rings

wedding DIY - wedding bling

My engagement ring was a collaboration between David and JewelSmith. He knew I would like something unique. I love it. And I know that nobody else will have anything like it.

When choosing our wedding bands, I thought I wanted something simple, easy, and "off the rack." But the little creative bug wouldn't let me just PICK something, I had to have a say. So we went back to JewelSmith and designed a wedding band to coordinate with my engagement ring. I really love that they "go" and not "match." The tiny flower below the diamond is the same flower used as a pattern on the wedding band.

For David's band, he picked something we found on etsy (a seller in California). I also picked something from etsy when choosing jewelry for the big day (a seller from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK). Supporting DIY-ers around the world!

cookies

We went to a holiday party at Tamara's house earlier this month. She made some delicious chocolate sugar cookies with little thumbprints of jam on top. I tried making them... and it was less successful. Also, I set some parchment paper on fire in the oven. oops!

I found a different recipe for "hot chocolate cookies" and decided not to give up on baking just yet. These turned out VERY well. The base/dough recipe was similar, but these had more chocolate. Plus, a toasted marshmallow. And more chocolate. The recipe made 5 dozen, so David's coworkers got some, my coworkers got some, and we took some to another holiday party. They were a hit!

quickie- part 2

And by "quickie" I mean this one took a LOT longer than the first one. First of all, I wanted pockets. I used a dress I already had as an example, and traced the pockets. No biggie. I had everything all lined up and ready to go, and sewed the best seam ever... to realize then that I sewed the pocket on inside out. Doh! I got good use out of the seam ripper, and everything turned out fine. The second side I was sure to attach in the correct direction. I love the fallish color and pattern. Although I am sure I will be rocking this all year round with boots & tights, or flats or sandals.

This is the same fabric I used when making Mary's nesting bowls. More bowls to come, and I am working on a schmancy beaded boudoir pillow!

textiles

We used some of our Crate & Barrel wedding gift cards to buy ALL NEW window dressings!

For the living room windows:

For the office/craft room windows:

We also got this fabulous heavy & cozy throw using a fab.com giftcard from the Elders:

The interior is starting to come together. In 2012, we plan on having the living room popcorn scraped & painted. Then we are going to install wood floors.

My goal is NOT to panic during the process.

*images via Crate & Barrel and Happy Habitat

fabric bowls

Here is another project from Sewing in a Straight Line: fabric nesting bowls!

I made these for Mary for her birthday. I think they are perfect for holding pins/brooches or other chunky jewelry right on top of the dresser. The bigger size could be good for keys & things right inside the front door.

pop tarts

I found this cookie-cutter/mold thingy at Williams-Sonoma. We had some money left on a giftcard, and this little purchase helped us use it all up.

I followed the dough recipe from the box. I filled some tarts with Nutella, and the others with strawberry jam. HOLY COW these are good. Bigger than a store-bought pop tart, and soo so much tastier. I barely finished one for breakfast. It was perfect with coffee. I only used half of the dough so far, so I will be making them again on Sunday to have my treats set up for the mornings of the workweek.

favors

Wedding DIY - favors

The container store had plenty of choices for boxes in several colors and patterns. However, they ran 50 cents to one dollar each. That can really add up when you are making over 100 of these things. So, I got the cheapies on sale at Michael's, with a coupon. They ended up costing me less than 10 cents each. I hole-punched some of them, and the others I glued on the punched-out pattern.

On the inside, we placed a paper muffin cup which held a chocolate truffle, and a custom designed magnet favor. David and I designed 3 different patterns for the magnets. We used some of the same symbols from our invitations (made by Tamara). We added a cute little C & D on the edge with our wedding date.

ceremony

Wedding DIY - ceremony

We put together a little slide show for guests to watch while they got seated and ready for the ceremony to begin. We chose old family photos, as well as pictures of us as a couple when we were first falling in love (awww!). We paired this with some of our favorite love songs.

David and I picked our ceremony music as well... Then David chopped it up and mashed it together to make a beautiful instrumental processional.

