Hookable Designs

Nature's lip stain

2011-12-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

Warning! Many pictures of my lips are in this post. Smooch!

Can you tell that one side of my lips is pinker than the other? I was juicing some beets for smoothies and wanted to see what beet lip stain would look like on. I love lip stain. Unfortunately, blogger doesn't capture the true color of the the stain. It's a lot pinker then it looks. Not hot pink, just a pretty rose pink.

Here's another picture of the stain being only one side.

Here it is on both sides with some gloss on top. It really got me thinking about making a lip stain made out of beets. How fun would that be!

Top picture is several layers of fresh beet juice. Bottom picture is one layer of condensed syrup beet juice. Again, blogger doesn't show the true color. Ugh. Does anyone know how to override this?

I froze the beet juice into ice cubes and when I took them out the next day I noticed that there was a condensed syrupy layer of beet juice sitting on top of the frozen part. This really got me thinking about condensing the juice more and seeing if it could be blended into stain/lip balm. I recently whipped up a heavy lip balm for the winter season, so I'm thinking of adapting the recipe to include some beet color.

I read you can make it with dried beet juice, but it has a grainy texture. Need to stay away from grainy.

I'm kinda excited about trying it out, I love this kinda of experimentation. I'll let you know what my results.

Seasonal Giving-Moshi Anyone? Part 1

2011-12-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ah, the season of giving is here. Is Christmas really only a week away? Yikes. I've realized this season I really don't want as much as I thought I might. The "wants" have seemed to have dwindled a little and I happy to have a surprised contentment in that I really don't need all that I want, or could want. Wait! There's a difference between want and need? Yes! Even though I have to remind myself this at times....or more.

Still, I've already been given a surprise gift from my husband this season. It's a gift for me/a little more peace of mind for him kinda gift. This is what it was:

Moshi mean's hello

It's a moshi moshi retro pop handset for my iphone. Pepto pink and all. Beside's being cool and retro and pink, the main reason why I got it is because of this:

Eliminates up to 99 percentage of the radiation absorbed compared to a direct use of mobile phones (taken from amazon's website)

This is my husband's peace of mind in action. I have a tendency to forget to put on my headset.

I have to admit I use this a lot. And I have seriously contemplated putting it in my purse so I can use it while I'm out and about. I missed the cradling this handset gives between the chin and shoulder when I use it. Way more comfort. So, thank you Hubby! Though I kinda get warped into the 80's every time I'm on it. And yes, even my husband has used it. I should take a picture for proof. It just proves that peace of mind is colorblind.

Has anyone else seen this handset before? More importantly, does anyone have and use it? What color do you have?

Wait! I have more to say about seasonal giving....but I will say it later.

Winter-ized

2011-12-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Winter is finally here in Oregon, and Jack Frost can't do diddly squat while I'm in this hat. It took me three days from start to finish and it is like wearing a down comforter on my head. In fact, I took Linc to the neighborhood communities' Christmas Craft Bazar , and I think I lasted 15 minutes indoors with it on. I had to whip it off, just so I could stop sweating.

Looking at craft bazars is so interesting to me, I long to be in one again, but I feel like I would have to start preparing in spring just so I could have the kind of inventory I would want. Would it be worth it? Did you do or go to a craft show this holiday? What was the best thing you saw there? I saw the cutest little crocheted bunnies, I wish she had made them into ornaments. Who could have resisted having a bunny hanging from one's tree.

BTW, my son did not like the craft bazar at all, except for the marshmallow shooters and sparkly spider magnets he tried to rush me through every room as fast as his legs could go. At one point we walked past a bench full of young boys and dads all playing some sort of game on their phones. Just biding their time until mom was done.=)

Speaking of being done, once I was done with this hat I decided to add braids. Love it! I've always wanted a hat with braids on it. I don't know why but I feel like it completes the hat. By the way, I'm just now realizing that the color's of this hat and my banner are very similar.

I want to say a quick hello to the newest followers. First off, I'm honored to have you at my blog. Second, it will be fun to get to know you and if you have blogs yourself, I will be stoping by yours to check out what your up to.

Here at Hookable Designs I will be sharing my love for crocheting, sewing, and do it yourself health and beauty stuff.

DIY: Dry Shampoo Spray

2011-11-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

Dry shampoo. Have you tried it? Its what you use when you need to wash your hair yet don't have time to take a shower. I think everyone has encountered this dilemma once or twice.

Today, I'm going to teach you my rendition with 3 simple ingredients you should already have. If you don't, then they can be found in any grocery store.

This recipe came to my mind a couple days ago when I realized my hair needed a spruce up, yet I didn't have the time for an actual hair washing. It felt like a AHA! moment, as a little lightbulb turned on in my head.

I have to say that this Dry Shampoo isn't dry at all. But like the name says, it's a spray. I kept the dry part in because its a familiar name/product and it gives the same results.

What you need:

1 tbsp of cornstarch

4 tbsp of water

1 tbsp of rubbing alcohol ( I used ethyl, found it at Walgreens)

small measuring glass, cup, bowl...whatever.

a small spray bottle (shown in first picture)

Mix it all together, pour it into your spray bottle and shake it up!

To Use:

Spray in on your scalp, in your hair and anywhere the your hair needs to be de-greased. You do not need to drench your scalp, just dampen it up.

Side note: cover or close your eyes, alcohol in eyes is not fun. Also, if you don't like to the use of alcohol in your hair products( i.e. hairspray) then this DIY might not be for you.

Run a comb or your fingers through your hair to distribute it evenly.

Let it air dry or quickly blast your scalp with a hair dryer, which is my favorite method. We are going for speed here.

Repeat if necessary.

All done. Rejoice! you can go another day without washing your hair, and no one will notice.

Why it works,

Both alcohol and cornstarch are de-greasers. Cornstarch does not dissolve fast so you will notice that after the water has evaporated the cornstarch will still remain. Pretty neat, huh!

I hope you like this. Let me know how this worked out for you.

After-thought: I only recommend using this at max once a week. You know, for the day you really should've taken a shower but didn't. We've all been there.I'm also working on a couple of different versions of that don't include the alcohol, so stay tuned, or come back again.

Trending- Big Flowers on Pillows

2011-11-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

From Bedbugs

I have been seeing these big flowered pillows everywhere. So eye catching its hard not to notice them.

From Buffalovely

They add a little bit of whimsy to the house decor. Every body needs a little whimsy in their house decor, I think.

From UrbanFringe

I love how the flower gets reinvented all the time. I predict its going to be wall art next! *working on it*;)

On a side note. I changed my comment format to a different one, because I have been getting complaints that people weren't able to leave comments. In doing this, the new format has apparently erased all my previous comments. Does anyone know how to get them back?

2011-11-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

I have finally been able to do a decent photo shoot of my niece in her newest hat that i've made for her. It originally was suppose to be the lamby hat, But I loved the vintage vibe I was getting from the design that I just left it as is.

I bought her a prop (aka the soft spiky ball) and she LOVED it. It was mostly in her mouth the whole time she had it, I finally had to take it away so I could get some decent photo's in. I honestly think I could only get maybe 15-20 minutes in with trying to take good pictures. She was wiggly, distracted and cared more about touching grass and putting bark chips in here mouth.

Can you tell she loves to swing?

I love the fact that you can easily dress up the hat with a clip on flower. Instant Glam. I'm going to be working on the crochet pattern for the hat soon, I'm making a big girl one too (for myself of course!) You can find the pattern for the flower in my shop here.

In the month of October

2011-11-07T00:58:00.000-08:00

I've been:

Baking, cooking, eating, cleaning

I made 6 batches of play dough. Gifted some to a friend and her kids only to find out she made play dough the very same day I did.
She liked mine because I made it with Kool aid. Smells great, tastes bad...as it should. There are so many recipe's for playdough. Here's the one I used.

I finally logged on to Pinterest ....and haven't left since.

I was super busy in my shop for Halloween. It was quite a rush.

Speaking of Halloween, hubby and I went to a dress up party for his work. I was a sushi. It was epic, in a sushi kind of way.

