Thursday, February 28, 2013

Iron Craft '13, Challenge #4: "… and the Winner is…"

This challenge was inspired by television or film [or the red carpet], due to the award season that has sprung up. I don't watch them, but if there is a clip of something awesome [usually a performance], i'll YouTube it later on. Since Sarina is the craftier of the two of us, she decided that making headbands with some awesome fabric she had would be perfect. She snagged some Star Wars, Star Trek + Marvel Comics prints a few weeks ago, so that is what we used. This is also the first time I used a sewing machine to sew fabric - the only other time I used it was to make paper streamers for Halloween.

Believe it or not, this was not as hard as I imagined it to be, although the bobbin decided to go apeshit on me at one point [I swear, it wasn't my fault]. I definitely feel more comfortable sewing + would love to create some cute pouches + headbands with the awesome fabric I picked up a couple months ago.




For our crafting adventure, I wore my old school E.T. shirt + donned my Black Milk The Last Judgment leggings, which is actually taken from a piece created by Jan van Eyck, created back in the 1400s. Pretty cool, huh?

I looked at Challenge #5 + its Green or "Green," which means we can use the color green, or create something that is earth-friendly. I'm thinking earth-friendly would be more up my alley, but who knows what I'll come up with!


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Life As of Late.

Life has been crazy, but in the best way possible. I have been relaxing, crafting, working, finding Nemo in my backyard + found a sinus infection that I was eager to get rid of. But, the positives have kicked the negatives in the butt, which rules. I figured I'd post some pictures of what has been going on lately!


I've been disgustingly creative lately - even moreso than normal. I have always told everyone that I could only draw stick figures, which is true. But, when some of the little ladies I watch wanted me to create fun things for them, I decided to actually sit down + give it a shot. I sketched first, had a picture nearby for a general reference + gave it my best shot. I impressed myself! The boys created butterfly valentine cards for their younger cousins + last night was an experiment with ice cream sandwiches filled with vanilla ice cream + chocolate pudding. 


 On Friday night, I was supposed to go see Lady Gaga at Madison Square Garden, but due to the announcement last week that her entire tour was cancelled, I didn't go. Since I won a contest two years ago, which included tickets, a hotel + car service to the show, I was told that I needed to take the hotel + the car service, because that was the agreement I had signed two summers ago. I was pretty pissed, until a friend suggested I come into Brooklyn for dinner.  I convinced them to pick up another friend en route + take us into Brooklyn, to feast at TRAIF.


I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed. This place is not vegetarian friendly, but its a bacon lover's BFF. We enjoyed twelve small dishes between the five of us. Their site has a menu from last Spring available here, but many of the items we feasted on are staples of TRAIF. My favorite dishes were the bacon wrapped bleu cheese stuffed dates + strawberry cinnamon glazed baby back ribs, but it was all amazingly delicious.


 Dessert was also stellar. Nutella mousse with pistachio ice cream, panna cotta drizzled with fruit + the best dessert ever - bacon doughnuts with dulce de leche + coffee ice cream. I am still drooling over those bad boys. Amazing, amazing, amazing. To help us gluttons digest, we were brought a plate with pineapple, which hit the spot. I can't wait to go back again; I'm really hoping this can become a monthly venture.


 Now that I'm done talking about stuffing my face, I am pretty stoked about this month's Whimseybox. All the supplies can help you create a few memo boards/notepads, with tons leftover. I'm pretty stoked about the fun washi tape, neon rubber bands + those ultra cute pins! Whimseybox is only $15 a month [cheaper + cooler than most subscription boxes] + when you use the link above, your first box is only $10. Trust me, if you've ever gone into a store to buy crafts, its a miracle if your bill is under $25.

If you haven't noticed yet, the blog was revamped by the super talented Justine, who blogs over at Pirates and Mermaids. She is a fellow Long Islander, so who better to create something for my space? Both she + her boyfriend, Steve, are insanely creative [he's actually done one of my tattoos for me + I plan on going back for more] + they have the cutest little dude, Benjamin. Make sure to swing by + say hi!

That's all for now. Hopefully with my schedule starting to become more consistent, my posts will be more as well. Enjoy your day!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Teach Me Something Thursday: Hiatus, Scheduling + Iron Craft '13.


Some of you might have noticed that TMST has been absent this month. I decided to take a break for the month of February, then bring it back bi-weekly, because I will be showcasing my Iron Craft Challenge projects on those off-weeks.

So, TMST will return March 7, 2013. If you are interested, feel free to submit a tutorial to be showcased on the blog. Next week, Iron Craft '13 Challenge #4 will be showcased. Since I didn't get around to posting what I created for Challenge #3, here it is, in all its sappy glory:


The theme was hearts + stars - you could choose to use one aspect, or both. I chose to stick to hearts, since Valentine's Day was around the corner. 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Stepping Up My Snail Mail Game.

