Rhinestone Armadillo

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

I made five dozen heart shaped sugar cookies.  Then I decorated them.  Then I helped Violet with all her Valentine's Day cards and prepared goodies for her preschool party.

Now I'm pooped.  That's not even my photo---I'm too lazy to take one.

Some days I have tons of energy and like to document every little thing.  Today...not so much.  I made cookies.  They got eaten.  End of story.  We'll have to just remember it in our heads.

Now I'm going to lounge and have a very low-key evening with my husband.  Valentine's Day with kids is sure different than without kids, huh?  What do you guys that have children do?  Get a sitter?  In my neck of the woods, getting a sitter isn't all that easy, especially on a semi-holiday.  So....Familytines Day it is. 

Etsy shop update

I have lots of miniatures (and various other Halloween stuff) up in my Etsy shop. Let me tell you, trying to keep a 2 1/2 year old's hands off tiny Halloween food is hard. It's tiny AND it looks like somethingshe wants to eat.  I feel so mean when I put it out of reach and say, "No.  It's not real."  Maybe I need to make her some little but not choke-able food.  I'm just too afraid she'll swallow these.  Or destroy them.

 
 
 
 
 Also, in case you're a Halloween addict like I am, you might take a look at She's Off Her Rocker.  My friends Brandi and Dusti have work at the huge national shows like Halloween and Vine in California and the Spookytime Jingles Soiree in Pennsylvania.

Frida Day

 
I was in a Frida-ish mood today.  I found a great Mexican dress at a thrift store.  Unfortunately, though, wearing the dress as-is makes you look like nothing more than a dumpy potato wearing a sack.  Do you guys remember those from the 1980s?  I remember tons of people wearing them, but maybe that's because I practically live in Mexico.  The embroidery is gorgeous and I'm a fan of a riot of colors.

 
 I don't know if this was a huge improvement, but it was better than the starting point.  I used a big cinch belt and a lace petticoat underneath, then layered on lots of silver and turquoise jewelry.  I made little V's outfit, too.  Did I show y'all my dollhouse full o'shoes?  I took an old dollhouse, whitewashed it, then made a new home for my way too many pairs of shoes.  I have another shoe house on the other side of the room, and a whole shallow bookcase in my closet full of them.  Look!  The roof opens to reveal a row of flats.

 I tried to get a hairstyle pic, but it's ridiculously hard to photograph the top of your own head.  OK....this is my first hair tutorial, so be kind, all right?  I have dark hair which doesn't always show details well in photos, and I'm finding it really hard to photograph myself, so I thought I'd draw up the instructions.

 

1. Separate a row of hair in front of your ears.  Mine was about 2 inches deep.  Secure the rest of your head behind your hair with a clip.  Part the hair in front down the middle.
2.  Braid each side, starting around your ears or jawline.  You can put a temporary clip or elastic on the bottom of the braid to keep it from unravelling, but we'll remove it later.
3. Take your left braid up pull it up towards the sky, then over to the right side of your head.  Put in 2 or so bobby pins.  (Hint: Hide them by placing them in the center of the braid where there is a natural crevice where the strands meet.) Leave the ends loose for now.
4. Do the same to the other side.
5. Take the tail of the braid, and starting at the bottom, roll it up on itself like your were wrapping it around a roller. It will make a little rose-like shape.  When you get to the top of your head, secure it with bobby pins just behind the big crossed-over braids.  Do this to both sides.
6. Release the back of your hair and embellish with flowers, ribbons, or clips.

Variation:  In step 1, park ALL your hair down the middle.  Follow the rest of the instructions the same way.  This gives you an updo with all your hair up.

And this was today's lunch:

 

• Whole wheat pita pockets with spinach, red onion, ham, & hummus
• Okra pickles
• Hummus
• Cauliflower with olive oil, garlic, onion, feta, & black olives 

Alice in Wonderland items in Etsy shop

All these items are up in my Etsy shop today. Click on any image to see a larger version.

Alice and Cheshire Cat Bracelet

Alice, March Hare, & Mad Hatter Bracelet

 
  Alice in Wonderland suitcase (more photos below)

 
 Alice in Wonderland train case (more photos below)

 
suitcase side

 
suitcase back

suitcase side

suitcase bottom

suitcase top

suitcase interior 1

suitcase interior 2

 
 train case top

train case bottom

train case back

train case side 1 

train case side 2

train case open

train case tray

train case interior 

Mad Tea Party 2011

Are you joining in the Mad Tea Party with us?  Our host, Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist, will provide a link of everyone playing along with a post today. 

