Oh the Cuteness!

As promised, the rest of the photos from Halloween:

Oh my, the craft fair this year was such a rousing success that I am still on cloud nine about it! Jill, Sylvia, and I got a great booth nestled in a corner and they (I say "they" because I had to work and didn't get to help with the initial setup) did a sweet little art-installation-like setup, and lots of people that came by said it was the cutest booth there! Everyone was so nice, and we got to meet a lot of the staff of the Richmond Art Center which was great too. I sold most all of what I brought, with just enough left for me and my family, and I got to trade with Jill, Sylvia, and a couple fantastic ceramic artists. Almost every other booth at the fair was either ceramic art or jewelry, so we stood out pretty well, which surely helped or sales. Here's some pics of the grand affair: These are Sylvia's handy work: And these are Jill's: And isn't it cute how all of our different styles mesh together so seamlessly? Bags, pillows, zip pouches, and brooche...

And so, all is well in the word of Oh the Cuteness! I have my new laptop, and she's a lovely little 3 lb cherry red Acer and is exactly what I needed. Also, the craft fair festivities have been in full swing around here, and I cannot wait till Sunday! We will be selling our wares at the Richmond Art Center's annual Holiday Fair and silent auction. Here's the link , and if you end up going a nd see me there, please say hello! And if you mention you are a reader of my blog I will give you 20% off your purchase, so don't be shy! For your viewing pleasure, here's a sneak peek at the little bird ornaments in their nearly-completed adorableness: Also on the list of available items are some sequin mushroom ornaments (tutorial here from Poopscape ), baby bibs from this post , amigurumi acorn ornaments , and of course owl pincushions. If I have enough time I may also make some more feather headbands but we will have to see. I decided to just do multiples of only a few o...

So my computer may be out of service, but I just had to post some pictures of the awesome Halloween costumes Dennis and I made! We ended up hanging out with our favorite friends Phil and Jill, and we got dim sum and went to see Nosferatu at the San Francisco Symphony. Phil and Jill went as ghostly 1940s moviegoers and they looked so cute! I made the headband Jill is wearing, and there are more on the way! They took all these pictures (thanks guys!), but I will be back to post more detailed shots of us when I can get them off my camera. Dennis and I went steampunk to match the Victorian era movie! We got welding goggles and Nerf Maverick Guns, but since we waited until the last minute we only had time to spray paint them instead of really decking them out, but that will come later. We found a lot of really great clothes at Target of all places, all made by the Converse brand. Both our shirts and his pants are new, and I made my skirt. We scavenged the rest at thrift store...

So right before it got too cold for the tomatoes to ripen I pulled all the green ones off the plant and made green tomato pickles. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted them to taste but I just couldn't seem to find a very good recipe anywhere on the net, so I just made it up as I went along. First, I made my own pickling spice blend. I have an extensive spice rack and I wanted to do a flavorful, spicy mix, and in a large batch so I would have some left over for another batch of pickles. Maybe pickled eggs? I dunno... Anywho, here's my pickling spice recipe. It makes enough for 2-3 small batches (about 5-6 little jars) or one really big one. Pickling Spice Blend 2 tbsp dried dill 1 1/2 tbsp dried whole coriander 1/2 tbsp dried whole fennel seed 1/2 tbsp dried tarragon 1 tbsp dried whole cumin seed 1/2 tbsp dried thyme 1/2 tbsp dried oregano 1/2 tbsp dried crushed red chilies Put everything together in a mason jar and shake it up! You can double or triple this recipe if you w...

Warning: extreme downer content. Please ignore this rant if you want to. I found out last Thursday that my ex-boyfriend Michael passed away. I'm going through pictures of mine to send to his parents... I wish I could say I'm sorry to him one more time, even though I said it for three years straight before I gave up trying anymore to win back his trust and friendship. He could hold a grudge like no one else I ever knew, though it was well deserved in my case. Even though we weren't speaking anymore I will still miss him very much, he was a big part of my life at a time when my growing pains tore us apart. He taught me that every day is a gift, and we need to fill each one with as much as we possibly can. You never know when it will be too late to start living. The fact that he knew his time was short and yet he spent so many of his days with me makes me truly grateful, no matter how hard it was to be with him. He was diagnosed with type one diabetes when he was about two yea...

