Frugal Days with Daisy

perfect friday

2010-06-18T16:45:00.005-03:00

Had the day off, and boy was I glad, it was perfectly sunny and enjoyably warm! The morning held a couple of errands which I ran on bike. I made this pink lemonade card to enter a contest on Paper Crafts. Info about the contest can be found here : http://www.flickr.com/groups/pc_go-to_sketch_challenge_4/

As you can see I stuck with the lemon theme I've been on all week. To really enjoy my day off, I picked up a couple of my favourite magazines to read whilst I sat in the shade, dipping my feet in Daisy's kiddie pool, while she daintily dipped her paws to cool off. I also made a light summer snack, Lemon Jello (yeah i bought store brand cause i'm cheap...sadly, they didn't have a light version). We also spent a delightful hour at the dog park, which I think has become my favourite place.

In the evening, after years of preparation, I finally went public with my singing & guitar playing. We had a talent show at church, and I signed up to do a couple of songs.

Playlist :

Meant for me by Jewel
All You Wanted by Michelle Branch
Good Mother by Jann Arden

Judging by the reception, I'd say years of practice worked off. I was uber nervous, and yet, so excited to finally have a chance to share my love of music with others. This pic was taken after the show once I was home and the nerves had disappeared.

All in all, I'd say today was a perfect Friday for me, and now I'm looking forward to the weekend. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. Be sure to check out this post : http://fdwdaisy.blogspot.com/2010/06/daisykisses-giveaway.html to enter for a chance to win a dazzling pair of LemonDrop LolliPop earrings from my Daisy*Kisses line of handmade jewelry!!

Cheers.

The L word

2010-06-15T14:50:00.011-03:00

Meaning LEMONS of course. There is something about bright sunny days and warm weather that makes me crave these citrus fruits. They yield such yummy delights in both baking and cooking, that they are one of my favourite ingredients, something I always keep on hand in the fridge. Mum had found one of my Vegan Lemon Scone recipes tucked in her box, and that seemed like reason enough to make them. First thing this morning I hopped on my bike and went to the store to fill up on some fresh summer picks.

The recipe for the scones is as follows, and an easy peasy tutorial is here too!

Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Scones :

-2 cups whole wheat flour

-3/4 cup white sugar

-4 tsp baking powder

-pinch of salt

-3/4 cup margarine

- 1 lemon, zested and juiced

-2 tbsp poppyseeds

-1/2 cup soymilk

-1/4 cup water

First thing, sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl. It will sift out the yummy bran of the flour, so just dump those bits in after everything else is sifted. Cut margarine into dry ingredients until its all nice and crumbly.

Zest and juice your lemon. Note : zest the whole lemon first, THEN cut it and juice it. Add to dry mix.

Add remaining ingredients, poppyseeds, and slowly add the liquid. If your mix seems too liquidy, then you can use less water, or, add a bit more flour. Combine it all up til its a nice ball. Then with floured hands take chunks as small or large as you like your scones, and roll them into balls.

Make sure to space them. They'll expand quite a bit in the oven. Now I wish I knew how to do fancy triangle scones, but i'll have to find a tutorial and learn it for myself first. For now, round will do. Bake at 400F or 200C for 10-15 minutes.

And voila, yummy lemony vegan scones. They're not overly sweet, but they are lovely fresh.

Now foods with lemon are not all that have been on my brain, I simply adore yellow this time of year, and was browsing Etsy for some sunny finds.

This sweet lemony organizer holds coupons and a notebook for runs to the market. You can find it and others at offthehookbybrooke.etsy.com

I practically squealed when I saw these cupcake wrappers. Hello fun tea party accessories? So cute, and a dozen is so affordable, find these and other cute paper wrappers at Oliviaspapershoppe.etsy.com

Lastly, you know I can't help but browse through pet things for my darling Daisy. I found a super sweet yellow polkadot collar. It would be so fresh for summer! These and many more accessories for your pooch can be found at collarsbydesign.etsy.com.

I'll be keeping with the lemon theme this week, as I have more recipes and things to share. There will even be a sweet giveaway of one of my own jewelry creations from Daisy*Kisses!! For a head's up, you'll be able to enter the giveaway contest by leaving a comment under Tomorrow's post, 2 entries by leaving a comment AND following the blog, and 3 entries for commenting, following and posting a link/featuring the contest on your blog!

Thanks for popping in, remember to leave some love, and spread the word!

-Katrina

Daisy Friday

2010-06-11T15:53:00.003-03:00

After two hectic days of work at the restaurant, I had this beautiful friday off. There were chores to get done, and jewelry to be made (I made a pair of sweet earrings for my dear friend Emma who is going to Korea for the summer; and like a dufus I forgot to take a picture of them before giving them away). And once all the necesarry things were out of the way, I decided to do my favourite thing, which is go to the dog park with Daisy!

I slathered myself in sunscreen, filled the waterbottle, and pocketed plenty of poop bags before heading out. We walk there and back, so we get plenty of exercise (and it really tires her out so she is nice and mellow the rest of the day). In the evenings we generally go in the "small" dog park, but Daisy being the awkward size that she is, I blame the stubby legs, she can go either way. So because it wasn't an overly busy afternoon, we went in the "big" dog side.

Of course I had to bring my camera along to utilize the sun's perfect lighting, and get some new photos for her scrapbook. Doesn't she look so happy above? She really does love the dog park, it does wonders for socializing your dog and helping to make them happier. The pictures below are ones I took at home in the backyard, right before I filled up her kiddie pool for her to cool off.

I'll admit I took alot of pictures today. She is so good about doing sit -stays when I need a shot, but I think at this point she was feeling like I was the paparazzi. Love her little 'tude, like "No more please".

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Midweek Musings

2010-06-09T21:44:00.007-03:00

I'm trying to post regularly, so I can get myself back into the blogging habit. Granted, everyday life does not always seem post-worthy, and it is rarely accompanied by photos. But there are a few things I should very much like to share with my readers.

First off, I received an exciting parcel on Monday afternoon, and inside was such a treasure. I had custom ordered a pair of earrings from a fellow Etsy seller, a Canadian to boot, and they had just arrived. Had I been thinking, I might have taken pictures of the cute packaging, but I was so eager, I simply dove right in.

Inside were my earrings, the sweet wire wrapped pair I had been checking the mailbox for everyday since I bought them.

Simply amazing aren't they? Giddy as I was to try these on, to my surprise and further excitement, Joella had included a second pair of earrings completely free as a thank you gift!!! They are gorgeous gold and turquoise dangles, and I will post a picture soon. She has been so sweet, and her work inspires me. I want you all to check out her shop right now and click favourites, I promise you won't be disappointed by her wonderful handmade designs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/jkfoster I already know I'll be shopping with her again soon.

Also, tonight was our last Young Womens activity before summer break, so we had a little party for the girls at church. My friend ordered gourmet cupcakes from The Cake Box, and I made yummy fruit-kabobs with Marshmallows included. I also helped the girls create their own monogrammed door hangers. Mine is shown there at the top. I simply printed out large letters for each girls name, cut out the letter from coloured cardstock, and then glued that onto a 6 by 6 inch cardboard square which I had modge podged patterned paper onto. Add some pretty ribbon with little brads, and voila, a cute, easy paper craft!

Hope everyone's weeks are going well. Leave me a comment and let me know. Don't forget to check out Joella's shop!

Summer Shop Talk

2010-06-07T20:49:00.008-03:00

I've been very absent from the blogging world for the past few months. Life has its ups and downs, and I was meeting quite frequently with some down portions, so I felt it was necessary to just step back and not worry about these sort of things. However, I'm feeling wonderful now, and with the sun making attempts to break through the rainy clouds, I can see clear skies ahead.

I thought it was time to get back on the blogging bandwagon. Though I have always felt blogs were incredibly self centered things, I've noticed that they can be therapeutic. And there are blogs which are so wonderful and inspiring.

My etsy shop Daisy*Kisses, has slowly been updated with new summer earrings. I've really got the earring bug at the moment, and keep feeling inspired to make more little danglies to adorn your lobes.

