Who Me?? I'm blushing . . .

I was nominated for a Nice Matters award by Christy!



Thank you so much, I am very flattered. I do try to be as nice as I can everyday and think it's a good way to try to make the world a well . . nicer place to live. Thank you again!

And like Christy I had a hard time picking just 5 bloggers to pass this honor on to but here is my list:

Queenly Things - anyone who has ever received a package from Vallen knows just how nice she is. She also let's you beg her to swap with her just so she'll make you one of her signature crowns.

Beeutiful - Bee is half a world away and I can still feel her nice vibes from here. She would fly to your house and make felt cakes with you all weekend long if only her rock star life style didn't keep her so busy. ;)

Jenn Maruska - Jenn is nice to everyone. Okay except maybe Jodie Foster. (By the way Jenn, I'm with you!)

The Pink Kitchen - How could I not nominate Leigh Ann? She invited me to her home without having a clue whether I was an axe murderer or a wacko, fed me cake, took me to the thrift store and sent me home with a hand made apron. She rules.

The Felt Mouse - Jennifer throws the best parties and not only shows you all the pictures of the day but allows you to STEAL her ideas for favors and even sends you a link on where to buy the supplies. Now that is nice!

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On a sad note, please take the time to visit Katie and give her your love. If we can't be there to hug her in person we can at least let her know we are thinking about her and her family.

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Now more holiday crafting inspiration . . . this is one of my favorite knitting books ever:



Not only are the projects worth trying but the photos are lovely as well. One of these days I will make that hood and glove set on the cover!

There are several other patterns I'd love to try this year:



These leg warmers will be a lot of work which means I'll have to keep them for myself (selfish) because I love them (still selfish.) :) So they may wait until January as it's still wicked cold up here at that time of year.



More color knitting in this tree skirt. Again, I love the combo and this would take a lot of time. I am thinking I will use this pattern to fashion a less complicated tree skirt and use up some of that stash yarn I have lying around. There is also a pattern for a matching stocking in this motif.



And this fun bag will be great for gifts and again, using up that stash! And speaking of bags, this book has my favorite bag pattern which I have made twice. Did I think to take a picture of it? Um, no. But I will as I'm making another one as we speak. :)

So all in all, it's a great knitting book. I went over to Amazon to find a link so you could check it out for yourself but it looks like it is no longer being published and I only found one copy on EBay which I promptly bought to give as a gift. Hopefully more will show up for other interested knitters out there.

Have a good weekend, my friends. I'll be thrifting tomorrow with my friend Katie and hopefully working on something crafty.

xoxoxo
Rebecca

Two in one day . .

I figured to write another quick note today about why I didn't talk about 9/11. I live in New York City and have for over 5 years. I moved here after 9/11 and painfully grieved through the first anniversary. I don't know if it gets better every year for those who lost loved ones but I hope they have found some solace in all the love that comes from the world to them on that day. I wasn't planning to blog about 9/11 as my moment of silence for those who were lost.

But then I realized I have two 9/11 stories to share. And they are stories of hope and not sadness. On 9/11 2001 I was working in the Warehouse in Camden Yards in Baltimore for a publishing house. Our building was state run by the stadium authority and once the plane hit the Pentagon (about 60 miles away) we were evacuated due to our proximity to both the Pentagon and NSA. I went home and was of course glued to the TV like the rest of the nation. I had a boy friend and a close friend who lived in New York (this was when I was planning to move here and visited often) and couldn't get a hold of either of them. Finally a mutual friend called and said he talked to my boy friend and he was fine and at home. I later heard from my friend, Lizzy, that she too was okay. Thank God.

So I sat staring at the TV, numb, until finally I called my friend Dita. She and I had plans that day to go to thrift store. We shared our feelings and just sobbed. Then Dita's boyfriend grabbed the phone from her and told us we needed to go to the thrift store because by not doing what we would normally do we were doing exactly what the terrorists wanted. Sitting at home hiding in fear. So we did. I picked her up and we went to the thrift store and then had a drink and cried a little more. While I was tipping my glass in Baltimore my future husband was furiously painting his bedroom orange. After watching the plane crashes from a subway car window (he was late to work that day) he turned right around after getting off in Manhattan and walked 10 miles back to the Home Depot in Flushing and then 2 miles to his house with 2 gallons of paint. I guess we all deal in our own ways.

My second story is from the first anniversary of 9/11 in 2002. I had been living in Manhattan for about 6 months at that time and Luis and I were still "just friends." I lived with Lizzy above what was usually a rather quiet bar and grill on Avenue B in Alphabet City. When I got home from work that day the place was jumping. I spent a good while leaning out my 5th story window looking down at the rowdy crowd who were spilling out into the street. Then I noticed a few firemen who must have been from the fire house around the corner. And then a few more firemen. On the pretense of buying a paper I went downstairs just to see them up close. Seems the bar was giving away free drinks to the firemen and they were having their share. They were laughing and singing with their arms around each other and tears pouring down their faces. Police cars would drive by and they would salute each other and cry some more. Grown men mourning but so glad to be alive and free.

As the years have gone on things are a little different here on 9/11. They still have the memorial ceremony, though this is the last year the families will actually be able to walk into Ground Zero as the construction of the Freedom Tower will begin soon, and people are still sad. But we're New Yorkers and we are tough. The building I work in now is home to Marsh McClellan who lost 400 employees at the WTC. They had a lovely ceremony on the lobby yesterday to commemorate. The best part was hearing the other Marsh employees talking about that day and those who were lost and those who survived. They spoke with hope and love and not fear. And I think that is the best difference of all.

Rebecca

Because I left my book home and need some lunch time entertainment . . .

Found this floating about. Consider yourselves tagged. :)

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)

Ginger Pathfinder

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)

Cherry Shortbread

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)

B-Res (went with my knickname :) )

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

Red Fox (ha ha ha)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

Lynn Baltimore

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

Res-Re (and don't teast me because I'm Jedi Knight and I'll light saber you!)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)

The Black Bourbon

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)

Dan Wesley

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),

Chanel Whoppers (I couldn't resist LOL)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),

Ann John

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),

Tanner Toledo

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)

Christmas Lily

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)

Cherry Blousey

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),

Java Maple

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),

The Knitting Nor'Easter Tour

Okay so mine weren't as funny as the ones I read but STILL. It's a solid 15 minutes of innocent entertainment.

cheers . .

Pin Cushions

Why can't I get enough of pin cushions?? Seriously, I was cleaning up my craft room this weekend and was trying to mangle my giant chenille bed spread into a smaller spot and realized that I really needed to just use it because it's way to big. So what did I make? You guessed it . . . pin cushions!



I made one of these as a custom order before and loved the combo. I believe I have one more of these blue willow cups hiding somewhere in the stash and will probably make a second one. This a "normal" sized tea cup and will probably end up in my shop soon. I have big plans to plough through a bit more of my excess supplies and whip up some Goodness just in time for the holidays.

While I love the blue willow cushion, I have to say that this is my favorite . . .



Isn't it sweet? It just came our right, know what I mean? This is a petite tea cup, demitasse I believe is the correct word. I actually made three of these. The cup is glued to the base so you can store small scissors, buttons, etc. on the saucer. I will probably keep one of these for myself, gift one and put the third in the shop. Such a simple idea but oh so cute!

I have other shop plans, more tea cup pot holders are in the works and I have grand plans for ornaments this season, too.

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Big news over at Sweet Goodness Swaps today!!

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Cheers
Rebecca

Getting Ready for Christmas

Yes, I'm already thinking about it. Mostly because I didn't get to do nearly all I wanted to last year and promised myself to get a jump on things this go around. And I'm not the only one thinking about it, I found this on the news stand a few weeks ago:



I often buy holiday craft magazines and am disappointed but this one has lots of "so cute" projects just like it claims. I love the felt Santa pillow and look at that snowman on the front!



(sorry about the glare, I was in a hurry.) These guys are adorable! I know I don't need ANOTHER hobby (they are made with paper clay) but seriously, don't you love them?



And these punch needle embroidery mini pillows are cute, too. My friend Dita said she's been trying punch needle-ing and likes it. :)



And this framed button wreath would be easy and I think you could leave it up year round in those neutral colors!

I think the magazine is worth picking up, there are a few other projects in there I may try my hand at as well. Any body else starting their holiday crafting yet?

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I'm up to my neck in swaps right now and while I'm feeling overwhelmed (you were waiting for it, weren't you?) I'm loving the creative push it's given me. Sadly I can't share anything with you yet but hang in there!

cheers
Rebecca

Finds . . . Finally

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Luis and didn't travel as we usually do so I took advantage of the time to do some much needed house cleaning and run some errands. While I didn't manage to get the curtain rods I went out for I did happen to squeeze in some thrifting. Are you surprised? :) So hold onto your hats, here's the goodness:



You know I can't resist clear glass ware. What is with that anyway? I was excited to find the big jar with the flip top lid. It says "product of Italy on top" and was probably a big jar of olives or something. :) And I just adore the art deco candy dish and I'll tell you what, I love those clear glass coasters. I have used them already a lot and no drink sweat to wreck my fancy (read: Ikea) furniture. The red polka dots are napkins and the green patterned is a big piece of fabric. There is about 4 yards of it and it has a name along the selvage but I can't read it it other than the fact that it's Du Pont Color stay or something. I did wash it and it looks nice. That's a yellow lotus bowl under there so now I have 4 in all different colors. This one is a bit larger than my others but I love how they all look together. The book set in the back are from 1968 and very sweet. I've been lucky with the neat old children's books lately. Since I'm doing a swap that may include some, I don't want to share too much and ruin the surprise for my partner. :)



I've been lucky in linens lately, particularly potholders. There is an apple one in the top picture and you see four of them here. How sweet are those pink and aqua ones with the little people on them?? Also found a few tea towels and some nice napkins as well. I've been using more and more real napkins lately. Even Luis knows to grab them for dinner now instead of paper towels. :)



And how about this sweet wooden mobile? I found it in a bag for $2. The music box still works! The baby on the alligator is the only one not still attached so I need to figure how to get the string back in and it will be all set. Not sure what I will do with it but I couldn't leave it there for $2, could I???

And last but least, what I consider a very lucky find. I was on my way home on Saturday and thought I'd swing by the Savers. It's been pretty blah lately and their prices are getting higher. I almost didn't go but I'm glad I did. After a sweep of the entire place I found nothing. And I can almost ALWAYS talk myself into something. But then I remembered I was looking for a rug to go by the basement door and headed back to linens to look on top of one of the racks where I've seen rugs stacked before. And what did I find hidden under a pile of crappy old rag rugs?



I snatched them up and stuffed them under my arm and headed for the check out. I really thought this was going to be one of those times that I wouldn't make it out of there alive. I imagined some little old lady swooping down on me to tell me she hid those hankies and was coming back for them. Then I thought that the guy at the register would tell me I couldn't buy them because they weren't priced. I put them on the counter and looked at him expectantly. He looked at them, scratched his head and said "These will be 39 cents each, okay?" Um yes. That is completely okay. Thank you.

So all in all, some fairly decent thrifting over the last two weekends. I guess I was due. :) I was also lucky to run into my friend Susan at the Northern Thrift on Saturday. Susan - don't forget to let me know about that street fair you mentioned!!

Cheers,
Rebecca

Back in the Day

I'm sure I have often reminisced with you about "the thrift store of yore." There was vintage EVERYWHERE. I had a coat collection to make you drool. And vintage hats and bags? A whole trunk full. Most of the coats are gone, either lovingly worn to bits or given away and there are still a few hats and bags at my mother's house but many of those are in sad shape due to a few devastating floods. The thrift is not like that any more. You're lucky to find a vintage hanky. But oh those days were glorious! On my last trip home my Mom gave me this:



It's one of the bags I bought back in the day that she kept for me. It's not wicker but more of a sturdy plastic and it's large! I probably only spent $2 or $3 on it as it was cheaper at that time and I had more limited funds. Isn't that handle divine? So what was inside?



Vintage gloves! My Mom actually forgot they were in there. In her guest room she has a display of a small vintage suitcase filled with vintage hang bags and gloves and some of these certainly would have made the cut. The pair on the top right, which are hard to see, are a delicate chocolate brown mesh in opera length. And I just love the pointed cuffs on the white pair on the top left. And if you look closely at the pairs in the bottom front . . .



You'll see the tags still on them. I probably paid $1 to 2 dollars per pair if that. I'm lucky and have small hands and can actually wear all of these gloves. Now we just need to bring that fashion back. Come on, if leg warmers can do it so can formal gloves, right?

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So I joined another swap. I know, I know, you're probably taking bets on how long it will be before I start posting about how I'm so overwhelmed and can't get anything done. Well forget it because I already feel like that and decided to do it anyway. It's the Sweet & Sinister swap hosted by Artsymama. I got in just under the wire and got a partner. You can check her out here. I'm looking forward to crafting some wonderfully sinister black and white sweets for her. :)

And there is still time to sign up for the Polkadot Pixie's Vintage Children's Book & Bookmark Swap. I actually found a few vintage kid's books this weekend, I hope they are pre-1975 because right now I can't remember. They are wicked cute regardless.

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Well, chickadees, I'm off for a movie night with my friend Lizzy. We're hanging out on my sofa so we'll have our pick of whatever movies I have laying about. I bought some fancy popcorn for snacks. Mmmmmmm

until the next . . .
Rebecca

The Return of the Wizard Helmets

Remember these? I was reminded today when I saw Jennifer's post about making these for her sweet daughters birthday that I never shared the final pictures.



Mandi set the tables up beautifully!



Every place setting had not only a Wizard Helmet but also a paper crafted menu. Hopefully Mandi will be able to share more on her blog soon. She's crazy busy with wedding plans!

And one last shot of some Wizard Helmets in action:



That would be me in the front there with a ridiculous grin and my cousin Lisa to my left. Fun was had by all!

xoxoxo
R

Heartfelt . . .

Good Monday! First, I just wanted to say that I had to delete yesterday's post because of a HUGE nasty anonymous comment that I just couldn't delete. Thank you to everyone who left nice comments. :) I just feel sorry for those people whose life is so bad that they feel the need to force their misery on others. It's very sad.

Now onto the crafting . . .

I mentioned a new book I picked up called Maryjane's Stitching Room:



I'm really enjoying it! The first project in the book is "pin keepers" (aka pin cushions) and there is a lovely picture of these Victorian crocheted hearts:



I fell in love with them from the start. Unfortunately the pattern for these hearts is not in the book. There is a pattern for a similar one but not as sweet as these. I did some Internet searching and found this pattern. I was so excited to try my own. Don't you just love the ribbon accents?



Here is my heart. I tried to add the ribbon but realized that my crocheted covering is not tight enough on the cushion to keep the ribbon in place. That's okay, I like it just how it is. I may add a little ribbon at the top, we'll see. It's a bit large for a pincushion (I used what I had so my thread was a larger gauge) but is still so sweet, don't you think? I think it would make a cute accent pillow if it were a bit larger. I want to starch the lacy edging to it stays out like it is above.

I've already started two more.



The pink is the same but I changed up the top a bit to make a handle of sorts and made the spaces where the ribbon is supposed to go a bit smaller. The small white one is actually this pattern which is just about the same but comes out smaller and will be the perfect size for a pin keeper. The crochet part is easy but I need I do better determining the size to make the hearts so I can work the ribbon part. I hope to have more to share with in the coming weeks.

And speaking of the coming weeks, it's almost Fall! This is the time of year where I need to kick it into gear to be able to get all my hand made gifts and projects done in time for the holidays. Once the heat breaks I'll be able to get started and get back in the craft room.

cheers!
Rebecca

Shopping

So I've been shopping. I'm sure you're surprised. It's been my favorite sort of shopping, thrift, craft and hand made goodies. Let's start with the last, shall we?

You all know Jenn, right? She rules and I have said that here numerous times. I've been to her Etsy Shop a few times now.



My super fabulous new check book cover. It makes balancing my checking account so much more chic.



And my wool felt embroidered snow man ornaments! I love these. You should see the detail! Those snowflakes are FRENCH KNOTS. Yeah, I stink at those. Maybe Jenn will show me her secret. :) I bought them with the intention of gifting them but we'll see. I may have to keep them all. Hope to see more ornaments from Jenn!

In crafty shopping I've been spending some dough over at One Hundred Wishes. If you haven't visited Andrea's shop or her blog please do so. Her photos are lovely, her creations divine and her prices fair!



This is my first order. I had to have those blue wish tickets and I'm in love with all the German trimmings she carries. I got the blue foil stars above and placed a second order for gold and silver crowns and gold umbrellas when she restocked. She wasn't kidding when she said that glue stick smelled of yummy vanilla, I plan to put it to the test this weekend. I'm rather particular about adhesives. And she always sticks in a yummy lolly. Who can beat that??

I'll share some of my thrifting goodies over the next few days. I haven't had any extraordinary finds but some good supplies and a multitude of picture frames. Oh and some to die for vintage trims that I know you'll love. If there were 48 hours in the day instead of 24 I would open my own online craft supply shop.

And last but not least, I have joined a swap put on by Jenny at The Polka Dot Pixie. It's a vintage children's book and homemade bookmark swap. Easy and fun I think. Head over and sign up and let me know if you do!



Thank you all again for the kind words about my Grandpa. You guys are the best. Really.

xoxoxo
Rebecca

A Brand New Bag

First, I would like to say thank you to everyone who left sweet comments about the loss of my Grandfather. I really appreciate it and feel so fortunate to have you all as friends.

So I've been crocheting. I shunned it for so long because most of the projects I saw were very outdated and just blah. Now there are so many new and fun patterns that I can't seem to put down my hook! I just got two new books that have great projects. Crochet for Baby is perfect for when you need a quick baby gift and MaryJane's Stitching Room is a beautiful book with fabulous crochet projects, quilted accessories and even instructions on tatting. (as if I need another hobby!) I'll surely be sharing some projects from both soon.

I wanted to use up some green cotton I had and decided to make myself a bag. I just sort of made it up as I went along and am thrilled with the end result.



I call it the Kelly Bag because it's green. I'm terribly inventive, aren't I? In my next bag I do think I'll move the draw strings down a bit so there is more of a "lip" on top but other than that I do really like it. The cotton gives it a nice weight and the bobble pattern adds the right amount of texture. And how about those tassels?



What is it about tassels that just makes things all the cuter? You will notice in the picture above a mistake I made (other than my mediocre tassel making.) I ran out of yarn half way through and was lucky to find more on EBay. Of course it was a different dye lot and you can really tell the difference. It's not the camera, the top of the bag and one of the tassels is darker. But whatever, it's my bag and I like it anyway. Want to see the best part?



Green toile lining! This is before I sewed it in, you can see the pins and where I started to stitch it in green thread. I changed to white as I didn't like the contrast. I was pretty impressed that I was able to sew a round bottom for this lining and stitch it in with pleats so it expanded with the bottom of the bag. I think I sprained my elbow patting myself on the back.

So aside from the color issue (which honestly isn't as noticeable as it is in the photos) this is one darn cute bag! I think I'll start another one and actually write down the pattern as I go so I can share with those who are interested.

Cheers
Rebecca

Still Here

Hello all, I know I've been absent. My Grandfather passed away and Luis and I traveled to Baltimore last week. I'll be back tomorrow with some Goodness to share, I have actually made some things!, and my to-do list for Holiday crafts. I told you I was starting early this year.

Cheers
Rebecca

At Least it's Friday

It's raining. AGAIN. I know there are people out in the Pacific Northwest who are like "whatever" but I bet they didn't get splashed by not one but TWO cabs this morning as they slogged through two inches of water to reach an office that is freezing. Man I want to go home.

So, as I am in a pretty crappy mood I thought I would brighten my day by visiting blog land! But what to post about? I know many of you are doing the Encyclopedia of me and I thought about it but I hate the pressure to post about something specific. I have been enjoying reading both Heidi's and Bee's though.

So how about some random babble?

As you know, I do custom orders on things I sell in my Goodness Shop. You may remember the order of 20 ducks and 10 cupcakes. That was a big one. Recently, I did a few smaller custom orders. One was this tea cup potholder for Lauren:



It was for her mother and she said it was well received! I'm so glad. I do think it came out cute and I'm in the process of making a few for the shop. I'll be naming this yellow one after Lauren's mother, Joyce. :)

So what else? Let's see . . . I know! You know the paper crowns I've made in the past? Well I came across this tutorial that shows how to make crowns very similar to my own. Part 1 and Part 2. Check them out!

Oh and I also MUST have this cute witch and these candy corn bottle brush trees. MUST. Seems that they are on back order which cracks me up since I got the catalog only yesterday. Yesterday was also when my husband said we need to budget our money better so I'm thinking he had something to do with me not being able to purchase these must have items. GRRR.

Anyway, that's about it for me today. Not much going on. I did hit the thrift last night and it was rather uneventful but I'll share some pictures of the few goods I found on Monday.

Have a FABULOUS weekend.

cheers
Rebecca

When it rains . . .

It poured here in NYC this morning. And I heard a tornado touched down in Brooklyn. BROOKLYN! Seriously. It took me 90 minutes to travel the 8 miles to my office. My train was the ONLY one running in Queens today. What a mess. The last time we had a storm of this magnitude a steam pipe exploded. If I've said it once . . . we wrecked the planet with too much Aquanet in the 80s.

So . . . . what's a girl to do? Why take the chance to use one of her vintage umbrellas!



I found all three of these in the same store on the same day. Two were $3 a piece and one was $4. The beige one has some holes in the silk but I had to have it anyway. I have two other vintage umbrellas, a floral one with a bamboo handle and a whote Gloria Vanderbilt with a white plastic handle shaped like a swan. I would have KILLED to have the umbrella as a kid.

The black one on the bottom in the picture above is my favorite. It has a clear acrylic handle and a silver chain. The handle is also extendable so I don't think this one is too old but I just love the look of it.



The edges of the silk are scalloped and have gold and silver stitching. It's a very lady like umbrella. :)

So I guess I have a bit of a collection now! I don't think I need to have TOO many vintage umbrellas but if I happen to come across another . . . well as you know, thrifty is as thrifty does.

cheers
R

This Little Piggy . . .

Can't see a thing . . .



What do you think, embroidered eyes? Black? I was intending it as a child's toy which leaves out buttons. Or no eyes at all?



He has a squiggly tail, too.

By the way, he was supposed to be a teddy bear until my husband said "you made a pig." Um yes. Yes I did.

R

Wizard Helmets

I know you've been dying with anticipation for the news of the Wizard Helmet Sweat Shop and I actually remembered to bring all parts of the camera in today so you're in luck! The back story: My sister threw a lovely party for all the girls participating in her upcoming wedding. The theme was fairy tales and she did a wonderful job! I won't say too much as I'm sure once her photo hosting issues are resolved she'll post all about it.

So . . . my contribution to the party was to make party hats. You know I love a good paper hat! I decided on pointed princess hats, you know the ones with long draping scarves coming out of the top? I'm sure they have a real name. I recruited my friend Dita to give me a hand. We had to make 13 hats and we're very excited to get started.



Basically we made a cone out of poster board and covered it with gold wrapping paper. While we were crankin' out hats my father comes in and says, "What are you guys making? Wizard helmets?" We about lost it and thus they were named!


Dita found a great way to both hold a wizard helmet and get some double sided tape.



We pushed tulle through the top of the cone, added a gold sparkly pipe cleaner around the bottom and added some glitter glue.



Add some ribbons to tie it on with and VIOLA! Your very own Goodness Wizard Helmet. Dita was the one who after about 9 helmets proclaimed, "Welcome to the Wizard Helmet Sweat Shop!" while clutching the tape roll in her toes and grimacing. ;)

So there you have it, the story of Wizard Helmets. When I someday have a real store I'd love to make these one of the items offered. I figure we can work up a boys version and also some smaller versions for smaller wizard heads. I'd love to offer up the left over helmets from this party but I'm not sure how to mail them, they are about 18 inches tall.

I'm off to Princeton for a long overdue spa weekend with my friend Wendy. I'll be back next week much more relaxed.

cheers,
Rebecca

Early Senility

I found the camera cord. Did I remember to bring the camera cord to my office? No. Is my home computer, where the cord is located, working? No. Seriously. My brain is fried. I swear it's this weather. I'm not a summer girl. (I know, I sound like a broken record.) I'm dreaming of Autumn with it's crisp air and rustly leaves. Oh and soups! I love to make lots of homemade soup in the fall. Yum.

Anyway, I didn't want to be absent for too long and since I'm always thinking I should mention some of the things in blogland that I love, here you go:

1. This super cute towel quilt! I always pick up those fun vintage towels at the thrift but never know what to do with them. I think I could do this. Hey sewers, is it reasonable for a novice like me to stitch together some towels (most vintage towels aren't very thick) with perhaps a zigzag like mentioned in the post? My sewing machine is a decent model. It's the operator I worry about.

2. Jenn's super cute little lamb plushie in a bag. I think he looks adorable peeking out AND he'll have a blankie and a pillow. Too cute, Jenn!

3. And you see this yellow bag here? Yeah that's all mine!

4. And Andrea Singarella finally opened her shop One Hundred Wishes! I actually went on right when she opened the doors and didn't order anything. Now I'm kicking myself for missing out on her vintage crepe paper and sheet music! Ack! I did get some blue foil stars, the glue sticks she raves about and some of those fun Wish Tickets in blue.

5. Um, and this little piggie? Cute overload.

I could go on and on. :) I love gathering inspiration by reading blogs, I know we all do. :)

cheers
Rebecca

Grumble Grumble

I can't find the cord for my camera. I know I SAW it somewhere but I can't remember where. Hopefully I'll find it quickly and be back on Wednesday with some pictures from the Wizard Helmet Sweat Shop. Yeah, don't ask. It's just not as interesting with out the pictures.

Anyhoo . . . you can visit here to see the Summer Fun Swap package I sent to Dana! Her pictures are WAY better than my own. I'm sure you are surprised. But since I had already loaded up the pictures of my swap goodies before the cord went missing, let's take a look, shall we?

First up, my crocheted bag:



Yeah the picture is sideways, I'm still having issues with Photobucket. Anyway, I used Lily Cotton Elite which they just don't seem to make any more and that saddens me. The pattern is from this book and is featured on the cover with contrasting ruffles and a wooden handle. I modified the pattern to make a smaller bag.



I lined it with a thrifted sheet. See that pocket in there? I SEWED IT. ON MY SEWING MACHINE. Yes. You read that right. It looks pretty good, too! Well, for me at least. And this picture shows the true orange color of the yarn, it's not that bright tropical orange of the first picture. I filled Dana's bag with orange and yellow beauty goodies like toe separators, lip gloss, shower gel and one of my favorite Henri Bendel candles. Oh boy do I love products!



