DIY

i made a dear friend a gift

so as i've mentioned a few times before, i'm working vigorously to purge unneeded things from my apt. it's brought me upon things that i'd forgotten about, things i'd pushed aside, and things i WISH i had purged long ago. it's also encouraged me to completed tasks and project that have been sitting - unfinished and a bit neglected - for long long amounts of time. and, on a sort of unrelated, i've been staring at a binder for over a year - a binder filled with memories of a wedding i was part of, over a year ago. things i had tried to encourage myself to compile into a meaningful gift to the bride... which i had basically ignored for a year.
so finally, when i was purging in regions (this is what it has come to in my little apartment), i took the binder into my hand, and had to make a choice - toss, or commit to?
so i did it. i spent a few hours, and the book made itself. I had already collected notes from friends, family members, and bridesmaids during the shower, bachelorette and wedding... i also kept receipts, napkins, invitations, and other keepsakes during the planning. it made the whole thing easier. i kept it simple and streamlined - that way, if she had already made a wedding album, she could just slip these pages into it... neutrals were my choice. it also helped when i was including things like the neon pink napkins from her bachelorette, and the neon coloured invite and notes from her 80's style shower.
and, while it pained me a bit, i also included handwritten notes. my notes from our original visit to the dress shop, notes from my planning of the events, and i included a few snippets of text here and there.... i feel like it wouldn't be from me, if it didn't include the handwriting/printing that my friends always comment on (i'm a bit infamous for my handwritten notes).
it came together finally... and i was relieved. though it was a fortune to ship it (MARY - MOVE BACK HERE FROM CALIFORNIA!), it was worth it. i included a note... i wanted her to know why i did it, why it was late, and what it meant to me... so the first thing she would find would be a hand written note, when she opened her package.
in my note to her, i said this (with some edits - some things are for friend eyes only!):
"i always have the greatest of intentions. i collect things from trips and memorable occasions, and have grand plans to turn them into photo collages, scrapbooks, memory frames and all those martha stewart type things that we all wish we had 36 hours a day of free time to complete. 
so, i saved all these things from your wedding, and then they sat. i started to compile them all about 9 months after your wedding, and had everything in a binder, with scrapbook paper everywhere.... and then life got very busy, jewelry sales went crazy, and it was put aside again. 
so then. 
i started purging. i was going through clothes, books, photoframes, etc. while trying to purge & clean my apartment... and i found your binder. my friend who was helping me said, 'jamie, are you REALLY ever going to finish that?? just toss it!' but i couldn't. there was something in me that coudln't part with all of the memories - all of the receipts, notes on love. the invitations and emails, and the notes on the dresses that we fought so hard for. i coudln't do it.
so instead - since i knew it was worth it to me - i buckled down. covered myself in glue and sparkles. printed photos and spent hours on placement and location of photos. and finished it. 
you may receive this in the mail, and not want it. you may toss it once you look at it once. and that's totally fine! but i wanted you to see it all. i wanted you to know how much spending your day with you two meant to me. i spent hours and hours, and just wanted everything to be perfect for you both... and i just hope that's what this stack of memories conveys."
a perfect way to purge your home of the things we save from special events... and goodness knows, this friend was elated when she received it in the mail. heck... i want one too now!

update: miss mary received her gift. and was elated! love that she loves it... and now i can google over it when i come visit :)

last minute nellies - don't worry.

ahhhhh it's the day before valentines what are you going to DO?!?!
don't worry. i gotchu.
make a heart elbow pad sweater - that's what!
but seriously. here are some awesome valentine's DIYs. no shame in giving THOSE as gifts (and absolutely no shame in doing them yourself the day before).
do you mean serious business with your vday gifts? homemade suckers. fo suckas. (sorry).

stiched felt valentines heart pins. huzzah!

heart elbow patches (see? i wasn't joking about that).

tights! with hearts on them!

this wall is made of CHOCOLATE! guys. that is important for everyone. 

and then elsie and emma of a beautiful mess helped immensely  by rounding up their top 20 DIY ideas on their own blog. perfection!

my challenge? make yourself a chocolate wall tonight. THEN. when you wake up, you will have a chocolate wall gift - TO YOURSELF. 
genius.

