Saturday, February 28, 2009

Photo Challenge

1. Go to the photo folder in your computer
2. Go to the 6th folder of photos.
3. Go to the sixth picture.
4. Put the picture on your blog along with a description of it.
5. Invite six friends to join the challenge.

So, here's my picture:


I took pictures of our house interior to show progress during my decorating phases.
P.S. The bathroom has not changed in 3 years. Although, I do have a pretty nice shower curtain.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

That's Right, You're Not from Texas, but Texas Wants You Anyway- Lyle Lovett


Friday is Go Texan Day. If you aren't in Texas, it may sound a little silly, but Texans are a proud people. There's no getting around it. Texas is its own country. It's not really in the South and it's not quite part of the Southwest. Whether you are a Native Texan or a transplant, during Rodeo Houston, you are a Texan.

Every year around this time, Go Texan is celebrated all over the state. Most schools encourage students to dress for Go Texan Day and many companies do, too. At our office, we have a Go Texan barbecue lunch complete with a chili cook-off, dessert bake-off, Dr. Pepper chug (Dr. Pepper was born in Waco, TX), and a Best Dressed Contest.



Go Texan Day generally coincides with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest in the nation. The HLSR is pretty amazing and really fun. The organization gives scholarships to kids for 4-H participation, Future Farmers Association, college students and fine art, just to name a few. This season, they pledge to award close to 11 million dollars in educational funding.

During the Livestock Show, everyone is a cowpoke! Even Prada-toting, Jimmy Choo-wearing urban socialites show up at fancy eateries in suede fringe and custom-made boots. It's pretty funny, but I admit to being one of those urban cowgirls even though I have ridden a few horses in my day and watched the chickens lay eggs at grandpa's house "out in the country".


If you grew up in Texas, chances are that you had a western portrait like mine. A bunch of my friends do. In fact, in the 3rd grade, Go Texan Day was the same day as picture day, so everyone donned the plaid western-cut shirts and shearling vests, the ones they pull out once a year.

One of my favorite highlights of Go Texan is the parade of trail riders that ride in from across the state. I work near a main street on the trail route and I have often had to make room on Shepherd Drive for the horses and chuck wagons traveling alongside me!


I'm proud to be a Texan. I think we're pretty friendly people. But, drop a Dairy Queen cup out your car window, and Willie will come kick your rear! Don't Mess With Texas!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I jumped on a baseball bat on your car because I'm cool like that.

This is just plain silly, but funny. Type your sentence in the comments!

Pick the month you were born:
January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena With
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19-------a Smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------a taco
27-------my brother
28-------an iPod
29-------a surfer
30-------a homeless guy
31-------a llama

What is the last number of the year you were born:
1--------- In my car
2 ---------On your car
3 ---------In a hole
4 ---------Under your bed
5 ---------Riding a Motorcycle
6 ---------sliding down a hill
7 ---------in an elevator
8----------at the dinner table
9 -------- In line at the bank
0 -------- in your bathroom

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White---------because I'm cool like that
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink-----------because I'm NOT crazy.
Red-----------because the voices told me to..
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple---------because I'm AWESOME!
Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange --------because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown---------because I can.
Other----------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Disney Scrappin'




Here is my red, black and yellow Mickey spread. I love how the different ribbon patterns go together. I found this cute set of red ribbons and pulled some polka dot ribbons out of my ribbon drawer. When I'm starting a page, it looks pretty dull and I think "yuck, maybe I should start over." But, I stick it out and keep adding embellishments and before too long, it comes out great! The more embellishments the better.


Along with the pretty ribbon, I used these brads and Mickey dimensional stickers.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Mosaic Love



Check it out! My ice cream sundae was featured on Kate Vee & Me. The post is about the Lollishop marketplace that just opened. I have a shop there and as soon as I have some items listed, I'll let y'all know. Right now it's just an empty store front.

My Wilton Christmas cookie from 2007, Santa and Rudolph's Midnight Snack, was included in the Tesseract Cloth ~ 4D Fiber Arts blog.



Annnnd, my fondant Christmas heart (that is part of my gingerbread house) was featured on Sweet Tidings' Mosaic Monday. It's from December, but I just found out about it when I did a search for my photos.

