Ok, July Goals for my Business:

Finish all 230 item sample line (23 to go)

Photograph all items for cateloge by Professional

Write up wholesale and retail price lists

Have Cateloge layout made by Professional

Print 100 cateloges (28 pages each)

Make 100 cateloges on C/D's

Search out national stores to mail C/D's to.

Send out Print Cateloges to existing Wholesale accounts

Upload all 230 Items on Etsy.

Must be done by end of July for Christmas orders!!!

New treasures for your hair!

These are just a few knitting related items I came upon on the web this week....


Knitting for Your Health: check out this video, the health benefits of knitting (for real)

My Fingerprints for today are my grandkids. We visited them recently and had fun watching Ty's baseball game, playing with clay (and the dogs) at their house, and cooling off at the lake. ♥










Paige dressed up to go out to dinner.



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There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

I'm very slow to update my giveaway results. I'm happy to have increased my fan list on facebook Congratulations Amanda Ergenbright for winning the giveaway! I mailed the shirt last Saturday and I hope it arrived safely. Thank you to everyone that added themselves as fans to my Facebook page.

Peach with a splash of chocolate. That's the theme of this lovely treasury created by cuddlebuddies4kids featuring our Guava Nectar Body Sorbet.

so as I'm sure your bored stupid by now of my new york tales, after all i was only there for one and a quarter day... but I'm just finishing off by showing the few things i did buy, well i got these two cushions/pillows from crate and barrel, who were having quite a lovely sale, the blue ikat style one was only $12.00 with the feather insert included.. and the little striped one was reduced from $25.00 to only $4.00..how could i leave without them ?.. the glass hand in front of them, i got from urban outfitters.. it was one of the only things in the shop i did like..and also from crate and barrel i fond these cotton napkins that I'm going to make into more cushions/pillows, i think it must be an American thing, because the choice was just bonkers, i really think people in England just wipe their mouths on the tablecloth..or in my case my sleeve ? i wouldn't know where to go for napkins ?...

and that's about it, we did get some sweets from Dylan's candy bar, but they didn't last long enough for a picture to be taken. and David did design and make his own Muppet in fao schwarz, that was stupidly expensive,..good pictures here of the whatnot workshop where yo do it. between me and you i don't think he really liked it after it was made..but it was too late, and its never been out of its bag since we got It home... and I'm now getting excited by my next holiday, but its a whole 5 months away, how will i cope....

.... I'm the artisan featured on "Artfire Artisan Spotlight" today. Yippeeee!

These clothes are fantastic. Fantastic! I adore everything in her shop. I constantly am drawn to her designs and just her sheer...I don't know...daring way of putting things together. Rompers? A babydoll dress sewn on the front of another dress? Crazy and amazing.

Here is her sweet summary of her work:

"neneee focuses on featuring comfy and fashionable daily wear for extra awesome girls and smart, fragile women. i draw most of my inspiration from street style, art, eccentricities, music, movies, literature and the like. unless noted otherwise, all clothes are made by yours truly; this includes everything from sketching to pattern drafting, cutting and finishing."


{great expectations romper}


{scalloped shorts}


{tuxedo dress}


{circus romper}


{grey gardens playsuit}

zimka

I Love bustles. I don't know if this comes from my love of all things romantic, victorian, edgy, and just a little bit of {wholesome} burlesque, but I love them.


artlab

Maybe it is because I have always loved dressing up and feeling pretty.


elliott elephant

Could be in part to having no fanny and loving that I could have one.


giaconceptions

Or maybe the thought of it balancing out my little childbearing gut is comforting. Not at all like situps, and sweating for said excersizes.


sisters rose and ruby

Or maybe because what's her name in The King and I didn't care (or know) that the children thought she was fat due to her gigantor skirt (how they missed her teeny waist is beyond me.)


gaudy couture

I think though, it is the tattered lace, the modest disguise of hiding a figure.


bustle

Feeling demure and a little bit saucy at the same time.


stacy leigh atelier

So, I decided to make a very very VERY watered down bustle skirt for everyday wear. Even though I do not machine sew, I did just a quick little stitching while I had foils (color) in my hair. (yes, I do foil my own hair late at night when the kids are sleeping so as not to frighten the sweet little beasts.)



I found this great tiered gyspy skirt (you all know the one) in a gorgeous nude color. It was about 10 sizes too big, but I couldn't pass it up. So, I took it home, gathered 2 folds in the very back and created a single back panel over the tag and pinned it.





