I've seen many crayon rolls and crayon roll tutorials in cyberspace, that I figured, why not use those rolls in a different sort of way. Inspiration struck when my cousin came over one night when we both planned to craft and watch a chick flick. When she pulled out a gallon sized Ziploc bag containing all of her crocheting needles, the idea light turned on! ZING

She picked out this fabric that I found at City Craft. Isn't it is chic?

And since it is so business like and styled on the outside, I elected for a bit of colorful fun on the outside. I used a leftover piece of light blue hyacinth fabric from an old bag I had. There you go, easy-breezy-beautiful. So long Ziploc bag, hello gorgeous! Now I want one for my own. I think it turned out pretty good considering I'd never made one before. I used the tutorial I found over at Skip to My Lou found here.
Mari has gone through a serious growth spurt and she's outgrown all of her darling tights. For me, it was the last of the things that remained from when she was itty bitty and brand new. That pair in the middle is actually the very first pair of tights that I'd put on her so long ago.

I took inspiration from Disney over at Ruffles and Stuff, and decided to re-purpose the tights into socks. First, I cut the socks at the base of the tops.
Instead of an exposed elastic, I decided to hide it under a fold of the sock that way Mari would be less likely to fiddle with them. The great thing about these tights is that they already had plenty of stretchy kick in them to hold up on their own, but I figured the elastic would be an added boost.
I carefully sewed it around, using the stripes as a guideline for my sewing.
See how I stretched it out to keep it flat? It probably would've been easier to sew it the way Disney recommended, but I'd forgotten that part until after the fact. (oooh...don't you love that sexy Nemo band-aid? yes, I'm still recovering from my flub.)
Hopefully soon, I will coax the Sugarbean into modeling them for me, hopefully when this cold front passes. In the meantime, she'll be wearing her regular big girl tights until she outgrows them. Oh, and I hope to add a liner to the remaining tops of the tights to convert them into training panties. Yes folks, in the coming weeks we are starting potty training. *sigh* February is gonna be a tough month for this mommy. I can't believe two years has flown by so fast!

Prepping for the Party

Before I knew how much she would fall in love with Monsters v. Aliens, we had planned the theme: Star Trek based on the 2009 movie. We are gathering as a family on her actual birthday, which coincidentally is Super Bowl Sunday. With the few of us, we will have a Super Bowl/Monsters v. Aliens party. I just might make some cupcakes for that one.

Anyway, for the big party, the evite has been sent and planned activities are in full prep mode. First up, the Tribble hunt. I scored this super furry material at Golden D'Or. It sheds EVERYWHERE. After putting these little guys together, it looked like Edward Scissorhands went to town on Chewbacca. I only needed half a yard, of this stuff, so if any of you who read this want the other half yard to make something soft, warm, and furry, let me know. I'll be happy to find a new home for it. Otherwise, I may have to use it to make an outfit for this race that I'm going to do in May.

Next up, here's a picture of the injury I sustained while doin' the next project. Mix sharp objects and me, well, not a good idea. Just a tiny slice , but man it was gushing out bright red for a few minutes. C'mon, everyone is a fan of Nemo!
Ok, so this is the design. Yes, rudimentary, but we want a pull string pinata for Mari. I've never made one myself, but I have done similar projects, especially every Easter when we make cascarones. Anyway, that's the design based on the Starfleet logo.
Some newspaper, wooden coffee stirrers, and balsawood rods.
Using the rotary cutter and shortly thereafter, is when I nic'd my pointer.
Don in action, putting the frame together. He was so careful with the measurements and carefully tearing tiny strips of duct tape to keep the joints secure.
First layer of newspaper strips and glue. whooo...messy
Can you see it?
Ta-da!
A few more layers to add and then crepe paper to decorate. Woo-hoo! Next weekend, I need to make several Starfleet logos because we will play pin the logo on Spock. Also, I will have a coloring page for kiddos to color, marker, or paint.

Fun stuff!

Happy 9th Birthday Guapo!

Guapo turned 9 and we celebrated in style with a special doggie cake.

Sidenote: Pay EXTRA attention when you go to a store and buy something. In my hurry, I signed the receipt, not paying attention to the total price. When I had called to see if the dog boutique sold cakes, I heard yes and the price for the cakes were $9.99. When I got home, I saw that the total was actually $29.99. I was sick. I'm not out of my mind so much to spend $30 on a dog cake, about the size of a double doozy cookie from Great American Cookie Company. Ech! Had I known, I would've turned around and headed to the grocery store and bought the ingredients for this cake that I know he would have loved! I have paid $30 on a cake for him before, when I celebrated his 5th birthday, but that one was 3 tiers of yummy goodness that he shared with 4 other dogs, and had so much that he was full and turned his back on food. Anyway, yeah, that was a looooooong tangent because I was burned, but never again.

Here it is in all it's $30 glory, frozen-fresh from Brooklyn. So much for buying local, at least it was made in the USA.

Guapo in action singing Happy Birthday. He is soooooooooo excited!
Whoa, that's some serious blue-ness. Sorry. Anyway, see how he is enjoying it?
How can you put a price on that sort of happiness, though? Happy Birthday Guapo! Thank you for bringing us another year of snuggles, loves, and happiness!
And Happy Birthday to Christian Bale too! Que Guapo indeed. ha ha!

HDMR: Max Payne & Crazy Heart

This review has one movie on DVD and the other is currently in the theater. Enjoy!
MAX PAYNE
Prior to watching this movie (and heck, halfway through it) I wasn't sure that it was based on a video game. I told Don sarcastically, "This movie feels like a video game. Is it based on a graphic novel?" That's when he told me it was based on a video game. The film didn't pull me in, though. Despite the eye candy, it just wasn't what I wanted it to be, and you know what, it could've been so much better. :( Sorry Mark, but this was a fail. If it happens to be on TBS on a Sunday afternoon, then go ahead and watch it, but not if it is football season. I rate this an unenthusiastic smile that you give when you are forced to be happy.

CRAZY HEART
The background story for this movie: I normally take my BFF's birthday off from work. It is the day before New Years Eve, and we try to plan to do something while we have the day off. Well, recently she's had to work on her birthday (sadface all around) and this year I had to work too. We postponed our date for later. Well, Friday afternoon, I took a half day and we met up for some girl time. We opted to head to the Angelika theater, catch a flick, then head on over to Ikea. Originally, we were going to watch A Single Man, but when the guy who sold us the tickets told us he heard it was depressing, we changed our minds to watch Crazy Heart. I was intrigued to watch Tom Ford's directorial debut, but this was an afternoon of happiness and celebration, not sadness. You know what, I was WONDERFULLY suprised. The only thing I knew about this movie were some of the actors. That's it. I LOVED this movie. It reminded me similar to The Wrestler, but not nearly as gut wrenching. This movie was actually funny and witty and well played. I adored the music...heck, I fell in love with country music. Seriously, I want this soundtrack right now. But yes, it was good. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. I rate this that stupid smile you get after falling in love for the first time all over again. Ahhh...bliss.

The Many Faces of My Sugarbean

The background: We were finished with a lovely dinner and enjoying a cupcake. But, this little lady seemed to have another agenda. Was growling at her fresh-killed yellow cupcake?

Perhaps trying to frighten it...
No, just inspecting the yummy cupcake.
Isn't she a doll?

*swoon*

New Dress & Bib

I know I've already talked about City Craft, but seriously, every other Monday is like my own little personal retreat. I walk in uncertain what I'll make, but I do know that I WILL learn something. Anyway, such was the case this last time. I had a box full of fabric and a couple of patterns. When I settled in, I opted to finally make something out of the adorable red, black, and white, chicken fabric I picked up there my first time. Here's the final product:

What made this extra-special is that I started and completed this project during my time at lounge night. Started completely, like I had to cut out the pattern, cut the fabric, piece together and sew. Yes, this is probably an easy project, but for me, I was thinking it would be multiple lounge nights before I finished. Somehow at the end of watching The Proposal, this little beauty was formed. Next week, Mari is moving on up to the 2's class (where did the time go?!?), and this is what she's gonna wear on her first day!
Next, I had some of this vinyl remaining from a teeny, tiny wallet I attempted to make. It didn't turn out as great as I wanted, but it is definitely functional. Anyway, I've been wanting to make a bib for Mari for a while. This was just the prototype for it and I think it came out pretty good. 'm in love with the lime green ric rac with the black and white.
I even made a little pocket to catch the food in the front. I might've made the neck a little too wide, though. Of course, this was supposed to be lined with a cotton backing, but being that I'd never sewed ric rac after between fabric that is inside out, so lesson learned. The way I'd guessed was actually wrong,but I think it still looks good without it, just a little raw and unfinished.

Next up, I'm going to be sewing Tribbles for Mari's birthday. We're going to do a Tribble hunt since her Epic Birthday this year is Star Trek themed.

Destinee & Matt: Gorgeous and Delightful!

Wow-o-wee...I ventured just south of the metroplex, well, it was barely in the metroplex, but anyway, I put on my photographer hat and set off to capture the personalities of these two lovebirds.

We were on this amazing piece of land and for 3 hours I had them running all over, trying to utilize as much of the ground as possible, while I danced a photo dance with all of the delicious natural light. Anyway, click the slideshow to see the pics. I'm diggin' on this song right now. It is called "Home" and it is sung by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. If you are reading this in facebook, you're just gonna have to click to the main blog site (http://biasia.blogspot.com) to see it.

Seriously, how stinkin' adorable are these guys? Their wedding is gonna ROCK!!!

HDMR: The Book of Eli, Funny People, The Taking of Pelham 123

Howdy do friends! It's that time again for a movie review. What's cool is that one of these movies is actually in the theaters RIGHT NOW! Whee!! Ok, so let's get started!


THE BOOK OF ELI
OMG...this movie was epic. It is on the same level as Gladiator and for those of you who know me know that when I say that, it's a pretty darn big deal. There's loads of action, the right amount of gore, beautiful people, a pinch of crazy, and a whole lot of awe inspiring conviction. I love a good story about a man on a mission, especially if he's an underdog. Holy cow! Drop that ice cream or cupcake, walk, no SPRINT to the closest theater showing this and prepare to be mesmerized by the yummy-goodness that is Denzel Washington. Ok, yeah, this post has another post about Denzel, but more on that later.

Ok, the story surrounding me going to this movie. My sister and I had a date night. I'd been wanting to have a date night with her for ages. We tried to get together for a but scheduling conflicts didn't really let us. We were lucky to make couple of solo trips to the grocery store, but that's about it. Anyway, Don agreed to watch Mari and I giddily skipped out to my sister's car and off we flew to the show. I hit up Nails Nails to clean up the Lady Wolverine look I had going. The fit me right in and we still had an hour and a half before the movie. We had to kill one hour before they would even sit us, so we went to a little bistro by the theater. Yeah, why are we going to an eatery if we're hitting up Studio Movie Grill. I don't know, it seemed like a good idea. We split a plate of grilled veggies while watcihng Home Alone. We cracked up laughing, remembering when Mikey and Brother used to watch that movie all of the time when they were younger. Anyway, we only managed to blow thirty minutes. So there we stood near the line where they'd let everyone in. By the time they opened up the line, we headed straight on up and cozied up for the show. I over indulged on some sweet potato fries and a Extra Long Island Iced Tea.

Then the movie started. I couldn't remember what it was about, really. Just that I was excited about watching it from a preview. Well, away we went. In the first few minutes, my sister was shrieking and hollering whispered profanities nearby and I thought, whoa, this is gonna be a long movie. But when it was all said and done, all she could say was Wow and that was my sentiment exactly. Hopefully Don and I can have a date and I'm pretty certain I'll ask him if we can watch this. Yes, I'd rather watch this one again instead of anything else out there. RATING: Two red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles with a single serving of Martinelli's apple juice.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM OF 123
I told you we were gonna have some more Denzel happiness.Ok, so this movie is a remake. I hadn't seen the original, nor the made for TV movie. However, that alone had me skeptical. Then, John Travolta's hair had me skeptical. I thought it was brave that he was willing to go to such extremes. Last time I saw something like that on him he was in Face/Off with Nic Cage. Anyway, we put this show on and I was distracted by one thing or another and next thing I knew I was sucked into the show. I was actually captivated by the cat and mouse performances and you know, James Gandolfini did a great job shedding his Tony Soprano persona. I really enjoyed this film. Then again, any movie involving New York always has a special place in my heart. John Travolta (Ryder) is the antagonist, a stereotypical thug with a bit of genius. He's seems to be impressed with the everyday person who can be a hero. Denzel, our protagonist, works at the MTA and is knee deep in a a bribery investigation. Ryder hijacks Pelham 123 and sets this whole chain of events in motion. I rate this a homemade yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting, extra frosting.




FUNNY PEOPLE

Having high hopes because this is another Apatow film, I want to let you know that I was not disappointed. While this movie was hilariously funny, it was also genuinely real and painful. It really hurt watching parts of this movie. I found myself connecting with these characters. They are so real and once again, like how he did in Spanglish, Adam Sandler showed another depth to his skills. He's come quite a long way since the days at MTV. Speaking of which, there are some old clips from those days in this film and But yes, this has clever writing. The premise of the film centers around a famous comedian who learns that he's dying. After going back to roots of stand-up, he befriends a young up and comer, who some would deem as a nobody and allows himself to to cut through his typical shallow surface. It made us think about those close to us who have had near-death experiences and how it may or may not have changed them. I fell in love with Seth Rogen all over again. Plus, Jason Schwartzman always cracks me up! This is a bag of freshly popped kettle corn dipped in chocolate frosting.

Painting

For a while now, I've been inspired by all of the wonderful goodness that goes on over at The Art of Family. There's a whole lotta creative energy being thrown around over there, it's difficult to walk away not wanting to create and make something. Well, I'd been hoarding a few of my egg cartons for the day where I'd actually buy some paint for Mari. I had a few art brushes, and instead of buying new ones, I just made do with what I had. Knowing that, though, I think I'm going to use my next 40% off coupon from JoAnn's or Michael's to buy Mari a set of brushes on her own.

I knew she was familiar with painting because she's come home a few times with art work she's created. A few of those pieces, I have displayed on my very own inspiration board. (one of these days I may take a photo of my various workspaces.) Anyway, I threw on an old shirt for her when I realized I should probably have gotten long sleeves. Not to fret, though, I did buy washable paint, so I wasn't too concerned.

For a half an hour, she was totally into her paints. Dipping the brush and going to town on her blank paper. She was all about that paint! (Don't you like those happy flowers? I bought 'em as a surprise for Don. I think he liked them, but I know I'm enjoying them more.)

Here's her final product. I really like how she made it all flow together. It seemed like there was purpose to what she did and I have no what she titled it, but I still like it. :)

And it was a very successful time because her hands were every bit as colored as was her paper. Happy times indeed!

What kinds of painting do you do? Do you have much success with markers? How about crayons?

El Capitan

For as long as I can remember, we've passed this mountain range on our way to El Paso. El Capitan would proudly stand and this was our signal that we were close! Not too long after White's City and Carlsbad Caverns. Unfortunately, we didn't stop this time, but another time when Mari is a little bigger.

This time I asked Daddy if we could pause long enough for me to grab a photo. It seemes to me that at our stop I lost a lens cap, but that small casualty was worth it for what I captured. Here's what it looks like in the distance. The outline of the range is supposed to look like a captain laying on his back with his hands folded across his chest.
This is from the rest stop right before you make a sharp turn. So long lens cap!

As we rounded the corner, here's another view. I can't take credit for this one. Don caught it since he was on that side of the road and it was really not a good idea to stop.

So long El Capitan! One of these days I hope to climb you.

Now I have a hankering for some mountains. Hey babe, let's make a trip to Colorado! What do you think?

City Craft: Lounge Night

In the new year, I've decided to create more and exercise the soul more than the body. With that, every other Monday, I'm attending Lounge Night at City Craft. Here I get to hang out with fellow creators of beautiful things and chat and push myself to learn more about my craft, be patient, and humble. Patience is DEFINITELY a lesson learned each and every time I walk in there.
Best of all, it is FREE! No minimums to buy, just bring your machine and get to work, first come, first served. If you don't have a machine, that's fine. You can use theirs for $5. Talk about an amazing girls night out! There's some delicious snackies, some drinks, and usually a girly movie playing in the background (13 Goin' on 30 and The Devil Wears Prada were featured)
This is Callie, the super-duper owner and genius behind this little gem in Inwood Village. She was working on an adorable quilted pillow. It was quite fancy!
This is Erin. Wow, the magnificent things this gal whips up. She makes beautiful things faster than it takes me to seam rip my latest flub. :)
Last night was epic for two reasons. First, I would like to proudly admit that I actually finished a project! Yes indeed folks. For the first time, I started and completed a project while there. Which is no small feat, considering I was lost on my way there (yes, I've been there plenty of time, but I normally come from work and not home, so bleh...). Nevermind that I didn't have to cut or was working from a pattern. I'm still basking in the glow of a completed task! HOWEVER, the second thing is that this was the first time I broke a needle. Not only did I flat out break a needle and nearly give Jacki a heart attack and make her want to switch stations, but I did it a TWICE!!! That takes talent, folks!

I forgot to grab a photo of the completed project, but rest assured, it is coming soon. I'm glad I didn't get the pic since it is a birthday gift for a special guy out in California and I'd hate to ruin the surprise. I hope you love it Ronchi!

Check out City Craft yourself, deets*:
Where: City Craft
WHEN: Mondays from 6:30 - 9:30
COST: FREE!
WHY?: Because you're sassy, classy, and imaginative
WHO: Creative types, especially those who like to sew, quilt, embroider, felt, knit, and crochet

*and I'm not getting anything for this endorsement. I just like to promote local businesses so they'll actually stay around for me to enjoy 'em.

Bright Colors to Alter the Mood

The sugar bean is down with yet another respiratory infection. This constant changing of the seasons isn't helping whatsoever. While a nasty cough is brewing all sorts of nonsense in her chest, she's as happy as can be. Meanwhile, Momma and Daddy are all sorts of out of sorts with anxiety and worry. No one ever likes to hear their child sound like an 80 year old with smoker's cough.

She and I hung out together and to lift her spirits (and mine too) I dressed her in bright colors because she looks so stinkin' cute in bright clothes AND to lift her spirits. These are her oh so adorable purple mary janes. Love them and so does she! Because they ran a tad on the narrow side, I ordered a larger size and was grateful I did. I think it is because of the lining, but I bet they are really comfortable. She likes them because she can put them on her own feet with just a bit of effort. Socks from Old Navy.
And here she is sippin' on some orange juice from Sonic. I treated her to a corn dog for being a sport at the doc. I scored that coat at a ginormous thrift sale. Lucky for me, a friend of mine went to the sale early and snagged up this baby for me. It's been the right jacket since it is warm without being bulky and heavy. Perfect for cold, yet sunny days. Bow from Sam Moon.
And that dress underneath? Well, that's a little ditty that my MIL whipped up from the Claire Portabello Pixie pattern. I'm in love with the two dresses she made and honestly, they are a really great layering piece on cool days. She had on some play pants from Target and a patterned waffle shirt from Old Navy, and to dress it up, I tossed on the dress.
So yes, you can see that quite a bit of my inner Punky Brewster coming out! ;) What do you do to lift the spirits when you're under the weather?

<3<3

This here is one of my most special gifts of all time....my best friend.
My Michael and I met when we were 11. I'd just moved from the Panhandle to the Metroplex. I didn't have many friends and surprisingly, I was shy and quiet. I know, tough to imagine. Especially if you know me. :) By the time we were 13 we were the very, very best of friends!

Even though I moved away on my 15th birthday, we kept in touch and who knew that after all these years, he'd still be by my side, celebrating life's great moments! (special birthdays, graduations, a wedding, a baby, new homes, bottle after glass bottle filled with colored libations, and everything in between!)
The one thing on my list of things to do is to take a trip with him somewhere. You see, he loves travel. LOVES IT, LOVES IT! Michael has visited many beautiful places and I remember sitting at the edge of his bed, eagerly listening to him vividly recanting the foreign adventures. All around his room were memories from these places and waaaay back then, I made a mental note to want to be a part of that too. He's inspired me in so many ways, but giving the inspiration of travel (and just saying, hey, book it and go!)...well, that's just a gift that always gives back.

In my minds eye, I always picture us together, young, lounging by a pool or sitting in a corner laughing hysterically and just enjoying life. Nothing has changed has it, love? We still spend hours on end laughing and thoroughly enjoying life! I love you! Happy birthday!