finished: bird mask.

I FINISHED IT! YAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!


▲▼▲▼▲Project Particulars▲▼▲▼▲

Inspiration:

♥Martha Stewart Living, October 2009

Materials:

♥Bird Mask from MardiGrasOutlet.com
♥Gold Acrylic Paint
♥Martha Stewart Glitter in Fire Opal
♥Brown Crepe Paper

Time:

♥Over 3 hours

Final Thoughts:

I really took my time making this. I did a little work on it every couple of days. I'm really happy with the results. I can't wait to wear this to work tomorrow!

Coming up...

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

eat: pumpkin soup!

First of all, I understand that these pictures are grotesque. It's the main reason I never blog about food. This soup was so good that it inspired me to give food blogging a second (or third) chance.

We eat a ton of soup in this house. Right after bread, it's my favorite food. I'm always looking for new soup recipes.

I found this recipe (which I had to modify based on the ingredients I had on hand) on the Celiac Chick's blog and couldn't wait to try try. I was so excited that I switched Coconut Milk for Cream of Coconut AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

Creamy Coconut + Pumpkin Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium to large onion chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups 100% pure pumpkin ( I used Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin in the can, not to be confused with the sweetened spiced pumpkin pie filling in a can.)

1/2 a can of Cream of Coconut (the stuff you use to make Pina Coladas)

1 tsp. of salt or more or less to taste

1 tsp of allspice

1 tsp of ginger

1/2 tsp of turmeric

In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, until onions are soft. Be sure they do not brown. Once soft, add the pumpkin, coconut milk and chicken broth. Add the remaining seasonings now. Simmer and stir until well blended, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve.

We really loved it! I'm sort of glad we had the wrong kind of coconut in the pantry!

What is your favorite soup recipe?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

PUMP-KEEN!

I've been walking past this pumpkin in the hallway at school for three weeks now. I always stop to look at it. I really love pumpkins with big stems (and it's covered in buttons!).

Yesterday, I found out they were part of the Art Club's fall fundraiser and that it was only $5.

I was the most excited! I brought it home and cleaned it off. It's hanging out in a little vignette of fall-ish things under our entry table.

Isn't it cute?!

<3

Robbie.

finished: fabric pumpkins.

When I first shared the pictures of these little guys' they were still in progress but I thought that they deserved a proper FO photo shoot. The fabric was perfect! I saw it on Etsy and bookmarked it long before making the pumpkins, but I had always sort of had them in mind. I knew that if I had made them out of anything else I would have been disappointed, so I bought the fabric and I couldn't be happier! It's all vintage and I got quite a lot of yardage; this is going to see me through quite a few holiday projects.

▲▼▲▼▲Project Particulars▲▼▲▼▲
Inspiration:
♥Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial by Danielle Thompson
Materials:
♥Vintage Fabric from Etsy seller D'lish's Designs♥Polyfill

♥Yarn

♥Doll or Tapestry Needle

Time:

♥Twenty minutes to a half-an hour (each)

Final Thoughts:

I loved this project! It was super simple and I could make them while watching TV. HOWEVER, the doll needle is very sharp. I was making some white ones to sell at a event and I stuck the needle through my finger, drenching all but one of them in blood. Totes gory, right?! I hate scary things, so I threw them out.

What are you working on?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

vinyl monday: tilly and the wall.

I was going to wait until I could secure a clip from my DVR, but I'm just too excited to wait!

Today, my doily ghost was featured at the beginning of THE MARTHA STEWART SHOW! I almost cried. I'm still not even sure how to react to hearing HER say MY NAME!!!!

I could just burst, really.

TILLY & THE WALL - BEAT CONTROL by Team_Love

So, it's clearly time to celebrate and I don't know any band that captures the way I feel today better than Tilly and the Wall. Beat Control is such a great song and the video seems to capture the sort of dynamic energy that I'm feeling right now.

What sorts great things have been happening to you?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-EVEN MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

(More) Vintage Halloween Inspiration: Magazines!

That's right, there's more! I bought three Halloween issues and three Thanksgiving issues, so the fun will never end. Ever.

