Oh, What providence!

So I was walkin' to the farmer's market with a buddy, mindin' my own business..

When out of nowhere I stop dead in my tracks. *SCREECH*
Sitting on the sidewalk is a gorgeous antique bedframe. "Is it free? Is it free?" I pester my buddy, as if he had otherworldy knowledge  that I did not. Sure enough the makeshift sign taped to the palm tree said FREE!

What providence! I recently got a new roommate and downsized from a queen mattress (that was acres to big for me) to a nice and comfy twin. Yet I had no bed frame. I had been sleeping with my mattress on the floor because I absolutely refuse to spend even forty dollars on a cheap-o ikea bed frame. I knew someone, somewhere had to have one they didn't need, but I assumed it would be someone in my family or friends, and that it would just be a very simple standard one. Who knew that right around the corner, adorable bed frame destiny awaited me!

It is a gold color and super sturdy, regardless of it being pretty old-looking.

Tutorial! Your Friendly Neighborhood Skully Necklace...

July is birthday month in my family.

My Grandma, Dad, Cousin, both my sisters and I are allllll born this month.
And just to spice things up, my parents unconsciously decided to have my sisters and I all within a day of each other.

So what better way to get out of a mid-summer craft funk than with lots of impending birthday parties? (No better way obviously.)

My littlest sister is super-cool and original, (in those early teen years, that's a feat!) has gauged ears (ALREADY!) and wants to be a tattoo artist (a profession my mother actually endorses).

All in all, she's a pretty hep cat.

So I decided to make something that would fit her personality.



A friendly family of felt skulls she can wear around her neck!!

This is a super easy project and the technique could be used to make a felt necklace out of any design IN THE WORLD you can draw, photocopy or find clip art of! ANYTHING!!!!

(Ok now, don't get too excited)

DIY Lazy Susan with Woodburned Fish Design for Father's Day

For Father's Day, I made my daddy a custom "lazy suzan" turntable thingy!

I picked up a really old and faded Ikea-brand lazy susan at the thrift store, drew a fishy design on it (my daddy is quite the fisherman) and set to it with my trusty woodburning tool.

*segue* Have I told you about my trusty woodburning tool? It looks like this and not only does it let me burn designs into wood, but I can solder things and melt plastic and.... MWUAHAHAHAA. I love it and have to sit on my hands to avoid the urge to burn holes in things with it.

Anyway, after carving my fishy design into it:



*Cute dead fishies!*

Pllaannttttss!!!!! And Mini Tutorial.

Wheehoowwheehooowheeehooooo.

(That there was the sound of me hyperventilating)

Macaron Madness

Light Me Up, Up, and Away.

Yesterday I posted about Lucia Holm's photography and made the remark that I wanted an illuminated umbrella like the one in this picture.

Try as I might to restrain the yearning, I am intrigued by the idea.
But Sam, I tell myself, not only does San Diego get less than 12 inches of rain a year, but we are in a DROUGHT! You couldn't even justify getting yourself some wellies during the week that it DID rain!
Well self, just shuddup.

Sockmaster from Instructables has a great tutorial for an LED umbrella.

Teddy Girl Takeover

When you have as short an attention span as I do, and as great an affinity for random knowledge, you spend a lot of time on Wikipedia. You know, you go looking for one thing, then you see an interesting link to another article, and again... and before you know it you've gone from space shuttles to prickly pear cactus. Btw... if you've never played the Wikipedia game, now is the time to start.

Anyway, I was on a tangent and somehow ended up reading a list of subcultures. One of which I was not familiar was the Teddy Girls.

These girls were the bad-a**es of 1950's london. Mostly from working-class families, they put a feisty androgynous spin on Edwardian fashion.

Obsessed.

I resisted the Lady Gaga phenomenon so well.
I really did.
I considered her just a kooky pop singer with a few interesting costuming tricks up her sleeve. I contently went about my way, minding my own business, while friends and family rabidly chanted her lyrics while fashioning their hair into intricate bow shapes.
I was Gaga indifferent, I suppose you might say. I was neither a lover nor a hater, a rarity in the world of Gaga, because her lovers REALLY love her, and her haters REALLY hate her.

That was then.

