THE DOMESTIC DIVA’S DISASTERS™

Two weeks ago, I was playing around with ideas for my display booth (which I’m hoping to do at ENK Children’s Club in August).  Being that my new boys’ clothing line, Downtown Joey, is manufactured here in NYC, I figured “Downtown” was the perfect theme for my booth!  I based the design on my web site graphics:

Originally, I thought about buying one of these, but then I’d have to spend a lot on custom graphics:

Instead, I found this awesome City Light Backdrop which is 8 feet high by 12 feet long (I’ll need 3 of them to line all 3 walls).  It’s $159 from Stumps Prop and Party web site, but a little more Googling and I found it at Target for only $99…SCORE!

Behind the city backdrop, I’ll use Ocean Blue Seamless Backdrop Paper from B & H Photo.  I’ll only need 2 rolls of the 53 inch tall size as the city light backdrop with cover most of the walls:

I’ll have to get crafty and make a big cardboard cutout of the boy silhouette:

Don’t know if I’ll spring for it this year, but I was thinking these gray interlocking foam tiles would be great for flooring:

and then I could use some yellow electrical tape to make street lanes on the foam tiles:

For my garment rack, I was inspired by this bridge prop:

I have two of these garment racks:

I’ll add cardboard on each side to simulate a bridge:

To further give the feel of a city scene, I’ll add other props:

A traffic light like this in the back corner of the booth would be great:

Or one like this:

I also found some cool children’s street signs:

I found a seller on eBay who has dozens of 12 inch aluminum traffic signs:

or I can order a big 24 inch sign from this seller.

I’ll use the stop sign for the front of my table so buyers will know to stop and order:

and a One Way Sign to direct foot traffic INTO my booth…LOL  I also found some real street signs here:

I’m going to order some custom street signs.  Not sure exactly what I’ll have printed–perhaps “Broadway” or “Wall Street:”

Another neat prop was this fire hydrant toddler table.  I could use to as a riser for one of the mannequins:

or just get a fake fire hydrant:

I could always dress up as a fire hydrant:

And of course, I have the perfect giveaway…CARAMEL APPLES!  How clever!

I have a few months to finalize my plans.  I’m sure I’ll come up with a few more ideas in the meantime.  Stay tuned!

I asked all my blogging friends to send me pictures of their favorite thing they’ve ever made…and WOW!!!  I have a very talented bunch of sewing buddies!  On with the show…

I think my favorite thing I’ve ever made (so far) is the strawberry print rain jacket I made for my friend, Kate.

It was pretty difficult to maneuver with the sticky oilcloth, but it turned out really cute.  I used Cath Kidston’s Strawberry Blue oilcloth and Built By Wendy for Simplicity pattern #3694.  Thanks for including me in this! I can’t wait to see what everyone contributes!

Cristalle

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My favorite thing I ever made was this quilt for my son for his graduation from High School.  He left Michigan for the mountains of California after graduation.  It makes me feel good to know that he is “wrapped” in the love of his family every night.

Marcia

http://www.bluebobbin.blogspot.com/

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yes!    this has to be my fav!.. This time last year  I was madly sewing Vogue 2239 Vintage (1950 design).  for my daughter’s HS senior prom. Her date asked for matching bow tie AND suspenders!  I love a guy man enough to wear pink!!  I put a double layer of poly chiffon over polyester shantung ( it’s washable!)  I made a petticoat ( 8 yds tulle & net) sandwiched between 2 layers of poly lining.  The petticoat wraps double in back for extra poufiness that she wanted.  We used wide black grosgrain ribbon from my stash for a belt–felt it went with the retro look.   Did you ask for this many details?

also attached is a pic of  the flowers,  Eliz designed and made hers, and I did his to match.  (along with a couple dozen others as part of  our business).

returning friendship.

Peggyann

http://colourdujour.wordpress.com/

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Hi!  I’m a big fan of your blog, and I knew right away which photo to send for my favorite thing.  I made this dress for my daughter’s second birthday, and still can’t stop looking at it!

Laura Jones

Adventures in Sewing

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My favorite thing that I’ve made is this quilt.  I used the little guy’s baby clothes and chenille to put together this beautiful heirloom.  I would love to do a baby girl’s quilt someday to see the difference of colors.

The mother sent me a box of her son’s clothes from California, I meticulously fussy cut them and stitched them together here in MO.  I backed it with a flannel and tied it with embroidery floss. 

Thanks,

Penny

http://theasquad.blogspot.com/

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Lisa,

Hi, I’m a fairly new reader of your blog, but I love it!  I check in every day and only wish I had half the sewing skills that you do.  I’m truly amazed.