I love the ghost with chains soso much!

Gah! That kitty cat candy dish is adorable!

The illustration on the left is perfect! I wish this was what Halloween still looked like!

The little skeleton is precious!

I'm not sure when bean bag games went out of vogue, but if you'd like to play a game of "scare the ghost", I'll be sure to have enough juice and cookies for twenty people.

Check out my Flickr stream for close-ups and for the things I left out! These lil' zines are blowing my mind!

What's inspiring YOU?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-EVEN MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

finished: rug punch.

This rug is the reason I took a day off from blogging. It was due on Wednesday morning. I worked on it all day Tuesday. I even took to Lea's house (where our knitting group meets) because I had to get it done.

▲▼▲▼▲Project Particulars▲▼▲▼▲

Inspiration:

♥Charley Harper's Owls

Materials:

♥For Rug-Burlap, 4 Skeins of Vanna's Choice Yarn.

♥Frame- 2 18" Canvas Stretchers, 2 24" Canvas Stretchers, Martha Stewart Fine Glitter in Fire Opal, Matte Mod Podge.

Time:

♥Over 20 hours!

Final Thoughts:

I love the finished project, but never thought it would be as time consuming as it was. I have a new respect for any crafters that attempt punching rugs. My back hurt for days!

I had painted the frame with gold acrylic paint first and I hated it. It just didn't pop. It wasn't metallic enough. I was watching Martha one day; they were coating shoes with glitter and they looked amazing! Inspired, I used the same technique to finish the frame and I adore it. Glitter makes me insanely happy.

I'm so relieved that it's finished. I can focus on my bird mask again. Matter of fact, I'm going to nestle into the couch, watch project runway and cut out crepe paper feathers.

What have you adorable readers been up to?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

An Award!

Hey!

I was nominated for another blogger award! This one comes from Anastasia at Ugly Plants!

I love that girl to bits. She's a dreamcat, really. The rules are that I have to share seven random things and then pick seven bloggers that I think deserve a little recognition. So, here we go!!!!

1. I take tons of vitamins everyday. (B complex, C, E, Fish Oil and a multi) I've been getting really paranoid about my health after some recent tummy troubles, and I want to make sure everything is working as well as it can.

2. I used to be a "candy raver" when I was in high school.

3. I had dreadlocks for three years! (Only one picture exists, and I have no idea where it is!)

4. I rarely wear socks with shoes.

5. I always have a tube of Burt's Bees lip balm in my pocket.

6. I LOVE PLAID SHIRTS! I wear plaid almost everyday.

7. I have a winter white hamster named "Gus"; he will be getting a whole post of his own very soon.

and now I get to pick seven bloggers:

1. Steven Andrew: the best guy! I've been playing catch-up with his blog this week and loving every second of it!

2. Sian Lile: a quilting queen! She has great taste in music!

3. Erin Joy: a glue batik quilt? I'm in.

4. Sir Thrift-a-lot: a recent find that I just adore!

5. Eliza: cranking out FO's like a machine!

6. Paula: new to the blogosphere! go say hi!

7. Mandi: she doesn't need the traffic, but her blog is just so great!!!

Enjoy these new reads, and I'll be back tomorrow with more vintage halloween inspiration!

<3

Robbie

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

Playlist: Autumnal Hymns.

Hey!

I have a ton of work to do today, including finishing the owl rug. So, this is what I'll be listening to while I'm wrapping things up.

What are you favorite fall tunes?

Enjoy!

<3

Robbie.

vinyl monday: she & him.

*yawn*

i don't have the energy to type a cute anecdote (and we're on the way to go get froyo). so, we'll let the cute speak for itself!

gotta love zooey.

<3

Robbie.

Guest Post @ Sparrows and Arrows.

Hey!

I did a guest tutorial @ Sparrows and Arrows today! If want to learn how to make the adorable doily ghost in the picture above, swing by! Tell'em Robbie sent ya!

<3

Robbie.

Vintage Halloween Inspiration: Magazines!

