Quilting Update

When you decide to make a quilt, it is fun to pick a pattern, plan the sizing, choose a color scheme and shop for fabrics.  For my quilt, I bought fabrics from a few cities in two different states, making quilt shops a bonus feature of my summer travels.  Once you get down to cutting and sewing, though, and you have vowed to make a king-size quilt - probably a bad idea in retrospect - all the fun is gone.

Blisters come from cutting/piling/ironing/more cutting.  The hours of repetitive stitching/ironing/stitching of the squares slowly makes me feel like I am in an asylum and have been given a repetitive task to pass the time.  Moral of the story: quilting is hard!

Needless to say, I am struggling to keep working at it.  I need to find my rhythm so that I can enjoy it instead of looking at it like a chore, as I am doing now.  Here is my quilt progress so far:

(Yes, this is literally all I have finished.)

I am really happy with the way it is coming out.  It is not all perfectly aligned, which gives it the definite hand-made feel, but in a way that I think still looks good.  I am a perfectionist, so I wouldn't be happy with it if it were too messy.

Actually, venting about the issues here has been really therapeutic for me... I can't wait to get home from work and spend some quality time with my sewing machine this weekend!

xo Allison

Vision Journal

Have you ever read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne?  It was all the rage a few years back, and I am still actively trying to live by it.  I highly recommend it if you haven't already read it, or if you haven't already tried it after reading it!

Basically, it is all about envisioning what you want, imagining that you already have it so that the universe eventually gives it to you.  It encourages having a "vision board" where you write or post pictures of what you want.  I started a vision board a year or two ago, and I have already pulled several of the items off of the board because they came to me!

Well, in a spring cleaning frenzy, I donated my vision board and transferred it to a vision journal.  I write my desires as if I already have them, i.e. "I have smooth, shiny hair" rather than "I want smooth, shiny hair" because this summer humidity is making quite a frizzball out of me!  I also cut and paste images or phrases from magazines that I find empowering, or that bring to live my own hopes for the future.  

This is all about positivity, something everyone needs in their life.  Besides being a motivator, the vision journal has been a great way to unwind at the end of the day, too.  Write in it or read it, it clears the mind!

xo Allison

A Quilt is Coming...

I was feeling ambitious and decided to sew a queen-sized quilt!  Here is a mock-up of the pattern and color scheme:

The end result will be simple and modern, but the path to get there will be long and tedious.  To accomplish the piecing the way I want to do it, I need to first cut over 1700 squares!  All I have done so far are the greens.  The neutral background squares begin this weekend.  I am just going to lock myself inside with some chick flicks, a fan blowing, and a cool beverage and cut, cut, CUT!  I doubt I will actually finish the cutting, but I will try to get enough done to maybe start the piecing.  Wish me luck!

xo Allison

A Copycat Craft

How many times have you seen something in a store and said "I could make that?"  But beyond that, how many times have you ACTUALLY made it?

That is the hard part, actually creating all of these projects that we dream up!  Well I saw this picture at Hobby Lobby and loved it.  When I got closer, however, I realized that the collage was actually just a picture of a collage, and I was disappointed.  What is the fun in working with paper if you don't get to enjoy the variation in the papers' texture?

So, I picked up a 30x30 canvas and started my own collage.  It took forever to sit there and cut all those pieces, so I will probably never do it again.  But, it was a great way to use up scraps, and I do love the effect of the giant flower hanging on my wall!  I only wish I had a better picture of it... this was a test of me getting used to my new iPhone :)

xo Allison

Book Box

Happy Friday again!  This is a project I finally worked on this week after having seen done in various ways before, and always wanted to try it myself.  Father's Day presented the perfect reason to try it out!

Some people consider it a book safe, as a way to sneakily hide belongings in plain sight.  In this case, it would probably be ideal to use a hard cover book with the outer sleeve still on it, just to make it look more natural.

For me, I chose a book with a clever title to make a box for my dad.  It was a computer joke, and since my dad and I both work in software, I thought it would be a perfect gift from me.  He can use it as a box on his desk to hold notes, business cards, office supplies, whatever.  Or, he can go the safe route.  

