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33 Purple Ladies

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I’m usually too lazy to walk to work, but in late Spring, in the heart of blossom time I make the effort.

This morning I noticed an unusually high number of blossoming trees in shades of violet, plum and pomegranate. It would be one thing to see two, or three, or four purple blossoming trees…but 33?

And why purple? Why not orange? Or yellow?

I think Mother Nature might be a Purple Lady—you know, one of those eccentric types who loves big hair and purple dresses. They wear lots of perfume and keep an impressive assortment of “guest soap” in the bathroom. Purple Ladies are my favorite. I aspire to be one some day.

Until then, while the blossoms are here, I thought I would share some of my favorite purple ladies from my morning walk. Aren’t camera phones nifty?


This Aint your Grandma’s Pink Flamingo

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This is the new face of lawn ornamentation: a Toyota sized chicken wire topiary fish covered in recycled bottle caps.

I know. Isn’t it amazing?

My friend Leah photographed it in her old neighborhood, Takoma Park, MD just outside Washington DC. She posted it on facebook nearly two years ago and I haven’t forgotten about it since. Yes, that means I have been saving up bottle caps for nearly TWO YEARS.

People, I am serious. I need me a bottle cap fish.

Small problem: I don’t have a lawn to put it on.  I need something more stable, upright with a smaller footprint. Ideas?

Look, it lights up at night –that means it’s functional too!

Many thanks to Leah for sharing these photos and haunting my recyclables bin. Many thanks to the Artist-Slash-Leah’s-Old-Neighbor, who I do not know by name, but if you know them, please send them my compliments. People who make good stuff out of crap stuff are the best!

The Amazing Parade

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I always love letterpress, but these cards had me laughing at my desk for half an hour. Via Style Swoon. 

Do Y’all know Jonathan Fong? He is ridiculously talented AND looks wicked cute in rabbit ears. His paint chip napkin rings and Andy Warhol kitchen cabinets are worth some serious peeping.

For anyone who has always wanted a Madeline Weintrab zig zag rug, here it is at a fraction of the price.

One of my favorite writers, Colin Nissan, takes on the voice of Neil Diamond, another one of my favorites.

Painted silverware? Why didn’t I think of this ages ago?! Via Dollar Store Crafts.

Jaime and I went to high school together. We used to hang out by the train station, draw tattoos and smoke badass clove cigarettes. Now she is a fancy pants attorney type in British Columbia and has a swell new blog focusing on “an environmentally conscious, wallet-friendly look at the world.” Oh, how times have changed! Check out her recipe for hot chocolate sugar scrub. Delicious.

Anthropologie just launched their bridal offshoot BHLDN, selling every manner of gorgeousness. Suddenly my paper flowers look very humble next to these. Oh Poo 🙁

Crafterminds has all kinds of great articles and resources. One of my favorites: “8 Reasons To Comment on My Blog”

I refuse to pay $35 for a blah and boring rubber Iphone case. I’m getting Lola’s picture on mine. This would make a great gift, no? Doesn’t everyone want a Lola phone?

Anyone have special plans for the Kentucky Derby?  Did anyone go to the Mom Prom last weekend? Maybe your doing your own little Mom Prom this Sunday? Good for you! Happy Mothers Day 🙂

Friday Flowers: Cupcake Bouquet

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I know I’m doing a Friday flower project on Wednesday.

I’m so ahead of the curve!

Or behind it.

Depends how you look at it.

I think it’s already Thursday in Australia.

That must count for something, right? 

So, Sarah emailed me for an easy, kindergartener-friendly Mother’s Day gift project. And since I’m looking to keep things short and sweet this week, not to mention my new found staple-thy-cupcakes kick, I thought some easy cupcake flowers might be just the thing.

Impressive results. Zero mess. Readily available materials. And here is your chance to teach a little boy how good it feels to give a woman flowers.

Listen, don’t anyone try to rumple my girdle about gender equality issues. Little girls should be giving flowers too, but, there is a decent chance those little boys will one day grow to be men and you can save them a whole lot of confusion/heartache/therapy/attorney fees if they jump on the Frequent Flower Giving Bandwagon early-on in life. Here is your chance. Seize the opportunity! Future generations will thank you.

See, these are the child development lessons you can’t get from Dr. Spock.  And why? Because Dr. Spock was so gosh-darn well adjusted  he left his first wife of 48 years to run off with the secretary. The one he wooed with, what else?  Flowers.

And y’all thought you were coming here for craft time.

Materials

  • Cupcake liners. At least 6 per blossom.
  • A stapler. Nothing fancy.
  • Stems. I like to buy bunches of fake flowers at the dollars store and pull off the heads (reserve the flowers for other projects) however, it would be easy enough to make do with drinking straws or plastic forks or wooden dowels…just make sure it’s something munchkin friendly.


Stack up 6 to 10 liners and staple twice, leaving a 1cm gap in the middle.


Insert the stem in the middle of the gap. No glue necessary, assuming the stems are sturdy. Pop a little paste in there if you are worried.


One by one, ruffle and scrunch each layer, working half way through the stack.

