a blessed life. I have no complaints." We can't control everything around us, but we can control our attitude...we can laugh or we can cry...
we can focus on our trials or focus on our blessings...we can complain about our circumstances or do something to make life better, either in our life or someone else's! Now don't go thinking I've got this "attitude thing" mastered, but I'm working on it! LIFE really IS GREAT!

What Do Scraps Lead Too?

2009-07-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

I recently finished sewing a quilt for my soon to be born first grandson...it could be this week?! The quilt is being stippled right now and then all I have to do is bind it. Meanwhile, I have had these scraps of material left over that I felt needed to be used for something? That together with the frequent grocery store sightings of infant carrier covers, and this project was born...my version of an infant carrier cover!

Of course I had to buy another yard of fabric for the underside, but I no longer have big enough scraps leftover that call out to me, "Sew me, sew me!"...I'm kind of a use it up/waste not kind of person!? I dug through my tin of buttons and added these to the straps...

So to further answer the question, "What do scraps lead to?"....

DA TA TA DA! . . .
NEW ITEM for sale!

The "WHERE'S BABY?" will be my first non-vinyl addition of things that can be ordered from Chocolates for Breakfast...usually I will make the cover with two different fabrics and not do a patchwork. You can supply your own fabric or just give me a color scheme. Choose between ribbon ties or coordinating fabric for the attachments to the handle.

Special thanks to Hollie for letting me borrow her infant carrier to use as a guide...let me know your colors Hollie and I will make one for you as a baby gift!

(...and yes, my material speaks to me...so does chocolate unfortunately..."EAT ME, EAT ME!" loud and clear!...I think I hear some calling now...)

It all started with a leak....

2009-06-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Out of town for a week and a half + plumbing leak under kitchen sink = big headache for 2 months! I won't bore you with the saga of being without a kitchen, moving furniture and us in and out of rooms, noises, smells, cleaning up after repair men, repairing things after repair men, etc., but it is behind us now! Insurance paid for much of what we did, but there are always additional expenses and then additional projects...for instance: since I had moved everything out of my craft room I might as well de-wallpaper and repaint it! I have such a hard time deciding on paint color and this time wasn't without it's trauma, but I love the end result! I chose a Laura Ashley color Wintergreen Ash. I want this room to not only be functional, but fun! I have no decorating budget but I do have my "trusty" vinyl machine...I use that endearment with my fingers crossed as my machine was broken during this same time...oh, the frustration?! We are now on speaking terms again and it appears to be working if I am really nice to it!? I really liked these wall plaques that I saw in a magazine, but not for $229...EACH!

Now I have my version for $19.99 each, the cost of a large clearance frame! Note the chocolate lamp, which until recently was blue and pink flowers...spray paint is our friend!

CONGRATULATIONS Melynn!

2009-03-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Melynn and adorable Madelyn...winner of the Easter stackers, a gift certificate (for more vinyl of course!) and a SEE's chocolate egg!

And the winner is...

2009-03-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

MELYNN!
Congratulations...I will be contacting you to make delivery of your basket!
Thanks to you all of you for the great response!

I usually don't get too personal, but...

2009-03-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

my 90 year old father passed away last night...what a remarkable man he was...correction, IS!

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die"

I love you Daddy...you will always be in my heart!

GIVE - OH - GIVE - AWAY!

2009-03-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here it is...my first give-away! Everyone that makes a comment between now and midnight March 16th will be entered into the drawing...comment as many times as you want and you will be entered each time! The drawing will be on March 17th...one lucky winner will receive these EASTER Stackers and a couple of other SURPRISES...yes, CHOCOLATE will be involved (need you ask?!)...Let the comments begin!

What Can You Spell?

2009-02-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

I made a set of these blocks for us and for each of our married kids...thank you Vicki for the idea! Most of the time ours spell "FAMILY", but the other day I came home to find that they spelled "I am fly"! Which reminds me of a very funny story...Last fall my husband and I went to see our grandchildren (& their parents) that live back East. We left a delighted 18 year old son on his own..."hurray a whole week without Mom to nag me!" He got a little bored one night and thought my Halloween "BOO" blocks needed a little something more...here is what greeted me when I came walking in the kitchen from the airport...