And that is what I've been up to lately.

Outfitted: Camouflage and plaid make me happy

2011-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

I might be the only one on this boat but I love this combo of camouflage jacket and plaid scarf. I've been trying to find outfits that are casual cool and yet interesting...a little bit of my personality peaking through. I'm at a place in my life where I want to be a little more thoughtful about what I wear. I thought I would blog about the ones I felt make the cut..cool outfit you are hired!

I did feel pretty cool as I pranced around the library that day.

BTW, I made the scarf! I'm so happy about it and I've worn it a lot already. Its warm and the colors are right up my alley. Plus, its made out of a old skirt. Thats right. It predates my dating Hubby years. It was a Forever 21 skirt I wore in high school, which is a decade old. Its so old its new again.=)

As I'm typing this I'm realizing that 3 out of the 4 pieces I'm wearing is Forever 21! How can this be, I rarely shop at Forever 21! The pants are wide legged, super long, and gifted. They are brushed linen and soooo comfy. Boots found here.

I'm trying to decided on whether I should write a tutorial for the scarf , write a pattern for my etsy shop or try to submit it to a magazine. Help me decide! Commit below.

The Perfect Setting. Learning lessons in taking better pictures Part 1

2011-10-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

One thing about being a small online business owner is that I've had to try on and wear many hats. Two of these "hats" have been photography and modeling. I've been slowly learning this for the past 3 years, and I've had growing pains around this skill of point and shoot. Because a good photo is beyond point and shoot.
I've finally gotten to the place of not complaining about it and just embracing it. So what if you are your own model and have to rely on other people to take your photos? What do you do? What if you have to take your own picture?

Here's what I'm talking about:

After many attempts of trying to take a picture of myself in the scarf I made, I finally caved in and asked one my neighbors, who had been walking by, to take a picture. This picture. Its not the guys fault. I could tell he didn't know much about camera's by the way he was holding the camera. His finger was over the flash( good thing my flash wasn't on). Lesson learned. Don't ask random neighbors (or strangers) to take a picture of you. Unless you are at Disneyland.

Here I am trying to take a picture of myself in a crocheted headband I made. Its pretty hit or miss for me when it comes to taking my own picture. I personally don't like it because I have to overcome certain obstacles like outstretched arms, awkward posing and little boys playing in the background. I could ask my husband, but I know he doesn't like to do it, so I just let it be. Note to self: buy a tall tripod.

Here's what I do

Luckily I have a couple of family members that know how to work a camera, but I still try my hardest to make the picture as best as possible from the modeling side of the camera. I have to be knowledgeable in both photography and modeling in order to set the stage for a picture I want to display in my shop. Here are some pictures of a recent photo shoot at the beach. Amazingly perfect weather for picture taking. Over cast yet very bright because we were on the sand.

I feel silly in saying this because I'm not a professional in any of the arenas of photography or modeling, but I do take posing seriously. So I think that counts for something. I know that I look good in some angles and better in others. It all about making the picture as visually interesting as possible without taking away from what I am trying to show off, which is, my crocheted headband. This is the beach setting on my Cannon, edited by iPhoto.

Find a interesting background. Now when I say interesting I mean "not distracting".You don't want your backdrop to steel your thunder, good or bad. Something that has texture is nice. I chose this green foliage because I knew that it would really complement my hair, eyes, and sweater shrug. I used my foliage setting on Cannon and edited it on iphoto.

Can you tell the difference between the Beach setting and the Foliage setting in these pictures?

Links to help and learn

Being photogenic

Taking better outdoor photos

Pose a little better

If you know of a good link on posing or photo shooting. Please share! via comments.

Playing with bugs

2011-09-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Bug brooches that is. When it comes to brooches, I have a thing for bugs. Not just any kind of bugs though, mostly beetles. Something that would most likely be considered as tiny, yucky, pesky and well, buggy in real life is now brilliantly gold encrusted, rhinestone adorned and has a new life as a brooch. Me likey.

Miss Priss Ladybug on her very own fern leaf.

I crocheted this fern leaf a while back. I wanted to experiment with making a leaf that had some detail. I like how well these two go together. A pretty ladybug on a leaf is what you would find in real life. I've been playing around with concepts of what I can make it into. Like:

Now it can become a pretty headband. It gives just a touch of whimsy, which is perfect for the hair.

Its was the most windy day of the season in these pictures. It was literally raining dried pine needles. And yet I remain calm and collected ( pat me on the back someone).

Or sew it to your shirt collar for a pretty faux necklace.

I really like the concept of using crochet to accessorize ready to wear clothes. A little extra detail here and there doesn't hurt. Plus it means I can use crochet in a fashionable way.

How would you wear this little leafy accessory?

Danielle

This Little Lamby Hat

2011-09-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

This little lamby does not like to eat grass, or be in it much less.

I tried my hand at attempting a lambs hat for my good friend Jules and her newest edition to her flock. In my mind I had envisioned bouncy, soft, curly lambs wool for the bod, with cute little lambs ears. I think I can pretty close to what I was thinking of.

This is my niece trying it on for size. I made it for a 3-6 month's old head. Which, apparently, also fits a 8 month old premie head (aka my niece).

This little lamby prefer's playgrounds as her source of nourishment.

Can I just say this hat is sooooooooo soft. Nothing hard and scratchy going on here. I used Bamboo yarn for the lamby part and corn silk yarn for the border. Have you ever played with cornsilk yarn? Its silky soft and feels like a mix between bamboo and cotton. Very nice, and a little expensive, so I'm using it carefully.

Little Lamby with Shepard Boy

Putting on the ears seemed to take more time then the actual crocheting of the hat. It was the only part of the hat that wanted to take advantage of its cuteness. The smallest part became the hardest part. Go figure. Fickle ears, its not like I was trying to tag you. In the end I won by covering my knee with the hat and sewing them in place, so maybe it was like tagging ears, in a crochet kind of way.

Soak in the softness via the computer screen.

I will be writing the pattern soon for this. It will look a little different than this one. Here are the stat's for now.

Stats

Yarn: Bamboo and Corn Silk

Technique: crochet, puff stitch,dc and sc stitch

Hook: 6mm and 3.75 mm

Completed time: two days (easy peasy)

Danielle

Simple crochet goes a long way.

2011-08-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you how I transformed this cute but shrunken and felted sweater into a super cute cap sleeve bolero, with crochet edging to give it a sweet detailing.

I was given this sweater a while ago from my sister with the request to cut it up and make it new. It belongs to her eldest daughter and because it is so cute they wanted to extend the life of it some more. So who am I to say no, especially when there is no sewing involved. That's right, no sewing.Oh the beauty of felt!

So I capped the sleeves saving the rest thinking we were going to make chic gloves or leg warmers or something striped and fashionable, but alas, we lost those left over sleeves and they have not made their re-appearance.

I also cut the sweater at the waist and shaped the edges. Then cut right down the middle.Easy peasy. I could have left it as it was, but I felt like it needed a extra more detailing to make it look more complete. So I crocheted a simple edging all the way around and around the capped sleeves too.

On my niece, the proud owner of this cute piece. Great for fall and spring.

Have you tried crochet? It is a craft that I truly love to create things with. Even if you know the basics you can still do so many things with it. Like, ahem, cutting up a sweater and making a cute bolero.

Cheers,

Danielle

Summertime equals vacation time

2011-06-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Which is were I will be this week. Then I'll spend a week in sunny Florida shortly after that. So I'll probably be blogging easy for a while. I hope all your summers are fun and sun filled with hints of tans.

Danielle

Heres a sneak peak at my new Boho braided headwraps. They can be found in my shop when I get back from Vaca.

moonlight

sugar rush

coffeehouse

Ugly shirt- The final cut

2011-06-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

I finally tamed the beast. Heres a little glimpse of what it use to be.

Here is what it is now

I made it into a Kimono bolero. It's completely different from was I had envisioned in the beginning. The last time I blogged about this I still felt like I couldn't make right what was wrong...wrong in being the whole shirt. Note to self: stay away from ugly prints!

