Charming Craftista

Life is a rollercoaster

2010-04-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Life is a rollercoaster...

It's a whirlwind. It changes at the drop of a hat. One minute everything is fine and moving along steadily and then BAM life smacks you in the face with heartache, with changes, with hardships, with opportunities and uncertainties.

This is what I'm talking about in the past two weeks this is what has been going down for me:

1. I went on an adventure to San Francisco with my new best friend Sierra. Check out the pics by clicking on the link in the previous sentence.

2. Visited my family in Manteca. Partied with my little sisters and uncles. Went to church with the entire family on Easter and loved every minute of the weekend.

3. Got a new job. Well kind of, it was my old job before I went to work with Apple for a year. It's supposed to morph into a full time position in a few months.

4. I have been working two jobs for the last week and will continue to do so for the next month, or month and a half.

5. I suffer from senioritus and have been busting ass working and trying to do homework so that I can graduate next month.

6. Went on another adventure to the Bay Area with Justine and her cousin Lisa this time to get Justine's birth certificate so that she can get her passport and we can go to Mexico for a graduation celebration.

7. Dealing with a choppy internet connection that will hopefully be fixed TODAY.

8. Haven't been crafty in over a week and it's killing me, but I honestly don't have enough downtime to do much of anything really other than school and work.

See what I mean? Life is a bitch sometimes and all you have do is roll with the punches. At least that is what I'm trying to do. Have a wonderfully fantastic weekend everyone.

Little Cousin Love

2010-04-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

My youngest cousin Joaquin is almost four years old and he'll remind you every five minutes if you spend enough time with him which I did this past weekend for Easter. There is an 18 year gap between us and yet we have so much in common.

He loves music, Spongebob, Disney and computers, all of which I enjoy three out of the four (Sorry Spongebob). He is full of so much energy and of course I was put in charge of preoccupying him so he wouldn't get into too much trouble.

Instead of letting him wreak havoc at my parent's house, I busted out my laptop and showed him the PhotoBooth application that comes standard on all Macbooks. He fell in love. I showed him how to click the track-pad and take a picture and the next three hours of the evening went by in a flash.

He took about two hundred pictures and posed for each one. The only time he complained was when he asked me to change the effect and/or background. These were my favorite, and let me remind you he took each one on his own and I would love to know what was going through his little head.

Crafty Update

2010-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

What have I been upto over the past week? WORKING. Ugh.

However, last Friday a friend of mine mentioned that she had bought a clutch purse in Vegas during a vacation and it was just too gawdy to wear anywhere other than Vegas. I mean I like bling just as much as the next girl but rhinestones in the office always look out of place.

So, as the awesome friend I am, I whipped up this bad boy for her as a gift.

The outside is pleather and just wait for it...

Leopard print elastic satin! Oh yea. I love leopard print anything and I originally was going to use this fabric for a bikini, but I never got to that so instead I'm going to line clutches with it instead.

It was the first time I used both types of fabric and after some minor trial and error I think the end result was fantastic.

Plus, she loves it so that's all that really matters.

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Hello Etsy

2010-03-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is what has been happening the last few days...

1. Wake up. Get ready. Go to work.
2. At work- scan stuff, look at Etsy.
3. Still working- break time, look at Etsy.
4. More working- lunch, check out Etsy again.
5. More scanning- check email, look at Etsy.
6. Go to class- check email, look at Etsy, type notes, look at Etsy, pay attention to instructor, look at Etsy.
7. Go home, eat dinner, sew, look at Etsy, check email, pet puppies while looking at Etsy.
8. Go to bed.

I have been addicted to Etsy. I have noticed that the craftier someone is the more often they check out Etsy or their Etsy shop in a day. I love seeing the front page and watching the updates of the newly listed wares and it makes me so excited to think I am finally getting my crafty groove back.

I see all these sewing projects and tutorials and think, "I can do that." I go home and do it! I've sewn more in the past week than I have in an entire year. Honestly, I could not be happier. The sewing machine and I have become best friends and just yesterday I made time to update my old Etsy shop.

My Etsy Shop

There aren't any new products just yet, but soon. I promise this. Check out the new banner I managed to whip up yesterday evening after class.

Love it! I can't wait to start posting new projects and items to my inventory.

Hello Etsy. I have missed you so.

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Tuesday Tutorial Round-up

2010-03-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have been on a tutorial kick recently. While working (shhhh) I manage to find the cutest tutorials that fit exactly what I want to do. SEW. Everyday while I'm surfing the interwebs I have been secretly collecting tutorials and links and hoarding them in my gmail account. I can't keep these bad boys a secret anymore, although I'm sure most of you reading this have already found and or used one of these tutorials I want to share the lovelies I have found with you anyways.

I think I will make this a weekly post because there are so many that I have found and wanted to tackle. The following tutorials will be linked to their creator's website/blog as I am not the creator of any of the following tutorials.

This week's Tuesday Tutorial Round-up is featuring tutorials using fat quarter's of fabric.

Sew, Mama Sew's Simple Party Clutch

Three Bear's Little Boxy Pouch

All Buttoned Up's Trim Boxes

Stardust Shoes' Baby Shoes

Enjoy!

I have two final exams tomorrow but trust me... my mind is already wandering and thinking about sewing all of these projects. If only there were more hours in the day and less work to be done.

Happy Tuesday!
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Sewing, sewing, and MORE sewing!

2010-03-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Looky what I made today. I made two handmade pouches just because I wanted to learn how to sew zippers better.

I love this fabric I picked up at Joann's Fabrics. It only came in a fat quarter I wish they had larger yardage.

I love the contrast between subtle outside coloring and the more drastic inner lining.

I made another version with green hues.

Again the inside is a bolder color and print. Personally I like the simplistic outside with a quirky colorful inside. It gives the pouch more character.

I love the Skip to my Lou blog and website because the tutorials are so easy to follow and customizable. I didn't have a zipper foot to work with but made the tut still work for my needs. There are so many tutorials to choose from so take a look. I was amazed that it only took me about an hour from start to finish to make both pouches with only two seam rips and about fifteen minutes figuring out how to sew over the zipper.

Here's a link to the lined zipper pouch tutorial.

Enjoy.

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2010-03-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be the first day of Spring... but here in Sacramento not so much. I spent the better half the morning doing homework, even though I still have tons to finish, and managed to find a few cute tutorials I wanted to try out.

I have always been a fan of the blog, Sew Mama Sew and admired the tutorials because they are inspiring and light the fire under my behind to break out my sewing machine. Today was one of those days when I found the perfect project, being the Spring Ruffle Top tutorial, to work on during the bleak and rather dim first day of Spring. I dusted off the sewing machine and this is quite possibly the first time I have been crafty in month. I absolutely love the result!

It took me about two and half hours and only two seam rips later to get this lovely new addition to my Spring wardrobe.

Enjoy.

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Dress up

2010-03-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, when the sun stays up longer and warms you to your core. Finally Father Winter has gone back to sleep and Spring is finally springing. Today I wore warm colors because the weather was just too nice to walk around in blues or black and it made me want to bust out my razor and shave my legs for SKIRT and DRESS SEASON!

Like most ladies, my legs are fuzzy thanks to wearing jeans and pants all winter long. Now that it is much warmer outside and will only continue to progressively get warmer to an unbearable hotness Sacramento seems to attract, it's time to de-fur and get some sun on these pasty legs.

I have a few skirts and sundresses that I bought last year but look at these beauties I found while "virtual window shopping" this afternoon.

Lots-O-Dots Sundress

Denim Button Dress

Plaid Halter Dress

Ruffled Linen Dress

(Perfect for Easter!)

Modern Color Block Dress

Target

Buffalo Plaid Dress

Target

All the dresses above are for big girls, since I am a big girl. I love the casual Buffalo Plaid dress (above) so much I found a tutorial online how to make an elastic waist skirt.

Susan Peterson over at the Freshly Picked blog has a wonderfully easy and quick tutorial on making your very own elastic waist skirt! I can't wait to try this tutorial this weekend. I need to go fabric shopping now.

Enjoy.

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Working on my fitness

2010-03-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Guess what I did over the weekend?

No, not that.

Fine I'll tell you. If you know me in real life, you may already know that I love infomercials. When I lived alone down in Southern California, I spent most Sunday mornings in bed watching them and laughing. Infomercials are funny end of story and I always found myself pondering, "Who actually orders this crap?!" Apparently, I DO.

I ordered the at home fitness workout DVD set called P90X off of an infomercial! If you don' know what that is... Google it. It's an intense workout and I've been surfing the Internet trying to find real life reviews. Not the kinds that are planted online by the company itself, but real live people blogging about their experience. I happened to find a few and the reviews are mixed.

The reviews and some blogs are a little discouraging but hey I've already lost eight pounds so far this year counting calories. Plus, I only have less than three months until we leave for Mexico so this is crunch time baby (haha no pun intended).

Our P90X dvd set should be delivered in a few days; UPS says March 22nd at the latest. Now we only have to shell out $100 more bucks to get the needed equipment. This isn't a cheap transition I'll tell you that, but hopefully it will be well worth it when I'm squeezing into cute shorts and lounging around the beach in Mexico.

Happy Tuesday!

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Resurrecting the blog

2010-03-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

Almost a year. It has been nine months since I last posted in this blog. It seems like almost a lifetime. It's been over a year since I have been crafty and I honestly feel as if I have lost a part of myself.

I was catching a lot of flack from others and wasn't receiving the feedback I wanted or thought I deserved so I completely stopped. Crafting and blogging. I tried starting other blogs over the past few months but decided that this is where I belong. This blog was my first ever and my passion. Posting came easily and so did crafting.

I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let others bring me down or make me change who I am because they didn't agree with my craft or thought I was treading in other's territories.

This is me. Take it or leave it. Hopefully you'll enjoy my blog because I so enjoy sharing my feelings, thoughts, hopes, and dreams and overall being a crafty person.

So what have I been up to over the past nine or so months? Well I was most definitely not pregnant haha.