(These blocks NOT AVAILABLE for order!)

OK, I KNOW, I KNOW!?

2009-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

So I haven't done a new post in awhile...I did change my quotes and put on a new chocolate recipe...did you notice?! I still am doing vinyl, but have just been doing more of the same or custom vinyl so others could do there own projects...and no pictures to show you...oops, sorry! Don't give up on me...I'm still here and going strong! Here's a couple of quotes I just heard in the last two days that I really like:

When life kicks you, let it kick you forward!

You have two choices in life:
You can laugh or you can cry...
Which one do you want to choose?

Remember, vinyl is a very inexpensive way to change up and personalize a room. It can be permanent or just temporary because it won't hurt your paint. This means you can put up seasons greetings like Kiss Me I'm Irish! or Here comes Peter Cottontail... or It's A BOY! Do you have a picture hanging on the wall or a mirror...frame it with your favorite quote on the wall around it!

Stay tuned...I will have a SPRING GIVEAWAY coming up...keep checking for details!

'Tis the Season

2008-11-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

Something new for the holidays...would you believe the inspiration was a guest towel?! Still not sure which color combo I like best...I also like it in all red vinyl too! Been wanting to do a board with the 2-toned paint job...white surface and the routed edge is in red...I think I will try more of these!

So as not to be accused of overlooking Thanksgiving, this hangs by my front door...

A dear friend, also with Hawaii roots, just had me do this sign for their entrance way...

I love the little "slippahs"?

Gotta Love Dr. Suess!

2008-07-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

My 13 year old niece is visiting us for three weeks this summer...which means laughter, pedicures, chick flicks, shopping and fun projects! She made this wood board for her bedroom, inspired by her favorite quote from the new movie Horton Hears A Who! Don't you love the polka dot border she added around the edges?

GIRL-TALK

2008-06-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a follow-up to my last blog. I've been thinking about all my favorite girlfriend quotes and a fun way to present them. I've also been wanting to try some new ways of doing vinyl... and "voila"! So after combining all the new things I wanted to try, here is my "Girl-Talk" line of wood boards! This is only a couple of quotes, but you can be sure there are more to come...in fact, they are all over my workroom in various combinations and stages!

My oldest daughter has the above quote stitched in the memory quilt I made her. When she moved away with her husband for dental school, she ended up meeting the author of this quote at church of all places...it's a small world!

Being the mother of an ex-ballroom dancer, I have a few rhinestones leftover from the many hours of "stoning" costumes. I think they add a fun touch to these "Girl-Talk" boards...we girls love our "bling-bling"!

"She usually cried at least once a day..."

2008-05-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

A dear friend just celebrated her birthday. I know exactly what I want to give her because of the last conversation we had. She told me about her three year old daughter and how she often cried because she was so happy or because something was so beautiful...SHE'S THREE?! I understood completely and knew immediately that I wanted to make something using this quote...

"She usually cried at least once a day not because she was sad
but because the world was so beautiful life was so short."
Brian Andreas

I can't believe a man wrote this, but maybe it is a woman with a man's name? Then again, I have seen my husband cry when our daughter danced, and my Dad cry when his granddaughter played the piano. This quote and others can be found in a great little book called Girlfriends Forever by Susan Branch. It's a compilation of thoughts, quotes, words of wisdom, and recipes (of course chocolate ones!) Another dear friend gave this book to me after my Mom passed away. My only sister has also passed away...I miss both of them terribly! As a result, I dearly treasure the special women in my life...my "sisters"... my "daughters"...my "girlfriends"! I love you all more than words can say! Here are just a few of my favorite "girlfriend" quotes...

"Well-behaved women rarely make history."
Laurel ThatcherUlrich

"I don't know much about being a millionaire,
but I bet I'd be darling at it."
Dorothy Parker

"When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping.
Men invade another country.
It's a whole different way of thinking."
Elayne Boosler

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2008-04-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished de-cluttering & re-organizing the toy attic/playroom...I love how it turned out too! I made curtains, painted mountains, & added vinyl cars, clouds & lettering...vinyl, what a surprise! My inspiration was Dr. Suess' Oh, the Places You'll Go!

