Posts from — September 2009

I just love the Instructables website!  They share all sorts of DIY projects and there truly is something for everyone! The first time that I heard of them was  when my husband and I went to the 2008 Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.  I was immediately attracted to their booth because of their funky business cards and stickers, but quickly learned that they had more to offer.  They had an etching machine set up and they etched any design you wanted into your laptop cover, cell phone, iPod, etc.  It was so much fun!  My husband got his logo on his laptop , while I forgot my iPod Touch at the hotel, so I created a quick design with my name and had it etched into my cell phone.  It was great.  So, I’ve been following them ever since and recently came across this DIY Ice Cream Drumstick tutorial and knew I had to try it.  I’m a little squeezed for time at the moment, because of the upcoming craft show, but thought that I could do a blogpost to archive it for later. Plus, I thought you would like it too!  Enjoy!  (For more fabulous Humpday Tutorials, click here!)

Here is a picture of my little Tucker Bean the day he came home from getting neutered (August 2009).  I felt so bad for taking him, but it was the responsible thing to do. I gave him a little scrap quilt that I made, and now him and Frankie Li fight over it every night before bed.

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter | Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen |  Mia Wasikowska as Alice

Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen

Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter and Stephen Fry as The Cheshire Cat

Depp and Burton

You can get more info on the cast and film here.

If you don’t know already, Tim Burton is one of my idols and Johnny Depp is my favorite actor, so to have them team up once again in the 2010 Alice in Wonderland, is a dream come true.  I also really love how Helena Bonham Carter is always teamed up with them as well! They just work so well together to create such dark, yet extremely beautiful work.  Their stuff is right up my ally!  In addition to my lovely Chickiedee, I’m also an animator, motion graphic designer, and stop-motion beast!  It would be a dream to work on a project with the three of them… I can dream, can’t I?!  Anyhoo, they always seem to find a way to out-do themselves.  Alice in Wonderland has always been a favorite in my family while growing up.  In fact, my mom loved it so much, she always bought the books, movies, computer games, etc.  I can’t wait until this movie comes out so we can all see it together!  I just had to share this with you so that you could get in on the excitement!  Enjoy!

We were so thrilled to see that JH Papers {The Staionary Hustle} featured us on their Blog today!  What a sweet and thoughtful gesture.  Rajshel is a graphic designer, like myself, with a passion for stationary and you can check out her website here to find some great things! I’m a huge fan of paper and what can be done with it, so I love to see people passionate enough, like Rajshel, to act on that.  Enjoy!

I know I already shared a Humpday Tutorial with you today, but I simply couldn’t resist sharing this with all of you either! It’s another idea from the Martha Stewart team and they’re Skull Treat Boxes!  I haven’t tried them yet, but they seem super easy and they would be great to do with the kids.  They are egg shaped containers that you paint white and then cut out black crepe paper for the features (the face templates can be found here).  Then you fill them with treats and then you’re done!  Easy, right?  I was thinking though, instead of printing out templates and using crepe paper, why not save some trees, money, and time by drawing the faces on with marker or paint.  Well, I’ll let you get to it!  If you try this before me, please let me know how they turn out.  Heck, even email me the pictures of yours and I’ll put them on here!  Enjoy!

What a fun DIY for a Halloween party!  I’ve seen this in another magazine before and they used black charcoal or marker to fill in the facial features for an even more eerie look.  You can find the complete tutorial with additional pictures here.  This probably isn’t a project to work on with the kids because of the knife carving, but it’s a great nap time project for you!  That Martha Stewart team is really something, huh?  Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• Paring knife
• Firm, unbruised apples
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Small bowl
• Knotted cord or twine
• Toothpicks
• Optional: Urn or vase filled with dried branches

As you know, Halloween is fast approaching, and there’s no better way to start this week off than by showing a sneak-peek of our Fall/Halloween 2009 Collection!  Chickiedee is proud to have Baby Alex model a few of our spooky items this year with out missing a beat! Stay tuned for the official launch of this collection.

Totally stumped on what to write today, I was talking to a good friend of mine and she didn’t really know what to do on this fine Friday night.  Well, with her husband having to get up early for work tomorrow and a 3 month old baby boy at home, she said she’d just hang out.  Well, I thought, “Why not make it a special Date Night at home for him when he gets home?!”  She liked the idea so she might rent a movie and get some sodas, popcorn, and other great snacks.  Maybe you can try a At Home Date Night tonight!  There’s no rule that you have to get all dressed up, get a babysitter, and go out!  If you do something fun tonight, please share!

I call this blanket Willow.  The colorful top is 100% cotton and the soft minky back is 100% polyester.  It measures apox 34″ x 34″ and is great to cuddle up with.  The fabric was pre-washed in perfume free and dye free detergent so there will be no funky shrinkage here!  The best part of this blanket is that it’s light weight, yet super warm for those chilly months ahead.  You can find it here at Chickiedee!  Enjoy!