California Dreamin'

I spent last week with my husband's family in San Clemente, CA.  It was a week filled with relaxation, sun, and the color blue.  I painted my toes blue and wore blue shoes.  I also had a new blue swimsuit.

One day, we drove up to Laguna beach to check out the sites.  We drank coffee and walked by the beach.  We also stumbled upon an awesome store called Twig.  I bought a bracelet with watches printed on it and a travel mug that says "Don't Stop Believing."

The house we stayed in was beautiful.  We were close to the beach and could watch the gorgeous sunsets from our porch.

In the front of the house was this cute little chair set.  We don't have room for something like this in our apartment now, but maybe someday.

How was your week?  Do anything fun or relaxing?

Birthday Party Recap

My birthday was a week ago and we celebrated with a party on Saturday night.  Some friends were kind enough to host it and it was a wonderful night.  We started with both cheese and chocolate fondue.  And yes, we had way too much food.

To top it off, my sweetie of a husband made me a TARDIS birthday cake.  He always makes me fun shaped cakes and this year he was inspired by my Doctor Who obsession.  It's a little droopy on the edge, but that's just one of the hazards of time travel.

Here is a picture of Eugene and I together.  You can see my new bangs and awesome bird shirt.

One of my friends gave me this beautiful vase as a gift.  I love it!  I added some fake grass from Michaels and put it in the front entry way.

I like the way it contrasts with my scarf tablecloth.  Now the only question is how long I can keep it there before the cat starts chewing on the grass and I have to move it.

How was your weekend?  Did you do anything fun?

Random Things That Are Awesome

Today I feel like departing a bit from the crafty road and sharing a few things that I think are cool outside the realm of paint and glue guns.  I hope you find something you like!

Awesome Band: Gomez

I first saw Gomez perform live in the spring of 2007.  My friend and I were going to see Ben Kweller; he was going to be followed by some band I'd never heard of called Gomez.   I was blown away.  Great music and just a fun show to see live.  My favorite album is still How We Operate, but the others are also good.  If you are looking for some songs to sample, try Girlshapedlovedrug or Whippin' Piccadilly.

Awesome Book: Next of Kin by Roger Fouts

This book is written by the researcher who did years of sign language studies with chimpanzees.  Specifically, it focuses on his work with a very special chimpanzee named Washoe, the first non-human to acquire a human language.  This book is very near and dear to my heart because I spent a summer as an intern at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute where several members of Washoe's adoptive family are still living.  I have always been fascinated by chimpanzee behavior and it was a dream come true to spend time near such amazing animals.

Awesome Website: Pandora Radio

This site has been around for awhile, so feel free to roll your eyes and thank me for my "discovery."  But on the chance you don't know it, I wanted to share.  Pandora caught my eye by calling itself the "music genome project" and that could make any young molecular biology student swoon.  Basically, you enter in a band/song that you like and it will play songs that match it.  As it plays, you can give each song a thumbs up or thumbs down to further tailor your station.  It's pretty much all I listen to on my computer anymore.  You can visit my Pandora profile here.

Awesome Tasty Treat: Frozen Pineapple

Buy a can of pineapple chunks.  Stick it in the freezer for about an hour.  Take it out and pour it in a bowl.  It's like a pineapple slushy.  The pineapple chunks are icy cold and the juice is just starting to thicken up.  So good! 

Okay, that last one was pretty random but trust me, you're going to go to Costco to stock up on pineapple after that.  I hope you enjoyed my day of random!

A Peak In My Studio

By studio, I mean the half of our guest room/office that I use to do my art :)  Here's just a few pictures of my organized chaos.  First, Here are some of the bird charms I have been working on lately.  Lots of love birds just in time for Valentine's Day.

Now zoom out and look at the mess that I normally crop out of photos.  Don't worry, I know where everything is :)  I tend to spread out all of the projects I am working on at once and group them by color/project/feeling. 

I fuel all this activity by drinking lots of tea.  I normally switch off between tea and coffee, but this week has been all about tea.  My current tea of choice is Earl Grey with honey and lemon.  Here I am enjoying it in the tea-for-one pot that I got in Cambridge, England.

