resa likes colors

Colors of the Month!

2011-11-30T19:56:00.001-08:00

So I know it's the last day of November but I'm sneaking it in!!! I've been drawn to Cognac and Army Green as we transition from fall to winter. Green is one of my favorite colors and cognac colored leather is an obsession of mine lately.

I want that bag right now and that couch is the couch of my dreams (like most of the things at Restoration Hardware)

1. Wristwatch by NIXON at Net-a-porter 2. Snow Boots by Pajar at Lori's Shoes 3. 'pocket shopper' bag by Labour of Love at Farfetch 4. Drawstring Trouser Skirt by See by Chloé at La Carconne 5. Collins Leather Sofa at Restoration Hardware 6. Street Look at DuMoment 7. Bowery Sunglasses by Spy Optic at Zappos.com 8. Wedge Ankle Boot by Marc by Marc Jacobs at Jildor 9. Vintage French Square Leather Armchair at Restoration Hardware 10. Victoria Dress by IRO at The Outnet

Hope it was a great November ;)

Lira and Anthony's Wedding: Baking the Cake

2011-11-28T11:22:00.001-08:00

You've seen a little already from Lira and Anthony's wedding but I haven't shared the wedding cake I made! It was my first ever wedding cake, a bit nerve wracking but I think everyone was happy with the outcome :) It was a carrot cake and I made it pre-birthday Cuisinart, I was determined to have freshly grated carrots but I had a sore arm in the end because of it hehe.

Here's the recipe I used:

Carrot Cake

from Betty Crocker Cookbook New Edition

oven 350*

Grease bottom of two 8 inch or 9 inch pans w/shortening; lightly flour.

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. applesauce

3 large eggs

2 c. all purpose flour

2 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

3 c. shredded carrots

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

In large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and salt; beat on low speed 1 minute. stir in carrots and nuts. pour into pans.

Bake pans 30-35 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. cool completely; about 1 hour.

***I made two batches for my two tiered cake using 9" and 6" round pans

Here are my buttered and floured pans, I've been avoiding the cooking spray lately.

The apple sauce isn't in the original recipe but the bride suggested substituting half of the oil with the apple sauce. This is a nice way to make your cake a little more healthy without noticing, works great for things like banana bread, too.

I also chopped my raisins up a bit, I'm not a big fan of biting into a big soft raisin in the middle of my cake. By making the raising bits smaller, you still get the flavor without the globby spots.

Mixing things up in my vintage sunbeam mixer.

Here's a picture of my test cake, see the nice, small raisins?

A few days before the wedding I made a test cake to see how much cake I'd need to bake and to make sure that it would taste good! It was a perfect snack for everyone making paper flowers for the wedding (myself included) and it was a good sign when the only responses I was getting were mmmmmm, mmmhmm.

Colors of the Month!

2011-10-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

In honor of Lira and Anthony's wedding, this month's colors are Ruby and Violet. As we head into cooler weather, it is easy to fall into a world of black, gray and brown. Ruby red and Violet are the perfect colors to add some color to otherwise dark and gloomy season.

Here are some things I love in this month's colors. I have an obsession with Melissa jelly shoes and these red ones are to die for, everyone should have a pair of red flats in their closet! The vintage kimono has a great geometric pattern making it modern, pair with some opaque black tights and heels and you have the perfect evening outfit that you won't be freezing in. I am also in love with the red coat, it's just so good.

1. Alice & Olivia Sandra Brushstroke Satin Dress at Neiman Marcus 2. Mel Ice Flats at Lord and Taylor 3. Vintage Kimono at Free People 4. Red Bound Seam Duffle Coat at Top Shop 5. Emerald Cut Cocktail Ring at The Limited 6. Geo Sunglasses at American Appeal 7. Citizens of Humanity Thompson Skinny Jeans at Barneys New York 8. Boatneck Cable Poncho at LOFT 9. Patterson J. Kincaid Harlow Belted Dress at Revolve Clothing 10. Red Glass Cake Plate at Neiman Marcus

Happy October!

Lira and Anthony's Wedding: Paper Flowers

2011-10-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Having creative friends is pretty awesome especially when they are as generous as my friends Gloria and Perry. Our friends Lira and Anthony got engaged last year and as a Christmas gift Gloria and Perry offered to host the nuptials at their home. Many of the friends in our circle are familiar with putting on a production coming from various backgrounds including theater, film, television, music and fine art. It was pretty much a no brainer for a bunch of us to get together and help put on an awesome day for our deserving friends Lira and Anthony :)

Flowers are commonly used to decorate weddings but fresh flowers can be quite expensive and even a little boring. We gathered various materials in the color scheme of red and purple to make our own, fun and vibrant flowers. There is no way we could have gotten the visual variety and punch of color from real flowers. A few of us gathered a few days a week leading up to the wedding day and made flowers, lots and lots of flowers.

We scoured the Internet for different flower making techniques for inspiration and made paper flowers, plastic flowers, fabric flowers, ribbon flowers...you get the idea.

It looked like a full on floral shop when I had all the flowers laid out by color, preparing to make arrangements.

I'm kicking myself a little because I forgot to get a good shot of the bouquets I made, it can be hard to remember to stop and take pictures of your work sometimes. Here is a picture of the finished wreaths around jars with pretty little candles in them.

Here is another shot of the various ways flowers were used to decorate the space.

While there were skeptics about our paper flowers, it all came together and was an all around beautiful day. We definitely proved that you don't need real flowers to make a wedding look fantastic! I love that so many of the couples' friends had their hand in creating this important event for them, it made a special day even more special.

My involvement with this wedding did not stop at the flowers. We all know I love to bake and when I heard that the lovely bride, Lira planned to bake her own cake, I demanded that I make the cake. OK, maybe Gloria convinced me to do it too but I was happy to do it! I'll be posting the cake soon!

Colors of the Month!

2011-09-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

I know that September is just about over but I thought I could still sneak in the Colors of the Month. Orange and Blue are complimentary colors so naturally, they go well together. This month, I chose Saffron and Prussian Blue. The spicy, warm orange and yellow hues of saffron are a great transition to fall. Prussian Blue is one of my absolute favorite colors, I've taken many painting classes and I've always loved pulling out the tube of that rich, deep, slightly warm blue. Here are some items and inspirational photos of Saffron and Prussian Blue for you to take a look at :)

1. Watercolor Paint at Dick Blick 2. Saffron Tea at Saffron Spices 3. Dress by Thakoon at Revolve Clothing 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses at Amazon 5. Amy Digregorio at Couture Candy 6. Forzieri Pashmina Shawl at Forzieri 7. Oversized Cutwork Top at Asos 8. Donna Morgan Dress at Macys 9. Pretty Balloons at Paper n Stitch

Enjoy!

Pillow Talk

2011-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest ways to update and freshen up the look of your living rooms is through pillows! Now, I'm not the type that has a ridiculous amount of pillows on my couch, I just need a few.

I found this great Alexander Henry fabric at Michael Levine Fabric downtown. In a previous post I used the same fabric in blue to cover my dining chairs. I love the geometric pattern and the colors go well with the other items I have in my living room :)

I started by cutting squares with the pattern centered, then placed the pieces front to front and started to sew leaving a hole big enough for my had to fit through.

Once sewn, I turned the pillows inside out.

Next, I stuffed them with poly fill. In order for the pillow to keep it's shape, its important to over stuff it.

Finally, I did a tidy whip-stitch to finish the pillows off.

I fluffed the finished pillows and threw them on the couch. I love the way they compliment my favorite quilt!

Now, its a matter of how long these ones will last until I decide I want to redecorate again ;)

Colors of the Month!

2011-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

The kids may be heading back to school in some places but the summer is not over! Here in Cali we're still soaking up the sun. Sunny goldenrod and light ash remind us that the hottest heat of the year is likely still to come.

1. "Thumbprint" Outdoor Rug at Horchow 2. Kartell Ballet Flats at Yoox 3. Op Nouveau Necklace
at Anthropologie 4. Drawstring Tank Dress at American Apparel 5. Emilio Pucci Scarf at The Outnet 6. Striped Tank Dress at Bloomingdales 7. Beaded Necklace at Kate Spade 8. Alice & Olivia Maxi Skirt at Revolve Clothing 9. Lichen on Driftwood at Wanderin' Weeta 10. Jet Set Shirt at Barneys New York 11. KitchenAid Mixer in Buttercup at Chefs Catalog

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

12 black frames

2011-07-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

You may remember these frames from a post I did a couple years ago (seen here). That was in our old house when I had decorated everything in royal blue and kelly green. Now that we're in our current place, I've been trying to go for a more sophisticated (but still fun and eclectic) look. As I've mentioned in other recent posts, I'm just now getting around to decorating our place...1 and a half years later.

While I still love green, I wanted to take these frames down a notch. I love the look of a crisp, clean black frame, it really showcases the artwork inside it and it creates a great graphic look on the wall.

All I did was lay a tarp down outside and started to spray paint the frames, layer by layer. Spraying the paint in light layers creates an even finish without the blotchy spray paint look. This is especially important when using gloss paint as I did here.

We have a couple dozen cards by Gwen Frostic, a Michigan block print artist, that we've collected on our yearly trips to Northern Michigan. There are cute frogs and raccoons, pretty trees and sunsets and an array of elegant birds. They remind me of the beautiful scenery we enjoy every summer up there. These were the perfect thing for these frames, showcasing something sentimental to the both of us.

I simply centered the cards on sheets of plain white paper and secured them with glue dots.

Once framed, I used yarn and painters tape to create level guides on the wall for hanging the pictures. Make sure you have a measuring tape on hand to make sure your spacing is even between frames too.

I'm really happy with the final result. Having art on the walls really does help a house feel like a home, especially when its something special and unique.

I thought this would be a good post because I'm heading to Michigan tomorrow for our annual trip, I'll see you guys when I get back!

The Goods

2011-07-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have known about the Renegade Craft Fair for a couple years but always seem miss it when it comes to Los Angeles. Luckily this weekend, a couple of friends invited me to go with them, they had a friend selling soap at the fair. When I figured out that it was the Renegade Craft Fair, I was so excited.

LOVE that its a free event, even parking was free. Also love that its held close to my house, I could ride my bike there if I wanted to!

I of course had to support my friend's friend of Bunny Butt Apothecary. They had a wonderful selection of handmade soaps in an array of cleverly named scents from 'Chai Town' to 'Let them eat Birthday Cake'. I loved the fresh and fruity smell of the 'Currant Events' perfume oil. I don't usually use scented products or wear perfume but sometimes I want to smell a little special and this is the perfect clean, not too sweet smell. Just a dab will do ya!

I'm no expert at craft fairs but I've been to a few. Sometimes there is a lot of cutesy grandma type crafts, or straight up amature items. You have to see a lot of losers before you find a winner. This fair however, was not the case! Every vendor was great. I probably could have bought something from each vendor if I had the means to do so. Everyone was an artist and craftsperson, the time and skill showed in their work.

Here is an adorable crocheted cactus my friend bought for her mom.

And here is the pile of things my boyfriend and I bought for ourselves. We both went a little crazy but are so happy to have some unique items for our wardrobes and our home. It feels great to meet the artists who made the items you purchased and to support their craft.

Now, I have signed up with the Renegade Craft Fair newsletter and won't miss a show again! It was such a nice day and was really inspiring. Can't wait for the Holiday show this December!

Renegade Craft Fair!

2011-07-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to go to the Renegade Craft Fair for a long time, I almost missed it! I guess 'carmageddon' distracted me. I'm headed there today with a few friends, I'll let you know how it is!

Framed!

2011-07-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

We've all got 'em... cheap Ikea prints hanging on our walls. Don't get me wrong, they can be a great, inexpensive way to add some art to your home. However, it is also pretty easy to take it to the next level and personalize the art in your home.

I bought these framed photographs at Ikea on sale for a steal a year or two ago. While the classic New York photographs are lovely, I always intended on putting something of my own in there. It took me a while to finally do it but once I did it only took about 20 minutes.

