Month: August 2018

ice cream social.

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Ice Cream Social was the sweetest event! My friend Tally Sue of Shweet Shtuf and I popped up shop at Mischief in Oakland for an afternoon of ice cream treats and craftiness. We set up shop in the Mischief backyard which they had just fixed up. And we decorated with honeycombs, ice cream balloons, and a giant soft serve lamp. Special treat: The Laurel District Association sponsored the snacks. We had ice cream sandwiches and fruity popsicles. Yum! My set up! I had a whole line of ice cream themed pennants and wall hangings for sale, plus surprICE CREAM pints (versus my usual ‘surprise boxes’) in actual pint containers and felt succulents in cups and cones! It was Tally Sue’s very first pop-up so it was super exciting to share the moment with her. Her stuff is the cutest. Tally Sue sells her plushies wholesale in a few shops, but Mischief is the only California store. (Exclusive!) She also makes avocados, clouds, tooth fairy pillows, donuts and so much more. For the pop-up she made …

tennis tuesday: sectionals.

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This week on Tennis Tuesday: Sectionals! Sectionals were held at a few locations in the Monterey Bay Area. We hadn’t been in the area in a few years so we were excited for tennis and to do some exploring in between matches. Hubby and co played at Chamisal Tennis Club in Salinas and at the Carmel Valley Athletic Club in Carmel. Chamisal had a ‘by the water’ feel; I admired all of their landscaping and spectator seating areas (including the lawn where you could view up to four matches at once). Carmel Valley Athletic Club felt more ‘woodsy’ – like a log cabin in Tahoe feel and they had signs throughout the facility that said ‘members only’ – basically ‘keep out.’ I preferred hanging out at Chamisal; I felt more welcomed there. Also, Chamisal had really good fries in their cafe (so good we ate them twice…) and better-at-their-job tennis officials. Chamisal for the win! 😉 Like Districts, there were four matches in three days. Competition was tough, but this made for some exciting matches! …

art-partment.

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For a while Hubby was concerned about putting holes in the wall to hang art since we rent our place. But over the years he’s warmed up to it, especially since we’ve started a collection of art prints and other funs. My first “art” was a paper geometric heart, hung up with tape. This was pre-being ok with poking the walls with nails. It added a nice bright and colorful focal point in the living room. Also, it was super easy to make (the hardest part was making it look level on the wall). Also pictured: Chubby Cat by The Little Red House and a triangle shelf I made with Wood Thumb. The first wall holes we made were to hang this duo of Rifle Paper co art prints. And then we started purchasing prints while on vacation. From our Pacific Northwest adventures: letter pressed cards from Seattle (I love framing cards!) and a bike print from Portland. And from our mini-moon: a Lake Tahoe love print. Plus, that’s us in cartoon form – a drawing/watercolor by the talented Genevieve Santos. I’ve also been …

tennis tuesday: districts.

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Happy Tennis Tuesday. Last time on Tennis Tuesday, I shared a banner I made for my Hubby’s tennis team. Today I’m recapping our trip to Folsom, CA for the USTA District Championships. Feeling real Tennis Wifey… Districts were held at Broadstone Racquet Club, home to 22 tennis courts. This was my Hubby’s first time at a tennis competition of this level so we didn’t know what to expect. All we knew was the team would be exhausted. They had four matches scheduled in three days – even the pros get a few days off between each match. As a spectator I learned how to properly prep for matches. Plus, I’ve been reading up on tennis etiquette. I’m still not 100% on the scoring, but I’m getting better at it. Luckily, you’re not suppose to cheer loudly in tennis so I can just pretend I know what is happening with slight nods and smiles. Shh, don’t tell anyone. 😏 Here’s my checklist for how to be awesome at tennisings: Sun protection is a must! Folsom is …

hip-hop.

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I visited the Oakland Museum of California to check out their latest exhibit: “Respect: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom.” I hadn’t visited in a number of years, but I remember really liking my last visit because they curate exhibits that speak to local experiences and they do a great job creating interactive experiences. There was a lot of soul, storytelling, and local love in the Hip-Hop exhibit. They showcased Hip-Hop’s influence on fashion, art, and – crafts? For real, real –  look at this tapestry! When you think of “Hip-Hop” you might only think “music” but Hip-Hop is also …a platform …a culture, an identity …grafitti art …a lifestyle …all the Bs …local …creativity, talent …healing …knowing who you are and telling your story …making an impact Who knew you could dedicate a whole exhibit to Hip-Hop! PS, yes, they also had boom boxes and turn tables on display. There was also an interactive element where you could dance, flow, and practice your DJ skills. (Which I totally would have done if I wasn’t a germaphobe …

zippers!