It was pretty simple, I just used an X-acto knife to cut out the center of the pages all the way through.  It was a bit of a slow process, only cutting through a few pages at a time, so when you try it at home just sit down with a movie and cut cut cut.  By the end of the movie, you should be done!

I then cut the scrapbook paper to line the inside covers of the book, to give it a finished look.  The last step was to glue the pages together to form a firm box.  You want to make sure to glue the back of the last page down to the back inside cover, and then the rest of the glue simply goes around the three edges of the pages.  I brushed on two layers of Mod Podge with a sponge brush.

The last trick is to then wrap the inside front cover (top of box) in foil or plastic wrap to prevent any of the glue getting on it, close the book, then pile other heavy books on top of it until the glue is dry.  This will ensure the box is firm.  When you remove the plastic wrap, if any glue seeped up on the front of the top page, use a fine grit sandpaper to gently remove it, so that the top page retains the papery quality of the book.

I put a gift card inside the book before I popped the gift in the mail.  If he doesn't want a trinket box or a bookshelf safe, he can throw it away since it only cost me about $1.50 to make, since I bought the book from a thrift store and only used one sheet of scrapbook paper to line it... you can hardly buy a boring gift box for $1.50 anymore these days anyway!

xo Allison

Fancy Eggs

I am excited to share a recipe with you all that is quick and easy, but makes people say "wow!"  I have prepared eggs this way a couple of times now, and my guests are always impressed because they do look fancy.  But the secret is all in the muffin pan.

First, prepare your filling.  Sauteed mushrooms and onions, cooked broccoli, or cooked sausage or bacon is a good start.  This is a perfect recipe to get rid of some leftover meat and veggies, especially if you only have a small portion left from last night's dinner.  I just wouldn't recommend filling it with anything frozen or raw as cooking times may vary too much.  (Bacon tip: use microwavable bacon and curl it into a ring around the edge of each cup so that your eggs have their own wrappers of sorts.)

Spray the muffin cups with oil so that the eggs are easy to remove (therefore prettier), then fill each cup about halfway with your filling.  I would consider two cups as one serving, or three as a serving for someone hungrier.

Then, crack an egg over each cup.  If you want, sprinkle some cheese on top.  

Pop those babies in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until they puff up and are firm to the touch.

That's it!  Serve with toast and fresh tomato slices, maybe even a hollandaise sauce, and you have made your eggs even more fancy.  Everyone will be impressed, but the only real effort you put into it was a saute of the filling.

Ok, this one looks a little bit like a pile of failed fancy eggs, and that is because it is... don't forget to spray your muffin pan like I did!

xo Allison

Please, stare at my chest!

In January I purchased an unpainted chest of drawers from Ikea.  It's size was perfect to use for a multitude of purposes - side table, entryway table for a small apartment, sock drawers in a closet - and so I brought it home.  I then left it in the box by the front door for four months.  Oops.

Well it is not in the box anymore, baby!  And I am ecstatic with the results!

I painted the sides and top with a high-gloss paint, and painted the knobs with a metallic spray paint.  I love the way the metallic spray applied to the wooden knobs so that you can still clearly see the grain of the wood.

As for the drawer faces, the butterflies came from an inexpensive poster - another score from Ikea.  I decoupaged them to the front of the drawers, then painted a layer of hard coat Mod Podge to the front to seal it, knowing that my hands would often be on the fronts.  

I also Mod Podged a matching letter holder.  One slot for "to-do," one slot "to-file."

And I am never afraid of adding a bit of glamour in unexpected places.  A crystal bowl to hold my keys?  Sure!  

xo Allison

Just wine-ing

I have recently taken up a new hobby of serious wine tasting.  To be honest, it started as a bad habit of downing a bottle of wine a night after work... hey, I would split it with my boyfriend at least!  But it quickly became a fun event that we both looked forward to as we started drinking a different brand each time to compare and choose our favorites.  In order to remember which wines we loved and which we want to avoid ever purchasing again, we have started a wine journal!

