Bridal flower crown

Recently a friend asked if I could make a headpiece for the bride from a bachelorette party that she was organizing.  She wanted a floral crown that was a little more earthy than typical party gear. She shared a few pins and pictures with me for inspiration and basically let me choose the color scheme and overall look of the piece.

The party was tonight, so now I'm free to share pictures of what I made without ruining the surprise!  (Naturally, I had to try it on to test out the fit, so bear with the pictures of me in someone else's crown.)

I usually shop at Joann's for my craft supplies (they sell most of what I need, and send me coupons through their mailing list), but for this project, I opted to get my stuff at Michael's.  I've always been hesitant of silk flowers, but since this piece needed to last, I was pretty set on trying to find some that I liked.

The wedding is coming up this fall, so I wanted this piece to be a little autumn-ish, but still summery enough for August.  I used mostly small white flowers and some orange and green ones.  I found perfect glassy looking green and orange beads that were pretty earthy, but a little fancy too.

I twisted the wrapped wire and flowers together and fastened the flowers on it pretty securely (I also took each flower off and glued them back onto their plastic stems since they have a tendency to pop off pretty easily).

I didn't know how big to make it, but since I wanted it to fit and stay on, I loop each end of the crown and braided yarn to tie the whole thing on.  The crown itself has some flexibility, so it can be bent to fit better if needed.

I'm so happy with how this turned out!  I love getting requests for projects; I feel inspired to try new things and do my best to make them work.  The bachelorette party is happening now, so I hope that the bride-to-be enjoys this crown as much as I enjoyed making it!  (In fact, I feel some inspiration for my own wedding plans!)

Etsy Weekly Wants #7: Keeping Warm

So, here's the deal.  I've been absolutely terrible about posting lately.  I was designing a calendar which took up much more time than expected and seriously stretched my graphic art skills.  However, it was a good professional experience and I'll be excited to see it in print. 

Well, our weather here in Minnesota has gotten cooler.  We had a close-to-70 degree day this week and managed to hit up a patio one last time.  New priority: fighting off the cold!

First I need some cozy sweaters.  I feel like I struggle to find ones that are warm, but breathable.  This one looks perfect (especially the colorful granny squares!).  It's from hausofmirth.

This is such a nice felted blanket!  So many lovely sweaters all in one thing.  We have a lot of blankets, but I'd  have no problem replacing some of the older grungy ones for something like this.  By laprincessa.

A door draft stopper from ogsplosh.  Our house has beautiful old doors, but unfortunately, they are a little drafty.  This cute veggie print would look great in our house and keep the chilly air out.  Maybe Ican even try to make my own...

I need some new slippers!  I got a cute pair at Urban Outfitters for $5 last year, but they wore pretty quickly and it would be nice to replace them soon.  I saw lots of felted pairs on Etsy, but these by Simonascrafts really stand out with their owl detail.  

And finally, something for the kitties too!  This felted bed by elevele looks like a delightfully warm spot for the animals in our home to curl up on cool evenings.

And now I really hope to be back to posting regularly.  I have a great Halloween costume I'm working on that I'll definitely need to show off!

Etsy Weekly Wants #5: Autumn Camping

We're leaving for one of our last camping trips of the season after work today. It makes me sad, but it's also getting chilly pretty quickly, so I'll be more than happy to stay in the house this winter curled up under a blanket. After a summer of HOT camping, I forget what it's like to be in the woods in the autumn, so I'm under-prepared... and under-dressed. 

Here are some things I'd love to have in the forest when it's cooler out: 

A poncho! I'd love a soft, comfy knitted one to wear for hiking or sitting around the fire. This one by Mychicaccessories looks cozy and comfy for a camping trip!

A Thermos for early morning hikes and coffee. Sitting in the woods with a big cup of warm coffee sounds perfect! This one is from vintageretros. Plus, those metal camping mugs aren't exactly functional; I seem to burn myself every time I use them!

I really like this wool blanket from aneedleinthehay. It looks warm, comfortable, and good for spreading out on the ground while drinking that hot coffee!

A camera case by janinekingdesigns. Because who needs to lug around a whole purse while hiking? Not me! BTW, I love owls.

Travel Scrabble!! I'm a Scrabble fanatic, so sometimes it's hard to get people to play with me... but if it rains and you're stuck in a tent, this is perfect! Hours of fun (at least in my opinion). This one's from LaneEndVintage.

Alright, off to finish my last hours of work, and then away for the weekend! 

PS It's the last day of summer today!

Summer 2012 in review

Well, now that tomorrow is my grand return to work and routine, I suppose my summer is over.  And that's okay!  I'm ready for the change.  So here's what I accomplished from mid-June through today:

I moved into Mark's house and we're gradually working to meld our styles and make it our home.  It's been so much fun, but hard work as well.  I love it, and I love living with Mark.  (P.S. Our four cats are adjusting well too!)

A big road trip to Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.  See our adventure:

Part 1: SD Badlands

Part 2: Boulder, CO

Part 3: Backpacking (the ascent)

Part 4: Backpacking (the campsite)

Part 5: Backpacking (the descent)

Part 6: Backpacking (the flowers)



Music festivals (River's Edge & Weekend at Harmony), camping, and a wedding.

We put in a craft room!  See our space and the organization we've done so far.

After a summer of applying and interviewing, I got a new job!

Biking.  My stamina definitely improved and we did some longer rides that I never would have contemplated trying in the past!

Plus crafts, cooking, dining out and so many other things I haven't had time to blog about yet!  I can't wait to share the rest of my summer over the next few weeks and get into autumn.  (And wish me luck for the new job I'm starting in just 12 hours!)

Autumn leaves

Enjoyed a weekend of late fall colors and weather. Beautiful afternoon at Lakewood.

Later, dinner at Pad Thai. I will concede that they have the least creative Thai restaurant name, but the food never fails me. Tried the Thai Green Curry Pasta: spicy, with coconut milk, carrots and broccoli. So basic, yet delicious, and perfect portion for two to split. Probably a new favorite dish.

Tried a recently-opened bar on Nicollet- Pat's Tap. Skee-Ball! Free that night, because several of the machines were acting funny, but normally 25 cents/games. Not too crowded for a Saturday night, plus, a good patio and a friendly neighborhood cat who checked out the scene a couple times.

Then, to top off the weekend: beer brewing! Definitely nice to have two people through the process to manage the stirring, pouring, measuring, lifting, and well, for company over a few hours.




EPA. Should be ready in a few weeks- I can't wait to try it.

:)!

Autumn cooking

Vegetable wild rice soup! I followed this recipe with a few substitutions. Veggie broth instead of chicken broth, carrots and celery instead of chicken, and a little chili powder. A cute boy chopped my veggies and helped me eat it. It turned out delicious, although I used rice from a pack, as suggested by reviewers, and I think I'd prefer plain wild rice next time. I'm going to freeze some and hopefully have lunches for work.

Tomorrow's goal- apple pie!

Elephant!