lady days - knittaz in pariz

this weekend, i had so much fun. and i had fun with lady friends. and seeing as that's part of what life is about, i felt compelled to write about my recent experience with crafting with lady friends.
i think it all started when my dear friend helen and i decided to have craft themed hangouts. we were both so desperate to do so many things, that we figured if we motivated one another, and combined those things with our social hangouts, we would start checking things off the list. a double whammy that we were totally into. we did some lino cutting and stamping, and some card making, and then it dwindled (though speak of crochet hangouts were definitely on the horizon). we did hang and bead last night... and even with only two of us, we managed great things.
then, i taught some beading classes at the store i worked at, and it got me thinking - how could i manage to get a group of girlfriends into the same room, beading with me? so i reached out to some ladies about sitting down with me, and doing a workshop on making some jewels. they obliged, and we spent a thursday evening with great food from the lovely erica, and making some good ass stuff. i taught beading technique, and everyone buckled down - after some practice runs - and spent some time creating things to take home... necklaces and bracelets.
food - glorious food; the end results

we then brainstormed about other things to do. other things we could teach one another. talk of canning, and photos. talk of cooking, and making lettery things. it was warm and fuzzy all over.
then, the lovely erin posted a photo of knitting on instagram, and posed the question, 'i really want to start a knitting club... ladies?!' we all jumped at it. 
knitting proposition (from erin's instagram); knittaz in pariz sign

and so, she planned. a sunday for ahead, a facebook invite (so we all had all the details), a nice party room at her sisters place, and a list of things to bring. specifically, yarn, needles, and anything in mind that we wanted to have accomplished. and so, the planning began. we all got amped, and prepped our things (i wrote it in my planner - in PEN). then, on sunday, we knitted.
here's the dope thing about lady friend crafty gatherings - you can be sucky at whatever it is that the theme of the party is.... but that doesn't mean you aren't still hanging out with a group of ladies who you can enjoy the time with.
so, we all arrived, with our knitting needles, and yarn of all shapes and sizes. we gorged ourselves on gumballs and sour keys, poured some coffee and baileys or sangria, and we got down to business. erin led everyone in casting on, and then the most common knit, and we all got down to business - i helped nina (a new friend), with ribbing, as she was looking to make some socks for a traditional yugoslavian folk outfit for a thesis project she was working on (ERIN GREEN: here's your shoutout.... i taught someone how to knit ribbing, because of YOU!). the majority of people worked on headbands, because for beginners  it's a straightforward design, and totally manageable for a day's work. some people started work on sweaters (those people are crazy ambitious), and i worked on a couple of projects, to feel accomplished.

erin also had the lovely ali and nikki bring in their vintage goods, from rigorous mess vintage (their brainchild). it was a perfect mesh with the day, and a few people left with new goodies to take home. shopping, AND crafting? perfection. it was day of new things: new friends, new lessons, new experiences. for some new goodies (those who finished their knitting, or walked away with something from RM vintage), and some new moments of laughter. it was wonderful - all of it.
this may be as far as tara got.... she's going to teach sock monkeys next time haha (from tara's instagram)

lessons learned:
1. invite a dope ass group of lady friends. clearly the key element. without the right mix of ladies, all else is lost. friends, friends of friends, people who you think will mesh well. generally speaking, my advice is to lean towards those who can get along with everyone, and who can chat all day long to a brick wall if you let them (this is the characteristic that gets me so many invites).
2. always have food. and drinks help too. when we beaded, we had food from erica, who spoiled us rotten with her canned things - relishes, dips, yummy deliciousness in a jar. she made homemade chips and we grilled some bread. and the wine and beer was a'flowin'. for knitting, erin brought in nostalgic gumballs and sourkeys. and cupcakes. all ladies love themselves some cupcakes. dips and nibblies, and sweet things. she also had some sangria and coffee with baileys - which is generally what i imagine older ladies who knit, regal themselves in regularly.
3. have 1 person who knows what they're doing, for every 4 or 5 people who don't. things noted at beading night - if there had been only one more person there who didn't know how to bead, it would have been too many. erin had back up knitters, and everywhere you looked, you saw ladies helping other ladies. this always makes me smile, but specifically also ensures that no lady goes sitting alone with no idea what to do.
ladies helping ladies (photo from cindy's instagram)

