photo fun

i love photobooths but i cant just throw down a chunk of money and get one for my bday so i decided to just make some props to put around the dinner table. it was fun! i cut mustaches and glasses out of foam sheets.

halloween preparty

we also had some people over for food and drinks. the cupcakes were all made from mixes (chocolate, vanilla, and pumpkin). the vanilla and pumpkin had cream cheese frosting. while the chocolate one had a maple bacon frosting. i used bacon fat in the frosting and it ended up being really liquid and i had to use a ton of powered sugar. they were decorated with candies to look like skeletons, jackolanterns and monsters.

i also made churros with our deep fryer. i had a piping tool but the dough was so hard it was pretty messy and tough to pipe it into the oil. i got burned! and i can taste that i used old oil =[ never use old oil

i also made mini candied and mini caramel apples. the recipe seemed simple enough but boy was it not. from the first attempt i knew it was a failure. i had melonballed a bunch of apples so they were ready to be dipped in caramel or candy. but when you take the skin off, the water from the apple just keeps coming out. watering down the caramel and the candy. unless you can eat this right away, it really isnt a party food. hot sugar is pretty dangerous to keep around a lot of intoxicated people too. the sugar was also another thing that was a headache. i eventually went out and got a candy thermometer so it was more precise. good thing reboiling the sugar didnt really ruin the sugar crystals! by the time the guests arrived, both options were a runny mess =[

i also had sweet potato fries with dip, mini proscuito, arugula, fig pizza, sausages, tea eggs, carrots and pita and humms and chips and candy of course.

queen of hearts

for halloween i was queen of hearts. the skirt i made of tulle and sewn on hearts. there is a small gold bustle in the back but you cant see it in this pic. the crown i made of foam sheet and glued on heart gems, also some tulle for easy attaching. scepter and shoes not pictured.

use for felted acorns

the only thing ive been using them for is to adorn gifts with them. it is fall afterall ...

halloween costume

so another project that i had been working on was my halloween costume. this year i think i will wear it friday night, saturday night and sunday! haha in years past i usually only wear it once or twice. i havent put everything on altogether yet but here the idea:

and kody will be my piggy sunday for the doggy party

i have a plain black corset i will wear. and i got a red skirt from forever21 for $6! i shortened it a bit because there was black tulle underneathe that now peeks out. i made a crown, sceptre, heart "clips" for my shoes, some heart jewelry, a cape, and a tulle overlay skirt. i sewed hearts all over the tulle. ill take a pic and post it next weekend!

quilting in progress

i actually got all the materials i need to make the quilt. now i am just putting it together. i learned that quilting is a very precise art. my first one is not very precise so the grid isnt perfect. o well. this is just the front.

i got a lot of batting. 50% off coupon from joanns! sitting on top is all the quilt squares that i cut. i bought a rotary blade but its already very dull and doesnt cut at all! my squares are only 10 by 10 which is on the small side. making for smaller quilts. i also dont have any sashing/borders around the tshirts.

turtles

we collected some bits here and there in kona to make these. i actually saw them in the store but thought i would just make my own. just a bit of hot glue required.

keep on felting

i keep on collecting rocks and felting. still not sure what to do with them. that is the main question i get. what am i going to do with them

sewing machine

s and y got me a sewing machine! thanks so much! and all i had to do was be a good friend ;]

my first project is going to be a tshirt quilt of all my old tshirts. im actually a bit afraid that i dont know what the heck im doing and the project will be a complete disaster. i just went online and bought some materials on joanns - interfacing, thread, templates, fabric pens etc i dont know much about quilting or sewing but i do know i dont want sashing. i didnt really want interfacing but thought it would be good for the first go. we'll see.

felted pebbles

i wanted to make a felted pebble rug but felting pebbles is difficult! i hand felted them but got tired so i wrapped them in panty hose and threw them into the washing machine. they were still loose. so i hand felted them again. they still have some loose ends. i dont know what to do!

bunting and diaper cakes

on sunday we had a bbq for 2 new mommies. i made girl and boy diaper cakes and also some bunting. sometimes i wish i knew how to sew. or i wish i had a sewing machine. i used tacky glue to glue the pieces of felt onto ribbon. i think sewing wouldve made the bunting much more sturdy

diaper cake

so i guess at every baby shower these days there are diaper cakes. its the gift that doesnt stop giving. well it does. but its definitely useful in that every baby needs diapers and diapers are expensive! i bought the newborn sensitive swaddlers for about $12 pack. the cake took about 2 packs i think. instead of using a bottle of lotion in the middle, i rolled up a blanket and some matching bibs. then i hung some toys around. tadaaaa

wingo

so my cousins baby boy, ryan is in love with wingo from pixar's cars. wingo isnt a main character but his image seems to be everywhere. i went to the disney store to look around and he was on almost everything mcqueen was on. they mentioned ryan wanting to be wingo for halloween so i thought i would make him a costume. this is actually wingo #2. wingo #3 went home with ryans dad to hk. wingo #1 was all felt, too big, and a complete failure. he has been incorporated into #2 and 3.

kumquat honey

we also picked kumquats from their tree. i made kumquat honey from this recipe. it says to store the mixture for 6 months ... but im tempted to eat it now!

peach jam

on sunday we picked white peaches from the bfs parents backyard in fremont. i got eaten alive by mostquitoes! we peeled and pitted the peaches then made freezer jam. it was kind of runny maybe next time i will need to adjust the recipe. instead of juice i used rose water for one batch and then orange blossom water for another!

terrarium

so ive seen quite a few terrariums out there that are really nice. nice glass container, succulents. so i fashioned two of my own. might try more. the succulents i got from lowes. the jars i got from a store closing (3 for $20!!)

my fabric flowers

so mine are not quite the same as emmersonmades. they have center petals. i tried to do some without but wasnt quite successful. i also tried using silk but it proved to be too soft and not stiff enough. i might use the silk to make a different style of flower.

felted acorns part 2

I finally finished making the felted acorns. it took me a while because i had to go to the park to find some acorn caps. i went to one in portrero hill. they have a really pine-y smell to them. i washed them. i didnt dry them thoroughly and some were wet and really soft when i went to drill them. drilling them was really easy because they were moist and soft. then i threaded them with twine and hot glued the balls to the caps. in retrospect i probably should have collected the caps first so i knew what size balls to felt. but the irregularity is kind of cute

fabric flowers

i was totally inspired by emersonmades flowers:

so i followed this tutorial. i will show you when i have more made. i think i need a stiffer fabric.

felted acorns part 1

im beginning to make felted acorns

i followed this youtube video. the only difference was i did 'machine' felting instead of hand wet felting. so i wasnt at the sink. i needle felted the balls first then stuck them in the washing machine for a quick cycle.

now i have to go to the park and find me some acorn caps

toms wedges

toms has wedges!
theyre cute AND charitable. with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need.

dkny cozy

so i feel like an old lady but i got a dkny cozy. you can wear it many ways! silk cashmere too! and it was an extra 50% off at the outlet.

rebecca taylor

flower power! i am loving rebecca taylors spring collection. flowers but not too much. girly but not too much. just right for goldilocks

larok

larok used to have more punk rockerish type clothes but either the definition of that has changed or their style has gotten softer and more flowy. love it!

ts

these days there are a few things that i look for in a tshirt: soft. sleeves are not too short. not too long. but long enough. v neck. not too short. not too tight. but not like a boy. i dont want to look like im back in the 80s or like im a mom. i have two, one white and one gray that i got from reuhl on sale. i wear them all the time. but reuhl is gone =[

luckily jcrew has some nice ones. i have a black one from them that i got on sale. this season the colors look simply delicious. berries, blush, bright colors. but the price went up. last time it was $24.50. now they are $29.50. i also like ts in different variations. like the dresses from lna

nude pumps

the nude pump is probably as essential as the black pump. plus it makes your legs look a mile long.

of course its always nice when the basics have some flare. the lanvins from a few seasons ago have the perfect harmony of bling and interest. the louboutins are, well, louboutins and the red bottoms will catch anyones eye. they do come in differing heights.

luggage

sometimes i just want to get away. in style. with steamline's pristine leather cases

cb2 and landofnod.com cases are not as much for travelling as for storage. i even saw the land of nod ones in a benefit window display. the steamline ones are on sale right now but they have a new collection coming in soon so not sure how long that will last and also they are mostly out of the carryons. so no wheels ...

joie spring 2010

i am loving joies spring 2010 collection. simple, light pieces.

i actually bought the ceceile and novella top at bloomies but ended up returning them because they were a bit pricey even with the 20% discount. i would love to own them if they did go on sale though. the pictures dont really do these delicate pieces justice.

clarisonic

so another obsession of mine is my skin. besides buying clothing, i also like buying makeup. but what about removal. ever since hearing about the clarisonic i have been thinking my skin is super dirty. i cant wait until it arrives. ive read some reviews on the other brands out there (sun, nutra) and clarisonic seems to be the best. also the Pro is for the professionals. so i got the plus from sephora.com

flats

i only own two pairs of ballet flats right now: corso cosmo and maloles. the maloles are moccasins and im sad that they might be getting too much wear =[

camper has a pair of moccasins too. the sf store has them in red and tan but online it shows tan and dark brown. i didnt see the white flats in the store. the jcrew flats are pretty. i wondered if i could make my own version with a cheaper flat and chiffon flowers.

milly corset strapless dress in caribe

so i actually ordered this dress from a saks in florida because the milly website only had it in red or black and shopbop didnt have my size. the product specialist from the milly website tracked this down for me in my size and put it on hold. amazing!

the 4 actually doesnt fit as nicely as i thought it would but i dont know if i can wear a 2. 2 is not my size!

bags i am jonesing for

i want these bad.
alexander wang coco duffle and alexander mcqueen knuckle duster clutch

ok i bit the bullet and bought the alexander wang coco duffel with black hardware. i always get buyers regret though ... ughhhh

hello world

hi! just moved over here from xanga! i know right? but i dont think i have one topic in mind though right now i am a major shopaholic. so maybe that for now ...