Because the frame was not intended to ever be opened, it took a little extra muscle to pry the back off the frame. Luckily it was just stapled in, no glue.

Next I wiped off the glass with a dryer sheet. Just like it helps with static on your clothes, it helps keep dust from sticking to other things. Try wiping down your electronics with a dryer sheet, it will help keep the dust away a little longer :)

Next I measured the size of the existing images and then, on my computer, re-sized some pictures of me and my boyfriend. I don't have a lot of photographs up in my house so I thought this was a good opportunity to show off some cute pictures of us we've taken over the years.

I made them black and white, pumped up the contrast a little and printed them out on my little ink jet printer. I know many people don't own printers but I think its an awesome investment. I have had my printer/scanner/copier since college. I bought it for $60 from a friend and have had it ever since. You can print cards, pictures, art, even wrapping paper on it, not to mention the practical uses like printing out boarding passes and concert tickets.

I cut the pictures down to size and glued them right over the existing print. The original prints were in a horizontal format, I decided to go vertical with mine.

Once the pictures were glued into place, I just had to staple the back on.

Here is the finished product hung next to my Los Angeles map from ork posters which I love. They are also an inexpensive way to add some art to your home and make fantastic gifts.

It feels so good to have things up on our walls finally! It only took me a year and a half...

Pinwheels!

2011-07-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Here is another recycled security envelope project, perfect for the holiday! The blue patterns of the envelopes plus a little red construction paper, equals a cute, patriotic decoration.

First I cut down the security envelopes to the largest size squares possible. They ended up being 3 3/4" by 3 3/4". Then I cut some red construction paper squares the same size.

Next, cut on the diagonal about 2" into the center from each corner.

With a tiny dot of hot glue in the center, bring every other corner into the center and secure. Now, these pinwheels are not functioning, just decorative. However, if you wanted to, these could easily be punctured in the centers and attached to a stick with a pin, free to spin in the breeze!

For the finishing touch, I used pinking shears to cut out small circles. I glued them into the centers of each pinwheel in opposing colors to hide the glue.

I had made some strawberry bread this weekend to bring to a brunch and these pinwheels were the perfect festive touch!

I had never made pinwheels before, but now that I know how easy they are, I might be making them all the time! In some nice bright colors and patterns these could be strung together to make a really fun garland for a summer party!

Colors of the Month!

2011-07-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't done colors of the month in a while but the blog is called 'Resa Likes Colors' so I need to get back on it, haha. Here's an easy one, red, white and blue. A classic color combination, nothing is more American. Here are my choices for a perfect patriotic summer.

1. Market Umbrella at Pottery Barn 2. 4th of July Pinwheel Picks at Crate & Barrel 3. Striped Bandeau dress at Top Shop 4. White Dress at Yumi Kim 5. Blue Link necklace at J. Crew 6. Red Keds at Zappos 7. Skinny Jeans at Planet Blue 8. Coaster Set at Velocity 9. Bow Sandals at Shoe Box 10. Gingham napkins at Sur La Table 11. Cake stand at Macys

I would have all these things at my perfect 4th of July backyard barbecue. Easy, simple and effortless.

Recovering Chairs

2011-06-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

This isn't the first time I have recovered my dining chairs but since we have lived in our current house, I've wanted to re-decorate everything. At our last place I went with a royal blue and kelly green theme, going for a fun, young look. It was a huge place, great for parties and the funky, bright colors worked well. Now that my boyfriend and I have our own place, I want to make it our home. Of course we've lived here for a year and a half now, and I am just getting to all these decorating projects!

I even bought this fabric months ago, with the intention of recovering the chairs and making new pillows for the couches.

Finally! The chairs are done and it was so easy.

First, I flipped the chairs over and unscrewed the seat. Only four screws and it's off.

Then I pulled out the old staples from the last time I covered the chairs.

You can see why they need to be covered in the first place, the original upholstery is pretty darn ugly. We bought the 7 piece dining set from CORT furniture. They are a rental company but they also have show rooms where they sell used furniture. I would totally recommend checking them out if you're in the market for some new furniture, the whole set, table and 6 chairs was only $400 bucks! Plus, it is in great condition, a few scratches and dents but nothing compared to used furniture you'd find in a thrift store.

With this particular pattern fabric, It was important to center the pattern on the seat. I laid the fabric over the cushion before trimming it to size, making sure the pattern was centered.

Once cut, I flipped the cushion over, making sure to keep the fabric in place and stapled around the edge of the seat to secure. To keep the fabric centered, put one staple on each of the four edges of the seat, pulling taut each time, then staple the rest. Here you can see my corners, neatly folded.

It is amazing what a difference changing the fabric on the chairs makes. While I liked the old pattern for our old place, I think this new fabric is a little more mature and pulled together. The bold pattern still keeps it a little funky ;)

Junk Mail Queen

2011-06-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while, you'll know about my hand-spun, junk mail clutch purses. Apparently, I'm the queen of junk mail because my latest obsession is security envelopes!

I was in a bit of a crunch for time, I had a baby shower to go to and while I managed to find the time to pick up a gift, I got home and realized I had no gift wrapping supplies. I guess after Christmas last year, I was so busy I never replenished my stash.

I had planned to make the card by hand already, I love handmade cards, they add a personal touch to a gift. I started by sketching little onesies on some card stock until I was happy with the size and shape, then cut it out to use as a template.

I picked three different patterns that were similar but had slightly different shades of blue to give it a little variety. I cut them out, glued them on a blank card and...done. Super easy and fast.

Then for gift wrapping, I had no boxes the appropriate size and no gift bags that would work either. Honestly, I don't usually have gift bags unless someone gave me a gift in it. I love gift wrapping presents and think gift bags have killed the art of gift wrapping. Of course, here I am, ultimately using a gift bag, haha.

I always keep a stash of shopping bags that I can use later to tote things around. They are good to use instead of your fabric re-usable bags when you're taking something somewhere and you don't want to worry about getting your bag back. So, I had a Banana Republic bag that was just about the right size for my gift. As Banana Republic does not have a baby line (though maybe they should!), I wanted to cover the logo.

I cut a few strips of the security envelopes I had used on the card and layered them over the logo to cover it. Stuck a few pieces of yellow tissue in the bag and I was off to the baby shower!

While this was a quick, simple fix, it was almost all free and green! Who wouldn't love that?

who?

2011-06-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

During my stay in NYC, a friend mentioned the store MUJI to me. I checked it out and fell in love with their paper products. I picked up a few note pads for myself and a bunch of NYC cutout cards to send to my family. The prices are great and they have really nice, simple clothing and home goods. I'm bummed they don't have any locations out here in Cali but I did grab this beautiful cardboard owl puzzle for myself and one for my sister.

It came as a few small sheets of punched cardboard, neatly packaged.

The instructions seemed way too simple compared to the seemingly complicated puzzle.

I carefully punched out all the tiny pieces of cardboard, making sure to keep the tiny numbers face up.

Once I started to assemble the bird, it was much easier than it looked. I was able to finish it in one sitting.

Here is the final product! I LOVE the wings of the owl, it's such a great little sculptural piece.

Now it sits on a shelf above my television. Such a cool little bird and for less than $15! It makes a great gift too, my sister has hers sitting on her desk at work :)

Looking back on NYC

2011-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back from New York City and happy to be home. Everyone keeps asking me how my trip was expecting me to be overly excited and say I had an amazing time. While I had a great experience working on a Broadway show and living in a different city for a couple months, I can't say I fell in love with NYC. To be fair, I was working long days, 6 days a week and living Midtown in one of the smallest, crappy, cliche New York apartments. I still love New York but I'm not IN love with New York.

The view from my apartment.

The subway wall. Gross, yes, but also beautiful in its own way.

For me, the weather and the space I have in LA can't top New York. Cold weather sucks. However, there are a few things about the big apple that you just can't find in SoCal. Of course, the amazing architecture. You can feel the history as you walk down the street, staring up at the gorgeous buildings adorned with beautiful details aged just so. Then, you walk into an unassuming friend's apartment building and see this. I would love to see this in the entry of MY building everyday.


A day in Harlem.

Another great thing about New York is the flea markets and thrift stores. The east coast is simply older than the west coast and there are more homes filled with old treasures that you would just never see here on the west coast. On the few days I had off, I would walk the city, exploring the neighborhoods. The first flea market I went to I stumbled upon on my way back from a day of walking around the city. There were tables filled with items that looked like they had been sitting in Grandpa's shed for years and racks of old fur coats that ladies would sport on a cold winter evening out, back before PETA existed.

The picture below is of the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg. It is located on the East River Waterfront which has an amazing view of Manhattan as you can see peeking through the shelf of rusty metal items. In addition to the great selection of old furniture, nicknacks and jewelry, there are also many artists that sell their wares along with a lovely selection of tasty snacks. I had some delicious pupusas and fried plantains...mmm...

I bought this monocle necklace at the Brooklyn Flea as well. Here I am looking at prospect park through it. My last week was spent in Park Slope, Brooklyn where I stayed with an old friend. After nearly two months in midtown, Park Slope was definitely more my speed. The vibe of the neighborhood reminded me a lot of home, in Atwater Village. A quiet neighborhood filled with young families and a nice selection of small cafes and shops. Lovely.

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I had never been away from home for more than a week or two and, I've always called Los Angeles my home. For the first time, it felt really strange to be home. The sky seemed so big and bright, the air so warm and...foreign. It took me a good couple weeks to re-acclimate but I am happy to be home.

I am taking it easy this summer after hitting it pretty hard for several months on the work front. I started to lose myself, working so much that I have neglected this blog, my arts and crafts, and sadly, my friends and family. I've already been able to take a few weekend trips to spend quality time with some family and there are only more ahead. Hopefully this summer will be just what I need to jump start my creativity and you'll be seeing more posts!

I'm not making any promises...

2011-03-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

For the last three and a half weeks I have been in New York City working on a new Broadway musical called Baby its You! While I have been pretty busy and haven't seen much outside the theater and my tiny Hells Kitchen apartment, I take advantage of my Sundays off. I'm here for two months working and I don't want to have been here that long and not have experienced the city past midtown. Today's romp through the city was so good it has inspired me to post!

I stared my day by dropping my laundry off for some fluff n' fold and headed over to the Renaissance Diner for some breakfast. I sat next to the fire and caught up on the news while I ate my peasant omelet (I love the New York Times iphone app)
After making a few calls from Madison square park, I decided to head over to another park, the highline. The highline is an elevated park constructed over an old freight rail from the 1930s. This is my favorite view from my walk, out in the distance is the statue of liberty :)After a quick bite at the Chelsea Market, I stumbled across this flea market on my way home. There were so many great old things there, it looked like people raided old basements and brought all the stuff there to sell. So many great old cameras, costume jewelry, old tools and various other objects.I've been in search of a new pair of cheap sunglasses and these ones were calling my name. I saw them on a table of hundreds of sunglasses and these were the first and last ones I picked up. It's hard to tell from the picture but the tops are blue and the bottoms are tortoise shell...love 'em!

The Jet Magazine is from 1968 and I had to get it because we use a copy with one of our characters on the cover in the show, what are the odds I'd find a real copy?And finally, some old keys. I had gone to an estate sale once and passed on a bunch of awesome old keys. I always regretted that decision. Even though It's a pretty popular motif in jewelry these days, I can't wait to find some pretty ribbons to string these on and wear!

I'm not making any promises but I hope to post at least a few more times while I'm sill in New York. Have a great week!

Holiday Revamp

2010-12-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

I know its been a while but I'm not giving up on this blog! Even with my busy schedule I have still managed to do some crafty projects around the house and have even taken pictures of them. Last year, I was broke and made all my holiday decorations out of things I had around the house including this wreath of yarn balls and plastic bag puffs. It seems wasteful to throw out my decorations from last year so I just did a revamp.

First, I pulled out all the plastic and shiny parts. I decided to stick to a more natural theme this year.
Next I added cinnamon scented pine cones to fill in the holes. I simply tied a piece of string around the pine cone and tied it to the cardboard ring.