I built the journal accordion-style, putting pockets on each page.  This way, we can write or type the information on cards, and sort the cards by wine type. 

So far, our favorites are all pink!  Yup, I taught the manly man to enjoy a nice, cold glass of white zinfandel, just like my grandmother taught me.

Bonus: journaling is a terrific justification to feed your vices ;)

xo Allison

My Girls

I am so excited I get to see two of my girls (Sharon & Allison) who I have not seen in ahwhile...PLUS I get to work with Mandy!!!! It should be a fabulous day. :)

Here's to all my girls

We will be missing you Ashley


Til next week....

xoxo
Danni

Bringing that EVOO in to the kitchen

When I lived in San Diego, I had the boldest shade of yellow on my kitchen walls.  It was appropriately named Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and it was yellow with just enough green in it to make it unusual while still being a versatile shade of yellow overall.  It looks good with brown, tan, black, grey, and almost every color of the rainbow.  I was obsessed.

When I found out that I had to move for work, meaning I had to paint over my happy yellow walls, I was very sad about it.  So, I drove up to my new city with the can of EVOO in my backseat, waiting to find its next application and adventure.

Six months later, I got tired of driving around that old can of paint - yes, I said six months.  The weird thing is that I cleaned trash and everything else out of my car, I just never removed the paint can! - and so it was finally time to put it to use and bring some cheer to my new home!

Before.

Enter old hand-me-down furniture.  Which, I love by the way.  I got this fabulous, sturdy oak dining set for free from a family friend.  The only problem with it was the way it was painted.  This Before image is actually the already-stripped down furniture.  I will not frighten you with the details of the paint stripping process because if I learned anything from that step, it was to NEVER DO IT AGAIN!  It was days of hard work and this is the best I could get - even now under the yellow paint, there is visible texture in some areas where the old paint wouldn't sand off.

After!

Anyway, after one layer of primer, two light layers of paint, and about 15 hours of work, the dining set is complete, and I have a bit of my old home in my new home!  I say 15 hours of work, but because I had help, the job was completed over about only 8 hours.  Chairs on Saturday, table on Sunday, and it was a fun excuse to enjoy the outdoors when I really had more pressing chores to do indoors ;)

xo Allison

The Snuggie Experiment: Part II

What could be better than a big, cuddly snuggie?  Two big cuddly snuggies?

Try, two big cuddly snuggies that zip together to make a convertible two-person snuggie!

It is so over-the-top cheesy that it actually works!

All it takes is two individual snuggies, and one sleeping bag 100" zipper.  Sew one side of the zipper to each of the snuggies.  This way, you can have a two-person snuggie to cuddle with on the couch, or un-zip it to have two individual snuggies if you choose to sit on different sides of the room.

I cannot wait to spend the summer with the doors and windows open at night, letting the cool breeze blow in as I am snuggly in my snuggie!

xo Allison

The Snuggie Experiment: Part I

Yes, I know people love to make fun of Snuggies.  But, let's face it, they are genius!  Your arms can stay under the blanket while you are using your remote AND stuffing your face with Girl Scout cookies that you have had tucked away in the freezer for six weeks?  Lazy people, rejoice!

The best part is that the project to create your very own Snuggie is supper easy, and quick!  In under one hour, I had a completed Snuggie, made with love and a fabric I got to choose myself.

The supplies are basic, too.  Just 2 2/3 - 3 yards of fabric, and scissors.  If you choose to use fleece like I did, you can even get away without using a sewing machine if you don't have one, since fleece doesn't fray, therefore it doesn't need any hemming.

Here is the diagram of how the fabric should be cut, after the selvage has been trimmed off.  If you are about 5'8" or less, I would recommend 2 and 2/3 yard if you don't want too much extra at the end.  It might be cuddly to pool around your feet on the couch, but it is also a hassle to drag around if you stand up to walk to the fridge or something.  I used a full 3 yard piece, and I am considering hacking off the bottom.

