hair treasures

ex-freakum dress.

2011-06-18T19:32:00.001-05:00

whoa! two blogs in one day? i must be bored or something. (i am.)

lately my sewing projects have consisted of fixing things for other people and making alterations to my own clothes. have you gone through your closet and said, "well, i'd wear this more if it didn't gape here" or "this would look so much better if it were just two inches shorter"?

i decided to go through my closet and do just that. i still have a pile of things that need snaps and slight length alterations. if i don't feel comfortable in something, i'm not going to wear it -- and fixing clothes is so much cheaper and easier than buying new ones!

i've hemmed a few dresses, shortened sleeves on a shirt, and added some snaps and buttons. (i'm modest. what can i say?)

here's a before shot of a dress i got a pitaya. i knew when i bought it that it would be slightly revealing on top (considering what i'm working with), but i got it anyway because i loved the design, and it was on sale (bonus!).

(me, cousin holly, sister trisha)

(sister trisha, mama patty, me)

see what i mean? i was on vacation in florida when these photos were taken, so i didn't care as much about my business being all over the place, but it quickly became known to trisha and me as my "freakum dress" for obvious reasons.

i haven't worn it in a while because of the way it fits, so i decided to do something about it: it originally came with a removable sash around the waist. i turned the sash into a bow and attached it where i needed it most, and now i have a garment that i could actually wear in public without mothers shielding their children's eyes.

(close-up: i actually prefer the look of the elastic band to the sash.)

(much classier, i think. and more comfortable!)

(happy camper! bare feets!)

most of my other alterations aren't as exciting as this one, so i probably won't post any more about them. i'd love to do a workshop for girls who have similar issues and help them make their clothes fit right instead of buying new ones. think i'd have any takers?

porter flea.

2011-06-18T08:20:00.000-05:00

hey, world! jessica and katie (the two lovelies who graced me with their presence last weekend) are pioneering a new frontier in nashville, tennessee: alternative craft fairs!

well, make that "fair" (singular). they've come together with some pals at friendly arctic printing & design to bring nashville Porter Flea, the first of its kind in the area. nashville is artistic in so many ways, and it's time that the indie crafters get a little love.

Porter Flea

Saturday, July 9

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

715 Porter Ave., Nashville, TN

they are still accepting vendor applications! do it! do it! they're also accepting patrons, so if you're in or around the nashville area, head on over to porter avenue and have yourself a ball.

check it out! and spread the word!

my first IHE main event.

2011-06-13T19:52:00.002-05:00

saturday was indy's biggest craft event of the year: the Indieana Handicraft Exchange! it was the first time i was actually able to attend the summer event (i went to a smaller winter "mini" last year), so i was super pumped!

as an added bonus, my wonderful friend jessica from nashville (possibly the funniest person i know) had a booth again this year, and she stayed with me for the weekend!

jessica's shop is called pinestreet makery, and she makes adorable linocut and letterpress prints, cards, towels, and totes.

the pinestreet makery display:

i snagged one of jessica's prints - green houses! i can't wait to frame this little gem:

i meant to bring my camera with me and take more photos during the day, but i forgot it at home. woops! my sister joined me for her first alternative craft fair shopping experience, so i took advantage of a kodak moment (via my non-smart phone), but that's it!

here we are with our matching "midwest is best" tanks by megan lee designs! just slightly different styles for slightly different sisters.

ps. megan lee is the cutest girl! i bought a matching "midwest is best" tote bag last year at the renegade store in chicago, so i'm glad i got to meet her in person this time. (i promise i'm not creepy, megan lee.)

i got a couple post cards from rar rar press that i also plan to frame and keep:

i mean, i love the midwest. what can i say?

i picked up a stack of cards from colette paperie. 6 for $12? yes, please. funny phrases? mmhmm.

(here are just a couple: recipients have already been confirmed.)

my friend talia of conduit press was there selling her beautiful handbound journals and book safes. since i was attempting to pinch my pennies, i went for one of her cute cards. typewriter city!

there were so many cute earrings at the IHE! the only problem is that i'm (more than) slightly insecure about wearing dangly earrings, no matter how much i love them. so i went with these little crocheted flowers from muggy tuesday:

as a thank-you for hosting them for the weekend, jessica and her friend katie got me this print (because they said the doggy reminded them of gretta). what sweetie pies!

i had a grand time! i probably made 5 laps around to all the booths, wishing i could have one of everything. there are so many talented crafters in the midwest! (it's the best, remember?) i can't wait til the next IHE!

since i'm on the topic of new treasures, i thought i'd share some that i got yesterday from my gal pals annie & jessica for my belated bday.

some precious bow earrings from modcloth!

and this totally rad necklace from modcloth, too! when i saw first saw it, annie said "sewing scissors!" they know my heart. thanks, frands!

i can't wait to send all of these cards and parade around in my new jewelries and shirt and get tons of boyfriends from being so kewl and stylish. heyyy boyyys.

(sidenote: there are always lots of cute boys at alternative craft fairs, but be careful, girls. take a quick glance their left or right: you'll always see his girlfriend within arm's reach. what gives? single boys: alternative craft fairs are your ultimate chance to meet cool single ladies. just sayin'. get out there!)

baby charlotte.

2011-06-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

on monday my dear friends andy and beth welcomed their second baby girl into the world. miss charlotte rae long was born into a wonderful family, including big sister edie who is not quite 2 yet!

(i mean, she just gave birth, and she still looks gorgeous. yeah, girl!)

i was so excited to receive some adorable photos a couple days later of baby charlotte sporting a hand-me-down baby treasure that i gave to edie when she was tiny!

(it kind of looks like a little hat because she's so tiny! she weighs 5 lb. 10 oz.)

sleepy treasures!

i'm so glad that one of edie's headbands has made its way back into circulation with baby charlotte. i know it's just a headband, but it warms my heart that my friends would put it on their newborn and send me photos. i just love it.

here's little edie when she was a wee babe:

i'm so excited to watch this family grow and that (at least for a little while longer) we live in the same town so i can see them. babies!

shea's bridal collection.

2011-06-06T21:05:00.003-05:00

whoa! i have been absent from blogville for such a long time! for my triumphant return, i am going to show you some treasures i made for my dear friend shea for her wedding.

chris & shea - so cute! (courtesy of emma williams photography)

shea and i met when we were both camp counselors in the summer of 2005 and have remained buds ever since! now she lives in cincinnati and, as of march 12th, is a married lady. i wasn't able to attend the wedding because i was in texas for SXSW, but i was there in spirit via hair accessories. (wink!)

shea sent me an idea of a bridal piece from another etsy seller (woops!), and i took the idea and went with it:

the rosettes are made from scraps of shea's dress. the jewels are all different pearl-ish beaded earrings. the "doily" underneath is cut from a vintage blazer, and, of course there are satin leaves and russian netting blusher.

a little glimpse of shea's bridal treasure as she walks down the aisle with her mom:

shea wore the piece with the rosettes in the back and the blusher toward her face. so cute!

umm...their reception was a SKATING PARTY! how awesome is that? i'm so bummed that i couldn't be at this celebration.

i wanted to tie in the rosettes of shea's bridal piece with her bridesmaids' treasures. their dresses were all different shades of navy and dark purple, so i went with the green from shea's leaves to complement them. the boys' boutonnieres had peacock feathers in them, so i included them for the bridesmaids, too, as the "leaves" for their rosettes!

they all ended up being slightly different in size, and so did the feathers. they are all tiny metal alligator clips.

(if you look very closely, you can see some bridesmaid treasures!)

wedding treasures are my favorites to make, especially for friends! i really wish i could have been at this joyous celebration, but i'm glad i still had a little part in it despite my absence.

congrats, shea & chris!

hipster animals.

2011-04-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

my friend shanti shared this image with me today from the hipster animals blog:

on a scale of 1-to-awesome, this image is just the tops! (i want to bring back oldtimey phrases like "the tops." join the revolution!)

my response to shanti: i WISH i could be a full-time etsy crafter. maybe someday when i retire and have a zillion dollars. then i'll be able to afford an exact replica of this outfit and become the illustrated hipster owl i was born to be!

magazine design.

2011-04-14T22:11:00.004-05:00

here's a magazine i designed for my law portfolio. this is as crafty as it gets in journalism grad school! i wrote all the stories and packaged them together with sidebars. i feel like i'm learning a lot about design just through trial and error, and i'm excited to share my work here!

i tried to embed my prezi magazine presentation on this here lil blog, but i can't get it to work right. so if you click here, you should be able to see all 20 pages swish back and forth with the click of a button. you can also see it on my wordpress site along with full text versions of the stories and links. ps. if you've never used prezi.com, you need to! i don't think i'll ever use powerpoint again!

here are the images in case you're not into clicking links and stuff:

i'm taking a couple days off from stress. and bad luck. and sleeplessness. have a wonderful weekend!

my arts issue essay.

2011-04-09T10:40:00.002-05:00

i wrote this essay a few weeks ago for my arts reporting class. the assignment was to write an essay on the arts topic of my choosing. this is an issue i've been thinking about since the beginning of the semester in this class. i don't think i presented any revolutionary insight or anything, but it was fun to argue a point that i actually care about. plus i got an A. hooray!

Art vs. Craft: A Class War

In the world of handmade goods, there are two kinds of people: artists and crafters. Artists get to make art – we “ooh” and “ahh” at their sculptures, the paintings we often only pretend to understand, and their cutting-edge mixed media presentations. We hold their works up on a pedestal, the pedestal of the museum or gallery, which lets us know that these are works of art.

Crafters get to make crafts – macaroni necklaces, glitter-painted sweatshirts, and macramé oven mitts – or at least that’s an answer you might get from someone on Team Artist. In actuality, the world of craft goes far beyond kindergarten-level collage assembly to encompass an endless amount of inspired, aesthetically pleasing, and dare I say – artistic – objects and entities. Why, then, is there such a distinction, a class hierarchy, if you will, between artists and crafters?

Before attempting to answer such a question, it is important to understand the makeup of these two categories of creators. Artists are painters, sculptors, potters, printmakers, and filmmakers. Often referred to as “visual artists,” they are trained in the discipline of creating objects to behold, forsaking any means of functionality.

Craft, though, is a commonly used synonym for “skill.” Crafters are woodworkers, weavers, metalsmiths, knitters, fashion designers, and, like some artists, mixed media creators. They are trained to create pieces that, along with their form, often provide a function, and therein lies the fundamental difference between art and craft. The usefulness of a handmade object has become the determining factor for its social standing among creators.

Are the worlds of art and craft really so different, though? Both usually involve an element of natural talent, and both often require some level of formal training to develop necessary skills. The traditional labels and separations between “fine arts” and “everything else” create an unnecessary barrier between these different groups of creators. But maybe with some more awareness, more conversation will circulate to provide a little more legitimacy to crafting.

A common misconception is that art is emotional and craft is cerebral. These sweeping generalizations miss the mark on both disciplines, as both art and craft require both emotion and thought. A painter must feel a connection to the image he paints, but he must also thoughtfully consider technique, color, and composition. Likewise, a knitter applies careful deliberation to decisions about color, texture, and pattern, but also connects emotionally with the act of creation itself.

Ask a woodworker if he puts his heart and soul into the ornate chairs or shelves he creates; I guarantee he will answer with an emphatic “yes.” Does the fact that a person can keep warm with a knitted blanket or sit in a handcrafted chair really make these objects any less artistic?

