BeyondStitches

Etsy Featured Artist: Contempo Jewels

2011-01-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to my super talented friend Staci Egan from Contempo Jewels. Staci has been handcrafting jewelry since 1999. She creates original and custom jewelry for any occasion. Her designs are nature inspired featuring wire working techniques using precious metals, freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones.

Staci lives in State College, PA (home of Penn State). Besides selling on etsy, Contempo Jewels can be found at some galleries, boutiques and art shows. Her studio/gallery is located in Surface Artist Cooperative (www.surfcaeartistcoop.com). Surface is an old barn that has been completely transformed. It showcases 6 creative women in several different mediums including pottery, home decoration, photography and bath & body products.

Staci specializes in custom designs and bridal "It’s my absolute favorite! Being a small part of someone’s big day is an honor and I cherish every moment. I am happy to create custom designs on any budget".

Please remember, when you buy handmade you are supporting an independent artist and small business.

Contempo Jewels - www.contempojewels.etsy.com
Contempo Jewelry - www.contempojewelry.net

Facebook Fan page - www.facebook.com/contempojewelry
Twitter - www.twitter.com/contempojewels
Blog - www.contempoweddings.tumblr.com

Contempo Jewels is a proud member of the Etsy Treasure Lover Team!
www.treasurelover.com/

One Goal= Zumba Convention

2011-01-19T05:25:00.000-08:00

Ok guys! I’m on a mission and it’s called Zumba Convention!!!

In order to make this happen, I need to come up with a lot of $$$. So, for the next few weeks, I’m going to be making t-shirts and headbands for sale. Aside from super cute, the headbands are reversible and have knit sequin fabric in the middle. You have the option of selecting one with sequin fabric on one side only for $10 or sequin fabric on both sides for $15 (you pick the colors). Custom Designed T-shirts are $20.

If you are participating at the Zumba Bobcats Halftime this year, the headbands would be perfect to match your outfit!! Even if you are not, they are still great to match all your zumba gear. They also look great with a cute pair of jeans. I can make them in any color and different theme. Think about Spring coming up. Imagine some lime green, pinks, purples, flowers, etc...
To place your order, you can go to my fan page or my Etsy shop and convo me. Or, you can send me an email to beyondstitches@gmail.com with your choices and your paypal account so I can send you an invoice. Once payment is received, please allow 3-5 business days for your order to be shipped/delivered.

Care Instructions: hand wash in cold water and let air dry otherwise the sequins will just vanish. Do not dry clean :-)

Please pass the word and share with your FB friends!!!!! Mention it on your blog. If you are a zumba instructor, tell your students!!! Just tell the world, ok? I really want to make this happen!!!!!!!

Welcome 2011!!!

2011-01-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2011!!! The year 2010 was one of the most challenging years for me. Still, I'm not complaining. Those challenges are what make life interesting :-) They help us grow and look at things from a different perspective. I am so looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that 2011 has to bring. For some reason, I'm really excited about this year!!!!!

This past year, we were lucky to have a white Christmas! My son was in heaven!!!

No major New Year's resolutions as those tend to disappear so fast :-) My goal for this year is to "Make Someday TODAY!" and take action. That will take care of everything. I need to stop complaining about not having enough time. Let's just do it! That includes blogging more often :-)

This week I am taking time to make a few items and send them to Canada for an auction organized by Bamboletta Dolls to help baby Molly and her family. The story is heartbreaking. When I see things like that, I immediately want to do something about it. I know I can save the whole world, but ‎every little bit helps. "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do." - Edward Everett Hale So, if you would like to contribute any handmade item go to Bamboletta's page for more info. Or if you can make a monetary contribution, go to Molly's page.

I'm also taking time this week to be more active on my Etsy and Facebook fan page. I'll be listing some of the things I have left from my past show. A lot of super cute accessories. my pictures don't really make justice to them.

Another thing I'm working on this week: Dolls!!! Yeah!!! I've been wanting to start my dolly drive project forever. The time is now! I will need about 300 dolls by the end of May. This batch will be going to Liberia. I will blog about it and advertise it with the hope to get people involved and help. I'm so super excited about it!!!

That's it for today. I'm going to get ready to go to Amelie's French Bakery in NoDA with the family. We love that place!!!

Have a wonderful day!

It's been a crazy month!!!

2010-09-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

I know I always start my blog saying that it's been a long time since my last post. Well, I'm not going to do that today :-) And, I'm not going to bombard you with all the great and not so great things that happened to me since my last post. I'll never finish LOL

Instead, I'll leave you with something fun to watch. Here is a little Zumba demonstration that we did on WBTV about three weeks ago. We were trying to promote our zumbathon. If you don't know which one I am, it's easy to find me. I'm the one that seems to be a little lost and always doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing :-) It was so much fun though!!!

I wonder why I'm always seem to be doing something different! Check out this photo!
If you are in the Charlotte area, try to go to a zumba class at the Siskey Y on Monday nights. It's a party! I think is the only exercise room in town that turns into a real club party at night. We have five disco lights in that room!!!! It's awesome!!! We even have theme night where people come dressed for the occasion. Last night was disco night. Those who wanted to join the fun were dressed in shimmery outfits!!! It's so much fun. You don't even know you are exercising:-)

Ok, my dog is calling me. I'll continue at another time. Have a great day!

The Holiday Boot Camp Pledge

2010-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

I, Larissa (BeyondStitches), pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls! I just love them!

2010-08-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a week again since the last time I posted. I know a few more weeks will probably pass before I post again :-) I wanted to post these before we go on vacation.

Remember the cute outfits I was making for my nieces American Girls? Well, I made a few more. I really hope they fit the AG dolls. I don't have an AG doll to try them on. I used one of the first crocheted dolls I made like 15 years ago to model some of the outfits.

Here on the left, she is wearing a very cute dress for a tea party in the afternoon :-) You can tell the dress is a little small for her. My doll has a longer torso than normal :-)

Here, she is wearing a black and hot pink tutu with a black and silver leotard. The leotard is in crochet.

I have no idea why these next two photos turned out like this. I tried uploading them a few times but every time they would come out like this. I gave up! This is one of the reasons I don't blog as often. It takes me hours to post a little thing. I don't find blogger very user friendly. Or, maybe my skills are lacking on that department :-)

Shoes to go with her tutu outfit and knit high pants to go with the orange sweater. The flower on the side is a double layer rose crocheted with variegated blue and orange.

The sweater was made with orange and hot pink Caron Simply soft. I made the fabric buttons to match.

Last, but not least, I wanted to share my batch of dolls that will be going to Freethekids.org to support Sarah's DollyDonations.

I love the way they turned out! I've been practicing my drawing skills so I can come up with my own pattern :-) Also, I've been practicing my sewing skills :-) I want to be really good (fast) at it so I can make tons of dolls and make kids happy all over the world. I'm thinking about sending my next batch back home, Dominican Republic. We share the island with Haiti. It's a dream that I always had! I think is about time to take action and do it :-)

This Past Week

2010-08-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention about our trip to Columbia, SC last weekend to meet with my friend Wendy from Wendilerias. She is very talented! You should check her blog! Wendy and I have been online friends for over a year. We blog, FB, talk on the phone and we have supported each other through our ups and downs, but this is the first time that we actually see each other in person. We had a great time together with our families. We met at the Three Green River Greenway for a picnic. I wish I knew there was access to the river before we got there so we could be better prepared. We were just going to have a picnic and go to the zoo.

The river was inviting us, especially the kids, to go in. We gave in and decided to stay a little longer. The water was freezing, but the kids didn't care. Honestly, I didn't go in. The water was too cold for me :-) I just sat down on a rock and took some photos. There were people Kayaking and tubing.

I love this picture of my son on the left. He loves nature! He was trying to slide down the rocks. He was having so much fun until he got a thorn in his foot, ouch! That was the end of it :-( Did I mention how unprepared we were? We ended up going to the pharmacy to buy tweezers and peroxide. We still couldn't get it out until night time when he was sleeping.

