Newlyweds and Nesting: Elizabeth Anne Designs Living: A Food, Lifestyle, and Craft Blog » Anne K

On the road

Anne K — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:51:33 +0000

photo by Afonso Lima

I am moving from Los Angeles to Virginia Beach. I am simultaneously nervous and excited about the move. Like fellow EAD writer ABCD, I’m in the process of deciding where I want to reside next. For now, I will be back to my hometown to temporarily stay in my parents’ home.

The majority of my possessions have already been shipped. All that I need to do is get my car from here to there. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to see the country. I know that December is less than ideal for cross country road trips, but necessity dictates that I take the trip now. A week from today, my good friend and I will be headed on a cross-country excursion. We will be taking the Southern route through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. From Louisiana, we’ll be heading North through Mississippi and Tennessee. We have to make a special stop in Kentucky. After Kentucky, we’ll head through North Carolina to our final destination of Virginia Beach.

To our EAD readers, do you have any advice or tips for someone taking a cross country road trip? Are there any sights or places we should see on our way through these states?

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Posted in: life, travel

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Operation You Go, Girl

Anne K — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:36:27 +0000

photo by George Bosela

As we all know, the holidays are filled with celebrations and gift giving. For many, the Holiday Season is also a time for charitable giving and volunteerism. To honor that spirit of charity, I will be posting about little things that we can easily do to share the spirit of the holidays.

The first is Operation You Go, Girl. I saw an interview with Debbie Tenzer founder of the website DoOneNiceThing.com. She was speaking about the female troops in Iraq. Many of these women not only serve in combat situations, they also act as intermediaries and advocates for Iraqi women and girls. For the holidays, she was seeking donations for care packages for these courageous women.

Here is the information from DoOneNiceThing.com

OPERATION YOU GO, GIRL

Far Away for the Holidays

Please help make the holidays sweeter for some female service members in Basra, Iraq. They have taken the lead in delivering the school supplies we’ve sent, and we’d like to express our gratitude.

Any of the following gifts would be greatly appreciated:

1. Moisturizers: Fragrant lotions, shampoos, soaps, loofah sponges, etc. (Small samples are great)

photo by Matthew Bowden

2. Magazines (nothing sexy, please) Issues you’ve read are fine too.

photo by sanja gjenero

3. Munchies: Cookies in the can, hard candy, microwave popcorn, nuts

photo by Craig Hauger

4. Ground Coffee. (Strong. No decaf.)

photo by ehsan namavar

5. Homey holiday decorations: an ornament, scented candle, stocking

photo by Keith Syvinski

5. Mail: Cards, letters and children’s drawings are the best gifts of all.

photo by sanja gjenero

No chocolate candy, please. The temperature in Basra is still in the high 70s.

Address:
SFC Meyers, Aaron D.
34th ID, Fires Cell
APO AE 09374
Attn: HOL

SFC Meyers will make sure that our gifts are delivered directly to female service members.

MAILING DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO DEC. 10.

Many of these items can fit in a United States Priority Mail Flat Rate Medium Size box, which costs $10.35. Be aware there are special postal restrictions and forms that have to be filled out when mailing packages to SFC Meyers. Info can be found on the United States Postal website. Please don’t let a few forms deter you from brightening someone’s day.

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Posted in: life, motivation, world issues

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Sew Much Fun

Anne K — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:37:09 +0000

In high school, I took a home economics type class. I made a lop-sided duffle bag and a deformed chocolate chip cookie pillow. I had a such a terrible time making both projects that I didn’t sew again. I’ve always been envious of my friends who can sew.

All the craft shows that I’ve been to in the past year have inspired me. I decided that I wanted to learn/relearn is how to sew with a sewing machine. I want to do basic things like make decorative pillows, maybe some pajamas.

I used trusty Yelp.com to find sewing classes. My search led me to Sew L.A. It’s this hip sewing studio in Silver Lake. It’s definitely not like your grandma’s sewing shop. They teach classes and have a small shop. They carry some great specialty and import fabrics.

Learning to sew was much easier this time around.

After the 1st class, I made this.

The second class was about different stitches and what they are used for. Here are some of my sample stitches.

I’m addicted. I plan to take more classes soon, but the break in my design schedule is almost up. My mind is racing with all the different things I can make. For now, I’m really hoping Santa will bring one of these.

For those that are more experienced with sewing, any tips?

