tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40393969620772454552024-03-15T00:50:52.460-07:00SewincredibleThis blog is here to help promote my ideas and the sale of my products, as well as foster general creativity of both myself and anyone who wants to read. Besides sewing, which will be the main topic, I also do some graphic design and am relearning some other fabric related arts, like kumihimo, crochet and inkle weaving. This blog will also be left open to random postings about my life.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-54089249649225663782011-11-24T13:02:00.000-08:002011-11-24T13:02:31.284-08:00Introducing: Shoes by Summery Creations, and Other Awesome StuffHello folks!<br />
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I have a couple of awesome things to share- First of all, this has been a stellar month of sales for me, even before the craziness of after Thanksgiving shopping. Some of my purses and companion cubes are now making their way across the pond to the UK and to various places all over these great United States. Its a small jump up, but great none the less.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrcEqe2uFWbBww_LtaSacRBusL8VreDP6nn4wQ9_ALWGC_cYo9jyrcLftif2TvKpYIUei_dMOGdH242WkwFV8qMkRVY-8BzOXhsTBVzpqQTWaXkfzt1hxwpukFH8s1UqPgWhwCcbjw4Q/s1600/Janome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrcEqe2uFWbBww_LtaSacRBusL8VreDP6nn4wQ9_ALWGC_cYo9jyrcLftif2TvKpYIUei_dMOGdH242WkwFV8qMkRVY-8BzOXhsTBVzpqQTWaXkfzt1hxwpukFH8s1UqPgWhwCcbjw4Q/s320/Janome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Secondly, given the pick up in sales, I decided my little business could use an upgrade in the sewing department. I spent a couple of days researching new sewing machines and deciding between getting something that could embroider, or get a nicer brand computerized machine. I ended up going with the nicer brand, and bought a new Janome DC2011. Pretty much anything is a step up from my Singer Simple, with its 18 different stitches, but this baby is really nice, comparatively. I haven't gotten to play around with it a whole lot, but what I have done has been fantastic.<br />
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And lastly- I am going to start selling custom ballet flats in my store! They can be made to match almost any one of my purses (there may be an exception or two, just ask!) and in three different styles: plain, with a mary jane type strap or with a wider strap. I've also included other choices in the listing itself. The basic ballet flats make great shoes for around the house or office, as well as light outdoor wear! I've been wearing mine a lot since I finished them. Yesterday I even wore them around the mall, and got a couple of compliments from total strangers. It was amazing to see their faces when I told them that I had made them.<br />
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Besides the ballet style flats, I'm also going to offer the option of having a cork sole add on, for a more hard wearing outside shoe. The cork has been purchased, as well as the cement for soling shoes, so its just a little waiting until it arrives. I can also make comfy house slippers with snuggly fleece lining!<br />
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It won't be available to purchase until next week, but I also have another pattern with a keyhole type closure, I just haven't gotten to test it out yet. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uSUjSC66qMikO0N-794jxaLaqLsS1UEXy054fNpc2nPA1V6Nshkto684JdAcgYEqJ1OgZr_Oi4DVl9aeKxlwozC9BHYgBwdCuSz43rOnrJfXs8VRYH6aNNPPWro3w38c5WdjVOMl7WM/s1600/LoveBirds+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uSUjSC66qMikO0N-794jxaLaqLsS1UEXy054fNpc2nPA1V6Nshkto684JdAcgYEqJ1OgZr_Oi4DVl9aeKxlwozC9BHYgBwdCuSz43rOnrJfXs8VRYH6aNNPPWro3w38c5WdjVOMl7WM/s400/LoveBirds+Shoes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newest set of shoes- These have canvas soles and are ready for the cork sole add on! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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If you're interested, you can see the shoe listing <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86244610/custom-made-ballet-flats-choose-your?ref=v1_other_2">here</a>!Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-64713663805978244922011-11-19T09:31:00.000-08:002011-11-19T09:47:34.373-08:00The Big Sale Weekend!Hello folks!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know this coming week is a big one for holiday shopping and I just wanted to have a little post here on my blog about the deals I’ll be offering. On Black Friday itself, I will be offering free shipping on everything in my shop! For Saturday –Monday, the deal will switch over to a 20% off coupon, and select items will go on sale (and you can still use the 20% off!). The sale items will change from day to day, so keep your eyes peeled if there’s something specific you’re looking for. Just remember that many of my bags are one of a kind, so if you miss out, I may not be making that one again (Although I am open to custom requests). If you want in on the deals, make sure to like my store on facebook (<a href="http://facebook.com/summercreations">here</a>) or follow me on twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/summercreates">here</a>) to get the coupon codes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh36Ni3N4UmuSKAZpCn0ehxt9tSI30nfEfi8MBRgPZ0JInFjf0UvATh9mdRLxPgdhq7Qnrkl_npIRmhppZf_3QrOnG821kX0WkcH6bRP6ARfgOzw6QSPd6LDtgH7HA1r8HVLZk1dvOaDU/s1600/BlackFridayMilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh36Ni3N4UmuSKAZpCn0ehxt9tSI30nfEfi8MBRgPZ0JInFjf0UvATh9mdRLxPgdhq7Qnrkl_npIRmhppZf_3QrOnG821kX0WkcH6bRP6ARfgOzw6QSPd6LDtgH7HA1r8HVLZk1dvOaDU/s640/BlackFridayMilly.jpg" width="563" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milly's getting ready for the big sale! She's hanging on to all of her favorites.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As a side note to anyone who is thinking of buying- I will be away from my studio due to the holiday, so any purchases made between Wednesday (the 23<sup>rd</sup>) and Sunday (the 26<sup>th</sup>) will be mailed on Monday (the 27<sup>th</sup>). If you are looking to get a companion cube, those will take time to make, since I do not keep a stock of them made up (just the materials). Order early if you need it time for Christmas because I will only have a limited number of them available during the deals, due to the work time they require.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another note… more of hint really… I will be starting to sell custom made shoes and slippers in my store as well! I've been working hard on getting them ready to release. They should be made available by black Friday, so if you want a pair of flats to match your new Summery Creations bag, please keep me in mind! There will be more about the shoes in a later post, so keep your eyes peeled!</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-39417466847489597352011-11-16T14:47:00.000-08:002011-11-16T14:47:11.340-08:00Lingering ProjectsDo you guys ever start a project that you are really excited about, only to encounter a snag, and then stop working on it? Or maybe its not even a snag in the project, maybe you just had to stop for a while, and never got back to it?<br />
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Maybe I'm just easily distracted, but I do this all of the time. In fact, I'm doing it right now. I started a purse as a gift 2 weeks ago. Everything is cut out for it, the outside of the bag is constructed, and it looks pretty good. I designed it especially for the giftee. The designing and constructing only took me about 2 hours. Then I got distracted, and I haven't finished it yet. This is a consistant thing for me. In fact, I was cleaning up my sewing area and found 2-3 more unfinished projects, waiting in the wings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7t_uFQd5ibJhGkVB8MLZ_ja3m2dN20gseCeVnReh1axB90ke9ZAqsFGKOSqpZW4R7-Dyx7CYaxadLwhgzwAzCJgFgkfSPP7aonYQ4-T7rEumVjerEBWh8LE3z6VkvI0eQ9Ux8hpnbe8/s1600/AuntBarb%2527sPurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7t_uFQd5ibJhGkVB8MLZ_ja3m2dN20gseCeVnReh1axB90ke9ZAqsFGKOSqpZW4R7-Dyx7CYaxadLwhgzwAzCJgFgkfSPP7aonYQ4-T7rEumVjerEBWh8LE3z6VkvI0eQ9Ux8hpnbe8/s400/AuntBarb%2527sPurse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Finished Bag<br />
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</tbody></table>Every once in a while I have to 'encourage' myself to finish these projects. Today was one of those days. I had an almost finished tote bag sitting on a shelf. In fact, it was only a couple stitches away from being done. This tote was one of those projects that I started and hit a snag on. I was attaching the inside of the bag when things just weren't lining up right, so I took a break from it... a 3 week break. I finally made myself go back to that tote this morning before I let myself make another pair of shoes (which I really want to do). I fixed the problem and had the tote finished in about 30 minutes. It was a very quick finish, and the final product is fantastic! I can't believe how long I put it off, and it has encouraged me to get back to work on other lingering projects, right after I make those new shoes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1b1dZtYI4dKaL4AJuiCoZZwHc5P2wzn-zOlzecFhatC_ihjI9nU11F6mR6KHM5XFZlJHHZZRY3w7OlHCOmp4nq3_Lek-g9ZsTLFh8e-ZUw3UmxY5TgBz7GG15qckO-ROtl3wLvv8UPM/s1600/FairtalesTote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1b1dZtYI4dKaL4AJuiCoZZwHc5P2wzn-zOlzecFhatC_ihjI9nU11F6mR6KHM5XFZlJHHZZRY3w7OlHCOmp4nq3_Lek-g9ZsTLFh8e-ZUw3UmxY5TgBz7GG15qckO-ROtl3wLvv8UPM/s640/FairtalesTote2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86296260/fairytales-patchwork-tote-diaper-bag">Fairy Tales Tote Bag</a>- Now for sale in my Etsy Shop!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So, when you hit a snag or have unfinished projects piling up, what do you do to kickstart them again?Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-49897594905573217512011-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:002011-11-14T09:16:24.859-08:00My New Shoeventure!Hello folks!<br />
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As much as I love making bags, and I do, I also like to branch out. I can never stick to just one thing for very long. I get bored and I have to do something to break the monotony, or get out of a creative rut. <br />
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I also have funny sized/shaped feet. About a year ago, I found some really cute black strappy flats at JC Penney, and I got them on sale. They fit great, which is hard to find. Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago... My cute shoes are now more of a smelly foot covering than a shoe. I've worn them consistently since I bought them. I started looking for good replacement shoes, and lets just say that I've had less than stellar options. The biggest issue is that I want flats for work, since I have arthritis in one of my big toes due an accident a couple of years ago. Cute adult sized flats are hard to find, especially ones that fit my short, wide tooties. The one pair I found at Payless that I thought might be worthy turned out to be a bust, size wise. This shoe problem has been weighing on my mind for a while.<br />
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Fast-forward again to about 4 days ago. I was surfing Etsy and thinking about Christmas presents. I couldn't do purses/bags again for most my list since that's what they got last year (I know, I know, you can never have too many purses, but I don't want to become that person who always gets you the same thing every year; I like variety!). I wanted to something different. Since I like to multitask and think about lots of stuff at once, the niggly shoe problem was also floating around my mind. So, I decided to see what was around in terms of shoes on Etsy. That lead me to some patterns for making your own cloth slippers/shoes. I did some research on the patterns and soling material and settled on a set of patterns that I just adored. Simple, functional, and of course I can make them with whatever fabric I want. I purchased a couple of patterns from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/shoeology">Shoeology</a> as well as some soling material.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaRXQ-xfVPDlrg8xFj5tYcwOpQYzMJA_W6lWODApjGJJvcbbr6xu9RxY3qTZDqwhcqrG0p5ZO3FOTmv31pexujorw_nHzftbr-s8-l8Uy5HQS2fkUezNTvaQdxQoc2onHIQjXMQz0EZA/s1600/Testslippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaRXQ-xfVPDlrg8xFj5tYcwOpQYzMJA_W6lWODApjGJJvcbbr6xu9RxY3qTZDqwhcqrG0p5ZO3FOTmv31pexujorw_nHzftbr-s8-l8Uy5HQS2fkUezNTvaQdxQoc2onHIQjXMQz0EZA/s400/Testslippers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frankenslippers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The patterns arrived in my inbox with in a couple of hours and I got to work on a test slipper. These ugly brutes were the result. I made them with some scrap fabric and didn't worry about making them seamless. They are soled with dark grey felt which I added some hot glue dots to so I don't fall on my butt in the kitchen. I've decided to call them frankenslippers, because they are cobbled together, have open seams, and I kind of walk like Frankenstein's monster trying to keep the right one on since the right one is larger than the left. <br />
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My second attempt at slipper making yielded this shiny house shoe:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CLf0z9lzogtgTNRzJ_kSEIDdmrE46TpqZyj55WTpJakdyf7mbSvhKRNaHNBghUuOFjohhfcW_2QRcSRRFhtctjVWJF2cPbnJSbtKk9lDuI6A-Y_yr960b71RllESQMrMgKCWQ-CpGZo/s1600/Melissa%2527sSlipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CLf0z9lzogtgTNRzJ_kSEIDdmrE46TpqZyj55WTpJakdyf7mbSvhKRNaHNBghUuOFjohhfcW_2QRcSRRFhtctjVWJF2cPbnJSbtKk9lDuI6A-Y_yr960b71RllESQMrMgKCWQ-CpGZo/s400/Melissa%2527sSlipper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden House Slippers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
These are going to be a gift. They are are seamless, which means they already look tons better than their predecessors. They aren't perfect though, the one that's hiding underneath had some issues with attaching the sole lining and appears a little warped. When its being worn its not noticeable at all, and doesn't bunch so its still very fluffy and comfortable. I figured out the problem, and solved it before stitching up the second, very nice one. I'll probably redo the ugly one before gifting it.<br />
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These third slippers are nearly perfect! I love them in all of their kawaii goodness:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JqTJto2ERvGJkeBjZ4B6yQnK6RK_p1jivk1U7STHiloQjv5A8LLCOVy9yS89rX4dm52dTfQACoVMKtRn4m-DDxCHXxjw1w5jxR5HwCgo_mS3V_9ZSrx1FN9aODdSiAbFa0PR6aATxRk/s1600/HelloSlippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JqTJto2ERvGJkeBjZ4B6yQnK6RK_p1jivk1U7STHiloQjv5A8LLCOVy9yS89rX4dm52dTfQACoVMKtRn4m-DDxCHXxjw1w5jxR5HwCgo_mS3V_9ZSrx1FN9aODdSiAbFa0PR6aATxRk/s640/HelloSlippers.jpg" width="609" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Slippers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There's one little bunch in the back of the left slipper's heel (right of the picture), but other than that, I think they're pretty good. These little cuties also have a matching drawstring bag to be gifted in.<br />
