Just Me and Macy

Gem Show Day One

2012-01-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing better (or worse) than cash in your pocket and girlfriends to support your decisions (no offense husbands). But I love the Tucson Gem Show and stash cash all year round to prepare for it. Here are some pictures, most of them are gifts, and some are inspirations.

Stones and various Buddha amulets for $1-$3

Tiffany inspired bangle (looks just like the real thing though) for $25

Huge "rock" and roll rings for Zoe and friend

Baby Quilts

2012-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a set of quilts for an upcoming shower. I was inspired by Sweet Softie Play mat to create a play mat. I used ripstop nylon for the bottom so that it can be used at a park, beach, campsite, emergency diaper changing pad, etc. But I didn't want to quilt through the nylon, mainly because it would probably be too slippery to run through my machine. So to quilt the top layer onto something, I bought prequilted fabric, and then used basting spray to attach the top fabric to the prequilted layer. Then nmachine quilted the two together, just in lines following the fabric. I attached the nylon fabric around the edges only, then sewed on the binding. Pretty simple.

The quilt is a simple nine patch, machine quilted.

Easy Kaftan

2011-11-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

I like finding fabric boutiques on my trips, like Maisonette in Oceanside, which just switched from a fabric store to a children's clothing design shop. Anyway on a recent trip to Colorado to visit some dear friends and see my daughter's volleyball tournament, my friend took me to Fancy Tiger. This crafting boutique offers great classes, fabrics, yarns, and patterns. I picked up a pattern for a kaftan. It was simple and easy to do.

I am planning on making two more. One out of this Joel Dewberry shirting fabric and another out of a light weight grey linen. I would love to open a store like the Fancy Tiger, anyone want to lend my $15-20,000? Doesn't hurt to ask.

Decorating Zoe's Dorm Room

2011-10-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

I really like the challenge of decorating a dorm room - small space and small budget. Zoe and her dad say I go overboard, but I think Zoe secretly likes it, and we have a lot of fun planning, designing, shopping, and doing it. Anyway, this year we did a video as well as some final pictures.

Here are also some pictures we took right when we were done.

We just put pillows onto two chairs. Zoe's roommate was bringing a little couch.

Here are some pictures taken later, during Parents' Weekend.

I made this bean bag later and shipped the cover, and got beans locally, but it needs some more.

Zoe and her roommate got into the spirit of things and redid their bulletin board and added their room number to the transom. Also, Zoe's dorm won "Best Overall Dorm Room" and "Best Use of Space."

Fixing a problem

2011-09-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

I love it when creating something fixes a problem. I like to run, bike, and go to the gym for exercise. I have had a hard time finding shorts that don't bunch up, cause chafing, or look ridiculous on my over 20 year old body. Spandex shorts are the most comfortable for running and biking, but not to flattering on my booty. Yes I said booty. So I would often wear shorts or nylon pants over them, which was too bulky and hot. I also run some errands after the gym and didn't want to look to gym ratty. Yes I said ratty. Anyway this morning I was inspired to make a quick tank top dress that I could easily wear over my shorts. It was simple to make and when I walked into the gym, the first woman I saw said "Wow your dress is so cute." Anyway I have ran, biked, and gymed in it, and it's so comfortable, and the pocket I added to the back was convenient for keys, ipod, etc.

Topiary Conundrum

2011-07-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

When I bought some plants for the terrariums I was making with my mom, I got a small variegated ivy. Well I didn't have room for it, so I just stuck it in a pot. I jammed a dowel in the pot for a makeshift trellis.

I thought that I should give it a proper home, so I began searching for topiary frames. I could not find easily any cool ones on the internet, mostly topiary balls and animal figures like dolphins. I eventually found a modern one at www.cb2.com, on sale. So the morning after our first monsoon rain (it was in the 80s at 8 am), I assembled it a together, using a galvanized planter also from CB2. I put a couple of inches of rocks and gravel in the bottom (the planter doesn't have a drainage hole), then a layer of charcoal (the stuff that is used in aquarium filters). The charcoal helps clean and destink the water. After planting the ivy and the trellis, I put a dressing of rocks from Ikea.

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea...

2011-06-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a week long Carlsbad, CA trip with family. Here are some pictures of some jewelry I made inspired by the beach...

Mothers' Day

2011-05-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

When ever my mom visits us here in Tucson, she buys a tea towel from Anthropologie, it's almost a tradition. So for a gift this Mothers' Day, I made her a couple, though not as nice as Anthros, they are certainly cheaper.

On the way to Cafe Desta...

2011-04-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we were meeting some friends at Tucson's newest Ethiopian restaurant, Cafe Desta. It was a cloudy afternoon so we left a little early to take some pics. Here is a set of three from the same prickly pear cactus.

Patient Model

2011-04-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

I like to take photos, especially of people, but I couldn't help notice this calm grasshopper sitting on our patio table this morning.

Terrarium building w/ my mom

2011-04-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

My parents were recently in town, which usually means playing card games and eating out a lot. We actually had Sonoran hot dogs two days in a row. Anyway, I took a couple of pictures of them; their 50th anniversary is coming up. These are my favorites though not necessarily my mom's.

My mom and I also spent an afternoon making these terrariums, though they are just more like potted plants in glass bowls as the bowls were too shallow, but they still turned out pretty nice. Let's see if I can keep them alive in this desert.

Gem Show Inspiration

2011-03-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

I love when the Gem & Mineral Show rolls into Tucson in late January/early February. It's close to my birthday, so I use my birthday cash (plus a little of my funny money stash) to pick up some great bargains for gifts. I got good deals on bracelets, watches, necklaces, & charms. This year pashima and cashmere scarves were only $5, so I loaded up on those as well. But what really was a hit with me and a lot of other people, as the booth was always crowded, was the jewelry from Art by Amy. I was very inspired. So I took matters into my own hands to make some charms for two nieces, since I was sending their moms some jewelry, I might as try some stuff out and send it to them, as they are hopefully less discerning.

I also made this for my charm bracelet (I bought the bracelet from Art by Amy).

Charm bracelets and other goodies from the gem show.

Sweatshirt Conversion

2011-02-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

I love Project Runway, it's so creative. I wish I had unlimited funds so I can buy custom, unique clothes. But alas, I can't afford it and don't know anything about construction. So when I feel a creative urge, I look to repurpose something, so I chose one of Scott's old sweatshirts.

And after some cutting, sewing, etc. I came up w/ this.

Cut the sleeves to the desired length. I also cut off the bottom band and used the wider band as cuffs for the sleeves.
Cut off the neck, pretty deeply.
I then gathered the neck, this took some doing so I zig-zagged to make sure it didn't shift.
Cut the front in half for the zipper. I have the wrong zipper (closed and not long enough), so I reversed it so it would zip up.
I think I need to finish the bottom, either with a black band or some sort of black trim, so the zipper doesn't look floating.

Dorm Room Winner

2011-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, some of you have asked for pictures of Zoe's dorm room. Zoe and I spent time during the summer putting together several pieces for her room:
1 - Duvet cover
2 - Pillows
3 - Curtains
4 - Desk organizers and sink organizers
5 - Towels
6 - Decorations (paper lamps, wall stuff, and organizer board).
We also got some rugs and bins from Ikea/Target.
FYI - Her room won Best Overall Dorm for her college.
Here are some pictures -

Her duvet cover is reversible, one side is this black w/ white ric rac, the other is multi-colored.

I made matching trays for her and her roommate, they are made out of fabric w/ glass lining the bottom, with their initial below the glass.

Her roommate's quilt is from Anthropology.

Three Skirts in Three Days

2011-01-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

To those of you who know me I sometimes get obsessed with crafting and sewing. This leads to intense spells followed by dry periods. Zoe's dorm is an example of an obsessive period. I just finished another phase and made three skirts. I have always loved the paper-bag look for skirts and shorts, so I looked around and was inspired by these blogs: Made By Lex and Adventures in Dressmaking. I also liked this skirt on Urban Outfitters: Sparkle & Fade.

