RicRacSally

Let me tell you a story....

2009-06-12T10:38:00.003-04:00

Yes, we know, it's been about a zillion years since the RicRac girls have posted. Suffice it to say that life been having her way with us!

Dena is busybusybusy finishing her MLS degree, raising a genius of an 8-y-o, and prettifying her new house.

And Tiffani? Well, I disappeared to write. And, as a matter of fact, my first pro fiction sale just went live recently at Strange Horizons. You can read it by clicking HERE. It's not too long, so it won't take much time. I hope you enjoy it!

And, while Dena has been quite the craft girl (ask her to post pics of her kitchen island and the "booth" she built, complete with fab pillows!), all I've made lately is a laundry bag ... that I'm taking with me on my 6-week writing workshop to La Jolla. :) So I'm sorry to leave again. But I promise to be back some day and to have craftiness to show off.

HOT HOT HOT!

2009-03-26T20:59:00.002-04:00

Yeah, you know who I am talking about...ADAM LAMBERT. Sure, he's gay, but that is part of why I think he rocks...he can make both the girls AND the boys melt. Aside from the hottiness, he also has a younger Bono charisma that I appreciate.

Honestly, this will be the first time that I can say I will actually buy an album of an American Idol. Heck, I would even buy an album of what I have heard so far on the show!

Anyway, enjoy the boy---and if you haven't seen it, trust me, he is totally worthy.

Tags of 6

2009-03-08T20:06:00.003-04:00

So, Emilia has tagged me--and I must comply.
According to the rules, I must post the 6th picture in the 6th folder in my pictures files, so here it is:

It is hard to see her, but if you open the pic you can see bella leading a very large horse (made much larger by the fact that the poor kid takes after her parents in the vertical department) VERY well. This was last year--she participated in a week long horseback riding camp, and pretty much loved it from the beginning. Bella isn't a team-oriented kinda gal. I think she is always worried about the other kids, and doesn't like the pressure, so horseback riding is right up her alley. I was blown away with how much confidence she had about her riding abilities, and I was pretty impressed with the show that she put on (which is what you are seeing in the picture). She pulled that horse, it did what she led it to do. She got on that sucker and they trotted, stopped, backed up, you name it.

Other kids were racing after their run away horses. I didn't snicker, I promise.

Still Alive

2009-02-21T13:03:00.005-05:00

I promise!! Just an update, I am working my fingers to their little nubbins in school so have been ignoring any bloggerific-ness. Solly. Anyway, without further ado, I am posting pics of my step-grandbaby Lily. Hmmm...I wonder who she looks like?

What I have been listening to:

What I can't WAIT to listen to:

(No Line on the Horizon, by U2)

OVer and Out, Dena

Karma...

2009-01-27T20:33:00.002-05:00

...is such a bitch.
It was only a matter of time.

Signed--Tiff

LET THE SUNSHINE IN!!

2009-01-03T16:11:00.008-05:00

Ahhh....choo! A dusty last couple of days were had, but soooo worth it! As many of you know, we bought a house a few months ago, and I have been giving the wall in between the kitchen and dining room the evil eye ever since. My father-in-law decided that he would come help us take it DOWN, foolish man! (Actually, he did most of the work.)
Before, in all its hideous mustard glory:

During, and notice that dave still has on his pajamas:

Roger, electrical mastermind:

The easy part is done:

Almost done! All we need to do now is some patching and painting...the electical blucky took about 12 hours one day, and another 5 the next. They were three ways switches, and I guess those are harder?? Hm. Who knew.
Silly boys:

Is it Christmas Yet?

2008-12-22T08:35:00.003-05:00

It feels as if I've been prepping for the big day for weeks... oh wait--I HAVE! From baking dozens (13? 14?) of cookies to shopping to parties and figuring ot menus, it's been a whirlwind few weeks. OH, and there's also been crafting! But I can't show any pics yet :( We'll show off soon...

STILL excited!

2008-11-07T13:03:00.002-05:00

Because of Obama, that is. :)

Strike-Four

2008-10-31T11:26:00.002-04:00

There is a really amazing thing that goes with moving into my new neighborhood: It is called Striking. I have never seen nor heard of this phenomenon before, so I will explain: People, most likely little people (and no, Tiff, not LITTLE people), come to your door, drop a bag of loot on your doorstep and run. You, as the parent, let you kid rush to the door and open it, look around (some peeps get a little nutty here, mostly dads, and go running after the hooligans), find the goods, and eat nummies all night. Also, inside the bag, is a sheet with the explaination that the "Phantom" of Worthington has just struck, and that we are to hang an "I have been struck" sign (also included) on our door. The neighborhood doors are pock-marked with these signs.
So, last night, our own little Little was struck, and upon dumping her newly acquired sugar bombs upon her bed, she exclaimed, "Milk DUDES!, A whole bunch of boxes of Milk Dudes!"
Dave and I about died. So, now, they are officially "Milk Dudes."

Strange Stripe hauntings

2008-10-29T14:33:00.005-04:00

Beware--the strange stripe may come to your house when you least expect it.

Actually, it is in preperation to have a home for THIS:

A beauty, ain't she? Tiff made this for many over many many moons, and I finally got him a short while ago. The problem was that there was a HUGE shelf where said stripe is, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get it down, so quilty was on another wall, and it just didn't work. Anyway, man figured out shelf (surprise surprise!!) and I took him down. The red is the color it was before I painted it the crazy, but perfect purple to MATCH the quilt.
The pillows I just made this last weekend (Are you noticing a theme here?) to go onto the couch to tie the colors together...more updates as they come along!

Dena

It's that time of year: Shopping Season!

2008-10-27T18:05:00.004-04:00

Well, now that I no longer have to worry about trying to sell stuff on Etsy, I can relax and BUY things on Etsy again (especially since my final Etsy sales have added to the Paypal coffers!). I can't show off everything right now because, well, some things are for gifts (and you wouldn't want me to give those away now would you?).

But I can show off these:

I desperately need business cards, and I really wanted something different. I won't be handing them out by the dozens, so I didn't need a box of a zillion. Yet I wanted something memorable, something that said "serious yet creative." So I ordered these (but with my info on them, of course) from LuckyDuckLetterPress. I can't wait to see them in person!

I've also been sporting this around town: It makes me feel like a crafting pirate! AArgh!! Check out the shop, HomeStudio, because they're offering free shipping on all of their pendants until the 31st--and they have some cool stuff! Their second shop, HomeStudio2, has fun pocket mirrors and magnets--all great for stocking stuffers!

So, what have YOU bought lately? Show off your goods!

Tiffani :)

All Done

2008-10-20T15:11:00.005-04:00

The Etsy shop, she is now closed...

And I, for one, am glad. No more getting sucked into the whole crazy Promo thing, no more worrying about how to pack soemthing so that it survives delivery, no more worrying if a stranger out there is going to like what we just made and sent. Nope. No more. I'll still enjoy Etsy as a shopper, but my selling days are over. Years ago, I made small velvet reticules at sold them at local craft shows, and that was stressful enough (If I had a dollar for each time some b***h picked up a one-of-a-kind, handmade bag and said "Oh, I could get something like this chdeaper at W*lM*rt" I'd be rich, yanno?).

So from now on, this blog will mostly be a place for sister and I to blab about our personal projects and show off what we make for one another for gifts. And that will be just enough :)

Thanks to everyone who supported our online selling endeavor!
Tiffani

Obama Rally!!!

2008-10-09T14:03:00.002-04:00

Went to the Obama rally today in Dayton. And here's the man of the hour:

It was a lot of fun, and I'm not just saying that because they played U2's "City of Blinding Lights" when Obama walked out :) (The choice of music was fab--he closed with Stevie Wonder!)

Though I do follow politics and vote, it was my first political rally. And what he had to say to people here in Dayton was inspiring and true, and I can't wait until Nov. 4.

Tiffani

Closing Shop

2008-10-06T16:47:00.002-04:00

Yep, we've decided to close up the Etsy shop. You can find some good deals (and early Christmas prezzies!!) at our shop, RicRacSally, so if you've had your eye on something you'd better snatch it up now!

Don't despair, though. We'll probably keep the blog going so we can show off the stuff we make for ourselves and each other. Plus, how else will we keep up on everyone's news?? :)

We're not in Kansas anymore!

2008-09-16T15:43:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, Hurricaine Ike blew through Ohio. No, really. It did!

I know that what happened here is in no way close to what happened when Ike barreled through Galveston and its close neighbors, but this took everyone here totally by surprise. We had 75 mph wind gusts and sustained winds of somewhere around 40-50 mph at times. It was crazy. This is the view out my front door.

Luckily that BIG tree (see the trunk? The tree itself is around 4-5 stories high) didn't fall. I guess it's been there long enough that it would've fallen by now if it was so inclined! However, we lost a LOT of trees in the 'hood... and fences... and some power lines... and roof shingles... and at least one chimney that I know about.
Here's a side street:

They just this afternoon took this tree away.

and the alley:

We didn't lose power in our 'hood, but the 'hood on the other side of the cemetery (which lost some really big, really old trees, too) hasn't had power since Sunday. Schools are all closed, many businesses are closed, and ice is hard to come by.

Unfortunately, sister, who lives 70+ miles to the east, is without power until at least Thursday. I got an email from her last night--she was at school and, of course, they had power! But she's worried for her 1/4 cow, which is slowly thawing in the basement freezer :(

Because of this, and because I leave for my writers' retreat in a few days, we won't be around much the next ten days or so. Take care everyone, and if you were in the "real" path of the hurricaine, I hope you're back up & running soon!

Tiffani

p.s. We have to thank Christina of My Tangerine Dreams and Shannon of Magick Garden Studio for the award they bestowed upon our blog.

We'll be sure to pass it along soon!

WHEW!! Busy busy busy...

2008-09-05T12:57:00.004-04:00

We are IN THE NEW HOUSE!! Most of the upstairs rooms are painted, but downstairs, and hallways, etc. still need love. Here are two of the finished rooms (painting wise, certainly not unpacking-wise!): Bella's room, and the soon-to-be craft room! YEAH!