Click on the photos to see the original posts.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Disney Scrappin'

I’m usually not into scrapbooking. I like very simple albums without sleeves, just mounted photos. But, since we’re going to Disney World and I definitely want an album of the trip, I decided scrapbooking was in order. I mean, you just can’t fill a leather-bound album with pictures of Mickey and Cinderella without adding a few doodads—or a bunch! Disney just screams “scrapbook me!” Don’t you think?


I bought this cute 8"x8" red album (click on photo to see online) to turn into a Disney World scrapbook. Now, I just couldn’t let it sit there in its Michael’s bag until after the trip, could I? So, I gave into its taunting and started making pages. I decided to make pages with frames to put my pictures in later. Then, if I decide I need more after the trip, I can make more. It’s fun and it keeps my mind off the fact that I have to wait 87 more days to start making my Magical Memories. I just can’t keep still with visions of Mickey-shaped balloons dancing in my head. I tell you, I’m dying over here!




This is my first Minnie spread. I think the pinks and greens will be perfect for pictures of Minnie’s Country House. I used some pretty papers, ribbon, rhinestones, brads, bubble letters and a Minnie dimensional sticker. What do you think?






Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Mardi Gras Mask Interlude

While I get my blogging act together, how 'bout some images of other masks I've made?









Thursday, February 12, 2009

My Masquerade Part III - The Final Chapter

Stage III: Embellishing the Mask



I purchased some fancy embellishments and a huge black daisy that I thought I could pull apart and attach to the mask like feathers. The white container has super fine iridescent glitter, while the other is Martha Stewart fine black glitter. It's really beautiful. I also bought some Jolee's Jewels Swarovski crystals in clear and black to add to the mask.

I decided that the three horns on the mask needed to be black, so I painted over the white ones and added black glitter to all three. Then, I put one more coat of paint on the diamond shapes and added glitter. The pictures really don't do the glitter justice. The diamond shapes and the horns are covered with glitter!

I outlined the diamond pattern on the mask in black dimensional fabric paint and used E6000 to attach the petals and crystals. I pulled the flower apart and cut the petals into several sections that I glued around the crown of the mask in layers. I added a nice ribbon across the top to give it a more finished look, then made holes on the sides of the mask to attach long black grosgrain ribbons to tie it on.



Mask complete! Whew! That was a lonnnnng project! Michael delivered the mask yesterday and Mardi Gras guy was very pleased with it. I told him that if any of his friends were interested in a custom order, to tell them it would cost $200 bucks (I charged him $100)!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

My Masquerade- Part II

Let's see how the mask is coming along. Shall we?

Stage II: Designing the Mask



The mask will be worn at a black & white themed ball and is for a man and a jovial one at that! So, I decided to go with a Venetian-inspired harlequin mask with a diamond motif.





I usually draw a rough sketch of the design, then use that drawing to block the outlines directly onto the mask with a Sharpie.




Next is the painting process. I used a variety of types and sizes of brushes to fill in the blocking I did earlier on the mask. Once I finished painting in the basic design, I covered the mask with a coat of acrylic sealant. Now, the mask will be left to dry thoroughly before the next stage: embellishing.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Fiesta Friday- Party Favors



Party favors are essential to any funtastic party. Give your guests something cute and silly, or edible and practical-- something that they'll truly enjoy holding on to or using. You definitely want to tie in your party favor to your theme. Don't send people home with a bag of candy, unless it's a Halloween party and you use really cute bags!


I discovered these cute paper cake boxes years ago (before the manufacturer even made them). Just kidding. But, I did come up with this idea before people started decorating them and selling them. At the time, they were only used for wedding cake slices. Anyhoooo, you know I'm all about making your own stuff and saving money. Plus, if you make it yourself, you can really personalize it.



This is my too-pretty-to-eat-even-though-you-can't-eat-it-anyway paper cake. (Click on the photo to enlarge.) I bought the plain cake boxes at Party City, but you can find them at Michael's, too. To make a paper cake like mine, you'll need some craft glue, cute trim, rickrack, adhesive crystals, ribbon and a big pretty silk flower. First assemble each box. Then, decide how you want your cake to look and get to gluing! I measured and cut lengths of rickrack and fancy trim to glue onto the boxes, then added some blingy goodness to the tops. The rickrack was glued around the sides of the boxes to look like chocolate filling.

The flower in the middle was super easy, too. Just cut the stem of the silk flower down to the height of the cake boxes and tie pretty ribbons on it. While I was decorating, I decided the cake needed some more bling, so I added adhesive crystals to the flower petals and the ribbons.