Affordability is another issue that has contributed to the existing wall between art and craft. Often handmade objects that qualify as craft are far more financially accessible than works of art in a gallery. Craft fairs and festivals exist as an avenue for crafters to sell their goods, as do handmade shops like Etsy.com. On the other hand, the price of a painting or sculpture is what dictates its status, and the owner adopts that same status upon purchasing it. While handmade items sold at craft fairs may fail to deliver a similar message of value and worth, they still maintain the same qualities as expensive works of art: vision, skill, imagination, and style, and should, in return, receive the same respect and admiration so often showered upon fine artists.

As a crafter, I have said on multiple occasions that I am not an artist, but crafting is as close as I will ever come to being one. I don’t create art for a living, but I do sew some of my own clothes. I don’t anticipate that I will ever create something that will be on display in a museum, but I do take pride in assembling my own unique handmade home décor. With creation comes a constant mingling of cathartic release and nervous excitement – What will this item turn out to be? – a question, I’m sure, professional artists frequently ask themselves as they work.

So am I really just a crafter? Is a fashion designer just a fashion designer or a weaver just a weaver and neither of them artists? Perhaps looking beyond traditional titles and labels to the heart of creation will lead you to answer “no” instead of insisting on perpetuating stereotypes or viewing the world of craft as an inferior category.

my BHM purchases.

2011-04-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

yesterday was the spring Bloomington Handmade Market, an event i have looked forward to since the fall/holiday market back in november. this time i went to shop (of course) and also to interview some vendors who live in town for a feature article on the BHM for my arts reporting class. i'm really excited about writing it, and i will definitely share it with you when i'm finished!

for now i'll just share my purchases with you. please forgive me - i only remember a few of the vendors' names. woops! by the time i did my shopping, i had thrown my journalism skills to the wind and decided to forget any important information! rebellion!

fabric-covered button earrings! eee! i can't remember the name of this vendor, but he had lots of cool guitar straps and camera straps. on an unassuming table, he had these precious earrings i couldn't believe were still around by the end of the BHM. i sure did snatch 'em up!

i had a great time interviewing katie vernon yesterday. her illustrations are unique and playful (the caption on the back of this postcard is "you warm my heart"). she called it a hipster card. perfect! you can buy her cards and prints at chipmunk cheeks on etsy and see much more of her work at katievernon.com.

i stumbled upon another card print that i had to have. (can't remember the name of this vendor! ahh!) i have a thing for dandelions. it's a long story, but i'd love to tell it sometime if you're interested. it's what inspired me to get my tattoo. anyway, i knew i had to have this print when i found it, and i think i will frame it and add it to my dandelion art collage in my room.

i absolutely love vendors who use only recycled and upcycled materials to create their wares. i perused the reuse first table at the last minute and just couldn't part with this adorable upcycled card catalog mini notebook. (maybe it's the secret nerdy librarian in me i've been harboring all these years.)

the pages are made from repurposed paper, so the back of each page has either random text or photos. (i chose one of my favorite pages to display here. mmm sammich.) i love having a little notebook with me to jot down ideas or just use when i'm bored, waiting somewhere. i'm pretty happy about this little guy. go to the re-use first etsy store to see more!

that wraps up my purchases. i didn't spend more than $5 on a single item and only spent $22 total, a small price to pay for local handmade OOAK (i hate when people use that acronym) items that i already love and cherish.

i will leave you with a few BHM observations:

1. i purchased from two male vendors. two out of four! more boys should be crafty. dear crafty boys, i am here waiting for you. let's get in love and make things all the livelong day. i'm serious. you know where to find me.

2. this event could be so much bigger! yo BHM, there are zillions of vendors who would die to do this show if they knew how cool it is. i can honestly envision it doubling in size and drawing a much bigger crowd. advertise and attract the masses!

3. i've heard that bloomington was recently ranked one of the rudest cities on the U.S. i refuse to believe such a thing and will base it on clear evidence of all the friendliness i witnessed yesterday. everyone i interviewed was super nice, and the mood in the convention center was all-over jolly. keep it up, bloomington.

that's all for now. stay tuned for my BHM feature article. hooray!

emily's birthday present.

2011-03-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

yesterday was my friend emily's birthday. she is a rare find in this world of ours. few people spread joy like she does -- santa claus is the only other person i can think of off the top of my head. it's pretty perfect that we found each other in grad school.

emily travels a lot, and i adore her thirst for adventure. it seems like no matter what life throws her, she always makes the best of it and inspires other people to do the same. i wanted to make her something for her bday that would communicate this little notion, so here's what i came up with:

(a little 6"x6" canvas covered in brown calico. i got the floral ribbon at an antique store in bloomington and used scraps of other calicos to make the piecemeal heart to go along with the theme of the quote. i used my typewriter to type the quote on brown paper.)

(i stumbled upon this virginia woolf quote and knew immediately that it was perfect for emily. also - i glued the heart pieces together, then sewed them around the edges. i glued everything to the canvas instead of actually assembling them with my sewing machine - good choice.)

(the back: i used felt to cover up the yuckies, and unfortunately i only had white. oh well. i typed a little note on brown paper and placed it in the inset on the back of the canvas.)

(one time we took a picture of ourselves in our fake glasses in front of a christmas tree. it looks slightly weird, but that pretty much sums up what everybody thinks about us anyway.)

i'm so thankful for the people God has put in my life during my time here in bloomington. i am blessed beyond measure.

flashback city, USA.

2011-03-20T23:48:00.002-05:00

in the words of one of my favorite musicians, jens lekman: this, of course, has nothing to do with anything.

i was going through some old photos on my computer tonight and came across this little guy circa 1994. i forgot i had this in digital form! yes, it's me posing proudly with my pfaff (still using the same machine 17 years later - definitely time for an update, though we've had some good times together).

the table is one of those old fold-down machine/table combos that i used until i got this baby. every time i see a similar one in an antique store, it brings me back to my beginning sewing days. i also still use the floral notions box in the photo. my grandma kate gave it to me!

i started sewing when i was about 7, but this might be the earliest photographic proof of my preferred hobby. (yeah, when everyone else was playing soccer or tap dancing, i was at sewing lessons.) oh, and don't even pretend like you don't love my side ponytail and black turtleneck. i am STILL this cool.

all my crafty SXSW adventures.

2011-03-19T10:44:00.003-05:00

i made it back from austin a couple days ago. if you're keeping track - yes, i left austin just as the music portion of SXSW began. i was there for the interactive festival, which was TOTALLY AWESOME, and, unfortunately, when IU booked the tickets and i was given an opportunity to extend mine, i didn't capitalize on it. i didn't have any idea how to make arrangements at the time or what a few days in texas alone would entail, so i decided to come home with the group. c'est la vie. there's always next time.

("madness" is accurate.)

if you've never been to austin, you should definitely change that. and go in the spring - the weather was gorgeous! there are so many music venues, food trucks, restaurants, shops, outdoor activities, and other cool attractions that have made 20-somethings flock to the city in droves to soak it all in. obviously my time there was unique in that there were 20,000 extra non-austinites in the city, but i still couldn't help but feel that the city is alive and vibrant, even without the influx of SXSW festival-goers.

(high above the city)

on my second day in the city, i spotted some outdoor vendors set up. i came upon a shop that sells upcycled cards, jewelry, and accessories - all made out of recycled materials - called R&R Design. i bought a little greeting card and debated whether i should get this texas card, too. i decided against it since i knew i wouldn't be proactive enough to send it while still in texas. so cute, though!

(love is bigger in texas)

(the R&R Design setup)

here on this crafty craft blog, i wanted to share another little piece of my SXSW experience. i heard about an "etsy party" and made my way to Venue 222 in downtown austin in between SXSW sessions. i went with my friend casey, but they turned her away since she's not 21. how rude!

(outside Venue 222)

(etsy austin has their act together.)

so i had a little solo adventure inside where i discovered a display of austin etsy sellers' wares, sewing machine stations sponsored by BurdaStyle (a really cool pattern sharing web site), photo booths, shot glass painting sessions (ha!), and a general population of handmade appreciators.

(austin etsy sellers display)

(hand-painted shot glasses, anyone?)

(the BurdaStyle table)

i tried out the fancy singer sewing machines by making a tiny drawstring bag. i'm so jealous! i'd love to have a computerized machine with so many cool stitches. someday. someday. i didn't partake in any other activities besides milling around and observing. it was fun, but i was bummed that my bud casey wasn't there.

(it will be mine. oh, yes. it will be mine.)

(the view from above)

i also met a really cool girl named julie at this event. she works for etsy as a blogger and community programming coordinator. since casey's project was about blogging communities, i decided to do a little interview for her as a favor. excuse my on-the-fly interview style. yikes! and also my amateur flipcam film technique. ha. (ps. her job sounds like the coolest thing in the world. i want her life!)

Julie Schneider from Tara Bender on Vimeo.

more events were hosted by etsy austin and Venue 222 throughout the week including live music and a handmade fashion show, but i didn't attend any of those. my week was jam-packed with SXSW sessions, panels, interviews, blogging, and eating (of course). i wish i had more time to spend in austin, especially during SXSW time because the possibilities of things to do and see really are endless. it's fantastic.

(totally sweet etsy cut-out banners.)

on my last night in austin i went with casey and rachel to a couple shops on south congress. i was told about Parts & Labour, a local handmade shop, by the girls at R&R Design. i didn't end up making any purchases there, but i wanted one of everything, i promise. there was a really cool section of upcycled t-shirts that gave me some new ideas i can't wait to try!

(some clothes @ Parts & Labour)

(Parts & Labour austin-themed t-shirt & magnet wall)

(lil guys @ Parts & Labour)

("scenes from austin" coasters @ Parts & Labour - should have snagged one!)

we also made our way into a little vintage shop where i found a calico floral jumper. that's right, people. KOOLOTZ. i can't wait to show off my fav (and only?) austin purchase once it gets a little warmer outside. for now, i'll just share a couple pictures from the shop.

(i had to resist. i still have a drawer of unused treasures waiting for me!)

(keepin it classy.)

it's pretty safe to say that i had a blast in austin and can't wait to go back! it's on my list of potential places to live post-graduation. i'd say it's probably in first place at the moment. if you want to see more of my SXSW adventures, you should check out my tumblr blog. i wrote and posted videos and photos every day. you'll see a few celebs mixed in there. eee!

thanks for reading this super long jumbo post. see you soon!

absence makes my heart grow tired of homework.

2011-03-08T01:26:00.004-06:00

it's been way to long, bloggies. this semester has been very busy and productive with little time to divert my focus from school, internships, assistantships - more ships than you can shake a stick at!

my friend jim was one of my favorite regulars when i worked at eagle creek coffee co. he recently shared this photo on the hair treasures facebook page :

last spring i made a special headband for each of jim's girls, and he promised that he would take some professional photos. i am so grateful! and isn't she adorable?

tonight i finished up some wedding pieces for my friend shea. it was fun to be crafty for a little bit in the midst of so much homework. i'll post pictures soon!

in other news, i am leaving for austin, TX on wednesday. i will attending the SXSWi (interactive) festival with my classmates by day and enjoying all of the totally awesome austin-ness of austin by night. i have a separate blog specifically for this trip (mandated by my professor), so take a look if you have a chance. i'd love to share my nerdy adventures with you.

i'll be back soon. pinky swear.

the uncommon craft society.