Then, I simply hand stitched the waistband across the panel and about 3 inches down the back on each side of the fold.





Truly, it was so easy it took about 15 minutes. Now, I have a skirt that fits with a hint of a bustle on the back, but not too crazy like. You may not be able to even tell that a bustle exists.



But I can. And I like it.



If you try this project, you can get some matching tulle, snip the back panel at the top and insert pieces of tulle and lace into your slits in a descending fashion, all bustle like to really poof it out. (Just follow the inspirations of the gorgeous bustle pics I showed above!) I am actually considering doing this to my skirt, or maybe trying it on another one. I have no shame to walk into a grocery store with flip-fops, fitted tshirt and maxxed out bustle skirt.

What do you think, do I dare?

Don't mind me - I'm just testing.......:)

or, at least, that’s what they say. and admittedly, i don’t care much. because i like to tease. Or at least show a little teaser of what I have been working on. maybe if we call it crafteasing it might sound a little better. what do you think?

right. moving on.

i have been working my little fingers to the bone trying to prepare for the craftacular artists market at SSW Exposed that’s happening on july 10th, 11th and 12th. [yep, a 3-day craft binge!!].

and in doing so, i’ve come up wtih a new line of recycled notepads. i have made them before. and do sell them from time to time. but this is the first time in subu history that they are refillable. yes, that’s right. REfillable.

and because i love showing off my crappy camera pictures of my work, here’s a little teaser of the notepads:

i’ve also been playing around with a new craft: flower ribbons. remember that tutorial i posted a few days ago? well…it’s damn addictive. and i love how they turn out.

see:

now i just have to figure out if i love them enough to start selling them. i could be persuaded either way at this point. [a shameless attempt for feedback]

Music is one of the most important aspect of both my life and Scott's.  We've both grown up in homes where music played an essential part of daily life.  Scott's parents adored rock n' roll and the glitzy glamor of Las Vegas shows.  The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Barbara Streisand was regularly blasted in the Leonard household.  When I grew up, my parents' taste spanned the likes of David Bowie to Joan Baez.  Between my father regularly bringing home new and unique NPR favorites such as Irish Dement, and my mother waxing poetic over the genius of rock n roll heroines such as Stevie Nicks or Debbie Harry, my sisters and I were more than encouraged to blast our own records loud and proud. 

Like plenty of teenagers, we both spent our formative years obsessively listening to music, constantly searching for the next greatest song, or paying careful attention to already known masterpieces.  As Scott and I grew older this obsession never ceased.  Concerts, downloads, and bootlegs were the primary focus day in and day out.  Even now we will gladly miss sleep on a work night if there is a good show within 1-2 hours drive.

Music still plays a huge role in our lives, often surpassing all other hobbies or entertainments.  Not a day goes by where the sound of Scott playing guitar, or of me belting a tune does not echo against the walls of our small condo. The sound of Scott carefully dissecting a favorite song is often replaced lately by a single bass line throbbing in from the craft room as Scott methodically learns songs in preparation for the China trip.  As someone who is yet to master any instrument (apart from occasionally my own vocal chords), it blows my mind the way that he can listen and repeat melodies on so many different instruments.  As much as I love music, my flame for it is only a tiny glimmer in comparison to Scott's. I've never known anyone who loved music so much as Scott.

You can imagine the pressure that I felt when picking music for our wedding!  I chose a New Orleans jazzy rendition of the Wedding March so that the wedding party could dance down the aisle.  That seemed to go over really well, and had everyone in the audience boogying along. 

For the recessional, we chose "Wigwam" by Bob Dylan, a sentimental favorite of ours.  We were announced to Rebel Rouser by Duane Eddy, and the bride & groom first dance was "Sleep Walk" by Johnny & Santo.  That has always been our song, and it was a great match for the 50's theme anyway.  Countless hours of our lives were spent driving aimlessly through the night while listening to that song. What girl could help but fall in love with a sun roof open to the stars and Sleep Walk on the radio? I didn't stand a chance.

 

We opened the dance floor to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", and followed it with "Maybelleine" and the original version of "Woo Hoo" by the Rock-A-Teens. 

I obsessed quite a bit over the choices for this first batch of songs, trying to get a mix of the most kick ass, and soulful 50's rockabilly.  Elvis performed a 30 minute set after the first batch of music and really lit the crowd on fire.