Tiff will be coming out tomarrow--we are celebrating her b-day. She wasn't joking when she wrote that she likes to spreeeaaad her b-day out! Gotta go, need to finish her prezzies in my new craft room! More pics to come!
Dena

A Short Intermission

2008-08-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note to let y'all know that sister and I are taking a short break for about a week or so. She's moving in to a new house!!!! YAY!!!! And you know what that means. Oh yeah, paint swatches! :)

Meanwhile, I'm turning a year older, and at my age that takes a few days. Hey, I like to streeeeetch my birthday out as long as possible. More cake that way! Speaking of cake, here's a pic of last year's fabulous creation. My but sister is talented!

See ya soon!
Tiffani

You'll hear me comin'!

2008-08-16T13:20:00.005-04:00

Over the past few months, I've found new homes for nearly 600 buttons in my quest to declutter the craft room. However, I kept many, many buttons. The good ones. The ones I inherited from grandma. The ones she inherited from someone else. The really really old ones that I just could not part with. But keeping heirlooms in boxes or bags, hidden away from the light of day, isn't the way to keep them or show them--or who you inherited them from--any respect.

So last night I channeled grandma by setting up shop on the tv tray in front of the Olympics and crafting.

I made two noisy bracelets!

This one has a copper base and is covered with all of the Victorian metal shank buttons in the collection:

This one has a silver base, better to show off the glass buttons.

Aren't they cute?? And NO ONE has a bracelet like either one of them!

I might make a couple more. I still have a bunch of funky plastic and bakelite buttons and several mother-of-pearl ones in the collection.

Tiffani

Road Trip!

2008-08-05T12:24:00.013-04:00

The past two weeks have been crazy for the RicRac gals. Seems that nearly everyone in the family has a birthday within the same week, and two weekends ago we had the BIG bash. Lotsa food, lotsa prezzies, and lotsa visiting.

This past weekend Dena & I had to go to TN to pick up the munchkin from her grandma's house, where she had gone for a week visit. The day before that big road trip, we took a smaller trip to nearby Greenville, OH, birthplace of the one and only Annie Oakley!

It's also the home of the shop Mcmaster & Storm. We first heard about M&S in Country Living magazine, and when we realized that we were only about 40 minutes away, we knew we had to go! The shop itself is billed as a mini department store--and it's full of fun stuff, all displayed on and in the most beautiful furniture. Housewares (beautiful soaps, linens, and tableware), craft goods (they have the best pink crepe paper edging, beautiful millingery flowers, and on our visit there were LOADS of clearanced ribbons!), and other fun things are to be found in drawers, cabinets, and even a tiny back closet.

My take? A bunch of ribbons, this fab paper frame, and a bunch of velvet millinery leaves. Don't miss McMaster & Storm's blog and web site, where you can order these goods and so many more.

Across the street we found the cutest flower shop called Ivy League, full of fabulous antiques and decorative touches--and the sweetest proprietress! If you're ever in the area, don't hesitate to stop by.

I bought some great stickers...

...and look how she wrapped them!

The following day we spent 8 hours in the car, driving along some of the emptiest highway--not a lot of stops, but we still found antique stores in Princeton, KY, and I bought this fab vintage sugar shaker for a whopping $5! Whee!

All in all, some rather productive windshield time :)
Tiffani

Have the leaves turned yet?

2008-07-30T17:04:00.008-04:00

Every year, I get all excited when the snow melts and spring starts to peek its soft green head up out of the ground. And then it's halfway through July and I could give a flying leap about any of it outside. Too hot. Too muggy. Too many bugs. (And I'm a particularly sweet kind of bug sugar--I have to Off! myself just to walk out the back door.) Right about now, I'm hoping for a tiny cold front--enough so that I can get out my jeans and Docs, a favorite jacket, and go walk arund in the refreshingly crisp air without worrying about sweating. But it's barely August. The only cool thing about August is that my birthday is later this month, and I firmly believe that my birthday should be a national holiday--at least for me :)

Some cool things to look forward to:
As if my autumn won't be exciting enough (those in the know, know), lookie what's coming in November! Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the trailer for which has just been released!!

Soup, casseroles, red beans & rice, and crumbles! I just made this tray of blueberry crumble squares (thank you Smitten Kitchen!).

Go check out her pics--waaaay better than mine. Oh, and I only had 2 cups berries, but it still tastes great. (I was supposed to wait until they were fully cooled before eating ... yeah right! I scooped some out and ate it with a fork from a bowl. Had to be sure they weren't poisonous...)

Until then, I guess I'll have to make do with homegrown toms. I just popped out into said buggy yard to dump stuff into the compost and made a pit stop at the mater plants. First of many harvests:

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the buttons ALL found homes!
Tiffani

Inquiring Minds Want To Know...

2008-07-24T10:49:00.005-04:00

at least, I was always curious. How much a quarter of a cow actually LOOKS like, all cut up and ready for your freezer. Man and I finally, after many moons of debating, bought a share of a cow--1/4 of a cow. And here it is:

And, because I know that I would want to know, it cost-all together with the processing fees--about $350.00. This is an Angus cow, grass fed, no hormone, free range, all the good stuff. It is about 275 pounds of meat. Completely worth it.

Like Rabbits

2008-07-21T15:16:00.008-04:00

I think buttons reproduce while we're not watching.

No, really.

I recently found a lovely new home for five collections of buttons--white, red/pink, green, blue, and yellow. I thought I was done. Oh no! I just went back through the stash to set aside buttons that I know that I cannot part with, and I was left with GIANT piles that need new homes. I have now listed four more sets on Etsy: black (200+ buttons!!), brown (160!), gold (101!), and silver (61!). I really really really hope that's all. Or they're all going on the pill.

Tiffani

Letting go of the past--Facing the future

2008-07-17T10:10:00.005-04:00

I nearly failed Home Ec in junior high school. I had to make a pillow out of felt: it was black, purple, and yellow and shaped like a surfboard with a big footprint on it. Very OP. Very west coast. And I could not make the damn thing. My grandma ended up finishing it for me! (Shhhh... don't tell)

A few years after that, I embraced my heritage and learned how to sew. And now, I'm proud to say, I can make lots of stuff ... it's just too bad that I don't do it very often! There's only so much time in the day. And, to be honest, having the Etsy shop and making things that just sit there has been a little heartbreaking. I went through this years ago when I had a small (small as in just me) purse business and would spend hours making one-of-a-kind creations out of velvet and trims and tassels, and some ... lady ... would come to my table, pick it up, and say "I could get something cheaper at W*lM**t." Ugh. To leave all that behind, we've slowly been closing up shop. I haven't made anything for the shop in months and months, and I haven't made anything for myself since last year. Until this week.

A friend gave me a t-shirt with a decal of Sock Puppet Theatre (don't know about them? YouTube it--if you love Doctor Who, you'll totally get the joke!). The shirt was way too small, though, but there was no way I'd get rid of it. So the other day I took it with me to the fabric store with the idea of making a bag. One thing led to another and I found the perfect pair of plaid wool shorts at the thrift store for $2. Making all of those purses over the years came in very handy as I was able to make this bag without a pattern. I just made it up as I went along! It's lined in green & white flannel with two pockets inside. I even kept one of the pants pockets along the seam on one side! I think the whole thing cost around $5. And it cracks me up every time I look at it :)

I'm pretty proud of myself. Makes me want to find that Home Ec teacher and show her that, yes, I did figure it out!
Tiffani

Housekeeping

2008-07-14T15:34:00.005-04:00

As life gets more hectic (as if it was ever any less hectic), I've been neglecting the blog a bit. But a gift from a friend has prompted me to finally get back here and take care of a few things. Those of you who know me know that for the next couple of months, I'll be in the bunny hole getting ready for the writing workshop I've been accepted to in September, but I don't want anyone to think that I'm ignoring recent mentions, gifts, awards, etc. So, in no particular order:

Thank you so much to Carolyn of Magpie Pixie for the fabulous new banner! Isn't it cute? She noticed that our blog was a bit bare along the top and made us this homey, "sew-ey" banner. It makes us look like a new penny!

We've been featured by a wonderful friend, Sandee of Sew Much Detail! If you haven't checked out her page or Etsy shop, do so right away. I LOVE her fobs and use mine religiously!

We've also been given the award below by two of our blogger friends: Lynn from The Rose Cottage and Debbi from All in My Cottage.

The rules for receiving this award are:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

However, I don't think we can come up with 14 (so many of our regular reads have already been nominated)! We'll stick with the original 7, but I think I only have 6 here!

Kat from Kat's Imagination Kat is just great at organizing swaps over on ECS!
Gail from Shabby Cottage Studio Gail is an amazing artist and a great inspiration!
Twig from Opheeelia Says Well, this woman just cracks me up!
Ally from IHeartThat!Dance Ally is one of the first friends I made through ECS. She's a bit AWOL right now because of a move, but she'll be back online soon!
Jaime from Always Inspired Jaime was one of my first Etsy friends--our love of Marie Antoinette linked us together!
Carolyn from Magpie Pixie Carolyn and I bonded over a love that will never die: a shared affection for Duran Duran! :)

Because I'll be putting my head down here soon, I probably won't be blogging very much for the next couple of months. But please don't think I've abandoned you! I'll still read everyone's blog pretty regularly. I just won't have any crafts or thrift-store finds to share :(
And I'm sure the last thing many of you want to hear about is my day job, the books I'm currently reading, and the weird story ideas racing through my head!

Thank you again to all of our blogland friends!
Tiffani

Butterflies and Chihuly, what more does a girl REALLY need?

2008-07-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

Maybe a spot in the paper?! (yep, that is my goofball)
Well, anyway, it has been way too long since our last blog, and being that I do absolutely NOTHING with my days, I have no excuse.

