Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween y'all. I made it! 31 posts! I only technically missed one day.

Here's a sneak peek of Tom and mine's Halloween costumes. We were Princess Leia and Han Solo circa Return of the Jedi/Battle of Endor. It made sense we did these costumes: we wanted something a little less "done" (ie: not the white robe/sexy bikini thing) and I also wanted to make Max an ewok costume. What better place that costumes for the place Leia and Wicket meet? Cute cute cute!

I ended up DIYing a lot of these costumes: I tailored both our pants and Tom's vest; we added yellow stripes to the sides of our pants (I even had Tom hand stitching the ribbon on! Yes, he's a keeper). I made the poncho and then Tom camo tie-dyed it and I made Max's ewok costume. I'll be back, of course, with tutorials for all of these things.

Here's our inspiration:




(check out Max's costume!! Eeek!)

Pretty good, right? I orginally purchased a camo poncho from an Army Surplus store, but decided it wasn't similar enough. I'm a stickler for authenticity. I even purchased cheap-o hair extensions so my heidi braids had some extra length.

What did you dress up as for Halloween?

More Pumpkin Love

I promise, this is the last of it.


The other night, Tom and I went to a haunted house, carved pumpkins, watched the World Series and ate chocolate. The haunted house was terrifying (in some parts). I jump at just about anything, so my voice was hoarse not even half way through the maze. Then, of course, I got terrorized in line by some creepy zombie guy. I hate those guys that stand in line and just get in your face and breathe on you. And the more you hate it, the more they stick around. It's a never ending cycle.



We decided to carve some templates into our pumpkins this year; it seems to be all the rage. I went for a skull, although I'm wishing it would have been a little bit more Dia de los Muertos inspired. Tom did a classic jack-o-lantern, but on the back he also put a special carving.


LA Dodgers! This was all done freehand, which I think is pretty impressive.

I'm off to put the finishing touches on mine and Max's costume, then will be hitting up some parties. What are you up to this Halloween weekend?

PS: sneak peek of the ewok costume in progress.

The Best Part of Pumpkin Carving

The best part of pumpkin carving...




Is the moment when you lift "the hat".

Quick Biz Tip: Learn When to Listen to (unsolicited) Advice

If you're a small business owner/crafter/artist/writer/actor/human being, you've probably heard this phrase before: "you know what you should do...." followed by some half-baked idea about what the other person's vision is for your business. A lot of the people who utter this phrase have the best of intentions; they're so excited by your product, they can't help but thinking about the endless possibilities for similar offshoots.

However, 7 times out of 10, the idea is 1) one you've already thought of/tried without success, 2) not relatively close to something you make at all or 3) to put it kindly, not that great.

But those three times, those golden nuggets, are worth hanging on for.

One of the best advancements my business has had (switching to a power saw instead of carving each book with an x-acto) came as a tip from my boyfriend.

The people closest to us can sometimes have the insight we can't. While I'm stuck to the archaic razor and paper method, Tom saw a potential for increased productivity if I used something that did the same job - but faster and more efficiently.

Or maybe, it's the people who we've never met before, the people with the least at stake, that have the insight.

Sometimes it's worth listening to all those well-meaners to get that one little nugget of genius.

Have you ever gotten a great idea from a friend or family member?

Costumes of Halloweens Past

As you have probably figured out, I loooove Halloween. I'm one of those people. I went trick or treating my senior year of high school as Jay (as in: Jay and Silent Bob). Most of my costumes have had some DIY elements - I'm not one of those "straight of the bag" girls. But you already knew that.

Here are a couple of my favorite costumes from over the years. I've probably posted a few of these before, but I thought I'd repost them for any new readers.



A couple years ago, I went as the Morton Salt Girl. This was an insanely easy costume, most of it I already owned or could purchase and wear again: a short yellow dress, knee high socks, yellow shoes and a blonde wig (borrowed from a co-worker). I made a container of salt out of an old oatmeal can, covering it in blue construction paper and white letters. It also doubled as my purse!


Two years ago, I made Tom and myself full-scale Sparks cans costumes. It was one of the more sewing-intensive projects I've ever attempted, but I've still got those shiny cans... in storage. Never let go.

Last year, I went as the character Old Gregg from the British cult tv show The Mighty Boosh. If you've never seen the Mighty Boosh, this probably won't make a lot of sense to you. You can check out the video below for a sense of Old Gregg...





My costume involved green face paint, a mustache, seaweed hair, sparkly tights, a handmade webbed-hand-glove, a tutu and a blazer. It also involved drinking Baileys (shudder) all night. Tom went as my Howard Moon.




I'm putting this picture up, only because I love you.


Here I am in "full face", putting the last minute touches on my costume.



But my favorite costume ever is when I went as ... a toothbrush!! Yes, I was not your normal kid. My mom and I made this awesome costume using old paper towel rolls and purple-painted paper. Ps - isn't my sister cute as a unicorn? Haha!

What are some of your favorite costumes? Best DIY?

Etsy Finds: A Heirloom's State-Shaped Cutting Boards

Do you ever run into an item, and feel as if the person created that item just for you?