2011-01-26T20:05:00.001-06:00

this looks pretty cool:

The Uncommon Craft Society of Indianapolis --

facebook page

official site

i definitely can't commit since i'm living in bloomington, but if you're a crafter in the indy area, you should check it out! looks like there aren't too many details about the group yet, but amanda mauer tafflinger (owner and founder of the indieana handicraft exchange & homespun modern handmade) is speaking at the first meeting, and she definitely has a wealth of knowledge if you're interested in selling your wares.

by the way, the IHE will start taking applications for the summer event on february 1. i'm not applying this year, but maybe when i get back into the swing of things, i'll be able to apply for next summer. (i've been dreaming of a new home decor venture.) hopefully i'll at least be able to attend this year for the first time! (i don't even remember why i couldn't go last year...)

that's all for now!

craft in america.

2011-01-23T22:12:00.001-06:00

i recently subscribed to the Etsy twitter, and i have loved everything that's come across my feed so far. i just found out about a PBS series called Craft in America. the title got me, so i immediately wanted to check it out. fortunately for me (since i don't have a tv) all the episodes are online! in true PBS fashion, it's a documentary-style series with six episodes: Origins, Process, Educators, Memory, Landscape, and Community.

i'm just a few minutes into the first episode, and i already love it. the history, tradition, creativity, self-fulfillment, beauty, and love that go into handmade items are enough to overwhelm me sometimes. craft nerd! i'm excited about watching this series, and maybe you will be, too. enjoy!

my new quilt.

2011-01-19T21:15:00.001-06:00

last weekend i went with my family to visit my grandparents (dad's parents) in nappanee, IN. i have posted before about their house and how much i love all of my grandma kate's decor, trinkets, and beautiful handmade everythings. she is so creative and artistic (and productive!), and i can only hope that someday i will be able to make things as beautifully as she can.

while we were there, she allowed us (my brother, sister, and me) to pick out a quilt. she quilts with a group of ladies at church, and over the years she has been making quilts for all of the grandchildren. tyler, trisha, and i were the last three to choose our quilts (we joke that all the cousins got theirs as wedding gifts and ours are "premarital" quilts since we're all single.)

we went to the bedroom where she had quilts lying out on the bed. there were 7 or 8 of them, some unfinished. she allowed us to choose, but before we made our choices, she informed me that my cousin lindsey had seen a certain quilt that "screamed tara" and urged grandma kate to keep it for me. how sweet! without her revealing which one, the quilt i chose (and my heart's only desire) was the very quilt reserved for me. it was meant to be!

here's the whole thing: hand-appliqued petals, machine-assembled squares, and hand-quilted:

unfortunately, i can't keep it on my bed because i don't want gretta to get it dirty. i'm trying to figure out how to display it another way for now.

the petals were given to grandma kate by a woman whose mother had passed away. she had wanted to create an appliqued quilt, and that's my grandma's favorite kind, so she used the pieces to create this.

almost all of the fabrics are from the 1930s and 1940s.

it's a little difficult to see in the photos, but each yellow center is padded. squishy!

every flower is different! my grandma named the quilt "sunflower pattern."

the edges are scalloped with perfect precision. everything about this quilt is absolutely perfect to a T. it's beyond impressive.

my quilt is something that will last forever and a gift that i am beyond grateful for. i love that my grandma finds her grandchildren so special that she will put in so much time and effort to give these gifts of love. i want to be like her when i grow up.

* * *

oh! she also gave use these fun little tote bags made of -- wait for it -- recycled plastic bags. what? (that's what i said.) take a look:

she cut strips of plastic bags and then crocheted them together (i think?) to make this bag.

close-up:

then she hand-sewed the lining in to make the bag functional. i love it!

here's a tutorial i found if you want to learn how to make your own recycled plastic bag...bag. ha.

whatever it was.

2011-01-16T12:30:00.000-06:00

my dear friend brittany shared a poem the other day written by em claire, a poet from seattle. i mentioned to brittany that i thought the poem was beautiful, so she shared em claire's web site with me where i found the rest of her work to be equally as wonderful.

this particular poem is my favorite:

i have a dandelion tattoo, and simple as dandelions are, i have a spiritual connection to that image. i take joy in knowing that others may have a similar connection or even just stop to take notice of them being anything besides pesky weeds.

these words could not have come along at a better time. don't you just love stumbling upon a surprise that was intended for you when you needed it the most and expected it the least?

i pray that you and i will both take notice of what has opened us to the live to our full potential, to love and cherish our own lives as the gifts they are. (a life well lived / a life well loved)

matchy-matchy.

2011-01-14T10:22:00.000-06:00

i haven't done much with my little business here in a while. school has kept me busy and focused and has allowed me to find other ways to channel my artistic energy into something productive, like graphic design and page design.

over break, though, i was commissioned by my friend laura over at secondhand happenings to create a matching headband set: one for her sister-in-law and one for her baby niece. the only specifications were matching, purple, and headbands, so this is what i came up with:

matchy-matchy:

mama:

bebe:

it's nothing, major, i know. but it was fun to get back into hair treasures for a minute. laura said the headbands were a hit on christmas, so that warms my heart, of course!

maybe i should make a mama version and baby version of every piece i do from now on. it could become kind of a big deal...

oh-verachieving oh-leven.

2011-01-10T16:01:00.000-06:00

i feel the need to put this out into the world so that i am somehow held accountable to the following resolutions for 2011:

1. i will not consume any soda pops. (goodbye, cherry coke. i still love you.)
2. i will keep my apartment in order by: hanging up my clothes or putting them in the hamper, doing the dishes more than once every two weeks, and taking a stand against general apartment-related laziness.
3. i will not consume any food or drink from the j-school vending machine.
4. i will complete a weekly training schedule for at least 12 weeks and run the indianapolis mini marathon in april.
5. i will not purchase take-out or eat food from a restaurant unless i am with friends. fridge and cupboards only.
6. i will be conscious of my calorie intake with the goal of fitting into every garment in my closet by the time i run the mini marathon.
7. i will walk or ride my bike to school every day. no driving and parking.
8. i will get a 4.0 this semester, not a 3.925.

8 is a random number, but those are the ones i care about the most. i am aware that it's a lot to commit to, but i think that all of these goals will contribute to a healthier me, both physically and mentally. i have done all of these things before, so i know i can do them again.

oh-verachieving oh-leven. here we go.

my WOS booties.

2011-01-07T21:36:00.001-06:00

my family exchanged gifts the week before christmas. i got an unexpected gift that has turned out to be my favorite thing in the world: slipper booties. (somewhere on the tag it said WOS booties, so now that's what i call them).

they are LUK-EES by Muk Luks, and i think mine came from target, but you can get them from other places on the internets. i have the brown and blue ones.

here's the thing - i know slippers aren't anything new or cool, but i typically hate slippers. i also typically hate socks. i prefer to be barefoot if possible. but my WOS booties let me stretch my little toesies, and they are so fuzzy and soft. they're not bulky like slippers, and they're not restrictive like socks. i'm just really obsessed with them (just ask my sister).

it's the little things, right?

the end of oh-ten.

2011-01-03T21:16:00.000-06:00

well, i guess my plan to post more during this winter break didn't come to fruition. i've been too busy doing the following:

1. watching trashy reality shows, including just about everything on VH1, MTV, E!, and Bravo. (ps. have you ever seen the show My Life as Liz? it's more of a quasi-documentary teen drama than a reality show. i fell in love with it during the first season, and the second season is starting soon. hulu!)

2. watching season 1 of Glee. santa brought it to me in my stocking, and i've been enjoying remembering last season's episodes and watching some for the first time.

3. spending time with my family. we had a lovely time in tennessee. it snowed on christmas eve, so we woke up to a white christmas! it was pretty magical. spending time with my brother and sister is something i cherish, and i've been able to do a little bit of that over the past couple weeks, too.

(my cousin jamie, sister trisha, and me on christmas morning)

4. reading for pleasure. i have missed reading over the course of the fall semester -- well, reading material besides scholarly articles and textbooks, as interesting as they may be. i bought some books and started A Widow for One Year by John Irving, but then lauren let me borrow The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon, so i put the other one on hold.

5. working at the coffee shop. i haven't worked as much as i thought i would, but it's ok. it's given me time to relax and make a little money, too.

naps have been abundant. also free food. and noontime sleep-ins. i've been such a lazy bum! i have my priorities, you know.

* * *

i used to publish a list of my top 10 albums of the year. i don't do it anymore because it's pretty intimidating, especially because i am often behind when it comes to music. it's expensive to stay on top of things when it comes to music! i have to pick and choose on a budget, but i do my best.

i guess i'll give it a whirl and share some of my favorite 2010 music with you. i'm not claiming that these are the best -- just ones that i like, and you might, too. in no particular order:

arcade fire - the suburbs

the national - high violet

ryan adams & the cardinals - III/IV

vampire weekend - contra

husband&wife - proud flesh

band of horses - infinite arms

she & him - volume II

moneybrother - real control

girl talk - all day

hanson - shout it out

local natives - gorilla manor

mates of state - crushes (the covers mixtape)

ra ra riot - the orchard

i'm still trying to hammer down my resolutions. i've committed to too many things to actually succeed, so i need to narrow it down and try to focus. i started off 2011 with a negative attitude, but i know that this year will be another adventure and one in which i will grow and continue to become the person God has created me to be. school starts back up a week from today. whew!

here's to you, new year. (clink!)

handmade wreaths.

2010-12-20T09:37:00.002-06:00

it's almost christmas! this means the following:

1. i am finished with my first semester of grad school, and i am expecting a 4.0 gpa. (i'll post the fruits of my labors later.)

2. i am spending the next few weeks in indy with my family and will soon be in the beautiful tennessee mountains with even more family!

3. i have time to read, make treasures, and probably watch some terrible reality shows since i have access to a tv. maybe i'll even have time to post on this humble lil blog more often.

i wanted to share some fun projects from my TU bffs. you know! these girls:

stacey, brittany, and abby

when they came to visit me in bloomington in november, they fell in love with some handmade wreaths on etsy that used yarn and other pretties to make them...pretty. little did i know they would all soon get to work, creating their own holiday wreaths and sharing photos with me. such creative little guys!

abby's wreaths:

britt's wreath:

stacey's wreath:

sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than a fun, simple craft that you can personalize any way you want. i'm so proud of my bffs for taking it upon themselves to create these little masterpieces.

what will you make this christmas?

vote for MWH.

2010-12-03T12:07:00.006-06:00

this semester i have been working on two projects regarding domestic violence -- one is a series of feature-length articles, and one is an analysis of NYT coverage since the late '70s.

for one of them, i get to volunteer at Middle Way House, a shelter / transitional housing facility for survivors of domestic violence and their children. i have learned a lot through my research, interviews, time spent at Middle Way, and also through my friend kevin who is the coordinator of children's programs. this organization and social issue as a whole has become near and dear to my heart.

the pepsi refresh project is based on votes. i posted about it a while ago when Homespun was applying for a $5,000 grant. through the voting process, Homespun received the money and has since opened their shop, so i know firsthand that the pepsi refresh project is legit.

now that Middle Way House is in the running for $250,000, i want to try to help as much as i can. maybe you will, too? if you have a second, you should vote. it really does make a difference! this agency is an important part of the bloomington community and can do even more groundbreaking work through their transitional businesses (which employ MWH residents), save money by investing in solar energy technology, and provide shelter for more women and children in need if they receive this grant. you can vote every day until december 31st.

(thanks, friends.)
love, tarabee.

christmas crafts.