I also made some fabric flower pins from that same sheet and another yellow and white one also thrifted. I tied them onto a thrifted lunch basket that I really had a hard time giving away. I have never seen one like this before! But I was good and gave it to Dana as I intended when I purchased it. She is lucky. :)



I also included some crafty items like ribbon, embroidery floss, a pillowcase and some buttons I covered with that sheet. Dana seemed to really like the sparkly D I added. I just love those glittery chipboard letters! I have silver and red and find loads of uses for them.



Here is the whole shabang where you can see the Vera scarf and embroidered pineapple napkins I also included. I really had fun putting this package together. I thought I would have a hard time with the orange and yellow combo but when I started looking it seemed to be everywhere!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their Summer Fun Swaps. You can see pictures of many of the swap packages here. We'll be posting details soon over at Sweet Goodness Swaps about how you can vote in our Swap Container Contest!

Cheers
Rebecca

Inspiration Station

So around blogland you'll see lots of way people obtain and organize their inspiration. I myself use Bloglines for my inspiring reads (thanks Sarah!) and keep notebooks of the things I would like to make or replicate.



I always use quad ruled composition books and quad ruled computation notebooks.



Because of the large pages in the computation notebook I use it for magazine clippings and things I've printed from the Internet. You can fit a whole page and still have room for notes in the margin. I use Pritt Glue-It rollers for the adhesive. I love them but they don't seem to last very long. I use the composition books for lists and designing. I like the quad ruled because I make little check off boxes for my "to dos" and also can go by a scale, 1 block equals 1 inch or whatever, for designing. This is a system that works well for me. When inspiration strikes, I just grab a notebook and write it down! I also use red pen as contrast so I'll notice the notes I made right away. Also, I sort of like red pen.

So what else is new? I haven't made any progress on that baby blanket but I agree with the consensus to keep it one color. Thank you all for your thoughts! They were very helpful. Now I'm deciding if I want to keep it at all because it just doesn't seem like a practical blanket for a baby. I just see little hands getting caught in the lace sigh . . . That seems to be the way it goes for me lately, a whole lot of starting and then restarting but no finishing. I did, however, manage to finish this:



It's my favorite baby bonnet pattern and was a custom order from Melissa. She is a photographer and wanted it as a prop for her baby portraits! I'm very excited to see it on film, pretty cool huh? You can visit Melissa's blog here. Her baby pictures are so cute!

So I'm off to Baltimore tomorrow night for my Sister's Fairytale Picnic. I'm really looking forward to it and will be back on Monday with lots of pictures to share. I had such a great time planning my Bridesmaid's Tea Party that I know this will be a fun event as well. Have a fabulous looooong weekend and I'll see you next week!

cheers!
Rebecca

Hmm . . . Opinions Needed

I started crocheting a baby blanket. I have a few gifts to make for expectant friends and since there are so many cute knit and crochet patterns out there I thought I'd whip up something on the old needles.

Using the Heirloom Lace Throw pattern from Lion Brand I have this:



Hmm . . . well? What do you think? Should I continue on with the blue? It will be four rows of each color alternating and probably with a pink border or should I stick to pink? Or should I scrap it considering it's maybe not as cute as I thought it would be . . . it is incredibly soft though. Thoughts?

And speaking of babies, I told Luis that we shouldn't call our smallest dog, Kaiser, puppy anymore because he's 2 now. It was kind of a joke since I'm assuming Kaiser won't get a complex and honestly I think he thinks is name puppy anyway. Then we are watching TV last night and look over and see this:



Um yeah, still looks and acts like a puppy so I guess the name is staying. :) That's him camped out on my husband's belly by the way, his favorite place. I told L. it's because it's warm and makes gurgly noises. ;)

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Today is the day to get those Orange and Yellow swap packages in the mail! If you think you'll be late please let us know at sgswaps@hotmail.com and your partner! If you haven't been over to check out the Flickr site take a peek here. There are so amazing packages going out!


xoxoxo
Rebecca