Together with our super awesome officiant, Erin, we created a ceremony PERFECT for us. This was a fun process. It was so nice to have some creative freedom here. We chose some excerpts from a lovely poem called "I like you" by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. It is really sweet. Read it.

cake towers

Wedding DIY - cupcake towers

Yeah. This did not go quite as planned.

I wanted to make several cake stands since we ordered mini cupcakes for the wedding reception. I planned on these going with my "colors." Turns out I really didn't pick "colors" for my wedding.

I used a guide from the wedding craft book I got in the spring. (There are a lof of fun ideas in the book, and they all can be done in a non-wedding-y way). I had trouble covering the edges of the support pieces. It was looking a little too arts & craftsy, even for me.

Then, the cake table ordered by the caterers would only fit ONE big tower of a cake stand. So, my multiple cake stands would not fit.

The project was fun to play with, and now I have some fun ribbon with which to decorate holiday gifts. However, I have a surplus of cardboard things just taking up space in the craft room.

Since I did 6 weddings in 2011, I think I am going to give the wedding stuff a rest for now.

invitations

Wedding DIY - invitations

When we got engaged, I knew we wanted to do something unique for our invitations. Our obvious choice for screen-printer was our friend Tamara. A lot of ideas floated around, and we settled on a subtly nautical theme, in a natural & neutral color palette. We had to bring in our love of maps as well. I found the envelopes online, and Tamara did the rest.

I had the idea to do something funky for the reply... we asked our guests to get their creative juices flowing. These replies serve as a kind of guest book for us. We get to have a keepsake from so many of the special people in our lives, even if they were unable to attend the wedding.

Getting the reply cards back was SO fun for us. Thank you to all of our friends and family members for sending us creative, cute, silly, and colorful responses.

sparkly safari

Gotta love anything gold and glittery!

We don't really decorate our house for any holidays, so I wanted something this year. David vetoed my sparkly acorn idea for Fall. Sadface. So. I got some cute little animals and sparkled 'em. An elephant and a zebra... not holiday specific, and cute enough to keep out all year round!

Maybe one day we'll branch out from our one pumpkin candy dish for Halloween/Thanksgiving, and one bunny candle for Easter.

we're cookin'

It is almost autumn time in NC... it is starting to get cooler, and it is darker earlier. This means more time to cozy up and try some new recipes. We got a few new cookbooks as wedding gifts and tried some new things already. These were a HIT! Unfortunately, these things were too delicious and we ate everything right up before I thought to snap some photos. I'll let you use your imagination.

*Lemon Chicken Soup

*GOOD Garlic Bread

*Mediterranean Couscous

*Pretzel Tots with Jalapeno Cheese Dip (Smiths: you will be eating this next sports-watching thing we do at your house)

*Sweet CinnaBundt Breakfast Bake (Heise-Fiore house: you will be eating this Halloween weekend)

*Baked Parmesan & Herbed Eggs

Things I look forward to trying again soon when the weather gets even cooler:

-Chicken & White Bean Chili

-Penne w/ Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese

-SandwHich-inspired grilled sandwiches like the B&B (butternut squash, bacon, brussels sprouts, and good Vermont Cheddar)

-Roasted Sweet Potato & Red Onion over Spinach with salt and lime dressing

Holler if you want any recipes & tips!

pinterest

So many lazy evenings are spent perusing the endless possibilities posted on Pinterest.

I made a braided bracelet with nuts from the hardware store:

We tried several recipes (like apple cider cookies with caramel centers) that I have found this way, and I am sure I will find many more! I will also find more clothes, jewelry, home decor, and more to break my little piggy bank. However, the feeling of being inspired and being creative... that's priceless.

I love finding out what my friends like too. It will be so easy to find gifts that fit with their personal and home decorating styles.

beads & braids

My friend Sabrina found a pretty how-to on Pinterest, and I gave it a shot. I have moved back into a jewelry phase and will be experimenting more with seed beads.

