Merry Christmas!

i know i know, a little early, but i'm leaving tomorrow and i won't be back until after january first so a happy new year as well! i hope everyone's safe, happy and pleased with their presents. no hitting, no spitting, no fighting. keep your hands to yourself and play nice at the kiddy table.

see you soon!

{ps: don't forget, our Savior was born to bring peace and redemption to a world filled with man's violence and sin. without Him we wouldn't have friends and family or love and happiness. without Jesus there would be no hope. imagine what life would be without Christmas?}

ok now, be honest

is anyone feeling rediculously overwhelmed. i mean, jump out the window, land face first in the snow and just stay there for a while overwhelmed? i don't know what is is, but i have been so 'in-a-mood' for the past couple of days. i'm tired and i'm cranky and i'm stressed and never the twain shall mix. but they did and today i'm finally starting to get over it. or get over me. i wasted a perfectly good night off with my husband being a nasty nasty person. all those hours i'll never get back to be sweet and nice and happy.

well. the good news is we have friday night to pack before we load it up and head to new england for ten days! yep ten days. i'm seriously thinking about bringing my sewing machine with us. i mean, a girl's got to relax on her only vacation in forever right? i'll probably grab a couple of books too. and i'm hitting up some swell shops with the stellar mb and sarah. you gals better be ready to spend hours looking at pretty fabrics. or looking at me looking at pretty fabrics.

anyway, i just wanted you all to know that it's ok. it's ok if you don't get all your cards mailed, or it's ok if you forget someone on your list and look like poo-poo at the party. it's ok if you didn't get so and so the same amount of gifts as they got you. it's ok if you didn't make that pie from scratch. so just let go and remember what's important during this time of year. seriously. step away from the flour sifter.

christmas shopping is the only shopping

i don't enjoy. ok, so i'm not done with everyone, but i'm close. i always save the hardest people for last, bad bad bad.

so out of all the handmade gifts this year {eyepillows, bags, hair clips, etc}, my favorite has to be a little tutotial tin i'm putting together for a few of my sewing people. the tin is complete with supplies and some swell fabric, enough to make three of the tissue holders i've shown here before. PLUS i made and illustrated my very own tutorial to go along! and of course i'll include an already finished model, in case they have any questions. i'm very proud of it i must say. seriously. i am.

so what is your favorite gifted gift this year?

merry handmade christmas to me

tote_tissue.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

i was ancy the other night, but i couldn't focus on things that needed to get done so instead i sat down and tried to be creative. so without a pattern or an idea i made this tote bag and i love it. it's tan corduroy and some waverly home fabric i found on clearance that i adored. i knew someday it would end up as something lovely. there's also a row of four pockets inside. it's so handy and the size is perfect for me.

and in an effort to use up as much of my fabric as possible before the big move, i've been trying to make small things out of scraps, like eyepillows and tissue holders. all my previous tissue holder attempts were crap, so now that i've got it down to an art, i figured i deserved my own cute kleenex holder. love the navy and pink combination. i'll be making a batch after the holidays for the shop, along with eyepillows from the newly arrived nigella fabric. i love it!

ok, back to short posts from now on. thanks for reading!

free gift tags!

gift_tags.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

for all you crafty people out there...{or maybe just the last-minuters who can't find any more christmas tags in their stash.}

jsut click on the tag and it will bring you to my flickr account, then you can choose the letter-size print-ready page of tags uploaded for you! just download, print and cut. i'm planning on punching a hole in the left center there and attaching them with blue and green ribbon....enjoy!

christmas cheer

me_deb_laura.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

and an excuse to wear a good sarahjessicaparker/target outfit!

here i am in my christmasy get-up with a couple of coworkers. the party was great and the food was stellar but the DJ rocked my eardrums so bad i had to ditch early. this must be what it's like to get old.

the weekend was filled with lots of snow {almost 2 feet suckas!}, cancellations {no christmas play, boo} and movies! 'Reign over me' was an excellent movie, i highly recommend it. it came and went last year and i've been waiting to see it ever since, so i'm glad we ditched spidey 3 for reign. also watched Waking Ned Divine and The Flying Scottsman, both good in their own ways....

bias tape and me

bias_tape.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

don't tend to get along. but this was my first attempt since it was free {thanks krista's mom!}. i think i learned a lot and i'm pretty sure my next bias tape project won't turn out like junk in the trunk.

it's beginning to look a lot like

ahh_snow.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

a messy drive home. yuck. but it might be a good night to finish christmas shopping yes? jen, remember the night before your wedding we went to the mall during that blizzard?

oh, and i hated my banner so i changed it yo.

eyecandy: fabric so yummy

fabrics_amyb.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

you could eat it. but don't. it's expensive.

actually though, you can find good deals on etsy {i'm such an addict, thanks manda}. i ordered these today and i just got an email from the shop saying they would ship this afternoon, woot! i'm so excited. they might make it in time to get some christmas gifts under way. i still have a few people to go, shame on me, perfect pendants and elly eyepillows anyone?

anyway, these are amy butler, {from the left} rowan, nigella {spinach fans, i've been wanting these so bad!} and belle, i think. but don't quote me, i just buy what i think is super awesome and then forget what designer/line it is when it actually makes it into a design of mine...