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And now, my crowning achievement, the leap into shoes! These things can be worn outside, with relative comfort and only a little ow-ow-I-stepped-on-a-rock (they are soft soled shoes).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AL1B_wWMxmBQB8b9z47Lt5Nx1l6byF0iVXad9MGcbJbGEWWUKCcV-naoflHIeJnvIprfyj2Dlguz_a_dlRnnFD45uKLj1PuZFWyglQDncDW0b_xDFKZCG96ydNzuMhoj2fqvWufQP14/s1600/Outside+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AL1B_wWMxmBQB8b9z47Lt5Nx1l6byF0iVXad9MGcbJbGEWWUKCcV-naoflHIeJnvIprfyj2Dlguz_a_dlRnnFD45uKLj1PuZFWyglQDncDW0b_xDFKZCG96ydNzuMhoj2fqvWufQP14/s640/Outside+Shoes.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>Aren't they cute? I love how they turned out. I even modified the pattern for the natural canvas toe accent. The shoes are made the same way as the slippers, but with a vinyl sole and foam/fleece insoles. They are really comfy for bumming around the house AND running outside to get the mail. I shall have to give them a good outside testing and take a walk in them. <br />
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I'm really considering adding some shoes and/or slippers to my Etsy shop. I think it would be neat to be able to buy a bag and flats to match. What do you guys think?Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-48926837308248132682011-11-04T07:38:00.000-07:002011-11-04T07:39:21.470-07:00Treasury Extraordinary!I'm still in the process of getting back in the groove, and yesterday I finally got back to my Etsy teams. Etsy Entrepreneurs always has always been a source of fun and exciting team challenges. Yesterday was no exception. I saw that they were having a treasury challenge, so I decided to try my hand at it. I'm not usually a treasury maker, but I thought this was one of my better ones. I wanted to share it here in my blog!<br />
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Go, check it out! Click, comment, ect. I would love to win this challenge! (clicking the title will take you to the treasury itself, on Etsy)<br />
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<script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&l=MTA2NjkzMzJ8MTAyNDM2MDM0Ng&r=-1&t=a&m=0&u=10669332&">
</script>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-36742477336873467002011-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:002011-11-03T09:11:36.796-07:00Mildred's Make Over<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigD1QItPBm-9OzVvne742QdcQjNE1FHnuI2PQygO48ew1G9140Kos7qOFBculI3kkuPj2YzbamVKULwZRtVTWRuYB1HcmpwLm_6HbvfOJhHMdS_f37IVOR_2C0vTGtF4n5JyZ5oBGb-EE/s1600/AutumnOrangeBag3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigD1QItPBm-9OzVvne742QdcQjNE1FHnuI2PQygO48ew1G9140Kos7qOFBculI3kkuPj2YzbamVKULwZRtVTWRuYB1HcmpwLm_6HbvfOJhHMdS_f37IVOR_2C0vTGtF4n5JyZ5oBGb-EE/s320/AutumnOrangeBag3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I bought a ruffler foot about a month ago, and finally <br />
got around to using it.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I've been busy this week so far. So far I've finished a custom order backpack, finished a dress, made a new bag design for the left over dress linen and finished that bag, figured out how to use my ruffler foot, started another patchwork bag, started another companion cube and solved Milly's clashy color problem! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As Raye pointed out in my last post, Mildred's flashy purple wires are great and all, but they cause some issues too. Milly is a fun, fabulous piece of furniture, but as a photo prop she was falling short. I still love her shape and usefulness for showing scale. So, I went to my closet to see if I had something that would work as a cover before I tried to make something. I found the perfect solution, just hanging out in my closet: A white sweater dress! This dress was perfect, as it had a cowl that covered her upper chest and neck part, and it was fitted, so I only had pin it a little bit. Here are a couple of examples of Mildred's new work:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_589sGE6EvDnG7I6gtyXquiBP_f61l7lLmmUP_w26sSQWHmsoRN1eDhQRGxgd8PdKtGXNMvIK6goUeJT5Om4oAe7_Keid4dYe2oLlZpOFMtepyL3Ntve-g7zihNBrhBtv8CSe5x-Wuo/s1600/AutumnBag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_589sGE6EvDnG7I6gtyXquiBP_f61l7lLmmUP_w26sSQWHmsoRN1eDhQRGxgd8PdKtGXNMvIK6goUeJT5Om4oAe7_Keid4dYe2oLlZpOFMtepyL3Ntve-g7zihNBrhBtv8CSe5x-Wuo/s640/AutumnBag1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> And my new orange bag! Like it? Go check it out in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SummeryCreations?ref=si_shop">shop</a> too!<br />
The ruffled zipper pouch comes with it.<br />
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</tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxLXhkm0-nmiFgFCSrFFH9mFSHGvkNFrai_OuCDz_3yBeOAIEvneBELHODDm_ndTWCB4Cow92VNO2pBXyzxr1iRC3vrRHUwZ1uyW3hWkgQRhmNVOZk46oIPftO16cD8MbMKhAKTZ2zLE/s1600/Milly%2526RedTote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxLXhkm0-nmiFgFCSrFFH9mFSHGvkNFrai_OuCDz_3yBeOAIEvneBELHODDm_ndTWCB4Cow92VNO2pBXyzxr1iRC3vrRHUwZ1uyW3hWkgQRhmNVOZk46oIPftO16cD8MbMKhAKTZ2zLE/s400/Milly%2526RedTote.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can find this<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/57601352/simple-red-and-white-plaid-purse-tote"> plaid tote</a> in my shop too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlPGqBx7D4kdsEKMu8Oz7gI2plpfRSzlVn2muuae6ag8oC7S9u1BV0vXW2C572xgPDjTz8ZUCSp8cYiq5efhr3wBKS2IkYi2rC7HjxAfXusb-c-L6IKdztISrgCMJXv1eX4-3JNgMo7o/s1600/Milly%2526GreenMomo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlPGqBx7D4kdsEKMu8Oz7gI2plpfRSzlVn2muuae6ag8oC7S9u1BV0vXW2C572xgPDjTz8ZUCSp8cYiq5efhr3wBKS2IkYi2rC7HjxAfXusb-c-L6IKdztISrgCMJXv1eX4-3JNgMo7o/s400/Milly%2526GreenMomo.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course, the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76708439/green-momotaro-anime-character-tote-bag">Green Momotaro Tote</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-91937437703455435822011-10-31T06:49:00.000-07:002011-10-31T06:49:28.338-07:00Back to the GrooveI don't have anything too interesting to post right now, other than to say that I am finally done with the assignment from places best not mentioned on Halloween. That means I will be home, all day for at least the next week, recouping. That also means I will have tons of time to get stuff done! I'm really looking forward to getting back to my sewing machine. I'm not so excited for the loss of income, but the district didn't have any open spots for me to fill. On the other hand, with time to spend on my Etsy shop and networking and such, maybe I can get my sales off the ground. That would be nice... and I'm sure my husband would enjoy opening up some of the space that is currently occupied by my inventory.<br />
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</div><div>I've already started on my to do list. On Saturday, I took my new wire dress frame outside to re photo some of my bags. I really like how they turned out. I think they look much better on a suedo human than just sitting on the shelf or hanging on a hook on the wall. She is of course a little smaller than normal people sized, but its a good approximation.<br />
<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZLTv90DKdI8Br_6FL4SYHrvRjIUiUdabHC0QmS-3v0BvA3w1T8VvUVHf9de_isSypAxeb_9lswjyI2ZyRbP69rRkM_F8UsjdBmPHn79eQrClgmkaN5dTRZ8N6QlOTp2ToSzct7p1imM/s1600/MillyforBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZLTv90DKdI8Br_6FL4SYHrvRjIUiUdabHC0QmS-3v0BvA3w1T8VvUVHf9de_isSypAxeb_9lswjyI2ZyRbP69rRkM_F8UsjdBmPHn79eQrClgmkaN5dTRZ8N6QlOTp2ToSzct7p1imM/s640/MillyforBlog.jpg" width="379" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I named her Mildred!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What do you folks think about using a dress frame/mannequin vs. hang on the wall or sitting on a shelf? If you were a buyer, which would entice you more?<br />
<div> </div></div></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-46894304109158824932011-10-02T10:03:00.000-07:002011-10-02T10:59:21.571-07:00I've Got the Universe in my PocketHello folks, long time no write. <br />
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As I said in my last post, school started for us and completely threw off my craft groove, and I was neck deep in naps and tests to grade. I was further put off when I had to switch assignments. I'm a long term sub currently subbing for teachers on family leave. I started the year as a chemistry teacher, and now I'm teaching history with a group of the most frustrating sophomores you've ever seen in your life. I want to like them, but they make it so hard. Anyways, I'm sure this is all very interesting, but what brings me back to my blog, you might be asking... <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO3Me9C4kP0lT2eqcsvJvdflHQWumrAj39ldaX_GBRECEk3sXnJiPLXWHAQ0CCw5OzMX9BPPdB5QL_xQreGPuM8dsa0RFDhmRRQzeId8ciI0p_Lt-Hq_u95Hr59eysdKKuAmmkdjHjFw/s1600/SpaceFabPrint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO3Me9C4kP0lT2eqcsvJvdflHQWumrAj39ldaX_GBRECEk3sXnJiPLXWHAQ0CCw5OzMX9BPPdB5QL_xQreGPuM8dsa0RFDhmRRQzeId8ciI0p_Lt-Hq_u95Hr59eysdKKuAmmkdjHjFw/s320/SpaceFabPrint.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First full printing my NASA space fabric!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Well, a couple of weeks ago I was looking through NASA's photo archives, while thinking about entering spoonflower fabric contests (more about them later) when I was hit with a cool idea. Wouldn't it be awesome to have fabric made with some of these photos? Why, yes, yes it would, I thought. So, I looked into NASA's photo usage rules and they are basically free for alls, as NASA doesn't keep copyrights on any of their pictures. I was ecstatic, and I started searching for interesting photos that were large enough to be useful. It only took me a couple of hours to get my idea shaped and set up. The next 2 weeks were spent waiting on proofs and the final printing of my first yard of fabric. I love love love how they turned out!<br />
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I had the idea to make the pictures into zipper pouches, and included both a front and a back for them. I'm posting here today to let everyone know that the first batch of Universe in my Pocket pouches are done and up for sale on Etsy! Here are few of them up close-<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXN97nzHQHMnuetPAya1_oUFyGknvYBt59siYLp7tkOJYtKdzuBH0F6TQiZAOwq5Avk1KOZmIIqpRygLBmswj1H9c3IhgMPjQ-NhvNyi0aqGjJIWsJQ5xNzWHrwiyMln9B_Dz6FlBGoY/s1600/M81Pouch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXN97nzHQHMnuetPAya1_oUFyGknvYBt59siYLp7tkOJYtKdzuBH0F6TQiZAOwq5Avk1KOZmIIqpRygLBmswj1H9c3IhgMPjQ-NhvNyi0aqGjJIWsJQ5xNzWHrwiyMln9B_Dz6FlBGoY/s640/M81Pouch1.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82978848/m81-galaxy-padded-zipper-pouch-ive-got">M81 Galaxy Pouch</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUPNXbLTPmku359axQl1Eewu3_m2jW9Eq9FFyGA-x_lUpSbuYvezzIF3VxD2JgX0A1EtXnpfeY6MiZNv1ND5Y9IekPSY3BYYIFyc08WLJCifKd4UhZtT3VsbOZnR6shy3sXGboFUOCeE/s1600/M82Pouch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUPNXbLTPmku359axQl1Eewu3_m2jW9Eq9FFyGA-x_lUpSbuYvezzIF3VxD2JgX0A1EtXnpfeY6MiZNv1ND5Y9IekPSY3BYYIFyc08WLJCifKd4UhZtT3VsbOZnR6shy3sXGboFUOCeE/s640/M82Pouch1.jpg" width="616" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82978127/m82-galaxy-padded-zipper-pouch-ive-got">M82 Galaxy Pouch</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyRCJ2eBnJYGG0C2GTmzmWZzkehfb9Y30Ox5QuJQh_5XPd2EWVCX4cxNT1y2oOXg8k7ElFgX9T5tYD9fdZGD1aUjydOSRnAamAusYSx23qWzfamecP2zXrriJgxgy567z1XblY0hU0Ug/s1600/Nebula1Pouch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyRCJ2eBnJYGG0C2GTmzmWZzkehfb9Y30Ox5QuJQh_5XPd2EWVCX4cxNT1y2oOXg8k7ElFgX9T5tYD9fdZGD1aUjydOSRnAamAusYSx23qWzfamecP2zXrriJgxgy567z1XblY0hU0Ug/s640/Nebula1Pouch1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82978848/m81-galaxy-padded-zipper-pouch-ive-got">Butterfly Nebula Pouch</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Want to see the whole collection? Check out the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SummeryCreations?section_id=10502168">Universe Pouches</a> section of my Etsy shop.<br />
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One last thing: If you've ever wanted to design your own fabric, you need to check out <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/">Spoonflower</a>! Their printing is high quality, and making your own designs is super fun. They also have weekly design contests. I've entered this weeks, so if you go to the <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/contests/101">contests page</a>, I would appreciate a vote for my Ditzy Outer Space print design (its under my etsy shop name, summerycreations).Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-51569794196555686812011-08-16T20:16:00.000-07:002011-08-16T20:28:14.884-07:00School DazeI know its been awhile since I posted last. I didn't know until the day before school started, but the district has me working as a long term sub again. I'm filling for the school's only chemistry teacher, who's out on maternity leave. School started last Wednesday, and it has hit me like a ton of bricks. It's hard to go from a fairly laid back summer of crafting to a full day of teaching, let me tell you. As the only chemistry teacher, I have no planning period, a total of 7 classes and 224 students. I don't think I'm going to be able to learn any names, ever. I might know about 6 kid's names after a week, and I taught several of them last year when I was an algebra teacher. Thankfully, most of my students seem pretty decent. I haven't had any issues yet, no detentions given, and only one class will be on a seating chart due to too much chatting during lecture.<br />
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Since all this started, I haven't been able to craft anything, except for the bento box bag I'm finishing up for myself (possible pictures when I finish). For the last week I've been going to work, coming home, taking a 2 hour nap, cooking dinner, watching a little TV, then going back to bed. I'm hoping that I can build up some stamina soon and not have to take a nap every day. Its been crazy, I didn't even take naps when I was in pre-school. Nap time was when I stuffed the tip of my blanket in my pants and pretended it was tail and I was a skunk, like Flower from Bambi.<br />
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Until next time!Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-12385820762140182452011-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:002011-08-07T11:27:40.182-07:00Summer's Sunday Selections - Back To School<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I don't know about the rest of you, but school starts this week for us. Its time for us to head back into the classrooms and commence with the learnings. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it. The back to school shopping however... thats more my style. So, for this week's Sunday Selections I have gathered together a plethora of back to school items. I gathered together so many that I won't be able to fit them all here, so I'll post a link to my pinterest board where the collection currently resides.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.262057790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.262057790.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first thing every school should start with is coffee. <br />
Especially the first one. I like <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79240451/back-to-school-math-counts-mug?ref=sr_list_10&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=back+to+school&ga_order=date_desc&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">this</a> coffee cup because it <br />
has math stuff on it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.255000845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.255000845.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, new clothes are also a must for the first day. <br />
I like dresses because you only have to buy one piece<br />