That's how I feel about these state-shaped cutting boards. I'd seen a Texas shaped one before, at our local grocery store, and while I was totally stoked about it, it wasn't at all a surprise. Texans love the shape of their state, and will try to make just about anything into the shape. It's everywhere.

My delight was tenfold when I discovered that A Heirloom's etsy shop now boasts all fifty states. Meep!





Obviously, I'm a fan of the Virginia - it's my home state. They even put in the Chesapeake side!


{all images from A Heirloom's etsy shop. click on picture for listing}








(they even have a Brooklyn!)



These boards are made out of plyboo, a plywood made from 100% renewable bamboo. These are billed as cutting boards, but as the picture notes, they would make fabulous serving trays for a party. Eco-friendly, well designed and patriotic, to boot! What more could you ask for?

Snaps from the Weekend

Snapped a few pictures while at Glam, Glitter & Gore and thought I'd share them. Starving Art is a really cool space with so much going on - and I do want to go back and actually watch a movie at their drive-in sometime.


Here's the painted wall/screen for the Starlite Drive-In at Starving Art Studios.

As you can see we had stormy skies for most of the day. My poor little tent spent all winter outside in the rain/snow (what we have of it, here in TX) and when I set it up in the morning, I realized one of the legs was actually broken - it wouldn't snap into place all the way. Needless to say, it made me very nervous for the mini-rain storms we had, but all fared well. Sadly, that was the last run for that crappy $80 tent.


The concession stand for Starlite Drive-In is an old boat!



I got a barbacoa-style brisket slider and sweet potato fries from the Along Came a Slider truck, which is in the Starving Art parking lot right across from The Wondercraft. It was sooo delicious, I will definitely have to go back and try some other sliders.



I love this picture of my cat, Vinnie. It was taken through the screen of our front window the other night when we had a couple friends over.

Hope your weekend was good! This week, I'll be gearing up for the holiday season (meaning: lots of new listings, making tons of product, re-vamping some packaging), carving pumpkins and prepping for Halloween (I still have to make my costume - I always wait til the last minute) and trying to go for a couple bike rides, now that my knee is doing better. What are your plans/goals for the week?

Google Reader Round Up: October 24, 2010

Image via Public School

The difference between twitter and facebook. Hah!

Five timeless writing tips - for you writers out there. I found these really helpful; sometimes a little push is all you need.

Pumpkin carving tips from the very crafty Brett Bara (who also happens to be my old coworker! She made this big boy that you may have seen on the Craft Twitter feed recently).

Arnold Palmer Sorbet - yes please. via Craft.

Beautiful stationary packs from Knot and Bow.

Delicious kidney bean dip - something a little different than the usual chickpea or black bean dip.

This diy gilded acorn charms are a cute way to add some fall flair to your decor.

Embroidered banners from the Women's Suffragate Movement - wow!

Kate from Design Sponge gave a round up of neutral, chic sofas. Of course the one I like is the most expensive. *sigh* Not until my cats stop using the sofa corners as a scratching post. (via Design Sponge)

Some great tips for selling online. I can never get enough of these.

This R2D2 pumpkin is preeeeeeetty sweet!

This "redneck mansion" is awesome. It's actually a theater set for Chekov's Ivanov.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I participated in an all-day craft fair yesterday, and today I'll be taking it easy - cleaning the house, doing a face mask and taking pictures of book safes for the shop

Bottle Poppin' on the Go

Image from Shapeways

Really loving these low key, seat-mounted bottle openers (called the Road Popper) from Shapeways.

They offer a disclaimer that these bottles openers are not for alcoholic use (they don't condone drinking and biking), so I'm just gonna pretend you're gonna use this awesome accessory to open a delicious Mexican Coke, and not a Shiner Blonde.

Found via Like Cool.

Vintage Map Wall

Image from Three Potato Four blog

I didn't blog yesterday (and I had been doing so well with my blog-a-day challenge!), so I've got a two-fer for you today. This picture, from the October issue of Martha Stewart Living, is from the home of Austin-based designer Kimberly Renner. She cited the awesome vintage supplier Three Potato Four as her main source for vintage maps.

Want. This. Room.

PS - If you haven't checked out Three Potato Four before, I urge you to go do it - yesterday! Perusing their site is comparable to perusing your favorite antique store - but even better curated. Their photos can serve as inspiration for your own photo shoots, as well.

Glam, Glitter & Gore - Art, Fashion & More

Join me tomorrow for Glam, Glitter and Gore at Starving Art Studios & Galleries (located at 2326 E. Cesar Chavez). There will be food trailers, an indoor and outdoor artist market (I'll be outdoors, along with other Austin-area artists), family-friendly costume and craft projects.



The event starts at noon, and around 6 pm, things will become more adult-oriented - with drinks, live music, photobooths and a costume contest. You can also expect a fashion show from the one and only Savannah Red (using Dios de Los Muertes fabric, a collaboration with Jennifer Cunningham)

Hope to see you there!

Straight Outta Oxford

Nothing says "school girl chic" more than this fantastic bag from Cambridge Satchel Company. Based out of the UK (go figure), their satchels come in a variety of sizes and colors. I'm torn between a classic brown and bright red.