style for your food 101: the apple jacket

apple_aday.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so cute, i love this. it's really well made and colorful, plus it's supposed to protect my happy little apple from getting all bruised up in my bag. basically, my apples will now be snobs to all the other fruits. and i bought another one for that lucky christmas gift recipient...

to find your own, just search 'apple jacket' on etsy, cause i'm too lazy to link sucka.

congrats to amber!

prize_pendants.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

you won, aren't you psyched? i would be. you're getting one 1" round pendant, one 1.5" square pendant and an 18" silver-plated chain to wear them on, so congrats!

now what exactly was that big crazy excited news i had to tell you....wait, it's coming to me....yes, that's it: we're moving to...........wait for it...............NYC!!!!!

i know right, who wouldn't be completely ecstatic and truly terrified of something like that all at the same time? our house is officially on the market as of last thursday, and we already had someone come look at it yesterday!

so congrats again amber, i know how you love these pendants ;)

eyepillows matey

eyepillows.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

for some reason eyepillows makes me think of eyepatches which makes me think of pirates which makes me say arrrg.

these are the presents i was talking about yesterday, they're so cute and i love them but i couldn't find my pillow this morning and i didn't want to wake up the husband poking around for a prop for a photo. they're filled with flax seed and a loose tea mix of relaxing scents so it's cool and heavy on your eyes and smells delicious. trust me, i love using mine to lull to sleep.

ok, a tutorial sans photos: just cut out two pieces of complimentary fabric, place them together face to face so only the underneaths of the fabrics are on the outsides. sew around all four edges but leave an opening on one of the short sides. turn inside out and push out the corners through the opening you left. then comes the tricky part. fill them. i need to purchase a funnel to make it easy and fast, without one it's a mess and you end up with little flax seeds everywhere {that just happen to look like tiny bugs, yuck}....push the extra fabric back through the hole and stitch the whole edge closed {add a tag or a bit of ribbon if you have any}. voila! you now have a sweet smelling relaxation eye pillow. kudos to you.

i already have orders for these, so i cut out about a dozen lastnight and plan to sew them this weekend, fun fun!

and check out the shop! new winter earring designs, so cute. and custom orders are finally done and shipping today...AND i picked a winner which i will announce on monday after i pick the prizes...stay tuned and have a good weekend!

it's a typical situation

house_snow.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

i can't say that i'll miss all of this.

a shop update, filling some custom orders and more pendants/earrings {including 'hippo love', flippin sweet} to come this week. they seem to be the easiest thing to make when i'm just sitting there relaxing with the husband. i also finished a couple of christmas gifts lastnight along with revamping my old sad eye-pillow with some bright and happy amy butler fabric. i was running too late this morning to take a photo, but trust me, it's swell.

and thanks to all the crafty swap participants! i've gotten 4 of 5 packages and they couldn't be awesomer. janet sent the coolest cherry embroidered ribbon which i cannot wait to use, some cool little tiny floral beads from canuck carly, sweet paper from kiwi and awesome vintage fabric from kareesta. muchos gracias ladies!

a handmade Christmas

felt_clips.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so i'm trying to hand-make as many gifts as i can this year BUT the whole recent life-changing event really, well, screwed with my plans. so now i'm just trying to include small handmade gifts with every store-bought gift. it's charming and a lot less time-consuming.

these cuties hair clips are going to my neices along with their warm fuzzy old navy gifts. they were super easy to make, just a little hand sewing with embroidery floss and felt. the clips i bought at joannes and the felt flowers i found in packs on etsy. they take maybe 10-15 minutes a piece and you can easily make them while watching tv. so if anyone has questions about them, let me know.

also, as if you needed more hints: pick one, brooklyn or manhattan?

yeah buddy

snow, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

here comes the snow. and it's a doozie. my happy little subaru was made for this....

anyway, realtor meeting went really well. she thinks our house will be an easy sell. we'll see! we have minor touch-ups to do, but it's pretty much ready to show, as is. that couldn't have made her happier. looks like it might be listed as soon as this weekend! it makes me sad to see it go, being our first house and all the love and hard work we put into it...but, like all the other things, i have to learn to let go.

hot cocoa and a garbage bag

ok, here's a scary revelation: tossing stuff feels good. like really good. like taking a shower and getting out and feeling clean and new. i spent the weekend elbow-deep in too-much-accumulated-stuff. some of it's hard to part with {i haven't even gone near my closet, or my shoes} but i just keep reminding myself that a cute tiny eclectic apartment awaits me, full of warmth and love {and hopefully exposed brick} instead of just stuff.

i have a few people in a pot for the prize. i'm thinking it will consist of two perfect pendants and a chain to wear them on. i'll post pics when i figure out which pendants and pick the lucky winner.

oh and happy december! how's the shopping going? to make it easier, i'll give you all free shipping! until Christmas. just type FREESHIP DEC in the message to seller and i'll refund the charges. enjoy!

haircut.jpg

haircut.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

how miserable do i look in these photos? and skinny. i need to eat more. that's what my mom will say. i'm so not photogenic. but here's the latest haircut. i needed to chop that wannabe-mullet off {not you, wannabe}. now it's almost one length, woot. i was struggling with it the first couple of days, but now it's cooperating and i love it again.

ok, back to work. lots of cleaning this weekend in preparation for the realtor!

hinterific

since there's still no time for a real post, i give you a post of hints. lots of em.