to have an outfit. And I just like this<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77159786/on-sale-mod-blue-dresslinen-orange-panal?ref=v1_other_2"> one</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.248381425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.248381425.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, when it starts to get a bit cooler, you may also need a cute poncho<br />
like <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72234820/vintage-boho-poncho-sweater-for-back-to?ref=sr_list_22&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=back+to+school&ga_order=date_desc&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">this one</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.197840540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.197840540.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organization is key to a good start. This neato <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/63244695/weekly-eco-planner-in-aubergine-and-pale?ref=sr_list_9&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=weekly+organizer&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fpaper_goods">planner</a> can help.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.255749855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.255749855.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll need at least one <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77381459/uniquely-handmade-moleskine-notebook?ref=sr_list_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=notebooks&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fpaper_goods">notebook</a> too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.189681980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.189681980.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better make that three <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60868509/floral-bird-large-notebook-set?ref=sr_list_15&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=notebooks&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=0&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fpaper_goods">notebooks</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div><br />
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</div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.212143222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.212143222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pencils should also be on everyone's<br />
back to school shopping list. I just<br />
love the Princess Bride reference on<br />
these sharp little <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66877087/westleys-words-as-you-wish-the-princess?ref=sr_list_15&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=pencils&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=">pencils</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.237581829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.237581829.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">You'll probably want somewhere to keep<br />
your pencils as well. This<br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72541724/back-to-school-pencil-case-checked?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=back+to+school+pencil+cases&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">zipper case</a> should do just fine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div></div></div><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.260733444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.260733444.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backpacks are always in demand for the new school year. I<br />
am in love with the fabrics on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78865347/backpack-laptop-10-pockets-water?ref=sc_2">this one</a>. Bonus, it has tons<br />
of pockets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.256679816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.256679816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Or maybe you prefere the messenger bag. (Hint: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77672722/messenger-backpack-convertible-in?ref=cat2_list_25">this one</a><br />
works either way, its convertible!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.235416473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.235416473.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once you have all of those new books, you may need <br />
some <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69058671/writers-block-photo-story-cubes-for?ref=sr_list_40&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=back+to+school&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=0&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">cool bookends</a> to keep them upright.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.262018298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.262018298.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And every school day needs an after school snack! And <br />
every after school snack needs a place to hang out, why not<br />
put it in this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79229603/glass-cookie-jar-free-shipping-vintage?ref=sr_list_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=back+to+school&ga_order=date_desc&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=list&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">cool cookie jar</a>?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That's it for today's selections. I hope you enjoyed the back to school edition. If you want to see some more of the things I've picked out, check out my <a href="http://pinterest.com/summer_hannah/back-to-school/">back to school pinterest board</a>. What back to school essentials do you fancy?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*I know the picture spacing is a little wonky, I tried to be fancy and they got all out of wack.</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-33389360416000478092011-08-03T13:46:00.000-07:002011-08-03T16:44:20.683-07:00Sudden Inspiration<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I love when ideas just come to me. Sometimes I have a particular fabric or set of fabrics that I want to work with, and I just can't think of what I should make with them. This is a problem for me, because often times I buy first, then pick a project, rather than having a project then buying the supplies. I usually just sit down with some paper and doodle ideas until something sticks for a particular set of fabrics. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93XXzi95BTiQE-avCTQ6oHuoFxRxpYT-Pb-mAu_hKsTnKrbNXJoLlkp62pbYxYKmBFY4xD3XtzH0qt0_LaH1A_DfOxiE-58_Jttz1vCEfbs3i_PFGb0KCP4g6vmirx-WSZr-boDQqOto/s1600/NewFabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93XXzi95BTiQE-avCTQ6oHuoFxRxpYT-Pb-mAu_hKsTnKrbNXJoLlkp62pbYxYKmBFY4xD3XtzH0qt0_LaH1A_DfOxiE-58_Jttz1vCEfbs3i_PFGb0KCP4g6vmirx-WSZr-boDQqOto/s400/NewFabs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last week I purchased these super cute fabrics. One has little birds and scattered hearts, and the other has color coordinating stripes. I had been thinking for a couple of days about what I wanted to make with it. I had tried sitting down and doodling, but I couldn't come up with anything I liked. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Then I took a nap. Now, when I nap, which is often, I usually sleep for at least 2 hours if I can. Otherwise I'm just grouching for the rest of the day. This time however, I woke up after only about an hour with a hazy dream like idea of a design. It was so pressing an idea that I stumbled out of bed, scared the begeezus out of my husband who was in the kitchen eating my brownies, and sat down with some paper to sketch out the bag before I sleepily forgot it.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTSmcwH3HUHMz0g5nURt-88dgEJBxjKQ2me-xWnAF6-k5oRQCsZQtgfYvbAQc3QWMbYfmfLUqWu-VoZLfkS-dGRxWiFK4wtf2W0iEmatfflJAKBdBQLenM96J3W9DThVE8_1VjQ5Hdq0/s1600/TweedBackpack1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTSmcwH3HUHMz0g5nURt-88dgEJBxjKQ2me-xWnAF6-k5oRQCsZQtgfYvbAQc3QWMbYfmfLUqWu-VoZLfkS-dGRxWiFK4wtf2W0iEmatfflJAKBdBQLenM96J3W9DThVE8_1VjQ5Hdq0/s320/TweedBackpack1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79010841/red-and-tan-tweed-rucksack-with"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Extra Large Tweed Backpack</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I had to wait to go through with my idea, since I was already working on this backpack. Last night I was able to turn my idea into a bag, and I think it turned out wonderfully! I also got to use the new fabric covered button kit I got at the same time as the fabric.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW-lafu0MatcFO5f-v6e7bWNhv0DpGojyq0ihGw5HHzNfPOk4GKbMSaI8Wx7oz5KCthkYFhJJ0k8hID1hq1xmc-A6yp5N33CVi1SE69ecKgI4lVuKp24W09Ad2ZokgJa1u6WCOdLN18s/s1600/LoveBirds5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW-lafu0MatcFO5f-v6e7bWNhv0DpGojyq0ihGw5HHzNfPOk4GKbMSaI8Wx7oz5KCthkYFhJJ0k8hID1hq1xmc-A6yp5N33CVi1SE69ecKgI4lVuKp24W09Ad2ZokgJa1u6WCOdLN18s/s640/LoveBirds5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The design, brought to life! Just posted on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79051759/twilight-love-birds-purse-with-stripes">Etsy</a> as well.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you guys have moments of sudden inspiration, when a design just comes to you? Share your "ah-ha" moments!</span>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-30282260333628051702011-08-01T16:35:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:35:13.202-07:00Spicy Eggplant and Green Snap Beans Stir Fry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In between sewing and cruising the interwebs, I do have to feed myself. Today I decided to try a veggie stir fry for lunch. It turned out so well, that I thought I would share it with you guys. This is by no means a traditional stir fry, however, it did make for quite a tasty lunch. I got all of the produce from Bountiful Baskets, an awesome food co-op thats run by volunteers and makes local area in-season produce affordable and easy to get. You get a variety of things, and you don't know what you'll get until you get there. This is how I acquired the seemingly odd variety of ingredients in this meal. Again, my recipes are more... guidelines. I'll tell you what and how much I used, but experimenting with cooking is half of the fun! So, on to the dish:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Spicy Eggplant and Green Snap Beans Stir Fry</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Feeds 1 as a main dish, 2-3 as a side</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1/2 medium eggplant (125g)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a generous handfull of green snap beans (100g)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1/4 of a medium yellow onion (50g)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 medium jalapeno pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 clove of garlic</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 tsp sesame oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1/2 tbsp soy sauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1/2 lime (or one key lime)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">cilantro to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wl4K4Mh4EvrneUGbhU5dVSoIDANejAYfIHtshq5FNvcJuvP_DInUg-kJ5OlVYFU7QCfsIzjxiX0sr5JH9ZqQHc4NklsjRW5TxqlpHYHKdTG3qFMfioq6q-Nqem2WxhzDhQVEQ08N5ms/s1600/spicy+eggplant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wl4K4Mh4EvrneUGbhU5dVSoIDANejAYfIHtshq5FNvcJuvP_DInUg-kJ5OlVYFU7QCfsIzjxiX0sr5JH9ZqQHc4NklsjRW5TxqlpHYHKdTG3qFMfioq6q-Nqem2WxhzDhQVEQ08N5ms/s640/spicy+eggplant.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That bottle is my "healthy" soy sauce with kelp. Its actually really good, and not overly salty. I wish I could tell you more, like what the brand name is, but most of the bottle is in Korean.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Preparation:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. Chop the veggies. I sliced the eggplant into 1/4 in sections, and then cut the sections into 1/8ths. I minced the garlic, snapped the beans into 2 inch pieces and cut the onion into small sections. I cut the jalapeno into thinish slices. Hint: Don't want too much heat from the pepper? Cut out the seeds to eliminate some of the spiciness.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. Prepare the pan/wok. I used a teflon pan, so I try to keep the oil to a minimum. I sprayed the pan once around with canola cooking oil, then added and spread the sesame oil. If you aren't using a non stick pan, you may need more oil.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. Start the cooking. I turned my stove up to high and added the garlic. I usually give it about a minute or so to heat up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. Cooking. I added the green snap beans first since they take the longest to cook. Stirring constantly is a must, even in a nonstick pan. I gave them a few minutes, then added the onions and eggplant. As soon as I had given them a good stir, I squeezed the lime over the pan, and added the soy sauce. I let them cook for another 3-4 minutes while stirring.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5. The finishing touches. I added the jalapeno and cilantro last. If you want a milder jalapeno, you should add it earlier, as the heat of the pan will temper the spiciness. If you add them at the end, make sure they get enough time to cook and allow their flavor to blend with everything else. At the very end, right before you turn off the stove is when the cilantro should be added. It gets just enough heat to release the flavor without dulling it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And voila! A delicious, spicy eggplant and green snap bean stir fry!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu_NRwowzREu4Bni9S-io8A3bhgBVZtVdjy8AeX2XSIdojcJ3CixehvTtR7Bip9I9lcVwB9KAehCe48r4bbuaopuXubAaClG07O4HquocmmdFdjOQoAv92WfdEPx6uzyVMetKDewGjOo/s1600/EggplantDone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu_NRwowzREu4Bni9S-io8A3bhgBVZtVdjy8AeX2XSIdojcJ3CixehvTtR7Bip9I9lcVwB9KAehCe48r4bbuaopuXubAaClG07O4HquocmmdFdjOQoAv92WfdEPx6uzyVMetKDewGjOo/s640/EggplantDone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-76415730895235170142011-08-01T09:42:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:45:36.383-07:00How I Made a Simple Baby Blanket<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hi folks! I decided a couple of days ago that I wanted to try my hand at making a baby blanket. No, not for me, I don't plan on having any of those around for several years. I wanted to make it for a coworker who's due in a couple of weeks. I've never made a blanket before, but I've seen plenty of them around on Etsy and the like. I really like the ones with the minky dot on one side and regular quilting type fabric on the other. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I was thinking about this idea yesterday while I was at Jo-anns, wandering the fabric aisles, and decided to take the plunge and make one. I wandered right into the baby section and started looking for boy's fabrics. They had quite a selection, and I finally settled on a light blue flannel that had little animal faces in colored dots. It didn't take me too long to find a coordinating flannel with just dots, and some blue minky fabric. I also picked up some fusible fleece to give it some extra snuggly and cushion.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqbJZ3XxuTMUvkmpG6-JOR63UdquJo7JXiRUuICZjPMFjDgb1i51jurdwwzkIZH1zgl1Vu-xtkQsVvd9jftyeva6PhCy_zJdilg9yYVZNDdhd2jaCtrZHf_VUJxydXkBZzxi4UFg2Wk0/s1600/BB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqbJZ3XxuTMUvkmpG6-JOR63UdquJo7JXiRUuICZjPMFjDgb1i51jurdwwzkIZH1zgl1Vu-xtkQsVvd9jftyeva6PhCy_zJdilg9yYVZNDdhd2jaCtrZHf_VUJxydXkBZzxi4UFg2Wk0/s640/BB1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is what I came home with. I bought 1 yard of the minky dot, 1/2 yard <br />
