I was a crazy busy crafter this week! Yesterday was Mother's Day and I knew I wanted to create some fabulous gifts to celebrate the wonderful "moms" in my life.
This rug is for AnutK - yes I spelled that Anut. She is Anut.
This rug is for my Granmother - the best green thumb around. Serisously, she will pinch a piece off a plant and then get it to grow.
This rug is for my Mom. She and my Dad are avid bikers and take trips to bike paths around the US. (I knnnnnnnow, I know, the bikes are a bit wonky looking. I was looking at a picture on my cell phone of their actual bikes...oops. Note to self, make picture larger next time. lol.)
Now, for the hand beaded, ruffled necklaces.
First up is Bubbles:
This is Anut's necklace.
My Grandmother doesn't wear costume-type jewelry, so I skipped her on this project.
Then my Mom's - orange and green. Her favorite colors.
And while I was at it....I made one for myself. I am an avid blue/teal clothes wearer so I naturally gravitated towards that color. The white really set the teal/aqua color off.
I love my picture taken. I've always been that way. I force, demand, plead with Mr. ST to take pictures all the time which is an extremely difficult process. I have finally gotten Mr. ST to cave in to getting engagement pictures done.
So what's the problemo you ask? Well...where (the location) do we take them?
1. Rowan University
Mr. ST and I met at college, Rowan University. While it is a nice campus, it's not picturesque. This is about the most beautiful spot on campus. That's Bunce Hall. I had a majority of my classes there. It's also where graduation takes place (not that I remember actually graduating...oops being at the bar till 4 am).
With that being the only real spot to take a nice picture, Mr. ST ruled it out. Plus, Mr. ST is not as fond of my Alma mater... (he's still taking classes towards his degree at another university - that's about all I can say towards that topic).
2. Baseball Stadium.
Mr. ST is a DIE-HARD Yankees fan. I've grown up being a Phillies fan (my dad and brother actually work there too!!!) I don't dislike the Yankees, in fact, I like them almost as much as the Phillies. So I had stalked out a few engagement sessions on Weddingbee and saw one taken at the Giants Stadium.
I suggested this to Mr.ST who scowled. Seriously, he did (I tried my hardest not to laugh. I was waiting for his "politically" correct way to tell me not a chance in hell ...no). He then said it would never be allowed in Yankees Stadium. He said he won't set foot in Citizen's Bank Park. Whatevs. So this option was out.
3. The Beach/Lighthouse
We live about 10 minutes from the beach. No lie. I've been there about once a week since the beginning of April (it's still freezing, but I'm going!).
Anyways, I want our wedding pictures taken on the beach. So I'm not fond of the idea of the same setting for engagement pics. The beach is out. The lighthouse - same concept, so it's a no go too because why take engagement shots there when I can be there in a pretty white dresssssssssssss...???
4. Boardwalk.
I love the boardwalk. Mr. ST and I go regularly to the boardwalk to play in the arcade. We also frequent the bars (helloooo, we were Jersey Shore before it was on TV....Snooki getting punched in my favorite bar - priceless, but I digress.)
I've seen a bazillion shots done at the boardwalk and they are always so... sweet. I would love to, but I feel like that too similar to the wedding photos "look" that I want.
So my requirements for an engagement shoot location:
Not beachy
Somewhere in South Jersey
No "fee" for taking photos in said location
Easy, relaxed and location atmosphere should lend to naturally amazing pictures.
I don't think that's tooooo much to ask is it? :-)
NOW... FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!
I have been busy crafting like crazy the last two weeks and wanted to share some of the things I've created with you! There are two items that I will be giving away to one lucky reader!
First: custom designed, hand painted new carpet coasters. Set of 4 coasters that I painted and binded to create some one-of-a-kind coasters.
Yummy iced tea - and that coaster is saving all the sweaty-ness from getting on my counter.
And for the second item:
A unique, hand beaded and sewn chunky necklace.
WARNING: Self-Photos below. Promise you won't laugh - Come-on PROMISE!!!
Woo-Hoo!! I know you are all dying for these fabulous one-of-a-kind goodies!!! So here' how to enter:
Be a follower of Sandy Toes Bride and leave a comment below saying so.
For an extra entry: leave a separate comment about a real place in South Jersey that adorable engagement shots can be taken...<3
Rules:
No comments after Monday, May 9, 2011 at 10:00 PM EST.
Include your email in the comment if your name does not link back to you. You can type it out sandytoesbride at gmail dot com.
Only one comment per person please. (Unless you enter the extra entry)
The random winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 10 and contacted via email.
Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize. If not claimed by then another winner will be chosen.
I've been very bust the last few weeks getting some last minute gifts together for Mr.ST's and my future niece - Gabby - who should be here by the end of June.