I had the incredible misfortune to be shown the video for "Telephone" at work last week, and it has changed my life.

Okay, maybe I can be a bit overdramatic at times.
But if you haven't already, go take a look at the plethora of great (and often crazy) outfits, awesome makeup, all with a delicious neo-retro feel. (Warning: Video contains lots of semi-nudity, chick-fights, sandwich-making, breakfast poisonings and unbleeped words, if that is not your kind of thing. It is also dang catchy, and I am not responsible for any earworms you may catch.)

There is just so much great material to talk about, I can't do it all.
Here's one of my favorite Lady Gaga looks:



But aside from her (approximately) 10 different outfits I could describe, the one that really changed my life... *dramatic swoon*
was on Beyonce:

SWEET FREEDOM!

I had my last final today...

SPRING BREAK!

woohoo!

Thiiis time around I am going to make the best of it.
LOTTSA crafting.
aaand..
I'm going to LA for the first time ever!
Can you believe that I live in San Diego and have never been to L.A.?
I really, really don't get out much.
I'm going on Monday with one of my oldest and most fabulous friend.
Our destination is the garment district and all the goodies it will behold.
I am going to try to load up on some fabric so I can get my sewin' on!

BY THE WAY...

I had entered a contest on Instructables.com a while back with my ruffle scarf tutorial (which is the first post I ever did on this blog). Grand prize is this great serger/embroidering/everything machine and 1st prize is a dress form.

Well... I am a finalist! Go read my instructable here.



The contest is in the judging stage now, and the results will be in Monday.
Now, take a moment to imagine me standing in the middle of the L.A. garment district, and finding out that I won a serger or dress form.
What fate!
What providence!
What a great excuse to spend monies on fabric!

Regardless, I am happy just to be a finalist, and either way I am really starting to up my sewing anty.  If I don't have the good luck of winning a serger, I am going to start trying to save up money to get one myself.
I just have this huge itch to sew knit fabrics.
My own hoodies and rib-knit tank tops (my favvvvorite) and and and....
**droooool**

Anyway, I feel like I am going to be on a posting roll for at least the next week. I'm going to hammer out pictures of all those projects I've done but haven't mentioned (you mean you didn't know?) and all those tutorials I have backed up, as well as some great pictures from L.A. on Monday coming up!
Yay!

DIY Spoke Lights!

I made some great spoke lights for my bicycle today.
I almost can't wait go go ride in the dark to try them out.
Saftey+pretty things =  AWESOME!

I have finals next week and the spring break! YAY!

I am thinking about revamping my blog layout and also doing a video tutorial for these lights.
OMGVIDEO.

I'm a little giddy. When I am stressed I craft out.

Craft-out (verb)-
A psychological response to stressful situations in which one finds comfort in glueing/crocheting/sewing/soldering things together as a mechanism to deal with pressure.

You learned a new word today.
Congratulations!

New Favorite Person.

Dear Zooey Deschanel,

I see you prancing around in vintage bathing suits.

Stop making me love you.

This post is the fruit of my directionless internet browsing.

Case Study in Cute

Sometimes I come across something that just makes me go... YES!!!

Case Study #1:

Super Thriftingbowl Sunday!

You can have your football, I'll take my pre-loved clothing stores.

Today I visited a thrift store chock full of goodies in search of my Epic Valentine's Day outfit.

Yet I bought more than I expected (though I should always expect that to happen).

Here is a sampling of what I obtained:

I was running out of daylight so there is more I have yet to photograph including some purple flats, white and gold wedges and something that will make you go "MIDDLE SCHOOL!" all over again. They were super trendy back then and seeing a whole box of them just brought back all kinds of memories. What could it be? I'll post them up tomorrow. :)

Sooo...

VALENTINE'S DAY!

I swear I am becoming a housewife before my time, because every little holiday makes me really excited and ready to break out the cookies and Jello molds.

Style Icon

So.....

AUDREY HEPBURN.

Yes. I know she is a style icon, and I always see that Breakfast at Tiffany's picture EVERYWHERE on EVERYTHING (posters, plates, t-shirts).

But I have never actually taken time to appreciate her.

1940s Knitted Turbans

I just found a vintage 1940s turban pattern on Ravelry that I have to knit. NOW.