Friday, October 30, 2015

Poet Dog Sweater



Hi, all!

My last post on how I'm hooked on crochet right now hinted about this post. I felt this little guy deserved his very own post. I mean, look at that face, amiright? Chauncey is starting to feel the chill in the air and spends so much of his time cuddled up under blankets. He makes a nest. Seriously. I keep trying to film him, but he gets camera shy. I had a lot of yarn left over after making my husband's hat, so I thought I'd try a sweater.


This pattern is The Poet Dog Sweater from Lion Brand Yarns. I always thought Chauncey seems very philosophical, so I figured this pattern was made just for him. The pattern is free, but you need to sign in (also free) to get to it. I made one major mistake on this sweater and a few little ones. First, I assumed my little guy is a small, so I didn't bother measuring. Yeah...he's a medium/large. What?!?! I had the pieces finished when I figured that out. Instead of starting over, I added panels to the underside's rib area and the neck area.


Secondly, the alternating BPDC (back post double crochet) and FPDC (front post double crochet) on the neck tripped me up. How am I supposed to remember what I just did? I can't. It's a problem. I got the hang of it on the third row of the neck trim. I didn't care enough to go back and re-do the first two rows. For the leg trim, I picked FPDC and just stuck with it.


Berkeley kept photobombing the photo shoot. And then she let me know exactly what she thought about the sweater.


Berkeley is always honest about her feelings.

I'm thinking about adding a Superman emblem to the back because the sweater looks like a cape. If I do, I'll share the pics. This sweater was so easy to throw together (once I figured out my mistakes) that Chauncey might end up with a whole wardrobe of them.

Love,

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Hooked on Crochet

Patterns Used - Hat :: Mittens

Hi, all!
Sorry about the title. I couldn't resist!

I've been crocheting up a storm lately. My daughter, Zara, is a very busy girl, so I spend a ton of time in waiting rooms. There's usually too much going on for me to read, I get bored with games after a while, so I started crocheting.

For Zara's hat above, I stuck to the pattern. I did tweak the mittens quite a bit. I left off the cuffs, started with a chain ring, and didn't decrease the thumbs. Instead I just sewed the tops of the thumbs. Zara wanted a Z on her hat. I tried to crochet one, but as you can see below, it ended up being larger than the hat itself. That was my first lesson on scale. I ended up chaining 24 or so stitches and then tacking them down in a Z shape.

Z Pattern (video)

You may recognize the yarn below from the first scarf I ever made Zara. To be honest, she hated it, but she was very polite about it. She just said, "I prefer long scarves." So, I disassembled the old scarf and made her a new one. She's much happier now.


My husband didn't want to be left out. He requested a couple of hats and a scarf. I plan on adding more to the scarf to make it longer. I'm still learning to figure out how much yarn a project will need. (Hint: Always buy more than you think you'll need.)

Hat Pattern

 I stuck to the hat pattern with a few additional increases just for comfort.

Hat Pattern

And now we're down to something I made for myself. I posted previously about how I wanted a slouchy beanie to match my scarf I made last spring. The first attempt was horrible. Well, sort of horrible. It turned into a cute doll purse. The second attempt worked out fine. I didn't use a pattern. I made the headband using ten double stitches per row and kept going until it fit my head. I then sewed the edges together and single stitched in a spiral until it got as big as I wanted. I sewed the hole together to finish.


I have one more project that I've finished, but that's getting a post all to itself. It's adorable. No hints, though.

If you have any handy tips or tricks, leave them in the comments below. I definitely have a lot to learn.

Love,



Monday, October 26, 2015

alter ego: ipsy's October glam bag


Hey, all!
This post is late, late, late! There's been a ton going on lately and on top of that I've developed a crochet obsession. I had to force my self to put down the project I'm working on to type this post. Seriously. (Also, that's a major hint for the next blog post.) 

This month's ipsy glam bag theme is "alter ego". Cute. I love anything remotely Halloween-y. This bag came with some great stuff and some no-so-great stuff. In order of faves to not so much, here's what I got and what I thought.

1. theBalm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer - I was sooooo hoping to get this in my bag. I've been wanting to try it out for ages. Being so pale, I have a hard time finding a good highlighter. They're usually too dark, too glittery, or just look like normal face powder on me. Bummer! This one, however, is ahhhh-mazing!


Can we take a moment for the packaging? the Balm does such cute packaging.


Mary-Lou Manizer is a fab champagne gold. It's shimmery but not at all glittery. It blends well and stays all day on me. I also tried this as an eyeshadow and loved it. I'm definitely picking up the full size when this little one runs out.
(Full size value $24.00. Sample size value $1.60)


2. tarte deluxe LipSurgence™ skintuitive lip gloss in energy - This is one of those fun products that changes color. I've loved "mood" lipsticks since the 80's and for my birthday this year I picked up Lipstick Queen's Frog Prince. So, I'm sure you can guess how tickled pink (geddit?) I was to get this in my glam bag.