Wow-wee what a birthday I had! It started back at the last weekend of July when I went down to visit my parents. We had presents: I got a BBQ from my dad, a new handmade purse from my sister and lots of book and clothes and a bagillion other awesome things from my mom! (Thanks guys!) And then we had ice cream cupcakes from Coldstone (Yum!) and we went to the Midstate Fair! And since I got a BBQ, I decided to have a picnic in the park with my friends. We went to the beach at Alameda, and even though it was cold it was really fun. We had kabobs and lots of snacks, and my roomie and her new boyfriend made me cupcakes! Favorite present of that day had to be from Phil and Jill, the biggest zucchini I have ever seen. Time for some chutney-making for sure! Then a couple weekends ago Dennis and I booked a sweet little cabin in north Lake Tahoe and had a wonderfully relaxing time. He got me a Wii and some Magic the Gathering cards, and we spent our time vegging out, horseback ...

Since I can feel that summer is fast coming to a close, I decided to make myself something to keep warm on the drafty buses out in SF. I have been knitting this cowl for a month or so, mostly exclusively at the meetup group, and it came together really fast and easy (that's about 4 days in total). The yarn (Paton's Rumors) did not go as far as I thought it would and I only had one ball in my stash. I went to a bunch of craft stores to try to find it again and I was disturbed by the lack of variety at Michael's. They used to have so much yarn, now the stores are being overrun with scrapbooking supplies and all they have is boring old Red Heart worsted, some Lion that gets about as interesting as the Homespun stuff, and a little Paton's. Booooring. So I had to go online to find another ball and of course the dye lots didn't match. Oh well, it looks like they don't make that yarn anymore, but since it is for me and not to sell I don't mind the color change. So ...

Sorry it's been a while since my last crafty post! The new commute out to San Francisco has taken some getting used to, but I think I've got the hang of it now and I have been making more room in my schedule for some much-needed crafting and such. Today my roommate and I are having a girly day, sitting around listening to records and sewing little things. I keep catching the side of the back pocket on my jeans on an old door latch on the kitchen entry, and I have torn big holes in two of my favorite pairs, so I patched them with big squares of awesome fabric today. But mostly, I wanted to show off this sewing project that I am really proud of... Take one super soft shirt that I got from my mom for my birthday. It fits great and has 3/4 length sleeves which I adore, but it is a little boring all on its own. Add to the equation a ton of inspiration from the girls at my weekly stitch n' bitch meetup and you get this: One of the girls who comes every couple of weeks is a fabr...

Well, I had to work yesterday (normally my day off), so I had no time this week at all for crafting. And I just realized I forgot to take pictures of the cute zip pouches I made for all the giveaway winners. Oh well, they will get a surprise then! I worked yesterday because my bosses opened the new toy store in San Francisco! So yes, finally I am taking Bart/ Buses to work in the city! It's an amazing shop, full of life and color, and in a really great neighborhood to boot! We are on the corner of Fillmore and Lombard streets, so come by and say hello if you are in the area! Another big announcement is that I finally got a record player! I have been wanting one for a very long time, and this one was brand new on Amazon for $40.00 plush shipping! It reminds me of the one my parents had when I was a kid. It's very compact, actually smaller than a 48 record so that the top has cut-outs where the record sticks out as it plays. Very simple, no-frills, with built-in speakers (thoug...

Whilst I was rummaging through my closet, going through my old purses and looking for things to go into the "garage sale box", I happened upon this little fluff ball: I clearly remember my sister giving me this neat-o handmade purse for my birthday some years ago, but it looked to be filled with unfinished crochet projects I scarcely remembered. As I started pulling them out of the bag it all came flooding back... Unfinished crocheted flower brooches, cupcakes, acorns, wrist warmers, aminekos, business card holders, and various other nearly-finished amigurumi came pouring out. I know that the black amineko was supposed to be a Christmas present for my mother a couple years ago. I vaguely remember that this was the bag I kept all my projects in. I think it must have gotten lost in the fray when I moved out of my old apartment. I feel like such a heel for abandoning all of these projects right when they were so close to completion. But I will make it up to them... I guess I kno...