First up - the Diaper Sandcastle Cake. I used over a 150 size 3 diapers. I find they are the best size to get a good "roll" shape and it's a diaper size that most parents will use in abundance. I've been saving empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls to make the turrets of the castle. I cut out some light colored construction paper to make the "tops". I scoured dollar stores to get some sand toys to help decorate.
I eyed up plenty of tutus out in bloggy-world. I read over a bazillion tutorials and finally decided to just give it a shot. It was soooooo easy. I sat down and got it done in a half hour, well, more like 45 minutes because I was watching Big Bang Theory and could not stop laughing at Sheldon. Annnnyway, you should give it a try. I also made a detachable flower yo-yo out of the same material that was on the Puffy Quilt Blanket again with a button from Mr. ST Bachi in the center.
Gabby will such a lil munchkin over the summer so there most likely will not be a bathing suit to wear. Sooo, she'll need some fabulous little dresses to sport this summer instead. I used the Cricut to cut out the anchor and backed with with fusible web. I ironed it on the onesie and then stitched around it. I cut out the skirt layer and ruffled it on the machine then attached to the onesie. The sleeve ruffles I had to stitch on by hand because the little arm holes are just too tiny to fit on my machine. It was soooo easy and sweet and made me very excited for summer. PLUS - I have almost two yards of material left with the red and blue stripe!!
You're wondering why all the ahhhh over 42. It's my favorite number. Tie with 13. The combo of 13-42 or 42 -13 OR for real faves 10 - 42 or 10 - 13 is just ME.
Hence our wedding date of 10/13...duh. No brainer for Mr. ST and I to choose that date.
Annnnyways, I've been waiting to do a giveaway on my bloggy blog until I had 42 followers. Soooo, I went on today to write a post about running into a glass door (I'm drafting it now. You'll pee yourself. Promise.) and I saw I have 42 followers! So YAY!!!
I'll figure out something super amazing and fabulous that I have crafted together for the giveaway later this week. Keep checking back to see what day I post it :-)
Now the story. You click this video and listen. It's the perfect soundtrack for this story.
MoH NM and her husband, GM KM live about a mile from our house. We see them about three- four times a week. We have dinner together at least once a week and MoH NM and I walk her two huskies most days.
So she sent me a text and asked if we wanted to come to dinner on Friday. Sure. Sounds great, see you at 6:30. Nothing "special" about that. We ate a delicious BBQ chicken dinner and after went outside to enjoy a fire pit. Still, nothing out the ordinary or strange.
I was rehashing all the details from the royal wedding over and over and was showing NM the picture of the second dress the Duchess had put on. I was obviously tired (I'd been up since 4:30 am ) and it was getting a bit chilly so I put the hood up on my sweatshirt.
GM KM was in and out of the house and kept forgetting to shut the glass door into the house from the sun room. NM asked him to close it for the millionth time. It was getting late and I needed to come home to finish up some last minute details for a baby shower the next day. So I got up, folded the blanket I had on and cleaned up the bag of marshmallows (fire pits and smores are a MUST).
We were all joking and talking about NM's pregnancy and that they will have two twin, red-headed girls that look just like their father. I went up the deck, and opened the screen door to the sun room, walked through the dark sun room and while I was thinking, 'KM you are going to be in trouble because you left the slider open', I WALKED RIGHT INTO THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR at full speed.
I bounced off and fell to the floor. I knocked my glasses off and they flew across the room. Everything was a little blurry from the tears immediately in my eyes. Everyone was laughing. They thought I was being funny and did it on purpose. When I didn't get up (partly because I felt like I was swimming/partly because I knocked myself senseless) Mr. ST came to see if I was OK. I was laughing and crying. I couldn't believe I just walked into a door. The two huskies came to lick the tears off my face. Within minutes I had a softball size lump right on my hairline. My knee was also puffing up and I had skinned it...on glass. I also broke my toenail on my big toe.
NM is a nurse, so she gave me a concussion test - I didn't pass. I had an immediate headache and didn't feel good. The lump on my head was getting worse, despite the ice on it. Mr. ST took me home and tortured me to keep me up. You can see from the picture below that I also skinned my scalp on a solid glass door. It's red on either side of my part. It's a fuzzy picture.
This is from last night. It's scabbing now and is itches and throbs and I still have a slight headache.
So that was my Friday night.
Why this song? Mr. ST tells me I am special (there is no one else out there like me is his rationale). When I told my mom what I did, she began singing, "You're so special, oh so special" to me. It fits. I am special.
Then I had Mr. ST's sister, CG (my other MoH) baby shower on Saturday. I was not a happy camper and I was in so much pain, on top of being exhausted. It was not my finest hour.
Have you ever done anything special? Pleaseeeee tell I'm not really as special as all my family and friends think....please?!?!?!