"Pack-O-Fun: October 1965"

I found a lot of these vintage "Pack-o-Fun" magazines on Etsy recently for a great price! They usually cost about $6-$9 on eBay, and I only paid that much for a lot of 4 of them

They're all so fantastic! There are so many amazing projects I would have never thought of. I have plenty of "modern" and "hip" craft books and while I love them to bits, nothing beats a good vintage magazine. They are little kitsch and maybe really cheesy (and that's probably why I love them); without all of the pretense of the modern craft community. If you want to tape candy to a paper cone, do it!

They have inspired me to be less shy about all aspects my aesthetic.; not everything has to be sleek and streamlined. I like a sort of kooky, folk art style and these seem like the perfect thing to make me feel more comfortable with my personal place is in the crafting community.

That seems incredibly sentimental. I forgot I was talking about the magazine for a second.

I'm hoping to make this witch soon!

Party Favors!

I guess the reason I'm thinking about this so much is because for the past two days, I've been working on a secret tutorial for a blog that I'm a guest on next Monday. It's decidedly "kinder-craft" looking; googly eyes are involved. I've been wondering all day if it's too cheesy to share. After flipping through these books, I took a few minutes to reflect on the history of crafting and the importance of these kitschy little tomes.

If anything, I'm now severely excited to share the tutorial with the readers of "sparrows and arrows" and I'm almost positive that their readers will love it as much as I do.

The best costume ideas!

I'll post a reminder when it's time to go check things out! It really is the cutest Halloween decoration in my house!

<3

Robbie

PS- There are close-ups of the illustrations on my Flickr page! If if you would like a close up of any of these directions leave your email in the comments!

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-MORE Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

WIP: punching another rug.

I've been hunched over this rug for 3 hours now. It's due next Wednesday, so I have to get moving. My back hurts and I'm starving so this is all you get today.

haha.

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!

FO: an autumnal garland.

Can you believe it? I actually finished something!

Tutorial: Fall Leaves Garland

Materials: Cheap felt and a piece of scrap yarn.

Time: 2 hours? maybe? I made while I watched TV.

Isn't it cute? I have to figure out how to take a decent picture in the house so I can show you what it looks like hanging in my living room. Until then, enjoy these ones :-)

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished Bird Mask.

..

-Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-WIP: Punching (ANOTHER) Rug.
-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!!

vinyl monday: belle and sebastian..

I feel like today has been really hectic. I had a lot of school work to do and I *tried* to clean the house a little. A month of feeling "icky" has really taken it's toll on our humble abode. Flylady system or not.

I spent the morning lounging around watching Martha and eating Count Chocula on the couch, so I have no one to blame but myself.

I had a to-do list written out for today, but I threw it away so I wouldn't have to look at all of the things i didn't do.

I ended up ordering a pizza for dinner because I just feel sort of overwhelmed.

Sometimes, you just have to hit the off switch!

I picked Belle and Sebastian for this Vinyl Monday post because I love to listen to them when I relax.

What are your favorite "day-off" things to do?

<3

Robbie.

Coming up...

-the finished garland

-the finished Bird Mask.

-Vintage Halloween Inspiration

-a pile of Finished Fabric Pumpkins

-WIP: Punching (ANOTHER) Rug.
-A Haircut

-and maybe a finished sock?

...Stay Tuned!!!!

Field Trip: The Giant Pumpkin Show!

Yesterday, we went to a giant pumpkin show! Can you believe the size of that thing? Last year's winner was 895 pounds! We didn't stay long enough to see who won this year, but my money was on the one above! The rest of the entries looked like giant blobs. This one was perfect!





These glass pumpkins were amazing! Unfortunately they were $50 a piece; definitely not in my pumpkin budget this month.

Kellyn went fall decor crazy! She has a new house and no decorations, so this is a totally reasonable reaction to a tower of seasonal gourds. haha. This picture kills me!

I'll leave you with this cute lil' pumpkin butt.

Do you have a giant pumpkin festival near you? How heavy was the the winner?

(I think I may have a burgeoning interest in giant produce!)

<3

Robbie