Thanksgiving, Turning 40 and Cyber Monday

As you can tell from the post title, we have a lot to cover. I haven't blogged in days, but the holiday and my birthday have been keeping me very busy.

I'm officially 40 now. On the day before my birthday I woke-up, joked with my husband that it was his last chance to "sleep" with someone in their 30s and then promptly burst into tears. I really did think I was joking and thought I had finally dealt with the age thing, so I was really surprised by my reaction. And my poor husband was as surprised as I was about it. It was a good cry though, and I immediately felt like I was finally able to move on and accept this birthday.

My birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year. We had 12 people over to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. Everything was delicious and a fun day was had by all. My husband bought me a fantastic new camera. It's a Nikon D5000! It has so many bells and whistles that I'm a bit afraid to use it. I feel so lost every time I pick it up. A nearby community college offers a class where you bring your camera and the manual and they help you learn how to use it, and I think I'm going to have to sign-up right away. I can't wait to start using a "big girl" camera, but I am intimidated to say the least! I'm itching to use it but it's amazing how change, even good change, is something we automatically want to push against.

On Saturday night, we had a small "Cupcakes and Cocktails" party to celebrate my birthday. We had about 20 friends over and ate sweets and drank cocktails. (Word to the wise-don't make the Cupcake Cocktail! It wasn't very good.) I wish I had photos of all this, but I was the hostess and guest of honor and didn't really get to take pictures. I'm kind of disappointed because now I don't really have any photos to mark my birthday. Maybe my mom took some? I'll have to ask.

It's Cyber Monday! That means people should be buying like crazy today, so don't forget to update your online shop and do all the things you need to do to take advantage of such a high traffic day. I uploaded some new card designs to my shop. I feel like my graphic design skills are getting better and I'm happy with the new cards. You can find all the cards in this post in my Etsy Shop. I'm having a sale, so if you see something you like today, be sure to grab it! I'm offering free shipping to U.S. residents on orders placed through December 1, 2009. If you aren't in the U.S., take 10% off your order instead! (Ebooks are excluded from this offer.) To take advantage of this special sale, simply leave a comment on the order form, telling me you want free shipping or 10% off. I'll refund the discount to you via Paypal.

Cyber Monday Business Tips

I was supposed to send out a Creative Newsletter today, but instead I sent one out with tips for Cyber Monday. If you sell online, November 30 could mean big sales for you, especially if you use some of my tips.


If you don't receive my newsletters, you can read it online here. There's a very special birthday discount for my readers, but if you are welcome to take advantage of it, if you read the issue online.

In addition to my birthday discount, I'm having a holiday sale! I'm offering free shipping to U.S. residents on orders placed November 25,2009 through December 1, 2009. Not in the U.S.? Take 10% off your order instead! (Ebooks are excluded from this offer.) To take advantage of this special sale, simply leave a comment on your order form, telling me you want free shipping or 10% off. I'll refund the discount to you via Paypal. You can visit my shop here.

Okay, enough business. To prepare for the holiday sale, I'm trying to update everything I have in stock (like the pillows you see all over this post). Am I the only one who HATES this part of selling online? Seriously, it's such a time drain. Taking photos, measuring & weighing items, writing descriptions and tags. Not my favorite way to spend a few hours. Any tips for getting through? Besides eating copious amounts of chocolate while doing it? (I've found that's not such a good idea as it melts onto the keyboard and the items. Maybe I should switch to my favorite candy-orange slices...)

no sew capes

I saw a darling tutorial for a no-sew cape on my new favorite blog, Ruffles and Stuff. After making one for my daughter, I had some fabric left over, so I decided to whip-up matching capes for my daughter's Fancy Nancy doll and for her Barbie. Now everyone is snuggly warm and fashionable too! Follow the directions as outlined in Disney's tutorial, just measure the dolls instead of the child. Before you know it, everyone will be warm & cozy & ready to go over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house.

Martha's Pumpkins

Martha Stewart Living's November issue had a tutorial for these great fabric pumpkins. I made two versions. The ones above are for a country girl and the ones below are would be perfect for a city girl. (That cute crocheted pumpkin was made by this talented artist.)


I wasn't the only one inspired by the project either! I saw another great version on Design*Sponge the other day. Danielle Thompson made some great versions (I love the one with a doily on it!). She was also kind enough to give an in-depth tutorial of the project as Martha's was a bit vague. (Don't tell Martha I said that!) Get the tutorial on Danielle's blog.

It's not too late to make your own-seriously, it's a super easy project! My city pumpkins are going on my Thanksgiving table with tulle and glittered branches. Let me know if you make some!

hot cocoa

Well, I don't think I'll share recipes every Friday anymore. Based on the comments and my Google Analytics, most of you don't come and visit me to get recipes. If I come across any good ones though, I'll be sure to share them here and there.