I started a new job, which is currently sucking the life out of me. Justine has earned a few pay bumps and made her way up the recycling latter to back up driver.

My poor little Curby has gone through a lot these last nine months. I have been going to school day and night and only two and a half months separate me from my bachelors of arts degree in communication studies.

In December Justine, our roomie and Justine's cousin Lisa and I ventured to San Francisco to see Lady Gaga in the flesh (it was fantastic).

I turned 22 years old at Disneyland.

What is to come? Well in two months and three weeks Justine and I fly to Mexico to vacation for a week in Puerto Vallarta at my parent's time share to celebrate my graduation. Two months after that I move back home for a year to pay off some debt and save up. After that who knows because I sure don't, but I will say I am excited to see what is to come.

Oh yea..... I might get back into the craft game, but we'll see how things come together in the future.

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I'm ALIVE!

2009-06-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Believe it or not I'm alive. I know I haven't been updating frequently and it's because a whole bunch of stuff has gone down in my little world in the past two weeks.

The Spring '09 semester came to a close, to which I managed to pull off a 3.75 GPA and make it on to the Dean's Honor List AGAIN! I had a full load too, I'm talking 19 semester units and 6 classes. Whew. Thank God that's over.

Summer is here and the weather has been so nice (minus today's weird overcast). A few weeks ago I found out that Apple would not be hiring me on after my internship resulting in panic attacks and mini breakdowns worrying about how I'm going to survive this summer being unemployed. The following week I landed a job working for the State of California Dept. of Justice Treasury as a Research assistant. (Say that three times fast.)

This past week has been rather relaxed for me as I went camping with my family for Memorial Day for our annual camping get together. I worked part time for Apple, very part time in fact and spent my afternoons snuggling with puppies and pining for the Sims 3 release which is tomorrow. I have been focusing more on my future career plans and have laid low on the craft front, but did however manage to make it to Maker Faire this past weekend with the love of my life on our 6 year anniversary. I'm still doing the pet craft thing but I'm slowly turning it into a hobby instead of a form of business. Future plans of attending Second Saturdays and maybe a craft show here and there are still in the works, but nothing too serious.

I have found my calling in graphic and web design and I want to embrace it completely and I believe that making crafts a main priority would only postpone my career plans. For all my crafty friends out there, don't turn your backs on me just yet, I still have lots of crafty juices running through my vanes. I just don't want to back myself into yet another craft corner.

Today was my last day working for Apple and I got a brand new Macbook to celebrate. Tomorrow the Sims 3 releases and you might not hear from me again as I will probably not sleep for the next week. Just kidding. I have to sleep because I start my new job on Wednesday.

I'm glad to be back and I hope you are too.

:D

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Lil'ens

2009-05-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

By yours truly.

:D

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I'm making a WEB SHOW!

2009-05-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
I've decided to make a web show but I don't have any ideas for names.

I'd love to hear some of the name ideas you all have! :D

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Park-Your-Art May

2009-04-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! Park-Your-Art May happening May 9th will be having a Jazz Fest.

I'll be vending with new products included brand spankin' new pet beds!
Come drop by and say hello. Who knows Zoey might be there to model some collars.

:D

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Zoey Delilah

2009-04-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Say hello to our brand new baby. She's a black & tan long haired dachshund. 8wks and full of spunk.

More pics on my Flickr!

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Indie-Mart this Sunday!

2009-04-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

Don't forget! I'll be at Indie-Mart this Sunday, April 26th in San Francisco!!

:D

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Attack of the Crochet Key Fobs!

2009-04-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I purchased a bunch of key fob fasteners and failed to purchase the much needed cotton webbing to make the actual key fobs. After spending endless hours pondering what to do with the hardware, which sat waiting in a plastic baggy shoved far back on a shelf in my craft room, a magnificent idea came to mind. Crochet! Perfect. But, how do I make the straps without a pattern? A few more days of thought and I decided, I'll make one up myself.

I started to crochet simple straps and after many trial and error attempts, I finally had a pattern that I could use time and time again. The following key fobs are the results. Enjoy.

More available in my shop. Customize a key fob is also an option over at my shop. Now I just have to stop crocheting these long enough to write the pattern down.

:D

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Table Tops

2009-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

So as you may have read earlier, I vended at McMartin Realty's Second Saturday PYA event.

Here are some pics of my table. Since I've changed my crafty focus towards pet goods I'm still trying to get my display right for upcoming craft events.

Front table shot

New collar display and Stephnay cheesin' it up.

Up close collars.

The Crochet Key Fobs I'm addicted to making.

Table up close

:D

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Ta-Da! New collars

2009-04-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

:D

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Dreamin' of New Collars

2009-04-15T21:41:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned. Ralphie's dreams may come true sooner than you think.

New collars tomorrow. If you want a sneak peek head over to my Etsy shop.

:D

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Mark your calendars!

2009-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Second Saturday has passed and I am glad to announce I did great. I haven't vended since October last year and I am glad that this past 2nd Saturday was successful. Now on to the next show. Yes, I'm selling my pet goods at another event, and SOON!

Date: Sunday, April 26th
Time: 11 - 5pm
Venue: The Independent
Location: 628 Divisadero Street, San Francisco

Mark your calendars everyone, I will be vending at Indie Mart in SF on Sunday, April 26th.
I can't wait. I already have a lot of inventory made which is always a plus. The roommates and I are planning on heading out to SF the day before, getting a hotel room and spending a fun night on Pier 39.

Come drop by, say hey, and check out this awesome event. Through out the next two weeks I will be updating with new items I've been making and creating, so hang tight!

:D

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Park-My-Art

2009-04-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hey hey everyone. I have been so busy lately and I do appologize for abandoning the blog. However! I haven't been fartin' around doing nothing. Instead I have been working diligently getting my inventory ready for this second Saturday's event I will be vending at!

As you all may know already, I am no stranger to the Park-Your-Art McMartin Realty 2nd Saturday events. So come one, come all and check out all the great new items I have added to my line of Pet Goods for Good Pets. New items include: crocheted dog leashes & kitty toys filled with catnip. Even a few goods for owners including crocheted key fobs & poop pouches for dog walks.

Hope to see you there!

:D

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Roll it up

2009-03-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for abandoning you all for a week. This last week was intense. I had two midterms and a 4 page paper due! There were a few more non-school related bumps that caused a lot of stress on my end and so I could not possibly blog knowing I would probably just end up complaining. Aye.

Now that the hectic week is now over and done with, I have had a few moments to myself to play around with new yarn and ideas for new products. First and foremost I had to come up with a crochet hook holder. I have been losing my hooks left and right, misplacing my stitch markers everywhere and looky what I made!

It was easy to make and I just had to use my favorite yarn I have been hording until the right time. The yarn used was plush and thick and green (all my favorite things). It can hold quite a few hooks, stitch markers, and it rolls up and buttons close. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

I think I'll make another one to give to my mom as a Mother's Day gift. She's going to love it.

:D

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Love

2009-03-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Just, Me, & Stephnay

These are the people who I love the most. My "House Fam."

:D

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Craving Carnitas

2009-03-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

The other day I was craving some Mexican food and so I remembered a recipe I used a few weeks ago when I made carnitas for the very first time on my own. The recipe is extremely easy but the cook time is long. The overall result is well worth the wait, that's for sure.

Enjoy!
Ingredients:
4-5lbs of pork (shoulder or butt)
3-4 cloves of garlic (whole or chopped into 4 sections)
1 can of beer (your choice of brand)
1 bunch of cilantro (stems off)
1 jalapeno (whole)
Salt (to taste)
Crock pot or stew pot

Step 1:
Place meat whole in crock pot or stew pot. Add jalapeno whole, do not chop. Add garlic. Add cilantro, you can chop the cilantro. Add can of beer. Season with salt, about a teaspoon at first. Cover and cook on high for 5 - 6 hours. Or cook on low 8 - 10 hours.

Step 2:
Check the pot about half way through and rotate meat. For more spice break the jalapeno and mix around.

Step 3:
You're done! Pull meat from pot and place in serving dish. The meat should be tender enough to take a fork or tongs and break meat apart or shred.

Serve on corn or flour tortillas with all your favorite fixings.

:D

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Untilted: Chapter One - Part One

2009-03-17T15:39:00.001-07:00

"Kare I'm in love," Abbie's voice huffed through her cell phone receiver as she walked to her next class. She continued, "I am in love Kare. It was love at first sight. Well more like first glance."

Back at the apartment Karen sat in the living room on the plush overstuffed faux suede couch listening to her sister huff and puff while walking. "Abbie, what are you talking about, love at first sight? That's the third time this month."

Abbie laughed, "You don't understand. I was on the bus," she stopped outside that classroom door and scuffed her black well worn Chuck Taylor against the pavement, "He was sitting a few seats ahead of me and I only seen the back of his head and the side of his face, but Kare, he was to die for."

Pacing back and forth, Abbie brushed a dark bang from her forehead and tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. "Kare he was wearing a dark brown jacket with a scarf. Like a manly scarf not a frilly-girly one. He had this brown hair and when he stood up, he was tall and lean."

"Oh, I like it when guys wear accessories. It's hot, but not when they go overboard and try to outdo you," Karen replied then bit into a chocolate chip cookie and changed the channel of their television they took when they moved out of their parent's house that past June. Talking with her mouth full of half chewed cookie, "Hey Abbie, tell me when you get home. I have to go."

Abbie stood facing the class door, pausing momentarily thinking about the mystery man on the bus. Sighing, "Alright. I have class now anyways. Turn the heater on, don't sit there in an ice box, oh and if you get a chance, call Mom. Ask her if we're going Black Friday shopping this year."

"Yea got it. Ok sis, love you."

"Love you too." Abbie hung up, placed her cellphone in the front pocket of her sweatshirt and walked into the classroom. She quickly scanned the room with her dark chocolate brown eyes searching for a familiar face to sit next to. "Megan isn't here today," she thought to herself as she sat down in a desk toward the front of the classroom. Abbie did what she always had at the beginning of each class. Sat down and put her book bag in between her feet under the desk. Unzipped the bag and took out her laptop, placed it on the desk and turned it on while glancing at the chalkboard ahead.

While she waited for her computer to warm up, she reached into the front pocket and took out her phone and texted Megan, her best friend since high school. They drifted apart for the first two years of college, mostly because Megan moved back to the city with to live with her mom and go to community college while she watched her little brother and sister. Abbie went to the local state college and lived at her parents for the first two years before moving into an apartment with her little sister, Karen.

"Are you coming to class?" Abbie pushed send. Observing her thumb nail she thought, "I need to get my nails done."

Abbie was about 5'6" and considered herself healthy when it came to weight. She was the first born and resembled her father most. Although she was average height for an adult female, she had compact features, she always thought her arms and legs were shorter than they should be, but she was probably just paranoid. Her hair was dark like her parents, and full of voluminous waves. Her almond shaped dark brown eyes complimented her full cheeks. She thought her best feature were her lips she inherited from her grandmother, God rest her soul. A full and pouty set of lips and dimples in both cheeks to complete her smile. Written on paper, Abbie was in every sense of the word Latina, but white washed since she grew up in the suburbs.

Bzzzzt. One new text message. Megan. "Stuck in traffic."

"Hurry up. I took the bus. My car died this morning. :(" Send.

Even though the day started off on the wrong foot, Abbie knew, this day would change her life.

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Little Black Dress Revamped

2009-03-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Just, who found my favorite old fabric somewhere in our garage, my yearn for a new dress was brought back to life. Two months ago I tried to sew a dress but it came out too small in the waist area. I tried again with my favorite fabric and some extra black fabric I had laying around.

I used a really simple sewing pattern and had some fun. I managed to whip this sweet dress up in about 3 hours.

:D

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Let's put it on the fridge

2009-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

In some homes the fridge is a place to keep food, in others it's an art gallery for kid's drawings and painting. In our household it's a bulletin board where you can find bills, coupons, and pizza ads.

Currently, I'm trying to teach myself how to use my hand-me-down version of Photoshop CS and this is a cute and not so quick project I worked on last night.

Just was sitting on the couch next to me last night while I put this together. Her reaction was, "What are you doing?"

Me: Making a graphic of our fridge.
Just: Why?
Me: Because I want to learn Photoshop.
Just: Oh, but why a fridge?

I might be crazy, but now we have a very cute graphic of our fridge.
Enjoy!

:D

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Shhh!

2009-03-11T20:34:00.001-07:00

Shhh. I have a secret project I'm working on. It's not for sale or anything like that. It's more like a personal project. I can't wait to show you all.

That is all for now.
Stay tuned.

:D

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New Hair Doo

2009-03-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been over two years since I last dyed my hair. Meaning my dull naturally black hair has dominated my photos on Myspace and everywhere else I am online. Turning 21 made me want a change. Something that represents who I am. And so, I chose red. Bright red to be exact.

Red has always been my favorite color, and ever since I can remember people have always complimented me when I wear the color red.

I have gotten a few compliments already, but in all honesty I did it for myself. And, I'm glad I did.

:D

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S**t Happens

2009-03-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

The sun has been shining and the rain has ceased and the backyard is finally dry. The birds are chirping, cats are jumping over the fence to walk across the grass, the boys are allowed outside again.

With the new privileges there is always a rule breaker. Ralphie happens to be that little punk who has to go and do something bad. I was sitting in the living room the other day doing some research for a class when out of no where there was an incredibly strong scent of... poop. Not just regular run of the mill poop, but cat poop. I looked straight at Ralphie, as I noticed it came about when he walked by and plain as day there he was covered in it. Not so much all over his body, but all over his head and face.

I gasped and grabbed my camera to take these pictures. There was a need of proof to show Just when she got home how bad Ralphie is when she's gone. Brutus on the other hand came tromping in with onlya minimal amount of cat poop on him.

Even when he's covered in shit, he's so cute.

:D

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Etsy Gift Guide!

2009-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a week since my last update. Saturday was my big 21st birthday bash at my parent's house. And, my actual birthday was Sunday. Justine and I took a personal day on Monday and getting back into the swing of things yesterday was a bit much.

Today, while I was working my little tush off handing out fliers, I got an email from a fellow craftista, Stacey from Pill's Place and Bouton Blue, letting me know that I made it into an Etsy gift guide!

How awesome is that? I was so proud to pull up the page, I just had to take a screen shot.

Go check it out while it's still up today.

Thanks for all the support!

http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/under-20/34

:D

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Peek-a-tures

2009-02-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

The last few days I've had to take pictures for a project for one of my classes. We were told to experiment with lighting and colors. This is what I came up with. Most of the photos were of the boys.

More pics on my Flickr.
:D

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Pet Poll

2009-02-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Readers! Can you please take a moment to answer this quick poll.

Thanks!

:D

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Crazy kitties

2009-02-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

Last night Justine and I took a car ride out to Manteca to visit my parents. While we were there just sitting around, my mom urgently called me to the garage. I ran over and she was kneeling in the garage peering under my dad's golf cart. The family cat, Freddie, was meowing and howling and growling all at once.

My mom lowered herself even more and said, "Erika there's another animal under the cart, you're aunt thinks its another cat but I don't want it in here."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

I had no idea what was going on and all I could tell, Freddie was pissed. Justine came in the garage and brought the family dog, a 7 year old Golden Retriever, Rex. Rex sniffed the cart and whimpered and ran inside. Freddie was yelling louder and hissing so we called for my dad. He came in to get a flash light and while he was sitting in the cart rocking back and forth the other cat shot out from under the cart and lunged at Justine. She dodged out of the way and Freddie chased the cat into the neighbors yard.

The strange and yet funny part of this story is that Freddie is a smooth coat, black cat and the other cat that was hiding in the garage was a smooth coat black cat. It literally looked like Freddie's evil twin. Freddie came back to the garage shortly after the other cat's departure and we swiftly closed the garage door and settled back into our non-eventful evening.

There's never a dull moment at my parent's house.

Oh, BTW, my birthday is in exactly 1 week.
:D

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Help a Craftista out!

2009-02-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

Please feel free to add this code to your page if you like what you see in my Etsy shop.
Please and thank you. :D

:D

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Advertising

2009-02-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Advertising is fun when I'm making graphics and images to add to the blog, but advertising is not fun when you don't know where to post the new graphics.

In the past week I've sold 3 items at my new Etsy Shop, and I believe the success is due to constant updates of my Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and posting the pics of items on Flickr as well.

I'm slowly but surely tackling ads online, but soon enough I will have hard copies of postcards to place at local pet related establishments. Word of mouth is actually doing really well too. When I see a cute pooch with a blah collar I'll chit chat with their owner and plug my handmade collars.

Certainly, I will jump back into the craft show game, but I'm taking it slow and steady. That and I work every Saturday, so I can't take too much time off of my real paying job to sell my items. I just keep asking myself, when will McMartin Realty's second Saturday start again? Night events are always fun and I don't have to lose out on pay to promote my pet crafts.

:D

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Spring Blowout SALE!

2009-02-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner brighten up your pets day with a brand new collar! Charming Co. has closed and I've opened a new shop and I'm already having a great sale.

25% off old inventory collars!

X-Small & Small only $7.50
Medium only $9.00
Large only $10.50
X-Large only $12.00

Take advantage of this great sale or just check out the new pet toys available!

:D

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Crocheted pup bone

2009-02-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hey hey! During my time on the phones I have to keep my hands busy, and so I've used my idle hands to crochet. Crochet what you ask? I'm crocheting dog bones, and my pups have been loving it. One thing I might do differently is add a squeaker to the bones. They've held up really nice while the boys play with them.

Keep an eye out for some new crocheted items on the blog this week. I've been busy and these bones are actually quick and simple to make.

:D

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101st post

2009-02-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hey! This is the 101st post on the blog. I didn't realize it till right now.

I just wanted to let you all know my birthday is in T-minus 16 days.

I got denied a loan to buy a house BUT with my mom being the co-signer I can buy a house after all.

Today started off pretty lame, but I think it might end on a good note.

:D

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Cutesy Kitchen Post

2009-02-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Spring is almost on the way and you know what that means. A good spring cleaning. But once the house is clean I have a feeling there will be more space. And, with more space, more household items will be needed.

If you have more space in the kitchen these following items will surely make a great new addition. I know I want these all in my kitchen.

ElseWares-A place for Independent Art & Design has the cutest and most affectionate salt and pepper shakers.

For $26 these little cuties can be shaking salt and pepper in your kitchen or sitting on the spice shelf hugging and holding each other. Either way these little guys are adorable and for such a cute product affordable as well.

Stupid Idiotic- A site full of oddities and novelty items. There are tons of strange and kitschy products.

These pizza clippers are perfect for any college student who's diet consists of 75% pizza anyway. Forget the pizza cutting rollers of the past for $20 take yourself into the future. Oh yea, they're dishwasher safe too! Score.

:D

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I Want...

2009-02-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

This is an "I Want..." post. Yes, it is self absorbed. No, it is not all materialistic. Maybe, you should sit down and take a moment to think what it is you want as well. It's very therapeutic.

1. I want to have a career.
- For the past few years I have gone back and forth with what I want to be in life, what I want to do, what I need to accomplish. At this point in time, I want a job that will take me places, not to be the richest woman alive, or even be well known and liked by many. I want to be financially stable in this rocky road of an economy. I don't want June to come and be left high and dry without a penny to my name or left to fend for myself in the jobless economy.

2. I want a house to call my own.
- Justine and I finally agreed that this will be the year we take the plunge and purchase a house before the housing market starts to rise again. I have gypsy blood in me, I know it. Ever since I graduated high school (2006) I have moved once a year, and in 2007 I actually moved twice. I want a small house that Justine and I can start a family in. A place, where the boys can dig in the yard and pee on the trees and know they won't have to pack up their toys and huff them somewhere else. I want to put my roots in the ground and let them sink in deep without worrying whether or not someone will break the lease and we'll have to leave or struggle to find another roommate.

3. I want to graduate and be an adult.
-Even though I pay my way and am responsible, employers and other people see me as just another college student. An over educated punk. I want to make my parents proud and be the first on my Dad's side to graduate a 4 year university and hold a degree higher than high school or GED.

4. I want to start living.
-Going to school and working part time, makes me feel like I'm waiting for something. I can't do what I want because I'm still in school and my parents see me as a child still. I want to do what I want to do and when I want to do it. I don't want this feeling that I'm waiting for something to happen so I can finally start living my life.

What do you want?

Crock Pot How I Love Thee

2009-02-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, for Christmas, Santa brought me a Crock Pot. Exactly what an 18 year old asks for. Right? Wrong. For the next two years, I neglected my gift. I put it in the cupboard, shoved it way in the back and pretty much forgot all about it. Until this year when winter hit.

Justine was the first to get sick this past flu season, and so the chicken noodle soup making began. Usually, I would make a big pot on the stove and let the soup simmer all day long, but with moving into a new house and the stove not functioning correctly at given times I had to come up with an alternative. That's when I remembered, I have a Crock Pot. On hands and knees grasping for the poor neglected and still taped from the last move Crock Pot, I realized there could be more done with this cooking device. After the first flop of cooking soup on high for 4 hours, I learned the concept of slow cooking food. Meat tastes more tender and flavorful. The drippings from the meat can be turned into a sauce or gravy.

These past few weeks I've been using the hell out my Crock Pot and I love it! On Friday and Saturday of last week we had some visitors, siblings to be exact and I had to feed an 11, 13, and 14 year old. Picky as they are, I figured a good slow cooked meal would be perfect. The concept of putting everything in a pot in the morning, and going on your way with the rest of the day could not be more well thought out. Dinner was done by 5 or 6pm each day and they ate every bite.

Thursday was corned beef and cabbage, with onions and potatoes. An entire meal in a pot that fed 2 adults and 3 ravenous teens. It was a success. Not only did I make a great dinner, but chocolate banana pomegranate cupcakes were for dessert. Yum.

Friday continued with BBQ beef short ribs, potato salad, and corn on the cob. Delish. I've never heard those three kids as silent as they were while eating this dinner.

The weekend ended on a good note, and I even went out and purchased a small 1.5L bebe Crock Pot. I already broke it in with a homemade fondue cheese sauce that we served at our impromptu Super Bowl party yesterday.

:D

Best Damn Snack Around

2009-01-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

Man, oh man! A sweet and salty craving came over me on the way home from class today. Chocolate? No.

Candy? No.

Cookies? NO! ARGH. An epic battle started going on in my brain and I couldn't decided on what to snack on. Then it came to me, peanut butter. Mmm. Honey. Mmmmm. Ritz crackers! YES!

So, here it is. The best damn snack I've had in a while. Peanut butter, Clover Honey, and Ritz crackers. It's best to put the peanut butter first on the cracker and then a little squeeze of honey and mix them together by swirling a knife (or your finger) around the honey. The amount of peanut butter is all based on preference, but the honey should be less than peanut butter.

Enjoy.
:D

I love my boys

2009-01-27T12:57:00.001-08:00

I love these little guys so much. It's hard to go a day without hearing jingling and jangling of tags and the pitter patter of little paws on the hardwood floor. Ralphie is the big brother, which automatically makes him the dominant one. Brutus is the little baby of our family, he cuddles and cooes and can't stand being alone. Both are troublemakers on their own, but when they get together mischeif is bound to be made.

Justine and I don't have any human children at the moment, but these puppies are our boys. They are our four legged, furry babies. They are extremely spoiled, and they know it. Ralphie has the rule of the roost, but soon enough when we have enough for a trainer there will be some structure back in this house. Brutus is the "well behaved" one because when ever your voice is raised above a whisper, he rolls over on his back and gives puppy eyes.

I love these boys more than anything. I justed wanted to gush about my dogs.

Too Cute. I Mean Kawaii!

2009-01-26T14:44:00.001-08:00

I was stumbling through the internet today, after a long venture to and from school, when I came across the world's cutest website. Ever.

Kawwaii Not. Meghan Murphy self publishes the cutest cartoon that comes out every so often. The site is full of four panel comics that feature everyday items being adorable.

Not only does Meghan create the comic but also there are Kawaii Not products for purchase including books, buttons, and shirts.

Take a gander and try not to die from the cuteness!

Have fun!

:D

All Shut Up

2009-01-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's raining here in Sacramento, and the rain will continue to come for the next week solid. Which means that the boys cannot go out to play in the backyard. We are all stuck in the house and even though the rain only began yesterday, we are feeling the effects of cabin fever.

Ralphie sits on the couch staring out into the lake forming in the backyard. Every now and then he taps on the window with his paw as if to will the rain to stop. It has to be the cutest thing. While Ralphie stares into the rain, Brutus lays as close as possible to me sleeping. I do not understand how he can sleep 15+ hours in a day. It's insane.

The boys are helping me get ready for the spring semester that starts this coming Monday. They've already opened a package of mechanical pencils and chewed them up for me. Thanks guys for being so helpful.

:D

Starting Fresh

2009-01-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well this year has gotten started on the right foot, or so I'd like to hope. I have taken a few small steps in becoming a new and improved me. Even though this is the third week of the year I have walked at least once a week and cut down on the munching. Now, don't let me fool you, I have not set a new years resolution to lose weight. But, instead I have made the resolution to become healthier and more active.

When I set a goal to lose so many pounds and I don't reach that goal, I do feel defeated. So instead of putting myself through the pains of trying to reach a number, instead the goal is more general and has room to evolve and change rather than a set in stone number that I may or may not reach.

Last week I planed on using the Wii Fit to keep myself exercising daily. But, I did not use it daily as planned. I did however take a 2 mile walk in a little under 45 minutes on Thursday, I was proud of myself.

Just yesterday I took another 2 mile walk in 42 minutes to return a rented movie. Today the boys and I took a short walk to the park and back so that was about 1 mile or so. The last bit I decided to jog and the boys did not enjoy that at all. They are now sleeping and pooped. I'm trying to come up with an exercise calendar to keep track of my progress. I don't have work tomorrow, and who knows I might make my own calendar.

:D

Charming Co. Hiatus

2009-01-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I just want to let everyone know that Charming Co. will be going on hiatus until further notice. I have a few more important things going on my life and with the economy in such a bad state, I can no longer afford to continue Charming Co. at the current moment.

Justine and I are planning on starting a family within the next year and a half, and so I will be focusing on getting myself healthy. Also, I only have three more semesters of college before I receive my BA and with this upcoming semester, my classes will become a main priority.

I am not giving up in my crafty endeavors, but merely taking a step back and not pushing myself too far. I have been re-evaluating Charming Co. and the entire crafty society. At first I thought crafting was all about fun and creating. Then it became a competition. Then the people you thought were friends were no longer your real friends, but their true colors came out. In this crafting community I've had my ups and downs. I've made mistakes, trusted the wrong people, put myself in difficult situations. But, in the end I've found out what I really want to do with myself and my crafty business.

When I bring Charming Co. back it will be bigger and better than ever. I will have a full line of dog and cat collars and dog leashes. I'm also planing a new line of pet toys and a different aspect of crafting, MP3 cozies. Mostly, what I've learned is that you can't jump into something. Even though my heart was in the right place, I didn't have much planned and this time around I'm not going to make that mistake.

I would like to invite you all into my life as this blog will be focused more towards the life and times of me, a young woman, starting to live her life and finally doing what she wants. I will be blogging about trying to conceive a child with my partner, recipes, baking, crafting, and day to day events. If this isn't what you want to know I will miss you, but I know this will be one hell of a ride.

:D

Mission: Organization!

2009-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hello loves, I haven't been around because I was in Disneyland for a week and last week I was settling into 2009. This year I vowed to be a better me.

To start things off I am in the process of planning and completing Mission: Organization! Our house is ran by puppies and crafts. I need to prioritize big time. While I have two weeks left in my winter vacation, I plan some big changes and improvements.

My first plan of attack for Mission: Organization! is the bedroom. Tomorrow I don't have any work so I will be waist high in clothes and bedding. Because we no longer have a walk-in closet (boo) this task is a bit more daunting as we have a very small amount of space and tons of clothes and shoes. TONS. Oh and puppy toys and blankets, and pillows and boxes from our last house.

Oh man. This is going to be tough.

My closet will never look like that. But I sure am going to try!

Poor Baby Brutus

2008-12-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

Last night at about 1:27am Brutus woke up screaming his head off and holding his arm to his chest. Justine and I immediately woke up and grabbed him out from under the covers. He continued to stare us blankly in the eye screaming and crying. Once we noticed he had in some way, shape or form hurt his arm, I began to rub it. He still continued to cry.

I asked if Justine had rolled over on him or if he fell from the bed. She did not squish him, and he had not fallen. We started blankly at each other baffled as to why he would awake screeching like a howler-monkey.

After about five minutes of moving, pushing, poking on his arm it seemed to "hurt" him but nothing we did caused further pain. He snuggled up close to my side and fell back asleep and Justine and I decided his arm must have fallen asleep from him laying on it and it freaked him out.

This morning when I woke up, about 6:30am, Brutus was still nursing his arm and holding it next to his body. For the next few hours he refused to walk, and if he did move, he hobbles. After work at about 1:30pm I went to Walmart, bought him some baby aspirin. As I take a moment from packing for Disneyland, Brutus is now laying on the bed sleeping like a baby, BUT every now and then he remembers his arm hurts and starts to whine and hold it up.

I honestly think he's pretending and just doesn't want Justine and I to go to Disneyland without him.

Poor Baby Brutus indeed.