2010-12-01T20:57:00.000-06:00

for the past few months, i've been spending my tuesday nights with some of the best people in town. in the state. in the...universe. it's a huge blessing to be welcomed in as a lonely little loner and spend time with new pals.

last night we made ornaments for tim/carrie/josh's christmas tree. carrie brought over a giant box of supplies (!!), and we all got to work. here's what we came up with:

carrie and her double rainbow (all the way) jesus and professional silhouette cutout.

sam's snowflake. and sam's adorable self.

josiah's christmas tree for the christmas tree. wait a minute...

worky worky. crafty crafty.

colleen's homage to her totally awesome cat, jose.

will's origami eskimo, koala, and something that is not a penguin but looks like a penguin.

craft factory '010.

josh's santa rocket ship delivering toys to the moon.

kevin's advent pyramid and awkward kindergarten school picture face.

my sticky stocking. i had a mega glue disaster.

i'm glad i got to participate in a christmastimey decoration party because i didn't bring any of my christmas decorations back to bloomington with me. i guess this year i'll just be a plain jane. but it doesn't mean i don't have christmas spirit. remember: the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

parka party.

2010-11-21T11:18:00.001-06:00

well, it didn't take long for me to find more treasures to lust after. i don't know why i love coats so much. maybe for the same reasons i love shoes. they always fit. never shrink. and have nothing to do with the parts of your body that you tend to hate.

anyway, i am dreaming of a parka. something to keep me warm as i traverse this wintry town come december, january, february, etc. i stumbled upon the most precious asian fashion site called yesstyle.com and fell in love so many times!

from CLICK:

from Stylementor:

from Tokyo Fashion:

from Stylementor:

all of these girls look like they're warm, right? and also like they're having fun and being cute in their coats. it's really what dreams are made of. a good coat can hide all of the chaos going on beneath the surface with things that aren't fitting right as a result of winter hibernation weight gain. come on, ladies. you know what i'm talking about.

just wanted to share the wintertimey love!

indiana is for lovers.

2010-11-20T00:17:00.000-06:00

oh, hey.
i've spent this past week gearing up for harry potter & the deathly hallows part 1 (aka hp7.1), which means that i stayed up late multiple nights in a row, watching movies with pals (including last night's dream-come-true midnight premiere.) what a fun life!

when not deeply immersed in the world of witches and wizards, i spent some time making this little guy for my computerized publication design class:

it's a web header for a site that i will complete for my final project. it's bound to be the #1 site for indiana enthusiasts. i mean, just look at that corn.

(i'm attempting to navigate through some basic html coding and site building in dreamweaver, but it's seriously like trying to learn in another language -- one that i do not understand whatsoever.

i'll let you know how it all turns out.)

aside from that, i've been applying for internships and doing a lot of writing and reporting. but that's boring, right? here's something better:

dear santa, will you bring me these shoes?

and also this coat? (which might be ugly, but i love it.)

it's from modcloth, so of course i could never buy it with my own dollars.

christmastime will be grand again this year in the tennessee mountains. but first is thanksgiving in my home sweet home, and i can't wait to spend some time with the benders.

until i have more arty things to show (or more online shopping search results to publicly lust after),

tarabee.

BHM, IN, & BFFs.

2010-11-08T22:07:00.000-06:00

this weekend my bff's came to visit me here in bloomington. it's always a blessing to have them around, and i'm thankful that we all live close enough that we can have weekends together, even if we can only manage to do it a couple times a year.

crammed into a stone gazebo window on the IU campus:

we went to the bloomington handmade market, which was just a couple blocks from my apartment. there were quite a few familiar vendors and some new ones that i really loved! i allowed myself to make one purchase, and i found my treasure at kin ship press.

it's a canvas print of my homeland, obviously, with all of the counties labeled, and a heart appropriately placed:

like i told the people at their table, hoosiers love indiana. it's true. home is where the heart is, and i love this representation of that comforting thought.

i wanted to hang up my canvas as soon as i got home, but i was having a hard time finding any wall space. oops. abby told me to prop it up on my shelf, and it's pretty perfect that way.

i was able to see my friend jessi of two seaside babes at the market. i've been lucky enough to do two shows with her and am glad to know her as a member of the indiana crafting community. her shop is amazing, and i have always wanted one of her lovely crocheted creations, but it's hard for me to fork over the cash, especially on my grad school budget.

but the other day, i woke up to such a pleasant surprise -- i won a contest...without even entering! jessi did a giveaway on her facebook page, and i was the recipient of a $30 credit to her etsy shop. hooray! i placed a special order, and i can't wait to get it! check out her etsy shop to see all of the cute stuff she does.

i really needed this weekend, and i am thankful for it. for lasting friendships and handmade love.

make crafts. not war.

2010-11-03T20:31:00.003-05:00

here i am, bloggies. i miss being able to update my blog with new creations and pretty findings and things that are lovely. it's ok, though.

the last year of my life involved a lot of solitude, and one of the only ways i felt like myself was when i was constantly creating. it's still important to me, but i'm so thankful to be learning so many new things and spending time with new wonderful people. i feel happy and healthy and thankful to be where i am. so -- i didn't fall off the earth: i'm just enjoying it in different ways at the moment.

i wanted to share a project that i made in my computerized publication design class. i am learning a lot about how to use PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which is really exciting! Illustrator is the most difficult part for me, but i am coming along slowly but surely.

the assignment was to make a poster for a fictitious event. i decided to make mine for a charitable craft fair. here it is (click to see it bigger) :

the thread looks weird in the small version of the poster, but when it's the size it should be (11x17), it looks right. promise! i downloaded the cross-stitch font and built the rest from scratch. (again, i'm not posting my work here because i think it's award-winning or anything. it's just a new phase of creation for me, and i'm excited about it!)

speaking of creations, i have some evidence of halloween 2010:

i made a unicorn costume this year. it took two whole skeins of yearn to make the mane and tail. yikes! the horn is made of poster board and a glittery sheet of foam.

i made the whole head piece sort of like a stretchy headband with the mane attached at the top and bottom.

i also carved a ridiculous / ugly pumpkin. i like dinosaurs (who doesn't?), so i rolled with it. i drew the t-rex, but when i cut it out, i realized that i just had a pumpkin with a gaping dinosaur-shaped hole. oops.

i added "happy dino-ween" because if i were a dinosaur, that's what i would call it.

that's all for now. despite all the work that is hanging over my head, i am a pretty happy girl these days. in the words of penny lane, it's all happening.

ps. the bloomington handmade market is this weekend. i can't wait!

i think i just fell in love.

2010-10-20T08:57:00.007-05:00

i stumbled upon this beautiful image today on my friend jennifer's facebook page:

the artist is a british illustrator named clare owen (clare spelled the same way as the character in the time traveler's wife, one of my favorite books!) i, of course, hurried to learn more about her and came across a lovely interview on No Country for Young Women.

she is also featured today on Design Sponge.

this one is called Dream Bike. (of course it is!)

i think i am going to save up my dollars to buy a print. i really love all of them, but the sewing machine is just perfection. if you want to see more of her work, take a look at her web site and etsy shop.

* * *

i love this piece of advice she offers to aspiring female artists:

{ "And by the way, everything in life is writeable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." -- Sylvia Plath

I think this quote can apply to any creative field. For your best work, you have to be calm and confident. So try to keep your head up and believe in what you do. }

* * *

i have never considered myself an artist, but i do see beauty in crafting, even if it is more practical than most "art." i also appreciate these words as i continue to learn how to apply creative ideas into journalistic design. so perfect.

i hope you stumble upon something just as inspiring today.

spinning their stories.

2010-10-18T10:21:00.001-05:00

when i think about how long it's been since i have been crafty, it makes me sad. grad school's not kidding around. it's major. i have had quite a few projects already that have kept me extremely (and surprisingly) busy.

because hair treasures is on a forced hiatus, it seems, along with all other projects, i thought i would share some of the creative work i've been able to do in my classes. i am by no means posting my work because i think it's award-winning -- these are really my first attempts. i just thought it might be fun to share the journey as channel my crafting creativity into print design.

assignment: create a cover and four-page magazine spread.

programs used: Adobe InDesign & PhotoShop

disclaimer: the woman in the photos is not the actual woman interviewed in the story. all other info in the spread is true, though, if you should happen to browse the actual text.

this is my cover. i wanted it to look fall-timey so i found a picture of leaves and a fuzzy acorn. the "local spotlight" is a teaser for the rest of my project.

these are the first two pages of my four-page spread, so just imagine that this folds down the middle a la magazine. i fell in love with this giant yarn, especially the yellow, so there is yellow all over the rest of the project.

i wrote the story for another class but wanted to use it in my design, so if you want to read about ladies who spin their own yarn, go right ahead.

these are the last two pages of the spread. again, just imagine a line down the middle. i knew i wanted to do a spinning wheel diagram because the parts have crazy names! everything here is fairly simple, but i like the way it turned out.

(i still need to get myself to yarns unlimited and in a yarn basket! i also still need to learn how to knit and/or crochet. oops.)

i had a wonderful time interviewing the ladies for this story. i stumbled upon them one saturday morning and spent a couple hours with them. they gave me a homemade drop spindle and some wool so i could make my own yarn. it's still sitting on my desk, but hopefully i can spin it like a pro sometime soon!

thanks for checking up on me. hopefully i will be back soon! enjoy fall.

a mixed bag.

2010-09-25T21:46:00.003-05:00

hieee. i just wanted to share a few random things that i've been keeping in my back pocket.

this is the display at ceramic dreams in broad ripple, IN. (can you spot the hair treasures?) i have loved having my items for sale in this wonderful shop!

if you live in the broad ripple area, you should definitely visit ceramic dreams to paint some pottery and browse the handmade gift shop. tanya, the owner, is so supportive of local handmade goods. what a great business!

* * *

when i was in florida this summer, i delivered 13 pieces to my aunt donna. all of the pieces were made from her mother's old jewelry, and aunt donna wanted each of her sisters, nieces, and grandnieces to have something.

here's one of the headbands:

(tulle, feathers, and a vintage gold & pearl O brooch)

here is chelsea (my aunt donna's niece) in her headband. it looks great in her blond hair! so pretty!

i am so glad that i could give my aunt donna, chelsea, and all the rest of the girls a little piece of their mother/grandmother/great grandmother in something that they can keep forever.

* * *

i have met some really great people in my program at IU. we're pretty lucky that we all like each other and like to do things together (besides homework). some of the girls bought hair treasures and warmed my crafty little heart with their kindness.

here's one of my classmates, claudia, in her new treasure:

purple perfection, if you ask me. this one was made for her.

* * *

new project:

sara from sara & mallary photography asked my sister and i to participate in something special for their web site! sara wants to highlight local vendors for her bridal clients, and we get to be a part of it!

my sister trisha is a stylist at DL Lowry in indy (she is amazing! go see her!), so her part of the project will be to do some "wedding hair" (on sara, i think -- possibly professionally videotaped). and my part will involve professional sara & mallary photos of a hair treasures wedding collection.

i am so excited and grateful that sara invited us to be included in this vendor spotlight. i am hoping that by thanksgiving, i will have a brand new bridal collection -- a piece for a bride and maybe 5 or 6 bridesmaid pieces. i'm thinking i want to go a little more over-the-top than i have with previous collections because i don't really have any guidelines. sweet!

* * *

that's enough of an update for now. tonight it's cool and fall-timey. i ate some pumpkin pie ice cream, which was sort of a dream come true. i can't wait to start wearing sweaters and hats and other warm things. i hope you are loving wherever you are.

hair treasures featured on AnsleyHaydenHasLove.

2010-09-20T09:15:00.003-05:00

hi, pals. i have been a busy grad school bee, but i just wanted to share something wonderful!

one of my sister's dear friends, hayden, has a beautiful blog, dedicated to bridging the ideas of art and love. she is a beautiful girl inside and out, as you can see from her posts, and i feel like our appreciation for the beauty in simplicity may make us kindred spirits.

i answered some questions for hayden, and she put together this post about hair treasures. check it out and browse the rest of the blog. i know you will find something that will make your day!

(here's a little excerpt from my AnsleyHaydenHasLove question&answer) :

here in indiana, it's turning to autumn. i am loving my leafy bike rides to campus. i hope you find beauty in something simple and lovely today.

a hair treasures hoedown.

2010-09-12T21:16:00.002-05:00

i was so honored when my friend annie asked me to donate an item for a silent auction benefitting amethyst house here in bloomington. amethyst house is an organization that provides services for people drug / alcohol addictions, and annie has worked at the women's house for a couple years.

the silent auction was only a part of the festivities for this fund-raiser. the event was a square / contra dance, complete with a caller (who sort of didn't know how to be a caller), a fiddle, bbq, and a live auction (featuring a real auctioneer in a cowboy hat).

here are some pictures of the donated headband (my apologies for the low-quality phone pics) :

(orange faux suede band. topped with tan, brown, and brown w/ white polka dot feathers and gold vintage leaf brooch.)

(i believe this brooch came from my aunt donna. she was so kind to give me some of her mother's beautiful vintage jewelry to use for hair treasures.)

(look! people were bidding! the last time i saw the paper, it was at $20.)

annie and i pretty much tore up the dance floor, except for the part when i got really dizzy from too many "swing your partner"s and fell onto a chair and then involuntarily banged my head into the wall more than once, due to the disorientation. (i don't know either.) i laughed lot, learned some sweet dances, got a sweet free bandana, and left the whole thing a hot, sweaty mess. a complete success if you ask me!

(i got to be the "man" in our partnership. i messed up pretty much every single move we were taught and even caused annie to clothesline a girl. yikes!)

i really hope that the first annual square dance was able to raise money for amethyst house. i'm so glad that hair treasures was a part of it!

recent wedding treasures.

2010-09-05T14:55:00.001-05:00

oh, hi.

first things first: so i won't be participating in the bloomington handmade market this year. it's very humbling to be rejected from an event that i wish i were cool enough to participate in. i know there are tons of vendors who are much more artistic and have more unique items, so i am excited to see those in november! it's a bummer that i didn't get accepted, but i am not going to let that crush my crafty spirit!

moving on to a happier subject, i thought i'd share some recent special orders for weddings. marriage!

desire' contacted me a while ago through my dear friend ashley nacke. it's so fun to realize how small the world is and how connections can be made through facebook and the blog world! for her brother and (now) sister-in-law's wedding, desire' wanted something to match her bright red shoes (and so did one other bridesmaid).

the shoes:

i decided to mimic the shape of the rosette and add some vintage jewelry to each of the two pieces. i went with diamonds because desire' said it matched the bridesmaid jewelry. here's what i ended up with:

faux satin rosettes with some of my favorite vintage jewels:

here's deisre' sporting her treasure and wedding 'do:

so pretty!

i just finished some pieces for my friend erika's wedding. erika is one of the secondhand happenings gals, and i am so excited that three of her bridesmaids will be sporting hair treasures.

erika's bridesmaids requested pieces similar to the designs i did for jara's wedding (the twisted fabrics with beading). she sent me a picture of the jewelry and even gave me the fabric (whoa!), both of which helped tremendously.

erika's bridesmaids' jewelry:

(i love the yellow and dark pewter color together!)

here's what i came up with:

one headband and two clips, all three beaded similarly. i used glass beads in silver and the darker pewter color. erika's bridesmaids' dresses are yellow, and the darker fabric in the background matches the jewelry. perfect!

the headband (to be worn by the lovely laura balke) :

two peas in a pod (not sure who will wear these, but they will be matchers!) :

erika's wedding is in just a couple weeks. i can't wait to see pictures of everything! oh, and speaking of secondhand happenings and weddings, if you haven't already checked out something borrowed, you need to! the SH gals are now offering a beautiful assortment of vintage dinnerware to rent for special occasions. pretty perfect, right? right.

more fun things are happening in the hair treasures world. i will post again soon! have a happy sunday.

welcome to my humble abode.

2010-08-31T21:17:00.003-05:00

i am ready for my triumphant return to the blogosphere. hello, world. the past couple weeks have brought many new changes for me, including moving to a brand new town and living by myself for the very first time and starting grad school at IU. it's been a whirlwind thus far, and i'm not expecting things to slow down anytime soon.

i began nesting for my new apartment long before i moved in. i started preparing / collecting wall decor, rugs, curtains, lamps, and all kinds of things to make this little place feel like home. i figured it would help with all of the newness that is currently surrounding me.

i want to share some photos of my apartment. i think i would describe it as granny-meets-hippie-meets-fabric-store. if there are any items of interest, i will describe. enjoy my little tour!

living room (and gretta) :

curtains, lampshades, pillows, flowers in vase, and canvases made by me. rug from urban outfitters. couch from goodwill. lamps from favorite finds in carmel. coffee / end tables and shelves from target. quilt made by my grandma. table runner from my friends jessica & jessi's etsy shop, j. emporium. end table covers from world market.

lamp close-up:

i did a lampshade tutorial a while ago. this is my second finished product. i love the green base! green glass pressed flower art from nashville art/craft fair.

living room / dining area:

more fabric canvases / frames made by me. table from craigslist. table wall decor from goodwill / target / michael's. table rug from urban outfitters.

close-up of table wall decor:

more living room:

shelves, clock, and record box from target. shelf curtain and heart art made by me. wall shelf from nashville flea market. framed posters from my friend jessica (frames from goodwill & hobby lobby). fan from my parents. record player from the internetz.

secret craft corner:

i made this curtain to cover up my plastic drawers and bins full of craft supplies. the fabric is made from a thai kimono that my friend emily gave me. (her mom didn't want it!) my dad described this fan as my parents "first marriage fan." 29 years old and still going strong.

record area close-up:

jessica gave me these vintage post cards and original hatch show print poster as a gift when i moved from nashville. (band of horses on the player.)

behind-the door shelf:

(the things hanging from these hooks say a lot about me.) midwest is best bag from renegade handmade in chicago. helmet from nutcase in portland, oregon.

dining area/kitchen:

green table coverings/cloth napkins from goodwill. breadbox from my old school. vase from goodwill. flowers made by me.

the view into the kitchen and hallway:

these two little ottomans (ottomen?) from target fit perfectly as counter seating. letter holder / key hanger from goodwill. tiny wall hanging in the left-hand corner from anthropologie.

kitchen:

lantern from anthropologie. flower hot pad from hobby lobby. patchwork oven mitt & hot pad from egypt (!). soap basket and towels from target. (the tiny owl on the oven was my mema's.)

above the kitchen sink:

the lantern and oven mitt are hanging from the cabinet knobs. framed owl fabric art made by me.

hallway:

dresser and picture frame from target. hanging shutter, table cover, and vases from goodwill. faux flowers from michael's.

bathroom:

shower curtain, towels, and rugs from target.

above the toilet:

there was a gross metal shelf above the toilet that i decided had to go asap, but it left a big ugly unpainted spot. i covered it with fabric and this floating shelf, then added the bucket and towel as decoration.

above the toilet close-up:

sink area:

check out that crazy expandable mirror! soap dispenser from world market. cup from anthropologie. toothbrush holder from target.

bedroom:

curtains (window and closet) made by me. quilt made by my grandma. shelves and dresser from target. mirror from goodwill. wall hooks from world market and urban outfitters. rug from urban outfitters.

dresser area close-up:

floral box from world market. wood/bronze box from southeastern salvage in nashville.

bed!

my grandma made this beautiful quilt! pillow cases, lights, lamp, tables, and dandelion decals from target. art above the light switch made by me.

bed wall close-up:

if only i had a sweet headboard! (please disregard the one light that doesn't work. oops.)

desk area:

desk from office depot. floating shelf from target. picture frames from goodwill. backpack from american apparel(!).

closet:

i'm proud to say that i dismantled my closet doors all by myself and rigged up these curtains. 21 yards of fabric, 12 shower curtain rings, and a 6 foot shower curtain rod = easy closet access. gretta is excited about it. (to the left is a little dandelion collage including one made by me (on the bottom).

and, of course, one more picture of gretta posing for the camera. she is such a diva!

my parents were skeptical that all of this furniture would fit into my 560 square foot apartment, but i managed to find a place for everything. the dresser in the hallway holds all of my fabric. the little dining table has drop leaves that open so i have a bigger area for crafts and sewing. i have a place for everything, and since i'm the only one who lives here, i got to call all the shots. it's been fun setting everything up and making it all homey.

i have some hair treasures news and other fun things that i'll post soon. i hope to carve out a little time in the near future to make some new pieces. i'm feeling inspired. oh! there is an arts & crafts festival in bloomington this weekend, so maybe i'll see even more inspiring things! can't wait!

get outta town.

2010-08-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

well, friends and lovers, it's time.

tomorrow i'm moving to a supercool town to start grad school. because i'm not bringing a tv (which, i'm sure, is the best decision, but i am already mourning the loss of the real housewives and project runway), it might give me a little extra time for hair treasures. i am hoping to get my etsy store stocked up and even have enough to (hopefully) participate in the bloomington handmade market. (vendors haven't been announced yet.)

i hope to post again in the next few days, but if i'm gone for a little bitty, just know that i am in the process of setting up my apartamento and making it all pretty. did that rhyme? yes, it did.

i will leave you with some of my current favorite tunes:

high violet (the national)
the suburbs (arcade fire)
infinite arms (band of horses)
the orchard (ra ra riot)
all delighted people (sufjan stevens)

enjoy!

trisha & tara's yard sale extravaganza spectacular.

2010-08-16T16:59:00.003-05:00

since my sister trisha and i are both getting ready to move away (from our parents' house), we decided to hold our first annual (probably not-so-annual) yard sale extravaganza spectacular to make some extra dollars.

one of our many neon signs:

if you've ever organized a yard sale, you know it takes hours and hours of preparation and can sometimes be enough to make you feel like a crazy person.

challenges we faced: getting high on jumbo permanent markers while making signs, one of our dogs (briece) peeing on a pile of men's shirts for sale, crazy schedules that didn't allow for much preparation time together, and pesky early birds who arrived at 6:30 am instead of 7.

but despite the annoyances that come with organizing a sale, we had a great time and managed to make some money. sweet!

our driveway was packed with trash-turned-treasure, including clothes, shoes, home decor, books, records, and tons of random stuff that garage-salers live for:

(it's hard to see, but those ladders are supporting rods with TONS of clothes hanging on them. our dad is such a helpful harry -- he created some wooden supports for the rods so we could hang it all. he is a genius!)

it was in the high 90s but felt like it was 150 degrees outside. thankfully, our totally awesome dad rigged up this umbrella with dog chains and wooden stakes to shield us from the sun. what a guy!

(tara: thumbs up. trisha: get me out of here.)

in addition to all of our used items, i decided to set up a table of hair treasures. i'm so glad i did! a few people walked away with great hair accessories at discounted prices. one of our early bird customers even requested them by name (before i had them set up & displayed. . .)

(two of our neighbors, now proud hair treasures customers!)

discussing something important (and not complaining at all about the beastly temperatures) :

our paparazzi dad took this from inside the house. i spotted him despite his stealthy attempts at remaining unnoticed. (please note my wardrobe change. i was a sweaty betty!)

ps. my dad took all of these pictures. he has his own digital camera for work and busted it out so proudly to document our day. we continually referred to him as "#1 garage sale dad" all day.

here are some more pictures of our signs. one guy even said that our signs should win an award for the best ones ever! even though our sale took place on a sunday, we had tons of people shopping all day. maybe we should owe it to good marketing?

one of trisha's designs:

i kept it simple:

arrows are key. we actually put arrows on signs in our neighborhood, too, to help direct traffic.

we used open house signs from our mom's office (where i am a super fancy part-time receptionist). they worked out great because we didn't have to hammer them into the ground or tape them on random road signs.

we put our signs out at 1:30 am before our sale. for one, trisha dropped me off on a roundabout and drove in circles until i was finished positioning it perfectly. had to be there?

next time you do have your own sale, you should definitely:

*advertise it on craigslist: be sure to list specific items of interest and even attach pictures of your best items.

*mention it on facebook: you never know who might stop by! (one of the best parts of my day was seeing my friend jeri. we were booth neighbors at the castleton united methodist church craft show back in february!)

*make attractive signs: apparently you can tell a book by its cover -- it might even bring in unsuspecting customers. we used neon poster boards, bold lettering, and balloons (deflated in our photos - oopsies).

*try it on a sunday: we got multiple comments about sunday being the "new saturday" when it comes to garage sales. you never know!

now that i have all that extra stuff out of the way, i have no excuses for why i haven't started packing yet. the only one i can come up with is that i hate packing, which is obviously unacceptable. hopefully i'll find the motivation deep down inside -- and soon!

Craft Night '010 & an upholstered headboard tutorial.

2010-08-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

i have definitely been going through a home decorating phase lately. there's so much to love about creating a space that is warm, cozy, and fits your personality. the best part of my most recent endeavors is that i've been able to make a little money go a long way. super!

this week i've been assisting some other people with their own home decor projects. my sister decided that she wanted a headboard for her bed. she's moving out soon and is redesigning her entire room. little did she know that she would start a fun trend amongst our friends!

here's trisha with her finished product: two thumbs up and one happy camper.

the first major step -- attaching batting to the plywood:

our first time around we bought two bags of quilt batting and glued them to the piece of plywood (66"x40" for a queen-sized bed). we used glue to conserve staples, but we ended up running out of staples anyway. to prevent a mess and save some time, just staple the batting instead.

a close-up of trisha's fancy headboard:

to achieve the look of depth with the buttons, we just took measurements to place them, stapled each spot with the staple gun, and then hot glued the buttons on top. it's super easy, and if you ever want to change the buttons, you can do it with just a little tug!

one of trisha's gem buttons:

if you're not familiar with upholstered headboards, take a look at some of these finished products i found on the internetz: #1 #2 #3 hopefully those give you a better idea of the look we are trying to achieve with our projects!

* * *

after hanging out with some of my pals, we decided to hold the first annual Craft Night '010 (that's oh-ten, everybody). headboards have become all the rage, and i couldn't wait to lend my skills to help create some more! the following photos and descriptions tell the tale of Craft Night '010 with a little tutorial in the mix. enjoy!

obviously, no Craft Night is complete without cupcakes. my lovely guests came bearing 12 gourmet cupcakes from Gigi's. needless to say, we all woke up this morning with well-deserved sugar hangovers.

(starting with the neon girl, going counterclockwise: trisha, lauren, kris, hannah, and lindsay. patty and phil (my parents) and tyler (my brother) also made appearances and kept us thoroughly entertained throughout the evening.)

if you're not jealous, there is something wrong with you.

lauren and lindsay both wanted headboards, so we had to make a trip to lowe's for plywood.

1/2" plywood is great for this project. most hardware/home improvement stores will cut it down to size for you, too. your headboard should come out at least a couple inches from your bed on each side. it's really up to you, but we used 66" wide boards for 60" beds.

even if you're not a perfectionist, you should definitely not overlook ironing. make sure your fabric is nice and smooth before you do anything else.

trisha volunteered to do the irnoning. here she is with lindsay's chocolate brown satin fabric:

(she has talent, people.)

remember when i said you should staple the batting to the plywood? well, we got smart and used that technique at Craft Night. a hammer comes in handy when your staple gun is annoying, and the staples protrude a little too far (or you need to take out some aggression on your home decor project.)

here's another tip: buy your batting off the roll like this. we discovered that it's cheaper and easier! each board required two layers of batting to make them a little more plush, and each layer was 2 yards long. using this type of batting allows you to drape it over your entire board instead of placing it in rows like we did on trisha's.

after your batting is securely attached all the way around, you're ready for your fabric! just make sure there aren't any ripples or wrinkles. the best way to make sure that the fabric is pulled tightly is to work in teams like trisha and kris. one person pulls the fabric tight, and the other staples!

your headboard should start to look something like this on the back side:

a close-up of lauren's lime green floral print:

here's lauren's board with the batting and fabric securely stapled. the only things missing are buttons!

it's important to use a measuring tape to determine where your buttons will go. if you use our measurements for your plywood (66"x40"), your board will be split vertically into 16.5" sections and 13.3" sections horizontally. your buttons will go at the points where the lines would intersect in a grid pattern.

we used 6 buttons on each headboard. you can definitely use more or less if you want (or none at all!). if you choose to use buttons, remember that before you attach them, you need to put a staple in all the points you just measured out. it helps to utilize the batting in adding depth to your headboard.

then just hot glue your buttons on top of the staples, and you're all finished! lindsay went with traditional brown buttons.

one of lauren's mismatched bronze buttons:

another double thumbs up? can it be? i love a satisfied customer. lindsay's headboard will look great with her aqua / green / white / brown bedding!

this is lauren's best "check me out at the jersey shore!" pose. (be sure to catch her fist-pumping in a club near you.) her headboard will look so cute with her black and white tree tapestry bedspread!

we haven't tackled the issue of hanging the headboards yet, but we decided that attaching heavy duty sawtooth hangers would do the trick. or you could enlist the help of a frame-hanging genius and do it with wire. or get creative and hang it whichever way it works! that's usually the method i end up going with.

while most of us were focused on the headboards, hannah was diligently working on a gift for her friend and soon-to-be college roommate! inspired by a piece i did with embroidery and buttons, hannah decided to make an E for emily and fill it in with buttons. so cute!

hannah and lauren's mom, kris, brought a tin of vintage buttons with her. clearly, i was in heaven as i feasted my eyes on her abundant collection. hannah incorporated so many cute buttons into her design! this is a very time consuming project, so she took the majority of it home with her to finish later. craft star!

all in all, Craft Night '010 was a smashing success, complete with conversations about cellulite, bodily functions, stupid boys, and various other interesting topics. did i mention we had cupcakes? we had lots of cupcakes. in fact, here is the aftermath:

you are invited to the next annual Craft Night. what will be the next big trend? i don't know, but my crafty senses are already tingling!

ps. let me know if you want any other info about our headboards! they really are a fun and easy way to brighten up your room and cozy up your bed. have fun!

BHM & forgotten favs.

2010-08-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

earlier today i finally submitted my application for the fall bloomington handmade market. seeing as how i will be a resident of bloomington in just a couple weeks, i think it would be wonderful to participate this go-round!

besides wedding collections and other special orders, i haven't posted photos of new work in a while. i went through my hair treasures photo albums today and found some of my forgotten favs. i thought i'd share them with you, especially if you're a new visitor to my humble blog.

right now i'm working on a couple different wedding mini-collections, one of which is for my friend erika at secondhand happenings. i'm also continuing to work on some home decor projects, including two sets of curtains for my new apartment and an upholstered headboard for my sister's bed. as usual, i'm a busy little crafting bee and loving every minute of it!

cross your fingers for this year's bloomington handmade market. hopefully you'll see hair treasures there!

a collection for my aunt donna.

2010-08-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

i had big dreams of posting about this when i was actually in florida, but i was too busy sunbathing, hanging out with my family, eating junk food, sleeping, and meeting local celebs that i never found the time to do it. so here is a belated post that is near and dear to my heart:

my aunt donna is a very special person to me. she is one of the most hospitable people in the world -- a person who just radiates love for everyone she meets. she takes a genuine interest in people, which is probably why she has so many loved ones in her life!

(here she is, modeling a hair treasure)

it has been a hard year for her. first her mother-in-law (my mema) passed away, and then her mother passed away. even in the midst of this painful time, she has still managed to remain the same aunt donna we all know and love, which is a gift.

as a special project, she sent me some of her mother's jewelry and a list of family members (sisters, nieces, and grand-nieces on her side that i've never met), and asked me to create hair treasures for each of them.

(some last-minute crafting in our seaside condo before the big delivery.)

she sent me a list of names (and ages) and assigned specific pieces of jewelry to specific people, along with pictures of everyone. her descriptions were really helpful, and it was fun to try to design pieces based on such little information. according to aunt donna, i hit the nail(s) on the head!

(going through the pieces with aunt donna for the first time)

i'm so glad that i was able to do this project for my aunt donna. she told me multiple times that she will treasure these pieces forever, and it warms my heart to know that i had a part in preserving her mother's jewelry in a unique, creative way. here are all the hair treasures i made as a part of this collection:

family is the most important thing in my life. i hope the same is true for you. tell your family you love them today, and go visit them sometime soon if they live far away. they miss you!

breading's boutique.

2010-07-22T21:25:00.005-05:00

i am lucky to work in a place where i consider not only my co-workers my friends but also many of the customers. "regulars" have a way of brightening my day by saying hi and knowing bits and pieces about my life, always asking how things are going. i definitely look forward to seeing them on a daily basis.

jim is one of those "regulars" who comes in every day and is super friendly! he works across the street at cripe photography (where i got this senior picture taken over 8 years ago) :

(class ring. beaded necklace. corduroys. kate hudson hair. long live 2002.)

a while ago jim asked me to make some special pieces for his daughters, and they ended up being some of my favorite little girl headbands! the other day he told me about his sister's store, breading's boutique.

she has a brick-and-mortar shop in warsaw, IN, and a few things listed online, as well. from what i can tell, there are some really cute dresses and tops! the store also carries merle norman cosmetics and other gifts. jim gave his sister some information about hair treasures, and now there is a link to the hair treasures etsy store on the breadings boutique page. sweet!

maybe someday i'll have some treasures for sale in her store or through her online shop. i love being a part of small businesses and definitely appreciate small business owners. (speaking of -- hair treasures have been selling really well at ceramic dreams in broad ripple, IN! i need to get over there to restock soon!)

* * *

tonight i finished a special project for my aunt donna that i will post about while i'm in florida. i'm leaving saturday for five glorious days with my family.

sun. pool. beach. rest. sigh.

some home decor projects.

2010-07-14T21:52:00.001-05:00

i've been going back and forth from hair treasures special orders and home decor projects for my own personal enjoyment. i'm getting more and more excited about moving to bloomington for grad school, and i am doing as much as i can now to make my new place as homey as possible.

to add some color, i decided to cover some canvases and old (ugly-ish) picture frames with different fabrics. it's a really easy, cheap way to brighten up an entire wall in your living room or bedroom:

(i'm planning on a few more in green and pink [ugh] to tie in more of the colors in my rug.)

the red peonies -- be still my beating heart. the leaves have the appearance of brown tweed. sigh.

once i have all of the frames and canvases completed, i'll arrange them on my living room wall in some sort of collage. (no photos in the frames, by the way.)

pillow time! after searching for pillows at various stores, i decided that i'd just make my own and save a few pennies. i love these calicos:

corner close-up:

here's the back. it's sort of hard to see with this print, but there is an opening to make the case removable.

(here's a little tip for all you future pillow case makers: it's way easier to make a removable case than sewing it "onto" the pillow, permanently sealing it in. give it a try!)

here's a little shabby chic pink & green pillow with rounded edges. (i'm not a fan of pink, but i think this print is cute.)

corner close-up:

this case is removable, too. it was really misshapen in the beginning (unsolved mystery), but sewing the line to create a half-inch trim made it look much better.

after realizing that i am a failure at choosing and arranging decent silk flowers, i decided to make some of my own fabric flowers. here's a little arrangement:

just sew a couple of yo-yos made from your favorite fabric, top it with a yellow button, give it a felt backing and a pipe cleaner stem. and voila! an adorable fabric flower boquet!

that's all i have for now. it's fun for me to go back and forth between different projects. variety is the spice of life, right? i think i'd like to start an etsy home decor shop for little goodies like these. maybe not in the near future, but it would be fun someday.

i have about a week to finish a very special hair treasures project for my aunt donna, which i will share in the next few days. i even get to hand-deliver them to her in florida! vacation!

i wish you a happy house and a happy heart.

ps. i recently udpated my etsy shop and re-listed some fun treasures. take a look!

piper's wedding collection.

2010-07-08T21:11:00.002-05:00

ah! i'm so excited about this post. i have finally finished piper's wedding collection, and i am handing it off to her tomorrow.

this collection has been fun for me from start to finish. i started out with her bridesmaids at a party where they designed their own pieces. then piper sent me a picture of what she wanted, so i had a very specific assignment. now all she needs is a wedding!

the entire bridal party collection (9 bridesmaids and 3 flower girls) :

6 bridesmaids wanted alligator clips. all of their dresses are different colors, and each girl "designed" her own piece.

a back view of the alligator clips:

two girls chose bobby pins. simple and sweet!

one bridesmaid chose a headband that was already made. yellow was a popular color amongst the girls:

the three flower girls' headbands (tulle rosettes with feather "leaves") :

piper's bridal piece:

(a deconstructed -- and reconstructed -- purple silk flower with a border of polka dot feathers, topped with a piece of vintage embroidered lace, pearls, and a chute of purple feathers. the reverse birdcage veil is special-order russian netting.)

the back:

(backed with felt and an extra large alligator clip for added security during the big day)

and just to compare, this is the original photo piper gave me. i was on a mission from the start!

here is my lovely sister sporting piper's bridal piece. i think it's pretty close to the original!

a view of the reverse birdcage veil from the back. it will look great in piper's dark hair!

a couple more close-ups of piper's bridal piece:

piper's wedding is in august, and i am really happy for her! she can finally give these gifts to her bridal party and get to the rest of the finishing touches before the big day. i hope to receive some professional photos after the wedding, and i'll definitely post them here!

thanks for taking a look at this most recent collection, and -- as always -- let me know if you or anyone you know is in the market for some handmade wedding treasures. these are my favorites to do!

miscellaneous, etc.

2010-07-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

this is my friend andy. my friend (his wife) beth ordered some treasures during the super duper ultra mega sale, and i think andy got a little jealous, so he turned to thievery. (let it be known that i am not opposed to starting a line for men.)

this is a little guy i made for my friend mindy. one of her friends recently had a baby, and mindy sent her the cutest baby-sized kimono and this baby treasure. precious.

i made this frame for my friend morgan and her new husband andrew. they just got married at the end of may, and i couldn't be happier for them. unfortunately, i wasn't able to make it to their wedding, so they received this gift via mail.

i ordered some fabrics from a few different suppliers on etsy, and this owl print is one of them. i found this square frame at my new favorite antique / consignment shop, Favorite Finds.

my lamp shade tutorial.

2010-06-27T21:22:00.000-05:00

for a while now, i have been on an endless, fruitless search for a floor lamp for my new place. just when i had almost given up hope and resolved to go to target for a brand new one -- i stumbled upon Carmel, Indiana's best kept secret: Favorite Finds.

this adorable treasure trove is just a couple miles from my house. who knew? it's a consignment / antique shop full of rooms galore, stuffed full of fantastic old stuff from floor to ceiling. the owner is a funny older lady who has owned the shop for 17 years and can rattle off facts about everything in the place. i loved it!

i found this old floor lamp for a measley $15. small price to pay for what i could tell was a good quality lamp. here it is in its original state:

clearly the shade needed some love, and i had a little to give. here's a little tutorial in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation:

first: choose your favorite fabric. (i bought one yard of clearance upholstery fabric for $3.50.) cut a piece to wrap around the shade, including a couple extra inches of in length that will fold over the top and bottom of the shade.

(because most lamp shades are smaller at the top than they are at the bottom, your fabric won't lie straight as you wrap it around. because of that, i wouldn't suggest anything with stripes or a pattern that needs to be arranged in a certain direction.)

after you cut your strip, wrap your piece of fabric around the shade. using hot glue, glue one edge of the fabric to the shade as an anchor, and after wrapping the rest of the fabric around (pulled tight), glue the other edge to the lamp.

(make your outside edge clean by folding it under and gluing it before you secure it to the shade.) you will have extra fabric around the top and bottom of the shade in varying amounts after you finish this step.

next: cut the extra fabric from around the top and bottom of the shade so that you leave about 2 to 3 inches of fold-over fabric. using hot glue, glue the excess fabric to the inside of the shade.

this is what will really keep the shade in place, so put the glue around the brim and make sure the fabric is pulled tight. (also: if your shade is like mine, you will need to cut some slits where the "support beams" are.)

now for the inside: i used plain white poster board, and it worked out pretty well, but it was kind of a pain. again, because of the shape of most shades, a straight strip of poster board won't work. notice how i had to arrange mine so that i could roll the shade from one end to the other and trace the shape.

unfortunately, i forgot to photograph the piece i cut, but it will look like a "U" shape with a very wide curve. (you will probably have to trim the piece you cut so that the poster board doesn't peak out from the inside. i found this process to be more difficult than i had originally anticipated, but it worked.)

the end result should look something like this. i had to cut a couple extra pieces because my two poster boards ended up being a little too short. but after piecing them together, the inside is covered, and all of the rough edges of the fabric are covered.

that's all for the shade! i hope my tutorial made sense and that you will be confident if you ever stumble upon your own town's best kept secret.

here's the finished product (all for less than $20) :

this project was a fun process and one that i plan to duplicate in the near future with another lamp. my original plan was to spray paint the lamp post, but after some consideration, i decided to keep it in its original form -- the oldtimey bronze-ish color. it goes well with the shade. i like it, and i can't wait to put it in my new abode!

jara's wedding photos.

2010-06-23T17:27:00.002-05:00

a couple weeks ago i posted about jara's wedding collection. it was so fun to create pieces for her bridesmaids, flower girl, and (of course) the bride herself! through the magic of facebook, i already have my hands on some beautiful photos from jara's wedding that i am excited to share.

jara wore her bridal piece so well! it looked so elegant with her veil and went perfectly with her gorgeous dress.

can you spot the treasures? (some girls wore them down low, so they're a bit hidden in the photos.)

i love this!

(and this.)

diva hair treasures models.

the boys' suits are so perfect with the girls' golden-tan shoes and hair accessories.

my beautiful, dear friend ashley nacke rocking her treasure like a champ. go check out her photography!

the adorable allie (another TU pal!) and the beautiful bride.

yesss.

it looks like everyone had a really great time at jara's wedding. i am so thrilled that she and her bridesmaids were happy with their pieces, and i love the way they looked on all the girls! i am looking forward to doing more wedding treasures, now that i am finishing up my third batch.

if you know anyone who might be interested in a hair treasures bridal party wedding collection, let me know. i welcome any and all requests!

some things that i like right now.

2010-06-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

i'm about to go to bed, but i just wanted to share a few of my current favorite things:

i got bored last night and made this little guy.

(vintage linen with a yarn-embroidered heart, filled in with hand-sewn buttons -- framed in a wooden treat from goodwill)

can't wait to hang him in my new abode!

also! i got some new nail polish today. i just started painting my nails (finger and toe!) last summer. how did i live 25 years without expressing my femininity through nail polish? beats me. but here's what i'm currently sporting:

the green doesn't have a name, so i will call it "green tic-tac." the toes are "purple passion." rarr.

(i am aware that i have strange monkey toes. sorry about that. and if you click on this for a close-up, you will see how terrible i am at staying in the lines. yikes.)

and! last but not least, my VEGAS GOLD backpack from american apparel arrived today. it looks less like gold and more like tan canvas, which i am pleasantly pleased with. one of my new fabrics came today, too. three things in the mail were for me! (but one was my target credit card bill, so that was a bummer.)

(i'm mega superior gold.)

(and i am able to do as i'm told, babe.)

i have half-completed my week's mission already. hooray!

ok night night. there's a thunderstorm outside.

brides and backpacks.

2010-06-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

this is my mission for the week:

i am finished with all of piper's nine bridesmaids' and three flower girls' wedding treasures, and now i am getting ready to make hers! she has requested a piece to be modeled after this beautiful purple, black, and white one -- and i can't wait to get started. i have never done anything like it, so it will be a challenge, but i am excited for the end result!

(i'll post pictures of everything as soon as i am finished with the whole collection.)

on a side note, i ordered this backpack from american apparel:

the color is "vegas gold." it could either be a disaster or the best thing ever. all i know right now is that i've spent way too many hours shopping online for a backpack, and i'm just glad it's over.

crystal's baby shower and handmade gifts.

2010-06-17T20:57:00.002-05:00

last weekend i traveled to my southern home-away-from-home for a little nashville weekend visit. i lived in nashville, tennessee for three years, and during my time there i made a wonderful friend named crystal.

crystal and i taught together at sycamore middle school, where she is the choir director / music teacher, and i was an english teacher. she is one of my closest friends, so you can imagine my excitement when i found out she was pregnant!

she is due in just a couple weeks when she will welcome her adorable baby girl, lilly, into the family. i can say she is adorable already because of this crazy ultrasound photo:

(it just never ceases to amaze me that it's possible to see such a clear picture of an unborn baby. i am borderline obsessed with pregnancy anyway, so this just put me over the edge!)

i visited with some friends in the city and then headed to crystal's baby shower on saturday. it was so fun to see her (and her big belly!) and spend some time talking with her about this new chapter in her life. lilly's nursery is adorable, and she really hit the jackpot at her shower.

i made some burp rags for baby lilly. they were really easy and fun to make, and, according to my mom, burp rags get lost all the time at daycares / nurseries, so hopefully the L will help them to stay put! :

(Gerber cloth diapers with a different L pattern on each one)

(close up)

(even closer up)

(the whole shebang)

and, of course, i had to shower baby lilly with hair treasures! crystal has so many cute clothes for her already, so we are hoping she comes out with at least a little hair so she can wear her little hair accessories, too! either way, four of the five treasures i gave are headbands, so she'll be good to go!

here is my favorite one. it just makes me think of crystal and her girly diva ways when i look at it! :

i had a blast in nashville, especially at crystal's baby shower, and now i am just waiting for baby lilly to arrive and puke in the rags i made and become my newest baby treasures model! eee!

a few more pictures from the shower:

(crystal's first sight of lilly's baby treasures)

(i helped to assemble the stroller and a floor playpen thing. they don't call me "handy" bender for nothing. ps. no one calls me that.)

(crystal taking a look at lilly's designer burp rags)

babies. i love 'em.

fabrics (my weakness).

2010-06-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

just bought these cute fabrics! i'm getting excited about decorating my new apartment. i'm planning to use these fabrics to cover canvases and make a little collage on my living room wall.

mustard yellow, trees, and birds. be still my beating heart:

(from fresh squeezed fabrics)

owlies! eee! :

(from mimis)

dandelions, of course:

(from coco bleu)

i'm still searching for the perfect curtain fabric for the living room and bedroom. i'm not sure of the window measurements, so i have to put that project off for a little bit.

also, my bedroom has big white closet doors that i am planning to remove (just for the duration of my stay) and put up long drapes instead. i did the same thing in my college apartment and first nashville apartment, and i loved it! it really makes life easier.

if you have any suggestions for online fabric stores or etsy shops, please let me know!

jara's wedding collection.

2010-06-13T21:56:00.000-05:00

hi, world! i have so many fun things to share -- recent projects, trips, and overall goodtimes. but for today, i want to post some pictures of a wedding collection that i created for jara.

my dear friend ashley nacke sent jara my way, and i was so excited about creating pieces for each of her six bridesmaids and flower girl, as well as a bridal piece for her! i had inspiration: the bridesmaids' shoes and jewelry, and the elegance of jara's dress. here's what i came up with:

the whole set:

three headbands and three clips for the bridesmaids. (i made the tiny flower girl clip later.)

the largest of the twisty-style design, beaded with large pearls:

(each piece is slightly different in size, beading, and design.)

the largest of the flower-style design, beaded in a triangle design:

the bridesmaids' pieces are made from a textured vinyl-style fabric, similar to the texture of the shoes.

a smaller twisty-style headband, beaded with two large & two small pearls:

a mid-sized flower-style clip, beaded with small pearls in a pea-pod design:

(backed with felt and attached to a metal alligator clip)

the smallest of the twisty-style design, beaded with three small pearls:

(this one might be my favorite!)

the smallest of the flower-style design, beaded with a single small pearl:

(the flower girl's clip was the same style, just smaller.)

jara's bridal piece:

(an ivory satin rosette topped with an earring that jara provided)

a side view:

we had originally talked about attaching feathers to the rosette to make it a little more fabulous, but jara decided on this piece by itself. it definitely worked with the elegance of her dress!

jara just got married yesterday (congrats!), so i can't wait to see pictures. i'll post some as soon as i can. i have one more wedding collection to finish this summer, and i hope to do more in the future! if you know anyone who could use some wedding treasures, send them my way!

more side projects: handmade gifts.

2010-06-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

it's a busy time of birthdays, weddings, graduations, and baby showers! i created some handmade goodies for a couple of recent events.

my friend tori just graduated from high school. she works with me at the coffee shop, and i just love her to death. as a graduation gift, i decided to give her a double-disc mix that i had promised her long ago.

each cd is in a calico fabric pouch with sewn edges and a sewn-on track list, courtesy of my typewriter. the pouches have flaps that close to keep the cds safe and nestled in. i hope these songs bring her joy at indiana wesleyan next year!

on friday i traveled north to goshen, indiana (my birth place!) near my original hometown, nappanee. my oldest, dearest friend, heather had a really unique wedding that was completely free! it's such a cute story. i wanted to create part of brent and heather's wedding gift, so i decided on a handmade greeting card:

(the Z is for zebell -- heather and brent's last name! the card is made from a paper bag, black & white cotton fabric and a lime green zig-zag stitch. i used my typewriter for the inside message and the "happy wedding" on the front.)

bffs since kindergarten. what a beautiful bride!

i have some more hair treasures wedding projects to work on this week, as well as some little goodies for a baby shower. busy, busy bee! handmade gifts are my favorite. give one to someone you love. ok?

my most recent project: vintage flour / grain sack pillows.

2010-06-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

i have mentioned my friend debbie here before. i worked with her at the coffee shop, and she is one of the sweetest, most genuine people i know. when she came to me with a project a while ago, i was more than happy to create something special for her!

debbie bought some vintage flour and grain sacks after seeing this pillow on the pink pig antiques blog:

she supplied me with three vintage sacks, pillow forms, and striped "ticking" fabric in blue and red. the rest was up to me! it took me a while to complete this project, but when i finally buckled down, this is what i came up with:

here's a little bit of the journey from start to finish:

i cut open the grain sack, ironed it, and cut it to fit the size of the front of the pillow.

for this pillow case, i trimmed it with red stripes and sewed the pieces to the front.

for this one, i mixed it up a little and used both red and blue stripes for the trim. i also added a small straight "ruffle" around the outside edge, made from excess pieces of the pillsbury grain sack.

and here are the finished products (click on any of the pictures to see a larger version!) :

red trim and a blue piping style edge:

(this pillow case has a red stripe back.)

my favorite vintage sack! blue stripe trim and a 2" red stripe ruffle:

(this pillow case has a blue stripe back.)

the mix-and-match red & blue stripe trim with a straight "ruffle" made of the pillsbury vintage sack:

(this pillow case has a blue stripe back.)

three peas in a pod:

one more close-up:

all of these pillow cases have velcro closures on the back, so they are completely removable and washable. i like to keep things practical, so going with the removable cases seemed like the best option!

these creations reminded me how much i love to sew. i spend a lot of time hand sewing, gluing, and designing, but i especially love to design and assemble using my sewing machine. i am looking forward to more projects like this in the future!

HAIR TREASURES SUPER SALE!!

2010-05-26T19:03:00.007-05:00

hair treasures is having a ultra super mega sale! i'm really excited about this. who doesn't love a sale? it's my little gift to the treasure lovers of the world!

you can visit the hair treasures etsy shop for more info or check out the sale announcement here:

hair treasures is having a super sale!

25% off any 1 item!
50% off all additional items!

just follow these simple steps BEFORE YOU BUY to receive your discount:

1. convo me and let me know which item(s) you have your heart set on.

2. take a look at the convo you receive from me with info about your discounted items.

3. head back to the hair treasures store and snag your sale stuff!

*most expensive item will receive the 25% off discount.*

**sale ends 6/6/10**

take a gander at the shop and convo me (through etsy, please!) if you want to cash in on the sale. here's to discounted handmade hair accessories. clink!

is it time to move yet?

2010-05-25T12:42:00.000-05:00

i have taken a bit of a hiatus from creating new hair treasures. i think part of the reason is i that i don't have any craft shows lined up for the summer. it's kind of a bummer (a summer bummer, if you will), but it's given me time to focus on getting things ready for my move, and i have also begun operation: summer '10 hot bod. i'll leave that one to your imagination.

all this extra time on my hands has led me to one of my favorite (and most dangerous) pastimes: online shopping. i've been saving my money like a good little girl all year long, and now that i'm getting ready to move into a new place, i'm thinking of ways to spruce it up already.

speaking of new place, here are some photos of my future abode:

it's little and cute and just perfect for gretta and me. all those hardwoods require some rugs, so i decided to see if anything new was on sale at urban outfitters, and lo and behold, i found this little guy:

a 3x5 rug for $10? yes, please.

it's sold out now, so this close-up is the only picture i could find.

my apartment is close enough to campus that i will be able to bike to class! i hope to save a lot on gas and continue operation: hot bod by engaging in these forms of transportation. to make my journey a little more fun and fashionable, i have this coming my way:

it's called "drippy" from nutcasehelmets.com.

i'm just excited to have a helmet that somewhat matches my bike and doesn't have pokey things or make me look like i'm trying to be lance armstrong.

despite my brief departure from new creations to sell on my etsy store or at craft shows, i am starting a new project this week for jara. i met with her a while ago about her bridesmaids pieces, but now that i have exact colors and inspiration from her bridesmaids' shoes and jewelry, i am ready to make make make! i am also creating her bridal piece, which i can't wait to do!

that's all for now. enjoy summertime, ok?

featured!

2010-05-19T06:21:00.004-05:00

i just woke up to this little surprise!

it has something to do with the treasury because i can't find it on there now. (i guess i could, but i'd have to navigate through 883 "pages" of treasuries on the front page.) it boosted the traffic to my etsy store, so that's fun! anyway, i'm glad my facebook profile informs me of what's going on in my store.

ps. it's my birthday. party on!

hair treasury.

2010-05-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

hair treasures is included in a new etsy treasury! it's a stitch from brooklyn NY created this treasury and titled it "sappy singer songwriter," which i, of course, love. what girl doesn't? she makes some sweet jewelry that you should check out in her etsy store.

click on the picture below to see more of the treasury in detail!

click here to get a closer look at my oversized navy / white heart layers band.

thanks, it's a stitch!

babies in a wagon!

2010-05-13T21:11:00.001-05:00

oh, hi! i just wanted to share a couple of adorable pictures of my cousins' kids (second cousins? i've never been good at diagramming the family tree).

a while ago i worked on some special orders and posted pictures of them here, but i couldn't reveal the recipients at the time because they were a surprise! my cousins kelsey and lindsey requested them for their girls to wear in professional pictures as a mother's day present for their mom, my aunt deb.

westin, sadie, and brenna:

brenna's clips are barely poking out from her pigtails. so cute! (poor westin didn't get any treasures. he'll thank us all later.)

the baby cousins:

(lindsey asked for clips for sadie so that she could attach them to her favorite comfy headband.)

the pieces, up close and personal:

i'm glad i could contribute to this precious mother's day gift. i know my aunt deb is a proud grandma, and my cousins kelsey and lindsey are the best moms around!

ps. check out kelsey's all-things-motherhood blog. my mom is frequently raves about her skills!

a weekend in the windy city.

2010-05-10T19:47:00.009-05:00

i spent last weekend in chicago with three of my best friends: brittany, stacey, and abby. i commonly refer to them as "my college bffs," considering that we were brought together by our beloved alma mater, taylor university. i feel blessed to live near enough to my friends to see them on occasion, but we decided that a special trip was something we definitely needed!

the view from our high rise michigan avenue hotel room:

one of our many "bean" photos at millennium park:

when we decided on chicago, i knew right away that i wanted to make a visit to the renegade handmade store in wicker park. i know a little about the renegade craft shows that go on around the country and decided that i wanted to get my hands on some handmade treasures in the windy city.

a sufjan stevens record (michigan) was spinning during our renegade shopping time, which added immensely to my happiness. i think i picked up every item i could touch, and i noticed a few other shoppers doing the same. browsing the store made me that much more excited for homespun to open in indy. i am hoping it will be comparable to my experience at renegade!

some adorable fashions that i wish i could afford:

dinner napkins made from repurposed sheets:

my heart's desire:

journals made with oldtimey book covers:

stuffed animal taxidermy:

the store was sweet! and while i wanted to come home with one of everything, i decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and make a purchase that best expressed the depths of my soul. midwest IS best, and i have it in writing right here, folks:

we traveled all over the city on the L, walked for miles, shopped, and ate. we survived about 30 seconds of hail, 2 minutes of rain, and three days of windy coldness. overall, it was a fun, much needed weekend with three of my favorite people, and i loved every second of it. here are a few more pictures from our trip:

a yummy concoction from berry chill yogurt couture (plus a color-changing spoon!) :

black bean burger from chicago diner in the boystown neighborhood. mmmm. :

brittany at sweet mandy b.'s in lincoln park, where i purchased a snickerdoodle cupcake (!!!) :

the college bffs in the midst of a celtic festival, proms, and weddings, millennium park:

i (obviously) give chicago two thumbs up:

our triumphant return to indiana. we were asked if it was "national yellow day," so we decided to take a picture in front of brittany's yellow house, sporting our yellow shirts.