That being said, I couldn't resist another post about food, or drink in this case. It finally got somewhat cold in Southern California and I took advantage of the weather to take a cocoa break with my daughter earlier this week. I try to stop whatever I'm doing in the late afternoons and take a little break with her. The snacks aren't fancy, but I do try to come up with interesting food combinations and/or break out some fun dishes. My Baileys' cups are some of my favorites. I love how retro they look. I know that there were a couple of dishes I remember from my past, like a Shirley Temple mug and an Archie & Veronica juice glass, and I hope that my daughter develops the same feelings towards these mugs. One day, when she's all grown-up she'll see one in an antique store and feel all nostalgic for her childhood and the afternoons we spent sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows and eating Teddy Grahams.

parfaits & gratitude

Don't you love this floral arrangement? I think it would be fantastic for a little girl's birthday party with an ice cream social theme, don't you? I'm thinking of throwing my daughter a Fancy Nancy Themed birthday party in June and I'm definately bookmarking this project as a party idea. I think it is very fancy!

Maybe I'm biased. It was created by one of my blog buddies, Cindy of Rosehaven Cottage. As a CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) Designer, I heard about a manufacturer who was looking for some designs using their new product, Aqua Gems, and I immediately thought of Cindy. She's a fantastic floral designer. I'm so glad I recommended her! Not only did she produce beautiful work for the manufacturer, she also made me look good because I recommended her. Isn't networking wonderful?
Okay, enough about that. Go to the Rosehaven Cottage blog to get the tutorial for the parfait project!

Thanks so much for all the love for my paper lanterns tutorial. As I've mentioned, I know that taking photos to go along with a tutorial are important and I've been dragging my feet about it. Being the Type A personality I am, I take anything I don't want to do as a self-imposed challenge, so I've been working on my tutorial skills. I'm so happy to say that my hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. My Paper Lantern Candle Sleeve tutorial was featured on One Pretty Thing yesterday afternoon! You can check it out here.

I was also contacted by an ebook publisher about possibly doing some craft ebook tutorials. Talk about instant gratification for my hard work! So there you go-proof that pushing yourself does pay-off.

I really need to thank Diane Gilleland for all of this. She was an expert in the Creative Marketing Ecourse I just finished teaching and I learned as much as my students did! She really recommended that I get more photos in my tutorials and she was absolutely correct. Her advice took my blog to the next level in a very short amount of time. Be sure to visit her website, Craftypod, and consider purchasing her blog ebooks.

Now go do something that you find challenging and reap the rewards!

paper lantern candle sleeve tutorial

Today is my friend, Kathryn's birthday. She's one of my best friends and one of the only people who stood by me during a very difficult time in my life. To celebrate her birthday, we had Kathryn and her husband over for dinner this weekend.

One of the things I like best about a dinner party is setting the table. Themes dance in my head and I love using the many dishes I have. (Here's an entertaining hint: Buy inexpensive, plain, white, dinner plates and then spend your money on super fancy salad plates. Salad plates are usually cheaper than dinner plates and you can just place them on top of the white dinner plates for a custom look.)

I wanted the table this weekend to be very fresh and bright, so I placed some clementines in a vase and added some white roses from my garden. Then, for lighting, I raided my scrapbook paper stash and made some paper lantern candle sleeves to slip over my mismatched collection of votive candle holders and empty pickle jars. The paper lantern candle sleeves are a snap to make and can be customized to any occasion. (How about using some Thanksgiving paper?) The other great thing about them is that, when you are done with them, you can lay them flat and easily store them for the future.

Here's my tutorial for making them. (I didn't come up with how to cut paper lanterns, that craft has been around for years, but my candle sleeve is pretty original I think.)

Paper Lantern Candle Sleeve

-12"X12" Decorative Scrapbook Paper (the kind that is printed on both sides is the best because you will see the back in the finished project). I used Amy Butler's paper.
-Ruler
-Scissors
-Tape
-Glass jars/candle holders in various shapes and sizes
-Tea light candles

Instructions

1. Measure the height of your glass jar or candle holder.

2. Cut a strip of your scrapbook paper the height of the candle holder plus 1/2 inch. I keep the length of the paper at 12" so that I have ample room to slip the lantern sleeve over most containers, but you can measure around your holder and cut the length, with an additional 1" or so as well.

3. Fold the strip in half.

Then measure and mark every 1" along the folded edge of the paper.

4. Using your scissors, cut strips (starting at the folded edge) into the paper. Be careful to leave about a 1/2" at the end of your cut (as shown in the photo).

5. Unfold the paper and bring the two short ends together. Allow them to overlap by one strip and tape at the top and bottom.

6. Set the lantern down and gently push down on the top to make the strips bow out a bit.

7. Slip the paper lantern sleeve over your glass candle container, drop in a tea light, and carefully light your candle. (Do I need to tell you this is a PAPER sleeve and that you need to be careful not to set it on fire? Use a long lighter when lighting the candle and make sure that the candle flame isn't so high that it could catch the lantern.)

I'd love to see your version if you make any! If you want a PDF, printable version of this tutorial, click here.

To celebrate Kathryn's birthday, please visit her Etsy shop, Camellia Designs and take a look around. Her work is amazing. She is an excellent seamstress and knitter and the quality of her work is way above average. I think the purse below is my current favorite. Leave her a convo and tell her Happy Birthday!

green beans for sunday dinner

So, are you liking these weekly recipes? Should I keep doing them?

