celebrate part 1

After taking M out for dinner (stay tuned tomorrow for that post) we were invited by his birthday sharing friend to go to the CD release show for two local musicians: Sean Rowe and Railbird.

 Sean Rowe opened his set with accompaniment by three members of Railbird.

The space where the show took place was really neat, it's an old church converted into a performance / art space.

 Sean Rowe was celebrating the official release of his new record on Anti, pretty awesome accomplishment! Anti has a roster of some of today's best bands, he's in good company!

 Railbird is from Saratoga, NY. They kind of remind me of female fronted, experimental psychedelic pop rock...at times reminiscent of Blonde Redhead. Their set was definitely captivating.

 After the show, we headed right for Biergarten because M and his friend wanted to share birthday boots when the 25th turned into the 26th. But the Biergarten has a strict policy that even if it's past midnight, you can't get your birthday boot beer until the EVENING of your birthday...which meant the bartender would serve M's friend, but refused to give M a birthday boot unless we came back saturday night. So, disappointed, the boys decided to skip the boot, and both just got giant beers instead. We did NOT go back saturday night to get M a boot.

We were there late, and it was a snowy night, so the place was pretty empty. Which was great for me, because I was finally able to take this clear photo of my favorite corner of the room. Love the stacked wood and antelope head!

This week...

...lazy Sunday with turkey tacos.
...decided to start insuring all of my etsy orders since the post office has managed to lose about a dozen on me since Christmas time :/
...started another round of Beachbody Insanity with M. I want to get into a bikini this summer!!
...had a dream that I won $75,000 on a slot machine. I wish!!
...stupidly drove to work in a major snowstorm, then ended up leaving early anyway.
...took M to a sushi buffet for his bday dinner
...unexpectedly went to a show & the biergarten
...baked German chocolate cupcakes for M's birthday.

-- Post From My iPhone

happy birthday, M

Happy Birthday M!

I love you even more than way back when this picture was taken 3 years ago.

suggestions

1. Mario Bros Mushroom Pendant

2. Alien Invader Calendar

3. Pacman Pendants

4. Spiderman Pinball Machine Ornament

5. Kong Limited Edition Linoprint

6. Mario Cross Stitch Portrait Miniatures

letters

Dear Self,

Motivation. Don't forget.

Dear Apartment, 

No offense, but I can't wait for the day that we get to say goodbye to you. You are drafty, outdated, and totally not soundproofed. 

Dear Avacados,

You are my favorite. If I could include you with every meal, I totally would.

Dear Hair,

It's almost time for a trim, what do you say we go for a little color this time too?

birthday birthday part 2

After stuffing ourselves with all the yummy food, we went outside to huddle around a mid-february fire. The moon was full, the temperature was low, and the wind was high. Back inside we went!

birthday birthday part 1

 M and one of his oldest friends have consecutive birthdays that happen to be this friday and saturday.

 M is working on his birthday saturday, so we had a dual party for both of them this past weekend.

 Here are some photos of the delicious spread.

M chatting with our friend Amanda.

a taste of spring

Friday it was warm enough to open up the door and let some fresh air in. Miyagi approves.

february giveaway winner and sponsors wanted!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We have a few sponsorship spots open for the month of MARCH, and once again they will be FREE!

Our sponsorship formats come in two different sizes:

If you are interested in running either size for the month of January please email us.

Large ads have the opportunity to also sponsor a giveaway and have a sponsor profile post if you choose. 

Please state in your email whether you are interested in doing either.

Please get in touch soon before these spots are snatched up!

windshielddiaries

[at]

gmail.com

This week...

...dinner with my family and M.
...won Sherri's sweet giveaway!
...surprise sushi date for Valentine's Day.
...met the cutest little cat at the mechanic shop when we picked up M's van.
...went to see Colour Revolt and say 'hi' to M's friend from Memphis who is on tour with them.
...bought up a TON of candy hearts on clearance to use for new CAPow! Shop prints.
...caught a glimpse of spring, and I like what I saw!
...won Ginger Mandy's Shabby Apple dress giveaway!
...hung out with friends and a bon fire for M's pre- bday bash.
...finally bit the bullet and did my taxes.

caturday

Get That Tail featuring Styles and Miyagi from CAPow CAPow on Vimeo.

suggestions

1. Left Ventricle Print

2. Sinister Tabby Print

3. Among Friends Print

4. Couple on Bikes hand cut paper

5. Sail Close To The Wind print

6. Le Petit Bike Ring

letters

Dear Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula,

You are saving my skin this winter, and you smell great! Thank you!