Here I'm almost done filling in the gaps.
Then, for a little bit of color, I added a red bow. Here is how I like to finish the ends of my ribbons. Fold the ribbon in half and cut on angle from the fold up to the open corners.
Once I tied my bow, I attached it to the wreath just like the pine cones.
Here it is finished, hanging nicely on our door. The scented pine cones make the house smell like the Holidays!Happy Holidays everyone!!!

wrap it up

2010-08-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Although I am extremely tired, these wedding presents needed to get wrapped.

I started with my favorite, plain craft paper. It makes a great, blank canvas and you don't to spend a lot of money on yards and yards of expensive wrapping paper to cover your gift boxes.
Instead, you can use smaller pieces of the expensive paper to decorate. I also think it highlights the pattern and texture of the gift wrap. For another texture, I used this paper yarn that I have had for years. It hasn't proven to be very practical yarn for knitting, but as an alternative to a ribbon it works quite well.
It is hard to see in these pictures but the paper yarn is a beautiful deep purple color that compliments the petals in the rice paper quite well. Here you can see I simply cut a wide strip of the rice paper, wrapped it around the gift and secured in the back. I braided several strands of the yarn and wrapped that over the strip of rice paper.
This was simple, yet elegant and sure to stand out on the table of wedding gifts. Even when you're in a crunch, you can easily create a lovely wrapped gift without spending much money.

slacker

2010-08-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Lets get this thing going again! New look, new post.

I know it appears that I have fallen off the face of the earth, but I'm still here, I've just been a slacker. Juggling a pretty much full time job with everything else in life, plus writing a blog and managing an Etsy store is hard!

I do however, miss blogging. It is the best way to motivate myself to create and keeps my artistic juices flowing.

While I haven't been posting anything, I have managed to document a lot of the baking I've done in the last few months. Here are some of them!

A baked egg with bacon over a buttermilk biscuit served with potatoes, a fresh salad and berries with yogurt for a nice Mother's Day brunch.

Blue vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles for my blue haired friend's birthday :)Taking advantage of the delicious fruits of the summer, I made many fruit cobblers like this peach and raspberry one.

I've grown up eating lots of banana bread but never thought to try strawberry bread! This one is thanks to my boyfriend's mom :)My ultimate goal is to focus on design, color and craft but baking is a huge part of my creativity. Living in southern California, I am so lucky to have such wonderful produce available to me. The colors and textures of the fruits and vegetables I see at my local farmer's market inspire me create. On the flip side, I like to take a simple, vanilla, boxed cake mix, add some food color and a few sprinkles to create some special cupcakes for a good friend's birthday.

This is a new beginning for this blog and for my creativity. I'll be blogging for better or worse!

picture perfect

2010-05-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

I was looking out my window one day after I had posted this month's colors and noticed the orange tree and bougainvillea growing into each other. How perfect?
The bright flowers and yummy citrus is making me eager for summer!
We've lived in our cute little house for a little more than three months now and I'm finally starting feel settled in. Work has calmed down and I've started to actually have some time at home. We still have some boxes to unpack and furniture shopping to do but I've begun to start thinking about these blank walls...
I've pulled out all the things I have already and finally purchased a frame for my Los Angeles poster (by ork posters) and a new mirror. This place already feels like home and I'm so excited to take the next step and really make it ours.
I've moved quite a bit in the last three years and feel like this is somewhere where I want to stay for a while. I'll be keeping you posted on the progress!

colors of the month!

2010-04-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

This month's colors were inspired by my recent nail polish purchases. I picked up a bottle of magenta and a bottle of tangerine, nice bright colors to celebrate sandal weather!

1. Silk Mini Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs on Polyvore 2. Silk Chiffon by Cheenara on Etsy 3. Imogen Sandals by Kate Spade 4. Multi-strand Necklace by Marni at Net-a-Porter 5. Crepe-satin Blazer by Vanessa Bruno at Net-a-Porter 6. Gail Dress by Kate Spade 7. Bora Bora Tote by Mad Imports at endless 8. Mini Dress by Missoni at Tobi 9. Inspirational photo at Alkemie 10. Ray Necklace by BrokenFingersArt on Etsy

I totally want to rock the Marc by Marc Jacobs mini dress, perfect for a Sunday stroll to the local Farmers Market. Magenta and Tangerine make me excited for the warm weather to come!

resa couture

2010-04-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Award season has passed, I know, but I'm still playing catch up.

I have a tendency to take on somewhat ridiculously ambitious projects time to time and this was no exception. Somehow I convinced myself that rather than searching for a tasteful gown that would fit my 12 year old figure, it would be 'easier' and 'cheaper' to make myself a dress. Now remember, I was waist deep into working on the Oscars, had just moved weeks before and had already entertained about a half a dozen house guests during the mere handful of days I had off.

One week till the show, my last two days off. This is what I made.

I didn't completely start from scratch, I know a little better than that. I found a picture of a dress that I liked online (the link is now long gone...) and realized that the top part of the dress was very much like a dress I already own. I took the dress and flattened out each panel on some news print and sketched the shapes onto the paper.
I of course ended up falling in love with $35/yard fabric but I think it was well worth it. The silhouette of the dress was very simple so the bronze metallic reptile textured fabric was worth every penny. Once I had all the pieces drawn and cut, I pinned them to the fabric to cut out.The iron was very helpful when constructing the bodice, keeping everything neat and crisp.
While I was nervous about the fabric being too flashy, I think it ended up being wonderfully subtle and understated.I definitely had a few moments of panic like when I sewed in a zipper that was too short and got stuck in the dress or when I accidentally ripped a hole in the dress when trying to undo a seam but, somehow I managed to pull it off! If I had the time, I probably would have made the waistline a little higher and added something under the skirt to give it a little more fullness but the fact I even finished was a success.

In the end I'm really glad I was crazy enough to make my dress. I have a habit of making things that I don't ever end up wearing or never even finish. I didn't have a back up plan so I had to make it work one way or another!

overdue easter

2010-04-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

My computer has been repaired! Yay! Unfortunately, I didn't have it for Easter so this post is about a week overdue...

I love to decorate eggs but it is hard to do it when there are no kids around. This year I decided to decorate a few by myself because, I wanted to.
I didn't have the time to do anything too fancy so I pulled out the food colors I had and squeezed the different colors out on a plate. Added a fine paint brush and was ready to rock.I just painted whatever I felt, my favorite was the chartreuse zigzag :)
I've really got to find some kids to do crafts with around here. While I thoroughly enjoyed painting my eggs, It would have been much better with some young creative company.

I hope everyone had a nice Easter and/or Passover!

how do I live without my computer???

2010-03-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Bad news, the screen on my 2007 Macbook pro has died.

Luckily I have apple care and it can be fixed but I will find out how long I will be without it tonight...ugh. I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging more often but this is certainly a set back. I was even half way through a new post before the screen crapped out!

Thank goodness I'm using a different computer at work right now but I can't really make the creative polished blog posts I'd like to without all my files and stuff. Since my computer is the topic of discussion, here are some of my favorite laptop decals to enjoy!

I love the simple, sleek design of apple products and don't want to cover it up. I prefer simple, witty yet subtle designs to personalize. This one is for the surrealists at heart:
For those of us who much prefer simple, old school video games:
This one is just cute:
I love wood texture and would like to put it on just about anything, why not my computer?
Once my computer turns 3 this fall, I might consider buying a new one and possibly jazzing it up with one of these decals. As for the next few days, I'm going to feel like a part of me is missing. Pathetic, I know.

AHH! I'm back with colors of the month!!!

2010-03-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being gone for so long but I was busy, busy, busy, working on the Academy Awards (awesome right?), moving to the beautiful Atwater Village, entertaining house guests and making a gown for the big show on my days off. I spent the last two weeks catching up on some much needed sleep and did some much overdue unpacking. While I am thrilled to be making money again, I do miss the time I had to dedicate to this blog and my personal projects. I have some more work lined up but I am hoping to balance work and blogging a little better.

Ooops! February was a color-less month but lets bring it back into gear with a late March color combo, pretty peach and silvery grey.
I am not usually a fan of peach or any pastel really, but I've been seeing a lot of the peach and grey combination lately and I'm totally digging it. The feminine peach paired with the cool grey makes it a really modern, soft look for spring.

1. Kimberly Taylor Razorback Dress at StyleCaster 2. Lucia Mar Cocktail Ring at DanNijo 3. Wonton Toe Ring Sandals by Chie Mihara at ShopBop 4. Scarlett Sunglasses by Tom Ford at Bergdorf Goodman 5. Dear Sparrow Head Band by pieces by na.la on Flickr 6. Octopus Hair Comb by relishdress on Etsy 7. Vintage Clip Earrings from VintageStarrBeads on Etsy 8. Rainy day ballet flats at J.Crew 9. Offset Chevron Peyote Cuff by Sand Fibers on Flickr 10. Vera Moda Printed Satin Dress at asos 11. Barbie Girl Handspun Yarn by simplytwisted on Etsy.

I have to say, I'm having a hard time picking my favorite peach and grey items. The sandals and ballet flats would be a lovely addition to my collection and I adore the Kimberly Taylor dress. I have begun a dress obsession lately, It is so easy to wear them! One piece of clothing and you're done.

I'm glad to be back and blogging again! I look forward to sharing my new projects and yummy adventures soon :)

Happy Belated New Year!

2010-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'm very aware that I have been MIA lately and I truly miss being able to blog as much as I did a few months ago. The good news is I am working and making money, yay! I am also in the process of finding a new place to live and will hopefully start the moving process this coming weekend :)

Luckily, one thing I have continually done in the last few months has been documenting some of my yummy adventures.

If you aren't aware (and have been living under a rock), there has been a huge gourmet food truck movement in Los Angeles since the Kogi Truck arrived at the end of 2008. I know many people have weird hang ups about eating food from a truck. They are seriously missing out.
This is a picture of my Cheesy Mac and Rib grilled cheese sandwich and tater tots from the Grilled Cheese Truck. (I'm not gonna lie, it was really greasy. But soo good.)
I love going to farmers market as much for the fresh produce as I do for the wonderful selection of hot food vendors. These are delicious pupusas at the Atwater Farmers Market.And finally, these are a couple burger creations my boyfriend and I ordered at The Counter. There are a few locations on the Westside, this particular night we ate at the Pasadena location.
The Counter has been around for a few years now, I first discovered it at the Santa Monica Location. You get a clip board when you arrive that has your choice of bun, patty, and a wide array of toppings and sauces to choose from. The sweet potato fries are good and I personally enjoy the fried pickle chips :)Mmm...I'm getting hungry...

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! I realized that I hadn't posted my Christmas Tree decorations and thought that today would be perfect! More puff balls of course!

I made some clear plastic puffs out of a roll of gift wrapping plastic and I think they may be my favorite puffs! They are sparkly and look like they are glowing in front of the Christmas lights on the tree.
Notice the paper chain I made for the tree. I used brown paper bags, plain white printer paper and some off white card stock I had laying around. To learn how to make this paper chain, check it out here.Here you can see that I liked the clear plastic puff so much that I made it my tree topper. It's so sparkly!I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with how the tree turned out considering I made all the decorations from bits and pieces of old craft supplies and recycled materials. it was certainly very cheap (free except for the Christmas tree) and very simple too! Making a fluffy puff ball doesn't take much expertise or perfection but the end result is fun and casual!

white christmas

2009-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

After I wrote my last post about the color of the month, I received my daily Etsy shopping guide. Looks like I'm not the only one dreaming of a white Christmas. As you know, I have been busy making white puff-balls out of all sorts of things like yarn, plastic bags and paper. Finally, I made enough to start actually decorating with them! Here is the wreath I created.
I found a piece of cardboard laying around my house and used some mixing bowls to trace a ring shape onto it.
Next I cut out the ring and simply used some thin string to tie on all the different puffs. When putting the string around the puffs, I made sure to neatly hide it in the center of each one.The wreath turned out very cute, I really love the way all the different textures look together! It will be a nice welcome to our New Years guests!

color of the...month!