I also love the picture of Wendy and her daughter! Carolina was having so much fun that she didn't want to leave. Since we couldn't go to the zoo anymore, we ended up going to Wendy's house for a little bit. Here is a picture of us:

Another really cool place that we went to this past week is Amelie's French Bakery. They have the yummiest pastries and is such a cool and cozy place! We heard so much about it, but didn't get a chance to go until now. It's in the North side of town, NoDa. We liked it so much that we went twice this week. We went Tuesday afternoon and Friday night. OMG! that place was packed on Friday. My son was having a blast. After we ate our pastries, we went for a walk around NoDA. They had live music at Salvador's Deli. There was also a Drum Circle outside a coffee shop.

This is a really cool lamp at the entrance made out of small pots and spoons.
This is the chimney and piano area.

After finishing our yummy pastries, we sat down in one of the big couches. Gaby was browsing a book and I was knitting(finally took my needles out after a whole year). did I tell you that I also found a yarn store around NoDa. It was closed. I need to plan another trip there early during the day so I can check the yarn at The Yarn House.

This post is becoming too long. I will have to continue to sum up the week on another post. I hope you are not too tired from reading :-)

American Girl Outfits Part Two

2010-07-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't know there was going to be a part two, but I just got carried away :-)
No sabía que iba a ver una segunda parte, pero me dejé llevar :-)

I made her a bikini in crochet.
Le hice unos trajes de baño tejidos a gancho.

I also made her a hat and a pair of shoes in crochet as well.
Tambien le hice un gorro y unos zapatos tejidos a gancho.

I decided to recycle part of my tutu and make one for the AG doll. My niece is going to flip over this tutu! The headband is for my niece to wear.

Decidi reciclar parte de mi tutu y hacerle uno a la muñeca AG. Sé que mi sobrina se va a volver loca con este tutu. El diadema es para mi sobrina usarlo.

I told you I got carried away LOL
I also made a crochet dress and, of course, she needed a headband too to go with it.

Te dije que me dejé llevar, :-)
Le hice un vestido tejido a gancho y, por supuesto, tambien necesitaba una diadema para combinarlo.

My niece's birthday already passed, but I keep adding things to her gift package. Hopefully, I'll mail it by Tuesday at the latest. The family is going on vacation the following week and I want to make sure the package gets there before then.

El cumpleaños de mi sobrina ya pasó, pero sigo agregando cosas a su paquete de regalo. Espero poder enviarlo a mas tardar el Martes. La familia se va de vacaciones la siguiente semana y quiero asegurarme que le llegue antes de que se vayan.

American Girl Doll skirt and Top

2010-07-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of my niece's birthday and I thought I'd make her a dress for her American Girl doll. I didn't have a pattern, a doll or any measurements so the dress turned out more for like a Barbie doll :-) After my first attempt, I decided to look for some ideas online.

So today, I made her this set of skirt and top. Not my favorite fabric to work with (chiffon/silk), but it turned out really cute. I think she will like it! I'm thinking about making a tutu for her doll as well.

I also cut out the pattern for 5 dolls that I have pending for the Haiti dolly drive. I'm hoping to be able to finish those by this weekend. I really want to focus on my dolly drive. I might send my next batch to Ethiopia in September. I'm waiting on someone to get back to me. If not, I might take them to an Orphanage back home (Dominican Republic or Colombia). I also met this wonderful lady that just got back from a Mission trip in Liberia and she is going back next summer on another mission. I told her I wanted to send dolls with her so she is thrilled about the idea. She adopted two kids from there four years ago and they went back this summer to visit the kids family and friends. I love hearing stories like that!!!

My New Headband Display

2010-07-21T18:13:00.001-07:00

I spent most of my time yesterday creating this headband display. It's really easy to make but, for some reason, yesterday was one of those days when nothing seemed to come out right :-) At least is done now and is being displayed very nice at a local store.

In case you are interested in making one, this is what I did:

1) Get a pole. I got this one from a friend and it seems to be one of those used at Valet parking. She actually gave it to me already wrapped with the type of foam that is used to install carpets.

Since I wanted mine to be a little wider, I bought another half a yard of foam from Hancock Fabrics ($7.99 a yard). I also bought 5/8 of a yard of the cheapest Suede fabric I found ($6.99 a yard). You will also need a scissor, tape, hot glue, needle and thread.

I wrapped the pole with the foam like this.

Then, I wrapped it with the fabric. This is where it got all messed up :-) I miscalculated my measurements, and cut the fabric about two inches short :-( Good thing I bought enough and had the little extra to cover it. Although, it was double work for me. Hot glue was just not doing it for me so I ended up sewing the whole thing from top to bottom :-( At the top, I gathered the fabric and glued a piece of black felt to cover the small circle. I also added a daisy flower to cover that up.

Here is the finished product and how it looks with the headbands displayed.

I took it to the store today and it looks even better there :-)

So, what do you think? Not bad at all, right?

You can also make it with a PVC pipe and a piece of wood. It will require a little bit more of work though.

Smart and Trendy Moms Giveaway

2010-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! This is going to be a quick post. I just wanted to tell you that Smart and Trendy Moms is having a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate for my shop. Go and check it out! Ah! and don't forget to check all the other awesome giveaways that she is having! Pass the word!! Tweet and blog about it. Share it on facebook!!!

My summer So Far

2010-07-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Where should I start? Oh, remember the window my dog broke like 6 weeks ago? It hasn't been fixed yet. First, Lowes forgot to place the order and that put us like two weeks behind. They finally placed the order and got the window. When the guys came to install the window, we found out the Lowes was supposed to deliver the window and they never did. So, the guys couldn't install it that day. We had to wait for another week for them to come to install it because they didn't have any other time available. A few days after, Lowes finally delivered the window. When the guys came to install it, they realized that Lowes ordered the wrong size. Urrrgh!!! We were so mad!!!! And, to top it all off, our AC unit couldn't take it anymore. No AC for us for the last three days. So, it's been really hard to focus on anything. We finally got the AC fixed today. It was only $300 :-( It could have been worse.

Anyway, I can't believe how fast this summer is going. We haven't even gone anywhere yet. This whole window ordeal is messing up with our summer vacation. At least Gaby has been going to the pool a lot and he is really enjoying it. I told him that he needed to learn how to swim this summer or that he was going to be taking swimming lessons in the Fall. He's been doing great on his own. It's amazing how fast kids can learn things once they are comfortable with their environment. I am amazed at how much he has learned in just a few days!!!! I tell him that he is my Michael Phelps. You can tell how proud he is of his accomplishment.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!!

Girl Model search for my Hair Accessories

2010-06-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm having a "Model Search" contest on my Facebook fan page. Click on the picture to read all about it. Or, you can click on my facebook box at the top right corner of my blog. If you have a blog or any other social network, please pass the word. Even if you don't have girls of your own, I am sure you might have a niece, cousin, sister, neighbor, or friend that might be interested in participating. Thank you so much for the support!!!

Working on my Facebook Storefront

2010-06-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

A little overwhelming, but I'm getting there. It's definitely easier than Etsy. Plus, it's totally free!!! Love it!

I'm taking this whole week to finish it so I can launch it prior to 4th of July weekend. I'll have a Grand Opening Sale!! So, stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can look at some of the items that you'll be able to find there. Right now, most of the items are for little girls. I'm trying to expand to teens and adults as well.
This is a tripple layer Irish rose crocheted by me with 100% cotton thread size 10 and embellished with a Swarovski crystal.

This is a hot pink flower embellished with a pearl antique look button in the center. It's attached to a metal headband wrapped with a hot pink velvet ribbon. Recommended for teens and adults.

I love to make the ribbon sculptured flowers! They are so cute!

Now that you had a little preview, don't forget to stay tuned and to tell your friends about it.

