Pugfest 2010

Can I just say that today was amazing!! We attended Pugfest, which is a little halloween puggy get together to help raise money for SEPRA-southeastern pug rescue!  This was Olive's second year attending & we had a BLAST!!! There were hundreds of little pugs everywhere, most in costume!  I can't speak for Olive but I was in heaven (pretty sure she was too)!!  If you think you can handle the cuteness - here are some photos of our day!!! 

& this was sweet Olive on the ride home...all tuckered out. adorable.

Happy Halloweenie!! Olive sends her puggy wiggles & kisses!! 

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friday favorites

[a few of my favorite things - iphone edition]

Okay, so as much as I try to hide it...I am intensely in love with my iphone.  I never thought I would be labeled as a person who couldn't live without her cell phone...but indeed it is true, the love is real & there is no denying.  It fulfills so many roles for me, my personal assistant (it keeps me on task), my best friend (we laugh, we cry...) & my confidante (it keeps good secrets...like my bank account balance)! 

I thought I would list some of my favorite apps in this special friday favorites - iphone edition! 

So here we go, in no particular order, because it would just be too hard to choose...

Shakeit photo is one of my go-to camera apps, it produces images as close to a real instant camera as possible & therefore is near & dear to my heart. (it also has real polaroid-ish sound effects & a shake to develop feature) Very exciting! 

Crossprocess is my newest love, made by the same company as Shakeit Photo, it emulates one of my favorite analog film techniques, cross processing! 

Instagram is an easy fun way to share photos with friends or on social networking sites like twitter & facebook.  It also has nifty filters to make your photos look more like analog film as well.

So when it comes to business & keeping all my ducks in a row...I use Awesome Note.  Because it is exactly that...awesome.  The layout & design is easy to use & easy on the eyes.  I use this to keep a to-do list of all my upcoming orders & with the ability to make due dates, etc. for myself I always stay on track.  It's also a simple way to jot down all my ideas when I am on the go, it even includes a place for photos for inspiration & such. 

There isn't a *magic* etsy app, at least for shop owners, just yet.  But Etsy addict & Etsy shop tools both give me basic information on my etsy shop, I can read feedback, relist items & see who hearts my shop &/or individual items.  These work great in the meantime, but I'm still holding out for an app made especially for sellers. 

I use the free version of mobile rss to keep up with all my favorite blogs through google reader.  The layout is simple & effective & provides me with a great time filler if I get held up at the post office or in long lines, etc. :) 

& lastly to unwind & sometimes get wound up (it's an addictive & frustratingly fun game) I play Angry Birds.  Basically you use your logic & mad skillz to catapult angry birds to demolish fortresses.  

Well now you know about my not-so-secret love affair with my iphone & some of weaknesses/time killers!  I hope everyone is having a Happy Happy Friday & has awesome plans for Halloween weekend!! As for the Perry household, we are going to start off our festivities with our annual trip to PUGFEST!!! Yes that's right, its a festival just for PUGS!! Little Olive is beyond excited...I will definitely be posting all about it later!! hugs & cheek pecks! 

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sigh....

Pretty sure I am in *love* with the photos from Bleubird's recent "what we wore" post...that sweet baby Gemma is donning some Pleasantly Plump Moccasins with a blue tutu!!!! I don't think it gets any cuter than that.  I'm kinda wishin' I had a big girl version of her outfit!

To view the rest of this amazingly hip family's outfits go here! They are too adorable to pass up!  So glad it's Thursday-almost-Friday!! I am about to soak up some of this fantastic weather by finishing up some orders on my back deck! hugs. 

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I survived one month!

Monday marked one month of me being on my own since I quit my day job so I thought it would be fun to share how Pleasantly Plump came about! So without further ado...

I taught myself to knit while still in college, I was a fine arts major & found knitting to be a really relaxing & meditative way to unwind in between working on school projects.  I never really took it seriously (i.e. I made tons of scarves) until I graduated & finally learned how to make something other than a really long rectangle.  I think my knitting obsession really began the day that I taught myself to knit in the round on double pointed needles...be. still. my. heart. (it's still my favorite way to knit) & then came cabling, etc., etc.  My love & excitement for yarn & those two needles (or four) began!

Fast forward a couple years, I woke up one day & found myself as an administrative assistant in a corporate setting.  The details of how I got there are still fuzzy to me...I never imagined I would end up behind a desk making copies & excel spreadsheets, but none-the-less I was there & quite unfulfilled to say the least. That was when I really turned to my best friend, knitting, & started playfully dreaming about an alternative.  I started bringing my knitting bag with me everywhere (even to work) & would knit every chance I got.  Some of my co-workers at the time seemed interested in what I was making & started suggesting I sell some of my work but it was a conversation with my husband & my competitive & stubborn nature that really brought forth Pleasantly Plump [Knits.].  I had been obsessing over & coveting a new dslr camera for weeks so I would casually bring it up to Creed as much as possible, leaving ever so subtle hints that maybe he should buy it for me, ha! (it had a hefty price tag).  During one of these subtle conversations I playfully said I would sell enough of my knitted pieces to buy the camera for myself & well, we both kind of chuckled at the idea.  But the more I thought about it the more I saw it as a challenge...