2009-12-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

As you've probably noticed, I have not been able to blog much lately. I've been working a lot lately but also have had to deal with some pretty heavy situations and on top of it all I'm moving next month! In light of all these time consuming things, I will be doing colors of the month instead of colors of the week since they are pretty time consuming posts. It will also give me a chance to really incorporate the colors into my other posts.

This month, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

1. Marimekko tablecloth/napkin at Crate and Barrel 2. Palm Canyon Top at Shopbop 3. Sweater Sleeve Candle at Anthropologie 4. Coral Lamp at Horchow 5. Patchwork Lace Shift Dress at Bloomingdale's 6. Braided Magnetic Cuff Bracelet at Couture Candy 7. White river stone mat at VivaTerra 8. White Tea and Ginger Cocoa Butter Soap by DancingMooney on Etsy 9. Long White Blosson corsage brooch by aaliciawedding on Etsy 10. Dick and Jane Snowball Scarf by BossyBootsDesign on Etsy 11. Dolman Sleeve Dress by James Perse

I love white in the winter. I think the years of "winters" spent in Los Angeles make me crave fluffy, snowy, white. My decorations this year are all the things I could find in my craft closet that were any shade of white, cream, grey and silver. What I love about white and the lack of color, is that texture really stands out. I've had lots of fun layering white yarn, paper, plastic, tissue and fabric to create all my decorations for free!

plastic snowballs

2009-12-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

I first made tissue paper pom poms here and made some yarn ones here. My big plan is to make as many different kinds of puff balls as I can out of stuff I already have in my house to use as my holiday decorations. I'm going for a snowball inspired look using shades of white, cream and grey. I guess it's my way of having snow in Los Angeles for the holidays...for free ;)
Take an ordinary plastic bag, flatten it out.Cut off the bottom seam, leaving the bottom of the bag open. Keep the scrap piece for later.Then cut straight across to remove the handles, creating an even rectangle. Save the handle scraps to make smaller pom poms later.Next, cut out the printed portion of the bag. For this project, I don't want any color but I will definitely hang on to the colored parts for wrapping presents.Once you have 8 sheets of plastic, stack them on top of each other (trim any sheets that aren't the same size) and fold them using an accordion fold.
Once folded, cut the ends into your desired shape. Here I cut the ends into points, rounded ends make a nice scallop when fluffed.Tie the center tight using that piece of plastic you cut off the bottom of the bag. Then fan out each side and separate the layers.Fluff until you are happy with the way it looks. I think it looks just like the tissue paper version only this one is free and separating the layers is easier because of the slick plastic.
I hope you guys don't get tired of puff ball, pom pom tutorials because there are more on the way! I've got a few fabric and paper streamer puff techniques too. Once I've made enough, I'll be showing you how to make garlands, wreaths and Christmas tree ornaments out of them!

art i like

2009-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

Tina Berning. I wish I could do what she does with ink and watercolors. Most of her work is illustrations for numerous magazines depicting gorgeous fashion models or famous icons. Her ability to create such clean, romantic figures with only a few strokes makes me incredibly envious.

One of my favorite outfits is the simple, classic look of a trench and turtle-neck as shown so wonderfully here.
This is the perfect example of Tina Berning's incredible talent, creating the most elegant silhouette with only a few key strokes.The gold bird is my favorite part of this painting.
Robert Kennedy. I remember having to do a contour line drawing portrait of my dad sitting on the couch using one single line back in high school. This reminds me of that drawing.
To see more of Tina Berning's work click here. I hope you like her paintings and illustrations as much as I do. Happy Tuesday!

colors of the week!

2009-11-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

Fuchsia Pink and Cobalt Blue. I feel like the colors I have been picking lately are a little on the conservative side so this week I punched it up a bit. Pink and blue can be very juvenile colors but can be done in a fun grown-up way too.
I am totally loving the blue room with the pink couch, what a great punch of contrast. I am also wanting that blue suit, the shimmer of the fabric would make it a great new years eve outfit. You would definitely make a statement walking into a room in that!

1. Trouser Suit found at diadiwan.com 2. Vintage Stacking Bangles from TrueColorsForYou on Etsy 3. Angie Mini Hobo Tote by Loveamarie on Etsy 4. Dichroic Glass Earrings by Botticelli on Etsy 5. Notting Hill Home by Ilse Crawford at apartmenttherapy.com 6. 'A clash of Color' street look at refinery29.com 7. Asymmetrical Mod Swimsuit by jessjamesjake on Etsy 8. Colorblock Sandal at Newport News 9. Pearl Cascading Earrings by lv2cr8 on Etsy 10. Satin Floral Tulip Skirt at Forever 21

So, as I was typing these in, I realized that most of these items are more summer appropriate (like the swimsuit). While I do live in southern California and yes, you could still wear shorts outside during the day, I am not out of touch with weather...not completely anyways. The suit could be rocked all year as far and I am concerned and throw on a pair of tights or leggings with the skirt or dress and you're set for cooler temps. The swimsuit...perfect for that indoor hot tub at your winter cabin ;)

deck the halls

2009-11-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the Anthropologie window display I saw a few weeks ago, I went through my craft closet and dug out all the materials I had in shades of white, cream and grey. While all the puff balls in the display were made of paper and plastics, I decided that I'd try yarn and fabric too. I don't have the money to spend on Christmas/Hannukah decorations this year and I figure I have so many supplies that sit in my closet all year, might as well put them to use!
Here I just took the yarn back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until I thought there was enough fullness.Tied it off in the center......puff!Here I am cutting the ends of a smaller one, to make a pom-pom look......puff!I'll be sticking to this theme of cream, white and grey puffs to make myself my very own white Christmas in southern California. I've pulled some fabric out already and I'm also going to do some things with paper and plastic materials I find around the house. I can't wait to get a Christmas tree!

just nutty

2009-11-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

In addition to those ginger cookies I made a couple days ago, I also made a couple pecan pies. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with how well they turned out.
I personally hate frozen pie crusts and they always seem to stick and burn when I've used them. As much as I wish it wasn't Martha's recipe, she does have a really simple pie crust recipe that I like to use. *the key to a good pie crust is really cold butter, chopped up into cubes and ice cold water.
Once the flour, sugar, salt, butter and water are combined and begin to form a good dough, separate into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. When ready, roll out on a lightly floured surface. I have this rolling mat which has nice guides on it so you know how much to roll the dough.
When large enough, fold the dough in half twice until it looks like this:Then place it into a pie plate, sprayed with a little pam to keep the crust from sticking. Unfold the dough and trim the edges.Fold in edges and make your decorative edge. This is how I made mine (sorry for the blurry picture, had to take it with no hands ;) )For the filling, I just used the recipe on the bottle of Dark Karo syrup. The only thing I changed was the amount of pecans, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of pecans but I used 2 big cups. I prefer my pecan pie to have more nuts than gooey filling. I just love the flavor of the roasted, candied pecans!!!
Pecan pie is so easy, just mix up the 6 ingredients and pour into the pie crust. I like to arrange the top layer of pecans to look nice and tidy. 60 minutes in the oven at 350 F and ta-da! Yummy goodness, makes the house smell soo good.Mmmm, talking about the pie makes me want to cut a slice right now! I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

cookie therapy

2009-11-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving will be a cozy one, just my parents, grandma and boyfriend. I'm missing all my family that won't be here and I'm generally a little blue but baking is the best therapy. These soft ginger cookies are my favorite to bake, eat and give away. I'd have to say they are my most popular cookie, people get addicted to them!
The original recipe is from AllRecipes.com but I'll take you step by step and show you a couple tips that I've learned after making so many of them.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened (I usually use a stick an a half of unsalted butter instead)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (I just use a whisk to combine) and set aside.In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Next, beat in egg. When adding the molasses and water, I mix them together first, watering down the molasses, making it easy to pour. Once combined, gradually add the dry ingredients until everything is well mixed and the dough begins to form a ball.
The recipe says to roll walnut-sized balls of the dough in sugar but I always add a few dashes of the the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the sugar to give the cookies some extra flavor.
I like to slightly press the cookies onto the ungreased cookie sheet, sometimes the cookies can puff up a little. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies puff up a little and crack on the top when they turn out well. They also have a lovely sparkle from the sugar. I have found that weather can effect the cookies and they sometimes fall a little flat but they always taste good!
I will probably make dozens and dozens of these cookies through Christmas, I love bringing them to work, they always disappear quickly and put everyone in a good mood. There is something about those spices that bring on a warm, happy feeling... ;)

I'm happy the holiday season has finally begun because I have an excuse to bake these cookies! If I don't post tomorrow, have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

colors of the week!

2009-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

I wanted to pick a color combination that would be appropriate for the holiday this week, something warm and fall-like. Just like Thanksgiving dinner, Chocolate and Gold are rich and decadent.
While at first I fought against the metallic trend, I have now started to embrace it. Along with metallics go glitter and sparkle which again, are not really a part of my style but done in the right way can really add a classy, expensive-looking touch to an outfit or craft project.

1. Mini Textured EnveloCards by SimplyInvitingCards on Etsy 2. Judith Leiber Dream Weaver Clutch at Bergdorf Goodman 3. Phillip Lim Silk Sequined T-Shit Dress at net-a-porter 4. Ranjana Khan Tiger's Eye Bib Necklace at Bergdorf Goodman 5. Milly Peacock-Print Shell at Bergdorf Goodman 6. AK Anne Klein Ladies' Round Watch at Nordstrom 7. Tiger's Eye Ring by Ongwat at Vivre 8. Ciao Bella Sandal by Adrianda at Piperlime 9. Gold Swirl cupcake cups from CuteCups at Etsy 10. Antique Gold Stick Pearls from GypsyWagonBeads on Etsy 11. Milly Crosshatch Sheath Dress at Saks Fifth Avenue 12. Novella Royale Mister Studded Tote at ShopBop

I'd like to point out that while I list many high-end, expensive items, I know that many of you, like me, do not have the budget for these things. I always look to high fashion for inspiration in my wardrobe and my creative endeavors. Attention to color trends, shape and texture are really important and are great tools for design. Also, most of this stuff is knocked off by more affordable stores like Forever 21, H&M, Payless and my fave, Target. Spend more money on your basic items like jeans and coats (but still don't pay full price, rock that sale rack!) and spend less money on the trendy stuff because chances are, you'll be tired of it by next season.

Hmm... I could go for some hot chocolate :)

bold and beautiful

2009-11-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

I can't remember when or how I found this beautiful wire jewelry but I'm glad I bookmarked it. I'm also glad I decided to contact the artist Rosanna, it is a great feeling when you connect with a fellow artist and are able to tell them how much you like their work. She's all the way in Slovenia which is even cooler, amazing how easy it is to make friends across the globe while sitting on your couch!
I am a huge fan of bold statement jewelry and always appreciate it when someone does something unique. Wire is a common material used in Jewelry but not used like this.I love how the pieces are bold and delicate at the same time.
These red pieces with the branch-like motif are my favorite. I just love the texture and pattern of these, perfectly accented by the red-copper color. I would love to rock this cuff or the coordinating necklace with a little black dress or jeans and a tee.To see more of Rosanna's work go to her website or her flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing one of these unique jewelry pieces check out Not Just a Label. Thank you Rosanna for your gorgeous work and cheers to international artist friends!

happy tape

2009-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's post, one of my Cherry-Slate finds was some super cute Japanese washi paper tape. I went to the happy tape online store to see what else they have and I am obsessed now! Ask my parents, you couldn't let me get near the tape in the house growing up or it would be gone, used up for one of my crazy projects. Since then, I have always loved tape, stickers, anything with an adhesive backing. After exploring the different colors and patterns at happy tape, I just had to do a whole post!
This tape is so gorgeous, all you need it a single piece of it to spice up a gift card, giftwrap, or even the gift itself!Mmm...these deep jewel tones are to die for!They do a nice job of pairing different patterns and colors together for you to purchase as a package. Here is their holiday pack!Well, I know what I want for Christmas this year...although I might just go ahead and buy some for myself before hand :) Seriously though, I'd love to use these tapes for gift wrapping, it would add a really nice touch.

