every little thing

Our Nations Capitol

This has been an eventful month for me, lots of fun little get-aways (not a lot of actual WORK getting done, but that's another post altogether.) I spent the better part of this week in Washington D.C. having a grand old time with my little brother and sister, and my Dad (thank you for letting us tag along on your business trip!) It felt a bit strange not having Mike and Max with me, and not quite as fun and exciting as I hoped it would feel. Dang, I'm actually attached to my nuclear family, ugh how annoying. I did make the best of it though, I love public transportation, and riding the metro and buses was so fun. I also LOVE taking cabs, but it is a luxury rarely afforded. I kept thinking how much Max would have liked the metro.....the underground trains would have freaked him out. I don't think he's ever seen them before.

Hey, wait a second.....is that, no...is that a Paper Source?!?! No way! Max, who? Time for shopping! Oh this store was SO cool, even better than online. All the different cards lined the walls in every color, and the quality was unreal. The prices were steep, but I treated myself to some scallopy pink cards with vellum envelopes, one of those new Italian glue sticks that are all the rage and bone folder. Oh, and a stamp too. Fun stuff. And then.....

Mmmm, Lush.  Also expensive, BUT they were having a buy two get one free sale so I splurged on bath bombs.  There's are the best around, in case you didn't know.

  Dean and Deluca is one of my favorite places to visit in DC. And I don't really know why, I rarely ever buy anything. I guess it's just a sensory-thing. I don't NEED a $8 pear, I just want to look at it. Right about now is where the camera battery died, so I have no pics of all the other amazing places: Anthropology, Annie Cream Cheese, and so on. We really did have fun. And we had dinner at Buca Di Beppo, and that is ALWAYS just delicious. The Porchette Rustica was to die for. I can't wait to try and reproduce it myself. (and see Krissy, it was hazelnuts....not walnuts. I told you so.)

 

I'm sort of starting to feel bad about all the eating and the shopping pictures. Is it really ridiculous that I didn't go to, like, the monuments and museums and stuff? Because, I have BEEN to those before, in the past, and they're fun and all. It's just that this was a very short trip. I had to prioritize my time if I was going to do all of that shopping....and...eating. And if you are really into monuments and historical places, then wow...DC is the place to go 'caus they are, like EVERWHERE. You will find them even when you aren't looking for them....like this one I stumbled on after I got an iced chai from Starbucks.

   

I can't remember what is was called.  Some ancient  stone house, really old.  Cute garden in the back.  Crappy gift shop, though.  : )

Migration

These four creatures of mine have found their way home from a far away, magical land called California.  They we  observed and photographed by the...........hey.  Wait a second.  One of them is missing........

Oh, there it  is.

Snatched up by the local sticky fingers.  Anyway, these 4 creatures were photographed for new book Sweater Surgery, by Stefanie Girard of Rockport/Quarry Publishers.  It is a craft book specializing in creating new things out of old sweaters.  I was contacted through my flickr pictures to send in some creatures for consideration.  I guess they made the cut!  It will be fun to see my cuties in a real book, and I get a free copy for contributing, so that's pretty sweet.  I haven't made any new creatures for the Studio in a long time.  I noticed that the thrift stores are getting there winter clothes in now....so it's only a matter of time before I start felting again.  I'd like to have lots of them for the D.C. show coming up.

I suppose I will continue the shameful bragging by telling you all that it's also official: my little strawberry sachets are going to be in the Holiday gift guide for Parent's Magazine this November!

It is exciting, but realistically, it's just a small blurb and I have no idea what will actually come from it.  I'd really love some advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.  I don't think that it will be a big deal, but it is a pretty popular magazine and I don't want to be unprepared if I get lots of orders.....right around the Holidays.....of the most time-consuming, custom-made-to-order  item that I sell.....(I just don't think I could take that kinda pressure, well not gracefully, anyway.)  So does anyone out there know what I can expect?  I know that lots of you crafty bloggers have been "published" before, and I'd love to hear about it!

Alright, enough showboating from me.  Check out Mike's new artwork:

I think the look on his face says exactly how he feels about that cast. 

Oh, boy.

PS:  To Linda, my NZ friend:  I did not get that email you mentioned!!!  Please try to send it again, I hate missing messages!  Here is my address (for you and anyone else who'd like to say hello:  abelstudio(at)gmail.com  (or you can click the "ring bel"  link  on the right.)  I don't have another way to contact you...so  I'm reaching out through blogland!   I hope all is well!

Amazing Old Movie Alert!