Last weekend I took the family to the Franklin Park Conservatory here in Columbus, Ohio. Of course, it was under some construction (this is something that I am cursed with, along with red lights; every time I go anywhere for architectural observatory purposes, it is being worked on. Versailles? Check [every TIME!!!]. Notre Dame? Check. Koln Cathedral? Check. The list could go on and on.) Anyway, a few years ago, they were graced with a Chihuly exhibit, and when the 4 mill$ (or so) worth of goodies were going to leave, a bunch of ohio peeps got together to buy it all for the Conservatory. So now they get to keep it all the time. AND they have butterflies.

Here are my pics, and they actually came out pretty snazzy. The floating globules are chihuly glass--I guess he went to Japan, where they still use the floating globe things for fishing, and he got the idea to see how big he could do it, and these are the results.

It is a cool place, and you could easily spend three hours there. Butterfly release is 1 and 3 o'clock, until september.
It isn't the cheapest, but there ARE coupons floating around out there, and student discounts. Wait another two weeks and the construction will be done; there will be a new Zen garden, and not sure what else. Also, there are BIG future plans for a community garden, and bunches else.
Signed--Dena

LOL CATS!

2008-06-27T13:50:00.000-04:00

If you haven't stumbled across the LOL CATS, aka icanhascheezburger?, you must (MUST) check it out directly:
http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/
Now, I am not the type of person that laughs at things that I read, or look at; I am a more laugh-with-people kinda gal. And then there was the lolcats. My god. I see these things, and just die. Here are a few examples of my faves:

And this one reminds me of myself:

This one is kinda creapy:

Just cracks me up:

I find them to be quite an uplifting part of my day--and there are literally HUNDREDS of them, so if you are new to it, you can certainly catch up.

Signed--Dena (We have decided to start signing our blog; altho it has been lots of fun confusing everyone, Tiff and I are now going to be nice and let you know who wrote who!)

Still on the Bread Kick

2008-06-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

So how cool is this? One of the authors of the book I mentioned in the post below came in and left a comment! I mean, sure, it's likely a "form" comment, and he only found this through a google search.... but still!

Yesterday I made this variation: sun-dried tomato with parmesan. It didn't last in the house 24 hours. And there are only two of us :)

rolled out:

in all its crusty goodness:

It's Manna, I Tell Ya!

2008-06-23T16:21:00.000-04:00

While sister has been one with the sewing machine (me? Hell, I just cleaned enough to get mine back on the table where it belongs!) and her oh-so-fresh veggies (I didn't try to get a CSA share until May, when they were all taken! Yeah, I'm an idiot.), I've been busy becoming one with the stove.

Fresh Baked Bread

Magical set of words, isn't it? Conjures up a yeasty, warm smell and the feel of crusty goodness surrounding pillowy softness slathered in butter.

I recently got this book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The subtitle is "The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking." Well, to this I say VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

The idea is that you make this giant pile of dough by merely mixing together water, yeast, salt and flour. Then it sits out for a couple of hours. Then it goes in the fridge overnight. Then you have enough dough to make 4 loaves. You just tear off a piece, form it into a ball with your hands. NO KNEADING! Let it sit for a bit, and bake it! I've made bread lots of times, but this is the easiest recipe ever. And the coolest thing? The book is FULL of recipes that follow the same plan, but for other types of breads and even for "sweets" like pecan sticky buns!

Dough mix in the "bucket"--this is after it had rising time of about 2 hours.

A loaf just out of the oven (I actually popped it back in for a few more minutes to give it more of a golden crust):

Oh, and I also got a hair and decided to make some flour tortillas this week:

Oh, and just to be extra annoying and make y'all hungry, I made tamales from scratch for the first time yesterday! Sorry the pic is so lousy, but my black countertops are just not conducive to taking fabulous foodie pics!

Hooray CSA!!

2008-06-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

I would like to spread the word about CSA's--aka Community Supported Agriculture--for those of you not in the know. A CSA is a bit like a "share" in a farm near you...here is what you do: early in the season (I suggest February or March, or even earlier if you want to get a really good one) check out this website: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ for a CSA near you; most of them give plenty of info regarding what they grow, and how much the share is. My family (husband, daughter and me) gets a half-share; this lasts about two days, so if you want to have every day veg, I suggest a full share. The CSA growing season starts when the farmer's markets start--mayish--and ends either september or october. Most farms have a booth at the local farmer's market, so this is where you will pick up your share every week. If you are out of town, just email or call them, and either have someone else pick up, or tell them to cancel your pick-up. To give you an idea, here is my CSA: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M15746

Different farms offer different produce. Mine is big on root veg, and hardy veg--we have so far gotten radishes, strawberries, peas, kohlrabi, chinese radish, broccoli, cabbage, and lotsa flowers. Others have gotten lettuce, onions, etc. Some don't offer half-shares. A full share is around 500$--this is a big hunk of change, but you can have all the seasonal veg you can eat and don't need to go the grocery. It encourages better eating habits, and--if you have kids--it introduces the taste of fresh veg, which we all know rocks! Also, getting your kids involved in the prep of the veg is a great way to share some time and give a little education. A win-win. I received two big bags of peas today--sugar and snap--and my daughter and I shelled them all for our dinner, as you can see in the pics. We also got a huge head of cabbage, so tommarow I will be making bubble and squeek--wish me luck!

Told ya I couldn't finish one project without starting another!

2008-06-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

BUT this time I did finish!!

First, I would like to explain where all this time to do projects is coming from... I quit my blucky job! Actually, let me rephrase: I quit my blucky career! After too many years to count, I have been a dog groomer. This is not, as many seem to think, a rewarding and satisfying career. It is hard. It is exhausting. It pays very little. It produces scars on a daily basis. "Groomer Has It" on Animal Planet reflects those lucky few that have fallen into a great niche in an affluent neighborhood--don't take their lives or experiences literally (after all, it IS a "reality" show).

Now, I am fortunate enough to have a family that supports me in my choices; I am enrolled to start Graduate school this fall, so I do have something new to look forward to. Otherwise, it would be back to the dogs after my daughter goes back to school in August.

That said--I am now home for the summer (or until I find a job with the hours that work around my schedule) so I feel the need to fill every moment with something that will justify my mooching existence. My sister understands this--we come from a matriarchical guilt-indulgant family--and has the same issues. When we are at home, without work (she is a freelance and fiction writer), it weighs heavily upon us. Really the whole thing is crazy: she rock and rolls for weeks straight when she has work and completely deserves when she gets some time off; I am a mom, and therefore would rather stay at home then pay half my income to Kindercare. There is no reason to actually FEEL guilty. However, we do. SO--instead we try and compensate by tootling around the house, starting projects, cooking meals, cleaning, and--for me at least--pumping something educational into my child's brain.

Here is my daily project--it began many moons ago as this sheer light pink material that I loved on the bolt. I decided I wanted to make a shirt with it, so bought a pattern (which, much like my sister treats recipes, I tend to bastardize them so that by the end of the project they no longer look like they were suppose to, which probably defeats the whole purpose of the pattern at all) and cut goodies out. Now, I don't do sheer, so I got a similar-colored stretchy material for the lining. The shirt was supposed to be one of those frocky styled sleeveless jobbies--but I don't do sleeveless (hence the sleeves), and the frockyness just made me look pregnant, so I put in the elasticized band and shortened the whole thing considerably. It is a bit bulky thanks to the lining, but all in all it is very cutey on!

Lotsa projects!

2008-06-19T20:43:00.000-04:00

I am one of those people that tries on new projects, but has trouble actually getting to them. My drawers are filled with fabric, ricrac, patterns, beads, scrapbook supplies, and yarn...Tiff got me this rockin' turqoise yarn a while back, and I never knew what to do with it. My crochet knowledge has never gotten past single, double, and triple crochet--therefore lots of scarves. SO, I got a book from the library (which, I find, tends to encourage more projects)!

AND, I have started this! A flower! Hold the applause...I intend on making a few of those things that go on the table or counter that you set hot things on them. Are they called hot pads? Anyway, my initial plan was a big flower throw, but not too sure my interest will last that long. I will keep you all posted.

The Mayo Saga

2008-06-15T10:44:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I tackled the pantry. It had gotten to the point where if I opened one of the doors, I didn't know if I was going to make it out alive and with whatever foodstuff I'd been in search of in the first place. I needed a whip and a hat a la Indiana Jones. To continue the metaphor, some items were as lost as the ark. SRSLY... what IS all this stuff? I honestly can't remember the last time I made lasagna. Hell, I don't even like lasagna that much!

Here's the empty pantry.

Oh, and the chair isn't there for scale but so I can reach. (The pantry is so tall that, even with the wooden ladder, I have NEVER set eyes on the surface of the top shelf!)

neat & tidy pantry:

One thing that excited me and pissed me off (I reserve the right to feel both emotions simultaneously... so there) was this: See, a couple of weeks ago, Mr. RicRac and I decided to make the year's first batch of ice cream. For that, we needed vanilla beans. Have you priced these things lately? It would be cheaper to fly to Madagascar and harvest them yourself! At the market, we found two brands. One had 1 bean and cost $9.19!! The other contained 2 beans and cost $9.49! (We considered going to Trader Joe's, but it was late and we couldn't be guaranteed that Joe's would have them ... stupid us) Needless to say, we ponied up an extra 30 cents to get a second bean. And then I cleaned out the pantry and found this:

Another $20 or so of beans!! (and, of course, all from Joe's. Learned my lesson...)

And that brings me to the mayo (see, I told you there was mayo in this story). I decided last Saturday to make potato salad with the taters and eggs I'd bought at the farmer's market. Earlier in the day, the mayo in the fridge was about empty, so we grabbed a new jar out of the pantry. After I opened it, I had the moment of "Uhoh. Did I take a seal off of this? Did it have a seal? Are we gonna die?" The mayo looked fine, but there were a few tiny shards of blue plastic from the lid on the gooey spread. I picked them off, all smelled fine, and we took a chance. We lived--all limbs intact. And then I used it to make potato salad. Again, we lived. And then I woke up the next morning ... and found the pickles, mustard and mayo. OUT ON THE COUNTER! WHERE I'D LEFT IT ALL NIGHT!! sigh. Threw it all out and went to the store.