Just yesterday I added three new sets of sweet floral earrings, excellent accessories for girly girls in summer. Take a peek at the shop here http://www.blogger.com/www.daisykisses.etsy.com ! If having a green thumb isn't your thing but you still love flowers, then these are the perfect way to show it.

I also attended a 2 hour photography workshop that a friend of mine had put on this past Saturday, and boy was I glad I did! One of my biggest frustrations with the whole etsy endeavor, is that the pictures are absolutely essential in selling a product. If one can't see the quality of the item, because the picture is too fuzzy or too dark, then buying is a scary process.

I have an HP Photosmart M415, and its really not the best for great photography. However, I was able to learn some great tricks in the class, about how to take better pictures, and was eager to try it out. The new earrings gave the opportunity to do just that. See here, I'm quite pleased with the improvement in my shots.

Granted, I still want to save up and get a better camera. She talked about Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed in the class, all functions in a camera that can make taking good quality pictures so much easier. I'm definitely going to start piggybanking for that now, and also, try and use my camera more often to take some more artistic, or just plain better, photos.

Love and gratitude to all my visitors

~Katrina

the lovely lemon tree

2010-02-16T12:54:00.004-04:00

I have long been absent from the blogging world and I have ever so much to catch up on reading. But my days have not been entirely fruitless (pun intended). There are some new items in my Etsy shop, most notably this sweet little collection of lemony jewelry.

The above bracelet is three strands of sunny cuteness. The gold & silver closure is salvaged from a vintage necklace I found. And all the pearls used are also recycled from old jewelry. All other yellow and white beads are made of glass.

These earrings remind me of a tangy lollipop! So fun, they'd be sure to brighten up any outfit.

And this single strand bracelet has the perfect combination of delicate recycled pearls and fun fruity swirls. All items are available for sale now in my shop! www.daisykisses.etsy.com . Please have a look, and leave me some feedback!

February is heart month

2010-01-30T08:51:00.009-04:00

Isn't Valentine just too cute (unfortunately she's probably bacon by now, I know I didn't eat her). So you may already be aware that February is indeed heart month, or the month for heart & stroke awareness. I was reading the latest issue of SHAPE magazine the other night, and came across an article about lessening our risk factors for heart disease.

Well, the article got me thinking about how I had allowed my good habits to decline. And I began wondering what sort of affect this was having on my heart. I asked my Mum about our family history, and if heart disease or strokes were scattered in there. I have an uncle who suffered a stroke on my father's side, but that was it as far as we knew.

So my genetic risk factors seem fairly low. But I know genetics aren't the only factors. My day to day choices today will affect how well my ticker works in ten-twenty-fifty years. Should I be proactive, or reactive?

I hope the answer to that is clear. So after much thought and rereading of the article, I decided to make some positive changes. Mum and I made an agreement to try to eat our healthiest for one month. Now, we don't eat horrible anyway, but there are some processed foods that maybe should be less frequent in our home. I was surprised that Mum was so willing to accept the challenge, but she is totally up for it (after all she's not the one addicted to her nightly bowl of ice cream...that is my own demon to face).

The great thing is we've planned out the month's meals. We've found that making up meal schedules ahead of time, makes a huge difference in the quality of the food we eat (no lazy pizza or fries), and the grocery bill gets affected for better (less food wastage, and its cheaper because we don't run to the store and just pick up anything frequently). I'm excited to cook meals every night, some old, some new recipes. I'll be certain to document a few of the new vegetarian ones we'll make.

So think about YOUR heart this month, and give it a little lovin. I'll be writing more about the topic througout the month.

Cheers.

My Esty Shop

2010-01-26T19:00:00.007-04:00

Finally...After an entire summer of saying I was going to do it, I've finally gone and done it!! My shop, Daisy*Kisses, is finally up and running on Etsy.com. I am just sooo excited, and really quite relieved. You can find it by clicking here http://www.daisykisses.etsy.com, or it will always be in the sidebar under My Other Pages.

For the past few months its been somewhat frustrating every time someone would ask me "So what are you doing these days" and I would explain what I was working towards, but I felt like I had nothing to show for it. Now I can finally say I make and sell jewelry (and soon other handicrafts), and then easily direct them to my shop website.

Hopefully you like what I have to offer. I absolutely love the creative process of finding neat pieces to work with, and then putting them together into something wearable. Some of my pieces use chain, and lots of it, others use recycled jewelry from broken or unwanted pieces, and others use silk cording. I'd have to say the silk cording is my favourite media to work with, as it seems to be something you don't see much.

It really has so much potential though, for both casual and fancier jewelry. I wanted to get all my jewelry posted first, and perhaps in the coming weeks I'll start posting some of the other things I've made. Now that all this jewelry is ready to go, I'm eager to start working on the next batch. What sells first or gets favourites will be a good indicator of what ya'll (that's right I said it) are looking for, and while I will try and cater to the market, I still want to be creative and make sure that my pieces are inspiring to me as well! Thank you for all of your support in reading my blog and encouraging me towards accomplishing this dream of mine!

xx

Katrina

shop banner

2010-01-25T17:05:00.003-04:00

So I finally got around to designing a banner for my etsy shop today. I'm certainly no graphic artist as is quite obvious, but I still wanted to give it a try for myself. After playing about with the Paint.net program, I managed to create something I was fairly pleased with.

I wanted something that seemed a little bit vintage & unique. The background is a dictionary type definition of Daisy*Kisses in alphabetic form. What do you think? Do you like it? Let me know what you think.

In other shop news, I'm in the process of uploading listings to the shop, and will activate them once they are all done. Its a time consuming process to a newbie like me, but its not broken my enthusiasm yet. Items will be available on a Grand Opening day...which will be this week....Some time. ^^

necklace

2010-01-21T10:56:00.005-04:00

For Christmas this year I sent my friend Steph, http://www.flickr.com/photos/archibald-maximilion/4287323118/ a couple pieces of jewelry I had designed just for her. Because I am unashamedly proud of this piece, I wanted to feature it here on my blog.

The silver swirly pieces were purchased at Michael's one day. I thought they were so darn pretty, but I had no idea what I would do with them; just one of those, had to have things. When inspiration finally came, it came in this form and Mum says its her favourite piece that I've created yet.

The pearls, both small and large, were repurposed from other pieces of jewelry I had thrifted. I was originally going to use silver chain to hang it from, but felt that the design was too delicate to add chain to. So i experimented with ribbon, and boy was I happy with the result!

Hope you've enjoyed this little taste of what is to come in the shop. My shop is there on etsy, but as of yet has no listings. Its taking more work then I had realized to get things organized and set up. When it is finally open, you'll be able to find my work at http://www.daisykisses.etsy.com/.

Thanks for popping in and have a wonderful day!

journal tutorial

2010-01-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

I love journaling. I have kept a journal sincen I was about eight years old. There were times when I would go months without writing, and other times where I wrote every single day. I find it therapeutic to jot down my thoughts and feelings at the end of the day. As I have quite a collection of filled journals, all catalogues of different periods of my life, choosing a journal is important to me. I always try and choose something that is a reflection of what I'm into at that point in my life. Some have been vintage, others puppies, and some older ones were movie/tv show ones.

As my current pink doggie journal has only five pages left, it was time for a new one. I searched for a month at all my favourite places, Chapters & Winners, Wal-Mart and even dollar stores. I could not find a journal that spoke to me. Finally one day I saw a plain notebook at Superstore. I looked at it and saw potential! I decorated it myself and am so pleased! Here's the tutorial on what I did.

Here's the chipboard notebook. It has a cute cut-out heart on the cover but is otherwise boring.

I chose these gorgeous scrapbook papers, they've got newsprint with green and pink swirls and patterns. I measured the cover and used a rotary cutter to trim the paper to the right size.

Make certain the pages fit as best as possible. I didn't want to touch the coils which would keep it from turning nicely.

I didn't like the neon pink page inside, so I tore it out, and cut a pretty piece of cream & pink polka-dot paper.

I used double-sided photo mounts in the corners of this page, and then glued it really well all around. Then stick it to the first page.

Now, to stick the paper on the covers, I used clear decoupage finish. It works as both a glue and a glaze.