I "borrowed" a little Alice from my friend.  Thank you to my model, Meredith....I paid her in chocolate cake.

On to Wonderland...

What in the world is that? 

 
"Oh my whiskers and ears, how late it's getting!" cried the White Rabbit.

 
Maybe if I sneak around from this direction, he won't notice me.

  
Too late-he saw me.

 
Perhaps this Type A for Anxious Rabbit could just use a firm hug.

Curiouser and curiouser! 

Should I?

 
I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!

  
 It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.

 

It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits.
 
 But it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
 
I'm going back home....good bye, Wonderland!

P.S. Suitcases and bracelets will be available in my Esty Shop on Sunday.
P.S.S. or is that P.P.S.?  ....All quotes are from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland", maybe one of the best books ever!

Vintage child's kitchen and More Bracelets

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh----LOOK!!!

 
Is that not one of the cutest things you've ever seen?

 
The only hard part is deciding which color to get.

 
The cuteness is just about to make me fall over and faint.  Oh!  Can you imagine the tiny perfect 1950s mini housewife aprons you could make to go with this?????

I can't stop myself.....MORE BRACELETS!  All are of them are in my shop on Etsy.

Circus bracelet----I think we've already discussed these, but I call it a carousel.  I think 'roundabout' is very cute and British sounding, though.

  
It has swings, a circus with a clown, and a puppet theater, too.

Rainy Days bracelet - I am more than a little bit obsessed with Richard Scarry.  I think he is perhaps the best children's illustrator of all time.  He's just so FUN!

 
Aren't they sweet baking their cookies?

 
Cape Cod Bracelet---- I imagine this one with a long breezy maxi dress for a beachy weekend.

 It has a lobster, lighthouse, octopus, and deep sea diver.

I feel like baking all of a sudden.  Oliver Sudden.  Did you guys ever say that growing up?  My grandfather's name was Oliver.  I love that name.  But I digress.....baking......

I want something horribly gooey and decadent suddenly.  Like a peanut butter cheesecake dripping with chocolate sauce.  Or a triple layer chocolate cake or a batch of rich Italian cream cake cupcakes.  Mmmmm.......I'm off to the kitchen!  I'll see you all when I'm five pounds heavier.

Spring Bracelets

More bracelets are up in my Etsy shop.  They all have text from the books or images inside, too.  I like finding little 'secrets' in jewelry, don't you?

  
Bunny Hop

 
(SOLD) Bunnies Holding Hands

 
 The Hedgehog and the Cozy Nap

 
Peter Rabbit's Adventure

 
(SOLD) 1960s Pet Shop

Pet Shop (detail)

Pet Shop (detail)

 
Pet Shop (detail)  Oh, how I love that little castle! 

More trays--shop update

 
Shop update....new Easter trays in my Etsy shop.

   

Plantation bunnies surveying their riches

 

(SOLD) Number 5 Cabbage Rabbit

  

Tawny Scrawny Lion & Rabbits

 

Spring Cleaning Housebunnies

Easter Etsy listings

I've been maaaaaaking stuff again!  It's all up in my Etsy shop now.

 
Bunny hand mirror 

 
 
(SOLD) Beatrix Potter decoupaged tray

  

(SOLD) Bunny Castle decoupaged tray

 
(SOLD--Yellow/Pokey Little Puppy and Blue/Tawny Scrawny Lion)(Spring buckets (I forgot to add a link last time-oops!)

 
  
Giant decoupaged pen...I love the lady vacuuming and the kid plunked educationally down in front of the television. 

That's all for now, but I've been feeling hyperactive lately, so there may be more bunny stuff on the way.

Hot Air Balloon Bunnies Suitcase

I've been a little trigger happy over Easter. It's late this year, did y'all notice?  Here's another decoupaged suitcase for sale at my Etsy shop!

 
I had a damaged copy of a great old book called "The Great Valentine's Day Balloon Race".  I didn't want to throw it away, so onto a suitcase the pages went.  Those bunny illustrations just slay me!

 
I particularly like the egg car in the bottom center, and the bunnies peeking out of the olive green airplane.

  
   The interior was in great shape.

 
Bottom

  
Top

  
Side (Look at that adorable rabbit with the sewing machine!)

  
Other side

 
Beep beep!  It's a bunny traffic jam.

 
Look at the bunnies peeking out of the airplane window. 
How fun would it be to fill this full of Easter eggs and snacks and haul it down to the park or Grandma's?