Anyway, here is my favorite item that I’ve created.  I’m just learning how to sew, so this bib was a major accomplishment for me! 

Thanks!

Jen

http://doodleheartsembroidery.blogspot.com

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I designed these cool (I think!) cell phone holders that clip onto a purse, tote, or belt loop. I designed the pattern, and it was my first one, and I “road tested” it for a good 3 months before I started selling them! I’ve made them in different size to fit different sized electronics and have even created some for special order.  It can be purchased, as can others, at my etsy shop.

Fran

http://www.artsyfran.etsy.com

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Well, my absolute favorite is not finished just yet..it’s my Amy Butler weekender bag in houndstooth. Almost done..but if I had to choose right now, it would be the cape I made my mom for Christmas because it’s her most prized possession right now and the first thing I ever made her.

Trina

www.chuntae.wordpress.com

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Yeah, I sewed through my own finger while working on that dress. The whole time I was in the ER, I was griping to my dad that I’d really wanted to get home to finish working on it. LOL!

Mary

Confessions of a Craft Addict
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I think that my daughters Easter dress is my new favorite thing (Oilily Jumper Knock-Off).

Tamara

Knit Sew Much

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I can’t decide. But these days I’m still enjoying this quilt –

MB (MaryBeth)

SupaFine

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My little sister ordered this is a diaper bag for one of her friends.  It’s my Tova bag with a funky business card holder, and Poop Pouch (holds two-three diapers and wipes).  She e.mailed and said she loved, loved, loved her bag - I always take that as a good sign. 

Thanks and I hope you’re doing well! 

Dee

http://moondeela.blogspot.com

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ok, I’ll go with this one…

I can’t find the rest of the pics, but you KNOW there is a TON of tulle under there
Myrinda

Fabric Hound

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Okay, it is *really* hard to choose one favorite thing! But I
decided that my youngest daughter’s schoolhouse quilt is one of my
favorites. It was one of the very first pieced quilts I ever completed,
start to finish, my first block swap, my first real attempt at machine
quilting — and I just think it’s really cute.

Emily was about seven years old at the time, and when she saw all these colorful blocks, she begged me to make her a schoolhouse quilt. Little did I know that she would also beg for *every* quilt that followed. lol
The top and bottom borders are paper-pieced pencils and appliqued apples, and on the pencils I embroidered this verse: “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12″
I’m attaching photos of the quilt and the label on the back.

Heather
http://needles-and-pens.blogspot.com/

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Thanks to everyone for their emails and pictures!  YOU LADIES ROCK!

Two weeks ago, I had moved all my drawing supplies up into my bedroom, but I never touched any of it.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Spring has finally arrived in NYC!  It’s finally warm enough to use my second desk in the Garden Room.

Thank goodness for the invention of the iPod.  My kids don’t need to hear the bad lyrics their mother listens to…

Reading over my pattern making requirements, I’m wondering why all children’s clothing designers don’t use buttonhole elastic in their waistbands.  It would make life a whole lot easier to fit so many different children’s body types and would extend the use of the clothes…

Out came the colored pencils, the color trend sheets…

and the fabric printouts–I “think” I’ve narrowed it down to 6…

And so, the sketching of my boys’ clothing line begins…

Wish me luck!

Please tell me what genius created the Magic Wax Crayon and added it to the PAAS Easter Egg Cup Kits?  We could have done without it.

I really need to pay more attention to packaging…hence why we ended up with Peanut M & Ms when the kids prefer plain M & Ms…

My Little Jedi said the Easter Bunny and Mommy make his dreams come true.  Amazing what some Star Wars and sugar will do.

Mr. Diva remarked that my 14 year old daughter was too old for an Easter basket.  The young salesgirls at the Bebe Sport Store didn’t seem to think so.

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Godchild today as I love to load her up with Hugs (sugar packed fruit drinks her mommy would never allow at home).

And my Little Jedi has already asked more than a dozen times when will his favorite cousin be here.

Today’s Menu includes a huge Turkey, Fresh Ham, Sausage Stuffing, Candied Sweet Potatoes and a bunch of other goodies!  Wishing all my friends in Blog Land a Sweet Easter!  YUM!!!

Sometimes I think I’m sharp.  I think I have it all figured out.  But soon I find, I’m not so clever.

Giant Fake Scissors

Like leaving the necessary Easter preparations until last minute.  And then you realize, your giant plans are too overwhelming.

Giant Scissors on Ebay

Giant Needle on Meissner Sewing Company

And you just want to sit around and eat chocolate and cookies.