• soon very soon it will cost more than 15 dollars to get my hair cut.
• soon very soon i'll be taking an underground train to work.
• soon oh so soon i'll pull all my hair out in clumps which negates the first clue entirely.
• soon so soon i'll be kissing my beautiful subaru goodbye and replacing it with something compact that gets good city mpgs.
• soon so very soon i'll be swapping a mortgage for rent.
• soon very soon i'll be taking a bite out of a very large and delicious apple.

for those who know keep it hush hush so i can play my mind games. if you have a guess email me at tinkerellenATyahoo.com. this may turn into a bit of a contest, so if you want to be in the running for a prize take a gander. i'll have more specifics ironed out later. when i can think. straight. or gay. whichever.

smell my feet

IMG_9372_justinfeet.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

well not much time to write all the adventures of the holiday, so i'll leave you with a pic from a photo shoot with our friends this weekend. that is one gigantic foot, husband.

and soon, very soon, that foot will be doing a lot of walking {in a Park}....

happy slapsgiving!

we're leaving for connecticut so i'll be back on tuesday with plenty of new things to write about. hopefully.

planning to meet up with 'loggorhea' and 'letter to the world' {aka marybeth and sarah} at some swank little yarn/fabric shops complete with overpriced hot drinks from starbucks.

happy holidays everyone. i'm thankful for all of you and your blog love.

starting now never feel the same

i managed to enter a payless, try on a pair of shoes that i've wanted SO bad, and leave without them. WITHOUT on-sale shoes. and it still makes me sad.

but soon very soon my life and my wardrobe will need to be much simpler....

it ain't over til it's over. is it over yet?

mittens.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

well one weekend of craziness behind us.

here's a project {via martha stewart living} i made with the girls who stayed over on friday night. some of them opted to double-side these, stitch them together and stuff them for ornaments, even embroidering an initial. what i'll most likely do is make several more in this color theme and use them to hang christmas cards from a rope, or magnetize them and attach them to gifts.
they're super easy and fast to make, great kids project really, you can find more details and instructions here.

as for the crafty {supply} swap of 07, mine are not yet mailed! i know. i know. why make deadlines if i have zero intention of keeping them. BUT i wanted to add a few more things in lastnight. i just didn't feel like it was 'enough'. do you know what i mean? so they WILL be in the mail first thing tomorrow morning. i PROMISE. seriously.

home for the holiday this weekend, so if any of you connecticut peeps want to hang, just let me know....hasta.

ughilicious.

dress.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

someday in the not so immediate future i want to make this dress out of this fabric. i have yet to sew anything clothing-wise so i'm nervous about the whole thing. but too excited to not try.

this week has been one extra grande cup of hot stress. make that two. with cream.

and i thought i had time to blog. silly me. another fire to put out by 5. perfect.

tissue? i hardly even know you!

tissue_hold.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so here's some of the christmas sewing i was telling you about. sorry for the bad photo, i was running out the door and taking pictures at the same time. i won't let it happen again.

these little tissue holders came from a tutorial i found online {craftapalooza.typepad.com}, with my own added tweeks like the elastic loop...

these guys just need some cute buttons sewn on and they're going in the box! {box o'christmas presents that is...} yay. now onto the next pile of projects...

i have a sickness

maryjanes.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

that involves patent leather and straps.

the gang's all here

so the shop is titally {new cool word, spread it around like peanut butter on warm toast} updated. i have a couple of things to put in there BUT for the most part it's done. {65 item for sale!?! woot!}

manda, i WILL finish your skull earrings as soon as i can get the whole punch i need. you don't want ugly hand-cut circles on your ear do you? anyway, these earrings will rock, i promise....i'll be making matching pendants too so if you want the set just holla. {guess i should have just written you an email instead of making everyone read this...}

have a crafty weekend everyone, i know i will!

repeat after me

ponies, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

super. cute.

ok, these will be in the shop tomorrow along with about a dozen new pendants. i wanted to learn how to make these for when i can actually wear a ponytail {almost there, seriously!} but i figured until that monumental occasion, i can sell the cute ones on etsy.

nothing else for now...wicked busy. working, cleaning bathrooms, making lasagnas!

crafty genius

buttons.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

the nice scrapbook people up the street from me decided to carry some a la carte goods. for example, these awesome buttons, 5 for a quarter! it's like a nickel and dime candy store for craft addicts. now to find lots of good homes for these colorful beauties...


totebag.jpg

the start of the handmade holidays...a cute tote on clearance at target got a nice facelift from moi and my new fancy shmancy machine. seriously. in. love. with. it.

a huge shop update to come soon! and i'm extending the 3 for $10 deal to include all $4 dollar earrings, so mix and match people and give some homemade love stocking stuffers. seriously. they're so good.