A word about the market closest to my house: It's icky. We don't go there unless we absolutely have to. And we only buy things that are hermetically sealed. (A friend calls it the "dirty baby kroger") I popped in, found the mayo, didn't even break stride picking it up, and went to the checkout. And paid over $5 for it. YES: FIVE DOLLARS!

Moral of the story: Clean out your pantry more often, and put things away!! Oh, and trust Trader Joe. He's your friend.

So now I've decided to try to make it myself. I'll let you know how that goes :)

Show & Tell Sunday

2008-06-08T09:51:00.001-04:00

This is my first time joining in on a Show & Tell Sunday, so be gentle with me! But when I saw that the theme this week was Trash to Treasure, I knew I had to jump in.

I have my share of old bits & pieces that I've salvaged and scrabbled for--some little, some big, some in good shape, and some not-so-good ... but most big and funky, much to the annoyance of Mr. RicRacSally.

This is one of my first finds. I love the chippiness and couldn't bring myself to "fix" it!

In fact, we now have a deal: I bring in a new old piece of furniture, and I have to take one out. That was the deal with this (I call it the divorce cabinet):

Sorry I don't have any "befores." But the veneer is shot on the sides, there were spiders living underneath it, the paint flecks off it all over (and I didn't primer it very well!), and it weighs about a zillion pounds. Oh, and it was meant for my craft room upstairs ... but our house rejected it (OK, we have a very narrow "servant's staircase" in the back of the house with a right angle in it--and that plus my fat ass just didn't work, k? sheesh! :)

But this--THIS is my baby. A craft buddy used to live down the block, and one day I walked into her back yard for whatever reason and found this!!

She'd been sitting on it, using these sad old pillows. The plan was to fix it up, but as she was moving and the 'hood was having its annual trash to treasure sale (yep, it's really called that here!--and it's next Saturday!) she was willing to sell it to me .... for $25!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mine! ALL MINE!!!! (We won't repeat what DH said when he got a gander at this.)

After some cleaning, a few coats of paint, a staple gun and fabric (to cover the springs), some sewing (I did the back pillows) and a visit to the upholsterer (to make the cushion that looks like an old French mattress), here's my beauty:

There are actually three colors of paint (a light aqua, a darker one, and white):

Every time I walk into the guest room, it makes me happy :)

Now I just have to figure out what to do with this:

Now, be sure to hop on over to visit our host, Analise, on her blog Sugar*Sugar to see a list of all of this week's other participants!

What about SELF?

2008-06-01T14:47:00.000-04:00

After being busy bees for etsy, Tiff and I have come to realize that we are no longer making things for two very important peeps: selves!! Now, don't get me wrong, we LOVE to make things for our peeps, but after talking yesterday over the phone, we realized that it had been a while since we made anything that we could love every day...SOOO!!!! I made this wunderbar necklace! There is a bit of a story--one of my "mom friends" (Lynette) had this gorgegous necklace on MONTHS ago, and I have coveted it ever since, and she couldn't quite remember where she got it. Well, a couple few weeks ago, another "mom friend" (Katey) and I were at a jewelry party, and both eyed a similarly styled anklet in the brochure--and both of us mentioned Lynette's necklace, so have since decided to make our own, darn-et, cause we can DO this!! Now, I am certainly no skin model, so forgive the close-up, but here is my new fabu necklace!!

Swaps, Sales, and other Stuff

2008-05-31T17:04:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how much you miss when you're gone for a week with only dial-up Internet!
So much to report:
First of all, I've been shopping on Etsy again--and no, I will NOT be ashamed!

If you're looking for something fun, check out The Overloaded Noggin. I purchased two rings--one for me and one for sister, so she wouldn't be jealous!--made of Scrabble tiles and decorated with the album cover from U2's Zooropa. And the proprietor, Mike, sent two fabulous Bono buttons! And, he sent it all in an adorable take-out box (like from the Chinese restaurant) accented with a sewn-on flower. What's even more fun is that his 7-year-old daughter has her own Etsy shop--Art by Fiona--where she lists magnets and pins to raise money for college.

In the past few months, I've taken part in a few swaps. However, with life being crazy, I've not blogged about them and given the goodies their due!

First up: the Marie Antoinette swap. I received a fabulous box from MaryAnn of Follow Your Bliss (and of course I still haven't taken a good pic of it!). It was full of a "tea for one" that included cookies, blooming flower tea, a beautiful teacup/saucer and sugar bowl set, and my first ATC!

Then I was in a Spring Swap, and Jewel of Shabby Boutique sent a box of FUN! A mask, a decoupaged "T" for my wall, a decoupaged hat box full of cards, clothespins (yay!), and other assorted fabulousness!

And just today I got a box of amazing finds from Amy of Julia Belle Vintage. She makes the most amazing bracelets! We've become friends these past months online, and we decided to do a one-on-one swap with a twist--we had to write a story to go with one or more of the treasures. She wrote this great spooky story to go with a photograph she sent. My box also included some vintage trims, buttons, book, hankie, salt shaker, and a painted vase.

Want more pics? Of course you do!

I just got back from Arizona where I snagged a sewing basket FULL of vintage goods, including yards and yards and YARDS or ricrac, buttons, trims, and even a set of hearts cut from a vintage quilt, ready to be appliqued to a pillow!

Some I'll keep, some I'll share with sister, but some will end up listed on the Etsy shop. Speaking of, there are some new vintage "bundles" up for grabs, including this Pink Lady Bundle with vintage garter clips...

And this set of vintage embroidered linen silverware "envelopes"!

Adding my goods!

2008-05-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

Tiff gave us a great shot of her goods, so I must add mine too! We had a grand ol' time--and DID have lotsa good treats!! Many beautimous tables, cabinets, and cloths, but alas, I have 5 months until I get to fill a house with the goods! here are mine:

Treasure Hunting

2008-05-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

Today the RicRacSally gals went to the Springfield Antiques Market, and they found everything!

It was an extravaganza weekend at the show, so there were at least twice as many booths set up as usual. Just getting in the gates, paying, and finding parking took 15 minutes. It usually takes us about 3, tops!

In between eating all sorts of fun carny food (read: everything fried!) we were distracted by pretties everywhere! Here is part of my take. And yes, some of this will get listed in the Etsy shop this week!

Wading in the Vintage Waters

2008-05-16T17:18:00.000-04:00

After much discussion, we've decided to change direction a bit in our Etsy shop. A while back, we listed our first ever supplies: a set of 20 vintage crazy quilt squares. They sold, and they sold fast....

So, in hopes of destashing and clearing our craft rooms (as well as our minds), we are going to start listing vintage and supplies, and some vintage supplies!

I have a huge stash of vintage odds & ends. Many were collected for the sole purpose of making shadowbox collages, like this one (still available in our shop!). I'll be listing bundles of vintage sewing bits & bobs, vintage baby-themed items, and other assorted "stuff" that's perfect for someone wanting to make her own romantic art.

Our first vintage listing: this fabulously girlie ruffled pink & white doily!

Soon to come: some vintage chenille (with the fringed edge!). Also on its way are amazing vintage rhinestone buttons, vintage sewing supply "bundles," some sheet music, and great paper goods.

So stay tuned and keep an eye on RicRacSally :)

Crafting for a Cause

2008-05-12T21:57:00.000-04:00

Fellow Etsy Cottage Style member and Etsian, Christina at Tangerine Dreams, had a great idea ... and, for a worthy cause, I'll follow suit to get the word out!

Jewel, another fellow ECS member and a lovely person, has told her story over on the Etsy Cottage Style blog. But what's even more important is that she's come up with a way to create something bigger by asking fellow artists and crafters to band together to make a special altered book that wil be auctioned later this year, with all proceeds to go to a children's charity close to her heart. Go to the blog to read all about it.

It's All Luck

2008-05-06T13:31:00.000-04:00

You're probably all sick to death of pictures of gardens, flowers, and herbs, etc. But this I just had to record for posterity.

See, years ago--five? four? six? I can't remember--sister gave me a tree peony. I have lots of regular peonies growing in my yard, and I have a greenish thumb (like the color of an old bruise...), which leads me to think that I can grow things that I've seen in books and magazines. Exotic things like blue poppies--um, they don't work so well out of their natural environment; or even mundane things like mini roses--and every time I've bought them the buds have fallen off within a few days. I just don't have luck with plants that have a certain je ne sais quoi. Or that I covet beyond all reason or growing zone.

But several years ago I learned about tree peonies. Their tiny branches bend at right angles, giving them a sinuousness at odds with the gnarly texture of their trunks. Their blooms are giant--6 inches or so across--and the smell on some varieties can be an invisible wave that you all but ride on from several feet away. They are, in form and color, just so ... Japanese to me.

So, however many years ago, sister gave me one. They take a LONG time to bloom and can be rather spendy if blooming size, so the one she gave me was a tiny stick in a box! The first year, a few little leaves grew from the stick only to be eaten by a bunny. For the past few years, it's gotten bigger and leafier ... but no sign of a bud. Until now. It finally, finally bloomed. And I go outside to look at it about sixty-seven times a day.

The Divorce Will Be Final Momentarily....

2008-05-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

I have a problem.

Wait, let me rephrase:

I have a hobby that has become a problem. No, I don't need an intervention, a 12-step program, or anyone to light a candle for me. Because, see, the promblem isn't mine ... it's my husband's.

I love furniture. Especially orphan furniture. And he hates that I bring home wayward dressers, sad and pathetic magazine tables, and benches looking for a hand-up, not a hand-out. I can't seem to say no to cheap, desperately-in-need-of-a-coat-of-paint-to-make-it-all-better, carved and cabrioled pieces of furniture. They just sing to me from across the flea market tarmac. And I answer the call, immediately deciding how I'm going to fit it into the car, what color it will become, and where it will go.

And what I'm going to tell my husband.

