Making Everything Cuter...

With the "Tell Your Story" class more than halfway through, I really feel inspired to take a look around at the things I have at my disposal and find unique ways to journal and make everything around me cute. The other day I took an old Mead notebook I had and gave it a cute makeover! 

I didn't take a photo of the notebook before, but essentially it looked like this, only turquoise~

And I made it look like this~

Much cuter, don't you think? ;)

Fun Find

I am currently loving these mini chalkboard slates I got from my mom.  They are so classroom-vintage cute!

Just What I Need

Ok, I am being rather redundant, but I wanted to post the official video for the Janelle Monáe song I posted about below because I am totally inspired by the song and the dancing.  I love music videos like this one, and I feel like you don't get such exceptional and unique dancing like this in music videos very often these days. 

Coolest Tightripe Moves Ever

Janelle Monáe's performance on the David Letterman show was brought to my attention by the boy and I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed.  I feel like her performance combines the best of James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner and Judy Garland in one.  Her album, The ArchAndroid, is definitely on my wish list!    Check it out~

Journal

I am still so behind in my journal....but here is what I have done thus far.  I love some of the techniques that have been shared---it's been a fun and inspiring challenge!

I really want to sign up for Rachel and Elsie's next class The Red Velvet Summer Camp.  But not sure I will really have time.  It looks awfully cute though!

 

Feathers and Fluff

There are times when I am amazed at how anyone can accuse ballet dancers of being wimpy.  I haven't been able to blog much lately cause I am pretty busy and stressed with getting ready for an upcoming dance concert I am dancing in, and upcoming concerts for all my dance students.  Here is a look at what rehearsal did to me yesterday (just to warn you, this ain't too pretty!)

But just like any good dancer, I smiled through the pain!  So, maybe ballerinas aren't wimpy....we're just crazy to do what we do!

If you are in LA (or will be in July) the ballet company I dance with, California Contemporary Ballet is doing a special performance with three other LA based dance companies:
Djanbazian Dance Company
Kenneth Walker Dance Project
Hart Pulse Dance Company


Our show is called: California Contemporary Ballet "Uncaged"

It should be a great show, and of course I would love all of you who are interested to check it out!  For more info Click Here.     And if you want to attend, you can purchase tickets by clicking the button below!



Cheers!

You Win and You Rock!

Happy Friday Cherubs!  Sorry this is a little late, but I finally got around to picking the winner for the most recent giveaway.   I numbered all the comments, after numbering the new followers (that is, those who became followers since the posting of the giveaway.)  Therefore there were ten contestants.....

So to pick a winner, I grabbed a deck of cards and pulled out just a set of aces to tens, then I used the old "pick a card, any card" technique, with the help of the boy to pick our winner.  

 And the winner is #7:  Julia with the 7 of Clubs!   Keep your eye on the post for your giveaway prize!

 To everyone else, thanks for playing and please try again next time!

Thanks!

Gidget xoxox

 

Amazing Giveaway!

I know I have to pick my giveaway winner, and I promise to do so in just a little bit.  But first I had to share this amazing giveaway happening over at Pixies & Bears~

Oh how much I hope to win!  Head on over to enter and good luck!

photo shoot

I am in the process of revamping the look of my Etsy shop, Pressed Between Pages.  Here are some of the photos from one of my impromptu photo shoots, displaying the Lady Brett Ashley headband, corsage and anklet.  I like them.... 

But what do you think?

story telling

I wanted to post some of my latest journal pages from the Tell Your Story class.  I really love all the prompts we've been getting, and the class itself is full of such talented and inspiring artists.  I am waaaayyyyyy behind on my pages, and it feels like I won't really be able to catch up anytime soon, but I'm trying to cut myself some slack lately, though not very well.
{Excuse some of the blurred out bits...there were just some thoughts and feelings I didn't want to share... and the boy, of course, must remain ambiguous.  He doesn't actually look like that I swear.}

Give it away, Give it away, Giveaway!

I had my first official sale from the Pressed Between Pages shop yesterday and I feel like celebrating with another giveaway!

So here it is, the winner will receive a special gift package from me with all kinds of crafting goodies.  Buttons, paper, stickers, tape, labels, AND a special hair flair bobby pin from my store!   