Anyways... I put the shirt away while I was trying to figure out what to do. By this time, I had already cut the sleeves off and realized I may have cut too much off. I was going to have to wear a tank top under it to even wear it. Thats when I happened upon this ugly shirt refashion from the blog refashionista. Yay! I was back in business for my re-fashion venture.

So I cut it in half. Then took the bottom part and cut it in half again. Those two bottom halves became the new sleeves. I hemmed it all around and felt mostly pleased about the outcome. I say mostly pleased because there are still some adjustments to be done. A buttom, double hemming, and maybe even a dye job?

BAWHAHAHAHA. Thats right, I'm going to tone down the print some more.

Still, it has already received a compliment...and it was from someone several years younger then me. whoohoo.

I like the Kimono style of it, which came about purely by accident and clever problem solving. Its super airy, so it is really only good for hot summery days, which hasn't happened in Oregon yet.=(

Friends, let me know what you think of it. Love to here your thoughts.

Getting the perfect berry kissed lip

2011-05-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Summer always makes me long for the lips that look like they've been stain by me eating too many berries. Its not a lipstick or a lip gloss, its a flush of color to the lips that give a slight impression of looking like your lips are naturally that red. My niece's lips are like that.

I've been wanting to make some for a while, so I experiemented with finding the perfect shade until I found one that fit the color I had in mind.

Heres how I did it:

See this colored lip balm, well it doesn't really tint your lips. Its decieving in that way. Its from burt's bee's and besides it being colorless everything else about it is great.

I had all the ingriendents to whip up some lipbalm from stratch, but I decided to make use of what I've already had. Go me for reuseing!

Here is my perfect blend. Some light plum and crimson. This gives a rasberry hue. I tested this combo several times, compared it to other ones, and liked it the best overall. There is sightly a little bit more of crimson then there is plum.

OOPS! I got so into the process I forgot to take pictures of the process. I basically put the entire tube of chapstick ,with the colored powder, into a microwaveable measuring cup. I heated it for 40 seconds in two 20 second time periods. It needs to be fully melted and blended before you start to pour. If you have to repeat microwaveing it to make sure you get every last drop you possibly can, do so!

Here it is being poured into the tube. I might as well say that melting this in a double boiler is another great option. Of course let it cool completly! Don't burn your smackers with your impatience to try it out.=)

Here I am, bare lips and all.

Are you ready for the results?

KAZAM! Holy Berry Kissed Lips Batman!

See how matte it is? I can leave it like it is or put some high gloss on for dramatic effect. I personally like it how it is. Also, each layer adds more color. Beewax stays on your lips for along time too!

If you like this, try it! Its so easy. Also if you try this and blog about it let me know so I can check it out.

Makeing trends without breaking the bank,

Danielle

Tatertots and Jello

Reinvent

2011-05-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

What is this? Before I tell you ( in case you can't tell) I'm going to show you what it once was.

A long long time ago, I created this little crown. It was beautiful with crocheted gold wire and iridescent grey beads that shimmered anyway you turned it. It reminded of the Princess in The Never Ending Story. So I put it in my Etsy shop were it sat, and sat, and sat. It never sold, and thats ok, because I don't think I was ready to tap into The Never Ending Story niche ( and I know you guys are out there.... somewhere).

Every once in a while I would get it out and play with its shape. I like the original design but I felt like it needed to change. I continued to play with it for 9 months making it into a necklace, brooch, or bracelet. But nothing seemed to fit. Until recently when I decided to coil it around itself.

Can you guess what it is?

Sea Urchin Cocktail Ring

The reason I ask is because I feel like the photos are not doing it justice in showing the actual drama this ring contains. I will post a action shot later.

It reminded me of a sea urchin as I was coiling and sewing gold wire through it to keep it in place. I'm probably not going to put it in my etsy shop because I'm curious to explore what this design process will look like with different types of beads. I'm going to decide if I'm going to make a tutorial of it later.

{A Deeper Thought}

You know, we all reinvent something in our life whether we recognize it or not. Sometimes it is a physical thing, like the ring. Sometimes its ourselves. Have you reinvented something and loved the result?

Danielle

Seriously Wondering....

2011-05-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

If Blogger will repost the post that I just posted the day before everything crashed.

Funny Quotes for Mother's Day

2011-05-07T23:33:00.000-07:00

I thought instead of just wishing everyone a wonderful Mothers Day, I would round up some funny, make you crack a smile, mother quotes. Because every mom out there needs a good laugh once in a while, especially when it comes to raising children. Heres some silly and funny quotes for all you fine mommies out there. I hope you are truly celebrated on this day.

"I'm a mother with two small children, so I don't take as much crap as I used to."

— Pamela Anderson

"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it."

— Chinese Proverbs

"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them."

— Phyllis Diller

"I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on."

~Roseanne Barr

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."

— Mark Twain

"The phrase 'working mother' is redundant."

— Jane Sellman

"My mother's menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it."

— Buddy Hackett

"The hand that rocks the cradle usually is attached to someone who isn't getting enough sleep."

~ John Fiebig

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."

~Unknown

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new."

~Rajneesh

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."

~William D. Tammelus

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

~Elizabeth Stone

Do you have a favorite? I would love to hear it!My personal favorite was Pamela Andersons. I laughed out loud when I read it. There's nothing like children to toughen you up and melt your heart.

If you had a good laugh, chuckle, or even cracked a smile while reading you can find more funny mother quotes at Nanny Deprived.

Danielle

Redesigning a Ugly Shirt Part 1

2011-05-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

In a past post I showed a picture of this 80's shirt I said I was going to re-make into something fabulous for me to wear. In honesty, I actually don't know if it is from the 80's or 90's...maybe you can tell...all I do know that it caught my eye in the resale shop.

Ugly shirt $3.99

I started the process of sketching out my design ideas to see which one would look best. And I have to admit, I started to get scared. The longer my eyes lingered over the shirt's bright, bold pattern and lack of detail in shape I really started to wonder if I bit off more than I could chew. Never the less I have forged on with the remake.

I looked for inspiration on the net, hoping that something would catch my eye.

like this!

There were some details I fancied, but in trying to gain added inspiration, there were some things I had to consider:

Respect the limitations. There are things I can and can't do while working with a already made shirt.
Moderation is key with busy prints. I don't want to overwhelm anyone with crazy floral while they are forced to look at me walking by them. Nor do I wan't to overwhelm myself while looking at me. I must take away to gain.

Here are my design sketches. Please do not be intimidated by my awesome drawing skills.

Actually I should say don't let my novice drawing skills distract you from the designs. No your eyes are not tricking you, its just that I can't seem to draw the shape of the shirt the same three times in a row.

I wanted to do a wide open sided tank. I like the idea of the sleeves becoming pockets, but that means I actually have to lengthen the shirt so the pockets don't hang out at the bottom of the shirt. My answer to that is is crocheting a border. At first I decided to crochet it in dark navy, but as I was drawing I had the thought that maybe dark grey would look better.

Which one do you like best?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this. What do you like and what don't you like. At this point I'm obeying the rule of measuring twice, cutting once. Even though I'm not measuring, I am planning this out as much as possible because I would like to wear it for more than one year.

Danielle

Something fantastic is coming your way...

2011-05-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

I am deep in designing something functional and fantastic for my craft room and I can't wait to show you all. But because I'm so excited I'll give you a hint: it will include this amazing paper.

Danielle

Little Lavender Dryer Sachet- add more excitement to your laundry!

2011-04-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

We actually haven't used dryer sheets in a while, close to three years. We decided along time ago that dryer sheets was not a must have item in our household. Mostly because of the film it leaves on the fabric. It blocks some absorption from the material, and frankly, when I get out of the shower or wash my hands I really want my towel to wick the moisture away the first time.

So this little dryer sachet came about while I was doing laundry (of course!). I re-found my lavender today and remembered that I have wanted to make one of these for a while. So while my clothes were a washing, my sewing machine was a sewing.

This project is easy!
It takes around 1-11/2 hours!
Perfect for when you want to be creative but don't want to start a major project!
Use your fabric scraps!