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Posted in: crafts, sewing

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A little progress

Anne K — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:03 +0000

Dottie models her new scarf – photo by Author

Thank goodness for small victories! I have a little progress with my new hobby. I’ve found crocheting to be a very therapeutic hobby. I can’t explain it, but it’s nice to do something that doesn’t involve my computer or electronics. I finally finished my 1st crochet project. I know it’s silly that I made Dottie a scarf, but there is a method to my madness. A dog scarf would be significantly smaller than a “people scarf” and Dottie wouldn’t care if my stitches were uneven or imperfect. Making the scarf was fast and easy. It was the initial learning process that was difficult.

photo by Author

In my original post, I had said that I was going to take a class. The class was canceled. I was a little relieved after visiting the shop where the class was going to be held. It was one of little yarn shops where the average age of their clientele is 60 and the focus of their projects were baby items. Nothing against anyone’s grandma or baby items, but it didn’t feel like the right place for me. I found other craft shops that offered crochet classes, but the classes conflicted with my schedule or cost more than I was willing to spend.

So, I embarked on teaching myself how to crochet. I tried books first. I went to my local library and checked out all the crochet books that I could get my hands on. There were a lot of books available. Unfortunately, a good portion of those books were hard to follow or poorly written. Here are my three favorites.

Crochet: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis
This book had really great diagrams and their instructions were very easy to follow.

The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O’Connell
This book also had really great illustrations and instructions. The strength of this book is in its projects. Each skill taught is paired with easy to follow hip projects.

Get Hooked by Kim Werker, Cynthia Frenette, Pamela Bethel, and Angela Fama
I found this book the most useful. I’m ashamed to admit that it’s probably because it’s geared towards preteens. If you’re an absolute beginner, this is the book to start out with.

While the books were very helpful, I was still a bit lost. So, I turned to the internet. This is where it all started to make sense. Some of my pals on Twitter suggested I try YouTube for instructional videos. This was the best course of action for me. I learned more from watching a three minute video than all the books combined. Below are some links to my favorite videos.

How to Single Crochet by theKnitWitch on Youtube

How to Chain Stitch by KnitWitch on Youtube

I’m making another scarf and then I’m going to attempt the amigurumi animals. We’ll see if my progress continues. If not, I guess I’ll end up with piles and piles of scarves.

What is your latest hobby?

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Posted in: crafts

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Call me

Anne K — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:52 +0000

photo by Zvone Lavric, Slovenia

I’ve been on the hunt for social calling cards. Before you say that I can buy them at my local corner store, I’m not looking for those kind of cards. I’m looking for what is also known as a visiting card. In Victorian times, they were were used when making introductions and home visits. They had their own set of rules and etiquette. It’s actually quite fascinating. You can read about them here and here.

Essentially, social calling cards are just like business cards except they don’t “state your business”. They simply have your name and contact information. I am interested in them because frankly I’m tired of scribbling my name and personal email address for people. I could use my business cards, but there are instances where I’d like to give people my personal contact information and keep my business separate. Social calling cards are also useful while traveling. You can meet some wonderful people during your journeys and they make it very easy to exchange personal information. For Newlyweds, they are a great way to share your new name (if you went that route) and/or your new address. Because there are no rules for today’s social calling cards, they are great avenues of self-expression. These can be less serious than your business card.

Most calling cards have some, but not all of the following information:

Name
Phone Number
Address
Email address
Blog or website address
Twitter username
Facebook or Myspace name (if it’s different than the one on the card)
Instant message name
Blackberry PIN

Here are some examples of social calling cards.

from Etsy Seller Armato Design

From Etsy Seller Dingbat Press

From RedStamp.com

From Moo Cards

From the Mandate Press

From Crane Paper

Social calling cards have evolved to include Mommy and Daddy cards. These cards include child(ren)’s name(s). These are especially useful when parents meet at their children’s group activities. Having their child(ren)’s name(s) printed on the card helps give the recipient a frame of reference.

Here are some examples of Mommy and Daddy cards.

From Etsy Seller Oh Smile!

From Etsy Seller Deidamiah

I ordered Moo cards and love them. Have any EAD readers purchased social calling cards?If so, please feel free to share where you purchased your cards from.