How to enter?  You have two options:


1.  If you have a blog or website, add my button (see to your left) to your site and leave me a comment with the link.

2.  If you don't have a blog or website, just leave a comment or become a follower!

Good Luck!

P.S.  This giveaway closes next Wednesday, May 19th.

Oui, let's go.....

from An Education

This is basically how I felt during my trip to Paris with the boy.  Now if only I had the vintage dress and camera!

Mother's Day Creation

This year, being broke and crafty, I decided the best thing I could give my mom for mother's day would be something handmade.  I racked my brain for something original, classy, fun and special, and in the end, I came up with this.....

This is what it was intended to look like:

from Anthropologie

But I still think what I came up with actually was pretty cool!  Here's the play by play:

I used a cardboard insert from a pair of cute tights I bought from Target as the base.  I cut that and two pieces of felt into the shape I wanted for the necklace.  

Then I gathered all the vintage buttons and doodads I could find to create a cool collage of stuff on one piece of felt.

 

I sewed the decorated piece against the plain piece of felt together with the cardboard piece in between for support.  Then I punched holes in the corners and strung some pretty ribbon through and presto!  A lovely handmade necklace for Mom! 

Easy Peasy Craft

Here is a very simple craft for all you crafty girls who may be short on time, but big on home-made crafts.  I wanted to somehow recycle one of our used coffee cans, but I wanted to do so in under five minutes.  Here is what I came up with~

 The Coffee Can Flower Vase!

Ok, ok, I know it's been done hundreds of times, but why stray from a good thing, right?  So here it is, step by easy step.  All you need is a coffee can, and some of the oh so cute Japanese Masking Tape, and flowers.  

 Step One: Take off wrapper of with coffee brand name and if needed, cover can with plan brown paper, or a patterned paper of your choosing.  Trader Joe's coffee cans (what I used) are a lovely brown color under the label, so they make the project even easier!

Step Two: make stripes around the can using tape.  You can make as many or as few rows as you like, and try to have fun with the color!

Step Three: Add some flowers and display! 

Happy Mother's Day!

I know I may be biased, but I have the best mom in the history of mom's ever!  She inspires me so much and she is one of my best friends.  Happy Mother's Day!

A Delicious Book makes all the Difference!

Thursdays are my least favorite day of the week, cause I am so so so busy!  But there is one thing that makes my hectic day a bit more manageable and that is.....

Book Worm! 

Book Worm is a weekly show on a public supported radio station here in LA called KCRW hosted by Michael Silverblatt.  Every show features a different author or publisher  and focuses on a specific book.  The show runs from 2pm to 3pm, so usually I only catch a few minutes of the program, but I absolutely love hearing about different books and the people who write them.  I find myself so inspired by the end of it.  It makes me want to hit my Bev Hills Library and go to town!

As an extra perk, the sound of Michael Silverblatt's voice is fantastic.  He sounds like a worm....like a cartoon book worm.  The best thing is when he gets really excited by a book or an author and he literally is giddy....giddy in cartoon worm voice kind of way!  I can't help but imagine this cartoon style worm literally devouring the books he is talking about.  It's a hoot!  

 This is what he actually looks like....And this is how I imagine him: 

 Finally, the theme song for bookworm is perhaps the most uplifting and happy piece of music that I hear all week.  Taken from the Mickey Mouse Club (the old one with Annette, not Brittany) it's Jiminy Cricket and choir singing about how wonderful books are and it's simply delightful!  If you are in the LA area, tune into Book Worm this Thursday, or if not, check it out as a free podcast on itunes or here on the KCRW website.   

Vintage Display

I found these cameras at my parents house a few weeks ago and "borrowed" them to see if they still worked.  I remember playing with this polaroid camera as a kid and totally thought my parents had trashed it.  Low and behold it survives, though it doesn't actually seem to work any more, and neither does the vintage Nikon they also had stashed away. 

I wasn't planning on keeping them here, but I set them on our bookcase just out of convenience until the next time I went back to the rent's place and the boy remarked on how he liked my vintage camera decor! Who would have thought it?  I realized that, as always, the boy is totally right!  The camera's do make for a really cool display.  Kinda like Anthropologie a few months back.  So, I may keep them as "decoration."  That is, of course if my parents don't mind......(thanks Mom & Dad!).     

My Art Journal

Here are some snaps from the art journal I have been working on.  It's really been a great outlet for me lately.  I am very glad I opted to take the class: