New CafePress Store...

I just opened a store on CafePress. I thought this would be a great place to offer some of our original artwork in print. The store still needs some work, but it's up and running, so check it out ~ SHOP_AKDesigns.

Have fun shopping!

New Free Peace Flower...

I just posted a new free machine embroidery design on my yahoo group.

My daughter has drawn several "Peace" themed designs for me to digitize. She's 15 and obsessed with all things peace related! I LOVE them all, but wanted to start with this Peace Flower; it's so sweet and adorable. I'm offering the medium size free for my yahoo group members. I really hope you love it as much as I do!!

If you have a teenage girl or do much embroidery for teenagers, you will have to have this design ;D

Download it FREE today!

• If you're a member of my yahoo group, just Click Here to download [or go directly to the group and login and download]
  
• If you're not a member of my yahoo group, just Click Here to join the group, then click on "Files", then "Free Designs", then download any of the free designs that interest you ~ Have Fun!

#468 Peace Flower ~ Medium Size [digitized]

Original Artwork

Please Note: Free designs are only posted for 6 months. If this post is older than 6 months, the design will no longer be posted for free, but you can still purchase it @ AKDesigns Boutique.

Have fun stitching!

New Free Applique Bunny...

I just posted a new free machine embroidery design on my yahoo group.

Isn't he just so cute? I used the bunny from my bunny font and made a few modifications to make him an applique [and a few other slight changes]. It's something that I've wanted to do for quite a while and had several requests for. I hope you LOVE him as much as I do!

Download it today!

• If you're a member of my yahoo group, just Click Here to download
  
• If you're not a member of my yahoo group, just Click Here to join the group, then click on "Files", then "Free Designs", then download any of the free designs that interest you ~ Have Fun!
  

Please Note: Free designs are only posted for 6 months. If this post is older than 6 months, the design will no longer be posted for free, but you can still purchase it @ AKDesigns Boutique.

Have fun stitching!

Tape Yourself

I wanted to post this article that I read in Runner's World for all my friends that have aches and pains while exercising.

You can click on the article to enlarge and read...

Enjoy!

#386 Preppy Dots Frame Set

I just finished a new machine embroidery frame set ~ it's so preppy and cute! It's my #386 Preppy Dots Frame. The set includes 3 sizes.

Find it here ~ AKDesigns Boutique
This frame will look good on so many things - beach towels, bath towels, linen towels, totes, backpacks, cosmetic bags, bibs, stitch it on the kiwi paper & pop in the coffee mugs ~ use your imagination!

Pictured below with my #148 CurlyQue Font

Have fun shopping!

DIY Project - Crown Molding...Part 2

Part 2 - Updates to progress on Crown Molding Project

Difficulty Level ~ HARD
Jan 4

• We painted 2nd coat on trim that we started last night
• Finished hanging the ceiling and wall trim in the kitchen [now family room and kitchen have all ceiling and wall trim]
• Finished hanging the crown molding in the family room [the family room is complete]

Jan 6

• We finished hanging the crown in the kitchen [short 1 piece, we ran out of trim].

DIY Project - Crown Molding...Part 1

New Year's Day we started working on our first DIY project of the year. We're adding crown molding to our main level [living room, family room and kitchen] and I thought it would be fun to journal our progress here and share some tips and pictures. It's really been a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. I can't believe how good it looks!


Difficulty Level ~ HARD

Purchased supplies:

• 12" Dual Compound Miter Saw - this made it a lot easier for Jeff to cut the crown molding angles
• 16 gauge finish nailer [air] - no hammering for us ;D
• 2" finishing nails
• Angle protractor
• Paint
• Paint brushes / supplies
• Saw horses
• Additional ladder - 2 are really needed
• Caulk
• Wood filler
• 2 primed contractor packs of base board trim [120' each]
• 2 primed contractor packs of crown molding [60' each]

Supplies we already had:

• Brad nailer [air]
• Brad nails
• Chalk line
• Tape measure
• Level
• Air compressor
• Ladder
• Pencils

Jan 1

• We painted 2 coats of white paint on several pieces of trim
• Researched how to terminate the ends [we're using 3 separate pieces of trim]

Jan 3

• Measured and marked where ceiling and wall trim will be hung for all of family room [we used a chalk line and will not use it for the rest of our project - our walls and ceilings are not level and square, so it wasn't really accurate and the chalk line was just a BIG mess!]
• Started hanging the trim [first the ceiling, then the wall, then the crown] - hung the trim pieces in whole family room and 1/2 of the kitchen; only hung 1 piece of crown in the family room
• Painted more trim and crown pieces

Happy New Year!!!

