A Birthday Bag

My lifelong friend, Corey, sent me this amazing new bag made out of Amy Butler fabrics for my birthday. Does Corey know me or what!?! I was just thinking today that I didn't have the perfect bag for our Hawaii trip and then UPS delivered this cute new purse today, the day before we leave!

I LOVE Amy Butler fabrics and the bag is the perfect size for so many occasions. I love handmade things. I just absolutely love them.

This beautiful bag was made by anadeau and you can visit her Simply Handmade shop on Etsy.

A Better View

When we bought our house over 5 years ago, we swore that these hideous ceiling fans with the short blades would be the first thing to go.

Instead, we looked at them every day and did many other things around our house. I didn't love most ceiling fans in stores and wanted ones that had a modern feel to them. Finally, I bought fans at Costco and we had them installed last week. I love the new look and they have a great remote that attaches to our lightswitch. Our new view. (It looks better in person but I took this photo at night.)

A beautiful new pincushion

My dear friend, Sara, who constantly amazes me with her talents, made me this pincushion for my birthday - a perfect accessory to my new sewing machine. The detail is hard to see in the photo but, trust me, it is exquisite. The small strawberry has little beads in it so you can sharpen your needles.

I just love this gift and am tempted to put it on display as a work of art somewhere in my home.

The Runner's Cookbook

Our friend, Jenny Crain, an elite runner, was hit by a car last year while running and is involved in a long-term recovery after suffering severe neck and head injuries.

This cookbook, which features recipes from world-class runners, benefits Jenny's Make It Happen Fund as well as the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund.

Ryan Shay was running in the 2008 U. S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon last November when he collapsed and died.

We just bought this cookbook to support these two funds. You can check out the cookbook here.