{PS: for all my myspace peeps out there, my account's been taken over by aliens. i can't even sign in to my page to delete it, so ignore any anal-probing that might take place. my apologies in advance...}

so guess who got a shiny new toy?

me of course. a spiffy new electronic sewing machine! oh the things it will do...i will do...we will do!

seriously. and my latest candy crave: rolos.
bollocks to you leftover halloween candy. bollocks to you.

and the good news is...

tonight i'm dropping my sewing machine off for repairs! i know, right, it's going to cost me money to get it back BUT it really could use a once over. it's my grandmother's machine from long long ago and she loved it, so it's only right that i start treating it like she would {and never tell her about the time i tried to sell it at a yard sale}...

a 33% off sale! and your november discount deal

grettas.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so here it is, two very fun etsy deals for you....

1) current gretta bags and book totes are on sale {33% OFF} but ONLY TO YOU! the two available gretta bags are $20 a piece and the two available totes are $10 a piece! as soon as you "claim" one, i'll edit the listing to the sale price and reserve it for you! but FIRST person to claim one by convo-ing me on etsy gets whichever one {or two or three...} they claim. make sense?

2) your november etsy deal is perfect pendants at 3 for $10! yep. just buy the three you want and type 3FOR10 in the message to seller...i'll refund you the difference after you make the payment!

happy thursday! (on this day in 1512, the sistine chapel ceiling was first exhibited to the public, yippee for useless trivia...)

happy halloween

happy halloween, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

k: ok, so i'm not really dressing up, i'm just throwing on my jean skirt and black BCBG tshirt. and i bought some cool skulls and cats {really? cats?} tights to wear with my doc boots.
me: that's so funny.
k: what? why is that funny?
me: i'm wearing some spiderweb tights i bought lastnight with a jean skirt and a black top. seriously.
k: no way. that is funny.
me: i know right?
k: you have to post a picture for me so we can say, look, we dressed alike and we live hundreds of miles apart.
me: sure, ok.

crafty swap 07

so here it is people: the crafty craft swap of 2007. i've had a few people interested which is fine, because that means more stuff for us, right? anyway, if you want to participate, here's the deal:

a packet for each person containing scraps, kits, leftovers. these can be organized by color, craft or project. include in the same packet one item from your current hometown. i fully expect to have a canadian mounty deliver my package from carly. don't worry, i'll send you some snow.

that's it! oh and the deadline to mail these out will be Saturday November 17th. plenty of time to put things together and get them around thanksgiving, so we can make Christmas gifts using our goodies, if we so choose.

so email me your address by this saturday if you're going to give it a shot! tinkerellen@yahoo.com, i'll email out a list of participants and their addresses on monday.

oh, and happy halloween.....muwahahahaaaaa.

swap ideas continued:

so there were two suggestions that really stuck with me. both from krista, which, who are we kidding, had like 100 suggestions...{thanks to everyone who threw ideas out there, it was fun to hear them all.}

so now if you could just give me your input as far as if you'ld like to be involved, questions about the swap and general comments. i'll coordinate the official rules and deadlines later on, as soon as i see if there's enough people interested in doing this. so if you ARE interested, just comment a quick, "yay, count me in". and thanks in advance!

CRAFT PURGE SWAP: little bundles of fabric, ribbons, buttons, yarns, silk flowers, paper etc. anything you have leftover of in your crafting realm that you haven't wanted to just throw away...keep these in color combos if you can, if not, don't worry, just make cute packages of stuff. for example, you could coordinate the packaging instead of the colors, or keep everything vintage, or organize your bundles by theme, like scrapbooking or knitting. basically, you can run free with this, but make sure you're sending people more than just a sticker and some ribbon.

in addition to the purge items, it would be cool if you could send one item with each bundle that follows these guidelines:
small items only from your region. if you're in vermont, some maple candy. a ben & jerry's magnet. if you're in ohio, maybe some actual buckeyes. (don't eat them, they're toxic) florida, a seashell... maybe some pictures of your state's landmarks or beautiful sights. a postcard. something to make us feel we've been somewhere and it'll connect us all a little more. {i really like the idea of showing off where we live, even if it is a small town tundra like syracuse;) }

holy green batgirl

me_curlyhead.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

ok, who's sick of looking at me? ha. don't all answer at once.

so who's digging the curls? i'm not sure now that i see this picture. besides making my eyes look ha-yuge, i think i look weird. or maybe just different i guess. which may or may not be a good thing. but the hair is long enough to curl. which is in and of itself, ha-yuge. {i noticed i wear a lot of brown in the fall.}

happy friday.

things are gonne change, i can feel it

krista_hat.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

big things are happening over at tinkerslife. nothing to talk about just yet but it's huge. i mean HUGE. {and it's not a baby mom, i wouldn't annouce that to you online}.

anyway, for the time being, hopefully this poorly posed picture of me sporting the hat krista made for my birthday will have to do. isn't it lovely. vintage shiny button and everything...i luff it.

