Month: April 2016

your face.

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DIY-er through and through, I decided I would try my hand at doing my own wedding make up. I headed to my favorite make up store and had a wedding look created to match my wedding feel. Most days I slap on some eye lid primer and black liner with the occasional shimmer eye shadow if I’m feeling fancy. My wedding seemed a good time to take a refresher course on full face make up application. Plus, knowing how to properly apply make up is some sort of life skill I should know by now, right ? #feeling32 I picked a few of my favorite eye shadow shades and described by wedding look to my make up artist Bernadette (who, by the way, also did my birthday make up two years back). A look was born! Bernadette showed me how to apply everything from foundation to ‘face highlights’, and taught me how to troubleshoot mascara smears. She did one side of my face and I did the other and she answered all of my make up questions. …

brilliant!

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Today is our wedding day! Yup, Feyoncé and I are tying the knot. Oh you bet I can’t wait to share all the details with you. But for now, I’m sharing our wedding ring shopping experience and revealing the bling that made the cut! We decided our 8th love anniversary would be a perfect day for ring shopping. I had my heart set on matching rose gold bands. We chose to shop at Brilliant Earth because they have a large assortment of rose gold options, ethically source their stones, and use only reclaimed metals – love it! Lucky for us, there is a Brilliant Earth show room nearby and we got to shop in person. Making the appointment was simple and despite the pressure to pick rings to last a lifetime, our ring guide and the overall comfortable spa like atmosphere in the show room made ring shopping so much more enjoyable. We tried on a number of styles and our ring guide was able to offer suggestions. All of their rings were made to order and customizable. If …

juniper berries.

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I found dried juniper berries at a specialty food store and decided it would be my souvenir. They are a little tart and a little peppery, and supposedly go great with game meat and may aid in digestion. Since I’m a big tea drinker, I decided to make a simple syrup to use in lieu of honey. A quick recipe: Add crushed juniper berries to a one to one ratio of sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes. Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for four hours. Strain out the juniper berries. Enjoy! Mmm, I want to try it on pancakes and drizzle it in some Greek yogurt. I still have a lot of juniper berries left. Maybe I’ll try my hand at making a juniper berry meat dish next. Have you cooked with juniper berries before? What did you make? Share below.

the camp.

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More Orange County adventuring! I stumbled upon The Camp on my way to a job site, so you bet I managed my way back after the job was through. There are restaurants, shops, and succulents everywhere. Plus, fun quotes at every parking spot. The business that keeps me coming back on each trip is Milk & Honey. The have my go to breakfast meal when I’m working in town: an açai bowl with granola and fresh fruit. Plus, I grab a milk tea. There’s also Seed: the People’s Market. I enjoy perusing their wares. They carry an assortment of handmade and fair trade items, and they are all fun to look at. OC much? Where do you like to explore? Share below!

tassel party!

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The Academy of Handmade Maker Awards Ceremony is just one week away so Danielle and I threw a tassel party! And though we can’t attend in person, we sure did make a lot of tassels to help decorate the celebration — We’ll be there in craft spirit! We used tassel makers from The Loome and colorful twine from Divine Twine. And what’s a tassel party without tassel decor, matching colorful name tags and I’m a Maker pins?! We served treats from Mariposa Baking Co in Berkeley. And look, even our scraps containers were cute. So many tassels…and so many uses for tassels! A big thanks to Modern Mouse for hosting us and to my partner in maker event scheming, Danielle! I’d also like to thank the Academy. 😉

roses are…not all red.

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The roses are in full bloom at the State Capitol Park World Peace Rose Garden in Sacramento. I spent part of my afternoon strolling through the park, sitting, and enjoying the scenes. Look at all the varieties in bloom! I especially enjoy the roses that are as big as my face and the ones that don’t look like “typical” roses. Which one is your favorite? Share below!

the packing house.

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I’ve travelled to Orange County a few times over the last year for work. During my adventures I found myself exploring some eye candy places. The Packing House is one of them. A total tourist destination for the super hip, the Packing House has food and drink, lounge spaces with ample seating, and the most wonderfully trendy decorations. It’s a place to socialize and relax. I can see this as an after-Disneyland stop. It’s kid friendly, but on my visit there were mostly young adults and young adults with their parents (raises hand!). Also, good food was to be had. I tried Georgia’s jambalaya with rice. It was warm and comforting. Then I tried milk tea at Sawleaf Cafe – seriously refreshing with just a touch of sweetness. I don’t think I’ve visited anywhere quite like the Packing House before. What a fun place to hang out! I shall return!

ballin’!

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Baseball season is in full swing (Hehe, swing. See what I did there?) and Bedford Gallery asked me to make some pennants to sell at their merchandise counter during the showing of their exhibit Safe at Home: A Short Survey of Baseball Art. The exhibit, which runs through June 12, features artists from both near and far, and baseball memorabilia. As a featured vendor I got to attend the opening reception amongst the artists. Another fun treat! There were baseball snacks, too — peanuts, cookies, pretzels & mustard, and hot dogs! And the crowd was bustling, filling the whole gallery. As we were heading out after the event, it was super exciting to see someone walking out with a few pennants in hand! Are you rooting for your home team? Share below!

mealtime at kleinefreuden. 

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My crafty lady crew is the fanciest, especially when we let our ceramicist friend be in charge of mealtime. Welcome to Kristin’s! She’s got classic style and throws the best mealtime parties. You can check out her lovely ceramic pieces here, too. Ooh la la! Whether it’s a sit down meal or a casual night with friends, there is loveliness spewing from all the places. There are always homemade breads, an assortment of dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and a whole lot of love & fabulous lighting. #nofilter Heirloom silverware. Handmade drinkware. Freshly squeezed juices. Mealtime is an event with these ladies. There’s always excellent conversation, fresh flowers, and, of course, photo opportunities. It’s safe to say that when I come over I feel like I’m on vacation at a bed & breakfast. Thank you Kristin for always welcoming friends into your home and making us feel so cozy and loved! How do you entertain your crafty crew? Share below. 

shop feature: gather.

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One of my favorite neighborhood shops is located in the Hayes Valley of San Francisco. Why is it my favorite? Because whenever I’m in the store I want to buy everything…everything! Annnd, owners Daisy & Christian are the sweetest! You really can find something for everyone at gather. Clothing, jewelry, housewares,…. Plus, there are workshops – I hosted one back in September and just attended one my friend taught last month. I’ve got some Feed the Fish co. goodies in shop, too. Aw yea… Stop in and see what all the excitement is about!