Changes

2008-12-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

If you have not been over to the Charming Co. website lately, please take a gander at some of the changes. I am taking a mini vacation for the next week in Disneyland (again), and so these temporary changes will be up from December 30th-January 7th. I'm fiddling around with colors and layouts and overall just trying to find the right feel and look.

Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Speaking of changes, I have new glasses (tres chic) and a new hair-doo compliments of my fantastically talented hairstylist cousin, Karina.

I have decided to make some serious changes this coming year. In 2009 I will join a gym and actually go work out. I will be healthier and less lazy. I will take better care of myself and those I love. 2009 will be a great year. I can feel it.

Have a safe and happy New Years Eve tomorrow! Ring in the new year with those you love, I know I will. :D

I am alive

2008-12-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hey there kids. Sorry I have not been around to update lately. I was crocheting my little heart out making gifts for family members. Not to mention I had the worlds worst cold/flu for the last two weeks as well.

I was down and out for the count, but after some much needed rest I am back in action.

I had a glorious holiday with friends and family. My dad changed tradition this year, and yes I was completely thrown off, by having the family open presents at Midnight on Christmas Eve. Usually we wake up at the butt-crack of dawn and open presents Christmas morning. I have to say I was a bit shaken that after 20 years of the old fashion way, my dad of all people became a mover and a shaker and switched it up on us.

This year I was designated, by volunteer, to be the present distributor. I made sure everyone had a gift and we began opening presents in rounds. It was by far the best Christmas I have had in awhile. Not to say that the past one's were in any way bad, but this year felt different. Justine was at my family's this year, instead of our usual "You-do-your-thing" and "I'll-do-mine." We finally did a holiday together. I could not have been more happy.

This holiday I made everyone's gifts. It took about three weeks, but I managed to crochet 5 beanies, 5 dolls, 4 scarfettes, three baby scarves, and one pair of slippers. I embroidered two baby onesies. Sewed 4 wallets, 3 key fobs, 3 crayon rollups and a handy holder rollup for my hairstylist cousin. I even made 6 bars of soap! I felt so accomplished and joyous when everyone opened their gifts and enjoyed them.

Next year will be another handmade holiday and I cannot wait to get a jump on more projects.

Happy Holidays everyone!

:D

Cozy Nubbin

2008-12-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

Winter has come and here in the Sacramento area the fog has rolled in and it's here to stay. Each morning it seems to be getting colder and colder. Even my phone has been feeling the effects of the chilly weather.

Whenever I'm out and about running errands, walking to class, or going out to the garage my cold feels like an icicle pressed against my face when I get a phone call. My finger tips feel frozen when I text a message to a friend.

So, to help ease the pain of the cold I made a little cozy for my iPhone. He's a Cozy Nubbin. He kinda looks like Fudgem, but I think he's cuter.

:D

Big Booties

2008-12-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Not those kind of booties. This holiday season Justine and I plan on giving handmade and baked goods for gifts. The economy in the dumper, our pockets are tight and because I have learned a new skill (crocheting) I cannot wait to whip up a batch of presents.

For last few months I have taught myself how to crochet by watching videos on Youtube and reading tutorials online. I am still a little weary on how to read the patterns, but as far as straight stitches I was kickin' butt. So far, in the last week, I have crocheted three baby scarves, a scarf for myself, and the beginning of a baby blanket.
Yesterday, I took on crocheting... in circles. Yes, circular stitches. I finished an adult slipper in a few hours in between classes and today I finished the other. These slippies keep my toes toasty and feel like I am walking on clouds, or clouds of cushy yarn that is. Justine has already requested I make her a pair for practice.

Along with practicing circular stitches I took on the fiet of crocheting baby booties. Which failed. They turned out to be more like baby clown booties and now I have to find a baby with humongous feet to give them too. Oh well, here's to try number two.

Owning the Hour

2008-12-04T07:41:00.001-08:00

I have known about Etsy Own the Hour, a website to promote Etsy shops and sellers, for a few weeks now. I must admit at first things seemed a little sketchy to me. I was unsure if purchasing a spot for $.50 would bring traffic to my etsy let alone help me sell things.

Yesterday, I broke down and bought two spots in two different hours and let me say I was so excited to see my item up on the page. I could only imagine who else was seeing my item and thinking, "That is a really cute collar." Traffic to my etsy has increased since purchasing a spot. No sales just yet, but it is only the second day Charming Co. has been featured on Etsy Own the Hour.

So, please take some time to check out the site and for all you Etsy sellers out there, purchase a spot! They're only $.50 each for an hour. But, hurry up the spots sell fast.

:D

Survey for this year.

2008-12-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

This year is almost over. Let's do a quick recap.

JANUARY 2008

Who kissed you on new years?
-Justine

Did you have a New Year's Resolution this year?
-Not this year, but I will next year.

Does it snow where you live?
-We don't get snow. :(

Do you like hot chocolate?
-I LOVE hot chocolate. Especially the Disneyland hot cocoa.

Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop?
-I wish. One day maybe.

FEBRUARY

Who was your Valentine?
-Justine.

When you were little did you buy Valentine's for the whole class?
-Yes I did.

Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not?
-I always hope he does.

What did you receive for valentine's day?
- I think candy.

What did you give for valentine's day?
-I think candy. Lol.

MARCH

Are you irish?
-Very little.

Do you like corned beef and cabbage?
-When my mom makes it.

What did you do for St Patrick's Day?
-Wore the color green.

Are you happy when winter is pretty much over?
-I like winter, but I like spring, so could go both ways.

APRIL

Do you like the rain?
-I love it.

Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
-Thought about it.

Do you get tons of candy for Easter?
-Oh yea.

Do you celebrate 4/20?
-No thank you.

Do you love the month of April?
-I don't LOVE it.

Anything special happen this April?
-Ralphie's birthday! April 6th.

MAY

What is your favorite flower?
-Stargazer lily.

Finish the phrase "April showers…"
-bring may flowers. And what do Mayflowers bring? PILGRIMS!

Do you celebrate May 16th: National Piercing Day?
-I had no idea there was a national piercing day.

Is May anything special to you?
-Justine and my anniversary is on May 30th.

JUNE

What year did/will you graduate from high school?
-2006

Did you do anything fun during this Month?
-I did training for my new job.

Have a favorite baseball team?
-SF Giants. By birth.

JULY

Where were you on July 4, 2008?
-Visiting my parents while they were camping at the Delta.

Did you go to the fireworks?
-The fireworks came to us. Almost literally. Good times.

Did you blast the A/C all day?
-Somewhat.

AUGUST

What was your favorite summer memory of '08?
-Going to Puerto Villarta with my family.

Did you have a sunburn?
-Almost!

Did you go to the pool a lot?
-Not really. Just once or twice.

SEPTEMBER

Do you like fall better than summer?
-Oh yea.

What happened this month?
-Fall semester started.

OCTOBER

What was your Halloween costume?
-Nothing. Boo.

What is your favorite candy?
-Peanutbutter cups.

What was your favorite thing(s) about this month?
-Justine's 23rd birthday.

NOVEMBER

Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?
-My parents house.

What are you thankful for?
-My loves and my life.

Do you love stuffing?
-With gravy.

Anything special in this month?
-Five and a half years with Justine.

DECEMBER

Do you celebrate Christmas?
-Yes I do.

Have you ever been kissed under the mistle toe?
-Nope.

Get anything special last year?
-Sure did. A really fancy purse and we got Brutus.

What do you want this year?
-A new sewing machine.

What do you love most about December?
-Christmas eve and Christmas.

HandBorn this Saturday!

2008-11-25T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Come and see how good my collars look!

This Saturday evening, Charming Co. will host a booth at Hand Born, a modern craft bazaar in Modesto, CA.

Click on the image to the left to see the full sized view.

I will have a new collection of collars and leashes debuting, as well as some new pup toys, I like to call "Nubbins." I think you'll like them too.

Come and check it out. I know I will!

:D

BRB.

2008-11-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Sorry for the lack of updates this week, but I'm in DISNEYLAND.

So, here's a picture from today.

I'll be back Monday morning.

Enjoy your weekend!

:D

My tag cloud

2008-11-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

In one of the classes today an instructor brought a new site to my attention. Wordle is an awesome site where you can create a "tag cloud" based on text you provide. This tag cloud I created expresses who I am as a person.
Pretty nifty eh? Check it out for yourself the possibilities are literally endless. Or, go to Wordle and checkout their galleries of tag clouds created by people all over the world.

:D

Winner Winner!

2008-11-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

We have a winner! Congratulations to our winner Stacey!
Her pup Whiskey has a bit of the flu (poor bebe) and I hope this musical collar helps him to sing a new and healthy tune.

Thank you again Stacey, for your contribution and suggestion.

Please stay tuned as for later this week I will have a quicky tutorial.

Updates and a Contest!

2008-11-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Everyday for the past few days, I have taken the time to update the Charming Co. website. Slowly but surely things are falling into place. The site has been cleaned up and I am happy to announce it is almost complete and ready for a full relaunch. I have opened the doors for a tiny peek so that you all can see what I have been up to.

Please take some time and click around the new site. There are new sections including Tutorials, Collars, and Upcoming shows.

And, because I would love to hear some feedback I will be having a contest for a free Musica dog collar. (See left)

Here are the rules to enter:
-Go to the new site and pick out one thing you like so far or one thing you would like to see on the site.
-Come back and leave a comment with your email address.

The winner will be announced next Monday, November 17th. I will be contacting the winner via email to retrieve the needed size of the collar. I can't wait to hear your input.

Thank you and good luck!

Decisions, Decisions.

2008-11-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been feeling rather scatter brained. Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Continuously thinking, rethinking, evaluating and reevaluating my situation. My life. My future. This past week was amazing and yet at the exact same time heart breaking. Obama was elected president of the United States (I'm sure everyone knows this) and yet in my home state of California, my rights, as well as millions of other homosexuals, were taken away. Now, I do not want to dwindle on the subject as I have spent many a nights crying because of this result, but I must say my heart aches because of this injustice.

Justine and I have been talking about getting married for some time now, as we have been together for almost 5 and a half years this month. For most of you who do not know me that's 1/4 of my life. Yes a 1/4 of my life I have been with one person. She is my high school sweetheart and love of my life and if you do not agree with my lifestyle, that's fine. We all love the same regardless. This past week we have been talking about starting a family when I graduate college. Starting a family has been something I have wanted to do since I was a baby myself. This time around we are committed. There are still 3 semesters that separate us from our goal of marriage and a family, but we are on our way.

Not only have I been contemplating my future with Justine, but my ultimate idea of what I want to be "when I grow up" has been changing, evolving, and transforming before my eyes. Although, Sacramento State, is taking away the web development certificate program due to budget cuts, I am still attempting to pursue that avenue of career. I have been interested in making websites for some time now, but finally dedicated myself to learning earlier this year. Not only has web design tickled my fancy, but I also want to create graphics such as vectors and other web graphics. At the time being I have been tampering with free programs such as PhotoScape, Ink Scape, and Gimp. I am currently taking a class at my university as well to help hone my skills. Creating graphics and graphic design has been a passion of mine lately, a passion that has changed my mind about my future career. Of course I would LOVE to have my career be craft related and ultimately be the success of Charming Co. But, I would like to have a stable income and a "real" career.

This week I have a meeting with my major advisor, who will either confirm or transform my goal. There needs to be some major decisions made and I am ready to finally make them. I cannot wait, and I am more than excited to get this ball on the road. And from the bottom of my heart I thank every one of you who reads this blog and keeps me going in this venture of the unknown.

:D

Sneak Peek

2008-11-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Psst! I'm working on the Charming Co. website. There is far more to come, but take a moment to head over to the site and let me know what you think.

:D

Today I also ordered all the hardware I will need to assemble the collars for my new line of collars, leashes, and key fobs. All that is needed now are the fabrics, but where or where are all the fabrics hiding?!

I voted!

2008-11-04T17:15:00.001-08:00

Today I voted for the very first time in my entire life.

I'm proud to say I voted for Obama!

Woohoo!

HandBorn

2008-11-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Loves! I know I know, I have been away for a bit. I've been super busy with school (I still have two 10 page papers due within a month!) and I'm getting my fitness on.

Lately, Justine and I have been really talking about having a baby within the next few years (make that 3 to be exact) and in the mean time I need to lose 50lbs to even make that possible. Being overweight and unhealthy and trying to get pregnant while having P.C.O.S. is extremely difficult. Especially when you add on to the fact that both of us lack the other part of the process and so I am fully dedicated to finishing school, losing weight, and getting healthy again so that we can make a family.

Ok enough of the mushy stuff. Because school has taken up much of my time, I still have yet to create all the handmade gifts I plan to give for this holiday season. I have also yet to order the much needed materials to create my new line of collars and leashes. But, I managed to snag a spot in HandBorn which is only a few weekends away! Oh dear me. The weekend before I even planned to go to Disneyland with Justine. So, this means that this weekend and next weekend I will be a collar making machine! Not to mention I have a few days off from school coming up that I will most definitely be using for crafting. So, I am going to order the much needed supplies for my collars and leashes and if you're in Modesto, CA this coming Nov. 29th please stop by and check out my new line!

New Wallet

2008-10-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this new quilted wallet I made with this tutorial from that*darn*kat, an awesome crafty blog with great tutorials and sewing ideas.

It only took me about an hour, but mind you I was tending to puppies, cleaning things up around the house, and sewing. My new favorite color is orange, if you can't tell. This Christmas season a lot of family and friends will be getting new wallets. I'm currently working on a pattern for a matching purse.

:D Oh BTW I lost 3.9lbs this week! I'm down 6.2lbs in the last two weeks.

Computer Crafting

2008-10-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Internet and online communities give crafting and craft groups a new face and younger crowd.

In a digital age where computers are as common as cars, crafting might seem like an elderly past time, but with online communities thriving, crafts have a new popularity. D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) communities and groups promoting handmade crafts have been popping up all over the Internet. Popular websites such as Craftzine.com and Craftster.org promote the crafting community and inspire younger people to go against trends and innovate their own ideas of "cool."

Groups such as the Craft Mafia started in remote locations and with the aid of the Internet have traveled and started creating more craft groups in other places around the world. Because crafting is considered a hobby and like most hobbies have smaller interest groups in large locations the Internet helps bring people together. The crafting community online has branched from single websites like Craftzine.com to larger, well known sites such as Flickr.com and Yahoo!

Many crafters have blogs to educate and influence others in crafting and D.I.Y. endeavors. Crafters post tutorials as well as helpful hints on starting a craft related business and even other craft related groups. The blogs link to one another creating a web of inspiration to anyone interested in knitting to scrap booking to handmade lotions and soaps.

Crochet is no longer considered something Granny used to do to pass time, but now has a new outlook thanks to amagarumi (tiny crocheted dolls) that is taking storm over the online crafting community. Younger crafters are becoming more interested in making their own clothes, accessories, and anything else they can come up with because the Internet brings them to others that share their same passion for creating.

Justine's tattoo

2008-10-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

Starting Justine's tattoo
Originally uploaded by ErikaAshley

My baby got her first tattoo tonight. Her tattoo is of Marylin Manson's heart tattoo.

This clip is of the very first part of the process.

Puppies in Costume!

2008-10-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Halloween is almost here and I caved in and bought the boys their costumes. I wanted to be super crafty and whip up some cute and easy costumes but I simply don't have the time. Instead, I purchased a pirate and a Marine costume for the boys.

Take a look at how cute they are. :D
Believe it or not, but they LOVE wearing clothes and costumes.

Growing Pains

2008-10-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

There are ups and downs of being a crafter and a business woman. On top of being both, I'm a girlfriend, a full time student, and a part time employee. I have a lot on my plate and recently school has been pushed to the back burner. I'm not dropping out or anything, but I wait to the very last minute to do projects and homework, I've missed a few classes due to over sleeping out of exhaustion, and so I will be updating the blog every other day rather than every day.

I'm slowly but surely building up an inventory and although I have a few shows lined up to last me the rest of the year, Charming Co. is going through some growing pains. Due to the fact that Charming Co. is moving more towards pets I believe there needs to be a redesign of the logo, my color scheme, and the overall website. Charming Co. is getting a face lift (including the blog) and so I appologize in advance if it may seem like I'm going into a hole to hide, but fear not fore I am only refocusing on school until my last final in December.

Charming Co.'s website is still active and up, but will soon be taken down for reconstruction and will relaunch on January 1st 2009. Please stay tuned and I appreciate all of your support. Don't fret, there will still be crafty pet tutorials as the weeks progress but I am having to shift a few priorities around so I don't fall behind in my progress for my Bachelors degree.

And as for a peak into the future of Charming Co. please take a moment to leave a comment and let me know if you like logo #1: The newly designed logo or #2 the original Charming Co. logo.

Thank you all again.
:D

Etsy Shop Shopping

2008-10-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend was... lets just say it was very eventful weekend. Anyways, to take myself out of a funk that was left from this past weekend I went to a few Etsy shops to get some holiday inspiration.

This year I plan on making and baking all the gifts Justine and I will give to family and friends. We usually do a chocolate dipped basket. Well the basket is not chocolate dipped but all the goodies inside are. So today I started to look for some crafting supplies. A fellow crafter, who I am currently following on Twitter, With Love Designs has a crafty shop and a craft supply shop!

Check out her awesome craft supply shop that I will definitely be purchasing from in the near future.

She has all sorts of stuff from envelopes to gift tags, cello bags, and teeny tiny clothes pins! Everything has a great price and I can't wait to get my shop on. Go take a look at her shop, you will not be dissapointed. Her other Etsy shop, Bemi Designs has nothing but fantastic cards.

This letter pressed card set have to be my favorite.
Just look how colorful and bright.
Adding these to any gift given this holiday season would be the perfect touch.

Moments like these

2008-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Moments like these I really enjoy having puppies that cuddle. This past week I joined Weight Watchers, registered to vote, paid a bunch of bills, and started planning my winter line of dog collars and accessories.

Stay tuned for more information. Sorry for the lame update but today was a busy day. I actually went into the office to do some training. I work early tomorrow morning so I'm just going to chillax for the rest of the evening.

:D

Tube Sock Shirt Tutorial

2008-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year when the leaves on the trees begin to fall. The crisp cool air nips at your nose when you step outside. Your puppies or kitties shiver uncontrollably because the fall season has arrived.

The past few days and nights my 9lb dachshund has shivered nonstop thanks to the cold air. Even though he's obviously covered in fur, he has shorter hair and so his smooth coat hardly keeps him warm enough when playing outside.

What to do? What to do? Aha! I have a pair of tube socks I've never been able to fit (thanks to inheriting my Dad's big feet). Here is a tutorial to make your small breed bebe a tube sock shirt to keep them warmer this fall season.

What you'll need:
- An old (or new pair) of tube socks (knee highs work well too)
- Scissors, sewing pins, a pen or marker, measuring tape, a straight edge or ruler
-Sewing machine
-About 30 minutes of free time

Oh yea, you'll need a willing pup to be measured and who needs a shirt.

Step 1: Measure pup.
From neck to tail
Around the neck + 1/2"
Around chest + 1/2"

Step 2: Match up socks. You can use mismatching socks as long as they are the same length. One thing to make sure of is that they are stretchy. You want to use stretchy socks so that they fit around your pup and will not be constricting.

Step 3: Cut down the seam of the sock. If your socks are older and well worn, iron them to create a crease down the back. Stop cutting when you reach the heel of the sock. Only cut down one side.

Step 4: Cut along the edge of a straight edge or ruler at the end of the "tube" and above the bend and heel of the sock.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 to the other sock.

Step 6: If this shirt is for a boy dog you will need to cut the under side about 3 inches shorter then the top. For girl dogs it's fine to leave them both the same length. As you can tell I have a dachshund so the top will be longer regardless. This step can be customized to how long or short you want the shirt to be.

Step 7: Use your measuring tape to measure the top of your pups collar to their air and make the proper marks on the bottom of the tube sock. You can make the arm holes a little smaller as they do stretch out once worn.

Step 8: Repeat step 7 and cut a half circle from one mark to the other.

Step 9: Divide the measurement of your pups neck by half and + 1/2" and make the proper marks. For example my pups neck measurement 12" so the mark sure be 6.5". Slightly trim the excess sock from the top of the armhole to the neck opening.

Step 10: Pin both the of sides wrong side facing out and begin sewing. Please remember to not sew the arm holes shut. You can sew a seam around them if you do not want them to stretch out. I leave them without a seam so they can stretch.

Step 11: Once done sewing pin the edges of the top back to create a thin seam. Please note that some socks tend to curl regardless of the seam. You can choose to curve the ends or leave them square like I did. Also, you can skip this step if you want as it's just to make it look more finished.

Finished product. Flip inside out and put it on your freezing bebe.

He loves it. He's just trying to bask in the sun.

Tag I'm It!

2008-10-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by the ever so awesome Ashlee of Refashionist.

Here are the rules...

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let's get this show on the road:

1. I believe in ghosts, spirits, the afterlife, hauntings, etc.
2. I am 20 years old and still afraid of the dark.
3. I love Disneyland more then anything in the world.
4. I have rediculous fears of butterflies, moths, and eating dry food.
5. I can swim but tell people I can't so they don't force me to.
6. I slept with a teddy bear till I was 19, the only reason I don't know is because I need to find someone to refurbish and fix him.
7. I want another dog but Justine won't let me get another one because we have two crazy little boy puppies as it is.

I tag:
1. Kaytea
2. Pill's Place
3. Sacred Snatch
4. Simply Strands

Check back tomorrow for a brand new tutorial. It'll knock your socks off! Literally! :D

The Name Game

2008-10-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hello loves! I know it's only Tuesday and the week is just beginning but I have a challenge for you. A fellow craftista, Stacey of Sinnetball and Pill's Place has a contest going on over at her blog to help come up with a business name for her mother's new crafty business. The craft is sewing purses and boy are they the cutest.

What's in it for you? Other then lending your creativity and innovation, a new fantastic purse by Stacey's mom who does happen to have it going on. For more information about Linda, Stacey's mom, and the contest rules please head over to Pill's Place and enter!

I know I will. Maybe even a few times.
:D

Gone to the Dogs

2008-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well as you all may have noticed I am taking my crafty business in a new direction. I am in no way being wishy-washy, but finally I feel as if I have found my nitch, my place, my purpose in the crafting communitty. I enjoyed sculpting with polymer clay and doing the marble thing. Believe me I have spent many a night glueing images to marbles and adding polymer clay to marbles and so on, but unfortunately those crafts will not get me to the big time craft shows. I will continue to make polymer clay charms and sculptures, but they will not be my main focus for Charming Co.

Instead I have decided to give Charming Co. to the dogs! I am a crazy dog lady and damn proud of it. If you have not noticed (you must not be reading this blog often) I have two cute, upbeat, and crazy puppy babies Ralphie Edwin and Brutus Wayne. They are my everythings and they are where most of my money goes. Brutus needed a new collar and so I set out for a tutorial on how to make a handmade collar. I loved making his so much that I bought a tutorial on mass producing collars and so the venture in dog accessories was started.

After making I don't know about 50+ collars (some assembled and some not yet assembled) I finally have it down and enjoyed every moment. It's somewhat addicting actually. After the collars were complete and the leashes are on their way, I have decided to dust off my baking pans, break out the apron and rolling pin and jump back into baking. Not just regular baking for the house, but baking dog treats and dare I say pupcakes?!

The last week has been dedicated to recipe research, trial and error ingredients and finally successes. I have kept this hush hush to most because if I did fail in my attempts to come up with dog friendly goodies I could just brush them under the rug and continue on my way. I will say though that this weekend at Craftoberfest and PYA, Charming Co. will be debuting baked goods for pups and dogs alike.

So now I say with great confidence, Charming Co. has a new face and that face has a wet nose and slobbery tongue and boy does it feel good to finally find my place in the craft world.

FACEinHOLE

2008-10-08T15:52:00.001-07:00

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Clearance Sale weekend!

2008-10-06T19:35:00.001-07:00

Calling all craft lovers and polymer clay enthusiasts! Charming Co. will be vending at two events this Saturday and in order to make room for new products, I'm having a clearance sale!

Come and get your hands on some of my polymer clay goodies including: magnets, charms, polymer clay sugar skulls, and more! All polymer clay items will be 40% off.

I will have deals on my marble necklaces and marble bracelets as well. So come to the table and check out the sale while items last. Item prices range from as low as $2-3.50.

Remember I will be at Craftoberfest from 10am to 4pm and then I'll be heading over to Park-Your-Art hosted by McMartin Realty from 6pm-10pm.

A full day of crafty goodness! I can't wait to see you there.

:D

I taught myself a new trick

2008-10-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping myself busy with a new trick I've taught myself. Ok well not a new trick per say but I have taught myself how to crochet! I'm not crocheting to make items to sell but just to keep my hands busy. While I'm working at my real job all I do is doodle. I've gotten quite tired of doodling and decided to learn to crochet in order to keep my mind thinking.

So far I know how to crochet a single crochet and a double crochet stitch. When it comes to reading patterns, they still all look like gibberish. Right now I'm making my little sister a small purse/bag and then my mom a scarf. Keep it simple. That's what all I can really do at the moment. One day I'd like to get good enough to make the cute little dolls my fellow crafter Tamie Snow of Roxycraft makes!

Check back tomorrow for a big Charming Co. announcement!! :D

Honey Apple Cinnabones

2008-10-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Another tutorial and a recipe?! Wow. This week was chalked full of goodies.

Please enjoy the recipe and step by step tutorial on baking yummy Honey Apple Cinnabones by yours truly!

Ingredients:
1 large apple (I used a Fuji Apple) 1/4 cup honey (I used Clover Blossom honey) 1/2 cup of water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C)

Step 2: Core, slice and mince the apple. The larger you leave the chunks of apple the harder it will be to have the dough form a ball later.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the minced apple, oatmeal, and cinnamon.

Step 4: Add water and honey and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Step 5: Blend in the wheat flour, adding enough to form a stiff dough and somewhat sticky dough.

Take a moment to look down and see any beggers or eager eaters and smile. :D

Step 6: Form a ball with the dough.

Step 7: Add some extra wheat flour to your cutting board and roll ball of dough to about 1/2 thickness .

Step 8: Cut out any shape using your cookie cutters. If you do not wish to make shapes out of the dough simply drop cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes flip the bones over and let them bake for 15-20 more minutes.
Let cool for a few hours. Overnight is best.

See your pups enjoy!

Stay tuned

2008-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for a puppy treat tutorial and recipe. Check back later today.

Caught.

2008-10-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

We did it! We caught the cup napper!

Watch the video and be just as shocked as we were.

You might want to fast word to about 3 minutes. The first minute is me leaving and Ralphie and Brutus making sure the coast is clear.

Craftoberfest update

2008-09-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hello loves! In t-minus 12 days Craftoberfest will be on and popping. Personally, I cannot wait for this event. After a dud weekend vending I am more than ready for Craftoberfest. The event is being sponsored by the Sacramento News and Review as well as Dave's Pumpkin Patch located in West Sacramento.

There will be mini pumpkins for kids, a kids craft table, 30+ vendors, and swag for the first 100 visitors!!! WOW. What a great event. The Sacramento Craft Mafia will be hosting this event at the Sacramento News and Review parking lot on the corner of 20th and J st in Midtown Sacramento. The event will begin at 10am and finish up at 4pm.

Not only will Charming Co. be at Craftoberfest but right after I will be at Park-Your-Art Second Saturday event at McMartin Realty again for the last time this year. Come by the booth and see some great new items including collars, leashes, and maybe even some puppy treats. I can't promise anything about the treats but you never know. I might get some time in between school and work to whip up a batch of tasty treats for my puppies.

More on the shows as they get closer.

:D

Button Bracelet Tut

2008-09-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of bracelets and a ton of old buttons my mom gave me when she gave me her sewing machine. Some are big and gaudy, while others are simple and cute. What better to do then mix them both together and make a vintage button bracelet?! And make a tutorial on how to do so!

Enjoy!

What you'll need:
-Buttons (old or new)
-A bracelet (this one is perfect for adhering buttons, marbles, anything really)
-Diamond Glaze

Step 1: Glue buttons to other buttons
-Start by gluing some buttons to each other. This step is optional if you do not wish to have stacked buttons. Here you can see I have dabbed a drop of glue to the large button and placed a half cut plastic pearl button on top. Allow the glue to dry before going to next steps.

Once the glue has hardened and is completely dry you can now glue them to the bracelet.

Step 2: Gluing buttons to bracelet.
-Place glue on the bracelet's flat link and hold button firmly against link for approximately 30 seconds. The glue will not harden fast so make sure to not let your fingers slip. If your grasp does slip and the button moves simply add a little more glue to the back and let dry. Sometimes I just flip the bracelet around and let the bracelet lay on the button while drying.

Repeat step 2 with as many buttons needed to complete bracelet.

This is the finished product. A cute and vintage flair to your outfits.

New Product Announcement!

2008-09-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Attention ladies and gentlemen! Come one, come all!

Charming Co. officially will be a dog collar and pet accessory crafty business! I am slowly and steadily transitioning into the pet crafts and pet accessories arena. I am more than excited and I have taken every available moment to create a small but wonderful inventory of dog collars.

These items are already for sale on the Etsy shop as you can see from the image above. I am so excited and will be updating the shop with more collar designs.

Please let me know what you think as I am always trying to find out what people want in regards to my products.

Thank you for all the support! :D

Ralphie Houdini

2008-09-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Enjoy. :)

Zapped

2008-09-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

I feel so utterly zapped today. For example, I woke up at 6:40am and usually I'm up a little earlier than that on school days. This morning my bed seemed so comfy, my puppies snuggled extra close because the windows were open and the warmth from under the covers felt comforting and more pleasant than usual.

Ralphie's been doing this weezy, hacking, coughing, choking kind of thing and I've been worried about him. I've been stressing about getting my new project done and getting ready to have a big craft vending weekend. Last night I climbed into bed, snuggled up to Justine and let my mind slip into sleep, but unfortunately only bad dreams came to mind. A car crash, rotten teeth, and missing puppies plagued my dreams. You know that sleep where your eyes are closed and in your mind your calculating how much time is left to sleep. That was my mind. Constantly going over this coming weekend, classes, and puppy problems.

I woke up more exhausted then when I went to sleep. Certainly not what I expected, but here I sit in my ComS 190 class completely tuning out. Day dreaming about sewing, fabric shopping, perfecting my craft. Crafts are my escape and sometimes my cryptonite. Although, I may not be listening in class right now, this is my process of learning. Learning about myself, learning about my future, learning about my life.

A tired mind is still a mind and minds are meant for molding.

Winner winner Chicken Dinner!

2008-09-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

The results are in.

I hope you enjoy your brand new pumpkin magnets!!

Dog Collar Crazy!

2008-09-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have a new addiction. I've been thinking of ways to expand my craft horizons and my crafty business. I must admit, I have missed sewing, and my puppies needed some new collars. I've been pondering on what I could start making and what I can put my charming twist on.

What better than pet accessories? Justine and I are more then guilty when it comes to how much we spend on our little boys. Ralphie and Brutus have their own couch, their own beds, toys strewn about all over the house and the backyard. We specifically moved into a house so they could have a yard to play in. Wow, we sound kind of crazy, but none the less we do not have children (yet) and our puppies are like our children.

I found a great tutorial on etsy and started making pet collars. The last few days have been spent sitting in front of the sewing machine, cutting fabric and interfacing and assembling collars. I've tried to make a few leashes, but a little more time spent practicing will do wonders, I'm sure.

The pictures are just a sneak peek at what I've been up to and what will be up on Etsy soon. The collar Brutus is wearing was the very first collar I have ever made! I had to use checkered fabric because Justine has an obsession with everything and anything checkers. She's looked for the past year for a checkered collar with no luck and I surprised her Friday night when she seen both our boys wearing checkered collars.

Pimping Pumpkins

2008-09-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

As you all may have noticed, the fall season has come and you know that means. Reds, oranges, yellows, browns. Halloween and Thanksgiving. Crisp leaves, cold breezes, and best of all crafts. Fall begins the greatest season of the year. Craft Season! I know, I know, crafts are year round, but for some reason during the fall and winter crafts kick it up a notch. Maybe it's because its cold out and people need to find other ways to occupy their time. Maybe it's because the kids are back in school and some might have some spare time to tinker around with knitting, sewing, and creating.

I know for one the fall season inspires me to kick it up a notch and go craft crazy. Just the past few weeks my craft room has been busy with polymer clay, sewing, and others forms of crafting. I'm starting to think of the winter season, (not to early to get a jump start on things) and even the holidays. So without further ado let me debut some of my most recent items.

Pumpkin hair pins

Fall themed Large Marble Magnet Set

Polymer clay Eyeball stud earrings

Candy Corn stud earrings

Just to show a few new items.

As I promised I will be giving away one packaged of my new polymer clay pumpkin magnets (shown below)!! Just leave a comment with your email address! The winner will be announced Monday September 22nd!

Good luck!!

Get to know ME!

2008-09-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

First Name: Erika Ashley

Nickname: Arka

Birthday: March 1st

Home state: California born and raised.

Marital Status: Taken

Siblings: One younger sister. She's 14 years old.

Children: Ralphie Edwin (Pomeranian) and Brutus Wayne (Dachshund)

Occupation: Student, Apple HBA Tech Support Intern, Crafter.

Favorite part of my job: Helping people.

Favorite Season: Winter.

Movie: If I HAD to pick The Little Mermaid

TV Show: Dexter.

Food: Shrimp. Mexican food. Chinese food. In that order.

Holiday: My birthday. Then Christmas.

I love to: CRAFT!

Favorite bands and/or Singers: Too many to list. Way too many.

Favorite Song(s): Bohemian Rhapsody is my ALL TIME FAVORITE.

Favorite Quote: "Whateva"

Who is your biggest supporter? My Mom.

How do you gain motivation? Unfortunately competing against someone really gets me going on tasks.

What is a random fact about you? I hiccup at least once a day.

Now you know more about me. Enjoy.

Updated website

2008-09-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Come and see how good my site looks!

The Charming Co. Website has been updated and has new pictures, a new banner, and a few other new goodies. Check out the new and improved updated site!!

Make sure to check the blog tomorrow, there will be TONS of new pictures to show off the brand spankin' new items I've been creating. Also there might be another giveaway? You never know.

Don't be a bully to the Bull breeds.

2008-09-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.hellobully.com/bsl.html

This is something I believe greatly in. A few years ago I had to find a new home for Justine and my beloved Baby. She was a Pitbull/Bulldog mix and because of her breed we had to find a new home for her. Since I've adopted two small breed puppies to keep from breaking my heart and having to go through the same thing again. Please show your support and give these misunderstood breeds a chance.

Thanks a million Loves!

Sweet Sweet Sugar Skulls

2008-09-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day and an even better evening. McMartin Realty had another great turn out for second Saturday and I sold a lot of products. New products that is! Not only have I made some changes to the marble magnets and other polymer clay staples that I usually stick to, but brand spanking new products were debuted last night.

One of my favorite new products are the polymer clay sugar skulls. There were a lot of questions in regards to what sugar skulls are. So, if you don't know please take a gander at Wikipedia to find out.

Here are three of my favorite skulls I worked on all last week.

Que bonita!

¡Qué chévere!

Este jefe.

As you can see I had fun with my work. If you'd like to see more pictures of these niños check out my flickr.

These polymer clay sugar skulls are now on sale at my etsy shop for $12 each!

Gettin' my craft on!

2008-09-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, tomorrow will be the second Saturday of the month. Here in Sacramento it's kind of a big deal. Well for crafters and artists at least. I will be at Park-Your-Art hosted by McMartin Realty this month and I cannot wait. I have some new products I will be debuting and even some new packaging and tags! Woohoo! I've been a very busy craftista these last few weeks and I cannot wait to show off what I have been upto.

Just take a look at how productive I've been.
Just the other day I went into my local Michael's store and purchased this Cricut paper cutter. It was only $10 and I figured "Why not?" I've been cutting my tags by hand and it takes ages to cut 100 tags for products. Printing the new tags was easy peasy. Cutting them with this paper cutter not only saved myself frustration but it shaved off loads of time and cut the mess to nearly half! It's a great, cheap and easy tool that will be used for as long as it works! I sure do hope they have more attachments. A scalloped edge would be wonderful for cards and Christmas tags.

Well I hope to see you all at Park-Your-Art!

Keri Smith is my Inspiration

2008-09-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I purchased a journal called "Wreck this Journal" written by Keri Smith. She is an author, illustrator and Guerrilla artist. No she does not create art inspired by gorillas, but she creates unique and innovative muses that inspire art from anyone, anything, and any where.

I have yet to completely wreck my journal, but I will soon. The instructions she has created in the journal range from bizarre to fun to down right dirty, all in the hopes of inspiring the reader or the "wrecker" to go outside of their comfort zone to expand their horizons and create something wonderful. The few pages I have completed forced me to do things I otherwise would never have thought of doing. I was in a crafting slump because I felt as if I had hit this wall in regards to what I could create with my medium of choice (polymer clay). Believe it or not, but this journal has gotten my creative juices flowing and I am back at it again sculpting like mad.

While stumbling around the internet, I came across her website and blog and a new project for me to start. 100 ideas! Keri came up with 100 ideas to get your creativity going and formulated a worksheet. Print out the ideas. Cut them up. Put them in a hat (or a plastic baggy like I did) and select one or a few each day and have at it!

For the next few weeks I will accomplish a few of the tasks at a time (or maybe just one at a time we'll see) and post the results here on the blog. I would love for you all to join in the fun.

Today I have completed #68 Draw the outline of an object without looking at the page.

I'll update with the scanned image later.

Beginning of a New Semester

2008-09-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

September 2nd, 2008 marked the day of a brand new school year. The new semester bring new textbooks, professors, and classes. But, it also brings new scrapes and dings on cars, parking tickets, and dangerous driving.

This fall semester on the California State University Sacramento campus there is an increase of in coming students. For every new student there is in turn a new vehicle. Another vehicle to dodge while crossing parking lots, another vehicle to roll through a stop sign, and another vehicle to compete against for the already disappearing parking spots. Here on campus there are numerous traffic violations every semester and possibly more traffic accidents.

Standing at a corner across from a stop sign in the North side of campus at 7:10am on Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 2008 most vehicles failed to come to a complete stop. Many drivers, who are students and staff alike, continuously rolled through the stop sign, apparently a common practice on campus. After five minutes of observation, almost every eighth vehicle managed to stop for approximately a full 2 seconds. Stopping enough to be considered a legal stop. Others simply approached the stopping line and slowed enough to roll over the line and then accelerated quickly away from the sign as if to make up for the precious second wasted for slowing.

Here is 30 seconds of the event from this morning.

Craftoberfest is coming!

2008-09-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Craftoberfest is coming up soon!

Here is a graphic I made for the event. More details coming soon!

Woohoo! Oh and my friend Stacey won the free giveaway. I hope you enjoy your new marvelous marble necklace!

Do it!

2008-09-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I entered Ralphie into a pampered pet contest.

Check it out and vote for my little boy! You know he's spoiled and very pampered.

The Pampered Pet
Brickfish

Thanks loves!