Have a great weekend!!!

Meals for Haiti, Real Women Have Curves, Zumba and more!!!

2010-06-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a hectic, but productive day! The morning was for Dr.s appointment and for running errands. Part of the afternoon was dedicated Free My Starving Children to pack meals for Haiti. My husband and son came too. We, along with other volunteers, packed 178 boxed with 36 meals each in less than two hours. It was a great and very touching experience. Knowing that there are so many kids without a meal kills my heart. I'm so glad that we were able to be part of this project and I would love to keep doing it. If you would like to help too, check their website for more information about volunteering. If you are able to donate $, please do so. $17 provide meals for 100 children. That's .17 cents per meal!!!

After that event, I went to a zumba fundraising event to raise money to put up the play, "Real Women Have Curves" directed by Adyana de la Torre. It was a great event! The zumba instructors were awesome! The food was delicious! The crowd was super nice and humble. And, we got to see a sneak peak of the play. I can't wait to see the whole show! The show will start in July and is going to run for three weeks. You don't want to miss it!!!

BTW, I've been passing the word about my doll drive for the orphanages to everyone I run into. I still haven't put the whole thing together, but I will post more information here later on.

Have a wonderful day!!! I'm getting ready to go to another event today!

Crochet Flower Card and more...

2010-06-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this "Get Well Soon" card that I made today for someone very especial. I would've love to send her real flowers as she deserves the best of the best, but it was not in my budget :-( So instead, I made small crochet flowers with a smiley face button in the center. I think it turned out really cute and it will definitely brighten her day. What do you think?

Here is a little close up of the flowers. I made them "smiling faces" because she has the most beautiful and contagious smile.

Here is the inside of the card.

On another note, I found about Global Knit today and thought I would pass the word in case you, or someone you know, might be interested in participating. I wish I have the time to participate in every single charity project I find. My two hands can only do as much. I keep telling myself that by sharing the info with others, I'm already helping :-) That makes me feel better. Because I know that along the lines, at least one more person would get involved with a project because I shared the information :-)

Tonight, I'm cutting the patterns of the Haiti dolls to have them ready and start sewing them as soon as I get a chance. I want to be able to make a few dolls before the end of the month.

Tomorrow morning there is a zumbathon to raise money for school supplies for one of our local schools. I'm planning to be there even though my back and neck are in pain at the moment. I think I've been a little stressed out lately. Always too much to do and not enough time :-)

It's the end of the school year!

2010-06-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!! for summer vacation!!! I might have to take my son out for ice cream today to celebrate the end of a great school year. He brought all "A"s and did an excellent job in his EOGs. Now, we are looking forward to a wonderful summer fill of activities. I checked out some books from the library to look for places to explore in our beautiful State. He's been looking for science books as well to try new experiments. He is reading about MadScience. That should be interesting :-) Why can't we just do art or music? Hopefully he won't drive me too crazy this summer :-)

Changing the subject a little bit here, am I the only one getting overwhelmed with Facebook lately? I mean, FB is a great tool! Don't get me wrong. I just can't seem to catch up with this whole virtual world. So many groups, events, invitations, friends request,etc...It's getting out of control :-)

Ok, I need to go back to work. I've been spending way too much time in the computer rather than creating :-( It's time to be productive!!! Talk to you soon.

Hello again!!!

2010-06-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous day we have today and I can't believe we've been staying home instead of enjoying the beautiful weather. I guess is because my boy has not been feeling to well. He's been reading all weekend and has not been in the mood for anything.

Yesterday was my husband and my son's birthday. All my son wanted was my so famous Italian Ricotta Cheesecake so I did that for them. I also made them a nice breakfast and took them to Chipotle for dinner. Gaby couldn't really enjoy his meal as his runny nose was bothering him. We got him a book that he really wanted, The elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe Oh, the kind of things that my boy is into. All he does is talk about atoms, neutrons, nitrogen, etc.

This past Friday, I participated in a Think Pink Party Vendor Showcase to raise money for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. The event went pretty well. It was so well organized and people were just ready to support the cause! I sold a lot of headbands and I got a few orders that I need to fulfill this week.

I better go now and work on my custom orders. I'll be back soon to talk more about "sponsor a doll" project that I'm trying to work on. Perhaps you guys would like to help as well.

Long Time, No See!!!

2010-06-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that It's been exactly one month since the last time I wrote. That seems to be my pattern LOL I tried writing about a week ago but, I got upset with blogger. It kept messing up my story and photos so I gave up :-)

It's been quite a busy month. Not a lot of zumba for me :-( I've been creating a lot and figuring out what kind of hair accessories I want to concentrate on. There are too many things to keep in mind when selling stuff for kids. I think I want to incorporate more things for teens an adults. That way I can model my own products. You should see me wearing hair clips and tutu's LOL

I was trying to launch my own website but, before I do that, I want to try the facebook storefront. It's free! So, it doesn't hurt to try.

Right now, I'm just getting ready for a "Think-Pink Vendor Showcase" that I have this Friday. A friend of mine and two of her friends are doing the Avon breast cancer walk in October. They each need to raise $1,800 so they decided to have this showcase in order to get some help raising the money. All participants will give them 10%-15% of their sales that day.

I have to go now but, I will come back soon to show you photos of all my latest creations!!! I love, love, love creating! I wish I have more time during the day :-)

Project Art Aid

2010-05-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to the Project Art Aid that took place at The Actors Theater here in Charlotte. A group of local Latino Artists teamed up to help the earthquake victims from Chile and Haiti.

I met so many amazing artists! Their pieces of work are just beyond words. You can check the Project Art Aid blog to learn more about them.

As I was walking around the exhibit, I run into a couple of friends that I've met through my Zumba classes. What a small world!!!

Wordless Wednesday!!!

2010-03-03T07:33:00.001-08:00

Community Outreach - I need sponsors

2010-03-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Every day, the YMCA touches the life of so many people by providing so many wonderful programs and services like child care, literacy programs, discounted membership, sports and camp scholarships and Camp Boomerang (a summer camp for children with autism). None of these programs would be possible without the support of people like YOU. I'm looking for SPONSORS for the Siskey YMCA Community Outreach Zumbathon. Please consider making a donation. A $1, $5, $10, $50...whatever you can, will be greatly appreciated. And if you work for a matching gift company, that's even better :-) Make your checks payable to the Siskey YMCA. If you are in another State or Country and still would like to contribute, you can send the money through my paypal. The event is on March 13th. I would need the donations by then. Thank you so much for donating!

I'm back!!!

2010-03-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long I've been away from the blogsphere!!! It's been a super hectic 2010 so far. I love it! I just wish my days were longer so I can do even more. It's so good to be back. First thing I found today was an amazing project for an orphanage in Haiti: Dolly Donations: Sending love, 1 dolly at a time! What else do I need to get my inspiration back and keep blogging? I can't wait to start making one of these dolls!!! I've already printed the pattern and I'm getting ready to select my fabric. I'm so excited! I'm already picturing the kids happy faces when they get their dolls. What a great satisfaction knowing that you can make a difference and give those kids hope and let them know that they are loved.

Last week, we had a little zumba gathering to raise money for Haiti. We raise $1,000. Here is a video of me and one of my favorite instructors leading the song "Pegate" by Ricky Martin. You'll notice that the video is edited because we were having technical problems. We ended up doing 3 times. That explains why I'm a little lost and without energy, lol It was so fun anyways!!! If you have time, look at the other videos posted by the same person. Those are all the videos from the zumbafest for Haiti. Here is a picture. I love it because it loos like if we are about to fly, :)

I also participated in the Charlotte Bobcats Halftime. Here is a link of a video I found on youtube. You can see me running to the court at 0:06 time. I'm the one with the sparkly headband. Yeah!!! I made my headband. That's how my family was able to recognize me from a mile away :) Oh, I think you can also see me around minute 2:14 next to the really tall guy.