I love white and gold together.

wedding DIY

I love gettin' crafty! I have a few things left to do before my wedding. Which is 27 days away. I have favors to assemble, postcards to scan, music to compile. Check back here after October 7th for updates on the wedding DIY... the good, the bad, and the awesome.

quickie

I made a 1-hour skirt! I saw a video online on how to make a simple skirt in just 1 hour, and only sewing in straight lines. I picked up some fabric and whipped this up, lickety split!




I might try a patterned fabric next time, which may hide some of the imperfections of cheap fabric. I definitely did not splurge as this was a first attempt. Also, I may adjust the measurements so that it is not so thick at the top, and not as flared at the bottom. SO easy though. I can see more of these in my future. To wear and to make for gifts.

Check out the instruction video (and a cute DIY blog) at:
www.BrettBara.com

Totally just ordered her book.

time flies

Where does the time go?? I wanted to craft over the annual "don't drive and just stay at home over Memorial day weekend" weekend. We had to catch up on some things after our big vacation, and then David took a trip to Atlanta and I took a trip to Charleston. And it has been go go go since then. I have been working on a few wedding craft projects, but you'll have to wait until after the big day to see those :-)

I missed my chance to have a good stay at home weekend to make a dress or curtains or pillows. So the sewing is put on hold for the time being while I address invitations, plan music, assemble favors, and plan this big ol' shindig.

Mary and Hannah organized a wedding shower for us. It was FABULOUS. A picnic with tons of food, fun games like bocce and a newlywed quiz, and the cutest potted plants as favors for the guests. David and I were overwhelmed by the joy and support from our friends... and all the generous and thoughtful gifts. We are getting excited about the big day, and can't wait to see all of our friends and relatives!

In the meantime, my list of crafting projects and ideas will keep getting longer.

I would like to make this:

Project instructions here

Paris & Paros

A fabulous trip to France and Greece. Congratulations to Brett and Maria! And a BIG thank you to our sponsor, Ray Winton.

crafty plans

One of these days, the map lamps will be up on etsy. For real. Since most of March (and a little bit of April) were spent like this for poor David:
Not much of anything got done in the world of crafting and creating. I spent my time taking care of D and the pooch and the house. Not much else happened.

I got a wedding craft book a while back. Made some tissue paper and dress pattern flowers for the bathroom. Leaving the wedding decor to a REAL florist.


I found a 1954 dress pattern at the Scrap Exchange. This is going to be a summer project.


After a vacation to Paris and Paros, we'll be back on track for wedding planning & crafts and cranking out stuff for etsy. And a trip to IKEA for more house changes (couch, curtains, etc)

spring cleaning

It is that time of year... the days are getting longer and I am getting a LOT more done in a day. We decided to "redo" the walls of the house. We are taking down all current shelves, artwork, and decor to rearrange it, switch out some things here and there. David has a show coming down this week, so we will have a few more framed photos to add into our already extensive art collection.
Which reminds me... we will be having a friends and family art show at our home! Canvas paintings, photos, giant city view prints will all be for sale, and priced to move. More details on that later.

Stay tuned for before and after photos of the walls!

video

I like to make things. When I create something, it is usually with my bare hands, and there is a physical & tangible object that results. But, I suppose this can count too! I "made" a website for our wedding. And by "made" I mean that I filled in the boxes with which I was prompted, and uploaded some pictures.

We also made a video as our save the date... the first of many wedding DIY projects. Here is our video!

bloggers

Awww yeah!
Check out the love for Lowell and Louise on these local blogs!

Triangle Honeymoon
*theres a giveaway here!!

Durham Magazine

Booyah!

I have been busy with wedding planning things, and have been neglecting the etsy shop. We have plenty of new product to show to the world, but we need to find the time to stay at home and get it out there on the interwebs.

crock of carnitas

My sister is quite the homemaker... she bakes bread from scratch, tries new recipes, and will be (most likely) making a wedding cake for me this fall. Don't get me wrong, this chick has a JOB. And will be pursuing a doctoral degree in just a few months.
Aaanyway. She tied a recipe for homemade pulled pork bbq in a crock pot, and it was delicious. I've used the recipe a couple of times. Last weekend when we were up in DC, she made a crock full of carnitas. The same method, but the ingredients are a little different.