Next, we danced with out parents.  I danced with my Dad to Iris Dement's "Sweet is the Melody".  Iris Dement was an artist my Dad heard on NPR one evening on the way home from work.  He instantly fell in love and made a pit stop from his commute just to get his hands on the full album.  He came home full of excitement, and made my sisters, Mom, and I listen to the whole thing as soon as he came home.  Lucky for us, we loved it too.  Since my Dad had always encouraged my sisters and I to sing, I sang the entire song to my father as we danced.  Strangely enough, he told me that one of the reasons he had liked Iris Dement so much was that her voice reminded him of mine!  Funny how things turn out.

Scott and his Mom chose "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You" by the Beatles, a good choice that came from Scott's love of the Beatles, and his Mom's desire for an upbeat song. You should know, Scott's mother is quite the dancer.  I don't think that she's ever had lessons or anything like that, but can she ever boogy!  She was kicking up her heels Tina Turner style the entire night, and was the talk of the dance floor!

 

The second batch of dance music was a mix of carefully chosen oldies and a few indie and alternative songs thrown in for good measure.  Elvis, who was also our DJ on top of being entertainment and officiator, popped in party hits now and again to keep people dancing.  After a good deal of dancing, he disappeared for a costume change, ready to warm up the crowd with his second set!  White jumpsuit Elvis was a huge hit.  He was swarmed with ladies, and had the entire place going crazy.

Following Elvis's second set, we did an Anniversary Dance to a version of "Our Love is Here to Stay" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.  All the married couples began the dance, and were widdled down until only the longest married couple remained. Al and Carol Barney, my Matron of Honor's parents won the dance with 50 years of marriage, being celebrated this year!  Carol remained on the floor to judge in our next game, the Single Ladies Bouquet Dance Contest!

This wacky idea for a wedding game was drummed up by The Hat City Scissor Squad girls just a few weeks before the wedding. While discussing wedding plans we got onto the topic of bouquet tosses, and decided to have dance-off instead of the traditional toss.  All the unmarried ladies danced their butts off to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, and Carol tapped them out one by one, until she selected my sister, Sarah, as the winner.  Reports say that she may have even done a crab style back bend to win the prize.

Our last set of music spanned the remainder of the evening and let loose with a series of indie dance hits, classic jams, and good old fashioned party music.  We wrapped up the night with a last dance of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine, and called it a night... that is until we hit the karaoke bar later on.

For the heck of it, check out this page to see a complete playlist from our wedding.  You can download Itunes Mixes of the stuff that is available at the Itune Store, or you can hunt for these little gems on your own.  Enjoy!

On Sunday, I saw Wicked at the Orpheum. According to my parents, who are so old that they had to go into the side door and sit in the balacony of the Orpheum when it was a movie theater[note: they are black], the Orpheum looks now as it did back then. With a chandelier, wallpaper so opulent I thought it was carpet and a huge seating area with a balcony, a mezzanine, and tons of seats on the bottom, it's an amazing sight. Uniformed ushers guide you to your seat.

The play was very nicely staged. There was a large moving dragon on the top of the stage, athletic dancing monkeys, and costuming that both brought the Wizard of Oz to mind and was original as well.

The story was quite different from the book, but it was understandable. The world of Oz in the book is gigantic, with many different religions, peoples, and beliefs. Having everything connect back to Elphaba and Glinda wouldn't make sense becuse the world is so big. However, the musical has a smaller scale. There's a love triangle, the scarecrow,lion and tin man now all have something to do with Elphaba's[and sometimes Glinda's] actions, and even the Wizard is tied in at the end. There was a popular girl/nerdy girl high school dynamic added as well.

The music was amazing, as well. All in all, worth the ticket price.

My tatted Rose and Embroidered Hearts Wrist Cuff was chosen to be in thismonths gift guide on Etsy

If you're like me you have great ideas and grand plans but you find yourself the day before holidays and birthdays thinking eek I was going to make that to wear or that to give and so on and so on. So here's a little tutorial for you last minute folks. Seriously not counting the creative part (which to be honest is most fun) these take maybe 15 minutes to make and are easy peasy.

So to celebrate Independence day I'm giving away all three of these headbands and I'm going to give a little tutorial for the Fourth of July one since I won't be able to ship the headband to you in time haha, save it for next year or if you're in Utah Pioneer Day (it's a weird as you might be thinking but so fun) or Labor day I guess. Just skim down for giveaway options if you are not so craftily inclinded.