Get Started

I am going to show you the basic instructions. The little details like bear applique and shape of sachet can be changed to your liking.

List of materials

Two different coordinating fabrics, cut in a half circle (use a medium sized bowl)
3/4 cup of lavender flowers and 1/4 cup of flax seed ( more or less depending on the size of your actual half circle)
Wool applique. Use real wool, it will help eliminate static
funnel and or spoon
sewing machine

Looking mighty tough with his tattoo heart

First you need to sew your applique on one side of your sachet. Tip! Sew slow, you will have a better result with your applique. Now place the right sides together.

Make sure you sew all along the edges about 1/4 inch, and make little cuts so when you turn it right side out it with have a smooth form on the inside. Now turn it right side out and fill.

You might have to also use a spoon for the lavender, like I did. Fill until there is about 1/8 of empty space left. Pin the little opening together and sew shut.

There you have it! Extremely easy and you can feel accomplished for making something in a couple of hours. And its practical!

This would be great sewing project for a young child while you are teaching them how to do their own laundry. Make several to give as a gift.

This one is bigger then the ones Trader Joes sells. They say each one should last 3 months. This one will last longer. Squeeze several times in hand before throwing them into your dryer, to re-release the fragrant lavender flowers.

Happy Sewing!

Danielle

Coming Soon:

See how I will remake this ugly find into vintage trendy. Stay tuned to find out how!

So I thought marshmallows was a good idea...

2011-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

But apparently marshmallows are lighter than cupcake batter. I had the grand idea of putting marshmallows into the batter of cupcakes that I agreed to make for my sisters baby shower. I thought it would be a sweet find for each of the eaters to realizes there was extra yumminess in every bite they took. Oh little did I know. About twelve minutes after I put them in the oven to bake I took a look only to find out that the marshmallows were over flowing and melting. This is how the majority of the first batch came out. Ugly...but still tasty. Readers, you have been warned.

So my first idea failed but my second idea was not, by golly. I was going to decorate the cuteness out of these little cupcakes, with cute little frosting stars and lavender sugar sprinkles. I had all my gear ready: Killer cream cheese frosting (get it!), frosting sleeves, star tip, cake spatula...and the knowledge of all my cake decorating classes in the back of my mind. Also a cousin to help.

slap it on and call it good

Well idea # 2 decided to follow in suit of idea # 1. My frosting never thickened properly to keep a star shape (not the frostings fault, though). Also my frosting sleeve busted at the seam and I had frosting seeping out of the bag before it could make it to the tip. So with my cousin looking on and me reminding her ( and myself) that I had taken cake decorating classes, we made due with the above picture.

Also in Awkward news:

My son blurting to everyone and even the manager at Mortons steakhouse that he had a stinky poopy as we walked out of the bathroom for the fifth time. I just graciously smiled at the manager(cause really what could I do) as we walked by and asked if he enjoyed that little tidbit of info. BTW my husband works here. I find this slightly awesome though, because only a three year old could pull this off and still be considered cute. Whats funny is my son never went poopy, it was just in the forefront of his mind the entire night.

Now on to the Awesomness

My son telling me I'm a princess. Sweet little guy.

Finding out who Blossom Dearie is.

Figured out a new hair do.

A whole bag of marshmallows to eat all by myself....or share.

Awesomness in pictures:

tissue puffs

Little man in big glasses

whipped up this new headband in twenty minutes.

OX,

Danielle

Dear Anthropologie.

2011-04-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: slightly cheeky letter to my favorite shop.

You know I've been fond of you for a very long time. Your pretty little outfits and irresistible chic style. I've had countless moments of swooning over your detailed fabric and have drooled for your cardigans. Oh sweet cardigans. Oh the envy. And yet my devotion to you is not what I hoped it to be.

via source

I thought I would "grow up" to wear mostly you. To open my closet wide and see a huge selection of your finest, waiting for me to say hello. I'm not saying it's not going to happen someday, all I'm saying is that I need a different game plan. Because you see, I still think your expensive and I can't bring myself to give you my husbands hard earned cash. No, I'm not poor, I'm just wise. And I have a secret weapon. I know how to sew.

I'm not going to envy you anymore. But I'm going to sew with you in mind, because you are still always in my mind. And no it won't ever be quite the same. That's a small detail I'm ok to overlook. So thank you for being you, and I will remain to be me. Maybe, occasionally , we can meet some where in the middle and say hello.

First on my list:

via source

Is there a shop you love but need to change your game plan in to acquire its look?

Lace and Ruffles

2011-04-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've never actually considered myself a fashionable person until now. Now granted, I've always loved fashion. Growing up I had a little hiding place where I taped pictures of models in clothes I liked and various of other things up on the walls. The place was were the foundations of the stairs met the garage. It was a cubby like nook, which btw was also very dark, because it was like the garage, so I had to always have a flashlight. But still, it was my secret fashion club house in which I was the only member. Looking back, I'm sure my younger sister would have joined the membership if I had thought to send a invite her way.

So I put this outfit together, feeling slightly adventurous even risky, and waited for my husband to say something. No I wasn't waiting for the "you look nice dear", but more of the "why are you wearing that dear". I know that sounds harsh, but its not, you see when I met my husband-to-be I quickly noticed that EVERY SHIRT in his wardrobe was plaid and from Bi-Mart. Seriously ladies, seriously. So I figure if my husband (who only wore plaid shirts when I met him) comments on why I'm wearing something, I should take that into high consideration. He didn't say a word. I was in the clear.

BTW I curled my hair, can't tell can you. It fell out by the time I took these pictures.

I'm sorry if its hard to see the lace. It color it peachy and close to my skin color.

Heres the low down.

Lacy back button shirt- hand me down

ruffle blue tank- Kolhs

skinny jeans- Forever 21

leather boots - Target

Is there something you like about my outfit? Or don't like. Let me know by commenting down below.

Danielle

P.S. by the way I'll tell you why I've finally accepted my fashion sense in a later post. It was really eye opening in a good way.

Beautiful Coral in Florida

2011-04-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Yes it was behind glass, but I've never been this close to vibrant under sea life before.

The colors were very harmonious together.

My favorite.

Makeup/ Wash your face bib.

2011-04-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

The front

The back with a snap

This is for all you ladies that like to wash your face in the sink. Of course this idea came to me while I was scrubbing away at my face and trying to keep the wash towel tucked into my shirt. It kept slipping and I thought "wouldn't it be nice to have a towel made into a bib so I wash my face with ease." And then I thought "It would work really well for applying make up and keeping my shirt clean." So my gears started turning and I came up with this!

Here is a quick tutorial for putting one together.

One placemat and one kitchen hand towel

The reason why I used a placemat is because a finished placemat eliminates extra sewing that I don't want to do. Plus, I love place mats! I can think of so many other ways to use place mats that I think I have a mini book in my head on all the fun ways you can use them.

You will also need:

A plate
pen
doublewide bias tape
sewing machine
velcro or a snap of some sort, I used a snap

I know white on white does not show up well, so look hard.

Fold your place mat in half. On folded end place your plate 3/4's down on the place mat. Draw around the plate.

Unfold the place mat. On the other half of the place mat draw a line down the center. Then draw two lines down the fold to conjoin the half circle.

Follow the lines and cut.

Fold you kitchen towel in half and cut down center.

sew together the half circle side of place mat with cut edge of the towel

Now place the ends of the place mat and towel together and sew.

Now sew down each side. Zigzag on the towel side, straight stitch on the place mat side.

cut off the sides of the towel leaving about 1 inch on either side.

the double zigzag makes it extra strong so it won't unravel in the wash.

First zigzag the raw edge of the towel, then fold it and zigzag the towels helm.

now before you put the double bias tape around the back and neck hole you want to zigzag around the raw edge of the place mat.

Sew on the double bias tape.

Ok I didn't take a picture of sewing on velcro because I put on a snap. This is the step to now put on velcro, a snap, or button. Really whatever suites your fancy.

I don't know why I didn't think about this before, oh yea, its probably because I forget to wash my face at night because I'm so tired at the end of the day. Nor do I find myself 'putting on my face' everyday. But when I do I'll use this bib!

Thanks for letting me share this, let me know what you think! If you have any questions, please ask!

Danielle

Back from Florida

2011-04-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to Florida. It was beautiful and the weather is much different Oregon's, especially this time of year. One of the days we went to Tarpon Springs. A beachy tourist's trap, which is one of my favorites places to visit. It has a thriving Greek community and they specialize in sea sponges, olive oil soap, and crocodile heads.

These are huge Vase Sponges. You can actually plant plants in the cavity of the sponge. BTW sea sponges themselves are not plants (like I thought) but are animals in the simplest form.

Pelicans hanging out waiting a for a bite to eat from tourists.

Beautiful ships anchored all up and down the bay.

Now this is a Greek Salad! With Potato Salad in the center and everything else that would make it greek.

Like I said, Crocodile heads. I never understood the idea of having a crocodile head as house decor. But maybe someone out there does.

I took many more pictures and I'll do another post or two to share them with you all. But for now I'll give you a sneak peek at something else I whipped up at the sewing machine.

What is this silly thing I'm wearing around my neck? Try to guess and see how close you get!

Color Perception Test

2011-03-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Do you know your colors? Can you differentiate between the different hues easily? Find out by taking this test

Color Perception Test

The lower your score the higher your percentage will be. I scored a 3 which means my percentage was in the 90's ( I didn't do the math though, it was my guessimate). A perfect score would be a 0. Don't worry if it takes you a long time. In fact, I had to walk away a couple of times to refresh my eyes because the hues were starting to blend together after staring at them awhile.

Our retinas are sensitive to color because we actually have three different kinds of "cones" in our eyes that help us absorb color. There is the blue cone, green cone, and red cone. If you find that you are really good at telling the difference between hues you might like to read the science and history behind color here . Who knows, it might help you choose your colors schemes faster and better when coordinating your outfits, wedding schemes, home interior design, or whatever. I actually to love to see someone who has dyed their hair in different shades of the same color. That would be a color trip!

Its amazing what color does in our lives.

It sets a tone in an environment that effects our mood.
Its a major part of the fashion and design industry.
Different colors will give different impressions. For example: red gives the impression of hot, passion, hate, anger. Any thing that will make your heart beat faster.
If you are a vivid dreamer (and can remember your dreams), color can play a major part or your discerning what your dream is actually trying to tell you. Its your intuition and subconscious using its voice.

All that to say, take the test! And let me know what your score is. If you don't do well on it don't worry, you are actually gifted in other areas!

I'm Back-ish

2011-03-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I know, I left and without even say goodbye. I actually didn't mean to stop blogging within one day, it just dawned on me that if I wanted to get through a overwhelming transition of healing from the loss of our daughter and having to move again, I needed to cut out something in my life. Time has passed, more healing has come and I feel like I've gained strength in my legs and I ready to revive the blog now.

Even though I haven't been around to show my craftiness to you all, I was still being crafty. I can't help it, it's one thing that I can't turn off no matter what.

I've been in a mini clutch mode

Mini Love clutch with zipper and designer fabric.

Find more pictures here.

Coin purse for my etsy shop, but decided to keep it.

Super happy about it. I didn't know keeping all your coins in one little purse would eliminate so much "trying to find the exact change" stress. I use it all the time.

Have a lovely friday evening,

Danielle

Fallish Desires

2010-09-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

A sneak peak at a design I'm working on.

Fall can definetly bring a flurry of wants, needs, and desires. Its hard not to jump into the coziness that fall has to bring even when my state is having a indian summer. Which is what I wanted since we barely had a summer to begin with, BTW.

As a designer, I'm suppose to be ahead of the game. Its always best to prepare a season in advance. This is something I find extremely hard to do sometimes. I tend to find inspiration in the moment, not in a season previous to the one I'm in. But in essence that is what a designer does. They set trends, whether they realize it or not. Remember the scene in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" where Miranda schools Andy in the ways of fashion? The runway influences all parts of the fashion industry all the way down to the Dress Barn stores. When I first watched that scene I realized that I didn't even know that's what happened. I took note though.

Heres my example:

I read from PiperLime that school boy plaid was in the top ten trends for this fall.

Heres what I found on Etsy. All cute and totally trendy.

via Kibber

from HydraHeart

from The Closet Stuffer

Heres what I found at Anthro.

On the runway,

Christian Dior Fall 2010

DKNY Fall 2010

Are you sick of plaid yet? Apparently, I not because here's what I've been working on.

Its a new design I'm going to put in my shop, a light weight double wide headband, and yes, in plaid.

It has a couple extra perks, like a pocket and a sweet surprise in which I will fully show when the pattern is released!

What is your fall inspiration this year? Have you made something that is fallish. Link it up in the comments and tell me about it.

Luv,

Danielle

Happy Birthday Lincoln

2010-07-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

My sweet little man turned three. I have so enjoyed being a mom and a stay at home mom at that. This year I'm noticed growth in his personality, humor, and down right cuteness. Here are some pictures to show off how much he's grown. I'm sorry if this post is picture heavy, I do love him so.

Daddy and Lincoln meeting for the first time.

Guy smiley!

Hanging out with Funky Sock Monkey.

Picking out a pumpkin three times his size.

Goofy guys.

His Gap modeling day's, very short lived.

We seem to be into themes. Heres the "surfer ". When we grow his hair out it becomes curly and it looks like he just came back from riding the waves.

Super babies! Fighting crime before bedtime.

AND NOW!

Heres the birthday boy in all his glory! If you can't tell, he's a space cowboy. Combining the costumes of Buzz Lightyear and Woody the Sheriff, he's now more than qualified to fight crime.

The Great Horned Moss Owl!

2010-07-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired by my natural surroundings, and moss has been my latest medium. I've had this idea in my back pocket for a few weeks, and I was able to bring it to life last night. I made it for my new shop Abundant Homestead, where you can find rustic and nature inspired home goods. Check it out! Here for your viewing pleasure.

He's made from two types of moss : spanish and sphagnum. He's cute, a great conversationist, wild and rustic, and makes you smile. All great qualities while looking for a owl.

I want to know, Do you like it or hate it? If you had him, where would you place him?

Calling all pattern testers....or maybe just three

2010-07-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard making a new pattern/tutorial for my Etsy shop. I would like to know if anyone of you lovely readers would like to "test" it out and give me feed back.

Different flowers, same technique.

I need three volunteers, so the first ones to comment with there email on this will get the "tester" tutorial. I will also have questions that I would like to have answered concerning the tutorial.

Having a sewing machine is really helpful but is not necessary.

Thank you for helping me out!

Welcome and Happy Birthday!

2010-07-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

First off I want to say welcome to my new followers! I'm excited you've joined me in my crafty adventures!

Second Its my birthday! One year closer to being 100.=) Actually I'm 29. But this also means SALE! Yes friends I'm having a FREE SHIPPING SALE at my HookableDesigns shop! Have fun selecting something pretty for you or someone else. Type in the keyword FREE SHIPPING SALE into the message to seller and your shipping will be refunded to you.

Enjoy your beautiful summer day!
Danielle

Vanilla and Lavender Body Lotion

2010-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my own lotion the other day. It is so easy to make ORGANIC body lotion, packed with good stuff like Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. This recipe only has 3 ingredients, besides kitchen tools.

Here's what you need:

3 Tablespoons of Shea butter

2 Tablespoons of Coconut oil

1/4 cup of fragrant infused oil

* I made my own lavender and vanilla infused olive oil, and I'll tell you how too*

1 squirt lotion bottle

a double boiler

a funnel

This is so simple and it takes less then 30 minutes.

Double Boiler from smokymtntreasures

1)In your double boiler melt the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and the 3 tablespoons of Shea butter

Infused oil from Glorybeherbals

2) Once the oils are melted, pour in your 1/4 cup of infused oil.