I was only going to paint this one wall, but I was so pleased with how it turned out, and had so much fun doing it, I had to do another wall!

The cherry on top of this project was that I got the mattress on clearance for $10 (it's Pottery Barn too!) and the sheets were on sale from TARGET...who doesn't love a bargain, especially when it doesn't look like one!

Now all I need is my grandchildren to come play in it!

If Walls Could Talk...

2008-02-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

Spring is on its way...I hope! I hope!...time to do that infamous "spring cleaning" or at least a little sprucing up. What about a new coat of paint, or easier than that, a new vinyl quote for the wall...takes far less time! I recently came across these quotes and we bonded...so of course they needed to find a home in my house. I love Jane Austen books, I've lost count how many times I have seen Pride and Prejudice...it is one of my "comfort movies" that I turn on to relax to when I'm too tired to think but not ready to sleep, or to use as company while working on a project...usually vinyl! This quote isn't from that movie, but I identify with the sentiment; as much as I love to go out, there is nothing like coming back home, putting on your PJ's, wrapping up in your favorite quilt, and curling up to a good book or "chick flick"...a little chocolate dessert adds the final touch! I also love days when I can be home just puttering about in my PJ's, ...whoever invented flannel PJ pants, "I LOVE YOU!"

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."

Jane Austen

I found this quote in a magazine. Being almost an "empty nester" and hating every minute of it, I really liked this quote from Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny. Half of my "runaway bunnies" are in other States, so this quote is on the staircase wall as you go down to the room where they stay when they come home to "my tree". I remember reading this book with my children when they were little and look forward to reading it with my grandchildren!

"If you become a bird and fly away from me," said his mother,

"I will be a tree that you come home to."

This next picture is something one of my "runaway bunnies" did to her new home, albeit a small apartment with those white walls you aren't supposed to paint!? Her husband is still in school and they can't afford to do a lot of redecorating, but thanks to TARGET shelves and a good vinyl connection, it doesn't keep her from having a very nice home!

The most important work you will ever do

will be within the walls of your own home.
- Harold B. Lee -

A dear family friend has parents who have been out of the country for almost three years. She and her siblings are surprising them with a family room re-do...taking down old wall paper and repainting. They now have the perfect space for a Grandparents "Wall of Fame"...pictures of the existing grandchildren and lots of room for future additions!

The Packard Posterity

Families are Forever

I just finnished this 7 1/2 foot wood board for OREM FLORAL. As new owners they wanted a new slogan and look for their shop. Here's what they picked...

Fresh Flowers Make Good Scents

So what do your walls say?

Happy New Year!

2008-01-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

All of our kids (which included 3 spouses and 2 grandbabies) were home for Christmas, for almost 2 weeks...it was crazy, chaotic, crowded and absolutely WONDERFUL! Everyone made it on to the "Nice List" by Christmas, except for Grandpa... he got potato peelings in his stocking! I guess he has some New Year's resolutions to make and keep!?
I took a short break from vinyl to hold granddaughters as much as possible, but while they were sleeping, helped my daughters do some vinyl projects before they flew home...watch for upcoming pictures. One project was getting things ready for my granddaughter's 1st birthday. Just received the pictures... Mckinlay woke up on her birthday and was delighted to find a special birthday sign and garden of colorful flowers on the wall.
Her mom was brave enough to have 7 little friends over to celebrate this big day...the theme was "Old Mckinlay's Farm"! Besides lots of cute little "animals", there was a cake that looked like a sheep, goody bags of animal crackers, and I'm sure, many choruses of "E-I-E-I-O"!

Christmas P.S.

2007-11-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Just had to add this on to the last entry...I made a "Santa's List" for my neighbor and the way she put it up is soooo cute...awesome job Hollie! Looks like Mocha (the dog) is going to have a hard time getting off the naughty list?!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2007-11-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

I really hate how Thanksgiving gets shortchanged, but yes I did start putting up the Christmas decorations the night before Turkey Day! We were going to the neighbors for Turkey dinner so the house didn't need to look Thanksgivingy inside...and I did keep the outside un-Christmased until after the gobbling was done...which by the way, I did...six different desserts! I kind of feel like the dentist's wife who can't get her teeth fixed...I don't have as much vinyl around my house as you would think 'cause it is hard to find time to do things for me, but I did squeeze in a few little things I want to share...

We are minus the real thing so far, so I put some random snowflakes on the front door. Since I've been really, really good this year I wanted to make sure Santa knew he was welcome at our house with a WELCOME SANTA and a HO HO HO! However, my son just informed me that Santa doesn't come through the front door!?

Santa is "making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice?" Please excuse the shadow on this one, but you get the idea. Santa has already made a decision on the status of a few family members as you can see...but that can always change?!

My daughter and her husband came up with this wall decoration for their apartment and had me make it for them...the ornaments are hanging by strings of Christmas Carols! Fun idea Meghan & Ty! Well, time to get back to work...
MERRY (huff, puff) CHRISTMAS!

Remember to take time to enjoy the holidays and to remember what we are really celebrating!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"
THE GRINCH

A Picture Frame Is Worth a Thousand Words Too!

2007-11-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here's an idea I got from my daughter...write a poem or a special quote on a frame. I have only done two versions so far, but look for more in the future...after the holidays when I have time again?! Here's one of my favorite quotes from Peter Pan...with the brown lettering can't you just imagine a cute little sepia colored picture of your favorite child laughing? The poems about what little girls and boys are made of... "sugar & spice" or "puppy dog tails" ... would be adorable too! Or what about Pinnochio's "To become a real boy, you must prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish". No end to the possibilities?!

The other frame I did is a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning... perfect for a cute couples picture of your sweetheart... ahhhhhh! Do you have an Anniversary coming up? Valentines is just around the corner too! Or maybe, just because!

The Supreme Compliment!

2007-11-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

We were having Sunday dinner and my 17 year old son looked over at the Thanksgiving centerpiece I had..."Mom, did you make that? I like it! That is the first thing you have made that I really like!" We agree on very little and he thinks most of my vinyl is way over the top, so to get his nod of approval was like "WOW!"...guess I'm not a total idiot?! Here is the decorative plate that got his stamp of approval...maybe if I did it once, I can do it again!?

Hope you all have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

One Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!

2007-10-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

This blog isn't about vinyl, but it certainly is about what makes life sweet...CHOCOLATE! I heard on the news last night that the best candy to eat is CHOCOLATE! (Something I have known all along!) It seems that the hard, chewy and sticky candy stays around your mouth longer and gets into the cracks of your teeth, forming bacteria and all that fun stuff. CHOCOLATE dissolves quicker, has things in it that are healthy, and it makes you (me especially) HAPPY! Just thought I would help you fellow CHOCOLATE LOVERS feel even better about indulging in your passion! Why don't you go have some CHOCOLATE right now...ENJOY!

STACK "EM UP!

2007-09-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Anyway you stack 'em these are something fun! One of my family's favorite songs is "I Am A Child of God". Part of the chorus is "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me...", so these are a sweet reminder of that message. The pink and brown stack is for a girl's room...kind of obvious?! I have a thing for pink and brown lately, and polka dots; they are tied together with a brown ribbon with pink polka dots of course! The other stack is for a boy's room or a family room. These don't need to be tied together as they can stack on their own, but for fun I twisted some heavy wire around this bunch and then curled the ends around my wooden kitchen spoon.

Are you starting to think about all the possibilities? Choose your favorite verse, poem, phrase or words; then pick your colors and stack 'em up! Along with a different color on each block, you could pick a different font for each block of words.

Here's one for Thanksgiving: TURKEY, BLESSINGS, PUMPKIN PIE...naturally two out of three deal with food?! You are probably wondering why I didn't include CHOCOLATE in that group, but I really do like pumpkin pie...with fresh whipped cream of course!

For winter, how about LET IT SNOW! This was my husband's favorite set of stackers; do you think it has something to do with winter meaning the end of yard work?

Watch Your Step...it's a DOOZEY!

2007-08-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my husband was going down our stairs intending to go outside and mow the lawn, but didn't quite make it...yes, he fell down the stairs! By evening he finally decided he wasn't just going to shake it off and we spent Saturday night in Urgent Care..what a hot date! After a long wait and some xrays, he was diagnosed with a broken arm and was sent home with a splint, a sling and some pain pills. On the positive side, I got quite a bit of TWILIGHT read that night...every woman in the waiting room, including the receptionist, was reading TWILIGHT or NEW MOON or ECLIPSE...funny huh?!

I think our whole family has fallen on our stairs at some point, so I thought I had better put up a warning, Watch Your Step...it's a DOOZEY! One of the nice things about vinyl is that it is easy to put up and easy to take down. Since you can peel it off without hurting your walls, it is a fun thing to put up for special events, holidays, or to just remind someone that you love them...then change it with the season. It took my husband a few trips up and down the stairs to actually see my new vinyl message as he is trying so hard not to fall again he looks down a lot!

There are lots of fun messages you can put right on your front door too...WELCOME, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, THE WITCH IS IN!, LET IT SNOW!, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLY!, IT'S A GIRL! and many more! Put a vinyl love note on the bathroom mirror for a member of your family, or write your goals on your bedroom mirror as a daily reminder. Vinyl words can stay up as long as you want or just until they serve their purpose...hope this gives you some ideas!

PROLOUGUE (Can you tell I've been doing alot of reading lately?!) After going to the an Orthopedic today and getting the Radiologist' report, it doesn't look like my husband broke his arm afterall...good news, we think? He still can't move his arm very much and feels kind of like he was beat up in a fight...and lost! The diagnosis now is that he either did something to his rotator cuff, tore a tendon or just bruised a tendon. Time and a possible MRI will tell?! We are hoping for the bruise...surgery sounds like a four letter word to me!?

Remember to Watch your step...it can be a DOOZEY!

Nothing Grows like Love & Grandchildren...

2007-07-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought I would ever encourage writing on newly painting walls with a permanent marker?! Well, I wholeheartedly endorse it! My oldest daugther, her husband and my only grandchild have been visiting from back East...so fun! Yesterday, before they flew home (so sad!), we marked little Mckinlay's height on my growth wall...no more pencil marks on the back door for me! This is just the first of many projects I want to do to make my house a fun place for my grandchildren to come. They will hopefully enjoy measuring their growth and seeing how much they have grown since the last time they were at Grandma's house.

Alongside the 1 ft thru 6 ft markings, I chose to put the saying, Nothing Grows like love & Grandchildren. I've done other growth charts where they've chosen to write their family name... The Smith Kids...Watch Us Grow! If you don't want to write on your walls you could just use this growth chart as a measurment wall. If you want something more mobile because you are in an apartment or not in your final house, you could do this chart on a long wood board or full length mirror that you mount on the wall. Then you could could easily move it to your next home.

As I mentioned before, this is the first of many projects to turn my house into a "grandchild friendly" one...especially since grandchild #2 is on it's way! My oldest son and his wife will be having a little girl about the end of October...HURRAY! So in addition to my chocolate philosophy, another one is, as one of my wood boards says...
There's no place like home, except Grandma's!

WELCOME...

2007-07-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Chocolates for Breakfast! If you are wondering what chocolate has to do with vinyl lettering...just as chocolate sweetens your life (well, mine for sure!), vinyl lettering sweetens your home! And yes, I really do eat chocolate for breakfast! This will mainly be a photo blog for those of you that ask, "Do you have a web site that I can look at?" I've grouped things into different albums for your convenience: Wood Boards, Tiles & More, and Wall Words...look for HOLIDAY items and the end of each album. If you don't see something you would like, just ask! I can do almost anything and enjoy doing custom orders, with several options of vinyl and paint colors.
Please check back often to see my latest pictures. For more information, or to place an order email me at chocolatesforbreakfast@gmail.com.

Remember...there's always room for chocolate!
Kathy Jo

I made a board book about our family for my little granddaughter.
This is my page.