(oh and that really uber-proud of me thing i forgot to tell you yesterday: i cut my husband's hair! yes, if you know him you're as shocked as i was when he first suggested it. a master of criticism asked me to cut his hair. i've never cut hair before. but i have to say, even he said it turned out pretty good. the earth can now continue it's rotation.)

i heart pa-rizes

iheartfall_blog.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so lots and lots of good swap ideas yous guys. keep em coming. the weiner gets one of these nifty keyrings i stitched up lastnight. even better, they're puffy. {a couple in the shop today.}

also, am planning on opening a graphic design etsy shop. i need to really flex my design skills, and lots of people have been asking about my baby announcements, so they'll be the first thing up there. and then i think i'll expand to etsy banners and business cards, blog banners, ect.

swap ideas: part nine hundred seventy two

think of this as one of those locked-down suggestion boxes hidden in the way-back corner of your local walmart. except that there is no box. this isn't walmart. and everyone can see what you suggest. and if i had a suggestion box, i wouldn't hide it in a corner. unless i sucked. like walmart.

and of course, the chosen suggestion wins a pa rize. something sweet and cute i've been working up in my head....

and something fun to tell you about tomorrow. you'll all be uber-proud. seriously.

fall photo shoot and runny noses

so the weather was a bit dreary but the foliage couldn't have been more perfect. i heart fall. so so much. anyway, here's a few of the photos from saturday. heather's got such a cute family, no?

photo shoot oct 07, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

it's a swap, it's a swap!

so it's been itching away at me, this idea of another swap. and i couldn't think of anything that we could all do again, until now:

a magazine swap.

yep, recycle those old magazines that you don't have the heart to toss or the time to read again.

so here's the deal: mail ONE magazine to each person on the list. AND include one fun thing to accompany it {studies have shown magazines can get very lonely when placed in dark sealed envelopes for extended amounts of time...}. so that's it. if you want in here's what you do: email me {subject line MAG SWAP 07} at tinkerellen@yahoo.com with your mailing address. magazine mail-out date of november 10th. you can mail before that of course, but this would be the deadline....

goodies galore

biz_cards.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

my cheapo etsy business cards finally arrived. i shouldn't say finally, i ordered them a couple of weeks ago and they said it would take up to five weeks to get them, so this definately exceded my expectations. and by cheapo, i mean, they were like all of ten dollars. and now i don't have to print and cut my own. HUGE time saver.

the other more colorful things are matchbook notepads. actually, they're bigger than matchbooks by far, but way cuter. and they're completely made and packaged from recycled office waste. yep. we waste too much and the office doesn't have a recycling program {?say what?} so i decided to do some good green will and make useful what i could. these little babies are my new freebies, included with every etsy order. yay. and thanks to everyone who made getting past that 100th order mark much easier. you all rock.

new cute totes

totes_cayute.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so these are what i made BEFORE my machine decided it needed a break...i love them, there's about four of them in the shop now. check it out! and thanks to mb for correcting my poorly spelled 'khaki'. i really should spellcheck but i'm not done bucking the system yet.

pie baking harlot {and her well-dressed accomplice}

justinme_apple.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

here we are yesterday picking ginormous apples for baking. and some smaller versions for eating and chucking. actually, the chucking only happened when we accidentally picked a wormy or bruised one. yuck. it was cold. be ye not deceived by this photo of us looking toasty and warm. but hot apple cider made everything better.

saturday i spent working on a few book totes that i'll put in the shop tomorrow. so stinking cute. only problem: my machine broke. i think. i tried everything but the thread keeps tearing. i'll be sewing along and then rip, right out of the needle. i tried raising/lowering the tension, oil, new needle, different thread, different bobbin, nothing. sooo frustrating. i may need to bring it somewhere for a tune-up...and this all happened as i was finishing up a new gretta bag, which means, until i get it fixed that poor bag just sits there, 98% finished. grrr.

to everything turn turn turn

everyone has those people who wander in or out of your life and i'll go even further and say everyone has been that person. i know i have. my most recent and favorite wanderer is krista {aka morningglorykitsch}. besides the fact that it's always entertaining to talk to her on the phone {no, mommy said no, get out of my room, stop screaming can't you see i'm on the phone, don't eat that!!!!} it's been incredible to reconnect and find that friendship we had oh so long ago. you know, that friendship that's just as strong as the last time you talked, say oh, 4 years ago?

but with every good comes, well, other things, like friends who wander out of your life. life harry and sally, where boys and girls can't be friends simply because of that silly y chromosome. sally was right btw, it is possible. i think. anyway. regardless of being slightly hurt, i'm glad for this season. i am. so thanks krista for being awesome and to jen for rocking my relative genes. i can always call either of you and complain about the most mundane thing and neither of you tell me to shutup. well, unless that's what i need to hear....or unless you're actually yelling at a two-year old....

otto the owl

otto, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so today felt like a two-post day.

here's otto. he's just one member of a big owl family that i've recently created. he's cute, no? i'm thinking he'll grace some pendants and maybe even get himself onto some printable fabric. who knows, maybe he has a future in tote bags! for now though, he'll wallow in self-pity, because we all know it ain't easy bein' green.

see my big girl shoes

autumn gear, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

or hat. it's here. autmumn. fall. the end of summer. it's grey and rainy and cold but if i try real hard i imagine i live somewhere more exotic than syracuse, like london or seattle.

hosting bible study at our place tonight. i'm kind of excited. we have people over all the time, but not people that we would ever let see our dirty laundry or dishes or overflowing shoe closet.

i pulled out the pumpkin spice candles and arranged the gourdes and now i feel like throwing a festive party and serving apple pie and warm cider. i LOVE this time of year. i want to marry it and have little half autumn, half human babies....{anyone watching pushing daisies? if you're not you're truly missing out on a break-the-mold tv show, thanks for the heads-up krista}

goodbye sweet summer love

peeptoes.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

it's almost over. this thing called indian summer. starting tomorrow temps will dip, sweaters will come out of hiding and the crisp mornings will nip at our bare ears and necks.

and honestly, i'm ready for all of that. i have new socks that want to be worn, a warm wool hat, boots aching to see the light of day and a shiny new camera {good call sara} tucked in my bag to catch the sun streaming across pools of orange leaves as i walk to work.

happy bday to me and happy discounts to you

Pendant_treesmall.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

more about my bday later...

for now, i'm so happy to offer a different monthly etsy discount to my faithful blog followers! great idea, right....

this month i'm offering free shipping for yous guys! just make sure you type TINKERWITHFREEOCT in the message to seller when you check out AND wait wait wait for a revised paypal invoice from me. please don't just share this little secret with anyone, i want you guys to feel special cause it's really just for you!

also, i'm now offering cutesy silver ball chains to go along with the pendants i sell. make sure to check it out and if you don't see any just convo me. i've only purchased a few to get started with, just to see how they sell...and i'm putting some more pendants up {i raised the price again, this etsy thing takes time to figure out, but i figured the free shipping would help ease the pain a bit...}

and that's it for now. i'll give you a small bday hint: i didn't get the puppy but what i got is much easier to tote around...

it was a good car

for sale, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

here it is, the first car that ever had both our names on the title. and now it's time to let it go. with the addition of the new truck, we're up to four cars. we hardly need two with j having a work hoopty. so this is the one to go, as much as j wants to sell my car, that's just not happening. i had to fight to keep this baby around back in the day. goodbye car that i used to sideswipe a parked car at target. you will be missed. if you sell that is.

anyone interested? ;) have a good weekend! i'll be unavailable until monday, pretending like this weekend never ever {ever} took place.

that and another new camera

j: so what do you want for your birthday?
me: a puppy.
j: we're not getting a dog! why do you keep asking me for one?
me: we'll get one someday, right?
j: yeah, i guess.
me: then when i ask and you say yes and we get one it'll be someday. so i'm gonna keep asking.
j: you're insane.

like wearing snow boots on the beach

not much going on really. husband is home sick, boo. didn't make an apple pie like i wanted lastnight due to taking care of sick husband and getting shop orders ready to ship. pulled out the curduroy skirt and knee-high boots {thanks to freezing in my capris and flip flops yesterday} only to be greated by 80 degree weather today. so i look silly, instead of stylish. not that i don't love getting warm weather in october, but please people, i never know how to dress. transitions suck.

getting a wholesale order for the pendants, woot, and working on some new bags but you probably won't see those for about a month or so. oh, and downloaded the ingrid michaelson cd lastnight, simply perfect. yay for itunes and paypal playing nice together, their parents would be so proud.

happy wednesday, everyone wish manda a happy birthday!

heaven has an organized work space

ikea_kitchen.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so i had this incredible before shot to show the obvious improvement of my kitchen space thanks to this addition from ikea. but alas, i think it was sacrificed from the memory card in nyc for a more memory making picture. {how does one fill up 3GB worth of space exactly?}

anyway, previous to this was a nifty bakers rack from target that i loved since our wedding, BUT it stressed me out. just being able to see all the mismatched bowls and pans and never having enough counter space to work with. so everything, and i mean everything from silverware to spaghetti pots fit in these three drawers. genius. AND the counter space is heaven. i can make an apple pie AND an entire lasagna without EVER having to leave that red rug.

my kitchen time has been revolutionized. those swedish people are so smart.

weekend synopsis: grade A

gas fireplace estimates: ouch
warm homemade apple pie: yum
'lucky you': boring
weather: fantastic
crafting: super
shop sales: awesome

finally, the husband is home. it was a fun and productive two weeks but it was also very seriously lonely. sure i got to watch the movies i wanted, never had to cook, sole possession of the remote control, had the entire bed to myself, but life without him is boring. b-o-r-i-n-g. i am not looking forward to next year.

yesterday we went all ghetto and hung out on our front yard. if there's anything i've learned from living here for five years it's this: one must soak up the sun when one has sun because there will be months to come with no sun. thus is upstate ny. so we spread out the blanket, read a good book, drank green tea and ate caramel apples. {and i secretly prayed for a very delayed winter}

all life's a commercial, baby

and i could dance through it all.