This gloss smells like cotton candy, but it's subtle. Once it's on, I can't smell it at all. (Another bummer. I love cotton candy and wouldn't mind smelling it all day!) It goes on clear and develops into a pretty, sheer pink. It's slightly sticky, which helps it stay on longer. It's not as sticky as MAC's Lip Glass, but if you hate sticky altogether, be warned.
(Full size value $19.00. Sample size value $3.56)


3. AYRES Pampas Sunrise Hand Cream -  This is a really nice hand cream. I love lemongrass anything. The patchouli warms it up a bit. It absorbs quickly and is non-greasy. All good things.
(Full size value $12.50. Sample size value $6.25)


4. Nourish Organic Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum - There were two products in my glam bag that I'm just not feeling. This is one of them. It made my skin warm. It didn't burn, per se. However, it felt warm. And thick. And it hated my foundation. This would probably work better at night, but with the warming (not quite burning), I'm kind of afraid to try it again. Also (this is stupid), since it was in a tube I thought it would be thick. Long story short, I spilled a bunch on my carpet. It's serum. Don't let the tube fool you. If you're interested, the full size comes in a bottle with a pump, which is a great idea. I do like the scent. It's apricot and rose hip. I mostly smell earthy citrus.
(Full size value $23.99. Sample size value $16.79)


5. Coastal Scents Xpress Line Cosmetic Pencil in Black - This is the other product in my bag that I did not enjoy. At all. It's going into the trash when I'm finished with this post because there's no one I dislike enough to pass this along to. There are so many excellent, inexpensive eyeliners out there that there's no need to waste time with something that is so hard and patchy. It literally hurt to apply this.


I tried this as a tight liner, on my waterline, on my upper eyelid, and on my lower eyelid. It didn't stick around. By lunchtime it was gone from my waterline and by dinnertime it was faded and smudged everywhere else. I've heard good things about the company, so I'd like to try other things from Coastal Scents, but not this. Never, ever, ever again.

*edit 10/29/15 - Oops! I had totally forgotten that I had a couple of blushes from them from my August 2014 glam bag. They're good blushes and I'm wearing them right now. Together. That's just how I roll.
(Value $2.95)


Rewards Bonus - Pixi by Petra Brow Powder Trio - I had some points burning a hole in my pocket, so I picked out this brow trio.


I really like this. The idea is that you can mix your perfect brow shade. I found myself using different shades depending on what part of my brow that I'm working on. I tended to go lighter on the inner and outer portions and darker near my arch. It's fun having options.


These are matte and also work well as eyeshadows. (Yes, I always try to find multiple uses for products.) I'd recommend using a primer if you're trying these on your lids. I forgot the first time and had some creasing by the evening. I really do enjoy this product. I'd consider buying the full palette when this one runs out.
(Full size value $12.00. Sample size value $3.00)


The bag - We need to discuss this bag. It's pretty cute. I'm getting a definite 80's vibe.


It's a very metallic yellow gold on one side and a black patent leather-like vinyl on the other.


The grand total for this bag is $31.15 ($34.15 with the bonus plus the bag). I'm a pretty happy camper. If you haven't heard, ipsy is a $10/month customizable beauty subscription service. If you use my referral link I get points. Points get me free things. I like free things. If you're not comfortable with that (I totally understand), then check out ipsy.com.

If you already subscribe, what did you get? If it was the same as me, what did you think of the serum and eyeliner? Any helpful tips on using them?

Love,

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Transformation Glam with IAmGlamm




Hi, all!
I have a brand new subscription service to review today. IAmGlamm.com contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in checking out their new service. Of course I said yes. I am a beauty product addict. You've probably guessed that by now.

Let's get started with October's bag. This month's theme is "Transformation Glam", which would definitely explain a few of the items I received. (I'm looking at you, black lace mask!)

First off, the presentation is so stinkin' cute!


The mailer is black and then when I opened it, the whole package was secured with some adorable hot pink fringe and tissue paper. You all know I'm a craft hoarder, so of course I saved the fringe for a future project.


It comes with an info card...


...and a contents list. I felt everything was securely wrapped.


In no particular order let's see what I got and what I thought.

1. Hard Candy Crushed Chromes Nail Polish in Crush On Raisin - Makeup companies, can we get real for a minute? What's up with the names? This is clearly a coppery pink, not a raisin. Okay, rant over. Weird name aside, this is a gorgeous nail polish. I love Hard Candy in general and when they re-released Sky, I tracked it down. This particular polish gives great coverage in one coat and dries quickly. If you want it to last, use a base coat and a top coat. Otherwise, it'll start wearing down at the tips. Hard Candy is a cruelty free company and can be found at Walmart.
(Value $4.00)


2. Aimo Eyelashes - The next thing in my bag was this lovely pair of eyelashes. I had never heard of this brand before and had some trouble tracking them down. The link was for a set that is close to this one, but since no model numbers are given, I couldn't track down the exact set. This set flares out at the end, giving me some serious Disney Princess eyes. That's my favorite style to wear. They looked pretty natural on. The band was a bit stiff, but not totally uncomfortable. I'd definitely wear them again.
(Value $6.00)


3. Bottom Eyelashes - I've never tried bottom eyelashes before, so I was pretty excited to get these. These lashes are hand-knotted on a clear base. They went on pretty easily. It's definitely a bolder look than I go for, however these would be perfect for dressing up. Halloween is coming soon. I might wear these then.
(Full size $2.47. Sample size $0.25)


4. Black Lace Mask - My daughter has no idea I have this. I'm pretty sure she'll confiscate it the second she finds out. This mask is beautiful and comfortable. The laces are stretchy, so they'll fit pretty much everyone. I wish I had somewhere to wear this to. Somebody throw a masquerade party and invite me, m'kay?
(Value $3.99)


5. Klear Action Nails AR New Nail Polish Repair - This is a pretty neat idea. Basically, if you have a chip or smudge in your nail polish, this will fix it. You dot the product over the area that needs repaired and then you brush it over until the problem is gone. I tried it on the chipped polish on my toes (There's no pictures of that. You're welcome!) and it seemed to be working. I feel this would be best for small chips in nail polish that's not too dark. I want to play with this a bit more to see how it works in different circumstances.
(Value $3.55)  



The grand total for the value of this bag is $17.79. The subscription is $8.99 per month and they do have a rewards program. IAmGlamm.com ships to U.S. and Canada.

Much thanks to IAmGlamm.com for the opportunity to try out their subscription service.

Love,

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