Here is a picture!

All right guys, I better get going now. I promise to be a better blogger :)

Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of Etsy artists united to help Haiti from the devastating earthquake. 100% of the proceeds will be going directly to Doctors Without Borders for Haiti Relief. Pass the word and donate an item if you can (Hearts for Haiti).((

Keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.

Wonderful time with family and friends

2009-12-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful week celebrating with family and friends. We had a great time!!!

I've never spent so much time in the kitchen like I did last week. When it comes to the kitchen, I've never had a good reputation, lol. Whenever my family comes, they even bring their own pots to cook, lol. I just don't like to complicate my life too much. I prefer simple dishes. Latin food is too much work and is not the healthiest one either. I do make excellent rice, lol

Anyway, this was the first time my friend and her family were coming to visit. They came from Maryland. I wanted to make them a nice meal to welcome them. I spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing everything. Very simple meal: black beans, rice, chicken breast, salad and (3)ricotta cheesecake for dessert. My friend couldn't believe it! She knew about my reputation so she was very impressed. She said I'm not allowed to say anymore that I don't know how to cook. Dinner was delicious!!! So, the rest of the week, I was in the kitchen cooking with her :)

My dad came with them too. I think we all had a great time together. All we did was eat, drink and listen to music the whole week. It was nice!!! We were so involved in spending time together that we forgot to take family pictures on Christmas Eve.

At least we took a picture of our meal. I only made the rice, :) That turkey, I had it in the freezer since Thanksgiving. I won that turkey at a supermarket. I didn't know how to make it. My friend didn't know how to make it either so she called her mom in DR and she gave her all the instruction over the phone. My mom tried telling me over the phone also, but I was just laughing :)

Here we have turkey, potato salad (we call it Russian salad-I don't know why), baby ribs, steak and rice with green pigeon peas. It was mostly meat. We don't really eat meat, but that's all our guests eat. It's a Latin American thing. A meal without meat, it's not a meal :) They didn't eat the turkey. We still have turkey in the fridge.

Here we are with our friend Laura that came to have dinner with us.

Here are our friends: Rosy, Susanita, Fernando y Mafer (short for Maria Fernanda)

Here I am with my dad. Now you can see where I get the looks, lol. Well, I actually look more like my mom.

Here is Gaby enjoying some time with Abuelo (grandpa).

Santa came!!!! and he brought a lot of things!!! This year we were reusing/re-gifting. I had a bunch of books, DVDs and a Leap Pad that were used but looked like brand new. We wrapped them all for the girls. They loved them!!!

Gaby didn't get the telescope that he wanted. Santa had ordered it online and didn't find out until two days before that it was out of stock and it was not going to be available until Feb. Santa left some $$$ so he can start saving for it. He also got two books. Grandpa got him an electronic speaking dictionary. Plus, he received three Barnes $ Nobles gift cards. Of course he was happy.

Gaby asked Santa for a bed for Speedy. So, here is Speedy enjoying his new gift. He is chewing the little pillow, lol. He also got a bone.

Mokis was not behind. Gaby asked Santa for some treats for him and he got it.

Ok, I think you guys are probably bored by now. My next post will be about some projects that I'm working on.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve

Where should I start? It's been almost a month!!!!

2009-12-19T14:41:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's been that long since I last posted here. I really need to try harder to update my blog.

Ok, so right after Thanksgiving, I was working day and night on my Bow Business. I had the Christmas On Main Street show last Monday and it was a great experience!! I really enjoyed it! I met a lot of wonderful people and I made some $$ too. I truly believe that some doors will open for me based on that show. I met a very, very nice lady that offered to take my catalog and samples to a gift store in SC. I met with her on Wednesday to give them to her. I hope she brings me really great news next week. She also mentioned that she has a friend here that owns a dance store and that she does consignment. She might be interested in my ballerina clippies.

I got a lot of positive feedback and that made me all excited. Now, I'm looking forward to do another small show right before Valentine's Day. I need to look into that ASAP as I don't have that much time to get ready.

Oh, I also made a cute outfit (tutu and zumba onesie) for one of our zumba instructors. She loved it!!!! Here is a picture.

I love the way it came out. Working with tulle was a little tedious, lol I need to practice a little bit more though. I can't wait to see the baby wearing her tutu. She is our future zumba diva, :-P

On another note, this year, for the first time in the many years we've been together, we decided to get a real Christmas tree. We were so excited when we got. No so much right now. The poor tree is not doing well. it's really dry and we've been watering it everyday. Here is a picture we took a couple of weeks ago.
We are expecting my dad and some family friends for Christmas. They were supposed to arrive tomorrow but because of the snow storm in the North East everything in closed and they might not be able to make it here until Monday. That gives me another day to get the house ready, lol

Ok, I think that would be all for now. I have to get back to cleaning.

Happy Holidays!!! I hope you all have a fantastic one!!!!

Operation Christmas Child and Zumbatrine

2009-11-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today I dropped off my boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Gaby and I had a great time putting the boxes together. We made two boxes for girls. We'll make boxes for boys next year. There are not that many cute things for boys out there. I mean, have you noticed when you go to a kids store that 3/4 of the store is for girls and a tiny little corner for boys. That's just not fair. They need to come out with a "Justice for Boys" store, :)

We tried to put as many things as possible in the boxes. Skorts, t-shirts, scarf, pencils, crayons, slinkys, erasers, socks, coloring books, dolls, jump ropes, headbands and candy.

Gaby wrote them a cute little card. I meant to scan them but I forgot.

After we finished putting the boxes together, we went to the kitchen and started making tacos for dinner. Gaby loves to have Chinese fortune cookies after dinner. So, he opened his cookie and it said, "If you continually give, you'll continually have." He was so excited to read that. He was like, "Isn't that what we just did? We'll always have because we are always giving." I thought that was cute. He has such a giving heart. I love my boy!

I also wanted to share with you my latest amigurumi inspiration.
This doll was inspired by one of my zumba instructor, Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill. She is an amazing woman. You can learn more about her here. Jatrine said she was going to take a picture of her and the doll wearing the same outfit. I'll post a picture of them together once I get it. You can always find more pictures of the doll on my FB fan page.

It's been a little while

2009-11-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

I really don't know where time goes. It's so hard to keep up with everything. I was even thinking about canceling my blog. It just seems that lately I don't have time to keep it up. Between FB fan page, twitter, Etsy, sewing, knitting, amigurumis, ribbon sculptures, zumba, the tons of online forums that I belong to and everything else that needs to get done around the house, it's really hard to find the time for blogging.

I'm also trying to get ready for an event on Dec. 14th., Christmas on Main Street. I'll have a table set up to sale my hair accessories. It will be my first time doing it and I want to be as prepared as I can.

BTW, on Feb. 6, 2010 I'll be doing Zumba with the Charlotte Bobcats. That should be a lot of fun so I'm really excited!

I wanted to share some pretty cool links that I found. The Lined zippered boxy pouched is very easy to make. Mine came out really cute, :) I put some pictures on my fan page. Canon Creative Park is pretty neat for paper crafts. You can print 3D animals, airplanes, buildings, people, etc. You can enjoy a nice afternoon putting something together with the kids. And if you don't know what to do with those old magazines, turn them into Recycled magazine coasters. Last, but not least, the Nani birds are cutest 3D paper birdies. You can find all kinds and you can even design your own.

I hope to see you on my fan page soon.

Celebrating 17 wonderful years together!!!!

2009-10-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today, it's been 17 years that John and I have been together. I wanted to create a slide show of all the wonderful memories from all these years. First, I couldn't think of a song. I can't believe we don't have a song. I mean, we have a bunch of songs that we love and have shared together but they don't really say anything about our relationship. Then, I couldn't find enough pictures. I have no idea what happened to our photos prior to digital cameras, lol. The slide show is not that great as I didn't know how to cut the song after the last photo. I suck at computer programs. I've been trying to learn to use Etsy, FB fan pages, blog, movie maker,...all at once. A little frustrating.