The two squares from the bottom fold in half, with one seam along the edge.  These make up the sleeves.  Unless you happen to cut perfect squares, fold the rectangle "hamburger style" not "hot dog style" to sew the edge.

I folded my main blanket piece in half when it was time to cut the arm holes.  I made a paper template of the 6x9 inch oval, and pinned it so that I cut both holes at the same time.

The trickiest part of the process was pinning the sleeves to the arm holes with right-sides together, and that wasn't too bad at all.  A few cuts, 4 seams, and you are done!

But Allison, why is this "The Snuggie Experiment: Part I"?  What about Part II, you ask?  Part II is coming next Friday, and here is a clue: I bought not one, but two fabrics...


xo Allison

Words to Live By

Everyone has a favorite quote or two that they like to keep tucked away and pull out when they need some inspiration.  You may even have a mantra that you refer to on a daily basis.  Maybe its a Bible verse, a song lyric, or just something funny you heard once, but these phrases that we make our own often provide comfort.  The one I turn to the most is "everything happens for a reason" because even when things turn sour, I know that I am either meant to learn a lesson, or this event is setting me up for something better at a later time.  

I wanted to turn my favorite words of wisdom into art so that I could surround myself with them at home and at work.  So, as so many people are doing these days, I have started collaging, and it is so much fun!  

Whatever you are, be a good one. - Abraham Lincoln
Collaged onto a metal tray from the dollar store.

The key to a successful collage is texture, texture, texture.  Here is an example of how I squeeze as much texture as possible into a small space!  I just keep stacking ribbons, paper, and glitter until I run out of pieces that I want to add... It is a great place to use those end remnants of ribbon that are too small to bow!  

I also consider mixing and matching lettering as adding different textures.  In this tray, for example, I use three different lettering formats: stickers, a label maker, and my own handwriting in pen. 

You are you.  Now, isn't that pleasant? - Dr. Seuss
Collaged onto an oval artist's canvas.

Do not disturb - Ok, not a quote, but a fun collage to hang on my bedroom door!
Collaged onto a chipboard shape.

Therapeutic to create, therapeutic to enjoy as decor.  And bonus - it allows you to use up those scraps of paper and ribbon that you love too much to trash!  Here's to hoping I will get to finish a few more this weekend...

xo Allison

Happy Red Nose Day!

Hello, lovies!

I am writing from the UK as I am currently travelling on business.  Unfortunately, due to long travelling hours, and then long work hours - just as I finish my day in the UK, everyone from my office in California gets in and starts emailing... It is like having two work days in one! - I have not had time for any creations.  I have, however, been gathering plenty of inspiration for future posts that I am excited to share!

Here are my favorite British things so far:

1. Puff pastry - They use it as a base for both savory and sweet dishes, like open chicken pies and bread puddings.  So buttery, so flaky, so versatile!  English food is the perfect comfort food, especially on cold nights.  But side note - even English people don't like English food due to how unhealthy it can be.  The way I see it, it is perfect to help you put on that extra layer of fluff in order to stand the cold English wind!

2. Crunchie - A Crunchie is a candy bar put out by Cadbury that is basically just a bar of perfectly crisp honeycomb covered in their own delicious chocolate.  I do believe you can find Crunchies at stores like World Market that often sell British candies, so try one for yourself!

3. Red Nose Day - Not exactly a holiday, but a day of charity that is widely advertised and supported around the country.  I love that everyone seems to be united on this, and that the premise is so cheerful... comic relief!  I picked up my own Red Nose Day shirts at TK Maxx (a British TJ Maxx) to do my part.  A Marilyn Monroe with glasses and a red nose for me, and The Beatles all wearing glasses and red noses for my nephew. (http://www.rednoseday.com/)

4. The word "lovely" - or "love," or "lovey," or any other sweet term of endearment that Americans would consider quite personal, but here in the UK are used casually with strangers as well.  I eat breakfast in the same place each morning, with the same 70-year-old woman serving me.  Every morning it is, "coffee today, lovey?" And, "you like the brown toast, don't ya love?"  Even the bus drivers can say, "have a nice day, sweetheart" without it sounding perverted at all.  Everyone here is just friendly!

