So while I'm driving to work yesterday I hear the dj talking about these romance novels that you can personalize. These people write a new one every year or something like that and then you can order which ever title you like and then you supply a list of information about each of you two to the site and they produce a romance novel starring you and your significant other. You can order hardback or paperback and the prices start at $39 and go up from there depending on HOW much you personalize it. You also have the option of ordering the "mild" or "wild" version of the story. I guess you can even put your picture on it if you want.
I am not a fan of valentines day or romance novels. But I know plenty of people who are and the dj on the radio personally attested his "wild" version of the novel he ordered for his wife has really spiced up the romance with them. I can see that working :) Besides I think this novel thing is a really neat idea at least. Women have a lot going on in their heads and sometimes a book can really put your thoughts in the right place! This could also be a good Anniversary gift or bday, whatever you think is appropriate. Anyway if any of you are interested this is the site Your Novel Now this isn't something that you make yourself but it's still creative and personal.
Jan 31, 2008
Jan 30, 2008
Why do We All Need to Use Reusable Shopping Bags?
I just wanted to remind you all that you need to be using reusable shopping bags now! I've noticed more and more of these being sold at all of the grocery stores for very little cost.
My husband hated all the plastic bags we ended up with under the sink, since I won't throw them away. I usually ask for paper, but a lot of places don't even ask you before they start bagging things and they just use plastic cause it's cheaper for them. Now I just say "I have my own bag right here" right when they start putting things in a bag, and they are always delighted at that for some reason. So I always thought that paper had to be better than plastic because you can recycle them and use them for a lot of things, and they are more biodegradable than plastic (which I can attest to because I've buried quite a few under my flower beds and they aren't there after a couple months). Boy was I wrong, this is what motivated me to move on and EVOLVE.
C'mon people take some responsibility. And if you're worried about looking fashionable I've got some great links to some fun grocery bags you can buy too. the more people see others in the grocery store with their own bags, the more people will start using them. So be part of the solution, it's not like it's THAT hard. IF you have kids this should be more important to you than anyone else, if you want them to be living in a safe, healthy environment when they grow up. Teach them some responsibility.
This is what I bought on ebay and I love these fancy ones, but if you want the basic ones they work well and are the size of a regular grocery bag. Basic bags &Fancy bags
If you want to find your own, just go to ebay search and enter "grocery tote" or "Grocery Bag" in the search. Or just buy any ol tote bag if you want. There is a fabulous site with LOTS of different grocery bags, and cool stylish ones here at Reusablebags.com
Also don't forget that most stores offer a discount when you bring your own bag. Although it isn't a lot, it is something and that means the more people use their own bags the more the prices should go down at the stores as well for everything. Every time I bring my bags to the store (which I just keep in the car all the time) the cashiers are complimenting me on how cool they are and number of people ask me where I got them. So if you are worried about attracting attention, it won't be the negative kind. Plus you don't have to worry about your bags falling apart or what to do with all those plastic bags you end up with.
I also noticed at our local Trader Joes they have a prize drawing every week that is exclusively for customers who bring their own bag into the store for the groceries. Maybe some of the other stores will catch onto this. Trader Joes isn't my favorite place to shop but this is certainly a positive thing for them to do.
There are a couple of people on Etsy that sell really cool resuable totes here are their stores if you are interested I just love their bags: Melissa Vest Designs and Peace Love & Canvas and Modern Charm There are plenty of other sellers of reusable totes on etsy just enter "Shopping tote" into the search spot. I found these really nice shopping totes they are selling at my local Fred Meyers for half off right now which meant they are only 4 bucks a piece! and they are super cool and easy to clean since they are nylon bags. The tag says they are made by Patty Reed Design and they are big with a 3 glass bottle pockets (I find great for wine bottles) and a newspaper pocket that folds flat when you don't use it so it's perfect for keeping items separate when you need to. I really like these bags and I wish I found them sooner they have neat designs on the outsides.
ANYWAY I just want to keep you all on your toes when you buy groceries. Bag waste is a HUGE problem and we can all easily remedy it by just bringing our own. And YES my husband does keep a couple in his car as well for when he picks up groceries and other small shopping items as well.If you're feeling creative, just sew your own. Keep em in your car, cause you never know when you want to pick things up. Feel good about doing something for the world and future generations.
My husband hated all the plastic bags we ended up with under the sink, since I won't throw them away. I usually ask for paper, but a lot of places don't even ask you before they start bagging things and they just use plastic cause it's cheaper for them. Now I just say "I have my own bag right here" right when they start putting things in a bag, and they are always delighted at that for some reason. So I always thought that paper had to be better than plastic because you can recycle them and use them for a lot of things, and they are more biodegradable than plastic (which I can attest to because I've buried quite a few under my flower beds and they aren't there after a couple months). Boy was I wrong, this is what motivated me to move on and EVOLVE.
C'mon people take some responsibility. And if you're worried about looking fashionable I've got some great links to some fun grocery bags you can buy too. the more people see others in the grocery store with their own bags, the more people will start using them. So be part of the solution, it's not like it's THAT hard. IF you have kids this should be more important to you than anyone else, if you want them to be living in a safe, healthy environment when they grow up. Teach them some responsibility.
Top Facts - Consumption
· Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
· According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S.
· According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S.
· According to the American Forest and Paper Association, in 1999 the U.S. alone used 10 billion paper grocery bags, requiring 14 million trees to be cut down.
· According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan
· According to Australia
Top Facts - Environmental Impact
· Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
· Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
· As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected.
· Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.
· According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78° North [latitude] to Falklands 51° South [latitude].
· Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.
Top Facts - Solutions
· In 2001, Ireland
· July 2003, ReusableBags.com goes live, advancing the mainstream adoption of reusable shopping bags.
· Each high quality reusable shopping bag you use has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over its lifetime.
If you want to find your own, just go to ebay search and enter "grocery tote" or "Grocery Bag" in the search. Or just buy any ol tote bag if you want. There is a fabulous site with LOTS of different grocery bags, and cool stylish ones here at Reusablebags.com
Also don't forget that most stores offer a discount when you bring your own bag. Although it isn't a lot, it is something and that means the more people use their own bags the more the prices should go down at the stores as well for everything. Every time I bring my bags to the store (which I just keep in the car all the time) the cashiers are complimenting me on how cool they are and number of people ask me where I got them. So if you are worried about attracting attention, it won't be the negative kind. Plus you don't have to worry about your bags falling apart or what to do with all those plastic bags you end up with.
I also noticed at our local Trader Joes they have a prize drawing every week that is exclusively for customers who bring their own bag into the store for the groceries. Maybe some of the other stores will catch onto this. Trader Joes isn't my favorite place to shop but this is certainly a positive thing for them to do.
There are a couple of people on Etsy that sell really cool resuable totes here are their stores if you are interested I just love their bags: Melissa Vest Designs and Peace Love & Canvas and Modern Charm There are plenty of other sellers of reusable totes on etsy just enter "Shopping tote" into the search spot. I found these really nice shopping totes they are selling at my local Fred Meyers for half off right now which meant they are only 4 bucks a piece! and they are super cool and easy to clean since they are nylon bags. The tag says they are made by Patty Reed Design and they are big with a 3 glass bottle pockets (I find great for wine bottles) and a newspaper pocket that folds flat when you don't use it so it's perfect for keeping items separate when you need to. I really like these bags and I wish I found them sooner they have neat designs on the outsides.
ANYWAY I just want to keep you all on your toes when you buy groceries. Bag waste is a HUGE problem and we can all easily remedy it by just bringing our own. And YES my husband does keep a couple in his car as well for when he picks up groceries and other small shopping items as well.If you're feeling creative, just sew your own. Keep em in your car, cause you never know when you want to pick things up. Feel good about doing something for the world and future generations.
Jan 25, 2008
BAth Bon Bons! Make them yourself
I like to look at this lovely little website/community http://www.care2.com that has a wealth of information concerning the environment and everyday living. Today they sent me this recipe for homemade bath bon-bons. These would make a fantastic gift or indulgence for yourself. I think you could use any type of essential oils that you prefer to smell in the recipe.