Chocolate Scissors

Chocolate and Soap Scissor Mold

Sewing Kit Chocolate and Soap Mold

Scissor Cookie Cutter

Sewing Cookie Molds

I dashed out of the house yesterday morning before the kids were up so I could go to my regular Lupus doctor without dragging them along.  Got to the bottom step of the front porch and whoops…I must have missed the step.  Next thing I know, both my ankles twisted to the side.

In flight, I grabbed onto one of the giant spiral evergreens next to the stairs, embedded dozens of sharp evergreen needles into my hand and saved myself from two broken ankles.

Lifesaver Sewing Kit

I did, however, sprain my left ankle pretty badly and I’m hobbling around bearing the pain of each step. Dumb. Dumb.

Hope you’re all ready for the Easter Bunny!  If so, hop on over here and help ME out…LOL!

My Web Designer, Ingrid, tagged me with another 7 Things About Me…

Here’s the rules:

• Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let’s get on with the show…LOL

1.  Hangers must all be facing right (or is it considered left?) as both my husband and I are left-handed.  When I get our clothes back from the laundry and dry cleaners, I take everything off their wire hangers and hang them PROPERLY on my hangers.

2.  Instead of calling for service on the icemaker (our fridge is about 2 years old and still under warranty), for the last month or so, I just buy bags of ice and pour it into the ice compartment.  Not sure if I’m lazy, forgetful or just trying to annoy my husband.

3.  I can eavesdrop on my family via the handy dandy intercom system.  Oh and something I recently learned about my intercom.  If you shut the volume off, it shuts off the front doorbell.

4.  One can never have too many paper towels.  Actually any paper product.  Think toilet paper, paper plates, paper cups, napkins, etc.

5.  We really like pasta in my house.  Really.  This is just one shelf.  There is another.  And yes, they all must be in matching Tupperware Modular Mates with labels.  It’s Martha’s fault.

6.  I must have symmetry in my displayed possessions.  I get crazy if someone doesn’t put something back exactly like I had it.

7.  Toilet paper needs to go OVER the roll.  If I am visiting someone and I notice the paper is hung the wrong way, I fix it.  This goes for paper towels, too.

Okay, now to tag 7 other bloggers:

Jamie, Keely, Nobia, Claire, Kiva, Esther and Lara - YOU’RE IT!

Off to make some Easter baskets for the kids!  Let’s hope I have enough tulle yardage to cover the baskets.  No longer do I bother with that cheesy cellophane wrap in colors which are too dark to show the contents.  Must remember to resist the PEEPS!  Oh, how I love PEEPS…especially the yellow bunnies.

Have a great day!

I finished my last Tackle It Tuesday project that same day back in February.  Time to move on…LOL

First, I’d like to know who’s bright idea it was to have St. Patrick’s Day and Easter within the same week?

Anyway, I definitely had a lot to tackle today.  See, I couldn’t take down the St. Patrick’s decorations until this morning and I need to put up all the Easter decorations immediately.  I’m hosting Easter Dinner, so what’s Easter without a bunch of large cheesy plastic eggs blowing down the street and having near-misses with cars?  Exactly.

So off to work I went on the St. Patty’s Day decorations mess today!  By noon, not only had I gotten all of it packed and stored up in the attic, but…

I also got all the Easter decorations out and the entire house decorated!

I secretly smiled when I thought about my thirties…a time when I would go to Ceramics class with my friends for a Girls’ Night Out.  It was during these classes that I learned how to sand, glaze and paint the details of the dozens of ceramic creations that now fill my home.  No longer do I have the ability patience to do such detailed painting.  It’s enough to just have to take them out off the attic.

Enough about that…on with the tour:

The big bunny family in the front window…

the curio cabinets…

notice the little bunny under the mama rabbit’s tale…oh and if you push her cotton ball tail, it plays, “You Are My Sunshine!”  how clever…

Note to self:  change hot pink halogen light in second curio cabinet.

Over to the kitchen…

to the huge bunny cookie jar which has never seen a cookie cause it’s too darn heavy…anyway, we’d forget the cookies were in there and wouldn’t find them till next year…KWIM?

Of course there’s a Easter bow on the kitchen chandelier.  Make it with the Bowdabra:  Scrunch some tulle, then make your bow with wired ribbon and finally top it off with a smaller organza bow.  Oh and don’t forget to dovetail those ribbon ends.  You were warned.

Gotta love those Easter egg picks…just stick ‘em in anything that has floral foam…

More bunny babies…

It finally occurred to me that I need to get rid of certain decorations which I’ve held onto for years.

What possessed me to buy such a fugly Easter tree?  Perhaps it was the persuasion of that darn Michael’s Craft Store’s 40% off coupon.  Don’t laugh…I know you have one, too.  Kind of reminds you of Charlie Brown’s tree, right?