Using a foam brush (these apply the finish more evenly than a paintbrush) apply a thin layer of decoupage finish. I say thin, because you don't want to get your paper soggy. Put the finish directly onto the cover, not the back of the paper.

Line up the paper and smooth it out. You don't want any bubbles.

Now when I did the front cover, remember the cut-out heart? Once I had glued the paper on with the decoupage finish, I allowed it to dry and then used a knife to carefully cut out the heart. it was a little jagged, but I think it gives it character.

On a small piece of the polka-dot paper, I stamped a pretty monogram. I bought this stamp for $1.50 at Michael's. Afterwards, I mounted this square, onto a green square with glue, so it would stand out, and yet the colours would still be cohesive with the other paper.

On the first page, I stamped a pretty bordered box. I like to write down the date and details when I start a new journal. Plus I just love stamping and embellishing.

Speaking of embellishments, I added two types of ribbon, using a hot glue gun to apply them. But first, you need to use your decoupage finish to paint a thin layer over the top of each page. So for mine it was front & back covers, and inside of each. Leave it for ten minutes, and glaze it again. Then it will be shiny & won't budge. So then add your ribbons. I then glued down the squares with the monogram, and on top of that, hot glued on some pretty coordinating buttons.

And that's it, my pretty journal is personalized and waiting to hold my deepest secrets. Hopefully this tutorial has been helpful to you, and inspired you to add your own pesonal touch to things. I promise its easy, despite how long this tutorial seemed.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! It really makes me happy to feel part of an online community. All of your thoughts are welcome and appreciated and you can leave a comment below, or email me. Also, be sure to follow my blog, and vote in the poll.

site love

2010-01-15T11:24:00.007-04:00

These days I am much too poor to be able to afford to buy magazines (thank goodness I have one prepaid subscrition). While I do love turning the pages in my hand, and ripping out the glossy pictures for inspiration, I have found that a website can be almost (very nearly) as good as the magazine.

Cue, Country Living. Adorable magazine, super amazing website! I spent hours after I found it, just, browsing through every article they had posted. Soooo many amazing ideas for home decorating, restoring, upcycling, and cooking. My project list grew exponentially in the time that I was browsing. I've already started a couple, and others are waiting patiently in line for me to find the perfect pieces to make them.

Here are a few of my favourite things (all of which are on my to do list) :

Isn't this picture frame board pretty? Before I had even found the site, I had a project like this in the works. The frame is painted, I just need to buy the corkboard and frabric to make it prettiful, and then hang it in my room.

I must admit, I have a thing for old framework. I am so in love with this shelf idea. Again...Must go thrift an ornate wood frame soon.

I thought these candles were just the bees knees! I would love to try my hand at candle making, and I think vintage tea tins make them perfect for gifts! I predict that Value Village will be seeing alot of me soon.

And, as per usual, I save the best for last. As if vintage china plates weren't beautiful enough on their own, then you go adding sentiments or quotes and arrange them on your wall, and they are just that much more amazing! Needless to say, this is the project I am most excited about. Right now I have a huge poster of the Eiffel tower on display, but I can see that coming down to make way for an inspiring collection of vintage plates.

I just love the personal touch of doing something yourself, thrifting and repurposing. There is truth in the saying that "Everything old is new again" . If you're looking for more wonderful ideas (these really are just the tip of the iceberg) check out countryliving.com, or click the post title which will link you to their site.

Let me know what projects you're working on, and share any ideas that you may have; I'm always looking to expand my repurposing idea book. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

-Katrina

p.s. - I'm tinkering around with the layout of the blog, so if you find it changing frequrntly, just bear with me.

hats

2010-01-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

Recently I've been seeing alot of stylish ladies wearing very stylish hats on flickr! I've always admired hats, and wished I wore them more often. Some are for looks and some are for practicality, and some, thank the heavens, do double duty. So I decided to share with you, those hats (and the ladies who don them) which inspire me most.

AnaBita here has been my inspiration for wearing berets. They are just made for her, really. Go check out her flickr page, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/shopoholic79/ to see more and be as inspired as I am. And can I just say that I love her hair, the side swept bangs and those gentle pieces that frame her face are perfect for wearing hats.

When I saw Rachel wearing this gorgeous crocheted number, I was gushing my praise. How sweet is it? The colour, that large groovy flower? So perfect. She collects and sells quality vintage wears through her etsy shop. I highly encourage you to check out her flickr page, which will also lead you to her Etsy shop, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/30828317@N08/.

Now see here, Andrea has her own collection of amazing hats. One of the ones I was fell most in love with, was this gorgeous red cloche. Check out the huge red bow that adds such charm to it! So perfect. How could you feel anything but chic in such a hat as this? See more of her wonderful hats on her flickr page, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/acatofimpossiblecolour/ .

Lastly I wanted to highlight my friend Steph, now it should be noted that they're just going into their summer weather this time of year, so her hat serves the purpose of keeping the sun off her face. I just love how she has paired the straw gondola style hat with that flowy white dress and superstar shades. So lovely. She has at least two or three other hats she has been wearing under the sun recently too, so I reccomend you check out her flikr page here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/archibald-maximilion/ .

So there you have the hats that I'm loving right now. I have got to find me a couple more of my own, so I can start looking as pulled together as these ladies. Hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration for yourself. Let me know what you think!

loafin' it

2010-01-12T12:47:00.004-04:00

I woke up today with the desire to make my own bread. There is just something special about getting up early, rolling up ones sleeves and getting to work on bread, which is sure to warm the house and offer a delicious aroma to the air.

I've got to hand it to women who were making bread (or who still do) without bread machines or KitchenAids. We have neither of those oh so convenient tools, and thus, I did all 250 kneads by hand. Using part whole wheat flour seems to make the dough a little tougher, and therefore requires more effort. I felt I had worked up a sweat first thing in the morning. But for the sake of the end result, I loved it!

I decided to do two loaves in the french style, thicker than baguettes, but still sort of free form. I had googled bread glazes this morning, and rather than use the usual egg wash that Mum's recipe called for, I chose to use olive oil. Look at the nice golden-brown crust it offered, and the oil added a hint of mediterranean sweetness to boot. I glazed it before and after it went in the oven.

Nearly as soon as it came out, Mum cut into it and we taste tested...Verdict, nothing beats homemade bread. Also, be sure to vote in the new poll and leave any comments or questions you may have! Thanks for stopping by.

some like it sweet part 2

2010-01-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

After my last post of little sweet things, I realized there was some crucial cuteness I had bypassed. So I decided to do part two, and showcase those yummy little wonders. I'm not gonna lie, I have a penchant for cupcakes and cherries.

Here we have my recipe book. It's got plastic holders for all my recipe cards, as well as long pages for longer recipes. Its really quite cute. It's only about a sixth of the way full, but I'm increasing my collection over time. Only the very best gets a place in here.

Here's a sweet cherry magnet I got in my stocking this year. Now take a deep breath before you scroll down...

The most adorable *mini* spatulas, complete with cuppycakes!!! Winners how I love you for supplying my mother with these to put in my stocking.

Lastly, is a project I completed last month. I can't take credit for the canvas bag, I've had it for some time, but I did design the cute cupcake that I ironed on, and then stitched into place. I love the blob of pink fabric frosting, and the heart cherry on top. Oh, as for the sprinkles...thos are sweet vintage buttons I picked up for a dime. All I have to say is...life is better with sweets. Even if you can only look at them...not eat them...

charmed thrifting

2010-01-09T17:28:00.006-04:00

Today Mum and I stopped into Value Village to see if we could find anything. And we did. I found some great little charms on various chains. Some were such a decent price I picked them up immediately...Others were well...outrageously priced for second hand charms but I gave in and bought them too.

I found a sweet little goldtone daisy charm, a must have for me. A cute itsty-bitsy rainbow, which I will use on some piece for my etsy shop (soon to be opening I swear, I'm in the process of organizing all the last minute details now). The one I could not pass up despite its price, a vintage telephone! Hello awesomeness, thanks for calling! And lastly were some sweet vintage bows; cause they were sweet.

So what do you think? Mega cute right? I also managed to find the perfect frame for a project I've had in mind for a while. I'll post that one later, when I show you what its being upcycled into.

Thanks for visiting my humble little blog. I've recently photographed & created a new header, what do you think? Also, be sure to check out the latest poll and place your vote! Thanks so much. xx

couture photography

2010-01-05T19:18:00.011-04:00

So my good friend who just recently celebrated her birthday (27 gf, whooo!) told me she was dabbling in photography, and wanted to pursue it more seriously. She sent me the link to a collection of work she had done, and I was so amazed!!

I am so proud of her for going after this dream. I just had to showcase a few of my favourite photos here. The one above is my absolute favourite. Amsterdam....Look at all those cool bikes!

This gorgeous ceiling shot is somewhere in Dubai.

And these last two, are pictures she snapped during the big opening celebration of the Burj in Dubai. Its the tallest skyscraper in the world now!

Kayla, your work is amazing and you know I totally love you. (and miss you for being half way across the world from me). Consider this a belated birthday gift.

You can find her site here, http://klaaspice.tumblr.com/page/1 to see more gorgeous pics she has taken. As she goes after her dream, I am going to continue posting my favourite shots here, so stay tuned!

birthday card

2010-01-02T08:00:00.004-04:00

It's the birthday of one of my best friends soon. I decided to get her a gas gift card, something useful for any driver. My Mum pitched in also, because my friend looks after our cat when we go to my sister's place (she's cared for Fiona two long weekends in December).

I used some of my fun stamps. I wanted it to have a sweet, yet edgy appeal.

Instead of a standard card, I decided on a trifold style. Yay...more stamps and punches!

And the middle section. More cute stamps and a little red pocket to slide the gift card into.

And on the back, there is my logo, for my soon to open Etsy shop. daisy.k.creations. Yay!

homemade crackers...

2009-12-31T05:00:00.000-04:00

...and not the edible kind. I mean the fun, break-open-with-a-pop ones!!! Mum and I found this awesome kit at Superstore at the beginning of December, and its a make your own crackers kit. We were so excited about this. It provides you with the essentials, 6 pretty rolls, ribbons to tie the ends, paper crowns, little fun facts, and gems and stuff to decorate your crackers. All we needed now, were little prizes fit for each individual. The hunt was on and we were two very happy hunters. Now I am pretty darn sure my family are not yet aware of my blog, so it should be safe to share what we put into them.

Luckily the pack provided crackers & accessories for six, and that's exactly how many of us there would be. I picked out the yummy kinder chocolates, I just love those little treats. Mum chose Hershey caramel kisses and divvied them up for each person. Then we picked cute little scrapbooking punches for the girls and I, and gel pens too. A yummy fig melting candle for my sister, a pretty stamp and pen for my Mum, and my genius idea for my brother-in-law was all the Canadian Tire Money my Mum had been saving. Everyone's gifts were around 1.50, except for his which amounted to 8.75!!

Here you can see Mum rolling up my brother-in-law's cracker, the wad of C.T. cash rolled around his chocolate! Yum.

And the box of finished products!! Gorgeous silver and gold personalized crackers. We initialed each so we knew which cracker corresponded to each person. Hopefully these will be a big, fun surprise for the rest of the family on New Year's Eve!

Now I have a genius friend, who did one better than me. Not only could she fill her crackers with personal candies and gifts, she actually was so crafty as to construct her own crackers!! She found the sticks, the lovely things that make the pop, at Michael's. It was a huge package for about 2 dollars. She then collected up her empty toilet paper tubes. Using pretty wrapping paper, she wrapped each roll, tied one end with ribbon, filled it, inserted the popping stick, and tied off the other end. Genius no?!? I wish I had a picture to share with you, but I will definitely be doing it that way next year. What are your traditions for New Years Eve?!

some like it...sweet.

2009-12-30T09:18:00.001-04:00

Forget hot, I'm all about the sweetness. Apparently my Mum is onto that, as I found my stocking stuffed with the most delectable little gifts. I simply had to share them with you. I promise they'll satisfy your sweet tooth without a hint of pain.

I do love me some cupcakes. But a suncatcher? Yes please! Mum picked these make-your-own kits up at Michael's for me. I got to bake them in the oven and everything.

She got me cute cherries too, because these little red wonders have vintage appeal.

And two cute cuppycake journals? How sweet are those? Again, she picked these up at Michael's in the 1.50 bin.

Piece de resistance... A wee little lollipop lipbalm! It smells like yummy peppermint. That's it for sweet things in my stocking, but I've one more thing I'd like to share. A few years ago, maybe six or seven, one of my best friends got me this ornament for Christmas. It was instantly my favourite...

Can you guess why? I'm a sucker for sweets, 'nuff said.

winter wonderland

2009-12-29T11:54:00.000-04:00

We woke up to a wonderful surprise this morning; overnight it had snowed and was still snowing! It was the perfect light fluffy snow, which made shovelling a heck of a lot easier than usual. And after the hard work was done, Daisy and I had a little photoshoot. Enjoy the cuteness in her denim jacket!

It was hard to keep her attention long enough to snap a shot, she couldn't resist munching on the freshly fallen snow.

Close up of the cuteness! I love the snowglobe effect of being outside while it's snowing. There were lots of flakes caught on our lashes to be sure. And yes...the jacket is fleece lined. Only the best for my girl.

I saved my favourite one for last, she looks so picturesque here. This pic is now my desktop background. I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse of cuteness as much as I have. I can not wait to scrapbook these into her album, and yes I am that crazy.

Daisy and I also want to give a shout out to our pals on the other side of the world. My friend Steph from flickr, has just added to her puppy brood. Her pup Archie now has a chug (chihuahua pug mix) sister named Gracie Scarlett!!

new toy

2009-12-28T19:32:00.000-04:00

Now I am not much of a gamer, never had much of a skill for it. As a kid I'd sit beside my brother while he played games on our original nintendo, and I'd offer my opinion when needed. As I got older, my best friend and I spent hours upon hours gaming, she played and I consulted her. Her fingers had dexterity, and my job was to figure out all the puzzles and make sense of the games. I haven't played much of anything in the past few years, just a little Star Wars Pod racing on the 64, and Zelda sometimes too.

But for Christmas this year, my sister surprised me with something just for me. A Nintendo DS lite. I'd tinkered with my nieces' ds games over the summer, and so my sister got me my very own. She got me this pretty red one. How lucky am I?

And as little actual time as I should be spending on this thing, I've managed to find the time to play Big Brain Academy, which she got for me. It makes me feel more grown up and responsible playing games that challenge the mind and help keep my brain exercised.

She also bought me USA today Puzzle Craze...which is actually pretty dang hard for me. So today, with one of my giftcards, I went and bought Crosswords...A game for DS I really enjoy playing. So addictive...

So I'll be keeping busy, and probably expanding my collection of educational games whenever I've got the extra money kicking around...Which won't be often. Thank goodness I've got a lot of work to do in Big Brain Academy to get gold medals in each category. Happy Gaming everyone!!

holiday joy

2009-12-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

There is so much going on that its been hard to post things when I wanted to. But here is a quick update of some of the things that are new. My family and I had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope that you did too. There was so much good food, quality veg' time all cozied up on the couch together, and happy smiles as we opened gifts. Because my budget was so tight this year, I went with one small purchsed gift, and then their other gifts were handmade by me with much thought put into each thing. Everyone seemed more happy with their handmade gifts so I feel it was a success. And it only went to solidy my belief that it is not the price, but the thought behind the gift.

Here are some pretty cards I made. I'm entering these in the Paper Crafts December Gallery Challenge.

Daisy wants to wish you all the very best this season, as she fills in as one of Santa's reindeer!

And here is what I wore to the Christmas Party I hosted on Wednesday. After all that baking and prep, I managed to have a wonderful time and indulge my friends. The little black dress is thrifted, one of my wonderful finds at a Value Village half price day, lucky me!!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my little corner of the web, and reading my blog. I wish you all the very best.

tis the season...

2009-12-23T07:46:00.000-04:00

To make cookies!