That's it for now!  Hope you are all having a lovely week.

Penguin 5K

This past weekend, I participated in the Pineapple Classic 5K.  I'm not really a runner but this race had obstacles and seemed like fun.  It was a team race and we could wear silly costumes.  My team: penguins.

Despite having a bad cold, the race went well.  For our penguin costumes, we wore black sweats with pillowcase bellies (all from the thrift store).  My awesome husband made us all feet and beaks out of orange craft foam.  Elastic and staples was all that was required.

Cute huh?  We got a bit dirty and lost three feet total by the end of the race.  Oh well.

Happiness is Homemade

I found this tray at a thrift store on Saturday.  I'm pretty sure I squealed and hugged it.  I love the combination of the cross-stitch and the wood.  But beyond that, it's such a perfect phrase for me.  So today, I thought I would share why I love homemade.

I love making things myself for many reasons.  There's the challenge of seeing if I can do it myself.  Whenever I start a new craft project or try a new recipe, I have no idea whether it will work out.  Then when I'm done, there's the pride of accomplishing something.  It's a chance to learn and experiment.

When I buy handmade, I like knowing that I am helping someone else to embrace those feelings.  Sure, homemade items are usually unique and charming.  But the thing that draws me in is imagining the person who made it, sitting there, crafting the piece.  I imagine the joy they felt when they finished it.

Those are some of the reasons I love handmade.  What about you?

Graffiti Art

I'm not sure why, but I've always really enjoyed graffiti.  I probably shouldn't condone defacing public property, but there's something about it I like.  Here are some of my own graffiti pics (taken by me, not created by me).

Metal letters outside a club in Berlin, Germany

Section of the Berlin Wall

Truck in Paris, France

Wall in Cologne, Germany

What are your thoughts?  Graffiti- cool or offensive?

Mt. St. Helens

This weekend I was out of town hiking up Mt. St. Helens.  It was beautiful and an extremely hard hike.  The hike was five miles each way and very difficult terrain; forest, rocks, and an ash field.  The ash field covered the last mile and was like walking up sand; every step involved sliding back.   I wanted to give up but was very proud when I reached the top.  A nice reminder of the value of hard work :)

It's just one of those days...

I'm sick right now and slept all day yesterday.  I don't have the energy to get a thoughtful blog post ready, so you are getting a picture of my cat today.

Photo Session Helper

I was taking some product pictures yesterday when my kitty Milo decided to help out.  One minute I'm taking a picture of my necklace and the next thing I know, there's a kitty in my photo.

He's cute and all, but i would rather not sell him on etsy.

Because I'm Addicted to The Office

I can't stop watching The Office.  The first 6 seasons are all on Netflix instant so it's my go-to show.  Here are a few finds for all you other Office fans.

Remember when Jim dressed up like Dwight?  Beets. Bears. Battlestar Galactica.

Dwight Tote

And if that wasn't enough, who can forget the stapler in the jello.

The Office Card

Next, you can create your own Michel phrase with this cross-stitch kit.

Cross Stitch Kit

Or you can clothe your child with a Michael-ism instead.  You're only five and can't drive yet.  Boom-roasted!

Well, maybe this is a better option.

Cute Onesie

Do you like The Office?  Do you have another favorite go-to t.v. show?

Hello Seattle

If you are paying attention, you may have discovered that I live in Seattle.  Technically, I live on the east side in Redmond, but it's more easily recognized to say I live in Seattle.  I did not grow up here, but moved here a little over a year ago for my husband's job.  Seattle has quickly become my home and I would like to share some fun "Seattle Things" with you today.

First, there is this pretty locket I found on etsy.  I love lockets in general and I'm particularly drawn to this one because of the map on it.  If my hubby and I were still long distance, I would put our pictures in it and be the sappy romantic that I like to be.

Seattle Locket on etsy

Next, I have to mention the mountains.  Growing up in the midwest, we did not have mountains.  I still gape open-mouthed whenever I see Mt. Rainier towering in the sky.  Oddly, I don't have a picture of it, but here is a nice picture from a hike we took.