of the dots, and 1 yard of the animals, and one yard of the interfacing.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When I got home, I started working right away. After I squared up the edges of the animal print, I checked it against the fleece and trimmed that to fit. Then I pinned the edges to make it easier to transfer to the ironing board and keep it all lined up.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTJMC8GyK7NQMvtVMWi-TuSYuiY4ZoX2b6pvp8Sj0eVgX-kL6N9z31snJLBuW87C_Dx5jOaUVmyzoQ99NXfu1_hnUfb1qfOI-KZDiU86tGzpiDDnl0eo7zB7tdnvoUYF8dKurdIVG_Qc/s1600/bb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTJMC8GyK7NQMvtVMWi-TuSYuiY4ZoX2b6pvp8Sj0eVgX-kL6N9z31snJLBuW87C_Dx5jOaUVmyzoQ99NXfu1_hnUfb1qfOI-KZDiU86tGzpiDDnl0eo7zB7tdnvoUYF8dKurdIVG_Qc/s400/bb2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4um_rPcCX0l1o4Bz20sSltOY3C5k3lZGqqBB4UHwglk_3vmi8IhhLrMooq-DCmw5DrxVdf5j6ktDlNQFn98HYt3A6lQlDCqhx5iM8_68z9fxWlcqGa8NQr_m91nq24zpa2kUfT73PJkM/s1600/bb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4um_rPcCX0l1o4Bz20sSltOY3C5k3lZGqqBB4UHwglk_3vmi8IhhLrMooq-DCmw5DrxVdf5j6ktDlNQFn98HYt3A6lQlDCqhx5iM8_68z9fxWlcqGa8NQr_m91nq24zpa2kUfT73PJkM/s400/bb3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After I finished ironing on the fleece, which was probably the most time consuming part, I got out the dot fabric and cut it into 3.5in wide strips. I sewed the strips together, then ran them through a 2 in bias tape maker to make the blanket binding.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3dp1l7-xacA0hnPAsNzeYTPOoIctpxqn91yGUJduwwaNGOC85Ua3Fen3Y_GpDWHn0p5_6V2BQK-Q1AyjAfnDeWbt3JC2Pivwq9OkUpCuKHS1nhACW1YOq36wD_Y31rYj0RrkCGG4WI/s1600/bb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3dp1l7-xacA0hnPAsNzeYTPOoIctpxqn91yGUJduwwaNGOC85Ua3Fen3Y_GpDWHn0p5_6V2BQK-Q1AyjAfnDeWbt3JC2Pivwq9OkUpCuKHS1nhACW1YOq36wD_Y31rYj0RrkCGG4WI/s400/bb4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOjRi9AlctXEDJhnymFvom257iPbcTjBAinsQ-NyJXwLX7eKDcA_GWV32-jgPFrJo6T_8-1xnA7MmZxpNSDAfEhU5Sk1rbg0JGAfi0BdCdYMqbiEz1lTOCtWqwKQrCTJaqmi_eidocMI/s1600/bb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOjRi9AlctXEDJhnymFvom257iPbcTjBAinsQ-NyJXwLX7eKDcA_GWV32-jgPFrJo6T_8-1xnA7MmZxpNSDAfEhU5Sk1rbg0JGAfi0BdCdYMqbiEz1lTOCtWqwKQrCTJaqmi_eidocMI/s400/bb5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You can see that I also stitched the minky to the other side here.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After that, I lined up the minky with the now fused animal print/fleece and trimmed the excess. I then basted them together, as you can see in the last picture. The final step was to simply attach the binding to the outside edges. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If I ever make one of these again, I think I will need to get a walking foot, since the binding did bunch some. The minky was a little tricky too, like any knit-stretchy type fabric. It does pull a little on the rest so that it takes some coaxing to make it lay flat. Overall though, I would say the blanket was a success!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ZvucbJVq63IICGXp0VbUtQghVUHyTxQ_5buuuOF-zBqi5LsZQmCz8OfE8N9kdzGxO6tN88-gcN1k7P0oMsw7vG2LhQCh3mBWYsGxScnjjgsP771KYk-f06Dbb-w9gU2qcSycmNYzyw/s1600/bb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ZvucbJVq63IICGXp0VbUtQghVUHyTxQ_5buuuOF-zBqi5LsZQmCz8OfE8N9kdzGxO6tN88-gcN1k7P0oMsw7vG2LhQCh3mBWYsGxScnjjgsP771KYk-f06Dbb-w9gU2qcSycmNYzyw/s640/bb6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The finished product! Its about 35in x 40in in size. Perfect as regular blanket or a floor play area!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you guys have any tips/experience to share about making baby blankets or working with minky fabrics?</span></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-29738416247350443282011-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:002011-07-31T09:35:05.680-07:00Summer's Sunday Selections- Fantastic Lights!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After you’ve organized all of your stuff, you still need to be able to find it, and that might require some great lighting. A couple lighting pieces really caught my eye this week, and I wanted to share them with you. Fun, funky and functional lighting can generate inspiration as well as help you find things in your newly organized spaces. And now, on to the selections!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.236070459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.236070459.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72177370/japanese-style-shoji-lamp-alderexpresso?ref=sr_list_22&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=lighting&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">A Japanese Shoji (rice paper) lamp</a>. I love the classic asian stylings!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.258882929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.258882929.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78316778/pink-blooming-tree-table-lamp-handmade?ref=v1_other_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pink Blooming Tree Table Lamp</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.173466979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.173466979.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sometimes you need to find your stuff at night too. This <br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/56026785/eams-era-retro-turquoise-and-gray?ref=sr_list_16&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=lighting&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fglass">Eams Era Tea Cup Night Light</a> can help.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.259627153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.259627153.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78540585/upcycled-globe-lamp?ref=sr_list_8&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=lamps&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fhousewares">Upcycled Globe Lamp</a>... Love it!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.224934684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.224934684.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/VogueIllumination?ref=seller_info">shop</a> has tons of lamps made from wine bottles, how cool is that?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.257906059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.257906059.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This lamp is just too neat! Its a<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78023869/custom-rice-paper-lamp-warm-tones?ref=v1_other_1"> Custom Rice Paper Lamp</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.249818924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.249818924.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75641089/matte-white-origami-hanging-lantern?ref=v1_other_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Matte White Origami Hanging Latern</span></a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.229042978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.229042978.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And lastly, something a little more retro. This is a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70492261/mid-century-eyeball-expandable?ref=sr_list_20&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=lamps&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">Mid Century<br />
Eyeball Expandable Underwriters Lam</a>p</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And that’s it for today’s selections! There will be more next week.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As a side note… I was mildly amused by all of the listings that had misspelled lightening as lighting. I can’t be too amused though, I’m sure I make those kind mistakes all the time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">*Update from last week's Sunday Selections*</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last week, I mentioned a cube shelf that I really wanted to replace my ugly wire rack as a crafting storage unit. Well, my husband totally surprised me with it on Friday! He was out at the school, doing teachery things, and he even called me and texted what he was doing along the way home, (I had asked him to pick up a couple of things at a different store) just to throw me off. I was so excited when he brought it through the door, that I built the whole thing by myself in about 20 minutes. I don't have any pictures yet, since I still need to "build" the baskets for it. It looks kind of messy right now. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-62266856265636302372011-07-27T19:23:00.000-07:002011-07-27T20:25:30.079-07:00Idea for A Fun, Simple, and Inexpensive Placemat<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'll admit it, this idea came to me when I bored at my desk the other day. I was eating my lunch and surfing the nets when I looked down and saw the scratches and wear spots under my soup bowl. I know my desk is no piece of artwork (its cheap and functional), but the signs of my habit of eating in front of the computer were just so obvious. So, I starting thinking... I need a placemat! A regular one wouldn't work though, I needed a smaller one, to fit in front of my keyboard.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While moving over to my sewing table, I remembered the massive amounts of craft felt I had stored away in the closet. I decided I wanted to use it since the idea was already brewing. I was imagining a light grey cloud appliqued on to a layer of dark grey. I didn't want the applique to show on the back, so it would probably need another layer of dark grey. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, I dragged the felt out of the back corner of the closet and started free-handing (or free-scissoring, as it were) a cloud out of the light grey. I then cut out 2 10in x 7in rectangles from the dark grey. I zigzag stitched the cloud to the first piece of dark grey felt. I used the largest zig zag stitch my machine has, and left the stitches spaced out since I like the look of the obvious threads. After I did that I decided that my little cloud had an expression that I needed to bring out, so I got out a fabric marker and some thread and stitched a chibi little face on him. It has a multipurpose expression... Maybe he's hot from the toasty food, or maybe he's getting ready to blow on it, or maybe he has cloud-stipation. Thats up to the viewer!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Then, for the finishing touches, I got out the serger to overlock the edges of the two pieces of dark grey felt together. Like with the zigzagging of the cloud, I wanted the threads to be obvious, so I used a wide 4-thread overlock stitch and white thread. Zip, zip, zip, zip, and Cloudy McPlacemat was born!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0lnMfJu08-oy4t25dFquFeZT91SOSrPTljJ_aX39XzM_JkmsMBqYPerCyVpzTGU_67JetIOBu31ZNL3NyOrzQm45fOYoIP9TfFaJmPoai-BaO_Waty50lKLHnWisatX-8mvCF1te6tQ/s1600/CLoudyMcPlacemat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0lnMfJu08-oy4t25dFquFeZT91SOSrPTljJ_aX39XzM_JkmsMBqYPerCyVpzTGU_67JetIOBu31ZNL3NyOrzQm45fOYoIP9TfFaJmPoai-BaO_Waty50lKLHnWisatX-8mvCF1te6tQ/s640/CLoudyMcPlacemat.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cloudy McPlacemat, minutes after birth.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think this would be a great general idea for anyone looking to make inexpensive (craft felt is cheap... regular price is something like $4-5 per yard of 70 inch wide felt) and cute placemats. Of course the size can be changed for regular table-eaters placemats, or left small for us desk-eaters, or children. You could cut out any kind of character you want for top. And you can easily finish them without a serger, since felt doesn't ravel. You would just need to stitch around the outside with whatever stitch you like the look of, be that a regular straight stitch or something more fancy.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfn1zZLeH8MlydE4u3R3_Lx9WnFnL2yKfJBxc15p3gLaHoppaE8R5yzI89-RRVgLVm5IY9P20Ek-utbahXUlJiaKF4fAne_7J9RQLsKaO9rehVBRNVOrO7eyTc01NHNnLDMHfgmV2-rfM/s1600/CloudyInUse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfn1zZLeH8MlydE4u3R3_Lx9WnFnL2yKfJBxc15p3gLaHoppaE8R5yzI89-RRVgLVm5IY9P20Ek-utbahXUlJiaKF4fAne_7J9RQLsKaO9rehVBRNVOrO7eyTc01NHNnLDMHfgmV2-rfM/s640/CloudyInUse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cloudy's first big job, yesterday's dinner.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNk0JHPfmUlhfrq2Goj5hmHCmfGogX8lUTly4bQEDtqmqrIQVOCLfhjg6jlva4djJSDDw7qiryNNGjfyADu7Wyg3OTUfNmkLaVIiDHQviMiyWy8XeQIXI3WTGCG60m22vDC5QZscfqg2w/s1600/CloudyMcPlacematEating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNk0JHPfmUlhfrq2Goj5hmHCmfGogX8lUTly4bQEDtqmqrIQVOCLfhjg6jlva4djJSDDw7qiryNNGjfyADu7Wyg3OTUfNmkLaVIiDHQviMiyWy8XeQIXI3WTGCG60m22vDC5QZscfqg2w/s640/CloudyMcPlacematEating.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think he wanted to eat my dinner tonight... I don't blame him, it was tasty!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'm considering making some to sell, what do you guys think? Would you buy/use placemats like this? </span></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-33482471757546534582011-07-26T17:22:00.000-07:002011-07-26T18:44:10.028-07:00Summer Vacation, From LA to San Francisco Part Two<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">San Francisco Day Three: Golden Gate Park</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNW4HugFOKnD70mLDyLoSdeBeOcjq1RoS5644i4jebB30slu629fGNL5jz7H5bqHu1iGuwJBp7bI1HCJO9NToppCGqEAMRpUha6Bspb2wKGgdLXbwyrS2yOqBDd3Rs4uAqnozkHX7LTzI/s1600/Science+Academy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNW4HugFOKnD70mLDyLoSdeBeOcjq1RoS5644i4jebB30slu629fGNL5jz7H5bqHu1iGuwJBp7bI1HCJO9NToppCGqEAMRpUha6Bspb2wKGgdLXbwyrS2yOqBDd3Rs4uAqnozkHX7LTzI/s640/Science+Academy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Day three was spent at Golden Gate Park, home of the California Academy of Sciences (pictured here), the Japanese Tea Garden, and the San Francisco Art Museum, among other things. The Academy of Sciences was our first stop.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt7OaLzUs257vOMd2QD_kgEcU1fcAwQycb-rxAk1jfo15GOB3PUhanVuDUYhlxLlHRCcr41mTlHjisyvbigKD3wdpa_-RAkISJcCBxEtbewK2qAjEiwGoCV51G6wKa9vQsNDnDDmYi_c/s1600/IndoorRainforest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt7OaLzUs257vOMd2QD_kgEcU1fcAwQycb-rxAk1jfo15GOB3PUhanVuDUYhlxLlHRCcr41mTlHjisyvbigKD3wdpa_-RAkISJcCBxEtbewK2qAjEiwGoCV51G6wKa9vQsNDnDDmYi_c/s640/IndoorRainforest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It has a giant glass dome with a rainforest inside! If you look close, you can see some butterflies flying around.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDIKH6AK_TRIz72cDobPkDAq7vmRxn3bftvg-99qYbx979PtvWGu9cuehOsIWsWLpXY_AvRwViZMF7RxeaydAxuH3akbqqjVWl4WBUI_AIdHRb6rXvSpJ0k06rDLkoAeXQ2cTVuKBMuE/s1600/GreenSnake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDIKH6AK_TRIz72cDobPkDAq7vmRxn3bftvg-99qYbx979PtvWGu9cuehOsIWsWLpXY_AvRwViZMF7RxeaydAxuH3akbqqjVWl4WBUI_AIdHRb6rXvSpJ0k06rDLkoAeXQ2cTVuKBMuE/s640/GreenSnake.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They had lots of animals in the rainforest exhibit. I liked the colors on this snake.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRinMpd2JzJELlw-zX_kFHiR_eXDyequn6NwUMsHRpUbSmPMYP0kJNJp3gWd7R2SRotpb6ue3cD4CacC4WCUiWPKnk41J9VOqGhZfjMVhhBk8hc7BuBAwwUjaxoWDF8p4zi5uEWEECWg/s1600/Constrictor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRinMpd2JzJELlw-zX_kFHiR_eXDyequn6NwUMsHRpUbSmPMYP0kJNJp3gWd7R2SRotpb6ue3cD4CacC4WCUiWPKnk41J9VOqGhZfjMVhhBk8hc7BuBAwwUjaxoWDF8p4zi5uEWEECWg/s640/Constrictor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This guy was just huge. He's getting ready to shed his skin. You can tell because his eye is grey, that means the scales are coming loose (they have scales over there eyes in lue of eye lids).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAG-VSLXqf0Dxfq-l3I-j2nRNinubetdFxRLN0xhL1SLw6dATtD3H-mIa-IJ0gRQ0ONAtV5urbIbiadhKSOeLudaoVAyw1B6f9yjIL2DKUCL92hAvjb4FLtiGUld1kh3j8t5QkFm8jS8/s1600/Giant+Toad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAG-VSLXqf0Dxfq-l3I-j2nRNinubetdFxRLN0xhL1SLw6dATtD3H-mIa-IJ0gRQ0ONAtV5urbIbiadhKSOeLudaoVAyw1B6f9yjIL2DKUCL92hAvjb4FLtiGUld1kh3j8t5QkFm8jS8/s640/Giant+Toad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm pretty sure this is the biggest toad I've ever seen. Unfortunately, his scale is hard to tell from the photo.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7UYuTzI_gV9qZpfrSPRGRYyf1mRjXXjM5Fju6NK2kyUg7wwRoYJAXV6Y8oZFA_8ba5B3Yhg96OopusEicaklvml2uFhLU4fGaXPb02ViJHkAZG0Bux29RP5is8kwp0y8rvoLN-qkdJA/s1600/Brown+Gecko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7UYuTzI_gV9qZpfrSPRGRYyf1mRjXXjM5Fju6NK2kyUg7wwRoYJAXV6Y8oZFA_8ba5B3Yhg96OopusEicaklvml2uFhLU4fGaXPb02ViJHkAZG0Bux29RP5is8kwp0y8rvoLN-qkdJA/s640/Brown+Gecko.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I liked the look of this little gecko's eyes. Those guys can stick to anything!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_r2dhC0fviOau1if6qfPk5SEbNjQmI2rzSo6SQAIq9rKyhBL0iBeZ3FVYILbtexG3Ir8j29VkqcRniIk0kfX3FO3_86kQKAwDP8gZvhV_JD001wpMQ2-y0ksinSq5_piqPEOQGpvNBQ/s1600/Green+Gecko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_r2dhC0fviOau1if6qfPk5SEbNjQmI2rzSo6SQAIq9rKyhBL0iBeZ3FVYILbtexG3Ir8j29VkqcRniIk0kfX3FO3_86kQKAwDP8gZvhV_JD001wpMQ2-y0ksinSq5_piqPEOQGpvNBQ/s640/Green+Gecko.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The brown gecko's friend, who was much brighter. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAw7IjPFW0ZtqlxnakR7-odYjlVqvHJH1gTsG8oVuSD_PpmD6NP-6uz71_uDUCtQQ630jVmgNy4nP0W4HhpBBDHX4fli6zv5xDY0r5jJtKxT9mfYs1vgHj3ay50VMPqlGqKTmhnpMb4w/s1600/Me+and+a+Coral+Ref.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAw7IjPFW0ZtqlxnakR7-odYjlVqvHJH1gTsG8oVuSD_PpmD6NP-6uz71_uDUCtQQ630jVmgNy4nP0W4HhpBBDHX4fli6zv5xDY0r5jJtKxT9mfYs1vgHj3ay50VMPqlGqKTmhnpMb4w/s640/Me+and+a+Coral+Ref.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After we toured the rainforest, we went down to the aquarium part. Since it was quite dark, I wasn't able to get many good pictures. But here's one of me and a coral reef!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcoj0UHPisSKh_jTJ28FHEEupAvljOtffD8mUKBUD0Uij0hbT68Zjr9Ty6uxEYM3f0079Gc82Xn1xOnm6Zs48DalalC6VH-sPfkzB8BKELP8QKekXmqBSxt3LnT18Z6bwRcI7EoqA0_w/s1600/Jellies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcoj0UHPisSKh_jTJ28FHEEupAvljOtffD8mUKBUD0Uij0hbT68Zjr9Ty6uxEYM3f0079Gc82Xn1xOnm6Zs48DalalC6VH-sPfkzB8BKELP8QKekXmqBSxt3LnT18Z6bwRcI7EoqA0_w/s640/Jellies.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These jellies were completely clear, so they had colored lights shining on them. It was so cool!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvlB-4oQAzLrmjsMU5T_QhVnuGJ_hm6aDNz1-o6AE1kOyFITJgckSjhNuSalbtTenpheOEd6EsxXG0wrMfl7HOhaV71q5agiETLD8A3Hsue09CINjMs7rb39bzvmOwJiTsNIt3oIhYOQ/s1600/Jellies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvlB-4oQAzLrmjsMU5T_QhVnuGJ_hm6aDNz1-o6AE1kOyFITJgckSjhNuSalbtTenpheOEd6EsxXG0wrMfl7HOhaV71q5agiETLD8A3Hsue09CINjMs7rb39bzvmOwJiTsNIt3oIhYOQ/s640/Jellies2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More jellies!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCpkd1BtFy9ohj39Q5Ufp_Pt9-RDXE22iFIAVEcrnY0N2xUu7XyeeQf1m5afzIFpViL6-yVedb8KZwmC9VCIiWSBGIEsS2IsLndcDCFd6RSES3JTFRdUXUC2FgjiRV5wOBDWqpaoqKKM/s1600/CowFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCpkd1BtFy9ohj39Q5Ufp_Pt9-RDXE22iFIAVEcrnY0N2xUu7XyeeQf1m5afzIFpViL6-yVedb8KZwmC9VCIiWSBGIEsS2IsLndcDCFd6RSES3JTFRdUXUC2FgjiRV5wOBDWqpaoqKKM/s640/CowFish.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a cowfish. His scales are completely fused into a box so that only his mouth, eyes and fins can move.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJMO0TDI_qDXVUWINQtfVtCzXhyphenhyphenNQJI7QqQUdzDSH03KAFDBgnoDFyx5axrk-Uo8uSGzawq_Aa-Oy1HmV6lI0ucQdAttIIVs0ejHzfSsFO18hMlY5YUtMOJ2t-8yvVjE8Qzrxk-G3STw/s1600/Sea+Slug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJMO0TDI_qDXVUWINQtfVtCzXhyphenhyphenNQJI7QqQUdzDSH03KAFDBgnoDFyx5axrk-Uo8uSGzawq_Aa-Oy1HmV6lI0ucQdAttIIVs0ejHzfSsFO18hMlY5YUtMOJ2t-8yvVjE8Qzrxk-G3STw/s640/Sea+Slug.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I never could get this one into focus, but it was so colorful I just had to add him in here. The chubby purple guy is a sea slug.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFAW3OLO2QWCbIWV4Nx4UjP8qULIjqARXEyv3PFBOpyiaC_lPLJkRfEcQDDbrSSVjoeTGeFN0FAihxE4aplZzkmyL0vbL7OlBu4F_wAAaS68TUr8OnxGnF0xgHdrvCrtDVSW1ISLIqDU/s1600/Electric+Eel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFAW3OLO2QWCbIWV4Nx4UjP8qULIjqARXEyv3PFBOpyiaC_lPLJkRfEcQDDbrSSVjoeTGeFN0FAihxE4aplZzkmyL0vbL7OlBu4F_wAAaS68TUr8OnxGnF0xgHdrvCrtDVSW1ISLIqDU/s640/Electric+Eel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just a couple of electric eels, ya know, hanging out. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uHF95x6Ze6L6v2kNey8f_LWSakXm_mO70HgGzZeXUbYHAcheHfvOP1ULqDlxH31jxYylyBUgCI5B3wLx1znKKhwhhCkQpYKUm75AY5l5t_pw7NU768NG6bBbdme61DUPn1sZW_6NQoI/s1600/TheRoof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uHF95x6Ze6L6v2kNey8f_LWSakXm_mO70HgGzZeXUbYHAcheHfvOP1ULqDlxH31jxYylyBUgCI5B3wLx1znKKhwhhCkQpYKUm75AY5l5t_pw7NU768NG6bBbdme61DUPn1sZW_6NQoI/s640/TheRoof.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is the roof of the Science Academy! It's a 'green roof'. They say that it saves them a lot on heating/cooling costs, and it looks pretty neat. This was last of the decent/interesting pictures from the Science Academy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlCfZLXtu7aZj-ckveznfkgwDY0rRk4G9oKmLJOZk7ecfzf9ZF8yY-VDXt1bbgt6evLMcvQg4a96hxBl4p54V0oA0BQu9sdyJGwHJYxIMkBDveb9a6KKAAXzq3K0tw2VVqN93P6_K-f0/s1600/TeaGardenGate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlCfZLXtu7aZj-ckveznfkgwDY0rRk4G9oKmLJOZk7ecfzf9ZF8yY-VDXt1bbgt6evLMcvQg4a96hxBl4p54V0oA0BQu9sdyJGwHJYxIMkBDveb9a6KKAAXzq3K0tw2VVqN93P6_K-f0/s640/TeaGardenGate.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Next, we headed over to the Japanese Tea Gardens. They were so amazing, I took almost 100 pictures in there. This is the entrance gate. Most of these pictures are just gorgeous, so I'll let them do the talking.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvnutoey4uWNt8E0EszeH-98UnnlrH8sHqKrTJVRlSOAxIrwXJxwvo4CZIZ-xyKb6D3ibAKIXyDIGukobQGfOdVUdeZxQ4USD7sAK-ZY-xkfMAwW7EonZH-7kD43DCH9gpyQ0zf-fBk0/s1600/TeaGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvnutoey4uWNt8E0EszeH-98UnnlrH8sHqKrTJVRlSOAxIrwXJxwvo4CZIZ-xyKb6D3ibAKIXyDIGukobQGfOdVUdeZxQ4USD7sAK-ZY-xkfMAwW7EonZH-7kD43DCH9gpyQ0zf-fBk0/s640/TeaGarden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQqwSBt0Ct8JOxzdBtsv53-X9clLF1zmVbt7gqkC5F3vOHHOFF8gcJ-mtD_yBB_ztafVRZljPdDXZNkSE2qxkGVU9d9bm-QkQ89xTGo8PB27K-tIndGyRlMknsJNqZqRVS4uQFUGSP2o/s1600/Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQqwSBt0Ct8JOxzdBtsv53-X9clLF1zmVbt7gqkC5F3vOHHOFF8gcJ-mtD_yBB_ztafVRZljPdDXZNkSE2qxkGVU9d9bm-QkQ89xTGo8PB27K-tIndGyRlMknsJNqZqRVS4uQFUGSP2o/s640/Bridge.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This has to be the coolest bridge I've ever walked on.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtN7iK987Af0lKWhViozvKZMHKjIlK2C8wnm1GQ3p3tI1N31JQvw886A-tM_0v77xgbpNp4Qf8nmjMspOuDRi0cFm4JYz2OOWNoyI47CcW3z7kEYOFUtkDZpbWmLnOcn7iZesTHzUkxE/s1600/Pagodas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtN7iK987Af0lKWhViozvKZMHKjIlK2C8wnm1GQ3p3tI1N31JQvw886A-tM_0v77xgbpNp4Qf8nmjMspOuDRi0cFm4JYz2OOWNoyI47CcW3z7kEYOFUtkDZpbWmLnOcn7iZesTHzUkxE/s640/Pagodas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJqJOfKGHWHDzjidzdOrxro9VrbcuFQsoKvpmS0xJSHBAzsH_wECTIyQPfhqNr7OvCpuBeYKr20o7NSgDvs6FbrDCf2LsYxAppv5Jfk_QqDGzyhFPjvb19RjWTInOL-vaJRg_YOPFDZ4/s1600/StoneCranes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJqJOfKGHWHDzjidzdOrxro9VrbcuFQsoKvpmS0xJSHBAzsH_wECTIyQPfhqNr7OvCpuBeYKr20o7NSgDvs6FbrDCf2LsYxAppv5Jfk_QqDGzyhFPjvb19RjWTInOL-vaJRg_YOPFDZ4/s640/StoneCranes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw38seozeEfKNFk9V7qry53orWxSJhzRCVhTiD5gUMAiBlk6KPuEIK7FiqBBNjuLKmL78fkLsjqJZ-C3swHREAnQMhGtMwVldaS6EFSetpJF0SxGthNr4BIEXyuXlLaCzVujCmrkkR2U/s1600/Buddha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw38seozeEfKNFk9V7qry53orWxSJhzRCVhTiD5gUMAiBlk6KPuEIK7FiqBBNjuLKmL78fkLsjqJZ-C3swHREAnQMhGtMwVldaS6EFSetpJF0SxGthNr4BIEXyuXlLaCzVujCmrkkR2U/s640/Buddha.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQVYmRaDWGYpKUOwRMwx-OXxVIdlC2BSoF4I1WlxoETvuAU686l3tvLImr98U0MI01RENzz2jpdMmPVFMMUSnCfdrUa6fTcxsSK39ypfpeXKZQVI1fDby-QH3jLnThP6l9zesvH7BHeY/s1600/TeaTime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQVYmRaDWGYpKUOwRMwx-OXxVIdlC2BSoF4I1WlxoETvuAU686l3tvLImr98U0MI01RENzz2jpdMmPVFMMUSnCfdrUa6fTcxsSK39ypfpeXKZQVI1fDby-QH3jLnThP6l9zesvH7BHeY/s640/TeaTime.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We ended our trip to the Tea Garden by actually getting some sencha tea and dango with sweet soy sauce. It was amazingly delicious. The rest of the day was spent trying to decide where to go for dinner, and then hitting the hay early for the 6.5 hour drive back to LA.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuQlwxxxY255ZO9CqgA_gCLUKdKiZoOalv3y1wdn378lKEU78We0FFpSrtvpeqTjZbUWAEq5BGcA5lEjkft6GbBIzm2JcylgIf2mI_3xNveUkgZGZbK39h1Yn0xyYeZATquwXYRms1cQ/s1600/Lombard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuQlwxxxY255ZO9CqgA_gCLUKdKiZoOalv3y1wdn378lKEU78We0FFpSrtvpeqTjZbUWAEq5BGcA5lEjkft6GbBIzm2JcylgIf2mI_3xNveUkgZGZbK39h1Yn0xyYeZATquwXYRms1cQ/s640/Lombard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our last picture in San Francisco... We drove down the curvy part of Lombard Street!</span></td></tr>
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</div></div></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-33942144124211310032011-07-25T18:56:00.000-07:002011-07-25T18:56:48.204-07:00Summer Vacation, From LA to San Francisco Part One<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Photos, photos photos! Thats what this post is all about. I'll let the photos and their captions tell the story of our vacation. A little bit of background first... We live in Yuma, Arizona. Which I like to think of as the butt of the country, for many reasons. Least of which is the geographic location. Also, its hot. Really hot. So, that lead us to the decision to make a trek up to San Francisco, where it is not hot. My hubby's parents live north of Los Angeles, making it a great setting off point. Now on to the pictures!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfISCqPjjlvMjqeyKKcc0E3CASPgzxOY7PzPwYbbLGslOelOEFYmhsDYw1rD-nCkYjrxS4Lx212IYp3q8jRfrFFikszyfIjxbwIQC2esoSX5dtKyJmECJhA9uszybHkrNXS_FCYbeYpR8/s1600/Chinese+Theater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfISCqPjjlvMjqeyKKcc0E3CASPgzxOY7PzPwYbbLGslOelOEFYmhsDYw1rD-nCkYjrxS4Lx212IYp3q8jRfrFFikszyfIjxbwIQC2esoSX5dtKyJmECJhA9uszybHkrNXS_FCYbeYpR8/s640/Chinese+Theater.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Can you believe I've been around LA for 3 years and this is the first time </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've been to City Walk? The Chinese Theater was so cool, and also crowded.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum99PbA-iIPGS_gcxBw8Vqrmrm2T57v5FbaTOnVx_JFsbtZrX1g6Cl17qAy-Hd2K7cn07jJ9LyOVv2A6CaPgyJ6BT1_cCKla-qSyY65DS9ItxIpw5fc3vctsKRKZodmOM2MB2oy-diyQ/s1600/WalkofFame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum99PbA-iIPGS_gcxBw8Vqrmrm2T57v5FbaTOnVx_JFsbtZrX1g6Cl17qAy-Hd2K7cn07jJ9LyOVv2A6CaPgyJ6BT1_cCKla-qSyY65DS9ItxIpw5fc3vctsKRKZodmOM2MB2oy-diyQ/s640/WalkofFame.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yep, I'm a trekkie nerd... I just had to get a picture of the cast of TOS Star Trek's</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> square. Too bad there were too many people around to get a good, full shot of it.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Pismo Beach</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJlh6Q4KNp7xe5UqoRqWaJxadS0oVCDjHdrQ8zpn1dxKUpPKDDpyn_fT2kOhmivjgWCFklHjR6EeHwlj2JTLNkjHNnEGugJfe32sieOaeopcrXhlTfZEpsGijoHJlxPaJBRtsI-FNqb0/s1600/MeandPier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJlh6Q4KNp7xe5UqoRqWaJxadS0oVCDjHdrQ8zpn1dxKUpPKDDpyn_fT2kOhmivjgWCFklHjR6EeHwlj2JTLNkjHNnEGugJfe32sieOaeopcrXhlTfZEpsGijoHJlxPaJBRtsI-FNqb0/s640/MeandPier.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next stop after LA was at Pismo Beach. This is me standing at the end of the Pier. Pismo was pretty uneventful, although I did have some tasty buffalo style fried clams. (And yes, I made that fab bag, I loved it so much I had to keep it for myself)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuymlREx0fI_I-tIub1hsiZJv6gA_g1Z5qxlQzaBQcJ8EVpO6-D2sTN2cG_nNB-6FJsA0PL4hKRdY5zR2Tol55X9xYpDABVvRVjm0iYOAVsGuFczsS8l-4zqJP6WlYdd-5iONKNAZf5T8/s1600/PismoBeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuymlREx0fI_I-tIub1hsiZJv6gA_g1Z5qxlQzaBQcJ8EVpO6-D2sTN2cG_nNB-6FJsA0PL4hKRdY5zR2Tol55X9xYpDABVvRVjm0iYOAVsGuFczsS8l-4zqJP6WlYdd-5iONKNAZf5T8/s640/PismoBeach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I thought this was a lovely scenery shot of the beach from the end of the pier. The only other thing of note from Pismo is that I got an awesome comfy dress for $20 at the outlet mall there.</span></td></tr>
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">San Francisco Day One:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkj-WZG6djLMjicQQTJeGnO6saYF02hc-LPZs6QZcD7yzIoOXhwH3YPqe0Eei5b3WkM8M0TB9jucsWCj9EOnKrM-NSOMrWTYkpUDoy6N4H0SHqlWYK49a_4GAj1FGT3WGjJHJX7CBhWwI/s1600/Fountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkj-WZG6djLMjicQQTJeGnO6saYF02hc-LPZs6QZcD7yzIoOXhwH3YPqe0Eei5b3WkM8M0TB9jucsWCj9EOnKrM-NSOMrWTYkpUDoy6N4H0SHqlWYK49a_4GAj1FGT3WGjJHJX7CBhWwI/s640/Fountain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first thing we did after finding our hotel and nabbing a parking spot was walk to Ghirardelli Square. This fountain is right in the middle and it is so picturesque! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF_MGY-VYlNmfw0XC1UXuIK0JrixVop7mPLrsFOWu9xy2CjLLHfpKJMNWW6QalEQiKCZbJiBAL59sPC16U_WlGcV7eyk2u4SnOWjkXgjQCl3l9kGpA0mfj7cVWNO0mbYEesjaeSgsRJk/s1600/Wine+Tasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF_MGY-VYlNmfw0XC1UXuIK0JrixVop7mPLrsFOWu9xy2CjLLHfpKJMNWW6QalEQiKCZbJiBAL59sPC16U_WlGcV7eyk2u4SnOWjkXgjQCl3l9kGpA0mfj7cVWNO0mbYEesjaeSgsRJk/s640/Wine+Tasting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then we found Cellar 360, a wine bar right at the back of the square. I decided to try my first ever wine tasting. It was awesome! I learned a little bit, and enjoyed some great wines over a full spectrum, from a sweet white, to a blush, to a "hardcore" red. The cheese was necessary for the reds. I don't think I could have drank them without it. But it was a taste I think I could acquire, given the chance. I got to keep the cheese board too! Oh, and our wine pourer was super nice. I highly recommend checking this place out, if you're ever in the area.</span></td></tr>
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<div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DD-ONm_bbtxqYwKnN5qFrDEaPc2DaOUryNKxi-jGxcjuZ8Rtw1KitB-Xtd33E8kvjTEvFb-TlTVdtEiCKN37swjRy9uHCtIFWS3p4H0EnrWecqdzaXIj6TNA-QcX4crK2otKBy2svko/s1600/Alcatraz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DD-ONm_bbtxqYwKnN5qFrDEaPc2DaOUryNKxi-jGxcjuZ8Rtw1KitB-Xtd33E8kvjTEvFb-TlTVdtEiCKN37swjRy9uHCtIFWS3p4H0EnrWecqdzaXIj6TNA-QcX4crK2otKBy2svko/s640/Alcatraz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know its a huge attraction, but this is about as close to Alcatraz as we got. Would you believe this picture is taken from the Cellar 360 window?</span></td></tr>
