So here's what I've been up to...

It's been awhile, but life gets crazy, so hey. I wanted to talk about some projects that I have brought to fruition recently, very proud of this work.

This first item here is a Vintage Jonathan Livingston embroidery project kit that I found in a thrift store in DC. It came with all the ingredients to complete a throw pillow, but seeing as how I am not the throw pillow type (they always end up on the floor, and this was too pretty) I hung it on the wall instead. It reminded me of Florida, the pattern has a beautiful seagull sailing thru it.

I actually finished the image really quickly because I was so excited about it. I added the crowns as the border to finish the look a little since it wouldn't become a pillow. The hardest part was finding the right frame for this piece. I knew it had to be square, but the size was a little funky (about 13"x13"). But alas, we found it and it almost completes the needlepoint wall of our apartment. (i'll post pics of this when it is finally full)

Next item on the agenda is a painting that I finished a little while back. I was strolling thru williamsburg last summer when I found an amazing vintage paint by numbers with a majestic peacock on it. I snapped a photo with my phone, but couldn't afford the price tag. This winter I painstakingly mimicked the original paint by numbers in my own style. Its pretty close to the original and I just love the way it came out. 

Moving on. Some of you may know that I have a deep appreciation for Terrariums. Since last summer I have gotten more serious about actually creating these beauties. I started small scale and made some fun mini-terrariums as christmas gifts. I have since heard back that they really weren't the easiest to maintain. I think this is because of the air circulation. The whole beauty behind terrariums is that they are self sustaining and need little maintenance. The layer of charcoal and gravel beneath the soil allows for proper drainage and purification of the water within the enclosed container. This past winter I made myself a large terrarium when I finally found the right vessel and it is flourishing, seriously. I brought all of these plants back with me from my trip to Florida this past February. It is a mix of succulents and random plants that I harvested from my parents and their neighbors. It makes me so happy to look at this everyday. I think that the real trick with a successful terrarium is having enough space (air flow) inside your habitat for the filtering to take place. The picture is a little foggy because of the moisture inside the jar, it was a sunny day.

Ok, thats enough for now. Hope you enjoyed. Be back soon.
xoxo

cupcakes!

Maggie and I made cupcakes last week for our friends birthday! They looked so amazing, and were inspired by a cupcake book of Maggie's collection. I love the idea of making cupcakes look like other foods.

 These drumsticks were made with a donut hole on top and crushed up cornflakes pressed into the frosting, with a bone made out of white chocolate!

These mashed potatoes and gravy cupcakes are awesome! So easy and I think they came out the best. A yellow Starburst for the butter pat and caramel syrup melted over top for the gravy! You can also see the peas and carrots in the background, Skittles and Starburst!

Pineapple Doily Rug v2.0

I finally did my taxes AND finished the second rug that I started with the muslin today!! I tried this rug with the same pattern that the original canvas doily rug was made out of, but ofcourse it wasn't that simple. The muslin is a much lighter weight material and I was able to do a much more detailed pattern this time around (and I kept track of it).

 

I had to work the circle to a larger circumference so that I could fit the pineapples around it. There are 9 pineapples total with a cluster stitch border. The rug measures just over 6.5 feet through the middle. I am so happy with the end result!    :)

I haven't listed it on Etsy yet, I'd like to keep it for a little bit and pull it out to look at it every week...

Sugaring Paste - trial and error

The weather is starting to get nice and the winter fuzz must go. Everyone has been talking to me about waxing instead of shaving... I hate shaving but I also don't think I can get into waxing, so I was researching some alternatives when I came across sugaring paste! I am so stoked on this, my first attempt at making the paste was an epic fail, I over cooked it and it was a huge mess to clean up (but the sugar paste is water soluble so soaking in hot water was easy enough).
It is so inexpensive to make the paste, all you need is 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup each of lemon juice and water. Cook this over very low heat in a thick saucepan.

The key is bringing it to a boil very slowly. You need to be attentive and stir often so the sugar won't burn. Once it boils the color will change from yellow to amber.

 I tested the paste every minute or so on a white plate, till it was the right color, then turn off the heat and wait about 10 minutes to transfer to a heat resistant container.

Once it is in the jar let it cool til its closer to room temperature so you don't burn yourself. The technique is a little bit tricky to master but I just looked up some videos to get the idea. You have to play with a chunk of the paste til you get it pliable and a bit warmed up. I thought it was really easy and not painful at all. It didn't get all of the hairs but I think it was more about the technique, so I will get better at it. No pictures of the process because my hands were all sticky! But it is super easy to clean up with just warm water.

I think it was a success and I cant wait to put my razor away this summer!

Doily Rug Part 2 - Squared

I just finished one of the rugs that I started out of the muslin fabric. It is much lighter weight than the canvas and works up differently. I cant even remember how many times I tore this rug out while working on the pattern, it lays so differently than the canvas and kept ruffling out till I simplified the pattern. I really should have kept track of what I was doing, because I came out with this square shape and I kinda love it.It measures just over 4.5' diagonally across, and just under 4' across the middle.

I am debating on whether or not to add another round and refine the shape a bit more. I also tried something new with this rug... I used my fingers to crochet it instead of the big blue hook. It was kind of a fun process and I liked how much looser the stitches were, but then I got tired of doing that, so the last row with all of the long stitches was done with the hook.

:)

Composting on my roof

We have this great space on the roof and I think I will grow some plants up there this spring (the apartment is a little overcrowded with our plants) but I really want to figure out a way to compost on the roof. I have been reading all sorts of trashy forums trying to figure out the best way. Maggie and I have been juicing a lot recently and there is so much good waste from the juicer, I hate just throwing it out.

I don't know that much about composting but several people were comparing the green matter to the brown matter and finding a balance between these two. I wonder if I could use old magazines or newspaper for the brown part... I think I will have plenty of green. I think I need to do a bit more research...

Also I have to find some sort of long stick that I can use to turn it in the 32 gallon trash can, like a witch with a potion brewing (a potion to make the plants grow faster)

Several people also talked about how you cant get enough circulation when using a plastic bin... but I think I just need to drill a ton of holes in it

Doily Rugs

So I was very pleased with the way the large doily rug came out and I have been playing with some new materials and ideas.

The original one was done with 3 9'x12' canvas drop clothes torn into strips and then worked into a doily pattern that I created as I went. I tried using a pattern but the scale really didn't lay right with the canvas. The canvas was an experiment to see if I could even do it... but what I really wanted to do was make one with rope (cotton or manila) but I couldn't justify the cost of rope without knowing it would work... and now, I just cant afford the rope. (but if you know anywhere I could get my hands on massive amounts of 3/4" rope please do let me know)

I have been trying to make an effort to work with the materials that I have access to, and I just cleaned out our storage space and found so much bedding left behind by old roommates that needed a good use, so....

 I love love love this light blue/gray one... its made of an old jersey sheet, that was so frustrating to rip into strips but the result is so wonderful, it feels amazing under your feet.
I figured out that I can get about a 2.5' rug from a full size sheet, so I thought these were just perfect for a small bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. And so much quicker to make than the big rugs.

Just listed on Etsy yesterday blue rug  & colorful rug w/ border

I also got a great deal on a bolt of muslin that has been good to me. I am working on a few rugs with this material now. It is much easier to rip into strips than the canvas was... and much lighter. I think it feels better under the feet, but I am still figuring out how to work with it. more to come with that...