My sister and I watched this a few days ago and it was just so, so wonderful!  Highly recommended.  Sweet and funny and sad...everything a an old fashioned movie should be.  It was also amusing to see a young Angela Lansbury play a very different roll than she is usually cast in (think low-cut, sequined party dresses.)   She is one of those peculiar people that always looks exactly the same to me, no mater what decade it is, which could be a compliment or an insult depending on which way you look at it.  She's either aged really well or, has always looked kinda old.  My favorite movie of hers will always be Bedknobs and Broomsticks.  LOVE that movie.  I can't get Max to watch it yet, though.  He loses interest right around the second verse of Portabello Road. 

So, please watch this movie, The World of Henry Orient.  If you have Netflix, you can watch it for free, instantly on your computer!  (That's what we did!)

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Life Aquatic

We are back from the little "getaway".  Which really entailed me, Max and my sister sneaking off and crashing someone else's family vacation at a rather posh and extravagant beach house.  (That sounds like the plot of a Hailey Mills movie!) 

Oh, but the North Carolina coast never fails to delight me.  It's only a short  drive away, we are so lucky.  Well, one of us wasn't so lucky this year.  Since Mike still has the cast on his arm (and he was busy at work anyway) he did not come with us on our little trip.  I'm starting to feel really guilty about it now, since we've been having so much summer fun without him.  He still has three weeks before the cast can come off, and I want to plan a big party!  Does anyone have any silly  and clever ideas?  So far I'm thinking  "fractured  BBQ ribs" for the main course,  pigs-in-a-cast for appetizers, pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate (that one may be  a stretch), but you get the idea!  I'd love to hear other crazy things that you guys can come up with!  Would a giant cast-shaped pinata be too over the top?

I'm off to do some much needed packaging/shipping for the Emporium.  If I can get all caught up, tonight's rearward will be a trip  to the new Barnes and Noble at the mall, and new books for everyone!  Hooray!  I will leave you all now with a video of my sister doing a vary graceful and inspiring water ballet routine. (and my camera does not record sound, so these are silent films.)

 

   

Jiffy Mix

I love it when things are fast and easy, yet still satisfying.  Like Jiffy Cornbread mix.  And these curtains.  I made them a few weeks ago.  I did a rolled hem all the way around (workin' the serger, baby!) and then slipped a tension rod in a pocket.  All done in less than 15 minutes.  I'm a big fan of the tension rod for several reasons.  For one thing, our house is like 100 years old, and drilling into the walls to mount hardware of any kind is a risky move with old plaster.  You better do it right the first time, and even if you DO...it will probably chip, crack start the paint peeling and God knows what else.  It's murder for people who frequently change their mind about window treatments (like me.)  Tensions rods are so easy, movable and also cheap.   I realize they don't work in every situation, but for these light, half curtains I think they are perfect.   And I love polka dots. 

Oh!  And Look What I Got!!!

It's my first Blythe!  Courtesy of the awesome Jeannine, a local blogger I got to meet in person, which was just so fun!  Her Blythe skills are something to aspire too, as you can see in her flickr pictures.  She's also just a completely sweet person and was so nice to give me tons of resources for customizing and making clothing.  She saved me lots of on line searching, and that is a very good thing!  I'm naming this doll Seraphina.  The name does a have a hidden, and somewhat obscure meaning.  Nothing to do with the Patron Saint Seraphina, whose story is terribly depressing, even for a saint.  It was a busy weekend though, and I didn't get to work on her much yet.  Just a hair wash and a small trim.  Oh, and I started on her back to school outfit, but all I finished so far are the  stockings.

 

I found the boots in a big bag of old doll shoes I bought at the thrift store for 99 cents.  It took me a while to match up all the pairs, and toss the ones that didn't fit.  In the end, I wound up with about 12 pairs of shoes,  some random mini coat hangers, 2 handbags and 3 hair clips.  I think that's pretty fair for under a buck.

After severely neglecting the blog last week, I'm now off to the beach for a couple of days.  Sorry about that.  But I'll be taking the camera,  video camera  and these two character with me:

So who knows what sort of interesting stories I may come back with.

Happy Monday All! 

Thank you for playing!

49 comments, and two winners!

Thank you so much  Rachael and and Dana!!!  Lots of miniature goodness is on the way!  And, if you were not a luck winner, I do have the Miniature Kitsch Samplers over at the Emporium now.  It's really a pretty good deal, over 35 miniature (plus fun surprises too!)  I'm working on more themed packs such as:  floral only, audiophile mix, Halloween, Christmas, etc.  I have to wait for a few more shipments to arrive, and then my plan to take over the world with tiny-plastic things will finally come to fruition!  (....to be followed with maniacal laughter.)  Oooh, and a big old stack of bakery boxes arrived today, ready for me to customize in an extremely adorable way.  Stay tuned for that as well. 

With Crafty Bastards (show in DC) rapidly approaching, I'm switching the crafting gears back on at full tilt.  My "wish list" for items to have ready is long, unrealistic and awfully exciting!  I can't wait to crank up the old sewing machine.  I'm itching to make more of these Garden Variety Totes I had in the Studio at spring time.

Looking back at these, they really are more Autumn-like.  I can't wait to do some more.  And I have thrifted lots of new fabrics that will be perfect for them. 

Ok, so I'm off to fantasy-land where I finish my entire "to make" list weeks before the show, and am relaxed, prepared and calm. 

(The reality will, more likely, be me, up till three  in the morning every night the week before the show, red-eyed, watching Pride and Prejudice (A&E) for the 5th time, and desperately wondering how I'm EVER going to get everything finished.  But I somehow, I  magically pull it off in the end.)

There is still time.....

.....to sign up for the Miniature Giveaway!!!  Thanks so much to everyone who has already left a comment!  I will leave the comments open until midnight tonight (ooooh, how dramatic!)  Then I will draw the name(s), one for every 20 comments.  Winners receive a big old grab bag with one of each of almost all of the mini-cupcake decorations in my supply shop, A. Bel Emporium.  You can click here to check them out.   All you gotta do is leave a comment (you can just say "hi"!) in the post below this one.  Please remember to link or leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.  Best of luck all!  And I'll be back tomorrow am to announce the chosen ones, and probably chat about some random, crafty-like things.

Happy Monday!

Be you Blythe and Bonny

I want one.  Really, really bad.  I've been hit with the "new obsession" bug and there is no holding back now.  I remember seeing these Blythe dolls around on flickr and blogs and such last year.  I didn't know what they were exactly, but I was most certainly intrigued.   (*A special thanks to Jeannine for the use of her fabulous Blythe photograph above! )

Basically, they are just really cute dolls with giant heads and shifty eyes.  They are very collectible and super cute, and you can make them different outfits and accessories and change their hair and eye color, paint makeup on them, and lots more fun  stuff.  I think now, with my sister staying with us, I am getting back in touch with my girly side again.  Not that I ever lost it, but with all the boys in the house (I was outnumbered, especially now that we know Syd is a dude), I guess all the hot wheels and  video games where starting to get to me.  Lucky for me, my husband is a big-time collecting junkie, so he is not put off buy me spending money on semi-creepy, big-eyed dolls.  Mike is all about the Kid Robot stuff these days.  Anyother Blythe-people out there?  I'd love to see pictures of your gals too! 

So, in honor of collectors, collecting and miniature cute-stuff:

It's time for a Blog Giveaway!!!

Miniatures this time, and lots of 'em!  I'm putting together Miniature Kitsch Samplers from the Emporium that have one of each of most all of the mini cake toppers in the shop now.  Ideal for those of you who love tiny things of all kinds!  I will give away one Miniature Kitsch Sampler for every 20 comments I receive.  If you would like to enter, please leave a comment in this post and be sure to link your email address so I can contact the winners!  I will close the comments Next Monday evening and pick the winners randomly by number!  Friends, family, international.....all are welcome!  Thanks so much everyone for reading my silliness, and saying hello, and just being awesome.  I love you guys!

Good luck everyone!  Happy weekend! 

 

Dear Linda in New Zealand,

Wow!  What nice and lovely comments you left me, it really made my day!  Yes, I got your messages just fine!  And don't worry, it took me ages to figure out how to comment and leave contact information on blogs, so don't feel bad!  I'm still quite computer-challenged, but I learn more every day.  I'm very interested in felt roses you were talking about and I'd love to see some pictures!  Also, I'm actually very jealous that it is cold now in New Zealand, because it was 104 deg here today!!!  We are all melting!  So, send some cool breezes over to this side of the world if you can, please.  I'd really appreciate it!  So nice meeting you (and everyone else who takes a minute to leave a nice note to me,  I don't deserve such generosity.)

-Love,

Amanda

Emporium Update (at last)

All kinds of new miniatures over in the Emporium!  I'm still loading up more, too.  Tons of new stuff.  So fun.  I'm holding off on some of the Christmas ones though, because I just feel like it's too early.  Halloween is bad enough,  Plus, it's like 124 degrees here.  Even at 10:55pm.  Urg.