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Posted in: good things, paper, stationery

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Attempt at a new hobby

Anne K — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:41 +0000

kawaii amigurumi *___*, originally uploaded by ::sämyii::. on Flickr

I’ve seen Amigurumi, the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures, at many of the craft fairs I’ve attended. They are ridiculously adorable. If I could, I would populate my house with them. Well, maybe, I won’t go THAT far. EAD writer, Tiffany has made quite a few of these cuties.{I first spotted them on her blog.} Patterns and ready-made amigurumi are available on our favorite site, Etsy. I am determined to relearn crocheting to make a few of my own little cuties. I am in desperate need of a hobby that does not require batteries or electricity {or so says my husband}. My grandma taught me how to crochet as a child, but since patterns back then consisted of afghans and doilies I lost interest.

{From Author’s personal collection}

I’ve signed up for a crochet class with a knitting and crochet shop in my area. This should be interesting to say the least. Tiffany has a few Amigurumi tips on her personal blog. If any EAD readers have any additional crochet tips or book recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it. Wish me luck!

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Posted in: crafts

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Renegade Craft Fair

Anne K — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:34 +0000

I am addicted to the new generation of craft fairs that have been springing up. First, I wanted to inform Chicago EAD readers that the Chicago Renegade Craft Fair is coming up.

2009 Renegade Craft Fair in CHICAGO!

September 12 + 13 from 11am – 7pm, on Division St. between Damen + Paulina.

For the last couple of years, they have been hosting shows in Brooklyn, Chicago, and San Francisco. They were having their first show in L.A. I was ecstatic. It is very similar to Unique L.A., but is a little more established. They have a greater variety of vendors.

I sent an email to my craft afficionada friends inviting them to join me. Two of them decided to join me. It was the first day of the show. From what we could tell, the show seemed to have a great turnout.

There were A LOT of screenprint and t-shirt vendors. These guys, Campfire Goods, were one of my favorites.

Campfire Goods

They have several t-shirts that allow people to rep where they’re from. I was this.close to buying a shirt that said “East Coaster” and another that said “Southerner”.

Photo by Pamela Masters

I purchased this shirt from them. I love geeky Mac Humor.

from Campfire Goods website

Mary Ink

There were many plush vendors as well. Some of my favorites from Unique L.A , {I Heart Guts, Sweet Meats, and Hi-tree} were there. I also enjoyed this company, Fuzzy Ink. They have stuffed mustaches! So kitschy, yet so cute.

Fuzzy Ink

Photo by Pamela Masters

These dolls were so cute, but all the little girls that I know are either too young or too old to appreciate them.

Lil Sprinkles on Etsy

There were also lots of jewelry vendors. I loved many of the lucite necklaces and hair barrettes. I meant to go back and purchase some barrettes, but completely forgot :(

Cara Lyndon – Vintage Jewelry and Hairpins

Adjowah Brodie of The Weekend Store

Aside from jewelry made from vintage typewriter keys, The Weekend Store had jewelry made from deconstructed watches.

Jane E. Roberti explains how she creates her jewelry

One of Jane’s necklaces on Etsy

There were also a lot of great illustrators and poster artists. Berkeley Illustration had a great niche in that all of their characters had a story that was included with their print.

Berkeley Illustration

Print available on Berkley Illustrations’ Etsy store

For those that wanted to make their own goods, there were several vendors like Super Buzzy that sold fabric and kits to make your own quilts and stuffed animals.

I bought a kit similar to this one for my niece.

Super Buzzy

We stumbled upon these great iPod cases. They are cute and have a holder for your headphones. Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?!

photo from Mr. Poncho website

It was a good show. I love these kind of events because they offer many of the items at a discounted rate. As an extra bonus, you have an opportunity to meet the masterminds behind some of your favorite designs and products. I had a great time.. although I wished I had brought more money.

{***All photos were taken by the author, unless otherwise noted.}

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Posted in: beautiful things, crafts, good things

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Have Large Dog, Would Love to Travel

Anne K — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:00:47 +0000

Dottie tries to stowaway {from Author’s Personal Collection}

We are the owners of a large dog. Dottie is 70lbs to be exact. There are many restrictions for flying with large dogs, such as they are only flown when the outside temperatures are between 45 degrees and 85 degrees. When they are flown, they are placed in the cargo hold with the luggage. It’s a special section of the cargo hold, but it’s the cargo hold nonetheless. The thought of her being handled like luggage doesn’t sit well with us. So, we have been kenneling her or leaving her with friends while we are away. It’s not our favorite solution. Whenever I see people toting their little dogs in carriers at airport terminals, I am envious.

