Monday, April 30, 2012

What's in a name?



Via



Via


Via

This thought came to me as I was typing out letters to doctors at work. Some of these doctors have the strangest names ever! Well, not exactly strange, but enough to make me pause and smile.

There's one that I typed out: Dr. Hunkele.

Mmmm...would you look at that Hunk-a-hunk-a-le-le.

or something more superhero for you:

By day, he is Peter Porter, but by night he is DOCTOR JUSTIS!

Just last night, the J-man jokingly told me that we should name our future son
"Ernest Tyberius Septum Russell"

Go figure...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Yoohoo! We have the ElephantisLove Giveaway Winner!

sachet


And we have a winner!!

(Nana) Glo Haynes of Glo Sews, please send me an email granolabar[AT]gmail[DOT]com with your mailing address!! Congratulations and I hope you love it!

Thank you friends for participating, and always showing your support. It means a lot to me!!!

xoxo


Sunday, April 22, 2012

Crafting: Vintage Clutch Paper Patterns




So I gathered up courage to attempt a paper pattern for an envelope clutch just to see how to improve on my own take-a-wild-stab version.


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I bought this pattern off Etsy and attempted this simplest version of the 4 designs.

*takes a deep breath*



Here goes nothing:

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This is what I did different from my usual non-pattern attempts:

1) I added a dart to the base, which I had a feeling was to give the base a foldline so you can flatten it? Although, I'm not sure if my dart was done right.

2) I topstitched ALL the edges to give clutch a sturdier look and feel!

3) The flap was an external piece of fabric that was sewn to the body of the bag. My previous clutches were made from just one piece of fabric, folded into 3 sections (really easy!)

4) I added side panels to give depth to the clutch

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As a result...


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Ta-daaaa!

A free-standing sturdy looking piece of work!

If I were any awesome-r, I could have made the stripes on the fabric align. But this was a trial run, and I'm so in love with the Thai silk fabric that I'm going to have to keep it for myself!

It took me awhile to understand the instructions in the pattern and to familiarise myself with the symbols on the illustrations, but now I've gained a little more confidence to maybe attempt the other 3 designs and definitely hoard MORE patterns!

Any words of advice from seasoned pattern users?

And don't forget the ElephantisLove giveaway ends tonight 11:59PM EST! I will pick a winner via random.org

Shared on Make Something Mondays Linkup!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Birding: Robins in the yard!



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I found this nest in a tiny tree right outside our house one day.

And observed it for awhile to find out it belongs to the robins!

And then about a few weeks later (should have noted how many days had elapsed!)



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Look at these little babies! You can only see two in this picture but there are three in the nest! Even though the tree was a small one, J had to lift me off the ground in order for me to peek in. And I just found out it isn't true that the mother will abandon its babies if we touch them. The mother bird recognizes her babies by sight and sound, and not by smell. But that doesn't mean I went and touched them! I kept my respectful distance and watched through my binoculars (every day) as Mama and Papa Robin took turns feeding their little ones with freshly dug worms, fussing and keeping watch over them.

I can't wait to watch them grow and learn to fly!

Meanwhile, I have also 'discovered' a starling's nest in a hole in our roof! It is too way out of reach for me to observe, but i have seen Mama/Papa Starlings flying out of that hole on several occasions and heard tiny chirps coming from the same place! Oh how I wish I could see them too!!


Isn't Mother Nature just amazing!

Happy week ahead! May it be full of growth and nurturing! xx


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Don't forget about ElephantisLove Giveaway celebrating my one year Etsy anniversary. GO forth and spread the love!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

News from the garden: Spring harvests!



Already? You say.


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Dwarf Bak Choy (or I call it Baby Bak Choy, my favorite!)


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Red Romaine Lettuce for salads


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Snow Peas climbing up the ladder. Grow, peas, grow!


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What we had for dinner that night!


It's a pity the leaves are so bug-eaten. So much for us trying to be pesticide-free. Although they don't look very nice, nothing beats the taste of home-grown food!!


Watch this space for more exciting veggies!

And don't forget to join in the
ElephantisLove Etsy 1st Anniversary Giveaway!
which ends April 22nd!

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