Modcloth had a run of these bags stateside, but it looks like they're all sold out. I also noticed this variation on Urban Outfitters recently.


The BDG Primary Satchel. The leather looks slightly vintage (read: worn) already, which is a nice touch, but I'm worried it's a little small.

I may not technically be in school anymore (does a Spanish class count?), but that doesn't mean I can't reap the benefits of nerdy school girl attire, right?

Say a Little Prayer

I've recently become re-enamored with prayer candles. They're cheap (usually $1-$2 a pop), colorful, and readily abundant in the neighborhoods in bodegas and supermarkets.






While I may not be a religious person, I do love religious iconography, and I tried this time to pick candles based on their meanings. I was drawn especially drawn to the (alleged) double action candle. You burn the dark side (top) of the candle to let the bad things out, and the light side to let the good things in. Overly simplified, yes, but as a person who loves to burn sage after cleaning, I loved the ritual of it.



As you can tell, I'm also drawn to the candles with etching on the glass, rather than the ones wrapped in paper. I plan on re-pouring them with soy wax once the store-bought wax is done.

I caught part of the HGTV Halloween Block Party special last night, in which they make over a couple houses on a block using different Halloween themes. My favorite theme was Dia de los Muertos - the designer even implemented what looked like hundreds of long-burning prayer candles. It would be so pretty to decorate your front walkway with them, no?

Ride the Written Word

I love this concept for a bicycle.





From Write a Bike over on Behance Network.

Can't wait to see if they really make a prototype of one.

Google Reader Round Up: October 17, 2010

A few links for you to peruse on this lovely Sunday afternoon...


Image via decor8

♥ Amazing what a different a frame can make.

♥ Cozy reading nooks.

♥ Cute diy halloween flag! A nice alternative to the usual witch flying over a full moon.

♥ How to eat your way to a high energy work day.

♥ The first ever Austin Beer Week is right around the corner: Oct 24 - 30. Expect everything from beer olympics to bike pub crawls to blow-out brewery parties. You can check out the site for more details.

♥ Looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit? Look no further than this 50-state roadside farm stand guide - and bring home some squash and pumpkins to decorate or eat. (via Lifehacker)

♥ Make your own magnetic polaroid frame.

♥ A peek at how JK Rowling organizes her writing. She may not known for her intellectually stimulating novels, but she sure can write one heck of a story.

♥ I'm really into these closet visits - it's like a sneak peek home tour, but for fashionistas.

Hope you all have a great end of your weekend! I'm off to celebrate a friend's birthday at music trivia, and later I'll be catching the season finale of Mad Men. Sigh!

Matt Winters @ Starving Art Studios

Starving Art Studios and EAT Park and Eatery is a new space that opened on the east side not too long ago - part artist studios, part food trailer court, part drive-in movie theater (I'm serious - they played Rock n Roll High School the other night), part craft boutique and part gallery space. That's a lot of parts! The show currently up in the gallery is from local artist Matt Winters.





I love how Matt's pieces are all about the little parts that make up a whole - little candies, cheeseburgers, faces. I'm also drawn to the bright greens and reds. A lot of the pieces are show-specific - drawn directly on the wall, even. Entire walls are covered with these intensely intricate drawings.






(the artist himself)


Matt, my friend Becka & her husband Jeremy. Love this photo.


This show will be up until the end of the month. If you're in Austin, I would highly recommend checking it out - Starving Art Studio & Gallery Space is located at 2326 E Cesar Chavez. If you're not in Austin, you can also peruse my flickr stream to check out some pics!

Pommes Frites on Kaboodle

I got the very exciting news yesterday that one of my book safes was featured on Kaboodle.com - in a collection of Etsy-curated items that were all about secret and clever storage!


Click here to visit the collection and take a look through the other items.


You can also check out my listing here.

I hadn't been too familiar with Kaboodle before, but it's basically a social media site for online shopping. People can promote or "add" items to the site, and it makes it easier for members to view your picks, make shopping lists, purchase items and discover something they may not have otherwise. Have you checked out Kaboodle yet?

Non-Vintage Vintage-Styled Card Catalog

This card catalog from Target (yes, Target) has been given an update as a way to store CDs and DVDs. Now, I didn't think the card catalog was necessarily due in for an update (they are pretty awesome all on their own), but this would be an awesome alternative to hiding unsightly jewel cases.

In my case, however, I keep all my CDs alphabetized in big cases, and ditched the plastic guys a long time ago. I think the smaller size of these card catalogs would be better suited to storing crafts. Or jewelry. Or odds and ends. Or just looking fabulous and taking up less room while doing so. What do you think?

Also, how do you feel about buying so classically vintage (is any house tour complete without one of these?) on a site like Target?

Pumpkin Love

Tom and I picked up our first pumpkins yesterday (a fairytale pumpkin & a large white pumpkin, plus a smattering of smaller ones for inside). We'll also grab some classic orange ones to carve - but haven't decided yet what theme we'll be going with. Classic jack-o-lantern? Gut spewing? Witch? Design-y? WWMD? (What would Martha do?)

(ok, this one is just cute)

all images via we heart it

How will you be decorating your pumpkins this year?