We are in the midst of planning a trip to visit family on the East Coast and are entertaining the idea of bringing Dottie with us. She’s a member of our family and we really hate leaving for long periods of time. Since we prefer not to fly with her in cargo, our only option would be to drive to our destination. Driving cross-country is not always as fun nor as exciting as it sounds. The biggest downside to driving cross-country is the amount of time it requires. We would spend most of our vacation on the road and have limited time to spend with our family.

Recently, I was told about Pet Airways. I’m looking into it as a possible solution to our dilemma.

Here’s how the company describes themselves {Excerpt from PetAirways Press Release}:

Pet Airways ensures pets are in the good hands of people who love and know how to take care of pets. From the moment a pet is dropped off at a Pet Lounge, the pet is always under the care of trained Pet Attendants. Monitored by Pet Attendants, pets will fly in planes that are fully-lit, climate-controlled and have the proper level of fresh air circulation that pets require. Pawsengers will be boarded and de-boarded from planes as quickly as possible, never left in the cold or heat, and depending on transit time, will be offered toilet facilities, food and water as necessary during stops. Pet Parents will be assured of sensitive, careful handling and the peace of mind that their pets are well looked after by people who care as much about their pets as they do. The Pet Airways goal is to make the pet travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable for both pawsengers and their human families.

Pet Airways plane {from company’s website}

Pet Airways Interior of the plane {from company’s website}

This sounds like a solution for us. We live in one of their service cities. They seem to be affordable, but it seems almost too good to be true. So I was wondering…

Have any EAD readers flown their pet with Pet Airways? Or do you have suggestions or advice for flying with a large dog?

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Posted in: pets, planning, travel

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Fun Flip

Anne K — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:00:31 +0000

I’m back from my blogging hiatus. Sorry for the disappearance. To make up for it, I have a product review. As with all my other reviews, I offer the standard disclaimer. I am not being paid by or am affiliated with the product being reviewed, etc. etc. So, on with the program. I have a review of the Flip Ultra Video Camera.

In the last couple of months, Flip Video cameras have been mentioned in several magazines and blogs such as USA Today, Time, and Team Sugar. All the talk really piqued my interest. Its biggest selling points are that it is affordable, compact and easy to use. I take a multitude of still photos, but am clueless about video. I frequently use the video function on my point-and-shoot camera, but I wanted something that offered better quality videos. My grandma blowing out her candles on her 100th birthday. The silly way my dog chases her tail. My three-year-old niece singing “Do-Re-Mi” from Sound of Music. These are moments that are better captured on video not just as stills. As someone who has no experience with video, a Flip Video camera sounded right up my alley.

{photo from Author’s Personal Collection}

I ordered the most basic model available from our trusty friends at Amazon.com. At present, Flip has 4 different models. 2 standard video models and 2 HD video models. I bought the Flip Video Ultra 30 minutes. Why? I was offered a stellar deal by Amazon.com. I paid a whopping $59.99 for it with free shipping.

{photo from Author’s Personal Collection}

I took the camera out of the box, placed 2 AA batteries and I was ready to go.

{photo from Author’s Personal Collection}

It was unbelievably easy to use. I just pressed the big red button on the back to start recording and press it a second time to stop recording. The camera comes with a digital zoom. {You sacrifice a bit of the picture quality when you record while zoomed all the way out.} It was also remarkably easy to download my videos onto my computer. The camera comes with a built in USB connector that “flips” out of the side. Also included is software for both Macs and PCs. The software installs when you connect the camera to your computer. The software isn’t elaborate, but it allows for basic editing. For Mac users, you can easily take your videos into iMovie and iDVD and have a field day.

Because the Flip Ultra is so compact and easy to use, I bring it everywhere. I slip it into my purse or my dSLR camera bag. This has allowed me to capture videos of moments that would have otherwise been missed because everyone else forgot to bring their camcorder. Let’s face it. What good is the $1000 camera if it’s sitting at home?

As with everything, there are pros and cons.

Pros

Very easy to use. It is so easy to use that my technology-challenged sister was also able to successfully film my nephew’s elementary school graduation. My nephew also used it to film his friends skateboarding at a local skate park.
Compact size. Fits in a purse or a pocket
Available in fun colors and patterns. See the Flip Online store for details.
Highly affordable. The most expensive model is $229.
Good picture quality
Takes AA batteries (Ultra models only)

Cons

Its simplicity sometimes works against you. It does not have image stabilization or a self-timer.
It doesn’t capture images well in low lighting situations
It small size makes it difficult to hold steady.
Quality of recorded sound could be better. In some instances, it picks up more of the background noise instead of your main subject.

Overview

It’s worth it for the money and convenience. The only thing I would change is I would opt for an HD model. The upgrade in picture quality would go a long way.

For a more detailed and technical review, please check out Beau Coburn’s blog. He shows side-by-side comparisons of the Flip Ultra vs. Flip Mino HD.

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Posted in: gift guides, good things

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Reading Materials

Anne K — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:00:56 +0000

Self-portrait in a Hammock {From Author’s Personal Collection}

It’s Summer Time! Many are going on vacation or are simply having “staycations”. For me, this means my leisure reading increases. To keep up with my literary needs, I’ve tried two different websites. I’ve been using both for the last couple of months. I thought I would share my finds with EAD readers.

{Disclaimer: I am in not affiliated with either of these sites and I am not receiving any reimbursement for endorsement of either of these sites.}

Paper Back Swap – www.paperbackswap.com

Books I’ve received through Paperback Swap
{From Author’s Personal Collection}

From their website:

How the Club Works
* You have books in good condition that you do not want to keep.
* After you have Posted the first 10 books to your bookshelf, you get 2 “startup” credits from PBS to get you started swapping. After that, you earn credits by sending out books to others. Only the first account for a household receives startup credits.
* You may order any available book for 1 credit each (paperback/hardcover). audio books cost 2 credits each.
* If you want a book that is not currently available, you can place it on your Wish List and we will notify you by email when it is available for you to order. You can even have it sent to you automatically when it becomes available, with no email necessary.
* When a book is requested from you, we notify you by email, provide the address for you to send it out, and even provide a wrapper!
* wrap and mail your book.
* When the requestor receives it, you earn 1 credit (2 if it is an audio book). Yes, you pay the postage to send out your books, but when you request a book, the sender ships it to you free of charge!
* The books you receive from PBS are yours. We hope that you will repost them to share with other members when you have read them, but you can certainly keep them, or give them away. Similarly, the books you send out to others belong to their new owners.

Pros
* If you have books that you’ve already read and are not fond of, you can easy swap them for books you may be more interested in.
* They have a very large selection. Paperback swap is actually not limited to paperbacks. They also have hardcover books. You may even find books that are no longer in print.
* It’s a great way to recycle old books.

Cons
* It is difficult to find New Releases or Popular books. If the book is new to a bestseller list or has been released in the last 6 months, chances are they aren’t available on Paperback Swap. For newer books, I suggest the EAD Amazon store.
* It does take some time to receive your swap books. To keep cost low, most books are sent using Media Mail or First Class Mail. If you’re in a rush, your local bookstore or Amazon.com are still a better option.

MAGHOUND – www.maghound.com

Magazines I’ve received through Maghound
{From Author’s Personal Collection}
From their website:

MAGHOUND is an exciting new online membership service that allows you to choose, change, and manage all the magazines delivered to your home for one low monthly fee.

Choose From Hundreds of Magazines. You’ll find hundreds of popular magazines to choose from. Search by category or look for magazine titles by name. (Some higher-priced magazines require a small additional charge per month.The charge is variable based on the magazine.)

Select a tier package of
3, 5, or 7 magazines — with the option to add even more.

Manage Your Account Online:
Replace, cancel, or add new magazines anytime.

Pros
* It’s like netflix for magazines. You can switch your magazines from month to month. For example, I select Fashion magazines for the month of March to see all the new trends. Then, I switch back to home and cooking magazines for the following months.
* It’s fairly affordable. For the cost of one magazine at a retailer, I receive 3 magazines through this service.
* If a magazine I select is bimonthly, they will send me an alternate from my list.

Cons
* It takes a bit of time to start receiving magazines. I setup my account, but didn’t receive my first magazine for a full month. They do give you a listing of when you’ll receive your first issues. So, I wasn’t that surprised.
* Their selection is still fairly limited. They only carry what you’d find in your grocery’s checkout line. Magazines for more specialized topics are best found elsewhere.

I hope you enjoy these websites. If you have any thoughts or additional recommendations, please feel free to share.

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Posted in: books and reading

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