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfyQsSQlZaHO1MkCfXVsNAJMgvGqhAv5gD_LHt-i-bJP8nfdobUzNUJFttreEl-HhlTrdmyLw_Ax8E3YpFKp4Z7WzCvO4yItK8t5SR6tS_IVTAlsHbJa6jxjOOc-I3U9P17cTjgoQO9w/s1600/RocketBoatSkyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfyQsSQlZaHO1MkCfXVsNAJMgvGqhAv5gD_LHt-i-bJP8nfdobUzNUJFttreEl-HhlTrdmyLw_Ax8E3YpFKp4Z7WzCvO4yItK8t5SR6tS_IVTAlsHbJa6jxjOOc-I3U9P17cTjgoQO9w/s640/RocketBoatSkyline.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is the San Francisco skyline, as viewed from a Rocketboat. This was probably the most exciting part of the whole trip. The boat was basically a huge speed boat, going up to about 45 knots. We did twists and turns in the water and our hair got all messed up. It was awesome.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs66jT0-Ddw1Ic48Pye5tLcHVhQ9CCf4spZN_5d7Ek6gZP8kh4lAXyhYdP38-KOXsWOaVEpOsYmTLjBMwlSuH95BTV96AtwLoO2dZcUK0WlvHRmc8byVAz-YwLApbgmWebTpi9rTWJ7s/s1600/Pier39Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs66jT0-Ddw1Ic48Pye5tLcHVhQ9CCf4spZN_5d7Ek6gZP8kh4lAXyhYdP38-KOXsWOaVEpOsYmTLjBMwlSuH95BTV96AtwLoO2dZcUK0WlvHRmc8byVAz-YwLApbgmWebTpi9rTWJ7s/s640/Pier39Store.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A funny store front from Pier 39. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and then headed back to the hotel for bed.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">San Francisco Day 2:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjow3YsEn8kI-yW7wJgXl6bQmiZwfQjo9g_edleaPw4ga9y_g_aLRuqRHsNdbaUwOyI0L0YyhMIjiyHi4_i-YKZ4VPl8RP17ToR05cUxEm3NKamzFAjt2EpxzswPLcMRziK8gdEuAsaM/s1600/Asian+Art+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjow3YsEn8kI-yW7wJgXl6bQmiZwfQjo9g_edleaPw4ga9y_g_aLRuqRHsNdbaUwOyI0L0YyhMIjiyHi4_i-YKZ4VPl8RP17ToR05cUxEm3NKamzFAjt2EpxzswPLcMRziK8gdEuAsaM/s640/Asian+Art+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Day 2 was Asian Stuff Day. We went to the Asian Art museum, which was amazing. We even managed to get up and navigate the buses to be there right as it opened.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFavJF2BzAAxdJz8zqOhnsJ-6RsS9yhVuV-VNt9KIgWooq1KhzJeRam5gyI3lU-udi6-6jQua54D3VVmS7LvTly8arAjw-n6v7ZdXJ_6qjeIH0nrrYtLwRqTo7X06Kool42CjHPZgITS4/s1600/Buddha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFavJF2BzAAxdJz8zqOhnsJ-6RsS9yhVuV-VNt9KIgWooq1KhzJeRam5gyI3lU-udi6-6jQua54D3VVmS7LvTly8arAjw-n6v7ZdXJ_6qjeIH0nrrYtLwRqTo7X06Kool42CjHPZgITS4/s640/Buddha.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was really cool buddha statue from the museum, I loved how the colors were so bright. We weren't allowed to take very many pictures, and a lot of the ones we did take didn't turn out very well.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p-DtYcK266CQgjynLQ-ogbFCiKMrZXx28j6rfErEhURZuRgBFDHDbOfhMI84RSBho_ZS6RtJiLQOVeOhlvdHuFut3ytQWJUTvKJDpExkFMb_5hIZJiNqKtGRVDvWdUxaKCYa_YI8hDI/s1600/Wall+of+Jade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p-DtYcK266CQgjynLQ-ogbFCiKMrZXx28j6rfErEhURZuRgBFDHDbOfhMI84RSBho_ZS6RtJiLQOVeOhlvdHuFut3ytQWJUTvKJDpExkFMb_5hIZJiNqKtGRVDvWdUxaKCYa_YI8hDI/s640/Wall+of+Jade.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This wall of jade was so cool! They had a whole room devoted to jade objects. When we were done looking around, we had lunch in the cafe of the museum. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good, but we made up for it in Chinatown...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXsUrYrcxF6cOh1x66IYnSxyA-A5lG99bgfr3mASlgvMkblwcntxTTKz-UvaN12tiMwdrHcaOW8gbKxXsKpljzQ_A6njK2czFGObB1n-yD2biKKLvd5lVejFQUq76feb62msj4pUoeJQ/s1600/Chinatown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXsUrYrcxF6cOh1x66IYnSxyA-A5lG99bgfr3mASlgvMkblwcntxTTKz-UvaN12tiMwdrHcaOW8gbKxXsKpljzQ_A6njK2czFGObB1n-yD2biKKLvd5lVejFQUq76feb62msj4pUoeJQ/s640/Chinatown.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The south Chinatown Gate. I didn't get many pictures in Chinatown because we were too busy shopping and then getting lost on the way to a restaurant I had scoped out online that offered Sze Chuan style hot pot. I did pick up quite a haul of Japanese gummy candies and Hello Panda cookies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qpMvEeJUWydOzXqiHaQsW6ymlrJljVM6IN7prgx3dunqRtpXXE4bFRx2JClunE4p0LI3dA-ZvaKiJxD9g6S18yFSj_MRifryNIDnVQAkmf8BNXu5onk1oj5fxjQTB0XNVWqNfN-rjyU/s1600/HotPotOMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qpMvEeJUWydOzXqiHaQsW6ymlrJljVM6IN7prgx3dunqRtpXXE4bFRx2JClunE4p0LI3dA-ZvaKiJxD9g6S18yFSj_MRifryNIDnVQAkmf8BNXu5onk1oj5fxjQTB0XNVWqNfN-rjyU/s640/HotPotOMG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me and my hot pot. This must be the most delicious style of food known to man. I was even able to get a soup base that had real Szechuan peppercorns in it. It wasn't quiet the same style of hot pot that I was used to from my favorite restaurant in the Chi-town Chinatown, but it was good.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After Chinatown, we also went to Ripley's Believe It or Not and the Boudin Bakery (for some real San Fran Sourdough!) but we forgot the camera at the hotel. I'm going to end this post here, since day 3 was a nonstop photo-op, and I have tons of pictures to share!</span></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-27402522468118638502011-07-24T10:35:00.000-07:002011-07-25T13:53:50.748-07:00Summer's Sunday Selections - Organization!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I liked doing this little item feature thing, so I'm going to go ahead and pick it up again. I'm still working on that vacation pictures post, but I may have it up tomorrow or Tuesday.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ever since I organized the closet, the "straightening and storing" bug has been here. We even went so far as to move about 2/3rds of our furniture around and get a new media storage shelf. I know its a little late for spring cleaning, but thats pretty much whats been going on in our house. So, with this in mind, my selections for this week are all over the organization game.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuSS3A-PrHghmSwJG8O_bJ1V_eB8ENhUYREbEvAj99lXM91fdUDbnQpiKOHzg4GLkUHHplTr68lchBRhJkhZleRWPbg72XZm2whH5ASDsBwZou6kdaVlkQUa7WGIppmGEgbbANSEC_Oo/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-07-24+at+9.33.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuSS3A-PrHghmSwJG8O_bJ1V_eB8ENhUYREbEvAj99lXM91fdUDbnQpiKOHzg4GLkUHHplTr68lchBRhJkhZleRWPbg72XZm2whH5ASDsBwZou6kdaVlkQUa7WGIppmGEgbbANSEC_Oo/s320/Screen+shot+2011-07-24+at+9.33.06+AM.png" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.target.com/ClosetMaid-Cubeicals-Cube-Organizer-Espresso/dp/B001UU0NJW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=cube&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-7&qid=1311524947&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=ClosetMaid%20Cubeicals%20Cube%20Organizer%20Espresso&node=1038576|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0">Cubicals 9 Cube Organizer</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My first pick actually isn't from Etsy or anything, its a shelf I saw when we were getting the media storage tower in Target. It looks awesome in person, and I think it would be a fantastic piece to help store my craft supplies. And its only $40! Each cube is 11x11, and I could totally make my own fabric baskets for it. It would be replacing this thing...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjGCEEnnv6P6rcsZ44xRUTIXHRMMfMOKKAo61nrRGfer-bcHTEZoA8rHnwUXUM_hYFSkLlBvpSbzWP6Oj2Jeunsknk0uFQpRWOb1mmoVEcH1VC1VN2fp6x1WQ8Zk4GvQ63YVrm2c21F8/s1600/workspace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjGCEEnnv6P6rcsZ44xRUTIXHRMMfMOKKAo61nrRGfer-bcHTEZoA8rHnwUXUM_hYFSkLlBvpSbzWP6Oj2Jeunsknk0uFQpRWOb1mmoVEcH1VC1VN2fp6x1WQ8Zk4GvQ63YVrm2c21F8/s640/workspace.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My newly relocated work area.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">On the topic of fabric baskets, I know they are super popular on Etsy, and for good reason. Fabric baskets make for some great organization. They're cute too! Here are a couple that I'm especially fond of. Click the links to see their Etsy listings.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.254741324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.254741324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77097052/stocked-fabric-basket-with-leather?ref=sr_list_10&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fabric+baskets+japanese&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Fabric Basket with Leather Handles</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.174476171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.174476171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/56327431/white-and-black-and-oh-some-red-too-oval?ref=sr_list_21&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fabric+baskets&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fhousewares">Oval Fabric Basket</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.248111345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.248111345.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75127268/linen-red-dotted-storage-bin-organizer?ref=sr_list_16&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fabric+baskets&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fhousewares">Linen Red-dotted Storage Bi</a>n</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Jars and tins are also great places to keep smaller things from herbs to buttons and so on! Vintage tins are especially cool. Here are some jars and tins that I like:</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.259167627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.259167627.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78400313/vintage-herb-storage-jars?ref=sr_list_5&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=storage&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=">Vintage Herb Storage Jars</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.240521993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.240521993.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73247005/large-vintage-tin-with-handles?ref=sr_list_25&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tin+large&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=">Large Vintage Tin with Handles</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.237986486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.237986486.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72643940/a-vintage-mammoth-huge-atlas-mason-jar?ref=sr_list_15&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=jars+buttons&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=">Huge Atlas Mason Jar with Buttons</a></td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That wraps it up for today's Selections! What your favorite item that keeps you organized?</span></div></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-75878323377068116442011-07-22T16:30:00.000-07:002011-07-24T10:36:53.462-07:00How I Got My Groove Back<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hello again! It’s been too long. Life caught up with me the last month or so, between the 4<sup>th</sup> and our vacation to San Francisco (there will be pictures in another post). In the mean time, I’ve come up with a fantastic new idea for some totes, so I’m going to talk about that today, in narrative form… Story time!</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A little backstory to start: Ever since we got back from our vacation, I’ve been be fairly uninspired. Call it a creative slump, heat induced laziness or general mild malaise, I just wasn’t getting much done in the way of making new things for my Etsy shop, or marketing. However, two things happened yesterday that kick started my creative juices: I went to Joann’s and found a set of hanging closet organizers that were 50% off, and ¾ of a yard of clear vinyl in the remnants bin. These items aren’t related to each other, but they both gave me the collective kick I needed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NkoonflDqBccGhK_Mz3VlGaITUJUfRhRctMGRM1sa3RlCDD5vEW-eqZMLgNly6Fi2YZyQumO5uQup67I4y2J9vcSsb8uyNZMrY82bQTpIj6HGlICPZskrrHf6RGAUdUJu3afoWsbxtg/s1600/Blog-Closet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NkoonflDqBccGhK_Mz3VlGaITUJUfRhRctMGRM1sa3RlCDD5vEW-eqZMLgNly6Fi2YZyQumO5uQup67I4y2J9vcSsb8uyNZMrY82bQTpIj6HGlICPZskrrHf6RGAUdUJu3afoWsbxtg/s320/Blog-Closet.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The fruits of my labor! A stuffed, but </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">organized closet. Also, I hate proper folding.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Firstly, the closet hangers… I’ve been meaning to clean and straighten our closet for a while. I like organization, but sometimes I just can’t seem to pick up that shirt from the growing pile on the floor. Our lack of storage space doesn’t help either. Buying the closet organizers was the perfect motivation to get in there and pick everything up. The closet itself is huge, so it took me about 2 hours to root around, pull everything out, and then put in the organizers in and put everything back. Now our stuff is wonderfully neat and tidy. The cleaning even spilled over into my work space and I tidied that up as well. As any woman can tell you, cleaning/ organizing something can be great source of inspiration, motivation, mood elevator, well of happiness, ect (am I right ladies?). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The other kick came from the idea I had when I saw the vinyl. At first I thought, “$2? But what the heck would I do with it?” Then the idea just came to me… I could totally use that to put picture pockets on a tote bag! How awesome would that be? It’s a great way to personalize a bag. I have so many ideas of what they could be used for… school tote bags, friendship totes, a fancy bag for a gift, and so on. So I got it, and stashed when I got home so I could tackle the closet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, when I got up this morning I got to work figuring out just how I was going to put something like this together. I wanted to frame the vinyl rectangle with fabric, so that I could then attach the fabric frame to a tote. I went through several ideas before I decided to try bias tape, and this is the result: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUoZpzFYxJnWHBTmyboln6U4hcDMVPABOCPCUD3i-YH521J8-DJZe9gDTx9n4J7LNvWnWu2hR9wLgrKtn7_yvOCPnFIg8soYQ8NUt5URFZzNj7d1bVoW00zMo7ZK0zK-gx0-6AYZyBdU/s1600/Blog-Frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUoZpzFYxJnWHBTmyboln6U4hcDMVPABOCPCUD3i-YH521J8-DJZe9gDTx9n4J7LNvWnWu2hR9wLgrKtn7_yvOCPnFIg8soYQ8NUt5URFZzNj7d1bVoW00zMo7ZK0zK-gx0-6AYZyBdU/s400/Blog-Frame.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is vinyl inside the frame, you just can't see it here... cause its clear!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think it turned out really great! I just designed this little tote bag to go with it, so I’ll post again when I finish it.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxfmjN_LBK7XfKirLjg5AnzoyxEMhJ28z0VoEC2jv-lJKeuGjt7F88DU49wpoSMBj-svnNKmEvjZd5QLXKC_-u0u3ogFMGL-lSlYz-MTIdeYE0xgbZ-54i9LYCIefsVx7ZidzjqAH2hg/s1600/Blog-Tote+Pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxfmjN_LBK7XfKirLjg5AnzoyxEMhJ28z0VoEC2jv-lJKeuGjt7F88DU49wpoSMBj-svnNKmEvjZd5QLXKC_-u0u3ogFMGL-lSlYz-MTIdeYE0xgbZ-54i9LYCIefsVx7ZidzjqAH2hg/s400/Blog-Tote+Pattern.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yes, I did sketch my design on the back of an index card.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Moral of the story: Creative rut? Go clean something, and all will be well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The next big post should be all about the vaca, with lots of pictures!