( I made my own two months ago and I'll tell you how. I took a cup of dried lavender buds, 1 vanilla bean and stuffed them in a glass jar. I then poured olive oil in until it covered the flower buds. It needs to sit for at least 2-6 months and be shaken occasionally to allow the herbs and oil to "marry", as the cooks say it)

3) Gently stir until all of the oils are blended

4) Pour the liquid through a funnel into the lotion jar

Remember its hot! So use pot holders.

5) put it in the fridge to cool

6) Use it and smell great!

I seriously smell like a baked good, hot and fresh from the oven whenever I use this. Its the combination of coconut, lavender and vanilla bean that makes it smell so good.

Some awesome benefits of Coconut Oil and Shea Butter

This was given to me from a friend who got it on the website heartofwisdom.com

Coconut Oil

Painting from aidamarkiw

Studies show that virgin coconut oil completely heals, eliminates, reduces or protects against these ailments:

liver disease
kidney disease and bladder infections
yeast that causes candida, jock itch, ringworm, athlete’s foot
skin infections psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis
bacteria that cause pneumonia, earache, throat infections
bacteria that cause dental cavities, food poisoning, urinary tract infections
bacteria that cause meningitis, gonorrhea, and dozens of other diseases
benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)
breast, colon, and other cancers.
periodontal disease and tooth decay
hemorrhoids
cystic fibrosis
excess weight
osteoporosis
epileptic seizures
chronic fatigue syndrome
wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots
dandruff, and the list goes on and on

Shea Butter

Unrefined Shea Butter from beijaflores

Shea butter info taken from treasuredlocks.com

Shea Butter can provide relief from everything from just dry skin to many minor dermatological diseases (if you have a serious skin condition, you should see a doctor). It has been clinically shown to provide benefits. Here are some of the benefits of Shea Butter for the skin:

Daily skin moisturizer (face and body)
Dry skin relief
Dry scalp
Skin rash- including diaper rash
Skin peeling, after tanning
Blemishes and wrinkles
Itching skin due to dryness
Sunburn
Shaving cream to reduce razor irritation
Small skin wounds
Skin cracks
Soften tough skin on feet (especially heels)
Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
Minor burns
Eczema
Sun and wind protection
Even skin tone
Reduce blemishes and scarring
Eliminating scalp irritation from dryness or chemical processing
Preventing bumps after shaving
Reducing acne (especially in combination with African Black Soap)
Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue
Helps restore elasticity to skin
Restores luster to hair

Have fun making this and let me know how you smell from this wonderful body lotion.

Silly Picture Saturday

2010-07-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently my boot love runs in the family.

Write a silly caption! Or any caption. If this were a card what silly caption would you write for it? Heres mine:

Sometimes all you need are your boots and a fireman hat to get through the day

Let me know what you would say to this silly picture!

The In Season/ Out of Season Sweater Makeover

2010-07-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Since I had several people tell me they liked the first sweater makeover, I decided to do another sweater makeover. This one I'm super happy about because I got two makeovers out of one sweater. Boot socks for winter and a super cute tank for summer.

Lets Start!

Heres the sweater and I know that your thinking "Stripes?!". Ok maybe I was thinking that. I've gotten a lot of wear out of it but I was feeling that it needed to have a new look.

So I placed it on the floor took a picture while Lincoln wasn't stepping on it. Lincoln has this thing about stepping on anything and everything I place on the floor. I cut around were the sleeve meets the shoulder ( around the border) and around the armpit.

See that little foot, thats Lincoln about to pounce on the separated sleeve. Cut across the sleeve were the tip of the armpit curve is.

Slip them on and wear them with your cool new boots you got from Goodwill. Aren't they rad! Only 10 bucks friends.

More cool sock and cool boot pictures

If you notice a slight "fuzziness" to the picture its because I realized I forgot to dust my mirror half way through the photo shoot. The boots are still awesome despite this though.

Second Makeover

Remember how I just removed the sleeves? Well that left me this cool, fresh, easy to look awesome in tank top.

The sweater color is faded in this one, but its the best shot.

Not the best shot but the best color and I like my face in this one.

I should also say that the back of the tank also looks like the front of the tank. I'm going to take it to the next level and crochet a tiny border around the arms so it can have a nice finish and look more professional. I'll show you when I'm done with that.

I would love to know what you think of this!

Thanks!

Danielle

Blog Feature!

2010-07-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

Friends!

Hookable Designs the blog and the Store has been featured in a way cool blog called Courageous Mother. I'm doing a giveaway for a headband from the " I Am Wonderful Headband Collection". Go check her out and enter to receive one headband of your choice!

It ends July 11! GO CHECK IT OUT AND WIN!!!!! Courageous Mother

Inspirational Tuesdays- Cameras!

2010-07-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Cameras have been on my mind a lot lately. I'm in search for a new one and my mind is going crazy with all the selection out there. But for now, here is my inspiration selection.

Hot momma! When I saw these I thought they were just my "cup of tea" or coffee, or cocoa, you know what I mean. So fashionable, made from Circa Ceramics, I would love to own a shop so I could have my customers drink out of these cups.

This shirt instantly transports me to when I was in my early twenties living in Texas hanging out with friends from Chicago (confused?). Me, being a yankee (as they would call us western folks) had never heard that phrase before. I thought it was one of the silliest phrases I had ever heard, but I got use to it because it was said all...the...time. This shirt from Caustic Threads is so creative, and I like the word play on it.

I love this camera strap, the fabric is so yummy! Its made by Tracy Joy, and she has many other cool accessaries for your camera.

So my search still continues for the new camera. Tell me ladies what you think. Do you have a camera that you love? Tell me what it is and why you love it. Maybe I can get pointed in the right direction.

I took a break if you hadn't already noticed.

2010-07-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends, If you had noticed my lack of blog posting its because I took a "surprise" break. I wasn't planning on it, but soon realized last week around tuesday that I was falling behind on all the things I needed to get done. I'm finding myself getting busier and busier and am trying to work out a schedule, I will resume with my "Inspiration Tuesday" tomorrow and I have a blog feature and giveaway coming up!

Stay Tuned,

Danielle

Newest Member of the Hookable Designs Family

2010-06-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest Hookable Designs member. I have been itching to just sit down and design, and finally found the time to do it. Its a bracelet, which surprised me, because I don't really make bracelets that often. But I love her. I also don't normally genderize (you like my made up word?) jewelry but with this one I'll make an exception because the design is so boldly feminine.

Does it look really long for a bracelet? Well its because you double wrap it.

I haven't found a name for it(uh, I mean her). So I want to know what name you would give this beauty?

I have more pictures that I'm going to be posting in my Etsy shop after I put Lincoln to bed. So check it out!

Now For Something Random

Do you see what I see? No thats not two daisies being held together, that two daisies growing out of one stem. Its a Siamese Twin daisy! I randomly found it while walking though hundreds of daisies in attempt to check out some seeding lupines in my field. I thought it was so rare that I had to take a picture of it and share with you all.

Monday love,

Danielle

Oh so tasty and easy to make French Fries

2010-06-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hot, made in the kitchen, french fries were calling my name the other day. So I answered the call and challenge myself to try something new! I had never made french fries from scratch before but I figured it couldn't be too hard.Right? Well it wasn't, but I will tell you what mistake I made so you don't have to make the same.

Ingredients

2 medium size potatoes

Ranch seasoning

Candy/Frying thermometer

Oil that is for high heat

Deep sided pan

Metal Spatula

Salt

Lots of paper towels

Cut your potatoes vertical and in as even as you can get pieces

From your vertical slices cut the potatoes into even "straw" like pieces

(I know rocket science right)

Ok this is were it gets good, I let you in on a little Mortons Steakhouse potato trick.

Pour salt over them and cover with cold water. Its called brining and its used to add seasoning to the inside of the potatoes and also keep them moist. Let it sit in the brine for at least a half an hour or more. Drain and pat the potatoes with paper towel to soak up the excess water.

While this is happening heat at least 2-3 inches of oil in your pan ( make sure it is deep ). Place your thermometer in the oil and allow it to heat until it reaches the potato frying temperature, 350F.

Heres the mistake I made. I was impatient with the oil heating up all the way. So I put my french fries in and soon realized I shouldn't have done that. The oil temperature was dropping fast which meant it wasn't frying at the temperature it needed to be at. I now know I should have done two batches and allowed the oil to heat to 350 F. So don't make the same mistake I did!

After you have allowed the excess oil to be drained on paper towels, pour 1 Tbsp of ranch seasoning in a brown paper bag with some salt. Add the french fries and SHAKE. Shake until the fries are evenly coated.

These were so good! We munched them down without even thinking. In fact, I didn't even know they were gone until I reached down and realized I had eaten the last fry in the previous bite.

Inspirational Tuesdays- Robins Egg Blue

2010-06-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Inspirational Tuesday

Robins Egg Blue

This sign is so sweet from Barn Owl Primitives. Taking a cue from the birdies that build their homes for their little ones. Its perfect for above the table, over a fireplace or hanging on the front door.

These heart shaped nesting bowls are from D BABCOCK. She has beautiful pottery and a unique eye for producing her items. I love how these fit together, its a heart within a heart, within a heart!

Glory! I love this shirt! It makes me think I would look so cool and sophisticated with a little edge, which I like. Its from the designer Out Of Line and its made from cotton jersey, and in my book that is a double plus. I actually love all of her clothes.

Isn't this clever! Button soap from Hello Crafty. I've never seen anything like this, nor have I thought of anything like this. This would be the perfect gift and so fun for the kids.

I want to be in a music video

2010-06-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have a side to me that lives in music videos. Not just any music video though, but one where I can prance around expressing myself musically despite my lack of talent in the music department...or dance department...or choreograph department. Basically any department that is required to make a music video. It will still be awesome though because I will give my heart and soul into it...and will make my sister take care of the rest. In case your wondering it would be a music video like this:

See!! It doesn't take much talent to prance around like the brat pack from Breakfast Club does it!

If you've never seen these video's they are fan made and there are a lot of them on youtube. Here's another good one.

Ok so I have a month away until my next birthday, could this be a possibility? Could I pull this off? Would anyone like to see me dance on YouTube? Uh, feel free to just nod your head on the last one.

Stay tuned because this will be a To Be Decided Late answer.

A "what was I thinking" turned into "okay I can sport this" boyfriend shirt

2010-06-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm. I am a goodwill fanatic, I don't go as much as I like, but when I do go I can go crazy with all the inspiring idea's that pop into my head while looking at stuff. Sometimes, though, my "bright" ideas at goodwill become "why did I get this" statements at home. Hence the overly large knit shirt.

*sorry for the fuzzy picture, funny face and hair that doesn't look like I combed it.*

I remember when I saw this at goodwill I was thinking I was going to make this into something awesome! I can't remember what the original idea was now, but I will point out several reasons why I shouldn't have bought it

Horizontal stripes!!!!! (Seriously Danielle)

Pockets that were accidentally sewn in the back

The label that was sewn in the front

Not enough buttons

obviously this shirt did not meet quality control and thus was given to Goodwill, and I naively adopted it.

Okay, enough with the back story, I decided to finally make this shirt wearable.

I laid one of my shirts over it to know where I needed to pin. I gave myself about a 2 inch seam allowance ( in case I needed to change it later) and pin each side together, gradually moving toward the sleeves.

The Result

*again sorry for the fuzzy picture and everything else as mentioned above*

I still don't like the stripes but I think its manageable. And I'm betting it looks better in real life then in pictures ( or maybe thats my wishful thinking).

Enjoy!

Boba Milk Tea- Refreshing and Delicious

2010-06-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Also known as Bubble Milk Tea, but whichever way you say it the drink is always delicious!

My husband first introduced me to this drink 6 years ago. I remember slurping up huge tapioca balls through an equally huge straw thinking this was the best thing ever. When I was pregnant with Lincoln I would crave the Avocado Boba Milk Smoothie!! Does avocado in a smoothie sound gross to you. Yes probably, but it tastes SOOOO good, rich and creamy. I also might add that Lincoln does love avocados now, I drank so many of them he had no other choice but to like them.

The Recipe

* This is the recipe I use, its not necessarily like other boba recipes*

Single cup recipe 0f tea

1/4 cup of cream

2-3 black tea bags (depending on how strong you want it*

1 1/2 cup of hot water

1 tablespoon of honey

(you can also use sugar or a sugar/brown sugar mix)

*put it in the fridge to cool before pouring the boba in*

Boba Pearls

1/4 cup of boba pearls

2 cups of water

Bring water to boil, slowly stir in the pearls, keep stirring on and off so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. You know when to take them out when they have doubled in size and are soft on the outside and slightly chewing on the inside.

Scoop boba into the bottom of a cup pour the cold milk tea over it, pop in a huge straw and drink willingly.

Also, did you know that you save half of what you would spend if you made boba yourself? I spent 2.29 on the supplies which was boba pearls and straws.

Enjoy!

P.S. I will also share the Avocado Boba Smoothie with you at a later date, for those brave souls who really want to try it.

More Sparkle Headbands

2010-06-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

I've been making some more sparkle headbands and I was able to take some pictures of a friends daughter in them (Thanks Steffany!)

The Heart Headband

The Super Star Headband

The Lightning Strikes Headband

The Rain Cloud Headband

* this one is my new favorite besides the lightning one*

Mac is beautiful, check out those blue eyes!!

I want to know what you think on whether you like the headbands with the stitching *like the first pic* or whether you like the headbands without the stitching (below). Or does it not matter.

I have more little models lined up for the next few days to be taking gobs of pictures of. I'm so glad I have so many mommy friends with beautiful daughters.

Its my first I Made It Party!

Inspirational Tuesdays

2010-06-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm dedicating tuesdays to show off something that inspires me. This one surprised me though because I didn't think I would love the Lauren Conrad Collection at Kohls.

I just happened to notice it while spending my "fathers day" gift card I got in the mail.

Most of her tops are airy and flowy and since I'm still a t-shirt girl at heart its right up my alley. Danielle's Fashion Alley that it, its right around the corner and to the left.....oh you'll find it if you keep on looking.

Yeah, thats how I feel sometimes about my fashion sense and my actual wardrobe, they just don't match. Maybe its the fact that I run around with a two year old, or more likely stay at home with a two year old....anyways whatever it is I've decided its got to change!

I will have:

More well put together outfits!

awesomely cute cardigans!

Pin striped seer suckered boat pants and pretty floral shorts!

Shirts that are t-shirts yet look to good to be "t-shirts"!

Wow, this kinda became Rant Tuesday.

Question: Is there something you would like to change about your wardrobe yet haven't done it for whatever reason?

Danielle

Where We Live Page

2010-06-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

Want to know where we live? I just made a page called Where We Live. Its right under the banner, so take a look. Want to leave a comment? Do so on this post about the Where We Live page.

Easy Peasy Homemade Pesto Tutorial

2010-06-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried making homemade pesto, or even tasted fresh pesto? I had my first opportunity to taste pesto from the garden 6 years ago from a co-worker where we both worked at a garden center. She had a abundance of basil that year and decided to can it. When I first saw it I actually didn't know what it was ( silly huh!), but when I tasted it it was like a pesto party in my mouth. I soon began to dip anything I could find into the dip just so I could continue to eat it. I received the recipe after asking and have been enjoying it since.

The Ingredients

2 cups of fresh basil

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

( get a good kind, you will taste the difference )

1/2 of pine nuts

4 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Make sure you pack your basil to 2 cups

USE PINE NUTS!!!!

These are not pine nuts in case your wondering. I forgot to buy them at the store and had to use walnuts instead. Pine nuts are better.

Put it all together and BLEND!

Check out the think consistency of the pesto. Its probably best to let it sit a couple of hours in the fridge to let the flavors marry before using. If your not going to use it right away, can it for up to 2 days. I actually can it longer, 2 days is just what the recipe says.

Heres an idea, mix 2 tbsp's of pesto with 2 tbsp's of cream to make creamy pesto salad dressing. Serve on tea cup saucer plates for a cute presentation of a side salad.

