gumdrop and rings of saturn earrings

the past couple of months have been busy, but i wanted to share some recent earrings i have made.  the other day, i stopped by Michael's (dangerous, i know) and picked up some beads on sale.  guess i will be wire snipping again this weekend to make a new necklace.


Simple danglies for a special birthday girl.  The ones on the left remind me of gumdrops.

Since the birthday girl just got her ears pierced, I made the earrings with sterling silver posts (in case of allergies).  I made extra pairs for my roommates and kept a dark green pair for myself.



Instead of wrapping the earrings in giftwrap, I placed them in a cute porcelain box that I found at Picnic in Russian Hill.

 

Washi tape to seal the gift!

And this is what I made tonight while watching TV and eating Thai take-out... I couldn't think of anything to name these, but they look like Saturn's rings, don't you think?



This is my first pair of antique brass earrings that I made for myself.  I can't wait to wear them this weekend!



a rad fad: terrariums

on Saturday, i sat in a San Bruno coffee shop sipping on my red velvet latte when i decided to research how easily a novice could create a terrarium.  it didn't seem too difficult, so i added it to my long list of eventually-let's-do projects and figured i would get to it at some point.

interestingly enough, making a terrarium didn't stay too long at the bottom of my project list... i happened to pass through Renegade Craft Fair (which deserves a separate post altogether) on Sunday, where there were terrariums in a number of crafters' stalls.  i must have taken too much of the Renegade or hipster air in, because i felt inspired to do something creative.  i acted on my carpe diem spirit and went to Lowe's later that same night to buy supplies. 

here's to my first set of terrariums!


I got all the supplies you see here from Lowe's for $37.  Being the overly ambitious crafter that I can sometimes be, I ended up getting more plants than I really needed.  I didn't use the cactus or the aloe plant this time around.

I followed the directions on Storm the Castle's website to create a terrarium.  The video tutorial was very easy to follow.  The terrarium pictured here is made from an empty 6-oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts.  It was the easiest to make and only took about 5 minutes!

But alas, there were some casualties :(

Being a city dweller, I don't have my own backyard.  Otherwise, I would try to save these.  I read online that you can propogate succulents.

A top-down view of my succulents.  For those of you who grew up in a Korean household like me, this might look familiar.  It's an old jar of kimchi being put to good use :)

The finished goods.  12 o'clock - old kimchi jar.  4 o'clock - 6-oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts. 8 o'clock - my roommate's bud vase.

Should I add miniature garden gnomes?  Thinking about it...

Trying out different plants to see which one looks the best... the African violet wins!

As pretty as it is, my African violet is in need of a good bath. ;)

hunky dorying down under

i got back from Australia a few weeks ago and have been behind in posting.  here are some belated photos from one of my days in Sydney.  here's to flat whites on a rainy day in a new city!

I start the day with lunch at the Fish Market.  Sydney's Fish Market is a toned down, smaller version of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo and Garak Shijang in Seoul.

Check out those heads

Next stop: Surrey Hills neighborhood. I find a cute stationary store that sells washi tape.  For those of you back in the States, you can buy this same washi tape online at http://www.cutetape.com/.



In case you are wondering, I bought the checkered tape on top :)



Decide to duck in from the rain and get some dessert

Gluten free carrot cupcake - not bad!  Give gluten a chance.

A flat white

Head back downtown and walk through one of the arcades

Stop by the best Westfield Mall I have EVER seen.  I am digging this Reebok store.

Of course, I have to step into Typo, a cute chain store in Australia.



Katie loves Willy

I'll end on a hunky dory note.  I saw this in a magazine and had to post it.  Apparently, the Hunky Dory Social Club is a hot spot in Sydney.  My roomie got to go and said it was a lot of fun!  Go check it out if you are ever down under. 

orchid flower arrangements

if April showers bring May flowers, then i thought it'd be fitting now to share with you a simple and inexpensive flower arrangement that my junior high school friend came up with herself.  even though she worked within a very tight budget, she was still able to create something beautiful.  through connections, she found a wedding coordinator who lent her twenty vases to use for centerpieces at a fundraising dinner benefitting an organization called Freedom House.  the coordinator was also gracious to let my friend use her wholesale account to get flowers at a steep discount - five bunches of orchids for $80!

the centerpieces, though simple, were elegant and classy.. nothing too garish or gaudy and fitting for the occassion.  i was very impressed with my friend's skills, not to mention her dedication to Freedom House and its mission to provide shelter and care for victims of human trafficking.  if you are seeking to make a charitable gift, please consider making a donation to this great organization!

Adding paperclips to the stems to help them stand in the vase



Orchid propped up on paperclip stand



Orchids in white and pale pink. Glass beads recycled from previous years.



Finishing touches and the final arrangement!



My junior high school friends and their job well done

 

while peonies are still probably my favorite type of flower, i think orchids could grow on me!  i was surprised to see so many different varieties at the San Francisco Flower Mart since the only orchids i really see are the typical supermarket find.  below are some pictures taken with my 50 mm last spring.









with love apron

on a recent trip to the Big Apple, i was reminded of all the little apples i brought back with me last fall after a visit to the Purl Soho store.  i had purchased a couple of yards of the "farmdale delicious" by Alexander Henry and thought it would be fun to use as the main print for my second handmade apron.  i made this apron for a friend's bridal shower gift, and while i thought about naming this after something apple-related, i decided to name it after the heart covered fabric that was used as the inside lining of the apron.


The main fabric for the apron



Laying out the pieces

  

Close-up of the "With Love" lining and red gingham waistband ties

Necktie straps

This little pile would be from all the mistakes I made along the way... with love, of course :)

The venue for the bridal shower - The Rotunda in Union Square

 

  The happy bride to be with her new apron!

Just thought I'd throw this one in there since I'm craving a midnight snack now.  The popovers with strawberry butter (not pictured here) are a must at the Rotunda!