Be sure to see all they have for sale at happy tape, I bet you'll be making a wish list too!

colors of the week!

2009-11-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

The colors of the week are slate grey and cherry red. Even though it isn't really that cold outside, my house seems to keep the cold in quite well. I'm also the only one in the house this week so I've been all bundled up trying to keep warm.
I love all shades of grey and as a result my closet tends to lack color sometimes. Pairing cherry red with a nice medium to dark grey is a really sophisticated look and perfect for gloomy days.

1. Bird Silhouette pendant by ellecools on Etsy 2. Marc by Marc Jacobs Windowpane Coat at Neiman Marcus 3. Alexander McQueen Silk Tank at couture.zappos.com 4. Urban Type fabric by greenolivetextiles on Etsy 5. Cesare Paciotti suede peep-toe pumps on Zappos.com 6. Japanese washi paper tape happytape 7. Journal by paintedfishstudio on Etsy 8. Jeweled Tank at Mytheresa.com 9. Pearl and Coral necklace by grisel on Etsy 10. 'Ghostland Obervatory' print by Keegan Onefoot-Wenkman 11. Red and Grey bedding via Slices Of Beauty

I'm loving the Jeweled tank with the grommets for the neckpiece, great way to merge the casual racerback tank with the elegant sparkles of the beaded necklace. Totally want one...

I hope you like this weeks colors!

I'm back!

2009-11-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a new musical at the Pasadena Playhouse called "Baby it's You!" for the last few weeks and I've obviously neglected my blog. Opening night was Friday and now I'm back to blogging :)

This is how my rice was served to me at Nine and Nine Thai restaurant last week in Pasadena. Too cute not to share.
Last night I was killing some time at the bookstore and found this in the latest issue of Real Simple magazine. Brings me back to my first blog entry a few months ago. Here it says newly coined 'fun-employed' described as someone without a job who is not so secretly enjoying the time off. I do have to say it was pretty amazing that I technically had 5 months off this year but as much as the time off was nice, I wouldn't call it "fun". It felt very good to be back at work, lets hope there is more in the near future.
After being cooped up in a dark theater for a few weeks I felt like I needed to spend some time outside. I know its lame but I went to the Americana to walk around and do some research ;)
This is the window display at Anthropologie. Look familiar? My tissue paper tutorial here.I like the way they used different materials like plastic. Now I want to try all sorts of things like plastic bags, fabric and junkmail (of course). I'm really looking forward to the holidays this year, I have lots of cheap and recycled decoration ideas!!!

colors of the week

2009-11-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Lavender and Cantaloupe. I'm not sure that the two would taste good together but they look nice together ;)

1. Hyacinth Print Dress by Ali Ro at Neiman Marcus 2. Erica the smudge creature by disturbedpenguinpoo on Etsy 3. Bird Earrings by standonthedge on Etsy 4. Colorful building photograph by LucyBDA on Flickr 5. Orange and Purple cauliflowers by LandVike on Flickr 6. Heels by Luella Spring 2009 on obsessedwithshoes.com 7. Beyla Ombre Kaftan at Guess by Marciano 8. Floral Tunic by Elizabeth and James at Ssense 9. BKE Ombre Scarf at Buckle 10. Handmade Shea Butter Soap by LotionsandPotions on Etsy.

Have a colorful week!

art i like

2009-10-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Halloween is tomorrow! If I wasn't working away like crazy, I would totally be making some creepy crawly spiders and carving some more pumpkins. October is always a busy month for me because I really love Halloween and like to make my costumes but I also put a lot of my energy into the "Save a Boob" party I throw for my birthday.

Here are some paintings from Samantha French that can put you in the mood for Halloween a little bit.

Most of Samantha French's paintings actually depict a summer theme with lots of wonderful paintings of people swimming in the pool or sun bathing on the beach. I saw these in the mix and thought that the creepy crows in her wonderfully loose painting style would be a lovely pre-Halloween treat.

some last pink things

2009-10-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm deep into work (paying work!) and long hours so it is going to be hard to consistently keep up the blog for the next week and a half but I'm going to do my best! I know this is not pink week anymore but it is still October, breast cancer awareness month. Here are a few last things from my "Save a Boob" birthday party last weekend.
I had purchased this pink ribbon pasta for my little cousin's fundraiser a few months ago and finally had a good use for it! I cooked it up, let it cool and added sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil from my basil plant, a little balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper. Super simple and there were no leftovers at the end of the night!This is my coffee table, aka, the donation center. I have my little boobie donation box surrounded by party favors. Self breast exam cards (waterproof, perfect for the shower), pink bracelets, pins, stickers and pink ribbons. I like to offer dark pink and light pink ribbons :)This is the wall of famous boobies. You just had to guess what boobs belonged to what famous woman. Three of them are breast cancer survivors. This turned out to be a lot of fun, everyone really got into it! I think next year I'll turn it into a game, make some cards for people to fill out and we can pick winners.Last but certainly not least, my boobie cupcakes! I just displayed them on my stacking wire racks and added some tissue petals for some extra decoration. You can't see them here but the paper wrappers even have little pink bows on them!My "Save a Boob" party was fun as always and we made $400 for Susan G Komen! The response from friends was so awesome whether or not they made it to the party, everyone loves the idea. Seriously though, it's so easy to do! Everyone should pick a cause and raise money for it instead of getting presents for your birthday! It's waaaay better anyways!

colors of the week

2009-10-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

This week's colors are emerald green and navy blue. My favorite colors are green and blue, I've decorated my living room and dining room in kelly green and cobalt blue. This is a more sophisticated version in deeper tones perfect for the fall.
I'm in love with he first navy dress with the green circle pockets, a super cute silhouette.

1. Jersey Circle-Pocket Dress by Lisa Perry at Berdorf Goodman 2. Wooden Handle Purse by Jennifer Ladd Handmade on Flickr 3. Vintage Scarf knotted headband/necklace by deedoubleyou on Etsy 4. Reva Patent Ballet Flats by Tory Burch at Saks Fifth Avenue 5. Rose Necklace by SassySessories on Etsy 6. Bluegrass Ring by Cookoorikoo on Etsy 7. Green Tree Clutch by Anotherjamiedavis on Etsy 8. Tweet Tweet Ring by Soradesigns on Etsy 9. Peacock-Print Emily Dress by Milly at Berdorf Goodman 10. "Hello my Friend" card by Pineconeandchickadee on Etsy

Hope you enjoy, have a good week!

pink fluff

2009-10-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Martha made them popular but I think the tissue pom pom is a really simple project that gives you a lot of bang for your buck. I'm all about stretching a dollar especially for party decor, leaving more money for the important things. These were perfect for my "Save a Boob" party.
I took a package of solid pink tissue and cut all the sheets in half to get the size rectangles I wanted. Using about 8 layers stacked on top of each other, fold them into and accordion fold, about an inch to and inch and a half wide.Once the sheets have been folded together, cut the ends to the desired shape, I used scallops. Then I used some thin ribbon to tie the center, leaving the ends long to help with hanging them later.
Fan out the accordion and start to carefully separate each layer and fluff. The paper can have a tendency to rip but if you do, you can just fluff the layers around it and it will disappear.I made a couple different sized pom poms and tied them onto the curtain rods. If I had more time, I would have kept making them and lined the entire top of the window in them!
Along with the pink puffs, I hung the boobie garlands I had made for last years party. It was great to re-use the garlands, it saved lots of time. By mixing them with the pom poms and some pink streamers, I was able to make a new look!

making pink things

2009-10-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! My third annual "Save a Boob" birthday party is tonight. I am busy making lots of fun pink decorations and goodies. I had hoped to have more time the last week to make things ahead of time and blog about them but that's not how things turned out. So, I'm sneaking in a post right now, while I'm getting everything ready.

I bought a bunch of pink candy today at my favorite store, Target. I'm totally loving the new market section, I was able to get everything I needed for my party in one trip! Food, decoration supplies, and my very cute pink party dress :)
I was trying to figure out what I was going to put all the candy in. I wanted something that was pink or clear but didn't have anything. Pink is not usually a color I like so I'm having to incorporate my green and blue home decor with the pink party decorations. Then, I looked over at my boobie cupcakes and got the idea to use the cupcake tin to display the candy!I cut some small rectangles of tissue paper and placed them over the holes. Then I placed the candy over it and the weight of the candy held the tissue in place, creating a really nice little puff.I only had one color tissue paper but I have many different pink streamers. I cut three strips, rounded the edges with some scissors and criss-crossed them over the holes, placing the candy over them just as I did with the tissue.
The candy looks and smells great. This is a simple way to dress up an ordinary cooking pan, and I didn't have to go buy a new candy dish!

I'll be sharing more projects with you soon. I hope we make lots and lots of money tonight for Susan G. Komen, I already have $60 in donations from friends and family who couldn't be here for the party. It's a great start!

preparations

2009-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't had as much time to blog as I hoped this week, balancing work, errands, and birthday activities. Luckily, I have lots of pink supplies left over from last year and I've been picking up a few things here and there over the last month or so. In addition to that, my boyfriend did a wonderful thing this past weekend. He participated in the Little Rock Race for the Cure with his mother (a 9 year breast cancer survivor) and brought back some goodies.

I love what Susan G. Komen did with their logo, making all the ribbon runners on the shirt. The Scarf is by Ford Warriors in Pink and I have to say I really like the pattern. I love supporting the cause but many times I don't like the super cutesy shirts and other items often sold. I'm excited to see that both Ford Warriors in Pink and Susan G. Komen are making some really nicely designed things for sale lately!
Here is my collection of pink for my party. Pink plates, cups, pink ribbon cupcake wrappers, pink ribbons, streamers and boobie garlands. As you can see, I like to use all shades of pink. This is not a baby shower!
I made these boobie garlands last year. I just bought a few different shades of pink card stock and cut out lots and lots of circles. My boyfriend and I sat in front of the TV, cutting and gluing boobies. I placed the "nipples" in random places, not just in the center, to add some interest. Besides, everyone's boobs are different :)
I have some other decoration ideas that I hope I will be able to get to in the next couple days. Decorations, cupcakes, pink punch...so much to do!

colors of the week

2009-10-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

This week is all about pink! I am not usually a big fan of pink, especially the pale hues, but since I have been having my annual "Save a Boob" parties, I have warmed up to the color.
In 2007, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My 22nd birthday was coming up, I already had my 21st birthday, I didn't need presents and my birthday happens to fall in October, Breast Cancer Awareness month. It just seemed like the perfect thing to do!

I came up with the name "Save a Boob" to make light of the subject a little, I didn't want it to be a downer of a party. Instead of presents, I asked for donations for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I also made boobie cupcakes which are now a staple at the parties. It was such an amazing experience, everyone's generosity was so inspiring and heart warming. I knew I had to do this every year.

My mom has now been cancer free for two years! She caught it early which is key. I like to educate my guests about the importance of early detection and last year gave out self breast exam cards to keep in the shower. I also like to tell boyfriends and husbands to be a part of their girlfriends' and wives' breast health because a lot of times, they are the ones who are most familiar with that area ;)

Keeping the mood light and showing people how easy it is to talk about these things is really important. I can't tell you how good it feels for everyone after the party, I would recommend that everyone pick a cause close to their heart to raise money for on their birthday. We're adults, we don't need gifts anymore. The feeling you get when you realize that you and your friends put together hundreds of dollars to help other people, it's way better than any present!