HOMEMADE BATH BON BONS
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Producer, Care2 Green Living
If only there was a silver bullet for the perfect bath. Something absolutely pure that infused the bath with emollients and natural fragrance. Something that didn't have sneaky toxic ingredients (like parabens and synthetic fragrance) and didn't cost a fortune. Oh, wait, there is! Homemade bath bonbons, and you can easily make them with kitchen cabinet ingredients.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: Like many kids, my daughters have sensitive skin. I spent ridiculous amounts of money on very expensive all-natural bath products for them—money that was going down the drain since my youngest daughter was still a mess of itchiness post-bath. So we threw open the kitchen cabinets and started playing around with coconut oil, cream, honey and other ingredients known for their salubrious effect on skin. My daughters think this is intriguingly gross (slimy! sticky! lumpy!) and hence, they adore it. So it's become part of our nighttime routine: We mix up a batch of homemade bath goop, the girls soak, and then step out of the bath like soft, glowing, little goddesses. And then there was the bonbon bonus. I started noticing that my hands were exceedingly soft after their bath. Of course, I needed to ditch my commercial bath products too. So I took the plunge and started playing around with a few bath concoctions of my own. Here is my favorite formula.
INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (see note)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons baking soda
3 tablespoons sea salt
3 drops ylang ylang pure essential oil (optional)
Since coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees F, the temperature of your oil will make a difference in the method you use. Coconut oil does not need to be refrigerated, but once you make the bonbons keep them there so that they don't melt. You can't start with refrigerated coconut oil because it is very hard, so start with room temperature. If your room temperature is above 76 degrees, the oil will be liquid—you will need to stir in the ingredients and then pour the mix into an ice cube tray, mini muffin tin, or similar receptacle. Then refrigerate until hardened, remove (you may need to briefly set the container in warm water to release the bonbons) and store in a jar in the fridge. If your room temperature is below 76 degrees, the coconut oil will be softly solid (as opposed to hard solid like straight from the refrigerator).
You can mix the ingredients and then scoop by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet or plate to chill in the fridge. Once hardened, remove (you may need to set the sheet or plate in shallow warm water to release the bonbons, or line the sheet with wax paper first) and store in a jar in the fridge.
Dissolve one or two bonbons in your bath, get soft. Makes 12 bonbons.
Note: Coconut oil is commonly used in food, but has been used as a skin moisturizer for centuries by people living in the tropics. Studies show that it imparts significant improvement in skin hydration and increases skin surface lipid levels. Buy virgin coconut oil, which is unrefined, and if you can find it select a fair trade brand. Coconut oil is available in health food stores and some supermarkets.
HOMEMADE BATH BON BONS
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Producer, Care2 Green Living
If only there was a silver bullet for the perfect bath. Something absolutely pure that infused the bath with emollients and natural fragrance. Something that didn't have sneaky toxic ingredients (like parabens and synthetic fragrance) and didn't cost a fortune. Oh, wait, there is! Homemade bath bonbons, and you can easily make them with kitchen cabinet ingredients.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: Like many kids, my daughters have sensitive skin. I spent ridiculous amounts of money on very expensive all-natural bath products for them—money that was going down the drain since my youngest daughter was still a mess of itchiness post-bath. So we threw open the kitchen cabinets and started playing around with coconut oil, cream, honey and other ingredients known for their salubrious effect on skin. My daughters think this is intriguingly gross (slimy! sticky! lumpy!) and hence, they adore it. So it's become part of our nighttime routine: We mix up a batch of homemade bath goop, the girls soak, and then step out of the bath like soft, glowing, little goddesses. And then there was the bonbon bonus. I started noticing that my hands were exceedingly soft after their bath. Of course, I needed to ditch my commercial bath products too. So I took the plunge and started playing around with a few bath concoctions of my own. Here is my favorite formula.
INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (see note)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons baking soda
3 tablespoons sea salt
3 drops ylang ylang pure essential oil (optional)
Since coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees F, the temperature of your oil will make a difference in the method you use. Coconut oil does not need to be refrigerated, but once you make the bonbons keep them there so that they don't melt. You can't start with refrigerated coconut oil because it is very hard, so start with room temperature. If your room temperature is above 76 degrees, the oil will be liquid—you will need to stir in the ingredients and then pour the mix into an ice cube tray, mini muffin tin, or similar receptacle. Then refrigerate until hardened, remove (you may need to briefly set the container in warm water to release the bonbons) and store in a jar in the fridge. If your room temperature is below 76 degrees, the coconut oil will be softly solid (as opposed to hard solid like straight from the refrigerator).
You can mix the ingredients and then scoop by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet or plate to chill in the fridge. Once hardened, remove (you may need to set the sheet or plate in shallow warm water to release the bonbons, or line the sheet with wax paper first) and store in a jar in the fridge.
Dissolve one or two bonbons in your bath, get soft. Makes 12 bonbons.
Note: Coconut oil is commonly used in food, but has been used as a skin moisturizer for centuries by people living in the tropics. Studies show that it imparts significant improvement in skin hydration and increases skin surface lipid levels. Buy virgin coconut oil, which is unrefined, and if you can find it select a fair trade brand. Coconut oil is available in health food stores and some supermarkets.
Jan 18, 2008
I'm a busy bee
Sorry i haven't post much. I have been very busy working on some new projects that are not jewelry items! I have grand plans to open another etsy store but I want to have a few items to sell before I set it up. I also want to keep the new stuff a surprise for now, hopefully it won't take me more than a month.
I've also begun taking a metal-working class. It's 3 hours every Tuesday and so far it's SOOOOO cool! I have always wanted to learn but I didn't realize there was a place that taught it around here. As soon as I found out I signed up for the beginning class. It's pretty neat so far, there are 6 of us and all women. Most of them are much older than I but they are much more fearless. I get jittery and nervous around loud tools and those torches and gas tanks make me nervous! I shouldn't have drank so much coffee either cause I was a little shakey with the torch, but I figured it out so far. I have a feeling I have a new expensive hobby in my future. Once I finish my first project I will post a pic, the first project will be a pendant made with copper and brass. I haven't decided exactly what I plan to design but I have a lot of ideas. The second project will be a cuff bracelet, i can't wait for that one!
January seems like it's a slow month for sales. Maybe no one likes what i have right now I guess I will find out.
Jan 8, 2008
Making The Baby Mohawk Hat
Well a few months ago I decided that I wanted to make a mohawk hat for my nephew. This was before I joined Etsy and saw a seller making them as well. So I was wondering where I would find a pattern. I had seen the Punk Rock Knits Book on amazon and I knew they had a mohawk hat pattern in it. I think the Domiknitrix book also has one.
So I checked it out from the library and saw they only had a pattern for adults. I didn't want to do the math to shrink the pattern and the base of the hat didn't look suited to a baby. So I thought a helmet hat pattern would be a good base and then I would thread the yarn for the mohawk using the technique they used in the book. I found a baby helmet hat pattern from this "Hey Julie" site http://heyjulie.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/babykids-earflap-hat/
So I checked it out from the library and saw they only had a pattern for adults. I didn't want to do the math to shrink the pattern and the base of the hat didn't look suited to a baby. So I thought a helmet hat pattern would be a good base and then I would thread the yarn for the mohawk using the technique they used in the book. I found a baby helmet hat pattern from this "Hey Julie" site http://heyjulie.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/babykids-earflap-hat/
My nephews head was about 18" at the time so I used the pattern for the 16" hat since the pattern says the sizes are for heads bigger than that.
Then I used a thicker yarn for the mohawk, and I got it in a fun color mix that I thought looked punky. And I followed these directions from the Domiknitrix book:
"Cut 150 3-4" pieces of Lambs Pride bulky yarn for the hair. Cut hair longer than needed, then later give it haircut for the best mohawk.
Working on RS, insert your crochet hook through a knitted dt at the front center of hat. Fold a piece of yarn in half and slide the yarn onton the crochet hook at the fold. Pull the fold through the st, creating a loop. Cont hooking hair onto hat every few rows, working from the center front to center back. The more densley you place the yarn, the more dramatic the mohawk effect. Once all the hair is in place, you may choose to give it a trim until you're pleased the length of your mohawk. Don't make the mohawk any wider than 2" or the effect won't be as grand. Add hair 5-9 rows across. then taper the width at the nape of the neck.
Then I was finished. But after looking at it and trimming it, I thought the mohawk didn't seem "stiff" enough. And since I used an acrylic yarn on the base and a felting type yarn on the mohawk, I thought I would try to felt the mohawk even though it wasn't all knitted together like regular felted items. After felting, pieces of the mohawk hairs were kind of chunky, and definitely more stiff! I also made a couple of crochet cords and attached them to the ends of the earflaps to keep it on his head. I thought it looked pretty cool and so I mailed it off to the nephew to see how he liked it.
Here are pics before i sent it to him (put it on my knee to see how the mohawk would "stand"):
A few days later I got some pics of Noah wearing the hat and I guess he has received a lot of compliments!
Isn't Noah just the cutest? :) I am biased of course.
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