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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Use your D.I.Y. powers for Good: The Pink Slipper Project

This past Saturday I went to a stitch along at the Sew, Sew Darling studio here in New Orleans.  It was a lovely night full of wine, Crunch N’ Munch, and slippers.  Lot’s and lot’s of slippers!

All of these slippers will eventually find their way to women’s shelters across the country, courtesy of The Pink Slipper Project.


The Pink Slipper Project was founded to “warm the hearts and toes of women and children living in shelters.”  They take handmade slipper donations and distribute them to as many shelters as they can nationwide.  It’s a small act of kindness, but it can go a long way for someone who has fallen on hard times.  If you want to participate you can download any of the free sewing, knitting, or crochet slipper patterns from The Pink Slipper Project’s website.  All of the patterns are really simple, so even if your crafting skills are still at the beginner level you can participate. 

You could sew a simple one seam pair like these:




Or knit a quick garter stitch pair like these:





I am currently working on such a knitted pair.  They’re Kelly green, because, and this is important, just because it’s called The Pink Slipper Project that doesn’t mean the slippers themselves have to be pink.  And it’s a good thing, too, because I personally can’t stand that color.  But I’m all for the charity.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Pumpkin Hat!

It has been a little while since my last post, and for that I apologize.  Life’s been a little hectic over here for one reason or another, but now let me catch you up!

Last week I attended my first ever sewing circle!


It was great!  A nicer group of ladies could not have been found, and I will definitely be attending more of these events in the future.  Since this is October, Halloween was the theme of this meet up, and I made a pumpkin hat!

pumpkin hat

It’s so dang cute, I wish it had been my idea.  But I must give credit were credit is due, and that is with Delia Creates and her post on Project Run and Play.  If you want to make your own hat you can find the instructions here; all you need is a hot glue gun and some felt and your good to go!  And you have options:

witch hat   sunflower hat

This was a really quick, easy project, and now I have the ultimate daytime Halloween accessory!  Time for some trick-or-treating…

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Remembering “Make Mine Music”

Remember back in the day, say fifteen years ago or so, when the Disney Channel’s line up consisted of more than amorphous preteens singing and going to school in completely unrealistic settings?  Back when they would show old Disney films from the 50’s and 60’s, and all those wonderful old animated features?  I miss that.

I especially miss Make Mine Music.


It should come as no surprise that my taste in music, like my taste in pretty much everything else, is rather old fashioned.  I couldn’t tell you who today’s most popular recording artist are, but I’ll school you all day on jazz, swing, bluegrass, or folk.  And when I look back and think about where this musical love started, I would have to say Disney’s Make Mine Music was a big part of it.  It is a series of animated shorts, done in that classic hand drawn, distinctly Disney style, set to music by The Andrew Sisters and Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, as well as many other popular artist of their day.

This one was my favorite…
The Andrew Sisters sing about love…and hats.


…but they were all wonderful!
Benny Goodman and his Orchestra!

The Kings Men sing a blue grass ballad

I’m glad I could find these on YouTube, because that means they aren’t entirely lost to this next generation.   The kids need culture, lest they all end up reality TV “stars.”

Monday, October 3, 2011

Always on the lookout for Tchotchkes

“Tchotchke” is my new favorite word.


For those who don’t know, it is a yiddish word meaning knickknack or bobble, and it is pronounced “choch-key.”

And there isn’t any place in the world better for finding tchotchkes than Etsy!  Here’s some favorites that I found…

debraglanz  purple owl
beaded flower   flying pig coin bank
vintage car figurine   kissing figurines

I could go on like this for hours!

No, they don’t have any kind of purpose other than looking cute, but I want them all in my home.  I want to fill every nook, cranny, and available shelf space with kitschy, decorative items and turn my house into a tchotchke wonderland!  I doubt that will ever happen, but a person can dream, can’t she?
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