Haiti Babi

Oh... it's been a long time!

I'm just here for a minute or two to tell you to head over to Haiti Babi's blog for 8 days of FREE baby shower downloads!

This is a project I've been working on with friends for several months... and now it's finally ready!

While you're there... take a moment to learn more about Haiti Babi, a non-profit serving mothers and families in Haiti.

Party Favors

I've spent the past month and a half planning a bridal shower for a friend. Well, technically my role was assistant to the Maid of Honor... but she graciously allowed me to take over.

The shower was this past Friday. Now the bride has seen it all and I can share the details here, starting with the favors.

I was looking for something affordable and easy to make for a guest list of 22. I somehow came across this project for candy pouches and it seemed like just the thing! I was able to gather all the supplies easily and the only expense was the Jelly Belly jellybeans inside (in the shower colors).

Kraft paper is nonexistent here so I used Molly's hefty supply of lunch sacks to cut out squares.

To personalize the candy pouches I used two of Molly's letter stamps for the bride and groom's initials, and carved my own stamp out of an eraser for the heart.

Then it was just a matter of sewing three sides of the pouch, pushing jelly beans inside, and sewing it closed.

I think they turned out quite nicely. 

What's for Dinner? Vday Edition

A few days ago I hosted a belated Valentine's Day party for Hump Day. Something about not working right now has my mind racing for party ideas...all the time. So many ideas meant that there were a lot of themes going on. But that's ok. Right?

Beverage: Love Potion #9 aka strawberry soda

Appetizer: Asparagus and White Bean Pesto Tart

Salad: Spinach, red onions, cherry tomatoes, walnuts

Soup: Broccoli Seed Soup

Dessert: Vanilla cupcakes with frosting

All of the foods (except drinks and dessert) are considered "heart-healthy" and I typed up little cards to explain their health benefits. It's always good to know what your food does for you!

The cupcakes we had for dessert were actually offered as a bake sale. I put the money raised towards a donation to V-Day. V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls worldwide.

Hopefully, the cupcakes were judged worthy of money. I worked extra hard to put a little surprise inside!

Yep, that's a cute little heart in there. It took a lot of extra time, but it was pretty fun to put together and very exciting to slice each cupcake.

The entertainment of the evening was making mailboxes and exchanging valentines. I didn't get a photo of all of them but everyone did a great job. There were doilies, cookies, and even a mix cd. I made scratch off valentines that corresponded to numbered boxes. Inside the boxes were draw string bags in different colors and patterns. (That's a mix between being a keener and having a lot of fabric to use up and extra time on my hands.)

It worked out well that each bag suited its recipient.

Not pictured: Sarah and Box #3

Unfortunately, Sarah couldn't make it so I pulled together a little "V-Day in a box" and dropped it on her doorstep.

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day!

Pink and Purple

Last night we had a little pre-birthday party for a friend. The theme was shades of purple and pink.

I had been dying to make these floral party hats for a few months and this seemed like the perfect occasion. I couldn't find any thin wire (or wire at all) so I had to settle for plant ties. Not ideal but it got the job done.

I also made a few banners by sewing strips of paper together. I also made a banner with paint chips and I especially liked the way it turned out.

Molly cooked up a few delicious salads and I especially liked this one.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

One More

March 3rd is a very special day for a very special person. My sewing machine was still out from making the quilted notecards so I decide to make one more.

Happy Birthday, Molly!

(Look, it's rainbow but not ROYGBIV. She'll know what that means.)

Quilted Notecards

I saw this tutorial for quilted notecards a few months ago. Like usual, I started thinking of all possible occasions that might justify a new craft project. Two special birthdays seemed like the perfect opportunity!

The first step was to request blank notecards be sent over from the States (a difficult item to find here). It's so nice to have such a willing assistant in the form of my mom.

The cards arrived a week or two ago and it was time to get started. It was fun to pair up the pieces of fabric and each set only took maybe twenty five minutes total. This is definitely a project I will try again.

It only occurred to me later that if the recipients want to mail the cards internationally the fabric will probably bump up the postage! Oops!

Heartstrings

With Valentine's Day just around the corner and my sewing machine out for other reasons... I couldn't resist a quick little project.

I scrounged through my craft box for pink and red paper, cut out a few hearts, and sewed them together randomly.

Let it be said: I can't sew on paper without thinking of this girl.

Snowflakes

The absence of snow has always been pretty standard for my Christmases. With just a few exceptions, it's a pretty green holiday season in the Pacific Northwest. And these days it's a pretty beige holiday season in the Middle East.

So why did I get so obsessed with making snowflakes this year? I even woke up early on a Saturday eager to get out of bed to pick up my scissors. I probably shouldn't have told you that.

I even hosted a snowflake making contest.

I blame this tutorial.

Happy Halloween

I love homemade costumes. They're the best. Costumes that require minimal purchases? Those are great too. This year's costume required a piece of foam board, craft paper, yellow poster board, and a brown marker.

Et voila!

French toast! (Accompanied by that one ultra annoying backpacker at your hostel).

If I'm counting correctly this was my third food costume. The first was a candy bar in childhood and an ice cream cone the year before last.

Hanging Bits

One of my loveliest friends is getting married this summer. We had her bridal shower tea party this past weekend. My job was to think of some sort of decoration.

My first thoughts went to this link of colorful goodness. The Matron of Honor gave her approval and I spent the night before slicing and sewing paper.

I can't lie, the mobiles looked pretty awesome during the shower. The photos don't capture it.

And I'm just going to pretend that they didn't start dropping one by one as the clock ticked on...

Look, it's me and the bride!

Photographic Evidence

I've been working hard trying to spruce my apartment up a bit lately. It's a challenge when you live in a furnished apartment to make it feel like home. When my mom came over for a visit a few weeks ago, I had her bring a bunch of photos that I had printed at Walgreens.

I picked out a few favorites and using double sided tape and foam board, mounted them onto the wall in my living room. Photographic evidence of my previous life with a bit of Abu Dhabi tossed in.

All photos by me except the black and white done by Kevin Dorn. And look... a little tiny banner!

Kid's Birthday Party Themed Birthday Party

... with a desert twist!

I've always loved birthdays. I like to think ahead and see who has a birthday coming... just so I can plan how to celebrate. Of course, sometimes life gets in the way and I have been known to send my belated regards.

Last week there were two birthdays in my circle of Abu Dhabi friends. I mean, we had to have a birthday party!

I knew right away that I wanted to make this cake. I first saw it on this favorite blog right here. It's just one of those ideas that anyone can do if they have the patience... but it looks tremendously complicated. I spent quite a few hours on this cake and felt justified by declaring it epic!

Sadly, I could only eat a sliver before my face would start to feel tingly telling me the sugar was too much. Anyone else's face do that?

The cake was the starting inspiration to follow with a "Kid's Birthday Party" theme. For dinner we started with "Ants on a Log" then moved on to sailboat twice baked potatoes and macaroni and cheese. I had to make a salad just to even it out a bit. I didn't get any photos of the dinner but you can trust it was appropriately adorable.

Decorations came in banner form! I've been wanting to make a banner ever since I saw this photo a few years ago. Recently when my dear friend Ashley posted about banners, I got motivated. (And there will be more to come!)

As far as entertainment... we usually are pretty good at providing that ourselves, but no birthday party is complete without a rousing game of, "Pin the Hump on the Camel!"

I laugh when I look at this photo because my hump is so far down the hall it wouldn't fit in the shot.

There it is!

And here are the birthday girls!

Happy Birthday!

Down the Hall

My hallway needed some improvement. Here it is:

Just tissue paper, embroidery thread, and scissors.

$0 Gifts

More Christmas gifts to share... but I'm pretty close to the end.

Every year my extended family partakes in a $1 gift exchange. The object is to make something for everyone... but you're only allowed to spend $1 per person in supplies. Lately the enthusiasm for the tradition has been fading.

This year my gift cost absolutely nothing!

I happily constructed a bajillion Paint Chip Business Card Holders from the tutorial at Design Verb.

Snow Days and Holiday Cards

Do you know the song Christmas in the Northwest? If not, consider yourself lucky. It's probably my favorite Christmas song to make fun of...it's super barf. Sample:

Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift that we can share
Christmas in the Northwest
Is a child's answered prayer

Take away the presents
And they still will have a dream
For Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift God wrapped in green

But that last line about Christmas being green here, that is actually pretty true. So imagine the flip out the newscasters had when Arctic Blast headed our way. And I know the storm was actually pretty bad in some places, but over this past week my house has only received about an inch of snow. On Wednesday my school district was the only district in the county (plus surrounding counties!) to stay open, only to announce midday we'd be closing early. Nightmare. The next day they closed school at 7:30am after everyone had already reported and the high schoolers arrived. So today in hopes of not irritating parents and employees, they decided to close school at 4:30am. That's an early phone call.

And all over this:

Now that I'm done grumbling about the snow. Let me show you the lovely custom greeting cards my Berlin-based friend, Sandra, designed for me this year. Most recipients should have received them already, so hopefully no spoiled surprises here.

Way back in the fall Sandra and I made a little deal. She'd design me Christmas cards, and I'd knit her a little something to be revealed at a later date.

I was absolutely thrilled with the cards. This little one is my favorite.

Thanks Sandra and Happy Holidays!

Wall Art

I seem to be one of those people who never know what to put up on the walls. Usually I decide to forget any planning, and just start sticking stuff up there... trying not to worry if items go together or even look good. For my new bedroom (new as in August '07), I didn't stray from the plan.

Way back when I was inspired by, surprise surprise, How About Orange and this tutorial for a fabric wall panel. Who wouldn't want to cover large portions of their wall in one big swoop? And the idea is it's a cheap project, right? Not if you fall in love with Japanese fabric from this shop. I actually made this in November... but the whole absence of sunlight in my bedroom was an issue until today.

So that wall was pretty well off, but I still had another. Finding other internet/craft store inspiration, I made another large piece to cover a large space. And this one was actually cheap. It's four canvases painted pink and a piece of scrapbook paper modge-podged in the middle. My only irritant is the bubbles that would not smooth out. Oh well.

Are you noticing the tree theme? I could justify my love of trees with a few cute anecdotes, but I won't. I just like trees, ok? See how these two big pieces of wall art aren't horrible next to each other? It's a good thing I didn't give it much thought.