Anyway, here is the video. I love watching it. It does bring wonderful memories to me. John is the most wonderful guy. I know that nobody is perfect, but he is as close to perfect as anyone can get. And, I'm not just saying that because he cooks and clean. Of course, that helps :) but because he is the sweetest and most lovable one. He is the one that has always been there for me no matter what. He is my best friend and I love him deeply.

I wanted to add a little poem to the slide show but I didn't know how. So, here it is. I didn't write it myself but I think it says it all. I got it form Love Poems and Quotes (Love poem #28).

Will you ever?

I don't think you will
ever fully understand
how you've touched my life
and made me who I am.

I don't think you could ever know
just how truly special you are
that even on the darkest nights
you are my brightest star.

I don't think you will ever fully comprehend
how you've made my dreams come true
or how you've opened my heart
to love and the wonders it can do.

You've allowed me to experience
something very hard to find
unconditional love that exists
in my body, soul, and mind.

I don't think you could ever feel
all the love I have to give
and I'm sure you'll never realize
you've been my will to live.

You are an amazing person
and without you I don't know where I'd be.
Having you in my life
completes and fulfills every part of me.

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

2009-10-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Exactly 39 years ago, my mom had the best birthday present she could ever ask for, ME! Happy Birthday to both of us!!!

That's a picture of me when I was a baby. See how cute I was? I think I'm still adorable, lol :)

It's all about Mokito!

2009-10-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I've been trying to blog about this guy. He seems to be neglected lately and I feel pretty guilty about it. Mokito, our bunny, is turning 5. He is the sweetest little thing and has given us many years of happiness. He used to be the king of the house until Speedy came to invade his space :)

Here is a little video of Mokis taking a bath. He loves doing that!

Isn't he the sweetest little thing? See how he used to play with Mr. Peach, our hamster. Mr. Peach died 3 yrs ago :(

Gaby and Mokis were always together. They would even read and watch TV together.

I love this pose! This used to be his favorite spot, under the dining table.During Christmas time, he always picked a spot under the tree.

Everything was great until speedy, the dog, came. Speedy just takes so much of our time and energy. Now, Mokis spends most of the time in his crate. Sometimes I put Speedy on his crate so Mokis can have a break and stretch a little around the kitchen area without Speedy chasing him. It's not like Speedy is going to eat him. He just wants to play but he is so strong that he might hurt him by accident.

Anyway, that's the story with these guys. We love them both very much!!!

R.I.P. Gilberto Zaldivar

2009-10-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

This week has been totally crazy. I've been trying to stay away from the computer which probably explains why I haven't blogged. Lately, we've been bombarded with unpleasant news. They don't necessarily have anything to do with us still, they affect you one way or the other. They make you think and reflect about your own life, health, and future. I'm really trying not to let things get to me. It's really hard though.

On Tuesday, one of the Co-founder of the Theatre my husband works for, Gilberto Zaldivar, passed away. My husband had to fly to NY unexpectedly. The viewing(Celebration of his Life) is today at the Theatre.

That last time I saw him was when we were living in FL almost 6 years ago. He came down from NY to spend Christmas with his sister and he had invited us to dinner at his sister's house.
Here are some pictures from that night. He was always smiling or making jokes. I remember he was fascinated with Gaby and was trying to keep him entertained.

Gaby was playing the keyboard and delighting everyone with his concert.

R.I.P. Gilberto

My Grandmother Turns 96 and She is Full of Energy

2009-09-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a week already since I last posted. Time does fly :)

Well, tomorrow, October 2, my beautiful grandmother is turning 96 years young. Can you believe that? She has more energy than me :-) The last time I went to her birthday, she was 85. It was a huge party! Relatives from all over the world went. I couldn't make it to her 90's birthday either. But, I will not miss her 100th birthday for anything. We are all looking forward to celebrate that. My great grandmother (her mother) died when she was 105. I know my grandma still has many years to come. It's really a blessing to have her!

When I went to Dom. Rep. last month for a weekend, I was able to spend a few hours with her. We had a good laugh remembering how she used to send our dates (my sisters and I) away when we were in high school. We used to get so mad. Now, we just laugh about it.

Here are some of the pictures I took went I saw her recently.

Bad hair day, lol. I think she still looks beautiful!

I love this picture!!!

If you want to have a laugh. Take a look at her dancing. I told you she has a lot of energy.

This picture is in the roof of her house. She is trying to get some avocados from the tree.

I just couldn't help to take pictures of all the plants and trees she has in her front yard.

Here are some plantains.

Pomegranate

Sugar Cane- I had a big one and it was so sweet.
Avocados-The best avocados I ever tasted.

These are "limas" in spanish. I have no idea what's the name in english. I've never seen them here. They are a family of the grapefruit, lemons, etc...

Feliz Cumpleaños, mama!!!! Happy Birthday, grandma!!!

My adventures in sewing

2009-09-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't wait to post this! I'm so excited! I can't even believe I made it! You know that sewing is totally new to me, but when it comes to learn a new craft I could be very stubborn :)

Last week, I bought this pattern on sale for $0.99. I didn't know anything about patterns and skill levels. I just thought it was cute. As soon as Gaby got back from school I showed it to him. He immediately asked me to make him a dog in orange. I was up for the challenge. That night I cut the pattern. Of course, I didn't know anything about notches and markings so I skipped all that, lol. Man, did I learn a lot with this project. I spent the whole day on Friday (that is since I dropped him off at school that morning until it was time to pick him up in the afternoon) sitting in front of the sewing machine trying to figure out the pattern.

When I thought I finally got it, I started putting the pieces together. My first attempt to stitch the nose and the needle broke. Great! I had no idea how to change the needle. I looked in the manual and I figured it out. I also found out that I needed to use a different size needle for the fabric I was using, duh! I did all that and continue with the project. I was going nuts trying to figure out the head piece. It just didn't make any sense to me. I decided to put the head to the side and work on the rest of the pattern. I was so frustrated with that head piece :(. On Saturday afternoon, I brought my project to the Knit Knuts meeting and Aura and I went thru the pattern together. I insisted that there was a mistake with the pattern. So, when I came home that night, I decided to go with my visual eye and try again. I did it my way and it worked. There is a mistake in that pattern. There is a part on the head piece that says to stitch it together. Well, you are not supposed to stitch it because that's the part that you'll attach to the body later one. Anyway, I'm glad I figured that out. It was really hard to put the whole piece together. I ended up doing some hand sewing because some parts had to many layers of fabric and couldn't get them to go thru the foot. I even tried raising the foot all the way up and lowering the teeth of the machine.

Anyway, here is Hobbes. That's how Gaby named him.

Isn't Hobbes adorable?

I love his nose!

Gaby kept saying, "Wow, I really like it. You did a great job!" He is so happy with his new pillow! I guess all the frustration was worthy.

Zumbathon 2009

2009-09-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last night was our two hour zumbathon. We had a blast! Here are some of the video clips my husband made.

I'm sure you'll figure out which one is me because I make the most weird and funny faces when I dance, lol.

Here we are doing a song by Paulina Rubio. Jatrine is the instructor. She is awesome!!! I go to her class twice a week.

This is a Cumbia. Koh is the instructor and I think she has trained all the instructors here. She is unbelievable! I take her class twice a week.

I'm already tired here. This instructor, Irina, is from Ukraine. She has so much energy. I take her class once a week.

Ok, I think that's it for now. I promise to put pictures of my trip to DR and from my sewing adventures on my next post.

I finally finished my tote bag

2009-09-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from my really short, short trip to Dominican Republic. I had a great time with the family and some friends. The play was awesome. I was very impressed with their performance. I will post pictures from the trip and the play at another post. I think it deserves a post of its own :).

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my tote bag. It's all finished! I'm so proud! I mean, it's not perfect. I made a few mistakes but you can barely see them.

Here are some pictures:

Front view

Side view

Inside

For my next project, I'm thinking about making this dress. It seems very easy to make. We'll see.

I'm so proud of myself!

2009-09-09T06:12:00.001-07:00

I've been playing around with my sewing machine at home. It's been so much fun that I think I'm addicted now :). I made the black apple doll. It turned out so cute! It's my first softie and I'm so proud. It's definitely not perfect, but you can barely see the imperfections. I still need to sew the top of the head. I was thinking about adding some black yarn for more hair. I will also make her a scarf and add some buttons.

I also made a headband. It was very easy to make. I think I'm going to make myself a whole collection :)

So, what do you guys think? To be a newbie, not bad at all right?
I haven't finish my tote bag though. I've been working on that in class. Since I missed almost half of the class last week, I haven't been able to finish. I think I'll finish it on my next class. I already sewed the handles and iron the interfacing. Now, it's just a matter of putting it all together. I can tell you that it's looking very nice :)

I need to start thinking what my next sewing project would be. I want something more advance so I can learn as much as I can. Any suggestions?

Anyway, I should probably start getting ready for my trip tomorrow. I have so much to do today.

Our Weekend

2009-09-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Warning: a lot of photos

Yesterday we went to Matthews Alive. It's a festival that the City of Matthews in NC does every year. They have tons of activities for the kids, music, food, art exhibit, crafts, free stuff, etc...

This picture was taken when we got there. The only way Gaby would pose for the picture was if we let him make silly faces.

There was a quilt exhibit. We were so impressed by the amazing work done with those quilts. I love to see them but I don't think I have the patience to make one. Way too much work for me :). Nothing that will take me more than one or two days.

Here are some pictures of some of our favorites. It was really hard to pick a favorite, but I voted for this one.

This one, By The Sea, was Gaby's favorite.

This one was made by a little girl, about 10 or 11 yrs old. She told me it took her about a week to finish because she did a lot of hand sewing in the back. This is the 3rd one she makes. I was impressed by her talent.

Right by the quilt exhibit they had a small children's museum. We spent some time there looking at toys from around the world. And, of course, we had to try the masks.

We also got to see a preview of Les Miserables at Matthews Playhouse. They are just starting to put the show together. They will present it on April of next year.

Gaby spent some time at the Discovery Place station. He was practicing how Astronauts do things with gloves. Can you believe that one of those astronauts suits has 7 layers and weights over 500 pounds? The suit costs over a million dollar. The one below if not a real one, of course.

Usually, what people enjoy the most at this kind of festivals is all the food. Well, we are not too crazy about junk food so we ended up going to Chipotle. Gaby's second favorite restaurant. His first favorite is Wolfgang Puck.

After that, we went to Marshall to look for a small luggage for my trip. While there, Gaby and John were just acting silly trying things on.

Today, I just went to Hancock Fabric to get some buttons that I needed for my neck warmers. It was my first time at that store. I really like it! I have to go back without the family so I can spend as much time as I want browsing thru everything.

Four more days before I go to the Island. I have so much to do before then.

My blog has been totally neglected

2009-09-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

I really don't know where time goes. If I could only add at least ten more hours to my days...

I haven't done much with my sewing. I got up with my left foot yesterday, lol. I was late for my sewing class for half an hour so I couldn't do much. I was only able to do the straps for my tote bag. Then, I had to go to a chiropractor's appointment right after.

I've been trying to focus on organizing my knitting classes (application, policies, lesson plan) and I have totally neglected my blog and etsy shop. Next weekend I'm going to the Dominican Republic (yeah) so I have a lot to leave ready before I go. Planning to start my knitting classes the week of the 21st. BTW, do you guys know how to add a tab to the layout so I can add a session with info about my knitting classes?

The good news for this week is that my amigurumi panda was sold. Whooohooo! It was sad to see him go though. He is such a cutie!

I wanted to share with you a scarf that I made for my mom when she was here. I love the way it turned out! Perfect for the upcoming fall season. I think this is the first thing I've knitted for my mom. I'm not a bad daughter, :). She is just too picky, lol. This time she was able to select the yarn from my stash.

I started going back to the gym last week. It feels good to be back to my routine after not going for most of the summer. How I miss my zumba classes!!! I am exhausted today. I went to two zumba classes. I was planning to go to a third one but my legs couldn't take. We did a lot of high impact today. Great work out!

Good night everyone!

I'm so excited about my sewing class!

2009-08-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my sewing class that I went today to buy the fabric for my first project. I can't wait until my next class on Tuesday.

My first project will be a tote bag. This are the three colors I picked for my project. It was so hard to make a decision. Too many great choices :)

This one will be for the inside.

The green one is for the straps.

This one is for the outside.

I also bought the fusible interfacing to make it a little sturdy.

It's going to look so lovely! I can picture it already :)

I Think I'm Back on Track.

2009-08-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with all our guests this summer! Our cousins were really in shock with the fact that we don't have a TV. They couldn't understand how we can live without it. I thought that was really funny. I know people think we are crazy, but Gaby doesn't like to watch TV and we are always busy doing other things that we just don't have the time to watch TV. We are a member of NetFlix and, most of the times, we get a movie and we don't get to see it until a month or two later. Anyway, enough of that.

My mom spent a month with us. She left on Friday. It was great having her, but I ate so much and did not hit the gym once. She cooked every day and, of course, it's really hard to say "no" to my mom's food. She makes the best beans. I was able to freeze some for the rest of the month. There was only one little problem with my mom. She said she's not coming back unless we sign a contract saying that we'll have a TV for her, LOL. She did a lot of embroidering and cross stitch to keep her sanity for a month. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. She is funny!

We had a great time at the school's open house yesterday. I used to work at the school so I know a lot of people there. I kept running into staffs, parents and students that I've known from previous years. I kept talking and talking. I barely made it to Gaby's class. That was a great feeling! Gaby is so excited to start the new school year. He really likes his teacher. Apparently, every third grader wanted to be in that class. Not only he got the teacher he wanted, but also a great number of kids that he has known from previous classes. He is very happy and he already knows that this is going to be a great school year. He is really looking forward to learn about science and do some cool experiments.

Now, with the beginning of the school year I get back to my routine again. It's been a great week already. I went back to zumba after a month. WOW, do I feel great or what? I almost forgot how zumba makes me feel. I love the energy!

Today, I started taking sewing lessons too. I'm so excited! I learned a lot and I'm so looking forward to start my tote bag. I'll keep you posted of my progress.

Last, but not least, I want to share this little doll with you. I made it for one of the teachers I worked with last year. She just had a baby girl. I'm not too happy with it so I'm still undecided about giving it to her or not. What do you think?

Meet Ella...

The pictures were taken in the little macro studio that Gaby and I made a week or two ago. BTW, this was one of my sixty something unfinished objects. One down...I'm making progress, lol.

My Macro Photo Studio Experiment

2009-08-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, my dear friend Aura send me two articles about taking better photos without spending a fortune. You can find the articles here and here. I just couldn't wait to try it and share my experience.

I went to BJ's and got one of those empty boxes they have by the register for you to put the groceries in. The box already had three windows so I didn't have to cut it. I looked through my gift wrap supplies and found white tissue paper. With the help of my assistant (my 8 yrs old boy), I taped the tissue paper to the open sides. Then, I went to Michaels and got the black and the white poster boards for .49 and .59 cents. I used to desk lamps that I got recently for $10 at BJ's. Here is the set up:

Unfortunately, I didn't really follow the step by step directions on this. I did not control the tungsten or white light balance. I tried using two lamps and placing them at the different sides and the top. Sometimes, it worked better with only one lamp on the side. Other times, it helped having one on top; depending on how much light was coming through the window in the room. My son was an excellent helper, holding one of the lamps for me. He also had a great time taking photos of his own things. I learned that using the flashlight is not always a good idea. It'll make the picture look yellowish.