1. Michael Kors Cashmere Dress at Neiman Marcus 2. Pink Vine Statement Necklace by RibbonsAndLace on Etsy 3. Awareness Ribbon Owl Stickers by Belly Tickles on Etsy 4. Pink Ribbon Rubber Duckies at Century Novelty 5. Bubble Design water bottle at Shop Komen 6. Virginia Johnson Sombreros Shawl at Barneys New York 7. Ombre Cardigan by Zsazsazsu at edressme.com 8. Medium frame pouch by Oktak on Etsy 9. Kate Spade 'les fleurs' pendant necklace at Nordstrom 10. Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Cupcake Wrapper at favorideas.com
11. Lace Covered Rhinestone Bracelet at Forever 21 12. Soar for the Cure Tee at Shop Komen

This week I will be blogging about my preparations for next weekend's party. Decorations, pink punch and boobie cupcakes...make sure to keep your eyes open!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

For the last 4 or 5 years, I have been carving pumpkins at my friends, Gloria and Perry's pumpkin carving parties. It is always a good time, everyone spread out on the floor working on the their pumpkins, covered in orange goo. The best part is when all the jack-o-lanterns are completed and lit, all displayed together. We, turn off all the lights and admire all the great work.
This one is mine, just a bunch of spiders. I can't say it's my best work, my idea of carving all over the pumpkin ended up making the whole structure kind of weak and it started to implode. I saved it with a few tooth picks and managed to get it home. Now we have to see if it will make it to Halloween without rotting in the hot sun for the next two weeks...Some close-up shots.
You rarely see this many jack-o-lanterns all together at the same time, it's always fun to see the variety of designs that people come up with. I still have another pumpkin to carve (2 for 12 at Vons) and I'm not sure what I'll do...

adventures in the real world

2009-10-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

When I'm out and about, my creative mind does not slow down. It's a good thing I have a camera on my phone so I can always snap a shot of something that inspires me.

Here is the carpet in the Auditorium at the Pasadena Public Library. I really love the colors and the patters, it goes really well with the 1920s Spanish architecture.
This is a Sunday night at Vons. We had to go through numerous cartons of broken eggs, finally trading a couple out. What went down at the egg section that day? Although I feel bad for the person who had to clean this, I sort of love the chaos.
Today I spent a little time at the Griffith Park Observatory. It's free, air-conditioned, and a fun place to kill a few hours. I used to go there as a kid on field trips and then it was closed years for renovations. Before I moved about 6 months ago, I lived right at the bottom of the hill from the observatory and loved seeing it up on the hill, welcoming me home everyday. It has one of the most amazing views of Los Angeles, stretching from the snow-capped mountains in the east to the sparkling ocean to the west.

In addition to the views, this 1930s building is gorgeous and has some beautiful details like the front entrance shown here.I love finding beautiful things everywhere I go, hopefully remembering to take a picture so I can blog it ;)

paper leaves

2009-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

I posted a blog entry about the Thanksgiving Pottery Barn catalog a few days ago and as promised, here is a new project! Remember those pretty burgundy leaves? This is my handmade, recycled version.
Only a few materials needed, a brown paper bag, floral wire, floral tape and some scissors. If you don't already have floral wire and tape, it is only a few dollars for each at your local craft store.
First, cut simple leaf shapes about 2" tall, don't worry about them all being the same, some variation is nice. Bend the wire into branches and secure a leaf on each end by pinching it around the wire and wrapping with the floral tape. Continue tightly wrapping the tape around the wire all the way down. You can cut a length of the tape to work with to make it easier than trying to wrangle the whole roll, the tape all sticks to itself so you don't really see seams.Continue to add and wrap branches until you're happy with the size of the branch. Find a nice vase and display.
This project is super simple and looks great when you're done! The only thing I don't like is the sticky waxy fingers you get from working with the floral tape :) You'll just need to wash your hands a lot.

more bib necklaces

2009-10-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

I really, really enjoyed making vintage kimono scrap bib necklaces and had to make some more. I realized that I had none left for me to wear!

These first three I think are more youthful. The collage of flowers in the first one is nice and colorful, perfect for a girly-girl. The second one is a collection of wings from various fabric scraps, I love the geometric quality it creates. The third one is more casual, incorporating the less embroidered kimono fabrics in deep purples and bright blues.
These three really highlight the rich, intricate embroidery found in some kimonos. The sparkling metallics and bright red make these the perfect bold accessory for a night out!In more muted tones, these bib necklaces are more understated, good for the office or a lunch date.
I've been a little obsessed with the Kimono scraps lately but I have been working on some new junkmail bags and brainstorming about some great paper projects. Check back soon...

colors of the week

2009-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

The cool gloomy weather we've been having lately inspired this weeks colors, Bordeaux and mint. The deep wine red paired with the icy mint green is a sophisticated, sexy combination. Makes me imagine curling up by the fire with a glass of red wine looking out to the overcast world outside.
Since I have had the holidays on my mind, I was thinking this would be a really nice alternative to the traditional red and green for Christmas.
1. Organza and Taffeta Flower Brooch by Vividcolors on Etsy 2. Painting by cgallafineart on Etsy 3. Tickle Print Dress at Polyvore 4. Burgundy Okra Recipe at Food and Style 5. Sambava Bracelet at Couture Candy 6. Burgundy Peonies and Mint bouquet at Kelly Oshiro Events 7. Seaport Boulevard Earrings at Couture Candy 8. Glass Beads by Bernie Beads on Etsy 9. Cardigan by Free People at Nordstrom

Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoy this cool weather we are having!

catalog inspiration

2009-10-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

I received the Thanksgiving issue of the Pottery Barn catalog a couple days ago, I guess I'm on the mailing list now, I bought a wedding gift there last month. After being a little peeved that Pottery Barn got my mailing address from my credit card, I flipped through to check it out. There were a lot of things that gave me some good inspiration for new projects.

A lot of times, the styling of a catalog can be more interesting than the actual products being sold. I really love the branches of burgundy leaves displayed here. The color is great but I also think I could recreate this leafy quality with some paper leaves, wire and floral tape.
I have a bit of an obsession with paper chandeliers (see my recycled magazine chandelier here) and this one is fantastic. I love things like this because I crave change pretty frequently and this is super easy to change. Old book pages, magazine clippings, postcards, the possibilities are endless! I would not however, pay $250 for something I can make myself with a series of rings and butterfly clips.This knitted pillow cover and blanket are in one of my favorite stitches, the seed stitch. I just love the subtle texture in this creamy white. I've been wanting to make a blanket like this for our bed but I always seem to lose patience. Maybe I'll try again.
The holidays are coming up and although I probably wouldn't decorate my bedroom (or choose this bedding) I really love the way these clear glass ornaments look, hanging from above. They look like delicate bubbles suspended in air. Simple and subtle.They sell these wreaths plain but I like what they have added to them here. The letters are a nice graphic look and I love the postcards tucked into the magnolia leaves. I really want to make some wreaths using recycled paper leaves!
I can't afford to buy any of the items in the catalog at the moment but I am happy that it has gotten my creative juices flowing! I'm excited to make some new things, I just need to stay focused even when I'm tired after a day of audience work :)

organize

2009-10-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've been doing audience work lately with my friend Kat. It's not great money but its something for now, and doing it with a friend makes it easier to get through the often long, boring days. Balancing the audience work, my craft work and my blog has been a little challenging which is why I haven't blogged in a couple days. I have also left my mess on our dining table for the last few days. Today I did some organizing.
I already had the different kimono scraps sort of organized by color, thickness and size so it wasn't too difficult to put away. I used plastic page protectors to separate the different groups of scraps, they keep them flat and you can see what is in each one.I have a few more necklaces to finish up and some new junkmail bags. Hopefully I'll be posting those and some new project ideas soon. I'm also brainstorming about some possible instructional videos to film since I have had numerous people suggest the idea to me. With the Holidays around the corner, I'm sure there will be a ton of new projects to dream up!

art i like

2009-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Many people recognize the name Isabel Toledo because she designed the lemongrass yellow wool lace shift dress and overcoat Michelle Obama wore at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Ruben Toledo is her equally talented husband who's illustrations for Nordstrom caught my eye a couple years ago.
Ruben Toledo's style lends itself so perfectly to the stylish designer looks he illustrates like this one for Valentino.
Recently, he has created covers for three classic works: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and The Scarlet Letter. Gorgeous, right? Love the wispy, flowing quality of the hair.
Isabel and Ruben Toledo are both such talents, I think it is obvious how fashion has influenced Ruben's art and I'm sure Isabel is inspired by her husband's use of color and the mood he creates in his illustrations. I would love to have dinner with the two of them!

colors of the week

2009-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

This week's colors of the week are poppy red and khaki. I was inspired by a khaki dress that I love to wear with my poppy red shoes. The combo is very classic Americana.

Here are some examples of khaki and poppy red together. I particularly like the khaki shoes with the poppy red buckle.

1. Tank Dress at Urban Outfitters 2. Handspun Yarn by karmicdelight on Etsy 3. Roger Vivier pumps at Bluefly 4. Handmade card by Elise Blaha on Flickr 5. Handmade Beads by amie3 on Etsy 6. Clutch Purse by Shakuyaku on Etsy 7. Drawstring Shorts at Chickdowntown.com 8. Print by Hirondelle Rustique on Etsy 9. Panda Tote by monkeeboo on Etsy 10. Oriental Poppy at artsonearth.com

Hope you like these colors, have a great week!

vintage kimono scraps

2009-10-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

A while back I did a post about textile jewelry and I'm still really digging the bold look. Last weekend when I was at a gift show with my aunt and mom selling our vintage kimono scrap creations, I decided that the beautiful, ornate, fabric scraps look like jewels. I love bib necklaces and thought it would be the perfect thing for the kimono scraps.
Once I started I couldn't stop! It is so much fun piecing together the different pieces, choosing colors and patterns that go well together. I really like taking something like flowers from all different patterns and grouping them together for a nice bold look.For the last couple days I have managed to turn our dining table into a workshop (and a big mess). There are little pieces of thread everywhere! When you cut up the heavily embroidered fabric, thread goes flying and sticks to everything.
Here I am modeling one of the finished necklaces, this one highlights the beautiful metallics found in kimonos, it really sparkles! (please ignore the bra straps, hehe)My aunt is doing a big gift show in San Jose next weekend and I'm going to give her some of these necklaces to sell. I wore one out to dinner last night and immediately received a compliment from our waitress. I hope that is an indication that people will really like these!

paper chain

2009-10-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple days, I've actually been doing a little work so my blogging and crafting time has been compromised this week. I got back into the swing after work last night and now the dining table is covered in fabric and things. I'll be posting that stuff this weekend some time but for today here is a little paper chain tutorial.

This is not the paper chain you made in elementary school, the series of rings made of construction paper. Although I love those, this is a more sophisticated version. Here, I of course, used junkmail.
Made of a series of "8" or pinched circle shapes, open in the middle and folded in half, you link them together as shown below.I love how elegant this chain looks when finished. I want to experiment with changing the size, maybe a giant chain or maybe try using fabric and creating necklaces with the chains. Oh, the possibilities!
I hope you try this project, it is so simple and all you need is some paper and a pair of scissors! These chains would be a great addition to a Christmas tree come December!

SALE!

2009-09-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Make sure to check out my Etsy shop in the next few days, I've lowered prices on the clutches ($100 off!) and wristlets (now $35!). I have also added some new items and will continue to do so in the coming days!

Thank you for your support!!!

what i ate

2009-09-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

I was introduced to Pho when I was still in Valencia at CalArts. It was at Pho2005 on Lyons in Newhall, a fellow scenic designer was working there and explained all the extra sauces, pickles, and unidentified sides. It was pretty authentic, the owner spoke little English. I'm sad to find that it has since closed, it opened my world to Pho and Vietnamese food.

Since then, many Pho restaurants have sprung up all over town, the popular cuisine lately. I have tried many of them and have also discovered Bun, a cold noodle dish, served with veggies and delicious meats and egg rolls of your choice, dressed with a delicious rice vinegar sauce. I could eat this every day!