Dear Snow Boots,

No offense, but I'd really like to throw you in a closet and not have to look at you for a very long time. I hope you can understand.

Dear Marshalls,

Thank you for allowing me to score a LAMB bag for $20 instead of the $70 it normally retails for. Awesome.

Dear Contact Lenses,

You have been driving me crazy for the entire week. I don't want to wear my glasses any more. Please have mercy on my sore little eyes!

our valentine's day

 M surprised me by picking me up from work and taking me out for a sushi dinner.

 We shared some saki. When M encouraged me to finish the bottle I said, "Saki it to me." He started cracking up, "I was just going to say the same thing. I was going to say 'saki to me.'" <3

 M's box was a meal fit for a king.

 My avacado roll and soft shell crab roll, a delicious meal fit for someone trying to eat clean.

 The Valentine I hand painted for M. (It looks much better in real life, I promise)

After our sushi dinner we went to the market and picked up some strawberries and chocolate to make these delicious bad boys. If there was ever a good reason to break a diet, chocolate covered strawberries are totally it!

iron gate brunch

 This weekend we finally accomplished one of our long time goals: brunch with Kelly and Matt at one of their favorite breakfast spots: The Iron Gate Cafe.

 This was our first time at the Iron Gate, and we were really impressed with the quirky dining layout and the brunch specials. I wish that they had a little more variety though, most of their options were egg based dishes. A few french toast or waffle options would make this place even better.

I had the Bacado Omelet, which is filled with cheese, salsa, avacado, and bacon. It was delicious!

 

M had the Memphis Scramble, which was also delicious. Look at that cornbread!

And we made sure to take advantage of something the Iron Gate offers that you usually can't get at the diners we frequent: Mimosas. They were a little heavy handed on the champagne, but I'm not complaining!

February Giveaway

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we're bringing you our largest sponsored giveaway to date! Please check out the awesome sponsors who are generous enough to bring you this giveaway!

Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the post to enter our February Giveaway!

 

 

Hi, I'm Katie Brown and my Etsy shop is Anamorphicecho.
I am 26, and I live in Kansas City, MO with my awesome cat, Dmitriy.  I love to travel, and am hoping to be able to do more of it in the future.  My mom is my best friend, and I am currently trying to teach her to knit, and am hoping to learn crochet from her.
 

  I have been knitting off and on for about three years, but I have only started seriously knitting in the last few months.  Knitting is incredibly relaxing, and it feels great to complete a project, especially a challenging one.

I find most of my inspiration on the internet. I sometimes spend hours surfing for cool patterns.  Seeing all the other great knitters on Etsy really inspires me to become better, as well.

I listen to anything from Bob Marley, to Queen, to modern stuff like AWOLnation.  My favorite television shows are How I Met Your Mother and Bones.  The only thing I geek out over more than knitting is Harry Potter, I should really combine the two!  One of my favorite blogs is blog.shrinkle.com - she loves her cats as much as I do, and she is incredibly talented, to boot!

-I've only been on Etsy a few weeks, and I am really excited to start expanding my shop and creating more items.  I am super grateful to windshielddiaries for featuring me in her blog.  Thanks everyone, and happy shopping!  

 

Katie is generous to giveaway a super cute knit Owl hat to our winner!

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Hi!  My name is Ladipo but you can call me Ladi or Pattie (b/c pronouncing my name is hard enough in person ;p ) and I'm 22.  

http://www.mystructuredchaos.blogspot.com {blog}
http://www.cargoh.com/store/structured-chaos {shop}
 

Well, I'm the youngest of seven, and new mommy and bride-to-be!  My mother was a fashion designer that dropped everything after she had children, and my dad was an interior designer and painter. 

I wish I could say that my mother taught me to sew, but she didn't.  She didn't trust me to touch her machine, lol.  So I had to wait for the trial and error of college life to learn how to sew, but I have always loved paper crafts and would practice them regularly as a child.  As for drawing, that was something that I did only because my older sister loved to and I wanted to do something with her and have fun (she doesn't draw anymore though...bummers).

