Its Monday and a new week :)

Hi, I hope everyone is enjoying some little bit of spring this week. In the southwest it has been gorgeous. I had such a busy week. I sure hope this week is a little more balanced. I did manage to get a few things made, but I so wanted to do more. I suppose its like that for us all. These 4 cupcake pillows are going out to a bakery shop in Seattle. I hope they do well. It could be the beginning of something good! Next up this week is my bargain of the year. LOL I was at Joanns buying glue and fiber fill and I saw these spools of wired ribbon. They were on clearance for .50cents each. I bought 16!!! I got 5 rolls of pink too. OK, next is awesome pink glass jars and bottles I received from my friend. She is clearing out and downsizing and had these pink things and thought of me. Imagine that. LOL I love them. AND last but not least, I received my advance copy of STUDIOS magazine that I am featured in. It hits the stands March 31st. Its a beautiful issue with some very inspiring studios. This handsome guy in the photo with me is one of my cats. He is a rather large 25 pound Maine Coone cat and his name is Googars. (Dont ask, I have no idea where that name came from, my DD April named him. lol) So, this is whats new in my life.... I cant wait to visit your blogs and see whats new in yours.... Until next time,,,,,have a pretty week.. gail

Easter for Pink Friday

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday - March 27, 2009 as we present Easter Memories.On Easter mornings, when we were children, we would awaken to discover Spring had magically arrived overnight... and delivered some delightful surprises. The world was new again and filled with treasures just waiting for us to discover them. Tall chocolate bunnies hidden in springtime flower beds. Eggs delicately painted like rainbows, waiting in the grass. Plush rabbits in ruffled dresses and straw hats, sitting in white baskets, eager to become our very special friends. We'd hunt together with our friends and family, oohing and aahing over each person's discovery... but secretly knowing that the treasures we found were made just for us. Now that we're older, the newness of Spring and the thrill of the annual Easter hunt can be rediscovered every time we seek out a treasure in a vintage shop or exclusive boutique. Perhaps we're not searching for chocolate wrapped in sparkly foil or rainbow colored treats. We might not even be sure what we're seeking, but we recognize these treasures the instant we see them. A vintage hanky embroidered so delicately you can't help but wonder about the woman behind its design. A crystal bracelet reflecting a color that's "just so" when the sunlight shines on it in "just that way". The ideal display for a certain corner that's been looking slightly forlorn - not missing just anything, but the perfect thing. The moment we discover them, our hearts feel a little thrill and, just for that moment, the world is new again and we feel reborn. As if someone hid this treasure in a secret corner just for us to find, and our hearts recognize them before we even know what we've discovered. At Make Mine Pink, you may not find the foil wrapped bunnies or the colorful eggs, but you will always discover a thrilling hunt for the perfect treasure that stirs up feelings of Spring.

Did I ever tell you....

I am a non-stop doodler! If I have a pencil in my hand, something is going to get drawn on! This is my desk calander from my job. As you can see, its been a little slow around the office. In fact we joke that we keep coming in every day, but I feel like someone forgot to tell us to not show up anymore. LOL

This is a quilt my friend Judy made. She actually does some very detailed and intricate ones, but I had my camera handy. I love the kittys on this quilt. Judy and I have been BFF's since we were about 11 years old. So, thats about 40 years now. This is three of her dogs. Kahlua is the Carin Terrier and Glory is the Westie and Rowdy is the Australian Shepard, with her new hair cut. The are my God Dogs, ( I am in the will!) These three dogs are therapy dogs who volunteer at hospitals and visit patients,,,,so they are awesome.

And since yesterday was the first day of spring I planted some flowers. Its almost to late in AZ for flowers. Its getting so hot here, its been around 90. They burn up here in the summer. I put them on my porch and they will be in the complete shade all day, so they should do well. So, everyone have a fantastic first week of spring and until next time......

Spring Shop Hop and Show and Tell Monday

Be sure to visit the post below this one to get all of the details for the big event going on at Make Mine Pink. Make sure to register for the Spring Shop Hop for your opportunity to win some beautiful prizes!

This weekend I was very busy creating new designs. I have lots cut out and ready to sew. I did redesign my Chocolate Easter Bunny pillow. I like it much better now. Sometimes I get lucky on my first try, sometimes its back to the drawing board. I love this process. Its totally relaxing to me. I also wanted to add some new jewelry. This bracelet is made with faux pearls and some hand made polymer clay roses. Marie Segal is a wonderful artist and I love using her roses.

After a lot of thinking, stressing and just plain freaking out, I have made a decision. A really important one! I am leaping and hoping the net will aprear. A door has been closing for awhile. I have been looking frantically for open windows. My job will soon be ending. It has lasted longer than I thought, but the writing is on the wall. I will stay there as long as I can, but when it does close I am going through that window. LOL I will be devoting 100 percent of my time to Gail Friend Designs. I have searched out some selling options that look great. I have a few national ads coming out and will be featured in the upcoming STUDIOS magazine. (March 31 if ya all want to see me:) ) I have been fighting up hill battles for a long time now. The only thing that has been falling into place has been my website and my wonderful membership with Make Mine Pink. I learned a long time ago, if your fighting something, let it go. Its not meant to be and if it is , it will fall into place nice and easy. I am really looking forward to the future and all it holds. I know its going to be a great thing!

Spring Shop Hop at Make Mine PInk

Starting March 16th!
The joyful march into spring begins, a cacophony of bird calls fills the blue skies, the trees show their fresh green buds, and the tulips start to poke their heads from the earth to face the sunshine. Colors are about to burst forth, and the earth will be new again. With fresh eyes, we are stocking our shelves with pretty greens, bright yellows, vibrant pinks, and beautiful blues. For the Boutiques at Make Mine Pink, spring cleaning is over, and we would love to show off our fresh new colors and exciting spring merchandise.

Please join us for our "March Into Spring" Shop Hop from March 16 through March 21, 2009. The shop hop is open to anyone that would like to participate (limit one registration per physical address). Please register if you would like to participate.
How to Play
Each of the participating boutiques at the bottom of this page has hidden a Make Mine Pink shopping bag somewhere on its website. Find the shopping bag, and click on it to return to MMP and mark it off your list. At the end of the shop hop, depending on the number of bags you found, you will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

There is no cost to play. All we ask is that you enjoy yourself and take your time looking for the shopping bags—you wouldn't want to miss out on any of the fine products our boutiques are offering during this promotion.

This Friday~~~ A touch of Whimsy

Once in a while, it's fun to take a detour from the normal "a place for everything and everything in its place" ritual and include some whimsical touches in our daily routines. Add a few teasing twists to the poised beauty around us with unexpected delights that give us a little flutter.Tucked away in the corner of a beautifully painted, chic shelf filled with plates covered in hand painted roses, a gossamer-winged fairy, sprinkled with German glass glitter speaks of a side of us that we all let peek out now and again. From a romantic Victorian display made of white vintage wire, a gold garnished teacup and saucer edged with pink and blue buds, spill out another whimsical treat: a tiny bird with a bejewelled beak in a doily nest. The formal tea set with a splash of frivolity reveals a secret sense of silliness we hope to never outgrow. A fairy's magic wand, trussed with a garden pink ribbon and planted in a basket of practicalities, adds an unspoken wish for excitement. Small dashes of dreams make ordinary items extraordinary and diffuse a fine mist of fantasy and fun into everything you do.Paper cupcakes on a tray, teapots tied with bows, a porcelain doll collection in the corner of your room, fairies dancing on pink cupcakes, lacy vintage doilies and gossamer bows. Whatever causes your whimsical self to feel a little flutter - whether be it owls, the newest (or the oldest) collectible, a small hand blown glass kitten - celebrate your whimsical side and surround yourself with things that make you smile

Its time again for Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink. Visit all of us at www.makeminepink.com/pink-friday for a fun and whimsical shopping adventure. One day only, tomorrow Friday , March 13th

Hi :) Its spring in AZ

Hi, I hope everyone is well this week. Its been hard to stay in and work this week. I have had spring fever really bad. The weather has been just beautiful. The orange trees are in blossom and it is the most beautiful scent. The air in the evenings is the perfect temprature and smells like heaven and the birds are singing their little hearts out. :) These are some blossoms I photographed near my home. I am also beginning to work on Easter projects. This is a Chocolate Easter Bunny pillow. I am not 100 percent happy with it, so I am going back and making a couple adjustments on the pattern. But this is a sneak preview of one of the new things I have coming out in the next couple weeks. I hope you are begining to see signs of spring in your neighborhood too! Until next time......