Finally, arrange your boxes on a pretty cake stand, tie a ribbon around the cake (I used two ribbons) and place the flower in the middle with the ribbons hanging out. Voila! This party favor would be great for a bridesmaids shower. You could put a little wedding charm or their wedding jewelry that you've picked out for them in each box. It's a whole lot cleaner than putting cake pulls in a messy cake!

For some other cute ideas, wander around your craft store and find some doodads that you can affix to the top of the box. Or, buy some silk flowers with little blooms that you can pull apart and glue onto each box. Some items might require hot glue. Whatever you do, make sure you can still open the boxes without messing up your embellishments.



The Wish Cake.
My cake box was used as a big gift for my boss. She has everything, so instead of another fancy picture frame, I decided that clever birthday wishes from the heart would be perfect. I asked my coworkers to come up with some fun little goodies that corresponded with special birthday wishes to put in each box. Once we bought all the stuff, I made a little tag for each one, and stuck numbers on the inside of the cake slice so the birthday girl could open each box in order. I think the first box had a note it in that said something like, "On your birthday we wish for you..." Here are some of the birthday wishes:
1- good luck (fortune cookie)
2- happy meetings (ear plugs)
3- love and laughter (Hershey's kisses and Laffy Taffy)
4- a little spice in your life (little Tabasco bottle)
There were a bunch of others, but I can't remember them all. She loved it and that's all that counts!

So, that's it for our first Fiesta Friday featuring party favors. I hope you enjoyed it and will make a paper cake of your own! Email me pics if you do!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Go Red for Women!


Tomorrow, Feb. 6th, is Go Red for Women Day sponsored by the American Heart Association. Go Red for Women is a national campaign to raise awareness for coronary heart disease and stroke among women. Click on the logo above for more information. They also have a Spanish site at www.goredcorazon.org.


Go to their Go Red for Women web site and sign up to access great heart health resources as well as Heart-Healthy Recipes complete with nutritional guides. This "featured" recipe, Berry Topped Pudding Pie, grabbed my attention big time! To quote Rachel Ray, "yummo!" Click on the photo above for the recipe.


Go Red for Women also has a great online boutique. Check out their goodies by clicking on the logo above. They have everything from jewelry and ties to cookbooks and Christmas ornaments.


Campbell's Soup asked fashion designer Nicole Miller to create three dresses for American Heart Month. Click on the logo above to vote online for your favorite dress and each vote through March 2 will generate $1 to the Go Red campaign. The winning dress will be worn by Jane Krakowski, of the hilarious tv show 30 Rock, at an American Heart Month event. Such a fun way to contribute with just one click!



Wear Red Sale at Macy's! Feb. 4-Feb. 8


Macy's is a national sponsor of Go Red for Women and in honor of the event, they're offering a 5-day sale! Wear red to any Macy's store and "get an extra 20% off most regular, sale and clearance purchases". Make sure you ask before you check out to make sure your purchase qualifies. Some name brands like Coach and Ed Hardy don't apply. They will also be selling Red Dress Pins for $2 and donating all proceeds to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.


Swarovski has a number of Go Red items on its website including this beautiful red dress brooch. They have pledged to donate $150,000 to the Go Red movement. Click the image above to go to their site, then type in "go red" to see all their red blingy yummies.

Don't forget to wear your red on Friday, it's a great day to show off those hot red pumps!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Music Flavor of the Month- Harry Connick


This month, we're celebrating a two-fer! In honor of Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras, we are listening to one of New Orleans' favorite sons, Harry Connick, Jr. Harry Connick, Jr. is a jazz musician and actor who has been in almost 20 films, acted in 3 Broadway productions and recorded close to 30 albums.


In 1993, he and his father founded the Mardi Gras krewe, Krewe of Orpheus, named after the mythical Greek character known as the "father of songs". The Krewe of Orpheus quickly became one of the largest krewes in New Orleans, due in no small part to the inclusiveness of its membership-- accepting members of every race, gender and ethnicity. It was the first superkrewe to accept both men and women.

So many of Harry Connick, Jr.'s songs are romantical-like, so I thought it was very appropriate for this month's musical enjoyment.

Enjoy!

To turn on the music, go to the music player in the sidebar on the right. Note: Audio starts automatically in Firefox.