Here is our take for this weekend:

4 pound pork butt
1 white onion, chopped
1 big dried red chili pepper
1 tiny chile de arbol, crunched up
zest of 1 lime
1/2 packet of low-sodium taco seasoning

Throw all that in the crock pot on low, and let it do its thing overnight. In the morning, pull out the bone and the giant red chili. Shred the pork using forks, and add back to the crock pot. Add a small can of green chilis, and let it simmer for another hour or so.

We serve 'em up on soft corn tortillas with diced tomatoes, cilantro, guacatillo sauce, and a wedge of lime.

Guacatillo Sauce

5-6 tomatillos
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1 small/medium jalapeno, chopped
white onion (about 1/2 cup, chopped)

Combine all ingredients (except avocado) in a food processor. Add avocado and "pulse" a few times to blend it in, but still have a thicker consistency.

It is time to get excited about cooking again!!
Sunday's dinner menu: baked chicken on mixed greens with cheese tortellini "croutons" along with roasted Brussels sprouts

easy as pie

One of David's longtime pals is getting married in just a matter of days. She asked around if anyone had cake stands or pie plates she could borrow for her wedding, and we showed her the ones I had made with thrift store finds here and here. So, she requested that I make some for her wedding! Glass is harder to find than silver or brass candle stick holders, and the same goes for platters and plates. But I did it. I think I found some awesome designs, and we know that NOBODY will have anything like this at their wedding, or at their house. Amelia, I hope you love 'em!

good idea

check out this cool project...

ROMAN SHADES

My friend Hannah did this! With IKEA fabric! I'll be stopping by the one outside DC later this month. They'd better have the fabric I want in stock this time! I want to get started on my window treatment project for the kitchen.

But first, finishing the pie stands! Stay tuned for pictures of the finished project.

inspiration

I am so PUMPED. Today, between work & class obligations, I am going to hunt for some supplies. I am going to make some dessert-holding decor for a pal's wedding! Her wedding is next month, so I need to hop to it.

I also got HANDMADE WEDDINGS in the mail yesterday. So many fabulous ideas. I am getting inspired for home crafts, not just wedding crafts.

Tonight, Mary and I are going to try our hand at baking a fancy cake from scratch, and making fondant! We'll see how that goes and we might just have ourselves an affordable option for my October 2011 nuptials.

David and I pow-wowed about our Save the Dates. We're opting for electronic, rather than tangible snail mail (we'll save that for the invitations). This will take a little bit more work on our part, but the cost will be very low, and I think it will be really fun.

Lots of ideas and plans... now I just need to find the time to put it all in action!

happy birthday...

to Lowell & Louise! David and I started our little crafting business in January of 2010. One year later, we are still going strong! David has new lamp designs. I have new jewelry. The website is not looking so hot, but we'll fix that this year. I plan on paying more attention to the esty shop to keep it looking good & active. And I plan on promoting the business a little bit more as well. I am excited to read a couple of new books about starting a freelance/crafting business from scratch. I know I will learn something new, so we'll see how I do for year two of L&L!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to 2011! I started this blog in July 2008. My main goal for keeping this log was to make sure that I stayed creative at home. I was still working an office job at the time, and was so drained that my personal life and personal goals fell by the wayside. I am happy to report that the blog worked!! I have continued to be creative at home with crafts, cooking, photography, beading, and sewing. I have had different day jobs since then, which require a lot of brain power and creativity, but still not tangible crafts & artwork.

For 2011, my goal is to continue this blog, and to continue to push myself with creative projects at home.
Here are a few things I intend to tackle this year:

*bread-baking (I am attempting a sourdough starter, which will be ready in approximately 12 days)
*painting the upstairs craft room
*making curtains for the big kitchen window
*focus on etsy, and keeping the shop looking good
*take Lowell & Louise to the next level
*make the guest room a guest room again
*PLAN A WEDDING
*have a yard sale

Do you have any creative goals for this new year?