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I took a zipper class at Hello Stitch and it was amazing! Our instructor – Michelle of Hummingbird Textiles – made it super easy to follow along to make a zipper pouch. Class was BYO fabric and zippers. I brought a few choices for fabric and zipper combinations, but I decided on using my kitten fabric from Japan (thank you, Joy!) for the outer fabric and fabric leftover from wedding crafting for the liner. We got to use these amazing machines – they were so quiet and so smooth. And they have an automatic bottom thread cutter! We measured and cut our fabric. Then we ironed and sewed, and got expert help along the way. I decided on adding “tabs” to finish the zipper ends and a strap. The process/steps are relatively simple, but what I need to work on is the actual sewing and getting used to guiding fabric through the machine. For the class, it did help to know sewing basics, but Michelle is super helpful if you have any questions. I had …

third culture brunch.

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Last weekend my crafty lady friends and I got together for a special Founders Brunch at Third Culture Bakery. We had been waiting weeks for this event, counting down the days. Owners Sam and Wenter welcomed us into their retail space with the spirt of Third Culture – with kindness and with heart. Each course was planned carefully and thoughtfully, and each came with a story. They shared memories from their childhoods and from their life together. The table was set up usually where their retail counter is positioned (they moved sales for the day outdoors). And, it was dressed in all pink. On the menu: Savory scones and bottomless lychee mimosas to start. Then, a five course menu: Rice porridge: a little sweet, a little savory, and super comforting. I could eat this for breakfast everyday. Dumplings: To quote Wenter’s Mom “it’s not a dumpling unless the skin is handmade.” Truth! The skin was delicate, and there was so much more filling to skin ratio in these dumplings. It was topped with a savory …

summer tote.

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I love tote bags. You could say I have an addiction. These straw totes are perfect for summer beach or farmer’s market going, and when I spotted them at Michaels, I grabbed one. And then I went back grabbed a few more because I thought I could decorate them and use them as gift totes for summer celebrations. Each one got an assortment of poms and tassels. I used some of the yarn I snagged from the last craft swap and my visit to the reuse craft store. Summer means bright colors and I’m loving mixing and matching all of them. Tassels and poms! I filled birthday treat yo’self bags with face masks (also addicted to these!) and yummy snacks. My favorite places to find treats right now: Zipang (a Japanese home goods store) and markets that carry local brands. Ready for summer gallivants! The best part is when my friends are finished with the stuff inside, they can use the bag for anything – even as a gift tote to pass on to another …

keep moovin.

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One of my goals in life is to go on more hikes, so when my friend suggested a last minute one, I was all over it. We ventured to Tilden Park, entering via the Tilden Nature Area (by Little Farm). My friend made sure we got in some nice views and a good sweat – that means uphills! My personal goal was to walk for at least 5k; we did 10k! (And then I drank a well-deserved Thai iced tea afterwards. ;)) There were lots of wildflowers, and I stopped to take photos of my favorites (of course!). We saw a dam, a lake… …and my share of cows for a lifetime. Apparently the cows roam free and feed on the land. There was a herd that was walking on the same trail as us; we  let them pass by while we waited on the sidelines. I was legit scared and ready to run if needed, but they just moseyed right on by. Excited for my next hike. There is so much to explore. Where are …

tennis tuesday: east bay champs.

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Hubby’s tennis team made it to the district tournament which makes them East Bay tennis champions! I made a banner per Hubby’s request to commemorate the accomplishment. I used a wool-polyester blend felt in tennis grass green, and all the words – including everyone’s name – in white for good contrast. This was my biggest felt project yet (in terms of letters cut for one project…because do you remember the 200+ pennant order I worked on?). There was even math involved with this project! Before glueing everything, I used an iron on the wool setting to get most of the creases out of the giant piece of felt. To hang we decided on a wooden dowel and rope. I finished the banner in our hotel during the district competition. This actually worked out nicely because I got to work on the floor (more room!) and their carpet is the hard kind (not fluffy) so it was flat and firm enough for felt crafting. We waited to present the banner to the team at the end of …