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Update:</span></i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Here's a picture of how the tote turned out-</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfK-rHEoO0QHZD4_fahg9AU6dRPseLuDTzyvWxv-YPV8lJFexUIqwjo8N910dyM6wHOyHwayKtU-eWyNDT8fbp573-yDO06ummzZg7GPzsrvy0cn_b2jYBJSqa0ru9fxu91hSeaN-t3M/s1600/ButterflyMemoriesTote1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfK-rHEoO0QHZD4_fahg9AU6dRPseLuDTzyvWxv-YPV8lJFexUIqwjo8N910dyM6wHOyHwayKtU-eWyNDT8fbp573-yDO06ummzZg7GPzsrvy0cn_b2jYBJSqa0ru9fxu91hSeaN-t3M/s320/ButterflyMemoriesTote1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love it! You love it too? Check this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78350820/orange-sherbet-and-butterfly-memories">link</a> and you can buy it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-60966507754141289562011-06-12T16:07:00.000-07:002011-06-12T18:59:03.063-07:00Summer's Sunday Selections- Featuring Etsy Entrepreneurs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Starting today, this will be a weekly feature for my blog. I am going to comb through the vast reaches of Etsy, and maybe even beyond, to find my favorite things. Thats pretty much all I do anyways, at least when I'm not working on a new purse or sleeping. This week my favorites came from a team challenge we did for Etsy Entrepreneurs. All of today's featured shops/items are from fellow EE team mates. This was a great exercise in marketing and was beneficial for all who were involved. All of the items featured here are currently for sale in the featuree's shop. Make sure to click the shop links and check them out!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now, on to the good stuff:</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The first shop I would like to show off is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Christinesjewelry?ref=pr_shop_more">Christine's Jewelry</a>! She has some super awesome things, but this red and gold necklace is my favorite. (hint hint to anyone who may be in the market for a gift to me!) I just love the color, and the combinations of textures and shapes. Those green earrings are fab too!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74850305/red-long-glass-necklace" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247124730.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75029959/green-shell-and-brass-earrings"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247775605.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If I hadn't just gotten married, I would totally be planning to use this next shop... <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SugarRobot?ref=seller_info">Sugar Robot</a>! They make elegant, edible cake decorations, like these oh so brilliant and life like butterflies! Aren't they gorgeous? And those little monsters would be perfect for a kids birthday party.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.244466152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.244466152.jpg" width="297" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.189599727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.189599727.jpg" width="238" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Next in my line up of featured shops is the lovely <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SubliminalBeauty?ref=pr_shop_more">Subliminal Beauty</a>. Her photography is wonderful. I love that she doesn't stick to just one thing. She has nature shots, urban shots, close ups, everything. It was hard to pick just two of her photographs to feature here, but these are my favorites!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.225947694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.225947694.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.238536520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.238536520.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Who doesn't smile when they see a lovable, huggable, classic teddy bear? <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BaileysBruins?ref=ss_profile">Bailey's Bruins</a> has been stitching up bears (and I've seen a bun or two as well) for years. They would make a great first teddy for any child, and they are all unique! I just love those little embroidered noses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.224748429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.224748429.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247863896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247863896.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Almost done folks, just two more shops to go!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilBundleOfJoy?ref=seller_info">Lil' Bundle of Joy</a> makes all manner of baby things, from bibs to burp clothes, to my personal favorites, little stuffed owls. If I had a baby, or one near by that has parents who would let me play with it, I would totally get this little owl. She's just so cute. Or this cuddly looking blanket. Adorb! (<-thats short for adorable, for those who may not be up on the lingo.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.241962971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.241962971.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.242765572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="381" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.242765572.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last, but certainly not least, I have <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/beguilingvintage">Beguiling Vintage</a>! As much as I love hand made crafts, I also enjoy the old stuff. I have to, I have a degree in history. BV has some truly awesome stuff, from cute 50's dresses to jewelry to kitschy home decor. Here are a couple of my favorites from her vast and varied stash of vintage goodies:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.217014224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.217014224.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.228516130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.228516130.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Annd that concludes the first set of Summer's Sunday Selections! If you made it all the way to the end, thank you! And go take around these wonderful shops. This is just a small sampling of what they have to offer. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-46230641205295639072011-06-08T16:56:00.000-07:002011-06-08T17:10:15.781-07:00Blog Update and Another Cooking Guideline<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Blog update first! I'm going to be rolling out a new weekly post this week: Summer's Sunday Selections! I'll be featuring some of my fabulous favorite items from Etsy and around the webs on Sundays. Now, on to the good stuff!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Whole Wheat- Multigrain crackers</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Who doesn’t love good crackers? They can be simple or complex, and go well with so many things. But why settle for those store bought ones when a few simple ingredients can give you healthy, preservative free crackers with as little or as much salt and other flavorings as you want?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I bring you another “cooking guild line,” this time for some multigrain crackers. These are fantastic and easy to make if you have a grain mill or something like a magic bullet blender. I have the later. I started with this simple <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wheat-Crackers/Detail.aspx">whole wheat cracker recipe</a> from Allrecipes.com, and modified it to fit the assortment of grains/beans that I had on hand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I replaced 1 cup of the whole wheat flour with 1/4<sup>th</sup> cup each of ground barely, cracked wheat, ground lentils, and corn meal. I also replaced a half of a cup of the all propose flour with soy flour. The resulting dough was a little sticky, but adding in some more whole wheat flour would probably fix that right up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGl_4QjQkbpTY8rSnaQq7z_U0yhZBsfCcS6IshmwniwbFMRAx1mdqks9wSro7Y0zi83Epnd4xkq64gHyqopr9f14Vvfik5ZRdZA8er0I4aeYePV_uUrQqsqwoBLY3SrFUweY7lRt_19-o/s1600/CrackerDough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGl_4QjQkbpTY8rSnaQq7z_U0yhZBsfCcS6IshmwniwbFMRAx1mdqks9wSro7Y0zi83Epnd4xkq64gHyqopr9f14Vvfik5ZRdZA8er0I4aeYePV_uUrQqsqwoBLY3SrFUweY7lRt_19-o/s640/CrackerDough.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Look at that wholesome goodness!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here’s the modified recipe-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">¼<sup> </sup>cup lentils</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">¼ cup barely</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">¼ cup wheat berries</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">¼ cup corn meal</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">¾ cup whole wheat flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">½ cup soy flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 cup all purpose flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1/3 cup oil</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 cup water</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">½ teaspoon of salt (or to taste)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Spices to taste</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> 1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>When measuring the lentils, barely and wheat berries, make sure to use generous ¼ cups, as they settle to less once ground. Combine the lentils, barely, and wheat berries and put them through the grain mill (with this method, you may want to grind the lentils separately with the stone for wet or oily stuff). If are using a magic bullet, simply combine them and use the grinding blades. It took me a couple of turns of about 10 seconds to reach a smooth consistency. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> 2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Mix the resulting flour with the corn meal, whole wheat flour, soy flour, all purpose flour and salt.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> 3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Add the oil, water and any spices you want to include. I used a ½ tbsp basil, ½ tbsp oregano, and a tbsp of garlic. Stir until the dough is well mixed. If its too sticky, add more whole wheat flour. It should be a fairly dry, almost crumbly dough.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> 4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. It should be no more than an 1/8<sup>th</sup> of an inch thick. Place the rolled out dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or two if you want them really thin). Line with aluminum foil if you are worried about sticking. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5. Sprinkle the top with salt, to taste. I also added some sesame seeds to mine. Using a knife, score the crackers where you want them to break apart once baked. Don’t cut all of the way through though.</span><br />
<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;">6.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You can use any kind of grains or beans that you have on hand to make these crackers. The next time I make them, I'll probably throw in some oatmeal.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tada! Delicious, fresh baked, wholesome crackers.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8VHGFvGhMO4wFNWZ4rlkuV2EwOpGEb-iTQB01GIiiuceVwKXWERCB2A-Z9_BHhozOK7Th0s6Q8QhxIrxIEfvysw1qEfPNtkGXXt2_PJr_QAv3dz0NQHeJtfn-q0SV-7aE50YJUUXYZ4/s1600/Crackers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8VHGFvGhMO4wFNWZ4rlkuV2EwOpGEb-iTQB01GIiiuceVwKXWERCB2A-Z9_BHhozOK7Th0s6Q8QhxIrxIEfvysw1qEfPNtkGXXt2_PJr_QAv3dz0NQHeJtfn-q0SV-7aE50YJUUXYZ4/s640/Crackers2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here they are, right before going into the oven. No after shots though, they were gone too fast!</span></td></tr>
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</span></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-56540643707750248792011-06-06T12:20:00.000-07:002011-06-06T14:31:42.097-07:00I'm baaaack, and I have vintage silks!<title></title> <style type="text/css">
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<div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Wow, it has been a long long time I've had the time or motivation to blog. So sorry I wasn't able to post in so long! Teaching Algebra II was probably the hardest job I've had in a long time, and took up a lot of my time outside of school and was a general energy vampire. Its a real challenge to motivate kids who just don't give a rat's butt about math and don't understand how important math skills are, and I'm not just talking about knowing how to rationalize radical expressions and factor polynomials. I mean the thinking and reasoning skills you gain from math. Of course it didn't help that they went for 2 weeks without a real teacher. By the time I got them, they had lost all motivation to do well, and had missed some necessary skills we just didn't have the time to pick up. But, enough about that... I'm back to blogging and crafting! I’ll be posting more regularly now that its summer time and I have all of my important business squared away. So, hello again!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q5SrwlXmkm3t4xSOEDpwes0s5YJkx_Cj6ncGiNHLUKIgPhgGgQJFxqSNNts3kCI6QBI0EIdRNvl0l0IThOhSLUWBeGSzWAHVX3elvnSgQdjg57LcYhCp3Ph3Qd7ODCiDX82z66uR87E/s1600/KimonoFabrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q5SrwlXmkm3t4xSOEDpwes0s5YJkx_Cj6ncGiNHLUKIgPhgGgQJFxqSNNts3kCI6QBI0EIdRNvl0l0IThOhSLUWBeGSzWAHVX3elvnSgQdjg57LcYhCp3Ph3Qd7ODCiDX82z66uR87E/s640/KimonoFabrics.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The original collection of silk sleeves.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’ll keep my first post back short and sweet, and talk about my newest project to use up the kimono fabric I acquired back in early march, and mentioned in my last post. I got them from <a href="http://www.kyotokimono.com/">Kyoto Kimono</a>, which has great deals on vintage, workable Japanese silks. Each sleeve that I got was about one yard by 14 inches after the seams were ripped. My first project with the kimono fabric was okay, and I think it would make a great small purse for someone who wants something simple and lovely to carry around. However, I decided that this wasn’t the best or most efficient use of this awesome material. I was just having trouble coming up with something better, and became distracted by other fabrics and life in general.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOC3bozMkvjOFdDAjFHPMIXBrbYku2rCSZvtBPhjcwlehCfM8dSBuK4zBkZAHqbeFBRMzccN222bjqnF0G86HRijsTjVwjFPfBLnk189iNajshEb5FeUr6h6mlOqUq1bpLLC-k0leZBs/s1600/Flower+Purse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOC3bozMkvjOFdDAjFHPMIXBrbYku2rCSZvtBPhjcwlehCfM8dSBuK4zBkZAHqbeFBRMzccN222bjqnF0G86HRijsTjVwjFPfBLnk189iNajshEb5FeUr6h6mlOqUq1bpLLC-k0leZBs/s320/Flower+Purse.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The first project, it can be found on<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70456704/repurposed-vintage-kimono-silk-bag"> Etsy </a>as well.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I rediscovered the kimono sleeves while I was reorganizing my working area. I had moved my sewing cabinet to the opposite wall and was switching up my fabrics. This was really just an excuse to take them all out and look at them, which is a great way to spawn inspiration. That, and I just enjoy looking at them. What can I say; I’m a fabricaholic. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I pulled sleeves out and was ogling them, enjoying their varied textures and weights when the idea came to me. What if I mixed them a nice sturdy, natural fabric (like the drill I already had a lot of) and made something bigger, with a bit more of a specific use… I’ve been meaning to try making a laptop bag, and had already experimented with a messenger style bag before. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So dropped what I was doing, leaving a pile of fabrics still on the floor, and I sat down with a piece of blank paper. I sketched out a simple, squared design in about 10 minutes. The shape would keep me from having to cut out any curved pattern pieces and make a clean, geometric bag. I liked what I came up right away, and just needed to pick which sleeve I wanted to use. I decided on one I did because it looked simple from far away, but had a beautiful textured look up close. Aaaand! Here are the results:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHqTAk0vuGXui6oKqKsmGG8QmZh6AEjyeks8jl0E98qhWRLkIIqbebuZH1kxOVex-Nnx1OqtNaCGBpNkGCSm2LuT1zWGkAD2Hi0Cmj3NVgLXiiovD4mEl7uSxI6SB5vqVz60rp231oyo/s1600/Kimono+Messenger+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHqTAk0vuGXui6oKqKsmGG8QmZh6AEjyeks8jl0E98qhWRLkIIqbebuZH1kxOVex-Nnx1OqtNaCGBpNkGCSm2LuT1zWGkAD2Hi0Cmj3NVgLXiiovD4mEl7uSxI6SB5vqVz60rp231oyo/s640/Kimono+Messenger+4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOd-4Jt85gUEaKWRWyd4R7HJkjfxHFmV2jvybyVerKSuMrgr9w4yNZr__1fX4qKJSoQR5-_KQ96qRakNPeUIRq_jAOEOuJdSLsjRy2DIn_cOn1pjB-CfnpyufgV5MCfn-zGLZRwAaIV8/s1600/Kimono+Messanger+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOd-4Jt85gUEaKWRWyd4R7HJkjfxHFmV2jvybyVerKSuMrgr9w4yNZr__1fX4qKJSoQR5-_KQ96qRakNPeUIRq_jAOEOuJdSLsjRy2DIn_cOn1pjB-CfnpyufgV5MCfn-zGLZRwAaIV8/s640/Kimono+Messanger+3.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClXlAb7n9C9K2W0Zfuilgg2fsTBaQh4Aq6WJ-hWQ1fjKVdbGWBNF2wbtB768MoiGjlkREz6PDJeAJNwkzAmzQj2scZdDVyeWCZMQpbFn41F1QfDxNBuWPO6UaiLMVPkalE0BW58c6Q1k/s1600/Kimono+Messenger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClXlAb7n9C9K2W0Zfuilgg2fsTBaQh4Aq6WJ-hWQ1fjKVdbGWBNF2wbtB768MoiGjlkREz6PDJeAJNwkzAmzQj2scZdDVyeWCZMQpbFn41F1QfDxNBuWPO6UaiLMVPkalE0BW58c6Q1k/s640/Kimono+Messenger2.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIewM2s0dRViyPAWO8EEl32TXBOVW3D6-fYmY87uLCpOmrCE5O5COuZaYPEdJidnH0CJhn521fZaSzQs_E7D2WEj8FTw8rU8SkMyvgMeskMrrleIO5L4msSjsb69h4jI0t5gEeLfwN70/s1600/Kimono+Messanger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIewM2s0dRViyPAWO8EEl32TXBOVW3D6-fYmY87uLCpOmrCE5O5COuZaYPEdJidnH0CJhn521fZaSzQs_E7D2WEj8FTw8rU8SkMyvgMeskMrrleIO5L4msSjsb69h4jI0t5gEeLfwN70/s640/Kimono+Messanger1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So, the moral of my story is: Spring cleaning can be an awesome source of new ideas from old inspirations.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">p.s. If you want this bag, it can be yours! Check it out on Etsy and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75395567/nautical-messager-laptop-bag-made-with">give it some love</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-15030564266242476462011-03-12T14:07:00.000-08:002011-03-13T22:11:11.981-07:00Its been too long...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Oh my, its been ten days since I last posted! This is just a quick update to say that I'm not blogdead. I've just been super busy, but more about that later.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">First, a quick update about the market that I visited last friday. It was more of a resellers/flea market, that kind of reminded me of the flea markets in Mexico. I didn't see any other handmade type sellers, and very few food sellers/farmers market type people. It didn't look like it would be worth it for me. I may check out the swap meet that will be going on in June at the Yuma Civic Center since its only $10 for a space and they provide tables. Its also indoors, where as the other market was outside.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As far as why I've been so busy... The school district decided to cut my assignment as a biology teacher short and move me to another school to teach Algebra. See, I was supposed to be filling in for biology teacher who was on maternity leave till mid April, but I got a call at the end of the day on Tuesday that they wanted me to start the next day at another school. Needless to say, I was in shock. I was quite comfortable as a biology teacher, the kids were good, I had daily lesson plans and everything was set up nicely for me. The only downside was the ending date, and the fact that we had to leave a little early in the mornings so my husband could drop me off. The new assignment... These kids haven't had a real teacher in 2 weeks, they're behind, there are no lesson plans, and I haven't had algebra II since I was in 9th grade. There is an upside though, since I will have this job till the end of the school year, and its at the same school that my husband teaches at. I also worked there last year, so I'm familiar with it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, between getting my bearings in the new assignment and sleeping I have had trouble keeping up with everything else. I hope to have another post up in the next couple days to talk about my new vintage kimono fabric and my plans for it!</span>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-78470862088461963872011-03-02T18:52:00.000-08:002011-03-02T18:52:01.540-08:00Cooking Guideline (Recipe) Time!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As mentioned in my profile, I am a bit of a foodie. Not the crazy, talks all the time about food and goes to extraordinary lengths to either source their foods or try new and different things, but the I friggin love food and trying new and different things. I don't really go out of my way for it, but if the restaurant offers alligator tail etouffee or fried pigs ear in black bean sauce with wood ear, then yeah, I'm game for trying it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I also love to cook! However, I have issues with recipes. I like to look at them, and imagine how they would taste, but I rarely follow them 100%. When I cook, I consider recipes to be more of a... guide line. And often times, I prefere the meals that come about by a little fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants innovation. Making it up as you go. I start with an idea, like barbecue pork, and go from there. This is what at least 80% of my daily cooking is. Most of the time its pretty good, but some times I hit on a real winner. And today, I would like to share one of those winners. I'm not going to call it a recipe, but a guideline. All measurements are approximate.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9T8-dKv6ohy6GWp2u0RFVG_am4-aCyu3MQBtpkjg13UIsC0e7wJc6sw4xwqrXORbpJ2JnAuuHSSkOCHaXYQr1cnYpDCWbTPOWbuJ2fiZlfYdzM8_tLkARteYuCP5pQQk5BTv7VXRpX8/s1600/BBQPork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9T8-dKv6ohy6GWp2u0RFVG_am4-aCyu3MQBtpkjg13UIsC0e7wJc6sw4xwqrXORbpJ2JnAuuHSSkOCHaXYQr1cnYpDCWbTPOWbuJ2fiZlfYdzM8_tLkARteYuCP5pQQk5BTv7VXRpX8/s640/BBQPork.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Lemon Pepper Honey Skillet BBQ</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1 lb pork (or chicken, or beef if you want)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2 tbsp ketchup</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1 tbsp <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333570; line-height: 20px;">worcestershire </span>sauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2 tbsp lemon juice</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2 tbsp honey (I used raw local honey, lets just say I have a 12lb jar...)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2 tsp rice vinegar (I imagine apple cider would work just as well, add more if you want more tang)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">black pepper to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1 tbsp minced garlic</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Olive oil</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1. Cut the pork in to 1/4 strips.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2. Heat your preferred amount of oil in a skillet on medium heat.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">3. Toss in your garlic and stir till browned.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">4. Add pork. I usually wait till one side is browned before adding the other ingredients.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">5. Add the worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and rice vinegar (pre mix them and add all at once if you like)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">6. Add the ketchup.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">7. Add the honey. This is added last to give the other ingredients time to soak into the pork and some of the liquid to cook off.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">8. Cook on medium until the liquid is a thick, saucy consistency. When it cools to eating temperature the honey will give a nice, slightly crispy texture.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">9. Add black pepper to taste.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And wha-la! Yummy, quick bbq in about 15 minutes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oyVI9fw8xP20eZjctRQlbHgXi4NGcH7993-axr5CPMOtIPc3zHFUPOQQe3YAaovK-qRqL3o2O0qtJo_YYqWoe0PrmWuY2XWDFO23z-UxoFNMtthZod5H0ElXq8dN7gvz2E__0PjCSEY/s1600/BBQ+pork%252Chis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oyVI9fw8xP20eZjctRQlbHgXi4NGcH7993-axr5CPMOtIPc3zHFUPOQQe3YAaovK-qRqL3o2O0qtJo_YYqWoe0PrmWuY2XWDFO23z-UxoFNMtthZod5H0ElXq8dN7gvz2E__0PjCSEY/s400/BBQ+pork%252Chis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my hubby's plate... he's a meat and potatoes guy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrLvAs73_RsgHffdXgTrE0aPWxntjH0vsZckP31nQL80yCjMIoNg5Cbw1jMcZpoOsOrXBlq6XtPeejWsVWEuzOCp3lxfNm1YvQMUYo6Otnrn20R3c90VM99Z07b2j8_E0MnfByN2fQPM/s1600/BBQMine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrLvAs73_RsgHffdXgTrE0aPWxntjH0vsZckP31nQL80yCjMIoNg5Cbw1jMcZpoOsOrXBlq6XtPeejWsVWEuzOCp3lxfNm1YvQMUYo6Otnrn20R3c90VM99Z07b2j8_E0MnfByN2fQPM/s640/BBQMine.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my plate. I'm a bit more... out there shall we say. I'm having mine with brown rice and kimchee!</td></tr>
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</span>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039396962077245455.post-40632974345082108402011-03-02T16:58:00.000-08:002011-03-02T16:58:00.642-08:00New Things and Random Musings<link href="file://localhost/Users/sraines/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hello All! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I believe I’ve gotten over my creative rut so to speak and am feeling much more up to muster. I've two new things since my last post : A butterfly tote bag, and a new style of bag made with the same houndstooth that I used in my skirt and hat from <a href="http://sewincredible.blogspot.com/2011/02/arrrrrgh.html">this post</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The butterfly tote is just another, less swashbuckling, more flittery version of my pirate tote. They are a bit different in size as well. The butterfly tote is wider and shorter than the pirate tote, and for some reason the hand applique took me about 2.5 days to finish. This was probably because I was working on it during my unmotivated/ uninspired slump last week. However, I really love that was able to free hand draw the shape of the butterfly. I'm usually pretty bad at that kind of thing, but it really turned out well! I think it has kind of a punky/goth vibe, with the blacks and hot pinks. Click <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69023711/gothic-butterfly-applique-reversible?ref=v1_other_2">here</a> if you want to see the listing on Etsy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2pb2xHCbgV9pxbeJdDDTsHxucdLfFrjZ49ikJ9YZlUDSfWof3v_mnr8gJQt71NzFZcppVnsIvXyaJ-XJp2yuX-XS0MERpxvOtcW971xcjCXXYv1JhK9nCCoL9rqDAlLkKk5rq4IVvXk/s1600/Butterflyappl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2pb2xHCbgV9pxbeJdDDTsHxucdLfFrjZ49ikJ9YZlUDSfWof3v_mnr8gJQt71NzFZcppVnsIvXyaJ-XJp2yuX-XS0MERpxvOtcW971xcjCXXYv1JhK9nCCoL9rqDAlLkKk5rq4IVvXk/s640/Butterflyappl1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The other thing I made was different style of purse I've tried before, and I think it turned out as well. I really like the addition of the running stitch across the top of the bag. It was an after thought, because I ran into an issue of the edge not laying flat even after pressing. So, I decided to do a simple running stitch across the top for more of a pop. This bag is also larger than most of the other purse style bags I've made in the past, and I think it really works for this style. This is also the first time I've worked with piping, which was a pain on the curvy parts. If you're interested in buying this one, it can be found <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69165648/cloe-large-urban-chic-houndstooth-bag">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SUVwtYT9e_mMPcHGdxVAltND2drXOLj1ld_8qclUG3hKVZdf_96Sfr3m17HbxR3rVdKqAAuSubkB38kfTfxVhQ_Qxy1frDkb3Wfkh4C-MBWZS7f6FM9cupsRtEO32qZvGIrnZIMt-is/s1600/GridPurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SUVwtYT9e_mMPcHGdxVAltND2drXOLj1ld_8qclUG3hKVZdf_96Sfr3m17HbxR3rVdKqAAuSubkB38kfTfxVhQ_Qxy1frDkb3Wfkh4C-MBWZS7f6FM9cupsRtEO32qZvGIrnZIMt-is/s640/GridPurse.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMgpdqTVdKkeXG4xmYxqeVJk0Hiwjz6ygjcjwsP7cHFdi59Ul6nTBdqN6OG-mcx_hpgf55jhuN_E1HjsScq_lu45htf_FYeN-qR4AqXnZSZ3odBbI6x6tHVSYEca2olIhBreJq11P4hM/s1600/Cleancloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMgpdqTVdKkeXG4xmYxqeVJk0Hiwjz6ygjcjwsP7cHFdi59Ul6nTBdqN6OG-mcx_hpgf55jhuN_E1HjsScq_lu45htf_FYeN-qR4AqXnZSZ3odBbI6x6tHVSYEca2olIhBreJq11P4hM/s640/Cleancloseup.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now, on to the random musings part of the post:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Still no sales in the Etsy department, but I’ve started looking into the local market. I’ve found one location that I’ll be scouting out this weekend, to see if its worth my time and money. It’s large semi outdoor weekly farmer’s market/flea market. It costs $20 a day for a covered space and is open from 9:00am till 4:00 pm Thursdays to Sundays. If I decide to do it, I have to figure out what I have that I can set up with, like tables and display type stuff. But I have plenty of time to think about that, as I’m no where near ready for it. I need to build up more stock to make it potentially worthwhile to go. I’m thinking about making some smaller items, like small purses and zipper coin pouches and small stuffed things like the Happy Goat. I have an idea for a similar style bunny already in the works. If anything, it gives me a chance to hand out business cards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I feel like I need to speed up my sewing process a little as well. I’m only making about one item per 2-3 days, but it’s hard to find time between teaching, sleeping and marketing/networking to actually work on making things. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It’s also a little discouraging that people look at my items and comment about how cute they are and how original they are, but I’ve had no purchases, beyond two companion cubes quite a while ago. I know that a lot of my stuff is fairly unique and doesn’t necessarily have universal appeal, so finding my niche in the market is hard. I do know that sales have been slim lately, due to the economic state and timing, so I’m hopeful that something will move soon. I’m also updating my Etsy listings and hope to find a solution to my lighting/picture quality issues soon. Our apartment gets about 10 minutes of decent sunlight every morning and that’s it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But enough of my random musings... Its time to create! Until next post: Good bye!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958543246477372945noreply@blogger.com1