Make it, its easy and people will say oh la la when you bring it to a party.

Every girl wants to SPARKLE

2010-06-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

True confession. I love fabric. I have so much inspiration sometimes just looking at fabric.

So when I found out Lincoln was invited to a little girls b-day I knew my day had come to get this oh so wonderful sparkly vinyl fabric.

And Now For Your Viewing Pleasure

I've had the idea for these headbands for a while, I was just waiting for it to become a reality. I'm calling it the I Am Wonderful Headband, cause lets face it what little girl wouldn't feel wonderful in something SO SPARKLY.

This is what happens when I don't have a model. I have to use Miss Monkey. I think I will make more, and in different varieties, and put them in my Etsy shop to test drive them.

What do you think?

Love,

Danielle

P.S. What do you think of my banner? I made it in Photoshop....its a love hate relationship.

under construction

2010-06-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

Just to let everyone know my blog is going through a makeover and is slightly under construction. Hopefully not for long though.

Thanks,
Danielle

Yummy Flowers

2010-06-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

MMMMM. I love flowers. I first noticed this about six years ago when I was going through a trying time in life and really wanted to look at something beautiful in such an un-beautiful season. This brought forth a desire to have a flower budget, but have never been able to justify it in some way or another. So I have said to myself that I will just grow flowers and have a overflowing abundance of them all the time.

Well that hasn't happened yet, but thats ok because I noticed these flowers, yesterday, along the border of our property. I also noticed some growing in the middle of our field while I was walking our extremely long driveway (700 ft people). Flowers that I haven't sown. Flowers just for me to pick and look at their beauty.

Here's a closer look, it was hard to get the full beauty of them because they are huge. Some are 12 inches tall, and that just the actual flower head. I actually don't know their name so if any of you do, please let me know.

Kombucha Revenge

2010-06-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

Last night at 11pm I decided I needed some kombucha. 11 pm is late I know, but I stay up sometimes waiting for Gunnar to get home from work. A lot of times I will regret staying up so late because my son will wake up at who know's what time, like this morning (4:45 am). But it seems to become a cycle for me.

So anyways, I took a bottle out that we've had in the back for awhile. Granted not a long while, but awhile. Ok, I did not shake it, bonk it or disturb it in any matter and yet when I opened it it started to bubble up so intensely that I couldn't slurp it down fast enough. At one point I decided to stop trying to save it and just let it have its moment. I'm sure it was taking its revenge for being left in back of the fridge for so long.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Danielle

Cute cloud and craft failure

2010-06-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

I have been having fun with polymer clay lately. I made this little rain cloud hair clip the other day. It's fun just as a cloud but I decided to add three little "rain drop" beads. I think it makes it extra cute with them dangling from the rain cloud. This is going out to someone sweet with a couple other goodies.

Now presenting my CRAFT FAILURE

Ugh! One of my goals on this blog is to have fun crafty tutorials, and I was getting ready to present my first one. I was all excited to make Sidewalk Chalk using eggshells. I got everything ready, took lots of pictures and came out with this.

Crunchy, crumbly, can't even draw with it sidewalk chalk.

I was having growing suspicions that this would happen after I had molded them together and let them sit to dry. I even tried to write with them and....Nothing happened at all, just crumble, crumble, crumble. So in the words of my two year old "oh problem"( he tries to quote "oh bother" from Winnie the Pooh)

Oh well back to the drawing board.

Crafty Love,

Danielle

My First Published Design!!

2010-06-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

See this scarf? I designed this scarf for the magazine Crochet! Magazine. It was published in the March's edition. It was my first time designing and submitting to a magazine. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to do it again. I have it wrapped around my neck several times because its huge!

I wrapped it around our lamp post to show how long it is. Its over 6 feet long I think.

If you want to take a look at it on the model go here.

Here's Little Man modeling on his bike. No I didn't make him pose like that, he did it on his own.

Happy Mondays everyone!

Hot Off the Grill

2010-05-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how somethings come about in an instant and others have to be thought out and carefully planned. This is true for many things of life, its the flow of the process. But my recent example of this are these two necklaces. The other night I was walking by my crafts and happened to focus on the items in a box. TaDa!! This design hit me! I had all the ingredients, and it came out beautiful.

This other one I sat on forever

It started out as a pendant I made a while ago. But in a recent craft night with friends it became so much more, pairing random beads I've had for years together to make this asymmetrical necklace.

I like it! it kinda has a Alice in Wonderland feel.

Love,

Danielle

HookableDesigns Feature!

2010-05-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hey friends , Check out Transforme for HookableDesigns blog feature. If you comment, your in the drawing for a sweet pair of earrings!

Hooray!!

Love

Big Transitions!

2010-05-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've have my fair share of transitions over the years.... but nothing has compared to the transitions I've had this year. Even though I know alot has been taken from me....I KNOW alot has been given to me, and will be given to me in the days to come. Does that last part sound arrogant? I hope not, I hope it sounds promising and hopeful.

My year in a nutshell:

Lost Lydia two weeks before birth
Moved into a awesome house with 38 acres
Being surrounded by new( and old) friends that are a huge blessing to me
Heart is healing, my Etsy shop is growing.

In celebration of the first part of the last line here are some findings while browsing

This card is from VickletCreations its called "I thank you for your life" and even though the statement is simple and sweet it really is impacting. This would be perfect for a page in a scrapbook.

This is from HoneyBoo. She carries sweet and whimsical art and this one is lovely.

Love,
Me

A bundle of Scarf's!

2009-11-11T23:17:00.001-08:00

I seem to be slowly collecting scarfs with out being aware of it. I actually have more than this but I decided to show off these one. The first is just a thin knit. Knit is so easy and basic when making a scarf. You basically cut a long strip and thats it, you don't need to hem it or fawn over it because it doesn't unravel.

The third is a basic crocheted scarf in a wool blend yarn in a variegated color sceme of green. This was a skien and half of yarn, not much or very long, but enough to get a couple of wraps around the neck and very pretty.

The middle scarf I wanted to do a mini tutorial on it. Its very chic and in style right now and very easy to make. My sewing machine is in storage awaiting a home in our new house we should be moving in to soon(er). This makes me sad because I don't ever want to part from my sewing machine, even for a short time. But alas, I don't want to bring it to my temporary home (aka my parents house).

Do you see the edge of the scarf on the second picture? Its not sewn! I used Heat and Bond permanent iron on fusible adhesive. You can use any fabric to make this scarf really, except I would stay away from fleece. Stretch knits would be a little harder but still do-able.

What you need:

9-12 inches of 60 inch fabric ( 9-12 inches in width x 60 inches length)- if you pick a fabric that is already 60 inches wide thats great, you can use that width to be your length and just have the fabric cutter cut 1/4-1/3 yard of fabric for you.
Permanent Heat -N-Bond- 3/8 inch fusible tape
Scissors
Iron and Iron board

Lay your fabric down on the ironing board and lay your heat-n-bond down on the length of one side of the fabrics edge, about an inch from the actual edge (fusible side down, paper side up). With your iron on wool setting, iron on the paper side of the tape. Also make sure you read the instructions on the fusible tapes package for how long you need to iron.
Cut off excess and pull the paper backing from the fusible tape and fold the edge of the fabric over the tape( You are essentially making a hem. If you've ever made a hem before then you know this is easy, if you haven't then you'll soon find out that its easy). Iron the fabric over the fusible tape making sure that it has fused the two sides together. If it hasn't, no biggie, just go over it again until it does fuse into a permanent bond.
Cut off excess and repeat on the other side ( length side of course)
Now you have the two ends of the scarf that haven't been fused yet. Fold the scarf so the right sides of the unfused fabric are together. Fold one side back and iron on the fusible tape to one right side of the edge, place the other side of the fabric back on top of the other side that now has the ironed tape and iron fusing both sides together.

Your Done!

This makes your scarf into a loop in which you can loop around your neck for a comfy, chic scarf.

Of course after it was all said and done, Mr. Man also wanted a mug shot. Who could blame him he's cute!

Until another post!

Danielle Renee