Movin' On Up

or over!

Hello, and Goodbye--but it's only TTFN-- I'm switching to Wordpress-- you can find me here.

Blogspot is fun...but Wordpress is a nice little cyber makeover, I think.

Lush

I love Lush.

You know--the lovely handmade bath and body products? (If you don't know, you should check it out).

Anyway. I should say: I used to love Lush, until this gosh-darned recession. But, as my good friend over at I Am a Refined Young Lady! says, it's time to be a "recessionista." But even a savvy recessionista must indulge a bit. Today--I bought a small jar of (well, it's not even big enough to be called a jar) of Ultra Bland: a soft, buttery cream that can be used without water. The lady who sold me the jar that I did not intend to buy assured me it could last at least 4 months if I used it sparingly. Now, you see, I used to use .... this

Now, it may look funny, but this funky gunk is awesome. So.... I decided to give the creamy cleanser a go-- my skin is older now, and I may as well thank it for putting up with me. 

I think this luscious cleanser will give my skin cause to thank me in return.

Hibiscuses and Hippopotamuses

Really, this entry has nothing to do with the hippopotamus. I typed Hibiscuses, and it made me think of the funny (and similar) plural of Hippopotamuses... I like the alliteration, really.

Anyway. About the hibiscus. And the bag. And the felted flower that was inspired by the hibiscus!

You see, I was always firmly opposed to felting. I thought it was silly. But then I felted this purse.

I think I'm a felting fiend now.

    I especially like making the flowers:

I felt a big piece of knitted wool,

     then I cut the petal by hand (and no template)--then felt by hand the edges of the flower, which lets me shape the petal into the fantabulous little creation above.

Well. I think it's fantabulous. Who knew I'd ever felt a single thing--ever?!

Imagination

I made some flowers.

I sewed them in creative fashion to a little white strip of knitted stuffs.

It looks like a barrette.

Tomorrow, I think, it will become a barrette.

Angelic

My mother makes these wonderful angels...

I am not particularly religious, spiritual or otherwise--but I have to admit, I love these angels.

Maybe it's because they're so simple.

    Or because it brings back memories.

I've been memory diving a lot lately, actually.

    I remember my mother making these things; she actually developed the pattern herself--it's deceptively tricky-- but that is my mere opinion. I am good with a yarn and some sticks but give me material?

I wish I'd taken pictures of the hat catastrophe today. Me. Trying to develop a hat. A NOT-yarn hat. Without a pattern.

HA.

Ha.

ha.

It makes me love my mother's angels even more.

Emancipation Day...

...or, The Holiday Formerly Known as Valentine's Day.

Let me explain.

I happened to have escaped a very bad relationship on the fourteenth of February a few years back. Prior, I'd always dreaded V-Day:

• Presents (because usually I simply feel awkward about receiving a present, picking-out an appropriate gift for the other...among other things).
• Chocolate (HIPS. 'nuf said)
• The general SAP factor

So. This year I decided to do something. Something crafty. And good. And kind. . .

        I'm becoming not only a Rav-Addict, but also an Etsy Addict...

                  So. When I heard about the project Special Delivery  on Etsy, I had to participate.

So today I surrounded myself with paper, ink, yarn, buttons, glue and ho

t-glue and had a total flashback to third grade.

Remember those Valentines

 we made in elementary? I remember, we decorated tissue boxes and turned them into V-Day Mail Boxes. I put so much effort into that dumb box: I painted pre-made wooden hearts in bright pinks, reds and dusky mauves; I plastered the thing with tinfoil and gaudy stickers. I think I thought it was legitimately pretty, too....

       And we made our cards. Er. I made my cards. Most people got the cheap boxed valentines from Target or Wal-Mart. Not me. 

I cut and pasted.

   I mean that in the scissor and glue way--this was

 199-something, folks.

I drew hearts, sprayed perfume on the construction paper.

Yes. 

Seriously.

         But today's effort seems a bit more successful:

My mother participated, too:

And all the V-Day Assembly and the thoughts of the elderly opening my handmade cards made me remember a kind little lady I knew once upon a time. So I sent her a special one:

Yes! FO's!

And with pictures too:

So there you have it: I'm sporting the Cardigan of Youth. Grandpa R is 1000 miles away so I'll have to suffice. The baby is also some miles away...hence the Cabbage Patch Kid.