I have been baking up a storm since Monday in preparation for the open house Christmas party I am hosting tonight. I always go over the top when hosting parties, because I just love playing hostess. Apparently this time I've gone so over the top I broke the bank, and by broke the bank I mean, I'm broke and thus, am considering finding a job.

But those matters are not to be thought about until the new year. My mind is still in cookie mode. I did not want to do anything too fancy and meticulous, but I did want some cookies with taste & visual appeal to my guests. So I whipped up a few batches of my Mint Brownie Bites, Classic Sugar Cookies, and Gingerbread Men. And yes, they're all wee.

The mint brownie bites are compliments of Good Housekeeping, and the recipe can be found here, http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/mint-brownie-bites-recipe. Warning, highly delicious little morsels. I made them for the cookie exchange and they were a smash hit. I got a lot of feedback the next Sunday, or moms telling me how their children begged for more.

I also bought some pretzel batons, and dipped them in chocolate and then decorated them with sprinkles for another tasty party treat. But I had by mistake, melted too much chocolate for the amount of pretzels...what was I to do? Why dip the cookies, of course! And, because I simply could not resist, I made mini vanilla cupcakes. Don't they look so yummy with their frosting and sprinkles?!

Here's my perfect cupcake. I ate this one ahead of time, because I couldn't resist its cuteness.

And amongst all of this wonderful baking for my party, I took time to make a batch of peanut butter doggie treats, for Daisy, but also for the dogs of my friends & clients. They're cute wee gingerbread men, a festive treat for any pooch.

Look at how 'wee the baby gingerbread cutter is? Perfect size for doggie treats. And don't worry, the peanut butter treats will not be mixed up with the real gingerbread men. What holiday baking have You been up to? Let me know with a comment, I promise to read them all.

magic dress

2009-12-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

Do you have a dress, a pair of shoes, a hat or whatever, that just feels magical? You put it on and feel like nothing can go wrong, that you look perfect every time you wear it? That's what this dress does for me. It comes out of the closet only once a year, usually at Christmas parties. But I had the desire to wear it to church today, for our special Christmas program.

I love this dress. I inherited it from a woman who had been one of my mother's elderly clients. This dress is vintage, circa 1950. The ornate beadwork on the front and back are positively amazing to behold. The craftsmanship and quality of the dress are beautiful, and when I wear it I feel just so darn good!

It used to be an ankle length cocktail gown, but Mum altered and hemmed it to be knee length for me instead. It was the only modernization I could do, the rest of the dress is perfection on its own and simply not to be tampered with.

So what about you? Do you have something that feels special every time you wear it?

truffles

2009-12-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

So truffles are one of those awesome sweets that I only get the opportunity to indulge in once a year. So this year I decided to make my own, and document it to share with you. You may experience excessive mouth watering by the end, just a warning.

First gather your ingredients. For this recipe it was : 1/3 c. whipping cream, tsp vanilla, 3 tbsp butter (softened), 3 tbsp sugar and 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate.

Bring butter, sugar and whipping cream to a boil. Stir often.

Once it begins to boil, quickly remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate. Keep stirring, the chocolate will melt in and the mixture will become shiny & smooth.

Now time to refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. The thing about truffles is that as you touch them, they soften up, so you have to work fast, keeping what you don't need in the fridge, and returning what you do use, back to the fridge.

Now portion out and roll into balls. It should only take a roll or two to get a ball. It'll start to stick to your hands and melt, so work fast and don't touch it too much

Choose your coating. I like sprinkles, especially festive ones.

Roll the truffle balls in the sprinkles. The recipe also suggested you could use crushed wafer, crushed nuts, or coconut as other options. It also said dip them in melted chocolate. I tried that and failed...as the chocolate (even once cooled) still melted the truffle. Fail. I will need to figure that one out.

Voila!! Tasty chocolate truffles to share with all your friends and family who pop by for the holidays. Or to just binge on yourself....whichever. I promise they're good.

busy days

2009-12-07T18:20:00.000-04:00

I forgot how hectic the days become as the holidays draw near. Mum was hosting a small party tonight, so first thing on my agenda was to clean the house top to bottom. That was work enough. But after that, the day kept throwing more tasks at me to complete, and I tackled each one with as much cheer as I could muster.

After the cleaning was done though, I was pleasantly surprised by the postman delivering a package from my grandparents!! It made me so happy.

I've a function to attend tomorrow night, and I thought I would make some treats. Just some easy truffles and peppermint bark hearts. They weren't so easy, but once they were done I was really happy. And I most definitely did some sampling...Truffles are heavenly. Nuff said.

I also decided to work on some Christmas presents. I made a necklace for a friend, and a necklace & earrings set for my mother. As I know she has no clue how to find my blog, I'm posting her gift on here for you all to see. She liked purple alot, so I made her some jewelery to go with all her purpley tops and dresses. Its packaged with a pretty bow and nestled under the tree for her now. This is the sort of jewelery that will be available when I open my Etsy shop in January!

Lastly, I found Daisy's festive neckerchief which had been tucked away from last year. She has a special holiday message to share :

"Fleas Navidad!"

Inspired By

2009-12-03T13:56:00.000-04:00

So there is a magazine called Paper Crafts, and while I am too poor to actually be able to buy it, I can look on their website and find inspiration. While checking out their company blog, I saw a contest called Inspired By. Essentially, you create your own thank you or birthday card, inspired by another card you saw in one of their publications.

As I had no actual copy to look at, I chose one of their online ones, and this was the product of my efforts. It may not win, but I was still very pleased with the end product.

If you're interested in entering this contest, more information is available on the blog, or on the flickr group site, listed here, respectively.

http://www.papercraftsconnection.com/

www.flickr.com/groups/pc_nov_inspired_by_challenge/

paper crafting

2009-12-01T21:40:00.000-04:00

I do enjoy a good paper craft, that is for sure. Today I sat down, put on some festive tunes, and worked on my latest project. I've always wanted some sort of countdown calendar besides the fun chocolate one I get every year. (This year I decided to skip the chocolate, considering the mass of cookies I'll be making over the next month).

I googled christmas calendars, and saw alot of amazing ones. But some of them were perhaps beyond me for now, so I tried something simple. Simple though it may be, I think its super cute and I am very pleased with the results. Using cardstock, various holiday papers, stickers, glue, ribbon, mini clothespins, punches and a cutter, I created this simple yet fun holiday countdown calendar.

The whole countdown is nearly as long as my bedroom door! But here's a close up.

Every day I'll pin up another card, but with only one up today, it looks so lonely. I'm most excited about putting the last two up because you know what that means...

Hopefully you see how easy peasy paper crafting can be, and how lovely the results are. Grab a glue stick and get crafting!

holiday kisses

2009-11-30T18:12:00.000-04:00

No mistletoe involved, I decided to try and make these amazing peanut butter cookies my sister makes every year at Christmas time. I was so lucky as to find a hershey add in the holiday issue of Good Housekeeping, and it was for hershey kisses peanut butter blossom cookies. I was like "omg - those are the cookies i love". Here is my attempt to make them.

First I had to remove all the prettyful wrappers. Easily done with only one casualty along the way. So much chocolate really is tempting.

Then you need to mix the ingredients in a big bowl. (See the recipe below). Peanut Butter smells so dang good, but I resisted tasting the dough, knowing how good these cookies are when finished.

Then, roll into one inch balls. Then roll those in sugar. Yum. I do love rolling cookiedough balls in sugar.

Then bake. After 8 - 10 minutes ( don't be fooled and think they're not cooked. Overcooked peanut butter cookies get hard) remove from oven. Now kiss each cookie...with a chocolate kiss, and let cool. Then indulge all you freakin' want!

Delightfuly Delicious Hrsheys Kisses Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe

48 hershey's kisses (I used milk chocolate)

1/2 c shortening

3/4 c peanut butter

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

granulated sugar (for rolling)

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl. Add granulated sugar and brown sugars; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

See more at www.kissescookies.com

quick holiday centerpieces

2009-11-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

So my Mum was in charge of a christmas dinner at church, and she mentioned that she needed some centerpieces for the tables. The budget for decor was really small, so she asked if I could help her find/make something pretty and stick within the budget.

I was excited by the challenge, and immediately rummaged through our craft room for supplies. I found a collection of these great, deep red baskets. I also found some large bunches of fake poinsetta. The perfect foundation.

We then took a quick trip to the dollar store to see what I could find to go with this. I bought a floral block, a bouquet of sparkly mini pears, a package of holly berries, and 3 pretty gold wire reindeer. All this for $6.00, four dollars under buget.

I took my supplies home, snipped, arranged and voila, lovely centerpieces! What do you think? I've got lots of supplies left over too, so I'm going to make more holiday decorations. Hopefully it inspires you.

delightful dozen

2009-11-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

After seeing the cards I had created on Monday, I saw that look of "I want some" in my Mum's eyes. So on Tuesday I set down to work making her a dozen of her own individual cards.

I had six pretty sheets of paper, so I did two of each. I put my new stamps and punches to work again, and was quite pleased with the result. So was Mum. She said she couldn't pick a favourite, that she liked them all. But I'm slightly more baised than that, the purple one in the bottom set is my fav, with its sweet little bow and scalloped edges.

So tell me, which one is Your favourite and you'll be entered to win 6 handmade greeting cards just for you! Sent express just in time for you to hand them out to your friends & family!! (see yesterday's blog for more info on the contest!)

going card crazy

2009-11-16T19:14:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, we had an activity at church where we put together these five gorgeous christmas cards. My very talented friend Natalie designed the poinsetta, tree, and snowflake one, while I design the argyle and the one with the bow. Everyone had a good time remaking these cards for themselves. These cards were just the beginning...

On Sunday I designed these sweet birthday cards. I'm so hooked on card making right now. Natalie has inspired me to use more than just paper and stamps for my cards, I've started using ribbons, flowers, brads and buttons. I even bought some fancy new Martha Stewart punches. (thank goodness for Michael's coupon which made the punches half price for me!).

On Monday after going to Value Village for the 50% off sale, I could not resist stopping in at Michael's. I was so close....And I saw these adorable Christmas stamps in the $1.50 bin, and well...I bought five. And of course I could not wait to use them sooooo...

I proceeded to make more Christmas cards. I was really pleased with how these ones turned out, and I felt quite proud to have done them all on my own. Let me know which Christmas card is YOUR favourite, and you'll be entered to win a set of 6 handmade greetings cards. The draw closes Wednesday, November 25th, and the prize will be shipped express on the 26th so you'll get them just in time to hand them out to friends & family!!

thrifty tuesday

2009-11-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a good day for thrifting. Value Village was having a 50% off sale all day. So naturally, I had to go and see if I could wrangle any brilliant finds from the racks. The store was absolutely packed, so my friend and I split to shop in our sections (she had to look at maternity clothes), and we shopped with intent.

We each found a handful of things, waited in the line to get a dressing room, tried them on, and we both got lucky. While she found herself some practical pants, I walked away with three stellar dresses!

The first one is actually cheetah print, with a hankerchief hem and a sweet ribbon. I wasn't sure I could pull off the animal print, but, I fell in love with it once I saw it on. The second dress is black with white polka dots. Its so swooshy and has an asymetrical hem. It has a matching belt, but when I do wear it, I think I'll swap the belt for something with colour. And lastly, an unworn black shift dress. So perfect for the upcoming holidays, and the possibilities to modify it are endless. I'm going to put my thinking cap on and see what embellishments I can add to make this dress my own. And all of these, half price! What a thrifting extravaganza indeed.

I also picked up the Value Village coupon calendar, and will be sure to post what I buy each month with my coupon. Happy thrifting everyone!

french twist

2009-11-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

I have always thought there was something so elegant about the french twist. Its like the perfect updo, and you can't see any unsightly elastics, pins or clips. I've tried it many times over the past ten years, with varying lengths of hair, and never once could I get it to work for me. I would buy hairstyle magazines and follow the directions to the 't', but to no avail. My hair would just unravel and fall down. On Sunday I solved the mystery of my failure. I had always used bobby pins, which apparently are very different from hair pins. As seen in the picture, hair pins are rounded and don't press shut firmly like a bobby pin.

Well...They worked like a charm! My hair was wet, I twisted it up, used these new 'hair pins' which I had bought and lo and behold, a french twist that lasted all day. I was so amazed I had to post about it. In case anyone else is wondering how to get their hairstyles to stay in place, and bobby pins aren't doing the trick...Go and buy some hair pins in your hair colour. They're magic I tell you. I'm probably going to have my hair up like this on a regular basis for the next little while, just because I am so enamoured with it. So here is a shot of how it looks when I do it (practice will make perfect, I'm sure).

Leave a comment on how you think it looks, or any tricks you might have to make french twists (or any great hairstyle) look good and stay in. Also, be sure to vote in the poll, and leave a comment on the November 12th post, to be entered into Daisy's Goodie Giveaway to win some free doggy stuff.

Cheers.

Daisy's Goodie Giveaway!

2009-11-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

In celebration of November being the month in which I adopted Daisy from the local shelter, and also the month of her birthday, we wanted to extend the celebration to our blog readers. As I have been in scrapbook mode lately, Daisy's album is now complete too, but I've got so many stickers left over, I thought I'd share them. I also made some pretty stamped note cards, and sewed some sweet bandanas. Daisy is seen above, modelling the medium size. And I picked up this sweet pocket puppy calendar for 2010. So how can you win these goodies? Simply leave a reply here on the blog and tell me a little bit about Your four legged friend!! Leave an email address where you can be reached and your name will be entered in the draw which will take place on November 30th, Daisy's third birthday!

Good luck, and also, remember to vote in the blog poll, it helps me know what you're interested in!!

cheers.

fdwdaisy tester

2009-11-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I found these little bottles from Wilton for candy making. I thought they were a brilliant idea and they would help me fill molds alot easier, with less mess. So I decided to buy them (they were only $2.79 for the pair) and give them a try. I documented the test to share with you.

You need a squeeze bottle, some candy melts, or chocolate melts like I used, and a candy mold. Mmm....chocolate...

The instructions were to fill the bottle half way with the melts. I filled it 3/4 because let's face it; the more chocolate the merrier.

Then you need to place the bottle in a bowl of warm water. Warm seemed to me like it would cool too quickly, so I boiled water and set it in that instead. While its melting, knead the bottle to help the candies melt and smooth out.

I thought the boiling water was a perfect opportunity for some hot chocolate. Unfortunetly, we were out of marshmallows....I did spruce it up with a dash of peppermint extract though.

When the candies are all melted and you've kneaded it really well, it should be smooth and ready to fill the molds. Well...Everything worked great until this step. Look at the tiny stream that comes out...and you would not believe the amount of squeezing it took to get that! I filled one mold about half way and gave up, using a spoon (the old method) to dig out the chocolate and spoon it into the molds. The bottle also did not keep the melts very warm, so they started solidifying early, leaving my daisies with lumpy backs.

But the daisies are still cute right? And yes, I chose to make daisy chocolates because I'm celebrating my Daisy all month long. Though, as much as she may want to, she can't have these treats. My final verdict on the squeeze bottle method for doing candy melts is three daisies out of ten. Good idea, but it just did not work as well as it should have. I am going to cut the tips off more, and see if I can't increase the flow that way. But I still need to solve the hardening chocolate issue, which might require lots of fresh hot water. I'll let you know how test number two goes.

Let me know if you found this helpful. Have you tried the squeeze bottle method? Did it work or make more work?

flickr fashion inspiration : Monikulus

2009-11-07T20:59:00.000-04:00

Each month I am going to spotlight someone who inspires me, and for the first one I've decided to showcase Monika. I've been watching her on flikr for some time, and something that stood out to me very early on was how defined her style and colour palette were. There is just a distinctive look that is just so her. Simple pieces paired together in colours like black, greys and tame blues.

So Naturally when I see clothes fitting this bill, in my mind springs the term "that is so Monika". Like this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/daisy_k/4086116577/) dress which I recently thrifted, it reminds me so much of her and her unique style. But she can do this look far more justice than me, after all, it is unique to her. She was good enough to allow me to interview her, and share what she had to say about style with you. It was wonderful to get to know her better, and learn where her inspiration stems from.

1. What sort of work do you do,
and how does it affect your wardrobe?

M - Recession is not a good time to mention that I work for the Bank. I like my job very much, but to be honest I
treat it like a temporary one. I dream about opening my own art gallery. (There are a few other emergency options, but I prefer not to mention them, its bad luck). I definitely want to do something for myself. I suppose my work has an impact on my wardrobe and style of dress, but certainly it does not determine it. I try to add a piece of me to my everyday work outfits - thank god I was not kicked out of my job yet.

2. What are some of your favourite
designers, or inspirations in the fashion industry

M - I love D&G and Dries Van Noten. I like DKNY and absolutely admire Vera Wang. She is so sophisticated, and yet subtle and delicate. I like the most simple things paired with some sharp details. And above all, femininity, but maybe in a less obvious way.
I do appreciate good quality, even when its not a designer label. Most of the time I end up doing my shopping on Zara.

3. If you had to choose three words to describe yourself, what would they
be?

M - I would love to say; creative, feminine and friendly but its not really up to me to say that. It's
really hard to describe myself.
4. What three words describe your style?
M - Simple, I like effortless chic, and unique fashion, I try not and base it off current trends.
5. What is one of your favourite outfits, or pieces you own/have worn?
M - I'm trying to think hard, and
I can not think of one piece I can't live without. I like dresses and skirts,
does this count?
6. Have you ever had a fashion disaster or worn something you felt unfashionable in?
M - I'm sure it happened to me
more than once. I remember once I wore too many pieces of jewelry with a
patterned jacket and a sort of green bag - when I was browsing the stores
eventually I noticed in one of the mirrors that I actually looked more like a
Christmas tree.
7. Which do you prefer, gold, silver, or bronze jewelry?
M - When I was younger I wore alot of silver; now I prefer gold. Though I've been mixing alot of gold and silver lately.
8. What is your favourite way to
spend an afternoon?
M - I actually love being around people. I love socializing in any possible way...I tend to go to the cinema alot. Sometimes, when I am tired I stay home with my partner and do absolutely nothing, just enjoying being lazy.
9. What made you decide to start blogging?
M - I actually started blogging not that long ago. I'm not sure if I had any particular reason but to see if there was any space out there for me in the depths of the internet...and all these lovely and so fashionable people!

Thanks so much to Monika for being a part of this. Check out her blog, Style Filter, located under my Inspiration Links in the sidebar.

scrap crazy

2009-11-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

I have to admit that it had been a couple of years since I sat down and did some serious scrapbooking. I've twittered away at Daisy's mini scrapbook now and then, but nothing like the past two days.

I've been bitten, bad. Two whole days spent scrappin' or shopping for more supplies! I have managed to complete all my grade twelve pictures (which is where I left off), including prom and graduation...zoom through the next couple of years onto College Graduation and now I've just finished last summer. Twenty three pages, completely done, it is really quite a satisfying thing to accomplish. So I am nearly up to date, which means I'll be looking for every opportunity to take pictures and have something to make a new page for.

Now, if you're not a scrapper yourself then you may not realize, but scrapbooking is an expensive hobby. Or it can be, if you go to Michael's and get caught up in all the fantabulous things you can buy to preserve your memories in prettier ways. But fear not! I can't afford to shop at Michael's without my trusty coupons, but I have found some wonderful items elsewhere at amazing prices.

For example, I went to the Dollarama and bought several packs of gorgeous lettering stickers, double alphabet for a dollar each. Compared to the $6.49 that Michael's would charge, its literally a steal of a deal. I got a box of sparkly cardboard letters, puppy paw stickers and pretty paper, all for a dollar. Other options for budget conscious scrapbook supplies are Wal-Mart, where the exact same products tend to be about two dollars cheaper than their competitors.

The best place to buy supplies and get the most value for your money, is most definitely Winners!! If you're considering starting your own memory keepsake album, I suggest you start there. You can get the most beautiful 12 x 12 albums for 8 dollars, less in the states I would suppose. I also picked up a lovely paper pack yesterday for five dollars, and it included more than seventy patterned and solid papers, beautiful lettering stickers, and pretty cut outs to frame pictures or journal areas. You couldn't get all that for less than forty dollars at Michael's.

Not surprisingly I've got to go back and work on some more pages. Creativity is just surging through my veins these days and I want to get these things done. Hope I've inspired you to start or get back into this wonderful hobby that will make your memories last a lifetime!

cheers

wednesday musings

2009-11-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I spent the entire afternoon yesterday with a recent friend of mine, making holiday cards. She used to design scrapbook pages and cards professionally, and was willing to let me join in on her latest project. We're designing cards for a card-making activity at church later this month, and needed some options to show the ladies and get them excited. Natalie's cards looked amazing, and with her help my samples looked pretty spiffy too.

If you're like me, you'll agree that there is something special about receiving handmade cards. Making them too is just a wonderful. So now I've been bitten by the scrapbooking bug again and had to make a run to Michael's for some new supplies. I foresee much paper, stickers, and cards in my future. Don't worry, you'll get to see what I'm up to.

Natalie was also so wonderful as to suggest to me some awesome links for free backgrounds for my blog. I'm certain you noticed fdwdaisy's makeover. This one is compliments of Aqua Poppy Designs. She has also offered to help me design a header for the blog that will replace my crappy paint one.

aquapoppydesigns2.blogspot.com

shabbyblogs.com

thecutestlittleblogontheblock.com

In other news, I've pulled together a few things for the Daisy Goodie Giveaway. I've made some sweet bandanas, and bought some cute puppy stuff. More info about the giveaway will be coming shortly, and a picture of the prize too. So keep checking in, and let me know how you are enjoying the blog. Be sure to vote in the lastest poll too!

cheers.

polished g.i.jane

2009-11-02T20:39:00.000-04:00

Last night I was perusing Instyle.com for some fashion advice. Looking for trends I might like to try or for some general wardrobe inspiration. I finally came across a slideshow from the Spring, which had a promising find.

Dressed up khakis...Who would have thought it was possible? The very nature of khaki material is extremely casual and comfortble. So how genious is it to pair something so casual with a fancy silky top? Um....pretty darn brilliant, that's what.

The picture on the left appealed to me most, and so I tried to replicate the look to suit me. It made my outfit feel new, putting things together in this new combination. You know how sometimes outfits feel the same, because you wear them so often, in one way? But then you switch things up, pair up unlikely candidates and somehow it feels like you've added to your closet, when in fact no money was required to freshen things up. That is such a satisfying feeling. See my flickr page for details on what I'm wearing.

Leave a comment to let me know what you think of the combination. Do you think it works for fall? Would you try it? If you have or do try the look, send me the photo so I can see how it worked for you! Cheers.

Daisy Mondays in November

2009-11-01T20:42:00.001-04:00

Right, so I've never denied that I am one of those slightly ridiculous people who 'love' their pets a crazy amount. Today is Daisy's second anniversary of being adopted from the local shelter! This dog has made my life so wonderful, and I love her so much that I simply must celebrate. Its completely true what they say about love an animal and you will receive it so much more in return.

Today is her Happy Adoption Day, and to celebrate I baked her delicious doggie treats, which coincidentally are both nutritious and cheap. Yay! That scottie cookie jar was a sale find at Winner's which Mum gave to her (daisy) last Christmas.

While I am not so crazy to throw her a party and invite her doggie pals, I am borderline...So I have done up little treat bags for her pals (a.k.a - my clients' dogs).

Because her adoption day is at the beginning of the month, and her birthday at the end, I've decided to do a wee bit of celebrating all month long. Every Monday's post will be dedicated to something dog related. Also, at the end of the month there will be a Daisy Goodie Giveaway, open to all of my blog readers. Keep posted for more info about the giveaway!

movies, pumpkins & puppies

2009-11-01T20:01:00.000-04:00

So for Halloween this year, I went to my sister's place. It was my pleasure to watch a slew of movies, carve pumpkins, and escort my nieces trick or treating. (Daisy accompanied us of course).

Now here at home we have not had cable tv since I was five. And over the course of the past three years I have not watched tv at all. I may pop in a dvd a couple times a month, but that's all the tv is used for. I simply don't have time to be a slave to the tv and the contradictory messages it presents. However, its a totally different situation when at my sister's. Tv watching is like a marathon sport. While I can't totally not watch tv (that would be rude to segregate myself so much from the family) I do give in and watch some stuff.

So what did I watch? Here's a list and what I thought of them:

-Thirteen ghosts, a major halloween cheesefest

-Young Frankenstein, I've decided Gene Wilder is crazy in everything he does

-Alvin & the Chipmunks meet the Wolfman, by far the best halloween movie I saw this weekend. Those darn chipettes are just too cute!

-Halloweentown, kid's cheese, but it did have the chick who played April in the first Ninja Turtles Movie

-The Family Stone, very cute family movie

-The Proposal, way too predictable, not that entertaining for me

So I think it's obvious which movie I was most thrilled to watch. Those dang chipmunks are so lovable.

Taking my nieces trick or treating was alot fo fun this year. We had perfect weather, clear skies and it was warm too! Great night to be out walking from house to house and getting loaded with candy. Of course, I didn't get loaded, i just stole candy from the girls. But Daisy looked rather fine in her harlequin costume and glowstick necklaces (safety first!).

Here's a shot of her and the pumpkin I carved. Everyone else took like, fifteen minutes to do their pumpkins, and there I was, attempting something beyond my ability to do well. Forty-five minutes later...Here is the result. Hopefully you can at least tell what it is.

All Dressed Up

2009-10-30T13:06:00.001-03:00

So there are two reasons to post about dressing up today. Firstly let's see what I wore today. Its one of the fab dresses I thrifted yesterday! I'm totally in love with the neckline on this dress. The plunging structure is very flattering. Also it layers so well, with a turtleneck during the chilly months, and a pretty camisole when it gets warmer (months away, how sad). But versatility in making a piece last through your wardrobe during four seasons is most important to a money crunched fashionista.

Now, I'm not a label checker while I thrift shop. Mostly labels don't mean much to me, if its nice then why should it matter if its Chanel or Wal-Mart? (plus we don't get alot of clothes here that come from high end designers). However I noticed this dress said Max Studio, and out of curiosity I googled it. Turns out this 'max studio' is a higher end line than what I'm used to. It makes me feel shamefully more in love with this dress.

Now, onto the real dressed up fun. Before walking 2 of my client's dogs this morning, we did a little photo shoot. The result was so cute, I could not handle it. Readers, look on at your own risk.

Penny the pekingese is dressed as a Fairy Princess, that's my Daisy in the middle as a harlequin, and Susie the terrier/chihuahua mix is a daisy (a hand me down from my Daisy's last year costume). Cuteness overload! I think so. ^^

thrifty thursday

2009-10-29T15:01:00.000-03:00

Well it must have been over a month since I've gone to my local thrift store. I was just itching to pop in and see if I could score any new cameos for my collection. Turns out today was a good day. With crisp October temperatures and sunny skies, I took the bus across town.

Value Village was full of shoppers, no doubt looking to score the best 'unique' costumes for this weekend. It felt so good to just peruse the store, pick up anything I fancied and bring it to the dressing room for the final call.

Today, dresses seemed to be calling my name, and I tried on about ten. There were four that fit well and would make lovely additions to my closet. However...I had also found a beautiful cameo brooch that I could not leave, and two bracelets with charms I wished to upcycle for my own jewelery. It was a tough call, but I reasoned myself down to 2 dresses, the brooch and the bracelets which would be used for parts. It seemed that from those five items I would get the most bang for my buck, and that really is important when shopping on a strict budget.

The dresses will be posted soon to my flickr account no doubt, and the charms should be showing up in my designs when the shop opens. But, if you're anxious to see my fab finds, here's a sneek peek.

Cute square buttons and eiffel towers anyone?

festive cupcakes

2009-10-28T13:23:00.000-03:00

Holidays make blogging so easy, there are a hundred things you can do! So for the party tonight, I chose to make some halloween inspired cupcakes. Here's how I did it.

First, gather all of your ingredients. That's : a cake mix (if you're like me and have a whole store of them in your cupboards), chocolate frosting, vanilla frosting, eggs, water (I prefer water, but the package states milk could also be used), applesauce (this is to replace the oil. Cuts down on the fat and helps to moisten them!), sprinkles, cake papers.

So despite the instructions on the package which say throw it all together and mix, if there is one thing I learned in cooking school it was to first combine ALL of your liquids, whip them up real good. Then add the dry. Again, whip it....Whip it good....

Fill each little cake paper, nearly to the top so they puff up. Then into the oven at 350'F degrees they go.

It should take around 17-20 minutes for the tops to start to get golden. If you poke a toothpick in and it comes out clean, then they're done. Place on cooling rack.

Wait about fifteen minutes before frosting, so it doesn't all melt and disappear. Now comes the fun part. Plop chocolate frosting onto the cupcake, then smear it out to the sides, smoothing it as you go and removing excess. Yum.

Now place vanilla frosting in a piping bag with a small round tip (or use a ziploc bag with the tip of one corner cut off). Use this to pipe a swirly pattern. Pretty, but not quite done.

Now, the really fun part. Using a toothpick, start in the centre and draw the pick out to the side. See how it pulls each ring out? Do about 6 or 8 of these and voila, spiderweb design!!

And here they are. For variety I did half of the cuocakes with spiderwebs, the other half got black and orange sprinkles. Well I can't wait to dig into them at the party tonight. Hope this can inspire you to make your own festive cupcakes. Thanks for reading!

Pumpkin Lollipops!

2009-10-27T15:48:00.000-03:00

So tomorrow there is a Halloween party for the young girls in my church. And as I am one of their leaders, I decided to make them a little treat. Here's the tutorial for what I did to make these cute wee pumpkin lollies!

Firstly, you're going to need a few suplies. I had everything I needed, except the orange candy melts, which are relatively cheap at the Bulk Barn.

So you'll need candy melts, a small glass measuring cup, one large chocolate candy melt, sucker sticks, a candy mold, wax paper, toothpicks and flavouring if you like. I chose to add a drop of orange to add yumminess.

First step is to place the glass measuring cup with your candy melts, into a shallow pot of water. Slowly bring this pot of water to med/high. You'll need to pay close attention to be certain things don't burn. You don't want a rapid boil either, just simmering. This melts your candy. Melt about half, then turn the heat to low, and stir the rest until its smooth and shiny.

So now that its all gooey and smooth, carefully poor, (or spoon like I did) the melted candy into the molding tray. If you spill over the edge of a mold, just carefully wipe it away with the edge of your finger or a damp cloth. Once the tray is full, now we add the sticks!! Slowly push the sticks into the little wells provided. Twist it from side to side to coat the stick with the candy. After you've done each individual lolli, into the freezer the tray goes!

Okay, those should take about eight minutes to set and harden. While you're waiting for those, take your chocolate melt, and in a small glass bowl, melt it in the microwave. The trick to doing this, is do it in 10-15 second increments, stirring each time. When it is mostly melted, you can stir the rest in very easily, this prevents you from burning the chocolate. (Mum had to teach me that after burning chocolate several times in the microwave when i first started using melts).

When the lolli's are solid, remove from the freezer and place on wax paper. They should come right out of the mold no problem.

Hello Monsieurs Pumpkins! Now, using your toothpick, carefully dip it into the chocolate, and then carefully dab it into the hollows where the features are. There has to be a better way to do this (I just haven't discovered it yet). My hand is a little wobbly, so my pumpkin faces turned out goofy, but they still look cute....Right?

I left three without chocolate so you could see the originals. Now, just gussy them up with cellophane bags, ribbon and little tags. The bags I had were too long, so because I'm too poor to go and buy the right size, I merely snipped these ones to the length I wanted. I used a stamp I had picked up at Michael's for $1.50 last year after halloween. And Tada, finished product!

Candy lollipops are a fun, easy and inexpensive way to add the 'treat' factor in Trick or Treat!