Beautiful scenery-my own photo

Of course, I have to talk about the space needle.  This was worth going up once, but I recommend doing it on a clear day.  The space needle is located in a whole complex called The Seattle Center where there are lots of cool museums.  I recommend the Pacific Science Center (where I volunteered for awhile) and the Experience Music Project (which has an awesome building). 

One of our engagement photos-taken by Redbox Pictures.

Now, if you are looking for something quirky to see, I have two recommendations.  First, there is the gum wall in Pike Place Market.  The market itself is great, but make a slight detour to see the wall.  It's worth it once.  It's just a large wall that is covered with used gum.  Pretty gross, but I have added a piece.

Close-up of the gum wall.  My own photo.

Second, there is the Fremont troll.  This is actually pretty cool.  It's a large troll sculpture with an actual VW Bug included.  Neat, huh?

Fremont Troll-my own photo

Now, don't you just want to visit Seattle?  Has the city captivated your heart yet? (sorry, that was cheesy)

Seattle Art Print on etsy

Artistic Confidence

Artist Print on etsy

When I began this blog, I started with the idea that I wanted to project total confidence as an artist.  I should know everything about everything and always make perfect art.  Even if I started small, I should continue to grow at a steady pace.  But the truth is, I have good days and I have bad days.  Growing in my art is not a steady rise in confidence and skills.  There are bumps along the way. 

Some days, it feels like everything I make is perfect.  I create something and stop and stare at it for hours.  I bug my husband by making him stop and look at it over and over again with me.

Other days, it feels like nothing I do is right.  I try painting, it looks like garbage.  I try to make a necklace, and it looks like garbage.  I feel like the child of Midas and Oscar the Grouch; everything I touch turns to garbage.

Why am I sharing this?  Because for many of you out there, you may feel the same way.  Perhaps you think this is a sign that you aren't very good.  But I think all people struggle with this, even within their own talents.  All skills take time to grow and everyone makes mistakes.  So keep at it! 

Quote Magnet on etsy

Art Sign on etsy

Is there anything that you struggle to feel confident in?  Have any of your mistakes ever turned into amazing ideas?

A Successful Shopping Trip

Yesterday, my husband and I took a mini road-trip to Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, WA.  If you have the chance to go here, do it.  It's a VERY large bead store with great prices.  We (I) spent an hour just wandering the aisles.  I actually haven't been making as many beaded pieces lately, but am probably going to start up again after this trip.  Here are some pictures of the store:

Outside of the store.

A view of the store.

One of the aisles.

Here is a picture of the beads I got.  I was definitely feeling the bright colors yesterday.  I'm thinking a "Parrot Line" may soon be up on my etsy shop.  My favorite beads of the day were the crochet beads; they are so colorful and fun!  I would love to make some of these myself.

A stunning piece of photography- My goodies from the trip.

We ended the day with a wander around the mall, dinner at Cheesecake Factory and a movie (Fast Five-actually pretty entertaining).  While at the mall, I got this sweet little magnet.  It makes me feel really inspired; the little birdy is painting and learning to be an artist.

See More Magnets Here

Happy Easter!

Kauai, HI beach at sunset-photo taken on my honeymoon

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us- Romans 5:6-8 

 

 

Iron Craft Challenge #15- Peeps!

This week, we were challenged to make something using Peeps as part of the Iron Craft Challenge.  This meant using the actual peeps themselves, not just making something peep related.  I didn't really want to have peeps sitting around my house as permanent Easter decor (sorry little guys), so I went the edible route.  In honor of my bird-inspired craft business, here are some peeps dressed up to look like another species.

"Well Mr. Peep, we certainly look sophisticated." "We sure do Mrs. Peep, do you think we pass as goldfinches?"

I used melted chocolate to "paint" on the coloring of another bird species, the American goldfinch.  I used chocolate chips and toothpicks as my materials, but I'm sure you could get more fancy-schmancy with it.  Although the female does not get as bright yellow as the male, I like to think that this is a mating pair.  They are shown here sitting on a cheerios nest.

Moments after this photo was taken, the cheerios nest was consumed.  As of the writing of this blog, the birds were still alive.