Last night, I was however, in the mood for some Pho. While there are many, many Pho restaurants near by, we chose to go to Pho Cafe on Sunset in Silverlake. The unmarked restaurant glows in the darkness of the little strip mall with silhouettes of local hipsters waiting outside. This place is simple, cheap, and some of the better Pho I have tried (and trust me I've tried about 10 different places). (This first photo is from What's to eat L.A.)
This is my Pho, I believe it is number 11 served with rare beef and meatballs. I have to admit the texture of the meatballs was a little weird, even for me but it was very good. I absolutely love the fresh basil, sprouts and jalapenos you toss into the hot soup. It all adds great flavor and texture to the soup. I also like to dip my noodles in a mixture of hoisin, rooster sauce and garlic chili sauce for extra heat :)Another thing I really enjoy about this restaurant is the lighting fixtures. They look like glowing bubbles, simple and awesome.
Some other Pho to note: Pho Show in Culver City, Gingergrass in Silverlake, Indochine Vien in Atwater Village, and Lemongrass in Eagle Rock.

If you haven't tried Veitnamese food and Pho yet, you really must. If you have already discovered this tasty cuisine and have a restaurant you love, let me know!

colors of the week

2009-09-27T22:20:00.001-07:00

This weeks colors are plum purple and lime green! The rich plum looks great when paired with a nice yellowy green. This fruity combination is bold and sophisticated but still fun.
This combo is not very common as I found when looking for images to share. If you want to be unique and ahead of the trends, these colors might be perfect for you!

1. Note card by Kelly Kay Creative 2. Seaglass necklace by Binnie on Etsy 3. Floral dress at Ruche 4. Frame Pouch by Field of Roses on Etsy 5. Eco cup cozy by Laura Bucci on Etsy 6. Purple and green flower by Fishin Window on Flickr 7. Pillows by Kim has 6 cats on Flickr 8. Flower platter at Crate and Barrel 9. Finnia Rug at Anthropologie 10. Mod earrings by jcaseydoyle on Etsy

Enjoy this weeks colors!

art i like

2009-09-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm usually drawn to portrait and figurative art but today I'm sharing some beautiful landscapes by Anna Ura. I love the out of focus quality, like you are squinting out into the distance. I love this first one, the way the water is sparkling.
These next couple images look like you are looking through a blurry car window, spotted with rain drops.Another thing I love about these paintings is the light quality they convey. They look like cloudy, slightly rainy days...I think it's my longing for cold weather.
I hope you enjoyed these paintings, make sure to check out Anna Ura's website for more of her work! I wish I could climb into one of her paintings right now, its going to be another hot day in socal!

modeling...ugh

2009-09-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to photograph some of the things I have made in the last month that I want to list on Etsy. I've been procrastinating, especially because I wanted to show the headbands and belts on a person. So, just like in high school when I was creating my painting portfolio, I used myself as a model. I'm always available, free, and very cooperative. Here are some of the shots.
My hope is that these items will actually sell, unlike the clutches. I realize they are expensive but they just take so long to make! These headbands and belts don't take nearly as long to produce so I can make them affordable.Luckily in these belt shots I was able to crop my head out of the frame. I wanted to show the different ways you could wear them and give a sense of scale.
I have 10 items worth of pictures, just have to figure out pricing, descriptions, shipping...I forgot how much work it is! I'll let you know when the new items are up!

vintage kimono scraps

2009-09-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

My Aunt is a clothing designer (oyako) who uses vintage kimono fabric in her designs. She pieces together beautiful designs applied to shirts, jackets and bags but always has left over scraps. We are always trying to come up with ways to use these left over pieces because although small, they are still very beautiful.

My mom has been making cards with some of these scraps combined with lots of paper and string that we, as a creative family, have lots of sitting around the house. Here are some she's made:
Although it's only September, it's definitely a good time to prepare for the holidays! These are some cute Christmas cards and gift tags my mom has made.Today, I went over to my parents house to see what my mom has been up to with the cards and to see if I could come up with some ideas for some Christmas ornaments. Here are some failed attempts, either not cute or too time consuming.
Then, I came up with this design of layered squares. Simple, cute, a good way to mix and match fabrics.I really need to get my butt into gear and post some more items on Etsy to sell! With the holidays coming up, it is a good time to get some more stuff out there. Its also great to be able to put my head together with the other creative members of my family to make things!

colors of the week

2009-09-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

This week's colors of the week are black, yellow and white. Black and white is always a classic combo but adding the punch of yellow adds a nice edge.
Here are some items and inspiration pictures to give you some ideas of how to use this color combination for your home, personal fashion, and even in your kitchen!
1. Mug by Luckalily on Etsy 2. Livingroom from Domino Nov '08 by tallulahblue on Flickr 3. Maxi dress at Forever 21 4. lemontarts by minimallyinvasivenj on Flickr 5. Pillow cover by xxx5Cxxx on Etsy 6. Bedroom by The Sugar Monster on Flickr 7. TKO watch at Kitson 8. Necklace by Freepeople 9. Clutch by littleellie on Etsy 10. Banquet table by The Sugar Monster on Flickr

I hope you like this weeks colors, a little punch of yellow to remember the summer as we officially move into the fall!

a fitty cent wrap

2009-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

You don't need lots of money to have style and just because someone has lots of money, doesn't mean they have good taste. I love finding ways to make really beautiful, expensive looking things out of not-so-expensive materials. Yesterday, I took a trip to my local 99 cents only store, stocking up on some great craft materials. Today, I'm going to show what I did with some of it.
I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and needed to wrap the present. I have to admit, I like to have the best dressed gift on the gift table ;) I take it as an opportunity to do something creative and special. People really appreciate it, too.

I started with a simple craft paper base. (I have a giant roll of craft paper I bought at Home Depot that has lasted me forever, find it in the paint supplies section) I love the natural brown, it has a nice soft texture, and is very chic with out trying too hard.
Here are the materials I picked up at the dollar store, some scented bowl filer, dried corn husks and some cream streamers.
I wrapped the streamer around the box a few times, overlapping and crisscrossing to create some texture, secured with a little tape on the bottom. I folded the corn husks over and secured them with some hot glue to make some loop-like shapes. I also made some little puffs using the streamers, tearing some strips and pinching them in the center.I arranged the corn husk loops, some of the nuts from the bowl filler and the streamer puffs to make a nice cluster, securing everything with hot glue. I tore some strips of the corn husk and tucked those in for some extra dimension.
I only ended up using a couple yards of the streamer, 3 nuts, and about 3 corn husks. I have tons of left over materials that I can use for future projects, meaning this project only cost me pennies! I'd like to think it LOOKS like it cost a little more than a few pennies...

dollar store love

2009-09-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

In college, I discovered the glory of a good dollar store. I knew every dollar store in the Santa Clarita Valley and what each store specialized in. This came in very handy when set dressing super low budget student films and art projects, Halloween costumes, cheap decor, etc., etc.,

Since I have been out of school, I really haven't taken advantage of dollar stores like I used to. Now that I'm broke, I'm revisiting the fabulous 99 cents only store.
Oh, isn't it glorious? Isle after isle of stuff, it can easily be overwhelming. I suggest going in with a game plan, mine was looking for creative gift wrap ideas.If you don't have a ton of time and need to wrap a gift quickly, they have a decent amount of gift wrap supplies. I suggest sticking with simple patterns and solid colors so your present doesn't LOOK like you got it at the 99 cent store. Buried on the bottom is tissue paper, not only useful for wrapping sweaters or stuffing bags, but also a great, cheap craft material to have around.The goods. All for less than 10 bucks! Some of these things may not look like gift wrap at first glance but I'll walk you through my thinking. Copper pads: I saw in a book, someone had unraveled one of these to reveal a great knitted copper wire sock that is pretty stunning. The streamers: Poor man's crepe paper, great for making fluffy flowers, has a great texture and comes in every color. The scented bowl filler: large nuts and bark like things in natural colors, the scent isn't so bad when you only use a few of the pieces, way cheaper than the stuff you find at most craft stores. Corn husks: I made a wreath of these when I was a kid, I also have made tamales with them. I like them because they are a nice natural color and texture and you can fold them, rip them, cut them, etc., Lace table runner: a nice texture, could be used as a stencil for spray paint. Plastic Table cloth: Could be used as wrapping paper, can be gathered into a puff or I can cut some holes in it for texture. Finally, the furniture floor protectors: I think these are my favorite find of the day, basically little round cork stickers! I can't wait to use these!Tomorrow, I will show you how I wrapped my gift using these amazing supplies. In the mean time, I suggest you take a trip to your local dollar store and go down every isle, dig a little, and you will be very surprised what you will find. Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless AND probably only a few bucks!

colors of the week

2009-09-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Being that the title of this blog is "resa likes COLORS", I feel this will be a good weekly post. I'll pick a color combination each week to share, in hopes of giving you some inspiration and maybe a combo you haven't thought to try. This week:

One of my most popular posts has been the "don't toss it" about my painted shoes, where I used this color combination. There are of course, variations on this color combination like turquoise and coral, here are some examples.

1. House of Turquoise 2. Jc Jewelry Design on Flickr 3. "don't toss it!" 4. House of Turquoise 5. Nordstrom 6. Robodot on Flickr 7. House of Turquoise 8. Bergdorf Goodman 9. The Silver Dog on Etsy 10. Pidoodle on Etsy

This bright color combination is great for summer but will also lend itself well to the fall in deeper tones. I hope you enjoyed this, I'll be picking another set of colors for next week!

what i ate

2009-09-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living where I live is that I am less than a couple miles from Porto's Bakery in Glendale. Cheap, delicious cuban sandwiches and decadent desserts galore, there is always a crowd but the line moves quickly.

This is what I had for lunch, a "Pan Con Bistec" which is a steak sandwich with tomatoes and little potato chips inside the sandwich, served with crispy plantain chips. I also really enjoy the "Pan Con Lechon" which is a pulled pork sandwich with garlic sauce and onions.
Here is the classic "cubano", slow roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles, on Cuban bread. There is a nice balance of sweet and salty in this sandwich, the pickles add a really nice flavor. Look at that oozing cheese!Here is our dessert, a delicious, simple, fresh fruit tart. Yummm! A good fresh fruit tart is one of my favorite things in the world, so good. There are also many other treats, cheese cakes, mousses, cakes, you really need to check it out yourself.
We also always order a few potato balls that are basically fried mashed potato balls filled with meat. We ate them up too quickly for me to get a picture! I also really enjoy their meat pies.

As you can see, it is really easy to get carried away and order too much food. Luckily, everything is so cheap, you won't feel too guilty. And, if you can't finish it all, they all save well for a snack later in the day. Our Porto's leftovers never seem to last more than 24 hours in this house :)

If you want to experience Porto's goodness, here is the info on their two locations:

Glendale Location
315 North Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
tel. (818) 956-5996
fax (818) 956-0696
Map it

Burbank Location
3614 W Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 846-9100
Map it

paper bows

2009-09-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner (hard to believe) so I've been thinking of some things to make in preparation. I've seen some tutorials online about how to make your own gift bows in the past, so I decided to try it myself with my strips of junkmail.
I cut my strips to be a little bit wider than a half an inch. Basically, all you do is create loops like the one shown below, securing them in the center with some tacky glue.Just keep adding loops, continuing to secure them as you go until you create a nice, full gift bow. They're pretty easy to make and don't take too long either. Its fun to see how the bows turn out depending on what was on the strips of the junkmail. I'm thinking these may be a good item to sell on Etsy. With the holidays in the not so distant future, I think these would be a cheap, funky, eco-friendly way to decorate!

tasty cupcakes

2009-09-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to bake some cupcakes yesterday and wanted to get creative with my flavor combination. I found a recipe for fresh ginger cupcakes in The Joy of Cooking that caught my eye. I thought about what goes well with ginger and thought, limes! I've been cooking a lot of south asian inspired dishes lately and limes and ginger are common flavors.
The recipe said to bake a 9x9 cake for 25 to 30 minutes but since I was making cupcakes, I reduced the time to 15 to 2o minutes. They puffed up so nicely, perfect for my lime flavored buttercream. (Instead of flavoring the buttercream with vanilla, I used the zest and juice of one lime)I was going to try to do some fancy decorations, use some of my piping skills, but I decided that these would be about the flavor. Besides, sometimes a simply iced cupcake is best.
I did add a little green food coloring to the frosting because I can't be completely void of color ;) The buttercream has a nice sour sweet taste that balances the sweet ginger cake, yummy!

wishing i was somewhere else

2009-09-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've been on flickr for a few years now and I think it is a really great resource for images. I use it a lot for research and inspiration rather than using google images. On flickr you get better quality and more interesting pictures. I found this awesome postcard set by 9brandon.