By the end of a few days of heavily day dreaming & brainstorming, I had a name, a logo, an overall idea of what I wanted my brand to be & look like & the rest is history.  I had enough money for my camera (a new lense & a spiffy camera bag) within a few months.  I ended up retiring from my life as an assistant not so long after but always had another "day job" to help pay the bills.  I never really knew exactly where Pleasantly Plump would take me but at the time it provided an escape from a job I dreaded & a way to make extra money on the side.  It basically stayed that way until the day I decided it was much more than that, it was my labor of love & one of the driving forces in my life.

So far, this first month has been amazing!  It's no easy feat, I end up working way more hours than a typical day job, but it's so much more rewarding & never feels like "work." One of my favorite inspirational things to read is Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" posts so I plan on doing my own version in one of my next posts by answering some of my favorite questions.

Thanks for reading!  Happy Wednesday!!! ♥ Pin It

Halloween Cupcake Topper Download

We had a little pumpkin carving get-together on Saturday! (so fun!!!)  I made some of my favorite family recipe comfort foods - cheesy potato soup, my mom's famous olive dip & one of my favorite pumpkin recipes, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, I usually follow the original recipe as written...they are sooo good (even better the next morning, they taste like a pumpkin coffee cake!)

I decided to make some super quick & easy Halloween-y muffin/cupcake toppers to add some fun to the spread & I thought I would share!

I printed them out on a cream color, textured cardstock (it's actually the same cardstock I used when I made my wedding invites, it's my go-to paper). I cut them out & used a little drop of hot glue to attach the toothpick to the back.  You can definitely use tape & if you want to get super fancy you can make them double sided by gluing two together.  I was in a hurry but think they turned out fun & everyone seemed to enjoy them.  

Click here to download .pdf

Hope you enjoy!! I would love to see photos if you decide to use them! 

Time to get back to work!  It has been exactly one month on my own since I "quit my day job" so I will be back later to do a little post about how Pleasantly Plump [Knits.] got started & how life is now that I work for myself!  So until then...Happy Monday!!! xoxo. 

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Hey Friday!!!

I seriously can't believe it's Friday already! There is no doubt that time flies when you are having fun!!! I've been a busy little bee & haven't made much computer time for myself (or my little blog)!  One thing is for sure...I am definitely loving life & the opportunities that have been presenting themselves lately!! I also know a few other things for sure like...

my new knitting bag arrived today & well, I'm already in love with her.  

this photo is one of my all-time favs of my Creed, pretty sure he's the most adorable thing ever!  I used some of our mustache-y photos in my Halloween decorating this year...
(wish I could shrink him down & put him in my pocket)

these little-big pumpkins have been calling my name all week, can't wait to carve them tomorrow! 

& the last thing I know for sure....a bang trim can indeed make you feel like a million dollars! 

Happy Happy Friday!  This afternoon I am working on some little Halloween-y muffin/cupcake toppers to go on some yummy Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins I am making for our little carving get together tomorrow.  The toppers are super easy & fun & only require a printer, paper & some scissors!! I will definitely share later!!! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!! xoxo. Pin It

mama needs a brand new bag...

I have been on the search for a new knitting bag lately....I carry my knitting bag around with me EVERYWHERE!  I feel naked without it, so I wanted a little upgrade - more pockets, a zipper top, adjustable strap, big enough for my yarn & durable but still stylish & fun. I turned to etsy vintage & found so many fun options!!!  It was seriously hard to choose, here are some of the ones that were in the running...

Vintage Blue American Tourister Overnight bag

Mustard Travel Bag

Turquoise Blue Weekender Bag

Retro Schoolbag 

& THIS is the one I decided on!!! It was a tough decision, I kinda wanted all of them :)

from Marjiew's sweet shop 

So excited to fill it up with all my little knitting knick knacks!!! I plan on sewing a new lining for the inside & maybe jazz it up with some embroidery on the outside...Can't wait to get it!!!  Hope everyone's Tuesday is going swimmingly!  hugs. 

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oh Monday!

I had the best, most amazing, yet tiring weekend!!!  We crammed a lot into those two little weekend days & had a blast!!  I am very thankful for the amazing weather (I wish I could hug you, Fall) & the time spent with friends & my sweet Creed!

We did a little hiking....& made it to the top!!! (it's a small mountain)

& a little pumpkin picking...

We had to get some loot for our yearly Pumpkin Carving party this Saturday!! Can't wait! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend as well!! Now its back to business, I am in full knit mode for the rest of the day!  I will hopefully have a little shop update later this week!! Happy Happy Monday! ♥

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Sunday words

[because words can... remind you that you are free]

To Be Brave by Mae Chevrette

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friday favorites

[a few of my favorite things from the past week]

My candy corn inspired nails!!! 

Which leads me to...

this candy corn pug hat!!!! *in love* Jessica Lynne Art

OVERSIZED knits by YesJess 

Am I the only one dying over that HUGE pom pom?!?!

The copious amounts of chai tea I have consumed.  

source

& lastly even though it hasn't happened yet 

my Friday dinner date with my Handsome will no doubt top the favorites list off.  

Happy Happy Friday to all!  I hope everyone has awesome weekend plans.  Mine may or may not include climbing a small mountain, adding some new cuteness to the Mr. Mustache collection & pumpkin patch-ing it.  hugs & cheek pecks! 

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