Another stupid purchase…candle eggs which come in there own little carton.  Umm, if you were to light one, not only would you no longer have an egg, but chances are the egg carton would catch on fire.  Brilliant.

I wonder what I was thinking when I purchased this lavender seashell print ribbon.  Once again, bad taste.

All were disposed of properly…aka garbage!

Head on over to Tackle It Tuesday to see everyone’s current projects!

It’s been 14 years since that scary St. Patrick’s Day…the day my 9 1/2 month old daughter, Marielle, received her life-saving liver transplant.

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reprinted from February 1, 1995

While waiting for progress reports during her transplant, my husband and I visited the hospital’s gift shop where I came upon a funny looking blue stuffed elephant.  I pulled his trunk and the melody, “You Are My Sunshine,” played.  This was a song I had sung to my daughter since she was born.  I bought the elephant to comfort her when she returned from the operating room.  This silly elephant was a sign for me that everything would be okay.

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Portrait by EMA Photography 

Unfortunately, we no longer have the silly blue elephant.  It was given to another little girl as she went into the operating room for her new liver.  That little girl then passed it onto another child and so on.  It became a good luck charm for many children who would get a second chance at life through transplantation.

Life is Good!  Happy St. Patrick Day!

While up in Manhattan last Sunday, my eyes came upon this site of a beautiful Ferrari which obviously went on a wild Saturday night ride.  It was smashed on all sides.

And that is exactly how I’m feeling today.  Although Mr. Diva insists I’ve got a stomach virus, I’m thinking it’s food poisoning.  See, against my better judgment, I ate 1/2 a corned beef sandwich at a party we went to last night.  I don’t like corned beef, but there was not much else to eat unless you’re into cabbage.

It wouldn’t have been so bad, but I can’t seem to hold my medication down…so then I get incredible body pain (from my Lupus).

Of course Mr. Diva wouldn’t dare miss Sunday Morning Bowling with his derelict friends…no.  And my teenager didn’t want to get out of bed to help with my 6-year-old son.  And when she did, they would just fight.  Lovely.

It’s just not fair.  Seems I’m not allowed to be sick.  And thankfully, I rarely am.  Because it’s pure chaos if Mommy takes a day off.

And to think, it’s just the start of the kids’ Spring Break.  They’ll be home until March 31st driving me mad.

Back to bed I go even if it’s only until the next sibling outburst.

Today is National Quilt Day!  Party on at your local Quilting Bee!  No longer is quilting for the older crowd.  Today’s quilters are younger than ever.

Since we are talking about Quilting, I have a confession…I am still intimidated by quilting…there’s just too much potential error in my math (ask Mr. Diva…I underestimate costs by 25% and exaggerate stories by 30%).

However, there are many quilters who I so admire…some old time quilters, so newbies, but talented nevertheless.

Cathe of Glory Quilts

Linda of Craft Apple

Anna Maria Horner

Sandi Henderson of Portabello Pixie

Heather Bailey

Speaking of Heather, for today’s March of the Tools I’ll share with you my secret to being a Bow Ho™…

The Bowdabra™

Never again will you look at a cute infant without picturing them with a stack of ribbon on their head…

Or lack the finishing touch on your home decor projects…

No more boring gifts…you can now adorn them with organza bows and silk flowers.

Sometimes you will get carried away when making gifts for a new baby…

If they’re your adorable Godchild, you’ll even personalize their head gear…

And then there’s the holidays…who doesn’t need an extra 100 bows for the Christmas tree and the gifts?

Here’s a quick Bowdabra Tutorial …

Get out your junky craft scissors and some florist wire.  Cut a piece about 12 inches long .

Place the wire through the center of the Bowdabra.

Leaving 12″ for the tail of the bow, cinch ribbon between the holder.

Make a loop and twist it away from you…then place in between the holder.

Make as many loops as you want as long as you have the same amount of loops on each side.  I usually do 6 or 8 loops in total.

Cut the ribbon leaving another 12 inch ribbon tall.

Cross the wire and twist tightly.  Then fluff your bow.

And if you don’t dovetail the ends of the ribbon, everyone will think you are an amateur…

Fold the ribbon end in half lengthwise (do not crease it).  Cut across at an angle to form the dovetail end.

Hop on over to the Bowdabra web site for lots of tutorials!  For a mere $15, you’ll be the Bow Ho™ of the Block!

I’m off to a St. Patrick’s Day party tonight.  And that big green bow will be perfect for the top of a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Creme for the host and hostess.

With friendship,

Lisa