4. music. everyone loves music. the thing about making stuff, is that you have those moments of intense concentration, where no one is saying a word, and everyone is focusing so intently on fixing their jump rings together, and making sure they don't drop a stitch. it's always nice to have a little adele playing on the record player for those moments of silence. otherwise, people can feel uncomfortable. plus hey, music makes it feel like a party. and that's what it's supposed to be, right?
5. a great room. when i organized beading, the one thing i was a bit stuck on was where to have it. my apartment is barely large enough for me, and i didn't know of many friends who would be available to host this type of thing. the lovely erica offered her house - and it was perfect for our group (about 6 people total). totally cozy and intimate. when erin received her responses, it was clear she needed a bigger room. she used her sister tara's party room (which, BTW, i want as my APT). it was huge, had a kitchen, and had tons of seating for everyone. it was perfect... without this room, the day would not have felt like a party... it was the ideal venue, and a much needed ingredient in future lady days.
6. prepare people for what they are in for. explain what it is you'll be doing, and what is needed. explain what the day/night will look like (i.e. will you have food, drinks, room to sit?), and what people will need to provide themselves. when i did my beading night, there was a cost involved to the ladies who came (as i can't imagine the anguish it would have caused to set them free on a bead store alone... poor things), but with erin's knitting madness, everyone could just go get their own supplies, and bring with. knowing all of this ahead of time helps with not only preparing people's expectations, but also easing those people's minds who may get nervous about being around people they don't know.
7. and, of course, the vital ingredient - a great project. let's talk DIY. the project should be something that does not require professional level skill to complete, can be taught, and finished quickly (i.e. knitting and beading works, perhaps building a shelving unit with power tools, and varnish would not be ideal fr a 3-4 hour project). it's also nice to be able to do something that you can do while chatting - otherwise, lady day turns into 'i could be doing this at home alone, since i can't talk to anyone anyways' day. sort of defeats the purpose. and, of course, as we all know, pinterest is a great place to find DIY projects. things like stamping, shaking, cutting, colouring and painting - all great choices.
music + yarn + knittaz (photo from cindy)

 therefore, the formula, as determined by us ('cause we're experts, ya know): dope ass lady friends + good food (and boozey drinks if you like) + experts galore + amazing music (preferably on a record player) + a great (and suitable) locale + totally great project = perfection in lady day form.
it was a great day. though these types of things leave so so much to chance, when you follow a formula for greatness, and you have only wonderful people in your life, there is only good to come from it. 
there's something so nourishing about friendships... and something about a bunch'o'ladies in a room together, working with their hands, that builds so much warmth and companionship. something so strong about women building those friendships. 
and, only really knowing erin, nicole, and tara really well, i still came out of it having had some conversations that were fantastic, conversations where connections were made. it resulted in a totally rad event coming down the pipeline with at least 3 of those ladies. it left me feeling like any person in a city should organize, or participate in something like this at least once every couple of months.... whether to meet people, or to spend some quality time with the people whose time you value. it's all worth it.
see how happy we all are? it's 'cause we're knittaz in pariz (photo from erin)

lady days. every lady should have them.
photos courtesy of some babes i know: erin, nicole, tara and cindy (and some, my own)

a wedding planning in disguise

one of my best friends in the whole entire world - jake - got engaged recently, in south america, to his amazing girlfriend (fiance? weird) kim. he had been asking for ring advice, and had been planning and planning, and when they left for their two month trip, i was giddy.
then i received the phone call - he did it! they were engaged, and elated. we were all so ecstatic, and couldn't wait to celebrate with them upon their arrival home. and THEN i received the email from jake - asking myself and 5 lovely gentlemen to stand beside him on the day he gets married. hurrah! female groomsman sounds to be my destiny.
so, here it starts. 2 of my favourite people in the world AND i'm being asked fashion advice? uh oh. we have a mere 4 months to pull this wedding off, and as i'm sure you all know enough, i'm dying to organize the whole thing. but instead, i'll simply stick to responding to his queries - like, 'how do we coordinate outifts so people don't have to buy a ton of new stuff?' (uhhhh hello mismatchy wedding party?? my DREAM to be in a wedding party like this!).
so, sorry guys. needless to say, i've been all over pinterest and wedding blogs to try to help this couple (who probably don't want, and definitely don't NEED my help) plan their wedding... and i've been inspired.
on another note, how can i force them to let me plan EVERYTHING? ideas welcome.
a few of my favourite ideas:
jake, kim - need a wedding planner? call me!

DIY for the ages

I spend a lot of time scouring the internet, trying to discover the best DIY projects I can find – so when pinterest popped up, I was in heaven. You mean, I can share with people who have already FOUND DIY projects?? Perfect. All I needed to hear. I was signed up right away. And pin, I did.
Luckily for me, it’s brought me to a TON of sites for home design, home DIY and tons of creative and inspiring places.
And when I stumbled onto a beautiful mess – a blog by elsie – I was in HEAVEN. Really. This is what heaven is like.
erin – landlord erin. landlord craft friend erin. if you’re reading – we NEED TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS. (after envelope purses).
my faves by elsie?
Song lyric wall art
so many good things about fabric paint….
And this can reach from tshirts to bags, to books like she’s done here.
hey every girl I know – guess what you’re getting as gifts from this point forward!?
and hey – every guy I know? Guess what you’re getting as a gift from now on? better start liking bow ties my friends!

more art projects? Yes please.
Super into geometric shapes, etc. right now, so this is perfection.
enjoy. makey makey. i won't be sad if i receive any of these as gifts. thank you in advance.