Flip it over and repeat the ruffle and scrunching process.


Well looky here. We have a bouquet!

I happen to have this vase laying around –it’s just a beer bottle with a bunch of shells glued on it, not unlike a jewelry box I made my mom in for Mother’s day a million years ago.

I think a vase made from a munchkin painted water bottle would do nicely too. Or wrap a can with yarn or string. Whatever it is, just make it looks homemade. If you ask me, everything should look and feel homemade on Mother’s Day. That’s how moms like it!
Speaking of Mothers Day…
I was recently informed that I currently rank 84th in Babble’s diy/craft division of Top 50 Mommy Blogs. This is a surprise, seeing as no one ever told me, and I’m not a Mommy. Just the same, I would love it if you took a quick second to vote for me.

Lola will feel so validated 🙂

Happy Birthday Lola!

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Go shorty. It’s your birthday.

Three years ago today, Lola came home with me after years living at the Tree House Humane Society, a wonderful place for which I am eternally grateful. It breaks my heart to think of all the time she spent in a shelter, waiting for me to come and take her home. It makes her arrival that much sweeter and worthy of celebration!

Because her arrival date falls in close proximity to Cinco de Mayo, and to honor her spicy Latina heritage, Lola’s birthday is traditionally celebrated by wearing sombreros and eating Mexican food. I officially invite you to join in the festivities today and raise a burrito in her honor 🙂

Feliz Compleaños Lola !

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

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Thank you to everyone who signed up for one of my Boxes O’ Fun. Between the comments, facebook and twitter, over 300 people signed up! Dang, I have to try spring cleaning more often!

Selected at random, the winners are….

AND GET THIS! One lovely reader, JJ, was kind enough to offer up three more boxes from her own personal stash. I can hardly tell you how this makes me smile 🙂

  • Mary Bennett (comments)
  • Jenni (comments, 4.26.11 5:15 pm)
  • Courtney C. (comments, 4.26.11 3:35 pm)
Jenni and Courtney, I am not able to track back to your email, so please contact me so I can put you in touch with JJ (emailauntpeaches@gmail.com). To everyone else who won, check your email, I’ll contact you today.
In the off chance I don’t hear from someone by May 8, I’ll choose an alternate at random.
Thank you to everyone who entered!

Stashbusting: Painted Party Favors

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Here is the thing: Usually, I am not big on party favors.

Usually, I said.

As a guest, I never know what to do with them. Do you leave them on the table? What do you do with the packaging? Is it rude to stuff it under your chair? Is it rude to leave it behind if it doesn’t fit in my purse? Is it rude to leave it behind because I don’t want to stuff a wet wine glass in my purse?

These are the things that keep me up at night. Can you tell?

As a host, I just don’t like a lot of crap on the table. Show me sturdy plates, solid cups and a spill-proof table cloth, and I’ll show you a good time. Show me cut crystal and tulle pom-poms, and I’ll show you a table full of uncomfortable guests who are wondering, Where the hell am I supposed to put this napkin ring?


Don’t get me wrong, a little foof can lend a lot of atmosphere, but if something takes up space on my table the table, I want it to be edible or disposable. I don’t want my guests to feel bad because they spill wine, or lose a napkin, or nudge a votive candle in the wrong direction and set the whole table on fire.

I speak from experience on that one. Don’t I, JOANNA?

None the less, sometimes it’s nice to leave a little something for your guests. It makes them feel special and appreciated. It also looks wicked cute on the plate! Just be sure they know it isn’t precious and for all you care, sit on it. Or for that matter, set it on fire. Right, JOANNA?

Enter: Painted Party Favors

This is another project born from the Box O’Fun, courtesy of Heather at Dollar Store Crafts and their April Stash busting project.

PS: Anyone interested in helping me unload my own stash, click here.


This project started with a pack of baby shower boxes from the dollar store. I have passed these at the dollar store and the party favor section a billion times and never picked them up. Until now!


Then I painted them and slapped on a little tissue. Nothing fancy. Just smoosh on some paint.


 After it dries, trim off the inner foldy bits. Technical term, foldy bits, that is.


Then punch some holes, stuff it and fold it up. Donzo!

And look! You can thread a feather through the holes and give them cute little hats.

Don’t your party favors deserve feathers in their cap?

A friend suggested they would also make excellent packaging for jewelry and baubles and such –good thinking. I’ll bet there are a lot of nifty things to be done with these little boxes. Ideas anyone? Chime in! I want to revisit these bad boys sometime soon.

Dear Tulips

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Dear Tulips, You look very sad when you bend over like that. It’s a shame your heads have to fall off.

One time I found a napkin on the subway that read “I wish I were singing right now.”

Sounds silly, perhaps, but since then, when I see people on the subway, I wonder, “Which one of you is singing on the inside?”

I love stuff like that.

Ever since that napkin, I have taken up the habit of leaving little notes of my own. On the subway, in the park, at the grocery store…wherever it seems appropriate. Sometimes I feel bad because, well, it’s littering. But then I think, “When was the last time someone wrote a love letter to microwaveable buttered popcorn?”