Here are some of the pictures we took:

This one of the pink hat was taken outside with the sun on the side. I did controlled the white balance on this one (+1).

Here are some of the ones my son took:

He's been drawing a lot lately and he wanted to take a picture of one of his drawings.

I will definitely try to do this again.

I Have Major OCD!

2009-08-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I must have major OCD because this could not be normal :). I counted about 60 unfinished projects. I promised I was going to look for them and I did. Here are some pictures.

A couple of heads and bodies. A red eye tree frog that is looking more like an alien, lol. Parts for three different giraffes. I was designing the one on the lower left, but I ran out of yarn. I'm actually working on the one in the middle right now. You can see a hat, slippers, baby shoes and a butterfly.

Here is a swan or goose (I don't even know) that I made like ten years ago. I think is just missing the hat and a ribbon. The blue baby sweater is just missing buttons or velcro. That little green guy is supposed to be Master Yoda, lol. Next to the sweater, you can see all the pieces for a hamburger, except for the bun. Next to eat is a baby bib. I need to make the straps a little longer. On top of the bib, there is an amigurumi bear. It's just missing the face. My husband says it looks like a mouse :) On the lower left corner, you can see a halter top and a top that I was making for one of my nieces when my sister was pregnant. I never finished it. Next to the tops, is a blue ball. The orange pieces you see there if for a fawn (Gourmet Amigurumi's pattern.) I love the head, but I don't like the body. I need to work on that again. Right next to it, you can see a bunch of flowers and leaves. But, that's not all. There's still more.

Here you can find a bunch of heads for pencil toppers. Eventually, I will turn them into animals just like the frog on my banner.

You are probably tired by now, but there is still more. Two scarves, two pair of shoes, a small pet sweater, a baby sweater, a shawl and a chinchilla. Here is a closer look at the baby shoes.

And more projects.

A big baby, an elephant, a bear, a body for a doll, a pig, a tiny white baby shoe, a pink face, a blue body and a doll.
Here you can see the big baby a little closer. That thing is ugly, lol. I'm sure once I add the facial features and some clothes it will look better.

Remember that ugly doll that I mentioned to you before? Well, here she is. I already got rid off her facial features. I think that's her major problem. Maybe I should make her different clothes.

Here is a close up of the face.

From the side.
Back

Ok, I think that's all for now. I hope I didn't scare you away with this long post :).

Do you tweet?

2009-08-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

I never thought I was going to find myself tweeting. I remember telling my husband a few days ago, "I don't see the point of twitter. Why should I care about what people are doing every second of their life, especially if you don't even know them? Well, I think I found my niche. For the last two nights, I've been tweeting a lot. Mostly, finding friends from Ravelry, KH and Etsy there. It's been a lot of fun! I like the fact that I can have a quick preview of what everyone is doing on my homepage rather than going to so many different forums.

All right, back to work now. Have a great day everyone!

Crochet bookmark giveaway!

2009-08-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

You don't want to miss your chance to enter this Crochet bookmark giveaway by Joyous Treasures. Go check it out!

Too busy to blog...

2009-08-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

When I decided to start a blog, I knew it was going to be hard to keep it up. Still, I wanted to give it try and I'm not giving up. Not yet. There is just so much to do and not enough time. I promise I'll do better once school starts.

My mom is visiting for a few weeks. I'm trying to keep her entertained so she won't get bored. She loves going to Goodwill stores. We made a couple of trips there this weekend. She's really good at finding treasures there. I've never had any luck. Maybe, I'm blind :). Well, believe it or not, I don't really like to go shopping. The only stores where you can find me is either at a yarn shop or a craft store. Since I can't afford to buy anything right now, I try to stay away from them.

I'm really excited because I might go back home (Dominican Republic) in a month. My niece, nephew and brother in-law are participating in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, The Musical at "El Teatro National." This theatre is like our "Broadway" back home. Since they started rehearsing for the play, I told them that I was going to go and see them perform. I didn't know back then that I was going to be unemployed now. I was a little disappointed because the whole family is planning to go. And, as much as I love them, I know I can't afford to get into another debt. We just had some unexpected expenses this summer. So, I prepared myself mentally to stay here and conform myself with looking at pictures and watching a video later. Of course, it's not the same. Anyway, to make the long story short, my sister called me and said she was going to get me a ticket with her miles. I would only need to pay for the tax ($102). Ah! I forgot... I just found out that my passport expired last month. Bummer :( That's another $90. $75 for the passport and the rest for the pictures and shipping. I sent the application today. Hopefully, I'll get it on time. If not, too bad. I'm not going to sweat it. It'll be nice to go though. It will be a chance to see my grandmothers as well and the bunch of family and friends that I have there.

Another reason why I've been so busy is because I'm trying to open an Etsy shop. The more I read about it, the more I need to learn. Whenever I think I'm ready to launch the shop, something else comes up. I told my my husband I was going to start even if it's with one item and I'll learn the ropes as I go. Otherwise, it's never going to happen. Worst part so far: taking the pictures. No matter how and when I take them, they don't seem to capture the essence of the item. I'll keep trying...that's all I can do.

I discovered One Red Robin

2009-08-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

I just found out that Jhoanna Monte Aranez from One Red Robin was featured in the Creative Uncovered session of Living Creatively. Jhoanna makes the cutest softies. If you like to know more about her, go and check out the article. I just discovered her a few days ago and fell in love with her creations! She also has a shop on Etsy (jmararez).

Amigurumi Doll is Finished!!!

2009-07-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Sarita! Isn't she cute?

Next time I need to lower the features of the face. I keep placing the eyes too high. My braids came out a little longer than suggested. It's all good, right?

Mia has a great hair tutorial. I have too admit that I did not follow the tutorial step by step. I need a lot more practice. But I did my best!

Here is a close up of the face.
Hmmm, what's next? I should probably catch up with all my FOs. I probably have like 100 of them, seriously. I don't know about you, but I always have a bunch of projects on the needles. I get really anxious. It's like if all my ideas are going to disappear so I have to start them right away. The funny thing is that, most of the time, I just put them aside and don't get back to them until years later, if I ever do.

I've also made some amigurumis that I find so ugly that I won't even give them away to charity :) I only give stuff away if I really like them. There is this particular doll that I made a couple of years ago that I don't know what her problem is but I don't like it. Well, I think is her face. I always had a hard time making those faces. Now that I'm doing better with embroidering, I might try to fix her. My husband thinks the problem is the hair. I was really proud of the hair. I made it short and curly. A new technique I was learning back then. I think it might be the yarn I used. I'm going to find her and take a picture to post here. Perhaps you guys can give me some ideas.

Progress on Amigurumi Doll

2009-07-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the update on Sarita.

The body is finished.

I made three heads. I still can't decide which one to use. I hope you can help me decide.

Here is Sarita with the head #1. If you look at the picture the pattern, you notice that the head is twice the width of the body. In the pattern, it looks great! But when I see my tiny doll with that huge head it just doesn't look right to me.

So, I made head #2. Not as big as the other one, but still big. This one is my husbands favorite.

Finally, I made head #3 which seems to be more proportioned to her body. I know that one of the things that make amigurumis unique and cute is their disproportioned head and body. But I think I like my dolls to be a little bit more realistic.

What's do you think? Should I keep head #1, #2 or #3? Picture the head with the braided hair. It might help you with the decision :)

Anyway, I have to go and pick my mom at the airport. TTYL

Summer Fun

2009-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

One of Gaby's favorite things to do during the summer is to watch Speedy going crazy with the sprinklers. It's a lot of fun to watch him. He goes nuts from one sprinkler to the next. Here is a little video clip:

And here are some pictures of Gaby and Speedy playing:

I love to see them having so much fun!!!

I love this particular picture.

Speedy is flying...

