Sam Bradley in Dallas - Zuni

I think most of  you know, I am a huge fan of live music - specifically guitar, acoustic - folksy, rock, soul, alternative, country-ish (no top 20 stuff please), indie - singer/songwriters.....

I had the opportunity to see one of my top favorites - Sam Bradley Friday night in Dallas at the House of Blues!  Sam played with guitarist, John Notto - these guys put on a great show; although I was a little bummed because I am height challenged, and this is one of those venues where you need to be at least 6 feet tall in order to see the stage.  My friend and I got sandwiched in the middle of the crowd, and we both started getting claustrophobic, so we crawled out and wound up on the side of the room - right behind a speaker - ah, but oh well - such is life.  Sam opened for Brooke Fraser - I would have preferred to see Sam perform the whole show - but.....still.... ah well, what could I do.  Except ask the guy in front of me if I could sit on his shoulders, but.....that wasssna gonna happen - errmmmm.   He is such a talented musician/singer and a gentleman to boot - he obliged me with a photo - along with each and every one of his fans.

I'm not a music critic by any stretch, but I know what I like - and I love Sam's music - check out his new EP, titled Zuni - you can find more info here.  You can also visit his MySpace page and have a listen to several of his songs -

I'm so happy to have been able to see him perform again!  It's great to see people in their element and following their dreams - it's very inspirational - it's all good - wishing him the best of luck!

This song - Sea Blue - is one of my favorites - please watch - I think you'll really like it!

I'm off to visit my sewing machine.  I've got some projects to get completed before another Trunk Show on Thursday and..... a new collection of songs to listen to!  (oh... and the kiddies are entertaining themselves by destroying my kitchen with playdoh..... it's all good :)

Beauty in Blogging

Can it be? I've won an award?! It is Academy Award week.....hmmm

.....well, it's not a little gold guy, but hey! I'm still honored!

Bellies to Babies presented this award to me....lovely blog I must say......check it out for some really beautiful photos.

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Thank and link the person who gave you this award.

2. Pass this award on to 5 blogs that you think are fantastic.
3. Contact blogs and let them know they've won.
4. State 7 interesting things about yourself.

So....5 blogs that I think are fantastic... Blogs that I may or may not have a little blog crush on.....Blogs that I think are well deserving......Blogs that are beautiful creations which have sprung forth from the minds of the some of the most creative, ambitious, did I say beautiful? humans beings ARE....

"drum roll please, and the Award goes to......."

Shoe Closet Life

Lavender and Limes

The Creative Crate

Stop Staring and Start Sewing

Funky Finds

And now 7 interesting things about myself. Well, I don't know how interesting they are, but here goes.

1. I worked at Walt Disney World during college in the Magic Kingdom at the Mad Hatter shop, sewing name on the back of Mouse Ears.

2. I worked in Yellowstone National Park during and after college at Roosevelt Lodge, riding horses, driving draft horse teams, drinking beer, and hanging out with my future husband!

3. I spent a semester of college living and studying in Dundee, Scotland

4. I love to bake (cookies), read books (Twlight - duh!), go to the movies (anything but horror), and listen to music (all kinds - right now in sort of a folksy, alternative mood)

5. I can wiggle my ears

6. Might like to move to California and be a Yoga instructor to the stars one day...."aaaoooommm...."

7. ummmmm.......I am really struggling here to think of something....

I'd love to be able to play the guitar and sing (with a voice that doesn't curl peoples' toes)

Making Hang Tags

Sort of like "Maaaakin' Copies"........well, minus the SNL stage.........