Case in point: Last week I went out to some local shops and estate sales. I didn't go in the hopes of finding anything bigger than a breadbox. But then I found this cabinet. It weighs a ton and a half, had spiders living in it, has peeling veneer, won't fit up the stairs, and I love it love it love it.

In hopes of keeping marital harmony, I got rid of a rather small, very plain dresser. I think it's a good exchange, don't you?

Liar, Liar, Pants on FIRE!

2008-04-29T18:54:00.000-04:00

Damn those weather predictions!

Here I was dumb enough to think that the lilacs blooming meant that winter was over. Well, boy was I wrong!

We had ice here last night, and sister had snow on the ground at her house this morning. And you know what's the worst part of it all? Yesterday I finished the last bit of this lousy project I was on, showered, and headed out to begin a week off....at the nursery!

Lookie what I got: a new purple columbine ...

A bunch of pinks & other delphiniums for the front and back yards ...

A new pink columbine ...

And a whole bunch of other stuff: foxgloves, petunias, lobelias, snapdragons, and even a tomato plant!

I just won't be able to plant any of it until at least tomorrow because we're supposed to have another cold snap tonight. So everyone is huddling together on the enclosed porch, praying for sun :) But THIS should really really be it ... I mean, it's almost May!

Strange things my daughter does.

2008-04-26T14:39:00.000-04:00

Like all the other kabillion of mothers out there, I take pics of my daughter--the usual travel, holiday, and at-home niceties. But lately I have been finding odd things around the house that says much more about her personality; these are the things that I want to remember about her as she grows older. I promise not to use them as blackmail when she is 16 and dating. (Crosses fingers behind back).
The picture above was her Easter basket. She decided that the eggs needed some cushion, so she put a pair of panties in the bottom. Makes sense to me.

Bella has a bad habit of leaving large smears of toothpaste all over the the sink, and playing with them. This is a nice image she left for me, of a killer whale/shark eating his fill. Yum. (bluck).For xmas, my mother and mother-in-law got Bella a horde of playmobil--here is the seal pool, filled with a variety of animals, mammals, and other fantasy-inspired creatures. When I walked into her room it smelled strongly of perfumed lotion, which I soon learned is an imperitive ingredient in this pool potion that houses the playmobil beings.

More pics as they happen. Tschuss.

Spring Cleaning and Other Changes

2008-04-25T12:36:00.000-04:00

It really and truly is spring here. Granted, we could have a freak late-spring snow storm...but I don't think it'll happen this year.

The windows are all open--well, all of the ones that will stay open! Having a 110-year-old house means that some windows have minds of their own. But that's on the list of things to fix this summer! But windows are open, breezes are coming in, and I can hear the birds ... and the squirrels ... and the ambulance sirens! Another drawback of living in an historic district in a downtown area: I live two blocks form the hospital, so I get to hear the happenings. But at least I know that if any home-improvement injuries befall us, the hospital is within walking-wounded distance.

I figured that as long as I had to clean my room (see previous post) and start to tackle other "real-life" spring cleaning, I'd do the same here. So I've rotated some of the blogs I read--moved some new ones in and others out for the time being. Take a look; perhaps you'll find one you haven't read before!

In other news, RicRacSally is the latest Etsy shop to leave the CSST. If you want to know why, just ask. I have nothing to hide. But it's for the best. I have too much going on in my life to deal with one more thing. I will miss the friends I made on the daily thread, but I want them to know that I'm still around.

And now, I think it's time for lunch and some creating.

Happy spring everyone :)

Where do I start? No, really.... WHERE???

2008-04-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

Just this morning I sent out a box to a swap partner, completing TWO back-to-back swaps in the past week and a half. This past two weeks have also seen me on three freelance projects--two of which had drop-dead deadlines yesterday--and down with a nasty sinus infection. Needless to say, I'm POOPED!

But the swaps were too much fun!

For one, the theme was "spring." I sent a box of springy, flowery, pink and blue goodies--some handmade and some vintage.

For the second swap, the theme was "Marie Antoinette: Let them Eat Cake!"

I wish I had had more time and felt better when creating the box for this swap; after seeing what other swap members have made, I'm feeling that my box was a bit "un frou-frou"! But I still had fun making it. Plus, I decorated the top of the box with a giant glittery MA, and my swap partner's name? Mary Ann! (Mary Ann--if you're reading this: STOP! I've posted a spoiler pic below of the goodies inside the box!)

I filled this box with so many goodies with a French toile theme. I LOVE toile, so I went to town making tags, a pincusion, and a rose pin, among other things.

So now that they'e done, what's next?

Oh, yeah.

Now I have to CLEAN MY ROOM! When I started, there was a table in here somewhere.

I seriously don't know where to start.

Puts a whole new spin on the term "spring cleaning," doesn't it?

Coming out of hibernation

2008-04-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I'm not alone in being SO excited that it's finally spring! This not only means warmer weather and flowers and no more coats ... but also garage sales and flea markets and fun outings to my favorite rummage-y places.

About a week ago, I went out to an antique mall right near my house. It's literally about 1/4 mile from my house, and I went once years ago ... and then completely forgot it was there! Yeah, I'm still not sure how that happened.

Anyway, here's what I got: an adorable little pitcher with pansies painted on it--I'm keeping that for myself. The sweet blue pitcher with roses on it is for a swap I'm in. The plate might also go to another swap partner. The clothespins b/c I have somehow started collecting them for crafts & stuff. I also got a bag of vintage buckles, clear glass buttons, all of those blue buttons!, and a small bag of vintage keys (for another swap later next month).

Can I just say YAY Spring! :)

It's True! It's True!

2008-04-06T17:10:00.000-04:00

They said that if I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers and wished really, really hard, that spring would come. And look: it DID!

That Stuff We All Hide in Our Closets

2008-04-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

Don't pretend as if you don't know what I'm talking about.

We all do it.

Buy something--something you just have to have--and then hide it away. No, not for a rainy day. You hide it because you're afraid. You're afraid of what you'll hear if HE sees it. "But, you have trunks full of fabric!" "Didn't you just buy one of those?" "You can only wear one pair of shoes at a time!"

Yeah ... as if that's ever stopped us. Plus, what they don't know can't hurt them. And, once you wear the shoes outside, they can't be returned. Hence, the closet. See? Problem solved.

So, without further ado, it's confession time.

A few weeks ago, I bought this from Twigandberries. (Need to know why? Look at the title of the blog/shop.)

I'm entered in a Marie Antoinette swap (the first swap I ever signed up for!) and had to get this fabulous pack from TheDecoratedHouse:

And on a recent trip to Target, these jumped into my cart. No, really. They did. I swear.

Stay tuned...I'll be blogging withh pics about some amazing packages that have arrived from friends near and far as well as bragging about an amazing find I got from a local outing!

Win Some Swanky Springy Stuff!

2008-03-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

We can't all be Oscar presenters. They might be rich and beautiful and have fashion designers falling all over one another to dress them, bit that's not the coolest thing about it. Beauty fades, but a freebie is forever! The best thing about being a presenter is the massive swag basket each gets to take home, full of amazing goodies from fancy boutiques and exclusive companies.

What? You want a gift basket full of amazing goodies? You're not Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt? No problem!

VintageIndie is having its Spring Swanky Swag Giveaway. And you can win a fabulous collection of stuff--including something from RicRacSally :)

Go check it out!

St Patrick's Day...and not a green beer in sight

2008-03-17T21:27:00.001-04:00

Today is the 19th anniversary of my first date with my husband. Wow, and me only 21 :)

Shopping without lunch first

2008-03-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Every time I go out to lunch with my friends, it feels as if we should go shopping afterwards. This often presented a problem when we only had an hour lunch and were expected back at work. Now that I work at home, lunching out happens less often. As a result, so does shopping. At least shopping out in the world. Shopping on Etsy? That's another story!

This past couple of weeks I've worn out the brakes on my PayPal account.

Bought this from TheDecoratedHouse to get ready for the Marie Antoinette swap I'm in.

Got these from twigandberries (um, look at the title of the blog and you'll understand why!).

And I went nuts at JunqueArt a few weeks back. I mean nuts :) See...she has all this vintage seam binding. In all these amazing colors. And I had to have the pink...and the green...and the blue...oh, and there was this other blue...and, well, see for yourself!

I clicked so many colors that I accidentally bought two of the same brown....oh well!

Tagged

2008-03-15T18:29:00.000-04:00

OK, with all of the sewing, gluing, glittering, and general all-around creating we've been up to--as well as redesigning this blog AND relaunching the Etsy shop, I have put off responding to the "tag-you're-it" we got a couple of weeks back from Gabreial at VintageIndie...only to find that we've been tagged again by Jaime at StinkBoneJones!

The first was for 7 bits of randomness, and then we were supposed to tag 7 others. The latest is for 5 bits of trivia.

To make it easy on everyone--and to avoid adding to the craziness!--I'll post 6 things. Dena can post her 6 later. And we'll randomly tag others :)

How's that?

So, here goes:
1. I always have chapstick on my right pocket. ALWAYS. My family says I’m addicted. I say not. I just don't like chapped lips :)
2. I nearly always have Kleenex in my left pocket. Yes, inside I’m an 85 year-old-woman!
3. My socks have to match, even if they’re just white ones—they have to be the same “kind” of white ones!
4. I don’t like white walls—nearly every room in my house is painted a different color.
5. Every now and then I can whistle, but for the most part I am unable to!
6. When I eat a sandwich at a restaurant, I often get bored halfway through and eat just the insides of the second half.

Dena's 6:

1. I see nothing wrong with being in my jammies all day if there is no need to leave the house.
2. Ditto with making the bed: why bother when I will mess it up again when I get back in tonight?
3. I take my socks off when I get in bed, so by the end of the week when it is sheet changing time, there are about 6 or 7 pairs at the foot of the bed, under the covers.
4. I haven't listened to a new band in years.
5. My daughter accidently O.D.'ed her cat this morning with Ace (a tranq that is used for dander reduction); I secretly like the cat better this way.
6. I have a harder time spending money on something that costs $3.00, than on something that costs $30.00. Go figure.