Here are other pictures of inspiration:

So here are the three I made -

This is the prototype I created w/ about 1 yard of scrap fabric. I made it too short for me and so I added the bottom hem, and then the coordinating belt. I also sewed in button holes at the waistband so I could swap out the drawstring looking tie. Here are some pictures:

Here is with the buttonhole drawstring insert tie:

The second skirt I modified from the first one. I didn't need the button hole part, but I wanted pockets. So here is skirt number two:

I also made the infinity scarf from three of Scott's old shirts.

I really like this skirt, it's probably my favorite of the three. I made it from a light-weight wool on sale for $5 a yard, a seasonless fabric, which doesn't mean much here in Tucson. The skirt can be dressed up easily w/ a sparkly shirt and heels.

My last skirt is a true paper bag waist band. The first two I inserted 2" wide elastic, but I didn't have any more elastic so I tried belt loops instead.

Anyway, there were very easy to make, didn't require a pattern, and about 1.5 yards. So that should be enough of a sewing fix for awhile.

Making quilts

2010-06-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have two quilt projects to do. I need to make a baby quilt for an upcoming shower. I also need to make a duvet cover for my daughter's dorm room. We picked fabric out a couple of days ago. It can be really expensive, but we had a couple of coupons, so the fabric cost a little less than buying a duvet cover from Urban Outfitters, but definitely not Ikea. It's hard to motivate a daughter to learn to sew when she can get items for cheaper and definitely in less time from somewhere else. Oh well. She was definitely enthusiastic about picking out her fabrics, so hopefully she got a little taste of sewing magic.

Proud of my girl....

2009-11-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Zoe just finished her final season of high school volleyball. They had such an awesome season: TUSD tournament champions, region champions, and made it to the final eight in state. Zoe was awarded all-region 1st team honors, all Southern AZ 1st team honors, and the prestigious Coach's award.

Here is link to her website for game footage and stats...

Staycation... to Phoenix

2009-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

On a little bit of a whim, my friend and I went to Phoenix for an overnighter, with shopping. We stopped at Ikea, picked up some napkins, pillows, and a solar powered desk/work lamp. The solar battery pops out so you can put it in the sun. I actually have it inside, but in a sunny window, and then it works at night as a reading light. Way cool... We went to Last Chance, the "last chance" for returns and stuff from Nordstrom, got Zoe some cute Uggs. Last Chance is in a basement, with announcents before they open about shoving, taking stuff out of other's carts, etc. But once you buy shoes there, it's hard to buy them anywhere else.

After that, we checked into our hotel, then Mondrian, a boutique hotel in Scottsdale, close to Scottsdale Fashion Square. This hotel was tre chic. Too cool for us, but we liked at least pretending we can hang with the rich and famous. We got a great deal through Hotwire.com, so we couldn't pass it up.

Breakfast with Calexico

2009-10-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Zoe, her friend, and I went to a free breakfast concert with Calexico.

Here is a nice video with them and Iron and Wine guy...

Delicious and Easy Recipe...

2009-10-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

On a whim, Zoe and I tried this Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Cake... it was super easy and super delicious. I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate cocoa powder. We served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c granulated sugar

2 T baking cocoa

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 c milk

2 T vegetable oil

1 t vanilla

1/2 c chopped nuts

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c baking cocoa

1 1/2 c hot water

Directions

Spray inside of 2 to 3 1/2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 T cocoa, the baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir in milk, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread batter evenly in slow cooker. Mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl. Stir in hot water until smooth. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn off slow cooker. Let cake stand uncovered 30 to 40 minutes to cool slightly before serving. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes. Spoon sauce over top.

A couple of pictures from last night's game...

2009-10-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Cienega 55 Catalina Foothills 0

http://www.zonaphotos.com

My first post...

2009-10-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well today, my daughter is on an "official" college visit. She will be gone for two days. This gives me a chance to catch up on some odds and ends and enjoy the silence. I did a little of both. I started a blog, paid some bills, finished two skirts for my daughter, and took a nap with my dog, Macy. Later I will take photos at the high school football game. All and all a very successful day, is this my future?