ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

most of you know that i'm having a baby in 9 days, right? okay, just making sure. so i'm definitely in that last-minute-get-everything-done nesting phase. the furniture still needs to be swapped from my 2 year old's room into the baby's room. we still have to put together a dresser and storage cubby-thing. i have a million and ten things that i want to hang on the walls, in both rooms but my husband doesn't love when i hang things myself... but he also doesn't want to do it. [i'll probably just take the reins on this one and just do it myself] anyway, the nursery is just being recycled since i'm having another girl. it's the " brooke " line from pottery barn, and i still love it: owls, birds, trees, lots of color! i found this stamp at michael's yesterday and fell in love. i'd been wanting to do some hoop art for her room, and thought this would be perfect. well, i also needed to make a few things...

i had so many fun things to show you today, that i was able to finish this weekend... but you'll have to settle for the photos i took with my phone. lame, i know! i finally finished that yarn wreath that i wrapped but never embellished. i am beside myself in love with it: and while i was in crafting mode i also wrapped a cardboard "A" with yarn. but now, of course, i want to change it to a gray yarn. either way i love how it turned out [sorry the photo is sooo small] and here's my whole entry wall, that i'm finally considering to be "complete"... not finished, because i'll always be changing and rearranging, but just  complete . [of course i have big plans to add white beadboard to the wall, and paint the table black... but those are long-term goals. for now, it's complete] oh, and just in case you're thinking that huge outdated air conditioner thing is such an eye-sore... i know it is! i tried putting the hoop art directly on to...

hi friends. i wanted to let you know about [and remind you of] a few things that are going on right now: first, please take a minute to visit  my friend Kim's blog , where she has sixteen lovely giveaway items waiting for you! $2 gets you one entry to the item of your choice. $25 gets you 15 entries (up to ten entries per item). and every penny goes to this place in Ethiopia called "Restoration Orphanage" that is in dire need of funds right now. the children are not doing well and they need money, like yesterday. i know we can all give a few bucks! and if you do, you can enter to win a set of ALL NINE of my flower tutorials  [a $60 value], or a set of finished headbands. remember how cute they are? go back to this post to refresh :) they're just sitting in my "craft room" waiting to be claimed and shipped to a deserving home. it could be your home that i ship to, for just a couple dollars?! okay, and also, i had to let you know that Nicole over at Red ...

hi friends! i'm new to virtual coffee world, but it looks like lots of fun. thanks for stopping by! if we were having coffee today, i'd be sipping my usual: a teaspoon of instant coffee [ralph's brand organic] with a few tablespoons of hot cocoa [trader joe's organic fair trade]. oh, and i'd be using my cute new mug that our small group pastor and his wife gave us the other night when they came over for dinner. such a  thou ghtful  gift! we'd probably take a seat at my new dining room table, and discuss my big plans for a much cuter and more colorful centerpiece. but for now, the candlesticks are fine. you would probably ask where i got my doily coasters, and i'd give you the link to buy them . and then i'd tell you that  this is why i've been M.I.A. the past couple days. not answering your phone calls and texts, or joining you on all those fun playdates. lots of flower making and lots and lots and lots of headband attaching...