Today, I'm going to share a recipe that seems so wrong, but is so good. Basically, you cook the living daylights out of green beans. I think we all have bad childhood memories of overcooked vegetables. It's something I swore not to do. But here I am today, cooking green beans for an hour! And they are absolutely delicious! Seriously-I never knew green beans could taste this rich. Try it, you'll like it.

Slow Cooked Green Beans
by Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of green beans, washed and trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced, canned tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup water, plus more if needed
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Check every 15 minutes and add a few tablespoons of water when necessary. When beans are tender and most of the water is absorbed, it's time to eat.

By the way, Katy, won the ebook of her choice! Katy, please go to my Etsy shop and then convo me and tell me which ebook you want me to send you.

writer's block

I've been trying to write a blog post for over an hour. Write something, delete it. Write something, delete it. I've decided my time is better spent, joining my daughter in the kitchen, licking vanilla cupcake batter off the mixer. See you tomorrow.

selvage bracelet tutorial

I know I'm always really lazy whenever I tell you how I made something, and I've vowed to be better about taking photos of each step of a project. I'll also admit it drives me a bit nuts to stop and take a picture each step of the way, but I'm sure that with a little practice, I'll get used to it.

That being said, I wanted to share a really easy project with you using the selvages of your fabric. You know that little strip on the end that tells you the name of the fabric, that you always cut-off? Well, I recently came across this blog and I found myself paying attention to that little strip. And I figured out that the names of the fabrics are pretty fun. (Like Ride at Your Own Whisk!) So I decided to turn them into a bracelet.

Here we go, my first "real" tutorial:

(This makes one 9" x 1" bracelet.)

Supplies:

Rotary cutter or scissors
Ruler
Iron
Fabric scraps
Thread
Sewing Machine (these are small, so you can also hand sew them too!)
Selvages of fabric
Velcro strips

Instructions:

1. Using a scrap of fabric, cut a strip of fabric measuring 4 inches wide by 9 inches long.

2. Lay your fabric, with the design facing down, on your table. Fold each long side of the fabric strip towards the center as shown in the photo. Press with your iron.

3. Then fold the strip in half as shown. Press with iron.

4. Sew around the entire outside of the strip, on all four sides.
5. Cut the saying you want to use off the selvage piece of fabric and center onto fabric. Sew onto the strip.
6. Sew Velcro onto ends of the strip.
7. Wear proudly. I like piling a bunch up on my arm, but I suppose you could also have some restraint and wear them one at a time.

Okay-I know I lost steam with the photos after Step Four. I think we all know that it's a miracle that I have as many steps up as I do. I promise to do better next time! Email me if you have any questions! Oh and speaking of patience. Check out this dress made entirely out of selvage pieces. I want one!

FTC and blogging

I'm sure you probably already know there are new FTC rules for bloggers about disclosure. If you want more information about it, read my newsletter and get the scoop.

I think it's really important for all of us to be aware of these rules, so I'm going to encourage you to read my information with a little prize giveaway. Read my newsletter and tell me what important (and dreaded) event is coming up in my personal life this month. Leave a comment on this post with the answer and I'll draw a name on Friday. The winner will receive any ebook in my Etsy shop they want!

pumpkin pasta

This is a great recipe for the Fall. I found it on Alicia's blog, Posie Gets Cozy, last year, and I've already made it twice this Fall. It's super easy and has an earthy, warm flavor that is perfect for the crisp Fall weather.

Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients:

1 c. whipping cream or heavy cream
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
20 leaves of fresh sage (chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 links of mild Italian sausage
1 lb. pasta (penne or shells work great!)

Directions:

1. Cook the sausage according to the package directions.

2. Combine cream, pumpkin puree, and Parmesan cheese, sage, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat to low and let simmer.

3. Make the pasta according to the package directions.

4. When pasta and sausage are done, pour sauce over the pasta. Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to the pasta.

5. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

That's it! I told you it was easy, but it's really good and people will be wildly impressed with your cooking skills. Why not make it for Sunday Dinner this week?

painting

You may have noticed that I have been sewing and crafting a lot lately, but I haven't been producing much in the way of original artwork. The other night, I had the urge to paint and spent a couple of glorious hours painting away. I'm thinking of doing a series of the women in my family, called "The Good Girls". The paintings would all be my interpretation of old family photographs, specifically of the women in my family marking their completion of certain Catholic sacraments, such as First Communions and Confirmations. So far, I have my mom's First Communion painting and my Grandmother's Confirmation started.


Of course, I always I come up with these great ideas, and work on them deep into the night and then in the light of day, they are forgotten or don't seem like good ideas anymore. We'll see where this project goes. Right now, I'm just enjoying playing with my paints for awhile.

dia de los muertos

I've always wanted to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. I love the bright colors and the celebratory nature of the holiday. This year, I made a little ofrenda, dedicated to my paternal grandmother and grandfather, my maternal grandfather and my beloved dog, MaryAnn. (After seeing the link I just gave you, I see that next year's ofrenda will need some changes. I feel a new family tradition coming on!)