I have a bunch of pen pals + love sending ultra-cute stationary to them [although i've been slacking as of late]. I always handwrite my return address on the envelope, because most return address stickers are cheesy or just bland. My letters were cute, adorned with stickers, but I wanted to make them look even nicer; more polished. 

Thanks to Laura, the gal behind the Etsy shop lauriebreaker, I now have a fancy pants return address stamp to adorn my letters + parcels with! In December, Laura contributed a custom made stamp as a giveaway item + also offered to create one for me as well! I told her to surprise me with the design she would use. I had to proof the design before it was sent + realized she was using her new design, The Elliott! I was super stoked for it to arrive + wanted to show you all how awesome it is!


I used my awesome Kaleidacolor inkpad to test out a variety of fun color schemes shown in the photo +   obviously had way too much fun with it. Laura, being super awesome, is offering a 10% discount to my readers - use the coupon code SHORT10 during checkout. Don't forget to check out the other designs + cards Laura has in the shop. These stamps make really awesome gifts - this would be the perfect addition to a housewarming gift, or to send to one of your pen pals!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Gift Guide: Valentine's Day.

I don't know about you, but I like marching to the beat of my own drum. When it comes to the holidays, I like to find unique gifts that won't collect dust [or even worse, be re-gifted]. I got my Sherlock Holmes on + found gifts that would be great for guys + gals, young + those who are young at heart! 
01. Lionel Richie  - The Definitive Collection [$8.49] For under $9, you get a hard copy containing 20 hits, plus a free MP3 download of the album. One for them, one for you. Everybody wins!
02. Hello Apparel Kids Neon Raglan 3/4 Sleeve [$28-30 $22.40-24 with coupon code makingitlovely] I love Hello Apparel! I own half a dozen items from the company + really love these unisex kids baseball tees, which are available in sizes 2 - 12.
03. Fringe - Beyond the Fringe [$10.19] Erich + I have recently become obsessed with Fringe - this is actually one of the presents I got him for Valentine's Day. Graphic novels make great gifts, plus Joshua Jackson, who portrays Peter Bishop on the FOX series, helped pen this as well.
04. Plush Unicorn Bouquet [$49.99] Instead of spending an arm + a leg on roses that won't last more than a week, opt for a bouquet of plush unicorns. Sounds strange, but I promise you, this rules.
05. Hearts + Flowers Paper Tape [$10.67] This is a great gift for your crafty pals, teachers + even little ones. This paper tape [also known as washi tape] has multiple uses + looks super cute.
06. Weekdāzed Date Art [$10] The gentlemen of Weekdāzed came up with the genius idea to create customizable works of art with the days that are important in your life. Births, engagements, wedding day, house closing date, the date of your final student loan payment, you get the idea. 
07. Giant Microbes - Heart Warming Mini Microbe Box [$19.95] Want a unique gift for the med professional or scientist in your life? These mini microbes are a surefire way to make them smile. 
08. Happy Valentine's Day 4-flavor Popcorn Tin [$29.99] The Popcorn Factory has made a two gallon tin with four flavors - butter, caramel, cheese + white cheddar. It sounds like a lot of popcorn, but once you start digging in, you'll see how fast it disappears. I'm trying to figure out how to drop the hint to Erich that I want this instead of chocolate this year. 
09. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown [$9.96] Holidays aren't the same without Charlie Brown + the gang. If you have Amazon Prime, you can actually stream this for free!
10. POPRAGEOUS Girl Saves Boy Leggings [$65] Inspired by a piece created by street artist Banksy, these leggings would be a really fun piece to wear for your Valentine's Day date!

What are some fun items you have come across for Valentine's Day? Include links if you'd like, so other readers can check out your finds as well. 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Valentine's Day Giveaway: Michael Kors Watch.


I don't know about you, but I really dig Michael Kors watches. My friend Kaitlyn is always talking about how much she loves her MK watch + in honor of Valentine's Day, she decided that a few of us should get together + give one away.

I've teamed up with these lovely ladies below to bring you this killer giveaway. We all voted + the watches above are our top choices - if you win, you get to pick which one you like the best!
1// Kaitlyn 2// Shanna 3// Emily 4// Stephanie 5// Robin 6// Kalyn
7// Samantha 8// Lisette 9// Kristyn 10// Jami 11// Courtney 12// Ashley
13// Erin 14// Hallie 15// Jessica 16// Kim 17// Michele 18// Rebekah

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter below. This contest is open to US Residents only. The giveaway will run from February 7 - February 13, 11:59pm EST + the winner will be announced on Valentine's Day.

***All entries WILL be verified to make sure the winner has completed the entry.