5. Friendliness - Not just being nice, but being friendly.  There is definitely a difference!  Friendly is being kind to someone in the way that makes you feel like you two are friends who have known each other for years, as opposed to just being nice and polite with someone.  The British people here are all very friendly, and I feel like I am home.  It is refreshing, as this is definitely not something I feel with people in California.  I used to feel it when I would visit my grandparents in the midwest, and maybe it is still there, but even my last few jaunts to Oklahoma haven't felt as homey as the UK.

I have already scoped out several craft stores that I plan on visiting this weekend.  Stores in this quiet coastal town I am visiting close by 5 or earlier, so I haven't been able to catch one yet after work.  I will post my findings next week!

xo Allison

Pillowcases to Cuddle

Gifting is the best excuse for crafting!  It legitimizes purchases of supplies that you love, but that aren't necessarily in a style or color that would fit with your own home decor.  Take this flannel fabric, for example.  So cute AND on sale, but not something that would fit my feminine apartment.  So, I turned to my favorite quick-and-easy fabric project, pillow cases!

My mother and I have started making pillow cases as gifts for friends and family who are experiencing life-changing events; things like undergoing surgery, moving to a new city, etc.  It is a gift that takes up very little space, is practical, and provides a bit of comfort and whimsy without it really mattering if it matches the rest of the decor or not.  The pillow case pattern is a common pattern because it is so simple and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

For the pillowcase, you will need 3/4 yards of a main body fabric, 1/3 yards of a coordinating pattern for the border, and then 1/8 yards of a coordinating solid color or tiny-print pattern for a strip between the two.  Trim the pieces to straight edges, then trim the selvage so that all three pieces are the same width.  The pieces will be stacked in such a way that one seam attaches all three pieces together.

To stack, lay your border piece right side up with the pattern facing away from you.  Then, take your middle strip, fold it in half with right sides out, and align with the upper edge of the border piece (which happens to be the bottom of the border piece's pattern).  Finally, take your main body piece and lay it out in front of you, right side up with the pattern facing you.  Roll up the fabric from the bottom, leaving a little bit of the top un-rolled.  Then, pick up the roll and align the top edge, right sides together, with the top of the other two pieces.  Finally, fold the bottom of the border edge up and align it with the top, so that you have a taco of fabric.  

You should have a total of 5 layers at the edge if the stack is correct.  Pin, sew one straight seam along the edge, then pull the center through the end to flip the right side out.  You should have one wide rectangle of fabric with 3 horizontal stripes.

Fold the rectangle in half, right side out, so that it looks like a regular pillow case.  Sew one seam down the side and the bottom of the case.

Then, flip the pillow case inside-out and use an iron to flatten the seams.  You will want to sew another seam down the side and bottom.  This will hide the sewn edges and protect them from fraying.

That is all there is to it!  Flip the pillow case back to the right side facing out and you have a completed pillow case.  This particular pillow case was sewn for James.  Tomorrow I head to the UK on business for three weeks, and I wanted to leave him with something to keep me on his mind!

xo Allison

Playing with Blocks

I, like most crafters, often find myself wandering the aisles of art supply stores looking for inspiration in new toys.  One day at Pearl Paint in New York City I picked up a few 2"x3" linoleum blocks to carve for printing, something I had learned once in a high school art class but had never attempted again.  I thought it would be fun to create my own stamp, and you know what, it was!  Here was the process, along with a few of the creations I made.

First, I sketched out some ideas for geometric designs.  I chose a basic zig zag pattern because it was simple, yet bold, and it would look great on its own or layered under other stamps and embellishments.  Geometric patterns are also unisex, so in making cards and projects you have more flexibility with a bold pattern.  I penciled the pattern on the linoleum and broke out my Dremel.  

Using a structured tooth carbide bit, I traced the lines I had created.  Now, if you are one who absolutely needs perfection, this project may not be for you.  As you will see below, even though my lines were generally straight, it still had a hand-made feel as it was impossible to get completely straight edges to the lines.  I was happy with the results, though.  

