Bowl night

+

= a pretty good night

I haven't been won over by the new album yet, but I have undying love for Sam's Town because the insistent beat has powered D and I through many a late night work session.

There was a crazy slick stage set involved, along with pretty confetti and the famous feathered jacket. I do appreciate a glitzy stage show. I mean, if you're going to play the Bowl you should either go super minimal or all out. I enjoy either one.

It was a little disconcerting to find my beloved Bowl packed to the brim with tweens squealing and waving cell phones and glow sticks. D and I just quietly ate our sun dried tomato bruschetta paninis and I tried to find compassion in my heart for them. It was a lost cause. I didn't like myself when I was 13, so I don't see how I can be expected to like anyone else at that age. I can deal with them one on one but when they travel in packs I get skittish.

Best surprise - the Psychedelic Furs opened and the show closed with both bands coming on stage to play Pretty in Pink together. Pretty great.

Mini knots - headband tutorial

Do you remember this tutorial for the knotted headband? I was thinking about it a few weeks ago and decided I wanted to make some mini versions. Because everything is cuter in miniature.

So, follow this tutorial, just like before...

But use crochet thread instead of strips of fabric. One length of thread should be measured by wrapping it around your head (add a bit extra if you are going to want to tie it) the other piece of thread (the one you'll be using to make the knots around the first piece) needs to be approximately six times as long as the first. Yes, that is very long.

You can vary the width of the finished piece by using more than one long thread (just bundle them together and make knots as if you have a single thread). For visual interest, I made three knotted strips for my headband, in three different widths. I secured them with a bit of elastic at the bottom. I've been wearing it non stop for the last two weeks.

{front & back}

There are a few up in the shop, for those of you who prefer to outsource (and because they are so compact, I'm offering free shipping!). I'm not sure if these will end up being in the shop all the time. To be honest, as much as I love making them, they are very time consuming and my poor hands don't love making all those knots. The first day I made these I went overboard and woke up the next day with swollen finger joints. Take it easy, if you want to make these.

{pretty jumble}

Now if I were a camp counselor, I would totally put some kids to work and crank these out nonstop. Kids will do just about any manual labor for a couple pieces of candy. It doesn't even have to be particularly good candy. I once spent an entire afternoon stuffing envelopes at camp and I was paid with 5 Jolly Ranchers and I was pretty sure I'd gotten a great deal. Ah, youth.


*This tutorial is provided for personal use only. Please do not sell this tutorial or create items for re-sale using this tutorial. Tutorial may be re-published only with my permission.

Current favorite dress

I got this dress at the Hayden Harnett sale two weeks ago (thanks for the heads up, Suann!).

{image from Hayden Harnett}

It's instantly become my favorite. It's incredibly flattering and comfortable all at once. There's nothing like silk, really. It's definitely girl style (as opposed to guy style) - D made a comment about how peasant-y it is but I can't tell you how many compliments I get from other women when I wear it out.

There are still a few left, either in blue or gray...

P.S. Mini shop update!

There are a couple new pieces up in the shop. I found this fabulous cream silk with tiny orange and lilac polka dots on it and I fell in love. Check out the polka dot lilypad headband, ruffles headband, belt, and wrist corsage.

You can now see examples of the rosebud belt and the ruffles belt. These will always be made to order, so you can contact me about your specific color needs before ordering.

The weekend, briefly

Ups and downs this weekend.

The bad - another setback relating to last year's accident landed my family back in the hospital. And those cots they put in the rooms for family members qualify as torture devices.

The good - the prognosis is better than we expected (we're looking at two weeks in the hospital, and hopefully just one more surgery, fingers crossed) and I got to come home to drawers full of washed and folded clothes, a clean house and a freshly made bed.

Plus bacon and eggs for breakfast. I really do have the best boyfriend.

And I did a bit of squealing because I found blooms and tiny fruit on my mandarinquat tree. I can't wait.

P.S. Ever wondered what three words I would use to describe myself? You can find that out, plus more, over on Michelle's blog, love in details.

Friday flowers (+ a friendly warning)

My million star are happily going on week 2. Not only are they cheap, they hold up like little troopers!

Shop update - Thank you all for your continued support of my little shop! After a few weeks in business, it has become readily apparent that I'll need to increase prices a bit in order to keep things running. I severely underestimated the time it takes to do everything and I want to be able to keep putting the same amount of love and care into every single piece.

To sweeten the news, I'm giving you a couple days notice. Starting on Monday, headbands will increase from $18 to their new price of $23. That means you have the weekend to snatch up whatever you might want at the current price. I'll be adding some new items to the shop on Monday as well (fingers crossed that I get everything done!), so be sure to stop by to take a peek.

Random makeup love

I bought Covergirl's Outlast lip stain a month or so ago and I officially love it.

The first time, I drew it straight on like I was using a marker and I looked like a clown for hours. It comes out dark. I have shade 440, wild berry wink, and I actually love the color, but the saturation was a bit much.

I have the hang of it now. Dot it on lightly, using the very tip of the marker. Rub in each dot immediately, because it dries almost instantly. Very lightly outline your lips, doing just a tiny area at one time and blending toward the center as you go.

Bonus - I use it on my cheeks if I'm feeling lazy. Same deal, just add one dot at a time and blend it immediately. It looks nice and sheer and adds beautiful color.