Getting ready for my first Holiday Trunk Show of the season. I thought I'd share how I make my o so lovely Hang Tags! It's fun - grap a cup of coffee (or tea) and let's go!
So, first, I print on card stock the verbage I want. Then I take a tag, of which I like the shape, and trace around my printing. Then cut out.... Yes, this takes awhile. Good activity while watching Dancing with the Stars, or Twilight for the 100th time, oh - have you seen Eastwick? that one's pretty good too! I'd recommend DVR'ing it though to watch when the kiddos are in bed.So, after I have them cut out - I lay them in a baking sheet and pour the morning's leftover coffee on them - not too much, just enough to make a nice stain. Then I "bake" them at 200 degrees for a few minutes until they are dry. You'll want to watch the oven really close to make sure you don't start a fire!Once they come out of the oven, it's time for a little Mod Podge.I lay them out on wax paper and spread Mod Podge over the front and back, making sure them dry really well. Sometimes I use Mod Podge that has an antiquing affect.After the Mod Podge dries, then I just glue on little bits of lace and Viola!

Now, I've got to get some sewing done so that I actually have something to hang, these Hang Tags on!

Doll Sleeping Bag/Nap Mat - Super Duper EASY! Tutorial

Here we go - this is my adaptation to Jenny's Nap Mat. I've altered the dimensions as well as eliminated the foam padding and velcro closure. Also stitched down the bottom half of the blanket, just to make it seem more "sleeping bag" like for my daughter's slumber party this evening.
So, I made 6 of them. They are all a little bit different. It was a great way to use up some of my fleece and fiber fill that takes up so much room in my sewing shelves. Also a great way to use up little bits of trim and embellishments that I've had forever.
Chrissa seems happy in her new sleeping bag- or maybe she's dead, its hard to tell. (I might be dead after tonight! Agh.)

So here you go with the steps.

#1. Cut 3 pieces of fabric (I used fleece).

1 Piece 20x20 (for the blanket)

2 Pieces 14x25

#2. For the blanket - finish 3 edges (I serged them). Then just embellish any way you'd like.
#3. Take 1 Piece of the 14x25 fabric and lay right side up. Lay your blanket ride side up also, and stitch about 1/2" from the bottom of the 14x25 fabric. Stop about 1/2" from the edge.See this picture - this shows where I stopped 1/2" from the edge. This will be helpful when you attach the next piece. (Yes....that is my treasured Twilight coffee cup in the background......Twilight is never far from my sick mind :) )#4. Lay your other 14x25 pieces of fabric right side down on top of the other 2 pieces. You'll need to fold the blanket in so you don't catch it in the side seam (see above).

Pin all the way around, leaving a 4" space to turn at the top right corner (see the picture below).
#5. Clip corners and turn right side out and lightly press. (Use a low setting on your iron if you're using fleece - it'll melt the fabric if the heat is too high!).

#6. For the Pillow

Stitch across the top approximately 4" down. Then stuff with fiber fill.
#7. Turn the raw edges in and top stitch the pillow closed.
Ta Da! You're done!

Let me know if you have any questions - I'd love to help you. Please be sure to see Jenny's Tutorial if you're interested in a child size nap mat. My son's worked out beautifully. Hopefully the dollies will like their little sleeping bags tonight. I'll be they sleep better than their owners.

TwiCon 2009...Since I know you're just dying to see....you are, right??

Here are just a couple of pictures from my weekend in Dallas - we had a great time! Met lots of people who share the love of any and all Twilight. If any of you are reading this and considering a TwiCon trip - you may want to check out another option. I have to say that the organization was terrible. It seemed we were promised a lot of things that didn't come to pass. All in all, I'm thrilled to have been able to go and spend a weekend away with friends. But we made our own fun.
Here are some of the highlights:
Being totally immersed in all "twilight" for 4 days
Doing something totally self indulgent and silly!
Not being embarassed to wear all of my Twilight t-shirts, buttons, excellent twilight jeans, etc.
Meeting lots of other "twihards"
Feeling that talking about Twilight all day, everyday with 3000 other people, is totally normal!
Watching the Twilight film with 500 other enthusiastic fans
Seeing the actors...well....sort of...the "volturi" were a bit too strong handed, and again, poor organization - but the actors themselves were all very entertaining and nice
Seeing Bobby Long, Marcus Foster, and Sam Bradley perform at Poor David's Pub
Meeting Bobby Long, Marcus Foster and Sam Bradley
Expanding my musical tastes - check out National Rifle and 100 Monkeys
Attending the Volturi Ball
The Vendor Hall was fun - if a bit small -
Reelz Channel - for Everything Twilight!
The Hillywood Show kids - they had the best attitude - always able to get a laugh!
My autograph from Alex Meraz...one of the "wolf pack" Our Most Awesome Twilight Jeans being modeled - oh and our "Alice" vests....all quite normal at this venue, I assure you.