The last steps in prepping the block was to first use a stiff-ish brush like a dish brush to gently scrub off the excess bits of linoleum, then use very fine sandpaper to make sure there were no raised edges on my patterns.  Since linoleum is such a firm material, any raise in the pattern will ruin the imprint, so it must be flat.  So, a gentle sand with something like 600-grit sandpaper will take the rough edges down without altering the pattern you have carved.

Now, to print!  Using linoleum is a different material to work with than a rubber or acrylic stamp because it is not flexible.  This means you need to use a little different of a technique when stamping things, but there are more options of the types of ink you can use with it because of that fact, too.  

Instead of laying the paper down and stamping on top of the paper, it is best to ink the block, lay the paper on top of the block, then use either a brayer or your fingers to rub the paper onto the block.  This is the only way to ensure proper coverage.  Even in the case of the styrene piece I stamped for the ornament below, I laid the acrylic on top of the inked block, then applied pressure.

For the goodie bag, I stamped the pattern twice to make a horizontal stripe across a white lunch bag, then used a Micron pen to write a note.

Again with the Micron pen, I drew two simple lines around the stamped pattern along with the card's sentiment to make a super quick thank you card!

For the ornament, I used a watermark ink pad to stamp on a Martha Stewart Crafts styrene shape, then embossed it with brass colored powder.

Because the linoleum is so firm, you can use things like paint and liquid inks without the stamp squishing the color between the cracks, as would happen with more flexible stamps.  So have fun with your colors and materials!  I used a paint brush to apply paint, ink pads to apply ink, and even dipped the block pattern in liquid inks to try that as well.  Anything goes as the linoleum is durable, so a quick scrub with a dish brush when you are done and the stamp is as good as new.  And don't be afraid to stamp on different materials, too.  Use washable inks and paints to stamp on pillowcases, aprons, or placemats!

A taste of Mad Men

This past weekend, my parents came to town for a couple of days.  They wanted to see my new apartment, my new boyfriend, and my brother, who has been living on my couch for a month.  (Note to self: When a sibling asks to stay with you for a few days and avoids giving you an exact departure date, they are planning on staying a while.  Just say no!)

Anyway, the boyfriend was perfectly charming and passed the inspection, so I wanted to plan a special "thank you" meal for him to show how I appreciated him getting along with my family.  What better way to say thank you than with comfort food, and what better comfort food than a vintage Good Housekeeping recipe?  I am all about theme dinners, so... Mad Men, anyone?

I found this incredible cookbook at a garage sale a couple of years ago.  I didn't have any cash on me at the time, but I loved it so much that the previous owner gave it to me for free!  This particular copy was printed in 1957, but the book itself was circa 1942.  The recipes inside of it are all so classic... and so unhealthy!  It is fabulous!

I flipped to the "poultry" section to find something to use up the ground turkey I always keep in my fridge.  (I buy a package and use part of it fresh, then break up the rest into individual serving sizes, put those into separate baggies, and freeze them for later use.  It is great because I can thaw just what I need for my own dinner, or when I need multiple servings, it thaws faster in the smaller pieces.)  Casseroles seem like a dying art these days, so I chose a turkey and cashew nut casserole recipe to be truly vintage.  The main ingredients were celery, Ritz crackers, and cream of mushroom soup.  There was actually less turkey in the recipe than anything else, but that is one of the quirks of the recipes in this book!

James and I decided that casseroles are like the burritos of the past... you can put anything in it and it tastes delicious!  I think we are on to a new fad, here!  I will share the exact recipe from the book this weekend, so check back tomorrow!

But what really stole the show and brought the Mad Men flair to the evening were the Manhattans I stirred up.  James likes martinis, which I find hard to drink because they are basically straight vodka.  Well, a Manhattan is basically straight whiskey, but I feel like whiskey at least has a sweeter flavor and is a little more palatable than vodka.  It was strong, and I could barely finish one myself, but it was still a fun thing to do in making a vintage style dinner for my man.