• the old navy fair isle sweaters commercial music:
ingrid michaelson: "the way i am"
i really need to get this cd AND one of those sweaters
• jcpenney commercial with the telephone booth that explodes with water
regina spektor: "musicbox"
i'll pick up this song from itunes, but i'm not sure i dig the whole cd, remember her "fidelity" from grey's? ah yes.
• the new ipod nano commercial:
feist: "1 2 3 4"
imagine my giddy surprise when that song popped up on the CD i requested from the library. score!

my very first ever destash

destash_wristlets.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

i have these little beautys laying around my studio {it's not longer cool to call it a craft room, i've decided} so i thought i would get each one a good home.

wristlets, $10 each {includes shipping}, the largest being around 12 inches. they're not interfaced so they're pretty floppy, but they'ld be good for toting around the basics. snap closures except for the pink one which has velcro and a sewn-on ribbon bow. first has white with blue polka-dots interior, second is pink inside and the third has yellow interior. they're such pretty fabrics i don't have the heart to cut them up all over again....plus they'ld be great to fold up and keep in your big purse, so when you run out to lunch you don't have to bring the huge sack...

is anyone wants one just email me at tinkerellen@yahoo.com. i'll send you a paypal invoice and ship them asap. first come, first serve...

she hates pink

but she's having a girl!

congrats to cousin jen! of course she had to miss out on a visit from lisa loeb to her local yarn shop, but i guess finding out the sex of your baby is a bit more important. i mean, lisa wasn't going to be singing anyway, just demonstrating her mad knitting skillz....yay for pink!

plaid happy

anntaylor_dress.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

on summer clearance {$15!!} AND i actually get to wear it today thanks to some record-breaking warm weather...

{necklace by moi! you can't tell here but it's an amber drop with a silver bee charm...}

sew crazy

fabricpouches_etsy.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

another shop update. with the husband gone i have lots and lots of time to work on this crazy stuff. i think tonight i may just relax a bit though, i'm tired from all this cleaning and organizing and sewing....

ok, so i raised the price on these little pouches a couple of dollars. oy. i feel bad raising prices but i honestly feel the quality of anything i've made in the past has greatly improved and really is store-bought quality at this point. if anything's not, i don't sell it and it ends up getting used by moi {i'm not proud}. plus, i'm using better materials and interfacing and all that good stuff. so anyway, i'm sorry to do it again!

hope everyone had a good weekend. besides a minor mishap with a car and the side of our garage, mine was pretty good.

etsy update: wahoo

smpendant_bundle.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

for those of you who have already noticed my shop update {and ordered, thanks sara!} you can ignore this, but if you haven't noticed i put about a dozen new cute pendants up! i really do love these even if they are time consuming, and i raised the price 50 cents to try to make up for some of the new packaging costs and the time i spend on these buggers.

the cool news is i got a wholesale order inquiry from a woman in texas who wants to sell these in her boutique! wouldn't that be awesome? but i've never done wholesale, so i don't know what all's involved except a whole lot of time on my end.... :)

anyway, enjoy the weekend everyone, i'm going to try to head north and catch some sweet fall foliage!

out with the old

method.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

in with the non-toxic. i've long been wanting to switch out all our cleaning supplies with all-natural or non-toxic supplies. i found some info to make them all myself, but really, like i need to add something else onto my list of projects...

so after a trip to target lastnight i loaded up with mostly method supplies {not sure that they are indeed all-natural but they are non-toxic and bio-degradable...} and some seventh generation cleaner. they're surprisingly affordable, and all the method cleaners smell awesome. the stainless steel wipes work great, i thought i would just get them for my fridge but i was cleaning all the outlet plates and appliances in our house, love it. and their wood dusting/polishing spray is indeed phenominal. my furniture has never smelled or looked so good.

i also loved the fact that i didn't feel like i needed a shower after i cleaned the shower.

hey, does anyone have a natural solution for getting rid of soap scum. like the hardened around your sink faucet kind of scum?

anyone up for a free movie?

i love the library. i used to hate the library and reading in general but now that i have to actually pay for my own movies/books/clothes/heat/food, i'll generally gravitate towards anything free. a movie for a whole week for free? yes please.

lastnight it was 'sense and sensibility'. poor romantic chemistry between the leads but the story is cute. if not predictable. i'ld recommend it for fans of pride and prejudice. and for you 'house' fans, hugh laurey makes an appearance in the supporting cast as pretty much dr. house...

tonight it's 'saving grace', an indie film {sorry krista, but i LOVE indie films} about a widower left with a failing farm and a load of debt. to break even she schemes to grow and sell pot on her land. i'm really looking forward to my single piece of lasagna and not having to share the remote or the blanket.

It's a lowlight kind of day

I'm truly in love with my newly long hair {anything past 1" is long to me} BUT it's boring growing one's hair out. You just feel like you need a change. Soooo...I cut it all off. Ok, just kidding. I did however get some lowlights put in on saturday along with a trim. Lowlights, what are lowlights? They're basically the exact opposite of highlights. I thought I wanted chunky highlights but apparently, the lowlights were the way to go. I got dark streaks put in the front and magically my natural hair color looks like highlights {and J didn't even notice, which in my house is a big fat wahoo!}. It was surprisingly cheap, with 25$ i walked out with a cut and color. Amazing. After that I picked myself up a real salon-style 'spensive flat iron. My hair loves me right now. And I love it right back. Adios frizz-head, hello stylish do. {Maybe i'll get you some pics tomorrow...}

P.S. I spell-checked this post for all you grammar freaks out there.

somewhere behind the moldy cheese and jar of nutella®

we're running on empty. from our freezer to my face cream to paper towels. with not being home for a couple of weeks i haven't wanted to go grocery shopping {and leave it all sitting in the fridge to go bad, no thank you} or had any time to jet over to the body shop {why won't you people just have a promo sale already}. supplies are low. i can't even hide that nasty zit between my eyes thanks to a lack of concealer {buy two get one free, please...come on, just send me the email already, you know you want to have a sale}.