And then I don’t feel so bad.

Who wants some stash?

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Snapshot of Heather’s box.
A couple weeks ago, I lucked out and received a box of arts/crafts goodies from Heather at Dollar Store Crafts. Then Lola decapitated one of the items inside and I have been on the hunt for headless crow crafts ever since.

I can only imagine these items came from Heather’s cupboards, waiting for a rainy day when they can come out and play.
I have rainy day cupboards too. In fact, I have a whole rainy day room.
Despite my own extensive goody stash, receiving Heather’s box got me thinking about new projects and ways to approach materials. With that in mind, it’s only right I pay it forward and send out some stash busting boxes of my own…
At the end of this week I’ll send out three boxes chalk full of creative materials. Some are new, some are old, some are vintage, some are funky. Not funky as in smelly, I mean funky as in, What am I supposed to make from plastic alligators?
These are the challenges of our times. 

Want a box? Its easy. Leave comment below, on Twitter, or on Facebook, in regards to this post with the words “send me a box!”

Winners will be chosen at random, Sunday May 1st, 9pm CST.

Update 5/2/11: Winners have been chosen. Thank you for everyone who entered!

Can I really call people winners? You’re not so much winning as helping me. 
You win stuff. I win cupboard space. We are both winners.
So, you are probably wondering what sort of goodies are in store. Good question. Let me take you on a tour…
Everyone has a shoebox with old beads and junky costume jewelry. Its not my fault that mine grew out of its shoebox ten years ago. Don’t look at me. It was hungry!
Seriously y’all, what am I going to do with seven shades of blue ric-rack trim? Help me.

You need mermaid rhinestones. I know you do.

A whole rainbow assortment of bias tape. And this is just the stuff still in packages!

I have three drawers laebled “TOYS. NOT FOR KIDS.” That says about about me.

There is a tupperware container the size of a small child filled with nothing but paper lanterns. Why?
Who buys rainbow sponges in Chinatown thinking “These will look great as gift wrap. I’ll take ten.”
Feathers. Gobs of them. Every size an color. Kitty not included.

Button, button, who got the button? I do!

 Keep in mind, this is just the stuff I am tossing. One day I’ll  get up the courage to take you on a tour of the rainy day room, aka, The Lion’s Den.

Until then, let me know if you are ineterested in getting abox of your own. No obligations or strings attached. I hope the recipients will pay it forward and make something, or maybe use this as an excsue to purge some stuff of their own, but I leave that part up to you.

Sign up by leaving a message below, on facebook, or on twitter with the words “send me a box.” 
 
I’ll chose one “winner” from each source, so you can triple your chances and sign up in all three places if you really want a box that bad.  No restrictions on location, just make sure you let me know you are interested before Sunday, May 1, 9pm CST.

Stashbusting: Pee Wee’s Playhouse Pendant Lamp

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There are few things in life that make me happier than Diet Coke–one of them is world peace, the other one is craft foam.
I can’t get enough of it.
No idea why they didn’t have this stuff when I was a kid, but it’s probably a good thing since I would have spent my childhood locked in a room making King Arthur style craft foam costumes for the cat. 
You think I’m kidding.

Lucky for Lola, I am now a mature adult (questionable) and enough to resist making costumes for my cat (that’s a lie); however, I cannot resist buying the dollar packets of foam “fun shapes” whenever I see them. I have built up quite a collection. Looks like Heather has this same problem because the stash buster box she sent me was full of foam.
!!!JACKPOT!!! 
Craft foam has a million different uses, but I had been thinking about using it to make a lamp for a friend’s munchkin for sometime now….and since I am an official participant (fancy!) in the Dollar Store Craft’s April stash busting challenge, no time like the present, right? Right.
Let’s get started.

Materials
  • 2 plastic strawberry baskets (if your market no longer uses plastic baskets you can also purchase a construction site light cage at most hardware stores)
  • Foam shapes or scraps cut down to random 2” pieces (make it educational for the kids and play “Spot the Rhombus”)
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Plastic straws cut into 1-2” pieces
  • Chord light kit with 20watt light bulb (Totally optional. This bad boy looks good without the light too.)

Process is super simple but highly repetitive. Approach this the same way as you would string a necklace.
String = pipe cleaners.
Beads = foam shapes
Spacers = plastic straws
Try to use your largest shape at the bottom –this will eventually help to conceal the strawberry basket.
Make sure to leave the bottom 1” of the pipe cleaner exposed. 
After loading 40 or so pipe cleaners, twist and attach the bottom inch on to the strawberry cage.
Complete by using a piece of pipe cleaner to hinge together the two cages. Ta Da, that’s it!
Sort of looks like the introduction to Pee Wee’s Playhouse, no?
Suppose it also sort of looks like a Hebrew Dinosaur explosion. With polka dots. And hearts.
Yeah, I think I’ll stick to calling it the Pee Wee’s Playhouse Pendant Lamp. 
It’s easier that way. 
Note: If you’re keen on doing some stash busting of your own, check back on Monday, April 25. I have something you might be interested in….