I used a vintage letter tray as the backdrop for the cocktail shot.  It was one my mother had kept in the garage for years, so I was very excited to find it and claim it as my own!

Men like cards, too!

Happy Susan B. Anthony Day!  

…That was my attempt to bring some festivity to the day after Valentine's Day.  I feel like I missed out on the Valentine's Day crafts and desserts this week, so I hit the interwebs to figure out what holiday I could, in fact, celebrate on February 15th!  But, I am sorry Susan, I think I need to post my Valentine anyway!

It is always difficult coming up with "manly" crafts to share with the men in your life.  Things like Valentines, anniversary cards or wedding stationary is especially more effeminate than most men would enjoy.  So, this year I think I came up with the perfect balance of lovey-doviness and macho-manliness with this simplistic and distressed Valentine.

I kept the colors muted, and as much as I wanted to spice it up with ribbon or lace, I resisted the urge to apply any sort of embellishment.  The only texture was the two tones of ink I applied to the edges to age it in my two favorite colors: Antique Linen (a specific shade in Tim Holtz's Distress Ink), and a shade of medium grey.

As for the design, it was simple.  I penciled out a heart, then penciled our names in cursive along the lines of the heart.  Then, I traced the lines I wanted to keep in a black Pigma Micron pen (a MUST HAVE item!) and erased the pencil lines that were left over.  

It was a quick project, no more than 15 minutes in total, but his reaction was worth hours of work.  He thought I had special ordered it from a print shop!  I think it was the quality of that Micron pen that threw him off in thinking it wasn't hand made, but I was grateful that my efforts were appreciated.

And what is the lipstick for?  A secret kiss inside of the card, of course!

All About Me: Friday

Happy Friday!  It's Allison here, excited to kick off each weekend with a little bit of homemade and heartfelt inspiration in my Friday posts.

I am a California girl to the core, growing up in San Diego and recently transplanting to the San Francisco Bay Area for a job in the tech industry.  As an artist at heart with a degree in photography, I find myself getting antsy sitting in front of a computer all day, so crafting and creating has become even more important to me in the past couple of years as I turn to it as an outlet from work and other stresses.  I find the process of creating so meditative that I often do not even finish my projects (oops!).  Please, just don't peek inside of my hall closet... or under the bed... or behind my couch... or in that second dresser drawer... I will get back to them eventually!

Inspiration hits me at times when I am feeling the most passionate about life.  Here is the list of things I am most passionate about at this point in my life:

1.  Food.  It is more than just surviving, as it is also trying new flavors, experiencing the atmosphere at a new restaurant, or sharing a meal with good friends and having so much fun that you wish it could last all day and all night.  Food is a lifestyle in itself.

2.  Martha Stewart Living.  Another lifestyle, as the magazine sets the pace for everything that is beauty, simplicity, and elegance.  Martha Stewart is my idol, and I truly admire her for what she has created. 

3.  Any color of glitter.  I dare you to come across a jar of fabulous green glitter and NOT be tempted to completely cover everything you own in it, including but not limited to bookends, lamps, or even your toilet (seriously, think about it... sparkly green toilet... YES!).

4.  New York City.  I have been around a little, and I think this is the greatest city in the world.  It is a mecca of everything glamorous, from food to fashion and everything in between.  But most of all I love it because you can have anything delivered at any time, all the way up to your apartment door!  Sushi?  Ok!  Dry cleaning?  Done!  Hardware supplies?  Yup!  Rice pudding?  Why not!

5.  My new boyfriend.  Maybe it is because he is still in the phase that he is trying to impress me, but he is so supportive that he makes me feel like I could literally do anything in the world.  Sometimes a girl just needs to feel empowered!

Speaking of feeling empowered, my bonus passion number six is this group of ladies!  These women have been with me through thick and thin over the past few years, and their beauty and talent inspire me to push myself further in anything I do.  I love you girls!  Here is to a new adventure, bringing us together from miles apart.  Let the games begin!