Let's see, what else is new? Well, Gaby started Camp Invention today. He was so excited this morning when we dropped him off and he's been talking about it since he came back this afternoon. He had an awesome day. He can't wait to go back tomorrow!!!

After dropping Gaby at his camp this morning, DH and I went to a power yoga class. That class was so good! All I needed after a whole week without working out. After yoga, DH went back to work and I went to Zumba with Jatrine. I love that class! And, like if that was not enough, I went to another zumba class this afternoon with Koh. I missed half of that class though. I thought the class was at 6:00 pm but it was actually at 5:30pm. The minute I walked in, Koh called me to go to the front. She always does that with the new instructors. When I did the training with her a couple of weeks ago, I told her I was not going to go to the class for a while because I didn't want to be put on the spot. She probably thought that was the reason why I didn't go last week, lol. Oh, she just couldn't wait for me to go back and tell the whole class that I was a new instructor :). You should've seen the grin on her face. I love her!!!
BTW, I just found out that there's a zumbathon on September 19th at the Ballantyne Corporate park. Whohoo! I can't wait! It's free to everyone.

Later on, I'll post some on my Sarita Mexican doll. DH is waiting for us to have dinner. Gotta go...

Amigurumi Mexican Doll and Emoticon

2009-07-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Since we had our friend over for the week, I did not have too much time for knitting/crochet or the gym. So, yesterday I decided to take the day of from cooking and cleaning. It was my day to relax.

I have a collection of amigurumi patterns that I've been meaning to make. I think I spend more time collecting patterns than actually making the dolls. I just keep finding patterns of all these cute little things and I need to have them. Anyway, yesterday I decided to stay away from the computer and start working on some of the patterns. This was my first choice.

I already made the head. I love her face! I usually don't do too well with the embroidering but I think Sarita is looking lovely! I made the wig for her hair but it turned out too small. Well, the thing is that I'm not using the right yarn. I'm using whatever I have on my stash. I'm almost done with the body as well. The body came out too small for the head (Pictures will come later). I'm planning to make a smaller head for the body and I'm going to use this face for a different doll. I have all these plan with her...curly hair? straight hair? red hair? green hair? pants? skirts? zumba girl? So many options....

Changing the subject, Anna from Mochimochi has been working in a series of tiny knitted things. She makes the cutest tiny little things. I was inspired by her to try making tiny crochet objects. I'm not sure these tiny little things are for me. Here is my first try: Mr. Happy Emoticon. This guy looks ugly and weird, LOL. I realy need to try and do better than this. My idea is to make different emoticons (happy, sad, grumpy...).

Ok. That's it for now. Back to work :)

Neta Amir's Blog

2009-07-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was just browsing online and I stumbled into Neta Amir's blog. She makes the most amazing and colorful dolls. Stop by her blog and check out the crochet lady on a chair. It's a fantastic piece art. If you get a chance, check out her flickr. She has over 1,ooo pictures of her dolls.

Giveaway at Spud and Chloe!!!

2009-07-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that Spud and Chloe is hosting giveaway. Go there for a chance to win! Contest is open until Wednesday, July 29th.

Spending time with our friend Paul

2009-07-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Gaby and Paul in top of our front yard tree.

This week our friend Paul visit us from NY. It was such a pleasure to have him with us. The last time Gaby and I saw him was about 6 years ago when we were living in Plantation, FL-- John gets to see him more often because he goes to NY all the time for work.

Gaby was so excited! I've never seen him talking so much. He usually takes a while to open up to people. This time was different. He established rapport with Paul immediately. They played soccer and rode the bikes; they built a spaceship with legos; they talked about Star Wars, books, inventions, etc; and they walked a lot and climbed the tree in our front yard.

We went to the Greenway for a walk and saw these cute deers. It took me by surprise. I've only seen deers around here during the winter time.

The picture below was taken at Imaginon.

Paul went back to NY today and I can tell that Gaby is already missing him. Come back soon, Paul!

Remembering Spring :)

2009-07-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do during Spring time is to go strawberry picking at the Hall's Family Farm. For us, it was sort of like a ritual. Almost every day after school we would go to the farm to get strawberries, slushies and blackberry cider.

There's nothing like a nice bowl of fresh strawberries!

Gaby would go around the whole farm picking up the best strawberries he could find.

After that, we would sit down and enjoy our slushies.

Almost as tall as me.

Here is Gaby showing everything we got at the farm. They had the best blackberry cider. Gaby would drink blackberry cider every night with dinner and pretend that he was drinking wine :)

Gaby picked the best lettuce he found. It was delicious!!!

My anatomically correct amigurumi doll

2009-07-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of the projects that I've been working on. Well, I started working on this doll a little while back but for some reason she ended up hidden in my stash.

I wanted her to be anatomically correct. I'm really happy with it so far. These pictures don't really do any justice. I'll try to put better pictures as I record the progress of this anatomically correct doll.

I think the belly buttom came out a little bit too high.

2009-07-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

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Test for Technorati

Ribbit is finished!

2009-07-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished, Ribbit. He is a Susan B. Anderson's design. It turned out so adorable! You can get it for free at Spud and Chloe.

It's such a beautiful day!

Playing hide and seek.

I think he was singing here :)

Climbing the tree. I have to love this picture!

My Dear Friend Moved Back to India

2009-07-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the wonderful memories for the past three years.

Zumba Workshop

2009-07-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since the last time I posted. I've been really busy. On Saturday, I spent all day at a Zumba workshop. I can say now that I am a Zumba Instructor! Yeah! It was a hectic day. I arrived at the gym at around 8:00 am. and didn't leave until about 6:00pm. I was exhausted! But, what a great time I had with all those zumba enthusiasts! It was an incredible experience! The picture above was taken after the first hour of the workshop.

Today, our very good friends were moving back to India. We had them over for dinner yesterday. It was really sad to say goodbye. Our sons have been best friends since Kindergarten and we all had a great friendship since we met at school 3 years ago. I can't believe they are already on their way to India. I really wish them all the best and I hope they can readapt quickly. We are definitely planning a trip to India.

Well, I think is time for me to catch up with my knitting projects. I really want to try to get my Etsy shop up this weekend.

My Creativity Is Back!!!

2009-07-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so, I've been kind of lazy about everything in general. I didn't go to any of my Zumba classes and, for some reason, I was not motivated to knit or do anything crafty. Maybe it was because we took a trip to DC. It's always kind of hard to get back on track after a vacation. Well, guess what? Yesterday, I decided to get myself to the gym. I'm so glad I did! I went to Jatrin's zumba class in the morning and I went to Koh's class in the evening. It seems that's all I needed to get my creativity back. Last night, all thses bunch of ideas for baby hats and amigurumis were bursting out of my head. I made a pink pixie hat (all is missing is the pom pom). I'm also working on a pink beanie hat. All I need now is to take a weekend to work on the tons of projects that have been on the needles for the longest time. Also, I want to start making simple amigurumis so I can post the free patterns on my blog. And, of course, I'm still working on creating this blog. I'm sure you can tell that I'm not a very "Tech-y" person, LOL.

BTW, we finally got our new bike rack. It's the Thule 963 Spare Me Tire Bike Rack. We also got some cycling pants; the really, really, really cheap ones. Those things are quite expensive.

The Color of My Rainbow

2009-07-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Your rainbow is strongly shaded green.

What is says about you: You are an intelligent person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Bike Riding

2009-07-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the Greenway to ride our bikes. We rode about 12 miles again. It was a real adventure. When we were on our way to the trail, our bike rack crashed in the middle the road. Good thing there was not too much traffic and we didn’t cause any accidents. I ended up driving the car to the Greenway while my husband rode his bike and pulled mine all the way to the trail. The best part was when we were ready to head back and we were trying to fit the 3 bikes inside our CRV. That was a challenge! And getting them off was another. Still, we did it!!! That was a lot of fun! Now, we are in the search for a new bike rack. Those things can be quite expensive!