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these are some of the gifts i made for mothers day:
the aprons were for my grandmothers, i found the pattern online (i'll post the link when i find it again)
and for my godmother, a homemade silhouette of her daughter Emilee. this was so simple and i already had all the materials i needed (minus the frame). here are the directions, i can't wait to make more! i found all the gift wrap stuff at target, i plan on going back and buying all of this wrapping paper, it's really pretty.
here are my pics:
check out the overlock...
here's the pattern i plan on using for my final project, i'll try and upload photos of my progress.
*she's staying with my mom and dad while i'm at my grandma's house
i haven't been posting lately, things have been very busy and in disarray because of my move. however, with my new living situation settled and the balance of my things in storage, i can breath [fairly] easy at last.
packing has to be one of the most depressing things ever. when i moved last summer i felt like i kept almost everything, but this time i was far more willing to part with things that weren't being used, or that i hadn't used/touched/looked at since i moved in. it was also hard because i had to decide what to get rid of, what would go with me, and what would be stored.
a couple of views of my packing...
le sigh, it's only for a few months, right?
a not so small victory has occured on my path to weight loss, and that victory really showed when i was trying on clothes and had to ask for a smaller size... such a fantastic feeling!
i've also found a new piece on the 20x200 site... i really can't gush enough about how incredible i think the concept and idea behind this site are. Jen Beckman is a genius. here's the piece called Chamonix by artist Ian Carpenter. it will be mine and i'm so excited. 
happy thursday!
- Location:my desk
- Mood:awake
after a lot of thinking, and financial calculating, i've arrived at the conclusion that i simply can't afford to move into a place of my own may 1st (without going into debt). however, there is a beautiful bright silver lining in my future. my grandmother is going to let me stay at her home through the summer rent free.
this is such a relief, i'll not only be able to pay off things like my car registration but i can put away the money for my move and put some money into my savings account... maybe even buy this bike...
- Location:work
- Mood:
grateful
some thoughts....
sure these are lovely tea towels, but i think they would make even lovelier pillows on my couch. you should check out Heather's other fantastic designs at her etsy shop.
i know my sister already mentioned wanting to recreate this look, but i love it too, and am hoping to convince my dad to hand over 2 empty billy bookcases currently occupying my 'parents hallway. i think this is such a great look and would make storing things in a small one bedroom so much easier.
le sigh.
keep you fingers crossed for me as my apartment hunt continues.
any advice is welcome.
in other news, after only living in LA for about 8 months, i'm moving back down to long beach! i wont go into details and i have a lot of mixed feelings, but i'm definitely looking at the bright sides.
how cute would this be for my future dog... le sigh...
alas, i am looking forward to this weekend, my big Easter plans involve a trip down to mom and dad's.
mmmm, i'm looking forward to some good food and warm weather!
*btw- someone commented on my last post, but didn't tell me who they were! let me know so i can answer your questions. thanks!*
i enjoyed a very quiet saturday morning with tutu (my bird) in bed reading Interpreter of Maladies by the same woman who wrote The Namesake. i really loved the movie (the namesake), though the preview doesnt do it justice, and i found Jhumpa Lahiri's collection of short stories incredibly moving.
after my lazy morning i wrapped Veronica's gift and made her card, then headed down to long beach for her birthday celebration. i'd like to think Martha would be proud of my gift wrap...
yesterday morning my friend Robin called me at 8:45am to see if i wanted to join him at the Long Beach Antique Show. i've always wanted to go, but while i lived in long beach i was never able to make it. the show was amazing and overwhelming at the same time. we spent 4 hours walking around looking through tables and asking prices on random items. highlights from the show included; multiple roseville pieces, van briggle pottery, fiesta ware, bakelite buttons, a giant french poster for Bullitt, and many many more.
i was able to find an original Van Briggle lamp and a lovely vase/pitcher, the prices were right and i called my mom to ok my purchasing them for her. the shade on the lamp is original and very funky.
my friend robin bought a few old kerosene lanterns, and some other little items. we ended up buying these matching elephants, and i plan on planting a small succulent in mine.
after our visual overload robin and i headed to the movies to see the spiderwick chronicles. i enjoyed the film, but i dont think i'll be buying the dvd. i also think it was pretty scary for little kids, especially since there were a couple of scenes that made me jump and scream. following the movie we went to get a bite to eat. robin recommended a place that specializes in gourmet burgers and the meal was amazing. you can order full or mini burgers and the sides are amazing, not to mention great prices. i enjoyed a mini turkey and shitake mushroom burger and a mini cheeseburger with a side of baked mac and cheese, they were incredible! i will definitely go there again and need to find out the name of the place.
all in all, i really enjoyed this weekend and don't even mind being back at work!
i think, for my first sewing project ever, the bag has turned out fantastic.
now it's time to make one for myself....
here are the new pictures of my dresser in my room, i really love it!
i think i need to do the matching nightstand next...
This project is a bit old (I did it over the summer) but I have been so pleased with the results that I have to share it.
When I moved I went from a walk in closet to a much smaller closet. Luckily my mom had one of my grandma's old dressers in the garage. We had also recently made a trip to Anthropologie and I saw a gorgeous distressed cabinet that I fell in love with, so I decided to attempt to re-create the look myself.
First l removed the hardware and sanded down the piece. I then applied a coat of glossy white paint. I decided to leave the top of the dresser as is and I think it gave piece a more interesting/modern look.
After the paint dried I went around drawers and main dresser sanding down and distressing randomly.
Here's one of the drawers. (check out my pink toes!)
After distressing I wiped down all the pieces (removing dust) and then applied a coat of the darkest wood stain I could find. The dark stain gave the white paint a beautiful patina look and made the areas I sanded pop. I had considered buying new hardware but found that the old hardware really looked amazing with the dressers new look.
When I get home I'll take a pic of the dresser in my room with the mirror attached (since this pic just doesn't do it justice).
Here's what I found
So Monday I was more than eager to start my project and in the course of a few hours, this is how far I got:
I still need to sew the lining and the outside together, do a finishing edge around the whole bag, and sew on a button for the closure. So far I'm very happy
However, I'm kind of bummed that I've only just now discovered this fantastic website with fun and interesting fabrics that you definitely wont find at Joann's. It's called jcaroline creative and it has some really fantastic projects too.
My mom also gave me this fabric, but I need to find the perfect project for it.
Since we have now learned most of the basics of making stitches and finishing seams I have decided what my first out of class project will be... http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/2
My friend Veronica's birthday is coming up in a week, so I think I'll make this for her. I'm hoping to find a really graphic black and white fabric for the outside and red for the inside lining (her favorite color). I think I'll also do ties instead of the button closure. I'll of course post pictures of the process and if all goes well this may be a recurring gift for my nearest and dearest.