Yes,...I know Edward is not real...but, hey this is the closest I'll ever get....just for giggles :)

Life would be so dull if none of us persued our passions - which is really what this blog is about, and what being creative is about. I'm glad that 3000 other people decided to express themselves and their love of a book. And, I'm also glad that I can sew, craft, and create and share those things with you. We shouldn't be embarassed about what inspires us and expands our lives. Doing new things and meeting new people who are passionate, inspires me to be more creative, I hope it does the same for you!

See - I can relate twilight to crafting and sewing......(laughing at myself!)

Freezer Paper Stencils

I swear I'm not trying to turn this into a Twilight blog - there are plenty of them out there - but....I did want to share this little project I recently completed.
Have you heard of using freezer paper for stencils? I had, but just had never tried it before. Mainly because I'd been busy with other sewing projects and just never had anything that I really wanted to stencil.
But, I didn't want to spend $30 on a tank like this one and I ran across this site - Sew Hooked in which Jennifer has a great little tutorial on how to make t-shirt designs with freezer paper. She even provided the stencil -which was great. You can find stencils all over the internet - just google what you're looking for. Many are free.
Basically, you print your design onto freezer paper (I just tore off a piece and stuck it in my printer). Then, take an exacto knife and cut it out. This step took the longest and my hand sort of looked like a claw when I was done :) Then, you use a cool iron and iron your paper to your shirt, then take fabric paint (I used acrylic because I didn't feel like running to the store) and paint over the top of your design. Let it dry, and peel the paper off. Viola! It's fun! Give it a try if you want to!
BTW- I purchased the tank top at Kohl's for$5, that beats $30 any day! (Especially if you're only going to wear the top during designated Twilight events!)

Sewing Projects, Snowcones, and ....twilight?

This is what I was trying my best to accomplish yesterday......what a cute idea, huh? I got it here at The Creative Crate - check it out - she's got some really fun ideas. I'm loving the bracelets she's got today..... Anyways, I made this for my nephew's 2nd birthday....(Amanda if you see this, hope you like it!).
This is part of what I had to do to get the towel completed......bribe the kiddies with a snowcone in order to stay out of my hair for a few minutes.Do you see what I saw???! I swear, I can't avoid it! I was cracking up because my kids were whining for snowcones yesterday afternoon and I thought I could send them outside for 15 minutes while I finished up the towel project. So, we drove to the snowcone stand and look what on the front window! Yes, a "Twilight" flavor.....so....of course I have to get that one! While we were in line with about five 8-12 year olds in front and five 8-12 year olds behind, my son and daughter kept saying..."Mommy,,,,, are you gonna get the TWILIGHT flavor?! Huh, are you? Are you gonna get TWILIGHT??" over and over and over....
Yes, I got the Twilight flavor, and it was oooh sooo refreshing....nice and cold, like you know who. And I think you do! Lovely self portrait, I know. Why do I keep torturing myself?
Happy customer with the "Batman" flavor and wearing fleece pants (102 yesterday)...he's dressing himself these days.
My girl with her favorite "Cherry" flavor...
hey stayed outside all of about 5 minutes once we got home.....with me (because I was eating my own snowcone, of course, did I mention it was "Twilight" flavor?) then we all came back inside because it was soooooooo stinkin hot.
Didn't get the towel done in that time frame, but I did get it done, and hopefully the birthday boy will be pleased!
By the way, I'm not sure what flavor "twilight" actually is...maybe sort of a blueberry, grape thing...oh well....it was a good giggle!

Twilight Jeans

So, here are my "Twilight" jeans! Don't worry - I'll be wearing them only once....(Ooooh! , unless....., they would be perfect for viewing the upcoming movies...New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn! amd any Twilighty parties that are sure to be attended!)I'll be sure to be with friends who appreciate my addiction instead of being with those who are totally embarrassed by me. No worries. I'm pretty tactful that way. I'd hate to embarrass anyone. Besides being a little bit too tight - I think they turned out sort of cute. In fact, it's got me thinking about all the other things I can do with a bleach pen. Have you tried this yet? It's fun!
I'm thinking about doing a pair for my daughter with her school mascot on them - I think you could also use a stencil and the bleach pen - lots of options.
It's hard to see, but I highlighted all the words with a black sharpie - another fun tool (lots you can do with this too!). I also borrowed a friends heat set gem gun - wow! that's fun - I was ready to put gems on everything! I ended up putting them down the one leg that has the swirly gigs (which by the way were inspired from the graphics on my Twilight box set that I received for Mother's Day). In case you're not in the know - the sayings all over the jeans are mostly favorite quotes from the books. I also used this stuff called Denimolition which I purchased at Joann's awhile back when it was on the clearance aisle. It worked like a charm - almost too well in places - it completely eats away the denim to give you the torn up look, that is sooo in right now. Just tryin to be fashionable and all.
Anyways - playing around with acrylic paint today and a black sharpie pen while my kids are running around like monkeys. It's soooo stinkin' hot lately that we're stuck inside most of the day. We can get out in the mornings a little and in the evening after the sun goes down, but besides that it's just too hot to be outside.
Just a few more weeks and I'll be taking the kiddos up to Indiana for some cooler weather (hopefully) and good times with family.

Sparklers T-shirt Re-"vamp"

So by now you know I'm headed to Dallas this summer for TwiCon - and my friend found these t-shirts at Tar-get a few weeks ago on a 4th of July display for $5. We thought they were perfect for TwiCon - I might actually wear this for the 4th and for TwiCon. ("Sparklers" - get it? "Sparklers"........as in vampires from Twilight?)

I thought it needed a little tweaking - so I dug out my pair of trusty Gingers and cut the neckline.

I used a ruler and a disappearing ink pen to draw the line where I wanted it while wearing it, then just cut and serged the edge.

I also took silver fabric paint and painted over the top of the sparkler - I was trying to go for a more silver look rather than blue.

I think for minimal effort, it turned out pretty cute.
Here is a sort of pre-view for my next project........

I've been so busy lately I'm meeting myself coming and going. I've got a cake in the oven (hubby's birthday today!), laundry in the washer, dish washer going, half finished Etsy order on the sewing table, messy house and little boy crying to get out of bed.

We've had vacation bible school all week along with other activities like gymnastics, pool party, and boot camp.....not so much a slow summer - but things should slow down a bit next week.

OK - buzzer just went off on the oven for the lovely birthday cake....guess what?! The oven wasn't even turned on! I'm losing my brain.

Vampire Worthy Vest

What do you think?
Is is Alice Cullen worthy? Ha!!! I know, you all think I've lost it! - but at least I was inspired to turn my husband's worn out suit pants into a very cool vest. "Up"cycling at it's best!
I'll be wearing this to TwiCon, but I think I can wear it this summer over a tank top or just a tight fitting t-shirt. The 80's are making a come back - maybe I should dig out my leg warmers and go find a Toni home perm kit too, or...maybe not, I'm not that crazy.
I'm loving the buttons - they're vintage - I've been saving them for awhile now for that perfect project. I just love them so much that I didn't want to let them go and I so rarely sew for myself, so this was the perfect place for them.
I'm going to tell you about the t-shirt under the vest on another post - just some fun revamping.