Hmmm...who to tag?

BarkerBell
ChloeRose
iheartthat!dance
berrylane
misseskwitty
thevintagebutterfly

U23D is FantAbulous!!!!!

2008-03-05T15:43:00.000-05:00

Finally got to see the show last night--and I almost have the same feelings of withdrawal today that I did after seeing them live back in 2005!! (pics below, and YES, tiff and I were that close!!) For those of you that are curious about how the 3d-ness is, let us say that it rocked--it wasn't that throw-things-in-your-face-and-duck kinda 3d; it was more the I'm-totally-there 3d, and--of course--our boys were amazing up close.

They played the usual faves, and we got to see Bono belt out his bit of opera from Miss Sarajevo; there was even a generous dose of "boy love" which we are big fans of. Very interesting was the flashes of reality: the drink, tissue box, and tidy trash can by Larry's drum set, and close-ups of our most brill' guitar player's hands (that would be "Mr. The Edge, 2U). Adam was his usual posh self, with lovely pantalones.

Sigh. You must go see it if you haven't!! LOVE THE BOYS!!

A Bittersweet Visit

2008-03-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

So, Tiff visited me this last weekend, in preperation for the long-awaited release of U23D!! For months we have been waiting, and at last it was set to come visit us here in Ohio! I live in Columbus, so sister visited me, and we were all set to see it on monday morning, which is when it had been advertised as showing. Monday morning comes, and they CHANGED the times!!! We couldn't go!!!! So, now neither one of us has seen it yet--and when we do, it will be apart, which makes it very sad and tragic.

We did do lotsa crafts, and exchanged gifts (ALWAYS a holiday excuse to do that!)--here is a picture of the banner that she made for my daughter. Once again, please excuse the coloring, I think my next big purchase will be a new camera!

Rethinking, Restyling, Relaunching

2008-02-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

This time of year, when the sun's been hiding out and we've been looking at the same old walls and same old furniture and eating the same old comfort food, it's definitely time for a change. I think that's one reaosn why we spring clean--we just can't stand the blah-ness of everything any longer and clean in hopes that it'll make it all seem even a little bit new again.

With that in mind, we've decided to relaunch RicRacSally on Etsy. We've gotten a new banner made, we're having our avatar tweaked, and we're busy like little bees making happy pretty shabbilicious new things for the shop! We plan on closing down sometime the week of March 10 and then reopening March 14, just in time for TulipMania with the CSST! We're going to do the same thing here on the blog and make everything new and shiny.

I can't wait.
And I hope you're all just as excited by the new look when it happens as we are!

Is it spring yet?

2008-02-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

So last week was a doozy! I was down most of the week with a stomach virus, and it was NOT pretty. But yesterday I finally felt like a human again. So what did I do? I bought myself flowers at Trader Joe's!

I can't wait until the ones in the yard start blooming. Well, on second thought I can because flowers mean weeds! But for now, the idea of it being warm and colorful out is enough to make me feel better :) And when I feel good, I feel like CRAFTING!

Cottage Style Street Team

2008-02-07T16:16:00.000-05:00

We've officially become part of a brand new street team on Etsy: the Cottage Style Street Team (CSST), started by Sadie Lou of SadieLouWho (see her blog in the list on the sidebar).

We've been on Etsy for 6 months or so and listing since October, so it's exciting to be able to join a group and be a part of something bigger than just our little shop! We hope that it gives us an opportunity to get to know other Etsians as well as bring more people to RicRacSally. Things have really slowed down at the shop, what with the holidays and deep, dark winter settling in. So it'll be nice to greet the spring with some new inspirations, new listings, new friends, and--hopefully--new customers!

Now if only the sun would come out so we could take some nice photos!

Favorite Fabrics...

2008-02-03T19:29:00.000-05:00

I have loads and LOADS of fabrics. I am a Fabric Junky, and so is my sister. Most of my purchases today have justification, as I make things out of them for etsy, or gifts, but every once in a while I come across something that I cannot part with. I had originally planned on using this black and white polka dot with the pink and magenta flowered vintage table cloth to make an apron to sale on etsy, but I just can't do it!

I also have favorite fabrics whose fate I have not yet decided. My sister gave me a big chunk of this gorgeous striped silk with embroidered flowers (Sweet peas? Poppies?). It may eventually be a purse...

I go gaga over anything with a Japanese aesthetic; I bought this stretchy faux silk last year, and still haven't made anything out of it yet. It will probably become a summer top. (sorry so dark!)

Sister also got me this fabric, many many moons ago...it is sheer black with black sequins in horizontal bands along elasticized gathers. I absolutely heart it, and have made the underskirt in a pale pink, I just need to finish it! She also found a remnant of it much later, so that I can make a matching top!! Such a shopper!

Last is my favorite drawer at my craft table--not fabrics, but certainly necessary to RicRacSally!! Hope you share your faves with us!!

New BABY!

2008-02-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

Okay, the baby isn't technically mine, she is actually my new step-grandbaby, but I still claim her!! Hey, I paid my step-mommy dues...

So, anyway, when my daughter was born, my sister made her a great little blanky; little did we realize how important "blankie" would become. My daughter (Bella) is now 7, and still insists on blankie for sleep, play, sitting at the table, and visits to auntie's house. My step-daughter, the new mommy, has seen Bella grow up with blankie, so wanted one for her new little girl. Bella even found, out of the rows and rows of lace at the store, the original style of edging from her own blankie...so that is what I used for this one.

I sent the blankie out on tuesday, baby was born on thursday morning...and after my husband talked to her, we found out that she actually will be spelling the baby's name "lilly" instead of "Lily" as I had on the blanket. Sigh.

Christmas Schwag

2008-01-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

So it's been a month, and now it's safe to post pics of what sister & I made and what we received for Christmas! I was spoiled! I got TWO sets of happy flannel pillowcases! I've made loads of them, for gifts and for sale, but no one had ever made ME a set.

Sister made these happy striped ones. And mom made me these the red & white cherry ones with little ribbon roses--in king size!

And yes, both sets are on my bed right now, with the third pair of pillows swathed in cloud-print flannel. It doesn't match but it's warmer than anything and makes me HAPPY!

Sister also made me a fabulous tote recycled from a torn Vargas print shower curtain. I don't have a pic of it, but it's very similar to one she sold on our Etsy site a while back. She also made me this adorable (and very warm) scarflette out of a beautiful green-and-blue beaded yarn. I picked it out, and I picked out the buttons ... and then completely forgot about it! So it was a nice surprise :)

Finally, sister also made me a new apron. Again, I picked out the fabric. Isn't it too cute? What we thought were colorful sushi rolls are in fact petit-fours. I still like to think they're sushi!

And to match, she made this adorable sushi roll pin cushion! It cracks me up every time I look at it.

Boxing Talent

2008-01-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

So one of the first things I made to put into our Etsy shop was a shadowbox. I love to collect bits & pieces of the past, and I have quite a pile by now. Gloves, old photographs, bits of lace, doilies, baby items, and sewing ephemera. I especially love old pattern envelopes of blouses and dresses that I'll never have enough sewing talent to make in my life! But, coming from a long line of women who sew--and I mean SEW!--I can't help but think of them when I put together a pattern envelope, old tape measure, and vintage buttons.

So far, I've made two sewing collages: Maureen and Louisa. And earlier this week, Louisa found a home. And that made me very happy!

I have one more of this type of shadowbox planned--with a Parisian "theme"...and it should be in the shop very soon :)

Tiffani

Featuring Julia Belle Vintage!

2008-01-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

From time to time, like to feature fellow Etsians, but to make things more interesting we wanted to get to know the person behind the avatar. Meet Amy of Julia Belle Vintage.

How long have you been designing jewelry?
I've been making and selling jewelry for about three years, but have only been selling on Etsy since August of 2007. I've had so much fun!

What was your first craft?
I've been making things for as long as I can remember, but when I was very young (probably as young as 3 and 4) my favorite thing was sewing/cross-stitch/embroidery. My mom actually used to have Creative Circle parties, and I used to love making all those kits!

Who first taught you to make jewelry?
I completely taught myself to make jewelry. I found that I didn't like having to buy all the mass-market jewelry everybody else was wearing. I love jewelry that's been made from items that used to be used for something else. I love jewelry that tells a story.

What is the first piece of jewelry you remember having?
Hahaha ... this is funny. The first piece of jewelry I remember having is a necklace with a Grumpy Bear charm on it (from the Care Bears). I got it under my pillow when I lost my first tooth!

What was/is your favorite piece of jewelry?
My favorite piece of jewelry is a late 1800s tiny silver book locket with a floral design. I wear it every other day or so.

Where do you find inspiration?
I'm a bibliophile at heart, so most of my inspiration comes from books. I also have a great love of antique photos and use them whenever I can. I have a whole wall in my home dedicated to antique photos of people I don't even know.
What music do you listen to while creating?
I'm an acoustic guitar girl (I've played for about 4 or 5 years) so I like listening to anything with acoustic guitar, new or old. My favorite song of all time is “Blackbird.”

Where does the name “myhools” come from? How is it related to your Etsy shop name, Julia Belle Vintage?
You know, I really wish I could change that username! I was a buyer long before I was a seller, as is the case with many Etsians. I have a daughter named Julia Belle, and we call her Jules. Jules somehow turned to hools, and that has been her nickname for quite a while now. My hools is really my daughter.

Is Julia Belle Vintage your main job? If not, what do you do in "real" life?
No, Julia Belle Vintage is just a side job right now. I work full time as an authors' liaison at a publishing company. We publish plays and musicals.

Finish the following: "In a parallel universe, I would be _____ instead of designing jewelry."

Hmmm.... In a parallel universe, I would be a writer living in England, surrounded by books and hot drinks and my kitties.

Your favorite crafting tool?
Oh, definitely my pliers. I'm lost without them!

Your favorite and least favorite materials for creating?
Old, tarnished brass is great. And obviously, I love using ephemera. I don't prefer to use plastic beads unless they are a really great vintage design.