I love to travel and collecting postcards can be fun. I wish postcards still looked like this rather than the glossy, cheesy ones they sell these days. I love the quality of these prints and the simple colors used.

If you're not already on flickr, I'd highly recommend checking it out. I post all the pictures I use on my blog and the ones that didn't make the cut. You can see it all here.

I hope you all had a great labor day weekend!

saturday morning scones

2009-09-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

I still have a bunch of dried cherries from our trip to Michigan this summer so I decided to make some cherry scones this morning. I used the basic scone recipe from my favorite cook book, The Joy of Cooking.
This recipe is super simple, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, butter, eggs, cream (I used milk) and your choice of dried fruit. I always have these ingredients in stock in my kitchen. A hint for cutting the dough: use a pizza cutter!Because it is so warm, my dough was a little sticky and the bottoms got a little burnt on some of scones but for the most part they came out pretty nice. They have the perfect crumbly consistency in the middle, crispy exterior, and sweet, buttery flavor.
I absolutely love getting up on the weekends to bake. There is no better way to start the weekend than a house filled with the scent of fresh baked goods and a yummy late breakfast.

made of junkmail

2009-09-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Since I've been making my junkmail bags, many people have told me about other things they have seen made from junkmail or newspaper. Luckily I haven't seen anything quite like my bags, most things are hard or stiff unlike my soft woven material. I'm also not really into the obvious look of being made from recycled paper. I like a more subtle look like these adorable flats from anthropologie. (thanks Amanda!)

This dress may not be very wearable but I appreciate the thought. I like the way the fans get larger as they come away from the body. (thanks Jessie!)
This table I found while doing my own search of products made from junkmail. I really like the idea of using a cross section of a rolled up magazine, its almost like a cross cut from a tree trunk. Generally, I'm a fan of casting interesting things in resin.I feel like I lost a little momentum in the last couple weeks but I'm getting re-focused on creating quality blog posts and more recycled bags to sell. Thank you to everyone who has read my blog and/or gone to my esty shop! I really appreciate all the support and positivity!

handmade in LA

2009-09-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I saw a video about a few handmade stores in Los Angeles on the Craftzine Blog. I had been to a couple of places they mentioned but hadn't been to Handmade Galleries LA. So, today I took a trip to Sherman Oaks to check it out.
The store consisted of lots of little booths where different artists displayed their handmade goods. There were bags, clothes, jewelry, art, anything you could think of. This is a great place to go if you need to buy a gift for someone. I found this:It's hard to see in my pictures but there is a little etched mustache on this glass and below is a picture the artist put on the glass to show how the mustache lines up when you drink out of the glass.
I couldn't resist. In fact, I couldn't spend too much time there because I found so many great things that I wanted to take home with me!

don't toss it!

2009-09-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love shoes and that I have many, many pairs. Today I was in need of a project to do, so I began to search for something in need of beautification. I found it (them) in one of my bins of shoes.These pointed flats are super comfortable and still have a decent sole on them but I have had them for a few years and they are starting to look pretty warn. I also have more than a few pairs of black shoes :)
I used some fine grit sandpaper to roughen up the surface of the shoes so the primer would stick. Once the coat of white gesso (primer) dried, I applied a coat of tealy-blue acrylic paint I mixed up.Once the blue paint dried, I drew on my pattern with pencil and began to fill it in with a red-orange color using a very fine point brush.
After some serious concentration and touch-ups here is the finished product. Although I've found that acrylic paint is pretty water resistant once it dries, I think I may go buy a can of shoe sealer to spray on them for extra protection.All summer I have been wearing yellow sandals during the day and red heels at night. Since I don't have much cash for shopping right now, I've been adding bold, colorful accessories to my basic outfits. It makes me feel like I still have some style even if I'm wearing jeans and a white tee. I really love this color combination and I'm excited to wear them for my lunch date tomorrow!

dreaming of cooler weather...

2009-09-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

While I sit here sweating in my stuffy house, windows and doors closed to keep the ash from the near by fire out, I dream of a cooler place and time...

Here is the latest from Nasa. The plumes of smoke are gigantic, seen all over the Los Angeles area.
This is a picture of me in my favorite boots and one of my favorite coats. I've had these boots for 3 and a half years and I still love them. This great rusty orange, herring bone tweed coat fits like it was made for me. I love that it is classic with a little quark. My favorite clothes are jackets, boots and scarves. Makes me wonder why I still live in LA sometimes...This is from Yokoo, one of my new favorite sellers on etsy. This picture illustrates how I feel right now. What I really love are her chunky cowl-neck scarves and chains, great texture and very bold.
When I was in San Francisco last week I actually wore pants, boots, a coat, AND a scarf! I was a happy girl. I sure hope this heat does not last much longer.

too hot!

2009-08-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have been a total slacker the last few days because it has been so hot! The station fire is burning very close to where I live and so far we have been lucky that the smoke has been blowing away from us. Unfortunately today the fire doubled since last night and I can smell the smoke today. With no air conditioner, this situation is getting pretty bad because we usually leave the windows open but today I'm keeping them closed to keep the smoke out. *cough*

Nasa has been posting satellite photos of fires for a few years now which are always really interesting and give you a bigger perspective of the fires. Here is a picture taken saturday.

After spending a few hours escaping the heat at the Eagle Rock Target and mall, this is what we saw on our way home. Now the smoke is twice as high in the air if not more.I hate to be a downer but it really is sad, a couple firefighters have lost their lives battling this fire and over 20 homes have been lost. Lets all cross our fingers for cooler weather and maybe some rain!

don't toss it!

2009-08-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

I love vintage costume jewelry and picked up a couple necklaces in an awesome thrift store, Flossy Mc Grew's in Denver, CO a couple years ago. I also picked up a cute crystal pendant necklace at Target. While these are lovely and add a nice touch to outfits, I'm terribly allergic to them. I have very sensitive skin and can't wear cheap metal. I've tried a few times to just put up with the itching and wear them out for just a few hours but it always ends horribly unless I'm wearing a turtleneck.
With the textile jewelry trends happening right now, it gave me the idea of removing the chains and replacing them with something more skin friendly since I can't afford to buy real gold and platinum.
I dug through my box of tricks and found some pieces of trim and some string to replace the chains. What's great is I can replace them easily if and when I get bored or just want to change the color!I've had these for a while now and I'm really excited to be able to wear them again...or, for the first time! Even if you don't have sensitive skin like I do, this is a great FREE way to give new life to your old jewelry. Use whatever you have around the house, ribbon, trim, rope, fabric scraps, the options are endless!

road trip adventures

2009-08-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

After less than 24 hours in San Francisco, my sister and I decided we were in no rush to get home. From Daly City where I had parked my car over night, we took the 1 down the coast to Santa Cruz. I had never been to the boardwalk there and decided to check it out. This gondola ride gave us the perfect view.
After the windy 2 hour drive up and down mount madonna on the 152, I saw a beautiful patchwork of colors through the trees on the side of the road. It was goldsmith seeds.
We pulled over to take some pictures. I couldn't get up quite high enough to get a picture of how vast it was but you can see the vibrant colors.
Its amazing how dense the flowers are grown, they create solid blocks of color.
Northern California is so beautiful. I would love to live up there some day. For now, I'll just take lots of trips to visit my sister and friends. I bought a new honda insight in April and this is my third road trip in it. I love driving it and I can get all the way to San Francisco on my 10 gallon tank of gas! I see another trip to SF in my future...

road trip!

2009-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm headed up to San Francisco tomorrow morning with my sister for a couple days to find her a place to live before school starts and to visit one of my best friends. I hope to have lots of great pictures and inspiration to share when we get back!

San Francisco is one of my favorite places, rich in culture and architecture. Here are some pictures from some of my previous trips to fog city.

I can't remember the name of this park but it had an amazing view, if you look closely you'll see the golden gate bridge in the distance.
Alcatraz. I heart sailboats...even though I've never been on one :)
While San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay bridge is pretty spectacular especially at night.
Its been pretty hot here the last few days so I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler weather. See you when I get back!

it runs in the famliy

2009-08-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

I love my creative family, there are designers and artists galore! I have to support them as much as they support me. That being said, my auntie and cousin have opened an Etsy shop, too! Check out Oyako on Etsy here.
They are selling bags, coats and pieces of beautiful vintage kimono fabric. I have some of these single fold cases, I use mine as a light weight wallet and a place to keep my crochet hooks.
Here is one of the pieces of fabric with Japanese cranes on it. The detail on these is gorgeous, the embroidery picks up the light so beautifully.
Please take a minute to check it out! Again, their etsy is www.oyako.etsy.com
Have a great weekend!

checkin out the trends

2009-08-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Shopstyle is a great website to check out the latest in fashion for yourself and your home. You can create favorites and arrange looks. Here are some things that I've been oogling lately.

Here are some clutch purses with the woven look. My favorites are the gold envelope clutch by Newport News and the green 'knot' clutch by Bottega Veneta. (click the picture to find where you can get all the bags)

These ones are just bags I wish I was carrying. They are all simple, sleek, modern, yet classic. Because they are simple silhouettes, they may lend themselves well to the woven junkmail.

I have to admit, I'm slacking on my posts lately which is basically a reflection of my general slacking. I wasn't very productive the past few days but I've made a list of goals for the end of the month so things should be picking up again.

a day out

2009-08-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was in town from New York and we met up for a cup of coffee this morning on Melrose. I don't get out too much these days so today was nice and I found some interesting things along the way.

Here are some tissue paper flowers I saw used in a window display. The placement of them is a little strange but I like the light airy quality of them.
This cross-stitch graffiti on a bus shelter is pretty awesome. Good message too.
This is not from my day out but I found this on what I wore today and thought this belt was something that may look good made out of my recycled junkmail yarn.
That's what caught my eye today. It is nice to go out to a part of town that I don't spend much time in, you never know what you're going to find!

art i like

2009-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

The paper art of Megan Brain has a great 1960s style that is cute and sassy. I am a big fan of working with paper and Megan is a true paper artist.

You can check out more of her work at www.meganbrain.com and her blog here. Cute stuff, right?

birthday cupcakes

2009-08-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

August is a busy month for birthdays and this weekend we celebrated my sister, mom and grandma's birthdays. I had some fondant left over from the housewarming cake I made last month and decided to decorate some cupcakes with it.

I used the same cake recipe as the housewarming cake since I still had lots of marmalade left over. The cake recipe worked well for the cupcakes, they were light and moist. Here you can see me piping the marmalade into the center of each cupcake.I made some plain vanilla buttercream and piped a spiral on each cupcake.
I covered some of the cupcakes with fondant before placing the leaves and flowers. I liked the contrast of leaving some uncovered.
Here are the finished cupcakes with all their pretty flowers.
A close up look.
These turned out really pretty and tasty. I really love using fondant because it looks so clean and smooth. It's also fun making flowers and things with it because it reminds me of the days when I was really into fimo and making miniatures. I can't wait to decorate my next cake!

junkmail-head

2009-08-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

On an inspiration-hunting trip to the mall (aka, an excuse to get out of the house without spending money), I found a simple headband that was just a braid of fabric with some elastic connecting the ends. *light bulb goes on* I can make these with my junkmail yarn!
I made some braids out of regular yarn and the junkmail yarn.
I also made some that were just single, thick junkmail braids.These are nice and simple so I can make a bunch in a short amount of time, a nice change of pace from the woven bags :)I think these will make a great addition to my etsy shop. They will be less expensive option which is a good thing.