NOT Crafts | less cake {more frosting}

Ellie G-CHA-And the Mouse

Authored By: ellie g Author/Writer
February 6, 2012 --11:42 AM

Last week I got to go to the CHA Trade show in Anaheim, CA.
What’s CHA? You might be asking.
CHA is the “Craft & Hobby Association” and they have a bi-annual show, mostly aimed at pairing up retail stores with the products they want to sell.

So why would I want to go?

Let’s jump back to the early 90′s.
I fell in love with Scrapbooking. Like, LOVE! At that time your supplies were severely limited to basic cardstock, skinny Zig pens, and Mrs. Grossmans stickers.

(now I’m about to do something unprecedented…..show you a page from my scrapbooks! Yep. Keep the laughing to a dull roar.)

This page documents the VERY FIRST date with my husband. Because it was a dance, there are lots of pictures. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find the thing I was picturing, so I just freehanded the house and cut it out. Those were the wild-west days people. You had to do what you could to survive!

There was also a gross amount of handwriting. And even though I spent hours perfecting mine…it never was “just perfect”. Here you can see that the relationship has progressed from “first date” to “raggedy Ann” so……that’s pretty serious! GAH!

Why share this scary display with you? Well, since that time, I have been OBSESSED with where these products come from, and who makes them. Enter CHA….which previously I couldn’t go to because you had to be a retailer. But this year I was able to apply as a member of the “bloggie press”.

If you know me AT ALL you know that going to Anaheim without stopping to see my boyfriend, Mickey, is nearly impossible. Even IF it’s for a building full of paper and pom-poms. So our first night, we bought 1/2 day passes to see the mouse.

It was pretty much outstanding to spend even a few hours there. And with some of my favorite people. They might not like me anymore after seeing me there though. I’m a bit “enthusiastic!”

Standing in line for ‘Soarin’ with:

Jen, Steph, Mique, Tauni, Heather and Me

The next day we headed to the convention center for the BIGGEST space of excellence….EVER!

I mean…seriously….a WALL of Mod Podge? The Plaid booth was one of my ABSOLUTE favorites!

We got to see the new things coming out. I’m pretty giddy about sparkly Dimensional Magic, and also the Mod Podge sampler, that gives you a little pot of each kind to try. LOVE!

(not to mention the other side of the display that was FILLED with Martha Stewart excellence)

I could move in to GCD Studios booth! I LOVE this wall of letters. It’s pretty much my favorite thing to use paper supplies in ways OTHER than scrapbooking.

The I Love to Create booth had some of my favorite things as well. I just fall apart when I see a wall of colors. It’s like the part when Dorothy lands out of the tornado. Simply magical!

And yes, move over Kelly. Donna and I are BFF now. (I’m sorry, but this was a totally out of body experience. Because I may have had a closet covered in a giant 90210 poster. And I took a knife down the hinges….so the bi-folds would still open, and then the gang came together when it closed. )

What was Tori Spelling doing at a craft show? Well…..shhhh…she’s a closet crafter! Yep. Now we are FOR SURE buddies. She was debuting her new line of DIY jewelery through Darice. And it’s SUPER cute and chunky. Totally up my alley!

After 3 days walking….and walking….and walking….I decided I needed more Mickey. So Heather and I took a trip to Downtown Disney.

I pretty much MUST take dorky hat pictures in Disneyland. It’s a tradish!

And we MAY have gone to Sprinkles Cupcakes on the way to the airport and picked up a treat. I would show you a picture. But….OH.MY.GOSH…..they were gone before I could even think of it. Seriously the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever eaten.

Overall, a trip to a gigantic building full of crafts? TOTALLY as awesome as I’d imagined. And I have to resist taking those completely dorky scrapbook pages apart and dolling them up with some Basic Grey….because let’s face it, they’re ugly. But something tells me they should stay the way they are. Because the hokey-ness is kind of awesome at this point.

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Filed Under: decor diva, NOT crafts

Hello, Clearance Racks!

Authored By: ellie g Author/Writer
January 27, 2012 --7:00 AM

So….have you seen all the clearance stuff at the stores lately?
Holy bargains batman!
I went to Target for some pickles, no I’m not preggers…just picky about my pickles….and I ended up sifting through rows and rows of 70% off awesomeness!

C’mon, 70% off!?!
Who can seriously pass that up? Those little red and white stickers over the original price that squeal “hello! I’m on sale. Don’t you want me?” (the answer is usually “yes!”)

And then I bring it home and my husband says, “do you mistake the word “sale” to mean “free”? Because they’re not the same.”

Whatever.

Regardless, the end of January and first of February are FANTASTIC times to stock up. I love to buy clothes one size too big for the kiddos. And use them next year.

And I LOVE to buy gifts.
Yep.

If you get a gift from me, and you think “my goodness you shouldn’t have. This is expensive!”
Guaranteed it wasn’t.

See, if I have a small stash of gifts on hand, I can give them out whenever I choose. And you don’t know any better. (shhh…..)

Another awesome thing you can do with clearance items is find something with a good “base”.
This little jacket is completely darling. And I needed it for my super cute niece. But I also wanted to give something that was more personal than “here’s a fleece jacket.”

It’s one of my favorite things to do for gifts. Take something basic…make it personal. (and possibly awesome!)

Once upon a time…when LCMF was a brand new baby….I showed you how I LOVE to customize little baby carriers. If you saw that one….you are LOYAL fan!

I know it’s a tried and true option, but nothing is as awesome as some mix-n-match flowers. And they’re SO EASY.

Start with a thin strip of material. (keep in mind this one was for a 6 month old baby jacket, so these strips were maybe 1.5″)
Tie a knot in one end and then start to wrap the material around that knot….while twisting the fabric just a bit.

I don’t recommend using hot glue for something that’s going to be worn. Particularly by kids. In fact I sewed up this bloom with upholstery thread. It’s not BUDGING!

As you twist just sew through a few layers here and there. So it stays in place. There’s really no rules. Just do it ’til you like it.

Don’t cut the thread when you’re done sewing….just sew it directly onto the garment.

Now that clearance jacket, is a one-of-a-kind gift. And although my niece is ALREADY the cutest baby on the planet…..now she’ll be even cuter.

And don’t blame me if you go to Target for pickles and come out with amazingness at awesome prices. You’ve been warned.

(for the record…Claussen sliced dills….in the refrigerated section….you’re welcome!)

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Filed Under: kiddos, NOT crafts, sew what?

There’s No Place Like Elf Home

Authored By: ellie g Author/Writer
November 25, 2011 --2:08 PM

Happy Black Friday everyone! I hope your Thanksgiving was fantastic, and that you’re getting some items crossed off your “to do” and “to buy” list today.

My husband always has to work on Black Friday, so I never really have gone out and had the true experience. Usually dragging two kiddos to the store just sounds like a trip I try to avoid every other Friday. Let alone the day when everyone and their rude dog is out trying to buy socks at 1/2 price.

So….here we sit. I just scored some online deals. And I have made peace with spending a bit more on another day. Just because my sanity is priceless.

But one yearly tradish that CANNOT be skipped is the return of our beloved Elf on the Shelf, “Roy”. He’s seriously like a member of the family. And last night, when we got caught in a traffic jam on the freeway…one of the kids realized that they hadn’t seen Roy yet.
Seriously?
It’s 11pm.
He’ll come tomorrow.

Wrong answer.
Oh the wailing!

Good thing they were both zonkered by the time we hit the garage.

But….good ‘ol Roy was waiting on the mantle first thing this morning. And whaddya know….last year’s “Welcome Back Roy” box made it super easy for his return!

If you need an easy project that can welcome your Elf back year after year, check out THIS ELF ON THE SHELF tutorial for the full details.

The kids are ecstatic.
Roy is home.
The Christmas plug-in scent is filling the house with a yummy pine-ish, clove-ee scent, and I’m nursing a Rootbeer Freeze because I have an awful sore throat. (yes…still….this is day 5!)

The fire is roaring. And we’re ready to conspire by it.
No. Truthfully, until I was much older than I should have been, I thought it was, “later on….we’ll perspire. As we dream, by the fire.”
And I have to admit….
I still think that makes more sense.

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Filed Under: 'tis the season, NOT crafts