i jetted to target {cute cheap shirts...wait, i came here for what, where's that stupid list...} AND the food store lastnight {never ever talk while shopping without a list, you end up with things you don't even know how to make and nothing you actually went there needing} and i'm still out of the essentials, like concealer and daily moisturizer and kleenex. if only they sold that stuff on etsy. i'ld be set!

shop update!

earring_packages_lot_sm.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

i'm so excited about these babies! seriously. i want to make-out with them they're so hot. but nobody wants slobbery wet earrings. hopefully people love them as much as i do. then they can make-out with them when they ship. the shop.

oh and the cute baggies that i stuffed them in from the superb to work with victoria at the beading tree. on etsy of course...

as for the big hush hush

IMG_8868_GrpSmall.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

of what was happening this past weekend: i had the chance to meet kandid kiwi and yo_mama {or their christian names: kelly and grant} in nyc! it was an awesome day but way too short. considering the four hours on the train and the two driving to and from the train station we really only had about 5 hours to spend in the city. so we went to central park, walked around the met for a few hours and ate lunch in little italy. kelly is so awesome and pregnant and grant is quite charming even with the disformity.

the other secret was what we would be driving home, a new {new to us} truck. seriously. it's a big beefy work truck that'll be great for my husband's use. i think i'll stick to my subaru though, and save us some gas money.

and of course, a trip to IKEA. i'll show the goods as soon as we're done setting it all up...

look ma, no ears

earrings, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

introducing a lovely little line of earrings that will show up in the shop next week {they're on 3x3" cards to give you an idea of the size}. i've got about 7 done but i want to get about 3-4 more complete before they all go in the shop SO i'm holding off until mid-week. what do you think, are they sweet or what? they'll probably be about $4 a pair...{the fabric ones in the shop now will also be discounted to match the prices of these.}

AND i'm working on revamping all my marketing materials, i've already started using the awesomest mailing labels so everything looks so professional {even though we all know i'm just a crafty hack}. these earring holders say 'pretty little things' on them and once the baggies i ordered come in they'll slip in a baggie with a tinkerwiththis top stapled on. {cute, no?} i'm wanting all this stellar packaging for the christmas season. everything must look cute if it's to be gifted....

and i'm working on a great promo for all my faithful readers. it'll prob include a code when you purchase and a revised paypal invoice with a discount ;) and i don't want there to be an expiration date on it either....

surprise outing for us again this weekend, will divulge more when i get back on monday....happy weekend, already!

13 going on 30 {in 30 days anyway}

there's so many things i ask myself when i think about
turning the big three zero. like:

should i stop shopping for clothes in the juniors section?
or for that matter in the children's section?
should i start wearing grown-up jewelry?
do i have to get pregnant now?
do i have to admit i'm 30?
is it really that big of a deal?
can i really ask for another camera for my birthday?

southside shine

lighthouse_BI_RI.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

in case you get bored with looking at us.

perfect.

us_BI_RI.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

ferry. chilly. island. ocean. seafood. sun. warm. sand. cliffs. lighthouse. sandals. shops. pictures.

happy.

hey bu dee

me_camera.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so yes mb, to answer your question, i am growing my hair out. i desperatly want cute maintenance-free hair. and my evil plan is working. i'm thinking by christmas it'll be just a long as i want, and i might have the courage by then to get some chunky highlights. for now though, i'm pretty psyched that getting the back cut once a month means 5$ haircuts. totally in my budget.

so by this time tomorrow i'll be on a ferry headed straight for block island. i couldn't be more excited. i could try, but it would be difficult.

currently reading a book called "mr darcy take a wife". oh. my. it's splendid and i'm completely hooked. it's a continuation of the pride and prejudice story, so it's darcy and elizabeth married, very romantic. and it's quite long. i don't think i've ever conquered a book this big, but i'm determined. i'm thinking of a handmade gift for the girl who lent it to me.

had a dream i found a door to heaven lastnight here on earth, in the desert somewhere. but i didn't want to walk through it. i kept repeating the names of all the people i still needed to witness to. like my neices and my grandmother. my heart aches for them so much. i have so much to do. i guess we all do.

and on that note everyone have a good holiday weekend. i'll be back wednesday to tell you all about my adventures. until then, live long and blog.

paint it black

paintitblack.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so our newest adventure as a married couple just trying to cover our nut is an investment property. my husband and a partner bought a property about 3 weeks ago and ever since our lives have been filled with work! it's not so bad, right now it's a mess just because two apartments opened up and we're trying to get them re-rented asap. SO. my week has been insane. sunday we cleaned like i said before {roaches, yuck} and then tues it was back for cleaning and lastnight painting. and i've been fighting off a cold {thanks to sheer exhaustion and stress i'm sure} since sunday. these late late nights are NOT helping.

also not helping: getting home late only to pull up the sewing machine and try desperately to finish my 'block island' bag. it's about done, one or two more stitches and a tiny bit of hand sewing. now to find the time to finish it between now and leaving for the c.t. tomorrow at 6pm...

{oh, and must get my current mullet cut off before holiday weekend...}