What's your hope for the future of Julia Belle Vintage?
I really hope that I can continue making interesting pieces of jewelry that tell a story (without letting my day job kill me at the same time!). I love knowing that I have pieces all over the US and out of the country as we speak. It just adds to the story of each piece!

Thank you Amy for your time and photos!

And you can visit Julia Belle Vintage here.

Walking in my Winter Underwear...

2007-12-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

This weekend is the "stay at home and bake/craft/wrap extravaganza!!" As you can see, central Ohio is being bombed with the big white fluffies, so sister and I are both staying indoors and wrapping up our loose ends.

I have my very first cookie exchange to look forward to on Monday, and so far there will be 19 ladies in attendance; in preperation I made something very simple, yet festive, and quite nummy! Nothing is better than salty and chocolate mixed in the same bite, YUM!

I was even so thoughtful to have made a batch that was sans nuts, for my nut-allergy friends. What a gal.

Loose Ends...

2007-12-14T19:27:00.000-05:00

Not as if Christmas is a loose end, but you know how things sneak up on you!

While sister is totally on the ball with her tree up, place decorated, and even gingerbread house frosted and nibbled, I haven't been so hip to the holiday. On the one had, this should be my last Christmas in my house--an old Victorian with high ceilings and different colored walls in each room. It's made to be decorated for Christmas. On the other hand, I won't be home on Christmas and have been so busy with work that I just couldn't make up my mind about big-time decorating or having a party or any of it!

Finally, yesterday, I had breathing room. I decided that instead of getting all crazy and preparing for a party, I'll see my "girls" for lunches. In fact, we had a craft day earlier this week, and I got to exchange gifts with the girl I've known the longest here in Ohio. I also decided to decorate my mantle. But I gave myself one rule: no unpacking any of the boxes of decorations in the basement.

So I gathered up the old books that are on my mantle all year and wrapped them in pieces of velvet and plaid ribbon found up in the craft mess. Rummaged around for lacy doilies and such. Found some candle holders hiding in cupboards and on shelves. Spent my $10 lottery winnings on a wreath (for the smell!) and cut bits off the back of it to tuck here & there among photos of me screaming my head off on Santa's lap! So, color me decorated. (I apologize for the dark pics, but it's winter and I have burgundy walls--'nuff said!)

We do have some other unfinished business:

First, we must give a hearty THANKS to TheVintageKitchen, who gave us a very nice shout-out in her VintageIndie blog! Thanks so much :)

Second, Kathy at Vintage Snaps and Scraps added us to a meme list; we've both been in the bunny hole and will add our meme soon (most likely this weekend during the storm!).

Third, we'd like to thank everyone for checking out our first extensive feature (of abibansaldesign). We're in the process of choosing our second "victim." Will it be you?

Confessions...

2007-12-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have a confession: I do, on occasion, live vicariously through my child. I know, I know, this is a big No-No in all the psych books, but I figure that if I choose something that is entertaining for both myself and my daughter, then nobody can twist anything negative out of it. Or at least that is my defense.

My sister and I grew up in a mish-mash environment, and in all honesty did some rockin' things, but also there were times when I *wished* to do some normal kid-type things. One of them was to make a Gingerbread House. So...my daughter is now 7, and is at that age where the holidays still have magic, so I went out and bought the 8 dollar gingy kit at joanns (No, I did not Martha it and make the darn thing from scratch).

Here it is in all it's glory--Bella (said 7 YO) has announced that the eating of gingy will be done sporadically over the next two weeks. I agreed. This pic is pre-nibbles.

And let me just say, fun was had by all, and I hope that she won't be telling all her future therapists what an aaaawful mom I was for torturing her. ;)

Featuring abibansaldesign

2007-12-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

From time to time, we'd like to feature fellow Etsians, but to make things more interesting we wanted to get to know the person behind the avatar. Meet Abi Bansal of abibansaldesign.

How long have you been designing bags?

The first bag I ever designed and made was out of paper and cello-tape with a length of string for a handle. I was trying to imitate my mum’s handbag. I remember making lots of these and they always looked the same—like an envelope on a rope!

I've been *making* bags for a few years, ever since I did them as a textiles project at school. I have always been interested in fashion and clothing, and it is through accessories that I think you can make accessible much of what is often considered inaccessible. It is only recently that I’ve begun to design my patterns from scratch. I was so often frustrated by having the same thing as everyone else; I wanted to be able to afford something unique, and part of my desire to make things comes from a selfish frustration and a desire to have things "just so," which is why I call my shop abibansaldesign. It is MY design and my style you are getting. In terms of ideas they usually arise from frustration at existing products—I carry a notebook everywhere and when an idea comes, I sketch it!

Who taught you to sew? How old were you?

I have my late mother to thank for that. From a really early age I always remember her making costumes, decorations, and gifts throughout my childhood, and I inherited her old singer, which I didn’t have a clue how to use! A lot of the actual skills were learned from books and trial-and-error, and I also took textiles at school, which helped a lot. I think I was about 12 when I first got a little mini machine and attempted to put a skirt together.

A surprise in my later life was to discover that my dad is actually fantastic at sewing. His mother taught him as an important life skill when he was younger, and, when I was completing my final projects at high school, he was able to take to the machine and piece together some garments for me. I am still learning—if there is a method I’m unfamiliar with, I figure it out eventually.

What is the first purse you remember having? What was your favorite purse?

It wasn’t really a purse but a small red circular vanity case I used to carry about with me. It was fantastic, and I used to fill it with all kinds of small toys and bits of wool. I think on some subconscious level I have always tried to replace that particular bag. Sadly it was stolen along with some other luggage when our car was broken into in about 1989! I love bags. I have so many!

Where do you find inspiration?

I’m inspired by books and magazines like British Elle and Country Living. I love looking at other artists’ work and home life on flikr. I’m inspired by stylish people on the street ... I can imagine them carrying my designs. Film and Theatre are hugely inspiring—I love the flamboyance of a bygone era juxtaposed with the insouciance of the present. Just lately I’ve found a lot of inspiration in the work of Vivienne Westwood—the tweeds in my collection being a nod towards English eccentricity.

Very often, an idea will come from a situation, and then the bag will follow—for example, my design for a mini satchel came from the need to carry just the bare minimum, and (like the gentleman’s Scottish sporran) the mini satchel was born! I like to think of people owning "a bag to take to market," and I’m inspired by imagining where the eventual owners will use them or, indeed, even if they consider them too beautiful to use.

What music do you listen to while creating/sewing?

Anything and everythin! BBC Radio One keeps me company, but when I’m not listening to that it’s often bands like Radiohead, the Manic Street Preachers, The Libertines, folksy stuff like the Decemberists, and artists such as PJ Harvey. I’m also partial to a bit of Motown, golden oldies, and Jurassic 5—anything I can dance or sing along to.

Is abibansaldesign your main job? If not, what do you do in "real" life?

I’m an actress and dancer in "real life," but more and more when work is thin on the ground I find myself retreating into my studio.

Finish the following: "In a parallel universe, I would be _____ instead of designing bags."

Making pretty dresses! (I’m actually going to start doing that in the new year.)

Your favorite sewing tool?

THE SEAM RIPPER!!! Where would I be without it? And a pincushion!

Your favorite and least favorite fabrics?

I work with a lot of pure cottons, linens, and wool mixes. I like the way they behave and wear. I use vintage and new fabrics in equal measure and really enjoy combining the two. I enjoy using stretch and scratchy synthetics the least—sometimes they cheapen the look. Oh, and I ADORE felt!

What's your hope for the future of abibansaldesign?

I hope to branch out into a small range of dresses in the new year. I’m amassing and pattern-cutting in preparation right now. I hope that more people will get to see what I do and continue appreciating the things I make. I also hope that I can continue to build a recognizable brand and that fellow crafters will stop by my shop, not only to purchase but to look and be inspired as I have so often been by them.

***

Don't miss abibansaldesign on Etsy!

And thank you, Abi, for answering all of my questions!

Some Bits of Creation!

2007-12-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I can't post the goodies that I have made for sister, since she and I share this blog; BUT, mom doesn't know about blog, so I can post HERS!!!! So, here they are: I made mom an apron out of some very happy shabby-chic fabric, and a matching pin-cushion. This is my first pin-cushion, and it is more about cutesy than useful-ness.

I also made her one of those new-fangled scarfettes (close to smurfette). Not the best, but it will be keeping neck warm, so is more useful than cutesy. It all just makes me want to go be more creative, just so I can post them here!!

So...what is everyone else making for the holidays??

Xmas TRIP!

2007-12-06T13:20:00.001-05:00

Although I wouldn't consider it an established tradition, there has been an emphasis on having a new purse ready to take on a new trip. When my sister (AKA Ric1) took me to Vegas (baby!) for spring break last year, she surprised me with a VERY cool bag to sport while walking the infamous strip. I still wear this tote daily (the Japanese print with the Geishas) altho it is getting a bit frayed along it's edges (Not so subtle hint to sister). So, in order to continue said tradition, I have made my 7 year old daughter her very own bag (mermaid) in preperation for our big trip this xmas to DISNEYWORLD!! She hasn't received it yet, I plan of giving it to her before we pack, so that she can have plenty of time to accumulate all the goodies she may need.

It's beginning to look a lot like...yeah, you know the rest of the song.

2007-12-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

So we got our first (real) snow today! About 4 inches or so, and it's still coming down. It looks just fabulous--well, it looks fabulous outside. I'm so glad I don't have to drive to work in it! :)

Having grown up where it doesn't snow, I still get a thrill when I wake up and the light is of that "just snowed" quality--everything is brighter but muffled. It's still amazing how silent a snowstorm is; all of this business going on right outside and you can't hear it like, say, thunder.

Weather like this makes me want to light every candle in the house, make cookies, and watch Little Women. That's my "snow movie." But with so much work to do, it'll have to wait a few days.

Now if only I had time to do some serious Chrismtas decorating! I know that some of you early birds have already decorated, but growing up we didn't put our tree up until one week before Christmas. It felt more special that way. Now that I have a fake tree (yeah, I gave in on that one finally) I suppose I could put it up whenever...

In the spirit of Christmas trees, these are my newest creations! (all available on Etsy, of course ;)

The lavender one with the girl in the hood is the most holiday-ish of the bunch. But there's something of the sad Christmas in this soldier's face.

And the lady above looks like she's decorating! Plus, the frame is robin's egg blue--one of my favorites!

And this pink one makes me happy because I got engaged on Christmas day (14 years ago!).

Most of my Christmas deocrations are silver, white, and red, but making these ornaments makes me want to rethink that color scheme!

Joining in the Pay It Forward Circle!

2007-12-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

I just signed up on Three Muses's site to join a Pay It Forward. I've never done one before, but it sounds like fun! Part of the "rules" are that I have to do the same.

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF (Pay it forward) exchange. I'm not sure what that gift will be. It will be a suprise! The only thing you have to do in return is to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. So basically, if you’re one of the first 3 comments, I’ll send you something crafty that I’ll make! Once you sign up, I'll email you to let you know that you are one of the three. Then copy and paste the above paragraph on your blog, and three other lucky people will be recipients of your handmade work.

Oh, and don't be disappointed if you don't get your gift until after Christmas! As you other crafters know, this is a busy time of year! Us elves are working 'round the clock to keep up!

Crossing my fingers to see if this works! :)

Tiffani

Feelin' Overwhelmed!

2007-11-28T11:42:00.001-05:00

So it's been at least a week or so...but lots is going on. We had Thanksgiving, and now it's on to Christmas. This year, we're making lots of gifts. Last year we had to make each other everything (except for, I think, one thing we could buy). It worked out well but was a mad dash at the end to finish things. With work hanging over my head, I feel like it's the same thing again this year! But I will get done.

One new thing this year that's different from last: Etsy. We only just discovered Etsy maybe 6 months ago or so, and it was so cool to be able to buy handmade things to give as gifts that, well, we didn't have to make (or, more likely, that we didn't know how to make!). We shopped at several Etsy stores and are eagerly awaiting our packages--I can't decide if the shopping or the waiting/getting packages is more fun!

With all of the craziness, myhampsters won't shut up! (for those of you who don't know, my "hampsters" are those little voices in my head that scrabble around and don't. shut. up. ) I've come up with this amazing idea for a Christmas-themed thing to make...but I won't have time until January! And no, I'm not sharing my idea here...it's like telling someone about a story before you've written it: the thrill goes bye-bye.

But in the short-term, I'm hoping to finish a few little shabby-chic style Christmas ornament/gift toppers. Yanno, pink, robins egg blue, lavendar, yellow with LOTS of glitter! I hope to list them before too long...but if not, they'll be just as good for other things (Easter, Valentines, just plan ol' spring!). Oh, and the Sales Fairy "Competition" that starts this Sunday. Are YOU in on it?? (List a "sales fairy" that you've made in whatever medium you work in--list it between 7 and 10 a.m. Eastern US time and then visit the Promo forum and look for the titled thread and chat with the other Etsians--visit one antoher's shop to check out their sales fairies!)

Tiffani

Inspirations

2007-11-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes me want to make something. Sometimes it's seeing things that other people make. We do this a lot: Go into a store, see something cute, and say "Oh, I could make this." Me, Dena, Mom--we all do it. I'll stand in a store and mentally take something apart and put it back together to figure out how it's done. However, I don't always end up going home and making it--but I feel as if I can!

Sometimes it's movies--Out of Africa, Sense & Sensibility, Gone with the Wind--anything with a feisty woman in fabulous clothes does it for me! Lately I've been thinking about historic women. There's Gertrude Bell, who was sort of the female Laurence of Arabia. She doesn't look that dashing in this pic, but she was. She was out there riding camels, talking to heads of state, living in tents--she did it all! And she wore linen skirts while she did it. She was real...

and because of her I've been messing with linens and vintage buttons, old photos, leather goves, and shadowbox art.

Then, of course, there are those fictional women that you can't get out of your head. They flirt, act ridiculous, make scenes, and do it all dressed to the freaking nines! I don't know how many times I've seen GWTW. It's mom's favorite, so it's become a sort of touchstone. I even remember checking books out of the library so that I could read about the costumes. Did you know that the actresses wore real embroidered and flounced underthings? The director and powers-tht-be decided that the women would act more like Southern Belles if they were dressed from the skin out like women from the time. These women are ribbons, ruffles, flounces, flowers, corsets, and hats. I'm still not sure yet what to do with them!

And then there's just the dangerous mixture of fact and fiction, the legends that bloom out of tidbits and second-hand stories. Mary Reade and Anne Bonny, the most famous (infamous?) female pirates from the golden age of piracy. I imagine that they became the terrors they were because they were born in the wrong time--no simpering and taking abuse from any man, waiting at home for someone to own them. They did what they wanted, took what they needed, and when they were caught? well, they pleaded their bellies! These women? They inspire fantasy--looking the girl while kicking ass!

It's all still cooking. We'll see what comes out of it!

Tiffani

Show us your Lair! OR: One Woman's Craft Room is Another's Mess :)

2007-11-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

I thought it was high time to record for posterity my craft room when it's all pretty for company. It won't look this way for long.

Sewing, scrapbooking, painting, making odds & ends, putting vintage things together in new ways--there is too much stuff going on in this room to hide it away from the world any longer!

There's the sewing desk on the right (was once upon a time the husband's school desk--it was necessary to make it purple) and the scrapbook table on the left. Notice the pile of "stuff to finish" on the chair? Yeah, there's a tree skirt in there for an xmas tree....uh, I've only been working on it for 3 years!

This is the table in the middle of the room. I tend to forget that it's only a few feet across and try to do 4 things on it at once! (oh, and are those projects oh-so-subtly hidden beneath? :)
Behind the table is the fabric dresser--I finally got rid of all the rubbermaid totes and have one place to keep all of the collection.

One thing I am tidy about, however, is the fabric dresser! A good friend gave me this antique dresser when she moved away--and now I get a thrill out of folding fabric and displaying it all nicely in the drawers (Hey, we all have to get our thrills somehow!)

So, show us yours! C'mon, the world wants to know what dirty secrets you're hiding in your houses....closets full of boxes of fabric? baskets stashed beneath couches full of yarn? Let it all hang out! :)

Tiffani

It's time to give love to other Etsians/Crafters! BabyAnneQuilts

2007-11-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

There are some great blogs out there, connected to some fab shops on Etsy. Some are stateside, others are flung to the ends of the earth!

Babyannequilts is an inspirational shop (hey, anyone who takes pics of a quilt with the Eiffel Tower in the background is my kinda girl!) Her quilts have a modern sensibility without losing the traditional emotional warmth that we love in the art. Go check her out!
http://babyannequilts.blogspot.com/

Tiffani & Dena

Crafts, Christmas, and other Craziness

2007-11-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time for my inaugural post to this, our shared blog. Sister got new bed (finally!) and new sheets (always a fun time!). And me? I'm trying to figure out how to juggle writing, work, crafting, checking Etsy every 10 minutes, the oncoming holiday season without going nuts, and, oh yeah, the glacier that is my house. It's in the 50s outside and it's already freezing in here. That's what happens when you live in a 110+ year-old colossus. This means that I will soon have to move my office upstairs to my craft room. And I'm afraid that that is going to open up a whole other can o' monkeys! Because, seriously (SRSLY), having the 'net at my fingertips is bad enough ... but having half-finished crafts just feet away, looking all cute and forlorn? THAT, my friends, will be bad for business!

I've been freelancing for a little over 3 months now, and so far it's going great. Except for the loneliness thing. I have lots of other freelance friends, but I don't have anymore close-by craft friends (or sister!). So I've been crafting solo these past months. It's been OK, but I've also felt myself sort of falling into it--it's my "buddy" when I need a break from work (and logging onto Etsy!). So having craft materials on the very next table is going to be an internal struggle. Perhaps I'll look at it that way: to path to inner peace is through the acceptance that not all crafts must be finished post hast.

That's just your moment of Zen for this evening.

p.s. I think the next to-do is to take a pic of my clean craft room. It doesn't get cleaned very often or stay like that for long.

Tiffani

NEW SHEETS!

2007-11-07T12:45:00.000-05:00

So, boy and I finally broke down and decided to buy a new mattress. Remember when you were first in love, and sleeping side by side (snuggling, I think it was called--this was so long ago, I don't really remember) comfortably--in our case, on a single (yes, a SINGLE bed). Then, we upgraded to a queen many, many moons ago. My sister and I discussed the snuggling/spooning at night issue, and both agree that there is no way to get to sleep if someone is touching us, even if it is a small little square centimeter of skin touching skin. We figure spooning is something that one only sees on TV.

Mattress just came today! It is a King size with the pillow-top, and I will have to climb my 5' frame happily into bed every night because it is so tall! But the most exciting part? NEW SHEETS!!!!! And Target has the Xmas ones on sale right now, any size for about 17.00--totally worthy. I got the brown ones with the blue snowflakes (in pic). Isn't it amazing how something so simple as new sheets can make a person happy? (The new bed doesn't hurt either).

Heart Etsy!!!!

2007-11-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

Let's face it: crafting is not a money maker! Yet, there is nothing more exciting than thinking of that next project, or working out a new idea into something SICKLY cute...so, my sister, mom and I decided to put our ADD crafting heads together (I picture one of those 80's kid/superhero shows, "activate!") to create our home away from home on etsy. If you haven't yet checked out etsy, you MUST--there are literally thousands of amazing crafts and arts listed for sale from normal peeps, all at great prices. It isn't like ebay (which I had thought at first); instead of auction, the "shops" list their goods, and they stay up until it sales (one hopes) or until the listing expires (fat chance, since one can renew listing for .20 cents).

So, if you are a crafter, artist, or just love to buy homemade, check out http://www.etsy.com/. Here are some of my personal faves:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7709217

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6546249

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7363134

and of course, our very own shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5282418