Right now I make handbags, stationary, and hair accessories. 

The journey into selling my pieces truly started in 2007 right after I graduated from high school, out of a need to relive the onslaught of everyday stress. My life had fallen apart and I was determined to pick up what was left and make something out of it. With lots of support from family and friends I worked hard to make something of myself with my own two hands.  In the beginning plans fell apart regularly, but I was determined not to let anything stop me.

Inspiration for me is found through everyday life!  Sometimes even from crafting mishaps (those are my faves).
 

It is so hard to choose favorites but I would have to say that right now I'm really loving all things wedding related, lol.  I'm getting ready for mine, and I seriously couldn't be more excited!

I hope that everyone can see a tid bit into my life and process :)  Just so you know that my biggest goal yet is to meet Martha Stewart....and I will!

Pattie is giving away these adorable handmade bracelets:

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Hi, I'm Jillian Pye and I'm 21. My etsy shop is called A Little Slice of Pye, and I also write a blog called Three for the Road.

I am a wife to Owen & a mother to Cash Lincoln, I recently quit my full time job (at a law firm) to stay at home again. We are preparing to travel the country as a family with my husband's music, which you can check out here.

I design accessories, clothing, & home wares and sell vintage clothing. I also model on the side every once in a while. I have been designing & crafting for almost 10 years. And I do it because I honestly can't see myself doing anything else--it is something I have tried to suppress for a "real" job but that never lasts long!

I get so inspired from my everyday life, I also love spending time discovering other cultures, obscure artists and seeing new places. I try to implement the idea that good design should be available to everyone.

Some of my current favs-
Music: Sufjan Stevens:The Age of Adz; Thad Cockrell:To Be Loved; Owen Pye: The Truth About Man (releasing 2/22/11)
TV: Pushing Daisies (I watch old episodes on netflix, over and over)
Books: Practical Theology for Women, by Wendy Alsup;
Blogs: (Just a few) The Snail & the Cyclops, Bicycling is for Lovers, A little Flock of Flummers, All that I Love, BleuBird Vintage, and Elise is...content
Magazines: Travel & Leisure, AliveMag St Louis

One of the biggest reasons we are going on the road is to share life and Owen's music with others! It is one of our absolute favorite things to make friends with new people and discover new places. I would be so excited if you would come out while we are on the road and said "hi" (current tour dates here) We are also working on tour dates on the East/West Coasts--if you live in these areas or know of a great place that we should visit or that Owen should play, please let me know! (jillianpye at gmail dot  com)

Jillian is generous enough to offer our giveaway winner their choice of ONE of the following headbands:

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Our final February giveaway sponsor is MJ of Made by MJ.

I love to craft and make things.  I come from a family of artists.  

I make bags, totes, and accessories.  I am starting to dapple with jewelry.  I also do photography when i have time.  

I find inspiration everywhere. Mostly in nature and things around me.

I love Neil Young, I read just about anything and everything, I love etsy.

I have been doing arts and crafts forever. It has always been part of my life.  I studied Art History and Photography in college.  I love travel and food. 

MJ is giving an adorable keychain to our giveaway winner:

* * * * * * * * * *

 

To Enter:

1. You must be a follower of Windshield Diaries to qualify.

2. Comment on this post and tell our sponsors which items in their shops are your favorites!

(please be sure to leave an email address is your comment so that we can get in touch with the lucky winner!)

For Bonus Entries:

Tweet about the giveaway (be sure to include @capowcapow in your tweet so that I can find it)

Entries will be accepted until Saturday, February 19, 11:59pm Eastern Time

One winner will be chosen (via Random.org) and will win all of the above handmade items!

 

This week...

...did NOT watch even 1 second of the Super Bowl.
...beer & friends
....so close to having one credit card paid off.
...authentic Italian Chicken Parm from M's aunt.
...cuddled with the cats and watched Mad Men while M was at work.
...getting closer and closer to two of my major life goals.

caturday

Boy Fights: Epic Living Room Battle Royale from CAPow CAPow on Vimeo.

suggestions

1. Keep Calm and Kiss Me print

2. I Effing Love You valentine

3. Yoda In Love

4. You Complete Me valentine card