The Tutorial


(you should be able to click on the image to make it bigger)

1. Cut your fabric I like the skinny end to be 1.5 inches and the fat one to range from 2.5 to 3 but bigger is cute to. The length when folded should be somewhere between 8 and 10 inches. Cut two layers.
2. To get the bottom layer to stick out trim the sides down a bit on the top layer.
3. Unfold and position the layers, both right sides up.
4. Sew the sides together
5. Hold the headband over your head and guess how much elastic you will need (it should be the space that's left to go around your head minus about an inch) usually I do about 4 inches and it's good. Sizing takes practice. You could be all mathy and measure and calculate but isn't it more fun to unpick stitches haha.
6. sew the elastic in one side (either stuff it in between the layers of fabric or just underneath). And do it to both sides
7. Cut slivers of fabric to make a firework flower, layer them.
8. Sew down the flower just sew a couple lines turning the head band to take the "petals"
9. Wear, eat delicious bbq and if you're an American be grateful for those who fought for our freedom.

The Giveaway
To enter to win these three:
1) Link back to this blog post on your blog (or other internet thing-y). Click here to create a link if you use blogger other wise make a post as you normally would. As always feel free to(and I would love it if you would) use my pictures for giveaway posts. To enter by posting to your facebook just become a fan of RaeGun and then post a link to this giveaway in your facebook status. Get an extra entry if you follow my blog for the first time (see the little widget to the left)
2) Comment on this post telling me where you linked it or that you became a fan or follower. And please make sure I have a way to contact you (ex. if your blog/profile is private leave your email address). Remember you can enter multiple times if you link back in multiple places and for this giveaway you'll get an extra entry if you follow my blog. Please make a comment for every entry.

For more info on these giveaways and to see a list of past winners see this post.

This giveaway is open until 7/18/09

Happy Fourth of July!
p.s. don't forget the shorts giveaway ends tomorrow

A few days ago I watched this old movie from 1939. I'm really becoming quite the TCM junkie lately...I don't know why (it used to be the channel to fall asleep to) but I'm getting into these classics. I liked the movie The Women - especially the scene where the main character's mother is trying to explain why men have affairs and women don't. Something to the effect that when men get tired of themselves they go find someone to make them feel new again and when women get tired of themselves they redecorate. And I thought that might be true to some extent! I know when I get bored and tired of myself the first thing I do is redecorate the things that don't cost money (like my new blog look?) and then redecorate my closet (hitting the clearance rack at Target) and then lastly my home (almost never get to that one!). Anyway - if you have a spare couple hours check out the classic movie channel because you never know what you might learn :-)

Can you believe that we are officially half way done with 2009? This year is flying! A couple of things to mention, I added the two market totes mentioned in my post below to the Etsy Shop


I have 3 more completed totes that will most likely go up this weekend as well!


Also, I wanted to take a moment to talk about my long distance book club I have with my BFF Leanne. This has pretty much turned out to be the year of The Vampire or Immortals as some authors call them! I am on my 36th book for the year! My original goal was to read one book a week, for a total of 52 books this year, but its becoming more and more likely that i will surpass this goal! Here is my book list for 2009:

Standalones:

1. Peace Like A River
2. Pygmy
3. My Sweet Audrina

Twilight Series:

1. Twilight
2. Eclipse
3. New Moon
4. Breaking Dawn
5. Midnight Sun – Partial

Sookie Stackhouse Novels:

1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead to Worse
9. Dead and Gone

The Immortals After Dark Series:

1. Playing Easy To Get
2. A Hunger Like No Other
3 No Rest For The Wicked
4. Wicked Deeds On A Winter’s Night
5. Dark Needs At Night’s Edge
6. Dark Desires After Dark
7. Kiss of A Demon King

Vampire Diaries:

1. The Awakening
2. The Struggle
3. The Fury
4. Dark Reunion

The Little Goddess Series:

1. Vulnerable

The Darkest Power Series:

1. The Summoning

Immortals Series:

1. Evermore

Cutler Family Saga

1. Dawn
2. Secrets of the Morning
3. Twilights Child
4. Midnight Whispers
5. Darkest Hour

Dollanganger Family Series

1. Flowers in the attic
2.Petals in the Wind


And what's a post without any pics! Here is some Etsy love: