Friday, July 29, 2011

happiness is a new dress; dressy dress hangers for special events

I believe life is in the details. Yes, an icy daiquiri is good, but an icy daiquiri with a colorful little umbrella and a striped paper straw?- That's GREAT! And we all tend to make things more special for other people than we do ourselves. We save the "good" china for company, or have "guest" towels and "everyday" towels. I  say forget that! Who are we saving this stuff for? Who is coming over that is better than yourself?! 


I saw a magazine picture of a wedding dress hanging with a decorative wood hanger. Everyone knows the dress hanging before the bride puts it on is a great photo op and this bride thought ahead and purchased a hanger that said "Mrs. Zorn". click here to see the photo that inspired me I thought 2 things; 1)that looks super cute! and 2) I could totally make that.


I am not getting married, but I am wearing a formal dress to Jules Verne in Paris in a month! Why shouldn't my dress travel in style on a dressed up hanger?! Woo-hoo! - project time!




I drew out my idea before starting so that I had an idea of how big to make the letters.



Other ideas for what the hanger could read; "i do", "Bride", "EAL & JNT". Choose your wood color - blonde or dark. And dress the top of it with a ribbon or hang a shell from it if it is a beach wedding.

This was really easy to make, but if you don't have time (because you are planning your wedding!) or craft projects just aren't your forte, I would be more than happy to do it for you! Contact me! or click here to be linked directly to my store! xo Lizzie



Thursday, July 28, 2011

i am 30. i don't feel old. i feel blessed.

It happened... I turned 30.


My birthday fell on a weekday, so we hadn't planned on doing much to celebrate. We are saving the big celebration for the weekend, but my boyfriend managed to still go above and beyond on my actual birthday.


I came home from work to find this! (yes, that is Lilly Pulitzer wrapping paper!)

Beautiful sunflowers!

I had left my pastels out after working on a drawing, and he used them to draw a beautiful sunflower on the envelope of the card he gave me!

Cheers! Pink bubbly in my kate spade larabee dot glasses!

He bought the pink cupcake holder and made me cupcakes!

Thank you Jeff, you are awesome sauce! Looking forward to part 2 of my birthday celebration as we head to the Jersey shore this weekend! xo Lizzie





Tuesday, July 26, 2011

take a moment tuesday; flower power nails and joss stone

It's the last day of my 20's and I am taking in every second of it! 2 things are making my day more beautiful...



My nails are party ready! I used Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips. These were a total impulse buy! I was drawn in by the bright colors. I didn't have very high hopes for how my nails would turn out using these so I was shocked when they actually came out looking like the glossy poster on the end cap at CVS.



Contents inside the box.

Strips before application. The strips are made of real nail polish.


These were a lot easier to use than what I had expected. After I got the first nail done, the rest were a breeze. I got them all done in 30 mins and there is no dry time with these!




They come in many different patterns & colors (butterflies, houndstooth, blue jean, sparkle, etc). I went with the "Girl Flower" print because they were so bright and look like a party on my nails. 



Now that I have flower power nails it seems only fitting that I listen to Joss Stone's newest album! She released her CD today (7/26)! I bought it for myself as a birthday present and as usual I am impressed by Ms. Stone. It is a very different sound than what I expected or what I am used to, it's more raw and grown up with no sugary candy pop coating. This album reaffirmed why she is my favorite singer! The girl has talent and I look forward to hearing even more from her when she performs as a part of her new super group, Super Heavy! You put my favorite rocker (Mick Jagger!) with my favorite vocalist? I can't handle it! 




Hope you are having a groovy Tuesday! ;) Keep on truckin' towards the weekend! xo Lizzie

Sunday, July 24, 2011

she comes in colors everywhere; bead making with polymer clay

I make my own beads for my projects from time to time. It's sometimes hard to find large focal beads that will work with what I am making and using polymer clay gives me full control of the look of my project. I can blend colors to get other colors and make beads as large or as small as I want. I made very basic beads, and created a video to show how I did it. These beads can get quite intricate and you really can create anything you can imagine. 


Short video of my bead making.

There are several brands of polymer clay out there. I have used Fimo and Cirnit, both of these brands are easy to work with and make for a great end product. The colors are bright and beautiful!




I always have so much fun making beads! It makes me feel like I am a kid playing in art class! xo Lizzie



Saturday, July 23, 2011

summertime & the livin' is easy; refreshing rasberry mint mojitos

The sun is beating down on the tri-state and it's blaring hot here in New Jersey. I made a summer cocktail to cool off. The mint is so refreshing in this blistering summer heat and the raspberries make for a sweet gorgeous drink. I made ice cubes with fresh raspberries and mint leaves to give my drink a special touch.




Ingredients
7  small mint leaves, plus extra to garnish
7  raspberries, plus extra to garnish
½  lime
1 tsp  sugar syrup (equal parts water & sugar brought to a boil and then cooled completly)
40 ml  medium-bodied rum,chilled
soda water, chilled





Larabee Dot Mojito Glasses, by kate spade.


Assembly

1 In a mojito glass, add mint, lime, rasberries and sugar syrup, muddle gently.
(always put the mint in first, then your lime, followed by the raspberries and then the sugar syrup.)
2 Fill with ice, add rum and give the whole thing a good stir, lifting the mint up from the bottom and through the  drink.
3 Top with soda water and garnish with mint and a raspberry.




I use Tovolo Perfect Cube Silicone Ice Cube Trays. The silicone makes it a breeze to pop the beautiful cubes out without destroying them.


For a party, make a bunch of these cubes ahead of time and store them in a freezer bag in your freezer.


Vintage Glass Pink Elephant Stir Sticks, given to me by my Aunt Amy.


Vintage step ladder that I hand painted in high school.



Cool, refreshing and sweet, perfect for sipping by the pool! Cheers! xo Lizzie

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

make wine with us; new jersey wine making school

My boyfriend's Aunt and Uncle asked us if we would help them bottle their wine. This was the final step of a multi-step process that spanned several months. They had chose the grapes, crushed them, pressed the grapes and racked the wine in 3 previous visits. 


We were promised a good spread of Italian food and a few bottles of wine for our participation. We wanted to check this place out anyway, the food was just an added bonus! We had a great time and we are hoping to be a part of the full process this Fall when they return to make a a different variety called Barbera.





Filling the wine bottles, corking, sealing and labeling.



filled, corked and sealed

you choose your own seals (they have many to choose from) and you design your label!

Our first finished bottle!

had to test it out ;)

And we are finished!

We had 6 people and we bottled 10 cases of wine in under an hour. Make the wine with a few other couples and split your end product and price! Also great for couples who are getting married. You could  get your bridal party together to help you. With the custom labels, you will have a great favor to give your guests!

Make Wine With Us
address: 21 Currie Ave.
         Wallington, NJ 07057

phone: (201) 876-9463
website: www.makewinewithus.com



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

take a moment tuesday


Is it really only Tuesday?  Things I do to get me through to the weekend...

Painted my nails. Wonderful way to slow things down and take a min to myself. 
Makes for a great excuse not to do anything, "Oh yeah I would... but my nails aren't dry yet!"  ;)

Nail polish color is by essie called "smooth sailing". It's a beautiful deep glittery periwinkle blue. Reminds me of a river glistening in the summer sun. I hope the rest of my week is "smooth sailing"!

"smooth sailing" by essie 

espresso with just a touch of frothy milk and a dusting of chocolate & sugar. mmmm...

"larabee dot" espresso cup and saucer

I recommend topping your coffee drinks with chocolate shavings, it makes your small moment of relaxation feel more indulgent and special. I use sugar grinders from Cape Herb, love the butterscotch & vanilla one!

There is nothing like a blank sheet of paper and colored pencils to clear my head. I see endless possibilities. A little art therapy does wonders for my mood. I stare at the sheet for a moment of dazed happiness, a million ideas jumping and elbowing their way to be be picked first, and then... I unleash! My creativity comes pouring out of me and all is good in the world again.

I did my part, now COME OOONN weekend! 
xo Lizzie







Monday, July 18, 2011

And the winner is...


Jennifer S! "I'd like to see "Susan" jewelry after my Mom who struggled and eventually passed away from breast cancer."

Jennifer will receive a doo-dah! watch or necklace!!! Thank you Jennifer!



Bonus Winners, who will each receive a pair of doo-dah! earrings:

  1. Kitty - "Your next creation should be named Eleanor because that's my grandma's name and she is awesome. Even though we're adults and she's in her late 70s, she plays video games with us and bakes us homemade pie whenever we visit. What else could you ask for in a grandma?" Thanks, Kitty! Eleanor sounds like such a fun Grandma!
  2. Elizabeth O. - "Your next product should be name Analiese. She is my best friend. She works one full time job and one part time job. She does this so she can put herself through college. She is an inspiration to me." Thank you Elizabeth! I have a HUGE soft spot for women that put themselves through college!
  3. Diana - How about Florence after Florence Nightingale? Such a strong woman! Diana your submission inspired me to hit up Wikipedia  because I had to learn more about Ms. Nightingale!
  4. Marie M.Your next creation should be named Jenna because she's gone through 3 leg surgeries and was a year behind in her High School sports because of this. She just graduated from MSU and was working 3 part-time jobs before she finally got offered a full-time position. Jenna knows how to work hard and save money. I look up to her. Marie you sound like a wonderful friend and Jenna is very inspiring, thank you!

I received so many beautiful and deserving submissions there was no east way to decide so I had to pull numbers. Thank you to everyone that participated. xo Lizzie



Saturday, July 16, 2011

introducing SUSAN!

Calling all Curly-Sues!


doo-dah! now has hair accessories! The clips can be made in all sizes and colors. The medium size pictured are $9.00 each and measure about 2 inches. 




Headbands and hair pins coming soon!
xo Lizzie





my jewelry for a benefit: 14 yr old buffalo cheerleader Alyssa Loschiavo

Brooke, a friend of mine from high school asked me if I would donate a piece of my jewelry for a benefit auction she is helping put together for a girl on her cheer-leading team she coaches. 14 year old Alyssa Loschiavo, was struck by a car while crossing the street in West Seneca, NY on May 12, 2011. Alyssa was airlifted to Erie County Medical Center, where she remains in critical condition in the trauma intensive care unit.

Alyssa's favorite colors are pink & green... a girl after my own heart!


The details of my donation: 2 hair clips, make-up bag, dragonfly earrings, dragonfly necklace, and beaded flower watch.


I have never met this beautiful young lady but I have heard from Brooke what a wonderful, fun, energetic person Alyssa is. Alyssa cheers for both the Buffalo Envy and Outlaw programs in Buffalo, NY. There has been a huge outpouring of support from the Buffalo community (I would expect nothing less from this STRONG city!).


Alyssa Loschiavo


Event date: July 20, 2011 3:00 PM
Location: Page's Paradise Island, 4701 Transit Rd, Depew NY 14043
Phone: 716-462-2966
Email: medicgal178@roadrunner.com









I wish Alyssa and her family all the best and hope for a speedy recovery. I hope the auction is a HUGE success! xo Lizzie