I just want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year for 2009!


I also thought it would be nice to take a minute to reflect on some of the things that we [me, Jeff & Allie] did in 2008 that made it so awesome. I know 2009 will be even better ;D

Then, at the bottom I've included some resolutions that I hope we can use as a guideline for the coming year.


I hope I didn't leave too much out, it's hard to remember everything ;D

2008 Family Fun:

• Spent spring break in Florida and had a wonderful vacation. Allie brought her friend Nylet and my mom and dad even stopped by for a couple of days. It was a great time at the beach.
• This will seem kind of morbid, but Jeff & I spent a few days in AR with his family when his granny passed away. We really did have a good time visiting with everyone, so even though we were there for a sad occasion it was nice.
• Jeff's family [mom, sister, brother-in-law and 2 nephews] spent a few days with us over Memorial weekend. We spent one day doing touristy stuff in Dahlonega and Helen and another day at Six Flags.
• Allie & I spent some time in Evansville visiting with my family during the summer. We were able to see my grandpa and some of my uncles, aunts and cousins.
• Jeff's dad spent a couple of days here right before Thanksgiving. We had a great lunch the day he left @ Sushi Nami. He showed us how to properly eat sushi [like cleansing your palette with ginger in between types - who knew?]. He also had us try several kinds of sushimi [just plain raw fish] - it was surprisingly good, especially the salmon.
• My mom, sister and nephew came to spend Thanksgiving with us. For the first time ever we did the "Midnight Shopping Madness"! We had a great time - we shopped from Midnight to 9am!
• Allie & I spent a couple of days in Evansville before Christmas. It was good to see Grandpa feeling a little better.
• We all started mountain biking again.

2008 Jeff Awesomeness:

• Logged nearly 500 running miles in 2008 - WOW
• Mountain biked at Central Park alone - lots
• Got a promotion, raise and title change at work - yeah!!
• Worked really, really hard so that Angie could continue to stay at home and work instead of getting a "real" job ;D
• DIY projects - ran electric, phone and network cable in the basement; hung drywall in basement; and painted the main level of the house

2008 Fun for Angie:

• Trained for and competed in a sprint Triathlon
• Trained for and walked in the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast cancer in memory of my grandmothers
• Played tennis [Alta spring and fall leagues] and went to playoffs in the fall
• Spent a girls week at the beach with Debbie, Sonia and Lou
• Started playing poker monthly for a girls night out
• DIY projects - Painted faux treatment on one wall in living room; helped Jeff with paint in the rest of the main floor; helped tape & mud drywall in the basement

Allie's 2008 Accomplishments/Fun:

• Finished her freshman year with all a's and 1 b
• Got her driver's permit
• Had the best summer ever just hanging out with her best friends [Kate, Same and Katy]
• Had a great time going to concerts ~ a total of 5
• Went to Six Flags several times over the summer with friends
• Spent a lot of time at the pool this summer just hanging out
• Started mountain biking again
• Is getting great grades this semester [she works so hard]!
• Got her first car ~ a silver Beetle!
  

2009 Family Resolutions:

• Eat at home more [cook more ;D]
• Be more active [mountain biking & hiking together]
• Keep a close eye on what buy
• Try to get more sleep [all of us stay up too late]
• Pick up after ourselves so the house will stay cleaner
• Spend more time together as a family

My 2009 Resolutions:

• Eat healthier foods and think about what and why I'm eating
  
• Improve my tennis game
• Take Max for a 30 minute walk daily [at least most days]
• Keep up with house work better [try to keep main floor company ready at all times]
• Continue to grow my business

I'm not very good at this, but if I'm going to talk about all the great things that happened in 2008 I guess I need to touch on a couple of not so good things too. Jeff's granny passed away earlier this year and she will be missed a lot - she was always full of smiles and laughter. Also, my grandpa has been ill all year and in and out of the hospital. It has been very hard for me to watch him while he is so sick and frail. It's also been hard to see how tired it's made my dad - it has really taken a toll on him as well.